Michael Johnson

Exploring strategies for understanding and responding to online gaming addiction

It’s no secret that professionals across the healthcare and technology industries have been scratching their heads about online gaming for years. More and more, professionals – particularly in the healthcare sector – have developed a growing concern about just how impactful online gaming can be – especially for the smartphone generation.

For modern youth who spend an increasing amount of time plugged into laptops and smartphones, professionals worry that the allure of online gaming can result in a downright addiction—an addiction that results in irrational cravings and an uncontrollable need to keep playing.

There’s no doubt that just like with any other addiction, this type of compulsive online game use can have serious detrimental consequences in the real lives of over-users. A strong compulsion for internet games can have negative impacts on youth relationships, schooling, and employment, in addition to their physical and mental health. That’s why, healthcare professionals across the globe are emphasizing the need to recognize over-gaming for what it is – a behavioral addiction.

Concerns Take Effect: World Health Organization Declares Gaming Disorder as Classified Disease

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that ‘gaming disorder’ will be officially recognized under their International Classification of Diseases. This is an incredibly significant move by the WHO and the formal classification will greatly improve awareness and understanding of the disorder. Further, with a formal classification, impacted youth and families will have more options for treatment, help, and funding.

The official WHO classification defines online gaming addiction as such:

“…impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation of escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”

Thanks to this informed decision by the WHO, families looking for more serious and dynamic treatment options will have global support behind them. This means the opening up of spots for gaming addicts at inpatient clinics and long-term rehabilitation facilities.

Keeping a Watchful Eye: Is Your Child Showing Signs of Gaming Addiction?

Understandably, the WHO announcement has many parents giving a second thought about their own children’s online habits. Young kids play video games – this is not a new phenomenon and games are not inherently dangerous to kids. However, there are key warning signs to be on the lookout for if you’re concerned your child’s gaming borders on over-use or addiction.

Check out these top 4 warning signs to ensure your child’s game use isn’t out of control:

1.     Preoccupation & Compulsion

Does your child spend all their time playing a specific game or set of games? Do they have a hard time talking about anything else when they are offline? If your child seems to have a compulsive need to log on and play or if they can’t seem to think or talk about anything else, gaming addiction could be present.

2.     Over Spending Time & Money

Are you constantly catching your child red-eyed and up way past a normal bedtime, playing an online game? Does your child have a habit of overspending their money or yours on video-game related purchases? If all your child’s time and money are being directed toward their game use, they could be suffering from gaming addiction.

3.     Erratic Emotions

Does your child get irrationally emotional when they are unable to access or play their game? Do they get very defensive when you question them about their game use? Does your child have strong emotional reactions when they aren’t doing well in their game? If you notice that your child’s emotions are hard to regulate and seem to spike and drop based on gaming outcomes, it may be time to get professional help.

4.     Neglecting Other Areas of Life

Has your child recently seen their grades drop? Does your child often ask to stay home sick from school just to spend the day playing games? Does your child neglect their part-time job, friendships, or extra-curricular activities in order to game? If so, your child is likely struggling with a serious addiction to gaming.

A Playbook for Parents: How to Curb the Risk of Gaming Addiction in Your Kids

All of this information is understandably worrisome for parents – especially as the younger generations become more and more reliant on technology for occupation and entertainment. That’s why, no matter how frightening gaming addiction seems, there are always concrete strategies for parents and kids to rely on, in hopes of stopping addiction in its tracks.

Check out these strategies for managing gaming addiction:

1.    Recognize the Cravings

First things first, there has to be an acknowledgment of a problem. Understanding that your child has compulsive cravings for a game will help remind both you and them that this is a disorder. Recognize when the cravings to play happen and try to get to the root cause.

2.    Get Active, Get Outside, Reconnect with Friends

Encourage your child to physically move their body. Exercise or team sports are a great way to get positive endorphins pumping. Encourage your child to spend time with friends, go outside, and become more active. This can be a great first step in breaking the cycle of addictive behavior.

3.     Be Aware of Viral Games

For today’s social media generation, a new game can go viral in no time at all. This is a huge trigger for kids who have a tendency to get addicted quickly. With all their friends talking about how awesome a new game is, kids will want to see what all the hype is about. Knowing what to look for is half the battle, so make sure to keep an eye on new games that are sweeping kids up in a viral tornado.

4.    Be Firm

No one likes giving tough love – especially when we know our kids are struggling. But unfortunately, tough love will be required in the fight against gaming addiction. There will be times when your child is begging you to play for just one more hour. They may get nasty and try to disobey your rules. Do your best to remain firm.

5.    Enlist Tech Help  

In the struggle to face gaming addiction head-on, it may be helpful to install some kind of parental controls, making it harder for your kids to spend unattended time online. There are various tools available to block sites and monitor your children’s internet use so you can make sure their habits aren’t out of control.

No matter what approach you take, staying in-tune with your kids’ gaming habits and internet use is a noble task for all parents. The world our children are growing up in is increasingly digital and they’re faced with countless games and apps to avert their attention and get them hooked. Parents need not snatch away the smart-phone every time, but they do need to stay on high alert to make sure tech use doesn’t escalate into compulsion and addiction.

If you’re worried about your child’s online gaming or internet use and aren’t sure how to get better control of the issue, why not reach out to a local team of IT experts. IT professionals are well-versed in a variety of solutions that will help you better monitor and manage your kid’s online activities.

 

You don’t have to ban the internet completely, but you shouldn’t ignore the issue either. Consult a local team of tech specialists to help find a happy medium that will keep your kids healthy, safe, and connected. 

The Top 5 Cybersecurity Risks Your Company Hasn’t Considered

Exploring the leading cybersecurity threats facing business professionals today

There’s no getting around the prevalence of cybercrime today; it’s happening more and more, all across the globe. Even worse? The identity thieves and malicious attackers lurking behind the scenes are getting better at exploiting weaknesses to get their hands on confidential business data.

Understandably, business owners are often scrambling to ensure they’re doing enough to keep security tight. Maybe they invest in some “total solution” software or perhaps they overload a tech savvy employee with IT security work. Some business owners simply decide to roll the dice and hope for the best. Whether it’s doing too much or too little, business professionals often get caught up in a less-than-ideal approach to cybersecurity.

So, with all the horror stories in the headlines about companies and government agencies getting breached, what’s a business owner to do? The key is to remain focused and strategic so you can put together a level-headed plan. This involves taking a closer look at some of those gargantuan cyber threats we often forget about.

Narrowing Down the Doom: 5 Concrete Risks You Can Focus on Fixing Today

In order to develop a realistic and strategic approach to cybersecurity, you have to cut out all the noise. Put the headlines and your own fears to the side and try to stay focused on the things you and your staff can control. Think long and hard about the various ways cyberattacks could occur in your organization and then consider how you can work to close the gaps in each section.

Check out these Top 5 Security Risks that your organization must be carefully managing:

 1. Your own team

No one likes to admit that internal risks exist, but the reality is that employees are the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain. Sometimes these internal threats are malicious, but most often it’s a matter of ignorance and carelessness. In fact, human error is the catalyst for the vast majority of cyber-attacks on businesses.

The reality is, an uninformed and unprepared team can have drastic consequences for your organization’s cybersecurity. You may have employees who are more likely to click a malicious link or download a bad file from a phishing scam. Perhaps your team receives fraudulent business email compromise (BEC) scams that seem legitimate. No matter the error, your workforce – when uninformed – can put your organization at serious risk.

How to tackle an uneducated team:

The best way to counteract employees who aren’t in the know is to teach them! Yes, this will require some investment of time and resources but in the long run, your organization will be stronger and more secure.

Find ways to get your team on board and help empower them to be cybersecurity superheroes. Help them determine how to identify threats and create an environment for open and honest communication about suspicious activity of any kind. With an informed and vigilant team, your cybersecurity woes will be reduced significantly.

Password malpractice

Passwords are supposed to keep your organizational and employee data safe and secure. But when’s the last time your team changed their passwords? Is there a culture of password-sharing or posting in your office that threatens security? For that matter, have you and your team ever had an open conversation about choosing strong passwords? These are questions you must ask yourself in order to get on top of password malpractice.

How to manage password malpractice:

Like with any other part of your business, best practice for password management is to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure your team knows what is expected.

Make it a rule that passwords must be kept private and changed on a 30 or 60-day basis. Mark calendars with password change dates and makes it a group activity. Make it a rule that passwords must be unique and not repeats of old passwords or other accounts. Ensure there is a chain of command for access and control – superiors should never be sharing login credentials with employees – no matter how convenient. Finally, consider setting up two-factor authentication at all endpoints to add an extra layer of verification security.

2. Patch procrastination

In an increasingly digital workforce, hardware and software updates seem to pop-up daily. However, it is becoming blatantly clear that updated software and hardware are a critical part of maintaining strong cyber security. Why? Because updates very often include patches designed specifically to fix security holes or glitches. Who can forget the massive WannaCry scam from 2017? Even though a patch had been released in March, it had not been installed on countless machines who were then infected by the virus in May.

Even with the high profile WannaCry case, it is still common practice for many business professionals to avoid or put off software updates. Sometimes there is fear of change or increased technical issues once an update is installed – and this can happen. However, for the most part, updates are designed correctly and will work wonders by patching unseen security flaws. This can make a huge difference in keeping your network secure.

How to stop patch procrastination:

Again, schedule your updates and mark them on calendars as much as possible. Taking the time to make a physical note will help emphasize the importance of staying on top of patchwork.

Most importantly, when your machine gives you a reminder to install an update – install it! Get out of the habit of clicking “Remind Me Later” – your network will thank you. It’s not just about security either. Staying on top of updates and patches will help your systems run at optimal capacity at all times. Make updates to your new habit and explain this priority to other administrators.

3. Other organizations

This is perhaps the biggest risk that business professionals often forget. It’s not just your own cybersecurity practices you should be worried about – it’s the other companies you work with. Vendors, business partners, consultants – basically any organization that your company deals with can impact the safety of your business data.

Even if you have the strongest internal cybersecurity plan in place, if a third-party vendor has less than perfect cyber security practices, attacks could find a way to access your network. The recent Petya attack is a good example of this. The bottom line is that any company that you transmit data to and from is a potential vulnerability for your own network. The last thing you want is to invest time and money to keep your network secure, only to have it breached thanks to another organization’s lax policies.

How to counteract the poor cybersecurity practices of others:

First, its critical to make your own standards clear to the partners you’re working with. While you can’t force them to get smarter about their own security, letting them know that you take cybersecurity seriously right off the bat is a great way to be transparent and encourage their vigilance.

Second, there are technical tools available to help mitigate the risks involved with external vendors. Network segmentation or divided servers can help ensure vendors only access the necessary parts of your network and nothing else. This can be a great safeguard that will help mitigate the risk of vendor weak spots.

4. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) chaos

Alright, it’s no secret that pretty much everyone has a computer in their pocket or purse these days. Between smartphones, tablets and laptops, taking your favorite machine on-the-go is now easier than ever. Understandably, this has translated to the workplace with the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) craze. BYOD can be a convenient, cost-effective, and morale-boosting practice for small businesses.

However, there is a downside to letting endless personal devices through the doors and onto your business network. In fact, the security risks involved can be pretty serious. Simply put, personal devices likely do not have the same security standards and protocols that corporate devices do. This can leave your organization wide open and much more susceptible to hacks and data breaches.

How to balance BYOD benefits and risks:

Said it once and we’ll say it again: get policies and procedures on paper if your organization allows staff to bring in their own devices. Make sure your employees know the risks involved and come up with some detailed policies that will keep your network as secure as possible.

Make sure personal devices are only able to access the corporate networks through a virtual private network (VPN). Additionally, ensure that all employees have two-factor authentication set up on their accounts to maintain adequate verification. Just like all the other areas, proactive education is crucial. An informed team will make all the difference.

5. Putting Your Plan in Action: Consult the Pros if Necessary

Now that some of the basic groundwork has been laid, it’s time to ditch the hopelessness and procrastination and get your plan in action. There’s no denying that business professionals are constantly on-the-go, but making cybersecurity a top priority is a critical way to ensure your IT infrastructure is protected.

But hey, it can be a tough process to start. If you’re feeling lost or unsure, don’t hesitate to reach out to a local IT partner. A team of experts can help you begin thinking technically and strategically. It’s not just about calling someone in to fix the problem. The right IT partner will help empower you and your team so you’re thinking more like an IT expert.

Cyber Hacks on DNA-Testing Companies Raise Fears about Genetic Data Privacy  

DNA-testing companies the latest to be targeted by cybercriminals

Stories of businesses getting hacked by cybercriminals are pretty much par for the course nowadays. Increasingly, companies who collect and store large amounts of user data are prime targets for malicious and greedy hackers. From social networking sites to ride-share companies, large stores of user data are one of the hottest commodities on the cybercrime market.

MyHeritage hack: Over 90 million users affected

One of the most recently reported attacks saw the email addresses and passwords of roughly 92 million users hacked. MyHeritage – an international company based out of Israel – is a DNA testing provider that offers customers the unique experience of determining the specific makeup of their ethnic ancestry and lineage. The MyHeritage hack stands out among others for the very obvious fact that the company doesn’t simply collect basic user info like emails and passwords – it collects and stores mass amounts of genetic DNA from subscribers.

Now, it must be noted that the MyHeritage attack only saw the theft of user emails and passwords. According to the company, none of the genetic data and DNA information provided by customers was compromised. Nonetheless, the attack serves as a critical reminder that nearly any kind of data stored on servers is at risk of being hacked.

The hack – which occurred in October of 2017 – was only identified and reported to the company by a security researcher seven months later in early June of this year. With about 92 million users affected, MyHeritage has been in damage control mode ever since. While representatives for the company claim there is no evidence to suggest the attack was malicious, they’ve admitted they can’t know for sure.

No genetic data affected, but can it be protected? 

It’s important to remember that none of the genetic data collected by MyHeritage was hacked. In fact, most genetic data is stored separately and organized anonymously using a numbered barcode system. However, as cybercriminals continue to become more sophisticated and as user data becomes more valuable, companies will be required to work harder to keep even seemingly secure data safe. Especially when the data being collected includes genetic profiles of users.

MyHeritage has been taking steps to tighten cybersecurity protocols and increase user-controls and account security settings. A forced password change for the nearly 100 million affected users arrived by email. Additionally, the company has facilitated two-step verification controls to ensure user logins are better managed. However, some experts argue that this could have been set-up proactively to mitigate hack risks ahead of time.

Rob Verger, the Assistant Tech Editor at Popular Science Magazine raised a valid point in a recent interview. “If they can’t protect user data,” Verger said, “what makes them able to protect the genetic data?”

Going digital: Balancing benefits with risk in the modern marketplace

There’s a balancing act to be done when considering cases like these. There’s no denying that the electronic storage of data has been an asset – especially to the health and sciences industry. Doctors across the nation are making moves to paperless Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems that make the patient experience more efficient and organized. Genetic testing companies have been revolutionary in their ability to efficiently and privately connect customers with priceless genetic information.

So how do you know when to draw the line? How can individual consumers reap the benefits of these technologies without leaving themselves open to invasions of privacy? According to Verger, the best strategy when giving out personal data is caution and a second thought.

“People should be careful about the types of information they give these services,” Verger said. “If your biggest nightmare is having your email address all the way to your ethnic history being hacked, then you shouldn’t subscribe to these companies or provide data.”

At the end of the day, what matters most is how the users were affected and how MyHeritage responded. When it comes down to it, users have a right to be wary. Not only about the attack, but also about the incredibly long time it took for the hack to be identified and disclosed to users.

Identification by a security researcher, seven months after the fact is hardly what anyone would call a vigilant cybersecurity effort. While MyHeritage is doing their best to rectify the situation and beef up security efforts, the doubt caused by the hack is understandably unsettling for affected users and potential consumers everywhere.

Walking the tightrope in an increasingly digital world

It’s no secret that today’s cyber-climate is more populated, dynamic, and personalized than ever before. The efficiency and customization that the online market offers are unparalleled. However, there is an underside to all this innovation that must be remembered. Service providers and their advertising teams are constantly looking for the most dynamic and personalized ways to advertise to their target markets in these online spaces.

This means collecting as much data on their consumers as possible and at whatever cost. Consumer’s digital fingerprints are increasingly valuable to companies across the digital market. If a company wants to get a consumer’s attention on the information highway, they know they need to personalize the experience as much as possible. This means that all the bits of data entered into your browser become fingerprints to help identify and sell to you.

In this competitive climate, genetic testing companies face an increased risk simply because of the personal nature of the data they collect. Having the genetic makeup of over 90 million consumers is an advertising goldmine, not to mention other potentially dangerous motivations of more malicious hackers. The bottom line? Users need to think twice and be vigilant about the data they choose to share.

“It’s a double-edged sword – EMR and genetic testing can help medicine,” Verger reiterates. “However, nothing out there is perfect,” Verger claims. “Things kept on servers can possibly be hacked or compromised and we need to remember that.”

Trying to find the right balance of technology risks and benefits? Wondering how to keep your organization current without succumbing to increased risk? Reach out to a team of seasoned IT security professionals.  

A strategic IT partner will help improve your IT while managing and mitigating risk at the same time. You can have the best of both worlds – you just need a strategic partner, willing to walk the tightrope with caution and creativity.