Cybersecurity report card: Why too many companies are graded 'could do better'

The vast majority of organisations don't have a cybersecurity strategy, leaving them unable to protect against attacks due to a lack of both budget and skills.
Despite a year of high-profile cybersecurity incidents including the WannaCry ransomware outbreak, many organisations still lag behind when it comes to cybersecurity.
A new report, Cyber Readiness by insurance and underwriting firm Hiscox has found 73 percent of organisations have major shortcomings in their readiness to protect against cyber-attacks.
"As an end of term report, it might have the words 'can do better' scrawled on it in red ink," said Gareth Wharton, cyber CEO at Hiscox.
Part of the problem lies with a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, with organisations left trying their best to ensure their networks are safe, but often without the necessary staff required to do so.
"The cyber threat itself is set to grow in volume and severity, as criminal groups gain access to more sophisticated tools and become more reckless. The rapid growth of the 'internet of things' will amplify insecurities by adding millions of new devices with minimal built-in security," said Robert Hannigan, former director of GCHQ and an advisor to Hiscox.

"For those trying to protect against attack, the shortage of cyber skills will continue to be chronic," he added.
The report claims that a common problem across organisations is that many still view cybersecurity as a technology problem.
While the data by Hiscox suggests that those who spend more on cybersecurity are in a better position to fend off attacks -- organisations which spent twice as much as the $9.9 average IT budget were found to devote a higher percentage of those funds to security and were more resistant to attacks -- there's still an issue around ensuring that people and processes are up to scratch.
Organisations are "failing to support their investment in security technology with a formal strategy, sufficient resourcing and training, and sound processes", says the report.
Ultimately, it means that even if an organisation throws money at purchasing the latest in cybersecurity technology and tips for writing descriptive essays, it isn't going to make much of a difference if nobody is teaching staff the basics of how to operate securely, such as not giving away passwords or downloading attachments on unexpected emails.
The report was based on the responses of decision makers in 4,100 organisations across the UK, USA, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Netflix is planning to raise $1.5 billion as its 'cash burn continues to grow' (NFLX)

Netflix will raise a fresh debt round of $1.5 billion to fund new content, the company announced Monday, adding to its $6.54 billion in long-term debt reported on last week's earnings call.
While the announcement had little impact on Netflix shares — many analysts had already factored in a debt round this year — it has some worried about a rising cash burn and debt load that only continues to grow.
"Investors are oblivious to the fact that Netflix burns cash at an alarming rate," Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush securities and one of Wall Street's biggest Netflix bears, told Business Insider last week ahead of the company's earnings report. "We expect Netflix to burn cash to fund content acquisition for many years,  notwithstanding the fact that it has increased price three times while cash burn continues to grow." He has an extremely bearish, $110 price target for Netflix.
Still, Netflix remains committed to investing heavily in new content in order to stave off competition. In its most recent letter to shareholders, dated April 16, the company said "Our debt levels are quite modest as a percentage of our enterprise value, and we believe the debt is lower cost of capital compared to equity." Netflix plans to spend $8 billion on up to 700 new original shows about Opinion essay topics in 2018 it's CFO said in March.
It's competitors, on the other hand, have taken markedly different approaches to the intense competition among streaming providers.
"In a crowded marketplace, it matters how you put things out into the world," Casey Bloys, HBO's head of original programming, told the Hollywood Reporter last week in a thinly veiled jab at Netflix. "We don’t put a new show out every week. We take our time, and we try to make every show feel like an event — something special because they are special to us."
Elsewhere, Hulu has branched into live TV offerings in addition to its streamable library, most recently with the addition of ESPN+.
Wall Street remains mixed on Netflix following last week's earnings report, with an average price target of $324, about 1.6% below where the stock was trading. Last week, Credit Suisse said Netflix's latest earnings report brings it closer to "escape velocity" as it distances itself from the competition.
Shares of the company have gained 63.8% so far in 2018, easily outpacing the so-called FAANG basket.

Top 6 Struggles of Students' Everyday Life and How to Solve Them

Students all over the world need to listen to lectures, to prepare for lessons and get ready for writing definition essay topic. Student’s life is governed by the same laws everywhere. It has the same advantages and disadvantages. One of the most perplexing problems that students all over the world face, no matter the country they live in, the language they speak, or their skin color, is the lack of time. This is truly a universal problem of the student life. Time is the greatest enemy of any student, but it can also be his/her greatest friend. Let’s see what are the biggest problems related to the lack of time, which the students are face, and how to handle them:

1. Don’t have time for everything? Learn time management. All these workshops, lessons, projects, exams and quizzes… head goes round! I understand – been there, done that. Learn time management and things will start shaping up.
2. Don’t have time to go over your study materials? Focus on the most informative ones. Students are usually left with tons of information without any chance to learn it all. Good news is that you don’t need to learn it all – focus on the most important and informative pieces. And watch TED talks!
3. Don’t have time to attend classes? You can’t attend them all. You have a heavy schedule, a lot of personal commitments and, in addition to that, heavy traffic on your way to the class. First of all, try to schedule your lessons the way that you don’t need to run to each subsequent class. Secondly, accept the fact that you can’t be everywhere. Some classes will be missed and it’s inescapable.
4. Don’t have time to eat? Cook simple food in advance. Sometimes students even forget to eat. Even if they remember, they often simply don’t have time for it. The answer is to cook food in advance and stick to healthy food. Even if you don’t have time or desire to cook, it’s always better to eat a banana with yoghurt than to order pizza.
5. Don’t have time to sleep? Have a good night’s sleep at least 3 times a week. Being a student is not only about academic life, all of us should also have personal life. Catching trains, greeting sunrises and going to dates are the things, which make student years memorable. However active your student life is, find time to get a good night’s sleep at least 3 times a week. Of course, 4-5 is better, but few students can allow this luxury!
6. Don’t have time to clean your room? Watch less Netflix. Students often say they don’t have time for some things, but if they look closer on their schedules, they will see that there are a lot of things, which they can abstain from.

Even though time usually plays against students, some of them still manage to overcome the mess. The pieces of advice given in this article will give you some clues to overcome the chronic lack of time, but it is your own experience and successes in time management that should help you with putting your life together.

Positive Effect of Cartoons on Childrens Mind

I hope you will like new the best narrative essay.
Have you ever thought why children adore cartoons? Undoubtedly, for children, cartoons are not only the incredible source of fun and amusement, but also a perfect tool for understanding the world. The colorful pictures and interesting personages attract the child`s attention, making the child behave actively. Without any doubts, cartoons make a great impact on the minds of little individuals.
The following article presents some of the positive effects of the cartoons on the children`s mind.

•  First and foremost, the cartoons are truly helpful in observing and exploring the surrounding world. There are a lot of hidden messages that tell the children about the essential laws of the human life. They tend to develop the children`s excitement and curiosity, making them ask the parents various questions about the nature or the environment.

•  Usually, the educational cartoons help parents to perform their duties rather effortlessly. For example, many cartoons teach the children the significant lessons about the appropriate behavior, personal hygiene, treatment of animals, etc. With the help of cartoons, parents find it easier to talk to their children and explain what is wrong and what is right.

•  Moreover, cartoons are helpful in calming the child and reducing the stress. A little child is very sensitive. Thus, the parents should find a delicate approach and help their child to adapt to the environment. Most parents confess that the cartoons are their useful assistants who help to amuse the child and get some time for rest.

•  Cartoons are also helpful in visual learning. Indeed, visual learning is much more effective than the other methods. The child`s mind is a blank paper, which parents can fill with the appropriate educational information. Children cannot read, but they want to get new knowledge from other sources. Thus, the cartoons can serve as the good teachers for children. Parents should also understand that the carefully selected cartoons may form a positive attitude to life.

• What is more, watching a cartoon may help the child to develop the talents and understand the possible interests and hobbies. The protagonists of the vast majority of the cartoons can sing, dance, or participate in some other activities.

Therefore, the child can develop the interest to the activity, which may become a hobby for the entire life.

Stay Positive When There Is Negativity All Around

People are unique creatures. Every human being is able to feel emotions and make choices. You can choose to ignore the negativity, as well as you can choose to succumb to negative emotions, to listen, to think of it 24/7, get depressed and eventually realize that your world is starting to break down… Do you feel overwhelmed by the negativity? Do you feel you are unable to shield yourself from negative thoughts? Let us deal with it.

Human Nature

It is the underlying cause of negativity around us. Unfortunately, people cannot be guided by our instincts anymore as animals do. These genetically hard-wired behaviors have already eroded over the years. Respectively, our nature became paradoxical. For example, none of us wants to be lonely but has to be at some point in his/her life. However, the pain of being alone can lead us to seek connection with the other people. We live in a permanent state of contradiction and continue to behave accordingly.

Mistakes and Failures

It’s a pity that we constantly ignore all the positive and successful things in our lives, but focus on the negative ones like mistakes and misfortunes. You know that feeling of apathy to life after such failures. It increasingly destroys your life every time. Keep calm, move forward and achieve your goals. Learn the following tips to stay positive.

• Don't take it too hard. It’s all in your head and starts in your mind. If something negative happens, make things turn out in a positive way for you. Do not miss good things like free papers and essays because your head is overwhelmed with negative ones. Redirect your thoughts, so they don’t consume you. Cut the negative people from your life. Do not eat yourself up inside with the ill thoughts because of such creatures. However, feel the difference between criticism and negativity and then cut all negativity out and learn how to solve important problems which life will throw at you on a daily basis.

• Do something useful or something you like most of all. It’ll help you take your mind off bad things. Express your feelings in the activity you like. Spending time outdoors, in nature, is the best way to reduce negativity. Try something new in order to push the limits of your comfort zone that allows you to forget about the problems you currently have.

• Talk about your problems, whether it be a friend, a mother, a sister, or a stranger. Not necessarily, this person will give you some advice, but you can free yourself from bad thoughts. Think aloud about failures and mistakes you face.

Nobody can make you have faith in your strengths. Your character is strong and resilient. Believe in yourself with all your heart. This is the key strategy to get rid of negativity. Otherwise, the negative things will bring you down, make you want to give up, cause you to feel worthless. Get negativity out of your head every time it appears.

Tips for Students on How to Maintain Healthy Lifestyle

It can be a daunting challenge for students to maintain a healthy lifestyle in college. The very studying schedule, which comprises irregular studying hours, burning the midnight oil, dozens of commitments, and a tight budget, has a deteriorating influence on the state of your health and general well-being.

Eat Healthy Food

First and foremost, it is crucial to keep a balanced and scheduled diet. Therefore, care for what you will eat at college beforehand. Think of preparing a larger dinner than usual and then taking what is left with you or just organize your time in such a way that you have enough time to devote to cooking. Healthy home-made food not only helps to cut down on unhealthy snacks and junk food but also save pocket money spent otherwise during college breaks.

 Keep Fit

 Yes, yes, yes – it takes a strong will to be motivated to work out despite the strenuous studying schedules you have or the whole-day business. However, strengthening your motivation will only do you good. The first thing you need to do is to create a routine when you will be doing exercises. If you cannot afford going to the gym, don’t worry – you can do some yoga or physical exercises at home and feel much better. Besides, you can prefer going to the college on foot rather than taking a bus.

 Avoid Burning the Midnight Oil

Sure, I know that it’s hard to get to bed before midnight because there are often too many tasks left unfinished. However, staying up at night is really harmful to your health if it is your regular habit. Therefore, as soon as you know the date of your exam, plan your time accordingly not to do everything the last night before the exam.

Strike a Balance between Your Commitments

 Balancing commitments is actually one of the hardest things for a student. It requires great time-management skills and great critical essay writing tips. Very often, students are occupied with other things apart from studying, namely extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, tutoring, etc. Therefore, to perform all of these tasks well, it is important to decide for yourself which of these commitments are really important to you.

Find Methods of Stress Relief

Stress experienced in college has a deteriorating impact and long-term effect on your health. Therefore, try not to be overly anxious or nervous over your academic performance. Try the Pomodoro method in studying in order not to overload yourself. Divide the task into sections and make a break after each one. In such way, you won’t get tired quickly and will manage to keep concentration. Besides, you may also try some relaxation and meditation techniques.

As you see, it is really possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle in college if you try to follow the aforementioned tips.

Guide on Making Friends in College

While for some people there is no big deal to start a new friendship, others find it quite embarrassing to make new friends, especially in some unfamiliar surrounding. For this reason, most freshers, who left their homes and close-knit people, with whom they felt comfortable, experience unpleasant anxiety while trying to get new friends in college. To help you reduce that annoying fear of starting socializing with your peers, we suggest you some useful tips on how to make friends in college.

• Set Realistic Expectations. Stop dreaming about huge parties, where you can immediately become friends with a bunch of diverse interesting people or unbelievable popularity that you will gain simply because of being a newbie. If you want to be noticed and build a strong networking with other students, start acting. There are hundreds of people having the same fear to be rejected or seem stupid while getting new friends at the beginning of a studying year. Instead of staying silent aside, try introducing yourself. There is nothing easier than saying “hi” to start a conversation, which may turn into a lifelong friendship.
• Get to know some people before the beginning of the school year. To reduce that nervously overwhelming feeling connected with an unknown surrounding, try to contact with some of your future group mates or roommates before the studying actually starts. Such an acquaintance in advance will for sure make you feel more secure and confident when you arrive to the new town.
• Use Social Media. Another way to get to know more people in college is to perform a search on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using a corresponding #hashtag or joining your college’s or department’s official page. It is also a great way to follow the latest news concerning your students’ life and keep updated all the time.
• Be Easy to Reach and Talk. Obviously, it will be extremely difficult to make friends in case you pretend to be an all-know arrogant personality, who isn’t interested in idle talks and prefers to spend time alone rather than waste it on unreasonable acquaintance. In order to make new friends, it is significant to show people your good intentions like willingness to help with home assignment, lend a frying pan to your roommate or neighbor in the dorm or simply being a polite positive person.
• Get Involved. To make your first attempts of making new friends less challenging, look for people with the same interests. For this, be curious about available on your campus sports, discussion, acting, singing or any other clubs and groups in order to spend time with people, who are on the same wavelength with you. It is much easier to find friends among people with whom you have something in common. Get involved to broaden your circle of acquaintances.  

Remember, you are not the only person, who experiences that awkward feeling of the necessity of finding potential friends or taking an initiative step to start a friendship with someone. Realize the fact that in such situation it is crucial to stay open with others and use every single opportunity to meet new people, with whom you may become close friends in the future.
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