Blog

Help Your Office Fight Fall Allergies

October 30, 2019 AE

Fall allergies are upon us. Here are a few suggestions to keep your team from sniffling and sneezing this season:

Wear a mask while raking leaves or working with mulch or hay.
Use a dehumidifier in your home to avoid mold—and clean it regularly!
Wash bathroom tiles and shower curtains with mold-killing products.
Discuss your child’s allergies or asthma with his or her school nurse and teacher.
While cool fall temperatures are ideal for planting flowers and trees, try to plant things that produce little pollen, such as fir, pine, dogwood, azaleas, tulips, irises and pansies, to avoid irritating allergies.

What causes eye-itching irritants in the first place?

Late summer allergies and lingering warm weather.
Raking leaves or mowing the lawn, which can stir pollen and mold in the air.
Classroom irritants and allergy triggers like chalk, classroom pets and food items in the cafeteria.

Sources: Zywave, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

How Better Ergonomics Equals Better Economics for Business Owners

September 13, 2019 AE

Climate change in the office can minimize injuries and costs

When you own a company, you are uniquely positioned to make decisions that benefit your profit margin, and at the same time, your employees. But it’s actually their position – literally – that may be challenging the balance of your bottom line.

Experts say that an ergonomically designed workplace minimizes injuries and mitigates resulting business expenses such as a workers’ comp claim or absenteeism.

The basic principle is that office furniture and equipment should be designed and arranged so that staff members have a safe, efficient space in which to work. And employers who design their businesses with ergonomics in mind are providing an office that’s, in effect, customized to the comfort and needs of the employees.

The result is a benefit to the business owner in four ways:

Minimizes workers’ compensation claims
Saves money through a reduction in injuries and absenteeism
Increases corporate morale and staff productivity
Improves employees’ long-term health and welfare

According to labor statistics, musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs, cost employers more than $20 billion a year due to employee absences, insurance claims and medical costs. Patients may develop conditions over time which can affect muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and nerves.

But when you dismiss the potential for problems you can suffer greater losses, even indirectly, when you have unexpected hiring expenses due to employee absence and the loss of productivity when a worker gets injured.

Examples of proper ergonomics include eye-level placement of computers to reduce neck strain and the use of office furniture with support for the lumbar region of the back. Some of the factors cited by risk management experts are room temperature, movement repetition and posture, which can each be addressed.

The first symptoms commonly experienced by patients with MSD are pain, fatigue and discomfort. You’re wise to assess the physical abilities of your workers to become aware of people’s limitations and unique characteristics of different employees as well.

Threats to the health and well-being of your employees can also threaten the health of your company; ergo, it pays to recognize the importance of staff wellness.

If it’s time for some climate change, the office politics will likely support it. Because who doesn’t like upgraded workstations and new furniture?

Cyberlearning with Mike and Ray

August 27, 2019 AE

Fusco & Orsini’s Mike and Ray discuss cybercrime, who is susceptible, what the pain points and costs are, and ways to get ahead of the crime that’s threatening businesses of all sizes.

First, what is cybercrime? Cybercrime is criminal activity carried out across computers and/or the internet.

Does it matter if you’re a small- or medium-sized company? Yes, absolutely. Target, AT&T, and Yahoo have all been under attack, but don’t let the headlines mislead you. Your small or medium-sized business is at risk, too.

As Mike shares in the video above:

“Last year, I made a call to one of my clients and he told me how he got a cyber breach…everything he’s done…ransom,” said Mike Fusco, president of Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services. “Until he paid these people overseas in Bitcoin to release his data back to him, he couldn’t do anything. The havoc caused not only on his clients…but his company…he couldn’t do anything for three to four weeks.”

How does this happen? A large percentage (up to 90 percent) of cyber-attacks result from human error. What this means is, cybercriminals prey on humans, not machines.

An attack can start with something as simple as opening a targeted email, a form of ransomware.

What is ransomware? Ransomware is a type of malware that threatens to publish a victim’s data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.

Ransomware is typically sent to people via email. People will accidentally click on the email, realize instantly they shouldn’t have, close out the window and hope it’ll go away. They usually won’t report opening the email, especially if it was done on a work computer. Things may seem fine, until six months later when all their files are corrupted. Not only can their data be compromised, but the company’s entire network can also be compromised.

Funds transfer fraud is another common form of a cyberattack. Oftentimes, it’ll come in the form of an email directed to the accounts payable department. Worse yet, it’ll come from an email you recognize, like a client or vendor email, making you or your team more likely to transfer the funds.

What happens after these attacks? It’s two-fold. Your company and your clients can be adversely affected. In fact, 60% of companies fold within six months of a cyber-attack.

Here are some of the pain points and costs involved:

You’ll likely have to hire a forensic expert, which can cost big bucks (sometimes $500 per hour) and it can take weeks to figure it out.
There are notification laws. You must notify all your clients, which costs about $5 per person. If their social security numbers were obtained, you must provide credit monitoring to each customer for up to two years, which costs about $7 per person.
You’ll probably have to hire an attorney who can step in, should anyone try to sue.
You’ll have to replace your hardware and machinery.
If you paid a ransom, you’ve lost that money.
Your business is interrupted, so you’ll experience revenue loss from day 1.
Finally, you’ll suffer from reputational harm.

How do you get ahead of these attacks?

Keep up with trends.
Let your team know what to look out for. For example, if you click on the actual name of the sender, an email address will be revealed that does not, in fact, match the name of the sender.
Put notifications on external emails that say “this is an external email, please double-check before opening.”
If you get an email from someone that looks suspicious, don’t reply to that email asking if it’s them. Call them or open a brand-new email asking that contact if they contacted you.
Have a great IT company on your side to help you stay up-to-date with trends and make sure your security is solid.

How can insurance help? We’ve vetted many carriers to find the best possible coverage, should your company suffer from a cyber-attack. This carrier also provides policyholders with five risk-management tools, which are valued at $5,000. As part of this toolkit, your company will undergo a vulnerability scan and receive analysis on ways to improve. They’ll also provide training programs to your team and more.

The policies are reasonable. We know because we’ve put them in place for our own business and are helping our clients do the same. If you’d like to learn more, please contact Mike directly at 858-384-1507 or mike@foagency.com.

The Benefits of Employee Benefits

August 21, 2019 AE

Benefits packages are a cost-effective way for you to bring value to your employees and boost productivity and retention.

Unemployment is at an all-time low and there are more jobs available than candidates to fill them. You’re under pressure to hire quickly, even though you should give yourself adequate lead time to properly review candidates. To make matters more difficult, just when you find the right person, they may decide to take a position with a company that has a more competitive benefits package.

If you’re a small business owner, you may be feeling even more pressure. Many small- and medium-sized businesses don’t have the team or resources to skillfully hire.

We can relate. We, too, started as a small locally-owned team. Over the years, we grew our company and our expertise in employee benefits so that we could help other HR teams feel confident about their employee recruiting and onboarding process.

That brings us to benefits.

Sure, ping pong tables and bean bag chairs look cool in an office, but are they really benefits? Here’s a quick overview of what keeps employees around: competitive benefits packages.

Benefits packages are a cost-effective way for you to bring value to your employees and boost productivity and retention. Here are a few things to consider when offering employee benefits as part of your compensation package:

Create customizable benefits packages: If you tailor a package to meet an employee’s needs, it’ll carry more weight than just monetary value. As such, a bigger salary but weaker benefits package offered by another company won’t be as attractive.

Include health and wellness: If you include health insurance and dental and vision coverage, you will have employees who are equipped to take a proactive role in managing their health. Plus, a healthy employee means a reduction in absenteeism due to illness. Healthy employees are more likely to be productive employees, too.

Additional benefits to you as the employer:

Benefits will cost you some money upfront but are likely to save you long-term.

Group rates and lower payroll taxes: The value you present to employees with benefits, especially health insurance plans, can be monetarily equal to a raise in salary for them while costing you less due to group rates and lower payroll taxes.

Salary savings: Offering tailored, valuable benefits packages can help lower top employees’ expectations for salary. Many employees are willing to accept good benefits in lieu of a slightly higher salary.

In summary, benefits packages are a cost-effective way for you to bring value to your current and prospective employees and boost productivity and retention.

Our team is ready to help you develop a strategic benefits package that meets your budget and presents attractive options to your employees. We can also give you educational materials that you can share with your employees as you launch your new or improved benefits package.

Contact us at 858-384-1506 or schedule a meeting with our employee benefits specialist, Ray. Ray has 18 years of employee benefits insurance consulting and account management experience – so he’s your guy!

Here’s Lookin’ at You, Sun

July 11, 2019 AE

Construction Worker in the Sun. Caucasian Worker in His 30s Wearing Red Safety Helmet.

Tips to beat the heat this summer

You don’t have to be a detective to see the sun is packing heat. And that means some potential for danger … unless you get clued in and put in place some protective measures this summer.

There are approximately 330 heat-related deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Add to that the numerous illnesses and injuries – from heat stroke to sunburns – and it can sure change the tone of your summer vacation.

There are steps you can take to minimize the possibility of injuries, including:

Wear light colors and be sure your clothing is loose fitting to keep your body temperature down.
Cover your head if you work outdoors or plan to take in a ball game or another activity in the summer sun. Avoid putting your face or neck in direct sunlight.
Drink more water than at any other time of year. Medical professionals recommend 8 ounces every half hour.

Once you’re aware of the effects of spending time in the sunshine, you can meet the threats out there with a healthy measure of prevention. That means your plans for getting work done outdoors or catching some waves will turn out just fine – as predicted. It’s the best way to keep the mysteries where they belong – in your summer reading material.

Fourth of July Safety Setbacks

June 27, 2019 AE

How to Celebrate Safely

If childhood memories of 4^th of July festivities include such harmless fun as swimming holes and homemade ice cream, feel free to revive those traditions this year. But if you intend to “have a blast” (literally) until dawn’s early light, you’d be wise to take a few things into consideration.

Burn in the U.S.A.

The “rocket’s red glare” is a patriotic concept, but not when it’s the red glare of police lights because of illegal rockets you’re setting off in the backyard. If your city regulations forbid personal fireworks – heed the law.

But if you live in an area that allows you to buy, sell and use fireworks, have fun – but be cautious. You don’t want to be responsible for starting a blaze. Keep a water bucket or garden hose nearby while igniting and watching them light the sky. Don’t place fireworks in your pockets and be sure to dispose of them properly. Soak the fireworks and their packaging in water before discarding them in the trash.

Freedom isn’t Accident-Free

If your neighborhood residents are allowed to set off personal fireworks which means you’ll be lighting up a Roman candle, a box of sparklers or a Piccolo Pete, be extremely careful. Remember that there’s a risk of burns, blindness and other possible injuries when you handle fireworks.

A couple of the worst offenders are bottle rockets and the seemingly tame sparklers. You can injure your fingers while twirling the long wands in the air because they burn at high temperatures. Plus, unfortunately, we tend to let kids handle sparklers when they’re too young to heed safety precautions.

There are several effective ways to minimize the possibility of a 4^th of July emergency:

Point fireworks away from people, houses and vegetation.
Don’t try to relight a dud, which is a firework that doesn’t ignite the first time.
Never handle fireworks if you’ve been drinking alcohol.
Wear safety goggles.

Stars & Scrapes

Celebrating outdoors with friends can mean fun in the sun. But sometimes mishaps turn a great day into a disaster. Consider the following rules:

Hire or assign a lifeguard if swimming is a part of the party. Drownings often occur during group events, as no one assumes responsibility to keep a watchful eye.
Use insect repellant to prevent insect bites and cover your skin with sunblock to minimize burning.
Monitor grills at all times to keep little ones from burning fingers. Keep individuals at least 3 feet away from the barbecue.

In all likelihood, it will be an incredible nation’s birthday as always. But taking the time to go over details can make doubly sure it’s a safe holiday and leaves you with only memories of a good time.

After all, remembering the 4^th of July should include signing the Declaration of Independence, not signing an incident report!

Mimosas: Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

May 13, 2019 AE

If you thought a mimosa was just a half-OJ, half-champagne combo to accompany brunch, you probably limited its importance to Easter, Mother’s Day and bridal showers also.

But, believe it or not, this tangerine-tinted aureate laureate actually owns a day on the calendar – May 16^th – National Mimosa Day.

Defining the idea that “simple is elegant,” a mimosa can be as straightforward as equal parts orange juice and champagne, which is possibly how it’s become such a go-to cocktail for labor-intensive occasions.

Want something more colorful? Use blood oranges, a fruit originating in Sicily and Spain, and chill the prosecco!

Recipe for Blood Orange Mimosa

from The Food Network

1 bottle Prosecco

1 ½ Cups fresh blood orange juice

1 Tablespoon super-fine granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier orange liqueur

Chill the Prosecco. Combine fresh blood orange juice with sugar and orange liqueur and stir. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. To serve, pour into the bottom of champagne glasses and slowly top-off with ice-cold Prosecco.

If you own a bar or restaurant, National Mimosa Day gives you the opportunity to pour it on for your customers with some of your own impressive combos. It has all the ingredients of a party day, but keep in mind – there’s no bigger party pooper than finding out – when it’s too late – that your booming bar business is underinsured.

Fusco & Orsini offers bar and restaurant coverage for the unforeseen, from a natural disaster to a customer relations accident. There are tremendous liabilities involved when you’re in the food and beverage business, and you need to have appropriate insurance coverage.

By letting Fusco & Orsini handle damage control, you can stick to the work of wine tasting, meal planning, and supervising servers, while we take care of mishaps involving equipment, legal issues or property damage. Email/text Mike on our team at mike@foagency.com or 858-384-1506 to get started!

There’s no better time to make it a brunch to remember, and here’s to your customers sipping citrus on National Mimosa Day, when the only thing that’s bubbling over is the champagne.

Cyber Actors Exploiting Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

May 3, 2019 AE

In a public service announcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that remote administration tools, such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), as an attack vector has been on the rise since mid-late 2016.

What does this mean for you?

Simply put, this means your identity, login credentials and other sensitive information can be compromised.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommend businesses and private citizens review and understand what remote accesses their networks allow and take steps to reduce the likelihood of compromise, which may include disabling RDP if it is not needed.

What is Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)?

RDP is a proprietary network protocol that allows an individual to control the resources and data of a computer over the Internet. Cyber actors can inject malware or ransomware into the remote systems – and they are difficult to detect.

What makes you susceptible to an attack?

Weak passwords – passwords using dictionary words or do not include a mixture of uppercase/lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters – are vulnerable to brute-force attacks and dictionary attacks.
Outdated versions of RDP may use flawed CredSSP, the encryption mechanism, thus enabling a potential man-in-the-middle attack.
Allowing unrestricted access to the default RDP port (TCP 3389).
Allowing unlimited login attempts to a user account.

How do you protect yourself?

Because RDP can remotely control a system entirely, usage should be closely regulated, monitored, and controlled. The FBI and DHS recommend implementing the following best practices to protect against RDP-based attacks:

Audit your network for systems using RDP for remote communication. Disable the service if unneeded or install available patches. Users may need to work with their technology vendors to confirm that patches will not affect system processes.
Verify all cloud-based virtual machine instances with a public IP do not have open RDP ports, specifically port 3389, unless there is a valid business reason to do so. Place any system with an open RDP port behind a firewall and require users to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access it through the firewall.
Enable strong passwords and account lockout policies to defend against brute-force attacks.
Apply two-factor authentication, where possible.
Apply system and software updates regularly.
Maintain a good back-up strategy.
Enable logging and ensure logging mechanisms capture RDP logins. Keep logs for a minimum of 90 days and review them regularly to detect intrusion attempts.
When creating cloud-based virtual machines, adhere to the cloud provider’s best practices for remote access.
Ensure third parties that require RDP access are required to follow internal policies on remote access.
Minimize network exposure for all control system devices. Where possible, critical devices should not have RDP enabled.
Regulate and limit external to internal RDP connections. When external access to internal resources is required, use secure methods, such as VPNs, recognizing VPNs are only as secure as the connected devices.

For more information and to view the full public service announcement, click below:

CYBER ACTORS INCREASINGLY EXPLOIT THE REMOTE DESKTOP PROTOCOL TO CONDUCT MALICIOUS ACTIVITY

Our team is standing by to help you with your cyber security questions and needs. Call or Text: (858) 384-1506 or EMAIL: hello@foagency.com.

Cyber Security Safety Poster for Your Office

April 25, 2019 AE

Do your part to keep your office safe from cyber attacks! You can download this one-page flyer and post it in your office: 4 Steps to Cyber Security Infographic

When in doubt, don’t click!
Think twice before installing anything on company computers.
Never give out company or personal information to people you don’t know or don’t regularly work with.
Never be afraid to ask for help if you feel like you or your company’s security has been compromised. Speak up!

If you’d like to learn more about keeping your office safe, check out our easy-to-navigate planning guide below!

Cyber Security Planning Guide

Cybersecurity: What is Spear Phishing?

April 14, 2019 AE

Fishing remains a top U.S. pastime. Sadly, another kind of “phishing” has become popular, too.

Phishing is a type of cyber attack in which hackers disguise themselves as trusted sources online in order to acquire sensitive information. It is a common and simple scam that can put you, your employees and your business at risk. Worse yet, more resourceful criminals are resorting to a modified and more sophisticated technique called “spear phishing” in which they use personal information to pose as colleagues or other sources specific to individuals or businesses.

Have you ever received an email that almost convinced you to urgently help a friend or coworker in need? A spear phishing attack is often disguised as a message from a close friend or business partner and is more convincing than a normal phishing attempt; when messages contain personal information, they are much more difficult to identify as malicious.

The attacks are on the rise. In fact, in a report released by the Internet Crime Complaint Center, it’s stated that there were over 120,000 cyber crime-related complaints against businesses last year, resulting in over $800 million lost.

We don’t want this to be you!

Though it’s difficult to completely avoid the risk that spear phishing attacks pose, there are ways to prevent further damage to your business. Make sure your employees are aware of these simple techniques:

Never send financial or personal information electronically, even if you know the recipient well. It may be possible for a third party to intercept this information, especially if the recipient is later subject to a spear phishing attack.
Be cautious when you are asked to divulge personal information in an email. Even if it appears to be from a trusted source, it could be a hacker impersonating another person or group.
Only share personal information on secure websites or over the phone. When in a Web browser, you can ensure a website is secure when you see a lock icon in the URL bar, or when an “s” is present in the “https” of a URL. The “s” stands for “secure” at the end of the normal “http”.
Some spear-phishing schemes use telephone numbers, so be sure to never share information over the phone unless you initiate the call to a trusted number.
Encourage employees to think twice about what they post online. Spear phishing hackers often attain personal information through social media sites. Make sure that employees know how to keep this information private to protect their own security as well as that of your business.
Regularly check all online accounts and bank statements to ensure that no one has accessed them without authorization.
Never enter any personal or financial information into a pop-up window or a Web browser. Never click on links or open attachments from unknown sources. Even opening a file that seems familiar can give a spear phishing attacker access to personal information stored on your device.
Ensure that your company’s security software is up to date. Firewalls and anti-virus software can help protect against spear phishing attacks.

For a printable version of our spear phishing prevention tips, click here.