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JULY 2021
Empowering Small Practices to Deliver the Best Care
IT’S 2021. WHY HAVEN’T BUSINESSES LEARNED TO BACK UP THEIR DATA?
A few weeks ago, I received a call from someone who wasn’t one of our clients. I commonly pick up the phone with prospective customers because I enjoy helping businesses with a pressing need and then turning that into a conversation about IT strategy. And this business needed something big: They’d just been the victims of a ransomware attack.
data that has been encrypted is impossible without a backup. In these situations, the FBI has been known to advise businesses to actually pay the ransom and hope they send the data back (and these ransom payments generally start in the tens of thousands of dollars). Months before, I’d gotten an almost identical call from another business with 15–20 computers and a server, all of which had been targeted by data ransomers — and none with backups. We’re trying to recover data they simply don’t have. If they pay the ransom and get the data back, that data is usually compromised, if not totally worthless. Any company that goes through a ransomware attack is severely impacted. In the first place it is a major disruption to your business. In the second place, the loss of data can cause devastating results. In fact, a lot of businesses have to close their doors after major data loss. Some 43% of companies that have a major data loss event go out of business. If they don’t recover that data within 10 days, that number jumps up to 93% within one year. There are a lot of wonderful things that technology can do for us, and companies like ours are absolute evangelists for the savings, efficiency, and innovation that become achievable through great tech. But all of that is built on a secure foundation, with data backup as a cornerstone.
I asked, “Do you have all your data backed up, and if so, how old is that backup?”
“Unfortunately, not,” they said. “We’re hoping you can help with that.”
To be honest, I was a bit blown away. Here we have a business that’s not backing up their critical data in 2021. Had they not thought about the possibility of ransomware attacks? It’s practically a household word at this point, and one of the most common kinds of cybercrime, especially against businesses. For those who don’t know, ransomware is when bad actors steal and encrypt your data so that you no longer have access to patient files, sales leads, HR records, financial data, saved documents, and other information vital to running your business. They demand a ransom payment from you, and if you pay them, they say they’ll unencrypt and give the data back to you, hence the name “ransomware.” “Unfortunately not” is not the answer you want to give when someone like me asks if you have backups. It means you have no choice except to pay the ransom or kiss all your data goodbye forever and start over. They wanted me to snap my fingers and do computer wizardry, but things don’t work that way in the real world. On this phone call I told them this reality, told them to call their insurance company immediately, and follow that with a call to the FBI, who might be able to work with them. It’s a sad situation, and it’s made sadder because it’s not at all uncommon. We get calls like these from local businesses several times per year — and none with backups. Recovering
I get it. A lot of companies are a little bit lax about cybersecurity. But if you do nothing else, make those regular backups. And if you have questions about how best to do it or how to make it an effortless and seamless “forget about it” process, I’m just a phone call away. That’s the kind of call I’d much rather get.
–Byron Adams
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SILVER LININGS
How the Pandemic Pushed Tech Progress
Nobody will argue that 2020 and 2021 have been years of hardship and tragedy for society as a whole. We knew the world would look very different at the end of the pandemic than it did in March 2020. But how different is it really ? And in what ways? As tech enthusiasts, we reflected on how things have changed — and in the process, we found some things to be hopeful about. The most obvious changes were in necessities and what we needed to get by each day. Across the board, all remote-call software got better, and Zoom really took off in a way it had not before. Six years ago, Skype was the last word in video calling, and that’s hard to fathom today. From fewer dropped calls to more tools at our disposal, things really did improve in this arena. Nobody was surprised to see laptops and mobile devices in demand, but the leaps and bounds in processor technology and the embrace of 5G still caught many off guard. And as for battery life, well, let’s just say things will never be the same.
patient-facing and provider-facing solutions. We made our own push for new features and tools and met the needs of our clients during a time of unprecedented demand. Last but not least, working from home meant that fewer people needed to commute; and so, we saw gas usage plummet. Some say oil prices may never be at pre-2020 values again. Whatever the case, electric vehicles, battery technology, and alternative energy all saw big investments from energy companies as Big Oil hedged its bets.
Telemedicine is another field we saw skyrocket, and that’s promising. From checkups to surgery, there were big advances made in both
How did your tech life change? Any new tools or toys you can’t do without? One thing is sure: There’s no going back to how it was.
MEDISOFT, LYTEC, NEXTGEN, & APRIMA SUPPORT PLANS FOR HOSTING, BACKUP, AND MORE Need Support? Call 480-497-7480 if you have a support contract. Don’t Have Support? Plans start at just $99 a month. Call us at 855-455-5035 to get started with support, training, electronic claims, electronic health records (EHR), hosting, backup,
SPOTLIGHT ON JOANNA WILLIAMS As Joanna Williams knows, it’s not uncommon for the AZCOMP family to include actual families. She recently shared, “I started on May 17 of this year, but I’ve been around the AZCOMP team for six years or so, when my husband first began working here.” Joanna mainly focuses on data management, coming to us with over six years’ experience
in the marketing industry. We welcome the experience with open arms of someone who knows the market and will help grow our customer base. Joanna and her husband are raising three boys (the oldest is 18), but they also have an older daughter who is out of the house and has even given them three grandchildren! Joanna loves to garden and looks forward to a master gardener course, hoping that it touches on water conservation, which is so needed right now in Arizona.
and more. We have so many tools and services to help your business become more efficient, keep its network protected, and remain a thriving independent practice. We want to help your practice perform at the highest possible level by providing services that help you get the most out of your software. Be sure to check our website often at AZCOMP.com/events to learn about upcoming trainings and other events we host. DON’T FORGET TO UPGRADE YOUR SOFTWARE!
Joanna’s been part of the AZCOMP family for years now.
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Some items never go out of style yet lend themselves to countless iterations — each cooler than the last. Converse All Stars are one example, coming in a variety of colors and materials that even sometimes collaborate with other brands and artists. This summer, you can get your hands on another timeless classic: the Casio G-Shock watch. For some people, a watch approved by Navy SEALs is a selling point, but others may be picturing a clunky timepiece that’s more practical than visually appealing. Pioneered by Japan’s Kikuo Ibe after dropping and breaking his own pocket watch, G-Shock watches all have one thing in common: resistance to stress, shock, water, and pressure. But that’s where the similarities end. Whether you’re looking for something classic and stylish, a murdered-out black model, a bright Gorillaz (or even another band collaboration), you’ll find it in the G-Shock line. The originals go for a pretty penny, but re-creations can be found as well that maintain those classic ’80s lines, and who would have thought those would be in style again?! YOU CAN’T BEAT THIS WATCH Actually, Go Ahead and Try. The G-Shock Will Wait
Electric vehicles seem to be the future — at least energy companies think so! Whether you’re looking at investments by the “Big 3” automakers in Detroit, casting an eye toward Tesla’s undeniable success, or wondering if Japanese automakers are about to relive successes similar to the 1980s, it’s an exciting time in the industry, and headlines reflect that. But as exciting as the consumer market is, there’s a $260 billion market that’s hardly ever talked about: the use of electric motors in commercial vehicles and industrial equipment. Anybody who knows about tractors, busses, and semitrucks will tell you they’re far from clean-burning. Proterra wants to change that, and they’re already the top electric bus maker in America. But their real value is battery technology. The power and torque of electric motors has been well-known for decades; an electric Tesla will outperform almost any other vehicle its size. The limiting factor is the battery — and that’s even more valid when you’re applying a lot of torque (as with a backhoe or skid loader) or trying to move a lot of weight (like a semi does). Proterra is a true “heavyweight” as an already-profitable manufacturer that’s building the batteries America will need to drive the next century of progress, especially with FedEx pledging to be 100% electric by 2030 and the government offering incentives all over the world for similar goals. Proterra is also involved in the other half of battery technology — the charger. Charging infrastructure is practically nonexistent when it comes to powering up the kind of batteries needed to drive a train or dig up tons of earth. In order to be successful, Proterra will need easy, cheap ways for the makers they supply to keep their batteries topped off, and they know it. For the EV industry heavyweights, the 2020s will be the decade that changed everything, and Proterra will be part of the reason why. PROTERRA, THE EV HEAVYWEIGHT YOU’VE NEVER KNOWN
From salt and surf to sand and sun — to rocks and knocks — G-Shock is summer’s watch, no matter what you have planned.
The 17th century was a time of change and upheaval all over the world. England saw kings killed, tyrants overthrown, and decades of civil war. The wars of religion that began a hundred years before continued to kill thousands across Europe. And in Japan, on the other side of the globe, a period of unrest came to an end in the bloody Battle of Sekigahara — where the most famous samurai’s career first began. Miyamoto Musashi is known for having fought and won over 60 duels in his lifetime, many of them with a bokken, or wooden practice sword. Toward the end of his illustrious life, he retreated to be alone with his thoughts. This became a Zen retreat that saw him living in a cave and writing “The Book of Five Rings.” From the Battlefield to the Boardroom, Musashi’s ‘The Book of Five Rings’ HARDENED SAMURAI WRITES CLASSIC BUSINESS BOOK
Although he pioneered several fighting styles in his life, Musashi wanted to communicate more than just physical technique. Like Sun Tzu before him, his interest was philosophical as well as martial. From discussions of timing to the mindset of an opponent — or even an ally — business leaders have long found relevance in Musashi’s words.
It’s an entertaining, short read, but like the best Zen texts, the words will leave you deep in thought.
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The Mistake That Makes Data Ransomers Smile PAGE 1 How the Pandemic Pushed Tech Progress AZCOMP Employee Spotlight PAGE 2 The EV Heavyweight You’ve Never Known Can’t Beat the G-Shock Watch Hardened Samurai Writes Classic Business Book PAGE 3 ‘Caring About the One’ Comes Full Circle PAGE 4
By Stacey ‘CARING ABOUT THE ONE’ COMES FULL CIRCLE
Sometimes a vision is so simple and clear that it pretty much just speaks for itself. This month, that vision is about loving animals!
Take Scooter, “Top Goat” at Aimee’s Farm (at least in Scooter’s mind!). Scooter is disabled; he was born paralyzed, but that doesn’t stop him. Or what about the cows? You’ll see people hugging cows out here — a practice that started in the Netherlands and became more popular when people had to socially distance themselves during the pandemic. If you’ve ever cuddled with a dog, cow hugging is a bit like that, only bigger. Cows typically weigh about 1,500–2,000 pounds. It is unknown if the soothing effect increases in proportion to the size of the animal, but it’s been proven (at least by us!) to be calming all the same. This benefit is for the cows as well, which come down to the fence when they see visitors. And where is this magical place that allows us to “care about the one” while also presenting a viable business model? It’s not in the Netherlands or on the East Coast. Not even the Left Coast. Nope, it’s right in our backyard in Queen Creek, Arizona! If you’re ready to be revitalized, you can book a tour or get involved as a volunteer. Donations are also welcome. After all, somebody has to keep Scooter stocked in feed!
If loving animals speaks for itself, and
actions speak louder than words, then Aimee’s Farm Animal Sanctuary must be the loudest place around. It’s a healing place for animals and, in turn, has become something of a healing place for people who visit, too. There are around 100 rescued farm animals at Aimee’s, and many have disabilities or special needs. It’s hard to find someone who has the facilities to handle barnyard animals, and that’s with a financial return. When those animals are injured, disabled, or chronically ill, even the financial incentive isn’t there.
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