On December 17th local community leaders shared their stories about how businesses, non-profit organizations, and the health care industry have been dealing with the pandemic, discussed how the community must continue to work together, and answered questions about safe practices, the upcoming vaccine and more. The program was presented by the Chamber in collaboration with Geisinger.

Panelists included:

• Holly Morrison, President and CEO of the Community Giving Foundation (formerly the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation
• Andrew Pruden, Owner, The Inn, Farmhouse & Brewing Company at Turkey Hill
• Diana Verbeck, Executive Director, Danville Child Development Center
• Lissa Bryan Smith, Vice President, Clinical Operations, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital & Geisinger Woodbine
• Robin Hampton, RN; Geisinger Medical Center, Intensive Care
• Bryce Fiamoncini, RN; Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, Emergency Medicine

Each panelist presented what has changed within their business/organization from when the pandemic began to the present. While each of the participants told unique stories, the key takeaway from everyone was, “wear a mask.”

Holly Morrison discussed the disaster relief efforts it pivoted to in support of the nonprofit organizations in the area, as well as working with the Commissioners for both Columbia and Montour counties to administer grant programs for businesses and nonprofits. 

Andrew Pruden talked about the restrictions and other challenges that the restaurant industry is currently facing. He expressed his appreciation for the County Relief Block Grant that his business received earlier this year.

Diana Verbeck highlighted the importance of childcare during this critical time for families facing disruptions with school and work schedules. To ensure a safe environment for children, facilities conduct daily health screenings, have smaller groups, and all employees, as well as the children, wear a mask.  She did express concerns about the higher expenses to maintain a healthy and safe environment due to the needs for gloves and additional cleaning supplies.

In her 40 years in health care, Lissa Bryan Smith has never experienced anything like what is occurring. She discussed the change in protocols for all employees. Most that can are working remotely but clinical and frontline workers are in the hospital and applauded them as “true heroes”.

Robin Hampton talked about her day-to-day on the frontlines in the Intensive Care Unit, how units in the hospital were converted to ICU beds to make room, and the significant role frontline workers have while helping COVID patients.  

Bryce Fiamoncini discussed how the Emergency Medicine department is handling the influx of patients, how the department is relying heavily on teamwork and following proper protocols within the building. On Friday, December 18th, he was the 2nd frontline caregiver to get the vaccine at Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital.

A recording of the webinar is available on YouTube.

From the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry

Late Sunday, federal lawmakers released the details on a second round of COVID-19 related financial relief for American taxpayers that is expected to be passed by Congress today and signed into law by President Donald Trump.

The $900 billion relief bill includes $284 billion in financial support for small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program, which has provided small businesses with forgivable loans to keep their employees working and their doors open. Businesses that already received a PPP loan will be eligible to get a second one under the new terms, with some funds being set aside for the smallest businesses and community-based lenders.

Notably, $9 billion is being provided in capital investments for Community Development Financial Institutions and Minority Depository Institutions that largely cater to minorities, as well as $3 billion for CDFIs through a Treasury fund. $20 billion in Economic Injury Disaster Loans are also being appropriated to help small businesses. Additionally, $15 billion in grants are being dedicated to helping live venues stay afloat.

In terms of extended unemployment benefits, two expiring CARES Act programs – Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation – are being extended for 11 weeks. Congress is also adding $300 to all weekly unemployment benefits – half of what was appropriated in the original CARES Act – and workers who rely on multiple jobs and have lost income will also be eligible for a $100 weekly boost.

In terms of education, $82 billion is being dedicated toward schools and colleges to help them reopen classrooms and prevent virus transmission.

The agreement also includes $20 billion for the purchase of vaccines, $8 billion for vaccine distribution, $20 billion for states to conduct testing and $20 billion in extra federal relief for healthcare providers.

The bill also includes a second round of direct payments to Americans that will be up to $600 per adult and $600 per child. For adults, this is half of what was sent under the initial CARES Act but is slightly more than what was distributed for children in the first stimulus payment.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-PA, was heavily engaged in negotiations that ended the expansion of the Federal Reserve’s lending authority, which was enacted by Congress through the CARES Act signed earlier this year. Toomey said the deal will return the Federal authority to what it was before the pandemic struck, and will close four Fed lending facilities with any unspent funding being repurposed.

The bill was approved in conjunction with a $1.4 trillion budget bill that will fund federal agencies through the end of September, along with a package extending expiring tax provisions.

Further details regarding the specifics of the pandemic relief bill are available in this article in The Hill.

Once signed into law, the federal government will have appropriated more than $4 trillion in stimulus dollars related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has posted an updated and expanded technical assistance publication addressing questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The publication, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws,” now includes a new section providing information to employers and employees about how a COVID-19 vaccination interacts with the legal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). This includes issues pertaining to medical pre-screening questions and employer accommodations for those unable to receive a vaccination.

In response to inquiries from the public, the EEOC has provided resources on its website related to the pandemic in an employment context. The agency will continue to monitor developments and provide assistance to the public as needed.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), also provides guidance on requiring vaccinations for employees.

From Geisinger

A little break — even just 5 minutes — can go a long way
You’re busy with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. You’ve got presents to wrap, sugar cookies to bake, family to visit and lots of running around to do. The holidays can be a lot of fun — as long as your efforts to celebrate the season don’t become too stressful. The good news? You can keep that from happening.

“It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but for many, it can be a stressful time,” says Jodi Jordan, a physician assistant specializing in primary care at Geisinger Richfield. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to try to live up to the ideal of the ‘perfect holiday.’ This time of year, set boundaries and try to block out time for yourself as we are often busy taking care of others.”

You don’t even need to block out a significant chunk of time to wipe away stress. Sometimes, just catching your breath for a few minutes is enough to get back on track.

Use these six 5-minute “remedies” to stay healthy and less stressed during the holidays.

1. Start the day with gratitude
When you wake up, rather than starting the day by obsessing over what lies ahead of you, pause for a few moments and give thanks for the positives in your life. Maybe those include your family, your job or even the opportunity the coming day holds. Expressing gratitude for what you already have can help you to realize the positive things already in your life — and that you don’t have to stress over making “the perfect holiday.” Writing down your thoughts in a journal can help manage stress and clear your mind.

According to some studies, practicing gratitude can have health benefits, like:

• Strengthening your immune system
• Reducing aches and pains
• Helping you sleep better
• Giving you more satisfaction in your life

2. Breathe deeply
This is something you can do when you’re at work or riding in a car — and it can have a big impact on your day. If you aren’t comfortable taking time to breathe deeply in a public place, find a quiet spot where you won’t be distracted. It can even be the bathroom! Close your eyes and inhale slowly and deeply, for at least 5 seconds. Pause when your lungs are full and slowly exhale, taking at least another 5 seconds. Repeat this 10 times (or more).

“Try to concentrate only on your breath and not to let all those other distractions enter your mind,” says Jordan. “You can even come up with a mantra to help you keep distracting thoughts out of your mind. Given the season, you could focus on a word, like ‘joy’ or ‘peace.’ If a distracting thought does pop into your head, don’t focus on it. Let it go and focus on your mantra.”

Breathing deeply mimics what your body does when you’re relaxed, which sends messages to your brain to calm down.

3. Go for a mid-afternoon stroll
Take the time to just step away from work, chores or other stress-inducing tasks and head outside for a walk around the block. Exercise, like walking, also helps release daily tension from pain or grief.

“It’s best to leave your phone behind when you go for a walk,” says Jordan. “This eliminates the temptation of checking your email or social media every 30 seconds and allows you to focus on the environment around you. When you do this, you can really appreciate what you’re doing at that very moment.”

A walk outdoors, if possible, is also a chance to get some natural light and the vitamin D that comes from sunlight, which can ward off feelings of depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

4. Do nothing at all
Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply stop and turn off your brain for a couple of moments. This releases any pressure you might feel to be productive every moment of every day — a mindset that sets in as we contemplate all the activities on our plates during the holidays.

Don’t peruse the internet. Don’t answer emails. Just close your eyes and reflect on something positive.

“Small breaks can be very helpful for your mental health. If you’re able to truly disconnect, even better. Electronics prevent you from being ‘in the moment,’” says Jordan.

5. Take care of a plant
Taking care of a plant can lift your spirits. During the cold winter months, it’s not as easy to get outside and enjoy the benefits of nature as it is during warmer seasons. Taking care of a plant can have some of the same effects — without having to brave the cold outdoors. Keeping plants in your home also helps you breathe easier, since they release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. Some plants are particularly good at purifying the air, such as spider plants and rubber plants.

Plus, taking care of plants just feels good. If you don’t have the greenest thumb, research some low-maintenance plants. Remember: This is part of your 5-minute “remedies,” so aim for a plant that’s easier to take care of during the busy holiday season.

6. Maintain a healthy diet
Making a few small adjustments to what you put in your body can make a big difference. Jordan says focusing on whole foods — and reducing fried and processed foods — can improve how you feel emotionally. She also suggests limiting your intake of caffeine and alcohol, as both can interfere with sleep.

Lastly, drink plenty of water. For a healthy person, Jordan says a good rule of thumb is to aim for half your weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 140 pounds, strive for 70 ounces of water each day.

Drinking water lubricates your joints, improves your complexion, aids with constipation and helps your kidneys flush toxins from your body.

Bloomsburg Children’s Museum names the 2020 Volunteer of the Year

Barbara Bohling (Bloomsburg) was named the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum‘s Volunteer of the Year for 2020. Bohling has volunteered with the Museum for over 7 years.

“I am appreciative and humbled by this honor,” Bohling said. “I am well aware that many others work very hard for the Museum.”

Bohling is active in maintaining the Museum’s Native Tree and Butterfly Gardens and is a docent during field trips. Bohling is a former school teacher from the Millville School District. After she retired from teaching, Bohling spent 2 years in the Peace Corps teaching English in the Limpopo province of the Republic of South Africa before joining the Museum as a volunteer.  Her years of experience as a teacher is apparent as she is one of the Museum’s expert exhibit presenters during field trips. Bohling also volunteers to teach in educational programs such as Hak4Kidz and Water Days.

“Volunteers are vital to the success and preservation of the Museum,” Emerson Noss, Museum Board Member said. “Barb always answers the call to volunteer. She really personifies what the word “volunteer” means.”

SEDA-COG Hires New Executive Director

Kim Wheeler has been selected as the new executive director of SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG).

The decision was the result of recommendations by the SEDA-COG Board of Directors’ Personnel Committee and is expected to be officially ratified by the board at their January 27, 2021, public meeting. Wheeler’s first day at SEDA-COG will be January 11, 2021.

SEDA-COG Board President Rich Ridgway said Wheeler is the best choice to head the agency with her expertise and laser focus on helping the region.

“We are thrilled with Kim’s hiring as she brings years of experience in various realms of government and planning. Her expertise and passion for improving the region coupled with her incredible work ethic is a winning combination. We look forward to working with Kim to ever improve the quality of life in our 11-county region,” Ridgway said.

Wheeler is a SEDA-COG veteran, having worked at the agency from 2003 to 2007 as a senior planner with the former Community Resource Center where she was in charge of rural and urban planning projects and initiatives.

She joins SEDA-COG with expertise in the local and state government arenas, as well as in urban and regional planning, strategic planning, and local government policy development. As a leading planning and community development specialist in central Pennsylvania for the last 17 years, she is a well-respected professional and advocate for this region.

Her tenure in central Pennsylvania has been characterized by public-private partnership-building, developing innovative initiatives, providing local government leadership, and helping communities craft plans that lead to impactful results for the long term.

“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead and represent SEDA-Council of Governments. I am thrilled to be able to utilize my combined experience and expertise and return to SEDA-COG to help it grow and adapt to the future and to have an even greater impact on the region. I look forward to working with SEDA-COG’s experienced and respected staff, the Board of Directors, regional stakeholders, and partners to advance business and industry and support the region’s communities,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler has been the special projects coordinator and grants manager at the Borough of Lewisburg since January 2019. She was the deputy director of planning at the County of Lycoming from 2014 to 2019, along with working there for two prior years. From 2007 to 2012, she was the local government policy specialist and north-central region community planner for the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).

She earned her Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York. She also earned her planning certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.

The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Health & Safety Division will be offering the following FREE safety WEBINARS in January 2021: 

General Safety
Active Shooter Awareness
Tuesday, January 5th at 9:30am
 School Safety
Tuesday, January 5th at 1:30pm
Ladders
Wednesday, January 6th at 9:30am
Confined Space in Construction
Wednesday, January 6th at 1:30pm
OSHA Top Ten
Thursday, January 7th at 9:30am
 Fatigue & Worker Safety
Thursday, January 7th at 1:30pm
Safety Culture (Part 1)
Friday, January 8th at 1:30pm
Opioid Use Disorder
Monday, January 11th at 9:30am
Scabies, Bed Bugs, MRSA
Tuesday, January 12th at 1:30pm
Aging Workforce
Wednesday, January 13th at 9:30am
Return to Work
Wednesday, January 13th at 1:30pm
Dealing with Angry People
Thursday, January 14th at 9:30am
Managing Emergencies
Thursday, January 14th at 1:30pm
First Aid Awareness
Friday, January 15th at 1:30pm
Mold – Awareness, Hazards
 Tuesday, January 19th at 9:30am
Slips, Trips & Falls Prevention
Wednesday, January 20th at 9:30am
Cold Weather Injuries
Wednesday, January 20th at 1:30pm
OSHA Injury & Illness Recordkeeping
Thursday, January 21st at 9:30am
 Snowblower Safety
Friday, January 22nd at 1:30pm
Incident Tracking
Monday, January 25th at 9:30am
Restaurant & Food Service Safety
Tuesday, January 26th at 9:30am
Risk Management
Tuesday, January 26th at 1:30pm
Pre-Operational Process Review
Wednesday, January 27th at 9:30am
Social Media Safety
Wednesday, January 27th at 1:30pm
Wellness Programs
Thursday, January 28th at 9:30am

Webinar duration is approximately 1 hour depending on course material as well as viewer participation.

OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Certification
*Must attend all 10 courses over 5 days to receive completion card

Introduction to OSHA
Wednesday, January 13th at 10:00am
Walking & Working Surfaces
Wednesday, January 13th at 2:00pm
Exit Routes, Emergency Action Plans, Fire Prevention Plans & Fire Protection
Friday, January 15th at 10:00am
Electrical
Friday, January 15th at 2:00pm
Personal Protective Equipment
Wednesday, January 20th at 10:00am
Hazard Communication
Wednesday, January 20th at 2:00pm
Ergonomics
Friday, January 22nd at 10:00am
Safety & Health Programs
Friday, January 22nd at 2:00pm
Fall Protection
Wednesday, January 27th at 10:00am
Bloodborne Pathogens
Wednesday, January 27th at 2:00pm 

Safety Shorts
Back Safety & Safe Lifting
Tuesday, January 5th at 11:00am
Dogs & Dog Bites
Wednesday, January 6th at 11:00am
Aggressive Driving & Road Rage
Thursday, January 7th at 11:00am  
Emergency Action Plans
Tuesday, January 12th at 11:00am
Back Safety & Safe Lifting
Wednesday, January 13th at 11:00am
Electrical Safety
Thursday, January 14th at 11:00am
Fire Extinguisher Use
Tuesday, January 19th at 11:00am  
Effective Safety Training   
Wednesday, January 20th at 11:00am  
Hearing Conservation & Noise Control   
Thursday, January 21st at 11:00am
Safety Incentive Programs – Pros & Cons 
Tuesday, January 26th at 11:00am 
Hand & Arm Protection
Wednesday, January 27th at 11:00am
Stress & Worker Safety 
Thursday, January 28th at 11:00am
Warehouse Safety
Friday, January 29th at 1:30pm   

Webinar duration is approximately 1/2 hour depending on course material as well as viewer participation.

Annual Workplace Safety Committee

Initial & Re-Certification Training

Re-Certification Training on Monday, January 4th from 9:30am – 10:45am
Re-Certification Training on Thursday, January 21st from 1:30pm – 2:45pm
Initial Training on Tuesday, January 12th from 9:30am – 11:00am
Initial Training on Thursday, January 28th from 1:30pm -3:00pm

Governor Wolf’s Initiative on Opioids 

Drug Free Workplace – Supervisor Tools & Techniques for Reasonable Suspicion in partnership with Donna Creager and DrugFree Workplace PA Monday, January 4th at 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Drug Free Workplace – Employee Drug & Alcohol Awareness in partnership with Donna Creager and DrugFree Workplace PA
Friday, January 8th at 9:30am – 11:00am

Drug Free Workplace – Supporting a Loved One with a Substance Use Disorder in partnership with Kathy Strain and DrugFree Workplace PA Monday, January 11th at 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Drug Free Workplace – Recovery Friendly Workplace & Return to Work Agreements in partnership with Donna Creager and DrugFree Workplace PA
Friday, January 15th at 9:30am – 11:00am

Drug Free Workplace – Managing Stress While Working from Home
in partnership with Donna Creager and DrugFree Workplace PA
Tuesday, January 19th at 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Drug Free Workplace – Medical Marijuana and the Workplace
in partnership with Kathy Strain and DrugFree Workplace PA
Friday, January 22nd at 9:30am – 11:00am

Drug Free Workplace – Drug Trends; What Working Parents Need to Know
in partnership with Donna Creager and DrugFree Workplace PA
Monday, January 25th at 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Drug Free Workplace – Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
in partnership with Gina Riordan and DrugFree Workplace PA
Friday, January 29th at 9:30am – 11:00am

To register for any of these events just click on the link(s) above and you will be automatically redirected to the event homepage and a registration form. 

 *Remember, registration closes the day before the presentation is scheduled to begin.

 To register for any of our safety trainings available, classroom or webinar, please visit the PATHS Training Calendar.

Pursuant to the Workers’ Compensation Act, Section 105.1, the Department of Labor & Industry has determined the statewide average weekly wage for injuries occurring on and after January 1, 2021, shall be $1,130.00 per week. For purposes of calculating the update to payments for medical treatment rendered on and after January 1, 2021, the percentage increase in the Statewide Average Weekly Wage is 4.6 percent.

The notice will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on December 26, 2020. The updated wage table will be uploaded to the BWC website following the Pennsylvania Bulletin announcement.

As Congress works toward agreement on a second round of COVID-19 relief to Americans, coalitions of more than 80 chambers of commerce, including The Columbia Montour Chamber, and more than 75 statewide associations across the Commonwealth sent letters to Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation last week urging them to adopt temporary, targeted liability reforms as part of the disaster relief legislation. The coalitions are being led by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry.

The chamber and association leaders cited the financial struggles that so many of their member businesses are facing. “Pennsylvanians who had successful companies just a few months ago are going bankrupt, draining savings, seeing their life’s work swept away,” the chamber coalition wrote.

As they are experiencing these pandemic-driven hardships, they are also facing the added threat of an unwarranted pandemic-related lawsuit – in some cases, these cases are being filed for businesses simply following the mask mandates put in place by the Wolf administration. The PA Chamber, local chamber partners, and our allies on this issue — including nonprofits, schools and universities, daycare centers, medical providers and more – have stressed the negative impact to our economic recovery if businesses that are following all the state and CDC-issued health guidelines must continue to operate without any pandemic-era protections in place.

“For the foreseeable future, employers will be subject to strict workplace health requirements and those who take necessary precautions to protect customers and employees should proceed with confidence knowing they will not be targeted with frivolous, and potentially devastating, litigation,” the coalitions wrote.

“We are grateful for the public support provided to employers thus far; however, the pandemic’s economic impact has been relentless and so must be the public response.  We urge you to support temporary, targeted legal safe harbor for those employers and healthcare providers operating in good faith and complying with relevant requirements.”

From InnoTek Computer Consulting, Inc.

More and more businesses are switching to the Cloud to store their data and rightly so. The Cloud offers numerous benefits over the traditional, physical on-site server. For example:
• Anytime, anywhere access to your data: Information in the Cloud can be accessed from anywhere using an internet connection, unlike in the case of traditional servers, where you need a physical connection to the servers
• Significant cost savings: You cut hardware costs because you are not investing in physical hardware.
• Shared storage means more cost savings: The Cloud lets you share space with others while maintaining a secure environment in general. It follows a ‘pay-as-you-use’ approach to data storage allowing you to enjoy cost savings based on your data storage needs, unlike the traditional options where you had to pay for and purchase a whole new server if your data storage exceeded the existing capacity.
• SaaS compatibility and support: The Cloud allows the use of Software-as-a-Service since the software can be hosted in the Cloud
• Scalability: The Cloud lets you scale up and down as your business needs change
• 24/7 monitoring, support, and greater access reliability: When your data is in the Cloud, the Cloud service provider is responsible for keeping it safe and ensuring it is securely accessible at all times. They monitor the cloud’s performance and in the event of any performance issues, they provide immediate tech support to resolve the problem

Is the Cloud really risk-free?
While all the above-mentioned factors make the Cloud a very attractive choice, especially for SMBs who don’t want to be burdened with higher in-house IT costs, putting your data in the Cloud is not risk-free. Just as storing data on physical servers has its security threats, the Cloud presents certain security concerns as well. These include
• Data breach: A data breach is when your data is accessed by someone who is not authorized to do so.
• Data loss: A data loss is a situation where your data in the Cloud is destroyed due to certain circumstances such as technological failure or neglect during any stage of data processing or storage.
• Account hijacking: Like traditional servers, data in the Cloud could be stolen through account hijacking as well. In fact, Cloud account hijacking is predominantly deployed in cybercrimes that require identity thefts and wrongful impersonation
• Service traffic hijacking: In a service traffic hijacking, your attacker first gains access to your credentials, uses it to understand the online activities that happen in your domain, and then uses the information to mislead your users or domain visitors to malicious sites.
• Insecure application program interfaces (APIs): Sometimes, Cloud APIs, when opened up to third parties, can be a huge security threat. If the API keys are not properly secured, it can serve as an entry point for cybercriminals and malicious elements.
• Poor choice of Cloud storage providers: A security lapse from the Cloud storage provider’s end is a huge security concern for businesses. It is very important to choose a trusted and experienced Cloud service provider who knows what they are doing.

Apart from the above, there are some common threats that apply to both the Cloud and traditional data storage environments such as a DDoS attack, or a malware attack where your data in the Cloud becomes susceptible because it is being shared with others and at other places.

3 key steps to take to protect your data from the security threats presented above
• Secure access: The first step would be to secure access to your data in the Cloud. So, how do you go about it? safeguard your login credentials–your User IDs and passwords–from prying eyes strong password policies that are practiced across the board and educate your employees about good password hygiene. Also, do you have employees using their own devices to access their work-related applications and documents? Do you have staff working from home? Then, you also need to formulate strong BYOD (Bring-your-own-device) policies, so these devices don’t end up as the entry point to cybercriminals.
•Educate your employees: What’s the first thing that pops into your head when someone talks about cybercrime? You probably picture some unknown person, a tech-whiz sitting behind a computer in a dark room, trying to steal your data. But surprising as it may seem, the first and probably the biggest threat to your data and IT security, in general, comes from your employees! Malicious employees may do you harm on purpose by stealing or destroying your data, but oftentimes, employees unwittingly become accomplices to cybercrime. Some examples include:

• Forwarding an email with an attachment that contains a virus
• Clicking on a phishing link unknowingly and entering sensitive information therein
• Compromising on security when they share passwords or connect to an unsecured or open WiFi at public places such as the mall or the airport

A lot of time cybersecurity breaches happen when employees function with a view to “get things done faster”, but without realizing how disastrous the implications of such actions can be.

• Choosing the right Cloud service provider: If you are putting your data in the cloud, you need to make sure that it is in safe hands. As such, it is your Cloud service provider’s responsibility to ensure your data is secure and accessible, always. But, are they doing all that is needed to ensure this happens? It is very important to choose a trustworthy Cloud service provider because you are essentially handing over all your data to them. So, apart from strengthening your defenses, you need to check how well-prepared they are to avert the threats posed by cybercriminals.

Cloud security mechanisms
• Cloud firewalls: Much like the firewalls you deploy for your local IT network, Cloud firewalls work to prevent unauthorized Cloud network access. 
• Penetration testing: Penetration testing is a sort of a Cloud security check where IT experts try hacking into the Cloud network to figure out if there are any security lapses or vulnerabilities that could serve cybercriminals.
• Obfuscation: In obfuscation, the data or program code is obscured on purpose such that the system delivers unclear code to anyone other than the original programmer, thus mitigating any malicious activity.
• Tokenization: Tokenization is the process of replacing sensitive data with unique identification symbols that retain all the essential information about the data without compromising its security. 
• Virtual Private Networks (VPN): Another, more commonly used mechanism is the VPN. VPN creates a safe passage for data over the Cloud through end-to-end encryption methodology.

Investing in a good Cloud security system is a must, but, in the end, you also need to remember that Cloud security is not only about antivirus software, firewalls, and other anti-malware tools. Complete Cloud security is a blend of all these plus internal policies, best practices, and regulations related to IT security, and of course, the MSP you choose to be your Cloud security provider plays a key role in all this. You need to pick the right MSP and work closely with them to implement a Cloud security solution that works for you.