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  1. SDN employees consistently come through for charities
    The company’s 160 employees contributed more than $53,000 in cash to charitable causes in the Sioux Falls area during 2017. That comes out to about $332 apiece.
  2. Protect networks and back up data to stop ransomware
    Not all ransomware attacks are successful, of course. Companies are learning to adequately back up data and to keep their networking equipment and programs up to date.
  3. Microsoft’s rural broadband initiative worth keeping an eye on
    Approximately 34 million Americans lack broadband access, and 23.4 million of them live in rural areas, according to Microsoft’s proposal to connect more rural residents to the benefits of high-speed internet.
  4. Future will bring more small cells and better services in region
    People in Brookings, including students, staff and visitors at South Dakota State University, can look forward to improved telecommunications in 2018.
  5. SDN’s IT director brings valuable experience to new position
    As director of IT, Jon Scarbrough oversees the internal corporate network and application development. In addition to vast experience, Scarbrough brings to SDN a passion for cybersecurity, which is an increasingly important issue in telecommunications.
  6. Healthcare information is valued and coveted by hackers
    The national movement from paper files to electronic medical records has greatly improved the efficiency of treating patients. But it's also making all of that personal data more available to hackers around the world.
  7. Phishing, smishing, vishing and other confusing security terms
    There are other words and phrases, especially in the cybersecurity realm, that can be confusing. I talked to some cybersecurity experts at SDN Communications, checked several websites and made a list.
  8. SDN report: Equifax breach illustrates importance of prompt updates
    During recent months, the Managed Firewalls that SDN Communications’ customer use weeded out approximately 2,000 attacks directed at a vulnerable version of Apache Struts website-building software.
  9. South Dakota city leaders embrace small cell technology at annual conference
    People living in cities expect broadband to be delivered as efficiently as water, says Sioux Falls Public Works Director Mark Cotter.
  10. Free cybersecurity event comes at good time for area businesses
    Businesses entrusted with personal and sensitive data can no longer consider cybersecurity a secondary support duty. Keeping information safe is more important than that. The Better Business Bureau is hosting a free program designed to help keep business representatives up to date on the cyber threat landscape.
  11. 5G and small cell technologies getting welcome attention
    Implementing 5G, as well as improving current wireless communications, will require better tower coverage, especially in high-use areas. That’s where the deployment of small cell technology comes into play.
  12. Public Wi-Fi adds to businesses’ cybersecurity challenges
    American workers are increasingly mobile, and easy connectivity can boost their productivity as well as their mood. In many locations, the availability of free, public Wi-Fi service is almost taken for granted.
  13. Nat'l telemedicine panel highlights Avera eCARE, where connections are more human than technical
    Sometimes SDN Communications gets referred to as a pioneer provider in the telemedicine field because of our long partnership with Avera eCARE. That gives us too much credit; we only provide the fiber or pipe, if you will, for the eCARE Emergency connection envisioned long ago by the smart IT folks and doctors at Avera.
  14. SDN opens improved web portal to better serve customers
    SDN officially launched a new and improved portal on its website for businesses and member companies. It’s a secure, self-service path to a repository of private information about the services SDN provides to companies.
  15. Coming sooner than you might expect: driverless cars
    Companies have been experimenting with driverless cars for decades, and progress is grabbing attention, especially during the past few years. Developers are testing self-driving cars every day on American streets, as companies race toward the consumer marketplace.
  16. Public schools deserve a little extra community support
    “We’re part of the community. What the Sioux Falls Public Schools do is educate the next generation of the community,” says Vernon Brown, vice president of marketing and community relations at SDN. “We feel a strong obligation to assist with that. Tax dollars don’t cover all the needs.”
  17. New technology creates challenges as well as opportunities
    There’s a cautionary side to the expanding, positive uses of technology that should remain in public awareness, too, of course. Among the risks are an increasing array of weapons and hacking strategies that endanger computer networks.
  18. 3 Steps to protect your Internet of Things devices
    Along with the proliferation of IoT devices comes new scams. Gartner warns that by 2020, there will be a billion-dollar black market selling fake sensors and video data to enable criminal activity.
  19. A fresh look at old problems with computer passwords
    Bill Burr has been widely described as being the father of the modern-day password. Lately, he’s also become a prominent second-guesser. Now, he says, long phrases that people can actually remember might be a better option.
  20. 565 DDoS attacks target local businesses in Q2
    “The challenge facing cybersecurity leaders and professionals certainly isn’t lessening. Cybersecurity experts must be vigilant, aware and thorough in their use of layered security.” - 2017 Q2 Cyber Threat Landscape Report