Blogs

What is Ransomware? Ransomware is a continuously evolving form of malware designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the systems that rely on them unusable. Malicious actors then demand ransom in exchange for decryption - often targeting and threatening to sell or leak exfiltrated data or authentication information if the ransom is not paid. Who is at Risk of Ransomware Attacks? Anyone with a device connected to the internet is at risk, including government or law enforcement agencies and healthcare systems as well as other critical infrastructure entities. Ransomware...

While we may not have a magic wand to reveal the future, we have the next best thing! View our 2021 Mid-Year Economic Update webinar to catch a glimpse of how your business may be impacted by possible market and industry trends. Leading economist, Anirban Basu, Chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., delivers an insightful, entertaining “Chamber of Data” themed presentation that pays a subtle homage to the Harry Potter series. Don’t worry, we didn’t let the sorcery get out of hand. During this webinar, Basu delivered economic data and an analysis juxtaposing the pre-pandemic and pandemic...

Protecting your business from increasingly sophisticated fraud tactics is a challenge, especially in the continuing remote and hybrid working environment. As businesses have evolved their payment strategies and operational controls in this “new normal”, fraudsters are adapting to take advantage of vulnerabilities created in this changing landscape. Our bank experts share shifting fraud trends in the payment environment, fraudsters’ evolving sophisticated tactics, common types of fraud that may impact your business as well as best practices and steps you can take to mitigate risk and protect...

Over and above raising your earning potential, diversification spreads potential risks over a wider base and reduces cash flow bottlenecks. And while agritourism can add a further revenue stream, it could also raise your main source of income—both through direct sales to the public and by putting a face to local wares. Agribusinesses have been challenged in recent years by labor shortages, supply-chain disruptions, and transport bottlenecks, not to mention a rash of extreme weather events. For horticultural sectors in particular, inputs such as fertilizer, seed, and equipment have become...

Exercise bikes and computer chips can wait on ships for weeks, but nuts and fruits have a more limited window. How can agribusiness owners better prepare for 2022? Fewer chestnuts roasted over open fires this holiday season. While the global shipping crisis has made it difficult to import needed materials, exporting finished products has become just as tedious. The California nut industry saw a massive drop-off in exports at the end of 2021. In the fall of 2021, walnut producers exported 47% fewer nuts in the shell and 16% fewer shelled nuts than the same season in 2020. Furthermore, almonds...