1. You try to enter your password on the microwave.
2. You have 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
3. You consider “mouse elbow” a sports injury.
4. Your daughter is selling Girl Scout Cookies on her Web site.
5. The concept of using real money is becoming foreign to you.
6. Cleaning up the dining area means getting the fast food bags out of the back seat of your car.
7. The only jokes you “hear” come by e-mail.
8. Your cereal box says, “visit us online”, and you do.
9. You consider 2nd day air delivery painfully slow.
10. The reason you don’t keep in touch with some of your family: They don’t have e-mail addresses.
11. You chat with a stranger from South Africa, but you haven’t spoken to your next door neighbor in more than a year.
12. The computer you bought last week is now outdated and selling for half price.
13. You instant message your son in his room saying dinner is ready. He replied back to ask what you’re having.
14. You consider naming your daughter “Dot” and your son “Com.”
15. You order take-out food online.
16. Your family pet runs on batteries.
17. You can have more meaningful conversations with your car than your spouse.
18. You start calling telemarketers “spammers”.
19. You’ve never actually met your spouse in person.
20. You can turn your lights on, open the garage door, turn up your stereo, and see your back yard without leaving your computer.
21. You have 5 remote controls in your living room to operate one TV.
22. Your dog has an e-mail address.
23. Your idea of a great first date involves a cup of coffee and a chat room.
24. Your legs have fallen off from lack of use.
I hope you will find this post informative and useful. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. That’s all I have for today, until next time make it a great day!
Warning: If You’ve Downloaded Free Software
From The Internet, Your Computer May Be At Risk For
Viruses, Hackers, and Spyware!
We’ve all heard the saying that the best things in life are free, but I’m not sure they were referring to software.
Freeware (free software, not to be confused with open source software) such as the AVG anti-virus free edition, Spybot, and Ad-Aware are all programs you can download to your PC for the ultimate discount: free. However, you get what you pay for.
While these programs may work just fine for someone’s home computer, they are not business class tools and should not be trusted to completely protect your computer or network from viruses, spyware, hackers, and other problems.
Every month we receive calls from clients whose computers are infected with a nasty virus or a boatload of spyware who had these programs installed and running, and were under the false assumption that they were protected.
Why Freeware Doesn’t Protect Your Computer
In most cases, freeware is a light version of a software program that you pay for. Take the AVG free edition for example. AVG offers a free edition of their licensed product as a way of introducing you to their fully-featured product. However, this software does not come with any online, e-mail, or phone support. It is also illegal to use it on multiple machines or in a commercial, non-profit, or educational environment (single home users only).
You’re On Your Own
As you might expect, freeware comes with zero guarantees or promises to function correctly, to be compatible with your system, or to safeguard you from threats. You’re not a paying customer so you’re on your own to resolve any technical problems you encounter, and you certainly won’t get support if your computer gets infected.
Since many free applications are plagued with bugs and incompatibilities, you may end up with a mess on your hands and no one to blame but yourself.
Additionally, freeware programs are not always current with the most up-to-date protection, and don’t always update themselves automatically or perform scans and tasks on a regular schedule. That means you could be operating with a false sense of security; and since the sophistication and number of threats circulating are only increasing, you need a comprehensive solution that you can trust especially if your computer or network holds data and files you don’t want to lose or make available to a cyber-criminal.
Bottom line: you get what you pay for. If the files, data, pictures, and functionality of your computer or network is of high-importance, then investing in a trusted, industrial-strength software program to protect it is a smart and worthwhile investment.
I would like to recommend “Great by Choice” by Jim Collins. This book and all of the books Jim Collins has written are invaluable to building a Great company. Mr. Collins has many insights and observations that can help take your business from being a “Good” company to a “Great” company. This year we sent all of our clients “Great by Choice” on audio CD as a Christmas gift. Now everyone is talking about 20-Mile Marches, oxygen canisters and triangles and how they will help make their businesses more successful. I hope you decide to take your business and life from Good to Great. Mr. Collins can help you with the first step if you choose to read his book.
I hope you will find this post informative and useful. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. That’s all I have for today, until next time make it a great day!
Why You Should Avoid Using A Debit Card When Shopping Online
If you shop online (and these days, who doesn’t?), you’ll want to make sure you use a credit card instead of a debit card to protect yourself from online scams and rip offs. The biggest advantage credit cards offer is a buffer for payment. By law, your maximum loss if your credit card number is stolen is $50, and most credit card companies and banks will cover the entire cost.
When you use a debit card, the funds come directly out of your bank account, which means you might have trouble disputing the charge if you get scammed or if you are not happy with the product or service you purchased.
Here are some other tips to make shopping online safer:
• Research your merchant before buying. The Federal Trade Commission maintains a web site (www.consumer.gov) that provides many buyers’ guides, lists of tips, and links to helpful resources.
• Make sure you are on a secure web site before you give your name, address or credit card details. Look for a padlock or a key symbol in the bottom corner of your screen.
• Never send your credit card number in an e-mail because it can easily be stolen.
• Frequently check your credit card statements for suspicious entries. If you spot anything strange, contact your credit card company immediately to question the charge.
• Call the company before placing an order. See if a real person answers the phone and how difficult it is to get someone live. Ask for their return policy for damaged or inadequate goods, expected delivery dates, shipping and handling fees, and after-purchase support.
• Think before you buy. If the online advertisement or junk e-mail offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is! If you have any reason to be suspicious, you are better to err on the side of NOT buying.
• Watch for hidden extras added on at checkout such as postage and packing costs, and handling fees. VAT and Customs charges for goods from overseas can add greatly to the final cost.
• Read the company’s privacy policy carefully. Make sure you uncheck any boxes giving the vendor permission to sell or share your information with other vendors.
I hope you will find this post informative and useful. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. That’s all I have for today, until next time make it a great day!
How To Avoid The Top 5 Budget Busting, Stress-Inducing Mistakes When Moving Your Office
Moving is always a pain, but it doesn’t have to be a horrific, expensive experience. The number one lament from someone who’s experienced a “bad” move is, “I didn’t know I needed to…” followed closely by “I completely forgot that…” In other words, it’s what you don’t do that makes the move a disaster.
To make your move easy and effortless, here are the 5 most common mistakes you want to avoid:
Mistake #1 — Not Using A Checklist
This may seem like a no-brainer to those who manage projects, but project management may not be a forte of someone placed in charge of your move (like an office admin). Even those who use a list typically fail to make the list detailed enough.
Mistake #2 — Trying To Save Money By Using Your Employees To Move Your Computer Network
Don’t ask your staff to disconnect, move and reconnect computers, phones and other devices just to save a few bucks. You’ll frustrate them and end up with phones ringing at the wrong extension, lost cables, and workstations that get dropped rendering them useless. You don’t want to let the movers do this job either; they may be great at moving furniture, but a network is a lot more sophisticated and sensitive. Be smart and hire an IT pro to pack and move your network. Doing so will help you avoid communication blackouts and extended downtime.
Mistake #3 — Not Hiring The RIGHT IT Firm To Move Your Network
While we’re on the topic, make sure you know what to look for when outsourcing the move. A few things to look for would include references from other clients, proof of insurance (get them to fax you a copy), and a professional, organized approach to quoting the move. A real pro will insist on visiting your current location as well as your new location to conduct a detailed site survey. NEVER hire anyone who wants to quote moving your network over the phone. Additionally, look for an IT company that will apply the charges for conducting your site survey against the total cost of the move if you choose them.
Mistake #4 — Not Giving Your Phone, Internet And Cable Vendors Enough Advance Warning
Eighty percent (80%) of unexpected communications blackouts and cost overruns on network moves are caused by failure to properly plan voice, data and electrical installation in advance. Just because the prior tenant had computers and telephones is no guarantee that the cabling is suitable for your phones and your computer network. Advance planning will help you avoid emergency rush fees or band aid fixes to make things work.
Internet and telephone connections require as much as six weeks advance notice to be installed, tested and ready the day you move in.
And if you are building a new office, don’t leave it up to the builder to decide how many power outlets, network and phone connections you will need. Remember, changes and additions after the walls are up are at your expense. With printers, scanners, faxes, and other technologies connecting directly to the network these days, the rule of thumb of one electrical outlet, one phone and one network connection per employee is woefully outdated. Consult your IT provider in the early planning stages to ensure you have what you need before the drywall goes up.
Mistake #5 — Poor Communication With Vendors And Employees Prior To, And During The Move.
Failure to communicate changes before and during the move results in confusion, downtime and increased expense. Remember, your computers and phones will be unavailable for a period of time before, during and immediately after the move. A little planning can minimize the impact on your business.
• Give your employees, customers, and vendors the anticipated downtime schedule.
• Make a cell phone list of important phone numbers (like tech support contacts, the phone company, cable company, etc.) and give it to your employees. You may also want to provide vendors and customers with a list of employee cell phone numbers to use during the communication blackout that will take place during the move.
• Confirm, confirm, confirm! Call your vendors several times to make sure they have the move on their schedule and planned; don’t assume anything!
• Ask your IT provider to temporarily reroute important e-mail and phones to another location during the move, or set up a web portal to enable you to access e-mail from a laptop or home computer so you’re not completely disconnected.
I hope you will find this post informative and useful. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. That’s all I have for today, until next time make it a great day!
In today’s fast pace world, signing documents electronically can help you keep up with the pace. So what is an electronically signed document, anyway? An electronically signed document will not allow changes to be made to the document after you have signed it.
So if someone sends you a contract via email. You can review the contract and electronically sign the document and return it via email. You do not need to print the file out, sign it with a pen, scan it and email the file back. You can sign it without paper and pen. You will have a copy of the document as you agreed to it as well as any other party that is involved. All parties will know that it was your signature, by third party verification.
To sign a PDF here are some simple steps to follow:
Inside Adobe Acrobat choose the “sign” icon. Then choose “place signature”. Choose a location for your signature. You now have a signed document.
I hope you will find this post informative and useful. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. That’s all I have for today, until next time make it a great day!
As we are just getting over the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac, I wanted to share 3 of the lessons that we confirmed as we helped our clients get back up and running. Hurricane Isaac confirmed 3 of Ener Systems’ best practices.
1. Having a backup internet connection does make a difference. Having both Charter and AT&T internet connections, kept us from being totally out of commission during Isaac’s aftermath. Our clients with redundant internet connections had the same experience.
2. Having a generator even if you plan to evacuate can help your business get back up and running sooner. Some of our clients evacuated, to come back and find their offices were still without power. Generators help them continue to run their business and help their clients sooner.
3. Having RADAR kept our clients receiving email, even when their email servers were offline due to a power or internet outage. As long as they had an internet connection where they were staying, they were able to send and receive all of their emails. They were never without email communication. This helped with client communication as well as employee communications.
We recommend that all clients have a redundant internet connection, if business continuity is important to their business. Ener Systems has a portable generator that is available to our EnerCare Total Control clients. RADAR is part of our best practices and offered to all clients as an email archive and business continuity solution.
I hope you will find this post informative and useful. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. That’s all I have for today, until next time make it a great day!
5 Smart Tips to Know before Moving
Your Data to a Cloud-Based Application
1. Back It Up!
Migrating data to any new location is a mess and anything can (and usually does) go wrong. Therefore, make sure you have good, recent backup copies of everything before you make the move.
2. Maintain an On-site Copy
At first, moving to the cloud can be a bit scary. What can help mitigate the risk (and the fear) is keeping a local, on-site copy of your data and network image on an NAS (network-attached storage) device so that you have a local on-site copy in addition to the working cloud copy.
3. Have a “Plan B” to Access the Internet
One of the biggest questions about moving IT to the cloud is, “What if the Internet goes down?” To mitigate that fail point, have a business-class Internet connection as your initial and main way to connect and then also have a second Internet connection service as a backup. If Windstream is your main connection, you might consider getting a second internet connection from Cox/Charter or a Verizon air card. Additionally you should have a firewall that supports multiple internet connections; so that when the primary connection fails you will still be connected to the internet.
4. Use It as an Opportunity to Do Some Housekeeping
You could just copy and paste your files from your local machines into the cloud, but why not take this as an opportunity to re-evaluate the structure and organization of that data? Here are some ideas:
•Re-evaluate and/or update your file-naming conventions and file organization. A good file-naming policy will make it much easier to find files and information. Also, consider reorganizing all the folders into smarter, more efficient categories.
•Consider who will be using what and what levels of permissions are required to access files. Revisiting your permission levels will help keep sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands.
•Look at old files and consider deleting them or archiving them so they aren’t cluttering up your server and costing you money for storing and backing them up.
5. Phase the Move
Don’t try to migrate everything all at once. Create a transition plan and implement it. Make sure you move your files in bite-size pieces so that the changes are easy to digest for your clients, employees, partners and everyone else involved. This also gives you the opportunity to test the water before taking the plunge, and it allows you to put out one fire at a time instead of having all systems down or broken.
I hope you will find this post informative and useful. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. That’s all I have for today, until next time make it a great day!
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter:
Can Employers Demand Employees Give Up Their Login Info?
Here’s a new question that’s being discussed in the courts: Do employers have the right to ask new hires for their username and
password to various social media sites? According to the state of Maryland, the answer is, “No.”
Recently the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation that prevents employers in the state from asking prospective employees for their login information for various social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.
Maryland business groups, including the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that there may be cases where an employer should be able to ask for the login information of potential new hires in order to weed out unwanted candidates. Of course, this bill is just one of many issues being raised between employees and employers using social media. While asking for login information may soon become illegal, employers are still free to “friend” potential hires or search online for information about potential employees.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Have you ever reviewed a potential new hire’s Facebook page, blog or LinkedIn account before hiring them? Do you think it’s fair for employers to request this information or is it a violation of someone’s privacy?
I hope you will find this post informative and useful. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. That’s all I have for today, until next time make it a great day!
Now that school is out, thousands of children will be surfing the Internet in their free time.
Although the Internet provides a tremendous learning tool for children, left unchecked it can also expose them to inappropriate material and unscrupulous individuals looking to exploit innocent children.
The statistics of online abuse towards children are alarming. According to a new survey conducted by NetAlert, nearly one child in every five using the Internet has been approached online by a stranger, and 47 per cent of children have been exposed to material that is pornographic, sexually explicit, violent, hateful, or that encourages them to participate in dangerous or illegal activities.
According to Highlights of the Youth Internet Safety Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, one in five children received unwanted sexual solicitations online, and there are a growing number of cases of pedophiles using the Internet to gain a child’s confidence and arrange a face-to-face meetings (also known as ‘online grooming’).
These cyber criminals are using everything from spam e-mails to online messaging, children’s chat rooms, and misleading domain names to trap children. If your child is using the Internet, you must take measures to educate and protect them from these dangers. I’ve outlined 3 things you should be doing now to keep your kids safe online:
1. Install web and e-mail filtering software to prevent your children from viewing inappropriate material. A good, inexpensive software is offered on www.bsecure.com. Not only will this keep the trash off your computer screen, but it will also stop inappropriate spam from reaching your children.
2. Talk to your kids about online safety and proper Internet usage. Set limits and guidelines about when they can go online, what they can do, and how long they are allowed to be online. Explain why it is dangerous for them to “chat” with strangers online or download suspicious looking files.
3. Give your children specific online guidelines or rules to follow when using the Internet. It’s not enough to warn them about potential risks; pedophiles know how to cloak their identity and gain a child’s confidence to arrange face-to-face meetings.
Below is list of rules for kids to follow online:
• I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address or telephone number to anyone online.
• I will not give out the name and location of the school I attend to anyone online.
• I will tell my parents right away if I see a web site, e-mail, or message that makes me feel uncomfortable.
• I will never send my picture to anyone online, or upload my picture to any web site without my parents knowledge and permission.
• I will never agree to meet someone face-to-face that I met online without my parents knowledge and permission.
• I will not respond to any messages that are mean or that make me feel uncomfortable in any way. If I get a message like that, I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the online service.
• I will never give my parent’s financial information out to anyone, especially their credit card information, bank account information, or social security number.
If you want more information on how to keep your children safe online or to report illegal, violent, or explicit acts towards children, go to www.cybertipline.com. This site is run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and is a great resource for parents, teachers, and guardians.
I hope you will find this post informative and useful. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. That’s all I have for today, until next time make it a great day!
