The Single Most Dangerous Assumption Businesses Make About Bank Security That Can Cause Them To Lose ALL Their Money
Here’s a shocker to most business owners: You’re bank often can NOT reclaim money stolen from your bank account due to fraud or cyber-crime. That means if money gets drafted from your business bank account from a hacker, phishing attack, identity theft or by any other means, you have little to no chance of getting it back.
9 Steps To Take Now To Be Certain Your Finances Are Protected Online
Seems like we’ve been inundated over the past 6 months with rampant cybertheft. Target, Nieman Marcus, Yahoo and even mysterious $9.84 credit-card charges. Unfortunately, in the world we live in, this is most likely the norm going forward and not just a blip on the radar.
So, how can you stay protected online? While there is no way to absolutely, positively, 100% stay safe online, by taking these 9 steps, you will be as safe as possible.at night knowing you have a way to continue to operate when disaster strikes.
Top 4 Threats Attacking Your Network And What To Do About Them
#1 Overconfidence
User overconfidence in security products is the top threat to your network. Failure to “practice safe software” results in nuisance attacks like porn storms (unstoppable rapid fire pornographic pop-ups) and more subtle key loggers that steal passwords. Surveys promising free stuff, result in theft of information like your mother’s maiden name, high school, etc. used to answer common security questions leading to theft of otherwise secure data. Think before you click!
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:
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.
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.
Benjamin Zander has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic since 1979. His insights for classical music and leadership can be applied in any leadership role.
As conductor, Zander’s job is to awaken the possibilities in others. As he says in the TED video, “ the conductor does not make any sounds.” It is up to him to make sure the musicians have the information they need do their best.
What is your Centerpoint? Meet Blue Angels Pilot, John Foley
Recently while in Dallas at an industry conference for Tigerpaw Software, I had the great pleasure of hearing John Foley speak in person. He is Amazing and the focus that the Blue Angels have is Amazing. When the Blue Angels fly in formation, they start with the planes at 36 inches apart and get the planes as close as 18 inches apart. It must take incredible focus to achieve such precision. John explains that for every show, the Blue Angels have a centerpoint that everyone remains focused on. This centerpoint allows all of the pilots to focus on one thing and achieve unbelievable accuracy. Just imagine what you could do with that kind of focus. What is your centerpoint? What are you going to focus on that will make you achieve unbelievable goals?
E-mail driving you crazy? Every time you delete one, do five more show up? Are you finding it impossible to answer every e-mail you receive? If this is you, then here are 10 tips to reduce e-mail overload.
1- Get a good spam filter. Even if it saves you just 10 minutes a day, that adds up to over 59 hours a year. 2- Cancel subscriptions to unwanted mailing lists. Also, make sure you are careful to check the “unsubscribe” or “opt-out” box when purchasing items online. 3- Ask your friends to remove you from joke groups or chain messages. 4- Don’t post or publish your e-mail on websites. 5- Don’t respond to every e-mail you receive. Yes, it’s okay NOT to respond to some e-mails. 6- Be succinct. Restrict your messages to a few sentences. If you can’t, pick up the phone or talk in person. 7- Take advantage of subject lines. If possible, put your question in the subject line of your message. Here’s another tip: create a set of codes with your co-workers and place them in the subject line to help them process and prioritize messages. For example, use “FYI” for informational messages. Use “AR” for action required and “URG” for urgent messages. 8- Block time to answer your e-mail and fight the temptation to check your e-mail every few minutes. 9- Respond to messages when you open them so you only read them once. 10- Set time aside in the morning and the evening to process your inbox. Shoot for a completely empty inbox. File messages you need to keep and set reminders for messages that require you to follow up.
What every business owner needs to know about tying shoes
I thought I would try something a little different for this post. Please watch the video to get the most out of your day. Steve Miller from The Adventure introduced me to TED a couple of weeks ago. Steve is a great guy with a huge sense of humor. I thought I would share some of the humor with you.
4 Questions About Backups That You Should Know The Answers To
The old saying, “Pack your own parachute,” comes to mind when I think of data backups or, more specifically, data RECOVERY. However, how many people actually know how to pack their data backup “parachute.
Since the absolute WORST time to check your backups is AFTER a data disaster, all business owners ought to know the answers to the following questions NOW so they aren’t unpleasantly surprised later when data gets erased and they’re scrambling to get back up and running:
Should You Leave Your Computer On At Night Or Turn It Off?
I’ve been asked by clients whether or not they should leave their computer on all the time or turn it off when they are not using it.
Several years ago I would have told my clients to turn their machines off to save power. But with the proliferation of viruses and threats over the last few years, I have changed my mind.
Ads for fake antivirus and antispyware programs are multiplying!
How to avoid getting tricked?
Many “reputable” sites are compromised and the owners don’t know it. So it’s not always where you surf. Here are four tips that may help you avoid getting infected.
Keep your computer updated with the latest antivirus and antispyware software, and be sure to use a good firewall.
Never open an email attachment unless you are POSITIVE about the source.
Do NOT click on any pop-up that advertises antivirus or antispyware software. If a virus alert appears on your screen. DON’T click on it, even to “close” it. Instead click the browser “X” button in the far upper right corner of the browser screen. Then call your computer guy.
Do not download freeware or shareware unless you know it’s from a reputable source. Many freeware and shareware programs come bundled with spyware, adware, or fake antivirus programs.
The best prevention is your own skepticism. The rule is: IF IN DOUBT, DON’T!
Both cars and computers are indispensible, complex and will eventually break.
Do you change the oil in your car? You probably do. But WHY? You do this to prevent problems that you MIGHT have in the future.
When was the last time you changed the oil in your computer? I know computers don’t have oil. But they do have parts and software that break … usually at the worst possible time.
With the new year upon us, many of you may have upgraded your old PCs for shiny new ones. So what should you do about that old PC left over?
Whatever you do, don’t just throw it into a dumpster! Not only is it an environmental hazard you could be fined for, but you also don’t want complete strangers getting access to your old files, passwords, financial information, and e-mails.
Now that we’re at the height of cold and flu season, you might want to take a closer look at what’s living on your keyboard. A series of studies called “Germs in the Workplace,” found that the following four office surfaces had the most bacteria (in this order):
1. Your Phone 2. Your Desk 3. Your Computer Keyboard 4. Your Computer Mouse
Obviously these are items you touch all day, every day. Germs and dirt from your hands and mouth get transferred easily on to these items, and vice-versa, making them breeding grounds for harmful bacteria.
E-mail is quickly becoming the #1 way we communicate with friends, family, co-workers, employees, and clients. But be careful! E-mail messages cannot accurately deliver the tone of your message and what you thought was funny sarcasm may be interpreted as an insult to your reader.
More than 80 years have passed since Emily Post wrote her first book on etiquette. Back then, the rules had more to do with how to properly introduce someone and which fork to use at a dinner party. But with the introduction of new communication tools comes new rules. Below are 19 quick tips and rules for what is—and isn’t—acceptable behavior when using e-mail.
“5 Easy Ways to Avoid Getting an Avalanche of Spam”
Spam e-mails are not only annoying and time consuming, but they’re also becoming more dangerous to your personal privacy and the security of your computer. Millions of computers users are getting infected, spoofed, and tricked by spam e-mails every year, forcing the user to pay hefty fees to clean and restore their PCs back to working order.
“The UPS Your Business Can’t Be Without (And, No, I’m Not Talking About The Post Office)”
A UPS, or uninterruptible power supply, is a battery backup power source for computers, servers and network equipment. When the power goes out, a UPS will keep your equipment going long enough to save any documents and shut down the machine properly. Why should you care?
Because, if you are actively working on a document when the power goes out, 1 of 3 things could happen.
“What Every Business Owner MUST Know To Protect Against Online Identity Theft”
All it takes is one innocent security slip by you or one of your employees to instantly give online criminals the information they need to access your network and steal your identity. In no time at all, they can gain enough information to max out your credit cards, wipe out your bank accounts, and completely obliterate your business and personal credit. They can even use your identity to commit further crimes such as forgery, stealing from other businesses, or online scams. This nightmare can take months – sometimes years – to clean up and can destroy your credit and good name.
