Phishing scams remain one of the most lucrative crimes for online cyber criminals. News reports of sensitive data from large corporations like Sony being compromised are increasing at a troubling rate. But contrary to popular belief, these phishing scams are just as dangerous for small business owners.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (partners with the FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) have reported more than 300,000 cases of online phishing scams and other Internet related crimes.
To give you a better comprehension as to why your small business is of great worth to a cyber criminal, let’s take a look at what phishing is exactly.
What is phishing?
What does “phishing” mean? Phishing is the endeavor to access private data, such as financial information, usernames, and passwords. This is attained by making false websites, graphics, email accounts, and phone numbers. The subject is convinced, by one method or another, to reveal these types of data that may be used to steal their identity (social security numbers are a popular target). For small businesses, phishing scams may attempt to gain access to customer credit card information.
Examples of small business phishing scams
Thousands of small business owners have received emails from the IRS informing them that they must fill out W-4 forms or other tax forms, and return them via fax. These emails look extremely real. Right down to the official IRS government seal. Unfortunately, many owners are worried that they are going to be audited by the IRS if they don’t take care of it quickly.
At the official website, IRS.gov, the IRS states that it will not initiate contact through email. So, never click on a link claiming to be from them!
Your company email can be a target
Company emails are easy access for thieves. They can target an individual by sending him or her an email that looks authentic, however when they open it, it can release a virus or malware infecting the entire network. The thieves will then have access to employee’s private information and company data.
Phone phishing
There are also several “phone phishing scams” where fake messages from your bank, for example, ask you to call a phone number and enter your account information.
How to protect your business against phishing
APWG.org is the Anti-Phishing Work Group, and their objective is to provide wonderful advice on how to make sure your business does not fall victim to phishing. Listed here are some of their tips:
- Make sure your employees are aware of what phishing scams are, and are cautious when reading and responding to suspicious emails. Always err on the side of caution. Instead of clicking a link, open another browser window and go to the official website.
- Never give out company financial information such as bank routing numbers to an inquiry made via email. Your bank does not need you to confirm your account information…they already have that. An email like that even if it has your bank’s logo is a fake. Make it a habit to check your accounts regularly for suspicious charges and withdrawals.
- Make sure every computer used has up-to-date virus and malware protection. Schedule regular full system scans. Never download “anti-virus” software from an unknown entity. It’s better to stick with trusted brands.
The APWG keeps statistics on phishing scams and offers lots of information on protecting your business. Phishing is almost impossible for law enforcement to stop. The best defense is to educate yourself and your employees on how to identify phishing scams and stay up to date on the latest information.
Trends in business change every day. One trend that seems to be gaining momentum is telecommuting, but is it a trend at all? There are a lot of opinions around whether telecommuting is good for business or not. Some of the questions raised are, “Will it make employees more productive? Will they be happier, lonelier, more connected or less? What are the benefits to the company?” These are all factors when deciding if telecommuting is a good fit for your company’s culture.
There are some great benefits to telecommuting. We’ve given you several pros and cons to consider below:
Pros
- As people aren’t wasting time and money commuting they often work longer hours.
- Telecommuting employees are generally less stressed.
- Telecommuters can adjust their working hours around their lives and the hours they are most productive – even if that is at three a.m.
- Telecommuting is fantastic for those who do not thrive in the typical structured nine-to-five work environment.
- Telecommuting encourages self-reliance and problem solving, and develops time management skills.
- Employers can hire highly skilled individuals without having to pay for moving costs.
- Telecommuting can save the employee and employer money.
Cons – of course, there’s a flip side to every coin
- Telecommuting can lead to burnout and resentment of the company if they work too much.
- A lack of socialization for individuals who crave social interaction may result in depression and loneliness.
- Telecommuting can result in a reduction in motivation, as there is not a physical tie to the rest of the team.
- Telecommuting can lead to a break down in communication due to distance.
- Setting up a home office effectively can take more time than setting up in-office.
For both manager and employee, successful telecommuting takes strong communication, time management skills, and clarity of job responsibilities. We are seeing more and more people desiring an independent working environment. But in the end, whether telecommuting will work or not, depend on the company’s culture and the employees’ mindset. Tell us what you think; will telecommuting be the way most businesses are organized in the future or will it fade out?
Does it appear like there are only two major gadgets to give this holiday season: either a smartphone or a tablet? We’re bombarded everyday with a new contender, be it the Samsung Galaxy II smartphone or Kindle Fire tablet. But, of course, there are thousands of other tech gadgets that can make that geeky friend on your list happy for a fraction of the cost. Without diving into every tech website out there, here are just a few to get your mind going in a different direction, be it for a more eco-conscious or just a more economical tech-geek gift.
Gadgets make great gifts – whether they’re practical or not
From the 40-in-1 Swiss Army Knife to the 6-in-1 key-chain, chances are the receiver will find a use for it some day. Gadgets are especially good for that tech geek friend or relative in your life. So, no matter if it’s the Starship Enterprise pizza cutter or crocheted headphones, odds are your gift will be a hit.
Gadgets for the hard-to-shop-for individual
Much depends upon their tech savvy-ness, of course. But you might want to ask a quick question first: do they care about the earth? For those individuals who do, plenty of eco-friendly devices are available, from hand-powered paper shredders to solar-powered tiki torches. It depends on how much you’re willing to spend on the recipient, but the options are many.
Tablet or smartphone owners
For those who already own a smartphone and tablet, there are some terrific accessories to brighten their day, from iPhone “wallet cases” to iPad docking stations. As most tablets and smartphones don’t have separate keyboards, here are two accessory ideas, one for the iPad, one for the iPhone. These gadgets will have an immediate impact on the user’s experience!
The best part about gadgets and the reason they’re continuously sought after is that they’re always at hand. Gadgets, simply put, make our lives easier. However, you might not think that there are more gift items out there besides phones or tablets, hopefully we’ve expanded your view to incorporate some that are under the radar!
While many shoppers won’t be battling the crowds this year by purchasing all of their gifts online, many more will be in line waiting for the doors to open. Armed with their smartphones and tablets, customers will be using apps which offer up great gift ideas, methods to comparison-shop, as well as opportunities to buy online while in the store. So, for those of us who fearlessly venture out to the mega-mall, take a look at a few ways technology will impact how we’re shopping this holiday season.
Mobile Apps
Perhaps the newest trend is the availability of apps on smartphones and tablets that are especially created to make your holiday shopping smoother. One permits you to scan a barcode to see if it’s the best deal while another allows you to take a picture of the product and it provides you with comparison prices. One app even lets you beat other customers to the punch by locating the aisle holding that sought after gift.
Smartphone Marketing
One major trend this season is in the strategies taken by marketers to catch us even when we’re not tied to our computers. Smartphone marketing could have a big effect on purchasing, as online retailers hope to strategically time their messages to effectively ambush customers while standing in line. One such marketer, for example, is providing mobile-only deals at 6am, which might sway the would-be shopper from waiting in the cold altogether.
Economical Technology Trends
Not only will we be using technology to make our shopping lives simpler, but we will also be on the lookout for the next big advancement. The trend in technology itself is seen in the battle of the tablets—at half the cost, the Kindle Fire is posing a threat to iPad’s dominance, and a new iPhone competitor seems to be entering the market every day. For good reason: the consumer is wary of the economy, will most likely spend less this year, and will be looking for both bargains and value.
Of course not all of us will be camped out in front of our computers making our holiday purchases this year. Many will have their smartphones and tablets at the ready to do battle against shop and shopper alike. But as technology gives us greater freedom as consumers to purchase wisely, we must also acknowledge the way the tech itself is in that constant battle for our hard earned cash. And, in this economy, the machines, gadgets and gizmos that offer the most value, will be the ones to beat.
The Intel 4004 was the first CPU on a single chip and also the first available to the commercial market. This week it celebrated it’s 40th birthday! We would like to say thank you to the microprocessor that grandfathered the CPUs we have today. A CPU is the brain of a computer. Known as the central processing unit, every piece of information in or out of a computer goes though the CPU. Just imagine what the Intel 4004, a tiny yet powerful CPU, did for the computing world in 1971. CPUs have come a long way since then, but they remain a huge part of our everyday lives.
Created as the processor for a calculator, the Intel 4004 quickly became the brain of countless other devices. Though CPUs today are exceedingly more powerful than their ancestor, our world would look considerably different if it wasn’t for the Intel 4004’s influence. Everyday devices such as traffic lights, laptops, and cellphones would not exist without a CPU. The Intel 4004 has had a tremendous impact on computer science leading us into the modern world. You can see the evolving role of the CPU in technology here.
We can’t say happy birthday to the Intel 4004 without talking about the engineers responsible for its development. Federico Faggin led the planning and development of the Intel 4004 with Ted Hoff, and Stan Mazor. In this ever-changing world of technology we can lose sight of its humble origins. The Intel 4004 was no small player in this.
So lets take a minute to reflect on how significant the CPU that grandfathered computer science has been.
There will come a time when you need assistance from your IT provider. They are busy people, and work very hard. When asking them for help, be as specific as you possibly can; they aren’t mind readers, after all! Here are some additional tips to help you have a positive experience when dealing with IT pros.
Write an Informative Email Subject Line
Your company’s IT provider deals with hundreds of requests a day. Their greatest frustrations come when the requester does not give enough valuable information. When you send them an email, you should first identify yourself, and tell them where you work. If your computer is having problems, identify your machine by make and model. Give them as much detail as possible. Simply saying “Help!!!!!!!!” in the request is far from helpful.
Details, Details, Details
In the body of your email, be sure to include as much information as possible, i.e. what OS you are running, what actions you took, and what error messages you see. Error messages may not mean anything to people outside of the IT world, but they can offer a lot of insight into what’s happening with your machine. Also, don’t be vague and say, “followed recommended procedure,” as the person receiving your email may not understand what that is. Instead, explain the exact steps you took.
Be Frank
You want your issue resolved fast and so does your IT support team! They are as busy as you are, so when outlining your issue, focus on the issue at hand and avoid including too much nonessential detail. Simply record the basic issue and send the message; if you include too much unnecessary detail, it lengthens the process and takes that much longer before tech support can resolve your issue.
In the end, you are all busy people and your IT services provider wants to help you quickly and efficiently. Help them do so by following the tips above!
The face of business has turned online the past few years. There used to be less competition for business and getting your name out was straightforward, hire an ad agency or go door to door introducing your business. Now the number of business that offer similar goods and services is staggering and it’s easy to get lost amongst them. Because of this, small-business owners have had to reevaluate how they sell. But how do you convice prospective customers that they should choose you out of the many. Developing a strong online presence is a proactive way to do this, below are a few options open to businesses today.
Becoming Mobile
Mobile devices are hardly rare now-a-days, people carry them to make their lives easier by staying connected to their business and personal life when they are on the go. Because of this many small-business owners choose to create mobile sites. These sites retain the branding that the company wants but allows for faster, easier navigation on a mobile device. Creating a mobile site makes your company more accessible to consumers.
Social Sites
These are an interesting phenomena, originally they were intended as sites primarily for personal socializing. But when Facebook came out, their clean utilitarian site enticed businesses owners. Those individuals realized they could reach a wide audience by developing a social face for their business. Now nearly every business has a Facebook page. Social sites give companies a platform to share interesting and fun content that is relevant to their industry with consumers. Creating this on-line community is a passive way to create sales. You may have heard about Google , they have recently unveiled their business pages. Read this walk-though to learn how you can create a Google business page. Social sites are a nonintrusive way to connect to a large audience that I predicted the relationship between businesses and social sites a long and fruitful one.
On-line Education
Offering educational content is an excellent way to reach an audience and stand out from your competitors. This can be done with blogs and webinars. On-line education shows your prospective clients that you’re knowledgeable and sets you up as a thought leader in your industry. Developing trust in this way can lead to sales down the road as consumers will be visiting your blog for interesting and educational information and think of you when they need a service you provide.
While the on-line business community is growing we can still visit local shop where the owner works behind the counter but more then likely that business has some kind of on-line presence. Business are not just street facing anymore but Web facing as well. Being conscious of the changing face of business and open to it will make you a more informed business owner and/or consumer. Here is another article about why creating an on-line presence is good business practice.
At the end of October, the PhotoPlus Expo was held in New York City. At the expo, hundreds of people demonstrated their technological advances in photography, including new types of cameras, lenses, printers, clothing, gear, and many others. The range of items appealed to both professionals and hobbyists alike, albeit most came with extremely high prices. Here are three amazing inventions that were seen at the PhotoPlus Expo. Check out a more complete list here to see an even more detailed look.
Sony DEV-3 and DEV-5 3D Binoculars
The Sony DEV-3 and DEV-5 3D Binoculars are like a gizmo straight out of the last blockbuster sci-fi movie! The videos and photographs shot from these binoculars products are astounding. Only the more complex model, the DEV-5, was on display. This multimedia camera boasts several amazing features including 3D binoculars, a 7-megapixel camera, and a 1080i video recorder. Ranging between $1400 – $2000, the DEV-3 and DEV-5 cost a pretty penny. However, if you are shopping for a superior quality, multifunctional digital camera, these binoculars may be a great choice.
Joby, the makers of the popular bendy Gorillapod tripods, debuted their latest tripod, the Gorillapod Micro. This mini-tripod with uncharacteristically rigid legs easily folda under your camera won’t add too much weight or volume. Its compact design makes it extremely easy to take with you anywhere. It’s available in different sizes to suit your specifications and is ideal for an impromptu self-portrait with the perfect sunset as backdrop.
Here’s a 24-inch display perfect for professional photographers and designers alike. However, for the more “well-off” hobbyist who aims to create exacting edits to pictures and designs, it may be worth the price tag. The Wacom Cintiq 24HD Display retails for around $2,600. Still, they’re in such high demand, that they’re fairly difficult to come by. The display is known for its impressive responsiveness and exacting detail, perfect for anyone working in 3D design, animation, game development, industrial design and visual effects who is no longer willing to compromise when it comes to image quality.
The recent PhotoPlus Exposition was aimed primarily to professional photographers, artists and designers. As a novice or hobbyist, however, it’s always good to keep up with cutting-edge technologies. Here we could only list a few of the hundreds of impressive items like state-of-the-art jackets, lighting, camera bags and gear. Be sure to have a look at other articles about the Expo, as well as reviews on many of the other products on display.
You likely have read a lot about the world becoming increasingly connected. We don’t only mean with people but within our own lives as well. Having our devices more connected makes life easier. Device connectivity can keep you from interrupting your work, for example, by transferring a document you are working on at home to your smartphone you can work on it during your commute using a voice transcription app. Microsoft has an interesting take on the future of connectivity, click here to see a video of their vision. This may not be very far off and it begs the question: what apps, devices, or combination of the two will help build a future such as this? Here are a few that I have found.
Comcast recently unveiled its home energy management and surveillance product called iControl. This impressive product permits people to adjust the temperature of their homes, turn lights off and on, and watch their homes through video. iControl software plus Comcast broadband along with additional hardware and apps allow customers to have full control over their home environments.
This app for the iPad allows you to use your iPad or iPhone as an external hard drive for your computer. Having the ability to effortlessly access and transfer your documents allows for more mobility in your workday.
Apple’s AirPlay app allows you to wirelessly stream music, videos, and photos to Apple TV. Imagine listening to a podcast or audio book on your run then walking into the house and seamlessly transferring it to your home system so that you can finish listening to. This kind of connectivity isn’t just for work but also for play.
I see a future filled with gadgets, apps, and software that work harmoniously to make our day-to-day lives flow effortlessly. Connectivity does not just mean that we are connected to the rest of the world but that all elements of our lives are connected together so that our technology can execute tasks one step ahead of us. If this means less waiting, I’m all for it…are you?
In 1985’s Back to the Future, we travel through time with Marty McFly in a nuclear-powered DeLorean. Marty is able to do what man has wished to do since the beginning of time: control his destiny. In the first movie, Marty goes back to the past in order to save his parent’s marriage, and consequently his existence. In the lesser first sequel, Marty travels into the future to modify the paths of his children. While these films are obviously fantastic, they do present an intriguing question. In the year 2011, would we consider ourselves to be closer to the technology found in Hill Valley in 1955, or the second film’s futuristic vision?
Certainly there would be flying cars and hover boards by 2011, wouldn’t there? But we still have our feet firmly on the ground, riding bicycles, skateboards, scooters and driving gas-powered cars. As we look around us, the computer is the obvious distinction between the present and the past. Yet, if we take a step back, so much of the technology we employ everyday has existed for decades. The television was invented in the 1930s, cars had air conditioning and radios by 1940, and films were in color. If you’ve seen The Wizard of Oz recently, the special effects are still pretty good — and they’re 80 years old.
Science-Fiction movies made decades ago have influenced and even prophesied many of the tools and machines we use today. In Total Recall, Arnold is caught bringing a gun through a full-body x-ray screener, very much like the security measures present in airports today. Tom Cruise, in Minority Report uses tech very familiar to anyone who’s ever used a touch-screen tablet or seen 3D TV. In Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Pan Am flies everyday people into space. Anyone who has $200,000 lying around can board Richard Branson’s similar airship.
Today we can communicate with Jetson-like videophones, communicate with the other side found on earth on your personal computer for hours – for free. We have such science-fiction movie staples as cloning, genetic engineering, laser surgery and more. Yet are we closer to 1950’s tech or the science fiction dreams of the 2050s? In the mental picture so many of us had about the 21st century, we’re no closer to flying our car to work as Dorothy was to finding her way back to Kansas when she first landed in Oz.
In many ways, the future is now: Video billboards, the internet following us wherever we go, mining data to learn how to relieve us of our advertising dollars. We have 3D televisions and binoculars. We can still go out to the movies, but it might very well cost you over $50 for a family of 4. Yet here is where the more things change, the more they do stay the same: Chevy is still making fuel-burning convertibles, Universal is still cranking out movies, and you can still watch Back to the Future. Only now you can enjoy it any time you want, anywhere you want – on your phone.
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