watchamakalit: Online Safety Scores Aren’t Getting Any Better

watchamakalit: Online Safety Scores Aren’t Getting Any Better: Despite being aware of numerous risks thanks to ( online security leaders ) like Trust Guard , the Microsoft Computing Safety Index (M...

Online Safety Scores Aren’t Getting Any Better

Despite being aware of numerous risks thanks to (online security leaders) like Trust Guard, the Microsoft Computing Safety Index (MCSI) shows that most people are not doing much to improve the safety of their online PC or mobile device habits.

You know to keep your firewall on at all times on your laptop or desktop and to keep your antivirus and antispyware software updated, to run them and to keep automatic updates on. On your mobile device, these basics are similar, such as running a mobile anti-virus, installing software updates immediately upon release, and using a PIN or password to lock your device. If someone quizzed you on these online safety basics, then you should score a perfect 100. Right?

According to the second annual MCSI, more than 10,000 PC, smartphone and tablet users in the United States scored an average of 36. Want to take the test, to prove your knowledge of online safety and security is better than average? Click here: https://survey2.securestudies.com/wix/p122560761.aspx

Overall, the global MCSI score indicates that "despite greater awareness of risks and increased focus on privacy, consumers have maintained the same online safety habits and still have room to improve their proactive, protective measures."

The MCSI global mobile safety score was slightly better than the USA’s score, at 40. Still, in any school I’ve ever attended, 40% is failing. Like the PC online safety assessment, the mobile survey included three tiers of activity: foundational, technical and behavioral basics. On mobile devices, the technical tools include turning off location tracking, selectively sharing information, reviewing social media location and privacy settings, not using open Wi-Fi connections for mobile, and downloading apps only from trusted sources. Behavioral safety to combat socially engineered risks include being social savvy and selective about who you text, what you text and to whom you give out your personal phone number, physically not leaving your mobile device where someone could compromise it, and avoid clicking on "dubious links or ads."

The U.S. scored 39 on the Microsoft Mobile Safety Index. The highest MMSI totals were Indonesia with 48.7, Mexico with 48.1, Brazil with 45.3, Turkey with 44.9, and Belgium with 44.6. Japan, Korea and Spain are the least vigilant about mobile device security. Not one country averaged a score of 50 on either PC or mobile online safety.

Unfortunately, Trust Guard has found that what really drives people to action is for something really bad happening to them – like getting hacked or getting their identity stolen.

What is mind-boggling is that consumer concerns about the online risks they are facing are a little bit contradictory to their actions when it comes to online safety. 55% say there are encountering these multiple risks, but what are they really doing on a proactive basis to take the necessary precautionary steps? Oddly enough, it's only 16% that say they are taking the proactive steps needed to help protect themselves online.

Hopefully by next years survey, those who know better will protect themselves better and those who do not yet know will learn how to protect themselves from hackers and identity theft.

 

Much of the information found in this article came from this blog:  http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/13712

watchamakalit: Identify Thief – The Movie & Potentially Your Onli...

watchamakalit: Identify Thief – The Movie & Potentially Your Onli...: Identity Thief is a new comedy film is about a man who gets his identity stolen by a woman. In her first starring role in a feature c...

Identify Thief – The Movie & Potentially Your Online Reality

Identity Thief is a new comedy film is about a man who gets his identity stolen by a woman. In her first starring role in a feature comedy, Melissa McCarthy plays Diana, a resourceful, big-haired Florida woman who leads the good life while running up a huge tab under a fake identity. And she hits a jackpot with the assets of one Sandy Bigelow Patterson, a sober-minded Colorado family man.

The story is about as subtle as a Florida theme park. Finding his life in shambles and tracing the destruction to her door, Sandy heads south to drag Diana to justice.

My question is, unless it’s happening in a movie – and not in real life, what’s so funny about identity theft? Besides damaging your bank account, theft of one’s identity can also damage one’s reputation. Unfortunately, identity theft happens on a daily basis to unassuming victims all over the world.

Trust Guard, the leader in website security and verification, help secure websites so that the identity of online consumers remains protected and private. They provide Privacy Policy Verification seals that online shoppers can use to verify that the company will maintain all their information safe. They also provide Business Identity Verification seals that consumers can click on to see a certificate of the background check Trust Guard has performed on the company in question. 

Their Security Scans can detect vulnerabilities that hackers could use to access sites – giving business owners the awareness to resolve security issues before hackers have a chance to steal their customers’ personal identity and credit card information.

Although I haven’t seen the movie yet, it made a killing its first week out (more than $30 million) and I’m sure with Melissa McCarthy involved it’s got to be hilarious.  Real identity thieves, however, are not to be trifled with. That is why smart consumers do their shopping on sites that display Trust Guard’s privacy and business verification and security scanning seals. 

watchamakalit: Hackers Access Past Presidents’ Emails? Outrageous...

watchamakalit: Hackers Access Past Presidents’ Emails? Outrageous...: When reached by email about his father and brother getting hacked, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush called the hacking “outrageous....

Hackers Access Past Presidents’ Emails? Outrageous!

When reached by email about his father and brother getting hacked, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush called the hacking “outrageous.”

It looks like what website security companies have been telling us is true: even past presidents, without adequate protection, could potentially know what it feels like when hackers pry into our private lives and take whatever they want. A mysterious email hacker who goes by the online alias of “Guccifer” apparently accessed private photos and messages sent between members of the Bush family – including emails from both retired commanders in chief. 

The Smoking Gun website displayed photos it said came from the hacker, including one that purported to show the elder Bush during his recent stay in a Houston hospital where the 88 year-old spent almost two months undergoing treatment for complications from a bronchial infection.  Supposedly, the hacker gained access to the stolen material through the Bush’ family members and friends. 

The breach, which is being investigated by the Secret Service, illustrates how easily hackers can get into the private lives of even some of the most prominent and closely guarded political families. So if past presidents of the USA can have online information stolen from them, what does that say about our potential for getting hacked?

It says that we need to be safe. We need to have a quality computer security system and ensure that we visit sites that are safe. One way to tell is to look on websites for trust seals. These small images, created by a third-party verification company like Trust Guard, can inform consumers as to the legitimacy of the company that owns the website. 

The security seals can show whether or not the website is vulnerable to hackers or not based on the passing or failing of online scans that seek for holes that hackers use to access websites. If the site you’re on displays a security trust seal and its accompanying verification certificate, you can rest assured that the site you’re visiting is safe.

Thanks go out to Michael Graczyk from the Associated Press for much of the information found in this article.

               

watchamakalit: Five Proven Ways to Protect Yourself Online

watchamakalit: Five Proven Ways to Protect Yourself Online: You’ve got a couple of choices: Be like my 80 year-old mom and never go online or make sure you are safe when you are cruising arou...

Five Proven Ways to Protect Yourself Online

You’ve got a couple of choices: Be like my 80 year-old mom and never go online or make sure you are safe when you are cruising around on the World Wide Web. 

Should you choose the later, here are some suggestions to keep you safe online.

Use different passwords for every account. 
Of course it's easier just to remember one password, but when has taking the easy route ever gotten you anywhere? If the password and email address that you use for one account gets in the hands of the wrong person, they can start trying it on other sites and services. There are services out there that can securely save your passwords for you like Roboform. These programs allow you to use hundreds of extremely difficult-to-hack passwords through a simple one-click process.

Don't reveal too much on social networks. 
Often we provide enough information via social media profiles for hackers to figure out our passwords or answer those questions in the password reset tools. We recommend you be very careful about what information you share in your public profiles. Lock down your settings and don't friend everyone who connects with you – especially if you don’t know them.

                            

Protect your computer and browser. 
This one used to be the most obvious and probably still is. Make sure if you are using a Windows PC you are using an up-to-date anti-virus or spyware program. Whether you are a Mac or a PC user, make sure your operating system is up-to-date with the latest security patches. Which ever browser you choose, make sure that you are using the latest version.

Secure your wireless connection. 
Just as important as protecting your computer is protecting the way you get onto the Internet. Make sure you have protected your home or business wireless network with a password and you have changed the default network's name to something else. When connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, be safe about what information you are sending over it.

7. Shop only at safe sites. 
Make sure the site has a little padlock icon next to the address and it has an HTTPS address before putting in your credit card number. Then keep a close eye on your credit card bills for suspicious charges. In addition, make sure to look at the site and make an educated decision about its legitimacy. Respected companies like Trust Guard can provide consumers with business identification seals to find out more about each company. They also offer security scans to only businesses to keep their websites safe from hackers. Look for the Trust Guard seal to determine whether the website is safe to browse.

There are many more ways to stay safe online, like never opening links that you are not 100% sure where they came from. The key is to learn as much as you can about online safety – then be careful for nuances you might not have previously encountered. When in doubt, play it safe.

watchamakalit: Using Social Media to Market Your Book

watchamakalit: Using Social Media to Market Your Book: There are at least five things you can do to promote your book after you have written it and self published it. This article goes t...

Using Social Media to Market Your Book

There are at least five things you can do to promote your book after you have written it and self published it. This article goes through some of the ways to market your book in an efficient, profitable and productive manner.

Social Sites

There are the old standbys like Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon and Pinterest that you can use to help friends and family learn about the fact that you have conquered the task of becoming a published author. But there is also business networking sites like LinkedIn and Manta that could help as well. These sites allow you to contact people in ways that regular emailing cannot. 

Article Directory Sites

There are literally thousands of article directory sites and e-magazines like ezine.com that are more than willing to help you promote your new book with an article, testimonials from readers, as well as any research uncovered as a result of your book. This also includes bookmarking sites like Dropjack and Digg. Using companies like articlesandsubmissions.com to manually submit articles about your book to social media and article directory sites increases your chances for immediate recognition in the writing community.

Press Release Sites

There are hundreds of sites for which you can write keyword specific press releases. Outsourcing sites like Fiverr.com has vendors willing to send out the press release touting your new book to most of these sites for only $5.00 – and, although the submissions are automated, vendors usually provide a report as to which sites were profitable. 

Media Sites

 YouTube.com and Vimeo.com and dozens others are great ways to send your message out to the masses via video. You can record how you came up with the idea for the book, or you can release your findings from your research. You can give a quick ‘How to’ seminar based on information taught in your book or animate some of the scenes to promote it. Most everyone likes watching videos – so why not let them watch one about your book? 

Crowd funding Sites

Although relatively new, pledge portals otherwise known as crowd funding sites allow consumers to donate money to projects they believe in. After your book is finished, use sites like ThePledgePortal.com to invite your friends and family to donate so that you can adequately market your book offline to bookstores and online to publishers and retailers.