Dirkmonster

Five tips to get cyber-street smart

A generation ago it took street smarts to avoid being victimized by scam artists.  Today "web sense" is a necessary trait to steer clear of online traps that can result in consequences that range from annoying to devastating. 

As legitimate businesses follow the web's latest channels to grow sales, so are unscrupulous characters looking to wreak havoc for various purposes.  There is actually a cyber war underway that threatens our national security.  So there are threats on a global scale.  But for personal computing, following a few simple guidelines will keep you safe from almost all the trouble.

The topic came to mind this week as I established a Skype account in order to talk with business associates north of the border.  Unlike millions of users who have discovered this almost too good to be true web application, I was new, and unfamiliar with what to expect.  And sure enough, before I got completely oriented, I was spammed through Skype with what I concluded was a potentially dangerous invitation.  The message was essentially a spoof of my virus protection application and claimed it had detected a vulnerability in my computer's registry.  It asked me to click on a link and download a patch to solve the problem.  The message was in the form of a warning that suggested that unless I took immediate action, I was at risk.  Of course, the exact opposite is likely the truth.  I'll never know what I would have gotten into if I had fallen for it and downloaded some malware on my computer.

And over the last few weeks, I've seen a number of my friends' Twitter and Facebook accounts get hacked and received messages that probably contained viruses.  Anyone seen this lately on Twitter:

haha. This you??? http://...

Tip 1: You may recognize the person that sent you this, but the link is a trap. Even if you recognize the sender, if you're not expecting the link in the message, better safe than sorry.  Confirm with the sender, if you know him, that the message is legitimate.  As a rule, I don't click on links or download files unless I know the person and am expecting the link or attachment.  Too bad, that leaves me out of the fun of all those forwarded pictures but if I'm really interested, I can send a separate email back to the person and confirm it was a legitimate message.

Tip 2: No brainer: Maintain a well established and respected virus, firewall and spyware protection program on ALL computers.  I use McAfee.  Many homes today have several computers on a home network.  If all the machines are not protected, the risk is that problems that will get in through the weakest point.

Tip 3: Speaking of home networks, make sure the security and encryption is enabled so that no one and no machine can gain access.  If your network is not locked down, you're at risk of everything from stolen computer files to being spied upon through that web cam attached to your laptop.

Tip 4: Use strong passwords and change them regularly.  This one is a pain for me, but a necessary pain.  Passwords should be at least 8 characters and contain a number and a special character.  Changing the passwords regularly may keep you a step ahead of those trying to compromise your various accounts across the web.

Tip 5: Be aware that threats are coming from additional sources now.  In addition to the threat of picking up spyware from a site you visit or contracting a virus through email, scammers are now all over social networks.  You can get victimized just as easily now through Twitter, Facebook, Instant Messages or even SMS messages to your mobile device.

Tip 6: Stay apprised of the latest.  The bad guys are always trying new and different ways to trip you up.  But there are good guys out there that are just as smart.  I stay up to date on the latest threats through RSS feeds from reputable sources such as Mashable or CNET.  Your virus protection software should maintain a comprehensive threat center.  For more information, the US government has the US-CERT.

Perhaps the most unfortunate casualty of a worldwide web full of traps and scams is our trust. Like most of our cities and towns, the web is not a place to leave the front door unlocked or pick up hitch hikers. But with cyber-street smarts, you'll trust less but need not be afraid.

Top 10 things to do while Gmail is down

Gmail, and possibly some other Google systems are going through a major outage today.

Here are some things to do in the meantime to keep from melting yourself from melting down as well:

1. Pause your Google AdWords campaigns until this blows over.  Who knows how far reaching the Google problems are.
2. Think about how much you depend on the cloud for your everyday life.  What analog back-ups do you have in place?
3. Consider this another stepping stone on Google's path back down to earth.  No web entity stays on top.
4. Commiserate with all the other victims on Twitter.
5. Get ready for your Fantasy Football draft!
6. Call an elder and ask them how they survived without Google all those years ago.  There are some tips for living to be had.
7. Know that you have to think faster next time: Gmailisdown.com was registered today by Nick McIntyre of San Bruno CA.
8. Actually get some work done.
9. Write a letter and mail it.  This is the best thing to happen to the USPS.
10. Buy an affordable tech stock that you think will be the next Google.

Other suggestions welcome.

Google may finally be in for a fight

Two things happened this week that I believe signal the biggest challenge Google has faced since becoming the dominant player in search:

Today, Yahoo and Microsoft announced a 10 year partnership that combines their forces for a direct assault on Google.  Microsoft's new Bing search technology will power Yahoo's search, and Yahoo will lead the advertising charge.  For a more detailed explanation, click here.

Yes, Bing is new and I think it represents a shift in search.  But the real shift in search is coming from Twitter, which unveiled it's new homepage this week.  It looks a lot like Google and it's all about search.  While Twitter grew on a commonly held feeling that it was a social networking/micro-blogging phenomena, it turns out that the real power of twitter may be in search.

Although a recent study purports to show most Americans aren't even aware of Twitter yet, it is well on its way.  Twitter claims millions of unique visitors a month and the average Twitter user has 126 followers.  I shudder to think what it will be like if in fact it is still widely unknown!

It's Twitter's search functionality and unique real time results that should concern Google.  There are enough users Tweeting on enough topics so that one can getup to the second results on almost any query.  Furthermore, these results are not filtered through an algorithm.  The results come from what our peers have to say on the topic. Perform your next search on Google and then on Twitter and you'll see what I mean.  Can you say "paradigm shift"?

The advertising piece of Twitter is still missing, and that fact may be at the root of it's egalitarian growth curve.  But have no doubt, Twitter or someone that buys them (betting Google is thinking about it) will cash in soon.

The new search wars are underway!

Top 10 ways to stop worrying yourself over Facebook's Terms of Service

I imagine Facebook would be happy to refund the money you paid to be a member if you don't like their Terms of Service.  Of course, that's the point.  I didn't pay a cent and Facebook is a business.

Here are 10 tips to follow if you don't want to care about Facebook's Terms of Service:

1. Don't write a great novel on your friend's wall.  Wait, that's actually a cool idea.
2. If you're Annie Leibovitz, don't upload your photos of the Queen to your profile.
3. Don't friend "Big Brother".
4. Avoid discussing anything more sensitive than what you had for lunch in the chat application.
5. Don't file your taxes through Facebook.
6. Consider whether you really will use the "sign over my first born" social application.  It's fun to think about, but will get you in trouble in the end.
7. Click your heels together and say three times, "There's no place like Facebook."
8. Remember that ignorance is bliss.
9. Get over yourself.
10. Ignore the cause.

Facebook, I have no idea what your terms of service say and I like it that way.

How not to get an infected computer when you wanted a dozen roses

It's a Valentine's Day version of a computer virus that's been around the Internet before.  What changes is the spam email that links the victim to the virus.  In this case, it's a Valentine's Day themed email.

Are you worried about your vulnerability of getting infected with a computer virus? Here are 6 tips that will keep these harmful viruses from infecting your machine:

1. Install virus protection software from McAfee, Norton or Microsoft.  Yes, there are others that work just as well.  But those software giants listed above have proven products for users who don't care to know a whole lot.
    

2. Keep your virus protection updated.  That means either setting the software to update it's list of known viruses automatically, or consistently updating it yourself when it tells you it's time.

3. Secure your home computer.  Especially if you run a WiFi network at home, it should be locked down so no one other than those you allow are able to access the Internet (or your computer!) through your home network.

4. Watch out for attachments that end in ".exe"  Such attachments are software programs! I would never open a .exe attachement sent to me in an email.  It does not matter who sent it to me.

5. Don't click on a link in any email that is not from a trusted source.  Trusted sources are people or businesses that you are used to receiving email from.  If you did not excpect to receive a particular message, don't recognize the sender, and it asks you to click on a link...do not do it!

6. Use an Apple instead of a PC.  I hate to say it, but Apples are far less susceptible to viruses than are Windows machines.

Any other common sense tips to avoid getting infected with a computer virus?  Please leave them in the comments section.

President Obama - upgrade your Blackberry

Reports from Washington indicate President Obama is using a Blackberry 8830.  If I were him, I would see if his wireless providor is offering an upgrade - perhaps to the Blackberry Bold (which I carry).  But then again, if the POTUS is happy with what he's got, then save the capital he'll need to spend for something like that for something cool like this.

It's well established that Obama broke new ground in using the Internet to get elected and also for Presidential communication.  President Clinton sent only one or two emails his entire Presidency.  Not much more from W.  But President Obama carries a Blackberry like the rest of us.  I think that's kind of cool.

More adults than kids on social networking sites

There are more people on the planet 18 and older than there are under 18, so it stands to reason that by sheer population there are more adults than kids on social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace.

Click here to learn more interesting factoids about who's got a profile and collecting friends on-line.

One thing that did surprise me is that MySpace is still the #1 social networking site.  I have the impression that Facebook outflanked MySpace after Myspace sold to Fox.  I still have a Myspace profile, I suppose, but haven't logged in in over a year.  By contrast, I'm on Facebook every day.  That makes me one of the 30%of online adults 35-44 who have a profile on a social networking site.

Facebook has captured my attention in the last year.  It's also captured the attention of my 65 year old father in South Africa and my beautiful aunt in her 70's in South Bend (She doesn't look a day over 50, by the way).  They both seem to enjoy the ease of which they can (virtually) run into their family daily, no matter how far away they are.  The same survey cited above says 10 percent of online adults 65 and older have profiles on a social networking site.

I'd like to get your comments on this post about your experience with MySpace vs. Facebook. Do you use one or the other? Both? Neither?  Do you have any stories about someone who you are friends with that you never expected to have be on one of these sites?

The Commodore 64 generation

Yeah, I'll admit I found this post on engadget cool.  And, yeah, I already knew I was a nerd :)

Graves Matters

Click over and see my friend Jay's new place on the net at http://www.jaygraves.info/

He's done some stuff that I don't really understand, but I'm sure someone thinks is cool.

http://www.jaygraves.info is hosted on TextDrive and I have complete and unfettered access to the OS. This is likely good for no one but I am going to give it a try!

This I do understand...and I'm guilty as charged.  The thought that ANYONE would drive up my street and sit there doing something nasty on my WAN is silly to me.  Now, I'm not sure it rises to the level of "safety alert" unless this "wardriving" runs over my dog or something like that.

Geeked out at Breakfast!

I had the awesome privilege this morning of having breakfast at Noshville with Rex Hammock along with my boss Jay Graves.  Jay has business connections going back aways with Rex and I got inspired after seeing Rex and others talk about blogging for business early this year.

We spent well over an hour talking about dot-com history and web 2.0 future. Mainly, all of us are interested in how web 2.0 applications will impact business and marketing in the not too distant future tomorrow.

Rex tipped me off to some interesting ways in which he's managing e-mail traffic at his office.  Why not use a Wiki application to post "water-cooler worthy" content rather than have it filling up your in-box (unless you want it to!)?  And I found that if you know Google and your name is Hammock, you might consider an additional line of business.

After seeing Rex, Brittney and Nick Bradbury at an NTC event in January I really got interested in blogging. That led me to wikis, RSS, frappr, flickr, feedburner, Typepad, MySpace, LinkedIn, Nashvilleistalking, Micropersuasion, Naked Conversations, iTunes and YouTube...and I could go on and on.  I'm authoring a blog for my business, on my church, and for the 24 page views per day that my personal life draws.  I'm bought in - and excited finally to be (almost) on the front end of an unstoppable business movement.

Thanks to Jay and Rex for getting my Friday off to a fascinating start.