One of the top cyber crimes, and the most lucrative, are phishing scams.  Large corporations such as Sony have been jeopardized and accounts of these types of cyber crimes are being reported at a high rate.  Phishing scams are just as dangerous to small business owners as they are to large corporations.

Over 300,000 complaints were filed in 2010 to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the National White Collar Crime Center and the FBI.  These grievances were from small businesses and individuals wronged by online phishing scams and numerous other Internet related crimes.

Let’s look at what phishing really is, so that you can gain a greater awareness of why your small businesses may be targeted by a cyber criminal.

What is phishing?

Phishing is a serious problem, but the term can be a bit unclear. It is the act of illegally trying to obtain private information such as passwords, credit card account numbers, banking account information, usernames, or social security numbers.  Phishing is accomplished by creating fake logos, email addresses, authentic looking official websites, and phone numbers.  Victims are then under the illusion that it is official business and are compelled to give out their personal data, which in turn can be used to steal their identity.  Small businesses often suffer from phishing, as the goal is to gain access to their customer’s private information such as credit card account numbers.

Examples of small business phishing scams

Thousands of small business owners have been sent emails by an entity using incredibly authentic IRS-looking letters stating that W-4 forms or other additional forms must be filled out and returned via fax.  This frightened many owners into believing they would be audited or penalized by the IRS for not handling the issue immediately. Unfortunately, they were fraudulent emails and these companies were tricked out of their private information.

At the official website, IRS.gov, the IRS states that it will not contact companies through email first.
Beware and use caution before clicking 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 particular person 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

Phone phishing refers to deceitful phone calls where thieves posture as banks and request the victim to “verify” account numbers over the phone in order to steal confidential information.

How to protect your business against phishing

Visiting the Anti-Phishing Work Group will give you wise advice to shield your business against phishing scams and gives you valuable information on how to avoid becoming a victim. Some of their advice follows, such as:

• 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 safe guarding 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.

In the age of connectivity, the rules of etiquette have either gotten more complicated or have been thrown out all together. In social situations these days, you are often flooded with phone calls, texts, emails, updates from Twitter, Facebook, or other numerous other social media feeds. It may seem like good sense to turn off your cell phone or perhaps silence it in social settings, but some people don’t realize that they aren’t giving you their full attention when they say the alert from their phone will “only take a second.” Here are a few examples of connectivity faux pas and tips to avoid making them.

Phones at the Dinner Table – Just as you would not turn your back to someone you are talking with, texting or answering your phone at the table is not very polite.

Tips to Avoid this:

• Excuse yourself from the table if you need to take an urgent call.
• If you know you will be distracted and curious if your phone alerts you of a text, take a preventive step and turn it off.
• For dinners lasting longer than an hour, you could suggest the table take a “cell phone break” for those who need or want to check their emails or messages.

Loud Phone Calls in Public Places – No one wants to hear the ins and outs of a stranger’s relationship.
While you may not realize how loudly you are speaking or how quiet the environment around you is, you can be certain the people around you do.

Tips to Avoid this:

• Silence your phone and do not answer it
• If you need to answer the call, step away to a secluded area to take it and tell the caller that their call is important and you will call them back in x amount of minutes.
• If you must take the phone call and you are waiting in line, ask the person behind you to hold your spot and quickly go take your call.

Becoming Overly Dependent on Digital Communication – Email is a popular method to communicate but making it the only way people can get a hold of you will make you too dependent on your device. This can lead to disconnection and distraction in face-to-face social situations.

Tips to Avoid this:

• Make the most of face-to-face communications.
• Make your phone to be the best way to get a hold of you over email or texting.
• Resist the urge to respond to email immediately, wait to check it after you leave your social engagement.

It’s up to us to be aware and recognize when we are invading other‘s space or ignoring our companions because we are too connected. Hopefully following a few of these etiquette rules will help us make the most of face-to-face communications that are happening less often in this age of connectivity. Can you think of other social faux pas that occur due to digital communication? If so, let us know!

Smartphones, tablets and laptops are traditionally considered connected devices, because each device connects to and interacts with the Internet. However, HDTVs, Blu-ray players and gaming consoles are also connected devices, as a high percentage of their functionality performs on the Internet. Each of these gadgets offers a means of communicating and consuming content.

    Where information was previously compiled manually, it can now be accessed remotely. Content consumption, in turn, is changing, because the avenues in which that content can be found are evolving. With an increase in connectivity, finding specific information is as easy as performing a Google search. So, how does increased connectedness change the way we consume content?

Faster Access of Information

    Finding information is almost instantaneous, and can be done from a wide variety of locations. You don’t no longer need to be tied down to a hardwired computer; content can be accessed through your phone or tablet via WiFi or 3G. Now, researching and accessing content is a process that only consumes a few moments. The speed at which we now consume content is greater than it has ever been because locating that information takes almost no time at all.

Faster Generation of Information

    The connectedness that exists between devices is one that goes both ways.
While content is easy to find, it is also easy to generate. You can upload a video to YouTube, post a blog on WordPress or update your status on Facebook, all from a connected device. The speed in which content can be generated is astounding, as millions of gigabytes of information are uploaded to the Internet every day.

High Rate of Communication 

    Connected devices allow for content to be passed along at an extremely high rate. A notification on a smartphone can trigger an n email to a tablet user, which triggers to a post to Facebook that is then reposted by a fan or follower and so on. This phenomenon is called “going viral” and is the process by which content is communicated to a large audience over a short period of time.  Thanks to connected devices, information has the ability to travel and travel quickly.

    Our increased connectivity has changed the way we consume content. The main difference, if you hadn’t already guessed, is speed. Like most technological advancements, it’s difficult to determine the value of this change. Information can be gathered, created and shared faster than ever before. How we choose to use that information is entirely up to us.

You may have noticed some issues with choosing pseudonyms if you were an early user of Google .  Social media sites have, traditionally, allowed users to create accounts with artificial names.
Google’s decision to remove anonymity has had made some users upset. One of the great things about the Internet is that it allows anyone the ability to be anonymous. However, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of free anonymity in an age where more and more social interactions are taking place online.

Pros

    Most account-based websites don’t require users to provide their real name or even utilize effective methods of verifying identity. This practice makes it quite simple to assume multiple personalities on the web. There is a layer of safety in this for many users who might be endangered if they were to reveal their full identity. Consider those who have been victims of stalking or spousal abuse. The ability to act anonymously on the Internet allows users to lower their accessibility and therefore decrease their vulnerability. There are instances in which anonymity on the Internet is a necessity.

Cons

    Most Internet based problems begin with the abuse of anonymity. Spam, social media spam and profile hacks start with the creation of a fake Internet identity. While there are ways of tracking down the true identity of users with methods such as IP tracing, most users don’t have the time or resources to do such extensive background checks. Internet bullying, stalking and thievery are all products of free anonymity.

    Is Google on the right track with disavowing Internet anonymity? The fact is, the moral value of using pseudonyms is based on personal responsibility. When deciding your stance on the issue, first consider how you use it.

At it’s 2011 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple unveiled it’s latest operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, boasting 200 new features.

Developers got their version of iOS 5 recently, with customers receiving the update this fall.

Though not every predicted feature came to pass, the update includes long-rumored additions like a better notifications system and wireless software updates. Some of the new features are cool, and a few were a long time in coming, but the update remains incremental when compared with previous iOS updates. That’s not to say that the additions aren’t useful, but most are relatively small.

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High-quality imagery can transform sales presentations, add polish to websites and put extra oomph in marketing campaigns. To get the most from your images, you must first know your file formats. If you don’t know a .jpg from a .png, then  click here to read more.