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Phishing
The number and sophistication of "phishing" scams sent out to consumers continues to grow."Phishing" is defined as an e-mail sent by a third party pretending to be from a legitimate company such as ProPay in an attempt to collect personal information (social security numbers and passwords) for use in fraudulent activity and identity theft. These e-mails typically try to deceive the customer by imitating the look and feel of the real company.
While e-commerce is generally very safe, you should be careful about giving out your personal and financial information over the Internet.
Propay has compiled a list of recommendations below that we hope will be helpful to you so that you don't become a victim of this type of scam:
Be suspicious of any email with urgent requests for personal financial information
Unless the email is digitally signed (an electronic signature that can be used to authenticate the identity of the sender of a message), you can't be sure it wasn't forged or 'spoofed'
Phishers typically include upsetting or exciting (but false) statements in their emails to get people to react immediately
They typically ask for information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc.
Phisher emails are NOT typically personalized, while valid messages from your bank or e-commerce company would be
Don't use the links in an email to get to any web page, if you suspect the message might not be authentic
Call the company on the telephone, or log onto the website directly by typing in the Web address in your browser
Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information
You should only communicate information such as credit card numbers or account information via a secure website or telephone
Always ensure that you're using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser
To ensure that you're on a secure Web server, check the beginning of the Web address in your browsers address bar - it should be "https://" rather than just "http://" or have a secure certificate seal.
- Regularly check your online accounts as well as bank, credit and debit card statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate
- Ensure that your browser is up to date and that all security patches are applied:
Microsoft Internet Explorer -- http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx
- Always report "phishing" or"spoofed" e-mails to the following groups:
Federal Trade Commission (send email to: spam@uce.gov with full email header)
Internet Fraud Complaint Center of the FBI at http://www.ic3.gov/
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Living with Vista Tips
Tired of all those "popups" asking for permission for every conceivable thing? Turn it off (it does lessen your security but it makes Vista so much more tolerable). Go to Start/Control Panel/User Accounts/Turn User Account Control On/off. Turning it OFF gets rid of most of those annoying popups.
Need to delete an unused .exe file or folder and Vista won't let you? Start the computer in safe mode (tap F8 at start up on most computers) and remove it there.
Personally, there are so many things I hate about Vista...maybe I should write a book! I strongly recommend that if you buy a new computer you pay the extra to get XP SP2 on it...you won't regret it!
There IS a version of XP 64 bit available through NewEgg.com, though I hear it cannot utilize all 4 gigabytes of memory like Vista can. |
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More about Liability and Content
Does your company have a blog or forum that allows your customers to contribute? These can build your reputation, drive more traffic your way, and really put you in touch with your audience. It can also increase your exposure to lawsuits. Oh, you didn't want to hear that!
We often work with clients who blog, post video online, respond to comments, podcast – the whole shebang. The technology has changed dramatically, but liability concepts have not. Rules that were in place years ago, still apply.
Preventing a Lawsuit
When you write a blog that welcomes user comments, you're both a content "creator" and a content "provider" according to the law. But there is a difference. Creators are always responsible for what they create; providers are not.
YouTube, for instance, is not legally responsible for every video on its site and say someone creates an illegal video uploads it - the liability rests with the uploader, not necessarily You Tube, as long as they take down the video.
Ironically it's better to NOT regulate your user's comments. Some comments in a forum or blog might be appalling, or downright illegal, but don't be too quick to edit them. The more you regulate user content on your site, the more you're liable for what is said. As soon as you begin deciding which comments stay and which go, you become more responsible for every single comment on the site. The best way to handle the situation is to NOT go over your comments with a fine-toothed comb. Don't edit them. If it's something you don't feel good about, just delete it. Editing the comment or parts of it leaves you in a more vulnerable position according to web attorneys.
You can still get rid of bad language and incendiary-type comments, but don't worry about defamation, copyright violations, trademarks, and such. If you do that, it can get you into more trouble. If you're going to be a provider, be a provider. You're excluded from liability under an assortment of laws that protect the people who provide rather than create content.
Creating Content
If you create content, on the other hand, you are completely responsible for everything you say. Watch for these items, and avoid them to stay out of a courtroom.
- Linking to others' content is both legal and welcomed since it sends traffic to the owner.
- Always give credit for any quotes from a person or publication. If you quote a substantial amount of text (pages), just don't. That's trying to pass off someone else's work as your own.
- Make fun of Celebrities all you want, but don't use their fame to sell your products without permission.
- Do not put trademarks on your site or blog as if you were endorsed by its owners. You cannot even use parts of your name that are similar to trademarks.
- If you're not sure, consult your attorney. This is not legal advice - we don't even play a lawyer on TV!
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How social media will change the world...
Do you remember what you were doing a week ago? two weeks ago? a year? ten years? For the first time in human history, our day-to-day interactions between people are being permanently recorded by social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook....our privacy, folks, is over - so we might as well use it to our business' advantage.
Social Media sites such as Twitter, Myspace, or Facebook have a plethora of consequences on how we record history, thanks to the recording of minute increments of time that can be collected and researched. :
1) What if you knew everything you did, every day. What if other people did too.
It may seem like an insignificant question, but 20 years from now, knowing what you did or who you were with during a certain day could be great for reminiscing about the good old times, or may convict or save you from some perceived crime. A researcher will be able to pinpoint the exact movement of a new virus or document some embarrassing details from a meeting with an acquaintance. On the other hand, someone that heard about you from a friend of a friend online, might be able to actually find you to buy your widget. It's a double edged sword.
When you tweet you're hanging out with your friends "online" you are not only making public statements to your friends, but you're writing down in history that on the date you were communicating with these people. You are also making friendships that can be searched 15 years from now. It will be no secret to anyone who you recommend for plumbing your house or bought your computer from, thanks to posts and tweets. As more people rely on social media, this trend will only become more prevalent.
2) Historical trends will be more predictable.
Say you want to document a trend from the 1800's to 1950's. If you were a researcher you'd study newspaper clippings, a few historical documents, speeches, but it would be difficult to get enough information to document your theory. Even if the data existed, how would you find it? .
But today there's a big difference - through Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, blogs, websites, forums, and search habits we can study the minute habits of everyday people to see what events triggered visceral reactions. If you think your blog or Twitter isn't archived, think again. Your business will be out there for everyone to see - now and 5 years from now. The information is archived, easily organized, and a large stock of it is readily available to the public.
3) Big Brother is here - and he Twitters. In the future we will attempt to prevent crime and mistakes before they happen.
Google's recent partnership with the government is an example of the prevention phenomenon in action. Google has been giving the Federal Government information on flu-related searches in order to track and contain epidemics before they begin (you can find the public version of the tool here). We can track the history and progression of the flu with stunning accuracy. In turn, we can use that data to prevent the outbreak of the next drug-resistant virus. The flu may be one area we'd like watched, but how about whether you search for an illness and your Insurance company decides to drop your coverage...the ethical questions are endless. You'll have ready access to a database of people that want and need your widgets - demographics and even their opinions of similar products may already be online.
4) Nothing is private. But you knew that.
Tens of thousands of people have been disqualified from jobs due to an unflattering Facebook entry. What will happen one day when the current generation runs for President and every detail of every bad decision is public. Will any of us qualify for the job if every mean thing we've ever said becomes public? On the other hand, a business on Facebook can make thousands of contacts a day. The dilemma becomes, do you put yourself out there for all to see - so all can see?
5) An ethical war is coming.
If the government can use search data to track disease, what else can they use it to track? Is it right to deny someone a job because they were Facebook friends with an eventual criminal?
History is now being recorded by computers, not individuals, and anybody can pick up that data and come to their own conclusion. The study of history will dramatically change as more and more people use and rely upon social media for daily interaction. No diary, history book, or recording can compare to the data available through social media. If the trend continues, as it appears it will, will our privacy evaporate with it or will business thrive? |
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We are a small web design company based in Howell, Michigan and Livingston County for over 11 years.
We are experienced in Web Design & Development, Search Engine Optimization and Web Marketing. We also provide quality hosting, domains, email marketing and more. Whether you need a Flash banner or an entire eCommerce solution we can do it!
Contact us for a site consultation or call for a free estimate today! We'll build you a website that's JUST RIGHT ---Cindy |
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