This article first appeared on Information Week, and was written by George Crump.

In our last entry we discussed different ways that you can move data into the cloud, something I call onramps. In theory the ability now exists to put all your data types on a cloud storage platform, but is that the right choice for your business? How do you determine which data you should put in the cloud?

The answer, like almost everything else in I.T., is it depends. It depends on what your key internal storage challenges are and what the internal resistance to using an external service might be. Notice that not included in that discussion is what is the size of your company, the amount of IT resources you have nor the amount of data that you have. While I find that it is often assumed that cloud storage is for small business owners only, there are cloud storage solutions for businesses of all sizes including large enterprises.

The first area to examine is how much data is being accessed on a moment by moment basis. As you may have noticed from the discussion in our last entry there is an onramp or cloud gateway for almost every data type now, ranging from backups to primary block storage. The moment by moment change rate plus the data type will determine how large the local gateway cache will need to be and how often data will need to be recalled from the cloud. The total size of the data set is for the most part irrelevant, other than the GB cost to store it but that cost should be relatively static. The movement of data from your local cache from the cloud will be what delays an application. The more often that data can be served from local cache either through smart caching algorithms or large cache space the better. Also several cloud storage providers charge extra for the transfer out of the cloud back to local storage, so it can lead to a surprise on your bill. Since most onramps or gateways give you a choice of provider it makes sense to know what the hidden extras are from each provider.

The impact of restoring data back from the cloud and its potential extra costs is one of the reasons that backup and archive data have been so popular. The transfer is almost always one way; upload. Also most big recoveries can happen from the local cache and don't need the data stored on the cloud. The backup copy in the cloud mostly serves as a long term retention area. As you move into using cloud storage for primary data the transfer issues become a bit more thorny. The easiest data set use case to deal with is the file share use case. Most files on a file server are only active for a few days and then become dormant. This is an ideal use case for cloud storage, let the older files migrate to the cloud. Even if they do need to be recalled from cloud storage later only a single user is typically impacted by the delay in access, and a single file access is relatively fast.

Databases become a bit more tricky. Here look for applications that have a small portion of the application that is accessed on a regular basis. Microsoft SharePoint is a good example of a "ready for cloud now" data set and potentially some mail systems that store attachments and messages as discrete files. In the near future don't rule out busy transaction oriented databases. As the developers of these platforms embrace the availability of cloud storage they can build in ways to auto-segment off tier sections of data so that it can be stored on different storage types automatically and the cloud could be one of those types.

Comment (0)

This article first appeared on AnroidCentral.com, and was written by Jared DiPane.

When they say "Droid Does" they really mean it, and we have yet to see a limit be put on that. We have seen devices launch into space, devices take pictures of the lunar eclipse, and now we have seen a device save someone's life. From reports, it appears as though a valet driver had his HTC Incredible in his inside pocket of his jacket when shots were fired at him, but they hit his device instead. The shot hit the battery of the device, which actually prevented the shot from penetrating any further, thus saving his life. Do you think that pretty glass iPhone4 could have saved anyone's life? Just another reason why, Droid Does.

Comment (0)

This article first appeared Yahoo.com, and was written by Rachel Metz.

What if nearly everything you usually keep on your computer - photos, documents, music and software - was stored online? Your machine would be speedier and perhaps less vital because you could simply use another machine to recoup your digital life should you lose your laptop.

This premise - somewhat scary, yet liberating - is behind Google Inc.'s upcoming Chrome OS, which will make notebook computers more like netbooks than most actual netbooks.

The software powering Chrome OS, which is based on the search giant's eponymously named browser, serves mainly as a tool for connecting your computer to the Web. That's where nearly everything you use is housed and linked to your Google username and password. It's a concept known as cloud computing.

A peek at the upcoming operating system and its vision of cloud computing shows a promising idea that could make computing faster and more convenient. But it still needs a lot of work.

Google expects the first computers powered by Chrome OS to be released this summer, and initially they'll be made by Acer Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

For now, though, Google is operating a pilot for some individuals and companies to test an unbranded laptop that runs Chrome OS. The company lent The Associated Press one of these machines, which aren't going to be sold to the public.

The laptop itself, called the Cr-48, doesn't really deserve to be critiqued, because it is a stripped-down machine that is chiefly a frame for Google's OS oeuvre. The shell is entirely matte black plastic, without a hint of branding. It has a webcam, a screen that is about 12 inches diagonally and a full-sized keyboard with a search key in place of the caps lock key.

The machine also has 16 gigabytes of flash memory for storing files, if you feel absolutely compelled to download something. Downloads are obviously discouraged, though; my music collection alone would nearly fill this allotment.

Moving on to the main event, Chrome OS brings a few clear benefits: Starting up the notebook takes just seconds - roughly 13 of them, according to my stopwatch - and waking the closed notebook from "sleep" mode is as quick as opening it up (almost too quick, as the notebook couldn't regain its wireless service quite as fast). By contrast, my Windows machine at work takes more than two minutes to boot up.

After you sign in with your Google account, the same username and password you would use to access Gmail, you can pull up a home page showing all the apps you've installed from the Chrome Web Store. Assuming you're connected to the Web, you can just start using apps and surfing the Web right away.
There were plenty of free and paid Web apps and browser extensions available when I tested the notebook. Some are only for the Chrome OS; others also work with Google's Chrome Web browser for other computers.

I installed a range of the free ones, some of which seemed to be just links to existing Web pages. The apps I snagged included Web-based office suite Google Docs, the chatting service Google Talk, Aviary's Advanced Image Editor and balloon-popping puzzle game Poppit.

As with smart phones and tablets such as Apple Inc.'s iPad, publications are also making Chrome apps. USA Today, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are among them.

On my work computer, it can take ages to open up applications that are stored on my hard drive. With the Cr-48, I could immediately start editing a Google Docs spreadsheet or tweak the colors in a photo using Aviary because the programs are all running online. I only needed a strong Internet connection.

Surfing the Web was a pretty normal experience, with most websites loading speedily, though the Cr-48 was not that good at displaying Flash videos.

But I felt constrained because I had to use the lone browser that comes with the system and the Web-based apps I obtained. Apps loaded slowly when my Internet connection wasn't stellar. This wouldn't be a problem with programs stored on a regular computer's hard drive.

If a Chrome OS-based laptop becomes my primary computer, a data plan would be a must.

I feel anxious just thinking about the possibility that I couldn't access my documents at any time, and I don't even keep anything that important on my own laptop.

I mostly used the notebook with Wi-Fi at home and at the office, though I also tried out its 3G network service, which is provide by Verizon Wireless.

So what happens if you don't have any Internet access? The Cr-48 is pretty useless.

I could still write in an already-open Google Docs document, add notes in Scratchpad and look at photos I'd downloaded. But I couldn't use apps that are not yet opened because they're all connected to the Web.

If you lose your connection while using an app, you may be able to view some information that has been temporarily stored in memory, as I could when browsing The New York Times' app. But you'll need to get online as soon as possible to really use the machine. Faced with this situation, I'd probably just search frantically for an Internet connection or simply put away my laptop.

In its current state, the Chrome OS is far from ready to take over as my main computer, even if I were using it on a more powerful machine than the Cr-48.

Sure, I spend most of my time on the Web already, but I'm not quite ready to rely on having Internet access to do almost anything with my computer.

I can imagine getting comfortable with that in the not-so-distant future, though, and I'm curious to see if Google can make it happen.

Comment (0)

This article first appeared on BrightHub.com, and was written by Bruce Tyson.

Thin client notebooks are powerful alternatives to traditional computers that can improve the effectiveness of a mobile workforce, enhance corporate security, and improve the utilization of IT dollars as part of a thin computing infrastructure.

What is a Thin Client?

In ways resembling dumb terminals from decades gone by, thin clients have no inherent processing power: they primarily receive inputs and display outputs from applications running on server computers. They are sometimes referred to as PC over IP technology since the traditional computer functions are performed remotely. The client display presents the operating system and application interface and its keyboard and mouse send inputs to the system.

A simple way to characterize a thin client is by their lack of physical storage. They are stateless "dumb" devices that rely on host servers for administration, configuration, storage, and infrastructure. Thin client computers uses Remote Desktop Protocols (RDP) to access network services and configuration information so their capabilities are determined by user credentials.

Thin Computing

Modern thin clients can be used to perform routine computing operations with speeds that make them difficult to distinguish from "fat" clients. Thin clients engage host servers through client software such as VMware View, Microsoft Windows Terminal Server, Citrix XenApp and XenServer, and Unix/Linux and run applications on the host using inputs transmitted from the client.

Thin computing can fill virtually any role as traditional computing, provided network access is available. Call centers, accounting roles, CRM, and CAD are just a few roles that thin computing can support.

Thin Client Laptops

Thin client laptops take advantage of the thin computing model, only in a portable configuration. With high speed wireless LANs in place and high speed 3G and 4G wireless data connections through cellular networks, a thin client laptop is something that only in recent years has become feasible.

Most commonly available thin client laptops come equipped with a ROM-based embedded operating system such as Windows Embedded. This operating system provides essential services to the thin client, enabling it to set up connections to a server host. Once connected, the capabilities of the thin client reflect those configured for it on the host.

An example of a thin client notebook computer is the Dell E5400X Safebook. Like most thin client laptops, this model comes with an embedded operating system and is equipped with end point security and built in wireless networking.

Applications for Thin Client Laptops

Because thin client notebooks are very lightweight and have very long battery life, they are ideal for mobile employees working inside and outside the corporate environment. Since applications and data are hosted on the corporate host, problems such as insufficient disk space are eliminated. When mobile employees need access to a new software package installed, the installation is performed at the corporate office rather than mailing CDs to a remote location. Centralized control of software resources also facilitates corporate compliance with licensing requirements.

Thin Client Notebooks and Security

Proprietary information and access to corporate networks is routinely compromised by the mobile workforce. Laptops left in taxi cabs, airports, buses, hotel rooms, and rental cars often fall into the hands of people looking for information to sell, not to mention the laptop computers that are stolen for their resale value alone. Thin client laptops can solve the majority of the security problems associated with hardware, network, and data vulnerability.

Since the thin client laptop relies on network storage, important product, customer, and vendor information is not lost when the computer is lost or stolen. Without appropriate credentials, the thin client notebook cannot access any information within the enterprise, nor can it be used to access corporate network services. Basically, when a thin client falls out of the control of the corporation, corporate information remains secure.

Corporate espionage involves more than stealing resources from a competing company: it means that people within the organization can retrieve corporate information for personal or competing use. Thin clients help keep corporate information secure because there is no convenient way to transfer corporate data to a storage device. Since all data transactions are managed through centralized servers, an audit trail exists that can detect unauthorized data access and transmission, giving management the opportunity to react quickly to internal abuses.

Finally, with computing processes hosted by the corporate network, security policies for all thin clients can be implemented at the host. This means that antivirus, malware, and other threats encountered online will always be met by appropriate response. In other words, companies implementing thin client notebooks don't have to worry about a user disabling virus scanners or allowing virus signatures to expire.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Thin computing is a green technology because of its low energy demand. By powering only essential hardware, the savings in electrical costs for a company with one hundred computers can exceed $6,000 annually. Thin client laptops have the additional benefit of extended battery life that can power devices for an entire work day on a single charge.

A study published by IDC revealed that switching to thin computing can reduce hardware and software costs by as much as 40%. Additionally, overall IT operating costs can be reduced by nearly a third. The study also found that outlays for computer hardware and support can also be reduced by significant margins by implementing thin computing.

Thin computing brings with it increased productivity that helps make it even more profitable to business. Studies have shown that fewer support, maintenance, and repair issues help make IT staffers more than 50% more productive than those in traditionally equipped departments. Meanwhile, the increased uptime and reduced support issues combine to make mobile users more productive with thin client laptops, adding even more to the corporate bottom line.

Thin clients have a lower acquisition cost, a lower maintenance cost, and a lower incidental cost. Because the devices have fewer parts, there is less to break. Also, thin clients save money by combating obsolescence. Since the processing power is hosted on remote servers, whenever those servers are updated with new software, every thin client is automatically up to date. This saves hardware costs because thin clients won't have to be replaced with every advent of new technology. No more tossing laptops every year or two only to replace them with new ones that too will become obsolete. Direct and indirect cost savings resulting from the use of thin client notebooks make the technology a "must" for consideration.

Comment (0)

This article first appeared on InformationWeek.com, and was written by Charles Babcock.

Around the breakfast table at VMworld, attendees from places like Calgary, Little Rock and
Charleston, S.C., remarked on how Ubuntu, Microsoft and Red Hat were barely visible at the
show this year. Microsoft had a little booth I never succeeded in spotting; Red Hat had a 10-by-
10 on the perimeter. It all suddenly seemed so obvious.

Microsoft, Red Hat and Ubuntu are all operating system vendors heavily invested in some other
form of virtualization than VMware's. And they're all wary of VMware's widening ambitions
and description of a future operating system for the data center, based on its own virtualization
layer. Microsoft prefers to talk about Hyper-V and its management component, Virtual Machine
Manager in Systems Center. Red Hat is sticking to its open source guns and going with KVM.
Ubuntu also packages up KVM and Xen.

What makes the operating system vendors nervous is that VMware CEO Paul Maritz talks as
if the operating system has become irrelevant. Maritz Tuesday gave a straight forward talk on
how the next phase of VMware's product line will help generate a more flexible data center.
Afterward at a meeting with the press, he sounded more combative. In the past innovation has
occurred at the operating system level, he said. (Maritz should know. When he was at Microsoft,
he oversaw the development and launch of Windows 95, Windows NT and Windows 2000.)

"Now innovation is occurring below and above the operating system, at the virtualization
layer and in applications," he said. There hasn't been any real innovation at the operating
system level in many years, he added. Operating systems "aren't going to disappear," he said.
They're "just one of several components" being managed by the hypervisor and its virtual
machine management infrastructure.

These perceptions, if correct, are disruptive to operating system-based business models.
Microsoft itself has an ongoing commitment to virtualization in the operating system rather than
concentrating on it as a separate management layer. Microsoft can line up many resources behind
that approach and tie virtual machine operation into its Azure cloud services. But it knows it
needs more time to build out all the functionality that VMware is talking about.

That may explain why on Aug. 31 it took out a full page ad in USA Today--distributed in hotels
around the Moscone Center--urging customers not to sign three-year contracts with VMware.
The ad warned VMware customers: "...signing up for a three-year virtualization commitment
may lock you into a vendor that cannot provide you with the breadth of technology, flexibility or
scale that you'll need to build a complete cloud computing environment," said the ad signed by
Brad Anderson, corporate VP for servers and tools.
"Microsoft warning about vendor lock-in is a severe case of the pot calling the kettle black,"
responded Maritz that day at VMworld.

Indeed, Microsoft may sense the same thing that VMware does: virtualization is yielding new

vantage points through which the future of the data center may be managed, if not controlled.
Microsoft is nervous because it knows a thing or two about chokepoints.

Microsoft is also leery of VMware's push to help developers produce applications for the future
data center architecture, described this year as the "private cloud." If VMware moves into a
position where it is the trusted provider of tools to cloud developers -- it's taking a giant step
in that direction with its SpringSource unit -- that's a threat to Microsoft's predominance on
another front. Given enough time, Microsoft will match up its .Net and Visual Studio with its
Azure cloud infrastructure. But there's a large part of the developer universe not yet committed to
Azure.

SpringSource and its Spring Framework addresses much of the non-Microsoft world. Spring
produces lightweight Java applications that compile to a standard byte code that runs in a Java
virtual machine. Likewise, the .Net language, C#, produces applications that compile to a byte
code that runs in .Net's Common Language Infrastructure. Microsoft's ability to do this exists in
the public arena through the Mono's project's ability to reproduce that byte code. The byte codes
are close together in that both are based on a shared ANSI standard antecedent.

It's conceivable that in less than three year's time, the Spring Framework will allow .Net
programmers to use Spring to produce applications for VMware clouds, and such a capability
could seriously impact Microsoft's hold on a key asset, its own developer base. It would prefer
that .Net developers be directed only toward Azure and the many options it plans for cloud
computing there.

So it's a different VMware that came out for VMworld this year. The show started six years
ago with 1,400 attendees. In this, its seventh edition, 17,021 showed up. And a brassier, more
confident VMware showed up as well.

That was evident in the short film that preceded Maritz' remarks on Tuesday. Much of what the
VMware brass had to say had to do with moving the virtualized part of the data center toward
cloud computing. The film short attempted to solicit the meaning of the cloud from an oracle,
who looked a lot like the female oracle in the movie, The Matrix. The scene suddenly shifted
to a round office tower like the type found at Oracle's campus in Redwood Shores. The camera
panned up to the top where, barely visible in the cloud descending over it, was the name Oracle.
A voice over made a dismissive remark about cloud computing, as if it was quoting from a Larry
Ellison's script. The audience laughed. No one is invested in dissing the cloud any more.

Wait a minute. Oracle wants to be a virtualization vendor, doesn't it? But virtualization leads to
the cloud. Oh, we didn't think about that. Oh. I guess we better come up with a cloud strategy.

VMware in the past has gone out of its way to sound like a good partner and a supplier of a base
technology that will fit into the big guy's shops. Now it sounds like it's willing to crowd the big
guys on their own turf. And I'm at a loss to see what is going to stop it from doing so.

Comment (0)

This article first appeared on InfoWorld, and was written by Galen Gruman.

A new survey shows business use is a major reason that employees are getting iPads -- it's not just for videos and surfing

Corporate IT, consider yourself warned: You'll be dealing with the iPad in your enterprise, whether or not you want to. And it won't just be the iPad; tablets and slates of all sorts are on their way in as well, as Android, WebOS, and Windows Compact Embedded 7 devices begin shipping in 2011. That's one of the findings from a survey of 1,100 enterprise employees polled by mobile management vendor iPass in a report released today.

According to survey results, 16.3 percent of mobile employees already have an iPad or tablet PC device, and another 33.2 percent planned to purchase or receive one in the next six months. A surprising 59.8 percent of those planned to use it for significant amounts of work, while 30.8 percent said they would use it for mostly personal reasons but also for some work. (It's a good thing that the forthcoming iOS 4 for iPad offers corporate-level security capabilities that third-party management tools can tap into.) A surprisingly small percentage said the iPad would go toward personal use only.

[ Can an iPad be used as a PC in business today? InfoWorld's Galen Gruman found out in hands-on tests. | Keep up on key mobile developments and insights with the Mobile Edge blog and Mobilize newsletter. ]

Here's the breakdown of intended iPad and tablet usage:

Although Apple has never positioned the iPad as a work device, and it certainly has limits in business settings today, users seem to be noticing the business potential for themselves, as are some forward-thinking business and IT leaders. In my ongoing informal conversations with vendors and IT managers, I keep hearing about the fascination many have with using the iPad at work across a wide range of industries: financial services, retail, hospitals, and all manner of field forces.

A couple examples: Intercontinental Hotel Group is piloting the use of iPads by its concierges at some hotels, so they're not tethered to a computer to help guests find directions and book services. And the D7 Consulting construction firm has given its onsite managers iPads to access construction drawings and othert support materials in the field.

Comment (0)

This article first appeared on InfoWorld, and was written by Ted Samson.

MalCon organizers want us to believe that security community can benefit from an event showcasing and teaching malware.

Anyone who was ever concerned by the concept of hacking conventions such as Black Hat -- which has evolved into a reputable venue for security defenders -- should brace themselves: An event called MalCon is on the horizon, which will provide a fine venue for malware creators to hone their craft, as well as, theoretically, an opportunity for malware fighters to bolster their arsenal to fight malware.

The organizers of the MalCon, which will take place in Mumbai and Pune, India, have attempted to put a positive spin on the event, as noted by security guru Brian Krebs. According to the conference website, MalCon is "the worlds [sic] first platform bringing together Malware and Information Security Researchers from across the globe to share key research insights into building the next generation malwares."

In addition to showcasing the top whitepaper submissions from malware researchers and coders, the event will offer training workshops on topics such as coding malware, analyzing malware, and reverse engineering. Said workshops are recommended for those who "[want] to develop or code [their] own virus / malware for research" (italics are mine) and for those who "aspire to advance their professional skills in security research and malware analysis."

The whole event sounds about as wholesome, innocent, and security-minded as a nuclear-bomb building convention in Tehran. Sure, some people might attend to learn a bit more about fighting malware, but it's bound to be more of a magnet for ne'er-do-wells who are eager to put their newfound knowledge to malicious use.

I ran it by InfoWorld Security Adviser blogger Roger Grimes for a reality check, and here's what he had to say: "No good can come from the conference. It's probably being held in India because there are a lot of 'legitimate' companies there, very out in the open, that produce bad software for other people.

"There have been similar projects before: virus coding books (plenty of them), dozens of malware ezines, etc., and none add to the good side of the equation," he added.

The conference coordinator Rajshekhar Murthy attempted to put a positive spin on the conference, Krebs reported. "While a conference can be done by inviting the best / well known security experts who can share statistics, slides and 'analysis' of malwares, it is not of any benefit to the community today except that of awareness. The need of MalCon conference is [to] bridge that ignored gap between security companies and malcoders. They have to get on a common platform and talk to each other."

And the capper from Murthy: "Just like the concept of 'ethical hacking' has helped organizations to see that hackers are not all that bad, it is time to accept that 'ethical malcoding' is required to research, identify and mitigate newer malwares in a 'proactive' way.'"

Comment (0)

We have all experienced it - a computer crash, the blue screen of death, a program freeze and the worst of all, a hard drive failure resulting and data loss.  When faced with the following situations your crucial data may be lost or become inaccessible.  Here are some tips on solving that problem.

Click Image to Enlarge>>

Click Image to Enlarge>>

POST ON YOUR SITE AND SHARE

To put this graphic on your web site, just highlight, copy and paste the HTML code below:

Comment (0)

This article first appeared on Microsoft.com

The future of Windows XP

The future is here, and it's better than ever with Windows 7, the latest Microsoft operating system. Windows 7 has proven benefits over earlier versions of Windows. It combines the latest in reliability, security, and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows XP, so you’ll feel right at home, right away.

We know you love Windows XP, and you're in good company. Millions of Windows XP users are fans of the operating system, and many depend on Windows XP to run earlier applications and hardware that is not compatible with Windows 7. Windows 7 is designed to be compatible with the most popular hardware and software products you use every day and even though we can no longer purchase Windows XP after October 22, 2010, Microsoft still plans to provide support for Windows XP until April 2014. The Microsoft Support Lifecycle explains it all.

Comment (0)

So many of us have had the wonderful experience of being hacked.  You spend hours and hours of your time, and hundreds (if not thousands) of your dollars to get back to normal.  These simple steps below should help you avoid ever having that experience again!

1. Password Power
   If you are worried about being hacked, your passwords are the obvious first line of defense between you and hackers and how you manage them will make or break your security. For starters, chose a strong password with a mixture of letters and numerals - case sensitive letters and punctuation marks are a great way to beef up security.
   
   Secondly, change your passwords often. Password "phishing" programs feed off of stagnant passwords; therefore, stay ahead of the curve and keep your gatekeeper (aka your passwords) fresh and dynamic.
   
   
   IMG SOURCE: http://www.polyu.edu.hk/ags/Newsletter/news1002/images/password.jpg
   
   
2. Believe in Your Browser
   Although Internet Explorer comes standard on most every machine, it is far from optimal when it comes to your online security. If cost is an issue, there are plenty of free web browsers available such as Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, etc - all of which provide exponentially more protection than that of Internet Explorer. Once you've selected your browser of choice, make sure your security settings are properly set.
   
   
   IMG SOURCE: http://nangkacomm.net/Kampanye-Damai-Pemilu-Indonesia-2009/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/firefox.jpg
   
   
3. Fun with Firewalls
   It sounds like high-tech jargon from "24" but look into installing a firewall. Simply put, a firewall is a protective barricade that keeps hackers and viruses away from your computer system. Though you'll have to disable the firewall from time-to-time for particular applications, it will be worth its weight in gold when it comes to fighting worms and Trojan viruses in the long run.
   
   
   IMG SOURCE: http://media.photobucket.com/image/firewalls/pajin09/Firewall4dummies.jpg
   
   
4. Monogamous Money
   When making monetary transactions online, try to keep all of your purchases confined to one credit card account. By using just one card for all of your dealings, you'll limit the amount of information that you publish to the Internet and therefore reduce your pool of hack-able content. As an added bonus, if things do go wrong, the damage will be confined to one single location so monitoring and cleanup should be more manageable.
   
   
   IMG SOURCE: http://www.homeaway.com/webdav/site/ha/users/jdoumas/public/credit%20card.jpg
   
   
5. Email Etiquette
   In many ways, your email is as precious as your bank account. Because your email address is attached to many of your online accounts, if someone were to gain access to your email, they then have access to your greater online presence. Not only should you protect your password with your life but you should also evaluate the way in which you interact with your incoming messages. If an email looks remotely suspect, NEVER click on links within the message because they could be links to false "phishing" sites. As a hint, if it looks sketchy, manually type the url of the sender into your address bar and ensure that you're on a legitimate web page.
   
   
   IMG SOURCE: http://www.b2bfishbowl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/spam31.gif
   
   
6. Activate the Alerts
   There are masses of hackers out there trying to use your page as a venue for their SEO practices; embedding links on your page that point to their site and thus damaging your reputation. You can be hacked without even knowing it but by utilizing Google Alerts, you can be notified when your page is mentioned (for better, for worse) and arm yourself against being banned by Google.
   
   VIDEO: Using Google Alerts to Prevent Hacking
7. Protection in the Power
   If your computer isn't powered on, hackers can't attack it. Whether it's turned off or simply disconnected from the Internet, turning your computer off at night is the simplest way to keep hackers out and save on your energy while you're at it.
   
   
   IMG SOURCE: http://keetsa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/pull-the-plug-cc-california1.jpeg
8. Enlist the Experts
   If you find yourself generally clueless about computers, software, firewalls and any other precaution necessary to ensure your online security, you might want to ask an expert. There are many great IT companies out there that can offer tips and services to get you protected from hackers.
   
   
   IMG SOURCE: http://www.snagablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/istockcomputerhelp.jpg

Comment (0)