Why does China want your gmail account?

Google is certain that the latest hacking attempt comes from Jinan, China as a phishing scam to obtain gmail passwords. This type of attack happens all the time, but since senior level US government officials, military personnel and political activists were targeted the intent seems much more sinister. The attacks were common phishing schemes that are not very sophisticated opening speculation that this was testing the water and that the information may be used for broader attacks.


If someone has your username and password, they can hijack your account. Not only will they have access to your email, but they can change account settings, forward email and send email as you. If you are unaware that your account has been compromised, the hacker can play havoc with your information and identity.

Certainly, you have heard these warnings: create a strong password, don't divulge username and password information especially from email requests, use a good anti-virus, have malware protection and keep a good backup. This cannot be stressed enough - create a strong password for your important accounts. Next, use a two-step verification or authentication whenever possible. This is another way to prove it is you. Google uses a strategy where they will send a unique code to your phone that is required to sign in. The problem with this security measure is that it is not convenient as it takes another step and more time. Often users choose convenience over security.

When you use more than one email address and if you send to a mobile device, be sure that you use security measures that adequately protect your information. The more valuable the information, the more protection is needed. and just like physical security, use barriers as deterrents. In the digital and virtual world, barriers are passwords, tokens, PINs and other information that only you will know.

To learn more about the Google 2-step verification, go to:
http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?answer=175197

Social Media Tactics: Part 2

By Katie Sewell, TAG and Mary Hester, LAN Systems

The second part of our tactics for social media includes LinkedIn and blogging. LinkedIn is widely used by business professionals to promote their business and to job search. It’s easy to set up a personal and/or business LinkedIn page and you can keep it current using built in tools that won’t take too much of your time.

Upon creation of your LinkedIn profile, be sure to craft a flattering position summary for your company to promote.

Deciding how you will accept connections is important, as well. LION (LinkedIn Open Network) members connect to almost anyone that requests whether they know them or not. More conservative members only link to people they personally know. This is your choice and you can adjust your settings to share or hide your connections. There are many security settings that control how much or how little of your information is shared. If you are concerned about sharing information, start with very secure settings and adjust as needed.

On to business promotion:

LinkedIn - Create a company page with your logo, overview, specialties and statistics. Make sure current employees link to the page and that you have included your website.

Look for groups to join that are of interest to your customers. There are many groups on LinkedIn that you can easily reach the 50 limit set by LinkedIn. Of course, you can join groups that are of personal interest, but if you are promoting your company the best groups will be those of interest to your customers.

Create a group based on your subject matter expertise and promote to your contacts. It is best to approve new members rather than have an open access.

Start group discussions and keep the conversation going. Some groups will be very active and others will need prodding. Be sure to monitor messages for appropriate content and spam. You can remove abusers.

Look at the open Q&A discussions. Even if you choose not to participate, take a glance at the types of questions and answers that are being posted. You may want to experiment in this open forum before starting your own group. If you are (or want to be) a subject matter expert for your company, search this forum for questions to answer.

Blogging – Choose the type of blog and your voice. Try to be consistent in your post frequency and blog personality. Remember what’s said on the Internet stays on the Internet!

If you’re not ready to start your own blog, contribute to others. This is an easy way to get started and test if you really want to be a blogger.

Pick a schedule and try to stick with it. If you have lots of demands on your time that are not blog-related, you may want to start with a monthly or weekly blog. Entries can be informal or traditional depending upon your style and your business.

Use your blog to point readers to your web site, Facebook or Twitter account.

Try to engage your readers in a dialogue by encouraging comments and feedback. Respond to comments and questions quickly. Many readers will not post comments, but will correspond with you privately. If it starts as a private conversation, keep it that way unless both parties want to go public.

Hope that you have enjoyed our short series on Social Media. Please share your experiences, ideas and comments!