Technology is undoubtedly a double-edged sword. While it can save us time and money, it can also pay us pack for those conveniences in frustration and “do-over” time… and then some! Be smart about the types of things you use technology to simplify, and also identify the shortcuts that you shouldn’t allow it to make for you. Some shortcuts and mistakes can prove unforgiving. Unfortunately, so can some old habits. Read on to find out how to protect yourself from common technical mishaps.

1. Storing everything in your smartphone, and then losing it – A big no-no for most business people. If you’re like most of us, you store everything in your smartphone. Losing your phone most likely means losing sensitive information such as credit card info and maybe even bank account numbers or private development plans for your company. How to reverse a big blip like this?  Well, I can’t get you your phone back, but I can tell you about password-protecting programs such as MobileMe for iPhone. Programs like this allow you to erase contacts, notes and more in your iPhone remotely. Talk to your smartphone provider to explore the security options for your phone, before it’s too late.

2. Working directly off of an attachment – Your boss sends you a document to collaborate on via email, so you open it, roll up your sleeves and begin plugging away. Seems so quick and easy, doesn’t it? You could spend hours revising that document, and then save the file and forward the message along with the revised attachment back to him. You’d probably assume you’re all set. But  don’t be surprised if he emails you back, asking where your edits are. Although you can see your edits on your end, that’s not always the case once you send it to someone else. To be safe instead of sorry, don’t just open the attachment, download it to your own computer and/or server, then make your edits and hit save, attach the new file to an email, and then send it back.

3. We’re just not compatible – Some Office 2007 users are unaware that .docx files are not automatically compatible with everyone you may exchange files with. If you’ve recently upgraded, make sure you’ve installed the Office Compatibility Pack too, so everyone you do business with can also continue accessing your files. If you’re working off 2007 and you’re unsure if others are or not, simply change the file when you hit “Save as.” Changing the file extension to .doc instead of .docx will ensure that almost everyone can access your files. Also, converting your file to a PDF usually does the trick.

4. Trusting batteries that haven’t been recently used – This one is classic. You flew across the country to give an inspirational speech to Girl Scouts in the middle of the woods at an outing, and you haven’t used your laptop since you left home, so you know it’s fully charged. What you forgot to consider was that sometimes electronic devices have a way of turning themselves on. Make sure you test EVERYTHING that uses a battery hours before you need them, preferably while you still have time to do something about it if need be. When possible, reverse batteries in devices where this is an option when traveling to ensure they don’t get used up accidentally. Simply switch them back the right way when it’s time to use them.

5. “I don’t need to buy Antivirus, I am careful online and know what I’m doing” – In this day and age, EVERYONE needs antivirus. Hackers and phishers are criminals who make ruining your life via the internet their number one priority. You can do everything right, avoid all the “wrong” types of websites, and still be a victim. Pay the small price of keeping a current version of a trusted Antivirus software running on all your machines. Trust me, it’s well worth it. To find if you’re currently doing enough to protect yourself online, please contact your IT provider.

SS

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…okay, maybe we’re being a little harsh there.

But a recent ScanSafe report indicates that malicious PDF files accounted for 80% of all web-encountered exploits in 2009. Flash exploits, on the other hand, dropped from 40% of all exploits in 1Q09 to 18% in 4Q09.

(By comparison, web-encountered exploits in Word and Excel comprised less than 1% of all detected exploits for the year).

It’s an interesting change-of-scene. In response to these perceived security flaws, some are recommending avoiding Adobe products altogether – which would make sense, except that more than 90% of internet-enabled PCs have Acrobat installed (and more than 99% of them have Flash).

But as Dancho Danchev at ZDNet points out, the increased number of exploits may be owing to the number of outdated Adobe products in use. As mentioned in his article, if 83% of those PC users with Acrobat installed haven’t installed the latest security patch, they may as well paint a big target on their backs.

Given the widespread use of Adobe products, avoiding Acrobat and Flash isn’t really a viable answer for most small businesses and individuals. Like most things in internet security, you can do a lot to protect yourself by just being a little more proactive. Keep your Adobe products updated. Treat any downloaded PDF files with the same caution you would use when opening an executable file. And if you’re really worried, disabling the use of javascript in Acrobat Reader and avoiding the use of browser plug-ins will give you an extra layer of protection.

(And in case you’re wondering, you can download the original ScanSafe report here. Yes, we’re well aware of the irony that it’s delivered as a PDF.)

Kipp Chambers
Sr. Internet Marketing Specialist

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Everon Technology Services, LLC has once again been awarded a desirable spot on the MSPmentor 100.  MSP Mentor is the ultimate, dependable guide of Managed Service providers in the world. MSP Mentor bases their index on metrics such as:  Annual managed services revenue, percentage of overall revenue that is derived from managed services, number of full-time technicians, total number of devices managed, and more. For more information, or to view the MSPmentor 100 list in its entirety, please visit MSPmentor’s website.

Congrats to everyone on the Everon Team for making the list again in 2010!

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Google plans to deliver 1 Gigabit connections to 50,000 homes

Google recently announced their plans to begin building and testing an ultra high-speed broadband network in the US. Google will start by rolling this out in a small number of locations, and then expand on from there to hopefully around 500,000 locations. Google’s goal: offering fiber-to-the home connections that will reach 1 gigabit per second.

Googles states that at this point, this is being considered an experiment; they haven’t even decided where to build the network yet. Want the network to reach your house? You can nominate your neighborhood for consideration here. Be sure to get your nomination in by March 26 deadline.

If this connection takes off, what will that mean for us…and our wallets?

Google plans to offer these connections at comparable, competitive prices. Google firmly believes that this effort will help to make the internet more accessible and more fast for everyone. The US has been lagging behind other parts of the words in regards to broadband speed and adoption. Time will tell if Google  can help us bridge that gap.

For more information on Google’s experimental fiber network, please access the following YouTube video

Stephanie Spino
Marketing Manager, Everon

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It’s official. After months of reports that Google would soon announce a new social status feature, today came the big reveal of Google Buzz.

In essence, Google Buzz is an add-on for Gmail that allows you to update your ’status’ – akin to Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. Since Google Buzz updates can be location-aware, it appears to be gunning for location-based social networking sites like Foursquare, Gowalla, and Brightkite (a fact not lost on Brady from Brightkite, who posted a ‘Google Buzz & Brightkite – separated at birth?‘ image.)

Mashable has a through discussion of Google Buzz’s roll-out. The most interesting part comes in Google’s leveraging of Gmail as a delivery platform . By rolling it out as a part of Gmail, Google can utilize the contacts of Gmail users as a built-in, pre-configured social network. When I update my Google Buzz, people who have me in their Gmail address book can automatically see my status.

It’s a brilliant move – since people interact with their email regularly, they’re more likely to get involved with the Buzz. At the same time, lots of people are beginning to feel wary of consolidating their online identities under Google – as CNET points out, this mistrust might slow its adoption. And given that Google is tying Buzz to Gmail in order to hasten its growth and better compete with already-established tools like Brightkite and Foursquare, it’s tough not to recall Microsoft’s bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows. We all know how that turned out.

Regardless, what this means for internet marketing remains to be seen. But like most of their product announcements, it’s another big step forward for Google.

(Provided their users decide to agree to it.)

Kipp Chambers
Sr. Internet Marketing Specialist

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