Man oh man! You know I’d like to think I’m smarter than the average bear, but sometimes I amaze myself with my lack of common sense and good judgment.

You know the emails circulating about helping those poor souls (tongue in cheek) "hide" their money overseas? You know the ones I mean, they come addressed to you from the Prime Minister of This and That country, all desperate to sneak their cash out of the country before the roof falls in… promising you the moon if you’ll only "help" them.

All scams of course, we all know that, but…

Well, DUH!

I must get 10 of these a week. I KNOW what they are, even when they change the subject line - my esp is going ballistic - my finger hovers over the delete without opening key - and STILL 10 times out of 10, I’ll click that little puppy open, just to be sure.

You know why I open it? I open it on the remote and totally unlikely chance that it WILL be someone I know, truly needing my help.

I swear… Now who’s kidding who?

Okay, so maybe the "desperate" appeal works - too often. But, tell me, would YOU be willing to play such a con line over and over AND hope to walk away with your integrity intake? I think not. I certainly hope not.

Recently I read and published Sam Knight’s latest article entitled, "What’s The Matter People and Why Aren’t They Reading My Ads!" I laughed myself blue in the face, she just writes so well! And, in my smug little way, I sat there confident that no one was "getting to me" in such a fashion.

And then, what, just two hours later, I’m clicking open the very next "Dear Sir or Madam, please help me!" letter.

Unbelievable (shaking head at oneself).

Integrity, truth in advertising, taking the high road, call it what you want, but you and I both know it is the only true road to success.

The redeeming factor to all this? Study the subject lines in your own inbox. Figure out what really ticks you off and what actually prods you to open those emails and use them to your best advantage.

All the while maintaining a much higher level of professionalism, of course.

To your success!

© Theresa Cahill - All Rights Reserved. Feel free to distribute this article. Please keep it intact and with the resource box included below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Theresa Cahill, a two decade veteran of marketing, is the owner of http://www.mywizardads.com and invites you to take a look at the services of MWA and download fr.ee helpful information and more at http://www.mywizardads.com/sitemap.html

There’s a plus and a minus to doing business on the net.

The plus is instant gratification.
The minus? Instant gratification!

Let’s face it, people begin to "expect" certain things in connection to working and purchasing items on the internet. And, unfortunately, because of those same expectations, it also tends to bring out the worst in ourselves at times.

I spend many hours during the week talking with other publishers and network marketers, and the common problem many have is the "irate" customer.

You know the ones I’m referring to? Those people who decide to "shoot first and ask questions later"?

MARKETERS HAVE OUTSIDE LIVES, TOO

Though often my own life doesn’t reflect what I’m about to say, many, many people promoting products and services online do have lives! If they are working exclusively online, they do find the time for friends and family.

If they work their online business in a part-time capacity, no doubt they have outside JOBS or other obligations that prevent them from sitting 24 hours a day in front of their own computers.

As a matter of fact, sleeping comes to mind… remember sleeping?!

Differences in time zones fly out of many peoples minds when they communicate online. Remember, it’s called the WORLD-WIDE WEB for a reason! Just because you happen to be up and surfing doesn’t mean the guy at the other end is… Find a good world clock. Checking the time alone may help lower your blood pressure!

THE MOST COMMON MISTAKE MADE ON THE NET

You can save yourself a LOT of aggrevation, fear, and frustration by paying attention to one single factor when making a purchase online.

Thousands of merchants use PayPal.

And… PayPal has a CONTINUE button!

That’s right! On your "you’ve just sent money" PayPal payment confirmation page, how many of us know to LOOK FOR and USE the CONTINUE button in the lower right-hand corner of that page?

If set up correctly, the merchant using PayPal has that CONTINUE button right there for your convenience!

By clicking the CONTINUE button, 99.9% of the time it whisks you away to your confirmation and/or download page to complete your order.

So, before you go ballistic, ask yourself, "DID I click that PayPal CONTINUE link?"

Frankly, I love PayPal! I truly do. However, this IS one feature I sure wish they would correct. This one little misplaced, hard-to-find button has got to be the thorn in every merchant’s and customer’s side.

Hey PayPal! Move it up where everyone can see it!

SO WERE YOU REALLY SCAMMED?

Hey, it does happen! I’m not saying it doesn’t, and it is truly unfortunate when it does.

But, scamming is not limited to only the buyer’s side, and everyone would do well to remember that.

Perhaps that occasional seller who does make it a tad harder to complete your order has had to do it for self-preservation. Perhaps THEY, the seller, have been ripped off more times then they care to admit and are just trying to protect themselves!

It can be a two-way street.

SO… LET’S BE NICE

My suggestion is that before either side comes to blows, let’s all take a deep breath and count to 10.

Personally, I’ve met hundreds, if not thousands, of truly wonderful people online. On the other hand, the ones we’d all like to see a lot less of can be counted on just one hand.

For the most part, people want to help! People want to be successful and see you succeed, too.

You truly can attract more bees with honey than you can with vinegar when communicating online. Give the guy the benefit of the doubt, first.

Try it and see!

© Theresa Cahill - All Rights Reserved. Feel free to distribute this article. Please keep it intact and with the resource box included below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Theresa Cahill, a two decade veteran of marketing, is the owner of http://www.mywizardads.com and invites you to take a look at the services of MWA and download fr.ee helpful information and more at http://www.mywizardads.com/sitemap.html

1. Don’t choose predictable passwords like ascending or descending numbers or letters like ‘abcjohn’.

TIP: See the example of the password below-

"I met two of my Friends one week back" can be choosen as password: ‘Im2omF1wb’

2. Don’t choose the following as your password:

*Names
*Birthdays
*Familynames
*Words from dictionary
*Telephone numbers
*Social security numbers
*Street names
*Celebrities names

3. Change your password frequently, often 4 - 6 months.

4. Always use random letters like ‘nK/Gv4sS0′.

5. Use both uppercase and lowercase letters.

6. Always use different passwords for different accounts. If you have one main password to different password protected folders keep one password for each folder.

7. Most common mistake everybody do is emailing passwords. Instead of using the utility ‘Forgot password?’ on login pages, write down all your passwords in a book and keep it in a safe place.

8. When ever you sign up for an account they will send you a username and password. Note them and delete the emails especially with free accounts like Yahoo and Hotmail.

9. Don’t tell anyone your password. If it is a must then change it to different one.

10. Use long passwords preferably more than 6 characters. See the chart here:(Provided by tamingthebeast.com)

Password characters - Password Format - Time taken to track down

4 charac - both lower or upper case - less than few seconds
4 charac - both lower & upper - less than few seconds
8 charac - both lower or upper - approx 58 hrs
8 charac - both lower & upper - approx 7 years
10 charac - both lower or upper - approx 5 years
10 charac - both lower & upper - approx 4648 yrs
10 charac - both lower&upper and numbers - approx 26984 yrs

10. Don’t check the ‘Remember the password’ checkbox in your ‘Enter Network password’ pop up window.

Radhika Venkata (c)

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As an IT Security Consultant I have observed there are many reasons for the spread of viruses and malware across the Internet. The primary reason is the lack of security on machines connected to the Internet, let me explain. There are two divisions here, the first being systems owned by medium to large businesses and the second being small office and home systems. The security difference between the two is radically different. As a whole the larger organizations have much better security.

There are several reasons for this. First and foremost these organizations have learned through painful experience the cost of not being secure. They realize that although security can be expensive it is much more expensive to be insecure. The larger companies for the most part now implement corporate controlled antivirus, antispyware and antispam software that scans for viruses, adware, spam and spyware as traffic enters the network. This way the malware are caught before they ever reach the users PC. The PCs themselves will also run client versions of things like Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition which are continually scanning the PCs for any viruses or other malware that may have been introduced to the PC directly by the user.

The larger companies also have multiple layers of Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems guarding their networks. While the average large company has pretty good security most computers in small office and homes have poor security. Many if they even have antivirus software do not update it. Very few if any will have antispam, antispyware or antiadware software. So they literally have no protection against viruses, adware, spyware or spam. Because many of these devices which make up a large percentage of the devices on the Internet do not have protection they are usually infected by every type of malware and because of the viral nature of malware they spread it to any PCs that they have access to.

For example friends, relatives, business associates etc. who are also not likely to be protected and then pass the virus or other malware on to anyone they have access to and the cycle continues exponentially until within a few days it’s covered the planet and tens of millions of computers. The key is to secure our homes and small businesses. The main reasons people don’t protect themselves is because they think the cost is too high and they don’t think it will happen to them. Of course they are wrong on both counts.

It will happen to everyone who is on the Internet. If you think your machine has not been affected by spyware, adware, spam and viruses you are wrong. The cost of not being secure is far higher than the cost of a reasonable amount of security. There are many free and inexpensive software packages that do a great job of securing the average home or small office. Even if you have to pay someone to install and configure it the overall cost is still comparatively low. For more information on how to make your computers secure visit http://security.gigapages.net

Paul Stapleton is an Sr. IT Security Consultant to many fortune 500 companies around the world. Please visit http://security.gigapages.net or e-mail info@gigapages.net

Wow, the most amazing thing happened today… Someone tried to scam us!

Now, I know that sounds horribly naive, but never fear, the scammer did not win, our internal instincts said WHOA! and we listened!

You know the old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it IS!" Listen to those old sayings, someone thought them up for a darn good reason!

Whether someone is trying to make claims to ezine size, program rewards, and the like, our common sense needs to be listened to and trusted. That warning bell that goes off - ringing to beat the band - IS telling you something - just listen!

Be on your guard. You’re surfing along and are bombarded with $5 programs to make you rich… or by doing nothing, your downlines will be built for you - you never have to lift a finger. Hah! RING, RING, RING! It’s red alarm fire time!

My personal belief is that the internet DOES hold tremendous potential for anyone who’d like to pursue a goal - financial or otherwise. Just use your head and pick your battles (I mean programs!) wisely.

Be alert! Many people have said it in many ways, but the very best thing you could do for yourself is make a big sign, "If it sounds too good….!" and hang it by your computer.

Here’s to happy successes and less scams on the net. May you attain your hearts desire - through hardwork.

© Theresa Cahill - All Rights Reserved. Feel free to distribute this article. Please keep it intact and with the resource box included below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Theresa Cahill, a two decade veteran of marketing, is the owner of http://www.mywizardads.com and invites you to take a look at the services of MWA and download fr.ee helpful information and more at http://www.mywizardads.com/sitemap.html

Money is the very crux of adware and spyware. These pose several problems and are a security risk.

Adware is a program that displays advertisements on the computer whether you want them or not. They are not just connected to particular websites or free software but are programmed to start up whenever your computer is switched on.

Programs like Eudora mail client display advertisements in lieu of charging registration fees for use of software. It helps developers recover program development costs. Kazaa the file sharing application comes bundled with at least three ad-ware programs. Two of them serve ads to the desktop while another redirects the user’s browser to a search engine with advertiser sponsored web results. Well known ones are: BroadcastPC; Comet Cursor; GeoWhere; Network Essentials, 123 Messenger, Direct Revenue, and so on.

Unfortunately, other guises of adware are spyware and malware.

Spyware is a program code that relays information about you and your work without your permission or knowledge. Some just “spy” on you conveying your Internet habits to marketing companies, while others are “thieves” they access credit card information as well as other sensitive files. In plain terms, it is malicious software that can intercept or take control of a computer’s operation without user knowledge or consent. Termed as “malware” the redefinition of spyware, the programs can:

• Steal personal information and the address book.
• Flood the browser with pop-ups.
• Spam the system.
• Slow down programs and connection.
• Hijack the browser and redirect the user to a “con” page.
• Uses the computer as a server to broadcast porn.
• Can cause a crash.

Spyware reaches a computer through innocent web pages, game demos, MP3 players, search tool bars, and other downloads like free software. It installs itself and leaves a mark on the windows registry. It can hog the computer resources such as memory and hard drive and cause a crash or lock up. Keystroke-logging spyware can steal passwords and credit card information for thieves.

To protect the files one has to:

• Use anti adware and spyware programs. Examples: Spybot, Search & destroy, Pest Patrol, and Lavasoft’s Adware.
• Keep windows as well as Internet explorer up-to-date by applying the latest security patches.
• Maintain the security level of the Internet Explorer at medium. Users must not lower the security level.
• Use firewalls and web proxies to block access to web sites known to carry spyware.
• Install layered protection.
• Update the antivirus program. An up-to-date program will stop spyware as well as Trojans.
• Install a startup monitor to protect your system.
• Never accept “free” as being free—check out free software and downloads, there will be a hidden surprise or catch.
• Never download software from warez sites. Pirated software is always distributed along with adware and spyware.
• Use Spy checker to determine if the download has spyware. This can be accessed from the free computer securities pages.

An anti-spyware coalition has been instituted by Microsoft, Earthlink, McAfee, and Hewlett-Packard. They are working towards anti-spyware legislation and putting protection systems in place. A survey shows that 87 percent of users know what spyware is and of this 40 percent through firsthand experience. Protect yourself and your work; keep your system free of adware and spyware.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com

http://www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com/, the premier website to play thousands of free online games including arcade games, action games, card games, flash games, strategy games, puzzle games and more. He also freelances for http://www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com.

In its simplest terms a virus is a disruptive computer code period!

A computer virus almost always repeats itself and spreads by attaching itself to other files. Viruses can be made to host a number of harmful things on any computer from disrupting files to crashing networks. It can even be laying dormant, without you knowing it’s there and then attack when least expect it, like right in the middle of downloading a large file or typing a long report.

It can even be made to open at a certain date, sitting like a timebomb until it’s time arrives. As you can see it can be annoying at the very least.

I do not want go into all the different types of viruses here because there are so many and more are being made everyday in some dank basement by the Dark Lord.

However, since so many viruses came from unknowingly opening e-mails I would like to mention some basics here:

Never open e-mail attachments unless you know for sure who it’s from and that it’s safe. Some mail programs will even ask if you trust the attachment and if you’re sure this you want to do. Your computer software can also scan attachments for viruses.

The danger is that when the attachment is opened the virus can attach itself to your hard drive and damage files. Not only that, it can search your saved e-mail addresses and send itself out to your friends, business partners and whoever is on the list, masking the message to look like a legitimate one from you. It will probably have an attachment too and when opened will infect other computers.

Many people like to download music, video, games or other programs from different sites. If it is a site you dealt with before and trust it may be safe, but if you’re not sure you can always run a virus scan on the download before installation. (You will need to check the anti-virus program that came with your system on procedures). This security measure is necessary because some downloads may contain virtues, spyware or adware – these last two can collect personal information, note your browsing habits and spam your e-mail with unwanted ads. Some software sites will offer a readme file that shows technical information on the download (if you like tech talk) as well as contact info.

The better sites that offer downloads will test and scan all there software programs before going online with it. As a last resort you can do an internet search for reviews on that particular company to see if others got burned.

This may sound scary to some but the fact is in this world anyone who owns a computer will have to look over there shoulders for hidden attacks when working with online.

That said there are some things should do to prevent viruses from attacking your computer:

* Download the latest virus definition lists ( files that tell your computer what to scan for) that’s used for your anti-virus program.

* Check to see if your internet service provider has tools to stop viruses before they can reach your mailbox.

* Always back-up your computer on disks in case you loose some or all your data. * You can scan software for viruses before installing it.

* Set your security settings at the highest level.

* Check your web browser and e-mail settings.

Doing these things at least every week will help keep your computer up to date on Virus protection and running safely.

About the Author Robert Hanania

Robert Hanania is the owner and operator of Data And File Recovery Dot Com If you would like to contact him, please visit his Website

Intrusion Prevention solutions detect and eliminate content-based threats from email, viruses, worms, intrusions, etc. in real time without degrading network performance. They detect and eliminate the most damaging, content-based threats from email and Web traffic such as viruses, worms, intrusions, inappropriate Web content and more in real time - without degrading network performance.

Today’s global information infrastructure faces possible huge financial losses caused by ineffective Intrusion Prevention. Among the most vulnerable technologies are Providers of VoIP, video teleconferencing and data over cellular networks. While these providers have integrated into their products, the need for new Intrusion Prevention solutions is constant. Here are some of the area in which Intrusion Prevention offers effective solutions.

Instant Messaging - Intrusion Prevention

The real-time, interactive nature of Instant Messaging makes it a valuable tool for business partners, customers and fellow employees. The breach of security opportunities created by the use of IM must be managed for given its postion as a widely accepted business communications tool.

Real Time Vulnerability - Intrusion Prevention

Real Time Vulnerability Protection Suite breaks away from the reactive method of chasing attacks after they happen to eliminating and protecting vulnerabilities on your systems. By protecting against known and unknown vulnerabilities, you can ensure data reliablity and sercurity.

Network Infrastructure - Intrusion Prevention

Intrusion Prevention protect the network infrastructure to carry on your business without disruption. Enterprise level solutions offer effectevie network intrusion prevention solutions (IPS) within the context of your company’s comprehensive security policy.

Email - Intrusion Prevention

Financial Companies, manufactures, retailers, etc. use intrusion prevention to scan messages and attachments for viruses. Together with "preemptive" email security approach, effective intrusion prevention offers the best protection from spam and virus attacks.

Application Level Attacks - Intrusion Prevention

A successful denial of service attack can put a corporate website off line for hours or more. Intrusion Prevention products offer the best protection against application level attacks and secure all networked applications, users and server resources.

Large Enterprises - Intrusion Prevention

Large Enterprises with widely dispersed Carrier & Data Center Networks need specially built high-performance security gateway Intrusion Prevention with proven firewall and IPSec VPN to deliver scalable network and application level security. Intrusion prevention protects the enterprise against the seemingly insignificant worm, virus, trojan, etc. that can topple its network.

Radware is the global leader in integrated intrusion prevention solutions delivering full availability, maximum performance and complete security of all business critical networked applications. Radware’s intrusion prevention dramatically reduces operating and scaling costs. For more information, read Radware’s intrusion prevention brochure.

By now, many people (though unfortunately not everyone) have become aware of the tactics used by the so-called "419" or "Nigerian" scammers. The victim is lured by the promise of a percentage of a huge fortune that has to be secretely transfered out of some African country. Variations of the scam include supposedly winning "internet lotteries" or having a relative that you never heard of die and allegedly leave you millions. In each case, the scammer tries to get the victim to send money for various "fees".

Over the years, these scams, which were once easy to distinguish by their combination of purple prose and bad grammar, have become more sophisticated. One of the latest variations targets a specific professional group, namely interpreters.

Recently, there was a scam in which a bishop (sometimes a "prince", or even a "prince bishop") supposedly from Ghana wrote interpreters, asking for their services, as he was visiting the US, and his wife only spoke (insert language interpreter works with). This is how the scam then would proceed:

The American Translators Association put out a specific warning against this scam at http://www.atanet.org/internet_scams_2005.htm

This indicates that the scammers are focusing on narrower targets and their stories are becoming more believable. Of course, one wonders how Mr. and Mrs. Bishop can communicate without a shared language. Yet this should serve as a warning that the scammers are not sitting still and are constantly revising their mode of operation.

Pamela Bruce lives in Austin, TX. She is the owner of Love Beads Unlimited and sells the sterling silver and Swarovski crystal bead jewelry she designs and creates both in her eBay store (http://stores.ebay.com/LOVE-BEADS-UNLIMITED) and on her website at http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com. She gets scam e-mails several times a week.

Of course, the number one way you can improve your client’s online purchasing experience is to accept credit cards on your site, because most of your clients will prefer to use their debit or credit card, rather than send checks through the mail.

Credit and debit card purchases are immediate and secure; paper checks are the least secure method of making a purchase from an online seller.

Accepting payments online will also make it far less likely that customers will forget about your site or its address, decide to buy from a competitor who accepts online payments, or put off making a buying decision.

Once you’re accepting credit cards online, there are several other ways that you can improve the buying experience, particularly for those who are new to the Internet and may be apprehensive about completing a transaction online.

#1 - Explain what will happen during checkout and keep the customer informed during the buying process.

Giving a brief description of the process, reassures the customer that they’re on the right track to a successful purchase and let them know when the transaction is complete. For many people, buying online is something they do with great hesitancy; anything you can do to lessen their concerns will be appreciated by your customers.

#2 - Let your customers know that their information is protected and their transaction is taking place on a secure server.

Ensure that your payment page can be clearly identified as a secure site. The components of a secure site include a web address that starts with https; that indicates that the payment page is located on a secure server, and the display of a padlock symbol or logo that can be ‘clicked on’ to confirm that there is a valid secure certificate associated with the secure server.

It can also help if your secure page starts with the word "secure" as the first part of the web address.

#3 - Send automated Thank You Notes and Personal Receipts to your customers

The transaction isn’t necessarily over when your customer has paid their money and collected their goods. One of the ways you can follow up with your client is to send them an automated note thanking them for their business, as well as a means to contact you after the sale. This also allows you to mention other services and products that you sell, that your customer may be interested in at a later date. Many merchants don’t do this - going the extra mile sets you apart from the crowd.

Subsequent to the thank you note, give your clients another indication that you’ve received their order, by sending a personalized receipt once the order is complete. That way, they have an immediate record of what they’ve bought and can print it for their records.

#4 - Brand your Payment Pages

Having a branded payment page not only makes you look more professional, it will increase your ‘conversion rate’ and reduce your ‘abandonment rate’. Customers will be more trusting and therefore more likely to complete a purchase online if your payment page has the look and feel of your web site. This is especially true of individuals buying online for the first time and those who are buying from you for the first time. Trust, comfort and confidence play a major role in the buying decision of all online customers.

A branded payment page will also allow you to determine what information your customer must provide to complete a purchase rather than having to provide account numbers and other extraneous information that generic payment services require. The simpler and more intuitive your checkout process is, the less likely it is that a potential customer will ‘abandon’ a purchase mid sale because they were confused or didn’t understand what was required to complete a purchase.

#5 - Place your Logo on your Payment Pages

A generic payment page can imply a generic company. You want your company to stand out in your customer’s mind so that they will remember you and buy from you again. There are millions of generic payment pages online; no-one remembers them. Take every opportunity to brand yourself and your business. Generic is grey in a colored world; branded done right, gets noticed and remembered.

#6 – Put your business name on your customer’s credit card receipt

An important part of accepting online payments is ensuring that your customers can tell to whom they made a payment when they receive their credit card or bank statement. Ensure that your payment services provider can put your business name on your client’s credit card or bank statement. This will save you from dealing with chargebacks and provide you with another way to reinforce your brand and keep it in the mind’s of your customers.

#7 - Make Checkout Simple

The easier it is to take an order from you, the less likely it is that the customer will abandon the sale at the ordering page. Simple is best; simple and branded is better.

Keeping those guidelines in mind will enhance the purchasing experience at your site. All that remains is finding your next customer.

John Tedeschi is the founder of Acceptiva, a company that provides branded payment pages for online professionals and non-profits to enable them to accept credit cards and debit cards without a merchant account.

Call Acceptiva at 800.507.3871 to find out how we can help you create an easier, more personal buying experience for your clients, or visit our site at http://www.acceptiva.com .