RealtyTechBytes.com

20May2012

6 easy steps to secure any computer from malware

Posted by Jerry Kidd under: Computer Maintenance; Computer Security.

Before proceeding to read this article, it is important that I state something up front. It is essential for you to understand and appreciate that there is no such thing as a totally secure operating system or web browser. While the use of security suites and other complementing products can significantly reduce your risks, they are not magic wands that you can wave to eliminate 100% of your risk. Any product claiming that they can do this should be viewed with great skepticism.

The recent news about the Flashback Trojan attack on Mac computers may have shaken the popular belief that Macs are “immune” to malware. Because of that, this post is for anyone who use a computer, PC or otherwise!

Here are a few easy steps you can take to immediately protect your computer.

Don’t run unfamiliar programs on your computer.

It sounds like common sense, but many of the most prominent attacks have involved spyware and email attachment worms. If you don’t recognize the sender, don’t download its attachments. (And don’t click on the links inside of the emails)

Don’t allow unrestricted physical access to your computer.

If you have sensitive or proprietary information on your computer, allowing other employees or family members to use your computer can lead to potential breaches in your computer’s security. (Especially keep your kids and grandkids off of your computer!)

Don’t use weak passwords.

Use passwords which are difficult for someone to figure out. People frequently use the names of children, pets, anniversary dates or birthdays. Because there seems to be a password needed for everything, it is not uncommon to see many people using the same password for everything. Big mistake! The use of only one password provides a hacker with easy access to a smorgasbord of personal information. If you have to write your passwords down, it is best not to leave them on a post-it attached to the screen of your computer or under the keyboard.. You may chuckle at the absurdity, but it happens more than you think. (When I was repairing computers, the first place that I  looked for a user’s password was under the keyboard!)

Don’t forget to regularly patch your operating system and other applications.

Many industry experts believe that most network security attacks would be stopped if computer users would just keep their computers updated with patches and security fixes. Too often, we forget to do this on a regular basis. Remember that every day, new viruses, worms and Trojans are being created and distributed. They are looking for the weaknesses in your computer system. Having outdated software is basically the same as holding the door open and inviting them in for a visit.

Don’t forget to make regular backups of important data

Always keep a copy of important files on removable media such as USB “sticks”, recordable CD-ROM disks or portable hard drives. Store the backups in a location separate from the computer.  You may also want to consider services like DropBox or other “cloud” solutions.

In most cases, Windows and Mac desktop and screen-saver passwords provide adequate protection for normal security concerns. However, if you feel more comfortable taking additional security measures consider obtaining a comprehensive security suite.

Selecting an Antivirus Software Suite

The next question is “how do you pick the best product for your needs?” You start by asking yourself a series of questions:

• Do you need password protection for individual files, your desktop, a network, or to block someone’s access to the Internet?
• Is your computer used only by you or do multiple users have access to the computer?
• How many users in total do you expect on your computer?
• What are your system requirements? 
• How much do you want to spend?

Once you are able to answer these questions, you can begin to research which security suite will best meet your needs. Product reviews and user reviews provide a great starting point.

PCMagazine has an excellent article that provides comprehensive info on a number of PC Security suites at: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2373529,00.asp

About.com provides a good starting point to learn about Mac Security Suites at http://antivirus.about.com/od/antivirussoftwarereviews/tp/aamacvir.htm

Please take the time to follow up on this article and put into place the things that you need to do to secure your computing environment. You’ll be glad that you did!

13May2012

Build brand awareness with social media

Posted by Jerry Kidd under: Announcements; How to...; Social Media.

I’ve got something a bit different for you this week.  And agents, this may not be for you (it might be, though) so if it isn’t, please pass this along to your broker, because this is definitely something that they should be looking at doing.

We all KNOW the importance of building our brands to the point that we are the first thing that people think about when they are looking for the service that we provide.  We also know that the traditional methods that we used in the past are nowhere near as effective as they were even a few years ago.  And finally, we know that social media has become the darling of everyone looking to build brands, acquire new customers and to solidify relationships with existing customers.

We know all these things, yet the promise of social media has yet to be realized by most agents and brokerages.  There are just too many unanswered questions about where to be, how to get started, what to say, when to say it, how often to say it and so on.

Too many of us have tried to go it alone by attending seminars, “camps”, classes and meetings hoping to find that “pearl of wisdom” that will lead us down the golden path.  Some have succeeded to one degree or another, but most have failed.

I recently spoke with Chitra Rakesh, who is the Founder of Chitsie, a startup whose business is built upon the effective use of social media to build brand awareness, about these issues and how her company could help real estate brokerages.  

Chitsie has a revenue model that is very similar to that of the real estate industry in that they offer a 100% performance based model (as well as a fixed price model).  They build brand awareness through the use of contests, business games and exciting brand campaigns revolving around your brand.  You can see the three current campaigns on http://www.chitsie.com. Please take a look, and to get an idea of what they are doing, go ahead and interact with the three brands.  Who knows, you might win a cash prize or a merchandise prize. (Prizes are provided by the brand).

Given that Chitsie has a performance based model (Sounds a lot like our commission based model doesn’t it?) your brokerage could get some real professional help to build brand awareness without the huge cash outlay that traditional social media agencies typically charge.

Seems to me that you need to at least contact Chitra to find out if there is a fit.  Drop me a line and I’ll put the two of you in touch.

6May2012

Monkey with your business card for better results

Posted by Jerry Kidd under: Cool Freebies; Product Reviews; Sales Tips.

Ever wondered what happens to those business cards that you pass out to people that you meet?  My hopes were that the person would take the card and sooner, rather than later, use it to contact me!

Of course, the reality is much different.  Unless someone has an immediate need to get back to me, what most often happens is that the card gets “filed” somewhere.  That’s because there is no immediate need for them to get back to me when they take the card.  The problem arises when they do want to reach me and can’t find my card.  It would be a heck of a lot easier for all concerned if my card could somehow “magically” get into their address book with the click of a button or a tap on the screen.  

There are products on the market that allow you to to have an online business card, but they often only offer a download of a VCF format file which very easily imports into Outlook.  VCF doesn’t always import easily into the other forms of address books that people use.  Also, many of those do not show you tracking statistics, offer QR codes, and give a way for a person to receive automatic updates when you change you contact info.

This is where a Canadian company called Contact Monkey comes into play.  Their product takes your contact info and your picture and displays it in an online business card.  The magic that they apply is that the person viewing your card has the option to download the information in any of 19 different address book formats.  In other words, they make it extremely easy for someone to store your information in the address book that they use every day, be it their Blackberry, Android, Windows or iPhone, as well as their Google, Yahoo, Outlook, Salesforce, ACT!, Goldmine and many more other formats.

After they access and save your info, they are also given the option to receive email updates when you change any of the info on your card!

Once you finish entering your data into your Contact Monkey card, you are given a QR code that links to your online card as well as a link that you can use in your email signature.  Here is the email line they suggest that you use:

Add me to your address book – it’s easy! http://contactmonkey.com/jerrykidd

The service is free for individuals and is $3.00 per month for a business.  The business does get a few “extras” for that subscription fee, most notably the Contact Monkey branding is removed and replaced with your company branding and colors.  Companies can also maintain a directory of employees and staff contact info which can be published on your web site!

A pretty sweet deal all around.  And if you haven’t already done so, please click on the link to my card above, and add me to your address book.  You never know when you’ll need my services!