None Shall Pass: Prevent Hackers with Strong Passwords
February 17, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Fans of the popular Monty Python film, Monty Python & the Holy Grail
For those who may not be familiar, consider picking this up from your local video rental. You’ll find a brief overview of the scene I’m referring to here.
Wouldn’t it be nice to know you had the Black Knight, (or his digital-password equivalent) protecting your website?
The Dreaded Dictionary Attack
Today, even modest computer users can easily have as many as a dozen passwords to remember, and it can be difficult to manage. Despite this, resist the urge to use the same password for all of your accounts. Similarly, avoid using a word that would be especially simple to remember. Among the most common words used, according to the experts in Inc. Magazine, are “password and “password1.” Still others use a common date.
Unfortunately, these types of passwords are simply no match for a dictionary attack. Automated password-cracking tools can check more than a million password variations in 28 hours — imagine how quickly they could breach your website when you don’t fortify the gates properly.
None Shall Pass!
Passwords composed of random strings of upper and lower case letters, numbers and punctuation can usually withstand an attack, but they are hard to remember. Consider keeping a list of your passwords in a secure place (not next to the computer!), so that you can refer to them when needed.
Additional strategies that will help you create difficult-to-break passwords that are easy to remember include:
- Two words connected by a number can withstand many attacks.
- Take the first letter of each word in a phrase and add a number or symbol and a capital letter. or “Mary had a little lamb”: Mhall#72.
- Try strengthening an abbreviation by swapping a symbol or a number for each a or e in the abbreviation. “salesman” becomes “$@lesm@n.”
Follow these tips, and your adversaries will quickly move on for more vulnerable opponents.
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December 2, 2009 by admin · 2 Comments
Unless you’ve been living in a sandtrap, you’ve no doubt heard of Tiger Woods’ recently publicity nightmare involving his alleged infidelity.
While I am no golfer, (unless we’re talking Putt Putt), I did see a marketing lesson among the headlines. Only time will tell if Tiger can regain his “golden boy” status — but in the meantime, here’s a few reputation management tips you can garner to improve your own game:
Take responsibility right away. I really think that Tiger dropped the ball (I couldn’t resist) by not coming clean right away. There were too many things about the much-publicized car crash that just didn’t add up. Among them was my personal favorite — that Elin smashed in the back window of the vehicle in order to get Tiger out. Call me skeptical, but a much more likely scenario is that while she may have gotten him out of the car, Elin took a “slice” out of Tiger in the process…back window be damned.
Tiger has enjoyed years of fame, and millions of dollars from his talents. Sponsorships account for more than a small portion of his income each year — and those sponsors count on the celebrity cache of Tiger’s brand to help sell their products. In addition, Tiger’s style and personality have won many new fans for the game — including throngs of young fans who look up to him as a role model. True, he’s only human; but for those whom society has placed on a pedestal — and are richly rewarded as a result — shouldn’t they be held accountable for their actions, just as anyone else would?
Give sincere, heartfelt apologies. In this instance, you can’t settle for par. Family should obviously come first. Then, reach out to your fan base, and extend them an apology for your behavior. Finally, look toward those sponsors whose brands may have suffered as a result of your actions. They may drop you, and that is certainly their prerogative. Be that as it may, they are no less deserving of an apology.
Rebuild your image. Just as a caddy would advise you on how best to make that perfect shot, you must surround yourself with people, products and services that can help restore your good name. Tiger must demonstrate that he is committed to his family, and intends to put an end to his philandering. The status of his marriage is still uncertain — however, he has children that will be directly impacted by his actions. Making his wife and children his first priority will earn him support among his fan base. They won’t immediately forgive him, but they will be willing to do so in time.
Many celebrity athletes have been disgraced at one time or another, (names like Michael Vick, Pete Rose, and Tanya Harding come to mind), and while not all of them have recovered, some of them have. Michael Vick’s highly publicized dog fighting ring sent shockwaves through the NFL, and incited both fans and non-fans alike. However, in a very controversial move, the NFL allowed Vick back in. He is currently the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.
In golf, business and in life, the same rules apply. If you make a mistake, the best thing to do is get out in front of the situation and take responsibility. Apologize when you make a mistake, and make sure the apology is sincere. Finally, take steps to prevent any reocurence of the mistake, and work to win back trust and support.
Hopefully Tiger will emerge from this situation a better man. In the end, strength of character will trump athletic ability.
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November 22, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Coming in at #31, this video from dekepod features the Brush Tool. The modest brush tool is one of the deepest, most versatile tools in Photoshop. Its not only a terrific painting tool, but it is also invaluable for masking, as Deke demonstrates in this weeks Photoshop Top 40 Countdown episode.
Featured in this video: Adobe Photoshop
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November 3, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
It’s not exactly a secret that I am a huge 80s music junkie. That said, it should really come as no surprise that when I began working on today’s post, I drew inspiration from Boy George and Culture Club.
I realize that George O’Dowd is not exactly someone you’d typically think of for offering sage business advice. After all, he’s known for his technicolor tresses and eyeshadow — not for his business savvy.
Even so, Boy George was right on the money when he crooned, “…time won’t give me time…”
Efficient time management is essential in business. We know we can’t cram more hours into each day; our only option is to make the best use of the time we have each day. Those “big name” marketers make it look effortless — but what they aren’t telling you is that many of them outsource entire facets of their business to others. They may be employing virtual assistants, copywriters, and webmasters to handle functions that you are trying to juggle all by yourself.
You can still join the Culture Club of savvy internet marketers — all you need to do is establish a plan to work more efficiently each day.
Create a Clean and Chaos-Free Environment
Your work environment is integral to your productivity. Take steps to eliminate clutter and distractions. It doesn’t matter how big or how small your working space is — when you keep it clean and organized, you will be able to accomplish much more. Even if you have no home office and are only working on a computer, make sure your files and documents are well organized so you don’t lose precious time searching for important documents and files.
There’s Power in a Plan
Having a well-conceived plan for your day will eliminate the possibility of becoming sidetracked and distracted. You have many options at your disposal — from day planners and PDAs to simple applications like Outlook’s calendar function — these tools can help you view your day at a glance, and mark off tasks as they are completed.
Set Priorities and Deadlines
Arrange daily tasks in order of priority. Begin with tasks that have the greatest impact on your bottom line. For instance, taking care of client calls early in the morning will free you up to tackle marketing tasks such as submitting articles, creating newsletters, and posting to social media sites later in the day. You might want to close your email client while you are working on time-sensitive projects, in order to prevent distractions. Tasks such as automating your article submissions and tweets may require an initial investment, but can pay big dividends in the time saved on these activities.
It takes a fair amount of discipline to create and adhere to deadlines that you create for yourself, but it can be done. Creating a checklist that you can refer to each day will provide you with a visual reminder of what you need to complete — and, it will provide you with a sense of accomplishment after you mark each task off the list. For those who work on client projects, having a written schedule to refer to will enable you to schedule your work, and quote clients a realistic completion timeframe.
We can’t add more hours to our day, but we can use the time we have to our advantage. And THAT should be music to your ears.
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October 29, 2009 by admin · 2 Comments
With the holidays around the corner and seasonal online shopping on the rise, the LinkShare TweetShop Tool comes at an opportune time for publishers to share more online and take advantage of increased interest among online shoppers.
In the advent of the Twitter-adoption explosion, this new tool brings a host of new possibilities to our affiliate network that is easy, fun and effective at driving revenue.
LinkShare, a leading performance marketing network provider, today announced the LinkShare TweetShop Tool that enables anyone with a Twitter following to monetize their Twitter feeds, and easily turn customized tweets into an effective shopping tool. Generally available to publishers in its network, this innovation further demonstrates the company’s commitment to creating applications that are Easy, Fast and Open – easy-to-use, fast-to-market, and open across channels – and is the latest feature in LinkShare’s Bento Box, a showcase of new tools and applications.
More than 50 million live Twitter accounts exist today with approximately 4.6 million people using Twitter on a daily basis, according to recent research by RJMetrics and Quantcast. These numbers represent a massive demographic with huge market potential that is largely untapped as few companies today have successfully created ways to monetize Twitter feeds.
Additionally, nearly half of all “value hunters” – a new market segment identified in a recent survey by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates – are searching online for the best deals and promotions. Since this growing segment of online shoppers purchase something online once a week or more(3), they represent a growing consumer base that will be using tools like Twitter to find new products, search for deals, and satiate their everyday retail needs.
“With the holidays around the corner and seasonal online shopping on the rise, the LinkShare TweetShop Tool comes at an opportune time for publishers to share more online and take advantage of increased interest among online shoppers,” said Mark Kirschner, CMO, LinkShare. “In the advent of the Twitter-adoption explosion, this new tool brings a host of new possibilities to our affiliate network that is easy, fun and effective at driving revenue.”
With the LinkShare TweetShop Tool, publishers can easily customize tweets through the user interface which automatically creates a shortened URL that directs an online shopper to the landing page for the recommended object of affection.
Through three easy steps, publishers can turn their Twitter stream into a new revenue channel. Just Pick, Point and Post.
- Pick the item to tweet about.
- Point out the cool-factor.
- Post as an updated tweet without the hassle of having to both find the webpage of that item and shorten the URL to fit into his/her tweet.
In light of the recent FTC rulings regarding full disclosure for endorsements, sponsorships and the terms and conditions that apply to any special offer, LinkShare recommends following common sense guidelines when using its new LinkShare TweetShop Tool, such as those developed by the Performance Marketing Alliance:
- Avoid tweeting false or unsubstantiated product claims
- Never create a fake/spam twitter account just to post new advertisements
- Clearly and conspicuously disclose any connections with the advertiser and/or the affiliate network
- Be creative! If it is an ad, it should sound like one, but go beyond a product pitch
- Don’t abuse it. Daunted followers will stop following you and this will undermine your credibility you have built up in your online community
To check out the buzz on this new LinkShare TweetShop Tool, hear what industry experts have to say and add to the conversation, search and/ or tweet on the following hashtag: #TweetShop.
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Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
Competition is an integral part of the marketplace — it fuels innovation, controls pricing, and creates better products. What’s not to love, right?
Not so fast, Jedi Knights — competition also has a dark side.
Competition can sink a business — particularly if you aren’t prepared for it. Just because the “force” has been with you thus far, don’t automatically assume that will always be the case. Somewhere, in a galaxy far, far away, a would-be nemesis could be plotting your demise right now.
Whether yours is a small, home-based business or an international corporation, it is necessary to perform a competitive analysis to gain a better understanding of your competitors. This, in turn, will help you formulate more effective strategies to strengthen your position among your customer base, as well as defend and increase your market share.
While I’m certainly no Yoda, below you’ll find a few of my recommendations to aid you in conducting your own competitive analysis.
Know Your Customer
It all starts with the customer. Identifying your ideal customer, their buying habits, and purchase influences should have been paramount in your initial business planning. When you set out to conduct your competitive analysis, be sure to refer to this information, and make any necessary updates as needed.
Create a Customer Profile
- What triggers his decision to buy a certain product or service?
- Where will he go to search for a product or service provider?
- How does he search for the product he needs?
- What features does he look for?
- How does he choose the vendor?
- What is important to your customer – pricing, reputation, image, branding, or service?
- How is he influenced by word-of-mouth?
- What will keep him loyal or make him change brands?
Knowing these things will not only help you develop products and services that will meet the requirements and preferences of your customer but will also give you a very good idea of the who, what, how, and why behind your potential customer patronizing the other vendors and not you.
Know Your Competitors
Now, try to identify your competitors. Be specific as to their names, locations, their sizes, and as much as possible, their market share. Describe their product quality, brand name(s), image and reputation, pricing structure, marketing strategy, available technology, etc. It helps if you create a tabular presentation of the information to facilitate comparison and analysis of the competition. Make sure to include any perceived strengths and weaknesses of each competitor (lack of web presence, limited service area, etc.).
The objective of this exercise is to discover more about the nature of competition and assess how your product or service fares against your competitors’. You may decide to lower your price, or offer extended service plans. Perhaps you could provide online video training that customers could access after purchase. You may simply elect to step up your advertising campaign in order to gain greater visibility. Regardless of what path you choose, determine how your competitors affect your business, identify any potential threats, as well as opportunities.
Resources for Competitor Information
- Their company website (about page, press room, etc.)
- Industry associations they belong to
- Publications they have been featured in
- Media coverage
- Marketing materials
- Generalized search (complaints filed with BBB, etc.)
Benefits of Doing a Competitive Analysis
Whether you are planning an upcoming ad campaign or orchestrating a rebellion, knowing your competition is critical to the ultimate success of your strategy. This exercise will also help you anticipate how your competitors will respond to your action, or predict any initiatives they may take. In fact, you may discover there are elements of your competitors’ business tactics that you can improve upon, and adopt as your own.
Competition has much to offer the market in terms of driving quality, affordability and innovation. For business owners both large and small, a bit of research and a modest time investment can help avert potential threats, while leveraging opportunities to gain market share.
Regardless of what corner of the galaxy you are doing business in — that’s always a good thing.
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