One of the most important tools of a modern marketing plan is social media. With the various platforms leveraged correctly, social media could be the best way to expand your brand and gain vital exposure. Pinterest, the newest major social network which all about sharing images, has recently had its layout overhauled and new features introduced. Businesses can really benefit from these enhancements.

Here's a brief overview of the new features introduced with Pinterest's recent layout changes.

How to get the new layout

Before you can use these features, it would be a good idea to upgrade to the new layout. While, like other social media services, this will be happening automatically over time. Unlike other platforms, the new layout is available for all users to switch to when they feel ready, however when you switch to the new layout, you will not be able to go back to the old one. Here's how you can switch:

1. Log in to Pinterest.
2. Hover your mouse over your profile/business name at the top-right of your profile.
3. Click Switch to the New Look.
4. Select Get it Now. Note: If you press this, you likely won't be able to switch back to the old layout.
5. Press Okay from the Welcome to your new look! pop-up window.

When the new layout loads, you'll notice that the pins are bigger, the category button has been moved to the left side of the profile beside the Search bar. You'll also notice that the comment button has been moved from the pins, you can access it by clicking on the image. On top of cosmetic changes, two useful functions that businesses will find beneficial.

Discovery

Now, when you look at an individual pin (click on the image), you will notice a number of changes.

• You can see all pins on the same board.
• You'll also see pins from the same website. For example if you pin something from a restaurant, you'll now see similar pins from the same website.
• Most importantly, you'll now be able to see what other people have pinned along with the same image.

This will make it easier for users to discover what other people are pinning. For your business this means potentially higher exposure. Think of this as something similar to the way Facebook works: If a person likes you, the chances of this like showing on their friend's profile, and that friend visiting your Page is higher. It's kind of like easy brand exposure.

Analytics

Arguably the most useful feature added recently is Pinterest Analytics, which allows you to see if your pins are being clicked on or shared, and the general success of your activities. This will go a long way in helping you determine the overall success of your Pinterest oriented efforts.

The main caveat with this is that your profile/business's website needs to be verified and connected with your profile. If you have an unofficial Pinterest account, you can change it to a business one by:

1. Logging into your Pinterest account and going to business.pinterest.com.
2. Pressing Convert your existing account and choose your type of business.
3. Entering the relevant account information like the name of your business, address and website.
4. Agreeing to the new Terms of Service.

If you would like to have a new username or account simply go to http://business.pinterest.com/ and press Join as a Business. You will be asked to set your account information, username, etc. You will need to verify your account which will involve you having to download a file and upload it to the server that hosts your website. We, or your web hoster can help you with that.

After your account is verified, you will notice that if you hover your mouse over your account name a drop-down list should pop up with Analytics being about half way down. Click on that to be taken to the section.

This section will display a bunch of graphs including:

• The number of daily pins and pinners on your site.
• The number of re-pins you have done.
• How many times your content has been repinned.
• The number of clicks and website visits.
• The most clicked and repinned pins.
• The number of times your pins have been seen.

Overall, Analytics is a useful tool that will give you a clear picture of what is working and what isn't. If you pinned a picture of a dog and noticed that it got zero pins while another got hundreds, it may be a good idea to create/look for more similar content.

If you are looking to integrate Pinterest into your business's social media strategy or would like or learn more about how to use the service, please contact us today.

 

If you've flipped through a magazine recently, overheard fitness fans on the commute to work or chatted with friends you'll have come accross the word Zumba. Well, what does this exotic little word mean? While it might sound like a tropical fruit drink but Zumba is a popular new(ish) fitness program that promises an exciting way to get the heart pumping, burn calories and shed pounds, while apparently having one heck of a good time. Or as its creators describe it "an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party."

So it's dance aerobics? What's special about that?

Yes, Zumba is dance fitness but the reason it has caught on is that it is a fun party as much is it is a fitness program. Rather than sweating away, counting your reps and  hoping to get the class over before you collapse, in Zumba you move to infectious Latin beats. You are guided by the rhythm, burning off calories and getting toned at the same time as having fun.

This fun, blended with fitness moves, has led Zumba to becoming the world's fastest growing exercise programs with over 14 million people joining the party every week in over 140,000 locations across more than 150 countries. Something about Zumba is getting the world moving.

How did it get started?

The story goes that Zuma actually started thanks to an act of forgetfulness on the part of Columbian fitness trainer Alberto 'Beto' Perez. In the mid 90s, and running late for a class, he forgot his aerobics tapes and had to grab his own beloved Latin dance tapes from the car.  As the Rumba rang out in the class, he used his experience as a choreographer to guide his grinning class through some fun dance steps. They loved it and Zumba was born! In 1999 Beto took his classes to Miami, his first step to world domination.

What happens in a typical class?

The usual Zumba class lasts an hour and follows a similar routine that combines high and lower intensity exercise. As the music changes gear, so does the class.

• The warm up gets your body moving and stretches are worked in to ensure that everyone is as supple as possible to avoid strains and injuries.
• The routines include different fun and exotic dance styles including calypso, hip hop, salsa, merengue and even some belly dancing. You will usually go through 8-10 different styles and each offers a different type of exercise training. You can follow the trainer to ensure you are blending the fitness steps with dance moves.
• The cool down involves stretches to slow down the heart and help relax the muscles, but before this, many instructors fit in some standing abdominal work to help you fight the flab.

Zumba is aimed at getting the heart pumping to burn calories and fat. The muscles that benefit are those around your core, as well as legs and hips.

Is it suitable for me?

If you can stand up, bring some enthusiasm and love music, then Zumba is ideal. You don't even have to be a good dancer, it is all about moving the body and having a good time. As it is possible to move at your own level it's a good exercise for all ages and fitness levels. If you have any sort of injury or are out of shape, it's best to talk to your teacher before your first class. Listen to your body and take a break if you feel you need one. It is about fun as much as fitness, with no pressure to compete.

Don't be shy!

A lot of people do worry that they might be too shy to do Zumba or a little embarrassed about their dance skills, or distinct lack of them! But the steps are easy to learn and you soon pick them up. There is no complicated choreography and many of the basic fitness moves you will already be familiar with. While you may think everyone is watching you, the truth is everyone is so involved with the music and their own moves, that they barely give a second thought to being embarrassed, they are just having fun.

Think Zumba might be for you? Well you should come down and give it a try. 14 million people can't be wrong.

Social media is here to stay, as it's hard not to hear people talk about it these days. It really has become an integral part of our daily lives, and of business as well. You can bet that if a potential customer is looking at your company, they will check for a social media presence. The first platform they will look at is Facebook. If your company has a Facebook page, do you know how to get the most out of it?

Here are five tips that you can use to help you get more out of your Facebook page.

1. Don't be a zombie Facebook, and all social media for that matter, is more like a talk show than the Walking Dead (a TV show about survival in a zombie apocalypse). You can't simply set up a profile with basic information and let it 'wander around mindlessly'. A zombie account that has no interaction, posts, updated information etc, will likely be avoided.

The key to a good Facebook presence is that you are active. This means sharing, posting, commenting, liking, etc. Having an active page will go a long way in cementing your brand. Like a good talk show, if users can interact they will likely stay interested and willing to learn more. This will positively affect your brand.

Beyond being active, you need to come across as human. Actions like signing your posts with your name, making an odd mistake (yes, we know, mistakes? But you are human, you make them), interacting with people, etc., will do you good. A great way to come across as human on your business's profile is to reply to all comments, even the bad ones.

2. Eat your Wheaties A healthy body is a regular body; a healthy Facebook page is similar to this: Content is posted on a regular basis. The frequency of your posts will tend to vary depending on which expert you talk to. However, most will agree that fewer than two posts a week will not engage your followers. Many recommend that small businesses post between five and seven times a week - once a day basically.

3. Be a boastful Bob Many of us grew up being told not to brag. When it comes to social media, bragging is not only ok, it's a part of life. If something great happens in/to the company, by all means brag about it. Just be careful, it's still not professional to constantly brag.

A good example of when to brag is when your business is featured in a trusted source (news, blog, radio, etc) or receives an award. Sharing this news makes your business not only look more credible, but more professional; a real expert in your field.

4. Share and share a lot Businesses often struggle to come up with unique content on a regular basis. If this sounds like your company, don't worry. The first thing you have to realize about Facebook is that almost nothing is original. Peruse any profile and you will see that people share a lot of content, most of which isn't theirs.

For businesses, it's perfectly acceptable to share content that isn't yours. If you come across a great article that's relevant to your company and you think your followers will enjoy, go ahead and share it. Have you found a funny comic, picture, video, site, etc.? Share it.

There is no limit on what you can share, as long as you attribute it. Writing a post like: 'Check out this great article on customer service from this company [use the name].' is fine. That being said, you should have some original content. A successful strategy may be to have one post out of five being content you have created, three to four shared content and one company news.

5. Highlight and pin what's important to your company If you have some important information or news that you want your followers to see, you can highlight them on your page. This will expand the post, so that it takes up the whole width of the Timeline, making it easier to see. Combine this with a bigger image, and the news will really stand out.

To highlight a post/status, hover over the top-right of the post (after you have posted it to your timeline) and look for the star beside the pencil. Press it, and the post will be highlighted.

If you want a post to stay at the top of your Timeline, you can pin it there for one week. This is done by hovering over the top-right of the post and pressing the pencil icon. From the dropdown menu, select Pin to top.

Facebook can be a useful tool in growing your business or establishing a quality brand. If you are looking for more ways you can leverage your company's page, please contact us today.

Communication is an important part of business, and one of the more popular communication mediums is Facebook. It's hard to find a business that doesn't use the platform. If you have been using Facebook since its launch you will know that there are occasional changes that sometimes make it better, others worse. The company has recently announced changes to the layout of your News Feed - are they any good?

Here's an overview of the new changes introduced in Facebook's News Feed overhaul.

Bigger, more engaging content The biggest, most obvious change is that the new News Feed is wider. That's because the menu bar that traditionally has taken up the left-hand side of the window has been more or less removed. It's now a hovering bar that can collapse to the left-side of the screen. If you've seen the recent Android and iPad/iPhone layout, where you can press a button to see your friends menu, it's similar to that.

Because of the new layout, the content shown on the feed is now larger. This means larger images, news stories, events and maps. To better take advantage of this, it is recommended that any images you upload to your profile be around 600X600 pixels - no smaller than 200X200 pixels.

There is another change that could pose useful: When a friend or local business appears on a user's wall, they will see the entire Timeline badge and location if they have allowed it.

New feeds To get the most out the new layout, Facebook has also introduced a number of new News Feeds to explore. Before we get into the new feeds, it would pay to talk about how Facebook has become smarter. Over time, as you comment on posts or share items, Facebook will start to show recommendations based on your past activity. For example if you are sharing news about cloud storage, you will begin to see suggestions around other cloud storage posts, articles or programs that could interest you.

This new layout comes with a few different feeds that can help filter the content you see. The announced feeds are:

• Music - Shows you posts related to the music you listen to. This likely won't be the most useful for the majority of companies out there.
• Photos - Displays only photos that have been uploaded by friends or pages you like. This could be important, especially if you have a visual based profile e.g., restaurants. Because of this new feed, it would be a good idea to ensure you are sharing high-quality images.
• Following - The latest news and information from Pages that you have liked. This feed could be quite interesting to companies, as it only shows Facebook Pages. What this means for most Page owners is that they had better be sharing good content, as they just became more visible.
• All Friends - Shows the traditional News Feed namely everything your friends and Pages you have liked are sharing and commenting on.
• Close Friends - This is a bit of a dangerous view for companies, as it will only show information posted by their friends. All business and ad-related content is not shown.

The same views across all platforms Finally, Facebook has noted that with this new layout, the News Feed will be the same across all devices. No more looking at a completely different News Feed on your phone or tablet. This is a good move, and should increase your company's exposure over time.

If you access Facebook on your mobile phone - Android or iPhone/iPad - you have likely seen the new changes, as the apps were updated in mid March and included the new mobile version of the News Feed. The company started rolling out the new layout on March 7 and has noted that the change will take place over a couple of months. Some lucky users may even have it now.

Looking forward to the new changes? Or, perhaps you are a little apprehensive? Why not contact us today to see how we can help you get the most out of any change Facebook introduces.

Data: A set of values that belong to a set of items, is important to every business; it is largely useless in it's raw form though. Through the use, manipulation and analysis of data we get useful information that we can use to make decisions, gauge the health of our company or even tell how popular our Facebook Page is. While it is important, data can be hard to analyze without the right tools.

Here's a brief overview of five data analysis tools that you could use in your business.

BigML

One of the more common uses of data is to help a business manager make predictions. We all know predictions are among the hardest things to do. Enterprises hire staff and invest in systems solely with the aim of making predictions. If you're a small business, you likely don't need expensive software that is hard to use.

Enter BigML. How it works is you define and upload a set of data and format it. BigML will then take that data, help you to create a prediction model which you then can apply 'what-if' variables to and have it generate predictions. The site runs on credits; you pay for a set amount of credits and each part of the process - dataset, model and prediction - is worth a certain amount of credits. Prices start at around USD$6.50 for credits, which gives you 10MB of data, 5MB worth of models and 10K predictions based on this data.

Wolfram|Alpha's Facebook Reports

WolframAlpha is a search engine that collects data and uses algorithms to interpret it. One feature of this site is that you can develop reports, one of the more useful being Facebook Reports. You can access the report feature by clicking here. Alternatively, you can go to the WolframAlpha website and search for Facebook.

This report provides users with a glimpse into their Facebook Page's information. It provides you with information on who are the most active posters, how many shares/likes, etc. you get and other useful information in easy to read charts and graphs. The key here is that the report can show you how customers access your Page and where they come from. You could use this information to see what posts users liked and didn't like, and provide more engaging content.

The basic version of the report is free. More advanced controls and data analysis is available for USD$4.99 a month.

Many Eyes

Many Eyes is a data analysis and visualization tool developed by IBM Research. If you already have data sets then you can upload them to the website and use one of the many different visualization tools to create charts, graphs, etc.

A cool feature of this site is that it has the ability to analyze written documents. Say for example you are writing new content for your website, you can copy and paste the content and get a visual representation of the words you use, how you connect words, etc. If you have a set of keywords you would like to use for SEO and search purposes, you can manually compare them with the visualization. If you notice that an important keyword is missing, or not represented enough, you can go through and re-write the copy a bit.

Best of all, it's free.

Tableau Public

If you have an idea about Business Intelligence, or have worked with data on a regular basis and have sets that are structured, Tableau Public is probably the most powerful free analysis tool available for small businesses.

While powerful, it isn't the most user-friendly of options. To get the most out of this program you are going to need to know the basics behind data analysis. If you feel comfortable with the basics, you'll be creating dashboards, charts, interactive graphs, maps, etc. that look great and can be embedded on your blog or website. Oh yes, did we mention it's free?

Excel

Big data is all the rage these days, it's hard not to hear techies and data specialists talk about it. While it is an important part of many large businesses' data analysis practices, the truth is many small businesses don't need big data just yet. If you have simple data you need to analyze e.g., how many hours have your five employees worked this month? Why not stick with simple spreadsheets like Excel or Google Spreadsheet.

As long as you have data entered in a logical way, you can easily create graphs and charts that can help you visualize and analyze your data.

If you would like help establishing a system that can help you track and analyze your data, please contact us today, we may have a solution that works for you.

One of the more popular debates about the Internet is who exactly owns your data and information when it goes online? Most of the information regarding this is held in the Terms of Service, which most people click and agree to without reading. The interesting thing about this is that web oriented companies usually update their policies on regular basis and often introduce changes you may not be aware of. With so many websites, it can be a chore to keep track of all these changes, luckily there is an online database that makes this easy.

Terms of Service for websites change on a fairly regular basis, and many of us simply have no way of knowing if and when such changes have been made, and what exactly has been changed. That's why a group of lawyers and professionals started Docracy. According to the website, "Docracy is a home for contracts and other legal documents, socially curated by the communities that use them." The company aims to make legal documents freely available.

Part of this site is the Terms of Service section which is a database of over 1,000 popular websites' Terms of Service and Privacy policies. It tracks them and notes when changes are made, and highlights these changes so they are easily found.

If you visit the site here, you can see a list of changes that companies have recently made, and clicking on one should give you basic change information. Clicking on See Full Changes will bring up the full doc with the recent changes highlighted.

Selecting See Full Directory will bring up every policy that the website tracks, and allow you to read them.

Is this useful for my business? Online law is very complicated, and many companies that run websites that you may have accounts with often don't make it easy for you to find legal contracts or policies. A good example of where Docracy is helpful is if you want to know who exactly owns your content stored on a popular cloud service. You can go to Docracy's database and quickly find the related Terms of Service. From there you can download the document and look through it, or view it on the site.

Basically this site can help you get a clearer picture on the various contracts you sign with websites, and how these websites plan to use your data. For many business owners, knowing exactly what other companies are going to do with your data can help you find a more secure solution. After all, being prepared with the correct knowledge is half the battle.

If you would like to learn more about Docracy, or how a change to a Terms of Service could affect your business please contact us today.

If you're currently looking around for a Pilates class, either by visiting fitness centers and gyms, or simply by searching for courses on the Internet, you're sure to have come across the term 'Core Strength' countless times. All Pilates classes boast that their programs can help boost your core strength as a vital part of improving your overall health. It's become a real buzz term but do you know what it means? When pressed many people say it's something to do with stomach muscles but surely our sit-up regime is taking care of that! There's a little more to core strengthening than pumping up your abs. In fact, it's so vital that Joseph Pilates put it at the very heart of his exercise program.

Core strength is about more than getting rid of a belly and toning your abdominals, though both are laudable aims. It is more about your general fitness, power and bodily alignment. Your core comprises the muscles that make up your mid trunk area, including your abs and lower back and side muscles (called obliques), as well as muscles around the top of your hips and glutes. All muscle groups vital to supporting your spine.

Your core muscles are the link between your upper and lower body and and if this link is strong, your body is better able to work as an integrated whole. If you envision your body as a tree, where is the strength coming from? It isn't in the branches and twigs but from the trunk. Without strength in your trunk  there is little point working out the rest of the body - the trunk supports the whole.

The benefits of core strengthening:

• A lot of people suffer from debilitating back pain. However, in many cases, it isn't your spine that is weak, but the muscles surrounding it. By strengthening your lower back muscles you create a natural, supportive corset, making you less at risk of injury. A strong core can also stop you developing back problems as you age, especially if you have a sedentary job which can lead back pain too.
• A strong core improves your posture. People who work out a lot rarely slump or slouch. By adding strength to your core, you stand straighter, making you look leaner.
• Your core gives you agility and stability, which are vital for any functional movement. Even if you are not in the best of shape, you still need to turn, bend over to put on your shoes and lift things up. When you perform these movements you use your core. It is vital to your everyday health. When you train your core you are also improving your ability to flex and move more freely.

Pilates and the core

Forget about only working solely on your abs or that ever elusive six-pack, those will come in time. By targeting the areas around your middle, or 'centering', you initiate a process of controlling movement from your center through your abs, back muscles and buttocks. This is the heart of any Pilates program.

Mat Pilates in particular aims at making a mind-muscle connection with your abdominal muscles. Through this you can use your abs for improved support, stabilization and power and enjoy better functionality in all activities. Pilates also helps bring flexibility to muscles rather than simply firmness. A muscle that is flexible is a strong muscle. It allows functional movement rather than just allowing you to look good in your beach attire.

If you are interested in taking a Pilates class merely to lose weight, you are probably in the wrong place. Pilates is not really a cardiovascular exercise or calorie burner. Yes, you will trim your body down and have a flatter midsection but the real benefits are deeper and longer lasting: a stronger, healthier back and body.

The beauty of Pilates is that it offers something to everyone, whatever your age or fitness level and isn't simply a fad for gym fans looking for the perfect body. It helps to eliminate the aches and pains of life and leaves you feeling better...to the very core.

Operating a business is never easy. There is always something that threatens your business, and many disasters are simply beyond your control. These disasters are a part of business, and owners need to be prepared for almost anything. For many companies, the only way to prepare for adverse times is by developing a Business Continuity Plan.

Some companies are hesitant to adopt a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) because of the perceived costs and complexity involved. We won't deny that plans are usually on the complex side, but there are good reasons as to why your company should adopt one. Here's five.

1. Your business will be seen as more valuable Banks, venture capitalists and other investors tend to air on the side of caution, and as such will usually look to businesses that appear to be stable as more viable investment vehicles. Companies with a BCP are often seen to be more valuable, as they can address diverse situations better than those without. As a result, they will make the investor more money over time.

2. Compliance Big companies in a number of industries have had continuity plans for years and many have started to look for suppliers/vendors with continuity plans. Beyond that, some industries and government bodies have made BCP a requirement. If you are a vendor, supplier or even in specific industries, it is a good idea to have one in order for business to run smoothly.

3. Potentially lower insurance premiums Operating a business is filled with risks, and business managers are often looking for ways to minimize it. One way includes the purchase of insurance - many industries and situations require you to carry it. Generally, insurance providers will give more favorable rates to companies that take steps to minimize risk. A solid BCP will go a long way in showcasing how risk-averse your company is, which could lead to lower rates or at the very least, stable rates.

4. More efficient communication Developing a BCP involves constant, company-wide communication in order for it to be successful. For many businesses, this involves collaboration between team members who don't normally work together on a regular basis.

A BCP also fosters communication plans during disasters, both within the organization - most employees have a role, and will need to work together to pull through - and outside - customers, suppliers and other stakeholders will be contacting you. If your employees know how to communicate what needs to be done, effects of the disaster will be minimized.

5. Survival Recent natural disasters around the globe have highlighted that businesses without a plan will most likely be forced out of business. Having a BCP will minimize the chances of this, while preparing your business for survival.

If you are looking to implement a business continuity plan, or improve on an already existing one, please contact us today. We may have a solution for you.

When it comes to social media, each user has their network of preference. Many chose to use more than one, and because of this, trends from one tend to transfer over to others. One such popular idea, first launched on Twitter is now being used on almost every network. Yes, we are talking about the hashtag (#). Love it or hate it, it could help your networking.

The hashtag (#), commonly referred to on telephone systems as the pound key, is a character first used by users of the popular social network Twitter. According to the help forum on Twitter, "It is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages."

Look at nearly any Twitter message and there will usually be hashtags attached. If you were to search for the term e.g., #Cloudbackup on Twitter, you would get a list of all tweets that have mentioned the above example. When Twitter talks about a 'trending topic' it means a subject that has become popular.

This way of categorization has become so popular amongst Twitter users that it's starting to spill over onto the other networks. Instagram for instance has given members the ability to add hashtags to pictures, so that they can be added to groups which can subsequently be searched for. Even Google has gotten in on the act, with Google+ and YouTube both supporting this system.

With Facebook, the hashtag has come to give context to a status. You've probably seen some status updates such as: I love Mondays #sarcasm #bored. This should be read with a sarcastic and slightly bored tone.

Because of the usefulness of the hashtag, some users have become overzealous in their use. Reading a Tweet that says '#Friday is #awesome, here comes a #fun #weekend.' just looks unprofessional and could put off followers.

While effective, there are some basic rules you should follow to help get the most out of your hashtags. Here's four.

1. No long hashtags. Hashtags are meant to be short and associated with one word. Don't make the mistake of adding more than about two words together, as the likelihood of users finding the tag will decrease. e.g., #Cloudservicesareawesome should be avoided, use #cloudservices instead.
2. Minimize their use. It can be tempting to hashtag every keyword in messages, however makes them look weird, while decreasing their readability. It is a good idea to limit use to one or two per message.
3. The hashtag is special. Don't use it for everyday words. Instead use it for product names, or a special part of the announcement. Remember that you don't have to use hashtags in every message. Check out Samsung Mobile's Twitter feed to see a good example of proper use.
4. Use a unique hashtag. If you can, try to use a unique hashtag, something that followers will be able to associate and relate to you. The key here is that when it's used, the user is referred to you, and only you. Do a quick search on Twitter for the hashtag you would like to use, to ensure it's not taken. Many companies will shorten their tag to initials or a shorter term, which is perfectly acceptable.

Hashtags, when used correctly, can be a great way to build brand identity and increase social media presence. If you are looking for a social media plan, please contact us today to see how we can #expandbrands.

Think of the everyday usual precautions you take. When you get into a car, you put on your seatbelt; when you leave the house, you lock the door, the list goes on and on. Yet, when it comes to online security, most people are content with a virus scanner, and do little about securing their personal data stored online. Why is this? If a grocery store clerk asks for your home address and phone number, you'd likely ask why they need it. Online however, we usually provide it without a second thought. Instead, we should be proactive taking steps to protect our personal information.

Here's three things you can do to help secure your personal data shared online.

1. Realize your online actions are risky Read any tech related blog, or even syndicated news articles and it's not hard to see that identity theft and cybercrime in general is not only serious, but on the rise. Let's face it, our online actions are risky. As with any plan, the first step is realizing that there is a problem that needs to be fixed. The first step is to educate yourself about online security, what steps you should take, and what exactly it is.

For example, here's a great article written in the middle of February about how different age groups react to Facebook changes, and if they take steps to minimize who can view their personal data. It's kind of interesting to see that the younger generations take more steps to secure their profiles than their parents, yet you still see people with reputation damaging pictures that can be viewed by anyone.

2. Take matters into your own hands Many people already know their personal information online is at risk, but there are further things you should do to minimize any dangers:

1. Don't rely on websites to keep you secure - Websites like Facebook are companies. They exist to make money. How do they do it? Often by selling information you have given them access to. That's not saying site owners don't look out for their customers' best interests - many do. What you need to do though is look at all the sites you have accounts with and ensure your information is secure to the level you are happy with.
2. Provide the least amount of information possible - Think about the last time you joined a social network, or mailing list. You likely were asked to provide your name, address, birthday, etc. Did you know that you don't have to provide all the information requested? Most sites only require your name and birthday, the rest is optional - usually used to provide better service or targeted ads. Many sites will put an asterisk beside required information to let you know that you have to supply this.
3. Think twice before signing up - It's a good idea when signing up for a new account to think twice. Do you really need this account? Or can you get by without it?
4. Use separate email accounts and passwords - Setting up different email accounts is a good idea. One should be for personal use, so the address is given only to people you know. Another could be for all of your online accounts, with a final one strictly for password recovery. It would be best to make the addresses as different as possible. Beyond that you should have separate passwords for each account and every service. This will limit hackers from being able to gain access to multiple accounts.
5. Secure your browsing - Almost every website that asks users to sign up for accounts offers a secure version of the site. Enter https://www. before the site address, e.g., https://www.facebook.com. https is a secure communications protocol that ensures one is communicating directly with the website - you're actually looking at Facebook, not a phishing site designed to steal passwords.

3. Encourage others to think It's not enough to just take action yourself. Encouraging colleagues, friends and family to also take steps to protect their online information and identities, is worthwhile. There are many great ways to help spread the word about safety, including the National Cyber Security website, which has information on Internet related security. Check it out, and share it!

If you would like to learn about how we can help you keep your information and data safe online, please contact us today for a comprehensive solution!