All it takes in one innocent security slip by you or one of your employees to instantly give online criminals the information they need to access your network and steal your identity. In no time at all, they can gain enough information to max out your credit cards, wipe out your bank accounts, and completely obliterate your business and personal credit. They can even use your identity to commit further crimes such as forgery, stealing from other businesses, or online scams. This nightmare can take months, sometimes years, to clean up and can destroy your credit and good name.

     That's why, for a limited time, I'm giving away FREE copies of my new eBook, "What Every Business Owner MUST Know To Protect Themselves Against Online Identity Theft" (a $19.97 Value, FREE during December). This critical eBook will reveal:

• The three most effective tricks online identity thieves use to gain access to your business and personal information - and how to avoid them.
• Sneaky e-mails you should delete IMMEDIATELY upon receiving (you'll want to share this list with your friends, family and staff).
• One super-easy, sure-fire way to make your computer network impervious to online identity thieves.
• How to protect yourself against NEW scams being spread through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
• How to keep your employees from accidentally giving away passwords and other "keys to the kingdom" to Internet criminals.

     Copies of this eBook will be made available for FREE until December 31, 2011. To receive a copy of my eBook, give us a call at 518-320-8906 or send us an email at: trivia@groffnetworks.com.

     If you have questions about how we can assess your network to verify you have all of the best identity theft protection in place, give us a call. 

When most people think of Skype, they think of video chatting. The truth is, Skype is much more. Skype works on your computer, regular phone, or cell phone and runs off your Internet connection so you can talk, IM, send pictures or videos, and conduct live video conferences for free with anyone else in the world that also has Skype. It even works on various game consoles.

You can also use Skype to make calls, texts, and video conferences to phone numbers that do not have Skype. Because of its versatility, ease of use, and low cost, many businesses are adopting the technology to help them communicate with their mobile workers and with vendors from around the world.

To set up Skype on your computer, simply go to www.skype.com and click on the "Download" tab. To install on your mobile phone, open up your phone's web browser and go to skype.com/m. 

     More than 80 years have passed since Emily Post wrote her first book on etiquette. Back then, the rules had more to do with how to properly introduce someone and which fork to use at a dinner party. But with the introduction of new communication tools comes new rules of engagement. Here are 15 quick tips and rules for what is - and isn't - acceptable behavior when using e-mail.

1. Be concise and to the point. Read your e-mail to make sure it makes sense before sending to avoid e-mail "ping-pong".

2. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation. This is still a communication and a representation of YOU. Sloppy spelling and punctuation looks unprofessional.

3. Don't use e-mail to deliver bad or personal news. If you need to discuss a serious matter with someone, only use e-mail to request a face-to-face meeting or phone call, not to deliver the news.

4. Do not attach unnecessary files, especially large ones. Sending big files can cause someone's e-mail system to clog, shut down or crash. Instead, use www.yousendit.com for large documents.

5. Do not overuse the high priority option. Use it only when something is truly critical and time sensitive.

6. Do not write in CAPITALS; it's the equivalent of shouting.

7. Don't leave out the message thread.

8. Give your recipients an easy way to opt-out or remove themselves from your list.

9. Do not overuse "Reply to All". If you have a message for the sender that is not relevant to everyone else, make sure you only send it to that person.

10. Do not "CC" everyone when sending a broadcast to multiple people. Instead, use the BCC (blind carbon copy) to keep everyone's e-mail private.

11. Don't overuse abbreviations and emoticons.

12. Don't use neon colors, hard to read, fancy fonts and background images. They make it difficult - if not impossible - to read your message.

13. Only use rich text or HTML messages when you are certain the recipient can receive that type of message. Many people can only open text messages, and most rich text and HTML messages don't convert well.

14. Do not forward a message that was sent to you without permission from the original sender.

15. Do not use e-mail to discuss confidential information. If you don't want the entire world to see it, then don't put it in an e-mail.

2. Make sure all of your security programs have real-time updates and scans to check for viruses on a continuous basis.

3. Check regularly to be sure your virus scan programs are up-to-date and the most recent versions.

4. Have a firewall installed and make sure it is properly configured.

5. Make sure your browsers have the latest security patches installed.

6. Avoid downloading applications from the Internet. Free games and applications often contain unwanted spyware and malware.

7. Be careful when you open e-mail attachments. Even if you know the person sending it to you, scan the e-mail before you open it.

8. Install a spam filter or delete spam e-mail as soon as it arrives in your inbox. Do not be tempted to open spam as such messages can often contain links that lead to phishing sites or viruses.

9. Beware of virus hoaxes. If you receive an e-mail that says certain files on your computer need to be deleted because they have been infected with a virus, search the web for sites that write about hoaxes to see if the message is genuine or not.

10. Always choose secure passwords. Do not use names of relatives, birth dates or anything else that can be easily guessed. Use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols to strengthen passwords.