Armando D'Accordo to speak at FEI

Financial Executives Internaional, Long Island Chapter

presents

"Technology Security in the Cloud"

Speakers:

Adam Jacobson, RedTree Software

Armando D'Accordo, CMIT Solutions

John Fodera, EisnerAmper

Thursday, January 26, 2012

68 South Service Road

Melville, NY 11747

8:00 AM: Registration, Breakfast & Networking

8:30 AM: Panel Discussion

Members: $10 in advance; $15 at the door

Non-Members: $15 in advance; $20 at the door

Advance Registration Recommended

RSVP to Adam Greenberg

(516) 328-2300 ext. 211

agreenberg@abramslaw.com

Happy Holidays from CMIT Solutions!

Our colleague Evan Stein, President of CMIT Solutions of Wall Street & Grand Central used this greeting in his holiday cards to clients. We loved it so much we just wanted to share it with you as well...

Twas the night of the deadline
The systems were choking
I had twelve programs open
My computer was smoking

Emails wouldn’t send
Excel wouldn’t add
My desktop had blue-screened
Someone stole my iPad

From down the hall “Just reboot it”
Someone shouted aloud
But there’s no server here
We had moved to the cloud

But then on my screen
The cursor did fly
A Log Me In session
It was the IT guy

He wiped out the virus
And patched Windows 7
Upgraded my iTunes
While Jobs smiled down from heaven

And I heard him tweet loudly
As he ended our call
“Whether Mac or PC
Happy Holidays to All”

CMIT Solutions would like to wish you a Happy & Healthy Holiday Season :)

Please vote for CMIT Solutions of South Nassau for Long Island Press' Best of L.I. 2012 Competition!! CMIT Solutions of South Nassau can be found under the "Computer Services" category as well as the "Green Company" category.

Click the link below to vote for us!

http://vote.longislandpress.com/engine/YourSubmission.aspx?contestid=40972

We appreciate your votes & support!!

Protect your Data from Phishing Scams

Phishing scams involve an official-looking email, supposedly sent by a bank or other company you do business with. The email may ask you to provide critical account information by replying to the email or clicking on embedded Web links which will take you to a Web site that may appear legitimate, but is actually a malicious Web site set up to steal your information.

Here is a recent example of a phishing attack associated with Verizon Wireless...

Remember:
Do not open suspicious emails. Look for misspellings, awkward requests or inconsistent grammar.
A Web site link included in an email can make getting to a Web site easy, but it can also be used to send you to a malicious Web site.
Never type sensitive personal information in a reply email.
Use spam filters to block suspicious emails.
Use anti-virus and anti-malware software to automatically detect and eliminate malicious software.

Always be cautious when opening and reading your e-mails. Most viruses and scams are covered up with names of companies you trust. Just be careful what you open and click!

Armando D'Accordo Speaking at CPA Seminar

Armando D'Accordo, the President of CMIT Solutions of South Nassau, will be speaking at the CPA Continuing Professional Educational Seminar. The topic of discussion is:

Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity Best Practices and Compliance Issues for the Financial Profession.

This is a must attend for CPA's and Private Accountants
Limited Seating Available
$20 fee per person
2 CPE Credits

Time & Location:
November 15th, 2011
8:00am - 10:00am

Crowne Plaza Hotel
1730 North Ocean Avenue
Holtsville, NY

For More Information or to Register - Click here

Google Search Tips: Bonus Edition!

We've received a good deal of positive feedback from our recent "Google Search Tricks" , Quicktips, so we thought we'd share a few more. View our previous tips on our last blog posts.

Get Stock Quotes

To view the most recent stock price for a company, simply enter "stocks" followed by a space and the ticker symbol.

Search by File Type

Google can return search results only of particular file formats by appending "file type:" and the desired extension after our keyword(s).

Search within a Numeric Range:

Don't be Spooked by Zombies, Viruses, and Bot Nets!

Every year hackers get smarter and sneakier about how to infiltrate people's computers, steal vital personal information, and spread mischief. A few years ago, all you had to worry about was malware spread by e-mail attachments. These days, you have to worry about mysterious links showing up in your instant messages, weird messages from Facebook friends you've never heard of, and malicious websites downloading who knows what to your computer as soon as you visit them.

So what's a safe Web surfer to do, short of unplugging the computer and conducting all correspondence by a carrier pigeon?

1. Stay vigilant, no matter what application you're using. Hackers are hip to new media and won't hesitate to use Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, or instant messaging to get to you. If you wouldn't click on a strange link in email, don't click on it in Facebook.

2. Expect spam and phishing to spike around holidays or major events. If a celebrity just died and you get an email containing an attachment purporting to be video of that celebrity's death -- some good advice is - DONT open it.

3. Read your email with a VERY skeptical eye. One of our clients was recently contacted by a service that said it was investigating another company's registration of a domain under our client's name. They were obviously phishing for information about our client. That email went straight to the trash, no response.

4. Know how to spot a zombie. If your computer sounds like it's running all the time but processing has slowed to a crawl, or you find returned messages in your inbox responding to emails you've never sent-- your computer might well be a part of a bot net.

5. Be wary of warnings. The last few years have seen a huge upswing in false alerts for spyware and virus infections. Users are prompted to install a "free anti-virus" or "spyware removal tool." Those who click "OK" to install the program instead install more spyware.

This Halloween, remember -- you'll probably get a few Halloween related spam, an invitation on Facebook, a suspicious inquiry from an overseas firm, and maybe even a pop-up or two. The best thing you can do is ignore all of this and run another back up of your files. Do a full system scan, and update your antivirus/anti-spyware protection with the latest definitions.

CMIT's marathon service automatically runs system scans and security updates, so you never have to worry about being up to date. To learn more about CMIT Marathon, go to cmitsolutions.com/marathon.

MORE Tips for the Google Search Box!

Last week we showed you some pretty cool features about the Google Search bar. Here are some more tips that you'll love!

Define a word -- Put that Oxford English Dictionary away. Look up definitions using Google by entering "define:word" in the search box (replace 'word' with the term you wish to define, and don't use quotes).
Track a package --
Simply enter a tracking number into the search box. This works with UPS, Fedex, DHL, and most other large shippers.
Get the weather--
Simply type "weather:nameofcity" and Google will return the forecast for the location in the search results. If you're looking for your local weather, just type "weather," and Google will determine your location based on your IP address.
Convert Measurements--
Can't recall how many gallons there are in a hogshead? Google has the answer. Also works with more conventional unit conversions, such as cups to ounces.
Search a website--
Google isn't just for searching the Web at large. You can use Google's search engine to dig into a specific URL. It's very handy for searching sites with large archives, such as news outlets. To do so, enter the keyword you wish to find, then "site:exampleurl.com" (without quotes), substituting the domain you wish to search for exampleurl.com. In this example, we're searching the New York Times for mentions of Mario Batali's Babbo restaurant.

Technician Position for CMIT Long Island

CMIT Solutions is growing.

Want to be a part of this growth?

CMIT Solutions of Long Island is looking for a Junior Technician with hands on experience in Windows Server environments. You'll gain experience through working with our varied clients across the Island.

If you're interested in growing with us and are enthusiastic send your resume to

jobsli@cmitsolutions.com

Use the Google Search Box for More than Searching!

Google is everywhere. Much to the chagrin of the company's trademark attorneys, the name has become synonymous with "search," but there's much more you can do with that little rectangle bar than just search for content.Check out a few of our favorite tricks:

Check flight status -- Enter the name of the airline, the word "flight," and the flight number, and Google will show you the latest status.

Convert currency -- Enter an amount and type of currency, the word "to," and th

e currency to which you wish to convert.

Find local time -- This search works using natural language. Simple type, "What time is it in X," with the X being the name of a city.

Make a calculation -- This one is interesting because Google again uses understanding of natural language to go beyond mere arithmetic.

Tips to Strengthen Your Email Marketing

Email's ubiquity and low cost make it a great tool for small-business owners to communicate with customers and potential customers. Unfortunately, the electronics arms race that has ensued between spammers and spam-filters requires entrepreneurs to think strategically about the design and content of such broadcasts.

However, even if your message has made it past the spam filter, there are still lots that can go wrong. Here are a few tips on getting the most out of your email marketing efforts.
1. Carefully consider the way you use images. In many email clients, the default settings automatically block embedded images, so don't rel solely on images to convey important information. Make sure any vital information that appears in the images (such as our phone number or other contact info) also appears elsewhere as text. Whatever you do, don't send emails that include only images or images with very little text.

2. Use a table of contents in lengthy message. If the content of the email comprises more that a few short paragraphs (for example, in an eNewsletter), include a Table of Contents so the recipient can easily locate topics of interest.

3. Test, test, test. The best way to avoid formatting errors is to view the message in as many email clients as possible, including Outlook, Outlook Express, iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc.) Thunderbird, Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, and Windows Live. Set up your own unique email accounts in as many of these as possible, and send a test version of your email before releasing it to the masses. For an automated method of doing this, consider using a tool like Campaign Monitor.

4. Don't forget to include a Call to Action. You don't want your recipient merely to contemplate the content of your message. You want them to DO SOMETHING! Whether that action is to call you, email you, or visit your website, now is not the time for modesty. Ask and you shall receive!

Rethinking the "Never Reply to Spam" Rule

As the story goes, we've been saying for years that the way to handle spam emails was to never reply to anything, even if there was an unsubscribe link or instructions at the end of the message. After all, spammers dont really care that you don't want them sending you emails, or they wouldn't have sent them in the first place. Furthermore, by replying in any manner, you're confirming that your email account is an active one and therefore a valuable commodity to sell to other spammers.

The best practice is to have a robust spam filter in place like CMIT's Anti-spam to keep unwanted messages from clogging your inbox. However, for those message that sneak through, you may wish to consider an alternative course of action, so long as the spam messages meet certain criteria.

The main question to ask is, "Is the message from a legitimate company?" Sometimes the answer is difficult to ascertain, but if it's trying to sell you diet pills or any kind of "enhancements," just ignore it. Companies that send mass emails are required, as part of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, to include an opt-out link in every message, and to comply with such requests from recipients. Some companies even go as far as to use a third-party service, such as Safe Unsubscribe, to handle opt-out requests without revealing the requestor's email address to the message's sender.

So, if you find your inbox cluttered with newsletters that you no longer wish to receive or special offers from companies with which you have done business, following the unsubscribe instructions probably won't do you any harm. It's a less drastic step than blocking the sender's domain, which might prevent you from receiving legitimate emails such as order confirmations or recall notices.

Watch Out for PayPal E-mail Scam

It has been confirmed by PayPal that there are scam e-mails associated with their company circulating the internet.

The image below is a screen shot of the most recent e-mail scam that you need to be aware of. Especially for those of you who are frequent PayPal users, this can be easily confused with your trusted emails that you receive from PayPal all the time.

Remember:
Do Not click on any links
Check for incorrect spelling as this is a common sign that it is an e-mail scam
Delete the e-mail so you dont accidently open any links or attachments

Always be cautious when opening and reading your e-mails. Most viruses and scams are covered up with names of companies you trust. Just be careful what you open and what you click!

5 Most Glaring Holes in Small Business IT Security

As an IT service provider to small businesses, we see a few common problems among new clients. Whether it's because of oversight, lack of knowledge, neglect, or user error, the following five issues keep many small businesses from achieving their full potential or even worse, jeopardize a company's very existence.

1. Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) - A company's electronic data is one of its most valuable and fragile assets. A shocking number of small businesses either rely on manual backups or just keep their fingers crossed. For maximum protection, a business needs not only an automated backup system (to minimize human error), but also a thoroughly tested and simple-to-implement disaster recovery plan in order to get the business back up and running.

2. Adherence to Security Protocols - Your car alarm won't give you much protection if you leave your keys on the hood. As with many security systems, the human factor is often one of the weakest links. Poor login management, shared passwords, and other shortcuts leave your computers and network open to threats. Educating your staff about the importance of adhering to security measures (and making sure they do) is of utmost importance.

3. Outdated Equipment - This especially applies to network infrastructure such as routers, switches, and firewalls. Just because a device still works, doesn't mean it is working securely. As security protocols have progressed, especially in the wireless space, manufacturers have had to increase performance to keep up with increasingly complicated encryption schemes. Running older hardware makes you an easier target (and therefore more attractive) for hackers.

4. Unsecured Mobile Devices - Yes employees love the convenience of accessing their email via a smartphone, but smartphones are also easy to lose (as are laptops and USB drives). What if that device held sensitive information? Or provided a direct path into your corporate server? Again, adherence to proper security protocols is a paramount. All devices need to be protected with robust, regularly changing passwords, and all employees need to understand and adhere to a written "acceptable use" policy.

5. Lack of Cohesive IT Strategy - Most companies expand their IT infrastructure as their business grows. As such, they often find themselves with a patchwork system. Smart business owners see IT as a strategic business asset, not just a necessary evil. Investing in a coherent, well-designed IT infrastructure not only provides security and increased performance, but also does good things for your bottom line.

Armando D'Accordo Inducted to Merrick Kiwanis!

Armando D'Accordo will be inducted to the Board of Directors of the Merrick Kiwanis Club next thursday September 22, 2011.

Armando is honored to accept this induction and is proud to participate in helping Kiwanis achieve it's vision. It is an organization dedicated to changing the world, one small step at a time. They do so by educating their children, supporting their community and involving themselves in all kinds of community services.

For more information about the Merrick Kiwanis, visit their website!

Happy that you still have Windows XP? So are the Hackers.

Despite being two generations old (an eternity in software time), Windows XP continues to be the most popular operating system in the world. According to security guru Mikko Hypponen, lead researcher at Finland's F-Secure, more than 50% of all machines connected to the Internet run XP.

Why so popular? Its successor Windows Vista, was an utter flop. As grumblings from users and tech media grew, the business community dug in their collective heels and stuck with the tried and true XP ( it didnt help that several popular business apps initially didn't run well or at all on Vista, either). Many of those that had already switched to Vista sough to return to XP (in fact, a Google search for "downgrade from Vista to XP" still returns about 130,000 hits). So, when Windows 7 finally rolled out a few years later, many users viewed it with health skepticism, even though it has since proven itself a worthy successor to XP.

Whatever the reasons for not upgrading, if you're still running XP, you may want to consider the following:

Hackers tend to write Malware with the intent of getting it onto the most computers possible. Because of its large installed user base and less-than-cutting-edge technology, machines running XP are a prime target.

Microsoft has a habit of outing its own security exploits. Hackers pay close attention to security fixes released by Microsoft and note what holes the patches are intended to fix, many of which are not widely known. This makes any machine that is not immediately patched and updated very vulnerable.

Windows 7 was built with multiple, robust layers of security. It will run on all but the most outdated of machines.

Even Microsoft thinks you'd be a fool to keep running XP. Though they've caved to users demands to continue extended support (i.e., patching) for XP through 2014, they went through the trouble to produce an hour-long video with some of their top engineers discussing the pitfalls of continuing to use XP. See the video via our home blog.

Surviving After the Storm...

Hopefully everyone has made it through Hurricane Irene. A lot of damage and power outages has occurred. We want to make sure you are still safe even after the storm.

• Use a flashlight for emergency lighting. Never use candles or open flames indoors.



• When cutting up fallen trees, use caution, especially if you use a chain saw. Serious injuries can occur with these powerful machines, they may snap or break.



• Assess damage to home and contents. Photograph all damage.
  


• Make temporary repairs to protect the building and contents.
  


• Remove and discard all porous organic materials that have become visibly wet or contaminated.



• When using a generator, be sure that the main circuit breaker is off and locked out prior to starting the generator.
  


• Do not attempt to drive across flowing water. As little as six inches of water may cause you to lose control and two feet of water will carry away most cars.

Read more on the after the storm checklist at abc.com

Prepare for Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene, a powerful Category 3 hurricane, is threatening the east coast and it looks like we may get hit hard with the storm. Lastest projections show the hurricane hitting Long Island on Sunday.

Prepare Your Technology
Be sure you have a full backup of all your important data. (both on and off-site preferably)

If you have a UPS battery (Uninterruptible Power Supplies with surge protection) be sure the unit is connected and the auto shutdown software is installed and working.

If you do not have a UPS battery on each device, we recommend shutting
down your PC's and servers if you expect, or are prone to power outages. A sudden loss of power will damage computer equipment. At the very least be sure you have surge protectors if you do not have UPS units.

We advise you to unplug your PC if you do not have a proper UPS or surger protector.

If your in flood prone area, make sure to keep all your computers and hardware off the floors.

**If you have a server and multiple PC's, it might be safest for you to shut down your office for this weekend to protect your systems. Before you take this action, please contact Armando and discuss if this is the best way to prepare for your site**
Office number: (516) 208-4161

Take Control of your Cellphone Camera

One of the biggest gripes about Smartphone cameras, apart from general quality issues, is the clunky (or lack of) controls over camera functions.

Its easy to fumble over functions like zoom, shutter speed, and aperture size. Fortunately, an army of apps awaits, offering tools and options to give you better control over these variables.

Hipstamatic - the $2 app gives your iPhone camera a distinctly analog feel, producing images reminiscent of cheap-o medium-format cameras like the Holga and Lomo. Hipstamatic offers a variety of lenses and film types from which to choose, including several add-on packs for an additional charge.

Camera360 Ultimate - Similar to the Hipstamatic app, but with more features and available for Android-based phones, Camera360 give you Lomo-like effects, but also adds HDR, high contrast reversal film stock simulation, tilt-shift, selective focus (on compatible hardware), alignment grids, and a timer for self-portraits. $4 from the Android store.

PicPlz - This app offers some basic filters and effects, but the real selling point is its integrated social networing capabilities including fast and simple sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, and Foursquare, as well as syncing with Dropbox. Available for free from the Android store.

ProHDR - Compatible with 3GS and newer iPhones, ProHDR offers superior control over the HDR default presets in the iPhone 4's native OS and also lets 3GS users in on the HDR fun. $2 in the iTunes store.

Darkroom - One of the biggest knocks against the iPhones integrated camera is poor low-light performance. Darkroom helps you snap better photos in dim situations by lessening blur cause by insufficient lighting and accidental motion. Available for iPhone only. Free from the iTunes store.

Adobe Photoshop Express - Not a camera app, per se, but a very useful (and FREE) image manipulation tool for iPhone and Android. Crop, rotate, and touch-up your images, as well as apply filters and adjust color, brightness and contrast.

Manage Your Google Gadgets!

Do you know how to add google gadgets to your G-mail Account? No?!
Well we're going to show you!

Open the below Google Gadgets link in a browser window, then watch the video on how to manage your gadgets.

Google Gadgets Lab

Video: How to Manage your Google Gadgets

CMIT Sponors StudentLifeLine

Armando D'Accordo of CMIT Solutions of South Nassau proudly sponsored Student Lifeline in their goal to protect the youth of America. Since 1988, this organization has been dedicated to providing taxi and limo services to bringing home youngsters safely.

Drunk driving continues to be the number one cause of death in this age group. Also, over 1 million children and teenagers are reported missing or abducted each year. Studentlifeline provides car rides home at no cost by sending out cards to schools, law enforcement agencies and commercial entities nationwide. If a teenager is in desperate need of a ride home, Studentlifeline is here to get them home safely.

Armando sponsored the dispersal of these free transportation service cards in the Wantagh area. The cards were distributed throughout the Wantagh school district and the local King Kullen in Wantagh.

This organized effort to keep our youth safe is a great way to decrease the occurrences of drunk drivers and missing children reports.

Ensuring Your Computer Works in Public

Sometimes you might want to connect your laptop in public but want to prevent sharing your machine with everyone. Sharing files and accessing printers is okay when you’re home, but there of course files or settings you might not want everyone in a public hotspot to retrieve.

Changing your security settings and file-sharing permissions each time you are in a new location, try creating a separate user account for each place, such as “Home”, “Office” or “Public”. Administrators often make a “Guest” account too, so that users can log on but don’t have access to all your files. In order to create these profiles, go to your Control Panel--User Account.

If you would like a file to be opened from all accounts, you must log in from administrator, put them in Window 7’s “Public Documents” folder (Shared Documents in XP). If you right-click on that folder, pick the option that says “Share with” and you can choose the users you would like. You can also place the files you only want to view in certain locations in the “My Documents” folder for the appropriate user profile. Then, configure accounts by logging in to each one and adjusting your setting in Control Panel. Any time you want to install new software, log in as administrator and select the “Install for All Users” option. Above all, be sure that file sharing is disabled (Control Panel--Network and Sharing Center--Advanced sharing settings). You can also protect them with a strong password on your “Public” profile. Otherwise, you can share everything on your hard drive with everyone in the same Wi-Fi network.

Managing Multiple Monitors

Sometimes you might feel like your computer screen is a little overcrowded, but before you buy a larger monitor, considering buying an additional one. Two smaller (22”) monitors often cost less than one large (30”) one, so it may be a good investment. It’s additional screen space at a lower cost.

Before you purchase anything however, you want to make sure that a second monitor is supported by your PC. You can do this by seeing if your computer has more than one video output. (A second one can be installed as well.) Different connections are okay--you can use both DVI and VGA, as shown in the picture below.

Once plugged in, Windows should recognize both monitors. If not, right click on your desktop, select "Screen Resolution" and use the "Detect" and "Identify" buttons to configure the second display. Once this is up and running, you are free to organize your windows however you please. Some people choose to keep email and chat programs open on one screen while working on a document on the other.

You can put them in "Duplicate" mode to show the same display on both screens, or only show one monitor at a time, depending on what you are doing. Press "Windows key + P" to look through all the configurations, or view the options in the "Screen Resolution" control panel.

If you have questions about multiple monitors, feel free to call us at CMIT and we can help you decide what is the best option for you adn can help you with your hardware purchases.

Before you purchase anything however, you want to make sure that a second monitor is supported by your PC. You can do this by seeing if your computer has more than one video output. (A second one can be installed as well.) Different connections are okay—you can use both DVI and VGA, as shown in the picture below.Once plugged in, Windows should recognize both monitors. If not, right click on your desktop, select “Screen Resolution” and use the “Detect” and “Identify” buttons to configure the second display. Once this is up and running, you are free to organize your windows however you please. Some people choose to keep email and chat programs open on one screen while working on a document on the other.

You can put them in “Duplicate” mode to show the same display on both screens, or only show one monitor at a time, depending on what you are doing. Press “Windows key + P” to look through all the configurations, or view the options in the “Screen Resolution” control panel.

If you have questions about multiple monitors, feel free to call us at CMIT and we can help you decide what is the best option for you and can help you with your hardware purchases.

Going Digital: A Paperless Office

Have you seen the recent New York Times article about airline pilots replacing bulky, printed in-cockpit flight manuals with digital versions on iPads? It makes great sense being that the digital version weighs a fraction of the 40lb. paper version, receives updates in real-time, and is easily searchable.

When PCs were revolutionizing the way businesses operated in the mid-90s, the so-called "paperless office" held the promise of eliminating the mass amounts of paper that clogged file cabinets and inboxes. It required careful organization and storage in order to keep track of everything.

The reality was much different, however. Computer crashes, software glitches, and even the occasional server-room fire necessitated maintaining hard copies of just about everything as a backup. Perhaps you recall when people used to print copies of every email "just in case." In addition, government regulations required certain industries to maintain paper archives or face consequences.

However, technological advances in data security, including reliable, redundant backup systems, along with regulatory acceptance now make the paperless office (or, less-paper office) not only a reality, but in many cases, a competitive necessity.

At a recent NYeHealth summit, Maria Trusa, executive director of the Scarsdale Medical Group, stated "In 2004 I had to convince 11 physician partners that EHR (electronic health records) was something we needed to do. The cost of running our practice was beginning to skyrocket. The staff was always looking for charts and as a result things were getting out of control. We had two full-time and two part-time employees dedicated to finding charts. And because those charts took up so much room, we were considering moving because we physically needed more space."

Trusa's group quickly needed to adopt EHRs or face the significant expense of moving to new offices, all because they were drowning in paperwork.

On a good note, you don't have to wait until there is a fiscal gun to your head to start reaping the benefits of the paperless office. Going digital will save you money, not only on physical storage space, but also on labor. No more wasting time spending hours digging through the file cabinets to track down one misplaced invoice. Even if you already conduct much of your business digitally, there is almost always opportunities for increased efficiency, convenience, and cost savings by leveraging technology.

Go Multimedia with Windows Live Writer

Maintaining a company blog is a great way to engage your customers and raise your online profile (Google's search algorithm loves good blog content), and you don't need to hire a web developer to do it. Microsoft's Windows Live Essentials provides several useful tools to help you publish a media-rich, professional looking blog free of charge. Today we'll discuss Windows Live Writer.

First, download the software package here.

Once you've got it installed, open Windows Live Writer, and you'll be asked which blog site you use. Choose the service you're using, or pick a new one.

We chose to create a new blog using WordPress.

Enter the login credentials for your blog into Writer, and you'll see an editing window like this:

Enter a title for the post and begin typing! If you'd like to add a link, select the "hyperlink" button on the top right corner of the editor.

Writer will automatically create the appropriate HTML code for your links.

Adding images and web video is just as simple. Choose from the "Picture" or "Video" drop-down menus below the "Hyperlink" button, and select the source. You can add media either stored on your computer or out on the web.


Alternatively, click on the "insert" tab for more media-embedding options.

Once you're ready to put it up on the web, just hit the "Publish" button, and you'll be taken to your latest post.

Congratulations! Your blog now has content!

Stay tuned for more QuickTips on how to use Windows Live Writer to get the most exposure for your business, including search-engine tools, best-practices, and social media.

Beware of Shortened Web Links

Shortened URLs essentially condense a link so it can fit in a smaller space. This is especially ideal for sites like Twitter that restrict the number of characters used. Popular shorteners include TinyURL and Bit.ly. While it may seem helpful to abridge a link, this can also be a major security risk. Now users can’t immediately tell if they are being redirected to a faulty or infected site. We generally advise people to be wary of links in general, but shortened URLs should especially be paid attention to.

To check the legitimacy of a link, hover over it and look in the lower left corner of the screen to see if the link matches. With shortened URLs, it is impossible to complete this particular verification method. Because of this, cybercriminals are taking advantage and using these “abbreviations” as a way to spread malware. This is especially the case on various social networks, since it can appear like they are sent from friends.

If you are hesitant about a link you come across, there are a couple ways that you can check if you are being taken to a safe site. One way is to use verification sites such as AVG’s Linkscanner that can detect faulty pages behind shortened URLs. Also be sure you anti-virus software is up-to-date. This way, just in case you click on a link, your software can help protect you.