Protect Yourself from Identity Theft and Fraud!

I recently delivered a seminar about the dangers of identity theft and fraud. During my research, I learned that identity theft is the #1 crime reported to the FTC. I wanted to share the information that I presented with readers because I believe it is an extremely important topic. It is imperative that you become knowledgeable about the ways in which you can protect your personal information.

You can avoid becoming a victim of fraud and identity theft.

What is Identity Theft?

• It occurs when someone steals your personal information – e.g., credit card or Social Security number – and uses it fraudulently
• It can cost you time and money
• It can destroy your credit and ruin your good name

Identity Theft Facts

• It is the #1 crime reported to the FTC.
• Over 11 million people became victims of identity fraud in 2009.
• The number of identity fraud incidents increased by 12 % over 2008.
• New York State is one of the Top 10 locations for Identity Theft. 
• Small business owners suffered identity fraud at 1.5 times the rate of other adults.
• Identity theft is frequently the result of the simplest ways to steal information, not from complex computer hacking or Internet fraud.
• It is essential to keep up with the laws that apply to your business
• Example: Select Physical Therapy in Levelland, TX was fined $990,000 by the Texas Attorney General for throwing old files in a dumpster
• There was NO confirmed Identity Theft as a result.
• The records were found by Dumpster-Divers
• California vs. Greenwood, 1988: “There is no common law expectation of privacy for discarded materials”

Fraud Facts

• Your bank will never email of call you for your account number.
• Don’t wire money to people you don’t know.
• Be cautious of work-at-home job offers.
• Check out the company with the Better Business Bureau.
• There are no legitimate jobs that involve reshipping items or financial instruments for your home.
• Foreign lotteries are illegal in the US. You can’t win no matter what they say.
• Check your monthly blank statements for charges you don’t recognize.
• Bill Gates is not giving away money if you forward emails
• The spice King, Tobacco Heiress and all the other people who want to share their fortune with you are hackers and scam artists. DON’T BE FOOLED by these scams, and DO NOT reply to the emails of any scammer or spammer.
• Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three national credit bureaus once a year from annualcreditreport.com.

How does Identity Theft Happen?

• Identity thieves may: 
• Go through your trash or “dumpster dive”
• Steal your wallet or purse
• Steal your mail or submit a change of address form for your mail
• Use “phishing” or fake emails addresses to get you to provide personal information, or use other ‘con’ techniques to trick you
• Steal personnel records from their employers
• Use virus or spyware to steal passwords and/or account numbers
• ‘Hack’ your computer or network

click below for more details and helpful information

Make Sure You're Prepared for Major Storms!

Listen to Storm Warnings and Take Precautions


I have seen too many people data and equipment due to a lack of preparation... so I am once again reminding everyone to be proactive. The storms that occurred this past week resulted in some people losing power supplies or hard drives. In most of these recent cases, the person had not taken the proper precautions and did not have a UPS protecting their computer. To recap some basic points:

PREPARE YOUR TECHNOLOGY:

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

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 surge protector.

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

PREPARE YOUR HOME & OFFICE:

 

 

Enable remote access if you will need to access data from home (and if you have the aforementioned UPS units in place).

Take in or secure all outdoor property (furniture, gas grills, sheds, outside storage tanks).

Ensure proper working condition for emergency equipment, such as flashlights and battery powered radio and first aid kits.

Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.

Stock up on non-perishable foods, first aid supplies, and drinking water.

Make a plan for you and your family pets if you need to evacuate.

Have an out of state friend as a family contact, so that all your family members have a single point of contact.

Check your battery backups on sump pumps, alarm systems, etc.

Move all contents to higher floors if it looks like flooding is imminent (especially items of high or unusual value and vital records).

**If you have a server and multiple PC's, please contact Armando and discuss if this is the best way to prepare for your site**

Office number: (516) 208-4161

After the Storm (general procedures)

·         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.

Save Time with Keyboard Shortcuts!

Most computer users know that simple keyboard shortcuts are faster than having to constantly point-and-click for every task you want completed.
If you have Windows and your keyboard has a Microsoft Windows Logo Key (pictured below), try to learn and practice these handy shortcuts to increase your speed and efficiency.

• Windows Logo:  Start menu
• Windows Logo+BREAK:  System Properties dialog box
• Windows Logo+D:  Desktop (all pages will minimize)
• Windows Logo+M:  Minimize (all pages will minimize)
• Windows Logo+SHIFT+M: Restore the minimized windows
• Windows Logo+E:  My Computer
• Windows Logo+F:  Search for a file or a folder
• CTRL+Windows Logo+F:  Search for computers
• Windows Logo+F1:  Windows Help
• Windows Logo+L:  Lock keyboard
• Windows Logo+R:  Run dialog box
• Windows Logo+U:  Utility Manager

Now let's focus on shortcuts to allow you to navigate quickly through the file tree in Windows Explorer (pictured below).



When you select items in the left-hand pane, NUM LOCK combinations will allow you to show and hide folders without having to use your mouse!

• NUM LOCK + ASTERISK (*): Shows all the subfolders within the selected folder
• NUM LOCK + PLUS SIGN (+):  Shows content of the selected folder
• NUM LOCK + MINUS SIGN (-):  Collapses selected folder
• LEFT ARROW – Collapses current selection folder (if expanded), or selects the parent folder
• RIGHT ARROW – Shows the current selection (if collapsed), or selects the first subfolder

The next 2 shortcuts work for both panes.

• END:  Highlights the last file in the browser
• HOME:  Highlights the first file in the browser

Another quick trick for finding a certain folder or file in a window is to type the first letter of the subfolder or file you want to find (best results when the files are sorted alphabetically). For example, if you wish to find a folder called “Quicktime,” you would press “Q” to go to the first folder that starts with “Q” in the right-hand pane. If the folder you wish to find is one of many with the same first letter, keep pressing the letter until your desired folder is selected.

find out how to make your own keyboard shortcuts for your programs by clicking below!

Ensure Safety While Using Public Wi-Fi with Virtual Private Networking (VPN)

Now, more than ever, people are taking advantage of the availability of public Wi-Fi hotspots. A frightening truth, that some Wi-Fi users are not aware of, is that almost everything you do while on a public network can be seen my snoopers. When we say alomost everything is visible, we include webpages viewed over an unencrypted connection, plain text emails that are sent, and sometimes even password information. Websites that use secure connections, however, are much more difficult for snoopers to view. To be sure the connection is secure, look for "https" in your web address bar, instead of "http." Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo!, Microsoft Live, and some others, all use a secure method to ensure your login information remains private.

What if you want to access a work computer or server remotely? This is why Virtual Private Networking (VPN) is essential. VPN creates a secure “tunnel” which connects your laptop to your business' private network. All information that passes through this "tunnel" is encrypted (captured data would appear to snoopers as gibberish!).

VPN treats your portable devices like they are physical nodes on your company’s in-house network, even though they're in a different location. This grants access to files on the server, company databases, and sometimes even printers. Remote desktop capabilities may be included in your VPN service; these allow you to run applications on your work computer as if you were physically at your work station. Additionally, VPN technology is user-friendly and provides a high level of security. It’s a "Must Have" if you have ever or plan to access your company’s network remotely in any location--even from home.

Cool and Useful Technology

What is in your home and business?

Since I use and rely on technology for my livelihood, I often try to keep things simple for myself, my family, and my clients. However, in this article I am breaking away from sound technology advice and focusing on the cool side of technology.

Keep in mind that being in the technology business does not preclude me from being surprised and amazed by advancements that are popping up on a regular basis. For example: imagine my surprise the first time I saw my family dancing while playing a video game in front of the TV without a joystick or controller! For someone who learned on the Atari system, this was a more impressive advancement than going from Pong to Missile Command! Speaking to my phone and getting intelligent answers in return is also pretty amazing. (Watching other people argue with their iPhones is sometimes hilarious!)

So here is a short list of the coolest things I have found for both business and personal use in the last couple of years:

· DVR: (Digital Video Recorder) I really can’t imagine watching TV without being able to pause, rewind, and record a show or a game – without a VHS tape. It has really spoiled me. (It does make it a little too easy to get a snack without missing anything – good for the game, not for the diet…)

· Slingbox: a device that will broadcast your TV signal to a secure account that is viewable via any PC or tablet connected to the Internet. I use it all the time, especially when I am out of town so I can keep up with the local teams back home.

· MIFI: a credit card sized device that allows Internet access for up to 5 devices at once. It works great anywhere that you can get a cell phone signal.

· iPad: amazing little device with a ton of uses. One of which I discovered when I committed to an airport pickup without realizing that I would miss a NY Giants Monday night game… I had to think fast, so I went home early to be sure the Slingbox was working. I then purchased the Slingbox app from the itunes store and I charged the MIFI. Before I left I connected the MIFI for Internet access, and used the slingbox app to connect to my DirecTV DVR. It all worked great and I watched the game in the airport parking lot, and listened to it while I drove there and back. The person I picked up was impressed, and they were able to watch the game on the way home. (The Giants lost to the Saints that night, but the season ended well, as you know!!)

· iPhone 4s: what’s all the fuss? Well it is pretty amazing. Siri, the speech enabled application, is not a toy; it reads me emails and articles aloud, it can send text messages and emails without me tpying on the phone, and in general, it responds well to verbal requests. Another positive about Siri is that she is very polite and never speaks back to me. There are a ton of other apps that make the device a useful phone, mp3 player, and mini laptop with high speed access to email and the Internet. It also has a high def video camera and an 8 mega pixel camera.

· Remote access. If you are not able to access your home and work PC remotely, you are missing out on a very useful tool. In some cases the basic functionality is free, but the more advanced functionality requires a subscription. All CMIT managed clients should know that remote access to your work/managed PC is included at no extra charge.

· Apple TV: a small device that hooks up to your TV, connects to your Wi-Fi, and allows access to internet, movies, and applications through the TV; it makes a standard TV web enabled for $99! And, most impressively, it allows you to broadcast your iPhone, iPad, and apple laptop screens on your TV. Now when we have some pictures or videos from an event we can show the family without everyone crowding around a PC or laptop screen.

Another cool and very useful product that is not used daily in most homes or businesses is my new CMIT impressions device. It is a 55inch high definition television, a web conferencing tool with amazing sound and video clarity, a fully functional windows 7 tablet PC with touch screen capabilities, Microsoft Office 2010, white boarding, and much more. Since it is all integrated into one device it is very easy to set up. I have one in my conference room and plan to install one in my family room in the near future.

These are just a few of the new devices that I use, install, and support in my business and personal life.

Can you guess what this is?

Here is a hint:

This picture was taken in 1956.

answer?

Identity Theft Seminar!

Our computers are great assets, but they can also be a source of danger.

Attend this event and learn how to protect your identity and the information that you are safeguarding for your clients and employees.

CPA's will be earn two CPE credits, all others will learn a lot!

 

Join Us!



Tuesday, June 19, 2012

8AM- 10AM

Registration 7:45 AM

Ducks Stadium/ Bethpage Ballpark

3 Courthouse Drive

Central Islip, NY

Speakers:

Sandra G. Johnson, CPA EA CFE of Sandra G. Johnson CPA

Armando D'Accordo, President of CMIT Solutions of South Nassau

Christine Ippolito, Professional HR Expert of Compass Workforce Solutions

Steve Innerfield of Quality Shredding

Seminar Cost Includes Breakfast:

$20/pp on or before June 15th

$30/pp after Friday, June 15th

(Raffle Prizes Available!!)

Remit Payment to:

Check payable to Educational Foundation of NS/NCCPAP

                        

                         NCCPAP

          22 Jericho Turnpike-ste 110

                 Mineola, NY 11501

                       (888) 488-5400

                                     OR

               REGISTER ONLINE at

               WWW.NCCPAP.ORG

Your LinkedIn account could be compromised.

Many users of the business-networking website, LinkedIn, were included in a list of 6.5 million stolen passwords that was released yesterday on a Russian website.

LinkedIn took the opprotunity to confirm the publication on their blog yesterday afternoon.

While your password might not have been on the list, CMIT Solutions highly recommends that you change your LinkedIn password... Now! Changing your password as soon as possible will help to avoid compromising your account.

Additionally, if you like to use the same password for more than one of your accounts, we recommend you change those passwords as well.

From CNN.com:

"[LinkedIn] did not offer any information about how the passwords were stolen or the extent of the damage, but it said it is 'continuing to investigate' the matter."

CMIT Solutions Launches 'CMIT Impression: Visual Collaboration Made Easy' for Small Businesses

Use of Mondopad, MeetMe Video Conferencing, Any-to-Any Platform Will Revolutionize Small Business Communication
As seen on Yahoo Finance

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire -12/13/11)- CMIT Solutions, a leading managed service IT provider for small businesses, has unveiled a new package that will transform the way small businesses communicate and operate.

CMIT Impression combines enterprise-class collaboration -- including video conferencing, whiteboarding and interactive presentations -- with a 55-inch, touch-optimized tablet and a conferencing bridge that transcends operating systems. The bridge allows users to see each other, talk, share documents and view presentations using any video platform from anywhere in the world.

CMIT Solutions calls it "Visual Collaboration Made Easy," and it represents a massive step forward for easy-to-use technology available to small businesses. Traditionally, small business owners have been slow to adopt video conferencing because of the inconsistent quality of consumer-grade systems and the prohibitive price of enterprise-level offerings, causing them to rely on the traditional conference call.

Small business owners and employees are traveling less and relying more on telecommuting, driving the need for a superior version of video conferencing: visual collaboration. CMIT Solutions is leading the market's adoption of a higher-quality visual collaboration tool previously out of reach for most small businesses.

CMIT Impression solves the problem through a pair of technology partners: California-based Vidtel, whose cloud-based, high-definition MeetMe video conferencing system provides up to 12 users on a conferencing "bridge"; and Oregon-based InFocus, whose 55-inch Mondopad giant tablet has a touch screen, digital whiteboarding and high-quality audio and is powered by an integrated Windows 7 Pro PC. CMIT Solutions has worked closely with InFocus in recent months in preparation for the company's general Mondopad launch, demonstrating CMIT Solutions' growing influence in the industry.

The combination allows small business owners, colleagues and clients to easily talk, share documents and take part in interactive presentations without being in the same location. CMIT Impression offers everything an enterprise-class video conferencing system does, at a competitive price and across any popular video-chat application. CMIT Impression includes collaboration features such as a shared whiteboard, annotation and document sharing, which allows multiple parties to share documents through an intuitive, user-friendly interface.

For more information about CMIT Solutions, visit www.cmitsolutions.com.