Ou4W9aNNCGd5OQZ0ELMjEtytdUW3o: December 2012

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Ways That Credit Card Fraud Can Affect Business

Credit card fraud is not an occurrence without its share of repercussions. If you run a business, then you know this in a hurry. But what options do you have? After all, you don't want to move to cash and check only, because you limit the convenience to your customers and the reach of your business's profitability. It's far better to enter the shark infested waters of commerce and fight to be the top fish in the sea. To do so, you'll need to be mindful of the ways that thieves operate, and you'll need to stay ahead of the game when it comes to defeating their efforts. If not, here are some ways that credit card fraud can affect your business for the worst:

1) Chargeback results

Chargebacks are perhaps a business owner's worst nightmare because they represent a sale lost along with missing merchandise. When a chargeback victimizes a business, it means that business will not be getting the money for the merchandise, and it will also lose the merchandise itself so the possibility of eventually getting a sale on that particular item are null and void. Chargebacks occur more often than anyone would prefer for them to, on account that many businesses are not equipped to deal with the issues of alerts and warnings. They cut corners on technology, and as a result they receive outdated information that could have helped them avoid the transaction altogether.

2) Bad reputation

If you burn your potential customers by serving the people, who are stealing and using their cards, then you quickly develop a reputation as a business that is lax on customer protection. If a person does not feel safe doing business with your company, then he won't. But the carnage doesn't end there. A dissatisfied or scorned potential customer will tell 10 others not to do business with you, and pretty soon your loss of one transaction becomes a loss of 11. Proactivity is a much better suggestion if you are looking to accept credit and debit cards for your business.

3) Diminishing sales

The harder that you lose the fight against credit card fraud, the fewer sales that you will end up making, and that will ultimately kill your business. While credit card fraud may only take up a small percentage of the transactions that you encounter on a given day, how you deal with them is of the utmost importance. Fraud is like a cancer to a business. Refusal to treat it will only result in the spread of its damaging effects.

When you take a proactive stance, you stand in favor of your customers, and when they see that, you will have more of them to stand up for.

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How To Prevent Credit Card Fraud Online

Preventing credit card fraud online can be very challenging, even more so than brick and mortar credit card fraud, if you are not using the right tools for the job. What makes it inherently more difficult to stop credit card fraud online is that you are not in the physical presence of the thief. You have no photo ID to compare to the face behind the credit card, and as such, you have to rely on more technologically sound methods to detect and prevent. Unfortunately, technology is not foolproof, especially if you are playing with the wrong bank identification number database.

Preventing credit card fraud starts with establishing identification. While many people rely on the three digit code on the back of the card as proof that the person using the card actually has ownership of it, this doesn't prevent against lost or stolen cards. While a bin database purports to stay on top of card numbers that are being used in questionable ways, many fail to keep their rolls updated the way that they should. Keeping a good database costs money, and many companies would rather inflate their profit margins and leave you in danger of chargebacks, rather than pour in the necessary resources to run a good product. Be leery of those businesses that are able to severely undersell their competition.

If you run an online business, then you must, must, must, invest in a reputable bin database. That's the only way you'll be able to tell if the customer has put any holds on the card because of a lost or stolen criteria. It is your responsibility to make sure that you know about these measures, even as it is the customer's responsibility to report their card lost or stolen the moment it comes to their attention. Just like customers may be financially liable for forgetting to do so, you could lose the merchandise and the sale if you do not follow due diligence as well.

So the key to preventing credit card fraud online is that you must invest in the safety of your business, not only for your customer's well being, but your own as well. The economy is far too tough for you to be reckless with business practices, and if you do go the extra mile to protect against online fraud, then you will likely make it back through consumer confidence and a higher number of completed transactions. And with each new transaction that comes your way, that's more profit you can add to the bottom line. It really is a win-win when you lash out against fraud. And in the online world, you'll need to be ever more vigilant against the perpetrators of these crimes.

Network Security for Businesses Handling Credit Cards

Network security is required for businesses and organizations with electronic record systems. As card payments are an increasingly-popular option for such entities of all sizes, network security is imperative. Such establishments, in order to be compliant in this regards, must follow PCI security standards.

Standards for credit card network security are the PCI DSS. As tools and measurements for ensuring safe handling of information, PCI DSS serves as the framework for developing an account data security process, which encompasses prevention, detection, and reaction to security breaches. Compliance with these standards is crucial, as a secure system shows customers can trust your business and secures your reputation with acquirers and payment brands. As with all network security standards, compliance with PCI DSS is ongoing, and a business utilizing credit cards must always be on top of the latest threats.

As the technical and operational requirements for protecting cardholder data, PCI security standards are managed by the PCI Security Standards Council and enforced by the payment card brands. Much like any network security policy, PCI security standards require such businesses to assess their systems and submit reports. For the former, a network security professional must identify cardholder data, take inventory of all related business processes, and analyze the system for vulnerabilities. Such an individual not only offers solutions for fixing vulnerabilities but also needs to check that the system does not share cardholder data unless necessary.

Reporting involves submitting remediation validation records and submitting compliance reports to banks and card brands with which a company does business.

Businesses taking credit cards aren't the only entities required to follow such network security standards. Software vendors must abide by the Payment Application Data Security Standard. Geared specifically toward developing payment applications and store and process cardholder data, PA-DSS standards fall in with PCI-DSS compliance, with both assisting with minimizing security breaches and corresponding damage. However, companies that internally develop their own payment applications do not need to follow PA-DSS. Instead, PCI-DSS is the corresponding set of standards in this regards.

Although PCI-DSS has several standards, 3.3 is particularly important. This requirement specifies that a full credit card number, or PAN, be masked unless the viewing party has a specific need to see the full number, such as to see if all appropriate digits were entered for a transaction. Additionally, 3.3 states that webpage timeouts may be used to prevent credit card numbers from being exposed and that SSL needs to be embedded to secure any entered data.

Are Static Passwords Obsolete? The Rise of One Time Passwords

With the introduction of new ways of authenticating a user such as face recognition, fingerprint scanning, retina scans, and puzzle solving; regular static passwords are becoming less secure and cumbersome for users to remember. When the internet first started, it was exciting to have a strong and hard to guess password for your emails, but now these same types of passwords can be easily guessed and hacked into.

More and more users are using online banking, making financial transactions, purchasing things online on their tablets, and putting sensitive information on the web. Ordinary passwords just aren't as secure enough to protect users against malware and hackers. With all these sites and logins that we have, it gets harder and harder to remember all these usernames and passwords. It's not only the security that is of question, but also the costs associated with it. We rarely think about how much it costs to reset a password if it's lost, stolen, or forgotten, but someone or some company is always responsible to reset passwords and send users a new one. Industry reports show that an average cost of resetting a password is $30.

One time passwords are a great way to protect users from fraud and malware, especially if combined with an out of band authentication method. Banking and financial institutions use one time passwords to secure their user logins using an out of band authentication method. How it works is a user enters in their login credentials and their mobile phone is sent a one-time password from an outside server. Once the user receives the password on their mobile phone, they enter it into the website they are trying to gain access to and access is granted if the one time password is correct. This is one of the best ways to authenticate a user because the password is sent to a user's mobile phone. This is type of authentication method doesn't require a user to carry additional hardware or even install additional software on their cell phone to use which makes it more convenient than hardware tokens. It's also a great way to authenticate a user because most users have their cell phones on them all the time.

Google also uses one-time passwords and sends them to their users if a user is logging in from a separate IP address than the one usually used if the user requests for this service. One time passwords aren't just as secure as they used to be even though they're still widely used and one time passwords are going to be the future of authentication and securing user's sensitive data.

Network Computer Security Risks Faced by the Corporate Users

Network administrators are surrounded today with a growing list of security risks and analysts are faced with not just one crisis but more while accessing servers. Dealing with such security risks is an overwhelming job and everyday, as these risks multiply, they are affecting more and more corporate lives.

Cyber security still has to keep worms, Trojans and viruses at bay, provided by many hackers and cyber criminals over the years. Despite the threat of cyber-terrorism, employers, as well as employees who use instant messengers and those who download featured movies and other applications increase their risk of being attacked by viruses.

Here is the list of the risk factors involved which the network security company should guard themselves against:

· Email attachments- when employees open attachments, especially unknown ones, they allow a worm or a virus to enter the corporate network. The latest worms can make their way into the system even without clicking a link to them.

· Blended attacks- viruses and worms are becoming more and more complicated and a single virus or worm can attack more than one platform.

· Downloading from websites- the employees frequently misuse the network access at their work place by downloading too many things like games, movies, music, etc. It creates a platform for the viruses to attack and they can use up most of the bandwidth.

· By renaming documents-when an employee saves critical business information under a different file name, the monitoring software that regularly checks the emails leaving the company might fail to recognize the saved information under the different name.

· Music and video browsers- these are browsers that automatically connect the user with the related websites without the user's permission. If a music browser knows a user's interest, it can automatically connect the user to the related sites and execute the applications that could put the networks at risk and potentially use a huge portion of the bandwidth.

There are other network security risks that can cause disastrous effects to the server and automatically damage a huge amount of online corporate functionalities. To prevent these damages, the employees and the employers need to avoid all of the risks associated with network security. The network security company, with the use of intrusion detection system (IDS) and intrusion prevention system (IPS) can ensure an effective network security for your organization so that you can perform effectively and safely.

Network security companies have a large number of dedicated security teams that can effectively install next generation firewalls that can protect your server from hackers and cyber criminals. Moreover, with the help of the expanded firewall protection, the server can then create a good network administration. To find the best network security company, you could search online for the one that best suits your needs and requirements.

Mobile Or Not - The Technical Differences Between Mobile And Stay At Home Security

Over the last few years there has been an increase in the presences of the "Mobile" offerings of websites. Many have "Mobile versions now, and there are even many "Mobile versions of games, and the "Mobile" revolution has increased the popularity of the "App." But aside from the way a page or game displays on the mobile device, many people don't realize the other technological differences in these programs, and this is never more apparent than when mobile users question the experts. On these websites there is a much more detailed version of this explanation of the differences, but in a nutshell, here is why many standard programs and apps may not work very well on a mobile device.

Identifying The Target Computer

Security expert, Michael Maxstead, explains that PPTP, IPSec, and SSL all use the IP address of the computer on the other end of the tunnel to identify that the computer it is communicating with is the correct device. And this is perfect for a device that is stationary... an at home PC, hotel LANs, and even the occasional WiFi hot-spot. But, when this connection point changes often, for example, many mobile devices will have 3 and 4G connections using the cell towers along with these "Hot-spots" and wireless AP's. And will "hop" from connection point to connection point quickly. A standard VPN client isn't designed with these constant changes in mind, so many disconnects and AP changes causes crashes, time-outs and tunnel breaks.

The Mobile VPN Client

According to Mr. Maxstead, a mobile VPN solution from a provider like IPVanish, or Hide-My-Ass, wouldn't rely on the connection point, (AP,) IP address. But instead assigns a logical IP address to the mobile device that will stay with the device, rather than the AP which changes so often. It is in this way that a VPN becomes transparent in its communications. Otherwise there would be a lot of disconnects, reconnection, and re-authentications. With a logical IP address the mobile unit can seamlessly move from one wireless AP to another: Change from 4G to 3G, or even the slower 2G connection, change from wireless coverage to a WiFi hot-spot, and even change from any of the above to a docked port.

Mobility A Little More Complicated Internally

But the seamless way in which a mobile device handles the changing AP's really makes the clients worth the extra expense often incurred when purchasing a VPN service that has mobile technology clients, claims the security CEO. "I have personally seen a few people who tried to use the same client as they use on their desktop to no avail. It invariably takes hours fixing the device removing the client," during which he takes the opportunity to explain why it didn't work...

How to Check Who to Trust Online

Which profession scores pretty low in terms of trust measurements? Politicians, certainly, journalists, often, but these days it's a pretty safe bet to say that bankers are the bottom of the heap. Everywhere you look there is criticism of those champagne swilling, bonus grabbing toffs from Wall Street or the City of London.

So where might "Internet Marketers" fit into the trust league tables? Or "Social Media Gurus"? Or "SEO Experts"? Well, here's the second safe bet of the day - you are bound to have seen websites offering you some really generous promises, such as "getting you to number one on Google in 24 hours" or "helping you make a million dollars in a month". How often do you fall for them? Most of us, of course, do not reckon much to such sites - though there are enough gullible people in the world who do, otherwise how could such "businesses" exist?

And how do you stop yourself being gullible in the first place? How can you spot the difference between a true search marketing expert and a charlatan?

Easy-peasy, according to new research; ask what social class they are in. The study found that the MOST UNETHICAL people are those in the highest social classes. In other words, some of those posh bankers, perhaps..! Yes, such people are much more likely to be unethical than that bloke who turned up at your front door, uninvited, offering to tarmac your drive.

Of course, as with all studies it is not quite as simple as that. It turns out the element which actually predicts unethical behaviour is attitude to greed. If you think greed is OK, you are much more likely to be unethical. And, it seems that such attitudes are more prevalent in the higher social classes.

So, what about those Internet Marketers and SEO Gurus...? Well, if they focus on the money you can make, show you their yachts and their flash cars, the chances are they are more OK with greed as a concept. And that means you should steer clear because they are much more likely to be unethical.

But then you probably already knew this. When you visit a website and all you see are pictures of the "guru" on the beach with captions saying "you too can have a lifestyle like this" you probably get a sense that all is not quite as it seems. Your "gut instinct" usually tells you to get out of there. All this new research does is tell us why your gut is right. People who think greed is OK exhibit more unethical behaviour than those who have a different attitude to making money. Remember, profit is OK, greed is not.

The only problem is, greed tends to display itself much more in higher social classes. So aren't you glad you are not too posh yourself?

Anti-Hacking Plugins for WordPress

Install these three simple plugins to WordPress to minimize the risk of hacking and intrusion. It's never fun for someone to get access to your WordPress blog, but unfortunately it happens every day. Every day websites are deleted, defaced or simply taken over and you can avoid that by installing the login lockdown plugin, the HTTPS for WordPress plugin and the WP-Security plugin.

First of all, a very simple plugin called login lockdown simply blocks access to your blog if someone enters the wrong password too many times. A very common technique for hackers to get entry to WordPress blog is simply try many passwords over and over and over and over until something works. So login lockdown will block access to someone after a certain number of failed passwords. It's a very simple plugin and it's worth it to install this to make sure that any intruder is now locked out.

Another plugin to install is called HTTPS for WordPress. If you don't know what HTTPS or SSL is it simply means that it is encrypting everything that gets sent to and from your WordPress site, including the username and password you use to login. Normally your username and password is broadcasted out in the open. That means if you use any kind of public WiFi anyone else on that WiFi can install a simple plugin and capture every password you type into WordPress. That is really not good. You can either not use unsecured WiFi or you can use this HTTPS plugin which will force you to use HTTPS when logging into your WordPress dashboard, therefore protecting your password from prying eyes.

And finally, the WP-Security plugin installs right into WordPress and scans all your folders for many security vulnerabilities. It checks it for any weak points, any holes, out of date plugins and gives you a very easy to follow list of things that you must do in order to keep WordPress secure.

Obviously, I can't guarantee you will be 100 percent hack proof, but you need to at least take these basic steps to keep yourself safe.

Those three plugins will get you on your way to having a secure WordPress blog. Install Login Lockdown to lock out anyone after a certain number of failed attempts, install HTTPS for WordPress to make sure that any time you login to your dashboard it moves you over into SSL, and WP-Security scan your folders.

Explaining the Main Benefits of Having a SSL Certificate

SSL, which stands for Secure Socket Layer, is a certificate that provides network security for ecommerce websites. This is part of the online protocol requirement to keep information of the client safe. The SSL certificate confirms the legitimacy of the website server, encrypt data transmitted, preserve data integrity during transmission and decrypt the data transferred once it arrives at the secure server. The certificate is important for online stores because it provides customers assurance that their data are kept safe and secure from identity theft and online hackers. Before installing the certificate, it is important to determine the type of server the website is running. In most cases, websites run using Apache servers requiring an Apache SSL certificate.

There are many types of SSL certificates including: dedicated SSL, shared SSL certificate, wildcard SSL and free SSL. These certificates provide different advantages. Dedicated certificates are used in one domain only. Shared, as the name implies, is shared by different websites. It is less expensive compared to a dedicated certificate. Wildcard is for websites with subdomains. The certificate protects both main domain and subdomains. Free certificate is the least expensive option. However, there might be security risks associated with this option if the website owner does not choose well. Generally, the higher the cost of the Apache SSL certificate the more security it provides.

A SSL certificate provides a number of benefits to online stores such as the following:

Data Protection. The data transmitted over the internet from a website source to the server the business is hosted on private. This will protect data from falling into wrong hands. Important information such as passwords, credit card numbers and personal information are encrypted by a certificate so they will be deemed unreadable by others. Once the data arrives in the secure server, it is only then that the encrypted data is unscrambled.

Authentication of the Server. An SSL certificate provides assurance that the server is legitimate. Certificate Authorities provide a Digital Certificate when an ecommerce site purchases a certificate. This ensures that the website owner's information is transmitted and kept safe by a valid server.

Authentication of the Website. It is not only important to authenticate the identity of the server but that of the online store as well. Some online hackers get into the system and hijack the website. They do impersonation attack and pretend to be the true owner of the online store. This allows them to access critical information provided by customers. An SSL certificate guarantees that the site is owned by the real owner and it is what it claims to be.

Trustworthiness. An ecommerce site with SSL certificate can quickly win customers' trust. An online store that is perceived to be trustworthy tends to attract more customers and buyers than the dubious one. Trust is an important issue online especially for online stores where financial transactions are conducted on a daily basis. Customers buying in a website with a certificate will not have second thoughts providing critical financial information such as Paypal login, credit card numbers and other pertinent details. An Apache SSL certificate guarantees clients that the website site is legit and information provided will not be compromised.

Web Hosting With SSL Certificates

Hosting company should provide an SSL certificate or Secure Socket Layer along with the hosting service as this will enhance the visitor's confidence in the site, and eventually increase the sales and goodwill of the company.

Why web hosting with SSL certificates?

The duty of web hosting services providing companies is to upload the web site on the server. Very often, it is seen that in case of sensitive information web sites, the need of authentication is necessary; in order to secure the web site from the phishing attack. Essentially, SSLs are designed to meet the requirements of the web sites with the Member Area or the C-panel of the domain and web hosting clients, as these sites ask for the confidential information like password, personal, and financial information. For example, any shopping web site, asking customer to fill the form, give personal information and complete the transaction process, customer will check before meeting any exchange of sensitive information that the following site is safe from hackers and Spam.

A customer before entering into c-panel and exchange his sensitive information, checks the security information of the web site

A. Padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser B. https:// URL instead of http:// C. From which Certification Authority, certificate is issued, certificate validity period, and the owner to which certificate is issued, by just double-click in the address bar

Benefits of displaying SSL certificate by Web hosting Companies:

The hosting service providing companies, if offers SSL than it will bring them multiples of benefits.

A. An SSL clearly demonstrates that the following hoisting company is legitimate for your business B. With SSL, your customers will feel safe and secure C. SSL offers a great security of credit card information of your clients D. Helps in boosting your customer's confidence E Responsible in increasing the sales F. SSL's are helpful in encouraging your web site's credibility G. SSL's are helpful in building positive image and goodwill of the business to the end-users

Effects of not displaying an SSL certificate by WEB hosting Companies

A. Apparently the site will lose the potential customers B SSL helps in building the brand image, customer's confidence, goodwill, and trust, and if SSL certificate is not displayed to the visitors then they will not simply switch to other site displaying SSL C. Decelerate your visitor conversion rate and adversely affect your profitability D. Competitors will gain the overall market control

In essence all the companies that are engaged in offering valuable hosting services should offer SSL along with the hosting service, so that the customer's web site will be benefited from it.

Password Protection: Login Security and Password Sync

Password protection is extremely important in today's online world, where without good login security you are likely to be subject to hacking and identity theft. If you can find a secure password generator that offers password sync between various devices, then you can travel with your password manager and use it whenever you need secure access to sensitive information.

You can manage the security protection for your online banking accounts, membership sites and any other online sites that require a password. It is frequently through a lack of login security that you may suffer identity fraud, and find money being taken from your bank accounts or goods being ordered by other people in your name.

Secure Password Protection

It is important that you protect your passwords and other login details as best you can, and that you personal and secure details are not stored on your hard drive. There are people out there that can hack the storage media attached to your computer, such as your hard disk or even your solid state memory system.

By storing your sensitive details on a USB drive, nobody can find what they are and you can simply plug in the USB whenever you want to access your sensitive sites or even protected web files. This form of password sync system is recognized as being one of the most secure systems available at the present time. It offers a degree of security that no other security system can equal.

Single-Click Form Filling

Another benefit of such protection systems is that they not only enable you to fill in your personal details with one click of a button, but also enable you to complete long forms with your personal details. If you are involved in activities such as article marketing, you will understand that most directories request you full personal details, and it is a pain to manually fill in form after form.

Login security systems can do this for you with one click - you simply add all your personal details to your password protection profile and any time you have a need for your name, address, place and date of birth, SS number and any other details, one click fills in every field! That saves a great deal of time.

USB Storage and Password Sync

However, it the portability and password sync capability that renders such systems so useful. You may have to access your important data from multiple branches of your firm as you travel around, or might have to borrow a friend's laptop to access your bank account. This is easily done with a portable security system, offering login security and password sync between portable devices. You can even use a cell phone that is fitted with mini USB socket: simply use a standard to mini USB adaptor.

Here are some of the advantages offered:

• One-click access to membership sites and banks. • One-click logins to secure files. • One-click completion of multiple forms. • Encrypted storage of personal details. • Memorize all security details and user names. • Create random passwords with one click. • Complete password protection.

Nobody that uses such online security systems has ever regretted acquiring it. They are confident in the degree of login security offered, and the password sync facility enables them to access all their sensitive information and accounts from any device - fixed or portable, as long as it has a USB slot.

How the Internet Made It Easier to Obtain Public Records

Public records play an important role in almost any of life's endeavor and the internet has made it possible for trouble-free access to criminal records. Potential employers gauge you not just by your skill but as well as personal information pertaining to you. It may be in the form of criminal record or previous misconduct - somehow, someway, such access to criminal records can be vital on one's life.

Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that public records should be kept hidden. That's not the sense of it being public. Having access to criminal records report or other information can help people in more ways than they can imagine. After all, why would you fear releasing your public information if you're not doing anything wrong?

More likely than not, people who don't want to expose their records to the public are those who are hiding something - probably multiple marriages, past act of misconduct or public scandal. Having access to criminal records report or data from public records can help you secure your life and your properties. Needless to say, this public information can serve several purposes.

But how can an ordinary person obtain public records of a person or a company?

Unlike the age prior to advancement of computer and modern technology, obtaining public data or access to criminal records report involve a lot of hard work and red tape. You need to compile numerous requirements in order for your request to be dealt with, add that to the bureaucracy of government agencies, the hard work and hassle build up.

Fast forward to the 21st century, when the advent of the Internet came and accessing public records can be done without the need to go places. With the help of the Internet and with the availability of a computer, you can easily obtain soft and hard copies of records you want to see.

Many government agencies today have their own database that compiles records of people residing in a particular town, city or county. And access to criminal records report or other information is one click away through the power of the Internet.

What types of information are contained in public records?

Public records do not contain just any type of information. Privacy is still important that's why private matter should remain private and not be included on public records. Some of the most common personal information that are made public includes a person's name, birth date, home and mailing addresses, license numbers and a person's social security number among others.

Moreover, information relating to criminal records such as convictions or acquittals form is also a part of public information. This information is vital and serves as a reference of a particular company or corporate establishment that is searching for employees.

Speaking of corporate world, some of the most common information that should be made public includes company's profile, their tax expense and net income as well as the names and nationalities of its owner when you are planning of merging or expansion.

All those mentioned forms of public records can now be obtained at the comfort of one's home - thanks to the Internet.

Credit Card Fraud - Greater Danger In The New Century

The 21st Century has a new set of challenges for businesses and consumers alike. While the world continues to move toward plastic currency, the threat of fraud has grown to a degree that is more prevalent than ever. It used to be, in the 20th Century, that one only had to worry about cash and check fraud. While credit card fraud did exist, it was not quite as common because technology had not advanced to the point that it could be so easily manipulated. And frankly, people just didn't use credit cards as much because it was harder to get them, for starters. But as credit standards slackened and plastic became available to everyone, it just lent itself to more abuse. So are credit cards a greater danger in the new century than any other form of payment? You bet they are. Here's why:

1) Chargebacks favor the consumer.

When you sell an item in a fraudulent transaction, the customer always has the option to charge the merchandise back as never having been received. It can often be hard to prove whether or not the customer was actually the one, who committed the fraud, and as such, that puts you in greater danger of losing sales. While you may receive a pittance for the merchandise lost, you will never recover the full value, and as such, you'll end up in the red. Too many of those types of transactions can quickly put your entire business in the poorhouse, and it can make you an easier target for other predators, (or the same ones in some cases).

2) Fraud is scalable.

Technology has also enabled fraudulent individuals to grow their operations in a manner not seen before. It is easier to get fraudulent numbers and to use them to initiate transactions before fraud can actually be proven. Of course, you put yourself at an advantage if you are using a reliable bank identification number database. These services stay on top of credit card issuances and can tell in a hurry if the card is legitimate, often within seconds. The problem lies with not finding the right provider. Some, in an attempt to save on costs, cut back their coverage and currency, and if you are aligned with one of these organizations, then you may not be getting the information that is necessary to avoid a chargeback.

It pays to remain vigilant in the business world of the new age. As time goes on, crooks will only grow more advanced in how they attempt to attack your business. You owe it to your success and to the well being of your customers to fight back and implement prevention standards that are ahead of the game.

The Top Three Ways To Secure Your WordPress Blog

If you have a WordPress blog or a website, you may be wondering how am I supposed to keep it safe from hackers and from accidental changes or deletions?

In addition to any kind of fancy modifications or security plugins, there are a few easy steps you can take right now within the next few minutes to make sure your WordPress website is secure.

The first thing you can do is only connect to WordPress on a secure WiFi connection, only use trusted plugins, and keep WordPress up to date.

Do you know that when you connect to a website using unsecure WiFi, which means airport WiFi, Starbuck's WiFi, public WiFi, that anyone can see your username and password. That means when you connect via FTP or simply log into your WordPress dashboard anyone can see exactly what your username and password is and join for themselves.

That's why it's very important to only connect to your WordPress site and only connect to FTP if you have an SSL connection or you're connecting a cellular 3G network instead of WiFi. If you don't know what any of those things are, then simply make it a point to only connect to your FTP website and WordPress from home instead of in public.

Next, only use plugins that you trust. Are you aware that any WordPress plugin, if it so chooses, can have access to your entire WordPress site? All of your users, all of your content, most of the time, to every single file on your website.

That is the reason why it's very important that you only use WordPress plugins that you trust. Don't go out and install 200, 300 plugins just because they all seem like they have cool features. If a plugin is brand new, if no one seems to be using it, that is not a good sign, and it may be a Trojan Horse kind of plugin where someone had simply put it out onto the internet in the hopes that someone else will install it on their website, and now you have given the hacker complete access to your files and your content.

Finally, a very easy way to secure your WordPress blog is to keep WordPress up to date. People find security holes all the time, and WordPress is quick to fix those holes, but it does you no good unless you update your blog to the current version which is safeguarded against most attacks.

Luckily the most current versions of WordPress have a single button you can click to update it, which means it downloads and installs the most recent version so you are now protected.

When It Comes to Protecting Your Personal Information or "Identity", Here's What You Need to Know

By now, you've probably read the articles, seen the news on television or the Internet. You may even know someone who has or even been a victim yourself. According to the FBI, this is the fastest growing crime not only in the United States but around the globe!

Some of the latest statistics provided by the Federal Trade Commission indicate approximately every 5.2 seconds someones identity has been stolen. If those numbers are anywhere close to being accurate consider this: if it takes you 10 minutes to read this article, 83 people will have had their identities stolen! It takes an average of 400 hours and $2,738.00 to "straighten" it out. Not only that, it eventually costs consumers like you and me and businesses we patronize, billions of dollars a year.

Compare someone trying to break into your home with trying to protect your Identity. An unlocked house is the easiest to gain access to. But what if your home was equipped with a professional alarm system, good lighting inside and out, and good quality door and window locks? An intruder will most likely move on to an easier target. Wouldn't you agree? The same holds true with your personal information.

Some of the best ways to protect your identity from falling into the wrong hands are also some of the easiest to implement. Understanding some of the methods an Identity Thief is able to steal your personal information can tip the scales in your favor. The following is just a few of the basic "locks" you can use to lessen the chance of becoming Victim #84 of identity theft. The first one's a no-brainer:

1). Shred everything. Shred anything that contains your identifying information on it. If it has your name, address or account number, shred it. That pre-approved credit card offer or those credit card "checks" that come with your monthly statement are like gold to a thief. Dumpster diving is still alive and well. A crook or someone hired by a crook(drug addict, homeless person, the unemployed) will rummage through your garbage looking for anything with your information on it. When in doubt, shred it anyway. Better safe than sorry.

2). Question anybody who is requesting personal information from you. You don't have to give out your Social Security number just because someone asks for it! A prospective employer might need your phone number but not your Social Security number or your birth date until he hires you. When a business asks for your Social Security number, ask them why they need it, what they plan to do with it, and how they plan to keep it safe. Of course, there are places that require your Social Security number - banks, motor vehicle departments, tax departments, etc. Remember, it's your number(s), you have the right to know.

3). Never give out personally identifying information over the phone. Con artists will often call and say they're with your bank or credit card company. The "purpose" of the call is to verify some information. In today's world, no legitimate financial institution works this way. These Con artists have been doing this for quite a while. The script is memorized and they sound official. What you need to do is ask specific questions such as, "Why are you asking me for this information?" "Why do you need to verify this?" Or say something like, "If this is about some charges, give me the list and I'll verify them myself." More often than not, when you turn the tables and take control of the conversation by asking questions, the audio actor will hang up. Call your institution and ask if someone has called you for the purpose of a "verification". When they say, "No", congratulations, you just prevented an intruder from entering your House of Identity!

When it really comes down to protecting your Identity, you can't rely on the government, you can't rely on the banks, and you can't rely on law enforcement. If you want to protect your identity, you must become proactive.

Be safe and stay informed.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

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