There are dozens of things that you can do to protect your computer. People sell so many software packages and information products you may not be able to get a handle on all of it. Have you wondered to yourself what the basics are so that you can protect your identity and your data and so that you no longer have to worry?
I am not sure if we will ever get to a point that security is perfect and we never have to worry but we can get to a point of an increased security posture. That just means that we can take a few steps to help protect ourselves against the not so nice people in the world.
First if you have a computer you should turn on a local firewall. You may say, I am working behind one of those routers you can purchase from the electronics store, I am safe. There is a term in the field that is called defense in depth. There are many takes on what this actually means and how to implement it but I will be the first to tell you every extra security precaution you can take will be helpful in the effort to protect your identity and your data.
Each layer of defense will add to your protection. You may have a router but go ahead and turn on that software firewall that comes with your operating system too. Learn more about your computer so that you can be proactive. You never know when you might travel with that laptop and your software firewall saves you from an intrusion. Just be cautious.
Most people lock their doors at night before they go to bed or when they leave for work in the morning. Don't forget to lock the doors on your computer.
Second, you may consider installing a well proven anti-virus product. There are many packages on the market. Some you can get for free and others you can pay for. You need to determine your level of knowledge and how much support you may require.
There are many anti-virus vendors that are free that have been certified and protect your systems just as well as the pay for kind. The main difference is that you may get better support from the pay for kind. You may end up supporting the free kind on your own and having to do research on the net for answers. This is truly your call and should be congruent to your level of computer knowledge.
Anti-virus software should be a must. It has saved my system many times as well as friends of mine. I had a buddy that downloaded pictures form a digital camera that was infected with a virus. They can be anywhere. This is just another layer of defense you should consider in your quest to protect your identity and your data.
Third, you should consider backing up your system regularly. I am not talking about once a year either. I am talking about using CD, DVD, or an external hard drive and backing up your data daily, weekly, or at least monthly. This may not necessarily be a defense but it is a proactive measure that could save you tons of money and time.
I have known several people who have inadvertently gotten a virus on their computer lost tons of data and information such as pictures and music which were priceless and irreplaceable. They were able to save their data because they backed it up regularly. They may have lost a few days worth of data but they retrieved most of it back. They were quickly able to perform a desktop restore and get 90% of their data back.
Now one consideration is that if your data changes regularly you may want to consider backing up your data on a more frequent basis. The reason for this is if you have to perform a system restore or a file restore you want to be able to retrieve the most current data possible. Anyone out there can do this. There is backup software all over the web and 9 times out of 10 your computer probably has backup software built in that you can use for free.
The bottom line is that you should take measures to protect your data the same way you would protect your house or car. We too many times implement this on the physical world but forget to do the same for the digital world. There is a ton of information available for you to improve your knowledge and understanding of computer systems and how to protect your data and your identity. Don't become a statistic. Protect your data today.
Internet marketing is complex and the competition is fierce for a high ranking on Google. If your web developer does not offer the following six essentials then you are not gaining the full advantage of having a web presence:
1. The ability to update and edit content instantly, without actually calling you webmaster. This included the ability to add additional web pages (not just blog) to jump on breaking news. If you cannot instantly add pages to your website from your desktop computer you are missing out.
2. You should be able to add and to upload video to your site on your own from your desktop. Today, your potential clients expect to find interesting video on your site. Your potential clients want to know you before doing business with you and even before picking up the phone to talk to you. You should not have to pay your web developer tens of thousands of dollars to implement video at your site. In fact, many lawyers are now shooting video in their own offices and instantly uploading them not only to their own site but to the major video sites on the Internet. If your webmaster says that this cannot be done they have simply not kept up with cutting edge technology.
3. The ability to upload your monthly off-line newsletter you mail to clients instantly to your site. Mailing a real newsletter (not email) to your clients monthly is a must. You should not have to call your webmaster in order to upload the PDF of the mailed newsletter to your site. This is additional content that Google's spiders love.
4. The ability to know the exact search terms your prospective clients used to find you on the Internet. Whenever a client emails you from a link on your website that email should be accompanied by information as to exactly what the potential client typed into the search engine box to find a lawyer. This information is vital and lawyers who have it and understand it are continually re-optimizing their sites for these search terms. You should not have to guess at what words consumers are actually using to find you.
5. The ability to have the full contact information that you have collected from the web form on your site imported into a marketing database that kicks off a multi-step, multimedia direct marketing campaign back to interested prospects. What good is it to have people come to your site, give you their information, and then never follow up with them. Your web developer should be able to integrate the data you collect from your online marketing into your off-line marketing program. This is pretty simple to do yet most webmasters have no idea how to combine what they know (the internet) with good, effective marketing.
6. The ability to actually convert visitors to clients. Lots of web developers brag about the amount of traffic driven to your site. Basically it's pretty easy these days to drive hundreds, if not thousands of potential clients to your site every month. You need a web developer who understands how to convert visitors to potential clients and then to clients. Clue: it's not having a "contact us" form at your website. Your web developer needs to be able to help you create an "irresistible offer" that will provoke consumers to raise their hand and say "I'm interested, let's start the conversation."
Internet marketing for lawyers is fiercely competitive and there are plenty of vendors and web developers ready, willing and able to take tons of your money without really understanding the total marketing picture. Take this checklist to your developer and demand that they deliver to you what needs to be delivered in order to maximize the return on your Internet investment.
Both Joseph Simcic & Benjamin Glass are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Joseph Simcic has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fat Loss, Metabolism and Debts Loans. Don't become a statistic. Backup your data. Discover how to perform , learn how to backup files, and find out how to protect your data. Joseph Simc. Joseph Simcic's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.
Benjamin Glass has sinced written about articles on various topics from Car Accidents, Legal Matters and Build Online Business. Ben Glass is a personal injury attorney in Fairfax Virginia. He is the author of numerous consumer publications, including.. Benjamin Glass's top article generates over 1300 views. to your Favourites.