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The Internet is the newest frontier offering tremendous opportunity...for
both the good guys and the bad guys. |
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The bad guys have gotten out of hand because the Internet
as a whole, has been unregulated, ungoverned and unpoliced.
As the Internet becomes more main stream, cyber crime,
vandalism and spam is increasing at alarming rates.
Threatening Internet commerce and correspondence.
Spam has almost doubled since last April. Going from 4 million
to 7 million . It accounts for 46% of all email and costs U.S. businesses
$10 Billion a year in lost productivity.
Cyber crime and vandalism including viruses have caused an estimated
$17 Billion in damages in 2002 according to Tom Slodichak, chief
security officer for security consultant company White Hat.
Identity Theft made up 43% of the complaints submitted to the Federal
Trade Commission in 2002, it was only 22% in 2000.
Enough is Enough...The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on May 15
in a press release, "Law Enforcement Posse Tackles Internet
Scammers, Deceptive Spammers" announced they have filed 45
criminal and civil law enforcement actions against Internet scammers
and deceptive spammers.
'Today's Internet is not a lawless environment,' said
Howard Beales, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer
Protection." http://www.just15minutes.com/a/1-11.htm
What does this mean? How does it effect conducting business online?
If you are an honest business person, it's good news. This will
help restore consumer confidence and bring an increase in sales.
This also means you and I will be under more scrutiny. Now is the
time to get your ducks in a row and make sure you are in compliance
with the FTC guidelines for online commerce.
Protecting Your Business
Document Compliance:
Ignorance of the law has never been a good defense. Find out what
legal documents are required for your web site. This can include:
disclaimer, privacy policy, terms of use/service, and other documents
pertaining to your industry.
http://www.ftc.gov/
There are two Internet law products "How To Do
Business On The Internet While Keeping The Government
Off Your Back" a series audiotapes http://www.just15minutes.com/a/silber.htm
and AutoWebLaw Pro http://www.just15minutes.com/a/weblaw.htm
They can help you make sense of the legal mumble jumble and supply
you with the documents you need but they are not a substitute for
legal or professional advice. If you decide to purchase products,
it is wise to make sure they pertain to your part of the world.
Your Business Structure:
We live in a law suit crazy world. The way your business is structured
can protect most if not all of your assets. Consult with your account
about the different corporate structures and which is the best one
for your business.
Third Party Merchants:
Shopping carts are the newest victim to online attacks. There are
many vulnerabilities associated with shopping carts especially with
third party merchants.
http://www.just15minutes.com/a/11-2.htm
Open Relays & Spam:
Spammers scan the Internet for an open relay. When they find one
that is open, they route their bulk email through it. Check to see
if your relays are closed. Contact your ISP and hosting company
and ask if the use open relays.
http://www.just15minutes.com/a/11-3.htm
http://www.just15minutes.com/a/11-4.htm
http://www.just15minutes.com/a/11-5.htm
Viruses, Worms & Hackers:
Microsoft product are notoriously susceptible to viruses and hacker
attacks. Outlook provides many avenues of traveling for malicious
content because it hooks into Internet Explorer, your operating
system and any other MS Office programs. Anti-Virus software is
a must but it still doesn't protect you 100%. Embedded items and
cookies via HTML email are not detected.
http://www.just15minutes.com/a/11-6.htm
http://www.just15minutes.com/a/11-7.htm
Windows Platform, Servers and SQL:
Late January, "Slammer" slammed Microsoft SQL servers.
It is the fastest computer worm in history. It doubled in size every
8.5 seconds. It infected more than 90 percent of vulnerable hosts
within 10 minutes. It affected 75,000 hosts causing network outages,
disrupted the Internet and many other unforeseen consequences.
Linux/Unix web server is less vulnerable (at least right now)
to platform attacks. You might want to consider moving your site
off Windows Servers. Ask your host what operating system they use
for their servers. Find out what precautions they take to thwart
off worm attacks.
Back up your site on a regular basis.
http://www.just15minutes.com/a/11-8.htm
Secure Forms:
Many government regulations like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act) are demanding specific security standards.
Some hosting companies provide a secure server at no additional
charge.
Things change fast. It is important to make time to keep yourself
informed. Ask questions. Many potential problems can be avoided
if you use good common sense. Set a standard of ethics for your
business and adhere to them.
Next week, part two will cover identity theft, unauthorized installations
on your computer and other fraud protecting strategies.
Related Online Sections:
Going Online http://www.ebusinesshelpsite.com/Online/fraud.htm
Business Basic http://www.ebusinesshelpsite.com/Basics/legal.htm
Resources for this article: Federal Trade Commission, MSNBC,
USA Today, VarBusiness, Business2.0, Internet Security System, Symantic,
Licata & Associates,L.P.A, WhiteHat and Information Week.
c) 2003 Ann Rusnak
About The Author
Ann Rusnak, "The 15 Minute Time Coach"
is author of "Too Busy To Get Anything Done"
the #1 Time Leveraging System for busy entrepreneurs.
To learn more about her book and sign up for Fre-e TeleClasses
and more Fr-ee tips like these, visit her site at: http://www.Just15Minutes.com.
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