What would you do if you were using your smartphone (or tablet) when someone snatched the smartphone out of your hands and took off running?

This terrifying scenario represents a real threat smartphone and tablet owners face every day, whether they know it or not.  While smartphone and tablet owners don’t know when criminals will strike, they do know smartphones and tablets are hot ticket items – in demand by the best and worst of us.

Smartphone thefts are on the rise in communities across America and unfortunately many of these crimes are much more violent than the one described above. As the number of smartphone and tablet owners increase and more smartphones and tablets owners rely on accessing private data, the attention given to consumer privacy and consumer safety should also increase. Organizations (businesses) and individuals can be prepared to stop a smartphone theft from becoming a reputation crisis by taking steps to make sure sensitive information and your reputation remains secure.

To counter this growing smartphone and tablet theft problem, the government, law enforcement agencies and mobile companies are working together to reduce the interest in smartphone and tablet thefts. Earlier this month Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski announced a new mobile device initiative, The PROTECT Initiative, which aims to end smartphone theft.

The PROTECT Initiative has three key elements:

1. Establish a national database to prevent stolen smartphones and tablets from being used. The PROTECT Initiative Database will allow cell phone companies to disable stolen smartphones and tablets, diminishing their resale value which significantly alters their worth on the street.
2. Automatically prompt smartphones and tablets owners to select a password to secure devices.
3. Launch a public education campaign to strongly encourage smartphone and tablet owners to learn about and use mobile security applications that equip smartphone and tablet owners to find, lock and erase all data from stolen smartphones and tablets.

Chairman Genachowski trusts that once thieves hear about how broad this smartphone and tablet theft crackdown is, smartphone and tablet theft will decline and end overtime.

Outsmart Smartphone Thieves

One day in the near future smartphones and tablets won’t be tempting targets for thieves. Stolen devices will no longer work and suddenly smartphone and tablet theft becomes crimes that don’t pay, literally. The FCC believes the above three steps will kick start the end of smartphone and tablet theft, an outcome that will be welcomed with open arms by law enforcement agencies, wireless companies and smartphone owners all across America. It’s time to outsmart smartphone thieves!

Share your thoughts.

A few weeks ago, I was informed via Twitter that I’d won a contest that I wasn’t even aware that I’d entered.  Pretty cool, right?

Wrong.

I received a Tweet from a traffic notification account that I’d won two free lift tickets to Copper Mountain, and to email the admin at goI70 to claim my prize.  I was pretty excited, I lived and worked at Copper Mountain just out of college, and loved every minute of it.  It was the perfect transition from college life to the real world, giving me the opportunity to have one last hurrah before joining the 9-5 working crowd.  Winning those tickets was like getting a glimpse back into that time in my life.  I emailed the address that was sent to me thanking them for getting in touch with me, and asking how I could go about getting my free lift tickets. 

A week later, I received an email from the admin with an apology for her delay in response, letting me know she’d been on vacation with encouragement to continue sharing my travel observations.  The email did not mention my prize, so I responded asking about the aforementioned tickets.  Here is the response I got:

Back when I sent you the message via Twitter there were two weekends left to their ski season, but Copper Mountain closed yesterday so unfortunately the tickets have expired.  I’m sorry the timing didn’t work out such that you could have used them!

So, basically, I won a prize for a contest that was never mentioned, but because the site admin went on vacation and didn’t have the foresight to have someone else monitoring the email account, I missed out?  I never received an autoresponder about her being on vacation, but my Tweets about winning sure were being monitored and retweeted.  Who holds a contest with such a short window to claim a prize, and then doesn’t communicate during the last week of the time that the prize is available?

I tried to brush this off, but it has continued to annoy me.  Couldn’t they have offered tickets for next season?  Not offered the tickets in the first place?  Offered a backup because of their poor communication?  Nope.  I may not have gotten my lift tickets, but at least I got some blog fodder.  If you’re holding contests on social media sites, here’s a little pro tip: make sure that you are offering something that you can deliver on.  If you can’t, find a way to make it right.  Have clear and concise guidelines in order to set expectations properly.  I used to find this Twitter account to be very credible, but now? Not so much.

Fortunately, I have had many more positive contest experiences on Twitter than negative.  I’ll be talking about those later this week.  What have your experiences been?  Good?  Bad?  Ugly?  We’d love to hear about them!

Years before digital smartphones were in demand; analog cell phones were all the rage. One analog cell phone (I still own) that caused quite a stir was a small, lightweight, clamshell cell phone, the Motorola Star-Tac.  Yesterday’s cell phones were built and used solely to make and receive mobile phone calls. The smartphone features you’ve come to love e.g., texting, instant messaging, checking email, using the internet, listening to music, taking pictures, and using mobile apps, existed only as ideas.

Let’s fast forward to today where mobile phones are changing the way you receive daily information. Today’s smartphone owners expect smartphones to provide timely, on-demand access to the growing streams of digital information they want, wherever they happen to be. Information is delivered to smartphones  so quickly and effortlessly that it’s easy fail to consider how every action and reaction made through this handy, handheld mobile device paints a picture of your character and could also expose you to cybercrime.

Use Smartphones Wisely

Safeguarding the digital information you share is a must, if you care about privacy and your reputation. Think of it this way – since smartphones have access to so much of your private communications–which can impact your reputation either positively or negatively–it’s a good practice to police how you respond to online conversations.

Remember, at any given time there are thousands if not millions of conversations taking place online and you decide which conversation(s), if any, you’ll engage in. If you must respond, check yourself. Make sure you know why you feel compelled to respond and make sure your response doesn’t diminish your character and therefore your reputation. A desensitized, emotional person with a smartphone in hand is a reputation nightmare waiting to happen. When you are tired, don’t feel well, or are emotional you could unknowingly open yourself up to a potential privacy or reputation crisis because you’re not at your best. So, when you don’t feel well, spend more time getting better and reduce time spent on line.

Smartphone Reputation Security Tips

You can take action to make sure you are not an easy target for cell phone theft, cybercrime or a reputation crisis. Follow these tips to keep your reputation, privacy and smartphone protected.

1. Get centered and get a handle on your emotions daily, before you get engaged in online conversations.
2. Smartphones can be fun to use but they are not toys. Don’t forget that a smartphone is a powerful, compact mobile communications tool. You can get lost playing games on your smartphone, but remember, your smartphone is nothing to play with.
3. Accept the digital responsibility that comes along with owning a smartphone. You are responsible for how you use or misuse your smartphone.
4. Focus on responding instead of reacting to online conversations. Think about how your response might be received before you hit send or enter.
5. Don’t leave your phone unattended at work or at play.  Keep your smartphone locked if not in use, keep it where you can see it or safely put it away from prying eyes.
6. Don’t leave your phone out in the open in your car. It may encourage someone to break in to steal it.
7. Be careful when using your smart phone in public. Remain aware of your surroundings at all times.
8. Don’t handle any personal business, pay bills or do any banking while using public Wi-Fi. You could be setting yourself up to be a cybercrime victim if you do.
9. Don’t chat openly about resources you have access to – money, other devices, or other financial information. You never know who is listening.
10. Be discrete. Don’t brag about the brand of smartphone you own. Bragging may bring you the wrong type of attention and lead to a smartphone theft.
11. Technology continues to advance and cybercriminals are paying close attention to how they can twist technology to their advantage. Pay attention.
12. Always log out of mobile apps or mobile websites.
13. Never store mobile app passwords for easy log in.
14. Clear your browser navigation (search) history regularly.
15. Be careful how you use the form data feature on your browser. If you use it, clear form data regularly, especially if you don’t lock your screen.
16. Download LookOut or similar app to give you the ability to remotely wipe your smartphone clean if it is lost or stolen.
17. Write down your smartphone specs and keep the details handy – in writing and digitally for easy reference.
18. Lock your screen. Stop prying eyes at the door (screen).
19. Before you add a mobile app learn about who created it.
20. Take note of the mobile apps you use to access sensitive private information.
21. Store most of your sensitive and confidential info on the SD card so you can easily take it out as needed or just as an additional security measure.

Smartphones, Smart Decisions

As technology dramatically improves and more people use smartphones to better manage their busy lives, so will the need to have a clear understanding of the pros and cons of owning a smartphone. We have arrived at a time in history where your digital habits, behavior and decisions will either support or destroy your goals and dreams. At the end of the day, smartphone owners are responsible for what is shared online. You can decide to be proactive as you work to keep your smartphone protected and keep your reputation free of digital drama.

 After all, most people don’t want to deal with drama amplified digitally. 

This post is the last part of a 4 part series about consumer privacy, data security and what this means to your reputation.

Over the last three posts, I’ve shared ways to better understand and guard your data, privacy, and online reputation. Learning how to establish your reputation without revealing too much private information can be extremely challenging since there are so many digital places, social tools and conversations you can engage in online. The main way to get a handle on how you “show up” online is to be mindful of what you can control:  what you say and do.

I’ve highlighted some of these key points below so that you and your organization (business) can remain aware of the promise and pitfalls of digital communications.

Reputation Rules for Success

1. Strive to be authentic instead of presenting yourself as if you are perfect or free of flaws. Those who sit on a pedestal get whacked pretty hard online by others who believe they have been misled by hidden imperfections or omissions.
2. Control your emotions or they will control you. When you manage your emotions you can think clearer which will help you make better decisions online.
3. Don’t just speak it – be it. Make sure your words match your actions and make sure your actions reflect your character. How you present yourself – how you position yourself matters.
4. Do not make false claims. Misleading or lying online will come back to haunt you and you don’t want to be the focus of digital outrage.
5. Do your best to deliver goods and services as promised.
6. Take personal and professional inventory. Deal with (remove, replace or revive) anything that is prickly (problematic) that relates to your online reputation.
7. Show your character by participating in and sharing information about topics that lift people up out of their circumstances rather than being self-centered or pessimistic.
8. Rise above the fray. Do not concern yourself or waste your time debating issues or engaging in conversations that may diminish who you are. Choose your battles wisely.
9. If you are in the public eye, remember to present your best self always. There are people out there waiting to see you slip up or lose your competitive edge.
10. Be mindful of the company you keep online and offline. Ask yourself: What conversations do you engage in? You should also know why you are attracted to these types of conversations. Do you tend to focus on tearing others down or lifting others up? 

There are some moments that define your life. If any of troubling moments are captured and placed online, you and your organization will need to brace yourself for the public relations nightmare which is sure come. If you are serious about preventing your reputation from being tracked or you want to be sure a data breach doesn’t wreck your reputation be sure to learn more about The Federal Trade Commission Consumer Privacy Report which impacts online communications.

These hyper connected times gives you very little room for error… which means how you behave or misbehave online is terribly important. Everyone that goes online must learn how to exercise their digital freedoms without leaving messy digital footprints behind …unless you want to keep looking over your shoulder.

What are your thoughts?

With nearly 45,000 registered users, Andy and I often find ourselves having some very interesting conversations.  Often positive, sometimes with constructive criticism, and nearly always candid, these conversations cover an abundance of topics.  One of our favorite things to discuss with Trackur customers, is how they’re using Trackur.  As with many of our updates and improvements, some of the best suggestions for alternative uses for Trackur have come directly from our customers.  Who better to turn to for product development than the people who use the product day in and day out?  Often, we hear ideas, tips, and tricks that we hadn’t yet considered.  Here are a few of our favorites:

• Trackur For Link Building – Many pros are using Trackur and other monitoring tools to find backlinks for SEO use.  With Trackur, you can find potential link partners, discover new keywords, and keep an eye on who’s linking to others in your industry.
• Gather Competitive Intelligence – Keep an eye on who’s linking to your competition, where they’re being mentioned, and see what their employees are discussing on the social sites.  Oftentimes, big secrets can be pieced together from small bits of information.  Monitor competitors’ brand names, the names of their top execs, and any big product lines they’ve got.  You’ll be amazed at what you can find, especially from their employees bragging or complaining on the social sites.
• Find a Job, or Hire a New Employee – Keeping an eye on the buzz for your industry should be a part of your everyday monitoring anyways, why not leverage some of this information to find or fill a position?  Keep an eye on big industry players and up-and-comer’s in your field.  You’ll know when someone is thinking about moving on, and when a company may be looking to fill a spot before making it official.  Get a jump on your competition and make contact before anyone else has a chance.
• Is Your Spouse Cheating? – I’ve joked about this one, but it turns out that turning to media monitoring may not be so far fetched when looking to out a cheating spouse.
• Gather HR Intelligence – Find out how your employees view your company.  Keep an eye on potentially rogue employees, and take some time to reward those that go above and beyond.  You can also keep an eye on other companies trying to scoop up your star employees.  Follow these conversations and respond accordingly.

There are many other great uses for Trackur, we’ll follow up with more favorites down the road a bit.  What are some of your favorite ways to use your favorite social media monitoring tool?  :)

This post is the third part of a 4 part series about consumer privacy, data security and what this means to your reputation.

The first 24 hours of a data breach is vital.

Every second private data is left exposed or compromised threatens your privacy, can damage your reputation and translate into less (business) opportunities. When a data breach happens, you (or your data security team) will need to analyze what happened, note who you need to inform, identify legal concerns, and take the necessary steps to resolve and regain data security.

Most IT people are well aware that a data storage intrusion is a monstrous threat that can come from anywhere at any time.  It doesn’t matter if a cyber-intrusion is manmade or of natural origin, accidental or intentional - a data breach is a real threat, in the worst way. Every person that spends time online must understand this and do their best to take precautions to look less attractive to cyber criminals.

Forget Me Not

When life or work is disrupted by a cyber-attack everything comes to a screeching halt. This standstill could workout in your favor if you use it as an opportunity to get focused. It will force you (your organization) to spend time making sure that a future data breach will be met with adequate digital safeguards and you can also learn about current ways to practice data breach prevention. You may take it a step further by remaining aware of emerging ways to apply topnotch digital protections around your private data.

Data security is not something you can afford to ignore or forget.

My Data, My Reputation, My Emotions

You’ve worked long and hard to build your reputation.  Safeguarding your digital data is a crucial part of reputation management. You can’t separate your digital data from your online reputation; they are woven into one. A data breach is an extremely serious digital crisis every individual and organization must learn more about and be ready to manage. You should know that as you work to resolve existing data security gaps, emotions may be heightened. Under the circumstances this may be completely understandable, but staying grounded and focused will help calm heads to focus on solutions that will reduce the chances of another data breach.

While a data security storm surrounds you, there are some things you can do to improve your online reputation and minimize the aftermath of a data breach:

1. Remain calm. Keep a level head and lead with emotional intelligence.
2. Respond promptly. Let your response be more efficient than and as swift as the cyber attackers.
3. Dissect the cyber intrusion carefully and skillfully. Where, How, When, did it start? Who is the culprit?
4. Watch for other potential data concerns while you repair and regain your data security.
5. Fix the issue(s) that caused the data breach.
6. Don’t share passwords.
7. Ensure passwords are challenging and are changed regularly.
8. Use secure logins like https.
9. Check to see what data mobile app permissions have access to on your mobile devices.

10. Don’t use public Wi-Fi or public computers to handle personal or sensitive information.

11. Make protecting your data must be a top priority, especially as technology changes.

12. If you have a data breach response team or plan , inform your trained data security/protection team to carry out the next steps.

Every Byte Counts

Matters could easily become exponentially worse if the data recovery vendors should cross the line and share or sell your confidential information. Trends in security of data recovery operations show how choosing a data recovery vendor should be thoroughly researched. Overlooked data vulnerabilities are internal or external risks that come back to bite with each byte of compromised data. It is easy for an unscrupulous data recovery vendor to unknowingly make data security more problematic if they fail to take adequate precautions to keep their own data protected.

There are numerous moving pieces and many layers to consider when working to regain data security and reduce damage to your reputation. Make sure each piece and every layer is addressed thoroughly.

This post is the second part of a 4 part series about consumer privacy, data security and how what this means to reputation management.

So many people participate in online conversations without much thought.  We send and receive public and private information (data) through digital platforms several times a day.  We share and engage in online activities trusting that our private information, preferences and interests (data) are protected and not at risk.

The truth is consumer privacy, data security & your reputation all have risks, known and unknown.

Consumer privacy and data security are two of our most basic digital freedoms. The unknown risks which accompany living a portion of our lives online means consumers must be on the lookout for ways to safeguard our digital rights. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has focused on safeguarding consumers rights since the 1970’s when the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was established.  Forty plus years later, the FTC continues to advance principles and best practices through their Consumer Privacy & Data Security recommendations for organizations (businesses) and policymakers.

Privacy Please

Digital Advertising Alliance

The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) creates cross-industry standards for online advertising through their self-regulatory program for online behavioral advertising. The DAA is supported by respected associations and provides resources for consumers and for companies so they can learn more about behavioral or interest based ads.

The DAA website also has detailed information about consumer rights and organization responsibilities. On the DAA website you are also able to:

1. Learn the names of the participating companies that currently enable tailored ads for your browser.
2. View the names of participating companies and learn about their privacy and advertising practices.
3. Find out if you have opted out from participating companies already.
4. Opt out of browser-enabled interest-based advertising by some or all participating companies, using opt-out cookies to store your preferences in your browser; or
5. Select the “Choose All Companies” feature to opt out from all (currently) participating companies at once.

You can find out the names of the participating companies who have enabled interest-based ads on your browsers by going here.

The DAA also has an opt out page (currently in beta) where you can view the total number of interest based companies that currently customize ads based on sites you have visited using your browser. You’ll be stunned to see the full list of advertisers that customize ads based on your search (browser) habits.

Do Not Track

Did you realize  every time you went online you were being tracked? It’s no coincidence that the online ads you see are about products and services that interest you. The more time you spend browsing online, the more online tracking collects information about what you were searching for – even where you were searching from.

Since consumers are being followed closely online – without their knowledge, the FTC has called for more transparency from Data Brokers (those who collect and sell consumer data behind the scenes). Luckily, there’s a new browser plugin that puts advertising companies and other organizations that track your search behaviors on pause.  It’s called Do Not Track Plus or DNT+ for short. The Do Not Track Browser Plug In  stops tracking and future directed ads on Google Chrome, Firefox & Safari.  Innovation comes to the rescue again.

Reputation

Your digital foot prints matters – probably far more than you realized. Your public online reputation may say who think you are, but your private browser search behaviors reflect who you actually are. You have every right to be concerned about who, what and how tracking technologies have access to your data. What if a troubled soul decided to hack into where your private information is stored and take it for a spin? The harm that could be inflicted seems to have no end.

Now that you are aware, you can continue to keep an eye on your online reputation and you can also decide if you are more comfortable keeping your online behaviors private.

Share your thoughts on consumer privacy, data security & reputation.

This is part one of a 4-part series Consumer Privacy, Data Security & Reputation Management. Please subscribe to our blog so as not to miss parts 2-4.

On March 26, 2012 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)–the only federal agency that handles competition and consumer protection concerns–issued a final Consumer Privacy report. The Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change report opens with a clear call to action:

“With this report, the Commission calls on companies to act now to implement best practices to protect consumer’s private information. These best practices include making privacy the “default setting” for commercial data practices and giving consumers greater control over the collection and use of their personal data through simplified choices and increased transparency. Implementing these best practices will enhance trust and stimulate commerce.”

The FTC’s Consumer Privacy report builds on a preliminary privacy report  issued in December 2010 by providing a privacy framework and recommendations that business (organizations) and policymakers should follow in an effort to protect consumer privacy in the digital age. The Consumer Privacy report directed organizations to embrace practices that were in alignment with the Fair Information Practice Principles which has the following 5 core privacy protection elements:

1. Notice/Awareness
2. Choice/Consent
3. Access/Participation
4. Integrity/Security
5. Enforcement/Redress

The Consumer Privacy report also urges organizations to adopt the following 40 year old Fair Information Practice Principles which included privacy by design, simplified choice for businesses (organizations) & consumers and greater transparency. A central focus of both FTC reports encourages policymakers to enact data safeguards legislation which will keep consumers data uncompromised – music to every Consumers’ ears!

Data Breach

Because a data breach (when your information is accessed without your authorization) and the loss of digital information are serious consumer privacy & data security problems, organizations must be diligent and remain aware of how they collect, store and manage your digital information. The risks and costs associated with safeguarding digital information is minimized when diligent data safeguards are in place, however, data safeguards must be nimble enough to adjust to the ongoing and rapid change of today’s digital lifestyles.

A consumer’s worst nightmare is to be told their sensitive, confidential, protected data has been compromised (accessed, viewed, copied, transferred, stolen or used) in some way. In a blink of any eye, a data breach can morph into a credit threat, an identity theft, or a tarnished reputation. Thankfully, the Federal Trade Commission understands this fear and exercises their research, investigative and law enforcement authority to safeguard consumer privacy as they work to keep consumer private information uncompromised in these hyper connected times.

By design, social media platforms encourage a culture of sharing, which if you think about it, isn’t a bad thing for business.

Introducing your organization’s core values and creating opportunities to share them inside and outside of the organization will help to do more than just polish your reputation – it creates new ideas and opens up new opportunities.  The key is to empower employees with ongoing social media training, tools, and information (e.g., social media policy) trusting that what is said and done online will be a plus for your organization.

An organization should aim to build business relationships built on trust, reliability, honesty & integrity. A forward focused organization (for profit & not for profit) must have an online presence and it must also understand the importance of using social media to share and reflect who they are.

Decision Makers set the tone; their actions reflect the culture and the collective mindset of their organization. This means decision makers must seriously consider how their statements and steps could be interpreted and… they must make every effort to maintain the trust and integrity present in their organization. Whoever does the hiring – Human Resource Professional, Manager, or Owner – must be mindful of how the hiring process is handled, from start to finish.

If decision makers want to build trust with their employees and recruitment candidates, they should shy away from asking for social media passwords.  Doing so leads to ethical and legal issues, which could do more harm than good to their reputation. Instead, organizations can:

1. Make sure their social media policy is mentioned and discussed on an ongoing basis and is available online, shared via email and is in print for their employees (potential employees).
2. Inform employees and recruitment candidates that sharing all of their social media account URL’s will help the organization remain aware of their online reputation.
3. Use a social media monitoring tool to remain aware of where and how employees engage in conversations online.
4. Develop new positions or a social media compliance team who will provide ongoing social media education, monitoring and training.

Trust is the glue that keeps every relationship together –

without trust, relationships are doomed.

Although employers and recruiters have the right to implement new ways to protect their reputation, decision makers must learn best practices for using and monitoring social media in the digital age. Every organization must have people in place who understand and are willing to learn how to navigate the sea of new media platforms in a way that does not increase their liabilities.

The best employers often invest in trust building activities to nurture a solid organizational culture. Organizations must understand… if they introduce behaviors that do not reflect trust, they place their reputations on a slippery (social media) slope.

What are your thoughts?