Yahoo! Small Business extends web hosting discount

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July 14th, 2009 - Posted by Kent

Yahoo! Small Business has extended their web hosting promo, which gives new customers 35% off of the regular $9.95 monthly charge for three months (which comes out to $9.08 per month for the year if you like averages, which is the minimum period for this discount). While it's not a huge savings, it almost pays for the optional (and recommended) domain privacy which comes out to $.99 per month. In our tests, Yahoo! Small Business came out as the best choice for beginners, and not just those looking to host a small business website. Individuals will find it a nice starting point for their own personal sites. Yahoo! has put together a nice, cohesive experience, that's far and away the friendliest, most intuitive interface out there. While it's not a cheap web hosting option, the ease-of-use should justify the cost for a beginner. If the on-screen help isn't enough, the support is among the best we encountered.

Check out our web hosting comparisons and reviews, or if you're ready, head over to Yahoo! to sign up.

Online backup service BeInSync closes down

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July 14th, 2009 - Posted by Kent

Online backup service BeInSync ceased operations on June 1st, 2009. We'd reviewed BeInSync, and while we hadn't found it to be as good as Carbonite, Mozy, or ElephantDrive, it still came out ahead of some of the competition. The natural question coming out of this is: What happens when your online backup service closes up shop?

An email purportedly sent from BeInSync to its customers on April 30, 2009 has been posted on Techiebites and Yahoo! Answers. The email indicates that the company did everything right before shuttering its doors: giving its users two-months of advanced notice and refunding their money. This gave users time to sign up for another service and to download any files they needed. Similarly, last month Yahoo! closed down online video-editing site Jumpcut, and gave its users 30-days to download videos they'd created on the site (a feature that, if implemented long ago, would have made it a more popular and useful site).

What's the upshot here? Well, ultimately online storage is probably still the most secure and convenient option, since you don't have all your data in one location. As far as we know, no one lost data when BeInSync closed. Although if you prefer the belt-and-suspenders approach, you can always try Webroot's dual online/offline offering.

You can find the service that works best for you by checking out our Online Backup Service reviews.

Miniature links can be misleading

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July 13th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

We've mentioned the danger posed by the miniature URLs that are often used in place of full length links. Whenever a complete URL is too long or cumbersome, many users turn to URL shortening services like TinyURL. Unfortunately, a condensed URL that appears harmless can easily lead to a malware download or phishing site, rather than the destination you were expecting. What appears to be a link to a friend's home video may actually be pointing you toward the Koobface virus. Hackers can target a single URL shortening service and intentionally misroute millions of users.

To find out where those mini URLs lead before you click on them, paste them into a URL lengthening service (naturally!) like TinyURL Decoder or Untiny. Untiny also offers browser add-ons that make it easy to see the full URL automatically. And, of course, protect yourself from spam and malware with Internet security software.

Early efforts to tighten medical data security

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July 13th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

A state law requiring California health care organizations to report suspected medical data breaches went into effect this past January. Since then, California officials have received more than 800 data breach reports. The California Department of Public Health expects to receive fewer reports once health organizations become more familiar with the reporting procedures. So far, 116 have been confirmed as actual breaches, most of which were unintentional. Offending organizations or individuals can be fined up to $250,000 per breach, depending on the nature of the breach and the extent of the harm caused. Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Los Angeles, for example, was fined the full $250,000 after hospital workers peeked at "Octomom" Nadya Suleman's medical records. California has been on the forefront of data breach notification laws. This medical breach notification law is the first in the nation, but health care providers have complained that it is too rigid.

Medical data security is still in its early stages, which makes medical identity theft even more difficult to prevent than other forms of identity theft. TrustedID is one identity theft protection service that does offer medical record protection. To learn more about TrustedID or other identity theft protection services, see our reviews and comparison chart.

Domain privacy in web hosting

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July 10th, 2009 - Posted by Kent

One thing we talk a lot about in web hosting is domain privacy. If you're considering web hosting, or even if you already have web hosting, it's something to think about. First, we'll explain what it is:

When you register a domain, either on its own or through a web hosting service, you will be asked for your name and address (or that of your business). The idea here is that it keeps people honest and accountable for the content they publish. So far, no problem, right? But here's the kicker: domain registration info is private. While you probably don't have a habit of listing your name and address online, if you don't privatize your registration info, that's exactly what you're doing. Sites like Network Tools allow you to look up a domain's owner using a whois search.

Domain privacy is a service offered by most web hosts that makes them the registrar. Sometimes this service is free, and sometimes it's a yearly (or even monthly) fee. But either way, if you're an individual it's worth it. If you're a business, you probably want this info available, as it builds trust with customers. You do, however, want to be sure it's registered with your business address and not your personal address.

Privatizing your domain helps to prevent spam and other types of fraud. It also keeps people from coming over to your house if they disagree with your latest blog posting.

For reviews of web hosts, including information on domain privacy, check out our web host reviews and comparison chart. For more answers to web hosting questions, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The world of web host pricing

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July 10th, 2009 - Posted by Kent

With the recent launch of our web hosting reviews, we thought we'd spend a little time talking about costs. Visiting the websites of a dozen web hosting companies is like walking down a carnival thoroughfare: you hear a lot of numbers, a lot of competing deals. One web host will offer hosting for $9.99 per month and another for $3.95 per month. The latter sounds like a better deal, but is it?

You've heard the phrase, "cheaper by the dozen"? With web hosts, it's often "cheaper by the dozens." That is, you often get better pricing when buying a multi-year plan. That's why our first column is labeled "Best Price" and the second column is labeled "Recommended Plan." Some web hosts would like to lock you in at $3.95 for five years. It's a good deal, but it's a lot to pay up front. And five years is an eternity in technology.

Pick the web host that has the best terms for you. Keep in mind that some have a prorated refund policy, but some have a refund policy that's as few as thirty days.

Check out our web hosting service reviews and pricing comparisons for more information on the best plan for you.

Web hosting reviews at Next Advisor

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July 10th, 2009 - Posted by Kent

We are pleased to announce a new category in Next Advisor reviews: web hosting. If you don't know, web hosting is the fundamental service that allows you to put a website at a registered domain. Maybe you registered a domain, but never put a website on it, or perhaps you have a small business and you need to build a website for it, or you want to establish a site to sell something you make. Many people just want to host their own blog and have their own unique email address. That's what web hosting is for.

We decided to review web hosting because it didn't seem like other comparison sites were really doing it right. It didn't seem like they were using the products, they were just comparing the selling-points advertised by the web hosts themselves. So we signed up! We made sites! We uploaded! We installed! We deleted! We called! We did the things we think people would do, and then we wrote our reviews.

So, check out our web hosting reviews and comparison chart. If you still have questions about web hosting, check out our web hosting Frequently Asked Questions. If you have questions we didn't answer, please leave a comment in the blog.

Google's Chrome OS and Internet security

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July 9th, 2009 - Posted by Kent

The web is abuzz with Google's announcement that it's developing an operating system that will not be susceptible to malicious code. The operating system (or OS), is the basic software that makes your computer run. Google is touting its as-yet-unreleased Linux-based system as superior to Microsoft Windows, the world's most popular OS that's famous for its vulnerabilities.

But don't start worrying about learning a new OS yet, because so far no one knows if Google plans on making it run on your desktop computer. So far it seems like it's just going to run on netbooks (computers that use shared applications distributed over the Internet), but the announcement is sufficiently vague to have people wondering if it will be a rival for Microsoft's OS. Google has already challenged Microsoft in websearch, email, web browsing, and Office-type applications. Google is probably betting that soon the whole world will run on netbooks anyway, so the argument will be moot. Still, there's some controversy about whether Google can really make a system that's invulnerable to malicious code.

You can check out the Internet security software available today with our Internet Security Software Reviews.

Ten things NOT to put on your credit card

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July 9th, 2009 - Posted by Kent

Robert Manning, author of Credit Card Nation, has made a list of ten things you shouldn't put on your credit card. Why? Because credit card companies may start to see you as a risk if, for instance, you're charging your federal taxes. But there are other things too. Here's the list, courtesy of NPR's Marketplace:

1. Traffic Tickets

2. Retreading Your Tires

3. Bargain Shopping (shopping at low-cost stores suddenly, when you haven't already)

4. Adult Purchases (pornography, strip clubs)

5. Marriage Counseling

6. Lottery Tickets

7. Cash Advances

8. Personal Pampering

9. Income Taxes

10. Alcohol (specifically charging your bar tab)

The bottom line is that credit card companies have decided that you are what you buy. So, next time you're at the bar you might want to consider using cash. While you're busy rethinking your charging habits, you can also check out our credit card reviews and comparisons.

Public figures and social media ID theft

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July 8th, 2009 - Posted by Robert Siciliano

Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger

Since the beginning of the presidential campaign, Sarah Palin has used Twitter and Facebook to communicate with the public. Impostors have taken every opportunity to jack her persona, even hacking into her personal email account.

Now, hackers and impostors are chiming in on Sarah Palin's resignation. The Twitter profile for ExGovSarahPalin snags and reuses graphics, photos and tweets from Sarah Palin's "Verified" Twitter acount, AKGovSarahPalin. This fake Palin account is still live as of this writing. In one tweet, a Palin impersonator invited followers to her home for a barbecue. Her security staff was reading these tweets and quickly dispatched security personnel to her home to intercept unwanted visitors.

Twitter has a "parody impersonation policy" that permits impersonation, as long as the parody is clear to readers. It's puzzling to me that they would allow this, particularly in the case of the fake Sarah Palin account, which is plastered with Governor's likeness.

Social media is not prepared for this type of use. And Twitter should rethink its policies.

Meanwhile, USA Today reports that St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, who has also fallen victim to social media identity theft and has sued Twitter, claiming damage resulting from "cybersquatting" and misappropriation of his name, has now dropped his lawsuit. One report mentions an out of court settlement that compensates LaRussa for his legal fees and includes a donation to his favorite charity. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone blogged a denial of such a settlement.

Financial identity theft is impossible to prevent 100% of the time, and so is social media identity theft. However, there are ways to lock down your name and protect yourself, or at least to mitigate the potential damage to your name and reputation.

These tips bear repeating:

1. Register your full name and those of your spouse and kids on the most trafficked social media sites, blogs, domains or web based email accounts. If your name is already gone, include your middle initial, a period or a hyphen. It's up to you to decide whether or not to plug in your picture and basic bio, but consider leaving out your age or birthday.
2. Set up a free Google Alerts for your name and get an email every time your name pops up online.
3. Set up a free StepRep account for your name. StepRep is an online reputation manager that does a better job than Google Alerts does of fetching your name on the web.
4. Consider dropping $65 on Knowem.com. This is an online portal that goes out and registers your name at what they consider the top 120 social media sites. Their top 120 is debatable, but a great start. The user experience with Knowem is relatively painless. There is still labor involved in setting things up and with some of the 120. And no matter what you do, you will still find it difficult to complete the registration with all 120 sites. Some of the social media sites just aren't agreeable. This can save you lots of time, but is only one part of solving the social media identity theft problem.
5. Start doing things online to boost your online reputation. Blogging is best. You want Google to bring your given name to the top of search in its best light, so when anyone is searching for you they see good things. This is a combination of online reputation management and search engine optimization for your brand: YOU.
6. If you ever stumble upon someone using your likeness in the social media, be very persistent in contacting the site's administrators. They too have reputations to manage and if they see someone using your photo or likeness they would be smart to delete the stolen profile.
7. Or do nothing and don't worry about it. But when some other John Doe does something stupid or uses your name in a disparaging way or for identity theft, and people assume that it's you, remember that I told you so.
8. Despite all the work you may do to protect yourself, you still need identity theft protection and Internet security software.

Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses scams.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBQr7oPdaIk[/youtube]

Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com , an identity theft expert, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 companies and startups as an advisor on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. Siciliano's thoughts and advice on all these matters appear often in both the televised and print news media including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of security training as a member of the American Society of Industrial Security. He is the author of 2 books, including The Safety Minute: Living on High Alert; How to take control of your personal security and prevent fraud. He's also partnered with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and to provide tips on how you can protect yourself.