Over the past few months, I’ve had several people I know send me spam email through, specifically, their AOL and Hotmail accounts. Not sure why, but it seems that these two email providers are being targeted heavily by hackers.

Had the majority of those people ever changed their password on those accounts?
Nope.

Do they use that email address to access bank statements, credit card statements, 401k’s, shop online, etc.?
You betcha.

Most online security professionals recommend changing your password every 3 months. Of course, what you do online could dictate whether that timeline should be decreased or increased. If you’re not online very much, you could get away with going slightly past the 3 month mark. If you’re constantly online playing games, shopping, etc., it’s best to not go past that 3 month timeline.

Think of it this way, you go on a trip and lose your wallet because there’s a hole in your pocket. You’re now in a frantic rush to cancel your debit and credit cards. Not updating your online passwords is like creating a hole in your cyber pocket that allows hackers the opportunity to steal this information.

When creating a new password, you have to think about something that is obvious to you that wouldn’t be to an outsider. You should always avoid using your kid’s names, pet’s names, etc. Include a couple numbers, capitalization and a symbol if you can.

Ok, so stop reading this and go spend a few minutes sewing up that cyber pocket of yours by creating some new passwords!

But how do you use social media to your benefit?

Well, for one, most of the social media outlets out there are completely FREE to use. This means you’re not putting a dent in your marketing dollars by paying for a subscription or membership to get your business noticed. The key here, though, is that you HAVE TO USE THEM in order for them to be beneficial. You can set up a Twitter account, Facebook fan page or blog, but unless you actively participate in updating them on a regular basis, they could render to be completely useless.

- Have an upcoming event? Tweet about it.
- Want people to know your specials for the week? Post a note on Facebook or blog about it.
- Have a how-to video tutorial you want to share with other people? Upload the video to YouTube or Vimeo.
- Want people to know your professional background? Create a LinkedIn account.

The time commitment you make will only be successful if you make that commitment on a regular basis. This same concept applies to a brick & mortar store. If you don’t let people know you exist, how are they going to find you? Many people get confused when they realize that this applies to the online world as well. Just because the Internet reaches the entire world, doesn’t mean the entire world is going to notice you. You have to make them want, or need, to notice you.

So, why the “glass half empty” responses? Well, let’s see…

Here’s a scary, realistic scenario that was presented in this article from The Consumerist:

You are working at a job you despise and you are in the process of trying to find a new job. You start emailing the HR rep at your, hopefully, potential new gig. If Google Buzz makes you an automatic “follower” of that HR rep, everyone else that is following you — AKA: your current boss or co-workers — they can also see that you’re a follower of that person. You go from having multiple, mysterious doctor appointments that disguise your interviews, to the person your current job is looking to get rid of in the blink of an eye.

This type of scenario could be extended to your personal relationships or that weirdo you contacted on Craigslist that one time because you really wanted that TV.

It will be interesting to see just how quickly Google can apply the many “updates” that are needed to truly make Buzz a contender with Twitter…if it can.