January 2011
In this issue

> Cut Down on Spam
> IT Security Policy
> Eleven Questions
    To Ask
> Lead Your Team to
    Success
> Marketing Your
    Business
> Cartoon & Quote
 

It's Time to Cut Down on Spam
used with permission from Symantec

It's no secret that spammers count on current events to hoodwink email users. In recent years, everything from the Beijing Olympics to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama to the Oscar ceremonies has provided fodder for their scams. But with the economy in a tailspin, spammers are redoubling their efforts. Continue reading to learn about the latest email threats and what you can do to slow down and effectively block them.

Beware of economic spam'
As economic concerns mount across the globe and media coverage of the downturn intensifies, it's clear that more and more spammers view "economic spam as a useful vehicle. According to a recent Symantec State of Spam Report, emails with subject lines such as "HURRY! I found you a new job and "Global job vacancy - apply now are becoming increasingly common.

With more people looking for employment, some spammers have even resorted to using the rejection letter to dupe users. As the March 2009 State of Spam Report explained:

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IT Security Policy: A Must Have
by Blake Britton, Vice President of Axxys Technologies, Inc.

I know we all feel that we do our best when it comes to securing both the physical and tangible assets of our businesses. Most companies feel that by simply locking doors, controlling who has keys and alarm codes, changing passwords, and engaging in other basic security measures they are doing their best to protect the business. I am not a physical security officer, or loss prevention specialist, but I do know about "basic" IT policy and how it can help your business protect its "information" assets.

So here are the questions of the day: Does your company have an enforceable IT security policy? Who is directly responsible for the management and enforcement of this policy? How often is this policy reviewed and updated?

These are all very serious questions that every business must answer. In a lot of cases the "information" businesses possess is one of their most valuable assets.

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Eleven Questions to Ask in 2011
by Marlene Chism

It has been said, if you want a better result, ask a better question. What questions are you asking yourself in this New Year? If your questions are not getting you the results you desire, here are eleven questions you can ask yourself in 2011.

1. Who am I?
You answer this question every day whether you mean to or not. When you are kind in the midst of drama, you represent yourself as one who has self control. When you consistently show up late for appointments, you represent yourself as one who is unorganized or one who is disrespectful. Do others see you as you see you? Why not answer the "who am I question consciously and see where you may be out of alignment.

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5 Tips to Help You Lead Your Team to Success
used with permission from the HP Small Business Website

Managing a team is rarely an easy task. Coordinating workflows, setting expectations, dealing with personality conflicts, a manager's work is never done. A company's well-being relies on its manager's ability to handle a multitude of challenges; your success as a manager will rest almost entirely on your ability to keep your team motivated while producing quality results.

While every team and department (and manager) is different, there are some management best practices that can help ensure that work teams run smoothly and employees stay happy and productive.  Here are five you may want to consider:

1. Put the right people in the right places
Make sure you know your employees' specific strengths and skills, and match them to tasks appropriately. For example, there is no sense in asking Employee A to manage the monthly reporting charts if Employee B has more experience with Microsoft Excel. And if you ask Employee C to deliver the customer presentation when they have a fear of public speaking, you could just be setting them up for failure.

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