These URLs redirect the user to a URL that is much longer. Here is an example:

- Full URL – http://www.tms-c.com/security-tech-tip-2-passwords/

- Shortened URL – http://j.mp/cA4rT2

If you clicked on both of the example links above you will notice that they both get you to same content located at the full URL. URL shortening is typically used when sharing links via text messages, twitter, or facebook. The short link allows the user to get to the shared location while retaining the readability of your post or message. I have personally used the j.mp service (which is very easy to use) to send links to various kinds of content on the internet. For the most part I think shortened URLs are great because they get keep things short and sweet. A down side of shortened URLs is that it creates a blind spot because the user does not know where they will end up. This can cause a security issue for the user. In order to help with this potential security threats make sure that you are only clicking on shortened URLs from content providers that you trust. Overall I like  the benefits of using shortened URLs and plan to continue using them in the sho.rt/T3Rm.

Feel free to drop me a line about this post on twitter or facebook.

A few nights ago I got a call from a customer that had received an email from what appeared to be Windows Live Customer Service. The email stated that the service was undergoing some maintenance and in order to make additional room on the servers it was necessary to filter out unused accounts. The user was asked to respond to the email with the password and date of birth associated with the account in order to confirm that the account was actively being used.

Yikes!! Let me be very plain and clear … NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR PASSWORDS TO ANYONE!! … even if the request comes from the company who provides you with the service.

Here are some quick tips to ensure that others do not gain access to your important accounts and services.

- Your password should be 8 or more characters.
- It should contain a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.
- It should contain at least 2 numbers.
- It should contain at least two symbols.
- Remember not to give it out to anyone.

I hope this quick little blurb about passwords helps a few people. I have been getting spam links from others who have apparently responded to such an email. If you have already given out your password to anyone you do not completely trust I would go change it immediately.

When I asked my malware customers when they started to have problems, the most common response was that it started after they saw a message telling them that their computer was at risk and encouraged them to click to download a special program. These messages usually appear when browsing the internet and are almost always a ploy to get the malware or spyware onto your system in the first place. One problem with these messages is that many times they look very much like a legitimate security message from Windows. If you see a message like this do not panic. Make sure you do not click anywhere near the message as even the close button may cause it to run. To get it to go away one thing to try is to hold down ALT and then press F4 on your keyboard. If you repeat this it will close any programs that are running in the foreground. If that does not work the safest thing to do is to reboot your computer through the start menu.

Remember that the best way to protect yourself is to make sure you have a decent security suite that protect against malware, spyware, and viruses and to make sure it is up to date. If this article helps prevent even one person from having an issue with malware than I believe it was worth it.

If you would like to drop us a line please visit us at facebook or twitter.

After a couple of months had come and gone I was still very pleased with the use I was getting out of the iPad. I had been to Michigan to visit my In-Laws and was able to use it to get the job done without my MacBook nearby. My family spent several days by the pool side and I was able to join them while still getting some work done.

Beyond just business I found that I was using the iPad more and more for entertainment purposes. My wife and I used it to watch several TV Shows from both Netflix and iTunes. There were also some fun games from the App Store that grabbed some of my time. The kids were always asking to play Plants vs. Zombies on the iPad.

At the end of August our ’92 Toyota Previa decided to have some costly issues. The repair costs started to add up and we were not in a position to shell out that kind of money. We had just been to Holiday World with some friends and had just signed up the kids for Soccer and Volleyball which did not help. As painful as it was to admit, it was clear that the iPad needed to be sacrificed for the greater good.

It had been awhile since I had used eBay but I got the listing setup without much trouble. Against my better judgement I decided to use my iPhone 4 to take the photos. I watched, over the course of what seemed like an incredibly long week, as the bids slowly increased the sale price. 7 days and 39 bids later the iPad was sold for $605 to someone in Arizona. The buyer paid promptly and since there is no contract on iPad data plans I was able to get the unlimited plan billing switched over without much trouble.

I went into a FedEx Office location to ship out the iPad to the new owner this afternoon. A friendly enough guy helped me package it and we had a few short conversations about iPad and iOS devices in general. I couldn’t help but think about all the good times I had with this “magical” device and hoped the new owner would enjoy it just as much. As I walked out the door with my receipt and tracking number in hand I thought to myself “Goodbye iPad, until we meet again”.