Russia, Iran , Syria. These places got nothin’ on your own IT department. That’s right, according to The National Association of State Chief Information Officers the majority of cyber attacks on a company’s computing infrastructure comes from within the companies own IT staff. You may remember Terry Childs the network engineer that locked out the City of San Francisco’s IT department from it’s own computer network. That one example got major media coverage but it happens a lot more than many would think at companies all over the country. Also consider corporate espionage, disgruntled employees, identity theft and employees just out to “have some fun”, it’s enough to give you shivers down your spine. Read more…

I didn’t know how else to classify this one since it involves our favorite jolly old elf in the red suit. Maybe it’s a microcosm of society, or maybe it’s just precautionary, but an article in the New York Times today really made me think. It concerns the Postal Service and their involvement with Santa Claus; and I’m not just talking about their role in the movie “Miracle on 34th Street”. The Postal Service has participated in an Operation Santa program for over a hundred years according to Sue Brennan, a spokeswoman for the program. But this year when volunteers arrived at Manhattan’s main office, they were stunned to find out the program had been suspended, although probably temporarily. “At first, the Postal Service said the program would not resume until next year because the problem could not be fixed quickly. Later on, it said it planned to reopen the Manhattan program on Saturday, with procedural changes. It doesn’t know about other cities,” as reported by NY Times staffer N. R. Kleinfield. Read more…

Unless you have been living in a cave for the past year, you know this is a tough time for businesses all over the world. The last few months in the US have been especially challenging as the housing, credit and financial sectors go through a sustained demolition and rebuilding period. There are very few businesses that haven’t been impacted by this tough economic climate.

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As I am sitting here reveling in post-Christmas stuffedness (a word I can assure you exists), I was looking toward the new year with anticipation of what is to come. We are starting to put together plans for the new year and will hopefully be bouncing back like we are anticipating. While many companies are facing difficulties in this new year, still others are looking at growing their workforce and picking up some of the great talent on the marketplace. If you are a “buyer” in the talent market, I would encourage you to take action as there hasn’t been a better time to pick up some great people looking for work.

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I was reading through some advice on how to improve your resume and make it stand out from the pack in this incredibly competitve new employment environment. I don’t particularly want to link to it because the advice that is decent is incredibly boring and the advice that is bad is practically unethical.

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This is a very complicated issue. The following information came from an article written by Patrick McCardle of the Rutland Herald.  A recent sexual assault case in Bennington, Vermont  points to holes in the methods for screening employees who work with vulnerable populations, such as young children. In schools and health care facilities, a job candidate’s records typically are checked prior to employment. Once a worker is hired,background checks for criminal activity are not routinely conducted, or are specifically prohibited. Read more…

A couple of weeks ago, I was staying at a very nice hotel and I noticed something odd. Well, not so much odd as just a surprising touch and a nice gesture. You see, when I stepped into the shower, my feet immediately hit a textured surface used to prevent slipping. I felt at ease knowing that my feet could be securely planted to the tub and I wouldn’t have to worry about falling down. I felt like the hotel went the above and beyond what was absolutely necessary. Maybe that makes me a little strange but it helped make the shower a lot more relaxing.

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It is that time of year again. The (in)famous holiday party is upon many of us. Even though some companies have scaled back or eliminated parties all together, many are going forward with a bit more of a reserved tone. If your company is holding one of these types of events (either formally or informally), you need to be prepared and aware of some of the pitfalls. AccountingWeb.com has a great article on some holiday liabilities. We’ll skip to the good advice:

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Every so often, we come across one that’s just too bizarre not to pass along. So here is one of those articles.

A man in Florida has been charged with robbing a bank-from his motorized wheelchair! According to Florida Today.com, Christopher Reed, a 45 year old paraplegic, went into the Space Coast Credit Union, and demanded money, telling employees that he had an explosive device strapped to his motorized wheelchair. The personnel, not knowing for sure, acted in caution and obliged his request. The robbery was reported, and about 10 minutes later, the suspect was apprehended by the Brevard County Sheriff’s department, about 10 blocks away from the scene. Here’s where the story really takes a bizarre twist. The suspect then told the officers that he was forced to take the action by two men who had threatened him with a gun, and he just did what he was instructed to do. He also told the officers that the same two men had met up with him shortly after the robbery and taken the undisclosed amount of cash. After checking with the employees of the credit union, several of them identified Reed as the person who had robbed them, so he was taken into custody. It was later discovered that all of the stolen money was hidden in Reed’s prosthetic leg. They also found a bottle of vodka (big surprise) on his wheelchair, and stated that he had been drinking heavily. Reed faces charges of robbery, grand theft, threats to plant or use a hoax explosive device, and aggravated assault. All of the stolen money has been recovered.

You probably use a free e-mail account for taking care of your personal business. For the most part, that is fine. After all, if there is nothing but e-mail forwards from Aunt Maude and pictures of your cat, the impact and motive for cracking your account is low. It is an inconvenience and a hassle but you can survive it.

If you’re like me though, you use your account for many things including personal and business purposes. You stay logged in for long periods of time and that can be a problem as explained on bloggingtips.com:

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