Two very easy to use PC security scanning tools

Time and again I’m amazed at how many small businesses blindly ignore (or more likely, are blissfully unaware) of the very basics of keeping their PCs secure on the Internet.  As a very minimum you should have the following:

1) A network firewall, either built into your broadband router or as a separate device. The firewall should be enabled – many older router models were shipped with the firewall disabled by default. We often find that these have still not been enabled!

2) A software firewall, such as the Windows Firewall or one included with your anti-virus product. Again, the firewall should be enabled and, depending on what programs you are using on your PCs, set to block all incoming network connections from the Internet.

3) All Microsoft security updates installed. These are generally released every second Tuesday of the month.

4) The latest versions of media & utility programs like Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Apple iTunes, Apple QuickTime, RealPlayer and Java installed.  These programs are often the target of virus and malware attacks; it’s not just Microsoft that gets targeted these days. In fact, the number of attacks that target older versions of these programs is steadily increasing as Windows becomes more secure.

5) Anti-virus and anti-spyware software installed on all PCs (and servers if you have them).

The Tools

Two great tools that you can use to check the current state of your PCs are:

1) Secunia’s Online Software Inspector tool (http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/). This will inspect your operating system and software for insecure versions and missing security updates. Instructions:
- Click on the “Scan Online” button (towards the bottom left).
- Click on the “Start scanner” button.
- Un-tick the “Display only insecure programs” checkbox.
- Click on the “Start” button.

The scan will only take about 30 to 40 seconds to run. Example results are shown below:

2) Shield’s Up scanning tool (https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2). This scans your PC looking for holes in your firewall. Instructions:
- Click on the “Proceed” button.
- Click on “Continue” in the pop-up window.
- Click on “All Service Ports” to run the scan.

The scan will only take about 30 seconds to run. In the results, Blue and Green squares are good, Red is bad.

Seven Headline Benefits from a CRM System

There are many benefits that you can get by implementing a CRM system within your company, many of which may be specific to your own company’s business processes. However, seven headline benefits and examples we find when implementing CRM for all sizes of business are:

1) You have one database to share all prospect and customer information that everyone can access.

2) You have the ability to have a CRM system that matches exactly how you run your business and track the exact data you want tracked.

3) You get the ability to know exactly what’s going with a prospect or customer at any time, all of the time.

4) You receive automatic reminders of what you need to do next. Who you need to call today, who you need to send an email to, what sales opportunities you need to work on today…

5) You never leave a prospect or a customer behind. For example, you can have automated events that tell you that you haven’t talked to a key customer in the last 14 days.

6) You have the capability for anyone, including the MD, to see live, real-time reports showing you all the opportunities in the sales pipeline at any given time.

7) You end up spending more time with your customers and prospects and less time on administrative tasks. A CRM system can help save you time and money.