Education Key in Slowing Laptop

Corporations spend billions of dollars each year repeating the same message over and over. It's called advertising and it works. A similar approach, according to a recent Processor story, stands the best chance of slowing the never ending tide of stolen laptops: Keep telling employees that they have to guard their machines, and keep telling them how to do it.
Security, of course, is not at the forefront of every employee's mind. Indeed, people take dumb chances. They leave machines unattended when they go to the rest room in a public venue. They leave them lying on the front seat of an unlocked car when they run into a store. The theme of the Processor piece is that continually drilling best practices and corporate policies into the heads of employees may gradually mitigate this behavior. It's important because the problem is so big: The Safeware Insurance Agency reports that more than 600,000 machines are stolen annually. About $5.4 billion in proprietary information is lost, and 97 percent of the purloined machines are lost forever.
The story also provides advice on issues tangentially related to stopping theft, such as the importance of management systems to track machines and the use of strong passwords and other strategies to thwart criminals when they do succeed in stealing the machines.
The problem of companies not even knowing if a machine is lost or stolen goes hand-in-hand with theft prevention. The centerpiece of a recent Canadian Technology News story is a study by Absolute Software that spotlights some disturbing malfeasance by respondents: 62 percent say that missing computers aren't even noticed and another 20 percent say that nothing is done about breaches.
Innovative tools are available, however. The bulk of the piece describes how Absolute Software tracks, manages and recovers wayward computers. The story provides a common-sense rationale for use of such software: Regardless of the impact it has on outside criminals, it is certain to chill internal theft simply because employees will know that it is there.
This PC World story reports on a product that is available in the UK. It is a modern-day equivalent of the prologue from the old Mission: Impossible television show, in which the tape detailing the ridiculous assignment Jim and the gang will pull off in 60 minutes (minus commercials) starts burning seconds after delivery its message. In this case, Virtuity's BackStopp will wipe data off hard disks if the machine is taken from an unauthorized area. The surveillance is done via the Internet, Wi-Fi or Global System for Mobile communication or radio frequency identification if the laptop is turned off.
The story adds that if a machine has a Webcam, it can be instructed to take a picture of the presumptive thief and transmit it to the central office. The data destruction procedures, which meet standards set by the U.S. Department of Defense's National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, occur without alerting the thief.
A somewhat similar initiative, this one in India, is Locate Laptop from Unistal Systems. The software reports its location whenever it logs on. Thus, the owner or his or her company visit a Web portal to get a fix on a stolen machine. The IT Nerd provides a lot of useful links: iAlertU, Laptop Alarm, Lojack For Laptops and, for physically securing a laptop, Kensington Cable. The writer concludes that the best way to stop laptop theft is cutting down the amount of time the machine is left unattended.
There is good news and bad news in all this. The good news is that there is a lot of technology aimed at securing, managing, finding and, when necessary, disabling laptops. The bad news is that there are many people stealing laptops - and many corporate workers who are not paying attention.

A Prescription From The PR Doctor To Become Positive Headline News

Publicity is an essential ingredient in any integrated marketing communications plan. Positive public relations are very important to all businesses and require a dedicated strategic thinking effort to achieve the desired results. The impact of media coverage and positive media headlines can mean an enhancement of your company and your individual image in the communities and the markets where you do business.
The PR Doctor has developed a prescription for you to use to become positive headline news. The prescription includes the following ten (10) prescribed strategic actions.
#1: Always have something newsworthy to say. If you want to be a positive headliner and be part of a good interview, then you need to emphasize the strengths of your company and what differentiates you from others in the business sector. You also need to have some quotable aspect of your business to get reporters attention.
#2: Develop good solid opinions and share them with confidence. The media loves to quote people who are willing to share opinions on controversial issues, make predictions about their industry, take risks and exhibit confidence. And these quotes can turn into positive headlines.
#3: Speak with authority. Share your knowledge. Positive headliners will develop a reputation as an authority on their industry, business sector or a particular subject. They will do this by speaking at various business forums, including professional societies, seminars, workshops, chambers of commerce and other business forums.
#4: Develop a positive personality. Think of the positive headliners who grab the most media attention. One of the most important things they have in common is charisma. And their charisma helps them educate reporters without delivering what sounds like a "canned" sales pitch.
#5: Develop a position of authority or expertise with the media. Positive headliners become leaders in their field by sharing their knowledge with the media. Reporters want to gain access to experts to quote, and therefore positive headliners achieve credible exposure in the media.
#6: Interpret news events. Positive headliners think on a "big picture" but they speak on a narrow "snapshot" focus. They issue news releases, write letters to editors or otherwise contact trade and business media to offer insight into business and economic developments. For example, how will the recent increase in minimum wage impact your business?
#7: Always display the highest level of good business etiquette. Positive headliners who are often quoted in the media are those who treat reporters with courtesy. They are on time for interviews, return phone calls and e-mails quickly and thank reporters for their time.
#8: Build positive relationships and credibility with the media. Media-savvy positive headliners establish rapport with the best and most highly regarded business editors and reporters just as they do with their key customers. They develop a relationship by meeting and talking with them frequently to determine what they need - and then they respond with interesting and valuable information or with access to requested people to meet those needs.
#9: Always think before you speak. Although it is essential to build relationships with reporters, positive headliners know they must carefully consider every word they say. It is important to remember that any damaging quote is worse than no quote at all.
#10: Be available. You must understand that media relations are all about the media deadlines. A reporter cannot postpone deadlines, which means positive headliners who want media attention must work around critical deadlines and editorial schedules and be willing to respond after hours or even on vacation.
The PR Doctor encourages you to develop a plan to gain positive headline news for you and your business.

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, "Glenn's Guiding Lines - Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach" and has published more than 325 articles on business.

Reasons to Seek the Latest Breast Augmentation News

If you plan to get breast augmentation surgery, you should first make sure you are updated on the latest information available. Your doctor should be aware of the most recent facts, but you cannot always count on this. It is a good idea to study some of the most recent breakthroughs in this field before you get surgery.
You need to know what all of your options are. They tend to change over the years, and you have a lot of decisions to make. For example, sometimes new incision locations or techniques are discovered. In addition, new implant materials may be created. This does not necessarily mean that the old options are now bad, but just that you have more choices. You could be missing out on the best option for your body if you ignore some of the most recent discoveries regarding breast augmentation, which is why you should stay on top of news stories on this subject while considering the surgery.
In some cases, recent discoveries show that certain techniques and materials could be bad for you. For example, silicone was considered unsafe for quite some time, several years ago. Though it has been vindicated since then, and is rather popular now, it would have been nerve-wracking to have gotten this type of implant put in shortly after the news of its dangers was released. Not all doctors stay up-to-date, and even when they do, they might not think there is anything wrong with using outdated or even questionable techniques or materials. You should be an advocate for yourself and make sure your breast augmentation procedure is completed with only the best methods and materials.
In addition, you will find out a little more about your doctor when you mention the most updated information to him or her. If you get a blank look or she does not believe you when you mention the newest facts, you know the doctor does not obtain continuing education. This can be a red flag, and you should look for another doctor who does pay attention to the latest news in this industry. In this way, staying updated can help you find the best practitioner for your breast augmentation.
You can easily get updates by searching news sites or even having alerts set up to tell you when this type of surgery is mentioned. This ensures that you get the latest information possible. This industry is constantly evolving, so it makes sense to keep up with the most recent news regarding the surgery you want.