Alert: Intuit phishing scam email

A scam email has been sent and we received an alert from Intuit. It is fairly convincing and they are concerned that many of their customers may have followed the instruction in the email and infected themselves. We would like two things: Please let us know if you received the email. We will pass the information along to Intuit to help them gauge the spread. Please also let us know if you followed the instruction so we can disinfect your computer.

Here’s a copy of the email:

From: Intuit Company [mailto:update@intuit.com]
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 11:55 AM
Subject: Intuit Update

Dear customer,

NOTE: Read this letter up to the end. You will mislay access to your account on Intuit website without actions described below,
Because of the increasing number of attemptsto hack the accounts of clients we are doing everything to perfect the technology of our security system. Thats why you need to do these actions to perfect the security of your Laptop.
Please do all the actions of this instruction:
1. Change your password on your private cabinet at least once a month.
2. Install and update your antivirus regularly.
Do not pass login and password from our service to others.
3. Do not install expansion to your browser from the unknown vendors.
4. Download and install Intuit Secure Software, which guards your browser from viruses done to steal information (usernames, passwords, etc.). Also it will provide additional security when working with a private cabinet and your financial information. NOTE: Beginning with 24 of April 2010 you wont have an admittance to the services of our company without an installed Intuit Secure Software.
System requirements :
Mozilla FireFox 2.0 and above
Windows XP, Vista, 2000, 2003, Seven
Internet Explorer 6.x, 7.x, 8.x
ATTENTION: You will not be able to use our service without update from 24 of April 2010
Download :
·  Intuit Secure Software for Quickbooks Users
·  Intuit Secure Software for Intuit Merchant holders
·  Intuit Secure Software for PayCycle customers
·  Intuit Secure Software for Quicken users

If you are not Microsoft Windows user you can use our services as usual

Marketing for Manufacturers

I came across this blog. The theme is digital and traditional marketing for manufacturers. Norman Wright is the author of this blog and I thought there were some very good tips. It would be worth subscribing to, even if you aren’t in manufacturing. 

http://wright-to-know.com/2010/04/12/how-manufacturers-can-build-a-brand-centric-culture/

 

Here are 12 action items that you should implement to start creating your own Brand Centric Culture at your manufacturing company:

1. Know what you stand for
2. Know what makes you unique
3. Be meticulous over the “Experience”
4. Everyone in the company needs to “live the Brand”
5. Be strategically intentional on how your brand is viewed by the customer
6. All decisions should be designed to strengthen your brand not weaken it
7. Have a “Brand Champion” focused on your Brand. Someone that is passionate about it
8. Realize that every member of your team is a spokesperson for your brand
9. Build a leadership team that understands the power of words, imagery & detail
10. Understand that all “Stake Holders” impact the strength of the Brand and the conveyance of the message of the Brand.
11. Realize that your Brand is a reflection of the culture and the culture needs to be reflected in the day to day actions of your company
12. Maintain consistent real-time feedback from your target audience via Social Media implementation in to your strategy

Privacy and Using Business Computers for Personal Purposes

I read an interesting article this morning on the results of an important legal case between an employee and Loving Care Agency, Inc. It has implications for every one of our clients. I know that we’ve said it before, probably not loud or often enough, but everyone needs a computer network use policy. If you don’t have one yet, let’s get that done.

“The machine may be the employer's, but, in the post-LovingCare world, the data may be the employee's - at least where the cloud and the attorney-client privilege are involved.  You can read my detailed case analysis below.”

http://www.infolawgroup.com/2010/04/articles/workplace-privacy/privacy-privilege-and-the-cloud-oh-my-taking-lovingcare-to-heart/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InfoLawGroup+%28Info+Law+Group%29

In this case, an employee had a conversation about her employer with her attorney using Yahoo mail from her work computer. The New Jersey Supreme court ruled that the conversations were private and subject to attorney-client privilege.

Two things happened here. First the existing computer use policy left wiggle room for personal use of the computers. Second, the court ruled that client-attorney privilege can’t be subject to any corporate policy that informs the employee that their activity would be monitored.

Now this took place in New Jersey and we’re in Michigan, so there’s time. But this seems to be a trend and the only way for businesses to protect themselves will be to have computer network policies that are strict and do not allow “wiggle room” for personal use. Doing so could protect you in the event you have the business need to monitor an employees activity; to do so without prior consent might be unlawful.

There are some templates available for policies like this. Of course you should have your attorney look it over before implementing one.