How to Tell if an Email is Real or Fake

Fake emails, also called "spoof" or "phishing" emails, try to look like they are from real companies or people you know. They are a common way criminals use to steal your personal or financial information, such as bank account details, credit card information, passwords, etc. Fake emails often link to fake ("spoof") websites where your information can be collected as you type it. So, be very cautious! Here are some ways to determine that the email you received is a "spoof":

Fake Sender's Email Address
You can check who sent the email by looking at the sender's address. For example, the message may say it’s from "South Bank", but the email address may be something unusual like "southbank_support@hotmail.com". A reliable company's email should not be using a public internet service provider account like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo!, etc. Typically, real companies have their own domains. So, you should expect the email address to look something like "support@southbank.com".

Requesting Private Information
Companies contacting you will not ask via email for your private information. Be very suspicious of emails requesting your social security number, account number, security code, personal identification number  (PIN) or other sensitive information.

Not Addressed to You
A legitimate email from a business with whom you have a relationship will address you by name rather than as “Valued Customer” (or something similar). Since a reliable business likely has a customer file with your contact information, they will address you directly.

Typos
Emails which have misspellings or grammatical errors, or grammar that indicates they are not properly formatted for the language in which they are written, are additional signs that the message is a fake.

Incorrect Links
Some email message will make a request for you to click on a link (e.g. View your account statement here). Hover your mouse over the link to see the content of the link. Similar to "Fake Sender's Email Address" above, the link should have the company's URL in the beginning of the link (e.g. "www.southbank.com/customer/statement.aspx"). Don't click on a suspicious link. Clicking on a fake link will likely allow a hacker access to you computer and stored information, or will download malware to your computer.

Low Resolution Images
Another tip-off to a fake email message is poor image quality of the company’s logo or other images in the message.

What if the Sender is Someone you Know?
Spoof emails from people you know usually ask you for you to do something that a friend might not ask you to do, such as to click on a link to an unusual website. Sometimes, you will see that the "friend" sent the email to a number of email addresses in the "To" box. In this case, it is likely that your friend was "spoofed", which is causing that email account to contact you.


When you suspect you received a fake email from a company with whom you do business, call that company's customer service department. Ask them about the content of the message. If the message is legitimate, the customer service department should be able to assist you with the message request. If the message is not legitimate, delete it right away.

When you suspect you received a fake email from a somebody you know, send that person a separate, new email asking if they sent the prior message you received. Do not reply via the suspected message which may (or may not) be sent to them. If the person replies that the message is not legitimate, delete it right away.

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David Schuchman

More Secure Than Your Password

Hackers break into corporate computer systems and release lists of usernames and passwords on the open web. Home PCs are vulnerable to malware, viruses and other tricks to access your personal, financial and private information. These have now become regular occurrences. The most common weakness in these types of hacks is the password. Passwords are a technology from a time when our computers were not inter-connected. The age of the password has come to an end.

Here are some security technologies that, once implemented, will replace the traditional password.

BioMetrics

Biometrics authentication is used in computer security as a form of identification and access control. It refers to using physical human characteristics and traits instead of a manually entered password. Examples include, but are not limited to, a fingerprint, palm print, facial recognition, retina pattern and even DNA. The products that allow client access will have biometric readers that interface with the host security system.

No one method of biometric security is said to do the best job of protecting system access. When you consider biometric security, you want to select a physical characteristic that is constant and does not change over time, and are also difficult to fake or can be changed on purpose. You also need to consider that some biometric security metrics are consider more invasive than others (e.g. DNA vs. facial recognition). Some methods take a lot of time to execute, such as a retinal scan which can take as much as 15-30 seconds. In addition, ethical use issues have been raised over some of the biometric security metrics. The details of the methods and issues will not be addressed in this post.

Fob

A fob, also called a key fob or token, is a small security hardware device with built-in authentication used to control and secure access to a network and data. Typically, the fob randomly generates an access code, which usually changes every 60 seconds. These one time use codes are the "password" used to validate system access, and they work as long as timing and code algorithm synchronization exists between the client's fob and the host authentication server.

Disconnected fobs are the most common type of security  fob, and do not have a physical connection to the client's computer. They use a built-in screen to display the generated authentication code, which the client manually enters via the keyboard. Bluetooth technology is also used as a disconnected fob.

Connected fobs must be physically connected to the client's computer. Authentication is automatically performed once a physical connection is made, eliminating the need for the client to manually enter the authentication code. Smart card technology is also used as a connected fob.

Wearables

A "wearable" refers to a mobile device such as a cell phone or tablet computer. With wearable security, authentication is a 2-step process. The client enters an account identifier code via a keyboard. The security system then transmits a one-time use pass code to the client via a pre-registered email address, or device for an SMS (text message). Upon receipt of the pass code, the client enters that code via the keyboard. That code is not used again. Typically, the security system will accept the transmitted code only within a set period of time before the code expires. If the code expires before successfully entered, the client must request a new code.

In the Mean Time...

Until you implement stronger security measures, the first step in improving security is to have strong passwords. In SplashData's recently released list of worst passwords, the 2-time annual winner (or loser) of the most common (and therefore worst) password is "123456". Following that is "password". People continue to put themselves at risk by using weak, easily guessable passwords. Individuals and organizations must encourage the adoption and enforcement of stronger passwords.

Microsoft's tips for creating strong passwords are:

• Is at least eight characters long
• Does not contain your user name, real name, or company name
• Does not contain a complete word
• Is significantly different from previous passwords
• Contains characters from each of the following four categories:
• Uppercase letters
• Lowercase letters
• Numbers
• Keyboard symbol characters (e.g. !@#$%, etc.)

For example, a password of "troubadours" is not considered very strong. A stronger choice would be "Trou8@d0Ur$".

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David Schuchman

Consider Hiring an Older Skilled Worker

Until recently, companies had smaller budgets, which led to some people being promoted into higher positions or management with little experience. However, good workers do not always make effective managers. To stay competitive in today's marketplace, companies now need to make an effort to attract and retain older workers. Here are some reasons to attract older workers:

A Less Risky Hire

Companies invest many hours and financial resources into the screening, hiring and training of new employees, only to find that many employees leave for “greener pastures” in order to ascend through their career path. Older workers tend to be more interested in stability where younger workers might be more concerned about moving up the corporate ladder as quickly as possible. In addition, making a poor employee selection will cause your management to look poorly upon you and your decision.

They Are Focused

Older people have been working their entire adult life and are often not searching for the next opportunity at another company or a new role like younger workers. They know exactly what they want to do, are typically satisfied with a good work opportunity, and are focused on getting the work done. 

Maturity

Compared to their younger colleagues, older workers have years of experience you can't teach or replace. Maturity comes from years of life and work experiences, and makes for workers who get less "rattled" when problems occur.

Efficiency

Their years of experience in the workplace give older workers a superior understanding of how jobs can be done more efficiently, which saves companies money. Companies can save the cost of many man hours lost to inefficiency.

Confidence

Older workers have confidence, built up through the years, which means they won't hesitate to share their ideas with management. People without that confidence may keep their ideas to themselves because of an irrational concern that they won't get credit for their ideas.

Battle Tested 

Many industries are cyclical and older workers have experienced the highs and lows, making them more the wiser. The great recession and housing market crash of 2008 was something the country also experienced in the early 1980s. Old members of the workforce learned valuable lessons that helped them weather the recent economic storm and prepare their companies for the next one.

They Have Strong Networks
Older workers have been in the workforce longer and they've had more time to meet people and network along the way. Hence, they have stronger professional network of clients, vendors, partners and other professionals that serve within their industry.

Reduced Labor Costs 

Some older workers have insurance plans from prior employers or from a spouse/partner. In addition, some have an additional source of income and are willing to take a little less to get the job they want. They understand that working for a company can be about much more than just collecting a paycheck.

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David Schuchman

Keep your Next Meeting on Track

There’s nothing more annoying than a meeting that goes on and on. Whether you’re getting ready for a weekly team meeting or convening a larger group to discuss your company's or department’s strategy, as a manager it’s your job to make sure people don’t go off on tangents or hog speaking time. But how can you keep people focused without squashing their creativity?

Make the Purpose Clear

You can head off a lot of problems by stating the reason for getting together right up front. Create and send an agenda and any background materials ahead of time. This way, everyone understands the objective of the meeting and the necessary preparation. The agenda will also act as a schedule for the meeting and outline all of the topics that must be addressed. Consider including a list of things that won’t be discussed in the meeting as well.

Control the Meeting Size

Meetings can get out of control if there are too many people in the room. Only include those who are critical to the meeting topic and can provide enough diversity of opinion.

Manage the Ramblers

It can be tough to cut off someone who is a rambler or speaking off topic. However, it's sometimes necessary to do so. For someone who is prone to rambling, talk with him/her ahead of time or during a meeting break. Ask that s/he keep comments to a minimum to allow others to be heard.

Meeting Timing

Consider scheduling meetings that end either at lunch time or at the end of the work day. You'll be surprised how few people will ramble when they want the meeting to finish on time.

End the Meeting Well

End on the right note to set the stage for the work to continue. Identify what you see as the next steps, who should take responsibility for them, and what that time frame will be. Record all of the points discussed and the open questions to be answered. Then, send out a meeting summary email so that everyone is on the same page.

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David Schuchman

Making a Good Presentation

Many people are troubled when they have to give a presentation in front of a large audience. It's important to know that it's normal to experience stage fright. Some presentations feel like magic and grab our attention. While enormous credit goes to the skill of the presenters, there are a few things we can all do to make our presentations great.

Prepare for Your Presentation
Start by considering the information you will be providing and the makeup of your audience. Whatever your topic is, some things should be emphasized, like highly technical or vital information. Often, less relevant information might distract or disengage your audience. Take the opportunity to explore resources that you may want to include in your presentation, such as charts and images. The right content makes all the difference to your audience, especially when you pass on an idea that they may not have considered before.

Storytelling
Storytelling helps your audience to remember all of the vital points that you want to get across. Try to tell stories that most of them can connect with. By framing the information into the context of a story, your audience is more likely to retain it over time.

Be Truthful

Don't give your audience a reason to doubt you because you won’t be taken seriously. You could damage the whole presentation with just one wrong statement, and you will have lost your credibility with the audience. If the audience thinks that you are presenting false information during your presentation, they’ll simply take out their smartphones to quickly check what you tell them.

Interact with Your Audience

It’s not simple to keep everyone interested, especially if you give a long presentation. One of the best ways for you to increase the impact of your presentation and improve the audience's attention is through questions. Asking and answering questions helps to break up the presentation and improves audience concentration.

Questions help your audience become part of the presentation. Encourage brief discussions between you and the audience as you make your way through important points. This maintains audience attention during the more complex points, clarifies new or confusing information, and helps conclude your presentation by allowing you to revisit the covered topics.

Visualization Attracts Attention

If you decide to make a PowerPoint presentation, use a crisp common slide layout. Keep text brief and direct. Use the text to introduce each point, then you will talk to each point. Don't make your audience have to read each slide to pass on information. You do not want your PowerPoint slide deck to be your presentation. You want to use it to emphasize the information you are presenting.

Include images and videos, where able, to help emphasize various ideas in a clearer manner.

When You're on the Stage
Know your presentation, topic, and supporting material. Do not to use any notes so that you can make as much eye contact as possible. This way you will engage the audience make them feel important. Unless you are giving a very technical presentation, do not use too many big/fancy words because the audience may consider you arrogant. 

Have a Back-up Plan

Sometimes, not everything will go according to the plan. If you experience a technical problem, you need to find a different way to keep your audience interested and informed. Consider yourself a showman while you’re on the stage. You may have to improvise. Keep hard-copies of your slides to work from.

It may take some time to plan it, but practice makes perfect. All you need to do later is sit back and wait for results.

David Schuchman

Lean Tools for Managers

"Lean" is a practice that considers the effort & cost of resources for any task, other than those that create value for the customer, to be wasteful. Those tasks are targets for elimination. While Lean principles originated in the manufacturing industry, all industries have adopted Lean to make the effort needed to complete production goals more efficient. Here are two Lean tools which can be useful to a manager for the prioritization of project tasks, and for root cause analysis when issues arise.

PICK Chart
When faced with multiple tasks, a PICK chart may be used to determine the most useful or important. Originally developed by Lockheed Martin, a PICK chart organizes tasks or ideas into 1 of 4 categories. The acronym PICK identifies those categories as  Possible, Implement, Challenge and Kill.

A PICK chart is set up as a grid, two squares high and two squares across. The PICK acronym comes from the labels for each quadrant of the grid:

• Possible  - tasks that are easy to implement but have a low payoff.
• Implement  - tasks that are easy to implement and a high payoff.
• Challenge - tasks that are hard to implement and a high payoff.
• Kill  - tasks that are hard to implement and have low payoff.

	Low Payoff	High Payoff
Easy to do	Possible	Implement
Hard to do	Kill	Challenge

Once each idea from a brainstorming session has been placed on the most appropriate square, it becomes easier to identify which ideas should be acted on first. In a group setting, PICK charts are useful for focusing a discussion and achieving consensus.

Fishbone Diagram

A fishbone diagram, also called a cause and effect diagram, is a tool for categorizing the potential causes of a problem in order to identify its root causes. The design of the diagram looks much like a skeleton of a fish. It has a head (which states the problem), a backbone (connects the head to the ribs), and it has ribs (which categorizes the causes). Hence, the name: Fishbone. This is useful in brainstorming sessions to focus the conversation. Fishbone diagrams are typically worked right to left, with each large "bone" of the fish branching out to include smaller bones containing more detail.  After the group has brainstormed all the possible causes for a problem, the manager will lead the group to rate the potential causes according to their level of importance and likeliness.

Lean aims to make work processes simple enough to understand, do and manage. These tools are easy to document and apply in your workplace.

David Schuchman

Do You Need to Test Your Cloud Applications?

Software accessed via the "Cloud" is a deployment model that provides access to software remotely. It may also be referred to simply as SaaS or as hosted applications. Since the software is vendor-hosted remotely, it removes the need for organizations to program, install, buy a lot of hardware for and regularly maintain the software. Even though the implementation is a cloud-based, do you still to test the software? Yes, and here's why...

Risk Management
Testing verifies that the software and its delivery meet all of your requirements including functional, performance, security, integration and so on. This verification is done to ensure that you, along with the cloud vendor, have implemented the system correctly and as expected. In addition, testing validates that the system is what the user needs. In the end, validation is performed to help with risk management.

Meets User Needs

Functional testing is the most apparent tool you will have to validate that the product meets your corporate needs. The requirements are the foundation in effective functional testing. Using the original requirements, you can plan and manage tests that are focused on your specific business and user functional needs. Involve the user, either by them directly performing the tests or have them review and sign-off on the test results.

Performance Meets Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Load and Stress testing are a methods used to simulate real life scenario of a given system. It involves testing in real time beyond normal operational capacity in order to observe the results. Have anticipated metrics in place (e.g. maximum number of simultaneous users/connections, number of transaction per second, internet throughput, etc.). Then, measure your test results against the agreed upon performance. Work with the vendor to optimize performance that does not meet your specifications.

Meet's Security Requirements

Mitigating eternal security threats is a huge concern with cloud based software applications. You will rely on the security measures put in place by the vendor, which are largely outside of your control. You need to validate that the product meets the same password change control and user level security that your organization has set for itself. In addition, you need to continually monitor that the vendor is adhering to its own security protection (virus and malware protection, etc.). The level and types of security that you expect from the vendor must be put in the SLA and reviewed regularly by you.

Data Integration with Other Systems

If one of your requirements is data integration with other systems within your inventory, you need to validate that the input and/or output work as agreed. Don't assume that when cloud-based applications use standard data interface files (e.g. CSV, XML, etc.) that the field formats delivered will match those of the other systems. Testing of standard files must be done with the same level of diligence as for or custom interfaces. If you requested custom interface files for your implementation, be sure your contract with the vendor specifies that they will maintain the interface format for as long as you are a customer, and not just the length of the current contract.

David Schuchman

Not Everything that is Important is Actually Urgent

Some tasks and projects require more urgency than others. However, if we consider everything to be urgent, we clog our work queue and confuse trivialities with important priorities. Sometimes the challenge we face as a manager is to distinguish between what is actually urgent and what is not. Consider these tips to help you determine what truly is urgent.

Don’t assume that “Urgent” means “Immediately”

Explore with the person that made the request of you what they are really trying to accomplish and when it’s actually needed. Sometimes the sense of urgency is just a way of conveying a person’s importance and power, or even a reflection of personal anxiety. Giving that person a little bit of your time before starting on their request may be sufficient for them to be assured you understand their request and its urgency. Then, you will have the opportunity to determine when you will actually need to address the request.

Distinguish between an urgent crisis and an urgent request

There are times when people making a request have issues that need to be resolved right away, and diving in immediately is the right thing to do. But depending on your business, this may actually be the exception rather than the norm. Probe the person that made the request of you about what would happen if you got back to them in a couple of days or the next week. Often, as long as you commit to a specific completion time, that will be sufficient.

Be prepared to say "No"

Good customer service doesn’t necessarily mean doing everything that the person requests. More importantly it means doing what is best for them, even when they may not realize it. Talk through the implications and outcomes of what the requester is asking for and make sure it’s the right thing to do. Explain your reason why in order to get them to understand and agree.


The PICK chart illustrated at the top of this post is a tool used for organizing and categorizing process improvement ideas in a Lean Six Sigma project. The acronym stands for Possible, Implement, Challenge, Kill.

David Schuchman

Manage Your Email Onslaught

The volume of email we receive is one of the biggest productivity challenges that managers and their staff face. Sorting through the daily deluge can consume an incredible amount of valuable time that is much better spent elsewhere. The good news is that this is a solvable problem once you learn how to efficiently and effectively manage your everyday email communications.

Don’t Constantly Check For Email

Just like planning other important work activities during your day, schedule daily time for email. Depending on your typical email activity, plan to look at your email only at a specific time each day. For example, 30 minutes before lunch and 30 minutes before you end your work day. As an alternative for high volume email recipients, only check your email at specific time intervals, such as every two hours.

Read Only the Subject Matter

Learn to quickly discard irrelevant or unimportant messages right away by reading the subject matter and the sender’s name. You will likely purge more than half of incoming messages this way. Then, you can more efficiently attend to the important email messages.

Practice “OHIO”

Only Handle It Once. Immediately decide what to do with each email message. Answer the important ones quickly instead of filing them away. If you don’t, and you later are ready to answer them, you’ll spend a lot of time searching through folders to find the needed message.

Create Topical Folders

For messages that you must keep for a period of time, store them in a folder that is not your “Inbox” or “Sent Mail” folders. Name the folder based on your need, such as by customer name or product name. Once you conclude the nature of that business, delete those messages, and even the folder.

Email Trivia: "Crackberry" is a term used to describe the excessive use of checking email on a SmartPhone (initially on a Blackberry device) by its owners, and is a reference to the unfortunate addictive nature of crack cocaine. Use of the term "Crackberry" became so widespread that in 2006 Webster's New World College Dictionary named "Crackberry" the "New Word of the Year."

A Wonderful Reference: "NetiquetteIQ: A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email", by Paul Babicki.

David Schuchman

Motivate Unhappy Employees

No one likes to manage unhappy employees. They can be tough to motivate and resistant to change. In addition, unhappy employees can negatively affect team and organizational performance. However, giving up isn't the solution. Being a true leader means getting the most out of your team no matter what the situation. Here are 3 ideas to help you invigorate unhappy employees:

Work to Inspire
Employees sometimes lose their focus at work. Maybe they aren't sure what is expected of them or what the goal of the organization is. Your responsibility is to help them get a better understanding of these things. Schedule regular one-on-one meetings. Take the time to ensure that they know what they should be doing on their project, or maybe when their next deadline is. Explain why their work is important. Spending quality time with your employees and giving them a chance to talk out their thoughts allows you to see issues before they get too big, or even develop at all.

Develop Them
Resolving some issues may be as simple as giving an employee a more challenging project. Set expectations high so they'll become more invested in their assignment. A work environment without challenges, and their associated successes upon completion, can easily lead to boredom. That can turn a happy employee into an unhappy one.

Send the employee to a class to learn a new skill or technique. Allow them to attend a seminar. These are great ways to motivate people. Having something new to learn and bring back to share with others can motivate not just the individual employee. It can motivate the entire team and foster a stronger team bond.

Break the Tension
Take them to lunch. Managers tend to spend more time with people they like, but you may make your unhappy employees feel excluded. Make an effort to evenly spread your attention around.

For the overworked employee, grant some time off. Employees like to have a few extra hours or an extra day to recharge after (or during) a big effort, especially when it’s not part of their standard compensation. Just make sure it doesn't turn into an expectation for them or it could turn into a bigger problem for you.

For employees with a long or expensive commute, allow them to occasionally work from home if the nature of their work can be performed remotely. However, tell them your performance expectations, and make sure you measure their work results to ensure they are as productive working from home as working from within the office.

Create a workplace culture that’s conducive to overall employee satisfaction. When you see that an employee is unhappy, take quick action to improve their demeanor and performance.

David Schuchman

To Solve a Problem, Make Sure it’s Well Defined

“If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.” - Albert Einstein. It may be obvious that you can't solve a problem that's not well defined. However, people often neglect this detail. The next time you think you're ready to go into problem-solving mode, consider the following:

Establish the basic need for a solution

Why does the problem need solving? Articulate the problem in its simplest and most basic terms. Focus on the heart of the problem and the desired outcome, not the solution. This clarifies the importance of the problem, and helps to identify the resources needed to solve it. Defining the scope of the problem is also important to set the priority for its solution.

Justify the need

Is the required effort aligned with the company's strategy? Explain why your organization should attempt to solve the problem. Understand if the effort to solve it is aligned with the company's strategy. It may be the case that an issue is perceived as a problem only because it is no longer aligned with the company's current strategy.

Give it perspective

What approaches have you or others already tried? Find out if there are already solutions to solving the problem that you can apply in this instance. Examining past efforts to solve the problem can save time and effort. In addition, determine if there are constraints on the solution that you must consider.

Write a problem statement

Take your answers to the above questions and write a full description of the problem you are seeking to solve and the requirements the solution must meet. This will establish a consensus on what the solution will be, the urgency, the effort required, and the resources required to achieving it.

Companies and staff need to be effective at assessing issues and tackling problems. Without the above steps, a company can waste time, resources and costs, miss opportunities, and pursue initiatives that may not be aligned with the company's goals.

David Schuchman

Working with Recruiters to Find a Job

It is common to work with a recruiter or search firm to find your next job. Keep in mind that many published sources have indicated that only about 10% of job hunters find a new position using search firms. As a result, using recruiters as a resource should consume no more than 10% of your time. Keep these facts in mind so you optimize your use of a search firm as a productive job search resource:

Recruiters work for employers, not job hunters

A recruiter’s job is to find the best talent for the position their client employer is seeking to fill based on the employer's requirements. They work to find talented individuals who have done the job already for a prior employer, or people ready to move up to the next level in their same career path. While they help individuals whom they are able to place, it is not their primary responsibility to provide assistance or guidance for job seekers.

Different Types of Recruiters

• Contingency recruiting companies are paid only when their client company hires a candidate they submit. For each position, employers may offer multiple recruiting companies the opportunity to work on the same job posting. They only pay a fee to the recruiter who actually finds the right talent, and the process can be a very competitive. Contingency recruiting is the most common type.

• Retained Search recruiting companies are paid by a company to take on an exclusive role in a given search. They typically receive an up-front retainer fee. The remainder of the fee is paid on an installment basis as the search progresses. This is often used for high level executive searches.

• Corporate Recruiters are usually company employees seeking to fill internal positions.

Recruiters have limited time (like everyone)

Recruiters are likely to be very responsive to people they see as strong potential candidates for their clients' job orders. They are likely to be much less responsive to individuals who are not perceived as potential candidates. In addition, most recruiters don't have the time to respond to the many unsolicited resumes or phone calls that they receive virtually every week.

Recruiters help job hunters get the best compensation
Typically, recruiting fees are based as a percentage of a new hire's first year base salary. Therefore, the more you earn, the more they earn. Often recruiters have inside information about what the company is willing to pay, and are able to obtain the highest salary that the company is willing to offer for the position.

Working with a recruiter can be a great benefit in your job hunt, but only if you understand their role in the hiring process. Budget your time appropriately when working with recruiters to maximize your efforts and results.

David Schuchman