Too Much Security?

This blog from The New York Times raises a good question: Isn't there a point where security is too much and affects productivity?
It reminded me of the discussion we had in class about the possibility of having a 100% safe flight that would cost a fortune. Like in that example, I think we ought to find balance when it comes to online security.
I mean, just think about all the logins that we do every day, it became such a routine to answer security questions, recognize texts, find that perfect 12 character long password that contains at least a number, a capital letter and doesn't represent a word from the dictionary, and that needs to be changed every 30 days...or when you have to relogin because your session expired or you left your computer for 5 minutes.
The more complex the passwords we choose get, the more complicated it is to remember them and the greatest the temptation it is to write them on a piece of paper next to our computer, which in the end defeats the whole purpose of the password.
At the end of the day, all the time spent creating, using, retrieving forgotten user ids or passwords amounts to time that is not used for other purposes and it negatively affects our productivity in the workplace.
Security is important, but just how much of it is enough?

Would you resist a billion-dollar offer?

This article might not be necessarily related to this week's topics, but I found it to be really inspiring. I won't reveal too much, just enjoy it!

The Temptation of Facebook

Using Social Media to Find a Job

7 Secrets to Get a Job Using Social Media

Since many of us are looking for the next career move, I decided to share this little guide with you, on how to use social media to land the next job. After my graduation next Fall, I plan on trying this approach for my job search. Please share any experiences that you might have had with social networking for employment.

I think that by using social media you build your own brand and the recruitment process is more personal, since you are now connecting with people, not just companies. In order to be successful in today’s environment, when a good percentage of the market is hidden, one has to use a mix of traditional and non-traditional ways of uncovering job leads.

Social Media is the Power Tool

Social media is only one of the many tools that companies can use to reach their audiences, but, in my opinion, it is the Power Tool, allowing each company to humanize its brand.

For a pros vs. cons approach to social media read the blog: E-Marketing for Sensible Folk

Companies need to adapt to this new way of communication. You could create brand awareness and establish trust among younger people, who can find you and talk back to you 24/7. After trust is established, there is only one more step and they become your customers.

Your presence allows the people that are really interested in your products to find you. You get basically the same results as if you would have an expensive campaign of direct mailing and mass marketing, only at a much lower cost and with less frustration for the people that are not interested in your products. Plus you are able to get valuable information about the profile of your targeted customer.
The feedback that companies gain through social media comes pretty cheap, considering the more expensive alternatives (focus groups etc).

Many times, customers go directly to the online forums to get answers about products or services, which, for companies, translates into a reduction in expenses from a lower number of employees necessary to provide customer service.

Social media provides the opportunity for the top executives to have a direct relationship with the customers and get quick, updated and unbiased information about how the company is doing in the marketplace, which again reduces the need for expensive market research and internal memos.

There are companies out there that are not selling directly to consumers, they might be for non-profit, work for the government and so forth. Even these companies could take advantage of the social media ,in reaching out for talent. Their presence will provide the opportunity to find quality employees, match company's requirements with their needs and provide a quicker response to job inquiries, all of this while maintaining a modest recruiting budget.

E-Commerce/Social Media and Identity Theft

I am always told that I am not supposed to use my cards, especially debit cards, to make purchases online, at gas stations or in restaurants. I understand the reasons: when you are shopping online you are surrendering your information to a customer database in ways that are not secure, you are handing your card to an employee paid the minimum wage at a gas station or in a restaurant and have no idea what that person is doing with it.
That never made me unwilling to shop online, due to identity theft concerns. And, gladly, I was a victim of identity theft only once, when my debit card was charged twice in Paris (I wish I was there, buying ice cream on Champs-Élysées). The bank solved the issue promptly by issuing another card and charging back the amounts. All I had to do was sign a statement and that was it.
I was clearly a lucky fellow, you can read stories about people having their credit worthiness ruined and going through the long and painful process of having to work with the credit bureaus and the collection agencies in order to have their history cleared (if ever possible).
With more people moving towards an online and wireless world, and so many activities online requiring us to sign up, register, log in, it is reasonable to assume that identity theft won’t decline in the nearest future.
One could notice a certain increase in sophistication. The social media sites like Facebook or Twitter are being targeted also, and most people are less alert in those “friendly” environments. It is really easy for a hacker to get into your account and send fake messages to your friends, containing viruses and keyloggers. It is just a matter of time before they get access to private information.
So my question is: how is this going to affect E-Marketing and E-Commerce ? There is a percentage of the public who perceive online commerce as risky, and online transactions as unsafe. How will the consumer confidence be regained, how will the companies provide the best safeguards and treat data with the highest level of security?
According to a top official at Software AG: “The perennial threat of identity theft has hampered the growth of e-commerce and digital businesses as both business organizations and consumers remain fearful of becoming victims.”
Here is a link to an article that shows how Lifelock’s CEO was vulnerable to a number of identity theft attempts.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/05/lifelock-identity-theft/

Vitacost.com

Retailers benefited from the expansion of the Internet, which contributed to improved methods of conducting business in the areas of communication, delivery of content, reach and so forth.

Vitacost.com, headquartered in Boca Raton, is a Florida-based leading online retailer and direct marketer of health and wellness products, including dietary supplements, as well as cosmetics, organic, body and personal care products, sports nutrition and health foods.

The company was incorporated in 1994, but it was 1999 when it entered the e-commerce area. It went public in September 2009.

In addition to the 30,000 SKUs that are offered to the customers, from 1,600 or more third-party brands, Vitacost has its own line of proprietary brands manufactured in its own plant in North Carolina, for which is using over 500 raw materials, imported from countries like Japan, Spain, France, Germany, China and for which it registered 75 trademarks.

The products are distributed from two main locations in North Carolina and Nevada. Vitacost underwent an expansion of the distribution facilities, which are able now to process 1000 orders per hour. Vitacost competes with businesses operating in a few distinct distribution channels, which include retail stores, online commerce, direct selling or catalog ordering.

In 2006, Inc. magazine included Vitacost in its list of 500 Lifetime Hall of Fame as one of the fastest growing businesses for five consecutive years, between 2001 and 2005. A few things made that possible: the vitamins and dietary supplements industry, estimated at $25 billion, went through a fundamental shift to online shopping and people got to be more concerned with prevention, versus care.

Vitacost’s success is a direct result of its business model. It kept its promise of delivering wholesale prices on thousands of products, most of them carrying a discount of anywhere between 30% to 75% versus the over the counter retail level. They managed to make this possible by constantly increasing their market share and benefiting from economies of scale. They also maintained the $5 charge for shipping within the US, regardless of the amount being ordered, while offering timely delivery and superior customer service. They are backing their products with a 30 day money back guarantee, when you get refunded if you are unsatisfied for any reason with your purchase.

The company is also trying to educate the public, through its website and catalogs that provide tips and resources on healthy living, medical developments or the attributes of the products. Vitacost is also known for its high conversion rate, the percentage of the casual visitors who end up making a purchase, that is considered to be a result of the promoting reviews.

http://www.vitacost.com/index.aspx