Protect Your Online Reputation in 4 Easy Steps

by Lisa Cunningham, Director of Communications

Do you know what kind of reputation you have?

You should, especially online.

In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, most recruiters, employers, and even prospective clients will form an opinion about you based on what they find online before they ever meet you in person.

In fact, Microsoft conducted a survey recently which found that 75 percent of U.S. recruiters and human resource professionals do some online research about job candidates before ever contacting them about an interview. More than half of the recruiters polled said that they have rejected candidates because of information found online, such as photos and controversial discussion board commentary.

Thanks to social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, as well as blogs, video-sharing sites, and search engines, you can find out what you want to know about nearly anything and anyone with the click of a mouse.

All of this free information amounts to a general lack of privacy. Everything which is communicated online is stored forever.

That means that those embarrassing personal blunders, commentaries, and pictures can follow you forever–literally. What’s more, those apps that you download on social networking sites like Facebook, are compiled and sold to advertisers every day.

With all this vital information floating in cyberspace, you want to manage your online reputation as closely and thoroughly as possible. Failing to do so could have major consequences and might even make the difference between you being hired for a job or approved for an apartment, among other things.

So, with all this information floating over the Internet, how can you manage your online reputation? Easily, with just these few, simple steps.

Google yourself

Simply type all variations of your name — including misspellings–as well as your address and phone number, into Google and see what comes up. You want to find out what other people might have posted about you which could have potentially damaging, long-term implications.

Comb the web

Find the things that even Google misses. Check various “people search” engines, like Pipl and ZoomInfo, which compile information from various web sites and social networks into personal files. You’ll want to check these search engines, as sites often mix information about different people with the same name and present them as a single person. Not good if you share the same name as, say, a fugitive on the F.B.I.’s “most wanted” list.

Check your background

Divorces, arrests, and tax liens are all a matter of public record. Request a free public records report from ChoicePoint to see what’s on the record about you. This way, you’ll see what a potential employer or landlord sees about you when they run a background check.

And this is also a good time to order a free annual credit report from the big three credit bureaus. Remember to do this at least once a year to check for inaccuracies which could impact your candidacy for a job or apartment.

Protect your good name

If you find less-than-favorable information about yourself online, you may want to consider hiring a professional service to protect your name and reputation. For a nominal fee, reputation management companies like Reputation Defender will scour the Internet to find out what is being said about you and even have damaging information removed.

While companies like Repuation Defender are successful in removing negative information about individuals from the web most of the time, experts say the best way to prevent damage to your online reputation is to think before you type or post a video or picture online because what happens in cyberspace stays there and can potentially haunt you, forever.

Did you find this post helpful? If so, remember to subscribe to this blog for regular, timely safety tips and updates.

Teen Drug Abuse: Know the Facts

by Lisa Cunningham, Director of Communications

Drug abuse. It’s one of the big white elephants in the room no  one wants to talk about, especially when it may involve our children.

But drug abuse is a real problem, especially among teenagers. And it’s one we can’t pretend isn’t happening. Consider these statistics from the website, teendrug.com:

• According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Georgia is among ten states indicating the highest risk of occasional marijuana use among children aged 12 or older
• According to the Georgia Student Health Survey, nearly one in five Georgia high school students has consumed five or more alcoholic drinks in a row at least once
• Nearly one in five Georgia high school students has smoked marijuana at least once.

Alcohol and marijuana are just the tip of the iceberg. Increasingly, hard-core drugs, like ecstasy, are making front-page news. Recently, police arrested an 18 year-old woman from Columbus, Georgia for transporting more than 79,000 ecstacy pills –about 33 pounds — in a duffel bag. The woman was charged with drug trafficking and possession of cocaine. The pills were worth more than $1.5 million.

Methamphetamine use a growing problem in Georgia

Perhaps even more addictive and deadly than ecstasy is methamphetamine, or meth, for short. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Atlanta is a hub for methamphetamine trafficking, mostly by Mexican drug cartels.

Meth abuse costs Georgia an estimated $1.3 billion annually. An astonishing forty-two percent of child endangerment cases in Georgia involve meth, and 43 percent of federal convictions in Georgia are meth-related.

Concerned that your child or teenager might be using drugs? Here are some warning signs:

Secrecy

We all need our personal space, but if your teenager becomes secretive about his or her whereabouts, possessions, or friends, get involved. Ask questions. If your teenager begins to disappear for hours at time, something is wrong. Find out where he or she goes and have an open, honest discussion about drug abuse.

Declining academic performance

It’s normal for students to find certain school subjects challenging, but if a drop in academic performance coincides with other suspicious behavior, such as extreme secrecy or disappearing for hours on end, you need to get involved. Declining academic performance in conjunction with these behaviors could indicate a drug problem.

Change in appearance

Has your teenager lost interest in grooming or personal hygiene? A disheveled appearance or red or glazed eyes is another warning sign of drug use.

Disappearance of money

Has money begun to disappear unexpectedly from your household? If so, question your teenager about the money. He or she could be using money to buy drugs or settle debts.

Withdrawing from family

Teenagers are notoriously moody and often withdrawn, but an unexplained, sudden withdrawal from family relationships may indicate a bigger problem. Pay particular attention to how your teenager treats his or her siblings and other family members. If they become suddenly disengaged, ask if they’re having any personal problems and ask, flat out, if they are using — or feel pressure to — use drugs.

Trust your gut, always

Always, always, always trust your gut. If you sense that something is wrong, it probably is. Do not ignore unusual, suspicious behavior from your teenager. Question his or her whereabouts and get to know their friends.

Drug use may be the big white elephant in the corner of the room that no one wants to talk about, but we must. If you find out that your teenager has a problem with substance abuse, help is available. Click here to find drug treatment centers in your area.

And remember to subscribe to this blog for regular, timely safety-related tips and updates just like this.

New Year’s Resolution #1: Protect Your Online Privacy

by Lisa Cunningham, Director of Communications

Last week, I got an alarming message from one of my Facebook friends. At the suggestion of someone else, she had logged on to Spokeo.com, an online directory, and found that some of her most personal information was easily accessible to anyone with a computer connection.

At my friend’s suggestion, I searched for my name on the site, and sure enough, my entire life — my home address, phone numbers, social email accounts, and even my net worth — was readily revealed, with one click of a mouse.

Immediately, several friends and I went into defense mode, removing our names from the directory. But it made me wonder: how many other websites contain valuable, confidential information about me, ready and available for any savvy web surfer to find?

Hundreds, I’m sure. But finding these sites can be overwhelming and time-consuming, and with so many websites out there, how do you know where to start?

Luckily, companies like Reputation Defender will do the work for you. But what if you’re not able to pay a company to do the clean up work for you? No worries. Reputation Defender has compiled some easy tips to help you defend your online privacy in 2011. Read the full post here.

Afterward, be sure to subscribe to this blog for more timely safety and security-related tips and updates.