By Colby Horton
Shop Site of the Month
Piscataway Auto Body - Piscataway, N.J.
www.piscatawayautobody.com
This site offers the utmost convenience to customers. Visitors can schedule an estimate or rental car directly from the shop's Web site. Visitors can also check the progress of their vehicle's repair through a series of photos, using a specific vehicle identification code. A thorough list of frequently asked questions and an online customer survey offers added
convenience.
Web Wise
Keeping Your Shop's Computers Safe
Last month, the Kama Sutra worm was released on the Internet, threatening to delete personal computer files of anyone who opened an e-mail containing the malicious worm. And although the worm didn't cause as much damage as what was originally expected, it did provide a reminder that updating virus software and spyware is important to your daily business operations.
The FBI recently released a survey saying that nearly nine out of 10 U.S. businesses suffered computer virus, spyware or other online attack in 2004 or 2005, despite the widespread use of security software. Those attacks inflicted average damages of $24,000 on businesses, even though the use of antivirus and spyware software has become standard.
"Cyber-terrorism" is becoming more and more prevalent in today's technological times. The latest round of Internet viruses and worms are designed to destroy any .pdf, .zip or .doc files on the infected computer. For automotive repair shops, this could mean the destruction of customer contact information, service information and diagrams and other important documents needed to run your facility.
As hackers are developing new methods of infecting computers with malicious viruses, software makers are trying to keep up with anti-virus programs. If you already have anti-virus software on your shop's computers, chances are it already has some type of automatic updater. Above all, make sure that you have anti-virus and spyware software installed on your computers. With a reputable software package, you should be protected from the latest threats.
If for some reason you don't think your software is up-to-date, you can run a free anti-virus scan from several of the major anti-virus software companies, including Symantec (symantec.com) or Trend Micro (housecall.trendmicro.com). These free tools are designed to detect and remove any malicious programs on your system. Once you scan, make sure you have updated anti-virus and spyware software.
Next, make sure you're backing up your data. This should be done regularly and shouldn't be a priority once you realize your computers have been infected. When you back up your system, be sure you're using an external device like a CD or DVD. You'd be surprised at how many people back up their system on their hard drive.
Protect your important documents with a password that's hard to crack. Many worms attempt to guess passwords. So make sure to choose a password with upper- and lower-case letters.
Finally, be careful when downloading what looks like free software from any Web site. Some may include malicious spyware or viruses that can cause problems or leave you susceptible to a future attack.
Net Numbers
Although 98 percent of businesses said they used antivirus software, nearly 84
percent said they suffered a virus attack in a 12-month period.
Source: FBI
ASA Web Ways
Need a Web Site?
The Automotive Service Association now offers an affordable Web site plan for your shop. For a one-time setup fee of $495, ASA can create a multipage, fully interactive Web site offering such features as online appointment scheduling, service menus, an opt-in newsletter function and more. In addition, ASA offers Web hosting services starting at $10 per month - one of the lowest prices in the industry. For more information and to order online, visit webservice.asashop.org, or call (800) 272-7467, ext. 234.
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Net Worth is written by Colby Horton, ASA's electronic communications manager. He can be reached at (800) 272-7467, ext. 234, or by e-mail at colbyh@asashop.org.
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