Tweet

Reputation Management: How to Avoid Online Identity Theft

Written by: Zeke Camusio

Article Overview: By taking proactive steps to protect yourself and your company, you will save your reputation and stop online identity theft before it happens.

Reputation Management: How to Avoid Online Identity Theft

Reputation management is critical to your business. Just like you shred paperwork so people can't steal your personal information, don't leave a "virtual" path behind when it comes to your identity. Reputation management is the process of tracking an entity's actions and tracking the opinions about those particular actions. Although the Internet is a great marketing tool for businesses, it's also known for spreading rumors and scandal.

Someone "posing" as you could ruin your reputation VERY quickly. That's why it's important to stay on top of what people are saying about you online AND if people are claiming to be YOU!

Unfortunately, cyber crimes are on the rise. Not only could your reputation be tarnished but even worse, your company could be fiscally ruined. However, you can take pro-active steps to make sure identity theft doesn't happen to you and your company.

How To Stop Identity Theft Before It Happens

• Register web site domains with your name and your company name (i.e. johnsmith.com and johnsmithcompany.com - make sure to also register .org, .biz, and .net domains)

• Register company accounts (using both your name and company name) on social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Plaxo, Ryze, MySpace, etc. Even if you never use these accounts, you take your name/company name off the market so thieves can't swipe your identity.

• Create Google and Yahoo profiles under your name/company. By creating "official" profiles on search engines, it also makes it easier for your clients/customers to find you. Make sure to include your picture. If a fake account is set up by someone else, your clients/customers will know you're the real deal when they search for you and find your picture!

• Google yourself! Check out search engines to see what people are saying about your or if people are claiming to be you. This is a great way to find out if cyber bandits are stealing your content and posting them on their sites without your permission!

• Protect yourself from cyber hackers. This sounds simple but sometimes people don't secure their personal/company information on the Internet. It's very easy for hackers to swipe information (credit card and Social Security numbers, etc) and pose as a representative from your company.

• Respond quickly to negative comments/attacks on blogs and discussion forums. If a disgruntled customer is posing as you (it could happen!) and blasting out nasty messages to make you look bad, respond immediately but remain professional (don't attack or instigate the perpetrator). That's WHY it's really important to monitor your online reputation on a regular basis!

• Create a strong, positive online presence by participating in online discussion forums, social networking sites, blogs, review sites and by submitting articles. If you already have a good reputation built online and an impostor comes along, your established online reputation will speak volumes.

The Best Tools to Use for Online Reputation Management

The following web sites can help you stay on top of your reputation and protect your identity:

• BoardReader

• Big-Boards

• Board Tracker

• Yahoo Message Boards

• claimID

• Garlik

• FindMeOn

• Rapleaf

• Keotag

Related Articles
  ID Theft - Fastest growing financial crime in America
  An Identity Theft Call Center - A Necessity In Today's Information Age
  Zero Gravity Business: LifeLock
  Car Insurance - Fire and Theft Coverage
  Online Damage Control: How to Stay on Top of Reputation Management

Article Tags: bandits, conte, cyber crimes, google, great marketing, marketing tool, paperwork, real deal, register company, register web site, reputation management, scandal, search engines, social networking sites, spreading rumors, swipe, thieves, twitter, virtual path, yahoo profiles



Related Forum Posts
Re: Managing Your Brand - Yes that is why Reputation Management came into existence. When people search your business they shouldn't get anything that can harm your business image. It is better to keep a good image over each channel people are using.
No B.S. Time Management - A great book I read on Time Management is No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy.
Re: 365 Foolish Mistakes Smart Managers Make - [quote="litekepr":2v18lglp]This morning's Google Alert held a pleasant surprise. WORTH MENTIONING A List of New Books Compiled by The Management and Government Information Center (MAGIC) Chinn Park Regional Library 703-792-4880Summer 2007 Indicates titles relating to the FISH Philosophy 365 Foolish Mistakes Smart Managers Make Every Day: How and Why to Avoid Them by Shri L. Henkel, 2006 interesting. Is anyone else here familiar with the FISH philosphy? i[/quote:2v18lglp] Congrats on the mention of your book! Hopefully it will drive up sales! For myself, I don't really care for their acronym... MAGIC. Gives people the subtle impression that good things happen at the snap of a finger instead of lots of hard work!
Picking a corporate lawyer - Hi Everyone, I was just curious to know what's the most important criteria a small business owner should look at when choosing a corporate lawyer? -Cost/hr? -Location? -Reputation/Referral? -Experience? -Personality? How did you pick your lawyer? And what's a fair price to pay per hour? Thanks
Seek Venture Capital & Funding - Hello, Greetings from India. I am Seeking Venture Capital for Offshore Software Company Start-up. Need advise along with Business Model Sample. I have a basic outline for an offshore company. 1. Technology - like Microsoft Dot Net, Java, LAMP 2. Talent Team - Found Good Technology Developers. 3. Where I can get the leads/potential customers - Leads have been identified who are willing to move forward offshore projects. 4. I do not have resources like funding. It is a very critical factor to me Industries: Manufacturing, Real Estate, Retail, Insurance, Distribution & Logistics, Healthcare, Industry Associations and Software Product Development, Agricultural Industries and Etc. Services: Offshore Software Development Company. Offices to be located: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India and USA. Products/Services/Applications in areas like POS & Billing, Sales & Distribution, Production Planning, Material Management, Inventory Control, Plant Maintenance, Purchasing, Accounting and Logistics. Dynamic Web Programming with Database Driven Content Management Systems, Online Stores for E-Commerce, B2B Solutions, Community Portals, Website Redesign and Development, Custom ERP with Enterprise Wide Functional Modules such as Marketing, CRM, Accounting, Inventory Control, Sales & Distribution, Production Planning, Purchase & Stores, Logistics and Supply Chain. Seek your further questions and help. Thank you, Best Regards, Jayapratap.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What If You Had a 100% Success Rate?

Entrepreneurs and the “Oh! No!” Trap

Are You Fulfilled

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.