No matter how confident you may be, the experience of entering a room full of strangers can be nerve-racking and leave you grasping for something to say. I believe the best route is actually the easiest – we all know that people like talking about themselves, so why not ask questions designed to draw them out a little more than standard shop talk?

Here are a selection I have found to be useful in establishing a connection with someone who at first glance appears to have nothing in common with me at all.

1. How did you come to be in your line of work? Often people fall into their job through a chance encounter or a stroke of luck – these stories are often interesting, and recounting them will bring your new contact alive in a way that a straightforward discussion about current business never does.

2. Describe to me your dream customer. You will learn much about their motivation and goals by listening carefully to this.

3. What changes are happening, or can you predict happening, within your industry? Tap into a source of inside information here – it may well have implications for your own business or give you ideas on doing things differently. It is easy to get into habitual patterns of thought without realising it. A totally different perspective can really sharpen you up.

4. What do you regard as your greatest achievement in business to date? Another great way of breaking the ice and getting to know someone better.

5. What do you love about your work? Someone else’s business will come alive for you if you listen to them describing their favourite activities.

6. Are there things you wish you could change? A natural follow-on from the above.

7. How would you like people to describe your contribution to your industry? This gets away from day-to-day business and allows them to discuss their deeper aspirations if they wish.

Any of these questions will provide you with a more enjoyable and memorable encounter, and with luck will ensure you are remembered likewise.

By: Andy Britnell

Today, more than ever, home networks are easier and less expensive to set up. At times, however, the knowledge needed for building a network is not accompanied by any guidelines on how to secure them.  In some cases, the guidelines are simply ignored. No matter what the case, that is a data disaster just waiting to happen.

You may have a thing about being paranoid about security. That is an excessive amount of concern that should be tempered. However, you should have a certain amount of caution. Security is much like medical insurance. You may not need it very often, but when you do need it, chances are you need it badly. If you don’t have it you may face dire consequences.

Wireless home networks are becoming increasingly popular due to their lower cost and flexibility.  However, the wireless network is particularly prone to security issues. In theory, someone that has a wireless enabled laptop can just drive by your house, get into your space and tap into your network. It’s not too much of a problem if all they do is steal a little bandwidth. However, if they happen to be malicious and clever, they will be able to implant a virus into your home network without you even knowing it!

Using the Internet has similar risks. However, in a case like that you usually have to download an attachment from someone you don’t even know to get infected. This scenario is easy to avoid. As a rule of thumb, if you do not know who it is from, do NOT open it. It could be a hacker with a virus. However, in the case of a wireless home network, you do not have to take any action to get infected. Even though you may be following good Internet file sharing practices, you are still vulnerable.

Even if you have a cabled network, it is possible for someone to break in while you are away. Most of these incidents will revolve around stealing property. But by infecting a computer a disgruntled employee, an angry person or a party to a lawsuit may use this as a way of getting revenge. What a better way to get revenge than to have your computer crash!

The solution is typically the same in either type of network. Practice the same good habits you use for Internet data sharing and magnify them. You must make sure that each computer on the network has a password that is required in order to gain access to the system. Leaving a system unprotected to just save a few seconds of inconvenience at home will expose your entire network to unnecessary risk.

One thing you want to do is change the password on your router often. The defaults for most of the popular vendors’ products are known by just about everyone who has the necessary skills to do harm.  Make it harder for them to inflict damage by following this simple step. Configure your wireless router according to the manufacturers’ instructions in order to prevent unauthorized access. Today, all wireless routers use WAP to prevent drive-by’s from accessing your system.

Most adults today would be astounded by the amount of computer knowledge a teenager has. Most are well meaning, but some young people have not yet learned how to use a home network securely. Some young people can master the techniques, but they do not yet have the common sense or the wisdom to know how to put these techniques into practice.

Treat your home network in much the same way as you would treat your credit cards. You wouldn’t just hand you credit card out to a stranger would you? Moreover, you wouldn’t tell that stranger your password would you? You would be broke in no time! Do not provide physical access or pass out information to anyone that you do not want to have access to it. This is often a short step from having them access your money. It is an even shorter step to your valuable home network as well as your data!




By: Joseph Nyamache