Browser security scare now ‘patched up’

It emerged last week that a security flaw - which was serious enough to make national headline news - has allowed criminals to take over other users’ computers by steering them to infected websites. Without the user doing anything other than arriving at an infected website, malware would be installed on the machine which would then record keystrokes in order to gain sensitive password and credit card information.

Unlike some security scares which are in response to hypothetical scenarios, this security flaw has already been actively exploited, with Microsoft estimating that 1 in 500 Windows users have been exposed to the infected websites.

The issue was flagged up in relation to proven instances with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7 browser, but interestingly - although some security experts were suggesting using alternative browsers - the fact that Mozilla have also released patches for Firefox suggests that all browsers may be affected. Mozilla has managed to keep itself out of the spotlight somewhat, but has scheduled updates to “fix critical security vulnerabilities”.

Microsoft is of course attempting to put a positive spin on the whole story by pointing out that it has created a patch in the record time of eight days. In any case, everyone should download the latest patches for their preferred browser and run anti-virus software scans to ensure that there is no malware on their machines.

Patches and security updates can be found here:
Firefox
Internet Explorer December 18th, 2008 / Trackback

Freshleaf 'highly recommended"

It's always nice to get good feedback from your clients, so we were particularly pleased to receive a "highly recommended" status on the Recommended Agency Register, which bases its assessment on direct feedback from clients.

The Recommended Agency Register uses customer research, performance analysis and ear-to-the-ground research to compile a register of agencies who are 'quite simply, the best at what they do'. At Freshleaf we're pretty pleased to be placed on that list, and be recognised for the quality of the work we do. December 18th, 2008 / Trackback

Bickering in the US over who controls the web

Anyone with half an eye on the internet news on the other side of the pond might have noticed a debate which has been trundling on for a while which relates to control of the web.

Net neutrality – which has in typically American style, been dubbed “The First Amendment of the Internet”: is the idea that Internet Service Providers – mainly the telecoms companies – should give equal preference to all types of traffic on their networks; an idea which, America being America would be supported by legislation.
Read More » December 16th, 2008 / Trackback

Brand design: a good brand should….

Not to be confused with the old practice of marking criminals with a hot iron, branding uses name, typography, image and colour to convey the identity of a company, product or service at a glance. Good brand design ensures that a company is not only noticed, but also remembered: the company’s brand becomes its badge, a point of reference for the company itself and customers alike.

Get it right, and you have an Apple Apple, a McDonald’s Golden Arches, a Nike Swoosh or a Ferarri Prancing Horse. Get it wrong and you might end up with something like the London 2012 Olympics disaster. Alleged to have cost £400,000, the logo is almost universally unpopular, and has even been accused of causing migraines and epileptic fits!

Branding has become a big deal in this day and age of global consumerism – and it’s not just big corporations who have one. We are bombarded by logos and brands every day, on everything from charities to cars to online applications. Good logos are adaptable, so that they work in any number of contexts, and even in abstract. Some logos fit into a suite of logos (think Macromedia’s Creative Suite), while some stand alone.

But getting a brand design or logo right doesn’t necessarily depend on having a huge marketing budget. After all, the Coca Cola brand - possibly the most famous brand in the world - was designed by the company’s bookkeeper. There are lots of companies offering very reasonably priced brand and logo designs which look great. A good brand should:

• Draw on the company's identity and values
• Be instantly recognisable, even in abstract
• Confirm the company’s credibility
• Connect emotionally or intellectually with the target audience
• Foster customer loyalty
• Make good use of typography, colour, iconography or graphics, whitespace and even negative space to create a strong visual representation
• Be adaptable, for use in various contexts, as well as easily updatable to allow the logo to grow and change without altering it’s core recognisability.
December 15th, 2008 / Tags: brands, logos / Trackback

9 tips for an effective corporate website

I posted this list previously in an article entitled Understanding Corporate Websites, but I think it's worth un-burying as a post in its own right.

From start to finish - 9 tips for an effective corporate website:

1. Plan, plan, plan. Ensure that your company ethos/image is clearly defined before work starts on a website. If you don't have strong corporate guidelines already, work out exactly how the company should be positioning itself.

2. Style Guide. Lay down brand & style guidelines, either in advance of website design, or if the site design is to lead the way then immediately once designs are signed off.

3. Define the message. Thoroughly define the message before work starts on the website – employ a consultant or copywriter who knows the industry to help shape the message; so that you can give your corporate website design agency a very clear, accurate brief.

4. Get relevant technical expertise. Use a corporate website design agency that knows your industry/sector, and has proven experience in creating effective, well structured and appealing sites.

5. Get the message right. Retain the services of the copywriter to create all the content, or if a copywriter is not required due to in-house capabilities, limit the number of contributors and try to use a single editor for coherent control of content.

6. And the pictures. Ensure images used are not creating the wrong impression: employ a professional photographer or use well chosen stock photography.

7. When the site's done, don't stop there. Be obsessive about keeping the site up to date. Where possible each department should be required to have ownership of the relevant pages to ensure that they are kept up to date, ideally with one person maintaining overall responsibility.

8. Professional Maintenance. Ensure that the site is professionally maintained. Most corporate website design agencies offer ongoing maintenance packages which will ensure that there are no broken links, missing images, and that all updates are done in keeping with the existing style/brand guidelines. Alternatively, there are many Content Management Systems on offer, which provide an easy and cost effective way of keeping the content up to date with no technical knowledge required.

9. Review and Refresh. Opinions vary on the shelf life of a corporate website, but a refresh is often just as effective as a total redesign – a site should be reviewed annually, and refreshed or redesigned as appropriate.

December 5th, 2008 / Trackback