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Google accounted for 71.70% of all US online searches conducted in the four weeks ending November 1, 2008, while Yahoo Search, MSN Search and Ask.com received 17.74%, 5.40% and 3.53%, respectively, according to October data from Hitwise.

The remaining 43 search engines tracked in the Hitwise Search Engine Analysis Tool, when taken together, accounted for only 1.62% of US online searches.

The three mentioned above have a combined market share of 26.67% which is a little more than just one-third of Google’s. With that huge market share, Google is the biggest search engine on the planet.

Whatever you do for website or blog marketing, if you just target Google for marketing, I guess you would do OK. With that Google strength, you would miss a lot of opportunies with this special search engine. Search engines continue to be the primary way Internet users navigate to key industry categories.

• Keep the data confidential - locked
  A laptop can be easily replaced. The time has come that its prices are almost at par with the desktops. Companies replace desktops and laptops all the time. That is not a big problem.

  The big problem is the potentially sensitive company data that can seriously hurt you, your business, or your clients and customers, if it falls into the wrong hands. Keep this in mind when you are traveling with all this corporate info under your arm.

  There are software packages available that can protect your data with an “unbreakable” software lock.

• Never, ever leave your laptop
  At the airport or hotel business centers, always keep your laptop with you. Need to go to the bathroom? Just toss your laptop back into its case and bring it with you. Always keep your laptop in sight.

• Lock your laptop when not in use
  Hardware solutions, such as the Kensington keyed or combination locks, are a good preventative measure against opportunistic theft.

  Keep in mind, however, if a thief wants your notebook bad enough they’ll find a way to get it when you are not around, so a hardware lock should only be considered a deterrent.

• Encrypt your data
  If you are using Microsoft Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Ultimate, the protection by encryption is available in them. It is called BitLocker. It can protect the data on the laptop if lost or stolen. Specifically, this data-protection tool makes files and folders inaccessible unless the user provides the right password or biometrics ID.

• integrated biometrics solution
  Many business laptops now include an integrated biometrics solution, therefore swiping your finger on a small sensor grants you - and only you - access to your important files and folders. For added security, many businesses have their mobile employees use both a fingerprint scan and password system to access data on the drive. A few third-party fingerprint scanners exist, such as USB-based models from Microsoft.

• Secure your email
  To send email while you are away from your office, always use your company’s secure network to send messages or files rather than relying on free Web-based e-mail programs which are more susceptible to cyber-snoopers.

• Always be aware of fake wi-fi
  You may be surprised but similar to e-mail programs with weak security, you might also be aware of fake Wi-Fi networks, which might exist in order to steal personal, financial and/or corporate data. And that is the only reason these fake networks exist.

  While it might be tempting to log onto an “open” (read: free) network while at a hotel or cafe, go with the trusted Wi-Fi networks instead, such as the hotel’s secured connection or one you have used before (such as an official T-Mobile HotSpot).

• Reject cookies
  While it may be more convenient, don’t set your laptop’s browser to automatically log into websites. And if you do have passwords for websites, don’t save them in a text document on your laptop (this happens more often than you think!)

• Always back up your data
  It’s always a good idea to back up your important information on a regular basis, especially when you are on a mobile computer that can be stolen, lost or dropped. So keep a DVD-RW, USB drive, or memory card handy to continually backup your work every hour or two.

  But be sure to encrypt the external media/drive, too, in case you leave your recordable disc or USB stick in the back of a taxi.

• Disable the “Guest” account in Windows
  Not only should you disable the “Guest” account in Windows, you should also be careful about your administrator password. Make it a long string of random numbers and letters, and change the word from Administrator to something else.

  Consider an inexpensive screen guard so people beside you (such as on a plane) can’t read your typed words. Comfortable backpacks are a good alternative to laptop cases you might accidentally leave on an airport chair.

• Anti-virus protection
  If you access the Internet frequently and no so frequently, there is a good chance that your PC is attacked by a virus, spam, trojans, worms and other harmful attachments. This can destroy your computer, and even your life. If you have a business, you are out of business for a few hours or may be a day if not longer.

  Threat levels range from spam and pop-up windows to identity theft, where the culprit copies and sends your personal documents to other computers - with the bug attached. The easiest way to prevent this from happening: simply download anti-virus or anti-spyware software.

  Now is the best time as any to protect your identity.

• Credit card theft
  You bank online, you shop online. This has made life a lot easier. Sometimes, you don’t even think about giving out your personal information. You have to be careful. Anytime you are handing over private information, like a checking or credit card number, double-check to make sure the site is encrypted for your protection. Beware sites when their address starts with https:// and not http://.

  You should talk to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to encrypt your router as well, if you use one for a network of computers in your home.

  Hackers can easily spy on your online business if you don’t take precautions. Also, when creating passwords, make sure they are “strong passwords,” which means you should include both upper and lower case letters as well as numbers.

• Email protection
  We all have encountered so many times, junk email, spam and such. Protect yourself against those things. Some pirates have become more clever making e-mail look as if it came from a reputable company such as Bank of America or Amazon.com, or many others.

  Usually these fake e-mail messages will ask that you update your account information, but once you log in to do so, your account will be phished. All of your private information and even your money end up being stolen.

  But there are steps that you can take to prevent this, including taking a closer look at the sender’s e-mail address. Nine times out of ten, it’s an obvious fake. Besides, a real bank or online store will never e-mail you to verify credit card, banking or social security information.

  Now is the best time as any to protect your identity.

• Chatting with strangers
  Chat rooms may be a great place to socialize. At the same, if you don’t know the person, don’t give out your personal information, no matter how much that person tries to convince you.

  When offering information about yourself, be very sure about whom you are giving that information to. Your name and address are low risk (when it comes to identity theft), but pieces of info like birth place, mother’s maiden name, and social security numbers can open the door to a whole mess of trouble for you.

  If any teenager is reading this, not only will they get information from you, but there have been cases when the worst possible has happened (fatally) as well. So be very careful. Please!

• Clean up your hard disk before discarding
  Hard disk are mechanical devices. They wear and tear. The heads can go bad as well as the platters. If you get it replaced before tossing aside the old one, make sure you wipe the hard drive clean.

  While you may think your documents have been erased and that you’ll be safe, copies and archived versions can still be found throughout the disk, and a good programmer (or hacker) will find them. Purchase a good “wipe clean” software solution to make sure all of your private info is erased. Deleting your file only erases the name of the file. The data in the file remains on the disk.

• Clean cookies everyday
  You probably have used computers at the library - I know I have - or airport, coffee shop or even at your office. Whenever you use a computer, before leaving, clean out all the password and cookies that you have accumulated during that session. Also, it may not be wise to store passwords and personal information on the machine at those places. Remember to delete your Web history and cookies after each session if you know someone else will use the computer after you.

• Precaution at log off time
  If you are using computer and it is password protected, always remember to log off, especially from your email. This may sound silly or obvious but quite a lot of people don’t do that. You never know who will use the computer after you. Usually on public computers, your information is available until you log off, and only then will it be erased. Don’t leave the door open behind you.

  Now is the best time as any to protect your identity.