World Reef Day

General

Our coral reefs are in danger. In recent years, there has been a major decline of the world’s reef (40% in Hawaii and the Great Barrier Reef, 85% in the Caribbean and 99% in the Florida Keys). Much of the destruction up until now has been done by humans, and we can fix it. Today, June 1, is the first official #WorldReefDay Let’s come together and take action. 

Far Cry 5

General

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Far Cry 5 and to be honest it is the first game in a while I have picked up new. I usually wait for reviews from friends and family, and/or a sale. Having played for a few days, I must say I am enjoying the game. I also have to point out I am seeing some similarities to other things from real life. Hmmm…

Social Data

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I am sitting in a coffee shop. As usual, I take a headcount and check for anything odd or out of place. Then it occurs to me. There are 11 customers including me. Eight of the eleven are all on some type of electronic device. Two are having a quiet conversation. One is doing sudoku or a crossword puzzle. Two more just sat down, a man and a woman. He immediately pulls out his phone and starts typing, she begins talking. From his expression, her talking is simply background noise.

This is a part of the world economy we now live in. Nobody talks much anymore. They blog, tweet, and post their day away. Yes I said world economy. After all, this is all data we are talking about here. And data has value. Ask any cyber security professional. Personal data, company data, government data. It is all simply data. The value set upon it is relative and viewed from a certain perspective.

Today, let’s talk about personal data. Like many people, perhaps you have a Facebook account. Maybe you tweet stuff. Personally, I use none of it. Over time, you may see why I do not. So you decide to take a vacation. Perhaps a long weekend away somewhere nice. You tweet, you post pics, and you get likes and replies that make you smile. You even throw in a few selfies. Nice. More likes and comments. You have posted pics of the drive, the trees, that funny thing you saw on a sign. You tweet something about #vaca! which gets a following from your circles. That circle extends out across many other circles and even further out from those circles. People you do not even know are now viewing your vacation. They wonder who you are. Later you will wonder who they are. You see, one or more of them are watching you. They see you have posted you will be away for a long weekend. You have let them know nobody is at home. You have stated that your home is a target. And they love easy targets.

I do not say these things to scare you. Quite on the other hand, I mean to educate you. Know what and where you are posting. Know who will see it. Know if you can trust them. Because if you do not, they will surely know you.

 

System Security

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Ever wondered what the security areas of your home or business system are? Where will an attack come from? What to do to stop it and if it succeeds, how do I recover from it? Every system is different. From the speed of the connections to the speed of the network. The hardware the system is built with. The software that runs the system. But, one area that is missed the most is the human aspect. Most times, theft of data or physical items come from within an organization.

Depending upon the type of company, there are many ways to address this issue. First and foremost, employees should have background checks. For some companies, financial checks as well. For all companies, consider job rotation, mandatory vacations, and periodic reviews of not just employees, but also the stages of work and the outcome. Data does not lie, and data is the one thing all companies today need to protect.

 

Wyrmwood

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If you like Zombie movies, check out Wyrmwood. It is an Austrailian movie that is original and shows us a new and different look at the Zombie genre. And to make it even better, there is a series based on the movie coming out soon. The action is intense and the filming is something different. Go ahead and give it a try. You can thank me later.

 

WannaCry

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Well, this one seems to be hitting a lot of computers. Search the internet and you will find many stories on this topic. Please be sure you read them and understand their intent. Understand their point of view. And most importantly, look for an agenda. Fake news, bad news, scare tactics all play a part in today’s media. This is unfortunate, but you have the ability to weed through the garbage and make your own decisions. Do not let them scare you or cause fear of any kind. Following the basic rules of computing will usually keep your systems safe.

Email

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Do Not Click Links – Mouse over them and check the status bar (lower left corner in Chrome for example). This will show you the link without clicking it. A link description can be any text they want it to be. They are banking that you click it. Period.

Attachments – Check these every time. Run your virus scans, malware scans, allow your system to check them as well. A few simple items will keep you safe from this stuff.

Getting emails that offer the too good to be true stuff? Right click and add to Spam. If it turns out later you want to see them, you can always remove them from Spam.

Normal Email – Is it really normal? Again as above, mouse over links that tell you to click here to fix your bank account, your credit card, even stuff from friends and family. They mean well, but that link most likely came from somewhere else.

 

Netflix missing your show?

General

Fear not, it may still be available. Today’s Pro Tip – Netflix menus vary from device to device. Your smart TV shows certain shows. Your tablet other shows. Your phone… well you get the picture. You may find your show on only one of your devices. Simply start it on one device, then pause it and exit Netflix. Now, go to the device you want to watch it on and it should be there under “Continue Watching”.

Now here is a gem I found a few years ago. Rather than try to explain it, go ahead and give it a try. You will see what it is quickly enough – Netflix Codes