Are you experiencing Identity theft using WiFi Hotspots?

It seems more and more people are becoming victims of Identity Theft these days and many of those people became victims because they don't realize how vulnerable they are and don't know how to protect their information at all times. So they go to WiFi Hotspots in coffee shops and book stores, and they travel using the airport and hotel WiFi always assuming they are safe.

According to the Javelin report (https://www.javelinstrategy.com/research/Brochure-209) 11.6 million adults in the U.S. were victims of ID fraud last year, and that is 13% more than in 2010. In a 2011 survey conducted for the Wi-Fi Alliance, it was discovered that only 18% of public Wifi users reported they use a VPN to encrypt their information when they’re logged into hotspots. So that means the sensitive information of the remaining 72% is easily accessible to hackers and they are a higher risk for Identity Theft.

So how do we protect ourselves in public when we don't control the internet connection or the firewall settings? Software is easily obtained from various hacker web sites that allow even unskilled people to scan all the data across a network. Now, anyone who wants it can download a wireless hacking kit and anyone in the room could be scanning everyone's data.

Here are a few suggestions from the Better Business Bureau for you to use when you're connecting to public WiFi networks:

How to Disconnect from Hotspot Hacking Risks

• Never connect to any unfamiliar network. Disable automatic connections to wireless networks.
• Turn off file sharing when you’re on the road .
• When you use public Wifi networks, the BBB says it’s wise to use a virtual private network (VPN) to prevent hackers from intercepting your data.

The Federal Trade Commission also recommends that if you access online accounts through Wifi hotspots, you use a personal VPN to encrypt traffic between your computer and the Internet.

What is a VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure tunnel between you and a safe server that encrypts and protects you and your sensitive information by making it invisible to hackers. It's like using your own  PRIVATE WiFi, even when you’re on unsecure networks. That means your identity is safe every time you go online.

When you connect through a secure VPN, your IP (Internet Protocol) address becomes the one of the trusted server you are connected to. Therefore, as you surf the internet, the owners of the websites you visit do not know who you are and cannot collect information on you based on your IP address. Web sites can no longer use your surfing habits to create targeted marketing databases, containing your information, and sell them to anyone willing to pay.

How do you create a VPN??

There are several Personal VPN's available to the public today, ranging from free to very expensive. Try to resist the urge to use a free or inexpensive VPN service. In exchange for providing the free service, you agree to let them look at your data for marketing purposes. In essence, you give them an exclusive license to look at your personal data. Did you read the full terms of service contract before you licked o the "OK, Sign Me Up" button? Not every Terms of Use contract is the same, companies use attorneys to create a legally binding contract that protects them, and when you agree to those terms, you have no recourse. Considering your privacy is what you're striving for - the 'free' solution isn't really a bargain is it?

When seeking a good VPN service, steer clear of vendors selling 'Personal VPN' services that only offer the PPTP protocol included with most operating systems. It is a flawed protocol and it's the cheap and easy way to do a VPN. If a vendor is not using SSL encryption, just steer clear! You can usually identify PPTP vendors by the advertising claim of 'no software required'. A PPTP VPN is mostly used with mobile phone devices and tablets that do not support any other encryption type. So if the vendor offers a choice between PPTP and L2TP, use the L2TP protocol as the better option on your phone or tablet computer. Companies who use SSL encryption so protect their networks are banks and credit card companies, and some use well known and tested software such as OpenVPN. 

TO REPORT AN INCIDENT OF IDENTITY THEFT:
U. S. Federal Trade Commission 877-382-4357 http://www.ftc.gov
Victim Support Hotline 888-771-0676 http://www.identitytheftcouncil.org
Elder Financial Protection Network http://www.bewiseonline.org
Social Security Administration Fraud Reporting 800-269-0271 http://www.ssa.gov



MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT AND FRAUD:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/about-identity-theft.html
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2000/07/idtheft.htm

BOOKS:

Identity Theft, Inc.: A Wild Ride with the World's #1 Identity Thief

Stopping Identity Theft: 10 Easy Steps to Security

The Official Identity Theft Prevention Handbook: Everyone's Identity Has Already Been Stolen - Learn What You Can Do About It

Identity Theft For Dummies

LINKS:

How safe is your financial information?

8 mistakes that expose you to online fraud

10 things you should know about identity theft

18 ways to foil credit card thieves 

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Hold on to your BREECHES!

Techie Times

Hold on to your BREECHES!
Tuesday August 23, 2011

With all of these security issues everyone has been reading about, it makes you wonder, just how much of your information may have been compromised without you even knowing? Is there some stray data of yours out there that might have your name and social security number on it, just waiting for some opportunist to come along and use it to their advantage? What if some of your sensitive medical information has been put on a server and accessed by strangers without your consent or knowledge?

Until recently, 300,000 thousand US citizens were completely exposed in the state of California as their medical files sat unsecured on the Internet for the entire world to see. The information included insurance forms, Social Security numbers, doctors' notes and details about their various injuries and health problems. Joel Heht, the owner of Southern California Medical-Legal Consultans which represents doctors and hospitals seeking payments from patient receiving workers' compensation, refuses to comment and has apparently not contacted the patients whose information has been breached, in spite of the law that requires him to do so.

YIKES! And you thought your information was supposed to be safe guarded, but apparently there are companies out there that seem to still have some difficulty with what the word "secure" truly means.

They say moving to electronic records can lower costs, cut bureaucracy and ultimately save lives. The government is even offering bonuses to companies who hop aboard this lofty train of supposed "secure data" form and imposing penalties and cuts in payments to medical providers who refuse to change. But once that data has left their server to be transferred to someone else, they are unable to guarantee it's security anymore. To give you an idea of how this can put you at risk, health records can potentially be used by insurance companies to inflate rates, or by employers to deny job applicants, much like your public data on Facebook. However, this information can also be used for more nefarious purposes such as for blackmail and public humiliation.

And here you thought you're medical information was safe! But with the increasing amount of interconnected networks for the health industry passing around your records with more ease and speed, the risk of a data breech goes up. Dozens of companies may at any point in time be authorized to handle a single person's medical records, however, the further you get away from the original health care provider who performed your services and created the record, the less likely it is that security enforcement mechanisms for ensuring the data are protected will be in place to safeguard that information. Although in most cases it would require an actual network break in by a hacker or a theft of computer equipment, this particular breech occurs due to a simple case of someone mishandling the information and putting you at risk out of negligence.

We keep hearing about data breeches lately, with the Sony issues and the ever famous LulzSec and Anonymous group hacking into systems such as the IMF and the U.S. Senate. But this year alone, the data of 1.9 million Health Net insurance customers disappeared from an office due to a theft. The files contained information such as financial status, health history, and Social Security numbers. California state regulators recently launched an investigation into Health Net's security procedure. Health Net refused to comment regarding this issue stating that the matter is still under investigation.

So how do you know if our information has been compromised when there are data leaks like this occurring all over? The frightening facts of this situation is that you don't know unless you have been notified, and the only way to find out on your own is to do a regular internet search on yourself and your personal information to see if anything is exposed. But if you do find something, it's reasonable to assume that others may have seen the information before you, and they can use this information at any time.

I have been the victim of Identity Theft in the recent years (twice actually) and it takes many hours just to monitor your own information and correct the damage that has been done. So if you have a full time job and a family to spend time with, taking the time to do this might not be possible, and the people who wish to use your information are counting on that! IF they have used ID with your name on it while making a purchase with your debit or bank card, you may not even be compensated for the funds that were taken from your account. The reasoning behind this decision is that because your ID card was used, they assume the purchaser was indeed you, and therefore they will not refund you the money that was taken out of your account because they believe you were the one making the purchases.

Some new bank cards have a radio frequency identification chip that allows "skimmers" to scan the information stored on the card's magnetic strip using a small hand held device as hey simply walk by you. The stolen information is used to make a copy of your bank card and it is then used to make purchases. 

I know it seems a grim outlook on our immediate future, with all of these crooks running around with equipment that can steal your information with the swipe of a hand, and medical facilities not guarding your information as well as they should, but the up side of this is that you have control over everything. Yes, it does take time, but you can do it!

Here are some helpful tips for you to take back control of your Identity and protect yourself and your family from any future fraud attempts:

BOOKS:

Identity Theft, Inc.: A Wild Ride with the World's #1 Identity Thief

Stopping Identity Theft: 10 Easy Steps to Security

The Official Identity Theft Prevention Handbook: Everyone's Identity Has Already Been Stolen - Learn What You Can Do About It

Identity Theft For Dummies

LINKS:

How safe is your financial information?

8 mistakes that expose you to online fraud

10 things you should know about identity theft

18 ways to foil credit card thieves 

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Real 2 Net Web Site



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Lulz Security retires

Techie Times

Lulz Security retires
Tuesday June 28, 2011

The Hacking group Lulz Security, known as LulzSec, has recently been the boone of many government agencies and high profile corporations as of late, causing serious damage to the security of these businesses by leaking highly sensitive, and sometimes classified information to the public after their invasions.

“Top priority is to steal and leak any classified government information, including email spools and documentation,” Lulz Security wrote in the letter. “Prime targets are banks and other high-ranking establishments.”

These are just a few of the corporate attacks in which Lulz Security is responsible for:

• Sony
• Fox
• Bethesda Softworks
• Universal Music
• Viacom

And their Government attacks have included:

• Arizona Department of Public Safety (Police Department)
  
• Infraguard (A site affiliated with the FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation)
  
• Breaching the Web server of the United States Senate 
  
• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Web site through a denial-of-service attack.

But now, Lulz Security retires after a 50 day hacking spree saying it was their intent in the beginning.  However, in a recent interview with Adrian Chen of Gawker, one the group’s members, who goes by the name “Topiary” online, said Lulz Security planned to continue its campaign for some time and said he had no fears of being apprehended by the authorities. One can't help but wonder if this is a direct result of Ryan Clearys' arrest in the UK earlier in the week.

Here is the full statement attributed to Lulz Security:

Friends around the globe,
We are Lulz Security, and this is our final release, as today marks something meaningful to us. 50 days ago, we set sail with our humble ship on an uneasy and brutal ocean: the Internet. The hate machine, the love machine, the machine powered by many machines. We are all part of it, helping it grow, and helping it grow on us.

For the past 50 days we’ve been disrupting and exposing corporations, governments, often the general population itself, and quite possibly everything in between, just because we could. All to selflessly entertain others — vanity, fame, recognition, all of these things are shadowed by our desire for that which we all love. The raw, uninterrupted, chaotic thrill of entertainment and anarchy. It’s what we all crave, even the seemingly lifeless politicians and emotionless, middle-aged self-titled failures. You are not failures. You have not blown away. You can get what you want and you are worth having it, believe in yourself.

While we are responsible for everything that The Lulz Boat is, we are not tied to this identity permanently. Behind this jolly visage of rainbows and top hats, we are people. People with a preference for music, a preference for food; we have varying taste in clothes and television, we are just like you. Even Hitler and Osama Bin Laden had these unique variations and style, and isn’t that interesting to know? The mediocre painter turned supervillain liked cats more than we did.

Again, behind the mask, behind the insanity and mayhem, we truly believe in the AntiSec movement. We believe in it so strongly that we brought it back, much to the dismay of those looking for more anarchic lulz. We hope, wish, even beg, that the movement manifests itself into a revolution that can continue on without us. The support we’ve gathered for it in such a short space of time is truly overwhelming, and not to mention humbling. Please don’t stop. Together, united, we can stomp down our common oppressors and imbue ourselves with the power and freedom we deserve.

So with those last thoughts, it’s time to say bon voyage. Our planned 50 day cruise has expired, and we must now sail into the distance, leaving behind — we hope — inspiration, fear, denial, happiness, approval, disapproval, mockery, embarrassment, thoughtfulness, jealousy, hate, even love. If anything, we hope we had a microscopic impact on someone, somewhere. Anywhere.

Thank you for sailing with us. The breeze is fresh and the sun is setting, so now we head for the horizon.

Let it flow…

Lulz Security — our crew of six wishes you a happy 2011, and a shout-out to all of our battlefleet members and supporters across the globe

Read more on the attacks from our report two weeks ago on June 14th titled "What The Hack?"


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The "ME" Generation

Thoughtful Things

The "ME" Generation
June 23, 2011 

Me me me me... (taking a breath) me me me me me some more, and me there too.... oh wait what about me? 

Sound familiar to you? I think we have all met someone like that in our lives. Some of us have one or two in our own families, and some of us may have even been "that person" and didn't even realize it at the time. But the "Me sickness" is all around us and in today's society, it seems to be a contagion that is spreading like wild fire. For those who are a bit older, we can remember a day when people would actually open the door for ladies and someone would offer to help an elderly person across the street. Now days, it seems people make excuses for not doing these thoughtful things, rationalizing that they wouldn't appreciate it or "that person might think I'm trying to rob them" or any number of unpleasant outcomes they have imagined could potentially happen if they offer to be nice. So instead, they keep minding their own business and go on their merry way thinking "no harm done" and all is well. But is it?

Narcissism as a psychological definition is typically seen as self-involved attitudes and behavior where there is little or no empathy for others. This pattern of behavior is the result of Narcissistic wounding by people who are insecure, abusive, addictive or have narcissistic patterns themselves. Once the wounding has happened, their defenses remain lurking in the unconscious mind ready to be called into action at any resemblance of threat. So how can being courteous and kind to others be perceived as a threat? Because there is a potential for rejection or judgment that this individual is not emotionally strong enough to handle.

How many times have we seen a friend get blamed for something they didn't do? Aside from the usual childhood experiences where Johnny hits Alicia from behind then blames it on Ricky when Alicia turns around to find out who did it, as adults we have seen this happen on a much more serious level. Cases where someone was simply trying to assist a woman and before her powers of reason can kick in, she calls out for help assuming he is there to hurt her. This can also be seen in the smaller things such as opening the door for a stranger and they don't even acknowledge that you were there, much less the one who held the door open for them. Over time, one could begin to wonder why they are so nice to others when they don't appreciate it. And what about that "friend" who is always helping their friends in trouble, only to later be complaining about how they got walked over and taken advantage of?

These are the experiences that can wound the compassionate centers of a soul and lead to a more selfish view, sometimes manifesting in narcissistic thinking. As an individual and a free thinker, we choose how we process these experiences in life. When something negative happens we choose whether to be hurt a lot, or to only be hurt a little and let it roll off our back. And I'm not talking about those who on the outside act like nothing is wrong and then go on mumbling for a few days about the experience. In fact, those are the individuals I am hoping this article will reach, because that deeper wounding you harbor inside of you will continue to fester and find a permanent place in your soul which can lead to a skewed perception of life and others around you, even causing you to pull away from being social at all.

So how do we combat this in our own personal lives to ensure that we don't fall victim to this narrow minded approach to life? It's simple...

Keep giving!

Compassion is the key to unlocking that ugly door of pain and it helps us to open our hearts to the things we have blocked out. Some may need therapy, so don't think this is going to be one of the blanket "one size fit's all" answers for everyone, because each person is different in their needs. But no matter your unique situation or needs, there is one thing we can all do to help the situation and retrain our minds to think differently, and that is to reach out and give. The Gift of Thoughtfulness can open our hearts and our minds and help us to in turn be more kind to ourselves.

Free Mind Development Courses
Selfishness and Narcissism in Family Relationships


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Is Facebooks new Face Recognition a violation of your privacy?

Techie Times

Is Facebooks new Face Recognition a violation of your privacy?
Tuesday June 21, 2011

Does Facebooks new "Face Recognition" creep you out just a bit? Some are claiming it is an invasion of their online privacy because they have made this an automatic feature rather than allowing Facebook members to consent to this feature. In fact, it has caused such a stir that Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen wrote a letter this week to Facebook's director of public policy and its product and regulatory counsel. Others in opposition to this feature on a more global level are European Union (EU) regulators and consumer advocacy groups, and the Electronic Privacy Information Center and three other advocacy groups filed a complaint asking the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to require Facebook to get an affirmative opt-in consent from users before collecting and using their biometric data.

Facebook has adjusted its interface to enable "tag suggestions" to its members around the world. When someone else uploads an image that Facebook "thinks contains your image in it. Your friend will receive an alert like this;

and then be invited to tag it. The tag will associate your ID to that image and then automatically posts it to your wall.

Part of the issue here is that you won't ever receive this alert, only your friends will, and only your friends can tag that image as you. Once you receive the notification AFTER the image has been tagged, you can remove the tag. But what if the image isn't actually you? And what if the image is not only not you, but is of someone who is in some sort of compromising situation such? For example, Pastor John could log into his Facebook one day and see an image on his page that has been tagged as him being in a compromising situation with someone who isn't his wife. Of course it looks enough like him for Facebook to think it's him, but it isn't. Something like this could cause quite a bit of a stir, don't you think?

What is even more disturbing about this new feature is that the system is actually turned on by default, without notifying you that it is active and in use, and converts the photos uploaded by Facebook users into an image identification system under the sole control of Facebook, without the knowledge or consent of Facebook users and without adequate consideration of the risks to Facebook users. And even though Facebook allows you to op-out of this feature, the tool would still scan that person's face and figure out who it is, and store it in the system, it  just won't display that information anymore.

So if you are a criminal or someone who is up to mischief by having more than one Facebook account, you might want to take notice here. If you have an account that you are using to cheat on your wife or girlfriend, you might not want to post your pictures on there, lest she receive an alert one day showing your alternate persona on facebook. And for the criminals out there who currently have Facebook accounts and have, up til now, been enjoying their hidden freedom whilst having an outstanding warrant for their arrest, this might pose a new threat to your success in evading the authorities.

So if you are a criminal or someone who is up to mischief by having more than one Facebook account, you might want to take notice here. If you have an account that you are using to cheat on your wife or girlfriend, you might not want to post your pictures on there, lest she receive an alert one day showing your alternate persona on facebook. And for the criminals out there who currently have Facebook accounts and have, up til now, been enjoying their hidden freedom whilst having an outstanding warrant for their arrest, this might pose a new threat to your success in evading the authorities. 

Facebook says that only people currently in your friends list will receive this notification, however, I recently had someone find me on Facebook who I hadn't heard from in many years. How did it happen? I had made a new profile on Facebook for Real 2 Net Media and I uploaded a photo that he had in his online photo collection. Facebook recognized it and sent him the suggestion to add me as a friend. At first, I was confused at how this happened, until I read more about this new feature on Facebook and realized that they also take advantage of the online photo albums each user has. So in truth, the person who receives this notification doesn't have to actually be in your friends list, they just have to have a photo of you, and the connection is automatically made by Facebook.

Is Facebook trying to become an offshoot of "Big Brother" now? Facebook rarely tells users that they have changed the account privacy settings and nearly always automatically opts users into the unannounced changes. It is estimated that more than 100 million photos per day are uploaded to Facebook. What are the chances that there is someone out there who looks just enough like you for the system to tag it? I mean, let's face it, the gene pool is pretty thin now days, and how many times have you had someone walk up to you and say, "Wow you look just like so and so, the resemblance is uncanny!"

So now that you are aware of this new threat to your privacy, here's how you can turn it off:

Under the "Account" drop-down menu at the top-right of Facebook's title bar, click "Privacy settings." On the bottom half of the next window, under "Sharing on Facebook" click "Custom." Then at the bottom, click on the little blue pencil and its "customize settings label." In the next window scroll down to the "Things others share" section and the third list item, "Suggest photos of me to friends." Click on the "Edit Settings" button, and scan to the middle right of the new pop-up window, which has little pics of your friends to remind you how friendly Facebook is. See the facility is enabled? Click on this button, select "Disabled." And then click on "OK" to make the pop-up go away.

After you're done with that, you might want to check your other settings to make sure that your privacy settings are where you want them to be. Here are some tips of how to enable other privacy measures.

If you were to ask my opinion I would say that I think Facebook's willingness to implement new features that bypass your permission automatically puts them in a risky position. Remember when everyone left MySpace because they couldn't seem to get control of the spam and profile hacking situation? Well this is a bit more serious because it isn't an outside party doing this, it is Facebook itself. While they may not be compromising your actual account or putting you in a position to be hacked, they do compromise your privacy. What about a woman who has been severely abused by an individual that she is now hiding from? He may be able to find her on Facebook when she uploads a picture. If she has her location showing on her profile, he can find her and stalk her.

Facebook should be notifying us of such changes before they take place, especially when it is a feature that involves your privacy. This should be an "Op-In" feature, not automatically added to everyone's profile without consent or awareness. How dare they!

On a side note, if you have been experiencing issues with your computer, especially after using Facebook, you might want to check out Sophos, they not only have a great anti-virus but they keep you up to date on changes within the Facebook community, not to mention, they have an awesome YouTube channel where you can get news on a weekly basis. Here is their latest video news report.

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This Is How We Do It!

This Is How We Do It!
June 17, 2011

"She hit the floor, next thing you know, shorty got low low low low low..."

So this is how we do 8th grade Graduation in the 21st Century! An SUV Limousine, Booty Bangin Music, and a smiling limo driver with that last minute smirk as we holler, "Drive safe!"

School is out for Summer and oh what fun we have in store! Have you planned your Summer yet, or are you just "wingin" it like most parents?
Well, if I may inject here, Summer should never be a "wing thing" when you have kids. Even though school is out for the next few months, they still need some kind of structure to keep them out of trouble and keep their minds keen so it isn't such a difficult adjustment when the Summer is over and they have to go back to school. So here is a helpful list for you to refer to in making plans that will not only keep your kids on their toes, but they won't break your bank either.

Credit to walletpop.com for these ideas.

Biking or hiking on a bike trail. And not just any bike trail. I'm thinking about TrailLink.com, a website powered by Rails to Trails, a national nonprofit that's working to transform abandoned railroads into bike paths. According to the site, there are more than 30,000 trails across the country that are suitable for bike riding, walking, riding a horse, jogging -- anything but driving. There are trails in every state -- some are short, maybe a few miles at best, while some stretch out for fifty miles or more. But they all tend to be in scenic, out-of-the-way places and on flat ground, which was perfect for trains and is now perfect for parents and kids on bikes.

If there aren't any bike trails near you, you may want to check out NatureFind, a free app at the Apple app store, which provides information on more than 200,000 annual family-friendly events at more than 8,800 locations across the United States.

Bowling. It's usually an inexpensive activity, anyway, but if you go to KidsBowlFree.com, you can print free bowling coupons throughout the summer that are good at bowling alleys across the country. As one Philadelphia mother who's participated in the program told me, "I was skeptical, but it's truly two free games per child. I suppose they make money on rental shoes and snacks. It was wonderful for rainy days last summer."

Visit your local museum or historical landmark. Most museums offer free admission on specific days or nights. If you think your kids would be interested, don't forget to investigate the less obvious places. Almost every city and town has some sort of museum, landmark or historical society, and it's worth at least checking their website to see if they're hosting anything aimed at families.

Visiting the library. Not only do they have these crazy things made out of paper called books, but they often have free programs, from read-aloud story times to craft sessions to animal groups bringing in little critters, all designed to get kids interested in visiting their library. And if that doesn't get your kid excited, you can always point out that many libraries loan out DVDs, and Wii and Nintendo games. While the idea of renting movies or games sort of destroys the point of getting your kids away from those pesky electronic devices, by taking them to the library, at least you'll have moved them off the couch for an hour or so.

Volunteer. The nonprofit WaysToHelp.org lists thousands of volunteer opportunities for children and teenagers. To find something your kids will enjoy, you can use its search engine to find volunteer activities that children and teenagers are allowed to participate in, like helping clean a beach or a creek or assisting at an animal shelter. Ask your children which activities sound interesting -- they're more likely to enjoy it if they get to choose themselves.

Open a lemonade stand. It's old-fashioned to the point of being a little corny, but what kid wouldn't enjoy running his own microbusiness? It's fun and educational at the same time, and if you really want to go all out and do something a little different and teach your kids about service and helping a good cause, check out Alex's Lemonade, a nonprofit website that teaches kids how to put up their own lemonade stand. Basically, you register online, and the site sends you a lemonade stand kit, which includes promotional materials, tips for holding a successful lemonade stand and, while supplies last, a voucher for a canister of lemonade.

Your kids won't be keeping the money, though -- you'll be sending it to Alex's Lemonade, which raises money to help fund cancer research. It was inspired by a young girl named Alexandra "Alex" Scott who had cancer and, at the age of four, announced that she wanted to open a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. The nonprofit has raised $30 million since it was established in 2004 (the year that Alex passed away).

And while this is something you can do any time during the summer, June 11 - 13, 2010, is the organization's big annual weekend where they have thousands of volunteers across the country opening lemonade stands and trying to raise a collective $1 million to go toward fighting and curing cancer.

Gardening. While this is easier said than done, especially if you're not a gardener yourself, it can be done fairly inexpensively. Kids can start gardening as early as three years old, though the term 'gardening' should be used loosely from this age until about eight years old. Separate out a small area just for your child in your larger garden. For very young children, gardening is more about the adventure and exploration, and less about results.

And if you have older kids who manage to grow some tomatoes, carrots or some other produce you can serve at the dinner table, not only are they learning a new skill, but they're helping you save money in the process.

And if they are enterprising at all, you can help them knock on doors and see if any of the neighbors have some weeding projects they need done in exchange for a fee. This is a great way to teach your kids about being responsible with money and how to manage finances.

Day camp or summer camp. True, many and most camps are going to put a dent in your wallet, but if you're working and your son or daughter needs to be somewhere other than home, you may want to investigate camps offered by the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. Despite my best effort, though, it was hard to nail down exactly what a day camp will run you, even if you call either group's headquarters.

"There are over 300 different councils throughout the country," one person, who wasn't authorized to speak for the Boy Scouts, told me, "and each of them has a different price." And, he added, it depends on whether the child is of Cub Scout age or is old enough to be a Boy Scout. But he cited $200 for a week-long, overnight camp in Texas, which includes meals. And I know one Girl Scout summer day camp in California that's charging $60 for their full-day, week-long camp, which is also the price for the Girl Scout day camp in my neck of Ohio.

The good news is, not all camps require your son or daughter to be a Girl or Boy scout to attend camp. If you're intrigued, visit the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts' website to search for summer camp opportunities.

And here are some ideas that really need no explanation, but just as reminders, we'll suggest them: Go on a picnic, fly a kite, put together a jigsaw puzzle, play some board games, catch some minnows in a creek, chase after some butterflies with a net, throw a slumber party for your kids, climb a tree (carefully) or build a tree house (very carefully), put up a tire swing, visit a playground, walk a dog (a neighbor's, if you don't have your own), play some catch in the yard, catch some fireflies at night, play flash light tag at night, take your kids to a garage sale or flea market, hold a garage sale or wash the car. And if they're nearby, don't forget to take your kids to visit their grandparents or perhaps an elderly relative who could really use the company.

Finally, remember this summer that there is value in your kids doing nothing. It might sound crazy or lazy at first, but Dr. Susan Smith Kuczmarski, Ed.D., who is based in Chicago and often conducts workshops for parents and educators and has written a book on teenagers, points out, "There's tremendous value for children in what I call 'hammock time.' This means doing nothing: daydreaming, hanging out, getting lost in your thoughts, doodling. Call it what you will, it means shifting gears to neutral. Our culture puts so much emphasis on 'doing,' and children soon pick that up. Children are profoundly nourished by introspective time. Too much focus on busy activities and games leaves very little time to dream, wonder, reflect and discover."

So the next time you hear your child say, "I'm bored! There's nothing to do," perhaps your reply should be "Good!"

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What The Hack?

Techie Times

What the Hack?
Tuesday June 14, 2011

Until recently, most banks have allowed customers to easily access their accounts via the internet and mobile devices without having to go through too many inconvenient security checks in order to confirm their identity. So what will happen now that Citigroup's network has been compromised and over 200,000 credit-card holders in North America are at risk? Like Sony before it, Citibank has received recent criticism for failing to report the security breach immediately. Bank officials said the hackers did not get access to social security numbers, birth dates, card expiration dates or card security codes. But how are we supposed to believe that when they concealed the attack in the first place and failed to report the security breach to the FBI when they were supposed to? According to a statement made by the bank, the hackers did acquire customer names, account numbers and contact information. CitiBank's advice to the 200,000+ victims: "Customers affected by this incident should be on high alert for scams, phishing and phone calls purporting to be from Citibank and their subsidiaries. While Citi customers aren't likely to have fraudulent charges against their accounts as a result of this breach, they are likely to encounter social engineering attempts to enable further crime. Considering that the attackers have your name, account number and other sensitive information they are able to provide a very convincing cover story to victims." This recent string of "Hacktivism" has turned into a North American nightmare, to say the least. However, Great Britain has also experienced some difficulties as of late. On June 12, 2011 the UK based game company Codemasters has revealed that it has suffered a hacking attack, compromising personal information, Gamertags, and encrypted password information. Codemasters publishes for all platforms including Microsoft Xbox 360™, Sony® Playstation® 3, Sony Playstation Portable, Nintendo DS, PC-DVD and Nintendo Wii™, mobile phones and they also provide persistent online services. And all of these are companies that were involved in the Electronics Conference last week to announce their new technology (look back at last weeks Daily for Monday June 6th). That was the very conference that Sony rendered a public apology for the recent network shutdown  in April that compromised the personal information of over 100,000,000 people and led to many identity theft incidences. Sony's online movies website has recently fallen victim as well. The RSA division of EMC corp was hacked, which compromised government defense contracted Lockheed Martin, and the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) Now the RSA is replacing or monitoring every code key it's issued. Other major companies that have been recently hacked are the likes of Sony, and  Google, and in response by the Chinese to the accusations of Google regarding the hacking of Gmail accounts, the Chinese military is blaming the U.S. government for deliberately launching a global “Internet War” to bring down China. Meanwhile, Sony, the favored "whipping boy" of hackers, has had a recent win. The Spanish Police have made 3 arrests of men affiliated with the "Anonymous" group. According to Spain's Technological Investigation Brigade (BIT) the men operated a cell of Anonymous, directing internet attacks against the likes of the Sony PlayStation store, and websites belonging to the governments of Egypt, Chile, Iran, Colombia, Algeria and Libya. According to Sony, more than 100 million accounts were affected in the previous month long shutdown, making it one of the largest data breaches ever. But Sony has been compromised yet again! The news hit headlines as just Sony's execs presented live onstage at E3. The hack was again performed by Lulz Security (known as LulzSec, which "kindly" hacked Nintendo to prove a security hole exists) and the team has posted files relating to the Sony Computer Entertainment Developer Network online as proof. Other victims of LulzSec are PBS, InfraGard (division of the FBI), Nintendo, Black & Berg Cybersecurity Consulting, National Health Service, Porn websites, Bethesda Studio, and the most recent victim is the United States Senate. That's right folks, one of our major government entities was compromised and reported just yesterday, and quite severely too. To quote their release notes on the LulzSec website: Greetings friends, We don’t like the US government very much. Their boats are weak, their lulz are low, and their sites aren’t very secure. In an attempt to help them fix their issues, we’ve decided to donate additional lulz in the form of owning them some more! This is a small, just-for-kicks release of some internal data from Senate.gov - is this an act of war, gentlemen? Problem? Take a peek on the  website and you will see what follows that information is a considerable about of data regarding the internal server structure of the senate.gov website. Talk about getting caught with your pants down! So how are the Democrats doing these days? Is Congress on their hit list too? If it is, I hope they restructure their pay scale. But wait, that's not all. Just the day before,  on June 12th, the IMF announced that it has been targeted by cyber attackers seeking to access sensitive information on a global level. The attack actually happened earlier this year and had resulted in "a very major breach". Already there has been speculation that, like the recent attack on Google, certain key individuals may have been the victims of a malware, spear phishing digital assault. The hack was designed to install malicious software that would create a "digital insider presence", allowing the hackers access to all the fund's sensitive financial data. The IMF stands for the International Monetary Fund and it is supposed to manage global financial crisis, storing confidential data about economies all across the world. If sensitive information obtained by the hackers is leaked, some data in IMF computer systems could be used to manipulate or profit from bonds and currencies around the world. And this happened shortly following their announcement on June 6th that there is "no need for policy change on UK economy." In case you didn't know, the IMF and the World Bank both emerged in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference (United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference) in order to regulate the International monetary and financial order after the conclusion of World War II. Agreements were signed to set up the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The Bretton Woods system of exchange rate management was set up, which remained in place untill the early 1970s. It didn't become operative until 1959, when the European currencies became convertible. In 1995 during the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations established the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the replacement body for GATT. Typically the IMF was head up by a European, and the World Bank has been head up by an American, however, that American has always had some affiliation with Chase Manhattan, now J.P. Morgan. This breach in security happened on the heels of the former chief of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn's, being arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a hotel maid 3 weeks prior to the incident. Just after the attack the fund's sibling, the World Bank, severed all its computer and network links to the IMF. The World Bank has since released a statement that it has resumed normal service and found no evidence of an attack or breach on its own network. And in the midst of all of this commotion, someone leaks to Reuters that Hilary Clinton wants to be the head of the World Bank, which she now denies. But it sure stirred up some interesting responses when that hit the Yahoo new feed didn't it? So is this directed at the U.S. or is something more sinister happening on an international level? There are 3 separate groups which have been identified in recent attacks: the Chinese, the Anonymous group, and LulzSec, all of which are considered to be Hacktivists. What is most alarming is these groups are from outside of the U.S. and are attacking  governments and other corporations that could facilitate a financial destablization of our current economy. Have we not gone through enough as it is? This is a serious form of Cyber Terrorism and puts very real people at risk, along with their identity and financial profile.  So for all the laughs that LulzSec is getting, and the vengeance that the Chinese are taking out on us, and the data that the anonymous group is exploiting, they are compromising the safety and security of millions of people, not just in the U.S. but world wide. I think it's time we put our own team together to hack back at the hackers. Google already did! Stay up to date on breaking news of cyber attacks with the Hacker News Network Add us: Real 2 Net on Facebook Real 2 Net on YouTube Real 2 Net Web Site

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