Posted by Scott on April 14th, 2007 — Posted in Internet Safety
Cara Baruzzi recently wrote an article about cyber security. I include an excerpt:
Despite spending “too much” on Internet security measures, most business owners feel increasingly vulnerable to hacking and outside attacks, according to Ed Amoroso, AT&T Inc.’s chief information security officer.
Business owners need to change their approach to Internet and computer system security, Amoroso said. Traditionally, businesses, like consumers who use computers at home, have relied on software to combat everything from spam to hacking, but an overdependence on software actually is a big part of the problem, he added.
“Software is a fundamental issue,” Amoroso said, because most is flawed in some way, making businesses susceptible to outside intrusions. “I’ve never seen software that isn’t broken; there’s probably no such thing. We live in a world where most of the software that’s running around is probably unnecessary and probably broken.”
Therefore, he urged computer users to seek out more efficient software programs and use fewer of them, to cut down on the number of flaws in the system.
Read entire article by Cara Baruzzi.
Businesses need to put especial attention towards cyber security, because they have money and finances to secure. Unlike personal computers who mostly only have to worry about malicious attacks, businesses get targeted by cyber thieves often.
I think the expert correctly advises to not rely too heavily on software. Hackers and cyber attackers know how to beat the software. Perhaps, business owners need to learn to work their network well or hire someone to know it, because they need to know their network’s security better than a potential cyber attacker.
What do you think?
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Posted by Scott on April 12th, 2007 — Posted in Rape & Sexual Assault
Chelsey Tulgren recently sent me a message informing about a petition regarding an incident that happened at her school, the University of Minnesota. The incident involved 3 football players who allegedly raped an 18-year-old woman. The petition expresses outrage over the blind support given to the football players by coaches, teammates, and fans, and the allowance of such support by the University. Additionally, the petition calls for more support for victims of rape and sexual assault. I signed the petition, which you can find at petitiononline.com/2endrape/petition.html. Read it, and if you also agree sign it.
I understand the danger of false accusations. We all agree in treating accused people as innocent until proven guilty. However, athletes – both student and professional – get extra immunity. Our society and schools have a noticeable tendency to excuse athletes’ bad behavior for irrelevant reasons such as the athletes popularity. In the same way schools have notoriously given student-athletes good grades despite poor academic performance, athletes get a legal pass on inexcusable behavior. We need to stop all rapists, not just the rapists who cannot play a good ball game.
When it comes to legal investigations for violent crimes such as rape, we cannot afford to give athletes extra breaks or blind support. Let’s judge people by their guilt, not by their athletic ability.
What do you think?
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Posted by Scott on April 11th, 2007 — Posted in Child Protection
Daniel Vasquez recently reported about free child safety classes in South Florida offered by John Peek, owner and head instructor of ATA Black Belt Academy, a Deerfield Beach Tae Kwondo studio. I have included some of the tips below:
Saying NO: Peek says the way a child says it is key. A child should step back with their hands waving in the air and shout “no” in ways that call attention from others nearby.
Don’t touch me: Children need to be taught it is not appropriate for any stranger to touch them in the “bathing suit” areas of their body.
I don’t know you: It’s OK for kids to call attention to themselves whenever an unknown adult approaches them. Yelling “stranger danger” will let other adults in the area know something is wrong.
Home safety: Children need to know predators will sometimes pretend to be a friend of a parent or a person bringing news about a parent being injured or hospitalized, so strangers should never be allowed to enter a home. And they need to know it’s not safe to provide strangers any information over the phone.
Read entire article by Daniel Vasquez.
Some of these tips may seem common-sense to parents, but parents need to realize that kids don’t think like parents. Parents need to explain these simple tips in a simple way to children, and continually reinforce them. Because of their innocence, many kids don’t realize the danger or threats of certain situations or decisions.
What do you think?
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Posted by Scott on April 10th, 2007 — Posted in News
Harry Hanson recently reported on a self-defense workshop hosted by third degree black belt named Josh Waltzing. Before doing hands on exercises, Waltzing described a seven step ladder:
At the base of the seven-step ladder is the defensive mechanism known as “walk-aways.”
“Walk-aways are things one does once and walks away. An example is locking doors,” emphasized Waltzing.
One student said she would cross the street so she wouldn’t have to stare eye-to-eye with a walker coming towards her she did not trust.
His second rung of the ladder was “habit.” Do not start out walking in the same direction each day, parking in the same spot in a parking lot or ramp, or leaving and arriving at a destination at the same moment each day.
Awareness comes next. “A blend between habits and knowledge: how a crime really happens and the habits to forewarn you of potential danger areas such as elevators or dark hallways,” he said. “ATMs, leaving an event, public restrooms and apartment laundry rooms are dangerous places to single persons.”
The fourth step was “maneuvering and positioning.” This told the student to identify the potentially criminal act before it is too late to act, and positioning one’s self away from the situation.
Next came “knowledge of self-worth and boundaries.” This pertains more to how you look and how you perceive yourself. This infers the student should take a quick appraisal of the situation confronting them as whether to talk, shout for rescue, or concede to the criminal act to prevent permanent injury or death.
“Verbal boundary enforcement.” The sixth step tells the student to be assertive, but not aggressive. Communicating to the criminal that awareness of the situation is to be followed by a commitment to defending one’s self. Waltzing explained there is a difference between an assertive mechanism and aggressive hollering.
Lastly, “physical self-defense.” Should it get that far, Waltzing stated “…the situation has been forced and you are justified to do whatever it takes to stop him.”
Read entire article by Harry Hanson.
I agree with the method that instructor Josh Waltzing taught. His “ladder” shows that one can most effectively avoid victimization by avoiding the need to use physical defense; i.e. avoid getting into dangerous situations. However, he still explains that if one still gets attacked, then use physical defense, which he shows them how to do.
What do you think?
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