Safety

13 Security Resolutions for 2013 – Follow Them or Get Hacked!

by Michael Sheehan on December 28, 2012

in Application, Family, General, How To, Opinion, Parenting, Security, Social Media, Software, Trend Micro

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With just a few hours left in 2012, it’s time to think about ways to make 2013 an even better year. I’m sure that all of you are planning on going to the gym about 20 times a day, or eliminating all fat from your diet, or working to become Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2013. I wish you all the best of luck with those grandiose goals of perfection and world dominance. My New Year’s Resolutions are a little less aggressive, but, as you might guess, they do involve technology and writing. So to kick off the New Year’s Resolutions, I thought that I would help you out a bit with some that you can put on your list and feel happy about accomplishing fairly easily.

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Let’s talk security. I’m sure for many of you, this isn’t really something that you think about often, but if you own a computer or laptop or mobile device, or, manage your entire family or business’s computer infrastructure like I do, you probably do want to keep your environments safe and secure. And while updating and maintaining the security of those systems can be a yearly project, it really should be much more frequently than that…at least monthly. For the past year, I have been participating in a program with other bloggers around the country called The Digital Joneses. Our corporate sponsor is Trend Micro who has been providing us with themed challenges to sharpen our security skills and be able to speak much more intelligently about things people should think about when it comes to privacy and security.

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As part of my end of the year post, I thought that I would go back to the 9 other challenges that I have written about and compile a list of 13 items (for 2013) that I consider to be the top New Year’s Security Resolutions for 2013. If you implement even a few of these items, you are already making your digital life much safer than it was before, so good job! (I have linked to specific articles within each item should you want to read more – these are chronological, not ranked by priority). [click to continue…]

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The Loss of Innocence

by Michael Sheehan on December 14, 2012

in Family, General, Opinion, Parenting

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Innocence was lost today, not just in Connecticut but across the world. Our future was tragically and horrifically gunned down in yet another act of senseless violence.

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After 9/11, our nation changed. We became paranoid, more careful and we thought, safer. Today’s events prove otherwise. Violence can come from anywhere, from strangers or from people that we know. It can be directed at a nation or at an individual. Tragically, the people who are most affected are usually the innocent, the bystanders and at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the children and those people developing these young minds into our future leaders and caretakers.

As a father of three, I have seen how innocence becomes lost. My oldest daughter’s first day of pre-school was on 9/11. Today I will pull all 3 of them into my arms and tell them I love them, forever and always.

As my children have grown, they have been exposed to more violence and more tragedy. Most likely, they don’t fully understand these horrific acts. This may, in some way, be a good thing. But I don’t want them (or me for that matter) to become desensitized to tragedies like this. At the same time, I want to shield and protect them from this crazy world. Our children are our future and we as parents and caregivers are dutifully bound to ensure their safety, success and longevity.

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How Safe is Online Shopping? Tips to Get Ready for Cyber Monday and Beyond

by Michael Sheehan on November 25, 2012

in General, HTD Tech Tip, Opinion, Safety, Security, Trend Micro

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Personally, I hate shopping. I do though, like the act of giving gifts. There is something always great about spreading joy to friends and family during the holiday seasons. My wife is a bargain hunter and loves the “sport” of the deal hunt. She went missing on Black Friday only to reappear a few hours later with lots of great deals. But she was honest with me, she felt that the deals were not that great for our family. We don’t need toys…the kids are just too old (I wouldn’t mind a video game or two though). I, on the other hand, am a surgical shopper. I shop in my mind well before and then strategically swoop into the brick and mortar store to get the presents and then I’m gone…and usually it is during the week of Christmas.

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For those of us who can’t stand the lines at physical stores, you now have an alternative called Cyber Monday. It’s the first day back at work when people are recovering from the holidays. Many have not bought gifts or missed a deal during Black Friday and so they turn to their computer to see if they can score an even better deal on something. The online markdowns are frequently pretty good, AND you don’t have to deal with rude and obnoxious shoppers. And the deals start early! In fact yesterday(the Saturday before Cyber Monday), I missed an amazing deal on the full James Bond Blu-Ray set which was going for just $99…the price just a few hours after this cyber-doorbuster deal is now $349. Doh!

Cyber Monday is great in my mind. But there is always something nice about being able to go back to a physical store where you bought something from in order to return or exchange it. And there are plenty of scams that exist online, site that offer incredible deals but are just fronts to someone stealing your credit and personal information. But just a note, this happens in the physical world as well. A few years ago during the holiday season, I became a victim of identity theft. It turns out that some holiday help at one of these big box stores took a handful of credit card receipts and information and began opening other credit accounts and charging up a storm…all against my credit. But the joke was on them. They were caught and I was not responsible for the charges. Since then, and I recommend that everyone do this, I have signed up for a credit monitoring service that notifies me if any odd behavior is happening with my cards or credit. And all of the major credit companies now have automated monitoring to ensure that if anything odd happens on your account, that you are immediately contacted and notified.

Anyway, so there are dangers in the physical world. But there are probably more in the online world. So you need to be careful and shop online intelligently.

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Why It’s Important to Teach your Kids How to Cook and Use Social Media

by Michael Sheehan on September 19, 2012

in Family, General, Opinion, Parenting, Safety, Security, Social Media, Social Networking

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A recent post of mine which focused on an informal and potentially dangerous marriage between Instagram and Kik Messenger seems to have gotten quite a bit of attention lately. I’m always excited when I can share my ideas, opinions, insights and personal recommendations when it comes to educating kids about the evolution of social media of many legs. And what excited me even more was the response that came in from readers of all ages, kids and parents alike, each offering different takes on the idea of working with and teaching children about social media.

The point of the Instagram/Kik article was not to single out any particular social tool, but instead to use the example as a means to raise awareness and start a discussion. I love Instagram for what it is and the creativity it inspires in me and my family. I look at things just a bit differently – would that make an interesting photo? – and take photos in my mind’s eye before capturing a moment on digital film and sharing it. Kik Messenger, well, I could definitely live without it. And I’m worried about what this new application called “InstaMessage” is going to bring!

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Some of the comments from my original post ranged from “thanks for the tips,” to “you are invading your kids privacy” and a bunch of comments in between. I value all of these comments – agrees or disagrees – because they are encouraging discussion.

But there is one clear point that I wanted to make. As responsible, loving and engaged parents, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves AND our children on social media, what it is good for and where the dangers lie. It is a personal choice of the parent to be involved or not and the level of the involvement. It is also a bit of a tightrope walk; if you are overly protective, your children could sneak it behind your back and hate you in the process and if you aren’t engaged enough, they could get into all kinds of trouble that could affect them now and later on in their lives. Kids need boundaries and they need consistency. That is the role of the parent – to train, educate, discuss our children when they navigate the social waters.

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10 Tips on How to Avoid Losing your Digital Identity

August 30, 2012
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Our society is made up of all types of information. And the amount of “stuff” that is known about us is growing as speeds never before seen. Think back 50 or 100 years. What identified a person? Their names, their ancestry, their address and their bank. Eventually phone numbers and a few other bits of [...]

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Phishing for Your Olympic Spirit – Buyer Beware!

July 28, 2012
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With the Olympics right around the corner, the last thing that you want to think about is security. Well, let me rephrase that, there is plenty of security at the Olympics itself and I’m one of many who sincerely hopes that the 2012 Olympics in London goes smoothly and safely. Go Team USA! But, if [...]

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Parents Beware: Instagram & Kik Messenger Are A Dangerous Combination & What Social Dangers to Check For

July 2, 2012
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Over the past few years, I have written about security and safety for the family, especially when it comes to protecting your kids from online predators and social bullies. My wife and I really try to practice what we preach. But as social networks and sharing services evolve, sometimes it is hard to keep up [...]

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5 Tips on How To Make your Child Safer When Gaming Online

June 25, 2012
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Just the other day, I was talking to someone about how playtime has changed since when we were children. The line that my parents used to say all of the time was “go out and play” and off we would go, getting into trouble outside, coming back with scrapes, bloody knees and bruises, covered in [...]

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