Another Data Breach at Georgetown University

Another data breach at an educational institution has put thousands at risk of identity theft. There are compromised files for thirty eight thousand students and staff members of Georgetown University:

“Thousands of Georgetown University students are at risk for identity theft after a computer hard drive containing their names and Social Security numbers was stolen from an office earlier this month, school officials said Tuesday.”

link: Georgetown University students are at risk for identity theft

This is the second data breach at Georgetown University within the last year. Therefore, one would hope that, through bitter experience, the data were encrypted. Unfortunately, it was not encrypted and those sensitive files are exposed.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

[tag]hard drive, encryption, georgetown university, data breach, privacy, security, identity theft[/tag]

A Hiram Johnson Quote

“The first casualty when war comes is truth.”

Hiram Johnson

[tag]hiram johnson, quote, war[/tag]

A Hiram Johnson Quote

“The first casualty when war comes is truth.”

Hiram Johnson

The Los Angeles Police Response

There were police in cars. There were police on motorcycles. There were police in helicopters. And this was to escort Britney Spears to the hospital:

“…A few hours earlier the motorcade that pulled away from Spears’ home was nearly the length of a football field. Along with the ambulance, it included police on nearly a dozen motorcycles and in two cars. Two police helicopters followed overhead.”

link: Spears in hospital ‘for own safety’

The Press Association did not mention whether Governor Schwarzenegger placed the California National Guard on standby alert.

Catherine Forsythe

[tag]police, los angeles, britney spears, helicopters, governor schwarzenegger, california national guard, hospital[/tag]

The Los Angeles Police Response

There were police in cars. There were police on motorcycles. There were police in helicopters. And this was to escort Britney Spears to the hospital:

“…A few hours earlier the motorcade that pulled away from Spears’ home was nearly the length of a football field. Along with the ambulance, it included police on nearly a dozen motorcycles and in two cars. Two police helicopters followed overhead.”

link: Spears in hospital ‘for own safety’

The Press Association did not mention whether Governor Schwarzenegger placed the California National Guard on standby alert.

Catherine

That E-Mail Is Not From the IRS

This seems like an annual warning. It is becoming a tax season tradition. Hackers send out email hoping to phish for and steal tax payers’ identities. The IRS is not sending you email:

“…E-mails on legitimate-looking IRS letterhead claiming the recipient is owed $134.80 are popping up in people’s inboxes. To collect, they ask you to fill out a form with your Social Security number, credit card number and PIN code, and your phone number, address and e-mail.

“We would never send you an e-mail for any reason,” said Stewart, who works in the agency’s Philadelphia office. “It’s just not a secure way of sending information.”"

link: Be wary of IRS e-mails offering refunds

This is an identity theft ploy. Delete that email and wait for your snail mail.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

[tag]email, irs, security, phishing, identity theft, tax refund, hackers[/tag]

BoardingArea: A Site for the Road Warrior

BoardingArea is a site that is just full of travel information for the road warrior - and also for the ‘road weary’. It pools together the experiences of those who travel as a necessity and is a wonderful source of information:

“…For more than 20 years, we have been providing news, information and advice for frequent flyers. Our goal has always been to provide frequent travelers with the information they need to make the most of their travel.”

link: BoardingArea

There are numerous hints that will make the travel experience a little less stressful. For example, if you are traveling with a laptop, be prepared to be asked to power up the machine. In addition, the security people actually may look at the files on the laptop. There was a suggestion to rename a file which now is labeled “blueprint” to something less threatening like “grandma”. (Presumably, the security person checking your laptop has had a positive relationship with his/her grandmother.)

The BoardingArea leads to other sources and numerous suggestions. For example, again with the laptop, it is better not be carrying a laptop in an identifiable, expensive computer bag. The suggestion is to use a backpack to not draw attention to the fact that there is a laptop present.

BoardingArea has a search function if there is a specific question to be answered. Be prepared to spend some time there. BoardingArea has a pool of information that you didn’t realize that you wanted and needed to know.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

[tag]boardingarea, travel, airport, security, laptop, search function, road warriors[/tag]

Always Give the Dog a Positive Welcome

What does your dog do when you call him/her? Does the dog come to you quickly and consistently? Do you think it is magic, when you see obedience dogs respond reliably and happily each and every time? Well, the magic is in the discipline - the discipline that the owner has.

One of the important things to establish with the dog is that every time he/she approaches you, good things happen. You are happy. You praise. Sometimes, you have a treat to give. The welcome for the dog is ALWAYS positive (no matter how upset you are). Let this be an unwritten law that you and your dog have. And you will NEVER call the dog to you and scold the dog (no matter how upset you are). If you call and scold the dog, it destroys the trust the dog has for you. The dog will remember and it will take time and effort to re-establish that trust.

Dogs think in terms of black and white: right and wrong. Dogs do not handle ambiguity well. In fact, ambiguity causes anxiety and dogs will avoid anxious situations. And dogs are honest about it. Let’s look at this situation from the dog’s perspective. The owner calls and the dog responds. The owners response must always be praise. If the owner’s response is negative, then confusion ensues. It is a negative consequence to the dog for a behavior that was correct. A human may be able to reconcile such ambiguity - perhaps. Certainly, for the dog, it causes confusion. And the next time that dog is called, the response will be one of uncertainty.

Therefore, if you want that dog coming every time it is called, be consistent. Be a good actor if necessary - be happy. Praise the dog. Even if the dog comes slowly or reluctantly, praise. Be positive. Welcome the dog. Next time, the dog might be quicker if you, as the owner, are disciplined and if you always greet in a positive manner.

The dog will tell you how you are doing.

Catherine

Always Give the Dog a Positive Welcome

What does your dog do when you call him/her? Does the dog come to you quickly and consistently? Do you think it is magic, when you see obedience dogs respond reliably and happily each and every time? Well, the magic is in the discipline - the discipline that the owner has.

One of the important things to establish with the dog is that every time he/she approaches you, good things happen. You are happy. You praise. Sometimes, you have a treat to give. The welcome for the dog is ALWAYS positive (no matter how upset you are). Let this be an unwritten law that you and your dog have. And you will NEVER call the dog to you and scold the dog (no matter how upset you are). If you call and scold the dog, it destroys the trust the dog has for you. The dog will remember and it will take time and effort to re-establish that trust.

Dogs think in terms of black and white: right and wrong. Dogs do not handle ambiguity well. In fact, ambiguity causes anxiety and dogs will avoid anxious situations. And dogs are honest about it. Let’s look at this situation from the dog’s perspective. The owner calls and the dog responds. The owners response must always be praise. If the owner’s response is negative, then confusion ensues. It is a negative consequence to the dog for a behavior that was correct. A human may be able to reconcile such ambiguity - perhaps. Certainly, for the dog, it causes confusion. And the next time that dog is called, the response will be one of uncertainty.

Therefore, if you want that dog coming every time it is called, be consistent. Be a good actor if necessary - be happy. Praise the dog. Even if the dog comes slowly or reluctantly, praise. Be positive. Welcome the dog. Next time, the dog might be quicker if you, as the owner, are disciplined and if you always greet in a positive manner.

The dog will tell you how you are doing.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

[tag]dogs, recall, praise, consistency, consequences, ambiguity, discipline[/tag]

Jason Kidd Asks to be Traded

Finally, Jason Kidd has asked for the much anticipated trade. At thirty four years of age, Jason Kidd wants to try for a championship elsewhere. He has concluded that a championship is not going to happen with his remaining years in New Jersey:

“… “It used to be if I got a triple-double, that was an automatic win,” he said. “That’s just not the case now. We tried to make this work. We’ve found out it doesn’t. It’s time for us all to move on.”"

link: Kidd confirms that agent has been talking to Nets about trade

There are two major obstacles in the way of a trade. The first obstacle is the almost twenty million dollar contact for this year. The second and worse obstacle is the twenty one million dollar contract for next year. That limits the number of teams that are willing to look at the financial burden of such a move. Nevertheless, financial barriers have not been a huge hindrance to Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks. It is no secret that Mark Cuban wants an NBA championship. Many will be checking on Mark Cuban’s blog space. Can he resist the temptation of Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd combination?

Catherine Forsythe

[tag]nba, jason kidd, new jersey nets, dallas mavericks, mark cuban, dirk nowitzki, contract[/tag]