I have been gone for a while, and for that, I apologize!  A bit of writer’s block, and a bit of unrelated work has caused me to neglect both of my blogs.  Well, I am proud to say that I have taken over as the corporate security manager for a large financial institute.  Now that I am back in the realm of physical security, I should have more time to remember how to reach my readers.

So, why not come back with a topic that has recently shown its ugly face again! Hate crimes, whether it be about race, religion, creed, or plain stupidity, these crazy folks still exist, and two days ago, we saw their tyranny once again.  A man who was all about a race war took the fight to the Sikhs… The Sikhs? Why in the hell would you attack the Sikhs?  Do you know of any Sikhs?  I have known quite a few in my time, and they are the one group that truly believes in service to others!  So, this Wade Michael Page, a “white supremecist”  who had lived a homeless lifestyle for at least part of his life (according to CNN at least), obviously had no clue what he was doing!  Sikhs open their temple to feed anyone who needs food; they provide shelter for those who need shelter; oh, and they look after the poor, even if they are Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, or whatever someone believes. 

Sikhs, who are seen unshaven and wearing a turbin, could be mistaken for an Islmaic extremist, but they aren’t even Middle Eastern… They are Indian!

So, why do people hate other people?  I know that I have a serious disdain for those people who don’t think about their actions before they act, and I have even used the phrase “I hate stupid people” from time to time, well, most of the time, but I won’t kill them for being stupid.

So, how do we know if someone is a follower of these hate groups? You should know which of your friends could be really close to crossing the line, I mean if we look at all of the people who knew Page, they knew he was racist.  People, he was the lead singer of a skin-head band!  “I wouldn’t have thought he would have ever killed anyone…” Really?  You must be kidding me!!! He sings about hate, he talks about hate, he inked his body with HATE, but you had no clue that he was dangerous?  Please refer these people to my earlier comment about stupid people! 

Contact someone if your friend is a bit out there on the hate rhetoric!  You could singlehandedly prevent a needless killing of a great group of people!  Also, do me a favor, do a little research on Sikhism, and try to brainstorm why someone would want to hurt these people!

The world of dating has changed over the recent years, and with Valentine’s Day coming upon quicker than the end of the Mayan calendar, let’s discuss how these changes could impact you.

Your single, so you go out to a bar or club to have some fun, let a little bit of liquid courage help you go talk to that cute girl or guy, and maybe hook up, or your buddy knows this really cute girl or guy that you will just love, so they hook you up on a date.  Ok, that was so three years ago folks.  Today, more connections are made by visiting online dating sites than by going to a bar/club.  The number of Americans who are cyber dating have reached nearly 40 million according to a study conducted by the Association for Psychological Sciences.  So how are these dating sites a privacy or a security concern?  It is nice of you to ask that.  When you go and sign up for a dating site, like eHarmony, you provide them with A LOT of information about yourself.  I hope you noticed the big letters on a lot back there because I want, no, I need to emphasize HOW MUCH INFORMATION you are providing to a website.  Think about the information you put out there on Facebook, and multiply it tenfold, and you are barely scratching the surface.  Dating sites make their money off of subscription fees and off of advertising. 

Lets rewind twelve years ago for just a second.  In 1999 and 2000 an email address and an IP address was worth $1.01 to advertisers.  Back then there weren’t really any spam filters, so companies could blast out an advertising campaign to the early adopters of the internet craze.  Today, that cost is considerably lower, where an email address is worth about $0.15.

So, you put all of this really personal information on this website because you feel the more details you provide, more compatible matches will be sent to you.  So, what happens to that data once you hit submit?  As described before, anything you put on the internet will always be on the internet, but are dating sites the same about storing information?  Of course!!!  Have you noticed that once you have signed up with Facebook, Twitter, Nerve, eHarmony, and Match.com, your spam folder has filled up faster?  Sites that collect personal data will use it to make money.  You will see tailored advertisements that match your tastes, and as soon as you click on that link, the website gets paid!  Look at the ads located on my sites, theprivacydude.com and thesmrt.com.  I have two ads running, at the top and the bottom of my sites.  They are from Google, and the way those work is by having Google crawl my blogs, and tailor the advertisements to something that is found on the blog.  Every time you click on one of those ads, I make a little bit of money… I digress!

Dating sites are simply paid social networks where everyone has something in common… they are single and are looking for Mr./Ms. Right to sweep them off their feet.  Your information is not “sold” to advertisers like it used to be, they just rent the data to them.  Your very personal, often intimate details about yourself, are online, and once they hit there, you can never get them back, and you can’t control who can see them! 

Now that the privacy dude has had his say, let’s look at the personal security and safety involved with cyber dating!

You have met Mr. Right on (insert_dating_site_name.com) and you two have been chatting 3-4 hours each day, for 3 weeks, and he now wants to meet you in person.  You truly know him, you know his heart, his soul, and he wants kids… so you agree to meet him.  Ok, here is how to be safe:

Don’t let him pick you up; simply meet him after work at a coffee shop or a bar that you know the staff at.  That last part is important; knowing the staff at a bar can be a good step in your protection, as you have LESS of a concern that something could be slipped in your drink… which is why I would suggest you meet for coffee.  Besides, coffee shops are more intimate than bars, and they are cheaper on the wallet.  For the first few meetings, don’t let him know where you live, work, or what car you drive.  When you do leave, don’t go straight home.  Go to your friend’s house to gossip how the night went.  Stay for a while, then leave.  Paranoia is a good thing in these cases.  You never know someone until you spend physical time with them.

Folks, I hope you take some piece of this post to heart and realize that your information should be treated sacredly, securely, and should never be given out.  Take your heart out of the situation when it comes to meeting someone for the first time.  Think logically, and think securely!

When travelling, it is important to be more vigilant in knowing what and who is around you.  If you are going to be in a crowded place, such as New York City, make sure you take steps in protecting your money and valuable cards (ID, credit/debit cards, etc).  I suggest to carry these items loose or in a money clip instead of in a wallet.  If a pick pocket steals your wallet, they will be disappointed they didn’t get anything.  Sometimes it is fun to write a note to the criminal, saying “This wallet has a GPS tracking device imbedded in the lining, and I have the coordinates on my phone.  The cops are already on their way.”  Again, it is all in the spirit of fun, and no matter how much credit we give to criminals, they aren’t smart.  If they were, they would have a real job.  The point I am trying to convey here is that keeping your important travel items safe will keep your vacation nicer.

International travelers:  when you get to the hotel, do not, DO NOT, put your belongings into hotel safes.  You should always keep your passport on you, AT ALL TIMES.  If you run into trouble out in town, you must have your passport to gain entry into an embassy, and any time you are dealing with foreign law enforcement, you will need your passport to show that you gained entry legally into their country.  If you want to convert money, try doing it in the United States before you travel.  If you can’t, accept the international exchange fees, and just use your credit cards.  Be cautious about using exchanges in foreign countries because you open yourself up to being a target for thieves.  When I travelled in Europe, I carried about 200 Euros, and used my credit card for the rest.  There are some places in Europe that do not accept credit cards, so you will need some cash.  Remember, every international airport in the US has a currency exchange booth that covers all major currencies, utilize the service!

Stateside travel:  If you are a concealed handgun license holder, check to see what reciprocity exists for your state’s license.  You also need to learn the laws of every state you will be passing through with your firearm.  A good resource to use is www.usacarry.com website, which has an interactive map that will tell you which states accept your carry license.

While in the US, the use of credit cards is widely accepted, so I always suggest using them.  Don’t use debit cards if you can help it.  Debit cards, if stolen, can be used to wipe out your account, and it could take months for you to get your money back… if you get it back!

 No matter where your travels take you this Spring and Summer, remember to know your surroundings, carry as little cash as you can, use a credit card instead of a debit card, and don’t carry cash, credit cards, and IDs in your wallet, instead, keep them in your front pocket.

Personal security and safety is in your hands… Be proactive, and let the police be reactive!

Credit: electronics.howstuffworks.com

Happy Wednesday SMRT Readers!

Today I want to discuss how technology can be the enemy of safety.

Hackers have discovered a serious flaw in a smart phone app for gay and straight dating.  I would normally tag this post as a privacy related post, but with the present levels of GLBT hatred being as high as ever, and with the flaw in the application crossing over to the straight scene as well, I find it to be a safety issue.  The flaws were found in the apps:  “Grindr” (the gay dating app) and “Blendr” (straight dating app).  The flaw allows the hackers to breach the login of the apps, and gives the hackers free access to the user’s profile, which can include personal details and explicit photos of the user.  The safety issue here is that it also allows the hacker to see the exact locations of the user’s friends.  The apps both work by using a smart phone’s GPS to show the user’s location, as well as other users’ locations.  So, if an anti-GLBT hate group gets a hold of this hack, they can then track members of the GLBT community, which could lead to harassment or worse.  This is also true for stalkers wanting to track members who use Blendr, again, leading to harassment or worse.  I have said it before, and I will say it again… protect your personal information.  Vulnerable people make great targets for criminals, and the flaw in these apps can make you even more vulnerable.  Any time your smart phone wants to use your location, I suggest telling it No.  I personally do not allow my Facebook friends to check me into places, and I keep the location settings turned off for this exact reason.  Your phones, either Android based or Apple based, run apps that aren’t always as secure as they say they are.  It isn’t the fault of the company developing the app, it is just a flaw in the programming.  If you allow your information to be public, you run the risk of becoming a victim.  Please be careful when using your apps and be even more careful anytime you are using a dating app or even a dating website.  Please remember, if you are going to meet up with someone, make sure the first couple of dates you meet the person at a public location, and never let them know where you live!

Protect your information, protect yourself; Coffee is brewing people, it is time to wake up!!!

Good morning folks!

In today’s SMRT Blog post, I would like to discuss a disturbing trend of violence occurring with our children.  In the latest “national” spotlight, two teenagers were beaten after a high school basketball game.  According to the FoxNews.com article, “The Wando High School pair was attacked after their school had inflicted a 20-point defeat on West Ashley High in Charleston.”  The two South Carolina schools have had to deal with violence when their schools competed in the past, and the host school even beefed up security for this game, according to the article.

Going back two years, there have been over 70 news reports of violence at high school sporting events.  So, what, as parents, are you able to do to protect your children from this violence?

Teach your kids!  Educate them in the practice of being a good sport, and, teach them how to be a good fan.  The generation of kids today isn’t taught how to lose or how to win, because it seems they all get rewarded for participating.  We, as adults have allowed this to happen.  Making kids feel good for trying is great, and I will never knock that… (On this blog, I will never knock that), but it forces us to teach our children how to be good winners and losers on our own.  I remember back when I was a little kid, my pee wee football team was horrible, but one thing we learned how to be, good losers.  Again, education is important, and the parents are the biggest educators for kids.

One last thing on this topic… Teach your kids how to protect themselves.  When they know how to protect themselves, and they know the difference between self-defense and fighting, they will be less likely caught up in situations like what happened in South Carolina this past weekend.  Teach them not to become bullies, and not to become victims to bullies.

Protect yourself, because nobody else will; Coffee is brewing people, it is time to wake up!!!

We love our social networking, don’t we? We integrate it into our daily lives, we use it as a means to fully interact with our friends, family, and Cityville, Farmville, or Mafia Wars friends. We use it to share our life with the world around us. Social networking is so big, even corporations are in on the game. So many commercials show the product, and then say “follow us” or “like us” to let you know they are on the two giant social networking sites. You see, social networking has become a giant stream of revenue for companies. A company like Facebook is said to be valued around $100 Billion, yes Billion, with a “B.” This has led other players to jump on the band wagon, and who better to join the game, Google! In September of last year, Google+ went live for all users over the age of 18. It is touted as Facebook on steroids, and I can believe that. The world’s most powerful search engine, the world’s most powerful email tool, and now the world’s most powerful social network? Here is something fun… When you use “Search Plus Your World” you will get amazing data… from your social network. Huh? What Does This Mean Jonathan? Whenever you do searches using this service, it will incorporate information from personal sources, like your Google+ posts, or posts from someone in your circles (friends), photos from Picasa, etc… You see, Google is saying that users can opt out of seeing the “personalized” search results, but there is no way of opting out from being part of the results that come out.

Don’t allow your privacy to be breached by corporations. Don’t allow your privacy to be breached by the government. Fight for your right to privacy, as you are the only one that can protect your data.

Thank you for reading.
Jonathan Roadblock

When you lose your privacy, you lose your freedom!

Wouldn’t it be great to know that all of your social networking profiles were clean from those annoying apps? Well, you are in luck! A new site “www.mypermissions.org” will take you directly to each of your social sites’ application settings pages. Why is this important? How does this site work? Both great questions, with two simple answers. This is important because the more and more you play with your smart phone, or surf the web, you will be asked to use your social network to login, “to make things easy, login using Facebook.” Take a look at the bottom of every post here on my site. There are a ton of social network plugins that allow you, my faithful readers, to share my ideas, opinions, and rants, to your friends, (by the way, I do truly appreciate those who tweet and Facebook share my site… thank you!) You see, social networking is taking over the way we function in life. The company you work for probably has a social networking site, and may even have an internal social network as well. The more and more we allow applications and websites that allow us to login using social networking credentials, the more privacy we give up.
To the other question, how does this work? This site is simple, you go to the site, look for the social network site you belong to, click it, and then you find yourself at the login screen for that site. Once you log in, you will see what apps you are allowing to see your information. Oh yeah, it’s free. They make money the same way I do, by utilizing click-through adds. So, “mypermissions.org” is a free site that simply redirects you to your social network site’s application settings. With all the changes recently hitting Facebook, locating this page can be tough.

Like I always say:

Protect your information, protect yourself; Coffee is brewing people, it is time to wake up!!!

Good Morning Readers!

Today is a glorious day for writing about not becoming a victim… I read a Fox News report (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/04/teen-mom-shoots-kills-intruder-with-11-dispatcher-on-phone/) where an 18-year-old widowed mother of a new-born child, shot and killed a home invader.  What makes this even better; she was on the phone with an emergency dispatcher when she fired the shot!  According to the article, the Oklahoma girl will not be charged in the shooting death of the invader, as she was acting in self-defense.  Instead, (this makes some of our laws wonderful), the man’s accomplice is being charged with first degree murder!!!

Now I typically write about non-lethal or less than lethal measures when it comes to protecting yourself, and here is the reason:  When you kill someone in self-defense, you may not be charged in criminal court; however, you can still be in hot water civilly, when the family members of the deceased go after you for wrongful death.  This is what happened to OJ Simpson back when he allegedly murdered his ex-wife and her lover.   He was acquitted for murder, but lost a lot of money in the wrongful death suit.  I have heard it stated:  “It will cost you $10,000 when you kill someone in self-defense.”  That amount is what you will need to pay for the attorney fees.

I am happy that the woman in Oklahoma protected herself from becoming a victim.  I am happy that the dispatcher told her, “Well, you have to do whatever you can do to protect yourself; I can’t tell you that you can do that, but you have to do what you have to do to protect your baby.”  Folks, you have to do whatever you have to do to protect yourself.  You are the only person responsible for this task.  Security guards at the mall or your place of business, and police officers on the streets, are a reactionary force, which means you must be the proactive force in your own protection.  I have used the words throughout my blog like “self defense” and “protection,” but here is a new phrase that I would like you to clearly think about “SELF PRESERVATION.”  In all honesty, that is what this all about.  If I am writing about protecting your information or protecting yourself, what I am really talking about is preserving your life and your lifestyle.  In closing:

Protect your information, protect yourself; Coffee is brewing people, it is time to wake up!!!