by Felicien | Dec 19, 2018 | Education
“Tis the season, and you’re looking forward to spending the holidays with your family. During this festive time of year, you and your family are making memories to last a lifetime. By taking a few precautions, you can increase the odds that the holidays are a safe and happy time for everyone involved.
Holiday Outings with Kids
There are so many activities going on during the holiday season, and you want to enjoy them with your children. Many of these outings involve crowds, and you don’t want to become separated accidentally from your child. Put bright clothes on your children so you can see them easily. If you have a toddler, consider using a harness if they tend to run off. Many available toddler harnesses are designed to look like a lion’s tail or similar cute appendage, so your little one may find wearing the harness sort of like a costume.
Don’t let small children use a restroom by themselves, and wait outside when opposite sex older children use the facilities. Public bathrooms are among the places child molesters often lurk.
If your child does get lost, tell them to approach a security guard to help find you, or, failing that, a woman. While that is a sexist approach, potential child molesters are more likely male than female. Also tell your child to call out your first names, rather than just Mum or Dad, so you if nearby you can immediately identify your child over a hubbub of “Mummies” and “Daddies.”
Holiday Travel and Kids
For many families, holidays involve a considerable amount of travel. Whether it’s to the beach, grandmother’s house, or a special holiday destination, Australians are on the go at Christmas. That means more risk on the roads, due to additional traffic volume, more people driving in unfamiliar places and, sad to say, more people driving while under the influence of alcohol. Protect yourself and your family by carefully planning your trip, and not driving when you are tired. Check your vehicle thoroughly before embarking, so that tyre tread and pressure, engine fluids, lights and brakes are all in good working order. If you have any doubts, take your car to the mechanic before setting out. If your holiday trip involves camping, make sure all the attachments for your caravan or trailer are in good order and secure.
A well-planned trip doesn’t necessarily involve taking the fastest route, but the safest. Try to take a break at least every two hours while on a long road trip. Keep your kids well-fortified with snacks, games and/or videos they can watch en route. Always wear your seat belt and check to see that your children are either buckled in or are secure in their car seats.
While you’re away, make sure your house is safe. Unfortunately, the holiday season is also prime burglary season, as thieves keep note of houses appearing unoccupied. Devise ways to make it look as if someone is home, via using timers or your devices to turn lights off and on, and keep the radio or TV on low volume. Ask a neighbor to collect your mail, or contact the post office to have it held for you. If you another car, leave it in the driveway to give the impression someone is home.
Holiday Decorations and Safety
Nothing says Christmas like a beautifully trimmed tree and holiday decorations, but some seasonal decorations can pose a safety threat. If you celebrate with a real tree, make sure to water it regularly, at least every other day. Without proper watering, the needles may dry out, and this poses a fire hazard. It also means you’ll have unattractive brown needles scattered in the vicinity of the tree and possibly tracked throughout the house.
When it comes to tree decoration, keep the ages of your kids in mind. If you have small children, who may put objects in their mouths, put safe, non-toxic ornaments near the bottom of the tree. Save the breakable ornaments, or those with metal hooks, for the higher parts of the tree where little hands can’t reach them.
As a parent, you know you must take special care when it comes to holiday candles. For best results, avoid lit candles if your kids are young. If your children are older and unlikely to accidentally knock over or pull down a candle, keep candles lit only when people are home and make sure they are extinguished before going to bed. Keep lit candles a minimum of 1 foot from any flammable object.
Outside, use only lights and extension cords approved for outdoor use. Keep bulbs away from any easily ignited material. Indoors and outdoors, replace any Christmas lights with broken cords or loose bulbs. As you know, Christmas and bushfire season are synonymous, so take extra safety precautions by trimming tree branches near the house, keep combustible material far from your dwelling, and clear up any potential fuel around your home and yard.
Toys and Games
When you think back on your childhood, your Christmas memories may prove among your strongest. You want to create great memories for your children by providing them with the toys and games they desire, but it’s critical to ensure that these items are age appropriate. Before buying a toy or game, read the information about it to make sure it is a suitable gift for your child’s current abilities.
If you have little children, it’s important to keep them away from choking hazards that small game pieces or other tiny objects may become. While you wouldn’t purchase a game or toy containing such hazards for that child, you may have an older child who wants such an object. Once your older child opens that gift, instruct them to keep it out of the way of younger siblings, and explain why.
A Day at the Beach
Many families celebrate Christmas or Boxing Day at the beach with a barbie. While you must protect your kids the same way, you would on any other beach day, the holiday brings more distractions. Clean and check your barbecue grill beforehand, and inspect gas hoses to see if they are leaking. Keep young children away from the barbecue or any hot, discarded coals. While everyone should wear sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun’s rays, it’s especially important for the delicate skin of babies, toddlers and young children. Severe sunburns early in life can lead to skin cancer later on.
New Year’s Eve Celebrations
Ring in 2019 responsibly. That means avoiding too much alcohol consumption, and using a designated driver if you are out on the town. Another option is celebrating at a club or restaurant with a hotel nearby, so you don’t have to worry about driving home. If you’re hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration at home, it’s likely the kids are in bed by the time the party gets started, but after your guests leave, throw out any leftover drinks so there’s no chance an early rising child can sample an alcoholic beverage.
by Felicien | Dec 19, 2018 | Education
When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), it seems that no matter the environment, there are always two parties: staunch defenders and unconvinced skeptics. And to be sure, any new technology carries the same burden — Do the benefits outweigh the potential downfalls?
Everyone seems to have a different opinion.
For now, let’s look at some of the most recent news concerning the marriage between AI and healthcare. Later, we’ll get into some fears and potential drawbacks that this new form of technology has posed.
What’s New in the World of Healthcare and AI?
You’ve probably already used it.
While you don’t see robot doctors rolling down the hallway in hospitals quite yet, there are still many artificial intelligence tools being used on a regular basis in the healthcare industry. For example, AI is often used in precision medicine to allow for detail work in risky surgeries. It’s also used regularly in cardiac care and routine colon screenings.
The FDA is finally starting to clear new AI technology.
For a long time, the U.S. FDA (Federal Drug Administration) seemed to be taking forever to examine and clear new artificial intelligence technology.
Now, it’s catching up with the changing times and has recently cleared several intelligent software algorithms. Some of these algorithms scan CT scans for common problems while others analyze data, attempt to detect atrial fibrillation in heart patients, and do many other tasks that humans used to do.
Larger AI systems are being anticipated, but not so widely implemented.
There’s definitely a lot of hype around artificial intelligence, but not many hospitals and healthcare facilities are actually making changes that will allow for its immediate implementation. What does that mean for you? It means that now is the ideal time to get involved in developing new AI equipment and tools or at least investing in their development.
Not everyone is onboard with AI.
Those who aren’t on board? Often, it’s executives.
The only way these guys are going to bankroll new technologies is with some proof that it will be worth the investment — because investments in these areas are significant, and the price tag is what holds a lot of executives back from giving the green light. When proponents can show that the return on investment will be worth it, however, that’s the only time that execs seem interested in supporting brand-new AI systems and software algorithms — and this all comes down to showing the data.
Are There Drawbacks to AI in Healthcare?
Yes, certainly. Below, we’ll focus on two of the main concerns people have about AI in the healthcare industry.
Human jobs lost to robots
Or lost to computers, if you prefer; however, for all intents and purposes, human doctors, nurses, and other medical staff will be replaced by de facto robots.
Either way, just as in any other industry (see grocery store checkout lines, customer service, assembly line work, and more), AI is edging out the real-life competition. This will not only cause widespread job loss, but it will also disrupt the relationship between patients and their caregivers.
While a majority of the healthcare industry is driven by science (and technology) and the possibilities these fields can create for increasing lifespan and wellness, there’s also a large portion of healthcare that’s driven by compassion and humanity’s general desire to care for and heal each other.
Naturally, this is lost on AI.
As such, the caring concern, encouragement, and inspired confidence that a good doctor or nurse can provide will be gone when cold, hard, short-circuiting computers take their place.
Unseen errors
If a human makes a mistake in a human-driven industry, it’s bound to be found out rather quickly. And checks and balances in any pharmacy, doctor’s office, or hospital are primarily run by humans at this point. But wait several years, and you’ll see computers taking over these, often monotonous jobs of double checking, updating, and editing.
Indeed, there are many details of healthcare that computers get right more often than humans, but there are also details that computers probably won’t ever get right — seeing and noticing handwritten memos, detecting typos that could technically be correct but that — logically — are not, and recognizing other errors that just don’t make sense.
Computers can’t do these things. They “make sense” of whatever you tell it to make sense of initially, and they don’t “care” if something “seems off.”
As backup and checks and balances systems become more computer-driven, then, this leaves room for errors at the source that will eventually make it all the way to the patient — without anyone noticing.
While many people have genuine concerns about what AI will do to healthcare, it’s evident that momentum in research, development, and implementation isn’t going to stop. As of right now, there’s just too much hope (and money) wrapped up in the AI industry. In the end, only time will tell how this new technology benefits us — or hurt us.
by Felicien | Dec 18, 2018 | Education
The number of cyber attacks has continued to increase exponentially. In fact, the FBI reported that since January 1, 2016, the number of cyber attacks using ransomware has risen to more than 4,000 daily attacks. Evolving technology and an increasing dependence on digital communications have created higher risk factors for businesses of all sizes. To effectively evaluate their cybersecurity risks, CEOs need to ask a few critical questions.
Understanding The Cyber Security Landscape
Much like addressing any boardroom problem, CEOs need to ask the right types of questions if they are to effectively map out their cybersecurity defense system. A failure to effectively implement cybersecurity best practices can not only lead to stolen business files, but it can cost the company millions of dollars. In fact, in 2018 the average cost of a data breach increased by 6.4 percent from 2017 to reach $3.86 million. To avoid this hefty cost, CEOs should ask their IT teams the following questions.
What critical information could be stolen during a cybersecurity attack?
Who is authorized to access mission-critical information?
Is our business involved in any type of information sharing? For example, are other companies or outside consultants allowed to remotely access the networks where critical information is stored?
What security measures are already in place to avoid ransomware attacks? For example, have employees been trained on cybersecurity best practices and is two-step authentication used for all digital communications?
How many threats does the business receive on a daily basis? Secondly, what are the identified areas of strength and weaknesses, and how can cybersecurity policies be enhanced?
The next series of questions will help CEOs to better understand specific risk levels.
What is the identified current level of cybersecurity risk?
What is the protocol when a cybersecurity risk is a) identified, b) escalated, and c) resolved?
Are lessons learned implemented so that the specific type of cybersecurity risk can be mitigated in the future?
How is the cybersecurity plan designed to mitigate insider threats (e.g., when an employee accidentally opens a corrupted file containing ransomware)?
Does the business continuity and disaster recovery plan include the potential for cybersecurity incidents?
Are best practices being implemented and is the cybersecurity plan up to industry standards?
Is the business prepared to effectively work with local, state, and federal government cyber incident responders/investigators in the event of a cybersecurity breach?
The goal of these questions is to help CEOs effectively evaluate and manage their company’s specific cybersecurity risks. For example, by identifying which critical assets would be most impacted by a cybersecurity attack, CEOs can best prioritize how to protect these particular entities by allocating resources and developing the policies and strategies needed to manage the heightened cybersecurity risk areas. In short, the goal of asking and answering these questions is to establish a “what if” environment rather than an “it won’t happen here” mentality, which can not only create a sense of false security but can also cause costly data security lapses.
How CEOs Can Implement Cyber Security Best Practices
As they answer the above questions, CEOs should also look to create a cybersecurity environment that leverages best practice approaches. In fact, by answering the above series of questions CEOs will be taking the first step needed to develop a robust cybersecurity plan. By elevating cybersecurity risk management discussions with not only the IT department but also with leaders from each department, CEOs can ensure that best practices are implemented across the company. After all, when it comes to cybersecurity, a company is only as strong as its weakest link, which in many cases is an employee who doesn’t follow the security guidelines.
The next step that CEOs should take is to ensure that the new cybersecurity plan adheres to industry standards. Instead of merely relying on compliance certifications and standards (which often represent the “bare minimum cybersecurity protocols” that a company should implement), CEOs should instead turn to industry best practices. For example, CEOs should ensure that they meet the guidelines outlined in the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, that they follow the insights provided by top organizations, and that create a proactive environment focused on consistency.
Finally, CEOs should ensure that any and all cybersecurity risk metrics are a) useful, b) measurable, and c) meaningful. In this vein, a useful metric would be to measure how long it takes for the IT department to patch an identified vulnerability. If the number of days it takes to create the patch reduces, then it shows that the cybersecurity risk is being lowered. However, if the number of days it takes to create the patch increases, then the company is being placed at a higher risk. If the threat continues to increase, then weakness in the company’s cybersecurity has been identified and should subsequently be addressed.
It is equally critical that companies test their entire incident response plan. As seen through the previous example, the trickle-down impact of a cybersecurity weakness can lead to costly results. By examining the incident response plan across the entire company, CEOs can ensure that both minor and large-scale cybersecurity incidents will be effectively resolved using industry best practices. In this vein, CEOs should evaluate in a mock cybersecurity incident how the department leaders, employees, and IT respond. After all the best incident response plans and cyber security tools are only as good as a) the people using them and b) the people reviewing them. If the entire company is not dedicated to implementing cybersecurity best practices, then the organization will remain at a higher risk level.
The Bottom Line: CEOs Need To Remain Prepared Against Existing And Emerging Cyber Security Threats
It’s no secret that new cybersecurity threats appear every day; however when CEOs fail to create a “what if” approach to cybersecurity, then they are leaving the doors open for an unwanted digital invasion. Through employee education, asking the right questions, and implementing the best practices approach, CEOs can shore-up their cyber security and keep critical data assets safe from threats. In conclusion, CEOs need to remain proactive in their approach to cybersecurity by leveraging the skills of industry experts and becoming a part of the more significant security conversation to ensure that their business and those that they exchange information with remain secure in the coming year.
by Felicien | Dec 18, 2018 | Education
In the first week of December 2018, WordPress announced the release of its much-awaited update WordPress 5.0. Researchers testing the new version almost immediately found several serious security issues which jeopardized sensitive personal data like user email addresses and passwords and allowed unauthorized access to content management functions on sites within the platform. All versions of the platform 5.0 and older were affected by the vulnerabilities.
Less than a week later, on December 12th, company developers responded with the release of WordPress 5.0.1, a patch intended to address the vulnerabilities in the earlier version.
The bug that allowed access to emails and passwords by exploiting the Google website indexing service was only a threat to users who had not changed their passwords after the release of WordPress 5.0. The new version fixes that bug.
Changes were made to the MIME validation process after security researchers discovered that an attacker working through Apache-hosted sites could create modified files to bypass the validation process and implement cross-site scripting hacks.
Ian Dunn, a WordPress developer, state, “ Before 5.0.1, WordPress did not require uploaded files to pass MIME type verification so files could be uploaded even if the contents didn’t match the file extension. For example, a binary file could be uploaded with a .jpg extension. This is no longer the case, and the content of uploaded files must now match their extension. Most valid files should be unaffected, but there may be cases when a file needs to be renamed to its correct extension”.
The new version addresses other vulnerabilities such as the ability to alter metadata to delete files without authorization and to craft input that would allow the creation of unauthorized posts. A full list of vulnerabilities found and fixes implemented with WordPress 5.0.1 has been published by the company.
Those users with websites on WordPress 5.0 should update to WordPress 5.0.1 as soon as they can. Those who have enabled automatic updates should already have the new version, but because of the types of vulnerabilities that were discovered, it is recommended they do it manually to be safe.
Those who are still using older WordPress 4.X versions should install 4.9.9 as soon as possible. There have been reports of automatic updates not working for this version. Again, it should be done manually to make sure.
by Felicien | Dec 17, 2018 | Education
Protecting data and information systems is a priority for nearly every type of business and organization. The state of Maryland has recently stepped up to support businesses by passing a bill that enables small businesses to invest in security technologies while earning tax credits. There are several aspects of the Maryland Cyber Security Tax Credit that business executives and managers may not be aware of.
What is the Maryland Cyber Security Tax Credit?
The Maryland Cyber Security Tax Credit is an incentive program for companies to buy cybersecurity technology from a cybersecurity provider. This particular tax credit encourages small businesses to purchase cyber technology which will ultimately help protect both their business and consumer information. It’s also being used to help promote the cybersecurity industry. Companies can apply for the tax credit anytime during the year. Applications must be submitted by January 31, however, to receive a credit for the previous year.
A company purchasing the credit can claim 50 percent of the net cost as a tax credit. It’s required that the credit is claimed for the same year that it’s purchased. The tax credit was initiated in 2018 and is awarded by first come, first serve. Currently, $1.5 million in funds is available through the Department of Commerce for cybersecurity technology while $500,000 has been set aside for cybersecurity services.
What are the Particular Benefits of the Tax Credit?
There are several specific benefits for companies when obtaining these tax credits.
A company can claim as much as $50,000 in tax credits in one year after purchasing cybersecurity technology from a Maryland provider.
A cybersecurity provider can claim tax credits in one year for $400,000 worth of cybersecurity sales.
Third parties are allowed to sell cyber security technology if the purchase price is reduced by 20 percent before the 50 percent credit is calculated.
Third parties must also have the name of the qualified Maryland provider on the invoice as well as describing the technology that was purchased.
Who is Eligible for the Tax Credit?
The tax credit is for businesses that meet specific criteria. Before receiving the tax credit, it must be determined that the services or products being purchased meet the required definition of cybersecurity technology. Cybersecurity technology must be proprietary goods and services that have been created to protect electronically stored information or data. The products or services are created to prevent data extrusion or unauthorized access to data and information systems. Besides meeting the defined criteria for what constitutes cybersecurity technology, both the provider and the business buying the services must meet several eligibility requirements. The following are a few of the requirements that need to be met.
Both the company providing or buying can be inactive business for no more than 5 years.
Both the company providing or buying the tax credit must file income taxes in Maryland and employ fewer than 50 individuals.
A cybersecurity provider in Maryland must be certified as either the company buying the services or selling to claim a tax credit.
To become a qualified cybersecurity provider in Maryland the company must be certified through the Department of Commerce.
How Does the Application Process Work?
There are several steps a business must take to be a cybersecurity provider or to qualify to buy the tax credit. The Maryland Economic Development Association explains the steps for either process. The process to obtain the tax credit or to be a provider both involve providing several types of documentation such as a detailed business plan and a Certificate of Good Standing from the state of Maryland. There are currently eight businesses in Maryland that are qualified to sell cybersecurity technology.
Business owners now have a tax credit option that can help them protect their vital data and information. Maryland has taken a positive step in assisting companies to improve their cybersecurity while promoting local business.
