Merry Christmas

I have said this before, but I’ll say it again:

Cheer up. Take deep breaths.
I know folks get a little stressed out this time of year. Rude, even.
And holiday travel can be a real challenge to the psyche (even if you’re lucky enough to not to have your flight canceled..)
And I know all about crass commercialism, and how advertisements make watching TV nigh on impossible… (do you REALLY think I am going to buy a new car as a Xmas gift??) and remind us there are such things as electric razors, but..
Just breathe.
Count your blessings.
Chant “ohm… ohm… ohm…” if that’s what works for you.

I have a policy: if I encounter rudeness and stress? I counter it with a double-dose of civility, courtesy, and charm. Yes! Go ahead and take that parking space I’ve been waiting 10 minutes for! Godspeed to you! No worries, another will open in a jiffy!
Lead by example.

Don’t forget, nor lose sight of, what’s important (hint: it ain’t getting that FitBit gift-wrapped and to the Post Office..)

And even though my timing is a wee bit early, allow this grouchy curmudgeon to wish you safe travels and the very happiest of holidays.

Today’s quote: “The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Copyright 2007-2019 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Just one reason I walked away..

One of today’s delightful headlines.. Rather ordinary, sadly.

* Unsecured server exposes 4 billion records, 1.2 billion people

“Two security researchers have uncovered four billion records on 1.2 billion people on an unsecured Elasticsearch server impacting what is estimated to be hundreds of millions of people.” Read more..

Yes. That’s “billion”. 1,200,000,000

By the time the masses wake up, it’s always far, far too late.

Copyright 2007-2019 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Use a cellphone? Read this

Just one more reason I walked away from tech..

Article: New SIM Card Flaw Lets Hackers Hijack Any Phone Just By Sending SMS

“According to the researchers, all manufacturers and mobile phone models are vulnerable to the SimJacker attack as the vulnerability exploits a legacy technology embedded on SIM cards, whose specification has not been updated since 2009, potentially putting over a billion people at risk.” Read more..

(emphasis mine.)

At this stage.. I’m not sure what to tell you. There’s no defense. You don’t even have to open/look at the text..

Copyright 2007-2019 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

A great How To guide for Online Privacy

The reality is, though we really shouldn’t be using this technology¹, we kind of have to. If you have a brain, you should be taking at least a few simple steps to secure your devices, and your activities, from the bad guys – whomever they happen to be today.. This PC Magazine resource can help, regardless your skill level, or device type (Yes, you Apple people need to read this too!)

* How to Stay Anonymous Online

“We live in a world of mass surveillance. Here’s how to stay anonymous online without ditching the internet entirely.” Read more..

If this information is nothing new to you, you can probably think of a few friends and relatives who really need to learn it..

¹ daily headlines like this, for example..

Copyright 2007-2019 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

“Medicaid Database Department” phone scam

I just received a new (to me) ‘caller has a foreign accent’ telephone scam phone call: this one claiming to be the Medicaid Database Department.

It’s gotten so I wouldn’t let my elderly loved ones answer the phone anymore. (And if that’s not possible, I’d sign them up with nomorobo and one of the paid spam-blocking services.[ see https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/12/18220804/how-to-stop-phone-spam-landline-scam-calls])

“How the Scam Works

Medicare and Social Security beneficiaries across the country report receiving calls from scam operators (frequently with foreign accents), who claim to represent Medicare, Social Security, or an insurance company. These callers claim that new Medicare, Social Security, or supplemental insurance benefits cards are being issued or that the beneficiary’s file must be updated. The scam artist asks the citizen to verify or provide their personal banking information, which is then used to commit theft.”

Read more..

Yet another major theft..

Just one more example of why we’re fools to keep using this tech.

Image-I-Nation supply chain breach exposes data of major credit agencies’ customers

Image-I-Nation Technologies, Inc., which provides hosting services and software to consumer reporting agencies like Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, experienced a supply chain breach that left users’ personal information exposed for as long as two weeks.

“This breach disclosure highlights just how little control individuals have over the security and location of their personal data..” Read more..

How to erase yourself from the Internet

Reading reco: What to Do When You Want to Delete Yourself From the Internet

“Privacy might be dead, but following these steps could help you save your digital life.” Read more.