Attorney General Richard Blumenthal recently issued a dire warning to all customers of Peoples United Bank located in Bridgeport CT. The warning stems from the loss of a un-encrypted tape, whereas unencrypted means that anyone who is computer savvy will have the ability to get the information contained on it.
This information, although some details are murky, is known to contain the account numbers, social security numbers, addresses, and other vital data of Peoples United Bank customers. Blumenthal is concerned that should this information fall into the hands of Identity thieves than the bank should be responsible for restitution to its customers and be held accountable for its mistake.
A spokesman for the bank said that the tape was most likely "lost in transit," where it was en route to the Bank of New York when an employee noticed the tape could not be located. Blumenthal was concerned over the banks lapse in time between its being reported lost to the authorities.
Customers who are concerned over their identity being stolen, or are suspect that the information contained from the lost Peoples tape has fallen into the hands of a criminal are urged to immediately contact the Attorney Generals office in Hartford, CT for advice and to file a report.
This matter is currently still under investigation and anyone with any information on the whereabouts of this tape should contact their local Police department.
According to a letter recieved, "The Connecticut Hospice, Inc. has been caring for terminally patients since 1974." Their reputation in quality care care is well known across the state and nation.
A volunteer from the hospice Fred Prior and Rocco Frank Jr. agreed to purchase a computer for a terminal patient whose desire was to have one she could use. The name of the patient cannot be disclosed here due to the policy of confidentiality, but we know she is very excited to recieve the gift.
Frank has agreed to offer a conditional matching program for all computers provided to future hospice patients in need. David R. Goldfarb in his letter to the Computerfox incated his appreciation for any "assistance that can be given...for the noble purpose that" any volunteer desires.
This problem occurrs as a result of the city of Milford charging a fee to use their dump. As a candidate for State Representative here in Milford (www.rfrank118.com ) I have been proposing that the town dump follow the same policy as the recycling center in Wesport.
Westport rarely has illegal dumping because there is no charge to use the dump. Many contractors are already using random garbage dumpsters around town and making small business owners upset. Even my office in Milford on New Haven Ave. is victim to mysterious piles of garbage appearing in the dark of night.
The cost of performing routine illegal dumping cleanups certainly must erode the small fees they collect, it makes no sense to have our city drop all their garbage on the curb each year for free, but we cannot use the city dump without paying a paltry few dollars.
What I propose is to eliminate the unsightly periodic street garbage dumping and make it free at the source. Hence, if revenue is an issue fines can be increased to install surveilance equipment at specific illegal dump sites.
Every problem dump site should have a sign directing people of consequences of illegal dumping and an advisory re-directing them to the town dump where they can unload for free.
Many people are completely unaware that their online privacy may be compromised. Many devices such as cable modems, DSL Modems, and routers record and assign every computer with an IP (Internet Protocol)address that is as unique and as traceable as your home phone number.
Our Ip addresses have the the likenesses of a phone number except it be a caller ID on who is entering your computer. If you could install the the equivalent of a "Caller Id" on your computer you might just be amazed at how many unauthorized intrusions are out there.
The novice person often has no clue who these intruders are, but in most cases they end up being Ad Servers, Data Mining Programs, or possibly even more destructive nuisances like Computer Viruses, Malware, Spyware, and Adware.
In either case we do not want them in our computers. The way I personally maintain privacy is by first using a virus utility, my favorite is AVG Free, next I install Windows Defender, I then make sure all my windows updates are up to par. The most important being the Microsoft Malware Remover and Anti-Phishing program update. To cap the entire security gamut I add an IP privacy program called "Proxyway."
Anyone wishing to test their security can find a host of websites designed to try and figure out who you are. If they cannot ID who you are then its safe to do true anonymous surfing and blogging with more confidence and less fear of "big brother." One last point to those of you who have a camera and microphone hooked up to your computer, BAD IDEA!!!
Youtube and many video upload sites have the ability to take control of your webcam and microphone. Aside from the Orwellian creepiness of this, who knows what they can do once it is accessed. Best advice on this front is turn your computer off, and unplug the studio. This is the best way to know that your computer is not listening or staring back at you.
Mac users should have little concern over viruses, as the OS is much more protected than that of a PC but as a precaution I would include an IP Privacy tool on Safary or your favorite browser. Mostly follow the same guidelines as PC users.
If anyone has any other questions regarding software and computer security feel free to leave your comments below and I will answer them next time I log on.
The notion of "Peak Oil" may soon be a myth, with the re-emergence of the Russian empire at its helm. While many old timers during the Reagan Gorbachev era thought Russia had gone bankrupt and then into a group of dissenting rogue colonies, may soon be disappointed to know that this could become cold war history.
The Russian oil empire, is growing again, and this time the success of Lukeoil may be pale in comparison. At the farthest reaches of the Russian empire every major corporate giant and their friends are building the largest oil and gas project ever created. This project is so enormous that the Discovery channel has featured it on their "Building the Ultimate" series. Some of the oil exploration rigs can only be built at the largest shipyard on earth of which is located in South Korea.
This construction is currently underway on the economically challenged island of Sakhalin. This area once a struggling fishing and timber based community has now become a international city comprised of five thousand foreigners from the oil and gas exploration and construction industry.
The local, Russian natives, needless to say are not happy with the unwelcome intrusion and have staged several environmental protests including the obstruction of routes and aggravated construction delays and protests. With Global billions in international investment already made, all environmental and ecological concerns are being placated but not tolerated insofar as stopping the completion of this mammoth project. Oil and Gas is expected to begin flowing within the next three years alleviating most peak oil concerns for a while.
If the projected estimates of the attainable gas and oil are correct this project will save the world from the fear of peak oil for the next several decades, and in the process will make Russia the dominant oil superpower in the world. Russia's thirst for oil is still not over, even despite this large discovery, believe it or not they are claiming the North Pole all its oil, Gas, and Minerals, to include valuable gems for themselves.
Without any doubt the debate over who owns the North Pole is now alive and well with every nation on earth doing its bidding. This scenario is an eerie repeat of who owned America after Columbus discovered it in 1492, hopefully Global warming now, making oil exploration more viable, will not lead to a repeat of history where the world is at war over these new found territories and their associated resources.
Should the Sakhalin's oil rich regions stave off peak oil, this should be our cue to to come up with our alternative energy plan, to include a hydrogen based economy. To say that this environmental disaster of a discovery, (and project) without some sort of an alternative energy lesson is without merit, would in fact be a sad future energy agenda. This dicovery should hopefully help alleviate the energy crisis in the US some time in the future.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal recently issued a dire warning to all customers of Peoples United Bank located in Bridgeport CT. The warning stems from the loss of a un-encrypted tape, whereas unencrypted means that anyone who is computer savvy will have the ability to get the information contained on it.
