Saturday, October 1, 2016

Netiquette For Ecards - Via Netiquette IQ



Netiquette For ecards

One of the major downsides of ecards is that security can be compromised: when someone purchases an ecard, he or she is providing information to the seller, or third party. One of the more extreme examples of this is that the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is suspended to allow sites to accept a child’s ecard request and addresses without parental permission, as would normally be the case. There are also countless scams involving ecards, which can mislead children or people of any age. It is almost too much to ask certain people to have the discipline not to open ecards.
While there is much positive impact associated with ecards, as has been discussed, the negative issues, particularly many of the most significant ones, can have, more often, negative effects. After all, far more people would rather have a real or, at the very least, personalized ecard.

For those who will steadfastly refuse to open an ecard, there may very well be times when a legitimate message goes unopened—still another negative outcome. This can end up with an effect such as having the recipient feel disappointment that he or she did not receive a greeting or invitation by someone he or she was expecting to hear from. What is a good solution? There are some very popular ecard providers. If you want to use trusted sources of ecards, go to either www.jacquielawson.com or www.care2.com/ecards ============================= 

For a great satire on email, please see the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTgYHHKs0Zwscoop_post=bcaa0440-2548-11e5-c1bd-90b11c3d2b20&__scoop_topic=2455618
=============================================== 
Good Netiquette And A Green Internet To All! 

Special Bulletin - My just released book

"You're Hired. Super Charge our Email Skills in 60 Minutes! (And Get That Job...) 

is now on sales at Amazon.com 

Great Reasons for Purchasing Netiquette IQ
·         Get more email opens.  Improve 100% or more.
·         Receive more responses, interviews, appointments, prospects and sales.
·         Be better understood.
·         Eliminate indecision.
·         Avoid being spammed 100% or more.
·         Have recipient finish reading your email content. 
·         Save time by reducing questions.
·         Increase your level of clarity.
·         Improve you time management with your email.
·        Have quick access to a wealth of relevant email information.
Enjoy most of what you need for email in a single book.

 =================================

**Important note** - contact our company for very powerful solutions for IP
 management (IPv4 and IPv6, security, firewall and APT solutions:
www.tabularosa.net
==================================================

Another Special Announcement - Tune in to my radio interview,  on Rider University's station, www.1077thebronc.com I discuss my recent book, above on "Your Career Is Calling", hosted by Wanda Ellett.   

In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ has a website with great assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super Charge Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” has just been published and will be followed by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for young people. You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

In addition to this blog, I maintain a radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ.


I am the president of Tabula Rosa Systems, a “best of breed” reseller of products for communications, email, network management software, security products and professional services.  Also, I am the president of Netiquette IQ. We are currently developing an email IQ rating system, Netiquette IQ, which promotes the fundamentals outlined in my book.

Over the past twenty-five years, I have enjoyed a dynamic and successful career and have attained an extensive background in IT and electronic communications by selling and marketing within the information technology marketplace.Anyone who would like to review the book and have it posted on my blog or website, please contact me paul@netiquetteiq.com.
=============================================================

Friday, September 30, 2016

Tabula Rosa Systems Blog Of 9/30 - IoT assault, connected devices increasingly used for DDoS attacks




Tonight there is a Black Moon! By definition it is the second new moon. This is the opposite of a Blue Moon which is the second full moon in the same month.

September 23, 2016  SCMagazine
IoT assault, connected devices increasingly used for DDoS attacks
Researchers noted a significant spike in new malware designed to target IoT devices.
While the information stored in Internet of Things (IoT) devices is still valuable to attackers, Symantec researchers found they're becoming less interested in targeting the victims and more interested in targeting the connected devices to add to botnets used to carry out DDoS attacks.
Researchers noted a significant spike in new malware designed to target IoT devices in 2015, many of which remain active in 2016, with 34 percent of attacks originating in China and 28 percent originating in the U.S., according to a Sept. 22 blog post.
As the number of connected devices in the home increase, researchers expect to see more DDoS attacks stemming from multiple IoT platforms simultaneously as the poor security of these devices make them a prime target.
Infections are also easy to stay under the radar since most IoT malware targets non-PC embedded devices that are internet-accessible with limited features as they are often designed to be plugged in and forgotten leaving victims often not knowing they have been infected.

Several of the attacks used to take over these devices exploited the most common default passwords which are often left unchanged and the most common method of attack often consisted of a scan for IP addresses with open Telnet or SSH ports, researchers said in the post.
Popular IoT malware families include Linux.Darlloz, Linux.Aidra, Linux.Xorddos, Linux.Gafgyt , Linux.Ballpit, Linux.Moose, Linux.Dofloo, Linux.Pinscan, Linux.Kaiten, Linux.Routrem, Linux.Wifatch, and Linux.LuaBot.
Researchers recommend users protect themselves by ensuring their IoT products are secured before purchasing them, auditing IoT devices used on their network, always change default credentials, use strong encryption methods when setting up Wi-Fi networks, disable unnecessary features, use SSH whenever possible.
They also recommend users disable or protect remote access to IoT devices when not needed, used wired connections instead of wireless whenever possible, regularly update firmware and Ensure that a hardware outage does not result in an unsecure state of the device.
Your home router is the equivalent to your front door in the cyber world, prpl Foundation, Chief Security Strategist Cesare Garlati told SCMagazine.com via emailed comments.
"But while no homeowner in their right mind would leave their physical front door open, many are doing the equivalent with their smart home by failing to take care of their router,” he said. “Failure to patch vendor updates, for instance, could leave critical vulnerabilities present which hackers can take advantage of to eavesdrop on traffic and hijack smart devices.”
Manufacturers' failure to equally prioritized security performance could lead some vendors to run out of business as security becomes more of a priority among consumers, Reiner Kappenberger, head of global product management, enterprise data security for HPE Security-Data Security, told SCMagazine.com.
“The IoT space has become a hot market where companies need to enter quickly with functionality to be considered leading the space,” Kappenberger said. “However with that approach where functionality is the leading indicator comes the risk that security measurements are pushed to the back of the development cycle and frequently then dropped in order to release a product.”
Manufacturer may need to install security monitoring and prevention tolls at the network lever to monitor their network to prevent potential attacks, Shankar Somasundaram, a senior director at Symantec, told SCMagazine.com via email comments.
“Manufacturer should at first realize that there is a potential brand impact to them if they don't do anything about security on their devices,” he said. “A lot of basic things like identity, authentication and code protection can be done without a significant effort.”
Somasundaram added that not securing devices could also impact consumers more broadly since many devices are now connected.
Norton IoT Solutions General Manager Ameer Karim warned that users should rethink purchasing connected IP cameras, alarm systems, wearables and routers as they often lack basic security features.
============================= 
For a great satire on email, please see the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTgYHHKs0Zwscoop_post=bcaa0440-2548-11e5-c1bd-90b11c3d2b20&__scoop_topic=2455618
=============================================== 
Good Netiquette And A Green Internet To All! 

Special Bulletin - My just released book

"You're Hired. Super Charge our Email Skills in 60 Minutes! (And Get That Job...) 

is now on sales at Amazon.com 

Great Reasons for Purchasing Netiquette IQ
·         Get more email opens.  Improve 100% or more.
·         Receive more responses, interviews, appointments, prospects and sales.
·         Be better understood.
·         Eliminate indecision.
·         Avoid being spammed 100% or more.
·         Have recipient finish reading your email content. 
·         Save time by reducing questions.
·         Increase your level of clarity.
·         Improve you time management with your email.
·        Have quick access to a wealth of relevant email information.
Enjoy most of what you need for email in a single book.

 =================================

**Important note** - contact our company for very powerful solutions for IP
 management (IPv4 and IPv6, security, firewall and APT solutions:
www.tabularosa.net
==================================================

Another Special Announcement - Tune in to my radio interview,  on Rider University's station, www.1077thebronc.com I discuss my recent book, above on "Your Career Is Calling", hosted by Wanda Ellett.   

In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ has a website with great assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super Charge Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” has just been published and will be followed by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for young people. You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

In addition to this blog, I maintain a radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ.


I am the president of Tabula Rosa Systems, a “best of breed” reseller of products for communications, email, network management software, security products and professional services.  Also, I am the president of Netiquette IQ. We are currently developing an email IQ rating system, Netiquette IQ, which promotes the fundamentals outlined in my book.

Over the past twenty-five years, I have enjoyed a dynamic and successful career and have attained an extensive background in IT and electronic communications by selling and marketing within the information technology marketplace.Anyone who would like to review the book and have it posted on my blog or website, please contact me paul@netiquetteiq.com.
=============================================================

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Tabula Rosa Systems Blog Of 9/29/2016 - Bridging a Digital Divide That Leaves Schoolchildren Behind





Often, I have written, whether in my books (see below) or on this blog about the digital divide and the fact that it is growing rather shrinking. It is truly a dire situation which all responsible netizens have an obligation to turn around. There is not a single reason not to do so.
=============================================
Bridging a Digital Divide That Leaves Schoolchildren Behind
                              By CECILIA KANG FEB. 22, 2016 nytimes.com

McALLEN, Tex. — At 7 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, Isabella and Tony Ruiz were standing in their usual homework spot, on a crumbling sidewalk across the street from the elementary school nearest to their home.
“I got it. I’m going to download,” Isabella said to her brother Tony as they connected to the school’s wireless hot spot and watched her teacher’s math guide slowly appear on the cracked screen of the family smartphone.
Isabella, 11, and Tony, 12, were outside the school because they have no Internet service at home — and connectivity is getting harder. With their mother, Maria, out of work for months and money coming only from their father, Isaias, who washes dishes, the family had cut back on almost everything, including their cellphone data plan.
So every weeknight, the siblings stood outside the low-slung school, sometimes for hours, to complete homework for the sixth grade.
“There’s just no funds left,” Maria Ruiz said later outside the family’s white clapboard rental home. “It worries me because it will become more important to have Internet when they have to do more homework.”
CreditIlana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times

With many educators pushing for students to use resources on the Internet with class work, the federal government is now grappling with a stark disparity in access to technology, between students who have high-speed Internet at home and an estimated five millionfamilies who are without it and who are struggling to keep up.
The challenge is felt across the nation. Some students in Coachella, Calif., and Huntsville, Ala., depend on school buses that have free Wi-Fi to complete their homework. The buses are sometimes parked in residential neighborhoods overnight so that children can connect and continue studying. In cities like Detroit, Miami and New Orleans, where as many as one-third of homes do not have broadband, children crowd libraries and fast-food restaurants to use free hot spots.
The divide is driving action at the federal level. Members of theFederal Communications Commission are expected to vote next month on repurposing a roughly $2 billion-a-year phone subsidy program, known as Lifeline, to include subsidies for broadband services in low-income homes.
“This is what I call the homework gap, and it is the cruelest part of the digital divide,” said Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democratic member of the commission who has pushed to overhaul the Lifeline program.
Ms. Rosenworcel cited research showing that seven in 10 teachers now assign homework that requires web access. Yet one-third of kindergartners through 12th graders in the United States, from low-income and rural households, are unable to go online from home. The Obama administration announced in July its own program to help address the problem, deploying free and affordable broadband into public housing.
The Lifeline plan has drawn strong criticism from the two Republicans among the five F.C.C. commissioners, and from some lawmakers, who say the program, which was introduced in 1985 to bring phone services to low-income families, has been wasteful and was abused.
In 2008, when the commission added subsidies for mobile-phone services to discounts for landlines, some homes started double-billing the program, and the budget for the fund ballooned. Various investigations, including a government review in early 2015, questioned the effectiveness of the phone program and whether the commission had done enough to monitor for abuse.
But advocacy groups for children and minorities have backed the F.C.C. plan, saying it will be important in preventing students from falling further behind their peers.
“For young people, broadband is like the air we breathe,” said James P. Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group known for its reviews and age-based ratings of videos, websites and books that has campaigned for the changes in Lifeline. His organization earns licensing fees from Internet service providers that may stand to gain from the expansion of the F.C.C. program.
“It’s essential for school and future job opportunity,” Mr. Steyer said. “So it is desperately important that we make broadband affordable for low-income families and minorities, because we can’t be a society of haves and have-nots.”
Few places better illustrate the challenges faced by students without broadband than McAllen, in South Texas, and the surrounding area in the Rio Grande Valley. Poverty rates in the region are high. In some towns, as many as 40 percent of households have no access to the Internet, among the lowest access rates in the country, according to a 2014 study by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.
Brigida Castro, who lives in a concrete home off a one-lane road in the town of Donna, said the main local Internet provider had told her it could not bring service to her street. Her daughter, Perla, 16, is a junior at a high school in the South Texas Independent School District geared toward directing students into medical professions. The school district has put Wi-Fi on more than 100 school buses to help students who do not have access at home, and Perla relies on school bus rides — nearly three hours a day — to finish homework.
 “I could go home on a shorter bus route, but I want to get A’s,” Perla said.
Marla M. Guerra, superintendent of the school district, said that it had little choice but to require more technology in class work, even though many families did not have broadband access.
“We try to accommodate those without access in every way we can,” she said, “but we can’t hold back on our use of technology in the classrooms because we have to prepare our children for the world that is waiting for them.”

In McAllen Independent School District, which has 33 schools and 25,000 students, each location runs wireless hot spots 24 hours a day so that students can sit in parking lots or crouch against school walls to do homework into the night.
Some municipalities are trying other solutions. The city of Pharr, with the help of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, has proposed using local tax funds to bring Internet service to all homes and to put free hot spots around town.
But the biggest boon would be the Lifeline overhaul.
“This is a population tailor-made for this F.C.C. plan,” said Jordana Barton, a community development director for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. “Lack of broadband has inhibited their ability to participate in the economy, and over and over, what I see is the homework divide that is keeping children behind.”
Teachers do their part to help. In the McAllen school district, an eighth-grade math teacher, Sandra Guerra, recently chatted online with six students who were stuck on a problem about polynomials. She sent them a digital photo of the equation and detailed steps to solve the problem.
The next morning, knowing some students had no Internet at home and were working off worksheets she had prepared for them, Ms. Guerra started class with a review of the problem that had troubled other students the night before.
“I have 50 minutes with them in class, and I can’t cover everything in that time, so the learning continues when they are home and they can go online,” Ms. Guerra said.
Not every teacher is as understanding. Yunuen Reyes, 17, a high school senior in Pharr, does not have Internet at home and typically has three hours of homework a day that require research and collaboration with classmates online. Some assignments and take-home exams are due by midnight and must be submitted over the web.
So after her shift working at the drive-up window of a Chinese restaurant, Yunuen scrambles to find Wi-Fi at a nearby Starbucks or at fast-food restaurants. Often, she goes to the home of a friend who lets her use the family computer and Internet connection. Recently, she got a C on an English assignment that she had not completed before the deadline to submit it online.
“It’s stressful and embarrassing to keep asking my friend,” Yunuen said. “I don’t want to keep bothering her. But I also don’t want my teachers to think I’m making excuses.
============================= 

For a great satire on email, please see the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTgYHHKs0Zwscoop_post=bcaa0440-2548-11e5-c1bd-90b11c3d2b20&__scoop_topic=2455618
=============================================== 
Good Netiquette And A Green Internet To All! 

Special Bulletin - My just released book

"You're Hired. Super Charge our Email Skills in 60 Minutes! (And Get That Job...) 

is now on sales at Amazon.com 

Great Reasons for Purchasing Netiquette IQ
·         Get more email opens.  Improve 100% or more.
·         Receive more responses, interviews, appointments, prospects and sales.
·         Be better understood.
·         Eliminate indecision.
·         Avoid being spammed 100% or more.
·         Have recipient finish reading your email content. 
·         Save time by reducing questions.
·         Increase your level of clarity.
·         Improve you time management with your email.
·        Have quick access to a wealth of relevant email information.
Enjoy most of what you need for email in a single book.

 =================================

**Important note** - contact our company for very powerful solutions for IP
 management (IPv4 and IPv6, security, firewall and APT solutions:
www.tabularosa.net
==================================================

Another Special Announcement - Tune in to my radio interview,  on Rider University's station, www.1077thebronc.com I discuss my recent book, above on "Your Career Is Calling", hosted by Wanda Ellett.   

In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ has a website with great assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super Charge Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” has just been published and will be followed by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for young people. You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

In addition to this blog, I maintain a radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ.


I am the president of Tabula Rosa Systems, a “best of breed” reseller of products for communications, email, network management software, security products and professional services.  Also, I am the president of Netiquette IQ. We are currently developing an email IQ rating system, Netiquette IQ, which promotes the fundamentals outlined in my book.

Over the past twenty-five years, I have enjoyed a dynamic and successful career and have attained an extensive background in IT and electronic communications by selling and marketing within the information technology marketplace.Anyone who would like to review the book and have it posted on my blog or website, please contact me paul@netiquetteiq.com.
=============================================================