You Need To Beef Up Your Computers Cyber Security

7 Scary Things Hackers Can Do to Your Computer

Talk about a bad day: That’s how you’d feel if a hacker managed to gain access to your home computer. Yes, it may seem that hackers primarily attack large companies, but the truth is that they can also target your computer just as easily.

Of course, they can’t do anything until they get “inside” your computer, but there are plenty of ways they can make that happen.

One way hackers have attacked computers in the past is through a program call “Sub7” (or SubSeven). But for that to happen, Sub7 needs to get into your computer…and unfortunately, there are a few ways that can happen to you: Sub7 can work its way into your computer through an email, or the program can be “delivered” to you if you use the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) protocol.

Today’s hackers are automated.

You might think that a hacker just gets lucky and happens to target a victim who’s in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that’s not the case. Hackers rely on sophisticated hardware and software to help them scan thousands of computers at a time. That’s one way they can find out whether or not you have the Sub7 program on your computer.

One of the tools a hacker uses sends out packets of data to probe computers and find out if there are any vulnerable ports available that are ripe for exploitation. All computers have ports that are open when they’re on the Internet. The ports accept different types of data from different sources—think of them as different doors in a house, or boating docks in a busy seaside port.

The nasty Sub7 program, for example, is known to use port 27374, as well as others. If port 27374 happens to be running that day, Sub7 will open that port. The port probe then alerts the hacker that, indeed, port 27374 is open for business…or hacking. The hacker knows that with a few keystrokes, they can take control of your computer.

The hacker takes over.

Can you imagine a stranger—or even worse, a thief—sitting in front of your computer, going through your files and doing whatever they want? That’s what happens once a hacker has used Sub7 to take control of your computer.

It’s as if they’re sitting in your cozy computer chair, using your computer and seeing all of your data and files on your computer monitor. And you have no idea that this is going on.

The hacker could be across the street or across the country. No matter where they are, they can copy photos from your computer onto theirs, or delete your tax records. They can steal your personal data or delete the programs you have on your computer.

Worse yet, they can download more viruses.

Like looking in your underwear drawer.

A sophisticated hacker might be able to find out all kinds of personal information about you. How much? That will be depend on how well you protect yourself by making smart decisions online. For example:

• Do you keep your passwords secret, or write them down and store them on your computer?
• Do you have a habit of keeping browser windows open on websites, windows that reveal your bank account or credit card numbers?
• Do you make digital images of bank or credit card statements and store them in an easy-to-get-to folder on your computer?

Skilled hackers could gain access to the following:

• Your credit card numbers
• Your bank account
• Your Social Security number

And with that information in hand, they’re well on their way to stealing your identity…if that was their initial goal. Or maybe they’ll just ask your credit card company to up your credit limit to $5,000—so they can buy some expensive merchandise online.

Stealing passwords.

If a hacker only knows the username to your bank or credit card accounts, there’s not much damage they can do. However, if they also know your passwords, your accounts could be fully compromised.

With both hijacked usernames and stolen passwords, the hacker could go online—at any time—to impersonate you digitally and use your credit accounts for illegal purchases.

Stealing programs…or storing them.

You might think that hackers don’t have any friends. You’re wrong: They’re friendly with other hackers…and they like to share what they find.

So it’s no surprise that hackers have been known to store stolen software programs on the computers of their victims. The hacker then lets his cronies know where they can find the free software—on your computer. So now the number of hackers that are coming through your computer port increases!

Your computer can be used to attack other computers.

Sometimes hackers will take over a computer, sometimes thousands of them, to launch an attack on a website they’ve targeted. It could be a company or government agency they have a beef with, or a popular website they simply want to take offline for a day.

When the security specialists start searching for the online culprits, the digital/electronic trail will lead to the computers of innocent—and totally unaware—victims. Meanwhile, the hacker or hackers go unidentified…that is, until they boast about their prank.

So what can you do to avoid hackers? Follow the time-tested tips you probably hear all the time:

• Don’t open any suspicious emails.
• Secure your home network, especially if you use Wi-Fi.
• Use a VPN when you take your laptop to a coffeehouse, airport or hotel.
• Be careful when you’re online. Avoid websites you’re not familiar with.
• Keep your antivirus software up to date.
• The most common is ransomware where they take control of all your data and info and make you pay to get it back Even a senior using more tech than before because of the pandemic, I will help secure your devices, computers, laptops tablets, and yes watches, and all those devices like Alexa and Google assistant
• Call me right now for a free 10-minute consultation text: call me to 9543944980  best to text and I will call back

Wasserman Schultz Announces More Than $700M for South Florida Colleges, Universities, Students

 

Wasserman Schultz Announces More Than $700M for South Florida Colleges, Universities, Students

Biden-Harris Admin. releases American Rescue Plan funds for local institutions; At least half the funding to be distributed to students as emergency financial aid

 

Washington DC – Today, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) announced more than $700 million in emergency funding for colleges, universities, and students in Broward, Miami Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties under the American Rescue Plan. The funding will help local institutions cope with the severe financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and continue serving their students safely.

 

At least half of the funding each institution receives will be distributed in the form of emergency cash assistance grants to students who are facing hunger, homelessness, and other hardship. The American Rescue Plan provides $36 billion for nearly 3,500 public and private, nonprofit colleges and universities nationwide.

 

“This deadly pandemic hit our students and colleges particularly hard, and both are absolutely vital to our community and economy,” said Wasserman Schultz. “The American Rescue Plan invests more than half $700 million dollars in emergency funds into South Florida higher education classrooms and students to ensure a continuity of education that benefits our entire region. I’m proud that we were able to deliver this lifeline to thousands of South Florida scholars across numerous colleges and universities and I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for allocating it so quickly.”

 

Among the colleges, universities and students at South Florida institutions receiving funding under the American Rescue Plan are:

 

Broward College:                                $102,138,704

Florida Atlantic University:                $69,493,600

Florida International University:        $120,768,382

Miami Dade College:                          $175,596,703

Nova Southeastern University:           $21,276,551

Palm Beach State College:                  $71,199,106

Saint Thomas University:                   $4,682,531

Barry University:                                $13,842,233

Florida Memorial University              $5,815,082

Lynn University                                  $5,241,671

University of Miami                           $21,291,392

 

Here’s the larger list of schools in South Florida, and around the state and nation, which are receiving funding: click here.

 

Students should contact their institutions for more information about how they can apply for an emergency grant. 

 

The American Rescue Plan also includes nearly $3 billion in additional funding – which will be distributed at a later date – for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), other Minority-Serving Institutions, and other under-resourced institutions. To read more about emergency education funding under the American Rescue Plan, click here. 

 

Wasserman Schultz on the Passing of Congressman Alcee Hastings

 Wasserman Schultz on the Passing of Congressman Alcee Hastings

 

 

“Florida has lost a brilliant, fearless, giant-hearted advocate for this state that he dearly loved, and Congress has lost a wise, patient and compassionate statesman. I have lost a treasured friend and true mentor, someone I constantly leaned on for sage counsel. Alcee Hastings’ life was devoted to righting wrongs and he wasn’t afraid to use a little shame to press for change. From the halls of Congress to Broward County and as far as the Parliamentary Assembly in Europe, Congressman Hastings leaves an immense political legacy. I mourn today with his family and all those communities across South Florida whom he helped and safeguarded. May his memory be a blessing.”      

 

To sign up for Rep. Wasserman Schultz’s free eNewsletter, click here.

 

 

Facebook to label all rule-breaking posts — even Donald Trump’s by Associated Press Facebook said Friday that it will flag all “newsworthy” posts from politicians that break its rules, including those from President Donald Trump. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had previously refused to take action against Trump posts suggesting that mail-in ballots will lead to voter fraud, saying that people deserved to hear unfiltered statements from political leaders. Twitter, by contrast, slapped a “get the facts” label on them. “The policies we’re implementing today are designed to address the reality of the challenges our country is facing and how they’re showing up across our community,” Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page announcing the changes. Zuckerberg said the social network is taking additional steps to counter election-related misinformation. In particular, the social network will begin adding new labels to all posts about voting that will direct users to authoritative information from state and local election officials. Facebook is also banning false claims intended to discourage voting, such as stories about federal agents checking legal status at polling places. The company also said it is increasing its enforcement capacity to remove false claims about local polling conditions in the 72 hours before the U.S. election. Ethan Zuckerman, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Civic Media, said the changes are a “reminder of how powerful Facebook may be in terms of spreading disinformation during the upcoming election.” He said the voting labels will depend on how good Facebook’s artificial intelligence is at identifying posts to label. “If every post that mentions voting links, people will start ignoring those links. If they’re targeted to posts that say things like ‘Police will be checking warrants and unpaid traffic tickets at polls’ -- a classic voter suppression disinfo tactic -- and clearly mark posts as disinfo, they might be useful,” he said. But Zuckerman noted that Facebook “has a history of trying hard not to alienate right-leaning users, and given how tightly President Trump has aligned himself with voter-suppressing misinfo, it seems likely that Facebook will err on the side of non-intrusive and ignorable labels, which would minimize impact of the campaign.” Earlier in the day, shares of Facebook and Twitter dropped sharply after the the giant company behind brands such as Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Dove soap said it will halt U.S. advertising on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram through at least the end of the year. That European consumer-product maker, Unilever, said it took the move to protest the amount of hate speech online. Unilever said the polarized atmosphere in the United States ahead of November’s presidential election placed responsibility on brands to act. Shares of both Facebook and Twitter fell roughly 7% following Unilever’s announcement. The company, which is based in the Netherlands and Britain, joins a raft of other advertisers pulling back from online platforms. Facebook in particular has been the target of an escalating movement to withhold advertising dollars to pressure it to do more to prevent racist and violent content from being shared on its platform. “We have decided that starting now through at least the end of the year, we will not run brand advertising in social media newsfeed platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in the U.S.,” Unilever said. “Continuing to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and society.” Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Thursday, Verizon joined others in the Facebook boycott. Unilever “has enough influence to persuade other brand advertisers to follow its lead,” said eMarketer analyst Nicole Perrin. She noted that Unilever pulled back spending “for longer, on more platforms (including Twitter) and for more expansive reasons” — in particular, by citing problems with “divisiveness” as well as hate speech. Sarah Personette, vice president of global client solutions at Twitter, said the company’s “mission is to serve the public conversation and ensure Twitter is a place where people can make human connections, seek and receive authentic and credible information, and express themselves freely and safely.” She added that Twitter is “respectful of our partners’ decisions and will continue to work and communicate closely with them during this time.” ____ Republished with permission from The Associated Press. Associated Press | June 26, 2020 at 5:32 pm | Tags: facet check, newsworthy, political posts | Categories: Tech | URL: https://wp.me/p5cd4C-1rxz Comment    See all comments

Rep. Deutch Applauds FAA Plan to Alter Routes at FLL Airport to Reduce Noise in Local Communities

 

Rep. Deutch Applauds FAA Plan to Alter Routes at FLL Airport to Reduce Noise in Local Communities

(Washington) Today, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released its final Environmental Assessment report on the South-Central Florida Metroplex, which includes a plan to extend airplane take-off and landing routes at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). This move will alleviate frequent noise issues experienced by residents in the communities surrounding the airport. U.S. Representative Ted Deutch (FL-22), who represents the Fort Lauderdale community surrounding the airport, issued this statement: "This is a really big deal for the families around the airport who have suffered from the loud, frequent noise coming from low-flying airplanes. For years I have met with these residents and business owners, heard their concerns, and pushed the FAA to make these simple, noise-reducing changes. "This achievement is thanks to the hard work of many in the community who have spoken out and made us aware of these challenges. We're also grateful for the efforts of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport team and state and local elected officials, particularly the leadership of Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Ben Sorensen. Thank you also to the FAA for listening to our community and responding to their concerns.  "When air traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels, I'm pleased to know that the pre-pandemic noise levels will not return with it."

Oxford vaccine produces immune response

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS TODAY Oxford vaccine produces immune response The COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford produces a similar immune response in older and younger adults, and adverse responses were lower among the elderly, British drug maker AstraZeneca said on Monday. A vaccine is seen as a game-changer in the battle against the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 1.15 million people, hammered the global economy and shuttered normal life across the world. COVID-19 infections are still rising in 78 countries. Track daily COVID-19 infections and deaths data for 240 countries and territories around the world. Europe sees difficult months ahead European leaders warned of difficult months ahead as a string of countries reported record increases in COVID-19 cases. France posted more than 50,000 daily cases for the first time on Sunday, while the continent passed 250,000 deaths. Governments have been desperate to avoid the lockdowns which curbed the disease at the start of the year at the cost of shutting down entire economies. But the steady rise in new cases has forced them to ratchet up controls steadily. Despite deaths, South Korea urges flu vaccinations South Korea urged citizens to get vaccinated against influenza and reduce the chances of an outbreak that coincides with the battle against the coronavirus, as it began free inoculations for the last eligible group. Public anxiety over the safety of flu vaccines has surged after at least 48 people died this month following vaccinations. Authorities have said they found no direct link between the deaths and the flu shots and have sought to reassure South Koreans about the safety of the vaccines against flu. Pandemic gives African money transfer firms a boost Africa-focused money transfer companies are seeing a boom, despite predictions from the World Bank of a historic 20% drop to $445 billion in remittances to poorer countries this year due to a pandemic-induced global economic slump. Many migrant workers are turning to digital transfer services, often for the first time, to send money back home to African countries, according to executives in the mobile financial services industry. From Breakingviews - Corona Capital: W-shaped recovery, UK investors. New lockdowns in Italy and Spain cast fresh doubt over Europe’s economic rebound; And a startup catering to UK retail investors, PrimaryBid, gets an endorsement from the London Stock Exchange. Catch up with the latest financial insights. Reuters reporters and editors around the world are investigating the response to the coronavirus pandemic. We need your help to tell these stories. Our news organization wants to capture the full scope of what’s happening and how we got here by drawing on a wide variety of sources. Are you a government employee or contractor involved in coronavirus testing or the wider public health response? Are you a doctor, nurse or health worker caring for patients? Have you worked on similar outbreaks in the past? Has the disease known as COVID-19 personally affected you or your family? Are you aware of new problems that are about to emerge, such as critical supply shortages? We need your tips, firsthand accounts, relevant documents or expert knowledge. Please contact us at coronavirus@reuters.com.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS TODAY

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS TODAY WHO study casts doubt on remdesivir’s benefits Gilead Sciences has questioned the findings of a World Health Organization (WHO) study which concluded that its COVID-19 drug remdesivir does not help patients who have been admitted to hospital. The American company told Reuters the data appeared inconsistent, the findings were premature and that other studies had validated the drug’s benefits. In a blow to one of the few drugs being used to treat people with COVID-19, the WHO said its “Solidarity” trial had concluded that remdesivir appeared to have little or no effect on 28-day mortality or length of hospital stays among patients with the respiratory disease. U.S. cases surpass 8 million U.S. coronavirus cases crossed 8 million on Thursday, rising by 1 million in less than a month, as another surge hits the nation hard at the onset of cooler weather. The United States reported 60,000 new infections on Wednesday, the highest daily increase since Aug. 14, with rising cases in every region, especially the Midwest. According to a Reuters analysis, 25 states have so far set records for increases in new cases in October. Source Reuters

Early vote shows signs of Black voters’ shift to mail voting

 

Early vote shows signs of Black voters’ shift to mail voting by Associated Press Shirley Dixon-Mosley had never sent a ballot through the mail. She always treasured casting her ballot in person. But for November’s election, she voted early and by mail because she didn’t want to take any chances. “I want to make sure my vote got in and it counted,” said the 75-year-old retired teacher’s aide in Charlotte, North Carolina. Black voters are among the least likely to vote by mail nationally, but there are early signs they are changing their behavior as the shadow of the coronavirus hangs over the presidential race. The evidence is clearest in North Carolina, the first state in the nation to send out mail-in ballots and where voting has been underway for almost three weeks. But there are hints in other battleground states like Georgia and Pennsylvania. The signal are good news for Democrats, who will need a robust turnout by Black voters in these states to win both the White House and control of the U.S. Senate. With coronavirus increasing the risk of in-person voting, African American mail voting rates are one indicator of whether that key part of the Democratic coalition will participate at its regular clip. In North Carolina, Black voters cast 16.7% of the more than 173,000 ballots returned so far, a jump from the 9% of mail votes cast by Black voters in 2016. They are 21% of North Carolina’s registered voters. “They’re changing their dynamics,” said Michael Bitzer, a political scientist at Catawba College in North Carolina who tracks state elections. “It seems like there’s a shift going on which will certainly help Democrats.” But the numbers also come with a warning sign. North Carolina’s Black voters are four times more likely than whites to have their ballots not yet accepted due to missing witness information. Just under 5% of absentee ballots returned by Black voters either still have missing witness information or are in the process of having ballot requirements corrected, compared with just 1.3% of ballots returned by white voters. It is, of course, very early — the votes so far in North Carolina translate to only about 5% of those cast in the entire 2016 presidential election. It’s unclear how much Black voters’ early embrace of the new method will increase overall turnout and whether issues will persist as more votes roll in. Alarmed by the not-accepted figures, Democratic-leaning groups are already shifting their messaging to help Black voters resolve the witness requirements. North Carolina made this process easier on Tuesday, settling a lawsuit from the North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans seeking to ease absentee guidelines on the state’s witness component. County boards of elections now mail an affidavit for a voter to return to resolve ballot problems. Both Republicans on the state’s five-person Board of Elections resigned after the settlement. “There’s been a big push to get Black voters to use the option of vote-by-mail,” said Adrianne Shropshire of VoteBlackPac, one of several groups trying to boost the use of mail-in ballots among Black voters. The group sent absentee ballot applications to 400,000 North Carolina voters. “The problems that people are having is related to the fact that this is new to people.” Jeffrey Brooks, a 49-year-old Democrat from Durham, said he’s previously voted in person. But when he sent in his mail-in ballot earlier this month, he failed to have a family member sign it as a witness. “I didn’t know that,” Brooks said. “I thought it was just for young people. I didn’t get them to sign it because I did it at home. I didn’t know you had to have a witness.” Voters like Brooks have until Nov. 12 to correct their ballots and get them received by their local county elections board. The North Carolina Democratic Party and Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s campaign have established hotlines for confused voters. Both groups also have volunteers working on the ground to help people remedy witness issues. Tonya Foreman, an activist whose group CAREE has been registering people to vote in barbershops and a pop-up registration tent in the eastern part of the state, worries that some of these Black voters, already deeply suspicious of a system they see as rigged against them, “will just decide ‘I knew it’ and not fix their ballots.” Foreman has seen shifts in Black voters’ interest and trust in voting by mail, saying it seemed high last spring but then tapered off after controversy over mail delays due to changes at the United States Postal Service. Black voters have traditionally preferred to vote in-person and see their ballot being accepted, a certainty sought after generations of voter suppression, discrimination and fighting to win the right to vote. In 2018, only 11% of African American voters cast their ballots by mail compared with 24% of white voters, according to the U.S. Census. But Black people have been disproportionately killed by the coronavirus, and many older Black Americans are now trying to balance safety with their rights, said Marcus Bass, an activist with the group Advance Carolina. “The most faithful bloc of voters are older Black voters,” Bass said. Still, Bass’ group has acquired 250,000 pieces of protective gear because he thinks many Black voters will want to vote in-person again. There are hints of the shift in other data on mail voting. In Georgia, about one-third of all absentee ballot requests so far have come from African Americans, slightly higher than their share of registered voters, said Tom Bonier, a Democratic data analyst. In Pennsylvania, 7.38% have — which is also precisely the Black share of that state’s electorate. Bonier said the early data suggests that Democratic investments in educating Black voters about mail-in ballots may be paying off. The rates, he added, are also “an early indicator of very high engagement by Black voters.” Dixon-Mosley is one of those engaged voters. She was happy to have the option to vote by mail, but she added she would cast her ballot in person if she had to. “Our parents and forefathers fought too hard to get the vote,” she said. “To not do it is to dishonor them.” _____ Republished with permission from the Associated Press.

Broward County Commissioners have given final approval to the proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget after the second and final of two public budget hearings as required by law.

Broward County Commissioners have given final approval to the proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget after the second and final of two public budget hearings as required by law. 

 

The recommended total budget for FY21 is $5.3 billion, which reflects a decrease in the operating budget of $123.9 million and a decrease in the capital budget of $235.1 million. The proposed FY21 budget is cumulative $482.4 million less than FY20.

 

The proposed total millage (property tax) rate will remain the same as fiscal year 2020. The combined millage rate for FY21 is 5.6690 per thousand dollars of taxable value. The certified tax roll increases by 5.3 percent when compared to the tax roll used for the adopted FY20 budget.  More…

Trump And Biden Tied In Florida

 

Recent state polls show President Donald Trump neck and neck with former Vice President Joe Biden, but are those statewide polls deceptively more than the sum of their parts?

Rather does an examination of at least ten recent polls in down-ballot contests tell us more about the true state of the Trump vs. Biden contest in Florida.

Biden is polling better than Trump — or better than Hillary Clinton fared in 2016 — in several areas.

In Florida’s 13th Congressional District in Pinellas County, Clinton finished ahead by three points but Biden is polling +14. In Florida House District 69, which has significant crossover with CD 13, Biden is up eight points even though the district has a slight Republican edge.

Just to the south in Florida’s 16th Congressional District in the Sarasota area, Biden is down only a half point even though Trump carried that district by 11 points in 2016. This should be sounding alarm bells to Susie Wiles and Co.

In Pasco County, Trump is under-performing compared to his 2016 results. He carried the conservative county by 22 points in 2016, but leads by 18 points in a recent St. Pete Polls survey. Further, Biden is performing better than Clinton did four years ago with 39% compared to Clinton’s 37% in 2016.

Even in northeast Florida's CD 4, where Trump overwhelmingly stomped Clinton in 2016, he’s lost some ground. He was +28 four years ago, but is polling four points lower this year.

In surprisingly competitive SD 3, Biden is up ten points despite Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis having a +4 approval rating in the district, among other positive indicators for the GOP.

Looking at Central Florida, Senate District 9 is a +3 or +4 district for Republicans, yet Biden holds a five point lead over Trump in the Seminole County seat.

There is a lot to read into these trends, but one thing is clear. If Trump continues to under-perform in conservative areas while Biden over-performs in Democratic-leaning districts, Trump has a lot of ground to gain in South Florida.

It’s a strategy that is no secret.

South Florida, save for a few pockets here and there and a Cuban population that votes Republican, is a reliably Democratic region that makes or breaks statewide elections for Democrats. Trump’s Florida campaign probably doesn’t expect to carry South Florida, but they are trying to lower the margin, particularly among Hispanic voters, to put a dent in Biden’s overall statewide vote.

Given the trends in other regions, district-specific polls show a mixed bag for the Trump campaign.

Trump carried Florida’s 18th Congressional District by nine points in 2016. Now Biden is up one point.

There’s more bad news in Florida House District 89, a district which includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. There, Biden leads 52% to 44%.

Reviewing the down-ballot races, Miami-Dade is obviously the place Trump can close the gap with Biden.

Consider Senate District 39, which covers parts of South Florida including Miami and the Florida Keys. There, the most recent poll has the district +9 for Republicans, up from just +1 in July.

This analysis is based on a series of both public and private polls. Most are linked to, but some, which are either entirely or partly private, are not.

Taken as a whole, the down ballot analysis shows exactly why both candidates are focusing so much on Florida. Both candidates see Florida wholly in play and, as with every presidential election, a must-win. But district by district, it looks like Trump’s path to Florida victory might be more challenging than Biden’s

Source: FloridaPolitics