tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72311945267930999862024-03-14T13:15:31.440-04:00Mazzella SolutionsProviding investigative services tailored to the business community introduced me to small business owners. Many of them, as well as myself, with questions about the logistical and legal issues faced by startups. This blog as a way to address the questions. Although I’ve moved on from the investigative field there is still a desire to offer common sense solutions to small business owners. Sometimes we cover non business issues. Hope you enjoy reading. Please feel free to share. Subscribe below.Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-61912065434384546912021-08-18T16:07:00.003-04:002021-08-18T16:11:33.965-04:00"Real" ID on your phone<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4woitN7W32V1hLh-dq8xLsDAo6xi01Zx4TBe9vIqf05W9v3s2sVRYKzOaZAul_65QfK4VU17rWCcPNhASLDsbweSwABUU3bdN7yEqguTNT346bX9NegMOqfke6pVenniYRhmsAe0RsNtR/s859/cellphone-MD-DL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="859" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4woitN7W32V1hLh-dq8xLsDAo6xi01Zx4TBe9vIqf05W9v3s2sVRYKzOaZAul_65QfK4VU17rWCcPNhASLDsbweSwABUU3bdN7yEqguTNT346bX9NegMOqfke6pVenniYRhmsAe0RsNtR/s320/cellphone-MD-DL.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>In June 2021, Apple announced an upcoming update to its Wallet app that will give the ability to scan your State issued ID and save it with encryption securely within the app. The digital identification could then be used wherever accepted. And that’s the hold up at this point. <br /><br />Four years ago I wrote a blog about the REAL-ID Act and a little history about how driver’s licenses became forms of identification. You can read that blog at <a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2017/10/real-id.html">"Real" ID</a><br /><br />The post was closed with, “While you could probably identify yourself with the contents of your phone it is doubtful you’d get through a serious police encounter. You certainly couldn’t board an airplane”. Well here we are in the 2020’s and we can use our phones to digitally access more services and places everyday. The coronavirus pandemic pushed companies to contactless services which helped increase the use of digital tickets, keys, payment, and identification, <br /><br />We can use digital boarding passes to board planes. Concert and sporting events have digital tickets. Pretty much every cash register has some sort or digital payment system. But the question still remains, can you use a digital ID as an official identification? Companies like Apple are providing the tools. Venues and other services have to decide how to adapt.<br /><br />States exploring the use of digital driver’s licenses is growing. As exploration continues, individual state’s are starting to implement programs. Colorado was the first state to implement a functional program that officials say is accepted by law enforcement throughout the State. Louisiana, Oklahoma, Delaware, and Arizona all have programs. Maryland, Wyoming, and Idaho have test programs. Utah, Iowa, and Florida will be launching programs in the next year.<br /><br />As state’s begin accepting their own digital licenses there will have to be reciprocity between all of the state’s, as there is currently with card based driver’s licenses. And then there is the federal government. While there is not currently a federal identification system government agencies will have to be prepared to accept the individual state digital ID’s. Apple is working with the TSA to develop policy to accept ID’s contained in its Wallet app. Once enough state’s go digital, Congress will probably pass some sort of legislation that recognizes digital ID’s contained on phones. <br /></p>Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-65568786228891977552021-06-09T10:12:00.001-04:002021-06-09T10:12:14.350-04:00Modern police work or invasion of privacy?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpaODFIG0Rd6D6lMi4xZW4_o9TzH0KTPCSwlVe7CtxSMaHlHamm62gNyIVTo1EruOyseOZtI_GfMruVPm4NWVJ587vuRpqkdLiPc70W1V5fMTsWV8dI0mOoT3Wv09fzlSvasVRNPKyvOU/s1600/DNA-Detective.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="960" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpaODFIG0Rd6D6lMi4xZW4_o9TzH0KTPCSwlVe7CtxSMaHlHamm62gNyIVTo1EruOyseOZtI_GfMruVPm4NWVJ587vuRpqkdLiPc70W1V5fMTsWV8dI0mOoT3Wv09fzlSvasVRNPKyvOU/s320/DNA-Detective.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><i>NOTE: This article was initially posted in June 2019 and has been updated with new and current information.</i></b><br /><br />The Maryland legislature passed a new law in 2021 that further regulates how law enforcement uses commercial DNA databases to identify suspects. With this new law, Maryland joins Utah and Montana as the only states to limit police use of these databases. In 1994, the Maryland legislature passed the Maryland DNA Collection Act which authorized police to gather DNA evidence for certain criminal investigations. The Act was expanded in 2008 to included more crimes but also limited law enforcement from using State databases to search for relatives of a suspect, or familial matches. Maryland is the only state with such a limitation of state run databases. <br /><br />Maryland’s new law will take effect in October 2021 and bars law enforcement from using commercial DNA databases to look for familial connections. Law enforcement will be required to exhaust all other avenues of identification and then make application to a judge. Police will also have to obtain consent from a person not suspected of a crime before comparing that person’s DNA to commercial databases. <br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> _________________________________________________________________________________</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In March 2019, Florida police identified a suspect in a 1998 cold case murder after a man submitted his fingerprints for a job application. Law enforcement had submitted unknown fingerprints from the murder scene to a National database. As fingerprints from crime scenes, criminal arrests, clearance, and background checks are submitted to the database they are checked against the fingerprints on file. Matches are then reported back to the submitting police departments.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">As detailed my blog, <a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2013/04/national-record-checks.html">“National” Record Checks?</a> there is not a national database of criminal records. There is, however, a database of fingerprints that matches to criminal records of individuals. Maintained by the FBI and begun in 1924, the database contains the world’s largest database of fingerprints and associated criminal history. Up until 1999, the system was based on the manual collection, submission, and examination. Police would ink up a person’s fingers, roll out the prints on a card, and submit the card to the FBI. There, technicians would painstakingly, individually, examine the prints under magnification and check against known crimes or suspects. After which the cards were filed. When the system became digital it was possible to check the submitted prints against the entirety of the database. Unknown prints found at crime scenes could then been matched against previously submitted prints and suspects developed. If you have ever been fingerprinted your prints are stored in the system and checked against other submissions thousands of time a day. </span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Florida case happened that way. In 1998, police submitted latent prints collected from the murder site. For twenty years every fingerprint submitted to the FBI was checked against the 1998 submission. The killer had avoided being fingerprinted for two decades.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Familial DNA</span></h3>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">DNA testing was first developed for use in paternity identification. Police in England first used DNA in a criminal case in 1986. The first DNA conviction in the U.S. came in 1987. As with any new forensic test, court admissibility was tested early on. Over the years DNA identification has been accepted and the process of collecting and identifying made more efficient. What used to take weeks now only takes days.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In 2018, police and the FBI captured a man suspected of being a serial rapist and murderer in a multitude of cases from forty years ago. The case was broken through the use of DNA. The suspect himself was smart enough not to have his DNA logged into any DNA databases. Smart detectives realized that outside of justice system DNA databases there is a plethora of information being collected by private entities. Ancestral research companies provide DNA collection kits, which allow people to submit their DNA for comparison to other samples in hopes of finding family matches. You guessed it. The profiles are stored in databases so that they can be pinged during searches.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Checking crime scene DNA against public sources of DNA, police were able to get a familial match. That match narrowed the pool of suspects down to one family. This method has been tagged as “genetic genealogy”. After the familial match, through traditional police work, detectives were able to identify a suspect. </span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Genetic genealogy also works to identify the victims of violent crimes. In 2019, Anne Arundel County Police identified the remains of a man who had been discovered in a trashcan during the construction of Marley Station Mall in 1985. Roger Kelso was believed to have been killed in the 1960s and buried in the woods where the mall would eventually be constructed. Police compared the victim’s DNA to samples in public databases to form the familial match. The long cold case is now active.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The same methods were used to identify the remains of a woman and children found buried in barrels in the woods of Allenstown, New Hampshire in 1985. Although law enforcement had long ago associated the victims to serial killer Terry Rasmussen they had never identified the victims. By using genetic genealogy police in 2019 were able to finally identify the victims as Marlyse Honeychurch and her daughters Sarah McWaters and Marie Vaughn.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">As you can imagine privacy watchdogs are all over the issue of law enforcement having access to private sector databases.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Genetic privacy</span></h3>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ancestry and 23andMe are the largest consumer testing providers. Both companies have policies in place that prevents law enforcement from having direct access to the databases. However, customers of both companies, hoping to grow their family tree, can upload their personal results to public databases. This is where law enforcement has access to the DNA results. Ancestral DNA companies are working to find balances. While they do not want to allow complete access to databases for misdemeanor crimes, companies do allow access for violent crimes. As law enforcement finds success they will rely more on these DNA databases.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Opponents of this kind of police work feel that the use of relatives DNA on public databases constitute unwarranted searches and thus illegal under the Fourth Amendment. State legislatures are paying attention as Maryland and a few others have had bills introduced to bar police from using relatives DNA to track criminals.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Fingerprints, DNA, facial, hair, optical, these are all methods of identifying humans as individuals. All were new sciences at one time. All have made their way through the world’s courts as legal ways of making identifications. They are most certainly other scientific discoveries that will be added to the list. The question is and always has been, Where does the privacy of individuals get compromised in the name of justice?</span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-82444322371235737072020-08-13T14:22:00.000-04:002020-08-13T14:22:27.050-04:00Reopening also means gaining public trust<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iyrXBzBW8Qh83mBXZqNMDMPSogo7zcpef93DT0jDzOBh1WKW2xwXcHbnfNufC_okolf-oQD3xOFyr6v0nXEjxuzkhrN_tC0Vyut-koxf2WleltTOswBvMWEg82sJgFY6Xw8O9pxMLFJb/s1980/0620925D96954C728997A0618661801B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="No mask-NO Service" border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1980" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iyrXBzBW8Qh83mBXZqNMDMPSogo7zcpef93DT0jDzOBh1WKW2xwXcHbnfNufC_okolf-oQD3xOFyr6v0nXEjxuzkhrN_tC0Vyut-koxf2WleltTOswBvMWEg82sJgFY6Xw8O9pxMLFJb/w640-h330/0620925D96954C728997A0618661801B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Everyday life four months ago was extremely different than July 2020. While we are not ordered to stay at home, it is suggested. Gatherings are still limited. Events like birthdays, weddings, and funerals are small private gatherings. Store shelves are, for the most part, stocked but there are still some items in which the shelf remains empty. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Businesses small and large have had to adapt and overcome. Before everything shut down businesses quickly set up cleaning stations, Plexiglas shields, and tape on the floor. The temporary adjustments were hurried responses to keep employees and customers safe and stay open. Then everything stopped.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">During closures, most businesses had time to adjust to coming restrictions regarding reopening. Temporary became permanent. “Behind the scenes” part of getting the economy going again <g class="gr_ gr_500 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Grammar multiReplace" data-gr-id="500" id="500">were</g> the efforts to create and install shields at customer interface points. Painter’s tape on the floors became printed stickers. Permanent signs explaining restrictions and warnings were manufactured. Face shields. And of course masks. The leaving home check of keys, wallet, <g class="gr_ gr_172 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="172" id="172">phone</g> has added <g class="gr_ gr_173 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="173" id="173">mask</g>. Which is also now apart of the employee uniform.</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Masks</span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When COVID-19 began gaining momentum and entered into the pandemic phase the public and businesses went slowly. No one wanted to believe that restrictions and precautions were permanent. As the economy reopened it was realized that to stay open, and in some cases avoid fines business had to change. Temporary fixes had to become permanent. We now see permanent installations of shields, directional arrows to navigate, markings identifying where to stand, and in/out only doors. And of course masks.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Of all the changes we have seen from the pandemic the mask has been the most ubiquitous. Face coverings are our everyday life. They have sparked controversy. Started arguments about the improper or lack of <g class="gr_ gr_184 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Grammar multiReplace" data-gr-id="184" id="184">wearing</g>. They are now a point of fashion to be complimented. Masks are popping up in the impulse buy area at the checkout register and even vending machines. Masks have also become our non-verbal permission to enter and an invitation to leave. No mask – No service signs are posted in many storefronts. Businesses don’t want to turn people away, but they also don’t want to face the <g class="gr_ gr_85 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" data-gr-id="85" id="85">ever present</g> risk of being shut down either.</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Public trust</span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When <g class="gr_ gr_185 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Grammar multiReplace" data-gr-id="185" id="185">stay</g> at home orders were lifted and businesses began to reopen customers were leery about returning. Although we couldn’t wait to get out of our homes, we had to feel safe. The COVID virus was and still is a threatening menace. A big part of gaining a customer's trust is making them feel safe in your establishment. To get ahead of competitors businesses had to try to be the first to explain the steps taken to keep customers safe. Not only what was being done to sanitize, but how, and how often. This has to be more than just words. Science has proven that we process visual data better than text or the spoken word. In fact, 90% of what we process is visual. Customers have to SEE the action of cleaning and sanitizing in order to validate what is being advertised. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Being in the grocery store and seeing an employee cleaning the carts or walking around, during business hours, cleaning door handles and contact surfaces goes a long way in convincing customers that the business is serious about their well being. On a recent went to a UPS store for their notary and overnight services this was evident. Of course, they had queue markers on the floor and Plexiglas at the registers, which would be expected. What was impressive was seeing an employee wiping down a public computer station with disinfectant after each use by a customer. Seeing the employee clean the keyboard and work area after a single use reinforces that business’ commitment in the eyes of the customer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Demonstrating sound sanitation practices to the public will get them back and keep them coming back. With instant reviews being posted on multiple platforms, businesses not practicing safe procedures will spread quickly. At this point in time that is a quick way to lose customers and get shut down. Again.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Another good <g class="gr_ gr_99 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" data-gr-id="99" id="99">move</g> to show how serious the company is taking health is transparency and decisive action. We’ve already seen businesses reopen only to be shut down again after a government agency finds a violation or an infected employee. Better to take the action yourself. Small businesses, especially bars and restaurants, have set this example. Setting up their own testing policies and discovering possibly infected employees, they have immediately shut down, publicized what happened, and the actions they are taking to rectify the issue. It hurts to close your doors but keeping the public trust is more important now than ever.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In addition to changes in sanitation and ensuring there are safe practices in place, there are other changes as well. How we conduct business has changed and will probably have long-term effects. Offices cleared, sending employees to work from home. After a few weeks, with no solution to the virus <g class="gr_ gr_95 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" data-gr-id="95" id="95">in sight</g>, corporations announced that they would not be returning employees, adopting permanent work from home policies. Businesses have learned to adapt to stay in business. What we thought couldn’t be done or never thought of trying is successful. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We are looking for a return to “normal” when we are living what our normal now is. </span></p></div>Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-16788513963389149672020-05-06T10:53:00.001-04:002020-05-11T15:17:36.301-04:00Business Adaptability <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How is small business adapting to COVID19?<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NOTE: Since this article was posted it has been updated with new information.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When governors issued stay at home orders and business closings it was a shock to say the least. Businesses were deemed essential or non-essential, the latter being ordered closed for the foreseeable future with no re opening date. Small businesses of all sizes and industry are desperately hurting. It’s interesting to see how businesses have adapted to either reach their customers while closed or try to keep customers while operating under restrictions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Businesses that provide personal services such as salons and barbershops do not have much choice. Restaurants were given a reprieve in that they could provide take out or delivery. Some businesses that were allowed to stay open are still seeing a decline in sales. People are just not going out. Even these businesses have had to become creative to develop more customers. One of the new buzzwords is contactless. Companies are using that description to reassure customers that you can obtain products without having to meet someone face to face. Businesses like hardware stores have begun offering curbside pickup to encourage shoppers that may not want to go inside the physical store. Ecommerce has increased especially for stores that are closed and have had to find other sales outlets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A contactless marketing coup has been Little Caesar’s pizza portal. They offered in store contactless pizza pick up before contactless was a thing. They quickly adjusted marketing with the new terminology to point out their system of pizza delivery. Other delivery pizza companies are ensuring drivers wear gloves and masks, and leave the thermal delivery bag outside the door for the customer to retrieve the products. In addition to deals and sales there’s been other creativity to entice customers. Restaurants are offering ingredient kits to make your favorite menu item at home. Bakeries are selling cake and cupcake decoration kits. Gardening and craft projects, the list grows everyday of small businesses adapting to new marketing schemes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What about when the restrictions ease? When everything reopens how are businesses going to change to reassure customers that it’s safe to patronize? As we’ve seen with the beaches around the country, when there’s a reopening some people are going to come out droves. Others will wait a few days or weeks to see what happens. And others may not return to restaurants and at all. A <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/washington-post-university-of-maryland-national-poll-april-28-may-3-2020/9ac3c026-f68c-4733-82a0-daa6862d99b3/">Washington Post-University of Maryland poll</a> of 1,005 people found that Americans are wary to return to restaurants and retail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Retailers will have to demonstrate what sanitization and distancing procedures are being taken to reassure customers that it is safe to visit. The stores that are open now are taking measures to sanitize. Grocery stores are limiting shoppers and installing shields at checkouts. Restaurants are limiting capacity and reassigning staff to compartmentalize duties to one person-one task. Other types of retail are installing shields, social distanced queue markers, and ramping up contactless pay devices. Others that didn’t normally wear gloves are now. And, of course, everyone is wearing masks. Store signs use to read-No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service. Now, No Mask-No Service!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Patrons
have to know what is being down to ensure their safety. Receiving
communications as to the efforts and seeing the physical efforts,
employees wearing masks, limited capacity, shields at points of sale.
all this goes a long way to reassure customers that they will be safe
when shopping.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some companies that sell services and some product based are able maintain operations by allowing employees to work from home. How will that change? Will companies move towards or relax work from home rules? If you’d Goolged the word zoom in January 2020 the search results would have been much different than they are in May 2020. Now instead of the online dictionary definition (a more likely result) the first return is the website for the online video conferencing company. “Zoom” quickly became synonymous with web meetings. Japan’s business culture is having great difficulty with work from home. As technologically advanced as Japan is their business world is steep in tradition, requiring in person transactions and paper documents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What will go away and what will return to pre COVID? Sanitizing wipe downs, gloves, masks, and register shields will probably stay. Will we shake hands to close a deal? Or will elbow bumps be the new social norm of greeting and accords.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The deeper we go into the economic shutdown news of businesses adapting is breaking everyday. Here are a few approaches to rethinking how we do business. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still operating drive-in theaters are seeing a boom and entrepreneurs are looking to open new drive-ins. Music promoters are experimenting with drive-in concerts where venues will allow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition to drive thru, Chick-Fil-A expanded curbside and added another feature. When the food is delivered to your car, it is carried inside of a plastic container. The customer then lifts their food bags out of the container. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LYFT issued guidelines to reassure riders how they are ensuring clean and safe rides. <a href="https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/lyft-launching-health-safety-program">https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/lyft-launching-health-safety-program</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A video of how Dutch restaurants are protecting employees and customers was released. <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kz3oi4WIKl0">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kz3oi4WIKl0</a></span></div>
<br />Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-9085493101266340982020-04-16T12:14:00.000-04:002020-04-27T14:36:57.850-04:00Social Engineering Facebook<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Social Engineering<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>NOTE: Since being published, this article has been updated with new information. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you’re on social media, specifically Facebook, you’ve seen the 21<sup>st</sup>century version of chain letters. Here of late there’s been lots of “challenges”, quizzes, and tagging of friends to encourage them to keep the challenge going. List every country you’ve been to, list every state you’ve been to, favorite movies, pictures of pets, pictures of your spouse and/or your parents, and the most current- your high school senior photo, under #Classof2020.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who knows who starts these but they catch on as cute or fun ways to pass the time on Facebook. They are also ways for social engineers to find out more than you want strangers to know. Using the short list above, how many total strangers would you exchange that information? Probably not many. But most people don’t have very secure social media accounts. They are completely open to public view. Simple searches, most likely by the ones who started these challenges, can find the responses to hash tags and/or using bots mine the information. Then using social engineering the hacker can construct quite a profile on you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As
if your basic profile information isn’t enough, add that to answers
from the above examples. Now in addition to your name, age and/or exact
date of birth, high school, university, town, they can add photos and
names of parents, spouses, pets, etc. For example. Viewing someone's Facebook page who completed some of the more popular quizzes, one could determine the following.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jane Doe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Born January 1, 1973</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lives in Anywhere, Iowa </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Went to Anywhere High School and Iowa State University, graduating in 1994</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not married</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Christian </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Her parents are John and Jeanine (Pictures)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Loves dogs, especially her German Shepherd Rover (Picture)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Has visited 15 U.S. states and Paris, Rome, and London (Pictures)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Loves movies, specifically classic romances</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lots of pictures of Jane and Check-ins at her favorite places (with dates and times)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of this information is more than enough to construct passwords, answers to security questions, or even more nefarious real word activities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Users feel comfortable within the confines of Facebook. Like with other cons these are perpetuated because of the element of trust. Trust that it came from a friend, so it must be OK. Or it’s only a harmless quiz about my favorite TV shows. Also, trust in the complacency that only your friends can see the responses. Once your friends start sharing then your information is exposed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition to the cut and paste challenges there are external links to quizzes. The links take you to a third party site that runs the quiz and posts back to Facebook. Most have learned not to click on links in emails. Why would you click on a link within a Facebook post? Back to trust. A friend shared the post it must be safe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Use social media wisely. Check your privacy settings. If you haven’t done so in awhile, change your password. Think twice before participating in cut and paste challenges and quizzes. You don’t want to be the one making the familiar post-Don’t accept any friend requests from me. I’ve been hacked!!</span></div>
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April 27, 2020 The FBI issued a warning not to participate in social media quizzes. The quizzes are based on "something you know; something you have; and something you are" all of which can be used to social engineer passwords. <br />
FBI bulletin-<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/pittsburgh/news/press-releases/fbi-pittsburgh-warns-popular-social-media-trends-can-lead-to-fraud">https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/pittsburgh/news/press-releases/fbi-pittsburgh-warns-popular-social-media-trends-can-lead-to-fraud</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Read other posts about privacy</span></div>
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<a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2019/11/juice-cleanse.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Juice Cleanse </span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2017/09/cleaning-up-your-online-presence.html">Cleaning Up Your Online Presence</a> </span></div>
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<a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/02/one-born-every-minute.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One Born Every Minute </span></a></div>
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<a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2015/08/what-did-you-just-say.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What did you just say? </span></a></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-73323480504341681472020-02-19T11:58:00.001-05:002020-02-19T11:58:19.194-05:00Apple Employees Win Suit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgjE0AVZoMz2SttZLQIqRDYDVWTzfGf36J-h-q3-8Ll4Xf5ziM0oc3VydTox-6fmpMHRl-oZsQcNo8YFvFO5utOqWcaPr5GtFo2mRtMuFGhyphenhyphenRUoKneYsG3ZUwj2eGPqejfanhK1sb-rMs/s1600/Security-Screen.-Questions-Pay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="960" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgjE0AVZoMz2SttZLQIqRDYDVWTzfGf36J-h-q3-8Ll4Xf5ziM0oc3VydTox-6fmpMHRl-oZsQcNo8YFvFO5utOqWcaPr5GtFo2mRtMuFGhyphenhyphenRUoKneYsG3ZUwj2eGPqejfanhK1sb-rMs/s320/Security-Screen.-Questions-Pay.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A quick post to relay the results of a California court ruling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The California Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of Apple employees allowing them to be paid for after shift security searches. Apple requires employees of their product stores to be searched after their shift, checking for stolen company products. Employees filed a class action suit claiming that they should be compensated for the time required to complete the searches. Failure to comply with the search policy can lead to being fired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A federal district court had earlier ruled in favor of Apple. Stating that the employees had to prove that they were being restrained from leaving. The case then went to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court, who returned the case to state court for an interpretation of state law regarding compensation. The California Supreme ruled in favor of employees and the case now returns to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court. The ruling, as of now, does not affect other states as it was not a federal court decision. However, once the U.S. Circuit Court considers California's Supreme Court decision it may rule in favor of employees. Compensation for requirements after an employee is "off duty" may be interpreted differently and cause a ripple effect through the U.S. regarding employee pay and overtime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is not the first time a California ruling has affected employee compensation. In 2018, The California Supreme Ruled that employers must pay employees for "off the clock" activities such as locking up, setting alarms, and other administrative duties. There is a federal rule called the de minimis rule that says that employees can be required to work small amounts of time, less than ten minutes say, that would be difficult to track administratively. However, California courts ruled that the federal rule had not been adopted under California wage laws and, therefore, did not apply.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">De minimis Rule</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The "de minimis" rule came from the Supreme Court in 1946, stating that employers, when considering amount of time worked, may disregard time worked over shift when it amounted to seconds or minutes. The U.S. Department of Labor adopted a similar rule under 29 C.F.R. § 785.47, which states, insubstantial or insignificant periods of time beyond the scheduled working hours may be disregarded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations, 29 C.F.R. § 785.11, if an “employer knows or has reason to believe that the work is being performed, he must count the time as hours worked.” </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Portal-to-Portal Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 251-62, amended the FLSA and relieves employers of the obligation to compensate an employee for activities such as: </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">traveling to and from the actual place of performance of the principal activity and </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">activities which are preliminary to or postliminary to the principal activity, which occur either prior to the time on any particular workday or subsequent to the time on any particular workday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a just a small sampling of the laws and precedents that would go into any court’s decision on compensation of employees after hours. There have been too many cases to cite here regarding compensation beyond work hours. Cases involving employee’s loading/unloading/resupplying company vehicles at home, answering phone calls, emails and texts. If California is the test, then the trend would lean towards the employee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Small business owners have to take this into consideration as they apply policy. Whether for breaks, meal times, or after work communications, how employers pay employees may be changing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Link for the <a href="https://www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/wagepay/wpgenl.shtml">Maryland Guide to Wage Payment and Employment Standards</a></span></div>
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Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-49463272746981579422020-01-31T17:11:00.000-05:002020-01-31T17:10:41.593-05:00Maryland bans the box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyWMouz8abzn6PT7nX1gf3FtdE4aJJ7U5trdpwlYFSZkmjbfus_XjLTaoJzSYcNWLuatphxacpg75Thqo7xZ9OnafJ2GB5TbBTnZo3HwWvjQYw4eR3P_t2IUznOoOAhwWSDL1xdqlPhZI/s1600/MD-Ban-the-Box.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyWMouz8abzn6PT7nX1gf3FtdE4aJJ7U5trdpwlYFSZkmjbfus_XjLTaoJzSYcNWLuatphxacpg75Thqo7xZ9OnafJ2GB5TbBTnZo3HwWvjQYw4eR3P_t2IUznOoOAhwWSDL1xdqlPhZI/s320/MD-Ban-the-Box.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maryland Bans the Box for private employers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>NOTE: This article was initially posted in May 2013 and has been updated with new and current information.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you may know, Ban the Box refers to removing the criminal convictions question from employment applications. Preferring that any discussion of criminal histories be done further along in the application process and in person. Hoping to make the process fairer for applicants.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In October of 2013, Maryland’s first Ban the Box law took effect. The law removed the criminal conviction question from <b>State employment applications</b>. At that time, there were only seven states with similar legislation. Since then the Ban the Box movement has swept the nation with cities, counties, and states enacting laws. According to the National Employment Law Project, as of July 2019, there were thirty-five states and one hundred and fifty cities and counties that have Ban the Box laws. Thirteen states have laws that prohibit private employers from asking about criminal history on the application. As of January 1, 2020, Maryland became the fourteenth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maryland Private Employer law takes effect January 2020</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Maryland legislature passed <b>a private employer</b> Ban the Box law in 2019 only to have the law vetoed by the Governor. In one of the first acts of the 2020 legislature, the Maryland General Assembly voted to override the veto.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new law states that, before the first in person interview, employers may not ask an applicant to disclose details about whether or not a criminal record exists. This law only applies to those employers with fifteen or more employees too include seasonal, temporary, and contractual employees.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far only a few major corporations, such as Target and Walmart, have publically “Banned the box”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Details of the laws procession through the legislative process can be found at http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0994/?ys=2019rs</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-66416468539012597532019-11-25T17:39:00.000-05:002019-11-25T17:39:34.488-05:00Juice Cleanse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCZ_ofmgxscshmHkA78wWTS0Rs2HOHEAXAcnKxtq8j70RRoGw8Zyh5ONn5q-EEsarSlUm7FWSBHDged5OPykj4YQN_TcYqrMuNYZEnvhGaQAH4Xvp74qrsD63ol9adfFC1GNmUl-o93aC/s1600/Juice-Jacked.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="588" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCZ_ofmgxscshmHkA78wWTS0Rs2HOHEAXAcnKxtq8j70RRoGw8Zyh5ONn5q-EEsarSlUm7FWSBHDged5OPykj4YQN_TcYqrMuNYZEnvhGaQAH4Xvp74qrsD63ol9adfFC1GNmUl-o93aC/s320/Juice-Jacked.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I am not educated in computer programming or repair I am knowledgeable and proficient enough to make computers do what I need and understand how that occurs. Because of my lack of formal training I never doubt what can be done with computers, I just assume that I do not know how to make it happen. Anything is possible. So when I hear of new smart devices or electronic conveniences that make our life easier, I figure it only a matter of time until someone compromises the security. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In November 2019, the Los Angeles County District Attorney published a public service message warning travelers of using public USB charging stations.</span></div>
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<a href="http://da.lacounty.gov/about/inside-LADA/juice-jacking-criminals-use-public-usb-chargers-steal-data-ff" style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://da.lacounty.gov/about/inside-LADA/juice-jacking-criminals-use-public-usb-chargers-steal-data-ff</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Criminals either conceal a computer in charging stations or load malware onto the stations. Much like credit card skimmers at gas pumps. When someone plugs their device into the charging station via USB the criminals computer can access the device. Or the malware is transferred to the device so that the criminal can access at a later time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There have been mixed reactions to the LA County DA report. But no one is saying that it can’t been done. More likely it is the effort versus the reward. Snopes.com reported, "While it is technically possible for crooks to steal information or install malware via public USB ports, this practice doesn't appear to be widespread".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best practice-Use your own charging cables with a transformer and plug directly into an AC outlet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lasers as keys</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another threat to smart devices or rather smart homes is lasers. Researchers at the University of Michigan have created attacks using focused light to manipulate smart speakers. From as far as one hundred yards researchers could transform their voice commands into light beams aimed at the speaker. Once beamed the speaker reacts as if someone were speaking to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The results of the discovery mean that criminals could trick smart speakers into opening garage doors, smart locks, lights, whatever security feature that is linked to the smart speaker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In our brave new world one has to suspect that someone is always watching or listening. And no computer, mobile device, or now the things that charge them, are secure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find other posts on skimming, WiFi, and smart device security in my blog archive. </span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-72070564120568583602019-10-30T16:18:00.003-04:002019-10-30T16:18:54.384-04:00Move the sign<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7QUPIxuWK0JH2UFuHUSf8jjfHwy_oyIzGew-frM6fy9gCz7fggJDUWfzvCRz4B7H2f8X_93rAUThievtZdYwz6HqrWKMJWcTwRS-hdBSi8oYucH1osp2xA0bV2hJJ_ZsDHRlsLc_bblk/s1600/Move+the+Sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7QUPIxuWK0JH2UFuHUSf8jjfHwy_oyIzGew-frM6fy9gCz7fggJDUWfzvCRz4B7H2f8X_93rAUThievtZdYwz6HqrWKMJWcTwRS-hdBSi8oYucH1osp2xA0bV2hJJ_ZsDHRlsLc_bblk/s320/Move+the+Sign.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Went to MVA to meet with a fingerprint services company. The local MVA is a smaller facility compared to the State headquarters. This location has two entrances at either end of a long single-story building. The original intent was that customers with registration issues would enter through one door and licensing through another. Over time the entrances have become generic and there is a check-in desk at the center of the building. So it doesn’t matter what entrance one uses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Outside of one entrance is a sign for the fingerprint services company. One would guess that customers would enter through the entrance next to the sign. Once inside customers find that the fingerprint office is at the other end of the building, closer to the other entrance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I explain all of this because of what was observed while waiting. Inside the entrance opposite the fingerprint office is a Trooper stationed at a lectern. While waiting, I observed customers approach him several times with questions, some of which regarded the whereabouts of the fingerprint office. Appearing annoyed the Trooper would direct the customers to the other end of the building.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Trooper is stationed there for building security, not information. But stationed at a lectern, in uniform, near an entrance is going to attract questions. It would not relieve all of the questions, but simply moving the fingerprint services sign to the building entrance outside of where the office is located would alleviate many.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Businesses large and small see this or don’t see it, a forest for the trees kind of thing. Simple solutions that will reduce stress on a job or person. Sometimes it is poor planning or the next great idea that wasn’t vetted at all levels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Management makes changes for employee well-being or system improvement. If the people at the top are not completely familiar with the issue sometimes the change can actually cause problems. Management needs to see the problem from the source and get employee input at that level. Employees who identify problems have to be empowered to make “field” decisions that can quickly solve issues and improve service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes simply moving a sign to a better position can make a world of difference. </span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-12563247116204003512019-08-15T08:00:00.000-04:002019-08-14T11:42:44.500-04:00Can you buy an AR15 in Maryland?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmR6qx6VyRqaFWwF3avPNccBDj63rxS4qYiFy2OWO1vpXmtyf5u9l9YFVI4vsmCH4z86GXZk7RlkgDu7HM2pzoKEstOEVSO-YSZOrOD-e_KTrfn-IA5OWM-Uq0lKpeUW2GlZKvbviHYR1/s1600/Assault+rifles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmR6qx6VyRqaFWwF3avPNccBDj63rxS4qYiFy2OWO1vpXmtyf5u9l9YFVI4vsmCH4z86GXZk7RlkgDu7HM2pzoKEstOEVSO-YSZOrOD-e_KTrfn-IA5OWM-Uq0lKpeUW2GlZKvbviHYR1/s320/Assault+rifles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>NOTE: This post was updated in 2019 with current information regarding Maryland gun laws.</i><br />
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After a mass shooting, attention is focused on the availability
of the weapon used. Most times that weapon is a semi-automatic, assault style,
rifle. How did the person obtain the weapon and why is it available to public, are
the questions usually asked. As you probably have figured out gun laws in the
U.S. are convoluted. Laws on gun possession and sale differ from state to
state. Too many to try to explain in a single post. For this blog the
question raised is-Can you buy an AR15 in Maryland? The short answer is no.<br />
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However, the weapon used in the Dayton, Ohio shooting could be sold in Maryland. The Anderson Manufacturing .223 caliber AM-15 used by the Dayton shooter is currently not approved for sale by the Handgun Roster Board (See <a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/03/can-you-buy-ar15-in-maryland.html#gunsapprovedforsaleinmaryland">Guns approved for sale in Maryland</a> below). But a similar gun, the .300 caliber AM-15 <u>is approved</u> for sale in Maryland. A "loophole" to Maryland's assault weapons ban. </div>
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Assault style weapons</h3>
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The federal government and some states have strict laws
regarding the regulation and availability of fully automatic weapons or machine
guns. What is more readily available are assault style weapons that are similar
to what the military uses but in a semi-automatic capacity (firing one bullet
and automatically reloading with each depression of the trigger). “AR15” is a
type of civilian rifle modeled after what the U.S. military issues. Although it
is a specific product the name is also used incorrectly to identify a wider
variety of assault style weapons. When, in fact, there are many different
manufacturers and models.</div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">The Federal government banned semi-automatic
assault style weapons in 1994. However, the ban expired in 2004 and those guns
became legal for sale once again. </span>Maryland banned the sale of what is
defined as an “assault rifle” or ”assault long gun” in the <span style="background: white; color: #333333;">Firearm Safety Act of 2013</span><span style="color: #333333;">. The types of weapons included are what are commonly
known as “AR15”s and all variants or copies. However, persons that legally
possessed these types of weapons prior to October 1, 2013 could continue to
possess them. They just couldn’t be sold within the state. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;">The Maryland State Police is
tasked with regulating firearm sales in Maryland. This link, </span><a href="http://mdsp.maryland.gov/Organization/Pages/CriminalInvestigationBureau/LicensingDivision/Firearms/FirearmSearch.aspx" target="_blank">Maryland State Police Firearm Search</a>, explains what can and cannot be possessed and sold. Other
states with bans on the sale of assault style rifles are: California,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia.</div>
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Guns approved for sale in Maryland</h3>
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In addition to regulating the sale of firearms, Maryland law
also determines what guns can and cannot be sold in the State. Handguns
manufactured after 1985 can only be sold in Maryland if the Handgun Roster
Board has specifically approved it for sale and placed it on the Official
Handgun Roster. The Handgun Roster Board is part of the Maryland State Police and
consists of eleven members-The Secretary of the State police and ten people appointed
by the Governor for terms of four years.</div>
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You may search manufacturers to determine if a handgun is on
the handgun roster and legal for sale in Maryland thru this link.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://licensingportal.mdsp.maryland.gov/MspBridgeClient/#/home" target="_blank">Handgun Roster search</a></div>
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Waiting periods</h3>
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Waiting periods and firearm sale laws are also being
discussed in the news. Maryland has some of the strictest firearm laws in the
country. 1995, 2000, and 2013 saw major legislation packages passed that
restricted the sale and types of firearms that could be sold in Maryland. Even
before that, in 1966, Maryland was one of the first states to pass legislation
regarding waiting periods for purchasing handguns. Since 1966, a firearm dealer
must wait seven days before the gun may be transferred to the purchaser. During
this time, the Maryland State Police conducts it’s background check of the
prospective purchaser. The Responsible Gun Safety Act of 2000 expanded the
waiting period and background checks to include the private sale of handguns
between individuals. </div>
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Only nine states and the District of Columbia currently have
waiting periods-California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland,
Minnesota, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Waiting periods for gun sales received
a boost on February 20, 2018 when the Supreme Court dismissed a 2<sup>nd</sup>
Amendment challenge to California’s 10-day waiting period as a “reasonable
safety” precaution.</div>
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Please feel free to share this post. See the blog archive
for more information on buying guns in Maryland. </div>
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<a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-buy-gun-in-maryland.html" target="_blank">How to buy a gun in Maryland</a> January 2017</div>
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Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-33519730317404158552019-08-12T15:23:00.000-04:002019-08-12T15:23:22.932-04:00Synopsis of Maryland gun laws<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidabJlv6mS8qvydjpqEvrKcvWoPG3-4ioEbUwtCn3DyXEghzQy_US9jldzjSBQ2fTwsxeT8T1UYun48kDnAYCBqvtKO4dxCd224059fGdVOhAOa2U6030VsR2D2N2xnqd8sW-Y2t2KqdAI/s1600/Maryland+Gun+Laws.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidabJlv6mS8qvydjpqEvrKcvWoPG3-4ioEbUwtCn3DyXEghzQy_US9jldzjSBQ2fTwsxeT8T1UYun48kDnAYCBqvtKO4dxCd224059fGdVOhAOa2U6030VsR2D2N2xnqd8sW-Y2t2KqdAI/s320/Maryland+Gun+Laws.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maryland gun laws </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Federal government and each state all have different firearm laws. States do not necessarily have reciprocity. What is permitted in your home state may be a felony in another state. Here is a synopsis of Maryland’s firearm laws based on common concerns. </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Maryland has been regulating handguns with background checks and requiring a seven-day waiting period since 1966. Firearms designated as “regulated” (handguns and 45 enumerated rifles) require background checks and a waiting period for being transferred. <u>This includes private sales as well.</u>Shotguns and some rifle sales are not regulated by the State and therefore require no State level background check. </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Sales and transfers between private citizens and at gun shows are regulated by the State and require a background check and seven-day wait before transferring.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Gun buyers must possess a license before purchasing a firearm, which includes a firearm training course</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->One handgun purchase is allowed every thirty days</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->All new handguns manufactured after January 1, 2003 must include an integrated mechanical safety device</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Red Flag Law-Enables families and law enforcement to ask courts for an order to temporarily restrict firearms from people found to be a risk t themselves or others. </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Assault rifles or “AR15” variants are prohibited from sale</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Bump stocks are banned in Maryland</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Convicted domestic abusers are required to surrender guns to law enforcement or a firearms dealer. Law enforcement is permitted to remove firearms from the scene of an alleged act of domestic violence</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Ammunition: If a person is prohibited from possessing firearms they are prohibited from possessing ammunition</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Child access- A person may not store or leave a loaded firearm in a location where an unsupervised child may gain access</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Concealed carry is prohibited unless issued a concealed carry permit regulated by the State</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Transportation- A person may transport a firearm in a vehicle if unloaded and in an enclosed case or enclosed holster-to and from the place of purchase or repair; shooting range; sporting activities; hunting; dog training.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See also:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-buy-gun-in-maryland.html">How to buy a gun in Maryland?</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/03/can-you-buy-ar15-in-maryland.html">Can you buy an AR15 in Maryland?</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.atf.gov/firearms/state-laws-and-published-ordinances-firearms-33rd-edition">ATF’s list of State laws and ordinances</a></span></div>
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Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-5539550178886587332019-07-29T15:15:00.000-04:002019-07-29T15:16:05.623-04:00CONVICTED? NEVER CONVICTED.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBuHdsRGrPyQrRUu-2776uasMQFgYzayrTsj90dWqLKGvvQQl9zHYMkmyJNtqdVx_qRSE76GYau57KpacOL0QGKbLm9Eofos736egfehfDhGWFXrV07Z-flXZBQ5rGQ-9GWQxvU0xCO3r/s1600/www.mazzellainvestigations.com:expunged-expungement-record-records-criminal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBuHdsRGrPyQrRUu-2776uasMQFgYzayrTsj90dWqLKGvvQQl9zHYMkmyJNtqdVx_qRSE76GYau57KpacOL0QGKbLm9Eofos736egfehfDhGWFXrV07Z-flXZBQ5rGQ-9GWQxvU0xCO3r/s1600/www.mazzellainvestigations.com:expunged-expungement-record-records-criminal.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: This article was originally posted in 2014. It has been updated with new information.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Owning a business investigation company we often had clients who would come to us to perform self-background checks. They had had an indiscretion long ago and wondered if it would appear during an employment background check. Or they had records expunged and wanted to make sure that searches would not reveal the records. Every now and then we would find records that the client swore had been expunged.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The search techniques used and the diligence of the background check company can often uncover records thought to be vaporized by the delete key. As records become more digitized it is increasingly more difficult to erase yourself from the digital world. Just like the picture from a sophomore year party that a friend posted on your favorite social media page, once it’s out there-it’s out there. Removing it can be difficult and time-consuming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">EXPUNGED?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Similar to those unwanted pictures, records of your past, even expunged records, can be found in the digital world. The legal term “expunged” has different definitions in different States. Some allow for the records to be sealed and treat the case as it never happened. Some change the conviction to “dismissed” but the other details of the case are the same. In Maryland, it means to remove from public inspection. Although records are expunged, they are filed somewhere. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you receive an order to have your record expunged and it is served, the judicial system possessing the record will remove it from its online court access. Anyone searching your name would not see the record. Contrary to what the fast working TV detectives would have us believe, there is not one government sourced database of criminal records. Records of arrests and adjudications are kept at the local courthouses and county jurisdictions. The closest to any semblance of a national database is the FBI’s fingerprint database, to which only law enforcement has access. See <a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2013/04/national-record-checks.html">“National” record checks</a> <span style="color: blue;"> </span>Third-party vendors must rely on court reported data offered by State and local governments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As with your personal information and shopping habits, court data is downloaded, bought, and sold every day. Vendors collect the data from several sources. As the data is shared and stored and stored again it ends up in narrower access points allowing for the production of a single report. If the vendor then resells that report, the record moves to another database. You get the idea. Just like the unwanted picture, although expunged from the government files, your record is sitting in who knows how many vendors databases waiting to be accessed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">REMOVING THE RECORD</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The criminal record you had expunged was downloaded, bought, shared, compiled, stored, all the digital speak long before the record was expunged. The best, and least expensive, way to rid the record from existence is to deal with the source vendor directly. Most companies that deal with personal information are forthright about the data that they dispense and pride themselves on the accuracy, which means they are more than willing to help. Sending them a copy of the expungement order along with a request to have the record removed usually will suffice. The problem is finding all the places where the record is stored. This can be a tedious and long process for the individual. There are companies that will chase the record and do the work for you, but of course, fees are involved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DISCLOSURE</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cities and states throughout the U.S. have enacted laws banning the criminal history question from employment applications. See <a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2016/08/ban-box-update.html">Ban the Box</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In October 2018, a Massachusetts criminal justice reform bill went into effect that included further Ban the Box regulation. The new regulations include disclosure of misdemeanor convictions for three years (Previously was five). Also, employers cannot inquire about expunged records. Applicants that have had records expunged may legally answer “no record”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bottom line is, job seekers cannot be 100% sure that an expunged record will not turn up in a background search. If unsure, be honest about the existence of a record with the requester. Provide copies of the expungement order when the record is requested. However, know your rights within your state and handle the criminal records question per the law. You may not be required to answer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Refer to the blog archive for more articles about criminal records in <a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/search/label/Employment">Employment</a></span></div>
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Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-17737851211621947742019-07-15T08:00:00.000-04:002019-07-15T08:00:03.020-04:00Communication is Key <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzEhLvCGNTjk-MWCFHLXUvRhjLwVtXe2O2wD4hELqMncCDyQB_SA-CzT24iUB0GlZXXjDZL6oXBZ7jCS3H9HSTDNM7yKa_y1kLODRl9ano_JxU8RuU1_3y_OUh-FCEqXCmVDLIh0t16m8/s1600/Customer-Service-Communication-Key.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="720" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzEhLvCGNTjk-MWCFHLXUvRhjLwVtXe2O2wD4hELqMncCDyQB_SA-CzT24iUB0GlZXXjDZL6oXBZ7jCS3H9HSTDNM7yKa_y1kLODRl9ano_JxU8RuU1_3y_OUh-FCEqXCmVDLIh0t16m8/s320/Customer-Service-Communication-Key.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Customer communication can solve many problems</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Readers of this blog know that one of my customer service pet peeves is communication. Many headaches can be avoided by keeping customers informed. Even if it’s bad news, getting “in front” of the problem will result in better customer interaction and build trust in your business.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Communication with a company in which I’d completed business caused both irritation and satisfaction. Thompson Creek Window Company had installed windows. Touch-up work was necessary after the job was completed. Although scheduled for a month later the process was smooth and painless. There had been quoted a two-hour arrival window in a confirmation email. On the appointed day, the scheduled timeframe passed. I called to check. The two-hour window surprised the customer service rep as their policy is usually four, but at this point, that wasn’t the issue. When was the tech arriving? The representative made a call and I was told that the tech had been delayed due to a problem at another site. I would be the last call of the day and the tech would call a half-hour before arriving.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The end of the [business] day came and no call-no repair tech. Well, sometimes they arrive after hours to finish the scheduled jobs. That didn’t happen. Day wasted. The first thing the next morning I’m on the phone to work it out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The customer service representative was empathetic and apologetic. Good start. She said she would “investigate” and get back to me. I put investigate in quotes because I found that an interesting choice of words. Regardless, it made me (the customer) feel that she took the matter seriously and would actually get answers. (Read <a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/10/im-in-your-way.html">I’m in your way</a>, to see how simple words can change a customer’s experience)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It took a couple hours but the customer service rep did get back to me. And she had really investigated what had happened. She explained the company’s internal communication process and policies. She then explained where the failure occurred. In my case, the repair tech had been delayed beyond the appointment time and emailed the service coordinator. However, that email was after hours and the coordinator was out of the office the next day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She offered the explanation not as an excuse but as factual reporting. I thanked her for the explanation and for being so thorough. She said that she tries to respond to customers the way she would like to be treated. While I understood their process, I explained that a call directly to the customer at the time of the missed appointment would have helped; it would have been more welcome than no communication. The customer service rep sincerely took my suggestion. She then scheduled my repair for the first available date, which was within three business days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not offering excuses and providing a thorough answer definitely deescalated my situation. I’m sure some customers would have been more irate and would not have accepted the answer, but hey, the appointment had already come and gone, what could the representative have done at that point. Except for provide-Customer Service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another positive experience that started out as an inconvenience occurred at a Chick-Fil-A. I had placed an order using the mobile app for pickup. The order went through and the payment processed. When I arrived at the restaurant, it was closed for remodeling. Now what. Luckily, I’m in an area that pretty much has two of everything in a short drive. I hop over to the next nearest restaurant ready to tell my story. Once inside I ask for the manager. A sentence into my dilemma and she asks to see my mobile order to confirm. Without further explanation from me, she processed my order. I complimented the manager for being on top of the issue and her reply was, “Thanks, but we’re really not on ‘top of it’ if the app is still accepting orders”. She immediately got on the phone and I could overhear her speaking to someone about the problem. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both of these examples exemplify how communication is essential to customer service. My experiences started out poorly due to a lack of communication but both ended positively. In both instances, the problem was identified, what was suppose to happen explained, and the problem fixed with little effort on the part of the customer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Read more articles on <a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/search/label/customer%20service">Customer Service </a> </span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-79257970868022637352019-06-10T10:34:00.001-04:002019-06-10T10:34:04.826-04:00HIring in the Gen Z age<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look out workforce there's a new generation on the horizon. Employers are, hopefully, getting comfortable with the changing hiring landscape that Millennials have cultivated. But not too comfortable. For the first time since Millennials took over the top spot in the workforce, the next wave is coming of age. Gen Z, those born after 1996, are entering adulthood and will be submitting resumes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The numbers</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Millennials are persons born between 1981 and 1996. The Pew Research Center estimated that Millennials surpassed baby Boomers in 2016 and now are the "Old Salts" in the labor force. While Baby Boomer numbers are declining and Millennials are taking the mantel, Gen Z has been sneaking up. Bloomberg estimates that Gen Z will surpass Millennials in 2019 comprising 32% of the world's population. By 2020 they will be the majority in the workforce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Millennials hit the workforce in such numbers and such differing personalities from Gen Xers and Baby Boomers that they changed the way business was done. Both in marketing and hiring. In order to court new hires from this generation employers had to change practices. The marketing world has gone to great lengths to shape campaigns to attract Millennial customers. A generation literally changed the way business was done. Just as the business world had things were figured out it appears that changes will again have to be made. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Millennials seemed to get a bad rap in the workforce but by sheer numbers were able to change how business is done. Every generation has its own idiosyncrasies. Technology advanced so quickly over the past thirty years children and grandchildren grew up much differently than their parents and even from each other. Gen Z is the first post 9/11 generation and the first generation in which smartphones are bodily attachments. According to Buzzfeed, here are a few things that Gen Z never heard of or are curious about: Payphones, Floppy discs, VHS and cassette tapes, The phrases-"Roll down the window" or "Hang up the phone", pound sign, pencil sharpener, film or film canisters, Gameboys or game system cartridges. At least some early Millennials may have come across these things or their remnants.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Cultural trends report by Endeavor Global Marketing lists three major differences between Millennials and Gen Z. Gen Z is described as having non-binary beauty or gender fluid beauty concepts. They are a progressive foodie culture in which stories are part of the experience. The report says, "Expect to see a shift from photogenic, Instagrammable, food to the emergence of the stories of those behind the dishes". Gen Z will expect a more connected theater experience in which shows are releasing soundtracks early and streaming shows which generate more viral interest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to <span class="Hyperlink0" style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.inc.com/anne-gherini/gen-z-is-about-to-outnumber-millennials-heres-how-that-will-affect-business-world.html" style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">Inc.com</span></a></span>, Gen Z prefers conversation to mass communication. Instead of being absorbed in social media they are more interested in quality, personal relationships. While Gen Z is less interested in their friend count, they are interested in getting their news via social media or the Internet. Compared to Millennials Gen Z is more interested in entrepreneurship.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What does all this mean to employers and hiring? Knowing what is coming next and how to adjust. Just as you know the qualities you are looking for in an employee you need to know what qualities the employee pool has to offer and is expecting. As you and your business age, the hiring pool is getting younger. Gen Z has aged in a different time from Millennials. Knowing about what will soon become the largest generational workforce is how employers will attract and retain employees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://online.csp.edu/generation-z-in-the-workforce">Concordia University-St Paul</a> released a study on what to expect from Gen Z in the workforce. Gen Z tends to be more like their grandparents when it comes to privacy and practicality. As mentioned, they have never known life without a digital connection at their fingertips. They are multitaskers, using on average of five screens. They believe that social media is a big part of their lives but crave more personal relationships and worry that social media erodes this. They are frugal shoppers and distrust big brands. 35% plan to start retirement savings in their 20's. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The study continues with an assessment of Gen Z in the workplace. This generation is hard working. They are deeply driven by security and are motivated by salary and health benefits. They are willing to put in the extra hours if they are rewarded for it. They prefer to work independently and value skills and self-improvement. They feel that they are responsible for driving their own career. They view technology as a tool. They want to be coached and trained.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you have it. Everything you need to know about hiring the perfect young candidate and providing them with a long and successful career. Well, not everything. But it's a good jump on knowing who will be sitting in your interview chair. The point is, there is so much more than just putting up the Help Wanted sign. Knowing your candidates will go a long way in making the proper hire and saving everyone a lot of headaches. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More blogs on generations and the workplace at <span class="Hyperlink0" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/search/label/millennials">https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/search/label/millennials</a></span></span></span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-74828639952937292122019-05-27T10:12:00.005-04:002019-05-27T10:14:04.431-04:00Millennials are changing everything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The year 2019 will see Millennials overtake baby boomers as the largest generation. They already make up the majority of the U.S. workforce and are considered the world’s most powerful consumers. They are also the most technologically engaged. If your business has been overlooking them as potential employees or customers, you may be making a big mistake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My July 2018 post, <a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/07/a-generation-changes-hiring.html">A generation changes hiring</a> explains how business has had to adjust their hiring process to attract this pool of candidates. Millennials are not shy about talking to bosses or jumping jobs. They’ll move until they find the right fit and expect salary increases and better working environments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As far as consumers, they are driving the marketplace and causing change. A variety of recent studies regarding business and products have claimed that Milliennials are to blame for their decreased sales. A few examples are fabric softener, bar soap, canned tuna, casual dining, and department stores.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Proctor & Gamble <i>believes </i>that Millennials are unaware of what is the intent of fabric softener. Market research company Mintel found that 18 to 24 years believe that bar soap is full of germs. The Wall Street Journal reported in December 2018 that canned tuna sales have declined due to this generation’s decision that the cans are too difficult to open. There was also a report that breakfast cereal sales are declining due to claims of the product being too messy. This may also explain the lack of interest in casual dining restaurants, which have claimed that Millennials are not interested in sitting down for longer periods of time to dine. They’d rather eat on the go. Department stores may have trouble blaming a generation more than a technology phenomenon. While it’s true that Millennials are less interested in brick and mortar stores, e-commerce is probably more to blame. Consumer goods companies that have not adjusted are filing Chapter 11.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of these products or services have seen sales decline. They’ve had to resort to price reductions, closings, or even bankruptcy to adjust. Are they looking for something to blame for declines or excusing poor planning? Some of the reports and research were based on interviews while others were based on declining sales and attributed to Millennials. Of course, claims run rampant on the Internet further fueling Millennials as scapegoats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They read them and they give them. Online reviews and apps like Yelp cannot be ignored. Millennials make informed decisions about large purchases and where they are going to eat. How many stars and positive reviews your business has can drive business as well as detract. If you’re noticing a decline of business from a certain demographic, check your reviews. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make sure your business has listings set up on Google, Yelp, and any other app that may service your industry. Encourage reviews and be interactive, for the good and the bad. If there are bad reviews try to respond in a way that shows empathy and what is being done to correct the problem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even fast food restaurants are getting into the home delivery game. Partnering with services like Grub Hub and Door Dash major franchises are providing home delivery. More than likely another way commerce is changing to accommodate a generation of buyers. To keep up or ahead, delivery or some sort of convenience offered to customers may be another consideration in your business model.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is yet to be seen if the largest generation will become the next greatest generation, but, currently, they are a powerful economic force. Recognizing this and adapting could literally mean the future of your business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visit the blog archives for more articles on how Millennials have affected the marketplace. <a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/search/label/millennials">http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/search/label/millennials</a></span></div>
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Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-30007418134522011112019-05-13T15:14:00.002-04:002019-05-13T15:20:46.664-04:00What Real-ID means to Maryland drivers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnwyE4XZo21MuKHxMIcgzIprz9uzvzt5cLgEafmhexfCl588NalG-JAujeoae2MyEwioyDS0bgl0lBcgE8py5SNJ72submWVZvuR_5ep59S5sHg2wPcMBTsgs4Go5XT9_JLPbTNLVsJwD/s1600/F83871E6BC364D128E3DD9D2485F71EC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="450" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnwyE4XZo21MuKHxMIcgzIprz9uzvzt5cLgEafmhexfCl588NalG-JAujeoae2MyEwioyDS0bgl0lBcgE8py5SNJ72submWVZvuR_5ep59S5sHg2wPcMBTsgs4Go5XT9_JLPbTNLVsJwD/s320/F83871E6BC364D128E3DD9D2485F71EC.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maryland Real ID</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You may have seen news reports about the need for Maryland drivers to further document their identification and citizenship or risk confiscation of driver’s licenses. This isn’t hype. It is true and deadlines are fast approaching. If affected drivers do not update their status with the MD MVA, their license will not be considered valid. Which means a police encounter could result in the confiscation of your license and TSA will not accept the license as proper ID.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">REAL ID Act</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 setting the benchmark for personal forms of identification and establishing minimum security standards for driver’s license issuance and production. The act prohibits federal agencies, like the TSA, from accepting driver’s licenses from states that do not meet the standards. The deadline set by the Act is October 1, 2020. After that date residents of all states will need a Real ID Act compliant driver’s license to pass through airport security. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How does this affect Maryland?</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maryland began issuing Real ID Act compliant licenses in 2016 and is listed as a state compliant with the Act. The licenses feature the state flag as the backdrop and the Real ID star logo. The license has multiple security features to guard against counterfeiting and was touted at the time as the most secure license in the U.S. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The problem? While Maryland issued a license that met all of the Real ID Act physical security features the MVA did not always require the license holder to submit proper documentation for proof of identity or citizenship. Now those with the new “Flag” license are in danger of either losing their license or not being able to pass through federal security. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">MD MVA estimates that over a million drivers have the new license but not the necessary documentation on file. Trying to alleviate a renewal nightmare Maryland officials have set staggered renewal dates in June and November 2019 to clear the backlog before the federal October 2020 deadline. Over sixty-six thousand drivers have deadline dates in June 2019 to provide documentation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Those holding the older licenses with the blue banner and crab logo are not required to update their records and may maintain their licenses until they expire. However, after October 1, 2020, these style licenses will not be accepted by TSA or other federal agencies. Even if you have been issued a flag design license you may still need to update your documentation with MVA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You should get a notice by email and/or mail notifying of the MVA need for documentation. Rather than wait for the MVA renewal notice you can check if your license is compliant at this link </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mva.maryland.gov/realid/realidlookup.htm">RealID Lookup</a> . </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After searching your license number you will be told if anything further is required and what to do next.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are required to update your records you will need,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1) Proof of age and identity-Original or certified copy of your birth certificate OR a valid U.S. passport</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2) Proof of Social Security-Original Social Security card or W-2 form, or SSA-1099</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3) Proof of Maryland residency-Two documents required: insurance card, vehicle registration, credit card bill, utility bill, or bank statement. Any must have your name, Maryland address and be from two separate entities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This link has further information on </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mva.maryland.gov/realid/real-id-faqs.htm">Real ID </a><a href="http://www.mva.maryland.gov/realid/real-id-faqs.htm">FAQs</a> .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good luck!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Previous blog about licenses at <a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/search?q=real+id">"Real" ID</a> .</span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-80975691561115227092019-05-07T08:00:00.000-04:002019-05-07T08:00:12.225-04:00Shut down Apps?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_pAc6sMjeyTwIF78lbj7DsDkirC1Eh23JijBxbwUq2J_buMB6n06LfrAOvyJtxpdnkpL_JrDC4ELp59MQyWfV9gdBwsNoF0tppq9n7Vu-qTyysf4o_mVxvi5xD-TB1VdxQ-QYBIxMSdT/s1600/D8A4D042E0D84E52AF2F29BD85CEDAF8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="588" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_pAc6sMjeyTwIF78lbj7DsDkirC1Eh23JijBxbwUq2J_buMB6n06LfrAOvyJtxpdnkpL_JrDC4ELp59MQyWfV9gdBwsNoF0tppq9n7Vu-qTyysf4o_mVxvi5xD-TB1VdxQ-QYBIxMSdT/s320/D8A4D042E0D84E52AF2F29BD85CEDAF8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The thought for this blog post started with the idea of security regarding remaining logged in to mobile apps. The question being does that open any doors for hackers to access data on either other apps or your phone? It ended up going down quite a rabbit hole of security and hacking techniques that only go to show that cybercrime and security is ever-present and evolving.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) has been a known vulnerability since 2001. According to The Open Web Application Security Project CSRF is defined as:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A type of attack that occurs when a malicious web site, email, blog, instant message, or program causes a user’s web browser to perform an unwanted action on a trusted site when the user is authenticated. A CSRF attack works because browser requests automatically include any credentials associated with the site, such as the user’s session cookie, IP address, etc. Therefore, if the user is authenticated to the site, the site cannot distinguish between the forged or legitimate request sent by the victim. <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are logged in to sites and the cybercriminal can get you to visit one of their web sites or open an infected email or IM they then can make your browser send requests to the other sites posing as you. Thus, gaining access to whatever you have open. This kind of attack generally only occurs within the same browser. In other words, having clicked on a malicious site the attack could flow across any other sites you have open within that browser. Not jump to another browser say Safari to Firefox. An open browser could not transfer the attack to an open app as the two store their own credentials or cookies and do not share. The same goes for apps themselves. They store their own data. The malware would need a conduit to access other apps or your phone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heck of an opening to a business blog. Why do you need to know this? It is why it is important to log out of company websites and software either on your desktop or your mobile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Developing security</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the years sites and apps have become more security conscious. Shutting down your logon after a period of non-activity and/or making you log in every time. Sometimes a pain to log back in but it’s for your own security. With the addition of biometric features on mobiles, even the pizza ordering apps require a fingerprint to gain access. Games and social media apps/sites tend to keep you logged in. The term being “frictionless” because the developers want you to have easy access, at all times, to keep you engaged in their product.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We do a lot of browsing and an increasing amount on our mobile devices. Lots of times your thumbs get fat and you errantly click on the wrong thing. It doesn’t take much to click on the wrong link, even if you close it right away it may be too late. The same goes for links within emails. We get a ton of email to business accounts. It’s hard to distinguish every email between real and spam. Spam emails and links get opened. When employees are accessing company databases and files they are using those same computers to access their company email. Depending on computer use policies or adherence to the policy, employees may also be accessing their personal email accounts and browsing the web. This is when the company system becomes vulnerable to CSRF attacks and others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watering hole attack</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is what the name implies. A cybercriminal monitors a company’s employees to determine where they congregate, e.g.-restaurants, bars, etc. The criminal bets that one or more of the employees will access the “watering hole’s” website for menu information, reservations, etc. The criminal places malware on the establishment’s site. When an employee does visit the site the criminal then has access to the employee’s computer or phone. Any company files or databases that are open (logged in to) are now free game for the criminal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">None of this is or the precautions are new. The same security tenets we’ve heard over and over still hold true. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t open or click on suspicious emails or links in emails texts/IMs especially while logged into other accounts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t keep sites open-Logout</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Change passwords frequently</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t use the same password for multiple sites</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t save passwords on your browser</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep system security updated</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not a cybersecurity expert just a security conscious user. Hope that this information has been helpful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regarding the initial reason, I started doing this research, open mobile apps. It appears that it is OK to leave them open. Again most security conscientious apps like financial will time out and require login. So a criminal gaining access to your phone and then entering your bank account through your bank app is probably low.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most risks to mobile apps occur at the server level or through poor app development, not actions by the user. Although using public WiFi (<a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2017/07/public-wi-fi-for-dummies.html" style="color: purple;">Wifi for dummies</a>) is one of the biggest user faults to app security.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Research for the blog revealed information debunking an iPhone myth. Quitting apps does not help save battery life. The iPhone OS is designed for multitasking and places the app in suspension until needed. Closing and reopening the app actually causes the phone to use more power as it is starting the app from scratch. So keeping open frequently used apps doesn’t affect battery life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please feel free to share. Check the archives for other posts about privacy and online security.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/04/how-secure-are-apps.html" style="color: purple;">How secure are apps?</a><span style="color: #333333;">April 2018<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/02/one-born-every-minute.html" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6699cc;">One born every minute</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"> </span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;">February 2018<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/02/are-you-being-watched.html" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6699cc;">Are you being watched?</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">February 2018<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2017/11/time-expired-on-parking-meters.html" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6699cc;">Time expired on parking meters</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"> </span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;">November 2017<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2017/09/cleaning-up-your-online-presence.html" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6699cc;">Cleaning up your online presence</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">September 2018<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2017/07/public-wi-fi-for-dummies.html" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6699cc;">Public WiFi for dummies</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"> </span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;">July 2017<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2017/07/public-wi-fi-for-dummies.html" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6699cc;">Keys to the vault</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">August 2015<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2015/02/theres-been-breach.html" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6699cc;">There’s been a breach</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">February 2015<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-29867879120776892232019-04-15T14:39:00.001-04:002019-04-15T14:39:26.426-04:00Hey! That’s my WiFi!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey! That's my Wi-Fi!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever checked your home WiFi connection and noticed a long list of possible connections? Unless you live in the woods with few neighbors you’ll very likely pick up a lot. Sometimes you get a laugh at some of the crazy names your neighbors use and sometimes a start when you see NSA_Van_9. The thing is, your router is also popping up on your neighbors' list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did just that the other day and was wondering who else might be using my WiFi. Just like stealing cable in the old days, only not as personal a connection, someone close by could be sucking off precious signal strength. What I found wasn’t as shocking as much as a surprise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wi-Fi use</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slow WiFi is one indicator of someone using your signal. All depending on the plan you have with your provider and your own usage. You can quickly check what devices are using your WiFi by logging in to your router. Once logged in you will be provided with a list of the devices currently logged on. A simpler way is to use a 3<sup>rd</sup>party app such as <i>Who’s on my Wi-Fi</i>. This app will use your Wi-Fi signal and provide a list of devices currently using the signal. It is not necessary to provide any personal or router information. The list is comprised of IP and Mac addresses. Once you have the list the task becomes identifying the devices. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used this app to search for devices that returned a list of twenty-five devices currently logged on. After running down the list and doing some light deciphering I was able to determine good news and a surprise. The good news-No foreign devices were located. The surprise? All the devices were mine! The search revealed twenty-five devices that did not include the devices that were not currently logged on and had Wi-Fi disabled. If everything were in use the total would be over thirty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As determined in the post <a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2019/01/locking-down-internet-of-things.html">Locking Down the Internet of Things </a>we have, over time, without plan or intent, created our own IoT. That happens in most households. Excluding phones, 74% of U.S. homes have at least one smart device. Few people plan to set up a smart home system, it happens in bits and pieces. A security camera and/or alarm system, new appliance, TV, thermostat, one device at a time your IoT builds. Then a smart speaker is added that is able to control some or all of the devices and your IoT smart home comes to life. Added already to the phones, tablets, and eReaders your WiFi list expands. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Security</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With all of the security breaches that seem to be a monthly news item, we have become numb to the warnings of password and network security maintenance. It is important to perform regular checks of our home system. Especially as we add smart devices to our homes. (<a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/02/are-you-being-watched.html" style="color: purple;">Are you being watched?</a>) Properly setup new devices and be aware of what access you are granting them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Wi-Fi usage check is yet another added security check but one that should be completed every so often. Just like changing your smoke alarm batteries at the seasonal time change it doesn’t hurt to set up some calendar reminder to review your home network security. This quick WiFi check not only reveals possible hacking but also helps you to get a handle on the number of devices in your home that are accessing the Internet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you detected someone stealing your WiFi? Tell us about your experience in the comments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please share. Refer to the blog archive for more posts about Internet security.</span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-20582635195296505362019-04-09T16:48:00.001-04:002019-04-09T16:48:49.759-04:00Maryland General Assembly 2019<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYSj4B0JaUqI9Gsgk4JR2D505BUlZDSrEGhPgreMl603lNehahCoNr36ECXrB475TZk3eMDKPekOVd6To0NKkdjkIMRD85nkHJ8pM_y-kuKO5VuCsKgB4893UnFqe0sylH2QWaXDB1yWv/s1600/31458D5E3EC04948A9FAE28342390062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYSj4B0JaUqI9Gsgk4JR2D505BUlZDSrEGhPgreMl603lNehahCoNr36ECXrB475TZk3eMDKPekOVd6To0NKkdjkIMRD85nkHJ8pM_y-kuKO5VuCsKgB4893UnFqe0sylH2QWaXDB1yWv/s320/31458D5E3EC04948A9FAE28342390062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">The 439th session of Maryland's General Assembly is in the books. Not without some somber news as it's longest serving Speaker of the House, Michael<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Busch,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>passed away the day before the end of the session. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">Here is a snapshot of business and public safety bills that passed and are awaiting Governor Hogan’s Signature. </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">$15 minimum wage-Although the Governor vetoed the bill there were enough votes to override the veto. The increase to $15 will be incremented as follows.</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Businesses with fewer than 15 employees:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$11 on Jan. 1, 2020</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$11.60 on Jan. 1, 2021</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$12.20 on Jan. 1, 2022</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$12.80 on Jan. 1, 2023</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$13.40 on Jan. 1, 2024</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$14.00 on Jan. 1, 2025</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$14.60 on Jan. 1, 2026</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$15 on July 1, 2026 </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">At least 15 employees:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$11 on Jan. 1, 2020</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$11.75 on Jan. 1, 2021</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$12.50 on Jan. 1, 2022</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$13.25 on Jan. 1, 2023</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$14 on Jan. 1, 2024</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$15 on Jan. 1, 2025</span></div>
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<li>A Child Care Tax credit was expanded to parents making less than $143,000 (Up from $50,000)</li>
<li>Health insurance- Those without health insurance will be able to check a box on their tax return allowing the state’s health exchange to determine if they are eligible for free insurance</li>
<li>Marijuana edibles such as brownies, gummies, etc. can be sold for medical purposes</li>
<li>The age of smoking was raised to 21</li>
<li>Maryland will become the first state to ban Styrofoam containers such as cups and food containers.</li>
<li>The decision of whether to start school before/after Labor Day was returned to local school boards. The Governor vetoed the bill but was overrode.</li>
<li>Handgun Permit Review Board was eliminated. Now, appeals to the Maryland State Police decision for handgun permits will be heard by an administrative judge.</li>
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Public safety bills that failed were background checks on the private (citizen to citizen) sales of shotguns and rifles and a bill to prevent 3D printed guns.</div>
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<br />Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-73319711798375976552019-04-01T14:05:00.001-04:002019-04-01T14:05:40.649-04:00The old becomes new again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkEzHzP627IBvIz50UkAWT67i-Hk4ZwTrKdwi5CAgmamuT9k7yMZNUIRoOlmmII3HexiruDmvppFNz_W6wSJorfWa2fQ_kT1NawwQpfsEe5KjYLIx6vBcnqRmCRa8W5KJNPu4OuLsfm3k/s1600/E6EF346F708E40349DA30A4ED087A100.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkEzHzP627IBvIz50UkAWT67i-Hk4ZwTrKdwi5CAgmamuT9k7yMZNUIRoOlmmII3HexiruDmvppFNz_W6wSJorfWa2fQ_kT1NawwQpfsEe5KjYLIx6vBcnqRmCRa8W5KJNPu4OuLsfm3k/s320/E6EF346F708E40349DA30A4ED087A100.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">California based company Robomart is hoping to begin an on-demand grocery service. The service would be provided through an app and delivered by a remotely controlled truck. The buyer would meet the truck street side, open a door with the app, and retrieve their purchase. This may sound futuristic or a new angle on grocery delivery. But is it? Of course, remote-controlled trucks roaming the streets and ordering through your phone are, but not grocery delivery service. Ask your parents or grandparents. Depending on the reader maybe you already guess what I mean. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dairy delivery by “milkmen” began to fade in the U.S. in the 1970s. Driven by stay at home moms who didn’t have access to transportation or grocery stores during business hours, the milkman was a necessity. Fresh milk, butter, and eggs delivered on a predetermined schedule. But as women joined the workforce in greater numbers and began driving their own vehicles the need for home delivery faded. In some areas of the country, milkmen have again begun roaming the streets. Once again built on necessity, some are finding it more convenient to have dairy products delivered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In cities like Baltimore, Arabbers, up until recently, would walk horse-drawn carts through the streets selling produce. Pronounced Ay-rabber, from the 19<sup>th</sup>century defining the homeless who wandered the streets selling small objects. People knew the Arabbers schedule and made their daily purchase of fresh items. In cities and rural locales, street merchants would go street-to-street selling merchandise or offering services such as cobbling, repairs, and knife sharpening, People could stay at home and have food delivered to their door. What a concept, huh? Over time, as grocery and department stores began to emerge in neighborhoods and people became more mobile the street vendors began to disappear. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a concept</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The street vendor or home delivery of groceries is not a new concept. How the merchandise is delivered is the new twist. In addition to drone delivery of packages, Amazon is also working on its own robotic delivery service. Robomart doesn’t call their delivery trucks robots or autonomous, because they are operated by humans in real time remotely. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amazon's small cooler sized robots are being tested to navigate neighborhood streets using sidewalks. They will be deployed from nearby distribution centers and carry packages to homes. FedEx is close behind Amazon in robotic delivery of packages. In February 2019 FedEx unveiled an autonomous robot that will handle “last mile deliveries. The robot is designed to handle any terrain and climb stairs. Delivering your package to the front door. Currently, FedEx has partnered with Walmart and Pizza Hut to test the robot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While technology is thrusting us into the future the new is being applied to the old. While our grandparents may not understand all the newfangled gadgetry, they would recognize milk being delivered to their door.</span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-9580614089919186162019-03-18T11:02:00.000-04:002019-03-18T11:02:05.492-04:00No Facebook?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-DoaW4AGSElMhjcJSICQy0PwWqHWLzwLD8DctlH5rkSNKGTxaNiAXRom5Tu45bHVOhQqEgQHmuThEcPFhamtZ-XN9EB_dPOGuXUNCtKzKqmD-L44IptNwBaQuXOxLDMtEytoMqckQ-x7/s1600/16F85D7E084C41D597B2633D43289313.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="634" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-DoaW4AGSElMhjcJSICQy0PwWqHWLzwLD8DctlH5rkSNKGTxaNiAXRom5Tu45bHVOhQqEgQHmuThEcPFhamtZ-XN9EB_dPOGuXUNCtKzKqmD-L44IptNwBaQuXOxLDMtEytoMqckQ-x7/s320/16F85D7E084C41D597B2633D43289313.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On March 13, 2019, Facebook went down for over eight hours. Believe it or not, the world carried on. E-commerce didn’t crash and human social interaction continued. Facebook itself, however, could lose over 80 million dollars in lost revenue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook entered the scene in 2004. Since that time it has grown to be a company worth upwards of $500 billion with approximately 2.3 billion users worldwide. Along the way, it has either defeated or bought out rivals. Even the mighty Google is packing in its social media platform Google+. Even though Facebook has dominated the social media market something has to come along that’s better? Right? How long can one company continue to dominate the market?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interest in Facebook may be waning. Nearly 3 million users were loss in 2018, many using SnapChat, YouTube, or Instagram (Which is owned by FB). This is due in part to privacy issues that have been uncovered over the past several years. Early users of the platform were young adults. Facebook weathered a loss of users several years ago when “parents” starting using Facebook for personal reasons and to keep tabs on their kids. But over the years users returned or were replaced by new, younger users.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tech investor Jason Calacanis launched a contest in 2018 called the Openbook Challenge. Calacanis is offering teams $100,000 to build a billion-user social network that would replace Facebook. You can get updates on the project here <a href="https://www.openbookchallenge.com/">Open Book Challenge </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once Facebook exploded businesses realized they had to get in on the social media game. There are 80 million small and medium business pages on Facebook in addition to large corporations. Companies use Facebook like individual users, keeping followers up to date on the latest happenings. Once Facebook allowed advertising businesses could reach an even larger audience. When Facebook experiences outages, in addition to user dissatisfaction, it also causes revenue loss. Continued privacy issues and major outages will likely push personal and business users elsewhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google and the other search engines offer myriad ways to highlight and advertise your business. If not taking advantage of these options now, companies would certainly gravitate in that direction. Whatever eventually does replace Facebook probably would allow advertising and business pages. Unless that replacement is truly a social media platform that disallows corporate infringement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Facebook does tank the world will continue. We’ve made it through when companies and media outlets that have been providing services for over a hundred years have packed it in. We’ll get through without Facebook.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The statistics used were found through general Internet searches and featured in the blog post <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-statistics/">41 Facebook Stats That Matter to Marketers in 2019</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please share. See the blog archive for more small business topics.</span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-80578364336410429902019-03-04T10:37:00.000-05:002019-03-04T10:32:39.177-05:00Ban the box update <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvk4pvzRtTcypbXSXj_5QTfKxEz8QCXJg-BKCA2XbnXOWqHqKWEBMNPWrNM8qFLaRqtuJ9b9XDjNJ1adgJNLdivTl0uknParSJv8qJPEuswVHGXyGPvJE_ZCF2RVxVzrIZwLw356oNP6EG/s1600/FA29CD92FAE241F7B06843A4D07196F7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvk4pvzRtTcypbXSXj_5QTfKxEz8QCXJg-BKCA2XbnXOWqHqKWEBMNPWrNM8qFLaRqtuJ9b9XDjNJ1adgJNLdivTl0uknParSJv8qJPEuswVHGXyGPvJE_ZCF2RVxVzrIZwLw356oNP6EG/s320/FA29CD92FAE241F7B06843A4D07196F7.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NOTE: This post was originally published in August 2016 and has been updated with more recent data.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The</span> Ban the Box movement was initially reviewed in this blog in the 2013 post, <a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2013/02/should-box-be-banned.html">Should the box be banned? </a>The movement continues to grow and this blog has updated the progress.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since the last update in September 2018 there hasn’t been much in the way of new legislation. However, some states are refining their Ban the Box laws. Massachusetts passed a Ban the Box law in 2010, which included private employers when most states have laws only covering State job applications. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In October 2018, a Massachusetts criminal justice reform bill went into effect that included further Ban the Box regulation. The new regulations include disclosure of misdemeanor convictions for three years instead of five. Employers cannot inquire about expunged records. Applicants that have had records expunged may legally answer “no record”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While past private employer Ban the Box bills have failed in Colorado (Law already cover State employers), the 2019 legislature may be amenable to idea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is “Ban the Box”?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the last several years there has been a movement to remove from employment applications the “box” that asks the question, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime” or any inquiry about criminal history. What has become known as “ban the box”, the campaign feels that one’s criminal history should not be a consideration of employment at the time an application is submitted, rather, at a later time during the interview process. It is felt that asking this question on the application reduces the chances of those with criminal records to be employed. Employers should meet applicants first, get to know them, give a chance to explain themselves and then get to the criminal history. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has updated its policies, issuing guidelines in 2012 suggesting that employers wait until after a personal interview before making inquiries about criminal history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In January 2014, there were fifty-six cities that had “banned the box”. As of September 2018, that list included over 150 cities and counties, and 32 States (Eleven of which have laws that include private employers)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">California*<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Connecticut *<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Society for Human Resource Management posted a good article that breaks down laws State by State, which can be viewed at <a href="https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/state-and-local-updates/xperthr/pages/ban-the-box-laws-by-state-and-municipality-.aspx">Ban the Box Laws by State and Municipality</a> .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maryland Ban the Box</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Maryland’s law took effect October 1, 2013, and applies only to State of Maryland employment applications. State government cannot ask about criminal record or criminal history of an applicant until the applicant has been provided an opportunity for an interview. Exempt from the law are positions in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Baltimore passed a similar law in 2014, <span style="color: #262626;">restricting employers with 10 or more workers from asking a candidate about criminal records until after a conditional employment offer is made.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2017, Louisiana became the first state to enact a ban the box law for state institutions. Maryland passed a law in 2017, but the Governor vetoed it. In January 2018, the Maryland legislature overrode the Governor’s veto, reinstating the law.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the laws regarding criminal history continue to evolve the legislative season is a good time to review your interview and questions and job application content.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">Click here for other posts relating to </span><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/search/label/ban%20the%20box" style="color: purple;">Ban the Box</a></span><span style="color: #1d1d1d;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-34666906894268423812019-02-18T14:48:00.001-05:002019-02-18T14:49:54.073-05:00Communication key to customer service<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKntKsokWPbjJu73EuoWirgyKcGZtvb8yPAGUQTN7FNS7XoLnOv4phuVBjb7CBdt_BqVCoTvcgZmSYDJDRORElZBHm197FfqY7TfBjWoIK51dQVtYu9NgIq1JLwzOA7ChvmQPHhMNuor0N/s1600/B1C569BF7985454B887FB109AF0E9F88.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="720" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKntKsokWPbjJu73EuoWirgyKcGZtvb8yPAGUQTN7FNS7XoLnOv4phuVBjb7CBdt_BqVCoTvcgZmSYDJDRORElZBHm197FfqY7TfBjWoIK51dQVtYu9NgIq1JLwzOA7ChvmQPHhMNuor0N/s320/B1C569BF7985454B887FB109AF0E9F88.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep your customers informed</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Customer service is where businesses lose and maintain customers. It is also something that can be fixed. The more information you give people and the faster you deal with issues, the more customers you’ll retain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NewVoiceMedia’s 2018 “Serial Switcher’s” report found that businesses loss $75 billion a year due to poor customer service. Naturally, that varies by the size of the business and, of course, the state of their customer service. Small business owners rarely can afford to lose business, especially due to treating customers poorly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t be defensive</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When presented with a problem human nature makes us want to defend our position. Sometimes that is accomplished in a passive manner by making excuses. Sometimes more confrontational. Instead, we should be empathetic and ask ourselves what can be done to make it better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lack of communication</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A big issue with poor customer service is poor communication. Either before the problem arises or after it has been brought to the attention of the business. Most issues can be avoided by communicating with customers. Like in public relations, getting out in front of problems will save you headaches later. If a problem is identified from within that will lead to dissatisfied customers, let them know. The more information they have the less likely they may complain, they may even be sympathetic to your problem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lack of communication allows the customer to mire in the situation and build ill will towards the company even before the problem is addressed. This is why the poor customer service reps have to start with customers who are already ramped up to a 7 on the first interaction. That’s if the customer personally makes contact. Most complaints today are expressed online either through bad reviews or social media posts. Once that happens the complaint reaches a much larger public audience and is there to stay. Some businesses address these complaints by deleting bad comments or reviews. Not only does this mask the problem it also will affect their search engine rankings, which may cause poor search results.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An example comes from personal experience. We were having problems with the delivery of our newspaper. (Yes, I still read daily news printed on paper) After a week and a few automated reports of no paper being delivered the problem seemed to be corrected. The next week a representative from the paper called to ensure everything was back to normal. Seems they had a carrier quit unexpectedly which caused the delivery issues. While I appreciated the call to make sure service had been restored, wouldn’t it have been better to call when the problem occurred? Let the customers know that they are experiencing manpower issues, explain corrective measures, and that service would be restored shortly. I know I would have been more sympathetic and appreciative.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes a simple communication of thanks sends a surge of goodwill to customers. One time I received a thank you note after an online purchase. The card was handwritten with the simple message, ‘Thanks for keeping the lights on”. I’d never had any in-person interaction with this company, but receiving a handwritten thank you went a long way in my assessment of the company and definitely enticed me for future business</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Communicating with customers at the earliest point of a problem is one of the best ways to avoid complaints. If you’re having an issue that will affect service or the customer experience let the customer know before it is recognized or goes public. This starts on the frontlines. Employees have to know what they are allowed to handle in their purview and what is the company position.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort, explains in his podcast, <a href="https://www.leecockerell.com/customer-service-is-not-a-department/">Customer service is not a department</a> but is an attitude. Employees at every level should be empowered to serve the customer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please refer to the blog archive for more posts on customer service.</span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-42665548840081460382019-02-04T11:04:00.002-05:002019-02-04T11:04:24.744-05:00Experience v. Youth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCpLqtkdcoMnNJswpE3AibyDvfxWIR8ex1g8PwzglzleQlrOMOZz6HzEEwFEv-y0ieWWbCfExxUi_0TTJ7_bd3DVcHz-HMedYmth218gZW-10W9aytyk9YqmHX5g_sWzGqqu3DZRri9D4/s1600/10A4893A56E44D919FA1E31A159BC814.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCpLqtkdcoMnNJswpE3AibyDvfxWIR8ex1g8PwzglzleQlrOMOZz6HzEEwFEv-y0ieWWbCfExxUi_0TTJ7_bd3DVcHz-HMedYmth218gZW-10W9aytyk9YqmHX5g_sWzGqqu3DZRri9D4/s320/10A4893A56E44D919FA1E31A159BC814.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking to a friend about retirement she told me that she had a few more years to go. She wanted to get her financial foundation a little sounder before making the decision. She went on to say that she recently received a retirement assessment package from her employer outlining her current and future pension options. The package was personally addressed and written as a response to her inquiry. The thing was, she hadn’t made an inquiry. As time went by she heard from other employees similar to her age and seniority who had also received their “requested” retirement materials. When it came to hiring and promotions of late there appeared to be a bias towards younger people. Was the company sending a message with the retirement package mailings?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is not unheard of.<span> </span><span>Some corporations feel older employees are more expensive due to their salary and benefits. </span>Younger, newer hires do cost companies less money. They can be hired for a substantially less salary and are willing to accept it. Many companies are eliminating pension programs, instead, offering new employees 401(k) matches and other savings programs. Saving the company money in the long term. Companies embracing a y<span>outh movement are looking for new ideas from employees who are more familiar with current technology. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Targeted “retirements”</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In March 2018, ProPublica, an independent non-profit newsroom, published a report claiming that IBM systematically laid off 20,000 employees age 40 and over between 2013 and 2017. Up into the 1980s, IBM was the technology giant. As the technology rapidly changed over the next twenty years and companies like Apple challenged IBM, they were faced with a massive and aging workforce. To compete, IBM felt that they needed to reduce their workforce and begin hiring younger, more tech-savvy employees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ProPublica’s investigation revealed, in part, that IBM devised performance point-rating systems that favored younger employees with fewer years on the job. Older employees were rated as their skills being out of date. These employees were offered retirement packages or were relocated to an office across the country with the ultimatum to move or retire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span>The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA) was passed by Congress in 1990. The OWBPA prevents employers from discriminating in benefits based on age, firing only older workers when cutting staff, or demanding that older workers waive rights and without taking safeguards into consideration. </span>However, the burden of proof is on the employee to show that the company let them go based solely on age. Without records, overt acts, or documentation this can be difficult for an individual employee to prove. In the IBM case, the corporation went so far as to have employees who accepted packages to sign agreements that they would not take part in any future class actions.<span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what about experience? </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it worth pushing out experienced workers to make room for youth? Does cost cutting make up for the loss of institutional knowledge? <span>Older employees have a lot to offer. They’ve been with the company through thick and thin. They are able to mentor younger employees in systems and procedures. Historically, older employees are dedicated to doing the best possible job and are often the ones who find and correct errors. Errors that could cost the company lots of money if overlooked. While a new set of eyes is always welcome, past experience can sometimes save hours of work that will eventually end up at the same conclusion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Savings?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cutting bloated salaries and benefits might sound good but the overall cost of turnover may not justify it. Jack Altman, CEO of Lattice, posted an article in the Huffington Post in January 2017, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-much-does-employee-turnover-really-cost_us_587fbaf9e4b0474ad4874fb7">How much does employee turnover really cost?</a> Altman cites research by the Center for American Progress who determined that the average economic cost to a company of turning over a highly skilled job is 213% of the cost of one year’s compensation for that role. He uses the following example, ”If you are a 150 person company with 11% annual turnover, and you spend $25k on per person on hiring, $10k on each of turnover and development, and lose $50k of productivity opportunity cost on average when refilling a role, then your annual cost of turnover would be about $1.57 million.”</span></div>
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<span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Altman summarized by saying that companies should analyze four major areas:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>Cost of hiring<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>Cost of learning and development<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>Cost of time with an unfilled role<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He also provided this link to <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BikDho6Odqp7uD6_q3050-T5jayx3orSKPM1ZXwUySI/edit#gid=0">Calculate the Cost of Employee </a><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BikDho6Odqp7uD6_q3050-T5jayx3orSKPM1ZXwUySI/edit#gid=0">Turnover</a> for yourself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The quick decision to cut costs through salary and benefits should be closely examined. There are not always textbook answers to everyday issues. You need veterans of your business to lead and show the way. </span></div>
Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231194526793099986.post-6509891154773639212019-01-21T10:52:00.000-05:002019-01-21T10:52:42.546-05:00Locking down the Internet of Things<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2LFEQTtLtTSJ-NCRS3pb00spRONaY2Ijh02sRD0pfPfgFbewSqmGpLS1iMxqSLtygm82s028VmSF0XRPDOCVVIsgGyia8jQrkO0VA0zz7Lxpz2NJQqN8TAqoQyxVx5YkesWX9thD-Jps/s1600/D18500AC7B4B45FCB5BC03898F62B763.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="918" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2LFEQTtLtTSJ-NCRS3pb00spRONaY2Ijh02sRD0pfPfgFbewSqmGpLS1iMxqSLtygm82s028VmSF0XRPDOCVVIsgGyia8jQrkO0VA0zz7Lxpz2NJQqN8TAqoQyxVx5YkesWX9thD-Jps/s320/D18500AC7B4B45FCB5BC03898F62B763.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WiFi security on the Internet of Things</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have you gotten all of your new tech gadgets hooked up after Christmas? Seems like every gift that had a plug also had a phone app and connected to Wi-Fi. Throughout the year as new toys or even appliances enter your home, setting up individual devices isn’t that noticeable. But after Christmas rolls through and you start setting up all the new goodies it really makes you sit back and notice-You have entered the new age of a smart home. Without realizing it we have created our own attachment to the Internet of Things (IoT).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's a lot of things</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Leichtman Research Group in 2018 found that 74% of U.S. homes had at least one smart device. Statista estimates that there will be 42.2 million smart homes in 2019. Spending on IoT devices was $23.3 billion (yes, billion) and is estimated to be $75 billion by 2025. While there are Bluetooth connections, the primary connection for IoTs is Wi-Fi. Statista reported that the average number of connected devices per person, worldwide, in 2015 was 3.47 and is estimated to be 6.58 by 2020. That is connected devices per person. Multiply that by people in your home and the for-the-common-good devices like appliances, cameras, plugs, bulbs, etc, and that’s a lot of connectivity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you want to keep up with technology it is how it’s going to be. I didn’t set out to convert the ol’ analog home to “smart”. It just happened. Garage door opener, a new appliance here and there, TVs, Hey Google, Hey Siri, Alexa, before you know it you’re your home is smart. The router sent me a message, yes it communicates as well, that the network was getting full. You’re aware of connectivity for your phones and computers but forget about the other electronics-appliances/TVs/cameras/power strips/gaming systems/eBooks, etc-that are on all the time and trying to communicate with the mother ship. Not only are these devices taxing on your home network they are all portals for security breaches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyone of these connected devices can be hacked at the source, through the controlling app, or the company that provides the service. All the more reason to review your home network security. If you haven’t done so recently, with the onset of all your new tech wonderness, you’ll need to upgrade your Internet service. Most times these types of upgrades come with new routers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Security</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the first actions you should take on all routers and new devices is set up your own logins and passwords. Many people still use the default settings, which cybercriminals are aware. Changing this information will at least slow them down. I say slow down because, as we’ve seen, anyone can be hacked. At least changing the settings will offer some protection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For all of your connected devices actually, read the setup instructions and pay attention to what you are agreeing to during the process. Data collection is big business and those companies want your data. As consumers get more privacy savvy the product providers are finding counteractions. I recently loaded an app that wanted access to my phone’s camera, microphone, location, and to send user data. Answering no to any of those requests denied the user access. Or sometimes certain features are denied or dampened if the user doesn’t agree to the terms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Devices that listen, your phone, TV, Echo, Google home, are also collecting data and have been proven to also be recording your conversations. In the interest of improving their service, of course. Again, go through the setup and privacy menus carefully. Understand what the device, i.e.-manufacturer is asking you to allow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Overall, you have to understand that if you allow “smart” devices into your home you are giving up privacy. It’s hard not to get caught up in the technology craze, but understand that what you’re getting yourself into.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Please see the blog archive for other posts relating to </span><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/search/label/privacy" style="color: purple;">privacy</a><span style="color: #333333;">.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2015/02/theres-been-breach.html" style="color: purple;">There’s been a breach</a><span style="color: #333333;"> May 2018</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/04/how-secure-are-apps.html" style="color: purple;">How secure are apps?</a><span style="color: #333333;"> April 2018</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/02/one-born-every-minute.html" style="color: purple;">One born every minute </a><span style="color: #333333;">February 2018</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/02/are-you-being-watched.html" style="color: purple;">Are you being watched? </a><span style="color: #333333;">February 2018</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2017/09/cleaning-up-your-online-presence.html" style="color: purple;">Cleaning up your online presence</a><span style="color: #333333;"> September 2017</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2017/07/public-wi-fi-for-dummies.html" style="color: purple;">Public WiFi for dummies </a><span style="color: #333333;">July 2017</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://mazzellainvestigations.blogspot.com/2015/08/keys-to-vault.html" style="color: purple;">Keys to the vault </a><span style="color: #333333;">August 2015</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Gregory Mazzellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182325399478799948noreply@blogger.com0