Weigh anchor!

2013

2015

Walking along the crowded sidewalk was actually a welcomed experience. Maybe it was the warm December day two days before Christmas, maybe the rainy weather sending people to the covered walkway, or maybe the now open grocery store. For whatever reason, it was nice to see the Odenton Shopping Center busy with shoppers.

Odenton Shopping Center once had a grocery store and department store to anchor either end. Two years ago we wrote about the history of the shopping center and the endearing meaning it has had to the community in the last fifty years, Anchors aweigh!  The center had been on the decline since the department store closed decades ago and the grocery store closed in 2011. On December 14, 2015, Giant Food opened in the empty grocery store space. Once again bringing a major anchor to the shopping center.

Since the Giant opened, the parking lot, throughout the center, has been full. It’s only been a week but the other businesses should be seeing some residual effect. With all of the development taking place around Odenton, it is certainly pleasant to see the center full of people and once again a vibrant part of the community.

Pssssst…Need some speakers?

 

Some idioms you can live by-Can’t judge a book by its cover. Every cloud has a silver lining.  Do unto others as you would them do to you. Words to live by. With our primal drive to always get the best price on absolutely anything, probably the most important during the Christmas shopping season is-Too good to be true.

We are always looking for the better deal. Especially this time of year when our gift giving budgets are stretched and maxed. If it’s cheaper somewhere else we’ll drive half away across the State to save a few dollars. That’s what makes us particularly susceptible to con men and scam artists. The good ones prey on our sensibilities and that feeling that we’re getting over on someone. Willingly acquiescing to our negotiating prowess to make us feel like we won. When in reality they won big. Oh the elation we feel when the story is told of how we adeptly bartered with some rube until we got the item for almost nothing.

This is why people buy used luxury cars for less than half of blue book, only to later find out that the car was stolen and re-titled. Or why people buy jewelry from that guy on the street or stereo equipment from unmarked vans. It is also why we are so quick to give up personal information and send money to email and phone solicitors.

It’s like when the good you and evil you are on opposite shoulders, except now one is sensibility and the other is a dollar sign. You know it walks like a duck and even sounds like a duck but oh my goodness what a price!  You actually pause and think, “This can’t be right”, but you make the deal anyway.

Sometimes the police don’t come and take the Mercedes or the Klipsch speakers. Sometimes a Nigerian prince really does need your help. Most times, listen to the smart you.

If it’s too good to be true…close your wallet.

No candy

Can you believe Halloween is next week? Retailers have even begun stocking Christmas decorations. Crazy, yeah, but let’s deal with Halloween first which is not a fun time of year for all. Safety and protecting children is always on parents’ minds. One topic that comes up every year is the identification of sexual predators in the community and whether or not such identification infringes on that person’s safety and rights.

Throughout the U.S., states have programs that prohibit registered sex offenders from participating in Halloween activities such as decorating or passing out candy. Many require that offenders notify the public by placing a sign on their residence indicating that they have no candy. MD Dept of Parole and Probation, who manages the Sex Offender Registry, has had a similar policy since 2005.

On October 14, 2015, A Federal lawsuit was filed in California claiming that such laws violate the First Amendment and puts sex offenders on parole in danger. The argument being that the signs compel speech and identify offenders who have no means to protect themselves due to not being able to possess firearms.

In 2012, Sex offenders in Simi Valley, CA successfully challenged a city ordinance in Federal Court citing a violation of their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Lawyers for the group California Reform Sex Offender Laws, CA RSOL, filed a lawsuit in Federal court during September 2013. That suit alleged that the city of Orange is violating sex offenders First Amendment rights by requiring the posting of signs on Halloween night. Lawyers felt that the ordinance placed sex offenders at risk. They also cited that there had not been a documented incident of a sex offender harming a child on Halloween night.

However these cases play out in court, nothing protects our children more than being involved. Chaperone your children, know where they’re going. Watch for and report suspicious activity.

Halloween safety brochure

Keys to the vault

iPhone®s have a feature that enable users to share files via Bluetooth®. You simply activate Bluetooth® on your phone and search for the other person’s phone signal. Rather than send several emails or texts with photos it is simple file transfer. We successfully completed this method of file sharing in a public setting. Very simple and convenient. What was noted was the number of open Bluetooth® connections that were also within range. This is like walking around with your purse wide open or leaving your car keys in the door lock.

Bluetooth® use developed slowly, but once other technology caught up it’s use exploded. Bluetooth® was developed in the early 1990’s. It wasn’t until 2000 that the first mobile phone with Bluetooth® technology came to market. In 2001, laptops and peripherals (printer, ear pieces, car kits) came to market. The next several years produced everyday items that could connect via Bluetooth®, such as TVs, glasses, watches, and appliances. Around 2005 is when Bluetooth® became a popular feature on phones. After Smartphone’s took off in 2007, it became a standard feature and every year since more uses between phones and other devices have been released.

Hacking into Bluetooth began almost as soon as it became widely available on phones. Once consumers began using their phones for more financial exchanges and social media hackers seized on the opportunity to exploit users lack of knowledge in regards to security and Bluetooth® connections. Most phones at startup activate the Bluetooth® feature. The user has to purposely turn off the connection. However, few do, either because they are unaware or actually use features such as earpieces or car connections. When not using the devices users leave their phones in the discoverable mode.

Hacking exposure

As with Wi-Fi, hackers love sitting in public places scanning for phone signals in public places. They setup shop in common, high traffic (use) areas by sending an open Wi-Fi signal or intercepting Bluetooth® connections between phones and peripherals. Bluebugging is a term to describe identity theft by hacking access to mobile commands on Bluetooth®-enabled devices that are in discoverable mode. Your phone is tricked into thinking that it is connected to the peripheral when it is actually connected to the hacker’s device. Once intercepted the hacker can take control of the device and/or retrieve data.

In July 2015, hackers successfully hacked into the system of a Jeep Liberty, taking control of the vehicle’s comfort, operational, and safety systems too include braking. This was done purposely to prove the vulnerability to automakers. But if one person figured it out you can be sure there is a long line of others.

As of this writing, research revealed there was little data regarding the number of Smartphones or personal accounts used on Smartphones that are hacked. It is doubtful that the lack of data is due to a low occurrence, but rather lack of realization, little reporting and/or notice by the media. You may occasionally see a flip phone or non-Smartphone but these types of phones are becoming rare. Many carriers do not offer these types of phones. There are an estimated 183 million Smartphone users in the U.S. alone, 2 billion worldwide. Next time you’re in public take a moment to look around and let it sink in how people around you have phones. Probably safe to say everyone.

New target

Just as your home computer  became vulnerable in the 1990’s, your phone is now the target. Only with your home computer you almost have to invite the hacker in through malware or ill advised website visit. Your phone on the other hand is with you all the time exposing it’s signals to the public wherever you go.

Most times you won’t even realize that your phone has been hacked. Not until strange social media posts surprise you or you notice withdrawals from your bank account. You home computer will get a virus. You’re email account will be hacked. Your credit card information will be stolen. And growing every year, someone will be kind enough to file your taxes for you, for the small fee of receiving your refund.

Eventually your phone will be hacked.  The best you can do is try to limit your vulnerability by keeping the doors shut.  Limit you public broadcasting of a Bluetooth® signal and use of public Wi-Fi. Turn off your Bluetooth® when not needed. If you do use password protected accounts through public connections, change your passwords after each use. Watch your data usage for spikes. Constantly check your financial accounts as part of your regular security routine.

What did you just say?

Just like online security, our day-to-day conversations with strangers can threaten our security. Most of the areas where we express ourselves online are password protected. We can go back and edit things that were written, change our personal data in profiles, Google even has an “unsend” feature for email. The spoken word cannot be retrieved as easily.  Sometimes we just talk too much to the wrong people. We either offer up personal information or unknowingly provide it when prompted by a stranger who knows how to extract information.

Every neighborhood has door-to-door salesman. Are they pushing product or gathering intelligence? Some criminals pose as salesman, going from house to house trying doors hoping not to run into anyone and making note of what they can; alarm signs, cars in driveway, shrubbery, lights, the presence of dogs, etc. Some are bolder by selling random products, services, or free estimates looking to speak to homeowners, gain their trust and glean the information they need through conversation.

A conversation was overheard between a female neighbor and a salesman. The gentleman was selling organic cleaning products. He was very charming, loquacious, and had quite the patter. Throughout a ten-minute, low key, no pressure conversation in which he demonstrated his product, the salesman was able to determine that the lady was willing to open the door, home alone during the day, with one, two-year-old child, and no dogs. By sight he could determine her age, physical makeup, and basic layout of the home as seen through the front door. He never really asked any direct questions, but through friendly conversation the lady was put at ease and freely provided the information.

Running con games on people isn’t the oldest profession but it’s been around long time. People trying to trick and deceive are excellent speakers. You can be in the middle of a conversation and giving up details before you realize it. They manipulate conversation to their advantage. Mind reading acts don’t actually intercept your brainwaves, they pickup on subtle cues that are provided through your words and body language. Pronouns and conjunctions can provide a lot of information if you know how to listen.

We do not want to be rude to others. We want to be friendly. So it’s easy for others to approach and engage in what seems like innocent conversation. The trick is finding that line that allows us to be nice without providing our biography.

All expenses paid

Do you offer paid leave to your employees? How about paying for their vacations? A trend sweeping through the business world is doing just that. Companies are rolling vacation time, sick leave, and any other time off into one plan and offering their employees unlimited time off. While the concept is trending, the Society for Human Resource Management says that only 1% of U.S. employers are offering unlimited time off. Others are offering stipends, free adventure trips, and use of company properties to encourage employees to take a break. The consensus of all the new thinking being that happier employees are easier to retain and are more productive.

Abuse? There’s not that much. Companies that offer unlimited vacation tend to be invested in hiring responsible employees who can balance taking time off with getting their work done. While unlimited vacation can be hard for managers to implement, most employees aren’t taking advantage of the perk. They get overwhelmed by the possibilities or can’t find the right amount that they feel is a fair amount to take. Employees still feel that their reputation will be damaged if they are away from the office too much.

Americans only take about half of their earned vacation days adding up to some $50 billion in lost paid vacation. A study conducted by the U.S. Travel Association found that American workers averaged 16 days leave in 2013; down from 20 in 2000. While most companies praise workaholics, people that don’t ever take off may being harming themselves and the office culture. It’s been well proven that not being able to disconnect from work can be unhealthy, but those individuals may cause resentment and guilt among their coworkers. Oxford Economics conducted a survey that found that 13 percent of managers were less likely to promote employees who took all of their allotted vacation. The DIW Economic Bulletin published a German study in 2012 that indicated employees who took fewer days off earned almost three percent more than those who took all their vacation time. 

           

Too offer even more encouragement companies are giving cash or other incentives to use vacation days. Some are also experimenting with paying employees to take vacation by offering a percentage of their salaries as a stipend or bonuses to help pay for the vacation, with stipulations that they actually take a trip of at least five days and not just stay home. Companies that aren’t offering the time off or stipends are paying for Caribbean getaways or adventure type vacations. Again, the idea being that a company that is a great place to work will have higher employee retention. 

           

Those working at more traditional minded companies have countered with a plan of their own. Employees request what are becoming known as “workcations”. This is where the employee is granted leave (time away from the office) but they agree to telecommute while they are away. The employee pays for the trip, but the leave is not charged against their vacation days.

Critics wonder how much work is actually being completed while at the beach with your family. Some employers or tasks just aren’t logistically equipped to handle telecommuting. Those concerned for employee health question if employees are really benefitting from being out of the office. Workers like the idea of a change of environment and feel that more can be accomplished without the constant interruptions present in the office. Further they can get away while saving their leave for life’s emergency that pop up. Kenneth Matos, senior director of research at the Families and Work Institute, says: “Is the workcation detracting from the vacation you were going to have, or is it enabling the vacation you otherwise wouldn’t have had?”

Either way, both companies and employees are getting creative with their use of paid leave. Traditional time off is definitely changing.

Mazzella Investigative Solutions

New Maryland laws

On May 12, 2015, Governor Hogan signed into law two bills that will affect pre employment screenings. These laws will take effect on October 1, 2015.

• Maryland Second Chance Act of 2015-Authorizes individuals who have a non-violent, misdemeanor criminal record to petition the court to shield court records and police records after a period of three years under certain circumstances and conditions.

• Criminal Procedure - Expungement of Records-Arrests and charges that did not result in a conviction may remain eligible for expungement, regardless of subsequent convictions.

            Mazzella-Investigative Solutions, LLC constantly monitors changes to statutes and regulations as they relate to employment law and pre employment screenings to ensure you are receiving the best possible service.

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