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2013 Right of Rescission Calendar -- for all of our folks related to the real estate world ♥ |
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Mortgage Crisis Caused Shift in Public Opinion
Mortgage Crisis Caused Shift in Public Opinion: The “robo-signing” scandal, along with the resulting housing market crisis, caused a decline in public opinion towards the mortgage and banking industries. A recent survey by ID Analytics revealed that most of the blame for the 2008 economic disaster, and subsequent slow recovery, has been directed at the mortgage industry and the banks that packaged sub-standard loans and sold them to investors. (credit NNA)
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
HOW TO: Prevent and Report Online Stalking Mashable HOW TO: Prevent and Report Online Stalking | The top source for social and digital news
Being Stalking is becoming more and more common -- Please read on what you can do to prevent it!
David Perry is Global Director of Education for Trend Micro,
where he represents the company’s Internet security awareness endeavors
as a leading authority on computer virus prevention. For ongoing
updates on the latest threats, check out the Trend Micro microsite.
The social web is not just a model of our world, but an indelible and growing part of it. People correspond, they do business, and just like in the real world, they have addresses, and mailboxes. And in today’s pervasive and immersive online environment, it’s almost impossible to be completely anonymous.
The web gathers vast amounts of personal information that we willfully share online — our location, interests, purchases, friends, current activities, etc. Anyone tracking this information not only knows what we say, but in what location we say it, and to whom. This adds up to a large dossier of information on nearly every Internet user.
One issue that persists in a web-based world is online stalking (also referred to by some organizations as “cyber stalking”). An online stalker can easily hide behind Internet anonymity, or worse, behind someone else’s identity. Below is a quick guide to understanding online stalking and how to best prevent it from happening to you.
The real key to the prevention of online stalking is remembering that every post you put on a social network could potentially be public. Sophisticated search engines and malicious data-stealing Trojans can find and share any information about you, even on the most trusted and secure social networks. Compromised data could potentially be used by criminals to harass you, harm you personally, or steal your identity.
The best thing to do is to stay informed about the latest threats and which popular sites may have been recently hacked. Some important resources with quality information include:
Whether you want to protect information on your Facebook profile or in your Gmail account, there is security software that can help you do it. For example, you can install software that will warn you if any sensitive words or numbers (like phone numbers, addresses, dates of birth, passwords, etc.) are entered onto a web page. You should also be sure your private and financial data is only entered into websites that have proof of their security from companies like TRUSTe or VeriSign.
Because so much of our day-to-day communication is done on social networks (sharing on Facebook, job hunting on Craigslist), it may not always be clear when we encounter the issue of online stalking. You may think you’re overreacting, but if you’re feeling intimidated or insecure about a situation and you’re not sure what to do, here are some sources that may help you determine if you’re being stalked.
QuitStalkingMe.com
WiredSafety.org
State Cyberstalking Laws
ConnectSafely.org
Anyone who is being stalked or harassed online should not respond to the instigator. They should instead either report it to the online community where it’s happening (by flagging on social networks, reporting abusive links, etc.), or to other sites such as Cyber911 Emergency from Wired Safety, and Cyberstalking from The National Center for Victims of Crime.
Keep a record of the communications, and contact authorities if it becomes threatening in any way. People who are under the age of 18 should also alert their parents or an adult they trust to help them properly track the communications and contact authorities as appropriate.
Like bullying and harassment, stalking cannot be stopped by any technology. However, there are several ways to keep track of communications through IM, Twitter, Facebook, etc. The silver lining is that online stalking is probably easier to prosecute than physical stalking because the communications are usually traceable in some way.
David Perry is Global Director of Education for Trend Micro,
where he represents the company’s Internet security awareness endeavors
as a leading authority on computer virus prevention. For ongoing
updates on the latest threats, check out the Trend Micro microsite.The social web is not just a model of our world, but an indelible and growing part of it. People correspond, they do business, and just like in the real world, they have addresses, and mailboxes. And in today’s pervasive and immersive online environment, it’s almost impossible to be completely anonymous.
The web gathers vast amounts of personal information that we willfully share online — our location, interests, purchases, friends, current activities, etc. Anyone tracking this information not only knows what we say, but in what location we say it, and to whom. This adds up to a large dossier of information on nearly every Internet user.
One issue that persists in a web-based world is online stalking (also referred to by some organizations as “cyber stalking”). An online stalker can easily hide behind Internet anonymity, or worse, behind someone else’s identity. Below is a quick guide to understanding online stalking and how to best prevent it from happening to you.
1. Get the Facts
The real key to the prevention of online stalking is remembering that every post you put on a social network could potentially be public. Sophisticated search engines and malicious data-stealing Trojans can find and share any information about you, even on the most trusted and secure social networks. Compromised data could potentially be used by criminals to harass you, harm you personally, or steal your identity.
The best thing to do is to stay informed about the latest threats and which popular sites may have been recently hacked. Some important resources with quality information include:
- The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA)
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Computers and Internet Privacy
2. Be Cautious
Whether you want to protect information on your Facebook profile or in your Gmail account, there is security software that can help you do it. For example, you can install software that will warn you if any sensitive words or numbers (like phone numbers, addresses, dates of birth, passwords, etc.) are entered onto a web page. You should also be sure your private and financial data is only entered into websites that have proof of their security from companies like TRUSTe or VeriSign.
Because so much of our day-to-day communication is done on social networks (sharing on Facebook, job hunting on Craigslist), it may not always be clear when we encounter the issue of online stalking. You may think you’re overreacting, but if you’re feeling intimidated or insecure about a situation and you’re not sure what to do, here are some sources that may help you determine if you’re being stalked.
3. Don’t Respond, Just Report
Anyone who is being stalked or harassed online should not respond to the instigator. They should instead either report it to the online community where it’s happening (by flagging on social networks, reporting abusive links, etc.), or to other sites such as Cyber911 Emergency from Wired Safety, and Cyberstalking from The National Center for Victims of Crime.
Keep a record of the communications, and contact authorities if it becomes threatening in any way. People who are under the age of 18 should also alert their parents or an adult they trust to help them properly track the communications and contact authorities as appropriate.
Like bullying and harassment, stalking cannot be stopped by any technology. However, there are several ways to keep track of communications through IM, Twitter, Facebook, etc. The silver lining is that online stalking is probably easier to prosecute than physical stalking because the communications are usually traceable in some way.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Life is like Coffee Movie
Life is like Coffee Movie: Do you know people that just seem to be happier in general? Do you say to yourself, "I want to be more like them"? Often, the happiest people in the world don't have the best of everything...they just make the best of everything!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Join With The National Notary Foundation To Help Sandy Victims
Join With The National Notary Foundation To Help Sandy Victims
Foundation Will Match All Contributions Dollar For Dollar
Please join with us in relief efforts for the areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy. Millions of people on the East Coast have been impacted by this catastrophe which destroyed entire neighborhoods by wind, flooding and fire. The NNF will match all contributions dollar for dollar to help those who lost loved ones, their homes or their livelihoods during this unprecedented natural disaster.
Foundation Will Match All Contributions Dollar For Dollar
Please join with us in relief efforts for the areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy. Millions of people on the East Coast have been impacted by this catastrophe which destroyed entire neighborhoods by wind, flooding and fire. The NNF will match all contributions dollar for dollar to help those who lost loved ones, their homes or their livelihoods during this unprecedented natural disaster.
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