Personal and Home Security

Multi-State, Non-Resident Utah CCW Course on Monday, March 30

2009-03-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

It's at 6pm on Monday, March 30, 2009, at the Academy Security Training office in Torrance, California.

The address 25202 Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 214, Torrance, CA 90505

Walk-ins are not accepted for this class, so it is necessary to call in advance. Here is the website for more information: http://www.americanccw.com

This permit allows you to legally carry a concealed carry weapon while traveling to over 30 states. You need to be 21 years old or older with a clean criminal record. It takes 60 days to get the Utah concealed firearm permit.

Monthly Basic Pistol Courses

2008-01-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

The NRA Basic Pistol course is offered monthly in the Los Angeles Metro Area. The time is typically 10:30am to 1:30pm on a Saturday. 2 hours are classroom instruction and there's one hour of range time where you shoot 50 rounds with a Ruger MK III .22LR. The cost is $80.

For a more private lesson which covers the same material, you can schedule any day and time on a one-on-one basis. The cost is only nominally higher at $115.

Call Ruperto at 310-490-3697 for more information. Here is the website with more info:

http://www.besafeguntraining.com

Phishing Crime has Hit an All-Time High in 2007

2007-03-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Phishing is an identity theft crime. It is an online crime that tries to lure people to click on a link usually on an email so that the criminal can collect your personal information in order for the purpose of identity theft. It requires the cooperation of the email recipient.

Again, the way to keep yourself safe from phishing: (1) Never open suspicious email, (2) Never provide your personal information as a result of an email offer.

MARCH 21, 2007 Phishing Websites and crimeware both hit an all-time high in January, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group's latest report, which was released yesterday. And for the first time, ISPs surpassed retail as the second-most targeted industry sector -- although they are way behind financial services, which accounts for 88.9 percent of phishing attacks.

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Credit source Dark Reading

Refuse To Be A Victim Seminar in Beverly Hills

2007-03-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

For those of you in Southern California, I'm going to be conducting Part 2 of the Refuse To Be A Victim seminar in Beverly Hills, starting next weekend, March 10. This is the part of the seminar that focuses on identity theft and other technology type of crimes, and of course, how not to be a victim. I'll also be covering issues that have to do with security while on vacation, including automobile-oriented security.

For more information, you can feel free to call me, or go to the following Beverly Hills Adult Education website. Scroll down by doing a search on "Refuse To Be A Victim".

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Residents warming up to idea of security cameras - THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, Mark Ferenchik

2007-02-28T09:19:00.001-08:00

The phony security cameras have been gone from E. Stewart Avenue in German Village and Merion Village neighborhoods for more than a month.

Columbus crews never got a chance to take down the three cameras from city-owned utility poles on Stewart between Schiller Park and Parsons Avenue.

Whoever put them up, in an effort to dissuade those considering a break-in or worse, removed them after the city said it would because the devices were put up without permission.
But those bogus cameras have caused some to think about real security cameras and whether the city should install them in neighborhoods to prevent crime.

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Combination of seminar and courses that make effective use of your time

2007-02-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

When it comes to personal and home security, there is a vast array of educational materials out there that sometimes it all appears overwhelming. You can focus on home security -- against burglars, home invasions, theft --- on fire prevention, on toxic prevention, on automobile security, on office security, on martial arts, on this on that.

Some people spend a lifetime mastering a martial arts with the goal of getting an edge in possible confrontation. That's one small aspect in the world of personal protection. And that's one case in point. We know that nobody can master everything even if one had the time. But what is an effective combination of education that makes sense for most people. Something that makes efficient use of time?

Well, there's no one size fits all answer here, as there are too many individual variables --- your time, your present knowledge, your environment, your lifestyle, your motivation and commitment.

I propose something that may make sense for most people, if such NRA offerings are available in your area: (1) Refuse To Be A Victim Seminar and (2) Personal Protection in the Home course. The Refuse To Be A Victim 3-hour seminar is discussed in another section in this website. It is a seminar that provides a survey of all issues that a person and family need to consider for home and personal protection.

The Personal Protection in the Home course is a firearms-oriented course and lasts a full day. Half of the day is classroom time and covers practical issues about how to avoid a confrontation in the event of a home invasion and what to do in the event confrontation is inevitable. The second half of the day is at the range.

That's a total of one and a half days of commitment. I realize some people have made a commitment to never use a firearm and another solution would need to be worked out in that case.

"Hackers Hit Georgia Tech and Steal Personal Info" - Atlanta Business Chronicle (02/21/07)

2007-02-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

Unauthorized access to a Georgia Tech computer by unknown sources may have exposed personal information for about 3,000 current and former Georgia Tech employees, the university reported on Feb. 21. The sensitive information included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and about 400 state purchasing card numbers. The majority of affected individuals are in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, according to the university. Individuals affected by the incident are being contacted by the university as a precautionary measure, and no misuse of information from the compromised computer has been detected by Georgia Tech. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the FBI have been notified, and Georgia Tech has said they will work with affected individuals to mitigate their exposure and continue the investigation.

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"Surveillance Cameras Saw Trouble, Police Stopped It" - Redlands Daily Facts (CA) (02/23/07)

2007-02-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

A surveillance camera system in downtown Redlands, Calif., recently helped police prevent a potential assault. Police dispatchers were monitoring the cameras from the Police Department's Dispatch Center when they noticed a man in a crosswalk who was aggressively confronting pedestrians. Dispatchers continued monitoring the situation while dispatching officers to the scene who arrested the man for public intoxication. Police say that the pan-tilt-zoom cameras act as "force multipliers" and allow police to prevent a crime in progress or even prevent a crime from occurring. "I would much rather put someone in jail now for being drunk in public than arrest him later after a fight or an assault," said Police Chief Jim Bueermann. The four-camera surveillance system was funded via $75,000 in state and federal technology grants.

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Handgun as an Option for Women?

2007-02-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

I am not advocating a handgun for each and every person, but it is a viable option that is available for some women. We can't make a blanket statement that a handgun is for everyone nor can a blanket statement be made that is for no one. The proper use (understanding, selection, training) can very well save your life.

The following is an excerpt of a book on the subject:

Many books on handguns are not for beginners, and especially beginners who are women. This book attempts to fill that void in the marketplace by providing advice to women beginners who are considering purchasing a handgun. This book is also useful for men who have women in their lives for which a handgun would be useful.

We do not delve extensively into your motivation for purchasing a handgun. By acquiring this book, you have a need for a self-defense handgun for whatever reason or simply want a firearm for plinking or target shooting. We won’t get much into the basic theory of firearms, ballistics and self-defense. Nor we delve into the fundamentals of guns and marksmanship. There are plenty of books that cover those subjects.

Also, this is not a book on the philosophy and politics of gun ownership. We do not even make the basic value judgment that women (or men) should or shouldn’t possess firearms. Again, there is plenty of space and resources in the media that focus on these issues.

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Refuse To Be A Victim Seminar

2007-02-25T23:38:00.000-08:00

Experts agree the single most important factor in surviving criminal attack is to have an overall safety strategy before you need it. Now, through a three-hour (shorter presentations are available) confidential seminar called Refuse To Be A Victim®, you can learn the personal safety tips and techniques you need to avoid dangerous situations, and avoid becoming a victim.

Hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials across the country have implemented Refuse To Be A Victim® into their crime prevention and community policing initiatives.

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What is Phishing? - From Paypal Guide

2007-02-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

Phishing is a form of fraud designed to steal your identity. It works by using false pretenses to get you to disclose sensitive personal information, such as credit and debit card numbers, account passwords, or Social Security numbers.

One of the most common phishing scams involves sending a fraudulent email that claims to be from a well-known company. Phishing can also be carried out in person, over the phone, through fraudulent pop-up windows, and websites.

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"Guess-Proof Passwords" - CanWest News Service (02/14/07) ; Wilson, Carla

2007-02-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

Security experts suggest avoiding using your mother's maiden name, your spouse's name, your dog's name, birth dates, addresses, or basically any word in any language as a password. Jens Weber-Jahnke, associate professor at the University of Victoria's computer science department and co-founder of the Pervasive Primary Care Informatics Laboratory, recommends combining a random string of at least eight characters, and to use more than just letters. Security experts suggest combining upper and lowercase letters with uppercase letters in the middle of the password, and to not use the same password for everything. A 2006 report from Nucleus Research says one in three people write down their passwords and a shift toward biometrics would help security rely less on vulnerable passwords.

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Welcome!

2007-02-25T20:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome to this site!

The objective of this site is present alternatives to ordinary citizens about how to stay safe at home and when up-and-about around town. We talk about safety in the home, automobile security, personal protection devices, identity theft, technology crimes and many different subjects for yourself and your family.

We're just starting this up now and have created the blog and hope to add material on a regular basis soon! Thanks for dropping in!