BrandPoint - Cybercriminals are increasingly attacking rural hospitals across America, posing a direct threat to patients. For many Americans living in rural areas, the nearest emergency room may be miles and miles away – and in an emergency, every second counts. Cyberattacks can disrupt the essential operations of hospitals, leaving people at risk.
Cybercriminals are also increasingly targeting rural communities, where digital defenses may not be as robust due to resource constraints. These attacks can be devastating, particularly to smaller, independent hospitals with limited means of protecting themselves.
When a rural hospital falls victim to a cyberattack, it’s not just the institution that suffers; the entire community feels the ripple effect. Just last year, an Illinois hospital permanently shut its doors partly due to a devastating ransomware attack. NBC News reported that because of the hospital closure, some residents are now more than thirty minutes away from emergency services.
Here are three ways people in rural communities can help:
1. Strengthen rural hospital cybersecurity
Hospitals need tools to protect themselves. That’s why the White House along with cybersecurity experts like Microsoft, are providing free and low-cost resources available to every rural hospital across the nation. This includes advanced security products along with free cybersecurity assessments and free training for frontline and IT staff. Rural hospitals can sign up for the program or learn more at nonprofits.TSI.microsoft.com/security-program-for-rural-hospitals.
2. Explore a cybersecurity career
America is facing a cybersecurity skills crisis. There simply aren’t enough people with the skills to defend against cybersecurity attacks: There are nearly half a million job openings requesting cybersecurity skills, but there are only 85 cybersecurity workers available for every 100 cybersecurity jobs demanded by employers, according to Cyberseek.
Anyone, anywhere can take advantage of the opportunity and start a career in cybersecurity. Building the skills necessary is easier than ever, especially given the free classes and tools available. For example, the Career Essentials in Cybersecurity learning path from LinkedIn and Microsoft allows you to earn professional certification in the field.
3. Protect yourself
Rural communities can protect themselves by strengthening vital infrastructure and hiring cybersecurity professionals, but the most important step is personal. Whether you work in a hospital or elsewhere, it’s critical to understand cybersecurity threats and prepare yourself.
Cyberscams are a pervasive threat in our increasingly connected world, and no one is immune to their risk. These scams, often disguised as tech support, prey on the unsuspecting, exploiting trust and causing harm. It’s essential to be vigilant and informed to protect yourself and your loved ones on how you can identify these online con artists. By staying aware and cautious, you can defend against the tactics of cybercriminals and keep your digital life secure.
(StatePoint Media) - If you’re one of the 45 million Americans who wear contact lenses, you know what a great choice they can be, whether you play sports, want to avoid the nuisance of foggy glasses or simply find yourself feeling more confident in them. However, it may be time to give your contact lens care routine a makeover, particularly if your lenses feel dry or uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, one in five contact lens wearers find lenses to be less comfortable by the end of the day. Consider the following tips for all-day comfort:
1. Practice healthy tech habits: Long hours on screens can be a contributing factor to eye discomfort, mainly because of less blinking; however, making a few adjustments can help. The experts at Bausch + Lomb recommend following the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of screen time, take a 20 second break to look at something 20 feet away. If you work with computers all day, you should also remember to blink regularly. It can be surprisingly easy to forget to blink when you’re focused on the next deadline! Finally, adjust the brightness and text size on your devices to reduce eye strain and optimize comfort.
2. Insert and remove contacts with care: The order of steps you follow as you insert and remove your contacts matters. In the morning or as you’re getting ready to go out, insert contact lenses with clean hands before applying makeup. Before bed, wash your hands, remove your contacts and clean your lenses before going to sleep. One-third of contact lens wearers have fallen asleep in their lenses, but doing so increases the risk of infection.
3. Follow lens care directions: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40-90% of contact lens wearers do not properly follow their contact lenses’ care instructions. It is recommended to follow the complete recommended lens rubbing and rinsing times in the product labeling to adequately disinfect your lenses and reduce the risk of contact lens contamination. Reduced rubbing or rinsing time may not adequately clean your lenses. And never “top off” or reuse solution. Fill the lens case with fresh solution every time you store your lenses – don’t cut corners!
4. Clean and moisturize: One in three contact lens wearers experiences dry lenses, and one in five find lenses to be less comfortable by the end of the day. Show your eyes some love by using a contact lens solution recommended by board-certified optometrists, one that is uniquely-formulated for dry, uncomfortable contact lenses. Biotrue Hydration Plus Multi-Purpose Solution not only offers exceptional cleaning and disinfection and dissolves protein build-up, it’s also formulated with your eyes’ biology in mind to promote all-day comfort. It contains naturally-inspired ingredients found in tears such as hyaluronan, a moisturizer, and potassium, an electrolyte. It keeps more moisture on your contacts (for 12 hours compared to original Biotrue Multi-Purpose Solution, based on a laboratory study) as well as provides up to 20 hours of moisture (based on a laboratory study). For more information and complete use instructions, visit https://www.biotrue.com.
5. Recycle: While not directly related to the comfort of your eyes, you can sport your contacts with more ease knowing you’re doing so with the environment in mind. You’re likely already recycling contact solution bottles and eye care product cartons through curbside recycling. Now, thanks to a collaboration between Bausch + Lomb and TerraCycle, there’s a way to properly recycle the smaller plastic components within these products. Pop off the caps of your solution and eye drop bottles and place them in any shipping box, along with old lens cases, empty eye drop bottles and single dose eye drop vials. When the box is full, print the prepaid label and mail it to TerraCycle. These components are combined with other recycled materials and turned into new products. To learn more, visit terracycle.com/biotrue.
Stop chalking up dry, uncomfortable lenses to being a regular part of wearing contacts. With a few tweaks to your routine, you can experience comfort throughout the day. Biotrue is a trademark of Bausch + Lomb Incorporated or its affiliates.
Ngô Minh Hiếu was once a fearsome hacker who spent 7 1/2 years incarcerated in the U.S. for running an online store that sold the personal information of about 200 million Americans. Since leaving prison, Hiếu has become a so-called white hat hacker, attempting to protect the world from the sorts of cybercriminals he once was.
These days, Hiếu said, it doesn’t take much hacking to access sensitive details about Americans. Companies and governments routinely leave databases exposed online with little or no protection, as we’ve reported, giving cybercriminals an easy way to harvest names, emails, passwords and other info. While in prison, Hiếu wrote an online security guide for the average internet user. As he and others have pointed out, it’s impossible to create an impenetrable shield. But here are some of his tips for how you can mitigate your risks, along with some other practical online security advice.
1. Stop reusing passwords
Make 2022 the year you finally stop reusing passwords. Once a password is exposed in a data breach, as routinely occurs, cybercriminals may use it on other websites to see if it grants them access and lets them take over an account or service. To help you generate lengthy, difficult-to-guess passwords without having to commit them to memory, use an encrypted password manager such as 1Password or LastPass. These services, which typically charge $3 to $4 per month, also monitor databases of breached passwords, like Have I Been Pwned, which can identify some passwords that have already been made public.
2. Delete unused accounts
Another benefit of using a password manager is that every time you create a new account at a website, you can log it in your password app. The app will track when you created a password and when you last modified it. If you notice that you haven’t used a website in a few years, and you don’t think you’re likely to use it again, delete your account from that website. It will mean one less place where your data resides.
3. Add an additional layer of security
Use multifactor authentication — which requires a second, temporary code in addition to your password to log in to a site or service — whenever possible. Some services send a six-digit code via text message or email. But the most secure method is to use an app that generates a numerical code on your phone that’s in sync with an algorithm running on the site. To make the process easier, you can download an app like Authy that, like a password keeper, helps you generate and manage all your multifactor authentications in one spot.
4. Manage your apps’ privacy settings
A lot of the data about us that gets leaked consists of information we don’t even realize apps and services collect. To limit that risk, check the privacy settings for any new app that you install on your computer, smartphone or other device. Deselect any services you don’t want the app to have access to, such as your contacts, location, camera or microphone. Here are some guides on how to manage your apps’ privacy settings for iPhone and Android devices.
5. Think before you click
Clicking on a link from a text message, an email or a search result without first thinking about whether it’s secure can expose you to phishing attacks and malware. In general, never click on any links that you didn’t seek out and avoid unsolicited emails asking you to open attachments. When in doubt, hover your cursor over a hyperlink and scrutinize the URL. Avoid it if it would lead you to somewhere you don’t expect or if it contains spelling errors like a missing or extra letter in a company’s name. And for safer online browsing, consider paying for an antivirus tool like Malwarebytes that helps you avoid suspicious URLs online (or sign up for a free browser guard extension).
6. Keep your software up to date
Whether it’s your web browser or the operating system on your computer or smartphone, it’s always a good idea to download and install the latest software update as soon as it’s available. Doing so fixes bugs and helps keep your systems patched against the latest security threats. To make sure you don’t forget, turn on notifications for new updates or enable autoupdate settings if they’re available.
7. Limit what you’re sharing online
Some of the large collections of personally identifiable information that have been floating around online weren’t hacked or stolen: They were simply scraped from social media websites like LinkedIn or Facebook. If you don’t want a particular piece of info about you out there, don’t put it on your social media profile. Scrub anything you don’t want exposed in your profiles, and check the platforms’ privacy settings to see who can access whatever is left. You can also pay for a service like DeleteMe, which helps centralize and pursue requests to delete your personal information from various data brokers.
8. Secure your SIM
One technique that has become increasingly common in recent years is SIM swapping: A cybercriminal tries to dupe your mobile carrier into switching your number from a SIM (the memory card that tells your phone it’s yours) that you control to a SIM that they control. The goal is to commandeer your phone so they can get around multifactor authentication settings that protect your financial accounts. To guard against SIM swaps, contact your carrier to establish an account PIN, or follow these directions if you’re with Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile. And if you switch carriers, change your PIN.
9. Freeze your credit reports
If you’re afraid that a scammer might use your identity to open a fraudulent credit line in your name, consider placing a freeze on your report. A freeze will restrict access to your credit report, meaning that no one (not even you) will be able to open a new credit line while it’s in place. If you decide to apply for a loan or a new credit card, you can always unfreeze your credit later on. Freezing and unfreezing your credit is free, but you have to contact each of the three major credit bureaus separately to do it. Here’s a guide on how to get started.
10. Back up your data
Don’t assume that you’ll always have access to all your files and folders. Backing up your data can help you guard against virus infections as well as hard drive failure and theft or loss of your computer. You could use well-known cloud storage providers such as Dropbox or Google Drive to save copies of your data or buy a subscription to an online cloud backup service that automatically saves your files and lets you restore them if anything happens. All such services offer encryption, but if you’re afraid of storing your data in the cloud, keep an encrypted copy on a separate hard drive.
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
The "dark web" - sounds like mysterious! Doesn't it?
Yes, I think your gut feeling says it is, but here I will make you aware how it works, what really happens on the dark web, and how you can check it out for yourself.
Photo: Matthew Henry/Burst
As you know, the internet comprises of servers, computers, and other devices connected together form networks inside of larger networks. It is divided into two parts, namely the clear web or surface web and the deep web.
The surface web is that portion of the Internet most people are familiar with. The surface web pages are searchable in Google. While the deep web comprises the majority of the web, the surface web makes up a tiny portion of all the content on the web that accessible through a standard web browser.
The Deep Web is the full body of the iceberg and the surface web is just like the tip of the iceberg. And finally the dark web is a very small and hard-to-access section of the Deep Web.
The dark web is a piece of the internet that isn't indexed by conventional search engines. The dark web is decentralized network of websites make users as mysterious as possible by routing all their communications through multiple servers. It is used for keeping internet activity anonymous and personal, which may be helpful in both legal and illegal applications. Like, anyone can buy master card numbers; counterfeit money, online market place of various drugs, guns, stolen subscription credentials, hacked accounts, password and software that help anyone forced an entry into other people’s computers.
Dark web browser:
You may think that navigating the dark net is very easy. But it isn’t. To accessing the dark net it requires a browser known as Tor (“The Onion Routing” project) browser.
If you have a legitimate need to access the dark web, make sure that you stay safe using it.
Tor browser provides users access to reach the websites with the “.onion” registry operator. Browsers with the appropriate proxy can reach dark web sites, but others can’t. These web sites use a scrambled naming structure that creates URLs that are impossible to remember often.
This browser was originally developed by the United States Naval research laboratory. An early version of Tor was created to cover spy communications. Sooner or later, the framework was repurposed and has since been made public just like the other browser we all know today. Anyone can download it free of cost. Tor browser uses a random path of encrypted servers referred to as "nodes" which enables users to connect to the deep web without worrying of their actions being tracked.
Dark web versus deep web:
The dark web and the deep web are also often mistakenly used interchangeably. At first glance, the dark web and the deep web seem similar as both are difficult to get to through the web search and require either clicking a direct link to the page or to typing the address into the browser you want to access.
The deep web refers all the pages or content that you cannot find with a search engine. Deep web content requires sign-in credentials, such as online banking, medical records, pay sites, membership websites, and confidential corporate web pages etc. The dark web is one small portion of the deep web.
The deep web is so large that it is impossible to discover exactly how many pages or websites are active at one point of time. While comparing the deep web with dark web, deep web consisting of mostly harmless and digitized data and the dark web is better known for illegal and sometimes disturbing content. But, not all the dark web is used for illicit purposes. The websites in the Dark Web are categorized by their use of encryption software that makes their users and their locations unsigned.
Enabling mechanisms of the dark web:
Apart from the tor there are two key elements that serve practical purposes in enabling the dark web. Those two are the Hidden Wiki and Bitcoin, which provide a solution that enables the dark web to be accessible and usable.
Though the hidden Wiki offers some assistance to content on the dark web, but it also includes some illegal websites.
Hidden wiki site contains a listing of all the Dark internet sites that are presently operating, user feedback on those sites, and knowledge about what are often accessed through each site. Bitcoin is the crypto-currency which enables two parties to conduct a trusted transaction without knowing each other’s identity. The dark web has been a big factor in the expansion of bit coin and vice versa.
Advantages of the dark web:
The legality of dark web is based on how a user engages with it. Some might fall to the edge of legal lines for many reasons and some may act in ways that are illegal for the safety and security of others. Using of the dark web usually means you're attempting to interact in activity that you simply couldn't perform within the limelight.
Not everything is illegitimate in the dark web. It has a legitimate side also. Privacy is much more concern for many people threatened by stalkers and other criminals. In this case dark web helps people to take care of privacy and freely express their views.
On the dark web, users can seek out the benefits of the user anonymity, ability to take illegal actions for both users and providers and the virtually untraceable services and sites. In fact, a lot of people use it in countries where internet access is criminalized. As an anonymous communications channel the Tor network serves an important function in helping individuals communicate in environments which are hostile to free speech.
One of the foremost advantages of the dark web is the difficulty of blocking it. Common forms of censorship do not work with encrypted overlay networks. The dark web is more challenging to surveillance by governments and Internet service providers. Many organizations including journalists, political dissidents, abuse and persecution victims, human Rights and other professionals support the use of and access to the dark web to communicate sensitive information.
Disadvantages of the dark web:
The dark web is the den to the criminal activities.
The most important portion of dark web traffic is child abuse. The vast of traffic to hidden dark sites via Tor is for screening and distributing images of child abuse, illicit pornography and buying illegal drugs. Using the dark web one can make it easier to commit a number of of the worst crimes.
The grouping of the dark web and crypto currencies supposedly makes it much easier to hire someone to commit a murder or some other illegal activities. While some uses the dark web for their privacy concern and for others it may be the violation to their privacy as the private photos, documents, financial records have been stolen from the dark web.
The subject that is most commonly associated with the dark web is drug trafficking which is an integral and largest part of dark web marketplaces. Silk Road was one of the largest and most infamous dark web marketplaces till 2013. But the shutdown of Silk Road was not the end of dark web marketplaces. Replacements have sprung up to fill the vacuum selling anything that traders want to put online.
By nature, the dark web is anonymous and incompetent of discriminating between criminals and common users. There are many dark web sites set up by scammers to avoid the rage of their victims. Many e-commerce sites even exist for a while and suddenly disappear with the money they are holding on behalf of customers.
Enforcement officials must address this issue by campaigning that maintains the privacy of the typical user while unmasking the criminal. They are getting better at finding and prosecuting owners of sites that sell illegal goods and services. User can easily utilize the Tor in an attempt to pirate copyrighted content from the dark web and share illegal pornography, or engage in cyber terrorism.
The two specific grey areas of dark Web activity are whistleblowing and hacktivism. Those are not categorized as entirely beneficial, but have some commendable characteristics.
Photo: Sajjad Hussain M/Burst
If you have a legitimate need to access the dark web, make sure that you stay safe using it. For safe access to the dark net you have to trust your intuition. You have to separate your online role from real life, employ active monitoring of identify and financial theft and you have to avoid downloads of dark web files. You should consider using a secondary non-admin local user account for all daily activities and always restrict access to your Tor-enabled device.
Be sure to educate yourself on the risks of the dark web before you get mislaid in the dark underbelly. It is smart to be selective about the websites you access if you willing to venture to the dark web. Rather than finding the illegal users one has to find the illegal sites.
The debate on the dark web is by no means over.
There are many things in the dark web yet to be known. It is still in progress. As policy-makers move forward, they need to monitor vigilantly the evolution of the dark Web and make sure that enforcement agencies have the resources and legal support to police successfully the dark web. Dark web policy must be thoughtful to strike the balance between the requirements of privacy-minded users and the government’s responsibility to prevent criminality.
It is always preferable to practice safe internet habits with necessary precautions to protect yourself from the illicit world.
Lakhijyoti Deka is computer engineer in New Delhi, the capitol city of India. In her free time she likes recite poetry, sing and gathering information latest technology.
Nearly half of older Americans can’t even afford basic needs
I worked hard my whole career and retired feeling secure. Then I lost every last dime in a scam. I was left with $1,300 a month in Social Security benefits to live on in an area where monthly expenses run about $3,700.
I’m a smart woman, but scams against older Americans are increasing in number and sophistication. Whether through scams, strained savings, or costs of living going up, half of older Americans — that’s 27 million households — can’t afford their basic needs.
I find myself in dire need of sincere counsel, as I am increasingly convinced that my romantic life has taken on the unfortunate semblance of a rom-com wherein I alone remain bereft of the script. I'm 31, will defend my thesis this May, and have a great job lined-up.
My boyfriend, aged 32, embodies the quintessential extrovert—gregarious, enamored with nightlife, and perpetually surrounded by a coterie of approximately twenty friends who reside in close proximity and convene incessantly. Initially, I admired his vivacity and character.
Budget-Friendly renovation ideas to modernize your home
Renovating your home can be affordable with the right approach. Simple changes, like repainting walls or updating fixtures, can create a fresh, modern look without a high price tag. Whether you’re improving outdated spaces or enhancing functionality, these budget-friendly renovation ideas to modernize your home will help you achieve a stylish, updated space while staying within your budget.
Protecting your valuable works of art when you move, here is how
Transporting artwork can feel daunting, especially when it holds significant emotional and financial value. You want to ensure that your cherished pieces arrive at their destination in Illinois without a scratch. This guide will explore expert ways to transport valuable artwork safely. With the right approach, you can protect your investments and preserve the beauty of your art. Let’s dive into practical tips that make the process easier and more secure.
Protecting cherished pets from highly pathogenic avian influenza: A guide for pet owners
As the threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) looms over both avian and domestic populations, pet owners face an urgent challenge: protecting their beloved companions from a virus that can turn a playful afternoon into a perilous health crisis. HPAI, primarily affecting birds, poses significant risks to pets, particularly those that may ...
What da funk? A stinky body can be a sign of a health issue
Death, taxes and body odor.
They’re things we can all expect in life, no matter how clean you are. But health care providers want you to know when body odor is a sign of a more serious health problem.
B.O. basics
Luis Garcia, MD, an OSF HealthCare pediatrician, says sweat and bacteria are the main culprits behind body odor. Warmth and moisture in parts of the body (like your armpits and feet), plus going through puberty and general poor hygiene, can make the smell worse.
My boyfriend, aged 32, embodies the quintessential extrovert—gregarious, enamored with nightlife, and perpetually surrounded by a coterie of approximately twenty friends who reside in close proximity and convene incessantly. Initially, I admired his vivacity and character.
