Purpose

Dedicated to helping people make themselves safe and their Homes harder targets,...or when James Bond meets Soccer Mom




Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Children and Fire Safety

another article from the U.S. Fire Administration

Children and Fire

Children playing with matches or lighters is a leading cause of home fires and one in which the children and others present are often hurt. Children have a natural curiosity about fire and are tempted to play with matches or lighters left within their reach. In many cases, children who start fires have a history of fire setting. Many fire departments offer counseling programs for juveniles who set fires. If your child is setting fires, you should contact your local fire department for information about counseling before the situation gets out of hand and your child gets hurt. Nevertheless, the most important thing you can do is to keep all matches and lighters out of the sight and reach of children. Store them up high, preferably in a locked cabinet.

Even though they have a natural curiosity about fire, children may become frightened and confused in a fire and hide rather than escape to safety; especially if they started the fire. Children are often found hiding in closets or under beds where they feel safe. Therefore, it is crucial for your child's safety that you hold fire drills in the home at least twice a year to let them practice the right things to do in a fire emergency.

Clothing fires are a significant cause of fire injuries to children (and to adults too). They set their clothes on fire by getting too close to heat sources such as open fires or stoves, or when playing with matches or lighters. Here too, the best defense is a respect for fire and training in what to do if their clothes do catch fire. Their natural reaction is to run ' which will make the situation worse. STOP, DROP, and ROLL is taught as the correct action and has saved many lives in clothing fires. The moment clothes start to burn, stop where you are, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands and roll repeatedly to smother the flames.

Of course, young children should never be left alone in the home. Even if they don't play with fire, unattended children can accidentally start a fire by attempting to cook something or by using a heater or electrical appliance in the wrong way. All too often, tragic fires occur when young children are left unattended, for even short periods.

Children's Sleepwear

In the 1970's, the hazards of accidental ignition of sleepwear on young children were addressed through federal legislation. The Flammable Fabrics Act required that children's sleepwear (sizes 0-6X) be flame retardant. In a short time, this had a dramatic impact on deaths and injuries reducing them by 95%.

Recently, an increase in injuries has been reported among children sleeping in garments classified as "daywear" such as tee shirts and jerseys. These garments look just like sleepwear but are not fire retardant. The only way to tell the difference is by careful examination of the garment label. Therefore, parents should be careful to buy only fire retardant sleepwear for their children in order to enjoy the fire safety benefits of these garments.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Basic Fire Escape Planning

Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning. Practice your plan!

From the NFPA.

Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm.

Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.

Everyone in the household must understand the escape plan. When you walk through your plan, check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily.

Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbor's house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they've escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.

Go outside to see if your street number is clearly visible from the road. If not, paint it on the curb or install house numbers to ensure that responding emergency personnel can find your home.

Have everyone memorize the emergency phone number of the fire department. That way any member of the household can call from a neighbor's home or a cellular phone once safely outside.

If there are infants, older adults, or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill and in the event of an emergency. Assign a backup person too, in case the designee is not home during the emergency.

If windows or doors in your home have security bars, make sure that the bars have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened immediately in an emergency. Emergency release devices won't compromise your security - but they will increase your chances of safely escaping a home fire.

Tell guests or visitors to your home about your family's fire escape plan. When staying overnight at other people's homes, ask about their escape plan. If they don't have a plan in place, offer to help them make one. This is especially important when children are permitted to attend "sleepovers" at friends' homes. See NFPA's "Sleepover fire safety for kids" fact sheet.

Be fully prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately. Residents of high-rise and apartment buildings may be safer "defending in place."

Once you're out, stay out! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.

Putting your plan to the test

* Practice your home fire escape plan twice a year, making the drill as realistic as possible.
* Make arrangements in your plan for anyone in your home who has a disability.
* Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice before holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping. The objective is to practice, not to frighten, so telling children there will be a drill before they go to bed can be as effective as a surprise drill.
* It's important to determine during the drill whether children and others can readily waken to the sound of the smoke alarm. If they fail to awaken, make sure that someone is assigned to wake them up as part of the drill and in a real emergency situation.
* If your home has two floors, every family member (including children) must be able to escape from the second floor rooms. Escape ladders can be placed in or near windows to provide an additional escape route. Review the manufacturer's instructions carefully so you'll be able to use a safety ladder in an emergency. Practice setting up the ladder from a first floor window to make sure you can do it correctly and quickly. Children should only practice with a grown-up, and only from a first-story window. Store the ladder near the window, in an easily accessible location. You don't want to have to search for it during a fire.
* Always choose the escape route that is safest – the one with the least amount of smoke and heat – but be prepared to escape under toxic smoke if necessary. When you do your fire drill, everyone in the family should practice getting low and going under the smoke to your exit.
* Closing doors on your way out slows the spread of fire, giving you more time to safely escape.
* In some cases, smoke or fire may prevent you from exiting your home or apartment building. To prepare for an emergency like this, practice "sealing yourself in for safety" as part of your home fire escape plan. Close all doors between you and the fire. Use duct tape or towels to seal the door cracks and cover air vents to keep smoke from coming in. If possible, open your windows at the top and bottom so fresh air can get in. Call the fire department to report your exact location. Wave a flashlight or light-colored cloth at the window to let the fire department know where you are located.

Encouraging families to prepare

Judy Comoletti, assistant vice president of NFPA's Public Education Division, not only emphasizes the importance of developing and rehearsing home escape plans, but suggests that parents activate their smoke alarms and conduct their drills at night, so they can better gauge the reaction of everyone in the household. Children and the elderly aren't the only ones at risk of sleeping through an alarm, she notes. Sleep-deprived college students, shift workers, teenagers, the hearing impaired, and anyone taking sedating medication, alcohol or drug-impaired individuals, might conceivably be affected, as well.

"Every family should know who will—and won't—wake up at the sound of the alarm so they can accommodate any special needs," she says. If someone is hard to rouse, Comoletti suggests installing additional hard-wired, interconnected alarms in every bedroom. If this doesn't work, she encourages families to design an escape plan that assigns an adult who awakens easily to rouse the sound sleepers.

"We all think we know our kids so well, and we think we know how they will react to A, B or C," says Douglas . "We think they're so smart they'll know just what to do. However, the reality is you don't know at all until it happens. You have to practice. It's like helping your kid prepare for a spelling test. You have to drill them."

Monday, June 28, 2010

Summer safety: Technology can help curb danger

From an on-line article written by María Cortés González of the El Paso Times.

When it comes to summer, children and the outdoors go hand in hand.

And most parents want their children to go outside and get exercise, instead of spending hours inside playing video games.

But before you send your children out to play -- whether on the swings or in a swimming pool -- make sure your backyard is safe.

It's not enough that the backyard fence is closed or that you think your yard is safe. Danger can lurk in the very places your children love to play.

Consider that 2.7 million children end up in the emergency room every summer from accidents in or around their home, according to Underwriters Laboratories. UL is a safety organization that offers information to parents for creating safer home environments.

Each year, more children ages 1 through 14 die in pool drownings than in car accidents. More than 4,000 children are injured or die due to drowning or near-drowning accidents in the United States , according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Unattended grills, broken children's play equipment and unchecked sandboxes can all cause preventable accidents.

John Drengenberg, director of consumer safety for Underwriters Laboratories, said parents try to keep their children safe, but are not safety experts.

"We can't blame parents, but we can talk about the type of hazards that might be in their back yard" and educate them, he said.

Pool safety


Swimming is one of most popular ways for children to enjoy their summer. Unfortunately, swimming pools are one of the leading danger zones for children.

An El Paso city ordinance states that a pools must have a fence around it that is at least 4 feet tall with a self-latching lock.

"Nothing beats adult supervision," Drengenberg said. He added that older children, such as teenagers, are not suitable replacements for an adult.

"The other thing is to follow the 10/20 rule. You should scan the pool every 10 seconds and be able to get to the pool within 20 seconds if there is an emergency," he said.

Drengenberg said when a child is missing for a few minutes, the first place to look is not in bedrooms, closets or neighbors' yards.

"The first place to look is the pool, because the sooner you find the child and get help, the better the chance of the child not sustaining brain injuries or death," he said.

Even small wading pools can be as deadly as a larger pool.

"Everybody knows a child can drown in one inch of water. When you're done with the pool, empty it and turn it upside down so it doesn't collect rain water," Drengenberg said.

Bob Ferguson, vice president of Water Systems at NSF International, said ill-fitting drain covers have also been known to cause dangerous accidents such as entrapping limbs or hair.

NSF International is a not-for-profit public health and safety organization.

"In the last couple of years, there have been some real changes in the type of equipment used in pools because people have gotten their hair caught in a drain. And people have nearly drowned," he said.

Ferguson said people need to make sure the drain and suction fittings on their pool are certified. And don't allow anyone to play in the pool if a drain cover is missing or broken until it is replaced.

Along with adult supervision, parents can use a variety of technology -- such as security cameras and wristband alarms -- to aid them in watching their children.

The Safety Turtle, for example, allows a parent to put a cute wristband on a child to use with a separate wireless base. If the child were to fall into the pool, the alarm would go off immediately.

Bridget Palmer, a product manager for First Alert, said outside security cameras are weather-resistant and can be used to view everything going on outside.

"You could mount it underneath an awning and have it pointed to a pool," she said.

The cameras, made by First Alert, also feature LED night vision technology.


Some other tips for pool safety:


* Keep toys out of the pool. A child may be tempted to try to get a toy and fall in.
* Keep tricycles or wheeled toys away from the pool, as children playing with these could fall in the water.
* Make sure the fence around the pool has a self-closing and self-latching mechanism to prevent unauthorized entry.
* Never stack any furniture near the pool that can be used as a steppingstone.
* Make sure that an emergency shut-off switch for the pump is installed nearby and that it is easily accessible. Everyone should know where these switches are located and how to use them.

Playgrounds

We all know the weather -- mainly the sun -- in El Paso is bad for our bodies. And it can also put extra wear and tear on items left outdoors.

If you haven't checked your son's playground equipment since you built it, you may be putting your child at risk for an injury.

Ferguson said parents need to maintain their children's play equipment by checking for loose screws.

"Go over the bolts and make sure they have covers so they won't cut their fingers. And the hooks that hold up the swings should be closed nice and tight so there's no chance of the chain slipping and the child hurting themselves," he said.

Also, make sure the playground equipment is away from trees, because children may be inclined to swing from their swing set and climb onto them. A 6-to-12-inch layer of mulch, such as chopped rubber tires or wood chips, also can provide a safe and softer cushion than a lawn.

Sandboxes, another fun place for children, can also appeal to cats and other critters. Make it a routine to check the sand for any sharp objects or other unwanted items before children play.

Spiders, scorpions

Plastic buckets, pieces of wood and boxes could all become toys in the hands of an imaginative child. But they can also be secret hideouts for scorpions and spiders.

It's a good idea to teach children how to safely pick up these items or others that have been lying around for a while.

Before handling any of these, children should always be sure to look at the exposed side of the object and then flip it over with something else to check the underside, according to Associated Content.

Flipping it over a couple of times is even better.

Teach them to get an adult when they see a spider or scorpion instead of trying to kill it. A spider and or scorpion can still bite or sting a person even if it's been smashed.

Mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile virus, also can be a summer problem, mainly from dusk to dawn.

It's a good idea to use repellent with DEET and wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts and pants.

Also, change water in birdbaths, pet water bowls and wading pools regularly to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.

"The summer is a wonderful time for kids and parents to play together and spend time together," Ferguson said.

Parents just have to take the lead in being careful so their children can enjoy their summer, he added.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Levels of Awareness - First Step in Personal Protection

This report is republished with permission of STRATFOR, by Scott Stewart.

People typically operate on five distinct levels of awareness. There are many ways to describe these levels (“Cooper’s colors,” for example, which is a system frequently used in law enforcement and military training), but perhaps the most effective way to illustrate the differences between the levels is to compare them to the different degrees of attention we practice while driving. For our purposes here we will refer to the five levels as “tuned out;” “relaxed awareness;” “focused awareness;” “high alert” and “comatose.”

The first level, tuned out, is like when you are driving in a very familiar environment or are engrossed in thought, a daydream, a song on the radio or even by the kids fighting in the backseat. Increasingly, cell phone calls and texting are also causing people to tune out while they drive. Have you ever gotten into the car and arrived somewhere without even really thinking about your drive there? If so, then you’ve experienced being tuned out.

The second level of awareness, relaxed awareness, is like defensive driving. This is a state in which you are relaxed but you are also watching the other cars on the road and are looking well ahead for potential road hazards. If another driver looks like he may not stop at the intersection ahead, you tap your brakes to slow your car in case he does not. Defensive driving does not make you weary, and you can drive this way for a long time if you have the discipline to keep yourself at this level, but it is very easy to slip into tuned-out mode. If you are practicing defensive driving you can still enjoy the trip, look at the scenery and listen to the radio, but you cannot allow yourself to get so engrossed in those distractions that they exclude everything else. You are relaxed and enjoying your drive, but you are still watching for road hazards, maintaining a safe following distance and keeping an eye on the behavior of the drivers around you.

The next level of awareness, focused awareness, is like driving in hazardous road conditions. You need to practice this level of awareness when you are driving on icy or slushy roads — or the roads infested with potholes and erratic drivers that exist in many third-world countries. When you are driving in such an environment, you need to keep two hands on the wheel at all times and have your attention totally focused on the road and the other drivers. You don’t dare take your eyes off the road or let your attention wander. There is no time for cell phone calls or other distractions. The level of concentration required for this type of driving makes it extremely tiring and stressful. A drive that you normally would not think twice about will totally exhaust you under these conditions because it demands your prolonged and total concentration.

The fourth level of awareness is high alert. This is the level that induces an adrenaline rush, a prayer and a gasp for air all at the same time — “Watch out! There’s a deer in the road! Hit the brakes!” This also happens when that car you are watching doesn’t stop at the stop sign and pulls out right in front of you. High alert can be scary, but at this level you are still able to function. You can hit your brakes and keep your car under control. In fact, the adrenalin rush you get at this stage can sometimes even aid your reflexes. But, the human body can tolerate only short periods of high alert before becoming physically and mentally exhausted.

The last level of awareness, comatose, is what happens when you literally freeze at the wheel and cannot respond to stimuli, either because you have fallen asleep, or, at the other end of the spectrum, because you are petrified from panic. It is this panic-induced paralysis that concerns us most in relation to situational awareness. The comatose level of awareness (or perhaps more accurately, lack of awareness) is where you go into shock, your brain ceases to process information and you simply cannot react to the reality of the situation. Many times when this happens, a person can go into denial, believing that “this can’t be happening to me,” or the person can feel as though he or she is observing, rather than actually participating in, the event. Often, the passage of time will seem to grind to a halt. Crime victims frequently report experiencing this sensation and being unable to act during an unfolding crime.


Now that we’ve discussed the different levels of awareness, let’s focus on identifying what level is ideal at a given time. The body and mind both require rest, so we have to spend several hours each day at the comatose level while asleep. When we are sitting at our homes watching a movie or reading a book, it is perfectly fine to operate in the tuned-out mode. However, some people will attempt to maintain the tuned-out mode in decidedly inappropriate environments (e.g., when they are out on the street at night in a third-world barrio), or they will maintain a mindset wherein they deny that they can be victimized by criminals. “That couldn’t happen to me, so there’s no need to watch for it.” They are tuned out.

Some people are so tuned out as they go through life that they miss even blatant signs of pending criminal activity directed specifically at them. In 1992, an American executive living in the Philippines was kidnapped by a Marxist kidnapping gang in Manila known as the “Red Scorpion Group.” When the man was debriefed following his rescue, he described in detail how the kidnappers had blocked off his car in traffic and abducted him. Then, to the surprise of the debriefing team, he said that on the day before he was abducted, the same group of guys had attempted to kidnap him at the exact same location, at the very same time of day and driving the same vehicle. The attackers had failed to adequately box his car in, however, and his driver was able to pull around the blocking vehicle and proceed to the office.

Since the executive did not consider himself to be a kidnapping target, he had just assumed that the incident the day before his abduction was “just another close call in crazy Manila traffic.” The executive and his driver had both been tuned out. Unfortunately, the executive paid for this lack of situational awareness by having to withstand an extremely traumatic kidnapping, which included almost being killed in the dramatic Philippine National Police operation that rescued him.

If you are tuned out while you are driving and something happens — say, a child runs out into the road or a car stops quickly in front of you — you will not see the problem coming. This usually means that you either do not see the hazard in time to avoid it and you hit it, or you totally panic and cannot react to it — neither is good. These reactions (or lack of reaction) occur because it is very difficult to change mental states quickly, especially when the adjustment requires moving several steps, say, from tuned out to high alert. It is like trying to shift your car directly from first gear into fifth and it shudders and stalls. Many times, when people are forced to make this mental jump and they panic (and stall), they go into shock and will actually freeze and be unable to take any action — they go comatose. This happens not only when driving but also when a criminal catches someone totally unaware and unprepared. While training does help people move up and down the alertness continuum, it is difficult for even highly trained individuals to transition from tuned out to high alert. This is why police officers, federal agents and military personnel receive so much training on situational awareness.

It is critical to stress here that situational awareness does not mean being paranoid or obsessively concerned about your security. It does not mean living with the irrational expectation that there is a dangerous criminal lurking behind every bush. In fact, people simply cannot operate in a state of focused awareness for extended periods, and high alert can be maintained only for very brief periods before exhaustion sets in. The “flight or fight” response can be very helpful if it can be controlled. When it gets out of control, however, a constant stream of adrenaline and stress is simply not healthy for the body or the mind. When people are constantly paranoid, they become mentally and physically burned out. Not only is this dangerous to physical and mental health, but security also suffers because it is very hard to be aware of your surroundings when you are a complete basket case. Therefore, operating constantly in a state of high alert is not the answer, nor is operating for prolonged periods in a state of focused alert, which can also be overly demanding and completely enervating. This is the process that results in alert fatigue. The human body was simply not designed to operate under constant stress. People (even highly skilled operators) require time to rest and recover.

Because of this, the basic level of situational awareness that should be practiced most of the time is relaxed awareness, a state of mind that can be maintained indefinitely without all the stress and fatigue associated with focused awareness or high alert. Relaxed awareness is not tiring, and it allows you to enjoy life while rewarding you with an effective level of personal security. When you are in an area where there is potential danger (which, by definition, is almost anywhere), you should go through most of your day in a state of relaxed awareness. Then if you spot something out of the ordinary that could be a potential threat, you can “dial yourself up” to a state of focused awareness and take a careful look at that potential threat (and also look for others in the area).

If the potential threat proves innocuous, or is simply a false alarm, you can dial yourself back down into relaxed awareness and continue on your merry way. If, on the other hand, you look and determine that the potential threat is a probable threat, seeing it in advance allows you to take actions to avoid it. You may never need to elevate to high alert, since you have avoided the problem at an early stage. However, once you are in a state of focused awareness you are far better prepared to handle the jump to high alert if the threat does change from potential to actual — if the three guys lurking on the corner do start coming toward you and look as if they are reaching for weapons. The chances of you going comatose are far less if you jump from focused awareness to high alert than if you are caught by surprise and “forced” to go into high alert from tuned out. An illustration of this would be the difference between a car making a sudden stop in front of a person when the driver is practicing defensive driving, compared to a car that makes a sudden stop in front of a person when the driver is sending a text message.

Of course, if you know that you must go into an area that is very dangerous, you should dial yourself up to focused awareness when you are in that area. For example, if there is a specific section of highway where a lot of improvised explosive devices detonate and ambushes occur, or if there is a part of a city that is controlled (and patrolled) by criminal gangs — and you cannot avoid these danger areas for whatever reason — it would be prudent to heighten your level of awareness when you are in those areas. An increased level of awareness is also prudent when engaging in common or everyday tasks, such as visiting an ATM or walking to the car in a dark parking lot. The seemingly trivial nature of these common tasks can make it all too easy to go on “autopilot” and thus expose yourself to threats. When the time of potential danger has passed, you can then go back to a state of relaxed awareness.

This process also demonstrates the importance of being familiar with your environment and the dangers that are present there. Such awareness allows you to avoid many threats and to be on the alert when you must venture into a dangerous area.

Clearly, few of us are living in the type of intense threat environment currently found in places like Mogadishu , Juarez or Kandahar . Nonetheless, average citizens all over the world face many different kinds of threats on a daily basis — from common thieves and assailants to criminals and mentally disturbed individuals aiming to conduct violent acts to militants wanting to carry out large-scale attacks against subways and aircraft.

Many of the steps required to conduct these attacks must be accomplished in a manner that makes the actions visible to the potential victim and outside observers. It is at these junctures that people practicing situational awareness can detect these attack steps, avoid the danger and alert the authorities. When people practice situational awareness they not only can keep themselves safer but they can also help keep others safe. And when groups of people practice situational awareness together they can help keep their schools, houses of worship, workplaces and cities safe from danger.

And as we’ve discussed many times before, as the terrorist threat continues to devolve into one almost as diffuse as the criminal threat, ordinary citizens are also becoming an increasingly important national security resource.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Twitter Security Breaches - Twitter v FTC, re: Obama's Account

Twitter settles with FTC over breach that struck Obama's account, from a yahoo! news account.

A hack job that allowed intruders to take control of President Obama's Twitter account has resulted in a settlement at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The agency unanimously voted to approve a settlement with Twitter after charging it with leaving the door open for hackers to take control of the site on two occasions last year. The negligence risked users' personal data and gave perpetrators a chance to hijack accounts, the FTC said on Thursday.

The breach extended to President Obama's account during the campaign. One tweet sent from his profile offered his over 150,000 followers a chance to win $500 worth of free gasoline.

The FTC charged that Twitter did not take reasonable steps to ensure user safety, including by requiring employees to use tough passwords and by suspending their passwords after several unsuccessful logins.

Under the settlement, Twitter has to create an information security program that an independent auditor will review every other year for 10 years.

Although Obama is a tempting targets for hackers, everyone, including us should utilize Passwords need to be random; think of a combination of UPPER CASE Letters, lower case letters, symbols such as #, $, &, * and numbers.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Internet Security - Facebook Privacy

There has been recent news about security privacy setting with Facebook, the popular social networking website. With the good comes the bad. Facebook is a good tool to stay in contact with friend and family; therefore we put our trust in Facebook to protect our account information or assume it is protected.

Like I was told once by an infantry first sergeant, “never assume anything because you become the first three letters of the word.” There is always someone out there ready to target your account(s) for identity theft and or hackers looking for a challenge. Once compromised, your account(s) are used to send fraudulent messages to friends to convince them to click on malicious links, install malicious Facebook add-ons, or send money.

If you use this social networking site, examine your privacy settings and turn on account security features. Unlike the privacy settings, users must opt-in to benefit from the account security feature. The security feature will send you an email or text message whenever your Facebook account is accessed by a new computer or device. This provides an important warning of potential account compromise and offers instructions on what to do to regain control over your account.

Instructions to change your settings:

1. On the upper right-hand corner of the Facebook screen, click Account > Privacy Settings > Personal Information and Posts
2. Adjust your privacy settings beside all 12 categories
3. Click Back To Privacy > Contact Information
4. Adjust your privacy settings beside all 9 categories
5. Click Back to Privacy > Friends, Tags & Connections
6. Adjust your privacy settings beside all 10 categories

Facebook Ads

Description: When your friends view Facebook ads, they may see your name and pictures

Instructions to change your settings:

1. On the upper right hand corner of the Facebook screen, click Account > Account Settings > Facebook Ads
2. Select "No One" beside "Allow ads on platform pages to show my information to"
3. Select "No One" beside "Show my social actions in Facebook Ads to"

Instant Personalization Pilot Program

Description: This feature gives websites like Yelp, Pandora and Microsoft Docs access to your Facebook profile information. Even if you opt out of the Instant Personalization Pilot Program, websites may still access info about you via your friends, unless you block each individual site’s application.

Instructions to change your settings:

1. On the upper right hand corner of your screen, click Account > Privacy Settings > Applications and Websites
2. Click "Edit Setting" beside "Instant Personalization Pilot Program"
3. Uncheck the box at the bottom of the screen

Facebook Friends Ability to Share your Information with Third-Parties

Description: By default your Facebook Friends can share your information with third party applications even when you do not use those specific applications.

Instructions to change your settings:

1. Click Account > Privacy Settings > Applications & Websites > What your friends can share about you
2. Uncheck all 13 boxes

Enhanced Account Security
Description: This setting can notify you about unusual activity on your Facebook account that could be a sign of account compromise by sending you an email or text message whenever your Facebook account is modified.

Instructions to change your settings:

1. On the upper right-hand corner of your screen, click Account > Account Settings > Account Security
2. Click "Yes" below "Would you like to receive notifications for logins from new devices?"
3. The next time you log in, Facebook will ask you to name the device you are using. Then it will send you an email. This way, if anyone logs in to your account from a device you don’t use, you will know about it.

Hope this helps you maintain this element of internet security. Let's keep our kids safe.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Counter Surveillance 101

Counter Surveillance is the process of detecting and reducing bad guy surveillance. It is an important, yet often overlooked, element of counter terrorism and security operations. Counter Surveillance is especially important because it is one of the few security measures that allows for threats (bad guys) to be mitigated before they can develop into active attacks. Being proactive in this day and age is a must – whether you live along the borders of the United States; the streets of Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York; or middle America suburbia – bad people are always out there ready to pounce on their prey.

The news about kidnappings by Mexican drug cartels from El Paso, TX; Phoenix, AZ; and San Diego, CA have triggered this posting. Perhaps those kidnapped have something to do with not being on the right side of the law, but nonetheless, counter surveillance for the average law abiding citizen should be practiced in order not to fall victim to crime no matter how small (purse snatching) or how severe (kidnapping)!

An effective counter Surveillance mindset is as simple as noticing people repeatedly in different places you frequent such as your neighborhood; the park you take the children to, or the area you personally use to run or exercise; the restaurant you frequent with colleagues or family; the sports bar you go to with your friends; and the grocery store you frequent the most. Most of the criminals and terrorists conducting surveillance are very well trained. Their presence, their mode of dress their actions Heir Sometimes the one who is conducting surveillance can slip and all of a sudden there is an anomaly – out of place, in these places you frequent.

Counter Surveillance instincts can also be used while driving. For instance, think about the route you take to and from work or to and from the gym or school. Alter your routes of travel. Be situational aware of where the nearest “safe place” is in case you need to pull in and divert from your route – preferably a law enforcement facility or fire station. If you notice a vehicle in your rear view mirror has been traveling the same route you have and does not look familiar to you at all, before pulling into your home or destination – pass that location and go around the block, so of speak, to see if they were truly following you to commit a crime. Bottom line: be alert and always pay attention to your surroundings.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Home Invasion - Caught on Audio Tape

March 2008. From Denver, Colorado a real 911 call records the horrors of a defenseless woman during a home invasion. Don't let this be you. Have a plan. That plan should include cell phones, a safe room, possible alarm system, possible defensive weapons including firearms.

The woman was raped and brutalized.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Situational Awareness: The OODA Loop

The OODA loop is a decision making model developed by US Air Force Colonel John Boyd. It is also known as the OODA cycle or Boyd’s loop. It is a concept that has been strategically applied at individual as well as group levels. Understanding the OODA loop allows officers to prepare general tactics for commonly encountered situations as well as specific tactics when detailed circumstances are known ahead of time.
Concept

A simple OODA loop can be graphically represented as this:


In this process every combatant observes the situation, orients himself, decides what to do, and does it. Then the process repeats itself.

* Observe means to know what is happening through any of your five senses, not just sight.
* Orient means to understand the meaning of what you observed. When a suspect does the “felony stretch” looking for a direction to flee as he stretches his arms overhead, an experienced officer realizes the suspect is about to take off running.
* Decide is weighing the options available and picking one.
* Act is carrying out the decision.


Reactionary Gap

Most trained professionals such as police officers and experienced soldiers are aware of the reactionary gap. If two people are standing a foot apart facing each other, the first one is given instructions to touch the second one as fast as he can while the second one is told to slap the first person’s hand away before he touches him. The second person will never succeed because he has to go through a full OODA cycle before he can react and by that time the first person will have already touched him. If the two people are farther apart, the second person will have enough time to react because the distance adds time to the action and gives him enough time to observe and react. He already knows what the first person is going to do and how he will react so he moves instantly from observe to act. The way to diminish the effects of the reactionary Gap is to be situationally aware at all times.

You challenge is to incorporate the OODA loop into your lifestyle. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Look for possible security threats. How many people look into a convenience store such as 7-11 or Cirlce K, to see if it is being robbed before they enter? Practice scanning your surrounding as see if you can pick up possible security threats – anybody who doesn’t fit in, anybody who is paying too much attention to something, …look for possible escape routes from which to take your family. Wargame possible confrontations. Be Secure, Be Safe, Be Situationally Aware.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Situational Awareness: Terrorist Attack Cycle

Recently, I read an article on situational awareness, A Primer on Situational Awareness by Scott Stewart – STRATFOR Global Intelligence. What stood out was the cycle the “bad guys” use to conduct their attacks. It is very important to recognize that criminal and terrorist attacks do not materialize out of left field. The bad guys follow a process when planning their actions and this process has several distinct steps. The same steps apply to nearly all crimes and terrorist acts.

Of course, the time will vary between steps. In a complex crime like a kidnapping or car bombing there will be more time used to plan, select, prepare, deploy and reach their end state, compared to simple crimes like purse-snatching or shoplifting, where the steps are rushed through within the blink of an eye-minutes if not seconds to decide whether to follow through with the act or not. Regardless of the crime, the same steps are usually followed. I intentionally left out the media exploitation step because the majority of crimes, the bad guys do not want to be caught or make a “political statement” of their actions.


The majority of the bad guys conduct surveillance in order to be successful. They focus on patterns, driving to and from work, daily routines, seek out weaknesses, and possibly conduct surveillance on more than one day or time period to be sure they are successful. It can be as simple as driving around the neighborhood and ringing the door bell a couple of times. No answer, find a weak point on the house to break in and in seconds the house is robbed. It can be as complex as targeting some one for kidnapping. Finding out where they work, taking note at the type of the security, if any the person has, either a security system at home or personal firearm(s) they carry or don’t carry.

Being aware of this cycle helps you plan your protective protocols. In the near future we will begin to talk about Counter-Surveillance.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Protecting Yourself, Your Family Your Business - by STRATFOR

Nearly eight years after 9/11, the world remains a dangerous place and individual self-protection may be more important now than ever before. With that in mind, STRATFOR has collected these pieces, which contain some of it's best work on personal security. STRATFOR hopes this collection will provide useful guidance, context and perspective to remain safe in a dangerous world.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Personal Security - Defensive Flashlights

Everyone should carry a flashlight, we do, even when traveling on airplanes. Not only can a flashlight help you find exits, illuminate locks for keys, signal for help, but a high powered (high lumens) flashlight can even be a defensive weapon used to blind your attacker and keep his eyes of the prize so to speak.

For a flashlight to be usable as a defensive tool it's light output (measured in lumens) should be around 50 lumens or more. This requires using a DL123 or CR123 Lithium battery. Run time on flashlights using one or more of these batteries, depending upon their lumen output, is around 20 minutes straight. You have an option of these flashlights in bulbs or LED. Generally bulbs are brighter but LED's won't burn out or break like bulbs do, so the hands down choice is a LED flashlight.

The best flashlights are made by Surefire. Well made and in use by hundreds of thousands of military service members, law enforcement professionals and emergency responders, Surefire is the highest name in quality.

We have place several excellent models of Surefire Flashlights below. The higher the lumen power the brighter and more capable it would be to drive off all but the most dedicated of attackers.


Friday, June 18, 2010

Personal Security - GPS Tracker

In this day and age Satellite Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and the wide array of threats, it makes sense that the prudent family utilize GPS devices to enhance the geographic location of family members or personal property such as vehicles. Much the same technology that allows the military to locate missing or isolated service members, GPS locators allow for the tracking and location determining of people or vehicles.

One of the top products on the market, Zoombak A-GPS locators are a simple and ingenious way to keep track of anything that matters to you. Using Assisted Global Positioning System technology (A-GPS), Zoombak can help to precisely and reliably determine the location of your Zoombak via the internet, cell phone or LIVE Customer Care.

What is A-GPS Technology?
Assisted-GPS Technology (A-GPS) locates faster and more accurately than regular GPS by using satellites in the sky and location databases on the ground.

Is Zoombak portable?
Yes. You can install it permanently or keep it portable for use in any car, motorcycle, boat, ATV or bicycle.

How often do I need to charge the battery?
The long-life battery can last up to 5 days on standby or active use of up to 150 location requests before recharging. You can be alerted by text message or email when it’s running low. If installed permanently, Zoombak is powered by your car battery.

Does Zoombak work everywhere?
Zoombak works anywhere within the nationwide coverage area. Service may not be available indoors. See the coverage map for details.

What's the difference between the Car & Family Locator (ZMBK200) and Universal Locator (ZMBK300 or ZMBK346)?
The Car & Family package comes with what you need to hard-wire the Zoombak inside the car. Professional installation is recommended. The Universal package comes with a portable pouch instead of the car kit. If you are buying the Zoombak specifically for vehicle tracking, you'll want the Car & Family package; if you plan to use it for different applications, you want the Universal package. The Universal ZMBK346 package comes with a portable DC adapter, not found in the ZMBK300, for no extra charge.

Can I hide the Zoombak so the driver doesn't see it?
It is recommended that you place the Zoombak on the dashboard or the center console for better satellite reception. However, if you want to hide it, you can place it behind the back seats, underneath the speaker's cover. Professional installation is recommended for this option.

Zoombak Features
* Easy to Use
* Portable design can be used in all your vehicles
* Unlimited on-demand locates
* Customizable safety zones
* Prompt location alerts & location history
* No Activation Fee
* Continuous tracking (real-time updates every 5 minutes via text message and email)
* Long-life battery (up to 5 days on stand-by before recharging)
* Low Battery and Power-OFF
* Notifications via text message and email

Zoombak Beats the Competition

* A-GPS Technology - Highest level of accuracy at an affordable price
* Smallest Device - only 2.75” x 1.5” x .75”, 2.5 oz
* Easy-to-use set up and application
* 24/7 Live Customer Care
* Unlimited Location Requests

Product Requirements
* Product is currently only available in the U.S.
* Mobile phone service required for certain features
* Access to an internet-connected computer
* Service plans starting at $9.99 per month for the first six months, then only $14.99 after a pre-paid plan purchase and one-year agreement
* Minimum service term required and cancellation fees may apply
* Coverage is not available everywhere and is often not available indoors.

Click here and go to "Safety and Tracking" for Zoombak and other Personal-vehicle GPS options.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Travel Security - Use of Tell Tales as Indicators of Entry and Search

Have you ever came home one day and look at something and said to yourself "Hmmm, someone has messed with that, since it wasn;t that way when I left."

Have you ever watched a movie where someone or a group of people sneak into a hotel room to search it while the occupant is done and where the searchers use a polaroid camera to take pictures of how items are laid out so they can be put back in the exactly the same place or order?

Tell Tales are clues you leave behind at your home or hotel room so you can determine if someone has entered a door, or searched your belongings. The simplest Tell Tale is a small matchstick sized stick placed into the outside door jamb, opposite the door latch. If someone opens your door, the stick will fall giving you a clue that someone has gone into your room in your absence - and he or they may still be there laying in ambush for you. The most common door Tell Tale is a paper match stick.

In fact match sticks are great Tell Tales for many other applications. Such as placed alongside a folder, briefcase or piece of luggage so you can tell if anyone has moved it.

A great technique to use also on your home. May keep you from walking into an home buglary.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

State Department Travel Warnings

If you are traveling overseas or into a different country, it makes sense to go to the State Department Travel Section to get good information on threat level and warnings for tourists or business people.

U.S. State Department Travel Section

Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a draw down of its staff.

The State Department also provides good information on a wide array of other issues such as locations of consulates and consular activities, documentation requirements, safety, health, and medical.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

How Thieves Get Into Locked Luggage

Have you ever traveled on an airplane with stowed luggage only to get to your destination to find out that something is missing from your locked bag and without any evidence of a forced entry?

Join the Club. The following video shows how baggage thieves get into locked luggage without making it evident.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Home Invasion Lessons Learned

Home Invasion news report, where three Mutts went through an un-locked door of a home catching the home owners unaware. The Home owners were business owners of a security company and were armed, however the home owner was shot and police think one of the invaders was also shot.

Lessons Learned:
1. Lock your doors, not just at night, but once you get home. If you have to go through a checklist once you get home and then later on before bed time - then do it.
2. Ensure you have decent quality cameras in order to provide best evidence and investigative leads for the police.
3. Having a gun is a good thing; having more than one gun is a better thing. If you don't carry a gun on your body when you are home, then consider multiple locations in your house where you can hide guns in an easy to access manner.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Security Devices for Travel

How many of us are pretty anal when it comes to home security, but once we get on the road in a travel status forget all? With several economically priced electronic travel security devices you can now travel with peace of mind.

From motion activated door alarms with ear piercing alarms that hang on the door knob of your hotel room door or are emplaced as door wedges, to personal alarms (audible beacons) in case of an attack or kidnapping attempt, to travel smoke and CO2 detectors, to travel alarm clocks with motion activated video recorders to see who is tossing your room, there are many kinds of devices available.

Our basic favorite is the motion activated door wedge alarm as it not only gives an alarm upon forced entry, it also serves to stop or hinder entry.

We have displayed several models of travel security devices below to fit all levels of buying power.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Keyless Dead Bolt Door Locks - a Better Solution

The keyless entry deadbolts are a fairly new innovation. They can have both audible and visual signals that tell you if the dead bolt is completely locked. The computer chip inside the lock can also be set to automatically lock the door after a child or forgetful mate leaves the house without locking the door. This deadbolt also is equipped with the latest rolling code technology. This means that technology smart burglars who try to grab the radio signal are wasting their time. Each time the deadbolt operates, it will randomly select a new entry code from over a billion combinations.

You can install electronic keyless entry deadbolt locks with motion detectors that illuminate the keyhole for low light or dark.

Examples of economy keyless dead bolts are the Lock State and :



Please visit Brickhouse Security for your home security needs, including Key Less Locks.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Security Alarms Companies - What Are You Getting?


Home alarm companies, like Brinks (now Broadview) and ADT offer monitored home security systems for homes (large and small, including burglar alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors that are fairly easy to use and are pretty affordable.

Using 24/7 monitoring, in the event of any emergency situation, including home invasion and burglary as well as fire and medical emergencies, police, fire and medical assistance can be notified quickly.

Just how quickly law enforcement will respond depends upon several factors: rate of false alarms in a given locale; available units to respond; power outages; and possibile other factors. Recently we tracked burgularies in an upper middle class neighborhood where the criminals were in and out well before law enforcment could respond.

Home Security and Personal Protection believes that there is a place for monitored home alarms in the overall home security plan - its just that home owners can rely soley on these alarms to protect their home or their family.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Dead Bolts - Easy to Pick

The below video not only depicts how easy it is to pick dead bolt locks commonly found on doors, but how these techniques are commonly found on the the internet, usualy you tube, which provide training for home burglars or violent criminals to access your home.

What is the alternative to dead bolts? Cyhper locks, round keys locks, alrama systems, guard dogs, lighting systems and other things to make your home not only appear to be a harder target but make it a harder target.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Hardening Your Door

More than 70% of all break-ins begin with an intruder kicking in a door. Door Jamb Armor will repair a damaged door jamb (door jam) and help prevent future burglaries or home invasions. Real door security for your home. Watch as several really big guys (and one small one) try to kick this door in. This video was not doctored. Think you can do better? Give us a call and try for yourself.

For more Information click here

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

National Neighborhood Watch Institute

National Neighborhood Watch Institute (NNWI) was formed to supply law enforcement agencies and individual’s better tools for their crime prevention dollar. This was in response to a local police department asking for help in the 1980s.

NNWI offers a cohesive Neighborhood Watch program involving: training materials, window warning decals, work sheets and quality street signs. Additionally, NNWI has been the first to offer Homeland Security street signs. NNWI also offers Operation ID decals and property logs. All products are designed to assist the crime prevention professional, as well as the public, in the process of crime prevention.

Monday, June 7, 2010

FBI Uniform Crime Reports

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program was conceived in 1929 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to meet a need for reliable, uniform crime statistics for the nation. In 1930, the FBI was tasked with collecting, publishing, and archiving those statistics. Today, several annual statistical publications, such as the comprehensive Crime in the United States, are produced from data provided by nearly 17,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States.

Preliminary figures indicate that, as a whole, law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation reported a decrease of 5.5 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention for 2009 when compared with figures reported for 2008. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The number of property crimes in the United States in 2009 decreased 4.9 percent when compared with data from 2008. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson is also a property crime, but data for arson are not included in property crime totals. Figures for 2009 indicate that arson decreased 10.4 percent when compared to 2008 figures.

For Full 2009 FBI UCR click here

The Security Professionals at Home Security and Personal Protection believe that the FBI UCR data does not take into account crimes among or against approximatley 22 million Illegal Aliens nor crimes committed by one criminal organization against another.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Garage Door Break Ins

How long does it take a burglar to break in through your garage door? The answer is 6 seconds.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Introducing Home Security and Personal Protection

Home Security and Personal Protection has been created to share information concerning Personal Protection; General Home Security; Home Surveillance Electronics; Door and Window Locks; Information and Indentity Security; and other tactics, techniques and procedures to make you, your family and your home harder targets.

Authors of this blog are trained and experience security professionals who have worked for the Government in various capacities including: Personal Security Details, Law Enforcment, Personal Security, and Physical Security, both in classified and unclassified arenas.

We are exposed to, almost continually, deprivations by indiviual criminals and criminal organizations including organized narcotics cartels and street gangs.

Check back with us from time to time to see what suggestions and tips we have to make you and your family safer and your home a harder target.