Devising a Family Emergency Action Plan

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Tragedy happens. Mother Nature, manmade disasters, accidents and freak occurrences require families to have some form of emergency action plan or evacuation plan.  The best defense to aver tragedy is having systems in place.

The Red Cross is known for their disaster response strategy and they have put together a comprehensive list of steps to take:

Create a Family Emergency Plan

Meet with your family or household members.

Discuss how to prepare and respond to emergencies that are most likely to happen where you live, learn, work and play.

Identify responsibilities for each member of your household and plan to work together as a team.

If a family member is in the military, plan how you would respond if they were deployed.

Plan what to do in case you are separated during an emergency

Choose two places to meet:

Right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, such as a fire

Outside your neighborhood, in case you cannot return home or are asked to evacuate

Choose an out­of­area emergency contact person. It may be easier to text or call long distance if local phone lines are overloaded or out of service. Everyone should have emergency contact information in writing or programmed into their cell phones.

Make a Home Evacuation Plan

Decide where you would go and what route you would take to get there. You may choose to go to a hotel/motel, stay with friends or relatives in a safe location or go to an evacuation shelter if necessary.

Practice evacuating your home twice a year. Drive your planned evacuation route and plot alternate routes on your map in case roads are impassable.

Plan ahead for your pets. Keep a phone list of pet­friendly hotels/motels and animal shelters that are along your evacuation routes.

The most important aspect of any fire is protecting life and limb. The stuff inside and the structure itself doesn’t matter when it comes to family safety. But when people lose all their stuff in a fire, it is still very hard, and to some, devastating.

If you lose all your mementos, clothes, photos and all the items that make life comfortable, it can take 1-2 years or more to adjust and get back on your feet.

Fortunately, today’s home security systems can also be equipped with fire alarms that prompt a dispatcher to call the fire department ASAP.

On houses with porches that have poles and posts and the resident is adept at climbing that may be a consideration for some.

The safest and most recommended option is a fire escape ladder. I own a 25 foot ladder, three-story fire escape ladder with anti-slip rungs that can hang out a window.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussingADT Pulse on Fox News. Disclosures

ADT Pulse: Remote Security Systems for Small Business

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The standard old school home alarm system covers monitoring, doors, windows, motion and glass. Today’s digital wireless home alarms are much more. Today’s small business alarms are much much more.

While these remote security systems are very simple and easy to program, they are very complex, but user friendly. Once you dive into the system it gives you a tremendous amount of “awareness” of the goings on in and around your small business and the alarm system does it automatically.

No matter the nature of your business, whether you have inventory, hardware, assets, or employee or client data, you need to make sure your business is protected by a security system.

Remote Arm/Disarm

From almost anywhere you can easily arm and disarm your system, giving added security when you can’t be there to lock up.

Secured Remote Video Monitoring

You can view events in multiple areas of your facility, have greater control over loss, and oversee your business from almost anywhere.

Office Equipment Control

Somebody leaves the coffee maker on. The AC is set on high. You can control these settings when you’re not in the office.

Email & Text Alerts

Whether away on business or across town at home, you can receive email & text alerts regarding your business and system.

Office Light/Temperature Control

You can control the lights and thermostats in your office remotely, saving energy, time and money. You can also set up recurring events.

Find out more information on ADT Pulse at ADTPulse.com

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussingADT Pulse on Fox News Live. Disclosures

Selling Your Old Smartphone? Not Smart

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It has become standard practice to upgrade to a newer device, and people often sell, donate, or discard the old one. Or maybe you’ve received a new computer or mobile phone as a holiday gift and need to get rid of the old one. You consider selling them so you can get some money back—maybe to purchase your newest device, but is this really worth it?

After what I’ve seen, I don’t think so. I conducted a test where I purchased a bunch of used devices off of Craigslist and eBay to see if I could still find personal data on the devices. I found a startling amount of personal data including photos, phone numbers, addresses, emails, text messages and even passwords.

While most of us would think we were safe if we did a factory reset on our mobile device, we also need to remember to remove or wipe any media like internal drives, SD cards, and anything else that stores data really should be destroyed. And for Android phones, even though some of the phones had done a factory reset, I was still able to find data on them. Furthermore, after having spent a few months working with a forensics expert, I’ve come to the conclusion that even if you wipe and reformat a hard drive, you may still miss something.

So whether you destroy your smartphone with a sledgehammer, use a drill press to turn it into swiss cheese, or use a hack saw to chop it into pieces, and then drop those pieces into a bucket of salt water for, oh, say a year, just to be safe, for your own good, don’t sell it on eBay or Craigslist. Yes, this will not provide much help for resale value, but you’ll have some fun and know that your information is safe.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Evangelist to McAfee. Watch him discussing information he found on used electronic devices YouTube. (Disclosures)

Identifying Safety Hazards During Your Home Search

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Buying a home is stressful. The whole process is overwhelming due to it being such a large dollar amount coupled with wondering if you’ll actually get the loan. Then on top of itall, you want to make sure the home you are buying is safe for your family.

Studies show the major causes of injury in a home revolve around  people falling, getting poisoned, home fires and choking. And then the concerns go to hazards and toxins like carbon monoxide, lead paint, mold infestation, asbestos and radon gas.

When looking to buy a home and even looking around your own home notice:

Falling: Outside,look for unsafe conditions that would facilitate a fall.Such as retaining walls or ledges without proper barriers, porches or stairs without proper railings.Inside,are the stairs to the higher floors safe? Is the wood rotted? How about the basement stairs? Are the windows on higher levels equipped with proper locks so kids can’t open them? Are there locks on doors to porches? How accessible is the attic and is the attic floor solid or lined only with insulation?

Drowning: Does the property have a pool? Is it fenced according to code? Is the pool directly accessible from the home without an additional fence or gate? Is there a pond or lake? Are there barriers to entry? Are there wells, tight tanks or drainage tanks that are accessible by removing a simple manhole cover?

Hazardous materials: Is there evidence of the storage of chemicals inside or out? Any containers or smells of gasoline or any flammable materials? Has the soil ever been tested for chemicals? Are the garage rafters, attic and basement completely free of old containers that might contain toxins? Has the basement been tested for radon? Is there lead in the paint? Have the pipes been tested for asbestos insulation?

Carbon monoxide: This is when a good inspector is necessary. It would also be a good time to have portable carbon monoxide detectors to determine if the boilers, burners or furnace vents are leaking. An inspection of the furnace and the chimney are necessary to rule out any leaks.

Mold: If the homes forced hot air has too much moisture in it then the vents can get moldy. If the home has or has ever had a leaky roof or leaky pipes or if the siding wasn’t I installed properly then mold can grow in the basement, attic, walls and ceilings. Mold is a real problem that a good inspector can detect.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussingADT Pulse on Fox News.Disclosures

Gold Farming e-Guides Facilitate Banned Gaming Activities

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Most MMO game operators ban the sale of in-game currency for real-world dollars. But that hasn’t stopped gold farming from flourishing into a full-fledged underground economy.

A Telecoms.com article entitled “Killing Cash” addresses the ways in which virtual currency may be pushing old fashioned cash out of circulation altogether. One point is the prevalence of gold farming, which, according to a 2011 report by the World Bank’s InfoDev unit in 2011, an estimated 75% of all virtual goods sales involve gold farmers.

“The vast majority of gold farms are based in developing countries like China, and the phenomenon has attracted the same kind of publicity as sweat shops, with imagery of banks of computers staffed by ill-paid workers who repeat the same in-game tasks in World of Warcraft for hours at a time to earn in game currency. These funds are then traded on illicit exchanges for real world money. The value comes from games players who support the system as an easy way to boost their in-game funds.”

Numerous guides are available online to help readers learn how to gold farm more effectively, whether you’re a casual gamer or part of an organized crime ring. A press release from Ereviewguide.com touts their gold farming guide, which warns that “there is really not much money to be made by players who play the conventional way or who play the game purely for enjoyment,” despite the promises of “e-book scams, scam online guides and other digital forms of snake oil that try to get would-be players excited about online game gold farming as a way of making money online.” Nevertheless, Ereviewguide.com offers “tips and strategies to maximize gold farming efficiency.”

Game operators lose profits due to forced labor gold farming, and while they certainly want to stem their losses, they also have a humanitarian responsibility to the victims of this crime.

iovation’s ReputationManager 360 is a proven service that helps protect MMOs against chargebacks, virtual asset theft, gold farming, code hacking, and account takeovers. The service identifies devices being used to play and examines their history and reputation as they are interacting with the game – setting off alerts that could relate to velocity triggers, geolocation, device anomalies, past gold farming abuse, financial fraud, chat abuse, and more.

For years, leading game publishers have prevented game abuse and ensured a safe and fun experience for players with the help of iovation’s device reputation service. These publishers (along with iovation’s network of more than 2,000 fraud analysts from other online businesses) share information, trends, and best practices with iovation and with each other in order to stay one step ahead of cheaters and criminals.

Robert Siciliano, personal security and identity theft expert contributor to iovation, discusses identity theft for the National Speakers Association. (Disclosures.)

17 Percent of PCs Are Exposed

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Exposed as in streaking through life naked without a stitch of security. There are things I do and things I don’t do, and no security isn’t on my “do” list. Come on, people!

McAfee used its Windows-based Security Scan Plus scan an average of 17 million PCs per month in 24 different countries. This was the first industry study of its kind, thought to be the most accurate snapshot of consumer PC protection to date.

83% of computers scanned were found to be protected with the basics. Basic security protection includes working antivirus software, anti-spyware protection, and firewalls. That leaves 17% with no or essentially no protection from malware and other threats.

Other key findings include:

Finland is the most protected country with only 9.7% of PCs lacking any security protection

Singapore ranked at the bottom with 21.75% of consumer PCs completely unprotected

11.75% of Singapore’s PCs have security software installed, but it is disabled

Spain had the highest percentage of PCs without any installed basic security protection at 16.33%

The United States is the 5th least protected country, with 19.32% of Americans browsing the Internet without any protection; 12.25% of consumers have zero security protection installed; 7.07% have security software installed but it is disabled

If you are part of the 17% without security software installed, listen up: there are millions of viruses out there that will ravage your PC to death. Some can make your PC completely inoperable, while others allow criminals to control your PC remotely, making it part of a “botnet,” used for nefarious ends by a criminal network. But worst of all are viruses that allow criminals to access your data in order to steal your identity.

So please, protect your PC with comprehensive security software that includes antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, anti-phishing and firewall protection, and save us all the discomfort of having to look at your naked PC.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Evangelist to McAfee. See him on Anderson Cooper discussing mobile security and identity theft. (Disclosures)

Electrical Safety in Your Home

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Electricity is an increasing presence in our modern lives. May is National Electrical Safety Month, and the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is promoting a healthy respect for electricity and increasing awareness of electrical hazards.

Electrical incidents and fires disrupt countless lives and result in the loss of billions of dollars in productivity and assets each year.

Week 1 – Cooking Up Safety in the Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where families gather to cook favorite recipes, share warm meals, and reconnect with each other, but it’s also the location where two-thirds of all home fires start. Identify and correct potential hazards in your kitchen before someone gets hurt.

Week 2 – Plug Into Safety in Your Family Room

The family room is an area of the home where many people go to unwind and relax, but there are certainly a lot of appliances powered there. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average home today has three televisions, two DVD players, at least one digital camera, one desktop computer and two cell phones. Many homes and their electrical systems were built before most modern-day home electronics and appliances were even invented. Learn to recognize and eliminate potential electrical hazards that can exist in common areas of your home.

Week 3 –Wake Up to Safety in the Bedroom

The average adult sleeps almost 8 hours per night, spending at least one-third of every day in their bedroom. Unfortunately, we are often at our most vulnerable while asleep. Thirty-six percent of people killed in home fires never wake up. Take steps to make sure your bedroom is safe—you’ll sleep better!

Week 4 – Build a Foundation of Safety in the Basement

The basement is one of the most commonly ignored areas of the home. Yet, it is also where some of your most essential—and expensive—home electrical equipment is kept. Heating equipment and electrical distribution systems are two of the leading causes of home fires. You can help keep your home safe by learning the basics of how these systems work and making sure they are properly maintained.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover.Disclosures