Think about how many things you do using your smartphone, your laptop and your tablet. Whether it’s banking, checking on your child’s grades or shopping for new clothing, your passwords, accounts and other information are vulnerable. Now, there are two new warnings about security breaches involving computers and cell phones that highlight the real threat of criminals trying to steal our personal information.
Reuters is reporting that 90 percent of the world’s smartphones are at risk of password theft, stolen data and even allowing hackers to take over control of the device. The flaw affects Apple, Google Android and Blackberry devices prone to an obscure industry standard that controls everything from network connections to how user identities are managed. A separate threat, called “Fake ID,” targets three-quarters of older Android systems, allowing malicious applications to trick trusted software from Adobe, Google and others without any user notification.
And, if that’s not enough bad news, the New York Times recently ran an expose of a suspected Russian crime ring that may have stolen internet credentials, including 1.2 billion user names and password combinations, scoured from 420,000 websites. The criminals targeted any website they could hack from giant corporations to small businesses.
There are steps you can take to protect your personal information. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is actively involved in ID theft protection. Some of their recommendations include:
Lock your financial documents and records in a safe place at home
Keep our wallet or purse in a safe place at work
Shred all receipts, credit card offers and applications, insurance forms, physician statements, bank statements and other financial documents
Don’t open files, click on links or download programs sent by strangers
Use complex passwords on computers, laptops and websites and change them often
Credit experts like ID Theft 911 also advise consumers to check your bank statement weekly, request a receipt for any purchase you make and run a free credit check annually.
An extra sense of security comes with every auto and home insurance policy from California Casualty: Free ID theft protection and resolution services from ID Theft 911. Make sure your property and identity are protected by calling a California Casualty advisor today, 1.800.800.9410.
There is nothing worse than going to the place you last parked your car and finding it gone. That has become the sad reality for many in California, where nine cities of the most recent 10 vehicle theft “Hot Spots” report are now located. It’s the first time the Golden State has held that distinction since the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) created the report dating back to 1984.
The top five metropolitan Hot Spots statistical areas were all located in the northern half of the state:
Bakersfield, CA
Fresno, CA
Modesto, CA
San Francisco Bay Area
Stockton-Lodi, CA
The only non-California area in the dubious top ten was Spokane, Washington, which came in at 7.
MSAs are often larger areas than just the city, often encompassing entire counties. They are officially designated by the federal Office of Management and Budget.
The little bit of good news is that after a spike in vehicle thefts in 2012, the numbers across the country are slightly down this year. Even so, the NICB recommends everyone use these layers of anti-theft precautions:
Common Sense — The common sense approach to protection is the easiest and most cost-effective way to thwart would-be thieves. You should always:
Remove your keys from the ignition
Lock your doors /close your windows
Park in a well-lit area
Warning Device — The second layer of protection is a visible or audible device which alerts thieves that your vehicle is protected. Popular devices include:
Audible alarms
Steering column collars
Steering wheel/brake pedal lock
Brake locks
Wheel locks
Theft deterrent decals
Identification markers in or on vehicle
VIN etching
Micro dot marking
Immobilizing Device — The third layer of protection is a device which prevents thieves from bypassing your ignition and hot-wiring the vehicle. Some electronic devices have computer chips in ignition keys. Other devices inhibit the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine until a hidden switch or button is activated. Some examples are:
Smart keys
Fuse cut-offs
Kill switches
Starter, ignition, and fuel pump disablers
Wireless ignition authentication
Tracking Device — The final layer of protection is a tracking device which emits a signal to police or a monitoring station when the vehicle is stolen. Tracking devices are very effective in helping authorities recover stolen vehicles. Some systems employ “telematics” which combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle. If the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner and the vehicle can be tracked via computer.
Health and safety officials are warning about an unanticipated danger with electronic cigarettes – the danger of fire and burns for those using oxygen. The latest case comes from New York where a hospital patient suffered second and third degree burns to her face when the device she was using ignited the oxygen she was using.
The use of the “vaping” devices has exploded in recent years with several million people getting a nicotine fix from the battery powered e-cigarettes.
The hospital where the latest accident occurred has banned all tobacco use and products, but left e-cigarettes in a gray area; they have since been included, however.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing rules and regulations on the currently unregulated product.
There have been several reports of e-cigarette related fires involving many of the name brands across the country. A grandmother recovering from hip surgery in a British hospital was reportedly badly burned while using an e-cigarette while on oxygen.
E-cigarettes utilize a battery powered element that heats up and vaporizes nicotine. Safety officials are now looking to see if that process can ignite oxygen. Other users have reported fires that erupted as they were charging the electronic cigarettes.
According to recent statistics, one-third of U.S. homes are located in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), areas where wildland vegetation (forest or woodland, brush / shrub or grassland) meets residential development. In recent years, homes in these areas have become casualties of hard to control wildfires. Even if you are located outside the boundaries of the WUI, you can sustain significant fire damage.
Burning embers can be blown into the area, well ahead of the fire front, and can start fires by landing on combustible parts of the building and near home combustible vegetation and materials. Deck and patio furniture, gutters, awnings, wood piles, and areas where pine needles or leaves accumulate are some of the places where embers can collect and ignite your home or another building on your property.
It is tinder dry in much of the Western United States – the driest conditions in over 100 years. It is so dire, California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a drought emergency. “These are perhaps the worst drought conditions that California has ever seen, since records (began) about 100 years ago.” Brown emphasized the importance of the inherent danger of the drought by adding, “This is an effort to call for arms. We can take this drought as a stark warning for other things to come.”
It’s not just California. Just this week (January 23) federal officials from the Department of Agriculture designated portions of 11 drought-stricken western and central states as primary natural disaster areas: Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Kansas, Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Oklahoma and California. Officials warn the dry weather could mean an active fire season, as evidenced by the uncommon early blaze near Los Angeles.
Now is the Time to Protect Your Home from Wildfires
Fire experts say it is essential that property owners create buffer space around their homes and other structures. California Casualty has partnered with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) to provide tips to make your home and property more resistant to wildfires. Ideally, this defensible space should be 30 to 100 feet away from your home.
Remove leaves and needles from roof, gutters and yard
Clear yard of any dead vegetation (plants, trees, shrubs)
Place woodpiles, wooden picnic tables, wooden play structures and any other combustibles at least 30 feet from your home
Maintain a clearance around your home of at least 30 feet to allow for fire equipment
Remove any combustible materials from under decks or porches
Don’t be a statistic.
In 2012, nearly 70,000 wildfires burned 9.3 million acres and destroyed more than 2,100 houses in the U.S. Continuing drought conditions – particularly bad in the West – and higher-than-normal predicted spring and summer temperatures are setting the stage for another potentially devastating year of wildfires.
Fire safety and preparation are everybody’s responsibility. California Casualty is in the business of insuring your property, but actions you take now can reduce your risk from wildfires. Here is where you can get your Checklist.
The National Weather Service is describing the ice storm tightening a frozen grip on the southeastern part of the US with words like: Catastrophic, crippling and an even of historical proportions.
Unlike blizzards, ice storms present unique problems that require special preparations.
For your safety, we have excerpted an article from ehow.com on ice storm preparation.
Instructions
1
Place a winter emergency kit in your car. There are going to be times when a winter ice storm will hit when you are away from the house. Unfortunately, most employers will not let you call out because the weatherman is calling for a winter ice storm. Your winter emergency kit will help you to get home in one piece no matter what you encounter.
2
Collect all of your flashlights and candles together and make sure that everything is working correctly before the winter ice storm hits. Winter ice storms have been notorious for knocking out power to millions with the weight of the ice on power lines. Do not be left in the dark during the winter ice storm.
3
Keep your pantry stocked with food that you can eat with out having to cook it. If you lose power during a winter ice storm, you want to make sure that you can still eat. You can also make sure you have all the usual food necessities in case you still have power but are stuck in the house for a few days due to the winter ice storm.
Tips & Warnings
Try to prepare for a winter ice storm as far in advance as you can. This will keep you home and safe as the storm is on the way.
Here are some safe driving tips if you encounter ice:
Driving safely on icy roads
Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
Keep your lights and windshield clean.
Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
Don’t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you’re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.
If your rear wheels skid…
Take your foot off the accelerator.
Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they’re sliding right, steer right.
If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.
If your front wheels skid…
Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don’t try to steer immediately.
As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in “drive” or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.
