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New Orleans, LA 70113-1179
(504) 529-2260 (800) 441-7899
www.vinsonguard.com
Vacation Security Checklist
Protecting your home from the opportunistic thief means creating an illusion that you are home and everything is normal.
Alert your neighbors or ask a trusted friend to keep an eye on your home. Provide a spare key for emergencies if appropriate and numbers where you can be reached.
Burglar proof your home. Put as many obstacles between a would-be thief and your home to increase his risk:
- Keep plants trimmed and below the windows and away from doors.
- Motion sensors that light porches discourage burglars, too.
- Lock gates to the back yard; use a padlock if necessary.
- Lock all doors and windows.
- Place a dowel the width of the door in the track for all sliding glass doors if you don't have track locks.
Put mail on hold unless you have a secure mail slot that allows mail to drop freely inside your home in a location that is not visible from the outside.
Suspend newspaper deliveries.
Park a car in the driveway. If you're driving, ask a neighbor to park in your driveway. If it's your car, leave a key with the caretaker and have them move it every few days to create an illusion of activity. Make sure you store the garage door opener in a secure location inside the house; don't leave it in the car.
Forward land line calls to your cell phone. Just because it rings doesn't mean you need to answer. On the house phone, leave a message on the answering machine that says "we're busy" or that you are screening calls. Never tell a caller you are gone regardless of whether it's an hour or a month.
Source: http://www.demesne.info
Scammers Use Charities to Test Credit Cards
Credit card thieves are becoming big time charity donors, but it's not out of the goodness of their hearts. According to Symantec, the criminals are starting to use charitable donations as a way to check whether their stolen credit card numbers are working. Fraudsters have been using a similar technique for years, but until recently, they tended to make minor purchases on online retail sites. Now, as these sites have become better at identifying and blocking these transactions, the criminals have begun looking elsewhere, said Zulfikar Ramzan, senior principal researcher with Symantec. "Using a charitable organization as a way to verify a credit card number is a relatively new technique, and it's probably being used by a minority of the more innovative guys," he said. Credit card numbers are bought and sold in underground "carder" forums, which bring together the people who have stolen the credit card numbers with those who want to use them. These charitable donations are typically made by the person buying the card numbers as a final check to ensure that the numbers will work, Ramzan said.
Source: http://www.infoworld.com
Tips for Preventing Heat-Related Illness
Staying cool and making simple changes in your fluid intake, activities, and clothing during hot weather can help you remain safe and healthy. The best defense is prevention:
- Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
- Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar–these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.
- Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library–even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
For more tips and information visit: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/index.asp
FACT: Washington, D.C. has one lawyer for every 19 residents
The Changing Role of Private Security
Three representatives of the private security industry recently participated in a roundtable discussion about the issues confronting the industry. The members noted that since the Sept. 11 attacks, companies have been seeking out private security companies to create and implement their emergency preparedness plans or help them navigate U.S. Department of Homeland Security rules and regulations. Meanwhile, commercial high-rise buildings have been using private security to help in the areas of reception/concierge, emergency evacuation drills, and training. The security representatives said that the industry is taking steps to increase wages and training for security guards. Efforts are also being made in the areas of recruiting, screening, and placing security employees in appropriate positions. The biggest issue confronting the security industry is the lack of standardization, especially in the areas of training and background checks, panelists said. One of the panelists, Securitas Security Services USA Chairman Don Walker, noted that legislative groups like ASIS International are helping members of the industry improve standards. The convergence of physical and IT security technology has had a tremendous positive impact on the industry, panelists said, and the implementation of security technology has helped increase the overall effectiveness of security personnel.
Source: Security Technology & Design (05/07) Vol. 17, No. 5, P. 30
QUOTE: "If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." - Theodore Roosevelt