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We've seen you here before.
Our Next Biggest Challenge: Data Security
Jeremy Rock - jrock@rockitgroup.com
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For the last few years the hospitality industry has been subjected to a barrage of information on PCI compliance. The challenges of becoming compliant and maintaining compliance are well documented, and for the most part the hospitality industry has responded well to shoring up networks and establishing policies and procedures. The latest data indicates that while restaurants are still the highest target of hackers, the number of hotel breaches has dropped significantly. This has been attributed to hotels taking basic steps to secure their networks and changing policies and procedures as they relate to passwords and remote access.
While the industry can certainly give itself a proverbial pat on the back for this achievement of making the necessary changes, albeit begrudgingly, many have known that PCI compliance was really the tip of the iceberg. The biggest concern has always been that of data security and the challenges for protecting both the guests' and company business data.
PII vs. PCI Requirements
The industry has been conditioned to focus its attention on PCI compliance and securing credit card information, and while these efforts have helped to secure networks and led to the implementation of effective policies and procedures, the industry remains largely unfocused on the bigger issue of securing company and personally identifiable information (PII). This includes social security numbers, drivers license numbers, passport information, email addresses, cellphone numbers and other information that can subject guests and staff to potential breaches or identity theft.
While many of the PCI compliance initiatives have led to system enhancements such as data encryption and policies against the hardcopy distribution of this sensitive information, there are many areas which continue to expose guests' and company information to those who would chose to do harm. A number of state laws require that PII be appropriately protected and that any affected individuals be notified of any reasonable suspicion of a compromise.
As with PCI, the best way to protect PII is not to have it in the first place. The problem is the hospitality industry actually targets this information with more effort than ever before. The importance to understand guests to either provide a better experience or upsell services means hoteliers are trying to gain more personal information about guests. From specific preferences to being able to identify guests by name have become the driving forces behind many marketing initiatives. Some of these areas are being targeted by criminal elements. The more information that is obtained and stored about guests, the more of a target a hotel is to those entities that have the most to gain from accessing this information. Unfortunately, most hotels and companies aren't geared to effectively protect this information, and once the focus shifts from credit card breaches, then this will become the so-called next frontier.
The Issue of Mobile Devices
As more hotels start incorporating mobile devices into the operational aspect of properties, these devices are starting to define the way we do business. These devices offer a more efficient and engaging method of operating hotels and engaging guests, but it is more important to remember that most mobile devices are consumer grade and do not possess enhanced security features of larger workstations and laptops. As a result, organizations are at greater risk of having data compromised. What makes mobile devices an interesting target is they not only have the ability to access the key operational networks and data, but they also provide additional information such as location tracking, photos, video and audio. In many cases they contain the user's personal information including potential access to private details such as banking information and access to social media accounts.
The fact that the largest increase in device usage is occurring in the mobile arena, means that efforts to manage and control security on these devices is going to become exponentially more difficult, and to some extent may become an Achilles heel.
In a number of cases, employees were granted access to corporate or operational networks through the use of their own devices, which has created additional security risks. The trend of bring your own device(BYOD) has created a number of additional challenges which are discussed in a later section of this article (page 24).
Favorite Techniques Used by Hackers
When evaluating techniques used by hackers one can generally separate them into the following categories:
Social engineering refers to the art of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information in the absence of this information being readily available. We tend to think of hackers as people who attack networks via mediums such as the Internet. However, we never think they would be brazen enough to actually do this by talking to actual hotel employees and personnel. Hackers routinely gain information from hotel employees that provides them with a faster and more efficient way to obtain information on the hotel's networks and systems. When you mention the word hacker, the image of a young, grunge individual comes to mind, but the truth is that hackers come from all different age groups and demographics. That means that it could also be the middle-aged businessman dressed in a jacket and tie that looks like a company executive or CEO who checks into your hotel and appears to be frustrated, to the elderly lady who is in town to visit her grandchildren. There is a fine line between helping a guest and assisting a potential hacker with an ulterior motive. The hospitality industry by its nature is service oriented to guests, but in most cases little is done to educate staff on how to prevent compromising the integrity of data networks and the information contained therein.
Most hackers will tell you that it is much easier to trick someone into offering up a password that allows access into a network or system than to spend a tremendous amount of time and effort hacking into the system itself.
On a recent engagement, a colleague wanted to find out more information on the guest network and simply called down to the front desk to ask for assistance. He indicated that he had been struggling to gain access to the network and that he was a preferred VIP guest. He mentioned that the last time he stayed there they had provided him with a VIP code to get into the system and that he was wondering if they could provide him with this again. By acting very frustrated, the agent provided him with a VIP code that allowed him access to another network. While this action was great from a guest satisfaction standpoint, the actions allowed him to browse the administrative/operational network and glean a great deal of information on the system setup. Additionally, he did not have to pay for the improved service and there were no time stipulations on the length of stay. One can only presume that this password and access were hard-coded and that they could be used by the guest/hacker to gain access in the future.
Another technique used by hackers is to browse the various hotel networks using mobile devices. This can even be done by using a mobile phone while loitering in the lobby.
Pretexting
Many hackers will invent stories or scenarios to get people to divulge information or complete an action which will provide some or all of the necessary details to extract data or breach a network. The information can be used to establish credibility with other personnel and create the perception that the person is legitimate and that they have the necessary credentials to access a network or certain secure information. The details allow the hacker to impersonate coworkers, service providers or even police, which could lead to naive personnel offering up confidential information and network access.
Baiting is like the real-world Trojan horse that uses physical media and relies on the curiosity or greed of the victim or employee to gain access to a network or retrieve information from the employee's computer workstation.
At HITEC 2012, hacker Josh Klein used an example where he strategically placed USB flash drives in an employee parking lot knowing that a few of the employees would pick them up, and based on their curiosity, would plug them into their workstations. Upon doing this, it would immediately install malware giving the hacker access to the workstation and in many cases the network.
Another example includes targeting an employee and sending a digital device such as an audio player under the auspices that he or she has won a drawing at a recent conference. The employee plugs in the device and unknowingly loads the malware. The malware can also load onto every computer on this network.
Under this type of attack, the hacker will contact random numbers or people at the hotel or company and claim to be a call back for a technical support request. As everyone knows, personnel always have technical support problems and even if they don't report them if someone calls, they will usually try to engage them in a user question or some issue that they are having with their system. Eventually the hacker will hit someone with a legitimate problem and while the hacker may help to solve the problem, they will also have the user provide them with access passwords to type certain commands that allow the hacker to launch or access malware.
There is a tendency to forget that data security attacks often compromise active email addresses which can lead to further phishing or sophisticated targeted attacks. Phishing is where the perpetrator sends an email that appears to be a legitimate email requesting that the person verify information and usually has direct links to a fraudulent website that looks or appears to be legitimate. The form then asks the respondent to complete an informational profile complete with PIN numbers.
This is one that seems so easy that no one really pays much attention to it. Simply put, the hacker follows someone into a restricted area and given the social customs, authorized personnel will either hold the door open for them or ask them if they can assist. Within a hotel or company, a hacker could pose as a phone company technician and follow a network administrator into the main data center. If questioned, the person can indicate that he received a call for service or state that he thought this was where the equipment was located. In either instance, the person's authorization is rarely questioned.
At HITEC, Klein also highlighted tailgating. In his example he was seeking to gain entry into a restricted area through the use of an electronic RFID security key. He wired his jeans with an RFID transponder that read the RFID cards of the personnel that passed close by him. He also placed the equipment over a door frame where personnel were required to pass. In both cases Klein obtained exact duplicates of the RFID employee cards.
There are many articles on the potential risks of guests using public Wi-Fi networks in hotels. With the tools for scanning networks being readily available on the Internet, perpetrators can simply sit in the comfort of the lobby or their hotel rooms and monitor the open networks in the hotel. Many travelers access sensitive or restricted networks via their mobile devices and are unaware that they are being monitored. Guests are used to using Wi-Fi and think that just because they can't see the other people on the network, they are in a safe environment for logging onto bank sites and other restricted websites.
The Human Resource Issue
While most data security specialists are focused on the network and IT-related concerns, most hoteliers pay little or any attention to one of the most important departments in the fight to secure information – the HR department. From PCI compliance to policies on the use of personnel devices to access company data, most hotels and companies have limited interaction between the IT and HR departments as far the enforcement of data security is concerned. In fact, if the HR department worked closely with the IT department, a majority of data breaches could be avoided.
Good security starts with the development and enforcement of policies and procedures. One of the key mistakes made in regards to PCI compliance and overall data security is the lack of effort and focus on effective training programs for employees. Very few organizations take the time to educate their staff on the importance of securing both their company and guests' information.
Hotels are required to develop and implement PCI compliance policies as part of their overall efforts to become compliant and maintain compliance. However, few organizations take this to the level of modifying their overall employee handbooks and determining effective enforcement policies (including termination) for those staff members who are caught breaching set policies and procedures. Given the importance of data security specific policies need to be generated in conjunction with the IT department. By including IT in the overall process, hotels will be in a better position to effectively educate their staff on the specific requirements for ensuring the safety of data.
Some of the areas that require focus include integration of policies and procedures with the IT department. The IT department is involved with all facets of the business and it only makes sense that it be included in the day-to-day on boarding and disembarkment of employees. From setting up and managing email addresses and user access to the removal of access upon the employee's departure, IT needs to apprise HR of any potential threats to the security of the organization's data. How many times have you heard of sales personnel taking their Rolodex of contacts and working documents (including sample contracts) with them when they leave a company? When an employee is hired he or she is expected practice to bring contacts to the next position with the promise of securing clientele from previous business dealings. But this information belongs to the hotel or business entity where the business took place and is a violation of most policies and procedures, not to mention detrimental to the overall business, especially if the staff member is going to a competing property.
While this topic is covered in greater detail under a separate article in this edition, it bears mentioning as few entities provide effective IT policies and procedures training to their staff. Employees are typically the first line of defense in the war of securing data. Specific and targeted training should be provided to all employees when they join the organization. Everything from how to open and transmit emails in a secure manner, to responsible use of the Internet should be covered and addressed in the initial training. Specific user training should also be provided for all positions where staff can be exposed to sensitive and potentially harming company and guest data. Refresher training should also be conducted on a periodic and regularly scheduled basis to ensure that employees are kept up to speed on new security information and techniques for preventing breaches as this becomes available. An example of this may be the policies and procedures for operating both personal and company-owned mobile devices. With new features and applications becoming readily available, hotels must maintain tight controls on new devices and operational capabilities.
Hotels often overlook this training as it is expensive and time consuming, takes personnel away from their regular jobs, and is particularly difficult when operating with limited staff. The other challenge is that many hotels have downsized or eliminated their IT staff, and as such, this becomes very difficult from a scheduling perspective with the IT resource becoming the so-called bottleneck for facilitating the training.
On a recent engagement, employee reactions were tested when we deliberately took pictures of the iPad® device that was located at the check-in counter right in front of the desk agent. Opening the settings icon, we quickly navigated to the IP configuration settings of the iPad and took pictures of the settings with a camera. At no time did the agent intervene, prevent or discourage usfrom doing this. While this is obviously something that we should not have been doing, the desk agent was not prepared to address the situation.
While hotels and organizations may have comprehensive data security policies and procedures in place, often they are not enforced or they are enforced inconsistently. If these policies are not enforced, the organization is sending a message to employees that this is not that important and that employees don't need to take it seriously. Effective documentation of policies breaches must be enforced, and in some cases, terminations should be made to ensure that the data is protected. It is especially important for organizations to have direct support from senior management in order for these policies to be effective.
While many of the policies and standards are on file, they may not appear to have been implemented operationally and this hinders HR departments from effectively holding employees accountable. Further policies should be linked to HR repercussions for known breaches of the policies and procedures. Unless this is conveyed to employees in an effective and constructive manner, it will prove difficult to enforce and are simply words on paper.
Two of the key data security items upon which to educate employees are: the implementation of an effective password policy that is enforced across the entire operation, and addressing the potential for malicious internal users and making employees aware of enforcement measures.
Data Retention Policies and Procedures
Most organizations either do not have a specific data retention policy or simple fail to enforce it. In many cases there is a policy to retain all information if there is uncertainty of what to retain or what can be destroyed. One of the key methods for protecting PII and other sensitive information is to implement an effective data retention policy. The two areas upon which to focus attention are data destruction and data retention.
An effective data destruction policy includes the secure and documented destruction of information where there is no longer an established business need for it. Essential aspects to these policies include but are not limited to:
The establishment of an official time length for the storage of data and information, and the maintenance of a vigorous policy of controlled and recorded destruction of this data and documentation. It is important to delete data that has exceeded its required retention period.
The destruction of all Social Security numbers (SSN), if there isn't a legitimate business need for its retention.
Maintain a policy of documenting the shredding or otherwise destroying of any hardcopy documentation before disposing of it.
While the destruction of hardcopy information and data may follow relatively straight- forward procedures, the retention of data may present a more complex operation. Policies and procedures for the effective and secure storage of information must be well thought out and controlled. The following are some suggestions for the effective retention of sensitive data:
Truncate or encrypt all PII information that you must retain whenever possible.
Protect all intact PII that you must retain, whether it is on a work computer or personal device.
Use data encryption for both storage and transmission where at all possible to reduce the risks associated with storing PII.
Restrict access to this data and allow only authorized users access to this information.
Send passwords and restricted data securely for more information.
It is recommended that entities use the services of an official document destruction company to assist with official document shredding and destruction. A proper data classification policy and procedure combined with an enforced data retention policy are essential.
Currently, a big loophole exists regarding vague contractual verbiage between entities responsible for the interaction and transmission of sensitive data. This affects not only management companies, hotel brands and other ownership relationships, but also those between hotels and third-party vendors or solution providers.
Given the relationship between an owner and a brand or management company, which basically dictates the IT systems and equipment that is deployed at their branded or managed hotels, how many of the agreements address PCI compliance and data security, and who bears the responsibility in the event of a breach? Most agreements were established many years ago and have not been updated. The incentive for updating these agreements is not there and many owners are not aware of the potential threats associated with data security as the issue was not as prevalent when the original agreements were signed. That stated, how many of the new agreements address the issue and problems. While no entity starts out disregarding compliance and security requirements, the issues are real and addressing them are costly and complex to implement.
While many organizations are aware of the deficiencies of the current brand/management contracts, they are not aware of another critical area of exposure, namely the third-party applications and solution providers. Most hotels use third-party entities for everything from applications to networks, and most of these agreements do not address these complex issues.
On a recent engagement, a company encountered a rogue network engineer who, unbeknownst to the hotel, had a dispute with the third-party networking provider. The systems engineer caused major disruptions and outages to the network that disrupted the operations and resulted in a strained relationship between the provider and the hotel. The engineer went so far as to lock everyone out of the core switches and ultimately resulted in the network needing to be re-engineered. While the situation was rectified, the potential for further disruption and compromise was extremely dangerous and highlighted how many organizations entrust their networks to third parties without prequalifying these resources. As such, they spend large amounts of money securing applications but then in essence hand the keys to the Ferrari to a teenage kid to take for a spin. What kind of contractual documents are in place from all of the entities' service providers to protect the entity from potential breaches from third-party solution providers and their subcontractors? In most cases the detail on the contracts is extremely limited and barely addresses the service-level agreements (SLAs) that are required to support the system.
IT personnel must pay closer attention to the contractual documentation of each agreement to ensure that it addresses any PCI or data security-related concerns that may arise. It is also recommended that entities ensure the contracts are reviewed from a legal perspective and the legal counsel interacts with IT personnel to ensure all of the technical requirements pertaining to the contract are met. Particular attention needs to be paid to the following types of contracts: management agreements, brand agreements, application provider agreements, IT vendor and support agreements and third-party solution provider agreements. Place emphasis to subcontractor relationships and ensure they are governed and held accountable to the same terms as the original parties to the agreement. In effect the primary contractual party is responsible for all subcontractor actions.
Breaches of Third-party Solutions Partners
Trustwave recently issued its 2012 Global Security Report which indicated that in 76 percent of incident response investigations, a third party responsible for system support, development and/or maintenance of business environments introduced the security deficiencies. This is a significant indication of just how important it is to partner with a third-party that is truly a partner and is vigilant about maintaining data security as one of its primary focuses.
Some data breaches may occur outside of the control of the hotel entity or company. For example, many hotels outsource their electronic marketing to third-party providers. In the past year, some of the larger electronic marketing companies have had their systems breached and sensitive guest data has been compromised. In these cases the fallout from the breaches can be significant and damaging to the goodwill and name of the hotel, brand or company. In these instances, one has to determine how secure the systems and data are with these third-party providers and what the contractual terms are between the parties in the event of a breach.
Physical security is an often overlooked aspect of data security. Many breaches can and are initiated from within the organization. Breaches may not be driven by the hope of financial gain but may take the form of a disgruntled employee or service provider intent on causing malicious and unrecoverable damage.
It's hard not to address physical security concerns without addressing one of the lead stories from this past summer – namely the highly publicized breach of electronic door locking systems. While the issues are being addressed, it's important to note the exposure of hacking these locks and its impact to the overall security for the hotel. It raises a larger issue: how access to restricted areas is monitored and controlled.
With regards to actual data security, the primary area of concern is usually focused on the main data center located at the property or at a corporate, hosted facility. For most hotels, their systems are still premised based and are located on property in the main distribution frame (MDF) of the hotel. In most cases the systems are co-located with the primary voice and video systems for the building or property. The main data center is required to be secured as part of compliance requirements, and in many cases this is facilitated via the same door locking system that is in place throughout the property. As such, when the guestroom electronic door locking system was breached by the hacker, what was not mentioned was the bigger impact of access to the data systems themselves. While the focus of the breach was on guestroom security (a valid concern – although an unlikely target from a practicality standpoint), the bigger concern may be directed to securing the data center where a perpetrator may be able to strategically gain access to the servers, or worse yet, a disgruntled employee may wreak havoc on the devices themselves.
Hotels typically label their servers with specific application names, and in many cases, IP addresses to assist personnel with managing the environment. IT may feel that this is appropriate and efficient given that there may be a change in personnel supporting the systems and a belief that these rooms are secure. However, in the wrong hands this information could prove to be detrimental to the organization. Not only can the local area network (LAN) be exposed but also the wide-area network (WAN) connected to the hotel. These include ownership, brand, management companies, solution providers and other hotels within the same network.
While smaller entities usually control access to the data center via a door lock of some kind, larger properties or corporate data centers usually secure their rooms with the use of man traps. For those not familiar with man traps, it is a way to limit physical access into the room and prevent tailgating of unauthorized personnel into the facility.
Additionally, many rooms use cameras to monitor access to the rooms and in some cases within the rooms themselves. With many third-party vendors and solution providers requiring access to the rooms, it's important to monitor and control what is taking place in these sensitive areas.
Security Systems and Surveillance Cameras
Many hotels now have CCTV or camera systems monitoring various control and access locations through the hotel and property. In many cases these cameras are either capturing dead air or are not actively being monitored. While many systems are accessible via IP networks, it's imperative that access to this material be controlled at the highest level. With upscale hotels capturing images of high profile guests, these images can be sold for large sums of money to the discredit of the hotel and lead to potential negative exposure both from a legal perspective as well as from a publicity standpoint. As such, access to this footage needs to be restricted and only made available to the appropriate authorities when required.
It is also important that the system is redundant in case of a failure and that the backup footage is made part of the overall disaster recovery and redundancy plan.
Physical security also pertains to limiting access to sensitive hardcopy data. Hotels should have policies in place to limit access to those areas of the property where sensitive hardcopy information is stored.
For example, the issue of employee badges is another area of concern. Some properties are moving away from employees wearing identification badges when operating in the back of the house and other areas as they don't like to have the guests see these badges. While they may not work from an appearance standpoint, the issue then becomes how personnel can be identified and distinguished in larger properties where staff transitions happen regularly. Access to the administrative and back-of-the-house areas should be tightly controlled and policies implemented to ensure that this takes place.
Still another concern is that of systems and rooms accessed by vendors and solution partners. Where feasible the following security measures should be in place:
Vendor and other visitor badges must be reviewed regularly and controlled.
Vendors should always be escorted on premise to sensitive locations.
Access to critical locations should be online and electronic access keys should be strictly controlled and provided for limited timeframes. Areas should be re-keyed to maintain the integrity of the areas concerned.
Effective vendor access policies and procedures need to be created and implemented.
Where possible, establish time rules for vendor access and set time limits that can be enforced or monitored.
Implement a vendor access list and release forms for personnel to clock in and out to monitor activity while onsite.
Regulatory Considerations and IT Governance
A newly developed position of IT regulation and governance is emerging in many hotel organizations. Hotels and resorts interact with guests and clientele both domesticly and internationally, and this role is extremely important to ensure that the organization is compliant for all requirements. Of particular importance from an international standpoint is the EU Data Protection Directive. This governs the transfer of personal data to third-party countries, refering to countries outside the European Union. Personal data may only be transferred to third-party countries if that country provides an adequate level of protection. Organizations may therefore need to protect the transfer of information from these countries and afford the same protection requirements to the persons that they are doing business with as they are afforded in their own countries.
While PCI compliance has been the main focus of the industry over the past few years, the issue of overall data security is going to be the focus of the future. Until recently the biggest impact has been that a guest may be inconvenienced by having to replace his or her credit cards. While this may have had a negative impact on the guest's overall image of the hotel or resort, this hasn't really had a major impact on their overall lives. That will potentially change if and when their personal and private information is compromised. Should this happen, it could potentially lead to identity theft and that could be life altering. With more and more companies and hotels focused on capturing guests' personal information and preferences for targeted marketing of services and products, the greater risk is that this information will be compromised and will ultimately have a major impact on both the hotels and guests. The bad guys are more sophisticated in their attacks and target victims with greater precision. The industry must be vigilant in the way it conducts business to stay ahead of the curve, as this is certain to become a scenario of when, rather than if an organization will be compromised.
Jeremy Rock is the president of RockIT Group, a technology consulting firm specializing in new development and refurbishment projects. He can be reached at jrock@rockitgroup.com.
This work may not be reprinted, redistributed or repurposed without written consent.
For permission requests, call 678.802.5302 or email info@hospitalityupgrade.com.
Industry Examples: Reported Breaches
The annual reports from the various PCI Security Counsel certified forensic firms are out, and as predicted, the restaurant and hotel industries feature prominently in the statistics related to breaches and targeted industries. However, what has not been focused on are the third-party application and system providers who service the industries. While most news reports have focused on hotels or hotel companies breached, there has been little or no press on the third-party solution providers who service hotels. While most third-party solution providers have not suffered breaches to date, here are some notable exceptions.
In December of 2011 there was a report of iBahn suffering a breach. Bloomberg reported that a skilled group of hackers based in China, which U.S. investigators have called 'Byzantine Foothold,' attacked iBahn. The alleged breach "may have let hackers see millions of confidential emails, even encrypted ones" from executives staying in hotels using iBahn's network, Bloomberg reported. This was denied by iBahn.
In a written statement, iBahn said it was aware of the allegations in the news report but it had not found proof of any breach on the iBahn network. While iBahn's network may not have been breached, the idea that hackers may be targeting hotel Internet access networks is cause for concern and suggests the steps that hotels must take to ensure that these networks are secure and separated from operational/administrative networks.
Epsilon is reportedly one of the world's largest email marketing services companies in the United States, with over 2,500 clients including seven of the Fortune 10 sending over 40 billion emails annually, according to Security Week. In April 2011, there was a data breach at Epsilon which affected a number of hotel chains including Hilton, Ritz-Carlton and Marriott. The announcement, which was reported by Security Week and others, stated that the breach specifically affected information associated with the Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Hilton electronic marketing programs. Subsequent reports revealed that the information that was compromised was limited to email addresses and possibly names. While this may not represent a serious compromise, the fact that it happened at all should be a concern. Email addresses in the wrong hands can be dangerous as it can likely lead to phishing scams and additional personal information being compromised.
In April 2012, Choice Hotels reportedly notified the appropriate state agencies in both California and New Hampshire of a data breach affecting residents in those states. Choice Hotels submitted a breach letter (posted on the state agency's website) explaining that sensitive customer information, which included credit card numbers, drivers' license numbers, passport numbers, Social Security numbers or a combination of these, were not entered into encrypted fields in the database of the reservation systems. As a result, the sensitive data wasn't protected (or encrypted), and was passed along to the company's marketing partners where it was inadvertently printed on marketing envelopes mailed to customers. Choice Hotels claimed that less than 0.001 percent of guest stays were affected. The breach was discovered in December 2011, and the company immediately stopped using the database for marketing purposes.
The bottom line is that while most companies' and hotels' data security strategies revolve around the systems and data storage that they control, additional focus needs to be placed on third-party solution providers, who in many cases have access to or control guest and company data that also has the potential to be compromised. It is important to note that while these companies may suffer the breach, it is the hotel or hotel company that is most damaged by the ensuing fallout that occurred following these incidents.
BYOD is part of the new data security challenge as more employees and associates are running applications or accessing corporate or hotel administrative networks on their own personal phones and devices. It is not only a question of providing a secure environment for these devices, but it also raises the challenge of how IT controls or removes these applications and access once an employee is no longer with the organization. Corporate and company policies must be developed to address the problem and ensure that the security and integrity of company data is maintained.
The other issue is that most IT apps are built for standardized platforms; BYOD is inherently non-standardized, and unless standards for the deployment and use of applications and access for these devices are established, they will represent a security threat to the network and the data they can access.
Below are some of the challenges associated with BYOD.
How do you manage devices in the enterprise? With limited access to these personal devices, it is difficult to manage their operating systems and security protocols. Everyone has access to email and it is difficult to enforce data security policies on a device that is not owned by the company. If a person decides to leave the company you cannot, for example, wipe the device.
How do you support the device? There are no standardized protocols and each device and firmware is different. The cost of supporting these devices goes up as the IT department has to work with and troubleshoot devices that they are unfamiliar with or have to work with a third-party provider to resolve communication and connectivity issues, not to mention compatibility concerns.
It is difficult to prevent the loading of applications and sensitive data on devices. Once employees have access to applications and company-owned data it is difficult to prevent the data from being compromised.
It is often difficult to implement security protocols on personal devices that are not equipped to handle the company-sponsored security initiatives.
Personnel will typically load applications and access personal information on these devices. As such, it's difficult to ensure the integrity of the devices and the information that is being accessed not only by the employee but also potentially family members and friends.
The biggest concern remains how a company accesses and retrieves this information when the employee leaves a company.
Suggestions for managing BYOD:
Enforce a complex passcode with history, expiration and grace periods, and ensure that employees implement and follow strict password policies and procedures for their own devices.
Require users to enable hardware-based encryption by turning on data protection where feasible on the device.
Restrict applications such as Siri, camera, Safari, other apps as well as functionality on Apple devices.
Define browser settings, whitelist/blacklist sites and kiosk modes.
Detect compromised (jail broken) devices and protect corporate assets where possible.
Set up compliance rules and actions if users download unauthorized apps.
Security Quiz
Test your knowledge. Answers are found below.
Data Security Quiz
1. By implementing tokenization and/or data encryption, my systems will be secured and our hotel won't be at risk as the data will either reside offsite or won't be decipherable.
2. By outsourcing my applications and systems to a third party or a cloud provider, my hotel will be protected from the ramifications of a potential data breach.
3. The scope of a data security assessment may be reduced by implementing proper segmentation in an effort to protect personally identifiable information (PII) data.
4. Which password is the strongest?
a. Snoopy
b. Lucy51
c. CharlesMSchultz
d. Mydog&isnamedSnoopy
The Smartphone Security Quiz
1. How many active smartphones units are active in the United States in 2011?
a. 2 Million
b. 20.6 Million
c. 192.4 Million
d. 111.5 Million
2. What percentage of smartphones employ antivirus protection?
a. 1 percent
b. 99 percent
c. 20 percent
d. 0 percent
3. How many users did Android™ malware infect last year?
a. 20,000
b. 250,000
c. 2.5 Million
d. 20 Million
4. What was the percentage increase of smartphone malware cases in the first quarter of 2012 over 2011?
a. 389 percent
b. 967 percent
c. 1,200 percent
d. 156 percent
5. Drive-by hacking is a type of security breach that occurs most commonly on what device?
a. A mobile device
b. A server
c. A desktop computer
d. A firewall
Security Quiz answer key:
Data Security Quiz: 1) F, 2) F, 3) T and 4) D.
Answers explained: Question 1: False – While tokenization and data encryption are highly recommended as part of an overall data security initiative, a complete data security strategy still needs to include other elements such as secure firewalls, network segmentation, file and intrusion detection, among other key factors. Question 2: False – while the idea of cloud-based applications and solutions is appealing, there are still other security considerations that need to be addressed including remote access and ensuring the correct policies and procedures. Cloud-based solutions still need to be evaluated by the various security governing entities and there is still a risk that their systems could be breached. Question 3: True – Segmentation is one of the key recommendations when implementing an effective data security strategy. Question 4: Option D is the strongest – Passwords should be greater than six characters, upper/lower case, special characters (i.e., &^%$#@!{}). This is the strongest because it has a combination of a very long password, upper/lower case and special characters. Phrases are also easier to remember, but harder to crack. However keep in mind in many UNIX systems passwords are maximum of eight characters. For example, if you use the password abnormal1 this will drop or ignore the last character. In addition, using a digit before or after a word is insecure.
The Smartphone Security Quiz: 1) D, 2) C, 3)B, 4) C and 5) A.
Answers explained: Question 1: 111.5 million – and growing! Question 2: 20 percent – With more and more people using smartphones to access secure networks this is a problem. Question 3: 250,000 – With Android gaining fast market traction this is something that will need to be addressed. Question 4: 1,200 percent. Question 5: Drive-by hacking most often occurs when a user connects to a public network that isn't properly secured. As such this usually involves mobile devices such as laptops, tablet devices and smartphones.
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07/11/2019 - Security of a Sort


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Now, that's American outrage
Having seen what I did of the Casey Anthony trial, I must agree with the general public consensus.
Having seen, that is, zero seconds of the gripping proceedings, zero seconds of the breathless analysis pre- and post-verdict, and having read zero words about the result save for headlines.
Life is short. If everyone says the lady is guilty, well, that settles it. And isn't that what American justice is about?
At this juncture I am reminded of another televised event to which I was considerably closer. I wrote for the Waco, Texas, newspaper when the "Waco" incident unfolded in 1993.
An oddly familiar condition reigned back then, the venting of a nation of experts.
In the case of "Waco," no Casey Anthony consensus existed, but the expertise came flowing our way like floodwaters. On one side it was about jackbooted feds incinerating innocent worshippers. On the other, it was support for inerrant law enforcers who faced a deadly cult. In the swell of reactions, it seemed none could harbor any shades of gray. But, then, none were necessary.
Why the certainty? Why so many experts from near and far? Why? Because they'd seen it on TV.
The purpose here is not to dismiss the swell of emotion in the Anthony case. Obviously people have a good reason. I just missed it (every second of it). Actually, the purpose here is to applaud the reaction. Outrage? The record will show that Americans had lost that capacity.
We are told that in fact Americans can summon outrage. If not, what's a tea party for? You know, assailing government waste and escalating debt. That would be more convincing if said outrage had swelled amid all the escalating debt and government overreach before a dark-skinned Democrat became president.
After? That's phony outrage.
Prove me wrong, but Americans have shown almost no propensity for real outrage for years. Maybe 9/11 took it out of them, or before that, O.J.
How possible for the saga of football-hero-turned-Army Ranger Pat Tillman, a friendly fire victim on unforgiving Afghan hills, to come and go without Caylee Anthony-style anger?
Used as a military prop in life and death, what our government did at his family's expense with the facts about Tillman's death is the very thing he and others went to fight over there. Evil.
Outrage? It seems I recall some in recent years, but most had to do with games. How dare the New England Patriots tape someone's practice? Can you believe Ohio State coach Jim Tressel would cover up incriminating NCAA matters?
And yet, when it became clear that American forces had been and were being shipped to Iraq on a raft of lies: no outrage.
When it was becoming increasingly clear that the justifications for that war were bogus, I recall the irony of someone getting called on the carpet for not telling the truth.
Curiously, at the time it was Denver Bronco coach Mike Shanahan, and he faced a barrage of criticism. And what had he done? He had fudged facts on the pregame condition of his quarterback, Jake Plummer.
Meanwhile, about the same time, President Bush was acknowledging (1) no WMDs had been found in Iraq; (2) any connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11 was nonexistent. The man most responsible for weaving the latter fairy tale, Dick Cheney, was saying, "So?" And, by review, he — they — were re-elected.
So, you say the the Casey Anthony verdict was outrageous. Good for you for caring, and saying so. I'm just wondering where you were for other outrages that affected so many lives and continue to cost us in ways beyond imagining.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they were televised as well.
Category: UncategorizedBy John Young July 12, 2011 Leave a comment
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Quality Espresso S.A.U.
Motores, 1-9, 08040 Barcelona, Spain
info@qualityespresso.net
After Sales Spain & Portugal
SMARTIA
ESPRESSO LINK
Baristas for Events
Press English
The Espresso Link app raises the functionality of the Q10 Evo grinder to the highest level
New products presented at HOSTELCO 2022 well received
The latest innovations of Gaggia espresso machines at Lisbon Coffee Fest
New Futurmat Sensius One: a high-performance professional machine with a modern, elegant, urban design
Quality Espresso will be present at the great coffee festival organised by the AICC (Associação Industrial e Comercial do Café) which will take place in Lisbon from the 25th to the 27th of March 2022, presenting the latest innovations of its Gaggia machines and grinders
Quality Espresso, a leading company in the market of espresso machines for professional environments, will be present at Lisbon Coffee Fest, the meeting point for the world of coffee in Portugal.
The event will be held in the Fábrica XL space (LX Factory), a unique space with a modern and industrial atmosphere that aims to be a meeting point for coffee culture, where coffee professionals and coffee lovers can gather. The event is organised by the AICC (Associação Industrial e Comercial do Café) whose main objective is to promote coffee culture, its origins, its products and new production methods, as well as the latest consumption trends.
Visitors will be able to learn about the latest developments in the world of coffee, participate in tastings in a wide variety of formats, learn about the best espresso-making techniques, take part in seminars and conferences, attend technical workshops and demonstrations, as well as enjoying live musical performances.
This second edition of Lisbon Coffee Fest aims to be a meeting point for baristas, professionals and coffee lovers from Portugal. The rise in coffee culture is driving the growing interest in this type of event and Quality Espresso will be present with some of its latest innovations.
At stand P12, visitors will be able to see La Reale first hand, the Gaggia machine that takes the Italian espresso tradition to the highest level to meet the standards of the most demanding baristas, the new Q10 Evo grinder recently launched on the market, which combines design and technology in the fastest grinder on the market, as well as the Mahlkönig grinders with high grinding precision, among other new products. The models have connectivity which allows remote control and facilitates the management of the coffee business.
In addition, during Lisbon Coffee Fest the National Barista Championship will take place, an annual event where the Barista who will represent Portugal at the WBC (World Barista Championship) will be chosen.
Lisbon Coffee Fest will be a gathering that will support sustainability practices; cups will be made from 100% recycled materials and coffee grounds will be recycled and reused as fertiliser for agriculture and gardening.
Sustainability is one of Quality Espresso's core values. The company makes a large investment in innovation to make the components of its espresso machines recyclable, oriented toward the circular economy, in order to reduce both raw material consumption and waste production. Energy efficiency is also applied in the operation of its machines, for example by achieving greater energy savings thanks to the Eco Friendly insulation of the boiler.
It is through this type of event that Quality Espresso reaffirms its position as a market leader. Quality Espresso, a company with over 65 years of history, combining tradition and innovation, is present in over 90 countries.
About EVOCA Group
EVOCA Group is a world-leading manufacturer of professional coffee machines and a major international player in both the Ho.Re.Ca. and OCS sectors. The company markets its products through several brands (Necta, Wittenborg, Saeco, Gaggia, Ducale, SGL, Newis, Cafection, Visacrem and Futurmat), each with its individual identity and which are at the same time highly synergistic to its mission. Today EVOCA has over 10,000 customers in more than 140 countries around the world, 2,000 employees and revenues of over €450 million. Headquartered in Italy (Valbrembo - Bergamo), EVOCA has a global presence with nine production sites, six R&D centers and over 600 registered patents. In Spain, EVOCA Group is the owner of Quality Espresso, the Iberian market leader in the production and sale of traditional coffee machines and grinders; Saeco, a company focused on the out-of-home sector that can provide top solutions for Office, Ho.Re.Ca. and Automatic Vending venues; and Necta, a leading firm in the vending machine sector.
About Quality Espresso
Quality Espresso is the owner of the Futurmat, Mairali, Italcrem and Visacrem brands and the joint owner of the Gaggia brand along with Gaggia, SpA. It is the largest manufacturer of professional espresso machines in Spain and one of the industry leaders worldwide. Founded in 1952, the company has 120 employees and exports to 90 different countries from its 17000 sq. meter factory in Barcelona.
Quality Espresso Barcelona manufactures all its machines following a traditional method that produces a professional, adaptable, innovative and high-quality product.
Essence of Coffee
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Quality Espresso offers products certified by independent laboratories and backed by an experience of over 60 years. Additionally, the activities and systems of Quality Espresso meet the requirements of ISO 9001:15
QUALITY ESPRESSO S.A.U. * Motores, 1-9, 08040 Barcelona, Spain * Map * Phone : +93 223 12 00 * Export Tel: +34 933 946 305 * Email: info@qualityespresso.net


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Home Technology Here Are the Several New Features Instagram is Reportedly Working On
Here Are the Several New Features Instagram is Reportedly Working On
Jonathan Antonio
Stock Photo: OXFORD, UK - DECEMBER 5th 2016: An apple iPhone showing the instagram application alongside other instagram printed logos. Instagram is a popular social media application for sharing images and videos (Ink Drop / Shutterstock.com)
The Next Web reports Instagram is testing new features including the ability to search for GIFs to add to your Instagram stories. The Next Web reveals that there are a number of new features Instagram appears to be testing including a close friends list to share with only a small group, an automatic archiving option for all of your stories, hashtag and emoji search functions, and the feature to follow hashtags to get top posts and stories on a particular trending topic.
"It looks like Instagram may finally join the GIF party and allow users to search for and add GIFs to their Stories or regular posts. We don't have a lot of information about this — other than the test version being hideous — but it seems Instagram is tapping Giphy, like you do, to source GIFs in-app." via
Keep in mind, all of these are just tests, so we may never see these features any time soon.
The new feature The Next Web revealed is pretty interesting. The screenshot shows a repost button that would appear next to the like, comment and send buttons. An official "regard" button will allow users to easily repost photos from friends and other followers. A feature that has been highly requested by Instagram users for several years and with several third-party apps offering this functionality. Ultimately, reshaping is a popular feature found on many social networks including Twitter and Facebook. For example, Facebook offers the ability for users to share a photo, video or any time of the content. Meanwhile, Twitter allows users to retweet.
It is not clear what the button in the screenshot means, while it is certainly likely that Instagram is testing how this new button will play out on the social network. If this does become a new feature, it will surely be a useful one and will surely drive those third-party applications out of business.
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With an educational background in journalism, philosophy, chemistry, and psychology, Jonathan's passion includes reporting clear and accurate news. As a writer, he has also worked on topics that include: entertainment, social media, and technology.
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The Glasgow Courier - Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Classifieds & Real Estate
By Gwendolyne Honrud
From the Middle of Nowhere to Moscow
Exclusive with Former Ambassador McFaul
Born in Glasgow, he has made his way from the Middle of Nowhere to Stanford, St. Petersburg, Oxford, Washington, D.C., and Moscow. He went from being a student in Russia before the fall of the Soviet Union, to becoming one of the world's most renowned experts on the country as they attempted to transition from communism to capitalism. He's been a scholar, an activist, an advisor to a president, and an Ambassador to Russia.
McFaul maintains high-profile, post-public service for many reasons. He was the first American non-career diplomat to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, and he played a central role in "the Reset" of American policy toward Russia following the collapse of Communism. He was one of the first U.S. government officials to appreciate and use social media as a way to connect to the people, not just officials, of the country he served in. He was placed on the Kremlin's sanctions list and banned from Russia. And, he achieved notoriety when President Donald Trump floated the idea of turning him over to Russian President Vladimir Putin for "questioning."
Now, back at Stanford University as a political scientist and senior fellow at the Hoover Institute, Michael McFaul took the time to speak with The Glasgow Courier about Russia's goals regarding agricultural development; democracy and civil society; and, of course, his Glasgow roots.
McFaul, in his book From Cold War to Hot Peace, draws heavily from his Montana upbringing and connections. He still talks with his high school debate partner, Senator Steve Daines, and with Senator Jon Tester. In both his book and in talking with The Courier, he recounts hosting then-Senator Max Baucus in Russia during his work to get more Montana beef into Russia due to the market's desire for quality beef in the country.
The former Ambassador believes the market has been disrupted by the sanctions battle the U.S. has been engaged in with Russia, and that export restrictions to the country are hurting American exporters. McFaul voiced disagreement with tariffs as policy in regards to the American approach to both Russia and China, noting tariff wars usually lead to losers on both sides. "I think that there were some legitimate concerns that the Trump administration raised about Chinese theft or improper acquisition of American intellectual property," he said, "but I think the solution to that should be focusing on preventing that, not punishing American farmers."
One consequence of the trade war has been improved relations between President Putin and President Xi Jinping. The end of the previous year saw reports on Russia's gains in world agriculture markets, as Putin has vowed to invest in the necessary infrastructure as part of the goal to be the country that feeds the world.
The diplomat turned scholar expressed doubt regarding Putin's long-term planning for both agriculture and the country at large. "He has invested in those things [agricultural development], but it is also the case that those are the biggest constraints on the development of Russian agriculture. There's lots of corruption in the infrastructure business in Russia. So they spend a lot, but they don't get a lot of return on their investments."
Putin's desire to return Russia as a great player in the international system, but also to rule autocratically, further hinders economic development according to McFaul. He notes that the state owns too much while Putin's government has not done enough to fight corruption. As a political scientist, McFaul assesses economic freedom is served by political freedom. He asserts, "There is no doubt in my mind that if Russia was more free, politically, that the country would be wealthier."
McFaul further discussed the strengths and weaknesses of American democracy in light of alleged Russian influence in U.S. elections. He acknowledged that we are seeing more polarization than in earlier periods of our history but asserts that America is still more purple than red or blue. The democracy expert advocates programs that engage more citizens in an effort to lessen polarization and get people focused on the national interest, as opposed to partisan interests.
Addressing questions regarding the special counsel investigation and the potential that Russia may have funneled money through the NRA to influence the American electorate, McFaul declined to comment directly. He, like the rest of the public, is waiting for the special counsel to finish their work. Drawing upon his time working with Mueller in the Obama administration, McFaul expressed confidence in the former FBI Director, "He's an extremely competent guy, that I have no doubt has American interests at heart. And he's not a partisan guy at all."
He spoke to the larger issue of civil society, specifically the Citizens United decision, and the need to address dark money in elections to minimize the influence of external actors who seek to "use our democracy, use our openness, our NGOs to influence the outcome of elections." McFaul sees the need to protect the democratic institutions of America as paramount. "We Americans should choose our American leaders without the help of guys like President Putin."
The role Putin may have played in the election and the policies put forth by the Trump administration are not yet, and may never be known. But McFaul did say there is no doubt Trump has some autocratic proclivities and sees an "ideological affinity" between the two governments' members on views of the world about "the dangers of multilateralism, the virtues of nationalism." Yet, McFaul remains an optimist, "I think the democratic institutions in civil society have been robust enough to check his most authoritarian impulses."
While he can no longer travel to Russia, McFaul has spent the last six months or so traveling the country on a book tour. He tells The Courier every now and then somebody will mention his father, Kip McFaul, who Valley County residents, of a certain age, may remember was the band director at Glasgow High School, saying, "So you should know people are scattered around the country still remembering my dad and his time in Glasgow."
The younger McFaul has not been back to Glasgow since his family moved away, but has discussed returning to the Middle of Nowhere for a visit with his kids. Mentioning that his mother is originally from Chinook and returns for class reunions, McFaul says, "We have all decided that the next time she goes, we're all going to try to get ourselves up there. Stop in Chinook and then make our way to Glasgow."
McFaul's book tour is ongoing and he will be returning to Montana in April for two speaking events. On April 10 he will be at the University of Montana and on April 11 he will speak at Carroll College in Helena. Further details on the exact location and time will be released on social media closer to the events.
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The Glasgow Courier
Glasgow, MT 59230
courier@nemont.net
© 2020 Glasgow Courier, Inc.


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New lessons from the crash
Finally, stocks are cheap. Really. So it may be time to break the rules - just a little - to take advantage of this opportunity.
By Joe Light, Money Magazine staff reporter
February 17, 2009: 6:45 AM ET
Low prices, high expectations
Historically, stocks purchased at low P/Es have generated big returns.
P/E ratio Annualized returns
5 to 9.9 10.8%
*Current level 10-14.9 10.3%
15 to 19.9 5.7%
20 and higher 1.1%
Source:Robert Shiller, Dale Domian of York University, MONEY research. Notes: Figures are median 10-year annualized total returns for the S&P 500 from 1926 to 1998.
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(Money Magazine) -- Every major market crash is considered a teachable moment. And the lesson for investors invariably centers on the risk of overreacting to the news, in this case by attempting to flee equities when they're down. Countless studies have shown that this type of market timing will cost you dearly.
Normally the antidote for this behavior is simple: Ignore the noise and stick to an asset-allocation strategy that is suited for your age, goals and tolerance for risk. And then rebalance your portfolio back to the original mix annually.
But this is not what many financial advisers are calling for this time. In fact, they say it may be well worth your while to pay close attention to what's going on in the market today.
That's because this crash has done something no other bear market in decades has managed to accomplish: It has made stocks genuinely cheap. In fact, the price/earnings ratio on the Standard & Poor's 500 has sunk below its historical average of 16 for the first time since 1991, which just so happened to mark the start of one of the greatest bulls ever.
A window of opportunity
All of a sudden, some of the shrewdest market observers, such as Yale's Robert Shiller, Jeremy Grantham of GMO and Rob Arnott of Research Affiliates - who have all been bearish for years - are starting to sense some opportunities. In fact, Grantham predicts that equity returns over the next seven years will be "much above the average of the last 15 years."
Of course, no one is saying you should bet all your chips on a big rebound. And it could take another six months, or far longer, for the equity market to hit bottom.
But one of the enduring lessons of the past quarter-century is that opportunities to buy stocks at truly cheap prices can be fleeting. That's why some investors are talking about finding disciplined ways to boost their stock exposure modestly to reflect this historical development.
Now, some might call this market timing. But yet another lesson the market has taught us is not to put too much trust in labels (remember the notion of safe, dividend-paying financial stocks?). The idea here isn't to ride market momentum for quick gains. It's to rebalance aggressively back into stocks - while others are fleeing - with the clear understanding that it could take years for this to pay off.
Why the price is right
Not all market crashes produce cheap stocks. Think back to the bursting of the technology bubble at the start of this decade. Even though the S&P lost nearly half of its value during that bear, many investors thought equities were still overpriced by the end of the downturn.
Why? A common way to gauge the market is to take current stock prices and divide that by recent earnings to come up with a P/E ratio. Trouble is, in good times, profits can be inflated. And if earnings fall dramatically in bad years, P/Es might temporarily soar. So a more conservative approach, which smooths out anomalies, is to use 10-year average earnings as the E in the P/E (this is a method made famous by Robert Shiller).
Based on this method, the market's P/E ratio fell from nearly 44 in 2000, when the tech bubble peaked, to 22 in 2002, when the bear ended. While that was a steep drop, valuations never came close to touching the historical average of 16.
This time, however, P/E ratios have already pierced that threshold. Today the market's P/E is just 14, down from a peak of nearly 28 in 2007. "This suggests that long-run stock returns from here on will be above average," says Baylor University professor Bill Reichenstein. As the table shows, those who invested when P/Es were 20 or higher saw 10-year annual gains of 1% since 1926. By contrast, investors who bought when P/Es were below 15 - like now - earned more than 10%.
Tom Forester, manager of the Forester Value fund, says that he has been "champing at the bit" to buy cheap stocks. After keeping as much as 20% of his fund's assets in cash a few months ago, the only stock fund manager that made shareholders money last year is now almost fully invested in beaten-down stocks.
Strategies for a cheap market
1. Rebalance - now
If you're uncomfortable with the notion of changing your long-term strategy, just do what you normally would - rebalance your portfolio back to your original mix. But consider rebalancing now rather than waiting until the end of the year.
If you haven't rebalanced since the crash began in late 2007, you might not realize how your allocation has changed. A 60/40 mix of equities and bonds at the start of 2008 is now only 47% in stocks.
But why rebalance now? Who knows where P/E ratios will be by year's end? "There's a lot of cash on the sidelines, and when people begin to get optimistic, there will be a lot of people trying to fit through a very small door," says David Antonelli, a money manager with MFS Investment Management.
2. Go one step further
With valuations this low, risk-tolerant investors with years to make up for potential losses should also think about boosting their equity stakes slightly. Financial planner Ronald Rog says investors might consider increasing their normal stock weighting by about five percentage points if they think stocks are undervalued. So if you're normally 60% in equities, bump that up to 65%.
An easy way to do that is to take any cash that you may have kept on the side-lines - and that you won't need for at least five years - and gradually work that into the market. But remember that by doing so, you're taking on added risks. This is not the time to be diving into the riskiest end of the equity pool by, say, loading up on shaky financial stocks. Instead, simply rebalance into the diversified mix of stocks you previously settled on.
Now, you might be tempted to be even more aggressive - for instance, by boosting your stock allocation by more than 10 percentage points. But if this market has taught us anything, it's that there are no certainties in investing. So you don't want to risk more money than you can truly afford to lose.
Time to tweak your portfolio
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4×4 Evo (también relanzado como 4×4 Evolution) es un videojuego desarrollado por Terminal Reality para Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, y Sega Dreamcast. Es uno de los primeros juegos de consola en tener una multi-plataforma en línea donde las versiones Dreamcast, Macintosh y PC del juego aparecen en línea al mismo tiempo. El juego puede usar mapas creados por los usuarios para descargar al disco duro, y sorprendentemente en VMU. Todos los juegos son similares en calidad y jugabilidad, aunque los sistemas en línea muestran un modo para personalizar los camiones de los jugadores y utilizarlo en línea.
En este juego todavía se puede jugar en línea con todos los sistemas de Sony PlaySation 2.

Secuela

4×4 EVO 2 ha sido lanzado para Windows, Macintosh, Xbox, GameCube y PlayStation 2. Aparecen mapas más grandes, con un terreno más denso y los jugadores pueden conducir en cualquier lugar.

Referencias

 KC's Evo1 Place - A popular 4x4 Evolution fansite
 Online Tournaments Evo1 - Tournaments held online for Evolution 4×4
 SupermotoXL Designs - Fansite dedicated in custom made models and resources for '4×4 Evolution'
 4x4 Evolution on OFFROADGAMES.RU

Videojuegos de 2000
Videojuegos de carreras
Videojuegos de carreras todoterreno
Videojuegos de Gathering of Developers
Videojuegos desarrollados en Estados Unidos
Videojuegos para Dreamcast
Videojuegos para Mac
Videojuegos para PlayStation 2
Videojuegos para Windows
Videojuegos de un solo jugador y de multijugador

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Highlighting the extensive employment of Indian origin doctors in the UK and the 'vibrant Indian diaspora', the land's monarch interacted with the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Ruchi Ghanashyam and acknowledged their efforts.
The 92-year-old monarch received Ghanashyam at Buckingham Palace for the presentation of letters of credence ceremony, which marks the formal launch of a new envoy's tenure in the UK.
"We had a very good exchange about India-UK relations. Her Majesty received me very warmly. What will really stay with me is the memory of how easy she makes it for everybody around her," said Ghanashyam, in reference to her visit to the Palace in a customary horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by her husband A R Ghanashyam.
"We spoke of a number of things that bind us together, most of all of course the vibrant Indian diaspora. I mentioned to Her Majesty about a healthcare event that was held in Birmingham last week where I learnt of the almost 60,000 Indian doctors in the UK's NHS and she fondly said, she couldn't think of what the NHS would do without them," she said.
Indian doctors are often referred to as the backbone of the UK's health service, with doctors from outside the European Union (EU) being removed from a visa category last year to allow the UK to bring in more doctors from countries like India to address staff shortages.
"India's relationship with the UK is very long standing and comes with some historical complexity. But the contemporary relationship is a very modern one, littered with shared interests, said Vice-Marshal Neil Holland, who accompanied the Indian High Commissioner on her ride to the palace as the UK's Director of Protocol.


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Advocacy groups warn of dire consequences in Pa. from Medicaid cuts
Several health-advocacy groups have collaborated on a report detailing the hundreds of thousands of chronically ill Pennsylvanians who get health coverage from Medicaid.
They say those people would feel the effects of proposed federal cuts to Medicaid spending.
One piece of President Obama's deficit-reduction plan includes cuts in the federal money spent on Medicaid.
The left-leaning Families USA health-care consumer group says it's a bad idea.
The organization has released a report with the help of nonprofits such as the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society to document the numbers of Pennsylvanians dependent on Medicaid.
Kathleen Stoll of Families USA helped write the report. She says it's significant so many groups were involved.
"The four groups came together in order to make a strong statement about the importance of Medicaid for people facing conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and chronic lung disease," she said.
Families USA says states trying to economize on the Medicaid program are able to pay health providers less or reduce the benefits available.
Obama's plan is to cut federal spending on Medicaid by $70 billion over 10 years.


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Q: Yolo: PyTorch vs. Darknet I have recently found Yolo implementations in PyTorch (e.g. https://github.com/ultralytics/yolov3). What I would like to know if this is really the same (in terms of model accuracy, speed and so on) like the one with Darknet backbone?
I am asking because it is waaaaaay easier with PyTorch (as I am struggling with installing Darknet on windows).
Kind regards,
Can

A: Follow these step to install darknet framework on window10.
I recommend to clone darknet from AlexeyAB repository since it works great on windows10 and a lot of community support.(https://github.com/AlexeyAB/darknet).
And now it has a python wrapper so you could implement it on python.

*

*Clone darknet repositoriey.

*install vcpkg.(https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg)

*Install visual studio 2017.

*Install CUDA and CUDNN.

*Add CUDNN into system environment. Variable name = 'CUDNN' , variable value =
'installed path'.

*Add 'CUDA_TOOLKIT_ROOT_DIR' into system environment. Variable name = 'CUDNN',
variable value = 'installed path\NVIDIA GPU Computing Toolkit\CUDA\v10.2.

*build with powershell command '.\build.ps1' in darknet directory.

Hope you find this help :).

A: YOLO (You Only Look Once) is a one shot detector method to detect object in a certain image. It can work with Darknet, Pytorch, Tensorflow, Keras etc. frameworks. YOLO and darknet complements together pretty well as it has a robust support for CUDA & CUDNN. Use whichever framework you want !!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A critical review Peter Gelderloos' How Nonviolence Protects the State, a much-read but rarely analysed book.
An essay published in 2007 about the relationship of Fascism (in broad strokes, nationalistic movement terms) and the State.
This book uses historical and anthropological examples to show that people have, in different ways and at different times, demonstrated mutual aid, self-organization, autonomy, and horizontal decision making—that anarchy works!
Author Peter Gelderloos responds to Chris Hedges' anti-black bloc article.
Gelderloos analyses the "indignant" and "occupy" movements which have spread across the world in recent weeks.


Serving the Taos community for over 14 years with caring and professional touch.
Just 1.2 miles north of Taos Plaza on the main road. NOTE: GPS may incorrectly take you to the Pueblo Indian Reservation; PLEASE stay on the paved Highway 64, also known as Paseo del Pueblo Norte.
Each Therapist is trained in various modalities and all can provide firm to medium deep pressure. Some therapists also offer deep tissue massage. "Deep" is very subjective. Occasionally, clients request considerably more pressure than usual. Although we do not charge more, we suggest a generous tip for your Therapist.
Since 1991, Kyoko has offered various massage and spa therapies. In October 2000, Kyoko founded Essential Massage and Spa Therapies. She created our Anti-aging Eye Pampering and Herbal Foot Wrap therapies.
In 2016, Kyoko created the Crystal Cocoon Sessions in response to her own profound healing with the Biomat.
Kyoko specializes in Cranio-sacral therapy and prenatal massage. Cranio-sacral helps to enhance the flow of the cerebro-spinal fluid using gentle palpation and is profoundly relaxing. Kyoko delights in working with a firm yet gentle touch. She is also our colon therapist.
Amelia has been providing massage since graduating in 2006 from the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts in Santa Fe. Her experience with Lomi-Lomi in Hawaii has served to deepen her intuitive touch. Previous to becoming a massage therapist, Amelia was a nurse and helped many patients. She can seamlessly blend her knowing intuition with her understanding of the body.
Amelia also does the heated River Rocks massage, Spa Facials, Herbal Foot Wrap, and deep tissue. She focuses on each client as an individual, assessing his or her specific needs at the given moment.
Born and raised in the beauty of Northern New Mexico, Brenda always felt a strong desire to be of service to people. She is a gifted therapist who blends her massage with a caring heart. She can combine deep tissue and Swedish therapeutic massage to relax and heal the body. Her touch assists the body's inherent wisdom for balance.
Brenda listens to your individual needs to create a massage that addresses your concerns. Brenda also loves to share our Herbal Foot Wrap and Spa Facials as those treatments are also deeply healing.
Manuela gradated from the New Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics in 1992 in Albuquerque and brings many years of experience to her massage practice. In addition to doing customized relaxation massage, she also offers Thai, Shiatsu, Oncology, and prenatal massages. Manuela's combination of nurturing deep work addresses specific areas of concern.
Special Note: Thai massage is done on a mat on the floor with the client fully clothed. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing. A Shiatsu session is done on a table also with the client wearing loose, comfortable clothing.
As one of the first to be licensed in New Mexico, Nancy has the experience and the compassion for helping clients deeply relax. Nancy's gift of touch and knowing hands convey a sense of calm and caring even when doing deep tissue massage.
She listens with her heart and hands to find the areas of tension then assists you in releasing restrictive patterns.
Her strength of both heart and hands brings comfort.
Nancy is also a Registered Nurse yet she returned to her passion of being a Massage Therapist.
In 1998, Ana graduated from the Scherer Institute of Natural Healing in Santa Fe. After healing herself from Lupus, she studied massage to help people know that they too, can heal themselves.
After years of learning, she feels that every client has different needs and she offers many different modalities to meet those needs.
Ana feels "every session is like a new dance, sometimes with tuning forks, cranial sacral, and a firm caring, loving touch".
Kyoko was blessed to have prenatal massage with Ana over 18 years ago.
In 1996, Satya began exploring massage therapy by attending the Dr Scherer's Academy of Natural Healing in Santa Fe. Over the years she has studied and incorporated many forms of healing such as trigger point work, neuromuscular, and polarity therapy for a client-based session.
Her therapeutic intuitive approach combines breathing, relaxation and muscle engagement. Satya specializes pain reduction for neck/shoulder and low back/hips. Several doctors often refer their challenging patient to her for pain management. She has developed specific trigger point sequences to address chronic and acute pain.
By accessing the central nervous system, Satya's treatments offer a deep shift toward body-mind balance.
Our spa facials nourish and hydrate your face with Andalou Naturals skin care and Iris Herbal custom blend of oils.
Ashleigh graduated from Laughing Lotus Yoga School in New York in 2007. While transitioning into a full-time yoga teacher, she found another way to take care of herself, too. Happily, Jennifer Moyer, became her B.E.S.T. (click to learn more) practitioner and spiritual teacher. At first, she was not convinced that B.E.S.T. was the right fit for her. Yet, she kept going back because she always felt better after the work.
For 27 years, Kyoko Hummel, the Proprietress of Essential Massage, has been a professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association.
Welcome to Taos, New Mexico; land of massage enchantment! We offer the finest massage therapy, spa facials and spa therapies in the southwest. Our wonderful therapists offer sports massage, deep tissue, Swedish massage, relaxing massage, prenatal massage, herbal foot wrap massage, facial massage, facials, and many other types of bodywork. Our River Rocks massage is one of the most popular treatments! Let our warm stones massage melt away tension and revitalize you. Reserve a couple's massage for special occasions.
Spa therapies include revitalizing spa facials, anti-aging facial treatments, foot reflexology, aromatherapy body steam, and anti-aging eye pampering. Our spa therapies feature essential oils and natural plant ingredients to heal body and soul.
Our exlcusive Crystal Cocoon therapy improves blood circulation and lymph flow. The amethyst Biomat® radiates infra-red warmth and negative ion therapy for deep healing. This FDA approved medical device does not emit any EMF (electro-magnetic frequency).


Feed no more than your fish will eat within a few minutes two times per day. Avoid over-feeding as it can cause water quality problems.
PLEASE NOTE: Handling a frozen food that is derived from a live animal can cause the same allergic reaction possible by handling the live animal itself. To avoid potential problems, always wash your hands immediately after use and avoid contact with your nose and mouth prior to washing.
Blood Worms, water, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphoshate (stabilized vitamin C), carotene, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, choline chloride, folic acid, calcium pantothenate, inositol, niacin.


text:
rm -rf build
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j2

# run tests
#ctest --verbose

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Base Camp: This would be a good area to base camp and explore the other forest roads in the area.
Navigation: From Westcliffe, CO. head east on Main Street toward S 7th Street for 1.8 miles. Continue onto CO-96 E and go 14.6 miles. Turn right onto CO-165 E and go 11.7 miles. Turn right onto Ophir Creek Rd and go 1.1 miles. Continue straight onto Forest Road 364, This is the Rushmer road.
From Rye, CO, head north on Boulder Ave for 0.1 miles. Turn left onto CO-165 W and go 16.5 miles. Turn left onto Ophir Creek Rd and go 1.1 miles. Continue straight onto Forest Road 364, This is the Rushmer road.
Rushmer is a short road that follows Rushmer Canyon. The road is a graded gravel road that passes through some private property.


G. Hu, T. Albrow-Owen, X. Jin, A. Ali, Y. Hu, R. C. T. Howe, K. Shehzad, Z. Yang, X. Zhu, R. I. Woodward, T. Wu, H. Jussila, J. Wu, P. Peng, P. Tan, Z. Sun, E. J. R. Kelleher, M. Zhang, Y. Xu, T. Hasan: Black phosphorus ink formulation for inkjet printing of optoelectronics and photonics. In: Nature Communications, 8 , pp. 278, 2017.
Black phosphorus is a two-dimensional material of great interest, in part because of its high carrier mobility and thickness dependent direct bandgap. However, its instability under ambient conditions limits material deposition options for device fabrication. Here we show a black phosphorus ink that can be reliably inkjet printed, enabling scalable development of optoelectronic and photonic devices. Our binder-free ink suppresses coffee ring formation through induced recirculating Marangoni flow, and supports excellent consistency (< 2% variation) and spatial uniformity (< 3.4% variation), without substrate pre-treatment. Due to rapid ink drying (< 10 s at < 60 °C), printing causes minimal oxidation. Following encapsulation, the printed black phosphorus is stable against long-term (> 30 days) oxidation. We demonstrate printed black phosphorus as a passive switch for ultrafast lasers, stable against intense irradiation, and as a visible to near-infrared photodetector with high responsivities. Our work highlights the promise of this material as a functional ink platform for printed devices.


text:
Infographic: The Pandemic's Toll On U.S. Restaurant Industry
By Felix Richter
12/14/20 AT 11:06 PM
Key figures showing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. restaurant industry Statista/IBT
As the coronavirus rages on in the United States, forcing several states to close down businesses and public life once again, the National Restaurant Association rang the alarm bell last week. In a letter to Congressional leadership, the organization urged lawmakers to reach an agreement on a second coronavirus relief package and help protect the restaurant industry, which has been "in economic free fall" for nearly nine months now.
In the letter addressed to Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, and Chuck Schumer, the National Restaurant Association cites the results of its latest survey of 6,000 restaurant operators, showing that 87 percent of full-service restaurants reported an average 36 percent drop in sales and that 10,000 restaurants have closed across the nation in the past three months alone.
"What these findings make clear is that more than 500,000 restaurants of every business type—franchise, chain, and independent—are in an economic free fall," said Sean Kennedy, executive vice president for Public Affairs in the letter. "And for every month that passes without a solution from Congress, thousands of more restaurants will close their doors for good."
As the following chart shows, the food services industry has been hit incredibly hard by the pandemic, losing $130 billion in sales between March and October as a result of mandated closures and capacity limits. By the end of November, the industry had lost 2.1 million jobs compared to its pre-pandemic state and as of December, an estimated 110,000 restaurants were closed either permanently or long-term due to the crisis.
More Iconic Restaurants Fall To Coronavirus Pandemic