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| Head Line/Title of Press release: | Technology Exposes Americans To Data Breaches |
| Email: | steve57gildner@hotmail.com |
| Phone: | 800-769-2104 |
| Textarea: | For Immediate Release: Miami, FL (February 29, 2012) – Technology has improved and enhanced our lives in countless ways. Unfortunately, it has also opened up new avenues for consumer fraud. Many widely used technological devices are vulnerable to data breaches, which can leave Americans at risk of identity theft. According to the identity theft protection specialists at Credit Protection Pro, the same portable high tech gear that makes it so convenient for us to conduct our business from anywhere is also extremely vulnerable to data breaches. There are numerous news stories every year about laptops being stolen from cars or offices. In some cases, the laptops are loaded with sensitive personal data about customers, patients, or recipients of government services. There have been situations where the stolen computers contained names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and private health information. Whether or not the thieves originally stole the laptops with the intention of stealing identities or they just happened to get a lot more than they bargained for, every time that personal information falls into the wrong hands, people are at risk for credit fraud. Credit monitoring services also report that portable USB devices can pose a risk for identity theft. They do not even have to be stolen; as USB flash drives get smaller and smaller, it is easy for them to become lost. Some businesses use USB drives as a convenient back up system for important data – often the very type of sensitive information that unscrupulous individuals can use to steal someone's identity. Despite the high value of personally identifiable details, there are still plenty of companies and offices which do not encrypt the data stored on their USB drives or store the drives in a secure location. There was a recent case in which patients of a medical practice were advised to obtain identity theft protection after a USB drive went missing from a doctor's office. It is unsettling for patients or customers to wonder who may be looking at their names and Social Security numbers, and to what end. There are also cases where clever thieves use technology to directly steal personal data. An all-too-common example of this is the skimming devices which have been found on credit card point of sale machines around the country. It is an incredibly easy scheme: the crooks simply attach a tiny reader to credit card machines at gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores, or anywhere else customers routinely swipe their own credit or debit cards for purchases. Every time that a customer uses the affected POS machine, their credit card number is captured and transmitted remotely to the thieves. Although skimmers can be very miniscule and hard to detect, there are a few ways in which consumers can help to protect themselves. Identity theft protection experts recommend that customers cast a critical eye on any POS machine before using it to see if anything looks odd or feels loose. When in doubt, avoid poorly monitored credit card machines like those on gas pumps or the self checkout lanes at supermarkets in favor of POS machines installed near cashiers. Use zero liability credit cards in case of data breaches, and consider signing up for quality credit monitoring services as a backup. For more information on the best credit monitoring services, visit www.creditprotectionpro.com. They are a service dedicated to helping to prevent identity theft and credit fraud. Credit Protection Pro has information on all the latest identity theft scams and data breaches on their website so that consumers can learn how to protect themselves. In addition, they offer independent professional reviews of credit monitoring services like Identity Guard. Contact Credit Protection Pro at info@creditprotectionpro.com for more information on how to protect your credit and identity. Dean Richards Credit Protection Pro Miami, FL 800-769-2104 info@creditprotectionpro.com http://www.creditprotectionpro.com/ |
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Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Technology Exposes Americans To Data Breaches
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Monday, February 27, 2012
Govt looking at ways to reduce electricity tariffs
Pretoria - Government is looking into ways to reduce electricity tariff increases and will soon make a pronouncement on the matter, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters says.
"The on-going concern from business and communities about high electricity costs is receiving serious attention. The Department of Energy, relevant departments and Eskom are looking at other ways of reducing electricity tariff increases, meaning lower bills for businesses for which electricity is the major cost input to most business and key industries," explained Peters.
In the State of the Nation Address delivered earlier this month, President Jacob Zuma said he had asked Eskom to look at other ways of reducing its price increase.
"Government will announce a way forward in this regard soon," Peters said at a BMF breakfast meeting in the Northern Cape on Monday.
Access to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy services is essential to creating jobs and poverty alleviation while alternative energy sources can also have positive economic and social impacts in informal settlements and remote areas.
Diversification of the country's energy mix is important. "We pursue a balanced energy mix and for us, the different energy sources are not seen as competitive but rather they are supportive as none can exclusively meet the electricity needs of our country," she explained.
The department is working on the second round of renewable energy projects after the first round of over 1 200MW of renewable energy project was successfully tendered.
The Energy Department intends to continue to create an enabling environment for the sustainable use of different energy resources in its energy collaboration within the country and throughout the world.
The minister called on business to pursue partnerships with foreign investors.
Meanwhile, on the issue of the use of energy saving light bulbs, significant savings have been made.
In the national budget tabled last week, R600 million has been located to municipalities to install low-energy lighting and equipment, while an additional R4.7 billion has been allocated to complete the installation of one million solar water geysers. A total of R300 million was set aside for the electrification of informal settlements.
"I urge business to see potential in assisting government in achieving its mandate in the energy sector," noted the minister.
An incentive programme is being looked at for companies investing in energy efficiency. "Government is looking at more incentive for this programme," she said.
On the shortage of LPG last year of which the Northern Cape was also affected, some retailers had shown a lack of interest in pursuing further retailing of LPG because of struggles to access it from suppliers.
"This creates a challenge that informs us that there is a need to look at increasing the supply of LPG and investments in the expansion of the distribution network.
Peters urged South Africans to save electricity. - BuaNews
FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP, ITA 9-12 March
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Massive transport plans on cards
Pretoria - A massive overhaul of South Africa's public transport system is set to be in the works in the next decade as expenditure on infrastructure is expected to double over the same period in line with the country's New Growth Path.
As this year's budget indicates, the Treasury wants the Transport Department to focus its spending over the next three years on maintaining roads, upgrading rail infrastructure, constructing municipal public transportation and subsiding public transport operations.
Government and state enterprises are expected to allocate funding estimated at R262 billion over the next three years to transport and logistics infrastructure. This includes Transnet's spending on pipelines, which accounts for 27 percent of the total public sector infrastructure budget over the period.
The Treasury's Budget Review also estimates an expenditure increase on public transport infrastructure from just over R41 billion this year to R48 billion in 2015, with the larger chunk of the money (over R20 billion) going to road transport.
South Africa's investment on infrastructure gained momentum in the years leading up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup and government wants to ensure that this growth is being supported by a well maintained road network and effective public transport system.
Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele is expected to give details of the projected transport infrastructure spending when he chairs the post-State of the Nation Address media briefing of the Infrastructure Development cluster tomorrow.
Improving the public transport network is among the priorities approved by Cabinet following the successes of the Bus Rapid Transit systems in Johannesburg and Cape Town, with other major metros such as Ethekwini and Nelson Mandela Bay set launch theirs soon.
The budget makes provisions for the development of integrated public transport networks in five cities by 2015 with plans to introduce reforms in the bus subsidy. Nelson Mandela Bay has said it has completed plans for its BRT project and had purchased a fleet of buses while Tshwane, Rustenburg and eThekwini are believed to be still finalising their plans.
The Treasury also attributes the projected massive growth in spending to the additional allocations of R893 million for the conditional grant made to provinces for disaster relief, R4 billion for rail rolling stock and R1 billion for the upgrade of signalling and the procurement of depot ahead of the arrival of the new passenger train fleet.
Officials say higher expenditure through the provincial roads maintenance grant is primarily responsible for an improvement in road conditions and is expected to decrease the length of secondary road network in poor condition to 5 1000 kilometres in the next three years. Provinces are expected to spend a projected R25.5 billion to maintain provincial and rural roads.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's budget this year also shows an increase in operational and capital contributions to the South African National Roads Agency Limited to R4.1 billion, partly due to the R5.8 billion the Treasury had to allocate for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
Meanwhile, the Transport Department says it has begun drafting a rail policy for the country, which it says will guide investment, improve regulation and lead to more reliable, safe and affordable freight and passenger services.
Regulations which aim to promote efficient pricing and network access will also be introduced this year through the establishment of a rail economic regulator. Government wants to replace the existing fleet over the next 20 years. A feasibility study to explore the project scope was done last year with the department committing to help Metrorail with the procurement of the new stock.
State-owned freight company Transnet plans to invest about R300 billion over the next seven years on freight rail network, upgrades and refurbishing of existing infrastructure. - BuaNews
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