Hackers have been hacking large companies, however, now they are coming after small businesses especially rural ones because of lack of protection. So what can a small business owner do?
Change your passwords, starting from your oldest ones. You’re probably tired hearing this advice, but it’s important not to dismiss it! You don’t know if some passwords you’ve used are out there in hacker-land, ready to unlock some other account doors. You should change passwords on ALL accounts a few times a year.
Passwords are a hacker’s “master key” to finding an opening into private consumer email and credit accounts, so don’t make it easy for them by having duplicates. And while you’re at it…replace any simple passwords you’re using, such as “abc123” and “password.” They also know your kid’s names and your pet’s names from Facebook.
This article is about the reality of today’s dangerous online world. Realistically, using a major credit card or debit cards is the proper way to make most transactions, instead of gift cards, checks, and other payment options like cash. See if your credit cards and debit cards come with built-in protection offered by the provider.
Emails that appear to be from a recognizable online service
asking you to log into a site to confirm some personal details are always fake.
These emails are usually caught by your email application’s spam filter, but if
one does slip through and you click its link, your web browser should detect
and block the site it takes you to.
Your best defense is to make sure you’re running the most
updated versions of every program, starting with Windows. Go online and see if
Microsoft has an update for the version you use. (You may want to consider
getting a new computer and Windows 10, which has a solid, built-in defense.) Installing
antivirus software may sound like an obvious first step to protect against
malware, but not everyone bothers to do it. With so many options now available,
though, there really is no excuse. So, make sure you’re running a good
antivirus program and that you’ve installed its latest updates like McAfee.
When I was in Walmart in Pierre last week, I was walking by
the produce aisle and smelled something like turpentine, onions, and sweaty
socks. I thought of a gas leak but looked down and saw the fruit “durian”.
Roughly the size of a muskmelon, green and spiky on the outside. It’s native to Southeast Asia and in some places, durians have been banned on airplanes, trains and mass-transit — and for good reason. Their smell isn’t only overwhelmingly potent, but it lingers especially when cut open.
So why are grocery stores selling this? Like most
controversial foods, durian is an acquired taste. Despite the horrible smell, they
say the flesh is like custard and is actually sweet. Some have even described
the taste to like crème brulee.
If you want to give this frightening fruit a chance, one way to warm up your palate is to prepare durian in a recipe instead of eating it on its own. It is found as an ingredient in ice cream and in other deserts with high sugar content.
Securing your home against winter is always a important for homeowners, no matter where you live. Regardless of what direction the cost of heating oil, propane, and other fuels is heading, it makes good sense to ensure that you and your family stay warm for the winter season.
There are a surprising number of easy things you can do at minimal cost that can maximize energy savings this winter. Below are suggestions for budgets under $100.
Caulk around windows. Warm air can escape, and cold air can enter your house if the area around your windows has cracks. Caulking needs to be replaced periodically, and you should check every fall for holes that need to be patched, as well as holes anywhere outside your house. Basic caulk gun and tubes of caulk to fill gaps in siding, windows, and doors. For drafty windows and doors, don’t just fill the gaps on the outside pull the molding off to fill the insulation gaps around the window jamb. You can use a can of low-expansion window foam instead of caulk.
Plastic film window insulating kit, enough for five to six
windows. Use caulk rolls for windows. Window insulation film is another option
to provide a layer of protection for single pane windows.
It’s a must to change your furnace and air conditioning filter on a regular basis, at least every three months or more often. Clogged filters reduce heating and cooling efficiency and can reduce the useful life of the appliance.
Replace weather-stripping around doors. If you can see
light around the edges of your doors, you need new weather-stripping. A small
weather-stripping costs you five or six dollars, and it will save you hundreds
of dollars in electrical bills. Adding a sweep strip to the bottom of the door
helps to block drafts. Door threshold/sweep strip to fill air leaks beneath
doors.
Close up your fireplace when you are not using it. Make
sure your flue closes all the way, and check whether you can feel air coming in
when it’s closed. Glass doors around your fireplace opening are another way to
keep warm air in and cold air out of your house.
Add heavy drapes and rugs. Changing light summer drapes for
heavy winter drapes was common in earlier times. Drapes can keep the room
warmer, while putting down rugs provides a layer of insulation above the floor.
For a more expensive but permanent fix, is to replace old
windows with double windows. Windows now have a higher R factor that keeps heat
in the home and the cold outside. I replaced most of my windows on my home and
found a noticeable effect on the heating bill.
Improve your insulation. Insulation deteriorates over
time, so you may want to add more material in your attic. Other places to add
insulation are in crawl spaces and exposed areas of decks and creating a false
ceiling in unfinished basements and insulating between that ceiling and the
living area. An insulating cover over your attic opening also helps trap in the
heat.
Cover your water heater. You can buy a water heater blanket for around $20 at the hardware store that will keep the tank from losing heat as quickly, saving you money on your heating bill.
Get a programmable thermostat. The newest thermostats can learn your family’s habits and set themselves to keep the house cooler when no one is there and warmer when the home is occupied. You can also purchase a more basic programmable thermostat. Prices vary considerably, depending on how sophisticated you want your thermostat to be.
Lower your water heater temperature. You can lower it
from 140 degrees to 120 with no ill effect. And 120 degrees is the temperature
recommended by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The lower the thermostat
to 68. It’s actually more comfortable to sleep in a colder home, and you
can always add more blankets. When you’re awake, wear a sweater or sweatshirt
to stay comfortable with a lower thermostat setting.
Most ceiling fans have a switch, either on the motor housing
or remote control, that allows you to reverse the fan-blade rotation. In
summer, the blades rotate counterclockwise to blow down cooling breezes. But in
winter, reverse the blade rotation so they blow up. That way, the fan will
force warm air trapped at the ceiling down into the room.
Reduce heat loss and save energy, and money, by insulating all of your hot-water pipes. The insulation will help keep the water hot inside the pipe, so your boiler or water heater won’t have to work so hard. Also, you won’t have to waste as much time or water waiting for hot water to flow out of the faucet or shower head. Pipe insulation comes in two basic types: foam-rubber sleeves that you slip onto the pipe, and insulated wraps that you wind around the pipe.
