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No one will dispute how convenient, helpful, and mostly accurate a GPS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gps) in your car is to navigate around new and familiar places.  Some theives, however, have figured out a way to exploit this otherwise well-intentioned gadget.

The information below was forwarded to me, so I am unsure of the original author.

A couple of weeks ago a friend told me that someone she knew had their car broken into while they were at a [youth] football game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard.

When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen.

The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents.

This story relates a horrifying prospect for anyone to consider.  Is it really that easy?  A couple of tips I have to prevent this from happening to you:

• Lock your GPS in the glove box when not in use.
• Avoid using the Home button for your home address. Instead, program your local police station's address.
• To find your way home, program a Point of Interest or Waypoint called something like "Coffee" with your home address.
• Ditch the GPS and use a map - they are often more accurate.
• Even if your garage door has a locking function, lock your deadbolt as well.

Stay safe out there!

-Phil Spitze
Network Manager

More and more you can shop online, bank online, and get scammed online.  Phishing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing), spoofing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail_spoofing), and hacking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_%28computer_security%29) are all on the rise since it is the easiest way to make money if you're a computer criminal.

One of my favorite websites, Lifehacker (http://www.lifehacker.com), featured this article on how to avoid getting scammed online.  It is written in basic terms that everyone should be able to understand and is complimented with great graphics.

http://lifehacker.com/5420356

Please share this with friends and family and stay safe out there!

-Phil Spitze
Network Manager

The end of one year and the beginning of the next is always a good time for reflection, planning, and celebration.  It is also a great time to update your passwords!  The average home user may have upwards of 20 passwords to various websites and online services.  A company user could have the same amount, though usually a lower count due to the many single sign-on (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_sign-on) technologies that most companies utilize.  And while most people find the process of changing passwords a huge chore, it really is the only defense you have against unauthorized use of your information, especially on the web.

Here are some tips and tools for changing and choosing passwords:

1) Change all of your passwords at the same time and try to do it 4 times per year
2) Don't use the same password over and over
3) Don't use the same password for multiple accounts or websites
4) Pick the longest password you can use
5) Use a strong password, consisting of mixed letters and numbers and punctuation
6) Avoid using names or words that can be found in a dictionary

You can check the strength of your passwords at these websites:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/fraud/passwords/checker.aspx

http://www.passwordmeter.com/

Stay safe and have a healthy and Happy New Year!

Phil Spitze
Network Manager