Important Security Information for Everyone

Item 1:

I just learned about a web site called FamilyTreeNow that aims to help with genealogical research. But it does so much more. Using publicly available information (so it says), it also provides free information on the living, ie. you and me.

If you visit the web site, I can pretty much guarantee that you'll find the amount of information displayed about you to be more than a little creepy.

Here's what I suggest. Visit https://www.familytreenow.com/optout and follow the instructions and link there. The process goes like this:

1. visit the web site
2. find your record and see what it says
3. get really creeped out
4. hit the opt-out button

This seems to work for me. After opting out, a subsequent search does not find me.

Item 2:

We've reached the place where camera phone technology is threatening our security. Photos taken from up to 3 meters away have enough resolution that your finger prints could be stolen from the image. This means making the "peace sign", a thumbs-up, a hand wave,...in short anything where your fingers can be seen, a security risk. Since our phones new use fingerprints for access and some use the phone for banking and Apple Pay, this is potentially serious.

The article even warns that parents are at risk of having their fingerprints stolen by their children while they sleep. So you parents out, there...stay awake!

Item 3:

This is now new, but I include it for completeness. Be very careful using ATM's anywhere. The technology to steal your information when you go get money from the ATM is getting more common.

Stay safe.