How Secure is Your WiFi Connection?

If you're like me and prefer to use a laptop than a Blackberry then at some point or other you will use your laptop in a public place.  Blackberries are useful, but not very productive for certain kinds of work.  

There has been lots of talk for years about how unprotected your information and data is when using WiFi hotspots and in public areas.  If you have ever been on a business trip and had your flight delayed or been stuck at the airport you must admit that you fired up that laptop and got to work.  Consultants are especially suceptible to this open use of computers as every minute of your time is billable.

To help you better understand how easy this is, I refer you to an article by David Pogue who put a note up on his blog seeking a guest who could appear on his show and show him the 'hacky' ropes. He found John Baer, a technical consultant who seemed just right for the part.  

They met in a WiFi coffee shop and David fired up his laptop.  That's all it took. Then John turned his laptop around to reveal the following:

* Every copy of every e-mail message sent *and* received.

* A list of the Web sites David visited.

* Even, incredibly, the graphics that had appeared on the Web sites David had visited.

The most astounding part is that no special software was needed and anyone can do it.  Scary Huh?  So be careful out there.  I recommend you hop on and hop off the WiFi in public areas.  Just download your mail and then disable the WiFi, then fire it back up to send your responses and disable it again.  There is no guarantee that you won't be hijacked, but at least the window of opportunity for a hacker is only open for a very short time.

Read David Pogue's full artice at this link http://tinyurl.com/24zxg8

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New Year - New Website - I'm Going for the Gold!

The first month of 2008 is almost over.  By now you should have written your New Year’s Resolution and began working on them.  Or maybe by now you have decided to change some of them.  Regardless, they are your resolutions and it is your choice to implement or discard them.

2007 was a good year for JAD Communications International but I was restless.  I was ready to move to the next level.  So, one of my New Year Resolutions was to create a new website for my speaking and coaching business.  JAD Communications International will still function as it has always done, bringing you news and views related to advocacy for women.  The new website is a means of providing people and companies who need a speaker for their conference, or a coach for their career, with one source for that information.  The new website is www.yvonnefbrown.com and I would love your feedback regarding ease of use, look and feel, and content.  That said, I am asking you to take a visit and tell me what you think.  

As thank you for the feedback, I will present you with a complimentary membership in the JAD Communications network valued at $79.   I will also give a copy of the book “Proven Ways Women Overcome Obstacles and Succeed” to anyone who responds by February 28th, 2008.   All you have to do is fill out the form on the contact page of www.yvonnefbrown.com with your comments and send it.

“You’ve got to take life by the lapels and say, ‘Baby, I’m with you’!”  - Maya Angelou

Yvonne F. Brown

www.yvonnefbrown.com

www.jadcommunications.com

www.jadcommunications.com/Blog

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Verizon Customer Service Gone BAD

I am on the road again as always but this time I had an incident that just riled me.  First of all, the charger for my cell phone simply stopped working.   When I plugged it into the outlet there was no juice.  After lots of testing, I determined to purchase a new one as I had a conference call at the end of the day and did not have time to charge the phone in the car.

That's why I went to Circuit City.  It was the closest store that sold my charger and I had less than an hour to get it done.  So I jumped in my car and drove over. 

Behind the counter was a young man who made me wait while he completed his cell phone call.  No problem, perhaps it was important.  During our discussion regarding my purchase, this Verizon salesman picked up his cell phone and started reading an instant message then actually decided to respond to it while I (the customer) waited. 

I not only called him on it, but informed him that I would write about it on my blog.  That's when I suddenly became important again and he begged me not to write about this awful experience.

We all have our priorities and this is mine.  If you're in Oak Brook, avoid the Verizon store in Circuit City.  They don't care about your business unless you IM them.

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Don't EVER Drink From Hotel Glasses

If you travel often as I do, or even if you travel only occasionally, it is imperative that you view this video that shows what you may be in for. 

Warning, you might not like what you see.

 http://www.bestviral.com/video/6629/dont_ever_drink_from_hotel_glasses

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New Year - New Beginnings

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a prosperous 2008

May you have good health, career success, prosperity, and a year filled with abundance.

Yvonne F. Brown

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