Hi,

The Scary Truth about OUR Cell Phones. Most of us think our cell phone conversations are pretty secure, no one is listening. You feel with all the billions of phone calls “no one is going to bother hacking in to my phone”. Right?…Wrong! I am sure the two women on this video never thought anyone would be interested in their conversation. Watching the use of the off-the-shelf, readily available Phone Piracy technology in This video blew my mind:

After you’ve watched the video follow the link below to view what I have found to be the most organized and to the point safety tips about harassing phone calls:
Cell Phone SafetyTips
More Relevant Safety News
Cyber Crime Prevention

Yovette Mumford

SafetyIssues.com

Hi,

The medications that our physicians prescribe for us are meant to promote healing and wellness. How many of us, after receiving a new prescription for a medication, upon arriving home, time permitting, execute an internet search on the medication before taking it? The number of websites that contain medication user experiences, professional advice from physicians (such as WebMD), or the homepage of the medication itself, are immeasurable in number. One only needs to perform a “search” and realize that the number of websites available for finding information/experiences is enormous.

How do we know the reliability and safety of these websites? That is the purpose of this writing; to provide you with this information. Keep in mind, when just “surfing the net”, it is important to be extremely cautious when reading information from the internet about a medication. On the flip side, however, there are many reliable and qualified websites that are offering solid and dependable information about medication (See below).

Our safety responsibility is to educate and here my aim to assist you with discerning between websites which are valid and proficient and those that may not be.

In an extremely thorough and comprehensive report, written by Matthew S. Eastin, out of Ohio State University, dated: July 2001, Mr. Eastin writes:

“Millions of Americans use the Internet as a resource for information, with a large proportion seeking health information. Research indicates that medical professionals do not author an extensive amount of health information available on the Internet. This creates a possibility for false information, thereby potentially leading ill people away from proper care.”

After initiating this reliable and valid (based on the number of participants used, as well as the criteria for the study) research project which involved 125 participants, Mr. Eastin drew the conclusion that:

“While findings did not indicate a significant interaction between source and content type, they did indicate an overall tendency to rate all information as relatively credible. In addition, results indicate that both knowledge of content and source expertise affect perceptions of online health information. The effects of content knowledge and source expertise on perceived credibility are complex and indirect, and no single generalization can encompass their impact.” (For full report please visit: http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol6/issue4/eastin.html#Participants).

Because we are always here for your safety, I have put together a list of websites, which are considered reliable and credible by the Association for Ambulatory Healthcare; a highly respected health care organization recognized as such by the United States Federal Health Organization.

General Health

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
One of 12 agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is charged with improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.

American Academy of Pediatrics Health Information
This site also features health and safety-related parenting tips.

American College of Sports Medicine: Public Resources

American Dental Association: Your Oral Health
This site also includes a “Find a Dentist” search engine.

American Medical Association Doctor Finder

American Red Cross

CBS News Healthwatch
Cutting-edge health news articles and interactive tools.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Authoritative site for research and information on a very wide variety of health conditions and public health concerns. A component of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC promotes health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability.

Doctors for Adults: Health Information by the American College of Physicians

Familydoctor.org
From the American Academy of Family Physicians, this site features a wide variety of user-friendly tips, tools, and guides related to wellness, diseases and conditions, current events, and medications.

Mayo Clinic
Managed by a team of Mayo medical experts, this site provides useful and up-to-date tools and information to empower people to manage their own health.

Medline Plus
Trusted health information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Available in English or Spanish.

Merck Manual of Medical Information Home Edition
Uses everyday language to explain disorders and diseases, symptoms, diagnosis and prognosis, and prevention.

Quackwatch
Distinguish fraudulent or unsubstantiated claims from reliable health information.

RxAssist
A comprehensive directory of patient assistance programs to find free or low-cost medication.

Rx List Internet Drug Index

Student Resources (student health insurance)
Affordable health, prescription drug, vision, and dental insurance for college students. This site also provides basic information about health insurance and Student Health Zone, a directory of online health information for college students.

Web MD

World Health Organization (WHO)
The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health. WHO’s objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO’s Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Mental Health

American Psychological Association Help Center

Healthy Minds
Mental Health Information from the American Psychiatric Association.

National Institute of Mental Health
Detailed mental health information, research, and breaking news from the mental health branch of the National Institute of Health.

The websites above are: Accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare (AAAHC) © 2007 University Systems Health Services.  

Do you have any experience–positive or negative–involving medication and the internet? We not only welcome but encourage your comments. Since life has no reset button…tune into this blog and to our website daily.

Safe living,
Yovette Mumford

Like the fire that Prometheus of Greek mythology stole from the gods and gave to man, the internet was taken from the government and given this powerful tool to the common man. It is a place where ordinary folks like you and me have access to people, places and things that only a few were privileged to have access to. Never before in human history has there been an easily accessible, highly decentralized information source. It has revolutionized how we gather information, communicate, think and shop. Now, according to the Promethean myth, both he and mankind were punished by Zeus for his gift of illumination. For stealing fire, the fire that brought warmth, comfort, security and the light of knowledge to man, Prometheus was chained to a mountaintop where he would be eternally tortured. For receiving that fire, suffering and despair was unleashed upon man.

So it is today with the internet. From novelty to necessity, the internet is fraught with danger. First there were computer viruses, worms and Trojan Horses. To combat those threats we purchased firewalls, antivirus and antispyware programs. Now we have information theft from websites that we’ve do business with. Criminals use that information to make fraudulent purchases and steal our identities. We have the people who prey on and exploit our innocent children. There is software that monitors our children’s internet usage to make sure that they access only age appropriate content. We also physically watch our children when they are online to further ensure their safety, but there is still more to be done.

When it comes to personal information stored on someone else’s database, we are powerless when it comes to that data’s security. We have heard countless news reports of personal information having been stolen from banks and corporations. We all know at least one person who has been a victim of identity theft. Most states have some laws regarding cyber security. California has probably the strongest of them all. However, that law is for businesses and it only mandates disclosure to consumers AFTER a security breach has occurred. Is it time for government intervention to help protect OUR private information?

There is a Federal Agency charged with cyber security and it is called the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD). It is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), born out of the September 11, 2001 tragedy. It was created to improve the United States’ defense against internet-based attacks. However, it has been plagued with inconsistent leadership. Richard Clarke, who was, then chairman of the Counter-terrorism Security Group was offered the position. He refused it due to his concern that there would be too much bureaucracy between him and the Homeland Security director. Since then, there has been four different division heads.

There is also the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT). It is a part of NCSD, and it is a partnership between DHS, public and private sectors. Their job is the coordination of responses to internet security threats. They release information about current security issues, vulnerabilities and exploits called Cyber Security Alerts. Then, they contact software vendors so that they can create patches and software updates to fix the vulnerability.

This is a reactive approach where the damage has already been done. The steps taken are to contain the threat and stop it from spreading, when the threat should be prevented in the first place and the source of these threats is people exploiting security flaws in software. That is why certain industries, such as utilities, Internet Service Providers and software companies should be regulated. They need to better safeguard our personal information against loss, theft and misuse. Companies must be forced to make more secure software to protect us from malicious code. However, corporations say regulation is anticompetitive and will stifle innovation, while Government officials and security experts agree that the private sector has failed in its handling of cyber security threats and that regulation is needed. Those software companies who write insecure code should be liable for the security flaws and be fined heavily.

That is why I propose tactics that are already in use in the War on Terror. The government must employ hunter-killer operations to scour the internet to track down, find and capture those who create viruses, steal information and prey on our children. Once captured, they will be aggressively prosecuted. The infrastructure is already in place, it just requires the focus to do it.

There is no Deus ex Machina to solve the problem of cyber security. The Federal Government does all that it can to protect itself from internet-based threats while we are left to fend for ourselves. Corporations in the private sector will not act unless it is proven profitable to their shareholders or unless they are compelled to do so by Federal mandate. The Federal Government must work with the private sector to actively work towards not just their cyber safety, but ours as well, because our safety ensures their safety. What are your thoughts on how the government should organize to address cyber crimes?

Author: Ralph Clarke editorial staff writer for SafetyIssues.com