Mobile App Security Threats To Plan For

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Mobile apps continue to grow with technology. There are countless ways that apps make our lives easier—whether it be tracking our fitness progress, or improving our online shopping experience. The rapid growth in app usage around the world means that, a lot of people don’t have experience on how to protect themselves against a possible security attack. 

In 2018, 71% of fraud transactions came from mobile apps and mobile browsers. In comparison, 29% came from people using the web, which is a 16% increase year over year. Additionally, one out of every 36 mobile devices has high-risk apps installed. 

Savvy hackers don’t rely on one method to gain access to you and your users’ private data. That’s why, you must anticipate their attacks ahead of time, and design your app so that your users won’t have to worry about whether their data will be compromised. In return, this will signal to others that the business or service you provide through your app, is not only high-quality but also safe. 

Mobile App Security Threats

If a hacker can’t gain access to your precious passwords one way, don’t celebrate too early. They have an arsenal of other weapons they have at their disposal. And after they do exploit your personal information, a lot of the times you won’t even notice it until after the damage has been done. 

Here are a handful of ways that hackers will try to catch you off guard:

No Multifactor Authentication 

You’re especially vulnerable to this attack if you’re the kind of person that uses the same password across all your online accounts and apps. If a hacker is able to uncover it from one of your accounts, they will no doubt gain access to related apps you use. 

Adding an extra step to “authenticate” your account doesn’t always mean you must remember two passwords. It can also mean that you must answer a personal question, or access your account using an SMS confirmation code. 

No Proper Encryption 

Like changing the combination of a security lock, encryption puts data into an indecipherable code that can only be viewed after implementing a secure password. But everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes a developer can design an encryption code that is too easy to crack. After a hacker gains access, they can clear the encryption so that your private data is available in plain sight. 

Reverse Engineering

If your code is too easy to figure out, a hacker can take their hacking a step further and learn exactly how your app functions. They’ll know your code inside and out. And if they have a plethora of experience to draw from, they might even know more about your app than you do. 

This means a hacker can not only expose encryption, but they can modify the source code—using their knowledge to build a fake app designed to look like yours. A hacker can use this fake app to inject malware or worse to your misled users. 

Learn From Others

Mobile app hacks result in time-consuming (and expensive) data breaches. Plus, you lose the trust of your potential users as they don’t want to lose their personal data to hackers. 

Unfortunately, every day there are new cases of hackers taking advantage of a growing app or business. Learn from the mistakes of others so you can understand how to shield yourself against a potential attack. 

TimeHop

TimeHop was the victim of an unauthorized attack that led to a privacy breach of over 21 million users. The hack occurred in December of 2017, but it wasn’t uncovered until July 4, 2018. The attack not only led to the exploitation of TimeHop’s users, but it also led to an app crash.

And what was the main reasoning for the attack? TimeHop failed to use multifactor authentication. As a result, the hacker used the security information found from a TimeHop employee, to access the cloud of the company. 

Fortnite 

Fornite originally released its beta version of the game using an invitation-only environment. Hackers saw this as an opportunity to produce fraudulent links to fake clone versions of the game. 

These versions of the game misled fans, because the hackers cleverly used reverse engineering to include the same loading screens, music, and images the real version used. 

It doesn’t matter if the app you use provides a business, service, or is a video game. If the code is simple to break, hackers will take advantage. 

What Can You Do?

Prevent Reverse Engineering With Obfuscation

Reverse Engineering occurs (like the Fortnite example) because of faulty code. But obfuscation and minification make the code less readable—meaning hackers won’t be able to study how your app functions to build their own. 

Validate Inputs

Remember, it’s dangerous to rely on the same password for all the apps and online services you use. A stranger can access your accounts just by knowing a single password, but when you add more validation inputs to follow, you add an additional layer of app security. 

More Tips

Who’s most vulnerable to attack? In 2018, apps in the tools and lifestyle categories made up a combined 54% of malicious mobile apps. But regardless of which category your app resides in, you can’t take your app security lightly.

Remember, some of the top ways hackers gain access to your app is because of a lack of multifactor authentication or lack of encryption practices. But staying on top of these two aspects leads to a safe and trustworthy app for your users. 

Implementing the right security protocols for your app requires intensive collaboration between your design and development team. And it doesn’t stop there, you must envision yourself as if you were in your hacker’s shoes. What other ways would you try to hack your app? If you plan several steps ahead, you can safeguard your app and focus on the success of your business. 

Learn more about the cases you can learn from, as well as how to make sure you’re doing multi-factor authentication or encryption the right way, by reading this infographic from CleverTap.

Source: CleverTap

READ ALSO: How to Protect Your Company’s Email Against Cyberattack

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*by andreascy*

Protect Your Data Or You Will Soon Have To Deal With ‘The Rise Of The Machines’

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

For the well-informed, it is an undeniable fact that the future of internet privacy is bleak. We live in a time where the internet is an indispensable resource. Unfortunately, we have been conditioned by internet service providers and internet companies to believe that to access internet services, we must first give up any notion of privacy. As a result, these companies collect unlimited user information every time we use their services. Of course, on the surface, this is done for the sake of providing better services, but the reality is that they do this to protect the corporate bottom line.

Ask yourself this; how much information is collected on a daily basis and how much of that information is used to help in improving internet services? Taking it a step further, you should question how the information is used and whether it is discarded or stored after use. More importantly, you should seek to find the reasons behind the fast-paced erosion of internet privacy. 

The answers to these questions prove that internet privacy is a fast-fading concept and with time it will be eroded to non-existence. Of course, since there is little to no support from governments as far as internet privacy is concerned, we cannot hope for a resolution in the near future. In fact, most governments are in support of the abolition of internet privacy altogether so they can have free reign in matters of surveillance. But, are we truly out of options? 

The Age of Big Data 

Big Data is one of the core reasons why there is so little internet privacy. Big Data analytics refers to the process of collecting and analyzing data then compiling it into data sets, big data, the applications of which span across numerous fields of study. For instance, the data is used by companies to analyze and predict customer shopping habits and trends and to adjust marketing and sales efforts accordingly. 

Essentially, all your online activities contribute to big data. Of course, the amount and type of data collected depend entirely on the company in question and how they collect the information. There are various ways of collecting big data, some of which are more open and others which are secret. Your daily online activities leave a trail that can be assessed to create a data set. For instance, what time do you usually log online? How many times do you visit particular websites in a day and how long do you spend on each website? How much data do you share on any particular website and which site receives the highest usage? On average, how much data do you use on a daily basis? What kind of data do you share/view the most? Nevertheless, this information is only a drop in the ocean of data that is collected on a daily basis, especially when you include GPS data, online shopping data, social media data and more. Such information when compiled on a daily basis reveals your online habits and interests, which are then exploited by companies in various ways. 

While there are various applications of big data, one of the most visible uses of big data is in machine learning or automation. Compared to before big data, there is more distinct usage of automated intelligence in many fields currently. A clear example is search engines which have grown more robust over the years thanks to big data. However, this is just a small scope of the extent to which machine learning has advanced in recent years due to big data. 

In particular, the field of predictive analytics has experienced the most significant growth. For instance, it is a feasible concept for social media and search engines to be used to diagnose diseases in the future. By correlating the information shared on social media with search engine searches, the data can be used to make a predictive analysis and determine a diagnosis. If a person persistently shares information relating to particular conditions, then proceeds to search for the same symptoms on search engines, a program can subsequently search for the corresponding symptoms on a database and formulate a possible diagnosis. Although this is a futuristic concept, there are various other applications of predictive analysis in effect at the moment, especially when it comes to the sales and marketing fields of business. Additionally, there are other futuristic concepts, such as using big data to determine an individual’s credit score. 

Although big data has its advantages and has led to the advancement of technology by at least a few decades, there are still disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. One of the greatest risks of big data is that it leaves you at the mercy of governments, corporations, and companies. With so much data at their disposal, what is to say that all the data is used in a way that is beneficial to you? Depending on how the information is used, it can be as damaging as it is beneficial. It has always been said that information is power, meaning that those who control big data have power over the masses. 

The Internet of Things (IoT) - Bridging the Online and Offline Worlds 

Aside from big data, another major detriment of internet privacy is the IoT. The IoT refers to a system of interconnected and interrelated devices that facilitate the transfer of information over networks. What sets the IoT apart from normal interconnected systems is that it does not require human-computer or human-human interaction. Instead, the IoT works to automatically bridge the online space and meatspace seamlessly. 

Of course, the IoT is one of the largest contributors of big data, with the data collected being even more comprehensive than data collected online. IoT devices rely on numerous sensors to relay information back and forth, meaning that the information collected has a direct correlation to the meatspace. For instance, a networked house could have multiple smart devices from the entertainment system to the air conditioning unit. Each of these devices collects different data and then correlates it making the data set more comprehensive, which allows for a more streamlined and sophisticated system. 

With the smart devices correlating their data, the benefits offered by the IoT are more refined, allowing you to enjoy near-perfect automation. However, since human input is required at various points in the network, we are still some years away from enjoying full automation, which in itself is a blessing in disguise. The reason why we shouldn’t aspire for full automation just yet is that there are still too many kinks in the IoT that have yet to be fixed, and even more that are yet to be discovered. Should we achieve full automation before the issues are ironed out, we would be staring down at a full machine takeover without the means to stop it. 

Of course, one of the major issues that we have to deal with is internet privacy or lack thereof. Thanks to the influence of the IoT, the erosion of internet privacy is even more apparent. Considering the amount and type of information collected thanks to IoT devices, then one can imagine the risk and consequences if such information were to fall to the wrong hands. 

Nevertheless, even with the evident risk, most smart devices lack security measures to protect the user’s data, which leaves you wide open to an attack. With companies rushing to create devices for the IoT and reap the benefits of the increasing interest in the field, they often forget to establish security measures. Perhaps this is due to the fact that there are yet to be standardized practices for the IoT, which leaves everyone free to decide how to advance. But, would device-based security measures be enough? Even though having a security system installed in every smart device would provide a layer of protection, it is still lacking. Keep in mind that the more devices you have in a network, the greater the risk of exposure to a hack, especially considering that there are different manufacturers for various devices. You should consider the IoT as a whole. Therefore, there won’t be sufficient protection until there is a centralized security system which protects every individual device in the network. 

Additionally, since the IoT is still a new field, all the data collected is still highly useful for companies, meaning that they definitely store the information instead of discarding. As the information exists somewhere, the risk is elevated, since it is always possible for the information to be sold, stolen or mismanaged, which could cause even more dire consequences. 

Another of the significant risks of the IoT lies in the fact that it bridges the gap between the online space and meatspace. Owing to this, it is now possible to commit a crime via the internet and directly affect the meatspace. Initially, internet crimes only had an indirect influence on the offline space. However, thanks to smart devices, it is now possible for an internet crime to be tangible in the offline space. For instance, it is possible to commit murder, arson, and theft directly through the internet. 

It is possible for a hacker to take control of your car while you are driving and drive you off the road or destroy your brakes and such. It is also possible for a hacker to mess with heat sensors in your devices causing them to overheat and possibly cause a fire. A hacker can also take control of your air conditioning unit and reverse the flow of air. There are hundreds of similar possibilities where hackers can wreak havoc to you, your family and your property from miles away at the mere touch of a button. That is the risk posed by the IoT and one that can only be stopped by having a robust security system in place. 

What The Future Holds 

Ever since the Snowden Leaks, there has been an increased focus on internet privacy. Although there were positive reforms soon after, it could be said that currently not only have the reforms regressed, we are even worse off than in the beginning. Without government support, internet privacy is in a constant state of erosion. Unfortunately, thanks to big data and the IoT, the erosion of internet privacy is progressing at an even faster rate with no end in sight. Therefore, it is safe to assume that there won’t be any positive changes to internet privacy in the near future. In fact, we should look forward to an even worse state of affairs. 

Since it is impractical to rely on external help from bodies such as the government and corporations, we should instead focus on what is within our grasp. While it is impossible to stop the erosion of internet privacy, it is not impossible to prevent a breach in your personal internet privacy. Of course, for that to happen, you need to have a deeper understanding of internet privacy, the threats that plague it and the measures to reinforce and protect it. 

The best way to guarantee that you have what little is left of internet privacy is to make use of privacy tools. Of course, this too requires its own deep understanding so you have to do more in-depth research of the same, particularly since there are numerous privacy tools with different functions. Just as important, you should ensure that your information is always updated because security tools and attacks directed at them are always in flux. Although a security tool may offer protection against a particular attack, it may prove ineffectual against a new type of attack. In fact, a new attack may rely on the defense of the security tools as was evidenced by the Wi-Fi KRACK attacks. 

For maximum efficiency, you should rely on multiple privacy tools simultaneously. For instance, you should couple a VPN with Tor, allowing you to maximize the benefits and eliminate the weaknesses. Even then, you should use Tor over VPN instead of VPN over Tor since the former provides the best protection so knowing how to couple multiple privacy tools is equally as important. Additionally, you should rely on anonymous search engines such as DuckDuckGo for browser security, Adblock extensions to prevent the collection of data by third parties and cryptocurrencies to guarantee your privacy and anonymity in financial transactions.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: How to Protect Your Company’s Email Against Cyberattack

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How to Protect Your Company’s Email Against Cyberattack

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Hello folks and hope you had a restful holiday. At the dawn of the New Year, we'd like to wish you all a prosperous 2019, with personal and family fulfillment! We look forward to being your companion all year round. 😎👍

While Hollywood may portray hacking as a complicated endeavor which requires sophisticated technical expertise and endless nights spent staring at a computer, the truth is that hackers rely on a variety of methods, some of which are as simple as sending company employees an email pretending to be a reputable source. In fact, taking advantage of security loopholes among your company’s employees is one of the most reliable and fastest ways for malicious parties to access your company’s sensitive data. 

Often times, hackers or other criminals can simply send fake emails – also called “spoofed” emails – purporting to be from a reputable source, which can gain the attention of company employees who then surrender data or even money. Other times, hackers can gain access to your corporate email lists and send out emails to your clients and vendors requesting money. 

Hackers can even pretend to be the CEO and contact employees of your organization with demands such as emergency payments. Read on to learn more about the many different forms of Business Email Compromise, its harmful effects, and how to prevent it from happening within your company.

What is Business Email Compromise?

Business email compromise, refers to a type of cybersecurity infiltration that can occur in a company or business. In a business email compromise, which is also called BEC, malicious parties such as hackers or criminal organizations typically target high-level employees of an organization, such as corporate executives. Hackers may send emails to the executives, in a practice known as phishing. 

Phishing is a fraudulent form of email activity, in which hackers send emails pretending to be reputable companies to obtain information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and even financial payments. In BEC, high-level corporate executives are strategically targeted so that hackers can obtain confidential information and payments from the executives. This can pose significant risks to a company’s operations, both in terms of data loss and financially.

How does a typical email cyberattack work? There are four types of BEC scams which we will discuss in the next section.

Four Types of Email-Based Cyberattacks

There are several types of BEC scams. Hackers can pretend to be an employee in your organization to obtain information from your real employees, or they may be able to access sensitive information, such as a list of email contacts, to request payments from people with whom your company may work. 

Two types of BEC which involve the hackers pretending to be a reputable source are CEO fraud and attorney impersonation. In CEO fraud, the malicious parties pretend to be an executive and contact finance or the human resources department of a company, demanding an emergency payment. Hackers can also pretend to be a lawyer or an employee from a law firm to obtain access to sensitive data – this is known as “attorney impersonation.” 

Other types of BEC scams take advantage of employees’ poor data security practices rather than purporting to be high-profile members of your company. In account compromise, a high-level exec’s email is hacked, and the email address is used by hackers to request payments from clients listed in the executive’s email contacts. Hackers can also steal other types of data, and even steal data from company employees. Data theft can occur in which hackers obtain personally identifiable information (also called PII) from the human resources department, which can be used to plot further cyberattacks.

While these attacks may seem different, the common thread that unites all of them is that they result from poor cybersecurity and safety practices among all levels of employees within an organization. High-level corporate executives are prime targets for hackers because of their stature in the organization and access to confidential data. However, entry-level employees who are poorly trained in email security best practices can also risk clicking on links in emails sent by hackers and unknowingly sending malicious parties your company’s sensitive data, or even their own personal information.

Companies who do not train their employees on cybersecurity best practices, therefore, risk exposing sensitive corporate data, which can not only hurt the business’ bottom line and potentially leak data to competitors, but can cost companies thousands, and even millions, of dollars as they seek to institute damage control. The best way to avoid dealing with the fallout of a BEC, is to be prepared and train employees across your organization – from entry-level employees, to human resources, to high-level executives -- in best practices for maximum email security.

How Can I Prevent Business Email Compromise in My Organization?

The best way to prevent BEC in your company is to utilize state-of-the-art security practices and train employees on email best practices. Make employees aware of the dangers of email phishing and impersonation scams. Remind your employees – whether they are entry-level or at the top of the corporate food chain – that they should never open emails from people that they do not recognize, and should certainly never click on links in emails from unknown senders, due to the fact that such emails can be phishing attempts.

Your information technology staff, can also institute several security practices which make it more difficult for hackers to gain access to your information in general, even in the event of a data breach. Emails should be sent over an encrypted server, so that anyone who can access your internet network cannot read the information being sent over the network. Another important cybersecurity practice, that is now utilized in most secure servers is two-factor authentication, which requires users to input a passcode sent to their email or mobile device to gain access to a website or online service. Two-factor authentication on company email accounts, can make it more difficult for hackers to gain access to company emails. 

Finally, minimize your electronic “paper trail” to make it more difficult for hackers to gain employees’ personal information. Financial information such as W-2 forms and tax forms should also be delivered to your human resources department in person to avoid having sensitive personal information being leaked to hackers. Finally, limit the number of employees who are authorized to disperse company funds, and make sure to set alerts and limit the number of withdrawals from this fund.

Source: Panda Security

Interested in learning more about how to protect your company against email compromise? Panda Security is a Spanish company that specializes in the development of high-tech products to help internet users navigate the web more safely and securely. Head over to WatchGuard’s blog for more information on business email compromise, including a helpful infographic and warning signs to look for in an email to determine whether or not it is compromised. By educating your company’s employees about the dangers of BEC, you can help stop these cyberattacks and improve corporate security.

If you found this article of interest, we'd love to hear what you think!

*by andreascy*

7 Reasons to Consider a Home Gym

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

For people who work out regularly, going to the gym can be tedious. The memberships cost money and (let’s face it) sometimes other gym goers can be downright obnoxious. To make you experience at the gym more enjoyable, you may want to consider a home gym.

Of course, it is daunting to make the space and spend the money on equipment, but it could be worth it for the complete control of your workouts. If going to a gym is getting old, you might want to consider the benefits of working out a little closer to home. Here are 7 reasons investing in a home gym will be worth it in the long run. 

1. Privacy 

If you are someone who feels awkward or uncomfortable working out in front of others, then a home gym is the perfect solution. Just imagine: you can wear whatever you want, grunt as loudly as you want, and use whatever equipment you want without waiting for it. Plus, you never have to worry about being judged by strangers so you may feel more free to try new workouts. You also won’t have to worry about getting unsolicited advice from gym staff, or people who think they’re gym staff. There will never be any worry about embarrassment in the private oasis that is your home gym. 

In your home gym, you will be able to watch your TV shows or listen to your music unencumbered by headphones. You won’t have to take anyone else into consideration when picking the volume of your tunes. So turn up the volume and let the music motivate you. You can even use all the chalk you want without being reprimanded. 

You may even find yourself working out a little harder since you have no one else looking at you and you don’t even need to think about how you look while working out. Additionally, not having to worry about someone taking your machine will help you feel more relaxed and not on edge about other people swooping in. 

Another bonus is that you will never have to think about crowds. Not everyone likes working out surrounded by people and it can be impossible to get the machines you are looking for at peak hours. You can take solace knowing that after work you can go home to a nice empty gym and relieve the stress of a long day, without interruption. 

2. Saving Time

Sometimes the prospect of driving to an over-crowded gym with lackluster equipment can be completely demotivating. However, it is much harder to convince yourself to skip your workout when your “commute” to the gym is about one minute. 

Depending on how far away your gym is, you probably add about 20-30 minutes to your workout just in travel time. That is time you could spend going a little harder on your workout, or even better, just being at home. 

Not only will working out take up less time in general, a home gym allows you to utilize your time more efficiently. In your home gym, it will be so much easier to use the time you have. Only have 20 minutes? You can squeeze in a 20-minute workout since you won’t have to worry about the hassle of traveling to the gym. 

Who wants to battle rush hour traffic just to get in a workout after work? It is so much easier to go straight home and know that you can take your time getting there. You will ultimately be able to spend more time with your family since you will be in your home for your workout. 

Plus, your workouts will be quicker since you will know that the exact equipment you want will be available when you want it. When you’re working out at a commercial gym, the time spent traveling to and from the gym, putting your stuff in lockers, waiting for equipment, and possibly showering can be equal to time actually spent on the gym floor. 

3. Customization

Of course you should always tour a gym before you sign up, but even if you think they have all the equipment you want now, that might not always be the case. As your fitness goals grow and evolve, so will your equipment needs. 

If you take training very seriously and tend to work with only extremely heavy weights, you will be hard pressed to find a gym that carries the weights you want. If you are relatively new to working out, the gym often has a lot of equipment you don’t need, but are paying for anyway. 

When you create a home gym you can customize it to include exactly the equipment that you want. Plus, you get to decide what the time limits are on the cardio equipment. When first starting your home gym you can buy only the equipment that you will use and then only add to it as needed. 

You can also focus exclusively on your interests when designing your home gym. For example, if you like to get your workouts in through dance, most gyms only have dance space available for scheduled classes. So with a home gym, you have the ability to leave some space for a dance floor.

Not only do you customize the equipment available, you also get to customize the space arrangement. You will no longer have to worry about cramped gym floors with no space to put your mats or do your stretches. 

Why would you want to fit your workouts to the gym when you can make the gym fit your workouts. You will no longer have to work with what happens to be available; you get to decide what is available to you. 

4. Maintenance

If you really think about it, sharing gym equipment has the potential to be pretty gross. Some large-scale gyms have upwards of 3,000 members. Just think about how many people are using the same machines as you in a day and then consider how many of those people aren’t wiping it down afterwards. 

A study done by the website Fitrated showed that gym equipment typically has more bacteria than a toilet seat. This study didn’t even take into account the public locker rooms and showers. When you think about how much you are sharing with other people it seems like home gym is better for your health in more ways than one. 

At your home gym you have total control over who is using the equipment and how clean it is. You can have some piece of mind knowing that you can work out during flu season without having to worry about catching something that will knock you out for two weeks.

Additionally, you don’t have to worry about strangers misusing your equipment. At the gym you often have to deal with equipment being out of order, missing weights, or just in bad shape because not everyone knows how to take care of the equipment. When it is just you, the equipment will last longer because it isn’t seeing as much use, and you know it is being used and stored properly. It might seem like a hassle to have to serve as the maintenance staff at your home gym, but it’s better than getting sick and dealing with broken equipment. 

5. Money 

Every commercial gym markets its memberships as affordable, but you still end up spending a significant amount of money on the monthly price of a membership alone. But, if all you are paying is a monthly fee you are lucky. Many gyms are notorious for hidden startup fees, annual fees, random price raising, and cancellation fees. 

Considering that the average gym membership costs between $50-$60 per month, you could be spending upwards of $700 a year on monthly membership fees alone. Even if you go to the gym every single day, this is a big expense on your plate. 

Building up a home gym requires an initial investment but it will pay itself off in the long run. When you’re building a home gym you’re ideally using a space that you already have, such as a basement or a garage. The biggest expense will be the equipment. 

Yes, equipment can get expensive, but you don’t have to go right for the top of the line stuff. You can take your time and search for the best deals you can get so that your home gym fits your budget. You may even start with just a few basic pieces of equipment and then gradually add to your collection as needed. 

If you use a personal trainer at your gym, you can even save some of that money by having someone come to your house instead of using the overpriced trainer at the gym. Having someone who comes to you will allow you to find the trainer who is the perfect fit for your budget and your personality. 

The initial start-up costs may seem daunting but just think about how nice it will be to not have to hand over your money every month to a gym you don’t want to go to. 

6. Convenience 

Clearly a home gym is convenient in terms of saving time on the commute and having more efficient workouts, but there are other surprising conveniences that you might not even think about. A great added bonus of having a home gym is that if you have kids, you can get in a workout while they are in the other room. There is no stress about finding a sitter or getting the kids in the car to take them to the kid’s club. 

This is absolutely essential for busy moms and dads who have trouble finding time for themselves. It can be hard for parents to stay on top of their health; having a home gym makes it a little bit easier. Plus, it will save money on the cost of the kid’s club or babysitters. 

If you happen to have older kids, you can let them use the equipment as well without any extra fees. Therefore, having a home gym turns into a good way to help keep the whole family healthy. If you don’t have kids, you can share your equipment with your significant other or roommates so that no one has to worry about gym memberships. 

Additionally, there is the convenience of not having to worry about weather. If you’re someone who likes to workout outside, a rainstorm can ruin your workout plans. If you have a home gym, you can just hop on your treadmill and get your workout in, no matter what the weather is. 

You also have the convenience of having your whole house at your disposal. So no need to worry about forgetting your shower shoes or weight lifting gloves. You can just run to the other room and grab them. 

7. Enjoyment

If you combine all the aforementioned reasons to consider a home gym, you get an overall more enjoyable and less stressful gym experience. You can train so much better when you don’t have to think about all the things you hate about your big commercial gym that is only interested in your money. It will be much easier to work out if you actually like the environment you are working out in. 

Once you are using your home gym all your excuses will be gone and you’ll have nothing left to focus on but your exercise. Before you know it you will start to see results, and your body and mind will thank you. 

Conclusion

It is easy to make excuses to skip your work out when you don’t like your work out environment. When you build a home gym you are creating a workout environment that is customized to your exact needs so you will really want to work out. There is nothing better than being in complete control of your fitness. 

A home gym eliminates all those extraneous factors that get in the way of your exercise routine. Of course sometimes there are limitations, but you don’t have to think of your home gym as a massive undertaking. It is perfectly okay to start small and then work your way up to the enormous home gym of your dreams. 

Overall, cancelling your gym membership and taking your workouts to your home will give you unprecedented freedom to make your fitness experience completely your own. Why try to fit your workouts to someone else’s mold, when you can control for every aspect of your experience to get exactly the right workout for you?

RECOMMENDED STORY: Tech Gadgets That Will Take Your Workout to the Next Level

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8 Strategies for a More Efficient Home

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Life only gets busier and busier. Ever since the industrial revolution, we do more and more. In recent decades, advances in technology allow us to stay far more connected, at the cost of being far busier. Staying on top of your life, and your home, has never been a bigger challenge.

We’ve identified eight strategies that can help you be more efficient at home. They range from embracing technology all the way down to how you shop at the grocery store. The goal is embrace a few of these tactics so that you can get a little bit more free time without losing your productivity. 

1. Buy Groceries Pre-Cut

You don’t realize how much time you spend cutting, chopping, shredding, dicing, mincing, and slicing as you prepare a meal. And, awhile back, someone brilliant thought it would be a good idea to start selling food in the grocery store where they had already done all of this for you. 

Nowadays, you can buy your cheese shredded and your garlic minced. You can buy your vegetables chopped and your deli meat sliced. You might already be buying one or two of these items pre-cut, but have you ever sat down and evaluated all of the areas you could save time by going all-in on this?

Next time you make a store list, spend a minute going through it and asking the question “Can I buy this pre-cut?” If so, do it. You’ll be surprised by how many things you can buy pre-cut. Not sure if it comes pre-cut? Put a question mark next to it, and look for it at the store. Ask a clerk if you can’t find it easily.

Yes, typically speaking, the pre-cut version of the food is a little but more expensive. If you’re on a tight budget, it might not be the best option for right now. But, in my experience, the amount of time you’ll save far outweighs the slight cost increase. 

2. Purchase a Smart Lock for your Front Door

There are several benefits to having a smart lock on your front door. First and foremost, you’ll be the ire of all of your neighbors with your cool looking dead bolt, and state of the art entry mechanism. And, that’s worth it alone right?

On a serious note, for starters you won’t have to manage the number of keys you have floating around to your house any longer. At a certain point, you start to lose track of how many spare keys you have floating around, and it isn’t particularly safe. Also, you’ll never have to worry about leaving your keys and being locked out of your house. It only takes that happening once for you to realize how frustrating that is (and how big of a waste of time)!

You also won’t have to deal with having to make and transfer a key to family members, friends that are in town, housekeepers and maintenance workers… the list goes on. 

Keyless locks come in two basic types - one’s that utilize a number pad, and one’s that utilize technology. If you’re worried about wireless security, you might opt for the number pad version. However, there are several additional benefits that come with the technologically smart version. 

Your door will automatically unlock as you approach it with your smart phone on you. Also, you can quickly issue access to friends and family through their smartphone, and set boundaries on how long it is accessible for.

Lets take a real life example that just happened to me. I forgot to turn off our lights before leaving for a long weekend. I quickly texted my neighbor, and gave her access through her phone to our front door for 2 hours. She ran over and turned the lights off. Voila!

3. Cook in a Crockpot

If only I had known about this in college. Did you know it was possible to open your fridge, grab a couple of things, throw them into a crockpot, walk away for 4-8 hours, and come back to an amazing meal?

It’s a little more complicated than that, but not by much. A crockpot is a very simple cooking appliance, and it seems that almost everything you put in it comes out tasting good. And, with very little effort. 

Take this recipe, for example: four frozen chicken breasts and a can of salsa. Dump both into a crockpot, set on low, and when you come home from work or errands, you’ll have an amazing meal. Wrap it in a tortilla and put a little cheese on top, and several of my friends have commented that it tasted better than the local Mexican restaurant. 

Crockpots are amazing because they save you both time and money. The time savings are obvious – the slow cooking components of the process allow you to do very little prep to end up with a great meal. However, you can also save a lot of money with a crockpot. Typically, you can make an amazing meal with much cheaper meat. Again, the slow cooking process breaks down the meat into something quite good. Chuck roast, pork shoulder – these cuts of meat taste amazing in the crockpot, and could usually be purchased very inexpensively.

4. Buy in Bulk

You’ve probably heard this one from your mother at some point, but it is so true. Buying in bulk saves you money, but it also saves you so much time. 

It’s painful at first. It never seems like it's going to be very expensive until you get to the checkout line. Almost as painful is trying to figure out where to store it all. Who has room for 28 rolls of paper towels? And that 5 gallon drum of 409? Ok, I exaggerate, but you get the point. If you live in a small home, or don’t have a lot of storage, you do need to take this into consideration. 

But then the benefits kick in. You rarely have to make those emergency runs to the store to get just one item. Your life is interrupted far less by the need to go to the neighbor’s for an egg. 

And again, the savings are definitely there. You get a discount when you buy in bulk, and you’ll notice the savings over time. Just make sure you have a track record of using it before you buy in bulk. Otherwise, you might end up with a whole lot of something that looked good but didn’t turn out so.

5. Use Technology for List Creation

All this talk of what to buy, how much of it to buy, and how to cook it… you need a good list to keep track of everything. And if you’re still making your lists with pen and paper, or even on a computer, its time to leverage technology for that.

There are a plethora of apps available for your phone that you can create and update a list on in real time. The best part of this is that you always have your list on you, whether at home, at the store, or on the go. Whenever you think of something you need, you can quickly add it to your list.

Another benefit is that you can share these lists with others. So, for example, if your husband or wife lets you know that they need to stop by the store on the way home from work, you can quickly share the list with them and they can grab everything you need.

Better yet, share the app with others in your home that have a role in that list. That way, all can add to it in real time, and all can check it off in real time.

Lists don’t just have to be for the store. They can be for household projects, homework assignments, and long term journaling. I actually have a list on my phone for when I think of a good gift for someone. 

6. Unsubscribe from Junk Snail Mail

Yes, it’s possible. I won’t say that there is an easy button for it, but with a little work, you can rid yourself of the vast majority of junk mail that you receive. I know because I’ve done it. 

For starters, start to think closer about where you are using your address on forms. Try to be more mindful of not giving out your address if possible. 

Your first action item is to contact the Direct Marketing Association and let them know you want to stop receiving junk mail. They call it “offers” that you have participated in, but you get the picture. It’s very easy to do, and will start to stem the flow of endless junk snail mail.

Next, sign up for TrustedID Mail Preference Service. It’s free, and you can search for individual companies that you get junk mail from, and opt out. Spend an evening doing that.

Last, try taking advantage of PaperKarma, an app that lets you opt out of snail mail. As they say “Snap a photo. Stop junk mail and unwanted catalogs”.

Junk mail takes minutes every day to deal with, but those minutes add up to hours and hours every year. 

7. Rethink your Chores

House chores are never ending. Just when you finish a chore, it seems like its time to start on it all over again. And, if you fall behind, it can seem like a tremendous hurdle to get caught back up.

For many, the reason you fall behind on chores is a never-ending spiral that has to do with how you fundamentally approach those chores. As you get behind, the chores stack up. So, when you finally get around to doing the chore, it’s typically more extensive and time consuming to get it completed. This means that it takes longer, setting you even further behind on your other chores. And so the cycle goes.

Try re-thinking your chores. For starters, break each chore up into smaller components that can be done piece by piece. As an example, instead of vacuuming the entire house once per week, try vacuuming one room each day. This is much easier to accomplish, and a lot easier to catch up on if you miss one day.

Next, think about ways to make the chore simpler. Sticking with our vacuuming example, invest in a stick vacuum to put in a downstairs closet near your high traffic areas. These lightweight, easy-to-use vacuums come with cordless models, so you can whip it out and just vacuum the kitchen and dining room in a matter of minutes. 

Finally, follow the 80/20 rule, which says that “80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.” In other words, 80% of the effects from vacuuming comes from 20% of your efforts. How does this apply? Basically, it’s better to vacuum frequently, but not spend as much time on it, rather than doing an in-depth vacuum job infrequently.

You can still do a detailed vacuuming job, but perhaps that is best reserved for once per month.

Take the vacuuming example and apply to all the various chores you have. The goal is rethink how you approach your chores to focus on shorter sprints of execution. This will make you more efficient, while still giving you a majority of the results.

8. Go Smart

We talked earlier about adding a keyless entry to your front door, and mentioned that you could do this with a smart door lock. However, you don’t have to stop there. 

“Smart” is the term used of late to refer to home automation, or the automating of tasks at home. In practice, its less about automation, and more about making your life easier through incorporating various technologies. 

Here are a few areas we have added smart technology to our home, with great success:

• Smart Thermostat: Our air conditioning and heating system is now hooked up to a smart thermostat. You can still control it from the unit in your home, but you can now also access through an app on your phone. More importantly, the thermostat learns your patterns over time, and gradually sets the house to the temperature you prefer. This results in ease-of-use, while also saving you money on your energy bill in the long run.

• Smart Sprinkler System: Our sprinkler system now connects to the internet, getting updated on the weather. When it is going to rain, the sprinklers automatically turn off. You can also access this from an app on your phone. On a really hot day, sometimes I’ll turn on my sprinklers for an extra cycle in the evening, from my phone. 

• Amazon Echo: Amazon’s Echo is a hands-free, intelligent, personal assistant that responds to voice commands. It connects to a majority of your other devices. There are dozens of benefits, but my favorite ties in to a previously mentioned tip. You can update your lists simply through a voice command.

Conclusion 

There are numerous other ways to make your home smart, from tying in your lighting to your entertainment to your security. Each comes with an initial upfront cost, but will save you time and money over the long run. 

Our culture of busy can make keeping a home up challenging at times. Combatting this business with some of these efficiency tactics can free up some time for you, while still keep you on task. 

*by andreascy*

Three Ways to Protect Your Students From the Dangers of Technology

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Kids today live in a world where you cannot escape technology. The internet is all around you, from vehicles that use technology to park themselves to home thermostats that can be controlled half way around the world using a smartphone. 

Because the internet is such a beneficial part of our lives, kids have a hard time understanding the drawbacks behind it. It can be a challenge trying to get children to understand the concept of social media etiquette, online privacy, viruses, and phishing schemes. 

Unfortunately, these are real problems that surround the internet. You can’t rely on their parents to educate them about tech security because you have no idea how much experience and knowledge they have of it. 

As a teacher, it is important that you inform your students about the dangers of the internet and how to protect themselves from cyber criminals. This may include a combination protective measures, like using a flash key encryption device, speaking up when they see something strange, or understanding the long-term effects of posting online.

It Can Last Forever

It can be difficult for children to understand that whatever they put online could follow them for the rest of their lives. The last thing they are thinking about is how it can affect their future. It is important that you explain to them the repercussions of posting things on the internet that will haunt them later in life. If it is not something they want everyone to see, then they need to think twice about posting it online.

Express Openness

For many kids, the thought of having to tell an adult about something bad they’ve seen on the internet is scary. They may have fears that they will get in trouble if the tell the adult what they have witnessed. Ease the kids' concerns and explain how talking to an adult is acceptable. Whether they are contacted on their phone, tablet, or computer it is the same as being contacted out in public by a stranger. Encourage kids to speak with adults if they encounter anything odd while online.

Stay Protective

Many technological devices require a password just to sign on. While a password is important, children must understand the need to keep it secretive. Should the password get into the wrong hands, there is no telling what thieves can attain once they get access to a device. 

Additionally, flash drives can be a great way to transport programs and files to school and home. Unfortunately, kids sometimes struggle with keeping up with these types of things. An encrypted flash drive will help secure your information with an added wall of security in case it ever gets in the wrong hands.

Conclusion

These days you can never be too careful about protecting your information. With kids having so much access to the internet, it is a huge concern that their privacy may be compromised. The best way to combat this is by talking to kids about the dangers that lurk with technology. 

Because many parents may be ignorant about some of those dangers, it is crucial that teachers make it a point to educate students involving security issues surrounding technology. Using examples, offering additional firewalls like encrypted flash drives, and urging your students to discuss what they view is just a few of the ways you can help them understand how important security is when using any type of technology.

BE SURE TO READ: The Evolution of Social Platforms and Their Influence on Daily Life

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*by andreascy*

Why Alarm Dealers Should Be Promoting Video Surveillance

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

In the earliest days of electronic home security, video cameras were considered an extra only the wealthy could afford. Times have changed. Video surveillance is now affordable enough that virtually any customer with a moderately-priced alarm system can include video surveillance. Alarm dealers should be promoting video cameras to take advantage of this market.

Video surveillance can be included in a base package with 24-hour monitoring. The local alarm dealer can also offer it as an add-on to a standard system that only provides burglary monitoring via window and door sensors. It's really up to the alarm dealer and the home security dealer program he or she is affiliated with.

Videos Offer Evidence

Thanks to the proliferation of video cameras, police agencies around the country are now having an easier time identifying and pursuing criminals. Simply put, videos offer evidence that can be used for investigative and prosecutorial purposes. This is a strong sell for consumers looking to protect their homes.

Every bit of evidence makes it easier for law enforcement to punish those responsible for crime. But there's an added bonus: criminals aware that video surveillance is taking place are further deterred from attacking a known target. For example, a burglar that knows video surveillance is monitoring his activities is likely to choose another target that appears more accessible.

Around-The-Clock Monitoring

Combining video surveillance with home automation gives customers the option of monitoring their own video cameras 24 hours a day. This is another strong selling point, especially for working parents forced to allow their kids to be home alone after school. With video monitoring, mom and dad can check in to make sure the kids arrive home safely. They can periodically check in on them to ensure they stay safe.

Video surveillance is also an effective tool for keeping track of your property while away on vacation. Again, this is another strong selling point. Owners can always know what is happening with their properties, even if they are thousands of miles away.

Front Door Monitoring

One of the latest video surveillance technologies to hit the market is the smart video doorbell. A smart video doorbell takes the place of a legacy doorbell and makes it possible to see who's at the door without having to actually open it. Homeowners can answer the bell whether they are home or not, simply by responding to a push notification that comes through their smartphones.

Monitoring the front door with a smart video doorbell adds an extra level of security that customers truly appreciate. The local alarm dealer can use the video doorbell as a means of providing a dual-purpose device that increases exterior surveillance and allows the video identification of visitors before opening the door.

Value for Money

When you add up all of the advantages of video surveillance, it becomes apparent that value is there. The local alarm dealer that encourages customers to add video surveillance to their packages is able to increase safety and efficiency through wireless technology. And because the cost of video cameras has come down dramatically in the last ten years, there really is no good reason not to encourage customers to include video.

Overall

Of course, affiliating with a nationally branded home security dealer program helps a great deal. But even so, pushing video surveillance with remote cameras and 24-hour monitoring is a good way to expand market share, drive revenues, and make customers safer all at the same time. If you are a local alarm dealer not yet on board with video surveillance, you need to be.

READ NEXT: Yes – Burglar Alarms to Work

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*by andreascy*

How Mobile Technology Has Enhanced Everyday Life

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

It won't be long before there will be an entire generation of adults who won't remember that there was a time when you couldn't snap a picture while listening to music and texting with a friend. Back then, it would take three devices to do all that. Your GPS would be another device and your handheld gaming system yet another. Watching a movie on a phone? That sounded like something straight out of sci-fi. 

Fast forward to today and you can stream your favorite show on your mobile device, keep an eye on your puppy while you're at the office with a tablet, and start a load of laundry from across the globe using your smartphone. 

It's pretty clear that mobile technology is one of the reasons this planet of ours feels smaller every day. Connectivity refers no longer to the person to person virtue but rather to the relationship between our mobile devices and the world around us. More and more, we are interacting with our loved ones, our homes, our workplaces and our stuff via mobile devices loaded with apps. 

The Internet of everything is an evolving concept but mobile technology is already making our lives better in myriad ways. Here are just a few examples:

Taking Care of Yourself

Beyond Fitbit, consumer health monitors and lifetrackers abound – almost all of which rely on apps to store and analyze data. But even without wearables, taking care of your physical and even your mental health has never been easier. 

Smartphones often come equipped with heart rate monitors and pedometers, and mood charting apps like Optimism are promoting healthier habits among their users.

Self-love also means treating yourself to the things you enjoy, whether that’s enjoying a nice night in with a bath bomb and some binge-watching, or using that promotion bonus towards a new smartphone. 

There are also plenty of great ways that technology can help us relax and de-stress, such as giving us access to our favorite songs and movies with streaming services like T-Mobile’s BingeOn and Music Freedom. 

Taking Care of Your Home

Thanks to fully integrated and DIY smart home systems that synch up with mobile devices, it's never been easier to stay on top of all of the tasks most adults are responsible for. Even better, affordable smart home components are becoming more common. There are now smart fridge and freezer combos that will send alerts to your phone when you're running low on staples like eggs and milk. And that's not all!

There are deadbolts that can only be unlocked via an app. TCP's Connected lighting system is a budget-friendly starter kit for those who want to see what smart homes are all about. According to Berg Insights, the market for smart home accessories is only going to get bigger and the accessories themselves are bound to get smarter. 

Keeping an Eye on Who You Love

Pixies Scientific has created a smart diaper that synchs with an app. There are apps that let you track your pet's activity levels and behaviors while you're at work. Baby monitors and trackers that send data to worried parents' phones are starting to look like they wouldn't be out of place in a modern NICU. And nowadays with a tablet and a few pieces of add on hardware you can create your own security system from scratch. 

Paying for What You Want

Apple Pay and Samsung Pay are just the beginning of the mobile payment revolution that will see the US become a cashless society. 

With Samsung Pay in particular you don't even need to shop at stores that have NFC-enabled terminals. Your phone is all you need because of Samsung's pioneering technology that mimics a credit card swipe. And when you can settle the tab with a wave of your phone, it won't matter that you forgot your wallet at home. 

Getting Things Done

Whether the always-on state of modern work is actually good for employees isn't clear but there's something to be said for having the ability to do research, take notes, dial into meetings and clear out your inbox when you actually feel like doing it. Today's smartphones are simply computers in miniature, which means the keys to a truly productive day are always in our pockets. 

Living Cleanly and Comfortably 

Simply living is better thanks to mobile technology and the devices controlled by it. If you wish, you can have a wakeup call that has been carefully calibrated to match your sleep patterns. Via an app on your phone, your smart car can remind you that it's time for its next round of regular maintenance. There are smart flowerpots connected to mobile apps that let caretakers know when houseplants get thirsty. And smart kettles can inquire via text message whether you'd like a cup of tea ready for you when you arrive home. 

Conclusion

There are still some limitations to how much mobile tech can do in our lives and bugs that will need to be worked out. But right now there are so many ways mobile devices, apps and the gadgets controlled by them are making the modern world cooler and more comfortable. It's abundantly clear: our phones are getting smarter and we're reaping the rewards.

RELATED: 10 Gadgets that Will Make your Life so Much Easier

I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

*by andreascy*