October: Celebration and Caution

October has the distinction of being a celebration of one specific activity while warning about the dire consequences of another, the latter directly affecting the business of the former and requiring education and extreme caution.

Cyber crime" is such a prevalent activity that we now have the distinction of an entire month dedicated to raising awareness about the issue and educating people on how to avoid becoming the victim of this unscrupulous act.

And October is Small Business Month, a time to celebrate the people whose entrepreneurial spirits make very important contributions to our communities. Of course, if there was anyone who needed to be extremely aware and cautious about cyber risk, it would be that very group of people, as small businesses often do not have the resources to mitigate all risks, nor deal with cyber attacks when they happen. There are plenty of steps that one can take and education will go a long way in adding a layer of protection.

What are the types of cyber crimes that exist and what pro-active measures can a person or business take to lessen the chances of becoming a victim?

I've done several posts on this very topic, including "How Serious Is The Scourge Of Cyber Crime Becoming?", "This Means (Cyber) War", and "Cyber Security For The Kids And Teens". Still, many people are unaware of just how many types of cyber crime exist, the names and terminology that relate to them, or proactive steps and protocols needed to stop them from falling prey to cyber criminals.

Here are 5 common types of cyber crime of which to be aware, and a few tips on ways to avoid becoming an easy mark.

• Phishing: a fraudulent attempt, typically by e-mail, to steal your personal information or get you to participate in some activity that sees the transfer of money to the perpetrators.
• Watch for generic greetings, forged links contained in the e-mail, requests for any personal information, and other unusual requests that typically come with some sense of urgency or emergency.
• Malware: also known as malicious software, are programs or files that are harmful to a computer user and can include computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses and spyware.
• Always check domains of log-in pages to confirm accounts and ensure security by implementing updates frequently and storing passwords in locations such as password managers.
• Scams: a deceptive or fraudulent act that has a special offer or deal for the targeted victim, like the "too good to be true" scenario.
• Just like the saying, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't" and you should be immediately suspicious.
• Identity Theft: criminals take personal information about a person and use it to set up credit cards in your name or hack into your bank accounts and steal your money.
• Be very careful about what personal information you share on social media or other websites, and do not send any of this type of information in e-mails, as they can be intercepted by savvy criminals.
• Ransomware: just as it sounds, cyber criminals take control of websites and demand ransom payments to have them released.
• Use the same precautions as you would in Phishing protection, plus back up your data regularly and have a data recovery plan. 

Did you know that you can get various degrees of insurance coverage to protect you and your business from cyber crime. Check out the offerings at BlueCircle and speak to one of their knowledgeable brokers.

For more detailed information on cyber crimes and proactive ways to protect yourself, use the handy search bar on the main page of this blog and type in "cyber crime.

As well, check out the BlueCircle blog page for our post about this topic.

Autumnal Equinox

Fall has arrived, this past monday, Sept 23, but do you know why this season exists and occurs when it does, and that the reason for the season is actually scientific, since the Earth rotates on a tilted axis that sees different effects on daylight during it's orbit. 

Since the earth spins on a tilted axis of approx 23.5°, as it orbits the sun the surface faces different angles to the sun at different times of the year. In Canada we are fairly familiar with the longest day of the year, a.k.a. the Summer Solstice. Hard not to notice daylight hours that start as early as 4:30 a.m. ( in my home of Calgary, Alberta) and run through as late as 11:30 p.m. Go further north and it gets even longer, with the extreme being the sun not even dipping below the horizon. 

Conversely, in our northern hemisphere, we all know and dislike the opposite, that being the shortest day of the year, a.k.a. the Winter Solstice occuring on December 21st. In Calgary, that means the sun comes up at around 8:30 a.m. and goes down around 4:30 p.m.. Of course, in both cases, there is a slow buildup to these solstices, so you get a lot of days with either a lot of sunshine, or very little, and no-one particularly likes the latter. haha.

e·qui·nox

/ˈekwəˌnäks,ˈēkwəˌnäks/

Learn to pronounce

noun

1. the time or date (twice each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length 

So how about some balance? Enter the Equinox, when the sun sits on the plane of the earth's equator. As shown in the diagrams, the tilt of the earths' axis sees dramatic swings in daylight hours for the Summer and Winter Solstices but there are two points of time each year where the sun is directly atop the equator, meaning a balance between the hours of day and night, and a balance between the temperatures in the northern and southern hemispheres, relatively speaking. In the southern hemisphere at this time of year, they would be experiencing the Spring Equinox and we would experience our version in March. 

The Equinox occurs when the Earth's orbit takes it to the point where the sun crosses the Celestial Equator, an imaginary line that runs above the Earth's equator. At this juncture, there are an equal number of hours in the day and night (12 hours), so the Latin word Equinox literally means equal (equi) night (nox).

From here on in, we begin to see shorter and shorter daylight hours until we reach the Winter Solstice, which is the least amount of sunlight in our northern hemisphere. Maybe this is another reason for the ominous sounding phrase "Winter is coming!". 

Silo Sweet Silo Pt.2

Here's another post which is part of a series that started with "Silo Sweet Silo", showing how some creative people have turned the old standard grain silo into a comfortable and cosy home.

There's a cool bed and breakfast place in Oregon that is part of an 82 acre working farm, including winery. Abbey Road Farms turned three silos into a unique, luxury accommodation for guests at their acreage. Another example of how to beautifully blend a building into it's surroundings!

The grand entrance

Looks inviting

Sweet sleeping space

The farm and vineyards in the area

Another look at the sleeping quarters

Beautiful and inviting 

Who's At Fault?

Any time there's an auto accident, there is quite often an immediate reaction to find fault and ascertain who is ultimately responsible for the injuries and damages suffered in the collision.

Nobody wants to be guilty of causing an accident and it must be human nature to deny wrongdoing or assign blame elsewhere, whether it is true or not. Accidents are, well...accidental, and anything else might be considered attempted murder perhaps.If there is an accident, the involved parties are likely going to think it was the fault of "the other guy"!

Of course, the first course of action after an accident should always be attendance to those who are injured, and calling for the police, ambulance, or other emergency services. You may even be injured yourself and need medical attention, so all other concerns should be secondary.

Fault will inevitably be assigned by the police during the initial investigation. Sometimes this is fairly simple and straight forward, especially in minor fender benders. Other times, the investigation takes a long time and may involve traffic accident reconstruction experts, especially if there are serious injuries or a fatality. And, even should the police assign fault, legal action could change that should a judge determine guilt different to that of the initial investigation.

Naturally, accidents and injuries are the reason why we have insurance, as even the costs associated with a minor fender bender can add up quickly. And just consider how an individual would fare should they face the financial consequences of a serious injury or death. Assigning fault is an enivitability and the guilty party will responsible for costs associated with the accident. Sometimes this cost is indirect, as claims for "at fault accidents" are a determining factor for insurance premiums.

As for that assigning of fault and how it may not be clear as to who is guilty, consider a rear end accident scenario where there is often an assumption that the fault automatically lies with the driver of the vehicle who runs into the back of the car in front. But hang on a second! Did that car in front pull out of a side street or parking stall and not give the other vehicle any chance to avoid the accident? Or did they change lanes and cut in front of the other vehicle without allowing for a proper following distance, then slamming on their brakes and getting rear-ended? Suddenly things are not so cut and dry!

So, what's the point of all this talk about fault? It was meant to bring up a couple of points, one being that we all have a duty to drive in such a way that we prevent accidents. Defensive driving is meant to prevent accidents due to the action or inaction of other drivers, regardless of who's at fault. Regardless of fault and regardless of which vehicle operators or passengers are injured and/or killed, no-one wants to be part of that horrible scenario. Even the mental health implications can be difficult to deal with, like PTSD!

Secondly, think of the other costs associated with an accident. Car repairs, damage to property, emergency services response, hospital bills, physiotherapy. Yes, it may all be covered by insurance and our national health care system, but we, as consumers, are the ones paying for it with our taxes or our premiums and inevitably the cost will trickle down.

The government has been critisized for raising taxes and lately the same can be said for the insurance industry in raising their rates. In the case of the latter,  as with any business they are there to make a profit and when that stops happening, rates will rise. If you think of the underlying cause of profit loss being accidents and injury claims, suffice to say that if we all took a bit more care and avoided these scenarios altogether, those rates will stabalize.

Ultimately, we all want to get to where we're going safely and in good time, and need to watch out for one another, avoiding the devestating cost of accidents. Drive safe...drive defensively!

To Tell The Truth

There are many reasons why people don't tell the truth and when it comes to the insurance industry, there's a perception that by not admitting or omitting certain facts a person may save some money on their premium.

Yes, people sometimes lie to us when they think it may save them a few dollars on the cost of their insurance. One of the more common "untruths" is typically the commuting distances for auto insurance, as people do understand that the longer your commute, the more daily risk exposure you face and subsequently will see higher rates.

What most people don't remember is that insurance is based on the principal of good faith, and not telling the truth, also known as "non-disclosure", is grounds for a claim to be denied should the offending party be involved in an accident or incident!

The Most Misrepresented Facts When It Comes To Insurance!

• Dangerous Dog Breeds: considering the fact that some animals have a bigger bite which could be more injurious or even deadly.

• Home Use: If you rent out your home, including AirBnB, if you are not living in the home at all, or you are away for extended periods without someone checking in on a regular basis as outlined by the insurer, your home is at a higher risk and may need additional coverage.

• Wood Stove Or Fireplace: As you can imagine, either of these features use wood for fuel and are an added risk for fire.

• Renos: If your home is under construction your insurer needs to know, or if you have repairs that are needed, you must get the work done.

• Pools: The risks in having a pool are very high, which is why there are so many regulations regarding fencing and gates and other such safety requirements, but which are also factors that affect your insurance premiums.

• Trampolines: Another dangerous item to have on your premises and one which attracts children, just like the pool. Anytime a child is at risk for injury or death, there are much stricter rules and regulations, and proper insurance coverage is a necessity.

The reality is that honesty is the best policy, so make sure your insurer knows what's going on with your home to ensure you're properly covered and can avoid the chances of having a claim denied should a tragedy occur.