In the age of Google, Facebook and Twitter and not to mention texting, kindles and iPods we won’t be “counting” ourselves electronically. I really wish it would have been possible to have this electronic. With everyones busy schedule I fear that we’ll miss some of the younger generation who procrastinate when it comes to sending something via “snail mail”. Hopefully they’ll simply drop it in the mail with their “Netflix” envelopes

In all seriousness, the U.S. Census is extremely important in determining the allocation of funds and resources throughout our country. Stand up and be counted! Be sure to keep an eye out for your form in your mailbox. There are only 10 questions so fill it out and pop it write back in the mailbox. Then go online and download “Only in America” by Brooks and Dunn from iTunes and be proud the be an American

To learn more about the census visit: 2010.census.gov

I would have never thought this could happen.  The Colorado family wants to share this news with everyone to prevent future injuries so please spread the word to your friends and family with small children.  Here’s a link to a news article about the incident.

A little more info…

Most servers and workstations (in other words not your personal computer used at home) uses a system “protocol” known as the “Network Time Protocol (RFC-1305)”.  This protocol is the most widely used and performs best.  It’s very smart, so smart in fact that it ignores wrong time that is sent from other servers.

Your home or personal computer uses another version of the NTP software client and doesn’t conduct any “averaging” on its own.  Rather it makes a signal request for your computer to set the clock.  This client is formally known as the SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol).

So if you ever notice that the time is incorrect on your computer it’s possible that your clock simply needs to be reset to match NIST time.  Each version of Windows and Mac has a slightly different process to do this.  Our helpful techs here at UrbanComputerRepair.com can help you with this wink wink   For you technical folks I’m providing the url directly to the NIST website.  They provide more technical information on the subject, more that you could ever hope for!  Look on the right side of the page “Software and Instructions”.   http://tf.nist.gov/service/its.htm

Rather than just focusing on a defensive strategy we must move to an offense position with regards to software and infrastructure threats.  We need to look at the power behind the creation of these threats.  Who is creating them and where are these individuals physically located?  What thought process are they using?  Are these individuals, groups or entire governments? If we can get behind the thought process we can take a proactive approach rather than being reactive.

We’ll most likely see a movement away from cloud computing where every piece of data is protected on a system, to certain areas or packets of data.  By condensing the security resources to cover less ground essentially we will make them stronger and can apply greater security tactics to the secure the most confidential of data.  Why waste valuable resources on securing data that is already available to the public, such as data on websites?

Many governments have already invested in electronic passports that integrate technology to identify facial, fingerprint and even iris scans of the human eye.  Unfortunately this technology hasn’t been implemented system wide as of yet, however we’ll most likely see this happen very soon in light of the recent threats facing our borders. These passports will hold a computer chip that will store biometric data and will match this information to the owner verifying the passport to its owner.

In the past the our governments prime focus was on network and infrastructure security, however since many potable consumer devices are now being used by our government to conduct business we will most likely see a shift towards increased data protection.  Businesses are also taking a closer look at their security measures as the number of employees carrying portable electronic devices has exploded over the past few years.  We must move away from passwords and numbers and acquire much more advanced anti-fraud software and security measures to protect the day-to-day, minute-to- minute mobile transactions that are occurring in both the government and business.

In closing, 2010 should prove to be a productive year in the way security measures are handled across the government and business. However, it is important to note that general consumers should also look to these security measures and take steps to protect themselves as well.  We live in a free country and therefore the government allows us to share files and information freely amongst each other. We must take steps to protect this valuable system so that it is not used against us by outside forces that have malicious intentions.  Every citizen using the internet should be protecting their personal computer systems to minimize risk to the system as a whole and to protect our nation.