There has never been a time when safety and security wasn’t a priority. These days, however, it seems like it is reaching new heights in how significant it is.
Every new technological advancement and innovation introduces new challenges, and it’s getting hard to keep up with all of it.
Luckily, there are people who are on the ball and inform others so that they could stay safe out there in this crazy world—it’s people like ex FBI agent Steve Lazarus. Scroll down to see what he has to say about personal safety and security as well as out interview with him.
Image credits: steve.lazarus.books
#1
Live with a creepy stalker inside my house. You’re probably telling yourself, “No, of course not. Nobody would do that.” Well, if you have something that looks like this in your house, only it’s black and it plugs into the wall, and if you ask it to, it’ll order you a case of toilet paper, then yes, you do have a creepy stalker living inside your house.
And that may not be a big deal if all you’re talking about is toilet paper. But think for a second about the most intimate and private conversations you have. And ask yourself, do you really want a stranger listening in? Then there’s the problem of hackers. You know, hackers make their livelihood by breaking into devices like your phone, your computer, and even these voice-activated assistants. You know, some people use these assistants to unlock and start their car. They use them to run their home security system. Some people even use them to move money back and forth between bank accounts. Now, if the hacker got into that assistant, just imagine what kind of problems they could cause. It’s your decision at the end of the day, but for my money, I’m going to sacrifice a bit of convenience in order to preserve my privacy, my safety, and my security.
Image source: steve.lazarus.books, Matthew Ball
#2
We’re going to talk about why I won’t get my news from either of the two major cable outlets. In 22 years as a criminal investigator and media rep for the FBI, I developed a pretty good bulls**t detector. And it’s telling me that CNN and Fox News are just two sides of the exact same coin. One of them wants you to believe that we’re becoming a fascist country. The other wants you to believe we’re becoming a communist country. Of course, neither is true. So why do they do it? Well, to keep their base viewership, to sell advertising, and to stoke the fires of fear that keep them in business. I know many of you have already tuned them out.
Image source: steve.lazarus.books, Negative Space
#3
I’m going to explain why I’m never going to jump on the AI bandwagon. It’s not just that we’d become intellectually lazy, need a computer to do our term papers for us or correct our grammar. But as AI has become more powerful, it’s become a favorite tool of the child exploitation community who uses it to create images of real children engaging in explicit sexual activity.
In fact, a recent Stanford study found at least 3,000 of those images on one of the largest AI databases in the world. Of course, I realize there’s tremendous upside to AI when used properly. But until we get our heads around the ethical and the moral problems presented by its use by the general public, I’m not a fan.
Image source: steve.lazarus.books, Matheus Bertelli
#4
I would never allow my children to have unlimited, unsupervised access to the internet. Why? Because a 12-year-old with a cell phone is nothing more than a target for an online predator who knows how to get kids to do things they shouldn’t be doing. These tech-savvy creeps can get at your children through online gaming apps, through direct messaging apps, and through social media.
So moms, dads, you might be asking yourself, ‘What about my kid’s privacy rights?’ Well, they don’t have any, especially not on the phone that you’re paying for. So you need to get a parental control app, you need to know your children’s pins and your passwords, and you need to make no-notice inspections of their phone a condition for them keeping that phone.
Image source: steve.lazarus.books, Monstera Production
#5
I’ve seen enough of them to know that I would never fall for a romance scam. You know, the quickest way to somebody’s bank account is usually through their heart. So I have four questions to ask yourself about that amazing new love interest in your life. Number one, are they out of your league? You know what I’m talking about. Number two, did you meet online? And if so, is your relationship still predominantly online or over the phone? Number three, does everything seem to be moving a little bit too fast? And number four, the biggest red flag of all, have they asked you for money? Or even worse yet, have they asked you to wire them money?
Now if you answered yes to two or more of these questions, chances are you’re getting scammed. End it now and get out before they break your heart or ruin you financially. Or both.
Image source: steve.lazarus.books, Mika Baumeister
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