Yes, the shorter passwords are easier to remember, but researchers suggest that a password of at least 12 characters should be used if you want to have any hope of battling the brute force of digital attacks by criminal hackers using software designed to break password codes.

Simply put, technology has advanced so much that today’s number-crunching graphics cards on most computers is equivalent to the capacity of a supercomputer from just 10 years ago – making it easier for the tech savvy bad guys to access your information. And the fact of the matter is, even a 20 character password is subject to being hacked.

However, the average high tech criminal is looking for the easy “mark”; those short, simple to crack pass codes that are rarely – if ever – changed by the authorized user and may even be used across several “secured” websites operated by the same user. That means that once the criminal breaks a password, he or she will then use that password on any other area tied to the authorized user – and often get in. Therefore, despite having loaded your system with the best security software available, if you are using short passwords and not changing them – and if your security system allows for multiple attempts to breach the password – you, your money and everything that is important in your life could be just a click away from a digital “hold up”.

Who is at fault here? The flight attendants should be the back-up security force, don’t you think? What happened to TSA at the security check-point? What happened to the TSA who is supposed to be x-raying the checked luggage before it is even loaded onto the plane?  I have to agree with former FAA security director when he said TSA needs to use more common sense when screening passengers at the airport. The weakest link in any security force is its lowest paid, least trained individual. So just how many of these are out there? I have no idea, but, at the very least there exist 113, which, according to Stoller, is the number of potential terrorist crisis over the past five months involving lithium-ion batteries and electronic devices that have been averted.

I would really like to know what was going through the mind of the TSA agent who was reading the scan monitor and saw the 58 cell phones, electronic devices and lithium-ion batteries all piled into one bin. Truly, I don’t get it; how did this mound of electronics get through security. Oh, that’s right, they are not supposed to profile, so they just look the other way while a potential terrorist essentially says, here’s my bomb. Give me a break. But in all seriousness, let’s take it a step farther. Where does the blame lie?

Since at the airport the TSA is in effect the first line of defense between the outside world and those who pass through the checkpoint, could it be construed in a court of law as aiding and abetting if a TSA agent, or group of agents allowed, or better yet, willfully allows a passenger to cross through the security checkpoint with an excessive number electronic devices and lithium-ion batteries? Could it be termed reckless endangerment if the TSA checked baggage screeners allowed large amounts of electronics and batteries all packed together to pass through to be loaded onto a jetliner?  Or is it just willful neglect. Just who is keeping watch anyway? Obviously people who are not well trained or people who simply do not care. Personally, I want well trained individuals who care about my safety and well being to be the ones doing all of the screening. My concern is that TSA agents are too consumed with having no accountability for their lack of action that the problem will only get worse.

One more thing: someone needs to make a decision once and for all that a passengers and their checked luggage needs to match – they both need to travel together. Speaking as a world traveler, this is not happening.

First of all using your credit card to pay for detective service is not a smart move. When your statement arrives in the mail the line item on your account will read “OnLine Detective Service”, “Web Investigator” or what ever the name of the detective company is. You run the risk that your spouse will see the statement, will access the account online or that the credit card bank will call one of the phone numbers associated with your account and ask if this was an intentional purchase. Imagine what kind of a conversation you will have with your supposed cheating spouse when the bank calls him about your purchase with Net Detective. Oh, sure you can change the passcode on the account so he cannot access it online but as soon as you do you better have a plausible explanation as your spouse will surely want to know why his access was denied. And I know the rest of you are the dutiful stay-at-home mom who retrieves the mail and you can screen everything that comes in. Well ask yourself this: are you willing to risk blowing your case before you begin? Besides, if he wasn’t cheating and he sees the line item purchase he may decide to leave you before you can leave him.

Second, private detective agencies in 44 out of 50 States are required to have State issued licenses. Some of these States have reciprocal agreements, others do not. Of the remaining six, two require business licenses and two require permits for certain cities and municipalities. Can you be certain the online investigation service you hire fits into at least one of these categories? Will they provide their State of licensure and license number for you to research them and see if they are legitimate? Have you been able to reach a live person to speak with and not a chat window with an innocuous person on the other side answering your questions from a script? There are many fly-by-night detective services across the nation, online and across the globe that simply take your money, have no licensure or training and provide little to no information in return. A lot of people talk a good game, but the bottom line is in all 50 States that impersonating licensed private detective or operating as a private investigator is illegal. Information that is not legally obtained is not admissible in a court of law. Now ask yourself this: is the information I need worthy of a licensed detective or should I just settle for a rip-off artist or possibly, a hacker?

Third, and probably the most important thing to remember is that if you hire a detective service, online or otherwise who provides information directly to you, that information is not considered to be protected and must be divulged during interrogatories and depositions. If you hire Hunter Investigations through your attorney, Hunter Investigations becomes your attorney’s client and the information we obtain will be provided directly to your attorney. This process is practiced by reputable detective and law firms in all 50 States because it keeps the information protected under attorney-client privilege. This means you can obtain information discretely through your attorney, your credit card statement will not reveal that you have hired a detective because payment can be made through your attorney in cash.

If you are considering using a detective service opt for a licensed private investigations firm instead. Call Hunter Investigations, 770.667.7467 and let a licensed investigator speak with you about your concerns. We will be glad to set a time to meet with you in person and give our professional opinion as to whether or not you should be considering investigative services. Sometimes there are simple answers that are being overlooked and our trained detectives are here to help you make that determination. You, the Client, have the right to sit face to face or, at the very least, speak with a live person before spending your money. At Hunter Investigations the first half hour consultation is free. In addition, Hunter Investigations LLC has our license number posted on our website and any of our licensed detectives or office staff will be more than happy to provide the Agency licensure number at your request.

Save yourself time and money; call Hunter Investigations LLC: 770.667.7467. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Many of you may be aware that there are several websites available for free and unrestricted use that help you decipher truth from fiction. So I began with the all to familiar Snopes, followed by TruthOrFiction and a few other websites that publish information on urban legends and folklore. What I found was all the same: yes, using the area code 809 as well as a few area codes in some instances can result in higher than normal telephone charges and there are scammers who will leave a message enticing you to return the call by trying to connect with you on an emotional level. After all if you thought legitimately, your sibling has been in an accident or your long lost college room mate has hired them to find you wouldn’t you call back? Probably so. The scam begins with the voice mail; continues when you call in and converse as they try every tactic possible to keep you on the phone; and when you get the invoice from your phone company and write the check to pay for the telephone call time the scam for you ends.

The bad news here is that the scam exists; it began about fifteen years ago. It died down for a while but seems to be coming back around. Why? My guess is the economy; with the economic downturn people are trying to get you to part with your money and scams of all sorts are on the rise.  The good news is that if you get victimized you won’t loose your life savings paying the phone company, but your conversation will cost you about $95.00 – $125.00 per minute.

The reason you can be charged such exorbitant rates for dialing some 809, 284 and other area codes is because these numbers go to regions of the globe that are not regulated and do not require the call initiator to state that you may incur additional charges if you return the call.

How can you avoid becoming a victim? Know your caller: if you do not know the person who left the message do not return the call, simply ignore the message and delete it from your voice-mail. If you think there is a chance the call may be legitimate, first call Hunter Investigations at 770.667.7467 and have us investigate the situation for you. No problem is too small for us to handle; your peace of mind is worth the call to Hunter Investigations LLC.

The sabotage was not directed at a corporate vehicle: the blacked-out surveillance van or the Jeep with the dark-tinted windows, it was my personal vehicle that the saboteur targeted.

Little did that saboteur know that shy of a James Bond incident this episode would not keep me down for long as I have Isinovi and Joel in my rolodex. Who are these people you ask? They are my mechanics. Once my car was safely delivered to IC Auto Tech in Atlanta, Joel confirmed the sabotage, repairs were made in their state of the art, high efficiency garage and I was on my way in short order.

Isinovi races motorcycles on the weekends, which, of course, means they have a garage devoted to the maintenance and service of many makes and models of motorcycles as well as cars and trucks. They have been in business for more than 20 years and are honest about their diagnostics, and charge a fair price for the cost for repairs. Even though these economic times are tugging on peoples purse strings Isinovi and Joel have not changed their honest policy or their pricing.

If you reside in town or if you’re just passing through; if you are in need of automotive repair or just maintenance take your vehicles to Isinovi and Joel, you’ll be glad you did. Tell them Holly sent you, or not; they’ll still treat you right.

If you suspect your vehicle has been sabotaged or tampered with in an inappropriate manner, call us in our offices here at Hunter Investigations and we will be glad to investigate: 770.667.7467.

Oh, by the way, I do know who sabotaged my car and consider yourself warned: you’ll be meeting the Sheriff up close and personal very soon.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to Wyles, indicated there are approximately 15,000 sex offenders State wide. Does this mean that there are 5,000 sex offenders living under the radar unwatched and unmonitored? Honestly, I’m appalled that the State of GA has no more concern than to allow nearly one-third of this populous to just do whatever they want. What this tells me is that of the gentleman living down the street, the yard man who cuts your grass or the woman cleans your house one of these could be a convicted sex offender “living incognito” as the article says.

This doesn’t say much for the GBI and their attempt to keep up with these offenders, but what about the State you live in? Do you know who is living next door to you? Do you really know about the guy you sent to clean out your mother’s gutters? Do you know what the statistics are for incognito sex offenders living in your area? Do you have total peace of mind about your friends and coworkers?

If you can not answer yes to all of these questions then pick up the phone and call Hunter Investigations 770.667.7467 and let us find the answers for you. We have a staff of trained investigators who will find answers to your questions and help you regain peace of mind.

To read the full article Offenders Incognito by Randy Wyles: if you are local pick up a copy of aboutU Magazine or go to www.aboutuonline.com.  

The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs has been working hard to keep everyone in the industry apprised of the developments of the Miller Bill and work to bring about a better legislative resolution to take to Congress. The following summary of NATSAP's position on the Miller Bill is for your review:

While NATSAP strongly supports the intent of this Bill – to prevent child abuse and neglect in residential programs – NATSAP believes the Bill is flawed and will not be effective or efficient in fulfilling this intent. The Bill is flawed because it fails to protect children in state-run programs and because it creates an entirely new federal bureaucracy that will duplicate current state-led child abuse and neglect enforcement programs and state licensing programs. The Bill sponsors litigation against programs because it has no limits on attorney’s fees and punitive damage awards, and creates strict liability for standards that have not yet been drafted.

In addition to their summation NATSAP has made a call to action throughout the industry and needs the help of everyone.

NATSAP is asking everyone to please contact their Congressman immediately regarding your concerns on HR 5876, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008. Don't wait do it now.

Ask your representative to add language supporting the application of this Bill to all programs, including state operated ones. Ask your representative to maintain state responsibility for licensing and enforcement. Any federal law should be limited to supporting, not duplicating, these existing state enforcement and licensing programs. Ask your representative to strike sections of the Bill allowing new access to federal courts and unlimited attorney’s fees and punitive damage awards.You can contact your Representative or call their staff in Washington, D.C., using the Capital Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Or go to https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml to find contact information for your Representative.

Jan Moss Courtney, Executive Director of NATSAP has requested that the following letter be shared with you:

May 2008

Dear Families, Friends & Alumni of Residential Treatment Programs,

In the last weeks you may have received letters or emails asking you to call and write your Representative regarding HR 5876* which was approved by the House Education Committee and will be going before the House as early as this week. Many of you have already done so, and we want to thank you for your support and endorsement of the programs which have helped to change so many of our lives. These requests have provided guidelines and talking points regarding the potential impact of this legislation on therapeutic programs, but how this Bill could impact parents, families and the treatment we’ve sought for our children may still be confusing to some of you. Our intent is to provide talking points regarding this Bill and the potential impact on us!

*CLARIFICATION: There has been confusion with HR 5876 because the title of the bill is “Stop Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008”. While we all support stopping child abuse, the title is somewhat deceptive and doesn’t necessarily reflect the content of the actual bill. Please see the talking points below which outline parent’s concerns with this bill.

TALKING POINTS

• The Miller hearings provided a biased and distorted picture of what many, many families experience with private residential treatment programs, as Miller refused to include alumni and family witnesses for whom these programs were the catalyst for healing. Basing federal legislation on such distortion has potential to seriously damage and compromise this critical level of care.
• Many families have children in state-run or government-run programs. This bill does not protect these children. The Government Accountability Office found significant oversight lapses and exemptions from licensing in these programs which include state run correctional facilities such as military and boot camp style programs, foster care, group homes, and publicly run programs where evidence suggests the incidence of abuse and neglect is higher.
• This Bill gives telephone access to children who have already demonstrated an inability to make healthy, appropriate choices. Allowing this creates great potential to corrupt treatment and allow communication with unsafe contacts. 
• This Bill allows new access to federal courts in the form of unlimited punitive damages and unlimited attorney’s fees and costs. While access to courts should be allowed, this drastic increase of liability may cause liability insurance to be either unobtainable or prohibitively expensive, which could effectively eliminate the residential treatment option of care for our children. 
• This Bill provides authority for Health and Human Services to make any new standards they deem appropriate for the general health and safety of our children. Well intentioned, but ill-thought through legislation has already thrown the parent out with the bath water in many laws effecting our ability as parents to make decisions in the best interest of our children. All standards and regulations should be very clearly thought through, spelled out, and our input given significant regard. 
• This Bill creates a massive federal bureaucracy which duplicates and possibly intrudes upon the state. Not only would this be an enormous expense and confusing in regards to primary jurisdiction over specific allegations, but as a parent it could confuse and impact our ability to seek out and implement the help we need for our children. 

We support efforts to provide unbiased, informed, responsibly researched, well thought through and constructed legislation to protect children from abuse and neglect in EVERY residential setting. However, as written we oppose HR 5876. 

Be a part of our phone campaign!

PLEASE PUT IN MULTIPLE CALLS TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES!
You can call many times, even daily and they will log all of your calls.

CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE OR THEIR STAFF
Use the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or go to https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtmlto find contact information for your representative in the House.  

FOLLOW UP BY WRITING A LETTER
The phone campaign is the first priority, however, if you can, following up with a letter would be extremely valuable.You can write your House Representative and/or U.S. Senators expressing your opinion of HR 5876 and sharing your family's positive personal experience with residential programs (wilderness and aftercare). 

Thank you for making your voice heard in Washington!

Sincerely,

Donelyn Gamble
Alumni Parent