 stripe on a traditional card contains fixed information, which when accessed by fraudsters, can be used to make unauthorized purchases.
For its customers’ protection, EastWest will deactivate all its non-EMV debit cards on December 4, 2017 at 11:59 PM. Upon deactivation, these cards can no longer be used at automated teller machines, POS terminals, and online merchants. Customers with non-EMV debit cards are advised to visit their store of account on or before December 4 to claim their free EastWest Debit Card with EMV and payWave.
Check the area surrounding the ATM. Avoid ATMs located in areas that have little foot traffic or with poor lighting. Also take a closer look at the machine itself. Criminals may install false card slots, PIN pads, tiny cameras, and other devices to capture PINS, cards, and money. Do not use ATMs with signs of tampering, like loose wires, adhesive smears, or components that are wobbly.
When using ATM/debit cards to pay for purchases, be the one to key-in your PIN and cover your hand when you do so. Always check the amount on the POS terminal screen to make sure that your account will be debited for the correct amount.
When using credit cards, check the purchase amount on the charge slip before signing it.
Regularly check your statements to ensure that there are no unauthorized transactions.
Always keep your computer security up-to-date with anti-virus and anti-spyware software. See to it that your web browser is updated.
Avoid using public Wi-Fi connection for financial transactions, such as online banking and online shopping. Most Wi-Fi hotspots don’t encrypt the information you send over the internet and aren’t secure. For financial transactions, connect to the Internet instead using 3G, 4G, or LTE.
At home, secure your home wireless network. Change the default name of your router and protect it with a strong password. Turn off “remote management” features, if any.
Ensure that the websites you are shopping from are secure. Check if its URL says “https,” which means the site is encrypted for security. Look for other signs that signal the level of security, such as a closed lock icon (padlock), which appears in the browser address window. A green lock icon means that the website has implemented the extended validation security feature.
For more banking security tips, visit www.eastwestbanker.com.
Abraham Lincoln High School’s Barnaby Payne can rate the success of his students by their involvement.
Payne, principal of Lincoln, said the more engaged a student is, the more likely they are to remain in school and, hopefully, graduate.
“It’s not enough for kids to just get up in the morning, go to class, do their work then come home and go to bed,” he said. “They have to find a way to be connected to the school.”
The efforts Payne — who has been at Lincoln for five years and principal for two — and his staff have been making to engage the 2,497 students have been paying off.
The dropout rate at Lincoln has gone from 45 students — 9 percent — in the 2007-08 school year to 15 — 3.7 percent — in the 2008-09 school year.
Similarly, Galileo High School and Ida B. Wells High School had large decreases in dropouts. Galileo went from 57 — or 13 percent — of its 2,237 student population leaving school in the 2007-08 year to 13 — or 3.2 percent — in 2008-09. Wells went from losing 64 of its 245 students in 2007-08 to only 25 of its 234 students in 2008-09.
In the San Francisco Unified School District, the number of students who abandoned their education was reduced by nearly 50 percent, according to data released Tuesday by the California Department of Education.
An estimated 325 students were reported as dropouts in The City in the 2008-09 school year, which is down from 742 students in the 2007-08 school year. There were 19,074 high school students in San Francisco in 2008-09.
Statewide, though, the dropout rate has increased, going from 18.9 percent in 2007-08 school year to 21.7 percent in 2008-09. It’s a trend San Francisco has been able to avoid.
Payne said vocational programs in specialized biotech or finance fields offer smaller class sizes. College-focused curriculum and professional development at The City’s 14 comprehensive high schools have also contributed to the reduction.
The district began offering more opportunities for students to retake courses they’ve failed and graduate on time through online programs, after school or in the summer, district spokeswoman Gentle Blythe said.
An increased effort in fighting truancy is also thought to have helped keep kids in school.
Two years ago, the district partnered with District Attorney Kamala Harris and the Mayor’s Office to hold parents of students that are habitually truant — missing 18 days or more — accountable.
Harris’ office prosecuted a number of parents, and the district has begun offering families support to get children to school.
Staying in school
The number of dropouts in the San Francisco Unified School District has dropped in the past few years.
SFUSD dropout percentage
2008-09
9.1 percent
Dropouts:325
Enrollment: 19,074
2007-08
17.9 percent
Dropouts: 742
Enrollment: 19,034
2006-07
19.6 percent
Dropouts: 769
Enrollment: 20,050
Source: California Department of Education
Bay Area NewseducationLocalSan FranciscoSan Francisco Unified School DistrictIn the second book of the trilogy, Sylvia and Jackson deal with the fallout of her finding out that Jackson and Damien are brothers while dealing with the ghosts that still exist and both of their pasts.
There are secrets galore in this novel as they keep coming one after another. This was bound to happen considering the fact that Sylvia and Jackson are full on relationship mode. He finally learn the truth behind his relationship with Meg and I for one was pleasantly surprised (I say this because it was the only ‘surprise’ that I didn’t predict).
I didn’t care so much for Sylvia in this book as I did in the first book. Jackson did a few things that should have caused Sylvia to give him the boot (or at least make him work for her forgiveness) but she takes him right back with no hassle. She gets mad for two seconds then talks to Cass or Jamie and boom she’s back to forgiving him. One I was ok with, but two, just didn’t work for me.
Jackson really develops in this book. While he makes mistakes along the way, you can see that he’s trying and that he’s changing to try and be the man that Sylvia needs. It is going to be an uphill battle for him but as he starts to see that there are people on his side, he starts to see that it’s ok to rely on other people.
I don’t need to go into the steamy scenes in this book because if you are a fan of J Kenner books then you know. She has the ability to up the stakes with each book in her series, and this one is no different. As Sylvia and Jackson get closer, they start exploring their sexual relationship and we get to see that unfold. Just make sure that when you read this you are not in public, or at least wearing sunglasses, because you may blush during some scenes.
The book ends in a minor cliffhanger. Certainly not as big as some others and not as big as the first one. It’s almost not even a cliffhanger because (for me at least) it doesn’t have the quality that makes you angry at the book. But, I should warn you that its there.
While the story is a bit predictable at times (I may think this because I read a lot of books and all of Kenner’s books) but it did set up what should be a great finale.
What did you think of On my Knees?
This entry was posted in Books and tagged J. Kenner, On my Knees, Stark Internatioanl series.
I have had the pleasure of working on the latest curriculum for Tripwire University. In that capacity, I’ve noticed more and more interest around securing cloud environments as our customers and the market continue to move towards cloud technologies.
Whether it be customers who are 100% committed to the cloud and moving all of their assets up into private and public cloud or others who are just starting to dip their toes in the water, cloud security is at the top of seemingly everyone’s mind.
With Tripwire’s latest addition of Tripwire University, I had the privilege of covering Dynamic Security in an Elastic World. I begin my session by going over some of the challenges around securing dynamic assets.
In many Cloud environments, where development and delivery of software is happening on an ongoing basis. Cloud assets are constantly spinning up and down. You, therefore, need to have cyber security software that can keep you up-to-date on what is going on in these constantly changing environments. Tripwire software can help detect vulnerabilities, ensure file integrity and run policy on these volatile environments.
I transition into some of the needs from the world of DevOps. It’s essential to have the proper security solutions in place that allow you to easily deploy your cybersecurity tools in the DevOps lifecycle. Overall, you want to make sure that you are partnering with companies that, in turn, partner with the best-in