WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

A few more tips to safeguard yourself, your identity and your loved ones. Part 1 of 3.

 

Criminals are always looking for new ways to catch people unawares and take advantage of them. They will use any means necessary to commit whatever crime they have in mind and a lot of the technology we use everyday leaves everyone open for a possible attack. There are quite a lot of things you can do to protect yourself and your family from becoming victims.

 

Part 1: Landlines, cell phones and leaving on vacation.

 

 

Always keep private conversations private. In order to ensure that private conversations are not being spied on these types of conversations should really be done in person and in a private location. Using any sort of telephone (landline or cell) your conversation can be easily spied on. You can purchase cheap devices at places like Radioshack that will allow you tap into any landline telephone.

 

Same goes for your cell phone. When it is not in use you should keep in unplugged and powered off. Cell phones are even less secure than landlines are and with the right technology your cell phone signal can be intercepted from just about anywhere. When your cell phone is on it can be tracked and even remotely activated so that the person snooping can hear everything being said around the phone. Also, there is quite a lot of personal information stored on your cell phone – from your social security number, your full name, your address, and even bank accounts and credit cards.

 

When you leave your home for any length of time, say for a vacation, always have the post office hold your mail. On that same note, if you do not have a mailbox with a lock on it – get one! Your mail is a goldmine of information for criminals to use to steal your identity; bills, checks, credit card offers, bank statements, you name it. Some people even go as far as renting secure mailboxes inside of their local Post Office to make sure their mail (and in turn their identity) isn’t being stolen.

 

Pay close attention to what is happening in your neighborhood and around your home; installing simple things like flood lights and security gates can deter a possible break-in. If you feel that you live in a less-than-safe neighborhood, consider purchasing firearms, pepper spray or stun guns to keep around your home in case of a break-in.

 

Always keep valuables hidden in your home; don’t leave things like jewelry boxes sitting on top of dressers in plain sight. Small portable fire safes are great for keeping your valuables safe from fire… but if a criminal finds one in your home, you saved them the trouble of having to collect your valuables in one place. They will simply pick up the tiny safe and take it home to break into later. If you need a fire-proof safe install one that is large enough to not be lifted easily by one person and make sure it is bolted secure into concrete.

 

Next week: Computers, spyware and deleting files.

 

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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Heat Hacking

 

Another thing to watch out for at your local ATM: The heat from your fingertips is actually leaving behind traces of heat that can be seen with a simple digital infrared camera. The camera can pick up which keys were pressed with about 80% accuracy even a full minute after you have left the ATM behind.

 

A criminal can definitely determine which keys you pressed but thankfully it is rather difficult to figure out in what order the keys were pressed. This sort of key identification only works well on plastic keypads as well since metal retains too much heat noise to allow the camera to accurately pick up which keys were recently pressed.

 

 

At the moment this sort of crime is in its infancy and there isn’t a large chance that you will be caught unawares but as technology gets better and better this sort of theft will become easier and more wide-spread. The ATM is not the only place technology of this nature could be used to infiltrate – keypad safes, security doors, keypad activated garage doors and car doors, and basically anything that uses plastic keypads is potentially vulnerable.

 

Right now, to prevent any possibility of reading which keys you have recently pressed, simply place your hand over the entire keypad for a few seconds once you are finished – then every key will be just as warm as the one next to it.

 

~ K. McMillan-Ralph, Graphics & Marketing Manager

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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Social Media and Biometrics Make Undercover Work Impossible

 

Social media has been on the rise for years and is now a staple of most people’s daily internet usage. Since pretty much everyone now-a-days uses social media for connecting with people and sharing photos – odds are good that there are multiple photos floating around of almost everyone on the internet whether that person uploaded them there or someone else did.

 

Now, social media coupled with biometrics could spell trouble for undercover police activities. For people whose livelihood truly depends on their anonymity social media and biometrics are making undercover operations no longer an option.

 

 

There are plenty of apps on the market that use biometrics to easily identify people based on their internet photos. Anyone can easily and cheaply pick up rudimentary biometric software for their computers and particularly for their smartphones. Police use these apps regularly to ID people on the street and mine social media for clues and help find suspects. The social media sites themselves use these apps to help you “tag” people in photos you upload. So if law enforcement is using these apps, doesn’t it make sense that criminals are too?

 

~ K. McMillan-Ralph, Graphics & Marketing Manager

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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New Product Release: WTI’s SWEH264 IP Video Encoder

 

The SWEH264 field hardened video encoder makes the transition from analog to digital easy!

 

 

The new SWEH264 H.264 video encoder from WTI is small in size but big on performance. Built with the latest open system architecture, WTI’s SWEH264 has been designed to integrate directly into existing systems and to work flawlessly with major third party CCTV software management systems. The SWEH264 makes it quick and easy to connect analog CCTV cameras to an Ethernet network. Plus, with its IP67 and NEMA TS-2 ratings you can be assured of having the best environmental protection and the best video performance on the market today.

 

The SWEH264 encoder provides connections for video input, two way P/T/Z data, power, and Ethernet output all in one Mil Spec connector. WTI’s new encoder is built to work in extreme environments and under extreme conditions providing both dual stream H.264 and MJPEG video compression options.

 

For more information on WTI’s complete line of wireless and CCTV products please visit our web site at www.gotowti.com or call toll free (866) gotowti (468-6984).

 

~ The WTI Team

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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Parcel Security

 

Air cargo screening has come under quite a bit of scrutiny lately since there have been a few incidents of parcel bombs making their way to sensitive locations. Thankfully the packages were intercepted in time and no one was hurt but the fact that the bombs made their way from one foreign country to another makes it very clear that current parcel security measures are insufficient.

 

The recent incidents have spurred governments worldwide to take a few steps have to try to protect against repeats of threats of this nature, but so far these steps have been nothing more than temporary solutions. These steps included a ban by several countries on shipments from Yemen and Somalia, a ban on shipments of printer cartridges that weigh more than one pound and even the suspension of some flights leaving Somalia. Legislation has been introduced in several countries to tighten air cargo security but so far none have been implemented.

 

 

Shipping providers are facing more and more threats and security issues. Worldwide, these companies and all governments need to work together to establish better information sharing, better cargo handling practices, and proactive security solutions and data standards.

 

Handling increasing cargo volumes and congestion as well as keeping up with customer needs in an atmosphere of intense competition is forcing shipping companies to improve their risk management procedures as well as their level of data collection for each parcel they handle. Screening 100% of all cargo and parcels going in and out of shipping facilities is just not possible, but taking care to focus on and identify key suspect packages is a big step towards safer cargo transport.

 

~ K. McMillan-Ralph, Graphics & Marketing Manager

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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WTI's Newest Sidewinder Camera : 1080p High Definition : Launch & Shipment

 

WTI announces the official launch and first shipment of the newest addition to the Sidewinder camera family – the 1080p High Definition Sidewinder P/T/Z Camera. This new Sidewinder camera system was developed for a major road commission utilizing P/T/Z cameras for traffic flow monitoring, emergency response, and traffic control. The High Definition 16:9 aspect ratio enables agencies to view all four traffic approaches from one camera location. The Sidewinder system uses a built in H.264 encoder for sending high quality, high frame rate, video over the wireless network to a central software control system using industry standard ONVIF drivers.

 

 

Several of the first 85 of these new HD Sidewinder cameras to ship are being used for a major surveillance installation in a very busy urban downtown area as well as monitoring traffic flow in and around the rest of the city.

 

 

(pictured above: Screenshots from the new HD Sidewinder cameras)

 

This exciting new installation was also written about by The Macomb Daily : Take a look at their web site for the entire article.

 

Contact WTI for more details on the all new Sidewinder camera systems available in Standard Definition, High Definition, and Thermal. All Sidewinder cameras meet IP-67 and NEMA TS-2 standards.

 

 

~Rich Dalton, National Sales Manager – ITS Division

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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H.264 Sidewinder Cameras + The MACH-V IP Radio = The Perfect Pairing!

 

WTI's revolutionary H.264 Sidewinder P/T/Z camera when paired with WTI’s herald MACH-V IP radio is a match made in heaven.

 

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WTI’s H.264 Sidewinder Cameras (both Standard Definition and High Definition) and the MACH-V are a must when applications absolutely require reliable wireless transmission of high quality IP video.

 

The new H.264 Sidewinder series incorporates all of the standard features of the traditional Sidewinder cameras and adds incredible video streaming and compression of the most current H.264 technology. The H.264 Sidewinder Series is a complete integrated design with onboard encoding making it an exceptional all-in-one IP camera solution. This new integrated design is offered in both Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) with a plethora of mounting options.

 

The Sidewinder series of cameras feature 360 degree rotation in both pan and tilt axis, 35X optical zoom (SD), 20X optical zoom (HD), self-cleaning lens glass, the entire camera is IP67 rated and so much more! For more camera features please check our web site or any Sidewinder technical specification sheet.

 

The MACH-V (802.11a) Series of wireless radios were originally designed to be a reliable industrial quality radio for internet service providers (ISP). Over the years it has proven to be exactly that! The MACH-V has "zero" field failures since its inception. Its proven performance has been continually improved to keep the MACH-V Series at the top of the wireless game and to make sure it is capable of optimization for the new and different video streaming techniques that emerge. These improvements make the MACH-V one of the best and most reliable wireless radios on the market.

 

The MACH-V Series features up to 54 Mbps data throughput, a range of up to 50 miles, encrypted data transmission, POE option and so much more! For more MACH-V features please check our web site or the MACH-V Series technical specification sheet.

 

If you need to provide advanced high quality IP video via wireless connectivity look no further! WTI has the complete solution. For more information please visit us on the web at www.gotowti.com.

 

~ Eric Myers, Director of Wireless Products

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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LEDs Can Potentially Make You “Invisible” to Infrared Cameras

 

For those people who are uncomfortable with cameras watching them all day, there is an easy way to keep your face off of specific cameras. Certain types of CCDs in infrared security cameras can be obscured with a bright LED light. Simply hold the light near your face and all the camera will see is a big white light where your head should be.

 

Keep in mind that this only applies to infrared cameras, not regular CCTV cameras. Also, infrared only cameras are rather rare in the security field. Most use day/night standard CCTV cameras since they perform better and can see more.

 

~ K. McMillan-Ralph, Graphics & Marketing Manager

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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Safeguarding Yourself From Cybercrime

 

Don't become a victim!

 

What You Can Do To Safeguard Your Information:

 

1.) Keep your computer’s spyware and antivirus software up to date and scan your computer regularly.

 

2.) Make sure you have firewalls up and running at all times. Whether it’s the built-in Windows firewall, your router’s firewall or a 3rd party firewall software; or all of them in combination if you really want to make sure they are working.

 

3.) Always be wary of emails asking for your personal or financial information. Don’t click on links or open emails that seem suspicious to you at all. Even one simple click can open your computer up to a criminal – installing malicious software and stealing your information.

 

4.) Keep an eye on your assets and your credit and check on everything on a regular basis. Make sure to report any odd or suspicious activity immediately.

 

5.) Always shred documents you do not need, don’t just throw them in the trash. Criminals do sift through your trash looking for pertinent documents.

 

 

If Your ID Is Stolen:

 

Immediately file a fraud alert on your credit report by calling Equifax (888-766-0008), TransUnion (800-680-7289) or Experian (888-397-3742). After you have filed your report, call the issuers of any credit cards that may have been affected.

 

~ K. McMillan

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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More On Cybercrime Techniques

 

Common Cybercrime Techniques:

 

1.) Phishing e-mails mimicking online businesses or banks in an attempt to fool people into freely giving out confidential personal and financial information. URL Obfuscation is the part of the phishing scam that really plays on human error and our brain’s ability to “fill in the gaps” automatically by sending a victim to a fraudulent web site address that looks almost exactly like a real address (i.e. www.pay-pal.com versus www.paypal.com).

 

2.) Pharming is another form of phishing that “poisons” a person’s computer’s DNS cache and redirects visitors from a real web site to a bogus mirror site. Every web site has its own internet address and the Domain Name System (DNS) translates the IP address into the host name. A DNS cache poisoning changes the entries in the computer so when the legitimate site is typed in, the victim is sent to a fraudulent web page instead.

 

3.) Trojan Horses are malicious software files that infiltrate your PC by hiding in seemingly innocuous files. Some Trojans, called "keystroke loggers," record every one of a person’s keystrokes and send that information back to the attacker.

 

4.) Zombie Computers and Man-In-The-Middle Attacks are part Trojan and the malicious software that is installed on the victim’s computer allows that person’s PC to be controlled remotely by their attacker without their knowledge. The Man-In-The-Middle attack is frequently partnered with an “Evil Twin” which is a fake wireless internet hot spot connection that looks almost like a legitimate service. When the victim attempts to connect, the criminal launches a transaction to get the victim’s credit card information in the form of a standard pay-for-access deal to use the wireless internet.

~ K. McMillan

 

 

 

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

 

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

 

www.gotowti.com

 

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