Important Notice Regarding Your Home or Business Alarm [more...]

White Collar Crime Gets Black Eye [more...]

Open My Mail and I'll Sue [more...]

IRS Beefs Up Criminal Investigations Unit [more...]

Shipping Containers Get Smart [more...]

Headache Triggers [more...]

Tracking a Problem Employee [more...]

Night of the Living Networks [more...]

Reader Reminder [more...]

On November 24, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission enacted new rules that allow customers to keep their phone numbers after switching their local phone carrier. This includes the ability to switch your home phone number from the traditional land telephone line to cellular or wireless phone. If you have thought about doing this please keep in mind that you may also be cutting off the link to your home or business alarm! Most alarm company customers are monitored through communications via their home or business telephone lines. If you take that line away, the communication between your home and your central station is gone.

It has come to our attention through a national trade association that many customers have already found this out the hard way, indicating that when they shut down their home phone it never occurred to them that they would lose their home alarm system monitoring as well.

Also, it is not just switching off of telephone lines for cell phones that are causing problems for central stations. If you switch your home phone to digital subscriber lines (DSL) you will also cut the alarm link. Even though DSL functions through the same home outlets as traditional land lines, filters need to be attached to DSL connected lines to keep the link with central stations open.

So remember, if you switch out your home phone without taking prior precautions and your alarm is activated at your home, the signal will not be received at your central monitoring station. This could result in loss of property, or worse. We strongly recommend that you seek guidance from your alarm provider prior to making a switch.

After nearly two years of wrangling with federal prosecutors, former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow finally agreed to an eye-popping ten-year prison sentence and forfeiture of more than $29 million. The deal will allow Fastow's wife, Lea, a former Enron assistant treasurer, to serve only five months on a tax charge. The deal also requires Fastow's cooperation in the government's pursuit of former CEO Jeffrey Skilling and Chairman Kenneth Lay. Fastow was the architect of Enron's "special purpose entities," the arcane investment vehicles that he now admits were the heart of a "conspiracy" to commit fraud. If anyone has the goods on the former executives, it is likely to be Fastow. So far, 26 individuals have been charged, including 19 former company executives. Seven have been convicted, including Fastow. The cost of Fastow and friends handiwork:

• 5000 jobs eliminated
• Average employee lost $83,000 in 401K value
• Stock lost 99.7% of its value
• $60 billion shareholder value lost
• The collapse of accounting firm Arthur Anderson!

Employers who know that a letter or package sent to an employee at work is personal, should not open it. A recent court ruling shows that opening the personal mail of employees opens employers to big legal problems. In Roth v. Farner-Bocken Co. S.D. No. 2003-SD-80, Greg Roth sued his employer after it opened a package accidentally sent to him by his attorney. The package contained sensitive legal documents that Roth says a supervisor copied and sent to company officials, who then placed them in his personnel file. Roth claimed the act was an invasion of privacy and the court awarded him $25,000 in compensatory damages. The jury awarded punitive damages in the amount of $500,000, but the state Supreme Court reversed the decision and stayed only the compensitories. Best advice: Companies should establish policies regarding the opening of mail received at the workplace. In most instances, only the person to whom the mail is addressed should open it.

Nancy Jardini takes over as chief of IRS's criminal investigation unit. Previously the deputy chief, Ms. Jardini is the first woman to run the division in its 85 year history. The IRS says its criminal investigation unit has a nationwide staff of 4,500 investigators. That includes more than 2,900 special agents who investigate and help prosecute criminal tax evaders, money-laundering and narcotics-related financial crime cases.

Many suspect Jardini's no nonsense leadership style will likely cause her agents to more closely examine the returns of the 20,000,000 or more e-filers. Why? Because the electronic data provided by e-filers is easily analyzed by the IRS's new fraud detection software.

Fact: Women represent about half the total salaried workforce. From 1969 to 1999, there was a steady increase in the proportion of the salaried workforce represented by women. In 1969, about 38% of the total workforce was female; today it is nearly 51%.
Source: IRS Statistics of Income Bulletin.

NaviTag Technologies, Inc., a technology start-up in North Quincy, Massachusetts recently introduced what may be the newest thing in container security. The NaviTag Cargo Tracking Unit is designed for, and is purchased by, the cargo owner to provide specific information needed to monitor cargo anywhere on earth during transit. The satellite based CTU provides end-to-end, in-transit visibility and security reporting without the restrictions of other technologies. The data is directed to the cargo owner based on a custom designed format established through exception management rule sets. The self-contained design does not require an additional power source, an exterior antenna, a terrestrial network of readers or software installation to provide global in-transit monitoring of the cargo. The CTU is lightweight, portable and battery operated, allowing the cargo owner to mount the unit to containers, railcars, or trailers without having to alter the service providers' equipment. It is designed to function within the existing transportation infrastructure and appears extremely reliable. However, not everyone is applauding the idea. Shippers are concerned about false alarms and nagging customers constantly asking why their shipment isn't moving. John Hyde, security director of the U.S. unit of A.P. Moller-Maersk Group says, "It could mean a lot of expense to us and not being able to get the cargo to customers on a timely basis."

Travel Tip: Smart travelers have found a new way of whizzing through airport security. They designate one zippered pocket of a carry-on and in it, place keys, wallet, watch, pocket change and cell phone; thus avoiding the trouble of collecting their loose things after clearing security. "By putting my stuff in one, easy-to-reach place, I save time and don't loose things like I used to," says one road warrior. Added benefit: your personal items are much less vulnerable to theft or being separated from you during screening.

Headache sufferers spend more than $4 billion a year on over-the-counter pain remedies. The cost of lost time and missed work is even greater. However, prevention costs nothing. Here are five of the leading headache culprits and remedies:

• Stress: Frayed nerves are a frequent cause of tension headaches and may trigger migraines. Take 30 minutes a day to just daydream, meditate or relax. Even breaking for 10 uninterrupted minutes is enough to thwart the onset of a headache.
• Diet: Some foods and most alcoholic beverage contain toxins that can trigger headache pain. If susceptible to headaches try to avoid large quantities caffeine, distilled spirits, red wine, chocolate, cheese and monosodium glutamate (MSG). These items contain substances that can cause capillaries to constrict, triggering an otherwise avoidable headache.
• Eyestrain: A long spell in front of the computer or pouring over fine print causes eyestrain. Eyestrain can lead to headaches or worse. Take a break; look out the window or get up and walk around your office for a minute.
• Sitting: Sitting causes blood to pool in the lower extremities and may deprive the brain of the oxygenated blood it needs to function properly. Get up and stretch, stand while talking on the phone, and take the stairs instead of the escalator (its also good for your heart).
• Sleep: Surprisingly, too much sleep can cause headaches. Control your body's natural clock and regiment your hours in the sack. Adopt a sleep-inducing routine before bed. Best: Read in bed for a half hour or just reflect on the day's accomplishments.

Quote of the Month: "It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it." Joseph Jourbet, Author

Employee theft and dishonesty comes in many forms: the petty thief, the embezzler, and the employee who steals company time by not doing what he or she is paid to do. Although it is often times difficult to detect violations of policy, organizations should be proactive once suspicions arise. Case in point:

A large metropolitan law enforcement agency discovered an officer assigned to patrol its parks was developing a pattern of long delays when he was dispatched to calls within the park system. The officer would advise the dispatcher he was at a location a great distance from a call and it would take him up to an hour to respond. Another issue his supervisor noted was that this officer always selected the same unmarked patrol vehicle. On several occasions the officer was questioned about the delay but he continued to have an excuse that could not be corroborated. A Global Positioning Device (GPS) was placed on the car prior to a shift worked by that problem officer. The GPS device showed that shortly after starting a shift one afternoon, the unmarked car left the county and drove to a location that was miles out of the jurisdiction the officer worked. The car was tracked to a residence where it was parked inside of a garage. The officer was called and asked for his location. He responded by giving false information to his supervisor. The officer was terminated when it was determined he was cultivating an affair while on county time and billing the agency for time he was supposed to be working.

Although this is just one example of employee theft and dishonesty, it demonstrates the need for organizations to proactively monitor employees when suspicious behaviors arise. Don't wait until it is too late - establish protocols up front regarding the proper and ethical ways to deal with problem employees.

Merely connecting to an open network can expose your laptop to anyone else on the same network. That leaves road warriors vulnerable to unwanted computer intrusions and identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission reports that 27.3 million Americans have now become victims of some form of identity theft during the past five years. Wireless networks, particular WiFi or public hot spots, are inherently insecure and often lack any security protection for users. Anyone with a receiver tuned to the proper frequency can intercept wireless transmissions. Passwords, credit card numbers and personal identifiers can be quietly intercepted and later used for nefarious purposes or even sold to other criminals. Best advice: Do not connect unless you can encrypt your data transfer or you are on a secure network.

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