Is Sony Pictures sorry they toyed with their online security? Photo via davidd
Sony Pictures Hacks: What This Means for You…
The nightmare before Christmas continues for Sony pictures, only the most recentcorporate victim of cyber hacking.
Currently investigators and government officials are still trying to locate the culprits who call themselves the Guardians of Peace. So far they are looking into the strong possibility of North Korean involvement stemming from the release of controversial Sony comedy The Interview. Finding the exact source of the problem remains easier said than done. Even if officials are able to locate the hackers, it only solves a symptom while the virus(es) rage on.
In the past 18 months we’ve witnessed some of the largest retailers (Target, Home Depot), banks (Chase Morgan), and a government institution (NSA) fall victim to cybercrime. Such stories make easy headlines. With Sony pictures’ ties to Hollywood, celebrities, and power-tripping CEOs, it’s unlikely these stories will be swept under the rug anytime soon.
This new awareness of digital security – or insecurity – begs a question that every online user should be asking: if some of the most powerful organizations in the world can be broken into, what chance do we as individuals have?
Although online infiltration of a single account might not make headline news, it can still destroy a person’s credit and credibility. Fortunately, there are certain precautions you can take to prevent a downfall similar to the Sony Pictures fiasco.
A Little Common Sense Can Save You a Lot of Cash
One might think precautionary measures entail extra levels of encryption or costly security infrastructure changes. But, like William of Ockham might have said: The easiest solution is probably the most correct. With Sony Pictures as a good example of what not to do, here are some simple solutions that are probably much more efficient and cost-effective.
Passwords
If your password is “Rosebud” or your dog’s/wife’s/husband’s/child’s name, you’re just begging for online retribution. It’s like hiding your prize jewels underneath the bed mattress. Don’t labeling your vault of secrets by the one name that brings holiday cheer to hackers everywhere. Instead, create a totally unique password for each online venue – one that is strange enough to remember, but different from any keywords in your personal life.
Diversify
Having multiple passwords bring up the unfortunate problem of how to remember all your secret info. Hopefully you wouldn’t dare think of storing all your precious password and security information on a single document.
Shame on you, Sony Pictures. And shame on anyone else who would try this novice-level move.
You wouldn’t put all your life savings into a single stock, so why would you keep your most precious information in one location? The reason why Sony stories are still being unloaded by the truckload is because of this very failure. Keeping everything in a central facility? Bad move.
Warning Signs
Sony employees have given interviews indicating their lack of surprise that Sony became the latest victim of a cyber crime. There were reports of Sony ignoring potential security violations, not taking proactive security measures, and undervaluing the damage of an online attack from the get-go. These weaknesses caused a snowball effect, making an easy path for cyber hackers.
What Can You Do?
Corporations doing their due diligence can come a long way to preventing public catastrophes. Additionally, individuals can take simple steps so as to avoid a lifetime of regret. Still, you never really know how secure you are until you test it for yourself. Of course, that can be difficult, seeing as you already know all your password information and you’re probably not a hacker.
That’s where a private investigation firm can really be helpful in a situation like Sony’s. Instead of waiting until your information is broken into and revealed, causing potential damage and financial ruin, enlist the help of a PI to ensure that your information is safe. It’s one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to keep your online information as secure as you need it to be.
Could discriminatory campus investigations mean fewer male college graduates? Photo: Seth Sawyers
At first glance, college can seem like an idealistic society containing its own set of rules applicable only to the students who make up the majority. Often these students are experiencing freedoms they have never experienced before – including parental supervision. What could possibly go wrong?
Actually, there is significant research that shows college students are at a higher risk of risky behaviors than other age groups. In a study by Susquehanna University, researchers found that 32-37% of college students engage in drinking, sexual behavior, or intercourse during their first semester of college. Because of this, students are often involved in situations than they are unprepared for or may put them at risk. This can lead to involvement of the University, which is may sometimes resort to biased disciplinary action unless a third party investigation is conducted.
In a recent Drew University lawsuit, a male student claimed to be unfairly accused of sexual assault. He indicated there was an “unfair bias” against men in university sexual assault cases. Even with national Title 9 regulations in place, he accused the school of not following national or university protocol in the investigation of allegations against him.
Drew University responded to the suit by claiming privacy laws meant that investigative procedures were kept confidential. The official reply stated, “It is the University’s practice to refrain from public comment concerning student conduct matters.”
Unfortunately, this kind of biased response to rape allegations is not an isolated event. Several high profile cases from the University of Colorado – Boulder, Duke University, and the University of North Dakota have led to the creation of pro-due process organizations such as Families Advocating Campus Equality (FACE).
FACE founder Sherry Warner Seefeld explained to the Washington Times that universities often deal with rape allegations by automatically suspending or expelling male students, even if the facts are ambiguous and a thorough investigation isn’t completed. She said, “Universities [must] show that they are in fact being responsive to accusations of sexual assault, and so they have to have numbers.”
In the case of the Drew University allegation, the male accused of rape might have had his school career ruined were it not for the intervention of a third party investigation firm. At Drew, the male student was banned from most campus buildings, despite the fact that he insisted his accuser had lied to university officials and her friend (present at the incident) was never questioned. Upon being interviewed by a private investigator, the accuser’s friend admitted that the male student was innocent and that the sex was consensual. After the release of the private investigator’s report, the university cleared the male student of wrong-doing and allowed him back to classes.
Because of the additional evidence revealed by the 3rd party private investigator, this young man was spared irreparable damage that could have altered the course of his life. Utilizing a private investigator can be the appropriate next step when dealing with the less experienced or biased campus-based behavior investigations.
Often when we think of private investigators, we think of missing assets, divorce proceedings, corporate corruption. However there remain occasions where using a private investigator can be cause for both parties to be exultant with the findings.
Emir Kamenica was a Bosnian refugee who escaped his war-torn homeland as a child and his family eventually settled in an Atlanta suburb. Although Kamenica struggled as an ESL student, a caring teacher saw his potential. Ms. Ames saw that Kamenica was an extremely gifted individual whose potential might be wasted at his current school. She fought for Kamenica’s placement into an academically rigorous college prep school, which paved the way for his successful career in academia.
But, long after he last saw Ms. Ames, Kamenika found himself wishing he could thank her for all she had done. Armed with only a last name and basic location info, it became clear he would need professionals to have any hope of contacting his long lost teacher. He turned his search over to an investigation firm specializing in missing persons.
Building on the simple information he already had, the investigative team gained access to a list of teachers certified in the state of Georgia. This led to a joyous reunion that revived the events of so many years ago, and gave Emir the closure he so desired.
Though PI’s can’t traverse space and time to reunite lost loved ones, the outcome can be just as heartfelt.
Of course, not every case concludes as perfectly as Kamenika’s. Still, a private investigator can often provide answers to your lingering questions and help you find resolution for events long past.
In 2013, 2.35 million Americans were injured from automobile accidents. This equates to a total of 230.6 billion dollars in medical and insurance costs. Regardless of the frequency and costs associated with car accidents, the vast majority of individuals in such scenarios will never think to utilize a third party resource like a private investigator.
In reality, using a private investigator (PI) can be beneficial for several kinds of accident cases. For instance, if one party feels the accident report was insufficient, a PI could alleviate doubt by determining cause and circumstances.
Gathering impartial evidence that others may have missed is exactly what happened in this example from a recent International Counterintelligence Services (ICS) article.
“At a stop light, a driver was turning left at an intersection. She was making the turn under common circumstances: oncoming traffic not stopping till the yellow has already turned red. Because she was in the intersection she made the turn as is allowed. While making the turn a speeding car went through the red light. The client’s car was clipped while the driver running the red spun out across the intersection. The police implicated both parties in the accident.”
Since police are often strictly looking to determine whether a driver has broken a law, instances like this can occur without malfeasance. In this particular case, the driver felt she was the wronged party regardless of the police officer’s findings. This led her to hire a private investigator, who found evidence indicating the client was not liable.
Of course, this is just one example from the myriad occasions in which hiring a PI can save you stress, time, and money when dealing with an accident. Other instances that an investigator can be of service in may include:
Collecting and affirming case details
Determining neglect
Fighting cases involving large settlements
Disputing unsatisfactory evidence from lawyers
Overcoming roadblocks in collecting insurance settlements
Though car accidents remain the most common occurrence, this is not the only area of expertise for most accident investigators. Maritime and aviation accidents have also sought the help of an investigator. Work related accidents should seek the help of an investigator which can make or break ones workers’ comp.
Hiring an investigator brings detailed accounts and facts to your case that you might not otherwise have. At Lauth Investigations, you also get a professional team with decades of experience in getting to the bottom of every case.
David Barnett, a tenured professor of philosophy at University of Colorado (CU), has recently sued the university on grounds of defamation in regards to a sexual assault complaint that resulted in a board movement to terminate his contract.
According to the Daily Camera, Barnett claims Phil DiStefano, CU’s chancellor, made a false claim that Barnett retaliated against a student who stated she was sexually assaulted by a former student. In response to the claims, the CU Board of Regents moved to terminate Barnett, inciting him to seek $2 million dollar settlement for defamation.
Not only are education-related defamation suits rare, but they can be difficult to justify in court. The plaintiff must show both how the accuser defamed him or her and that it was done with actual malice, or intent to harm to one’s character. In addition, because the impetus for the Board’s actions was a $825,000 sexual assault settlement, the court maybe less sympathetic to Barnett and his monetary demands.
Utilizing a private investigator can provide assistance for either proving or disproving defamation.
When investigating a defamation case, professionals gather intelligence and additional witnesses that can support your position. In David Barnett’s case, an investigator would seek to find evidence that would prove these main points:
Published – The defamatory statements must have reached an audience through slander (spoken) or libel (written). Investigators would proceed by looking into his wrongful termination, and the process in which this occurred. In this case, a video, as orated by DiStefano, was released to students and faculty to provide further explanation. By making this video available to the public, it could cause irreparable damage to his reputation.
False – Defamatory statement needs to be incorrect or false to be proven as defamation. Here investigators would discretely question those close to the case, such as other professors or people within the philosophy department.
Injurious – An investigator would gather evidence to prove Barnett’s damaged reputation. For instance Barnett is only one of three tenured professors who’ve been terminated during CU’s history.
Unprivileged – A professional investigator would prove that no part of the defamatory statement would fall under privilege, or specific instances where a false statement couldn’t be used for a defamation suit.
Due to the complications and complexities of defamation, hiring a firm like Lauth Investigations could be an essential first step in finding peace of mind and reclaiming a tarnished reputation.
Not too long after the first private investigation firm, Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency, gained worldwide success, so did their fictionalized counterparts. From its inception in 1850 to today’s Sherlock infatuation, the idea of the private detective has inspired generations.
As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic Holmes and Watson caught the world’s attention, detective novels, serials, radio, and then television became an integral part of our shared culture. From the Pink Panther’s Det. Jacques Clouseau to the flawed Ret. Det. Bill Hodges in Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes, private investigation seems a rife creative arena for writers and movie-makers to explore.
So why did private investigation become the career of choice for some of the world’s most iconic characters, and how does this compare to the reality of an actual private investigator (PI)?
Here’s what the media isn’t telling you.
The Awe (Ha!) Factor
Private investigation is a job that provides plenty of content for stories while allowing the audience to participate in solving the underlying mystery. These are positions of power that can provide delineation between right or wrong, good or evil, and all the shades of grey in between. The audience is simultaneously enraptured, enthralled, and scared by these stories which involve elements of danger and suspense. This combination of mystery, heroism, and justice provides wish fulfillment for the audience all from the comfort of their couches.
Living Inside the Law
Of course, real-life PI’s are not the dark, noir-esque heroes with a penchant for breaking and entering that audiences imagine them to be. Private investigators are dissimilar from heads-of state and law enforcement figures because they are considered private citizens. A PI who is found guilty of planting recording devices on personal property faces the same jail time as any other lawbreaker. As private citizens, PIs aren’t given additional legal privilege like those who work in the public sector – that means no Robert Downey Jr.-era Holmes inflicting high kicks on those in his way. At least, not without potential assault and battery charges.
Though reality may not be as glamorous as the PI of our cultural imaginings, another aspect of their wide-spread appeal is their relatability.
There are advantages to telling a story from the POV of an all-powerful emperor or ruthless serial killer, but relating to mainstream audiences isn’t one of them. As a regular citizen, PIs walk the line between a crime fighter and “normal” person (albeit usually one with a few deep, dark secrets). This connects the audience with the character, as they identify with an investigator finding success through intellect instead of power.
A Million Suspenseful Variations on the Truth
As time and technology has changed, so have detective stories. Private investigation media has moved to incorporate the real-life work of a typical investigator, bringing more diverse characters, new perspectives, and fresh plotlines. Yet, the truth about private investigation is still shrouded in Hollywood starlight and suspense-driven misinformation. Investigators in modern fiction are still often taken to sensationalistic extremes by their authors – so much so that a PI becomes akin to an anti-hero Marvel character, as opposed to an actual person (i.e., Sherlock “Ironman” Holmes).
What you should know is that real-life PIs are less dangerous, deadly, and dashing than you probably think.
Being a “real” person is not just a trope of the detective genre, it’s the truth in both fiction and real life. Although fictionalized takes on the profession of private investigation will (and should) continue, knowing the truth about a PI’s function and capability are essential if you find yourself needing their vital and real-life services.
Building on the simple information he already had, the investigative team gained access to a list of teachers certified in the state of Georgia. This led to a joyous reunion that revived the events of so many years ago, and gave Emir the closure he so desired.![Accident with two cars](https://www.flickr.com/photos/89619746@N02/8153022006" title="Accident with two cars by orangesky3, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7275/8153022006_885b9dfba6_s.jpg)
