Month: January 2017

ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOR WHAT IT MEANS AN INSIGHT

( This blog is an objective view of something we all experience)
There is no precise definition of antisocial behaviour. Broadly speaking, it is acting in a way that causes or is likely to cause alarm or distress to one or more people in another household. To be antisocial behaviour,the behaviour must be persistent. There may be a fine line between antisocial behaviour and disputes between neighbours over relatively minor inconveniences, although these may, if persistent, become antisocial behaviour. Antisocial behaviour can include, noise, rowdy behaviour such as shouting, swearing and fighting. Another is intimidation of neighbours and others through threats or actual violence, harassment, including racial harassment or aggression. Systematic bullying of children in public recreation grounds, on the way to school or even on school grounds, if normal school disciplinary procedures do not stop the behaviour. The list is endless and is something we all need to take action against and fully understand.

Abusive behaviour aimed at causing distress or fear to certain people, for example, elderly or disabled people is a prime example of anti-social behaviour anyone doing this is setting themselves up for a fall. Driving in an inconsiderate or careless way, for example, drivers congregating in an area for racing, even things like dumping rubbish, animal nuisance, include dog fouling, vandalism, property damage and graffiti. All of these are antisocial behaviour.
Feel you want to take action about antisocial behaviour? You should first if you feel comfortable about doing so try and establish who is responsible for that behaviour. Again your focus must be on your safety at all times. It is also important to establish whether the behaviour is deliberate or unintentional. What you do will depend on the type of behaviour you are complaining about and on the result you want. You may, for example, want one or more of the following, to have the antisocial behaviour stopped or to get compensation for any damage, loss or injury suffered. Most importantly get an apology. Let’s be quite honest here anti-social behaviour blights people’s lives, destroys families and ruins communities. We recognise that in order to provide a safe and comfortable town for both our businesses and residents, we must be effective in tackling the causes of anti-social behaviour and the problems created by it.

Antisocial behaviour can affect people in many ways, from nuisance behaviour to feeling in danger. The police and local authorites are able to deal with reports of antisocial behaviour across any town or surrounding areas and all reports will be dealt with in the strictest confidence. People often find it intimidating and may sometimes feel threatened when large groups of youths gather in public spaces. You can report any sort of gang crime to the police or call Crime stoppers.

Arson – including vehicle arson should be reported to the fire service (if the fire is still burning) or the police immediately. However,Police or local authorites can investigate and take action through antisocial behaviour teams, be mindful in all cases Police and authorities have zero tolerance of this type of behaviour.
Vehicle nuisance including joyriding and noise nuisance – Can be reported to antisocial behavioural teams or local Environmental Health depending on the type of noise. Neighbour Nuisance – Police and local authorites will work with partner agencies to investigate and tackle issues of nuisance neighbours causing problems.

Hate crime ugly words but sadly it exhists – but once again if there is an immediate danger to you or your property please contact the Police. Fires on private property or in public spaces should be reported to the Fire Service on 999. Out of control Smokey bonfires are common place on most housing estates again inconsiderate behaviour and deemed anti social. Tresspassing, people entering your property or gardens, cold calling, agents etc, difficult one unfortunately as this is not strangely enough classified as a criminal offence, and there is little the Police can do unless you are threatened. You can advise them to leave or physically remove them but you should contact a solicitor and address this legally, or if there is an immediate threat against you personally call the Police on 999. Remember the law is on your side when it comes to protecting yourself or your property.

If you are burgled you have the right to use sufficient force to with strain that offender. To what level of force you have to use to protect yourself or your property is very much down to you. But in recent test cases if you are threatened or your life is in danger and you are forced to defend with counter force- the law does stand firmly with you. Government guidelines on these rulings can be researched online. Here is a very useful website setting out good advice click this link to get up to date information.It is the CPS guidelines on the subject take time to read and fully understand the laws. http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/prosecution/householders.html 

Hope this blog gives you a little insight to what is a very big issue in many towns. One that draws upon resources that could be used in a better way. But sadly we all live in a world where there will always be someone whose mind set thinks they can do what they like. But in all this remember the laws are there to protect you no one is above the law thats a fact. Some think they are and act accordingly but soon realise when action is taken its a mistake.

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Happy New Year all first blog of 2017, lets hope this year brings peace and harmony through out the UK, want to talk about a very serious issue cyber crime and online fraud. Long blog but well worth five minutes of your time. Those who follow on Twitter @fabsiteuk will now Ive been working with @DurhamFraud helping promote awareness. This blog covers both personal and business related issues and is a broad view on that subject.

What is cyber crime? Ill endeavour to explain

Cybercrime is criminal activity that is carried out by using computers and the Internet. This includes anything from downloading illegal music files to stealing millions of pounds from online bank accounts. Cybercrime also includes non-monetary offences, such as creating and distributing viruses on other computers or posting confidential business information on the Internet. Many are victims of this offence and find out once it is too late. Prevention is by far better than the cure, awareness and being very diligent in all online activities will go a long way to combating this crime.Perhaps the most prominent form of cybercrime is identity theft, in which criminals use the Internet to steal personal information from other users. Two of the most common ways this is done is through phishing and pharming, what is this?

Both of these methods lure users to fake websites (that appear to be legitimate), where they are asked to enter personal information. This includes login information, such as usernames and passwords, phone numbers, addresses, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and other information criminals can use to “steal” another person’s identity. Hard to believe that people fall for dummy web sites and give information freely but it happens. For example EBay is a classic way some cyber criminals attack peoples identity, they create emails such as this well know trick  ebay@ehay.com for the uneducated they read EBay give up login and names to find out 3 days later their accounts have been compromised.For this reason, it is smart to always check the URL or Web address of a site to make sure it is legitimate before entering your personal information. Online verification services are available just Google search engine “Check URL hosting”

Because cybercrime covers such a broad scope of criminal activity, the examples above are only a few of the thousands of crimes that are considered cybercrimes. While computers and the Internet have made our lives easier in many ways, it is unfortunate that people also use these technologies to take advantage of others. Therefore, it is smart to protect yourself by using antivirus and spyware blocking software and being careful where you enter your personal information. Change passwords on all email accounts regularly, never give credit card details to a site you cannot verify, simple actions that can help deter the sickening feeling you get when your world is hacked!

Cyber Crime and your Business As small and large businesses increasingly rely on new Internet technologies to remain competitive within the local and global marketplace, they are also becoming more susceptible to cyber crime attacks.
Cyber crime can have a devastating impact on a small business, which often lacks the in-house technical expertise and resources to quickly and fully recover from cyber attacks. Small businesses can also even unknowingly aid in cyber crime by using unsecured computers, which cyber criminals can hijack and use to attack other online businesses; the economy’s life blood. While there are numerous technological steps small businesses can take to better secure their environments, IT infrastructure and controls alone are not effective in combating cyber fraud. Small business owners must also take steps to create a “culture of security” among both their employees and customers. My web based organisation Business Watch New Forest can advise on these measures, simple guidelines to help protect your business. Unfortunately, many small business owners are not currently taking such measures. In fact, only a little more than half of people and small business owners employ such simple precautions as requiring employees to sign security policies. Harsh, yes, but it’s your financial well being you are protecting.By taking such basic steps as requiring employees to sign security policies, small business owners can establish expectations with employees about their role in protecting customer and company data and set the tone for a “culture of security” in the workplace.Below are five technological and cultural adjustments people and small business owners can make to better defend themselves against the serious threats posed by cyber crime.

Assess risk and identify weaknesses As indivisuals and small business owners, you should analyse online and operating systems to determine the area’s most at risk. For example, is your customer data, internal accounting information and other sensitive data linked to the Internet?  It should not be directly and always connected to the internet as this presents a huge risk, hackers love computers with accounts.As part of this risk assessment, you should also ensure that updated anti-virus programs, anti-spyware programs and firewalls are installed on all computers and that good preactice is for you and employees to change their passwords every 30 to 50 days. Microsoft market leaders in protection software offer security essentials as a free download – get it.

Back-up critical information You should establish a schedule to perform critical data backups and system upgrades on a regular basis throughout the year. Sad to say many do not until the horse has bolted! Shut that stable door before it’s too late! Creating back-ups on a regular basis ensures that critical data is not lost in the event of a cyber attack or natural disaster. Store all backup copies in remote locations away from the office or home sounds dramatic but a must.

Create a contingency plan You should also draft a contingency plan to follow if you personally or the business suffers a cyber attack. This plan should include steps on how to continue your personal finances or business operations at an alternate location when necessary. Be sure to test the plan annually. Have a computer or computers away from the business location somewhere safe like home, which contains everything you may need in the event of a disaster. Sounds irrational but we live in a modern society where events beyond our control can and do happen. Be prepared.

 Business side educate employees As I mentioned earlier education, knowledge, know how, being aware all helps to combat this crime against business and us personally.
In order to create a culture of security, you must demonstrate to employees and customers that cyber fraud is a concern you take seriously. This involves educating employees and training them on proper Internet practices and technology solutions, as well as encouraging customers to protect themselves, as consumers, against cyber fraud. You should also integrate a cyber security roll out plan within the yearly business plan. This plan should also include steps for measuring success. Make the fact you have safe business practices a bonus point for staff. A case of beer or a free meal goes a long way to saying thank you.

Implement a security agreement Now this is a difficult area to educate your staff with how ever again it is your business and your money that gets lost.
You should require employees to sign a security agreement to demonstrate that they are active participants in helping to maintain a secure online environment. This agreement also should require employees to report any suspicious online activity or known Internet crime to the proper authorities.If fraud or criminal intent is suspected, you should report it to the local Police team.

Cyber security is good for your business and your finances Not only are you, as a small business owner, obligated to inform your customers if their personal information has been compromised, but you can also earn their respect as a trusted business partner by promoting the security practices that you have implemented to protect their data. Consumers are starting to take notice of how businesses secure their data and are more willing to trust and reward businesses for good security practices. In fact, nearly 85 percent of consumers in a recent survey said they would increase their shopping at a store known for good cyber security practices, while only 20 percent said they would continue shopping at a store that had a recent data breach, according to a market research firm.The losses resulting from cyber crimes, which can severely damage a businesses’ reputation, often outweigh the costs associated with the implementation of a simple security program. By implementing a security program that involves both technical controls and cultural adjustments, you, as a small business owner, can take a big step in fighting cyber crime.

Cybercrime Facts Cybercrime is one of the fastest growing areas of crime. More and more criminals are exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity that modern technologies offer in order to commit a diverse range of criminal activities. These include attacks against computer data and systems, identity theft, the distribution of vile images, internet auction fraud, the penetration of online financial services, as well as the deployment of viruses, Bots, and various email scams such as phishing.

The global nature of the Internet has allowed criminals to commit almost any illegal activity anywhere in the world, making it essential for all countries to adapt their domestic offline controls to cover crimes carried out in cyberspace. The use of the Internet by criminals, particularly for recruitment and the incitement of  acts of violence, poses a serious threat to national and international security.In addition, the threat of terrorism forces authorities to address security vulnerabilities related to information technology infrastructure such as power plants, electrical grids, information systems and the computer systems of government and major companies.

The changing nature of cybercrime However, we are now seeing an emerging trend with traditional organised crime syndicates and criminally minded technology professionals working together and pooling their resources and expertise.This approach has been very effective for the criminals involved. In 2015 and 2016 the cost of cybercrime worldwide was estimated at approximately USD 9 billion. As for corporate cyber espionage, cyber criminals have stolen intellectual property from businesses worldwide worth up to USD 1 trillion. They are very scary numbers just think about that for a moment and you will see why as an indivisual or big even small business you want no part of that loss – act now! Be cyber crime aware

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