Fort
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As groundbreaking leaders in personal security and risk management for travelers, we stand ready to equip and serve as you are called to the ends of the Earth.
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ARE YOU PREPARED?
Faith-based guidance and practice in prevention, protection, interaction, and survival
Vertical Divider
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Collaborative workshops on assessing risks, mitigating crises, and managing contingencies
Vertical Divider
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Partner together to provide 24/7 emergency access, consultation, and threat analysis
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~ Most people traveling overseas on mission trips take out insurance policies that cover sickness, death and evacuations. How are these policies being affected by the corona-virus outbreak? ~ US government assistance is being increasingly limited. What changes are the US Department of State putting into place? ~ Can a worldwide pandemic cause harassment toward foreign travelers? What should you be preparing for? <Read the 1-page summary here> |
NEWS FOR YOU
YOUR EMAILS ARE NOT AS SAFE AS YOU THINK THEY ARE
Unless you are using a secure email service that respects your privacy, the answer is probably NO. Most large email providers (think Gmail & Yahoo) do not respect the privacy of your inbox. How many out there use one of these? Wait, DON'T RAISE YOUR HANDS While Gmail and Yahoo may be convenient and super popular, there are 3 big issues: 1. Your inbox is used as a tool for data collection. You do know that Google tracks your purchasing history using the receipts in your inbox, right? 2. Rather seeing just emails, your inbox is also used for showing ads and marketing. Everybody nod your head 3. The contents of your inbox are being shared with others. WAIT. WHAT?! Oh yes, when you remain logged in to your Gmail account, Google can easily track your activities online as you browse different websites, which are typically hosting Google Analytics, or Google Adsense. Another concern is where your email service is located and how this may affect your data and privacy. Some areas have laws to protect data privacy (think Switzerland), while others have laws in place to circumvent it (like good ole USA & Australia). Since everybody wants something different, there is no single "best secure email" service that will be a top choice for everyone. Some may prioritize maximum security and strong encryption, while others may want convenience and and simplicity with user-friendly apps for all devices. Regardless, here are some alternatives for you to check out that are better secured and that protect your privacy: 1. PROTON MAIL 2. MAIL FENCE 3. TUTANOTA 4. COUNTERMAIL 5. STARTMAIL |
TIPS & ADVICE
FILE THIS UNDER...INTERESTING
Everybody understands that advertising platforms like Google and Facebook collect personal information. You’ve heard us remind you continuously that to some degree or another we're always being tracked, especially when it comes to what we do online, but this may give some of us pause.
The "Covid-19 Mobility Report" is what Google is calling the reports which detail the change in travel patterns due to social distancing across six categories, including Retail & Recreation, Grocery & Pharmacy, Parks, Transit Stations, Workplaces, and Residential. Seriously, Check It Out.
According to the company, the data comes from people who have turned on the Location History feature “voluntarily”. We’ve recommended you turn that feature off whenever possible, but evidently --at least based on this data set--most people leave it on.
Sooo, if Google can break the data down by county, is it also capable of breaking it down by household?
Although Google SAYS it only gathers location data in mass, it clearly knows when you're home and when you leave home. It knows when you run to the store or the park. It knows where you work and how far you travel to get there. It knows where your neighbor works and whether they're following the government's guidelines as well.
Like we said, IN-TER-EST-ING
Everybody understands that advertising platforms like Google and Facebook collect personal information. You’ve heard us remind you continuously that to some degree or another we're always being tracked, especially when it comes to what we do online, but this may give some of us pause.
The "Covid-19 Mobility Report" is what Google is calling the reports which detail the change in travel patterns due to social distancing across six categories, including Retail & Recreation, Grocery & Pharmacy, Parks, Transit Stations, Workplaces, and Residential. Seriously, Check It Out.
According to the company, the data comes from people who have turned on the Location History feature “voluntarily”. We’ve recommended you turn that feature off whenever possible, but evidently --at least based on this data set--most people leave it on.
Sooo, if Google can break the data down by county, is it also capable of breaking it down by household?
Although Google SAYS it only gathers location data in mass, it clearly knows when you're home and when you leave home. It knows when you run to the store or the park. It knows where you work and how far you travel to get there. It knows where your neighbor works and whether they're following the government's guidelines as well.
Like we said, IN-TER-EST-ING
WHERE DOES THE SIDEWALK END?
What ?
Adding to the familiar Amazon products such as Drive, Prime, Fresh, Video, and Publishing, we now have Sidewalk. What, you say?! It’s a low-bandwidth, long-distance wireless network that smart-home gear (like Echo & Ring) uses to interconnect. In other words, it allows your devices to stay connected further away from your router, and even stay online when your Wi-Fi goes down.
Are there issues ?
Well, the more controversial part of Amazon Sidewalk is the way it shares some of your internet bandwidth with your neighbors (and gets some back in return). If your internet goes down, your Ring camera, for example, can connect to the internet next door to keep sending you alerts and vice-versa, assuming both of you are set up with Sidewalk. Part of the concern is that you won’t know who’s piggybacking off your network. Amazon says sharing is capped at 500MB per month.
The other issue may be security. Amazon says that the Sidewalk network uses three layers of encryption to keep data shared over the network safe, and the same encryption standards are required for all applications and devices that use the network. But it really comes down to how much you trust Amazon—the company that seems driven to collect as much data as possible about you and your behaviors, and then shares that information with various entities.
Well then ?
If you end up deciding that Amazon Sidewalk isn't for you, you need to act. It's ON BY DEFAULT on all your compatible devices.
~ To turn Sidewalk off (or to turn Community Finding on), open the Alexa app and tap the More icon at the bottom right.
~ Tap Settings > Account Settings > Amazon Sidewalk to find the main toggle for Amazon Sidewalk.
~ Tap Community Finding to find the second toggle for location sharing.
What ?
Adding to the familiar Amazon products such as Drive, Prime, Fresh, Video, and Publishing, we now have Sidewalk. What, you say?! It’s a low-bandwidth, long-distance wireless network that smart-home gear (like Echo & Ring) uses to interconnect. In other words, it allows your devices to stay connected further away from your router, and even stay online when your Wi-Fi goes down.
Are there issues ?
Well, the more controversial part of Amazon Sidewalk is the way it shares some of your internet bandwidth with your neighbors (and gets some back in return). If your internet goes down, your Ring camera, for example, can connect to the internet next door to keep sending you alerts and vice-versa, assuming both of you are set up with Sidewalk. Part of the concern is that you won’t know who’s piggybacking off your network. Amazon says sharing is capped at 500MB per month.
The other issue may be security. Amazon says that the Sidewalk network uses three layers of encryption to keep data shared over the network safe, and the same encryption standards are required for all applications and devices that use the network. But it really comes down to how much you trust Amazon—the company that seems driven to collect as much data as possible about you and your behaviors, and then shares that information with various entities.
Well then ?
If you end up deciding that Amazon Sidewalk isn't for you, you need to act. It's ON BY DEFAULT on all your compatible devices.
~ To turn Sidewalk off (or to turn Community Finding on), open the Alexa app and tap the More icon at the bottom right.
~ Tap Settings > Account Settings > Amazon Sidewalk to find the main toggle for Amazon Sidewalk.
~ Tap Community Finding to find the second toggle for location sharing.
