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
FACIAL RECOGNITION IS ALIVE & WELL
WHAT? Facial recognition software company, Clearview, has gotten the attention of many privacy advocates and major internet platforms with its growing collection of over 3 billion photos of people. Social media giants LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google, and YouTube have tried issuing cease and desist letters stating the “scraping” of pics from their services violates terms of service and privacy trusts. Whether Clearview obtains the information themselves or through third-party scrappers like Insta-Stalker, profiles and associated names are being gathered and maintained even if the owner later deletes it or makes the account private. HOW? When a user uploads a photo for matching, Clearview searches its database and retrieves photos of the matched person, along with identifiers, names, and links from where the photos were retrieved. Clearview states that it only sells access of its database to security agencies, enabling the matching of unknown faces to images for the furtherance of law enforcement. REALLY? From a recent breach into Clearview, multiple news sources are advising that the client list of Clearview has grown larger than normal law enforcement agencies, in fact it is being purchased by more than 2,900 institutions in over 26 different countries. Regardless of how the First Amendment argument will be decided here, there are issues with the software’s accuracy and its use by unfriendly entities. SO… How do you protect your information and identity? FIRST, make sure your social media accounts are private. Check regularly to see if your security settings need to be updated. THEN, avoid photo-tagging. This just makes it easier for hackers and scrappers to match your name to images. Another option: Clearview states that you can ask them to delete all data connected you, AFTER you send them a clear photo of yourself and a high res scan of your government issued ID. WHAT?! |
TIPS & ADVICE
CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO SPREAD
With 170 countries and territories affected around the world, COVID-19 has the world’s attention. With its rapid emergence in December 2019, the virus causes an infection in your respiratory system. It has symptoms very similar to that of a common flu: fever, shortness of breath, and coughing. The higher interest seems to stem from a transmission rate of 2-3 infected from 1 person and that this can occur during an incubation period of up to 14 days.
Especially for those who must travel, the World Health Organization is recommending the following:
1. Wash your hands frequently
Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
2. Maintain social distancing
Maintain at least 6 feet distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing to help avoid the potentially virus-laced droplets being expelled.
3. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth.
4. Practice respiratory hygiene
Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze.
5. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance.
With 170 countries and territories affected around the world, COVID-19 has the world’s attention. With its rapid emergence in December 2019, the virus causes an infection in your respiratory system. It has symptoms very similar to that of a common flu: fever, shortness of breath, and coughing. The higher interest seems to stem from a transmission rate of 2-3 infected from 1 person and that this can occur during an incubation period of up to 14 days.
Especially for those who must travel, the World Health Organization is recommending the following:
1. Wash your hands frequently
Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
2. Maintain social distancing
Maintain at least 6 feet distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing to help avoid the potentially virus-laced droplets being expelled.
3. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth.
4. Practice respiratory hygiene
Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze.
5. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance.
HOW USED IS TOO USED?
A quick search of the internet and you will read multiple horror stories of people who have been denied entry into a country because their passport is either about to expire or is judged to be damaged. We can understand the definitive time limits but what about the more subjective limits of a well-worn passport?
According to the US government, a passport is considered damaged and may not be used if “The passport has been materially changed in physical appearance or composition, or contains a damaged, defective or otherwise nonfunctioning chip, or includes unauthorized changes, obliterations, entries or photographs, or has observable wear or tear that renders it unfit for use as a travel document.”
You can see there is a lot of room for interpretation there. Keep in mind that “damaged” passports and pleading passengers have been used as a cover for illegal entry and activity in many parts of the world. Needless to say, immigration and security staff are very aware of this as a potential ploy and security threat and will often lean toward a more stringent side.
So how do we avoid the delays and stress of this conflict? Check your passport for the following:
~ No tears or cuts in the pages, especially the photo page
~ Everything on the photo page is legible and clear
~ RFID chip is clearly not damaged
~ No pages have been removed
~ No alterations or tampering
~ No water damage
~ Cover is not loose
~ No exposed threads
Safe Travels!
A quick search of the internet and you will read multiple horror stories of people who have been denied entry into a country because their passport is either about to expire or is judged to be damaged. We can understand the definitive time limits but what about the more subjective limits of a well-worn passport?
According to the US government, a passport is considered damaged and may not be used if “The passport has been materially changed in physical appearance or composition, or contains a damaged, defective or otherwise nonfunctioning chip, or includes unauthorized changes, obliterations, entries or photographs, or has observable wear or tear that renders it unfit for use as a travel document.”
You can see there is a lot of room for interpretation there. Keep in mind that “damaged” passports and pleading passengers have been used as a cover for illegal entry and activity in many parts of the world. Needless to say, immigration and security staff are very aware of this as a potential ploy and security threat and will often lean toward a more stringent side.
So how do we avoid the delays and stress of this conflict? Check your passport for the following:
~ No tears or cuts in the pages, especially the photo page
~ Everything on the photo page is legible and clear
~ RFID chip is clearly not damaged
~ No pages have been removed
~ No alterations or tampering
~ No water damage
~ Cover is not loose
~ No exposed threads
Safe Travels!
