Click here for the report.
Source: The New York Post
Thursday, April 16, 2020
New York Alert Issued for Online Video Conferencing Apps
The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) is alerting
consumers about personal data privacy settings for many online
conferencing apps. Video conferencing applications, which were
originally developed for companies to use on their internal systems
connecting only with specific external parties as needed, do not always
contain enough default privacy protections for broad use.
“With more and more people using online video conferencing apps to
connect with colleagues and loved ones, it’s important for people to
understand how to safely use these tools,” said Secretary of State Rossana Rosado.
“During this time where we are practicing social distancing and relying
on virtual connections, I urge consumers to take basic steps that can
help protect your personal information during this challenging time.”
Whether working online or connecting personally with family and friends, below is a list of precautions to protect your privacy.
When creating a new meeting:
Make it “private”. Mark meetings “private” so that
only people you send the link to will be able to access the call. Do not
post the link to an open forum like social media. Where possible, you
should invite people directly from the application, so only those people
on the email invite list can attend the call.
Require a password. If you are setting up a widely available meeting, even when it is private, you can add a level of security by requiring a password.
Don’t use your personal meeting id. In the same way you should not auto save passwords, do not autosave your personal meeting id and use it for every call setup. Make sure you sign in and note who you are each time. If someone gets access to your personal meeting id, they can easily sign in as you.
Turn off screen sharing when you do not need it. Screen sharing allows a hacker that gets into the call to see exactly what you are doing on the call. It also lets other users on the call see what you are doing while on the call – just by clicking on your name once you are sharing. Limit screen sharing to applications only or turn it off completely.
Consider using a “waiting room” and do not allow people in before the meeting organizer arrives. Waiting rooms allow the meeting organizer to screen who is entering the meeting and make sure no one joins the meeting – to confirm whether they should be there or not – before adding them to the meeting.
Use a ringtone to announce when people enter/leave the call. A ringtone alerts people when someone joins the call.
Check your app’s privacy settings. Default settings on videoconferencing apps change. Review the default privacy settings every month to make sure the meetings you set up are protected.
Require a password. If you are setting up a widely available meeting, even when it is private, you can add a level of security by requiring a password.
Don’t use your personal meeting id. In the same way you should not auto save passwords, do not autosave your personal meeting id and use it for every call setup. Make sure you sign in and note who you are each time. If someone gets access to your personal meeting id, they can easily sign in as you.
Turn off screen sharing when you do not need it. Screen sharing allows a hacker that gets into the call to see exactly what you are doing on the call. It also lets other users on the call see what you are doing while on the call – just by clicking on your name once you are sharing. Limit screen sharing to applications only or turn it off completely.
Consider using a “waiting room” and do not allow people in before the meeting organizer arrives. Waiting rooms allow the meeting organizer to screen who is entering the meeting and make sure no one joins the meeting – to confirm whether they should be there or not – before adding them to the meeting.
Use a ringtone to announce when people enter/leave the call. A ringtone alerts people when someone joins the call.
Check your app’s privacy settings. Default settings on videoconferencing apps change. Review the default privacy settings every month to make sure the meetings you set up are protected.
Before logging into a call:
Beware of copycat domains. Make sure the link is legitimate (e.g. webex.com, zoom.us, hangouts.google.com) and goes to the location specified rather than bouncing to a different URL when you open it. Separately check the company website to see which URL should be used for the videoconference you are joining. Before clicking on a link, hover over it and make sure the link is for the address you expect.
Test the link before the call. Each conferencing platform has a way for you to test your connection, audio and video prior to a call connecting. If you go in and see what others will see and confirm your connection details, you will save time when you join the call later.
Check your software version. Make sure you are using the most recent version of software or app when you create a meeting or log in to a call. Security updates are being done regularly by many conferencing app companies, and you want to make sure you have the latest to ensure the highest level of protection the company can offer.
Log in on a secured network. Whenever possible do not log into an online conference with public WIFI. Public WIFI is open to everyone to see what you are doing and the links for online conferencing can pass a lot of information, including passwords and meeting ids, making it easy for someone in the vicinity to get access to your conversation and other information.
Mute yourself. There are settings for muting both your sound and your video. If you do not want people to see or hear what you are doing, mute. If you are in a busy area, people will not be able to hear on the call if you do not mute in between when you are talking.
Know that your call may be recorded. Depending who set up the meeting, calls can be recorded. There is an indicator (different on each platform, so do a little homework in advance and know when someone is recording a call). The person should announce that a call is being recorded, as a courtesy, but if not, you will know how to spot a recording in progress and can make your own choice whether to continue or leave the call.
Source: The New York State Division of Consumer Protection
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Cuomo Signs Executive Order Regarding Face Masks and Coverings in Public
All New Yorkers Must Wear Them
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced he will issue an Executive Order requiring all people in New York to wear a mask or a face covering when out in public and in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained, such as on public transportation. The Executive Order will go into effect on Friday, April 17th.
Governor Cuomo also announced the state will begin conducting antibody tests, prioritizing frontline health care workers, first responders and other essential workers, beginning this week. Using a new finger prick method the state will test up to 2,000 New Yorkers per day. The state is also asking the FDA for expedited approval of a finger prick antibody test that could test up to 100,000 New Yorkers a day. Additionally, the state is continuing to engage with other partners including hospital labs and private companies to bring mass antibody testing to scale statewide.
The Governor also announced the state will give 100 ventilators to Michigan and 50 ventilators to Maryland.
The Governor will also issue an Executive Order requiring nursing homes to report positive COVID-19 cases and deaths to the families of those who are living in the nursing home facility within 24 hours. The order will include adult home and other assisted living facilities. Previously, State Department of Health issued guidance asking these facilities to communicate this information to families; this new order makes that guidance mandatory.
The Governor will also issue an Executive Order allowing individuals assisting with the COVID-19 response or individuals who have been displaced due to COVID-19 to stay in a hotel in New York City for more than 28 days without becoming a tenant.
The Governor also announced that the State University of New York and The City University of New York are using 3D printers to produce critical personal protective equipment for New York's frontline health workers. SUNY campuses are producing about 2,100 face shields a day amongst 13 SUNY campuses, its four Cornell colleges, and its four university centers. Teams at six CUNY colleges have adapted their 3D printers and associated materials to make elements that are used in protective face shields for local hospitals. The face shields are being donated to medical teams across the state, as resources are needed by hospitals, nursing homes and testing sites.
"As we continue to flatten the curve and slow the infection rate of the virus we have to build a bridge from where we are now to the reopening of the economy, and the single best tool to do that is large scale testing," Governor Cuomo said. "We have done more tests than any other state in the nation - more than 500,000 in over a one-month period - but we need to do more and we need the help of the federal government to get people back to work and begin our return to a new normal. We are going to begin conducting antibody testing for our frontline workers and we are currently able to test 2,000 people per day, and we are asking the FDA for approval of a finger prick test that would allow us to test 100,000 people per day. Another part of getting to the new normal is continuing to stop the spread of the virus, and to do that I am issuing an Executive Order that says all people in public must wear a mask or face covering."
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Intelligence Officials Weigh Possibility Coronavirus Escaped From A Chinese Lab
The intelligence community “has not come down on any one theory,” an official told Yahoo News.
Click here for the report.
Source: The Huffington Post
Note: On February 22, From The G-Man published a YouTube video entitled 'Wuhan Coronavirus is an Offensive Biological Warfare Weapon'. It was one of the few news sources in the United States that did so. The video featured Dr. Francis Boyle, who provided a detailed explanation of how the coronavirus may have been accidentally released at a Biosafety Level 3 or 4 lab in Wuhan. The video has been removed by YouTube.
Dr. Boyle served on the Board of Directors of Amnesty International, as a consultant to the American Friends Service Committee, and on the Advisory Board for the Council for Responsible Genetics. He drafted the U.S. domestic implementing legislation for the Biological Weapons Convention, known as the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989, that was approved unanimously by both Houses of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush.
American mainstream news organizations were urged to join this independent news and information platform by allowing Dr. Boyle an opportunity to plead his case. They were also urged to let the public decide if Dr. Boyle was telling the truth! If he was blacklisted, as he alleged, that was wrong!
MBP Gale Brewer's Virtual Town Hall: Small Business Relief During COVID-19
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer moderates a discussion on resources and relief opportunities for small businesses hurting due to COVID-19. The event was held on April 13.
Source: Columbia University
The Story of Tre Kwon: Two Weeks as a NYC Nurse in the Pandemic
This report was published on YouTube on April 13.
Two Big U.S. Banks Offer Glum Outlook for Coronavirus Recession
NEW YORK (Reuters): The main things investors wanted to learn from first-quarter results by JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) on Tuesday was just how bad the coronavirus recession is going to get and how long it will take to get back to normal.
Click here for the report.
Larry Kudlow Comments to Reporters at the White House
C-SPAN: National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow fields questions from reporters in the White House driveway. He says he has no regrets saying last month that the coronavirus was under control.
Monday, April 13, 2020
U.S. v. Sineneng-Smith Echoes the Fugitive Slave Act
By Alan J. Singer
The rightwing majority on the United States Supreme Court will soon decide an immigration case, United States v. Sineneng-Smith, where their decision could threaten fundamental American freedoms.
Click here for the article.
Source: History News Network
WHO Outlines Rules Needed to Scale Back COVID-19 Measures
The coverage begins at the 19:10 mark.
Global News: World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday they would be releasing its guide Tuesday to help countries properly and safely scroll back various measures put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. He said it includes ensuring infections are controlled, and that health system capacities are in place to detect, isolate and treat patients and trace every contact. He added that another important step will be minimizing outbreak risks in certain settings like long-term care homes.
Ghebreyesus said with some countries looking at reducing stay-at-home orders and physical distancing rules, he stressed it must be done slowly and only with proper public health measures in place. He said this includes having a significant capacity for contact tracing.
Click here for additional information.
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