Amy Currioman

There has been so much talk about hackers and viruses attacking the computers around the world that it is becoming more difficult to feel secure when I turn on my computer!  I always wonder when I go to bed if my computer is going to be infected during the night and be completely useless in the morning.  There seems to be frequent news on television about how some major company or organization or government branch has announced that their computer system was somehow compromised and that a lot of sensitive information has been exposed to potentially devious people who might use it for their own personal gain, stealing people’s identities, and causing general havoc.

One way to help protect a computer from being hacked into is by purchasing a service that makes your own IP anonymous. I had never heard of a service like this before, but my sister told me about it recently and suggested that I look into it. After all, if my computer was hacked it would be a major personal disaster. Yes, I back up my files religiously, but it still would be a major disaster for me to have to deal with it. She called it a vpn service. This service keeps your own IP address blocked so that it makes it more difficult for hackers to get into your system.  So this is something I will definitely check out!

My brother-in-law runs a small business in New England.  He has a couple of employees that have become his friends, and they hang out together even when they are not working.  Yesterday when they finished working, “the guys” decided to move a small shed on the business property.  One of the guys wasn’t paying attention and the shed fell over on him.  He was badly hurt and was rushed to the hospital.  We don’t know yet how serious the injuries are, but I am so grateful that my brother had bought plenty of business insurance when he started the business!  His insurance will help keep him from losing his shirt over this accident!