STM Daily News
Burglars are Jamming Wi-Fi Security Cameras—Here’s What You Can Do
In the ever-evolving landscape of home security, one would think that technology provides an impenetrable shield against intruders. However, a recent article on PCWorld.com highlights a concerning trend: tech-savvy burglars are now using Wi-Fi jamming devices to circumvent the very security systems designed to protect us. This revelation has left many homeowners wondering how to effectively safeguard their homes against these clever thieves.
The Rise of High-Tech Burglars
The article discusses a tweet from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire division, revealing that a group of burglars has adopted sophisticated tactics to disable Wi-Fi security cameras—like those from Ring and Nest—before breaking in. These thieves are not your average criminals; they operate with precision, employing lookout teams and targeting high-value items such as jewelry and designer handbags. Their modus operandi involves disrupting the wireless signals that keep homeowners connected and alert.
While Wi-Fi security cameras are generally user-friendly and convenient for monitoring your property remotely, this new threat underscores a significant vulnerability. With a simple jamming device, these burglars can render your surveillance efforts useless, raising the question: how can homeowners adapt to this chilling reality?
Understanding the Risks
It’s important to note that the use of wireless signal jammers is illegal in the United States, as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) strictly regulates wireless bands to prevent interference. Yet, the reality is that these devices are relatively easy to acquire or construct, making them an accessible tool for those determined to commit a crime.
The police have responded to this situation by recommending traditional security measures—such as not announcing vacations on social media and being vigilant about suspicious activity in the neighborhood. However, they also suggest reverting to wired security camera systems, which require more complex installations and additional hardware. While this might seem like a logical solution, it may not be practical for all homeowners.
Rethinking Home Security
If relying solely on wired cameras feels excessive, there are alternative strategies that can enhance your security without breaking the bank. As the article suggests, investing in a camera with built-in storage and a battery—like Eufy’s solar-powered SoloCam series—can be a game changer. These cameras are not only more resilient against tampering but also provide a visual record of any potential break-ins.
The beauty of these modern cameras lies in their independence from Wi-Fi networks. As long as they are placed securely and out of reach, they can serve as an effective deterrent against thieves who rely on jamming signals. Additionally, these cameras often come equipped with features like motion detection alerts, enabling you to stay informed even if your primary security system is compromised.
Stay One Step Ahead
While no security system is entirely foolproof, staying informed and proactive can significantly reduce your risk of becoming a victim of burglary. The rise of Wi-Fi jamming highlights the necessity of rethinking our approaches to home security in an increasingly tech-driven world. Whether you opt for wired systems, hybrid solutions, or innovative standalone cameras, the key is to create layers of security that make it more difficult for intruders to succeed.
Ultimately, as technology continues to evolve, so too must our methods of protection. By staying vigilant and adapting our security measures, we can help ensure that our homes remain safe havens despite the challenges posed by tech-savvy criminals.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/2405434/burglars-are-jamming-wi-fi-security-cameras.html
Authors
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Economy
Dockworkers pause strike after Biden administration’s appeal to patriotism hits the mark
Dockworkers at East Coast ports halted a strike following government intervention, accepting a 62% wage increase, easing supply chain disruptions.
A dockworkers strike that froze operations at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports for 2½ days was paused on Oct. 3, 2024. The Conversation U.S. asked Anna Nagurney, a scholar of supply chains, to assess the extent of disruptions that likely occurred and how the swift return of 45,000 workers who had been on strike may stave off further problems down the road.
Why was the strike suspended?
Aided by intense pressure from senior Biden administration officials, the shipping companies, represented by the U.S. Maritime Alliance, significantly increased the raise they were offering the dockworkers to 62% from their previous offer of a 50% boost in pay. The International Longshoremen’s Association, the dockworkers’ union, was seeking a 77% raise, but it accepted the new offer, which will be phased in over six years.
The agreement labor leaders and management reached will suspend the strike until at least Jan. 15, 2025, allowing more time for additional collective bargaining and negotiations.
Talks over other contested conditions, including the adoption of more automation, will continue until then.
President Joe Biden applauded both sides. He thanked the union and management “for acting patriotically to reopen our ports and ensure the availability of critical supplies for Hurricane Helene recovery and rebuilding.”
How has this strike affected the economy?
About half of the products that the U.S. imports are handled by the ports that were paralyzed during this brief strike. About 1 million shipping containers arrive at these ports every month.
Imports include vast quantities of bananas and other fresh produce, coffee, pharmaceuticals, liquor, toys, apparel, furniture, machinery and vehicles. Exports include meats, commodities, machinery, chemicals, vehicles and vehicle parts.
The strike’s impact was immediate. More than 50 ships laden with hundreds of thousands of containers created a logjam at East Coast ports. Major retailers, such as Walmart, Costco, Lowes and Home Depot, were among the companies stuck waiting for the release of their stranded cargo.
It may take two to three weeks to relieve this logjam. Prices for some products, including coffee, were already rising before the negotiators reached their breakthrough.
Workers are critical to the functioning of each link in supply chains. When the dockworkers were on strike, other workers, such as truckers, rail employees and warehouse workers, were concerned about being affected, as well as all the businesses that rely on them, such as restaurants.
Why is the new time frame significant?
Shipping tied to the holiday season typically runs from July through early November. Members of the National Retail Federation, the largest U.S. retail trade group, have already been dealing with significant supply disruptions due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Suez Canal. The attacks have forced shipping companies to take longer routes, delaying cargo delivery and increasing costs due to the need for more fuel and labor.
A prolonged dockworkers strike would put stress on the economy. According to J.P. Morgan, a lengthy dockworkers strike could have cost the U.S. economy US$5 billion per day.
The temporary agreement pushes the strike past the U.S. elections in November and the conclusion of the upcoming holiday season. That gives both sides a chance to return to the bargaining table to continue to negotiate and to reach an agreement on the issues that haven’t been resolved yet – notably the use of automation.
Having a shorter strike will reduce the risk of shortages of everything from mangos to Maseratis and the price increases that typically occur when products are scarce and in high demand.
What did the Biden administration do?
The Biden administration was eager for a settlement, especially with the ports serving as channels for recovery supplies after the massive damage seen in Florida, western North Carolina and other areas near the East Coast from Hurricane Helene.
Senior government officials made notable progress when they met with representatives of shipping companies before daybreak on Oct. 3 over Zoom.
Julie Su, the acting labor secretary, had been working hard to help the two sides settle their differences. She emphasized over Zoom that she could get the International Longshoremen’s Association to the bargaining table to extend the contract. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also stayed in touch with labor and management, and used that Zoom meeting to tell the shipping companies that they would need to offer the dockworkers a higher wage.
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told the shipping companies on Zoom that they should make an offer to the union quickly so that the strike wouldn’t further exacerbate the effects of Hurricane Helene.
It seems clear to me that the pressure worked – helped, perhaps, by a bit of patriotism.
Anna Nagurney, Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies, UMass Amherst
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
News
Brown bananas, crowded ports, empty shelves: What to expect with the US dockworkers strike
A strike by dockworkers at the East and Gulf Coast ports has halted operations, affecting cargo flow and potentially leading to economic disruptions.
Getting any product to consumers, whether it’s a can of sardines or a screwdriver, requires that supply chains function well.
The availability of labor is essential in each link of the supply chain. That includes the workers who make sure that your tinned fish and handy tools smoothly journey from their point of origin to where they’ll wind up, whether it’s a supermarket, hardware store or your front door.
Amazingly, 90% of all internationally traded products are carried by ships at some point. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was hard not to notice the supply chain disruptions. For U.S. ports, there were many bouts of congestion. Demand for goods that were either more or less popular than they would normally be became volatile. Shortages of truckers and other freight service providers wreaked havoc on land-based and maritime transportation networks.
Consumers became exasperated when they saw all the empty shelves. They endured price spikes for items that were suddenly scarce, such as hand sanitizer, computer equipment and bleach.
I’m a scholar of supply chain management who belongs to a research group that studies ways to make supply chains better able to withstand disruptions. Based on that research, plus what I learned while writing a book about labor and supply chains, I’m concerned about the turmoil that could be in store for cargo arriving on ships.
Concerns over pay and technology
The International Longshoremen’s Association’s six-year contract with the East Coast and Gulf Coast ports expired on Sept. 30, 2024, at midnight without an agreement. About 45,000 dockworkers are now on a strike that has paralyzed ports from Maine to Texas. Only military cargo and cruise ships, as well as oil, gas and liquid chemicals, can go in and out.
It’s the first such work stoppage for the East Coast ports since 1977.
Labor and management disagree over how much to raise wages, and the union also wants to see strict limits on the use of automation for cranes, gates and trucks at the ports in the new contract. The union is seeking a 77% increase in pay over the next six years and is concerned that jobs may be lost because of automation. When management offered a nearly 50% raise, the union rejected it.
Dockworkers on the West Coast, who are not on strike, are paid much higher regular wages than their East Coast and Gulf Coast counterparts who are on strike. The West Coast workers earn at least an estimated US$116,000 per year, for a 40-hour work week, versus the roughly $81,000 dockworkers at the East Coast and Gulf Coast ports take home, not counting overtime pay.
Management is represented in the talks by the U.S. Maritime Association, which includes the major shippers, terminal operators and port authorities.
What to expect
Starting on Oct. 1, 36 ports, including those in Philadelphia and Houston, ceased operations due to the strike, blocking almost half of the cargo going in and out of the U.S. on ships.
If the strike lasts just a day, then it would not be noticeable to a typical consumer. However, businesses of all kinds would no doubt feel the pinch. J.P. Morgan estimates that a strike could cost the U.S. economy $5 billion every day.
Even if the strike were to last only a day, it could take about five days to straighten out the supply chain.
If a strike lasts a week, the results would quickly become apparent to most consumers.
Some shipping companies have already begun to reroute their cargo to the West Coast. Even had there been no strike at all, costs would have risen and the warehouses could have run out of room.
The effects on everything from bananas and cherries to chocolate, meat, fish and cheese could be severe, and the shipping disruption could also hamper trade in some prescription drugs if the strike lasts at least a week.
If the strike were to last a month or more, supplies needed by factories could be in short supply. Numerous consumer products would not be delivered. Workers would be laid off. U.S. exports, including agricultural ones, might get stuck rather than shipped to their destinations. Inflation might increase again. And there would be a new bout of heightened economic anxiety and uncertainty – along with immense financial losses.
All the while, West Coast ports would face unusually high demand for their services, wreaking havoc on shipping there too.
Yes, we’d have no bananas
My research group’s latest work on supply chain disruptions and the effects of various transportation disruptions, including delays, quantifies the impact on the quality of fresh produce. We did a case study on bananas.
This isn’t a niche problem.
Bananas are the most-consumed fresh fruit in the U.S.
Many of the bananas sold in the U.S. are grown in Ecuador, Guatemala and Costa Rica. About 75% of them arrive at ports on the East and Gulf coasts.
Although bananas are relatively easy to ship, they require appropriate temperatures and humidity. Even under the best conditions, their quality deteriorates. Long delays will mean shippers will be trying to foist mushy brown bananas on consumers who might reject them.
Alternatively, banana growers may opt to find other markets. It’s reasonable to expect to find fewer bananas and much higher prices – possibly of a lower quality. Flying bananas to the U.S. would be too expensive to sustain.
Fresh meat, seafood, cheese and other refrigerated foods could spoil before they can complete their journeys, and fresh berries, along with other fruits and vegetables, could perish before reaching their destinations.
Tons of fresh produce, including bananas arriving after Oct. 1, could end up having to be discarded. That is unfortunate, given the rising food insecurity rate in the U.S.
1947 Taft-Hartley Act
More than 170 trade groups had urged the Biden administration to intervene at the last minute to avoid a strike.
Even now, the government can invoke the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, which allows the president to ask a court to order an 80-day cooling-off period when public health or safety is at risk.
However, President Joe Biden reportedly does not plan to invoke it. Instead, he has urged the two sides to settle their differences.
So if you’re planning to bake banana bread or were thinking you might get an early start on your holiday shopping, I’d advise you to make those shopping trips as soon as possible – just in case.
This is an updated version of an article first published on Sept. 28, 2024.
Anna Nagurney, Professor and Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies, UMass Amherst
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
As the leaves change and the air turns crisp, October arrives as a powerful reminder of resilience and awareness. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is not just about raising awareness; it’s about action, education, and community support. With over 360,000 people projected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. in 2024, this month serves as a crucial time to reflect on the impact of this disease and the importance of early detection.
The Statistics Behind the Cause
Breast cancer affects approximately 1 in 8 women and 1 in 1,000 men in the United States. This staggering statistic highlights the urgency to be proactive. However, there is hope. Thanks to advancements in medical technology and research, early detection methods have improved significantly. When breast cancer is caught in its earliest, localized stages, the 5-year relative survival rate is an impressive 99%. This underscores the importance of regular screenings, self-examinations, and awareness campaigns like those organized during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
Among the many important dates in October, October 13 stands out as Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the realities of metastatic breast cancer (MBC), which occurs when breast cancer spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body. It is crucial to recognize that while advancements have been made, MBC remains a significant challenge within the breast cancer community. This day serves as a reminder that we must advocate for more research, better treatments, and comprehensive support for those living with this stage of breast cancer.
The Role of the National Breast Cancer Foundation
The National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc. (NBCF) plays a vital role in this month-long awareness initiative. Their mission, “Helping Women Now®,” focuses on providing education, support, and resources to women and families affected by breast cancer. With a commitment to early detection, NBCF encourages individuals to act, reminding us that being proactive can save lives. Whether through scheduling mammograms, performing self-exams, or simply spreading awareness, every action counts.
The Importance of Community Support
Breast cancer is not just a statistic; it affects real lives, families, and communities. Throughout October, communities come together to support those impacted by breast cancer. From fundraising events to educational seminars, the collective efforts aim to foster a sense of camaraderie and hope. It’s a time to remind those suffering that they are not alone in their journey.
Participating in Breast Cancer Awareness Month can take many forms, whether it’s wearing pink, sharing stories on social media, or advocating for breast cancer research. Each act of kindness and awareness helps to amplify the message and promote a culture of support and understanding.
Taking Action
As we move through October, let us not forget the importance of taking action. Schedule a mammogram, perform a self-exam, and encourage friends and family to do the same. Educate yourself about the signs of breast cancer and stay informed about the latest advancements in treatment and support.
October is a month of awareness, hope, and action. By shining a light on breast cancer and recognizing specific awareness days like Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, we can foster a community that supports those affected and works towards a future where breast cancer no longer holds the same fear it does today. Let’s come together to make a difference—because every action counts in the fight against breast cancer.
For more information about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and how you can get involved, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s website at NBCF. Together, we can help raise awareness and support those in need.
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month/
https://www.komen.org/about-komen/our-impact/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-awareness-month/
https://www.breastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-awareness-month
Author
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
Urbanism1 year agoSignal Hill, California: A Historic Enclave Surrounded by Long Beach
-
News2 years agoDiana Gregory Talks to us about Diana Gregory’s Outreach Services
-
Senior Pickleball Report2 years agoThe Absolute Most Comfortable Pickleball Shoe I’ve Ever Worn!
-
Senior Pickleball Report2 years agoACE PICKLEBALL CLUB TO DEBUT THEIR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED INDOOR PICKLEBALL FRANCHISES IN THE US, IN EARLY 2023
-
STM Blog1 year agoWorld Naked Gardening Day: Celebrating Body Acceptance and Nature
-
Automotive2 years ago2023 Nissan Sentra pricing starts at $19,950
-
Travel2 years agoUnique Experiences at the CitizenM
-
Senior Pickleball Report2 years ago“THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS OF PICKLEBALL” – VOTING OPEN