Sunday, May 18, 2008

Secure your Data

Encrypting your entire hard drive, something you should certainly do for security in case your computer is lost or stolen, or even interborder travels.

The border agent is likely to start this whole process with a "please type in your password." Of course you can refuse, but the agent can search you further, detain you longer, refuse you entry into the country and otherwise ruin your day. You're going to have to hide your data. Set a portion of your hard drive to be encrypted with a different key and keep your sensitive data there.

Lots of programs allow you to do this. I use PGP Disk (from pgp.com).
TrueCrypt (truecrypt.org) is also good, and free.

While customs agents might poke around on your laptop, they're unlikely to find the encrypted partition. (You can make the icon invisible, for some added protection.) And if they download the contents of your hard drive to examine later, you won't care. Be sure to choose a strong encryption password. 

A customs agent can't read what you don't have.
You don't need four years' worth of email and client data.
You don't need your old photos and love letters.

Delete everything you don't absolutely need using a file erasure program. Delete your browser's cookies, cache and browsing history. Turn your computer off - don't just put it to sleep - that deletes other things.

Some organizations now give their employees forensically clean laptops for travel and have them download any sensitive data over a virtual private network once they've entered the country. 
They send any work back the same way and delete everything again before crossing the border to go home. 

Also, you can consider putting your sensitive data on a USB drive or a memory card: Encrypt it because it's easy to lose something that small. Slip it in your pocket, if custom discovers it, you can try saying: 
"I don't know what's on there. My boss told me to give it to the manager." With a strong encryption password, you won't care if he confiscates it.

Finally, don't forget your phone and PDA. Delete: emails, your phone book and your calendar. 

I wish You Great Success.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Standards and Self Education

Self-education, also known as self-directed learning or autodidacticism, is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and expertise on your own initiative without the guidance of a formal teacher or institution. It is a valuable and empowering approach to learning that allows individuals to take control of their own education and pursue their interests and goals. 

Here are some steps and strategies for effective self-education:

Set Clear Goals:
Determine what you want to learn and why. Setting specific goals will give your self-education purpose and direction.

Create a Learning Plan:
Break down your goals into smaller, manageable objectives. Create a schedule or timeline for your learning journey.
Identify the resources you'll need, such as books, online courses, videos, or mentors.

Use a Variety of Resources:
Books- Read books related to your chosen subject. Libraries and online resources like e-books can be invaluable.
Online Courses- Enroll in online courses on platforms like Coursera, edX, Udemy, or Khan Academy.
Videos and Tutorials- Platforms like YouTube offer a wealth of educational content.
Websites and Blogs- Explore reputable websites, blogs, and forums that cover your area of interest.
Podcasts and Audiobooks- Listen to podcasts or audiobooks while commuting or exercising.

Start Reading:
Standard education will get you jobs but self-education will make you fortunes. This is no doubt true, and I believe that reading is an important key to self-education. Statistics say the average CEO reads 4-5 books per month while the average American reads 1 book per year! This same statistic goes on to 
say that 60% of those average Americans don't even get past the first chapter in that one book. 

So here is another interesting fact: The average CEO of a Fortune 500 company will earn an average of 536 times the salary of the average employee of the company he runs. 

The major difference between the CEO and the average employee is that the CEO reads a lot of books and the employee doesn't, however, that is not the only difference.

I wish You Great Success.