The Lighter Side: Punch a Painting, Go to Jail

In 2012, Andrew Shannon punched a Monet painting valued at $10 million. The incident occurred at the National Gallery of Ireland, located in Dublin. The painting, entitled Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat, painted in 1874, apparently represented something much greater to the man who decided to attack it.

Protect Yourself From Online Credit Card Fraud

The past couple of years have been a rough ride for anyone who relies on a credit card to make purchases. Data breaches have plagued retail stores in the U.S. and Canada. Credit card providers are set to roll out new, more secure credit cards to consumers this year, catching up to Europe and much of Asia in terms of credit card security. The U.S., in particular, has lagged behind in credit card security due in part to the cost of upgrading both the cards themselves and the pay terminals.

HOW TO GROW STAR PERFORMERS

A study of computer programmers at Bell Laboratories showed that the star performers outperformed moderate performers by a margin of 8 to 1. If that holds true in your organization, the conversion of five of your moderate performers into star performers would be the equivalent of adding 35 moderate performers to your workforce. Where are you going to find the five additional star performers? You don’t find them. You develop them.

How To Keep Your Laptop Secure When Using Public WiFi Hotspots

They are everywhere these days. WiFi hotspots for checking e-mail and hopping on the Internet can be found in airports, coffee shops and even most fast-food joints. But have you ever wondered, just how safe is it to connect? With the proliferation of hackers, viruses and identity theft at an all-time high, you are smart to be concerned. Unfortunately, it is easy for a hacker to set up a WiFi spot to access your laptop, called an “evil twin.” An evil twin is a wireless hotspot that is used to lure people from a nearby, legitimate hotspot. For example, when logging in at your favorite coffee shop, you may have inadvertently logged in to an evil twin Internet connection set up by the person working on a laptop at the next table.

Broken Hearts and Stolen Data

While many people buy their significant other a box of decadent chocolates, a dozen red roses or an oversize teddy bear for Valentine’s Day, there are a few people who are going to go home with a broken heart as their personal information is stolen right from under them. It’s a harsh reality, but both individuals and businesses are constantly targeted by fraudsters and hackers who want to steal any bit of data that will make them money.

The Lighter Side: Cake, Presents & Embezzlement

There’s nothing like a birthday party complete with an over-the-top cake, mounds of balloons and presents stacked to the ceiling. No, we’re not talking about Miley Cyrus’ 23rd birthday extravaganza, we’re talking about the surprise birthday bash Ruth C. Amen threw for her boss, without approval. The lavish party raised eyebrows and led to a review of the office manager’s accounting practices. Turns out Amen had been embezzling money from the business to pay her personal credit card debt. She also cut extra paychecks for herself, “forgetting” to deduct insurance costs from them. Maybe Amen felt bad about stealing and wanted to make up for it somehow, but all of the birthday cakes in the world wouldn’t quite cover the $181,674 she stole. When the last candle was blown out, Amen was found guilty of Grand Theft and Scheme to Defraud, both felonies. Next time, buy a card; it’s much less suspicious.

Internet Vigilance

Despite constant development in security and stability, the Internet still remains very much a Wild West landscape. You can navigate through it, but you never know when you might encounter a hidden danger. Threats exist on a global scale.

TAKE YOUR PROFIT FIRST, ALWAYS

The formula for profitability has been established for ages. Every business owner, CEO, freelancer and entrepreneur knows it. It is required by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which is enforced by the SEC in the US and the International Accounting Standards Board internationally.

Shiny New Gadget Of The Month: iPhone Binoculars

If you’ve ever wanted to add more utility to your Ap-ple iPhone, SkyMall’s iPhone Binoculars might be what you’re looking for. These bin-oculars, featuring 36mm lenses, attach onto the back of your phone via a sturdy and specially designed case. The case lines up the iPhone’s camera with one of the bin-ocular’s lenses, giving your camera 8x magnification.