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MARYLOU YUSKIEWICZ
TRI-TOWN EDITOR
585-330-9016
TRI-TOWN NEIGHBORHOOD
WATCH NEWSLETTER
*GATES - GREECE - OGDEN*
FEBRUARY 2015
(Thank you KulaImagery.com for taking these wonderful photos)
Genesee Valley Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors and Gates Police Department
hosted an event honoring Law Enforcement on Friday, January 9, 2015 at the town's
community center.
FEBRUARY CALENDAR
FEBRUARY
HEART MONTH AND CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH
FEBRUARY 2
FEBRUARY 8
FEBRUARY 14
FEBRUARY 16
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 19
GROUNDHOG DAY
POLAR PLUNGE @ ONTARIO BEACH PARK
VALENTINE’S DAY
PRESIDENT’S DAY
ASH WEDNESDAY
CHINESE NEW YEAR
http://polarplunge.net
GATES POLICE
LT. JON BALLARD
The Gates Police Department would like to introduce our newest Officer. He is
Issac McGee. Officer McGee just graduated from the Police academy on 1-9-15. He is
excited to be working here at the Gates Police Department. He has completed his field
training and is now working as a Patrol Officer on the afternoon shift.
In order to become a Police Officer the first thing Officer McGee had to do was take and
pass a civil service test. You would do this by contacting the civil service agency in the
county that you live or want to work in. After passing the civil service test there is a physical
and psychological examination as well as a physical agility test. Officer McGee passed all of
these and the next step was the Police academy. This is a very intensive full time academy
that teaches you everything from law classes to firearms to defensive tactics. Officer McGee
even got sprayed with pepper spray and tear gas. The academy is about 6 months long and
then Officer McGee went thru an approximately 4 month long field training program on the
road at the Gates Police Department before he was ready for solo patrol.
These are just some of the steps to becoming a Police Officer. For anyone else who may be
looking to get into a law enforcement career we also recommend the following:
The first thing is to stay out of trouble. This not only means not getting arrested but also
avoiding any type of negative contact with the Police. Even things like speeding tickets can
come back to hurt you later on. You should study hard, graduate from high school, and if
possible get college degree. Maintain a good moral life. Don’t get in trouble at school or
around your neighborhood. When a Police agency is deciding who they are going to hire
they will do a background check on you. This means they will look at your school records
and talk to your neighbors.
When they do this you want to be seen as someone who was a good person that added to
the neighborhood and not a troublemaker or someone who caused problems. We are
happy to have Officer McGee with us at the Gates Police Department. If you see him out on
the street stop him and say Hi.
ASST. CHIEF
DAN DISALVO
12 Tips for Better Heart Health
Diet, sleep, fitness, and more -- how to strengthen and protect your heart right now
1. Know your heart health numbers.
Establish a baseline to help plan every preventive step for the rest of the year. You need to know if you are at
risk before you can take action to lower your risk.
2. Target your triglycerides.
Shoot for a level of 150 or lower. Doctors usually talk about good and bad cholesterol and most folks will have
that down, but triglycerides are a better marker for high risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Triglycerides are also much more responsive to lifestyle changes than other types of blood fats. Your
triglycerides can drop 30% to 50% just by reducing saturated fats and reducing your weight.
3. Go for nuts and plant sterols.
Your heart will love you if you eat six walnuts before lunch and dinner. Why? Because walnuts are rich in
omega-3 fatty acids, which help to decrease inflammation in the arteries surrounding your heart, so they keep
your heart functioning longer and better.
4. De-stress your heart.
Unplug yourself from the news cycle and your email. It’s good for you and your ticker. And that begins with
your phone. Start turning it off for 15 minutes at a time and work up to an hour a day to reduce stress
5. Get heart healthy social support.
You know exercise improves heart health by keeping weight down and raising levels of HDL cholesterol, but
doing it with a friend adds benefits. Finding an exercise buddy is really important because social support
lowers your risk of heart disease and helps you stay motivated.
6. Volunteer to fight heart disease.
People who volunteer tend to live longer than people who don’t. It’s that simple,
7. Take a heart-felt approach to quitting smoking.
Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, but kicking this nasty habit can be much easier said than
done. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about some of the new therapies that are available. Need an added
incentive? Take this advice to heart: You start to improve your heart health within minutes of quitting!!
8. Drink a little alcohol a day to keep heart disease away.
For women, up to one glass of alcohol a day and, for men, up to two glasses a day can help reduce risk of
heart disease. Alcohol may help the heart by increasing levels of HDL cholesterol. But keep in mind: More is
not merrier!
9. Strengthen your heart with weight training.
Strength training reduces your percentage of body fat, keeps your weight down, and increases your muscle
mass and endurance for aerobic exercise.
10. Measure your waist size to gauge your heart health.
Take a tape measure and measure your middle. If your waist size is more than 35 inches in women or more
than 40 inches in men, this tells you that you are at increased risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
11. Reduce your blood pressure by reducing your salt.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, and reducing salt intake can help lower blood
pressure. Cook with herbs in place of salt, and make sure you read food labels to see just how much salt is in
prepared foods.
12. Sleep to your heart’s content.
People who sleep fewer than seven hours a night have higher blood pressure and higher levels of the stress
hormone cortisol, making the arteries more vulnerable to plaque buildup. In fact, the latest research shows that
people who do not get enough sleep are more than twice as likely as others to die of heart disease.
MCSO B-ZONE
DEPUTY RICH TANTALO
We welcome you to another Crime Prevention Corner video. Today we’re joined by Sheriff
Patrick O’Flynn. He said, “What many don’t know is that every 45 seconds someone in
America will die due to a drunk driver. We encourage everyone if you’re going to drink,
please don’t drive. Make sure that you make arrangements to get home safely. We’d hate to
see you have a tragedy.”
View Deputy Tantalo’s video at:
www.youtube.com/monroesheriffny
Deputy Tantalo said, “Thank you Sheriff. Again I want to thank the Sheriff’s Foundation for all
their support throughout the year. I’m Deputy Rich Tantalo with the Monroe County Sheriff’s
Office and we’re working today for a safer tomorrow.”
GLENN GREIBUS
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
2015 Cyber Security Outlook
For this year’s outlook newsletter edition, we’ve asked experts at the Center for Internet Security
(CIS) to share their thoughts on what issues we’ll be talking about and dealing with in 2015. Below
are some highlights of those topics.
New Variants of Tech Support Call Scams
In a tech support call scam, malicious actors call victims and claim to work for well-known companies,
informing the victim that their computer is either infected or attacking another computer and that only
they can remediate the problem. The hacker will prompt the victim to take certain actions in order to
successfully carry out the attack.
In most cases, the main motive for these types of scams is monetary gain, which could be achieved
by requesting payment for services or products, such as an antivirus, or by installing malware on your
system without your knowledge in order to collect sensitive information.
In 2014, CIS observed several new variations of the tech support call scam, which will likely become
more popular throughout 2015, as cyber criminals continue to seek different ways to dupe end users.
If you receive an unsolicited tech support call, you should hang up and report the incident to either
your local police department, IT department, and/or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3;
www.ic3.gov ). For more tips on recognizing and avoiding tech support calls scams, check out the
CIS Primer.
Emily Cranston - Intel Cyber Analyst
Increased Use of Near Field Communications for Everyday Transactions
Near Field Communications (NFC)--which enables two devices to communicate with each other over
a very short distance of just a few inches--will be increasingly used for everyday transactions and
tasks as more devices become interconnected through the Internet of Things (IoT). NFC technology
is built into some smartphones (via apps such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay) and credit cards, and
many retailers are accepting this technology for payment. Other uses of NFC include file transfer,
climate control management, and keyless/wireless home and car door locks. It is important to note
that there is no security included in the NFC specification, and therefore it is critical that the
application being accessed through NFC has proper security controls (e.g., password/PIN, encrypted
communications).
Ted Fischer – Security Operations Center Analyst
The Evolution of Ransomware
Ransomware is malware that locks a computer and demands a ransom in exchange for the
password. Typically, ransomware leaves the victim with one of two options: restore from backup or
pay the ransom. However, in the coming year, victims might only have one choice—pay the
ransom— as ransomware authors will likely look for ways to prevent file restoration from backup.
Another likelihood in 2015 is the spread of self-replicating ransomware. Currently, ransomware
encrypts drives connected to a single system and does not run again unless a user interacts with it.
What would happen if the ransomware could spread from machine to machine? With the discovery of
VirRansom, the first observed self-replicating ransomware in the wild, this threat will likely continue to
evolve. Having proper security controls in place and using best practices, such as not clicking on
suspicious links or opening unknown attachments, can help minimize the likelihood of becoming a
victim of ransomware. For additional resources, check out the CIS technical paper Private and Public
Key Cryptography and Ransomware.
Sarah Kelly, GCFA-Senior Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Analyst
David Kreuzburg, GCIA, GPEN, GCFA-CERT Analyst
Bradley Mcalister, GCFA, GXPN-CERT Analyst
Mike Richie, GCIH, GCFA, GREM-Senior CERT Analyst
Windows Server 2003 End of Life
On July 14, 2015, Microsoft will no longer provide support for Windows Server 2003/R2, meaning
organizations will no longer receive patches or security updates for this software. Expect these
outdated servers to become prime targets for hackers unless they are upgraded or isolated. If your
organization hasn’t already implemented a risk-based mitigation plan, do so immediately. Identify all
Windows Server 2003/R2 instances; inventory the software and functions of each server; prioritize
each system based on risk and criticality; map out a migration strategy; and execute the strategy.
Laura Iwan, CISSP, CISM - Senior Vice President, Programs
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks
A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is an attempt to make a system (such as a website) unavailable to
its users. Whenever multiple sources are coordinating in the DoS attack, it becomes known as a
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. DDoS attacks are not new, however, they remain
pervasive and will continue to pose a threat to organizations in 2015. The main purpose behind a
DDoS is the malicious consumption of resources, which can result in significant disruption and loss of
productivity and/or revenue. To help minimize the risks and impacts, have an effective strategy in
place. Establish and maintain partnerships with your upstream network provider, who can assist
during an attack by implementing traffic blocks and other mitigation strategies. Minimize the likelihood
that your organization becomes part of a DDoS attack in the first place by properly configuring
firewalls and IDS/IPS devices to accept only traffic related to your organization’s business needs, and
to alert on anomalous traffic. Check out the CIS Guide to DDoS Attacks for additional mitigation
steps.
Lee Myers, GCIA, GCIH - Security Operations Center Analyst
BRIAN GEBO
Carbon monoxide meters and smoke detectors
According to a report from the NFPA, Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire
deaths. Half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December,
January, and February. Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from
happening. In 2011, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 53,600 reported U.S.
home structure fires, with associated losses of 400 civilian deaths, 1,520 civilian injuries, and
$893 million in direct property damage. These fires accounted for 14% of all reported home
fires.
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Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment.
Never use your oven to heat your home.
Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water
heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and
manufacturer’s instructions.
Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a
qualified professional.
Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space
heaters.
Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.
Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a
safe distance away from your home.
Test smoke alarms monthly.
Ensure the home has at least one carbon monoxide detector.
Never run a generator or any other gasoline powered equipment in the home or
garage.
BETH & MEAGHAN NASH (TROOP 60164) OGDEN NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH RESIDENT
The January weather has not been conducive to Girl Scout cookie sales, so we thought we'd
try to contact you via email instead. We're able to take orders until Feb. 7. So, if you are
interested in placing an order, please contact us via email - [email protected] - or
phone - 349-0725.
The varieties available are:
·
Thanks-A-Lot (shortbread dipped in chocolate on one side)
·
Cranberry Citrus Crisp (shortbread w/orange flavor and cranberries in it – chewy/crispy
texture)
·
Lemonades
·
Shortbread
·
Thin Mints
·
Peanut Butter Patties (chocolate covered PB cookies)
·
Caramel deLites
·
Peanut Butter Sandwich
Payment is due upon delivery, which we expect to be the first week of March, and cookies
are still $3.50 per box. Our troop receives 55 cents for each box sold. If you'd rather donate a
box to our armed forces and keep cookies out of your house, please let us know that, too.
There is also a gluten-free cookie offered this year, for $5 a box (troop receives $1 per box
sold). It's an oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. It's not on the order form, but I
can obtain boxes once we receive our initial delivery of cookies, so let me know if you're
interested.