Posts filed under ‘Education’
Simple Steps You Can Take Now to Prevent Identity Theft
Identity Theft
by Stan Stahl
Many people think that as long as their computer is in their possession, no one can access the information on it. But identity thieves have many clever ways to get information from your computer. Did you know they can remotely install rogue programs that take over your computer or they can park near your home and intercept your wireless network signals?
Here are some basic ways to protect your computer from cybercriminals:
- Set Microsoft Windows and Office to automatically update security patches and service packs.
- Install a reputable host intrusion prevention system, such as Blink. Basic antivirus/antispyware software is not adequate protection against today’s threats. (One year of Blink blink is free for personal use.)
- Don’t run peer-to-peer file-sharing programs, such as Kazaa, Limewire or BitTorrent.
- If you have a wireless network, encrypt it with WAP2 encryption.
- Don’t click on website ads offering to scan your computer for free. Instead of scanning your computer, many of these offers actually infect it.
- Never open unusual or unexpected email attachments, not even from people you know. Your friend’s computer may have been taken over by a virus or worm and instructed to send the malicious code to everyone in their address book.
- Never follow links in emails that request your user names, passwords or financial information. A reputable bank or credit union will never email you asking for such information.
Guard your online financial information
- Never send your Social Security number, bank account numbers or credit card numbers in unencrypted email.
- Only buy online from merchants whose URL begins with https://. You can also look for the small lock symbol at the top of your browser window. HTTPS provides encrypted transmission between the user’s computer and the merchant. While it provides protection from your transaction being intercepted by criminals, it does not provide any assurance that information stored on the merchant’s server will be protected.
Monitor your credit
- Subscribe to a basic credit monitoring service (AAA offers a free basic one for members).
- Review your bank and credit card accounts each month for fraudulent activity.
Protect your information away from home
- Keep your laptop with you at all times. Never leave it in your car.
- Keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned off except when you are using them.
- Consider encrypting the hard drive of your laptop. If you lose the laptop, the information is still safe. (You can get free encryption software at http://www.truecrypt.org/.)
- Don’t use public computers or public Wi-Fi for online banking or shopping. You don’t know how secure they are.
As a general rule, don’t give your information to anyone online, except when establishing accounts with reputable businesses. Once the account is established, never log on from an email link, a public computer or public Wi-Fi.
Five Ways to Offset Education Costs
College can be very expensive. To help students and their parents, the IRS offers the following five ways to offset education costs.
- The American Opportunity Credit This credit can help parents and students pay part of the cost of the first four years of college. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act modifies the existing Hope Credit for tax years 2009 and 2010, making it available to a broader range of taxpayers. Eligible taxpayers may qualify for the maximum annual credit of $2,500 per student. Generally, 40 percent of the credit is refundable, which means that you may be able to receive up to $1,000, even if you owe no taxes.
- The Hope Credit The credit can help students and parents pay part of the cost of the first two years of college. This credit generally applies to 2008 and earlier tax years. However, for tax year 2009 a special expanded Hope Credit of up to $3,600 may be claimed for a student attending college in a Midwestern disaster area as long as you do not claim an American Opportunity Tax Credit for any other student in 2009.
- The Lifetime Learning Credit This credit can help pay for undergraduate, graduate and professional degree courses – including courses to improve job skills – regardless of the number of years in the program. Eligible taxpayers may qualify for up to $2,000 – $4,000 if a student in a Midwestern disaster area – per tax return.
- Enhanced benefits for 529 college savings plans Certain computer technology purchases are now added to the list of college expenses that can be paid for by a qualified tuition program, commonly referred to as a 529 plan. For 2009 and 2010, the law expands the definition of qualified higher education expenses to include expenses for computer technology and equipment or Internet access and related services.
- Tuition and fees deduction Students and their parents may be able to deduct qualified college tuition and related expenses of up to $4,000. This deduction is an adjustment to income, which means the deduction will reduce the amount of your income subject to tax. The Tuition and Fees Deduction may be beneficial to you if you do not qualify for the American opportunity, Hope, or lifetime learning credits.
You cannot claim the American Opportunity and the Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits for the same student in the same year. You also cannot claim any of the credits if you claim a tuition and fees deduction for the same student in the same year. To qualify for an education credit, you must pay post-secondary tuition and certain related expenses for yourself, your spouse or your dependent. The credit may be claimed by the parent or the student, but not by both. Students who are claimed as a dependent cannot claim the credit.
For more information, see Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, which can be obtained online at IRS.gov or by calling the IRS at 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
Microsoft has launched Windows Vista in Amharic
AMHARIC
US software giant Microsoft has launched Windows Vista in Amharic, the first operating system in the national language of Ethiopia, the official news agency said Saturday.
“Launching the Amharic version software is a major step forward for Amharic to be a language of technology,” Director of the Ethiopian ICT Development Agency, Debretsion Gebremichael was quoted as saying by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA).
He said 40 scholars from the Addis Ababa University had taken part in the translation of the software and added that plans were being drafted for translation into some of the nation’s other languages.
“Ethiopia as a country of over 80 million people, has its own language and alphabet, and it is Microsoft?s desire to let this huge country use its Amharic service pack,” ENA quoted Microsoft’s Africa boss Cheick Modibo Diarra as saying.
Source ENA
US envoy pledges to press Ethiopia on rights
My Ethiopia
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s nominee to be the next US ambassador to Ethiopia pledged on Tuesday to press the government in Addis Ababa to improve human rights, free political prisoners and make upcoming elections fair.
Donald Booth said the United States had “complex interests” in Ethiopia, and that the two nations, while differing in tactics, saw largely eye-to-eye on the need to bring stability and prevent an Islamist takeover of Somalia.
“We need to try to work with Ethiopia across the board, preserving the cooperation where we share interests such as regional security,” Booth, a former ambassador to Liberia and Zambia, said at his Senate confirmation hearing.
But he warned that Ethiopia’s “limitations on political expression and economic activities as well as shortcomings in respect to basic human rights run counter to American principles and risk becoming the seeds of future instability.”
Under questioning by Senator Russ Feingold, who heads the Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa, Booth pledged to take up the case of prisoners such as Birtukan Mideksa, leader of the largest opposition party.
Ethiopia sentenced Birtukan to life in prison for treason after she alleged that the government rigged 2005 elections. She received a pardon two years later but the life term was re-imposed a month ago.
Booth said the US embassy in Addis Ababa has been seeking access to Birtukan, 36.
“I think we need to find a way to convince them (Ethiopian leaders) that it’s in their own interest not to hold people simply because they hold opposing political views,” Booth said.
Booth said he would urge Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government to ensure the fairness of elections due in May, including by allowing opposition candidates to run and have access to the media.
Booth also called for domestic and international observers to monitor the election.
The nominee promised Feingold also to look into allegations of human rights abuses in the southern Ogaden region, where Muslim, ethnic Somali rebels are waging an insurgency for independence.
“Clearly the Ogaden is an area that has created great instability and threats to the security of the Ethiopian state over time,” he said.
“We need to work with the Ethiopians … to try to figure out a way that they can not only protect their territorial integrity but also respect the human rights of all their citizens including the Ogadense,” he said.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.
Why is AIDS education for young people important?
AIDS education for young people plays a vital role in global efforts to end the AIDS epidemic. Despite the fact that HIV transmission can be prevented, each year millions of people become infected with the virus; in 2008 alone, there were 2.7 million new HIV infections. Almost 1-in-6 of these new infections were among people under 15 years old. “In 2008 alone, there were 2.7 million new HIV infections. Almost 1-in-6 of these new infections were among people under 15 years old.” Providing young people with basic AIDS education enables them to protect themselves from becoming infected. Young people are often particularly vulnerable to sexually transmitted HIV, and to HIV infection as a result of drug-use. Acquiring knowledge and skills encourages young people to avoid or reduce behaviours that carry a risk of HIV infection. Even for young people who are not yet engaging in risky behaviours, AIDS education is important for ensuring that they are prepared for situations that will put them at risk as they grow older. AIDS education also helps to reduce stigma and discrimination, by dispelling false information that can lead to fear and blame. This is crucial for prevention, as stigma often makes people reluctant to be tested for HIV. Somebody who is not aware of their HIV infection is more likely to pass the virus on to others. AIDS education can help to prevent this, halting stigma and discrimination before they have an opportunity to grow. In order to prevent becoming infected with HIV, young people need comprehensive information about how HIV is transmitted and what they can do to stop themselves from becoming infected. This information should be delivered without moral judgement.
What is HIV ?
HIV is a virus. Viruses such as HIV cannot grow or reproduce on their own, they need to infect the cells of a living organism in order to replicate (make new copies of themselves). The human immune system usually finds and kills viruses fairly quickly, but HIV attacks the immune system itself – the very thing that would normally get rid of a virus.
With around 2.7 million people becoming infected with HIV in 2008, there are now an estimated 33 million people around the world who are living with HIV, including millions who have developed AIDS.
Source: http://www.avert.org
2009-2010 STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis announces the 22nd Annual Student Essay Contest open to all high school juniors and seniors in the Ninth Federal Reserve District.
What economic factors may be contributing to the problem of obesity, and how can economics be applied to address the problem?
For almost all of the human past, the prospect of starvation was a real threat to most people. While scarcity is still the pervasive fact of economics, modern industrial economies have an abundance of low-cost food. As a result, the United States and other countries have seen an increase in rates of obesity.
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat becomes a health threat. This can have such adverse consequences as higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke. In addition, some claim that increasing obesity rates inflict costs on the rest of society as well. For this reason, there might be a case for public action to reduce obesity.
The Minneapolis Fed has decided for its 22nd Annual Student Essay Contest to ask the question, “What economic factors may be contributing to the problem of obesity, and how can economics be applied to address the problem?”
Essays can explore why obesity has increased, and what sorts of policies (if any) can combat this increase. What follows is a summary of some, but not all, economic aspects of obesity. Read more
If you have any questions, contact Joe Mahon at Joseph.Mahon@mpls.frb.org or call 612-204-5254.
Writing Guide
- Topic Primer
- Bibliography
- Economic Principles To Keep in Mind
- Tips on Writing a Winning Essay
- Eligibility Requirements
- Contest Regulations
- Essay Judging
- Student Entry Form
- Two Divisions: Standard and Advanced Economics
Rules
Awards
Fifteen students in each division will receive a $100 U.S. savings bond. In addition, a first- and second-place winner will be selected from each division. The two second-place winners will each receive an additional $200 savings bond, and the two first-place winners will each receive an additional $400 savings bond. One first-place winner will be selected as the overall winner of a paid summer internship at the Minneapolis Fed. The winning essay will also be published in The Region magazine.
Contest Timetable |
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| Student essays due | March 26, 2010 | |
| Finalists announced | April 16, 2010 | |
| Student Workshop and Awards Program, Minneapolis, Minn. | April 30, 2010 |
Essay Contest Archive
Source:
http://www.minneapolisfed.org/
Top 10 reason why you need a college education
By Paul Wilson 
Life is full of options and choices. The choices we make shape our future. As we stand at the cross roads after high school we must have the right vision to make the decision to go to college.
1. A college education secures our future. The number of employment opportunities is greater and statistics reveal that most leaders are college grads.
2. If you have a college education you will make more money which in turn will enable you to have a better lifestyle. If a high school graduate earns US$ 34,303 annually, a college graduate will earn US$ 56,334, and a person with a professional qualification will net at least US$ 99,411.
3. It is not just earnings. A college education makes you a rounded person. It shapes your communication skills, expands your knowledge base, makes you methodical and organized, and exposes you to a whole new world of learning.
4. People with a college education have better value systems and are healthier. They are able to guide their family positively.
5. College can help you qualify in fields you are interested in. So if you are an innovator, inventor, or healer, or artist you can train in the specific field and qualify.
6. According to experts, college graduates are self-confident, have greater knowledge of governance, are less likely to become criminals, are emotionally and financially secure, make better partners and parents, and have a deeper understanding of human nature.
7. College instills a deep sense of right and wrong and is they very essence of a democratic world.
8. Education opens the doors to many things like multiple jobs, career choices, the chance to further education at any point in life, and the option of teaching others what you have learnt. Be it a child, family member, or a poor person you meet.
9. College education is an investment in you that yields much more than Wall Street investments.
10. College educated citizens will ensure the continuing success of the “American Dream.” The ability to see the right path and work for peace and prosperity.
Students according to Jose Marti a patriot are the very ramparts of a nation and the strongest advocates of freedom. Education creates a conscience and as a result a better human being. College education eventually becomes a legacy for future generations. Most succeeding generations of college educated people go to college themselves. The value of a good education becomes ingrained in their genes. Huge stones can be moved with muscle power but it is brain power that tells you how to move it and what can be done with it.
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Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888Onlinecolleges.com/, the premier website to find top ranking colleges online directory including topics on public colleges, private colleges, online college, college course online, information on college costs, financial aid, degrees awarded, enrollments and more. He also freelances for premier Discussion Site http://www.1888Discuss.com |
