The Internet of Things-Keeping Your Data Safe

Recently our friends at American Family Life Insurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC) rolled out a new service to support the fraud and identity protection needs of its voluntary insurance customers. 

Over the last year, AFLAC had been working with its customers with a cost-effective service to help protect business owners and their respective employees personal and financial information complete with internet monitoring and identity restoration services to keep at bay a growing threat in the US consumer marketplace.  

In 2014, Americans lost $16 billion due to fraud and identity theft victims spent hours trying to recover from this emerging white collar crime. 

This is an important issue to this Blogger and it should be front and center to your current business processes if it isn't already.  

As the Internet of Things or IoT continues to evolve, the focus of much of this emerging technological crime, we thought we could share some advice to protect you and your devices from compromise.  Keep in mind, this has been a growing issue since 1985 and many would have never thought that such crime would be proliferated while the technologies or "smart devices" have brought the world closer to our fingertips.  

First, consider setting up a separate network for your IoT devices in your home or office. By keeping IoT devices and other information separate, those unscrupulous hackers will have a harder time gaining access to your personal information.  Second, never connect your IoT devices to unsecured networks. Sure it is convenient when you are on the road or when you need to quickly respond for fear of losing that business lead. Be sure to create strong passwords for your Wi-Fi networks-the easiest way for hackers to gain entry into your home or business device that will further compromise your respective Wi-Fi network.  Finally, look into any available security measures offered for your smart devices. It helps that once you get it, to constantly update your IoT software since these devices are especially susceptible to cyber attacks. 

Do not be discouraged by such news or the threats of the hacks of IoT devices worldwide.  

Just take the necessary precautions to avoid having your information compromised and keep yourself aware of other threats to your identity. 

Our hats off to AFLAC and Independent Insurance Agents like ours, Jenny D. Sarmiento, for their advocacy on this important issue.  For more information on the AFLAC suite of fraud protection services via EZ Shield, please contact Jenny at 671-488-3669 or jenny_duenas@us.aflac.com.  For all of your network security needs in the Western Pacific, please contact GET, LLC for information on our solutions that can be of assistance to you and your respective businesses including access to the Panduit and Cisco line of network security products-of which we are proud Business Partners of both.  Give us a call at 671-483-0789 or find out more at our website at www.get-guam.com.

  

GUASA-The Guam Roundtable Day Two

Day Two.  An effort that surely won't be forgotten for a long time.  

The Guam Roundtable certainly delivered early One-Two punches to start the discussions.  An informative presentation by Brian Wood and Craig Whelden of the U.S. Marine Corps.  Of the dozens of briefings I had sat in and dozens of public meetings in which I observed in a policy capacity, the presentation by these two professionals clearly mapped out the way forward for the U.S. Marines-not just for Guam but the other parts of the region who are part of this "Rebalancing" of forces in this part of the world.  The two provided such great insight in a way not seen before.  Though these gentleman were not "Marines", the Senior Executive Service duo more than shared their professional opinions and expertise on ensuring the Guam portion of this Rebalancing happens and does so as outlined in the agreements between the United States and Japan which began back in 1996.  Their presentation showcased a new normal in the posturing of forces in the Western Pacific and was very "real" in the security approach west of the International Date Line.

Basing Options were also discussed by the Rand Duo of Doctors Alan Vick and Stacie Pettyjohn.  What was interesting to note was their candor on the strategy for the U.S. in Asia-the revelation that there wasn't one.  As a listener, it was such a far cry from the specific history and developmental lead up into the final discussions from Day One of this GUASA conference.  It had reinforced what Guam Delegate Madeline Bordallo told Roundtable-goers of the lack of a strategy and the hesitance of the U.S. Congress to get the Guam Program moving forward  

Yes-an Environmental Impact Statement was completed.  

Yes-it was done twice.  

Yes-there is a Record of Decision.  

Yes-we will have an answer in 2015.

Following a stirring keynote from Joint Region Marianas Commander Rear Admiral Tilghman Payne, the talk quickly went to what is in this effort for Guam?  A number of Roundtable-goers went to local issues and left the panelists to answer the best they could on issues that clearly were outside of their expertise.  The comments were straight forward.  GUASA members took the opportunity to share their input on the information provided them and the two day conference attendees-much centric to strategy related to China.

What did this blogger walk away with?  

Try these bullets points from the panel members:

• What is possible versus what is coming.
• We need deep cooperation with our Allies.
• What is the message to move forward?
• What will Guam articulate out of this process.
• Treating people as equal Americans.
• Guam is the "springboard to the region".
• National Security and Economy are key to protecting U.S. security policy in Asia
• There is confidence in the Rebalance.
• Pivoting to Asia.
• Imagine a world without Guam.

It is clear from these bullet points that the GUASA group and The Guam Roundtable panel that there is more that needs to be done.  A white paper will be developed from this two day event.  

A follow on meeting to this event will be held in Washington DC.  Clear public policy direction must be given from the current White House.  The Senate needs to own this issue and not punt while the Government of Japan is doing everything it can to execute the change across their country-for the best of the region.

GET, LLC says "good job" to the GUASA organization for their effort in the this conference.  Let's see where this takes us next.

GUASA-The Guam Roundtable Day One

Today The Guam Roundtable, hosted by the Guam U.S. Asia Security Alliance (GUASA), kicked off in Tumon, Guam.  The first of two days was spent discussing the National Defense policies of the United States and the greater importance of the impacts of such mandates on security across the Pacific Rim-with a focus on Guam and Micronesia. 

The room was filled with Guam's business elite, lawmakers and influential opinion makers of our island community.  GET, LLC was privileged to be counted among such an esteemed group.  Each of us listened intently to the panel who is using this opportunity to share their respective views on this important issue, but to also listen to our community and gain perspective of what security means to the greater Micronesian populous.

Center for a New American Security Senior Director Patrick Cronin kicked off the event asking a key question-why is the United States re-balancing Asia?  His group has spent the better part of the past couple of years analyzing the Guam Buildup Program and is tasked with advising Congress on what will be the way forward for the re-distribution of forces across the Pacific.  Cronin chronicled three major events in Guam's history that has set the stage for today's current state of the island as a center of the theatre of operations in the Western Pacific-the island being discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, Guam becoming part of the U.S. following the conclusion of the Spanish American War in 1898 and the invasion and eventual liberation of Guam during World War II.  Cronin remarked that the actions were the part of America's power shift to the West.  Today, Cronin said, the power shift is not seen through conflict but via the expansion of commerce and trade between the U.S. Mainland and Asia.  His description of Guam being in the "Cockpit of the 21st Century" was profound and resonated with the conference-goers.  The term linking the new system being developed in Asia via the expansion of China and the emerging of our neighbors in the Philippines and Vietnam are just the examples Cronin said that Guam will be leading centric to American foreign policy in the years to come.

Global Strategies and Transformation thought leader and Office of the Secretary of Defense US-Japan Alliance veteran Paul Giarra presented  a primer on how past Pacific campaigns were waged.  His presentation was filled with historic photos and thoughtful analysis into the role of the region during World War II.   His description of the U.S. Navy's constantly changing "education crucible" during the years of the conflict from Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima highlighted the staggering figure of 6768 US Navy Sea Vessels that were used into 1945 and the conclusion of the fight with Imperial Japan. 

These two sessions were only the tip of the "Pacific Security Iceberg".  The panelists were very engaging and even spurred thoughtful questions from the audience who were glued to their seats.  People this blogger  spoke with during the breaks were impressed by the level of the discussions and the excitement of taking the results of The Guam Roundtable and turning it into a White Paper to be distributed all across Washington DC and the Nation as a whole.

Day two will bring the discussion on security closer to home and will feature an update on the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific, the basing options for the US in Asia and the role for Guam in the larger geopolitical context of security across the vast Pacific Ocean.

GUASA-A Preview of the Security Roundtable In Guam

Last month, I spent a bit of time writing on the importance of a security conference on Guam.  

Later today, this event hosted by the Guam U.S. Asia Security Alliance (GUASA) expects to challenge us to think about the role of America in this part of the world and how our Nation's intelligence community has viewed the geo-political activities of an area that is growing with each setting sun and rising tide.  With Japan, the Koreas, China and Southeast Asia at the doorsteps of the Western Pacific it is clear that much interest is being paid to what is happening here and the respective growth plans in the near future-economically and militarily.

This two-day event is featuring America's premier experts on U.S.-Asia relations and foreign policy.   I am anxious to hear from career intelligence expert Carl Ford Jr. , Rand Corporation experts Stacie Pettyjohn and Alan Vick, Global Strategies and Transformation thought leader and Office of the Secretary of Defense US-Japan Alliance veteran Paul Giarra, former 7th Fleet Commander VADM Tim Wright, former State Department Senior Policy Adviser and Asia Expert Robin Sakoda, China Defense Expert and Consultant Timothy Walton, Center for a New American Security Senior Director Patrick Cronin, East West Center Director Satu Limaye, former-U.S. Senate Staffer and intelligence analyst training professional Robert Mihalik, former-Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Randy Schriver and Retired U.S. Marine Lt. General Wallace "Chip" Gregson.

The last two names are familiar to many in this part of the world for many reasons.

 I had the privilege of working closely with Randy while working for the Office of the Governor of Guam.  His role as advocate for the Islands in the State Department was key to advancing America's message across the Pacific during his tenure at State.  His team was diligent in their work to understand their role to support the ever growing needs of the U.S. Territories  and the U.S. Affiliated Islands of the Pacific-the U.S. Department of the Interior and the White House is primarily was tasked with this important oversight.  Randy's input at the GUASA event will come with much experience on the impacts of US-Asia foreign policy on the current and future development of the communities from just West of Hawaii to the Indian Ocean. 

One thing is for certain, I can call "Chip" a friend.  For just over 15 years the Colorado-native has had his finger on the pulse of the expansion of America's role in this area.  He began his advocacy for the Pacific as Defense Department Director of Asia-Pacific Policy in 1998.  Chip's leadership led him to the region where he excelled as Commanding General of Marine Corps Forces Pacific and his storied efforts led him back to the Pentagon as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs where he was DOD point-man on the region for the Obama Administration until April 2011.  When Marines talk about security in this region, everyone listens.  His humor and expertise will certainly contribute much to this important round table discussion.

We can expect two days of straight talk from these experts on US-Asia affairs. Throw in some anecdotes from local leaders and thoughtful analysis of the issues facing every member of the Pacific community and you will have a recipe for what will could be an annual must attend event. 

GET, LLC will follow the event over the course of the next couple of days and offer our perspective of these important talks in Guam.