Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Technology Is Handicapping Millennials

One of main traits that makes us human is our ability to communicate. Whenever we live a healthy communal life, we engage in conversations face-to-face, care and respect others, and we pay attention to important principles of etiquette which then helps us to live in conjunction with each other without engaging in too much discord. I am not aware of any critical mass of individuals living in a society in any time in history that has survived the times living in total isolation from their immediate community, its values and communication practices. And as importantly - the ability to learn from his own mistakes over time. The smartphone has been handicapping the millennial generation in this regard.

The smartphone has been handicapping the millennials. You have heard it right. You might be asking... Why do you say that professor? Let me explain why by giving you a real life example that has changed the way I interact with human beings of the opposite sex.

When I was a kid, I struggled to converse with girls face-to-face. I was so shy and literally afraid to speak with a girl one-on-one... I had a terrible fear of rejection back then. Even though these feelings are not totally foreign to young boys, I know today that my levels of shyness (and therefore my inability to speak with a person of the opposite sex) back then were probably higher than most boys who were shy in my generation.

Like most kids in their teenage years, I was unprepared to engage in interpersonal communications with a female. I still remember this beautiful girl named Peggy which I truly had the hots for. She was beautiful, nice, and to my fortune... she seemed to like me. The fact that we never ended up going out on a date had nothing to do with her interpersonal ability. It had everything to do with mine. I failed to initiate a meaningful conversation with her to have the chance to ask her out on a date. My total loss... and I knew it. However, my inability to break the ice and carry on a honest conversation with a girl made me stop and think about why I wasn't being successful in my love endeavors. I spent some time thinking about this question and then BINGO! Eventually, I've learned what girls like out of my struggles. "They like to talk," for the most part. I figured... Well, if girls like to talk, then I need to be a good listener. The rest my friends, is history.

Look, I didn't need to have a smartphone to make me feel better or learn how to speak with a girl. My humanity helped me with enjoying my later teenage and young adult years simply by stopping and thinking about the obvious. For most of my teenage years (up to the age of 16), I struggled with speaking with girls. Some might consider the former as being a "bad" life experience. Well, I see these former struggles differently today. I thank God for how things ended up working out in my life in that regard and for having the ability to face the problem and find a possible solution like a man.

When I was 16 years old, there were no smartphones. My parents happened to have cell phones back then, which was unusual for Brazilians back in the 90's, but they were not smart. I didn't have the opportunity to go on-line to make me feel better for my inability to speak with a girl. Because I had no technology, I had to face the problem and develop a two very important life skills - Critical thinking and Listening.

Kids today are handicapped because of technology. Too many millennials face a problem with a girl and rather than facing the problem head on to find a solution... They often go to their smartphones and text! Can't talk with a girl tonight? Go to a smartphone, watch a video with girls and feel better. Can't find a date to go to prom... Go to the smartphone, chat with girls on Tumbler, and move on... Don't have any friends? Go to the smartphone and log into Facebook and chatting! The problem is that text messaging won't teach a kid how to speak with a girl like a man. Avoiding (or the inability) to speaking with a real girl can't be replaced by watching a video about girls. Not having a date for prom can't be replaced by chatting with strangers on Tumbler...

What if I told you that if a person faces a problem in life and decides to ignore the issue and move sideways, eventually they will walk in a circle and be bossed around for life? With or without technology. All this technology that is supposed to make our lives better is having a tremendously negative impact in the lives of millions of teenagers and young adults today. It is, in fact, handicapping them by discouraging them to face real life problems for the sake of technology.

By Luis Almeida

If you want to book Dr. Luis C. Almeida (a.k.a, Dr. A) as a keynote speaker or consultant, please visit his website and look for the contact page. Why complicate if you can simplify? Dr. A makes the complex easy -- Do it now!

Website --> https://luiscalmeida.info/

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Saturday, June 23, 2018

A Funny Look At The Unintended Consequences Of Technology

Technology should work for us, but what happens when it doesn't? Comedian Chuck Nice explores the unintended consequences of technological advancement and human interaction -- with hilarious results.



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Wednesday, June 20, 2018

What Our Digital World Will Look Like In 2020


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Saturday, June 02, 2018

Unified Enterprise Security...The Comprehensive Approach To Threat Protection For Your Network

For almost two decades, Masergy has been pushing the edges of technology. Masergy’s Managed Security solutions offer comprehensive managed detection and response services on a global scale, tailored to meet every budget. Their Managed Security solutions include:  
  • Unified Enterprise Security – Their security ecosystem includes advanced analytics and patented machine learning techniques that recognize sophisticated attacks.  
  • Security Operations – Masergy's staff of certified security experts provide 24/7 network monitoring. They employ well-defined processes customized to work with your incident response requirements.  
  • Professional Services – Work with a trusted partner to assess risks and ensure compliance with comprehensive security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing.  
You might be wondering why some of the most well-resourced organizations get continually breached. The truth is that it isn't because the technologies they have don't work, it is often because the IT staff is overwhelmed with too many alarms, logs and disconnected solutions not working together. This translates into something going unnoticed or missed. At the end of the day even if you have every possible security solution in place it only takes one unpatched vulnerability, one misconfiguration or one user mistake for an attacker to get in. All the market analysts agree that the best technology available today to detect a compromise is MDR (Managed Detection and Response solution). So how does MDR work? Every single compromise that ever occurs goes through every piece of the "kill chain." Below you can view a representation of this kill chain:  
 The most important thing for you to remember is Dwell Time, which is the duration an attacker maintains a presence inside the environment before being detected. This is where security professionals have the most control and where and MDR solution provides the most value in reducing the Dwell Time. Being able to reduce Dwell Time from months to days, to even hours is the most important thing in any security solution. 
Masergy's managed security solution which is an MDR takes a comprehensive approach to manage detection. It's an optimized combination of technology, process, and expert analyst all working together. Masergy's MDR includes:  
  • Detection & Response Ecosystem – Rigorous coverage.  
  • Analytics & Risk Prioritization – High-quality alerts.  
  • Cohesive Security Team – Better, faster response.  
  • Security Incident Resolution – Superior security outcomes.  
Uncovering MDR Opportunities....  
Astute enterprises serious about network security should want to know if they are a candidate for MDR opportunities. There are a few probing questions you can ask your company leadership to identify MDR opportunities a little bit easier:  
  • Who do you currently use for your 24/7 security monitoring? 
  • How satisfied are you with your current security provider?  
  • How did your current security process perform through any cyber incidents your organization has experienced recently? 
  • What security solutions do you have deployed today? 
  • What is your remediation plan when a threat is found? 
  • What is your budget for managed security services? 
So, once you have uncovered that you are a good candidate for an MDR opportunity how do you know if you are a good fit for Masergy's MDR? You are a good candidate if your current situation includes....
  • Existing managed firewall. 
  • Existing contracts with Secureworks, AlertLogic, or any managed security provider.  
  • Regional banks, financial institutions, and legal firms.  
  • Overburdened IT staff. 
  • Existing security solutions (i.e., SIEM) not monitored 24/7. 
  • Need 24/7 security monitoring & considering in-house SOC. 
  • Need to fulfill compliance such as PCI, HIPPA, GDPR, etc.  
There are a lot of benefits to adopting Masergy MDR. For your enterprise it combines technology and people. Masergy can solve the compliance issue for you whether it's PCI or HIPPA. Another major benefit to adopting Masergy MDR is that they often complement existing deployments. There are also corporate cultural benefits for you and your IT staff when you adopt Masergy MDR. If you are not used to having the security conversation with company leadership, this can get you in the door a lot of the times. Also, Masergy has a quick implementation time (two to four-weeks), and they can fit in just about any type of organization. Want to get started with Masergy MDR? Here are the next steps:  
Your Next Steps:  
  • Discover and qualify your enterprise as a candidate for MDR. 
  • Request information on a Masergy MDR solution at the following link....
Masergy's Next Steps:  
  • Initiate a discovery call and open discussion of your needs. 
  • Design a customized security solution for you.  
  • Generate price estimate. 
  • Work with you to implement the customized solution.  
The customized MDR solution from Masergy provides your organization with advanced threat-management capabilities that will help you detect and defend against the growing incidence of cyber attacks. Congratulations....you just made the best choice for your enterprise security environment.

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