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Thoughts From Abbott’s Inbox August 6th, 2021

Thoughts From My Inbox

August 6th, 2021

French Fries, Death Diving, and eBay

We had a great turnout on Wednesday night for our first Ashton happy hour of the summer.  Thanks to all of our clients, partners, and prospects who took the time to stop by, say hey, and have a beer with us.  The next one is going to be downtown in early September, so keep your eyes open! In the meantime, we’ve had a busy week working with the team from Convergo to ramp up our sales efforts, and figure out exactly what our “ideal client” looks like! This goes hand in hand with our other efforts to improve the Ashton customer experience and fine tune our marketing message.  Stay tuned for more details.  And now, on to why you’re really here…

Something About…

 

French Fries  

$200 for an order of fries?  Next time you’re in NYC looking at the $169M apartment I highlighted last week, you’ll have to stop in and drop a few bucks on these taters.

 

 

Your Data

Ever wondered what happens to your data when it’s leaked as part of a breach? This piece offers a great breakdown of life cycle of your email address and password, once it’s been stolen.  Takeaways?  Don’t reuse passwords and don’t give in to a sender’s sense of urgency.

 

 

 

eBay Harassment

Next time you get a pig fetus in the mail, you can have the USPS start their investigation with eBay. Then, you might want to figure out what you’ve done to anger eBay’s team.

 

 

 

Government Cybersecurity

What’s the old line about “military intelligence” and “jumbo shrimp”?  A new report shows that the federal government is sorely lacking in cybersecurity measures, and that the Cabinet departments average a C- when it comes to their security solutions (maybe I need a cabinet position based on our grades).  Cyber security isn’t an easy thing, by any means, but there is some pretty low-hanging fruit that our government doesn’t seem too concerned with. This includes security patching, protecting personally identifiable information (PII), and getting rid of devices that are no longer supported (think Windows 7 PCs). It would seem like only a matter of time before the Russians and Chinese have their way with us, again.

 

BazarCaller

 

Have you received an email from a known provider, asking you to call them back regarding a renewal or premium package?  As is the case with seemingly every other email or phone call you get, this too could be a scam!

 

Insider Attacks

 

While the example in this piece seems a little far-fetched, it is a great reminder that people who have access to your office, but who aren’t employees (the cleaning crew, the HVAC guy, the cable company, your caterer)pose a threat. We talk a lot about cyber security and its importance in protecting your data and systems, but physical security should also be considered.  Do visitors to your office require escorts? How easy is it for them to get in the front door?  My college friends will tell you how easy it is for somebody like me to gain access to their locked hotel rooms, just by flashing a smile and having a good story. Think how easy it can be for a professional.

 
Real Estate

Looking for your new million dollar mansion in Dallas?  We have it for you.  You’ll just need to add a kitchen, bedrooms, actual windows, and a few more bathrooms.

Pogopalooza and Death Diving

 

Last week was the Olympic edition of Thoughts From My Inbox.  This week, ESPN is celebrating The Ocho (any Dodgeball fans in the room?)  Who knew that there were world championships for pogo sticking and death diving?  As any good extreme sports fan knows, there’s always a reel of fails to go with the highlights.  But are the death diving fails any worse than those highlights? If you’re confused as to what makes a good death dive, here’s how it works.

 

 

That’s it from the corner (sort of) of Commerce and Mercantile.  I’ve heard from some of you that you enjoy reading this email with a cocktail or two on Friday evening, while others put it off until Monday morning.  What’s your favorite way to take in all of this info?  And don’t forget, if you have something you think is worthy of publication here, feel free to send it along.  There’s plenty of Ashton swag to be had!

 

Have a great weekend.

Jim

 

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