Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Quote of the Day

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. - Albert Einstein

Monday, May 21, 2018

Your Digital Assets Part 3


Your Digital Assets Part 3
The following is the final writing of a multi-part blog series providing helpful information to protect and pass on your digital assets.
The prior two blogs detailed the potential problems and concerns of ignoring your digital assets.
This blog provides you a bullet list of points on how to prepare now for the disposition of your digital assets.

1. Create an inventory. It is in your heir’s best interest for you to create inventories of your electronic data with log-on IDs and your passwords.  You need to keep the information somewhere safe, keep it current and secure.  Update the information regularly.  The items to include in the inventory are as follows:
· Computing hardware, such as computers, external hard drives or flash drives, tablets, smartphones, digital music players, e-readers, digital cameras, and other digital devices
· Any information or data that is stored electronically, whether stored online, in the cloud, or on a physical device
· Any online accounts, such as email and communications accounts, social media accounts, shopping accounts, photo and video sharing accounts, video gaming accounts, online storage accounts, and websites and blogs that you may manage
· Domain names
· Intellectual property, including copyrighted materials, trademarks, and any code you may have written and own

2. Use a password manager, such as LastPass, 1password or Dashlane.   And share that information with your executor.  Do not put log-in information or passwords in your will.  If you have the one password, that allows the executor to see all the sites that you log into on a regular basis.  It will be like having a digital net worth statement.
3. Consider an online vault, such as box.com, Google Drive, Apple iCloud, Microsoft One Drive, Dropbox, Everplans. or ShareFile.  Box.com is very collaborative and the best overall security.  Dropbox is the easiest to use and is cross software compatible.  If you passed away, the executor who had the power of attorney would have all the digital estate planning documents, insurance planning documents, tax returns, etc., so he / she could piece together the information needed to start the disposition of the estate.  Between the online vault and LastPass, if they have the correct password, the executor will be able to do their job easily.  You can also store this information securely with your attorney or in a locked file cabinet or safe.
4. Write your digital-asset plan into your estate documents. You must be very clear about it, do not rely solely on the generic powers of an executor or a general definition of assets to assume the powers will include your digital assets. The more specific you are about your intent and that you want your executor to have access, the better.  In wills and other estate documents it is helpful to add language to make it clear that the executor should have the same access as the account holder had during his/her lifetime for all digital accounts, specifically including access to content. Or some other broad way of saying that you want your executor to step into your shoes.  A new name for your executor may be your Digital Executor.
5. Consider writing both a broad statement of intent for digital assets as well as specific directions for each account.  You should create a memorandum addressed to one’s executor and heirs indicating the intentions regarding specific digital accounts.  To avoid the problem of forgetting to include an account, you need two statements. “Due to the dynamic nature of technology and the fact that an average American could have hundreds of accounts, I also recommend a general statement of intention to encompass all other accounts — past, present, and future — belonging to the decedent.”
6. Think carefully and be specific about what you want your executor to have access to. For example, will you allow your executor to read all your email messages?  If not, you should be clear about granting such power.  When an executor is granted the power to access a decedent’s online accounts, the executor’s authority might ought to be limited and specific in nature.  This way they are not allowed an extensive and invasive search of the decedent’s online records.
7. Pick your Digital Executor carefully. Consider what information they will have access to in your online accounts.  And this person needs to have some tech savvy skills to work with the accounts.  It is so very important nowadays to think about who that person is, because they’re going to have access to some very personal information.  Plus, they will need to have the know-how to work through the maze of accounts, logons, and passwords.  Otherwise they are not going to deal with it.
The task of dealing with your digital assets will be challenging.  To help motivate you, think about the mess you may leave behind for your loved ones when you are gone.  
There is much more that we have not touched on.  For instance, the gamers out there, we know there is much value in certain characters you have developed online as well.  An asset of value should be cared for.

This concludes my three-part blog series.  If you feel we have missed a certain segment or an important point, we gladly accept any additional thoughts or criticism. We can always blog more.

Corey N. Callaway
Investment Advisor Representative
721 N Fielder Rd., Suite C
Arlington, TX  76012
817-274-4877

Securities offered thru Callaway Financial Services, Inc.
Member FINRA and SIPC


Never Share Your Security Access Information



Protect Yourself From Fraud
Because protecting your accounts and personal information from fraud is and always will be a priority, we want to make you aware of a recent scam and what you can do to protect yourself.
Recently, fraudsters have started "spoofing" or falsifying the phone number displayed on your caller ID to disguise themselves as a reputable company. The scammer pretends to be from a trusted source and asks for your account access credentials and uses them to directly access your account, your money and your personal information.
For your protection, we want to remind you that most providers you do business with, including Frost, will never call, email or text you to update, provide or confirm your account access credentials. Only you should know your account access credentials and as your trusted partner in banking, we would never reach out to you to ask for them.
Your account access credentials can include:
  • User ID
  • Password
  • Security questions
  • 4-digit password for the Frost mobile app
  • 6-digit debit card PIN
  • One-time passcodes delivered to you via text message
Under no circumstance should you provide your account access credentials to anyone over the phone, via email or text. Should you receive a suspicious call or believe you have provided your account access credentials to a fraudster, hang up and call us immediately at 800-513-7678.
To learn more about how we can work together to help protect you against fraud, visit our Fraud Prevention page.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Do you have a great install utility? This will help..

Thought I would share a great tool to make you life easier if you have to rebuild your computer..

Reinstalling is a time consuming process, but the real time come in when you have to reinstall all the little programs you use to make you computer work for you..


www.ninite.com will help automate the process. try it out..


If you really need help and have a lot of machines to refresh, Bit by Bit can help..  give us a call 877.860.5831


5 Critical Facts Every Business Owner Must Know Before Moving Their Network To The Cloud - New York City, New Jersey, Dallas, Boston | Bit by Bit




http://www.bitxbit.com/5critical-facts-ebook/


5 CRITICAL FACTS EVERY BUSINESS OWNER MUST KNOW BEFORE MOVING THEIR NETWORK TO THE CLOUD

This guide answers your questions about the cloud in plain English. It provides vital, experience-based information that most IT companies don't know or won't tell you.

Discover the answer


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We have relied on Bit by Bit's highly-trained, knowledgeable team for three years to host our servers, provide outstanding help desk service, and eventually move us to their hosted VoIP phone systems. They listened to our concerns and needs as they implemented a strategy that met and exceeded our expectations. They are a valued long-term partner and we highly recommend them.

Northern Fund Management
We've been a client of Bit by Bit's for over 20 years. As a matter of fact, they put our server in the cloud over ten years ago, before it was the hottest craze. They have always been very responsive to our needs and operate with the highest integrity. I'm very comfortable recommending them to other law firms.

Yacker Glatt LLC
Prior to using Bit by Bit, we encountered many instances requiring technology solutions. Since converting to their reverse cloud model, our system has been running smoothly. They are very responsive to our needs and their services are highly recommended.

Goetz Fitzpatrick LLP

11 Ways to Defeat Two-Factor Authentication


Hi Robert,
Everyone knows that two-factor authentication (2FA) is more secure than a simple login name and password, but too many people think that 2FA is a perfect, unhackable solution. It isn't!
Join Roger A. Grimes, KnowBe4's Data-Driven Defense Evangelist, and security expert with over 30-years experience, for this webinar where he will explore 11 ways hackers can and do get around your favorite 2FA solution. 

The webinar will include a (pre-filmed) hacking demo by worldwide hacking expert Kevin Mitnick, and real-life successful examples of every attack type. It will end by telling you how to better defend your 2FA solution so that you get maximum benefit and security.
You'll learn about the good and bad of 2FA, and become a better computer security defender in the process.
This webinar will cover:
  • 11 ways hackers get around two-factor authentication
  • How to defend your two-factor authentication solution
  • The role humans play in a blended-defense strategy

Date/Time: Monday, May 21st at 1:00 PM ET
Register Now 

Don't like to click on redirected buttons? Copy & paste this link into your browser: 
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5841469274003006978?source=HS
Warm regards,
Stu Sjouwerman
Founder and CEO
KnowBe4, Inc.




Annual Shred-a-thon is FRIDAY!



UPCOMING EVENTS

Here are the remaining events before we break for summer.  Keep up to date by following us on Facebook or go to our website.  You can also find out about everything happening via the 12th Night, our bi-monthly newsletter.

May 18 - Annual Shred-a-thon
Email rachaelwatson@fwdds.org to request a time slot. 
Scheduling every 15 minutes from 11am to 1pm 
Reserve Your Spot
Copyright © 2018 FWDDS, All rights reserved. 
Fort Worth District Dental Society 


Monday, May 14, 2018

Your Digital Assets Part 2


Your Digital Assets Part 2
The following is a multi-part blog series providing helpful information to protect and pass on your digital assets.
Guidance for your digital estate plan

The law referenced in last week’s blog adopts a three-part approach to determine how heirs and or executors can access online accounts after one’s death. The good news is those three sections of the law offer guidance for people trying to deal with digital assets in their estate plan — whether you live in a state that has adopted this law or not.
The law’s first section says that if a service provider offers an online mechanism for the user to dictate his or her post-death wishes — one example is Google’s “inactive account manager” — then the account owner’s use of that tool determines what happens to his account.

The online tools should be respected by everybody. It is very important for a provider to have an online tool and the users use that online tool. Hopefully more and more providers will be giving their users the option where they have an online tool that dictates what happens upon their death.
The second section saysif the service provider doesn’t offer any kind of online tool that dictates what happens to digital assets after the account owner’s death, or if the account owner doesn’t use the tool, then the account owner’s directions in a will or other legal document prevails. 

It is very helpful to put direction in the will, in trust agreements, and in powers of attorney. Upon one’s demise it will be the focus of the decedent’s intent.  It very helpful to have this intent documented.  
The third sectiondictates when the absence of the first two sections have been ignored.  Then the heirs and or executor are left with the terms of the service agreement of the provider.  You know, the one you click on (and never read) when you open your account. 
This agreement determines how your digital asset(s) are dealt with after you die.  For starters, those agreements will curtail access to anyone who is not an account owner.
As long as you use the online tool offered by your service provider, if one is offered, and if you detail your wishes in your will, your digital assets should be accessible as per your wishes. 
It is good the Act provides a mechanism for people to have their wishes respected after death.
On June 1, 2017, Governor Abbott signed into law the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act.
Please stay tuned for next week with more ideas for how to prepare now for the dissemination of your digital assets after death.

Corey N. Callaway
Investment Advisor Representative
721 N Fielder Rd., Suite C
Arlington, TX  76012
817-274-4877

Securities offered thru Callaway Financial Services, Inc.
Member FINRA and SIPC


Monday, May 7, 2018

Your Digital Assets Part 1


Your Digital Assets Part 1
The following is a multi-part blog series providing helpful information to protect and pass on your digital assets.
Who would have thought your online presence might have value?  And how do you dispose of your online assets or pass them on to your heirs upon you untimely demise?
There are two types of digital assets.  Web domains, email domains, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter represent a small portion of your online presence.  And well beyond your social presence, you probably have online bank, credit card and PayPal accounts.  
For many of us there may not be much value in your digital assets.  You may be more concerned as to the digital footprint you have left online.  How many times have you seen a deceased friend’s contact page on LinkedIn?  I know of three that I routinely see online. It is kind of creepy friending or linking with a deceased person.  Yet, you can.
You may have a very successful business.  Part of that success may incorporate or may have been created by your successful web domain for your online business.  Or you may have a prominent domain name that many other competitors want to own and may pay your estate dearly for it.  
Other problems may lie in your failure to plan for your untimely demise.  If you have a will and so far as an estate plan, your executor may have a very difficult time tracking everything down.  As an advisor I am faced assisting heirs who are unable to locate everything of value owned by the estate.  And untangle the web of assets so that they may gain control.  
One such widow was unable to unlock a heavily encrypted hard drive to obtain the information she needed.  Her husband was in the computer programming arena and worked for a major corporation. He, not realizing that his death was imminent and was suffering with a form of dementia, had everything locked down via encryption.  In the end she was faced with some major, unnecessary expenses that could have been avoided with some proper planning.   She also may be leaving money on the table in accounts she has no information about.
Leaving digital assets open can also put your estate at risk for hacking or fraud.  The bad guys have all the time in the world to break into your bank, credit card or PayPal account and steal money from the estate. How many accounts such as Amazon do you have linked to a credit card.  
Think about the effort your spouse or your executor will need to exert to shut these accounts off.  What if they never know about the existence of such accounts to close them.  
Ultimately, the estate could be paying for the losses.  
Your executor should know where everything is and all the logon and passwords to have access to the accounts.  And if you do not have a will, and many of you do not, at least let your spouse have access to this important information.    
Accounts are governed by the terms-of-service agreement to which you agreed (or, more likely, clicked that box without reading) upon opening the account. Those agreements, plus state and federal privacy laws and laws that criminalize unauthorized access to computers, all tend to limit access to online accounts. This really complicates matters for drawing up your will and or estate plan.    
There is some good news.  A growing number of states are enacting laws that help clarify the rules how executors and heirs can access and manage the online accounts for the decedent.  The Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (another law that is a mouthful) has been adopted by many states and introduced to many more.  The law lays out the rules under which an executor can manage a decedent’s digital accounts.
There is much more to this as you can imagine.  Please stay alert to my next blog which will cover more on the management of your digital assets.
Corey N. Callaway
Investment Advisor Representative
721 N Fielder Rd., Suite C
Arlington, TX  76012
817-274-4877

Securities offered thru Callaway Financial Services, Inc.
Member FINRA and SIPC