The Beacon Bulletin

And There Goes The Truth As An Absolute Defense

2009-02-22T20:31:00.004-05:00

We've moved! (Very shortly, we'll have migrated the archives to the new site but in the meanwhile; come visit, sit down for a while, enjoy some snark, take a survey....)

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The Beacon Bulletin

Acquire Abandoned Domains & Unusual Law Firm Names

2009-02-16T16:32:00.000-05:00

by Lina M. Maini
President
Beacon Network Investigations, Inc.

A curious, but not unexpected, occurrence is happening online; that of domain name abandonment. Curious in that you would think that by now someone would have created a personal domain tracking app, (much like Roboform, a personal password tracker), that maintains your domain expiration dates for you, as opposed to entrusting a registry company, such as godaddy or Network Solutions. Domain registration abandonment is expected, however, as people and companies move on, go out of business, shift focus... and simply forget to renew the domain or decide not to.

Our friend, Bill Myers, discovered a great free tool to check the availability of great domain names. This free tool searches all available combinations of any given word (and synonyms) instantly and shows what domain names are available. Suppose you have a niche market you are curious about, e.g. "learning", this search tool will even give you available domains with the word "study" in it.

I'll let Bill explain it in his video: http://www.bmyers.com/public/1546.cfm

(You can skip the video, though I recommend viewing it, and go directly to the free domain name finder: http://domain.domainsection.net/domain.php?action=domain_suggest.)

Happy hunting.

Now, because it's a Monday (and we are not the only ones working this President's Day) and well, it's my sense of humor, the WSJ posted these funny law firm names and or domains:

First prize goes to:

Payne & Fears

Followed very closely by:

MoFo

With runners-up:

Slaughter & Slaughter

Bickers & Bickers

Ball & Weed

It isn’t the firm name that’s funny, but Holland & Knight has two partners, one named Harry Potter and the other, Frank Sinatra.

Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen in Chesterfield, Va.
Only two of the allens are represented in the domain name: http://www.allenandallen.com/

Ice Miller

Held, Held and Held

Freeborn & Peters: site: freebornpeters.com

Bull & Lifshitz, LLP

Lawless & Lawless

Angst & Angst

Butts & Johnson – the firm's site is bjlaw.com

Slappey & Sadd

BNI Operatives: Street smart: web savvy; humor inclined.

As always, stay safe.

Technorati Profile

Free Laptop Lojack

2009-02-09T06:25:00.000-05:00

by Lina M. Maini

Relating to stolen laptops, below are the latest (U.S.) stats (from networkworld and slashdot):

- Every 55 seconds, a laptop is stolen.
- 12,000 laptops a week are stolen from airports.
- 600,000 laptops are stolen each year.

There are many laptop physical recovery aid pay services one can subscribe to such as lowjackforlaptops and brickhousesecurity.

Recently, however, we tested (and are completely sold on) a free, unique open source laptop tracking service, Adeona. Created (and with continuing research and upgrading) at the University Of Washington, Adeona is technologically miles ahead of its privately-developed rivals; primarily due to continual upgrading from UW's computer lab students, joined now by researchers from UC, San Diego and UC, Davis. Here's the best part: there is no third-party or middleman involved. Only YOU can track YOUR laptop.

This short video explains the free downloading and installation.

Also, straight from the Adeona site, for those of us that are very security conscious and carry sensitive information on our portable devices, below is a brief overview and one-line use direction:

Overview
What is Adeona?
Adeona is the first Open Source system for tracking the location of your lost or stolen laptop that does not rely on a proprietary, central service. This means that you can install Adeona on your laptop and go — there's no need to rely on a single third party. What's more, Adeona addresses a critical privacy goal different from existing commercial offerings. It is privacy-preserving. This means that no one besides the owner (or an agent of the owner's choosing) can use Adeona to track a laptop. Unlike other systems, users of Adeona can rest assured that no one can abuse the system in order to track where they use their laptop.

Adeona is designed to use the Open Source OpenDHT distributed storage service to store location updates sent by a small software client installed on an owner's laptop. The client continually monitors the current location of the laptop, gathering information (such as IP addresses and local network topology) that can be used to identify its current location. The client then uses strong cryptographic mechanisms to not only encrypt the location data, but also ensure that the ciphertexts stored within OpenDHT are anonymous and unlinkable. At the same time, it is easy for an owner to retrieve location information.

How do I use it?
Using Adeona only requires downloading and installing a small software client. Adeona is free to use.

I cannot stress strongly enough how important this software is for legal and law community professionals.

BNI Operatives: Street smart: web savvy.

Stay safe.
Beacon Network Investigations, Inc.

The Best Things In Life Are Free (Software)

2009-02-02T07:51:00.007-05:00

by Lina M. Maini

This week's Bulletin comes from our IT head, Jonathan Caspian; a timely update regarding computer virus software.

Most firms have fairly good firewalls in place but that protection generally does not extend to individual laptops, home PCs, smart phones...

This week's Bulletin is a short and sweet list of free security app tips for those can't-do-without gadgets:

Tip 1 (For Windows users, any version):
Free Malicious Software Removal Tool from Microsoft. This software, which should be run once a month (at least) whether you think your computer has been infected or not, scans your computer and removes the most popular and pernicious viruses and malicious software. This software is free from Microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

Note: FOR THE FREE VERSIONS OF THE FOLLOWING TWO APPS, GO TO DOWNLOAD.COM. (dl.com also has many other tools, software, patches... that you can download for free and with very accurate editor and reader reviews. CNET tested.)

Tip 2 (Spyware Removal)
SPYBOT. For immediate removal of those pesky cookies, spyware and malware, Spybot is the best in the business. The computer security industry gives Spybot high points for ease of use, efficiency, effectiveness and it constantly updates itself for new hacker threats.

Tip 3 (All around firewall, virus protection)
AVG. There is no better security monitor and virus removal software. Again, it's free.

All three of these protection softwares will offer a report at the end of a session (which you can program on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis).

BNI Operatives: Street smart: web savvy.

Stay safe.

Small Phones; Big Ears: Phone Security Breaches

2009-01-26T17:56:00.000-05:00

by Lina M. Maini

(This week's Bulletin carries updates to our BB Vol. 7, May 12, 2008 edition regarding widespread telephone tapping and how to avoid having your firm fall victim to cell phone security breaches. The related video below cotains an actual conversation between a TV producer and her attorney. They are on the 36th floor of an office building; the intruder is FOUR MILES away.)

Small Phone, Big Ears: Cell Phone Tapping
Particularly disturbing law firms these days is the potential that client meetings, conferences... can be secretly monitored via the attorney's own cell phone.

How it is done:
To remote access your cell phone's "firmware" (hard drive), an interested party can:

1. scan for your phone's frequency signature and bounce back an electronic tracer signal. In less than a nanosecond, your cell phone now serves as a broadcaster or

2. install spy software on your phone.

The obvious ethical issues of client/attorney privilege aside, firm operating procedures, sensitive case information, negotiation tactics... are delivered on a silver headset to outsiders with a desire to know.

How to tell if your phone is tapped:
The tech and investigation experts in the below video demonstrate cell tapping techniques , threat management and elimination. (Important note: the video concentration is on spy software installed on your cell, but your phone can be remotely tapped. There is no need for the thief to have physical possession of your phone.)

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCyKcoDaofg

Spoiler: the three main clues that your cellphone is tapped are:
1. It feels unusually warm.
2. The battery drains more quickly.
3. You get static feedback from speakers on other electronic equipment within range of your cell.
How to prevent cell phone tapping:
1. Remove the battery before sensitive meetings.
2. Don't take the cell phone into any high-stakes meetings.
3. Carry a signal jammer. Many are disguised as business card holders or similar small accessories and are extremely effective.

BNI Operatives; Street smart; Web savvy.

As always, stay safe.

Who's Your Daddy? Paternity Testing

2009-01-19T06:15:00.000-05:00

Whether for personal knowledge or court-directed, paternity tests are now as common as the phrase "locked in an Albany political boondoggle". (Snarkiness can be expanded to other states' capitals political machinery.)

There are many "off the rack" paternity testing kits that one can order online. The purpose of this week's Bulletin is to provide information regarding a) sample types, b) gathering techniques and c) admissibility.

The full article is in your mailbox if you are a registered Beacon Bulletin reader. If you have not registered with us yet, we invite you to do so now. It's free, delivered each Monday and full of reader-requested information. Please note that registration is limited to licensed legal professionals and law enforcement. We do verify our registrants.

Email - True Or Scam?

2009-01-12T06:09:00.001-05:00

by Lina M. Maini

We're barely into the new year, and already the scammers are flooding our inboxes with fake email, promising riches.

Below is an email I received. In that it was sent to me by a very skeptical Bulletin reader as a heads-up, I double-checked with the best source for scam busting: Hoax-slayer. (More on HS below the scam email.)

Subject: Please Read This. It Was On Good Morning America!

What do you have to lose?

This was sent to me by my accountant... if you think this is ridiculous I have no problem giving you his contact information...Read carefully...THIS TOOK TWO PAGES OF THE TUESDAY USATODAY - IT IS FOR REAL. To all of my friends, I do not usually forward messages,But this is from my friend Pearlas Sandborn and she really is an attorney. If she says that this will work - it will work. After all, what have you got to lose?

SORRY EVERYBODY.. JUST HAD TO TAKE THE CHANCE!!! I'm an attorney, And I know the law. This thing is for real. Rest assured AOL and Intel will follow through with their promises for fear of facing a multimillion-dollar class action suit similar to the one filed by PepsiCo against General Electric not too long ago. Microsoft and AOL are now the largest Internet companies and in an effort to make sure that Internet Explorer remains the most widely used program, Microsoft and AOL are running e-mail beta tests. When you forward this e-mail to friends, Microsoft can and will track it (if you are a Microsoft Windows user) for a two week time period. For every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay you $245.00 For every person that you sent it to that forwards it on, Microsoft will pay you $243.00 and for every third person that receives it, you will be paid $241.00. With in two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address and then send you a check.

Regards. Charles S Bailey General Manager Field Operations1-800-842-2332 Ext. 108 5 or 904-1085 or RNX 292-1085

What's particularly clever (other than none of the text) is the use of an 800# that generates a message that the caller "cannot reach this party from (your) area code". If you get email that you'd like to verify, visit the the guys over at Hoax-Slayer.

"Hoax-Slayer is dedicated to debunking email hoaxes, thwarting Internet scammers, combating spam, and educating web users about email and Internet security issues. Hoax-Slayer allows Internet users to check the veracity of common email hoaxes and aims to counteract criminal activity by publishing information about common types of Internet scams. Hoax-Slayer also includes anti-spam tips, computer and email security information, articles about true email forwards, and much more. New articles are added to the Hoax-Slayer website every week." - Hoax-Slayer

Stay safe.

Finding Old Faces In The New Year

2009-01-05T06:52:00.005-05:00

by Lina M. Maini

Welcome back and a happy, prosperous, safe and sane 2009 to all.

This time of the year, the dual-faced Janus finds us simultaneously looking backward at unfinished business and forward to the future. It is not surprising, therefore, that we notice an uptick in requests for people locates in December and January.

Barring criminal activity, most of us innocuously and accumulatively lose people in life, usually due to school, work, family, careers...

As our readers know, BNI works exclusively for the trial law and legal community. We do not accept service requests from the general public. Every so often, however, one of our attorney or corporate clients will ask us to conduct a personal subject locate. In the spirit of hope and unity in a new year, we offer the following tips gratis for this search type:

Tips for Finding Missing Persons:

The first suggestion is what NOT to do:

Do not use alleged free search sites such as alliedpeoplesearch.com. "Alleged" because it is a teaser site - forcing you to register at Reunion.com before releasing unqualified information.

Now for the DO list:

1. Google the person. (Put the "name" in quotes to reduce irrelevance and redundancy.)

2. Search the ultimate white and yellow pages - Argali. (This site simultaneously searches multiple search engines - white pages, infospace/intellus, anywho...)

3. Search genealogy sites: (First check Cyndi's List - an archive of 250,000+ genealogy sites, starting off with the most populated, Ancestry and YourFamily, registries.

4. Check the Missing Persons Org site if you believe the person may have been reported missing.

5. And, if you have reason to believe the person may have passed on, research the Social Security Number Index site. (You don't need the subject's SSN; just the name - although, if in the registry, the SSN will return.)

Finally, be creative. Think of activities or interests the person may have enjoyed and search those sites, leave posts on their bulletin boards or conversely, put up your own web site with a missing person page. It all comes down to algorithms. Increase your chances of a successful locate by putting it out before potential millions of eyes that you are searching for that person.

Of course, if all else fails, or there is a legal and or time constraint, you can give us a shout.

BNI Operatives: Street smart; web savvy.

Stay safe and again, a happy New Year to all.

Happy Holidays & Some Snark!

2008-12-22T06:32:00.006-05:00

by Lina M. Maini

Happy holidays to all. We'll be back after the New Year. But we wanted to leave you with a few thoughts...

Over the years, BNI (our investigation company), staff has encountered memorable experiences, portrayed below via our friends at Billable Hours and Stus:

In dealing with witnesses and evidence:

Locating expert witnesses:

and a unique service request approach (I'm on the right):

But always, great clients, to whom we sincerely wish:

From the BNI gang (and, as several wonderful clients have referred to us as, "Monster! Private Investigators"),

Safe, sane and healthy holidays!

copyright Mainiac Productions, Inc.

SeeThruNY (not Illinois)

2008-12-15T03:15:00.004-05:00

by Lina M. Maini

Annual Pensions for New York State School Retirees

SeeThruNY is a site that we've been following for the past year. It's populating rapidly, (not sure how thrilled we were to see the Retired Teachers Pensioneers list though... seems a bit invasive), bringing comprehensive NY State government worker data (salary, agency, title...) to the public.

Suspiciously, there is no SeeThruIlinois. We checked. There was a comparable listing of Illinois positions and salaries that was just recently pulled down.

A Chicagoan friend ponders the difference between Illinois Governor Rod (F*** 'Em)Blagojevich (and his equally as effin eloquent wife, Patricia) and the Rogue Three of Albany (RTA). Simply: Hair Club for Men advocate Blago wanted real money for an active state Senate seat; in NYS, the RTA, not the MTA, (albeit an understandable mistake) wanted real money for not-as-of-yet created administration positions in exchange for allowing Sen. Malcolm Smith his Senate majority leadership role.

I guess it's easier to slink away from the criminality if one can legitimately call it a "what-if" theoretical situation, a "let's pretend such and such a position were to be created" for one's support as opposed to screaming "Senate for Sale" into every exposed Fed bug from here to Putin's bedroom (which I hope we really have tapped). This all makes me miss the good ole Clinton "parsing" days. Figuring out what Clinton "did" as opposed to what he "said"... Ahhh, like solving a particularly challenging NYT Sunday x-word puzzle. You knew you would eventually finish it, but it was just so much fun getting there. Bill should have opened a school - Parsin's School By Design.

Here are the real differences: Theoretical v. application. Media lights v. perp walk. Fat guy squeezing down the chimney v. skinny guy digging a tunnel.

My big question is, so which administration gets credit for Poof-n-Play Blago Bingo? Monopoly should come out with a new edition: crackhouses, welfare hotels, the jail looking suspiciously like the Ill. Gov's mansion. Passing Go will land you $200, unless an emissary comes by and offers the Banker more for it and pushes his piece ahead. Of course, you can hope that everyone plays ethically. And my opening at the Met is scheduled for next October 9th, 9:00 p.m.

Stay safe all.

We Can't Let This Bank Fail

2008-12-15T02:50:00.000-05:00

by Lina M. Maini

This year, for the first time in 25 years of operation, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey is running on bare shelves. People having to make decisions of whether to buy medicine or food. This is America. Lack of food is unAmerican.

Please take a look at this YouTube video:

For a link to a website that lists local food pantries by county go here: Sefan.org.

Do what you can.

Locate Email Addresses In 8 Seconds

2008-12-07T12:49:00.027-05:00

by Lina Maini

Take my word on this. BNI is not the world's first not-for-profit private investigation company. We truly enjoy investigative work. Although several base components of a case (type, agency protocol, basic investigation outline...) are usually the same, each matter is always different. Those differences enable our curiosity to remain engaged. That said, we often receive requests for email searches. We don't take candy from babies either.

Below is a really cool tip, developed by our IT genius, Jonathan Caspian, for conducting email searches from your desktop or Blackberry that should gain you the results you need in less than 10 seconds. (Of course, if it's a real toughie, feel absolutely welcome to call our very much for-profit office.)

Tip:

In the address bar (the field at the top of your screen, identifying the curent site you are on: (e.g. https://www.google.com), input: @companyname email surname. Eaxample: (@bniinvestigations.com email maini).

Click on the pic below for an enlarged example:

Give it a shot. It may be also interesting to see where else people pop up. (This type of search can pull up social networking info. On a tangential note, was it really necessary for the print and online media to continually post the adult costumed pics of the practioner who recently met with an unfortunate and violent demise while in physical defense of his gf, Jade Vixen? Now that is truly an egregious posthumous invasion of privacy, which we understand does not legally exist... but still...)

I'm not going down that road today. Have a great upcoming work week!

BNI Operatives: Street smart; web savvy.

Stay safe.

CarFax - Some, Not All, Of The Facts

2008-12-01T02:42:00.000-05:00

by Lina Maini

For a variety of reasons (defect history, ownership records, prior accidents...) attorneys often turn to Carfax for vehicle background checks in MVA-related incidents, car purchases and increasingly, in bad faith online car sales actions (usually processed through ebay).

Carfax is a private corporation; compliance is voluntary. Many dealerships join Carfax to lend credibility to their merchandise and often, potential buyers uncover previously unknown details that influence his or her purchasing decision. CarFax legitimately compiles as much information as is publicly available on vehicles in their registry but Carfax should never be mistaken for a governmental agency or presumed to provide complete and vetted information. It is simply a general-access information tool (albeit one of the better ones available) and should be treated accordingly - as a starting point in any vehicle investigation or research.

Be thorough and use a variety of sources such as:

- the owner's personal records
- your state's DMV records
- safercar.gov (a division of the NHTSA) for vehicle recalls and defect records

BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.

As always, stay safe.

One-Stop Legal Shop

2008-11-23T14:08:00.006-05:00

by Lina Maini

Well, here's an interesting concept whose time has come: JD Supra: a repository of free legal information shared by the professionals who generate it. From legal documents, legal forms, court filings to newsletters that benefit the legal community, legal consumers, the media, and the general public, you'll find it all in an easily navigable site: JD Supra.

You can also find the Beacon Bulletin there every Monday!

Contribute, stay informed and find information.

BNI Operatives: Street Smart: Web savvy.

Stay safe.

Sex Sells; Lawyers Prove It

2008-11-16T17:32:00.009-05:00

We've covered legal marketing in numerous Bulletin issues and have imparted this known advertising truth: Sex sells. Not the generic type ad execs are prone to clone but the simple hardwiring differences between the genders. Our minds are primal-brain trained for long term survival.

This seems to be a duh-factor for most, but, and the focus of this week's Bulletin, is that even that old Mad Men maxim has cleverly reached previously untouchable, seemingly unrelated, niche markets. Specifically, the greenies. Two examples of brilliant sex/green cross marketing campaigns, using a simple advertising tool - the annual calendar are:

- The Philadelphia Eagles 2009 cheerleaders' calendar, printed on recycled paper, features the cheerleaders wearing bikinis made from 100% organic cotton and accessorized with natural stones jewelry.

- Habana Outpost, NYC's cool new eco-friendly restaurant (utensils are made from potato-based compost, they use corn cups and smoothies are processed through a bike-powered blender, $1 off if you ride the (stationary) bike yourself) offers up its 2009 Chicas Habas (Girls Gone Green) calendar on recyc paper, of course, and printed with soy ink.

And lawyers almost hit the ultimate feel-good, carbon footprint accounting, animal friendly marketing trifecta with the (possibly first ever) Beautiful Lawyers calendar to benefit Greater Boston Legal Services (whose sub charities list includes the Animal Rescue League of Boston). The Beautiful Lawyers calendar is also equal op: male and female JDs, (no bikinis, on either) but it is printed on REAL, glossy expensive paper with regular multi-color ink, no less. Sigh... Wait, we have 2010!

But now, my innate competitive NY spirit demands that the 2010 BL calendar be an Empire State version. Send in pics and charity suggestions. We'll donate our marketing advice on covering the green brownie points. NY can't get beaned on this one!

BTW, is anyone else curious about the Habana Outpost's chicken and steak menu?

BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy; Green conscious; Pet friendly. (No, as far as we know, there are no plans for a Police Canine calendar for furry friend lovers.)

(This entire post may be an outpouring of the stress of enduring a 2-year presidential campaign but lately, I'm finding it easier to concentrate on wall calendars than mega-worries Wall Street, Detroit and France's new found admiration for the U.S..)

Seriously, stay safe all,

Lina

Drawing A Line In The Cement: NYCRR: Sidewalks

2008-11-10T11:43:00.008-05:00

It's later in the year than we would normally re-issue this article but at least we are getting it in before the big freeze or snowfall.

We're tackling the issue of NYC's sidewalk maintenance, use and liability, early this year, before any unintended skating events occur on any of the City's 12,750 miles of sidewalks.

The following information pertains to the sidewalk rules and regulations for the 5 boroughs of New York City.

Sidewalk Maintenance

The sidewalk in front of any building or lot must be maintained and repaired by the property owner. Any defects must be promptly repaired. The owner of all property with four or more families is responsible for any injury caused by the owner's failure to maintain the sidewalk in a reasonably safe condition. If the repair covers more than 25 square feet of the sidewalk, the owner or contractor must obtain a Sidewalk Replacement Permit from the Department of Transportation.

Sidewalk Use

All businesses intending to use a portion of the sidewalk for daily operation, or who wish to attach to or place upon the sidewalk any items such as canopies, bike racks, benches, planters, or who wish to use a basement vault, must obtain a renewable permit or a revocable consent from the Department of Transportation. The placement of any item on the sidewalk must not interfere with the use of the sidewalk by pedestrians. A minimum of 8 feet or half the sidewalk, whichever is greater, must be kept clear between the item and any obstacle on the curbside, such as hydrants and traffic control devices. No business may prevent parking or paint the curb, sidewalk, or roadway to advertise the business.

Sidewalk Obstruction

Businesses are responsible for keeping the adjacent section of sidewalk free from all obstructions such as refuse, refuse containers, and A-frame signs to allow the free flow of pedestrian traffic. It is illegal for anyone to place or leave any box, barrel, or other moveable property (regardless of ownership) upon any public street or public place. This law applies to construction or demolition containers, which may only be placed on the street with a permit from the Department of Transportation. In addition, restaurants may not place obstructions such as stanchions or cones in the street to prevent parking or to provide ingress/egress for customers.

Snow and Ice Removal

Snow and/or ice must be removed from the sidewalk within four hours after the snow has stopped falling, or by 11 AM if snow has stopped falling after 9 PM the previous evening. If the snow or ice becomes so frozen that it cannot be removed, the sidewalk may be strewn with ashes, sand, sawdust or similar suitable material within the same time limits. The sidewalk must be thoroughly cleared as soon as weather permits.

Stay safe,

Jonathan Caspian
Writer
Beacon Bulletin

IP Theft - Not If but When

2008-11-03T08:52:00.007-05:00

Intellectual property (IP) theft is on the rise. It is of particular interest to us in that it is a challenging area of research and investigation, with which we have formidable experience but also because of the sheer laxity with which people, unintentionally, treat their personal concepts and/or corporate secrets. One of the most infamous IP hijack attempts is the one by a Pepsi employee several years ago, of rival, Coca Cola's age old secret formula. (This situation was more of a former Coke employee, turncoat cum extortionist, caught in the act.)

No longer is it the ragged thief on the sidewalk selling bootleg DVDs (although, despite recording and film industry-instigated aggressive prosecution, continues at a multi-billion dollars a year loss). Cyber thievery is the crime du jour. The mastermind cyber criminal needs only to bring in a skilled hacker (he/she may not even be old enough to vote - although we encourage everyone to get out tomorrow, Election Day '08!) and if there is a focus on your product or concept, and you've maintained it on your corporate or personal PC, it can be retrieved from the outside. For that matter, it's not just traditional IP materials that are vulnerable to cyber theft, so are your client lists, address book, confidential case file data, etc. As you can see in the CBS News clip below, there are actually hacking kits on the market.

Cyber Crime/Intellectual Property Protection Tips:

1. Have all employees, affiliated vendors.. sign confidentiality agreements. Specify the agreement to your firm's concerns.

2. Conduct specific prior IP theft prosecution background checks for any employee or potential subcontractor, vendor... who may potentially gain access to proprietary company information.

3. Change passwords. Frequently. This can be a hassle but there are off the shelf programs (roboform comes to mind immediately) that can automatically enable and track these changes for you.

For more info, there is an up-to-date, comprehensive cyber crime area on the USDOJ site.

BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.

Stay safe and VOTE!,

Lina

DIY Background Checks From Your Desk

2008-10-27T06:29:00.001-04:00

Ever get that creepy feeling that an employee, coworker, or partner is not dealing with a full deck? But it just doesn't rise to the level of making a formal complaint or notice?

For your own peace of mind, you may want to conduct your own quick background check. (If the matter, however, rises to requiring an in depth, comprehensive background search, hire a professional investigator.)

Try the following steps to obtain a fuller picture of the individual:

- google them,

- check the white pages. Argali works best - it combines the major white page search engines into one. (Bonus: argali allows for reverse address or telephone searches.)

- check the major social networking sites: myspace, facebook, bebo, linkedin, twitter, flickr.

Of course, if one makes the leap, these social networks can also help form a good, day to day picture of a defendant. We showcase the hottest short-note social network, Twitter, in the below video. Big Brother arrived a decade ago; one just has to know how and when to use the tools.

- check any blogs they may have authored at the blog repository site, technorati.

Good luck.

BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.

Stay safe,

Lina

Emergency Info and the Hollaback Girls

2008-10-20T19:26:00.000-04:00

I couldn't settle on one topic this week, so I went with several info bytes:

International emergency numbers

We've become a global society, with many of us traveling overseas for business and vacationing. The international emergency number to dial from a cell phone is NOT 911. For all GSM cell phones, (82% of cell phones worldwide operate on the Global System for Mobile communications platform), the international emergency code is 112. This applies to all EU members, South Africa, many other African nations, India, Israel, Indonesia, Iran (not sure if dialing the gov't is a good idea here), Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. For a complete listing, check wikipedia's emergency telephone numbers entry.

FLASHERS EXPOSED

Several fed-up NYC women, tired of the flashing phenomena, especially underground, set up a website to post pics of the offenders that have been taken with cell phones - HollaBackNYC. This site has now blown up to a HollaBack site for nearly every state. These photos are also being posted on Flickr and YouTube (if video captured). Well, the potential violator is now aware that the consequences of his actions rest firmly in his own hands. If you're of the inclination, help support the cause and buy a unique Hollaback product (like the above Hollaback Girl's Tee) or just donate. We generally don't plug causes but well, you know, someone's mother, sister, daughter...

NYPD ONLINE CRIME REPORTING UPDATE

The NYPD online site for submitting crime videos and pics is now open for business: www.nypdcrimestoppers.com. There are also instructions on how to text crime reports via mobile.

BNI Operatives: Street smart, Web savvy.

Stay safe,

Lina

French Maids Teach Video Podcasting

2008-10-12T20:51:00.004-04:00

Video Podcasting made easy (and sweet) by our freinds over at French Maid TV. Our boss, Lina, is away at the moment, so while some of the shots may be gratuitous (note: may), this really has to be the easiest set of video podcasting instructions we've found short of hiring the Geek Squad to come to your home or office and hand lead you through it.

Enjoy.

Happy Columbus Finally Found America Day!

BNI Operatives; Street Smart: Web Savvy.

Jonathan
Writer, Beacon Bulletin

Ladies Nites In; Lawyer Hollander Out

2008-10-06T00:07:00.000-04:00

Common Sense Does Exist During This Election Year...

Judge Cedarbaum recently ruled that private clubs can charge patrons whatever they wish on Ladies Nites and that fee structure is not discrimination against men as claimed in the lawsuit brought by self-described "anti-feminist" lawyer Roy Hollander.

According to Hollander:

"This lawsuit would have put an end to guys financially subsidizing girls to party at nightclubs," he said.

We're curious as to Mr. Hollander's views on the current rash of women-centric parties, like SkIN , (warning: graphic site) held at clubs nationwide that don't allow single men in at all, unless accompanied by a woman. Further, should a man leave the club, he may not return unless he is with the same woman with which he originally gained entry. We're just asking...

Back to Judge Cedarbaum, perhaps she viewed the below TV interview before her ruling in this case:

With the resolution of the "Ladies Nite" suit, Mr. Hollander will now be able to focus on what are surely his next targets: restaurants that allow children under 5 free meals, celebrity swag bag sponsors and undoubtedly, public breast feeders.

We just want the surveillance jobs.

BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.

Stay safe,

Lina

Your Public Face

2008-09-29T18:19:00.000-04:00

(This week's Bulletin is an update from a previous issue, run last year, on this subject. The online world continues to, at exponential rate, change the rules.)

More frequently, BNI is requested to conduct public image profiling - searches to uncover one's personal information, that which is readily available online. Beyond verifying the usual identifiers (address, DOB, phone number...), given the proliferation of user-generated content and social and business networking sites, a potential employer or partner can often obtain an alarmingly unfiltered profile of their candidate. For obvious reasons, this information is invaluable to just about every public, private or governmental sector industry that relies on its public image to operate effectively.

We've developed several public image profiling site checklists (each containing from 45 - 102, and counting, sites) , dependent on the requestor's needs, all of which include the below basic searches:

General: Google.com, Yahoo.com(check subcategories: Web, Images, Video...)

Social Networks: .Bebo.com, Broadcaster.com, Classmates.com, Facebook.com, Friendster.com, Meetup.com, MySpace.com,Reunion.com, Tagged.com, Twitter.com, 360.yahoo.com.

Business Networks: LinkedIn.com, Plaxo.com, Spoke.com, Naymes.com.

Blogs: Technorati.com

Site Ranking: Aside from your Google PageRank, Alexa.com, is an excellent source of business information.

Tip: It is also possible to backtrace a person by simply Googling that person's email. The searcher can quickly become privy to one's opinion/poll responses, newsgroups memberships, political affiliations, donations and much more.

Again, these are the basic sites to search to form a public image profile - or research one's own Netface.

Public image profiling is the new credit report.

Stay safe,

Lina

Getting Your Email Through

2008-09-21T21:18:00.006-04:00

Too often, important, even intra-company, email, winds up in your trash folder. Resending, sending without a subject line, consulting your Magic-8 ball... are some solutions. The more scientific way to ensure your email gets through is follow the Can-Spam rules found at the government site: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.shtm.

Additionally, from the 60-Second Marketer we run a very brief, concise second video with 10 tips of words not to use in any subject line if you want your email to go through.

10 Words, Phrase or Actions To Avoid In Email Subject Lines:

1. Use of the word "free".

2. Excessive punctuation.

3. The phrase "please read".

See video for the rest.

PI Tip Of The Week: Pending the financially parameters of your case, when required to prove a long-time, pre-existing premises defects/dangerous conditions, have an address history run of the property in question to obtain previous tenant information. Follow up with subject locates and interview previous residents.

BNI Operatives: Street smart: Web savvy.

As Always, Stay Safe,

Lina

A New Avenue to Prior Notice To The City?

2008-09-15T18:52:00.000-04:00

A month ago, the Bulletin first brought our readers the news that the NYPD was developing a technique for crime video and picture submission directly to the police. The delivery system is now fully operational, per the below 9/10/2008 NY Daily News article. However, these report hotlines and avenues are not for criminal activity alone. Quality of life issues can also be reported (potholes, poor parks conditions....) At the end of the News article, however, we ask questions regarding how this information can then be used in the private sector.

DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU

Wednesday, September 10th 2008, 1:17 AM

Now you can send images and videos from your phone to cops regarding crimes, and to 311 regarding quality of life issues. Picture this: You e-mail a photo of a fleeing crook that you took with your cell phone to cops, who use it to bust the bad guy in a flash.

Now it can happen.

Callers to 911 can send photos and videos to NYPD's Real Time Crime Center, where images are used to crack crimes or respond to emergencies, Mayor Bloomberg said Tuesday.

"This technology should scare every would-be criminal because the chance of getting caught in the act is now better than ever," said Bloomberg.

All callers have to do is tell the dispatcher that they have a picture that could be useful in the emergency. The information is provided to cops, who contact the callers and give them an e-mail address to send the photo to.

Bloomberg, however, warned aspiring crime stoppers to exercise common sense when taking pictures. "As helpful as your photo or video image is, do not put yourself in harm's way to obtain them," he said. "Your safety is paramount."

When callers say they have a crime photo, the 911 dispatcher enters a special code in the NYPD's internal system that provides cops with the good Samaritan's phone number.

"It's another building block in our partnership with the public," said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, noting that last month, the NYPD started accepting text-message tips.

But photos aren't just for combatting crime.

New Yorkers can also send photos and videos - to 311 or www.nyc.gov - concerning quality-of-life issues like potholes, dirty parks or broken pay phones.

As with the protocol for 911, callers to 311 have to alert operators that they have a photo of the offense. Callers are directed to www.nyc.gov, where they can directly send up to three photos.

"All of these things add to the quality of life in this city," said Bloomberg.

Bloomberg said he wasn't worried about the system being flooded with photos, but urged the public not to "cry wolf". I think the problem is reverse," he said. "That people don't call us enough."

End of article.

Of course, from our perspective, the quality of life reports (potholes, dangerous intersections, cracked sidewalks...) raises all sorts of issues re: notice to the City. And, will these reports, if founded be channeled to say private organizations such as Big Apple? Do these reports fall under FOIL? It'll be interesting to see how this all unfolds in the civil end of matters.

BNI Operatives: Street smart; Net savvy.

As always, be safe,

Lina

Hiring An Expert Witness Re: Whistling At Work

2008-09-08T14:10:00.000-04:00

Okay so we got a bit carried away with this week's title, but I'll prove my point below: that you can find an expert witness on any topic, and then we'll get into the reality of the necessity of expert witnesses.

The judge's decision: Posted On: March 31, 2007 by Jim Robinson, Esq.
Gang Expert Allowed to Testify in Illegal Immigration Trial

As reported in Pennsylvania's Times Leader, U.S. District Judge James Munley allowed gang expert witness Jared Lewis to testify as an expert witness at a Pennsylvania trial regarding the Illegal Immigration Relief Act. Lewis testified that the gang named "MS-13" had a presence in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and was one of the most dangerous gangs in the world.

Lewis was allowed to testify even though he had minimal law enforcement experience, did not include any published authoritative works in his resume, and his expert report did not include any information based on gang statistics specific to the area. The court found that his area of expertise is not an area about which many authoritative books have been written.

This week's Bulletin covers the topic of Expert Witnesses; definition; why it is better to hire one sooner than later and selecting expert witnesses. Following the Bulletin text is the video pertaining to the above article on Mr. Robertson's excellent and concisely named blog: Expert Witness Blog.

Definition: From Wikipedia:

An expert witness is a witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to have knowledge in a particular subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially (and legally) rely upon the witness's specialized (scientific, technical or other) opinion about an evidence or fact issue within the scope of their expertise, referred to as the expert opinion, as an assistance to the fact-finder.

History of Expert Witnesses: The earliest known use of an expert witness in English law came in 1782, when a court that was hearing litigation relating to the silting-up of Wells harbour in Norfolk accepted evidence from a leading civil engineer, John Smeaton. This decision by the court to accept Smeaton's evidence is widely cited as the root of modern rules on expert evidence.

Why it's better to hire an expert witness sooner rather than later:

1. The cost of finding out later that your client has a much weaker case than originally assessed will be far greater than the expert's fee.

2. As much as one or one's staff can conduct comprehensive research, an expert will have the real life experience of not only the subject matter, but unenvisioned or rebuttal scenarios and that can translate to a substantial difference in case settlement amount.

3. A well-qualified and respected expert lends significant credence to a trial case.

4. With expert discloser and pleading rules...its best to know your theories early.

Selecting an expert witness:

1. Ask colleagues who've experienced similar cases,

2. Review the expert's testimony in a similar case.

3. Ask for recommendations from the expert witness. He or she should not have any issue providing you with references. Then follow through. Interview the references. Professional courtesy is usually extended and professionals speak the same language, so an assessment can quickly and accurately be made.

4. Some organization (ATLA??) should start a opt-in expert witness rated directory.

Note: The above recommendations should apply to both nontestifying and testifying witnesses.

And now the gang expert video (which proves you can find an expert on anything):

Good luck and successful results,

As always, stay safe,

Lina

BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.