Tech

After more than 1 Year of Atlanta City Cyber Attack, More Cities Remain Vulnerable

Published

5 years ago

July 1, 2019

Almost one year has passed to the SamSam ransomware attack at the city of Atlanta which had taken down the multiple municipal systems in the city. Atlanta city had to pay up to $17 million to bring back the situation under control. The city municipality hired Gary Brantley as a new CIO to repair all the malfunctions which caused the cyber attack and to modernize the city against future cyber attacks.

Although Atlanta city has taken some steps to eliminate cyber attacks, a few more cities such as Greenville, Del Rio, and Texas have recently met with cyber attacks. So the question is what is happening with all these municipal governments and why they are so easy to get targeted by cybercriminals?

Alan Shark, the executive director of the city’s Public Technology Institute, said that the municipal governments are more vulnerable to cyber attack than the corporate sector because the corporate sector has been investing largely on cybersecurity since Target Breach attack in 2013 which had exposed the data of 41 million retailers publicly.

The municipal governments are not paying or have failed to pay people with great knowledge about cybersecurity. It is the responsibility of the senior officials of all municipal governments to realize that there is no other option except keeping cybersecurity high. They should take services of companies like Centerpoint IT, which have all the necessary tools and in-depth knowledge to eliminate the chances of the modern cybersecurity breaches.

Alan Shark also said that apart from taking the services of the third party, the municipal government should also provide cyber awareness and training to the municipal workforce. This is possible only if the municipal governments become serious about avoiding future cyber attacks.

Tech

Resist Temptation and Get More Productive With Website and App Blockers

Published

3 weeks ago

July 4, 2024

Jonathan Grilli

From reading the latest news to looking for your next big vacation (or being captivated by social media), the Internet has become a massive landscape of diverse content. With the digital world filled with countless distractions, resisting temptation and being able to focus has become more and more difficult. The development of website and app blockers provides a simple solution to avoid scooting down portal pathways that hinder productivity and, sometimes, lead to negative consequences.

As a worldwide societal phenomenon, the Internet is rapidly evolving, with entire economies and personal relationships relying on the web. A website and app blocker intentionally restricts access to specific internet sites and apps through software programs. Website and app blocker software can be downloaded as add-ons or extensions for browsers, like website blocking on Chrome. Such blocking can include programs that assist in URL-based blocking, Platform-based blocking—specifically when using search engines, and Domain Name Systems blocking, which all make it difficult to access specified domains and websites on the Internet.

Many website and app blockers allow you to enter websites and apps that you want to restrict access to for a certain time period throughout the day or a certain length of time. This can be helpful to those who need to focus on studying but keep falling into temptation’s trap, straying away from what needs to be done to engage in unnecessary Google searches or scrolling through Instagram posts.

However, there are website and app blockers that can permanently restrict access to specified sites and apps. With potentially crucial reasons to restrict access to Internet content, blocking software could improve daily lives. Those struggling with shopping addiction or facing negative consequences at work for an inability to remain focused may find website and app blockers incredibly beneficial.

Website and app blocking isn’t confined to personal, individual use. It has become a rising trend for many governments to utilize this software when blocking illegal content. Yet, the software can also help parents, guardians, and other family and friends block access to harmful content and inappropriate material for children.

By restricting access to certain websites or apps, you allow yourself to build new and more productive habits, or keep yourself and your kids safe. Through establishing “forced focus” times for yourself, concentrating solely on your work or tasks at hand becomes easier. Protectivity has many proven benefits. Committing to what needs to be done can help build your self-worth, creating a feeling of accomplishment that is good for your mood. Even if the things you need to focus on and get done are smaller tasks in nature, accomplishing your daily tasks can help ward off excessive stress and anxiety, as well as depression.

NetNanny, BlockSite, and Surfblocker as some of the most effective website and app blocking software. BlockSite is a blocking software used globally by millions of people, and it provides relief from temptation by temporarily blocking websites and apps, so you can focus, be productive, and build self-control habits.

Whether you are trying to keep yourself in check or your family safe, website and app-blocking software limits screen time while providing customization to users that help tailor usage to individual needs.