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For these Cisconians, hands-on is the way to go when it comes to giving back. Using Cisco’s Time2Give benefit that provides 10 paid days to volunteer each year, team members rolled up their sleeves to build homes, cuddle and care for animals, distribute food and more. If you also value giving back, check out our open roles.
Marketing Specialist, Global Events Julie Kramer used Time2Give to build a shed with Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley. Kramer especially appreciated learning about the organization’s purpose in addition to learning how to build.
John Hindman, an account executive, used Time2Give to spend a week in Nicaragua with SuNica, an organization centered on clean water and fellowship. Hindman cleared out downed trees, picked coffee and built treehouses to allow the organization to host more children from surrounding communities.
In the community Hindman visited, repurposing recycled materials is critical to the economy, and one way that happens is through “mining” the local landfill. Hindman’s team encouraged local employees and led games and activities for local children.
For those considering Time2Give, Hindman says, “Do it. Unplug, find something you’re passionate about, set up your out-of-office, and ignore everything work-related for the time you’re serving.”
Animal lover Carrie Cordeiro, a Cisco Secure digital strategist/manager on the Brand Marketing team, volunteers with Hopalong and Muttville as a kitten cuddler and dog walker. Most of her time is spent transporting kittens, puppies, cats and dogs around the Bay Area to vet appointments, adoption centers and foster locations.
The best part for Cordeiro is “getting to interact with so many adorable animals,” she said. As for leadership support around utilizing Time2Give? “I love doing it and my management team absolutely supports it, especially when I share photos.”
Customer Success Manager Kristen Gehrke reminds us that, “You don’t always have to look far to utilize Time2Give.” She sewed a baby blanket for Bluebonnet Trails Community Services. “The best part of the experience was giving back to mothers and their babies, as I am an expecting mother myself,” she said.
Engineering Manager Blake Ellingham organized food pantry shelves and packed bags for food distributions with HTB Food Bank. “I love getting to do work with my hands that helps others,” he said.
Ellingham recommends scheduling something routine for Time2Give. “Consistency matters! By going in every week for a half day of volunteering, I was able to make great friends with the staff,” he said.
From empowering youth globally and remotely to volunteering across community hubs, Cisconians deeply value innovative ways to contribute their time and talents.
If you are interested in increasing the impact of your skills and passions at work and beyond, check out our open positions.
We’d love to hear what you think. Ask a Question, Comment Below, and Stay Connected with Cisco Secure on social!
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Cisconians delight in contributing to their communities in a variety of ways including at the local theatre, farm and library. Cisco’s paid Time2Give benefit encourages team members to volunteer at the places where their passions thrive.
How should you decide where to get involved? Customer Success Program Manager Kate Pydyn advises: “Find something that speaks to your passion while giving back. There are so many opportunities that involve being outdoors, crafting, teaching skills you’ve developed, telling stories or providing comfort.”
With ten paid days a year to give, these Cisconians demonstrate that building relationships with people, the arts and the earth can increase fulfillment, connection and community.
Urban farming is an issue very close to the heart of Petra Hammerl, a senior enterprise customer success manager who works on Duo Security. Hammerl frequently volunteers at Farm City Detroit, part of Detroit Blight Busters. Using Time2Give, Hammerl has shared the experience by “bringing a crew of awesome co-workers which has been amazing and a lot of fun,” she said.
“It felt great to take action! There are so many problems in the world, and I often feel powerless to make a difference. What I did was small, but with all of the volunteers together, the work that was done makes a real difference in the lives of my neighbors.” – Kate Pydyn
Pydyn and Emily Gennrich, a manager of operations for security customer success at Cisco Secure, joined in on the fun by contributing to multiple facets of gardening from weeding to harvesting food. “It felt great to take action! There are so many problems in the world, and I often feel powerless to make a difference. What I did was small, but with all of the volunteers together, the work that was done makes a real difference in the lives of my neighbors,” Pydyn said.
Senior Communications Manager, Brand Strategy & Design at Cisco Secure Chrysta Cherrie spent her Time2Give as a sighted assistant at the VISIONS vendor fair, hosted at the Ann Arbor District Library Downtown. “I was really happy to take some time to volunteer at the VISIONS vendor fair for people who are blind, visually impaired or physically disabled,” Cherrie said.
Learning how to be a sighted assistant was “a reminder that we can do more when we can rely on each other. Taking the time to better understand how someone makes their way through life gives you a chance to build empathy,” Cherrie said. She escorted attendees around the event where exhibitors offered products and services like electronic readers, leader dogs and transportation. There were also talks throughout the day and Cherrie helped attendees navigate between the presentation and vendor areas.
Meeting attendees of the VISIONS vendor fair and experiencing how meaningful the event is also moved Cherrie. The fair “brings out folks throughout southeast Michigan, so there’s a good chance that the person you’re assisting will run into some friends, and getting to see people connect like that can’t help but make you feel good,” Cherrie said.
Jenny Callans, a senior design researcher who works on Duo Security, serves as the chair of the Friends of the Detroit Film Theatre’s Auxiliary, a part of the Detroit Institute of Arts. “We support the mission of the Friends of the Detroit Film Theatre to make great niche films accessible to audiences,” she said. To do that, the organization is responsible for building a community of film fans and overseeing how donations are spent.
For Callans, the most meaningful part of using Time2Give to support the FDFT and the DIA is sharing her love of film with others. Time2Give supports her duties as FDFT chair, and gives her a sense of connection when she’s visiting the DFT to take in a movie. “Sitting in a theatre next to my young adult son, but surrounded by strangers watching a film that is unusual or unexpected but which moves me and challenges me to think is the best part hands-down,” Callans said.
From supporting youth to volunteering at community hubs, Time2Give “is a fantastic opportunity to have a long-lasting, meaningful relationship with your community by volunteering as a board or committee member! Having a long-term presence with an org is amazingly impactful, for you and for the organization,” Callans said.
Time2Give is one of Cherrie’s favorite things about working at Cisco. She says, “Take advantage of the opportunity! Time2Give is a great way to give back to your community and the people and causes that you care about.”
Stay tuned for more posts celebrating the community engagement Time2Give fosters and check out our open roles to join in on giving back.
We’d love to hear what you think. Ask a Question, Comment Below, and Stay Connected with Cisco Secure on social!
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Giving back is part of the ethos at Cisco. Part of how that happens is through employees volunteering as part of Cisco’s Time2Give benefit in which employees can use paid time to contribute to their communities and support the causes they’re passionate about. During the pandemic, Cisco increased this benefit from five paid volunteering days to 10 and encourages virtual volunteering, too.
Elizabeth Chang, a software engineer on the Duo Security platform services team, considers Time2Give a great opportunity to “invest in people around you. It is amazing that Cisco supports what we are passionate about and that we can use this time to grow ourselves in other areas of life,” she said.
Cisconians care deeply about many causes, and this post celebrates how teammates spend their time supporting children, youth and teens in and out of school and those preparing for college. Stay tuned for future posts highlighting how other employees give their time. You may even be inspired to find out how you can develop your skills while contributing to organizations that matter to you!
Pierpaolo Panarotto, an account executive on Duo’s EMEAR continental team, volunteers at Sport senza frontiere onlus, a summer sports camp in Italy for refugee children. This summer Panarotto tutored and taught badminton. The program also welcomed children from Ukraine this year.
For Panarotto, the best part, hands down, was seeing the children’s smiles. He advised, “Give back to your community. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are.”
Chang also volunteered at a summer camp, supporting middle and high school students in Boston. The program she supported, Area Youth Ministry Leadership Camp and Summer Boost, fosters leadership skills and college readiness while promoting mentorship.
By helping lead a coding workshop, Chang was able to share what she does professionally. “I was glad that I got to help inspire youth to pursue computer science,” she said. The camp was such a hit that many participants “didn’t want to go home because they had such a fun time,” Chang shared.
“Take the time! You’ll never get the opportunity to go back and take it later. Your community and your heart will thank you!” – Sarah Moon-Musser
Now that school has started, Engineering Program Manager in Platform Engineering Sarah Moon-Musser helps teach the Belleville High School Marching Band’s color guard choreography for their halftime show. She loves spending time with the students. To those considering utilizing Time2Give Moon-Musser says, “Take the time! You’ll never get the opportunity to go back and take it later. Your community and your heart will thank you!”
College readiness is also a passion for Justin Fan and Seema Kathuria who both volunteer with Code2College. They’re able to volunteer virtually by reviewing resumes and college entrance essays and providing constructive feedback through shared documents.
Senior Product Marketing Manager, Kathuria appreciates “learning about the experiences of high school students and how they approach writing about their accomplishments,” she said.
For Fan, a senior customer success manager in security customer success, “the best part is supporting younger generations as they move into college and career. They’re so much more focused and mature than I was at their age,” he said. Fan also participates in virtual career workshops with high school and college students with Students Rising Above.
For others wanting to use Time2Give, Fan suggests finding opportunities you’re passionate about and utilizing light meeting days to volunteer. Kathuria says, “Take advantage of the 10 Time2Give days per year that Cisco gives us. It is very generous, and it feels so good to give back to the community in whatever way makes you happy and fulfilled.”
If you’re looking to feel fulfilled by your work and the impact you can make, please check out our open roles.
We’d love to hear what you think. Ask a Question, Comment Below, and Stay Connected with Cisco Secure on social!
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Social media is a great place to connect with friends and family. Unfortunately, it is also a great place for misinformation to run rampant, and it is a virtual treasure chest for cybercriminals to steal personal information. Over 25 million Canadians own a social media account, and more than 80% of the Canadian population is expected to be on social media by 2025.
Check out this roundup of common social media scams so you can network intelligently, spot misinformation, and stop its spread.
The classic saying of “Don’t believe everything you see on TV” applies neatly to “Don’t believe everything you read on social media.” There is a resurgence of false news reports circulating on social media surrounding COVID-19 and the vaccine. For example, 5G aiding the spread of the virus and the preventive properties of garlic are just two of the rumors about COVID-19.
Misinformation leads to chaos and is a major threat to public health. Before you reshare a post or article, it is great to take a few minutes to digest the message, determine if it is true, and ask yourself if friends and family would genuinely benefit if they heard the news it carries.
There are a few tell-tale signs of fake news posts. First, they often try to inspire extreme emotions, such as rage and indignation, to prompt people to share immediately. Next, fake news reports are frequently poorly written and vague about where they received their information. Always try to find the primary source for “facts.” In the case of COVID-19 news, all health tips should be sourced from a licensed medical professional.
If you are ever in doubt about the facts, especially when they deal with public health, do not share the post. Instead, leave the reporting to trained medical professionals. Consult the World Health Organization and the Public Health Agency of Canada or direct your network to #ScienceUpFirst for the latest and most accurate reports about COVID-19 and the vaccine.
There was a recent data leak at Facebook, and the contents of about half a billion accounts were posted on a hacking website, including 3.49 million Canadian accounts. Hackers can get a lot of mileage out of just one social media profile because it contains all the greatest hits of information needed to verify an identity.
Most profiles list your real full name, birthday, your relationship status, your hometown, and contact information. Also, hackers can skim a user’s posting history to find even more personal details. Many social media users have posted at one time or another a “get to know you” post, where they list many revealing facts. These posts are a pot of gold to cybercriminals. They are basically lists of possible answers to security questions: Where did you go to primary school? What was the model of your first car? What is the name of your favorite stuffed animal?
Another recent trend that can make you vulnerable in case of a data leak is posting COVID-19 vaccine cards. Social media users are excited to share the big milestone of getting their first shot. What they might not realize is that vaccine cards contain vital personal information that could be used by malicious actors. There are alternative ways to share the happy news. Instead, post a picture of the fun bandage the nurse put on your arm or take a selfie outside of the vaccination center.
It is a shame that what you share on social media can be turned against you by cybercriminals, but that does not mean you have to stop sharing details about your life. Instead of posting personal details online that could be used maliciously in the event of a data leak, think about creating an exclusive email newsletter or secure group chat for your closest friends and family.
There is a major thrill when you think you have won something; however, if you receive a notification on social media that you have won a contest, reserve your excitement until you have confirmed its legitimacy. Be especially wary if you do not remember entering a contest.
Contest scams are a type of social engineering tactic used by cybercriminals. Social engineering relies on people’s tendency to trust others. Cybercriminals often capitalize upon extreme emotions, like fear, urgency, and in this case excitement, to trick unsuspecting people into hastily giving up sensitive information.
Phishing is also common in contest scams. Social media users may receive a message that they have won a giveaway and to click on a link to claim their prize. Luckily, easy-to-spot signs of a phishing message include poor grammar, misspellings, and a sense of urgency. Always approach these types of messages with caution. Instead of clicking on any of the links, hover your cursor over them to see where they redirect. If the redirect site URL is suspicious and contains misspellings, steer clear.
If you ever receive a notification on social media that you have won a prize, remain skeptical until you have verified the authenticity. Locate the organization’s official social media page (which you can likely find on their website), and direct message them for more details.
With all of these common scams floating about and waiting to strike, check out these tips to network safely.
The joy of social media is sharing your everyday life with your friends and family. It is fun to have dozens of people wish you a happy birthday on your profile, but consider removing the year of your birthday. Also, consider removing your phone number, home address, and email address from your profile. If a friend or family member wants to get in touch with you, they can personally direct message you. Cybercriminals can take your contact information and full birthday and use it to steal your identity, so it is best not to post it online.
While you may want to share the latest news with your networks, do not share information that you are not sure is true. According to Statistics Canada, only half of Canadians investigated the accuracy of COVID-19 social media posts before they reshared. Do your due diligence and be a part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Even if you are a diligent and intelligent social media user, there is a chance that you could accidentally click on a phishing link. In case this happens, you should have a backup plan to safeguard your devices and your personal information from viruses and malware. Protect your devices with a comprehensive antivirus program, such as McAfee Total Protection. You can rest assured that if you or a member of your family accidentally opens a malicious link, your devices will be safe.
The post Beware of Social Media Scams appeared first on McAfee Blogs.
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