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Lawsuit Seeks Food Benefits Stolen By Skimmers

By BrianKrebs

A nonprofit organization is suing the state of Massachusetts on behalf of thousands of low-income families who were collectively robbed of more than a $1 million in food assistance benefits by card skimming devices secretly installed at cash machines and grocery store checkout lanes across the state. Federal law bars states from replacing these benefits using federal funds, and a recent rash of skimming incidents nationwide has disproportionately affected those receiving food assistance via state-issued prepaid debit cards.

The Massachusetts SNAP benefits card looks more like a library card than a payment card.

On Nov. 4, The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of low-income families whose Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were stolen from their accounts. The SNAP program serves over a million people in Massachusetts, and 41 million people nationally.

“Over the past few months, thieves have stolen over a million SNAP dollars from thousands of Massachusetts families – putting their nutrition and economic stability at risk,” the MLRI said in a statement on the lawsuit. “The criminals attach a skimming device on a POS (point of sale) terminal to capture the household’s account information and PIN. The criminals then use that information to make a fake card and steal the SNAP benefits.”

In announcing the lawsuit, the MRLI linked to a story KrebsOnSecurity published last month that examined how skimming thieves increasingly are targeting SNAP payment card holders nationwide. The story looked at how the vast majority of SNAP benefit cards issued by the states do not include the latest chip technology that makes it more difficult and expensive for thieves to clone them.

The story also highlighted how SNAP cardholders usually have little recourse to recover any stolen funds — even in unlikely cases where the victim has gathered mountains of proof to show state and federal officials that the fraudulent withdrawals were not theirs.

Deborah Harris is a staff attorney at the MLRI. Harris said the goal of the lawsuit is to force Massachusetts to reimburse SNAP skimming victims using state funds, and to convince The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — which funds the program that states draw from — to change its policies and allow states to replace stolen benefits with federal funds.

“Ultimately we think it’s the USDA that needs to step up and tell states they have a duty to restore the stolen benefits, and that USDA will cover the cost at least until there is better security in place, such as chip cards,” Harris told KrebsOnSecurity.

“The losses we’re talking about are relatively small in the scheme of total SNAP expenditures which are billions,” she said. “But if you are a family that can’t pay for food because you suddenly don’t have money in your account, it’s devastating for the family.”

The USDA has not said it will help states restore the stolen funds. But on Oct. 31, 2022, the agency released guidance (PDF) whose primary instructions were included in an appendix titled, Card Security Options Available to Households. Notably, the USDA did not mention the idea of shifting to chip-based SNAP benefits cards.

The recently issued USDA guidance.

“The guidance generally continues to make households responsible for preventing the theft of their benefits as well as for suffering the loss when benefits are stolen through no fault of the household,” Harris said. “Many of the recommendations are not practical for households who don’t have a smartphone to receive text messages and aren’t able to change their PIN after each transaction and keep track of the new PIN.”

Harris said three of the four recommendations are not currently available in Massachusetts, and they are very likely not currently available in other states. For example, she said, Massachusetts households do not have the option of freezing or locking their cards between transactions. Nor do they receive alerts about transactions. And they most certainly don’t have any way to block out-of-state transactions.

“Perhaps these are options that [card] processors and states could provide, but they are not available now as far as we know,” Harris said. “Most likely they would take time to implement.”

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) recently published Five Ways State Agencies Can Support EBT Users at Risk of Skimming. CLASP says while it is true states can’t use federal funds to replace benefits unless the loss was due to a “system error,” states could use their own funds.

“Doing so will ensure families don’t have to go without food, gas money, or their rent for the month,” CLASP wrote.

That would help address the symptoms of card skimming, but not a root cause. Hardly anyone is suggesting the obvious, which is to equip SNAP benefit cards with the same security technology afforded to practically everyone else participating in the U.S. banking system.

There are several reasons most state-issued SNAP benefit cards do not include chips. For starters, nobody says they have to. Also, it’s a fair bit more expensive to produce chip cards versus plain old magnetic stripe cards, and many state assistance programs are chronically under-funded. Finally, there is no vocal (or at least well-heeled) constituency advocating for change.

A copy of the class action complaint filed by the MLRI is available here.

Ways You Can See Yourself as a Mentally Stronger Cybersecurity Professional

By Shailaja Shankar

As we wrapped up October, we also put the final touches on a flurry of activities to celebrate Cyber Security Awareness Month. The tradition of October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month goes back to 2004 when Congress and the White House tasked the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) to join forces to help individuals protect themselves online as threats to technology and confidential data became more commonplace. There is no question that the scale and severity of threats have only increased exponentially in the nearly two decades we have been actively participating in cybersecurity awareness.

This year’s theme was “See Yourself in Cyber” to reinforce the fact that that while cybersecurity is technology-driven, ultimately, it’s really all about people that makes it real. So, this month is all about sharing information across the cybersecurity industry with individuals and companies around the world so we can all be more effective together. That gives me a great opportunity to discuss a related issue that profoundly impacts professionals who work in cybersecurity every single day: mental health.

State of mental health in cybersecurity

Working in cybersecurity can be a stressful endeavor, which is why I’m so proud to be part of this global network of professionals who have dedicated our work lives to this important mission. We must be ever vigilant and on guard against threats and bad actors, both known and unknown. It is this ever-changing world of cybersecurity work that only compounds the stress level. The possibilities of work-related depression and burnout are real and becoming more common. According to this Forbes column, more than half of cybersecurity professionals in the US and Europe are on medication to help improve work-related mental health.

I wrote extensively about ways we can help our colleagues and employees work through mental health issues in this blog last May commemorating the official Mental Health Awareness Month. The key takeaways I closed with are worth repeating.

  1. It’s OK not to be OK. We should never treat mental health issues as a stigma because struggling is a human experience that nobody is immune to.
  2. Combating cybersecurity threats is an “always-on” task. We must acknowledge this so that we can find ways to load balance responsibilities among different individuals and teams effectively.
  3. We MUST be better at taking care of each other. We must pay attention to the cues, sometimes subtle, that colleagues who are struggling send out. Likewise, we must be bold enough to open up and ask for help when we are struggling. Finally, we must learn to disengage from the serious responsibilities of working in cybersecurity and devote dedicated time to time with friends, family, and non-work-related activities.

From a technology point of view, we at Cisco Secure are committed to the goal of helping organizations become more security resilient. We know that unpredictability is the nature of working in cybersecurity.  But by being more resilient I firmly believe that we can help organizations to be able to withstand the ever-changing threat landscape and ultimately emerge stronger.

Naturally, our goal is to extend the benefits of resilience downstream to the cybersecurity pros who are on the frontlines of battling threats and bad actors. To that end, there are a couple of resources I’d like to point to. One, the American Psychological Association offers a few very helpful ways people can develop more resilience with regards to mental health. Two, Cisco offers great resources to help you either enter the cybersecurity field or enhance your career through advanced training education. Additionally, Cisco has made a commitment to the White House as part of the Cyber Workforce and Education Summit to train more than 200,000 students to join the cybersecurity field over the next three years.

Next time…

November 16 happens to be the UN International Day for Tolerance. Like the word resilience, tolerance can take on several different meanings. But I want to take the opportunity to apply it to another critical issue impacting the cybersecurity industry: the need for a more diverse and inclusive workforce. I covered some of these themes in one of the earliest blogs I posted after joining Cisco. I look forward to providing additional perspectives with some of the latest trends and stats we are seeing within Cisco Secure.

Back-to-School: Balancing Social Media & Mental Health

By Toni Birdsong

Wouldn’t it be nice if, along with grades for English, Science, and Algebra this year, our child’s report card included quarterly feedback on their mental health?  

Recently, actor Tom Holland of Spider-Man fame reported on his mental health publicly by deleting several of his social media accounts. The actor stated that his social media accounts had become “detrimental” to his mental state and that he “spirals” when he reads things about himself online. He used words like “overstimulating” and “overwhelming.”  

And parents were likely “overjoyed” giving cyber high fives all around with Holland’s transparency in talking so publicly about social media’s link to mental health. Because if you are a parent you know. 

As we head into a new school year with high hopes in tow, Holland’s decision also challenges us to pay closer attention to how social media could potentially impact our kids’ mental health.   

A few questions for families to consider: 

  • Have we (really) talked about the mental health risks connected to social media (cyberbullying, body image issues, digital drama, tech addiction, fake news, and FOMO)?  
  • What social media safety topics do we need to refresh (based on age)? 
  • Have we put the right digital safeguards in place to minimize mental health risks? 
  • How much time online is appropriate for my child’s age and maturity level? 
  • Are my child’s mood changes age-appropriate, or is it something more? 
  • Has my child’s appearance, attitude, health, or grades changed?  
  • Does my child feel supported and know where to turn for help? (Am I sure of that, or am I making assumptions?) 

Every child’s maturity and cognitive ability to handle online challenges will differ, so a one-size-fits-all digital wellbeing plan isn’t likely to work. Here are a few insights and tips that may be helpful as you shape the method that works for your family.  

Explore healthy social media limits. 

  1. Explore time limits. Research continues to find that reducing social media use directly reduces loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Most every child needs help with balance, especially at the start of a new school year when a new routine is in play. Pay attention to your child’s social media use and consider establishing time limits if needed. Be sure to include your child in the conversation. Ask them to define what a healthy digital balance means to them and how to tie (or untie) behaviors to those goals 
  2. Pay attention to friend groups. As a parent, you’ve got a million things to pay attention to, but few things are more important than the people your child consistently spends time with on and offline. This circle of influence is powerful and can change online constantly. 
  3. Make your parent-child relationship a priority. Not all signs of emotional distress will be visible; some will be subtle or intentionally hidden by your child. That’s why it’s so important to take the time to connect, listen, and truly understand how your child is doing.
  4. Practice digital health. Digital, mental, and physical health are intertwined. Show your child what balanced and healthy digital habits look like. These include online health in conflict management, wise posting and commenting, and time limits. Offline, this includes modeling healthy physical habits such as exercising, meditation, and deep breathing, building healthy face-to-face relationships, and getting enough sleep.
  5. Know the signs. Consider looking more closely into how your child’s online activities might impact them emotionally. Be aware of shifts in behavior, grades, and sleeping patterns. Know the signs that they may be experiencing online bullying.   
  6. Layer Up Your Power. Consider technology your parenting partner to help reduce the mental health risks your child may encounter online. Parental controls on family devices can help you monitor their wellbeing and set time limits.
  7. Proceed with care. If you know your child is having challenges online, it’s important not to overreact and restrict device use altogether. Kids need peer connection, and online is where they tend to connect the most (like it or not, agree or not). Consider ways to help them balance their time online. Discuss the pros and cons of their favorite apps before making drastic changes.   
  8. Ask for help. Talk with your kids daily, and if you believe they need additional help beyond your scope of knowledge, be prepared to find resources to help. If you or a family member is in immediate crisis, visit the emergency room or call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255. 

Any way you slice it, many unknowns come with every new school year, especially if you have tweens or teens. Social media adds a layer of complexity to those unknowns. However, with some forethought and follow-through, you can navigate those risks one day at a time.  

The post Back-to-School: Balancing Social Media & Mental Health appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Cisco Talos Supports Ukraine Through Empathy

By Mary Kate Schmermund

Cisco Talos has a long-standing relationship with Ukraine, so when Russia invaded the country earlier this year, things hit close to home. Cisco Talos leaders rallied together to provide cybersecurity threat hunting to vital infrastructure, humanitarian support and goods and services to employees and their families in the region.

Ashlee Benge, Amy Henderson and Sammi Seaman spearheaded initiatives to support and sustain Ukrainian employees and threat hunters working around-the-clock to prevent cyberattacks and remember the human element. Even in the midst of crisis, they’ve facilitated open communication, emphasized mental health and cultivated connection.

Cisco Talos’ Relationship With Ukraine

Given Ukraine’s unique position on the front lines of cyberwarfare, Cisco Talos has had a very close partnership with Ukraine. The threat intelligence team has worked with several partners in the country from a cyber threat perspective. That long standing connection is part of why Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been felt so deeply. “Some Ukrainian team members evacuated before the invasion, others did not,” said Amy Henderson, head of strategic planning & communications. “Our teams of threat hunters have been around-the-clock hunting in the data since the invasion. They’re stopping attacks from happening.”

Cisco Talos set up Cisco Secure Endpoint on about thirty partners’ organizations and extended the offering to critical infrastructure organizations in Ukraine such as hospitals, directly monitoring Cisco Secure Endpoint, “because their people are busy doing other things right now. They can’t sit at a screen,” Henderson said.

Leading With Empathy and Open Communication

Lead of Strategic Business Intelligence Ashlee Benge directs the Ukraine Threat Hunting Task Unit which requires empathy, compassion and an awareness of the needs of forty-five threat hunters. Veteran threat hunters with decades of experience have volunteered to contribute to the team while other members of Cisco Talos have also volunteered their skill sets to the work. Benge values the distinct contributions of her team members and describes them as, “quite brilliant and very good at their jobs. Talos does a really good job of hiring good people, and so the worst thing that I could do is get in their way.” Getting in their way looks different for different team members which is why Benge has established trainings and consistent ways to evaluate that the needs of her team are being met.

The nature of such a demanding, on-going situation coupled with the team’s dedication can lead employees to work themselves into the ground. To combat this, leaders maintain weekly check-ins that include asking employees how they’re taking care of themselves and checking for signs of burnout. “When you have rest you’re at peak performance and can problem solve. But when you start burning out and get to be irritable and snappy, you’re not able to problem solve. Just step back. You’ll be in a much better head space,” Henderson advises.

Stepping back has meant rotating projects to level out activity levels and urgency. Leaders have also stepped in to ensure employees take time off and that when they’re away, they’re fully away. “When you’re in such a high intensity environment it takes two to three days just to come off of that. If you’re only taking a day here or day there, you’re not even scratching the surface of coming down. So I’ll suggest maybe you need to take a week and completely recharge,” Henderson says.

Supporting The Human Element

Team Lead of Employee Experience Sammi Seaman was heartened by Cisco’s support of Ukrainian employees including helping employees and their families out of cities and into new housing. The humanitarian focus led Seaman to ask “How else can we help? Our colleagues have had to leave their homes and they’re still trying to do work. How do I get them necessities like medicine and shampoo?”

Seaman’s empathy and collaboration within her team and with Cisco Talos leadership led to determining the highest needs including more stable internet and navigating the transport of goods directly to employees and their families through freight mail. Seaman worked with her team to ensure necessary items like medical kits could get directly to people who needed them as quickly as possible. There are also pages available coordinating housing, transportation and other forms of support.

“It’s been interesting to think about people needing medicine for various reasons and that I’m also buying Legos and castles so that the children who have been displaced have toys and things that bring them joy and allow them to be kids in this situation,” Seaman said.

As Seaman prepared more boxes to ship, an employee shared a photograph of his daughter with some of the things Seaman had sent. “I just started crying. It was such a relief.” A relief she wanted to share, leaving the boxes for a moment to connect with other team members around the positive impact of their hard work.

“Despite all of these things that are happening around us that are horrific and awful and things that shouldn’t be happening, there are still things that we can celebrate. We’re still humans who have feelings, relationships, milestones and holidays.” – Sammi Seaman

Remembering children also became important during spring holidays. Through asking employees if they celebrated Easter and if they’d like Easter baskets, she learned that many employees celebrated traditional Orthodox Ukrainian Easter and would appreciate the baskets.

Seaman’s colleague researched what people in Ukraine typically put in their Easter baskets and together they made the baskets, boxed them up and shipped them. “The baskets weren’t a necessity but were nice to remind people that despite all of these things that are happening around us that are horrific and awful and things that shouldn’t be happening, there are still things that we can celebrate. We’re still humans who have feelings, relationships, milestones and holidays.”

Mental Health and Self-Care Matter

Outside of work, Benge competes as an Olympic weightlifter. After months of training, her first national level meet was scheduled to happen early into the war in Ukraine. She considered withdrawing given the 24/7 nature of Cisco Talos’ response. However, “only because of the support of those around me,” Benge decided to compete—while working from her phone in the warm up room between lifts. The physical movement allows Benge to manage her mental health and stress while modeling self-care for the team: “If I can’t be my own best self, then the people around me can hardly be expected to do the same.”

Self-care and mental health are so important to the team that Henderson and Benge recently joined their colleagues, Matt Olney, the director of threat intelligence and interdiction, and Strategic Communications Leader Mitch Neff on a Cisco Secure podcast about mental health. The conversation illuminated the importance of reaching out for help, utilizing support systems such as those provided by Cisco and talking to someone including a therapist.

“Using those types of resources is a valuable thing, particularly when managing very high levels of stress and anxiety that come with cybersecurity. No matter what kind of support it is that we need, it’s important to take that time and recognize that it’s valuable to invest in your own mental health,” Benge stated.

Seaman shared that because it can be hard to ask for help or delegate, when she does, she gives herself a pat on the back. She advises that especially in crisis situations it’s important to remember that while things need to get done, it’s not entirely on you to get those things done. “The leadership at Cisco Talos has really emphasized that you’re not alone. The employee assistance program has been a great resource and I’ve got a therapist that I talk to about these things and make sure that I’m taking care of myself so that I can continue to take care of others.”

The team’s bond and purpose run deep. We care deeply about everyone that we work with. It’s okay to not be on at all times. It’s okay to feel sad and it’s okay to feel anxious. One of the things that I’ve loved about working with Cisco Talos, especially during these more difficult things, is that everybody’s got your back and they make it a safe space to share those feelings. I truly feel like the people I work with are like my family. We’re curated an environment where we can all talk about what we’re going through.”

Join Us

To learn more about Cisco Talos, Cisco Secure and Duo Security and how you can apply your empathy, skills and passion to make a difference in cybersecurity, check out open roles.


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Fostering a culture that normalizes mental health discussions

By Shailaja Shankar

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an important topic to me personally and my leadership ethos. It is a challenge that spans the globe—day-in and day-out—for many people, whether dealing with issues themselves or supporting a loved one. Feelings of stress, anxiety, and burnout are normal, which is why every person has some risk of developing a mental health disorder, regardless of demographics, socioeconomics, education, and occupation.  

During the pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%, affecting the young and adults alike. This influx has put a demand on mental health services, leaving huge gaps for those who need care. While it is not our specialty or job to care for our colleagues, we can all care about each other by creating a safe space where honesty and trust is the norm. I am hopeful that we build a culture and support system that makes it easier for people to care for themselves and others. 

By addressing this critical topic, I want people to know that they are not alone, and we are here for you. Let us normalize talking about mental health to ensure people catch problems early and get the help that they need.   

Why is this a thing 

We all process the world in our own way, and brain chemistry impacts how we cope with fatigue, frustration, and cognitive overload. Some people may experience physical symptoms, become demotivated, or lack excitement the way they used to. Small changes in behavior or attitude can illuminate a bigger mental health issue.  

Recognizing in ourselves that something is “off” is a hard place to land, especially if what we are experiencing is unchartered territory. This challenge is further compounded by the fact that the tool we are using to assess our own mental health is the very thing with problems: our brain. That is why it’s so important for those around us to help us recognize if something is going on.  

It’s ok to not be ok 

Everyone struggles at times. It’s a very normal part of the human experience. Yet, mental health has not traditionally been a popular discussion topic. In fact, cultural stigmas and pressures of self-reliance are commonly imposed on individuals since childhood, with the idea that, “Everything will be ok.” As adults, we know this is fundamentally untrue and an unrealistic expectation. What about impressing upon children that it is normal to acknowledge at times, “I’m a mess right now”—wouldn’t that help us all, children and adults alike, better embrace ourselves when we’re simply “not ok?”  

The struggle is real 

The new normal of hybrid work changed the workforce overnight. The then unknowns of the pandemic coupled with working at a distance, exacerbated mental health struggles. And the corporate world and medical community were not prepared for the pandemic. Therefore, people feel disconnected, anxious and with a lack of boundaries between work and personal time. Many of us struggle in isolation and without a clear path in addressing it.  

Yet, we have an opportunity to foster an environment of support—for ourselves and others. Self-care is vital to taking care of others. Everyone should feel safe sharing what is going on, without any additional burden of justifying their situation or “paying the team back.”   

Always-on mentality 

Within the cybersecurity industry, some roles are incredibly taxing and take an emotional toll. They require seeing the worst the internet has to offer, accepting that success is not 100 percent of the time, and knowing attacks can happen at any time. This always-on, a-lot-at-stake mentality makes it hard to separate work and life. From counseling to job rotations, Cisco Secure has measures in place to protect the mental health of our team. And we instill the belief that the best we can do is understand what the bad actors are up to, prevent what we can, and continue moving the craft forward.  

Taking care of each other   

Even with that mindset, we still have an obligation to look after one another, and be responsible on a more personal level. We must build trust up and down an organization and ensure mental health discussions are part of the culture. At a very basic level, we can be of help to each other by taking steps that could help someone’s mental state in leaps and bounds.  

  1. Pay attention to colleagues who may be struggling. From work output, engagement, attitude, and communication styles, differences and changes could be signs that something is going on.  
  1. Engage in meaningful conversations beyond work-related tasks.  
  1. Show your own vulnerabilities with a personal anecdote about mental health challenges.  
  1. Consciously separate yourself from work, filling time with hobbies and tasks that do not require a lot of mental energy, yet help you feel like you’ve accomplished something.  

We’re in this together 

Trust is central to having an open dialogue. And talking about mental health starts with normalizing conversations about it–because it is normal. While there is neuroscience-backed research and strategies support changes that need to happen on an organizational level, my goal is to start with supporting each other and helping recognize when a colleague may be struggling. By intentionally shifting to a more mindful culture and encouraging new norms across the organization, we will help foster healthier mindsets and empower our people to create their own boundaries, ask for what they need, and get the help they need.  

Help Zone  

If anyone you know is struggling and if you are empathizing with this topic, please reach out and get help. We are here for you. You are not alone.  

Across Cisco Security Business Group (SBG), we are driving an effort to address systemic work practices, team norms, individual habits, and leadership signals that create barriers to better performance and well-being. Among the many resources and tools available for employees: 

To learn more about mental health insights, experiences, please review the following informative resources:  


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6 Steps to Help Your Family Restore Digital Balance in Stressful Times

By Toni Birdsong
teens online stress

6 Steps to Help Your Family Restore Digital Balance in Stressful Times

Editor’s Note: This is part II in a series on helping families protect their mental and digital health in times of chronic stress. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice or treatment.

Over the past year of remote life, technology has become both a lifeline and a life sucker. We’ve witnessed technology author amazing moments of human connection impossible just a few decades ago. At the same time, we’ve also seen isolation and disconnection quietly settle in alongside those wins.

As discussed in our last blog, studies now confirm living under ongoing pandemic stress has triggered a growing mental health crisis across age groups. While experts debate the degree technology contributes to that crisis, all agree the increase in digital connection over the past decade has diminished important forms of human connection considered essential to mental health.

How much is too much?

While device use has spiked during the pandemic, the rise in tech dependence is nothing new. Our digital immersion over time has generated terms such as “phubbing,” aka phone snubbing, now known as looking at your phone over the person in front of you. It’s also why doctors now treat excessive online gaming a legitimate addiction. We also know that social media companies intentionally design apps to keep us logging on, tagging, scrolling, and, most importantly sharing our data.

With more parents and kids now working and learning from home — which has only amplified time online — successfully balancing our tech feels even more impossible.

A big struggle for many parents continues to be: How much tech is too much and how can we strike a healthy balance?

The answer to that question will look different for every family. And frankly, the answer continues to evolve almost daily. The more we know, the more we can respond and recalibrate (as well as equip our kids) to move toward that healthy balance. Here are just a few of the best practices to inspire you forward.

6 Steps to Help Restore Digital Balance

Start over right now. Sure, you should start establishing digital habits when your kids are young. But, life. Things happen. Pandemics hit. Rules go out the window. So, start right now, right here, knowing better and doing better. Consider parental controls that will help you set healthy screen limits for kids (and yourself) and monitor the content coming into your home.

Do it together. A healthy digital balance is an all-in, family huddle, team endeavor kind of thing. No edicts or mandates tend to work here. Explain the “why” behind needed changes to your digital routines and the physical, social, and emotional reasons why balance is so important.

Separate home and work. Because so many parents are working from home, the temptation to overwork is very real. Home and work life can easily fuse together. This fusion makes it impossible to model a balanced digital life for your kids. Consider drawing thick lines between work and home. A few ideas: Maintain a separate office in the home. At close of business, shut off all devices. Create media free zones for your family after 5 p.m. such as the dinner table, homework time, friend time, and family time.

Just say “no” to notifications. Pause to examine: What unacceptable digital distractions have I accepted? Are things like email, push notifications, and alerts on my phone interrupting important conversations and time with friends and family? Flip those switches.

Ask yourself what’s missing. Technology isn’t “bad” and a lot of the time we spend online is either essential to our livelihood or a healthy social life (this especially applies tweens, teens, and young adults). Even so, when we step over that line of healthy digital behavior, do we have the courage to ask ourselves what healthy activity am I sacrificing right now? Have I put an important relationship on the back burner? Do I have an important deadline I’m ignoring? Have I let a hobby, sport, or physical exercise go? Have I sidelined outdoor activities for screen time? All of these are important, honest questions to ask yourself (and pose to your kids) to move closer to a healthy digital balance.

Put technology in its place. Stop to evaluate the role you’ve given technology in your life personally and in your home. Do you need to dust off your tech ground rules? Consider putting screens down when others are talking, being intentional about making eye contact, and listening in a way that requires your full attention. Make family mealtimes, outings, and game nights phone free.

Balance increases over time and establishing smarter, healthier family habits is a marathon, not a sprint. Every step is big so celebrate your milestones and give yourself grace to make this not-so-easy trek back to a balanced digital life. As Nike says about getting physically fit, we can say about getting back our digital health, “No one has ever regretted it.”

The post 6 Steps to Help Your Family Restore Digital Balance in Stressful Times appeared first on McAfee Blogs.

Balancing Digital: Helping Your Family Manage Ongoing Stress

By Toni Birdsong
Digital and mental health

Balancing Digital: Helping Your Family Manage Ongoing Stress

Editor’s Note: This is part I in a series on helping families protect their mental and digital health in times of chronic stress. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice or treatment.

The data continues to confirm that living with the stress of a prolonged pandemic is taking a toll on the mental health of both the young and old. Add increased technology use to this state of chronic stress and there’s no doubt that families everywhere sit in the crosshairs of any number of mental health risks.

Cumulative Stress

After nearly a year of isolation, stop-and-start school days, restricted travel, and the added layer of political tension, many are experiencing feelings of hopelessness that pandemic circumstances only magnify.

According to a nationwide survey by researchers from Rutgers and Harvard, more than one-third of young adults in the U.S. report having thoughts of hopelessness, while nearly half show symptoms of depression.

These numbers are ten times higher than what was exhibited in the general population before the COVID-19 pandemic, say researchers.

Pandemic stress is also impacting younger children. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports mental health visits have spiked for young children and adolescents since the pandemic started.

The Tech Connection

 A 2016 Time cover story offers critical insight into why anxiety and depression have continued to rise among young people and the role technology plays in that equation.

Time writer Susanna Schrobsdorff describes the crisis this way: “They are the post-9/11 generation, raised in an era of economic and national insecurity. They’ve never known a time when terrorism and school shootings weren’t the norm. They grew up watching their parents weather a severe recession, and, perhaps most important, they hit puberty at a time when technology and social media were transforming society.”

Janis Whitlock, director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury, added that technology is the primary driver feeding young people’s anxiety and depression. “It’s that they’re in a cauldron of stimulus they can’t get away from, or don’t want to get away from, or don’t know how to get away from.”

Steve Schneider, a high school counselor, likened the constant pressure many teens feel from their phones to a scab that’s constantly being picked. “At no point do you get to remove yourself from it and get perspective.”

Headline Stress Disorder

Even with a vaccine signaling an end in sight to a degree of our stress, other tensions are proving to be relentless, causing what some doctors are calling “headline stress disorder,” a condition in which non-stop news cycles trigger intense feelings of worry and helplessness.

So how can we help our kids bear up under the weight of it all?

Staying especially connected to one another during this time and alert to the signs of emotional distress is one way parents can help kids balance their digital and mental health. Here are a few other ways to consider.

7 Ways to Build Your Family’s Digital, Mental Health

  1. Prioritize digital health. Kids need help with limits, especially when school schedules, team sports, and gatherings are in flux. Pay attention to your child’s social media use — how much and what kind — and consider establishing time limits and filtering the content that’s flowing across their screens.
  2. Pay attention to online friend groups. Kids connect with new people online all the time through gaming platforms, group chats, and apps. With school schedules in limbo, in-person friend groups can easily form online and expose your child to a number of online risks.
  3. Follow the ‘Three Rs.’ Routine (make a schedule and stick to it); Relationship (go above and beyond to connect 1-1); and Reassurance (remind kids they are safe and that everything is going to be okay — quash rumors).
  4. Make time to talk. Not all signs of emotional distress will be outward; some will be subtle, and some, even non-existent. That’s why it’s essential to consistently take the time to assess how your kids are doing.
  5. Help process distressing events. Getting to the root of a child’s anxiety often means helping them identify the deeper fears and “what ifs” and them learn to distinguish between what they can and cannot control.
  6. Practice focusing on facts. A big part of #5 is helping kids understand the facts (quash rumors) about alarming events or conditions is one way to help them feel more in control of what’s happening around them. This includes coaching them in critical thinking and media literacy skills.
  7. Model & encourage healthy habits. Physical health is intertwined with mental health. Especially during times of crisis, encourage and model good habits like exercising, eating well, meditation and deep breathing, and getting enough sleep.

The silent storms beneath this pandemic will continue to surface and teach us for years to come. Until then, be encouraged that no one has the “what to do,” figured out or the parental superpower to control the uncontrollable. We’re all in this together and, together, hopefully soon, we’ll be enjoying the light of better days.

 

Family Mental Health Resources

 

For resources related to mental health, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and COVID-19, visit the Pandemic Crisis Services Response Coalition. If you or a family member is in immediate crisis, visit the emergency room or call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255.

To stay updated on all things McAfee and on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats, follow @McAfee_Home  on Twitter, subscribe to our email, listen to our podcast Hackable?, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CCNA certification prep: Security fundamentals

By Muhammad Furqan

Introduction In modern networks, security is not an afterthought. You need to know how to build secure networks from the outset. Security has to be woven into the very fabric of the network.  The 200-301 CCNA exam covers security fundamentals among a broad range of networking topics. This article describes what you need to know […]

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CCNA certification prep: Security fundamentals was first posted on October 5, 2020 at 8:01 am.
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CCNA certification prep: Network fundamentals [updated 2020]

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What percentage of the exam focuses on network fundamentals? The network fundamentals section is 20% of the CCNA 200-301’s topics. It’s neither the largest nor the smallest. The fact that the percentage increased from 15% in the previous version indicates that Cisco has emphasized the importance of having a strong base in this topic, on […]

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CCNA certification prep: Network fundamentals [updated 2020] was first posted on September 29, 2020 at 8:33 am.
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Networking fundamentals (for Network security professionals)

By Nitesh Malviya

Introduction To understand Network Security, it’s imperative that we understand networking fundamentals and networking basics. In this post, we will be learning about networking basics and fundamentals to get started with Network Security.  We cannot cover whole networking in a single post so we will be focusing only on core networking concepts needed for network […]

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Networking fundamentals (for Network security professionals) was first posted on September 30, 2020 at 12:03 pm.
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IoT Security Fundamentals: IoT vs OT (Operational Technology)

By Dimitar Kostadinov

Introduction: Knowing the Notions  Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) incorporates technologies such as machine learning, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, sensor data, Big Data, etc. This article will focus predominantly on the consumer Internet of Things (IoT) and how it relates to Operational Technology (OT). Operational Technology (OT) is a term that defines a specific category of […]

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IoT Security Fundamentals: IoT vs OT (Operational Technology) was first posted on September 29, 2020 at 1:59 pm.
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