Website 101: How To DETECT Fake OR Fraudulent Websites

Website 101:  How To DETECT Fake OR Fraudulent Websites

The CYBERCRIME Industry was valued  USD 3 Trillion way back 2015 and by 2025, it is expected to be a USD 10.5 Trillion Industry, whew.  And even as we speak now, it continues to run unabated, galloping with the huge strides NOT even your prized stallion can run parallel.  So, in the midst of our Christmas holidays, why DON'T we spend a fraction of our time for Website 101:  How To DETECT Fake OR Fraudulent Websites📗📙📘

This is a snapshot of the actual email received by John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's Chief of Staff,  His faux pas?  He reacted [I'll say, he PANICKED] with this alert and clicked the "CHANGE PASSWORD".  The consequences and ramifications of this action caused his account to be compromised [Imagine the tons of confidential emails in the Clinton Presidential Campaign that were unduly exposed] !@#$%?

Most browsers abide by a concept called the 'LINE OF DEATH', meaning, a user should NEVER trust anything below a certain point on the browser, called as the 'LINE OF DEATH'.  An attacker can control everything below the line so you have to know where to look for reliable information.  An ATTACKER can control are highlighted in RED and numbered:

1. FAVICON - This is the website's ICON
2. DOMAIN NAME - This is the URL which you must CLEARLY KNOW IN DETAIL
3. FILE PATH/DIRECTOR - You must know if the correct website includes this info
4. WEB CONTENT - This can contain any info the attacker wants it to be, includes a convincing spoof of a legit website 

This 'PAYPAL' site is FRAUDULENT & FAKE and yet it's almost impossible to tell the FAKE site from the real one unless you are 'spot on' and incisive with the site details.  Take note that for this fake PAYPAL site, the domain name is 'getbill-service.com' and if you're NOT detailed enough, you'll be 'DEAD IN THE WATER',  And with the advent of free SSL services and recent changes in browser indicators, it is now much easier than ever to disguise phishing sites as legitimate✅✅✅

For us as end-users to be comfortable in our browsing, being non-technical is a NON-ISSUE but the fact is, you need to have the sound fundamentals to know:

• PROTOCOL
• DOMAIN NAME
• SUB-DOMAIN
• TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN
• FILE PATH

One last point.  Check CONNECTION SECURITY indicators.  Back to the address bar.  If the last point didn't underscore the importance of this browser feature, this one should drive the point home.  Within the address bar are several connection indicators that let you know whether your connection with the website is private❎❎❎

The loophole of HTTP was fixed when Secure Sockets Layer [SSL] was succeeded by Transport Layer Security [TSL] a.k.a. HTTPS

• HTTP   = Bad
• HTTPS = Good

In summary, with the PADLOCK ICON or the Extended Validation SSL Certificate [EV SSL] is the highest form of SSL Certificate. The loophole of HTTP was addressed when Secure Sockets Layer [SSL] was succeeded by Transport Layer Security [TSL].  Hoping all these info will help to improve and reinforce your website security awareness from hereon.  Meanwhile, wishing for your smooth preparations for Christmas❗❗❗  

Getting Things Done

Getting Things Done

Till to date, some of us still [wrongly] think that some of the SUCCESS STORIES can be credited to people who were either gifted, talented or even scions of the RICH and FAMOUS.   No sirrrrrrrs. NOT TRUE.  Successful people are NOT gifted.  They just WORK HARD and then SUCCEED on purpose.  Nothing coincidental with their SUCCESS.  That's Getting Things Done💴💷💵

Likely, most of us know at least one person whom you can attest to be a madly productive person, someone who's able to accomplish more in a couple of hours than the rest of us get done all day.  And chances are that person is also quite successful.  Sounds familiar❓❓❓

BTW, it is NO accident that great work habits and SUCCESS go hand in hand.  Improving your work habits may NOT guarantee that you will reach the TOP of the TOTEM POLE BUT it will definitely help you advance [much faster and much higher compared to the rest of the pack [think of a pack in a marathon].  BTW, we DON'T need to be like Captain America📗📙📘

Inject social media into the equation, and now we have a ball game.  WHY?  Because social media can either be a BOON or a BANE in our daily life.  Either you leverage it to the hilt or you get 'HOSTAGED' to it sometimes even 24x7, sometimes even at the expense of taking your timely meals or worse, sometimes even sacrificing your hygiene [e.g. your need to freshen up, to take shower etc].  So, HOW do we do things from hereon❓❓❓

Primero, come up with your TO-DO List.  Word of caution, though.  Your TO-DO List might end up with a dozen or more things you want to get done [which is simply NOT realistic, right?].  So, limit your TO-DO List to a Top 5.  Anything more than that is a bonus.  BTW, it's a NO-NO to reinvent the wheel.  You can tweak and twist the way you do things BUT don't reinvent.  Bottom line is GETTING THINGS DONE❗❗❗

Have You ZONED OUT?

Have You ZONED OUT?

Have You ZONED OUT? That situation wherein you would go through some mild forms of DISSOCIATION, which is the ability to DISCONNECT from our thoughts, feelings, environment OR actions?  On the positive end, DISSOCIATION can even help athletes do their jobs as it allows people to focus on the most salient or life-preserving aspects of a situation without mental interference.  BUT there are times when we experience a major form of DISSOCIATION, sometimes in the aftermath of overwhelming trauma.  In those moments, the DISSOCIATIVE symptoms become more extreme and frequent💵💴💷

Let's face it, everyone 'ZONES OUT' from time to time.  It might happen more frequently when you feel bored OR stressed, OR when you'd rather be doing something else.  It's also pretty common to experienc a prolonged 'SPACINESS' or 'BRAIN FOG' if you're dealing with grief, a painful breakup OR other difficult life circumstances.  In those cases, ZONING OUT can serve as a coping tactic of sorts which ISN'T necessarily a bad thing📗📙📘

ZONING OUT is considered a form of DISSOCIATION but it typically falls at the 'mild end' of the spectrum.  So what causes it?  Often, ZONING OUT just means your brain switched over to 'AUTOPILOT'.  This can happen when your brain recognizes that you can compete your current task whether that's folding laundry OR walking to work, without really thinking about it.  That is an example of going into DEFAULT MODE📌📌📌

BUT there are telling factors that can cause us to be ZONING OUT.  For one, SLEEP DEPRIVATION.  Remember the nights where you DIDN'T get enough sleep?  When you felt quite foggy OR easily distracted OR seemingly 'OFF'?  True, SLEEP DEPRIVATION is no big deal but it can take its toll on your mental functioning and make you more prone to ZONING OUT.  And seriously, this can be risky and dangerous if you're driving, right❓❓❓

Getting overwhelmed, stressed OR going through something traumatic can also leave you FEELING OFF.  You might feel going through the motions of daily life BUT not really thinking about WHAT you're doing.  Eventually you emerge from that 'FOG' with very little recollection of how much time has actually passed OR how you got through it.  In the face of extreme stress, some people respond by 'SHUTTING DOWN' or completely detaching❎❎❎

Step BACK To Step FORWARD

Step BACK To Step FORWARD

In Malaysia's NEW STRAITS TIMES, the banner story was indeed impactful:  SINGAPORE PASSPORT MOST POWERFUL IN THE WORLD.  In the latest Henley Passport Index [conducted by Henley & Partners], it said that Singapore citizens are able to visit 192 out of 227 countries visa-free.  Oooops, do I regret then as I renounced my Singapore citizenship [many years back] to reacquire my PH citizenship?  No sirs, I took the Step BACK To Step FORWARD💴💵💷

No sirrrrs, there is not an iota of regret as we speak now even if my travels as a Singapore citizen is way behind me now.  WHY?  It's because I plotted my journey.  I knew where I want to end up.  And I knew how to go from Point A to Point B till I reach Point Z.  This is my concrete manifestation I can look back when I decided to Step BACK To Step FORWARD.  So, if one will ask me, what is/are the factors that made me confident enough [if NOT cocky] to make that life-changing decision?  I'll humbly admit it was the GRIT from within me that egged me to Step BACK To Step FORWARD📗📙📘

I remember stumbling across the question if people are born with GRIT?  And the ready answer coming from researches showed that GRIT is a question of NATURE and NURTURE, not one OR the other.  For people to develop GRIT, they need to cultivate a GROWTH mindset.  So allow me to admit now that that GROWTH mindset was the very catalyst of everything that triggered me to make that decision to Step BACK To Step FORWARD💎💎💎

BTW, many aspire to be 'GREATER' but how often do we hear people who aspire to be 'GRITTIER'?  Not much I guess.  So why GRIT?  GRIT is a passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals.  It is important because it's a KEY DRIVER of achievement and success.  and it is confirmed to be far MORE IMPORTANT than IQ and talent📌📌📌

So, how can we be 'GRITTIER'?  Numero uno, CLARIFY YOUR GOALS.  The 'grittiest' people are so damn crystal-clear about their ultimate goal[s] and even most of their smaller goals are aligned with that one big goal.  Segundo.  DISCOVER YOUR INTERESTS.  Never jump into the waters simply because you want to be 'GRITTIER'.  Interest is the source of our passion so ask yourself WHAT MATTERS MOST TO YOU. If you need to STEP BACK TO STEP FORWARD, go gurl, go dude✅✅✅

WHY Simplicity Trumps Complexity

WHY Simplicity Trumps Complexity

The late Steve Jobs, the co-founder of APPLE, explored how Simplicity Trumps Complexity.  but to quote his circuitous quotable quote:  SIMPLE CAN BE HARDER THAN COMPLEX.  YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD TO GET YOUR THINKING CLEAN TO MAKE IT SIMPLE.  BUT IT'S WORTH IT IN THE END BECAUSE YOU CAN GET THERE, YOU CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS'💎💎💎

His words highlight HOW important it is to keep things CLEAR and STRAIGHTFORWARD when dealing with problems, making decisions and even when just thinking in general.  It's like saying that even though SIMPLICITY might seem easy, it actually takes a lot of careful thinking and focus to get there.  The quote points out that Simplicity doesn't mean things are easy.  Instead, it means that stripping down Complex stuff to its most basic form.  Our task at hand is how to dissect all this wisdom from Steve Jobs into concrete words📌📌📌

Just like comparing halogen versus LED lights, we got to break down and break up the Complexity of that lighting technology so that we will reach a simplified point of discussion that will lead us to an informed decision whether we go for halogen or LED lights.  BTW, I'm all for LED lights, all because of facts at hand.  Our takeaway today, while we preach that Simplicity Trumps Complexity, it takes more than just semantics because we got to SIMPLIFY COMPLEXITIES in life✅✅✅

Moving forward, let's have 'CLEAN THINKING', that discipline of stripping away the unnecessary complexities and ask yourself 'WHAT IS THE CORE OBJECTIVE'?  And WHAT STEPS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVE IT?  In brief, clearly communicate the end goal and the key steps to get there💴💷💵

Then, let us PUT FOCUS on the TOP PRIORITIES.  To achieve Simplicity, it is imperative to prioritize with unrelenting and intentional FOCUS.  This DOESN'T mean oversimplifying  things but rather focusing on WHAT truly matters. I remember a quotable quote from Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, when he was discussing the economy, he blurted, KEEP IT SIMPLE, sh*t✅✅✅

SUPPORT Response VS SHIFT Response

SUPPORT Response VS SHIFT Response

It used to be, our qualms were very raw and basic enough.  When someone talks to you, please DO RESPOND.  Fast forward to today, that's NOT even a talking point because studies show that almost all of the time, people do respond to each other BUT that led us to our talking today, SUPPORT Response VS SHIFT Response📗📙📘

And this brings me to the 'TELL ME MORE' favorite one-liner by top conversationalists.  Apparently. they have leveraged so well on this one-liner such that the key to this powerful phrase and to engaging conversations in general is understanding the difference between SUPPORT Response vs SHIFT Response.  A SUPPORT Response supports the other person by showing interest in what they've said and signaling that you want to hear more from them💊💊💊

On the other hand, SHIFT RESPONSE shifts the conversation from them to you.  Example is an entrepreneur friend tells you he's frustrated because one of his customers hasn't paid although it's overdue.  A SHIFT Response will be:  Oh, I had that experience too and they paid after I filed at the small claims court🔰🔰🔰

BUT the question, was that the best possible response?  NO sirrrrs.  Instead, he could have quipped: 'TELL ME MORE' or 'THAT's AWFUL.  WHAT REASON ARE THEY GIVING FOR THE DELAY?  That shows your friend you care about his situation and it gives them that opportunity to provide a few more details, like they will advise you that the customer has filed for bankruptcy👀👀👀

I had those first-hand interactions with 'ME' people, folks WHO would start and end conversations all about ME ME ME and if you retort like 'REALLY?', he would pick up from where he left and go on that non-stop ONE-WAY talk.  Even my wife was aghast when I end up interacting with 'ME' people.  So, do consider SUPPORT RESPONSE instead of SHIFT RESPONSE [unless warranted]❌❌❌

DISCIPLINE Beats MOTIVATION By A Mile

DISCIPLINE Beats MOTIVATION By A Mile

This is one of the endless raging debates through the years [and even with an optimist like me, I DON'T see that debate ending soon].  WHY?  Because while there are two schools of thought here, by far, DISCIPLINE Beats MOTIVATION By A Mile.  Now, for our one-liner openers.  MOTIVATION gets you started.  DISCIPLINE keeps you going.  Most people never realize this.  And eventually they quit the game without exerting any effort to persist and build the DISCIPLINE in their life📗📙📘

That's exactly the reason WHY only a few people are able to reach the TOP of the totem pole.  BECAUSE they effectively control their lives by sticking to that DISCIPLINE.  BTW, even for the warring camps between MOTIVATION and DISCIPLINE, we all agree that SUCCESS only cares about you showing up to work every single day.  NOTHING ELSE💴💷💵

The average individual thinks they need any MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION or ENERGY to go to work.  BUT that's NOT how things work.  The MORE you act, the MORE you get inspired to get better everyday. The next time you DON'T feel like doing any work, dump those feelings out the window.  Thing is, life will continue to test us, you, a 100 times.  You DON'T get anything.  You got to EARN it.  SOMETIMES, you won't get any results.  SOMETIMES, you will feel lost.  SOMETIMES things will go against you.  And that's a TEST for you.  It's already planned by the nature.  And I fervently believe that whatever happens, it happens for good only💎💎💎

Here's a highly controversial and debatable statement I heard on air:  LIFE DOESN'T REWARD THE MOST INTELLIGENT PEOPLE.  LIFE REWARDS THE MOST HUNGRY ONES.  Thing is, it's NOT about competition anymore.  Let's take a look at the world we live today.  More than half the people are distracted. They are CHASING PLEASURE over PURPOSE.  It's NOT about competition anymore.  It's about FOCUS📌📌📌

The FOCUS to be the best version of yourself.  And the FOCUS to stay on the track when half of the people have become aimless.  BTW, unorganized friends will NOT make you DISCIPLINED.  How can you even expect that?  You hang out with people who play with their lives.  And you expect yourself to get on track and build DISCIPLINE in your life?  You need the RIGHT association.  You need HIGH-PERFORMERS around you.  And this internet gives you that GOLDEN opportunity to connect with the world's top HIGH-PERFORMERS because DISCIPLINE Beats MOTIVATION By A Mile❗❗❗

What Failure Is NOT

What Failure Is NOT

Quite frustrating but till to date, there is a sweeping disconnect when we start talking about FAILURE.  Some disconnects tell us that FAILURE is missing the goal we attempted, that FAILURE is falling short in terms of distance, that FAILURE is incurring a shortfall in terms of the required elapsed time, that FAILURE is ending up with an output that missed the specifications that FAILURE is submitting an output that failed to meet the pre-set quality criteria💴💵💷

Truth is, the wisdom of learning from FAILURE is incontrovertible.  Yet, this gap is NOT due to a lack of commitment to learning.  WHEN we try to ask people to reflect on WHAT they did wrong and exhort them to avoid similar mistakes in the future, we would sometimes hit a WALL. That wall of resistance.  Why that WALL?  First, FAILURE is NOT always bad.  In our life, it is sometimes bad, sometimes inevitable and sometimes even good📗📘📙

Secondly, learning from FAILURES is anything BUT straightforward.  WHO says that once you stumble, you'll instantly have that instant FIX when you rise up?  Fact is, we need new and better ways to go beyond lessons that are superficial or self-serving.  That means, jettisoning our OLD HABITS and notions of success and instead embracing FAILURE's lessons.  What follows next is the BLAME GAME.  And this is when FAILURE and FAULT are virtually inseparable in the equation.  Even children learn at some point that admitting FAILURE means taking the blame, sometimes wallowing its impact📌📌📌

BTW, to quote a favorite one-liner in the corporate world, NOT ALL FAILURES ARE CREATED EQUAL.  A sophisticated understanding of FAILURE's causes and contexts will help to avoid the BLAME GAME and figure out learning from FAILURE.  Although an infinite number of things can go wrong, we should NEVER lose grip of that mindset of learning from FAILUREs.  Failing which, we would have FAILED in FAILURES💊💊💊

Just today, I got bogged down with an issue with our home security camera whose SD card cannot be detected.  I had to exhaust all options, isolating the problem, even going to the extend of buying a new SD card on the assumption that its existing SD card is defective.  Lo and behold, I proved myself wrong with that assumption and with my BACK AGAINST THE WALL, I decided to reformat that suspected defective SD card and voila, it worked❗❗❗

Need To Seek Attention?

Need To Seek Attention?

Need To Seek Attention?  Yes I agree, from time to time, we seek ATTENTION, for various reasons.  People may NOT think of their own ATTENTION as a scarce economic good BUT they certainly act as though it is.  They DON'T want their time or their ATTENTION wasted at all.  And the 'mother of all misses' is that as much as we need ATTENTION from time to time, some of us are guilty of NOT giving the ATTENTION others deserve when they talk to is.  Kinda TIT for TAT❓❓❓

The desire to get ATTENTION from people in your life is natural.  We're hard-wired to prioritize connection for survival, and social support has been linked to many health benefits and even longevity.  However, studies show that there are both healthy and unhealthy ways to receive ATTENTION from others📗📙📘

Unhealthy attention-seeking behaviors can damage relationships by exhausting the recipients of the behaviors and make the connection and making the connection feel inauthentic.  They may be signs as well of a personality disorder that could benefit from treatment.  Before we deep-dive, let's find out common reasons why we do seek ATTENTION💎💎💎

Sometime, we're FISHING for compliments.  Receiving a compliment activates that part of our brain the way receiving money does.  We can then all enjoy that HIT of HAPPINESS when someone offers us a genuine compliment and it is NOT necessarily problematic to drop hints from time to time in the hopes that someone will offer us one✅✅✅

Sometimes we're SEEKING SYMPATHY.  All the ATTENTION received for SYMPATHY-SEEKING can, in some cases, take the form of pity rather than the positive ATTENTION gained from praise for one's good qualities.  Bottomline is that while ATTENTION does NOT translate to reciprocity, it behooves that we should DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT OTHERS WILL DO UNTO US❗❗❗

No Silver Bullet Solution

No Silver Bullet Solution

Everyday we face multifarious complexities of problems, from the petty to the life-changing problems.  In short, we're constantly in the HUNT for solutions.  And lucky for us, 95% of the time, it's NOT a long winded road to find the FIX, the solution to a problem.  BUT our remaining 5% of our problems, we do get bogged down.  BUT the bigger problem is we're bugged down because more often than NOT, we're looking for a Silver Bullet Solution💴💷💵

And this is where the NIRVANA FALLACY comes into the picture.  And this fallacy is arguing that a course of action is NO good because it is NOT perfect.  This essentially assumes the opposite of what is more commonly known as the GOLDEN MEAN FALLACY rather than assuming the extremes CANNOT exist and the middle is correct, it assumes the middle CANNOT exist and a solution is either absolutely PERFECT or entirely undesirable📗📙📘

Fact is, there are NO perfect solutions to life's problems.  Have you ever had a problem you couldn't find a perfect solution?  Maybe you had to choose between doing something that you wanted to do and something that was the right thing to do.  OR you had to choose between two options, each of which has its unique set of advantages and disadvantages.  Sadly, when we face problems like this, it's easy to get frustrated and feel like there's no way to make the right decision.  BUT the truth is, there are often NO perfect solutions, NO SILVER BULLET SOLUTIONS but just TRADEOFFS💎💎💎

A TRADEOFF is a situation where you must give up something to get something else.  A simple example, imagine you are trying to decide what to have for lunch.  You want a big, juicy burger [from SUBWAY] BUT you know pretty well that there are better choices than this one.  On the other hand, a salad would be a much healthier choice BUT it's NOT as tasty as a burger.  You're then faced with a TRADEOFF:  Do you choose burger and sacrifice your health OR do you choose salad and offer your taste buds❓❓❓

Frankly, TRADEOFFS are everywhere in our life and they can be tricky to navigate.  Sometimes the choice is easy IF you have to choose between doing something morally right and doing something ethically wrong, the right choice is as clear as the sky versus the ground.  Dude, let us constantly remember that there are NO SILVER BULLET SOLUTIONS in life❌❌❌