Image: Epic Games

Houseparty, a video conferencing desktop and mobile application, said it would pay a $1 million bounty to anyone who could unmask the entity behind what the company described as "a paid commercial smear campaign."

The company's apparent anger comes after Houseparty has been at the center of media reports published yesterday by three British tabloids.

The Sun, the Express, and Mirror Online reported on Monday on a large number of Houseparty users claiming they had social media accounts hacked and taken over after installing the video conferencing app on their smartphones.

Users reported having Netflix, eBay, Instagram, Snapchat, and Spotify accounts taken over; however, very few were able to provide details about what really happened.

Houseparty denied any hacking rumors right from the get-go via a firm statement posted on its Twitter account, claiming that the app "doesn't collect passwords for other sites," and, hence, wouldn't be able to allow anyone to extract this data and pivot to other online services.

However, despite the explanation, the app is now at the center of a public relations disaster. Many of its users appear to believe the reports and are encouraging others to uninstall and delete the app from their devices.

Houseparty officials feel they're now being defamed unjustly in a game of dirty politics.

"We are investigating indications that the recent hacking rumors were spread by a paid commercial smear campaign to harm Houseparty," the app maker said in a tweet today.

"We are offering a $1,000,000 bounty for the first individual to provide proof of such a campaign to bounty@houseparty.com."

A Houseparty spokesperson could not be reached for additional details.

The app rose in popularity during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak when social distancing and quarantine measures were imposed around the globe.

Just like employees are using Zoom and Google Hangouts Meet to have video conferences with their work colleagues, Houseparty has emerged as the video conference app of choice for teens stuck in their homes.

The Houseparty app was launched in 2016 and has been acquired by Fortnite game maker Epic Games in June 2019 for an undisclosed sum.

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Houseparty app offers $1m reward to unmask entity behind hacking smear campaign - ZDNet

The novel coronavirus pandemic and the actions taken by governments around the world to slow the spread of the virus are taking a huge toll on a wide variety of businesses. Few companies will escape completely unscathed. The U.S. economy will likely suffer a historically large contraction during the second quarter, with some analysts calling for a 25% decline in gross domestic product.

Some stocks have surged throughout this crisis as an increasing number of people are forced to work from home. Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ:ZM) is a popular one, with investors getting behind the stock due to rising demand for video conferencing software.

The problem with Zoom, though, is that the valuation is about as nonsensical as they come. The company is now valued at nearly $44 billion, despite the entire video conferencing market being worth just a small fraction of that total. Shares trade for more than 60 times sales, an eye-watering ratio.

Whether soaring demand for various work-from-home products like video conferencing software sticks around after the pandemic is over remains to be seen. A pricey stock like Zoom could very well collapse if newer customers turn out to be transient, even if the company itself continues to perform well. Zoom is a classic case of a good company, but a bad stock.

How can you invest in the work-from-home trend without taking huge risks? Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) is your best bet.

Image source: Getty Images.

Like Zoom, Cisco provides video conferencing technology through its WebEx business. WebEx isn't a household name, while Zoom appears to be becoming one, but Cisco is seeing a surge in demand, nonetheless.

Earlier this month, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins disclosed in an interview that WebEx had powered 5.5 billion meeting minutes in the first 11 business days of March. Robbins also said that the platform is doing four to five times the volume it was built for a month ago. At peak times, volume is 24 times higher than normal.

Cisco is also a big name in cybersecurity. While spending on cybersecurity hardware, software, and services has been growing steadily in recent years, the sudden explosion in remote workers raises new security challenges for companies and organizations.

Cisco expanded some of its free security offerings in March, a move that could lead to more business down the road as the company converts users to paying customers. In the first 24 hours after launching its free security offers and its free WebEx offers, around 240,000 new users had signed up for at least one of them.

Beyond video conferencing and security, Cisco is the market leader in enterprise networking hardware. The company's switches and routers are key Internet infrastructure, and Internet usage is rising in places subject to stay-at-home orders. Increased demand for streaming, online gaming, video conferencing, and other applications could eventually lead service providers to increase capacity, boosting hardware sales in the process.

Cisco is well positioned, in multiple ways, for an increase in people working from home. However, a global recession will almost certainty hurt the company's results as some customers delay or pull back on orders where they can. Cisco is sensitive to global economic uncertainty, and its core business is prone to cycles.

It's impossible to say how Cisco will perform this year, given the high level of uncertainty. The best-case scenario: Increased demand related to work-from-home is enough to offset any other sources of weakness. The worst-case scenario: It's not enough, and revenue slumps, possibly by a lot.

Cisco stock is down more than 30% from its 52-week high. It trades for less than 13 times fiscal 2019 adjusted earnings per share. Earnings could take a hit this year, depending on how things go. But for long-term investors, paying such a low price for a rock-solid tech company is unlikely to turn out badly if your time horizon is measured in years.

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The Top Work-From-Home Stock to Buy Now - Motley Fool

As IT professionals work diligently to provide remote workers with communications and collaboration tools during the coronavirus crisis, one issue has come into full focus security. This topic was touched on in a Zoom webinar last week, during which a panel of company executives and customer CIOs from different industries and Zoom representatives discussed the challenges of enabling remote working.

Getting the Gear, VPN Connections to Employees

"One of the things that companies have always had a problem with is sending people home to work remotely full time," said Gary Sorrentino, a consultant for Zoom, kicking off the conversation on security. When it comes to remote working, many security concerns come from the reliance on a virtual private network (VPN), which might not have enough capacity to support the users, Sorrentino went on to explain.

Another part of the security puzzle is the devices themselves. Ideally, remote workers will be using corporate-owned devices installed with appropriate security software. Thats key, Phanda said. However, unless your company already had outfitted employees with laptops for working at home, getting everybody situated with corporate devices could be logistically challenging, he added. One possible solution comes in the form of recommissioning devices that would have been normally phased out with a refresh program, Phanda recommended.

Executing, Adjusting Security Strategies

While the volume of remote workers might be unprecedented, leveraging an existing security strategy will help alleviate many issues that might arise, said Bryan Ackerman, managing partner and former CIO with the management consulting firm Korn Ferry. "If this is the first time you're exploring a defense in depth strategy.... you've got a different problem to solve," he noted.

By this point in time, for example, every enterprise should have a strategy in place for preventing email phishing, Ackerman said. But, as Sorrentino noted, email filters are having a hard time identifying legitimate and scam emails related to coronavirus. In this case, Ackerman suggested a two-pronged attack: preventing these emails from reaching employees and, when that fails, reminding employees about and retraining them on phishing and security.

The need for vigilance is high, with more security challenges undoubtedly on the way, panelists agreed. As Ackerman said: We're two weeks, three weeks in, in some cases, and we're going to learn as we go. There will undoubtedly be new and different attack patterns that emerge.

Originally posted here:
WFH Watchpoints: Remote Working in Times of Crisis - No Jitter

It often seems that 5G garners most of the headlines, but what can get lost in the shuffle is the newest and fastest version of Wi-Fi, which is called Wi-Fi 6.

Verizon is a leader in this new technology, and through its Fios Wi-Fi 6 Router, it hopes to reach the masses and enable them to fully enjoy 5G and faster and broader coverage.

If youre only looking for speed, youre definitely in luck. Wi-Fi 6 has been shown to achieve wireless transfer speeds as high as 1,500 Mbps, or 1.5 Gbps, which is about 60 percent faster than Wi-Fi 5. Its indeed a huge boost even from Verizons own previous routers, as the top speeds are now about 60 percent faster and boast 63 percent wider coverage.

Speed and coverage are surely important, but what the Fios Wi-Fi 6 really excels in is its ability to handle multiple devices. Today, with the constant use of smartphones and tablets to laptops and home security systems, many of the older routers have a hard time keeping up.

As more and more people adopt smart home technology and connect more devices, the need for a reliable router that provides more coverage throughout the home has become a necessity, Heather McDavitt, vice president of Verizon Consumer Products, said in a press release. Verizons new Fios Home Router and companion Fios Home Wi-Fi Extender are the perfect solutions for Fios customers who want to blanket their home with powerful and secure Wi-Fi.

The Fios Wi-Fi 6 features a 2.4GHz network and two separate 5GHz networks, which have become the standard for most Wi-Fi users as they are indeed faster, although they do have a shorter range and have a harder time going through certain walls. One of the 5GHz networks can be used for a dedicated Wi-Fi 6 backhaul connection between the router and Fios Home Wi-Fi Extenders. Those extenders build a mesh network that can provide stronger Wi-Fi signals all throughout a home.

Make sure to keep in mind that the Fios Wi-Fi 6 can only transmit data as fast as your internet plan allows, so you may have to upgrade to a more expensive plan if you really want to see a difference. Moreover, although these routers are compatible with older Wi-Fi devices, the faster speeds will only benefit devices that support the new Wi-Fi standard.

As for the price, you can rent the new Fios Wi-Fi 6 Router for $15 a month or buy it outright for $299. The Fios Home Wi-Fi Extender will cost $10 to rent or $199.99 to buy.

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek and Arirang TV.

Read more here:
Verizon Fios Has a New Wi-Fi 6 Router (And You Might Just Love It) - The National Interest

SYDNEY, March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic, the situation has been seen as an opportunity for threat actors, who've taken advantage of the opportunity to target victims with scams or malware campaigns.

Now, according to analysis by SECTARA, hackers are exploiting coronavirus fears to spread their own infections, creating or taking over coronavirus information sites. Some of these appear to include state sponsored actors seeking to compromise corporate data systems. Others are opportunists, exploiting public demand for breaking information to launch payloads of ransomware and malware.

These sorts of activities include registering malicious Coronavirus-related domains and selling discounted off-the-shelf malware in the dark web.

Many victims of these exploits are individuals, looking for updates on coronavirus or seeking information about how to protect themselves and loved ones. Even more concerning is that organizations such government agencies, supply chains, hospitals, and pathology centers are also falling victim to this sort of attack. An attack which is coming on top of a global financial crisis when resources, finances, and supply chains are already compromised. These new attacks are on top of phishing campaigns that distribute malware such as APT36, AZORuIt, Emotet, and Nanocore RAT via malicious emails and links.

One of these, APT36, is a Pakistani state-sponsored threat actor which mainly performs cyber-espionage to collect sensitive information from India, has been using a decoy health advisory that taps into global panic around the coronavirus pandemic to spread the Crimson RAT. Crimson RAT is designed to steal credentials from victims' browsers, capture screenshots, and list the processes, drives and directories from victim computers [1].

According to security risk management expert Julian Talbot, author of the Security Risk Management Aide-Mmoire, "There are a wide range of groups who are executing malware and ransomware attacks to profit from the global health pandemic. These attacks are only likely to grow as the pandemic continues."

"Despite China's success with the lockdown, there is really no exit strategy until we have a vaccine, which is unlikely to be this year. Hackers and state-sponsored actors will continue to build ever more sophisticated attacks if we are not vigilant," said Julian Talbot. "We can't simply have a 30-day lockdown and then expect to be able to open all the cafes and venues immediately afterward like it was 2019. My assessment is that we are looking at a series of rolling lockdowns and travel bans until there is a vaccine.

"Our models indicate that we are exposed to a ripple effect in the event of any additional shock. With the markets already witnessing the fastest 30% drop in history, what would happen if we had another 9/11 event? "In combining the models we have published in the Security Risk Management Aide-Mmoire (http://www.srmam.com) with our software in SECTARA (http://www.sectara.com), results indicate that risks such as a major attack, nuclear reactor problem, utilities failure, or a reduction in supply of oil & gas to Western Europe, could create a cascading environment of security risk management crises."

"At SECTARA, we are taking the models from the Security Risk Management Body of Knowledge (SRMBOK) and applying them to the current coronavirus situation. We have made this model and even the software available for free as a public service," said Konrad Buczynski, CEO of SECTARA.

Staying Secure

"Our modelling indicates that businesses and individuals need to take a layered approach to protecting their computer infrastructure and personal safety," said Julian Talbot. "We have been publishing this information and key protective measures on several websites now including https://resourcesforcoronavirus.com, https://sectara.com, https://srmam.com, and http://www.juliantalbot.com."

It's clear that bad actors are prepared to use people's coronavirus fears and thirst for information against them. Given the impact we are already facing at a global level, organizations and individuals, need to apply, not just social distancing, but also sound security, and in particular, cybersecurity practices.

Some strategies to stay safe include:

In conjunction with SECTARA, Julian Talbot has also made the Security Risk Management Aide-Memoire (SRMAM) and all the models available for free. SRMAM provides a contemporary account of methods and principles detailed within the Security Risk Management Body of Knowledge (SRMBOK) as well as free high-resolution models and images, new research and updates advice linked to 2018 revision of the ISO 31000 - Risk Management standard.

"Cybersecurity, terrorism, the internet of things, and convergence of technologies are putting CEOs and Boards under pressure to maintain robust security solutions" according to Jason Brown, Chair of Technical Committee ISO/TC 262 responsible for development of the ISO31000:2018 Risk Management Standard. "It has never been more critical to maintain sound security practices."

The Danish hearing aid manufacturer Demant recently incurred what is estimated to be a $95M bill associated with a cyber incident that struck the company in early September and a Chicago-based futures brokerage will pay a total of $1.5 million for letting cyber criminals breach the firm's email systems and withdraw $1 million from a customer's account. Few organizations have reserve capital for these sorts of expenses, even in the best of times. The middle of a pandemic is not such a time.

The SRMAM is available now on Amazon and is provided at no charge for all SECTARA free and paid plan subscribers.

Join SECTARA on social media:

https://twitter.com/SECTARA1 https://www.linkedin.com/company/sectara https://www.facebook.com/Sectara-109150723888234 https://vimeo.com/366868175 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCncolyiA80EE18-NDXJ04rA/

About Julian Talbot:

Julian Talbot has written and co-authored several books including the Security Risk Management Body of Knowledge (SRMBoK). He is a Fellow of the Risk Management Institute of Australasia, recipient of The Australian Security Medal, and holds a Master of Risk Management. His experience includes Manager of Property and Security for the Australian government's most extensive international network (the Australian Trade Commission), Manager of Security for Australia's largest natural resources project (Woodside's $24 billion NW Shelf Venture), Operations Manager for IMX Resources' East African Exploration operations, Senior Risk Adviser for the $30 billion Australian Department of Health & Ageing, and Head of Security and Risk for Malaysian Smelting Corporation's Indonesian operations. Julian has also held several roles as Company Director, Risk Management Practice Leader and later CEO of the $30 million Jakeman Business Solutions, and Divisional Manager (People & Advisory Division) of the $240 million ASX listed Citadel Group Limited.

About SECTARA:

SECTARA (Security Threat And Risk Assessor) was created for security consultants and corporate security managers frustrated with the lack of advanced security risk assessment (specific) software and tools. Performing risk assessments using MS Office products, in particular, can be a tedious process, plagued by styling / formatting problems, layout selection and the routine need for reverse engineering to assure logic throughout.

Such methods are not particularly collaborative, present data security concerns and often drift beyond the bounds of recommended security standards and their assessment methodologies (because we are all human). Moreover, enterprise risk systems are necessarily generic and security risk consultant's needs are very specific. It's also difficult to get IT and expenditure approval for internally hosted systems, especially ones that are not part of 'core' business.

SECTARA was developed in response to those problems, providing a security risk assessment and security management environment in which best practices for the security industry are within easy reach and available at an affordable cost.

Importantly, risk assessment methodologies detailed within leading global security standards have been accounted for within the system, in a way that addresses the needs of the most advanced security practitioners, but also keeps it simple for those new to the industry.

Julian co-designed SECTARA (Security Threat and Risk Assessor) to align with SRMAM philosophies; the SaaS software platform was recently recognised as the #1 Risk Management Product by GoodFirms. He sits on its Expert Advisory Board along with Jason Brown, Geoffrey D. Askew AM and Konrad Buczynski, each a formally recognised expert responsible for design and implementation of some of the more advanced security risk and resilience programs within industry.

SECTARA enables anyone who is responsible for performing security risk assessments to create and complete them quickly, simply and with methodological rigour. Inbuilt data libraries assure productivity gains, and the software is suitable for any scope and industry.

SECTARA has a premium cybersecurity pedigree courtesy of David Begg (CISM, IRAP Assessor and Head of Cybersecurity), and field-level encryption means that nobody, including developers, administrators or anyone else, can view unencrypted sensitive data.

[1] https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/cybercrime/foreign-apt-groups-use-coronavirus-phishing-lures-to-drop-rat-malware/

SOURCE SECTARA Pty Limited

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SECTARA and SRMAM link in the fight against Coronavirus cyber threats - Benzinga

Comcasts reputation has never been the greatest, but in its foray into the Wi-Fi 6 universe, it should be applauded for setting the bar high with the xFi Advanced Gateway.

This particular Gateway, now in pristine white (previous generation was black), can support Wi-Fi 6 (synonymous with 802.11ax), which has been shown to achieve wider coverage and eye-opening wireless transfer speeds as high as 1,500 Mbps, or 1.5 Gbps -- about 60 percent faster than Wi-Fi 5.

But what Wi-Fi 6 really excels in is its ability to handle multiple devices. Today, with the constant use of an array of smartphones and tablets to laptops and home security systems, many of the older routers have a hard time keeping up.

Enter the xFi Advanced Gateway. This new router features four dual-band antennas that can fully support 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (faster than 2.4 but shorter range) bands, one 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, three 1 Gbps Ethernet ports and Bluetooth LE and Zigbee radios that can connect to all-important IoT devices.

Moreover, if you choose to utilize xFi Pods, this setup can build a mesh network that provides stronger Wi-Fi signals all throughout a home.

It hasnt, however, been all smooth sailing for Comcasts new router. Such as in this particular review(from our very own Executive Editor), some customers have complained that they have lost all semblance of consistency when it comes to download speeds. Even on a gigabit plan with Xfinity, you can get 800 Mbps on some days and 300 to 500 Mbps on others. Interestingly, some pointed out that the older routers did not suffer from such issues.

In addition, wireless connectivity took a big hit, especially if you live in a multi-floor home. Smart TVs and cell phones would take seconds to connect and streaming in high-end quality was nearly impossible. Even toggling between 2.4 and 5 GHz bands did little to assuage the problem.

Yes, hiccups are expected in newer generations of devices, and what matters now is how to smooth out these hiccups. If that can successfully happen, there is no reason why the xFi Advanced Gateway cant compete with other Wi-Fi 6 routers out there.

On a more positive note, if you lease a Gateway, youll also receive at no extra charge Comcasts xFi Advanced Cybersecurity, which offers additional security protections for your network. Its indeed a nice perk because as we all know, you can never be too careful when accessing the internet via Wi-Fi.

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek and Arirang TV.

More here:
Don't Sleep on Comcast's New Wi-Fi 6 Router - The National Interest

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Gov. Larry Hogan issued a 'Stay at Home' order for the state of Maryland in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

"We are no longer asking or suggesting for Marylanders to stay home. We are ordering them to do so," Hogan said during a news conference on Monday.

Here is a list of what's open, what will be closed and what you can legally leave your house to do:

For more guidance on essential and non-essential businesses, click here.

Only essential businesses are allowed to remain open in Maryland, and those businesses must make every effort to scale down their operations in order to reduce the number of required staff, to limit interactions with customers, and to institute telework for as much of the workforce as is practical.

Here is a list of those businesses considered essential and that will remain open:

Here is the full list of essential businesses, as outlined by Maryland's Office of Legal Counsel

The Chemical Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Pharmaceutical manufacturers.

ii. Chemical manufacturers.

iii. Distributors of chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

The Commercial Facilities Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Lodging.

ii. Building and property maintenance companies, including without limitation plumbers, electricians, HVAC service companies, roofers, environmental services companies, exterminators, arborists, and landscapers.

iii. Janitorial firms.

iv. Companies that sell supplies and materials for maintenance of commercial and residential buildings, including big box home improvement supply stores, plumbing distributors, electrical distributors, and HVAC distributors.

v. Laundromats, dry cleaners, and laundry services.

vi. Commercial and residential construction companies.

vii. Self-storage facilities.

RELATED: Gov. Hogan issues order to close all nonessential businesses in Maryland

The Communications Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Broadcasting companies and stations.

ii. Cable TV companies.

iii. Telephone (cellular and landline) companies.

iv. Internet service providers.

The Critical Manufacturing Sector includes, but is not limited to, manufacturing of:

i. Steel, iron, and aluminum products.

ii. Engines, motors, turbines, generators, and power transmission equipment.

iii. Earth-moving, mining, agricultural, and construction equipment.

iv. Parts for water, electric, and telecommunications utility infrastructure.

v. Land, air, and water vehicles, and related parts.

vi. Medical equipment.

vii. Personal protective equipment.

viii. Cleaning and sanitation equipment and supplies.

The Defense Industrial Base Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Companies that research, develop, manufacture, or integrate weapons, defense, or intelligence systems or assets.

ii. Private contractors that support defense and intelligence agencies.

The Emergency Services Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Law enforcement.

ii. Emergency medical services.

iii. Emergency management.

iv. Fire and rescue services.

v. Private ambulance companies.

The Energy Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Companies engaged in electricity production (excluding hydroelectric and nuclear, which are included in other sectors).

ii. Companies engaged in the production, refining, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale of oil, gas, and propane products, including gas stations and truck stops.

iii. Companies that provide utility maintenance services.

The Financial Services Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Banks and credit unions.

ii. Non-bank lenders.

iii. Payroll processing companies.

iv. Payment processing companies.

v. Armored car companies.

vi. Insurance companies.

vii. Securities and investment companies.

viii. Accounting and bookkeeping firms.

The Food and Agriculture Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Grocery stores.

ii. Farmers markets.

iii. Convenience stores.

iv. Alcoholic beverage stores and distributors, distilleries, and wineries.

v. Institutional food service and supply companies.

vi. Farms.

vii. Food manufacturing and processing.

viii. Pet supply stores.

ix. Veterinary hospitals, clinics, and kennels.

x. Companies that manufacture, maintain, and sell agricultural equipment.

xi. Companies that manufacture, or support the manufacturing of paper products.

Please note: Restaurants and bars are required to close except for carryout, delivery, and drive-through sales.

RELATED: 'Now is not the time' | Ocean City beach, boardwalk closes amid coronavirus concerns

The Government Facilities Sector also encompasses private persons and entities that support the judicial system including, but not limited to:

i. Lawyers and law firms.

ii. Court reporters.

iii. Bail bondsmen.

The Healthcare and Public Health Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Hospitals.

ii. Healthcare systems and clinics.

iii. Offices of health care providers, including physicians, dentists, and pharmacists.

iv. Physical, occupation, and speech therapists.

v. Behavioral health facilities and professionals, including psychologists, mental health counselors, and substance abuse counselors

vi. Rehabilitation facilities.

vii. Diagnostic facilities, including radiology, imaging, and laboratory facilities.

viii. Health plans, payers, and billing companies.

ix. Funeral homes and crematoriums.

x. Senior living facilities, including independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing.

xi. Manufacturers and distributors of medical equipment and supplies.

xii. Medical cannabis growers, processors, and dispensaries.

xiii. Home health care companies.

xiv. Pharmacies.

The Information Technology Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Companies that design, develop, distribute, host, sell, and support information technology software and hardware.

ii. Companies that provide network routing, access, and configuration services.

The Transportation Systems Sector includes, but is not limited to:

i. Airlines and operators of commercial aircraft (manned and unmanned).

ii. Airports, air strips, heliports, and seaplane bases.

iii. Railroads.

iv. Motor carriers.

v. Carriers of marine freight, including ocean carriers and inland carriers.

vi. Marine, rail, truck, and intermodal terminals, and operators thereof.

vii. Stevedores, longshoremen, baggage handlers, and others who handle cargo at transportation hubs.

Read more:
LIST: Here's what's open and closed in Maryland, and the reasons you're allowed to leave your house - WUSA9.com

Human Rights, Migration & Refugees

Rohingya refugee children attend an open-air Arabic school at Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Cox's Bazar. Because of the pandemic, such gatherings are no longer possible. Photo: Reuters

Mar 31 2020 - All around the world, the numbers are climbing. Each day registers thousands of new cases and lives lost. In Europe, now the epicenter of the pandemic, governments know that the worst is yet to come and are implementing increasingly restrictive measures to enforce social distancing and isolation. In Coxs Bazar, we have been watching the world and holding our breath for the first confirmed case of Covid-19. With reports of the first confirmed case in the local community in Coxs Bazar, its just a matter of time until the virus reaches the vulnerable population living in cramped conditions in the largest refugee settlement on earth. Thousands of people could die.

One million Rohingya refugees, half of whom are children, have been sheltering in sprawling camps in Coxs Bazar since August 2017, when they were forced to flee their homes in the face of horrific violence. For almost three years, Rohingya refugees have been telling us they want to go home and resume normal life. They want their children to go to school and for families separated by the conflict to be reunited. So far, international attempts to hold Myanmar accountable for alleged crimes against the Rohingya and improve conditions in Rakhine state have failed spectacularly. In short, it will be years until the Rohingya see justice.

As global life grinds to a halt in a bid to contain the coronavirus, we must remember that for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, their lives have already been in limbo for years; it is their status quo, and it will not end with the containment of coronavirus.

If there is one lesson for refugees that we must take away from this crisisit must be that refugee camps, and a life in limbo, should never be considered an acceptable long-term solution. We must challenge perceptions that because the Rohingya in Coxs Bazar escaped Myanmar with their lives, they are safe. The coronavirus is a warning to us that there is not endless time to resolve the issues in Myanmar that would finally allow the Rohingya to return home. While the people and Government of Bangladesh have generously continued to shelter the Rohingya for years, life in the camps is not safe.

Children, in particular girls, are at a high risk of exploitation, violence and trafficking. Rohingya refugees do not have access to livelihood opportunities to help them support their families.

We are now witnessing the impact that coronavirus is having in communities that can social distance, wash hands and have access to strong healthcare systems, yet this virus has still brought them to their knees. In the densely packed camps of Coxs Bazar, options of social distancing or self-isolation are remote, with many refugees living in cramped conditions in makeshift shelters made of bamboo and tarpaulin. Even simple hygiene practices such as regular hand washing become complicated feats of logistical planning when access to clean water is severely limited.

The Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian agencies have sprung into action. Rohingya refugees are included in the Governments national plan to respond to Covid-19, food distribution agencies are developing new ways to distribute food that minimises close person to person contact. Rohingya volunteers are mobilising throughout the camps to spread hygiene and prevention messaging that will protect their families and loved ones. Volunteers from the host community are being trained too, supporting everything from delivering awareness trainings to implementing referral mechanisms and medical treatment. The humanitarian agencies in Coxs Bazar have already stripped back to essential-only services like healthcare and food distribution. This is a necessary step to ensure we are reducing the chances of transmission and minimising the impact of this disease on the Rohingya community, but, this decision too, will come at a cost. Just two months ago, the Bangladeshi Government approved the use of the Myanmar school curriculum in the camps, but childrens education will now have to be suspended to contain the coronavirus. Our child-friendly spaces are closed and may be repurposed for medical use if the need arises. Rohingya children are now not only at risk of Covid-19 but will have to face this challenge without access to their regular support systems or safe spaces to play.

We will do whatever we can to work with the Government of Bangladesh and Rohingya refugees to protect them from Covid-19. But the fact remains, Rohingya children should not be living in these camps. They should not have to fight a global pandemic with the bare minimum needed to survive. They should be at home, at school; playing and learning. At a time when there are more displaced people around the world than ever beforethe coronavirus has exposed how our systems fail the most vulnerable. Our global mechanisms for accountability and the protection of human rights have failed the Rohingya so farit is absolutely essential that we do not fail them again. This is a global pandemic and the virus is now hitting the most vulnerable communities. We must come together. Only a global response will stop the spread of the virus everywhere. This means the international community must step up to offer medical support, testing kits, share data and provide much needed funding to support the response. But stepping up also means so much more than that. When the dust settles, when planes start flying again and the borders re-openwe cannot go back to business as usual, we cannot assume we have endless time to resolve this crisis, that Rohingya children can wait. Rohingya children must be afforded a future of hope and opportunity, like every child deserves. We may not have the power to safeguard against another pandemic. But we do have the power to ensure it isnt the most vulnerable that end up paying the heaviest price.

Athena Rayburn is Save the Childrens Humanitarian Advocacy Manager, based in Coxs Bazar.

This story was originally published by The Daily Star, Bangladesh

Here is the original post:
Covid-19 and the Rohingya refugee crisis - Inter Press Service

Ruhr Area, Germany (March 24, 2020) -- Kemper today announce the immediate availability of theKEMPER Kabinet as well as the KEMPER Kone replacement speaker.

The KEMPER Kabinet is a lightweight, powerful speaker cabinet with an exclusive speaker design developed exclusivelyfor the KEMPER PROFILER. The KEMPER Kabinet with the KEMPER Kone offers to guitarists the choice of 19 differentspeaker characters (aka imprints) with their KEMPER PROFILER PowerRacks or PowerHeads.

The KEMPER Kabinet is specially designed for the PROFILER. The KEMPER Kabinet is a combination of the KEMPER Koneloudspeaker and an exclusive and unique speaker tone mining technology developed by KEMPER, making it possible todigitally imprint various speaker characteristics onto one single cabinet.

The KEMPER Kone is a 12 full-range speaker which is exclusively designed in cooperation with Celestion for KEMPER.The Kone is controlled and driven by the KEMPER PROFILERs DSP to an ultra-linear (full range) frequency response,using a dedicated DSP algorithm. In contrast to the conventional idea of a full-range system, the radiation patternof the KEMPER Kone has been narrowed towards the physics of a classic guitar speaker chassis, so that even the fullrange sound carries a distinct guitar speaker character, unlike regular PA speakers or monitor speakers. To seasonthe speaker behavior to the players individual taste KEMPER offer the unique "sweetening and "directivityparameters for detailed adjustment.

The 19 included speaker imprints offer the finest choice of well-known guitar speakers from Celestion, and manyrenowned other classic brands, and even rare and particular speakers. More speaker imprints may be added via futuresoftware updates.

The KEMPER Kabinet can be driven by the power amp of a PROFILER PowerHead or PowerRack, as well as by utilizing anyexternal power amp. When using external stereo amplifiers, driving two Kabinets in stereo is possible. The unpoweredPROFILER models like Rack, Head, and Stage require also external power amps for dring the Kabinet.

The KEMPER Kone speaker is also available as a replacement speaker for existing guitar cabinets. The KEMPER Kone isavailable as a single unit and 2 and 4 speaker sets for 2 x 12 and even 4 x 12 guitar cabinets. Request from 3rdparty cabinet manufacturers are welcome.

Pricing and availability

The KEMPER Kabinet is available from the Kemper Online Store and at dealers for Euro 400,- USD 480,- and GBP 443,90.

The KEMPER Kone replacement speaker is available exclusively from the Kemper Online Store for Euro 150,- USD 180,-and GBP 136,60,- (also available as 2, and 4 packs)!

SPECIFICATIONS

KEMPER Kabinet

KEMPER Kone

About SPEAKER IMPRINTS

By simply activating the PROFILERs well-known Monitor CabOff function the KEMPER Kone is switched from full-rangemode to the Speaker Imprint Mode, which then exactly mimics one of 19 classic guitar speakers. The sound of theseimprints should not be mistaken with the miced cabinet simulations of a Profile. They rather bring back the goodold "amp-in-the-room" sound. Since the intelligence of the speaker lies in the DSP of the PROFILER, you will be ableto switch individual speaker imprints along with your favorite rigs, without needing to do extensive editing.Whenever you switch to a full-range sound, for an acoustic guitar, for example, the KEMPER Kone will switch tofull-range mode automatically.

Music that is fed into the PROFILER through the Aux Input will be played back in full-range mode, even when you playyour amp with a Speaker Imprint, both at the same time.

Due to the digital features, the KEMPER Kone and KEMPER Kabinet work exclusively with a PROFILER.

About the KEMPER PROFILER

The Kemper Profiling Amplifier represents a radical new approach to the guitar sound. For decades, the electricguitarist has effectively been shackled to the tube amplifier as the only solution for getting that sound. Thiscombination may indeed be glorious, but it is far from ideal; achieving consistent results between practice, studio,and touring situations continues to challenge the guitarist, just as it has since the early 1930's. With the adventof the Kemper Profiling Amplifier, everything has changed. For the first time in history, guitar players are free tocreate the most unique and individual tones that reflect the very essence of the individual player, and then capturethese exact sounds into the digital domain with Kemper's unique technology.

For more information:Kemper Amps

Read more:
Kemper Releases the Kabinet and Kone Replacement Speaker - Premier Guitar

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home, and the design of your cabinetry can really set the mood of the space. If youve lived in your home for many years, and your taste in design has changed, consider replacing or updating the cabinets to meet your new vision for your kitchen. Here are 3 things you should know about making changes to your kitchen cabinetry:

1. Remember that simply repainting your cabinets is an option. If the cabinets are a dark cherry, consider painting them white to give the room a larger feel. If the cabinets are a light oak, painting them black or gray will give the space a more trendy look. Repainting cabinets is a much less ambitious project than a full replacement, and will be easier on your budget. If you like the style of your cabinets but just dont care for the color anymore, painting them is a great option.

2. If you decide that you want a different cabinet style, or want to add glass doors or other interesting visual effects, another option is to keep the overall cabinet structure and just replace the doors. You can update the hinges so they disappear when the doors are closed, and you can also add the soft-close option if you prefer those conveniences.

3. If a total kitchen cabinet replacement is necessary because youre doing a full scale remodel, remember that a big project takes proper planning and budgeting. Its crucial that you hire a professional for the job to ensure you get a lasting and satisfying result. Talking to your local Mr. Handyman representative about your cabinet replacement needs is the best way to kickstart your investment in new kitchen cabinetry.

For more information about replacing or updating kitchen cabinets, or about other kitchen renovation ideas, please contact:

Mr. Handyman of Wheaton-Hinsdale

245 W. Roosevelt Road #69

West Chicago, IL

630-318-6882

http://www.mrhandyman.com

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3 Things to Know About Replacing or Updating Kitchen Cabinets - Suburban Life Publications