If your teen…

Needs to Answer a Quick Question
Texting is great for when you need a quick answer to a logistical question such as “What time do I pick you up?” or  “Do you have practice tonight?”

Is in a Loud Environment
How many times have you tried to talk with your teen by cell phone as they are leaving a high school football game?  The noise of the crowd, band, etc. makes it impossible to hear—texting your question or answer is an easy way for your teen to reply without having to leave the action or scream over their friends

Is in a Quiet Environment
The opposite of the football game is the library or a quiet restaurant—places that cell phone chatter is not only frowned upon but is often against the rules.  Texting makes communication still possible even when voices need to be kept low.

Needs an Escape
As a security expert, I feel this is one of the best reasons to text with your teen.  Many times our teens find themselves in inappropriate or dangerous situations such as a party that has gotten out of hand.  While they may be intimidated to call, a quick text message allows them to say “come pick me up” without alerting the entire crowd.

Remember, texting is the communication style your teen actually prefers most of the time, so integrating it into your lifestyle will go a long way toward deepening the teen-parent relationship.

For more ideas on how to keep your teen safe while texting, checkout my latest ebook: Safe Text: Protecting Your Teen from the Dangers of Texting.  And remember, tweet about this blog (to @SecurityFrst or #safetext) and you might win a $25 gift card from Amazon!

That's what Friends are For.Teenager, driving and Texting

We have spent the last several weeks talking about how to keep your teens safe while texting and this week, we want you to encourage your teens to pick up their phones and text away (but not while driving!).  Last Sunday was Friendship Day and we were reminded how very important friendships are—not only to us, but to our teens.

According to the website AboutOurKids.org, teenagers spend almost a third of their waking time in the company of friends and begin to recognize the value and complexity of human relationships—which means, they no longer view friends as just people to hang out with, they view friendships as “a strong and stable bond built up and lasting over time.”  Good friends help teens develop both emotionally and socially and studies show that through friendships, teens improve their self-esteem—which means they will be less likely to engage in some of the inappropriate texting behaviors we’ve been talking about lately.

So, this month, celebrate friendship by sending a text or a tweet or posting a nice message on Facebook.  Oh, and because we consider all of you our friends, if you tweet this blog, (be sure to use @SecurityFrst or #safetext), or leave a comment on how you use technology to keep your teens connected to their friends, we’ll put your name in for a drawing to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

PS  In addition to my current ebook,  Safe Text: Protecting Your Teens from the Dangers of Texting, keep watching this space for details on two new e-books that will soon be available to help you keep your teens safe while they are connecting with their friends via cell phone and computers:  Protecting Your Teens on Facebook and Social Media Secrets Every Parent of College Bound Teens Must Know!

www.securityfirstassociates.com

Teenagers, Texting & Driving mistakes can cause legal problems.

My job as a security expert requires me to assist others in protecting their physical and intellectual assets, which is why I am so passionate about educating parents and teens regarding the real safety issues that can be associated with inappropriate texting behaviors.   While parents certainly have the best intentions when they give teens a cell phone, they may also be setting themselves up for future legal issues.  Most teens lack the maturity and experience to know how to use their newfound technology freedom and without proper parent monitoring (and at times intervention), teens may find themselves (and their parents!) in legal hot water. Read More to find out what happens when Teens Texting mistakes cross the Legal Line.

Just what kind of legal issues could you encounter?

• The majority of states (including the District of Columbia and Guam) have a primary law prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving.  This means an officer can ticket the driver for the offense without any other traffic offense taking place.
• In many jurisdictions, there are parental liability laws that allow someone who is intentionally injured by a minor to hold the parents of that minor responsible—this may include acts of cyberbullying.
• If a parent knows that his/her minor is engaged in inappropriate texting behaviors such as sexting or cyberbullying and does nothing to prevent it, the parent is at risk of being charged for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
• Extremely harmful online speech can violate criminal laws—this includes sending obscene or harassing text messages, creating or sending sexually explicit images of teens and taking a photo of someone in a private place such as a locker room.

Don’t wait for an incident to happen to you or your child before you talk to your teen about the consequences of sexting, cyberbullying or driving while texting.  It is your responsibility as a parent to keep the lines of communication open and to monitor your teen’s texting behavior.  For more information on the legal ramifications of inappropriate texting behaviors, checkout my new ebook, Safe Text: Protecting Your Teens from the Dangers of Texting.

Do you have a great tip for monitoring your teen’s texting?  Comment on this blog, post on our Facebook page or send us a tweet at @SecurityFrst and/or use the hashtag #safetext you’re your best teen texting advice.

At the end of August, we will randomly choose someone who has sent us a tip to receive a $25.00 Amazon gift certificate.

Cyberbullying has become one of today’s biggest parenting issues with a staggering 42% of teens having been bullied online–58% of those teens say they have not told their parents or another adult about the incidents.  So, while technology has made it easier for our teens to communicate with one another and even with us, it is also providing a new avenue of risk—and one that had very dangerous and sometimes deadly consequences.

While it may be difficult to spot cyberbullying as it happens, there are some things parents can do to keep their teens safe.  Here a few of my tips from my new e-book, Safe Text: Protecting Your Teens from the Dangers of Texting:

Use technology to fight technology
There are a wide variety of free and fee-based filtering and blocking software applications that may help minimize the possibility of incidents.  I have several of these applications listed in the “Resources” section of my book.

Educate your teens about acceptable online behavior
Teach your teens how to choose online friends wisely and what behaviors to look for that may make it necessary to cut the online ties with some of their acquaintances.  Encourage your teens to not respond to a cyberbully and show them how to block people from sending them messages.

Draw up a contract
Make your teen aware that using a cell phone is a privilege, not a right.  Therefore, it comes with numerous responsibilities—including always telling an adult when they feel they are being cyberbullied.  A sample of a parent/teen contact is available in my e-book.

For more tips and insight, please checkout my new ebook.  And, don’t forget to send us your best tip for keeping teens safe while texting.  Comment on this blog, post on our Facebook page or send us a tweet using the hashtag #safetext with you best teen texting advice.  At the end of this month, we will randomly choose someone who has sent us a tip to receive a $25.00 Amazon gift certificate.

Teens have numerous reasons for refusing to put down the phone when behind the wheel of a car—“I need to tell my parents or friends where I am”, “I only text when I need to get directions”, “I might miss an important message.” And these reasons are often coupled with a variety of practices teens use to increase the safety of texting while driving such as doing a quick exchange of texts while the car is stopped at a red light. But, the danger is real—each year, 24% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage, a number experts expect to grow as much as 4% every year.

So, what can parents do to keep their teens from texting while driving? Here are a few of the tips I have included in my new e-book, Safe Text: Protecting Your Teens from the Dangers of Texting:

Use Scare Tactics When Necessary
This tip may surprise you, but it has proven to be effective. There are numerous videos available that show the dangers of texting and driving (some extremely graphic—please preview any videos before showing to your teen driver). One we recommend is “Footage That Will Stop You Texting While Driving”.

Ban Cell Phones from Drivers
Many parents are now enforcing a strict policy of “If you drive, you leave your phone at home”. At the very least, teen drivers should be required to turn their phone off while driving and keep cell phones the glove compartment, purse or backpack

Be a Positive Role Model
Adopt a “Do as I Do” attitude and stop texting while driving. Teens learn by example and need to see their parents actually practicing what they preach.

For more tips and insight, please checkout my new ebook. And, don’t forget to send us your best tip for keeping teens safe while texting. Comment on this blog, post on our Facebook page or send us a tweet using the hashtag #safetext with you best teen texting advice. At the end of this month, we will randomly choose someone who has sent us a tip to receive a $25.00 Amazon gift certificate.

If you don’t think this is a problem with teens, think again. According to CommonSenseMedia.org, 22% of teen girls and 20% of teen boys have sent nude or semi-nude photos of themselves and 38% of all teens believe that exchanging such sexy content makes dating or hooking up with others more likely. Wow, those are sobering statistics.

As a security expert, I want to help parents deal with this growing problem and keep their children (and themselves) out of harm’s way. Here are some tips from my new ebook, Safe Text: Protecting Your Teens from the Dangers of Texting: www.securityfirstassociates.com
and help small to mid size companies and individuals with their security clearance requirements.

• Give your teen clear rules on what they can and can’t do with their mobile phone.
• Learn how to use and monitor your teen’s mobile phones.
• Talk about pressures to send revealing photos. Let teens know that you understand that they can be pushed or dared into sending something. Tell them that no matter how big the social pressure is,the potential social humiliation will be hundreds of times worse.
• Remind them that once an image is sent, it can never be retrieved – and they will lose control of it.
• The buck stops with them. If someone sends them a photo, have them delete it immediately.

For more tips and insight, please checkout my new ebook. And, because the best advice always comes from other parents, we want to hear from you. Comment on this blog, post on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Security-First-Associates/122146441151694?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts or send us a tweet using the hashtag #safetext with you best teen texting advice. At the end of this month, we will randomly choose someone who has sent us a tip to receive a $25.00 Amazon gift certificate.

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Security-First-Associates/122146441151694?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts

Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/SecurityFrst

LinkedIn

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Remember, Friends don’t let Friends Drive and Text.

It’s no surprise that texting has become the communication tool of choice for teenagers—and even many adults. But, what might be surprising to learn is how this new trend can have harmful—even fatal—consequences. From texting inappropriate photos (1 in 5 teens have sent a nude or semi nude photo of themselves via their cell phone) to participating in bullying activities (42% of teens have been bullied while online) to texting while driving (24% of all fatal car accidents involving teens between 16 and 19 were a result of cell phone usage), today’s teens (and their parents) could be setting themselves up for a lifetime of emotional scars, legal ramifications or even death.

So, what should parents know about today’s texting trends? I have written a new eBook, Safe Text: Protecting Your Teen from the Dangers of Texting, in hopes of educating parents and teachers about some of the risks of cell phone usage and giving them the resources and tools they need to be empowered to help their teens make good choices—keeping the parent/teen relationship healthy while keeping their teens safe.

I am calling July “Teenage Safety Month” and will be spending this month sharing more insight, statistics and tips from my new eBook–and will soon be asking you to share some of your “safe texting” tips as well. You never know, one of those great tips just might get you a free copy of my new eBook!

Stay tuned to this blog as well as my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter for more details!
Friends don’t let Friends, drive & text.

Security First & Assoc
www.securityfirstassociates.com
866-661-5211

These jobs will become available in varying fields, and encompass all types of skills sets. The war on cyber crime has been declared, but our country is facing a shortage of professionals holding valid security clearances,

Did you know that by having a security clearance you can make $5,000 – $10,000 more?

Unfortunately, you cannot obtain a security clearance for yourself. Your current or prospective employer has to do this for you. But, by preparing and understanding the security requirements, so you will be ready to apply for the jobs you seek. To help the reader understand a few of the most asked security questions, I have listed some of the most common asked questions.

Q: What is a security clearance?
A: A security clearance is a determination by the United States government that a person or company is eligible for access to classified information. There are two types of clearances: Personnel Security Clearances (individual) and Facility Security Clearance (company).

Q: What is SCI?
A: SCI is the abbreviation for Sensitive Compartmented Information. The Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) establishes standards to govern access to SCI.

Q: What are the different levels of a security clearance?
A: There are three security clearance levels: Confidential, Secret and Top Secret.

Top Secret Clearance
Top Secret level clearance covers information that reasonably could cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security if disclosed to unauthorized sources.

Secret Clearance
Secret level clearance covers information that reasonably could cause serious damage to the national security if disclosed to unauthorized sources.

Confidential Clearance
Confidential level clearance covers information that reasonably could cause damage to the national security if disclosed to unauthorized sources.

A security clearance is a privilege and not a right. The award of a security clearance does not give you access to classified information in and of itself. You must have a Need to Know the specific classified data that is given access to.

As you read this article, and as you participate in the process of seeking a security clearance you may have doubts on how to respond to the questions being asked of you while processing for a security clearance, and understanding the security requirements, just remember, Mark Twain said “When in doubt, tell the truth”.

The Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) will replace the Electronic Personnel Security Questionnaire (EPSQ), previously used within Department of Defense (DoD) as the automated request for personnel security investigations and clearances.

e-QIP is a secure website that will eventually contain all PSI forms, including the SF 86, SF 85P, and the SF 85. Within the DoD, the Facility Security Officer (FSO) at a cleared facility will initiate the request through the Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS) that will permit the employee to access the site and complete the personnel security questionnaire on line.