Irene Baron's Blog, page 6

AMERICAN CUTCO VS GERMAN HENCKEL KNIVES

AMERICAN CUTCO VS GERMAN HENCKEL KNIVES
     By Irene Baron     www.irenebaron.com 

My father always said a sharp knife was a safer knife.  He took great care with our cooking knives. At least once a year he would moisten a large whetstone and sharpen his favorite knives.  He did it methodically and with care. Good knives were hard to come by. 

During my last year at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, I took a cooking class. The class had an Organic Chemistry prerequisite. Only students who had passed Organic Chemistry were allowed to take the class. Consequently, enrollment was heavily populated with male students from the school’s prestigious science department.  

My major was General Science. Having the Chairman of the Chemistry Department, as my advisor, my 4-year college schedule was heavy in Chemistry coursework. I took Organic Chemistry my junior year at Hiram. It remains the hardest course I have ever taken. 

The cooking class was not how to cook, but “what happens to food when you cook.” Being walking famines, the fellows in the class were excited to learn as much as they could to become proficient to cook for themselves or entertain after graduation.  The professor was a beautiful and intelligent lady imported from Kent State University for this one time class. Lecture hours were 9 am to 12 pm Monday through Friday. The laboratory sessions were after lunch until we finished.

Each intensive class at Hiram was 8 weeks in length. For a college to have each class scheduled for an intensive 8 weeks was rare in the United States. The success of such a schedule proved itself with the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. This was the test required for graduate work. Over 60% of Hiram students continued their education for their Masters and/or Doctorate degrees. Hiram students normally tested in the 90% achievement rate nationally.  The course was the first cooking class taught at the college. All the equipment, including the knives, was new.

We were taught about knives by a representative of Cutco Corporation during one of our morning sessions. 

AMERICAN MADE CUTCO KNIVES 

[image error] The Cutco representative told us their knives and implements for cooking have a lifetime guarantee. The company will sharpen their knives and refurbish them free of charge. The service is rarely used as the knives rarely dull. 

After graduation, I bought a set of knives and utensils for my home in Zanesville, Ohio. They were used by my parents when I toured the world and worked in Thailand and Germany. 

Some styles of the Cutco utensils and knives I own are no longer available for purchase.  The company has updated some products and discontinued others. 

Cutco advertises their knives are the best in the world. It is not false advertising. They outclass German knives due to the blades which never dull and the “fatigue-resistant” ergonomic handles fit for any size right or left hand. The thumb and forefinger lock into place for safety and control. The handle has the same composition as bowling balls. The blade extends the full length of the handle. 

My parents used the Cutco knives and utensils daily. Since they washed them in the dishwasher, the handles dulled over time. After the death of my parents, they were boxed up for a few years. When I moved back to Zanesville after working in the state of Delaware, I began using my Cutco knives again. I sent my 50+ year-old set to Cutco a few years ago to have the handles polished and knives sharpened as needed. Only one blade needed attention. When returned, the handles glistened like new. 

My only regret was the missing original paring knife which had a wide and curved short blade. Cutco replaced it with a new style paring knife. Because the new one had a longer and narrower blade, it would not fit into the wall unit and was more difficult to use for close work. I sent it back to have the blade shortened. I miss the original blade, but it was used so much over all those years, it began to dull. 

Anyone who loves to cook should use only CUTCO knives. Once you begin using them in food preparation, you will thank me for the recommendation. They will make your life so much easier. It's especially nice that they are American made.  There is no comparison between CUTCO and other knives. Others have not yet reached the quality found in the CUTCO brand.

Beware. These knives are known by fishermen and have a tendency to "disappear" from the kitchen. Keep them put away when guests arrive. Fishermen love the Trimmer knife. I have a friend who has had to replace several after over the years after fishermen and teenage boys visit the home.

[image error]The “Cutco Cook Book” is excellent for recipes and additional information about cooking, especially for meats.  I bought two, one for my parents and one for me. The spaghetti sauce is the most used recipe. Dinner guests normally ask to take sauce home with them.  I put the recipe at the end of this blog for spaghetti lovers. :-)

The Cutco Corporation is a U.S. based company that sells knives predominantly through direct sales or multi-level marketing.  It is the parent company of CUTCO Cutlery Corp., Vector Marketing, Ka-Bar Knives, and Schilling Forge.  Its primary brand name is Cutco. If you find the knives too expensive, since they stay sharp and last forever, you can buy them used online at reduced prices. Read more about Cutco at  www.cutco.com

 

GERMAN MADE HENCKELS KNIVES 

When traveling internationally, I tried to learn what products each country was famous for. If I could afford the cost, I tried to purchase a product. Being a gourmet cook, it was exciting to learn I would be moving to Germany which was famous for knives. 

Before I moved to Germany, I learned about cutlery manufactured there.  The most famous names were Wusthof and Henckels. Wusthof is owned and run by the Wusthof family. Henckels, known now as Zwilling J.A. Henckels, is a conglomerate and owns a variety of companies. Their companies include Staub cast iron and Demeyere cookware in addition to the Zwilling J.A. Henckels. 

I lived in Kaiserslautern, West Germany for several years. Before I purchased any knives, my husband and I became friends with a butcher at the U.S. Army commissary. His knives were his living.  He had to have the best to be able to cut meat with one stroke. Knowing of my interest, he taught us about his knives. 

[image error]Most of the ones he used had the brand imprinted on the blade. That brand had the logo, as pictured to the left, and the word “friodur.” Under friodur was “J.A. Henckels. To the left at a 90-degree angle were the words “Solingen” and  “Germany” for the city of origin and country. All his knives had light colored wood handles. As a gift of friendship, he gave us one of his oldest and most cherished carving knives. I keep it in my knife drawer and think of he and his wife every time I open the drawer.

The word, Friodur, on a blade means it went through a  four-step ice-hardening process to make an exceptionally hard, tough, sharp, corrosion-resistant blade with a  good edge retention. The blades, precision-forged from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel, were frozen to -94o during the manufacturing process. 

Due to their cost, I could purchase only a few Henckel knives with black wood handles. I bought the Paring Chef’s Knife, large Meat Fork, small Meat Fork, and a Carving Set of a knife, fork and 6-steak knives with carved stag handles.  They have been highly prized and used. 

I later bought a Henckel “Eversharp Pro 8” micro-serrated Bread Knife for under $20.00. Fabricated from high-quality stainless steel, they are lightweight with a triple-rivet manufactured handle. Dishwasher safe, this stamped line is manufactured in Thailand. 

I use all my knives but usually reach for the Cutco products.  They are always sharp. I continue to wash my cooking knives and utensils by hand. 

[image error]If you want to purchase the highest quality American made cooking knives, I highly recommend the Cutco brand.

Those of you who know me are familiar with my 35 years camping throughout the continental United States with my white VW Westfalia campers. In tight quarters, I learned I couldn't get along without the Cutco Trimmer and Turning Fork when cooking. Those two products could get me through any recipe using my two installed VW gas burners. They are also the two products used almost daily at home. 

The pictures below are some comparisons. The Henckel is above the Cutco. I can't use the Henckel as the blades are dull and I don't have time to sharpen them. The Cutco knives retain their sharpness which saves me time to do other projects. Henckel chef knives come in various sizes. Note the handles which fit the hand. The Henckel handles are getting worn. The wood on the paring knife has begun to break off. Henckel knives have always been hand-washed, yet the wood on each is showing age. 

The knives and forks pictured are, from the top, 1-Turning Forks, 2-Small Turning Forks, 3-French Chef Knives, 4-Paring Knife (top) and Trimmer Knife(bottom.)

[image error]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[image error]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[image error]

 

 

 

 

 

[image error]

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE    4 Servings   

4 TB butter or olive oil 
1 C chopped onion 
2 cloves garlic, finely minced 
1 C mushrooms, chopped 
1 pound ground beef 
½ C chopped celery 
3 TB flour 
½ C beef stock or one bouillon cube dissolved in ½ C hot water 
¼ C sour red wine 
½ can tomato paste 
1 No. 2 can tomatoes 
Salt, pepper 
1 TB parsley 
1 package fine spaghetti or macaroni
Parmesan cheese 

 Melt butter in a heavy/iron fry pan or Dutch Oven 
Saute’ onion, garlic 5 minutes 
Add mushrooms, meat; brown lightly 
Add celery, flour, stock, wine, tomato paste, tomatoes, salt, pepper, parsley; mix thoroughly 
Cover; simmer 30-40 minutes; more wine and stock may be added if the sauce gets too thick. 
Boil spaghetti in salted water until tender; drain; rinse. 
Pile spaghetti on plates; top with sauce; serve with Parmesan cheese 
 

NEOWISE COMET DATA FROM REMANZACCO OBSERVATORY

REMANZACCO OBSERVATORY BLOG 
NEOWISE COMET C/2020 F3

 

[image error]This information was first reported on 3 April 2020 by bloggers at the Remanzacco Observatory in Italy. They specialize in asteroids and comets and near-space objects.  I recommend you follow their data through email or Facebook.. (The image to the left is 15 July 2020 from Germany.)

New Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) 
https://remanzacco.blogspot.com/p/daily-updated-asteroid-flybys.html 

CBET 4740 & MPEC 2020-G05, issued on 2020, April 01, announce the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~17) in infrared images obtained with the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (or NEOWISE; formerly the WISE earth-orbiting satellite; cf. CBET 4225). The new comet has been designated C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE).   

[image error]We performed follow-up measurements of this object while it was still on the PCCP webpage. 

Stacking of 14 unfiltered exposures, 60 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2020, March 31.5 from Q62 (iTelescope network) through a 0.50-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD + focal reducer, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma about 1 arcmin in diameter and a tail 20" long in PA 115. Resulting image left.

 

 

MPEC 2020-G05, assigns the following preliminary orbital elements to comet  C/2020 F3: T 2020 July 3.54; e= 0.99; Peri. =  37.60; q = 0.29;  Incl.= 128.95 

There is a possibility that this comet will be visible in the field of the SOHO C3 instrument towards the end of June 2020 (although it may be too weak or very close to the limit magnitude of this instrument which is about +8). When the orbit will be more defined it will be possible to confirm or exclude this hypothesis.  

by Ernesto Guido & Adriano Valvasori 

                               ###

Sky & Telescope online published the sky chart image 17 July 2020 for observers to use in finding the location of the comet.  https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-july-17-25-2/

[image error]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The link to the 15 July image at the top of this blog may be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2020_F3_(NEOWISE) published this 2-day old image of he comet on their website.

 

 

COMET NEOWISE

COMET NEOWISE 
Comet NEOWISE will be visible in the evening sky beginning the week of 13 July 2020 

                                                                                       
[image error] BACKGROUND:

In March 2020, astronomers were looking for near-Earth asteroids and found a comet. Since the Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer found it, the comet was named for that NASA mission, the NEOWISE. From studying the orbit, NASA determined NEOWISE  will return in 6,800 years. Being the third comet discovered this year, the full assigned name for this comet is C/2020 F3 NEOWISE. The NEOWISE vehicle is pictured to the left under the comet.

According to infrared sightings of the comet, astronomers found it to be about 3 miles across. In comparison, asteroids are many sizes, one of the latest found at 62 miles across. NASA reports NEOWISE will be closest to Earth on 22 July when it will be about 64 million miles away. It will be closer to us than the Sun which is about 93 million miles from Earth. 

 In March the comet was closer to the Sun than the planet Mercury.  The heat of the Sun on its icy rock made water vapor expand and turn to gas.  That action pushed small dust particles with the gas which helped to create what appears to be a double tail. Some astronomers suggest it may actually be three tails. The larger tail is the dust tail. The smaller and upper tail is an “ion” tail. The water vapor gases lost electrons due to the Sun. Atoms missing electrons are called ions. 

The direction of a comet’s tail is caused by the solar winds.  When you see the tail, picture the solar [image error]wind pushing at the comet. The tail is blowing opposite the direction of the Sun. Notice in the NASA diagram the position of the tail as it moves in its path. 

NEOWISE  has been visible in the early morning skies and will be coming brighter in the early evenings after sunset. Each time you see it until it moves away from us it will appear brighter. Right now it is brighter than Halley’s Comet was in 1986. 

WHERE TO SEE NEOWISE 

As mentioned, the further north you are, the higher the comet will appear in the sky. Look at the chart at the bottom of the page

Find a tree-free site where you can easily see the horizon.  An hour after sunset you should be able to see the comet to your northwest. To find the comet, look for the constellation Ursa Major, also called the Big Dipper. You will find it in the northwest sky. Look below that constellation to see the comet. Each night it will appear higher in the sky. The further north you are, the higher the comet will appear in the sky. 

Although you can see the comet without a telescope, binoculars will make it more clear. If you use binoculars, support your arm against a tree, porch column, or something sturdy to help eliminate natural shaking which will occur. When you are looking at highly magnified objects, your normal body heartbeats and motions will create a shaking. 

For morning viewing, set your alarm for an hour before sunrise. When you go outside, look to the NE to see the comet. 

After 11 July it is visible after sunset in the NW sky. See the NASA chart at the top left to see how it will move in the sky night by night. 

The pictures you see of the comet were taken from telescopes.  When you look at it without such magnification, it will look like a fuzzy star with a faint tail. If you look at the chart at the top left, you will see the direction the comet will travel. 

Comets are unpredictable. Everyone hopes it will become spectacular. However, it may fizzle out like many before it. Let’s hope NEOWISE  will be one of the greats! 

While looking up outside, Jupiter will be a bright object in your night sky along with Saturn.

To find the planets, I recommend a free astronomy application on your smart pad or phone such as "Night Sky." Once it is installed, hold the device up and move it around day or night to find what is up there. It gives you constellations, stars and star names, comets and objects of interest.  Give the device to the children and let them teach you about the night sky. It's a free educational event you can enjoy every clear evening all year. Take advantage of astronomy free apps. Many are available. 

 

REFERENCES 

July skywatching tips from NASA 
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-s-parker-solar-probe-spies-newly-discovered-comet-neowise/ 

The spacecraft which discovered Comet NEOWISE 
https://www.nasa.gov/neowise 

Read how comet NEOWISE was discovered 
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-s-parker-solar-probe-spies-newly-discovered-comet-neowise/ 

For more information about NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense 

Comet Neowise is the latest to tease with the potential of a big show. 
https://www.cnet.com/news/comet-neowise-is-the-latest-to-tease-with-the-potential-of-a-big-show/ 

Comet NEOWISE Sizzles as It Slides by the Sun, Providing a Treat for Observers
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/comet-neowise-sizzles-as-it-slides-by-the-sun-providing-a-treat-for-observers

This NASA CHART below shows where the comet will be found.

[image error]

CHILDREN BORN IN OHIO ARE EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED AT BIRTH

CHILDREN BORN IN OHIO ARE EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED AT BIRTH. 

 

The Ohio Constitution, Article VI, Section II of the Ohio state constitution requires funding for a “thorough and efficient” system of common schools. 

However, Ohio's educational funding does not meet that standard. It doesn't provide for a thorough and efficient school system as defined over the years. What has happened to cause schools to become underfunded?  

[image error]Ohio House Bill 920, 1976 

In 1976, House Bill 920 OH froze property taxes at their 1976 amounts. If a piece of property rose in value with inflation to improvements, the tax levied and given to schools remained at the previous1976 rate. In other states, as property taxes rose, so did school income. 

Ohio property taxes increased with inflation from 24.871 billion dollars in 1975 to 246 billion dollars in 2018, an increase of 222 billion dollars. Schools received none of that increase. The difference went to other sectors and organizations.    

The Ohio Supreme Court

Then, in 1977, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the State's system of funding public education based on property taxes was unconstitutional. They found that the State legislature needed to create a more equitable system. (DeRolph v. State of Ohio, 1997).The Ohio Supreme Court affirmed that ruling in 2000 and 2002. (DeRolph v. State of Ohio, 2000) (DeRolph v. State of Ohio, 2002)   

For the last 43 years, Ohio legislators have failed to comply with the judicial mandate and have completely ignored the Ohio Supreme Court ruling. If a private citizen ignored a court ruling they would most certainly face judicial action and be found in contempt of court.

The Ohio Statehouse is pictured to above left. Many politicians using those chambers count on the public's short term memory. Most Ohioans have long forgotten House Bill 920 and it's near demolition of our State educational system. Some Ohioans ask why their property taxes continue to increase while the school funding remains stagnant. They often misplace blame on our school administrators. 

Sorry, folks. The guilty party for this situation is Ohio's past elected legislators. 

Do you want to correct this injustice to our children?  If yes, demand action. 

School Levies

Many communities have tried to make up the difference by asking for much-needed tax levies. Between 2001-2015 there were 5,946 school tax levies in Ohio, more than any other state. School systems in poor communities face an uphill battle to pass levies. 

Additionally, textbooks in 1976 averaged a cost of about $5.00 each. That cost has now passed over $100.00 each. Imagine the other widespread cost increases over the last 43 year period on every line of our school budgets. Ohio schools are 43-years behind school systems in almost every other state. 

I personally returned to Zanesville, Ohio in 1981 after teaching in Minnesota (MN) where 3rd graders in nearby schools were learning how to program computers with 3-6 computers in every elementary classroom. When I returned to my Ohio home town, I found it had no computers in any school or school office. MN special needs students daily received an hour of 1-on-1 counseling and learned how to adapt and overcome their disability. Ohio special needs students, on the other hand, were placed together in classrooms and tutored. 

Personal Experience

My MN middle school science department received $10,000 per year for supplies and equipment for our 700 students. In my last Ohio high school science department, grades 9-12, received about $1,000 per year for 1,200 students. It was barely enough to cover the replacement of broken and consumable items. My MN school had an impressive supply room for almost anything we needed, computers, multiple types of printers, and printer aides to print what we needed. In ten years the science department had received $100,000 for supplies and equipment. In Ohio, we struggled to make do without basic equipment and wrote grants for supplies. The school administrators tried to do their best with Ohio's restricted and limited funding which affected every department. 

The MN schools had far superior food and professional cooks. Over 90% of the students there ate more healthy fresh lunches. Where I taught in Anoka Hennipen, every Friday our school lunches were international fare with different country celebrations each week. Everyone bought those lunches. Meanwhile, Ohio schools struggled to purchase fresh and health food for lunches and relied heavily on free federal food supplies. 

When I taught at Hancock Junior High School in Zanesville, I had to provide most of my room supplies and was limited to a small number of paper reams per semester. I personally paid for and amassed receipts for over $1,000 worth of classroom supplies almost every year I taught in Ohio. 

Thank your State legislators for placing Ohio students at a huge disadvantage and having them suffer from learning without needed equipment other American schools use as standard fare. After graduation, Ohio students have to compete with students from much better-funded schools from across the United States. 

My Ohio students had no idea what they were missing in classroom equipment. I used to borrow old university equipment, wrote grants for supplies and field trips. I tried. I depended on publically funded offices in Washington D.C. for classroom sets of free printed materials. 

Students often reported back to me from college to say they had no idea how badly supplied their high schools were. They found themselves competing with students from other states where legislators valued education and funded their schools adequately. Out of state students were much better prepared to take college classes.

Elected Representatives and Senators

I don’t wish to be disrespectful, but why is it that over the last in 43 years not a single Ohio State legislator has addressed this issue? They seem to have bandaid patches here and there but have ignored HB 920. Why have our policy lawmakers ignored the 1977 Ohio Supreme Court ruling on school funding? Is it because they're indifferent? Do they have a lax attitude? Is it that they don’t consider our schools and our children important? That they don’t want to do the paperwork? Do they not know how to repeal or rescind HB 920? Are they ignoring the situation in hopes it will just go away until they retire? Are they ignorant of d the 1977 Supreme Court ruling? Do they think it will be another 43 years before anyone is held responsible? Do they not realize the condition of the Ohio public schools? Why have no steps been taken to improve education? Are they themselves victims of the Ohio schools that they can't understand the problem?

[image error]The Education Committees of both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate  have had 43 years to take action.

If you want to inquire about any progress in meeting the Ohio Supreme Court rulings, you may contact the Education Committees or your local representatives. 

Representative Don Jones(R) of the Ohio House Chairs the Primary and Secondary Education Committee. Representative Jones is pictured to the left.

Senator Peggy Lehner, pictured at the left, is [image error]Chair of the Senate Education Committee. 

To leave a telephone message for any Ohio representative or senator, call the Ohio Legislative Information Hotline at 1-800-282-0253. Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

What do industry leaders think about this? Would they consider moving their business to Ohio where schools receive the same amount of funding today as they did 43 years ago? Ohio is 43 years behind the times in funding education. Imagine the lost tax revenue due to COVID-19. Add that to our state's 43 year deficit funding schools? 

Children born in Ohio are educationally disadvantaged at birth

REFERENCES: 

Crampton, F. (1990). Adequacy and stability in Oregon school finance. Journal of Education Finance, 15(3), 351-375. 

Crampton, F., Whitney, T. (1996). Principles of a sound state school finance system. Education Partner Project. Denver, CO: National Conference of State Legislatures. 

DeRolph v. State of Ohio, 78 Ohio St. 3d 193 (1997). 

DeRolph v. State of Ohio, 89 Ohio St.3d 1 (2000). 

DeRolph v. State of Ohio, 97 Ohio St.3d 434 (2002). 

Fleeter, H.B. Dr. Ohio Property Tax Trends 1975-2011. Education Tax Policy Institute. Ohio Resource for Reliable Data & Analysis.  https://www.ohioschoolboards.org/site... 

Geneva, J. History of Ohio School Funding. Lay Finance Committee. 17 May 2016. https://www.chuh.org/HistoryofOhioSch... 

Johnson, Justin, Vesely, Randall. Equity & Adequacy in Ohio School Funding. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ...

PRESS-RELEASE-IRENE-BARON-FOR THE ALBERT NELSON MARQUIS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD BY MARQUIS WHO'S WHO

 

[image error]

For Immediate Release          Professional Narrative

Irene Baron Presented with the 2020 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who 

Ms. Baron has been endorsed by Marquis Who’s Who as a leader in the fields of science and education 

[image error] [image error]

ZANESVILLE, OHIO, January 17, 2020, Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Irene Baron with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.

An accomplished listee, Ms. Baron celebrates many years’ experience in her professional networks and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in her field.

As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process. 

Ms. Baron is renowned as a retired secondary school educator who taught science and forensics for over 40 years. During her teaching career, she not only taught and mentored thousands of students but authored and implemented grants and proposals. These grants have successfully aided in physical plant renovations, construction projects, acquiring new equipment and academic programs, and receiving professional educational development. Prior to becoming an educator, Ms. Baron worked as an Information Specialist for the Battelle Memorial Institute in Bangkok. 

In addition to her successful teaching career, Ms. Baron is an award-winning artist, aerial photographer and author. In 2019, she published the psychological & geopolitical “Mindreacher” thriller,  the first in its series of international thrillers that creates a world that does not exist according to the current knowledge of reality. Ms. Baron previously released “MARY KNEW: A Biography of Mary from Ancient Scriptures,” a historical narrative that provides information about how Mary was named, blessed and ordained by God to be the mother of Jesus before her conception. The biography received the Third Place Bronze Medal in 2019 as the year’s Exemplary Christian Biography. 

Meanwhile, Ms. Baron authored and illustrated “Unraveling the Christmas Star Mystery,” which was presented a 2014 First Place Gold Medal as the year’s Exemplary Christian Education Book. Furthermore, she directed aerial photography for ARPA’s Mekong River Project and wrote their Bangkok “Operational Procedures Manual” while working with Battelle Memorial Institute in Bangkok for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Advanced Research Projects Agency, Research & Development Center–Thailand. Ms. Baron’s aerial photography won a First Place award by Smithsonian Magazine in 2004. 

Before embarking upon her professional path, Ms. Baron earned a B.A. degree at Hiram College. She later earned a Master of Arts in education at Ohio University. She completed the National Science Foundation fellowships at Texas A&M University, Portland State University and Missouri State University. Moreover, Ms. Baron is certified as a 7-12 teacher in all sciences. Middle School and High School Principal and Assistant Superintendent in the state of Ohio. 

Recognized with a Hiram College Alumni Award for Achievement, Ms. Baron accepted an AT&T Ohio Science Teacher of the Year Award and a Tandy Technology Award. She was additionally honored as an Acker Outstanding Teacher. A celebrated Marquis listee, Ms. Baron has been included in several editions of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education and Who’s Who of American Women. 

Ms. Baron’s websites include: www.irenebaron.com  and www.mindreacher.net 

About Marquis Who’s Who®: 

Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.

Joy Forrier 
Submissions Director 
Marquis Who's Who 
Phone: (908_ 356-0184 
jforrier@marquisww.com 
www.marquiswhoswho.com 
https://history.marquiswhoswho.com/mi... 
[image error]

PRESS RELEASE - IRENE-BARON-INTERNATIONAL-ASSOCIATION-OF-TOP-PROFESSIONALS

IAOTP PRESS RELEASE FOR IRENE BARON
Irene Baron selected as 2020
Top Female Writer of the Year by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) 

[image error]Irene Baron, Educator, Author, Speaker and Aerial Photographer was recently selected as Top Female Writer of the Year for 2020 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP), for her outstanding leadership and commitment to the industry.    

While inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals is an honor in itself, only a few members in each discipline are chosen for this outstanding distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, longevity in the field, other affiliations and contributions to their communities.  All honorees are invited to attend the IAOTP’s annual award gala at the end of this year for a night to honor their achievements.   

With over 45 years of professional experience as a seasoned Science Educator and Writer, Ms. Baron has certainly proven herself as an accomplished professional and expert in many fields.  As a dynamic, results-driven leader, Irene has demonstrated success not only with her teaching career, but also through her literary works and as a Speaker and Aerial Photographer. 

Her impressive repertoire of prior roles includes serving as Board Certified Teacher in all Sciences for grades 7-12. She is certified as Assistant Superintendent in the State of Ohio and served 20 years as Administrator and Instructor of the International Marine & Insular Biology which she taught at the Forfar Research station in the Bahamas for SE Ohio High Schools. 

When Ms. Baron began her writing career, she worked as an Information Specialist for the Battelle Memorial Institute in Bangkok, Thailand. She was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Advanced Research Project Agency, Research & Development Center – Thailand. She authored the geology and hydrology sections of the Top Secret Mekong River Project and wrote the Operational Procedures Manual for ARPA Thailand. Irene directed aerial photography along the Mekong River bordering Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Her aerial photography was awarded First-Place recognition in the Americana Category by Smithsonian Magazine in 2004 during their first photography contest.   

After working with the military and the government, Irene used her research and materials for the creation of the psychological and geopolitical MINDREACHER thriller series. The second MINDREACHER book is scheduled to be published in 2021. 

Previously, Ms. Baron authored and illustrated “Unraveling the Christmas Star Mystery” which was awarded the First Place Gold Medal as the best Christian Education Book of the year in 2014. She next wrote a biography titled “MARY KNEW-The Biography of Mary from Ancient Scriptures.” MARY KNEW was awarded the Third Place Bronze Medal in 2019 as the year’s exemplary Christian Biography. 

Ms. Baron earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Hiram College and her Master of Arts in Education Administration from Ohio University. She successfully completed the National Science Foundation Fellowships at Texas A&M University, Portland State University and the University of Missouri/Columbia graduate schools. 

The President of IAOTP, Stephanie Cirami, stated “Choosing Irene for this award was an easy decision for our panel to make. She is talented, creative and brilliant at what she does.  We felt she would make an amazing asset to our organization. We are looking forward to meeting her at the Annual Awards Gala being held at The Plaza Hotel in New York City later this year.” 

Throughout her illustrious career, Ms. Baron has received awards, accolades and has been recognized worldwide for her outstanding leadership and commitment to the profession. This year she is being considered for a Front-Cover feature in TIP (Top Industry Professional) Magazine by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). For 2021 she will be considered for IAOTP’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Irene was recognized with a Hiram College Alumni Award for Achievement and honored as an Acker Outstanding Teacher. She was awarded an AT&T Ohio Science Teacher of the Year Award and a Tandy Technology Award. Ms. Baron has also been listed in many editions of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education and Who’s Who of American Women. She was awarded the 2020 Marquis Outstanding Lifetime Achievement recognition for her professional work and continuing accomplishments in her community. 

Ms. Baron has been active within her community. As the American Red Cross Director of Water Safety, she volunteered over 14-years directing and instructing all levels of swim classes which included Handicapped Swimming, Kayaking and Canoeing. Irene volunteered with the local and National Ski Patrol 5 years. As a sought-after public speaker, Ms. Baron has presented workshops for the Science Education Council of Ohio, Ohio Earth Science Teachers, as well as associations, state and regional organizations. As a high school student, she helped her mother train Dale Carnegie Speakers. She has been editor of numerous professional publications including the Ohio Earth Science Teachers Newsletter. She has authored numerous education articles. She has led art classes for the Zanesville Museum of Art. She founded the Zanesville Astronomy Club in 2013 which currently serves over 300 members.

Irene attributes her success to having an exploratory nature, her perseverance and passion for all her endeavors.  She enjoys reading, writing and travelling.  In the future, she will continue to express her uniqueness through writing and will continue to educate people in various ways. She said most of her social media is informational. 

For more information on Irene Baron please visit:  www. irenebaron.com 

About IAOTP  

The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization who handpicks the world’s finest, most prestigious top professionals from different industries.  These top professionals are given an opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, be keynote speakers and to help influence others in their fields. This organization is not a membership that anyone can join.  You have to be asked by the President or be nominated by a distinguished honorary member after a brief interview.   

IAOTP's experts have given thousands of top prestigious professionals around the world, the recognition and credibility that they deserve and have helped in building their branding empires.  IAOTP prides itself to be a one of a kind boutique networking organization that hand picks only the best of the best and creates a networking platform that connects and brings these top professionals to one place.  

For More Information on IAOTP please visit: www.iaotp.com

CYBERWAR-PART III - PROCEDURES IF THE U.S. IS ATTACKED

CYBER WARFARE PART III - 
PROCEDURES IF THE U.S. IS ATTACKED
      by layman Irene Baron  

[image error] The politically correct term for ‘cyber warfare’ is ‘cyber conflict.’ 

Osama Bin Laden predicted 90% of their future terrorist efforts would involve cyberspace. Since Australia, Inda and Egypt have been attacked in the past, we know all nations are at risk from terrorist cells or nations. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a47e/e7b4c1d73e65a887167f071b0cff4204cfe5.pdf p.6 

See the lines of attack in the image to the left. Watch cyber-attacks in the USA in real-time. Attackers are after data in major servers in Seattle and other data storage areas. Click on this link to see attacks in real-time:   https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/185125-how-to-watch-hacking-and-cyberwarfare-between-the-usa-and-china-in-real-time 

There have been changes in every aspect of the digital medium. The U.S. Cyber Command now directs procedures to be followed in case of a cyberattack on the infrastructure of the United States. That command is located at Fort Meade in Maryland and is one of 11 Unified Commands of the Department of Defense.  General Paul Miki Nakasone is a four-star general in the United States Army who currently serves as the Commander of United States Cyber Command. He concurrently serves as the Director of the National Security Agency and as Chief of the Central Security Service. He is pictured to the left.

[image error]The U.S. Cyber Command was created in 2009 at the National Security Agency (NSA). In 2018 it was changed to full and independent command. It directs, synchronizes, and coordinates cyberspace planning and operations in defense of the U.S. and its interests.  The current commander is General Paul M. Nakasone, USA. 

Until June 2020, the cyber conflict that happened globally was considered minor. It wasn’t until the infrastructure of Australia was attacked, allegedly by China, that the public woke up to the possibilities of their country’s government and industries coming to a stop.  

If all the data/intelligence of a government department or industry is wiped clean, without duplicate data saved elsewhere, that department or industry would have a difficult time reproducing the material stolen. The cloud in which many save their data has been proven to be breached. Satellites have been breached and destroyed. The data has to be saved and protected where there is no outside link to it. 

CYBER CONFLICT 

The United States military commanders now fight in five areas: air, cyber, land, sea, and space. Cyber was added in 2011 and is the only man-made. It is not a physical domain. The question arises, is there a kill switch for the internet? Can it be turned off? If the U.S. infrastructure is undergoing a cyber-attack, the 2010 law states the President has the option to turn it off. Some say it can’t be done. 

EGYPT & INDIA TURNED OFF THE INTERNET 

In 2011, the Egyptian government ordered the four national internet service providers to turn off the “Domain Name System” and alter the server protocols. That prevented all internet traffic into and out of the country. India has also stopped and started the flow of the internet to its people.  How many internet servers are in the United States? 

Currently, there are 2665 internet service providers in the USA. There are 882 Digital Subscriber Line providers which use telephone lines to pass data. 

Does the U.S. Cyber Command have action plans to shut it down in case of an all-out cyber conflict? 

CYBER CONFLICT CHAIN OF COMMAND 

[image error]1. The chain of command begins with the Secretary of Defense, Dr. Mark Esper seen to the left. 
Pursuant to Title 10, U.S.C., section 164, and subject to the direction of the President, the Commander, USSTRATCOM performs duties under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense and is directly responsible to the Secretary for the preparedness of the command to carry out missions assigned to the command. As a sub-unified command under the authority, direction, and control of the Commander, USSTRATCOM, USCYBERCOM is responsible to the Secretary of Defense through the Commander, USSTRATCOM. 

2. The Deputy Secretary of Defense is David Norquist.  
In accordance with Title 10, U.S.C., section 132, the Deputy Secretary of Defense performs such duties and exercises powers prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. The Deputy Secretary of Defense will act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary of Defense when the Secretary is disabled or the office is vacant. 

3. The Director of National Intelligence is John Ratcliff. 
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 established the Director of National Intelligence to act as the head of the Intelligence Community, principal advisor to the President and the National Security Council on intelligence matters pertaining to national security, and to oversee and direct the implementation of the National Intelligence Program. Pursuant to Title 50, U.S.C., section 403, subject to the authority, direction, and control of the President, the Director of National Intelligence coordinates national intelligence priorities and facilitates information sharing across the Intelligence Community. 

4. The Under Secretary of Defense is Joseph D. Kernan.   
The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Title 10, U.S.C., and current DOD directives establish the Under Secretaries of Defense as the principal staff assistants and advisors to the Secretary of Defense regarding matters related to their respective functional areas. Within these areas, the Under Secretaries exercise policy and oversight functions, and in discharging their responsibilities, the Under Secretaries may issue instructions and directive memoranda that implement policy approved by the Secretary. 

Other departments involved in the decision making include: 

5.   The Director of National Intelligence 
6.   The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy 
7.   The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence 
8.   The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics 
9.   The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense 
10.  The Chief Information Officer 
11.  The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 
12.  The Secretaries of the Military Departments 
13,  The Chiefs of Staff of the Services 
14,  The Combatant Commanders and specifically, the Commanders of the U.S. Strategic Command and the U.S. Northern Command 
15,  The Director of Defense Information Agency 

Notice how many departments involved in making one decision. As a layman, it looks confusing. The President makes the final ‘pull the plug’ decision. How he reaches that decision seems garbled to me. It seemed garbled to Major Christian P. Helms in his report the Air Command and Staff College. He wrote that there were …   

[image error]“Inadequate Authorities Aside from advocating for resources and manning, various authorities required to conduct effective cyber operations are neither consolidated nor clearly delineated to USCYBERCOM. Lacking clear guidance and authorities is a result of fragmented roles and missions among a spectrum of U.S. government organizations all in the CYBER arena. 

As an example, compare the differences in Title 18 and Title 10 authorities then contrast the same given a notional combined Title 18, Title 10 cyber operation. Title 18 U.S. Code is the legal foundation for federal law enforcement and criminal investigation typically inherent to FBI activities. Title 10 U.S. Code is the legal establishment of the U.S. Armed Forces, its organization, actions, and roles. USCYBERCOM is fundamentally a Title 10 organization. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 strictly forbids Title 10 forces from generally engaging in Title 18 actions. With this understanding, place these constraints of a cyber-offensive operations team within a notional example of CYBERCOM attempting to trace and neutralize a Russian computer hacker actively attacking U.S. infrastructure. 

How does the nation defend against a Russian citizen visiting Arizona on a tourist visa attacking the Pentagon’s cyberinfrastructure using a host internet router in Germany?” 

A CYBERCOM soldier at a counter-offensive computer terminal has no authority to hit the proverbial enter button to forcibly stop such an attack. Such is the state of 21st century cyber activities. The compartmented nature of America’s legal framework is well suited to handle 19th and 20th century foreign and domestic issues. 21st-century information flow and physical hardware locations will quickly allow the nation’s enemies to conduct “lawfare” against the United States effectively using the nation’s laws against itself.” 

In other words, there is no good line of command. Decisions will be lost in the department mire. We will lose a cyber conflict due to the very long chain of command. Word would never get to the President to stop the internet. "

Irene Baron said that basically, that’s what happened on 9/11. Other than a few people knowing what to do, it would have taken hours follow the correct chain of command to stop the hijacked airplanes. One of the problems of 9/11 was that only a few people knew what the chain of command was.

Will a cyber attack leave us in the same situation as 9/11 did? 

WHO HAS OVERSIGHT OVER THESE AGENCIES? 

The resourcing, planning, programming, budgeting and oversight for U.S. Cyber Command’s missions is fragmented within the Defense Department, the executive branch as a whole, and within Congress. Section 932 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014 requires the Secretary of Defense to appoint a Senate-confirmed official from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P) ) to act as the principal cyber advisor to the Secretary. 

WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES FOR THE U.S. CYBER COMMAND? 

[image error] The priorities for the U.S. Cyber Command should be, according to answers by Vice Admiral Michael S. Rogers, USN Nominee for Commander, United States Cyber Command. Rogers is now retired. Prior to his appointment and during his Senate hearing, he discussed the position.

"USCYBERCOM is helping to accomplish something that our military has never done before. With the Services, allies, and a host of partners, it is putting in place foundational systems and processes for organizing, training, equipping, and operating military cyber capabilities to meet cyber threats. 

USCYBERCOM and the Services are building a world-class, professional, and highly capable force in readiness to conduct full-spectrum cyberspace operations. Its Cyber Mission Force is already engaged in operations and accomplishing high-value missions. It is no longer an idea on a set of briefing slides; its personnel are flesh-and-blood Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen, arranged in military units. That progress is transforming potential capability into a reliable source of options for our decision-makers to employ in defending our nation. 

Future progress in doing so, of course, will depend on our ability to field sufficient trained, certified, and ready forces with the right tools and networks to fulfill the growing cyber requirements of national leaders and joint military commanders. If confirmed, my highest priority will be continuing and expanding this progress toward making USCYBERCOM capable of protecting our nation's freedom of maneuver in cyberspace. 

The ease with which nation-states, terrorists, and criminals, are able to penetrate corporations and government organizations to steal information suggests that the prospects for cyber defense, using current techniques at least, are poor. 

Nonetheless, Cyber Command has been assigned the mission of defending the homeland, which at least implies that a defensive mission is practical and achievable. It may be possible to build resilience into critical infrastructure to recover from an attack, through back-up systems and redundant control systems that are less automated or electronically connected, but the government so far has not emphasized resilience over defense for our most critical infrastructure." 

WILL U.S. CYBER COMMAND PREVENT CYBER-ATTACKS? 

When asked, “On a sustained basis in a conflict with a very capable nation-state, should we expect U.S. Cyber Command to be able to prevent cyber-attacks from reaching their targets or causing great damage,” Rogers answered: 

"The U. S. possesses superior military might across all warfighting domains, cyberspace included. In truth, however, there has been no large scale cyber conflict yet in history, and the state of strategy and execution of cyber warfare is evolving as we speak. Our decision to collocate key intelligence operations and cyberspace capability serves as a force multiplier if properly authorized and supported by policy, resources, and willpower. 

Our force construct is such that it provides the United States the flexibility to engage, both offensively and defensively, in specific areas of hostility or on a transnational basis. We are building or further developing our international partnerships and relationships for mutual support and recognition of norms of behavior. We know there are other nation-states who have the equal or near-equal capability to ours; we have to be sure that we have the capabilities, processes, authorities, and, where appropriate, delegation and pre-approvals in place to prevent and respond to malicious activity. In a conflict where the risk to our systems, information, and critical infrastructure was in play, that the U. S. would need to optimize our ability to see, block, and maneuver against attackers in a streamlined and efficient fashion. 

We still have significant work to do to build out our forces and capabilities. However, given the circumstances, yes, I believe it is realistic to expect that U. S. CYBERCOM could effectively engage the adversary to prevent attacks and severe damage." 

SUMMARY 

There are too many procedures to follow if the U.S. infrastructure is attacked in cyber warfare. As Helm wrote, “… there is no good line of command. Decisions will be lost in the department mire. We will lose a cyber conflict due to the very long chain of command. Word would never get to the President to stop the internet.” 

It could take over 24-hours to follow written procedures to stop the cyberattack. There should be one overseer/decision-maker who has emergency procedure links in place with numerous successful test runs completed. The reaction decision must be made quickly before all infrastructure data is lost to the digital invader. 

This may already have been addressed by our government. If so, GREAT. If not, the Secretary of Defense, Dr. Mark Esper, had better get busy! 

REFERENCES: 

Anthony, Sebastian. Extreme Tech. “How to watch hacking, and cyberwarfare between the USA and China, in real-time.” 25 June 2014. 
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/1... 

Dombrowski, Peter and Demchak, Chris C. (2014) "Cyber War, Cybered Conflict, and the Maritime Domain," Naval War College Review: Vol. 67: No. 2, Article 7. Available at: 
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc.... Accessed 29 June 2020. 

Helms, Christian P. Major. AIR COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE, AIR UNIVERSITY,  The Digital GCC: USCYBERCOM As a Combatant Command https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltex... 

Schneider, Barry R. Grinter, Lawrence E. Battlefield of the Future – 21st Century Warfare Issues.Air War College Studies in National Security No.3. Air University. Maxwell Air Force Base. 

United States Cyber Command. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_... accessed 29 June 2020 

Villason, Luis. BBC Science Focus Magazine. “Is it possible to turn off the internet worldwide?” https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/... accessed 29 June 2020 

A fun video from a journal about cyber spying: https://issuu.com/email1710/docs/eye_...

 

Writer Irene Baron was named the Top International Female Writer of the Year 2020 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP)

CYBERWAR PART - 2- CYBERSPACE-ACT-OF-2010

CYBERWAR:  PART 2- CYBERSPACE ACT OF 2010 
by Irene Baron   www.irenebaron.com 
Next blog: Part 3 - War College Recommendations 

  
GOVERNMENT ACTION WITH A CYBER ATTACK 

[image error]If the United States undergoes a massive cyberattack on its infrastructure, what do you think should be done to stop it? According to the Encarta Dictionary, ‘infrastructure’ refers to the large-scale public systems, services and facilities of a country or region that are necessary for economic activity such as power and water supplies, public transportation, telecommunications, roads, and schools. 

In reality, there was a law passed in 2010 which addresses that problem. The law is the 111th Congress-Senate Bill 3480, “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010.” It was introduced into the Senate by Joe Lieberman. The bill authorizes the President to issue a declaration of a national cyber emergency to cover critical infrastructure. That would close down the internet [image error]and stop the cyberwar. How much damage to the infrastructure accumulated before the internet could be shut down would be determined by how fast the action to shut down was implemented after the cyberwar was detected. 

If the internet is not shut down, the infrastructure will be destroyed by having every bit of information within cyber systems erased and destroyed. The attacking nation will insert malicious programs to stop any thoughts of recovery.  The order to close the internet has to be accomplished quickly to stop further damage to the infrastructure.  The longer it takes to discover the attack and order the closure, the more excessive the damage will be. 

How much of the infrastructure do you think depends on computers? In our country, most likely all of them. If all the computer programs and information were destroyed, those facilities could not function until everything was restored. 

 

BLUFFDALE, UTAH DATA CENTER 

[image error][image error]The Bluffdale, Utah data center is located at Camp Williams between the Utah and Great Salt Lakes. It is known as the Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center (IC CNCI) with the code-name “Bumblehive.” It is the first data repository built to keep up with the masses of digital data that increases continually. The campus buildings were completed in 2019. 

Data is stored there for the United States Intelligence Community which is headed by the Director of National Intelligence. What is collected and done with the data is classified information. All of the information which accumulates there is divided by topic or region and sent to several smaller data centers located geographically throughout the continental United States. 

STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE 

If you have not already saved everything on your computer to a thumb drive, do so. When you check out the small drives online or at your box store, you will find some with storage for most everything saved on a personal computer. Once they are saved to a thumb drive, make a copy of it. Put the copy where it will not be damaged if your house is destroyed by a natural disaster. Suggestions are a bank deposit box, a relative’s home, in a safe place at your work site. Save your data at least once a year. 

Please be advised that internet links show how information can be removed from the “cloud.” If our country is undergoing a cyberattack, do you think the cloud will be ignored? Anything you have saved in the cloud should be copied to a thumb drive and stored in a safe place. Do that once a year or more often. 

When not using your computer, disconnect it from the internet. From the backside, some hackers can’t tell if you are a big business with data and secrets or a home computer operator. They will try to hit it and get in to find out. 

If you want your computer protected, buy the best quality programs you can afford. I use the basic Norton which may not be what you need or want. You may need a more secure level sold by Norton. 

COULD THIS HAPPEN TO YOU? 

[image error]My technology instructor at Ohio University Zanesville designed and ran websites for global businesses. She needed to upgrade her computer and bought the best home computer on the market. The day it arrived, she said she spent 3-4 hours setting it up. She didn’t use it as she had to teach the next day and went to bed. The next day when she returned home from work full of excitement to use her new computer, she turned it on and prepared to transfer data. That’s when she checked the screen and saw 1/3 of the memory was missing. 

Not having used the computer, the only answer she could figure out was that her computer had been compromised or hacked.  Knowing computers, she was able to go down through many programs until she found deep within it a message and photo of the guy who stole her memory. The message he left on the computer was to her. It said that she was a dumb American woman who didn’t know how to use a computer and wouldn’t even know if there was memory missing. Thinking the computer owner was ignorant and would never find it, he even left his name and picture.  

She called the FBI immediately.  They were elated that she not only called them about the cyber intrusion but that she knew who did it. She transferred the information to them. They found the fellow lived in England. His picture and name showed him to be from the Middle East. Using her knowledge, the FBI worked with her 2-3 hours a day for about a week. She said she was able to tell them much about computers they didn’t know. They were going to pass the information on to another department which would contact the English government about illegal computer use and data mining. He was setting up her computer storage for illegal activity. He was planning to store data on an American computer. Perhaps he would send information to other users to allow them to turn on and use her computer. 

In the meantime, she contacted Norton who was her security company and told them what had happened. They were concerned and apologized.  She told me that Norton walked her through three different levels of security so that her personal computer security was at the top of that such as was available by large corporations. Pleased, she waited for the fellow to show up on her computer again. He did. She was home and the computer was turned off. The fellow turned on the monitor and computer remotely and began to investigate what she had been doing. She watched the cursor move around the system. While he was busy, she was able to “trap” him in the computer.  I have no idea how she did that. He could not log off and realized he was trapped. They bargained and she finally let him out.  I express my ignorance. I didn’t know you could trap someone in your computer. 

She said her computer was hit with “pings” 10-20 times per day as people tried to get into it. Her Norton programming kept her safe. 

What type of security do you have?  Have you ever saved what you were working on and turned everything off, only to return later and to see the computer running? 

If a hacker or country tried to control, erase or destroy your data, do you have a copy? 

Australia has been attacked. The U.S. fights off attacks all the time. If thousands of a country's cyber techs attacked at all levels at once, our infrastructure could be destroyed. How long would it take to repair the damage? 

Being of a positive nature, I will assume our government has saved what they need on secure duplicate files. To imagine the data space that would take boggles the mind. The cost is worth it if World War III will be electronic.

.  

After you read this page, go to https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-c... to read a bill – “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010”- which was introduced in the senate by Joe Lieberman. Under section 4,  it authorizes the President to issue a declaration of a national cyber emergency to covered critical infrastructure. That would close down the internet. Are you safe?