Machine-Solution Blog Archive

Medford Knives Rolling Out New Inventory

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 15:48:00 -0500

We're rolling out new inventory on Medford Knife and Tool Infraction knives! When was the last time you broke the law? Maybe it is time for an Infraction of your own. For those of you that find a full-sized pocket knife a bit cumbersome, we developed this rocket ship just for you. As the smallest and lightest knife we have ever made, we think you will find this the ultimate in easy everyday carry. We've got the new Infraction models with gun grips. Available in several configurations!

We have the following Infraction Gun Grips styles:

Satin Blade Gray Tumbled handles

PVD Blade Gray Tumbled handles with PVD additions

Bronze Anodized Handles with PVD additions

Bronze to Violet Anodized Fade with PVD additions

Order your new Medford Infraction Gun Grip Knife today!

All Bases Covered with Houston Astros!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 16:38:00 -0500

The staff at Machine-Solution.com hit a home run today with a sale of a Destroyit 4002cc commercial paper shredder to the 2017 World Series Champions Houston Astros! The Houston Astros organization has done business with us for many, many years. Recently, they decided to add an additional shredder to their office. That's when we stepped up to the plate and helped them out.

Today both Gil and Rick of Machine-Solution.com covered all bases with a smooth delivery! Thank you Houston Astros organization for your continuing business!

Machine-Solution Authorized MBM Dealer for the Aerocut Products

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 10:58:00 -0600

Back to school time! Machine-Solution sent Rick and Gil to receive factory training from MBM Corporation on the new Aerocut line of creasers including the MBM Aerocut Prime, MBM Aerocut Velocity, and MBM Aerocut Nano Plus. Machine-Solution is now an authorized MBM dealer for the AeroCut line.

In addition to receiving training on the Aerocut products, Rick and Gil received technical training on MBM's Triumph automatic paper cutters, guillotine style cutters, MBM GoCrease paper creasers

Schedule a call today to talk to Rick or Gil on these new MBM Aerocut products! They are eager to help you with your digital finishing needs. Call them today at Toll-Free (800) 203-0233

Machine-Solution Now Authorized Dealer COUNT Machinery

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 10:18:00 -0500

Machine-Solution.com is now an authorized dealer for COUNT Machinery including all COUNT Folding, COUNT Digital Creasing/Perforating/Numbering, COUNT Numbering machines.

New MBM GoCrease Paper Creasers Just Introduced!

Fri, 26 Aug 2016 10:02:00 -0500

We're really excited about the launch of MBM's new product line of paper creasing machines! There are five different models available each one with unique features. At Machine-Solution.com we have the MBM GoCrease 3000 manual creaser, GoCrease 4000 electric creaser, GoCrease SEMI semi-automatic creaser, GoCrease F-Speed friction feed creasing machine, and the GoCrease AutoAir automatic air suction feed creaser. All five machines can handle a range of paper weight from 80-400 gsm (creasing) and 80-250 gsm (perforating).

Let's talk about the MBM GoCrease 3000 model first. This machine manually creases AND perforates paper up to 12.6" x 17.7" in size. This has a simple hand operated lever with eccentric wheel that allow the operate to make creases with minimal effort. The GoCrease 3000 is perfect for low volume applications and for those on a low budget. This creasing machine also has an exchangeable creasing and perforating knife as well as 3 different creasing channel widths.

Next, we have the MBM GoCrease 4000 which has an electric foot pedal for creasing and perforating operation. This machine is designed for a higher output and can handle a larger sheet size than other models. It has a working width of 17.7" and is built with a high quality anvil perforation. There are 3 different creasing channel widths so you can customize your project accordingly. Adjustable paper stops allows the operator to easily adjust where you want the creases/perforations to occur.

Are you looking for a creaser with more features? Look no further than our MBM GoCrease SEMI programmable creaser which is a semi-automatic programmable machine operated with a touch screen display. This gives you a fast and accurate setting of distance and number of creases/perfs. There are 5 pre-set folds loaded into the machine. We have 1/2 fold, 1/3 fold, 1/4 fold, gate fold, and book cover fold. Since this machine is semi-automatic, you will have to manually load the paper into the machine. However, the paper movement is completely motor driven so you won't have to move the paper by hand! You can make up to 15 creases per sheet at a rate of 1500 sheets per hour.

For customers that want a little more bang for your buck, check out our new MBM GoCrease F-SPEED automatic friction feed creaser, perforator, and punching machine. That's right! This machine ALSO punches paper. With 6 different easy punching tools you can make any wire bind and calendar products as you wish. When you buy this machine you also get a mobile table for easier use. Here are some other cool features: batching, a telescopic feed table, adjustable feed pressure, and two widths of creasing channels. The waste drawer collects scraps. It is made of metal construction and can withstand everyday use without wear.

Finally we have our MBM GoCrease AutoAir automatic suction creaser with perforating and punching capabilities. This is our LARGEST creaser available. You can crease up to 3000 sheets per hour. With this machine you get more accuracy, feeding reliability, versatility of use, and rotary perforating and cutting tools. The GoCrease AutoAir has a 7" touch screen display and is very user friendly.

Ready to buy or have questions about our new MBM paper creasers? Give us a call at Toll-Free (800) 203-0233 and one our friendly sales associates will be more than happy to help!

Staying Organized Over the Summer

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 15:01:00 -0500

Summer may mean endless months of vacation for your kids – but life is a bit different for us adults. Work doesn't just stop from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and you have to find a way to get your job done in between the trips and summer holiday celebrations

The Key To Life Document Organization

Wed, 02 Mar 2016 16:44:00 -0600

So many stories over the course of many years in the financial industry. There was the daughter that called from her father’s hospital bedside, desperate because she couldn’t access any of his accounts to pay his bills.

Another woman died in an accident while on vacation, and her sister had to go through a lengthy legal process because she couldn’t find the original copy of her sister’s will.

A family had to make the heartbreaking decision to take their loved one off of life support, unsure that is what he would have wanted, since they couldn’t locate his health care directive.

These situations all could have been avoided by simply having key life documents gathered in an accessible, organized fashion where loved ones could find them.

“I Don’t Want To Be A Burden…”

Universally people do not want to be a burden to their loved ones when they are incapacitated or pass away. Having key life documents organized and in a place they can be located and accessed is critical to achieving this goal. If the father in the hospital had a power of attorney appointing one of his children to take care of financial matters, his daughter would have easily been able to take care of his bills.

If the woman who died on vacation had a document that indicated where her original will was her sister could have avoided the time, expense and stress of going through an extended legal process.

If the loved one on life support had a health care directive, or living will, easily accessible the family could have made confident decisions on his behalf.

The Most Important Document

The most important key document to have available in an emergency is a health care directive or living will. These appoint someone to make medical decisions if you are incapacitated and outline what kind of medical interventions and care you desire.

Equally important is a power of attorney, which gives someone authority to sign for you and make decisions on financial and other matters if you are incapacitated. It is important to note where the copy with the original signature is kept, as some financial institutions require an original for certain transactions.

Another key document is the will, which appoints an executor, or personal representative to handle your affairs after you die, and indicates how your assets are distributed. These documents all outline who you want to be making decisions for you if you ever become incapacitated and after you die, but they are useless if nobody is able to find them.

Accessibility is Key

While there is value in having documents and information stored online, the biggest negative is accessibility. With passwords and security logins to go through, in an emergency this can be a big drawback. Particularly with a health care directive, where time can be important when making medical decisions, having a paper copy at your fingertips can be a lifesaver.

With the explosion of information and transactions that we do online, having something in paper form outlining accounts and passwords could be critical. The safest place for original documents that are expensive, or impossible, to replace is in a safe or bank safe deposit box. Many people also keep original legal documents with their attorney.

Having copies of those documents in an organizer, and indicating where the originals are located, would cover all of the bases.

Gather and Inventory

Going through the process of gathering important documents and information is valuable for many reasons. It helps to see what is missing and if further information is needed before an emergency. Having an inventory of all financial assets and accounts in the beginning stages of making an estate plan can save valuable time and legal fees.

The attorney can also see if there is a need to re-title assets in order to avoid probate. From a financial perspective one can see if it makes sense to consolidate or close accounts, or locate any original stock, bond or savings bond certificates.

It is a valuable exercise for anyone who owns a home to have a place to gather receipts and note dollar amounts of any home improvements, so they can be added to the cost basis of the home before it is sold.

A Common Misconception

Having these life documents organized and accessible is invaluable. It is a common misperception this is something only seniors need to think about, but it makes sense for people of every age to go through this exercise.

College graduates, newly married couples, new parents—all have started to accumulate documents that continue to build as we live our lives.

An organizing system can save a great deal on attorney fees, penalties from missing payments, expenses replacing original documents, and emotional stress.

After a death it eases the burden on loved ones already dealing with grief, and enables them to focus on each other. This truly is the best gift anyone can give to their family or people they care about.

Tax Advice: Making Tax Time Easier

Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:11:00 -0600

Tax advice is something that all of us are interested in. Who doesn’t want to make sure that they are getting everything they are owed? The problem is that most tax advice centers around how to make the most of your deductions without facing the problem that sabotages a large number of us each year: we don’t have the proof that we deserve these deductions.

Each year, shortly after the New Year has arrived, people start bemoaning the fact that “tax time is going to be here before you know it”. Most admit it wouldn’t be such a dreaded task if they had kept track of things like receipts and other documents throughout the year.

When you create a home for future reference items, you prevent that panicked feeling each spring as you try to remember the financial details of your year.

Our First Piece Of Tax Advice Is To Create A System To Sort Income, Expenses And Taxes.

Throughout the year you will come across paper documents supporting important information for your tax returns. Sort this information into three categories, using separate hanging files or binders. If you like uniformity, stick with one color for your files or binders. If you are more visual, you might prefer a separate color for each category:

Income: Here is where you’ll keep payroll stubs, 1099’s, Dividend Distribution statements, Gain & Loss statements and Annual statements from your financial institutions.
Expenses: Receipts of deductible items such as donations, loan interest statements, school/tuition expenses, business expenses such as mileage or uniforms. For real estate transactions, you’ll need the closing statement and any home improvement receipts in case those are deductible.
Taxes: If you pay any kind of taxes throughout the year (I.e. quarterly, estimated) keep these receipts in your Taxes File or Binder.

Valuable Tax Advice on Receipts

If you purchase items that you’ll need proof of when tax time comes, you’ll want to be sure to hang on to the receipt. Sometimes it may not be convenient to file the receipt immediately.

Keep an expandable wallet in your vehicle or kitchen. These are two locations where receipts are often found “floating”. Once a month, transfer the receipts into your Expense File or Binder.
If possible, make a note on each receipt what was purchased and circle/highlight the date. When you’re in the middle of preparing your taxes, you’ll appreciate this attention to detail.

Hopefully you will take this fundamental tax advice and put it to good use. You now have a place to put your tax information and it will be easy to access and use come the start of the New Year. In fact, this tax advice may help you be so organized that you’ll do your taxes early next year.

How to Set Up an Effective Filing System

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 09:07:00 -0600

How’s your filing system? Frustrating? Do you find that it’s too hard to remember where things go? Do you ever have trouble finding a specific document again once you’ve stashed it away? You may even have three or four files that contain the same information but are labeled differently – what a mess!

Fixing The Problem

What causes the downfall of a filing system? Chances are it wasn’t much of a “system” to begin with. More likely, it was just a random assortment of individual files that really had no connection to each other.

To create a truly effective filing system, you need to start with a plan. Simply slapping a label on a folder won’t cut it. Don’t worry though; we’re going to set up a filing system that can accommodate any type of paper – home or office. For supplies all you really need are several colors of 2/5 cut tab colored folders, and some box bottom hanging folders

Creating File Categories

Look at your current filing system (or that pile of paper that you’ve been meaning to file for months) and start sorting your documents into broad categories. “Finances” might be one; “house stuff” could be another. At this point, we’re not focusing on the detail of your filing system. Quite frankly it doesn’t matter if it’s a credit card bill or a bank statement right now. We’ll worry about those distinctions later on.

Subcategorizing

Pick one of your “major category” piles and let’s sort through it again. This time, think about breaking your paper into smaller subcategories. For example, your “finances” pile could be divided into:

savings accounts
checking account
student loan
credit card account

Be specific; don’t just say that they are “bank statements”. Determine which account they belong to and break each out into a separate pile. We don’t want any files “bunking” with other files – everyone gets his or her own separate folder.

Color Coding

Each major category of paperwork should be assigned a different color (your choice) – and then we’re going to put each of its subcategories into an individual hanging file folder. In the example above, “finances” might be green, and each of your accounts gets a separate green file folder. It seems like a small thing, but color-coding your system will save you a huge amount of time in filing and retrieving papers.

Being able to look in your file drawer and see distinct bodies of information broken out by color just makes SENSE to your brain. When you know that your financial section is green, your house section is blue and your car papers are in red, you don’t even have to think because your hand just naturally goes to the right part of your file drawer.

Label Making

Now that everyone has their own colored folder, we need to label each file. When creating your labels, move from general to specific. Don’t tell me you are filing paperwork for your “Visa credit card” – call it “credit card: Visa”. When you arrange your folders alphabetically, all of the “credit card” files (no matter how many you have) – will be together in your “finances” section.

Our goal is to keep related files in close proximity to each other. Do this again and again for every grouping of files until you have labeled every file in each major category. I personally use the Viewables® labels because they are neat, easy to read and I can print them from my computer.

Filling Your Drawer

All you have to do now is put the files within each major category in alphabetical order, and then put the major categories themselves into the drawer in alphabetical order.

Place the colored folders in hanging box bottom folders to keep them upright in the drawer. The 2/5 cut tabs show above the hanging files, and the tabs are in a straight line for easy reading.

Whenever you need to find a document or put something in a folder, just look first for the correct major category (easily identified by both the labels and the color). With the right filing system it’s easy to put your hands on the correct file without a lot of searching.

Coping with Holiday Stress 2015

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:41:00 -0600

Coping with holiday stress is a huge concern for many people. Many people try to pack months worth of activities into just 6 short weeks. Most individuals admit to having stress directly related to this time of year. For mental and physical health reasons, coping with holiday stress is very important. In fact, there are four holiday stress-inducers that you can try eliminating to make your holiday season actually feel like a holiday:

Doing too much in too little time. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do more in the same amount of time. Unfortunately, the holiday season doesn’t grant us any more hours in our days. This year consider putting on hold some of your family’s activities during the holidays in order to accommodate the increases in your schedule. Things like your child’s piano lessons or your book club will easily resume after the holiday.
Having unrealistic expectations. Do you try to address greeting cards, do all your baking and finish up your shopping in just a few days? To quote Dr. Phil: “How’s that workin’ for you?” Instead, start your holiday preparations early. Things such as addressing greeting cards, stocking up on groceries for the holidays or doing the majority of your baking can be done in October or November.
Going into debt. Keep a close eye on those credit cards. Spending money you already have in your checking account will help you avoid additional debt and those January blues that come in the mail in the form of credit card statements.
Sticking to traditions. If truth be told, some traditions bring on stress and aren’t even enjoyable anymore. Maybe this is the year you choose an artificial tree versus cutting one down yourself or maybe you decide to decorate your home with only half the decorations you normally do.

Strategizing against the causes of stress will bring more order, calm and peace into your day. Just by coping with holiday stress you’ll have more enjoyable memories of the entire holiday season.

The Right-Brained Office vs. The Left-Brained Office

Mon, 26 Oct 2015 11:13:00 -0500

Is your office left-brain or right-brain? If you have ever wondered what your office says about you, your right brain or left brain probably holds the answer.

Eight Golden Rules for Back to School

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 17:07:00 -0500

Eight Golden Rules for Back to School

Back-to-School is right around the corner! It’s the perfect time to take stock and get your student organized for the new school year. Here are some sure fire tips for starting off the school year on track.

Use an academic planner to stay organized. Whether you use a paper planner or electronic calendar, make sure your planner is set up as a grid system so you can see your week at a glance. Record all your after school activities, weekend commitments, class assignments and projects so you can "visualize" your available time to get your homework and studying done. Include a row in the planner for "Organizing" so that you can plan your locker, knapsack and binder clean outs. Maintenance is key to getting AND staying organized.

Make a to-do list every day. Put the hardest or longest task at the top and do that one first. You will feel a sense of accomplishment when you have tackled the hardest "to-do" first. You will also tackle those difficult tasks with a "full tank of gas".

Set achievable goals. You are more likely to be complete your tasks if they are broken down into manageable parts. It is much easier to write one paragraph for your essay in an afternoon than it is to complete the entire term paper. Check your planner for available pockets of time and schedule accordingly. Setting unrealistic goals sets you up for failure.

Free Gifts. Free periods and study halls are gifts! Use them! Focus on your assignments and to-do list in your planner.

Keep your work with you. You can always get an assignment done whether you are on the bus after an away game or at a doctor’s appointment. Be mindful of your time robbers!

Organize your environment. It is just as important to have your bedroom, study area or back pack organized. Organizing these zones will help you stay on schedule and focused. By keeping your areas organized you will avoid the dreaded "I am looking for that science lab to hand in and I have no idea where it is!"

School holidays: Use your down time during school breaks or conference days to get a jump start on your long term assignments and projects. Better to work on these important assignments when you don’t have the extra pressure of homework, activities, etc.

Set up a special organizing system that works for you. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of papers, homework sheets, handouts, etc. that take over your school life. Use a master binder, accordion file or individual notebooks or folders to corral papers. Make sure the system is easy to use and maintain.

How You Can Save Time With Our HSM Autofeed Shredders

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 16:48:00 -0500

Lately there has been a rise in the popularity of our Autofeed paper shredders from every corner of the market. Yes folks new organizations in the healthcare, financial, and legal industries are catching on to the unique capabilities of our Autofeed shredding machines. Let’s face it – no one wants to stand in front of a shredder all day feeding in pages of sheets at a time. Workers are creating little stacks of papers that they need to shred on a daily basis and voilà – that is where our Autofeed cross cut shredders fit in!

One of our favorite shredder manufacturers, HSM of America, has rolled out with a series of three different Autofeed document shredders – the AF150, AF300, and AF500. Now all 3 shredders are available in 3 different security levels – Level 3 (P-4) which is for confidential document destruction; Level 4 (P-5) which is for secret level destruction; and Level 5 (P-6) which is commonly known for “espionage” safe destruction.

Here are a few similarities across the AF150, AF300, and AF500 shredders:

Made in Germany with high quality materials for security and durability (Sehr gut!)
Dust emission tested by independent institute has proven safe and harmless (no coughing from paper dust around these machines)
Automatic reverse eliminates paper jams (which is really cool since you don’t have to tug at the paper to remove a jam)
Quiet operation so you’re not bothering others (darn, you’ll have to bother your coworkers some other way – maybe use an automatic pencil sharpener if you really want to irritate them)
Removable waste container (the shredded material has to fall somewhere, right?)
Light barrier for auto start/stop (hurray!)
Nanogrip technology for reliable sheet intake (how many times have you tried to force feed paper into your old shredder?)
Reliable and time-saving paper shredding with simultaneous dual functions: auto-feed for paper stacks while manually feeding small amounts of paper, CDs/DVDS, credit cards (sorry folks this machine can’t make you coffee).

Let’s look at the HSM Securio AF150 shredder first. You can load up to 150 sheets of paper into the paper loader – regardless of the shredder security level. This series of shredder has a 9 gallon waste capacity; shreds 12.8 feet per minute; and has a 9.5” throat opening.

Now the HSM Securio AF300 shredder is exactly the same as the AF150 except the AF300 has a 300 sheet paper load capacity; this shredder is also wider and deeper than the AF150. The full hopper speed is faster at 22.46 feet per minute vs. 11.23 feet per minute. It also has a neat lock-and-go feature that protects inserted paper stacks against unauthorized access. Just what you need to keep out nosy people, right?

Finally the HSM Securio AF500 cross cut shredder is a real workhorse. It has a loading capacity of 500 sheets and shreds 37.43 feet per minute. It also has the same exceptional features as the AF300.

Why not take the challenge?

Buy one for your office today and you’ll be amazed with your productivity savings! You’ll love our friendly customer service and fast shipping. Give us a call today at Toll-Free (800) 203-0233. We can’t wait to hear from you!

New Dahle 472 S Large Format Rolling Trimmer - A Printing Professional's Dream

paul@machine-solution.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 12:39:00 -0500

We're excited to introduce the Dahle 472 S large format premium rolling paper trimmer with stand. This commercial rolling trimmer offers six feet of superior cutting performance. For customers that need to cut large banners, oversize signs, mat board, and more our Dahle 472 S paper cutter will do the job.

This heavy duty rolling cutter is the best choice for professional photographers, sign makers, and print and copy shops. Everyone in the industry trusts the Dahle brand because they make very fine paper cutting machines. Did we mention that this cutter has a lifetime warranty? It's true! Dahle offers a lifetime warranty against defects in manufacturing, materials and assembly (excludes cutting blades). Let me say that again - lifetime!

Here are a few cool features on this cutter:

Cuts up to 12 sheets of paper at once
Easily trims standard size matboard
The shelf sharpening blade cuts in both directions
German engineered for precision and accuracy
The automatic paper clamp holds paper securely so it won't move while you cut
Very, very smooth operation
Sturdy metal base with preprinted guides help you align paper easily!
Imprinted protactor for those tough angled cuts
The back and forth cutting capability maintains the blade's precision graduated edge which allows it to remove even the tiniest sliver of paper, and produces a clean burr free cut each and every time.

Let's talk about safety.

Safety is at the forefront of design. To keep hands in the safe zone, this trimmer's blade is almost entirely enclosed - which virtually eliminates the chance of injury. Holding your work security is no longer necessary. The integrated, automatic clamping system provides even pressure and prevents your work from shifting. This is a dream come true for every printing professional!

Ready to buy?

Try this Dahle 472 S paper cutter today. No one else can beat our friendly customer service and product know-how. We offer free ground shipping and orders typically ship in the same day! We'd love to have your business!

Another Reason to Own Your Own Shredder: Former Employee of Document Shredding Company Pleads Guilty

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 15:16:00 -0500

Well folks it looks like there's another story out there about an employee from a mobile shredding collection service being arrested for stealing customer's documents instead of shredding them. This is just another reason why you and your company should seriously start shredding in house.

Here's a link to the article: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Former-Employee-of-Document-Shredding-Company-Pleads-Guilty-292488201.html

"Former Employee of Document Shredding Company Pleads Guilty

A former Fort Worth employee of a document shredding company who was accused of sharing bank records with thieves has pleaded guilty to fraud charges.

Patrick Doucet, 44, drove a truck for Cintas Document Management, an Ohio company that shreds documents for businesses, including banks and insurance companies.

On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to fraudulent possession of identification, a second-degree felony.

He faces up to a $10,000 fine and 20 years in prison.

His sentencing is set for May 8.

Police searched his home in North Fort Worth last year.

According to the search warrant, the investigation started in Georgia when a woman was arrested and accused of writing fake checks in the name of a Bedford woman.

Investigators said the suspect implicated Doucet. It was unclear how the two knew each other.

Police said Doucet did not shred documents that were supposed to be destroyed and shared them with the Georgia woman and others.

Gordon, Scott "Former Employee of Document Shredding Company Pleads Guilty" NBCdfw.com 18 February 2015

Tough To Toss: Conquering the Hurdles to Clearing Clutter

Thu, 12 Feb 2015 15:43:00 -0600

One of the biggest hurdles to getting organized is a looming anxiety about getting rid of belongings. We want to clear out our space, but struggle when it comes time to move the clutter out the door. Typically, one of four barriers impedes the process. Here is an overview of the most common hurdles, along with some thoughts on how to overcome them. Check out this article to find out more!

Organizing and Closing Out the 2014 Year

Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:35:00 -0600

The 2014 year is almost over and we're ready to ring in the New Year! It's a great time for families and friends to take a step back and reflect on all the events that have happened both good and bad. It's also a good time for businesses to close out the year, plan for exciting new promotions, and determine how to continue to improve. There is another side to closing out the year and that's organizing. Whether it's archiving files, creating new files, or making plants it is important to tackle these projects sooner rather than later. Here's a checklist to help you start on the right foot for 2015. Happy New Year!

Stress Less: Holiday Tips

paul@machine-solution.com — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:08:00 -0600

We all love celebrating the holidays with our family and friends. As we gather around the fireplace or have dinner with loved ones, it's a great time to keep some safety tips in mind.

National Security Agency Evaluated Product List Released Sepember 1, 2014

paul@machine-solution.com — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:39:00 -0500

The National Security Agency has published a new Evaluated Product List titled NSA/CSS 02-01 September 1, 2014.

The new NSA/CSS 02-01 EPL for high security crosscut shredders features a new format where combination optical media and paper shredders are listed first.

http://www.nsa.gov/ia/_files/government/mdg/nsa-css_epl_02-01.pdf

The latest iteration of the NSA/CSS 02-01 EPL features an alphabetical list by Distributor, a product list of discontinued products and a product list of non-approved products; the relevant dates are annotated in color in the Remarks Column.

This update to the NSA/CSS 02-01 EPL also features a complete listing of authorized Distributors with contact information, website listings and all GSA Contract related data.

It is a very complete update.

More NSA/CSS updates will follow upon the completion of the 02-01 EPL for high security cross cut paper shredders. ProSource Packaging, Inc. has multiple products on the NSA/CSS EPL.

You may find our high security paper and media shredders at www.machine-solution.com.

UPS to Charge By Package Size

paul@machine-solution.com — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 10:16:00 -0500

United Parcel Service said on June 17, 2014 it will set rates for all U.S. ground shipments based on package size, following a similar move by rival shipper FedEx.

Shredder Art Created with a Destroyit 2604 by Artist Wolfgang Flad

paul@machine-solution.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:17:00 -0500

Check out these amazing sculptures created by artist Wolfgang Flad. He used a Destroyit 2604 cross cut shredder to create the material for his art work. You have to see this!

Ten Strategies to Overcome Procrastination

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 07:59:00 -0500

Do you ever feel like you're putting things off to the last minute? Or maybe do you keep telling yourself "I'll do this when I have time" or "I'll finish this project later on"? I found this is a great article written by Debbie Rosemont, CPO of Smead about how to overcome procrastination. It took me a while to find it but I found it! Enjoy.

"True confession: I procrastinated on writing this article on procrastination. The irony is funny, right? Actually, it is proof positive that we all procrastinate now and then; some more often than we’d like to admit. As a Productivity Consultant, I love to share my “human” moments with clients and workshop participants to show that I understand what they go through and have learned lessons along the way that I practice and teach to be more organized and productive.

We can define procrastination as the undesirable time gap between intention and action. I intended to write this article weeks ago, but didn’t get to it until last week because of competing priorities and, if I’m honest, because of my own perfectionist tendencies.

There are ten primary causes to procrastination:

Self-Control – someone who procrastinates because of self-control issues may be impulsive or be unable to prioritize.

Shiny Objects – email alerts, paper piles, interruptions, or other distractions can serve intentionally or unintentionally as avoidance factors, causing us to procrastinate on what we really ought to be doing.

False Beliefs – erroneously thinking, “I work better under pressure” makes some people put off tasks until the last minute. They may even pull it off and get the task done by the deadline, but it is often not the highest quality of work than if the task had been given more time.

Fear of Failure – If someone does not have the confidence that they can accomplish the task successfully, they may procrastinate, preferring to be seen as lacking in effort than in skills.

Thrill Seeking – some people enjoy the adrenaline rush that accompanies the last minute push to get something done “under the gun.”

Task Related Anxieties – avoiding the difficult, boring or undesired task. “I just don’t want to do it.”

Unclear Expectations – vague priorities or direction might lead to procrastination if you don’t know how to start or what steps to take to get the task done.

Depression – for someone who is experiencing clinical depression, it can be hard to get started on something new. It may feel overly difficult or pointless.

Punitive Parenting – an individual who was raised with highly critical parents may have messages running through their mind that they aren’t good enough and/or they fear additional criticism. Procrastination can be seen as a form of rebellion for these folks too.

Perfectionism – This is the #1 cause for procrastination. Perfectionism can be paralyzing to productivity. A perfectionist will put off starting something that they worry they can’t do perfectly and they will also put off finishing a task because it never seems “good enough.”

Employ these ten strategies to address each cause and combat procrastination:

Eliminate Distraction – clear clutter in your workspace, shut down email to get something done and remove shiny objects from your space.

Gain Clarity – ask questions (of yourself or someone assigning you a task or project) to better understand the objective of the task, as well as the recommended steps to get it done.

Eat an Elephant – Q: How do you eat an elephant? A: One bite at a time. If you feel overwhelmed by a project or task, break it down into bite size pieces. The end result may feel daunting, but each piece should feel very manageable by itself. If the bites still feel overwhelming continue to break them down until taking the first step, or the next step, by itself feels doable.

Stop Messing Around – Sometimes we just need some discipline to stop any avoidance strategies and buckle down to work. Know what you use as avoidance tasks (i.e.: Facebook, a trip to the water cooler, checking email again, etc.) and don’t let yourself indulge until you accomplish a task or reach a milestone in your work.

Establish Rewards – It can be motivating to have something to look forward to. Consider small ways you can reward yourself for staying on task for a period of time (this could be allowing yourself to participate in something that you previously used as an avoidance task – 15 minutes on Facebook, a call to a good friend, a walk around the block, cup of tea, etc.) and identify a bigger way to reward yourself for accomplishing the end result in a timely manner for larger projects. Consider the Pomodoro technique for working – stick to a task or project for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. Alternately, work for 50 minutes in an hour and do something for yourself for 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat.

Block Time – Mark time on your calendar for priority tasks, and then honor it. Make appointments with yourself to work on something that you might otherwise put off. We are usually good at sticking to our appointments we make with others. We can do the same for important work we want to accomplish. When the appointment shows up on the calendar, no procrastinating; that is what you work on during that time block. Yes, some of this takes discipline, but you can do it.

Minimize Interruptions (or at least know how you’ll handle them) – If you have an office with a door, consider closing it when working on a priority task or project. Minimally, post something visible that tells others that you are “heads down” for a period of time. Eliminate the candy dish from your desk if it is the reason others constantly interrupt you to chat. If you are interrupted by a colleague, stand to greet them (so they don’t sit and make themselves comfortable for a while), ascertain what they need and then make a decision about whether or not their need is a higher priority than what you were working on. If it is, make a quick note on your work about the step you were about to do next (this reduces the time it takes you to recover from the interruption and reengage in the work) and give them your full attention. If what you are working on is a higher priority than what they need, let them know you are on a deadline and need to finish your work, and ask them to come back or meet up at a later time.

Adopt My Favorite “Recovering Perfectionist” Mantra; Done is Better than Perfect – Get started, even if you don’t think you can do something perfectly. Most of the time, perfect isn’t needed. Know when 90-95% is good enough. A perfectionist will spend 50% of their time on a task or project getting the last 5-10% perfect. That means if they spend an hour getting something 90% done, they will spend another hour perfecting the last 10%. Most of the time, there’s a better use for that time. Unless you’re a pilot or surgeon, then work to perfection. Otherwise, procrastinate less and get more done by understanding that done is indeed better than perfect.

Ask Someone to Hold you Accountable – We are less likely to procrastinate and put something off if we’ve told someone else about what we intend to do. Knowing that person may ask about our progress, we are more likely to act. Share your goal or priorities with someone you trust and ask them to help hold your feet to the fire. An accountability partner can be a powerful productivity strategy.

Go For It – Face the fear of failure (or fear of success) and do it anyway. Take a risk, ask for help if you need it, but make progress, move forward and decide that today is the day.

What are you waiting for? Use these strategies to fight procrastination, get stuff done and reach your goals. Here’s to your increased productivity and success!"

Breaking News: GSA Suspends OS2 Amid Protests

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 15:57:00 -0500

Breaking News: GSA Suspends OS2 Amid Protests

Earlier today, June 4, 2014, Independent Office Products and Furniture Dealers Association (IOPFDA) received word that the General Services Administration (GSA) had immediately suspended Federal Strategic Sourcing OS2 for office supplies due to several protests filed claiming GSA violated the FAR in extending these contracts as well as the Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2013.

Click here to Download a Copy of the Notification Letter. GSA has not indicated when they will resolve this issue, but stay tuned as IOPFDA will keep on top of this issue.

***NEW UPDATE June 5, 2014***

Here's some more information on the GSA Suspension of Office Supplies 2 Program that was just released today.

Better stock up on Tape Cartridge Media!

paul@machine-solution.com — Tue, 27 May 2014 11:23:00 -0500

In the past several months, two Japanese companies have ended production on manufacturing tape cartridge media including LTO tapes. These two companies are Maxwell and TDK. TDK begin withdrawing LTO tape manufacturing in the first quarter or 2014. Here is a brief recap of TDK’s restructuring process:

“For the restructuring reform progress, in order to optimize the business portfolio we have to withdraw from the LTO business, ending production by October and withdrawing entirely by March 2014, as well as withdrawing from the Blu-ray business by the second half of this year. Second, in order to enhance our manufacturing capabilities we will implement the consolidation of domestic production bases. For restructuring reform costs, in Q1 we spent 700 million yen, and in Q2 we spent 200 million yen. 2.8 billion yen will be spent by the withdrawing date. 3 billion yen were spent in Q2 so in total we spent 3.7 billion yen in restructuring reform costs in the first half, which is out of the 10 billion yen structural reform budget of this fiscal year. The expected amount of benefits from this structural reform is still about 8 billion yen that we announced in April 2013 and this is the final phase of restructuring.”

http://www.global.tdk.com/ir/ir_events/conference...

LTO tapes or Linear Tape-open is a magnetic tape data storage technology. LTO is widely used with small and large computer systems especially for back up.

Move Away from Windows XP Fast!

paul@machine-solution.com — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 11:28:00 -0500

Are you still using Windows XP? If so, you should start consider using a new operating system because Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft. In fact, the next patch that Microsoft will release In May will only release patches and updates to fix flaws in supported versions of Windows. Don't count on Microsoft testing Windows XP to verify whether or not those same flaws exist in the legacy OS. Microsoft will not develop a patch to fix the unsupported platform. Did you know that attackers will have the ability to reverse engineer the updates Microsoft develops for later versions of Windows to identify the vulnerabilities patched? It's true. And the scary thing is that the attackers can figure out if those same holes exist in Windows XP, and craft exploits to compromise the vulnerable systems. So it's best that you stop using Windows XP altogether and use a more secure operating system.

Stay On Guard: Heartbleed Bug Breaks Worldwide Internet Security

paul@machine-solution.com — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:21:00 -0500

Every day you use encryption technology to protect your data, your applications and online services . Most of the time most people are blissfully unaware it is even happening. Whether you are a consumer accessing your Internet bank site, using a mobile application to log in and share data or trading online most of our use of modern technology involves this key capability and without it trust on the Internet is significant undermined. A new bug, again, puts trust on the Internet at risk on a significant scale. The bug, dubbed ‘heartbleed’ is based on a fault in functionality in the widely used OpenSSL library. It was originally discovered by Neel Mehta of Google Security. This library is extremely widely used from security vendors products to secure web browsing (when you log in to a site and see https://) and even mobile banking applications. The Apache web server which powers a substantial part of the Internet tends towards using OpenSSL. You may be using it at your business right now and many popular services like Yahoo have been shown to be vulnerable.

So what exactly does this bug do and why should you care? There are numerous technical write ups (with excellent detail, one of my favorites being this one) but for the rest of the Internet community the problem is as follows. When the bug is exploited the attacker can retrieve memory (up to 64kb) from the remote system. This memory may contain usernames, passwords, keys or other useful information that enables bigger attacks. An attacker may for example be able to retrieve the keys and secrets used to encrypt traffic and then intercept and read the communications of all other users of that service. There are all kinds of variations that might be possible based on the ability to read this memory. 64kb may not seem like a great deal of data, but of course the attacker can connect repeatedly and progressively collect more information. This is a serious problem indeed.

What should you do to protect your services?

1) Check whether your website, apps or any products use OpenSSL and whether they are vulnerable to the attack. There is a neat site at http://filippo.io/Heartbleed/ where you can quickly run the check.

2) Update OpenSSL to the latest version which fixes the defect – this is not an automatic process in many cases. You need version 1.0.1g or above.

3) Check the state of the your SSL configuration for your website and mail services. You can use this SSL checker and CheckTLS for mail servers. This bug is the least of your worries if you are using the technology badly in the first place.

4) Take a look at the more technical Q&A at http://heartbleed.com/ if you have further questions about the bug or how to remediate it.

“Bravo Zulu”: Machine-Solution.com Flies High with Tinker AFB

paul@machine-solution.com — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 16:25:00 -0600

Recently we sold a shredder to Tinker AFB near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tinker AFB is the headquarters of the Air Force Material Command’s Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, which is the worldwide manager for a wide range of aircraft, engines, missiles, software and avionics and accessories components.

Can you image just how large this base is compared a commercial building? Certainly they must receive truckloads deliveries on a daily basis right?

Well sure enough, due to the huge shipping volume, Tinker AFB assigns delivery dates with Estes Express (a freight truck lines company). In this case, Estes Express makes standing appointments at Tinker for deliveries on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Our customer at the base contacted us inquiring about their shredder delivery because they had not received it by the promised time we had given them. After we did a little research and spoke with Fellowes, it turned out that the local Estes Freight terminal scheduled the first delivery appointment on 3/5. But due to bad weather, Estes Freight could not make the delivery and therefore rescheduled for the following date.

He admitted that in all the years he has worked at the base that there have been delivery issues before. However, he was willing to drive to the local Estes Freight terminal to pick up the shredder since it was more convenient (the base is within 20 miles of the Estes Freight terminal).

Anyway our customer was very grateful for our hard work and diligence in ensuring that the delivery went smoothly. He sent us this email:

“Thank you, You and Paul have been the greatest help. Yes, we did have some snow and ice, but I don’t think it was that bad, they had the roads clear really quick. Anyway, I will get over there after Noon and get this picked up. Thank you again for your help and I will not let this affect any future business. “

As they say in the Air Force, we received a “Bravo Zulo” or praise for a good job. We love helping our government customers and enjoy sharing these positive stories. We hope you will join our growing list of satisfied customers.

The Secret for Getting Ready for Tax Time

paul@machine-solution.com — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 15:52:00 -0600

Of the two constants in life, taxes have one big advantage over death; we know when they are coming! So why do we often find ourselves putting it off until the last minute? The answer to that question lies in two parts.

Reportedly, one of the chief reasons we delay filing for our taxes is related to being disorganized; we don't know where the papers we need are located, and sometimes we don't even know what they are. We anticipate the search ahead with dread, and putting it off is a common solution.

Additionally, people tend to have a lot of paper clutter related to taxes in the form of files, envelopes and banker's boxes full of statements and receipts. When the volume of this paper clutter gets out of control, it contributes to a feeling of chaos and we become overwhelmed.

Luckily, there is an antidote to the tax blues: you can lessen your burden tenfold when your tax documents are organized and de-cluttered. Not there yet? Set up this new system for 2014 so that next year, your taxes will be a breeze.

Step 1: Create a Rotating File

The first lesson in getting the files in your home or office organized is the recognition that each individual piece of paper relating to your taxes (and, in fact, relating to anything at all) is an object. When we are able to locate the objects we need in an instant, the action that we take on them becomes simplified. By eliminating wasted time searching for things like charitable donation receipts and dividend statements, you will be freeing yourself up for other things that are more fun than filing your tax return. Which, let's face it, is basically anything.

We love this foolproof system for filing and organizing your tax documents and receipts. It is based on the retention guideline of keeping old tax returns for seven years. Note: Be sure to check with your tax advisor to make sure this applies to you. The exception to this seven year rule is paperwork that relates to a potentially taxable investment or asset, such as your home or stocks bought outside a retirement account. In that instance, hold on to the paperwork for the duration of the investment or asset, plus seven years in addition.

Here's how it works: within your filing cabinet, drawer or even bankers box, set up 7 hanging folders, each with a file folder and a tab (we love the Smead Viewables program to create durable tabs that will last for years on end). Next, label each tab from one to seven, starting with the number one. The first folder will represent the most current year's tax return paperwork, with each previous year following. So, for example, folder number one will represent 2013, folder number two will represent 2012, folder three for 2011, and so on.

Using the system as a moving rotation, each year after you file your taxes, you should move the tax return and all related paper from each file back one, shredding file number seven and making room in file number one for the current year's return. Again, check with your tax advisor to be sure that the seven year retention guideline applies to you. If you have too much paper to fit into the file, keep only the tax return and move the rest to a banker's box. If you want to keep the 7+ year old returns themselves, that's ok; they don't take up much space and can easily be put into deep storage.

The benefit of this system is that it creates a visual record for you to track your tax paper. When you rotate the files back and shred that last tax return records, it acts as a visual cue to shred related documents like receipts and W-4s related to that tax year. That means dusting off that stash of banker's boxes in your garage, pulling out the oldest one and sending it to that giant shredder in the sky. Doesn't that feel good?

Step 2: Create a Checklist

Once you have your rotating folder set up, you will have the last seven year's tax returns at your fingertips. Find a time when you can be uninterrupted for at least 2 hours. Turn your phone to silent and sit down in a comfortable location, preferably somewhere with a large, flat surface to work. Grab a pad of paper, a pen, and your rotating file.

Next, review your previous tax returns and look for what documents, historically, you have needed in the previous years. In addition to the W2 from your employer, a typical list might include:

A tax statement from your lender showing what you paid for mortgage interest
Dividend statements from stocks you own
Transaction form if you sold stock
Student loan interest
Receipts from charitable contributions
Unreimbursed business expenses
1099's

Write down each of the documents you anticipate needing. Type it up, print it out, and slide it into a sheet protector. This checklist will go into your current year's tax tab in your rotating seven year file. Each year when you shred the oldest file and move them all back one year, the checklist will remain in file #1.

Step 3: File for Retrieval

This is one of our favorite pieces of advice for organizing paper files. If you don't ‘file it to find it' then that paper is worthless. Be purposeful in where you file your paper, and what you name that file. For example, rather than having a file named "Charitable Donations" and another named "W-4s" and so on, simply put all paper related to your current tax year together in file #1. Yes, the file will be fat, but it will allow you to access everything you need in one moment, rather than searching for it through multiple files in multiple locations. Plus, you will know exactly where to put those statements when they start appearing in the mail. Note: It is ok to have a couple of manila envelopes in that file to hold receipts.

After years of organizing offices and implementing the time-saving practices of lean 5s office systems, we can honestly say "These steps work!" Imagine how wonderful it would be to eliminate time spent worrying, dreading and searching for the paper you need.

Some other Tax Tips:

Looking for even more ways to increase your financial organization? Here are some additional tips:

If you like giving things to charities like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, get in the habit of not only getting a receipt each time, but itemizing it and adding the dollar value right there before you drive off. One slow cooker: $20, two women's jackets: $16 – this lets you easily add up your deductions at the end of the year.

If you found that you contributed to numerous charities throughout the year, you may want to consider giving more to just one or two; it will give you less paperwork to manage, and give them a more impactful donation.

Take the opportunity to review your financial goals for the upcoming year. By reviewing the previous year in detail, we are more likely to then set realistic goals for the future.

Consider taking the opportunity to start the fiscal year off right by increasing your 401K by 1% if you haven't already reached your max allowable. No one ever says "darn, I saved too much for retirement".

Yes, organizing and de-cluttering your personal and office tax-related papers will require an initial investment of a couple of hours. The upside? Completing your taxes on time with less stress. Who knows, you may feel so good about it that you decide to tackle the rest of your paper next!

Quartet Whiteboards Resource Selection Guide

paul@machine-solution.com — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 15:42:00 -0600

Not all whiteboards are created equal

##SOCIALBOOKMARKS##

When weighing initial cost vs. product performance and lifespan, which best describes you?

In a week, how often do you use a whiteboard?

Some whiteboards require more maintenance than others. How much time do you want to allocate?

1. If ink remains on the board 24/7, then that is HEAVY usage, even if only changed once a week, such as restaurants.

2. EVERY WHITEBOARD NEEDS CLEANING. The better the surface, the less cleaning required.

3. Porcelain surfaces are ALWAYS magnetic, but Magnetic surfaces are not always porcelain.

4. Board design and frame color aesthetics are often important to match the environment in which they are placed.

5. NOT ALL DRY ERASE MARKERS PERFORM EQUALLY. Some are more difficult to erase than others, which results in Stains and Ghosting. Low Odor, Quartet EnduraGlide® markers optimize performance by always providing a bold mark and excellent erase ability.

6. ERASERS SHOULD BE CLEAN! A “dirty eraser” will often spread ink residue all over the surface.

7. Industrial strength cleaning solutions can damage a board’s surface.

Premium Performance

A “must” for every classroom and high traffic conference room. Porcelain & Glass will not stain or ghost / Total Erase resists ghosting & staining. Porcelain surface will not scratch or dent

Ideal for conference rooms, common areas, factory floors and heavy-use personal boards

View Boards >>

Enhanced Performance

Excellent choice for popular conference rooms or shared environments. Total Erase resists staining & ghosting. Total Erase includes subtle grid pattern helps guide writing

Ideal for public spaces and personal heavy use

View Boards >>

Standard Performance

Popular for personal workspaces. Ideal for low-frequency, personal use or public areas

Ideal for public spaces and personal heavy use

View Boards >>

Mobile Security Awareness On Top of the List this Christmas

paul@machine-solution.com — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 10:32:00 -0600

We're more mobile than ever. But the cost of mobile convenience is that we're leaving basic security practices - that have become second nature on a desktop - behind

Multiple Security Alerts - Cash and Cargo

paul@machine-solution.com — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 16:23:00 -0500

Cash register skimmers and cargo theft - accessible equipment and data lead to company and client vulnerabilities. Customer awareness (are their computers in secure area?) and data security becoming increasingly important in today's society

New DIN 66399 Shredder Security Levels

paul@machine-solution.com — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 19:48:00 -0500

Top-Level security in shredding all types of different data carriers

The new DIN 65399 replaces DIN 32757 and for the first time divides data destruction into three protection classes, six material classifications and seven security levels.

3 Protection Classes

To determine the security requirement, check which kind of data needs destroying. This gives you a classification in one of the three protection classes.

6 Material Classifications

For the first time, DIN 66399 defines different material classifications that indicate the type of data carrier you are destroying.

7 Security Levels

Instead of the previous 5, the new DIN 66399 now defines 7 security levels for each material classification. As hitherto, the higher the security level, the smaller the particle size the data carriers will be shredded into.

The protection classes in detail

The protection classes define the protection requirement for data and classification into the appropriate security level.

Protection class 1:
Normal security requirement for internal data intended for and accessible to
fairly large groups. Unauthorized disclosure would have a limited negative impact
on the company. Protection of personal data must be ensured. There would otherwise be a risk to the position and financial situation of the person affected.

Protection class 2:
High security requirement for confidential data restricted to a small group of persons. Unauthorized dissemination would have a considerable effect an the company and could violate contractual legal obligations or legislation. The protection of personal data must meet strict requirements. There would otherwise be a considerable risk to the social standing and financial situation of the individual affected.

Protection class 3:
Very high protection requirement for particularly confidential and secret data restricted to .a very small and named group of persons with access authorization. Unauthorized dissemination would have serious consequences for the company (threatening its livelihood) and may violate professional secrecy, contracts or legislation. The protection of personal data must be ensured at all cost. Otherwise the life and limb or personal freedom of the individual. affected may beat risk.

Classification Security levels / protection classes	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Protection Class 1	†	†	•
Protection Class 2			•	•	•
Protection Class 3				•	•	•	•

† This combination is not recommended for personal data

Material classifications at a glance

In addition to paper, DIN 66399 covers 5 other data carriers that are classified accordingly. Here’s a summary of them all:
P- Information shown in original size, e.g. paper, films, printed forms.
F – Information shown in reduced form, e.g. microfilms, transparencies.
0- Information on optical data carriers, e.g. CDs/ DVDs.
T – Information on magnetic data carriers, e.g. ID cards, floppy disks.
H -Information on hard drives with magnetic data carriers.
E -Information on electronic data carriers, e.g. USB sticks, chip cards.

The security levels for information shown in original size

The seven security levels in the new DIN 66399 provide effective protection in destroying all kinds of data carriers. As paper-based data carriers are still the ones most frequently destroyed, please find below the seven security levels for the “Information shown in original size” classification, e.g. paper:

	P-1 Recommended, for example, for data carriers holding general data to be rendered illegible Max. material particle size 2000 mm² (or 3 3/32”²) or max. strip width 12 mm, strip length not limited Shredded data can be reproduced without special equipment and special knowledge but not without involving a particularly time-consuming process
	P-2 Recommended, for example, for data carriers holding internal data to be rendered illegible Max. material particle size 800 mm² (or 1 15/64”²) or max. strip width 6 mm, strip length not limited Shredded data can be reproduced with equipment and only in a particularly time-consuming process
	P-3 Recommended, for example, for data carriers holding sensitive, confidential and personal data Max. material particle size 320 mm² (or 1/2”²) or max. strip width 2 mm, strip length not limited Shredded data can only be reproduced with considerable effort
	P-4 Recommended, for example, for data carriers holding particularly sensitive, confidential and personal data Max. material particle size 160 mm² (or 1/4”²) and for regular particles: max. strip length 6 mm Shredded data can only be reproduced using equipment not normally available commercially or special constructions
	P-5 Recommended, for example, for data carriers holding confidential information Max. material particle size 30 mm² (or 3/64”²) and for regular particles: max. strip length 2 mm Shredded data unlikely to be reproduced with the state of the art
	P-6 Recommended, for example, for data carriers holding confidential information demanding an exceptionally high level of security Max. material particle size 10 mm² (or 1/64”²) and for regular particles: 14 max strip length 1 mm Shredded data cannot be reproduced with the state of the art
	P-7 Recommended, for example, for data carriers holding strictly confidential information demanding the highest security precautions Max. material particle size 5 mm² (or 0.008”²) and for regular particles: max. strip length 1 mm Shredded data cannot be reproduced with the current state of science and art

Give the gift that really matters: Volunteer this Christmas season

paul@machine-solution.com — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:10:00 -0600

What gifts are you giving this holiday season? As you know many Americans have started holiday shopping. Many of us hunt for online bargains spending hours researching the perfect gift for a family member or close friend. Some of us wait in long lines and are in a rush to get home to start wrapping that perfect holiday gift. But have you thought about volunteering on Christmas for a local charity this holiday season?

Volunteering is a truly rewarding experience and is a gift that means so much to those that are less fortunate. There are many organizations that need help this Christmas season including churches, homeless shelters, hospitals, animal shelters, and much more.

This year I had an awesome opportunity to volunteer at a local church called Ecclesia. Our church was moving to another location in downtown Houston at 1100 Elder Street. The new location required a lot of volunteers to assist with sweeping, mopping, window cleaning, landscape maintenance, setting up furniture, and much more. I am proud to say that I joined over 400 volunteers with assisting the church and it was a rewarding experience to give back to the community.

This Christmas season why not help your community? Yes it takes time out of your day, but I guarantee you it will be a very rewarding experience. Check around your local area for charity organizations that need volunteers. Check out http://www.volunteermatch.org/ for a listing of organizations that need your help.

Top Official: America is Now More Vulnerable Than Ever

paul@machine-solution.com — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 22:20:00 -0500

The Pentagon official at the top of the US Defense Department’s cyber program says that an attack on the United States’ computer systems is not just on the way but that America is now more vulnerable than ever.

National Security Agency Director Army Gen. Keith Alexander, who also heads the Pentagon’s Cyber Command unit, tells reporters this week that the US is coming close to being hit with a computer attack that could devastate the country. Speaking before a crowd this week, Alexander warns, “The conflict is growing [and] the probability for crisis is mounting.”

“While we have the time, we should think about and enact those things that we need to ensure our security in this area. Do it now, before a crisis,” insists Alexander.

“What I’m concerned about is the transition from disruptive to destructive attacks,” he adds. “And I think that’s coming. We have to be ready for that.”

The US Congress is currently tasking itself with finding a way to fight cyberterrorism, but the inability to fully find a way to balance security with civil liberties has raised objections across the country. Alexander dismissed these concerns during this week’s address, however, insisting that the NSA does not “hold data on American citizens” and equated the US government’s association with major Internet entities as one that is relatively hands-off.

“Like the police force, like the fire department, they don’t see around buildings waiting for a fire to come on, you call them when it happens. In cyberspace, I see very much the same thing in our partnership with industry,” he alleges.

“We can protect civil liberties and privacy, and cybersecurity,” says Alexander, who insists his agency is “not talking about giving our personal e-mails to the government.”

Meanwhile, only last month the NSA sent a letter to two leading congressmen refusing to reveal the number of Americans that they have spied on through provisions made in 2008 to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a legislation that allows the government to go through correspondence that they believe is being sent overseas. In explaining themselves to the two lawmakers that asked for an answer, Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mark Udall (D-CO), the NSA said that that informing Americans about any spying they may have been subjected to would be damaging to personal privacy.

RT has also reported that, under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986, the government is given practically an open invitation to access private information such as that contained in emails tens of thousands of times a year.

Elsewhere, recent reports have alleged that the United States has all the while been behind massive computer attacks waged not at its own citizens through spy programs but instead at Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. By way of both Stuxnet and Flame, a worm and malware, respectively, Obama administrations officials speaking with the New York Times have confirmed that the technology behind the cybercrimes was engineered on behalf of the American government and authorized by US President Barack Obama.

Speaking of attacks aimed at America, however, Alexander explains this week, “I do think that’s coming our way. You can see this statistically; the number of attacks is growing.”

Microsoft Will Reject Cryptographic Keys Less Than 1024 Bits

paul@machine-solution.com — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 22:15:00 -0500

This is your last chance to prepare for an August update from Microsoft that will reject cryptographic keys less than 1024 bits.

An important update from Microsoft is coming in August and for those who missed the announcement earlier this year, it could actually break a number of things for some businesses who haven’t already prepared for the change. The update will block anything using a cryptographic key that is less than 1024 bits. Here are some of the repercussions of the update for those who haven’t prepared in advance:

Error messages when browsing to web sites that have SSL certificates with keys that are less than 1024 bits
Problems enrolling for certificates when a certificate request attempts to utilize a key that is less than 1024 bits
Creating or consuming email (S/MIME) messages that utilize less than 1024 bit keys for signatures or encryption
Installing Active X controls that were signed with less than 1024 bit signatures
Installing applications that were signed with less than 1024 bit signatures (unless they were signed prior to January 1, 2010, which will not be blocked by default).

For a little background, with encryption, security is often measured in how long it would take to break that encryption, or more practically, in key lengths. The genius behind modern encryption is in the fact that some math functions are very fast in one direction, but extremely slow in the reverse. So by using a key to produce a cipher block from the data you wish to encrypt, you can get the result in a very fast time frame. But in order to figure out the key, or to break that encryption, it would take you a long time. Note that it’s still possible, — all encryption can be broken — but we still say it’s secure because of how long it would take to break it. However, this depends on two factors: how much processing power you have, and how long the key is. For example, if you were to implement an encryption system that used a 20-bit key, it would be horribly insecure, because breaking that encryption would take seconds for a modern computer. However, if the key length is 1024 bits, then those seconds would instead become several billion years.

Back a few years ago, most certificates were issued using 512-bit key lengths. With the computers we had then, brute forcing a private key was considered to be unfeasible, because it would take a ridiculously long amount of time. But now, most security experts consider that length to be too short, because of how fast processor power evolved, and with things like GPU arrays being used to crack passwords and so on. As the attack vectors evolve, so must security, and as such any modern certificate is now issued with a minimum of 1024 bits. But many businesses and corporations make their own certificates for a variety of purposes, from signing emails, to encrypting corporate websites, or even for their own internal login systems. Up until now, Microsoft products, such as Windows Server 2003 or 2008, allowed you to create certificates with a short key length, but after this update, this will no longer be possible.

Discovering usage of keys less than 1024 bits

So who will be affected? If your systems are kept up to date, and you’ve been following safe security practices, chances are this won’t change a thing for you. But many businesses have a large array of systems and server software, some dating from several years ago, and you may well have older certificates that no longer meet the new requirements. After the update, you may start seeing errors such as not being able to browse to a site that uses a certificate with a key of less than 1024 bits, problems enrolling older certificates to new client machines, failing to sign email, and so on. Again, most businesses won’t have any of these issues, but some networks that rely on older systems will be impacted. To find out if this is your case, the Microsoft TechNet post linked above has a series of commands you can issue using the Certutil tool which you already use to manage certificates.

To monitor an external website, a useful tool is the Qualys SSL Labs site, which not only tells you the key length used by the site, but other information on the certificate used to encrypt your connection. A bad case that could happen here is that your corporate website will start showing error messages to users, and that’s something you obviously want to avoid. A worse case however is if you rely on old hardware tokens. For example, some older DKIM and KVM switches use 512-bit keys, and the same is true for some cheap routers. While these things may or may not produce errors after this Microsoft update, it’s still worth looking into and replacing them with more secure alternatives.

So how much of a threat is there? In most cases, it’s not a huge deal. 512-bit keys have been broken, and while it’s not a trivial thing to do, as processing power keeps increasing, it will become more trivial. So you may ask, how much more secure is a 1024-bit key? Remember that it’s an exponential function, so doubling the key length much more than doubles the security. Of course, the holy grail in hacking would be to find a function that could factorize these keys as quickly as it takes to make them, and such a function may exist, which would render all modern encryption completely useless, but most security experts agree that this is an unlikely event. So for now, as long as all your corporate systems are already onboard with 1024-bit keys, you can sleep knowing that not only will this August update not break anything, but your data is truly secure.

Strategic sourcing: Pennywise but pound foolish?

paul@machine-solution.com — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:47:00 -0500

A growing number of small businesses say they are in grave danger of losing their businesses, and thousands more could be right behind them. Why is the government bent on ruining the economy?

Nydia Velazquez and Sam Graves: Most Anti-Small Business U.S. Representatives According to ASBL

paul@machine-solution.com — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:40:00 -0500

Rep. Velazquez and Rep. Graves have worked for years to dismantle federal small business programs and divert billions in federal contract dollars earmarked for small businesses to billionaire venture capitalists and their syndicates.

This tells the story, why Bush was so bad at the end of his term.

paul@machine-solution.com — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:15:00 -0500

This tells the story, why Bush was so bad at the end of his term. The day the democrats took over was not January 22nd 2009, it was actually January 3rd 2007 the day the Democrats took over the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the very start of the 110th Congress.

The Democrat Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995. For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is "Bush's Fault", think about this: January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress. At the time: The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77 The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%, the Unemployment rate was 4.6%, George Bush's Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB GROWTH!

Remember the day... January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee. The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy? BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES! Dumping 5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac FIASCOES! Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie - starting in 2001 because it was financially risky for the US economy. And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac? OBAMA. And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie? OBAMA and the Democrat Congress. So when someone tries to blame Bush... REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007.... THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!"

Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democrat Party. Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for 2008 & 2009 as well as 2010 & 2011. In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.

For 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the 2009 budgets. And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete 2009. If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending.

After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.

If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th. There is no way this will be widely publicized,unless each of us sends it on!

How secure is your smartphone?

paul@machine-solution.com — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:37:00 -0500

Two recent studies of mobile devices highlight how designers of smartphones and tablet computers neglect to fully comprehend the security and privacy risks of these devices. Cryptography Research found in its study that it is possible to eavesdrop on any smartphone or tablet PC as it is being used to buy something, bank online, or access a company's virtual private network.

A Cryptography Research executive says a criminal can decipher the process used to encrypt data and can then gain access to a financial account or company network, a type of attack that does not require the device to be modified in any way.

The research company says it is working with a major smartphone and tablet manufacturer to put cyber defenses in its devices. McAfee showed in a separate demonstration that there are several ways to remotely hack into Apple iOS, the iPad and iPhone operating system, by remotely activating microphones on a variety of test devices and recording nearby conversations. McAfee also demonstrated that it is possible to swipe keys and passwords and steal sensitive data such as emails and text messages. Researchers in both studies say these attacks can be carried out without the user's knowledge.

New GSA Video Puts GSA in Issa's Crosshairs

paul@machine-solution.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:30:00 -0500

The House committee on Oversight and Government Reform released yet another new video clip today from the U.S. General Services Administration's big-spending conference in Las Vegas, extending the embarrassing episode for the agency and the Obama administration. In the newly surfaced clip, which is titled "POTUS [President of the United States] Wants a Press Event," employees sing a fast-tempo melody, "Are you ready for a miracle? GSA's going green." The video clip is another black eye for the government agency, after multiple videos were uncovered in an inspector general's investigation, drawing sharp criticism from the House's top cop, Rep. Darrell Issa, the chairman of the committee, for wasting taxpayer money.

"This is not just about a single convention, but a festering culture of entitlement and wasting taxpayer money within the federal bureaucracy," Issa, R-Calif., wrote in a statement. "Taxpayer's time should be used for real work and not a high school musical like production on the Obama administration's stimulus spending spree.

More details on GSA employee awards store

paul@machine-solution.com — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:25:00 -0500

An investigation by the inspector general of the General Services Administration found rampant abuse of an employee awards program of the agency's Pacific Rim region, the same region that has come under fire for spending more than $800,000 on a Las Vegas training conference for 300 employees. The report on the "Hats Off" employee recognition program, obtained by The Washington Post, found numerous violations of agency directives, theft and misuse of government purchasing cards in the maintenance of the awards program.

The inspector general found "significant control weaknesses in the Hats Off Program." The report found that in fiscal year 2009, Pacific Rim employees received $256 in awards and Public Buildings Service employees in the region averaged $328. The budget for the program rose dramatically in recent years. In 2008, employees at the Pacific Rim region, which oversees federal property in California, Arizona, Nevada and the Pacific Islands, received $47,012 in gifts. The next year it increased to $211,842, then dropped to $134,596 by 2010. In 2011, the program issued $844 worth of awards.

Jeffrey E. Neely became acting commissioner of the region in January 2009, having been public buildings commissioner. Neely was placed on administrative leave for planning the Vegas training conference. Expenditures for the awards program dropped dramatically after the inspector general began his investigation. The findings in the report include: Employees associated with administering the Hats Off Program were in the top 10 of recipients. Instances of employees swapping awards with each other and supervisors accepting items from employees. One employee, whose name was redacted from the report, gave "out 635 awards to 113 individuals, totaling $3,175."

The Pacific Rim region maintained an inadequate inventory system and meager security on the storage room that held the gift items. Total employee awards exceeded GSA’s 4 percent cap on employee annual salaries. Awards for Region 9 employees also exceeded GSA's limit of $99-per-item limit on gifts. To read more about these findings, please visit: GSA Employee Awards Program: More Violations

Beware of Payment Card Fraudsters

paul@machine-solution.com — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:54:00 -0500

Canadian payment card fraudsters are expected to turn to the United States to steal card data, because magnetic stripe cards are still prevalent there while almost all Canadian cards are embedded with secure chip technology. "Once 100 percent of Canadian cards and devices are chip-enabled the only opportunity for a criminal is perhaps to get that magnetic stripe and go south of the border to Buffalo [New York] or whatever and perpetrate some fraud there," says MasterCard Worldwide's Oliver Manahan.

Still, he maintains that bringing a Canadian card to a magnetic stripe-only terminal in the United States would arouse suspicion. Manahan also sees promise in MasterCard's recent endorsement of chip technology in the United States, but Gartner analyst Avivah Litan points out that "it's too much of a wild west in the U.S. There's like 8,000 banks and millions of merchants." Litan also notes that card payment infrastructure upgrade costs are enormous, but she acknowledges that the United States lags the rest of the world in terms of chip technology implementation.

Manahan cites the tremendous security offered by chip technology compared to magstripe, noting that a criminal needs "to steal that card or find a lost card somewhere" to perpetrate fraud. He also notes that although cracking the chip technology is possible, the impracticality of it is likely to deter criminals from attempting to do so.

Stop the FSSI: Voice your opposition to Senate Bill S.1736

paul@machine-solution.com — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:45:00 -0600

There is a bill that has been introduced in the Senate that is designed to expand the use of Strategic Sourcing and make it mandatory and permanent throughout all agencies and all GSA multiple award schedules. GSA is responsible for management of the majority of federal supply purchases, and their Strategic Sourcing program is responsible for the funneling of awards from a pool of 500+ contractors into the hands of only 15 contractors.

The result has been a decrease in revenue of more than 70 million dollars to the majority GSA Multiple Award Schedule 75 office supplies contractors, both large and small. OVER 400 SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE ALREADY BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED… and this was the pilot project for GSA Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI) programs. If GSA succeeds in the expansion of FSSI to all Schedules, 70, 36, 67 etc., it will essentially be the Death of Small Business Federal Contracting in America! PLEASE VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO SENATE BILL S.1736 “Acquisition Savings Reform Act of 2011” TODAY!

We all want the government to save money, but this bill (as currently written) has serious unintended consequences that will devastate small businesses nationally, and in the end is unlikely to result in real savings. This is not just speculation: this bill effectively expands the GSA’s Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative that awarded blanket purchase agreements to just 15 of the 500+ “Schedule 75” contractors. The great majority of Schedule 75 contract holders are now struggling to survive, and the intent of Senate Bill S.1736 is to mandate the expanded use of the FSSI program to all GSA multiple award schedules, affecting dozens of industries, and thousands of businesses nationally.

The wording in the bill to protect small businesses protects only the dollar volume to businesses that were small when awarded, not the number of businesses or dollar volume under the full term of the resulting contracts. This effectively concentrates spending to a few lucky winners that will, by dint of this maneuver, no longer be small businesses as spending is funneled to them. This bill is the equivalent of saying were going to save money by picking a dozen restaurants that all Americans will eat at for the next four years, which will be either a current big chain or the next big chain fast food restaurant, driving every independent restaurant that provides quality, affordable, and local service out of business.

The trend of concentrating more and more spending through giant blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) is anti-small-business, ultimately anti-competitive and not cost effective. That trend, and this bill, must be stopped and fixed. Instead, let’s utilize existing technology that allows agencies to efficiently and competitively solicit products and services from all qualified businesses, not just the lucky anointed few. Please, please, ensure that this bill is stopped or amended to prevent the annihilation of 95% of the small businesses in your jurisdiction that provide quality and affordable products and services to the federal government.

Since FSSI is not yet law, NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION! Here is what you need to do TODAY: Write, call and/or email your senator. Let them know that Senate Bill S.1736 is coming up for a vote, and urge them to vote NO on the bill. PLEASE DO IT TODAY! YOUR FUTURE FEDERAL SALES DEPEND ON IT!

Further, the study we are conducting, and the preparation of documentation for submission to the various federal entities we are engaging, is neither free, or simple to accomplish. This page is run by a group of 30+ contractors, various industry professionals, and academic professionals who are dedicating a great deal of time and capital to getting the word out about the negative effects of FSSI on our economy, and making some waves on capitol hill. PLEASE DONATE TO OUR CAUSE. We have a PayPal account that has been set up by Professor Bornstein to fund our efforts, and any amount given in support of our efforts is greatly appreciated. If you have been, or stand to be affected by Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiatives, or by Senate Bill S.1736, please contribute something today, as we are working for you, just as much as we are for ourselves and the everyday taxpayer. To find out more, please visit: http://www.stopfssi.org/

Military computers soon will be programmed to carry out only administrator-approved software applications in certain parts of a computer

paul@machine-solution.com — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:14:00 -0600

Military computers soon will be programmed to carry out only administrator-approved software applications in certain parts of a computer, part of the Defense Department's approach to the application whitelisting strategy that focuses on where downloads are permitted to launch in a system, according to Pentagon officials.

It is meant to be a relatively cost-efficient protection against downloads that antivirus programs fail to catch as threats. The approach developed by the National Security Agency (NSA) essentially blocks every application from running until a network administrator has approved, or whitelisted, it.

NSA's approach lets administrators focus their efforts on fewer possible entry points for viruses, thus lowering the time involved in installing new applications. NSA is currently arranging for the baseline configurations of all new Defense computers to use the tactic, an official says.

This strategy already has blocked one kind of worm that antivirus programs failed to catch. An email attempted to install malware, and on the newer baseline computers, the administrators could view this malware, whereas on the older models, the antivirus was unable to protect against it initially.

Consultant Kristin Paget demonstrates ease of stealing data off radio frequency identification-enabled payment card without the victim realizing it

paul@machine-solution.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:17:00 -0600

Consultant Kristin Paget demonstrated at a security conference that it is possible to easily and inexpensively read and steal the data off a radio frequency identification-enabled payment card without the victim realizing it.

Paget's method employs a $50 RFID card reader to wirelessly read credit cards and capture their numbers, expiration dates, and one-time CCV numbers used by contactless cards for payment authentication. The stolen data can then be encoded onto a blank card with a $300 card-magnetizing device, while the victim's money can be taken using a Square attachment for the iPhone that lets anyone swipe a card and receive payments.

Paget illustrated a practical application of the scam in which the fraudster can simply bump against his target with the card reader in his pocket, and invisibly scan the RFID signal through material such as a leather wallet or cloth pants. The Smart Card Association estimates that some 100 million RFID-enabled cards are in circulation, and although the security industry has long known that contactless credit cards can be read wirelessly, it argues that such attacks are impractical because current versions of the cards do not include the user's name, PIN, and CCV in the wirelessly-read data.

Advocates say the one-time CCV code the cards present with each scan means that a fraudster can only use each stolen number for a single transaction—but Paget says a crook can target multiple victims rather than defraud one victim over and over.

Former CIA Officer Charged with Revealing Identity of Undercover Officer

paul@machine-solution.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:45:00 -0600

A former CIA officer who worked for the agency for 14 years has been charged with revealing the identity of an undercover officer and providing classified information to unauthorized individuals.

According to federal prosecutors, John Kiriakou served as a source for a variety of news organizations whose reporters were writing stories in 2008 and 2009 about CIA operations following the September 11 attacks. Among the stories that Kiriakou is accused of being a source for is a 2008 New York Times piece in which the name of the CIA's interrogator of September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed was revealed.

In addition, Kiriakou is believed to have supplied information to reporters that contributed to a security breach at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility that allowed defense attorneys to obtain pictures of CIA operatives who were thought to have been involved in the interrogations of terrorist suspects. Those interrogations involved the use of controversial techniques that some have described as being torture. The pictures were later found in the cells of some high-value terrorist suspects.

Kiriakou has also been charged with lying to the CIA about where other sensitive material that he published in a book came from. He faces as much as 30 years in prison if he is convicted on the charges against him.

Recommendations for improving secure conference calls

paul@machine-solution.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:47:00 -0600

Advanced digital videoconferencing equipment has vastly improved meeting opportunities for coworkers and clients across the globe, but the new systems can also be hacked to spy on those meetings, potentially jeopardizing confidential client data or corporate secrets.

In a recent demonstration, HD Moore, a chief security officer at Boston-based IT security company Rapid7, showed that he could remotely manipulate videoconferencing equipment to hear or see anything in a board room. “These are literally some of the world's most important boardrooms — this is where their most critical meetings take place — and there could be silent attendees in all of them,” warned Mike Tuchen, chief executive of Rapid7.

According to Tuchen, these vulnerabilities are caused by IT administrators setting up videoconferencing links outside of company firewalls and configuring them in ways that create easy targets for hackers. No company has yet announced that they have been compromised using videoconferencing, but it is also entirely possible that companies have been victimized and may not be aware.

Some new systems are outfitted with a feature that does not require users to accept every person that dials into their conference. These features can help a meeting run more smoothly, but could also make uninvited guests much harder to detect. Moore recently wrote a computer program that would allow him to detect any videoconferencing links located outside their company firewalls and configured to automatically answer calls. In less than two hours, he scanned about 3 percent of the Internet, discovering 5,000 open conference links at law firms, pharmaceutical companies, oil refineries, universities and medical centers.

In order to prevent hackers from being able to do the same, Rapid7 recommends companies set up a "gatekeeper" that securely connects calls from outside the company firewall.

New permutation of the Sykipot Trojan access DOD and Windows smart cards

paul@machine-solution.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:35:00 -0600

A newly discovered permutation of the Sykipot Trojan, which has been used for years in attacks stemming from servers in China, can be used to compromise the U.S. Defense Department's Common Access Cards, according to Alienvault Labs. The variant comes rolled into phishing attacks and uses a keylogger to "effectively hijack DOD and Windows smart cards," says Alienvault's Jaime Blasco.

The variant has appeared in dozens of attack samples over the past 12 months. The spear-phishing attacks are built to get their targets to open an Adobe PDF attachment, which takes advantage of an Adobe zero-day vulnerability to load Sykipot onto their computers, according to Alienvault's research. Using a keylogger, the Sykipot variant can then swipe PINs from cardholders signing in, and subsequently pose as the legitimate user to steal information for as long as the card remains in the smart-card reader, Alienvault says.

The malware also displays the public-key encryption certificates kept on the system, and Blasco says Alienvault has tested the malware and it is, in fact, working. "It's likely they got inside protected systems and gained access using this malware," he notes.

Feds Bust $1.5 Million ATM Skimming Scheme

paul@machine-solution.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:29:00 -0600

A Romanian man failed to disguise his identity as he allegedly installed card skimmers to steal data at 40 ATMs around New York. Federal officials Friday announced the arrest of Laurentiu Iulian Bulat, a Romanian citizen. Prosecutors have accused Bulat, who overstayed his U.S. visa, of participating in a fraud ring that netted at least $1.5 million via the card skimmers between May 2011 and January 5, 2012. Bulat alone was charged Thursday with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, as well as bank fraud. If convicted of both charges, he could serve up to 60 years in prison.

"ATM skimmers are high-tech bank robbers. Instead of using a gun and a note, skimmers use fake card readers and hidden cameras to steal a customer's information to get to that customer's money and take it," said Manhattan U.S. attorney Preet Bharara, in a statement. "Often it happens completely undetected." According to court documents, however, Bulat was spotted after failing to disguise himself when installing card skimmers at ATM locations across Manhattan, Long Island, and Westchester, N.Y. As a result, after reviewing video footage provided by HSBC Bank, investigators had tied Bulat--dubbed "the installer" before his true identity was determined--to at least 40 ATM card-skimmer installations.

According to court documents, on January 5, 2012, "Bulat placed ATM skimming devices at two ATM machines at an HSBC Bank at 68th Street and 3rd Avenue in New York." HSBC apparently spotted him installing the skimmers on ATM video-surveillance feeds, and at 7:15 a.m. that day, contacted the Secret Service to report the apparent crime, as well as the fact that the person involved appeared to match "the installer's" appearance. According to a statement made to the court by Secret Service special agent Eric Friedman, he went to the ATMs that morning and confirmed that skimmers had been installed on them. Then he and other agents began conducting surveillance of the ATMs.

At 7:45 a.m., they saw someone matching the installer's description enter the ATM vestibule. "He was the only person in the ATM vestibule area. (I observed him through the glass window right outside the vestibule, and had an unobstructed view)," said Friedman. "Bulat spent a few minutes at that machine, and his body was up close against the machine with his back to me. From my observation of him, he did not appear to be engaged in an ordinary ATM transaction." Friedman said Bulat then seemed to repeat the same activity at the second ATM. Shortly afterwards, Friedman entered the ATM vestibule and arrested Bulat, who was carrying his Romanian passport, as well as a flat-head screwdriver, which Friedman told the court was often used to install or remove skimmers. Friedman said he also found a discarded gift card on the floor where Bulat had been standing, which was significant because card-skimmer installers typically test whether or not cards can easily pass through their skimmers and reach the ATM.

Card-skimming devices come in many forms, including skimmers with wireless data-transmission capabilities. But the two skimmers recovered by Secret Service agents from the HSBC ATM vestibule where Bulat was arrested employed a simpler approach: a pinhole camera, which would record customers' finger strokes as they input their PIN codes into the ATM then save the video to an internal SD card. According to Friedman, fraud rings that install skimmers typically retrieve them within 24 to 48 hours, then process the data and tie intercepted card numbers together with PIN codes.

A gang will then typically use the stolen information to make fake credit or debit cards, and then employ mules to use the cards to make purchases--frequently, high-end electronics and luxury items that can be easily resold. The Department of Justice said that it launched an investigation in May 2011 into the fraud ring in which Bharara is alleged to have participated. That investigation remains ongoing.

Clara Arias Baumgarten Completes Ahima Certification for 2012

paul@machine-solution.com — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:01:00 -0600

Clara Baumgarten, CEO of ProSource Packaging, Inc. recently received a certificate from AHIMA verifying completion of the continuing education units required by AHIMA's Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM) recertification program.

Congrats Clara!