Posts made in August 2018

Focusing on People & Data to Distract Hackers

We live in times when it’s become easier than ever for hackers to breach an organization through social engineering. Breaches are primarily caused by phishing attacks, representing a huge security problem for businesses.

But why is this type of cybercriminal so widely represented in the statistics? What is it that makes it so easy and so profitable for hackers? We might not like the answers. The ever-increasing connectivity and focus on people and data is leaving us vulnerable to malicious attacks. To protect your business, you need to start thinking like a hacker. Let’s take a look at how they infiltrate big business and what can be done about it.

How Social Engineering Works

Since social engineering relies on personal information hackers can find online, it’s pretty difficult to counter. Before; that required some digging on the hacker’s part – now all it takes is a data-matching service like Spokeo and PeekYou, and they get all the information they might need and more. Cross-matching public records is one thing, but employees also freely share a lot of information on social media. This personal info is then used to target employees within a company with malicious emails, by posing as a trusted individual. From there, all a hacker needs to do is convince an employee to click on a malicious link or perform a wire transfer.

Are Individual Threats the Same as Company Threats?

As we can see, cybercriminals can efficiently use your social media information to reach their desired target within your company. Does that mean company executives should stop using social media altogether, or ban their employees from sharing any work-related information?

The short answer is yes. The long answer, if not “yes,” is that there should be strict policies in place about the use of social networks and what can and can’t be shared. For example, if a company executive posts about being on a business trip, hackers take that as a signal to try and perform BEC. Anything an employee posts about work projects or people they spend time with inthe office can help cybercriminals construct an elaborate and believable social engineering scam. It is why every employee must assume the whole world is watching them when they want to post anything work-related on social media.

The frequency of Social Engineering and Phishing

It’s no accident that social engineering and phishing attacks are responsible for 95 percent of data breaches. They exploit what will always be the weak link in any company’s security chain – the people who work there. Relying on traditional protective measures such as firewall, antivirus, anti-spoofing techniques, etc. cannot stop all of these attacks. Education is vital for prevention, but with these scams getting more elaborate and difficult to spot, it doesn’t ensure safety.

What Can Protect Your Business?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you didn’t have to worry about phishing? Good news, the worrying stops today. It seems challenging to prevent phish, but Area 1 Security offers an Anti-Phishing Service that finds and eliminates phish through a combination of web crawling and small pattern analytics. With Area 1 Horizon, your business will be safe, and you won’t be adding to the pool of $5.3 billion in losses due to phishing attacks last year.

With the ever-increasing focus on people and data, businesses are leaving themselves wide open to hackers. In those circumstances, there are two options – limiting the information hackers can get about you through social media, or investing in preemptive and comprehensive phishing protection. At Area 1 Security, we stop phishing for good.

The 1975’s “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME”

The 1975 recently dropped their official music video for “TooTimeTooTimeTooTime.”

The English rock band’s video consists of various faces of just regular, average day people as they sing along and dance to the beat of the song. An unlimited amount of smiles are seen through everyone’s expressions in the entire video.

An even greater moment is when the lead singer, Matthew Healy, interacts with the guest stars as it personalizes the music video. He sings and dances with the people and one can definitely tell how much happier that makes the guests featured.

The song’s upbeat vibe has a lot of The 1975’s fan base claiming that their music is changing–moving away from their original type of music from the past. Whether this be a negative change or a positive one, one thing for sure is that the band is definitely trying something different and the world should be ready to listen.

Don’t forget to check out the music video for “TooTimeTooTimeTooTime” right here!

Endothelial progenitor cells for treating stroke patients

A new study recently published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine demonstrates the long-term safety of laboratory-expanded endothelial progenitor cells for treating ischemic stroke. This could be good news for the 15 million people who, according to to the World Stroke Organization, suffer from this dangerous condition each year.

Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, affecting nearly 90 percent of all cases. It is caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain. In the normal central nervous system, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an active role in building blood vessels. This has led researchers to wonder whether EPCs circulating in the blood could be recruited after a stroke to assist in repairing damaged vessels in the brain. However, there is one major problem with this idea: The number of circulating EPCs is too low to provide much regenerative capacity – a number that further decreases in the aging or in those with heart problems.

This makes ex vivo (lab) expanded EPCs an attractive alternative.

“Transplantation of EPCs was already determined in animal experiments to be a safe and effective method for treating ischemic stroke. However, their safety and efficacy had yet to be determined in humans,” said Zhenzhou Chen, M.D., Ph.D., Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, and a corresponding author on the study. “In our trial, we tested the safety and feasibility of transplanting an acute ischemic stroke patient with his or her own (autologous) ex vivo expanded EPCs.”

Eighteen patients were recruited for the randomized, single-blinded study. Each received conventional treatment after their stroke then, seven days after symptom onset, underwent a bone marrow aspiration to collect EPCs and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) for expansion in the lab. The patients were divided into three groups and, beginning at week four after the aspiration, one group was intravenously infused with their own EPCs, while the other two groups received either their own BMSCs or a saline placebo as the controls.

Each patient was then monitored for 48 months. Study co-author Xiaodan Jiang, M.D., Ph.D., also from Southern Medical University, explained, “We watched for mortality of any cause, adverse events and any new-onset diseases or conditions. Changes in neurological deficits were also assessed at different time points.”

In the end the researchers found no toxicity events nor did they see any infusional or allergic reactions in any of the patients. “The EPC group had less serious adverse events compared to the placebo-controlled group, although there were no statistical differences in mortality among the three groups,” Dr. Chen reported. “Ex vivoexpansion always raises concerns that it may cause instability in the chromosomes or maybe lead to tumors. However, in our long-term study we observed no increased tumorigenicity. This safety indicator was also confirmed by many animal studies and other trials using expanded bone marrow-derived stem cells for treatment of ischemic stroke.”

The researchers did note limitations in their study, including lack of patient-centered quality of life outcomes. “Moreover, because of the small size of the cohorts involved, we could neither identify the neurological or functional benefits of EPCs on ischemic stroke, nor determine the pros and cons between EPCs and BMSCs for stroke treatment,” Dr. Jiang said. “Thus, we believe a larger phase 2 trial is warranted.”

“This is a promising line of cell therapy research using a novel treatment method that is simple and non-invasive,” said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. “We look forward to larger phase 2 trial results.”

The full article, “Autologous endothelial progenitor cells transplantation for acute ischemic stroke: A four-year follow-up study,” can be accessed at http://www.stemcellstm.com.

About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), published by AlphaMed Press, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices. SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation.

About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS® (www.StemCells.com), celebrating its 36th year, is the world’s first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist® (www.TheOncologist.com), also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, entering its 23rd year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines.

About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company’s website can be accessed at www.wiley.com.

About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF): The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit, honouring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, and promoting educational initiatives.

Lee Jeans

Lee Jeans is here with two new exciting collections! Lee Jeans’ Vintage Modern collection is remixing vintage details with modern trends that are perfect for the fall/winter outfit layering.

Lee Body Optix collection features breakthrough technology that lifts and shapes in all the right areas. It was designed by vision scientists and denim designers to flatter and shape any woman’s body and essentially, Lee Body Optix contours the body in the way that makeup contours the face.

Lee Body Optix collection details:

The collection can be found at the link below and the “Lee Body Optix x Cushnie et Ochs” co-designed collection is also launching and can be found here: http://prn.to/2KDuLWN

Body Optix pieces:

http://www.lee.com/shop/women-collections-lee-body-optix

Lee Jeans’ Vintage Modern collection details:

Select pieces can be found at Free People, and the full collection is available on Lee.com. The collection includes options for all shapes and sizes including pieces like the samples below:

  • Lee Vintage Modern Vest: A vibes vest with all of the good vibes, an authentic worn-in feel that goes perfectly with any outfit.
  • Lee Crop Kick Flare Jeans: A boho-chic inspired jean, which embodies Lee’s vintage heritage. This jean is fitted at the top and flares at the bottom, available in either light destruction or a new version of that iconic Lee rainbow embroidery.
  • Lee Keep on Truckin’ Jacket: This jacket is a fashion essential with an authentic pepper wash and a bit of destruction to give it an ‘80s feel.
  • Lee Pinup Mom Jean: Highlighting women’s curves, this jean is a vintage cut with a slightly more contemporary fit but retained a narrow, high-rise waist with lower, scoop-front pockets in the front.

Rosette Luve x Jason Matlo

360, 360 Magazine, Vaughn Lowery, Rosette Luve, Jason Matlo

Photo Credit: Jamie-Lee Fuoco

Cannabis took over the red carpet at this past weekend’s iHeartRadio VVMA’s! Canadian pop star, Rosette Luve strolled the red carpet wearing an iconic cannabis-inspired dress created by Canadian designer, Jason Matlo for the Weekend Unlimited, a Vancouver-based cannabis brand.

This “smoking hot” dress was specially designed to celebrate the country’s upcoming entry into the legal cannabis market in October! Rosette, who was at the event to promote her own chart single, Single for the Summer, and her dress caught the eyes of a number of other pop artists including Alessia Cara, Bebe Rexha and Shawn Mendes to name a few.

According to the designer, Jason Matlo, “Having the opportunity to design this bespoke version of The Weekend Unlimited dress for Rosette Luve to walk the red carpet of the MMVA’s in Toronto was very exciting. This first design allowed me to merge my background and love of couture with a young, high style street look. The entire process has been very energizing. I will be working creatively on developing a range of products for the Premiere Global Lifestyle brand, Weekend Unlimited Live International.”

6lack Releasing “East Atlanta Love Letter” Album

GRAMMY nominated singer-songwriter 6LACK, will release his highly anticipated sophomore album East Atlanta Love Letter (EALL) September 14th on LVRN/Interscope Records.  EALL is described as an open love letter from 6LACK to his daughter, family, friends, past and current lovers, and includes difficult questions he’s had to answer while navigating through life. The album explores universal perspectives on love and features the single, “Switch,” which was released this past June.  The announcement of EALL’s release date and album artwork were first seeded out with a total of 20,000 physical postcards mailed to fans, allowing them to be the first to know, as well as the first to tell. Each postcard also features a provocative question that aligns with themes from the upcoming album, like “Do you believe in monogamy?”

6LACK previously released the song and video for “Nonchalant,” which can be seen HERE.  At the core of this song is an attitude of calmness in the midst of intensity and anxiety – a theme that is also expected from the artist’s second studio album.

6LACK’s tour, “From East Atlanta, with Love,” will travel across the United States and the globe, with shows in Canada, Germany, France, Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The official tour of 36 shows and 34 dates will span from October to December 2018, and is currently on sale.

From East Atlanta, With Love Tour Dates:

OCT

6 – Rocking The Daisies Festival, Cape Town, South Africa

7 –  In the City Festival, Johannesburg, South Africa

10 – Metropolis Fremantle, Perth, Australia

12- Forum Theatre, Melbourne, Australia

13- Eaton’s Hill Ballroom, Brisbane, Australia

16- Enmore Theatre, Sydney, Australia

18- Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand

23 – Trabendo, Paris, France

24 – Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany

26 – Heaven, London, United Kingdom,

27 – Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands

NOV

2 –  New Daisy Theatre, Memphis, TN

3 –  Marathon Music Works, Nashville, TN

5 –  The Fillmore Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

6 –  The Ritz, Raleigh, NC

8- L’ Olympia, Montreal QC, Canada

9 –  House of Blues, Boston, MA

11 –  The Anthem, Washington, DC

14 –  Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY

16 –  Agora Theater, Cleveland, OH

18 –  Rebel Complex, Toronto, Ontario

20 –  Mr. Smalls Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA

23 –  Riviera Theater, Chicago, IL

25 –  First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

29 –  Harbour Convention Center (HCC), Vancouver, BC Canada

30 –  Showbox Sodo, Seattle, WA

DEC

3 –  Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA

5 –  The Novo, Los Angeles, CA

7 –  The Pearl, Las Vegas, NV

8 –  The Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ

10 –  El Rey Theater, Albuquerque, NM

11 – House of Blues, Dallas, TX

12 – ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Austin, TX

14 – Revention Music Center, Houston, TX

15 – Joy Theatre, New Orleans, LA

17-  Hard Rock Live, Orlando, FL

18- The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackson Gleason Theatre, Miami, FL

21- Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

Rolex 2018 Monterey Car Week Recap

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Presented by Rolex Fast Facts:

• 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta owned by David and Ginny Sydorick claimed the Best In Show Award at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

• Other finalists for Best In Show were a 1929 Duesenberg J Murphy Town Limousine owned by the Lehrman Collection of Palm Beach, Florida; and a 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Figoni Fastback Coupé owned by Robert Kudela of Chropyne, Czech Republic.

• David was awarded a steel and yellow gold Rolex Datejust 41.

• “This car is one of only five built and it has recently been completely restored, taking a huge amount of effort and dedication from all those involved,” said Sydorick. “It feels great to win at Pebble Beach today and receive a Rolex watch, I look forward to wearing it proudly.”

• Rolex has been a sponsor of the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance since 1997 and the Tour d’ Elegance in 2007.

• 234 cars participated in this year’s show.

• Following the judging, nine-time Le Mans winner and Rolex testimonee Tom Kristensen said: “The collection of historic automobiles and world-renowned concept cars at Pebble Beach creates an event like no other. It has been a privilege to be part of the judging team, and to get so close to these amazing machines and meet their owners. The Best of Show Award represents excellence and timeless elegance – values that I closely identify with Rolex – while recognizing and preserving the greatest cars in the world. This event is an absolute must for all car lovers.”

• Cars competed in 27 judged classes as well as for four Elegance awards and 22 special awards.

• Other show highlights included a 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Windovers Limousine owned by His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singhji of Marwar-Jodhpur, Jodhpur, India, that won the Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy and a 1937 Cadillac Series 90 Hartmann Cabriolet owned by Jim Patterson of Louisville, Kentucky, which won its class and the Gwenn Graham Most Elegant Convertible Elegance Award.

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Fast Facts:

• 551 genuine and period-correct competition cars competed.

• Nissan, and its US predecessor Datsun, was celebrated throughout the event, as the brand became the first Japanese manufacturer to be honored at the Reunion.

• Since 2001, Rolex has partnered in this cornerstone event during Monterey Car Week, united by values of tradition and innovation that have shaped the watchmaking and automotive worlds.

• During Picnic in the Paddock, legends of the sport, Sir Jackie Stewart, fellow Rolex Testimonee Tom Kristensen and FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion Mika Häkkinen, recounted motoring anecdotes that will live long in the memories of those who attended.

• Rolex Testimonee Sir Jackie Stewart first competed at Laguna Seca in 1965 and this year celebrates a 50-year partnership with the Swiss watch brand. The Scottish legend said: “It is an honor to witness these incredible motor racing cars compete as they were built to; from the early 20th Century right the way through to the 1990s, they truly tell the story of the heritage and evolution in our sport. The highest standards of precision and engineering on show link Rolex and the Reunion, while underlining Rolex’s commitment to motor sport globally.”

• Nissan’s long-term involvement in motor sport was exhibited, from the 1971 Datsun 510, to the Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo – the 1994 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA winner – and the 2019 Formula E Nissan racing car.

• Notable Nissan drivers and team owners were present, including John Morton, Peter Brock and Steve Millen, along with comedian Adam Carolla who drove his 300ZX Turbo formerly owned by Paul Newman.

• Meanwhile, legendary chassis from Lotus, Lola, McLaren, AAR and Surtees formed part of the 50th anniversary of Formula 5000.

Photo by Rolex

Jaira Burns Releases Videos For “Low key In Love”

As her debut EP, Burn Slow, continues to make its mark, Jaira Burns returns with her latest video “Low Key in Love.” With its scenic backdrop and montage of intimate close-ups, director Kasandra Baruch unveils yet another layer of the edgy, often fiery, popstar. Jaira proves that her softer side is just as charismatic; and as she lyrically swoons over newfound love, song and video deliver an experience which is both inviting and timeless. Watch the video HERE.

Jaira Burns continues to pave her own lane, with her work earning her a spot on Paper Magazine’s list of “100 Women Revolutionizing Pop.” The Pennsylvania native kicked off the summer strong with a string of new releases including “OKOKOK” and “Sugarcoat” from her debut EP. She was tapped to perform at several festivals including the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Bud Light’s Lollapalooza Dive Bar Show. Now, Jaira will prepare to join recording artist, Poppy, on tour beginning October 25 in Portland.

Kesha Joins The Struts on Single “Body Talks”

Interscope rock band The Struts have partnered with GRAMMY nominated pop superstar Kesha to release a bold, enhanced version of their hit single “Body Talks”.  A long-time fan of the band, Kesha joined The Struts in a Los Angeles studio to re-record the tune lending her vocals and unique style to the song.  “Body Talks ft. Kesha” is available today, August 29, via all digital retailers.

“I’m so excited to release ‘Body Talks’ with The Struts!!! 🌈🤘🌈 ,” says Kesha. “They are one of my favorite current bands keeping the spirit of classic rock and roll alive with their wild energy and sexy style.  It’s a song made for my favorite activity: boogieing.”

Directed by Lagan Sebert the video for “Body Talks ft. Kesha” also premieres today – watch the video HERE. Shot in St. Louis, where both artists were making a tour stop, the clip showcases the rock n’ roll swagger of The Struts frontman Luke Spiller and Kesha.  Sebert also directed Kesha’s recently released Apple Music documentary “Rainbow – The Film.”

The Struts recently wrapped a tour supporting the Foo Fighters, which included performances at Madison Square Garden, Wrigley Field and Fenway Park,  and are gearing up for a fall headline tour. The Body Talks Tour kicks off September 21st at St. Andrew’s in Detroit with shows already sold out in major markets. Tickets are on sale now. Visit thestruts.com for all tour dates and to purchase tickets.

In just a few years, The Struts have found themselves massively embraced by some of the greatest icons in rock-and-roll history. Along with opening for The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Guns N’ Roses, the U.K.-bred four-piece was hand-picked by Mötley Crüe to serve as the supporting act for their last-ever performances, while Dave Grohl praised them as the best band to ever open for Foo Fighters. Formed in Derby, England in 2012, The Struts are Luke Spiller (lead singer), Adam Slack (guitar), Jed Elliott (bass) and Gethin Davies (drums). The Struts are currently working on the highly anticipated follow up to their 2016 debut, Everybody Wants, which will be released on Interscope Records this fall.

Jordan Smith Releases “Only Love” Official Music Video Out Today

Vocal powerhouse Jordan Smith releases his official music video for his hit “Only Love” today.

Over the weekend, Smith received praises from legendary music icon Sir Elton John, who called his single a “very great pop song” and “beautifully sung” on his Beats1 Rock Hour Radio show. Listen to it here to check it out.

“Only Love” is the first single and title track of Smith’s third full-length album. Recorded from Republic Records, get the song right here and don’t miss it.

Smith recently performed “Only Love” and “Feel Good” on Good Morning America, causing the single and album to skyrocket to the top of the charts!

His song represents a major milestone for him as it represents his most personal material yet.

For the first time, Smith also teamed with GRAMMY Award-winning hit-maker RedOne to spearhead production

The upcoming album also features a song written by John Legend, “End in Love.”

Something Beautiful entered the Billboard Top 200 at #2 and marked history as the highest debut ever and biggest first-week seller from a winner of The Voice. He continued to wow the audience with his first Holiday album and public television special of the same name, ‘Tis The Season. The record captured #1 on the iTunes Holiday Albums Chart and Amazon Digital Albums Chart and scored yet another Top 10 debut on the Billboard Top 200.

Expanding his reach, he co-wrote Celine Dion’s “Ashes” for Deadpool 2 in 2018. A new version of “Ashes” sung by Jordan himself is featured in the movie in the Super Duper Cut as well as the Deluxe Soundtrack for the film out now.