613 In Miniature

So this is my fifth month in a row now posting about the holy 613 (number of commandments in the Torah). 

This time my daughter sent me this photo from this afternoon. 

Do you see the 613 in the middle (I almost missed it)?

She actually saw this on a city bus–it was on the vertical cord you pull to request a stop–and it was tiny.

But there it was–calling us out to have absolute faith in the Almighty above. 

As it happens, I saw another 613 this month–again out of nowhere. 

I was talking to a colleague in the office. 

He was wearing his badge–I think off to the side of his belt. 

And when I looked down for a moment, the number of the badge was glaring out 613. 

I thought for a second to take a photo, but this obviously wouldn’t have been appropriate. 

It’s just too weird at this point…

613 everywhere…and we are all seeing it.  

Mass psychosis, no.

Living in the time of the Messiah, hopefully.

Message to have faith, absolutely.

Please G-d, it should all be for the good. 

Shabbat Shalom!

Note: If there are any Torah scholars out there that can help interrupt these 613 sightings–would greatly welcome your comments for blessings. 

(Source Photo: Rebecca Blumenthal)

Learning IT Security By Consequences

This is a brilliant little video on IT Security.

What I like about it is that it doesn’t just tell you what not to do to stay safe, but rather it shows you the consequences of not doing the right things.

Whether you are letting someone into your office, allowing them borrow your badge, leaving your computer unsecured, posting your passwords, and more–this short animated video shows you how these vulnerabilities will be exploited.

It is also effective how they show “Larry” doing these security no-no’s with signs everywhere saying don’t do this.

Finally, the video does a nice job summing up key points at the end to reinforce what you learned.

I think that while this is simpler than many longer and more detailed security videos that I have seen, in a way it is more successful in delivering the message in a practical, down-to-earth approach that anyone can quickly learn core basic practices from.

Moreover, this video could be expanded to teach additional useful IT security tips, such as password strengthening, social engineering, and much more.

I believe that even Larry, the unsuspecting office guy, can learn his lesson here. 😉

(Note: This is not an endorsement of any product or service.)