Travel is wonderful, I travel all over the United States and World.    However there are some risks with travel like losing a phone or computer, breaking a device, customs inspections, and robbery.

The solution is older than cell phones and computers.   i was taught from a young age to never travel with anything I did not want to lose.   Also since long before I was born taking expensive things, like watches and jewelry often attracts the attention of burglars, robbers and conmen.   Expensive clothing made in your country of origin also identifies you as a "tourist" which usually means you will pay top prices for everything.

The Solution for phones and technology is to leave your primary phone and computer at home and purchase a disposable "burner" phone, laptop or pad before you leave.   The disposable electronics should only have a few emergency numbers programmed in and the laptops or pads should only have basic programs loaded.   For an extra layer of security and backup copies you can upload photos and documents created on your trip to a server or cloud in your home country.

Long chats and personal information should be kept at a minimum because the US and some other nations now want to access and search these devices.

There are many ways to travel safely.   Personally, I travel and then blend in by wearing clothes and fashions used by the people of where ever I travel, I don't wear an expensive phone or any jewelry.   I may take a Tux and Formal Wear but that stays packed along with the cufflinks, buttons, and bow tie.   

The best way to buy inexpensive phones and computers is online or at local retailers here in the United States.   If you do your research you can also buy a phone service plan for the city or nation you are going to visit.   You can also buy the phones and service plans when you get to your destination.   Computers and other electronics are generally more expensive in foreign countries even if they have stores from the United States.

The other major way to travel safely is to travel with Tour Groups and while this may not give you the most free time to explore on your own - you will see a little of everything.   Tour groups have their own advisors, translators and people for questions or customer services.

My last bits of advice are to not spend all your time on your phone so you do no miss what you traveled to see, and also to keep a journal on paper or a device and take notes about what you see, and what you would like to see more of on your next trip to that location.

America - want to see what a hacker can do with your information stolen from any source?

Watch the movie: "The Beekeeper" with Jason Statham , 2024 movie

And then Watch: "Blackhat" with Chris Hemsworth, 2015 movie

Warning there is violence in the movies as law enforcement track down and take down the hackers.

The intro scene in "The Beekeeper" shows how a normal person gets hacked and cleaned out in minutes.

Blackhat shows how hackers can gain access to many types of systems and cause disasters or manipulate stock and futures markets.

Again BOTH movies are Rated R for Violence - Both are fairly accurate on many of the ways People, Governments and Corporations get hacked as well as how to track down the hackers.

What if "Doggie copied everyones data? (Evidence suggests they did.)

This is why there are security laws in place as well as security clearances required in both Corporate and Government Computers.

Your only defense at this time is to change your passwords with the help of your financial and investment companies.

Second you should "Lock" your Credit with the 3 main credit bureaus listed below - this keeps hackers from opening credit cards and other loans in your name.

To freeze your credit on all three major credit bureaus for free, you can:

1) Call all three of them - numbers below
OR
1) Go to the websites for Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion and create an account and provide your personal information

2) Request a credit freeze

When you DO want to add a credit card, loan or purchase something large on credit like a car or a home - contact the 3 Credit Bureaus - and ask them to unfreeze the accounts.

After the purchase or loans are approved - Freeze your accounts again.
By phone:

Equifax: Call 800-685-1111
Experian: Call 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742)
TransUnion: Call 888-909-8872

Given recent databreaches of financial institutions and the US Government - NOW is a good time to Freeze Your Credit.

Regardless of your Political thoughs - Protect Yourself and Your Family.

My personal recommendation is to use the Phone Method - and to cut and paste or print out this post - then share with your family.

You should also SHARE this post here and across all Social Media.

Sincerely,

Todd W. Byars
Computer Dudes
Global Operations and Services
Homebase: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Whitehat Hacker since 1986
Tech Company Owner and Sr Data Center / Field Engineer since 1997

I am hopeful that most of you have next week and New Years Eve off.

BUT if you do return to the office - PLEASE - Update your computers first thing, update and restart until it shows no updates.

THEN get a copy of your BACKUPS on an external drive or USB Thumb Drive.

It's OPTIONAL but you may want to change your passwords too. Computer Dudes currently suggest passwords or passphrases of 12 digits including alphanumeric, and special keys for workstations.  Computer Servers should have longer passwords if possible.

After that you can safely start your workday.  :)

This is a good practice after every Holiday since for some reason the most computer and phone viruses come out over the holiday.  Please share this information with your friends and co-workers.

Sincerely,

Todd W. Byars
Computer Dudes
Global Operations and Services
Homebase: Tallahassee, Florida, USA

Computer Dudes Research: AI Development Project Start 2021
AI Model: DNA to Code, Neuron to Chip

The Computer Dudes research on AI and more powerful computers to run it on began more than 2 decades ago with advanced clustering of Computers, not Cloud Architecture, Beowulf Clustering with Virtualization of Hardware.

We moved from standard computers to Single Board Computers in 2009. Single board computers allowed us to have more computing power in a much smaller space and faster connections due to faster networking over shorter distances. We virtualized additional hardware such as Back Planes which were being phased out in standard rack mounted servers.

When the push for Quantum Computer and AI came we studied the models. A standard Computer Chip is flat and offers only a limited amount of choices for software, a Quantum Computer chip, may or may not be flat, but offers even more choices. The chips are often classified into 3 categories: analog, digital, and mixed.

After much research and trial an error we determined that none of the current chip types or even ones being planned was equal to a Neuron in a human or other brain. Neurons have thousands of types of functions as well as thousands of types of input / output.

So then we looked at Computer Chips and Code as Neurons - but again hit a brick wall of limitations due to code and chip issues.

Around 2021 we took a new approach. DNA to Code and Neuron to Chip

DNA is the code that programs living things like humans. DNA defines our forms, the types of cells, the types or organs, our body chemistry and things like our preferences and even emotions.

The DNA to code method defines every aspect of a computer's form, function, preferences, emotions, and how it solves problems. Using the DNA to code method we literally transcribe each DNA sequence as computer code - something like a "virtual" cell, organ, preference or emotion.

For example: DNA to Code - Color Preference

Taking 256 colors we assign each color a number value. The color with the number value 1 is the computers favorite color as coded like DNA gives a human color preference.

We then input by code or using a camera a color.
The Computer Coding breaks down the color into its base colors, drawn from the 256 colors we started with.
The Value of the Code for each color is added together.
The Lower the Value or closer it is to 1 determines how much the computer "likes" the color.

The color preference for this selection is then stored in memory.

Then we move to the next DNA to convert to Code - Lets Say the next one is Sound Volume.
Again we give each sound volume a number. The lowest number is the computer's preference with sound volume.
Again we give the computer a sample sound played at a set volume.
The computer then gives a number to each part of the sound for volume.
Then it adds all the sound values and gives them an average. The average with the closest value to 1 is its preference.

The Sound preference is then stored in memory.

We repeat this process for thousands of items in the same way DNA does for our bodies and minds.

Then we give the computer more advanced directions on what to do with the numbers stored in memory. This set of numbers we call environment.

The more advanced instructions then go to the computer chip - which does not have enough possible responses to process the data and preferences into Intelligence.

So we take a look at the Neuron and its functions, options, and signal types.

Then we program code to give the computer chip all the functions (virtual functions) as a Neuron.

The use of preferences and environment give us the basis for emotion which we believe is the gateway to a true AI.

Naturally we are much farther along with this process and testing than this simple article expresses - but we are certain we are on the right track, just as we are certain that the LLM model "AI" is not nor will ever result in true AI.

If any other group or company out there is using similar methodology we would be interested to talk to you and compare some of our results.

Normally we would open source all of our research and code but given the many possible negative uses of AI we are keeping all that under wrap until we hard code Ethics and other Limitations into our AI - the same was DNA codes these restrictions into humans.

If we are not happy with our final result or feel it is not safe - we will delete it all, scrub the drives, and destroy the notes.

We wish you all the best in your efforts to create true AI. We do request however that you be safe with what your produce and hard code some safety functions and values into your final products.

Quantum Computers are here... So now cutting edge programmers  need to learn Q# for the hottest jobs programming quantum computers.  Here is a recent post by Microsoft on learning Q# for use with their databases and other projects.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/quantum/qsharp-overview

If you have other good stories or resources on learning Q# please share them in comments below this post.

Thanks,
Todd W. Byars
Computer Dudes
Global Operations and Services
Homebase: Tallahassee, Florida

The Crowdstrike Disaster took the United States and some of its largest companies by surprise. 

The story begins years ago as Executives in many large companies fired their CIO, CISO, and Senior IT Engineers and Administrators.   These Executives have huge pay but really do not pay attention to their companies or their computers.   In their mind they thought they had found a "Cheaper" way to automate their computer systems for security, upgrades, maintenance, and backups.

They then gave  themselves raises.

They were wrong as the recent events show.

For a better explanation on what happened - from the technical viewpoint, of a former Microsoft Employee who worked on all Microsoft Operating Systems follow the link to my friend - Daves Video On Your Tube:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAzEJxOo1ts   

After additional research Dave made a Second Video discussing in depth some of the issues and solutions.   Here is a link to that Video also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHrayP-Y71Q   

The long and short of it is to not use automated systems to maintain your networks AND rehire Your Company's Top Tech People, from the Network Administrators, the Engineers, the CISO and a CIO - THEN listen to what they have to say.

None of Computer Dudes clients were affected because we use Command Line Interfaces instead of Automated Control Consoles.   Also most of our servers and workstations are Linux which run Microsoft or other Products as Virtual Machines, VM's.   We also keep a Virtual Machine Library - so if one VM get corrupted, hacked or crashes we delete the damaged VM and replace it with the Same VM from the VM Library.

Virtual Machine Library's can reside on Severs and / or Workstations.

Also we do not use Clouds which may be less expensive in the short term - but are easily hacked as we have seen in almost all the major data breaches in the last 5 years.

More on this Story Later

Regards,
Todd W. Byars
Computer Dudes Global Operations and Aerospace