Common type of cyber-crime experienced by Americans

January 9, 2026

Data theft has been one of the cyber-crimes since the existence of the computer age. The business sector has been the most affected by data theft in terms of loss in the United States, cyber-crimes have the highest average annual costs for the financial services industry. Identity theft is the most common type of cyber-crime experienced by Americans.

Data theft is a growing phenomenon primarily caused by system administrators and office workers with access to technology such as database servers, desktop computers, and a growing list of hand-held devices capable of storing digital information, such as USB flash drives, iPods and even digital cameras. Some employees have access to confidential information for the company they work for and sometimes misuse them when they leave the company or are still in employment. This data could be sold or bought, used by criminals and criminal organizations.

Thumb sucking is a data theft method involving the unintentional use of a portable USB mass storage device, such as a USB flash drive (or “thumb drive”), to illicitly download confidential data from a network endpoint. The threat of thumb sucking has amplified since the storage capacity of portable USB devices has increased.

As data theft risk becomes increasingly problematic, organizations need to take steps to protect their sensitive data. There are some steps any company can take to protect its data. These include securing sensitive customers, employees, and patient data by keeping storage devices containing sensitive information in a locked, secure area and restricting access to sensitive data.

Properly dispose of sensitive data and remove all data from computers and devices before disposing of them.

Use password protection for all business computers and devices, and require employees to have unique usernames and strong passwords that they change regularly.

Encrypt sensitive data and use encryption on all laptops, devices, and emails that contain sensitive data.

Protect against viruses and malware by installing and using antivirus and antispyware software on all business computers.

Keep your software and operating systems up to date by installing updates to security, web browsers, operating systems, and antivirus software as soon as they become available.

Secure access to your network with firewalls, remote access through properly configured Virtual Private Networks, and Wi-Fi networks that are secure and encrypted.

Verify the security controls of third parties and make sure their data protection practices meet your requirements and that you have the right to audit them.

Train your employees to ensure they understand your data protection practices and their importance.

What Will America Do About Jefferson?

Len McGurk

January 9, 2026

There have been series of protest, statues have been removed, laws have been amended but racism persists. “Of black men the numbers are too great who are now repining under English cruelty”, the old voice of Dr. Samuel Johnson giving an honest assessment of the United States decades ago.

A 2016 study published by the American journal of health revealed that black men are nearly three times more likely than white men to be killed by police intervention. In addition to the ugly experience of Black men in the United States, Black Americans make up a third of the United States prison population, despite only making up around an eighth of the country’s population.

The second paragraph of the United State declaration of Independence states that; ” we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal”. The author, Thomas Jefferson definitely didn’t include Black slaves in his myopic definition of “All”. As a major investor and a beneficiary of the slave holding system, Jefferson defended the system by calling slaves an inferior race. Like every other thoughts of the founding fathers of the United States, racial superiority continues to transcend from one age to another.

Cynics like Republican Senator Tom Colton have labeled slavery as a necessary evil upon which the nation was built, while others claim slavery was the prevailing order and was never their(founding fathers) creation. In contrast to these claims, Massachusetts abolished slavery in it’s first Constitution in 1780 while New Hampshire banned the practice in 1784. Other states like Pennsylvania opted for a gradual emancipation from slavery by creating better living conditions for slaves. By the time Thomas Jefferson became a president in 1801, states were already abolishing the barbaric practice, but Jefferson’s Virginia maintained the slave holding society even when other states were liberating themselves from the dehumanizing practice.

Jefferson is undoubtedly an amazing scholar who contributed to the development of rights and establishment of the Democratic principles in the United State constitution. Irrespective of his feats, his heroic status will forever be rejected by some. Like Jefferson, eight other United State presidents were slave holders. The founding fathers of the United States failed to rise above the dominating thoughts of their time.

In some of his last message to the United States, Jefferson wrote; ” All eyes are opened, or opening to the rights of man”. Rightly so, his legacy and status as a founding father may just be short lived. We now hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.

Why Alt Text Is Important For Images for Better SEO results

Brandon Muniz

January 8, 2026

Alt text is a usually forgotten part of SEO, but that doesn’t mean you can or should continue to keep ignoring it! Alt text is the description you give an image, this is important because it tells search engines, like Google, what your image is (because search engine bots cannot see images).

The reason why alt text is forgotten all the time is probably because you can’t usually see it on the live website. It is only displayed when there is an issue with the image itself.

According to SEO Shark the local SEO agency, even though it is only a small part of SEO, it is still necessary to fill in the alt text of your images. There are many other important components to SEO and it can take a long time to implement. If you feel you are lacking the resources to do SEO properly, you can always hire an SEO agency to help out.

Have a read on below to find out more about alt text for images and why they are important:

Helps Improve Ranking in Google Images

Google Images is a massive search engine within itself, so this is certainly something you want to be ranking for. Your alt text provides a great place to input some of your important keywords for that page. This is what users will type into Google Images to find what they are looking for.

Without including alt text, Google doesn’t really know what your image is about and it can’t join the dots, when someone searches for a keyword, to your image. So, make sure you help Google as much as you can by providing this important piece of information.

People are using and searching for images more now then ever, so if you want the chance to grab that extra little bit of traffic for your website, then you should be adding alt text to your images.

Improves Accessibility

Not only is alt text important for search engine bots to understand what the image is, but also there are a lot of people in the world who are visually impaired. By having proper alt text, these people can still understand what is on the page.

There are tools out there that convert what is on a webpage into text and reads it out for those who are visually impaired. Without providing an alt text, the person will not understand what the image is. There isn’t a way for these tools to communicate to the person what the image is without alt text.

Improves Relevance

On your website you’ve probably got some topics of expertise, that you want to remain relevant for. Well, having alt text on your images is just another way you can do this. When search engine bots crawl your site they are looking at the terms and are determining how relevant your page is.

If you are including certain terms in a lot of different places (like the meta data, heading tag, body, alt text, etc.) then it sends a pretty clear message that those are the keywords that are relevant to this page and the ones you want to rank for.

Writing Good Alt Text

It is not that difficult to write a good alt text for your images. You need to ensure that you are descriptive, but also short and sharp. Here is it a little bit of a balancing act, and you may find that you need to compromise one or the other.

In your alt text you shouldn’t be keyword stuffing, this isn’t best practice in SEO. All you need is a couple of words explaining the picture. Think about it this way, if you just read your description, would you get a clear enough idea of what the image is?

Smart Retirement Plans: How To Prepare For Your Future

George Miller

January 8, 2026

Many people are focused on their careers that they fail to plan for retirement when it’s over. Your future plans are just as important as your immediate plans, and you should cater to both alongside each other. Let’s take a quick look at some smart plans to help prepare you for retirement.

First, you need to determine your time horizon. Your time horizon is how far or near you are to retirement. Understanding how much time you have till retirement will help shape your actions and determine what course of action you can take.

Another thing you should do is to evaluate your risk tolerance. Judging from your time horizon, if you have about 20 to 30 years before retirement, you can still evaluate your risks with investments. However, it would help if you were looking to accumulate your funds once it’s getting to about ten years, and you’re closing in on retirement.

In addition, ensure that you estimate your total retirement expenses. You might love to take a vacation right after retirement or finally take that dream trip. Estimate all expenses, your total cost of living, possible medical fees, and unforeseen costs. This would give you a target to meet as you save up for retirement.

Try to analyze your possible retirement income. You might have pension payments from your employer during retirement, and maybe one or two other things you invest in now. Understand how your pension works and any other expected benefits. This can also help you set the target you need as your retirement fund.

When all these are in place, you may begin a retirement savings plan. Regardless of how old you are, the best thing you can do is to begin saving for retirement right now if you’re yet to start. Periodically save a portion of your earnings for your retirement. If your company has a retirement plan for workers, you should grab the opportunity.

What you do now largely determines how you live during retirement. Do you want to have a comfortable after-career and enjoy your retirement days? Make use of these tips provided and build yourself a blissful future.

Billionaires And How They Make Money

George Miller

January 8, 2026

On the 18th of March, 2020, Forbes recorded that there are at least 2,095 billionaires globally. These billionaires have made their mark on the world in their own way. The big question is, “How do the billionaires make their money?” Anyone can be a billionaire with the right knowledge and intentional actions, including you. Let’s examine the winning ways by which billionaires make their money.

Billionaires solve problems. They recognize the difficulties people face and work towards creating solutions. Their solutions often come in the form of innovations, such as Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft. The more global the problems they solve, the more money they tend to make.

Again, billionaires make their money work for them. In other words, billionaires invest. Investment is a risk, and billionaires are risk-takers. They win some and lose some, but it pays them because they learn from the losses and celebrate the wins. Warren Buffet is a shrewd investor who made a large chunk of his billions from investments.

Apart from the given, it is of interest to note that billionaires are passionate about what they do. Mark Zuckerberg is a living proof that billionaires understand that only passion can sustain an individual on the journey to fulfillment. A top trait of billionaires in the world is that they find their passion, give their best to it, and ultimately stick with it.

Billionaires are great leaders who think outside the box. Billionaires are people of influence. They bring out the best in others because they understand the importance of being surrounded by like-minded people.

Also, they step out of their comfort zones and think outside the box. They defy conventions, stereotypes, and come up with fantastic creations. A good number of billionaires were considered to be crazy when they just started. In the end, their craziness and radical ideas led them to make billions and influence many.

We’ll leave you with some words from Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, the world’s largest eCommerce store. He said, there’s no specific formula to being a billionaire. However, there’s magic in finding what you love and consistently working at it, regardless of losses and other challenges.

How Andrew Carnegie Became A Successful Entrepreneur

Doris Cortez

January 8, 2026

People who have experienced entrepreneurship rarely know what it is about before they begin their journey. They are faced with fierce challenges. Some win, while some lose. Those who succeed are often aware that entrepreneurship requires perseverance. Andrew Carnegie was one such man, who by perseverance, weathered storms to become successful. Here are pieces of information we’ve gathered on how Andrew Carnegie became a successful entrepreneur despite challenges.

Andrew Carnegie was born into a lower-class family in November 1835. He used to live in a small house in the suburb of Fife. Andrew’s early life was a life of hunger, as coming by food was very scarce for the family. He could only eat a meal per day. Andrew’s family then moved to Allegheny, Pennsylvania.

Despite Andrew’s poor beginning, he became very successful. Before his death in 1919, he was a successful industrialist and philanthropist. He pioneered the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and later grew to become one of the wealthiest Americans in history.

“Do your duty, and a little more and the future will take care of itself.” Andrew Carnegie

Andrew was committed to his “little” work. He started as a bobbing boy, probably the poorest paying job in his day. However, he was fully committed. He showed extra efforts by starting very early in the morning. He worked almost 12 hours every day. On that job, Andrew assisted in changing sewing thread spools. It was at that point he knew he needed to be his boss.

Andrew was focused on his goal. He knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur. Thus, he nurtured his passion and pursued achieving his goal with seriousness. He saw to it that he learned everything he needed to know about the business. His idea about business propelled him to save every penny he earned until he could buy the company he was working for.

Investment is essential for every entrepreneur. Andrew invested his money in railways. This idea was visionary at that time. Even though the train was a dangerous mode of transportation, Andrew was not discouraged. He invested in trains until they became what is now celebrated today.

Apart from the fact that Andrew worked very hard to be successful, he never stopped giving back to the society for just and noble causes. He gave for education and health care, among many others. His classic character is that of successful and influential entrepreneurs. They always give back to society. Every entrepreneur who intends to succeed must be ready for challenges and face them headlong through perseverance and consistency.

Unpopular Truths About The Multi-Talented And Multi-Industrious Rihanna

Jean Wenzel

January 8, 2026

Popular singer, actress, designer, renowned businesswoman and philanthropist, Rihanna, has made thick waves in the entertainment industry, as a pioneer for diversity and inclusivity. She is indeed one of the most famous multi-hyphenates! However, there may be some things you might not know about her. Let’s take a look at some of them.

First, did you know that she had military experience? While Rihanna was in high school, she had military experience as an army cadet in a sub-military program running in her high school. Interestingly, famous singer and songwriter Shontelle was her drill sergeant who is also a Barbadian.

Also, you might be surprised to know makeup was once an issue for Rihanna while growing up. She couldn’t wear makeup while growing up, even though she’s now one of the makeup queens today. She once admitted that her mother didn’t allow her to wear makeup as a teenager. Nevertheless, her obsession with makeup started from observing her mum while working at a cosmetics counter. As it stands, she is now the proud owner of Fenty Beauty!

She didn’t finish high school. Rihanna didn’t graduate from high school. She was invited to move to the US to record demo tape after meeting with American producer Evan Rogers in her home country as a teenager. As her career took off and proceeded, she didn’t return to complete her schooling. However, it will interest you to know that Rihanna spoke at Harvard and was awarded the University’s Humanitarian of the Year! She confessed that she never thought she’d be able to achieve that height in her life, especially not at Harvard.

Furthermore, Jay-Z signed her at 16. Rihanna was invited to audition for Jay-Z after her demo tapes were sent to Def Jam Records. The 16 years old was instantly signed. It was noted that L.A. Reid was so impressed that he demanded she did not leave the building until she had signed the contract!

Check this out. In Barbados, the 22nd of February is notably the National Rihanna’s Day. In 2008, David Thompson, the prime minister of Barbados at the time, officially made February 22, National Rihanna’s day in Barbados. Barbadians celebrate it annually by listening to her music, and occasionally, Rihanna returns to her home country to perform.

Finally, before she performs, she takes a shot! One of the things Rihanna also notably does asides eating lozenges and doing vocal warm-ups before her shows is that she takes a shot! She explained that the drink calms her nerves before her lit performances.

I bet you probably didn’t know some of these unpopular truths about Rihanna. Well, now, you do!

The Struggle For Equality By The Women National Team: A Possible Landmark Judgement

Len McGurk

January 8, 2026

The US women National Team may have won the world cup consecutively, but they face a difficult task in emerging victorious in their lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation. Irrespective of the outcome of the lawsuit, they’ve probably laid precedence for other women National teams. Most importantly, they’ve fought bravely for gender equality and frowned at discrimination.

The US Women National Team filed the suit for equal pay and gender discrimination against the US Soccer Federation on March 8, 2019. The women decided to take legal action after perceiving they’ve been discriminated against. It was not the first time the Women National Team and the USSF disagreed over gender discrimination in payment. The dispute first gained prominence after the 1996 Olympics, where unequal bonuses were offered to both male and female participants from the US.

The response from the USSF generated more controversy. The federation’s lawyers argued that it required more skill and responsibility to play for the men’s national team. The statement created serious division after the women’s team captain, Megan Rapinoe, labeled the statement as “blatant misogyny.” The sponsors of the USSF, like Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, Budweiser, Visa, Nike, and Deloitte, condemned the statement.

A more comprehensive detail was released by USSF president, Carlos Cordeiro, who presented an analysis of 10years of financial data. The letter showed that the women’s national team was paid a total of $34.1 million in salary and game bonuses, while the men received $26.4 million during the same period.

The USSF operated a hybrid system of payment for the women. Seventeen players were signed to full-time contracts. These signed players were paid whether they get called up for games or not while the other women players were non-contract players who were paid when they’re called up. On the contrary, all of the men players are non-contract players who are paid only when they are called up by the team.

By May 2020, the summary judgment dismissed most of the lawsuit’s claim, notably those related to equal pay, before even the jury trial. Apparently, the judge held the notion that the women had exchanged their right for equal pay for a favorable collective bargaining agreement. The women’s captain, Megan Rapinoe, admitted that the federation has invested more in the women’s game than any other federation in the world.

There is a long way before the conclusion of the case, and irrespective of the outcome, the women have laid great precedence for other women’s teams. One billion people tuned in to watch the 2019 women’s world cup in France, the highest number the female football has ever witnessed. As the interest is growing, there is no better time for women to demand fair and equal pay.

Three Protests That Shaped The United States

Len McGurk

January 7, 2026

Three Protests That Shaped The United States

Protest and peaceful demonstration is a part of America’s history. On a few occasions, protesters were met with violence. However, their resistance stirred the government to review existing laws or initiate new laws to protect the interest of those marginalized.

The year 2020 protest will be remembered as one of America’s largest turnout. People of different colors, states, and religions joined the March for an end to police brutality, inequality, and systemic racism in the United States. The death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis black man choked to death by a police officer, Derek Chauvin, led to one of America’s greatest protests on May 26, 2020. Over 15 million people were estimated to have participated in the demand for justice. The protest sparked a demand for equality around the world, especially in England and Australia.

Legislators gave an immediate response by introducing the “justice in policing act.” The act limited legal protection for police, banned the use of chokeholds, and created a national database of excessive force incidents.

Women’s suffrage March

The March 6, 1913 movement was the first national protest in the United States. Women turned out in their numbers to demand their right to vote and participate in an election. The 60-year demand generated little response from the government until the protest was staged. The protest’s organizers selected a day before the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson to mount pressure on the newly elected president. The women were met with violence. About a hundred of them were injured, but they pressed on to achieve their desire. The event led to the ratification of the 19th amendment on August 18, 1920. Historians also believe that the event was the major reason why March was picked as women’s history month. Women now occupy different positions in the United States and are even constitutionally empowered to become the president. The labors of the women who participated in the 1913 protest will never be forgotten.

March on Washington

On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 Americans came out to demand an end to inequality and racial injustice. The protest was led by Dr. Martin Luther King, who delivered his famous ” I have a dream” speech. The movement began after Rosa Parks had failed to give up her seat for a white passenger on a Montgomery bus. The protest demanded an end to discrimination based on color. The movement had a tremendous impact on America’s history. It led to equal voting rights in the United States and removed all sorts of racial prejudice in transportation. To date, the United States celebrates Martin Luther King’s day, as a remembrance of his struggle against inequality.

March for our lives

On February 14, 2018, 17 people were killed, and another 17 were injured after a former student shot sporadically at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School campus in Parkland, Florida. The sad incident took the demand for a reform of the existing gun laws to another dimension. More than a million protesters, mostly young people participated in the protest. The protest achieved the desired reform as the legislators introduced a new law. The act raised the minimum age of a person to purchase a gun from 18 to 21. And it made provision for a background check before the purchase was completed. The act also allocated millions to make school buildings more secure.

Protest and demonstrations have been useful tools for demanding reform in the United States. The tremendous effect of protest makes it inevitable in the United States. Moreso, it’s a demonstration of the people’s freedom of speech and expression. A right guaranteed by the constitution.

Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Bill Gates’ Lifestyle

Jean Wenzel

January 7, 2026

People often seek to model their lives with notable successful individuals globally. One such man is Bill Gates, being one of the richest men in the world! You probably might not know all that there is to the Microsoft founder, but don’t be shocked as you’re about to discover that despite his dedication, amazing entrepreneurship qualities, years of sheer hard work and billions of dollars as net worth, Bill Gates does have a pretty simple lifestyle!

The first thing about the simple lifestyle of Bill Gates you might not know is that he does love to do the dishes at home! Being a wealthy man, he can employ people to wash his dishes. However, the billionaire does love to wash his own dishes at night. A simple man, right? We thought so too. According to him, washing dishes helps him relax his mind.

Another thing that will interest you about his simple lifestyle is that he has made it clear that his children will not inherit anything from him. Pretty ironic. Well, he duly noted that he would give his children the best education in the world, and he wants them to do ahead and start their own respective business with full support from him. This means that he doesn’t want his children to be poor – he prefers them working hard and starting their careers, but inheriting his wealth is a no from him. That’s simplicity accentuated with being principled!

Bill Gates’s simple lifestyle is further seen in that he somehow, despite his crazy schedules and responsibilities, monitors a tree in his house. Well, he sure has found one unique way to find some peace and maintain his calm mind. This tree is as old as 40 years and is close to the driveway in his house. Interestingly for 24 hours, that tree is monitored. Bill Gates confirms monitoring it to be some addiction he got to develop over the years. This easily proves that even the richest men on earth can be very simple in their daily dealings with life.

In conclusion, it’s a great idea to emulate the positive and humbling personalities and characters of globally respected men, like Bill Gates, despite their great influence and wealth! You can have a simple lifestyle while succeeding immensely!

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