Kelly Crooks
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I have to agree with Kevin on a couple of issues. We have answered this question so many times in so many different courses. Technology was an important way for us to continue to worship and attend those regular Sunday church services, especially in larger areas and larger churches that had hundreds or thousands of regular attendees. It was a way to continue our relationship with Christ and it worked very well in some areas. I will reiterate what Kevin said, this is a very sensitive topic for me as well.
There are still several churches that continue to live stream their services and there are churches that had been using this form and technology way before the pandemic even happened. I love technology, I like to see how it is evolving and changing and all of the new advances, gizmos, and gadgets that will be coming. The development and advancement of AI intrigue me a lot.
Some of the ways that churches are and can use technology are with texting. Churches can send out text reminders for special events, prayer requests, weekly prayer praises, and weekly lists of events. Social media is huge with a lot of churches as well. We as technology experts can help our churches stay up with the current trends and technology uses although some churches already have an IT team or department in place.
It is important to keep our faith fresh and up to date with Christ. A couple of ways that I have found to do this is with my prayer. I started this a couple of years ago and I found it to be not only good for me in my spiritual walk with Christ but it helps make me aware of things going on in other countries or parts of the world. At the beginning of each week, I pick a country or city to pray for. I look up current events in the area, the most popular and common form of religion (if they have one), and the economic status of the area and I pray that God helps them in whatever way they need help. That could be economic assistance, the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus, medical supplies and help, humanitarian assistance, or prayer for peace if they are in a war-torn area. I pray for them with what God lays on my heart.
The other way I found to stay fresh and renewed in my spiritual walk with Christ is in my daily devotions. I have found several different websites and books to help me with this. They are devotions that pertain to today’s world and society. The devotions have been very eye-opening to me to see God’s word and His work from other points of view. It has helped me to see what God is doing in not only my life but around the world as well.
There was a time in my life for three or four years that I let something have priority over God in my life. This other thing had very strong control over me and consumed almost all of my time and thoughts. I was going to a scary place and a place that I didn’t want to be.
I overcame it because my God is stronger than anything the devil has to throw at me. I was able to get through this by relying on my God, my faith, my family, and my friends. It wasn’t easy and in no way was it by my own will or power. I give all the credit to Jesus Christ. I am not even sure how I let this other thing take control and have a priority over not only my relationship with God but priority over my family and friends as well.
The good thing is that it wasn’t drugs or alcohol abuse or violence or anything like that. The only one who was hurting was me. With the help of a strong pastor, lots of prayers, and Christ, I was able to overcome this other thing and was able to put Christ back as the number one priority in my life.
It doesn’t take much sometimes to let other things take that top priority spot in our lives, especially with how busy we can get and how hectic the world is today. I found that taking time throughout the day to stop and give thanks for what God has done for me and what He is going to continue to do for me and to pray, that I can overcome almost everything now and always have God as the number one priority in my life.
Even without seeing or hearing God, I know that He is active in my life. I am not sure that I can narrow it down to one time when I knew He was active in my life. I guess I would have to say it was when we were in a car accident a few years ago. We were driving on the highway, going uphill in late November. A woman was coming down the hill o the other side of the median. The road was icy and it was snowing a bit. She lost control of her truck, left the highway, crossed the median, and hit our van on the driver’s side. It busted out all the glass and pushed in the front bumper, front quarter panel, driver’s door, driver-side sliding door, and rear liftgate. It pushed the driver’s door in so much that the armrest was under the steering wheel. My wife and I walked away without as much as a scratch. I couldn’t see God’s hands around us or our van and I couldn’t feel Him holding onto us and keeping us safe from the harm that came, but He was there. God protected us and kept us safe that morning.
Our relationship is based on evidence that we don’t sometimes see, hear, feel, or smell, but He is with us at all times. God answers our prayers all the time and He is still in the business of performing miracles. Just because we don’t have tangible evidence doesn’t mean He isn’t active in our lives.
For this weeks devotion I would have to choose my dad as the person I appreciate because of their honesty. My dad is a strong Christian man who puts God first and his family second in his life. My dad has taught me everything I know about being a great father, being a great man of God, how to do the work I do, and being a good person in general.
I guess for me what I sincerely appreciate about my dad is his commitment to being faithful to Christ and being an honest man. There have been several instances in my job when I have a customer come in with a problem and they think they need a new radio or speakers or want a remote starter installed on their car. If I figure out that there was just a bad fuse, loose wire or the car already has a remote starter on it, I am honest with the customer and tell them the truth. I got that honesty from my dad. He never lied to us growing up and never sugar-coated the truth either. I find in my life that it is easier to be 100% truthful 100% of the time than to try and remember the half-truth you told and keep the story straight.
What sets my dad apart from everyone else that I have relationships with in my life is the love for Christ that he has. Both my mom and dad center everything they do in life around Christ, His word, and His love for us. I try to pass that along to my children and I make sure I emphasize having Christ at the center of their lives and how important it is to be honest.
Kevin, I agree that you should secure a building and teammates because it is the right thing to do not because someone tells you to. We secure our homes and automobiles because it is the right thing to do not because someone told us to. Along with having all the correct fire suppression and containment equipment, I also think that making sure that one’s fire and building insurance is up to date and adequate to cover any physical and/or data loss. If an organization isn’t covered policy wise correctly that can mean huge out-of-pocket expenses to them and their clients or customers.
Kevin, I liked your scenario about Russia and Ukraine. Russia was out to get Ukraine for several years. First attacking their infrastructure with viral hacks and viruses and then with an all-out war. I found it interesting to read about Ukraine’s “IT Army” fighting back against Russia. I find it interesting that malware can be used for good just as easily as it can for evil.
Kevin, great to be in another class with you, and as always thanks for making it a great one. I agree with your statement about training. You can have the most up-to-date state-of-the-art fire detection, fire suppression, firewalls, security protocols and policies, and a well-trained security officer and team but if none of the staff or employees know how to train for a scenario or how to react should one happen that is all a lot of wasted time and money. As you said, good ole training will help to reduce the risk of a disaster or breech and also help to mitigate the damage should one occur.
Marcena I think we shared some of the same views on how to prevent fire. One thing I think people forget is common sense and staying calm, should a fire happen. I have never been the victim of a fire where almost everything was lost, but I have family members that have. It is devastating to lose everything but in most cases the fires they were victim to could have been avoided. Fire safety training is so important and I don’t think enough companies and organizations have regular or any fire safety training. Like Kevin said other than maps telling us where we are and where the exit is and how to get there, there is no training.
Marcena, great post. Awesome job on explaining the ransomware scenario. I have done research about ransomware for a few of my other courses here at OCU and it seems that a vast majority of attacks are done for financial gain of some kind. I think I have only read a few cases where the attack was done for something other than financial gain. When Russia- Ukraine war started they had cybercriminals that attacked some Russian financial information just to share it with the world because they felt the war was unnecessary.
Marcena, I agree with your ways of planning for a disaster. I sometimes wonder how many employers have regular disaster and fire training with their employees. I think that ensuring that each employee knows and understands and has the skills to identify potential threats and how to safeguard against them is critical in keeping everyone in the physical location safe and keeping the data safe. I had to install a fire detection system in the daycare center that was run in our church. After installing it and testing it, I had to make weekly trips there to do fire drills. At first, they would know the time and day I was coming, but then just to catch them off guard and make it seem more realistic, I would just stop in and set the alarm off. It was important to make sure that all the staff and children knew how to get out of the building safely and in a timely manner.
I am currently not struggling with a vice but there was a time in my life when I did struggle with something. While it wasn’t a demon or an evil spirit it did hold me day and night for several years. I would do good for a while and then it would take control of my life and consume me. While I never hurt anyone or committed a crime, it did have control of my mind, soul, and body. Not until I admitted I needed help and cried out to Jesus early in the morning in May 0f 2019, did I get the peace and help I needed from Him. I don’t understand how people can face demons and evil vices in their lives and not have Jesus to help them through it. Jesus hears our cries for help and He is willing and able to come to us, all we have to do is ask. That could be in the form of a prayer, a request, or an all-out cry for help. Jesus heard my cry for help and saved me from that demon.
A security officer’s duties not only include protecting the organization’s data and thwarting cyber attacks, it is also making sure the proper fire and safety policies and procedures are in place. Making sure the organization complies with local city and state fire regulations is important but there are other things as a security officer that can be implemented.
One thing is to make sure that every person that works in the physical location knows and understands the fire plan and procedure. Make sure that the route is clear and well-marked. Making sure that everyone knows what to do in case of a fire will make sure that no one is injured or dies in a fire.
Making sure that all potential items or situations that could cause a fire are dealt with promptly. Make routine inspections of problematic areas in the location. Taking care of those issues before it’s too late will help to ensure that a fire doesn’t happen.
Make sure you have the correct fire suppression system installed and that it works properly. Not only overhead sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers but chemical suppression as well. I remember going into the server room with my brother when he worked in the IT department at our local university. The room had its separate fire suppression system installed and could be activated remotely and independently from the rest of the suppression system in the building.
Regular practices and drills will help make sure everyone is on the same page and understands what to do in the case of a fire. A security officer needs to make sure that local first responders have the current and updated information for the organization and that the organization has the correct first responder information as well.
The last thing I think that a security officer can implement is making sure the work environment is clean, safe, and secure. A security officer needs to walk the grounds of the property and make sure that not only the inside structure is maintained properly but the outside as well.
In 2022, T-Mobile was the target of more than 100 separate incidents. Three different cybercriminal groups claimed to have access to the internal networks of the communication giant. All three of the cybercriminal groups gained access to T-Mobile data by using a Phishing scam that said customers could get a new SIM card for their devices. The customers would receive a text message that appeared as if it came from T-Mobile but was from a third party. The customers provided their phone numbers and the serial number from the SIM card.
The original goal of the cyber attack was to see how many times the three groups could access the T-Mobile network. The cybercriminal groups posted new numbers each day as to how many times they had accessed the network. It was so easy for them to gain access to the network that by May of 2022 they stopped posting numbers.
The M.O.M of these three cybercriminal groups was perfect for the taking if you ask me. The means they all used was the Phishing scam using the text message to get the customer’s information. The opportunity was there as well and it was an easy opportunity. Each group made the text messages look legit and authentic from T-Mobile, therefore having easy access to the data. The motive was a simple one, to see how many times each group could get access to T-Mobiles internal networks.
The incident in 2022 cost T-Mobile $350 million just in pay-outs to customers. These kinds of incidents stress the importance of making sure their networks are secure, making sure that staff and employees use strong passwords, and making sure that employees and staff have the proper training to detect, engage and defend against any cyber threats.
