Good to Know Info

This Sunday, January 28th, is Data Privacy day. In this age of technology it is very easy to forget that everything you do online is stored somewhere. Do you know where your name, social security number, birthday, or images are on the internet? The Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer protection knows that many people do not know the answer to the above question. This Sunday on Data Privacy day take a few minutes to think about your digital foot print and what you can do to make it smaller and more protected. The Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer protection have provided steps you can take to protect yourself. 

• Delete apps that they no longer use. Having an abundance of unused, out-of-date apps can create vulnerabilities that could threaten your accounts and your devices.
• Purge the application permissions list in their social media accounts. Many people use their social media accounts to log into other services rather than creating usernames and passwords for those apps. These connections could give the third-party service the right to reuse information from your social account such as your name, birthdate, contacts and even your messages. This could put your social accounts at risk if a linked service is compromised.
• Review the settings of each app to see which services it accesses in their devices. Some apps may access your device's camera, seek your physical location (using information from GPS, cellular and Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth), or access your device's mobile pay features. Turn off any connections you are uncomfortable with or delete the app altogether.
• Pay close attention to requests for data or device services that appear during the setup stage for a new app or online account. If you are uncomfortable with any of the data or services that the program will utilize, deny the request.
• Update passwords. Be sure they are long and strong, with a combination of at least eight uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.
• Update all web-enabled devices to the latest operating system and antivirus package in order to protect against the newest viruses and vulnerabilities.
• Remind friends and family members not to click on links in unsolicited emails or social media posts and to avoid completing unsolicited surveys that ask for personal information.

Click Here to see the rest of the Data Privacy press release. 

In Progress Legislation

As we patiently wait for my Harvest for Hope and Second Start bills to be taken up for a full vote in the Assembly, there are other exciting pieces of legislation coming through the Pubic Benefit Reform Committee that I chair.

Last week Governor Walker introduced a package of Special Session bills pertaining to Wisconsin's Welfare system. I am very excited to hear all ten bills in a joint public hearing next week in the Public Benefit Reform Committee. 

More people are employed than ever before in the state of Wisconsin, but we still have many businesses that are hurting for help. The package of bills hold a common goal of encouraging people to move off public assistance and back into the Wisconsin Workforce by helping build skills necessary for the work place and removing barriers that may exist.

Wisconsin can do better, and I am pleased to support these bills. I am looking forward to hearing them with my colleagues in the Senate.