Grab Bag

We’ve got several things to discuss this time: an update on protecting yourself online, blood sugar monitors that don’t require a prescription, and digital video recorders for over-the-air TV. Let’s get to it!

Lock access to your Social Security Information

Besides just checking the social security website at ssa.gov every so often to make sure none of your information has been changed, you should lock access to your social security information by going to https://myeverify.uscis.gov/ creating an account then selecting Self Lock.

National Public Data Breach Update

We discussed the National Public Data breach last time. Well, a friend has put together a document that explains that breach well as breaches in general and will walk you through the process of locking your credit reports and your social security number. You’ll need a Google account and you can retrieve the document from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A9tUjJSkP2kQjdO8q6kAJ9MQgfSzeGfh/view?usp=sharing - and, yes, I’ve verified that link will take you to his document.

Internet Service Providers have been hacked

It was bound to happen. The Chinese have introduced a hack into at least 4 ISPs. What is an ISP? It’s the company you use to get on the Internet from home. It might be Comcast/Xfinity, Spectrum, Wave, Sonic, or any of the other ISPs. I tried but I could not find exactly which ISPs were hacked.

This hack is really serious as it allows the hackers to siphon ALL of the traffic flowing through your Internet provider. They exploited a previously unknown flaw in a commonly used piece of network management software. You can read more about it at https://www.crn.com/news/security/2024/5-things-to-know-on-china-linked-exploits-of-versa-networks-flaw. What can you do about it? If your communications are all encrypted then you are covered because the hackers won’t be able to decipher them. How? Make sure that any web sites you visit use HTTPS as that means your communications to and from that site are securely encrypted. If you use apps you should try to check with the app developer to verify that they use a secure communications method. If you can’t verify that then consider using a VPN (yes, even at home) as that will ensure your communications are securely encrypted through your Internet Service Provider. My friend has also prepared another document that discusses this breach. You can get to it at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qeXiTAax4rWmkQHOcAYUOnpJ2DFZ__5x/view?usp=sharing.

Monitor your blood sugar without a prescription

Some of us are type 2 diabetics meaning we need medication to keep our blood glucose/sugar in check but we don’t need to inject insulin. It’s been a good idea to try to keep track of your glucose on a regular basis by either pricking your finger and applying the resulting drop of blood to a glucose test strip or use a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). The former you could buy online but the latter required a prescription from your doctor. A CGM is a convenient way to monitor your glucose as it takes readings periodically, usually every minute, and reports the reading to a companion app on your smart phone. But many insurance providers would not pay for a CGM for a type 2 diabetic so we had to pay for it out of pocket or just live with sticking our fingers to make sure our glucose was in check. No more! The two main CGM providers, Dexcom and Abbott Labs have gotten FDA approval for over the counter glucose monitors. The Dexcom offering is called Stelo and is available now at stelo.com for $99 for a month’s supply or $89 if you subscribe to regular delivery. The Abbott offering should be available soon. You can read more about both offerings at https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/dexcom-launches-first-over-the-counter-continuous-glucose-monitor-here-s-what-it-s-like/ar-AA1prT3K.

Over The Air (OTA) Digital Video Recorders (DVRs)

OTA DVRs have continued to evolve since I last covered them. Pretty much every TV station has migrated to digital Over The Air transmissions using the ATSC 1.0 standard. Several well known manufacturers have significantly upgraded their DVRs and provide access to those channels but I think only one is simple yet powerful enough for me to suggest you take a look at. Tablo has both 2 tuner and 4 tuner DVRs which you can read about and buy at https://www.tablotv.com/product/. Why multiple tuners? So you can watch and record multiple channels at once. And both devices come with onboard storage that gives you 50+ hours of storage for recordings. Don’t forget that there is a new standard that is slowly being adopted and that is ATSC 3.0. Unfortunately my suggested pick isn’t compatible with ATSC 3.0 but the FCC has said that TV stations must continue to offer ATSC 1.0 until at least 2027 (see https://cordcuttersnews.com/the-fcc-says-tv-stations-must-continue-to-offer-free-atsc-1-0-ota-tv-as-they-roll-out-3-0-extending-its-1-0-deadline-in-a-huge-win-for-cord-cutters/ for details).

That’s all for this time

I hope you’ve enjoyed this grab bag of information. Please take action to secure your personal accounts. Check out Stelo if you’re a type 2 diabetic or are just interested in monitoring your blood glucose/sugar. And if you use an antenna take a look at the current crop of OTA DVRs. Don't hesitate to write to me if you have questions!

As always, my intent is to help you understand the basics and equip you to search for more detailed information.

Please feel free to email me with questions, comments, suggestions, requests for future columns, to sign up for my newsletter, or whatever at [email protected] or just drop me a quick note and say HI!

If you like, you can read my most recent newsletter in the Hillsboro Times Gazette at https://go.ttot.link/TG-Column - I should have that link updated shortly after this edition of the newsletter appears in the online version of the newspaper.