These Everyday Devices Can Be Hacked

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The internet of things (IoT) is responsible for many conveniences via embedded electronic devices, and many seniors are making use of these technologies. It is becoming increasingly common for everyday items like refrigerators, thermostats, and doorbells to be internet-connected making our homes and personal information subject to hacking. A hacker will subvert computer security for malicious purposes. Seniors who employ IoT devices for safety and convenience may be less wary of all the ways their devices can be compromised. If you are a senior or have a loved one who is, it is imperative to have them, or a trusted friend, update software from device manufacturers and routinely monitor their devices.

A Smart TV provides many hacking opportunities. The problem can be an annoying prankster blasting the volume control, switching channels, or even ordering movies you did not select. Or the hacker can also compromise your security and safety as your Smart TV is a gateway to other internet-connected devices in your home. TV apps can be data mined for credit card payment information since many manufacturers reuse default passwords, and users neglect to change them. Even companies who sell Smart TVs are now post-purchase monetizing the Smart TV by harvesting your information via data collection and using it for advertising and direct sales of entertainment to the consumer.

Digital Thermostats are a great way to keep heating and cooling costs down. However, a hacker who takes control of your thermostat can crank up the heat or cooling until the owner pays a ransom to regain control of the device. An older person can experience health consequences due to extremes temperatures as well as the anxiety and fear it breeds. Baby monitors are often connected to your home’s Wi-Fi network for the convenience of a mobile app to check the display at any time. Many homes use these monitors for seniors instead of small children. Typically, people do not change the default password on the monitor, meaning that it is visible to the network. A hacker can scan transmitting internet protocol or IP addresses (numerical labels assigned to every device that connects to a computer). Once they have your IP data, they can find the baby monitor and watch you or your loved one at any time. For better protection shop for baby monitors that are made to be invisible to scans. If you have a Samsung smart refrigerator, it can be hacked. The wiring in the fridge leaves the new owner’s Google login credentials out in the wild for a hacker to grab and then infiltrate your home’s IoT devices.

Smart cameras have vulnerability issues allowing a hacker to remotely access audio and video feeds. Be sure to keep track of all of your IoT devices that are network connected. Actively seek out all software and firmware updates for maximum protection against hackers. Smart voice-activated speakers like Alexa, Google, Echo, and many more open up every conversation you have in your home to be monitored by a hacker. Without even being aware, you can divulge sensitive information like doctor appointments, luncheon dates, and upcoming trips. Even your bank account and credit card information can be compromised. If your home security system is connected to your voice-activated speaker, a hacker can turn it off and enter your home.

Even pacemakers are subject to hacking however improbable that might seem. Anyone with bad intentions toward you can remotely change the pace of your heartbeat, which can even result in your death. Implanted medical devices, in general, are now subject to more stringent controls that use code to secure data and instructions in these devices and monitor them in real-time. Talk with your medical professional to know that you are protected against medical hackers.

Default passwords need to change in order to protect your devices from hackers. Most internet-connected devices have simple default passwords, and a search run on the name brand of a device will often yield the manufacturer’s default password. When you change your password, make it very strong, and use unique passwords for each device. Out of convenience, many seniors will use the same password for everything. In this case, if a hacker gets into one device, they can be in all of them if you do not use different passwords.

Cell phones, home Wi-Fi routers, and even landline voicemail are susceptible to hacking. Inexpensive signal-proof cases are good to use for protection when you are out in public. It is possible for a hacker to clone your phone in seconds while standing next to you and they will get everything you store on your phone. Home Wi-Fi routers must be up to date on all software and firmware, and a unique, strong password can help protect you from hackers. Once a hacker gains access, all of your devices connected via the internet of things have been compromised as the router is the nerve center of your digital footprint. Many seniors still like to have a landline telephone and its associated voicemail. Passwords to access voicemail must be very secure, or a hacker can listen in to your conversations as well as delete potentially important messages.

All senior grandparents love pictures of their family to be proudly displayed. Picture frames that are digital and allow you to scroll through photos or change an art display with the swipe of a hand are vulnerable. If your frame becomes hacked, a thief can discern non-active times in your home by the frame’s ambient light sensors and can plan a robbery while you are away.

Garage door openers are also able to be hacked if you have a newer smart version device. A hacker can monitor garage door activity and identify times when you are not at home. It is very convenient for a burglar to avoid encountering people during a robbery. Be sure to update a manufacturer’s default password setting to something difficult to break, and a would-be robber will move to an easier target.

Cars and Self-driving cars can be hacked. It doesn’t take a lot of equipment to break into and start a vehicle, even disabling the alarm system. Car thieves now employ sophisticated hacking technology, especially when they must bypass the electronic anti-theft systems. If a self-driving car is hacked, the attacker can take direct control over the throttle, brake, and steering while remaining anonymous as to their identity and location creating a very dangerous scenario.

Convenience comes at a cost to your privacy when using the internet of things. Taking the necessary steps to protect your devices from hackers is of paramount importance. Once secure procedures are in place, it is crucial to monitor for suspicious activity that can lead to robbery, electronic banking theft, and more. Taking control of your internet-enabled devices is essential to protect your home and your strategy for aging successfully. No one wants to be victimized by unwanted hackers.

If you have any questions or need guidance with your planning or planning for a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact our Ruston, Louisiana office by calling us at (318) 255-1760.

 

Researchers Find Bacteria Behind Many New Diseases

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Health experts have been advising people for years about unhealthy habits being the cause of “lifestyle” diseases that are increasing across the US. These lifestyle diseases become more common with age and include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease. Around the globe, these diseases account for 70 percent of all deaths. New Scientist magazine is reporting evidence suggesting bacteria are to blame for the diseases and that this finding will herald the coming of a revolution in medicine.

However, don’t stop healthy habits just yet; findings in disease after disease indicate that bacteria are covertly involved which complicates the problem. Bacteria will invade bodily organs and then co-opt the immune system in a sort of parasitic relationship as the bacteria boosts their survival while making the human body break down. In theory, if the bacteria microbes can be stopped, there is a potential to defeat disease conditions like heart attacks or Alzheimer’s.

How can such an all-encompassing and seemingly simple underlying cause be overlooked for decades? Bacteria have eluded scientists because they work very slowly. Like a terrorist sleeper cell, the bacteria can hide or lay dormant for long periods inside of cells, and that makes them difficult to grow as a culture. DNA sequencing informs scientists and researchers that bacteria are in places they were never known or supposed to be and shaping the body’s inflammation responses.

The medical community is up-ended by this startling paradigm shift in disease causation. The information is so contrary to the current medical understanding that some scientists and researchers are only cautiously optimistic. Many scientists have spent years looking for answers to the root cause of diseases and are left frustrated by their inability to identify the reasons.

The worst offenders in the link between bacteria and disease are gum diseases. So it is bacteria that cause gum disease that is responsible for the most widespread disease of aging. Maurizio Tonetti of the University of Hong Kong calls gum disease “the most prevalent disease of mankind.” Gum disease is prevalent in 60 percent of Americans aged 65 or more. Germ theory finds the bacterial culprit known as Porphyromonas gingivalis  (P. gingivalis) is linked to the broadest array of disease conditions.

Source New Scientist August 10-16, 2019

Source New Scientist August 10-16, 2019

Gum disease is releasing bacterial P. gingivalis into your bloodstream and promoting inflammation long before an infected tooth falls out. Americans 30 and older have a 43 percent rate of some form of gum disease, and many find dental insurance an added expense they didn’t think worth the price. What a price it turns out to be. Since bacteria cause diseases and bacteria are prevalent in the majority of Americans, what can be done to manage the role of these bacteria within the body’s immune system?

Some companies are developing drugs that will block specific inflammatory signals or responses to slow disease progression. Even if the goal to prevent a limited number of signals or responses is successful, it is unclear what tampering with the human immune system can unleash. While being a relatively simple identification with the advent of DNA sequencing, bacteria still manages to host itself in the body’s vastly complex immune system. This situation makes for a complicated fix.

Once P. gingivalis enters the bloodstream, it changes its surface protein. This change allows the bacteria to cloak itself inside the immune system’s white blood cells. Even within the cells themselves, they enter into its lining arteries. Here it can remain dormant and primarily undetected until it wakes to invade a new cell. Because bacteria are so hidden, antibiotics will not identify it to kill it, and immune defenses do not respond to it. There is much to consider from research and experimental perspectives.

Understanding the underlying cause of many diseases is a breakthrough, but an application for preventing disease based on this information is still in the developing stages. While the future does look brighter, it is always a good idea to live an overall healthy lifestyle.

If you have questions or would like to schedule a time to discuss your planning needs, please don’t hesitate to contact our Ruston, Louisiana office by calling (318) 255-1760.

 

Yours, Mine and Ours. Who gets the “stuff?” The Senior Divorce Edition

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Divorce after 50 can be an eye-opener for many. Your kids are gone and no longer the biggest concern. Instead, you are concerned about retirement. You want to hang on to some financial security because you know it will cost more to live apart than to live together. How are you going to divide the “stuff.”

You may be in for a surprise.

Louisiana is a community property state. As a general rule, everything you accumulated (assets and debt) is owned one-half by your spouse. How property is titled does not determine whether it is a community asset or not. Likewise, who earned money or who stayed home and cared for the children does not matter.

Let’s consider John and Sarah.

Married for 25 years, John works at the plant, and Sarah stays home with the kids. John accumulated a large 401K. Some of the 401K came from several years before they married. One-half of the portion accumulated during the marriage belongs to Sarah.

John’s credit was lousy, so when the couple needed a new car, Sarah borrowed the money. As a result, she put the title in her name. John owns one-half of the vehicle and owes one-half of the debt.

John lost his dad a few years ago, and he inherited his dad’s old truck. Sarah does not own any of it.

It’s not always this straightforward.

What about the debt or property you brought into the marriage? Did you pay off your spouse’s student loans from before the wedding? How about that remodel project on the rent house that your spouse inherited? Are you living in a house the two of you built on your spouse’s family land? Did you start a business with a friend? Your spouse inherited mineral rights that paid him monthly, and he put that in the savings account. Who owns that? Were you or your spouse married before? All of these issues can complicate the division.

Need help?

Dividing your community property in Louisiana can be very complicated. Therefore, before you make decisions regarding how to split up the”stuff,” call us. We can help untangle the knot. 318-255-1760.

 

 

Google May Have a New Use for Your Health Records

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When Google Inc became a publicly-traded company in 2004, its founders wrote a letter that said, in part, Google and its employees are “committed to significantly improving the lives of as many people as possible.” Google is famously known for its search engine and is part of many inter-related technology companies under the parent company Alphabet. High tech companies are becoming more plural in their pursuits and more pervasive in our daily lives than ever before. The mission of Google is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” This mission now includes your health data.

Without explicit permission, Google’s Project Nightingale, under the corporation’s Cloud Division, is gathering the health records of millions of Americans to data-mine and ‘crunch’ comprehensive personal health records using artificial intelligence and machine learning. Some of the data categories include doctor diagnoses, lab results, hospitalization records, as well as patient names and dates of birth. In conjunction with the second-largest health system in the United States, St Louis-based Ascension, health care Project Nightingale’s task is “ultimately improving outcomes, reducing costs, and saving lives.”

As altruistic as that may seem, there is another goal that is, unsurprisingly, financially motivated. Documents show that both Google and nonprofit Ascension are hoping to create a centralized framework that, beyond improving patient care, identifies additional tests that may be necessary or other actions that can generate more revenue from patients. This goal is allegedly stated in documents. By engineering a comprehensive search tool for medical records Ascension and its chain of 2.600 hospitals, doctors’ offices, labs, and other facilities will have a system that can provide real-time (fast) records and project further medical activity based on information deemed as best patient outcome through the use of a medical search tool. Google gets the rights to its developed platform so that it can sell similar frameworks to other health systems.

Privacy experts assert that Project Nightingale is permissible under current federal law. Still, some Ascension employees are raising questions about transparency, data collection and sharing methods from a technological, as well as an ethical perspective. The recently published Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article about Nightingale came to be because of an anonymous whistleblower who shares the same concerns about privacy and transparency as some of the Ascension employees. Someone familiar with the project says there are currently at least 150 Google employees who already have unfettered access to the majority of the health data on tens of millions of patients, and neither doctors nor patients have been notified.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) generally allows for the sharing of data between hospitals and business partners without advising patients as long as the information in use is “only to help the covered entity carry out its health care functions.” According to what is known about Project Nightingale, this includes data mining to recommend more medical testing to monetize patients, at their weakest moment, when they are ill.

There is no doubt there is a privacy problem in the US because of the ubiquitous nature of technology in our daily lives, but what is the tradeoff? Certainly, no one would be against improving outcomes, reducing costs, and saving lives, but how the corporate world goes about innovations that will meet these goals must be completely transparent to the public when it comes to taking personal health information and records. In much the same way as social media entities monetize its user base for advertising revenue, a similar methodology is being employed in the health care world to increase revenue under the guise of creating better patient outcomes. How are costs going to be reduced when an allegedly documented goal of this project is to generate more revenue from patients? How are your medical records to remain private when behemoth corporate entities like Google and Ascension operate under the letter of the law but not its spirit? In the digital age, we find ourselves living in communicating openly and being transparent about goals is a good start.

If you have any questions or need guidance in your planning or planning for a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact our Ruston, Louisiana office by calling (318) 255-1760.

 

Some Genetic Testing May Be Bogus

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An alert has been issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General about a fraud scheme that involves genetic testing. The warning is for Medicare beneficiaries across the nation, and the federal government is working with law enforcement to put an end to the schemes. Already charges against 35 individuals have been brought for their alleged participation in healthcare fraud that accounts for 2.1 billion dollars in losses nationwide. The scam is perpetrated on the Medicare system at large and individual level.

First, the “recruiters” or “marketers” bogusly involve themselves with their targeted Medicare seniors. Typically, the scammer targets the victim through door-to-door visits, telemarketing calls, and booths at public events or health fairs. Some schemes even target retirement communities, offering free ice cream sundaes or gift cards to learn about this fantastic new genetic testing technology.

The deception begins with the offer of “free” screening, testing kit sent to your home via the mail, or an onsite cheek swab for genetic testing followed by obtaining the person’s Medicare information for fraudulent billing activity or identity theft. If the scam artist (“recruiter”) is working with an unethical doctor, they will pay that doctor a kickback in exchange for ordering the test.

Once the lab processes the test, Medicare will reimburse the lab, and the lab then shares the proceeds of that reimbursement with the scammer. Genetic testing fraud occurs when an analysis or screening is performed but not ordered by a Medicare beneficiary’s treating physician and not considered medically necessary. If Medicare denies the claim, the recipient who permitted the screening becomes responsible for the entire cost of the test. The average price of personal genetic analysis ranges from 9,000 to 11,000 dollars.

Examples of genetic testing fraud can include, but are not limited to, the following screenings or tests:

  • Cancer and hereditary cancer
  • DNA
  • Dementia
  • Parkinson’s
  • Pharmacogenomics or medication metabolization

What is the best way to avoid the genetic testing scam? If you receive a genetic testing kit in the mail, do not accept it unless you are sure your physician ordered it. Make certain it is sent from the doctor-approved company before opening it. If your physician did not order the test, refuse the delivery of it or return it unopened to the sender while keeping a record of the sender’s name and the date the item was returned. You can also report the sender’s information directly to the HHS OIG Hotline. Be skeptical of anyone offering a free genetic testing kit in exchange for providing your Medicare number. Once they have your Medicare data, it is easy for a scammer to compromise your data in additional fraud schemes. Guard your Medicare information, and if anyone other than your physician’s office is requesting your Medicare number, do not provide it.

Medicare has a fraud hotline, and if you suspect you are a target, report the incident immediately. Again, you can report or submit a complaint to the HHS OIG Hotline.

Be sure to always review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Certain words or phrases indicate a questionable genetic test may have been completed. Words like laboratory, molecular pathology, and gene analysis are suspect and may indicate fraud, which you should immediately report as a billing error or possible fraud to your Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) or the Health and Human Services Hotline.

Genetic testing is a fantastic tool made possible by scientific advancement, human genome sequencing, and increased computing capabilities. Twenty-five years ago, obtaining personal genetic information was inconceivable, but today the data can be obtained with a saliva sample. The test can provide information about your ancestors and assess your disease risk. Because the tests are expensive, it did not take long for scam artists to find ways to extract illicit financial gains from Medicare and its beneficiaries. Be aware of how scam artists target you and your personal information to avoid being a victim.

If you need any help with your planning or planning for a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact our Ruston office by calling us at (318) 255-1760.

 

Do Seniors Have Too Many Prescriptions?

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease in the US accounts for one in every four deaths or about 610,000 people. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women. And yet, mcknightsseniorliving.com is reporting that in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease deaths have increased by 123 percent while deaths from heart disease have decreased by 11 percent. Alzheimer’s is currently the sixth-leading cause of death in the US, and one of every three seniors dies with some form of dementia. These numbers should give the government, and the health care industry pause as the silver tsunami of baby boomers continues into retirement. Current projections of Alzheimer’s disease-associated costs could be as much as 1.1 trillion dollars.

Currently, Alzheimer’s disease has no cure, and there is little hope for a near term solution. One bright spot on the horizon is the application of precision medicine. Precision medicine essentially drops the “one-size” fits all treatment model. Instead, it customizes health solutions based on each individual’s unique situation using technology. This precision approach is increasingly moving into real-world clinical settings and meeting with success. The components of medical data needed for input include a patient’s genome, bio-specimens, medications, medical history, demographics, diet, and lifestyle. All of these elements play a role in the customization of a precision medicine health plan.

One company practicing precision medicine is uMethod. At umethod.com there is a program called RestoreU METHOD that blends diagnostic tests, cognitive assessment, and lifestyle review information and then tailors a specific plan for each patient. These patients are specifically suffering from mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia, or mild Alzheimer’s disease. A personalized precision medical plan leads to better outcomes for patients. Data from RestoreU Method Health’s clinical efforts are reporting a very promising 76 percent improvement of memory or at least a cessation of the patient’s decline in memory.

One analysis by uMethod studies indicates that participants were on average, taking 15 drugs (not related to Alzheimer’s). Many of those drugs were contributory factors to the patient’s cognitive decline. The technology, specifically artificial intelligence (AI), proved far better at identifying issues and adjusting medications accordingly. AI is faster and more accurate at identifying drug to drug and drug to genome interactions that may worsen symptoms of Alzheimer’s. A potential drug interaction is when two medications known to interact are concurrently prescribed whether or not an adverse event occurs. These drug interactions may very well provoke life-threatening consequences, especially in the case of an elderly, frail patient. Because many seniors have co-morbidities the risk of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) is substantially increased. Over the past decade, the use of multi-drug regimes among the elderly has risen tremendously, and thus, the increased need for technology to be able to assess their complex interactions reliably.

Processing big data about patients allows AI to apply medical knowledge to specific criteria and thoroughly and quickly present an array of medical solutions and plans. These plans are highly detailed for the attending physician but are simplified for the patient. As a patient’s symptoms change over time, updated data can be input, and AI can recommend therapy changes that best address a patient’s dementia issues.

Developing treatments and possible drug cures for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are going to remain a challenge for the foreseeable future. Multiple prescription medication interactions may be causing more harm than good to patients as the incidence of Alzheimer’s related deaths continues to increase at an alarming rate. What are your strategies in the event you become diagnosed with cognition problems that may lead to some form of dementia?

Typically, dementias have a long pre-clinical phase followed by mild, medium, and severe category assessments. Medical directives that are specifically designed to address dementia issues are available. Check into precision medicine and how it might become part of a dementia directive you would like to have.

Contact our Ruston office today by calling (318) 255-1760 and schedule an appointment to discuss how we can help you with your planning.