Posted on by Cam

Protect Your Identify

We are living in an era where people share everything on social media, where they are, and what are they doing?

As human beings, we need to be careful about what we tell the world and how we protect ourselves. Sometimes people in the are watching your every move or what you do in a bad way.

Cyber threats are on the rise every day, and some of these attacks are social engineering campaigns based on what you’re posting and doing. Here are some tips on “How to protect your identify”.

Don’t overshare

Most social media platforms and apps ask users to provide information about themselves, and then display this information on their profile. Be mindful of what you provide. The more information a scammer has about you, the more likely they are to set up a fake account using your personal information. If an application allows it, choose to keep your profile private.

Question quizzes and surveys

Be careful when you’re taking online quizzes. Be wary of quizzes that solicit personal information from you. Scammers pose questions with answers that you might use on security login forms, such as: 

Your first car 

Your first pet name 

Your hometown

Protect your family

Always ask for permission from family members, friends or colleagues. Some people aren’t as active on social media as you are and don’t want their identity to be public knowledge.

Protect Your Personal Identity 

Be careful about what you share on social media. Do not share personal information like your date of birth or home address. Check the privacy settings for each social media account. You might want to limit who can view your friends list, your contacts and photos. Keep your social media accounts private so only friends and family members can view your posts and other personal information. 

Watch out for Scammers

Phishing is when someone pretending to be someone from Facebook or Twitter or another social media platform sends you an email pretending to be from them. For example, they might tell you that your account is hacked or that your password needs to be changed.

In phishing emails, you’ll be asked to click a link and provide your login credentials. Then, they’ll use those credentials to get into your accounts.

To tell if you’ve been phished, look out for unusual or misspelled or grammatically incorrect information. Hover over hyperlinks and see if they take you to a website that isn’t related to the sender of your email.

Be careful whom you accept friend requests from 

Accept only friend requests from friends you know, and don’t reply to messages or click on links from strangers.

Advertisements
Posted on by Cam

I Am Changing

Yes, you heard it right, “I am changing”. Every day that I’m opening my eyes to something new, I know it’s another day that’s giving me the chance to make a difference or find something new. Every day we should be open to learning something new or accepting more of who we’ve become.

When I think about my past and where I am in my career, I think about how I’ve changed as a person over the years. As I look back at my past, I’m thankful that I’m still that voice in the wilderness for other women out there who want to work in IT. I talk to other women sometimes, and we all go through the same struggles of feeling like we don’t belong in a company that’s so resistant to change.

As I reflect on those who have paved that way for us to do this. I am grateful that I am paving the way for other women as well. I have not had an easy career path with some of the struggles that I have came across but guess what it made me a better person and I have learned from it.

I wanted to tell you a bit about the book. I’ll post a pre order link on my website closer to the book’s release date, and I’ll personally sign the book and mail it to you.

Advertisements
Posted on by Cam

What You Waiting For?

I keep asking myself, “What are you waiting for?” I know there aren’t many women in your industry, but don’t let that stop you from reaching your goals. Set the bar for others to aspire to the same level of success in Information Technology.

I went through a time in my career where I struggled to find a place to work that accepted me because it was a new concept to a lot of men in this industry who were not accustomed to having a woman in their workplace. Is it worth it?

I remember when I worked at the Trap House. It was exciting for them to say they had a female in IT now. It sometimes made my day to see them see me doing a role that they were most likely seeing a man do. To know that I am capable of anything I set my mind to and that I can do what the men do and better.

When I started getting my first hands-on experience, I started volunteering at my alma mater’s IT department. I had a good relationship with several of the IT admin’s in the building at which I took all my classes. I went into one of them and expressed my interests and aspirations. At the time, there weren’t many women in my industry pursuing a career in the IT field as I did, so I learned a lot from this individual and was eager to learn more.

Once I graduated from college, my career took a backseat because a lot of guys weren’t ready to close the gender gap at the time they hired me. I went to the finish line and all I heard was, “I don’t think you’d be a good fit for our team.” I was learning the hard way that my career wasn’t a safe space for me as a woman.

During this time, I tried to do things in my life that I didn’t feel passionate about but I knew my heart was in IT. I didn’t give up. I kept working on it.

This is a chapter in my book, and I’m giving you a sneak peek before it hits shelves in 2024. So what are you waiting on?

Advertisements
Posted on by Cam

Mental Health

I often say to myself, “I need to look out for myself more than I do the people and business I work for,” but the truth is, a lot of companies don’t care if you’re mentally stressed. They don’t check on the people who work in information technology because all you’re thinking about is that the issue you have is worth screaming/stressing those people who put their lives on the line to keep the company going.

Now that I’m older, I’ve learned to set limits on what I’m willing to put my mind to. There were times when I let my work grind to a halt. I didn’t say anything, didn’t think I needed to take a break, and even when I did, I returned to a mountain of work or 99 problems and useless drama. Knowing that your coworkers didn’t know how to do their job effectively without you around.

Deep down, you know you’ve had enough. You know it’s okay to take a break during your workday to do something that relaxes your mind and helps you unwind from the pressures of work and home. No one outside of work knows what you go through when you come home. The only people who might know are the people you want to talk to about what’s going on in your life right now. Family and friends can be limited in their support, especially when they don’t know what you’re going through or what to do during your downtime.

Learning new ways to cope with your mental health is a life lesson in itself. I don’t have many people I can talk to and vent to. I used to write my feelings down in my journal and sometimes I would just listen to music or go for a drive just to get away from everything going on in my head.

There are resources for positivity to help you through what you are going through. I’ve gone to counseling to talk to a stranger and cry to let out some tears. I feel good knowing that this person is keeping my life information private. I’m not a private person and I don’t feel comfortable sharing all my business on social media for people who could care less about you. They just want to show you how perfect your life is when life isn’t perfect. We all experience things in life that are good and bad.

Advertisements
Posted on by Cam

Comfortable

Sorry I haven’t written anything in a long time but I have been going through a lot. I recently went to go see the Beyonce concert/movie this weekend and yes it brought me back together again. I was so happy that Beyonce did talk about the struggles Black women do have to go through and how so many times you have to keep repeating yourself to be heard or act in a manner that not professional to be heard.

I was so messed up inside that I didn’t have the courage to write or to be the “voice of reason”. I’m comfortable and comfortable with being me. It’s okay for others to accept certain people’s behavior and when you tell them how you feel or what’s bothering you but nothing’s been done to fix it.

I am not going to stop being me and if you can not accept me for the person who I am and I do not want anything to do with you. I have been at a few workplaces in my career and know I do a good job at what I do. Yet people still want to disrespect you for what you do and do not understand how much you have been through in your career and it’s not easy being a black woman in a corporate environment. One thing I am not going to do is let someone disrespect me and not speak up about how I feel especially if nothing is being done about what I am telling you about.

After listening to Beyonce speak about the challenges she faced as a black woman living in a predominantly white environment, I was motivated again. I will finish my book. I will continue to be the black woman who isn’t afraid to tell her story. I will be the black woman in my career who can help other women accept themselves and know that they are boss lady.

I’ll be done with my book by year’s end and I’m the boss girl. I’m on my way to continue to thrive and nothing will destroy my spirit or kill my mood. God has given me a special gift and a special mission. It won’t be easy, but me not speaking up about injustice in my industry will never end.

I hope whoever’s reading this knows that I’m back, and there’s nothing the devil can do to kill me, steal me, or ruin me. The evil will never win, and God yes, you will win for everything I’ve done and learned. And yet I keep going.

I hope I’ll keep inspiring others and continue to be that example to them so they know she didn’t let it hold her back.

I am officially back!!!

Advertisements