January 3, 2023
Websites of the Month: Community Schemes – “CSOS Connect” Services Going Live
If you are in a Community Scheme such as a Sectional Title development or a residential complex with a Homeowners Association (HOA), keep an eye on the “Shared Living” magazine from the CSOS (Community Schemes Ombud Service) on its Newsletter page. Most of the articles are clearly aimed at Bodies Corporate, HOAs and Managing Agents, but owners and tenants will also find value in many of the topics covered.
Click on Issue 19 (October – December) here and go to page 7 for a short presentation (keep your speakers on) on CSOS Connect’s online services. As at date of writing, only some services are already live, with a full roll-out planned for early 2023. Hopefully interacting with CSOS is about to become a lot better and easier!
Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.
© LawDotNews
November 28, 2022
Website of the Month: Don’t Stress this Silly Season!
“You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights.” (Maya Angelou)
December holidays are a time for winding down, recharging your batteries and sharing some quality family time. But it can also be stressful. There’s a reason we often talk about the “Silly Season”.
Don’t let the pressure get to you! Relax, take a deep breath, and read “10 tips to reduce festive season stress” on the Lionesses of Africa website.
Whatever else you do, enjoy your break!
Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.
© LawDotNews
October 12, 2022
Website of the Month: Solar Power and the Insurance Risk
With our loadshedding woes unlikely to go anywhere soon, more and more property owners are looking to solar power as an alternative to relying on Eskom.
Just be careful that you don’t fall foul of your insurers in the process. “Rules homeowners should know before installing solar power” on MyBroadband lists four technical regulations to be particularly aware of.
For some practical advice on deciding whether or not to go the solar route in the first place, and if so how, read another MyBroadband article “What you should know before installing solar panels and batteries at your home” here. Keep an eye also on the developing story around proposed new Eskom tariffs and “feed-in” tariffs.
Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.
© LawDotNews
July 15, 2022
Website of the Month: Don’t Let Hybrid Work Break Your Company Culture!
As pandemic restrictions ease around the world, many businesses forced by lockdown to “go remote” are torn between returning to office and keeping everyone working remotely. An increasing number are opting for one or other hybrid model, which can come with major benefits but also major challenges. One of those challenges is the risk of losing a cohesive company culture built up over years and perhaps decades of in-office teamwork. Have a read of PwC’s “Three ways to prevent hybrid work from breaking your company culture” here for some ideas on mitigating that risk. Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.© LawDotNews
May 26, 2022
Website of the Month: Are Your Passwords in the Green?
We all know how vital it is to use strong passwords online, but for a sobering look at just how quickly the “average” cybercriminal can hack any that aren’t up to scratch, go to Hive Systems’ article “Are your passwords in the Green?” here.
Their “Time it takes a hacker to brute force your password in 2022” infographic provides a strong visualization of the weakness and strength of various lengths and types of passwords. Also read the warnings and infographic in the section halfway down the article “What about the elephant in the room; what if my password has been previously stolen, uses simple words, or I reuse it between sites?”
Essential knowledge in these days of soaring online crime!
Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.
© LawDotNews
May 17, 2022
Website of the Month: 3 Things the Most Productive People Do Every Day
“Here’s how to expand your mind’s abilities to get more done”Boosting productivity is one of the fundamentals of success in both our personal and our professional lives. “Get more done in less time” is the perfect strategy for making the most of everything we do, but how to go about it in practice? Our challenge in the Online Age is being swamped by productivity tips of every shape and size – so how do we cut through the noise and get to the nub of what will work for us and what won’t? For a quick and easy summary of three tried-and-tested ideas on cutting through to the essentials, read “3 Things the Most Productive People Do Every Day” on the Barking Up the Wrong Tree website. Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.
© LawDotNews
April 26, 2022
Your Website of the Month: The 9 Key Points of Making a Difficult Decision
“Avoiding a decision is itself a decision … probably the wrong one”Decisions, decisions – we spend our days making them, most of them minor but every now and then a really big, important one comes along. Perhaps it’s something like “Should I resign my 9-to-5 and start up that artisanal bakery business I’ve always dreamed of?” or “Should we sell up and move to the coast?” or even “Should we list on the JSE?”. Whatever difficult decision may be looming over you, remember that delay is tempting but unwise. Rather grab the nettle with the “9 key points” in Psyche’s article “How to make a difficult decision” here. Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.
© LawDotNews
March 1, 2022
Your Website of the Month: How to Avoid Falling Victim to a “Tinder Swindler”
“But love is blind, and lovers cannot see” (Shakespeare)Note: Please think of sharing this article with any family member, friend or colleague who might benefit from knowing which “red flags” to watch for when using dating apps and social media. Even if you haven’t yet watched the hit Netflix film “The Tinder Swindler”, you will know of the huge problem worldwide of swindlers using dating apps and social media to part victims from substantial amounts of money. Hearts are broken, lives ruined, savings lost, huge and unrepayable debts incurred. It’s easy to think “I would never fall for that” but the reality is that everyone is vulnerable – these “romantic fraud” swindlers are masters at using powerful social engineering techniques to identify suitable victims, draw them in, and fleece them of everything. Norton Security provide a wealth of information to help you navigate these shark-infested waters safely in their article “Romance scams in 2022: What you need to know + online dating scam statistics” here. If you read nothing else, have a look at the ones we’ve highlighted for you –
- “What is a romance scam?” (With a list of 7 common ones)
- “How romance scams work” (with Infographic)
- “Warning signs: Lies romance scammers tell” (6 red flags with Infographic “Is Your Cyber Sweetheart Swindling You?”)
- “10 tips to avoid romance scammers and protect yourself” (with a long list of Do’s and Don’ts)
- “How to report an online dating scam”
- “20+ online dating scam statistics” (Infographic “Heartbreaking Statistics”) [The problem’s huge – victims lost around $304 million in 2020 alone]
- “Romance scams on the rise”
- “The real price tags of online dating”
- “Online dating scams and older adults”
- “Who’s most susceptible to romance scams”
- “Stalker ware is trending up”
- “How a romance scam works” (Infographic)
- “Online Dating Advice” (Infographic)
© LawDotNews
December 17, 2021
Your Website of the Month: How to Find and Remove Spyware from Your Cellphone
Our cellphones have, for most of us, become integrated into virtually every aspect of our lives.
Take a moment now to think of how much damage a cybercriminal, or an industrial spy, perhaps even a malicious stalker or vengeful ex-employee, could do both to you personally and to your business if they succeed in getting spyware onto your phone.
Concerned? Firstly be aware that “spyware on your cellphone” is a real threat, and then act immediately to protect yourself.
A good start is this guide to –
- What spyware is,
- What the warning signs of infection are, and
- How to remove it from your mobile devices
Read “How to find and remove spyware from your phone” on ZDNet.
Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.
© LawDotNews