June 10th                   Annual Barbecue and Awards Dinner

Drinks 6.00 PM ---- Dinner 7:00PM

We will be presenting two Scholarships.  One to Belinda Larsen, daughter of Jack Larsen and one to Annelise Barber, granddaughter of Frank Nielsen. They will receive $1000 each.

Annalise Barber is pictured here with a  walleby.  She is currently in Australia:

” I would like to thank you all very much for awarding me this scholarship. It will be of great help in funding my upcoming year of University and will allow me to place more focus on my studies in the faculty of Forestry.  I am attaining my degree at the University of British Columbia, studying Natural Resources Conservation; however at the moment I am on exchange at the University of Melbourne for one term. Receiving this scholarship has encouraged me to continue expanding both my academic education and my applied experiences, as I have done during this exchange program.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to the club for offering this award every year and in doing so allowing so many students to pursue their academic goals one step further.”

Belinda Larsen is enrolled in a Liberal and Business Studies program to achieve career goals in Management and Human Resources.

Both of the applicants had excellent grades and credentials.

We were unable to award three other applicants scholarships at this time.  We encourage them to reapply next year.   

Scholarships are awarded at the meeting with the recipients invited to receive their awards and give us a short resume of their aspirations.

 The June meeting is also our annual joke telling contest and last year’s winner Susan Huerther  will be there to defend hers “Jokester” trophy.  It is a lot of fun.  Bring your jokes and try to take top honours away from Susan.

Challenge issued.

President's report

Dear Members:

At our recent dinner we had a continuation of the Viking theme in an insightful and interesting presentation by Syd Heal, including information on modern remnants of Viking settlements on the English west coast.

At our board meeting May 20^th, the executive selected two recipients of this year's scholarship from the applications received before the May 15 deadline.  The scholarship awards will be presented to the recipients by Erik Nordholm at our next BBQ dinner on Wednesday June 10, 2009. 

We will have our traditional information booth at the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival June 20 - 21, and are inviting volunteers.  Please let Bjarne and Arlo know if you can be a volunteer.

Also for your calendar, please mark Saturday, December 5th, which is the date set for our Christmas Party.  Erik and Marsha Unheim have volunteered to be responsible for planning this year's Christmas Party, and I invite you to give your suggestions and input to them, or to any member of the executive board.

I would also like to remind you to bring forward your recommendations for speakers for our dinner meetings this fall, which are starting in September on Wednesday the 9^th.

Our next dinner is our traditional joke telling contest, and the last dinner before the summer.  Bring your great jokes, or just come and listen, on Wednesday, June 10 for a great evening at your Club!

Best Regards,

Jan

Other News

Bornholm Akvavit is now available in BC Liquor Stores for $30.76.

The distributer is Peter Prægel.

We have placed some electronic photo albums in our display case just before the bar at the SCCS. We encourage you to take some photos at our events to display in this medium.

Menu

Starter:         3 regular mini starters (herrings and salmon)

Main:            Beef Tenderloin

                        Seasons Vegetables

                   Salad

Salmon is available for non beef eaters.

Dessert :      Strawberries & Cream      

                        Coffee and Tea

We will be running a series of articles on identity theft and computer security by one of our members Dan Johnson, CD, CFE  of  Forensics by Design.

Here is the first installment:

How can I protect myself from becoming a victim of online Identity Theft?

              To address the question, you must first understand why computer security is an issue.

What is computer security?

                        Computer security is the process of preventing and detecting unauthorized intruders (also referred to as hackers or attackers) from accessing your sensitive information.  Security measures can be implemented to protect sensitive information from theft or corruption, while allowing other information to remain accessible and productive by its intended users.  Internet security also involves the management of your computer's network and internet password accounts.  It is a false perception that you can be 100% secure from unauthorized intrusion.  The application of security programs and procedures reduce your risk to intrusion and attack.

Why is computer security important?                

            Personal and corporate computers are used to communicate or store information.  In our daily routines, we voluntarily and involuntarily surrender the control of our information to others through computers and the internet. Computers use passwords and security programs to protect your sensitive information.  However, due to the human factor and computer system weaknesses, information security cannot be guaranteed.

There are security risks when a computer connects to the internet or a network and begins communicating with other computers.  The complexity of software and applications makes it increasingly difficult to thoroughly test the security of computer systems for vulnerabilities (informally called “holes” or “bugs”).  Consequently, many things don’t work as planned. These vulnerabilities provide avenues for sophisticated attackers to exploit and steal your sensitive information or money. 

Intruders are continuously searching for vulnerabilities in computer systems. There is a large underground economy that profits from stealing information online for identity theft or money.  Using the internet to steal Information has become a big business, frequently operated by organized crime.  These criminal groups employ highly sophisticated computer experts to exploit system vulnerabilities or employ tactics to circumvent a computer’s existing security controls.  Cyber criminals will always strive to find new ways to exploit a computers security measures; therefore, users must be continually vigilant.  All of us can be fooled, especially if we are unfamiliar with methods of attacks, become complacent or are in a hurry.

What are the most common threats to computer security?

            Today, the most prevalent attacks are against internet web browsers and web servers.  The most common threat is “Identity Theft” and “Phishing Attacks.”

Definition of Phishing:  “Phishing is a criminal mechanism employing both social engineering and technical subterfuge to steal consumers’ personal identity data and financial account credentials. Social engineering schemes use spoofed emails purporting to be from legitimate businesses and agencies to lead consumers to counterfeit websites designed to trick recipients into divulging sensitive data such as user names and passwords.”  Phishing Activity Trends Report, 2^nd half 2008, www.apwg.org.

Consumers are becoming more aware about the threat of Identity Theft, Phishing, and scams to steal information. Criminal organizations are involved in Identity Theft and Phishing as it is becoming more profitable than the illegal drug trade.  Where something of value (digital information) exists, resources will be used to steal it.

Your personal information can be compromised at any time.  Next month, I will discuss common methods of attacks used by intruders and strategies you can use to reduce your risk to online identity theft.

RSVP is to Henrik Laursen   604.244.9300 ,  susan-henrik@shaw.ca

Bjarne Christoffersen 604.528.9290, Fax 604.528.6163, vikingm@shaw.ca

Visit our Website for news     sbc@scandinaviancentre.org