Repercussions of the Ashley Madison Hack Still Mounting

Up until July, 2015, the dating site Ashley Madison was known for it’s sleazy tagline, late night commercials, and oddly direct and explicit marketing towards married men.  But other than that, few people had much to say about the site: it existed since the early 2000’s as something of an immoral outlier in the internet dating scene, but most people just assumed that no one they knew used the site, or that the whole thing was some kind of sick joke.  Nowadays, Ashley Madison users and the general public alike have come to realize that the site was all too serious, as victims of the high profile “Ashley Madison hack” are beginning to feel repercussions from their involvement with the dating service.  Here’s what happened.

Ashley Madison Hack: a Brief Timeline

If you haven’t been following the news surrounding the Ashley Madison hack, here’s a quick look at the timeline of what’s transpired so far to get you up to speed.  On July 15th, 2015, a group of hackers called “Impact Team” announced that they had stolen Ashley Madison’s consumer data, and would release all of the information unless some demands were met.  Namely, “Impact Team,” had some big issues with the fact that Ashley Madison charged users who hoped to leave the service a $19 dollar fee to delete their data, and then apparently didn’t erase user information as promised.  “Impact Team” called for a total shutdown of Ashley Madison and sister site EstablishedMen.com.

When Avid Life Media, Ashley Madison’s parent company, did not take any measures to shut down either site, “Impact Team” followed through with their promise.  On July 22nd, the first user data was published.  By August 18th, all of the user data for customers of the site was made public.  Today, you can search through a number of online services to see if you or someone you know had their information released, and all of the customer information of everyone on the site is essentially now public knowledge.

The Repercussions of the Ashley Madison Hack

From a personal perspective, the individuals whose information was released through the Ashley Madison hack are facing a whole lot of scrutiny.  The site’s tagline is “Life is short.  Have an affair.” so it’s somewhat hard to argue that anyone with an account didn’t intend to participate in some extramarital activity.  Some user profiles were created with other people’s email addresses, so there are some entirely innocent victims in all of this.  But for the most part, most users who have had their information leaked had to know that their membership on the site wasn’t the most moral of choices.

Now, with the information being released, the lives of Ashley Madison members will be changed forever.  In some cases, families are getting pulled apart, as wives reasonably confront their spouses and demand a divorce.  In other cases, individuals are losing their jobs, as employers with morality clauses in their contracts point to the leaked information and demand resignations.  Just about no one who had their information leaked is going to come out unscathed, and the repercussions of the hack are still developing. 

Release of Private Information

Early search sites allowed anyone who was curious to plug-in an email and see if there was an attached Ashley Madison account.  But now, search indexes are releasing and cataloguing a lot more information, and you can easily and quickly pull up a whole ton of private information on anyone affected by the hack.  Some search sites are even publishing the home addresses of Ashley Madison members, ostensibly to get innocent people off of the hook whose emails may have been entered as a prank or incorrectly.  But what these search engines really amount to is a massive invasion of privacy, as so much private information being in the public domain has a big effect on victims,

Advertisers have already started taking advantage of this information to spam Ashley Madison members with junk mail and product offers.  Some search sites are even reaching out directly to those whose information is discovered, advertising the services of private investigators and other directed products as obscure as STD tests and as grim as divorce attorneys.  And this is probably just the beginning: with so much information being public, it’s only a matter of time before more people exploit it.

Is Your Data Ever Safe Online?

The short answer to this question is no.  No matter what kinds of sites you frequent online, your data is never entirely safe once it has been entered, especially when it is associated with a user profile.  Every website out there can be hacked; Ashley Madison is the most recent, but there are plenty of other example of hackers finding their ways into private personal data repositories.

Which begs another question: what exactly were Ashley Madison members thinking when they entered so much personal information on the site?  If you want to keep yourself safe, it’s a good practice to enter as little info as possible online, especially to a site as dubious as Ashley Madison.  And if you do enter your personal information freely around the internet, don’t be too surprised if that information is someday made public. 

Buying a home is the best investment you can do in your entire life. Not only that it gives you the pride of becoming a homeowner, it also gives you the security that you have a place to stay at the end of the day. This is why many people apply for a home mortgage. The mortgage opens the opportunity to everyone to have a place they can call their own even if these people can’t pay the house in full. A Mortgage loan allows ordinary people to own a home that they promise to pay in definite period and amount. 

But what if somewhere along the payment period, the original fixed interest rate has considerably declined? 

Since the primary objective of those who avail home mortgage is to own a home, the interest rate can be set aside. While this is just normal, there are people who opt to be more conscious in every single penny they pay. And when the original fixed interest rate has considerably declined, most of them go for a mortgage refinance. Learn more.

Here are the benefits these people can get when they choose to refinance their homes:

•  Lower monthly payments

It is true that the house is the biggest asset a person can have. But it is also true that the monthly payment for mortgage is the biggest eater of monthly budget. So, would it be better if homeowners have the choice of lowering down the monthly payment? Refinancing is the best way to do it, since refinance will adopt the current interest rate. Every borrower knows that he or she is paying big on interest rate especially during the first half of the term. If refinanced, the old rate with higher monthly payment is replaced by new and lower rate that equates to lower monthly payment. 

•  Changing from fixed-rate to adjustable rate

Interest rates influence the fees homeowners pay monthly. There are two kinds of interest rates used in mortgages: fixed-rate and adjustable rate. When the rates are low, the adjustable rate mortgages are the most desirable. Meanwhile, if the interest rates are high, fixed-rates can be more ideal option. So if the homeowner has applied for fixed-rate loan and the interest rate have suddenly went down, changing from mortgage fixed-rate to adjustable rate is the best option. This will give him the freedom to use the lower interest rate as an advantage that would result to lower monthly fees.  Learn more.

• Option to shorten the length of mortgage

Mortgage refinance would allow homeowners to change the length of mortgage. For instance: A homeowner is on the 7th year of payment on a 30-year term, with mortgage refinance, he can switch to shorter terms and opt either for 10, 15, or 20 years. This will give him thousands of dollars of savings on the interest rate. He can also increase the value of his equity as he pays more on the principal rather than the interest. 

•  Extra cash

Using refinancing, a homeowner can access extra cash through the equity he has built. This is helpful in remodeling the house or paying for other things. 
With the proper knowledge on how to use the house as a source of money, any homeowner can benefit with the mortgage they once thought to be “buying a home now and think of the monthly payments later.  Mortgage Rates in Florida.

Escondido is an ideal place for those who enjoy traveling and exploring new areas. There are many things to do in Escondido, so there is something for everyone.

It is well-known for its many attractions and beautiful parks. It`s a great place to take your family and escape the bustle of big cities.

https://www.escondidokiwanis.org/

Histories

The history of Escondido is a rich one that started long before its incorporation as a city on October 9, 1888. It all began with a land grant from Spanish Governor Micheltorena that gave Juan Bautista Alvarado the 12,653 acres of Rincon del Diablo, a valley that was supposedly known as Devil`s Corner and was used for herding cattle and sheep, growing grapes and citrus.

Native tribes were the first to settle the area, including the Tipai, Diegueno and Ipai. They are still present in the region today.

Escondido`s history has been marked by a rich cultural mix that has brought people from all walks of life together and made it a unique community. This has contributed to Escondido`s diversity and growth. It has also led to many small businesses that are now successful.

Weather

Escondido`s climate is mild enough to allow the cultivation of avocados, grapes, and oranges. Temperatures vary from 45degF in January to 76degF in August, with an annual average rainfall of 15.2 inches and 263 sunny days.

Rainfall in Escondido varies significantly over the course of a year, with significant seasonal variation in monthly totals. This is illustrated by the average rainfall over a 31-day period, with each day being the center.

Rain alone is the most common form, with a peak probability at 21% on February 21. Snowfall, which is also rare, has a chance of occurring in Autumn.

Outdoors

Escondido offers a wide range of outdoor activities, so you can find the ideal spot to escape from it all. There are many outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and camping.

Palomar Observatory, located on Palomar Mountain is another popular spot for astronomical research. The San Diego Zoo is a popular vacation spot for wildlife lovers.

The California Center for the Arts in Escondido offers an extensive selection of art exhibits and other events for those who are passionate about it. To see live performances, you can also visit Patio Playhouse Community Theater.

Arts & Culture

Arts and culture are a key part of Escondido`s community. Throughout the city, you`ll find art galleries, museums and historic sites.

Among them, the California Center for the Arts is a world-class venue with a 12-acre campus that includes a concert hall, theaters and a museum. Its mission is enriching the lives of everyone it touches through diverse cultural, educational, and social experiences.

The Arts Council works to build a strong culture across the state through competitive grant programs and by supporting arts and cultural non-profits, which can lead to new businesses and jobs. In fact, the recent budget included a $10 million increase in state funding for the California Arts Council.

Entertainment

Escondido, located 30 miles north from downtown San Diego is a diverse area with many things to do. It boasts wineries, craft breweries, a history, arts and culture scene, archeological sites, and beautiful scenery.

If you`re a fan of music, you`ll love hearing live acoustic musicians perform at local listening rooms or at vineyards. These venues often host national touring acts.

The city is also home to a trapeze school where you can swing and fulfill your flying fantasies. You can either learn basic tricks and swinging, or enroll in advanced classes.

Many festivals and special events are held throughout the year in Escondido. Be sure to check the community events calendar for details.