James Bond Lives

Spying Eyes Are Watching You

Now that the Cold War is a distant memory and James Bondmovies just ain?t what they used to be, you may think that the spy game isdead. Well, think again. A new report from the Office of the NationalCounterintelligence Executive, charmingly called ONCIX, tells quite a differentstory.

Espionage against the United States is a ?significant andgrowing threat to the nation?s prosperity.? Spying is, in fact, even worse thanit was in the salad days of Smiley?s people because of the advent of … youguessed it: the Internet. Says ONCIX: ?Cyberspace?where most business activityand development of new ideas now takes place?amplifies … threats by making itpossible for malicious actors … to quickly steal and transfer massivequantities of data while remaining anonymous and hard to detect.?

?Cyber tools have enhanced the economic espionage threat,?writes ONCIX, ?and the Intelligence Community (IC) judges [that] the use ofsuch tools is already a larger threat than more traditional espionage methods.?

So what does this mean for business? Economic espionageranges from loss of intellectual property to outlays for remediation. However,there are no reliable estimates of how much this is costing U.S. businessbecause many companies are unaware that their sensitive data has been pilfered.And those that do find out are often reluctant to report the loss.

What hasn?t changed since the old spy days is the likelyperpetrators of these clandestine
activities: the Russians and the Chinese, says ONCIX.

 

Don?t Stress Me In

One way of viewing the advice that Nancy Stampahar givesabout relieving stress is that, well, you should be stressed, because thestress is your own fault. This author and presenter, who offers ?real-life howto?s and solutions that help you succeed at both work and home,? thinks that ifyou are continuously putting out fires or juggling too many plates, you eitherare stressed or a fine candidate for stress. But it?s your own doing, for ?Ifyou do not make changes in your reactions toward people and situations, yourstress levels will elevate over time and detrimental effects will occur in yourjob, health and relationships. It is up to you, and only you, to take care ofyourself and [take] responsibility for your career and life.?

Of course, Stampahar also says that some stress can be agood thing because it helps you stay focused and take action. But she has someadvice for people who have reached a toxic level of stress.

 

1.         Developpositive self-talk, thinking and visual imagery.

2.         Let go ofcontrol and delegate.

3.         Express yourfeelings and boundaries assertively.

4.         Beopen-minded and flexible.

5.         Welcomefeedback and criticism.

6.         Let go ofthe past.

7.         Look for newways and approaches.

8.         Stay fit.

9.         Bring funand laughter into your life.

10.       Realize whatis most important in life.