AntiOnline Spotlight Post A controversy is erupting in Texas thanks to a law that threatens the livelihood of computer repair shop workers. Texas PC repair now requires PI license! Negative writes... The Texas legislature has decided that computer repair folks need a government-issued PI (Private Investigator) license when performing what the state calls "an investigation." If a computer repair person is analyzing data on a customer's computer, this would fall under "an investigation", and without a PI license he or she could face up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Additionally, any customer knowingly enlisting an unlicensed repair person's help is subject to the same fines. Unless the repair is purely hardware-related (a blown PSU, for example), even looking at error logs could be (and if the Texas Private Security Board has its way, will and/or already is) interpreted as "an investigation", and the fines will apply. I have not yet received a notice from the TPSB (I have a registered computer repair business in Texas); a small number of my competitors has been informed by the TPSB that they need to either stop doing computer repair, or shut down their business until they have acquired the necessary licenses. To get the license, one needs either a criminal justice degree or complete a three-year apprenticeship under a licensed PI. Read the rest here and share your thoughts with the AntiOnline community.

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Fight Back Classic Worry not, the Fight Back you know and love is still available for posterity... Basics I Am Totally New To This. Where Should I Start? Where Can I Go If I Still Have Questions To Ask? Desktop Computers I Keep Getting Kicked Off-Line. What Are DOS Attacks? I Know Its Possible To FireWall A Network. But A Desktop? I Just Got A Cable Modem. What Concerns Should I Have? How Can I Tell What People Are Doing On My Computer? What Is Biometrics And How Can I Use It? E-mail How Can I Keep My E-mail From Being Read By Others? I Really Hate Spam. But How Do I Stop It? Exploits What Are Exploits? Do I Need To Worry About Them? Where Can I Find Advisories About Exploits? Hackers What Is The Definition Of A Hacker And What Is A Cracker? What Is Some Common Hacker Jargon? Kids How Can I Keep My Kids From Accessing Bad Stuff On-Line? How Can I Tell If My Kid Is A Malicious Hacker? Law What Is Warez? Is It Legal? Network What_Is_An_Intrusion_Detection_System (IDS)? What Are Distributed Denial-of-Service Attacks? How Can I See If People Are Trying To Hack My Network? Passwords How Could A Hacker Social Engineer My Password? How Do I Choose A Good Password? I'm An Admin, Can I See If My Users Have Good Passwords? Physical Security I'm A Teacher. How Can I Stop Kids From Stealing Mouse Balls? How Can I Stop The Hotel Maid From Stealing My Laptop? What Is Dumpster Diving? Resources What Are Some Security Related Mailing Lists I Can Subscribe To? What Are Response Teams? Telephone What Could Hackers Possibly Do To My Telephone? Trojans What Exactly Are Trojans? How Can I Check To See If My Computer Has A Trojan? Viruses What Are Viruses? Viruses Sound Evil. How Can I Stop From Getting Infected? Webpages What Is A Website Defacement And What Does It Look Like? How Can I Keep People From Seeing What Webpages I Visit? What Information Can The Websites I Visit Find Out About Me?

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