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All cats love to have shelter away from adverse weather conditions and other animals who may be out there. You may wonder why you would want to buy your cat their own home rather than just letting them come inside. Well, cats are highly independent and territorial. A cat home gives them a place to call their own away from the potential stresses outdoors. Alternatively, you may have feral cats in your area, and you want to give them a place to shelter.
With so many different options out there, it can prove to be somewhat of a challenge to choose the ideal cat home for your four-legged friend. To allow you to make the most informed decision possible, we have selected 10 of the best outdoor cat houses and listed their most appealing features. Ready to put a roof over your cat’s head? Then let’s find one!
First up on the list, we have this truly beautiful two-story outdoor cat house. The bottom area is enclosed for protection, while the upper terrace lets your cat enjoy the outdoors, which means they still having the protection of the asphalt roof if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
Since it is such a large structure, it is perfect if you have multiple felines. You don’t have to be a DIY expert to assemble the house and the holes are all pre-drilled. Once it is set up, the house provides a stable abode as the wood is made of anti-rot material to stand the test of time.
This outdoor cat shelter offers both comfort and protection from bad weather conditions. There is a pair of entry and exit points, so your cat can decide how they would like to get in and out, and they have a means of escape if needed.
This is the kind of outside cat house which is durable and tough enough to stand the test of time. It also comes with a manufacturer’s warranty for added peace of mind. As for the assembly, it is straightforward, and no tools are required.
If you are looking for an insulated outdoor cat house, this one is designed to keep your feline friend warm. The floor, walls and roof are all contain high-quality insulation, ensuring that the structure stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You can also adjust the lifting handles to alter the ventilation.
As for the unique door design, it allows your cat to enter, while still offering protection from predators. As well as being made from recycled post-consumer content, it is also designed to never chip, crack or fade.
If your cat loves climbing up to high places, this three-story outside cat shelter gives them the opportunity to do this. And you are bound to get some joy seeing them poking their little heads out of the hinged shutters and peekaboo openings!
The roofing is rainproof to ensure that your cat stays nice and dry, while the raised plastic floor keeps air circulating to ensure that the floor remains comfortable. The large door at the rear offers quick access and easy maintenance.
This outdoor and feral cat house is easy to assemble, so you can put a roof over your furry friend’s head in no time at all. Inside is a heated bed which is designed to keep your kitty warm, no matter what the weather is like outdoors.
The heated cat house features two clear door flaps, which are removable depending on whether you are trying to encourage airflow or keep the heat inside. For added peace of mind, you can rest assured that these houses have been certified to USA/CA electrical safety standards.
One of the major advantages of this wooden cat house is how easy it is to assemble. There are two escape points which ensure that your pet is not going to get trapped by predators.
The wood is made from an anti-rot material which is designed to last at least three years. However, if you have a particularly destructive pet, they can end up causing damage to the house. Bear in mind that it is designed to fit a single cat under 15 lbs.
Designed for both winter and summer usage, the wood used in the construction of this cat house is cedar, which is meant to stand for a long time. You can be certain of high-quality workmanship and materials.
When the sun comes out, the lounging deck provides the ideal spot for your cat to catch some rays! As for the floor, walls, and ceiling, thermal-ply insulation has been placed inside for heating and cooling properties.
This heated outdoor cat house is designed to warm to your pet’s body temperature using only 25 watts when your cat lies down. The design may look simple but it is also effective. The structure has the major plus point of being easy to assemble.
Large enough to fit any cat, it is also a highly portable, and you can put it in a range of different locations including the garage, shed, porch, or anywhere else you would like to protect your cat from extreme temperatures.
This outdoor cat house for winter and summer has a host of positive qualities including being light and durable, as well as insulated and waterproof. Since it only uses Velcro and zips in its assembly, there are no tools required, so you can put it up in no time at all.
Dual openings ensure that your cat won’t get trapped inside. The door flaps are removable and transparent, so your four-legged friend has a view of the outside world no matter what.
The unique igloo design of this outdoor cat house is made to direct any rain or snow away from the entrance. Also, the plastic surface stops flea and mold growth. Inside is a cozy carpet which offers warmth, as well as encouraging scratching.
No tools are required in the assembly. All you have to do is snap together the sides. An alternative usage is a shelter for an indoor cat who wants a little home to hide and sleep.
So, you have read through the product selection and think that you have the ideal cat house chosen? Before you make your final decision, there are some key considerations which are worth bearing in mind. After all, you don’t want to have to go through the time and effort of putting up the cat home, only to find that it is simply not right for your feline friend. Here are some important factors to bear in mind.
First, look closer at ahat sort of materials have been used to make the cat house. You need to match the materials to the environment that the house will be put in. For example, if you live in a particularly humid place, you should avoid wood which will expand and contract. And if you are in a hot climate, you should watch out for plastics which are more likely to overheat. Of course, the house still needs to offer a decent level of protection from the elements like rain if it will be sitting in your backyard. If you plan on putting it in a covered area such as a porch, you can be more confident in choosing a fabric-coated option. This is also the more suitable choice if you would like to bring the home indoors from time to time.
The ease of assembly may well have an impact on your decision-making process – particularly if you are not all that skilled in the art of DIY. It is also worth looking at whether or not you are going to need any tools as you will need to consider how you are going to get your hands on these beforehand. There are also those cat homes which are easy enough to seal up with zippers or Velcro. These are ideal if you need to put your cat home up in a hurry and don’t want to go through the confusion and risk of breakage that a tool-based installation is likely to bring.
If you live in an area which is particularly cold and miserable, you may need to investigate heated cat homes. It is worth confirming the energy needed for the heating pad to run effectively. Alternatively, you could consider insulation as another option. If the walls, floors, and rooves are properly insulated, they will trap inside warm air during the winter months and cool air during the summertime. You can also add some of your own insulation with blankets, padding, and other soft surfaces. If you are offering a shelter to cats during the colder months of the year, researching the heating and insulation situation is especially important.
Buying a cat house which isn’t the right size is a waste of money, so you should make sure that your feline friend fits inside comfortably. If you are unsure, it is worth going for a larger size rather than a smaller one to ensure that they have enough space. You are bound to need a bigger house if you have multiple pets who will be sharing the structure. Having said that, you should still remember that larger houses are more difficult to heat than smaller ones, and they also present greater cleaning challenges.
These two factors go hand-in-hand and contribute toward your cat house standing the test of time. Don’t forget that your cat is likely to bite and scratch at the surfaces, which can end up damaging them. Reliability is based on a solid construction with joints which fit tightly together. For a better indication of durability, check the product reviews to see what other cat owners have had to say. You may find out some information which was not already apparent. Some of the products above also advise that they are not suitable for cats who are more destructive, so this is another point which is worth bearing firmly in mind.
Closely linked to the previous section, it is worth knowing a little bit more about how long your cat house is likely to last. Of course, the vast majority of people want this to be a long-term purchase and dp not want to keep buying a new one time after time. Many products have some sort of guidance on this subject, and others include a warranty which gives you an added guarantee. You could look in more detail at what sort of protection they offer against mold, water, and any other substances which could cause an issue.
It is likely that you are going to need to clean your cat’s home from time to time, and you don’t want your job to be overly complicated. If the design features some cushions or another type of bedding, it is easier if they are all washable. If you want to make things even more straightforward, you should select a house which has a removable roof or floor. Over time, you may need to conduct some repair or maintenance work, so it is worth knowing a little bit more about what this may entail.
Do I Really Need an Outdoor Cat House?
If you have an outdoor cat, buying them a home is a worthwhile investment. When the cold of winter sets in or the rain starts pouring, it is important to provide them a place where they can get some shelter. Alternatively, you may be looking to offer a sanctuary to any stray or feral cats which are in your local area. Or perhaps you have a cat who passes between the indoors and the outdoors, but you would like to offer them a spot to rest outside.
Many felines love to have a place of their own to shelter, sunbathe or simply explore. All of the options in the product guide above which offer a combination of one or more of these different qualities. But the weather isn’t the only threat to your feline friend. Other animals can also pose a risk, which is why so many of these houses come with dual openings to provide an easy escape. Other harmful factors which feral cat shelters can protect against include fleas, insects, and mold. Many are made of materials which are specifically designed to defend against these issues.
As you will have been able to tell from the above buying guide, there are several different types of cat houses available. Here are some of the main differentiating features which can help you to make your mind up.
Some of the cat houses above only have the capacity to hold a single cat, while others are big enough to contain several. Obviously, your decision will be based on how many felines you want to provide a shelter for. As we mentioned earlier on, it is worth taking your cat’s measurements to ensure that you select one which is the appropriate size.
Of course, all the cat shelters above promise outdoor usage, but some withstand the elements better, while others are better kept under a roof or another similar structure. For example, the wooden houses are generally the ones which do well in any conditions. Many are made of anti-rot wood with the assumption that they will need to withstand a lot of rain and/or snow. Others are made from simple fabrics, which make them suitable for indoor use, and outdoors if they are under a shelter like a porch. Obviously, everything comes down to where you plan on putting the cat house.
While some outdoor cat homes don’t come with any heating features at all, others are electrical or self-heated. Obviously, electric houses require a power source and electricity to function effectively. You also have the option of using these models without electricity if you would like. As for self-heated houses, they are made from insulating materials which keep your pet warm or cool, depending on the season. Of course, electrical houses have the potential to be warmer, but they don’t have the convenience factor of being able to put them anywhere you like.
A: Encouraging your cat to use their cat house can present some challenges at first. Your first task is to make sure that you position the structure in the right place. The front should face away from the wind, and it should be in a location which protects against the rain and snow such as under a porch or some trees. If you can choose a place which has some sunshine and a nice view, this is always going to be a bonus. If you are planning on using it for feral cats, a discreet location is best as this is less likely to antagonize your neighbors who may not agree with keeping them. Cats also prefer an area where they can get some peace and quiet. Some shelters are best not directly on the ground as this will make it colder and more likely that other wildlife will be attracted. You could use pallets or bricks to prop it up. Cats also like heights because they feel more secure and protected.
Patience is key when it comes to encouraging your cat to use their shelter. Make sure that everything is clean by washing any cushions, blankets or bedding beforehand. You could also make the shelter more alluring by spraying it with catnip. If you own the cat, you could put some of their toys and their scratching post inside to get their scent inside straight away and offer a sense of familiarity. You may need to leave them inside for some time before the smell becomes obvious.
Your cat will probably start to explore slowly and cautiously, so offer them plenty of encouragement. A small treat can also help, but don’t only entice your cat with food as this can tempt other animals to enter as well. Don’t force your cat to go inside before they are ready as this can end up putting them off entirely. During the winter months, a heated pad will be very tempting to a cat, so let them discover the warmth for themselves. However, when they are asleep, you should avoid disturbing them. Simply allow your cat to get used to the shelter by themselves and they are likely to return when they want another sleep.
Q: How do I select the right house size?
A: Choosing the right house size is one of the most important considerations when you are buying a product of this variety. Essentially, you want it to be big enough for your cat to comfortably turn 360-degrees, as well as lying down and stretching out when they like. Bear in mind that many cats feel more comfortable in a cozier home. Larger homes are tougher to heat and can also end up encouraging other animals to enter. Of course, if you are looking to provide a place for multiple cats, you will need something bigger. Ultimately, it is worth getting a tape measure to compare your cat’s size to the dimensions of the house.
Q: How should I clean my outdoor cat house?
A: The cleaning method of your outdoor cat house depends on the type of materials which it is made from. If it contains fleece, woolen or similar soft materials, these can often be put in the washing machine on a gentle and cool cycle, but always check to confirm this. As for washing the rest of the house, you should remove anything you can first before attempting a standard soap and water scrubbing session. Many of these houses feature large openings which make it easier to reach inside and do the necessary cleaning work.
Our number one pick of all is this stylish cat condo which is big enough to provide the perfect spot for several felines. The pre-drilled holes ensure that it is easy to assemble, while your cats have the choice of whether they would like to enjoy the fresh air on top or shelter underneath. Either way, they are protected from the rain by an asphalt roof.
Made of cedar wood, it is designed not to rot over time. In fact, it should last for a period of at least three years if it is kept outdoors. Ultimately, this is the kind of product that your outdoor cat will love, and it will also look stylish in your garden too.

lowercased:
all cats love to have shelter away from adverse weather conditions and other animals who may be out there. you may wonder why you would want to buy your cat their own home rather than just letting them come inside. well, cats are highly independent and territorial. a cat home gives them a place to call their own away from the potential stresses outdoors. alternatively, you may have feral cats in your area, and you want to give them a place to shelter.
with so many different options out there, it can prove to be somewhat of a challenge to choose the ideal cat home for your four-legged friend. to allow you to make the most informed decision possible, we have selected 10 of the best outdoor cat houses and listed their most appealing features. ready to put a roof over your cat’s head? then let’s find one!
first up on the list, we have this truly beautiful two-story outdoor cat house. the bottom area is enclosed for protection, while the upper terrace lets your cat enjoy the outdoors, which means they still having the protection of the asphalt roof if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
since it is such a large structure, it is perfect if you have multiple felines. you don’t have to be a diy expert to assemble the house and the holes are all pre-drilled. once it is set up, the house provides a stable abode as the wood is made of anti-rot material to stand the test of time.
this outdoor cat shelter offers both comfort and protection from bad weather conditions. there is a pair of entry and exit points, so your cat can decide how they would like to get in and out, and they have a means of escape if needed.
this is the kind of outside cat house which is durable and tough enough to stand the test of time. it also comes with a manufacturer’s warranty for added peace of mind. as for the assembly, it is straightforward, and no tools are required.
if you are looking for an insulated outdoor cat house, this one is designed to keep your feline friend warm. the floor, walls and roof are all contain high-quality insulation, ensuring that the structure stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. you can also adjust the lifting handles to alter the ventilation.
as for the unique door design, it allows your cat to enter, while still offering protection from predators. as well as being made from recycled post-consumer content, it is also designed to never chip, crack or fade.
if your cat loves climbing up to high places, this three-story outside cat shelter gives them the opportunity to do this. and you are bound to get some joy seeing them poking their little heads out of the hinged shutters and peekaboo openings!
the roofing is rainproof to ensure that your cat stays nice and dry, while the raised plastic floor keeps air circulating to ensure that the floor remains comfortable. the large door at the rear offers quick access and easy maintenance.
this outdoor and feral cat house is easy to assemble, so you can put a roof over your furry friend’s head in no time at all. inside is a heated bed which is designed to keep your kitty warm, no matter what the weather is like outdoors.
the heated cat house features two clear door flaps, which are removable depending on whether you are trying to encourage airflow or keep the heat inside. for added peace of mind, you can rest assured that these houses have been certified to usa/ca electrical safety standards.
one of the major advantages of this wooden cat house is how easy it is to assemble. there are two escape points which ensure that your pet is not going to get trapped by predators.
the wood is made from an anti-rot material which is designed to last at least three years. however, if you have a particularly destructive pet, they can end up causing damage to the house. bear in mind that it is designed to fit a single cat under 15 lbs.
designed for both winter and summer usage, the wood used in the construction of this cat house is cedar, which is meant to stand for a long time. you can be certain of high-quality workmanship and materials.
when the sun comes out, the lounging deck provides the ideal spot for your cat to catch some rays! as for the floor, walls, and ceiling, thermal-ply insulation has been placed inside for heating and cooling properties.
this heated outdoor cat house is designed to warm to your pet’s body temperature using only 25 watts when your cat lies down. the design may look simple but it is also effective. the structure has the major plus point of being easy to assemble.
large enough to fit any cat, it is also a highly portable, and you can put it in a range of different locations including the garage, shed, porch, or anywhere else you would like to protect your cat from extreme temperatures.
this outdoor cat house for winter and summer has a host of positive qualities including being light and durable, as well as insulated and waterproof. since it only uses velcro and zips in its assembly, there are no tools required, so you can put it up in no time at all.
dual openings ensure that your cat won’t get trapped inside. the door flaps are removable and transparent, so your four-legged friend has a view of the outside world no matter what.
the unique igloo design of this outdoor cat house is made to direct any rain or snow away from the entrance. also, the plastic surface stops flea and mold growth. inside is a cozy carpet which offers warmth, as well as encouraging scratching.
no tools are required in the assembly. all you have to do is snap together the sides. an alternative usage is a shelter for an indoor cat who wants a little home to hide and sleep.
so, you have read through the product selection and think that you have the ideal cat house chosen? before you make your final decision, there are some key considerations which are worth bearing in mind. after all, you don’t want to have to go through the time and effort of putting up the cat home, only to find that it is simply not right for your feline friend. here are some important factors to bear in mind.
first, look closer at ahat sort of materials have been used to make the cat house. you need to match the materials to the environment that the house will be put in. for example, if you live in a particularly humid place, you should avoid wood which will expand and contract. and if you are in a hot climate, you should watch out for plastics which are more likely to overheat. of course, the house still needs to offer a decent level of protection from the elements like rain if it will be sitting in your backyard. if you plan on putting it in a covered area such as a porch, you can be more confident in choosing a fabric-coated option. this is also the more suitable choice if you would like to bring the home indoors from time to time.
the ease of assembly may well have an impact on your decision-making process – particularly if you are not all that skilled in the art of diy. it is also worth looking at whether or not you are going to need any tools as you will need to consider how you are going to get your hands on these beforehand. there are also those cat homes which are easy enough to seal up with zippers or velcro. these are ideal if you need to put your cat home up in a hurry and don’t want to go through the confusion and risk of breakage that a tool-based installation is likely to bring.
if you live in an area which is particularly cold and miserable, you may need to investigate heated cat homes. it is worth confirming the energy needed for the heating pad to run effectively. alternatively, you could consider insulation as another option. if the walls, floors, and rooves are properly insulated, they will trap inside warm air during the winter months and cool air during the summertime. you can also add some of your own insulation with blankets, padding, and other soft surfaces. if you are offering a shelter to cats during the colder months of the year, researching the heating and insulation situation is especially important.
buying a cat house which isn’t the right size is a waste of money, so you should make sure that your feline friend fits inside comfortably. if you are unsure, it is worth going for a larger size rather than a smaller one to ensure that they have enough space. you are bound to need a bigger house if you have multiple pets who will be sharing the structure. having said that, you should still remember that larger houses are more difficult to heat than smaller ones, and they also present greater cleaning challenges.
these two factors go hand-in-hand and contribute toward your cat house standing the test of time. don’t forget that your cat is likely to bite and scratch at the surfaces, which can end up damaging them. reliability is based on a solid construction with joints which fit tightly together. for a better indication of durability, check the product reviews to see what other cat owners have had to say. you may find out some information which was not already apparent. some of the products above also advise that they are not suitable for cats who are more destructive, so this is another point which is worth bearing firmly in mind.
closely linked to the previous section, it is worth knowing a little bit more about how long your cat house is likely to last. of course, the vast majority of people want this to be a long-term purchase and dp not want to keep buying a new one time after time. many products have some sort of guidance on this subject, and others include a warranty which gives you an added guarantee. you could look in more detail at what sort of protection they offer against mold, water, and any other substances which could cause an issue.
it is likely that you are going to need to clean your cat’s home from time to time, and you don’t want your job to be overly complicated. if the design features some cushions or another type of bedding, it is easier if they are all washable. if you want to make things even more straightforward, you should select a house which has a removable roof or floor. over time, you may need to conduct some repair or maintenance work, so it is worth knowing a little bit more about what this may entail.
do i really need an outdoor cat house?
if you have an outdoor cat, buying them a home is a worthwhile investment. when the cold of winter sets in or the rain starts pouring, it is important to provide them a place where they can get some shelter. alternatively, you may be looking to offer a sanctuary to any stray or feral cats which are in your local area. or perhaps you have a cat who passes between the indoors and the outdoors, but you would like to offer them a spot to rest outside.
many felines love to have a place of their own to shelter, sunbathe or simply explore. all of the options in the product guide above which offer a combination of one or more of these different qualities. but the weather isn’t the only threat to your feline friend. other animals can also pose a risk, which is why so many of these houses come with dual openings to provide an easy escape. other harmful factors which feral cat shelters can protect against include fleas, insects, and mold. many are made of materials which are specifically designed to defend against these issues.
as you will have been able to tell from the above buying guide, there are several different types of cat houses available. here are some of the main differentiating features which can help you to make your mind up.
some of the cat houses above only have the capacity to hold a single cat, while others are big enough to contain several. obviously, your decision will be based on how many felines you want to provide a shelter for. as we mentioned earlier on, it is worth taking your cat’s measurements to ensure that you select one which is the appropriate size.
of course, all the cat shelters above promise outdoor usage, but some withstand the elements better, while others are better kept under a roof or another similar structure. for example, the wooden houses are generally the ones which do well in any conditions. many are made of anti-rot wood with the assumption that they will need to withstand a lot of rain and/or snow. others are made from simple fabrics, which make them suitable for indoor use, and outdoors if they are under a shelter like a porch. obviously, everything comes down to where you plan on putting the cat house.
while some outdoor cat homes don’t come with any heating features at all, others are electrical or self-heated. obviously, electric houses require a power source and electricity to function effectively. you also have the option of using these models without electricity if you would like. as for self-heated houses, they are made from insulating materials which keep your pet warm or cool, depending on the season. of course, electrical houses have the potential to be warmer, but they don’t have the convenience factor of being able to put them anywhere you like.
a: encouraging your cat to use their cat house can present some challenges at first. your first task is to make sure that you position the structure in the right place. the front should face away from the wind, and it should be in a location which protects against the rain and snow such as under a porch or some trees. if you can choose a place which has some sunshine and a nice view, this is always going to be a bonus. if you are planning on using it for feral cats, a discreet location is best as this is less likely to antagonize your neighbors who may not agree with keeping them. cats also prefer an area where they can get some peace and quiet. some shelters are best not directly on the ground as this will make it colder and more likely that other wildlife will be attracted. you could use pallets or bricks to prop it up. cats also like heights because they feel more secure and protected.
patience is key when it comes to encouraging your cat to use their shelter. make sure that everything is clean by washing any cushions, blankets or bedding beforehand. you could also make the shelter more alluring by spraying it with catnip. if you own the cat, you could put some of their toys and their scratching post inside to get their scent inside straight away and offer a sense of familiarity. you may need to leave them inside for some time before the smell becomes obvious.
your cat will probably start to explore slowly and cautiously, so offer them plenty of encouragement. a small treat can also help, but don’t only entice your cat with food as this can tempt other animals to enter as well. don’t force your cat to go inside before they are ready as this can end up putting them off entirely. during the winter months, a heated pad will be very tempting to a cat, so let them discover the warmth for themselves. however, when they are asleep, you should avoid disturbing them. simply allow your cat to get used to the shelter by themselves and they are likely to return when they want another sleep.
q: how do i select the right house size?
a: choosing the right house size is one of the most important considerations when you are buying a product of this variety. essentially, you want it to be big enough for your cat to comfortably turn 360-degrees, as well as lying down and stretching out when they like. bear in mind that many cats feel more comfortable in a cozier home. larger homes are tougher to heat and can also end up encouraging other animals to enter. of course, if you are looking to provide a place for multiple cats, you will need something bigger. ultimately, it is worth getting a tape measure to compare your cat’s size to the dimensions of the house.
q: how should i clean my outdoor cat house?
a: the cleaning method of your outdoor cat house depends on the type of materials which it is made from. if it contains fleece, woolen or similar soft materials, these can often be put in the washing machine on a gentle and cool cycle, but always check to confirm this. as for washing the rest of the house, you should remove anything you can first before attempting a standard soap and water scrubbing session. many of these houses feature large openings which make it easier to reach inside and do the necessary cleaning work.
our number one pick of all is this stylish cat condo which is big enough to provide the perfect spot for several felines. the pre-drilled holes ensure that it is easy to assemble, while your cats have the choice of whether they would like to enjoy the fresh air on top or shelter underneath. either way, they are protected from the rain by an asphalt roof.
made of cedar wood, it is designed not to rot over time. in fact, it should last for a period of at least three years if it is kept outdoors. ultimately, this is the kind of product that your outdoor cat will love, and it will also look stylish in your garden too.


text:
In SecureWorks’ 2017 Cybersecurity Threat Insights Report, we found those cracks are often the result of failing to implement basic— the effective combination of people, processes and technologies to protect systems and data. Strong security hygiene requires knowing your assets, your data, and the controls protecting them. Yet in the report, our examination of 163 incident response engagements during the first half of 2016 uncovered failures ranging from poor patch management to a failure to protect the extended enterprise to ineffective preparation for incident response.
To understand what organizations need to do to prioritize the right areas for security spending and what can be done to more effectively prevent, remediate and respond to threats, cybersecurity leaders need to start with the fundamentals.
While much of the media focus is often on sophisticated, targeted attacks, the vast majority of the incidents for which Secure- Works was engaged in the first half of 2016 (88 percent) were opportunistic attacks that did not target a specific organization. Among the incidents in the report in which the initial access vector was known, phishing was used 38 percent of the time, making it the most common attack methodology used by attackers. Scan and exploit was the second most common at 22 percent, while strategic web compromises and credential abuse comprised 21 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
Removable media was involved in four percent of the incidents.
In terms of defense, the implication here is clear: organizations need to put an emphasis on addressing the challenge posed by phishing. Part of that requires educating and training employees to spot phishing emails when they hit their inboxes. Often, there are telltale signs—misspellings, requests for the recipient to do something out of the norm, etc.—but sometimes there are not. In targeted attacks, spear-phishing emails can be even more sneaky than most. It is common for advanced threat groups to perform extensive reconnaissance on their targets before launching an attack, allowing them to create convincing emails that take into account details such as the recipient’s job duties and what IT assets and data they have access to. With that kind of information at an attacker’s disposal, it is likely that someone in the organization will fall victim, making anti-phishing technologies like email filtering critical.
Phishing can often lead to credential theft. Once a phisher has a victim’s username, password or authentication information, they can abuse it to gain access to an account, service or network and take other actions—including data theft. In one incident noted in the report, a threat actor compromised a third-party organization providing help desk services to its true target. After compromising the third-party environment, the threat actor accessed their actual target. Once inside, the adversary gained access to administrator accounts, used them to access Citrix servers, and stole credentials from those servers for other systems. Protecting user credentials and enforcing best practices in regards to passwords/passphrases is a critical part of security. Another critical part is controlling user access and privileges. To prevent potential abuse by attackers or insider threats, user privileges should be limited to the lowest level necessary— a strategy that could cause culture clashes between the organization and users accustomed to not being limited, but also one that could impair an attack from spreading if a machine is compromised.
Strategic web compromises involve attackers infecting legitimate websites their targets are likely to visit in hopes of infecting their computers when they do. These types of drive-by download attacks are particularly sneaky because they take advantage of the trust the visitor has in the site. Although they sometimes use zerodays, the vulnerabilities are likely known issues the attacker is hoping the target has not yet patched. As a result, protecting against these types of attacks starts with an effective patch management strategy that identifies the vulnerabilities affecting your IT environment and rolls out the appropriate updates as promptly as possible.
Organizations should scan their networks and develop an inventory of their software and devices, then prioritize their patching according to the risk of an attack and the damage it could do if successful. In addition, vulnerability management extends to weaving security into the app development process and ensuring the safety of non-commodity code developed internally or by a third-party partner.
Of course, corporate security teams are hardly the only ones doing vulnerability scans. In the case of the recent Wanna- Cry ransomware attacks for example, the threat actors scanned Internet IP addresses for machines vulnerable to a Microsoft Windows vulnerability. This type of highvolume scanning of Internet-facing systems is a common way for threat actors to find systems they can exploit, and as noted above, was observed in nearly a quarter of the incidents examined in the report. One of the reasons the ransomware spread so quickly was that many organizations did not promptly apply Microsoft’s update despite it having been available since March. Buying the latest technology will not solve the problem posed by an unsecure Web server left accessible via the Internet.
The bottom line is that organizations need to take a risk-based approach to security that goes beyond regulatory compliance. Our Threat Insights Report outlines a number of recommendations.
Understand the extended enterprise. Take a data-centric approach. Define your key assets, know where they reside and who has access to them, including third parties.
Increase visibility. By collecting and monitoring security events, you will be able to reduce the time it takes to detect and respond to incidents as well as identify trends within the infrastructure. At a minimum, maintain logs on the following systems for 13 months: firewall, IDS/IPS, DNS, VPN, Active Directory, Web Services and critical servers and systems.
Build a culture of security. Everyone within the organization must take responsibility for protecting information. This involves getting buy-in from C-level leaders as well as other parts of the business outside IT in order to sell the importance of smart security behaviors.
Train your users. Employees unfortunately remain the weakest link. Phishing and social engineering remain popular for attackers seeing to infect enterprises and SMBs alike. Training employees to spot suspicious behavior can significantly improve your ability to block malicious activity.
Too often, the answer for these challenges is to buy the latest technology. However, to truly improve their security, chief information security officers need to focus more on people and processes. One of the mistakes many CISOs make is to take a compliance-first approach to security. Taking that type of checkbox approach does not best serve the organization. When it comes to cybersecurity, compliance should be thought of as a floor as opposed to a ceiling. For example, Secure- Works has talked to security teams at financial institutions who spent as much as 40 percent of their time on compliance initiatives rather than security initiatives that matter to their organizations. Ironically, putting a strong emphasis on security will address most compliance requirements.
Cybersecurity is not a problem that can be solved with technology alone. Developing an effective security strategy means understanding your needs, where your critical data and assets are, and what the risk levels are to that information and those devices. It means training employees, building an effective patch management program, and operationalizing threat intelligence to harden your defenses. It means implementing strategies like strong passwords and multi-factor authentication to control access to critical systems. Whether sophisticated attackers are at your doorstep or not, it won’t take any sophistication to break in if the door is unlocked.
This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue of Security Today.

lowercased:
in secureworks’ 2017 cybersecurity threat insights report, we found those cracks are often the result of failing to implement basic— the effective combination of people, processes and technologies to protect systems and data. strong security hygiene requires knowing your assets, your data, and the controls protecting them. yet in the report, our examination of 163 incident response engagements during the first half of 2016 uncovered failures ranging from poor patch management to a failure to protect the extended enterprise to ineffective preparation for incident response.
to understand what organizations need to do to prioritize the right areas for security spending and what can be done to more effectively prevent, remediate and respond to threats, cybersecurity leaders need to start with the fundamentals.
while much of the media focus is often on sophisticated, targeted attacks, the vast majority of the incidents for which secure- works was engaged in the first half of 2016 (88 percent) were opportunistic attacks that did not target a specific organization. among the incidents in the report in which the initial access vector was known, phishing was used 38 percent of the time, making it the most common attack methodology used by attackers. scan and exploit was the second most common at 22 percent, while strategic web compromises and credential abuse comprised 21 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
removable media was involved in four percent of the incidents.
in terms of defense, the implication here is clear: organizations need to put an emphasis on addressing the challenge posed by phishing. part of that requires educating and training employees to spot phishing emails when they hit their inboxes. often, there are telltale signs—misspellings, requests for the recipient to do something out of the norm, etc.—but sometimes there are not. in targeted attacks, spear-phishing emails can be even more sneaky than most. it is common for advanced threat groups to perform extensive reconnaissance on their targets before launching an attack, allowing them to create convincing emails that take into account details such as the recipient’s job duties and what it assets and data they have access to. with that kind of information at an attacker’s disposal, it is likely that someone in the organization will fall victim, making anti-phishing technologies like email filtering critical.
phishing can often lead to credential theft. once a phisher has a victim’s username, password or authentication information, they can abuse it to gain access to an account, service or network and take other actions—including data theft. in one incident noted in the report, a threat actor compromised a third-party organization providing help desk services to its true target. after compromising the third-party environment, the threat actor accessed their actual target. once inside, the adversary gained access to administrator accounts, used them to access citrix servers, and stole credentials from those servers for other systems. protecting user credentials and enforcing best practices in regards to passwords/passphrases is a critical part of security. another critical part is controlling user access and privileges. to prevent potential abuse by attackers or insider threats, user privileges should be limited to the lowest level necessary— a strategy that could cause culture clashes between the organization and users accustomed to not being limited, but also one that could impair an attack from spreading if a machine is compromised.
strategic web compromises involve attackers infecting legitimate websites their targets are likely to visit in hopes of infecting their computers when they do. these types of drive-by download attacks are particularly sneaky because they take advantage of the trust the visitor has in the site. although they sometimes use zerodays, the vulnerabilities are likely known issues the attacker is hoping the target has not yet patched. as a result, protecting against these types of attacks starts with an effective patch management strategy that identifies the vulnerabilities affecting your it environment and rolls out the appropriate updates as promptly as possible.
organizations should scan their networks and develop an inventory of their software and devices, then prioritize their patching according to the risk of an attack and the damage it could do if successful. in addition, vulnerability management extends to weaving security into the app development process and ensuring the safety of non-commodity code developed internally or by a third-party partner.
of course, corporate security teams are hardly the only ones doing vulnerability scans. in the case of the recent wanna- cry ransomware attacks for example, the threat actors scanned internet ip addresses for machines vulnerable to a microsoft windows vulnerability. this type of highvolume scanning of internet-facing systems is a common way for threat actors to find systems they can exploit, and as noted above, was observed in nearly a quarter of the incidents examined in the report. one of the reasons the ransomware spread so quickly was that many organizations did not promptly apply microsoft’s update despite it having been available since march. buying the latest technology will not solve the problem posed by an unsecure web server left accessible via the internet.
the bottom line is that organizations need to take a risk-based approach to security that goes beyond regulatory compliance. our threat insights report outlines a number of recommendations.
understand the extended enterprise. take a data-centric approach. define your key assets, know where they reside and who has access to them, including third parties.
increase visibility. by collecting and monitoring security events, you will be able to reduce the time it takes to detect and respond to incidents as well as identify trends within the infrastructure. at a minimum, maintain logs on the following systems for 13 months: firewall, ids/ips, dns, vpn, active directory, web services and critical servers and systems.
build a culture of security. everyone within the organization must take responsibility for protecting information. this involves getting buy-in from c-level leaders as well as other parts of the business outside it in order to sell the importance of smart security behaviors.
train your users. employees unfortunately remain the weakest link. phishing and social engineering remain popular for attackers seeing to infect enterprises and smbs alike. training employees to spot suspicious behavior can significantly improve your ability to block malicious activity.
too often, the answer for these challenges is to buy the latest technology. however, to truly improve their security, chief information security officers need to focus more on people and processes. one of the mistakes many cisos make is to take a compliance-first approach to security. taking that type of checkbox approach does not best serve the organization. when it comes to cybersecurity, compliance should be thought of as a floor as opposed to a ceiling. for example, secure- works has talked to security teams at financial institutions who spent as much as 40 percent of their time on compliance initiatives rather than security initiatives that matter to their organizations. ironically, putting a strong emphasis on security will address most compliance requirements.
cybersecurity is not a problem that can be solved with technology alone. developing an effective security strategy means understanding your needs, where your critical data and assets are, and what the risk levels are to that information and those devices. it means training employees, building an effective patch management program, and operationalizing threat intelligence to harden your defenses. it means implementing strategies like strong passwords and multi-factor authentication to control access to critical systems. whether sophisticated attackers are at your doorstep or not, it won’t take any sophistication to break in if the door is unlocked.
this article originally appeared in the august 2017 issue of security today.


text:
The heart has four chambers: two chambers at the top, the right and left atria; and two chambers on the bottom, the right and left ventricles. The right side of the heart collects blood from the body and pumps it into the lungs, where the blood is oxygenated. The oxygen rich blood is then collected by the left side of the heart, and from there it is pumped out into the body's various organs.
Congestive left-sided heart failure refers to a condition in which the left side of the heart is not able to push blood through the body efficiently enough to meet the metabolic needs of the body, and frequently results in blood pooling in the lungs. Low blood output from the heart causes tiredness, exercise intolerance and fainting.
Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your cat, taking into account the background history, onset of symptoms and possible incidents that might have led to this condition. A blood chemical profile, complete blood count, urinalysis and an electrolyte panel will be ordered to check the underlying cause of the heart disease and its severity. Your veterinarian will also draw blood from your cat to check thyroid function.
Imaging studies can be used to gain a further understanding of your cat's heart condition. X-ray and ultrasound imaging may be used, as well as electrocardiogram (ECG, or EKG) recordings for examining the electrical currents in the heart muscles. These recordings may reveal any abnormalities in cardiac electrical conduction (which underlies the heart’s ability to contract/beat).

lowercased:
the heart has four chambers: two chambers at the top, the right and left atria; and two chambers on the bottom, the right and left ventricles. the right side of the heart collects blood from the body and pumps it into the lungs, where the blood is oxygenated. the oxygen rich blood is then collected by the left side of the heart, and from there it is pumped out into the body's various organs.
congestive left-sided heart failure refers to a condition in which the left side of the heart is not able to push blood through the body efficiently enough to meet the metabolic needs of the body, and frequently results in blood pooling in the lungs. low blood output from the heart causes tiredness, exercise intolerance and fainting.
your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your cat, taking into account the background history, onset of symptoms and possible incidents that might have led to this condition. a blood chemical profile, complete blood count, urinalysis and an electrolyte panel will be ordered to check the underlying cause of the heart disease and its severity. your veterinarian will also draw blood from your cat to check thyroid function.
imaging studies can be used to gain a further understanding of your cat's heart condition. x-ray and ultrasound imaging may be used, as well as electrocardiogram (ecg, or ekg) recordings for examining the electrical currents in the heart muscles. these recordings may reveal any abnormalities in cardiac electrical conduction (which underlies the heart’s ability to contract/beat).


text:
This page displays sold house prices for Edlington Close in Bradford.
Edlington Close in Bradford BD4 consists predominantly of terraced houses. Properties on Edlington Close typically have values around under £100,000, with larger terraced houses and townhouses valued at around £100,000.
Map showing Edlington Close in Bradford.

lowercased:
this page displays sold house prices for edlington close in bradford.
edlington close in bradford bd4 consists predominantly of terraced houses. properties on edlington close typically have values around under £100,000, with larger terraced houses and townhouses valued at around £100,000.
map showing edlington close in bradford.


text:
President Barack Obama shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office last Thursday, after the two met to discuss the presidential transition.
Donald Trump's victory in the race for the White House leaves widespread uncertainty about what's in store for public schools under the first Republican administration in eight years. Aside from school choice, Trump, a New York-based real estate developer who has never before held public office, spent little time talking about K-12 education during his campaign. And he has no record to speak of on the issue for insights into what he may propose.
"We're all engaging in a lot of speculation because there hasn't been a lot of serious discussion about this, especially in the Trump campaign," Martin R. West, an associate professor of education at Harvard University, said in the run-up to the Nov. 8 presidential election. West has advised Republicans, including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, on education.
Trump did propose a $20 billion plan to dramatically expand school choice for low-income students. It would use federal money to help them attend private, charter, magnet, and regular public schools of their choice. It's also designed to leverage additional state investments in school choice of up to $100 billion nationwide.
In the campaign, the president-elect also embraced merit pay for teachers, without offering details beyond saying he found it unfair that "bad" teachers sometimes earned "more than the good ones." And, on the early-childhood front, he's pitched offering six weeks of maternity leave to women who do not get it through their employers, expanding the availability of dependent-care savings accounts, and offering tax incentives for employers to provide on-site day care.
But otherwise, the Trump campaign mostly dealt in sound bites with such controversial issues as the Common Core State Standards, the possibility of getting rid of the U.S. Department of Education, and gun-free school zones.
"I could really see him trying to minimize any role [of the federal government in education]," Nat Malkus, a research fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said in contemplating the implications of a Trump presidency ahead of the vote.
While education is not a high-profile issue politically at the moment, it's not as if the Trump administration won't have anything to do on school policy.
At or near the top of the K-12 to-do list is how the new administration handles the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, the latest version of the flagship federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act that was first passed in 1965. The Education Department under President Barack Obama is relatively close to finalizing ESSA regulations governing how states hold schools accountable and how districts must show they are using federal money to supplement their state and local school budgets.
Republicans in Congress have been critical of both sets of proposals from the department, particularly the one governing the supplemental-money rule. In fact, 25 GOP lawmakers recently asked the department to rescind its proposal for ensuring federal funds are supplemental, not a replacement for state and local money, on the grounds that the proposal would give the department too much power over state and local budget decisions.
The incoming administration may be on the same page as those lawmakers, said Gerard Robinson, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former state schools chief in Virginia and Florida.
"I think [Trump's] secretary of education will handle it differently than what we've seen from [current Secretary] John King," regarding the so-called supplement-not-supplant rules, Robinson said. Robinson is serving as a member of the Trump transition team, but spoke only on his own behalf.
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton focused more on early education and college affordability than K-12 in her losing bid for the White House.
However, when it comes to ESSA in general, Robinson said he believes that Trump views the law as a result of a "bipartisan coalition" and that the president-elect won't get too heavily involved in ESSA's rollout.
And Robinson expects states to have a great deal of flexibility in the ESSA accountability plans that they submit to the Trump administration starting next year—significantly more than they enjoyed under Obama-era waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act, the predecessor to ESSA.
"This is a great time to be a state chief," Robinson said, adding at the same time that "I don't want state chiefs to think that when they turn those [plans] in that, 'Oh, well, these will just get approved.' "
What's more, a lot of policies under the No Child Left Behind Act were part of the law but the George W. Bush or Obama administration didn't do much to enforce them. A couple of examples: the requirement that highly qualified teachers be distributed fairly between poor and less-poor schools, and that districts offer free tutoring to students in schools that weren't making progress under the law.
There could be similar examples of provisions that are on the books in ESSA, or in the Obama administration's regulations for the law, said Vic Klatt, a one-time aide to House Republicans who is now a principal at the Penn Hill Group. And since the Trump administration will be the first to enforce ESSA, it could be "easier and less disruptive" for it to simply ignore parts of the law than it would be for another administration down the line, Klatt said.
Trump could also discard another key piece of the Obama education legacy: The president-elect could significantly curb the role of the department's office for civil rights when it comes to state and local policies, according to Robinson, and thereby return the OCR's role more to how it operated under Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. That could have a big impact on everything from action on racial disparities in school discipline to transgender students' rights.
Robinson also said that he expects the OCR to ensure that students' rights are not "trampled on."
Some civil rights advocates though, are already concerned, given some of Trump's campaign-trail rhetoric on Muslims and Latinos, that the office won't flex its enforcement muscles.
"We're worried," said Liz King, the director of education policy for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. "We're hearing what everyone else is hearing from teachers and families that kids don't feel safe."
Much depends on whom Trump picks to lead his Education Department—assuming that he decides not to seek elimination or drastic cutbacks to the agency, which he has sometimes said he would like to do.
In October, Carl Palladino, a school board member in Buffalo, N.Y., and a Trump campaign surrogate, said he believed that if elected, Trump would pick someone from outside the education policy world to lead the department.
Another critical decision will be on who reviews states' proposed accountability plans for ESSA next year.
"Who are going to be his people? If he brings in a traditional right-of-center group, you can take it from there," said Maria Ferguson, the executive director of the Center on Education Policy, who worked in the Education Department under President Bill Clinton.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at his victory rally on Nov. 9 in New York City. The Republican real estate developer made school choice a key theme when talking about public education on the campaign trail.
Ferguson suggested a traditional conservative policy agenda of expanded charter schools and other initiatives would probably get traction under Trump.
"All these familiar themes that the right-of-center groups have talked about will become a version of his agenda," Ferguson predicted. She mentioned school choice and groups like the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which was founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, one of Trump's rivals for the GOP nomination. "But I don't think it's going to come from him."
Earlier this year, Trump tapped Rob Goad, a staffer for Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., to be his education adviser, not long before the Trump campaign released its $20 billion school choice plan. There are some basic similarities between Trump's plan and a push last year to make federal Title I aid "portable" for disadvantaged students to use at both public and private schools.
And Trump's transition team for education includes Robinson, the former Florida and Virginia state chief, and Williamson M. Evers, a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, who worked at the Education Department under President George W. Bush.
Much also depends on Trump's relationship with Congress and to what extent he empowers key GOP lawmakers on education policy.
Besides ESSA, Congress has been fairly active in moving education-related legislation. In recent months, for example, the House of Representatives approved reauthorizations of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.
Some, but less, progress has also been made on renewing the Child Nutrition Act. And the Higher Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Head Start federal preschool program are up for reauthorization in the near future.
Trump has outlined a general plan on college affordability, including capping student-loan repayments at 12.5 percent of income and instituting loan forgiveness after 15 years for certain borrowers. College affordability is a more prominent issue thanks to the 2016 presidential campaign. And since Congress remains sharply divided along partisan lines, Trump and the Republicans likely won't be able to simply roll ahead with all their preferences on higher education.
"You're not doing anything legislatively without bipartisan support," said West, of Harvard. "It's not obvious to me that there is a clear Republican agenda in Congress right now with respect to K-12 education, except for trying to ensure that ESSA is implemented in a way consistent with the intent of the law of empowering states to design accountability systems as they see fit."
But uncertainty prevails, both over what the new president will take an interest in and how much he will push to get education bills and initiatives over the finish line.

lowercased:
president barack obama shakes hands with president-elect donald trump in the oval office last thursday, after the two met to discuss the presidential transition.
donald trump's victory in the race for the white house leaves widespread uncertainty about what's in store for public schools under the first republican administration in eight years. aside from school choice, trump, a new york-based real estate developer who has never before held public office, spent little time talking about k-12 education during his campaign. and he has no record to speak of on the issue for insights into what he may propose.
"we're all engaging in a lot of speculation because there hasn't been a lot of serious discussion about this, especially in the trump campaign," martin r. west, an associate professor of education at harvard university, said in the run-up to the nov. 8 presidential election. west has advised republicans, including 2012 nominee mitt romney and sen. lamar alexander of tennessee, on education.
trump did propose a $20 billion plan to dramatically expand school choice for low-income students. it would use federal money to help them attend private, charter, magnet, and regular public schools of their choice. it's also designed to leverage additional state investments in school choice of up to $100 billion nationwide.
in the campaign, the president-elect also embraced merit pay for teachers, without offering details beyond saying he found it unfair that "bad" teachers sometimes earned "more than the good ones." and, on the early-childhood front, he's pitched offering six weeks of maternity leave to women who do not get it through their employers, expanding the availability of dependent-care savings accounts, and offering tax incentives for employers to provide on-site day care.
but otherwise, the trump campaign mostly dealt in sound bites with such controversial issues as the common core state standards, the possibility of getting rid of the u.s. department of education, and gun-free school zones.
"i could really see him trying to minimize any role [of the federal government in education]," nat malkus, a research fellow at the conservative american enterprise institute, said in contemplating the implications of a trump presidency ahead of the vote.
while education is not a high-profile issue politically at the moment, it's not as if the trump administration won't have anything to do on school policy.
at or near the top of the k-12 to-do list is how the new administration handles the every student succeeds act, or essa, the latest version of the flagship federal elementary and secondary education act that was first passed in 1965. the education department under president barack obama is relatively close to finalizing essa regulations governing how states hold schools accountable and how districts must show they are using federal money to supplement their state and local school budgets.
republicans in congress have been critical of both sets of proposals from the department, particularly the one governing the supplemental-money rule. in fact, 25 gop lawmakers recently asked the department to rescind its proposal for ensuring federal funds are supplemental, not a replacement for state and local money, on the grounds that the proposal would give the department too much power over state and local budget decisions.
the incoming administration may be on the same page as those lawmakers, said gerard robinson, a fellow at the american enterprise institute and former state schools chief in virginia and florida.
"i think [trump's] secretary of education will handle it differently than what we've seen from [current secretary] john king," regarding the so-called supplement-not-supplant rules, robinson said. robinson is serving as a member of the trump transition team, but spoke only on his own behalf.
democratic nominee hillary clinton focused more on early education and college affordability than k-12 in her losing bid for the white house.
however, when it comes to essa in general, robinson said he believes that trump views the law as a result of a "bipartisan coalition" and that the president-elect won't get too heavily involved in essa's rollout.
and robinson expects states to have a great deal of flexibility in the essa accountability plans that they submit to the trump administration starting next year—significantly more than they enjoyed under obama-era waivers from the no child left behind act, the predecessor to essa.
"this is a great time to be a state chief," robinson said, adding at the same time that "i don't want state chiefs to think that when they turn those [plans] in that, 'oh, well, these will just get approved.' "
what's more, a lot of policies under the no child left behind act were part of the law but the george w. bush or obama administration didn't do much to enforce them. a couple of examples: the requirement that highly qualified teachers be distributed fairly between poor and less-poor schools, and that districts offer free tutoring to students in schools that weren't making progress under the law.
there could be similar examples of provisions that are on the books in essa, or in the obama administration's regulations for the law, said vic klatt, a one-time aide to house republicans who is now a principal at the penn hill group. and since the trump administration will be the first to enforce essa, it could be "easier and less disruptive" for it to simply ignore parts of the law than it would be for another administration down the line, klatt said.
trump could also discard another key piece of the obama education legacy: the president-elect could significantly curb the role of the department's office for civil rights when it comes to state and local policies, according to robinson, and thereby return the ocr's role more to how it operated under presidents george h.w. bush and george w. bush. that could have a big impact on everything from action on racial disparities in school discipline to transgender students' rights.
robinson also said that he expects the ocr to ensure that students' rights are not "trampled on."
some civil rights advocates though, are already concerned, given some of trump's campaign-trail rhetoric on muslims and latinos, that the office won't flex its enforcement muscles.
"we're worried," said liz king, the director of education policy for the leadership conference on civil and human rights. "we're hearing what everyone else is hearing from teachers and families that kids don't feel safe."
much depends on whom trump picks to lead his education department—assuming that he decides not to seek elimination or drastic cutbacks to the agency, which he has sometimes said he would like to do.
in october, carl palladino, a school board member in buffalo, n.y., and a trump campaign surrogate, said he believed that if elected, trump would pick someone from outside the education policy world to lead the department.
another critical decision will be on who reviews states' proposed accountability plans for essa next year.
"who are going to be his people? if he brings in a traditional right-of-center group, you can take it from there," said maria ferguson, the executive director of the center on education policy, who worked in the education department under president bill clinton.
president-elect donald trump speaks at his victory rally on nov. 9 in new york city. the republican real estate developer made school choice a key theme when talking about public education on the campaign trail.
ferguson suggested a traditional conservative policy agenda of expanded charter schools and other initiatives would probably get traction under trump.
"all these familiar themes that the right-of-center groups have talked about will become a version of his agenda," ferguson predicted. she mentioned school choice and groups like the foundation for excellence in education, which was founded by former florida gov. jeb bush, one of trump's rivals for the gop nomination. "but i don't think it's going to come from him."
earlier this year, trump tapped rob goad, a staffer for rep. luke messer, r-ind., to be his education adviser, not long before the trump campaign released its $20 billion school choice plan. there are some basic similarities between trump's plan and a push last year to make federal title i aid "portable" for disadvantaged students to use at both public and private schools.
and trump's transition team for education includes robinson, the former florida and virginia state chief, and williamson m. evers, a research fellow at stanford university's hoover institution, who worked at the education department under president george w. bush.
much also depends on trump's relationship with congress and to what extent he empowers key gop lawmakers on education policy.
besides essa, congress has been fairly active in moving education-related legislation. in recent months, for example, the house of representatives approved reauthorizations of the carl d. perkins career and technical education act and the juvenile justice and delinquency prevention act.
some, but less, progress has also been made on renewing the child nutrition act. and the higher education act, the individuals with disabilities education act, and the head start federal preschool program are up for reauthorization in the near future.
trump has outlined a general plan on college affordability, including capping student-loan repayments at 12.5 percent of income and instituting loan forgiveness after 15 years for certain borrowers. college affordability is a more prominent issue thanks to the 2016 presidential campaign. and since congress remains sharply divided along partisan lines, trump and the republicans likely won't be able to simply roll ahead with all their preferences on higher education.
"you're not doing anything legislatively without bipartisan support," said west, of harvard. "it's not obvious to me that there is a clear republican agenda in congress right now with respect to k-12 education, except for trying to ensure that essa is implemented in a way consistent with the intent of the law of empowering states to design accountability systems as they see fit."
but uncertainty prevails, both over what the new president will take an interest in and how much he will push to get education bills and initiatives over the finish line.


text:
The DQ Charming Collection Kiwi Passport Holder is designed to securely fit your passport in colourful style and protect your most important document from unnecessary wear and tear. Easily identify your passport with this passport holder in a bright and playful design.
Add fun to your travel with the Fun Love range of passport covers from DQ Co. Adorable and practical it'll protect your passport as you travel the world. Use the new Fun Love range to brighten your travel adventures and to create a look all of your own!
Create a Gift Set: Match with the Spots & Stripes Kangaroo Luggage Tag for $14.95 | SAVE $0.95!
A passport cover will protect your most previous investment whilst travelling and with this fun range of passport holders from DQ Co. you can also personalise the cover to ensure it's easily recognisable at the airport and beyond.
The Spots & Stripes range from DQ Co. lets you take a little piece of home with you while you're travelling with our most iconic animals and continent as the stars of the show!
It also allows you to add you own personality to luggage with the help of the funky and contemporary designs! Which one's your fave?
A passport cover will protect your most previous investment whilst travelling and with this fun range of passport holders from DQ Co. you can also personalise the cover to ensure it's easily recognisable when at the airport and beyond.
The new Spots & Stripes range from DQ Co. lets you take a little piece of home with you while you're travelling with our most iconic animals and continent as the stars of the show!
Create a Gift Set: Match with the Waratah Pouch for $14.95 | SAVE $0.95!
Take a piece of home with you by styling your passport with this native-inspired passport holder from the DQ travel range.
It will protect your most important document from unnecessary wear and tear whilst allowing for easy identification of your passport in your bag. It's also made from hard-wearing fabric that doesn’t compromise on design yet ensures you travel in style!

lowercased:
the dq charming collection kiwi passport holder is designed to securely fit your passport in colourful style and protect your most important document from unnecessary wear and tear. easily identify your passport with this passport holder in a bright and playful design.
add fun to your travel with the fun love range of passport covers from dq co. adorable and practical it'll protect your passport as you travel the world. use the new fun love range to brighten your travel adventures and to create a look all of your own!
create a gift set: match with the spots & stripes kangaroo luggage tag for $14.95 | save $0.95!
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a passport cover will protect your most previous investment whilst travelling and with this fun range of passport holders from dq co. you can also personalise the cover to ensure it's easily recognisable when at the airport and beyond.
the new spots & stripes range from dq co. lets you take a little piece of home with you while you're travelling with our most iconic animals and continent as the stars of the show!
create a gift set: match with the waratah pouch for $14.95 | save $0.95!
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text:
In this tutorial, you'll build an application and learn how to set up communication between its microservices using Consul, Ribbon, and Feign.
Build a Volunteer microservice using Spring Boot.
Build a Patient microservice using Spring Boot.
Set up Consul agent for service registry and discovery.
Integrate microservices to register with Consul.
Patient microservice calls a service in Volunteer microservice using a traditional Spring RestTemplate.
Patient microservice calls a service in the Volunteer microservice using Feign as a REST client.
Before we proceed to building the solution, let’s quickly go over all these components.
A microservice is a single autonomous component which is loosely coupled with other microservices working together to provide a business solution.
Consul is a peer to peer, strongly consistent data store that uses a gossip protocol to manage membership and form dynamic clusters and a raft protocol to provide consistency. It supports a variety of network protocols such as HTTP, TTL, and TCP. It supports health checking, such as whether the web server is unavailable (not returning a 200 HTTP code), memory utilization (let’s say > 90%, etc). Consul also supports multi-datacenter out of the box.
There are a few other products in the market to choose from for service discovery, such as Eureka or Zookeeper. Eureka is a Netflix product which has a less consistent communication protocol, but is easy to integrate with other Netflix products, such as Ribbon and Hysterix. Zookeeper is a clustered system that is mostly geared towards big data architecture such as Hadoop and Kafka. The comparison among these products is out of the scope of this article. You may find more detail here.
Ribbon is a client-side load balancer which rotates requests between a list of servers based on logic such as round robin or weigh based.
What Is a Feign Client?
Feign provides an abstraction over REST-based calls via annotation, by which microservices can use to communicate with each other without writing detailed REST client code.
Now, let's start on our simple project to learn these components.
Note - /vs is the application context assigned in the application.yml file of the microservice.
Step 2 - Unzip the downloaded file. It will be unzipped to Consul.exe. You may add this path to your PATH variable for easy access.
Step 3 - Verify the installation. Run Consul version from a command line and verify the version.
Optionally, you can run consul catalog services to see the list of services running under Consul.
Note that the default port it uses is 8500. Default configurations can be overridden either by passing command line arguments, adding a configuration file or setting up environment variables.
Note that Actuator dependency is added to the application here. Actuator automatically configures and enables monitoring endpoints for an application. Application health is exposed /health URI. In the next step, we will add this endpoint to register with Consul.
The value provided in healthCheckPath gets registered with Consul. Here, the application registers /ps/health with Consul. Note that /ps is the application context for the patient application. You may use any other application endpoint for monitoring with the consideration that the heartbeat check by Consul to monitor the endpoint does not impact the business processing. We have a few more Consul monitoring properties disabled, as we are not interested in those at this point.
Add the same properties to the application.yml file of the Volunteer application, then update healthCheckPath to /vs/health.
Step 4 - Restart both the Volunteer application and Patient application.
Note that the services are registered to Consul by the property value defined in spring.application.name.
Step 1 - Add logical URL of the volunteer service in the Patient application.
Note that we are not providing the ctaul host r port information here to reach out to VolunteerService. Service discovery will do it for us during runtime.
Note that @LoadBalanced allows us to get the reference to service URL used in the RESTTemplate.
We learned that the web client discovers the web application from Consul via logical name and calls a service. However, it still has to know how to construct the service URL, pass parameters, and unmarshall return values.
The Feign client removes the need to write boilerplate code for the REST client. The REST client can just keep the same signature as the REST service and the internals will be handled by the Feign client.
The volunteer service source code is available here.
The patient service source code is available here.

lowercased:
in this tutorial, you'll build an application and learn how to set up communication between its microservices using consul, ribbon, and feign.
build a volunteer microservice using spring boot.
build a patient microservice using spring boot.
set up consul agent for service registry and discovery.
integrate microservices to register with consul.
patient microservice calls a service in volunteer microservice using a traditional spring resttemplate.
patient microservice calls a service in the volunteer microservice using feign as a rest client.
before we proceed to building the solution, let’s quickly go over all these components.
a microservice is a single autonomous component which is loosely coupled with other microservices working together to provide a business solution.
consul is a peer to peer, strongly consistent data store that uses a gossip protocol to manage membership and form dynamic clusters and a raft protocol to provide consistency. it supports a variety of network protocols such as http, ttl, and tcp. it supports health checking, such as whether the web server is unavailable (not returning a 200 http code), memory utilization (let’s say > 90%, etc). consul also supports multi-datacenter out of the box.
there are a few other products in the market to choose from for service discovery, such as eureka or zookeeper. eureka is a netflix product which has a less consistent communication protocol, but is easy to integrate with other netflix products, such as ribbon and hysterix. zookeeper is a clustered system that is mostly geared towards big data architecture such as hadoop and kafka. the comparison among these products is out of the scope of this article. you may find more detail here.
ribbon is a client-side load balancer which rotates requests between a list of servers based on logic such as round robin or weigh based.
what is a feign client?
feign provides an abstraction over rest-based calls via annotation, by which microservices can use to communicate with each other without writing detailed rest client code.
now, let's start on our simple project to learn these components.
note - /vs is the application context assigned in the application.yml file of the microservice.
step 2 - unzip the downloaded file. it will be unzipped to consul.exe. you may add this path to your path variable for easy access.
step 3 - verify the installation. run consul version from a command line and verify the version.
optionally, you can run consul catalog services to see the list of services running under consul.
note that the default port it uses is 8500. default configurations can be overridden either by passing command line arguments, adding a configuration file or setting up environment variables.
note that actuator dependency is added to the application here. actuator automatically configures and enables monitoring endpoints for an application. application health is exposed /health uri. in the next step, we will add this endpoint to register with consul.
the value provided in healthcheckpath gets registered with consul. here, the application registers /ps/health with consul. note that /ps is the application context for the patient application. you may use any other application endpoint for monitoring with the consideration that the heartbeat check by consul to monitor the endpoint does not impact the business processing. we have a few more consul monitoring properties disabled, as we are not interested in those at this point.
add the same properties to the application.yml file of the volunteer application, then update healthcheckpath to /vs/health.
step 4 - restart both the volunteer application and patient application.
note that the services are registered to consul by the property value defined in spring.application.name.
step 1 - add logical url of the volunteer service in the patient application.
note that we are not providing the ctaul host r port information here to reach out to volunteerservice. service discovery will do it for us during runtime.
note that @loadbalanced allows us to get the reference to service url used in the resttemplate.
we learned that the web client discovers the web application from consul via logical name and calls a service. however, it still has to know how to construct the service url, pass parameters, and unmarshall return values.
the feign client removes the need to write boilerplate code for the rest client. the rest client can just keep the same signature as the rest service and the internals will be handled by the feign client.
the volunteer service source code is available here.
the patient service source code is available here.


text:
We rely heavily on faces during social interactions. Humans possess the ability to recognise thousands of people very quickly and accurately without effort. The serious social difficulties that follow abnormalities of the face recognition system (i.e., prosopagnosia) strongly underline the importance of typical face skills in our everyday life. Over the last fifty years, research on prosopagnosia, along with research in the healthy population, has provided insights into the cognitive and neural features behind typical face recognition. This has also been achieved thanks to non-invasive neuroimaging techniques such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Electroencephalography (EEG), Magnetoencephalography (MEG), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). However, there is still much debate about the cognitive and neural mechanisms of face perception.
In the current “Research Topic” we plan to gather experimental works, opinions, commentaries, mini-reviews and reviews that focus on new or novel theories and methods in face perception research. Where is the field at the moment? Do we need to re-think the experimental procedures we have adopted so far? Again, what kind of techniques (or combination of them) and analysis methods will be important in the future? From the experimental point of view we encourage both behavioural and neuroimaging contributions (e.g., fMRI, EEG, MEG, DTI and TMS).
Despite the main emphasis on face perception, memory and identification, we will also consider original works that focus on other aspects of face processing, such as expression recognition, attractiveness judgments and face imagery. In addition, animal investigations and experimental manipulations that alter face recognition abilities in typical human subjects (e.g., hypnosis) are also welcome. Overall, we are proposing a Research Topic that looks at face processing using different perspectives and welcome contributions from different domains such as psychology, neurology, neuroscience, cognitive science and philosophy.
Last year we lost two giants in the field: Shlomo Bentin and Truett Allison. We dedicate this Research Topic to them and their pioneering studies.

lowercased:
we rely heavily on faces during social interactions. humans possess the ability to recognise thousands of people very quickly and accurately without effort. the serious social difficulties that follow abnormalities of the face recognition system (i.e., prosopagnosia) strongly underline the importance of typical face skills in our everyday life. over the last fifty years, research on prosopagnosia, along with research in the healthy population, has provided insights into the cognitive and neural features behind typical face recognition. this has also been achieved thanks to non-invasive neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri), electroencephalography (eeg), magnetoencephalography (meg), diffusion tensor imaging (dti) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (tms). however, there is still much debate about the cognitive and neural mechanisms of face perception.
in the current “research topic” we plan to gather experimental works, opinions, commentaries, mini-reviews and reviews that focus on new or novel theories and methods in face perception research. where is the field at the moment? do we need to re-think the experimental procedures we have adopted so far? again, what kind of techniques (or combination of them) and analysis methods will be important in the future? from the experimental point of view we encourage both behavioural and neuroimaging contributions (e.g., fmri, eeg, meg, dti and tms).
despite the main emphasis on face perception, memory and identification, we will also consider original works that focus on other aspects of face processing, such as expression recognition, attractiveness judgments and face imagery. in addition, animal investigations and experimental manipulations that alter face recognition abilities in typical human subjects (e.g., hypnosis) are also welcome. overall, we are proposing a research topic that looks at face processing using different perspectives and welcome contributions from different domains such as psychology, neurology, neuroscience, cognitive science and philosophy.
last year we lost two giants in the field: shlomo bentin and truett allison. we dedicate this research topic to them and their pioneering studies.


text: Image Title: Kenroy Home Hatteras Outdoor Floor Lamp Chocolate Within Lamps Ideas 9. Post Title: Outdoor Floor Lamps. Filename: kenroy-home-hatteras-outdoor-floor-lamp-chocolate-within-lamps-ideas-9.jpg. Image Dimension: 747 x 1000 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: Ahmed Schuster. Uploaded Date: Thursday - October 18th. 2018 11:39:23 AM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: housetohome.co.uk. Miami F3 Outdoor Floor Lamp By Anton Angeli Interior Deluxe Within Lamps Ideas 0. Outdoor Floor Lamps To Use In A Deck Or Patio Regarding Plan 14. Outdoor Decorative Floor Lamps Exterior Portable Patio Lights With Remodel 4. Great Deals On Crate Barrel Prism Outdoor Floor Lamp Lamps Regarding Plan 17. Sasha Outdoor Floor Carpyen For Lamps Prepare 11. Outdoor Floor Lamps YLighting With Decor 12. Kenroy Home Hatteras Outdoor Floor Lamp Chocolate Within Lamps Ideas 9. Outdoor Floor Lamps To Use In A Deck Or Patio Decor Regarding 2. Orleon Outdoor Floor Lamp Lights Co Uk Within Lamps Remodel 7. Original 1227 Giant Outdoor Floor Lamp I Shop Now At The Longest Stay Inside Lamps Ideas 16.

lowercased: image title: kenroy home hatteras outdoor floor lamp chocolate within lamps ideas 9. post title: outdoor floor lamps. filename: kenroy-home-hatteras-outdoor-floor-lamp-chocolate-within-lamps-ideas-9.jpg. image dimension: 747 x 1000 pixels. images format: jpg/jpeg. publisher/author: ahmed schuster. uploaded date: thursday - october 18th. 2018 11:39:23 am. category: architecture. image source: housetohome.co.uk. miami f3 outdoor floor lamp by anton angeli interior deluxe within lamps ideas 0. outdoor floor lamps to use in a deck or patio regarding plan 14. outdoor decorative floor lamps exterior portable patio lights with remodel 4. great deals on crate barrel prism outdoor floor lamp lamps regarding plan 17. sasha outdoor floor carpyen for lamps prepare 11. outdoor floor lamps ylighting with decor 12. kenroy home hatteras outdoor floor lamp chocolate within lamps ideas 9. outdoor floor lamps to use in a deck or patio decor regarding 2. orleon outdoor floor lamp lights co uk within lamps remodel 7. original 1227 giant outdoor floor lamp i shop now at the longest stay inside lamps ideas 16.


text:
(07-23-2018, 07:12 PM)Octo Wrote: But we did get some smoked salt the other day and that was amazing on ribeye steaks. And tellicherry pepper of course. It's all I need on my steak.
That steak rub is great stuff! Not available here.
Oh look it's my yard right now.

lowercased:
(07-23-2018, 07:12 pm)octo wrote: but we did get some smoked salt the other day and that was amazing on ribeye steaks. and tellicherry pepper of course. it's all i need on my steak.
that steak rub is great stuff! not available here.
oh look it's my yard right now.


text:
Making a difference in a child or adolescent’s life is not always easy, but the staff of the Mental Health Forensic Services Division at The Harris Center strives to do just that every day. Through a variety of programs, children and adolescents who are involved in the juvenile justice system in Harris County receive treatment and services that address some of the root causes that led them there in the first place.
Recovery: one word with countless possibilities. Because there is not one definition of recovery, everyone has their own meaning and their own story.
“The Agency slogan is Transforming Lives, and so, when we think of that and we think of recovery, it means to help someone progress in finding meaning in their life. They are not merely progressing towards eliminating symptoms, but to be able to live a meaningful life past the mental health challenges that they face,” said Ana Oyarvide, Recovery Manager for the Mental Health Outpatient Services Division of The Harris Center.
While the recovery journey is unique for each individual, it is a tie that binds. Those who have lived experience in recovery from mental illness, commonly referred to as peers, offer an insight that is invaluable to those who are either just starting their process or those who find it beneficial to talk to others who understand what it is like to live with a mental illness.

lowercased:
making a difference in a child or adolescent’s life is not always easy, but the staff of the mental health forensic services division at the harris center strives to do just that every day. through a variety of programs, children and adolescents who are involved in the juvenile justice system in harris county receive treatment and services that address some of the root causes that led them there in the first place.
recovery: one word with countless possibilities. because there is not one definition of recovery, everyone has their own meaning and their own story.
“the agency slogan is transforming lives, and so, when we think of that and we think of recovery, it means to help someone progress in finding meaning in their life. they are not merely progressing towards eliminating symptoms, but to be able to live a meaningful life past the mental health challenges that they face,” said ana oyarvide, recovery manager for the mental health outpatient services division of the harris center.
while the recovery journey is unique for each individual, it is a tie that binds. those who have lived experience in recovery from mental illness, commonly referred to as peers, offer an insight that is invaluable to those who are either just starting their process or those who find it beneficial to talk to others who understand what it is like to live with a mental illness.


text: Tucked away along the picturesque Dong Van Karst Plateau, the winding Nho Que River flows like green thread shimmering north from heaven. It runs along the border for 16.4 km then into Vietnam through Lung Cu Commune in Ha Giang into Gam River in Cao Bang Province. Visiting Nho Que River and simply taking a local boat to immerse in the splendid and terrific beauty of Nho Que River. Furthermore, it is a precious chance to capture some magnificent photos of this area.

lowercased: tucked away along the picturesque dong van karst plateau, the winding nho que river flows like green thread shimmering north from heaven. it runs along the border for 16.4 km then into vietnam through lung cu commune in ha giang into gam river in cao bang province. visiting nho que river and simply taking a local boat to immerse in the splendid and terrific beauty of nho que river. furthermore, it is a precious chance to capture some magnificent photos of this area.