OFFICER BOBBY KEEN ALERTS ROTARIANS ON SECURITY
Pasadena Rotarians gained some valuable information about avoiding “scams” and security breaches from Pasadena Police Officer Bobby pictured (C) with Rotarians Gary Nickelson and Bob Gebhard (L & R. 
Officer Keen is a veteran of 31 years on Pasadena PD and has served on Patrol, the S.W.A.T . Team, where he specialized in chemical munitions, entry tactics and as the Sniper Team Leader. He holds a Master Peace Officer Certificate and Basic Instructor’s Certificate. He is both a Certified R.A.D. Instructor and a Certified Crime Prevention Specialist. He is currently assigned to the Community Service Division where he speaks and educates the community on crime prevention, security protection and “Scam” warnings. He mentioned several ways one can protect oneself from “hackers” starting with the caveats “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” and “Nothing is Free”. It’s a risk to buy on line, which usually requires you to give a credit card number; however one protective measure is to use only well-known websites and look for HTTPS:// Not just HTTP://. The “S” plus an icon of a locked padlock indicate a higher degree of security. Another method is to use a specific charge card, with a low credit limit, issued by a company that alerts you after every charge made on the card. Officer Keen recommends a good Firewall system to protect against malware. Good systems usually cost $40 or more. Another hazard is the use by predators on social media to prey on young people. This necessitates computer and cell phone education and monitoring of children’s use of the internet. Officer Keen closed with a valuable bit of information concerning unwanted phone calls. Instead of just handing up, press the pound key several times. This causes the party on the other end to think they are talking to a “Fax” and they probably won’t call back.