Latest news with #Gitnux
Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Man falls to his death from flaming hot air balloon in horrifying video
Horrifying footage showed flames consuming the lower half of the balloon mid-flight, with thick black smoke pouring into the sky - and a lone figure dangling desperately from a rope before falling Shocking footage has captured the harrowing moment a man plunged to his death after clinging to the bottom of a burning hot air balloon. The tragedy unfolded in Zacatecas, Mexico, on Sunday during the First Balloon Festival, Rodrigo Reyes Mugüerza, the Secretary General of Zacatecas, confirmed online. Horrifying footage showed flames consuming the lower half of the balloon mid-flight, with thick black smoke pouring into the sky. As the fire intensifies, a lone figure is seen dangling desperately from a rope beneath the blaze, before falling. Mugüerza said a participant had "lost his life" after an "unfortunate incident" while on board a hot air balloon. "Immediately, authorities rushed to the scene to provide care and support to the affected people," Mugüerza said in a statement posted to social media. "We have requested the State Prosecutor's Office to carry out the relevant investigations to clarify the facts and disclose responsibilities. We urge all municipal authorities to strengthen their verification mechanisms to avoid such risks during the development of their activities and festivities." The man, identified only as a 40-year-old Luicio N, according to local news outlet Riviera Maya News, died from his injuries. He is believed to have been inside the balloon with two other people when the fire broke out while the group were still on the ground. Luicio reportedly helped the other two passengers escape but got stuck in the rope while the balloon started to move. He was then lifted into the air and clung onto the rope several feet below the fire before the fatal drop. The horrifying clip went viral on social media, with many viewers rushing to comment on the tragic incident. "This man is a hero. That being said. I don't go in hot air balloons for a reason," one person said. "Heartbreaking. His final act was one of courage and sacrifice. May he rest in peace," another wrote. "What a tragic and heroic story. Luicio's final act of selflessness, trying to save others while facing his own peril, speaks volumes about the strength of the human spirit. RIP to him. His courage will not be forgotten," a third added. While hot air ballooning carries certain risks, fatal accidents remain extremely rare. According to data from Gitnux, the mortality rate is less than 0.01% per flight, with only around 1 to 2 accidents per 100,000 journeys - making it statistically safer than many other forms of aviation.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Forbes
Happy World Password Day
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 09: In this photo illustration, a password log-in box is projected onto ... More the face of a woman on August 09, 2017 in London, England. With so many areas of modern life requiring identity verification, online security remains a constant concern, especially following the recent spate of global hacks. (Photo by) Since 2013 the first Thursday in May has been designated as World Password Day, a day intended to remind us of the critical importance of password security Recently a study by market research company Gitnux found that 60% of Americans use the same password for multiple online accounts. This is particularly problematic because if the password is compromised, such as in a data breach of one account, all of the other accounts using that same password which may include sensitive accounts such as online banking become vulnerable. While passwords are still the coin of the realm for account access and verification, newer, more secure authentication methods offer much promise. Biometric recognition, such as through fingerprints, facial features or retina scans can provide enhanced security without the necessity of remembering a password. However, nothing is foolproof and a sophisticated hacker could create a fake fingerprint or use a high resolution photograph to manipulate facial recognition systems. Further, changes in physical appearance or injuries can affect the accuracy of biometric recognition systems. Password managers provide an option for the secure use of passwords. Password managers are apps that can generate and store strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts and all you need to remember is a single master password for your password manager. If you do decide to use a password manager, you should remember not to use your password manager master password for any of your other accounts. Another recent development in password security is to have your browser, computer or phone create and store passwords for you. For Google Chrome For Firefox For iPhones For Android phones However, if you prefer to use the helping hand you find at the end of your own arm and generate your own unique, complex passwords for each of your accounts that are easy to remember, here is a strategy that is very effective. You can start with a strong base password constructed from a phrase, such as IDon'tLikePasswords that has capital letters, small letters and a symbol. Add a few symbols at the end so it may read IDon'tLikePasswords!!! and then adapt it with a few letters for each particular account you have so that you will have a secure and easy to remember password for each of your online accounts. Thus, your Amazon password could be IDon'tLikePasswords!!!AMA. Having unique, complex passwords for each of your accounts is an essential element of online security. A report from Hive Systems indicated that due to advances in advanced graphics processing technology, hackers could crack an 8 character complex password with capital letters, lower case letters and symbols in 39 minutes and a 7 character complex password could be cracked in a mere 31 seconds. As for complex passwords of 6 characters or less, they can be cracked instantly. has a great tool whereby you can type in your password and it will tell you how long it would take for a hacker to crack it. According to it would take 8 quintillion years to crack my IDon'tLikePasswords!!! base password. However, password security is not just about passwords, it is also about your security question. When you set up an account, you select and answer a security question which you can use to change your password if you can't remember the password for the particular account. A problem with security questions is that often the questions may be something like what is your mother's maiden name which a determined hacker, particularly in this era of AI, could find the answer to, change your password and access your account. This is what happened when a hacker managed to take over Sarah Palin's email account by answering the security question of where she met her husband. The easy way to avoid this problem is to pick a nonsensical answer to the security question. For instance, the answer to what is your mother's maiden name could be 'firetruck.' No hacker will be able to determine it and it is so silly that you will undoubtedly remember it. Finally, because it is not a matter of "if," but "when" you will have your passwords compromised in a data breach, it is important that you not only use unique passwords for all of your accounts, but also use dual factor authentication for all of your important accounts so that even if your password is compromised, an identity thief who knows your password will still not be able to access your account. In the most common form of dual factor authentication, when you go to an online account and put in your password, a text message with a one-time code is sent to your cell phone for you to provide in addition to your password to gain access to your account.
