Like a lot of people, Brad Ball thought he was doing all the right things when it came to his health.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

There has never been a better time to start a new career, and Job Zone Online is here to help you get started.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

The world is in a constant state of flux, and technology is no different.

The cloud has changed our lives in immeasurable ways, from the rise of e-commerce to enterprise-based solutions that billions of individuals rely on daily.

As we start off a new year, JTC, Inc. will help you look at new security solutions for your network.

• Technology advances daily, and cyber criminals find new ways to exploit these changes and compromise company data.
• As the threat landscape has shifted over time, so too have security needs for networks.
• Because of this shift, Endpoint Detection & Response has emerged and is expanding anti-virus into a whole new realm.

What do these items all have in common?

• Ransomware
• Phishing Email
• Zero-Day Malware
• Privilege Escalation
• Fileless Attacks
• DoS Attacks

These items represent clear and present dangers to your network, business, and personally identifiable information.

• For many years, anti-virus solutions were the major players protecting your systems. Everything modern anti-virus can do, EDR takes a step further providing security and peace of mind.

What you need to know about EDR versus traditional anti-virus:

• Anti-virus and EDR compete for resources.
• It is only recommended to run one or the other on each system.
• EDR can do everything your existing anti-virus can do, but takes things a step further and detects more threats.
• EDR can be managed by the JTC Engineers without requiring input from your staff.

Most anti-virus solutions operate on traditional virus signatures being updated, leaving a gap in coverage between when the virus is discovered and when anti-virus begins protecting your system against the new threat, making it a reactive approach.

• EDR is proactive and uses integrated machine learning and advanced AI to identify suspicious behaviors and address them even before there’s a signature.
• For example, if multiple files on your system change at once, chances are it’s more likely a result of an attack rather than user error.

While anti-virus does a great job of preventing malware, cybercriminals can attack endpoints via other methods that would not be stopped by traditional anti-virus.

Here are five types of attacks that may slip past traditional anti-virus:

• Polymorphic malware
• Weaponized documents
• Browser drive-by downloads
• Fileless attacks
• Obfuscated malware

Now, more than ever, we are seeing insurance carriers require EDR products be deployed before they will provide cyber insurance, as well.

• EDR offers ransomware rollback, which might be the greatest value of all!
• This feature uses advanced technology to take snapshots of the system at regular intervals.
• If ransomware hits, it only takes JTC Engineers a few clicks to roll back your disk image to a previous point in time, helping save significant time and reduce data loss.

As the threat landscape continues to evolve and change, JTC is excited to offer EDR to further protect your network.

In 2015, after years of discussion and debate by the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, the Board amended the county's comprehensive plan to implement a transfer-of-development-rights (TDR) program.

By a 4-to-3 vote, a divided Board of Supervisors approved a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program for Aquia District-only pilot, the home of Crow's Nest Natural Area Preserve.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

With new equipment comes new beers.

The Water’s End Brewery in Woodbridge upgraded some of its brewing equipment this month. The brewery took to  Facebook to announce it had received new fermenters at its Potomac Mills location, which can ferment 20 bbls or barrels.

So what does this mean?

U.S. breweries measure beer volume in barrels. The conversion from one U.S. barrel is 31 gallons, allowing the brewery to create 620 gallons per batch.

Now, Water’s End can offer more and different beers to their customers than they have in the past. The first brews to come out of the new fermenters will be big batches of popular summertime beers ‘Trip to Tahiti’ and ‘HopDrop’. Both beers will be offered on tap and in six-packs of 12-once cans.

The brewery also announced the return of two of their classic brews, The Greatest Beer in the World (A Tribute), named after the song The Greatest Song in the World (A Tribute) folk-metal band “Tenacious D.”

Water’s End Brewery Potomac Mills location just across from the shopping mall, at 14397 Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge. The brewery also has another nearby location at 12425 Dillingham Square in Lake Ridge.

June is Men’s Health Month.

• It’s not uncommon for men to neglect their health and let annual appointments fall to the wayside.

As a Sentara Medical Group physician, Dr. Gurwinder Singh tells us some conditions worsened with time and often men will live with the pain before addressing it.

What is a primary care provider & why is it important to have one?

• A primary care physician (PCP) is a health care professional who practices general medicine. PCPs are the first stop for medical care.
• Primary Care Providers provide preventative care, diagnose, and treat majority of acute conditions and manage ongoing chronic conditions.
• Typically, a PCP serves as a “quarterback” for an individual’s medical care, referring the individual to more specialized physicians for specialist care if necessary.
• It is important to have a PCP because they can catch potential health problems early, before they become severe. A PCP can help an individual stay healthy for long term.

When should you see a primary care provider?

• If you are healthy and have no chronic conditions, you should see a PCP once a year for routine annual physical/preventative care visit and routine labs.
• If you have ongoing chronic conditions, you might need to see your PCP more often, it may range from every month to every 6 months, depending on the severity of the condition.

What can men do to stay healthy and prevent disease?

• Following a healthy diet and exercising regularly will definitely help to stay healthy and prevent many diseases.
• Men should visit their primary care physician regularly, at least once a year, even if they feel completely healthy

What type of yearly health screenings should men get?

• Annual physicals/preventative care visits, screening for high cholesterol and diabetes, once a year prostate cancer screening and discussion with their primary care provider.
• When does a pain go from “oh, I over-extended that…” to “I better get to the doctor’s…”
• For any symptoms that is not subsiding in few days, men should seek medical attention. You never know if there might be a serious underlying medical condition that will remain undiagnosed and will get more severe if they don’t see their Primary Care Provider intime.

Should men be worried if they have a pain in their testes?

• Yes, always. If there is constant pain in the testes, it is often the result of medical issues that will require treatment.
• Various cause of testicular pain are epididymitis, or inflammation of the testicles, a hydrocele which is characterized by swelling of the scrotum, kidney stones, orchitis, or inflammation of the testicle, a spermatocele, or fluid in the testicle, a varicocele, or a group of enlarged veins in the testicle.
• In some instances, pain in the testicle can be caused by a severe medical condition known as testicular torsion.
• In this condition, the testicle becomes twisted, cutting off blood supply to the testicle.
• This can cause damage to the tissue.
• Pain in the testicle is rarely caused by testicular cancer.
• Testicular cancer typically causes a lump on the testicles that’s often painless.

Should men take testosterone supplements as they age? What about their vitamins or supplements?

• No, it is not advised to take testosterone supplements as men age.
• There is no conclusive studies to date to support use of testosterone supplements as men age, unless there are underlying medical conditions which are causing decrease in testosterone levels.
• As long as healthy diet with adequate nutrients is being followed regularly, there is also no need for any vitamin or any other supplements.

Need a Primary Care Physician? Visit iwantsentaramedicalgroup.com or call 703-523-1720 to find a provider that is right for you and schedule your appointment today.

The application deadline for restaurants to apply to the Stafford Cares: Supporting Restaurants and Families in Need project has been extended to March 19, 2021.

• Restaurants who wish to participate in the Stafford Cares program must complete an application online.

The Department of Economic Development and Tourism manages the first Stafford Cares project which will purchase meal cards or certificates from local restaurants and provide them to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Stafford.

This program requires Stafford restaurants to apply online.

• The deadline for that application will now close on March 19, 2021. The extension of the application deadline will allow more time for restaurants to complete the application.
• “As a federally-funded program, a DUNS number is required and we are finding our local restaurants need more time to get that in place,” said John Holden, Director of Economic Development and Tourism.

Depending on restaurant participation, Stafford County will purchase a minimum of 99 meal certificates valued at approximately $7,400 worth of meal certificates from each restaurant.

• The total number of participating restaurants will impact the number of meal cards or certificates purchased from an individual restaurant. Roughly 3,500 SNAP recipient families in Stafford County will be served by this program and receive meal cards to local restaurants.
• The minimum benefit to any SNAP recipient family is $150.

This program is funded through a $782,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).

• The grant is made possible by the partnership with DHCD, Stafford County Social Services, and the Stafford County Department of Economic Development and Tourism.

Stafford Social Services Director Michael Muse adds that the “Stafford County Social Services’ mission is to strengthen the family structure while promoting self-reliance, responsibility for family, and empowerment by building on family strengths.

• We appreciate community participation and this alliance to bring revenue and meals to our community.”

Stafford Cares is a county wide initiative that includes a number of new programs and projects fostering the well-being of Stafford citizens and businesses.

• These programs are designed to help many in need, as the Stafford community recovers from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
• For more information and to apply, visit GoStaffordVA.com/Stafford-Cares.

The hospitality industry has experienced extensive economic impacts during the Coronavirus pandemic.

• In an attempt to aid Stafford local restaurants, the Stafford County Economic Development and Tourism Department in partnership with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has created the first Stafford Cares program aimed to support local restaurants and families in need.

Stafford Cares is a county-wide initiative that includes a number of new programs and projects fostering the well-being of Stafford citizens and businesses.

• The first program for Stafford Cares, “Helping Restaurants and Families in Need,” funded through a Community Development Block Grant, will purchase meal certificates from local restaurants and give them to Stafford families enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Approximately 3,500 SNAP recipient families in Stafford County will be served by this program and receive meal cards to local restaurants. The minimum benefit to any SNAP recipient family is $150.

• The participation of 75 to 100 restaurants is needed for this program. Approximately $7,400 worth of meal cards or certificates will be purchased from each restaurant.
• The total number of participating restaurants will impact the number of meal cards or certificates purchased from an individual restaurant.

The direct benefit serves two audiences.

• First, Stafford restaurants will get a critical infusion of cash, attract more customers, and increase sales.
• Second, the program addresses food insecurity concerns for families in need who are part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Stafford.
• Additional indirect benefits include increased local restaurant sales, workforce retention, and increased County tax revenue. Additional meals tax revenue supports Stafford public schools.

To participate, restaurants must apply online by noon on March 8th, 2021. Click here for more information gostaffordva.com/stafford-cares-restaurant-application