1. Daily Republic
Review of
5 shopping
apps to getyou
the best prices.
Page C6
Sunday, December 8,2013 SECTIONC
TECHTIPS
Guide to
protecting
Internet
accounts
ANICKJESDAMJN
THEASSOCIATED PRESS
S
ecurity expertssay
passwords for more than
2 million Facebook,Google
and other accounts have been
compromised and circulated
online,just the latest example
of breaches involvingleading
Internet companies.
Some servicesincluding
Twitter have responded by
disabling the affected pass- •
words. Butthere are several
things you can doto minimize
further threats - even ifyour
account isn't among the
2 million that were compro-
mised.
Here are some tips tohelp
you secure your online
accounts:
- ' . '- ' '
Wentworth new director of sales,
marketing at citys visitors bureau
AMY MAGINNIS-HONEY
DAILY REPUBLIC
FAIRFIELD Christian
Wentworth has joined the Fair-
field Conference and Visitors
Bureau as the new director of
sales and marketing. This new
role in the organization was a
part of management district
plan for the new tourism
improvement district that was
formed earlier this year.
Wentworth worked as direc-
tor of sales for the Hilton
Garden Inn. He also served as
chairman of the board for the
Fairfield Conference and Visi-
tors Bureau.
"His knowledge and involve-
ment with the CVB in the past
will not only be a great asset, but
will save a lot of time avoidinga
replay of what we've done and
accomplished in the past," said
Anand Patel, president and CEO
or the Fairfield Conference and
Visitors Bureau in a press
release. "I have had the pleasure
of working with Christian as my
board chair. I feel his experience
with hotel and meetings sales in
this market will give him great
insight on which direction to
focus our efforts."
"After 35 years of working in
the hospitality industry, I am
excited to be given the opportu-
nity to be the director of sales
and marketing for the Fairfield
Conference and Visitors
Bureau," Wentworth said in the
press release. "I look forward to
working with local businesses
and community to make Fair-
fielda mark onthe map as a des-
tination."
The Fairfield Conferenceand
Visitors Bureau, a destination
marketing organization, was
created by a Tourism Improve-
ment District consisting of
18Fairfield hotels to market and
promote tourism to the area,
including overnight stays.
For more information, call
399-2445 or visit www.Visit
FairfieldCA.com.
Reach Amy Maginnis-Honey at
427-6057 oramaginnis®
dailyrepublic.net. Follow her on
Twitteratwww.twitter.com/
amaginnisdr.

2. Brad Zweerink/Daily Republic photos
Above, Revolve Solar employees Chris Bookout, left, and his son, Jacob, Install solar panels on a Fairfield home. Below, a solar panel.
SOLAR
ENERGY
COMPANY
OPENS STORE IN VACAVILLE
BARRY EBERLING
DAILY REPUBLIC
VACAVILLE Fairfield resident
Lincoln Beals heard an offer from Revolve
Solar that he didn't think he could turn
down.
Revolve Solar would lease him solar
panels on his house for 25 years to provide
him electricity. The rate would stay a flat
$83a month for the duration.
"I'm on a fixed income now," Beals said.
"I need to be real careful about how I
manage myexpenses."
'Now he will be protected from Pacific,
Gas & Electric Co.rate hikes, he said.
Revolve Solar sells and installs solar
systems. It opened on West Texas Street in
Fairfield in June and recently moved to
871 CottingCourt, Suite D,in Vacaville.
"We're converting people from dirty
energy to clean energy," said Ken Stout,
sales manager for the local office.
Revolve Solar is based in Austin, Texas.If
has a California office in Redding, as well as
the new Vacaville office.
Stout attended Vacaville High School and
Solano Community College, as well as San
Jose State University. He started the Live
Music Center music store in Vacaville in
1987 and worked at that business for
20 years. He sold the Live Music Center in
2006 and gotinvolved with solar energy.
California has a GoSolar California cam-
paign put on by the state Energy Commis-
sion and the state Public Utilities
Commission. It calls for having state
residents install 3,000 megawatts of
solar energy systems at homes and busi-
nesses by 2017. Another goal is to produce
400 megawatts of solar electricity on about
160,000 homes.
Stout makes the pitch that Revolve Solar
is better suited to serve Solano County cus-
tomers than the bigger solar companies.
"What we want to do is offer a community
service," Stout said. "We are here for the
community. The other companies, they just
what to go in, make their money and get out.
Our history is to service and maintain our
clients locally."
See Solar, Page C2

3. know aboutsuchtricks asadding
numbersand symbols,soyou'll
want tomakesure the words you
use aren't inthe databases. One
trick isto think ofasentence and
usejust the first letter ofead?
word - asin"tqbfjotld" for "the
quick brown foxjumps over the
lazydog."
• Avoid easy-to-guesswords,
even ifthey aren'thithe diction-
ary. Avoidyourname, company
name or hometown, for instance.
Avoid pets and relatives' names,
too. Likewise,avoidthings that
can be looked up, suchasyour
birthday or ZIPcode.
One otherthingtoconsider:
Many sites letyou resetyour
passwordbyanswering a security
question,butthese answers - such
^•^^^^^••^^^^^•^••^^••^^•^•^^••^^
The Associated Press file (2002)
In this Jan. 10, 2002, file photo, a
computer screensnowsapassword
attack In progress.
asyourpet ormother's maiden
name-are possible tolookup.So •
try tomakethese answers
complexjust like passwords, by
adding numbers and special
characters andmakingup
responses.
A second layer
Many services offer a second
levelofauthenticationwhen
you're accessing them from a
computer or device for the first
ready accesstoyourphone.
Facebook, Google,Microsoft
and Twitter are among the
seirvices offering this dual
authentication. It's typically ah
option, somethingyouhavetoturn
on.Dothat. It maybe apain,but it
will save yougrief later.In most
cases,youwon'tbe asked for this
second code whenyoureturn to a
computer you'veused before, but
be sure to decline that optionif
you're in apublicplace such as a
library or Internet cafe.
Onefinalthought
Change yourpasswords
regularly. It's possibleyour
account information is already
Banking and shopping sues aic
obvious, as are email and social-
networking services. It probably
doesn't matter muchif someone
breaks intothe account you useto
read newspaper articles (unless
it's a subscription).
And strong passwords alone
won't completely keepyou safe.
Make sureyour computer is
running the latest software, as
older versions can haveflawsthat
hackers havebeen knownto
exploit. Be careful when clicking
on email attachments, asthey may
contain malicious softwarefor
stealingpasswords. Usefirewalls
and other security programs,
many ofwhichare available for
free.
Solar: Based in Texas
From Page Cl
Beals looked at having solar
panels on his roof about five
.years ago.Aperson from a solar
company looked at his house and
told him the project wouldn't be
-feasible because of the orienta-
tion of his house.YetBeals didn't
.forget aboutrenewableenergy.
"If I could put a windmill up
in my yard, because I get the
Delta breeze, I would dothat,"he
- saidwith a laugh."Butmyneigh-
bors would certainly object to
..-that"
More recently, somebody
-from Revolve Solar knocked on
his door.
"This guy was so patient in
answering my questions," Beals
said. "Usually, I tell those guys
who knockonmy doorto get lost.
...Hegave meaflier,spentsome
time with me and explained the
program and how it works as a
lease."
Technology in the solar indus-
try hasapparentlyadvancedover
the past fewyears. Beals learned
he could indeed have solar
energy generated at his house,
and with panels only on about
half the garage roof atthat.
Installers from Revolve Solar
came to his house a couple of
weeks ago and installed the
panels. Stoutseesalotmore solar
panels in SolanoCounty's future.
"Homeowners, business
owners, government,', they're
going to be the solution for creat-
ing power hi the community,"
Stout said.
ReachBarry Eberling at
427-6929or beberting@dmly
republic.net. Follow him on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/
bebertingdr.
Stevenson: Uncertainty
From PageCl
deterioration in the perceived
safety of any and all municipal
bonds issued by the city of
Chicago. It would become
difficult, if not impossible, for
Chicagoto issue municipal bonds
with whatwouldamountto a
pension fund bankruptcy looming
overitsfinances.In addition,
municipal bondfunds thathold
Chicago, or eventhe stateof
Illinois, obligations,might see
their newassetvalueweaken.
What legislators are faced with
ispotentialangeramongcurrent
state workerswhoare already
protesting that promises be kept,
regardless ofwhether or not it
turns the city'sfinancialsystem
on its head. Asan aside comes
newsthisweekthat ajudgehas
given the green light to allow -
Detroit's pension funds to be
included asthat city's massive
bankruptcy filing.
State treasury officials in
Illinois are quickto point outthat
the state constitution stipulates
that debtholders bepaid first in
the event ofa severe financial
breakdown.That should mean
that Chicago and Illinois bond-
holders havenothingtoworry
about, andthere's noreasonto
think otherwise.
But there is stillthe problemof
uncertainty, whichbondholders,
and indeed, mostinvestors, arent
comfortable with.Wedont know
what the ripple effect might be in
the eventofa majorpension fund
disaster.Imagine, Chicagocould
become kind ofa Midwestern city
ofVallejp.
BudStevenson, a retired stock-
broker, lives in Fairfield. Reach
him at Bsteven254@aol.com.
VICUli uunni «VIIHM«W
holiday outreach
FAIRFIELD - Travis
Credit Unionmembers and
employees are taking part
in the Solano and Contra
Costa Food Bank's annual
food drive, The Festival of
Trees, Christmas Wish
2013, Toys for Tots and the
2013 Children's Miracle
Network Holiday Stocking
Campaign.
It needs some help with
thefooddrive.
Each year, -the credit
union helps the working
poor, seniors,single parents
and the homeless in Solano
County through the food
drive. Credit union employ-
ees, members and the
public can bring nonperish-
able foods to all credit
union branches in Solano,
Yolo, and Contra Costa
Counties through Jan. 31,
2014.
"Through these pro-
grams and others like
them, we are reaching out
to people in need;" Patsy
Van Ouwerkerk, chief exec-
utive officer of Travis
Credit Union, said in a
press release. "We are
proud to be helping the
community and atthe same
time makinga difference in
people's lives."
The credit union has
branches hi Fairfield at
S075 Business Center
Drive, 2570 N. Texas^St.
and 1340 Gateway BlvdU in
Suisun City at 131 Sunset
Ave.; and in Vacaville at
One Travis Way, 2020 Har-
bison Drive, 11 Cernon St.
and 2010PeabodyRoad.