March 2019 Soto’s Chronicles
DeDe Soto
Protecting your most valuable asset — your family
FROM THE DESK OF DeDe Soto
March Madness, St. Patty’s Day, and more! We all have a we bit of Irish in us during the month of March. I am so ready for some spring weather, and I’m sure you are too! We are still having our workshops and would love to see you, your family, and your friends at any one of them. Unfortunately, we have been in court over the past couple of months with trust disputes involving families that either failed to plan or did not keep their estate planning documents current and are now facing disputes over trust terms and administration. These plans were not done by the Soto Law Group. These were plans prepared by do-it-yourselfers, online services, or attorneys who did not stay in contact with their clients. Make sure your family has peace of mind with an estate plan done correctly. Come to our workshops to learn how to plan properly.
Cybersecurity is a notorious boogeyman for small-business owners. The problem is that many entrepreneurs either believe that cyberattacks are not a direct threat to their livelihood, or they cannot afford to put robust network security in place. In a time when digital threats exist in unprecedented abundance, this kind of thinking couldn’t be more dangerous —or irresponsible. After all, underinvesting in IT doesn’t just put you at a disadvantage to your tech-savvy competitors; it also calls the very future of your organization into question. When a Fortune 500 company gets hacked, they shell out millions of dollars and make headlines. But when an unprotected small business comes under serious fire by cybercriminals, it often collapses quickly —without fanfare or much of a fight. This is why poor cybersecurity“represents an especially pernicious threat to smaller businesses,” SEC Commissioner Luis A. Aguilar said in 2015.“The reason is simple:”he wrote,“small and midsize businesses are not just targets of cybercrime; they are its principal target.” With that in mind, it’s essential that you do everything you can to protect yourself and your employees from cyberattacks. Here are three things you can do today to strengthen your network security and prevent a crisis. 2WAYS TO IMPROVEYOUR CYBERSECURITYNOW, NOT LATER B atten D own the H atches — or F ace the C onsequences
Until next time, many blessings,
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... continued from cover 1. TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR
an outside IT consulting firm, as they’ll give you the hard truth and let you know exactly where your weaknesses lie. This might be a tall order for your small business, but it might save your entire operation down the line. 2. LOOK FOR WAYS TO EDUCATE YOUR TEAM (AND HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE). According to IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, more than two-thirds of cyberattacks occur due to“inadvertent insiders.”These are employees who unknowingly engage in actions that leave the network vulnerable, like clicking on a suspicious link in a phishing email or ignoring a key software patch. Cryptographer Bruce Schneier put it best when he said,“Only amateurs attack machines; professionals target people.”Because of this, the best way to boost your cybersecurity isn’t to pile money into a better antivirus or complicated network defense — it’s to get your people up to speed with cybercrime trends and educate them on best practices for avoiding threats.
To this end, it’s a good idea to hold regular education sessions on cybersecurity. You might be able to easily recognize a phishing email; many of your team members may not. Again, it’s a good idea to bring in an outside company whose specialty is training teams on digital threats. Sometimes all it takes is a single session for everyone to understand just what they’re up against. Cybercrime is a bigger problem now than it ever has been, and it shows no signs of slowing down. But if you take responsibility for defending your network before it’s too late, you can bat away these threats and drastically
CYBERSECURITY BUDGET (OR SET ONE).
It can be overwhelming to set a firm budget for any aspect of your business, but this is especially true of IT, because many business owners aren’t often sure what type of security their company needs or howmuch it will cost. According to CIO magazine, you should spend around 4–6 percent of your annual revenue on cybersecurity. If your current cybersecurity budget falls under this range, it’s time to re-evaluate. Will your current IT system protect your business should a cybercriminal target it? If the tech you use every day gets hacked for hours or even days, will your company survive? Most companies simply cannot afford that much downtime, much less the loss of precious data, due to a single employee’s misguided click. Even if you are already prepared to invest good money into cybersecurity, you must do your research to determine which IT companies are worth your dollars. If you can afford it, bring in
reduce the danger to your operation. All it takes is a little time, a little savvy, and a willingness to invest in better IT.
An Inside Job The Curious Case of the Disappearing Flags
Apparently, the wooden flagpoles attract groundhogs, something other groundskeepers have experienced as well. “I’m glad we don’t have someone who has taken it upon themselves to desecrate the stones and the flags in front of them,” said Hudson mayor Bill Hallenbeck. “We can all rest a little easier knowing that it was a critter and not a human defacing our flags, especially those of the veterans,” added Hudson’s police commissioner.
Like the year before, flags were placed on veterans’ graves in honor of Independence Day, and again, they went missing sometime in the night, this time taken from the graves of African American Civil War soldiers. Cemetery caretaker and veteran Vincent Wallace was appalled, as was the rest of his community. “I just can’t comprehend the mindset that would allow someone to do this,”Wallace said. Determined to find out who was to blame, police put up surveillance cameras and recorded the goings-on in the cemetery. As they watched the tapes, sure enough, they saw one of the culprits sitting atop a gravestone with an empty flagpole in front of him. It was a groundhog.
Theft is a serious matter, made even more grave when the victims are fallen war heroes. Such was the situation that stumped police in Hudson, New York, in 2012. The crime was first committed in July of the previous year. Flags had been placed around the graves of soldiers in Cedar Park Cemetery — only to go missing right around Independence Day. Veterans groups and locals were outraged and mystified by the crime. Some worried that a hate group was to blame, as the missing flags had adorned the graves of Jewish soldiers. Veterans worked to replace the flags, one by one, and right the wrong. No culprit was found, and the community moved on — until the following July, when the mystery repeated itself.
Turns out Punxsutawney Phil has some very naughty cousins — ones who aren’t subject to the law.
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For more information: Call: 888-735-7686 | www.TheSotoLawGroup.com | DeDe@thesotolawgroup.com For more information: Call: 888-735-7686 | www.TheSotoLawGroup.com | DeDe@thesotolawgroup.com
FREE WORKSHOP: ESTATE PLANNING & ASSET PROTECTION “WHAT’S IN YOUR TREASURE CHEST?”
MONDAY, MARCH 25 TH AT 6:30 PM Register online at TheSotoLawGroup.com/workshops.shtml
REGISTRATION REQUIRED! This workshop is free to attend, but you must register. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served.
Come and join us for an evening that will help you discover how you can protect your assets from unnecessary taxation, lawsuits and other liabilities. Asset Protection is a set of legal techniques and a body of statutory and common law in dealing with protecting assets of individuals and business entities. There are many different strategies to accomplish the protection of your assets while you are alive and after you are gone. You will learn how customized combinations are layered depending on your needs. IN ADDITION, THIS WORKSHOP WILL COVER: ➢ ➢ Trusts, wills, administration, and health directives ➢ ➢ Legally avoid ALL estate taxes and PROBATE ➢ ➢ Inheritance protection from lawsuits and divorce ➢ ➢ Conservatorships, incapacitation Even if you have an estate plan or a living trust, new laws and overlooked items may mean your current plan is out of date or won’t work as intended. Is your trust out of date?
Register at: www.thesotolawgroup.com/ Workshops.shtml or call us at 888-735-7686 LOCATION: 1101 Dove Street, Suite 200 Newport Beach, CA 92660
SPACE IS LIMITED — RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!
ABOUT R. DEDE SOTO, ESQ. With more than 15 years of legal experience, R. DeDe Soto is prepared to provide you with the knowledgeable advice and skilled representation you need. DeDe is focused on providing personalized, tailor-made legal solutions that protect the assets and the wishes of her clients.
FREE FAMILY WEALTH CONSULTATION FOR ALL ATTENDEES!
How toMake theMost of the Academy Awards Are You a Movie Fanatic?
THEMED FOOD
If you’re a big film buff, then there’s a good chance you set aside one important night each spring to watch the Academy Awards. A great number of memorable moments have happened during the Oscars, such as the 2017 “La La Land” best picture mix-up, the 1974 streaking incident when a naked man ran across the stage, or the 2013 falling accident when Jennifer Lawrence tripped as she walked on stage to receive her award for best actress. The Academy Awards is an event you don’t want to miss out on. Here are three ways you can get the most out of Oscars night.
If you’re throwing an Oscars party, serving some tasty dishes is a must. But why not kick it up a notch and keep your entrees and hors d’oeuvres in line with the blockbuster theme? There are multiple recipes for Oscars-party popcorn online, and you can also use star-shaped cookie cutters for your desserts. For your libations, you can serve cocktails from famous films and make a martini even James Bond would approve of.
TICKETS GALORE!
PLAY TRIVIA
The ticket price for the first motion picture ever shown at the oldest American movie theater cost 15–25 U.S. cents, depending on the location of your seat. Nowadays, the price of watching a film is astronomical. Fortunately, there are ways for you to create the feeling of watching a film premiere or Oscars ceremony from your own home. Find printable tickets online to distribute to your guests before the showing, and encourage them to dress like they are heading to the red carpet.
Everyone loves a good trivia challenge. If you and your family watch the ceremony live, you can use the commercial breaks to test your knowledge. Pose questions about the best picture winners over the last 90 years or the actors selected for different categories. You can also find printable Oscars prediction charts and offer prizes to whoever has the highest number of correct answers.
Take a Break!
Inspired by Food & Wine magazine
HOMEMADE CORNED BEEF Ingredients
Directions
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2 quarts water 1 cup kosher salt
1. In a large stockpot, combine water, garlic, and all herbs and spices tomake brine. Cook over high heat until salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Remove fromheat and stir in ice. 2. Once water temp reaches 45 F, place brisket in a 2-gallon zip-close bag, pour in brine to cover, lay flat in a large container, and store in fridge. 3. Brine for 10 days, checking daily tomake sure brisket is fully submerged and brine is stirred. 4. After 10 days, remove brisket frombrine and rinse under cool water. In a large pot, cover brisket, onion, carrot, and celery with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 2 1/2–3 hours. 5. Remove, slice across the grain, and serve.
1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons saltpeter (potassiumnitrate)
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1 cinnamon stick, broken into large pieces 1 teaspoonmustard seeds
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1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
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8 cloves garlic
8 whole allspice berries 12 whole juniper berries 2 bay leaves, crumbled 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds ice
1 5-pound beef brisket, trimmed
1 small onion, quartered
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of DeDe PAGE 1 2 Strategies to Improve Your Cybersecurity Today PAGE 1 The Curious Case of the Disappearing Flags PAGE 2 Make the Most of the Academy Awards PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Homemade Corned Beef PAGE 3 The Most Hated Cinderella PAGE 4 The early ‘90s was a contentious time in college basketball, full of pure amateur competition. The days of the “one and done” player were far ahead, which meant that all the top-level talent was bred in the hotbed of the NCAA. Players like Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and David Robinson had to prove their NBA mettle in the grueling basketball tournament we all know as March Madness. It has always showcased the best of the best, but America has always loved an underdog. Last year, audiences adored Loyola Chicago as they made their way to the Final Four. Cinderella teams fill our hearts with hope and optimism, but not all of them are loveable. Perhaps no small school is more polarizing than the UNLV squad that was put together by the late, great Jerry Tarkanian. The team was nasty, flashy, and, most importantly,
The Cinderella Everyone Loved to Hate
The 1990 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
appearance in 1977, the team started down a path that would take them to four Elite 8s in five years, and there would be no greater success than the season that came to pass in 1990. Most games are back-and-forth, with drama centering around every possession. That was not the case during the 1990 national championship game. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski guided his team to the final through steady stellar performances throughout the tournament, and all was well until the legendary program met UNLV’s rowdies. The opening tipoff was about as close as Duke ever got to controlling any part of that game. Anderson Hunt, Stacey Augmon, and Larry Johnson ran the Blue Devils off the court, and the Cinderella team everyone came to hate won 103–73 in the biggest blowout in NCAA tournament history.
downright impossible to beat. “The Runnin’ Rebels” ran the court like no team before. Reports have the 1991 Tarkanian squad referring to the Arkansas Razorbacks’“40 minutes of hell” as “40 minutes of vacation” when it beat the then second-ranked team on its home court. The team embodied swagger and wasn’t afraid to create a splash everywhere it went. Most of the noise wasn’t positive, but when you win the national championship the year prior, a little arrogance is necessary to maintain your “bad guy” image. Formally a small state school known to locals as“Tumbleweed Tech,”UNLV wasn’t even a Division I school until 1970. When Tarkanian took over in ‘73, the school went from an institution most acclaimed for its hospitality program to an NCAA basketball tournament regular. After making their first Final Four
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