Well, I know that Halloween is over, so the whole thing about "Spooking" people will have to wait another year, however, "Spoofing" is still active. The translation on that is just a tad complicated so here goes: CYBER EDU explains Spoofing - "It is the act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source. Spoofing can apply to emails, phone calls, and websites, or can be more technical, such as a computer spoofing an IP address". Are you still confused? I don't blame you. According to the Bismarck Tribune, yesterday a federal judge ruled that North Dakota's law targeting the practice of disguising caller ID numbers is unconstitutional because it intrudes on interstate commerce regulation, a power reserved for Congress.

Here is how U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor responded as he struck down the anti-spoofing law that the 2019 Legislature passed unanimously to address public complaints about harassing and scam phone calls. "North Dakota's Anti-Spoofing Act has the practical effect of regulating interstate commerce because it is impossible for Plaintiffs to determine whether a call recipient is physically within North Dakota."

So let's break it down in layman's terms - you are not allowed to alter or change the number that comes up on your caller ID, and then try and mislead someone else with inaccurate caller information with the intent to defraud or cause harm. There is a maximum punishment of up to a year in jail and a $3,000 fine. Spoofing also uses fake emails or websites to trick you into clicking a link or opening an attachment. For more on this story click here.


 

I'M SO BISMARCK ,THAT I...

 

 

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