Every week now for months, it seems like there is news of a new cyber hacking scandal. Someone or a group (or a country?) loves to wreak havoc with the theft of our personal data. One week, I received a letter from my health-care system telling me my information may be compromised in a system-wide attack. No problem. They referred me to Equifax for credit monitoring. No kidding – glad I’m a procrastinator.
Well, I have some breaking news. It appears there’s been a hack into our weather system and somehow, our fall has been stolen. And I think that’s a crime.
On September 21, the official start of autumn, we set a record high for that day, of 95 degrees. That wasn’t a one-day fluke. Today, we broke another record. We’ve been stuck in this crazy weather pattern for at least ten days now. Some area schools have closed early, football games were pushed to later start times, and women have refused to retire their white pants.
In my research for this post, I’ve learned there are three primary types of hackers in the industry. White hat, grey hat and black hat. (http://hackersonlineclub.com/hackers-types/)
- White hat professionals hack to check their own security systems to make it more hack-proof; there is no criminal intent. Companies often hire these guys.
- Black hat hackers use computer knowledge in criminal activities for personal gains. They can destroy, steal or even prevent authorized users from accessing the system.
- A grey hat hacker is someone who is in between these two concepts. He may use his skills for legal or illegal acts, but not for personal gains.
So this all leads me to ask? Who the heck wants Michigan’s fall? I’m convinced this is the work of a “black hat” and he’s sold the comfort of students and teachers in our schools, including university students living in multi-story residence halls, all without air conditioning. But how much did he get for it?
But maybe it’s only a grey hat hacker who is just messing with us to remind us we’re not really in charge.
Regardless, I have sweaters and jeans waiting to be worn. I have morning walks and evening bike rides yet to enjoy. I have trails to hike amongst fallen leaves, cider mills to visit, and pots of flowers to pull. I have windows to open at night and quilts to wrap up in. None of that is happening however, until autumn is restored, and all is right in the world of weather in Michigan.
Love it!!
I’m going with the grey hat – we’re just being toyed with. I had a serious talk with my garden tomatoes this morning – they have 2 days left to show their stuff, then we’re headed for below normal temps. What’s wrong with just normal/average?