1. can inflict on computer
networks.
Dangerous ransomware,
with the ability to make
your files unusable, has
been quite widespread. It
started with Crypto-locker,
then morphed into Crypto-
wall, and now CTB-Locker
is making the rounds. Bad
stuff. Give up your money
or your files….
Not on my watch. Not if
you have these security
measures in place. Lets
review them.
Train Employees On
Security Best Practices.
The most common risks
for business networks are
the employees using
them. It’s extremely
common for an employee
(Continued on page 2)
Are you a sitting duck?
You know what I mean,
particularly if you’ve been
duck hunting before. I have
to admit, I’ve shot a few on
the water, particularly if they
were already wounded and I
couldn’t get close enough to
finish them off with a
pirogue paddle. It’s the
easiest shot you can take.
You, the CEO of a forestry or
forest products business,
are under attack. Right now,
extremely dangerous and
well-funded cybercrime rings
in China, Russia and the
Ukraine are using
sophisticated software
systems to hack into
thousands of businesses
like yours to steal credit
cards, client information,
and swindle money directly
out of your bank account.
Some are even being funded
by their own government to
attack American businesses.
Don’t think you’re in danger
because you’re “small” and
not a big target like a J.P.
Morgan or Home Depot?
Think again. Eighty-two
thousand NEW malware
threats are being released
every single day and HALF of
the cyber-attacks occurring
are aimed at small and
medium-sized businesses.
You just don’t hear about it
because it’s kept quiet for fear
of attracting bad public
relations, lawsuits, data-breach
fines, and simply out of sheer
embarrassment.
In fact, the National Cyber
Security Alliance reports one in
five small businesses have been
victims of cybercrime in the last
year. That number is growing
rapidly as more businesses
utilize cloud computing, mobile
devices, and store more
information online.
You can’t turn on the TV or read
a newspaper without learning
about the latest online data
breach. Government fines and
regulatory agencies are growing
in number and severity
compound the pain of having a
data breach.
I can tell you first hand of the
increased frequency and level of
damage hackers and malware
Hemard & Company
July-August 2015
Client Connection
Inside this issue:
Are You A Sitting Duck? 1
News and Commentary 1
Suicide 2
Time Well Wasted 3
Is Your Network Neglected? 5
More Time Well Wasted 5
Books I’ve Read Recently 6
From the desk of Victor E Hemard Jr, President
News And Commentary:
American Forest
Foundation And Its
Global Warming
Initiative
“This is a critical time for America to
use incentives for sustainable forest
management to help combat global
warming…” Tom Martin, CEO,
American Forest Foundation.
Whoa! Just a minute! Aren’t we
getting ahead of ourselves just a
little bit?
That’s right. The organization
affiliated with American Tree Farm
System, The American Forest
Foundation (AFF), has accepted the
premise the planet is warming and
we can stop it from doing so with
forest management. Really?
Wasn’t it the consensus in the
1970s the planet was cooling? Oh,
no. That was then. This is now.
Good thing we’re not fighting global
cooling, because by the current
logic, we’d have to cut all the trees
and not replant to save the planet.
(Continued on page 4)
Happy Birthday, Juliet! (See Page 3)

2. Relax.
I’m not thinking about committing suicide.
I have never seriously considered it, no
matter deep I may have been engaged in
quiet desperation (see www.hemard.com/
cc2012-03).
I don’t like to talk about this at all. But,
here’s how it got started. On a busy
Monday morning. I was on the phone, so
Shawn took the call. I returned the call to
the accountant in my client’s office, a lady
I’ve been working with for about 20 years.
She broke the news to me.
“Do you know our CPA, (name withheld)?”
I said, ”Yes, I’ve met him on several
occasions.”
She said, “I called to let you know he died
last Thursday. It was suicide.”
I was floored. This was a person who was
in his mid-60s, semi-retired and living
comfortably. He apparently had everything
going his way. It was unexplainable.
I expressed my condolences because I
knew he wasn’t only a CPA, he was a
friend and trusted advisor to their
company. We talked some more and then
I eventually said goodbye with a heavy
heart.
I went on with the rest of the day, but then
woke up at 3:30 the next morning, with
the event buzzing in my head. I really had
no choice at that point but to put some
thoughts on paper.
I don’t claim to have a profound influence
over you, the reader. However, knowing
what I know now, I feel compelled to
comment on suicide. Maybe I can reach
someone out there who is in a dark place
right now. I have to at least say something.
This is the second call in a year I’ve gotten
from a client about a suicide in their life.
It’s sad.
(Continued on page 4)
to infect an entire network
by opening and clicking a
phishing e-mail (that’s an
e-mail cleverly designed to
look like a legitimate e-
mail from a web site or
vendor you trust). If they
don’t know how to spot
infected e-mails or online
scams, they could
compromise your entire
network.
Create An Acceptable Use
Policy (AUP) – And Enforce
It! An AUP outlines how
employees are permitted
to use company-owned
PCs, devices, software,
Internet access and e-
mail. We strongly
recommend putting a
policy in place limiting the
web sites employees can
access with work devices
and Internet connectivity.
Further, you have to
enforce your policy with
content-filtering software
and firewalls. We can
easily set up permissions
and rules that will regulate
what web sites your
employees access and
what they do online during
company hours.
Having this type of policy
is particularly important if
your employees are using
their own personal
devices to access
company e-mail and data.
Require STRONG
passwords and
passcodes. Passwords
should be at least 8
characters and contain
lowercase and uppercase
(Continued from page 1) letters, symbols and at
least one number. On a cell
phone, requiring a
passcode to be entered will
go a long way toward
preventing a stolen device
from being compromised.
Again, this can be
ENFORCED by your
network administrator so
employees don’t get lazy
and choose easy-to-guess
passwords, putting your
organization at risk.
Keep Your Network Up-To-
Date. New vulnerabilities
are frequently found in
common software
programs you use, such as
Microsoft Office. It’s critical
to patch and update your
systems frequently. If
you’re under our network
management plan, this can
all be automated for you so
you don’t have to worry
about missing an
important update.
Have An Excellent Backup.
This can foil the most
aggressive (and new)
ransomware attacks,
where a hacker locks up
your files and holds them
ransom until you pay a fee.
If your files are backed up,
you don’t have to pay a
crook to get them back. A
good backup will also
protect you against an
employee accidentally (or
intentionally!) deleting or
overwriting files, natural
disasters, fire, water
damage, hardware failures
and a host of other data-
erasing disasters. Again,
your backups should be
AUTOMATED and
monitored; the worst time
to test your backup is when
you desperately need it to
work!
Don’t allow employees to
download unauthorized
software or files. One of
the fastest ways
cybercriminals access
networks is by duping
unsuspecting users to
willfully download
malicious software by
embedding it within
downloadable files, games
or other “innocent”-looking
apps. This can largely be
prevented with a good
firewall and employee
training and monitoring.
Don’t Scrimp On A Good
Firewall. A firewall acts as
the frontline defense
against hackers. It blocks
everything you haven’t
specifically allowed to
enter (or leave) your
computer network. But all
firewalls need monitoring
and maintenance, just like
all devices on your
network. This too should
be done by your IT person
or company as part of their
regular, routine
maintenance.
You’ve spent a lifetime
working hard to get where
you are. You earned every
penny, every client, every
customer. Why risk losing it
all?
Get the facts and be
certain your business, your
reputation, and your data
are protected. Call us at
800-467-5819 or you can
e-mail me personally at
vic@hemard.com.
Page 2
Client Connection
Suicide: Thoughts About
The Unthinkable

3. Time Well Wasted: Juliet’s First Birthday and July 4th
On June 26, my
granddaughter Juliet had her
first birthday. We had a good
family gathering in
Texarkana to celebrate. We
grilled hamburgers and had
both Juliet and her 8-month
old cousin Clara in for the
weekend.
The next weekend, we spent
Independence Day in Dallas.
My son Brandon, wife
Stephanie, our
granddaughter Clara, and
her Aunt Julie. It was a fun
4th of July with salmon on
the grill.
These are special occasions
we will always cherish.
Page 3
July-August 2015
Page One: Juliet with her tiara
and magic wand as her birthday
candle burns brightly on her first
birthday cake.
This Page, Top to Bottom: 1. Mom
and daughter, Kristin and Juliet,
at Vanderbilt University on her
way to Cleveland. 2. Juliet, Kristin,
and Drew at Juliet’s birthday party
in Texarkana. 3. Clara and Juliet
having fun with a ball in the back
yard. 4. Stephanie, Clara, and
Brandon at the party. 5. Mom and
daughter, Stephanie and Clara,
on the 4th of July. 6. Clara waving
the flag to celebrate
Independence Day.

4. My experiences with
suicide are limited. A
friend from high school
killed himself many years
ago after a career in the
Navy. I never understood
why.
Over the years, a few
relatives of friends and
friends of friends killed
themselves. Suicide is
thankfully not prevalent in
my family, so I can’t even
imagine the feeling of loss
of the survivors when a
loved one takes their own
life. It’s a deep, dark place
I don’t ever want to visit.
Persons of almost any age
are capable of suicide.
Suicide happens more
than it should at college...
particularly highly
competitive ones, Harvard
has 2X the national
average for undergraduate
suicides. It’s not a bad
idea to keep your finger on
the pulse of your college-
aged student.
Getting a bad grade,
getting treated unfairly by
a professor, or stalling out
on a thesis can get blown
way out of proportion.
Living on campus helps.
Living off campus alone in
an apartment can magnify
the level of despair.
It’s easy to blow things out
of proportion. It’s easy to
get lost in a story you think
your entire life depends
on. In reality, it will mean
nothing in five years. It
could be a getting fired, a
divorce, a relationship,
getting into medical
school, or even getting a
bad grade in a course you
busted your butt in.
There are some ways to
(Continued from page 2) stay out of the darkness.
1. One of the best options
available is to call this
number (800) 273-8255.
It’s the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline. It’s
available 24 hours a day, 7
days a week.
Sometimes it only takes
one discussion with a
rational person to stop a
horrible life-ending
decision. If you are
considering suicide, or just
depressed, reach out to
them. Everything Is kept
confidential. There is no
entry in your Obamacare
electronic medical record
regarding your
conversation. They just
want to help you.
2. Realize killing yourself
will spiritually kill other
people. A person who
commits suicide thinks its
just about them. It’s not. In
reality, it can destroy the
lives of those they care
most about. Imagine your
parents, if you’re young, or
your wife and children, if
you’re older, suffering until
their dying day, blaming
themselves.
3. There’s no guarantee
killing yourself improves
things. For a person who
commits suicide, the
afterlife could be a
thousand times worse than
the pain he is suffering. I
wouldn’t want to make that
bet. It could be a trip
straight to hell. You simply
don’t know.
4. Make it about your
beliefs. Any thoughts of
suicide were taken off the
table for me a long time
ago. First, as a cradle
Catholic, I was always
taught it was a mortal sin to
take your own life.
5. As in 2 above, make it
about other people you
care about. I remember
one of my children making
a comment as a teenager
to the effect that taking
your own life was a
coward’s way out. What
does a 16-year old kid
know? It’s simply not that
black and white. Just like a
lot of things, though, it
stuck with me. Whether
you agree or not, why
would the last thing you
ever did in your life
disappoint and hurt the
family you’ve spent a
whole lifetime to build and
nurture?
If you have feelings of deep
despair, remember, even
the best of us has been
there and climbed out…
and found a way to reach
within and grow.
To quote author Tim Ferris,
”Don’t overestimate the
world and underestimate
yourself. You are better
than you think.”
You have many gifts to
share.
You are not flawed.
You are human.
When you are fighting
those demons, I hope you’ll
believe I’m right there
fighting with you.
You are not alone.
You are loved.
Make the call….
Page 4
Client Connection
Suicide: Thoughts About The Unthinkable (continued)
News and Commentary: American
Forest Foundation And Climate (cont.)
If you’re in Washington, D.C. in 2015,
and you’re trying to cozy up to the
administration, you dare not say the
planet has not been warming. What did
you expect?
I don’t even think they believe it. Global
warming is now commonly called climate
change. When I was a kid, it was called
weather.
Check out this recent statement from
National Journal, “World leaders at the
G7 summit pledged on Monday to keep
global warming below a rise in average
global temperatures of two degrees
Celsius.” Let’s restate this: The US
President and six other world leaders
pledge to keep the temperature increase
down to two degrees… globally.
Well, the article doesn’t say how long
they’ll keep temperature rise under 2C
or how it will be measured. It’s an easy
commitment to keep. Further research
indicates they’re talking about the year
2100. All of them will be out of office in
the next few years and the data can be
manipulated, as it has in the past, to
produce a certain outcome.
If you ask the administration to enforce
the southern US border to prevent illegal
aliens from entering the country, they
can’t do that. Oh, no! But keeping the
planet from rising two degrees? No
problem. Just pass a few federal
regulations and put more costs and
taxes on companies in the oil and coal
industry who are actually producing
something useful. In the end, we pay
those extra costs of operation and we
don’t even know if the planet is
warming, if it is caused by man, and if
we can prevent it.
Global warming is based on computer
models produced by scientists receiving
grants to provide a desired outcome. If
you confirm the planet has been in a
cooling trend since 1999, forget it. You
(Continued from page 1)
(Continued on page 6)
National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline
(800) 273-8255

5. Is your computer network neglected?
There are several symptoms of a computer
network that has been neglected and is
heading for disaster.
The first sign is a mix of Microsoft
operating systems in the office, causing
problems when you try to share, open, and
read files. Most commonly, I see old
Windows XP computers mixed in the
network. These old XP computers are
potential entry points for malware and
ransomware.
Another sign is a reluctance to update
critical business applications because the
network is too old. That’s right. A lot of
business applications no longer run on
Windows XP.
Consider your backup system. Are you still
swapping our tapes EVERY day? Do you
even know if the information on those
tapes is any good?
What about performance? Do your
computers and server(s) run painfully slow
and randomly crash without warning?
That’s a terrible way to run a business.
Do you even know how many computers
and software licenses you own? The
speed of your switches? The router
configuration?
I don’t want to get too deep into the
weeds, so I’ll get to the point. If you have
one or more of these problems, chances
are you need to upgrade and manage
your computer network.
Yes, I realize this is NOT something you
want to do! Upgrading can be a very
painful and expensive process. But at
some point you are going to do it. It’s
inevitable.
And if you know you need to “bite the
bullet” and upgrade your company’s
network to a managed platform, now is
the perfect time.
Our summer network audit will assure
your network is thriving!
Since everyone is excited about the late
summer and perhaps a little time off to
rest and recharge before the kids return
to school, we’ve decided to offer a FREE
network audit. Simply schedule an audit
before September 21st and you will
receive a FREE network audit. It will help
you gain valuable knowledge on the
current state of your computer network!
Are your IT systems secure from
hackers, cyber-criminals, viruses,
worms, and even sabotage from rogue
employees? If you’re not getting weekly
security patch updates from your current
IT person, they’re probably not.
Further, do you have employees with
mobile devices connected to the
network? That’s another BIG entry point
for viruses and hackers if not managed
and maintained.
Are your backups configured properly to
ensure you could be back up and
running fast in a disaster? In 99% of the
computer networks we’ve reviewed over
the years, the owners were shocked to
learn this wasn't happening.
These are just a few of the issues we
commonly see in an audit. All you have
to do is contact us by phone (800-467-
5819) or e-mail (info@hemard.com). We
can schedule a time to review your
network and discuss your options.
Page 5
Is Your Network Neglected?
More Time Well Wasted: Gulf Shores
Are you a beach person? I certainly like being out on
the beach. We got a chance to go there for a few days
in July and August this year. It was the first year with
grandchildren, making it even more enjoyable.
I suppose my affection for the beach started when I
was a kid. Our family would go to the beaches on Lake
Pontchartrain around New Orleans. Granted, they
weren’t the most glamorous beaches in the world, but
there was sand and water. That was all we needed.
When I got into my late teens and in college, we’d go
the the Mississippi Gulf Coast and spend time at the
beach there and do some night fishing.
In the 1980s going forward, our family, including kids
and grandparents, spent time on the beaches along
the Emerald Coast at Fort Walton, Destin, Panama
City, and Pensacola.
In the last few years, we have primarily been to the
beaches in Charleston and in Gulf Shores. The liberal
elites in Washington would call Gulf Shores the
Redneck Riviera. Given a choice, though, I’d hang out with the fine people
of Charleston and Gulf Shores every time.
On The Beach At Gulf Shores At Dusk

6. income.
On October 8, 2014, the AFF
announced, “...a $10 million, five
year campaign to partner with a
diverse public private partnership
including individual donors,
private foundations, and
government to reach and engage
a quarter of a million of
America’s mom and pop family
forest owners.”
The AFF further stated, “This
ambitious undertaking will be
accomplished through new social
marketing and micro targeting
strategies that AFF has
developed and ground tested
with thousands of family forest
owners over the last three years.”
Whatever.
The AFF is accepting the premise
that we can control the climate.
We cannot.
Should we be spending millions
trying to prove we are at least
carbon neutral so the
administration doesn’t hammer
won’t be receiving any more
research grants and you’ll be
hushed as a global warming
denier by the people in the
scientific community who have
already sold out on this issue.
The United States doesn’t yet
have a complete strategy for
dealing with the terrorist group
ISIS, but we’re going to get
control of the climate. And the
American Forest Foundation is
going to do their part in the
effort. Really? I feel better
now.
We do not control the earth’s
thermostat. To believe man
can control the climate is
about as vain as you can get.
We should put absolutely no
faith in statements made by
politicians who say we can
control climate. This is
particularly true of politicians
whose unstated goal is to
acquire power and redistribute
(Continued from page 4)
Page 6
July-August 2015
down on the forest industry? No,
we shouldn’t.
Why does the AFF wish to
become part of this cronyism in
Washington, D.C.?
Is it because the Obama
administration will make you a
target if you go against the grain
on any issue?
Is re-distributing income by
chasing carbon initiatives a good
use of financial resources?
You know, those millions of
dollars have to come from
somewhere. The outcome could
mean more federal money. But it
also results in more taxes, more
regulation, and less freedom for
forest landowners in the years to
come.
More importantly, is the AFF
really representing the long-term
interests of forest landowners by
pandering and giving more power
to Washington?
I don’t think so.
4601 Woodstock Ln
Texarkana, TX 75503
Phone: 800-467-5819
Fax: 903-831-5730
E-mail: ask@hemard.com
Web: www.hemard.com
Mission and Purpose
To provide systems for
effective management of
natural resource
companies. This is done
with a complete system of
implementation,
management, and security
of these systems.
Excellence is accomplished
by using the best of breed
technology, hands-on
training, and user-friendly
support.
Who We Serve
Our clients include wood
dealerships, consulting
forestry firms, chip mills,
sawmills, timber
investment management
organizations, and oil field
service companies.
Primary Offerings
Forest Products Accounting
FPA Oilfield Accounting
Network Protection and
Management
Backup and Business
Continuity
FPA Supplemental Training
FPA Failover Service
Louisiana Forestry
Association Annual
Meeting 2015
Lake Charles, August 25-27
News And Commentary: American Forest Foundation And Its Global
Warming Initiative
The Gut Balance Revolution
by Gerard E. Mullin, MD
Got a weight problem?
Got a digestive problem?
I can’t say I have a weight
problem, but my digestive
system gets out of whack
sometimes. That was my
reason for reading this book…
to understand how good and
bad bacteria work and how to
benefit from that knowledge.
These new tools involve
keeping the gut flora
(bacteria) in balance. It’s not
just a matter of calories
burned minus calories eaten
equal weight loss. It’s much
more complicated than that, as
you’ll find out in the book.
When we eat the wrong foods that
put us out of gut balance, promote
inflammation, and reduce the
biodiversity of gut flora in the
large intestines, conditions are
established for weight gain.
When the trillions of live bacteria
in our digestive tract are
balanced, excess pounds melt
away and we are revitalized.
What really sold me on this book
Dr. Mullin’s personal story.
In 1977, Dr. Mullin was an obese
high school senior of 293 pounds.
In those days most doctors were
thin or maintained average
weight. Mullin was told by his
doctor he would never become
a doctor because of his weight.
Using gut balancing principles
and light to moderate exercise,
he was down to 175 pounds by
1979 without the benefit of
gastric bypass surgery.
With these results, he then
began a lifelong study of the
digestive tract. He is now a
gastroenterologist among an
elite group of doctors at one of
the leading hospitals in the
nation, Johns Hopkins.
If the latest fad diet didn’t work
for you, get the book and try
the system. It could change
your life for the better.