The DOT released a final rule in late December revising the hours-of-service (HOS) safety requirements for commercial truck drivers.

The rule retains the current 11-hour daily driving limit but makes several major changes to the existing HOS regulations, including:

• Altering the definition of “on-duty time;”
• Requiring truck drivers to take a break of at least 30 minutes before driving more than eight hours;
• Reducing, by 12 hours, the maximum number of hours a truck driver can work within a seven-day period from 82 hours to 70 hours;
• Requiring truck drivers who maximize their weekly work hours to take at least two nights' rest from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.

The effective date of the new definition of “on-duty time” is February 27, 2012. The compliance date of the other provisions is July 1, 2013.

Penalties for Noncompliance

Trucking companies that allow drivers to exceed the 11-hour driving limit by 3 or more hours could be fined $11,000 per offense, and the drivers themselves could face civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense.

Malware, short for malicious software, is prevalent and can affect anyone. As of 2011, a study conducted by Sophos revealed that, a new unique malware threat emerges almost every half second on average.

What is Malware?

Malware is a general term that describes viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, adware, rootkits and other unwanted software or programs. Once a malware program has gained access to a device it can disrupt normal computing operations, collect info and control system resources.

Secure Your Systems

Some of the top sources of malware programs are the most popular and widely used features of the Internet, including email, social networking, search engines and especially pornography sites.

• Be cautious when installing programs. Don't fall for fake anti-virus scams,which often display a pop-up window claiming that they must install a program or run a virus scan, which instead installs a virus program onto your computer.
• Have trusted anti-virus and anti-spyware programs installed on your devices. These programs should be set to perform scans on a regular basis for unwanted and harmful programs.

Emerging Hazards

Tablets, netbooks and smartphones are all susceptible, as well. Anything that has access to the Internet is potentially at risk. For more information on keeping your smartphone and tablets secure, click here.

Having a home inventory of your personal possessions is one of the best ways to make the most of your homeowners or renters insurance policy. And now, the Insurance Information Institute has new home inventory software and an app that makes the process easier than ever. This is called Know Your Stuff® --and it’s free!

A home inventory is a list of your personal possessions and their values. You can have a handwritten home inventory, or you can save one on your computer. No matter how you do it, the important thing is to create one and update it when you make major purchases.

An up-to-date home inventory will:

• Help you purchase the right amount and type of insurance.
• Make filing a claim as easy as possible.
• Substantiating financial losses for tax purposes or when applying for financial assistance.

About Know Your Stuff®

First, visit KnowYourStuff.org. You can set up an online account for free and enter information about your insurance policy. The website will guide you through the process of creating and updating your home inventory. If you have an iPhone, you can download the Know Your Stuff® -Home Inventory app for free in the iTunes App Store (or search for iii inventory).

Great Features

• Set up rooms and list items within those rooms.
• Upload photographs and scanned receipts or appraisal forms.
• Generate forms once your inventory is complete or if you need to file a claim.
• Free, secure online storage so you can access your inventory anywhere. (This is important because the information is saved online, not on your personal computer in case your computer is a loss in a claim).

Information from Insurance Information Institute.