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Our mission: Bringing practical business and technical intelligence to today's structured cabling professionals

For more than 30 years, Cabling Installation & Maintenance has provided useful, practical information to professionals responsible for the specification, design, installation and management of structured cabling systems serving enterprise, data center and other environments. These professionals are challenged to stay informed of constantly evolving standards, system-design and installation approaches, product and system capabilities, technologies, as well as applications that rely on high-performance structured cabling systems. Our editors synthesize these complex issues into multiple information products. This portfolio of information products provides concrete detail that improves the efficiency of day-to-day operations, and equips cabling professionals with the perspective that enables strategic planning for networks’ optimum long-term performance.

Throughout our annual magazine, weekly email newsletters and 24/7/365 website, Cabling Installation & Maintenance digs into the essential topics our audience focuses on.

  • Design, Installation and Testing: We explain the bottom-up design of cabling systems, from case histories of actual projects to solutions for specific problems or aspects of the design process. We also look at specific installations using a case-history approach to highlight challenging problems, solutions and unique features. Additionally, we examine evolving test-and-measurement technologies and techniques designed to address the standards-governed and practical-use performance requirements of cabling systems.
  • Technology: We evaluate product innovations and technology trends as they impact a particular product class through interviews with manufacturers, installers and users, as well as contributed articles from subject-matter experts.
  • Data Center: Cabling Installation & Maintenance takes an in-depth look at design and installation workmanship issues as well as the unique technology being deployed specifically for data centers.
  • Physical Security: Focusing on the areas in which security and IT—and the infrastructure for both—interlock and overlap, we pay specific attention to Internet Protocol’s influence over the development of security applications.
  • Standards: Tracking the activities of North American and international standards-making organizations, we provide updates on specifications that are in-progress, looking forward to how they will affect cabling-system design and installation. We also produce articles explaining the practical aspects of designing and installing cabling systems in accordance with the specifications of established standards.

Cabling Installation & Maintenance is published by Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

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AI chatbots are becoming romance scammers — and 1 in 3 people admit they could fall for one

(BPT) - By McAfee

It started with a DM.

For five months, 25-year-old computer programmer Maggie K. exchanged daily messages with the man she met on Instagram, convinced she had found something real.

When it was finally time to meet in person, he never showed. Instead, he claimed he missed his flight and needed money to rebook. Desperate to finally see him, she sent the cash.

Then, silence. His accounts vanished. He hadn't just ghosted her - he had never existed at all. But Maggie isn't alone: McAfee's latest research reveals more than half (52%) of people have been scammed out of money or pressured to send money or gifts by someone they met online.

"I ignored my gut feeling ... I sent him $1,200. Then he disappeared," Maggie told McAfee, hoping that her story would educate others. "When I reported the scam, the police told me his images were AI-generated. He wasn't even a real person. That was the scariest part - I had trusted someone who never even existed."

How AI is making romance scams more sophisticated

These scams work because they prey on trust and emotions. And they aren't just targeting the naïve; anyone, even tech professionals, as Maggie's case shows, can be fooled.

And romance scams aren't just happening in dating apps anymore. Social media, messaging platforms and AI chatbots are fueling an explosion of online romance fraud.

McAfee's findings highlight a staggering rise in:

  • AI-powered scams: More than 1 in 4 people (26%) say they - or someone they know - have been approached by an AI chatbot posing as a real person on a dating app or social media.
  • Celebrity impostor scams: 1 in 5 (21%) have been contacted by someone pretending to be a well-known public figure. Of those who fell for it, 33% lost money, with an average reported loss of $1,985.
  • Fake romance scam websites: In the seven weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, McAfee blocked a staggering 321,509 fraudulent URLs designed to lure in victims.

The costs: Your time, money, trust and personal data

With 62% of people saying they've used dating apps, social media or messaging platforms to connect with potential partners, scammers have a bigger pool of victims than ever before.

Younger users are the most active online daters, with 31% of 18-24-year-olds currently using online dating platforms. Tinder is the most popular dating app overall (46%), with its highest engagement among 18-24-year-olds (73%). Just over 40% of respondents said they use Instagram, 29% use Snapchat and 25% use TikTok to meet potential partners. But these platforms also present new risks, as fake apps designed to steal personal information lurk in app stores.

McAfee researchers found nearly 11,000 attempts to download fraudulent dating apps in recent months. The most impersonated?

  • Tinder (55%)
  • OKCupid (29%)
  • Badoo (7%)
  • Hinge (7%)
  • Bumble (2%)

Downloading a fake app could expose your login credentials, financial information or even install malware onto your device.

And once money is lost, it's rarely recovered, as scammers use cryptocurrency, untraceable gift cards and offshore accounts to move stolen funds.

Recognizing romance scam red flags

McAfee researchers urge anyone looking for love online to stay vigilant by following these critical safety measures:

1) Watch for "love bombing." Scammers overwhelm victims with affection early on to gain trust.

2) Verify their identity. Use reverse image searches and insist on live video calls, which AI-generated scammers avoid.

3) Never send money. No real partner will pressure you for financial help - especially when you've never met.

4) Be wary of celebrity DMs. If a famous figure suddenly messages you, it's likely a scam.

5) Avoid suspicious links. McAfee blocked over 321,000 fraudulent dating sites - avoid clicking on unknown links or apps.

6) Use online protection tools. Tools like McAfee+ can detect and block suspicious messages, phishing attempts and AI-generated fraud in real time. McAfee+ offers maximum identity, privacy and device protection to detect and prevent fraudulent activity before it causes harm.

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