Equifax suffered hack months earlier than the date it disclosed
(The Hill, Sep 18, 2017)
Credit reporting firm Equifax reportedly knew about a major hack of its computer systems in March, nearly five months before it disclosed to the public. The company denied in a statement to The Hill that the March breach was tied to the hack in which the personal and financial information of as many as 143 million U.S. consumers was exposed earlier this month. News of the earlier breach is the latest blow to the embattled credit reporting company.
Chips Off the Old Block: Computers Are Taking Design Cues From Human Brains
(The New York Times, Sep 16, 2017)
We expect a lot from our computers these days. They should talk to us, recognize everything from faces to flowers, and maybe soon do the driving. All this artificial intelligence requires an enormous amount of computing power, stretching the limits of even the most modern machines. Now, some of the world’s largest tech companies are taking a cue from biology as they respond to these growing demands. They are rethinking the very nature of computers and are building machines that look more like the human brain.
Venture-Capital Group Sues Trump Administration Over Immigration Rule
(The Wall Street Journal, Sep 19, 2017)
A group representing U.S. venture-capital investors is leading a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming it took illegal steps to prevent an immigration policy that would have helped foreign-born founders stay in the U.S. to build startups. In a legal complaint filed Tuesday, the National Venture Capital Association claims the Department of Homeland Security violated rules around administrative procedures when it delayed the start of the International Entrepreneur Rule one week before the regulation was scheduled to go into effect in July.
iPhone X's Face ID Inspires Privacy Worries -- But Convenience May Trump Them
(NPR, Sep 18, 2017)
A feature of Apple's new high end iPhone X called Face ID — the phone will unlock when you look at it, or rather when it looks at you — has got privacy advocates nervous. The new feature set off a fairly silly joke meme on Twitter with jibes such as "Face ID is the worst thing to happen to Beverly Hills plastic surgeons." But critics are taking the feature seriously, in part because Apple is likely to make Face ID a very appealing and simple to use.
Microsoft Adds Cloud Security to Keep Out Hackers -- and Government Snoops
(Bloomberg, Sep 14, 2017)
Microsoft Corp., working with chipmaker Intel Corp., is offering a cloud-computing service with more powerful encryption to secure data from hackers – and protect it from secret government data-gathering. The new service also means that Microsoft won't have the capability to turn over unencrypted data in response to government warrants and subpoenas without customer involvement.
Is There a Cryptocurrency Bubble? Just Ask Doge.
(The New York Times, Sep 15, 2017)
Jackson Palmer no longer thinks it’s funny to imitate Doge, the internet meme about a Shiba Inu dog whose awe-struck expressions and garbled syntax (e.g. “Wow. So pizza. Much delicious.”) made him a viral sensation several years ago. But if he did, he might channel Doge to offer a few cautionary words for investors who are falling for cryptocurrency start-ups, Silicon Valley’s latest moneymaking craze: Very bubble. Much scam. So avoid.
CISF confirms plans to implement express check-in system at Indian airports
(Airport Technology, Sep 19, 2017)
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in India has confirmed plans to deploy an advanced ‘express check-in’ technology at the country's airports to enhance services for passengers. The security force aims to replace the boarding pass collection system at Indian airports with new biometric technology. It reportedly aims to deploy the system at 59 airports across the country.
CBP to Test the Operational Use of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems in 3 U.S. Border Patrol Sectors
(CBP, Sep 14, 2017)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today that U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) will begin evaluating Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) in the operational environment this month as part of a pilot program. Testing will take place in three USBP sectors beginning with Tucson followed by Rio Grande Valley and Swanton later this year. The remotely piloted sUAS will enable Border Patrol agents in the field to provide reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, tracking and acquisition capabilities.
Leading Insurance Provider Strengthens User Sign-In with BIO-key Fingerprint Biometric Authentication Solution
(BIO-key, Sep 19, 2017)
BIO-key International, Inc., an innovative provider of biometric software and hardware solutions for strong and convenient user authentication, today announced that a U.S. insurance provider focused on retirement products including annuities and fixed income, with total assets of nearly $250 billion, has selected BIO-key's EcoID fingerprint readers as an added layer of hardware-based user authentication to complement its existing password-based sign-in credentials for thousands of employees.
