Speed Read

How To Prevent Ransomware Attacks Using Access Controls (Tech Radar, Oct 18, 2019)
The only real answer is to prevent the attack altogether by having the right security measures in place. This may sound impossible, but by taking certain steps organisations can dramatically strengthen their security posture, thus reducing the probability of falling victim of a ransomware attack.
 

"Americans Are Simply Not REAL ID-Ready" (FTN News, Oct 18, 2019)
U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Barnes testified before a Senate subcommittee Thursday on the looming October 1, 2020 deadline set to hit American air travel.
 

How Secure Is Behavioral Biometrics? (Info Security Magazine, Oct 18, 2019)
Accuracy and success of any authentication mechanism depends on how successfully they avoid both false positives and false negatives. A perfect and most secure authentication system is one with zero false positives and false negatives: unfortunately the number of false positives is usually inversely proportional to the number of false negatives.
 

Samsung Admits Fingerprint Reader Flaw, Promises Software Fix (ZD Net, Oct 18, 2019)
Samsung has promised to provide a software update to fix the glaring security issue that allows users to bypass the fingerprint reader through using third-party screen protectors.
 

Google’s Confirms Pixel 4’s Face Unlock Flaw (MS Power Users, Oct 18, 2019)
Google’s Pixel 4 ditches its Pixel Imprint for a newer, notionally more secure facial recognition sensor. Albeit there’s one flaw, the Pixel 4’s facial recognition misses the attention detection that’s present on competitors like the iPhone. We noted this earlier this week, and now Google confirmed the report with the BBC.
 

MFA And Biometric Authentication: Secure The Digital Profile (Security Boulevard, Oct 18, 2019)
Every October, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) promotes the importance of cybersecurity and helps available resources be safer and more secure online. This year’s NCSAM theme is “Own It. Secure It. Protect It.” The theme emphasizes the role each individual person plays in online safety and the importance of taking proactive steps to enhance cybersecurity both at home and in the workplace.
 

Dutch Standards Committee Biometrie To Soon Start Operating (Telecom Paper, Oct 18, 2019)
The Dutch Biometrie standards committee will soon start operating, according to Dutch standards organisation NEN. Biometrics involves identifying people based on unique personal physical characteristics, for example, by their fingerprint on smartphones, or through an iris scan at the airport. The identification can provide access to a building or product. International standards are being developed for agreements on biometrics techniques.
 

Konami Strengthens the Future of Play through Emerging Solutions and Expanding Game Entertainment at G2E 2019 (PR Newswire, Oct 18, 2019)
Leading casino games and systems developer demonstrates commitment to advancing industry technology
 

Facial Recognition Tech Is Coming to a School Near You (Wired, Oct 18, 2019)
Despite a lack of evidence that more technology makes kids safer, facial recognition technology may soon be coming to a school near you. It’s part of a growing trend of increased surveillance and security in schools, and a WIRED story this week examined the delicate ethics of this technology. On the one hand, proponents say that facial recognition tech could help school staffers open gates for parents or staff, watch for persons of interest, ensure a child is leaving school with a guardian instead of a stranger, and even deter school shootings. Parents protesting it, though, say they see it as a sign of creeping authoritarianism.
 

India Aims To Build World's Biggest Facial Recognition System: Report (BGR, Oct 18, 2019)
A 172-page document released by the National Crime Records Bureau reveals India's ambition to build a centralized database of facial recognition data to catch criminals.
 

Shanghai Apartment Buildings Are Secretly Installing Facial-recognition Devices (Quartz, Oct 18, 2019)
Shanghai appears to be quietly—and secretly—installing facial-recognition devices in apartment buildings since last year. While the technology is widely used.
 

Suspend Use Of Biased Facial Recognition Technology (Richmond Free Press, Oct 18, 2019)
It’s no secret that Amazon has been promoting DIY (Do It Yourself) surveillance products to consumers, such as its very own smart doorbell, Ring. But what Amazon shoppers and most everyday Americans are just starting to find out is that the real target customers for these surveillance tools are police departments and other law enforcement agencies — something that should have every person of color worried.
 

FBI Warns of Criminals Using Social Engineering, Technical Attacks to Bypass Multi-Factor Authentication (MSN, Oct 18, 2019)
In 2014, Yahoo took photos from the photo-sharing website Flickr uploaded under Creative Commons licenses and put them in a database that was downloaded by researchers, including those at the University of Washington who used them to create another database called MegaFace.
 

DPS' Facial Recognition Team Identifies Alleged Armed Robber (ABC15, Oct 18, 2019)
The Department of Public Safety used facial recognition technology to identify an alleged suspect in an armed robbery that occurred in Phoenix, according to court documents. Phoenix police report that on September 11, a man robbed a Circle K store near 43th Avenue and Thomas Road. The man allegedly threatened a person with a knife before leaving.
 

Facebook Stands for Free Expression (Wall Street Journal, Oct 18, 2019)
In a democracy, a private company shouldn’t have the power to censor politicians or the news.
 

Why We Must Ban Facial Recognition Software Now (NY Times, Oct 18, 2019)
The benefits do not come close to outweighing the risks.
 

Race and Face Recognition Accuracy: Common Misconceptions (Rank One Computing Blog, Oct 18, 2019)
There is a misconception that face recognition algorithms do not work on persons of color, or are otherwise inaccurate in general. This is not true.

 

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