Tuesday, September 06, 2016

"Once is happenstance.  Twice is coincidence.  Three times is enemy action." - Ian Fleming.  What could my Ethical Hacking students sneak by TSA when all the computers are down?  Stay tuned! 
British Airways apologises to delayed passengers
British Airways has apologised to passengers facing delays after an IT glitch affected check-in desks.
Passengers complained of delays at check-in and at the baggage drop, and on the tarmac waiting for take-off.
   BA encouraged customers affected by the IT problems to check in online before they reached the airport.  It told customers that some flights had been cancelled on Monday "due to operational reasons" but that specialists were "working to resolve this issue".
   "My boarding pass was filled out by hand.  Even had a hand-written hand baggage label.  Staff were updating us well - The staff... were excellent.  The pilot said the delays were due to a computer glitch and apologised profusely."
On Monday customers in the US and Canada reported delays at several airports due to IT problems.
People flying from San Francisco, Washington DC and Atlanta reported long delays on social media.
   Matthew Walker, a financial analyst from London, waited for more than two hours to board his flight to Heathrow.
Though he had already checked in online, he said that BA staff could not access their computers to see which passengers had gone through security.


All it takes is an email that looks like it comes from a CEO or owner or someone who should know better, but is still unlikely to be challenged.
Marika Samarati reports:
Leoni AG, one of the world’s leading wire and cable manufacturers, fell victim to an email scam that cost the company 40 million euros.  According to a press release, “Leoni AG realised on Friday 12 August 2016 that it had become the victim of fraudulent activity with the help of falsified documents and identities and the use of electronic communication channels. […]  The damage amounts to an outflow of liquidity totalling around EUR 40 million.”
Read more on IT Governance.


With virtual currencies, expect real criminals.  What does this teach us about protecting other Blockchain systems?  I can’t wait to read the full report! 
Cyber threat grows for bitcoin exchanges
When hackers penetrated a secure authentication system at a bitcoin exchange called Bitfinex earlier this month, they stole about $70 million worth of the virtual currency.
The cyber theft -- the second largest by an exchange since hackers took roughly $350 million in bitcoins at Tokyo's MtGox exchange in early 2014 -- is hardly a rare occurrence in the emerging world of crypto-currencies.
New data disclosed to Reuters shows a third of bitcoin trading platforms have been hacked, and nearly half have closed in the half dozen years since they burst on the scene.


I wonder what they asked their App developer to include/exclude in their App?
Shaun Nichols reports:
The Golden State Warriors have been sued by a bunch of fans who claim the basketball team’s mobile app is eavesdropping on them.
The suit [PDF], filed with the Northern California District Court this week, alleges that the Android and iOS versions of the Golden State Warriors App can track and record audio from the handset’s microphone without user notification or permission.
According to the complaint, the app, developed by Signal360, can potentially wirelessly detect so-called beacons in stores to work where you’ve been shopping, and can potentially use the handset’s microphone to pick up signals within the audio of TV adverts, music and broadcasts that are inaudible to the human ear in order to serve them targeting advertisements.
Read more on The Register.


Tools for Computer Security.
HSBC Allows Selfies for User Authentication
HSBC bank has become the latest financial institution to adopt smartphone-based biometrics as a form of user authentication.  Institutions already doing so include MasterCard (selfie), Barclays (voice) and Bank of Montreal (selfie or fingerprint).  HSBC's chosen method is the selfie.


For my IT Architecture students.
Ericsson Publishes 'Opportunities in 5G' Report
STOCKHOLM -- A new global report from Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), "Opportunities in 5G: The view from eight industries", reveals the anticipated impact of 5G, the next-generation mobile technology, on specific industries.  It examines how these industries expect to apply 5G, which specific uses of the new technology are likely to dominate in their industry, and what business reasons will drive them to move to 5G.
   Rima Qureshi, Head of Region North America and Chief Strategy Officer says: "Emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things, are becoming integral parts of our economy and lifestyle, and this is driving major change across industries.  5G will accelerate this transformation and create new uses, new revenue streams, and new business models for industries and consumers alike.


For the next time I teach Statistics.
Temple U – Databases, Sources and Database Search Results for Statistical Data Compilations and Publications
by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Sep 5, 2016
Temple University Libraries – STATISTICS: Databases, Sources and Database Search Results for Statistical Data Compilations and Publications: Database Search Results for Statistical and Demographic Data FROM United States Government Agencies
“This research guide provides links to databases focused on statistical data content, sources of statistical data on the internet and beyond, and search results via links in selected databases for statistical content in the sources indexed by these databases.”


Different from my college experience…
Social Media Accounts You Need to Follow When Starting College
   If you use social media strategically, you can always be up to date with what’s happening on campus, be aware of all the best events happening in your city, save money, organize group projects like a pro, and develop a great understanding of what’s happening in your field of study.

(Related) Already too old fashioned?
Candidates struggle with new social media
Snapchat, Periscope and Meerkat aren’t living up to the hype in the 2016 elections, with the candidates struggling to harness the power of the increasingly popular social media platforms.
At the start of the campaign season, media outlets predicted the web 2.0 platforms would play a major role in electing the next president.  Politico called 2016, “The Meerkat election.” CNN wrote, “New technology is poised to upend politics just in time for the 2016 presidential campaign,” referring to the Meerkat and Periscope livestreaming apps.  The New York Times wondered if 2016 would be the “Snapchat election.”
With just over two months until November, none of the platforms have emerged as game changers for the candidates.


This could be useful.  I already follow the TED videos on my RSS feed, but Youtube has a bunch more worth following.
How to Create an RSS Feed for Any YouTube Channel
   even though YouTube itself doesn’t publish any RSS feeds, you can cobble some together for each channel you want to follow.
To illustrate, I’ll show you how to create an RSS feed for our very own YouTube channel:


One of my favorite business writers.  If nothing else, a summary that seems familiar.
New on LLRX – Peter Drucker and the Forward Focused Mindset
by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Sep 5, 2016
Via LLRX.comPeter Drucker and the Forward Focused Mindset: Author, professor, editor Bruce Rosenstein highlights his 10 Elements of the Future based on his many years of study of Peter Drucker’s work.  These elements are an actionable resource for proactively and positively engaging with the multifaceted challenges and opportunities we are encountering in our work places and personal lives.

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