Monday, April 16, 2018

Great news for my Computer Security students, 26% of companies will want to hire them!
McAfee: 26% of companies have suffered cloud data theft
Enterprises are moving their data to the cloud, but not everybody is certain that the cloud is as secure as it could be, according to the third annual report on cloud security from cybersecurity firm McAfee. This is due in part to the fact that one in four companies has been hit with cloud data theft.




Security? Privacy? Another innovation the FBI can rail against? Certainly problems for industries that require record keeping of any communication with clients.
Gmail Reportedly Testing Self-Destructing Emails: Here's How 'Confidential Mode' Would Work
… According to a new report from TechCrunch, a tipster also revealed to the publication that Google is testing a "confidential mode" that would make it easier for users to ensure their emails are only read by the intended person. Moreover, the emails will also have a self-destructing option, which would allow users to set when their email will expire and become unreadable.
… TechCrunch received several screenshots from its tipster, illustrating how Gmail's self-destructing emails would work. Upon selecting to compose a new email, users would get the option to compose it in "confidential mode."
Enabling this option would automatically set several restrictions to the email in question, limiting what the recipient can do with the information. For instance, the recipient would not be able to download the content, forward the email, print it, or copy-paste it.
Users would also be able to set when they want their email to self-destruct, such as one week, one month, several years, or other such options. For an extra layer of security, senders could also require the email recipient to enter a passcode sent in a text message, to confirm their identity before being able to access the contents of the email.
This should significantly boost the security of Gmail and encourage wider use even at enterprise level with high confidentiality requirements. It seems that the new feature is just in testing for now, however, as the "Learn more" option doesn't actually lead to a page with more details on this option.




Interesting forensic work.
The dealer sent a stream of WhatsApp messages offering drugs for sale, one of which showed a number of ecstasy pills in the palm of his hand, reports the BBC. An officer who recovered a phone noticed that the middle and bottom of a finger was shown, potentially allowing a fingerprint to be identified.
In the event, it turned out to be the wrong part of the finger.
There were just parts of the middle and bottom of a finger visible – records only keep the top part. This meant the image did not find a match on national databases.
Other clues led police to the suspect, however, and the photo was then subsequently used to prove he was the dealer.
While the scale and quality of the photograph proved a challenge, the small bits were enough to prove he was the dealer.
It has now opened the floodgates and when there is part of a hand on a photograph, officers are sending them in.




Perspective. Is China killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?
China Is Nationalizing Its Tech Sector
… Communist Party committees have been installed at many tech firms, reviewing everything from operations to compliance with national goals. Regulators have been discussing taking a 1 percent stake in some giants, including Alibaba and Tencent, along with a board seat. Tech companies have been widely encouraged to invest in state-owned firms, in the hopes of making them more productive. The common denominator of all these efforts is that the government wants more control.




In a global (Internet enabled) market, even a small niche can be profitable.
High-definition vinyl’ could be spinning on your turntable by next year
Vinyl records are in the midst of a surprising renaissance, fueled not only by millennial nostalgia but by high-tech turntables. As CD and digital music sales continue to decline due to online streaming services like Spotify, CNBC reports that vinyl LP sales increased to 13 million in 2016 — their highest level since 1991.
Now, an Austrian start-up named Rebeat Innovations is hoping to give the venerable medium itself a high-tech boost with an innovation it’s calling “high-definition vinyl.”
Pitchfork has a rundown on the new process, which involves digital audio conversion and the use of lasers to engrave the ceramic “stamper,” the master component that creates the grooves on the record during the manufacturing process.
The company filed a patent in 2016 for “3D-based topographical mapping combined with laser inscription technology,” which it says will reduce the manufacturing time by 60 percent.
… What’s more, backward compatibility is built in — HD Vinyl albums can be played on any current turntable.




This could be amusing. Also, Baen publishing has interviews with its authors at http://www.baen.com/interviews
2000+ Recordings of Poets and Fiction Writers Reading and Discussing Their Work
A few years ago the Library of Congress published an online collection of audio recordings of poets and fiction writers reading and discussing their works. At the time of its launch the collection contain 124 recordings. Since then the collection has grown to include more than 2,000 recordings.
The Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature contains recordings of writers reading some of their poems and other works. Many of the recordings are long interviews with the writers during which they read some of their works. The audio can be heard on the LOC website and or embedded into blog posts as I've done here. Below you will find the recordings of Ray Bradbury and Robert Frost.




Sort of an anti-University?


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