Thursday, April 30, 2020


Get it right.
US govt updates Microsoft Office 365 security best practices
These recommendations were compiled to address Office 365 security configuration errors that can weaken an organization's otherwise sound security strategy while migrating from on-premise to cloud collaboration solutions during the pandemic.
"As organizations adapt or change their enterprise collaboration capabilities to meet 'telework' requirements, many organizations are migrating to Microsoft Office 365 (O365) and other cloud collaboration services," CISA explains in the AA20-120A alert published today.




Paying the ransom won’t end the risk.
Report Finds Ransomware Crews Don’t Leave After Being Paid
Organized crews of cybercriminals that attacked health care organizations and other critical services with ransomware this month kept their access to victims’ networks even after ransoms were paid, new research released by Microsoft Corp. says.
In a blog post published Tuesday, Microsoft’s Threat Protection Intelligence Team said it had identified “dozens” of ransomware attacks in the first two weeks of April targeting organizations critical to the world’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including aid organizations, medical billing companies and educational software providers.
Read more on Law360.com




Should their retail clients have spilled the beans? Did they trust a company that was lying to the press?
Breach of Clearview AI Source Code Renews Concerns About Law Enforcement Facial Recognition Programs
Increasingly widespread adoption of facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes has sparked a heated global debate over the past year or two. Clearview AI has been one of the central points of contention, becoming something of a poster child for potential abuses and lack of transparency in such programs. The embattled facial recognition startup’s road is becoming no easier as an exposed server has been found that contained the source code for the company’s facial recognition database along with confidential keys and credentials that would grant a disturbing level of access to the company’s internal network.
Clearview AI attempts to sell acceptance of its product to the public by promising that only vetted law enforcement agencies are given access to it. A breach just two months ago revealed that to not be the case. The company’s client list was exposed, revealing that it has also been doing business with retail chains such as Best Buy and Macy’s. Retailers have an interest in facial recognition technology for everything from collecting marketing data to tracking potential shoplifters; customers would likely not be comfortable with just about any of these uses, but are also by and large not aware that some stores have been doing this for at least a couple of years now.




What? You didn’t ‘assume’ we would face a pandemic?
The algorithms big companies use to manage their supply chains don’t work during pandemics
Even during a pandemic, Walmart’s supply chain managers have to make sure stores and warehouses are stocked with the things customers want and need. COVID-19, though, has thrown off the digital program that helps them predict how many diapers and garden hoses they need to keep on the shelves.
Normally, the system can reliably analyze things like inventory levels, historical purchasing trends, and discounts to recommend how much of a product to order. During the worldwide disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the program’s recommendations are changing more frequently. “It’s become more dynamic, and the frequency we’re looking at it has increased,” a Walmart supply chain manager, who asked not to be named because he didn’t have permission to speak to the media, told The Verge.




Isolation tools.
How to Group FaceTime on Your Mac, iPhone, or iPad




Stuff to do while you don’t (socialize that is)
British Museum offers 1.9 million photos of its collection available for free online
Get closer to the British Museum’s collection and immerse yourself in two million years of history, across six continents. Collection online has been completely redeveloped, making it much easier to find what you want. It allows access to almost four and a half million objects in more than two million records. The search is more intuitive and now offers suggestions as you type. High definition images can be enlarged and examined in detail which will enable you to view the incredible workmanship on the Royal Game of Ur, the intricate carving on this African hunting horn, the amazingly preserved deerskin map from North America, or this delightful drawing by Raphael of an old man’s head just a few of the thousands of highlights to discover. Enjoy exploring the collection – from some of the earliest objects created by humankind to works by contemporary artists. Or choose from the curated collections below, which reveal the fascinating stories that transcend time… The majority of the 1.9 million object images are available for anyone to use for free under a Creative Commons 4.0 license. Users no longer need to register to use these photographs, and can now download them directly to their devices, making it easier and quicker to access them for non-commercial activities such as sharing on social media…”




Read, learn, isolate.
TOP MACHINE LEARNING BOOKS MADE FREE DUE TO COVID-19
Since e-learning is on the rise because of social distancing, the data science community earlier offered free online courses and now provides free e-books. While online data science courses are useful, books deliver structured as well as an in-depth understanding of the techniques. Reading books has its own advantages as it keeps you focused while eliminating distractions that your witness in online learning.
Springer Nature, popularly known for publishing books on science, business, and data science, has released numerous machine learning books for free. However, the below list only contains the most popular machine learning related books.




Know a student taking Calculus?
This AI-Powered Calculus Tutor Hopes to Make STEM Careers More Accessible
In a thought piece recently published in Fast Company, Milena Marinova identified calculus as a barrier that keeps STEM talent from graduating and entering the field. Almost one-third of students either fail or drop out of their required calculus course, creating a "leak in the pipeline" that ultimately contributes to millions of STEM jobs left unfilled.
Marinova put together a multi-disciplinary group to figure out how AI can demystify calculus. "If we could crack the code on the most difficult math discipline first, we could scale the technology across nearly any subject where people struggle to learn," Marinova explains. They teamed up with design firm Doberman and in just under a year released Aida, an AI-powered calculus tutor unlike any other.
Unlike existing digital tools that will readily solve the problem for you (and make homework a breeze) Aida's focus is taking the user on a learning journey and equipping them with the tools to succeed when they're flying solo. Students are encouraged to work out problems for themselves using pen and paper, but when they get stumped they can upload a photo of their work, and Aida will analyze the calculations line by line. They'll be prompted to revise their work three times before an answer is given.



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