How do I rob thee

Let me count the ways

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/28/the-2016-trends-in-cybercrime-that-you-need-to-know-about.html?__source=google%7Ceditorspicks%7C&par=google&google_editors_picks=true

The 2016 trends in cybercrime that you need to know about

…   In a report identifying eight trends in the underworld of cybercrime, Europol warned that cybercrime offences were becoming the norm and overtaking the reporting of "traditional" crimes in some EU countries.

1: Crime-as-a-Service

2: Ransomware

3: The criminal use of data

4: Payment fraud

5: Online child sexual abuse

6: Abuse of the Darknet

7: Social engineering

8: Virtual currencies

[The report is available here:  https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/internet-organised-crime-threat-assessment-iocta-2016

Are these types of articles excuses in advance of something they know is coming?   

http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-believes-russia-steered-hacked-documents-to-websites-1475058781?mod=rss_Technology

U.S. Believes Russia Steered Hacked Documents to Websites

U.S. officials are increasingly confident that the hacker Guccifer 2.0 is part of a network of individuals and groups kept at arm’s length by Russia to mask its involvement in cyberintrusions such as the theft of thousands of Democratic Party documents, according to people familiar with the matter.

…   Last week, U.S. intelligence chief James Clapper said it “shouldn’t come as a big shock to people” that Russia is behind the hacking operation.  While Russia has tried to interfere in U.S. elections since at least the 1960s by spying and funneling money to particular political groups, “I think it’s more dramatic maybe because now they have the cyber tools,” he said.

Just in time for my IT Governance students to ride to the rescue!  Do the boring, obvious stuff first, then get creative.

http://www.csoonline.com/article/3123692/compliance/friend-or-foe-bank-regulator-issues-new-information-security-exam-procedures.html?google_editors_picks=true

Friend or foe? Bank regulator issues new information security exam procedures

…   A new Information Security IT Examination Handbook (“Handbook”) was just released by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) – and it will definitely keep many CSOs occupied during the coming months.

…   Those favoring practical experience over checklist security will not be happy.  Most information security professionals agree that practical experience and judgment far outweigh checklist security in protecting organizations.  Some would argue that diverting tight resources into procedural or documenting information security controls can actually hamper protection efforts.  And in some aspects this argument make sense.

The new handbook is “heavy” with requirements to document and provide evidence of control procedures used to manage the bank’s (or financial services company’s) information security effort.  This will surely frustrate checklist security opponents.  And for many requirements, specific expectations are provided that the bank would be expected to have to achieve the requirements objectives.

Has anyone ever considered that people lie on social media?

UK: Cumbria council’s snooping rulebook amended to allow covert Facebook surveillance

Council bosses in Cumbria can use Facebook to snoop on residents they suspect of committing an offence.

New guidelines have been added to Cumbria County Council’s surveillance rule book on the issue and approved by leaders.

The regulations allow county council staff to glean information from personal social media account pages as an alternative to carrying out direct surveillance.

Read more on North-West Evening Mail.

We’ll have to change our Cryptography class to emphasize Blockchain. 

http://www.winbeta.org/news/bank-of-america-and-microsoft-partner-to-create-blockchain-applications-for-trade-finance

Bank of America and Microsoft partner to create blockchain applications for trade finance

Today, Microsoft announced a collaboration with Bank of America to develop blockchain technologies for their trade finance transacting.  The companies are developing a proof of concept using Microsoft’s Azure-based Blockchain-as-a-Service.  The hope is that this collaboration will create more automated and cost-effective corporate treasury operations for both Microsoft and Bank of America.

For my Software Architecture students.

http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/getting-started-with-iot/

Getting Started With IoT

Despite considerable interest in the Internet of Things, many organizations do not yet have an active IoT project.  Our recent research report, “Data Sharing and Analytics Drive Success With IoT,” finds that 60% of the organizations responding to our global survey do not yet have an active IoT project.

Perspective.  What is a market worth?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-28/wal-mart-in-talks-to-invest-up-to-1-billion-in-india-s-flipkart

Wal-Mart in Talks to Invest Up to $1 Billion in Flipkart

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in advanced discussions to invest as much as $1 billion into India’s Flipkart Online Services Pvt, as the two companies battle Amazon.com Inc. in e-commerce, according to a person familiar with the matter.

…   Flipkart is the largest online retailer in India, but its lead has been under assault as Amazon steps up investments in the country.  Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos said in June he plans to spend another $3 billion in India to gain customers in the fast-growing market.

…   India’s online market will expand at an average of 45 percent annually in the next four years and reach $28 billion by 2020, according to estimates from Kotak Institutional Equities.

…   But if Amazon and Wal-Mart both stepping up their investments, Alibaba may have to consider doing the same, either with Snapdeal or on its own.

(Related)

http://www.wsj.com/articles/google-searches-for-new-users-in-india-1474984149?mod=rss_Technology

Google Searches for New Users in India

Alphabet Inc. ’s Google is expanding its efforts to connect with millions of Indians, using free Wi-Fi and tailor-made products, as it seeks to harness the country’s growing online population.

For all my students, even though we give them Office365.

5 Reasons You Should Use iWork Instead of Microsoft Office

…   Many long-time Office users will be unwilling to transition away from the apps they’re so used to working with.  Whether you’re an Office veteran or a complete newcomer to these types of apps, iWork may deserve another chance.  Let’s take a look at why.

Sometimes humor is where you find it.  In this case, on a Statistics website.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/significant-digits-for-wednesday-sept-28-2016/

Significant Digits For Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016

You’re reading Significant Digits, a daily digest of the telling numbers tucked inside the news.

0.9 percent

Nobody wants to hear about other people’s fantasy football teams, but it is rather delightful to rip them.  Last week 0.9 percent of ESPN fantasy players started Tom Brady, who is still serving a four game suspension because of Deflategate.  Meanwhile, Trevor Siemian of the Denver Broncos did indeed play and was the best QB in Week 3, yet a mere 0.7 percent of players started him.  I will never pass up an opportunity to mock New England fans who think a suspended Brady will still outscore players who actually take the field.  [SportsCenter]

Forget Skynet.  THIS is how robots will take over the world!

https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/27/nissans-autonomous-chairs-politely-carry-you-through-queues/

Nissan's autonomous chairs politely carry you through queues

The new Willie Sutton; “Now SWIFT is where the money’s at.”

http://www.wsj.com/articles/swift-reports-summer-cyber-attacks-on-three-banks-1474924036

Swift Reports Summer Cyber Attacks on Three Banks

…   In the first, hackers had fraudulently sent payment instructions from the bank’s Swift terminal to an unauthorized beneficiary and then altered payment records to cover their tracks.  The next day, a second bank noticed the fraudulent messages being sent to the same rogue beneficiary.  In the third instance, the same pattern of hacking was attempted but was thwarted with anti-virus software that was part of a Swift security patch.

The attacks follow a wave of cyberattacks on Swift bank customers in the past several months.  Those attacks spanned the globe, including banks in Vietnam, Ecuador and one in Bangladesh where the thieves made off with $81 million from the country’s central bank.

Told ya so!

http://www.securityweek.com/ransomware-attack-hits-cape-cod-police-department

Ransomware Attack Hits Cape Cod Police Department

Ransomware is now the single most prolific malware threat.  Surveys suggest that around 50% of organizations have had a ransomware incident over the last year.  Every week there seems to be a new product, or new routine within an existing product, specifically designed to mitigate against ransomware.  But the basic advice remains: maintain good back-up/disaster recovery; and don't pay the ransom unless you literally have no other option.  Nevertheless, according to Osterman research, 40% of companies affected by ransomware actually pay the ransom.

We choose to be unsafe, even when we know better. 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/messaging-apps-vary-widely-when-it-comes-to-privacy-1474920203

Messaging Apps Vary Widely When It Comes to Privacy

…   Messaging services that are considered the most private exclusively use end-to-end encryption.  That is, messages stay encrypted as they move from sender to recipient.  Even if they pass through or are stored on a server, they are encrypted in a way that the service provider can’t read them.  Facebook Inc. ’s WhatsApp, Apple Inc.’s iMessage and the Signal app by Open Whisper Systems always use end-to-end encryption.

Some apps, like Facebook Messenger and Google Allo, offer end-to-end encryption in special private messaging modes that users must turn on—something most people don’t do.

Well, there goes the neighborhood.  Why would any new technology need new laws?  Is bank robbery with a gun different than robbery by hacking the SWIFT system? 

http://thehill.com/policy/technology/297757-lawmakers-announce-blockchain-technology-caucus

Lawmakers announce blockchain technology caucus

…   “The blockchain has boundless potential," Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) said in a statement detailing the new Congressional Blockchain Caucus.  "From cryptocurrencies to supply chains to banking to property titling, blockchain-based solutions have the ability to decentralize cybersecurity and revolutionize many industries.”

(Related)

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/297565-lawmakers-play-catch-up-as-smartphone-banking-surges

Lawmakers play catch-up as smartphone banking surges

Lawmakers are taking a closer look at how to regulate and support the emerging financial technology that is turning smartphones into mobile banks.

The House last week passed a resolution supporting a national policy on “FinTech.”  Those online banking and payment platforms fall under the jurisdiction of several federal regulators, leading congressional supporters and industry leaders to call for clearer federal standards and guidance.

Big data created in the office?  Does this sound a bit creepy to you?

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-goes-ai-crazy-now-office-365-can-track-what-you-really-get-up-to-in-meetings/

Microsoft goes AI crazy: Now Office 365 can track what you really get up to in meetings

…   At its annual Ignite conference this week in Atlanta, GA, Microsoft is showing off new AI features across its core products for the enterprise.  According to CEO Satya Nadella, this AI-everywhere strategy amounts to Microsoft "democratizing AI" for everyone to solve the world's most pressing challenges.

…   New smart features coming to Office 365 include Tap in Word and Outlook, which aims to help workers reuse content already to be found in corporate documents for new documents and emails.

…   Office 365 is also gaining the MyAnalytics personal analytics service, formerly known as Delve Analytics, which Microsoft gained when it acquired VoloMetrix last year.

MyAnalytics provides a visualized breakdown of personal performance at work, offering a snapshot of 'meeting hours', 'email hours', 'focus hours' and 'after hours'.  Users can also query the percentage of email read by recipients and what time email was read to help workers optimize the timing of email.

These might help my Software Architecture students.

http://www.bespacific.com/translating-research-for-action-ideas-and-examples-for-informing-digital-policy/

Translating Research for Action: Ideas and Examples for Informing Digital Policy

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Sep 26, 2016

“The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society is pleased to release this series of papers, which aims to build a bridge between academic research and policymaking in the networked world by helping to identify opportunities in key areas related to digital technology and innovation.  The series builds on the Center’s commitment to exploring new ways to communicate, educate, and inform in the public interest and are informed by conversations and collaborations with diverse stakeholders in each area.  “Networked Policy Making Avenues” takes a process perspective and outlines different channels and methods available for academics to inform policymaking.  The additional papers presented in the form of short, synthesizing research briefings have a substantive orientation and serve as examples in action.  Focusing on critical topics such as how privacy intersects with issues related to students, open data, and cybersecurity, these briefings experiment with formats that may be more useful and accessible to decision makers than traditional research papers.  Each can be viewed as resource that stands on its own, and we hope each will provide a navigation aid vis-a-vis some of today’s controversially debated topics in digital policymaking.”  September 26, 2016.

It's hard to get students to use all the tools available. 

http://www.bespacific.com/library-2-0-the-effectiveness-of-social-media-as-a-marketing-tool-for-libraries-in-educational-institutions/

Library 2.0: The effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool for libraries in educational institutions

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Sep 26, 2016

Library 2.0: The effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool for libraries in educational institutions.  Journal of Librarianship and Information Science.  Published online before print September 22, 2016, doi: 10.1177/0961000616668959

…   Our findings confirm that libraries in the sector are indeed struggling to foster interest in their social media activities and go some way to understanding why this is so, leading to a number of conclusions and recommendations for practitioners.”

Should we expect record numbers of lawsuits?

Florida Bar Association hacked, members’ data leaked

You’ve probably seen some articles reminding law firms to secure their data better, as they hold a wealth of confidential personal, financial, medical, and corporate data.

But now it seems that the Florida Bar Association itself has been hacked.  No, they don’t contain the vast troves of sensitive personal and corporate law data that their members’ networks maintain, but still, it should be somewhat embarrassing.

According to the bar association’s web site, the Florida Bar is the organization of all lawyers licensed by the Supreme Court of Florida to practice law in the state.  Any lawyer who wishes to practice in Florida must be a member.  And according to their statistics, there are currently 85,038 members in good standing who are eligible to practice plus an additional 4,210 who are in good standing but not eligible to practice, and 13,535 more who are not eligible to practice (for a total of 102,783).

On September 22, a hacker or hackers associated with a former Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy who has a long-standing dispute with Florida law enforcement that appears to have gotten him raided by the FBI managed to access and acquire what appears to be their entire database.  In a lengthy post about the hack and database dump, they describe the data and comment on it  (Caution: their post uses language or imagery that some readers may find offensive).  They also parse the data.  Here are just some of the data they report:

158,385 email addresses
219,139 office phones and cell phone numbers
84,772 fax numbers (who would have known?  I haven’t seen a fax machine in 10 years)
226,928 mailing addresses

And in what will likely make some lawyers unhappy, the hacker(s) also analyze the disciplinary files in terms of which lawyers received the most bar complaints, and they include a rank-ordered list.

The hacker(s) helpfully, if impolitely, give the bar association a clue as to how secure their network better:

I recommend the Florida Bar do something about their JSON outputs to prevent their data fro leaking like Chief Deputy Gauger’s dick after banging a crack whore with syphilis.

The association’s web site, which had been reported by the hacker(s) as being down on Thursday was online when DataBreaches.net checked the site last night.  There does not appear to be any notice or mention of the hack or data leak.

DataBreaches.net emailed the bar association to inquire as to what they were doing in response to the breach, but has not heard back by the time of publication.  This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Anyone want to bet?

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3123799/cloud-computing/the-social-security-website-is-now-secure.html?google_editors_picks=true

The Social Security website is now secure

…   I recently wrote that the secure section of ssa.gov, the website of the US Social Security Administration, was not secure.  As shown above, it was rated C, a really bad grade, at the SSL Server Test run by SSL Labs.

…   I tried to contact the Social Security Administration, but never heard back.

Despite all that, my previous blog may have made a difference.  The previously insecure secure.ssa.gov is now, actually, really secure.  The current rating from SSL Labs is shown above.

[By the way, the SSL Server Test is an interesting Hacking tool.  Bob]

A new hacker target?  Think what could go wrong…

http://www.bespacific.com/fight-for-the-future-launched-hellovote/

Fight For The Future launched HelloVote

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Sep 25, 2016

BusinessInsider: “Registering to vote may now be a lot easier for a portion of the roughly 90% of Americans who own a cellphone.  The nonprofit group Fight For The Future launched HelloVote on [the morning of September 22, 2016] with the goal of boosting voter registration in several key battleground states by allowing voters to register directly via text message or Facebook Messenger.  Backed by brands like MTV, Genius, and the Latino Victory Project, the tool is the first major service to offer voter registration through text messaging, a process the company hopes will boost voter registration rolls, particularly among young voters…”

My Ethical Hacking students have a model to emulate.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37441109

Meeting Cellebrite - Israel's master phone crackers

Cellebrite was in the headlines earlier this year when it was rumoured to have helped the FBI to crack an iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter.

Now the company has told the BBC that it can get through the defences of just about any modern smartphone.  But the firm refuses to say whether it supplies its technology to the police forces of repressive regimes.

…   Mr Ben-Moshe claimed that his firm could access data on "the largest number of devices that are out there in the industry".

Even Apple's new iPhone 7?

"We can definitely extract data from an iPhone 7 as well - the question is what data."

He said that Cellebrite had the biggest research and development team in the sector, constantly working to catch up with the new technology.

He was cagey about how much data could be extracted from services such as WhatsApp - "It's not a black/white yes/no answer" - but indicated that criminals might be fooling themselves if they thought any form of mobile communication was totally secure.

(Related)

How to Find Out If Google Has Been Listening to You

Throughout 2016, it has become increasingly apparent that our smartphones have been misbehaving.  Malware is bad enough, issues with the device chipset can be patched, and you should have set a PIN for your device just in case.

But those things — concerning as they are — have been a mere sideshow to the real privacy scandal taking place right now.  That device in your pocket, or on your desk, or even in your hand as you read this… your phone has been spying on you.

…   When this possibility was first posited, it seemed unlikely — that is, until cybersecurity researcher Ken Munro and Pen Test Partners’ David Lodge got together to develop an app.  With the aim of recording nearby conversations and displaying them on a PC, the app was a working proof of concept.

…   Once you’ve digested that chilling fact, it’s time to check the recordings.  The best way to do this is to visit history.google.com/history/audio on your phone or in your desktop browser, and take a look at the long list of items that have been recorded.

Reads more like a bio of the judge, but interesting.

http://www.bespacific.com/district-court-judge-releases-list-of-more-than-200-cases-veiled-in-secrecy-of-patriot-act/

District Court Judge releases list of more than 200 cases veiled in secrecy of Patriot Act

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Sep 25, 2016

Washington Post – This judge just released 200 secret government surveillance requests

Could be handy.

http://www.bespacific.com/network-world-preliminary-map-of-government-open-source-laws/

Network World – preliminary map of government open source laws

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Sep 25, 2016

Jon Gold – NetworkWorld: “As the institutional use of open-source software continues to expand like an octopus, the public sector remains a key target market.  Government users like Linux and other open-source software for several reasons, but the most important ones are probably that total cost of ownership is often lower than it is for proprietary products and that open-source projects don’t vanish if the company providing them goes under…  Here’s a map of the status of open-source laws around the world, via the magic of Google Fusion Tables..”

A Maturity Model for my IT Governance class.  35 page PDF.

http://www.bespacific.com/baldrige-cybersecurity-excellence-builder/

Baldrige Cybersecurity Excellence Builder

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Sep 25, 2016

Baldrige Cybersecurity Excellence Builder. Key questions for improving your organization’s cybersecurity performance. Draft September 2016, National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Something to amuse my IT Architecture class.

https://www.fastcompany.com/3063189/platform-wars/inside-apple-and-ibms-app-making-machine

Inside Apple And IBM's App Making Machine

…   The IBM people brought with them to Cupertino that day a mobile app they’d been working on—a fuel calculation app for airline pilots—that they thought might serve as a starting point for the partnership.  It was built by IBM people, who had also built some powerful data analytics into the background.  The IBM people hoped the Apple people would see it and be impressed, and then the two companies would continue building the app together.

But that’s not what happened.  IBM's app—all 40 screens of it—was a bloated mess.  One Apple UI expert in the meeting said simply "that’s not going to work," a person who was there told me.  Pilots, the expert said, would not go through 40 screens in an app, even if they were currently doing the same tasks on paper.

Job opportunities for my Architecture students?

http://www.wsj.com/articles/banks-face-costly-complex-technology-upgrades-1474835138

Banks Face Costly, Complex Technology Upgrades

…   The reporting requirements put a strain on banks’ back-office systems, which “have been cobbled together over decades across several businesses,” said Caitlin Long, a former banker at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Group AG who worked on technology projects before joining startup bank-tech firm Symbiont.io this year.  “Many of those systems weren’t generating enough revenue to be worth upgrading.”

Swaps represent an unusual challenge because, unlike in other markets such as for stocks and options, derivatives prices hadn’t been systematically tracked in real time before.

Another interesting Architecture problem.  What information would you need?  How many miles, on what roads, at what times, in what weather?

https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/21/pay-per-mile-insurance-startup-metromile-raises-191-5m-acquires-mosaic-insurance/

Pay-per-mile insurance startup Metromile raises $191.5M, acquires Mosaic Insurance

The automotive industry is in flux with the rise of self-driving and electric cars, and the concept of car ownership altogether being thrown into question.  With this, the car insurance industry is changing, too, and now, an on-demand car insurance startup has raised a large round of funding as it aims to be leader of that change.

Metromile, the provider that lets you pay-per-mile for insurance, said that it has raised a whopping $191.5 million in funding — “primarily equity”, according to CEO Dan Preston.  Metromile will use the money to acquire an insurance carrier called Mosaic Insurance to handle the underwriting of its policies itself; as well as to expand new states in the U.S. and continue building its platform.

It’s good for you!  It will kill you!  It is good for you!

http://www.bespacific.com/research-eating-cheese-daily-is-good-for-your-health/

Research – Eating cheese daily is good for your health

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Sep 25, 2016

UK Telegraph – High-fat cheese: the secret to a healthy life?  As usual, readers be aware that we are frequently told that various foods and beverages once thought to be bad for our health are now, according to new research, good for our health.

• For reference, see the article, High intake of regular-fat cheese compared with reduced-fat cheese does not affect LDL cholesterol or risk markers of the metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial – First published August 24, 2016, doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.134932, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Am J Clin Nutr ajcn134932.

Why some of us won’t buy Chinese computers? 

Lenovo challenges plaintiffs’ standing in Superfish spyware privacy lawsuit

I don’t think that basically saying, “Gosh, Your Honor, we had no idea spyware was on the systems we sold” will inspire confidence in potential consumers, but in the meantime, there’s that pesky Article III standing issue Lenovo can use.  Matthew Renda reports:

Computer manufacturer Lenovo insisted it did not know malware was installed on computers it sold to consumers, and that no one was harmed by the presence of the malicious software during a hearing in federal court Friday.

Daniel Stephenson, attorney for Lenovo, asked U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Whyte to refrain from certifying a class in the case, arguing none of the four people who bought Lenovo computers infected with faulty software was harmed and therefore lack sufficient reason to sue.

Read more on Courthouse News.

For my IT Governance students?  When is it worth spending the time and money to make this happen?

https://www.quantamagazine.org/20160920-formal-verification-creates-hacker-proof-code/

Hacker-Proof Code Confirmed

…   When the project started, a “Red Team” of hackers could have taken over the helicopter almost as easily as it could break into your home Wi-Fi.  But in the intervening months, engineers from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) had implemented a new kind of security mechanism — a software system that couldn’t be commandeered.  Key parts of Little Bird’s computer system were unhackable with existing technology, its code as trustworthy as a mathematical proof.  Even though the Red Team was given six weeks with the drone and more access to its computing network than genuine bad actors could ever expect to attain, they failed to crack Little Bird’s defenses.

…   The technology that repelled the hackers was a style of software programming known as formal verification.  Unlike most computer code, which is written informally and evaluated based mainly on whether it works, formally verified software reads like a mathematical proof:  Each statement follows logically from the preceding one.  An entire program can be tested with the same certainty that mathematicians prove theorems.

(Related) Where’s the fun in that?  I want mini Stinger missiles! 

https://www.fastcompany.com/3063250/the-anti-drone-arms-race-is-taking-off

The Anti-Drone Arms Race Is Taking Off

…   as sales of drones have increased, so too have other more worrying numbers.  The FAA also says it receives more than 100 reports per month of drones flying around airports and other forbidden places, where they could damage infrastructure or accidentally collide with the engine of a landing airplane.

…   Beeri is cofounder and chief technology officer of Palo Alto-based ApolloShield, one of a number of startups and defense companies selling ways to take down drones behaving badly.

Unlike physical options for taking down a drone—which have included nets, guns, and birds of prey—ApolloShield’s handheld device leaves drones intact and functional, sending them back to their pilots nearby, Beeri says.

Perspective.  Encryption will replace bank vaults.  Has SWIFT become untrustworthy since Bangladesh?

http://www.coindesk.com/global-banks-blockchain-payments-network/

Global Banks Partner to Form Blockchain Payments Network

Bank of America, Santander and the Royal Bank of Canada have today announced they’ve joined forces to create a global blockchain payments network using Ripple’s distributed ledger technology.

UniCredit, Standard Chartered and the Westpac Banking Corporation have also joined the effort, which seeks to form the foundation of a global network that performs a similar service as SWIFT inter-bank messaging but with near-instant settlement times.

…   Right now, the banks involved are focused on hammering out the rules of play, according to Treacher.

The first step is a standardized agreement that establishes the terms and conditions which a bank must agree to in order to join, detailing how transactions will be processed and what kinds of information will be exchanged.

The second step involves creating a “functional standards document” that will allow the various banks to interact across currencies and jurisdictions.

All my students should take this course or something similar.

http://www.csoonline.com/article/3122520/security/investigating-cybersecurity-incidents-a-free-course.html?google_editors_picks=true

Investigating Cybersecurity Incidents — a free course

One of the biggest mistakes companies make when responding to a cybersecurity incident is taking well-meaning steps to “clean up the mess” that actually ruin the digital evidence needed to investigate and prosecute the case.

Learning to securely preserve that forensic evidence is key to a successful legal case. In partnership with IDG Enterprise, training company Logical Operations Inc. presents a free online course on this timely topic: Investigating Cybersecurity Incidents

…   It’s a follow-up to the free course Responding to Cybersecurity Incidents, which continues to be available. Both classes are part of the company’s full CyberSec First Responder certification course.

Sign up now for the free course “Investigating Cybersecurity Incidents,” presented by Logical Operations and IDG Enterprise.

To take these online courses, you’ll need to create an account at the Logical Operations website, but there is no obligation or fee

For my next Spreadsheet class.

http://venturebeat.com/2016/09/25/microsoft-garages-project-cordoba-is-an-excel-add-in-for-working-with-iot-data/?google_editors_picks=true

Microsoft Garage’s Project Córdoba is an Excel add-in for working with IoT data

The Microsoft Garage group, which regularly releases experimental applications for Android, iOS, and other platforms, has developed a new Microsoft Excel add-in called Project Córdoba that’s designed to help students easily import data from Internet-connected devices, so that they can then make real-time dashboards with the data.

“When combined with a collection of worksheets customized for middle school students, Excel brings to life the data behind scientific principles.  It also opens the emerging world of IoT to the classroom and helps educators meet the NGSS and ISTE requirements for data science,” Microsoft says on a page dedicated to the new project.

Unlike some other Microsoft Garage apps, Project Córdoba is currently only available after you’ve submitted an application for access.  And at least initially Microsoft is interested in seeing people use this in the classroom — one of the mandatory questions in the application asks applicants what grades they teach — even though it could have broader applications.  This is Excel, after all.

At the moment the add-in will only work with Microsoft Excel 2016 on Windows 10.