Interesting that you don’t have the inclination to implement Best Practices until you have been breached.  I hope my Computer Security students can learn from the failures of others.

Verticalscope sounds serious about password security

I’ve previously posted info on the Verticalscope breach affecting 45 million.  But I never posted their breach announcement.  As I was just reviewing it, I noticed their response to the breach with respect to new password requirements . I thought it was a bit different, and should be mentioned here.

From the What We Are Doing part of their statement:

We are in the process of invalidating passwords of all VerticalScope user accounts.  We have posted a site security notification on each site updating users on the potential risk to certain accounts, the password reset and steps we are implementing to improve security.  We are in the process of implementing stronger password rules (passwords now require a minimum of 10+ characters and a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols) along with automated account password expiries to encourage more frequent password changes.  We will remind our users to use good password practices (not using the same password for multiple online accounts and using unique strong passwords).  We are in the process of implementing additional safeguards to detect, alert and mitigate any future brute force attempts, and have notified our third party vendors that interact with our various forum API’s of the February breach to allow their own security teams to investigate.  We are continuing our investigation and will be collecting information to provide to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

VerticalScope is taking steps to strengthen account security.  We were already using encrypted passwords and salted hashes to store passwords, and our new password controls are intended to further strengthen user security.  We are taking steps to investigate and test new encryption and security technologies to further protect our users.

Why would you cut yourself off from your customers? 

Is LookBook aware?

Well, I wanted to send an inquiry to LookBook to ask them if they were aware of being hacked or a report that their user database was up for sale, but there was no contact method on their web site, and the domain lookup didn’t help, either.  So I resorted to tweeting to them, and hope that their Twitter team will escalate the tweet to their security folks.

@lookbook  Was lookbook.nu hacked?  Are you aware of claims your user database is up for sale?  See this post: https://t.co/GiSAzrpkGq

— Dissent Doe (@PogoWasRight) June 26, 2016

A system where no one is responsible… 

http://inhomelandsecurity.com/emails-state-dept-scrambled-on-trouble-on-clintons-server/?google_editors_picks=true

State Dept. scrambled on trouble on Clinton's server

State Department staffers wrestled for weeks in December 2010 over a serious technical problem that affected emails from then-Secretary Hillary Clinton’s home email server, causing them to temporarily disable security features on the government’s own systems, according to emails released Wednesday.

The emails were released under court order Wednesday to the conservative legal advocacy group Judicial Watch, which has sued the State Department over access to public records related to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s service as the nation’s top diplomat between 2009 and 2013.

The emails, reviewed by The Associated Press, show that State Department technical staff disabled software on their systems intended to block phishing emails that could deliver dangerous viruses.  They were trying urgently to resolve delivery problems with emails sent from Clinton’s private server.

…   Abedin and Clinton, who both used Clinton’s private server, had complained that emails each sent to State Department employees were not being reliably received.

…   Days after the technical crisis, on Jan. 9, 2011, an IT worker was forced to shut down Clinton’s server because he believed “someone was trying to hack us.”  Later that day, he wrote, “We were attacked again so I shut (the server) down for a few min.”  It was one of several occasions when email access to Clinton’s BlackBerry smartphone was disrupted because her private server was down, according to the documents.

Can you think of a better way?

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-internet-extremism-video-exclusive-idUSKCN0ZB00M

Exclusive: Google, Facebook quietly move toward automatic blocking of extremist videos

Some of the web’s biggest destinations for watching videos have quietly started using automation to remove extremist content from their sites, according to two people familiar with the process.

The move is a major step forward for internet companies that are eager to eradicate violent propaganda from their sites and are under pressure to do so from governments around the world as attacks by extremists proliferate, from Syria to Belgium and the United States.

…   The technology was originally developed to identify and remove copyright-protected content on video sites.  It looks for "hashes," a type of unique digital fingerprint that internet companies automatically assign to specific videos, allowing all content with matching fingerprints to be removed rapidly.

Such a system would catch attempts to repost content already identified as unacceptable, but would not automatically block videos that have not been seen before.

(Related)  Because the poorer way is already in place.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/284826-how-the-us-is-seeking-to-defeat-isis-online

How the US is working to defeat ISIS online

…   The office is also growing from 68 people earlier this year to about 150 now.

Its budget has grown from $5.6 million in 2015, to more than $15 million this year.  The administration has requested $21.5 million for 2017.  

…   "We recognize that it takes a network to defeat a network, so we're building a network of partners because we believe we have a very good message, we're not always just the most credible entity to convey that message," he said. 

"So we have partners that have a tremendous amount of credibility that we're working with to make sure they have the tools and capabilities to get out the word that Daesh is indeed a vicious awful organization that is rife with hypocrisy and everything else," he said, using a derogatory Arabic term for ISIS.  

…   "It's not that it's not working, it's just frankly, it'll take some time to work through the process."  [It's not that it's not working, it’s just not working now?  Bob] 

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) recently noted during the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that the State Department currently needs 14 levels of review before sending out a Tweet.

Those who receive State Department funding also have to meet a bar, albeit a lower one, of six levels of review, he added.  By contrast, he said, "If you're a volunteer, you do a tweet."

(Related)  And then there’s the Google way…

http://www.bespacific.com/usnews-article-google-has-global-censor-across-all-its-brands/

USNews article – Google as global censor across all its brands

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Jun 25, 2016

Robert Epstein, June 22, 2016: Google, Inc., isn’t just the world’s biggest purveyor of information; it is also the world’s biggest censor.
“…But as the golden gateway to all knowledge, Google has rapidly become an essential in people’s lives – nearly as essential as air or water.  We don’t let public utilities make arbitrary and secretive decisions about denying people services; we shouldn’t let Google do so either.”  An outline of the list discussed in the article as follows:

1. The autocomplete blacklist.
2. The Google Maps blacklist.
3. The YouTube blacklist.
4. The Google account blacklist.
5. The Google News blacklist.
6. The Google AdWords blacklist.
7. The Google AdSense blacklist.
8. The search engine blacklist.
9. The quarantine list.

Now you think of it? 

http://thehill.com/policy/technology/284874-dem-protest-ignites-debate-about-control-of-house-cameras

Dem protest ignites debate about control of House cameras

Rank-and-file Democrats are calling for C-SPAN to be given more control of cameras in the House after the blackout of their sit-in on gun control.

The cameras in the House have long been under the control of the majority party, despite vocal protests from C-SPAN and government transparency advocates.

The First Amendment promises that I can tell you this.

http://www.bespacific.com/msu-mclellan-free-expression-online-library/

MSU McLellan Free Expression Online Library

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Jun 25, 2016

“MSU Law’s First Amendment Law Clinic is the only clinical program in the country solely dedicated to the protection of student speech and press rights.  Now, a $500,000 donation from leading Michigan attorney and MSU Law Trustee Richard D. McLellan will expand the clinic’s impact nationwide by creating a Free Expression Online Library and Resource Center.  The McLellan Free Expression Online Library will provide answers to legal questions and links to hundreds of sources on topics such as student censorship, invasion of privacy, social media speech, libel and copyright issues.  Students across the country will be able to connect with MSU Law’s resources to protect their rights to free speech.”

Perspective.  Preparing for the self-driving car?

http://www.bespacific.com/the-young-and-the-carless-the-demographics-of-new-vehicle-purchases/

The Young and the Carless? The Demographics of New Vehicle Purchases

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Jun 25, 2016

June 24, 2016 – The Young and the Carless? The Demographics of New Vehicle Purchases, Christopher Kurz, Geng Li, and Daniel Vine, Federal Reserve Board:

U.S. sales of new light vehicles have rebounded strongly since the end of the 2007-09 recession and are considered one of the bright spots of the recovery.  Indeed, sales totaled 17.4 million units in 2015, about the same rate as the all-time record set in 2000 Personal vehicle sales, which exclude sales to businesses and governments, have also rebounded strongly since the end of the recession…  As sales have rebounded, some analysts have noticed a shift in the age composition of new light vehicle buyers.  Indeed, a number of recent studies and press articles have documented a dramatic decline in young adults’ willingness to own vehicles, particularly in the years since the 2007-09 recession.  For example, Fortune recently cited the decline in the fraction of new vehicles purchased by young adults–defined as 18 to 34 year olds–as evidence that financial constraints for that age group had increased and their interest in driving had decreased.  As quoted in the article, young adults “just don’t think driving is cool–or even necessary–anymore.”  Similar stories abound and often attribute these changes to the rising popularity of social media, which reduces the need to travel, and alternative means of transportation, such as ride-sharing, public transportation, and biking, which reduce the need of owning a vehicle…”

For the next time I teach Math.

https://colleenyoung.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/review-questions-underground-mathematics/

Review Questions – Underground Mathematics

I wrote earlier on the wonderful resources on Underground Mathematics from the University of Cambridge.  Thinking about the new A level specifications I believe this site will provide us with rich resources for these new specifications.

Each section includes Review Questions, look at Thinking about Algebra for example; scroll down the different resource types for the Review questions for this station.

Alternatively you can browse all the Review questions.

This does not happen often.  Is there more here than has been reported?

AL governor axes officials, asks FBI for help after finding unauthorized access to state’s criminal justice database

Paul Gattis reports:

Gov. Robert Bentley has fired a high-ranking official in the state department of finance and placed a second on leave after concerns of a computer security breach emerged.

The breach came to light following an investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, according to a letter Bentley wrote June 10 to the FBI.

Bentley has also requested that the FBI partner with the state of Alabama “to provide appropriate audit and investigative personnel to assist ALEA in determining the full scope” of the breach, according to the Bentley letter.

ALEA released the Bentley letter to AL.com on Friday as well as the termination letter to James Nolin, chief information officer in the finance department, of his “probationary state employment” and the letter advising Rex McDowell, assistant director of finance information/administrative services, that he has been placed on leave.

Read more on AL.com.

Another debate to follow?

Gag Order on Lavabit’s Levison Lifted After Three-Year Battle

Back in March, and due to a government redaction error, the world got confirmation that yes, Edward Snowden was the target of a controversial order and court battle involving Lavabit.  But it’s nice that the government has FINALLY ungagged Ladar Levison so that he can talk about the case.  Here’s his press release, issued today:

Alexandria, VA–Lavabit founder Ladar Levison can finally confirm that Edward Snowden was the target of the 2013 investigation, which led to the shutdown of the Lavabit email service.  The original case concerned law enforcement’s authority to compel the disclosure of an SSL/TLS private key, which belonged to Lavabit, and was used to protect the communications of all 410,000 customers, when only one of those customers was the subject of a criminal investigation.  After three years, and five separate attempts, the federal judge overseeing the case has granted Mr. Levison permission to speak freely about investigation.  The recently delivered court decision unseals the vast majority of the court filings, and releases Mr. Levison from the gag order, which has limited his ability to discuss the proceedings until now.

Mr. Levison has consistently relied on the First Amendment in his court filings, which sought to remove the gag orders entered against him.  He argued that such orders are an unconstitutional restraint against speech, and an afront to the democratic process.  He plans to use his newfound freedom to discuss the case during a planned presentation on Compelled Decryption at DEF CON 24 in Las Vegas, NV.

“One of the rights guaranteed to Americans, and a cornerstone for a functional democracy, is the freedom to speak the truth,” stated Mr. Levison in announcing the court decision.  “The First Amendment protects opinions, including those unfavorable to government, from injunctions against speech.  The gag orders in this case were a violation of that inalienable right.  No American should have to live for three years, gagged, with every word carefully weighed, when such opinions are concerned with such a public and controversial issue as state surveillance.  I believe the public only grants permission to be governed when it knows the means and methods its government uses to protect the body politic.  While I’m pleased that I can finally speak freely about the target of the investigation, I also know the fight to protect our collective freedom is far from over.  That is why I will continue to do everything within my power to protect our right to speak freely and privately.We must decide when speech is necessary.  Our rights must never be subject to the whims of those officials we seek to criticize.”

In order to continue the fight, Mr. Levison is forming the Lavabit Legal Defense Foundation (or “LavaLegal”), a non-profit organization founded to, among other things, protect service providers from becoming complicit in unconstitutional activities, and fight secret attempts aimed circumventing digital privacy or impinging upon the right of those involved to speak of the experience.  The foundation will be funded by donations from people and organizations all over the world that want to help protect digital privacy and bolster our collective defense against government overreach.  Donations can be accepted at the foundation’s rally.org page or through bitcoin donations at 1Bqqy3SxZ27ZUogEeiKHYqPsmFwuRTErMu.

For more information contact Lavabit founder Ladar Levison or Lavabit’s counsel, Jesse Binnall.

(Related)

DHS really would love to know your Twitter handle….

Great catch by Joseph Lorenzo Hall.  As seen in the Federal Register, DHS is proposing to amend forms that are used in travel arrival and departure records (Forms I-94 and I-94W) and Electronic System for Travel Authorization.  If they ask you nicely, will you tell them your Twitter handle and other social media usernames?  And how long before they stop making this “optional” and make it mandatory?

DHS proposes to add the following question to ESTA and to Form I-94W:

“Please enter information associated with your online presence—Provider/Platform—Social media identifier.”  It will be an optional data field to request social media identifiers to be used for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information.  Collecting social media data will enhance the existing investigative process and provide DHS greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity and connections by providing an additional tool set which analysts and investigators may use to better analyze and investigate the case.  Show citation box

Current Actions: This submission is being made to extend the expiration date with a change to the information collected as a result of adding a question about social media to ESTA and to Form I-94W, as described in the Abstract section of this document.  There are no changes to the burden hours or to the information collected on Form I-94, or the I-94 Web site.

More information here.  You have until August 22 to submit your comments, while I wait for Joe Cadillic’s head to explode in 3…. 2….

Good summary of tracking tools & techniques.

http://www.bespacific.com/ftc-guidance-online-tracking/

FTC Guidance – Online Tracking

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Jun 24, 2016

FTC – Online Tracking: “Have you ever wondered why some online ads you see are targeted to your tastes and interests?  Or how websites remember your preferences from visit-to-visit or device-to-device?  The answer may be in the “cookies” – or in other online tracking methods like device fingerprinting and cross-device tracking.  Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about online tracking — how it works and how you can control it…”

Never make a change so big that it signals your strategy, but make a thousand small changes that achieve the same end.

http://www.ibtimes.com/china-tightens-internet-rules-search-engines-announces-fresh-regulations-paid-ads-2386670

China Tightens Internet Rules For Search Engines, Announces Fresh Regulations For Paid Ads

In what is being perceived as another attempt to tighten its control over the internet, China’s internet regulator on Saturday announced new rules that ban search engines from showing subversive information and obligate them to clearly identify paid results.

…   In addition, search engines would also be required to censor “rumors, obscenities, pornography, violence, murder, terrorism and other illegal information” — regulations that the Chinese government claims are needed to safeguard the security of its citizens.

Does this mean that no one really knows who is immigrating? 

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-much-to-access-government-data-on-immigration-only-173775/

How Much To Access Government Data On Immigration? Only $173,775

A little more than a year ago, Quartz’s David Yanofsky did what many data reporters do every day: He submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for a set of statistics from a government agency.  Yanofsky wanted immigration statistics about who enters the country from the International Trade Administration, the only government agency that compiles comprehensive records of this kind.

The ITA got back to him and said that he was welcome to the data set — all he had to do was cut a check for $173,775.  After weeks of paperwork and haggling with the agency, Yanofsky is now suing to get access, and to make a larger statement about the importance of open data for journalists and residents alike.

On this week’s What’s The Point, Yanofsky discusses his lawsuit, what he thinks is in the data, and why the information costs $173,775, anyway.

Stream or download the full episode above, or subscribe using your favorite podcast app.

For my Architecture students.  This happened in “highly mobile” India.  Any lessons for the rest of the world?

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/indias-leading-fashion-e-tailer-abandoned-app-strategy/

Why India’s Leading Fashion E-tailer Abandoned Its App-only Strategy

Earlier this year, a K@W article titled “Can an App-only E-commerce Model Succeed in India?” looked at the pros and cons of adopting an app-only e-commerce strategy.  The debate was sparked by Myntra, India’s leading fashion e-tailer, which had announced in May of last year that it was going the app-only route.  It claimed to be the first big web-based e-tailer, not just in India but globally, to adopt an app-only model.

However, now Myntra has reversed that decision: On June 1, it relaunched its desktop website.

I predict an immediate market for “eye protecting anti-smartphone lenses!”  Let’s be the first to start a KickStarter project!

http://www.medicaldaily.com/smartphone-temporary-blindness-mobile-device-vision-problems-texting-390379

Smartphone-Induced Temporary Blindness: Using Your Phone Before Bed Could Cause Vision Problems

Smartphones were recently named one of the most important inventions of the 21st Century and they have changed how we live our lives in countless ways.  Now everything from ordering food, sending work emails, and speaking with friends and family across the world can be accomplished with a single device.  However, a new report suggests that there may be unsettling health consequences linked to excessive smartphone use: temporary blindness.

According to the report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, two women in England may be the first patients ever to be diagnosed with smartphone-induced blindness.  Both women reported having temporary vision difficulties in only one of their eyes.

Some of these are free.  Try them and see what you see. 

http://www.enterpriseappstoday.com/business-intelligence/7-notable-data-visualization-tools-1.html?google_editors_picks=true

7 Notable Data Visualization Tools

These might enliven my PowerPoint presentations (if I used PowerPoint)

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-sites-download-famous-sounds-movies-games/

5 Sites to Download Famous Sounds from Movies, Games, & More

…   As with most things, such sounds have a home on the Internet. In some nook or corner, you can find the perfect ding of a game you love, a short dialogue from your favourite geeky movies, the ignition sequence from NASA, and much more.

It can be turned into the perfect ringtone or notification tone.  It can punctuate the point you’re making in a heated argument online.  Here’s where to find the right sound…

Might be worth a shot.

Announcing Google Cloud Platform Education Grants for computer science

…   Starting today, university faculty in the United States who teach courses in computer science or related subjects can apply for free credits for their students to use across the full suite of Google Cloud Platform tools, like App Engine and the Cloud Machine Learning Platform.  These credits can be used any time during the 2016-17 academic year and give students access to the same tools and infrastructure used by Google engineers.

Every week; amusement.

http://hackeducation.com/2016/06/24/hack-education-weekly-news

Hack Education Weekly News

…   “Law Schools Are Going Online to Reach New Students,” says The New York Times.

…   Via the AP: “New for-profit medical schools springing up across US.”

…   “A computer for every LA Unified student would cost $311 million,” says the LA School Report (which seems significantly less than the $1.3 billion it agreed to pay Apple/Pearson for iPads, but what do I know).

…   Google announces “Google Cloud Platform Education Grants for computer science.”

…   “Examining ethical and privacy issues surrounding learning analytics” by Tony Bates.

Let me toss a monkey into your wrench; Will I be able to customize the programming of my self-driving car?  My Ethical Hacking students think so. 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bridaineparnell/2016/06/24/driverless-cars-should-kill-passengers-to-save-lives-but-then-people-wont-buy-them/#28292f494f6c

Driverless Cars Should Kill Passengers To Save Lives - But Then People Won't Buy Them

People want driverless cars to act for the greater good in traffic collisions – but they don’t want to be in the cars when they do so.

In a series of surveys, researchers asked people whether autonomous vehicles (AVs) should swerve to avoid hitting a group of pedestrians, even if that meant killing the occupant of the car.  Most people gave the greater good answer, that saving many lives was better than saving one, but those people don’t want to be in a car that would make that choice.

…   “Although people tend to agree that everyone would be better off if AVs were utilitarian (in the sense of minimizing the number of casualties on the road), these same people have a personal incentive to ride in AVs that will protect them at all costs,” the researchers said in a paper for Science magazine.

Something for my Computer Security students to consider.

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3088275/security/us-court-rules-that-fbi-can-hack-into-a-computer-without-a-warrant.html?google_editors_picks=true

U.S. court rules that FBI can hack into a computer without a warrant

A U.S. court has ruled that the FBI can hack into a computer without a warrant -- a move that is troubling privacy advocates.

The criminal case involves a child pornography site, Playpen, that had been accessible through Tor, a browser designed for anonymous web surfing.

The FBI, however, managed to take over the site in 2014, and then tracked down and arrested its members by hacking their computers.  This allowed law enforcement to secretly collect their IP addresses.

One of the arrested suspects has argued that the evidence against him had been unlawfully seized.  But a U.S. court in Virginia has ruled in favor of the FBI, according to court documents unsealed on Thursday.

…   The suspect may have used Tor to keep his browsing anonymous, but his IP address still isn’t private information, the judge wrote in his ruling.  This is because the IP address is given out to third parties in order to access the Internet and even the Tor network.

Privacy advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation is opposed to this part of the ruling.

“The implications for the decision, if upheld, are staggering,” wrote Mark Rumold, an attorney with the group in a blog post.  Law enforcement could seize information from a person’s computer without a warrant, probable cause or any suspicion at all, he said.

…   Morgan, however, said in his ruling that the rise of hacking has changed expectations about privacy.

 “For example, hacking is much more prevalent now than it was even nine years ago,” he said. “Now, it seems unreasonable to think that a computer connected to the Web is immune from invasion.”

As a result, Tor users “cannot reasonably expect” to be safe from hackers, he added.  The FBI also didn’t violate the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by hacking into the suspect’s computer.  Law enforcement should be able to use cutting-edge technology to stop crimes done in secrecy, Morgan said.

(Related)  Why would this be different from any other evidence?

No evidence feds tampered with alleged Russian hacker’s computer, judge says

Mike Carter reports the latest development in the federal prosecution of Russian hacker Roman Seleznev:

A federal judge has refused to suppress key evidence in the pending trial of accused Russian mega-hacker Roman Seleznev.

U.S. District Judge Richard Jones said Seleznev’s accusations that federal agents tampered with his computer — and the dueling opinions of prosecution and defense experts about whether that occurred — should be considered by the jury in Seleznev’s upcoming federal trial.

Sure, because a jury of 12 citizens is perfectly equipped to consider testimony about evidence of computer tampering by the government.

Read more on Seattle Times.

(Related)  If no computer is safe, how do you secure government computers?

http://www.bespacific.com/detect-disrupt-deter-a-whole-of-government-approach-to-national-security-cyber-threats/

Detect, Disrupt, Deter: A Whole-of-Government Approach to National Security Cyber Threats

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Jun 23, 2016

Detect, Disrupt, Deter: A Whole-of-Government Approach to National Security Cyber Threats – by John P. Carlin, Harvard Law School National Security Journal. Volume 7, Issue 2:

“With increasing network intrusions affecting the U.S. government and American companies, and unsecured connectivity creating new vulnerabilities to cyber attacks, the United States is implementing a whole-of-government, all-tools approach to countering cyber threats.  This article discusses the role played by the Department of Justice within this government-wide effort, including its progress in attributing cyber activities to their source, and how attribution can be used to deter, disrupt, and defend against cyber threats.  In doing so, the article demonstrates the need for a continued commitment to and discussion around effective cyber security tools.”

For my Computer Security students.

http://www.bespacific.com/ksn-report-ransomware-in-2014-2016-the-evolution-of-the-threat-and-its-future/

KSN Report: Ransomware in 2014-2016 The evolution of the threat and its future

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Jun 23, 2016

Kaspersky Lab, June 22, 2016: “Ransomware is a type of malware that, upon infecting a device, blocks access to it or to some or all of the information stored on it.  In order to unlock either the device or the data, the user is required to pay a ransom, usually in bitcoins or another widely used e-currency.  This report covers the evolution of the threat over the last two years…

Supply and demand.  Perhaps an auction App for tickets? 

https://hbr.org/2016/06/hamiltons-849-tickets-are-priced-too-low

Hamilton’s $849 Tickets Are Priced Too Low

Hoping to catch the smash Broadway hit Hamilton in the near future?  Good luck: Even as the anniversary of its opening approaches, there remains a frenzy to buy tickets.  The musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton recently won 11 Tony awards, including Best Musical, bolstering its list of accolades — which also include a Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize.  Its level of acclaim has even reached the White House, with First Lady Michelle Obama proclaiming Hamilton is “the best piece of art in any form I have ever seen in my life.”  As a result, the producers of Hamilton are scrambling to find the right pricing strategy to handle demand.

What’s clear is that recent prices — starting at $549 for premium seats and $139 for regular seats — are significantly lower than what the public is willing to pay.  The result?  A paradise for scalpers.  The New York Times estimates scalpers earn up to $60 million annually from reselling Hamilton tickets.  Estimates of the average resale price hover around $1,000 per ticket.  Asking prices for future performances are even higher, routinely in the $3,000–$4,000 range and close to $10,000 per ticket for the last show before creator Lin-Manuel Miranda exits the cast next month.

To capitalize on this strong demand, Hamilton’s producers raised ticket prices for newly scheduled 2017 performances.  Now the top ticket price is $849 (for 200 premium tickets) and the remaining 1,075 regular seats range from $179–$199

…   We’ve entered a new era, one where consumers understand market-based prices.  Consumers are surrounded by businesses in their daily lives — Uber, Disney, sports teams, Amazon — that blatantly flex prices to be in sync with demand.  It’s telling that in the rock concert industry, where musicians have been loath to raise prices out of fear of being accused of gouging fans, VIP prices are becoming the norm.

Perspective.

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2016/06/23/whatsapp-reaches-100-million-calls-day-little-year/

WhatsApp users are making 100 millions calls every day

WhatsApp users are now making more than 100 million voice calls every single day – over 1,100 calls per second.

That’s an impressive number, given the feature only finished rolling out to Android and iOS in April of last year.  Of course, plenty of those calls are from individuals who make multiple calls per day, but it still shows how quickly WhatsApp’s 1 billion users have jumped on the feature.

For comparison, Skype only has about 300 million active users per month, so it’s not a stretch to imagine WhatsApp has already surpassed the number of daily Skype calls (a figure Skype doesn’t make public).  Not bad, considering WhatsApp calling is 12 years younger.

A tool for my students?  Maybe when they add some useful channels. 

http://mashable.com/2016/06/23/instagram-video-channel-topics/

Instagram’s new video channels will help you geek out over your obsessions

Instagram wants you to watch more video.

The company is adding new topic-based video channels to the "explore" section of the app.  The channels, which will be labeled as "picked for you," will surface based on topics you may be interested in.

…   The channels are algorithmically generated and curated by Instagram.  The company hasn't elaborated on how it determines which ones to show to each user, but we're guessing it's based on the same or similar factors that power the rest of Explore's recommendations, including the accounts you follow and posts you have liked in the past.

(Related)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2016/0623/Instagram-lost-in-translation-no-longer

Instagram: lost in translation no longer

In keeping with other social media giants, Instagram has decided to offer automatic translation, which the photo- and video-sharing service says it will roll out over the coming month.

…   With 80 percent of Instagram users now based outside the United States, the company is keen to banish any barriers that may hamper people’s ability to communicate.

Perspective.  I wonder if this will change how they campaign?  Or talk to constituents?

http://thehill.com/policy/technology/284678-zuckerberg-facebook-live-posts-from-dem-sit-in-were-watched-more-than-3

Live-streamed videos from House sit-in viewed on Facebook 3M times

Facebook live-streaming videos from House Democrats' sit-in on the floor were watched more than 3 million times, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.

After official C-SPAN feeds from the House floor were cut off by House Republicans on Wednesday, Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) began streaming the sit-in over the Facebook Live feature. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) was also streaming video from the floor via Periscope, and several other lawmakers streamed videos on social media.

…   C-SPAN, which repeatedly noted that it had no control over the video stream from the House floor, began streaming from some of the lawmakers' social media feeds instead. There was often an alert on the C-SPAN screen that noted the "House cameras are not permitted to show sit-in."  

It was the first time C-SPAN had used social media to circumvent the standard House feeds. 

"When they turned the cameras off today, we found out there's an app for that,” Peters said as the sit-in continued late into Wednesday night.

Damn!  Missed another one.

http://venturebeat.com/2016/06/23/twilio-stock-closes-at-28-53-jumping-more-than-90-in-first-day-of-trading/

Twilio stock closes at $28.53, jumping more than 90% in first day of trading

My students (some at least) have the talent, now all I have to do is convince them to try.

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/06/khan-academy-announces-talent-search.html

Khan Academy Announces a Talent Search

Do you enjoy making instructional videos for your students or the general public?  Can you break complex topics into small, digestible chunks for others to understand?  If so, you may be interested in entering the Khan Academy Talent Search contest.  The contest runs now through August 1, 2016.  Ten finalists will be chosen from all of the entries.  Each of those finalists will win $300.  The overall winner will receive $3000.  All finalists will be considered for a contract to produce content for Khan Academy.  Learn more about the Khan Academy Talent Search here or watch the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qjbgGQy8uM

Should you need ideas for an instructional video, check out the suggested topics list on Khan Academy.

"Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics."  It makes you wonder what could be more valuable than disrupting communications (and recruiting)?

http://www.securityweek.com/us-militarys-cyber-force-reluctant-cut-internet-syria

US Military's Cyber Force Reluctant to Cut Internet in Syria

The US military is wary of cutting Internet connections to Islamic State strongholds such as Raqa in Syria, even though the Pentagon is waging cyber-war against the jihadists, officials said Wednesday.

…   CYBERCOM deputy leader Lieutenant General Kevin McLaughlin said the Pentagon has gained important experience fighting the IS group online.

"It's given us the opportunity to learn and mature and kind of plow back in lessons learned in a real circumstance that it might have taken us several years to learn," McLaughlin told lawmakers.

For my Computer Security students.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/22/business/dealbook/goodbye-password-banks-opt-to-scan-fingers-and-faces-instead.html?_r=0

Goodbye, Password. Banks Opt to Scan Fingers and Faces Instead.

…   Millions of customers at Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo routinely use fingerprints to log into their bank accounts through their mobile phones.  This feature, which some of the largest banks have introduced in the last few months, is enabling a huge share of American banking customers to verify their identities with biometrics.  And millions more are expected to opt in as more phones incorporate fingerprint scans.

Other uses of biometrics are also coming online.  Wells Fargo lets some customers scan their eyes with their mobile phones to log into corporate accounts and wire millions of dollars.  Citigroup can help verify 800,000 of its credit card customers by their voices.  USAA, which provides insurance and banking services to members of the military and their families, identifies some of its customers through their facial contours.

Some of the moves reflect concern that so many hundreds of millions of email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers and other personal identifiers have fallen into the hands of criminals, rendering those identifiers increasingly ineffective at protecting accounts.  And while thieves could eventually find ways to steal biometric data, banks are convinced they offer more protection.

(Related). Part of what banks are up against.

http://www.securityweek.com/goznym-trojan-targets-major-us-banks

GozNym Trojan Targets Major US Banks

The GozNym banking Trojan has been observed targeting the customers of some of the largest financial institutions in the United States, IBM Security warned on Wednesday.

…   In a redirection attack, the malware hijacks the victim’s browsing session and takes them to a fake website that looks exactly like the legitimate site.  On these phishing sites, victims are instructed to provide personal and financial information that cybercriminals can use to conduct fraud.

In GozNym’s case, the redirection attacks are designed to trick both users and security researchers.  The fake bank webpages are made to look like they are hosted on the targeted organization’s genuine URL and they even display the SSL certificate in the browser’s address bar.

Even as an avid science fiction fan, this seems farfetched and illogical.

http://www.newsweek.com/robots-tax-europe-electronic-persons-ai-473542?piano_d=1

Robots May Pay Taxes Under European Proposals

Robots in Europe may soon be given legal rights and considered “electronic persons,” following a draft report from the European Parliament that aims to address the rise of automated workers.

Under the plans, bosses would be required to pay social security on their robot workers’ behalf, as well as adhere to new taxation rules and legal liability frameworks.  

…   Speculation surrounding how robots may evolve into advanced artificial intelligence machines in the future is also included in the report, which it warns may have severe consequences for humanity.

“Ultimately, there is a possibility that within the space of some decades artificial intelligence might surpass human intellectual capacity [I’d say that has already happened in at least one case…  Bob] 

The draft report.  [Note: This is a “.do” file.  Change the extension to “.PDF” to open it.  Bob]   

Misusing technology for fun and profit?

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/06/tech-and-other-peoples-problems/488297/?utm_source=feed

The Perils of Using Technology to Solve Other People's Problems

I found Shane Snow’s essay on prison reform — “How Soylent and Oculus Could Fix the Prison System” — through hate-linking.

Friends of mine hated the piece so much that normally-articulate people were at a loss for words.

…   In Snow’s essay about prison reform, he identifies violence, and particularly prison rape, as the key problem to be solved, and offers a remedy that he believes will lead to cost savings for taxpayers as well: all prisoners should be incarcerated in solitary confinement, fed only Soylent meal replacement drink through slots in the wall, and all interpersonal interaction and rehabilitative services will be provided in Second Life using the Oculus Rift virtual reality system.

Blockchain, my students would do well to learn all about it.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/blockchain-payments-company-raises-60-million-for-push-into-china-1466679772

Blockchain Payments Company Raises $60 Million for Push Into China

Circle Internet Financial Ltd., maker of an app that lets people send money to each other via bitcoin’s blockchain—the Internet network underlying the digital currency—says it is heading to China.

…   Circle has already secured licenses in the U.S. and U.K. to swap dollars, pounds, euros and bitcoins via the Blockchain.

There must be an App to help shareholders dig out information like this.  If not, can we create one? 

http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/22/how-bad-management-led-to-american-express-costco.aspx

How Bad Management Led to American Express' Costco Disaster

On Feb. 15, 2015, American Express CEO Ken Chenault announced that the company was walking away from its co-branded credit card partnership with Costco.  The market responded immediately, sending the stock down 6%.  This month, as Costco completes its transition to Visa, American Express' stock has continued its downward spiral.  Amex stock today is down over 21% since the announcement.

Blame for this fiasco is squarely on the shoulders of American Express management.  The company knowingly created large customer concentrations, ignored the risks of this overreliance, and ultimately erased over $40 billion in shareholder value as key customers walked away from the company over the last 18 months.

When American Express first disclosed the end of its Costco partnership last year, management told shareholders for the first time that 10% of the 112 million American Express cards in circulation were co-branded with Costco.  For a company of American Express' size and sophistication, that is a shocking concentration to have in any one customer.

Perspective.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolineodonovan/internal-uber-driver-pay-numbers?utm_term=.wiPDWxOw0#.py76a40Nb

Uber Data And Leaked Docs Provide A Look At How Much Uber Drivers Make

Uber says that its drivers are as much its customers as its passengers are, and that its ride-hail platform is a path to personal freedom and financial independence.  In 2013, the company told the Wall Street Journal that the “typical” Uber driver takes in more than $100,000 in annual gross fares.  (Uber now disputes this characterization.)

More recently, Uber chief adviser and board member David Plouffe has touted the ride-hail platform as a pathway to a modest, more attainable American dream.  But according to leaked internal price modeling data, and Uber’s own calculations provided to BuzzFeed News in response to that leak, drivers in some markets don’t take home much more than service workers at major chains like Walmart when it comes to net pay.

…   Based on these calculations, it’s possible to estimate that Uber drivers in late 2015 earned approximately $13.17 per hour after expenses in the Denver market (which includes all of Colorado), $10.75 per hour after expenses in the Houston area, and $8.77 per hour after expenses in the Detroit market, less than any earnings figure previously released by the company.

Perspective.

http://www.cnet.com/news/amazon-leapfrogs-to-third-biggest-video-streamer-by-traffic/

Amazon leapfrogs to third biggest video streamer by traffic

…   Amazon Video accounted for 4.3 percent of downstream internet traffic during peak evening viewing hours in North America, according to network equipment maker Sandvine in its twice-yearly Global Internet Phenomena Report Wednesday.

That's still far behind the 35.2 percent of traffic that Netflix gobbles up, and the 17.5 percent commanded by YouTube.  But Amazon's No. 3 ranking is a leap from eighth place a year ago.

This too seems to be a management error but it raises the question: Are chargers really cheap enough to add to disposable packaging?  What is next?  Wheaties chargers?

http://hothardware.com/news/kfc-india-debuts-takeout-box-that-doubles-as-a-greasy-smartphone-charger

KFC India Debuts Takeout Box That Doubles As A Greasy, Craptastic Smartphone Charger

…   KFC India has debuted a limited edition version of its 5-in-1 combo, which comes in what’s called a Watt a Box.  Besides the greasy chicken and sides that you’d usually find inside your meal box, there’s also a 6100 mAh power bank that can be used to recharged your Android smartphone or iPhone (both microUSB and Lightning cables are included).

For my geeky students?

http://www.cnet.com/news/want-to-develop-an-app-but-have-no-expertise-google-now-has-a-course-for-you/

Want to develop an app but have no expertise? Google now has a course for you

…   The company on Wednesday launched an app-development course with online university Udacity, aimed specifically at the building of apps for its Android operating system.  The difference between this and other Google-approved programs is that this one is aimed at people with no previous development experience.

…   The course outline says that it takes 165 hours to complete -- that's around 21 days of full-time study (for 8 hours per day).  It also adds that the "base salary" of an Android developer falls between $52,400 and $136,000 in the US.

(Related).  Perhaps we could create an App to run these Apps?

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/13-ways-earn-extra-money-smartphone/

13 Ways to Earn Extra Money With Your Smartphone

Are Money-Making Apps Worth It?

The definition of “worth it” depends on what you’re expecting. For a college student or a stay-at-home parent, these apps may be the difference between living like a pauper or a king.

Here are three things to keep in mind:

1.      It’s pocket change at best.  Even if you sink in full-time hours, you won’t be earning a full-time income.  These apps can be used to fund hobbies or help you get out of debt, but that’s about it.

2.      Time-value is low.  Are you willing to spend 10 hours on your phone to earn $50?  For some people, an hour of leisure is worth more than that, even if the cash is low-effort.  Figure out how much one hour is worth to you before diving in.

3.      Payout thresholds.  Most apps require you to earn a certain amount of dollars before you can request a payout — and these thresholds can be as high as $50 or $100 sometimes.  That’s a big commitment, and many don’t make it that far.

If you’re still interested, great!  Here are some of the better ones we’ve found.  Even if you don’t like all of them, we’re sure you’ll find at least one or two that intrigue you.

Interesting on several levels.  Look at how politicians (not just the Clintons) deflect this and compare it to the really bad job Sony did when faced with a similar breach and disclosure.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-21/clinton-foundation-said-to-be-breached-by-russian-hackers

Clinton Foundation Said to Be Breached by Russian Hackers

The Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation was among the organizations breached by suspected Russian hackers in a dragnet of the U.S. political apparatus ahead of the November election, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The attacks on the foundation’s network, as well as those of the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, compound concerns about her digital security even as the FBI continues to investigate her use of a personal e-mail server while she was secretary of state.

Clinton Foundation officials said the organization hadn’t been notified of the breach and declined to comment further. [The whole world knows, but they “haven’t been notified.”  Bob] 

…   Before the Democratic National Committee disclosed a major computer breach last week, U.S. officials informed both political parties and the presidential campaigns of Clinton, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders that sophisticated hackers were attempting to penetrate their computers, according to a person familiar with the government investigation into the attacks.

The hackers in fact sought data from at least 4,000 individuals associated with U.S. politics -- party aides, advisers, lawyers and foundations -- for about seven months through mid-May, according to another person familiar with the investigations.

…   The Republican Party and the Trump campaign have been mostly silent on the computer attacks.  In an earlier statement, Trump said the hack was a political ploy concocted by the Democrats.

…   If the Democrats can show the hidden hand of Russian intelligence agencies, they believe that voter outrage will probably outweigh any embarrassing revelations, a person familiar with the party’s thinking said.

…   Bloomberg News reported Friday that the hackers who hit the DNC and Clinton’s campaign burrowed much further into the U.S. political system than initially thought, sweeping in law firms, lobbyists, consultants, foundations and policy groups in a campaign that targeted thousands of Google e-mail accounts and lasted from October through mid-May.

There’s an App for that!

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/this-windows-app-alerts-you-when-your-accounts-are-hacked/

This Windows App Alerts You When Your Accounts Are Hacked

Unfortunately, data breaches are increasingly common these days, and even huge websites like LinkedIn are falling to hackers.

It’s important to know if you’ve had any of your accounts compromised, and we can attest that some websites that check your email address against known breaches are great tools to stay informed.

Sites like Have I Been Pwned? are great, but if you have to manually check it from time to time to know if you’ve been attacked, you might miss a critical notification.  The Windows 10 app Hacked?, powered by Have I Been Pwned? (HIBP?), will check your email address twice a day for breaches.

…   If you’re not on Windows 10 yet, you can also use the main page of HIBP to regularly check for new breaches.  Just click the Notify me button at the top to get alerts, similar to the Modern app.

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

There’s nothing like a good debate to wake my students up!

Tech Companies Fight Back After Years of Being Deluged With Secret FBI Requests

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, and technology and internet companies have been waging a little-known war for years over how much information companies are obligated to hand over about customers during national security investigations — absent a court order.

In early June, when Yahoo disclosed three secret government requests for customer information — called national security letters — one of those requests revealed that the FBI might have been exceeding its authority by asking for email records, such as headers or browsing information, in addition to basic subscriber information.

While the revelation that the FBI kept asking for those records surprises some academics, lawmakers, and privacy advocates – national security attorneys and large technology companies have known about the problem for years, and have been arguing with FBI attorneys over what’s allowed and what’s not.

Revising the recently revised revisions to changed FAA rules.  These may be tentative.

http://www.bespacific.com/faa-issues-new-commercial-drone-rules/

FAA issues new commercial drone rules

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Jun 21, 2016

“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is amending its regulations to adopt specific rules for the operation of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) through a final rule.  These changes address the classification of sUAS, certification of sUAS remote pilots, and sUAS operational limitations.  This advisory circular (AC) provides guidance for conducting sUAS operations in the NAS in accordance with Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 107.”

See 107-2 – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS)

So, Microsoft just won, right? 

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3086839/security/microsoft-invokes-supreme-court-opinion-in-ireland-email-case.html?google_editors_picks=true

Microsoft invokes Supreme Court opinion in Ireland email case

…   In a decision Monday in a separate case on the extraterritorial application of a provision of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the Supreme Court set out the ground rules for its analysis, pointing out that “absent clearly expressed congressional intent to the contrary, federal laws will be construed to have only domestic application.”  The court was applying a canon of statutory construction known as the presumption against extraterritoriality.

It stated that the “the question is not whether we think ‘Congress would have wanted’ a statute to apply to foreign conduct ‘if it had thought of the situation before the court,’ but whether Congress has affirmatively and unmistakably instructed that the statute will do so."

Something I can pull from for my next IT Governance class.  I’ll change the format, I don’t PowerPoint.

http://www.bespacific.com/looking-forward-corporate-governance-of-the-successful-21st-century-company/

Looking Forward: Corporate Governance of the Successful 21st Century Company

by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Jun 21, 2016

da Silveira, Alexandre Di Miceli, Looking Forward: Corporate Governance of the Successful 21st Century Company (Presentation Slides) (June 20, 2016).  Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=279828

“This is a PPT presentation that discusses what is coming next on corporate governance (CG) and in which ways the successful business of the 21st century will differ from its successful 20th century counterpart.  The presentation is divided into five key messages:

1) This is a moment of lower trust in big business around the world due to successive financial crises, CG misconducts, and politically-related corruption scandals;
2) There is an increasingly criticism on the standard narrative for CG based on shareholder value maximization;
3) One of the few consensuses in this changing world is that stakeholders have increasingly higher expectations about the role of companies in society;
4) There is a new approach for CG and the successful business of the 21st century based on: ethical culture & intrinsic values, stakeholder orientation, and conscious capitalism; and,
5) There is growing evidence that adopting this new approach to CG pays off.”

Interesting, but we’ve been teaching these languages for decades. 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/half-of-the-high-paying-jobs-in-america-now-require-this-skill-2016-06-21?reflink=MW_GoogleNews&google_editors_picks=true

Half of the high-paying jobs in America now require this skill

If terms like SQL, Python and JavaScript aren’t on your radar, employers may not be interested in hiring you.

Roughly half of the jobs in the top income quartile — defined as those paying $57,000 or more per year — are in occupations that commonly require applicants to have at least some computer coding knowledge or skill, according to an analysis of 26 million U.S. online job postings released this month by job market analytics firm Burning Glass and computer science education firm Oracle Academy in Redwood City, Calif.  In simple terms, coders write the instructions that tell computers what to do; in-demand programming languages include SQL, Java, JavaScript, C# and Python.

…   However, there is good news for those without coding skills: You can acquire these skills without having to study computer science in college — sometimes for free.  CodeAcademy is one of the better programs, according to technology magazine Wired (and its free), but there are plenty of others, including Girl Develop It and Udacity.

We have a 3D printer and I have a key to the room it’s locked in…

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-educational-toys-can-3d-print/

10 Educational Toys You Can 3D Print