Author: Robin Edgar

Organisational Structures | Technology and Science | Military, IT and Lifestyle consultancy | Social, Broadcast & Cross Media | Flying aircraft

110,000 Affected by Epik Breach – Including Those Who Trusted Epik to Hide Their Identity as hate mongerers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Epik’s massive data breach is already affecting lives. Today the Washington Post describes a real estate agent in Pompano Beach who urged buyers on Facebook to move to “the most beautiful State.” His name and personal details “were found on invoices suggesting he had once paid for websites with names such as racisminc.com, whitesencyclopedia.com, christiansagainstisrael.com Read more about 110,000 Affected by Epik Breach – Including Those Who Trusted Epik to Hide Their Identity as hate mongerers[…]

Microsoft Exchange protocol can leak credentials cleartext

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A flaw in Microsoft’s Autodiscover protocol, used to configure Exchange clients like Outlook, can cause user credentials to leak to miscreants in certain circumstances. The upshot is that your Exchange-connected email client may give away your username and password to a stranger, if the flaw is successfully exploited. In a report scheduled to be published Read more about Microsoft Exchange protocol can leak credentials cleartext[…]

Apple Confirms Fortnite Won’t Come Back to iPhones Anytime Soon

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Today, Tim Sweeney confirmed on Twitter just how massive of an “L” Epic took in its recent trial against Apple. Apple has effectively “blacklisted” Fortnite from all Apple products until the legal clash between the two massive corporations reaches its conclusion, which could take as long as five years. (It’s even longer in Peely years.) Read more about Apple Confirms Fortnite Won’t Come Back to iPhones Anytime Soon[…]

Lithuania tells citizens to throw Xiaomi mobiles away for censoring functionality

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In an audit it published yesterday [PDF] the agency called out Xiaomi’s Mi 10T 5G phone handset firmware for being able to censor terms such as “Free Tibet”, “Long live Taiwan independence” or “democracy movement”. Defence Deputy Minister Margiris Abukevicius told reporters at the audit’s release: “Our recommendation is to not buy new Chinese phones, Read more about Lithuania tells citizens to throw Xiaomi mobiles away for censoring functionality[…]

Ministry of Defence: Another huge Afghanistan email blunder

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A second leak of personal data was reportedly committed by the Ministry of Defence, raising further questions about the ministry’s commitment to the safety of people in Afghanistan, some of whom are its own former employees. The BBC reported overnight that the details of a further 55 Afghans  – claimed to be candidates for potential relocation Read more about Ministry of Defence: Another huge Afghanistan email blunder[…]

A Stalkerware Firm Is Leaking Real-Time Screenshots of People’s Phones Online

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A stalkerware company that’s designed to let customers spy on their spouses’s, children’s, or employees’ devices is exposing victims’ data, allowing anyone on the internet to see screenshots of phones simply by visiting a specific URL. The news highlights the continuing lax security practices that many stalkerware companies use; not only do these companies sometimes Read more about A Stalkerware Firm Is Leaking Real-Time Screenshots of People’s Phones Online[…]

Apple miffed by EU’s ‘strict’ one-size-fits-all charger plan

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Smartphones, tablets, and cameras sold within the European Union could be forced to adopt a single standard charging port by the middle of the decade if the latest plans from the European Commission get the go-ahead. The proposals for a revised Radio Equipment Directive would mean that charging port and fast-charging technology would be “harmonised” Read more about Apple miffed by EU’s ‘strict’ one-size-fits-all charger plan[…]

Hackers leak LinkedIn 700 million June data scrape

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A collection containing data about more than 700 million users, believed to have been scraped from LinkedIn, was leaked online this week after hackers previously tried to sell it earlier this year in June. The collection, obtained by The Record from a source, is currently being shared in private Telegram channels in the form of a torrent file Read more about Hackers leak LinkedIn 700 million June data scrape[…]

This Site Can Tell You If Anyone Else Has Taken Pictures With Your Camera

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] This website provides an avenue for investigation, and offers a sliver of hope. It’s a tiny sliver of hope to be sure, but it’s better than no hope at all. It works like this: You upload a picture taken with the missing camera to stolencamerafinder.com, which then uses the camera’s serial number (saved in the Read more about This Site Can Tell You If Anyone Else Has Taken Pictures With Your Camera[…]

UK appeals court rules AI cannot be listed as a patent inventor

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Add the United Kingdom to the list of countries that says an artificial intelligence can’t be legally credited as an inventor. Per the BBC, the UK Court of Appeal recently ruled against Dr. Stephen Thaler in a case involving the country’s Intellectual Property Office. In 2018, Thaler filed two patent applications in which he didn’t Read more about UK appeals court rules AI cannot be listed as a patent inventor[…]

China says all cryptocurrency-related transactions are illegal and must be banned

Posted on by Robin Edgar

China’s central bank said on Friday that all cryptocurrency-related transactions are illegal in the country and they must be banned, citing concerns around national security and “safety of people’s assets.” The world’s most populated nation also said that foreign exchanges are banned from providing services to users in the country. In a joint statement, ten Read more about China says all cryptocurrency-related transactions are illegal and must be banned[…]

Scientists develop the next generation of reservoir computing

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A relatively new type of computing that mimics the way the human brain works was already transforming how scientists could tackle some of the most difficult information processing problems. Now, researchers have found a way to make what is called reservoir computing work between 33 and a million times faster, with significantly fewer computing resources Read more about Scientists develop the next generation of reservoir computing[…]

FBI Had REvil’s Kaseya Ransomware Decryption Key for Weeks

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Kaseya ransomware attack, which occurred in July and affected as many as 1,500 companies worldwide, was a big, destructive mess—one of the largest and most unwieldy of its kind in recent memory. But new information shows the FBI could have lightened the blow victims suffered but chose not to. A new report from the Read more about FBI Had REvil’s Kaseya Ransomware Decryption Key for Weeks[…]

Database containing 106m Thailand travelers’ details over the past decade leaked

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A database containing personal information on 106 million international travelers to Thailand was exposed to the public internet this year, a Brit biz claimed this week. Bob Diachenko, head of cybersecurity research at product-comparison website Comparitech, said the Elasticsearch data store contained visitors’ full names, passport numbers, arrival dates, visa types, residency status, and more. Read more about Database containing 106m Thailand travelers’ details over the past decade leaked[…]

India antitrust probe finds Google abused Android dominance

Posted on by Robin Edgar

NEW DELHI, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Google abused the dominant position of its Android operating system in India, using its “huge financial muscle” to illegally hurt competitors, the country’s antitrust authority found in a report on its two-year probe seen by Reuters. Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google reduced “the ability and incentive of device manufacturers to Read more about India antitrust probe finds Google abused Android dominance[…]

MoD apologises after Afghan interpreters’ personal data exposed (yes the ones still in Afghanistan)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has launched an internal investigation after committing the classic CC-instead-of-BCC email error – but with the names and contact details of Afghan interpreters trapped in the Taliban-controlled nation. The horrendous data breach took place yesterday, with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace promising an immediate investigation, according to the BBC. Included in Read more about MoD apologises after Afghan interpreters’ personal data exposed (yes the ones still in Afghanistan)[…]

Facebook Documents Show It Fumbled the Fight Over Vaccines

Posted on by Robin Edgar

he Wall Street Journal has had something of a banner week tearing down Facebook. Its series on a trove of internal company documents obtained by the paper has unveiled Facebook’s secret system for treating certain users as above the rules, company research showing how harmful Instagram is for young girls, how the site’s algorithmic solutions Read more about Facebook Documents Show It Fumbled the Fight Over Vaccines[…]

FTC releases findings on how Big Tech eats little tech in deals that fly under the radar

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan signaled changes are on the way in how the agency scrutinizes acquisitions after revealing the results of a study of a decade’s worth of Big Tech company deals that weren’t reported to the agency. Why it matters: Tech’s business ecosystem is built on giant companies buying up small startups, Read more about FTC releases findings on how Big Tech eats little tech in deals that fly under the radar[…]

Facebook’s 2018 Algorithm Change ‘Rewarded Outrage’. Zuck Resisted Fixes

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Internal memos show how a big 2018 change rewarded outrage and that CEO Mark Zuckerberg resisted proposed fixes In the fall of 2018, Jonah Peretti, chief executive of online publisher BuzzFeed, emailed a top official at Facebook Inc. The most divisive content that publishers produced was going viral on the platform, he said, creating an Read more about Facebook’s 2018 Algorithm Change ‘Rewarded Outrage’. Zuck Resisted Fixes[…]

Ig Nobel Prizes blocked by YouTube takedown over 1914 song snippet – can’t find human to fix the error

Posted on by Robin Edgar

YouTube, the Ig Nobel Prizes, and the Year 1914 YouTube’s notorious takedown algorithms are blocking the video of the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize ceremony. We have so far been unable to find a human at YouTube who can fix that. We recommend that you watch the identical recording on Vimeo. The Fatal Song This is Read more about Ig Nobel Prizes blocked by YouTube takedown over 1914 song snippet – can’t find human to fix the error[…]

A Stanford Proposal Over AI’s ‘Foundations’ Ignites Debate

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Last month, Stanford researchers declared that a new era of artificial intelligence had arrived, one built atop colossal neural networks and oceans of data. They said a new research center at Stanford would build—and study—these “foundation models” of AI. Critics of the idea surfaced quickly—including at the workshop organized to mark the launch of the Read more about A Stanford Proposal Over AI’s ‘Foundations’ Ignites Debate[…]

Alaska discloses ‘sophisticated’ nation-state cyberattack on health service

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Alaska discloses ‘sophisticated’ nation-state cyberattack on health service A nation-state cyber-espionage group has gained access to the IT network of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Service (DHSS), the agency said last week. The attack, which is still being investigated, was discovered on May 2, earlier this year, by a security firm, which notified Read more about Alaska discloses ‘sophisticated’ nation-state cyberattack on health service[…]

Rolls-Royce’s all-electric aircraft completes 15-minute maiden voyage

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Rolls-Royce, best known in aviation for its jet engines, has taken an all-electric airplane on its maiden voyage. The “Spirit of Innovation” completed a 15 minute flight, marking “the beginning of an intensive flight-testing phase in which we will be collecting valuable performance data on the aircraft’s electrical power and propulsion system,” the company announced. Read more about Rolls-Royce’s all-electric aircraft completes 15-minute maiden voyage[…]

Judge in pocket of big business throws book at Man who unlocked nearly 2 million AT&T phones: 12 years in prison

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A man who the Department of Justice says unlocked AT&T customers’ phones for a fee was sentenced to 12 years in prison, in what the judge called “a terrible cybercrime over an extended period,” which allegedly continued even after authorities were on to the scheme. According to a news release from the DOJ, in 2012, Read more about Judge in pocket of big business throws book at Man who unlocked nearly 2 million AT&T phones: 12 years in prison[…]

Physicists make square droplets and liquid lattices

Posted on by Robin Edgar

When two substances are brought together, they will eventually settle into a steady state called thermodynamic equilibrium; examples include oil floating on top of water and milk mixing uniformly into coffee. Researchers at Aalto University in Finland wanted to disrupt this sort of state to see what happens—and whether they can control the outcome. […] Read more about Physicists make square droplets and liquid lattices[…]