COVID-19: China and Russia Disinformation and Shenanigans
As we sit here at the beginning of April, it is sometimes hard to remember that it was Nov. 17, 2019, when China discovered a virus emanating from a central fish and wildlife market in the city of Wuhan. The virus has become known as Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Initial ... Read More
Levandowski Admits to Stealing Waymo’s IP
The prosecution of former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski ended March 20 when he agreed to plead guilty to one count of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets from Alphabet’s Waymo after pilfering Waymo’s intellectual property (IP). In early 2018, as a result of Levandowski’s theft, Waymo and Uber settled ... Read More
Data Privacy and Security in the Travel Industry
As COVID-19 mauls the travel sector and hotels, airlines and cruise lines shutter their doors or park their planes and ships, this interlude may present them an opportunity to address how they handle passenger information. Each of these sectors of the travel industry collects personally identifiable information and each has ... Read More
Women of Hamas and Their Social Engineering Skills
Recently the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) sent a warning to all concerned about the efforts of Hamas to identify, contact, engage, socially engineer and then compromise IDF personnel. Surprise of surprises: Hamas had created a half-dozen personas, all of whom were 20-something women—the women of Hamas—to make this goal a ... Read More
Election Security a 2020 Myth?
As the 2020 election season shifts into high gear, the importance of election security becomes one of the most important issues facing the U.S. Thousands of hours have been spent within government investigating and discussing the role played by Russia and its active measures to disrupt and influence the U.S ... Read More
The Klaxon Sounds on Ring’s Privacy, Trust Issues
For a video security service that has found its way into millions of homes, privacy and trust are the keystones of remaining in place. Ring, the Amazon-owned video/security service, has been stumbling over its own feet for months as the company addresses issues of its own making. The Electronic Freedom ... Read More
Low-Intensity Conflict: Cyber, Iran’s Next Move
Iran’s next move could be one of low-intensity conflict that could have a big impact on our cyber infrastructures The level of angst and concern of a hot-war between Iran and the United States has largely been quelled, as time has put space between the flashpoint incidents that caused the ... Read More
First Amendment Fight: Twitter Threat Ends in Conviction
First amendment rights in the United States only go so far. Shout “fire” in a crowded room for thrills or threaten to kill someone and you will find yourself on the wrong side of the First Amendment interpretation of what constitutes free speech. Joseph Cecil Vandevere was indicted, then convicted ... Read More
Saudi Arabia Pays Twitter Insiders $300K for Account Info
In the world of espionage, the nation-state is always looking for insiders with access to desired information, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is no different than any other country. The difference between Saudi Arabia and many other countries is how it uses inside information to monitor their citizenry. Free ... Read More
FTC Holds Companies Accountable for Online Lead Generators
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) dropped the $30 million hammer on Career Education Corporation (CEC) for using leads obtained from dubious and illegal website operators to engage with prospects with the hope of having the prospect enroll in CEC’s post-secondary schools. This is one of the first cases in which ... Read More
