Ransomware is aptly named, albeit possibly lacking in creativity. It is a method for cybercriminals to hold their victims’ data for ransom using software. The victim’s data is not stolen, it is simply encrypted so the victim can no longer access it until they have provided payment and received the decryption key. Ransomware is typically …
Climate change is bad, and we should do something about it. Plenty of us would like to nod at that sentence, but there is much to unpack. This post leaves aside discussion of “how bad is climate change?” or “what can be done?” and instead focuses on “who does the doing?” In particular, this article …
American prosecutors have found that the Russian Internet Research Agency meddled in the United States’ 2016 Presidential Election. Contrary to what many believe, the meddling was not carried through in voting booths or tallying results. The Russians meddled by manipulating social media. Their project dates back as far as 2014. The Internet Research Agency was …
After a significant amount of criticism, Twitter has decided to address its “bot” problem. In the aftermath of the 2016 election and now in the lead-up to the 2018 election, the issues regarding false information spreading and other forms of artificial intelligence (AI) interference have been making headlines on a regular basis. Back in January, …
You’re watching a movie. It’s not great, but what really has you captured is the supporting actress. She’s doing a fine job, but your captivation was not caused by anything about her performance. Rather, it’s just that she looks incredibly familiar. You know you’ve seen her in another show, but you just can’t remember which …
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the term applied to systems of sensors and actuators connected to networks and computers to store and analyze data. The coming wave of IoT has been publicized for several years now, as the price and size of hardware required to put sensors, processing power, and connectivity everywhere continues to …
Russian interference in American society through social media has been a constant in the news as of late. Of course, the most salient story has been their meddling in the 2016 US elections. However, it has not stopped there. Following the devastating shooting that left 17 people dead at a high school in South Florida, …
When was the last time you booked a vacation or picked a restaurant without first asking the world what they thought? From places to stay and restaurants to try, to brand selection and business loyalty, we are all heavily reliant on the input of others when making determinations about how to spend both our time …
A California federal judge, Lucy H. Koh, granted Apple almost $6.5 million in ongoing royalties from Samsung in the companies’ dispute over patented designs on Feb. 15, 2018 after scolding Samsun in a hearing last month for continuing to sell the infringing phones. The Federal Circuit has not squarely addressed the standard for evaluating claims for ongoing …
Final Rule to Eliminate Barriers to Electric Storage Resources On February 15th, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a final rule to support electric storage resources (like lithium-ion batteries or pumped-storage hydroelectricity) and their continued growth in regional electricity markets. This new rule directs all regional grid operators (RTOs/ISOs) to create a new “participation …
