Friday News

It was only a matter of time.  Researchers say that they have discovered “things” on the blockchain.  Not so nice things.  Like child porn.  If true, and I have no reason to doubt the researchers, that would make possession of a copy of the blockchain illegal in 112 countries.  And, since we know that you can’t change the blockchain, now what?  Normally, when the cops find child porn on a web site, they get it removed or shut it down.  Do you have any idea how to shut down a distributed database with tens of millions of copies on every continent of the globe, expect, maybe, not Antarctica.  Me neither.   And think about it.  You could use this technology to distribute any kind of illegal information that you want to.  Hidden in plain sight and unstoppable.  (source: PC Magazine).

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee this week that they have completed the security clearance process on 20 election officials to be able to share classified intelligence about foreign government attempts to hack into their election systems.  Given there are about 10,000 election jurisdictions, at this rate it may take a while to complete.

Suffice it to say, it would seem that after 14 months, this administration is a tiny little bit behind the 8 ball when it comes to protecting our election process.  (source: Axios).

Possibly in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica “situation”, the Facebook security chief, Alex Stamos quit.  Followed, the next day by Michael Coates, head of security for Twitter quitting.  Followed the next day by Michael Zalewski, Director of information Security Engineering at Google.  Not a great week.  Is someone sending the big guys a message?  (source: National Herald).

Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the eye of the storm of the Panama Papers leak of millions of documents of the rich and famous announced they are shutting down due to reputational damage, media attention to a company that would rather operate in the shadows and other fallout from their breach.  While their breach was very public, their finances were deep.  However when customers started deserting them like rats deserting a sinking ship, their ship was doomed.  While it took a couple of years, it was inevitable. (source: The Guardian).

The government has filed civil and criminal charges against a former Equifax exec for insider trading.  Jun Ying, a not very smart tech exec at the company heard rumors about a breach and decided it would be a good time to sell all of his vested stock options, netting him almost a million bucks in profit.  And, possibly, ten years at the crossbar hotel.  Not very subtle on his part.  Hopefully only the beginning of going after folks at Equifax, buy who knows.  (source: Reuters)

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