So the 2018 Winter Olympic games are underway. But it’s not the athletics that are making news. It’s the hacking. One cyber attack was so bad they had to shut the Winter Olympic website down. However, it’s back up now. Olympic cyber attack: Who did it and why?
The hackers attacked just before the opening ceremony. They also messed up TV and Internet coverage. It took 12 hours for networks to restore coverage and order. An Olympic spokesperson talked about the attack. He assured the public they dealt with the issue and everything was good. But nobody is talking about who did it.
Almost immediately, cyber experts pointed fingers at Russia. And right away, Russian leaders denied any involvement in any hacking. And people braced for this. Just about every government in the world warned of potential online attacks. In fact, even the US Dept. of Homeland Security told fans going to South Korea to be on the lookout. One warning said, “At high profile events, [they] may take advantage of the large audience…”. They don’t get any bigger than the Olympics, but most of you probably know that. Because in 2012, they attacked the London Olympics too.
However, the world is a different place than it was six years ago. So let’s get the elephant out of the room. Look at the tensions between the two Koreas in recent months in years. It’s almost as if the Korean War could restart at anytime. But war doesn’t have to come through bullets and bombs. The enemy can attack through our IT support systems and our computer repair and technology systems. Did North Korea do this? I know North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un plays and talks nice recently. But does he mean it? Or is it just a trap? Personally, I think it’s just a trap. How can you trust a guy who does such hideous thinks over and over? I think North Korea is behind the Olympic cyber attack. So who do you think did it and why?
Iran is enduring the most intense protests since 2009. So far, over twenty are dead, scores injured, hundreds arrested. Also, they have no end in sight. But what does this have to do with IT support or social media? Iran bans social media: due to protests.
Telegram and Instagram are the biggest casualties of freedom at the moment.? Iran blocked them. Furthermore, on Iran TV, they announced they’re blocking these sites. They say they’re doing so because they want to maintain peace. They believe leaving social media sites open will only fuel dissent and chaos.
However, a senior member of the Iranian government used Telegram to state his regime’s case. He stated Telegram would encourage hatred. This official even hinted the ban could be permanent. For example, he says certain tweets tell people to use weapons against police. This could affect over 800,000 Instagram and Telegram accounts. Also, Telegram is very popular in Iran right now. There are over 25 million active users in Iran. That’s over a third of Iran’s population. Also, Iran is notorious for media censorship. So when people get hold of Telegram, it could be the only voice they have. They can tell the world what really goes on in Iran.
I think there’s another reason Iran bans social media. Because they don’t want other influence coming into this country. President Trump sent a tweet. He praised the protesters. He also called Iranian leaders brutal and corrupt. They can’t have that, can they? Online freedom crusader Edward Snowden also tweeted in favor of the protesters. He said they can’t keep an independent service from being blocked in dictatorships. I’d like to join in applauding the protesters. No matter how much regimes try to stifle the truth, it will come out. IT service will help see to that. So will the heart and will people struggling for freedom. When will they ever learn?
So Apple finds itself in hot water. Because they have to apologize, in letter, for their battery issues. Apparently, they were not truthful enough about poor performance with older iPhones. Apple’s battery controversy: What will change?
So here’s one change. They admitted changes with old batteries slowed down iPhone speed. Then, they’re offering new batteries. If you have an older iPhone hit with a bad older battery, then Apple will replace it for $29. Though they did apologize for being forthright, IT support insiders saw this coming for years. Many of them screamed about older iPhones slowing down. But now, Apple has to learn the hard way.
In the apology letter, Apple says blames updates to a new operating system. They also blame bugs in iOS 11. Furthermore, Apple believes these issues led to the aging battery situation, which led to the slowdowns. Then, they went on to blame chemical ageing of batteries in certain iPhone brands, like older versions of iPhone 6 and 6S. But whatever the reasons, they’re trying to make it right. Yes, they’re reducing their battery price. However, the $29 deal is only for iPhone 6 users and will last between January-December 2018. They will also offer software updates that teaches Apple users about battery health.
Apple’s battery controversy isn’t just about batteries. It’s about trust. Some Apple consumers lost trust because of this. And once you lose trust, it’s hard to get it back. I don’t care how big of a company you are. In our computer service shop, we already heard several complaints about Apple’s battery controversy. Some vow never to use them again. I also now there are others who are strictly loyal to Apple, no matter what. But I hope they learned a lesson from this. Tell your consumers the truth, the whole truth, and only the truth. Don’t give them stuff they want to hear. What will change after this?
Last week, I shared a concern of mine and many in the computer repair and/or IT service industry. So today, that concern came true. Breaking: They repealed net neutrality.
Literally just hours ago, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) voted 3-2 to repeal net neutrality. I should also tell you the vote was among party lines. So who led the charge to get rid of net neutrality? We can thank (I mean that sarcastically) FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. His proposal got this ball in motion. Then we can thank mega corporations like Comcast for backing this ruling. They are probably the only winners in this round.
Yes, many in the public fought to keep net neutrality alive. But so did many Democrats in Washington. Furthermore, many in Hollywood didn’t want the ruling we’re getting today. If that isn’t enough, then keep in mind many in Silicon Valley don’t want this. Companies like Facebook and Google/Alphabet screamed to keep Obama’s 2015 Internet rules in place. Even after the ruling, many on both sides have plenty to say. For example, FCC official and Democrat?Mignon Clyburn says Republicans pretty much handed the Internet to a few mega corporations. However, Pai sees things a lot different. He says Obama’s rules slowed competition and this will free up service providers.
But do you know how hard it is to start an ISP today? It’s not hard; it’s nearly impossible. I don’t want to make this is political thing. But I agree with Clyburn on this one. I fear if you let the cats away, then the rats will play. Many also fear now there is nothing stopping the big boys from charging whatever they want to whoever they want. I also worry there is nothing stopping the big boys from censoring whatever they want. Some say consumers won’t see any changes…yet. However, I know some of my readers support this decision. I want to hear from you. Breaking: They repealed net neutrality. How is going to benefit us?
It’s been 90 years since Charles Lindbergh’s first transatlantic flight from New York to Paris. But all this time later, airplanes are still venerable. So now, there are new threats. Can drones bring down planes?
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) thinks so. In fact, they think drone strikes could be even worse the bird strikes. I saw a video on CBS news that was fairly chilling. It was of a drone crashing into a city skyscraper. It was minor, no injuries or damages except for a now defunct drone. But you gotta ask what if? What if that drone was high enough to get to an airplane?
Because researchers are asking the same questions. Furthermore, they showed a cartoon of a drone flying into an engine fan blade. If that were to happen in real life (I pray it never does), then that engine could fail. But that’s not the only concern. Researchers also did a cartoon of a small drone hitting the tail. It was enough to rip through the skin. So far in 2017, pilots saw over 2,000 drones from the cockpit. Already, that’s a 20% increase from 2016. Drones are becoming more popular in every aspect of life, from government to business to recreation. The fear is these sightings are bound to increase in the years to come.
I heard one government official say this is a tragedy just waiting to happen. I agree. What do we in IT service do about it? First of all, we need to raise awareness of the dangers this can cause. Just like we in computer repair warn of viruses and malware, let’s do the same for this. Can drones bring down planes? I don’t know. But more to the point, let’s never, ever find out the hard way! Follow the FAA rules when it comes to drones. They’re not there for killjoy, but to keep us all alive and safe. And use plain common sense as well. What will you do about it?
I struggled with what I’m going to write today. Then somebody showed me an article that made me sick. The State of Arizona is using drivers’ licences and state IDs as tools of facial recognition. So let’s look at Arizona facial recognition: Is this even legal?
Here’s how it works. They take your photo at the DMV or RMV (whatever you want to call it). Then they scan by an algorithm. This studies your facial features. Also, they compare your face to 19 million other Arizona citizens. This program is in concert with the REAL ID Act of 2005, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. However, this act doesn’t require facial recognition. It just calls for measures in stricter identification.
So naturally, this concerns many citizens. The first concern is hacking/ID theft. Someone, especially from the inside, can hack into this database and do goodness knows what with it. But there is an even bigger concern: government surveillance. Some privacy rights groups, like the EFF, worry we’re heading toward an Orwellian state. First off, there is no system of accountability here. Then, take in there are no laws, or any incidents, to justify things like Arizona facial recognition. In fact, that’s true for any facial recognition.
What we have here is, “You give them an inch, they’ll take the mile”. The REAL ID act is the inch. Facial recognition is THE mile. There are people at the top who want to turn IT support and IT service into Big Brother. And don’t think this will be limited to just Arizona. Because in 2020, all states must adopt REAL ID standards. This could include passports just to fly domestically! It could also include facial recognition in every state. Since there’s no limit to what they can do, every state in the country can use facial recognition. And the way things are going, they probably will. I hope they don’t. Arizona facial recognition: Is this even legal?
