Yesterday, President Trump met with top tech leaders again. This includes Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Microsoft’s?Satya Nadella. Then there was the clear message. Trump to Silicon Valley execs: Fix government tech.
So President Trump wants to improve government technology. Trump also told them federal technology lags way behind the private sector. Furthermore, he wants federal agencies to have better tech facilites to better serve Americans. However, he wants to technology to be cheaper to buy, on their end. But there’s other concerns. One is fighting cyber attacks. Another is turning paper forms into websites any worker can use.
But Silicon Valley leaders had requests of their own. For example, Bezos wants the government to use commercial tech tools. Then there is Alex Karp. He’s the CEO of Palentir, a major software company. He urges the fed to use big data to fight fraud, especially on the federal level. You also have Apple CEO Tim Cook. One of Cook’s passions is to teach computer technology in schools. So he used this trip to promote that cause. Cook urged Washington to make coding not only accessible in schools, but a requirement as well. Even Peter Theil, the only Silicon Valley leader who supported Trump during his campaign, attended.
It seems that relations between Washington and Silicon Valley are getting better. I hope so. They need each other. Now here in our little Boston computer service shop, we try to avoid political talk like the plague. Look at how volatile our ?political climate is. But Silicon Valley leaders aren’t so lucky. It seems like there’s a lot of favors being exchanged. I don’t knock it. In fact, I admire it. We need to better fight cyber criminals, and we needs the feds to do better. Tim Cook is right, too. Our children need to be better educated in computer technology. Trump to Silicon Valley Execs: Fix government tech. But one question: Could this be about tightening government excitement?
Remember the Wannacry malware virus last month? If you don’t, then let me refresh you. It caused the health industry in Great Britain mass chaos. In fact, it hit dozens of other nations. Did North Korea start Wannacry?
Britian’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) says yes. They say North Korean group Lazarus was behind the hold thing. But does this hacking group sound familiar? It should. Because this group hacked Sony back in late 2014. This was their was of ahem…protesting The Interview. That was a Seth Rogan and James Franco movie that openly mocked NK dictator Kim Jong Un. In May 2017, according to British authorities, they made a comeback.
Because in May 2017, they came out with WannaCry ransomware. This virus locked computer systems all around the world. However, this was especially true in Great Britain. They wouldn’t unlock them until the businesses they hacked pay a certain ransom. It was usually to be in Bitcoin. Government and private cyber security persons worked around the clock to break their code. They saw many patterns that look like the Lazarus group. The US’s NSA also blames North Korea for this attack, though they WannaCry didn’t hit them as bad. Back in 2016, North Korean hackers ripped off the nation of Bangladesh of over $81 million.
So did North Korea start Wannacry? If the authorities are right, then why? How far up the North Korean dictatorship does this go? Let’s call the North Korean government what it really is…a dictatorship, not a leadership! But was this about money? I think that was a part of it. However, this is a lot more to this. Look at the nuclear war talk North Korea spews. Furthermore, look at how they’re testing missiles. In our Boston computer service shop, none of our clients have come down with WannaCry. Thank goodness. But my concern is this virus isn’t just about holding computer systems hostages. Could North Korea be using Wannacry to see how far they can go? Is this is a prelude to more sinister actions from them?
Okay, we all know a Facebook posts can get you fired. Also, a compromising Facebook post can earn you a divorce or break-up. But in Pakistan, it earned one man something far more serious. A Pakistan man gets death sentence over Facebook.
So 30-year-old?Taimoor Raza is guilty of blasphemy. He got into a religious debate on Facebook with someone. But that someone turned out to be an undercover cop. The cop arrested him for blasphemy. This is part of Pakistan’s crackdown on social media freedoms. Because 15 others faced charges for this last year. There are also crackdowns on social media posts against the Pakistan government and military. Unfortunately, this is the new normal over there. Because last year, they passed the?Prevention of Electronic Crime Act.
Don’t think other people don’t notice. There is already an outcry about such human rights abuses. And it’s not just in Pakistan. This concerns much of the world. However, the Pakistan government shows no remorse. They still urge citizens to turn in others when they post ‘blasphemous’ things on Twitter and Facebook. However, Raza’s situation is nothing compared to what others are getting. Some people are being mobbed to death over such ‘blasphemous speech’.
So one question is, “What’s causing such extreme human rights abuse?” Is it all the Pakistani government? Or is that government giving the majority of the people what they want? One way or another, they need to break this cycle. It’s bad enough somebody loses their job over a Facebook post. That’s not right. But a Pakistan man gets death sentence? This is an assault on freedom of expression all over the world. Those of us in IT service in any capacity, whether it’s a computer repair technician to Microsoft CEO should be concerned. I say this because if they use social media to execute people for blasphemy, how far will they go? And social media is a beacon of free speech. But they use it as a way to silence it. Should this not concern us?
So it seems former FBI Director James Comey isn’t the only one in the hot seat. Because lawmakers want to know how Americans got tapped ?just to get to foreigners. Also, Trump’s people said something interesting. So the NSA spied on how many Americans?
So there’s a change that could take place at the end of 2017. That law could allow the NSA access to major espionage. And Dan Coates, a top US intelligence official Trump hand picked, is making some interesting statements. One is, “The NSA made Herculean, extensive efforts to devise a counting strategy that would be accurate”. He’s talking about how to count how many Americans the NSA spies on. Coates also says he doesn’t and wouldn’t know how many Americans fell prey to this. And it wouldn’t even matter how many resources they would use to find out.
As you can imagine, this concerns privacy rights advocates. Democrats aren’t letting up either. Because top Democrat John Conyers said they promised numbers for months. Furthermore, the Trump/Russian controversy may play a part in this. Some Republicans, who support tight surveillance, are now easing up because of this potential scandal. Some say Russia and Trump’s campaign used surveillance to help Trump win the election. Both Putin and Trump vehemently deny this.
So the NSA spied on how many Americans? I want to know. No, me and my fellow Americans deserve to know. When somebody uses IT services and surveillance technology to spy on innocent Americans, we need to know. I’m not here to promote any political party or side. But we need the truth. And the fact the Trump administration is spinning this because of a scandal: That’s alarming. And are Democrats really seeking the truth to fight for liberty? Or are they using this for their own political gain? So I ask again: The NSA spied on how many Americans?
The vote is almost unanimous. Yahoo leaders approved the sale of their company to Verizon for around ?$4 billion. I say that because Verizon’s price for Yahoo dropped by several hundred million. The Verizon/Yahoo Merger almost complete…At a cost.
So what is that cost? That cost is jobs. Because Verizon had to lay off 2,100 more people just to seal this deal. Furthermore, this just adds to the number of jobs Yahoo lost over the last five years. So Yahoo’s work force is 8,600. Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Not really. During Marissa Meyer’s reign as Yahoo CEO, they lost almost half their work force. So I guess what’s another 2,100 (I know that sounds bad!)?
But Yahoo may already have something to celebrate. Their stock prices shares went up 10%. But at what cost? Are you aware that the 2,100 layoffs make up for 15% of all Verizon employees? Now that’s a huge piece of their work force. Of course, no company dares says a word of these layoffs. But Yahoo, and Verizon’s other purchase, AOL, are in trouble. Verizon isn’t doing so hot either. Yahoo and Verizon struggle to compute on the same level as Facebook and Google. Also, year after year, Verizon ranks as one of the most hated companies in America.
It’s a real shame. Especially for Yahoo. In the 1990s, Yahoo lead the Internet revolution. For those of you born after 2000, imagine surfing the Internet in the 1990s. Google wasn’t the first search engine site we used. It was Yahoo. Now, Verizon seems to be Yahoo’s only lifeline for survival. It’s amazing how IT support changes over the years, and even the premier companies of yesteryear can eventually flounder. So yes, we can declare the Verizon/Yahoo merger almost complete. But is the cost of jobs worth it? Over the past few years, neither company had that good of a reputation. So will Verizon save Yahoo? Can it? Or will both companies sink? And is this merger worth all these jobs being lost?
Her name is Shelly Taylor. She’s been working in Silicon Valley since 1995. She advised companies like Yahoo and America Online during the dawn of the Internet. Yahoo could probably use Taylor’s advising now. But let’s get back to the Refugee Aid App. This app connects refugees with charities and other groups. Then these groups help the displaced get the emergency services.
Taylor and company started this app in February 2016. But now, over 400 charities use it to get refugees food, medical supplies, shelter, etc. Through this, these charities communicate with each other and the migrants they’re helping. Obviously, this is a free app. For now, the app is mostly in Europe, where millions of migrants continue to pour in. Also, Taylor’s app makes history. Because it’s the first app to give total coordination between charities and migrants. The Refugee Aid App lets the migrants know where the nearest services are. They even provide free legal aid for migrants.
It’s always awesome when somebody from IT support does something to help the world. I know there is a lot of political upheaval surrounding the refugee debate. But let’s take politics out of it. People are suffering out there. Innocent people are losing everything they held dear. Their only crime is being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Thank goodness for people like Shelly Taylor, who are using technology for good. We often hear people use technology for evil purposes, from hacking to sextortion. I even covered them myself. But it’s wonderful that someone in Silicon Valley uses technology to change the world, and even save lives. What are some ways in your life people use technology for good?
