Long-struggling ‘Google Plus’ Social Network to be Shutdown after Security Breach Affects 500,000

On Monday, October 8, 2018 Google disclosed a security breach it discovered months ago that put at risk the personal data of hundreds of thousands of Google Plus users. In March, Google discovered, and fixed, the bug that allowed outside software developers to gain access to personal information on Google Plus users, including names, email addresses, ages, occupations and relationship status. The company’s decision to not immediately report the software bug has some concerned that Google cannot be relied on to protect privacy. Google… Continue Reading

Should American Companies Be Worried About Security Risks Posed By Chinese Telecoms?

Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle recently wrote a letter to Google to express “concerns” about its strategic partnership with Chinese telecommunications companies such as Huawei Technologies, based on security risks related to state-sponsored espionage. As noted by the lawmakers, the heads of the CIA, NSA, FBI, and Defense Intelligence Agency have voiced similar concerns that smartphones made by China’s two largest manufacturers, Hauwei and ZTE., pose a security threat to American customers.  Moreover, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre found that… Continue Reading

Amazon’s Facial Recognition Software Sparks Privacy Concerns

The recent television series Person of Interest, which aired between 2011 and 2016, was premised upon an artificial intelligence (AI) program that could recognize patterns to determine individuals who may become victims of violent crimes. Facial recognition was one of the machine’s abilities, allowing the show’s protagonists to locate and track individuals in and throughout New York City.  The AI in Person of Interest is no longer the stuff of television or of the future. Lawmakers and civil rights groups have expressed their concern… Continue Reading