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Daily Archives: June 3, 2014

Email encryption in transit – Google Report

“Many email providers don’t encrypt messages while they’re in transit. When you send or receive emails with one of these providers, these messages are as open to snoopers as a postcard in the mail. A growing number of email providers are working to change that, by encrypting messages sent to and from our services using Transport Layer Security (TLS). When an email is encrypted in transit with TLS, it makes it harder for others to read what you’re sending. The data here explains the current state of email encryption in transit….Encryption in transit helps protect your emails from being snooped on while they travel between you and your intended recipients. Unfortunately, billions of unencrypted emails are sent and received every day “in the clear,” presenting a prime target for eavesdropping and mass interception as they cross dozens of optical fibers and routers.”

Federal Reserve announces new schedule of margins applicable for collateral pledged by depository institutions

“The Federal Reserve is announcing new collateral margins for discount window lending and payment system risk purposes, effective July 1, 2014. These changes stem from the most recent review of margins and valuation practices that the Federal Reserve periodically conducts, as well as the incorporation of updated market data. The new collateral margins table can… Continue Reading

Judge Releases Information about Police Use of Stingray Cell Phone Trackers – ACLU

“A Florida judge has sided with the ACLU to order release of information about police use of “stingrays,” which are invasive surveillance devices that send out powerful signals to trick cell phones into transmitting their locations and identifying information. The Tallahassee judge’s pro-transparency decision stands in contrast to extreme secrecy surrounding stingray records in another… Continue Reading

Model FOIA Regulations

“A coalition of transparency organizations set a new benchmark for transparency by publishing model Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations, building on FOIA’s 50-year legacy of making government more open and accountable. The groups—Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), and the National Security Archive—all experts in FOIA litigation, recommend a common… Continue Reading

McKinsey Quarterly 2014 Number 2

“This issue includes articles on how technological advances are revolutionizing resource productivity, the future of lean, why leaders of organizational change must examine their own behavior, and the rising risk of cyberattacks.” Topics covered are: Resource revolution: Gathering force; The future of lean; Change leader, change thyself; and Research, trends, and emerging thinking.   Continue Reading

New CDC Data on Foodborne Disease Outbreaks

“Outbreaks provide important insights into how germs spread, which food and germ combinations cause illnesses, and how to prevent infections. Public health and industry use outbreak data to create information on prevention, education, and policy. CDC has a long history of summarizing outbreak reports from local and state health departments. CDC collects outbreak data and makes it available to… Continue Reading

Research using big data identifies gaps in timely release of classified documents

The Ghost Files published in Columbia Magazine, Winter 2013-14 by David J. Craig – writing about Columbia Professor Connolly’s Declassification Engine and his efforts to leverage big-data analysis to show what kinds of information the government is keeping classified. “…Then Connelly had an idea: could he use data mining to infer what types of information were being left out of the public… Continue Reading