Monthly archives: March, 2019

Range of Consumer Risks Highlights Limitations of Identity Theft Services

Data Breaches: Range of Consumer Risks Highlights Limitations of Identity Theft Services, GAO-19-230: Published: Mar 27, 2019. Publicly Released: Mar 27, 2019. “Data breaches have exposed the personal data of hundreds of millions of people and put them at risk for identity theft. We looked at what you can do if you’re a victim of …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Government Documents, ID Theft, Privacy

Senators demand to know why election vendors still sell voting machines with ‘known vulnerabilities’

TechCrunch: “Four senior senators have called on the largest U.S. voting machine makers to explain why they continue to sell devices with “known vulnerabilities,” ahead of upcoming critical elections. The letter, sent Wednesday, calls on election equipment makers ES&S, Dominion Voting and Hart InterCivic to explain why they continue to sell decades-old machines, which the …

Subjects: Congress, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, E-Government

6 Exciting Birdwatching Webcams

Sierra Club Magazine: “Birding is a sport for the intrepid—its participants rise at ungodly hours, bundle in layers, and sit silently for hours, all in hopes of seeing a winged animal that may never arrive. But for those who aren’t quite ready to trek outdoors into wintry-remnant weather, or who might be stuck in front …

Subjects: Environmental Law

Pew research – broadcast is the favorite source for local news and weather most valued topic

For Local News, Americans Embrace Digital but Still Want Strong Community Connection 71% of U.S. adults think their local news media are doing well financially; 14% have directly paid a local news source – “The digital era is making its mark on local news. Nearly as many Americans today say they prefer to get their local …

Subjects: Internet, Knowledge Management

EU Parliament votes to end daylight savings

DW.com: “The European Parliament on Tuesday voted with a large majority to end daylight savings time in the EU by 2021.  Under the proposals, each member state would decide whether to continue with twice-a-year clock changes or stick permanently to summer or winter time…All 28 member states would need to inform the European Commission of their …

Subjects: Government Documents

Federal bump stock ban began on March 26 2019

CNN: “A federal ban on bump stocks — attachments that essentially allow shooters to fire semiautomatic rifles continuously with one pull of the trigger — begins Tuesday. The US Justice Department issued the rule in December, deciding that existing prohibitions against fully automatic weapons also covered bump stocks. Owners were given 90 days to turn …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Legal Research

FTC Seeks to Examine the Privacy Practices of Broadband Providers

“The Federal Trade Commission issued orders to seven U.S. Internet broadband providers and related entities seeking information the agency will use to examine how broadband companies collect, retain, use, and disclose information about consumers and their devices. The orders seek information about the companies’ privacy policies, procedures, and practices. The orders were sent to: AT&T Inc., …

Subjects: Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Privacy

How Google warped the hyperlink

Wired – 30 years on, SEO and social media silos have replaced pre-web visions of linking: “You might think of the hyperlink as a relatively recent invention, but, at least conceptually, it’s not. But more than 70 years later, it’s warped beyond all recognition from what was first proposed. In the 1960s Ted Nelson introduced …

Subjects: E-Commerce, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Search Engines

Search Encrypt

“Search Encrypt uses local encryption to secure your searches. It combines AES-256 encryption with Secure Sockets Layer encryption. Search Encrypt then retrieves your search results from its network of search partners. After you’re done searching, your search terms expire so they are private even if someone else has access to your computer.”

Subjects: Legal Research, Privacy, Search Engines