WHY IT MATTERS: Digital Transformation

WHY IT MATTERS: always good to understand how hacking was done 10 years ago. And remember that today Internet usage is at least 10x what it was in 2011.

https://www.inphi.com/the-rise-of-internet-3-0/

WHY IT MATTERS: I missed that one when it was published last year. The document lists and compares tens of solutions and provides great overview of their characteristics. A great starting point.

WHY IT MATTERS: fascinating stories of espionnage using modified hardware by China. Everyone knows China, Russia, USA, and others do it. Just painful to see it in writing. A consequence of global supply chains (read the book "the world is flat" to understand why this is so) and a strong business case to bring back some of the manufacturing in our country even if it makes some devices more expensive. Considering that we are carry with us smart phones and that they are all made in China, this is going to be tough. This article is also a great case for strong data encryption for all data at rest and in flight.

WHY IT MATTERS: all projects I work on is very concerned about privacy, especially when it comes to email communications. But if the computer systems that store the info are not secured, what's the point? Why do we even bother to accept cookies left and right when the info gets collected and stored in systems that can be breached. This subject needs to be raised to the top of the priority list in organization and this means $$$ and delays....

WHY IT MATTERS: security has become central in our age of digital transformation. Yet, it seems, most people are either unaware of basic security principles, or not willing to invest time or money to do it. And I am not even talking of doing it *well*. Just implementing proper security measure. In this case it affect Parler, which in itself I don't much care about (they deserve it for such a stupid mistake). But their lack of security impacts their users privacy as well. And that includes potentially millions of people (in the photo, 68000 video have been geolocated - too bad for keeping your anonymity ;-)

WHY IT MATTERS: install the contact tracing app on your phone, because without at least 60% adoption it won't be very useful. Know that bluetooth technology will respect your privacy but has limited effectiveness. Alternatives that use more precise GPS data unfortunately also have privacy issues. No perfect solution but everyone needs to install the app we have now.

Download COVID Alert is Canada's free exposure notification app: www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-alert.html

WHY IT MATTERS: geek must-read just off the press is the framework to enable the Canadian digital ID. 

WHY IT MATTERS: this technical paper explains how Facebook engineering team has developed a framework to help facilitate the deletion of data in their social graph. This can be used in other contexts.

To me it highlights the primitive state we are in when it comes to permanently deleting the data we produce in our daily activities - so called "data exhaust". But what the framework fails to enable is metadata - for example the inferences that were made from the post such as the political preferences - are not reverted when deletion occurs. Thus the original data still leaves traces - the original event is forgotten but its impact is not. Much more needs to be created to ensure true "deletion" in order to enable that digital systems "forget". 

WHY IT MATTERS: very interesting article that reviews the different websites and systems where everyone should claim its spot. Financial, government and others are reviewed. I would add the "social media" category in the list: facebook, linkedIn instagram, etc.

WHY IT MATTERS: a nice reference on hackers and hacking along with a how-to guide if you want to get started! Digital transformation often requires a hacker's mindset to get around problems and think outside the box so this should be mandatory reading for anyone in the field! ;-)

WHY IT MATTERS: been a while since I wrote about wearables, wellness and transhumanism. This article is a bit too futuristic but does provide some useful solutions.

With health concerns on the rise and social distancing a "thing" now, I keep thinking that wearables will find their killer app moment. If I am concerned about who I come in contact with - either because I am concerned for my personal health or I am concerned about insurance premiums as a company - then wearables become a great solution. As Bernard Marr highlights, the privacy concerns are never too far away in those use cases.

WHY IT MATTERS: yes the new normal may include being tracked by governments and employers for contact tracing. At some point the data will need to be be stored somewhere and the question will become: where is it stored? is it secure? is privacy protected?

WHY IT MATTERS: this article presents detailed numbers and references that show facial recognition is not accurate for dark skinned persons and that Amazon technology called rekognition is in use by law enforcement via ring doorbells...

WHY IT MATTERS: a very interesting visualization of the data captured by the main platforms. Usually I am not a big fan of infographics but this one is different as it conveys true information. The article has a. longer form version of this.

WHY IT MATTERS: not very surprising that this exists. Snowden has shown that USA has been doing this to spy and thus expects China is doing the same in the 5G networking equipment. I say they probably all are doing it. One more argument in favor of strong encryption everywhere.

WHY IT MATTERS: covid contact tracing appears an important component of public health safety. Apple and Google are embedding the solution into their OS quite fast. This is great news to prevent covid spread in the future. It raises a ton of questions about privacy and contact tracing outside of the health crisis. 

WHY IT MATTERS: using phone location and big data analysis tools it is possible to track where spring break party-going students have gone after the beach closed. Amazing to see, great and powerful to predict pandemic propagation. Also another reason to fear privacy invasion...

Direct link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq2zuE3ISYU 

WHY IT MATTERS:  programmatic ads on the web is the new trend, accounting for 25% of all ads you see online. This primer provides an amazing overview of the issues, technologies and privacy compliance requirements. Must read.

WHY IT MATTERS: there is no privacy in Big data as this study finds. A bit technical, it basically says that you can identify people if you have a large enough dataset. Even anonymous datasets - so ad blockers and all the  other "privacy" settings are futile because we leave anonymous data in website logs, even when GDPR regulation is applied. Not sure there is a way to remain private in today's world...

WHY IT MATTERS: privacy is very important but it seems that the cure remains difficult. I have not tried Jumbo yet - I will - just to see what I will loose by being more private...

WHY IT MATTERS: cameras are everywhere - phones, streets, home, office - and AI enables new capabilities that can present massive surveillance possibilities as well as personal protection and real-time data. This very well done video - as is the case with most VOX videos - should give you a good rundown of the plus and minuses...

WHY IIT MATTERS: a reminder that the value of data is not going down.

WHY IT MATTERS: protecting privacy is a difficult task, sometimes an impossible one. Case in point this long list of sites you have to go through to opt-out or delete your data. We need a better solution...

WHY IT MATTERS: digital transformation affects our privacy in many ways. With xmas gifting around the corner, you may find this list useful ... or creepy! ;-)

WHY IT MATTERS: every device being connected to the internet brings with it the possibility of remote monitoring. Here, doorbells equipped with cameras can detect who's at the door and determine who is trick or tricking at Halloween. But it can also detect burglaries, car crashes and other common neighbourhood events. Should we be concerned or feel more secured?

In the context of businesses, this can be extended to employee surveillance and possibly spying. Fun times ahead as the number of connected IOT devices is set to explode x10 in coming years.