Category Archives: Evolution

A report from Barracuda Networks also identifies attack risks associated with various roles throughout a company ranging from CEOs and IT departments to employees in sales.

Image: GettyIMages/South_agency

In recent months, a string of high-profile cyberattacks on critical aspects of the U.S. infrastructure has brought conversations surrounding cybersecurity front and center for companies around the globe. On Wednesday, Barracuda Networks published a report entitled "Spear Phishing: Top Threats and Trends'' highlighting the latest security trends and tactics cybercriminals are deploying.

"Whether it's taking advantage of the buzz around cryptocurrency, stealing credentials to start a ransomware attack, or tailoring attacks to less suspicious targets in low profile roles, cybercriminals are constantly adapting their tactics and making their attacks more sophisticated," per the report.

SEE:Security incident response policy(TechRepublic Premium)

Overall, the average organization will face more than 700 social engineering cyberattacks annually, and 10% of the targeted attacks are business email compromises (BEC), according to the report. Among social engineering attacks analyzed by Barracuda researchers, phishing represented 49%, followed by scamming (39%), BEC (10%) and extortion (2%).

A portion of the report identifies attack risks associated with various roles throughout a company ranging from CEOs and IT departments to employees in sales. On average, IT professionals receive 40 targeted phishing attacks annually and this number jumps to 57 for CEOs. Overall, 19% of BEC attacks focus on workers in sales positions and 77% target professionals "outside of finance and executive roles," per the report.

"Due to the nature of their role, sales reps are used to getting external messages from senders they haven't communicated with before. At the same time, they are all connected with payments and with other departments including finance. For hackers, these individuals could be a perfect entry point to get into an organization and launch other attacks," the report said.

Overall the brands most often used in the impersonation attacks include Microsoft, WeTransfer, and DHL, with the report noting that the top three have "stayed consistent since 2019." Over the last year, Microsoft was impersonated in nearly half (43%) of phishing attacks, down from 56% in 2019, according to Barracuda data. The switch to remote work as well as increased e-commerce and deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic could play a role in these preferred brand impersonation tactics.

"With 79% of organizations using Office 365 and many more looking at migrating in the immediate future, it's not surprising that Microsoft brands remain a top target for cybercriminals," the report said.

In order, WeTransfer (18%), DHL (8%), Google (8%), eFax (7%) and DocuSign (5%) round out Barracuda's top six impersonated brands.

"Around 12% of attacks used either DHL or USPS branding to provide fake updates on shipments and deliveries. Hackers have been capitalizing on the fact that so many people have been stuck at home over the past year and getting more deliveries," the report said.

SEE:How to manage passwords: Best practices and security tips (free PDF)(TechRepublic)

Over the last year, cryptocurrencies have made headlines for myriad reasons ranging from carbon footprint concerns to pricing volatility. Interestingly, cybercriminals appear to be riding the wave of crypto fanfare and using digital currencies as bait in recent attacks. From October 2020 to April, "cryptocurrency-related impersonation attacks" spiked 192%, according to the Barracuda report.

"Hackers impersonated digital wallets and other cryptocurrency-related apps with fraudulent security alerts to steal log-in credentials. In the past, attackers impersonated financial institutions targeting your banking credentials. Today they are using the same tactics to steal valuable bitcoins," the report said.

From May 2020 through June 2021, the report said the Barracuda researcher team looked at "more than 12 million spear phishing and social engineering attacks impacting more than 3 million mailboxes" across 17,000 organizations.

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The evolution of spear phishing and who criminals are targeting - TechRepublic

I decided on building a 213-by-107-cm bench. This was the largest space that I could reasonably reach across and also fit in my garage without blocking movement. The 2x4basics kit came with shelves, providing space for plastic storage boxes. At this point, I thought I was done, because surely this bench would be simply something that I built and useda background thing that needs no more mention than a screwdriver or hammer would.

As it turns out, I can't leave well enough alone. The initial tweaks were small. To enhance the bench's storage, I added magnets on which to hang various tools, and augmented my existing storage cases with 3D-printed dividers. Then I added an eyebolt for my air compressora fabulous tool for its roughly US $40 priceto keep it at the ready for blowing off excess material. Toward the back of the bench rests a hot-air gun and a soldering station, as well as my bag of other electrical tools.

The solder squid (left) uses an EZ Fan board and a motion sensor to control a fan. The bench lights are controlled using an Arduino Nano (far right)inserted into another custom board, the Grounduino (middle), which also provides a dedicated space for the recommended large capacitor when driving addressable LED strips.James Provost

Then things got more complex. I added a DIY solder squida block with four flexible arms that I use to hold components in place while solderingwith a concrete base and an automatic solder fume extractor.

Yes, my solder squid is made out of concrete, via a 3D-printed moldthough that last refinement is perhaps optional. You could make nearly the same sort of brick using a plastic storage container. Heavy, cheap, and nonconductive, concrete is the perfect base material for such a device, and for arms you simply need to stick a few coolant lines in while the concrete cures. Two of the arms have alligator clips attached, one has a larger clamp, and the third has an old PC fan, recycled for my fume extractor.

I automated the fan by hooking up a rechargeable battery, a USB charger board, and a passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor. When activated by soldering movements, the PIR sensor turns the fan on with the help of a leftover original EZ Fan transistor board. (I created the EZ Fan board to control add-on cooling fans for Raspberry Pi computers, and now sell an even slimmer version.) This means that I don't ever have to remember to turn the fan on or off: It just comes on when it senses that I'm soldering. I normally keep it plugged into a USB port that provides power, but there is also a battery inside for when a USB port isn't available.

I mounted one PIR sensor at the end of a piece of pipe and one in the middle, and then strung a strip of WS2812B RGB addressable lights along the length. I attached this to the overhead shelves with pipe hangers, which let me adjust the lighting angle as needed to complement the static white LEDs. To control both the addressable LEDs and the nonaddressable strip, I used an Arduino Nano plugged into another utility board of my own creation, the Grounduino, and connected another PIR sensor to it, giving me three sensors along the length. The Grounduino provides screw terminals for hooking wires to the Nano and, as the name suggests, five extra ground connections (and five extra 5V connections as well). It also has built-in accommodation for the recommended capacitor that others often forget to use with WSx addressable LED lights.

Three infrared sensors that detect motion are spaced along the bench sothat my work zone is always automatically illuminated.James Provost

Probably the biggest challenge here was actually fishing the various wires through the length of pipe, but in the end it worked quite well. Three segments of addressable LEDs turn on based on which PIR sensor is triggered, while the 12V nonaddressable strip is powered via a FQP30N06L metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) under control of the Arduino (the power required is just a little on the high side for an EZ Fan board). A push-button control lets me alter the brightness of the strips using pulse-width modulation.

If I was starting from scratch, I'd use a single LED voltage, as my setup currently has two power transformers (12V and 5V). Hindsight is 20/20, though it's very possible this project isn't quite done yet. I use open-source Home Assistant software to turn on house lights over Wi-Fi, and a homemade ESP8266 contraption to link the same system to my garage door, so why not my bench lights? The Grounduino and Nano were good choices here, but with an ESP8266, I could potentially automate everything and/or control it all with my phone if needed

However, for now at least, I can finally fit my projects, and my tools, on one bench!

This article appears in the August 2021 print issue as This Huge Workbench Gives You a Hand."

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The Evolution of the Space Suit - IEEE Spectrum

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MTV launched with the music video for Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star" in 1981.

Aug. 1, 1981MTV hits the airwaves with the video for Buggles Video Killed The Radio Star. Most of the country has no idea its happening.

Dec. 2, 1983Michael Jacksons Thriller video debuts, and MJ scares his girlfriend in the vid as well as lots of children at home years before accusations of pedophilia hit.

Sept. 14, 1984The inaugural MTV Video Music Awards occurs, a celebration of the years best videos that continues to this day despite the channel rarely playing videos anymore. Video of the year goes to the Cars You Might Think. Madonna rolls around on the stage singing Like A Virgin, the first of a long history of memorable VMA performances.

July 13, 1985MTV airs the Live Aid concert raising money for Ethiopian famine victims, covering simultaneous concerts in London and Philadelphia and establishing MTV as the place in the music media business.

July 3, 1986The Walk This Way video debuts, featuring the unlikely combo of 70s rockers Aerosmith and hip-hop pioneers Run-D.M.C., and gets constant play. Run-D.M.C. adds much needed cultural diversity to MTV, and Aerosmith launches a new (mostly terrible) phase in their career.

April 18, 1987Headbangers Ball debuts, helping dozens of hair-farming Sunset Strippers to land record deals and hit songs (mostly power ballads) before so-called alternative music wiped hair metal from the channel, at least for a while.

August 6, 1988Yo! MTV Raps debuts, marking the first time hip-hop had a dedicated space on the network.

Nov. 26, 1989MTV Unplugged debuts, and suddenly the charts were filled with acoustic versions of songs by unexpected artists ranging from Poison to LL Cool J and from Nirvana to Jay-Z.

May 21, 1992The Real World debuts, throwing a bunch of artists into a New York City loft and filming the results. Upside? Helps create reality TV (if youre into that sort of thing). Downside? The Real World quickly devolves into a show on which folks just party instead of getting real.

Sept. 14, 1998Total Request Live, aka TRL, debuts, and Disney-pop and boy bands soon take over the world thanks to the daily votes and crazed live audiences of teenagers. Carson Daly becomes a star despite being, as Jimmy Fallon famously portrayed on SNL, a massive tool.

Oct. 1, 2000Jackass takes a bunch of boneheaded buddies willing to cause each other enormous pain to superstardom. Several awful Johnny Knoxville movies follow, because acting isnt the same as having things shoved up your rectum.

March 5, 2002The Osbournes debuts, showing bat-munching metalhead Ozzy Osbourne at home with his wife and kids. Decades of celebrity reality series follow. Yay?

Dec. 3, 2009Jersey Shore debuts, laying the groundwork for pop culture worshipping morons like the Kardashians. Society has yet to recover.

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Noteworthy dates in the evolution of MTV | Arts & Culture | Spokane | The Pacific Northwest Inlander | News, Politics, Music, Calendar, Events in...

What do fantasy sports, cryptocurrency, and trash talking have in common? Before this fall, not much. But FantasyBoss the next evolution in season-long fantasy sports is here to change that.

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FantasyBoss: The Next Evolution in Season-Long Fantasy Sports - FantasyPros

Reva K. Basho, MD, discusses the evolution of therapeutic sequencing in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Reva K. Basho, MD, assistant professor of medicine, co-director, Womens Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Cancer Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, discussesthe evolution of therapeutic sequencing in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Based on findings from the phase 3 CLEOPATRA trial (NCT00567190), the combination of docetaxel, trastuzumab (Herceptin), and pertuzumab (Perjeta) has remained the frontline standard of care for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, Bashoexplains. In the second-line setting, ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1; Kadcyla) was the standard of care option, Basho adds. Beyond this, physicians were left with the choice of how to treat patients that typically included chemotherapy in combination with HER2-directed therapy, Basho adds.

Novel FDA-approved agents have expanded the paradigm of HER2-positive breast cancer treatment, Basho says. For example, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) and tucatinib (Tukysa) have become established regimens in the third- and fourth-line settings for this patient population, Basho explains. Additional agents are emerging for use in HER2-positive breast cancer that could further shift sequencing, Basho concludes.

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Dr. Basho on the Evolution of Therapeutic Sequencing in HER2+ Breast Cancer - OncLive

The Human Behavior and Evolution Society is the worlds premier forum for interdisciplinary research dedicated to the study of behavior. Scientific approaches range from evolutionary psychology to evolutionary anthropology and cultural evolution. For details, seehttps://www.hbes.com/. Here is the abstract:

Homo Empathicus or Dominatus? Evolutionary Mismatch and Male Leadership in Crisis

In recent years, research in organizational psychology has applied an evolutionary lens to explore the mechanisms underpinning leader selection. The evolutionary mismatch hypothesis argues that current industrialized societies are, at times, divorced from the environments in which psychological mechanisms evolved to govern leader-follower interactions. In this theoretical paper, I describe one manifestation of this evolutionary mismatch occurring between the leadership traits deemed essential during our shared Darwinian past and those believed to be effective in the modern workplace. Social dominance and its variants (e.g., aggression) were long considered critical leadership qualities that ensured group survival. Empathy and its variants (e.g., personal distress) were also necessary but for different reasons, most notably to signal solidarity between individuals and to elicit altruism. In contemporary work contexts promoting diversity and inclusion at every turn, these two antithetical qualities are expected to contribute to a paradox for the archetypal male leader role. Striking a balance between agentic and communal behaviors not only promises to be taxing for male leaders, but it may also create confusion among their followers. While much of the leadership research promulgated by social role theorists focuses on female leaders and their struggle to reconcile dominant and empathic behaviors, little attention has been paid to their male cohort now confronted with a behavioral plasticity challenge in its leadership approach. This paper hopes to stimulate novel discussions on optimal leader selection criteria and to question the widely held notion that empathy is a panacea for all ills plaguing modern leadership.

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John Vongas presents his research on leadership at the 33rd Annual Conference of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society. - Ithaca College

Central Banking speaks to five policy-makers about their thoughts on the prominence of the renminbi (RMB) within central bank reserves following its inclusion in the International Monetary Funds special drawing rights.

On October 1, 2016, the International Monetary Funds (IMFs) special drawing rights (SDR) basket of currencies was enlarged to include RMB as its fifth currency.

The SDR was created by the IMF in 1969, and its value was initially expressed in terms of gold. However, following the end of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, the SDRs composition changed to include currencies of countries with the largest share of exports of goods and services. In 1981, the basket was downsized from 16 currencies to just five: US dollar, Japanese yen, German mark, British pound and French franc. And, in 1999, the euro replaced the former European currencies and the SDR became a four-currency basket.

The inclusion of RMB was a sign that Chinas entrance onto the world economic stage was well and truly set. But, five years on from its inclusion, has RMB continued to gain traction in international markets?

When RMB joined the SDR it was a historic moment for the global financial system. Five years on, do you think the IMF made the right decision?

Zafar Parker, South African Reserve Bank

Zafar Parker, South African Reserve Bank (Sarb): The inclusion of RMB in the SDR basket was indeed the correct decision, as it contributed to the expansion and diversification of global reserve assets. In particular, including a currency from the fast-growing emerging market economies provides a better representation of the global macroeconomic and financial system. The SDR basket review process was robust, and RMB met all the requirements. With the SDR being a broad representation of global trade flows, and considering the magnitude of the Chinese economy, the inclusion of RMB should also further contribute to the pace at which China continues opening up its economy and delivering predictable macroeconomic outcomes. We have already seen significant reforms to the banking system and the opening up of capital markets around the time of the inclusion of RMB in the SDR basket.

Kimty Kormoly, National Bank of Cambodia: I think it was the right decision to include RMB in the SDR because Chinas share of the world economy has been growing, to around 17.8% in 2020, although the currency settlement in international trade is still dominated by US dollars.

Robert Rekasi, Central Bank of Hungary: The aim of the IMF with RMB inclusion in the SDR basket was to acknowledge Chinas reforms of its financial systems and support RMB internationalisation. Since the previous review, the liberalisation of Chinese financial markets has continued and the use of RMB has also increased further. In my view, this decision was right.

Diego Gianelli, Central Bank of Chile: The decision was correct, China is a relevant player in international trade and is taking the right steps to continue opening up its capital market.

Mohamed Araar, Central Bank of Tunisia: The inclusion of RMB in the SDR was significant as it highlighted how globalisation has led to China, and its currency, becoming a more prominent player within the global financial system. While RMB is not totally convertible, its usage within financial markets has increased and it now makes up a considerable portion of international payments. The IMF knows the SDR has to reflect changes within the global financial system, including new connections between economies and financial markets. The fact China has become a core player, and is interacting more with the other major economies, needed to be reflected.

RMB is soon to undergo its first reassessment since joining the SDR basket. What are your expectations in regard to changes in RMBs weight?

Zafar Parker: The weights assigned to each currency in the SDR basket are adjusted to take into account their prominence in terms of international trade and national foreign exchange reserves. Considering recent increases in the global allocation to RMB as a reserve currency, and improvements in the form of investment opportunities in the onshore RMB market in terms of depth, liquidity and transparency, it is expected RMBs weight in the SDR basket will gradually increase over time.

Furthermore, growth in the international use of RMB has reflected several features of currency internationalisation: increased use of RMB in cross-border payments; the use of RMB for cross-border trade invoicing and payment; settling of direct investment payments in both directions; and increased offshore RMB deposits, offshore trading and issuance of offshore RMB bonds.

Kimty Kormoly, National Bank of Cambodia

Kimty Kormoly: I think RMBs weight will increase given its growing influence on the world economy. As it is the worlds largest exporter by value at US$2.591 trillion worth of goods in 2020, more internationalisation of RMB through its stability will build confidence for investors over time.

Robert Rekasi: Evaluating the trends of world trade, which could be a driver of weight changes, during the Covid-related economic stress can be challenging.

Diego Gianelli: The weight of RMB in the SDR is currently almost 11%. However, the participation of China in the global trade market is around 15% and the participation of RMB in the global fixed income markets around 20%. For these reasons we expect that at least RMB should keep (or increase) its current weight.

Mohamed Araar: I think the IMFs first reassessment of RMB will not focus on whether its weight needs to be increased or decreased, but rather confirm the stability of the major economies included in the SDR basket. In the case of RMB, its continued inclusion reaffirms for reserve managers that it is stable in value.

How important has RMBs inclusion in the SDR basket been for the global financial system?

Zafar Parker: The current role of emerging market currencies in the international monetary system has been growing, but remains limited. However, the increasing importance of emerging markets in the global economy suggests these currencies should become an avenue for greater reserve currency diversification in future, and thereby a potential catalyst for the production of reserve assets. The inclusion of RMB was of fundamental importance, as it provides an improved fit for representing the global economy, though more can be done.

Kimty Kormoly: RMBs inclusion in the SDR has been important for a number of reasons. First, the use of RMB in cross-border payments has grown rapidly in recent years, along with its status as an increasingly actively traded currency in global financial markets. As a result, there is less FX risk for Chinese exporters and their counterparts. In addition, RMBs inclusion has led to the opening of Chinas bond market to international investors and increased foreign holdings of RMB assets.

Robert Rekasi, Central Bank of Hungary

Robert Rekasi: The inclusion in the SDR basket was a milestone for RMB. It supports RMB integration to the global financial system and further development of the Chinese financial markets and economy. It also provides diversification via broadening the available international investment opportunities.

Diego Gianelli: It contributes to build more confidence globally in RMB from a financial perspective. It also reflects the increasing importance of Chinas currency both in financial markets and trade.

Mohamed Araar: RMBs inclusion in the SDR basket has led to a more stable global financial market. It is important to note that its inclusion has reduced the SDRs level of systemic risk, giving rise to a more stable SDR currency system and a more manageable supply for international exchange rate markets.

To what extent do you expect the opening of Chinas bond market to international investors to affect RMB over the coming years?

Zafar Parker: With the rapid pace of Chinas economic expansion, and considering the significant role it plays in global markets, international investors are expected to increase their allocations towards RMB. Over the past year, Sarb has also noticed an increasing appetite from emerging market central banks that consider investing in Chinas onshore bond market. The opening of the Chinese Interbank Bond Market supports this transition to higher RMB allocations, by means of eased processes, improved transparency and operational support. The move also supports the further development of the bond market in overcoming some of the earlier challenges, related to market depth and liquidity.

Kimty Kormoly: The opening of Chinas bond market to international investors will induce an RMB appreciation, and currency fluctuations will likely be more market-based.

Robert Rekasi: The opening of the Chinese markets to foreign investors in is an essential element of RMB internationalisation. Luring foreign investors requires more transparency in regulation and urges the adoption of international best practices and further improvement of the legal framework and market infrastructure. The presence of foreign investors supports healthy functioning of the markets in terms of pricing risks.

Diego Gianelli, Central Bank of Chile

Diego Gianelli: It will continue to bring support to the currency and probably also help the Chinese authorities push forward ongoing structural reforms.

Mohamed Araar: In keeping the balance between the floating and fixed exchange rate regimes, RMB has remained relatively stable. A liberalisation of Chinas bond market may lead to a currency volatility. However, it is necessary for Chinas bond market to become more mature and liquid for international investors to gain access. This, in turn, will enhance RMB internationalisation by helping to further develop and grow the market.

What will be RMBs greatest challenges in terms of growth?

Zafar Parker: Most challenges are being addressed through the continued efforts by Chinese authorities in the opening up of the Chinese economy and markets. The inclusion of RMB in the SDR basket gives additional support in resolving the challenges, however, the biggest challenges that remain relate to the uniqueness of the Chinese market structure when it comes to trading procedures and wide bid/offer bond spreads.

Kimty Kormoly: RMBs greatet challenges in terms of growth would be the central banks capability to intervene in the FX market to depreciate RMB as it has large amount of USD reserves, and the benefits to the countrys exports, although the Peoples Bank of China has been reassuring investors that RMB will be determined by the market.

Diego Gianelli: In financial markets, continuous steps to achieving a flexible exchange rate and openness to capital flows will help internationalise RMB even more. In trade, moving away from USD invoicing as a standard will probably be slower. Finally, there are also some infrastructure issues that should be addressed. The US (and USD) is still very predominant worldwide and, for that reason, a change in paradigm will probably take some time.

Mohamed Araar, Central Bank of Tunisia

Mohamed Araar: In terms of growth, the management of FX reserves is the biggest challenge faced by China when dealing with the proportion of US dollars compared with RMB. They also need to implement policies encouraging other sovereigns to include RMB in their reserves and promote the diversification of reserve asset structures.

What is your central banks portfolio position on RMBinvestments?

Zafar Parker: Sarb has been investing in the onshore bond market since 2013 and twice increased its allocation size to RMB. Currently, the RMB bond market provides good returns, while the liquidity in both government and policy bank bonds, as well as money market instruments, has improved notably.

Kimty Kormoly: Our central banks stance against RMB investments is a safe investment with high returns compared with other developed markets and, with the expectation of RMB appreciation, our decision to invest in RMB a few years ago was the right decision. We are increasing our holding in RMB and look to invest in new asset classes in RMB by allocating some to our external asset managers.

Robert Rekasi: The Central Bank of Hungary started to invest in the RMB government bond market in 2015. The investment approach is gradual and conservative, which enables monitoring developments of the regulatory landscape and the market infrastructure. More recently, we broadened the eligible asset universe with policy bank bonds.

Diego Gianelli: In the past 10 years, Chinas share in the reserves benchmark has increased from 2% to its current level of 8%. We introduced Chinese investments through offshore deposits in RMB back in 2010, after which the Central Bank of Chile obtained authorisation from the Peoples Bank of China to invest in the onshore market with a quota of CNY2,600 million.

In 2014, for the first time, we became exposed to the Chinese bond market through a Bank for International Settlements Investment Pool RMB. Then, in 2015, the central bank signed a public agent contract with the Peoples Bank of China, under which we started to invest directly in onshore bonds. Finally, in 2018, the central bank signed a contract with a private agent, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, to operate on our behalf in the onshore fixed income market.

Mohamed Araar: The first steps taken by the Central Bank of Tunisia have been encouraging. We introduced RMB to the list of currencies quoted against the Tunisian dinar, making RMB an eligible currency for invoicing and settlement of commercial and financial transactions between the two countries. Currently, this has not been followed by other initiatives due to the difficult economic and pandemic period and, subsequently, a change in the countrys priorities.

This is a summary of a forum convened by Central Banking. The commentary and responses to this forum are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the panellists respective organisations.

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The evolution of the renminbi - Central Banking

These days, 90s pop culture is having a moment so what better time to reflect on one of its brightest stars: Aaliyah.

Out of all the sensational artists the 90s and early 2000s have blessed us with, only a few still have lasting influence today. It may have been two decades since her tragic passing, but, aside from her music, Aaliyahs impact is still also seen in the latest fashion trends.

Aaliyahs legacy is so timeless because she mastered the art of simplicity. She was a style chameleon who looked just as radiant in a pair of baggy pants as she did in a glamorous red carpet gown. Her music video looks were ultra-fierce and featured all the cut-outs and sparkles that fill our Insta feeds today. We also cant gloss over the fact that she made streetwear and oversized clothing cool in an era when skin-tight was everything.

From her signature makeup to her tomboy edge, Aaliyahs influence is undeniable and has no sign of stopping any time soon. Here, we look back on the princess of R&Bs best looks and the stars shes inspired over the years.

Aaliyah looked fierce wearing a yellow zebra print Roberto Cavalli dress at the 2000 MTV Music Awards. The gowns high thigh split and feathered trim add extra drama and till this day we cant go over how good she looks. In April 2021, model Paloma Elsesser wore the same statement dress to a wedding and it still looked great more than two decades later. Talk about timeless.

Rob Beccaris/WireImage via Getty

As Aaliyahs music matured, so did her look. In her music video for One In A Million, she wore figure-hugging pieces in tactile textures like leather. Normani recently rocked a similar look in her music video for Wild Side. Normani's song pays homage to One in a Million in more ways than one. Normani sampled Aaliyahs track and recreated parts of her music video choreography. When it comes to styling, Normani served some major energy in her laser cut-out ensemble.

Screenshot/Youtube. "One In A Million" music video, Aaliyah.

Screenshot/Youtube. "Wild Side" music video, Normani.

Normani also gave a modern spin to Aaliyahs iconic all-white outfit in One In A Million. Aaliyah performs her clean choreography wearing one of her simplest looks: a white crop top and belly button piercing with matching baggy pants. Aaliyahs minimalist style has aged just as well as her futuristic sound.

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Screenshot/Youtube. "Wild Side" music video, Normani.

Screenshot/Youtube. "One In A Million" music video, Aaliyah.

When in doubt, black always works. Aaliyah knew this all too well since, after white, black was her go-to color. Black is sultry and mysterious which perfectly captures what made Aaliyah such an enigma.

Screenshot/Youtube. "We Need A Resolution" music video, Aaliyah.

Thankfully, a lot of Aaliyahs staple accessories are back en vogue. The classic print bandana can elevate any casual outfit. Just take a look at singer Becky Gs white paisley fit she wore during a virtual festival performance in May. Her monochrome look and silver jewelry have Aaliyahs name written all over it.

Sal Idriss/Redferns via Getty

Screenshot/Youtube. Becky G.

Aaliyahs iconic look from her Try Again music video still has a hold on pop culture today. She looked icy as ever wearing a diamond choker with a matching bra and belt. Kim Kardashian controversially recreated this look for Halloween back in 2017 and Keke Palmer wore her own stunning version of Aaliyahs outfit for Halloween in 2015. Aaliyah really is the blueprint.

Its impossible to look back on Tommy Hilfigers 90s heyday without bringing up Aaliyah. She constantly wore the brand and was featured in a 1996 Tommy Jeans campaign. Aaliyahs loyalty to the brand stills influences fashion today. Last spring, Yara Shahidi recreated Aaliyahs Tommy Jeans look in an episode of Grown-ish. She even wore Timbs and a side part to match.

Speaking of Timbs, that's a shoe that needs to make a mainstream comeback. Aaliyah only ever wore heels for the red carpet. Day to day she opted for sneakers or a trusty Timberland boot. Check out her crystal white pair that perfectly match her look.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

When Aaliyah started out she was, using 90s nomenclature, the ultimate tomboy. The more layers, the cooler the look. Her oversized outfit still holds up today, with Bella Hadid spotted in a very similar chocolate leather vest worn over a white shirt. Aaliyahs pic is from 1994 and Bella's from 2020 but the resemblance fashion-wise is uncanny down to the pockets, even.

Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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Aaliyahs outwear was always on point. As usual, oversized was her go-to, and celebs today are still trying to capture her effortless take on casual wear. Rihanna was spotted wearing a similar reverse camo jacket in New York back in 2017. Kylie Jenner is also a fan. Shes been papped and posted on Instagram wearing the same Canada Goose x Vetements collab.

Robert Kamau/GC Images via Getty

If theres one word to describe Aaliyahs style, its versatility. Her everyday looks have as much of a hold on fashion today as her glamorous music video moments. Take Aaliyahs denim overall crop top. Back in 2013, Rihanna collaborated on a collection with the British fast-fashion brand River Island. Rihanna knows a style icon when she sees one and clearly had Aaliyah pinned to her mood board.

Wearing logos is a good way to keep your name in the history books. Aaliyah is synonymous with the brands she wore and this particular outfit is one of her most unforgettable. She took to the stage wearing a matching Tommy Hilfiger sweatsuit in canary yellow with a silver lining. Today, Billie Eilish is known for wearing oversized logo sets that Aaliyah would surely be proud of.

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Aaliyah revolutionized what it meant to be a stylish woman in the 90s by taking inspiration from menswear. In an era when her pop peers were serving skin-tight glam, Aaliyah embraced roomy streetwear.

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The more Aaliyah grew as a star, the more experimental her wardrobe became. She still stuck to her sartorial roots by wearing Calvin Klein boxer shorts that peaked above her low-rise pants, but her red patent jacket and metallic crossover bikini top gave a stage-ready twist.

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It wouldnt be a journey down Aaliyahs greatest looks without mentioning her love for a pair of tinted sunglasses. Her lavish vizor pair are as Y2K as it gets, featuring a fuchsia tint and gold rim. No matter the preferred shape, Aaliyahs taste in eyewear is immaculate. Back in 2019, Kylie Jenner celebrated her 22nd birthday wearing a huge pair of Aaliyah-esque white sunnies.

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Cut-outs are having a major moment in 2021 and, back in the day, Aaliyah was also all over them. Her low-rise white pants paired with a tiny shoulder bag are the epitome of '00s chic but its the subtle touches of gold bling that make this look a winner.

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Aaliyah was always the image of sophistication but especially when she indulged in her love for motorsport fashion. In her music video for 2000 hit Try Again, she wore a white Chanel ensemble with a classic silver Chanel belt. Whats not to love?

Screenshot/Youtube. "More than a Woman" music video, Aaliyah.

Aaliyah was all about the slouch. Her pants always sat low on her waist and draped effortlessly over her sneakers. Its the ultimate comfy casual look.

Screenshot/Youtube. "We Need A Resolution" music video, Aaliyah.

At the start of the millennium, the worlds obsession with new technology began to make its mark on fashion. Aaliyah captured the futuristic outlook of her time in her Are You That Somebody music video. Dressed in a grey mesh top and silver boxers, she looked like a space-age goddess. Plus, no one could pull off iridescent green lipstick quite like her.

Screenshot/Youtube. "Are You That Somebody" music video, Aaliyah.

When it comes to her style, Aaliyah always stayed true to herself. In an appearance on the Jay Leno show in 1997, she performed in a khaki boiler suit and The Matrix-inspired sunnies and looked badass while doing it.

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Dare we say that Aaliyah is the original Icy Girl? Aaliyahs understated color palette meant her jewelry had plenty of room to shine. She had a thing for silver and often rocked an iced-out chain around her neck.

In Aaliyahs early days, she always made comfort a priority. Here she is making an appearance in London back in 1995. Her sports jersey is a world away from the cropped leather looks she adopted later in her career.

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The early 2000s were infamous for everyones obsession with low-rise pants and cropped shirts. High waist pants were nowhere to be seen and Aaliyahs washboard abs became a fashion statement in their own right.

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Its clear by now that Aaliyah loved a crop top. From the simple tank to the racy cut-out, no style was off-limits. This asymmetric watercolor top is a dreamy take on her closet staple.

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Aaliyah served multiple looks in her We Need A Resolution music video but this one takes the cake as the most avant-garde. She wore a python (and a few extra snakes) to match her fit, and for that, we commend her.

Screenshot/Youtube. "We Need A Resolution" music video, Aaliyah.

You could almost always catch Aaliyah in a matching set. Her cyber blue co-ord from We Need A Resolution lives in my head rent-free.

Screenshot/Youtube. "We Need A Resolution" music video, Aaliyah.

Aaliyah looked radiant wearing a beige embroidered corset dress to Madison Square Garden in New York. Its safe to say that Aaliyahs red carpet looks were perfection and this gown was no exception.

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Aaliyahs love for sparkle extended to her body jewelry. She let her silver chain sit just above jeans and, frankly, with abs like that who wouldnt?

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Aaliyahs final music video Rock the Boat took place in a tropical paradise and her looks did not disappoint. She switched her usual streetwear attire for beach-ready sarongs, a warmer color palette, and one of the most popular styles of the time: a baker boy cap.

Screenshot/Youtube. "Rock The Boat" music video, Aaliyah.

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We recently shared a post from Evolution Performance asking readers what they thought the Evo Perf GT500 was capable of crunching out on the dyno. As reported, the cars engine is stock, save for the addition of the 3.8L GEN-5 Whipple twin-screw supercharger wearing a massive 132mm throttle body and Whipple cold air intake. Of course, the fuel system needed to be updated to feed this beast, as well as various other ancillary components to safely shoot for the horsepower moon. You can find a complete list of go-fast goodies below.

The emphasis here is to finally show exactly what all those hard parts are capable of doing. We figured when Evolution Performance posted about putting its GT500 on the dyno with the new, larger Whipple supercharger, the results would be interesting. We just werent sure if it would be interesting in a good way or bad.

Now we know. In this video just released from Evolution Performance on their YouTube page, we now have the sights and sounds of the 2020 Shelby GT500 making 1,312 rwhp and 896 lb-ft of torque. Thats over 1,500 through the stock crank and DCT transmission and clutches!

Even though the video is just days old, comments are already stacking up about the longevity of those factory driveline components. As with any pursuit of extreme performance, youre always searching for the next weakest link. Others are surmising how quickly this street-driven atomic blast will go down the quarter-mile. As mentioned in the last story, the car has already proven capable of 8.88-second blasts at 158mph in the quarter-mile.

That may very well address both questions, as running the car on a dyno is very different from the shock loads experienced while hammering down the quarter-mile. So far, this Iconic Silver GT500 named Villain has proven to be quite reliable, but adding over 400-500 horsepower to a vehicle can have some very different results. There are also numerous other factors that weigh in how long components will endure the test of torque before they give up the ghost.

It will be very interesting to see how this story unfolds, but for now, we can congratulate the team at Evolution Performance for finding every pony hiding within the stock-based engine of the 2020 Shelby GT500. Check out Evolutions Facebook page for any updates, as we KNOW these guys will surely take Villain out for a little track testing in the near future. Perhaps then all these questions will have definitive answers, or maybe our minds will simply try to imagine how far this Stang of epic proportions may actually go!

2020 Shelby GT500 The Villain 100% Street Car

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Northampton, MA --News Direct-- Aflac Incorporated

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Digitizing the Office

To better outfit the office for collaboration under a hybrid model, Rich Gilbert, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Information Officer for Aflac, discussed the technology and tools hes found most helpful and how Aflac is doing things differently: One of the things that were doing, were implementing a band that takes your temperature and it also allows you to be able to open the doors into the building. It allows you to unlock your computer. If you have a secure elevator do that.

Gilbert discussed how Aflac is redesigning office space previously built for thousands of employees to collaborate in person to accommodate hybrid work by putting video cameras and solutions in all the different agile spaces.

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View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Aflac Incorporated on 3blmedia.com

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Event Highlights from The CIO Exchange: Workplace Evolution - Yahoo Finance