Category Archives: Technology

According to Jacobsens book, AABIS aimed to cover 80% of the Afghan population by 2012, or roughly 25 million people. While there is no publicly available information on just how many records this database now contains, and neither the contractor managing the database nor officials from the US Defense Department have responded to requests for comment, one unconfirmed figure from the LinkedIn profile of its US-based program manager puts it at 8.1 million records.

AABIS was widely used in a variety of ways by the previous Afghan government. Applications for government jobs and roles at most projects required a biometric check from the MOI system to ensure that applicants had no criminal or terrorist background. Biometric checks were also required for passport, national ID, and drivers license applications, as well as registrations for the countrys college entrance exam.

Another database, slightly smaller than AABIS, was connected to the e-tazkira, the countrys electronic national ID card. By the time the government fell, it had roughly 6.2 million applications in process, according to the National Statistics and Information Authority, though it is unclear how many applicants had already submitted biometric data.

Biometrics were also usedor at least publicizedby other government departments as well. The Independent Election Commission used biometric scanners in an attempt to prevent voter fraud during the 2019 parliamentary elections, with questionable results. In 2020, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries announced that it would collect biometrics from those who were registering new businesses.

Despite the plethora of systems, they were never fully connected to each other. An August 2019 audit by the US found that despite the $38 million spent to date, APPS had not met many of its aims: biometrics still werent integrated directly into its personnel files, but were just linked by the unique biometric number. Nor did the system connect directly to other Afghan government computer systems, like that of the Ministry of Finance, which sent out the salaries. APPS also still relied on manual data-entry processes, said the audit, which allowed room for human error or manipulation.

Afghanistan is not the only country to embrace biometrics. Many countries are concerned about so-called ghost beneficiariesfake identities that are used to illegally collect salaries or other funds. Preventing such fraud is a common justification for biometric systems, says Amba Kak, the director of global policy and programs at the AI Now institute and a legal expert on biometric systems.

Its really easy to paint this [APPS] as exceptional, says Kak, who co-edited a book on global biometric policies. It seems to have a lot of continuity with global experiences around biometrics.

"Biometric ID as the only efficient means for legal identification is flawed and a little dangerous."

Its widely recognized that having legal identification documents is a right, but conflating biometric ID as the only efficient means for legal identification, she says, is flawed and a little dangerous.

Kak questions whether biometricsrather than policy fixesare the right solution to fraud, and adds that they are often not evidence-based.

But driven largely by US military objectives and international funding, Afghanistans rollout of such technologies has been aggressive. Even if APPS and other databases had not yet achieved the level of function they were intended to, they still contain many terabytes of data on Afghan citizens that the Taliban can mine.

The growing alarm over the biometric devices and databases left behind, and the reams of other data about ordinary life in Afghanistan, has not stopped the collection of peoples sensitive data in the two weeks between the Talibans entry into Kabul and the official withdrawal of American forces.

This time, the data is being collected mostly by well-intentioned volunteers in unsecured Google forms and spreadsheets, highlighting either that the lessons on data security have not yet been learnedor that they must be relearned by every group involved.

Singh says the issue of what happens to data during conflicts or governmental collapse needs to be given more attention. We don't take it seriously, he says, But we should, especially in these war-torn areas where information can be used to create a lot of havoc.

Kak, the biometrics law researcher, suggests that perhaps the best way to protect sensitive data would be if these kinds of [data] infrastructures ... werent built in the first place.

For Jacobsen, the author and journalist, it is ironic that the Department of Defenses obsession with using data to establish identity might actually help the Taliban achieve its own version of identity dominance. That would be the fear of what the Taliban is doing, she says.

Ultimately, some experts say the fact that Afghan government databases were not very interoperable may actually be a saving grace if the Taliban do try to use the data. I suspect that the APPS still doesnt work that well, which is probably a good thing in light of recent events, said Dan Grazier, a veteran who works at watchdog group the Project on Government Oversight, by email.

But for those connected to the APPS database, who may now find themselves or their family members hunted by the Taliban, its less irony and more betrayal.

The Afghan military trusted their international partners, including and led by the US, to build a system like this, says one of the individuals familiar with the system. And now that database is going to be used as the [new] governments weapon.

This article has been updated with comment from the Department of Defense. In a previous version of this article, one source indicated that there was no deletion or data retention policy; he has since clarified that he was not aware of such a policy. The story has been updated to reflect this.

See the original post:

This is the real story of the Afghan biometric databases abandoned to the Taliban - MIT Technology Review

By Author: by Caitlyn-Rae Arendse, Security Television Network

Click here for updates on this story

September 1, 2021 (Security Television Network) Above: IBM is ready to fulfill promises to protect and preserve upcoming technologies with an all new center located in Washington, DC.

As the world approaches an incredibly fast-paced and motivated digital technology era, it is important to take a step back and examine the ways that technology has and is being corrupted in order to prevent future threats to cybersecurity.

The ongoing worries of failing cybersecurity, amidst this time of rapidly upcoming tech advances, dates back to fears of similar future events. Most recently, ransomware cyber attacks, like SolarWinds and the Colonial Pipeline, have been the main focus of the multi-billion dollar tech-company, IBM (International Business Machines Corp). According to YahooNews!.com, the hackers behind the SolarWinds hack have enacted cyberattacks around the world. These people are driven to create havoc within global data systems, with more esteem to infiltrate bigger and more powerful ransomware networks. This is an incredible finding, as we are currently in the midst of one of the biggest technological data shifts to the online cyberworld in global history: the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A quick online search reveals that the vast number of jobs that IBM needs in order to combat the efforts of future threats, from both hackers and special groups around the globe, include:

Sap Process Engineer (Cybersecurity) Senior Security Command Center Consultant Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Attorney Cybersecurity Software Developer/Architect Cyber Security Incident Responder All of these jobs demand a strong ability to constantly adjust to the evolving technology surrounding their company, while also supporting IBMs security and privacy posture.

Launching of IBM Center for Government Cybersecurity

Above: The homepage of the new center promises a deeper understanding of cybersecurity. The company is planning to launch a new center, called the IBM Center for Government Cybersecurity, located in Washington, D.C. This will focus on, helping federal agencies address current and future environmental issues surrounding cybersecurity threats (IBM). IBM stresses its values through stating that they are a calling to: build, design, code, and consult, in all areas and in any job; whether it be at the newest center, or in other areas of the organization.

Cybersecurity has been at the forefront of todays news due to hackers corrupting the infrastructure of ransomware to create gas shortages in the southern part of the United States. As such, it requires the most up-to-date technology and infrastructure data encryption to prevent further attacks on domestic technology for businesses in the United States.

The IBM Center for Government Cybersecurity will provide clientele with a game changing way to reach new technology protection methods. The company will offer initial conversation meetings before inviting clients to workshops which will be focused on zero-trust frameworks and cloud security. It will also allow permission to utilize IBM research and the IBM Security X-Force research organization with technologies.

Securing the environments in which technology and data are placed is of the utmost importance to IBM. This company capitalizes on enabling businesses through incident response in terms of cybersecurity. IBM also states that all companies must establish a policy of zero trust meaning to have a dedication to the least amount of privilege access, to never trust any information without conducting investigation. This will ensure the verification of information given, although they must always assume a breach will occur.

These policies are all meant to add to the stance of: open approach to security that is aligned with business priorities. IBM strives to enhance the corporate-client relationship that will strengthen all relations within the cyber-world and secure data if the problems that exist are discussed. With obvious growth in confidence of hackers domestically and internationally, it is important to study the organization of business structures and how companies can truly succeed in protecting ransomware, data, and more importantly, themselves. As the late IBM chairman and CEO, Thomas J. Watson, proclaimed, You have to have your heart in the business and the business in your heart.

IBM Top Officials will join Center Advisory Group

Above: From Left to right: Curt Duke, Tony Scott, Kiesten Todt, Picture Created from online bios The center will also provide security advisory services from both internal and external advisors, which includes the top former government officials. Tony Scott, a former U.S. chief information officer; Curt Duke, a former information security and cybersecurity lead for the National Security Agency; and Kiersten Todt, a former cybersecurity adviser for former President Barack Obama. All who promise, to advise US Federal customers on historical challenges and help evaluate best practices for navigating current and future regulations (IBM).

The center will definitely have an incredible insight into the previously mentioned heart-in-the-business approach that former IBM CEO, Thomas J. Watson, desired. This method will have the ability to see the hard work and capabilities of top officials and executives in current day businesses/companies. As they learn more about threats that can occur, they will be in need of help from the cybersecurity world. Receiving recommendations and advice from top aides and advisors will help businesses achieve a broader and more truthful lens about the dangers of security and ransomware attacks. More importantly, it will show the world how massive of a threat, but also a helpful tool, cybersecurity can be as it is constantly growing at a rapid speed.

IBM and Dedication to Cyber Protection Additionally, IBM has promised to create and help teach techniques to all clients willing to learn. The skills that will be taught were born through the hard work and innovation of the companys dedication to cybersecurity.

Above: IBM has been crucial in the fight against ransomware protection strategies globally. As the company moves towards upcoming progressions in the cybersecurity realm, many questions will be asked. Will the center be effective in improving relations between clientele, technological advisors, and security architects? These being all seeking to learn and preserve the security and mainframes of the present and future security data we currently hold. The answer is that only time will tell.

Protecting cyber assets is a key to success for IBM, and it will continue to be for generations to come. The company currently lists the following as key aspects in protecting all areas of cybersecurity:

Identity and Access Management (IAM)identifying the soles and privileges of each user granted access to data and info tech. A comprehensive data security platformability to view security vulnerabilities in order to see weaknesses for future attacks/breaches. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)a system used to further advancement in the cyber systems response to any cybersecurity fluke.

Above: IBM is ready to ensure the safety and security of all data and information technology now and in the future. The future of security lies within the hands of the American people, who can and hopefully will participate in any way possible. According to CBSNews.com, the United States has nearly 500,000 job openings within cybersecurity, ranging from a network security engineer, or an incident response analyst, to even a pen-tester (which after an eight-week course at the University of San Diego, you could earn upwards of 60,000 to 90,000 dollars a year).

For more information on how to schedule an initial consultation conversation or learn more about the upcoming center and IBMs goal for the future of technology in security, visit ibm.com/security/services/us-federal-cybersecurity-center.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Dr. James Halldrhall@security20.com(202) 607-2421

Original post:

IBM: Focusing on the Advancement and Protection of Cyber and Ransomware Technology - KTVZ

This year, more than 950 nominations from organizations of all sizes in 29 nations were submitted forStevies. Businessolver Silver Award in the Solution Provider category for HR Technology Solution Provider of the Year recognizes achievements for human resources-related systems, software, or analytics.

"Our tagline here at Businessolver is 'Technology with Heart,' and I think that's what the judges saw in the course of reviewing our achievements over the past year or so. We have consistently tried to proactively meet the increasing demands for our key usersboth HR leaders and their employeesin a period where disruption has been the norm," said Rae Shanahan, Businessolver Chief Strategy Officer. "In everything we do, we're trying to put it through the user experience lens and get ahead of the needs we see coming in the market."

More than 70 professionals worldwide helped select this year's Stevie winners.

"The judges were impressed by all of the nominees, whoduring the crises we've confronted this year and lastcontinue to dedicate each day to making the lives of their employees and teams better through training, software, work-from-home plans, and more," said Maggie Gallagher, Stevie Awards President.

Businessolver and its fellow Stevie honorees will be recognized during a virtual awards ceremony on Nov. 17.

About BusinessolverSince 1998, Businessolver has delivered market-changing benefits technology and services supported by an intrinsic responsiveness to client needs. The company creates client programs that maximize benefits program investment, minimize risk exposure, and engage employees with easy-to-use solutions and communication tools to assist them in making wise and cost-efficient benefits selections. Founded by HR professionals, Businessolver's unwavering service-oriented culture and secure SaaS platform provide measurable success in its mission to provide complete client delight.

Media Contact:Bridget Mortland, Head of Marketing[emailprotected]515-273-1426

SOURCE Businessolver

https://www.businessolver.com/

Link:

Businessolver Honored as HR Technology Solution Provider of the Year - PRNewswire

Tamarak Aerospace claims its active winglets can increase efficiency by 33 percent. (Tamarak)

Airlines and aircraft makers have all committed to zero emissions pledges that pump funding and research into cleaner technologies like electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft and sustainable aviation fuels. The problem is that none of these solutions can be implemented on a wide scale today.

While this means that some of the emission reduction estimates tied to these technologies are still decades away, there are technologies available right now that can contribute to emissions reductions.

For an airline, who's maybe made carbon neutrality goals or objectives, made those public announcements, this is an important element of getting there because this is available relatively short order, we're not waiting for SAF to be available, we're not waiting for hybrid electric technologies, it's available, really, in short order to help meet those objectives, Jacob Klinginsmith, president of Tamarack Aerospace Group, told Aviation Today.

Tamarack makes what it calls active wingletsopposed to passive or traditional winglets. Klinginsmith said this technology can be used today to provide added efficiency to aircraft and reduce emissions and it can be used in conjunction with future clean energy technology.

Tamaracks active winglets are different than traditional winglets because they include an extension and winglet providing greater wingspan increase. To be able to add the extension and winglet to the wing, Tamarack uses a load alleviation system that reinforces the wing. Klinginsmith said this system can provide efficiency improvements up to 33 percent versus about 5 percent with passive winglets.

Tamarak's winglets aim to enable airplanes to fly with the efficiency of a glider. (Tamarak)

Companies have looked at doing struts on the wings and things like that to make the wings longer and more slender, but we're doing it with this load alleviation system, which allows us to kind of get all the benefits of doing a longer thinner wing, without some of those structural penalties that typically come with it, Klinginsmith said. Even traditional winglet modifications typically require structural reinforcements for the wing, which takes time and it cost money and then you lose some useful load at the end of the day. With our technology, you know, we kind of get to have the aerodynamic performance without those structural penalties, in fact, we increase the payload in the ones that we have out right now. Our product right now is increasing the payload for operators.

The winglet technology essentially provides the plane with the characteristics of a glider, Klinginsmith said.

At a high level, the secret to what we're doing is we're turning the airplane into something that performs closer to how a glider would, right, Klinginsmith said. We all can understand that a glider is very efficient, it has to have low drag to stay aloft. The scientific term is aspect ratio, which is just basically how long and thin the wings are because of the less induced drag. And so we're modifying the aircraft wing to make it more long and slender, which has a less induced drag and that's what everybody's looking for now in terms of efficiency.

Changes to the aircraft are not the only way to reduce emissions. On the ground at airports, some companies like Aircraft Towing System World Wide (ATS) are creating technology to reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions, and noise generation. ATS has a system to taxi aircraft from the runway to the gates and back without using the aircrafts engines. The system uses an underground channel to tow aircraft from one location to the other.

The ATS system will allow aircraft to taxi without using fuel. (ATS)

After landing an aircraft, the pilot will taxi to the appropriate taxiway and drive the aircraft nose wheel onto the ATS tow dolly where it is secured in place. Pilots can then shut off the aircrafts main engines, ATS Vice President/CEO Vince Howie said in a January statement on the companys website.

ATS claims that the fuel traditionally used to taxi aircraft can all be saved by using its system. For example, at Heathrow airport, the company estimates that over 15 million liters of fuel can be saved.

The average taxi time at Heathrow is 22 minutes and the average fuel consumption during taxi is 9 gallons or 35 Liters (L) per minute of taxi time, a representative for ATS told Aviation Today. There were over 475,000 movements or taxis in 2019. So, 22 minutes x 35 liters x 475,000 movements = 15,995,000 liters of fuel burned during taxi or saved if ATS were installed. If fuel was 1.70 euros per liter that is 27,191,500 euros in savings per year at Heathrow.

A prototype of the ATS system is being installed at the Ardmore Industrial Airpark in Ardmore, Oklahoma. (ATS)

The company claims that the fuel savings presented in this example could also be used to generate carbon credits.

Taking the fuel savings example one step further, depending on the engines installed on commercial aircraft, the emission output averages 265 kilograms of CO2 per taxi, the representative for ATS said. Since emission credits are presently selling for approximately $7.60 per ton in carbon credit auctions in the U.S., this equates to .0055 Euros per liter of carbon credit for fuel burned during taxi. 35 Liters of fuel per minute of taxi x 22 minutes = 770 Liters of carbon x .021 Euros carbon credit per liter = 4.24 Euros per taxi x 475,000 movements. Based on this formula the airport should be able to generate 2M Euros per year in potential carbon credit revenue when sold on carbon credit markets.

ATS is currently installing a prototype of this system at the Ardmore Industrial Airpark in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Air traffic management (ATM) modernization has been cited by companies like Boeing and Airbus as a way to make operations more efficient. The European Commission is also working on a new framework for more efficient airway management, the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) project.

Modernising Europes air traffic management (ATM) is central to meeting our Green Deal objectives and ensuring the long-term resilience of the aviation sector, European Union Commissioner for Transport Adina Vlean said in a statement on the EUs website. By speeding up the implementation of the innovative technological solutions, the Common Project One (CP1) will ensure more direct, and therefore, more fuel-efficient flight paths, and allow modern aircraft to fully exploit the benefits of greener and quieter technologies.

The SESAR project aims to develop and deploy technology to increase ATM performance and build Europes intelligent air transport system. One of the aspects it is addressing is inefficiencies in air traffic management. Optimizing these inefficiencies will help save fuel. A 2016 report from the International Civil Aviation Organization said this could result in a 10 percent reduction of CO2 emissions per flight. Airbus has claimed similar statistics.

Direct routings can result in approximately 10 percent less fuel consumption in aircraft, as well as significantly reduced CO2 and noise emissions, Airbus website states. This is why we develop modern air traffic management systems in collaboration with our subsidiary Airbus NavBlue and work closely with a range of partners to further optimise in-flight operational efficiency.

While some of these solutions arent at the forefront of much of the discussion on sustainability solutions like electric aircraft and sustainable aviation fuels, they could provide a pathway for airlines and operators to meet interim sustainability goals because they are available now.

A lot of airlines and operators are looking at sustainability probably closer than they've ever looked and with more intent, than they've ever had to make changes and so there's a huge opportunity there with our technology, Klinginsmith said.

However, these solutions do not have to replace future technologies but instead can be used together once they are developed.

Our technology works well with those other technologies, whether we're talking about upgraded engines, SAF, reducing the drag on the airframe, and that is sort of synergistic with some of these other modifications that, frankly, are a ways out, Klinginsmith said. Especially SAF that has a lot of attention right now, we're looking forward to that, we're looking forward to saving a lot of people gallons of SAF, but that's a ways out and our technologies are available right now.

Read more here:

Technology is Available That Could Lower Aircraft Emissions Today, Not Ten Years from Now - Aviation Today

On Sept. 11, 2001, one of us (Darrell) was teaching a political science course at Brown University, while the other (Nicol) was four days away from her wedding in Westchester County. The morning of those infamous terrorist attacks, Darrell had finished his lecture and while walking across campus encountered a fellow professor who said it was terrible what happened to those planes. What planes? Darrell asked, unaware of the attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. This was the time before ubiquitous cell phones and social media platforms, where news traveled quickly inside classrooms and around the globe.

Nicol was getting ready for her wedding and had woken up after a long night preparing table tent cards for invited guests. When she was told to turn on the television at her parents home, she witnessed one of the two planes hit the second of the former Twin Towers, which was located just 30 minutes away from her location. The phone calls from both worried and frenetic guests would be the beginning of her 9/11 experience as members of her bridal party were unable to fly, and the groom would drive more than 10 hours to ensure his attendance at the wedding. The ceremony ultimately took place with a far smaller crowd than the anticipated 500 guests that had confirmed, which would be mostly comprised of Nicols relatives who were also from the New York area. For a while, it was not clear whether the officiating minister and even the groomwho would wait for hours to cross the George Washington Bridgewould make the event.

At the time, there were no smartphones to initiate a video call with loved ones. The active cell phone service was down after the Twin Towers were hit in New York City, which made it difficult to hear from family and friends who may have been in the vicinity of the plane crashes. Similar occurrences happened in the series of related terrorist events in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Neither of us also knew how dramatically technology and the world would change following the terrorist attacks. Substantial alterations in news transmission, technology innovation, telecommunications networks, disaster preparedness, personal privacy, digital inequity, and security levels arose after the tragic events of this day. From a virtual standpoint, so many things have shifted over the last two decades that it is hard to imagine the world as it existed in 2001.

Today, it is impossible to conceive a situation where something big happens and people dont know instantly what has occurred. News spread quickly through digital websites, social media platforms, mobile calls, and instant messages. Tweets fly around the world and people know about important events almost as soon as they take place. Back then, social media platforms were not widely adopted, and who even knew what a tweet was during a time when most people were still reliant on their home telephone services.

The upside of the rapidity of news transmission is that people are aware of new developments far more quickly and in cases of such terrorist attacks are in a position to protect themselves. We can see events unfold and react in whatever manner makes sense for individuals and organizations. Back then, we both watched the 9/11 events on television, but broadcast did not particularly enable us to quickly share what was happening from our corners of the world with others. Instead, we had to wait until the reporter shared more as the events transpired over the course of the day.

While having the ability to rapidly transmit our versions of the story seemed constructive at the time, the current realities of misinformation and disinformation reveal the downside of instant news, especially the pressure to react immediately to unfolding events that can lead to overreactions, false interpretations, or premature conclusions. Nicol recalls trying to assess whether she should immediately cancel the wedding after witnessing the devastation, but she didnt after hearing the voices of loved ones who desired to come just to be closer to other family members in the midst of this dramatic event. In a contemporary world of fast news transmission and speedy reactions, technologys enablement of skewed truths can lead to misinterpretations, quick judgments, and outright falsehoods about what happens. Both events and people become easy to manipulate when information is quickly forming and incomplete.

Just imagine the mischief that could have been created in a 9/11-style attack during a time of social media. Immediately, there would be speculation over what happened and who was responsible. If recent events are any indication, there likely would be a wide range of possible suspects: foreign terrorists, domestic agents, political opponents, immigrants, or racial, religious, or ethnic minorities. On the day, social media algorithms will likely promote automatic posts with the most engagement: the incendiary and the controversial. This could lead to real-life acts of violence and mobilization in short amounts of time. Many people would not trust experts during a highly polarized time and there likely would be no bipartisan commission to investigate what happened. Conspiracy theories would flourish, and false accounts would circulate among digital echo chambers, leading to widespread misunderstandings of what transpired and who was responsible.

The same echo chambers created by the current information ecosystem have also left many intensely concerned regarding how technology has fueled extremism, polarization, and radicalization. Many observers worry that todays technology is tearing communities apart, not building bridges or enabling constructive civic discourse. In 2001, it is probable that contemporary technology would have made it far more difficult to define, address, and even heal from the tragic events of 9/11.

One positive contemporary feature is that our communications networks are more broad-based and robust today than 20 years ago. Government agencies and private companies have beefed up their disaster preparedness and telecommunications providers have strengthened their digital infrastructure. We have wired and wireless networks that can withstand the possible interruptions caused by downed antennae, or damaged wiring. Following 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the United States realized the importance of mobile communications during terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Steps have been taken to safeguard vital networks, which is a huge advancement since 9/11 when thousands of people in New York, and in the area of the Pentagon bombing had to run and walk for miles to what appeared to be a safe space for shelter. Back then, we didnt even have voice-activated internet-enabled navigational tools that could advise pedestrians and drivers of road closures, or other potential road or walking hazards.

But even with our improved communications capabilities, we now face different kinds of threats. Back then, they were the planes crashing into buildings or individuals detonating explosive devices. Now, government, business, and nonprofits encounter cyber threats, ransomware attacks, and unwanted digital intrusions. These attacks can occur from state-sponsored sources or criminal enterprises that operate with impunity.

These are different problems than those encountered during 9/11 and require different societal and global responses. Could 9/11 have been diverted if the technology had forecasted such an event? How could more effective cybersecurity measures and online surveillance reveal the events that shook the world? It has become increasingly clear that everyonefrom government to the average citizenmust take cybersecurity far more seriously and implement steps that safeguard their networks and personal devices. Some of this means better digital hygiene, password protection, and two-factor authentication. But it also involves stronger systems that protect critical infrastructure, financial networks, and health care facilities, among others.

The balance between privacy and national security shifted markedly following 9/11. With the passage of the U.S. Patriot Act in October 2001, government officials gained new authority to surveil possible threats. For American citizens, administrators could go to a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court and request permission to monitor phone calls, emails, and/or text messages. With the advent of smartphones and the prevalence of electronic communications, public authorities also developed new tools for monitoring particular individuals and tracking their physical whereabouts via geolocation data.

Taken together, these actions dramatically expanded government power to engage in mass surveillance. Yet at the same time, the moves alarmed civil liberties advocates who worried about privacy invasions and unwarranted oversight of peoples activities. Those fears eventually led to some curtailment of government activities via the U.S. Freedom Act of 2015, but we still face a policy environment where there is no national privacy law and considerable government power for monitoring national security threats. Twenty years after the attack, the country continues to debate where to draw the line between promoting personal privacy and protecting national security.

Technology innovation has flourished, but many are still not able to access the benefits of the digital revolution. They either have no meaningful broadband access from their home, or they have such slow broadband speeds that their ability to take advantage of digital connectivity is quite limited. They are not able to apply for jobs, shop online, use video streaming services, take advantage of telemedicine, or enroll in online courses.

Without reasonable access, they are shut out of the digital economy and left behind. They face limits in terms of jobs, economic opportunity, and social connectedness. Twenty years ago, they were probably more normal in a society with limited technological tools. Today, these same populations are at the most risk of being digitally invisible and excluded if a new national attack were to be waged. They wouldnt read, hear, or see it because they do not partake or benefit from internet access. Unfortunately, those on the wrong side of digital opportunities find themselves suffering long-term harms and difficulties in dealing with many forms of trauma.

When you add all these digital innovations together since 9/11, we have undergone a dramatic revolution. We spend more and more of our lives online, which gives us access to the latest developments, the ability to communicate quickly with one another, and the capacity to access a broad range of digital services and products. During the pandemic, our increasing reliance on technology became more pointed, as in-person services were shut down to manage social distancing.

Yet the extraordinary increase in change at all levels has generated a parallel increase in anxiety, insecurity, and nervousness. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, two-thirds of people are concerned about the pace of digital change and feel they are not always able to distinguish real from fake realities. Many also worry about technology and can see how it has fueled a variety of social, economic, and political problems. As Nicol watched the explosion on her television on that fretful day, she kept saying that this experience was not real and that the state of New York was resilient, and this could possibly not be happening to their strong and sharp-edged residents before her wedding. But it was and she watched it in horror, along with others who had seen or heard about what was transpiring. Even Darrell had to confirm what he just heard about the planes that took down Americas morale and sense of safety in a few short minutes and found it impossible to fathom the destructiveness of the attack.

As we move beyond the 9/11 commemoration, our challenge is to find a positive path forward with the use of technology. Technology innovation is not likely to slow and indeed digital advances are likely to accelerate. Super-computing and quantum computing will push change ahead and enable even more powerful digital applications. But figuring out how to retain hope and humanity through the use of technological advances will be crucial, especially in efforts to minimize problems of misinformation, personal privacy, cybersecurity, inequity, and civic toxicity.

See the original post here:

How technology and the world have changed since 9/11 - Brookings Institution

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Livinguard announced today demand is surging for its reusable protective face masks that are made with fabric treated with Livinguard Technology. Parents are embracing ways to protect their children as they return to in-school learning, and mask mandates are again sweeping the nation.

Livinguard Technology has proven effective against multiple strains of Coronavirus in numerous tests. It showed 99.9% reduction against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) at Freie Universitt Berlin and 99.5% reduction against Human Coronavirus 229E at University of Arizona and just last month the technology was proven again with an average of > 99% effectiveness against the Indian isolate of SARS COV 2 (wild version). More information about those tests can be found here.

With the COVID-19 Delta variant driving a resurgence in infections and hospitalizations across the U.S., its never been more important to protect children and young people -- especially kids under age 12 who are not yet eligible to receive the COVID vaccine but are returning to in-person learning. Livinguard offers advanced features effective for more than 200 days with regular care, enough to last the school year in most areas.

Importantly, all Livinguard masks follow Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for design and snug fit, including its soft, breathable and washable, two-ply models designed specifically for children. An adjustable fit and comfortable cloth not only help combat viruses more effectively, but they also provide long-term wearable solutions for children in the classroom.

We at Livinguard are committed to making certain that students and others required to wear protective masks as they go about their school and workdays benefit from our patented mask textile technology that has the added benefit of being comfortable to wear, said Sanjeev Swamy, Livinguards Founder and CEO. Deploying Livinguards proven hygiene technology in reusable masks will play a vital role in protecting young people and their teachers eager to safely return to the classroom, and our environment, which faces peril from the effects of millions -- if not billions -- of carelessly discarded single-use masks.

Since the start of the pandemic, Livinguards reusable masks have provided invaluable protection to frontline workers and others across the globe, including in hard-hit India. In Singapore, more than a million Livinguard masks have been distributed to that countrys residents since the start of the pandemic. And, in the U.S., the company, through its Livinguard Cares program, continues to make an impact in cities with a matching mask program for frontline and other municipal workers, as well as residents.

For information about Livinguard and its groundbreaking technologies please visit http://www.livinguard.com. To find Livinguard products, including two-layer childrens masks in multiple colors and designs, please visit shop.livinguard.com.

The rest is here:

Livinguard Swiss Technology Helping to Combat COVID-19 as Parents Look to Protect Children Returning to School - Business Wire

DUBLIN, Ohio, Sept. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Health, the industry-leading healthcare navigation and care coordination company, announced today that Drew Domecq has joined the company as its chief technology officer. The addition of Domecq to the company's already deep technical bench underscores Quantum Health's continued commitment to raising the bar on human-centered innovation and outcomes through its proprietary integration of technology, data analytics, and personalized care coordination.

"Technology and data analytics are powerful unlockers to more personalized, responsive, and higher-quality consumer healthcare journeys," said Shannon Skaggs, president of Quantum Health. "We are excited to have Drew join our leadership team. His experience leading technology innovation driven by creating world-class consumer experiences aligns perfectly with our mission."

Prior to joining Quantum Health, Domecq was executive vice president and chief information officer at Designer Brands (formerly DSW Inc.), where he was responsible for applying technology enablement to their growth strategy. Before Designer Brands, Domecq was chief information officer at Bob Evans and held technology leadership positions at The Wendy's Company; Vox Mobile, Inc.; Safelite Group, Inc.; and Qwest Communications International, Inc.

Domecq earned bachelor's degrees in politics and economics from Princeton University and a master's in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

"Healthcare is one of the most important and personal interactions we experience as humans, yet the consumer perspective is often completely lost within an overly complicated system," said Domecq. "Quantum Health realized long ago that technology and data play a crucial role in understanding what consumers want and need as they progress along their healthcare journeys. I am inspired by Quantum Health's culture and mission and am thrilled to join the Quantum Health team as it continues to lead the consumer navigation industry; especially now, when consumers need expert support and guidance more than ever."

Quantum Health also announced that Peter McClennen has joined its board of directors. McClennen, who was most recently president at Teladoc Health, adds to Quantum Health's deep expertise in clinical care, healthcare provider relationships, technology, and harnessing healthcare data analytics. Prior to his position at Teladoc, McClennen held executive leadership positions at Best Doctors, Allscripts, and dbMotion, Inc.

"Peter has amassed valuable experience in areas that are critically important to transforming the consumer healthcare experience today," said Kara Trott, founder and CEO of Quantum Health. "His understanding of technology-based care delivery, along with his expertise in healthcare innovation, analytics and informatics are a perfect complement to our esteemed board of directors already in place."

McClennen shares Quantum Health's mission to keep the consumer at the center of the healthcare experience. "Understanding healthcare consumers' challenges is essential to reshaping their experiences and improving outcomes. Quantum Health does this like no other company. Using data to understand and transform the consumer healthcare journey is the very foundation upon which the company is built," said McClennen. "In an extremely noisy marketplace, I share their deep commitment to delivering measurable results for both the consumer and the self-insured employers that provide their benefits. I am very pleased to be part of this organization as it continues to lead the healthcare navigation space."

About Quantum Health

Quantum Health is the industry-leading consumer healthcare navigation and care coordination company that delivers an unparalleled consumer experience to its members, as well as validated claims savings and high satisfaction rates for its self-insured employer clients. Quantum Health's proprietary Real-Time Intercept model identifies opportunities for early intervention in a member's healthcare journey, resulting in better engagement, outcomes, and cost efficiencies.

The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Dublin, Ohio. Since its inception, Quantum Health has earned numerous awards and honors, including being named among the Fastest-Growing Private Companies by Inc. 5000, and a Great Place to Work by FORTUNE Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine. The Women Presidents' Organization has ranked Quantum Health as one of the 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies, and Columbus Business First has honored Quantum Health as a Best Place to Work.

To learn more about the company, visitwww.Quantum-Health.com, and connect with us onLinkedInandTwitter.

Media Contact:

Susan Simkins Quantum Health, Corporate Communications[emailprotected]800-257-2038 x 13494

SOURCE Quantum Health

Home

Here is the original post:

Quantum Health Names Drew Domecq Chief Technology Officer And Adds Peter McClennen To Board Of Directors - PRNewswire

When Tarikh Campbell stepped out of his boyhood home in Teaneck, N.J., last month, the parking space where hed left his 2020 Toyota Camry was a patch of empty pavement. His Avis rental car had apparently been stolen.

Campbell, an East Boston resident and program manager for workplace inclusion at Microsoft in Cambridge, didnt get much help from Avis, or the local police. So he set about to figure out the cars fate himself, with a welcome assist from some digital gadgets that just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

When he discovered the theft on the night of Aug. 14, I was freaked out, like, rubbing my eyes, said Campbell. Hed gone to Teaneck in mid-August for a relaxing weekend visit and had planned to spend Saturday night hanging out with friends. Instead, he found himself filing a stolen car report with the Teaneck police.

The next morning, he took a Lyft to the Avis office near the Newark airport. As he handed over the keys to the missing car, a customer service worker told Campbell that he would be charged daily rental fees. The worker said that the car didnt contain a GPS tracker, so Avis couldnt help find it. And the worker added, If we dont find the car, youre going to be liable for it, Campbell recalled. I was pretty stressed out about that.

Campbell filed a claim with his personal auto insurance company, but he was warned that the payout might not cover the full cost of the rental car, which was newer than his own vehicle. In addition, he could expect to pay higher insurance premiums going forward. Insured or not, the loss of the car could cost him dearly.

After flying home to Boston, Campbell remembered something hed left behind in the car: his E-ZPass transponder for making automatic payments for road tolls. Realizing that the E-ZPass billing system automatically tracks a vehicles movements along toll roads, he logged on to his account, and found that the missing Camry had indeed traveled on the New Jersey Turnpike that Saturday night. It got off the highway at the Newark airport exit, said Campbell.

The next break in the case came from Campbells aunt, whom hed visited during the trip and who lived three doors down from Campbells parents. The aunt had installed a video surveillance camera on her porch, which had a good view down the street. Recorded video from the camera showed a tow truck scooping up the vehicle and carting it away.

But the car was legally parked. Who would have towed it? Car thieves?

We werent entertaining the idea that there was some organized crime group with tow trucks, said Campbell. This would most likely be done by Avis. Combined with the location data from the E-ZPass, it was an open-and-shut case.

When Campbell reported the car missing, the Avis worker had said the company couldnt track the car, but he must have been wrong. The company had found the vehicle in Teaneck and hauled it away. And sure enough, Campbells Avis smartphone app now listed the car as having been returned, 90 minutes after his plane landed back in Boston.

Case closed? Not quite. Campbell wanted reimbursement from Avis for his lost weekend, and the return of some personal items hed left in the car. But phone calls to customer service left him frustrated. The company wouldnt even give him a direct phone number to the Newark rental office.

I was even hung up on at times by customer service agents, Campbell said.

Then he unleashed the ultimate weapon: Twitter. On Aug. 20, he cranked out a lengthy thread of tweets about his misadventure, complete with images of the E-Z Pass record and his aunts surveillance video. The thread went viral, with thousands of likes from sympathetic readers. Avis began to pay attention. The company agreed to a full refund, and a return of his possessions. And it finally revealed what had happened.

Our internal findings indicate there was an incorrect tow triggered by an administrative error on a previous rental, said an e-mail from an Avis spokesperson. Mistaken tows occur infrequently but we are taking steps to prevent situations like this from occurring at all in the future.

Like it or not, our lives are now under near-constant electronic surveillance, usually for the benefit of some far-off faceless corporation. But sometimes the digital spies are on our side.

Hiawatha Bray can be reached at hiawatha.bray@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeTechLab.

View original post here:

How technology cracked the case of a missing Camry - BetaBoston

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) The New River Gorge Reg. Dev. Auth. is using new technology to attract new business to the area.

The organization recently invested in new GIS mapping technology to centralize and showcase prime sites for development in its four-county coverage area in Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas, and Summers counties. The new mapping technology developed by REsimplifi, Inc. will allow potential business prospects anywhere in the world to see in-depth information about those sites.

According to Exec. Dir. Jina Belcher, the New River Gorge Reg. Dev. Auth. has a user friendly guide on its website to help property owners enter their information. https://www.choosenrg.com/

"We cannot stress enough how important it is to work with our local brokers, realtors, and property owners to make sure they're completing the data sets for utility access, proximity to highways, and distribution information. The more information we can have on a site, the more attractive it makes that listing, and the quicker we can turn that listing around and located a company."

The New River Gorge Reg. Dev. Auth. is the first in the state to utilize REsimplifi, Inc.

See the article here:

New River Gorge Reg. Dev. Auth. invests in new technology to attract new business - WVVA TV

(NewsNation Now) There is growing fear that sensitive biometric information the United States collected on allies in Afghanistan may be used to track them down in the wake of the U.S. departure.

Since 2007, U.S. forces have been collecting biometric data including fingerprints, retinal scans and other identifiers of every Afghan working with the U.S. and allied nations. Every member of the Afghan military, every member of the Afghan police and civilian workers handed over the same information.

While the U.S. military had time to disable helicopters and the airplanes they left behind, those biometric devices may still be working and so may the databases that house the information.

Connor Powell, a reporter who spent time in Afghanistan, says he saw the information being collected first-hand when he was there and was enrolled in one of the collections.

Afghanistan is a country that we often describe as being war-torn or primitive, backward, developing. But this was actually probably the most state-of-the-art system in the world, he told NewsNations Banfield. And it was doing a lot to actually reduce corruption and fraud and a lot of the other problems that had really plagued the country.

Powell said its a terrifying prospect that this information could fall into the Talibans hands.

This is one of the many concerns of any Afghan who worked with the coalition who lean toward the Western world as opposed to lean towards that the Taliban. This is one of many ways in which the Taliban can essentially track you down.

Watch Banfieldweeknights at10/9con NewsNation.

Visit link:

Is the Taliban using US technology to track Afghan allies? - NewsNation Now