Newly leaked documents show that the Department of Defense funded a study concerning UFOs, contradicting recent statements by the Pentagon. From a report: In 2017, The New York Times revealed the existence of $22 million dollar UFO investigation program called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, or AATIP. A twist came two months ago, however, when Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough told…
Tag: authenticity
A 22-Year-Old Was Convicted For Attempting To Blackmail Apple For $100,000 In iTunes Gift Cards
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: A 22-year-old boss backed by a gangster cabal of “internet buddies” has been thwarted and convicted in their attempt to blackmail Apple, the UK’s National Crime Agency reports. In 2017, London-based Kerem Albayrak made Apple an offer they couldn’t refuse: deliver $100,000 in iTunes gift cards or $75,000 in cryptocurrency or kiss 319…
Most of the Largest US Voting Districts Are Vulnerable To Email Spoofing
Researchers at Valimail found that only 5% of the largest voting counties in the U.S. are protected against email impersonation and phishing attacks. TechCrunch reports: Researchers at Valimail, which has a commercial stake in the email security space, looked at the largest three electoral districts in each U.S. state, and found only 10 out of 187 domains were protected with DMARC,…
Only a Few 2020 US Presidential Candidates Are Using a Basic Email Security Feature
Just one-third of the 2020 U.S. presidential candidates are using an email security feature that could prevent a similar attack that hobbled the Democrats during the 2016 election. From a report: Out of the 21 presidential candidates in the race, according to Reuters, only seven Democrats are using and enforcing DMARC, an email security protocol that verifies the authenticity of a…
Password Data For About 2.2 Million Users of Currency, Gaming Sites Dumped Online
Password data and other personal information belonging to as many as 2.2 million users of two websites — one a cryptocurrency wallet service and the other a gaming bot provider — have been posted online, according to Troy Hunt, the security researcher behind the Have I Been Pwned breach notification service. Ars Technica reports: One haul includes personal information for as…
Privacy Concerns Are Jeopardizing Investigations Into Facebook Disinformation
“An unprecedented investigation into disinformation on Facebook has hit turbulence over questions about how much data to release to outside researchers,” reports Fast Company, “curtailing efforts to stem one of social media’s most pernicious threats ahead of the 2020 elections.” Slashdot reader tedlistens writes: Social Science One, an unprecedented, Mark Zuckerberg-backed plan to open up Facebook’s data to outside researchers –…
YouTube Creators May Lose Verified Badges As Verification Process Becomes Stricter
YouTube is rolling out changes to its verification program for creators, making it tougher for growing channels to earn a checkmark beside their name and removing verification badges from people who don’t meet the heightened criteria. An anonymous Slashdot reader shares a report from The Verge: YouTube’s current system allows anyone with more than 100,000 subscribers to be verified. Now, YouTube…
Slackware, the Longest Active Linux Distro, Finally Has a Patreon Page
“Slackware is the longest active Linux distribution project, founded in 1993,” writes TheBAFH (Slashdot reader #68,624). “Today there are many Linux distributions available, but I’ve remained dedicated to this project as I believe it still holds an important place in the Linux ecosystem,” writes Patrick J. Volkerding on a new Patreon page. He adds that Slackware’s users “know that Slackware can…
A New Way To Help Students Turn in Their Best Work
Google announces in a blog post: Today’s students face a tricky challenge: In an age when they can explore every idea imaginable on the internet, how do they balance outside inspiration with authenticity in their own work? Students have to learn to navigate the line between other people’s ideas and their own, and how and when to properly cite sources. We’ve…
Do Personality Tests Give Companies Too Much Power?
One 2016 human resources study found that 48% of American businesses — and 57% of U.K. businesses — used personality questionnaires for hiring decisions, a new article reports. They add that the personality test industry may now be bringing in up to $4 billion a year. But “By relying on these tests, employers can ask questions that would be inappropriate –…