Facebook Has Channeled Tacit Software, Just without the Software
July 14, 2021
I would wager a free copy of my book CyberOSINT that anyone reading this blog post remembers Tacit Software, founded in the late 1990s. The company wrote a script which determined what employee in an organization was “consulted” most frequently. I recall enhancements which “indexed” content to make it easier for a user to identify content which may have been overlooked. But the killer feature was allowing a person with appropriate access to identify individuals with particular expertise. Oracle, the number one in databases, purchased Tacit Software and integrated the function into Oracle Beehive. If you want to read marketing collateral about Beehive, navigate to this link. Oh, good luck with pinpointing the information about Tacit. If you dig a bit, you will come across information which suggests that the IBM Clever method was stumbled upon and implemented about the same time that Backrub went online. Small community in Silicon Valley? Yes, it is.
So what?
I thought about this 1997 innovation in Silicon Valley when I read “Facebook’s Groups to Highlight Experts.” With billions of users, I wonder why it took Facebook years to figure out that it could identify individuals who “knew” something. Progress never stops in me-to land, of course. Is Facebook using its estimable smart software to identify those in know?
The article reports:
There are more than 70 million administrators and moderators running active groups, Facebook says. When asked how they’re vetting the qualifications of designated experts, a Facebook spokesperson said it’s “all up the discretion of the admin to designate experts who they believe are knowledgeable on certain topics.”
I think this means that humans identify experts. What if the human doing the identifying does not know anything about the “expertise” within another Facebooker?
Yeah, maybe give Oracle Beehive a jingle. Just a thought.
Stephen E Arnold, July 14, 2021
News Flash! Security Measures Only Work if Actually Implemented
July 14, 2021
Best practices are there for a reason but it seems many companies are not following them. According to TechRadar, “Ransomware Is Not Out of Control’ Security Teams Are.” Reporter Mayank Sharma interviewed Optiv Security VP and former FBI Information and Technology official James Turgal, who puts the blame for recent ransomware attacks squarely on organizations themselves. In answer to a question on the most common missteps that pave the way for ransomware attacks, Turgal answered:
“Every business is different. Some older and more established organizations have networks and infrastructure that have evolved through the years without security being a priority, and IT shops have traditionally just bolted on new technology without properly configuring it and/or decommissioning the old tech. Even startups who begin their lives in the cloud still have some local technology servers or infrastructure that need constant care and feeding. Some of the themes I see, and the most common mistakes made by companies, are:
1. No patch strategy or a strategy that is driven more by concerns over network unavailability and less on actual information assurance and security posture.
2. Not understanding what normal traffic looks like on their networks and/or relying on software tools. Usually too many of them overlap and are misconfigured. The network architecture is the company’s pathway to security or vulnerability with misconfigured tools.
3. Relying too much on backups, and believing that a backup is enough to protect you. Backups that were not segmented from the network, were only designed to provide a method of restoring a point in time, and were never designed to be protected from an attacker. Backups need to be tested regularly to ensure the data is complete and not corrupted.”
Another mistake is focusing so narrowly on new projects, like a move to cloud storage, that vulnerabilities in older equipment are neglected. See the article for more of Turgal’s observations and advice. Surely he would like readers to consider his company’s services, and for some businesses outsourcing cybersecurity to experienced professionals (there or elsewhere) might be a wise choice. Whatever the approach, organizations must keep on top of implementing the most up-to-date security best practices in order to stem the tide of attacks. Better to spend the money now than pay out in Bitcoin later.
Cynthia Murrell, July 14, 2021
Milestones in Management: Twitter and India
July 14, 2021
When I graduated from a so-so university, I participated in an interview day. I signed up with some companies which seemed interesting to me. One of them was an outfit engaged in manufacturing massive earthmoving equipment painted what today would be a NASCAR color. I spoke with the individual representing the company, and that individual asked me what my major was. I replied, “Medieval religious poetry.” The recruiter laughed, and I felt as if I were a total failure. How could that human resources professional not see the direct correlation between my knowledge of religious poetry and the design and engineering of sheep foot rollers. (You drag or push these gizmos over trees and the irrelevant bounty of nature is crushed like a bird run over by a tractor trailer on I-80.)
I wish I had known about the job “resident grievance officer.” I learned about this thrilling position in the article “Twitter Appoints Resident Grievance Officer in India to Comply with New Internet Rules.” The write up explains:
Twitter identified Vinay Prakash as its new resident grievance officer and shared a way to contact him as required by India’s new IT rules, which was unveiled in February this year and went into effect in late May. Twitter has also published a compliance report, another requirement listed in the new rules. Earlier this week, the Indian government had told a local court that Twitter had lost the liability protection on user generated content in the country as it had failed to appoint compliance, grievance, and a so-called nodal contact officials to address on-ground concerns.
What are the qualifications for this lofty and crucial role? My thought is medieval religious poetry. Here’s my logic. The part-time leader of Twitter needs an individual able to make sense of Christianity and the Celtic legend of King Arthur. Creating the mental bridge between a nation state and a high flying technology giant requires imagination. One cannot just follow the rules. One must elaborate, understand metaphors, and appreciate the value of short items of information, opinion, and fiction which can be marshaled to create a reality for some users.
Alas, I missed an opportunity to apply for this Twitter job. I can hear the words of this unknown writer now:
Ech day me comëth tydinges thre,
For wel swithë sore ben he:
The on is that Ich shal hennë,
That other that Ich not whennë,
The thriddë is my mestë carë,
That Ich not whider Ich shal farë.
Lucky person, that Vinay Prakash. Grievance officer and a nodal contact to boot.
Stephen E Arnold, July 14, 2021
Microgoof: JEDI Knight Defeated by Unknown Death Ray
July 14, 2021
Here’s an interesting passage:
More important than the money was that it gave the company a level of third-party validation, that its cloud-computing platform is on par with Amazon, the market leader. The Pentagon, arguably the world’s most sophisticated cyber customer, had chosen Microsoft over Amazon to fully revamp and modernize its tech ecosystem. That gave Microsoft credibility. Now, however, the Department of Defense says Microsoft’s offering wasn’t going to “meet its needs.”
The write up then indirectly links the death ray to none other than the mom and pop online bookstore:
Amazon challenged and eventually sued the federal government complaining that Microsoft was awarded the contract because of President Trump’s animosity towards the Washington Post, owned by Amazon’s founder and former CEO, Jeff Bezos.
Politics! Not technology! The write up points out:
Amazon controls roughly a third of the market and a host of government contracts, including with the Central Intelligence Agency. By comparison, analysts estimate Microsoft has cornered only around 20% of the market.
How could the defenses of the JEDI be breached? Was it the same weakness that causes printers to fail, supply chain attacks to thrive, and fuzzed communications about the minimum requirements for Windows 11?
No, no, no.
The Microgoof will take months, maybe years, to figure out. Where was Windows Defender when the Redmond giant needed its support? Maybe the service could not access Teams? Maybe the call did not go through because the parties were using a Windows Phone? Maybe the Windows update interrupted the system? What if the unknown death ray was crafted by the Bezos bulldozer now guided by Max Peterson who replaced the former Microsoftie Teresa Carlson, who is now a Splunker?
One thing is clear: First SolarWinds, the printer thing, then Windows 11, and now the JEDI zapper. I smell the exhaust from the Bezos bulldozer. Who else will?
Stephen E Arnold, July 14, 2021
Google and France: Whoa, Will Googlers Put That Trip to Provence on Hold?
July 13, 2021
Many news sources reported that the French government has put a price tag on Google’s content frivolities. The fine is in the neighborhood of $600 million. To put this in perspective, Google generates about $600 million a day in revenue, so no big deal.
CNBC’s “Google Hit with Record $593 Million Fine in France over News Copyright Battle” reports:
Google was ordered to present an offer of remuneration to publishers within two months, or risk facing fines of up to 900,000 euros per day.
From a practical point of view, Google will work out a plan. The plan will be discussed over numerous two-hour lunches, and then revised if warranted. If agreement is not reached, Google will seek redress in an appropriate manner. Google could write a check, threaten Apple-style to pull out of the country, or embrace the fascinating French legal system. Keep in mind that red tape is allegedly an invention of the Spanish has been a favorite method in France for centuries.
I found the Russian viewpoint interesting. “France slaps Google with Biggest Fine Ever of €500 Million for Failing to Comply with Copyright Rules” states:
The US company expressed upset at the French authority’s decision in a statement: “We have acted in good faith during the entire negotiation period. This fine does not reflect the efforts put in place, nor the reality of the use of news content on our platform.” The battle between Google and French publishers, including Agence France-Presse, has been going on since early 2020. Despite Google claiming that it has acted appropriately, French publishers insist that the company has used copyrighted articles and images without fairly paying the original authors under the EU “neighboring rights” rule. In February, Google was forced to pay out $76 million dollars to 121 French news outlets, with $22 million to be paid annually over three years.
The French fine might encourage other European Union entities to take a harder line with regard to what Google has been doing for the last 20 years. If that happens, the fines might consume a week or two of Google’s revenue. This begs the question, “What’s the point?” Either regulators take action that incentivizes different behavior at Google or just use the money, buy a good Beaujolais, rent a super yacht, and cruise to Antarctica to look at the big penguins.
Stephen E Arnold, July 13, 2021
Microsoft Percept: Perception in the Azure Cloud
July 13, 2021
Does your printer work? The printer is fine and our Apple Minis and laptops have zero problem generating hard copy. What about people joining a Teams meeting when those individuals are not 365 paying customers? Have you plugged in a second or third monitor and wondered where the icons went when using Windows 10? How is Windows Defender working for you since you received the Revil ransomware popup?
Ah, no solid answers. We don’t have any either. Windows 11 may address these trivial issues but the big repair job will arrive with Microsoft Percept. “Microsoft Aims to Expedite New Edge Computing Use Cases with Azure Percept” defines the bold new Star Trek-like innovation this way:
Azure Percept … is an end-to-end system for edge AI development and deployment that now works over 5G and LPWA as well.
Sound great to you? Beyond Search is not 100 percent convinced. We would be okay with better security within Microsoft software and a printer method which allows printers to print.
Microsoft seems to be more comfortable marketing than delivering software and systems which work as users expect. Microsoft software is in wide use. Cyber criminals rely on Microsoft’s door-wide-open methods. I suppose more bad actors would print out their zero days, exploits, and code snippets if their printers worked.
Stephen E Arnold, July 13, 2021
Predicting Behavior from Videos: A New Frontier for Touts
July 13, 2021
I spotted “AI Learns to Predict Human Behavior from Videos.” Sounds good, sounds promising, sounds like IBM. The idea is that Watson (open source software, home grown IBM code, and software from acquisitions) can foretell the future. Feed Watson videos, and Watson can figure out what happens next.
The write up states:
In a new study, Columbia Engineering researchers unveil a computer vision technique for giving machines a more intuitive sense for what will happen next by leveraging higher-level associations between people, animals, and objects.
What’s the time horizon? Answer: Several minutes in the future.
What’s the accuracy? Answer: Uh, well.
What’s actually predicted? Answer: A higher level that links concepts.
What’s this means? Answer: Uh, well.
IBM, which like Google declared quantum supremacy-ness, is working overtime to demonstrate that Watson can deliver high value payoffs to those who embrace the IBM approach to smart software.
One of the researchers/students allegedly said, “Prediction is the basis of human intelligence.”
Okay, I will make a prediction: This watching videos angle smacks of marketing hoo hah based on the efforts of students with access to Watsony stuff and an environment which is hungry for evidence of the quantum supremacy-ness.
Confidence level: 99.999999
Stephen E Arnold, July 13, 2021
Google Comix: Like Batman Sort Of
July 13, 2021
I read “Site Republishes Comics Strips Circulated Internally at Google.” I am not sure this is the type of humor which makes Google top dogs chuckle with delight. In fact, creating fungible evidence of Google foibles is probably a bad idea. The write up points out:
Goomics collects comics strips that went around inside Google. Many concern abstruse industry topics; some offer an insight on the company’s politics, inefficiencies and cultural problems.
Navigate to Goomics and here’s what was on display on July 9, 2021:
Laughing with tears in your eyes yet?
Google, like most of the technopolies, is a hoot. Take Google’s management handling of human resource issues related to ethical artificial intelligence. That phrase on its own is funny. Now visualize the set of the 1950 TV show “You Bet Your Life.” George Fenneman asks Groucho Marx: Would you work in Google artificial intelligence ethics unit? Groucho: Ethics? In AI? Audience laughs for 10 seconds.
One of the Goomics which caught my eye shows the Google motto “Don’t be evil” with the statement “Pray that nobody notices.” Once again, really funny. Evil? Ho ho ho.
And those Googlers. A hoot as I said.
Stephen E Arnold, July 13, 2021
DarkCyber for July 13, 2021, Now Available
July 13, 2021
DarkCyber is a twice-a-month video news program about the Dark Web, lesser known Internet services, and cyber crime. You can view the program at this link or use the viewer on the Beyond Search splash page. The DarkCyber for July 13, 2021, discusses the new US GAO report on facial recognition. Plus a 2019 report, with numerous FR vendors and accuracy tests, provides data not in the 2021 report. Also, in this program are stories about: [a] what cohort (age group) is most susceptible to online scams, [b] Amazon eCommerce vulnerabilities, and [c] a report about the US Navy’s autonomous mid-air refueling drone. DarkCyber is produced by Stephen E Arnold.
Kenny Toth, July 13, 2021
Apple Threatens the UK?
July 12, 2021
Apple is a friendly company. It cares about security and privacy. It wants to hobble other technopolies with its user-centric approach ad tracking. Apple wants the Apple app store to be the bestest place in the world for developers to make their products available (even if some of those products don’t work as advertised) to the Apple customers. There are so many goodnesses associated with Apple, this headline has to be a misunderstanding: “Apple Attorneys Threaten UK Market Exit If Court Orders Unacceptable Patent Fees.”
It seems clear that the word “threat” is a strong one. The notion that “fees” might dissuade a trillion dollar company is puzzling. The write up reports:
Apple’s lawyers have warned the iPhone maker could exit the UK if a court orders it to pay “commercially unacceptable” fees to patent company Optis Cellular over alleged infringement of 3G and 4G patents. Apple is currently involved in a lawsuit with Optis in the United Kingdom, with Apple refusing to pay the firm license fees for patents Optis claims it used in the iPhone and other technologies. In June, a High Court judge ruled that Apple had infringed two of the patents, and therefore Apple should pay fees.
There are some strong words in this paragraph; for example, infringement, refusing, and High Court judge ruled.
Apple?
Yes, and the write up adds:
This is not the only lawsuit involving Optis that Apple is contending with. In August 2020, a Texas federal jury ruled Apple willfully infringed on 4G LTE patents owned by PanOptis and related companies, including Optis, and that it had to pay $506.2 million. In April 2021, a federal judge allowed a retrial to take place, due to there being “serious doubt” about the verdict.
Does this suggest that Apple is unaware of the function of a patent? Does Apple not understand the laws and customs associated with an inventor who holds a patent?
Possibly.
Several observations are warranted:
- If Apple pulls out of the UK, this might be good news for Samsung, Google, and other vendors of non-Apple mobile phones.
- The idea of a large company threatening a country and its laws is interesting. It may suggest that Apple is tired of mere nation states interfering with its plans to deliver Apple goodness to more people than ever before.
- Since Brexit, the UK lacks pull with other Western European countries. As a result, Britain is to blame for this threat.
This is an interesting posture and one that may be little more than saber rattling. On the other hand, no more Facetime in merrie olde Englande may be a reality for an island nation which has faced invaders, pillagers, and cut purses many times. Where is King Arthur when he’s needed? Merlin uses an iPhone I believe.
Stephen E Arnold, July 12, 2021
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