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Today — 17 June 2024Main stream

How A.I. Is Revolutionizing Drug Development

In high-tech labs, workers are generating data to train A.I. algorithms to design better medicine, faster. But the transformation is just getting underway.

Chips in a container at Terray Therapeutics in Monrovia, Calif. Each of the custom-made chips has millions of minuscule wells for measuring drug screening reactions quickly and accurately.

Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow trying to ‘maximise depletion of our troops’ before aid arrives, Ukraine army chief says

Ukraine says Russia is intensifying attacks and trying to gain more territory before military aid, including F-16 jets, arrive

We have more comments from the daily briefing with journalists attended by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

He was asked about the Ukraine peace summit, held in Switzerland over the weekend, during which western powers and their allies denounced Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine but failed to persuade major non-aligned states to join their final statement.

No, it won’t spoil them. We will, of course, take into account the position that these countries have taken, this is important to us and we will continue to explain our reasoning to them.

Many of them, and this was a common point of view on this event, confirmed their understanding of the absence of prospects for any serious, substantive discussions without the presence of our country … If we talk about the overall effectiveness of this meeting, it is close to zero.

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© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Before yesterdayMain stream

Christian nationalists in the court system

By: kliuless
15 June 2024 at 12:07
Justice Alito Caught on Tape Discussing How Battle for America 'Can't Be Compromised' [ungated] - "In a new, secret recording, the Supreme Court justice says he 'agrees' that the U.S. should return to a place of godliness."

The recording, which was provided exclusively to Rolling Stone, captures Windsor approaching Alito at the event and reminding him that they spoke at the same function the year before, when she asked him a question about political polarization. In the intervening year, she tells the justice, her views on the matter had changed. "I don't know that we can negotiate with the left in the way that needs to happen for the polarization to end," Windsor says. "I think that it's a matter of, like, winning." "I think you're probably right," Alito replies. "On one side or the other — one side or the other is going to win. I don't know. I mean, there can be a way of working — a way of living together peacefully, but it's difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can't be compromised. They really can't be compromised. So it's not like you are going to split the difference." Windsor goes on to tell Alito: "People in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that — to return our country to a place of godliness." "I agree with you. I agree with you," replies Alito, who authored the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision, which reversed five decades of settled law and ended a constitutional right to abortion.
Justice Alito questions possibility of political compromise in secret recording - "Martha-Ann Alito spoke to Windsor about her flags on another recording made at the dinner, according to an additional edited recording the filmmaker posted online. She said she wanted to fly a religious flag because 'I have to look across the lagoon at the Pride flag for the next month', an apparent reference to celebratory LGBTQ+ displays during Pride month in June." Supreme Court's Alito appears to back US return to 'godliness' in secret recording - "The 'Appeal to Heaven' flag has come to symbolize hopes by some conservative activists for a more Christian-centered U.S. government." Secret recording puts spotlight on Alito's strong conservative views on religious issues - "The justice has consistently backed religious Christian groups in Supreme Court cases and has often spoke about freedom of religion being under attack." Alito's 'Godliness' Comment Echoes a Broader Christian Movement - "Justice Samuel Alito's secretly recorded remarks come as many conservatives have openly embraced the view that American democracy must be grounded in a Christian worldview."
The unguarded moment added to calls for greater scrutiny by Democrats, many of whom are eager to open official investigations into outside influence at the Supreme Court. But the core of the idea expressed to Mr. Alito, that the country must fight the decline of Christianity in public life, goes beyond the questions of bias and influence at the nation's highest court. An array of conservatives, including antiabortion activists, church leaders and conservative state legislators, has openly embraced the idea that American democracy needs to be grounded in Christian values and guarded against the rise of secular culture. They are right-wing Catholics and evangelicals who oppose abortion, same-sex marriage, transgender rights and what they see as the dominance of liberal views in school curriculums. And they've become a crucial segment of former President Donald J. Trump's political coalition, intermingled with the MAGA movement that boosted him to the White House and that hopes to do so once again in November. The movement's rise has been evident across the country since Mr. Trump lost re-election in 2020. The National Association of Christian Lawmakers formed to advance Christian values and legislation among elected officials. This week in Indianapolis, delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in America, are voting on issues like restricting in vitro fertilization and further limiting women from pastoral positions. [US Southern Baptists effort to enshrine ban on women pastors falls short (earlier: Southern Baptists finalize expulsion of two churches with female pastors), US Southern Baptists condemn IVF procedure] And in Congress, Mike Johnson, a man with deep roots in this movement and the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group, is now speaker of the House. Now, Supreme Court justices have become caught up in the debate over whether America is a Christian nation. While Justice Alito is hardly openly championing these views, he is embracing language and symbolism that line up with a much broader movement pushing back against the declining power of Christianity as a majority religion in America. The country has grown more ethnically diverse and the share of American adults who describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated has risen steadily over the past decade. Still, a 2022 report from the Pew Research Center found that more than four in 10 adults believed America should be a "Christian nation." Justice Alito's agreement isn't the first time he has embraced Christian ways of talking about the law and his vision for the nation. Shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, a ruling for which Justice Alito wrote the majority opinion, the justice flew to Rome and addressed a private summit on religious liberty hosted by the University of Notre Dame. His overarching concern was the decline of Christianity in public life, and he warned of what he saw as a "growing hostility to religion, or at least the traditional religious beliefs that are contrary to the new moral code that is ascendant." "We can't lightly assume that the religious liberty enjoyed today in the United States, in Europe and in many other places will always endure," he said, referencing Christians "torn apart by wild beasts" at the Colosseum before the fall of the Roman Empire... [T]he resonance of the Sacred Heart goes beyond simply an abstract religious concept, just as the Pride flag does. Each is notable for the vision of America that they symbolize, and the different visions of marriage, family and morality that they represent. For one slice of America that celebrates L.G.B.T.Q. rights, June is Pride Month. For another devout, traditional Catholic slice, June is a time to remember the Sacred Heart.
Justice Alito, in secretly recorded audio, apparently agrees nation needs to return to place of 'godliness' - "In the edited clips that were posted to X, Windsor approached Martha-Ann Alito at the event and seemingly expressed sympathy for 'everything that you're going through' and that it 'was not okay.' 'It's okay because if they come back to me, I'll get them,' Martha-Ann Alito said, referring to the news media. 'I'm gonna be liberated, and I'm gonna get them.' ... Windsor then turned the conversation to the stir caused by the 'Appeal to Heaven' flag, to which Martha-Ann Alito said the 'feminazis believe that [Justice Alito] should control me. So, they'll go to hell, he never controls me,' she added." In Secret Recordings, Alito Endorses Nation of 'Godliness.' Roberts Talks of Pluralism. - "The two justices were surreptitiously recorded at a Supreme Court gala last week by a woman posing as a Catholic conservative."
The justice's comments appeared to be in marked contrast to those of Chief Justice Roberts, who was also secretly recorded at the same event but who pushed back against Ms. Windsor's assertion that the court had an obligation to lead the country on a more "moral path." "Would you want me to be in charge of putting the nation on a more moral path?" the chief justice said. "That's for people we elect. That's not for lawyers." Ms. Windsor pressed the chief justice about religion, saying, "I believe that the founders were godly, like were Christians, and I think that we live in a Christian nation and that our Supreme Court should be guiding us in that path." Chief Justice Roberts quickly answered, "I don't know if that's true." He added: "I don't know that we live in a Christian nation. I know a lot of Jewish and Muslim friends who would say maybe not, and it's not our job to do that." The chief justice also said he did not think polarization in the country was irreparable, pointing out that the United States had managed crises as severe as the Civil War and the Vietnam War. When Ms. Windsor pressed him on whether he thought that there was "a role for the court" in "guiding us toward a more moral path," the chief justice's answer was immediate. "No, I think the role for the court is deciding the cases," he said.

How the US supreme court could be a key election issue: ‘They’ve grown too powerful’

15 June 2024 at 06:00

Grassroots Democrats seek to make ‘judicial activism’ a driving voting issue, but swing voters have other priorities

“Look at me, look at me,” said Martha-Ann Alito. “I’m German, from Germany. My heritage is German. You come after me, I’m gonna give it back to you.”

It was a bizarre outburst from the wife of a justice on America’s highest court. Secretly recorded by a liberal activist, Martha-Ann Alito complained about a neighbour’s gay pride flag and expressed a desire to fly a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag in protest.

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© Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE

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© Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE

Vladimir Putin issues fresh demands to Ukraine to end war

14 June 2024 at 09:35

Russian president’s new ultimatum comes as foreign envoys meet in Switzerland to discuss western-led peace plan

Vladimir Putin has demanded that Kyiv cede more land, withdraw troops deeper inside its own country and drop its Nato bid in order for him to end his war in Ukraine.

Putin’s fresh ceasefire demands were issued as envoys from more than 90 countries, including Ukraine, convene in Switzerland this weekend to discuss a western-led peace plan. Russia is not invited to the conference and Putin’s remarks on Friday are likely to have been timed as a spoiler to that summit.

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© Photograph: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images

How to opt out of Meta’s AI training

14 June 2024 at 04:57

MIT Technology Review’s How To series helps you get things done. 

If you post or interact with chatbots on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or WhatsApp, Meta can use your data to train its generative AI models beginning June 26, according to its recently updated privacy policy. Even if you don’t use any of Meta’s platforms, it can still scrape data such as photos of you if someone else posts them.

Internet data scraping is one of the biggest fights in AI right now. Tech companies argue that anything on the public internet is fair game, but they are facing a barrage of lawsuits over their data practices and copyright. It will likely take years until clear rules are in place. 

In the meantime, they are running out of training data to build even bigger, more powerful models, and to Meta, your posts are a gold mine. 

If you’re uncomfortable with having Meta use your personal information and intellectual property to train its AI models in perpetuity, consider opting out. Although Meta does not guarantee it will allow this, it does say it will “review objection requests in accordance with relevant data protection laws.” 

What that means for US users

Users in the US or other countries without national data privacy laws don’t have any foolproof ways to prevent Meta from using their data to train AI, which has likely already been used for such purposes. Meta does not have an opt-out feature for people living in these places. 

A spokesperson for Meta says it does not use the content of people’s private messages to each other to train AI. However, public social media posts are seen as fair game and can be hoovered up into AI training data sets by anyone. Users who don’t want that can set their account settings to private to minimize the risk. 

The company has built in-platform tools that allow people to delete their personal information from chats with Meta AI, the spokesperson says.

How users in Europe and the UK can opt out 

Users in the European Union and the UK, which are protected by strict data protection regimes, have the right to object to their data being scraped, so they can opt out more easily. 

If you have a Facebook account:

1. Log in to your account. You can access the new privacy policy by following this link. At the very top of the page, you should see a box that says “Learn more about your right to object.” Click on that link, or here

Alternatively, you can click on your account icon at the top right-hand corner. Select “Settings and privacy” and then “Privacy center.” On the left-hand side you will see a drop-down menu labeled “How Meta uses information for generative AI models and features.” Click on that, and scroll down. Then click on “Right to object.” 

2. Fill in the form with your information. The form requires you to explain how Meta’s data processing affects you. I was successful in my request by simply stating that I wished to exercise my right under data protection law to object to my personal data being processed. You will likely have to confirm your email address. 

3. You should soon receive both an email and a notification on your Facebook account confirming if your request has been successful. I received mine a minute after submitting the request.

If you have an Instagram account: 

1. Log in to your account. Go to your profile page, and click on the three lines at the top-right corner. Click on “Settings and privacy.”

2. Scroll down to the “More info and support” section, and click “About.” Then click on “Privacy policy.” At the very top of the page, you should see a box that says “Learn more about your right to object.” Click on that link, or here

3. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as above. 

Canada’s Largest District School Board Investigates Ransomware Incident

By: Alan J
13 June 2024 at 16:18

Toronto District School Board Ransomware Canada

The Toronto District School Board is investigating a recent ransomware attack that affected its testing environment. The Toronto board is Canada's largest school board, serving approximately 238,000 students across 600 schools in the city of Toronto. The board stated that it had taken immediate action and launched an investigation upon becoming aware of possible intrusion.

Toronto District School Board's Investigation Underway

The school board stated that the incident had affected its testing environment, which had been used to evaluate new technology and programs before being deployed on systems. The board's cybersecurity team had taken immediate action upon discovering the incident, securing systems and preserving data. The Toronto District School Board had notified details of the incident to the Toronto police and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. [caption id="attachment_77136" align="alignnone" width="2800"]Toronto District School Board Ransomware Attack cyberattack 2 Source: www.tdsb.on.ca[/caption] In its letter of notification sent to parents and guardians, the Toronto District School Board stated that it had launched an investigation with the aid of third-party experts to fully assess the nature and scope of the incident. This includes potential compromise of its networks or breach of sensitive personal information. [caption id="attachment_77137" align="alignnone" width="1770"]Toronto District School Board Ransomware Attack cyberattack Source: www.tdsb.on.ca[/caption] The letter added, "If it is determined that any personal information has been impacted, we will provide notice to all affected individuals. We understand that news of a cyber incident is concerning, but please know that we are doing everything possible to learn more about what occurred and address this situation.

Impact Unknown; More Details Expected Soon

Despite the attack, the district school board's systems remained fully operational and functional. While only the school's testing environment had been affected, Humber College cybersecurity expert Francis Syms remained concerned over the incident, as personal information is sometimes used on test environments. He added that test environments are usually not secured by multifactor authentication, potentially making data easier to access. However, he admitted that he was not aware of the testing system being used, as he was not part of the investigation team. The Toronto District School Board did not clarify whether the testing environment or its data contained any personal information. Ryan Bird, a spokesperson from the school district board, disclosed to CityNews Toronto that the full extent of the breach was unknown, or if any personal data had been compromised in the attack, but further details would be revealed by the end of the day. The Cyber Express team has reached out to the Toronto District School Board for further details and investigation results, but no responses have been received as of yet. Toronto's cybersecurity defenders have observed an uptick in cyberattacks in recent years, from both financially-motivated hackers and 'hacktivists' disrupting public systems. Some attacks occur during sensitive times such as elections, global conflicts, or visits by foreign leaders. However, ransomware attacks remain the most common form of attacks. City officials have been working with several agencies to rebuild trust in the safety of public systems and services. Charles Finlay, Toronto resident and executive director at Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, had earlier stated to the Toronto Star, “I think the city has to be more forthcoming about what it is doing to ensure that those services are secure from cyber-attacks.” The City had witnessed several attacks on its public institutions such a Cl0p ransomware intrusion into the  City of Toronto's computer systems as well as an attack last year on the Toronto Public Library's computer systems. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

White House won’t rule out commuting Hunter Biden sentence – live

The president has ruled out pardoning his son, but White House press secretary said it was unclear whether Biden would intervene to lessen a sentence length

The White House has not ruled out a possible commutation for Hunter Biden after a jury found him guilty on three federal gun crimes.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking to reporters on Wednesday on Air Force One, said:

As we all know, the sentencing hasn’t even been scheduled yet.

Of course he respects that, and we all do, and we’ve all talked about it ad nauseam.

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© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

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© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Secret recording reveals Alito agreeing that US should return to ‘a place of godliness’ – live

11 June 2024 at 09:51

US supreme court justice heard on recording saying ‘one side or the other is going to win’, referring to political left and right

Former Republican New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman, who backed Samuel Alito during his confirmation hearing in 2006, said she “absolutely, without question” regrets supporting the supreme court justice.

Whitman, in an interview with CNN, said she supported Alito at the time because she believed his record showed that he was “able to judge cases based on the facts presented” and “put aside personal convictions”. She added:

Unfortunately, since he’s gone to the supreme court that’s just seemed to have gone by the wayside.

I want a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag because I have to look across the lagoon at the Pride flag for the next month.

I’m putting it up and I’m going to send them a message every day, maybe every week. I’ll be changing the flags.

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© Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP

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© Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP

The Time I Built an ROV to Solve Missing Person Cases

10 June 2024 at 19:23
Inspired by the search for the Death Valley Germans (mefi previously), Antti Suanto and his brother decided to build themselves a remote-controlled sidescan sonar boat, and an underwater ROV, and attempt to solve two long-cold missing person cases in the waters of northern Finland.

‘Heartbreaking’: fire destroys historic Toronto church and rare paintings

10 June 2024 at 13:29

Destroyed artefacts in St Anne’s Anglican church include unique paintings by Group of Seven art collective

An early morning fire at a Toronto church has destroyed both a historic site and rare paintings by an acclaimed group of Canadian artists, leaving the city reeling from a “heartbreaking” loss.

Fire crews responded on Sunday to a blaze engulfing St Anne’s Anglican church, a national historic site in the city’s Little Portugal neighbourhood.

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© Photograph: Rene Johnston/Toronto Star/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Rene Johnston/Toronto Star/Getty Images

Is the risk of nuclear escalation rising between Russia and the West? | Rajan Menon

10 June 2024 at 06:00

That risk is notoriously hard to predict. There’s no reliable procedure for assessment or solid evidence on which to base it

Warnings about nuclear escalation in Ukraine are now being issued with increasing frequency and urgency, due to dramatic changes in policy by some of Kyiv’s main western supporters.

Some European countries, including Britain, France, the United States and Germany, have changed course, giving Ukraine the green light to use their weapons against sites within Russia. The latter two limited their permission to Ukrainian strikes aimed at defending Kharkiv province – although, according one report, Joe Biden may even lift that geographic restriction, as well. These steps are responses to devastating Russian strikes on Ukraine, many from points beyond its reach.

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© Photograph: Sergey Otroshko/AP

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© Photograph: Sergey Otroshko/AP

Ticketmaster Data Breach and Rising Work from Home Scams

By: Tom Eston
10 June 2024 at 00:00

In episode 333 of the Shared Security Podcast, Tom and Scott discuss a recent massive data breach at Ticketmaster involving the data of 560 million customers, the blame game between Ticketmaster and third-party provider Snowflake, and the implications for both companies. Additionally, they discuss Live Nation’s ongoing monopoly investigation. In the ‘Aware Much’ segment, the […]

The post Ticketmaster Data Breach and Rising Work from Home Scams appeared first on Shared Security Podcast.

The post Ticketmaster Data Breach and Rising Work from Home Scams appeared first on Security Boulevard.

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The idea to start a crypto investing platform was like a vision from God

By: chavenet
8 June 2024 at 04:13
"The defendants marketed to investors most in need of income and least able to afford a loss by advertising their schemes as a train to 'financial freedom' and 'freedom from the plantation,'" the suit said. "Cynthia Petion knew that 'it's never the ones who grew up rich who invest in these programs.'" from 'Jesus was the best affiliate marketer in the world': How a 'Reverend CEO' allegedly stole $1 billion in a crypto scam [MarketWatch]

Attorney General James Sues Cryptocurrency Companies NovaTechFx and AWS Mining for Defrauding Investors of More Than $1 Billion [NYAG] New York Sues Novatech Over $1 Billion Crypto Pyramid Scheme [Finance Feeds]

AI Prompt Engineering for Cybersecurity: The Details Matter

AI prompt engineering for security

AI has been a major focus of the Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit in National Harbor, Maryland this week, and the consensus has been that while large language models (LLMs) have so far overpromised and under-delivered, there are still AI threats and defensive use cases that cybersecurity pros need to be aware of. Jeremy D’Hoinne, Gartner Research VP for AI & Cybersecurity, told conference attendees that hacker uses of AI so far include improved phishing and social engineering – with deepfakes a particular concern. But D’Hoinne and Director Analyst Kevin Schmidt agreed in a joint panel that there haven’t been any novel attack technique arising from AI yet, just improvements on existing attack techniques like business email compromise (BEC) or voice scams. AI security tools likewise remain underdeveloped, with AI assistants perhaps the most promising cybersecurity application so far, able to potentially help with patching, mitigations, alerts and interactive threat intelligence. D’Hoinne cautions that the tools should be used as an adjunct to security staffers so they don’t lose their ability to think critically.

AI Prompt Engineering for Cybersecurity: Precision Matters

Using AI assistants and LLMs for cybersecurity use cases was the focus of a separate presentation by Schmidt, who cautioned that AI prompt engineering needs to be very specific for security uses to overcome the limitations of LLMs, and even then the answer may only get you 70%-80% toward your goal. Outputs need to be validated, and junior staff will require the oversight of senior staff, who will more quickly be able to determine the significance of the output. Schmidt also cautioned that chatbots like ChatGPT should only be used for noncritical data. Schmidt gave examples of good and bad AI security prompts for helping security operations teams. “Create a query in my <name of SIEM> to identify suspicious logins” is too vague, he said. He gave an example of a better way to craft a SIEM query: “Create a detection rule in <name of SIEM> to identify suspicious logins from multiple locations within the last 24 hours. Provide the <SIEM> query language and explain the logic behind it and place the explanations in tabular format.” That prompt should produce something like the following output: [caption id="attachment_75212" align="alignnone" width="300"]SIEM query AI prompt output SIEM query AI prompt output (source: Gartner)[/caption] Analyzing firewall logs was another example. Schmidt gave the following as an example of an ineffective prompt: “Analyze the firewall logs for any unusual patterns or anomalies.” A better prompt would be: “Analyze the firewall logs from the past 24 hours and identify any unusual patterns or anomalies. Summarize your findings in a report format suitable for a security team briefing.” That produced the following output: [caption id="attachment_75210" align="alignnone" width="300"]Firewall log prompt output Firewall log prompt output (source: Gartner)[/caption] Another example involved XDR tools. Instead of a weak prompt like “Summarize the top two most critical security alerts in a vendor’s XDR,” Schmidt recommended something along these lines: “Summarize the top two most critical security alerts in a vendor’s XDR, including the alert ID, description, severity and affected entities. This will be used for the monthly security review report. Provide the response in tabular form.” That prompt produced the following output: [caption id="attachment_75208" align="alignnone" width="300"]XDR alert prompt output XDR alert prompt output (source: Gartner)[/caption]

Other Examples of AI Security Prompts

Schmidt gave two more examples of good AI prompts, one on incident investigation and another on web application vulnerabilities. For security incident investigations, an effective prompt might be “Provide a detailed explanation of incident DB2024-001. Include the timeline of events, methods used by the attacker and the impact on the organization. This information is needed for an internal investigation report. Produce the output in tabular form.” That prompt should lead to something like the following output: [caption id="attachment_75206" align="alignnone" width="300"]Incident response prompt output Incident response AI prompt output (source: Gartner)[/caption] For web application vulnerabilities, Schmidt recommended the following approach: “Identify and list the top five vulnerabilities in our web application that could be exploited by attackers. Provide a brief description of each vulnerability and suggest mitigation steps. This will be used to prioritize our security patching efforts. Produce this in tabular format.” That should produce something like this output: [caption id="attachment_75205" align="alignnone" width="300"]Application vulnerability prompt output Web application vulnerability prompt output (source: Gartner)[/caption]

Tools for AI Security Assistants

Schmidt listed some of the GenAI tools that security teams might use, ranging from chatbots to SecOps AI assistants – such as CrowdStrike Charlotte AI, Microsoft Copilot for Security, SentinelOne Purple AI and Splunk AI – and startups such as AirMDR, Crogl, Dropzone and Radiant Security (see Schmidt’s slide below). [caption id="attachment_75202" align="alignnone" width="300"]GenAI security assistants GenAI tools for possible cybersecurity use (source: Gartner)[/caption]

Elon Musk’s Starlink Connects and Divides Brazil’s Marubo People

Elon Musk’s Starlink has connected an isolated tribe to the outside world — and divided it from within.

© Victor Moriyama for The New York Times

A Starlink satellite internet antenna in the Manakieaway village of the Marubo Indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon.

How to Bake a Potato

3 June 2024 at 08:51
After yesterday's rosin-fest, I thought it would be useful and uncontroversial to post definitive information about how* to bake a potato.

* This is not how I bake potatoes. I set the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, scrub the potato clean, either wrap it in foil or don't wrap it in foil, and put it in to bake for 60-75 minutes, depending on size.

The most intense potato flavor you've ever experienced.

By: dmd
2 June 2024 at 11:17
Rosin is highly flammable, and its fumes are noxious. So what better way to cook a potato? Boiling potatoes in molten rosin - a byproduct of pine sap distillation - seals in the flavor. "You get the most intense potato flavor you've ever experienced." If you're not up for boiling rosin yourself (Joy of Cooking, probably wisely, removed its recipe in the '98 edition), head to the Catface Country Turpentine Festival in Portal, Georgia, a "Rockwellian small-town festival replete with event-themed floats and beauty queens". (Catface refers to the scars left behind by the extraction of resin.) Alternatively, you can hop in your DeLorean and head to Cracker Barrel, which served rosin potatoes in the 80s. Or Doctor Potato (not a real doctor, but a team of potato experts) notes you could try coating your spud in a jacket of salt and egg. Previously...

ciao

By: Rhaomi
24 May 2024 at 08:00
窓からは柔らかな光が射し込み、
[Soft light streamed through the window]
窓の外では鳥たちが歌う美しい朝に、
[Outside, birds were singing on a beautiful morning]
私に撫でられながら眠るようにそっと逝きました。
[As I petted her, she passed away gently, as if falling asleep]
長い間かぼちゃんを愛して下さったみなさま、本当にありがとうございました。
[To everyone who has loved Kabo-chan for a long time, thank you very much]
かぼちゃんは世界一幸せな犬だったと思います。そして私は世界一幸せな飼い主でした。
[I believe Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world, and I was the happiest owner]
Kabosu, the beloved Shiba-Inu behind the globally popular Doge meme, has passed away peacefully at home today at the age of 18.

This sweet girl, abandoned by a shuttered puppy mill, had ended up in a kill shelter before being rescued and nursed back to health by kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato in 2008. She was named "Kabosu" after the round fruit that her furry head resembled. Photos of a wary Kabo-chan from Sato's blog formed the basis for the popular Doge meme circa 2013, which spread into a whole series of Shiba-centric lore, the mascot of an ironic cryptocurrency, and even got her a lovely statue (and a manhole cover) in her hometime prefecture of Sakura. Sato gamely documented Kabo-chan's charmed life (and her feline friends) on her blog and YouTube channel; a brush with leukemia and liver disease in 2022 (previously) elicited a wave of support and love from around the world, and she soon made a "miraculous" recovery and lived happily and well for another 18 months. For locals, a farewell gathering is planned for Sunday, May 26th, from 1-4pm at dog-friendly hangout spot of Kaori Flowers in Narita, with a larger event planned for the beautiful Sakura Furusato Plaza when the weather cools later in the year. Sato's obit post closes:
かぼちゃんは今もまだにこにこ笑ってシッポを振って [Kabo-chan is still smiling happily and wagging her tail] 私に寄り添ってくれていると思います。きっとこれからもずっと [I believe she is still staying close to me. Surely, from now on and forever.]

Palo Alto Networks Looks for Growth Amid Changing Cybersecurity Market

Palo Alto Networks

After years of hypergrowth, Palo Alto Networks’ (PANW) revenue growth has been slowing, suggesting major shifts in cybersecurity spending patterns and raising investor concerns about the cybersecurity giant’s long-term growth potential. Even as overall cybersecurity spending is predicted to remain strong, Palo Alto’s revenue growth has dropped to roughly half of the 30% growth rate investors have enjoyed for the last several years. Also Read: Digital Transformation Market to grow to $1247.5 Billion by 2026 Those concerns came to a head in February, when Palo Alto’s stock plunged 28% in a single day after the company slashed its growth outlook amid a move to “platformization,” with the company essentially giving away some products in hopes of luring more customers to its broader platform. Investor caution continued yesterday after the company merely reaffirmed its financial guidance, suggesting the possibility of a longer road back to hypergrowth. PANW shares were down 3% in recent trading after initially falling 10% after the company’s latest earnings report was released yesterday. Fortinet (FTNT), Palo Alto’s long-term network security rival, is also struggling amid cybersecurity market uncertainty, as analysts expect the company’s growth rate to slow from greater than 30% to around 10%.

SIEM, AI Signal Major Market Shifts

The changes in cybersecurity spending patterns show up most clearly in SIEM market consolidation and AI cybersecurity tools. Buyers may be waiting to see what cybersecurity vendors do with AI. On the company’s earnings call late Monday, Palo Alto CEO Nikesh Arora told analysts that he expects the company “will be first to market with capabilities to protect the range of our customers' AI security needs.” Seismic changes in the market for security information and event management (SIEM) systems are another sign of a rapidly changing cybersecurity market. Cisco’s (CSCO) acquisition of Splunk in March was just the start of major consolidation among legacy SIEM vendors. Last week, LogRhythm and Exabeam announced merger plans, and on the same day Palo Alto announced plans to acquire QRadar assets from IBM. AI and platformization factored strongly into those announcements. Palo Alto will transition QRadar customers to its Cortex XSIAM next-gen security operations (SOC) platform, and Palo Alto will incorporate IBM’s watsonx large language models (LLMs) in Cortex XSIAM “to deliver additional Precision AI solutions.” Palo Alto will also become IBM’s preferred cybersecurity partner across cloud, network and SOC. Forrester analysts said of the Palo Alto-IBM deal, “This is the biggest concession of a SIEM vendor to an XDR vendor so far and signals a sea change for the threat detection and response market. Security buyers may be finally getting the SIEM alternative they’ve been seeking for years.” The moves may yet be enough to return Palo Alto to better-than-expected growth, but one data point on Monday’s earnings call suggests buyers may be cautious. “We have initiated way more conversations in our platformization than we expected,” said Arora. “If meetings were a measure of outcome, they have gone up 30%, and a majority of them have been centered on platform opportunities.” It remains to be seen if sales will follow the same growth trajectory as meetings. For now, it’s clear that even as the overall cybersecurity market remains strong, the undercurrents suggest rapid changes in where that money is going. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

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