Educational CyberPlayGround NetHappenings Honor’s Maurice Hilleman

► ► Educational CyberPlayGround®, Inc. 1999
https://edu-cyberpg.com

► ► Blog https://CyberPlayGround.org©
► ► NetHappenings Newsletter ©1989 email subscribe / unsubscribe

► ► K12 School Directory© http://k12playground.com
👀 FIND K12 #₿TC #Financial #Literacy Classroom Projects

► ► Follow @Cyberplayground @NetHappenings @K12Playground @Telegram CyberCowGirl

NHN HEADLINES

Maurice Hilleman (1919–2005), circa 1958, as Chief of the Dept. of Virus Diseases

Maurice Ralph Hilleman (August 30, 1919 – April 11, 2005) was a leading American microbiologist who specialized in vaccinology and developed over 40 vaccines, an unparalleled record of productivity. According to one estimate, his vaccines save nearly 8 million lives each year.Many have described him as one of the most influential vaccinologists of all time.
Of the 14 vaccines routinely recommended in current American vaccine schedules, Hilleman and his team developed eight: those for measles, mumps, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, chickenpox, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae bacteria. During the “1957-1958 Asian flu pandemic”, his vaccine is believed to have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. He also played a role in the discovery of antigenic shift and drift, the cold-producing adenoviruses, the hepatitis viruses, and the potentially cancer-causing virus SV40.
In March 2005, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in collaboration with The Merck Company Foundation, announced the creation of The Maurice R. Hilleman Chair in Vaccinology.
n 2005, after Hilleman’s death Ralph Nader wrote, “Yet almost no one knew about him, saw him on television, or read about him in newspapers or magazines. His anonymity, in comparison with Madonna, Michael Jackson, Jose Canseco, or an assortment of grade B actors, tells something about our society’s and media’s concepts of celebrity; much less of the heroic.

 

F^^k Facebook

White nationalist Dylan Roof to be executed for killing 9 in church shooting

SARAH FERGUSON ‘Not in fear of anything’ as FOUR CORNERS continues investigation into FOX NEWS and the big lie
Scientists Monitoring New Coronavirus Variant With Unusually High Mutation Rate

Section 230 Is The Subject of The Most Effective Legal Propaganda I’ve Ever Seen
Here Are Some Resources On What It Really Means, If You Care
No, Section 230 Does Not Require Platforms to Be “Neutral” Online platforms are within their First Amendment rights to moderate their online platforms however they like, and they’re additionally shielded by Section 230 for many types of liability for their users’ speech. It’s not one or the other. It’s both.(For the record, it’s also puzzling that Zuckerberg claimed not to be familiar with Section 230 when Facebook was one of the largest Internet companies lobbying to undermine it.)

Tyler Crowley  Aug 5
Startup idea – WikiLeaks for dick pics = DikiLeaks
Ladies submit all unwelcome pics to database for global shaming. Guys pay to have their photo removed, money shared with victims.

South Korea aims to stop the dominance of Apple and Google … the decision will be historic According to Reuters, a parliamentary committee has approved a bill banning Apple and Google from forcing app developers to use their own platform for payment systems, and removing the last hurdle left before the final vote.

#COVID

COVID-19 antibody study shows downside of not receiving second shot
by Northwestern University <http://www.northwestern.edu/>
Thomas McDade in his Northwestern University lab testing for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) antibodies. Credit: Northwestern University
A new study shows that two months after the second Pfizer/Moderna vaccination, antibody response decreases 20% in adults with prior cases of COVID-19. The study also tests how well current vaccines resist emerging variants.

USA TODAY: 88-year old Georgia professor quits during class over student refusing to properly wear mask. Psychology professor Irwin Bernstein asked a student numerous times to wear her mask correctly. After she didn’t, he resigned in the middle of class.

Proof of vaccination from a NYer
many places consider recent proof of a negative test to be acceptable instead of proof of vaccination. This is also an option with NY Excelsior Pass, they have Vaccination Pass, PCR Pass, etc., valid for
different periods after you provide the proof.

and Bryant Park …

COVID-19 protocol for attendance
The Bryant Park lawn and gravel will be reserved for vaccinated/tested guests. Upon arrival, vaccinated guests should be prepared to show proof of vaccination (CLEAR/Excelsior pass, photo of vaccination card etc) and a government issued ID. Tested attendees must provide a negative PCR test within 72 hours of the event, and a government issued ID. The Upper Terrace will be a distanced area where proof of vaccination/a negative test is not required.

Protocol for vaccinated/tested area

In line with current CDC and state guidelines, attendees may remove masks at their own discretion once within the fully vaccinated areas.

Bring your own blanket or enjoy a chair on the lawn gravel. No chairs or plastic ground coverings (including sheets, tarps, bags, or pads) are permitted on the lawn.

Within the fully vaccinated area, attendees will have ample space to distance from others at their own discretion.

Protocol for Distanced Area
Masks are required unless seated in socially distant chairs.
Attendees must keep six-foot distance from other parties at all times.
Bryant Park chairs will be placed in exact positions by event staff. Please do not move chairs. Individuals in the distanced area may not enter the fully vaccinated/tested areas.

CHINA Papa XI limits online gaming for the children’s sake! Sounds Good!!
Papa XI limits online gaming for the children’s sake
Gamers under 18 will only be allowed to play online between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, in what it described as a bid to curb addiction in the gaming-crazy nation” Gamers are required to use their ID cards when registering to play online, to ensure minors don’t lie about their age. On school holidays, children will be allowed to play a little longer, with the allocated time set at 60 minutes per day.China’s Communist rulers have been reining in big tech and other powerful sectors that draw hundreds of millions of consumers.In July Chinese tech giant Tencent rolled out a facial recognition “midnight patrol” function to root out children masquerading as adults to get around a government curfew on underage gamers.
China,online gaming,children’s online gaming,online gaming addiction,online gaming time,Chinese youth,Tencent

China’s Magic Weapon
Governments around the world are uncovering secret operations to expand China’s influence – the work of a branch of the Chinese Communist Party called the United Front Work Department.

Japans New Digital Agency
Many bureaucrats learn and acquire digital and IT knowledge quickly, “but they usually transfer to different sections after a year or two. Then we have to teach new officials from zero again,” said Zamma, adding that “the current career rotation system is not working well” in facilitating digitalization efforts. For officials climbing the civil service career ladder, being a specialist focused on specific tasks long-term is not a typical path.
The shortage of tech specialists also causes ineffective IT-system procurement, as more knowledgeable vendors might be tempted to take advantage of inexperienced government organizations and inflate their prices. A divided bureaucracy is another structural issue that has weighed down Japan’s IT policies.

Lithium-ion battery pioneer Akira Yoshino on future of electric vehicles
Professor Akira Yoshino, a co-winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on lithium-ion batteries, can take credit for the upheaval in the automotive and technology industries.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco Announces Creation of New Cyber Fellows Positions
Today, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the creation of a new Cyber Fellowship program, designed to develop a new generation of prosecutors and attorneys equipped to handle emerging national security threats.

The end of phone calls: why young people have silenced their ringtones – Interesting read, I had my cellphone in silent mode for 20 years .

Name: Generation mute.

Age: 16-24 they don’t want people to call them. “Shut up, boomer!”

‘Charging room’ system powers lights, phones, laptops without wires: Researchers have developed a system to safely deliver electricity over the air, potentially turning entire buildings into #wirelesscharging zones! ⁦In a move that could one day free the world’s countertops from their snarl of charging cords, researchers at the University of Michigan and University of Tokyo have developed a system to safely deliver electricity over the air, potentially turning entire buildings into wireless charging zones.

Educational CyberPlayground: NetHappenings Newsletter – Security 8-25-2020

CyberPlayGround NetHappenings©1989

Educational CyberPlayground, Inc.:
NetHappenings Newsletter – Security 8-25-2020

 

SECURITY

KNOWLEDGE
Only the Rich will know
. Valuable Reporting is behind a paywall.  The rest of us will know less.  And very few people are going to pay for all of it. The people who don’t will be more and more clueless.

EAT THE RICH

“While 92 million can’t afford health care, the 4 richest Americans are now worth $512.8 billion:
– Jeff Bezos: $193 billion
– Bill Gates: $122 billion
– Mark Zuckerberg: $101 billion
– Elon Musk: $96.8 billion

It’s time to tax the billionaire class and expand Medicare to all.

Biden to ABC’s David Muir on raising taxes: ‘No new taxes’ for anyone making less than $400,000

Cyrus Vance Jr the Manhattan prosecutor agrees to shelve subpoena for Trump tax returns
Cyrus Vance Jr., the Democratic district attorney for Manhattan, had the legal right as of this Friday to enforce a New York grand jury subpoena to obtain a lengthy financial paper trail that includes Trump’s corporate and personal tax records. The 2nd Circuit will hear arguments Sept. 1. No matter what the public is never going to see them EVER!

IRS puts cryptocurrency front and center of 2020 tax return
You won’t be able to overlook the question this time: the US agency wants to know if you’ve transacted with virtual currency.

Facebook agrees to pay France €106m in back taxes for the last TEN YEARS
When you’re a large multinational company or a very high net worth individual, then taxes aren’t really an objective calculation. The tax code in most countries, despite being tens of thousands of pages of legalese, are extremely subjective. This subjective and loose language allow for innumerable loopholes and tax dodges.  If you’re using these creative methods, the chances are that you’ll get audited every single year by the IRS or local equivalent. Trump famously gets audited every year. Your tax lawyers & accountants will then negotiate a tax payment with the tax office. I used the word negotiate because there is no one true formula for tax owed. It doesn’t exist, especially not for corporations.
When you add in ‘creative’ intellectual property ownership and royalty payments, then the tax office basically has no idea where money is flowing. This is why EU countries commonly lob these huge penalties. Facebook tries to pay X in tax, and the tax office says they should pay X2, and then after negotiation they pay X1.5.

COVID

Gov. Cuomo  “The COVID problem in New York was a direct result of the negligence of the federal government. If this was a private situation, the state could sue the federal government for negligence. Gross negligence.”

Trump Admin Puts COVID-Wracked Meat Processor on Food Safety Panel The Brazilian meat conglomerate that presided over an alleged “work while sick” culture at a Colorado plant and deadly COVID cluster at a Nebraska facility during the early months of the pandemic will now advise the federal government on health policies.

Two European patients re-infected with coronavirus

COVID-19 at University of Iowa: Student tests positive, laments experience

Fearing coronavirus, a Michigan college tracks its students with a flawed app

Asymptomatic Children Carry Higher COVID-19 Viral Load Than Adults In ICUs

Facebook still has no cure for virus misinformation. A study by a left-leaning human rights group found the platform has exposed people to bad info on health and vaccines 3.8 billion times — four times more often than it has shown them information from credible institutions.

A friendly reminder that the @FBI designated QAnon a domestic terrorist threat and a few thousand people are now outing themselves as potential terrorists. The best thing about white supremacists is that they are 100% predictable.

College

Google Has a Plan to Disrupt the College Degree

Higher Ed needs to shut it down right now

Jeffrey Epstein’s Harvard Connections Show How Money Can Distort Research

Yale administrator to returning students, is *stunning*:
A Yale administrator told students to prepare for ‘possibly deaths’ — and it shows what a predictable disaster reopening is

DOJ Finds Illegal Discrimination at Yale

More Discrimination against White / Asian

Yale Antitrust Scholars Resign
Because Director Advises Apple, Amazon
A leading antitrust crusader revealed she was getting paid by companies facing antitrust scrutiny by federal and state authorities, as well as her own antitrust research project. Fiona Scott Morton had failed to disclose consulting contracts with Apple and Amazon, which Morton defended by pointing to her criticisms of Facebook and Google. As author David Dayen points out in the piece, all these companies regularly conduct similar antitrust violations:

 

Post Office

CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder submitted written testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on the Trump Administration’s repeated and flagrant attempts to undermine the United States Postal Service (USPS) and specifically the serious ethical issues raised by Trump-appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s service.
DeJoy is the first Postmaster General in decades to have no experience as a letter carrier, a qualification that ensured every previous Postmaster General personally understood the critical work of the agency’s core employees. DeJoy has been a willing and eager participant in Trump’s attempts to attack and discredit the USPS generally, and the safe, nonpartisan process of voting by mail. In addition to his lack of qualifications, and his furtherance of Trump’s baseless attacks on voting by mail, he holds at least $30 million of financial interests in USPS competitors and contractors. DeJoy and Trump appear to be intentionally destroying an institution that has served our nation since before the Constitution, no less during a pandemic when voters are relying on voting by mail to decrease the risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus. We urge Congress to not allow for the destruction of an institution that is so fundamentally tied to our rights and the social fabric of our nation.

Transparency

Apple says WordPress doesn’t have to add in-app purchases. “Apple’s remarks come after WordPress founding developer Matt Mullenweg tweeted Friday that Apple was going to cut off updates and bug fixes to the open-source software app unless it committed to supporting in-app purchases for WordPress’ payment plans.”

Twitter ‘Transparency Center’ shows government data requests by country. “About every six months, Twitter releases a transparency report detailing things like how many state-backed accounts it has suspended and the number of government requests for information on account holders. Today, Twitter is unveiling a centralized hub for those reports and the data they contain. The new Twitter Transparency Center is now live.”

How Police Secretly Took Over a Global Phone Network for Organized Crime
Police monitored a hundred million encrypted messages sent through Encrochat, a network used by career criminals to discuss drug deals, murders, and extortion plots.

Kane Gamble, aka Cracka,  hacked the former head of the CIA is back on the net

Customs and Border Protection paid $476,000 to a location data firm called Venntel, takes location data harvested from ordinary apps installed on peoples’ phones (games, weather, etc) and sells access to the government!

The UAE and Saudi governments have gotten so much data from hacking phones with NSO’s Pegasus spyware that they don’t know what to do with it all. So, NSO has hired Israeli military veterans to help them.

Inside NSO, Israel’s billion-dollar spyware giant
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/19/1006458/nso-spyware-controversy-pegasus-human-rights/

MIT Technology Review ($): NSO Group is one of the most secretive private surveillance companies in the world. Maker of the Pegasus mobile spyware, NSO has embroiled itself in a number of cases involving human rights abuses and governments spying on their most vocal critics — just by supplying the spyware. @HowellONeill (https://twitter.com/HowellONeill/status/1296041134310010883) looks at NSO — and some of its victims. It’s an interesting two part long-form on different sides of the same coin. A fascinating read, with new details on how NSO chooses (and monitors) its customers. You can find part two here () .
More: MIT Technology Review | @HowellONeill (https://twitter.com/HowellONeill/status/1296041134310010883) | @jsrailton (https://twitter.com/jsrailton/status/1296115306662965248)

 

Joe Sullivan, Uber’s former security chief who currently serves as Cloudflare’s security head, was charged this week with attempting to conceal a massive data breach that saw hackers steal 57 million user accounts of Uber drivers and passengers. The charges are “believed to be the first against an executive stemming from a company’s response to a security incident,” reports @kateconger (https://twitter.com/kateconger) . Sullivan negotiated a $100,000 “bug bounty” payout to the hackers, which later cost him his job. The hackers were later charged by U.S. prosecutors. Uber didn’t disclose the breach until a year later in 2017, after which Uber was forced to pay $148 million to settle an investigation brought by several attorneys general.

One of the charges is “misprision of a felony,” a fairly archaic crime. The elements are Principal completed felony; Defendant had full knowledge of that fact; failed to notify authorities; and took affirmative steps to conceal the crime.

NPR https://www.npr.org/2020/08/20/904113981/former-uber-executive-charged-with-paying-hush-money-to-conceal-massive-breach)

Cruise operator Carnival hit by ransomware
Cyberscoop: Remember earlier this year those cruise ships full of passengers with coronavirus? That same cruise company, Carnival, has just been hit by a data-stealing ransomware attack. Some of the company’s data was downloaded by the ransomware actors, the company confirmed in a regulatory filing. Earlier this year the company’s Princess Cruises brand admitted a data breach (https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/13/princess-cruises-coronavirus-breach/) involving names, addresses, Social Security numbers and government IDs — including passport numbers and driver license numbers — along with financial and health information.

U.S. regulator proposes scaling back personal information from trading database. “The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday said it would remove some personal information from a controversial trading database, bowing to pressure from the brokerage industry which has long warned the project would be vulnerable to hacks. Friday’s proposal, which is subject to a public consultation, seeks to limit the scope of sensitive information required by a massive new industry trading database, the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), conceived to help the regulator better police the markets.”

Lockpicking Lawyer

Police Want Your Smart Speaker—Here’s Why