SpaceX Expanding Starlink Service to the Philippines

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SpaceX Expanding Starlink Service to the Philippines

SpaceX is expanding Starlink service to the Philippines, adding to the growing list of countries where the company provides service.

Starlink is the constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites being deployed by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s other company. Starlink is designed to provide internet access and, thanks to its LEO satellites, its service is far superior to traditional satellite providers, even rivaling traditional broadband.

According to Reuters, Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez says the company’s permit applications are already being processed, and SpaceX is looking for local gateway locations. Once the service goes live, it will mark a major first, with the Philippines being the first Southeast Asia country to get Starlink.

As of time of writing, there is no confirmed timeline for launch.

SpaceX Expanding Starlink Service to the Philippines
Matt Milano

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How Enterprise Performance Management Solutions Help Unlock Growth

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How Enterprise Performance Management Solutions Help Unlock Growth

As markets become more competitive and customers demand more value, businesses must find ways to increase their productivity and performance.

Enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions help businesses unlock growth by providing visibility into goals and objectives, optimizing the key performance indicators (KPIs), and revamping the strategic planning processes.

With such crucial information, businesses can make informed data-driven decisions that will improve overall productivity and efficiency.

EPM software can also help identify opportunities and threats to the organization so that necessary changes can be made in a timely manner.

In this article, I will discuss how EPM software can help to improve your business performance to take your company to the next level.

Let’s begin with the basics first.

What is Enterprise Performance Management?

Enterprise performance management is a process that helps organizations manage and improve their performance. It involves setting goals, measuring progress, and making adjustments to achieve desired results. EPM solutions are tools that businesses can use to support their EPM process.

Components of an Enterprise Performance Management System

EPM software is typically composed of three components:

● Planning – The planning component helps organizations create realistic plans and forecasts by incorporating data from past performance.

● Execution – The execution component helps companies track progress and identify areas for improvement.

● Reporting – The reporting component provides visibility into performance data, allowing businesses to make informed decisions about where to allocate resources.

This modular approach allows businesses to customize their EPM solution to fit their specific needs.

Advantages of EPM Software for Businesses

EPM software offers a number of benefits that can help businesses unlock growth.

Here are five ways in which EPM software can help businesses grow:

1. Operational Efficiency

In order to grow over time, businesses must be able to produce more with the same or fewer resources. By identifying areas of inefficiency, businesses can make changes to their operations to improve productivity.

EPM tools can help businesses optimize their operations by providing insights into performance data. This data can help organizations identify inefficiencies in their processes and make changes that improve productivity.

Also, by automating repetitive tasks, they can free up time for employees to focus on more productive activities. In this way, EPM solutions can help businesses save time and money, which can be reinvested in growth initiatives.

2. Strategic Decision-Making

Growth requires business leaders to make tough decisions about where to allocate their resources.

EPM software can help businesses make better strategic decisions by providing clarity into past performance and current productivity levels. This information can help businesses identify trends and patterns, which can then be used to develop strategies that focus on areas with the greatest potential for growth and allocate resources more effectively.

Improved decision-making can lead to improved operational efficiency and increased growth. Also, businesses can understand their current position, which areas are performing well and which areas need improvements.

With this data-driven approach, businesses can make informed decisions about where to invest their resources for the greatest impact and improve their chances of success.

3. Goal Achievement

In order to achieve goals, businesses must focus on their core competencies. Core competencies are the activities that a business does better than its competitors.

EPM solutions can help businesses focus on their core competencies by providing them with insights into where they are excelling and where they need to improve. This information can then be used to develop plans to improve performance and achieve desired results.

EPM software can also help businesses track their progress towards specific goals and make changes as needed to stay on track. Dealing with factual data can help businesses improve their chances of achieving their goals and unlocking growth. In addition, EPM tools can help businesses identify new revenue streams and growth opportunities.

With the right EPM software in place, businesses can unlock their growth potential and increase their revenue thus attaining and exceeding their financial goals.

4. Improved Customer Satisfaction

In today’s competitive environment, businesses must provide excellent customer service to grow. EPM software can help businesses grow by making it easier to retain and attract customers through providing insights into customer behavior.

Businesses can use performance data to identify areas where their operations need to be improved as it is available. This data can also help businesses understand what customers want and need – and make changes to their operations to improve the customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Companies can also customize their products and services to better meet customer needs and grow their customer base.

In turn, increased customer satisfaction can lead to increased growth as customers are more likely to continue doing business with companies that they are satisfied with.

5. Transparency Increase

The most apparent benefit of EPM tools is the increased transparency that they provide in an organization’s performance.

By consolidating data from different parts of the organization into a single location, EPM solutions allow businesses to see how every department is performing relative to their goals. This increased transparency can help businesses improve communication between different departments and levels of management.

In turn, this improved communication can lead to better decision-making and a more cohesive strategy. By allowing businesses to see their performance in real-time, EPM programs can also help businesses identify problems early and prevent them from becoming bigger issues.

Ultimately, this increased transparency can lead to increased growth as businesses are able to better utilize their resources.

Conclusion

In conclusion, enterprise performance management solutions offer a number of benefits that can help businesses unlock growth.

By providing insights into performance data, EPM solutions can help businesses identify areas where they need improvement and develop plans to improve their operations.

In addition, EPM tools can help businesses track their progress towards specific goals and make changes as needed to stay on track. Finally, EPM can help businesses grow by making it easier to retain and attract customers through providing insights into customer behavior.

How Enterprise Performance Management Solutions Help Unlock Growth
Brian Wallace

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‘Reader Apps’ On the App Store Can Now Include Alternate Payment Links

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‘Reader Apps’ On the App Store Can Now Include Alternate Payment Links

Developers of “reader apps,” such as Netflix, Spotify, and Kindle, can now include a link to alternative payment methods.

Apple and Google have been under increasing pressure to open up their app ecosystems to outside payment options. Apple, in particular, has fought against such efforts aggressively, but has lost some of its battles, including against the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC). As part of its settlement with the JFTC, the company agreed to crack open its walled garden for reader apps, allowing them to include a link to alternate payment options.

Apple has now implemented those changes, announcing the change on its Developer site.

Last year, Apple announced an update coming to the App Store in early 2022 that would allow developers of “reader” apps to include an in-app link to their website for account creation and management purposes. Starting today, with the update of App Store Review guideline 3.1.3(a), developers of reader apps can now request access to the External Link Account Entitlement. This entitlement lets reader apps link to a website that is owned or maintained by the developer, so that users can create or manage their account outside of the app. Reader apps are apps that provide one or more of the following digital content types — magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, or video — as the primary functionality of the app.

Developers can learn more here.

‘Reader Apps’ On the App Store Can Now Include Alternate Payment Links
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Globant Is the Latest Lapsus$ Hacking Victim

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Globant Is the Latest Lapsus$ Hacking Victim

Globant, a company that helps others prepare “for digital and cognitive future,” is the latest victim of the Lapsus$ ransomware group.

Lapsus$ has been racking up a significant list of victim companies, including Nvidia, Microsoft, Okta, and Samsung. The group recently claimed it hacked Globant as well, posting some of the company’s source code as proof.

The company has acknowledged the breach, but said the scope of access was limited.

“We have recently detected that a limited section of our company’s code repository has been subject to unauthorized access,” the company wrote on their site. “We have activated our security protocols and are conducting an exhaustive investigation.

“According to our current analysis, the information that was accessed was limited to certain source code and project-related documentation for a very limited number of clients. To date, we have not found any evidence that other areas of our infrastructure systems or those of our clients were affected.

“We are taking strict measures to prevent further incidents.”

Globant Is the Latest Lapsus$ Hacking Victim
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Canada to Ban Combustion Engine Cars Sales by 2035

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Canada to Ban Combustion Engine Cars Sales by 2035

Automakers will no longer be able to sell combustion engine passenger cars in Canada, effective 2035, adding to the growing impetus for a full transition to electric vehicles.

Governments are working to combat climate change, with combustion engine vehicles being one of the biggest, and most visible, means of doing so. Many automakers have committed to phasing out combustion engines by the mid-2030s, and various jurisdictions are moving to require such a transition.

Canada is the latest to do so, according to Engadget, setting 2035 as the cutoff date for combustion engine car sales. In the meantime, the government has set interim milestones for automakers to meet. Canada wants 20% of new vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2026, increasing to 60% by 2030.

Ottawa’s larger goal is to reach net zero emissions as a country by 2050, hitting 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Canada to Ban Combustion Engine Cars Sales by 2035
Matt Milano

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Sprint CDMA Gets Another Brief Lease on Life

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Sprint CDMA Gets Another Brief Lease on Life

T-Mobile is expending its shutdown date for Sprint’s CDMA network, giving devices reliant on it a brief lease on life.

T-Mobile bought Sprint in April 2020 and has been working to integrate the latter’s spectrum in its own network. In order to fully do that, however, T-Mobile plans to shut down Sprint’s CDMA network, freeing up that spectrum. The company was planning to shut down Sprint’s network on March 31, 2022, but the company has evidently delayed the shutdown date by a couple of months.

According to SoftBank, Sprint’s former owner, T-Mobile now plans to shutdown the old CDMA network on May 31, 2022.

Sprint will be shutting down gradually its CDMA network towards Thursday, May 31, 2022※1. In the shut down area, you may not be able to make a voice call or it may be temporarily out of service. In order to respond to this shutdown and to ensure the stable use of the America Flat-rate option, customers using the option will need to update their USIM card.

Interestingly, SoftBank says the date may be postponed again.

Due to the circumstance of Sprint, the date has been postponed from March 31, 2022 to May 31, 2022. Incidentally, there is a possibility that the date of May 31 will be rescheduled in future.

Sprint CDMA Gets Another Brief Lease on Life
Matt Milano

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Google Brings ‘Retail Search’ to Cloud Customers

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Google Brings ‘Retail Search’ to Cloud Customers

Google is expanding its cloud services, bringing Retail Search to its clients in an effort to help them provide the best experience to their own customers.

One of the biggest issues online shoppers face is finding the products they’re interested in. This can especially be apparent when comparing retail platform search capabilities with the Google Search features customers have become accustomed to.

Google Cloud is now bringing the power of its search to retail clients, with Retail Search, which the company unveiled in a blog.

This fully managed service is easily customizable, enabling organizations to craft shopper-focused search experiences. Our site search solution builds upon decades of Google’s experience and innovation in search indexing, retrieval, and ranking. Retailers can make product discovery even easier for shoppers, while optimizing for their business goals with advanced capabilities

Retail Search gives clients the ability to offer advanced query understanding, meaning customers will have better success finding what they’re looking for even with the broadest of search terms. The service also includes semantic search, which matches product attributes with relevant products.

Customers are already seeing the benefit of Retail Search.

“With limited customer signals and no historical data, descriptive long-tail searches are some of the most challenging queries to understand,” said Neelima Sharma, senior vice president, technology, e-commerce, marketing and merchandising at Lowe’s. “We have been partnering with Google Cloud to give our customers relevant results for long-tail searches and have seen an increase in click-through and search conversion and a drop in our ‘No Results Found’ rate since we launched.”

Google Cloud customers interested in learning more can visit Discovery Solutions for Retail or contact their Google Cloud field sales representative.

Google Brings ‘Retail Search’ to Cloud Customers
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Experts Warn the EU’s DMA Will Break Encryption

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Experts Warn the EU’s DMA Will Break Encryption

Another day, another attack on encryption, with security experts warning the EU’s DMA legislation will likely break, or severely weaken, encryption.

The EU unveiled the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as its latest effort to crack down on Big Tech. In addition to severe fines, and even possible breakups, of companies that fail to abide by the legislation, the DMA calls for “gatekeeper companies” to make their services interoperable with smaller rivals.

Messaging, in particular, is one of the most obvious areas impacted by this clause, with services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Apple’s iMessage likely forced to open up and work with competitors. Unfortunately, since all of these services provide end-to-end encryption (E2EE), experts warn there is no easy way for the the services to work with each and still maintain the level of security and privacy they currently offer.

In speaking with The Verge, one expert used a very low-tech example to illustrate the issues, especially with compatibility and accountability between various services.

“If you went into a McDonald’s and said, ‘In the interest of breaking corporate monopolies, I demand that you include a sushi platter from some other restaurant with my order,’ they would rightly just stare at you,” Alec Muffett, former Facebook engineer and internet security expert, said. “What happens when the requested sushi arrives by courier at McDonald’s from the ostensibly requested sushi restaurant? Can and should McDonald’s serve that sushi to the customer? Was the courier legitimate? Was it prepared safely?”

Similar questions plague potential implementation of the DMA. How will messages be securely sent across various platforms? If two different services use two different types of encryption, which company will modify its service to be compatible with the other? Will services opt to simply drop encryption when sending messages across services? Or will companies adopt some method of decrypting and re-encrypting as the message is passed from one service to another, making the communication vulnerable to interception, and thereby compromising privacy and security?

Unfortunately, as has been stated time and time again, the encryption protocols people, companies, and governments rely on for privacy and security are not created, managed, or dictated by policies. They are, instead, bound and constrained by basic mathematics.

Unfortunately for privacy and security, the mathematics of the DMA don’t quite add up.

Experts Warn the EU’s DMA Will Break Encryption
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Can’t Remember All Big Tech’s Controversies? There’s a Wiki For That

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Can’t Remember All Big Tech’s Controversies? There’s a Wiki For That

A new nonprofit watchdog organization, The Tech Oversight Project, has published a wiki list all Big Tech’s controversies.

Big Tech is coming under increasing scrutiny on multiple fronts, with privacy and antitrust concerns being two of the biggest. Companies throughout Big Tech are facing lawsuits, both from individuals and governments.

The Tech Oversight Project was formed with the goal of ” holding Big Tech accountable by urging lawmakers to support comprehensive antitrust legislation.” To that end, the group has published BigTechWiki, listing all the various scandals and controversies Big Tech has been involved in, and providing detailed information.

Perusing the wiki may be an eye-opening experience for many individuals.

Can’t Remember All Big Tech’s Controversies? There’s a Wiki For That
Matt Milano

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Kaspersky Lab Labeled ‘a Threat to National Security’

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Kaspersky Lab Labeled ‘a Threat to National Security’

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has labeled Kaspersky Lab “a threat to national security,” a first for a Russian firm.

Kaspersky Lab is a popular provider of antivirus software and other cybersecurity software. The company is often on the front lines of identifying and combating viruses, trojans, ransomware, and other malware. The company is also based in Moscow, and therefore subject to Russian law and governance.

That last point has helped land the company on the FCC’s Covered List, a list of entities “that have been deemed a threat to national security.” Chinese firms China Telecom and China Mobile International USA Inc, were also added at the same time.

“Last year, for the first time, the FCC published a list of communications equipment and services that pose an unacceptable risk to national security, and we have been working closely with our national security partners to review and update this list,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Today’s action is the latest in the FCC’s ongoing efforts, as part of the greater whole-of-government approach, to strengthen America’s communications networks against national security threats, including examining the foreign ownership of telecommunications companies providing service in the United States and revoking the authorization to operate where necessary. Our work in this area continues.”

The news was met with support from the agency’s other commissioners, including Commissioner Brendan Carr.

“The FCC’s decision to add these three entities to our Covered List is welcome news,” wrote Carr. The FCC plays a critical role in securing our nation’s communications networks, and keeping our Covered List up to date is an important tool we have at our disposal to do just that. In particular, I am pleased that our national security agencies agreed with my assessment that China Mobile and China Telecom appeared to meet the threshold necessary to add these entities to our list. Their addition, as well as Kaspersky Labs, will help secure our networks from threats posed by Chinese and Russian state backed entities seeking to engage in espionage and otherwise harm America’s interests.

“I applaud Chairwoman Rosenworcel for working closely with our partners in the Executive Branch on these updates. As we continue our work to secure America’s communications networks, I am confident that we will have more entities to add to our Covered List.”

Kaspersky Lab Labeled ‘a Threat to National Security’
Matt Milano

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How Outdoor Exploration Makes You More Productive

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How Outdoor Exploration Makes You More Productive

Though national and local parks come to mind at the thought of outdoor exploration, RV campgrounds and parks are other great conduits for natural recreation. With as many as 14,000 in the United States alone, options for enjoying them are many.

Exploring mother nature has more immediate benefits too. Doing so has the ability to rebalance our industrialized lives with our humanity and human needs. Among children, building and fine motor skills are amplified alongside confidence. Memories with loved ones blossom through both outdoor exploration and repose. The physical activity made available by the natural environment gives our bodies a boost and the kinetic energy we crave. Nature also presents learning opportunities for both kids and adults of all ages as our senses continuously process new information and we discover new ways in which ecosystems interact and exist.

Americans suffer from a vacation deficit. More than 28 million United States employees are not given paid holidays or vacation time. Of the remaining U.S. adults who do, a staggering 55% don’t utilize all of their paid time off, staying wired for productivity. These statistics do not bode well against other higher-earning countries. The typical amount of paid leave for employees in the private sector is 10 days. Meanwhile, Finland triples this average, giving a numerical mean of 30 days. Finland’s also taken first place as the world’s happiest country for the past four consecutive years.

Not Taking Off Enough Time

Americans take insufficient amounts of time off for a plethora of reasons. However, there seems to be heavy consensus on six. 61% report negligence towards repose at the fear of being deemed replaceable in their positions. 56% blame insufficient assistance and perceived forgiveness for overbearing tasks and assigned roles. With a significant population of pet parents, 54% struggle to find pet care and accommodations, keeping them from traveling. 54% prefer to dodge the stress and burdens of crafting itineraries and charting modes of transportation. 54% report worries regarding safety and peace of mind. 53% are deterred from vacationing due to expenses and lack of disposable income. Lastly, among U.S. adults who do use their vacation days, fewer than 50% use them to leave home.

Enjoying the outdoors has innumerable benefits and we must orient our time towards reaping them. Just twenty minutes of fresh air, three days each week, has been proven to enhance brain function, minimize stress, augment well-being, and better memory. 

If exploring the wilderness, and the thrills of doing so are not your speed, outdoor attractions can still provide the refreshment of fresh air without the uncertainties posed by wildlife and remote environments. By visiting a water or theme park, you can cherish open air while enjoying modern stimulation. When renting a boat, kayaking, canoeing, or whitewater rafting, you can enjoy open waters, green surroundings, and vast blue sky from afloat. By sightseeing, and participating in local tours, you can see new places by foot or by bike while enjoying nature’s elements. Lastly, simple family-friendly adventures, like hayrides, mini-golf, and orchids can provide outdoor fun in low-risk ways.

In Conclusion

Take care of yourself, as much as you take care of work. Then, you can reconnect with the gifts that mother nature endlessly offers.

How Outdoor Exploration Makes You More Productive
Brian Wallace

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Deloitte: Younger generations have one foot in the metaverse via gaming and social media

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Deloitte said that younger generations are behaving in a way that suggests they will live their lives online and embrace the metaverse.Read More

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Elon Musk Asks If Twitter Should Be Replaced

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Elon Musk Asks If Twitter Should Be Replaced

Tesla CEO Elon Musk may be famous for his tweets, but that hasn’t stopped him from wondering if it’s time to replace the platform.

Twitter often sparks controversy for its attempts to walk the line between free speech and moderating extreme content, attempts that are often not as successful as the company would like. Even Musk doesn’t appear to be a fan, posting a poll asking whether his followers thought Twitter rigorously adheres to the principles of free speech. At the time of writing, just over 70% of his followers voted “No.”

In response, Musk asked what should be done.

Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy. What should be done?

Is a new platform needed?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk), March 26, 2022

It’s unclear if Musk is serious about a new platform being an option, but he did tease a level of seriousness when posting the initial poll.

“The consequences of this poll will be important,” Musk wrote. “Please vote carefully.”

Despite some displeasure with Twitter, the tech mogul’s tweets weren’t taken well by many users, some of whom pointed out Musk’s own history of firing employees for negatively reviewing Tesla and its tech. Still others pointed out that companies are not required to guarantee free speech in the same way the government is, and are free to enforce terms of service.

Elon Musk Asks If Twitter Should Be Replaced
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How AI is creating a safer online world

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By using AI and ML algorithms to identify and categorize content, companies can identify and remove unsafe content as soon as it is created.Read More

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Languages in the metaverse: Why AI is critical for communication in the brave new world

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We don’t have the superpower of universal understanding in real life. But what if it’s indeed possible to achieve it in the metaverse?Read More

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GM Shutting Down Indiana Pickup Truck Plant Over Chip Shortage

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GM Shutting Down Indiana Pickup Truck Plant Over Chip Shortage

GM is shutting down its Fort Wayne, Indiana pickup truck factory for two weeks as a result of the semiconductor shortage.

Despite chipmakers’ efforts to boost production, the semiconductor shortage continues to take a toll on various industries, with automakers especially susceptible to supply and demand issue. According to the Houston Chronicle, this is now causing GM to halt production at the Fort Wayne facility.

“There is still uncertainty and unpredictability in the semiconductor supply base, and we are actively working with our suppliers to mitigate potential issues moving forward,” GM said Friday.

Unfortunately for the industry, there doesn’t appear to be a quick resolution in sight. In fact, the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens to exacerbate the situation even more, as Ukraine is responsible for 90% of the neon gas used in semiconductor manufacturing.

GM Shutting Down Indiana Pickup Truck Plant Over Chip Shortage
Matt Milano

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Startup Develops Tech to Deliver Pain in the Metaverse

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Startup Develops Tech to Deliver Pain in the Metaverse

H2L Technologies has developed technology to allow users to experience real pain in response to their metaverse activities.

The metaverse is the convergence of virtual, augmented, and in-person reality, with an emphasis on the virtual aspect. Companies in virtually every industry are racing to stake their claim in the metaverse, with banks opening offices and purchasing land in it.

H2L Technologies wants to make the virtual world as real as possible, developing tech that brings real-world pain into the metaverse.

“Feeling pain enables us to turn the metaverse world into a real [world], with increased feelings of presence and immersion,” H2L CEO Emi Tamaki told Financial Times, via The Byte.

Pain isn’t the only sensation the tech can provide, however.

H2L technology conveys weight and resistance feeling to users and avatars on the Metaverse, not only pain. Please read also her interview.

— h2linc (@h2linc), March 21, 2022

Tamaki sees her company’s tech as a way of creating fully immersive experiences, especially for those whose health limits their ability to travel and engage in certain activities, as is the case with her.

Startup Develops Tech to Deliver Pain in the Metaverse
Matt Milano

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Ridesharing Business Trends You Should Know

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Ridesharing Business Trends You Should Know

Rideshare businesses, such as Uber and Lyft, can make traveling much easier and more convenient than traditional taxi travel. At the end of the day, however, rideshare drivers can also be susceptible to reckless driving, negligent driving habits, and serious accidents. While rideshare companies are not lenient towards reckless drivers, navigating the aftermath of an accident can be difficult. Businesses with ridesharing operations may benefit from the assistance of a qualified and experienced accident attorney.

To better understand the legal repercussions of a rideshare accident as well as how an accident attorney can help you, consider the following questions.

What policies you have for ridesharing?

No matter the magnitude of a collision, being in an accident is a jarring experience. There are a few key steps you should take after being in a ridesharing accident, and company policies should reflect those. First, take safety precautions. If possible, the driver should move the vehicle to a safe area away from traffic. Secondly, contact the authorities for appropriate help and documentation. If anyone has been seriously injured, request an ambulance immediately. Third, gather evidence. With authorities, share information about the passenger,  other parties, and witnesses to the accident. Take pictures and notes. Fourth, drivers should talk to the company attorney, which is preferably experienced with rideshare accidents. Passengers should have a rideshare accident attorney also. The attorneys can help navigate the aftermath of an accident, avoid error and miscommunication, and determine liability.

Who is responsible for a ridesharing accident?

Rideshare companies typically have policies in place that make it easier to skirt involvement in accidents caused by their drivers. Throughout the country, rideshare drivers are considered, not as employees, but as independent contractors. This distinction safeguards companies from paying taxes, benefits, or unemployment insurance to drivers and largely prevents companies from having vicarious liability for the actions of their drivers. In practice, this makes it easier for rideshare companies to avoid responsibility for wrecks caused by rideshare driver negligence.

Could a rideshare company be held liable?

Some actions and policies may arise that can connect an accident to the rideshare company’s negligence, such as poor hiring policies, making it easier to hold a rideshare company liable. The issue of when liability kicks in and from who can be a complicated one. This is why having an accident attorney on retainer may be especially important for a business because a qualified accident attorney will have a better understanding of who is liable.

Both Lyft and Uber maintain one million dollar policies to cover passengers, third-party drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians for accidents caused by their drivers. These policies may apply towards injuries, medical bills, and damages in situations where the rideshare driver was logged into the app when they caused the crash. If this is the situation, it may be easier to file with a rideshare company for damages.

How does a driver’s insurance affect liability?

Rideshare drivers need to understand the extent of their insurance coverage. Uber and Lyft have similar insurance policies that cover rideshare drivers while they are driving while representing the company. This policy is addressed in three phases. Phase One is the sign-in period, in which a driver is logged into the app, but has not yet received a trip request. The driver in Phase One is covered, but only minimally as required by law. Important to note, the rideshare company’s insurance only covers a driver from financial liability incurred if involved in an accident. It does not typically cover any injuries to the driver or the driver’s property in this phase, and drivers will need to have personal insurance to be covered. Phase Two is the acceptance period, in which you have accepted a trip request from a passenger, and Phase Three is the transportation period, in which the driver is transporting the passenger. In Phases Two and Three, the driver is covered at a higher amount, until the moment the trip is complete. Generally, drivers have $1 million in liability coverage per accident and about $250,000 for injuries caused by uninsured drivers. If drivers have physical-damage coverage, then their vehicle may be covered by the rideshare app.

Given the complications that may arise in understanding who is covered at what stage in the rideshare experience, it will be advantageous to have an experienced accident attorney to help sort through the timeline of events and injury as well as to handle all communications with the insurance company on your company’s behalf.

What are the risks I face if I don’t hire an accident attorney?

An accident attorney has specialized training and likely the experience needed to serve as a winning personal advocate for your case. They will have a comprehensive understanding of the law of your state regarding personal injury and rideshare cases, will conduct the appropriate research, client, and witness interviews, and negotiate any settlements and paperwork needed to help you seek proper compensation for injuries incurred as a result of the accident.

The outcome of an accident is dependent on analyzing the fact-specific circumstances of your case. A rideshare accident may include working with several parties including the driver, passengers, the rideshare company itself, the insurance company, and third-parties. With so many moving components and participants, your case will become overwhelming quickly.

Without the assistance of an experienced and competent accident attorney, you may be missing out on attaining the compensation you deserve to be whole once again.

This is why hiring an accident attorney will be to your best advantage. An accident attorney will work in your best interests to efficiently help you reach a fair and appropriate conclusion. Most importantly, an accident attorney will help you move on from this jarring and unfortunate experience.

Ridesharing Business Trends You Should Know
Brian Wallace

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LG Electronics Pivots to Crypto and Blockchain

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LG Electronics Pivots to Crypto and Blockchain

LG Electronics may be pivoting to the cryptocurrency market, adding crypto and blockchain to its corporate interests.

LG has been going through some major changes, as the company recently shut down its mobile division to focus on its core business. That core business is being expanded in new directions, however, with the company adding crypto and blockchain to its areas of focus.

According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the company is looking at “the development and selling of blockchain-based software” and “the sale and brokerage of cryptocurrency.” The wording has led to speculation the company could launch its own crypto exchange.

When asked about it, the company did not confirm or deny the possibility.

“Nothing has been decided yet,” a spokesperson said, “We just mentioned business areas in a broad manner.”

LG Electronics Pivots to Crypto and Blockchain
Matt Milano

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Nvidia CEO Calls Lapsus$ Hack a ‘Wake-Up Call’

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Nvidia CEO Calls Lapsus$ Hack a ‘Wake-Up Call’

Nvidia suffered a major attack at the hands of ransomware group Lapsus$, an attack CEO Jensen Huang is calling a “wake-up call.”

Lapsus$ is a somewhat different type of ransomware gang. Rather than gaining access and delivering a ransomware payload that encrypts a target’s systems, Lapsus$ tries to gain access to source code repositories, stealing code and demanding a ransom to not release it to the public.

Lapsus$ has been on a string of attacks, compromising Microsoft, Samsung, and Nvidia. In the case of the latter, the group made off with GPU source code, demanding the company open source its drivers or see the code released publicly.

According to Yahoo Finance, the hack got Huang’s attention, who was happy it wasn’t worse.

“It was a wake-up call for us,” Huang told Yahoo Finance. “Fortunately, we didn’t lose any customer information and any sensitive information. They got access to source code, which of course we don’t like, but nothing that is harmful to us.”

Ransomware has been on the rise, becoming one of the most popular, and profitable, forms of cybercrime. The CEO of Nvidia calling the Lapsus$ attack a “wake-up call” should serve as a cautionary tale to companies large and small.

Nvidia CEO Calls Lapsus$ Hack a ‘Wake-Up Call’
Matt Milano

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EU Prepares to Crack Down on Big Tech, Unveils Sweeping Measures

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EU Prepares to Crack Down on Big Tech, Unveils Sweeping Measures

The European Union has unveiled sweeping measures to crack down on Big Tech and increase competition across the industry.

The EU has unveiled the Digital Markets Act (DMA), aimed specifically at “gatekeeper” companies, according to The Verge. Gatekeepers are companies with a market cap of at least $82 billion, at least 45,000 active users, and that run a “platform.” Such criteria would cover Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, but could also cover smaller companies and services as well.

Messaging, in particular, is a likely focus of the DMA, with the EU looking to force services like Facebook Messenger, iMessage, and WhatsApp to “open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms, if they so request.”

The DMA would include a number of other provisions, including stopping gatekeepers from preferring their own apps and services, as well as giving users the ability to uninstall default apps that come on their devices, and even choose which apps they want to use during install and setup.

Companies that sell or do business on a given platform would be entitled to access performance metrics from that platform. Similarly, companies that advertise on a platform would be given a way to independently confirm the performance of their advertising efforts.

The penalties for failure to comply would be severe, including up to 10% of a company’s annual worldwide revenue and periodic penalties up to 5% of its daily earnings. Most notably, the EU would also have the authority to enforce “behavioral and structural remedies.” This could including mandating that a company change how it operates its platform or service, and could even include forcing a company to spin off portions of its business, if the anti-competitive concerns cannot otherwise be addressed.

This is why, in the Digital Markets Act, there is a full toolbox where the sanctions become more and more severe,” the EU’s Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager told The Verge. “The fines will increase if you do not implement changes. Eventually, in the toolbox, there’s also the tool that you can actually break up a company if no change is happening, or if you are a repeat offender.”

The DMA represents the single largest effort by the EU to reign in the power and influence of Big Tech, combining a number of different efforts into one comprehensive piece of legislation. The legislation has not passed yet but, given the momentum that’s been building in the EU, it’s almost certainly going to pass sooner rather than later.

EU Prepares to Crack Down on Big Tech, Unveils Sweeping Measures
Matt Milano

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GitHub’s New Feed Is a Dud With Developers

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GitHub’s New Feed Is a Dud With Developers

Developers are not impressed with GitHub’s news feed, sparking concerns the platform is trying to be a social network more than a developer resource.

GitHub is one of the premier resources for hosting and managing software projects in the cloud, providing full version control support. Commercial and open software projects alike rely on GitHub. According to The Register, however, the platform has recently rolled out a news feed aimed at reccommending projects developers may be interested in.

The response has not been what GitHub hoped for, with developers complaining about what they see as unnecessary distractions.

“I do not need to see recommendations, nor activity of people I don’t follow,” wrote one developer. “It looks like github is trying to push “social” features but we’re here to work and get to the point. The current feed is all I need. The beta feed offers nothing of value. Don’t fix what’s not broken.”

“For many of us,” said another, “GitHub is part of our livelihood, and the gamification of it could lead to extra stress we could do without.

Still others voiced concerns the algorithmic feed could result in data collection and a loss of privacy.

Fortunately, The Register reports that GitHub plans to make the feature opt-out. It’s not as good as making it opt-in, but at least it’s something.

GitHub’s New Feed Is a Dud With Developers
Matt Milano

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BlackRock CEO: Russian Invasion of Ukraine ‘Has Put an End to Globalization’

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BlackRock CEO: Russian Invasion of Ukraine ‘Has Put an End to Globalization’

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has sent a letter to shareholders, warning that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is ending globalization.

Companies the world over have been joining governments in sanctioning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, leading to some of the most extensive and comprehensive sanctions ever imposed on a country. BlackRock is no exception, imposing its own limitations on doing business with Russia.

The company’s CEO outlined some of those actions in his letter.

BlackRock has been committed to doing our part. Grounded in our fiduciary duty, we moved quickly to suspend the purchase of any Russian securities in our active or index portfolios. Over the past few weeks, I’ve spoken to countless stakeholders, including our clients and employees, who are all looking to understand what could be done to prevent capital from being deployed to Russia.

Fink believes the fallout will go far beyond the immediate impact of the war and resulting sanctions, however.

The ramifications of this war are not limited to Eastern Europe. They are layered on top of a pandemic that has already had profound effects on political, economic, and social trends. The impact will reverberate for decades to come in ways we can’t yet predict.

Fink predicts a major casualty is the globalization that became the status quo after the Cold War ended.

But the Russian invasion of Ukraine has put an end to the globalization we have experienced over the last three decades. We had already seen connectivity between nations, companies and even people strained by two years of the pandemic. It has left many communities and people feeling isolated and looking inward. I believe this has exacerbated the polarization and extremist behavior we are seeing across society today.

The invasion has catalyzed nations and governments to come together to sever financial and business ties with Russia. United in their steadfast commitment to support the Ukrainian people, they launched an “economic war” against Russia. Governments across the world almost unanimously imposed sanctions, including taking the unprecedented step of barring the Russian central bank from deploying its hard currency reserves.

Despite the challenges the sanctions may cause, Fink believes they demonstrate a pivotal element of capital markets, especially when companies make decisions according to their core values.

These actions taken by the private sector demonstrate the power of the capital markets: how the markets can provide capital to those who constructively work within the system and how quickly they can deny it to those who operate outside of it. Russia has been essentially cut off from global capital markets, demonstrating the commitment of major companies to operate consistent with core values. This “economic war” shows what we can achieve when companies, supported by their stakeholders, come together in the face of violence and aggression.

BlackRock CEO: Russian Invasion of Ukraine ‘Has Put an End to Globalization’
Matt Milano

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Google and Spotify Partner to Provide User Choice Billing

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Google and Spotify Partner to Provide User Choice Billing

Google is teaming up with Spotify to provide user choice billing, rather than locking users into Google’s payment options.

In recent years, billing options within app ecosystems have become a major source of contention between developers, lawmakers, and the companies that run the app stores. Apple and Google have both taken heat for locking users into their payment systems, but Google is now opening that door a bit, beginning with Spotify.

Spotify was a natural choice for Google to partner with. The company has been a long-time advocate for billing choice, and is one of the biggest subscription-based apps on the market. Google announced the plans in a blog post:

We’ll be partnering with developers to explore different implementations of user-choice billing, starting with Spotify. As one of the world’s largest subscription developers with a global footprint and integrations across a wide range of device form factors, they’re a natural first partner. Together, we’ll work to innovate in how consumers make in-app purchases, deliver engaging experiences across multiple devices, and bring more consumers to the Android platform.

Spotify will be introducing Google Play’s billing system alongside their current billing system, and their perspective as our first partner will be invaluable. This pilot will help us to increase our understanding of whether and how user choice billing works for users in different countries and for developers of different sizes and categories.

Google didn’t mention what other developers it will be working with, but emphasizes this was a first step toward closer collaboration with the developer community, a step Spotify welcomes.

“Spotify is on a years-long journey to ensure app developers have the freedom to innovate and compete on a level playing field,” said Spotify’s Alex Norström, Chief Freemium Business Officer. “We’re excited to be partnering with Google to explore this approach to payment choice and opportunities for developers, users and the entire internet ecosystem. We hope the work we’ll do together blazes a path that will benefit the rest of the industry.”

Google and Spotify Partner to Provide User Choice Billing
Matt Milano

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No, the Mac Studio Storage Is Not Upgradeable

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No, the Mac Studio Storage Is Not Upgradeable

Experts at the venerable teardown site iFixIt have weighed in, and the Mac Studio storage is not upgradeable…with one major caveat.

The Mac Studio was unveiled at Apple’s Peak Performance event in early March, and finally brought a professional grade Mac powered by the M1 line of chips. In fact, high-end Studios are powered by the M1 Ultra, the fusion of two M1 Max chips. Early adopters quickly noticed a second storage slot, upon disassembly, leading some to believe it might be possible to upgrade the storage. Turns out, that’s not the case.

iFixIt Mac Studio Teardown

iFixIt did one of their comprehensive teardowns of the new Mac, and came to the conclusion that upgrading the storage is not possible at this time. Yes, the new machines come with a second storage slot, but that is primarily for configurations that include 4GB or more of internal storage. Simply throwing another SSD into that extra slot doesn’t work and results in DFU restore errors. In fact, the only way to get the Studio to recognize a new SSD was to make sure it was the same capacity as the one that shipped with it.

No matter the configuration, we haven’t gotten two base model drives to boot simultaneously in a single machine. However, when we swapped the spare Studio’s drive for the one in the teardown unit, and used Configurator to do a DFU restore … it worked! Storage swaps are possible, at least between two drives of the same size. But the jury’s still out on upgrades. Hopefully a software update will make the spare slot worthwhile, but it’s always a bummer to see repair and upgrades at the end of the priority list.

It’s unfortunate to see the Studio crippled by such an arbitrary limitation, and hopefully a future software update will fix the issue and add some additional longevity to the machine.

Overall, iFixIt gave the Mac Studio a repairability score of 6 out of 10.

No, the Mac Studio Storage Is Not Upgradeable
Matt Milano

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Windows 10 and 11 Have a Critical, Seven Month-Old Zero-Day Flaw

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Windows 10 and 11 Have a Critical, Seven Month-Old Zero-Day Flaw

Windows has a critical, zero-day flaw and the worst part is that Microsoft has known about it for seven months and can’t seem to fix it.

The exploit in question impacts Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server, allowing a user to gain administrative privileges, according to BleepingComputer. Microsoft has already released two separate patches to address the issue, but neither of them has successfully fixed it.

To make matters even worse, Microsoft’s latest effort to fix the vulnerability actually broke an unofficial patch that did fix it. 0patch (Zero Patch) is an independent security organization that provides patches for issues Microsoft cant/won’t fix, as well as older, end-of-life versions of Windows that Microsoft no longer supports. 0patch had successfully patched the fix, but now Microsoft’s patch has broke it.

When BleepingComputer asked Microsoft for info on their future plans to fix the issue, they received this response:

“We’re aware of this report and will take action as needed to protect customers.”

0patch has once again issued a fix that actually works, leading some to wonder why Microsoft can’t seem to do that with a product they made in the first place.

Windows 10 and 11 Have a Critical, Seven Month-Old Zero-Day Flaw
Matt Milano

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Instagram Finally Brings Back Chronological Feeds

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Instagram Finally Brings Back Chronological Feeds

After years of complaints and unhappy users, Instagram has finally brought back the ability to see feeds chronologically.

Instagram used to display feeds chronologically, before switching to an algorithmic-based feed in 2016. Users were not happy, but Instagram resisted attempts to bring back the feature…at least until now.

In a blog post, Instagram announced two new features, Favorites and Following, both of which give users the ability to see posts chonologically.

Favorites shows you the latest from accounts that you choose, like your best friends and favorite creators. In addition to this view, posts from accounts in Favorites will also show up higher in your home feed.

Following shows you posts from the people you follow. Both Favorites and Following will show you posts in chronological order, so you can quickly catch up on recent posts.

The features are sure to be a welcome change for users.

Instagram Finally Brings Back Chronological Feeds
Matt Milano

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Nvidia May Use Intel’s Foundry Services

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Nvidia May Use Intel’s Foundry Services

Intel may score a major foundry customer in the form of Nvidia, one of the biggest semiconductor purchasers in the industry.

Intel has been working overtime to reinvent itself under CEO Pat Gelsinger. Gelsinger is intent on bringing the company back to its roots as a chipmaker, first and foremost. In addition to its own chips, Intel is investing heavily in foundries aimed at manufacturing chips for other companies. Many of the biggest names in tech, including Apple, Qualcomm, Nvidia, and AMD, rely on outside companies to manufacture their semiconductors, making Intel one of the only companies that provides the entire range of services, from design to production.

Nvidia may be interested in diversifying its manufacturing, instead of relying solely on TSMC and Samsung, according to Bloomberg.

“We’re very open-minded to considering Intel,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said. “Foundry discussions take a long time. It’s not just about desire. We’re not buying milk here.”

At the same time, Huang cautioned that Intel had a challenging road ahead of it if it wants to successfully compete with the two Asian firms.

“Being a foundry at the caliber of TSMC is not for the faint-hearted,” he added. “TSMC dances with the operations of 300 companies worldwide.”

Gelsinger has made no secret of his desire to compete at that level, and all indications are that Intel is certainly headed in that direction. Nonetheless, given the company’s recent quality and supply chain issues in recent years, Intel will have to deliver on its promises if it wants to gain serious traction in the market.

Nvidia May Use Intel’s Foundry Services
Matt Milano

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KeyBanc Cites T-Mobile’s ‘Best-in-Class 5G Network’ As Reason For Upgrade

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KeyBanc Cites T-Mobile’s ‘Best-in-Class 5G Network’ As Reason For Upgrade

T-Mobile’s 5G network has received a major endorsement, with KeyBanc Capital Markets upgrading the stock as a result of its “best-in-class 5G network.”

Once a distant third-place carrier, behind Verizon and AT&T, T-Mobile has become the company to beat in the 5G race after its acquisition of Sprint. The magenta carrier purchased Sprint to gain access to that company’s wealth of mid-band spectrum, considered ideal for 5G deployment. Meanwhile, Verizon and AT&T have been playing catchup, spending billions to acquire the spectrum they needed to compete.

Keybanc evidently agrees with T-Mobile’s leading position, with analyst Brandon Nispel upgrading the stock, according to Seeking Alpha. The upgrade follows a downgrade in August 2021.

“Our August downgrade was based on the view that competition in wireless was increasing, expectations for growth were high, and valuation represented too substantial of a premium,” Nispel wrote in a note to clients. “While we still see the wireless market as increasingly competitive from Cable, we believe [T-Mobile] should continue to take substantially more share than AT&T and Verizon.”

The upgrade is good news for T-Mobile and a validation of its 5G strategy.

KeyBanc Cites T-Mobile’s ‘Best-in-Class 5G Network’ As Reason For Upgrade
Matt Milano

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Google Is Crippling Recent Pixels, Refusing to Enable C-Band 5G

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Google Is Crippling Recent Pixels, Refusing to Enable C-Band 5G

Google is refusing to update recent Pixel smartphones with C-band 5G, despite the fact the hardware can support it.

The current generation of Google smartphone is the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Nonetheless, the Pixel 5a is still a very popular device, especially since Google still sells it unlocked for $449. Unfortunately, Google has said it will not activate C-band 5G on the Pixel 5a, 5, or 4a 5G, according to The Verge. All three devices have the hardware to support C-band, with the 5 even having FCC approval, and just need a software update for activation.

The news is especially unfortunate since both Verizon and AT&T are investing heavily in C-band spectrum, considered the ideal option to provide the best combination of speed, range, and building penetration.

Leaving recent Pixels out of the C-band upgrade is a low blow to the company’s customers, especially those that purchased brand-new 5a devices barely six months ago. Google already struggles to match Apple’s reputation for supporting iPhones six and seven years after release. Refusing to activate a critical feature a mere six months later, however, is a new low.

Google Is Crippling Recent Pixels, Refusing to Enable C-Band 5G
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Confirms Lapsus$ Hack, Interrupted It In Progress

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Microsoft Confirms Lapsus$ Hack, Interrupted It In Progress

Microsoft has confirmed it was at least partially compromised by hacking group Lapsus$, saying it interrupted the attack in progress.

Lapsus$ is a ransomware group that operates somewhat differently than most. Rather than compromising a system and installing a ransomware payload, the group tries to steal source code and intellectual property, and then threatens to release it if a ransom is not paid. The group claimed to have compromised Microsoft, saying it made off with source code for Bing, Bing Maps, and Cortana.

In a blog post, Microsoft says it interrupted DEV-0537 (Microsoft’s codename for Lapsus$) mid-operation.

This week, the actor made public claims that they had gained access to Microsoft and exfiltrated portions of source code. No customer code or data was involved in the observed activities. Our investigation has found a single account had been compromised, granting limited access. Our cybersecurity response teams quickly engaged to remediate the compromised account and prevent further activity. Microsoft does not rely on the secrecy of code as a security measure and viewing source code does not lead to elevation of risk. The tactics DEV-0537 used in this intrusion reflect the tactics and techniques discussed in this blog. Our team was already investigating the compromised account based on threat intelligence when the actor publicly disclosed their intrusion. This public disclosure escalated our action allowing our team to intervene and interrupt the actor mid-operation, limiting broader impact.

Microsoft has been monitoring Lapsus$ for some time, and have noted the group’s ability to prey on the interconnected nature of modern systems.

Early observed attacks by DEV-0537 targeted cryptocurrency accounts resulting in compromise and theft of wallets and funds. As they expanded their attacks, the actors began targeting telecommunication, higher education, and government organizations in South America. More recent campaigns have expanded to include organizations globally spanning a variety of sectors. Based on observed activity, this group understands the interconnected nature of identities and trust relationships in modern technology ecosystems and targets telecommunications, technology, IT services and support companies–to leverage their access from one organization to access the partner or supplier organizations. They have also been observed targeting government entities, manufacturing, higher education, energy, retailers, and healthcare.

Microsoft’s revelations come on the heels of several high-profile attacks by the group, including a major successful attack against Nvidia, and an attempted hack of Okta.

Microsoft Confirms Lapsus$ Hack, Interrupted It In Progress
Matt Milano

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Will Gun Liability Insurance Be Required?

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Will Gun Liability Insurance Be Required?

Injuries resulting from accidental firearm discharges account for 500 deaths annually with more than one occurring daily. Additionally, 37% of total non-deadly weapon injuries are unintended with 2% of direct gunshot deaths being inadvertent as well. 

These incidents are preventable and should be avoided at all costs. Approximately 25% of gun fatalities are linked to alcohol – a statistic as high as 50% for gun deaths among twenty to twenty-nine-year-olds. Over 8 in 10 teen-committed suicides are conducted with an accessible household firearm. Of all age groups, teens and adolescents are most at-risk for accidental gun mortalities as parental figures are less likely to store guns locked and/or unloaded than those of younger kids.

Firearm safes are a fundamental must-have for gun owners, placing a blockade between impulse and execution that save lives. The easy accessibility of guns increases susceptibility to mortality by suicide by 300%. Finding security in safes and investing in an emerging form of insurance, gun liability insurance, can lower this chance for you and your loved ones and keep weapons’ purpose of defense.

Where is Gun Liability Insurance Required?

San Jose, California, has been crowned the first city to necessitate gun liability insurance. Taking this monumental stride in firearm safety in January of 2022, Los Angeles is considering adopting the law in joining them. Gun liability insurance reduces premiums for the insured that are exhibiting good gun safety practices – further incentivizing firearm safety and having it backed legislatively.

Gun liability insurance covers two important aspects of firearm ownership for homeowners, with separate options for renters. First, policies ensure gun owners against loss and theft, both of which take significant financial tolls with high-value guns being bold targets for embezzlement. Second, gun liability insurance offers protection for liability in all forms, with some specific exceptions that vary by provider. Lastly, while homeowners are the eligible population for the majority of gun liability policies, plans with less comprehensive coverage, that still hold significant value and preventative coverage, are available for renters.

Among stand-alone gun insurance policies, intended damage tends to remain uninsured. Property injury from the voluntary discharge of a gun, crimes performed with stolen, but not reported, guns, and the retributions resulting from self-defense all remain liable. However, separate self-defense policies exist. Offered by insurance providers US Concealed Carry and Second Call Defense among other insurers, these protect acts of self-defense, in some capacity, whether they’ve been legally deemed as performed ‘with reasonable force’ or not. 31% of American firearm owners have presented a gun for self-defense, yet in more than 8 in 10 of these events, no shots were discharged.

In Conclusion

While many turn to gun ownership in pursuit of peace, the potential costs, physical, emotionally, and financially, put true peace of mind in gun liability insurance. With it, firearm owners can feel equipped to defend themselves and those nearest them without confronting the jarring repercussions of doing so alone. Providing financial, and with some plans, psychological and legal security as well, gun liability insurance not only incentives the safekeeping of firearms, but also full recovery from their use and misuse. Explore your options before you own and before you act, keeping safety at the forefront of firearm ownership.

Will Gun Liability Insurance Be Required?
Brian Wallace

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AI Represents Major Risk to Banking Cybersecurity

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AI Represents Major Risk to Banking Cybersecurity

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be the banking industry’s Achilles heel, making it more vulnerable to Russian cyberattacks.

President Joe Biden issued a warning to American businesses of the likelihood of increased cyberattacks from Russian, in retaliation for the sanctions it is experiencing as a result of its invasion of Ukraine. Many ransomware gangs already operate within Russia, due to that country’s willingness to turn a blind eye to attacks on the West. Full-fledged support from the Kremlin would likely send attacks into overdriver, however, and banks may be particularly vulnerable.

Banks have been aggressively rolling out AI and automated systems in an effort to provide better customer support, as well as better identify and prevent fraud. Unfortunately, experts are warning that those very systems also make banks far more vulnerable to potential attack.

“It’s a huge unaccounted-for risk,” Andrew Burt, Managing Partner at AI-focused law firm BNH and former policy adviser to the FBI’s head of cyber division, told The Wall Street Journal. “The vulnerabilities of AI and complex analytic systems are significant and very widely overlooked by many of the organizations employing them.”

Much of the problem stems from AI systems still being in their infancy, compared to previous, time-tested systems banks relied on.

“Machine-learning security is not just a combination of security and machine learning; it’s a novel field.…When you introduce machine learning into any kind of software infrastructure, it opens up new attack surfaces, new modalities for how a system’s behavior might be corrupted,” Abhishek Gupta, founder of Montreal AI Ethics Institute, told WSJ.

“There’s a sense of brittleness in that entire architecture, like a house of cards. You don’t know which of the cards that you pull out will lead to the whole thing collapsing entirely,” he added.

Given the increased risk of attack, it’s a safe bet firms specializing in AI security are about to see a major boost.

AI Represents Major Risk to Banking Cybersecurity
Matt Milano

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Okta CEO Confirms Breach Attempt in January, No Major Concern Now

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Okta CEO Confirms Breach Attempt in January, No Major Concern Now

On the heels of news Lapsus$ was claiming it breached Okta, the company’s CEO has confirmed an attempt in January.

Okta is a leading identity and authentication services provider, meaning a successful breach against the company could have disastrous consequences for wide range of industries. Ransomware group Lapsus$ claimed to have successfully breached the company, even providing screenshots as proof. Fortunately, the screenshots Lapsus$ provided are likely from an attempt made in January, one that was contained and poses little risk in the present.

Okta CEO Todd McKinnon made the announcement on Twitter.

In late January 2022, Okta detected an attempt to compromise the account of a third party customer support engineer working for one of our subprocessors. The matter was investigated and contained by the subprocessor. (1 of 2)

We believe the screenshots shared online are connected to this January event. Based on our investigation to date, there is no evidence of ongoing malicious activity beyond the activity detected in January. (2 of 2)

Todd McKinnon (@toddmckinnon), March 22, 2022

The revelation is good news for Okta users, provided no additional details emerge from the company’s investigation.

Okta CEO Confirms Breach Attempt in January, No Major Concern Now
Matt Milano

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How Can You Protect Your Business Information?

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How Can You Protect Your Business Information?

Every legal business will have to leave an electronic or paper trail of corporate filings, business licenses, tax records, financial statements, lawsuits, complaints as well as a variety of other documents. This means that anyone who wants to research a company, either for competitive reasons, random curiosity, or out of interest in doing business with it– can find a great deal of information online or in hard-copy files at local, state, and federal government offices.

In California, for instance, when entrepreneurs submit documents for filing with the California Secretary of State, they are automatically creating a public record. Accordingly, all of the documentation and information that is provided for filing is therefore made available to the general public for copying and viewing. Internet search engines and third-party websites will also be able to access and use the information as they wish. Details such as the name of the person filing as well as any mailing and street addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses that are provided in public filings, will be made available.

The California Constitution, as well as the California Public Records Act mandate that the Secretary of State provides public access to its records for public viewing and copying. The Golden State has advised that “Corporations and limited liability companies can update address information on the Secretary of State’s records by filing a Statement of Information. For other types of filings, updated address information for filings with the Secretary of State can be submitted through a subsequent amendment or amended filing.”

How to Protect Personal Information When Starting a Business

A California registered agent, also referred to as an agent for service of process, is a federal law requirement for every formal business entity in the state of California. This individual or business entity will receive all official paperwork from the California Secretary of State. They will also receive any service of process that a business may be served with— in the instance of a legal dispute.

Many business owners, especially single-member LLCs, tend to choose to act as their own registered agents. While this is legally allowed, entrepreneurs put themselves at risk of having all of their private information– home address, personal contact details– made public on the California Business Entities Search. A way around this is by hiring a registered agent who will accept legal correspondence on behalf of the company, hence protecting the location of the owner’s home or private business. 

Benefits of a Registered Agents Service

Apart from just superior privacy, a California registered agent service also provides business owners with flexibility since registered agents are required to be available every working day of the year, at all normal business hours. Outsourcing the service allows entrepreneurs to be more flexible in the hours and locations that they work. 

They also allow for discretion in sensitive matters since receiving service of process for a lawsuit at the actual business premises should not happen in front of employees and clients. Registered agents help to avoid this issue since they will receive any service of process and other documents at their personal office; they can then discreetly have them delivered via mail or online.

Registered agents are required to be a resident or have permission to operate in a state, which can be an issue when a company looks to expand its operations to other states. Since most registered agent services have permission to operate in all 50 states across the United States, entrepreneurs will not have to go through the hassle of the additional paperwork and procedures when expanding.

It is vital that businesses remember to file their required paperwork timeously to avoid fines and keep the company in good standing with the state– which is important in maintaining the limited liability protection of the business. A registered agent service will help the business with the filing of important paperwork and will maintain a compliance calendar and remind the business when annual reports or any other filings are due.

Final Thoughts

Privacy is an important aspect to keep in mind when starting up a new business, especially for entrepreneurs that run their business from a private residence or office space. While most states make the businesses filing information public, owners are able to protect their personal information by using a registered agent service that will handle all of the correspondence on behalf of the business.

How Can You Protect Your Business Information?
Brian Wallace

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