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Daily Archives: August 18, 2021

Most employee monitoring tools are needlessly invasive

Fast Company: “If an employer installs time or attendance-tracking software on your computer, that software can probably spy on you in lots of other ways as well. A new study by the resume-help site StandOut CV compared the data collection features in 32 of the most popular employee monitoring tools. The group found that 75% of these tools can record employees’ screens and monitor which apps or websites they’re using, while 59% can monitor keyboard and mouse movements. Nearly half of those tools can run in a stealth mode, allowing employers to deploy the software on company-owned computers without workers’ knowledge. The companies behind this software—including Hubstaff, Time Doctor, Teramind, and Interguard—say their businesses have boomed during the pandemic. StandOut CV’s study quantifies just how invasive this software has become across the board as vendors compete to offer the most comprehensive monitoring features…”

Put Your Smartphone to Work for Your Return to the Office

The New York Times – “As some people head back to the office or classroom after more than 18 months of Covid-19 disruption, maintaining social distance remains a concern, especially with the highly contagious Delta variant spreading nationwide. Here are a few simple suggestions for using your smartphone to help stay informed and safe if… Continue Reading

U.S. Officials Rush to Delete Online Pics of Afghan Allies

Gizmodo: “Amid the catastrophe that’s been the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan this week, U.S. agencies have initiated sweeping purges of online information concerning friendly Afghan nationals. Fears have arisen that the country’s ruling Taliban could seek retaliation against individuals with even the slightest associations to the Americans and the shattered Afghan security forces. The Associated… Continue Reading

How to make a TikTok

Mashable: “Have you been lurking on TikTok and are finally ready to dive in and post your first video? We’ve got you covered. There are so many different kinds of videos posted on TikTok — from dance videos to Booktok — and it can be challenging to figure out how to recreate TikTok trends. While… Continue Reading

Free Open-Source Icons

Smashing Magazine: “It’s incredible to see people from all across the world putting all their love and lots of hours into something that they then release for free, for everybody to use. They help projects on a tight budget shine, without asking for anything in return — and, of course, they never cease to inspire.… Continue Reading

Amateur Investigators Provide Evidence Identifying Jan 6 Rioters

NPR: “As rioters made their way through the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, many of them livestreamed their actions and posted photos and videos on social media. That steady stream of content created an enormous record of evidence that law enforcement needed to sift through to build cases against the accused. Now, more than 575… Continue Reading

COVID-19 Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People

CDC: “HHS announced a plan to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots this fall. CDC’s independent advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, will continue to meet and discuss data on the evolution of the pandemic and the use of COVID-19 vaccines. ACIP will make further recommendations on the use of boosters for the… Continue Reading

Background Check Agency Wants a Social Media Search Tool

Nextgov: “The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency wants a tool to automatically cull social media and other public websites to create a searchable database of posts, actions and interactions that can be used in insider threat investigations. Along with conducting background investigations for all of government, DCSA also manages the insider threat program for the… Continue Reading

Congress.gov August 2021 New, Tip, and Top

In Custodia Legis: “At the end of July, Andrew shared the enhancements from the last Congress.gov release, which included adding Key Word In Context (KWIC) search results for the Bound Congressional Record and new customization options for bill alerts. With this month’s release, a link to the treaty errata tab from the overview section on… Continue Reading