CRS Report – Ransomware and Federal Law: Cybercrime and Cybersecurity, October 5, 2021: “Ransomware attacks—the use of malicious software to deny users access to data and information systems to extort ransom payments from victims—are prevalent. A recent notable example is the May 2021 ransomware attack that temporarily shut down the Colonial Pipeline Company’s network, affecting… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Economy
How the secrets of the Pandora Papers were freed
Wired: “The Pandora Papers have rocked the world. Since news organisations began publishing their explosive contents on October 3, the giant leak has dominated headlines and posed questions of some of the world’s most powerful people and their financial propriety. Everyone from former UK prime minister Tony Blair to the King of Jordan have been… Continue Reading
Social Security: Selected Findings of the 2021 Annual Report
CRS In Focus: Social Security: Selected Findings of the 2021 Annual Report, October 5, 2021: “According to the recent report of the Board of Trustees of the Social Security Trust Funds, the program’s finances are in a similar, all be it marginally worse, position in 2021t o what they were in 2020. Under intermediate assumptions,… Continue Reading
The State of Climate Services 2021: Water
UN World Meteorological Service: “Water-related hazards like floods and droughts are increasing because of climate change. The number of people suffering water stress is expected to soar, exacerbated by population increase and dwindling availability. But management, monitoring, forecasting and early warnings are fragmented and inadequate, whilst global climate finance efforts are insufficient according to a… Continue Reading
Open offices failed. These are 6 essentials to make sure the next office doesn’t
Fast Company – “After a year and a half of working from home, we’ve all grown accustomed to personalized workspaces and the ability to work from anywhere. While many of us crave the option to work in a professional setting—away from children, partners, and other everyday distractions—the ability to choose one’s workplace has become paramount… Continue Reading
The great book shortage of 2021, explained
Vox: “If there’s a particular book you’ve got your eye on for the holidays, it’s best to order it now. The problems with the supply chain are coming for books, too. “Think of the inputs that go into a book,” says Matt Baehr, executive director of the Book Manufacturers’ Institute. “There’s paper, there’s ink, and… Continue Reading
A World Without Sci-Hub
Palladium Mag: “…The success of Sci-Hub has made it a target for injunctions and investigations. Academic publishers have sued Sci-Hub repeatedly, opponents have accused the site’s creators of collaborating with Russian intelligence, and private sector critics have dubbed it a threat to “national security.” Elbakyan recently tweeted out a notification she received that the FBI… Continue Reading
New UN tool maps floods since 1985 to street level
“Developed by UN University with Google and other partners, free online World Flood Mapping Tool will help plan urban and agricultural development, effective flood defences, disaster readiness, identify supply chain vulnerabilities. UN University-led experts have debuted a new tool that generates instant, accurate street-level resolution maps of floods worldwide since 1985. The free online World… Continue Reading
There’s a Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data
The MarkUp – A huge but little-known industry has cropped up around monetizing people’s movements – “Companies that you likely have never heard of are hawking access to the location history on your mobile phone. An estimated $12 billion market, the location data industry has many players: collectors, aggregators, marketplaces, and location intelligence firms, all… Continue Reading
Workers are putting on pants to return to the office only to be on Zoom all day
Washington Post: “Pandemic-era safety procedures have created a new dynamic at work, in which many employees say they’re operating at work the same way they were at home…As many office workers head back to the office — even as the delta variant spreads across the United States — employees are facing a bizarre new reality:… Continue Reading
Visualizing Daily Activities of Men and Women
Center for Data Innovation: “FlowingData, an online publication that creates data visualizations, has created a visualization depicting the daily activities of men and women – How Men and Women Spend Their Days. The visualization shows what activities men and women devote their time to throughout the day based on their employment status. For example, the… Continue Reading
OMB’s Made in America Website Showcases What Agencies Aren’t Buying Here
NextGov: “The Office of Management and Budget’s Made in American Office launched a website [October 1, 2021] that fulfills a key aspect of a January executive order from President Joe Biden ordering federal agencies to buy more American-made products. Launched through the General Services Administration, the website—MadeinAmerica.gov—will publish information on proposed waivers and waivers granted… Continue Reading
