The Intercept – Jeremy Scahill and Josh Begley – “American and British spies hacked into the internal computer network of the largest manufacturer of SIM cards in the world, stealing encryption keys used to protect the privacy of cellphone communications across the globe, according to top-secret documents provided to The Intercept by National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden. The hack was perpetrated by a joint unit consisting of operatives from the NSA and its British counterpart Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ. The breach, detailed in a secret 2010 GCHQ document, gave the surveillance agencies the potential to secretly monitor a large portion of the world’s cellular communications, including both voice and data. The company targeted by the intelligence agencies, Gemalto, is a multinational firm incorporated in the Netherlands that makes the chips used in mobile phones and next-generation credit cards. Among its clients are AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and some 450 wireless network providers around the world. The company operates in 85 countries and has more than 40 manufacturing facilities. One of its three global headquarters is in Austin, Texas and it has a large factory in Pennsylvania. In all, Gemalto produces some 2 billion SIM cards a year. Its motto is “Security to be Free.”
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Daily Archives: February 20, 2015
EPIC Prevails in “Stingray” Case Against FBI
“EPIC has obtained nearly $30,000 in litigation fees as a result of a Freedom of Information Act case against the FBI concerning a new surveillance technology. EPIC’s lawsuit produced the release of more than 4,000 pages of documents about a phony cell tower technique called “Stingray.” The documents obtained by EPIC revealed that the FBI… Continue Reading
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files
“This site provides summary information about licensed television broadcast stations and access to each station’s “public inspection file” (or “public file”). The Commission first adopted rules requiring broadcast stations to keep a public file more than 40 years ago and certain political programming files have been public for nearly 75 years. The public file contains… Continue Reading
Housing Assistance Matters Initiative
Via the Urban Institute – “Decent and affordable housing has far-reaching consequences for people’s health, quality of life, and access to opportunities, but these consequences are not always well understood. To inform public debate about assisted housing policy and strengthen policy outcomes, Housing Assistance Matters highlights research and analysis about the need for and benefits… Continue Reading
Insights into Advanced Distribution Management Systems
Insights into Advanced Distribution Management Systems, February 2015, U.S. Department of Energy, ADMS Working Group Guide. “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 spurred investments in smart grid technology and programs at utilities across the country. The Smart Grid Investment Grant program and Smart Grid Demonstration projects that it funded provided unprecedented… Continue Reading
What is the Smart Grid?
“Maybe you have heard of the Smart Grid on the news or from your energy provider. But not everyone knows what the grid is, let alone the Smart Grid. “The grid,” refers to the electric grid, a network of transmission lines, substations, transformers and more that deliver electricity from the power plant to your home… Continue Reading
Why Do Many Reasonable People Doubt Science?
National Geographic – March 2015: “We live in an age when all manner of scientific knowledge—from the safety of fluoride and vaccines to the reality of climate change—faces organized and often furious opposition. Empowered by their own sources of information and their own interpretations of research, doubters have declared war on the consensus of experts.… Continue Reading
68% of US Smartphone Users Concerned – Activity Tracked for Use in Targeted Ads
“According to new findings in an online study conducted by Ipsos on behalf of TRUSTe, 68% of US smartphone users are concerned about having their activity tracked to serve them targeted ads, suggesting that most smartphone users are uncomfortable with the idea of online behavioral advertising (OBA). However, research also showed that awareness of the… Continue Reading
The Impact of the Dark Web on Internet Governance and Cyber Security
Global Commission on Internet Governance, The Impact of the Dark Web on Internet Governance and Cyber Security, Michael Chertoff and Tobby Simon, Paper Series: No. 6, February 2015. “With the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ contract with the United States Department of Commerce due to expire in 2015, the international debate on Internet… Continue Reading
How Different Groups Think about Scientific Issues
Complete Pew Report – “…By a 57%-37% margin, the public believes that genetically-modified foods (GM foods) are generally unsafe to eat. This is a major contrast with scientists Pew Research surveyed. Some 3,748 U.S.-based members of the AAAS were surveyed from September 11 to October 13, 2014 and they said such foods were generally safe… Continue Reading
Employee Tenure Trends, 1983–2014
Employee Benefit Research Institute – Employee Tenure Trends, 1983–2014 “The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data show that the overall median tenure of workers—the midpoint of wage and salary workers’ length of employment in their current jobs—was slightly higher in 2014, at 5.5 years, compared with 5.0 years in 1983 However, the median tenure for… Continue Reading
