#anti cyber truck

[arson-09]

just saw a tag on some post that said rhysand would drive a cybertruck and yeah. rhysand would drive a cybertruck.

*images for reference

[internettoday]

New episode of Tech Newsday, this week covering

Elon suing the ADL

The Cyber Truck saga

Elon's literal glass house

Mr Beast thumbnails may foretell shifting YouTube tides

AI does good things for a small island

Summer 2023 was the hottest summer ever

[vampyretaemin]

getting to go on my anti tesla rant bc my coworkers started talking about cyber trucks

[wow-cool-robot]

Episode 19: Cinderella Four

i took a break, and i'm feeling a lot better about the last few episodes after some reflection. the stuff i said bugs me still does, but not as much. my knowledge of cinderella and my tendency towards pattern recognition lead me to believe something sad is going to happen to four this episode. can't wait!

i would also want you out of my city after the last 2 episodes

amuro is a shitty mentor who's trying his best, which is a good dynamic

amuro clearly trying to help kamille avoid dealing with cute enemy newtypes which has never gone well and probably never will, but he's too traumatized and awkward to explain himself

i do like beltorchika here, she seems nosy and worried for amuro, but in ways that make sense and are conducive to good drama

mirai also good here. trying to respect amuro's privacy, but kamille is close enought to him that she feels like she owes him a partial explanation

four jaywalking and forcing trucks to swerve rules

oooh, it's cinderella because they're meeting up and have to return before midnight

on the one hand you probably shouldn't steal a motorcycle, someone might need that. on the other hand they left the key in the ignition, and at that point it's kind of on you

idk, cyber newtypes have worked about as well as anything else

don't call her #4. i assume she's the 4th cyber newtype and they didn't name her, so she took it as a name?

they have until 12 midnight together :(

idk why this is working so well for me, but i think it's the fact that they're both clearly reaching past their trauma to try and make human connections. even though they just met them wanting to spend time together feels earned to me

i say all that and then the guitar kicks in and i can't take it seriously any more

ok, i support cross faction relationships for good drama, but there is definitely a difference between the fascists who gas colonies and the anti-fascists fighting the fascists who gas colonies. that being said, four isn't necessarily a titan and might not have any clue what's going on outside her bubble beyond "you need to fight these people"

frankly i'm surprised four is the first explicit war orphan we've met who wasn't orphaned on screen, unless i've missed someone. you'd think there'd be more, given that over half of all people died in the one year war

though i guess most of them were civilians and it happened when the cities were destroyed leaving no survivors because australia was turned into a crater, so probably most of the dead parents children also died

four looking for her memories is an archetype i've seen before, but this might be one of the earliest examples

i love the carpet bombing interrupting the romantic music

thank you kamille for remembering that the reason you fight the federation is because they're carpet bombing their own civilian population for sympathizing with the enemy

i really like four being super selfish. it gives her personality beyond "is sad about memories" which isn't always a guarantee

this guy piloting the psycho gundam doesn't know what the fuck he's doing

man, amuro really is a better pilot than kamille

yeah, i bet that thing blows big when it eventually goes

thank god for newtype powers, saving valuable seconds each episode by letting characters just know who it is piloting the mobile suit without any cues

dang, four's cool. this is maybe the most impressive newtype thing we've seen. lalah did some cool stuff, but that was all with stuff set up for her and the lasers weren't too big. four controlling the psycho gundam without any of that is impressive

what's up with the animation of the thing coming in? goes in then out then in again? at 14:45 on the youtube version?

yeah, why not. everyone slap kamille. mirai, i think it's your turn

kamille: a man can't go out to die just because he's been slapped

it's a good line, but i'm not sure the show agrees. 0079 definitely takes your side, but this show seems to have a different perspective on things

i like the way they move through physical space in this fight

oof, she is wrecking this city. might have the highest kill count of any character we've met outside a command role

kamille has jumping on a mobile armors back ever worked?

man :( they probably are lying, but kamille can't know that, and neither can he know the aeug could help

the combat system forces her to fight?

that hizack taking off amuros hand and tackling kamille is by far the most impressive a zaku has been since at least episode 10 of 0079

if beltorchika takes mirai's advice and chills i think i'll end up liking her just fine. she was already a lot better in this episode

i think the show has found its identity, and while i don't necessarily jive with it perfectly i do like this

[jenjensd]

The key is not to be a power hungry madman over it. Start small and really limit how long it takes you to kill people. Do it in ways that make sense, even if they are ironic. Anti vax anti mask? Covid. Musk? Burned alive in his cyber truck after it sets itself on fire. Trump? A better gunman gets an angle over his bulletproof glass. Nigel Farage getting hit by a bus (I find this one a late just dessert but still worth it). And maybe kill someone every few months or at least every few weeks. Don’t make it a daily kill. For all we know, ocean gate and the yacht could have been a patient death note user. There’s ways not to draw suspicion to yourself.

i think i could be trusted with The Book That Kills People from the classic manga series "No One Can Be Trusted With Power Of The Book That Kills People" imho

[rurfs]

Good Fun

The year is 2100. I sit, motionless, inside my windowless home, on a fine summer morning in Crispdale Village, a sprawling metropolis off the coast of Neo-Greenland, owned and operated entirely by the Frito-Lay subsidiary of the PepsiCo Governance Association.

My eyes are glued, in this dark chamber, to my cyber-computer, watching a legally obtained copy of Shr14k, the fourteenth installment in the ubiquitous Shrek film series. Puss in Boots is going on his second diatribe about sperm-draft dodgers, this time in the form of a catchy song. I see his elegantly animated dance moves and his silly faces, before he is humorously interrupted by a sudden urge to hack up a hairball. I mutter to myself that this is getting to be a bit too preachy for me to enjoy, and dump the rest of my cold meal on the floor in protest. This film has already soured my entire day.

“Fuck Me in the Dump Truck” by Carb0nSandw1ch begins blaring suddenly out of the overhead speakers and I flail around in shock and confusion for a few seconds before remembering that I had set that song as my ringtone during my last potassium overdose. I look down at the name flashing on my cyber-phone: McBradley Jervin. The Jervins are big contributors to the local anti-masturbation efforts and are all-around tolerable people.

“Who the fuck is this!? I was just getting into Shr14k, you shitbrained prick!” I quickly wipe a dozen drops of spittle off my screen with my long latex sleeve.

“Oh, hey Geough, I’m sorry to bother you, it’s McBradley from school.” His voice strikes agitation into me. I feel it coalescing on the back of my head.

“Ah, uh, a-ah, well...” I tremble. I glare angrily at the wall, teeth bared, and let out a shrill cry, dropping my cyber-phone, stumbling and slipping on the cold gravy spill on the floor, and falling on my face beside it.

“Are-” KZZZK BZZZG “-maybe I could ca-” BZZZT GZZZT “-if you-” I punch the cyber-phone across the floor with a grunt and it slides into a hole in the plastic grating, a fizzling sound arising and then getting fainter as I start panting. I tell myself to get a grip, and glance around to reassess the situation, mind still clouded and racing.

My home is what is referred to as a “smart nook”, essentially a large wooden box attached to thousands of other people’s large wooden boxes hanging over the sea, all furnished with a layer of plastic inside and a cyber-computer in every one. When the acidic smoke from the ocean rises high enough that it affects our asthma, we each have a black garbage bag we can hide in until the air is breathable again. To me, it sucks ass, but I don’t really mind it.

A knock at my door rouses me from my daze and after dragging myself toward it I peer through a crack in the boards to see a dark, hazy figure, dressed from head to toe in mummy wraps. I lurch and hold my breath to fight back another shriek before diving under my cardboard coffee table to hope that she will assume I’m not home and leave. As far as women’s attire goes, the wraps aren’t too bold of a statement, but I haven’t seen a female in at least three weeks and I’ve forgotten most of my chivalry training and table manners.

“Hello? It’s Brozrḁtthea with the Frito-Lay ‘Good Fun!’ Census Game. I want to play the census game with you.”

My chest tightens. I knew it was coming. The census is universally the neighborhood’s least favorite type of inspection, more so than bile checks even, so recently the powers above did the unforgivable and made it into what they know we can’t resist: a game.

“I want to play the census game with you. I hear you in there and I smell your broth and gravy.”

I stay quiet and start shaking. She reaches through the crack in the door and turns the inner doorknob, opening it and turning immediately toward the shaking table.

“Hello, Geough.” She pulls a long metal wire tube out of her briefcase and stands over me. “It is time for the game. Stand and face me.”

I slowly stand, jittery and staring at the floor, cardboard table rising with me and then sliding down my back to the floor, landing upside down.

“D-do... uh, can I j-just, um...?” I turn away.

“Census data is necessary in staving off invasion from the Kraft-Heinz Company, Geough.”

“H-how do you know my name...?”

“Half the males in the city are named Geough, Geough.” She pries my jaw open and slips the wire tube down my throat. My eyes on the ceiling, I hear a click and a recorded greeting as her device boots up. “Alright, now count to ten.”

I’m struggling not to choke and incapable of forming coherent words, eyes glassy and trembling. I try to mumble the only two numbers I can remember, but what comes out is nothing resembling “three” or “seven”.

“I am angry with you, citizen, as you are not complying with my request to play the census game with you.” The wire glows a dim red and I feel it heating up. “Until we are finished extracting your census data, you must play the game with me.”

“H-hwee... f-f-fehem...” My eyes water up and streaks run down my face.

“That’ll do.” She slips it out, adjusting a dial on another device as I gasp and cough. “I hope you enjoyed the Frito-Lay ‘Good Fun!’ Census Game.”

After a long, cold silence, she points to my cyber-computer screen, paused on a still of Gingy the gingerbread man vandalizing a medical tent in a combat zone. “Is that Shr14k?”

“O-oh, yeah.” I turn and let out a hacking cough. “Yeah, i-it is...”

“I thought it was way worse than the last one. I couldn’t stand the cat’s preachy nonsense, you know?” I see her eyes rest on me and her face relax a little under the bandages.

“Uh...” I compose myself. “Actually, I thought the speech about sperm-draft dodgers was quite well needed, especially in a society such as ours.” I force a laugh. “You must be a massive fucking tightwad if basic shit like that offended you.”

“I...” She reaches into her wraps and pulls out a cyber-knife, slamming me against the back wall, pinning me and holding it to my scrawny neck. “You want to screw with a census practitioner sanctioned by the governing brand to take all necessary actions to retrieve census data!?” My eyes shut and my face scrunches up.

The cyber-knife slides straight through my neck, instantly cutting off my remaining computer privileges. She pulls away and I fall to the floor with a thump, clutching my neck and gasping.

“Expect a defamation lawsuit.” She throws a paper toward me and storms out in a huff, leaving the door swinging and creaking in the breeze.

Coming to my senses, I calm down and steady my breathing. That was more excitement than I’ve experienced any time recently. Maybe the census isn’t so bad after all, especially if I get to chat with a mummy chick afterward too.

I glance down to the small sheet of paper she left for me, picking it up. It’s a customer experience survey. I find my scented marker and strike a solid line down the “very satisfied” column. Perhaps I’ll send it back to her in the mail.

Every day is a new adventure here in beautiful Crispdale Village, under the tall smokestacks spewing a wet orange haze. Every hour is a new horizon beside the vast, welcoming sea. Every minute is a new morning with little enough oxygen. Every second is a new hour with your head in the bag. I drop to my knees and, in the hope of some day bringing children into this mysterious world of opportunity, I pray to Cyber-God that Frito-Lay end the draft and PepsiCo one day grant me amnesty.

[mysterymanjoseph]

Not Noble, But Necessary:  mysterymanjoseph and inhuman hacker

The situation was beyond infuriating.  Some of Joseph’s employees, along with a few visiting foreign diplomats, were kidnapped by anti government rebels, but, rather than make some sort of demand for their release, the hostages were executed.  When news of the people being snatched came out, Joseph’s mercenary force was put on standby to go in as a rescue mission, but, the rebels made their move first.  Now, it was a mission of revenge, to simply go in and kill as many of the rebels as they can, a statement had to be made, that the bad actors around the world better take notice of, his people should not be touched.  That being said, the operation is going to take a bit more planning to carry out, and some extra effort.  The rebel base is far enough inland that to go in by helicopter launched from a ship at sea is not feasible.  The problem was solved, a small base in the country was arranged for, the ground forces flown in by his HC-130 cargo planes to be in position, then march to the site, guided by some natives of the region that have had their own problems with the rebels.  But, there needs to be some sort of ‘first strike’ to knock the rebels off balance before his troops launch the ground attack.  Oddly enough, it was something his grandfather had either foresight, or just wild happenstance, to build and have waiting.  Recreations of WWII era B-25 bombers, highly evolved, still with no micro chip tech on board, to prevent any sort of cyber attack on the planes.  The real kicker, was that back in the 90s, Joseph’s grandfather had pulled what might be the greatest bait and switch move in history.  Back then, the WWII era Essex class aircraft carrier, USS Hornet, was decommissioned for scrapping.  By hook and crook, the ship was towed to Germany, but, rather than being scrapped, it was updated and refit, then left for the secret Caribbean base that the mercenary force operates from.  This ‘first strike’ was inspired by the Dolittle raid during the second world war, the bombers will launch from the carrier, fly in at treetop level, drop bombs on defensive positions, the head for friendly territory where refueling had been arranged.  That done, Joseph and his ground forces will move in to engage the rebels, eradicating them.  It was going to be on the ‘up and up’, the judiciary, parliament, and the president of the country having signed a document, in secret of course, granting Joseph’s force permission to operate in the country’s borders, and providing ‘death warrants’ for the rebel forces.  The march to the standby position was long, but now, they wait, and finally, the radio man tells Joseph the message they have been waiting for has come,...’the big brown truck has left the depot’,...meaning, ‘the bombers have launched, on time, operation in motion’.  It will still be a bit over an hour, time to do last second equipment checks, then wait for the show to begin.

@inhumanhacker

[alexisvrsh177]

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[a-dragon-and-an-eagle]

So I haven’t really posted much in the last few days, aside from the queue from weeks ago. So I thought I’d show something I’ve been working on. I was watching a series about halo wars 2 the last few weeks and I wanted to do some more perspective based stuff so I can draw backgrounds that don’t look awful. So I decided to draw some base stuff for my sci-fi story I’ve been writing. Basically its several prefabricated buildings that they set on a planet with the top one acting as a command center and the other facilities being placed around it probably to share power.

Right now there is just the Command center, barracks and garage/vehicle depot but I was hoping to add a field research center, flight control tower and some kind of supply building. By RTS logic the barracks produces ground units (armed troopers probably in sets of five, marine’s also in sets of five, Tribion field medics (who are large and can carry wounded people back from the front lines), Talon sharpshooters (Snipers) and Nova’s the semi-super soldiers of the universe.) The garage/vehicle depot produces of course vehicles (Armored troop transports, light tank, anti-air vehicle that kind of looks like the Cyber-truck and a bigger tank).

Larger images/the original image under cut

[actuationpoint]

Is One Punch Man Shallow?

Yes, One Punch Man is literally a show about a man who defeats nearly every foe he encounters with a single punch. Every fight in the series is an exercise in anti-climax where Saitama, our protagonist, topples mountains while maintaining a resting heart rate. It’s easy to assume that this is the main focus of the story, but then you would be ignoring the intricacies of Saitama himself and what separates him from other anime protagonists. 

Saitama is an enigma to everyone who encounters him. He is seemingly unassuming and meek, he wears a yellow jumpsuit and to top it all off: he is completely bald due to the intensity of his physical training. The only reason that anyone pays him any mind whatsoever is that he is almost unquestionably the strongest human on the planet. Every monster, mutant, and oversized bug gets put down in a single punch when they start raising trouble in Saitama’s neighborhood. Other heroes in the city have no idea how he got so strong and one of them, a cyborg named Genos, even declares that Saitama is his new master and follows him around on his adventures, hoping to learn the secret to Saitama’s superhuman strength. 

How then did Saitama amass so much strength? If you take him by his word, Saitama’s abilities are the result of a strict daily regimen of pushups, situps, and jogging, while also abstaining from air conditioning during the summer and heating during the winter. But this doesn’t explain why his punches have the impact force of ten Cyber Trucks. 

Even Saitama himself isn’t fully aware of how he acquired his strength, he just knows that he devised a training schedule and stuck to it, but obviously something else is at play. Let’s look at a picture of Saitama from the manga before he became a hero:

Nothing too remarkable about that. The reader can empathize with his character because of the unmistakable malaise that surrounds him. His eyes are drooping, he’s carrying his briefcase from the side instead of by the handle, and the lower the reader’s eyeline falls, the more his person becomes obscured by shadows. Now let’s compare this picture to one of Saitama after he has spent a few years training:

Seems pretty unrecognizable to the person from before, right? That’s because for all intents and purposes, he is. No longer concerned with the trials and tribulations of life as a salaryman, Saitama trains, hangs out in his crummy apartment in Z-City (last in the alphabet and in safety), and fights crime when he’s not goofing off. 

This is what makes Saitama fascinating as a character. He breaks free from shonen storytelling tradition and is not necessarily motivated by the desire to be stronger or to kill his neglectful older brother. He simply wants to be a better person. Saitama, doesn’t compare himself to others, he doesn’t complain as he endlessly grinds out missions as a C-tier hero; he even consoles his defeated enemy at the end of season one--assuring him that he fought well even though Saitama had energy to spare. This foe had traveled through the reaches of space in search of a fighter who would test his limits, ending worlds in the process and amassing an army of monsters capable of conquering galaxies. And still, he is bested by a guy who diligently stuck to a moderately intense training regimen. One Punch Man is a love letter to people who work hard. People who don’t care what they look like because they know that their actions are what truly defines them, people who don’t call in sick, and people who only try harder in the face of a world that doesn’t understand them. 

Or idk maybe it’s just about a guy with a really OP right hook. 

[planetenfreund-blog]

Boycotting Black Friday: An Environmental Day of Action

“What do you want for Christmas?”

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving this year, I began to hear this familiar question from my family. (Sadly, “a plastic-free ocean” wouldn’t fit on my wish list.) Like millions of Americans, my relatives were looking to snag some deals over the Black Friday weekend. Though I will also be wrapping some presents for family this year, I decided to skip shopping in the days following Thanksgiving, opting instead to get outdoors and clean up a local park.

As Black Friday discounts spread around the globe and American shoppers are spending more on this day every year, the environmental impact of our purchasing habits is adding up. 

The online and in-store shopping spike between Black Friday and Cyber Monday means more delivery trucks on roads and freight ships crossing oceans. This creates a worldwide surge in air pollution concentrated over just a few days. Our discounted goods have companions, too: packing peanuts, plastic shopping bags, and other packaging pile up on this shopping holiday, and are all but doomed for the landfill. The heavily-discounted items we buy over this weekend, such as new technology and clothing, are no different. Globally, 50 million tons of electronics waste is produced annually, and Americans are throwing away clothes at a rate of 13 million tons per year.

Some organizations have begun a push to boycott Black Friday. 

The international environmentalist group Greenpeace endorses Buy Nothing Day, a sort of anti-holiday that originated in Australia in 1997. Participants observe the day, which commonly takes place on or around Black Friday, by abstaining from making any purchases for 24 hours. 

REI, the outdoor recreation company, promotes a similar approach. Starting in 2015, REI began closing its stores (and shutting down its website) on Black Friday, encouraging employees and customers to instead spend the day outdoors. The company created the social media hashtag #OptOutside to promote the initiative, which this year became part of a larger climate action campaign. Starting with the coordination of over 100 litter cleanup events around Black Friday, REI marked November 2019 as the kickoff of its “Opt to Act Plan.” This free-to-use plan provides participants with 52 simple weekly challenges intended to reduce one’s environmental impact. 

The day after Thanksgiving, I recruited my friend Marcus McCleary to join me in cleaning up Constitution Lakes, a nature preserve tucked behind a truck dealership off a busy industrial boulevard in Southeast Atlanta.  

(Street view courtesy of Google Maps) Visitors to this unique park may take the boardwalks over two small, minnow-filled lakes and can also stroll along the Doll’s Head Trail, a short hiking loop featuring folk art sculptures made of found objects scattered throughout the park. Marcus is a regular contributor to these sculptures himself. 

We set out with our gloves and bags, often having to tread through twigs and briars to pick up litter off the sides of the walking paths. Among our discoveries were plenty of weathered beer cans and heavily-soiled soda bottles, some even with moss growing inside them. Along the banks of the lakes, we found lots of styrofoam cups and plastic wraps, some too far out in the water for us to reach. 

I have written about the consequences of littering before, but I was reminded of an additional one during this cleanup: Tossing trash in nature can ruin perfectly good recyclables. Our first bag of litter included numerous bottles that were simply too filthy to clean for recycling. 

In addition to the usual offenders (food wrappers, tobacco products, etc.), here are some of the more unique items we found during our cleanup:

A dilapidated bouncy ball.

A box of condoms.

Tangles of fishing wire.

A THC cartridge.

Underwear hung from trees.

A glass Coca-Cola bottle from 1979.

An antique iron doorknob (Marcus added this to a Doll’s Head sculpture).

Several of the objects Marcus and I found had obviously been discarded decades in the past. This made me think about how long items littered today will lay in waiting before someone comes along to clean them up. 

Here is the final haul of litter we carried out of the park, not including the first bag we tossed halfway through:

We ended up collecting a respectable pile of bottles and cans for recycling:

I am glad to have spent my Black Friday cleaning up outside instead of cleaning out a sales rack. This project also let me check off Week One of the 52-week Opt to Act Plan: To make cleaning up a daily habit. I encourage anyone reading this post to check out the plan for yourself and see how you can take small steps to be a friend to the planet. 🌎

[boldlychieffire]

2021 will witness some massive technology upgrades and announcements, following is the list of what we think will steal the show.

2020 was a year that no one would ever forget. Impacting almost everyone, businesses have undergone a massive transformation to keep up with the enormous migration of operations into the digital world. Technologies have witnessed exponential growth. With the rise in telemedicine, to online classes, 2020 was a great example of how the business could adapt to unexpected scenarios.

The following decade will witness several technologies making into everyday lives. For now, let us have a look at the most fascinating technologies that would rule 2021:

1. Driverless Cars: In the past couple of years, the autonomous car industry has fixated its focus on level-5 autonomy in cars, but not much has been delivered so far. In 2020, Elon Musk confidently announced that Tesla will develop level-5 autonomous cars by 2020, but we know that didn’t happen. Tesla did achieve significant modifications in its self-driving cars and is expected to thrill us this year.

2. The H-20 Bomber by PLAAF, growing aviation industry:  The Chinese aviation industry has seen massive growth. China has successfully launched 29 satellites in the first 9 months of 2020, compared to the USA's 27. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) upcoming H-20 stealth bomber indicates how China is dedicated to boosting its defense capabilities. It is highly anticipated that China PLAAF will exhibit the bomber this year, and all eyes will be on it.

3. Bitcoin: Bitcoin’s performance in the last decade has been amazing, which is why it has received significant funding. All major enterprises are investing in cryptocurrency. Bitcoin’s economical, no-middle-man structure, and fast transactions have made it everyone’s favorite. The cryptocurrency market currently worths US$ 1T and is expected to implement KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) protections, which is going to increase its popularity in 2021.

4. 3D Volumetric Displays: Australia’s Voxon Photonics is aiming to commercialize volumetric display technology. They developed the Voxon VX1 which is already available in stores and can project 500 volumetric pixels. Despite its uniqueness, there has not been any significant high-volume purchase, given that it is priced at $10,000. This technology is going to be used in image technologies, as well as in 3D designs. Professionals such as engineering, technicians, even medical professionals could use this technology.

5. Mobility Upgrade in Urban Setup, 1000kmph trains: Urban mobility is undergoing immense upgrades and local governments are also making sure that they receive sufficient investments. The Korean Railroad Research Institute’s (KORAIL) Hyper-Tube train last year achieved a record speed of 1000kmph during the testing phase. Hyper-loop technologies and underground tunnels are being developed by the US and China. These technologies could revolutionize rail transportation.

6. No-code AI Applications: AI is one of the fastest developing technologies in today's world. It offers a mammoth of usability, which has prompted all major enterprises to try taking advantage of it and improve their operations. There are several initiatives where SMEs can utilize AI without having to employ an expert or specialist. Applications like DarwinTM are allowing users to develop models without knowing anything about coding. As more and more enterprises are transforming digitally, it is expected that no-code AI will be attracting some major investments and upgrades.

7. 5G Technology: 5G has been in talks in the mobile industry for quite some time now. It guarantees a revolution in human-to-human communication with high-resolutions video, VR gaming, and many more relevant features. 5G applications are way beyond telecommunication. 5G can enable efficient, and reliable semi-automatic systems such as trucks, cars, and drones.

5G is still under development in all major countries. Though theoretically, 5G can provide a speed of 20Gbps, in the US, 5G networks only provide 35-50Mbps speed. But things are expected to change in 2021. The latest Apple iPhone will support 5G, hence, a large portion of the US smartphones is expected to be upgraded to support 5G by the end of 2021.

8. Cybersecurity: The past couple of years witnessed severe data breaches and cyber-attacks. Consumers are more concerned about data security. Hence businesses are pressured to ensure data security and stay prepared for any data breaches. Cybersecurity firms are employing AI to identify attacks and divert them. AI can also be utilized to identify the weak spots of the security systems and predict future system failures. A lot of upgrades and innovations are expected in 2021.

9. Analytics: The amount of data that is generated on an everyday basis by a person is ten times more than what it used to be a few years ago. Companies are using their data to predict user behavior and actions. Data analytics can be utilized to run successful marketing campaigns. Analytics can also predict the failure of any operation and give insights as to how they can be improved. Not to forget, there also exists some friction between the consumers and the businesses regarding data security and how that data is being used. Companies need to become transparent about their privacy policies and maintain their ethics.

Given the pandemic is far from over, more and more industries are expected to digitize, which will cause the development of many more technologies. 2020 came with a lot of hidden surprises, we hope 2021 brings surprises too, preferably positive ones. This year for sure will witness some cool announcements and launches which hopefully will make our lives a lot easier.

[crazy4tank]

'Fast And Furious 9' Trailer Drops With Flashy Cars And Flying Spaceships

New Post has been published on https://coolcarsnews.com/fast-and-furious-9-trailer-drops-with-flashy-cars-and-flying-spaceships/

'Fast And Furious 9' Trailer Drops With Flashy Cars And Flying Spaceships

On 04 13, the official Twitter accounts promised that a new trailer for the F9 movie would be released on April fourteen. Indeed, the video appeared promptly.

Half annually after the very first teaser released , the brand new trailer of the ninth section of the action-packed Quick & Furious has been published on the recognized YouTube channel of the movie project. It is not known whether or not the entire film will keep everything that tense, but the three-and-a-half-minute clip does it perfectly. The particular film will be released upon June 25, 2021, in the usa.

[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=fEE4RO-_jug&feature=oembed[/embed]

The video shows the particular peaceful life of the protagonist of the franchise, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), and his spouse Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), that is interrupted by a new objective for Toretto and his group. The plot of the movie is based on the revenge from the cyber-terrorist Cypher, who results to settle scores with Dominic Toretto. Cypher also requires Dominic's brother Jacob (played by John Cena) with this story.

RELATED: View The Trailer: Rocket Little league Adding NASCAR And Method 1 Content For Period 3

Viewers will once again see the bad character carried out by Charlize Theron. Even though it remains to be seen who she will end up being playing, given the modification of Jason Statham in the last parts. The new anti-hero is going to be Dominic's brother. And Ryan will be alive, which is actually an unexpected turn.

The creators from the ninth film promise actually cooler stunts and high-class cars. The film happens literally all over the world: London, Tokyo, Central America, Azerbaijan, plus Tbilisi. In the fresh truck, you can see a wagon-armored teach and, as usual, a bunch of supercars.

The movie was directed by Mr. bieber Lin, who directed the 3rd, fourth, fifth, and 6th films in the franchise. On this occasion, Daniel Casey was the scriptwriter of the Fast & Mad 9. He took place associated with Chris Morgan, who has labored on all films in the collection, starting from Tokyo Drift.

Previously, the movie director of the ninth part of the collection, Justin Lin, contributed details about the filming of just one of the scenes of the movie . Although it takes regarding four seconds of display screen time, it took regarding eight months and 3 cars to shoot the particular complex stunt involving the Toyota GT86.

NEXT: Law enforcement Pursuit Ends With Maserati SUV Stuck Underneath A good Overpass

[24buzzfeed]

Israeli spy firm seeks to polish its business image

London-it's been two years since NSO Group executives last spoke publicly.   In this report, published by the British newspaper The Telegraph, author James Cook said that before the co-founders and London-based private equity firm Novalpina Capital acquired NSO in 2019-the Israeli cyber espionage company behind the world's leading spyware Pegasus - the Tel Aviv-based electronic mercenary company was prevented from owning a website or talking to journalists.   The Israeli mercenary company learned after some activist groups - including Amnesty International and the Toronto - based academic Citizen Lab-said they had uncovered evidence of abuse of the company's tools.in December, setzen Lab said 36 Al Jazeera journalists had their phones hacked using the company's Pegasus software.   Today, its chief executive Shalev holio, according to the British Daily Telegraph, is seeking to make up for lost time, as the newspaper quoted him as saying in a call from his office on the zoom platform, "I truly believe that we have nothing to hide," noting that "this market is full of misunderstandings, conspiracy theories, and civic myths about (NSO)."   In his article published by The Telegraph, the author stated that Pegasus spyware, the company's flagship product, allows customers to intercept messages using the target's phone number without the victim discovering it.   Privacy activists and security researchers claim that some NSO agents used the software to spy on human rights activists and journalists. Perhaps the most serious of these allegations intercept messages Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was killed in 2018, but Holly, denied any police involvement in his murder.   The writer noted that the concerns raised by the spyware created a rare alliance between some of the world's largest tech companies, with companies-including Google and Microsoft - backing an ongoing legal battle launched by WhatsApp against the NSO.   NSO is currently facing a U.S. lawsuit filed by WhatsApp, which alleges that the Israeli company hacked 1,400 accounts of its users in two weeks in 2019. NSO's lawyers denounced this prosecution on the grounds that the company "creates electronic solutions that NSO itself does not use, and that the only users of these products are its customers and are sovereign foreign countries".   Holio now hopes to collaborate with activists to shape the rules of how electronic mercenary companies work, and he believes that "the best thing they can do is to enter into a conversation and create global standards for how electronic intelligence works.. That way, NSO may emerge from its secret past to become a global cybersecurity company, but the controversy around it is not over yet.   "I am ready to talk to any party, any human rights organization, an NGO, a research organization, or a university that is willing to talk to us,"he said.   The NSO's attempt to create a more friendly image involves expanding into less controversial areas, such as anti-drone programs and search and rescue systems.   A week ago, the NSO team introduced a system called Eclipse anti-drone that can detect aircraft in sensitive areas and deliver them safely to the ground by penetrating control systems and directing them towards the landing zone.   Concerns of misuse The NSO says the Pegasus system has become a vital tool for governments that would not be able to intercept terrorists ' messages without using it, according to the British newspaper.   Insiders say NSO is investigating allegations of abuse of its tools. In January, the company told The Telegraph that it had recently banned its customers who were found to have misused the spyware Pegasus.   Beyond Pegasus NSO hopes that focusing on products other than Pegasus will help improve its image. One such technology is smartphone tracking technology in the wake of earthquakes.   For his part, yushai Manov, NSO vice president and commander of an Israeli search and Rescue Unit, said a team of On-Call personnel would be available 24/7 to intervene in any search and rescue operation. It also confirms that the company has developed a tool that can be used to find people trapped under rubble by measuring the signal strength of smart phones.   The sitzenlab team, however, criticized NSO's rescue technology, saying it was in fact a surveillance system that could locate smartphones around the world, while the Israeli company denied these claims.   The writer added that the NSO's attempt to polish its public image by focusing on search and rescue efforts and initiatives such as the adoption of NSO-branded trucks roaming the streets of Israel to collect donations to charities did not impress activists.   "As long as the company continues to pursue growth, the damage it causes will increase rapidly," says John Scott Railton, senior researcher at sitzenlab. And they don't seem willing to address this problem directly, so they're trying to remake their brand."   #news #covid #india #instagram #love #coronavirus #follow #like #media #music #breakingnews #instagood #fashion #viral #trending #politics #noticias #memes #new #corona #usa #football #bhfyp #sports #tv #indonesia #berita #photography #currentaffairs #bhfyp Read the full article

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Tens of thousands protest outside L.A.’s Turkish Consulate in solidarity with Armenia (Los Angeles Times) Tens of thousands of demonstrators protested outside the Turkish Consulate in Beverly Hills on Sunday afternoon in a show of solidarity with Armenia in its battle with neighboring Azerbaijan over a tiny separatist region on the border of the former Soviet republics. The crowd was estimated at 35,000 people, at its height stretching down Wilshire Boulevard from Fairfax Avenue to La Cienega Boulevard, Beverly Hills Police Lt. Todd Withers said. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Station later tweeted that the crowd had reached 100,000. Since fighting broke out in the region Sept. 27, thousands of Armenian Americans and supporters have taken to the streets of Los Angeles to protest the hostilities more than 7,000 miles away. The demonstrators have focused their opposition on Turkey, which has expressed support for Azerbaijan [and has reportedly sent Syrian Islamists to fight there].

All four of the world’s largest shipping companies have now been hit by cyber-attacks (ZDNet) With today’s news that French shipping giant CMA CGM has been hit by a ransomware attack, this now means that all of the four biggest maritime shipping companies in the world have been hit by cyber-attacks in the past four years, since 2017. This marks for a unique case study, as there is no other industry sector where the Big Four have suffered major cyber-attacks one after the other like this. But while all these incidents are different, they show a preferential targeting of the maritime shipping industry. “I’m not so sure it’s that they’re any more or less vulnerable than other industries,” said Ken Munro, a security researcher at Pen Test Partners, a UK cyber-security company that conducts penetration testing for the maritime sector. “It’s that they are brutally exposed to the impact of ransomware. “After Maersk was hit by the NotPetya crytper, I believe criminals realized the opportunity to bring a critical industry down, so payment of a ransom was perhaps more likely than other industries,” Munro said. “That said, if you can’t book a container, there’s no point in having the ship,” he added.

English villages wake up to find they’re Brexit’s new border (AP) Four years after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Brexit can still seem abstract. But in the county known as the Garden of England, it is literally taking concrete form. Just beyond the ancient oaks and yews that surround medieval St. Mary’s Church in the village of Sevington, bulldozers, dump trucks and cement mixers swarm noisily over a field. They are chewing up land to create part of Britain’s new border with the European Union—a customs clearance depot with room for up to 2,000 trucks. The two prosperous villages of Sevington and Mersham are 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the Channel Tunnel to France and 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Britain’s biggest ferry port at Dover. Between them, the two routes carry 4 million trucks a year, filled with food and all manner of other essential items. Those goods moved back and forth freely while Britain was part of the EU’s single market and customs union. The U.K. left the bloc’s political structures in January, and will make an economic break when a transition period ends Dec. 31. That means Britain must erect a customs border with the 27-nation EU, its biggest trading partner. Opponents of Brexit say it is a waste of money and effort that will hurt businesses on both sides. For supporters, it’s all part of taking back control of the country’s borders and trade. But everyone agrees it means new red tape, with the need for customs declarations and inspections. If the U.K. and the EU fail to strike a free trade deal before the end of the year, tariffs will be slapped on many goods, bringing more disruption, bureaucracy and expense.

Europe pays high price to keep workers paid (Washington Post) Faced with the prospect of mass layoffs coinciding with a second wave of the novel coronavirus and new lockdowns, European leaders are extending their commitment to generous, budget-busting efforts to keep workers paid and employed. The latest country to fall in line is Britain, which on Friday backed away from ending a government program that pays up to 80 percent of private-sector salaries for workers furloughed because of the pandemic. Britain follows Spain, France, Italy and others that have decided to continue expensive furlough programs far beyond the few months initially planned and budgeted for. In Germany, where the model originated, policymakers have extended their version all the way to the end of 2021. The all-in European effort contrasts sharply with the turmoil in Washington, where leaders continue to squabble over a new stimulus package 11 weeks after they allowed crucial $600-a-week supplements for unemployment benefits to dry up, leaving millions of Americans in the lurch. The basic model of the European programs, sometimes called short-time work, is that struggling employers can place their workers on either full or partial furloughs, while the government takes over most of the cost of their idled time. The aims are to keep paychecks flowing to anxious citizens, prevent otherwise sound businesses from going under, and avoid the need to hire and train new workers after a crisis recedes. The programs have been credited with cushioning the shock of the pandemic. While the U.S. unemployment rate skyrocketed from 3.5 percent to 14.7 percent between February and April—a historic spike—and still remains more than double its pre-pandemic level, the European Union rate has moved only modestly upward, rising from 6.5 percent in February to 7.4 percent in August, the latest month for which figures are available.

The EU technology ‘hit list’ (Financial Times) EU regulators are drawing up a “hit list” of up to 20 large internet companies, likely to include Silicon Valley giants such as Facebook and Apple, that will be subject to new and far more stringent rules aimed at curbing their market power. Under the plans, large platforms that find themselves on the list will have to comply with tougher regulation than smaller competitors, according to people familiar with the discussions, including new rules that will force them to share data with rivals and an obligation to be more transparent on how they gather information.

Navy begins defusing biggest World War Two bomb ever found in Poland (Reuters) Navy divers on Monday began a five-day operation to defuse the largest unexploded World War Two bomb ever found in Poland, forcing more than 750 people to evacuate their homes. Dubbed the “earthquake” bomb, the Tallboy bomb was used by Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) and weighs nearly 5,400 kg, including 2,400 kg of explosive, the Navy said on its Facebook account. The bomb was found in the Piast Canal which connects the Baltic Sea with the Oder River, and was dropped by the RAF in 1945 in an attack on the German cruiser Lutzow. The site is near the town of Swinoujscie in northwest Poland where a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal was opened in 2016.

Belarus detains 713, allows police to use lethal weapons at mass protests (Reuters) Belarus police can now use lethal weapons in the streets if needed, the Interior Ministry said on Monday, due to what it described as the radicalisation of mass anti-government protests. Security forces detained 713 protesters on Sunday and used water cannon and batons to break up crowds demanding a new presidential election.

India, China hold fresh talks on ending military faceoff (AP) Senior Indian and Chinese military commanders were holding fresh talks Monday aimed at ending a monthslong standoff along their disputed border in the remote Ladakh region. The negotiations come as tens of thousands of rival soldiers on both sides backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets brace for a harsh winter in the cold-desert region where temperatures can fall to minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit). India and China have held several rounds of talks by military, diplomatic and political officials, including negotiations between the foreign ministers and the defense ministers in Moscow last month. Although the standoff has persisted, the talks seem to have calmed the situation along the border as no new military aggression has been reported for a month now.

China to test 9 million after fresh outbreak (AP) Chinese health authorities will test all 9 million people in the eastern city of Qingdao for the coronavirus this week after nine cases linked to a hospital were found, the government announced Monday. The announcement broke a two-month streak with no virus transmissions within China reported, though China has a practice of not reporting asymptomatic cases. The ruling Communist Party has lifted most curbs on travel and business but still monitors travelers and visitors to public buildings for signs of infection. Authorities were investigating the source of the infections found in eight patients at Qingdao’s Municipal Chest Hospital and one family member, the National Health Commission said. “The whole city will be tested within five days,” the NHC said on its social media account.

China threatens invasion of Taiwan in new video showing military might (Washington Post) With tensions soaring in the Taiwan Strait, China responded to Taiwanese overtures for dialogue by releasing new footage showing a large-scale military exercise simulating an invasion, and a purported confession from a Taiwanese businessman held captive in China on spying charges. The double-barreled release by the influential China Central Television late Saturday and Sunday signaled a hard line from Beijing on the same weekend that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen offered conciliatory remarks expressing a desire to hold talks as fears grow that China’s increasing threats toward Taiwan could spill over into military action. China quickly dismissed Tsai’s outreach. Hours after her speech, CCTV released a new 2-minute, 30-second video and report of a “multidimensional” drill off China’s southeastern coast featuring amphibious landing craft, attack helicopters and land-based missiles. The segment was the most extensive in a recent string of Chinese propaganda videos, featuring stirring music and quick cuts, warning that the military could attack if Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) did not recognize a diplomatic formulation that regards China and Taiwan as part of a single country, or if Taipei deepened its relationship with its military and diplomatic backer, the United States. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province that must be “reunified” with the mainland to restore the territory controlled by the Chinese empire at its 19th-century apex. But the Communist Party never ruled Taiwan despite taking power in mainland China in 1949 following a civil war, and citizens in democratic Taiwan have increasingly voted in recent years against a closer union with Beijing.

Iran-backed militias demand U.S. withdrawal in Iraq (Foreign Policy) On Sunday, the Iraqi Resistance Coordination Commission, an umbrella organization consisting of several Iran-backed militias in Iraq, agreed to a ceasefire against U.S. personnel on the condition that Washington fully withdraw its troops from Iraq. Since the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani in January, the United States has come under heavy pressure to reduce its presence in the country. U.S. forces have since transferred several bases to Iraqi personnel, and promised to reduce the U.S. troop presence in the country to 3,000. The move comes amid heightened tension between the United States and the Iraqi government after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to close the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad last month in response to attacks on U.S. personnel. The threat caused concern among Iraqi officials that a U.S. diplomatic withdrawal from the country could spark a military confrontation between U.S. forces and Iran-backed militias.

Jordan’s King Abdullah swears in new government to speed reforms (Reuters) Jordan’s King Abdullah on Monday swore in a new government led by veteran diplomat Bisher al Khaswaneh that will seek to accelerate IMF-backed reforms as the economy faces its sharpest contraction in decades due to the coronavirus crisis. The new government faces an uphill task to revive growth in an economy that is expected to shrink by around 6% this year as it grapples with its worst economic crisis in many years, with unemployment and poverty aggravated by the pandemic.

With Elections Ahead, Some African Presidents Try Engineering Results (NYT) The president of the West African nation of Guinea is running for a third term on Oct. 18, even though Guinea requires its presidents to step down after two. But because of a constitutional change he initiated, his first two terms don’t count. The president in neighboring Ivory Coast has made his first two terms disappear with a constitutional amendment, too. So he is also running for a third-but-actually-first term, on Oct. 31. And after 34 years in power, Uganda’s 76-year-old president plans to run for re-election in February. The age limit for presidents in Uganda was 75, but then he changed the constitution, and sought to prove his fitness to stay in office with a demonstration of his red-carpet workout routine in the State House—to the howls of many Ugandans. While much of the world may be focused on the contest for the top job in the United States, presidential elections are also set to take place in at least 10 of Africa’s 54 countries over the next five months. All of the incumbents but one want to stay in office. While most African presidents since 1990 have stepped down after their terms were up, many are now bending the rules to ensure they stay in power. Some have manipulated supreme courts and electoral commissions; others have changed constitutions, prosecuted opposition candidates or prevented them from running by imposing onerous qualifying criteria.

Controversial Nigerian police unit abolished (Foreign Policy) The Nigerian government succumbed to public pressure on Sunday and dissolved a controversial police unit. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) has been accused of carrying out a range of illegal acts, including extrajudicial killings, kidnapping, and torture. Amnesty International claims that the unit acts with complete impunity. “The dissolution of Sars is in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people,” Nigeria’s head of police said in a statement.

[biofunmy]

Iran cyberattack risk is up after missile strike on Iraq bases

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Americans should be on heightened alert for cyberattacks after Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at two military bases in Iraq where U.S. troops are stationed late Tuesday.

The FBI said Wednesday that the bureau is “aware of the continued possibility that retaliatory actions could be taken against the United States and its interests abroad.”

“While there is no specific or credible threat to the homeland at this time, we urge the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement,” the FBI said.

On Monday Homeland Security urged cybersecurity teams to “enhance monitoring of network and email traffic,” including for email phishing attempts.

Iran, which has been linked to cyber attacks against Saudi Arabia and the Sands Las Vegas casino owned by Sheldon Adelson, could target private businesses and government infrastructure to avenge last week’s killing of its top military commander as tensions between Tehran and Washington reach one of their highest points since the 1979 Iranian revolution, security researchers say.

In retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, Iran could go after the power and electricity you use, the smart devices you carry or your bank account, they say. 

“As these escalations continue to play out and definitely in wake of Soleimani’s death, America needs to be prepared for retaliation,” said Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. “Are we being attacked online? No, not that we can prove and not that is having an impact that is blatant or at scale or moving the needle on public conversation or crippling any infrastructure.”

Cyberwar with Iran: How vulnerable is America?

A cyber conflict has been silently raging for years. Even if no attack from Iran occurs in coming weeks, “the danger zone will extend for years,” warned Steven Bellovin, a computer science professor at Columbia University School of Engineering. 

For nearly a decade, Iran has been building up its cyber arsenal and is now considered among the major nation-state threats to the security of the U.S.

“The Iranian regime has demonstrated greater appetite towards destructive or disruptive cyber-attacks in peacetime than any other nation,” say Ed Parsons and George Michael, who research cyber threats to the private sector.

Coffins of Gen. Qassem Soleimani and others who were killed in Iraq by a U.S. drone strike, are carried on a truck surrounded by mourners during a funeral procession, in the city of Kerman, Iran, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Photo: Erfan Kouchari, AP)

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged last week that Iran could unleash cyberattacks.

“The Iranians have a deep and complex cyber capability, to be sure,” Pompeo said on Fox News. “Know that we have certainly considered that risk.”

On Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security warned Americans that Iran is capable of launching cyberattacks with “temporary disruptive effects” against critical U.S. infrastructure, though it had “no information indicating a specific, credible threat to the Homeland.” 

‘This was an act of war’: Lawmakers react to Iran’s missile strike on US military bases

The National Terrorism System advisory recommended that Americans take precautions by backing up data and using two-factor authentication for sensitive accounts.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf tweeted that the bulletin was intended to “inform & reassure the American public, state/local governments & private partners that DHS is actively monitoring & preparing for any specific, credible threat, should one arise.”

On Sunday, a federal website went offline after a hacker uploaded photos to the site that included an Iranian flag and an image depicting a bloodied President Donald Trump being punched in the face.

The images appeared on the Federal Depository Library Program program’s website late Saturday before the site was taken offline. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, said it was monitoring the situation.

 (Photo: Getty Images)

“We are aware the website of the Federal Depository Library Program was defaced with pro-Iranian, anti-US messaging,” the cybersecurity agency said in a statement. “At this time, there is no confirmation that this was the action of Iranian state-sponsored actors. The website was taken offline and is no longer accessible.”

The statement added that “in these times of increased threats” all organizations should increase cyber monitoring, back up IT systems, implement secure authentication and have an incident response plan ready should a hack take place.

CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm that warned of increasing cyberattacks by Iran earlier this year, said Monday that industries such as oil and gas and electricity could be targets.

“CrowdStrike Intelligence believes that Iranian adversaries are likely to leverage a broad range of means, including cyber operations, against U.S. and allied interests,” the company said. “Our current assessment is that organizations in the financial, defense, government, and oil and gas sectors are the most likely targets for retaliation activity.”

What we know: US military bases attacked by Iran have hosted Trump and Pence, damage unclear

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CrowdStrike said it was monitoring for denial of service and ransomware attacks, tools frequently deployed by Iranian hackers.

Iran intensified its cyber warfare capabilities after the Stuxnet computer worm, a program believed to have been run by the United States and Israel, was uncovered. The worm destroyed nuclear centrifuges at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant.

“Stuxnet caused Iran to really wake up: ‘Hey this cyber stuff is really powerful. We can do this, too.’ And unlike nuclear weapons, it doesn’t take a huge industrial infrastructure,” Bellovin said.

“Iran’s abilities have gotten noticeably stronger over the last 10 years,” with hackers targeting major U.S. financial institutions, universities and companies, he said.

Bellovin warns that it could take years for Iran to launch a cyberattack. American companies should shore up their defenses accordingly, he said.

“I worry about companies letting down their guard,” Bellovin said. “If people get an alert and then after three weeks revert to business as usual, two years from now they may find themselves hit badly.”

Contributing: Kevin Johnson

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