Posted in Commentary with tags Roku on May 9, 2024 by itnerd
Roku and TVA Group announced the launch of TVA+ on the Roku platform. Expanding the options for French-language content on the Roku platform in Canada, TVA+ brings an exciting array of entertainment, news, public affairs programming, and sports, including the NHL and MLB, to Roku users.
As TVA’s digital destination, TVA+ includes Quebec’s most popular original content – often surpassing 1 million views – as well as a catalogue of nearly 100 movies and series from here and abroad. TVA+ provides viewers with a wide range of original hit shows like Indéfendable, Si on s’aimait, Alertes, Sorcières, and Révolution, plus popular Quebec adaptations such as La Voix, Sortez-moi d’ici and Chanteurs masqués, the family-friendly variety series that has ranked #1 in Canada (regardless of language) for 3 consecutive seasons. TVA+ also features TVA newscasts, along with several public affairs and sports programs.
Included in TVA+ is TVA Sports en Direct, available with a choice of two subscription packages. TVA Sports en Direct is the exclusive French-language broadcaster of the National Hockey League (NHL), including Saturday night Montreal Canadiens games and all playoff games. The channel also offers Major League Baseball (MLB), WTA tennis, the National Bank Open, the Laver Cup, UFC galas, and much more.
TVA+ is now available on all Roku devices and Roku TVs and can be added to the home screen directly from the Channel Store.
This morning, TikTok announced that they have become the first video sharing platform to start automatically labeling AI-generated content (AIGC) that’s made on other platforms by implementing Content Credentials, a new technology from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). TikTok already labels AIGC made with TikTok AI effects and were the first to launch an AIGC labeling tool which over 37M creators have used since September 2023.
On top of that, TikTok is launching new media literacy campaigns that we developed with guidance from experts including Mediawise. And they are also joining the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) to help drive Content Credentials adoption.
EnGenius Technologies Inc., a leader in advanced connectivity solutions, is excited to unveil the much-anticipated ECW526, the newest addition to the Cloud Wi-Fi 7 Access Point series. With the Wi-Fi 7 4×4 ECW536 access point, now priced at $499, and the new Wi-Fi 7 2×2 ECW526 access point, businesses of all sizes can now affordably deploy Wi-Fi 7, making it accessible and practical for every business environment. EnGenius now offers customers the flexibility to choose the appropriate Wi-Fi 7 access point for their specific needs, whether for densely populated areas like conference rooms or providing extensive coverage in large spaces such as assisted living or student housing. It’s the perfect choice for businesses that demand optimal performance and value as they transition onto the Wi-Fi 7 landscape and cater to the growing number of bandwidth-intensive devices and applications.
The ECW526 reaffirms EnGenius’s dedication to bringing the latest Wi-Fi technology to everyone. This cutting-edge access point is a sleekly designed tri-band device that delivers unprecedented speeds of up to 9.4 Gbps. By using three frequency bands – 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz -one access point can support a larger number of IoT devices, regular devices, and the latest high-tech gadgets. The device is backward compatible, seamlessly integrating with existing Wi-Fi setups, facilitating a smooth transition to the next generation of wireless connectivity.
The ECW526 harnesses the advanced capabilities of Wi-Fi 7, including 320 MHz channels, 4096-QAM, and Multi-Link Operation. It effortlessly supports bandwidth-intensive tasks such as streaming 4K videos and running cloud applications, guaranteeing optimal network utilization, low latency, and unparalleled signal reliability. EnGenius engineered the ECW526 with a lightning-fast 10 Gbps Ethernet port while maintaining a modest power consumption of just 21 Watts at peak, ensuring compatibility with traditional PoE+ switches and injectors. The ECW526 is the future of Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, offering businesses fast, flexible, and secure networks that will transform how they connect.
Key Features:
Experience Unmatched Performance with Next-Gen Technology: This elegant device uses Wi-Fi 7 for lightning-fast speeds of up to 9.4 gigabits using three bands, 320 MHz channels wide channels, 2×2 MU-MIMO, 4096-QAM, Multi-Link Operation, and Multi-RU puncturing to improve reliability and performance in data-intensive applications.
Seamless Network Management Made Easy: The EnGenius Cloud platform simplifies modern network management, reducing operational costs while enhancing network performance and reliability.
Security is Top Priority: With advanced security features like WPA3 Enterprise, the ECW526 ensures that your network is always protected against unauthorized access and potential threats, always keeping your data and connections secure.
Simplified Setup: With a quick scan, you can register and configure your device in 5 minutes or less. You can easily monitor and troubleshoot your network remotely.
Manage Your Network on the Go: With the EnGenius Cloud and our mobile app, you can easily manage your network from anywhere and effortlessly manage an unlimited number of APs.
Hassle-Free Installation: The click-n-twist mount and Kensington lock slot ensure a hassle-free and secure installation process, giving you peace of mind that your device is securely installed.
I’ll say right up front that I am still investigating this, thus details are a bit light. But having said that, I wanted to make sure that this new scam involving Bell Canada is out there so that you are aware and can protect yourself accordingly.
Yesterday, my home number (as opposed to my business number) got a call which went to voice mail as nobody was home at the time. When I played the message back, it was a pre-recorded message that was claiming to be from Bell Canada. And that they were disconnecting my Internet and TV “line” temporally. I was then prompted to press one to get to a representative or press two to get to technical support to “address the unusual activity on your line.” So what the scammers are hoping that you will do is freak out because your Internet is being disconnected or that you have “unusual” activity on your connection and engage with them. Then they can execute whatever their evil plan is, which at this point isn’t clear.
Now while Bell Canada is our telco provider at the moment, I knew right away that this was clearly a scam. For starters, the audio quality was horrible. No telco would ever have an outbound message with audio that was that bad. That made me think that it might be the same threat actors that were behind this Bell Canada scam from a few weeks ago who clearly haven’t improved the approach to this scam. The second thing was the number that they calling from. It was from an 847 area code which is in Illinois and not Canada. So clearly the number is spoofed, and the threat actors aren’t smart enough to use a Canadian area code. Though there were two other things that tipped me off that this was a scam. But I am not going to disclose those at this time as I don’t want to give the threat actors ideas in terms of improving the effectiveness of the scam.
Now related to this, I did find on DSL Reports that there’s a slightly different version of this scam making the rounds as well, which I suspect is from the same threat actors. You can read about that here. Clearly there’s an active scam campaign out there that while it won’t get non-Bell Canada customers, some Bell Canada customers will fall for whatever version of this scam that hits their phone. I’ll be reaching out to Bell Canada later today to see if I can get some comment and some advice so that you can better protect yourself from this scam. But if you get a call from someone claiming to be Bell Canada, I feel safe in saying that you should immediately hang up and call 310-2355 and verify that the call that you received was real. Chances are, it wasn’t.
President and chief operating officer Clint Mahlman issued a letter Wednesday offering his “sincere apologies for the inconvenience and any concerns” that arose amid the week-long closure of the company’s 79 stores across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
While Mahlman didn’t elaborate on the nature of the breach targeting the company, he said the retailer had security measures in place, but “given the rapidly evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, no organization can be 100 per cent safe from advanced cybersecurity incidents orchestrated by sophisticated third parties.”
I have to give him credit for apologizing for getting pwned. While they shouldn’t have been pwned in the first place, this is the next best thing. The second thing that he did was put out some more details:
The Richmond, B.C.-based retailer says it has found no evidence that customer databases, including health data from its pharmacies, were compromised in the cybersecurity breach.
“However, should we discover any evidence that customer information was impacted, we will inform our customers and privacy commissioners in accordance with privacy laws,” the company president said.
“At the outset, we proactively alerted the privacy commissions in the provinces we operate in and have reported this incident to law enforcement.”
While this can change at any point, it’s good news that no health data was swiped…. That they know of. There’s also this:
Beyond forcing the retailer to close its physical locations, the security breach also prompted company leadership to temporarily disable its telephone lines as part of a system-wide effort to locate and contain the breach.
“As soon as we became aware of suspicious activity in our environment, we immediately engaged third-party cybersecurity specialists from across North America to assist with containment, mitigation, and to conduct a forensic investigation,” Mahlman said. “Our investigation is ongoing.”
I for one hope that they continue this transparency and show the results of their investigation. I say that because if London Drugs really wants to restore the trust of their customers, they have to make that public along with how intend to avoid getting pwned again. Let’s see if they do that.
Earlier this week, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, part of the Scottish healthcare system, confirmed some children’s mental health records has been published by criminals following a cyber attack and demand for an extortion payment from the local health board.
It follows NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s March announcement that it had been the target of “a focused and ongoing cyber attack,” and that while patient-facing services were functioning as normal, there was a risk “hackers have been able to acquire a significant quantity of data.” However, Julie White, the health board’s chief executive said it was unlikely that the hackers were able to access entire patient records.
The INC Ransom group claims to hold terabytes of data exfiltrated from the organization, meanwhile White said the number of people affected is still unknown but could be thousands.
“Work is beginning to take place with partner agencies to assess the data which has been published,” added the statement on the official website.
Dumfries and Galloway is the southernmost region of Scotland and has a population of just under 150,000 people, all of which are likely to be users of the NHS.
“There is a fundamental need to better protect healthcare organizations, and every cybersecurity attack on a healthcare entity underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures, including the critical role of bidirectional intelligence sharing. By engaging in proactive intelligence sharing, healthcare organizations can better anticipate, respond to, and mitigate cyber threats. Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) are a great resource to help empower healthcare providers with the necessary tools and community support to safeguard sensitive patient data effectively, ultimately fostering a more resilient healthcare infrastructure.”
This is another example of a health care organization being low hanging fruit for cybercriminals. While everyone needs to take measures to protect themselves from scumbags like the ones behind this event, health care needs particular attention.
On the same day the Department of State published a strategy for cyberspace and digital policy, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said during an appearance at RSAC that The White House has plans to spend $3.5 trillion working with partners to set global standards and create resilient supply chains for critical technologies with the aim to enhance America’s competitiveness and drive international collaborations for standards to ensure safe and ethical use of new technologies.
The strategy laid out by the Department of State focuses on building digital solidarity, “recognizes that all who use digital technologies in a rights-respecting manner are more secure, resilient, self-determining, and prosperous when we work together to shape the international environment and innovate at the technological edge.”
The strategy has three guiding principles:
An affirmative vision for a secure and inclusive cyberspace grounded in international law and human rights
Integration of cybersecurity, sustainable development, and technological innovation
A comprehensive policy approach that utilizes the appropriate tools of diplomacy and international statecraft
And four areas of action:
Promote, build, and maintain an open, inclusive, secure, and resilient digital ecosystem
Align rights-respecting approaches to digital and data governance with international partners
Build coalitions and engage partners to advance responsible state behavior in cyberspace, and counter cyber threats
Strengthen and build international partner digital and cyber capacity
In regard to emerging technologies, Blinken said he wants to see the formation of global frameworks that balance innovation with security and ethical considerations ensuring that technologies such as AI aren’t used for actions that violate privacy rights or lead to societal harm.
“Working together, we can seize this extraordinary moment to shape a future that makes life a little bit safer, a little bit more secure and a little bit more prosperous,” Blinken said.
“The U.S. Department of State’s new strategy for cyberspace underscores the critical importance of collective defense and collaboration in ensuring a secure, resilient digital future. By focusing on building partnerships to set global standards and enhance supply chain resiliencies, this initiative not only advances America’s competitiveness but also fosters a unified approach to safeguarding and advancing technological innovations. This collective strategy represents a significant step in strengthening global digital security, making a safer, more inclusive digital ecosystem achievable.”
I’ll echo what I said when this was first announced. This should be interesting to watch and see how effective it is. Which is something that will take years to measure.
Roku announces the launch of TVA+ on the Roku platform
Posted in Commentary with tags Roku on May 9, 2024 by itnerdRoku and TVA Group announced the launch of TVA+ on the Roku platform. Expanding the options for French-language content on the Roku platform in Canada, TVA+ brings an exciting array of entertainment, news, public affairs programming, and sports, including the NHL and MLB, to Roku users.
As TVA’s digital destination, TVA+ includes Quebec’s most popular original content – often surpassing 1 million views – as well as a catalogue of nearly 100 movies and series from here and abroad. TVA+ provides viewers with a wide range of original hit shows like Indéfendable, Si on s’aimait, Alertes, Sorcières, and Révolution, plus popular Quebec adaptations such as La Voix, Sortez-moi d’ici and Chanteurs masqués, the family-friendly variety series that has ranked #1 in Canada (regardless of language) for 3 consecutive seasons. TVA+ also features TVA newscasts, along with several public affairs and sports programs.
Included in TVA+ is TVA Sports en Direct, available with a choice of two subscription packages. TVA Sports en Direct is the exclusive French-language broadcaster of the National Hockey League (NHL), including Saturday night Montreal Canadiens games and all playoff games. The channel also offers Major League Baseball (MLB), WTA tennis, the National Bank Open, the Laver Cup, UFC galas, and much more.
TVA+ is now available on all Roku devices and Roku TVs and can be added to the home screen directly from the Channel Store.
Leave a comment »