EchoMark today announced partnerships with ManTech, CBTS, TachTech and Adaptive Integration, industry leaders that will now use EchoMark’s AI-powered solution to further advance insider threat detection and prevention for clients.
EchoMark is the first solution that immediately identifies the precise sources of such leaks through AI-powered forensic watermarking (steganography). The EchoMark program encompasses integration, sales support, and incentives for channel partners, solutions integrators, and others who seek to help their customers proactively prevent insider leaks and intellectual property theft.
ManTech, an industry-leading provider of advanced technology solutions for U.S. government clients for more than 55 years, will now offer EchoMark to prospective clients in the defense, intelligence community and federal civilian sectors.
CBTS is a large enterprise IT solutions provider specializing in application modernization, cloud transformation and modern work communications.
TachTech, a national value-added reseller specializing in cybersecurity and digital transformation services, commends EchoMark for addressing a critical gap in the market.
Adaptive Integration, a leading provider of specialized IT security solutions, praises EchoMark for its unique blend of power and user-friendly deployment.
In initial tests, EchoMark demonstrated remarkable efficiency, identifying leaks of sensitive documents and emails with 99.999% accuracy.
Posted in Commentary with tags Cyware on April 3, 2024 by itnerd
Cyware is pleased to announce the addition of Australia’s former Prime Minister the Hon Malcolm Turnbull AC, to its advisory board. Mr. Turnbull’s significant experience and expertise will play a pivotal role in guiding the company’s mission to transform traditional security operations centers (SOCs) into modernized cyber fusion centers.
During his tenure as Prime Minister, Mr. Turnbull was instrumental in launching Australia’s first Cyber Security Strategy, a comprehensive plan that enhanced the nation’s cyber defenses, fostered international cyber partnerships, and promoted innovation in the cybersecurity sector. His deep understanding of the cyber landscape and his proactive approach to cyber threats will be indispensable to Cyware in his advisory role.
Malcolm Turnbull’s role on the Advisory Board will focus on leveraging his extensive cybersecurity expertise to guide Cyware’s strategic initiatives, enhance its product offerings, and strengthen its position as a leader in the cybersecurity space. His leadership will also be instrumental in fostering partnerships with governments and industry leaders, furthering Cyware’s commitment to building a safer digital world.
Valimail, a leading provider of email authentication and anti-impersonation solutions, today announced the availability of Valimail Enforce in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. Microsoft customers can now take advantage of the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform to gain access to Valimail Enforce capabilities, with streamlined deployment and management.
Valimail Enforce is a better, proven way to accelerate the journey to DMARC enforcement. Valimail delivers world-class automation tools to get you to continuous enforcement – meaning no manual SPF and DKIM configuration. Users are able to protect their domains at scale and improve email deliverability with Valimail’s best-of-breed solution that offers advanced sending service intelligence, unlimited SPF lookups, and contextual analytics – all in one simple application that anyone can use. With Valimail Enforce, users gain:
Access to a premier DMARC partner for Microsoft
One-click authorization for up to 100% of services within your ecosystem.
Access to unlimited SPF lookups so you never risk blocking good email.
Confidence in continuous DMARC protection with auto-configuration and updates.
The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use.
Posted in Commentary with tags Uber on April 3, 2024 by itnerd
For the third year in a row, Uber is releasing data on rider ratings across the country, revealing which Canadian cities win the bragging rights for having Canada’s top riders.
A stellar rating is the ultimate badge of honour—it’s a testament to a rider’s efforts to always be punctual, polite, organized and respectful, the keys to a smooth and positive ride experience.
This year, riders across Canada took the ratings race seriously, displaying the drive needed to score high. Red Deer won the coveted title for having the country’s top-rated riders; it’s also the third year in a row that Red Deer has placed in the top three cities.
After lagging behind in previous years, riders in Windsor, Saskatoon, and Kingston accelerated into the top 5 cities with the highest rider ratings, while Halifax dropped two spots down from last year.
Check out the full lists below, showcasing the top 10 Canadian cities with the highest average rider rating and the top 10 with the lowest rider ratings. For the first time, Uber is also sharing a list of the top 10 most-improved cities, celebrating the cities that made the biggest gains in improving their ratings.
To encourage good rider etiquette, Uber is celebrating this year’s top Canadian riders by awarding an exclusive 20% discount on their next ride to the top 10% of riders based on their trip rating in 2023. The offer is valid for two weeks.
*The data is weighted to account for population differences.
🏆Top 10 cities with the highest rider ratings
Red Deer
Windsor
Saskatoon
Winnipeg
Kingston
Regina
Halifax
Kelowna
Niagara Region
Victoria
💪Top 10 cities with the most improved rider ratings
Windsor
Kitchener-Waterloo
Lethbridge
London, ON
Red Deer
Edmonton
Regina
Saskatoon
Halifax
Ottawa
Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal remain in the top three cities with the lowest rider ratings. For riders in those cities, here are some tips on how to improve your ratings:
Pack it in, pack it out: Drivers shouldn’t have to clean up after your mess. Always make sure to take your trash and any other belongings with you. Don’t leave a mess behind.
Buckle Up: Studies show that unbuckled passengers in the back seat can put the driver at greater risk of injury in a crash. So always remember to buckle up for your and the driver’s safety.
Be ready: Remember that drivers’ time is valuable and they shouldn’t have to wait for you. A smooth pickup is better for everyone so be ready to go when the driver arrives.
Treat everyone and everything with respect: As outlined in Uber’s Community Guidelines, they want riders and drivers to feel safe, respectful, and positive. Always treat your driver and their vehicle as you would want to be treated.
Don’t slam the door! It is easy to accidentally slam a door if you aren’t thinking about it, and drivers have consistently cited door slams as a reason why they deduct stars.
For step-by-step instructions on how to find your ratings breakdown, check out the blog post.
To access the Privacy Center and ratings breakdown in the app:
In the settings menu, tap privacy and then Privacy Center
In the Privacy Center, swipe to the right and click on the “would you like to see a summary of how you use Uber” tile
Scroll down to the “browse your data” section and tap on “View my ratings” to see the breakdown
In a new blog post, Flashpoint talks about the NVD slowdown and what organizations should be thinking about as they work to stay updated on all vulnerabilities.
Flashpoint released last week its annual Global Threat Intelligence Report that dug in depth on NVD as well. Here’s that section found on page 11:
Beyond CVE: Uncovering the Hidden Vulnerability Landscape
Organizations strictly relying on CVE are likely unaware of nearly a third of known vulnerability risk. Flashpoint has documented over 100,000 vulnerabilities that CVE has failed to report, many of which affect major vendors such as Google and Microsoft. Flashpoint’s non-CVE coverage has also identified a significant number of issues affecting numerous third-party libraries—in addition to zero-day and in-the-wild exploits that are being used by threat actors.
As of February 2024, Flashpoint analysts have cataloged 330 vulnerabilities that were discovered being exploited in the wild, that still do not have a CVE ID. These include vulnerabilities in:
Adobe Reader
Apple iOS
Apple macOS
Google Android
Microsoft SQL Server
Siemens SIMATIC
Solarwinds Orion Platform
As of February 2024, the following have been exploited in some form of malware, yet do not have a CVE ID:
Apache Hadoop
Google Authenticator for Android
PHP
Any vulnerability management team that feels underserved by their current coverage needs visibility into non-CVE issues—especially if they are leveraging legacy or end-of-life software. Having immediate access to actionable data empowers security teams to address issues, sometimes as fast as two weeks compared to CVE.
Today, Samsung has announced that their newest Galaxy AI update will be available across more devices including the Galaxy S23 series, S23 FE, Z Fold5, Z Flip5 and Tab S9 series Galaxy Buds2 Series, Galaxy Buds FE, Watch FE. Aligning with the recently launched Galaxy S24 series this update elevates the standard of users’ Galaxy experience through a hybrid approach that combines on-device and cloud-based AI. With this update, Samsung strives to empower users by making AI more accessible and continuing to harness the unlimited possibilities of mobile AI.
The new Galaxy AI update includes:
Communication that transcends barriers – With new communication-enhancing Galaxy AI features, users can now adjust message tone and translate messages using Chat Assist, experience the power of real-time text and phone interactions through Live Translate and engage in spontaneous conversations with locals while travelling as Interpreter generates text translations for live conversations.
Productivity unparalleled – The Galaxy AI update also drives new levels of efficiency through Circle to Search, which generates intuitive search results with a swift circle motion, Note Assist, which allows users to create formats, generate summaries and translate notes, Browsing Assist, which generates summaries of articles, and Transcript Assist, which transcribes, summarizes and translates meeting recordings.
Unstoppable creativity for your inner artist – Users can now unlock their creative potential throughGenerative Edit, which resizes, repositions and realigns objects in photos, Edit Suggestion, which polishes photos, and Instant Slow-mo, which generates additional frames for slow-motion videos to capture action-packed moments.
Posted in Commentary with tags HYAS on April 2, 2024 by itnerd
The Weekly Threat Intelligence Report from David Brunsdon, Threat Intelligence Security Engineer with HYAS, is a (curated) analysis of what the threat intel team has seen within the HYAS Insight threat intelligence and investigation platform this past week and deemed the most significant to report externally. It names the most prominent malware families active over the last week, as well as the top C2-generating locations worldwide for the week.
Analysis by Adam Lopez, Director of Solutions Engineering at HYAS:
“Reviewing the top ASNs and malware origins generating C2 communications reveals involvement of ISPs from South Korea (AS9318), Italy (AS8968), the UK (AS216309 and AS216319), and Japan (AS7684), which underscores the global nature of cybersecurity threats. Malware does not discriminate by geography, affecting ISPs worldwide, indicating the pervasive risk across different network infrastructures. A recurring theme is the presence of malware activity despite the ISPs’ reputations for quality service.
“This suggests that even well-managed networks can become vectors for malware dissemination, highlighting the importance of constant vigilance, sophisticated monitoring, and robust security protocols to detect and mitigate threats.
“The identification of specific malware families (Amadey, Redline, Urelas, Sality, Stealc) indicates a range of cyber threats, from information stealers to polymorphic viruses, showcasing the complexity and adaptability of cyber adversaries. The diversity of these threats necessitates a multifaceted security approach, combining technical, procedural, and educational strategies to counteract them effectively.”
The full HYAS Threat Intel Report April 1, 2024, is linked above and is very much worth reading.
So when we last looked at the other train wreck next to the dumpster fire in social media that is known as Truth Social, the company merged with Digital World Acquisition Company which as part of the deal took Truth Social public. That looked good at the start, but now this is what their stock looks like:
So as you can see, there was a spike when the merger happened. But it’s fallen off a cliff since. Why you ask? Yahoo has the answer:
The stock drop comes on the heels of an updated regulatory filing early Monday that showed the company taking on heavy losses and facing “greater risks” associated with the former president’s ties to the platform.
According to the filing, Trump Media reported sales of just over $4 million as net losses reached nearly $60 million for the full-year ending Dec. 31. The company warned it expects losses to continue amid greater profitability challenges.
“TMTG has historically incurred operating losses and negative cash flows from operating activities,” the filing read.
“TMTG expects to continue to incur operating losses and negative cash flows from operating activities for the foreseeable future, as it works to expand its user base, attracting more platform partners and advertisers.”
Truth Social has lured about 9 million users since its inception. But its success largely depends on the “reputation and popularity” of former President Donald Trump.
“TMTG may be subject to greater risks than typical social media platforms because of the focus of its offerings and the involvement of President Trump,” the company said, citing risks that include the harassment of advertisers and criticism of Truth Social’s moderation practices.
“The value of TMTG’s brand may diminish if the popularity of President Trump were to suffer.”
Notably, Trump Media revealed it heavily relies on advertising with ad sales contributing to a “substantial majority of our revenue.”
“If we experience a decline in the number of users or a decline in user engagement, including as a result of the loss of high-profile individuals and entities who generate content on Truth Social, advertisers may not view Truth Social as attractive for their marketing expenditures, and may reduce their spending with us, which would harm our business and operating results,” the company warned.
Investors in this company have been introduced to reality. Which is business fundamentals trumps blind and illogical devotion to an individual. My question is how long will the investors in this stock wait until they pull the plug and sell which will make life very different for a certain Donald J. Trump who I am sure was hoping to seriously cash in on this.
Last week I put out an article about why Canada is not ready for a transition to electric vehicles. Some people after that article came out emailed me to ask why I was anti-electric vehicle. To be clear, I am not anti-EV. I just believe that a lot has to happen before Canada can transition to them. To illustrate that I would like to give you the reasons why I am bullish on EV’s:
EV’s can help to (mostly) solve our problem with greenhouse gases. The reason why I say “mostly” assumes that the source of electricity is clean as well. But assuming that this is the case, EV’s can help to reduce greenhouse gases. The knock on effect on that is that greenhouse gases have effects on human health. So reducing greenhouse gases can only help humans and other species live longer.
EV’s can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. That’s a good thing as fossil fuels often come from places that may not be the best places to deal with. On top of that, extracting fossil fuels is a dirty business. None of that is cool. Thus any reduction in use of fossil fuels is a good thing.
Jobs. Frankly a transition to a green economy can only be a boost to the economy. And people need to wrap their heads around that and do things to foster that. After all, we need charging infrastructure, people to build EV’s, etc. And these will be high skill, high wage jobs. That’s going to be good for the economy as a whole. That’s a win for all of us.
So to conclude, I am not anti-EV. I am pro EV as there are benefits to being pro EV that benefit us in one or more ways. My argument in my original article was that we need to be prepared to make that change. And at the moment, we’re simply not ready.
Posted in Commentary with tags Bell on April 1, 2024 by itnerd
Now I’m a bit late to this party. But I wanted some time to think about this topic before posting something.
This must make you angry if you’ve recently been fired by Bell via video call. A whole bunch of execs at Bell got serious bonus money. This despite the fact that they missed their own targets. Here’s what The Globe And Mail is reporting:
The company paid chief executive officer Mirko Bibic an annual bonus of $2.96-million as part of a $13.43-million compensation package last year, the company disclosed in its proxy circular to shareholders. His bonus was down slightly from $3.09-million in 2022.
Wade Oosterman, president of Bell Media until his retirement in January, received a bonus of $1.08-million as part of $4.87-million in total compensation. Three other executives in their roles for all of 2023 received bonuses of between $853,470 and $923,400 as part of pay packages between $4.5-million and $6-million.
Here’s the problem with this:
In its compensation disclosure, BCE said it fell short of all three financial targets in its annual bonus plan –revenue, free cash flow and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). The misses were tiny: For example, BCE had a target of $10.454-billion for revenue, but posted $10.417-billion – a $37-million miss.
So let’s think about this. Bell is basically a regulated monopoly. But Bell missed the above KPI’s. On top of that, if you look at their stock value, it’s down over the last year:
Thus I am trying to figure out why any of these execs deserve bonuses based on all of this. Bell claims that they do this to retain talent. But it really gives the appearance that Bell execs are trying to line their own pockets at the expense of their workers who lost their jobs and Canadians who won’t be getting Bell’s top end services such as Fibe Internet because Bell is mad at the CRTC and the Canadian government. Honestly, if any exec in any other company missed ALL their key performance indicators, they at the very least would not get their bonus money. At most they’d be gone.
Sometimes you just have to shake your head. In disgust.
EchoMark Launches Strategic Partner Program
Posted in Commentary with tags EchoMark on April 3, 2024 by itnerdEchoMark today announced partnerships with ManTech, CBTS, TachTech and Adaptive Integration, industry leaders that will now use EchoMark’s AI-powered solution to further advance insider threat detection and prevention for clients.
EchoMark is the first solution that immediately identifies the precise sources of such leaks through AI-powered forensic watermarking (steganography). The EchoMark program encompasses integration, sales support, and incentives for channel partners, solutions integrators, and others who seek to help their customers proactively prevent insider leaks and intellectual property theft.
ManTech, an industry-leading provider of advanced technology solutions for U.S. government clients for more than 55 years, will now offer EchoMark to prospective clients in the defense, intelligence community and federal civilian sectors.
CBTS is a large enterprise IT solutions provider specializing in application modernization, cloud transformation and modern work communications.
TachTech, a national value-added reseller specializing in cybersecurity and digital transformation services, commends EchoMark for addressing a critical gap in the market.
Adaptive Integration, a leading provider of specialized IT security solutions, praises EchoMark for its unique blend of power and user-friendly deployment.
In initial tests, EchoMark demonstrated remarkable efficiency, identifying leaks of sensitive documents and emails with 99.999% accuracy.
To learn more about the EchoMark Partner Program, visit https://www.echomark.com/partners.
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