Tag Archive for: rules

US grid rules preclude reliability, security benefits of cloud computing, experts warn

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Cloud technologies could provide significant cost, security and reliability benefits to the U.S. electric grid but critical infrastructure rules do not allow them to be used for certain larger assets, multiple speakers said Thursday at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s annual reliability conference.

The Critical Infrastructure Protection rules, or CIP, are managed by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. and currently require grid asset owners to have certain control or knowledge of the devices operating their software. Cloud computing makes that difficult or impossible, experts agreed, in particular for what are known as high- or medium-impact grid assets.

Current NERC standards “do not provide clear guidance” on how regulated entities can implement new technologies that may not have been envisioned by the current CIP rules, Joseph Mosher, portfolio manager at EDF Renewables, told the commission. “Attempts to incorporate newer technology into the NERC CIP standards can be painful and time consuming,” he said.

Experts expressed concerns over the outdated CIP rules, at a time when grid officials say they face growing threats.

“One can definitely make the argument that the grid is less secure today than it would be” if cloud computing solutions were allowed, “and that gap is growing every day,” security consultant Tom Alrich said. “This is the biggest problem with NERC CIP today.”

A related problem — that important information about those systems can’t today be stored in the cloud — will be fixed beginning next year when two revised CIP standards come into effect, he said.

A sector under attack

The cyber threat to the electric power sector is growing, and grid officials say they must utilize new tools to counter it.

“The electricity sector is under constant attack by nation states and organized criminals. We see billions of attempts a day to survey our networks, identify vulnerabilities or gaps in protection, steal credentials or data, or exact a ransom,” Manny Cancel, senior vice president and CEO of the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center, told regulators…

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I’m a security expert – life-ruining AI will claim you as a victim if you ignore my three ‘spotter’ rules

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ARTIFICIAL intelligence being used to create fake news and other content has become a real problem as its technology improves.

It is important to know what to look out for to spot AI fake news so you can be properly informed and not fall victim to its confusing claims.

AI fake news can show up in an array of different types of media but there are ways to spot it

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AI fake news can show up in an array of different types of media but there are ways to spot it

The rules were shared by computer security company McAfee on “how to spot fake news in your social media feed.”

It is extra important to be wary of the rules right now because a study from June by Reuters found that more people get their news from social media than official news publications.

Fake news can show up in an array of different types of social media including misleading posts, image captions, quotes, and false information in graphs and charts.

Along with Deepfake videos impersonating well-known public figures, AI-generated voice clones, and entire news websites generated by AI, McAfee warned.

Here is a breakdown of the three rules to avoid being fooled by fake news from AI, per McAfee.

1. CONTEXT

You want to check the writing for typos, poor grammar, and overall poor composition.

The context may also not make complete sense and be missing credentials for facts like date, time, and place of publication along with an author.

2. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

AI-generated images can be extremely deceiving, and you want to pay attention to details to spot a fake.

It’s good to consider if an image looks “too bizarre.”

“‘Don’t believe everything you read on the internet,’” now includes “Don’t believe everything you see on the internet,’” McAfee said.

3. DISTORTIONS

AI technology is not perfected yet so distortions can happen.

It especially is not good at rendering finders and hands currently and these can give it away if you look closely.

Along with creating eyes that look soulless or dead.

You can also look for unnatural shadows, uneven skin tones, and voice or facial expressions that look off or robotic

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Tolland Posts Updated Meeting Rules Policy After Recent Hack

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March 27, 2023

After a debrief with staff related to last Thursday’s meeting and a careful review of the best security practices, we feel ready to continue with our standard hybrid format for our town meetings when appropriate.We are compiling a list of best practices and some resources for training for meeting hosts. While it is impossible to stop all types of sophisticated IT attacks, we feel confident we can defend the type of attack we endured last week. We are thankful for those who have assisted us in this effort.On Friday we worked with CSP Trooper’s to continue their investigation with the assistance of the CSP Computer Crimes detectives, their investigation is ongoing.

This press release was produced by the Town of Tolland. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

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Samsung unfolds true productivity and flips design rules with Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4 bring massive upgrades and make foldable phones even more desirable. Samsung has worked on the design and internal hardware upgrades to make its uniquely positioned Fold and Flip smartphones even more appealing and make them stand out from the rest of the flagship devices. Let’s have a closer look at those significant upgrades and how they translate into a superior user experience.

A reworked hinge mechanism leads to superior ergonomics

Samsung engineers have used an aluminium-based hinge that is thinner, lighter, and yet retains the toughness and durability quotient as before. The hinge’s new mechanism brings a rotational effect to a more traditionally linear motion, allowing for a compact hinge without compromising strength and durability. As a result, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is slimmer and lighter than ever. Samsung has focussed on the idea of doing even more with the Galaxy Fold 4; they made it more compact and portable so that you can carry it anywhere you want. The device also has better weight distribution, making it feel lighter, and giving it a well-balanced feel.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 has also seen a lot of clever design changes in all the right areas. For starters, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is lighter and more compact than ever, especially from an in-hand feel perspective. Samsung has made the hinge slimmer and narrowed down the bezels to further add to the immersive experience in the most compact form factor. If you want a compact phone that easily fits in your pocket and yet delivers a flagship experience, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is a clear choice, and nothing else will fit the bill by a long way.

Sharper, brighter, faster and more efficient displays

The displays on both devices have also gotten smarter by using 120Hz adaptive refresh rate technology, both devices achieve power efficiency by intelligently using the high refresh rate only when needed, thus adding to overall battery life. The Cover Screen on the Samsung Galaxy Fold4 is also improved compared to its predecessor. It is wider than before, making it more impactful for content consumption and more convenient for one-handed usage. Another big (and…

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