Tag Archive for: digital

EU earmarks €763m for digital transformation, cybersecurity

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As part of its Digital Europe work programmes for 2024, the European Commission has assigned €762.7m in funds for Digital transformation, AI, cybersecurity, and more.

According to telecoms.com, the lion’s share of the funds, nearly €549m, will be spent delivering continuity and evolution of ongoing projects and the multi-country projects under the Digital Decade targets (a roadmap that aims to accelerate the digital transformation of Member States by 2030).

The ongoing projects, originally launched in March, include the use of digital technologies such as supercomputers, data, AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and advanced digital skills. The multi-country projects involve increased efforts on AI, as well as additional actions related to key digital policies such as virtual worlds, cloud, and quantum.

“The Digital Europe Programme is key for pooling EU and national funding to achieve ambitious digital projects that no Member State can do alone.” said Margrethe Vestager, VP at EU. “It is crucial that Europe continues to support our digital decade targets with enhanced focus on digital skills, excellence in artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.”

New activities will also get launched under the funding that aim to support the implementation of the AI Act, EU’s approach to ensuring the development of AI includes ethical underpinnings, and the development of a European AI ecosystem with special focus on small and medium enterprises.

Other policy areas the EU considers key as part of this subsection of the funding include “seed funding for a pilot demonstrating seamless integration and interoperability of Industrial IoT Edge with Telco Edge developments, the establishment of a 3D Competence Centre for the Cultural Heritage sector, and the provision of quantum-based metabolic MRI sensors for cancer diagnosis and treatment.”

The remaining €214m has been earmarked for cybersecurity with the view to improve the collective resilience of member states against cyber threats, including the implementation of the Cyber Resilience Act.

The European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) will be in charge of implementing the actions under this work…

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Revealing Malware Secrets in a Digital World #POST 47 | by Monty Excel | Dec, 2023

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Have you ever wondered about the invisible dangers that exist in the digital world, waiting to compromise your device and personal information?

Malware, a portmanteau of malicious software, is a broad term encompassing various types of harmful programs designed to infiltrate, damage, or disrupt computer systems. In this article, we’ll delve into different malware types, demystifying these digital threats with real-world examples.

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Bill from Illinois Democrat seeks to bridge digital divide through free wifi in local parks

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A Democratic congressman announced legislation this week that aims to use multiple federal government programs to bring broadband internet and computers to local parks across the country, bridging the digital divide in underserved communities by providing free internet services.

The Technology in the Parks Act of 2023, introduced by Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., aims to boost innovation, increase technology training and decrease inequality through multiple relevant internet programs.

“I believe that this legislation aligns with the nation’s commitment to fostering innovation, education, and community development,” Davis said in a statement. “This legislation, once passed, will contribute to building a more technologically inclusive society, ensuring that the benefits of advancements reach all corners of our community.”

The bill proposes an expansion of the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rates internet program to include local parks, which Davis said is key to bringing broadband access to outdoor community spaces, similar to the existing coverage for schools and libraries.

The FCC’s E-rate program helps schools and libraries across the country gain access to affordable broadband internet and is the government’s largest educational technology program.

The legislation would include local parks in the U.S. General Services Computers for Learning Program, providing access to computer equipment that federal agencies have identified as excess property and enabling technological advancements and digital literacy in those areas.

The third piece of the legislation would require the Labor Department to establish a program to offer grants for technology training programs in local parks, supporting skill development and ensuring that local parks that host such programs are eligible for E-Rate support.

The legislation “is a crucial step in bridging the technological divide and promoting education and skill development in our communities,” Davis said. “By extending E-Rate support to local parks, we empower these spaces to become hubs for technology training, creating opportunities for skill acquisition in areas such as coding, cyber…

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Vietnam’s ‘white hat’ hackers secure prestigious digital security award

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Last month, Viettel Cyber Security (VCS), a unit of Viettel, one of Vietnam’s largest state-owned enterprises, received thrilling news: they emerged as champions in the esteemed cybersecurity competition Pwn2Own Toronto 2023.

At the close of the competition on the evening of October 27, Viettel’s VCS team clinched the championship with an impressive total score of 30 points, earning them the distinguished title of ‘Master of Pwn’ and outpacing competitors by a significant margin of 12.75 points.

The total score was calculated based on successful participation and assigned Master of Pwn points in the competition’s category tables.

Pwn2Own 2023 was hosted by Toronto, Canada from October 24 to 27.

A team of young achievers

The sweet taste of success embraced the 14 young members of the team after three months of relentless dedication, working day and night, and competing fiercely against rivals worldwide.

Perhaps surprising to many, the youngest member, Do Anh Dung, a third-year student from the University of Engineering and Technology under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi, was born in 2003.

Beyond the youthfulness of Dung, the other 13 members of VCS, who achieved significant success at Pwn2Own 2023, are also young. 

Despite their tender age, each team member boasts considerable experience in cybersecurity, cultivated over years of dedicated work.

Even the youngest, Dung, made a noteworthy contribution, securing a victory in one of the competition categories, aiding in the team’s triumph.

On the evening of October 27, VCS secured the final victory, surpassing formidable opponents such as Sea Security from Singapore, Vupen and Synacktiv from France, and last year’s winners Devcore from Taiwan.

Ha Anh Hoang, a VCS team member, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that they were informed about the devices they had to compromise only three months before the contest’s opening day.

This meant a tight preparation schedule, including purchasing new devices, exploring their hardware and software, and awaiting the arrival of some tools ordered from abroad, which took up to a month.

Nguyen Xuan Hoang, another team member, acknowledged the presence of…

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