ByteDance says it will not transfer algorithm and technology to Oracle as part of TikTok deal
ByteDance will not transfer algorithms and technologies to Oracle as part of a deal announced over the weekend to keep social media app TikTok operating in the U.S. President Donald Trump said he approved a deal on Saturday that will see the creation of a U.S.-headquartered firm called TikTok Global with Oracle and Walmart taking minority stakes. Oracle will become TikTok’s secure cloud provider and host U.S. user data. But the deal does not entail any transfer of algorithms and technologies, according to a statement from ByteDance on Monday. The company said Oracle can instead check the source code. “The current plan does not involve the transfer of any algorithms and technologies. Oracle has the authority to check the source code of TikTok USA,” ByteDance’s statement said, according to a CNBC translation.
Ray-Ban owner Luxottica reportedly hit with cyberattack
Italy-based eyewear and eyecare giant Luxottica has reportedly suffered a cyberattack that has led to the shutdown of operations in Italy and China. Luxottica is the world’s largest eyewear company that employs over 80,000 people and generated 9.4 billion in revenue for 2019. The company portfolio of eyeglasses brands contains well-known brands, including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Ferrari, Michael Kors, Bulgari, Armani, Prada, Chanel, and Coach. Luxottica also operates retail outlets such as Sunglass Hut and eyecare providers Pearle Vision, LensCrafters, and Eye Med.
‘Dark Overlord’ Cyber Extortionist Pleads Guilty
A member of the infamous cyber extortion gang known as Dark Overlord faces five years in prison after his guilty plea in federal court. As part of his sentence, Nathan Wyatt, 39, will pay victims $1 million and remain under supervised release after completing his prison sentence, Cyberscoop reported today. In 2017 Dark Overlord most famously hacked and pilfered unreleased episodes of Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” and leaked them publicly even after Netflix paid its extortion demands. The cyber extortion gang also hacked into multiple healthcare organizations and a public accounting firm, stole sensitive data, and then held it for ransom.
Hacking Yourself: Marie Moe and Pacemaker Security
There is a very long tradition of hacking your own stuff in the security community, but when it comes to hacking yourself, Marie Moe is in a different league. Dr. Moe, who is now a senior security consultant at Oslo-based cybersecurity firm mnemonic, has also served as a scientific researcher at SINTEF and a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). But an even more interesting thing about Dr. Moe – who has a pacemaker installed in her body – is that she became very curious about its security profile. Five years ago in 2015, about four years after getting a BIOTRONIK CardioMessenger II pacemaker put in her body, Marie initiated the Pacemaker Hacking Project. The main focus at the time was to understand how the very device her life depends on would withstand outside security scrutiny. In short, Marie wanted to know whether someone could hack her heart.
Raspberry Pi: Five handy home office projects to try
Initially designed as a low-cost computing board for teaching kids to code, the Raspberry Pi has since evolved into a fully fledged PC comfortably capable of replacing your desktop setup. At the same time, the board’s legions of dedicated fans have ensured a steady stream of ingenious open-source projects: media center, weather station, virtual assistant, Lego-powered book scanner – if you can imagine it, the chances are it’s been done. The internet is also filled with Raspberry Pi projects aimed at the home office. In keeping with the current times, we’ve selected five Pi projects for taking your remote working game to the next level.
Amazon will launch a new location-tracking mesh network system later this year
Amazon is preparing to launch an ambitious networking and location system later this year under the name Amazon Sidewalk. Sidewalk will link smart home devices and other Amazon products using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), connecting beyond the range of a standard Wi-Fi network. Meant to be operated at the scale of a neighborhood, Sidewalk would turn devices like smart floodlights and home assistants into network bridges, passing along security updates and commands from a central Wi-Fi hub. In addition to transmitting software, the signals allow Sidewalk to triangulate a device’s approximate location based on its contacts with other Sidewalk-enabled devices. The system will be built into the Echo, and Tile has also joined the project as the first third-party platform to support the system. Amazon plans to add Ring cameras to the network later, notifying device owners directly when Sidewalk is available to use.
