Category: World

What could possibly go wrong? DOGE to rapidly rebuild Social Security codebase. | arsTECHNICA

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The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is starting to put together a team to migrate the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) computer systems entirely off one of its oldest programming languages in a matter of months, potentially putting the integrity of the system—and the benefits on which tens of millions of Americans rely—at risk. The project is being organized by Elon Musk lieutenant Steve Davis, multiple sources who were not given permission to talk to the media tell WIRED, and aims to migrate all SSA systems off COBOL, one of…

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Cape Breton woman makes one-of-a-kind pens from reclaimed wood | CTV News

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A wood turner in Cape Breton makes handcrafted pens from reclaimed wood, and offers customers one-of-a-kind keepsakes. Fay Wambolt is the owner of Full Circle Wood Turning. She says the local, repurposed wood is what makes her pens unique. Wambolt said she has wood from Sydney Steel, Holy Angels High School, Senator Mongomery’s house in Prince Edward Island and church pews from decommissioned churches in Cape Breton. Some samples come from further abroad, including a piece from a bog in Ukraine that is more than 5,400 years old. Read full…

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How to use Google’s Dark Web Report to find out where your data has been leaked | Mashable

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“Dark Web Report” is about to be free for everyone, and, yes, you should care. The title may make this feature sound like some unappealing podcast, but it’s actually a handy Google security tool that everyone should try. Previously exclusive to those who pay for Google One — the paid service that launched around the time Google began suddenly telling everyone their cloud storage was full — Dark Web Report is rolling out to (basically) all free Google Account holders at some point this month (as of this writing). In…

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One of the biggest data leaks ever has just been revealed – here’s what to do if you’ve been hit | TechRadar

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A massive database containing the gains of thousands of data breaches has been found online, amounting to 12TB and comprising over 26 billion records, making it the largest ever discovered. Cybernews claims to have made the discovery along with Bob Dyachenko, the owner of SecurityDiscovery.com. Read full story here: One of the biggest data leaks ever has just been revealed – here’s what to do if you’ve been hit | TechRadar

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Governments can spy via smartphone push notifications, Apple and Google confirm | Mashable

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Well, here’s something you might have never considered: Your iPhone and Android device push notifications can be used by law enforcement or governments to spy on you. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice with a concern that his office was attempting to investigate. According to Senator Wyden’s letter as first reported by Reuters, his office received a tip in the Spring of last year about how foreign governments were requesting push notification data from companies like Apple and Google. Read full story here:…

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Canadian 15-year-old students’ math scores have been dipping since 2003: study | CTV News

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Most 15-year-old students in Canada met the basic standards for math and the country was among the top 10 performers in the tests, though scores have been dropping since 2003, according to a new global report. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment’s (PISA) latest study focused on mathematics and also tested the reading and science knowledge and skills of 23,073 students in 867 schools from all 10 provinces in Canada. Read full story here: Canadian 15-year-old students’ math scores have been dipping since…

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Go Ahead, Snooze Your Alarm. New Study Says It Actually Isn’t That Bad | CNET

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We’ve all been tempted by the snooze button once or twice, especially when we want to steal a few more moments of precious sleep. A 2022 study by Notre Dame found that 57% of adults regularly snooze their alarms. If you’re also a habitual snoozer, have you ever considered if this habit is detrimental to your health? New research into the impact of snoozing challenges conventional wisdom, suggesting that it might not be that bad after all. Read full story here: Go Ahead, Snooze Your Alarm. New Study Says It…

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Canadians continue to choose terrible passwords. Does yours make the list? | Global News

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It’s no secret that 2023 is going down as a bit of a dumpster fire, so is it any surprise that people are still using garbage passwords? Despite being told time and time again that we should all be using stronger, more creative passwords to protect our online information and data, many Canadians are still using the weakest passwords possible, new research shows. Password manager NordPass has discovered that of the 200 most common passwords used worldwide this year, about 70 per cent can be cracked in under a second.…

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Data broker’s “staggering” sale of sensitive info exposed in unsealed FTC filing | Ars Technica

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One of the world’s largest mobile data brokers, Kochava, has lost its battle to stop the Federal Trade Commission from revealing what the FTC has alleged is a disturbing, widespread pattern of unfair use and sale of sensitive data without consent from hundreds of millions of people. US District Judge B. Lynn Winmill recently unsealed a court filing, an amended complaint that perhaps contains the most evidence yet gathered by the FTC in its long-standing mission to crack down on data brokers allegedly “substantially” harming consumers by invading their privacy.…

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