Communications of the ACM
An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.
From ACM TechNews
U.S. Prisons Mull AI to Analyze Inmate Phone Calls
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has asked for a report on using artificial intelligence to analyze prison inmates' phone calls to help prevent violent crime...
From ACM TechNews
As Spain's Beaches Fill Up, Seaside Resort Sends in Drones
Officials in the town of Sitges in northeastern Spain are using drones for real-time crowd monitoring along 18 km of beach as COVID-19 cases rise.
From ACM TechNews
Viable Plan or Security Theatre? Europe Embraces Digital Health Pass
The EU Commission is expected to award a contract soon for a central system to verify "digital green passes" for those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19...
From ACM TechNews
U.S. Banks Deploy AI to Monitor Customers, Workers Amid Tech Backlash
Several U.S. banks are rolling out artificial intelligence systems to analyze customer preferences, monitor employees, and detect suspicious activity near ATMs....
From ACM TechNews
New Wave of 'Hacktivism' Adds Twist to Cybersecurity Woes
Activist hackers looking to make political statements constitute emerging threats to U.S. cybersecurity.
From ACM TechNews
White House Cites 'Active Threat,' Urges Action Despite Microsoft Patch
The White House has advised computer network operators to further efforts to determine whether their systems were targeted by an attack on Microsoft's Outlook email...
From ACM TechNews
Chinese Spyware Code Was Copied From America's NSA: Researchers
Researchers discovered that code first developed by the U.S. National Security Agency has been used to support Chinese hacking operations.
From ACM TechNews
Bots Hyped GameStop on Major Social Media Platforms, Analysis Finds
An analysis by PiiQ Media found that bots on major social media platforms have been hyping up GameStop and other meme stocks.
From ACM TechNews
National Guard Called in to Thwart Cyberattack in Louisiana Weeks Before Election
The Louisiana National Guard has been called in to investigate a series of cyberattacks aimed at small government offices across the state.
From ACM TechNews
NSA, FBI Expose Russian Intelligence Hacking Tool
The U.S. National Security Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation have publicly exposed a sophisicated hacking tool that Russian intelligence used to penetrate...
From ACM TechNews
Modern Driver-Assistance Technology 'Far From Reliable': AAA Study
A study by the American Automobile Association found that current advanced driver assistance technology does not provide reliable safety benefits.
From ACM TechNews
EU Sanctions Russian Intelligence, North Korean, Chinese Firms Over Alleged Cyberattacks
The European Union has announced sanctions against the Russian military intelligence service, and North Korean and Chinese companies, for alleged cyberattacks. ...
From ACM TechNews
Deepfake Used to Attack Activist Couple Shows New Disinformation Frontier
A student at the U.K.'s University of Birmingham has been unmasked as fictional by state-of-the-art forensic analysis programs from Israel-based startup Cyabra....
From ACM TechNews
Apple, Google Ban Use of Location Tracking in Contact Tracing Apps
Apple and Google said they would not allow the use of location tracking in apps using their new contact tracing system to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus...
From ACM TechNews
Flaw in iPhone, iPads May Have Allowed Hackers to Steal Data for Years
Apple will patch a flaw that iPhones and iPads may have harbored for years.
From ACM TechNews
U.S., U.K. Cyber Officials Say State-Backed Hackers Taking Advantage of Outbreak
Cybersecurity officials in the U.S. and the U.K. warn that state-backed hackers and cybercriminals are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic.
From ACM TechNews
U.S. Officials Fear Ransomware Attack Against 2020 Election
The U.S. government intends to launch a program to shield voter registration databases and systems from hackers ahead of the 2020 election.
From ACM TechNews
IBM, Other Companies Launch New Blockchain Network for Supply Management
IBM and a number of other multinational corporations have jointly developed a new blockchain network, with the goal of improving manual and cumbersome supply chain...
From ACM News
Wall Street Finds Blockchain Hard to Tame After Early Euphoria
A review of 33 projects involving large companies and interviews with more than a dozen executives show that blockchain technology has yet to deliver on its promise...
From ACM TechNews