Prof. Crossen | Tech News

An interesting and potentially critical bluetooth vulnerability was found this week. The vulnerability utilizes a built in unauthenticated pairing mechanizism native to bluetooth then allows a hacker to transmit keystrokes to the unauthenticated device. This could then be used for remote code execution or potential malicious app downloads. https://thehackernews.com/2023/12/new-bluetooth-flaw-let-hackers-take.html?m=1

President Biden issued an executive order outlining new standards, safety and security procedures related to the use of AI in the United States. From my understanding, this is the first time anything has been put into writing by the US government regarding AI regulation. The idea of AI regulation is a divisive topic and many opinions have been raised. Overall, regulation can be an effective tool to ensure safety and security but can often go to far and stifle innovation or development. While it remains to be seen how these new guidelines will be implimented and utilized, I hope this is a step towards a safer and more innovative future. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/30/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-artificial-intelligence/ ai.gov

Rensselaer to be the first university to utilze a quantum computer thanks to IBM. The IBM Quantum System One chandelier is a 127 qbit computing device containing the Quantum Eagle processor. This device should help advance many fields such as medicine, materials design, security, pharmaceuticals, and much more. https://news.rpi.edu/content/2023/10/13/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute-begins-installation-first-ever-ibm-quantum

Using wifi for spacial analysis has been an idea tossed around for years. MIT has researched this and found that WIFI can be an effective tool to locate motion in rooms and even reveal building layouts. New research being done now shows that wifi can even be used to read letters, even through walls. While this technology is still in early stages, it will no doubt have uses in espionage and intelligence gathering. https://news.ucsb.edu/2023/021198/wifi-can-read-through-walls

as far as I'm aware this is the first time the DoD has specifically mentioned the use of AI in the military. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-plans-vast-ai-fleet-counter-china-wsj-2023-09-06/

Microsoft has announced the integrated use of python in the newest windows insider build. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-excel-to-let-you-run-python-scripts-as-formulas/

interesting AI game lets you guess which face is real vs AI generated. https://www.whichfaceisreal.com/index.php

Interesting use of AI by California to help detect wildfires before they spread. https://www.engadget.com/california-deploys-ai-to-detect-wildfires-before-they-start-spreading-194535845.html?src=rss

https://pi.ai/talk A unique AI experience to help with everyday life. Many features previously available in ChatGPT are still offered here.

The following website provides details about how real world ransomware attacks occur and what vulnerabilities led them to happen. https://thedfirreport.com/

For a long time, Kali linux has been highyly regarded on often utilized as an offensive network testing tool. With the release of Kali Purple, the focus shifts from an offensive approach to a defensive appoarch. This is great news for businesses and individuals looking to ensure their network security solutions are solid and not exposing anything inadvertently. New features include over 100 defensive tools such as Cyberchef, incident response plaforms, vulnerability scanners and intrusion detetection systems. Other features include a defensive community wiki and forum. https://www.kali.org/blog/kali-linux-2023-1-release/