Information Security, Social Media, TikTok

Is TikTok more of a threat than Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram?

As a technology security professional with certifications and experience in securing large university systems, I’ve always been wary of the security and privacy risks posed by various applications. So when it comes to TikTok, I was curious about its risk level compared to other popular social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram.

Taking a methodical approach at simplest layers of the application, I assessed the access permissions of each platform on my Android and Apple phones. To my surprise, TikTok had fewer access permissions compared to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. While this is a good thing on the surface, the recent news headlines regarding calls to ban TikTok raised questions about its security and privacy. I wonder if TikTok magically found work a work around to the fundamental security built into the phone? If so what does that say about all of the other apps in the store?

I decided to take a closer look and delve into the reasons behind these calls to ban TikTok. After all, as a security analyst, it’s my job to stay informed and provide objective and factual analysis.

As I researched further, I came across a headline that caught my eye: “Why the proposed TikTok ban is more about politics than privacy, according to experts.” This led me to consider the possibility that the push to ban TikTok may not be solely driven by security and privacy concerns. Instead, it could be related to TikTok’s rapid growth and market share, which is seen as a threat to US-based social media companies. Is there a US corporate lobbing aspect to the calls for a ban outside of the security concern?

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the concerns around TikTok’s ownership by Chinese tech giant ByteDance and the potential for data to be shared with the Chinese government. However, as a security analyst, I always look for concrete evidence and proof before making assumptions. So far, I haven’t seen anything definitive that would support these concerns. I am keeping an open mind as I dig deeper into the technology, but for now I am not seeing evidence that TikTok is acting any different than other social media companies.

My conclusion is the true risk posed by TikTok remains unclear, and I will continue to seek answers to support or dismiss these concerns. While TikTok’s success in capturing a significant portion of users’ time and attention may be a source of concern for traditional social media companies, I believe it’s important to approach these issues with caution and not jump to conclusions without sufficient evidence.

I hope to generate a dialog here shedding light on Tiktok threat. I am looking for true information and not speculation on TikTok’s threat.

Uncategorized

Choosing a cyber security solution that can leverage all the data at hand to meet your cybersecurity standards.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness of cyber security policies by providing organizations with the ability to detect and respond to cyber threats in real-time. In the next three years, we can expect to see AI play a larger role in cybersecurity by performing tasks such as analyzing large amounts of data to identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate a security threat, automating certain processes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of security systems, and developing new methods for detecting and responding to security threats.

Big data is used by each type of AI to improve cyber security in different ways. For example:
1. Machine learning algorithms: Machine learning algorithms are able to learn and improve over time by analyzing large amounts of data and identifying patterns and relationships within that data. By feeding these algorithms large amounts of data, organizations can improve their ability to detect and respond to cyber threats.

2. Natural language processing (NLP): NLP is a type of AI that allows computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language. By analyzing large amounts of data from sources such as social media posts and emails, organizations can better understand the types of language that are used in cyber attacks, such as phishing scams, and develop more effective strategies to protect against them.

3, Computer vision: Computer vision is a type of AI that allows computers to analyze and understand images and video. By analyzing large amounts of data from sources such as surveillance cameras and social media, organizations can better understand the types of images and videos that are used in cyber attacks, such as malware hidden within images, and develop more effective strategies to protect against them.

4. Robotics: Robotics is a type of AI that involves the use of robots to perform tasks. By analyzing large amounts of data from sources such as network traffic logs and security logs, organizations can better understand the types of cyber threats they are likely to face and develop more effective strategies to protect against them.

Overall, the integration of big data and AI into cyber security policies can help organizations to better protect their systems and data from cyber threats, and to respond more effectively to security incidents when they do occur. By leveraging the power of big data and AI, organizations can improve their ability to detect and prevent cyber attacks, and better protect themselves and their customers from the consequences of a security breach.

Computer Technology, Dell EMC

Dell is now providing platform specific bootable ISOs.

When is it available?

December 18, 2018

Why is this important?

Many customers prefer to use ISO images to update their systems. An ISO image can be customized with specific software/firmware and instructions for installation. Starting, today, December 18, 2018, Platform Specific Bootable ISO (PSBI) images, customized to each shipping PowerEdge platform are available for download from Dell EMC.

When a customer downloads a PSBI for a specific PowerEdge platform, they have the assurance that the file contains all the current, relevant firmware and installation routines for a successful update. With the general availability of the Platform Specific Bootable ISO images, customers also have the assurance that these files have been tested and are supported globally by Dell EMC.

Bootable ISOs have been available from Dell EMEA Tech Support for several years. However, this was not an official offering. The images were hosted on a Box.com account and were not considered officially supported by Dell. Many customers, including US Federal accounts, have policies that prevent the download and use of files unless they are sourced directly and officially supported by the vendor. With the introduction of the Platform Specific Bootable ISO offering all ISO images are hosted on downloads.dell.com and are tested and supported by Dell.

Target workloads and customer

Small and Medium Business customers.

Product Features

  • Available for all 12G/13G/14G PowerEdge Servers
    • Does not include DSS or PowerEdge C
  • Each ISO image includes all firmware and BIOS updates by platform
    • Does not include PSU firmware at the request of PSU team
  • Update methods:
    • USB device, created with Rufus or Unetbootin
    • Via an Optical drive (such as DVD)
    • Through iDRAC Virtual Media
  • Available from:

Important Links

Updating Dell PowerEdge servers via Bootable Media/ISO https://www.dell.com/support/article/sln296511

Creating a Bootable USB device with Rufus to update Dell Servers https://www.dell.com/support/article/sln296810

Using the Virtual Media Function on iDRAC

https://www.dell.com/support/article/sln296648

Dining and Food

All the Kings Men in downtown Bryan, Texas.

In the shadow of the Queen theater in Downtown Bryan there a small friendly BBQ place called All the Kings Men. This is not the traditional BBQ place but rather an artisan BBQ style restaurant. The menu is unique and explores the edges of BBQ flavors while still holding to the preparation.

After a quick look at the menu, I was surprised to see familiar items teamed with ingredients more often seen with upscale restaurants. Appetizers such as Candied Pork Belly Burnt Ends scream of mouth-watering goodness. Side items like Gouda Mac & Cheese Creamy Havarti Grits make interesting complements to the traditional sides of BBQ fare. As much as the menu seems simple my decision for lunch was the opposite. I took the server’s recommendation and ordered the Kitchen Sink Sandwich. How can you go wrong with a sandwich with one of every meat they offer?

Security

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency explained, I think?

There has been a lot of discussion about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.  I admit it took me awhile to understand how blockchain could be monetized. Once I realized that people wanted to have a secure way to send data and stay anonymous, I realized why people put value in cryptocurrency.  I can’t explain why the value gets as high as it does but the technology used has value for security reasons.

Imagine this, I can store any information in a secure unforgeable block of data. I can access this data anywhere I have internet access. I can put my money into a cryptocurrency and I can access that money anywhere in the world.  All I need to access the money is my private key. I know I oversimplify the transaction process but for this post but I am keeping it as simple as possible.

What to know about blockchain.

  • A blockchain is a permanent and unalterable ledger of transactions.
  • If a block is altered all blocks after that block become invalid.
  • Blockchain records are decentralized and distributed across the internet.
  • Data in the blocks are encrypted using a public/private key.
  • To see the data in a block a person needs both the private key and the public key.

 

Maybe this video will explain it better.

 

For a lighter side understanding of Crypto Currency John Olivier explains.