TechLetters ☕️AdTech-enabled brand safety overcautious threatens freedom of expression? Password standards improvements. Cyber-enabled information operations. Propaganda effects of drones.
Brand safety, freedom of expression, and intellectual qualities of societies
Advertisers often request that their brands are not displayed alongside controversial information. This applies to adverts on websites on the internet, but also news (media), and perhaps even the offline, print one. So it may not be worthwhile to move certain topics. This could have very serious consequences for freedom of expression, but also for the intellectual level and qualities of societies.
For example, ‘Less than half of Olympic Games content was classified as ‘brand safe’ for advertisers, for example, according to a report by Reach looking at those publishers not using its ad platform Mantis. This was because some keyword blacklists used by the ad industry have kept the word ‘Paris’ since terror attacks in the city nine years ago'.
Money will decide. Perhaps in the future the only news will be that of the sports and entertainment industry.
Is that really positive for societies?
Security
Improvement in password standards. Positive change is approaching. NIST will standardise prohibition of requirement of composing passwords from various character styles, and requirement for periodic password changes. These are harmful and obsolete rules. Now they will be treated as a cybersecurity weakness
Verifiers and CSPs SHALL NOT impose other composition rules (e.g., requiring mixtures of different character types) for passwords.
Verifiers and CSPs SHALL NOT require users to change passwords periodically. However, verifiers SHALL force a change if there is evidence of compromise of the authenticator.
Verifiers and CSPs SHALL NOT permit the subscriber to store a hint that is accessible to an unauthenticated claimant.
Verifiers and CSPs SHALL NOT prompt subscribers to use knowledge-based authentication (KBA) (e.g., “What was the name of your first pet?”) or security questions when choosing passwords.
Iranian information operations in Sweden. Iran launched a cyberattack on SMS service and sending 15,000 of text messages to people in Sweden calling for revenge over the burnings of Quran in 2023. This boosted or created public protests, the event being a cyber-enabled information operation (propaganda) that may be seen as interference in domestic affairs. Protests stalled Sweden's accession to NATO.
Cyberattacks on Ukraine control systems. Here: "Likely that the unauthorized access to the ICS of a ~20 energy, heat, and water supply facilities was intended to amplify the impact of missile strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure in the spring of 2024."
Cyber operations in help of propaganda operations to exert political influence continued to be used around the world. U.S. discloses Iran operation targeting US political campaign activity of information operations (cyber-enabled).
Privacy
QR codes / NFC tags a risk. Be careful what you scan. "...scanning the code by phone would "withdraw all information" from any device....". Indeed solely scanning a QR code may lead to hacking of the device, or leaking private data like position.
Technology Policy
Deplatforming misinformation spreaders reduced misinformation on Twitter by 50%. A study of 500,000 users showed that both deplatformed users and their followers significantly decreased their sharing of misinformation. Now what?
Other
Propagandistic uses of drones. Exactly: “Media amplification relates to the exposure drawn by a particular drone attack. How large is the audience? How significant the propagandistic effect? What impact, if any, does viewership have on user and adversary morale? The fact that drone attacks are recorded and disseminated to an unprecedented degree speaks to their profound media amplification effects. It is important, however, to resist the temptation to conflate this with direct battlefield performance. Although they often impact one another, force multiplication and media amplification are distinct, and excessive focus on the visceral spectacle of drones should not lead to exaggerated assessments of their battlefield efficacy.”
Russia signaling a changing their doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons. There are hints that they may plan to recognise "aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, is proposed to be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation" "...upon receipt of reliable information about a massive launch of air and space attack weapons and their crossing of our state border [by] strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic and other aircraft". Now what?
In case you feel it's worth it to forward this content further:
Subscribed
If you’d like to share: