Voice interfaces seem to be everywhere, and are evolving rapidly. But Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Siri point towards the future of AI, and an automated society. More
Analytics & Data Business Security & Privacy
Lessons from Equifax: Don’t Delegate the Bits and Bytes
Executives must start to hold themselves accountable for the safety and soundness of their software—and that starts with the simple acknowledgement that in many cases, the biggest risk they are managing is their own ignorance. More
Business Community Insights Security & Privacy
Delaware Drives Blockchain Innovation
Delaware is the corporate home to the biggest tech companies and many others in the Fortune 500, but it wants to continue to innovate in the services and tools that it offers companies. So the state is breaking new ground in regulation by facilitating the use of blockchain technology for record keeping and other purposes. On August 1st, the state's initial blockchain law goes into effect. More
Business Security & Privacy Society
Are Connected Toys Worth the Risk?
Children's toys and rooms are quickly becoming connected, like just about everything else. Parents may find monitors useful and talking toys a merciful distraction, but is this new digital world safe? Big companies like Mattel, whose Hello Barbie is illustrated here, may handle the responsibilities, but the raft of startups creeping toward our children's lives may be another matter. More
Media & Marketing Security & Privacy
Brands, Too, Get Attacked in an Era of Conflict & Terror
Today terrorism is sadly becoming an ongoing challenge. Even as people and communities suffer, brands are also newly challenged. One of the London terrorists wore a jersey from football team Arsenal, which was widely noted in coverage. If we are now in an era of constant conflict, what can companies do to mitigate the risks? More
Talking with Tezos Co-Creator Kathleen Breitman
Kathleen Breitman is person of the hour. Her company developed Tezos, a new blockchain-based cryptocurrency whose ongoing fundraising has raised over $200 million since July 1. We talked to her about why she thinks this is the way to make a better internet, and a better world. More
Analytics & Data Articles We Like Government Security & Privacy
“Omigod!”…and other Exclamations Upon Reading WSJ’s Piece on Facial Recognition in China
Do you want your photo flashed on a sign at an intersection? If not, don't jaywalk in China. Leave aside what happens if you're a dissident traveling in a new region. Here's a headline the WSJ used for this must-read article: "The All-Seeing Surveillance State Feared in the West is a Reality in China." More
Community Insights Security & Privacy The Internet
Will Your Next Password Be a Brainwave?
Secure internet authentication with today's technology is more and more difficult. Even two-factor authentication is not enough. But at UC Berkeley, the next frontier in biometrics-based security is emerging: meet passthoughts—your brainwaves as an identifier, unique to an individual yet changeable anytime. More
Global Tech Government Security & Privacy
Manchester, Trump in Saudi Arabia, and Fighting Terrorism in an Online Age
The horrors of terrorism are again vividly seared on our consciousness, after the vicious bombing at a concert in Manchester. Meanwhile, President Trump has rightly put combatting terrorism at the top of his policy agenda. His recent trip overseas demonstrated some of what that means. More
Analytics & Data Finance Security & Privacy
The Fin-ternet of Things: Connecting Everything Means Rethinking Money
The coming world of the Internet of Everything means driverless cars making per-minute toll payments, lightbulbs that pick an energy vendor, IP royalties paid by devices themselves in real time, and investment decisions made by robo-advisors. This more efficient world will mean changes for banks, investment, and the way all of us live. More
Hello Barbie Hijacked, as Techonomy 2016 Foreshadowed
At Techonomy 2016, panelists revealed shocking security risks associated with embedding the internet in children’s toys. The fear that these devices could be compromised appears to have been warranted. Over the past year, hackers have found a way to turn "Hello Barbie" into a listening device, and have held data ransom. Germany has even banned certain connected toys in their country. More
Wary of Insecure IoT, Hotels Reconsider Old-Fashioned Keys
Today's Most-Techonomic-Article prize goes to the New York Times for this piece about a successful "ransomware" attack in January on a resort hotel in the Austrian Alps. A hacker infiltrated the hotel's network and succeeded in locking all the rooms, rendering keycards unusable. The owner relented and paid $1800. The DOJ estimates that such attacks happen 4,000 times a day in the U.S. More
Security & Privacy Society Video
How AI and The Blockchain can Build Trust
Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at Accenture and Techonomy speaker Paul Daugherty shares his thoughts on Artificial Intelligence and the Blockchain during the World Economic Forum. Plus, a panel discussion on AI's impact on society hosted by David Kirkpatrick. More
Why Blockchains are For Every Company
The advent of the blockchain is much like the arrival of the Web. It will disrupt technology, society and business. What is today in a database will tomorrow be in a blockchain. Leaders who want to take advantage of this breakthrough need to understand several key points. More
Government Security & Privacy Society
Of Tech and Trump
The tech industry continues to loom large in the responses to this year’s election and plays multiple interesting roles in its aftermath: Russia has been accused of "hacking" the election, Facebook has been forced to address its fake news issue, tech leaders met this week with president-elect Trump, and more. More
Community Insights Internet of Things Security & Privacy
Terrorists Want Control of Your Car
The risks of terrorism are growing, as we all know. But with the rise of the Internet of Things comes an entirely new range of threats. After a brutal attack in Nice using a truck, it becomes obvious that many of the "things" around us in society can be weaponized. It's already been shown that hackers can take over connected vehicles remotely, and new developments make it even scarier. Venture capitalist and security expert Yoav Lietersdorf explains just how bad this could become, and some of the ways we might fight the risks. More
Bio & Life Sciences Security & Privacy
How Microbes Could Help Track Criminals
In the not-distant future, crime scene analysts will be gathering a lot more than DNA. The microbiome, or the universe of bacteria and other microbes that live in and on us, is the latest target in forensics. DNA evidence can be hard to find at a crime scene, but criminals (and all of us) have trouble keeping microbes to themselves. More
Internet of Things Security & Privacy
Why We Can’t Use Things to Secure the Internet of Things
Marc Andreessen first famously wrote “software is eating the world” five years ago, and now software is transforming entire industries. But when it comes to securing digital transactions, the world mostly still relies on hardware. But as we we all transact more and more through connected devices, this hardware way of securing mobile commerce simply won't suffice. More
Can We Stop Cybercrime in Healthcare?
New digital health technologies offer seemingly boundless promise to extend and improve our lives. Yet they also expose us to a growing array of security risks that require urgent attention from companies, consumers, and regulators everywhere. Data theft is one of the biggest risks. As data bursts from the seams of healthcare IT systems and consumer health apps, cybercriminals are having a field day. More
Global Tech Security & Privacy
Welcome to the Splinternet
Donald Trump has referred to "closing" the Internet in areas where the U.S. has enemies, while China's president, Xi Jinping, reasserted last week that each state has a sovereign right to control what its citizens can and can't do in cyberspace. Russia believes a state should control "its" Internet. A European Union regulation determines how non-EU companies can market to or monitor EU individuals. That four such distinct political cultures could all reach the same conclusion suggests that the days of a universal Internet are numbered. More
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