Searching for "security"

blockchain and refugees

blockchain for refugees

As Norwegian Refugee Council research found, 70 percent of Syrian refugees lack basic identification and documents showing ownership of property.

The global passport

Host nations certainly has a share in the damage, as they face problems concerning the accessibility of vital information about the newcomers — dealing with the undocumented refugee, the immigration service can’t gain the information about his/her health status, family ties or criminal record, or verify any other vital data that helps them make a decision. Needless to say, this may lead to the designation of refugee status being exploited by economic migrants, fugitives or even the war criminals that caused the mass displacement to begin with.

Another important issue is data security. Refugees’ personal identities are carefully re-established with the support of clever biometric systems set up by the U.N. Agency for Refugees (UNHCR). UNHCR registers millions of refugees and maintains those records in a database. But the evidence suggests that centralized systems like this could be prone to attacks. As a report on UNCHR’s site notes, Aadhaar — India’s massive biometric database and the largest national database of people in the world — has suffered serious breaches, and last year, allegations were made that access was for sale on the internet for as little as $8

Finland, a country with a population of 5.5 million, cannot boast huge numbers of refugees. For 2018, it set a quota of 750 people, mainly flying from Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. That’s way less than neighboring Sweden, which promised to take in 3,400. Nevertheless, the country sets a global example of the use of effective technology in immigration policy: It’s using blockchain to help the newcomers get on their feet faster.

The system, developed by the Helsinki-based startup MONI, maintains a full analogue of a bank account for every one of its participants.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2018, the billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros revealed that his structures already use a blockchain in immigration policies

In 2017, Accenture and Microsoft Corp. teamed up to build a digital ID network using blockchain technology, as part of a U.N.-supported project to provide legal identification to 1.1 billion people worldwide with no official documents.

a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with blockchain platform IOTA to explore how the technology could increase efficiency.

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more on blockchain in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=blockchain

Encyclopedia of Criminal Activities and the Deep Web

>>>>>>> Publishing Opportunity <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Encyclopedia of Criminal Activities and the Deep Web

Countries all over the world are seeing significant increases in criminal activity through the use of technological tools. Such crimes as identity theft, cyberattacks, drug trafficking, and human trafficking are conducted through the deep and dark web, while social media is utilized by murderers, sex offenders, and pedophiles to elicit information and contact their victims. As criminals continue to harness technology to their advantage, law enforcement and government officials are left to devise alternative strategies to learn more about all aspects of these modern criminal patterns and behavior, to preserve the safety of society, and to ensure that proper justice is served. Regrettably, the lack of adequate research findings on these modern criminal activities is limiting everyone’s abilities to devise effective strategies and programs to combat these modern technology-related criminal activities.

In an effort to compile the most current research on this topic, a new major reference work titled Encyclopedia of Criminal Activities and the Deep Web is currently being developed. This comprehensive Encyclopedia is projected to encompass expert insights about the nature of these criminal activities, how they are conducted, and societal and technological limitations. It will also explore new methods and processes for monitoring and regulating the use of these tools, such as social media, online forums, and online ads, as well as hidden areas of the internet including the deep and dark web. Additionally, this Encyclopedia seeks to offer strategies for predicting and preventing criminals from using technology as a means to track, stalk, and lure their victims.

You are cordially invited to share your research to be featured in this Encyclopedia by submitting a chapter proposal/abstract using the link on the formal call for papers page here. If your chapter proposal is accepted, guidelines for preparing your full chapter submission (which should be between 5,000-7,500 total words in length) can be accessed at: http://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/ (under the “For Authors” heading – “Encyclopedia Chapter Organization and Formatting”).

Recommended topics for papers include, but are not limited to:

  • Bitcoin and Crime
  • Botnets and Crime
  • Child Exploitation
  • Contract Killing
  • Criminology
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Cyber Espionage
  • Cyber Stalking
  • Cybercrime
  • Cybercriminals
  • Cybersecurity Legislation
  • Cyberterrorism Fraud
  • Dark Web
  • Dark Web Vendors
  • Darknets
  • Data Privacy
  • Dating Websites and Crime
  • Deep Web
  • Drug Trafficking
  • E-Banking Fraud
  • Email Scams
  • Fraud and Internet
  • Gaming and Crime
  • Government Regulations of the Dark Web
  • Hacking and Crime
  • Hacktivism
  • Human Trafficking
  • Identity Theft
  • International Regulations of the Dark Web
  • Internet Privacy
  • Internet Regulations
  • Internet Safety & Crime
  • Online Advertisement Websites and Crime
  • Online Blackmail
  • Online Forums and Crime
  • Online Hate Crimes
  • Online Predators
  • Online Privacy
  • Social Media Deception
  • Social Networking Traps
  • Undercover Dark Web Busts
  • Undercover Operations
  • Vigilante Justice
  • Virtual Currencies & Crime
  • Whistleblowing

IMPORTANT DATES: Chapter Proposal Submission Deadline: October 15, 2018; Full Chapters Due: December 15, 2018

Note: There are no publication fees, however, contributors will be requested to provide a courtesy to their fellow colleagues by serving as a peer reviewer for this project for at least 2-3 articles. This will ensure the highest level of integrity and quality for the publication. 

Should you have any questions regarding this publication, or this invitation, please do not hesitate to contact: EncyclopediaCADW@igi-global.com

Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, DBA
Editor-in-Chief
Encyclopedia of Criminal Activities and the Deep Web
EncyclopediaCADW@igi-global.com

Data Lake

What is a Data Lake? A Super-Simple Explanation For Anyone

September 6, 2018 Bernard Marr

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-data-lake-super-simple-explanation-anyone-bernard-marr/

James Dixon, the CTO of Pentaho is credited with naming the concept of a data lake. He uses the following analogy:

“If you think of a datamart as a store of bottled water – cleansed and packaged and structured for easy consumption – the data lake is a large body of water in a more natural state. The contents of the data lake stream in from a source to fill the lake, and various users of the lake can come to examine, dive in, or take samples.”

A data lake holds data in an unstructured way and there is no hierarchy or organization among the individual pieces of data. It holds data in its rawest form—it’s not processed or analyzed. Additionally, a data lakes accepts and retains all data from all data sources, supports all data types and schemas (the way the data is stored in a database) are applied only when the data is ready to be used.

What is a data warehouse?

A data warehouse stores data in an organized manner with everything archived and ordered in a defined way. When a data warehouse is developed, a significant amount of effort occurs during the initial stages to analyze data sources and understand business processes.

Data

Data lakes retain all data—structured, semi-structured and unstructured/raw data. It’s possible that some of the data in a data lake will never be used. Data lakes keep all data as well. A data warehouse only includes data that is processed (structured) and only the data that is necessary to use for reporting or to answer specific business questions.

Agility

Since a data lake lacks structure, it’s relatively easy to make changes to models and queries.

Users

Data scientists are typically the ones who access the data in data lakes because they have the skill-set to do deep analysis.

Security

Since data warehouses are more mature than data lakes, the security for data warehouses is also more mature.

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more on big data in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=big+data

blockchain and information professions

Blockchain: Recommendations for the Information Profession

Monday, September 24, 2018 12:00 pm
Central Daylight Time (Chicago, GMT-05:00)

Blockchain technology is being discussed widely, but without clear directions for library applications. The Blockchain National Forum, funded by IMLS and held at San Jose State University’s iSchool in Summer 2018, brought together notable experts in the information professions, business, government, and urban planning to discuss the issues and develop recommendations on the future uses of blockchain technology within the information professions. In this free webinar, Drs. Sandy Hirsh and Sue Alman, co-PIs of the project, will present the recommendations made throughout the year in the Blockchain blog, Library 2.0 Conference, Blockchain Applied: Impact on the Information Profession, and the National Forum.

157 – 200 participants in the workshop

 

 

 

 

Basics: What is Blockchain Technology?

IMLS funded project goal
San Jose State U School of Information awarded this grant: https://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/blockchains

Blockchain: Apps and Ideas

http://www.youtube.com/c/Library20

now what is blockchain, and not how to implement, but only certain issues will be discussed.

Issues: legal, security and standards and Applications: academic, public and archives

BLockchain and the Law bt Primavera De Felippi and Aaron Wright : http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674976429

Privacy: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr.asp

Is Blockchain (BC) content or provider?

Q/S TO ASK: WHAT KINDS OF DATA AND RECORDS MUST BE STORED AND PRESERVES exactly the way they were created (provenance records, transcripts). what kinds of info are at risk to be altered and compromised by changing circumstances (personally identifiable data)

Security issues: https://www.technologyreview.com/magazine/2018/05/

515 rule: BC can be hacked if attacked by a group of miners controlling more than 50% of the network

Standards Issues: BC systems- open ledger technology for managing metadata. baseline standards will impact future options. can BC make management of metadata worth. Is it worth, or more cautious.

Potential Use cases: archives and special collections where provenance and authenticity are essential for authoritative tracking. digital preservation to track distributed digital assets. BC-based currencies for international financial transactions (to avoid exchange rates ILL and publishing) . potential to improve ownership and first sale record management. credentialing: personal & academic documents (MIT already has transcripts and diplomas of students in BC – personal data management and credentialing electronically).

public libraries: house docs of temporarily displaced or immigrants. but power usage and storage usage became problems.

Victoria Lemieux

a city south of Denver CO is build right now, and will be build on these principles.

benefits for recordkeeping: LOCKSS (lot of copies keeps stuff safe) – Stanford U; chain of custody (SAA Glossary); Trust and Immutability (BC) vs confidentiality and performance (dbase)

Libarians role: need to understand BC (how does it work and what can it do for us; provide BC education for users; use BC in various applications

recommendations from National Forum:

ASIS&T presentation in Vancouver, Nov. 2018; MOOC on BLockchain Basics; Libary Futures Series, BOok3 Alman & Hirsh

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanderark/2018/08/20/26-ways-blockchain-will-transform-ok-may-improve-education/#3b2e442d4ac9

from Miriam Childs to All Participants:
Blockchain is suing Blockchain: https://nulltx.com/blockchain-is-suing-blockchain-things-are-getting-messy-in-crypto-world/

from Lilia Samusenko to All Participants:
Sounds like blockchain also can support the Library-Of-Things initiatives. What do you think?

 

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more on blockchain in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=blockchain

Data Privacy Lessons in Alternative Reality Games

How Data Privacy Lessons in Alternative Reality Games Can Help Kids In Real Life

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51772/how-data-privacy-lessons-in-alternative-reality-games-can-help-kids-in-real-life

Ubiquitous social media platforms—including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram—have created a venue for people to share and connect with others. We use these services by clicking “I Agree” on Terms of Service screens, trading off some of our private and personal data for seemingly free services. While these services say data collection helps create a better user experience, that data is also potentially exploitable.

The news about how third parties obtain and use Facebook users’ data to wage political campaigns and the mounting evidence of election interference have shined a spotlight on just how secure our data is when we share online. Educating youth about data security can fall under the larger umbrella of digital citizenship, such as social media uses and misuses and learning how not to embarrass or endanger oneself while using the internet.

Darvasi’s students in Toronto can pool together 55 faux bitcoins to purchase and launch the BOTTING protocol against an opponent. The student targeted at Fallon’s school in Connecticut would then have 48 hours to record audio of 10 words of Darvasi’s students choosing and send it back to them through an intermediary (Darvasi or Fallon). For a higher price of 65 faux bitcoins, students can launch MORPHLING, which would give the opponent 48 hours to record a one-minute video explaining three ways to stay safe while using Facebook, while making their school mascot (or a close approximation of) appear in the video in some way during the entire minute.

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more on digital citizenship in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=digital+citizenship

coding ethics unpredictability

Franken-algorithms: the deadly consequences of unpredictable code

by  Thu 30 Aug 2018 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/aug/29/coding-algorithms-frankenalgos-program-danger

Between the “dumb” fixed algorithms and true AI lies the problematic halfway house we’ve already entered with scarcely a thought and almost no debate, much less agreement as to aims, ethics, safety, best practice. If the algorithms around us are not yet intelligent, meaning able to independently say “that calculation/course of action doesn’t look right: I’ll do it again”, they are nonetheless starting to learn from their environments. And once an algorithm is learning, we no longer know to any degree of certainty what its rules and parameters are. At which point we can’t be certain of how it will interact with other algorithms, the physical world, or us. Where the “dumb” fixed algorithms – complex, opaque and inured to real time monitoring as they can be – are in principle predictable and interrogable, these ones are not. After a time in the wild, we no longer know what they are: they have the potential to become erratic. We might be tempted to call these “frankenalgos” – though Mary Shelley couldn’t have made this up.

Twenty years ago, George Dyson anticipated much of what is happening today in his classic book Darwin Among the Machines. The problem, he tells me, is that we’re building systems that are beyond our intellectual means to control. We believe that if a system is deterministic (acting according to fixed rules, this being the definition of an algorithm) it is predictable – and that what is predictable can be controlled. Both assumptions turn out to be wrong.“It’s proceeding on its own, in little bits and pieces,” he says. “What I was obsessed with 20 years ago that has completely taken over the world today are multicellular, metazoan digital organisms, the same way we see in biology, where you have all these pieces of code running on people’s iPhones, and collectively it acts like one multicellular organism.“There’s this old law called Ashby’s law that says a control system has to be as complex as the system it’s controlling, and we’re running into that at full speed now, with this huge push to build self-driving cars where the software has to have a complete model of everything, and almost by definition we’re not going to understand it. Because any model that we understand is gonna do the thing like run into a fire truck ’cause we forgot to put in the fire truck.”

Walsh believes this makes it more, not less, important that the public learn about programming, because the more alienated we become from it, the more it seems like magic beyond our ability to affect. When shown the definition of “algorithm” given earlier in this piece, he found it incomplete, commenting: “I would suggest the problem is that algorithm now means any large, complex decision making software system and the larger environment in which it is embedded, which makes them even more unpredictable.” A chilling thought indeed. Accordingly, he believes ethics to be the new frontier in tech, foreseeing “a golden age for philosophy” – a view with which Eugene Spafford of Purdue University, a cybersecurity expert, concurs. Where there are choices to be made, that’s where ethics comes in.

our existing system of tort law, which requires proof of intention or negligence, will need to be rethought. A dog is not held legally responsible for biting you; its owner might be, but only if the dog’s action is thought foreseeable.

model-based programming, in which machines do most of the coding work and are able to test as they go.

As we wait for a technological answer to the problem of soaring algorithmic entanglement, there are precautions we can take. Paul Wilmott, a British expert in quantitative analysis and vocal critic of high frequency trading on the stock market, wryly suggests “learning to shoot, make jam and knit

The venerable Association for Computing Machinery has updated its code of ethics along the lines of medicine’s Hippocratic oath, to instruct computing professionals to do no harm and consider the wider impacts of their work.

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more on coding in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=coding

virtual labs

Arizona State online biology students getting hands-on experience in virtual labs

James Paterson, Aug. 28, 2018

https://www.educationdive.com/news/arizona-state-online-biology-students-getting-hands-on-experience-in-virtua/531039/

  • Thirty students registered for Arizona State University Online’s general biology course are using ASU-supplied virtual reality (VR) headsets for a variety of required lab exercises
  • The VR equipment, which costs ASU $399 per student, allows learners to complete lab assignments in virtual space using goggles and a controller to maneuver around a simulated lab. Content for the online course was developed and assessed by ASU biology professors and was evaluated this summer. Students also can use their own VR headsets and access the content on their laptops, as 370 other students are doing.
  • A university official told Campus Technology the initiative will help online students have the experiences provided in brick-and-mortar labs as well as new ones that were impossible previously. The effort also will ease a problem on campus with limited lab space.

Similar labs are planned for the University of Texas at San Antonio and McMaster University in Canada, according to a blog post from Google, which partnered with the ed-tech company Labster to create the virtual labs. In addition, virtual labs also are available at eight community colleges in California, offering IT and cybersecurity skills instruction.

About half of colleges have space dedicated to VR, with adoption expected to increase as technology costs go down, according to a recent survey by nonprofit consortium Internet2. The survey found that 18% of institutions have “fully deployed” VR and are increasingly making it available to online students, while half are testing or have not yet deployed the technology.

Colleges are using VR for a variety of purposes, from classroom instruction to admissions recruiting to career training.

In addition, because the use of VR is growing in K–12 education, students will expect to use it in college.

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more on virtual reality in education in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=virtual+reality+education

take a look at OUR VR lab tour:

https://poly.google.com/u/0/view/epydAlXlJSw

IoT and libraries

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Libraries

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Libraries

breakdown of IoT functionality, from Deloitte. They give 5 general types of services that IoT “things” can do:

  1. Internal state: Heartbeat- and ping-like broadcasts of health, potentially including diagnostics and additional status reporting (for example, battery level, CPU/memory utilization, strength of network signal, up-time or software/platform version).
  2. Location: Communication of physical location via GPS, GSM, triangulation or proximity techniques
  3. Physical attributes: Monitoring the world surrounding the device, including altitude, orientation, temperature, humidity, radiation, air quality, noise and vibration
  4. Functional attributes: Higher-level intelligence rooted in the device’s purpose for describing business process or workload attributes
  5. Actuation services: Ability to remotely trigger, change or stop physical properties or actions on the device.

Examples of IoT in action

There are some pretty well-known IoT products that some of you already use, including:

  • Nest Thermostat (and others). These allow you to control your AC from your phone, anywhere that you can connect to the Internet.
  • Smart lights: Same concept, but for lights. You can turn lights on/off from your phone. Phillips Hue is an example of this
  • Bluetooth Trackers – Tile (https://www.thetileapp.com/) is an example of a Bluetooth Tracker. Put one on that thing you always lose (i.e., car keys). The next time you lose those keys, you can find them again via an app on your phone.
  • Smart Home appliances – things like Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomeKit.
  • Smart power switches – Belkin’s Wemo Insight Wi-Fi Smart Plug is an example. They let you turn the plug (and therefore anything connected to it) on and off, set schedules for the plug, monitor energy consumption and use, etc. You can also connect it to Amazon Alexa and Google Home for hands-free voice control
  • Health and exercise trackers – Fitbits “fit” into this category, too.

How does IoT affect libraries?

Here are some ways libraries are already incorporating IoT technology into their libraries:

  • Smart Building Technology: As libraries retrofit their buildings with newer technology (or build new buildings/branches), they are starting to see more IoT-based technology. For example, some libraries can can adjust heating, cooling and lights from a smartphone app. Some newer building monitoring and security systems can be monitored via mobile apps.
  • RFID: RFID technology (sensors in books) is a type of IoT technology, and has been around for awhile.
  • Beacon Technology: There are at least two library-focused companies experimenting with Beacon technology (Capira Technologies and Bluubeam).
  • People counters: Check out Jason Griffey’s Measure the Future project. Here’s what he says about Measure the Future: “Imagine having a Google-Analytics-style dashboard for your library building: number of visits, what patrons browsed, what parts of the library were busy during which parts of the day, and more. Measure the Future is working to make that happen by using open-hardware based sensors that can collect data about building usage that is now invisible. Making these invisible occurrences explicit will allow librarians to make strategic decisions that create more efficient and effective experiences for their patrons.”
  • Library classes! Libraries are also teaching classes about the Internet of Things. These include classes focused on introducing patrons to IoT technology, and classes that focus on an aspect of IoT, like a class on making things with Arduinos or how to use your new Fitbit.

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more on IoT in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=internet+of+things

proposal for Arduino library counter: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/11/18/service-based-learning-library-counter/

Blockchain Platforms 2018

A Comprehensive List of Best Blockchain Platforms To Watch Out in 2018

https://medium.com/@anubhav.2709/a-comprehensive-list-of-best-blockchain-platforms-to-watch-out-in-2018-a4a14ee0c166

http://blockchain.oodles.io/blogs/best-blockchain-platforms-2018/

A Comprehensive List of Best Blockchain Platforms To Watch Out in 2018 from TechNewsToday

Best Blockchain Platforms 2018

1. Ethereum

Founded in 2014 by Vitalik Buterin, Gavin Wood, and Jeffery Wilcke, Ethereum is one of the fastest growing blockchain technology-based platforms and a cryptocurrency like bitcoin.

 

2. Ripple

Ripple was developed in 2012. Currently, the cryptocurrency that represents Ripple blockchain, XRP, is one the high performing cryptocurrencies in the crypto world.

3. Hyperledger

Based on the blockchain technology, Hyperledger offers distributed ledger frameworks to a variety of industry leaders in the fields of banking, finance, Internet of Things, supply chains, manufacturing, and technology.

 

4. IBM Bluemix Blockchain:

Developed using the base of Hyperledger, IBM Bluemix offers transparency in transactions and security in information for enterprises. At present, IBM Bluemix runs on the IBM cloud.

 

5. Multichain

Multichain is one of the best Blockchain platforms that enables the creation and execution of private blockchains. This multi-asset exchange is becoming popular for solving real problems in finance, infrastructure, and e-commerce.

 

6. Openchain: 

Developed by Coinprism, Open-chain is a Blockchain infrastructure that’s used for the perseverance and management of digital assets.  Open-chain is an enterprise-ready platform for digital assets. Its approach is different than the standard Bitcoin approach to implementing Blockchain.

Conclusion: 

With the above-mentioned blockchain platforms, you can get unprecedented services for the security of digital transactions and assets. The blockchain technology provides independent and secure work structure and is a reliable solution that can be utilized to streamline an organization’s processes and transfer of assets without getting into any extensive documentation or periodical controls.

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more on blockchain in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=blockchain

AI tracks students writings

Schools are using AI to track what students write on their computers

By Simone Stolzoff August 19, 2018
50 million k-12 students in the US
Under the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), any US school that receives federal funding is required to have an internet-safety policy. As school-issued tablets and Chromebook laptops become more commonplace, schools must install technological guardrails to keep their students safe. For some, this simply means blocking inappropriate websites. Others, however, have turned to software companies like GaggleSecurly, and GoGuardian to surface potentially worrisome communications to school administrators
In an age of mass school-shootings and increased student suicides, SMPs Safety Management Platforms can play a vital role in preventing harm before it happens. Each of these companies has case studies where an intercepted message helped save lives.
Over 50% of teachers say their schools are one-to-one (the industry term for assigning every student a device of their own), according to a 2017 survey from Freckle Education
But even in an age of student suicides and school shootings, when do security precautions start to infringe on students’ freedoms?
When the Gaggle algorithm surfaces a word or phrase that may be of concern—like a mention of drugs or signs of cyberbullying—the “incident” gets sent to human reviewers before being passed on to the school. Using AI, the software is able to process thousands of student tweets, posts, and status updates to look for signs of harm.
SMPs help normalize surveillance from a young age. In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal at Facebook and other recent data breaches from companies like Equifax, we have the opportunity to teach kids the importance of protecting their online data
in an age of increased school violence, bullying, and depression, schools have an obligation to protect their students. But the protection of kids’ personal information is also a matter of their safety

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more on cybersecurity in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=cybersecurity

more on surveillance  in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=surveillance

more on privacy in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=privacy

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