New Email Warning from Homeland Security is a Hoax
“Teslas reportedly shipping cars without USB ports, newer BMWs coming without touchscreens, and cuts in production for the Switch, PS5, and iPhone 13, it’s starting to look like Intel’s prediction might be right; we may not see the end of the chip shortage until 2023.”
Email From the Department of Homeland Security warning about hackers in your network? Don’t panic!
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2021/11/13/dhs-warning-about-hackers-in-your-network-dont-panic/
Intriguingly, the fake messages don’t include any attachments, phone numbers, or web links, making it unlikely that your email filter would consider them risky because of any so-called calls to action they contain.
- Don’t panic.
- Avoid contacting the FBI for further details.
- Ignore the accusations made in the email.
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The White House allegedly challenged Intel’s plans to increase chip production in China
Intel’s efforts to speed up chip production in China have reportedly been contested by the Biden administration, according to a report from Bloomberg. Sources close to the situation told Bloomberg that Intel proposed making silicon wafers in a Chengdu, China factory, which could start production towards the end of 2022. However, Intel’s plans were “strongly discouraged” by White House officials due to potential security issues.
Since Intel needs to secure funding from the government in order to ramp up production, the administration’s opinion holds some weight on Intel’s path forward. As Bloomberg notes, Intel said it currently has “no plans” to produce silicon wafers in China after discussing it with government officials, and that it will instead consider “other solutions.”
The global chip shortage seems to be seeping into more areas of technology every day. With Teslas reportedly shipping without USB ports, newer BMWs coming without touchscreens, and cuts in production for the Switch, PS5, and iPhone 13, it’s starting to look like Intel’s prediction might be right; we may not see the end of the chip shortage until 2023.
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Bitcoin is now a 13-year-old teenager.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/satoshi-nakamoto-s-bitcoin-white-paper-is-now-a-13-year-old-teenager
The Bitcoin network was launched on Jan. 3, 2009, with each Bitcoin priced at $0.0008.
While Bitcoin was initially perceived as a threat by traditional financial institutions, thirteen years of community support and a growing user base have made Bitcoin one of the most profitable investments for the internet age. Today, Bitcoin maintains a stable trading value well above $60k after experiencing a gradual appreciation of 7,749,999,900% since its launch.
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People Are Buying Digital Clothes Because That’s a Thing Now
https://www.vice.com/en/article/akvzqz/virtual-digital-clothes-fashion-game-skins-metaverse
The latest in fashion is not made with threads and textiles, but with pixels and programs.
Digital fashion makes everything traditional fashion does—shirts, dresses, pants, hats, shoes, and accessories—but none of it is tangible. Instead, customers “wear” digital clothing through augmented reality and digitally altered photos.
People have been putting on digital accessories through social media filters for years, and the gaming skins market—where players of games like Fortnite purchase custom outfits, or “skins,” for their avatars—is estimated to be a multibillion-dollar industry.
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Apple is sticking taxpayers with part of the bill for rollout of their digital ID card
Apple is making U.S. states foot part of the bill and provide customer support for its plan to turn iPhones into digital identification cards, according to confidential documents obtained by CNBC.
The company requires states to maintain the systems needed to issue and service credentials, hire project managers to respond to Apple inquiries, prominently market the new feature and push for its adoption with other government agencies, all at taxpayer expense, according to contracts signed by four states.
Apple announced in June that its users could soon store state-issued identification cards in the iPhone’s Wallet app, billing it as a more secure and convenient way for customers to provide credentials in a variety of settings. The feature, when combined with Apple’s biometric security measures like Face ID, could cut down on fraud.
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“Customer complaint” email scam preys on your fear of getting into trouble at work
The goal of these cybercriminals is to make you feel guilty, and to convince you that through inaction on your part, you have caused serious inconvenience not only to the company as a whole but also to someone more important than you in the organization:
Technically, this is a targeted attack, known in the jargon as spear-phishing, because it does its best to greet you by name and to pretend to come from a manager in your company.
That makes it much more believable than an impersonal “Dear Colleague” or just a plain old “Hello”.
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The US closes Huawei loophole, will no longer grant exceptions for ISPs
The Biden administration has found yet another way to tighten restrictions on Huawei and other Chinese companies that the US government has designated as national security threats. Both sides of the political aisle in the US have gone after the smartphone and networking giant, starting with the Trump administration in 2019. The latest restriction: there will no longer be special exceptions for network operators using Huawei’s equipment.
The law covers any company that lands on the list of untrusted companies, which currently covers Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Hytera, and Dahua Technology. The Federal Communications Commission previously banned US companies from using networking gear from these providers. It also ordered ISPs to replace any existing equipment, and Congress established a $1.9 billion equipment replacement fund, lovingly nicknamed the “Huawei Rip & Replace” program, to make it happen. Flying in the face of all this anti-Huawei action was the FCC’s ability to approve exceptions on a case-by-case basis, and now this loophole has been closed.
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