Comment

I hope nobody loses their shirt over this.

Summary

• Sensitive data exposed: Internal code, infrastructure diagrams, passwords, and other technical information were publicly accessible on GitHub for months.
• Source unclear: Unclear if an outside hacker or Binance employee accidentally uploaded the data.
• Potential risk: Information could be used by attackers to compromise Binance systems, though Binance claims "negligible risk".
• Data details: Included code related to passwords and multi-factor authentication, diagrams of internal infrastructure, and apparent production system passwords.
• Binance response: Initially downplayed the leak, later acknowledged data was theirs but downplayed risk.
• Current status: Data removed from GitHub via copyright takedown request.
• Unclear if any malicious actors accessed the data.

Summary

Germany's renewable energy share reached a record 55% in 2023, driven by capacity expansion and favorable weather. This significant jump brings the country closer to its ambitious 2030 target of 80% green energy. Offshore wind led the way, followed by solar and biomass. The government's simplification of approval processes is credited with boosting growth. Power demand decreased due to economic slowdown and prioritizing renewables over fossil fuels. Despite temporary price spikes in 2022, day-ahead power prices stabilized in 2023, reflecting the increasing role of renewables. Overall, these developments highlight Germany's progress and the challenges it faces in its transition to a sustainable energy future.

The issue:

Android users with Firefox can't access Google Search (including intl sites and localized domains like google.de, .co.uk, .com.br). Instead, they see a blank page.

Cause:

A server-side bug on Google's end related to User-Agent (UA) sniffing, which serves an empty page to newer Firefox versions.

Affected versions:

All Firefox versions on Android (>= 65) including Mobile 121.0, Nightly 123, and older.

Chrome not affected:

The bug is specific to Firefox.

Solutions:

• Use a different browser (Chrome, etc.) or search engine (DuckDuckGo).

Advanced users can:

• Change Firefox's UA in developer settings or with add-ons.

• Request the desktop version of Google from Firefox settings (region-dependent).

Status:

• Problem identified as critical and escalated.
• Still unresolved at the time of reporting.

Additional notes:

• Disabling Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection doesn't fix the issue.
• Some users report google.co.in loading the desktop site instead of mobile.

Summary

• First cub sighting in 10 years: Camera captures a mother tiger with two cubs in Thailand, a major boost for the species.
• Population boom: Tiger numbers skyrocket, from 46 in 2007 to potentially 190 now, making Thailand the only Southeast Asian country with significant growth.
• Conservation works: Thailand's efforts, like anti-poaching measures and reduced human activity, are paying off. The country can now even become a source of tigers for struggling neighbours.
• Hope for the future: With a thriving population and suitable habitat, tigers seem set to flourish in Thailand's western rainforests.

Comments

However good this is, I personally wouldn't want to run into one of these in the wild.

Main findings:

• The seasons, especially winter, can affect our mood, memory, concentration, social behavior, and sex drive.
• Shorter daylight hours are linked to winter blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), characterized by low mood, sleep issues, and energy loss.
• Reduced light disrupts our circadian rhythm, impacting mood and cognitive function.
• Vitamin D deficiency (from less sunlight) might also contribute to winter blues and cognitive decline.
• We may subconsciously seek warmth and social connection during colder months, explaining increased interest in romance films and social activities.
• Sexual activity fluctuates across seasons, potentially due to the desire for physical and emotional warmth.

Key takeaways:

• Embrace positive aspects of winter like its beauty and coziness to improve mood.
• Cognitive behavioural therapy can help managing negative thoughts and boost winter well-being.
• Don't be hard on yourself if you're forgetful or less social during winter; it's natural.
• Actively seek social connection and engage in activities you enjoy to combat winter blues.
• 2019 Cochrane Systematic Review concluded that the evidence for light therapy's effectiveness as a preventative treatment was limited.

Key Points:

• Security and privacy concerns: Increased use of AI systems raises issues like data manipulation, model vulnerabilities, and information leaks.
• Threats at various stages: Training data, software, and deployment are all vulnerable to attacks like poisoning, data breaches, and prompt injection.
• Attacks with broad impact: Availability, integrity, and privacy can all be compromised by evasion, poisoning, privacy, and abuse attacks.
• Attacker knowledge varies: Threats can be carried out by actors with full, partial, or minimal knowledge of the AI system.
• Mitigation challenges: Robust defenses are currently lacking, and the tech community needs to prioritize their development.
• Global concern: NIST's warning echoes recent international guidelines emphasizing secure AI development.

Overall:

NIST identifies serious security and privacy risks associated with the rapid deployment of AI systems, urging the tech industry to develop better defenses and implement secure development practices.

Comment:

From the look of things, it looks like it's going to get worse before it gets better.

• Previous images of Neptune and Uranus, particularly from Voyager 2, were inaccurately blue and green due to image processing for detail enhancement.
• New research analyzed data from Hubble and VLT telescopes to reveal their "true" colors are both a similar shade of greenish-blue.
• Neptune still has a slightly bluer tinge due to a thinner haze layer.
• Uranus may appear slightly greener in summer/winter but bluer in spring/autumn due to its unique tilt.
• This research corrects a long-held misconception about these distant planets.

My favorite:

We found out that joy matters

Joy is a vital human emotion—but as researchers noted in 2020, "surprisingly little" study has investigated exactly what it means and how to experience more of it. In 2023, that started to change. Researchers from more than a dozen institutions, including Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley, teamed up to determine whether performing micro-acts of joy changes how people feel in the short- and long-term, and whether there are differences based on factors like age, race, and location. Inaugural data from the BIG JOY Project—the world's largest citizen science project on joy, with nearly 70,000 participants spanning more than 200 countries—were released in November. Among the findings: Daily micro-acts of joy, like making a gratitude list or practicing positive reframing, helped participants experience a 25% increase in emotional well-being, 34% boost in levels of coping perception, and 12% jump in self-reported sleep quality over the course of a week. People can still sign up to participate in the project, and published research further quantifying the benefits of joy is expected in 2024.—Angela Haupt

Summary

Health and Science:

• COVID-19 deaths fell significantly: Thanks to widespread vaccinations and treatments, COVID-19 deaths plummeted compared to previous years.
• Life expectancy rose: With fewer fatalities from the virus, life expectancy in the U.S. started to climb back up.
• Major advances in surgical science: Doctors achieved remarkable feats like transplanting animal organs into humans and performing the world's first whole-eye transplant.
• CRISPR gene-editing for a disease: Patients with sickle cell anemia received the first-ever CRISPR treatment for a disease in the U.S.

Climate and Environment:

• Electric vehicles reduced fossil fuel demand: EVs made a noticeable dent in global oil use, paving the way for a cleaner future.
• Good climate ideas became action: Innovative clean energy solutions like long-lasting iron-air batteries and carbon-based thermal batteries moved from concept to reality.
• A landmark treaty for the High Seas: A new agreement established a legal framework for protecting previously unregulated ocean areas.
• COP28 acknowledged the problem and solutions: Climate negotiations finally recognized the need to transition away from fossil fuels and ramp up renewables.
• Climate lawsuits started making a difference: A growing number of legal cases pushed governments and corporations toward responsible environmental practices.

Other Improvements:

• Violent crime declined: Across the U.S., violent crime rates dropped significantly.
• More scientific studies became free: Open access initiatives made research data more accessible to the public.
• Joy was scientifically proven to matter: A large-scale project demonstrated the positive impact of daily micro-acts of joy on well-being and sleep.

Overall, 2023 was a year marked by progress in various areas despite ongoing challenges. From advancements in healthcare and climate action to a renewed focus on mental well-being, these positive developments offer hope for the future.

Key points:

• First-time painted dog mother abandons 8 pups at Potawatomi Zoo.
• Golden retriever named Kassy becomes surrogate mother to pups.
• 3 pups survive despite initial struggles due to missing pack interactions.
• Pups, named Blue, Red, and Orange, won't immediately rejoin painted dog pack to avoid conflict.
• Story highlights animal care difficulties, endangered species survival, and zoo conservation efforts.

Additional details:

• Painted dogs endangered due to habitat loss and hunting.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_wild_dog

cross-posted from: https://zerobytes.monster/post/5063838

I guess if the law firm handles its own data breach this way; you can expect the companies to handle the breaches the same way.

Summary

The international law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, specializing in handling security incidents for companies, suffered a cyberattack in March 2023, resulting in the exposure of sensitive health information belonging to over 637,000 data breach victims.

The stolen data included consumer names, dates of birth, postal address and email addresses, and government-issued identification numbers, such as Social Security numbers, passport and driver license numbers, and tax identification numbers. The data also includes medical treatment and diagnosis information, insurance claims information — such as the date and costs of services — and healthcare insurance numbers and provider details.

Orrick, serving as legal counsel during security incidents at other companies, revealed that the breach also affected clients such as EyeMed Vision Care, Delta Dental, MultiPlan, Beacon Health Options, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The number of affected individuals tripled since the initial disclosure. Orrick reached a settlement for class action lawsuits in December, which accused Orrick of failing to inform victims of the breach until months after the incident, acknowledging the incident's impact and expressing regret for the inconvenience caused. The firm did not disclose details about the hackers' entry or whether a financial ransom was demanded.