March 17, 2023
Security: 18 zero-day flaws impact Samsung Android handsets, wearables and telematics
SC Media
Over a dozen zero-day bugs rooted in Samsung's Exynos chipsets and used in a bevy of devices ranging from Android handsets, wearables and in-car infotainment systems are vulnerable to attack, according to Google's Project Zero.

Researchers warn 18 zero-day vulnerabilities, each with a CVSS severity rating of high, could allow a range of attacks, the most severe allowing adversaries to remotely compromise a phone at the baseband level with no user interaction. The only prerequisite for the attack is knowing the target’s phone number. Read More
Healthcare IT: How virtual nursing can help solve many workforce shortage woes
Healthcare IT News
Hospitals across the nation are facing workforce challenges, and a nurse staffing shortage poses one of the biggest threats to care delivery.

More than 100,000 nurses exited the U.S. workforce from 2020 to 2021 due to a perfect storm of issues ranging from burnout and job dissatisfaction to competing family obligations and COVID-19-related illness. An aging nurse workforce nearing retirement and student capacity limits in nurse education programs are putting additional pressure on nurse staffing. Read More
Homeland Security: Salt Lake City International Airport using new credential authentication technology, accepting mobile driver licenses
Homeland Security Today
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) has deployed the next generation of Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) to verify the identity of travelers.

First generation CAT units are designed to scan a traveler’s photo identification, confirm the traveler’s identity as well as their flight details. The new CAT units, referred to as CAT-2, have the same capabilities, but are also equipped with a camera that captures a real-time photo of the traveler.

CAT-2 compares the traveler’s photo on the identification credential against an in-person, real-time photo. Once the CAT-2 confirms the match, a TSA officer will verify and the traveler can proceed to security screening, without ever exchanging a boarding pass. TSA officers can perform additional passenger verification if needed. Read More
Transportation: First round of $2.5B EV charging network funding open to applications
Transportation Today
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced it is accepting applications for a new multi-billion program to fund electric vehicle (EV) and alternative fueling infrastructure Tuesday.

The $2.5 billion program, called the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, would fund EV charging and alternative vehicle-fueling infrastructure projects by cities, counties, local governments, and Tribes across the country over the next five years. This initial round of funding makes $700 million in allocations from fiscal years 2022 and 2023 available to deploy charging and fueling infrastructure in publicly accessible locations in urban and rural communities, as well as along the Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs) being established across the country. Read More
Human Resources: Study: Half of employees lose hours of productivity weekly to IT issues
HR Dive
About 49% of employees say they lose between one and five hours of productivity each week while dealing with IT issues, according to a March 7 report from Unisys Corp.

This plays a major role in employee experience, engagement and performance. About 62% of employees cited access to best-in-class technology as a highly motivating factor in their work performance.

“The convergence of workplace technology and employee engagement has never been more imperative. Companies continue to face tough decisions and must evaluate how they invest in creating the workplace of the future and foster a strong workplace culture that boosts employee happiness,” Joel Raper, senior vice president and general manager of digital workplace solutions at Unisys, said in a statement. Read More
Business & Technology: 6 signs it’s time to restructure your IT organization
CIO
Nothing lasts forever in IT, and that includes your organizational structure. Deciding on whether to scrap or keep existing infrastructure of any stripe isn’t easy. A complete rebuild can be disruptive, time-consuming, and risky. And if the initiative misses its goal, or runs over budget, the CIO’s job may be at stake.

Yet, as any IT leader knows, when technical infrastructure fails to meet enterprise needs, hampering productivity and innovation, it’s often time to rebuild from scratch. The same can be said for how IT operations, workflows, and teams are structured. Knowing when it’s time for a wholesale reorg requires even more from an IT leader than knowing when the bits and bytes have worn out their shelf life. Read More