March 3, 2023
Security: Alleged Chick-Fil-A app hack reportedly swiped money from customers' bank accounts
msn
If you have the Chick-fil-A app downloaded onto your phone, you may want to check your bank account for fraudulent charges. In the past, there have been issues regarding thieves stealing loyalty points from rewards apps such as these, per The Points Guy. From July 2018 to June 2020, 100 million hacks occurred, with 63 million aimed at the travel, retail, and hospitality industries. When points such as these are stolen, they are often sold off, sometimes unbeknownst to the loyalty member. Read More
Healthcare IT: Most primary care telehealth visits don't require in-person follow-up, Epic study shows
Healthcare IT News
To explore the efficacy of primary care telehealth, a recent Epic Research study examined the frequency of in-person physician visits that followed 18,636,522 primary care telemedicine appointments. The dual team study published by Epic found that 60% of the time, the virtual primary care telehealth appointments held between March 1, 2020, and October 15, 2022, did not result in subsequent doctors visits. Read More
Homeland Security: D.C. Opens Emergency Operations Center with More Capacity for Responding to Large-Scale Emergencies
Homeland Security Today
Mayor Muriel Bowser, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the DC Homeland Security Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), and District officials celebrated the opening of the DC Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Navy Yard. The new EOC has more space for responding to large-scale emergencies and will also serve as the swing space for HSEMA while their headquarters in Ward 8 are renovated.

“Whether we’re responding to a planned special event or an unplanned emergency, coordination is key,” said Mayor Bowser. “We know DC is unique – we operate as a city, county, and state, we’re the nation’s capital, we share a border with two states, and we host and support First Amendment activities every day. We are proud of those responsibilities, and the new Emergency Operations Center provides more space for the in-person coordination that is required to protect DC.” Read More
Transportation: Rail industry pushes sensors over brakes after Ohio train crash
Bloomberg
The train derailment that spilled toxic chemicals into a small Ohio town has revived a long-running debate about railroad safety — and some industry players think they have just the thing to resolve it.  

The Feb. 3 crash of the Norfolk Southern Corp. train in East Palestine, Ohio, has renewed a push for railroads to adopt electronic brakes that could help prevent a malfunctioning train from endangering people and property. Electronically controlled pneumatic, or ECP, brakes have been touted for their capacity to bring trains to a halt in shorter distances and prevent dangerous pileups. Read More
Human Resources: High-skilled visa holders at risk of deportation amid tech layoffs
Washington Post
LOS ANGELES — The massive crush of layoffs washing through the United States tech sector is sparking panic among large numbers of immigrants, who are scrambling to stay employed or risk losing their right to live in this country.

These workers, primarily Indian nationals, are in the country on temporary visas designed to help U.S. firms employ an exceptionally skilled and educated workforce. Many have been here for years, in some cases decades.

But now that many have been laid off, their visas are set to expire in 60 days. They must leave the country unless they can find a new employer willing to navigate complex immigration rules and pay fees that can mount into thousands of dollars to hire them.

The situation is becoming a crisis for families in the Silicon Valley and beyond, while exposing anew lawmakers’ inability to fix the nation’s immigration system, even on matters where there is broad agreement. Read More
Business & Technology: A CIO’s first rule for automation: Have a clear business case
CIO
By virtue of their position between IT and effecting business strategy, CIOs can identify what processes their organizations need in order to modernize and automate. When it comes to updating core systems to drive operational efficiencies, they also have to ensure that a sound business case exists to automate them, says Laurie Shotton, VP and analyst at Gartner. That’s not surprising since CIOs typically own IT automation, as well as help drive business automation. But it’s not always a given the two aren’t working at cross purposes.

“For the last 15 to 20 years, organizations have been trying to modernize core systems in order to drive operational efficiencies,” he says. “And quite often, the business case for replacing them doesn’t stack up.” Read More