July 9, 2021
Security: Kaseya Hack Floods Hundreds of Companies with Ransomware
TechCrunch
On Friday, a flood of ransomware hit hundreds of companies around the world. A grocery store chain, a public broadcaster, schools, and a national railway system were all hit by the file-encrypting malware, causing disruption and forcing hundreds of businesses to close.

The victims had something in common: a key piece of network management and remote control software developed by U.S. technology firm Kaseya. The Miami-headquartered company makes software used to remotely manage a company’s IT networks and devices. That software is sold to managed service providers — effectively outsourced IT departments — which they then use to manage the networks of their customers, often smaller companies. Read more
Healthcare IT: Fitbit Data Suggests People with COVID-19 Experience Lingering Health Effects
MobiHealthNews
New research published this week in JAMA Network Open is the latest to indicate that some people experience lingering symptoms of COVID-19 months after recovering.

The data comes out of the DETECT (Digital Engagement and Tracking for Early Control and Treatment) study, which collects health data from different wearables – such as Fitbits, Apple Watches, Garmins, Oura Rings or any others that can share data with Google Fit or Apple HealthKit – to understand individual changes associated with viral illness, including COVID-19. Read More
Homeland Security: Accurately Predicting Impact of Storms, Sea-Level Rise on Coasts
Homeland Security News Wire
Coastal communities across the world are increasingly facing up to the huge threats posed by a combination of extreme storms and predicted rises in sea levels as a result of global climate change.

However, scientists at the University of Plymouth have developed a simple algorithm-based model which accurately predicts how coastlines could be affected and – as a result – enables communities to identify the actions they might need to take in order to adapt.

The Forecasting Coastal Evolution (ForCE) model has the potential to be a game-changing advance in coastal evolution science, allowing adaptations in the shoreline to be predicted over timescales of anything from days to decades and beyond. Read More
Transportation: Didi App Suspended in China over Data Protection
CNBC
China’s cyberspace regulator said on Sunday that it had ordered smartphone app stores to stop offering Didi Global’s app after finding that the ride-hailing giant had illegally collected users’ personal data.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said it had told Didi to make changes to comply with Chinese data protection rules, four days after Didi began trading on the New York Stock Exchange, having raised $4.4 billion in an initial public offering. Read More
Human Resources: 5 Best Practices When Training Your Gen Z Hires
HRMorning
In the next few years, the make-up of the workforce will change forever. It’s estimated that over 60 million Gen Zers are poised to enter the workforce —and these new employees are driven by some uniquely different motivators than previous generations.

Born after 1996, Generation Z is now the most racially diverse, well-educated and tech savvy group in the U.S. They are defined by their work, driven by money and success, but appreciate frugality, social equality and innovation. Despite being true digital natives (the first generation to rightfully claim the title), Gen Zers also value face-to-face contact more than they get credit for. Read More
Business & Technology: Change by Design: The New Role of Digital and Software in Organizational Transformation
CIO
In 2021 and beyond, business and technology leaders should not settle for a “new normal,” nor frame the future as the “next normal.” If we really think about it, the business and operational models that powered yesterday’s companies were largely scaled and optimized from paper-based analog processes. Simply digitizing legacy systems, and mindsets, isn’t going to cut it in the new world. We no longer have generous multi-year timelines to transform. It’s time to reimagine the role of digital transformation in the future of work, create new value for digital-first customers, reskill employees for the new world, and explore innovative technologies to build tomorrow’s business, today. Read More