January 6, 2023
Security: 200 million Twitter users' email addresses allegedly leaked online
BleepingComputer
A data leak described as containing email addresses for over 200 million Twitter users has been published on a popular hacker forum for about $2. BleepingComputer has confirmed the validity of many of the email addresses listed in the leak.

Since July 22nd, 2022, threat actors and data breach collectors have been selling and circulating large data sets of scraped Twitter user profiles containing both private (phone numbers and email addresses) and public data on various online hacker forums and cybercrime marketplaces. These data sets were created in 2021 by exploiting a Twitter API vulnerability. Read More
Healthcare IT: Hackers’ health care siege
Politico
The toll of ransomware attacks on the health care sector is mounting. Attacks on health care providers doubled between 2016 and 2021, leaving 42 million patients’ data vulnerable, according to a new study in JAMA Health Forum. The attacks are now more often hitting large organizations that have more than one facility than before.

“Ransomware attacks on health care delivery organizations are increasing in frequency and sophistication,” the researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of Florida wrote. “Disruptions to care during ransomware attacks may threaten patient safety and outcomes.” Read More
Homeland Security: What were TSA’s most unusual finds in 2022?
Homeland Security Today
We already know that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are on the ball when it comes to firearm detection, but some of their 2022 catches were more unusual than others, and that’s without including the live cat zipped into someone’s baggage.

Top of the list for most unusual finds was fentanyl hidden inside candy wrappers. TSA officers at Los Angeles International Airport found thousands of pills inside the wrappers in October. The suspected trafficker fled the scene.

We previously reported on the gun inside a raw chicken, which was found by TSA officers at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in November. And just last month, a TSA officer at John F. Kennedy International Airport TSA officer found parts of a disassembled semi-automatic handgun artfully concealed inside two jars of peanut butter. Rounding out the Top 5 are a sling with a hidden surprise and some sharp tech… Read More
Transportation: Southwest’s meltdown should be a technology warning for airlines
Yahoo Finance
Southwest Airlines capped off its 2022 with the unenviable distinction of cancelling more than 15,000 flights in total during the week of Christmas, the result of a system failure caused by several issues that were exacerbated by a nationwide winter storm.

It was an unmitigated disaster for the Dallas-based airline, with the story leading news sites and network TV news broadcasts day after day, a public relations disaster that showcased its deficiencies in keeping its technology up to date. The primary reason for the major issue at Southwest was its outdated optimization technology, which the airline has outgrown over the past couple of decades. Read More
Human Resources: The 10 most in-demand tech jobs for 2023 — and how to hire for them
CIO
The ongoing tight IT job market has companies doing whatever they can to attract top tech talent. For some that means getting a head start in filling this year’s most in-demand roles, which range from data-focused to security-related positions, according to Robert Half Technology’s 2023 IT salary report. The survey also reveals the average salaries for each role based on experience.

Recruiting in the tech industry remains strong, according to the report. Of those surveyed, 56% said they planned to hire for new roles in the coming year and 39% said they planned to hire for vacated roles. But 86% of technology managers also said that it’s challenging to find skilled professionals in software and applications development, technology process automation, and cloud architecture and operations. Companies will have to be more competitive than ever to land the right talent in these high-demand areas. Read More
Business & Technology: Where Is tech going in 2023?
Harvard Business Review
Looking ahead is always a tricky business. While the turn of the year presents an opportunity to take a fresh look at your strategy and plan where to focus your energies, it can be hard to sort real trends from hype. This is especially true when it comes to tech. Think about this time last year, and the excitement around NFTs, crypto, and the metaverse. By fall of 2022, NFT markets were down 90%, we’d entered a cold crypto winter, and a bustling metaverse was still more of a dream than reality. Separating real innovation from hot air can be the difference between a big win and a costly flop.

2023 will likely be a more sober year in tech. Geopolitical and economic uncertainties are injecting more caution into the next phase of tech’s evolution. Leaders will have to search for ways to do more with less, find value where innovations overlap, and strategically invest in technologies that are hitting a tipping point. Read More