NSA's Secret Web: General Nakasone Unveils Controversial Data Acquisition Tactics!

• Gen. Nakasone reveals how NSA buys lots of Americans' internet data without permission for foreign intel and cybersecurity.
• Netflow data shows internet traffic details, raising privacy worries for mental health and assault survivor sites.
• Senator Wyden reveals NSA's domestic data collection, worries about agencies getting Americans' data without asking.
• ODNI urged to make spy agencies follow rules like FTC's for legal data buying and be transparent about data keeping.

The departing chief of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), General Paul Nakasone, has unveiled a revelation that raises eyebrows from privacy critics — the NSA is delving into an extensive pool of commercially available web browsing data from Americans, all without the encumbrance of obtaining a warrant. This disclosure, unveiled by Senator Ron Wyden after Nakasone's correspondence, peels back the layers on the NSA's acquisition of a diverse array of information procured from data brokers, serving purposes such as foreign intelligence, cybersecurity, and secret missions.

In Nakasone's letter, he highlighted the NSA's interest in commercially available netflow data, concentrating on the intricacies of wholly domestic internet communications and interactions involving a U.S. Internet Protocol address connecting with its overseas counterpart. Netflow data, a cloak-and-dagger trove of non-content metadata, reveals the nuances of internet traffic flow, unraveling the mysteries of network activities and spotlighting servers that may be harboring the mischief of potential hackers.

Despite the NSA's discretion regarding the specific origins of the purchased internet records, Senator Wyden voiced apprehension over the sensitivity of this internet metadata. He underscored its potential to lay bare private information linked to individuals' online ventures, encompassing visits to websites dedicated to mental health, resources for survivors of sexual assault, or telehealth providers specializing in birth control or abortion medication.

Senator Wyden, entrenched in the Senate Intelligence Committee, unearthed details about the NSA's domestic internet records collection back in March 2021. However, the disclosure couldn't see the light of day until it shed its classified status. The revelation adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing scrutiny of the U.S. intelligence community's penchant for acquiring substantial datasets from private data brokers. While this practice isn't a novel concept, the ODNI's acknowledgment in June 2023 spurred concerns about its ramifications on privacy and civil liberties.

The NSA's dependence on commercially sourced data for intelligence-gathering has thrown a legal spotlight on the agency, especially as Congress scrutinizes its surveillance powers. Senator Wyden has seized upon recent actions by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against data brokers like X-Mode and InMarket, viewing them as significant legal milestones. These actions spotlight concerns about government agencies procuring Americans' data without explicit consent.

The NSA contends that prevailing U.S. law doesn't tether them to obtaining a court order for commercially available information. They argue that such data is equally accessible to foreign adversaries, private entities, and the U.S. government alike. Senator Wyden advocates for the ODNI to enact a policy aligning with FTC standards for legal data sales. This would compel U.S. spy agencies to purge data that doesn't meet these standards, or if retention is imperative, inform Congress or the public.

While the NSA affirms its collection of commercially available internet netflow data, the ambiguity persists on whether the agency also dips into location databases, a practice observed in other federal government agencies. Nakasone clarified in his letter that the NSA refrains from acquiring and using location data from phones or vehicles known to be within the United States, leaving room for interpretation concerning the acquisition of commercially available data originating from non-U.S. devices. The NSA, when probed, declined to expound on Nakasone's statements.

Note: Content is generated using AI and editing by humans. Photo: DIW - AIGen

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Will AI Create Jobs? This Staffing Agency Says Yes

The biggest concern that people tend to have whenever AI is brought up is that it might make their jobs obsolete. Gen AI is capable of writing books and screenplays, offering weather predictions and performing various other tasks that once commanded a salary. In spite of the fact that this is the case, the chief of a Zurich based staffing agency seemed to think that AI will actually create more jobs than it eliminates with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Denis Machuel is the CEO of Adecco, and he opined that the rise of AI is similar to the arrival of the internet. It might cause significant disruptions that would eliminate certain forms of employment at this current point in time, but in the long run, it will replace those jobs with new roles that require the use of AI.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that white collar jobs will be affected more than blue collar ones. Any role that involves the computing and processing of information will likely fall by the wayside, so legal and financial roles might be in jeopardy.

However, this doesn’t mean that all lawyers will be AI in the future. Problem solving and critical thinking are two things that AI hasn’t learned to do yet, at least not in the way that humans can intuitively manage. Complex legal matters will still require humans to make the right decisions, even if AI is handling the more innocuous and routine aspects of their jobs.

Adecco is playing its part by partnering with Microsoft to create a platform that can help people see what career paths they can follow through with in the age of AI. Many workers will have transferable skills for the most part, and some new skills related to AI can be learned. This process is essential because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up opening up new avenues for people whose careers have been upended by this brand new tech.

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AI Incidents Increased by 30% Year Over Year

Since AI has been advancing at such a rapid pace, it stands to reason that negative AI incidents will also be on the rise with all things having been considered and taken into account. It turns out that 2023 was a record breaking year, with 121 incidents recorded according to a recent report released by Surfshark. This represents a 30% increase from 2022, and it also comprises a solid 20% of all AI incidents recorded since 2010.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that OpenAI was involved in over 25% of the incidents that were factored in. Microsoft came in second with a total of 17 incidents, followed by Google with 10 and Meta with 5.

Quite a few of these incidents had to do with deepfakes and various forms of impersonation, with figures like Pope Francis, Tom Hanks and others becoming the subject of AI generated images. Politicians were also popular targets, with everyone from Donald Trump to Barack Obama being included in this list. 2024 is an election year, which is pertinent because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making the number of incidents become even higher than might have been the case otherwise.

It bears mentioning that these incidents actually became somewhat less prevalent in the latter half of the year. The first quarter of 2023 saw 54 incidents, followed by 33 in Q2, but in the third and fourth quarters this plummeted to 14 and 22 respectively.

It will be interesting to see where things go from here on out. The downward trend seems to suggest that the perpetrators of AI incidents are losing interest, but in spite of the fact that this is the case, the election year might lead to a spike that will break even more records. Whatever the case may be, AI will continue to become ever more advanced. That will only make these incidents harder to detect or prevent in the first place, and they’ll also be far more accurate than they are right now.

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Warrant Necessary for Law Enforcement Officials, Says Amazon Ring

Amazon Ring has updated its policy, now making it mandatory for police and other officials to obtain a warrant to access footage from its doorbell cameras. This change was recently announced in a blog post by the company.

Previously, through the "request for assistance" (RFA) feature, police and public safety agencies could directly request video footage from Ring users, bypassing the need for a warrant. However, this practice has been discontinued. While these agencies can continue to utilize the Neighbors app for sharing safety tips and community information, they can no longer request videos through the app.

The decision to forego this practice came after Amazon faced severe backlash for allowing private security footage without proper consent. As a result, the company had modified its policy and allowed policy requests for videos to be made public on the app. However, the latest change mandates that law enforcement can only access Ring footage through a warrant.

Renowned policy analysts proclaimed this step as a positive one. However, experts do emphasize the need for further improvements by Ring to make their security features better. He suggested that end-to-end encryption should be enabled by default. Additionally, the company should disable default audio collection, which has been shown to capture sound from greater distances.

Amazon's approach to privacy has long been a subject of concern. In a notable incident last year, Amazon agreed to an almost $6 million settlement with the FTC, stemming from claims that the company failed to properly inform customers about how their data could be accessed. This agreement came in the wake of Amazon's own acknowledgment that it had provided police with video footage in specific "emergency" scenarios, doing so without the consent of the users or a warrant.

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by Saima Jiwani via Digital Information World

Artificial intelligence Can Exacerbate Ransomware Attacks, Warns UK's National Cyber Security Center

UK-based organizations and businesses have always been prominent victims of cyber threats – particularly ransomware. Britain’s cyber mastermind has recently investigated the role of AI and predict that the number of these attacks will only increase with time. Hackers will get ample chances to breach sensitive data due to the convenience that AI provides.

The National Cyber Security Center released a report stating their findings. According to them, AI removes the entry barrier for hackers who are new to the game. They can easily get into any system and carry out malicious activities without getting caught. Targeting victims will be a piece of cake with AI being available round the clock.

The NCSC claims that the next two years will significantly increase global ransomware threat incidents. Contemporary criminals have created criminal generative AI, more popularly referred to as “GENAI.” They are all set to offer it as a service, for people who can afford it. This service will make it even easier for any layman to enter into office systems and hack them.

Lindy Cameron who is the chief executive at NCSC, urges companies to remain at pace with modern cyber security tools. She emphasizes the importance of using AI productively for risk management on cyber threats.

• Also read: World’s Biggest Online Data Breach Affects Billions: Here’s How You Can Keep Your Records Safe

Ransomware is the most frequent form of cybercrime, with good reason. It offers substantial financial compensation and has a well-established business model. Moreover, with the integration of AI, it’s evident that ransomware attacks are not going anywhere.

The Director General, James Babbage at NSA further ascertains that the released report is factually correct. Criminals will continue exploiting AI for their benefit and businesses must upscale to deal with it. AI increases the speed and abilities of already existing cyberattack schemes. It offers an easy entry point for all kinds of cyber criminals – regardless of their expertise or experience. Babbage also talks about child sexual abuse and fraud – both of which will also be affected as this world advances.

The British Government is strategically working on its cyber security plan. As of the latest reports, £2.6 billion ($3.3 billion) has been invested to protect the country from malicious cyberattacks.

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6 In 10 SEOs Don't Think That Google's SGE Will Have a Good Impact

Google has been hard at work trying to make it so that its search engine can maintain its dominance in the industry. A major part of that over the course of the last year or so has been to incorporate AI into it as much as possible, and this has culminated in the creation of the Google Search Generative Experience, or SGE for short.

The main benefit of SGE according to Google is that it can enhance the search engine’s ability to provide information to users. The way this works is that it will generate a snapshot of all the relevant info regarding a particular search query using AI, and there’s also a handy “ask a follow up” button that can help them dive even deeper into the topic than might have been the case otherwise.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that SEOs don’t really seem to think that SGE will have a good impact on the manner in which they do business. A poll posted on the SEO FOMO forums revealed that 61% of SEO professionals are worried about how it might affect the industry moving forward.

27% do seem to think that the effects of SGE will be largely positive, but in spite of the fact that this is the case, the vast majority are of the opinion that it will be harmful in the long run in some way, shape or form. When a similar poll was conducted on X, 59.1% (or around 6 in 10) agreed that it was concerning, which seems to suggest that the results weren’t just a one off with all things having been considered and taken into account.

• Also read: Meta's Facebook and Instagram Are the Most Data Hungry Apps According to This Study

It remains to be seen whether or not SGE will have a positive impact on Google Search. It might just drive more traffic away from sites and keep it on the SERP, which appears to be something that Google tends to prefer due to the profit it can generate. While SGE is still only in the current testing phase, Google might roll it out sooner rather than later.

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AI Might Not Steal That Many Jobs According to This MIT Study

The general assumption surrounding AI is that it has the potential to end up taking away an inordinate quantity of jobs from human beings, but is there actually any truth to this sentiment? A team at MIT sought to find an answer to this question, and their research revealed that AI might not be the job killer that so many people fear it might be.

This study was conducted at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, or CSAIL for short, and it refuted a lot of the assertions made so far. For example, Goldman Sachs has estimated that as many as 25% of jobs can be taken over by AI related automation in just a few short years, whereas McKinsey estimates that 50% of all work will be done by AI by the year 2055.

A poll conducted by UPenn, Princeton, and NYU suggested that 80% of jobs will be taken over by ChatGPT, which just goes to show how pervasive this sentiment truly is. In spite of the fact that this is the case, it might not actually be financially viable to have AI do these jobs according to the MIT report.

The research suggests that AI can indeed automate certain tasks, but that doesn't mean that it can replace jobs related to these tasks. For example, an average of 6% of a baker’s time is devoted to quality control, so if a bakery pays 5 bakers $48,000 a year each, it could save $14,000 on an annual basis by having AI do it.

"We find that only 23% of worker compensation “exposed” to AI computer vision would be cost-effective for firms to automate because of the large upfront costs of AI systems.", highlights study.

However, the system itself would cost upwards of $165,000 a year in maintenance and upkeep, which means that just having humans continue doing their jobs would be more financially suitable. This goes to show that just because AI can do a task does not mean that it will be cheaper, and businesses will be looking at costs instead of just blindly replacing humans. It might be more likely that human laborers will incorporate AI into their work flow which will actually boost productivity across the board in the near to distant future.

• Also read: AI Might Surpass Humans in All Tasks by 2047

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