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What would it mean if you lost all of your personal documents, such as your family photos, research or business records? How much would you pay to get them back? There’s a burgeoning form of cybercrime that hinges on the answers to these questions.

You have probably heard of viruses and malware. These dangerous pieces of software can make their way into your computer and wreak havoc. Malware authors are intent on stealing your data and disrupting the proper functioning of your digital devices.

Then there is ransomware. This is crafted by cyber-criminals for extorting data from innocent users, and is rapidly becoming a threat to individuals, small business and corporate users alike.

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Absolutely; it will and that is the real danger in technology. This is why security roles will be increasingly in demand over the next 7 to 10 years.


Kaspersky director Marco Preuss looks at the future of biometric technology and bio-cybersecurity.

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Lookout for MAZAR Bot — Androids should be scared.


One interesting feature of Mazar is that it can not be installed on smartphones running Android with “Russian” selected as the operating system’s language.

The malware allows the attackers to spy on nearly every activity capable on an Android device, including establishing a backdoor connection, sending premium SMS messages, reading texts sent to the device, including bank authentication PINs.

Turn off “Unknown Sources” on your device — The best way to avoid downloading malicious items is to not allow unknown sources to install stuff on your device. The app asks for wide ranging permissions, including the ability to send SMS, have full internet access, and the ability to erase a phone.

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And, this is only going to get worse with the newer AI technology until we can get a handle on hacking and tracking of AI such as bots and cars.


Virtual extortion is causing havoc as cyber criminals target companies of all sizes for ransom, according to the FBI. Here’s what needs to be done.

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Special courts for cyber criminals.


Police dept asks govt for two courts dedicated to dealing with online crime, to improve conviction rate.

Mumbai: As crimes increasingly go digital, Mumbai police are pushing for the creation of courts that would try only cyber crimes. They have submitted a proposal to the government seeking to establish two special courts for the purpose, in a move aimed to cut back delays in trials.

Joint commissioner of police (crime) Atulchandra Kulkarni said the force is looking forward to the government’s nod, since the courts seem to be ready for the shift.

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The bottom line is robots are machines; and like any other machine, a robot system can be (with the right expertise) reprogram. And, a connected robot to the net, etc. poses a risk as long as hackers poses a risk in the current Cyber environment. Again, I encourage government, tech companies, and businesses work collectively together in addressing the immediate challenge around Cyber Security.

And, there will need to be some way to also track robots & deactivate them remotely especially when the public are allowed to buy them (including criminals).


“We believe story comprehension in robots can eliminate psychotic-appearing behavior and reinforce choices that won’t harm humans and still achieve the intended goal”.

There’s no manual for being a good human, but greeting strangers as you walk by in the morning, saying thank you and opening doors for people are probably among the top things we know we should do, even if we sometimes forget.

The Quixote technique is best for robots that have a limited objective but need to interact with humans to achieve it, and it is a primitive first step toward general moral reasoning in AI, Riedl says.

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