Newsletter Volume 27 Issue 5, May 2015
From The Editor
Are we heading for the ICT equivalent of the Global Financial Crisis? Will sub prime software development be the equivalent of sub prime mortgages? Worrying trends are surfacing in separate areas of software quality. These are not just the usual types of bugs and blunders we have come to expect in media reports. Now experts are warning of potentially devastating vulnerabilities.
In one case, the warnings have been unheeded for years until recent Fox news and CNN ran stories about the danger of hacking into airplanes in flight, The “hacker” commented “This has been a known issue for 4 or 5 years where a bunch of us has stood up and pounded our chest and said this is an issue…Are they pissed because there are credible threats and we’re giving those credible threats more intelligence, or because we’re standing up and saying ‘there’s a problem,’ or because they can’t get anywhere with this? I don’t know.” See below, The Airline Bug Scandal.
In another case, “Software quality and security specialists are struggling to apply conventional safeguards to new and rapidly changing technologies. Now, new research is showing that conventional software or network-based security measures can be undermined.” See below,Application Security: Disasters Waiting To Happen?
Our April article on The Mobile Technology in the Classroom Debate looked at the questions: “Is mobile technology in the classroom bad for students’ social, emotional and personal development? Is there an “App Gap” holding low-income children back? Is digital inequality a serious social disadvantage?” The latest research findings from different sources look at the questions: Are massive open online courses (MOOCs) giving the expected benefits? Does banning mobiles in schools improve student performance? See below,Mobile Technology in the Classroom Debate: New Findings
“Two postdoctoral researchers took to the internet last month after having their research paper rejected for publication on laughably sexist grounds.”
Our February Newsletter article Women in Leadership: More Facts and Misconceptions spoke of “some evidence of a societal shift” on gender bias. Unfortunately, there is some more recent evidence of a distinct lack of shift in some Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. See below, Sexism in STEM
Current Issue
Articles in the current Issue cover:
The Airline Bug Scandal
“Security researchers have long warned that hackers could jump from in-flight entertainment systems in the passenger cabin to cockpit avionics systems if airlines did not take proper precautions.”
Application Security: Disasters Waiting To Happen?
“Conventional protections such as software or network-based security measures could be undermined by altering the logic of a system utilizing programmable devices .”
Mobile Technology in the Classroom Debate: New Findings
“Some institutions and staff do not appear to know why they are engaged in MOOC activity apart from a fear of being left behind or that they have been told to do it.”
Sexism in STEM
“The sound of foreheads being slapped rung out across the globe. The internet was ablaze with righteous feminist fury, collegiate sympathy and words of support.””
Events
“The World’s most successful Awards Program”
Consensus (www.consensus.com.au) runs a series of Awards Programs that identify the most innovative technology designed and developed in Australia (and some in New Zealand ). Over 400 evaluations of innovation have been conducted by the 130 Judges since the Awards were started in 2000. Recent independent analysis of the Winners of the Awards shows that 9 out of 10 (90%) of the Winners of Consensus Awards have gone on to perform exceptionally well internationally. The same research showed that across the board, the companies have enjoyed over 1200% increase in sales or value since they have won Awards.
Based upon these achievements, Consensus can truly claim to be the World’s Most Successful Awards Program. In June 2015, a Consensus Showcase will profile over 100 CEOs of previous winners. The value of the companies that will be present is in excess of $8 Billion. At the same event, Consensus will be presenting the Consensus Student Innovation Awards, Consensus IT Professional Awards, Consensus IT Writers Awards and the BigData Innovation Awards. For more information please emailcontact@consensus.com.au
Ted Smillie
QESP Chairman