From The Editor

 “There was a Wired article titled “Deep Learning isn’t a Dangerous Genie, it is Just Math”. This is really the most vacuous statement I’ve heard!”

The above argument between WIRED and Intuition Machine dates back to 2016 but is part of an ongoing controversy which engages some of the best minds on the planet. See below, How Dangerous Is Deep Learning

“We asked a panel of experts to weigh in: how is the government doing 12 months into its cybersecurity strategy?”

The above quote is from a June 2, 2017 in The Conversation. The report card from the experts shows some progress but much still to be done. The experts give advice on the way forward. See below, One year on, is Australia’s cybersecurity strategy on track? Experts respond. 

“proper treatment of sensitive or confidential information stored on the cloud cannot be taken for granted: the security of the cloud environment is not immune to hacker attacks or misuse by a cloud provider.”

A May 29, 2017  ScienceDaily article from Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) tells us how to take control of our cloud data . See below, Taking control back from the cloud.

“despite extensive public debate about their use and privacy implications, little is known about how comprehensively International Mobile Subscriber Identity- (IMSI) catchers — also known as cell-site simulators or Stingrays — are being used by governments, hackers or criminals in any given city.”

This quote is from a June 2, 2017 ScienceDaily article by University of Washington, which features new system called SeaGlass “to detect anomalies in the cellular landscape that can indicate where and when IMSI-catchers, cell-site simulators and other devices used in cell phone surveillance are present.”  See below, Catching the IMSI-catchers: SeaGlass brings transparency to cell phone surveillance. 

Current Issue

Articles in the current Issue cover:

How Dangerous Is Deep Learning?     

“Professor Leveson  gives examples of a range of aerospace disasters and shows how they could have been prevented  by using the System – Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP.)” 

One year on, is Australia’s cybersecurity strategy on track? Experts respond

“ The ASPI report highlights encouraging progress and commitment from both the government and private sector to Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy. Despite this interest, there are some pressing challenges in this report that warrant further analysis.” 

Taking control back from the cloud

“A user-controlled file security scheme makes it possible to instantly revoke access to files hosted on Internet cloud servers.”

Catching the IMSI-catchers: SeaGlass brings transparency to cell phone surveillance

“ For instance, around an immigration services building south of Seattle run by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, SeaGlass detected a cell tower that transmitted on six different frequencies over the two-month period. That was notable because 96 percent of all other base cell towers broadcast on a single channel, and the other 4 percent only used two or three channels.”

QESP Blog

Seeing things that others miss

Here is your chance to check whether you have a creative personality. A May 29, 2017 article in The Conversation,  People with creative personalities really do see the world differently,  includes the following test:

“Another well-known perceptual phenomenon is called inattentional blindness. People experience this when they are so focused on one thing that they completely fail to see something else right before their eyes.

In a famous illustration of this perceptual glitch, participants were asked to watch a short video of people tossing a basketball to one another, and to track the total number of passes between the players wearing white.

Try this out yourself, before reading further!” Seeing things that others miss

Events

A re-run of the popular Creating New Jobs in ICT joint ACS NSW/QESP event will be held in Parramatta on Thursday 17th August for members in that area who were unable to attend the 6th April and 17^th May Sydney events. The venue will be the ProGalore Parramatta Office or the Western Sydney University Parramatta City campus at 169 Macquarie Street (to be confirmed.) Further details will be available on the QESP website.

Quotes

Quote of the Day

Each time I shut my computer down, I throw my head back in maniacal laughter and scream “Fool! I was only using you!” – Bridger Winegar

Quote from Yesteryear

“One should expect that the expected can be prevented, but the unexpected should have been expected.”- Norman R. Augustine

Ted Smillie

QESP Chair