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  2. October 2015

October 2015

COMPTEL Changes Name to INCOMPAS

To encompass the changes to its members' business, COMPTEL, which was founded to represent competitive telecommunications carriers, is changing its name to INCOMPAS. "In addition to competitive broadband providers, INCOMPAS now counts video providers, social media leaders, content providers, wireless companies, Internet companies, international leaders, start-ups and venture capitalists among its growing membership base," the association pointed out. That growth includes adding Google, Netflix, Amazon, Twitter, AngelList, Level 3, XO Communications, Rocket Fiber and T-Mobile in the past 18 months.

State and Local Internet of Things Activity Heats Up

One takeaway from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) conference is that state and local CIOs are beginning to think more about the Internet of Things as a tool for improving government performance. A formal survey released during the conference and informal polling conducted during the event showed similar results: A majority of CIOs are investigating how the emerging IoT will impact government operations, although most of that activity is in the preliminary stages.

The formal state CIO survey -- conducted by NASCIO, Grant Thornton and CompTIA – found that 53 percent of respondents are “investigating IoT in state government with informal discussions.” Eighteen percent said those discussions were occurring in a more formal way. The survey collected responses for 47 states, primarily from state CIOs. A quick poll of CIOs in the audience at the conference in Salt Lake City found that 52 percent are in the planning stage for IoT-powered smart government initiatives, while 27 percent said they’re already working on these types of projects.

Hillary Clinton attracts a rarity on the campaign trail -- an overwhelmingly female press corps

A few dozen reporters who regularly cover Hillary Clinton gathered in August to watch the first GOP debate at her headquarters in Brooklyn. MSNBC's Alex Seitz-Wald stopped for a moment and looked around. A second later, he realized what seemed strange: He was the only man in the room. At least 18 national media outlets have female reporters on the Clinton beat, across print, online, radio and TV. Some, such as NBC, have as many as three. Local outlets in Iowa and New Hampshire have female reporters on Clinton, as well. No one can remember a political press corps this heavily female.

The change seems to be a combination of more women doing political reporting in general, and many more being drawn to Clinton's potentially historic candidacy. It's made for an unusual atmosphere, with a female candidate sparring with a nearly all-female corps of reporters. It hasn’t brought Clinton more positive coverage, according to those both inside the campaign and outside it. But reporters and press aides alike note that there’s a different vibe nonetheless, punctuated by occasional expressions by the candidate herself of camaraderie for fellow pioneers.

More China App Store Headaches for Apple: Hundreds of Apps Found to Collect User Data

China continues to present some unusual challenges for Apple, which confirmed that it has removed apps that collected private user data such as e-mail addresses and device identifiers. Researchers from SourceDNA found 256 apps using a third-party advertising tool that harvested personal information and sent it off to its own servers. The software developer kit in question comes from a Chinese mobile advertising company, Youmi. Apple issued a statement confirming that Youmi’s software collected private information in violation of Apple’s security and privacy policies. These apps have been removed from the App Store

OPM Says it Breaks Encryption to Monitor Employees' Browsing Habits

Through a technique called "SSL decryption," the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sees through secure online transactions between a worker’s computer inside the agency firewall and an external website. As with massive eavesdropping by the National Security Agency, the idea of organizations routinely intercepting workers’ communications riles some civil liberties activists, acknowledged Jeff Wagner, OPM director of security operations.

"When I bring up SSL decryption -- first, it's always the 'How do you do it without the [Office of General Counsel] getting mad at you?'-discussion, which is true," he said. "You are going to get a lot of privacy questions." OPM officials peek at what their employees are browsing, because, increasingly the bad guys are using tainted websites as a launching pad, said Wagner.

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