The Weekly Cypher is specially curated to keep you up-to-date on the latest in cybersecurity, biometrics, and related news and innovations. Here are a few of the headlines you might have missed this week:
NIST Publishes Report on IoT Standards | NIST
The NIST Interagency International Cybersecurity Standardization Working Group recently published a report on standards for the Internet of Things (IoT), targeting both government agencies and the public. The report outlines primary IoT risks and threats, analysis of the IoT landscape, and relevant IoT standards as they relate to core areas of cybersecurity. This report will help policymakers, managers, and anyone interested in security best practices who are looking to develop or implement IoT systems. [Read More]
MIT Develops Power Efficient Neural Network Chip | The Inquirer
Neural networks provide the backbone for artificial intelligence systems, particularly those used for voice and face recognition systems. However, they’re also incredibly energy intensive, often running across numerous networked machines at once. Researchers at MIT recently developed a new neural network chip that would dramatically reduce the power requirements for neural network processing by up to 95 percent. Reduced energy demands will allow these networks to run locally on devices as small as a smartphone, or even on IoT devices. [Read More]
Facebook Looks to Educate Users on Security | Dark Reading
Facebook plans to take advantage of a key opportunity to educate its 2.13 billion users on cybersecurity best practices. Early steps include redesigning the site itself with a focus on security, making it easier for users to update their security settings. However, there is more to the social media giant’s plan, including offering users VPN access through its newest feature, “Protect.” However, security experts believe the company needs to be more transparent in how it’s handling security issues and partner with security firms to offer more protection to its users. [Read More]
United States Testing Facial Recognition for Border Control in Airports | Nextgov
The US department of Customs and Border Protection is testing facial recognition systems in select airports across the country in an effort to improve security and expedite boarding. The agency recently kicked off the project in conjunction with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the Los Angeles International Airport. The system will match captured images of passengers with their passport photos, and the agency hopes to use the system to identify 97 percent of fliers leaving the country by 2022. However, some experts warn that the system is likely to be problematic at first, and will struggle with accurately identifying ethnic minorities. [Read More]
