Tech Time Warp: Conficker, the Botnet that became too hot to handle
Conficker is a piece of malware we just can’t seem to quit. Despite first being identified in November 2008, some estimate that as of September 2020 there were still 150,000 Conficker detections a month, mostly in vastly populated Brazil and...
Pioneers in Tech: Evelyn Berezin, Word Processing Trailblazer
The story of Evelyn Berezin’s decision to start the Redactron Corporation begins with one of those anecdotes that seems unbelievable today. The computer programmer had received a prestigious job offer from the New York Stock Exchange—only to have the offer...
Tech Time Warp: The first computer election prediction
In a year when we’ve all become amateur epidemiologists, this week we’ve also received a crash course in ballot counting and election predictions. So it’s only fitting to look back at Nov. 4, 1952, a night of multiple presidential election...
Tech Time Warp: The father of RFID technology
As National Cybersecurity Awareness Month wraps up, it’s important to remember that cybersecurity goes beyond your laptop and your smartphone. Even as mundane an object as your office security fob is potentially vulnerable to a cyberattack—likely not something contemplated in...
Tech Time Warp: Credit card companies put PCI compliance in place
We were headed toward a nearly cashless society anyway, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of “contactless” transactions is likely the final push over the edge. Every time you place a takeout order via a mobile app, you’re putting...
The Creeper and the Reaper make cybersecurity history
“I’M THE CREEPER. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.” This eerie message is the equivalent of “hello, world!” in cybersecurity history. In 1971, Bob Thomas, an engineer at BBN Technologies in Cambridge, Massachusetts, developed the first computer worm, dubbed the “Creeper.”
Pioneers in Tech: Becky Bace, the “Den Mother of Computer Security”
Picture a “cybersecurity expert” in your mind, and then catch yourself if you imagine a stereotype. Not every cybersecurity expert is a white male—as proven by the influence and impact of Rebecca “Becky” Bace, an intrusion detection pioneer who passed...
Tech Time Warp: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month turns 17
For the past 17 years, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) have used the month of October to educate Americans about the importance of good cybersecurity habits. Much has changed since the...
Tech Time Warp: CompuServe brings online access to consumers
“Last night we … had a party for 11 people in nine different states and only had to wash one glass.” This isn’t a description of a Zoom happy hour. It’s the tagline of a 1983 magazine ad for CompuServe,...
Tech Time Warp: WebTV, your smart TV’s ancestor
Most of us have relied on streaming services to stay semi-sane during COVID-19 shutdowns. Did you know your smart TV has its roots in WebTV, a product that was truly ahead of its time (and its available bandwidth)?
