Author: Chika Wonah Page 6 of 9

Understanding if Your Device Has Been Hacked

On February 15, 2021

In Blockchain, Chika Wonah, Digital, Internet of Things, Technology, Uncategorized

From social sites to banking, smart devices are increasingly becoming part of most people’s daily lives. Unfortunately, they are also exposing them to data snatchers, popularly known as hackers. The hackers may gain access to a device in many ways, but we will discuss how to know when that happens.

Receiving Random Pop-ups

Random pop-ups are not annoying, but they are among the most popular signs that a device got hacked. If one is getting random pop-ups from their browser, something has compromised their device with adware. Adware is popular with hackers when trying to force someone to view certain websites to drive revenues through viewership.

Draining Battery without Any Reason

If one notices that a device battery is quickly losing power for no reason, that is a sign that it has malware. This sudden loss of battery power is due to malware or spy-app that is operating from the background. The spy-app uses a lot of battery power to scan the device and transmit it to the hacker.

Poor Performance

One may notice that their device is suddenly crashing all the time or loading web pages much slower. When such happens, first try shutting down the machine, and take notice of what happens. If the device has gotten hacked, it may fail to shut down correctly or not shut down at all.

One can also notice slowed functionality of some operations, such as making calls or receiving text messages. Such things shouldn’t take long unless the device has a spy-app.

Increased Data Usage

Another indication of a compromised device is the exceptionally high data usage. The usage may be a result of a background running app communicating to a third-party.

Contact List Gets Call and Tests That the Owner Didn’t Make

When a device gets hacked, the hacker leaves the malware in the gadget and may use the contact list to spread it. One’s email list, text messages, or instant messages may transmit the malware to his contact through messages with links or attached files. Check out for complaints from the contact list about notifications that they supposedly received.

The Device’s Settings Change

If the hacker physically accesses a device, they may manually change its settings. For instance, one may notice that their device Bluetooth is on, despite them not switching it on. Such settings change maybe a sign of malware interfering with the device settings to spread it to other devices.

There are many ways to know when a device has gotten hacked. To prevent losing data or money, always take preventive measures. For example, one can run a malware scanner on their device.

Cybersecurity and Space Are Becoming a Key Battleground in 2021

By Chika Wonah

On January 14, 2021

In Blockchain, Chika Wonah, Digital, Internet of Things, Technology

Outer space is more critical to the global communication system than one would think. Communications, defense, transport, and more rely on it to send their signals. The world doesn’t realize how critical space cybersecurity is to modern life.

The following industries are vulnerable:

air travel
communications
defense
finance
trade

Satellites are very vulnerable to attack by bad actors. Cyberwarfare is becoming a bigger threat. Many countries are expanding their military to compete in this space.

What are the Vulnerabilities in Space Cybersecurity?

DDOS – Distributed Denial of Service

Sending massive amounts of data can overwhelm the receiving device. Many times the device will shut down or stop receiving communications. Other times it can overheat.

Losing a connection during a disaster or conflict would be extremely dangerous. It would disrupt first-responders or ground force’s communications.

Malware

Malicious code can exploit weak points in outdated software. Sometimes malware quietly eavesdrops on private communications. Other times malware causes deliberate damage.

Signal Spoofing

Signals are susceptible to interception and distortion. False communications can pose as a legitimate order.

Spoofing can hide locations of key assets too. One side would have accurate coordinates, while the other would not. Massive amounts of defense systems rely on accurate location coordinates.

Why Do Vulnerabilities Exist in Space?

Many of these satellites have been around for decades. They were not designed with modern cybersecurity in mind. Security was simply not considered.

Many of the solutions have been band-aid solutions. The design of older software and hardware focuses on ease of use. Every device and software will have vulnerabilities. This is more true the older and more out of date something is.

What Policies Can Solve These Issues?

Officials need to create a comprehensive plan to protect critical infrastructure. More nations and organizations are developing capabilities to cause damage.

Routine threat assessments will allow decision-makers to manage risk wisely. This will streamline establishing industry guidelines.

Allied-nations will have to work together to apply these standards. Data flows between many countries at any time. If one nation is lax in its protocols, it can compromise many other nations.

It is critical to pay attention to cybersecurity in space. More of the world’s economy and defense systems will rely on secure communications. The world must work together to mitigate its risk. Otherwise, it will be at the mercy of hostile nation-states and well-organized groups.

Cybersecurity Predictions for 2021

By Chika Wonah

On December 15, 2020

In Chika Wonah, Digital, Technology

The fast advancing technology comes with a significant challenge of cybersecurity for most enterprises. Cybersecurity has become a consideration for many organizations as attackers deploy all tactics to breach any security protocol laid down by companies.
The following will be the main focus, risks, and considerations in 2021 that cybersecurity leaders and other professionals will have to deal with:

1. Cybercriminals will target remote workers in 2021.
Remote working is trending in every organization due to COVID-19 restrictions. COVID-19 guidelines have made employees be allowed by their employers to work from home. Cybercriminals will, therefore, target enterprises with employees working remotely. Cybercriminals will be very busy launching attacks on companies unprepared to secure their remote workers from such attacks. As of now, numerous organizations have incurred unexpected costs caused by security breaches into their systems. Most of the employees’ gadgets lack advanced protection from malware infections.

2. Zero Trust Network Access will replace VPNs.
After many companies allowed their workers to work remotely, they installed Legacy Security Architecture such as VPNs to prevent attacks. However, VPNs have become prone to attacks. VPNs are not long-term solutions as they grant excessive access to the company’s internal resources. Cybercriminals can easily deploy ransomware to attack the unpatched VPNs.
However, global IT security teams are aware of the threat, and they are currently developing the Zero Trust Security Model, which will be released by 2021. Zero Trust Network Access only gives users access to only the area they are working on; thus, users have no permission outside their jurisdiction.

3. Widespread adoption of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE).
COVID-19 pandemic continues to make enterprises get reduced revenue; hence, many organizations have reduced their IT spending to cut down expenditures. Many companies will use multi-service integration technologies like Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) to cut down IT cost. The single control point will reduce IT cost, but a breach in the integrated system will allow attackers to access every resource.

4. The health sector will face significant security breaches.
Attackers will target hospitals as they face financial pressures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The health sector will experience more financial transactions hence making it a primary target in 2021.

5. Widespread digital transformation and internet use will lead to massive data exposure.
Most organizations will continue to allow their teams to work remotely. Businesses will continue to experience digital transformation with the remote worker embracing the 5G network, AI and ML-powered analytic, and cloud data management to ease their operations. However, data breaches will increase as hackers target the adoption of new technologies like the 5G network.

However, the challenges will not stop organizations from fully implementing and integrating modern technology into business operations. The advanced security remedies will caution the remote workforce from numerous cybersecurity exposures.

What is Social Proof?

By Chika Wonah

On September 8, 2020

In Chika Wonah, Digital, Technology

Social proof is the process where a customer researches a business, whether online or from close friends and family, to determine its popularity, professionalism, or efficacy. Before a customer commits to a product or service, they are likely to find the most popular option and go with that.

Based on the need to conform, social proofing aims to guide social awareness in a specific direction. In the digital age, it occurs mostly on social media sites where a customer would research the product from a pool of friends or reviewers to validate its authenticity. With this understanding, a business stands to benefit significantly through increased sales by Social proofing.

Social proofing is accomplished through several means such as:

Celebrity endorsements: Since celebrities wield a lot of influence over their fans, an endorsement goes a long way in drawing attention to a business. This type of promotion works even better, where the celebrity uses the same product that they endorse.

Customer reviews: Hearing the feedback from different users of the same product encourages a new customer. Reviews are considered much more honest and personal than regular ads. Rating systems on products also point an uncertain buyer to the most popular product based on other customers’ purchases.

Trust & Award badges: A business awarded with a client satisfaction award or trust badge from a regulated governing body also draws many new customers. These awards eliminate or diminish the fear of poor-quality products or services. The same effect can also be accomplished with a warranty offer, making a new customer feel safe in their purchase.

Social Media: This is one of the fastest-growing means of social proofing. Most younger buyers and online purchasers use platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to determine where to focus their attention.

Businesses with an online presence specifically stand to gain from this than those without. A professional, active and engaging social media presence for businesses presents them as far more appealing options than abandoned accounts, or worse, nonexistent ones.

Other social proofing methods, such as crowd wisdom and expert testimony, serve social proofing where adequately applied. Therefore, through crowd mentality manipulation, an upcoming business can benefit significantly from utilizing social proofing well.

Right to Repair and the Medical Field

By Chika Wonah

On May 20, 2020

In Chika Wonah, Technology

You might be somewhat familiar with this frustration: you have a piece of equipment or an electronic that has stopped working. You think you know what the problem is, but are stopped by a little sticker saying “warranty void if seal is broken.” You are forced to take the object to a licensed dealer or repair shop in order to receive service – and you may feel you end up paying more than the service is worth.
The Right to Repair
The right to repair movement lobbies for regular consumers to be allowed to repair products they’ve purchased. You may assume that this is a guaranteed right, but in reality many modern products – smartphones, farming equipment, and more – have stipulations or similar ‘seals’ that void the warranty, effectively preventing consumers from tampering with the inner workings of their products.
The Arguments
The website iFixit is a large repository of repair kits, as well as pushing for wider access to repair manuals. As COVID-19 has prevented easy access to non-essential repair services, they have pushed their agenda even further – into the medical field.
They have released a database of medical equipment maintenance information with the purpose of helping technicians repair equipment such as EKG monitors and ventilators. This equipment is life-saving in the best of times, but the pandemic has caused every last piece of equipment to be considered critical.
The Right to Repair argument is that the importance of these objects dictates a necessity for greater access to repair manuals and guides.
However, lobbyists against the Right to Repair make a reasonable argument that home-tinkering with electronics and equipment could cause risks to customer safety and security.
However, the Right to Repair supporters are quick to point out that easily accessible repair manuals would improve safety by preventing consumers from attempting repairs without aid.

This is a difficult topic to parse. The protection of the intellectual property is justified, as is concerns of user safety. But consumer rights are equally important, as are cases where access to repair shops and service technicians is difficult. How this debate evolves moving forward will have repercussions throughout the market.

The (Near) Future of Drone Delivery

By Chika Wonah

On October 22, 2019

In Chika Wonah, Technology

The possibility of drone delivery has been teetering on the horizon for years. There have been a plethora of questions stemming from the idea of commercial drone delivery. Things such as whether or not it could be considered trespassing, or what would happen if a drone was to malfunction and hurt someone are valid concerns when contemplating the future of deliveries made by machines.

Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration has granted a certification to UPS so that the company is now recognized as a commercial airline. UPS received something called a Part 135 Standard certification which allows them to operate as many drones as they wish, wherever they’d like. The company has already been testing a delivery service in Raleigh, North Carolina and it appears that they’re gearing up to expand their reach.

Now, pushing the reality of drone delivery along is the announced partnership of UPS with retail pharmacy, CVS. The two have teamed up to develop a drone delivery service. The initiative has already created a unit called UPS Flight Forward which is pushing to make drove deliveries a reality across markets and throughout the United States.

There has not been a date set for when the drove deliveries could actually begin taking place, but both companies believe that the service could expand customer experience by improving convenience and building a lower-cost, more efficient delivery model. While the FAA has certified UPS, there are a few strict rules for commercial drone services. The flying machines are only supposed to operate during daylight hours, away from people, and always within the pilot’s line of sight.

UPS has been testing the delivery service by carrying medical samples between facilities in Raeighligh with success. Now, they’ve come up with a design that would launch the drones from the top of their delivery trucks, so that essentially, the drones are working alongside drivers, increasing the rate of deliveries.

The UPS/CVS partnership is not the only one of its kind making big moves in drone delivery. Wing, a company owned by Alphabet has announced a trial service, delivering to customers in Christiansburg, Virginia. Wing has teamed up with Walgreens and FedEx Express for their own similar service and are also running delivery trials in Europe and Australia.

It seems that advances with drone deliveries are increasing rapidly. While UPS has received the certification from the FAA there are still many parts of the equation that will need answers moving forward. For the time being, it will depend on individual states to regulate the companies further. However, things are shaping up and it seems that the companies slow and measured approach is working.

While in the past it seemed questionable whether drone delivery was possible or not, now it only seems like a question of when.

Galaxy Note 10+ Review

By Chika Wonah

On September 4, 2019

In Chika Wonah, Digital, Technology, Uncategorized

The Galaxy Note was in a league of its own when it was first introduced. It was the first phone to include a stylus, have an over-sized screen, and it was much more powerful than other Android phones on the market. But now that other phones are catching on to those trends, how does the Note 10+ stand out from the other options out there?

The S Pen

Galaxy Notes are among the only phones (although there are others) that come with stylus pens, also known as S Pens. S Pens make using your phone easier and allow you to be more precise than using your finger does.

In case you’re not familiar with other Notes, the S Pen charges in the silo. It includes a button that can perform simple functions and has basic tilt detection.

The S Pen on the Note 10+ has some new features, including a gyroscope and an accelerometer. Those basically allow you to do some fun things with your phone without actually touching the screen. This is achieved with the help of Bluetooth. These features work from a distance, even as far as 15 feet away, but they only work with specific apps like Spotify and the camera.

The Note 10+’s S Pen also has many other functions such as magnifying the screen, shrinking apps to be thumbnails, and control the volume without touching the volume key.

The Software

The Note 10+ comes with optical character recognition (OCR). OCR can convert hand-written letters into code, which allows you to scribble down notes and then converted them into texts, files, or even Word documents. Other Galaxy notes had this feature, but they required you to work through apps. That extra step is no longer necessary.

Another new feature of the Note 10+ is its video editing tool. Most phones come with some sort of video editing app, but the one included with the Note 10+ is particularly easy to use. You can effortlessly add several clips with transitions, music, and effects— even if you’ve never made a video before. The stylus helps you to trim clips with precision. You can have a video ready in just a few minutes.

The Note 10+ also comes with “AR Doodle,” which allows you to draw on faces in your pictures or videos. If you draw on a face in a video, the doodles will stay with your subject. So, for example, if you draw a mustache on your friend’s face, it will follow him or her around for the remainder of the video.

The Downside

The Galaxy Note 10+ is an extremely powerful and well-made phone, but it comes with a downside. The downside is its price tag. It starts at $1,100, which is quite higher than many other phones with similar features. However, you won’t find another phone with a stylus quite like the Note 10+, so if you think it’s worth it, this is the phone for you!

How Technology is Hurting People

By Chika Wonah

On September 4, 2019

In Chika Wonah, Digital, Internet of Things, Technology

Technology comes with a plethora of benefits, but it also has a downside. When technology begins to interfere with our relationships and our physical and mental health, we need to take a step back and re-evaluate. Here are some ways that technology is hurting people:

Social interaction

Despite the fact that most of us are spending our time on social media, technology is causing us to become antisocial. We are spending less time together face-to-face. We are also talking to each other less and instead prefer texting as our primary form of communication.

Worse yet, social media is designed to be addictive. Companies that profit from your use of social media want you to stay on their apps as long as possible, so they’ve created things like the “infinite scroll” that we are accustomed to, which is highly habit-forming. Our smartphone addictions cause us to look at our phones through meals and other social gatherings, rather than talk to our family and friends. This is deeply affecting most of our relationships.

Physical health

Time spent watching TV or staring at other screens is the time that we are missing out on physical exercise. Teens and pre-teens are spending an average of over nine hours a day on their devices. If you combine this with the number of time kids spend in school and sleep at night, there’s no way the average American teen is getting the proper amount of physical activity.

Furthermore, many people, including teens and children, are eating in front of their televisions. Studies show that people eat more when they are distracted. We’ve all been there, right? You sit in front of the TV, grab a bag of chips, and the next thing you know— the bag’s empty. Overeating can easily happen when we aren’t paying attention to our food intake because it takes the brain some time to send us signals to stop eating.

Mental and emotional health

Mental health problems have been linked to technology overuse. Studies have shown correlations between the amount of time spent on smartphones and depression, anxiety, and problems sleeping.

There’s also plenty of evidence that suggests that as technology continues to take over, happiness declines. The General Social Survey asks people to rate their levels of happiness and has shown that there are over 50% more people who report being unhappy than there were in the 1990s.

What can we do?

Technology is here to stay, so what can we do to prevent it from negatively affecting our society? We need to start by recognizing the problems and then addressing them. If you have an addiction to your phone, go without it for a few days. After that, you can return to using it but do so in moderation.

Also, be sure to monitor technology use for children and teenagers who are in your life. Kids don’t understand the consequences of playing video games all day, but they will still have to live with them if we don’t intervene.

Technology does not have to be a negative thing. As long as we are responsible and aware, we can ensure that we enjoy the many benefits of technology without the consequences of overuse.

The Virtual Future of Restaurants

By Chika Wonah

On August 15, 2019

In Uncategorized

The restaurant industry is experiencing a major shift. Food delivery apps are quickly reshaping how people eat. As these services become more and more common, restaurants will see a lower need for servers or even having dining rooms at all.
On demand, meal delivery services such as UberEats, GrubHub, and DoorDash are paving the way for virtual restaurants. Over time delivery has gotten faster, and in turn, more people are enjoying staying in and having their meals brought to them. This has changed what it means to own a dining establishment.
Aspiring restaurant owners no longer need to rent space for a dining room. Instead, all they need is a kitchen and a phone. By getting a position on a meal-delivery app they can market their food without diners even knowing that there may not be a physical dining establishment. This also helps keep money in their pockets by avoiding the expense of paying for furniture, tablecloths, or even hiring waiters.
There are two types of this digital culinary establishment. One is a virtual restaurant that is actually attached to a real building, with a dining room that people patron. The other is something like a “ghost kitchen”. These places have no real retail presence, aside from preparing the meals for delivery orders.
The first type, is what comes to mind when most people imagine where they’re ordering their food from. Most of these restaurants have a specific menu for delivery apps that differs from what they offer to customers dining in. Many places have seen a huge increase in take out orders thanks to the creation of these apps. Even places that offered take out options now can do delivery without worrying about adding a driver to their staff. This is what comes to mind when most people, casually scanning Grubhub, imagine where their meal is coming from.
Uber has been a leading force in the second type of establishment. “Ghost kitchens” have been on the rise and since 2017 Uber has helped nearly 4,000 of them get started. For the average app delivery user, these “ghost kitchens” are pretty unheard of. They have names that sound like any normal restaurant and they offer meal options that match their competitors.
However, with any advance in technology, there will be a few growing pains. For one, the relationship between chef and patron does not exists when you’re staying home to eat. This may lead to less creative drive, due to chefs not having an emotional connection with the food they are making. And while “ghost kitchens” save tremendously on overhead, their competition will definitely see their profit margins narrow as neighborhoods jump on the virtual restaurant train.
Every sit down establishment won’t disappear overnight. However, this new technology is shifting the industry in a sensational way.

AI and Medical Diagnosis

By Chika Wonah

On July 14, 2019

In Chika Wonah, Technology

Researchers in the United States and China have made progress on an artificial intelligence (AI) solution for diagnosing common illnesses. A paper was published in Nature Medicine that describes a computerized system that takes patient data such as lab results and history to deliver diagnoses for various childhood illnesses and common medical conditions.

The researchers report that the results of the early experiments have been very accurate. This experiment reveals that AI systems are likely to play an important role in assisting doctors in the diagnostic process in the near future. The advantage of artificial intelligence is that it removes some of the bias that creeps into the process when human judgment is entered into the equation.

The AI system was developed through a training procedure that utilized a large body of medical data derived from over 600,000 patients from China. Researchers believe that this Chinese AI system could move them toward the forefront of AI technology as science advances in the coming years. China has some advantages in AI diagnostic technology because they have a vast population and fewer privacy restrictions on medical data. This provides more data to train the AI systems to become more accurate and powerful as a tool for diagnosis.

In light of the importance of developments in AI diagnostic technology, the US administration has signed an executive order that establishes a new American initiative to advance the field of AI. This establishes a precedent that encourages universities and government organizations to place more emphasis on developing the technology. The key to making progress is to find vast amounts of data in many different places in order to train the software machine learning algorithms.

In light of recent strides for driverless cars and personal assistant technology, medical diagnosis is a logical step in the advancement of artificial intelligence. In order to assure patients that the diagnoses are reliable, a lot of testing and research still needs to be done. AI is not likely to be seen in emergency rooms and clinics for years to come. In areas of the world where doctors are in short supply, it is more likely that machine-based diagnostics will become prevalent. Due to the large population of China, researchers predict that AI diagnostics is likely to emerge there soon.