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Targeted Job Ads on Facebook Raise Age Discrimination Questions

The ability of advertisers to deliver their message to the precise audience most likely to respond is the cornerstone of Facebook’s business model. But using the system to expose job opportunities only to certain age groups has raised concerns about fairness to older workers. Several experts questioned whether the practice is in keeping with the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, which prohibits bias against people 40 or older in hiring or employment.

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Tax Overhaul Could Prompt Apple to Bring Cash Back to U.S.

The U.S. Republican tax overhaul passed by Congress will allow Apple Inc. to bring back its $252.3 billion foreign cash pile without a major tax hit -- a long-standing company goal. But not everything went the company’s way. A critical difference between the Senate version of the bill and the final version could actually raise the amount of cash taxes that Apple pays on profits from patents held abroad, tax experts said.

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Romanian Hackers Infiltrated Most D.C. Police Surveillance Cameras

Two Romanian hackers infiltrated nearly two-thirds of the outdoor surveillance cameras in Washington, DC, as part of an extortion scheme, according to federal court documents. In a criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. government alleges that the two Romanian hackers operating outside the United States infiltrated 65% of the outdoor surveillance cameras operated by D.C. city police -- that's 123 cameras out of 187 in the city.

  • Read the article: CNN
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Company Sues Reporter for Article on Password Manager's Flaws

Keeper, a password manager software maker, has filed a lawsuit against a news reporter and its publication after a story was posted reporting a vulnerability disclosure. Dan Goodin, security editor at Ars Technica, was named defendant in a suit filed Tuesday by Chicago-based Keeper Security, which accused Goodin of "false and misleading statements" about the company's password manager.

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North Korea Investigated for Heist from Bitcoin Exchange

Investigators in South Korea are looking into North Korea’s possible involvement in a heist from a bitcoin exchange that collapsed, according to people familiar with the situation, as the sanctions-choked regime develops new ways to raise money. The investigation into the hack, led by South Korean law enforcement and a state cybersecurity agency, is still in its infancy and a review of the malware code could take weeks, the people said.

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U.S. Banking Regulator Plays Down Concerns Over Bitcoin Risks

A U.S. banking regulator said on that bitcoin does not currently pose a threat to the country’s banking system and that there is “space” for innovative financial technology firms to operate in the traditional lending business. The marketplace is watching closely to see how Joseph Otting, who was sworn in as Comptroller of the Currency last month, will address a slew of issues including virtual currencies, fintech, and President Trump’s pledge to roll back rules introduced following the 2008 financial crisis.

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SEC Suspends Trading in Soaring Shares of Cryptocurrency Company

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission temporarily suspended trading in shares of The Crypto Co., whose stock has surged more than 2,700 percent this month. The commission cited concerns about the "accuracy and adequacy of information in the marketplace about, among other things, the compensation paid for promotion of the company, and statements in Commission filings about the plans of the company's insiders to sell their shares of The Crypto Company's common stock."

  • Read the article: CNBC
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White House Says Facebook, Microsoft Stopped North Korean Hackers

The White House commended Facebook and Microsoft, and others as well, for shutting down North Korean hacking operations during the last week. The revelation came during a press conference in which Tom Bossert, homeland security adviser to President Trump, accused North Korea of masterminding the WannaCry ransomware attack earlier this year.

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U.S. Officially Blames North Korea for 'WannaCry' Cyberattack

North Korea was behind the massive “WannaCry” cyberattack in May that spread around the world costing billions of dollars, White House Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. In the article, titled, “It’s Official: North Korea Is Behind WannaCry,” Bossert wrote that the Hermit Kingdom was the main culprit behind the May 2017 global cyberattack in which computers running Windows were targeted. 

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French Data Protection Agency Gives WhatsApp One-Month Deadline

Facebook Inc.’s messaging service WhatsApp was given a one-month ultimatum by one of Europe’s strictest privacy watchdogs, which ordered it to stop sharing user data with its parent without getting the necessary consent. France’s data protection authority CNIL gave a sharp warning to WhatsApp by issuing a formal notice, criticizing it for “insufficiently” cooperating.

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France Files Complaint Against Amazon for Abusing Position with Suppliers

The French government has filed a complaint with the Paris Commerce Court against e-commerce company Amazon for abusing its dominant position with some suppliers, newspaper Le Parsien said. Under the complaint, which follows a two-year investigation by the DGCCRF consumer fraud watchdog, the Economy Ministry is seeking a fine of 10 million euros ($11.8 million) against Amazon, the newspaper said.

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Kaspersky Sues U.S. for Banning Its Software on Government Networks

Moscow-based security software maker Kaspersky Lab said it has asked a U.S. federal court to overturn a Trump administration ban on use of its products in government networks, saying the move deprived the company of due process. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in September issued a directive ordering civilian government agencies to remove Kaspersky software from their networks within 90 days.

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CIA-Trained Contractors Spied for Uber, Former Employee Says

In June 2016, Uber Technologies Inc. contractors trained by the Central Intelligence Agency allegedly spied on another firm’s executives and sent live video to then-Chief Executive Travis Kalanick in the company’s “War Room.” That allegation is among the claims made by a former Uber official in a 37-page letter delivered in May to management that paints the ride-hailing firm as a paranoid company with a sophisticated intelligence apparatus designed to gain an edge on rivals and trick regulators.

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South Korea Blames North for Attacks on Cryptocurrency Exchanges

South Korea’s spy agency said North Korean hackers were behind attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges this year in which some 7.6 billion won ($6.99 million) worth of cryptocurrencies were stolen, a newspaper reported. The cyber attacks attributed to North Korean hackers also included the leaking of personal information from 36,000 accounts from the world’s busiest cryptocurrency exchange Bitthumb in June, South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo reported, citing the country’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Read the article: Reuters

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Regulators Push Social Media Stars to Disclose Brand Relationships

Influencers, the social-media stars courted by fashion, beauty and luxury brands for their legions of internet followers, are attracting a new crowd -- regulators. These stars offer their fans on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms what might seem like unscripted glimpses into their daily lives, complete with products and brand mentions -- but sometimes without disclosing that companies have paid them in cash, goods or services.

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