October 2019 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

GNOME files defense against patent troll
by Giacomo Tesio Oct. 21, 2019

Oct. 21, 2019

A month ago, GNOME was hit by a patent troll for developing the Shotwell image management application. It’s the first time a free software project has been targeted in this way, but we worry it won’t be the last. Rothschild Patent Imaging, LLC offered to let us settle for a high five figure amount, for which they would drop the case and give us a licence to carry on developing Shotwell. This would have been simple to do so; it would have caused less work, cost less money, and provided the Foundation a lot less stress. But it also would be wrong. Agreeing to this would leave this patent live, and allow this to be used as a weapon against countless others. We will stand firm against this baseless attack, not just for GNOME and Shotwell, but for all free and open source software projects. For these reasons, GNOME Foundation Executive Director Neil McGovern instructed our legal counsel at Shearman & Sterling to file three papers with the court in California. Continua su https://www.gnome.org/news/2019/10/gnome-files-defense-against-patent-troll/ Giacomo

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What does the FSF censor during the Richard Stallman lynching?
by Giacomo Tesio Oct. 21, 2019

Oct. 21, 2019

https://danielpocock.com/what-does-fsf-censor/ In my previous blog, I looked at how to work around censorship in mailing lists, especially the Free Software Foundation. After all, the Free Software Foundation tells us that they use the word Free as in Speech, rather than Free as in Beer. [...] Why do the FSF staff censor an email like this supporting the founder of their organization and the founder of the Free Software movement? Has the FSF become another Fake Community? Since raising the issue of censorship in FSF, I received a number of emails from people who feel their own communications have been censored. It looks like censorship is being used for multiple reasons: - To censor communications about the lynching of Richard Stallman and hide the voices supporting him - To hide the questions about former FSF employee Molly de Blanc and the conflicts of interest that helped her rise to the role of OSI board president. - To hide questions about money from Google that has poisoned other organizations ($300,000 to Debian before the Debian Christmas lynchings, €75,000 to FSFE when they abolished community representatives). How much does FSF receive from Google, why do they dodge these questions? Just as MIT Media Lab staff systematically hid donations from convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Free Software organizations are systematically hiding donations from Google. Censorship is one of the tools they use to achieve this deception. ____ Dannati hacker... si ostinano a pensare con la propria testa! Giacomo

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Cyberbullismo: nasce la figura del "Difensore della cybervittima" che difende con uno "Scudo" dai prepotenti del web | AgenSIR
by don Luca Peyron Oct. 21, 2019

Oct. 21, 2019

Buone nuove Dl https://www.agensir.it/quotidiano/2019/10/21/cyberbullismo-nasce-la-figura-…

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73° Nexa Lunch Seminar | 23 ottobre 2019
by Anita Botta Oct. 21, 2019

Oct. 21, 2019

REMINDER: vi ricordiamo che mercoledì 23 ottobre, dalle ore 13.00 alle ore 14.00, si svolgerà il 73° Nexa Lunch Seminar, con un incontro dal titolo: People-Driven Innovation Ospite: Alberto Robiati (Fondazione Human+). Maggiori informazioni sono disponibili all’indirizzo: https://nexa.polito.it/lunch-73 Cordiali saluti -- Anita Botta Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino – DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino -- web: http://nexa.polito.it mail: anita.botta(a)polito.it tel: 011 090 7219

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Internet Governance Forum 2019, 29-31 Ottobre 2019, Politecnico di Torino
by Anita Botta Oct. 21, 2019

Oct. 21, 2019

Gentilissimi, Internet Governance Forum Italia è ormai alle porte. Il programma, ampio e articolato, vedrà la partecipazione di rappresentanti dei più diversi settori della ampia comunità interessata alla governance di Internet. È possibile consultare il calendario completo degli incontri proposti alla pagina indicata: http://www.igfitalia2019.polito.it/programma. La partecipazione è gratuita ed aperta a tutti, fino al riempimento della sala. Per ragioni logistiche è però necessaria la registrazione, che si può effettuare comodamente online alla pagina: http://www.igfitalia2019.polito.it/registrazione [igfitalia2019.polito.it] Vi invito a registrarvi appena possibile, per evitare le code in caso di registrazione al banco ricevimento in sede e per poter disporre da subito dell’accesso al WIFI di Ateneo. Cordiali saluti -- Anita Botta Communication Manager Nexa Center for Internet & Society Politecnico di Torino – DAUIN Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 - 10129 Torino -- web: http://nexa.polito.it mail: anita.botta(a)polito.it tel: 011 090 7219

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Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords | Ars Technica
by J.C. DE MARTIN Oct. 21, 2019

Oct. 21, 2019

Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords Amazon- and Google-approved apps turned both voice-controlled devices into "smart spies." by Dan Goodin - Oct 21, 2019 1:05am CEST https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/alexa-and-google-hom… (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

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Manufacturing an Artificial Intelligence Revolution (2017)
by Giacomo Tesio Oct. 20, 2019

Oct. 20, 2019

While the term "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) was coined in the 1950s, in recent years AI has become a focus of attention in mainstream media. Yet the forces behind AI's revival have been unclear. I argue here that the "AI" label has been rebranded to promote a contested vision of world governance through big data. Major tech companies have played a key role in the rebranding, partly by hiring academics that work on big data (which has been effectively relabeled "AI") and helping to create the sense that super-human AI is imminent. However, I argue that the latest AI systems are premised on an old behaviorist view of intelligence that's far from encompassing human thought. In practice, the confusion around AI's capacities serves as a pretext for imposing more metrics upon human endeavors and advancing traditional neoliberal policies. The revived AI, like its predecessors, seeks intelligence with a "view from nowhere" (disregarding race, gender and class)---which can also be used to mask institutional power in visions of AI-based governance. Ultimately, AI's rebranding showcases how corporate interests can rapidly reconfigure academic fields. It also brings to light how a nebulous technical term (AI) may be exploited for political gain. Un brillante paper del 2017 che mi ero perso https://ssrn.com/abstract=3078224 Giacomo

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Re: [nexa] nexa Digest, Vol 126, Issue 30
by Agata Lo Tauro Oct. 20, 2019

Oct. 20, 2019

Volevo ringraziare di cuore Julian per il suo contributo Editoriale: "Una riforma per gli onesti" <http://demartin.polito.it/node/198> *Una riforma per gli onesti* Juan Carlos De Martin La Repubblica, p. 1, 27 settembre 2017 Lo stimo moltissimo (ed io dico sempre quello che penso... nel bene e nel male...) Ecco perchè io sono una FNEXA Io lotto anche contro la fuga dei talenti, come umanamente posso... ma cosa dovrei dire ai mie alunni che fuggono via... sbagliate? "Prof. Agata qui ci trattano male" loro dicomno??? Test di sbarramento meritocratici/inclusivi??? Vi invio anche questo informazioni (ma sono solo alcuni esempi... spunti di riflessione?) Università italiana: 110 e lode in clientelismo (bocciata in ... https://www.riparteilfuturo.it › clientelismo-baronato-nepotismo-universita <https://www.riparteilfuturo.it/blog/articoli/clientelismo-baronato-nepotism…> <https://www.google.com/search?q=Universit%C3%A0+corruzione&oq=Universit%C3%…> 1. <https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:A1t17p-lxU8J:https://…> 27 lug 2018 - Non mancano le denunce, gli arresti, le notizie sui media. Ma la lotta alle forme di corruzione nell'università italiana è ancora ai minimi termini. https://www.riparteilfuturo.it/blog/articoli/clientelismo-baronato-nepotism… Una buona domenica a tutti Il giorno sab 19 ott 2019 alle ore 20:50 <nexa-request(a)server-nexa.polito.it> ha scritto: > Send nexa mailing list submissions to > nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > nexa-request(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > You can reach the person managing the list at > nexa-owner(a)server-nexa.polito.it > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of nexa digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. How Abusers Are Exploiting Smart Home Devices - VICE > (Alberto Cammozzo) > 2. Google chief: I'd disclose smart speakers before guests enter > my home - BBC News (Alberto Cammozzo) > 3. Vatican's wearable rosary gets fix for app flaw allowing easy > hacks - CNET (Alberto Cammozzo) > 4. La chat dove regna l'orrore dei nostri adolescenti lasciati > soli (don Luca Peyron) > 5. interessante (Stefano Quintarelli) > 6. Re: interessante (Mario Sabatino) > 7. Re: interessante (Andrea Trentini) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 18:41:06 +0200 > From: Alberto Cammozzo <ac+nexa(a)zeromx.net> > To: Center Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > Subject: [nexa] How Abusers Are Exploiting Smart Home Devices - VICE > Message-ID: <50a399f9-41fc-59cb-f139-128f6f5d19b1(a)zeromx.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > < > https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/d3akpk/smart-home-technology-stalking-ha… > > > > > Ross and Catherine Cairns had been married for 16 years. He was an > electronics expert, she an accountant, and by their early 30s they were > living with their two young daughters in Hale, in Greater Manchester. > The village is one of the wealthiest areas in the UK, home to upmarket > restaurants and Premier League football players. > > The Cairns household was fitted out with an ELAN smart home system. The > house’s security alarm, lighting and heating were all controlled > centrally by a tablet mounted on the kitchen wall. With the touch of one > button, the tablet let you turn off the lights and ensure the doors were > locked. Using a smartphone app, you could remotely activate security > cameras or change the music playing through the entertainment system. > Ross was the administrator; Catherine mainly used it to turn lights on > and off. > > “Monitoring your home has never been so easy!” declares the ELAN > website. Perfect for parents to keep a distant eye on their kids while > working late, but when used maliciously, also for jealous partners to > spy on their spouses. > > Internet-connected devices – wearable trackers, smart TVs, > voice-activated assistants, app-controlled locks and lights and > thermostats – promise a utopia of convenience, a world in which we don’t > need to get out of bed to turn off a ceiling light or fumble for house > keys in the bottom of a bag. But as these devices – the internet of > things, as it’s known – become ever more pervasive, so too does their > use by domestic abusers as tools for surveillance and harassment. > > “Perpetrators of domestic abuse like to keep tabs on their partners. > They like to know what you’ve been up to and where you’ve been,” says > Sara Kirkpatrick, Research and Services Development Manager at Respect. > “Being tracked is so much easier than it ever was.” > > As of January 2019, domestic violence charity Refuge has documented more > than 2,500 people seeking their support services who have reported > experiences of technology-facilitated abuse. > > Ross and Catherine separated in 2016. They remained friendly and the > children spent time with both parents. Ross moved in with his mother in > the neighbouring town of Altrincham, a five-minute drive from Hale. > > On August 12, 2017, Ross visited the family home to fix a fish tank. > While he was there, she handed him her mobile, as she also wanted him to > check the security system. “When he was on it, he read messages I had > sent to a man I had been on a date with,” Catherine would later testify > in Manchester Magistrates’ Court. Ross became agitated. He left the > house, then came back inside, crying. “He ran upstairs and got the > wedding rings and said that I wouldn’t need them.” > > Catherine told her parents about the incident. Standing in the kitchen > with her mother, she said that she no longer loved Ross. “The next thing > I knew, he was downstairs telling the kids he was moving back in,” > testified Catherine. “He repeated the conversation that I had with my > mum. He said, ‘Oh, you don’t love me anymore.’” > > Ross later admitted to accessing the ELAN system remotely through an app > on his iPhone to eavesdrop on conversations. He also hacked into her > Bumble accounts, posting an intimate picture and sending explicit > messages. Catherine switched off the control tablet’s camera function > and asked an IT engineer to change the system password. But even after > this, the system logged more remote connections on October 14 and 15. > > “It looks like he was using the system as normal, but hadn't informed > her exactly how it works,” says Bill Hensley, a spokesperson for ELAN. > The password was likely changed for only the security system, he says, > but not for the overriding administrator account. “It doesn't look like > there was a breach.” > > “Prosecuting cases involving the use of technology in order to commit > offences present real difficulties,” says Neil White, who was the > prosecutor in the Cairns case. “With offences like harassment, this can > be especially difficult, as there can be issues like shared IP > addresses, or of one party having the technological knowledge, and being > able to abuse it, when the other doesn't.” > > In May 2018, Ross was convicted of stalking and harassment. In court, he > claimed that he had accessed ELAN remotely only to switch lights on or > off, or adjust television volume. The stalking conviction was later > quashed on appeal, but the harassment offence was upheld and he was > banned from contacting Catherine for three years. > > The Cairns court case marked one of the first convictions involving IoT > technology, says Leonie Tanczer, a gender and IoT researcher at > University College London. The rise of smart devices, she believes, > creates a new arsenal of tools that can be used against people already > at risk of domestic abuse. Tanczer leads a research project on the topic > in collaboration with the London Violence Against Women and Girls > Consortium, comprising 29 organisations. > > Discussions with support groups have identified examples such as spying > via smart TVs and security cameras at entrances, tracking location via > GPS-enabled smartwatches, and physical gaslighting – remotely changing > the temperature in a room by meddling with the heating system. Refuge, > which is part of the consortium, has found a rise in women whose kids’ > video game consoles have been hacked by perpetrators to trace > information including a child’s location. > > [...] > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 18:54:38 +0200 > From: Alberto Cammozzo <ac+nexa(a)zeromx.net> > To: Center Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > Subject: [nexa] Google chief: I'd disclose smart speakers before > guests enter my home - BBC News > Message-ID: <6e0826b4-0054-c262-a1c7-6a00c2df6bab(a)zeromx.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > <https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50048144> > > It's an admission that appears to have caught Google's devices chief by > surprise. > > After being challenged as to whether homeowners should tell guests smart > devices - such as a Google Nest speaker or Amazon Echo display - are in > use before they enter the building, he concludes that the answer is > indeed yes. > > "Gosh, I haven't thought about this before in quite this way," Rick > Osterloh begins. > > "It's quite important for all these technologies to think about all > users... we have to consider all stakeholders that might be in proximity." > > And then he commits. > > "Does the owner of a home need to disclose to a guest? I would and do > when someone enters into my home, and it's probably something that the > products themselves should try to indicate." > > To be fair to Google, it hasn't completely ignored matters of 21st > Century privacy etiquette until now. > > As Mr Osterloh points out, its Nest cameras shine an LED light when they > are in record mode, which cannot be overridden. > > But the idea of having to run around a home unplugging or at least > restricting the capabilities of all its voice- and camera-equipped kit > if a visitor objects is quite the ask. > > [...] > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 19:03:18 +0200 > From: Alberto Cammozzo <ac+nexa(a)zeromx.net> > To: Center Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > Subject: [nexa] Vatican's wearable rosary gets fix for app flaw > allowing easy hacks - CNET > Message-ID: <e27813ee-d98f-1c09-7a1b-30bd642b7a18(a)zeromx.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Qui serve un e-Sorcista! > > > < > https://www.cnet.com/news/vaticans-wearable-rosary-gets-fix-for-app-flaw-al… > > > > > The road to internet-connected salvation is paved with cybersecurity > issues. The Vatican discovered that Thursday, after a security > researcher disclosed a severe vulnerability with the "Click to Pray" > eRosary app. > > On Wednesday, the Vatican announced its $110 wearable rosary, an > internet of things device that syncs with an app from the Pope's > Worldwide Prayer Network. One advantage of IoT devices is that they open > up a new way for people to interact with resources. With the eRosary, > the Vatican said, people can get different prayers every day, as well as > reminders on when to pray. > > The downside of IoT devices is that they're ripe for security issues. > Lawmakers in the US have consistently called out poor security practices > on connected gadgets, warning that they could lead to a flood of > vulnerable devices. > > French security researcher Baptiste Robert found a significant flaw in > the Vatican's app within 15 minutes. The vulnerability would have let a > hacker take over a person's account, just by knowing the potential > victim's registered email address. > > "This vulnerability is very severe as it allows an attacker to take over > the victim's account and get his personal information," Robert said in a > message. > > The Vatican didn't respond to a request for comment. Robert said he > reached out to the Vatican on Wednesday and the security issue has since > been fixed. > > The flaw worked because of how the app handled login credentials, Robert > said. > > When you register for the "Click to Pray" app, you sign up with an > email, and instead of setting a password, the app sends a PIN code to > your inbox. You log in like this every time. > > Before the fix, the app was sending out requests to its server to email > you the four-digit PIN. The issue was that PIN code itself was also sent > on the network. Anyone analyzing the network traffic could have seen the > response with the PIN sent. > > Robert demonstrated this vulnerability with an account we created on the > app. Every time he gained access to the account, the app logged me out, > telling me I was logged in on another device. It also sent an email with > a new PIN code I didn't request. > > Once he had access, Robert was able to do anything I could on the > account. He saw what I set as my gender, height, weight and birthday, as > well as the cat photo I used for my avatar. He also deleted my account > and was able to access a second account that I had made right after. > > The app logs other personal information as well, like how often someone > prays, and it works as a fitness tracker. The rosary keeps track of how > many steps a person takes throughout the day and distance traveled. > > The Android app also asks for access to location data and permissions to > make calls. > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 19:22:52 +0200 > From: don Luca Peyron <dluca.universitari(a)gmail.com> > To: Nexa <nexa(a)server-nexa.polito.it> > Subject: [nexa] La chat dove regna l'orrore dei nostri adolescenti > lasciati soli > Message-ID: > < > CAGS_u7iAK6eUGXtQNFxUBmomOAxXuCkhfA8eQUEZ1rmazcp11A(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Qui l' e- sorcista serve davvero, purtroppo! > > Buon lettura > > dl > > > https://www.famigliacristiana.it/articolo/la-chat-dove-regna-l-orrore-dei-n… > > *L’online non ha funzioni educative. *Può diventare educativo, all’interno > di un solido progetto pensato e sostenuto da adulti attenti. Ma se quegli > adulti non ci sono, l’online diventa il paese dei balocchi, dove le scelte > dei nostri figli sono funzionali a nutrire il loro cervello di eccitazione > e sensazioni forti, intensissime. > > > _________________________ > www.universitari.to.it > via XX settembre 83, Torino > tel. 011 5156239 >

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interessante
by Stefano Quintarelli Oct. 20, 2019

Oct. 20, 2019

interessante. un client imap che fa da chat. https://github.com/open-xchange/ox-coi (c'e' per android in beta) chissà il carico sui server. in pratica usi il tuo server email per la chat Ciao, s. -- reserve your meeting with me at http://cal.quintarelli.it

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Perdonate il link :-) spero di non disturbarvi (altrimenti perdonatemi perfavore)
by Agata Lo Tauro Oct. 19, 2019

Oct. 19, 2019

https://www.primapaginaonline.it/2019/03/25/papa-francesco-ha-programmato-u… Cari saluti a voi tutti!

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