November 2019 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

Support Engineer Job family country-of-residence block

by Giacomo Tesio

https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/issues/5555 In e-group on Monday October 15, 2019 we took the decision to enable a "job family country-of-residence block" for team members who have access to customer data. This is at the expressed concern of several enterprise customers, and also what is becoming a common practice in our industry in the current geopolitical climate. The countries involved are: - China - Russia This issue is to track the addition of the process to the support handbook, and whatever recruiting processes need to be update to make certain that: 1. We do not make offers to individuals residing in these countries 2. Current team members are prevented from moving to these countries and remaining in a role that prohibits it. We do not have a technical way, today, to handle this based on permissions. Doing so would also force us to confront the possibility of creating a "second class of citizens" on certain teams who cannot take part in 100% of their responsibilities, which is a dynamic some of us have experienced at other companies and found highly negative. As such we feel a country block is the most humane solution at this time--especially because it affects zero current employees. We should look into the effort to do this on a permissions-basis. So everyone is clear what the effort would be, and roughly how long this would take. Discussion in #job-family-country-blocks since there are multiple related issues open and content should be consistent, if not shared. Note: In addition to Support, this also affects SREs in infra and SecOps & Anti-Abuse in Security (see related issue). _____ Questione spinosa ed interessante. Non riesco a pensare ad un'altra soluzione che possa ridurre i rischi di sicurezza per l'azienda ed i clienti. GitLab, per chi non lo sapesse, è una società statunitense che non solo è multinazionale, ma fisicamente distribuita in tutto il globo: il lavoro remoto è la norma. Questa scelta (se confermata) sarà estremamente interessante. Vi partecipano concause ed effetti che sono tecniche, culturali e geopolitiche. In una specie di teorema CAP umano, non possiamo avere dimensione globale e sicurezza locale a costi finiti. Giacomo

Nov. 5, 2019

Conferenza IoT a Firenze, 15 Novembre 2019

by Carrozza, Chiara

Buon pomeriggio, come da gentile indicazione degli amministratori della lista inoltro alcune informazioni su un evento che sto organizzando a Firenze per il prossimo 15 Novembre, che spero possa essere di interesse per qualcuno/a. In tal caso, non esitate a fare un salto a Firenze ;) Un saluto, Chiara Chiara Carrozza European University Institute Via Boccaccio 121, 50133 Florence +39 055 4685236 The European University Institute is pleased to invite you to the Conference "The way towards the Internet of Things: Open Standards vs Silos<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffsr.eui.e…>", which will take place on the 15 November 2019 in Via dei Roccettini 9, San Domenico di Fiesole, Florence, Italy. The one-day conference is focused on standardisation and interoperability in the Internet of Things (IoT). The first session "Interoperability in IoT: open standards versus Silos" will address the implications for competition and innovation of the different paths towards realizing the IoT, while the second panel will focus on crucial issues in "Patent licensing in IoT" discussing the current licensing practices of SEPs and the need for facilitating access to standardised technologies. During the afternoon, the panel "The industrial Internet of Things: self-driving vehicles" will discuss the most dynamic sector of the industrial IoT. Confirmed speakers include: Nikolaos Isaris (DG CNCT); Lapo Filistrucchi (Tilburg University and University of Florence); Javier Gozalvez (University Miguel Hernandez de Elche); Kirti Gupta (Qualcomm); Björn Lundqvist (Stockholm University); Elisabeth Opie (Office of Elisabeth Opie); Nicolas Petit (University of Liege); Pier Luigi Parcu (EUI); Giovanni Romano (Telecom Italia); Ilja Rudyk (European Patent Office (EPO); Heike Schweitzer (Humboldt University of Berlin); Gregory Sidak (Criterion Economics); Teo Taponen (Nokia); Antonio Nicita (Italian regulatory authority AGCOM); Lorenzo Casaccia (Qualcomm); Joachim Henkel, (Technical University of Munich). The event will be an opportunity to learn from and discuss with renowned speakers, networking and, of course, enjoy Tuscany hills. The Conference is free of charge for registered participants<https://rscas.eu/view-form/the-way-towards-the-internet-of-things-open-stan…>. The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, forwarding, or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited without the express permission of the sender. If you received this communication in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.

Nov. 5, 2019

Alexa, did he do it? Smart device could be witness in suspicious Florida death

by don Luca Peyron

Here we are guys.... Have a nice day dl https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/01/alexa-florida-death-witness… _________________________ www.universitari.to.it via XX settembre 83, Torino tel. 011 5156239

Nov. 5, 2019

Implementations of Novel Technologies in Sustainability

by Agata Lo Tauro

Gentilissimi, si potrebbero implementare ricerche sul tema della sostenibilità e nuove tecnologie. Tempo fa avevo anche scritto un libro ( https://www.amazon.com/Geomatics-Cultural-Conservation-Valorisation-Interna… sostenibilità applicata in particolare a BBCC - ma le ricerche si possono sempre implementare, correct?). *Si fa quel che si può...* Perdonate la domanda: Implementazioni di cordate? Sound good? PS_Un bando l'ho già inviato a pedico via "messaggistica - LinkedIn" (anche lui legge in cc.). Lui mi ha consigliato di metterci in contatto anche con J.C. De Martin. What do you think/suggest? ad maiora, agata https://it.linkedin.com › agata-lo-tauro-6723257b <https://it.linkedin.com/in/agata-lo-tauro-6723257b>

Nov. 5, 2019

Natural i mage reconstruction from brain waves: a novel visual BCI system with native feedback

by Giacomo Tesio

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2019/10/16/787101.full.pdf Here we hypothesize that observing the visual stimuli of different categories trigger distinct brain states that can be decoded from noninvasive EEG recordings. We introduce an effective closed-loop BCI system that reconstructs the observed or imagined stimuli images from the co-occurring brain wave parameters. The reconstructed images are presented to the subject as a visual feedback. The developed system is applicable to training BCI-naïve subjects because of the user-friendly and intuitive way the visual patterns are employed to modify the brain states. [...] Our stimulation protocol can be considered as a cognitive test that aims to extract subject-specific stable EEG patterns. Each person has specific reactions to different kinds of visual stimuli, thus, for an effective BCI paradigm a preliminary step of individual stimuli set selection from some excessive basic set could be of a great value. Another benefit of this approach is that no additional cognitive task for attention or memory is required, and the subject can remain completely passive throughout the session. This makes it possible to implement this protocol for the patients with cognitive disorders. Basing on the results achieved through the developed experimental protocol, we proposed a novel closed-loop BCI system, which is capable of real-time image reconstruction from the subject’s EEG features. We developed a deep learning model which consists oftwo separately trained deep learning networks, one of which is used for decoding of different categories of images, and the second one transforms the EEG features into the image decoder spatial domain. We demonstrated that the proposed technique can potentially be used for training BCI-naïve subjects by replacing the original stimuli with the subject’s mind-driven image reconstruction model. We suggest that using native feedback could produce a strong self-regulating effect and help a BCI operator to master the imagery commands more effectively. ____ Fortuna che per il momento questi pattern stabili sono "subject specific". Giacomo

Nov. 4, 2019

AI

by Aldo Pedico

chi fosse interessato .... https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/01/pentagon-advisory-board-… aldo pedico<http://www.teleion.it/>

Nov. 4, 2019

Russian government cyber spies ‘hid behind Iranian hacker group’

by Alberto Cammozzo

<https://intelnews.org/2019/10/22/01-2653/> Russian hackers hijacked an Iranian cyber espionage group and used its infrastructure to launch attacks, hoping that their victims would blame Iran, according to British and American intelligence officials. The information, released on Monday, concerns a Russian cyber espionage group termed “Turla” by European cyber security experts. Turla is believed to operate under the command of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), and has been linked to at least 30 attacks on industry and government facilities since 2017. Since February of 2018, Turla is believed to have successfully carried out cyber espionage operations in 20 different countries. Most of the group’s targets are located in the Middle East, but it has also been connected to cyber espionage operations in the United States and the United Kingdom. On Monday, officials from Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and America’s National Security Agency (NSA) said Turla had hijacked the attack infrastructure of an Iranian cyber espionage group. The group has been named by cyber security researchers as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) 34, and is thought to carry out operations under the direction of the Iranian government. The officials said there was no evidence that APT34 was aware that some of its operations had been taken over by Turla. Instead, Russian hackers stealthily hijacked APT34’s command-and-control systems and used its resources —including computers, servers and malicious codes— to attack targets without APT34’s knowledge. They also accessed the computer systems of APT34’s prior targets. In doing so, Turla hackers masqueraded as APT34 operatives, thus resorting to a practice that is commonly referred to as ‘fourth party collection’, according to British and American officials. [...]

Nov. 4, 2019

Researchers hack Siri, Alexa, and Google Home by shining lasers at them

by Giacomo Tesio

Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are vulnerable to attacks that use lasers to inject inaudible—and sometimes invisible—commands into the devices and surreptitiously cause them to unlock doors, visit websites, and locate, unlock, and start vehicles, researchers report in a research paper published on Monday. Dubbed Light Commands, the attack works against Facebook Portal and a variety of phones. Shining a low-powered laser into these voice-activated systems allows attackers to inject commands of their choice from as far away as 360 feet (110m). Because voice-controlled systems often don’t require users to authenticate themselves, the attack can frequently be carried out without the need of a password or PIN. Even when the systems require authentication for certain actions, it may be feasible to brute force the PIN, since many devices don’t limit the number of guesses a user can make. Among other things, light-based commands can be sent from one building to another and penetrate glass when a vulnerable device is kept near a closed window. The attack exploits a vulnerability in microphones that use micro-electro-mechanical systems, or MEMS. The microscopic MEMS components of these microphones unintentionally respond to light as if it were sound. While the researchers tested only Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, Facebook Portal, and a small number of tablets and phones, the researchers believe all devices that use MEMS microphones are susceptible to Light Commands attacks. # A novel mode of attack The laser-based attacks have several limitations. For one, the attacker must have direct line of sight to the targeted device. And for another, the light in many cases must be precisely aimed at a very specific part of the microphone. Except in cases where an attacker uses an infrared laser, the lights are also easy to see by someone who is close by and has line of sight of the device. What’s more, devices typically respond with voice and visual cues when executing a command, a feature that would alert users within earshot of the device. Despite those constraints, the findings are important for a host of reasons. Not only does the research present a novel mode of attack against voice-controllable, or VC, systems, it also shows how to carry out the attacks in semi-realistic environments. Additionally, the researchers still don’t fully understand the physics behind their exploit. A better understanding in the coming years may yield more effective attacks. Last, the research highlights the risks that result when VC devices, and the peripherals they connect to, carry out sensitive commands without requiring a password or PIN. “We find that VC systems are often lacking user authentication mechanisms, or if the mechanisms are present, they are incorrectly implemented (e.g., allowing for PIN bruteforcing),” the researchers wrote in a paper titled Light Commands: Laser-Based Audio Injection Attacks on Voice-Controllable Systems. “We show how an attacker can use light-injected voice commands to unlock the target’s smart-lock protected front door, open garage doors, shop on e-commerce websites at the target’s expense, or even locate, unlock and start various vehicles (e.g., Tesla and Ford) if the vehicles are connected to the target’s Google account.” Continua con video, paper e considerazioni molto interessanti sui problemi dei MEMS su https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/11/researchers-hack-sir… Giacomo -- Inviato da un terminale mobile. Perdonate brevità ed orrori grammaticali.

Nov. 4, 2019

The Government Protects Our Food and Cars. Why Not Our Data? - The New York Times

by J.C. DE MARTIN

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/sunday-review/data-protection-privacy.ht… (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

Nov. 4, 2019

A new PhD fellowship in spatio-temporal statistics

by Agata Lo Tauro

Vi inoltro il seguente messaggio sperando di fare cosa gradita. agata lo tauro (linkedIn) A new PhD fellowship in spatio-temporal statistics is available at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at NTNU. The successful candidate will be offered a three-year position. The Department may offer a twelve-month extension as a teaching assistant. The workplace will be Trondheim. Main duties and responsibilities Spatial and spatio-temporal statistics encompass applications in a wide range of areas from environmental and physical sciences to epidemiology and demography. Current methods in spatio-temporal and computational statistics are being pushed to their limits by the recent desire for extensive spatio-temporal continental-scale surfaces of health indicators such as prevalence of diseases and mortality rates. In the setting of low- and medium-income countries, the available data is sparse, has complex structure, and comes in diverse forms from diverse sources. Providing new methods for expanding our capabilities are essential for the advancement of statistical methodology and answering society’s need to track progress towards the United Nations’ sustainable development goals on child mortality and disease. The goal of this project is to develop new statistical models that jointly can model diverse sources of spatio-temporal data, and to develop the computational methods required for fitting the new models to realistically sized data sets. Particular emphasis will be put on accounting for jittering in observation locations (due to data anonymization), combining point observations and areal observations, and combining quick, but limited, deterministic methods for statistical inference with general, but slow, Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. A key focus will be to produce software that allow the results to be reproduced and the new methods to be used by other scientists. Qualification requirements The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is completion of a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background in Statistics or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale <https://innsida.ntnu.no/wiki/-/wiki/English/Grading+scale>. Applicants with no letter grades from previous studies must have an equally good academic foundation. Applicants who are unable to meet these criteria may be considered only if they can document that they are particularly suitable candidates for education leading to a PhD degree. Master of Science students who expect to complete their master’s degree studies by summer 2020 are also encouraged to apply. Employment will then be postponed until the master’s degree is finished. The applicants who do not master a Scandinavian language must document a thorough knowledge of English (equivalent to a TOEFL score of 600 or more). The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant. Other qualifications - Some background in spatial statistics is required, and experience with spatial statistics is an advantage. - Background or experience with computational statistics is an advantage. - Knowledge about and interest in programming is required. - Experience with the programming language R is an advantage. NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA. <http://www.ascb.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/sfdora.pdf> Personal characteristics *We are looking for someone who* - is highly motivated for the position; - has a strong interest in methodological work; - has a desire to contribute to solving real-world challenges. In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement. We offer - exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment - an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues - favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund <https://www.spk.no/en/> - employee benefits <https://innsida.ntnu.no/wiki/-/wiki/English/Benefits+and+discounts> Salary and conditions PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017 and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 479 600 per annum before tax. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. The period of employment is 3 years. The Department may offer a twelve-month extension as a teaching assistant. Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to the PhD programme in Mathematical Sciences ( https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phma) As a PhD candidate, you undertake to participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are in fact qualified for admission to the PhD programme within three months. The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work. General information Working at NTNU <https://www.ntnu.edu/nirs> A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. Under the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova), information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have their name entered on the list of applicants. The national labour force must reflect the composition of the population to the greatest possible extent, NTNU wants to increase the proportion of women in its scientific posts. Women are encouraged to apply. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life ( http://trondheim.com/ <https://trondheim.com/>). Having a population of 200 000, Trondheim is a small city by international standards with low crime rates and little pollution. It also has easy access to a beautiful countryside with mountains and a dramatic coastline. Questions about the position can be directed to Associate Professor Geir-Arne Fuglstad, phone number +4745270806, e-mail geir-arne.fuglstad(a)ntnu.no . About the application: Publications and other academic works that the applicant would like to be considered in the evaluation must accompany the application. Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify the individual applicant's contribution to joint works, the applicant must include a brief description of his or her contribution. Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no <https://id.jobbnorge.no/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2Fauth%2Fauthorize%3Fclien…> with your CV, diplomas, certificates (including documentation about language skills) and contact information for at least two references. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI): http://www.chsi.com.cn/en/ <https://www.chsi.com.cn/en/>). Applicants invited for interview must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application number 2019/35908 when applying. Application deadline: 30.11.2019. NTNU - knowledge for a better world The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life. Department of Mathematical Sciences We are Norway’s largest university environment in mathematical sciences. The Department has a particular responsibility for all basis education in mathematical sciences for engineering and natural science students at NTNU. We focus on long-term basic research and applied research at a high international level. Our aim is to meet the society’s needs for mathematical and statistical expertise in business and public administration as well as in the research and education sector.  The Department of Mathematical Sciences <https://www.ntnu.edu/imf> is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering <https://www.ntnu.edu/ie/> . Deadline 30th November 2019 Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology <http://www.ntnu.no/> Municipality Trondheim Scope Fulltime Duration Project Place of service Trondheim

Nov. 4, 2019