News: 2024 Archives
Researchers Find Some Worry, Some Hope for AI in Democracy
Experts say intense focus on artificial intelligence as a misinformation tool can miss the mark
When it comes to the 2024 election season, the democratic sky didn’t fall because of artificial intelligence, Harvard researchers say, with candidates using the technology to reach voters in helpful new ways. But, they warn, it is still worth keeping a wary eye on some of AI’s most insidious possible applications.
New Englanders may recall the use of artificial intelligence to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice to dissuade voters from participating in the New Hampshire Democratic primary. More than a dozen states, including Massachusetts, have adopted or …
Audio: Does AI Interfere in Our Democracy?
Listen to the Audio on CommonWealthBeacon.com
This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith is joined by Bruce Schneier, fellow and lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Nathan Sanders, fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. They discuss how AI has the power to strengthen civic engagement in elections and policymaking, the importance of transparency it its use, and how it can be developed to prioritize democratic values.
Audio: Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Episode 100 Special
Listen to the Audio on FirewallsDontStopDragons.com
The first episode of Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Podcast aired on March 8, 2017 – almost 8 years ago now. Over that time, I’ve interviewed over 135 unique and amazing people, covered countless cybersecurity and privacy stories, and offered 100s of tips for protecting your devices and data. To celebrate this momentous occasion, world-renowned cryptography guru Bruce Schneier has returned to for our traditional Podcentennial interview! We discuss several timely topics including the Crowdstrike incident, the pager bombing and supply attacks more generally, US election security, the open market for cyber vulnerabilities, US intelligence agencies’ focus on offense versus defense, how AI might actually benefit democracy and much more!…
Video: Supply Chain Security. Recent Attacks Highlight Risks.
Listen to the Audio on YouTube.com
Bruce Schneier, an internationally renowned security technologist, is the New York Times best-selling author of A Hacker’s Mind. In this episode, he joins host Paul John Spaulding to discuss an opinion piece he authored, which was recently published in the New York Times, called “Israel’s Pager Attacks Have Changed the World.” Together, they unpack how international supply chains leave us vulnerable, how geopolitical tensions can lead to increased risk, and more. Read the full story at https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/22/opinion/israel-pager-attacks-supply-chain.html…
Bruce Schneier on AI Security (Interview)
In this interview, Bruce Schneier reflects on the security challenges of artificial intelligence.
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Bruce Schneier is without question one of the leading computer security professionals alive today. A true renaissance man when it comes to cybersecurity, he has been involved in the creation of a host of cryptographic algorithms (most notably, Blowfish and Twofish) and has written more than a dozen books, including Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World and Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-Connected World. Schneier is a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, and a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and AccessNow. This interview resulted from our e-mail exchanges during June and July 2024…
Audio: Technology Regulation is Outdated with Bruce Schneier
Listen to the Audio on EasyPrey.com
Today’s guest is Bruce Schneier. Bruce is an internationally renowned security technologist called The Security Guru by The Economist. He is the author of over a dozen books including his latest, A Hacker’s Mind. He has testified before Congress, is a frequent guest on television and radio, has served on several government committees, and is regularly quoted in the press. He is a fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, a lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and AccessNow, and an advisory board member of EPIC and VerifiedVoting.org…
Audio: The State of Online Security with Bruce Schneier
Listen to the Audio on PodcastPage.io
As technology evolves at blinding speeds, so too does the world of cybersecurity. But is online security keeping up with the demands of this digital age? Today we are joined by Bruce Schneier, a public-interest technologist working at the intersection of security, technology, and people. Known as the “security guru,” Bruce has written over twelve books and hundreds of articles, essays, and academic papers, and he joins us today to share his thoughts on the current state of online security. We learn about Bruce’s professional background and interests before diving into the biggest security threats and challenges that business leaders face today. We unpack the role of AI in cybersecurity, where cryptography fits in, why national cybersecurity vulnerabilities are a bigger concern than many realize, and the role of new technology in building or breaking trust in this digital age. We end by examining the possible future of digital rights management, and Bruce shares some helpful advice for all Chief Information Officers to keep top-of-mind…
Video: How the Powerful Hack the System
Watch the Video on YouTube.com
Hacking is more than just a term for rogue programmers breaking into computer systems. Bruce Schneier, adjunct lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School, thinks hacking goes well beyond the digital realm. Tax accountants hack the tax code by finding loopholes for their clients. Silicon Valley hacks the taxi system with rideshare companies. And now, the biggest tech companies are using artificial intelligence to hack their way further into our lives. His latest book, “A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society’s Rules, and How to Bend Them Back,” explores the ways that society is manipulated by those seeking and exploiting loopholes. …
Audio: Redefining Cybersecurity Strategies with Bruce Schneier
What does it take to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape? In this episode of SecureTalk, Bruce Schneier dives deep into his latest book, A Hacker’s Mind: How The Powerful Bend Society’s Rules and How to Bend Them Back, and explores the intersection of technology, security, and innovation. Get ready to rethink your strategies and embrace new ways of thinking. Listen now!
Will A.I. Be a Creator or a Destroyer of Worlds?
Excerpt
In examining the effect of artificial intelligence on politics, especially politics in this country, Bruce Schneier, a fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society and a lecturer at the Kennedy School, takes speculation to a new level.
In an essay that was published last week, “How AI Will Change Democracy,” Schneier wrote:
AI can engage with voters, conduct polls and fund-raise at a scale that humans cannot—for all sizes of elections. More interestingly, future politicians will largely be AI-driven. I don’t mean that AI will replace humans as politicians. But as AI starts to look and feel more human, our human politicians will start to look and feel more like AI…
Audio: How Can We Build a More Secure Digital Future?
Listen to the Audio or Read the Transcript on BruceMcCabe.com
Cyber-attacks and data-breaches are escalating, attackers are employing all manner of sophisticated tools, AI is transforming the “arms race” for attackers and defenders. We see the headlines, but is this a future we have to accept? What are the pathways to a more secure digital future?
I asked Bruce Schneier, the biggest name in cybersecurity.
Bruce is a DEEP thinker. He’s been researching and writing prolifically on cybersecurity since 1998, has authored more than 12 books, is a Fellow and lecturer at …
Audio: Trust and Regulation in AI with Bruce Schneier, Internationally Renowned Security Technologist
Listen to the Audio on DataCamp.com
Richie Cotton and Bruce Schneier explore the definition of trust, how AI mimics social trust, AI and deception, AI regulation, why AI is a political issue and much more.
Little Lessons: AI Regulation and Data Protection Policies
Watch the Video on YouTube.com
We sat down with Bruce Schneier to discuss data protection policies in the United States, and how he envisions future regulatory change surrounding artificial intelligence.
Audio: Perché l’intelligenza artificiale ci seduce? Lo spiega l’esperto mondiale Bruce Schneier
Come mai si parla così tanto di intelligenza artificiale, e cosa la rende così differente dalle tante altre innovazioni tecnologiche recenti? Questa puntata prova a rispondere a queste domande con l’aiuto di un esperto mondiale del settore, Bruce Schneier. La sua spiegazione è sorprendente: non è questione di tecnologia, ma di psicologia, perché siamo predisposti per natura a farci sedurre dalle intelligenze artificiali.
Audio: Evaluating the Effectiveness of AI Legislation in Cybersecurity with Bruce Schneier
Listen to the Audio on SanjayPuri.com
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity presents both significant opportunities and daunting challenges. On this episode, I’m joined by Bruce Schneier, who is renowned globally for his expertise in cybersecurity and is dubbed a “security guru” by the Economist. Bruce, a best-selling author and lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School, discusses the fast-paced world of AI and cybersecurity, exploring how these technologies intersect with national security and what that means for future regulations…
Audio: History of RSA Conference. Bruce Schneier. The First ‘Exhibitor’ in 1994.
Listen to the Audio on SoundCloud.com
Bruce Schneier was at the first ever RSA Conference in 1991, and he was the first ‘exhibitor’ in 1994 when he asked Jim Bidzos, Creator of the RSA Conference, if he could sell copies of his book “Applied Cryptography.” Bidzos set Schneier up in the hotel lobby where the conference was being held—and the rest is history. Listen to some great RSA Conference memories on this episode of the History of RSA Conference.
The Hacking of Organizational Systems
“There are only two types of organizations. Those that have been hacked and those that don’t know it yet.”—John Chambers
Comcast said nearly 36 million U.S. Xfinity accounts were compromised after hackers accessed its systems through a vulnerability in third-party cloud-computing software. The breach occurred between October 16 and October 19, 2023.
On Sunday, February 18, 2024, at the Munich Security Conference, FBI Director Christopher Wray said China’s cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure are “unprecedented.”
AT&T announced that the cause of its 12-hour nationwide outage on February 22, 2024, was the “execution of an incorrect process,” not a cyberattack. In simpler terms, the company admitted to human error…
Harvard Technologist Encourages Use of AI to Protect Democracy
Exploring ways in which generative artificial intelligence will affect democracy, prominent Harvard lecturer and public-interest technologist Bruce Schneier said it’s important for people to look both ways and to be unafraid of using the technology when it can help.
Schneier said he foresees an “arms race” where those who fail to engage with the technology will quickly lose ground to those who do. He offered examples of how AI can be used throughout the democratic process, including to augment polling, fundraising and campaign strategies in electoral politics, and to more routinely submit comments to regulatory agencies, craft legislation, and improve law enforcement…
Audio: Bruce Schneier Predicts a Future of AI-Powered Mass Spying
Listen to the Audio on Captivate.fm
If the internet helped create the era of mass surveillance, then artificial intelligence will bring about an era of mass spying.
That’s the latest prediction from noted cryptographer and computer security professional Bruce Schneier, who, in December, shared a vision of the near future where artificial intelligence—AI—will be able to comb through reams of surveillance data to answer the types of questions that, previously, only humans could.
“Spying is limited by the need for human labor,” Schneier wrote. “AI is about to change that.”…
Video: Why Is Regulation Slower Than Technology?
Watch the Video on YouTube.com
Cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier discusses the challenges of applying traditional systems like democracy and capitalism to the information age. He argues that these outdated systems are struggling to adapt to the complexities of modern technology, leading to power imbalances and issues like slow regulation. Schneier expresses a desire to find new solutions and a greater role for regulatory bodies in counterbalancing corporate power. He also discusses the challenges of securing democracy in the digital age, particularly in relation to social media and fake news. Topics addressed include market dynamics, network effects, and the need for new ways to regulate companies and protect consumer rights in the face of rapidly evolving technologies, such as DRM and facial recognition. Concerns over privacy and data sharing with law enforcement are also highlighted…
Video: 23andMe DNA Data Hack
Watch the Video on Twitter.com
Watch cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier and genetics expert John Greally, M.D. discuss the 23andMe DNA data hack consequences, how and why it happened, who did it, and how to protect yourself.
Sidebar photo of Bruce Schneier by Joe MacInnis.