Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
February 2021
From ACM TechNews
Algorithm May Be the Key to Timely, Inexpensive Cyber Defense
A team of researchers has developed an adaptive cyber defense against zero-day attacks using machine learning.
From ACM TechNews
As Robots Fill the Workplace, They Must Learn to Get Along
Singapore's Changi General Hospital is using software from Open Robotics to avoid standoffs among its robots in hallways or outside elevators.
From ACM TechNews
Dynamic 3D Printing Process Features Light-Driven Twist
Researchers at Northwestern University have a developed a three-dimensional printing technique that uses a liquid photopolymer activated by light.
From ACM TechNews
Breakthrough in Quantum Photonics Promises New Era in Optical Circuits
University of Southern California researchers have demonstrated uniform emission of single photons from quantum dots arranged in a precise configuration.
From ACM TechNews
U.S. IT Jobs Grow in January, Defying Broader Employment Struggles
Information technology (IT) employment consultancy Janco Associates estimates seasonally adjusted U.S. IT job growth in January was 18,200.
From ACM News
L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards Honor 5 Women Researchers
A global UNESCO study found women remain a minority in mathematics, computer science, engineering, and artificial intelligence.
From ACM News
The Computers Rejecting Your Job Application
While recruiters have been using artificial intelligence for the past decade, the technology has been greatly refined in recent years.
From ACM News
Poor Password Security Led to Recent Water Treatment Facility Hack
The breach involved an unsuccessful attempt by an adversary to increase sodium hydroxide in the water supply to dangerous levels via the water treatment plant's SCADA system
From ACM TechNews
Drones Could Begin Vaccine Deliveries in April, Firm Says
Drone delivery service Zipline has partnered with "a leading manufacturer of Covid-19 vaccines" to start dispatching doses to global partner sites as soon as April.
From ACM TechNews
Suspected Russian Hack Extends Far Beyond SolarWinds Software, Investigators Say
Federal investigators say there is evidence the suspected Russian hack of U.S. government and businesses went beyond compromising SolarWinds' software.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Satellite Swarms Increase Communication Possibilities
A space mission currently underway aims to maximize the effectiveness of CubeSats by showing how they could track and communicate with each other.
From ACM TechNews
AI Is India's Solution to Fix Data Gaps
India's Ministry of Statistics is accelerating artificial intelligence usage for collecting, analyzing, and disclosing data to better monitor the economy.
From ACM News
ENIAC Turns 75
The first programmable electronic general-purpose digital computer was introduced to the world on Valentine’s Day in 1946.
From ACM TechNews
Lye-Poisoning Attack in Florida Shows Cybersecurity Gaps in Water Systems
Experts said hackers' attempted lye-poisoning of a drinking water reservoir in Oldsmar, FL, last Friday highlights the vulnerability of the U.S. water supply.
From ACM TechNews
'Audeo' Teaches AI to Play the Piano
University of Washington researchers have developed a system that generates audio from silent piano performances.
From ACM TechNews
Raising the Steaks: First 3D-Printed Rib-Eye Is Unveiled
Israeli company Aleph Farms has unveiled the world's first three-dimensionally printed rib-eye steak, cultivated from live animal tissue.
From ACM TechNews
Deepfake Detectors Can Be Defeated, Computer Scientists Show for the First Time
Computer scientists at the University of California, San Diego have demonstrated that detectors programmed to spot deepfake videos can be beaten.
From ACM TechNews
Doorbell Security Cameras Are Easily Hackable, Researchers Find
Florida Institute of Technology researchers have demonstrated that smart home security systems, including doorbells connected to a wireless camera, can be hacked easily.
From ACM News
How Will 'Chipageddon' Affect You?
Like much else wrong with the world, the coronavirus is partly to blame.
From ACM News
U.S. Gmail Users are Most Popular Targets for Email Phishing, Malware Attacks
Third-party data breaches also make users more attractive targets for cyberattacks.
From ACM News
No Quick Fix for Auto Chip Shortage
Over-reliance on TSMC and soaring cost of old gear limits capacity expansion.
From ACM News
Data Drought Slows Advance of AI in Cybersecurity
It's early days, but both government and business want to solidify their cyberwalls with artificial intelligence. Yet training AI models requires reams of just the right sort of data.
From ACM TechNews
'Zoombombing' Research Shows Legitimate Meeting Attendees Cause Most Attacks
A study by researchers at Binghamton and Boston universities indicates most zoombombing attacks are caused by legitimate attendees.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Can Understand What a Hug Is
A prototype soft robot developed by researchers at Cornell University is imbued with sensory perception.
From ACM TechNews
Neural Network Has Learned to Identify Tree Species
Scientists at Russia's Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) have developed an algorithm that can identify tree species in satellite images.
From ACM News
Tracking the Hackers
Dissecting the SolarWinds hack.
From ACM News
How the United States Lost to Hackers
America's biggest vulnerability in cyberwarfare is hubris.
From ACM TechNews
Blockchain Transactions Confirm Murky, Interconnected Ransomware Scene
A study by blockchain investigations firm Chainalysis found that cybercrime gangs often switch ransomware-as-a-service suppliers as they seek better profits.
From ACM TechNews
Flying Robots Suggest Bees Can't Rely on Instinct to Land on Flowers
Researchers used small drones to study how bees land on a flower.
From ACM TechNews
Scientists Develop Method to Detect Fake News
Researchers used machine learning to develop a method for identifying fake news even when such reports are repeatedly adapted.