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From ACM Opinion

Cyberweapons: Bold Steps in a Digital Darkness?

In 1945, the United States organized a committee to investigate whether nuclear weapons should become a central military technology, or whether to abjure the weapons...

Bionic Brains and Beyond
From ACM News

Bionic Brains and Beyond

The National Spelling Bee of 2023 started out like any other, but controversy enveloped the contest when Suzy Hamilton, an 8-year-old from Tulsa, emerged as the...

Is It Possible to Wage a Just Cyberwar?
From ACM Opinion

Is It Possible to Wage a Just Cyberwar?

In the last week or so, cyberwarfare has made front-page news: the United States may have been behind the Stuxnet cyberattack on Iran; Iran may have suffered another...

Why Attack When We Can't Defend?
From ACM Opinion

Why Attack When We Can't Defend?

In December 2010, after we had reverse engineered the Stuxnet virus, I argued that the attackers must have known they would open Pandora's box. Others suggested...

Why Antivirus Companies Like Mine Failed to Catch Flame and Stuxnet
From ACM Opinion

Why Antivirus Companies Like Mine Failed to Catch Flame and Stuxnet

A couple of days ago, I received an e-mail from Iran. It was sent by an analyst from the Iranian Computer Emergency Response Team, and it was informing me about...

From ACM Opinion

Augmented Reality Offers a New Layer of Intrigue

If you ever come across a photograph of communist-era East Berlin, or modern Pyongyang in North Korea, the cityscapes look drab and featureless. Billboards, advertising...

Apple's Crystal Prison and the Future of Open Platforms
From ACM Opinion

Apple's Crystal Prison and the Future of Open Platforms

Two weeks ago, Steve Wozniak made a public call for Apple to open its platforms for those who wish to tinker, tweak and innovate with their internals. EFF supports...

What Fearmongers Get Wrong About Cyberwarfare
From ACM Opinion

What Fearmongers Get Wrong About Cyberwarfare

Should we worry about cyberwarfare? Judging by excessively dramatic headlines in the media, very much so. Cyberwarfare, the argument goes, might make wars easier...

From ACM Opinion

What's the Meaning of This: Flame Malware

From all indications, it would appear that attackers are continuing to attack and malware authors are carrying on writing malware.

From ACM Opinion

Facebook's Brilliant Disaster

So I guess you've heard about the recent initial public offering that didn't turn out the way it was supposed to. The company's Wall Street advisers misjudged the...

Can Facebook 'monetize Eyeballs?'
From ACM Opinion

Can Facebook 'monetize Eyeballs?'

In the days of the Internet bubble of the mid to late 1990s, companies received millions of dollars of venture capital to offer products that weren't especially...

A Measure of Control
From Communications of the ACM

A Measure of Control

Some limitations on measurements in software.

The Cybersecurity Risk
From Communications of the ACM

The Cybersecurity Risk

Increased attention to cybersecurity has not resulted in improved cybersecurity.

Scale Failure
From Communications of the ACM

Scale Failure

Using a tool for the wrong job is OK until the day when it isn't.

Security of the Internet and the Known Unknowns
From Communications of the ACM

Security of the Internet and the Known Unknowns

Seeking answers to questions about Internet vulnerabilities.

The Myth of the Elevator Pitch
From Communications of the ACM

The Myth of the Elevator Pitch

Instead of pitching, listen and offer.

Why Computer Scientists Should Care About Cyber Conflict and U.S. National Security Policy
From Communications of the ACM

Why Computer Scientists Should Care About Cyber Conflict and U.S. National Security Policy

Cybersecurity and policy issues for computer scientists.

'barcode Everyone at Birth'
From ACM Opinion

'barcode Everyone at Birth'

If I were empress of the Universe I would insist on every individual having a unique ID permanently attached—a barcode if you will—an implanted chip to provide...

Why the Internet Makes It Impossible to Stop Giant Wall Street Losses
From ACM Opinion

Why the Internet Makes It Impossible to Stop Giant Wall Street Losses

In 1984, Yale sociologist Charles Perrow published his classic book, Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies. The odd term, "normal accident," Perrow...

What Does Facebook's $100 Billion Ipo Mean For You?
From ACM Opinion

What Does Facebook's $100 Billion Ipo Mean For You?

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