Have you ever purchased software but asked yourself, “I wonder if there are any known bugs in here and does the company even know?” Well, a little known fact is that they often do. Many websites, organizations, and software developers offer a deal called the bug bounty program. Individuals who participate can receive recognition and compensation for reporting bugs, especially those pertaining to security exploits and vulnerabilities.

When I was a kid, about the only thing I had to worry about when using a computer was dying of dysentery while playing Oregon Trail. The threats that face computer users today, especially children who are not aware of cybersecurity best practices, are far worse than not making it past the Rockies in a video game. We teach our children basic security aspects of using computers and laptops, but often don’t realize that something far more dangerous is lurking in their midst: smartphones. 

When a vulnerability hits 10 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), people pay attention and so should you. CVE-2020-1472 did just that–it hit a 10 and is dubbed the “perfect” exploit by Tara Seals, author at ThreatPost.com. While this exploit requires network access to already be established, it allows an attacker to obtain the “keys to the kingdom,” a.k.a. Domain Admin. With domain admin credentials, an attacker can do pretty much whatever they want on that domain: create new accounts, delete accounts, turn off security services, crawl through the network and pilfer pretty much any and all data that is under the purview of that domain.

We’ve all heard of self-driving cars, but how about self-flying planes? Earlier this month, DARPA held a contest called AlphaDogfight (https://www.wired.com/story/dogfight-renews-concerns-ai-lethal-potential/). The goal was to see if an AI could be developed to pilot an F-16 in a dogfight situation better than a human can. Teams from several companies competed and eventually the winner battled a highly trained human Air Force pilot in a simulated dog fight. An AI developed by Heron Systems defeated the other AIs and went on to defeat the human pilot as well. It wasn’t just a lucky shot either. There were five test battles and Heron’s AI shot down the human pilot in all five.

The current pandemic has left of us with more free time than ever before. Among the numerous activities begun these past few months, gardening was one of the fastest growing (see what I did there!). Seed suppliers were reporting shortages as people started growing personal gardens, nicknamed “Covid Gardens” or “Victory Gardens”. Typical reasons for starting a garden included finding extra free time, worries about supply lines being disrupted, or just wanting to limit time in stores. Whatever the reason for gardening, if you are anything like me, as the summer moves on and fall looms in the distance, the only thing my garden shows is how not green my thumbs are.