Blake Dowling: Unseen technology

Because breaches are so frequent, we hardly even notice them anymore.
Last week, Uber was hacked.

 

When you read the headline or heard the news, did you even wince? I looked to see whether credit cards or passwords had been compromised before continuing (it appears they were not).

 

Every day, every month, every week, someone is brought down by hacks like this.

 

Because breaches are so frequent, we hardly even notice them anymore.

 

Guess how Uber was compromised? Due to allegations that a hacker convincingly posing as the “IT Department” persuaded an Uber employee to give them their credentials, Uber, a firm with cyber protection policies in line with the Department of Defense, experienced a breach.

 

We have now entered what I can only refer to as the “Really era,” which is also known as social engineering. Really? When someone calls or texts you asking for your password, do you give it to them? Really?

 

Will we spend the rest of our lives hacking Defcon 1 and watching out for the next cyberattack?

 

What will people refer to this time period as in the future? The Years of Hacking? Not as memorable as my “truly” era, but after the fact, we, they, or someone always come up with a term for that time period.

 

Let’s move on from hacking and into the most recent technological era as naming tech trends is currently fashionable. The other day, I heard about a brand-new concept called ambient computing.

 

The idea of ambient computing is to make computing accessible anywhere and at any time. Ambient computing, also known as ubiquitous computing, differs from desktop computing in that it can take place on any device, in any setting, and in any format.

 

Why does that matter? In other words, it indicates that you are still surrounded by technology even though you are not in front of a computer; yet, in most circumstances, the technology is acting independently of you.

 

Consider devices like the Ring video doorbell, which can respond to the doorbell ringing even when its owner is not there, the Nest home thermostat, a self-driving car, an Apple Watch that monitors health, or other similar devices.

 

Artificial intelligence and sensors are used by this technology to complete the task.

 

If you work in technology, you could be thinking that everything is wonderful right now, but what if something goes wrong?

 

Consider the case where you have a robot vacuum that cleans your tile floors whenever you leave the house. What happens if your dog Max pees on the floor because you forgot to take him outside before work, and the robot vacuum cruises over it, redecorating your tile for you?

 

As a result of the enormous amount of data that these sensors and AI technologies acquire (assuming they are under the authority of the tech giants), you also face challenges with public trust. Thank you, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other ambient technology companies say.

 

This technique is also used by our state government.

 

To track the state’s air quality, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has nearly 200 sensors. Nearly 90% of our state is covered by this enormous operation, which is known as the Florida Ambient Air Monitoring Network plan. This programme assists in identifying and monitoring both long-term and short-term threats while ensuring that our state complies with federal regulations.

 

If you want additional information, you’re in luck because the DEP’s website contains all 86 pages.

 

Although I want to emphasise how wonderful this technology is, it is not faultless.

 

I adore it when the video camera in our conference room automatically follows the speaker rather than requiring someone to move it. Or you can use a website’s chat help feature, which is run by artificial intelligence and provides you with the information you need, providing it is already in their knowledge base.

 

I really adore our automatic pet water dispenser at home, which is another noteworthy application of ambient technology.

 

Next, what? Smarter homes, cities, and workplaces? But given the nature of human nature, someone will undoubtedly make a mess of everything by giving a hacker their login information.

 

Really? Yes.

 

The CEO of Aegis Business Technologies is Blake Dowling. This column is devoted to the memory and legacy of Mr. Brad Mitchell, one of our company’s founders, and may be reached at dowlingb@aegisbiztech.com. Brad passed away peacefully on September 18 at home. All who served with Brad will miss him because he liked technology. Peace be with you, sir.