Communications of the ACM
An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.
From ACM TechNews
Schools Struggling to Stay Open Get Hit by Ransomware Attacks
Schools struggling to stay open during the Covid-19 pandemic are being targeted by ransomware, as hackers threaten to post sensitive student information online....
From ACM TechNews
AI Shows Potential to Gauge Voter Sentiment
Some technology experts believe using artificial intelligence to gauge voter sentiment could help to better understand the electorate.
From ACM TechNews
Retailers Use AI to Improve Online Recommendations for Shoppers
Online retailers have taken steps during the pandemic to improve their search and recommendation engines by building predictive models with high levels of accuracy...
From ACM TechNews
'Sneakernet' Helps Election Officials Process Results
U.S. election officials used voting machines and other devices linked to the "sneakernet" to process results from Tuesday's elections.
From ACM TechNews
Hacker Releases Georgia County Election Data After Ransom Not Paid
A computer hacker publicly released election-related files from Hall County, GA, after county officials failed to pay a ransom.
From ACM TechNews
The Contest to Protect Almost Everything on the Internet
Hundreds of the world's leading cryptographers are competing to develop encryption standards to protect online data against classical and quantum-computing cyberattacks...
From ACM TechNews
U.S. Moves to Protect Technologies Considered Critical to National Security
The U.S. National Security Council on Thursday issued guidelines to protect technologies crucial to national security.
From ACM TechNews
Can Businesses Keep Up With Cyber Threats?
Market research firm Gartner forecasts cybersecurity spending by companies and governments will grow 9% annually from 2021 to 2024.
From ACM TechNews
Tax Agency Watchdog Is Investigating IRS Use of Cellphone Location Data
U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russel George said he will review Internal Revenue Service use of software that enables warrantless surveillance...
From ACM TechNews
Insights Into Dreams and What They Say About Us
Computer scientists are using artificial intelligence and digital databases to examine dreams and potentially identify mental issues.
From ACM TechNews
Cities Tap AI to Regulate Short-Term Rentals as Travel Picks Up
U.S. cities and towns are using artificial intelligence to monitor and regulate short-term rentals, with some hoping to spot tax-revenue opportunities during the...
From ACM TechNews
China Launches Initiative to Set Global Data Security Rules
China this week launched the Global Initiative on Data Security, in a bid to establish international data-security standards.
From ACM TechNews
Visa Unveils More Powerful AI Tool That Approves or Denies Card Transactions
Visa has introduced a more advanced artificial intelligence tool to approve or deny credit and debit transactions when banks' networks are down.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Trucks Seek Inroads Into Freight Business
Startups are developing prototype autonomous trucks to haul freight while reducing transportation costs and expediting deliveries.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Boats Leave Autonomous Cars in Their Wake
U.K. ocean-research nonprofit Promare will launch an autonomous boat next spring to retrace the trans-Atlantic journey of the Mayflower.
From ACM TechNews
NSA Warns Cellphone Location Data Could Pose National-Security Threat
The U.S. National Security Agency has released new guidance for military and intelligence community staff, warning of threats to national security from cellphone...
From ACM TechNews
Back to School? Look Out for Covid-Tracking Surveillance Tech
Surveillance technology deployed in schools to prevent or contain coronavirus infection raises issues about its effectiveness, as well as its post-pandemic applications...
From ACM TechNews
Police Requests for Google Users' Location Histories Face New Scrutiny
Police use of "geofence" warrants is being disputed by criminal defendants in Virginia and San Francisco, and could be banned by lawmakers in New York.
From ACM TechNews
Colorblind Users Push Technology Designers to Use Signals Beyond Color
Colorblind users are pressing technology developers to redesign products to accommodate their disability.
From ACM TechNews