In 2013 Google moved to what it called the Internet of things. The move was a change in policy, which announced Google’s use of three sources of information to obtain knowledge for search results. The new sources were Wikipedia, CIA world Fact Book and Freebase. Wikipedia appears to be the dominating source. Google’s dependence upon Wikipedia cause this accident to happen.
House Majority leader Kevin McCarthy
(R-Calif.) on Thursday went after Google for displaying “Nazism” as one of the ideologies of the California Republican Party.
A search on the site for “California Republican Party” apparently returned with a sidebar result listing Nazism as an ideology alongside “conservativism” and “market liberalism.”
McCarthy noted the sidebar in a tweet at the company.
“Dear @Google, This is a disgrace #StopTheBias,” McCarthy tweeted, accompanied by a screenshot showing Nazism listed among the California Republican party’s ideologies alongside values like “conservatism” and “market liberalism.”
Ideologies associated with the California GOP are no longer visible in the sidebar on Google’s results page when users search “California Republican Party” or in similar searches.
The sidebar, which Google calls the “knowledge panel,” is often populated by content from Wikipedia; however, no mention of Nazism is visible of the California GOP’s page there. The party’s Wikipedia page’s edit history, though, shows that “Nazism” was briefly added to the page on Thursday.
Google blamed the result as online “vandalism” from outside the company that slipped through its safeguards.
“This was not the result of any manual change by anyone at Google. We don’t bias our search results toward any political party. Sometimes people vandalize public information sources, including Wikipedia, which can impact the information that appears in search,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement.
“We have systems in place that catch vandalism before it impacts search results, but occasionally errors get through, and that’s what happened here. This would have been fixed systematically once we processed the removal from Wikipedia, but when we noticed the vandalism we worked quickly to accelerate this process to remove the erroneous information,” they added.
The mistake comes in advance of California’s statewide primary elections, which are set for next week.
Other conservatives expressed outrage over Nazism appearing, including President Trump.
Anyone can post a Wikipedia article. ABCO Technology’s web development program will teach you how. If you are interested in learning advanced website techniques for promoting your business online, call our campus. You can reach us by telephone between 9 A.M and 6 P. M Monday through Friday at: (310) 216-3067.
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Are you a US veteran, network administrator or a person who allowed their certifications to laps? Would you like to gain a big advantage over your IT competition?
If you answered yes to these important questions, The CompTIA Security + certification is for you.
The CompTIA Security + is gaining in popularity across the United States. Over two million companies are requiring the CompTIA Security + as a major requirement for network administrators.
The reason for this surge in demand for this certification is because of the massive increase in cybercrime. Cyber-attacks are a normal part of a network administrator’s business day. These attacks usually are made upon the corporate server, routers, attacks on individual work stations and in some cases hackers have been known to gain access through a device like a simple printer or fax.
On May 15, 2018 Banks in Mexico had to admit that cyber-criminals stole twenty million dollars due to hacking. In fact Money transfers had to be suspended for 24 hours so the crimes could be sorted out. Only one result came from this attack, more cyber security professionals were hired.
The US government is requiring all companies who contract with them, have a person on staff who is certified in cyber security. The last thing our government wants is to have important information fall into the wrong hands. News leaks dominate the news today. Cyber security is one solution to stop vital information from falling into the hands of the media. The CompTIA Security + is the certification most recognized by the US government.
What is needed to fight these attacks, is a qualified person who has certified cyber security skills. The CompTIA Security + is your credential, which will prove to employers that you can defend their network against a cyber-attack.
The CompTIA Security + is not a standalone certification. In order to receive maximum benefit from this certification, network administrators should have the CompTIA A+, Microsoft’s MCSE, Cisco CCNA and if the MCSE isn’t possible the CompTIA Network + will be sufficient to advance to the CompTIA Security + certification.
The CompTIA Security + is completed in 78 hours. While in class, you will learn the critical strategies you can employ to harden your network against all kinds of cyber-attacks.
In addition, the US Department of Defense recognizes the CompTIA Security + as a major proof of cyber security competence. In fact, the CompTIA Security + is a key part of a Department of Defense security clearance known as DOD 8140.
Veterans, persons working in network administration and candidates who have various degrees in the field of information technology will benefit from this information packed certification.
After completing the CompTIA Security +, many of our students move onto the Certified Ethical hacker, which provides all of the tools you will need for network penetration testing and defense.
You will receive access to over 600 tools, which will enable you to defend your organization against a cyber-attack. Cyber-security is big business in 2018. Students who train and become certified will be in demand. Jobs for cyber security professionals are listed in all 50 states. If you obtain this certificate, you can choose where you want to live. Most important, you will know that you have the earning power to receive a solid income so you can buy that house or car you’ve always wanted.
If you are interested in learning about cyber security, contact ABCO Technology.
Reaching our campus by telephone is easy. Call Monday through Friday between 9 AM and 6 PM. Our phone number is (310) 216-3067.
Email your questions to info@abcotechnology.edu
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The federal government is already investigating Facebook. The question now is how much further it will go to regulate it.
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before the EU Tuesday and Wednesday of this week in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and revelations about the platform’s role in both privacy issues and the dissemination of Russian disinformation during the 2016 presidential campaign to answer questions about Facebook’s past, current, and future actions.
But what Facebook will do on its own will likely no longer be enough. Calls have grown for the government to try to rein in the social media giant. Even Zuckerberg has acknowledged it might be time for regulators to step in.
Europe is taking some pretty significant steps in clamping down on Facebook and big tech at large. In the United States, where policymakers have traditionally been reluctant to regulate technology, it’s a bit more complicated.
Regulating Facebook is a complicated balancing act, multiple technology experts and Capitol Hill aides said in interviews. The company isn’t facing one scandal — it’s facing two: one about Russian disinformation and fake news, and one about user privacy and data security.
There are no easy answers about where Facebook’s responsibility begins and ends over what’s shared on its platform. In the United States, there’s also a First Amendment issue. When clamping down on what’s shared on social media, the government’s hands are actually more tied than, say, Facebook or Twitter through their terms of service.
“The idea of what they could be doing and what they should be doing is the dividing line,” Michelle De Mooy, the director for privacy and data at the Center for Democracy & Technology, stated.
Facebook could face a “breathtaking” federal fine
Congress and federal agencies are already considering several avenues to rein in Facebook. Arguably the biggest is an investigation that’s already underway: The Federal Trade Commission is looking into the possible misuse of personal information in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which involved sharing data from as many as 87 million users. At issue is whether Facebook violated a 2011 consent decree with the FTC over charges it deceived consumers about their privacy.
The settlement required Facebook to give consumers “clear and prominent notice” and obtain their consent before sharing their information. And it barred the company from making any further deceptive privacy claims.
If the FTC finds Facebook did violate the 2011 agreement, it could be in deep trouble.
“If there was a violation, and let’s assume there was, the FTC is in a position to punch very hard if it wants to,” said former FTC Commissioner Bill Kovacic. “The potential monetary penalties under the status quo would be extraordinary.”
He said that each violation of the existing settlement could be punished by a fine of $40,000 — per day, per user. For a single wronged user over the course of a month, that’s a potential $1.2 million fine. And compounded among potentially tens of millions of users across several weeks and months, the amount would be astronomical. “Now, would the FTC say, ‘Here’s a bill for $1 trillion?’ No. But short of that, could they impose a breathtaking civil penalty?” Kovacic said.
He said the FTC would need to go through the Department of Justice to pursue a civil penalty, and it is unclear what the result would be. And, of course, we don’t know what yet the FTC will find, if anything. But the investigation could be a big one. “Think of this headline: biggest fine imposed on a business enterprise in the history of government regulation,” Kovacic said. “That would catch the attention of [Facebook] and of others in the industry.”
De Mooy warned that the results of the FTC investigation might not be so satisfying for harmed customers, even if it results in a blockbuster fine. “The problem with anything that the FTC does is that it’s not public,” she said. “If they come to a conclusion that there was a violation, that there were unfair and deceptive practices, we still wouldn’t know why they came to that conclusion.”
Congress wants to force more disclosure on Facebook ads
Meanwhile, there are other proposals on the table to impose new requirements on Facebook. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), and John McCain (R-AZ) last October introduced the Honest Ads Act, which seeks to regulate online political advertising much in the same way as television, radio, and print are. The legislation has largely stalled, with Senate Rules Committee Chair Richard Shelby (R-AL) expressing little interest in holding hearings on it.
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) is expected to take over for Shelby as chair of the Rules Committee, and the bill’s proponents hope he will express more of an interest in it, a Democratic aide told me.
After Cambridge Analytica and the continued information drip out of Facebook over what Russia did in 2016, public outcry may also push reluctant legislators to be more open to acting.
The Honest Ads Act would require social media companies to disclose which groups are running political advertisements and make reasonable efforts to ensure foreign governments and agents aren’t purchasing ads on their platforms. On Friday, Zuckerberg came out in support of the Honest Ads Act in a Facebook post, saying it would “raise the bar for all political advertising online.” Twitter announced its support for the legislation on Tuesday.
In the same post, Zuckerberg said Facebook would require political-leaning advertisers to verify their identity and location. Anyone who wants to run political or issue-based ads will need to be verified, and Facebook will label the ads and who paid for them. Facebook unveiled a similar authorization requirement for election ads in October.
Meanwhile, the California legislature is seeking to clamp down on bots. Democratic state Sen. Bob Hertzberg and Democratic State Assembly member Marc Levine have both introduced legislation that would require social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to identify automated accounts — essentially, a sort of sticker that says, “I’m a bot.”
“They built the car and they allowed the Russians to get in it, gave them the keys, and allowed them to go speeding on the highway. And then they wrecked that car into our democracy,” Levine told me recently. “So big tech needs to take responsibility for the software that they are creating.”
In November, California voters will also have the opportunity to vote on the California Consumer Privacy Act, a ballot initiative that would require companies to disclose what information they gather and how they share and sell it, and give people the right to tell businesses what they can and cannot do with their data. Facebook, Google, AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast oppose it.
The Federal Election Commission is also contemplating amending its rules on for disclaimers on political communications, including advocacy and fundraising, online. In late March, it put out two alternative proposals on the matter.
Also in March, a bipartisan group of 37 state attorneys general sent a letter to Zuckerberg “demanding answers” about the company’s business practices and privacy protections.
There’s a lot that could be on the table, but it’s not clear whether it will be
What else could the federal government do? Plenty of proposals are floating around, including mandating new guidelines on transparency and data portability (the ability of users to essentially own their data, have it deleted, and take it from one platform to another), adjusting a law to hold social media platforms liable for users’ content, and even potentially enacting comprehensive privacy legislation.
One possibility is broader legislation dealing with bots, perhaps modeled on the Better Online Ticket Sales Act (better known as the BOTS Act), a 2016 law meant to clamp down on ticket scalping and computer programs that sweep up large numbers of tickets in online sales.
Another is stricter privacy standards. The Obama administration proposed the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, outlining consumers’ rights to control their personal data and requirements for transparency and security. It failed to gain consensus twice, and, if anything, privacy has moved in the opposite direction: President Donald Trump in 2017 signed legislation repealing the FCC’s privacy protections for internet users.
“Efforts to set privacy standards have been ignored or even repealed,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), ranking member of the House committee Zuckerberg will testify before on Wednesday.
Advocates of a new comprehensive privacy in the United States hope that revelations about Facebook’s practices might push for more sweeping change. “What’s become clear here is that this is not just a consumer protection issue,” said Rebecca MacKinnon, an internet freedom advocate and director of Ranking Digital Rights, a research initiative on global standards for freedom of expression and privacy in the digital space. “Privacy protection is a national security issue.”
“The idea of Congress passing a baseline privacy law is something we’ve championed,” De Mooy said. “It’s a good time to talk about what that actually looks like.”
Advocates of broader regulation for Facebook also suggest expanding the FTC’s authority and lightening some limitations on its jurisdiction. “The FTC has no authority over nonprofits, no authority over common carriers like telecommunications or transportation, airlines, banking,” Kovacic said. “To be a really effective national privacy regulator, you have to have a broad scope of authority over everything that faces the consumer in all contexts.”
Another option would be to revisit Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 law that provides immunity from liability to online platforms for content generated by its users. Essentially, the law says that Facebook is like a library, not a newspaper — if you go to a library and check out a book on how to build a bomb, the library isn’t liable for that. If a newspaper publishes an article explaining how to do it and encouraging it, that’s another story.
Congress just passed legislation that rolls back portions of Section 230 for cases of sex trafficking, and that could potentially open the door for further meddling with the law. Proponents of Section 230 warn it could open up a Pandora’s box of threats to internet freedom and actually have the opposite effect of what is intended, in the case of the sex trafficking bill pushing illicit activity into even darker corners of the internet.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who wrote Section 230, warned that changing it would “punch a hole in the legal framework of the open internet” in a speech on the Senate floor. One congressional aide said he believes that Section 230 will be the “central discussion point” on what the internet looks like over the next several years.
One big sticking point in regulating Facebook in America is the First Amendment
Part of what explains why the United States has been so reluctant to enact regulations on the internet and technology is the matter of free speech, as mandated by the US Constitution. Simply put, there is a lot the government just can’t control when it comes to what people do and do not say online.
“From a starting point, we have to recognize particularly here in the United States, with the First Amendment, there is a real limit to what regulation, what government action can do around online content,” said Emma Llanso, director of the Center for Data & Technology’s free expression project. “There are certainly things that are illegal content, so that is more of an area where talking about regulations could make sense, but so much of what comes up in general discussion about this is out of reach of government action from the get-go.”
The Honest Ads Act and FEC guidelines may be able to do something about political advertising and transparency online. But when it comes to policing hate speech, propaganda, and even fake news, it’s just a different story.
And that’s where the companies themselves have to come in. The US Congress might not be able to keep people from bullying online, but Twitter’s terms of service can.
“People tend to confuse what the government can do with what these individual companies can do,” said Karen Kornbluh, a senior fellow for digital policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and former ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development under the Obama administration. “It’s not a First Amendment issue for companies to take down misleading ads, hate speech, or hoaxes.”
She added that companies often face political or financial pressure to take down or lead up content and should be clearer in their terms of service about what they take down and why.
Llanso said getting more transparency from platforms about their content moderation practices, including the numbers and scope of the material there that’s being flagged and is being taken down, could help shape policy prescriptions as well. “Until we get better information into the public discourse about how these platforms are shaping the information environments that they control, we are sort of talking about policy options in the dark.”
She concurred that given limits to government control of free speech, companies do have more freedom to police what’s out there. “Any platform that I can think of has a content policy that is more restrictive than the First Amendment would permit the government to do,” she said.
There are, of course, risks to putting so much impetus on companies to act and turning them into the arbiters of what is and isn’t allowed online. MacKinnon said she’s worried about a setup that turns companies “basically into private judges, juries, and executioners when it comes to online speech.”
But if Facebook, as it says, wants to do better, that’s certainly a way. Zuckerberg told reporters last week that it currently has 15,000 people working on security and content review and plans to have 20,000 by the end of the year.
Antonio García-Martinez, who worked on Facebook’s targeted ads from 2011 to 2013, pointed out to me recently that Facebook already does plenty of self-policing and in political advertising specifically uses a strategy similar to the ones it uses in other advertising arenas. Alcohol ads, for example, are only shown to users of a certain age in the United States, another age in Spain, and not at all in Saudi Arabia, where alcohol is illegal.
“Facebook actually goes in and programmatically figures out what’s an alcohol ad and then applies business logic to it saying what’s allowable,” García-Martinez stated. “And if you break the rules enough, the account gets frozen.”
The hard truth is that the horse is already out of the barn
Zuckerberg’s congressional testimony and his and other Facebook executives’ mea culpa media blitz is perhaps the start of taking a hard look at privacy protection, data, and information manipulation online. But there’s a long road ahead — and a lot of what’s already been done is, well, done.
Facebook has admitted the majority of its users’ information has been accessed by third parties, that it scans messages, and that it keeps pretty much all of your data forever. It just announced it found more evidence of Russian troll accounts. Zuckerberg last week said uncovering nefarious content is going to be a “never-ending battle” and that you “never fully solve security.”
“I think we will dig through this hole, but it will take a few years,” Zuckerberg recently told Vox’s Ezra Klein. “I wish I could solve all these issues in three months or six months, but I just think the reality is that solving some of these questions is just going to take a longer period of time.”
The issue is, of course, a lot of data is already out there, the 2016 election is already over, and consumers’ trust in Facebook has already been breached.
“There is an element that it’s too little, too late. But we still want Facebook to make some changes, and we will ask Zuckerberg some questions about what changes he’s making. But we also have to realize that a lot of this information is already out there, and so that has to be thought about, in terms of regulation and legislation — what do we do going forward, but also what do we do for the stuff that’s out there?” Rep. Pallone said. “I don’t know that there’s an easy answer out there.”
The best answer is to hire more cyber-security professionals.
If you are interested in a career in cyber-security, it is time for you to contact ABCO Technology.
You can reach our campus by telephone at: (310) 216-3067.
Email all questions to: info@abcotechnology.edu
Financial aid is available to all students who qualify for funding.
ABCO Technology is located at:
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Cyber-security professionals needed, train and certify for a fulfilling career today!
major restaurant chain hacked again, more cyber security needed
Chillis, a large chain of restaurants was hit with a major cyber-attack in 2018.
The chain restaurant reports the attack occurred between March and April 2018
Do you believe your credit information is safe when you eat out? If you believe so, think again! Chillis stock symbol is found by typing eat. Well, the restaurant chain sure ate it on this one.
Between March and April of 2018, Chili’s restaurants were hit by a data breach that may have compromised some guests’ payment card information. The breach was discovered last Friday, according to a press release by Brinker International, which owns the 1,600+ location chain.
Per Chili’s press release:
♬ Hey you got maybe hacked, maybe-hacked, maybe-hacked ♬
♬ Hey you got maybe hacked, maybe-hacked, maybe-hacked ♬
♬ Chili’s got hacked, baby, hacked ♬
Ok, I’m going to level with you. That wasn’t the press release. And I will probably never get a PR job with Chillis. But seriously, how could you even be mad at that?
Back to the real press release, though. Here is what happened:
On May 11, 2018, we learned that some of our Guests’ payment card information was compromised at certain Chili’s restaurants as the result of a data incident. Currently, we believe the data incident was limited to between March – April 2018; however, we continue to assess the scope of the incident. We deeply value our relationships with our Guests and sincerely apologize to those who may have been affected.
Chili’s immediately launched into its response plan and is currently working with third-party forensic experts to investigate exactly what happened.
Based on the information currently available, it appears as though malware was used to collect payment card information, specifically credit and debit card numbers and cardholder names, used during in-restaurant purchases at affected restaurants.
Chili’s does not collect certain personal information (such as your social security number, your full date of birth, or federal or state identification number). Therefore, this personal information was not compromised.
Chili’s suggests that all customers monitor their bank accounts for any unauthorized transactions. So far the complete scope of the breach is not known, including how many restaurants were affected and how many customers had their data compromised. The restaurant will continue to issue updates as they become available.
Overall, Chili’s handled this situation with aplomb. We’ve reached a point where, for big companies, data breaches aren’t a matter of if, they’re a matter of when. Chili’s had a contingency plan in place, it disclosed the breach within 72 hours of its discovery (something that would make GDPR compliance specialists proud) and the company is communicating clearly and giving customers actionable advice to help ensure that they aren’t negatively impacted.
All in all, at least externally, Chili’s has handled itself fine here. Besides, a data breach is not what keeps successful chain restaurants up awake at night. Millennials are the prime source of stress.
It is important for Chillis ensure that their customers continue dining at their restaurants. In order to create trust, the chain will be forced to spend more money for cyber security. That’s where readers of our ABCO Technology articles will benefit. If you want a promising career in cyber security, contact ABCO Technology. You can reach our campus between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday at: (310) 216-3067.
Email all questions to: info@abcotechnology.edu
Financial aid is available to all students who qualify for funding.
ABCO Technology is located at:
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Los Angeles, Ca. 90304
Cyber-crime is growing faster than professionals can be hired. Train and certify for a cyber security career today!
Google announced yesterday that after a year and a half of testing it was beginning a wider rollout of its mobile-first indexing and had started migrating sites that follow the best practices for mobile-first indexing.
Google started to move a small number of sites over late last year, but this is the first announcement of what seems to be a larger scale move.
Sites which are migrating will be notified via a message in Search Console:
migration
Google said site owners would see significantly increased crawl rate from the Smartphone Googlebot and that Google would show the mobile version of pages in search results and Google cached pages. It said that for sites which have AMP and non-AMP pages, Google would favor the mobile version of the non-AMP page.
Google moved to reassure site owners who are not included in this rollout that rankings would not be affected and that sites which only have desktop content would still be indexed.
“Sites that are not in this initial wave don’t need to panic. Mobile-first indexing is about how we gather content, not about how content is ranked. Content gathered by mobile-first indexing has no ranking advantage over mobile content that’s not yet gathered this way or desktop content. Moreover, if you only have desktop content, you will continue to be represented in our index.”
However, the push towards mobile friendly sites continues with Google noting that mobile friendly content can perform better, and that slow loading content will be a ranking factor for mobile searches from July.
You can find more information about best practices for mobile-first indexing in Google’s developer documentation.
Google says it will continue to have one single index and there won’t be a mobile-first index separate from the main index. Historically it was the desktop version that was indexed but increasingly Google will now be using the mobile version of content, responding to the growth in use of mobile devices.
See Google’s blog post for full details.
ABCO Technology teaches a comprehensive course for mobile web site development. Call our campus between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday. You can reach us at:
(310) 216-3067.
Email all questions to: info@abcotechnology.edu
Financial aid is available to all students who qualify for federal funding.
If you can repair a computer, laptop or smart phone, you’ll have a job today! The CompTia A+ is the ultimate certification for a high school senior or teenager to enter the work force. The CompTia A+ is the best starting point for a career in the field of information technology.
Gone are the days of those easy to get summer jobs most high school seniors used to enjoy. In the work place of 2018, workers who have specific employable skills are hired. Those who are not trained to do a specific task, sit home watching TV or stream their lives away on the Internet.
The CompTia A+ certifies that its holder can repair all types of computers, install devices on a network and repair smart phones. Local Apple stores are constantly looking for young workers holding these skills.
The CompTia A+ can be completed in a standard course, which lasts 78 hours. The material is usually completed in five weeks. Students taking the A+ course pass two exams: 901 for hardware and 902 for operating systems.
It is important when taking this exam that you learn how to answer those simulation questions. Many of those self-study manuals can’t duplicate the new simulator questions found on the A+ exam. CompTia, like many vendors is moving away from the multiple choice format.
After passing both exams, students will be able to apply for the job of desktop technician, computer repair specialist or work for an information technology customer support center.
The problem today is that most companies report that it is very hard to find qualified young candidates. If you are between the ages of 17 and 24, this opportunity is right for you. Get trained and certified for A+ today.
ABCO Technology offers a comprehensive program for the CompTia A+. If you are interested in this opportunity, contact our campus between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday by telephone at: (310) 216-3067.
Email your questions to info@abcotechnology.edu
Financial aid is available to all students who qualify for federal education funding.
Facebook shares were down 15 points as of 12.30 PM California time. Monday, after a Friday report revealed that a Trump-linked analytics firm improperly obtained the personal data of tens of millions of users.
The massive $15-per-share drop, which represents a roughly $43 billion loss in market capital, comes just three days after it was revealed that a Cambridge University professor accessed the data of more than 50 million Facebook users by creating a data-mining survey, which exposed the personal information of the 270,000 respondents as well as their unwitting friends.
Facebook confirmed that the professor, Aleksandr Kogan, obtained the data entirely in accordance with the site’s guidelines; his only violation was sharing it with Cambridge Analytica, which was founded by Breitbart executive Steve Bannon and Hedge-fund billionaire Robert Mercer.
Facebook’s apparent inability to prevent user data from falling into the hands of a third-party organization once obtained by a seemingly benign actor prompted widespread criticism. The social-media giant learned Kogan had shared the data with Cambridge Analytica in 2015. At the time, Cambridge Analytica offered assurances that all of the data had been deleted, but Facebook has admitted that it recently learned that wasn’t the case
Facebook confirmed that the professor, Aleksandr Kogan, obtained the data entirely in accordance with the site’s guidelines; his only violation was sharing it with Cambridge Analytica, which was founded by Breitbart executive Steve Bannon and Hedge-fund billionaire Robert Mercer.
Facebook’s apparent inability to prevent user data from falling into the hands of a third-party organization once obtained by a seemingly benign actor prompted widespread criticism. The social-media giant learned Kogan had shared the data with Cambridge Analytica in 2015. At the time, Cambridge Analytica offered assurances that all of the data had been deleted, but Facebook has admitted that it recently learned that wasn’t the case
Facebook confirmed that the professor, Aleksandr Kogan, obtained the data entirely in accordance with the site’s guidelines; his only violation was sharing it with Cambridge Analytica, which was founded by Breitbart executive Steve Bannon and Hedge-fund billionaire Robert Mercer.
Facebook’s apparent inability to prevent user data from falling into the hands of a third-party organization once obtained by a seemingly benign actor prompted widespread criticism. The social-media giant learned Kogan had shared the data with Cambridge Analytica in 2015. At the time, Cambridge Analytica offered assurances that all of the data had been deleted, but Facebook has admitted that it recently learned that wasn’t the case.
The scale of the breach coupled with Facebook’s lack of awareness bolstered calls for regulation on Capitol Hill.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) responded to the report by demanding that Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg appear in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee to explain “what Facebook knew about misusing data from 50 million Americans in order to target political advertising and manipulate voters.”
Cybercrime and misuse continues to increase. Demand for cyber-security professionals is exploding nationwide.
If you want to learn more about how a cyber security certification will benefit your career, call ABCO Technology. You can reach us by phone from 9 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday. Call today at: (310) 216-3067.
The amount of the world’s information has doubled since 2013. The fact the amount of stored data continues to increase, the career of database administrator gains in importance.
The term database basically is defined as a collection of information. The collection can be as simple as the old phone book or it can be as complex as unstructured data mining, which is becoming more important as technology advances.
The career position of database administrator has been growing rapidly since the early eighties, when Ashton Tate introduced the first commercial database system for companies.
In 2018, two primary certifications are open to database administrators, which will prepare them for a fulfilling career. These certifications are Microsoft and Oracle.
Let’s begin by looking at the Microsoft database certification for database administrator. If you have little experience working with databases, the Microsoft database certification may be just the right one for you. Microsoft has gained a 90% market share through its networking products. The Microsoft database is used widely in smaller companies who have less than 1,000 employees. Microsoft has loads of technical support and their database will communicate with Oracle and the open-sourced MYSQL. A certification for Microsoft database administrator is completed in six months when students attend courses full time. Microsoft has a version of SQL, which is structured query language, which is the language for all databases. Students who earn the Microsoft database certification receive a Microsoft MCSE for database. Microsoft’s database curriculum is well structured. Many students continue training after Microsoft to obtain their Oracle database certification.
The second database certification, which is for more experienced database professionals is the Oracle database administrator. The Oracle database is used at large companies who have vast amounts of data and many employees accessing the same records at the same time. For example, the Los Angeles Unified School District uses Oracle. Oracle is used in major hospitals, fortune 500 companies, the US Department of defense and the US Department of Home Land security. Oracle is a bit more complicated to learn. Having some knowledge of programming and how technology operates is a major plus when learning Oracle. The Oracle database administrator program is completed in eight months. Students will need to complete three exams for the certification of OCP, which stands for Oracle certified Professional. Many job opportunities exist on major job sites including Indeed and Monster for the position of Oracle Database administrator.
A college degree isn’t a requirement for either Microsoft or Oracle certifications. Companies are looking for a professional who can use the software and will not require hours of training. Oracle and Microsoft certifications let a prospective employer know that you are fully trained and can use the software.
ABCO Technology teaches a comprehensive program for either Microsoft or Oracle database administrator. You can reach our campus by telephone at: (310) 216-3067 from 9 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday.
Email your questions to: info@abcotechnology.edu
Financial aid is available to all students who can qualify for funding.
ABCO Technology is located at:
11222 South La Cienega Blvd in STE # 588
Los Angeles, Ca. 90304
Database administrators are in demand get trained and certify for this career opportunity today!
When you think local SEO, you think Google. But another big name has been making some moves lately to enter the conversation, and that’s Facebook.
In the past few years, Facebook’s made a lot of strides to become a real player in local search, improving their search results to the extent that they rival Google’s. Meanwhile, Google has made investments in Google My Business to justify business owners devoting time to it instead of treating it like a defunct social media listing.
Both of these trends bode well for the impact of search on social, and of social on search.
Let’s review some of the most recent changes in local SEO from Google and Facebook.
Prioritizing local news for community engagement
At the end of January 2018, shortly following Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook would be demoting content from of brands and publishers in favor of those from family, friends, and groups, the social media giant announced that they were tweaking their algorithm to also highlight local news in the News Feed.
Facebook
The focus on aggregating and finding local news indicates Facebook plans to double down on local search. The more they can pick up on local search signals, the better they can provide hyper-localized, relevant content for their users. Consumers increasingly expect more personalization, and assuming (like Facebook does) that there is a correlation between personalization and hyper-localized content, this change will make their platform a more valuable source of information for their users. The more valuable the information on the platform, the likelier that user base is to stick on it, using it as both a local search engine as well as a place for updates on friends and family. Let the advertising dollars roll in.
In his announcement, Zuckerberg said,
“People constantly tell us they want to see more local news on Facebook.”
Apparently Facebook wasn’t the only one listening, as earlier that same week, Google launched its own local news app.
Currently only available in two cities, the free Google Bulletin app lets users post news updates and upload photos and video about events and happenings in their area. The app essentially combines the social community features of Nextdoor with the You Report It feature many local news sites rely on to crowdsource content.
You reported
With Bulletin, Google may well be hoping to encourage users to visit it first as the source of immediate information, instead of turning to Facebook as people so often do during an emergency or to find a local event.
Google Bulletin and Facebook’s prioritization of local news are also a strong response to the pressure both companies received for disseminating fake news during the 2016 U.S. election. Both are making the same assumption – that hyperlocal necessarily means more relevant and, since it’s coming from news sources, more trustworthy.
However, both initiatives are in their early days and their assumptions don’t seem fully fool-proof. Facebook’s algorithm currently determines something is local news by noting the domain, and then seeing whether users from a concentrated geographical area engage with the content – a setup which should be fairly easy to game. Meanwhile, there’s currently no vetting process on Google Bulletin that would prevent users from uploading inaccurate information.
Crowdsourcing content to inform business listings
Besides news sources, both Facebook and Google are relying on crowdsourced information to complete, categorize, and rank the business listings in their database. On either platform, users can add places, update address information and hours, write reviews, and answer questions about the business. Then, the platform uses this information to determine the most relevant result based on a searcher’s query, their location, and even local time.
Both Google and Facebook provide robust results that display helpful attributes sourced by user reviews, ratings, and busy times.
Google crowdsourcing
Facebook also includes additional filters based on whether your friends have also visited a place – bringing the social into search.
Facebook crowdsourcing
Facebook’s City Guides do the same at a macro-level, providing trip planning for various large cities around the world, and showing the top places your friends as well as locals have explored.
Facebook city guide
Launched in November 2017, the Facebook Local tab incorporates local event results along with the business listings and displays which of your friends are attending. This hyper social aspect, as opposed to hyperlocal, is a unique differentiator that gives Facebook real value as a local search engine.
To its credit, Google has been working on ways to make its own search results more social. One of the biggest changes they introduced to Google My Business in 2017 was the Q&A feature. Users can click a button to ask questions about a business, which are then available to be answered by anyone, including the business itself, as well as local guides, regular Google users, and even competitors.
Q and A
The fact that anyone can answer leads to misinformation, or less than helpful information as in the last example shown above (“Depends what you order”). Google’s attempt to introduce social discussion to their local business listings shows a singular lack of foresight similar to their failure to include a vetting process with Bulletin. In their defense, Google may be dealing with information overload. Each month, 700,000 new places are added to Google Maps. They’ve turned to users to help, but they’ve needed to incentivize users to get the information they need, rather than crowdsourcing it as Facebook has successfully done with Facebook Local. The more users answer questions on Google, upload photos, and edit business information, they earn points that designate them as a Local Guide – which they can exchange for early access to Google initiatives, exclusive events, and real monetary benefits like free storage on Google Drive.
Helping businesses convert users from their listings
We’ve been a bit hard on Google in the previous sections, but that’s about to change. Last year, Google also introduced Posts for Google My Business. Google Posts for Google My Business, as opposed to regular posts on a Google+ page, allowing businesses to update their listing with info that appears in the SERP along with their Knowledge Panel.
wellness
Posts offer business owners to promote new products, upcoming events, or simply useful information such as special holiday hours. Early studies indicate that engaging with Google Posts on a frequent basis can positively impact rankings – which may be an indication that Google is using a social feature as a search ranking factor.
Both Google and Facebook have also introduced CTA buttons businesses can add to their profiles, easing conversion from the SERP or social platform. Google users can book appointments with fitness and wellness-focused businesses directly from the SERP. Again, Facebook has outpaced Google here, since they offer seven CTA options which serve a variety of business needs: Book Now, Contact Us, Use App, Play Game, Shop Now, Sign Up, or Watch Video.
The convergence of local search and social
When you think about it, Facebook is the only business who could feasibly take on Google in the world of search. Its 2+ billion monthly users are a formidable force for Google’s 95% market share of mobile search users. While Google has access to email, Facebook has access to social profiles. Both companies have access to an incredible amount of demographic information on their users.
Which will reign supreme in the realm of local search is yet to be decided, although Facebook is giving Google a real run for their money thus far. Facebook’s local search results have become smarter, while Google’s attempts to incorporate social into search seem clumsy at best.
Likely, what we’ll ultimately see is a merging of local search and social as the two platforms meet somewhere in the middle.
If you are interested in using local search and social media as a powerful marketing set of strategies for your webpages, contact ABCO Technology. You can reach our campus between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday. Call today at: (310) 216-3067.
Email your questions to: info@abcotechnology.edu
Financial aid is available to all students who qualify for funding.
ABCO Technology is located at:
11222 South La Cienega Blvd. STE #588 Los Angeles, Ca. 90304
The Florida high school shooting tragedy, which occurred on February 14, 2018 has opened debate in 38 state legislatures and the US congress. Calls for a stronger national database, which will be easily accessible to law enforcement, educators and mental health professionals is on the table for passage. The reason is simple, having accessible information about potential threats will save lives and hopefully prevent tragedies, which took place in Florida. A database will make this information accessible. Constant media reports state the information about the shooter was available, but that data wasn’t made accessible to those who could act upon the information.
A stronger database will require approximately 5,000 new database administrators to coordinate and access this information. This database will have to be able to handle and update large amounts of information, which includes responsive queries, dynamic changes and modifications in state and federal laws.
The database, which most professionals believe will be able to handle this massive amount of data is Oracle 12C. Oracle has a powerful presence in the cloud, ability to design highly secure databases and a strong continuous data backup plan, which will enable the information not to be lost in the event of a disaster.
Another strong point in favor of using Oracle is the fact that many large school districts already employ this database for record keeping. For example, the Los Angeles Unified School District, Chicago school districts and New York city use Oracle to keep track of student records. The fact Oracle is already employed means the training time for the new database will be greatly decreased.
Oracle is the database that can handle the increase in traffic, which will result from gun control legislation. This legislation will include back ground checks, domestic violence reports and mental health information, which will be available if needed.
The question many of our readers are asking concerns how to train and certify for a job as a database administrator.
Oracle has two extensive exams, which are: Oracle Certified Associate, which involves a strong knowledge of structured query language or SQL and the Oracle certified professional, which teaches installation, information back up and security of information.
Most Oracle programs are completed in six months. Students learn to install, configure, administrate, back up and secure information contained in a relational database.
After graduating from an Oracle program, candidates are required to pass two exams. The Oracle Certified Associate and the Oracle Certified Professional. After passing your certification test, it will be time to submit your application for the job of database administrator. If you have database administration skills, employers are looking for you!
If you are interested in training for a career as a database administrator, contact ABCO Technology. You can reach our campus between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday. Call today at: (310) 216-3067.
Email your questions to info@abcotechnology.edu
Financial aid is available to all students who can successfully qualify for funding.
ABCO is located at:
11222 South La Cienega Blvd. STE #588 Los Angeles, Ca. 90304
