To keep up with the firehose of news and press releases, we’ve decided to deliver some extra news to you on the side every Monday and Thursday morning. Some of it is an extension of our own reporting that didn’t make its way into a story, while others might be content we’ve bookmarked for later reading and thought of sharing with you. We’re doing a similar thing at Channel Daily News – check it out here. You can also view our previous ITWC Morning Briefing here. Today’s briefing is delivered by ITWC editorial director Alex Coop.
What you need to know, right now
It’s what you need to know right now in the world of IT and tech – ’nuff said. (Best taken with a side of Hashtag Trending and Cyber Security Today)
TikTok says it’s planning to sue the Trump administration, Apple and WordPress lock horns after Apple gets a little greedy, and a story about PIPEDA and Tim Hortons catches fire on Reddit.
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Today’s podcast reports on a hack at Freepik, the settlement of a Weather Channel lawsuit, a flaw found in Google Drive and a U,.S. university pays a ransom.
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New privacy guidance on the Internet of Things for manufacturers and Canadians
Attaching thousands of chattering devices to a network securely is a nightmare process.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada recently published guidance for manufacturers of IoT devices to help them develop smart devices that respect privacy rights and comply with federal privacy law. The OPC also published advice for Canadians on how to use smart devices while protecting their personal information.
Guidance for manufacturers
This guidance is for manufacturers that produce, design or ensures legal compliance for devices with embedded sensors that collect personal information—such as lights, doorbells, locks, smoke detectors, alarms, TVs, cameras, speakers, appliances, toys, clothing, watches or health trackers. It offers practical information and best practices to help manufacturers comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
Advice for Canadians
This advice can help Canadians learn the basics of protecting their privacy while enjoying the benefits of smart devices. It provides tips for individuals on identifying and reducing risks, such as checking how personal information will be used and shared, and turning off Internet-connected devices when not in use.
In case you missed it
The recent news that we maybe didn’t get to yet, or it’s the news we’ve reported on and feel is worth resurfacing. Sometimes we’ll also feature awesome stories from other publications.
Internet pricing wars
The federal government’s humming and hawing over internet wholesale pricing has had a significant impact on ISPs. Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (ISED) Navdeep Bains recently announced that the Federal Cabinet does not fully endorse the CRTC’s new wholesale rate for Canadian facility-based carriers. This has forced several small Canadian ISPs to announce price increases. Our coverage so far:
- Suspended CRTC wholesale internet price gets the nod from Bell, but reseller ISP warns of higher subscription costs
- Start.ca raises internet prices as CRTC wholesale rate remains in limbo
- Distributel is the latest independent internet provider to increase prices
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From IT World Canada – CJEU invalidates the Privacy Shield: Why should Canada care? [FULL BLOG POST]Â
After months of eager anticipation, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its decision in Schrems II, the latest chapter in the ongoing tug-of-war between US laws that demand surveillance and EU data protection laws that require privacy. Read why Canadians should care.
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From IT World Canada – Business email compromise attacks are rising in Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre [FULL STORY]Â
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says there is a wide range of targeted email frauds being reported by businesses. Many involve urgent requests for wire transfers, while some also involve requests to purchase prepaid card products. These scams are categorized as spear-phishing attacks and typically involve an employee being convinced to make a change in a standard business process, like change a bank account where money usually goes.
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From IT World Canada – Citrix calls Workspace a new platform for work [FULL STORY]
We had a guided tour from Citrix of the comprehensive solution that allows employees to access their complete virtual desktops from any device.
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From IT World Canada – Goodbye memories: Photos permanently deleted after Adobe Lightroom iOS and iPadOS update deletes users’ data [FULL STORY]
Some customers who installed the recent 5.4.0 version of Adobe Lightroom on iPhone and/or iPad have had their photos and presets permanently deleted, and the loss is unrecoverable for those without a backup. The lesson here? Back up those cherished memories scattered across your mobile devices.
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From Wired.com – There’s No Good Reason to Trust Blockchain Technology [FULL STORY]
From the New York Times – Former Uber Security Chief Charged With Concealing Hack [FULL STORY]
Bookmarks of the week
A few bookmarked tweets that we think are worth sharing with you.
Linear roadmaps are misleading without a crystal ball for seeing the future. A roadmap that recognizes the existence of risk as time goes on is more honest. But an effective PM needs to anticipate possible branches, too – and create clear criteria for following each path. pic.twitter.com/4InTKNGEsp
— Pavel A. Samsonov (@PavelASamsonov) August 21, 2020
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The internet browser we all used to download our preferred internet browser is officially dead.
After 25 years, Microsoft finally decided to kill #InternetExplorer pic.twitter.com/YOBq8WlJ9h
— Jayasree (@sudo_Jayasree) August 20, 2020
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Constructive Open Source Citizenship Produces Results. Perceptions of IBM, Microsoft and VMware improved at organization’s that frequently contribute upstream. https://t.co/KKd052orb7 pic.twitter.com/JGuTISII19
— Lawrence Hecht (@LawrenceHecht) August 19, 2020
