In The News

Russian Ships Near Data Cables Are Too Close for US Comfort

David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt October 26, 2015
Corporations and governments around the globe depend on the internet, and any break in the deep undersea fiber-optic cables that carry most of the world’s communications could disrupt the global economy. US, Norwegian and other militaries officials have are monitoring Russian submarines and ships operating near the cables. The vessels may be searching for vulnerabilities, suggests a report in the...

Should Governments Be Able to Look at Your Data When It’s Abroad?

September 9, 2015
Nation’s legal systems struggle to keep up with the internet’s borderless development – just how, where and when law enforcement agencies should access stored data. An article in the Economist explains that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation expects to access Microsoft messages stored in a data center based in Ireland with US warrants: “at the core of the case is one of the most knotty legal...

Havana’s Hottest Spot Is a Crowded Ramp to WiFi Bliss

Nick Miroff August 17, 2015
Less than 5 percent of Cubans have access to the internet. Among the many goals for the United States in restoring relations with Cuba is “Initiating new efforts to increase Cubans’ access to communications and their ability to communicate freely.” The Cuban government has since opened free wireless access in 35 locations around the country, including five in Havana: “Walk along La Rampa on a...

Zimbabwean Officials: American Man Wanted in Killing of Cecil the Lion

Don Melvin July 29, 2015
A wealthy Minnesota dentist – alleged to have paid $50,000 for baiting a beloved community lion in Zimbabwe to a nearby farm before shooting it with a bow and arrow and then tracking the wounded creature for 40 hours – is wanted by Zimbabwean authorities. US representatives are calling for an investigation, too. “Cecil, who was 13, was a prized lion in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, where...

Want To Be The Next Amazon? Go Cross-Border From Day One

Hans Tung July 23, 2015
E-commerce is slowly shifting from a national to an international model. “Advances in logistics, shipping and global smartphone penetration have created a perfect storm where e-commerce companies can thrive internationally,” writes Hans Tung for Tech Crunch. He explains that consumers want to buy direct for the best prices; shipping companies have improved international service; and smartphones...

Out of the Shadows, China Hackers Turn Cyber Gatekeepers

Paul Carsten and Gerry Shih July 20, 2015
Hackers roam the internet, searching for vulnerabilities. Governments and businesses anywhere in the world that don’t secure computer networks can anticipate intrusions. Under President Xi Jinping, China has made cybersecurity a priority and also monitors forums, media reports and communications passing within its borders. “As Chinese companies grapple with a sharp increase in the number of...

Higher Education: Apocalypse Now?

July 3, 2015
Digital technology is revolutionizing higher education with increased globalization, student enrollment and privatization. Digital technology may be more revolutionary than the printing press in that it “not only disrupts the dissemination of knowledge, but also its production,” report the editors of ParisTech Review. “This double effect is precisely what disrupts the economic balance of the...