Cybersecurity for Democracy researchers Dr. Damon McCoy and Dr. Laura Edelson recently served as part of a team of experts that assisted in publishing the Facebook Papers. Compiled and released by Gizmodo, the papers released by whistleblower Frances Haugen last November, are now accessible at https://gizmodo.com/facebook-papers-how-to-read-1848702919. The independent advisory team was employed because Gizmodo recognized...
Category: Press Highlights
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Identifying Barriers to Accurate Fact-Checking
In the battle against disinformation, fact checkers are the first line of defense. Yet, a recent study reveals these individual face some serious barriers in completing their tasks. The principal problem is the procedures that govern how their job have not kept pace with the volume of information. As a result, “the rate at which...
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A New Disinformation Threat: Kitty Videos
In a recent appearance on “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” Tandon Ph.D. candidate Laura Edelson named a surprising new platform for disinformation campaigns: kitten videos. Edelson, who is co-director of the Cybersecurity for Democracy initiative of NYU’s Center for Cybersecurity, was invited to the TBS show to explain how cat videos are used to lure...
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CCS Co-founder Memon on Deepfakes: “We must restore our ability to believe our eyes and ears”
Deepfakes have emerged as a serious cybersecurity threat at a time when “people are more likely to be influenced by images and less likely to critically assess them,” according to NYU Tandon’s Dr. Nasir Memon. Writing in IEEE Transmitter, the co-founder of NYU’s Center for Cybersecurity, discussed the dangers of a world where deepfakes make...
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Edelson on CBS “Sunday Morning:” Misinformation is more likely to be shared
The problem is not just that misinformation exists on social media, but that it is more popular than factual content. Laura Edelson, a Ph.D. candidate at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, confirmed this problem in an appearance on the CBS program Sunday Morning. “Facebook is a user-interaction maximizing machine… that’s what Facebook is built...
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CCS researchers find Github CoPilot generates vulnerable code 40% of the time
A recent study by cybersecurity researchers at NYU Tandon finds that a significant amount of the code generated by Github CoPilot programming assistant is, at best, buggy, and at worst, potentially vulnerable to attack. The researchers drew their conclusion after creating 89 potential scenarios and having CoPilot output 1,692 programs. When these programs were reviewed,...
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Facebook Disables Ad Observatory; Academicians and Journalists Fire Back
Since September 15 of 2020, the Ad Observatory has been an effective resource for journalists and academicians seeking information about the placement and targeting of ads on social media. In doing so, the project increased transparency about what messages are being used, who is funding each ad, and how much is being spent to disseminate...
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Cappos: To end ransomware attacks, stop paying ransom
Ransomware attacks are on the rise and a primary reason why is that such attacks are profitable. Therefore, to stop the crime, make sure it doesn’t pay. In a July 9 article in Yahoo Finance, NYU associate professor Justin Cappos notes that, “if no one had ever paid ransom for ransomware…then it would have faded...
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Cappos talks cyber protection for cars and companies in NYU “Braniacs” Segment
Justin Cappos, an NYU associate professor of computer science and engineering, was featured in a segment of NYUs Braniacs. Cappos highlighted two of his secure projects: Uptane, which protects the computing units in car, and in-toto that secures software supply chains for companies. You can watch the brief segments here. The Cappos interview begins at...
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Cappos points out real risks of third-party apps on iPhones
Though the bottom line of his company may have been the motivating force behind Apple CEO Tim Cook’s testimony in court on May 21, his voiced concerns about the risks of allowing third-party applications on the iPhone are not unfounded. Testifying in an antitrust suit brought against Apple by game developer Epic Games, Cook described...