Ram raid rampage as thieves wreak havoc in 30-minute spree
Fraud attempts carried out with deepfakes have become established as part of the online security landscape, with organizations turning to presentation attack detection and injection attack detection to fight spoofs against face or voice biometrics systems. They are also increasingly deploying multi-modal biometric and signals analysis tools. held a webinar last week to present its vision for “Protecting Contact Centers from AI-Powered Voice Fraud.” Co-founder and CEO Ben Colman and Head of Product Diana Hsieh explained how the company applies real-time detection and multi-factor authentication. Colman noted that voice is the modality most often spoofed with generative AI, and presented real-life examples of voice deepfakes. The company has found that out of 10,000 calls a day handled for a tier 1 bank customer, 0.17 percent are deepfakes. Reality Defender VP of Human Engagement Gabe Regan writes in a company that the move towards real-time, multi-modal deepfake detection represents a strategic shift in organizations’ synthetic media detection approaches. Regan notes that Entrust’s recent shows deepfake attacks on biometric systems are part of 40 percent of identity fraud attempts. has been issued a patent for a way to build better deepfake voice watch lists. The patent for “ ” was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Organization last week to Daon, listing CTO Ralph Rodriguez as its inventor. Current voice watch lists are declining in value, according to the patent document, because they identify known threats to biometric systems, but are unable to adapt to evolving fraud methods. They also “are not typically known to adequately analyze behavioral patterns associated with voice interactions and thus do not capture clues that could indicate fraudulent activity.” The system for enhancing the detection of fraudulent data described in the patent consists of a risk score mechanism that ingests behavioral, contextual and voice data. The data is analyzed for an overall assessment of risk level, with high-risk scores triggering an action like a review or transaction suspension. Like Reality Defender, the analysis is carried out in real-time to find anomalies associated with synthetic speech. Daon plans to deploy the innovative technology within its solution for production deployments in 2025, Rodriguez tells in an email. In India, MEITY (Ministry of Electronic & Information Technology) initiative has published an expression of interest for individuals and organizations to lead a set of development projects to increase the safety and fairness of AI. IndiaAI seeks tools to watermark or label AI-generated content, perform AI risk assessments and management, stress testing and deepfake detection, along with frameworks for ethical AI. The deepfake detection tools should perform real-time deepfake identification and mitigation. Applications are open now through January 9, 2025, and submission guidelines are . The rise in deepfake misinformation and fraud is recognized in a November 27 advisory from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). The reports the advisory followed the release of several fake audio clips by President Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. ’s real-time deepfake detection technology for photos and videos picked up the 9th Munich Digital Innovation Award in November. The award winner was determined by live audience voting during the event, which was held under the theme “Reality Check AI.” “With deepfake and impersonation attacks on the rise, safeguarding digital identities is more critical than ever,” says BioID CEO Ho Chang. The company launched a , which analyzes facial features for signs of manipulation, earlier this year. | | | | | | | |
ATLANTA — A first-of-its-kind audit showed a nearly identical match to the election night count by using technology to read the text on all 5.3 million Georgia ballots. The audit — required by state law to check the accuracy of voting machines — revealed just 87 discrepancies from all races. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
(The Center Square) – Prosecutors introduced secretly recorded audio and video along with a troubled star witness at the public corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Former Chicago Alderman Daniel Solis returned to the Everett McKinley U.S. Courthouse Monday. Solis is facing one federal count of bribery under a deferred prosecution agreement. The ex-alderman began cooperating with federal investigators in 2016. U.S. government attorney Diane MacArthur first introduced a recording of Madigan and Solis nearly two years before the alderman started cooperating with the government. The recording involved a conversation with Chinese developer, See Wong, who wanted to build a hotel on a parcel of land in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood. The land was owned by the state of Illinois at the time, but Solis said a zoning change would be required from the city in order for a hotel to be built. At Madigan’s request, Solis said he facilitated the meeting on Aug. 8, 2014, at Madigan’s law firm, Madigan and Getzendanner, about the land along Wentworth Avenue between Archer Avenue and Cermak Road. Madigan’s law partner, Bud Getzendanner, discussed how successful the firm had been in working with hotels to make sure they were not taxed more than necessary. ”A large component of your expense for hotels is real estate taxes,” Getzendanner said during the recorded meeting. Getzendanner said the firm charged 12.5% of the tax savings obtained. Madigan told Wong and an interpreter about the quality of service his firm provided. “We don’t take a second seat to anybody,” Madigan said. The developer then asked for a picture with Madigan and Solis. Solis told the group that Wong would benefit from working with Madigan. “If he works with the Speaker, he will get anything he needs for that hotel,” Solis said on the recording. Solis testified that he meant the city would provide the zoning change the developer needed from the city if the developer hired Madigan’s law firm. Solis said the zoning change was approved, but the proposed hotel was never built. MacArthur asked Solis about the bribery charge he is still facing, which Solis said involved the redevelopment of a property in Chicago from a restaurant to a residential building in 2015. Solis said two problems prevented the project from moving forward: labor unions’ perceived lack of representation in the development and residents' concerns in the ward. The former alderman admitted that he solicited a campaign contribution from the developer or from one or more of the developer’s vendors while the project’s zoning change was still under consideration. Solis said he believed the developer was on board and that he would be getting donations from the developers’ vendors. The zoning change was approved by the city council, Solis said. He testified he solicited and accepted campaign contributions from other developers who had matters pending before the city council’s zoning committee. Solis then testified about about a variety of things like massages that turned sexual, trips to Las Vegas, tickets to professional sporting events, no-paperwork six-figure loans he'd paid back. He even admitted to an extramarital affair he had with an interpreter. Solis said he was separated from his wife for about five years and their house went into foreclosure. He also confessed that he lied to a collection agency by saying he was out of work. MacArthur asked Solis about his sister, Patti Solis Doyle, who worked on campaigns for former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, D-New York. Solis Doyle also managed Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2008. Solis said his sister was involved in a hotel project in which the developer offered her $100,000. Solis said his sister offered to split the sum with her brother. As chairman of the city’s zoning committee, Solis said he told his sister he could not accept money regarding a hotel development. Solis said his sister told him there would be another way she could compensate him. The former alderman said he did receive funds from his sister for referring her to his friend Brian Hynes’ state vendor assistance program. Monday afternoon, Solis testified that FBI agents visited his home on June 1, 2016, and played audio and video recordings. After considering an attorney, Solis said he decided to cooperate with the FBI a few days later and agreed to let investigators tap his phone. Solis also said he told an attorney friend that he was cooperating with the FBI in regard to an investigation of an organization he was involved in. Solis said he made recordings for several investigations he was involved in as part of his deferred prosecution agreement. He began communicating with Madigan after receiving a voicemail message on June 12, 2017. Solis said he discussed the Chinatown land deal, his interest in getting a state board appointment, and referring clients to Madigan’s law firm while cooperating with the government from June 2016 to December 2017. Solis admitted that he was not really interested in a state board appointment, but he raised the issue with Madigan at the direction of law enforcement. Solis said he began communicating with Madigan codefendant Michael McClain about the Chinatown parcel in the fall of 2017. He said he had to continue to perform his duties as an alderman while cooperating with the FBI because of “the farce” that he was involved in. Solis discussed a 2017 redevelopment project that required a zoning change involving a Union West development in Chicago’s West Loop. MacArthur played a recording, dated June 12, 2017, of Madigan asking Solis about the development. During the call, Solis told the speaker he would try to arrange an introduction for Madigan with the developers. In a subsequent call, Solis promised to arrange a meeting and said, “I think these guys get it, the quid pro quo and how it works.” When MacArthur asked Solis why he said that, Solis said he didn’t know and said it was “dumb.” MacArthur asked Solis if he used the words “quid pro quo” at the direction of law enforcement. “No,” Solis said. Union West developer Andrew Cretal agreed to meet with Madigan and told Solis, “confidentially,” that his company was working with Goldman Sachs as an equity partner and that he would “circle back” with Solis. MacArthur played a recording of Madigan privately telling Solis not to use the words, “quid quo pro.” The conversation immediately preceded the meeting Cretal and the Union West group had at Madigan's and Getzendanner’s law office. During the meeting, Madigan repeated to Cretal’s group what he had said to See Wong. “We don’t take a second seat to anybody,” Madigan said. Solis said he met with Madigan again privately after the meeting with the intention of discussing the Chinatown parcel. Solis said he had been having frequent meetings about the land with potential developers. During the recording, Solis said that nothing could really happen until the state transferred the land. Connie Mixon, professor of Political Science and director of the Urban Studies Program at Elmhurst University, served as an expert witness at the corruption trial of longtime Chicago Democrat Ed Burke, who served on the city council from 1969 to 2023. A jury convicted Burke in December 2023 on 18 counts of racketeering, bribery, attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion and using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity. Mixon said that Solis also testified as a cooperating witness during Burke’s trial. “It seemed as if, in the sentencing for the Burke trial, the judge did take a bit of exception to the fact that Solis, who also had potential criminal charges, was essentially getting away without any sort of repercussions,” Mixon told The Center Square. Mixon described Solis as a damaged witness. “He’s absolutely damaged, but as much as he’s damaged, you have the words on the wiretap. Having the defendants’ words played in the courtroom, they are really the witness against themselves when you have those wiretaps,” Mixon explained. Before the jury was seated Monday morning, prosecutors said they would provide the court with revised jury instructions by Dec. 3. Judge John Robert Blakey said he could deny admittance of new materials after that date if he deemed them to be untimely. Madigan and McClain are charged with 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct. The trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning in Chicago.
Prosecutors play undercover recordings of Madigan at former speaker’s corruption trialUndefeated Oregon and No. 23 Texas A&M will collide Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas in the second game of the new Players Era Festival. Both teams are in the "Power" group of the eight-team event. All eight teams are receiving $1 million for their name, image and likeness (NIL) collectives, but placing fourth or higher in the tourney in order will net them anywhere from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. The Aggies (4-1) opened the season with a three-point loss at UCF, but since then have won four straight, all in convincing fashion. Texas A&M upset then-No. 21 Ohio State 78-64 on Nov. 15 at home in College Station, Texas. Then the Aggies crushed Southern 71-54 last Wednesday, when Wade Taylor IV led the way with 17 points and six assists. All of Texas A&M's wins have been by double digits. The Aggies and Ducks (5-0) have split the two previous meetings against each other. Until March 2022 in an NIT second-round game, they had not met since the 1970-71 season. Texas A&M tied the overall series with a 75-60 win at home in 2022. The only player on the Ducks' current roster who played in that game was 7-foot senior Nate Bittle, who has been one of Oregon's best players so far this season. Bittle's 16.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game lead the Ducks so far this season, and the big man also averages two blocked shots per game. Texas A&M guard Zhuric Phelps, a transfer from SMU, leads the Aggies in scoring at 16 points per game. Taylor adds 14 points per game. The Aggies could be the best defensive team the Ducks will have seen this season. A&M is allowing teams to shoot only 36.6 percent in games. Head coach Buzz Williams and his staff are hoping the team gets better at taking charges on defense, as the Aggies have just one so far this season. "I guess the thing that you work on most is verticality around the rim," Texas A&M assistant coach Steve Roccaforte told KBTX television. "‘Hey, once you get there, if you try and take a charge, it's going to be a block. Just jump as high as you can, stay vertical, try to go chest-to-chest. Make it a hard shot.'" Oregon is coming off a 78-75 win at Oregon State, the Ducks' first road game of the season. The Ducks trailed by 10 points at halftime but, as they have in several games this season, they found a rhythm on offense in the second half and came up with a comeback win. Bittle's 23 points and 14 rebounds led the way. Jackson Shelstad had 15 points and Jadrian Tracey and Keeshawn Barthelemy both added 10. "We started rebounding the ball a little better. Nate really got it going inside and our guys got him the ball," Oregon head coach Dana Altman told the school's athletics website. "He had a heck of a game." --Field Level Media
Democrats strike deal to get more Biden judges confirmed before Congress adjournsParamount Global Announces Redemption of its 4.750% Senior Notes due May 2025Different investors have different opinions about the crypto market, but they all agree that the industry is defined by increased volatility. It’s a space where profit can be made, or money can be lost overnight, especially during a bull run. Bull markets are described as golden opportunities for investors looking to boost their income because if they use the proper strategies they can turn the market’s volatility to their advantage. The terms bulls are charging, and bears are prowling are widely used in the stock market, but since cryptocurrencies have started gaining ground in financial markets, they have also been used in association with digital assets. Cryptocurrencies also rally at times, and naturally, investors have adopted the terms to describe the periods when they suffer price fluctuations. And as everyone talks about how the bull market is at its beginning, and people have started looking for ways to , it’s worth discussing the actions investors should take. Now, let’s figure out what a bull run is Let’s talk about hull runs in general, it’s irrelevant if cryptocurrencies or stocks are the subject of discussion because these periods function the same. Bull markets are characterized by times when the assets are sold at high prices. For cryptocurrencies, bull markets usually last three to four years, and everyone can identify the uptrend in value. Bear markets, on the other hand, signify times when the assets’ prices fall. Let’s analyze the previous bull and bear markets. We can easily notice that Bitcoin is the harbinger of these periods because its price is the first to suffer major changes, and it impacts the values of all the other digital assets. Therefore, as the BTC prices have been surging since the start of the year, crypto experts can only predict that the market will soon boom in terms of value. Bitcoin never rallies alone, even if it has a larger market capitalization than altcoins. Ethereum, the second digital crypto by market cap, follows its direction, and all the other alternative currencies join the trend. At the moment, the entire crypto world is experiencing positive growth, which makes investors feel greedy. However, seasoned traders are cautious and wait to see if the market will remain in the bull sprint or slump. Why do finance experts use the term bull? The term bull is ideal for describing this period in the crypto industry because of the way bulls attack—if you have never seen one, it thrusts its horns upward, resembling the same movement of prices during this time. Investors tend to be more optimistic during bull markets because the period usually provides them with more profit prospects, which will cause increasing activity in the sector. In these conditions, the assets’ prices go up. Should you buy Bitcoin during this time? Bitcoin hit an all-time high (near 81.000) in November 2024, after its fourth halving, which shows that the inflation will most likely trigger an increased volatility for cryptocurrencies, which could turn lucrative for some investors, according to their end goals. Here are the main reasons why . Bitcoin’s price spiked after the previous halvings As mentioned earlier, Bitcoin went through the fourth halving event, so we can have a look at how the market reacted to the previous ones to try to predict what will happen next. Halvings are meant to reduce the rate at which Bitcoin is created, and considering that the supply gets lower with every event, the demand increases, and therefore, Bitcoin’s price spikes. However, Bitcoin sees the effect after a couple of months, but the market needs a couple of months to adapt to the new conditions. The value is expected to wobble for 3 to 6 months and then surge 12 to 18 months after the halving. However, it’s challenging to predict the exact time when Bitcoin will head on an upward trajectory, but the general consensus is that it will definitely do so in around one year after the halving. Institutional investors are interested in Bitcoin The introduction of spot Bitcoin ETFs at the beginning of the year was good news for Bitcoin because they enable institutional investors to access the cryptocurrency more straightforwardly. The event is expected to attract a huge capital influx into the crypto sector because more investors will be willing to add Bitcoin to their portfolios due to its reliability. Besides the institutional investors, ordinary traders can also access Bitcoin ETFs like Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund and iShares Bitcoin Trust and add them to retirement saving accounts. As expected, the increased interest of institutional investors drives a spike in prices because the demand for Bitcoin is higher than before. Bitcoin is a scarce asset When Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin, introduced it for the first time to the public, announced that there would be only 21 million Bitcoins. Therefore, Bitcoin is one of the few cryptocurrencies with a limited supply which serves as one of the factors that impact its price. Crypto experts have concluded that the supply of new coins is increasing at a slower rate than the mining of gold, with each new halving, so it’s a scarcer asset. The demand for digital gold has increased over the last few years, while the supply remained the same, so this could only turn beneficial for the asset in the long run. Bitcoin is a store of value and one of the most valuable available, so it’s worthy of being part of any investment portfolio. Is this the ideal moment to buy Bitcoin? It’s not ideal considering its high price, but because you missed the opportunity to purchase it in the bear market, now is also a good time to do it before its post-halving price goes up. What you should keep in mind is that each halving event will only build its value up, and its scarcity will remain the same. If you don’t have Bitcoin in your portfolio, consider adding some, and you’ll most likely get a return on investment in the long run.
Applied Digital Announces Ellendale HPC Data Center Development Milestone
