After years of fighting, the Senate has reached a compromise regarding the use of Russian rocket engines for U.S. military space launches. The agreement lifts the ban implemented in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act until 2022, after which the Pentagon can no longer issue launch contracts to firms using Russian made rockets. “Firms,” … Continue reading
Network weaknesses are like holes in a fence – eventually something is going to get through. This entry will look at how hacking groups were able to take advantage of general weaknesses in outdated systems and gain access to a rural dam and a network of hospitals in the DC-metro area Continue reading
In August 2015, a physician in Brazil noticed that a patient’s microcephaly did not display the characteristics associated with normal causes of the disease. As additional cases were presented to the physician, the Zika virus was eventually identified as the cause. Today, this disease is dangerously close to becoming an epidemic in the United States. … Continue reading
Among the many popular topics of the 2016 presidential campaigns, healthcare remains a timeless defining issue sparking vivid debate on both sides of the political spectrum. In the 2016 presidential campaign, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – commonly referred to as “Obamacare” – has become the privileged scapegoat. However, beyond the political contention, an aspect … Continue reading
In the next few years, autonomous vehicles will become mainstream. While the policy infrastructure has a ways to go, companies like Google and Tesla are incredibly close to perfecting the technology that will allow cars to safely drive themselves. As a result, it is estimated the yearly accident frequency per vehicle will decline significantly from … Continue reading
When Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan started as Speaker of the House last October, he promised to outline a Republican vision on policies for the 2016 election. Last week, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), began that process by outlining a bill designed to replace the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform … Continue reading
In 1996 President Clinton signed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996(HIPAA) into law. Establishing that every American’s health information is confidential, and the people have a right to pick and choose who may access it. While many would assume otherwise, this includes minors. When it comes to a child receiving care, a … Continue reading
There should be no doubt about it. Privacy is necessary for markets to function and innovation to thrive. Without it, nobody would use online banking, email, location services, and more. With encrypted data, people feel safe knowing someone isn’t currently stealing their identity or looking at their most personal information. Unfortunately, some politicians care more … Continue reading
Netflix has recently come forward to admit, after a protracted, finger-pointing match with Verizon and AT&T, they have in fact been throttling the speeds of these networks in order to protect customers from overage charges. Leading up to this confession, the Federal Communications Commission has been increasingly partial to controlling certain aspects of the Internet, … Continue reading
Land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace – These are the five dimensions of warfare and have been acknowledged as such since the 1990s (a few decades after the 5th Dimension‘s acclaimed “Age of Aquarius”). The first four dimensions of warfare have settled into what we recognize as conventional warfare. The fifth dimension, well, is less straightforward. … Continue reading
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