Web/Tech

  • Tracking Ransomware Attacks

    At the beginning of July, a ransomware attack on IT management company Kaseya's VSA systems by REvil, became big news after influencing over 1500 companies and millions of devices. 

    It took 19 days before they had a solution that they received from a "trusted third party." It's believed that Kaseya got the decryptor either from paying the ransom or from the US or Russian governments. 

    Unfortunately, ransomware attacks are becoming more common. To see more data on various known attacks, Information is Beautiful put together a great interactive visualization

    Screen Shot 2021-07-25 at 3.06.21 PMvia Information Is Beautiful

    It's impossible to protect yourself completely, but there are a lot of simple things you can likely be doing better. 

    • Use better passwords… Even better, don't even know them.  You can't disclose what you don't know.  Consequently, I recommend a password manager like LastPass or 1Password who can also suggest complex passwords for you. 
    • Keep all of your software up to date (to avoid extra vulnerabilities)
    • Don't use public wifi if you can help it (and use a VPN if you can't)
    • Have a firewall on your computer and a backup of all your important data
    • Never share your personal information on an e-mail or a call that you did not initiate – if they legitimately need your information, you can call them back
    • Don't trust strangers on the internet (no, a Nigerian Prince does not want to send you money)
    • Hire a third-party security company like eSentire or Pegasus Technology Solutions to help monitor and protect your corporate systems

    How many cybersecurity measures you take comes down to two simple questions … First, how much pain and hassle are you willing to deal with to protect your data? And, second, how much pain is a hacker willing to go through to get to your data?

  • World Happiness Levels in 2021

    Happiness is a complex concept comprised of positive emotions, lack of negative emotions, comfort, freedom, wealth, and more. 

    Regardless of how hard it is to quantify … humans strive for it.

    Likewise, it is hard to imagine a well-balanced and objective "Happiness Report" because so much of the data required to compile it seems subjective and requires self-reporting. 

    Nonetheless, the World Happiness Report does a good job with its annual look at quantifiable factors (like health, wealth, GDP, and life expectancy) and more intangible factors (like social support, generosity, emotions, and perceptions of local government and businesses).  Click the image below to view the Report.

    V2Screen Shot 2021-07-23 at 2.48.08 PMvia World Health Report

    In their 2021 report, there was a significant focus on the effect of COVID-19 on happiness levels and mental health. 

    As you might expect, the pandemic caused a significant increase in negative emotions reported. Specifically, there was a significant increase in reports of worry and sadness across the ninety-five countries surveyed. Moreover, the decline in mental health was higher in groups that already had mental health problems – women, young people, and poorer people. 

    What's interesting about this is the resilience and bounce-back seen within the data. Considering the amount of disruption to households this past year, it's remarkable how stable the averages for countries have been. 

    Ultimately, globally, humans persevered in the face of economic insecurity, anxiety, and challenges to mental and physical health. 

    Despite the changes in emotions in 2020, overall life satisfaction rebounded quickly after March of 2020. 

    Global-Happiness-Levels-2021-Main-Graphicvia Visual Capitalist

    While there was a decrease in overall happiness, the relative balance in the face of such adversity may point towards the existence of a hedonic treadmill – or set point of happiness. I'm always impressed by what people can get used to, and how you can find pockets of joy in even the hardest times … or how people with everything they could ever ask for can still feel profound unhappiness. 

    It's oddly beautiful and a great reminder that happiness comes from within. Obviously, our environment and circumstances play a part. It's easier to be content with a roof over your head and a stable job. But, after a certain point, it's on us to create our realities. 

    Onwards!

  • Mindset Matters – When the Revolution Comes Knocking

    Last week, we talked about the future of AI and the potential for AI to start taking over some jobs (freeing humans to raise their chins and do something better and more meaningful).

    One of the key factors I talked about was "mindset." For example, consider whether you’re in a scarcity or abundance mindset? If you are in a scarcity mindset, that probably means you see life as a finite pie with only so many slices … and if someone else gets a big slice (or something new interrupts you getting your slice), you worry that you might not get what you deserve.  On the other hand, an abundance mindset recognizes that there’s plenty out there for everybody, and if there’s no more pie, we can always create new pies (or something better).

    I have a picture in my conference room that says energy might be the most important thing to measure.

    Energy Might Be The Most Important Thing To Measure_GapingVoid

    via GapingVoid

    Yes, it means what it sounds like – but, for us, it also means more. 

    We use A.I. to trade.  So, measuring performance is important.  But so are all sorts of production, efficiency, and effectiveness measures. 

    There are hundreds of important metrics we track day-to-day.  Energy impacts many of them (and absolutely affects your ability to respond to change). 

    Energy affects how you feel, what you do, and what you make things mean.  Consequently, energy is an effective way to measure your values too.

    We’ve seen numerous inflection points in the past with the introduction of electricity, and then the assembly line and the industrial revolution, with the internet, and now with AI.

    There’s always disruption, and there’s always pain, but your mindset and energy can radically change what that means to you … and what you choose to do.

    AI is coming.  Disruption is coming!  It's no longer simply possible; it's not even just probable; it is inevitable.   With that said, what you make it mean and how you respond is up to you.

    In a prior post, I shared a mindset scorecard I created at Genius Network.

    Normally, Genius Network is private, and these recordings are for internal use only; but I asked permission to share my impromptu session with you. 

    Check it out. In the first 5 minutes, I introduce the scorecard concept. For the next 10 minutes, you'll get an extra look at the resulting group discussion. 

     

    Think of each comparison as a spectrum. They're not necessarily "one-or-the-other," but they can help identify where you are on the scale of "what to avoid" versus "what you want."

    • Blaming <—–> Encouraging
    • Insistent <—–> Inspirational
    • Fearful <—–> Abundant
    • Steadfast <—–> Curious
    • Clogging <—–> Cleansing
    • Resentful <—–> Grateful
    • Zero-Sum <—–> Relational
    • Small-Minded <—–> Visionary

    These words mean something to me, but they may need tooling to work for you. Changing the names, the order of the comparisons, the number of comparisons, etc., can have a profound effect on the usefulness of this scorecard to you. 

    I encourage you to think about how you could use this scorecard and how you can bring attention to those people and actions that best embody the traits that are important to you or your business.

    Identifying the words you want to embody and the person you want to be can help make you responsive to change and a better version of yourself.

    Hope that helps.

  • Learning To Live (and Work) With Millennials

    Simon Sinek is a best-selling author (Start With Why) and gave a Ted Talk on how great leaders inspire action (that got 30 million views). 

    In an interview with Tom Bilyeu (co-founder of Quest Nutrition), he addresses the issue of managing Millennials – and why they seem lazy, entitled, and unfocused.

     

    via Inside Quest

    Sinek points to four characteristics that help "create" this issue:

    • Parenting,
    • Technology,
    • Impatience, and
    • Environment.

    Sinek suggests that this generation is a product of failed parenting strategies … being told they're special without effort, being told they can have anything they want, and being handed trophies for showing up.

    Next, add technology to the mix.

    Before millennials, interaction happened in person much more frequently … meaningful trust-based relationships were built with time and effort, and when you were at dinner with friends or watching a movie, you were living in the moment, not distracted by your phone.

    For added irritation, next add impatience (which is a byproduct of instant gratification).  

    Why wait for amusement when it's a text away?  You've got Netflix making video rental a thing of the past, Tinder making dating as easy as "swiping right" and Amazon making it so you don’t have to check out when you go to a store.

    Is it any wonder that these kids have short attention spans? Now imagine the Gen Z kids forced into quarantine where their only companionship was online?

    Now put those kids in an environment where they're forced to realize you can't rush success, and you can't force meaningful relationships. Where they have to put in the effort and stay focused for extended periods of time

    It's a story that often doesn't have a happy ending.

    I thought it would be fun to ask one of them what they thought about it … So I asked my son, Zachary.  Here are his thoughts.

    I was born in 1993. When I was in elementary school, I was already using a computer almost daily, and a lot of my education and entertainment was computer-centric. 

    As such, I am a textbook “Millennial.”

    I use Snapchat too much, I often relax by playing games on my phone, and I am easily distracted. Because of that, I found this interview with Simon Sinek particularly interesting.

    I’m lucky. My dad forced me to work hard and valued my efforts more than my results.  So, while I'm constantly reminded that I'm lucky I'm not working 80-hour days (and being forced to get a haircut every week), I do feel as if I'm a step ahead of many of my peers.

    I still find myself falling into a lot of the "traps" Sinek describes – I'm reliant on social media; I'm frustrated when my effort doesn't transfer into immediate impact; and I struggle to not take my phone out whenever there's not another stimulus keeping me occupied. 

    That being said, I do think the issue is bigger than millennials. It's not just our generation that takes their phones out at meetings and ignores who they're with for someone on their phone. If you pay attention, I'll bet you'll notice that you do it as well. To me, it seems more like a trapping of the era than of a generation. 

    The difference, I think, is that millennials spent their formative years in this environment. This does affect the way we see and interact with the world. But you can watch each generation chastise the youth for the same things as they get older. 

        "This new generation has no respect! They're too reliant on technology, and don't know how to do anything themselves! Lazy and entitled!

    I'm positive I can find similar rhetoric levied against Generation X, Boomers, and more. There's always been resistance to new technologies and the belief that the new generation takes what they're blessed with for granted. I even catch myself judging Gen Z for the same things I remember being judged for as a teenager. 

    Will we ever measure up to your expectations? Perhaps not … because our generations approach the world the world so differently.

    Nonetheless, we are still capable of greatness.  We are still driven to pursue growth, to create new things, and to provide value to our communities.  It's just that we are playing a different game and keeping score a little differently. 2020 brought a lot of that to the forefront of the conversation. 

    Understanding that, in and of itself, can help to close the gap. As we mature and become the main working force, as we become managers and leaders, I think you'll find that a lot of our failings were the symptoms of youth – and have dissipated with age. 

    There's plenty more I want to say, but I don't want to go on for too long.   I'm happy to have a more in-depth conversation offline. You can e-mail me at [email protected] with any thoughts on the subject, any questions, or just to say hello. 

    Thanks. 

     

     

  • Humans Need Not Apply

    While we all know that pop culture representations of AI aren't accurate – I'm still surprised how often I see people who are against Artificial Intelligence. It seems that many people are focus on science fiction's dystopian depictions of sentience and omniscience, while the reality is exciting (and much less scary). 

    In my office, we use a lot of what seems like "futuristic" artificial intelligence approaches to understanding financial markets and enhancing decision-making. Most of my team are technical or data-science specialists that develop and drive the systems that create our systems. Despite the exponential growth of AI and its supporting technologies, I still believe the heart of AI is human.

     The Heartbeat of AI is Still Human_GapingVoid

     

    Of course, I'm not sure how long that will be true.  But I'd bet it remains true for the next 25 years.

    The video below was shot in 2014 and gives a great perspective on how quickly automation, robots, and eventually autonomous robots, are becoming pervasive. 

     

    via CGPGrey

    Automation used to mean big, bulky machines doing manual and repetitive work. Today, however, automation can land an aircraftdiagnose cancer, and trade. I'm fascinated by what is becoming possible … and how, even when the A.I. is little more than an elegant use of brute force, incredible results are becoming commonplace.

    In many cases, the results coming from machines coding other machines are matching or exceeding the work done by humans

    And it's only getting better. 

    In the past, innovation created new industries or allowed increased scale … nonetheless, people are worried that the number of jobs the internet and Artificial Intelligence create isn't matching the number of jobs they're making obsolete. 

    According to this studyapproximately 50% of jobs will be automated by 2034.

    Personally, I believe that freeing us to elevate our perspective and do more has always been a boon to society. Electricity put a lot of people out of work as well. Nonetheless, look what it made possible.

    To date, human progress has been based on the division of labor. As our society progressed, our jobs have become increasingly specialized. Now, machines will be able to break down complex jobs into simple parts and complete them faster than we can. 

    So, yes, the same technology that's currently creating opportunities could eventually put you out of a job … but it also creates an opportunity for something new.

    There's a lot of change coming, and that can be scary, but there's reason to be excited as well.

    We live in a golden era of innovation, and we have longer life expectancies than ever before. Humans are immensely adaptable, and I'm sure we'll continue to grow to meet the challenges and opportunities we face. 

    The reality is, we've been working symbiotically with "machines" since the very beginning.  Our definition of a "machine" simply continues to improve. It's fractal, and each time the technology we're adopting gets bigger, so does the eventual positive effect on day-to-day life. 

    AI adoption is a big step, but the positive effect it can have on our lives is astronomical. 

    Onwards!

  • Enter The Hivemind

    It can be hard to visualize AI.

    You might imagine something based on pop culture references of virtual lifeforms with sentience and free will … but, at least for now, that's far from the truth.

    Here's an infographic debunking 8 common AI myths.

    Modern AI does many things and has many applications, but it's still relatively primitive. It works in the background, silently collecting vast amounts of data, and performs increasing amounts of work.

    AI may not currently compare with the Star Trek character Data, yet it already is transforming our economy at warp speed.  For a recent example, McDonald's is now doing a 10-store pilot replacing their human drive-thru attendants with AI

    Some current uses of AI and robotics are genuinely impressive.  Here's a video taking you into "The Hive" a supermarket warehouse run by a "Hivemind" AI. With thousands of "bots" and various other forms of AI and technology, this will give you a glimpse of the future of AI and automation. 

    via Tom Scott

    This system is from Ocado in the UK. If you want more info, here is an article from Forbes about it.

    Pretty cool! 

  • The First Website And The Spread of The World Wide Web

    When people think about CERN, they generally think about nuclear research, the Large Hadron Collider, and other physics research. 

    But, CERN was also where Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. In March of 1989, he published “Information Management: A Proposal” which outlined his vision for what would soon become the World Wide Web.  CERN also had the first website to ever exist. Luckily, they kept the site up and will let you view it in the old school line mode.  

     

    Screen Shot 2021-06-21 at 10.36.26 AMvia CERN

    It's been 32 years since the release of the World Wide Web (the internet is said to be invented 6 years earlier with the invention of TCP/IP). Think how much that one invention has had on the world. 

    Information Gathering 

    I remember being in law school, going to the library and scanning through microfiche (or actual books) to study or do research.

    I remember reading encyclopedias (and photocopying relevant articles). 

    I remember paying for newsletters that were mailed to me (or paying extra for fax delivery).

    Having access to more data or faster delivery was a huge advantage.

    Today, you have all the information you could ever ask for at the tip of your fingers … Google and Wikipedia are just the tip of the iceberg.

    There is almost too much information now.  It is hard to separate the signal from the noise.  It seems like anyone can find justification for almost anything.  The result is lots of data, but too little knowledge.

    Part of what is needed is a way to help people make better decisions about what to trust, what it means, and what to use.

    Social Interaction

    People record every moment, every intimate detail of their lives online, contrasted by a fear of strangers and letting children roam. 

    While riding around the neighborhood on your bike to see if your friends could come out to play is by no means outlawed – it does seem passé. 

    Chat rooms, Facebook, Online multi-player … many people's key friendships are born and kept online. 

    I remember my son, 13 years old at the time, sending 10,000+ texts a month and thinking it was a phase. I was wrong. 

    The internet has radically changed the structure of relationships – for better, or often worse. 

    Privacy ( … or the lack of it)

    One of the biggest changes is that we as individuals have become productized. We take advantage of all these free resources at the cost of being pixeled and cookied into oblivion. We've chosen convenience over safety. 

    Remember, if you’re not paying for a product – you are the product.

    Little bits of our private information, demographics, and psychographics are sold to advertisers to create smarter ads, new offers, and realistically we have very little control over that.

    It’s been proven time and time again that these giants like Google and Facebook will find ways to sneak your data to advertisers even when it’s “illegal” with a slap on the wrist.

    Data protection is a massive issue not only for corporations but for individuals. While many companies are trying to manage your privacy while still monetizing your data, there are just as many companies who couldn’t care less.

    The GPDR - while frustrating for many – is a step towards protecting individuals.

    Every action has a reaction, and every benefit has a cost. The internet is an amazing tool – but it can also be a weapon. 

     

    What will the next 30 years of the internet hold?

    "The Internet will disappear. There will be so many IP addresses, so many devices, sensors, things that you are wearing, things that you are interacting with, that you won't even sense it. It will be part of your presence all the time. Imagine you walk into a room, and the room is dynamic. And with your permission and all of that, you are interacting with the things going on in the room." — Eric Schmidt

     

    It has been 30 years since its inception, and there's still radical growth coming. 

    We’ve gone from bit speeds to megabyte speeds. We’ve gone from crappy-quality video taking hours to download to streaming HD quality video live.

    How do imagine that the internet will evolve?

    What influence do you think the Internet of Things will have?

    It’s hard to foresee how innovation and regulation will change the internet, but it’s clear there will be change.

    We live in exciting times!