... And for an ongoing follow-on:


Microsoft is a national security threat, says ex-White House cyber policy director
wrote:

With little competition at the goverment level, Windows giant has no incentive to make its systems safer

Microsoft has a shocking level of control over IT within the US federal government – so much so that former senior White House cyber policy director AJ Grotto thinks it's fair to call Redmond's recent security failures a national security issue...

... Microsoft had to be "dragged kicking and screaming" to provide [system] logging capabilities to the government by default, and given the fact the mega-corp banked around $20 billion in revenue from security services last year, the concession was minimal at best...

... which allowed spies to gain access to US government emails...

... "The government needs to focus on encouraging and catalyzing competition," Grotto said. He believes it also needs to publicly scrutinize Microsoft and make sure everyone knows when it messes up...

Ain't gonna happen?

Stay safe folks??
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

An ongoing security threat:



Windows vulnerability reported by the NSA exploited to install Russian malware
wrote:

Microsoft didn't disclose the in-the-wild exploits by Kremlin-backed group...

Kremlin-backed hackers have been exploiting a critical Microsoft vulnerability for four years in attacks that targeted a vast array of organizations with a previously undocumented tool, the software maker disclosed Monday.

When Microsoft patched the vulnerability in October 2022—at least two years after it came under attack by the Russian hackers—the company made no mention that it was under active exploitation. As of publication, the company’s advisory still made no mention of the in-the-wild targeting...

Why spoil those 'extra' profits?...

IT is that what we buy...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Deadly stuff being foisted upon the world:


See:

Why China Can’t Censor and is Panicking about this EV Disaster



Unfortunately, as well as needlessly risking the lives of people, will all EVs consequently suffer from the bad news?...

All for the sake of unregulated lax incompetence?

Or simple ignorant greed??

Or deliberately corrupt greed?


Stay safe?
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Considering the what has been going with this Anglo American coal mine over the last decade it's about time to close it down as the incidents just keep on getting worse each time they happen.

Grosvenor Coal Mine fire continues to burn, sparking fears of explosion.

Authorities are racing to seal at least six shafts at the burning Grosvenor Coal Mine as the union warns of the the risk of another explosion.

The inferno at Queensland's largest underground coal mine, near Moranbah, is now in its third day.

Miner Anglo American has reassured the community its exclusion zone will contain any fallout in the event of a blast similar to one that happened in 2020.

Chief executive officer Dan van der Westhuizen is at the site and says the exclusion zone has been established on technical advice from the independent Australian Coal Industry Research Program.

Plumes of smoke continue to billow from the mine and a brown haze is settling over the town.......

Ouch!

There is a painful hidden cost behind those parcels:


On one Prime Day, Amazon warehouse workers endured '45% injury rate'
wrote:

... data showed that Amazon's overall injury rate was above 30 percent for nearly every single week of 2019...

... The report implied the injury rate is as high as it is due to Amazon's alleged prioritization of profit over workplace safety...

... "... the company continues to create excessive demand and push workers to extremes to meet that demand — often in ways that require workers to operate far beyond what is reasonable or safe. This is not an acceptable set of practices from one of the richest companies in the world. Amazon must address its injury crisis and ensure that all workers are safe at their jobs..."

... Amazon added to The Reg: "Since 2019, we've made significant progress — reducing our recordable incident rate..."

Work safely and in a healthy way?

All in our deadly greedy world...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Yet another example:


Titan sub disaster: Five key questions that remain
wrote:

... “The Oceangate contraption was an aberration,” ...

... In response, Rush said he had “grown tired of industry players who try to use a safety argument to stop innovation” ... Rush described his sub as “experimental” and, in a blog post in 2019, he argued that certification “slowed down innovation” ... he said he didn’t need a piece of paper to show Titan was safe...

Where else have we seen those excuses before...

All in a deadly greedy world.


Stay safe??
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

More of the story unfolds:


An 'abomination' of a sub – and the boss convinced Titan was safe



No surprises there to see the carbon fibre having delaminated...

Stay safe?...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

It's only public money, but...
...we must "protect" our bonuses

Tesla odometer uses “predictive algorithms” to void warranty, lawsuit claims
wrote:

... the cars are also falsely exaggerating odometer readings to make warranties expire prematurely...

Is that not also an 'issue' concerning insurance and safety and 'risk'?...


Enjoy your highway!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

What???

In the 1990s, car manufacturers in Europe were accused by the insurance industry of using primitive mechanical odometers that were easily tampered with a screwdriver. The same happened later with the first digital meters, whose memory wasn't tamper-proof.

I would have thought there is now a law protecting such odometer readings from tampering as a significant property that defines the used value of a car. There are car insurances; leasing contracts... companies demanding employees to log distances... accountants who evaluate travel expense forms... all require reliable odometer readings.

A car manufacturer that deliberately manipulates, exagerates, or "predicts" odometer readings for whatever reason is just a joke; can no longer be taken seriously. Ridiculous.

[EDIT to add:]

a user comment:

In case you're wondering why Musk worked so hard to elect Trump, and why he explicitly said he'd be in prison if Harris won, this is why.

Even if he didn't go to jail for odometer tampering on a mass scale, this would have Theranos'ed Tesla and Musk would be financially broken, buried in shareholder suits, if not in jail for fraud.

It'd have made Dieselgate look like a fu$$ing parking ticket.

It just won't disappear.
Bad penny back in the news again

Alleluia...

Even if for a very small start:


Water bosses could now face jail for cover-ups
wrote:

Law-breaking water company executives face tougher punishments, including possible prison sentences, under new powers that have come into force in England and Wales.

Bosses who fail to co-operate or obstruct investigators looking into sewage spills can now be jailed for up to two years...

... So, that should put the lot of them, all of 'em, behind bars forthwith.

Or...


All in our deadly greedy world...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)