10 Best Reads of 2015
These are the best reads of 2015. The articles listed below come from a wide variety of sources. Some are from mainstream media outlets, others from independent outlets. Some are opinion pieces, some are news articles. But they all have one thing in common: each one of them represents an important issue associated with technology and its intimate connection to our lives.
Hacking and Data Breaches
2015 was the year of the data breach. No one was safe, from the U.S. government to dating websites to people themselves.
Sony Pictures: Inside the Hack of the Century
June 25, 2015
The Sony hack was much more far-reaching than most. Movies, scripts, and memos were leaked. Tons of emails were published, exposing secret feuds to the light of day. This is part one of Fortune magazine’s excellent series.
I Got Doxxed So You Don’t Have To
June 29, 2015
Doxxing is the practice of publishing a person’s personal information (i.e. home address, phone number, Social Security number) as a form of harassment and intimidation. Sally Kohn illustrates how easy it can be to have your privacy violated.
Hacking Team Asks Customers to Stop Using Its Software After Hack
July 16, 2015
Hacking Team was a victim one of the most notorious data breaches of 2015. The Italian cybersecurity firm was caught red-handed violating international sanctions and installing secret backdoors in their software. The company that sold itself on its discretion was riddled with lackluster security practices. The author, Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, would go on to write more articles detailing the controversial company’s many failings.
3 Best Practices for Perfect Security: A Story
October 27, 2015
What happens when your company is hacked and you’re in charge of IT security? If only there were a simple series of steps that would protect your network from all possible threats…
Internet-Connected Hello Barbie Doll Gets Bitten By Nasty POODLE Crypto Bug
December 4, 2015
The Internet of Things is the idea that every object should be capable of connecting to the Internet. Your car, your appliances, even your children’s toys. These devices customize themselves by collecting information about your likes, dislikes, and habits. But who is looking at your data? Are they keeping it safe?
Diversity
image courtesy of #WOCTech Chat
2015 was the year of diversity. Study after study, article after article illustrated the IT industry’s woeful lack of employees who weren’t white, straight, cisgender men. Where was everyone else? Why weren’t they being hired? Why didn’t they stay?
An Open Letter On the State of Women of Color in Technology
July 2, 2015
Women of Color in Technology is an organization of Black, Indigenous, Native, and Latina female tech professionals. In this open letter published in Model View Culture, they share recommendations and a detailed plan for hiring and retaining people who have been severely underrepresented in IT.
Cybercrime
Restricting Encryption Would Not Have Prevented the Paris Attacks
November 17, 2015
Government agencies have always had an uneasy relationship with encryption technology. The tragic events in Paris only deepened that distrust. Many countries around the world proposed restricting or banning encryption. But would such measures prevent criminals and terrorists from attacking again?
The Tax Sleuth Who Took Down a Drug Lord
Silk Road was the underground market were you could buy all sorts of contraband while hiding from the authorities. It was run by a man named Ross Ulbricht, who operated under the name Dread Pirate Roberts. Meet the IRS agent who caught him, succeeding where other federal agents failed.
Cyberculture
Web Design – The First 100 Years
July 21, 2015
This article is actually the text of a speech given by Maciej Cegłowski in 2014. What will the Internet be in the future? Who gets to determine the future of the Internet? Who will run the Internet – software or people?
Get Rich or Die Vlogging: The Sad Economics of Internet Fame
December 14, 2015
There is a saying: “Being famous on Instagram is like being rich in Monopoly money.” Some people people have built whole careers off of their popularity on social networks. But fame does not always equal income.
