Author Archives: mhp19

Fiber to the home infrastructure has already been proven to be exceptionally fast. A recent bill introduced in California could help jump start and revitalize projects to expand this fiber network. It would enable many more homeowners to access high speed internet compared to their traditional legacy connections. This would be beneficial to everyone regardlessContinue reading “Week 14: Fiber to the home”

Recently, law enforcement was able to search a suspect’s cell phone without a warrant. Many people want to know how this is possible. The “abandonment doctrine” in the Fourth Amendment gives the police the ability to search a suspect’s cell phone is they believe it to be abandoned. The problem is what makes a cellContinue reading “Week 13: Warrantless cell phone searches”

The COVID-19 pandemic is all that’s being talked about right now. It is a big deal and is unfortunately causing numerous societal disruptions. A large portion of the workforce is now working from home. Students are continuing their classes as home with distance learning tools. As a result of this, many new programs and technologiesContinue reading “Week 12: Privacy concerns with distance learning and remote work tools”

Public health crises like the Coronavirus have many other subtle and less-noticed effects. We are also facing a war on privacy currently. Civil liberties and digital privacy is at risk due to new legislation that could ban encryption, authorize searches and surveillance, and much more. While everyone has their attention focused on the public healthContinue reading “Week 10: Civil Liberties and Public Health”

As if banning encryption was not bad enough, a recent bill called the Graham-Blumenthal Bill is aimed at breaking encryption. It completely undermines the law allowing free speech on the internet. Not only would this hinder free speech, it would also destroy the security of all citizens. Encryption is extremely important to protect our privateContinue reading “Week 9: Encryption-Breaking Legislation”

With the increasing amount of threats and attacks towards schools in America, it is understandable that actions needs to be taken. It is reasonable to want to improve security in schools, but some schools districts, including one in New York has it all wrong. They have begun deploying cameras and facial recognition systems around campusContinue reading “Week 8: Privacy-Invading School Surveillance”

Recently, the U.S. government has been searching more and more electronic devices at the border. These include cell phones, tablets, and laptops. Generally, citizens are protected from searches like these, but the laws are weakened in the case of the U.S. borders. It is concerning to see this happening more frequently as personal electronic devices,Continue reading “Week 7: Cell Phone Border Searches”

Cisco is a widely known and accepted company that specializes in advanced networking equipment. They manufacture equipment for small, medium, and large businesses as well as internet service providers. They have recently removed several backdoor accounts from their small business line of networking devices. They stated that these accounts were present for diagnostic and manufacturingContinue reading “Week 6: Cisco Device Backdoors”

Encryption bans have been thrown around for a while. Other countries have tried this and it has not ended well. Banning encryption completely destroys all privacy and could have many unintended consequences. When you access you online banking, it is encrypted, think about the consequences if it wasn’t. Governments have proposed adding a backdoor forContinue reading “Week 5: Encryption Bans”

Ring doorbells have always been advertised as an Internet of Things device that improves home security and convenience. Equipped with a camera and a two-way intercom system, you can see and communicate with anyone at your front door from inside the house or anywhere. The product is a good idea, but unfortunately has many drawbacksContinue reading “Week 4: Ring Doorbell Tracking”