ETH ZurichResearchers in the Information Security Group of ETH Zurich in Switzerland have found that while some security gaps persist, data protection for the upcoming 5G mobile communication standard is better than that of the previous 3G and 4G standards. Key factors that must be considered to improve security in 5G include device and network ability to authenticate each other, and ensuring the confidentiality of the data exchange and the privacy of the user concerning identity and location. […]

The Washington PostWith funding from Uber, the Rand Corporation has characterized the composition and deployment of speculative independent tests for measuring driverless vehicle safety in a new study. Rand researchers said defining and quantifying "roadmanship" is an important element of a testing protocol. Rand's Marjory Blumenthal said the study aims to "motivate conversation within industry and within government, and between industry and government, to see if people will move toward a […]

Fast CompanyThe Mozilla Foundation, Omidyar Network, Schmidt Futures, and Craig Newmark Philanthropies last week jointly launched an academic contest to incorporate ethics into undergraduate computer science education. The Responsible Computer Science Challenge will award up to $3.5 million over the next two years to proposals that aim to make ethics relevant to young technologists. Said Mozilla's Mitchell Baker, "We are looking to encourage ways of teaching ethics that make sense in a computer […]

Technology ReviewPennsylvania State University's Christopher Griffin and Brady Bickel identified a unique signature in tweets posted by Russian trolls attempting to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election, using it to spot other disinformation campaigns. They created a database of 200,000 troll tweets compiled by Twitter and obtained by NBC News, and analyzed tweets by users who posted more than 500 times during the election period, examining how they tweeted over time and how they […]

NASA ScienceMixed-reality software that enables scientists and engineers to virtually explore Mars received the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 2018 Software of the Year Award. The OnSight software employs imagery from NASA's Curiosity rover to create an immersive three-dimensional terrain simulation so users can roam the real-life landscape explored by the robot. Microsoft and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Ops Lab co-developed OnSight to bring researchers closer to […]