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July 2021 LC LABS LETTERA Monthly Roundup of News and Thoughts from the Library of Congress Labs Team Our Projects LC Labs publishes “Library of Congress Digital Scholarship Research Guide” Have you ever wanted to use digital Library of Congress materials but weren’t quite sure where to start? Well then, we have just the guide […]
Here’s a presentation I delivered this summer on the near-future of AI and Machine Learning systems and services for the 2021 IDEA Institute on Artificial Intelligence. I discuss how ML systems “create” things, two types of ML systems that are popular right now (CLIP and GAN), how they might be used in the information world, […]
Joseph “PlugwalkJoe” O’Connor, in a photo from a paid press release on Sept. 02, 2020, pitching him as a trustworthy cryptocurrency expert and advisor. One day after last summer’s mass-hack of Twitter, KrebsOnSecurity wrote that 22-year-old British citizen Joseph “PlugwalkJoe” O’Connor appeared to have been involved in the incident. When the U.S. Justice Department last […]
Today’s guest post is from Kate Murray (Digital Projects Coordinator, Digital Collections Management & Services Division), Marcus Nappier (Digital Collections Specialist, Digital Content Management Section), and Ted Westervelt (Chief, US/Anglo Division) at the Library of Congress. Introduction As the Library of Congress expands its digital collecting activities, the Recommended Formats Statement (RFS) has revised its […]
The following is a post by Alice Goldfarb, an LC Labs team Innovation Specialist working on the Computing Cultural Heritage in the Cloud (CCHC) initiative at the Library. As we recently announced, we are working with three digital humanities researchers as part of the Computing Cultural Heritage in the Cloud (CCHC) initiative, where we are […]
The process of discovering “what service is hosted where” can prevent most common causes of security-related incidents. Things like outdated installs, abandoned installations and in-development software running on publicly accessible domains are a major source of such attacks. Domain and specially subdomain discovery is a critical skill for hackers, security researchers and pentesters. Therefore, using […]
A 18-year-old Tennessee man who helped set in motion a fraudulent distress call to police that lead to the death of a 60-year-old grandfather in 2020 was sentenced to 60 months in prison today. 60-year-old Mark Herring died of a heart attack after police surrounded his home in response to a swatting attack. Shane Sonderman, […]
Originally noted by ResearchBuzz, from PsyPost: The “Sci-Hub effect” can almost double the citations of research articles, study suggests. The researchers found that articles downloaded from Sci-Hub were cited more frequently compared to articles not downloaded from Sci-Hub. After controlling for variables such as the number of figures included in a paper, title length, the […]
The following is a post by Olivia Dorsey, an LC Labs team Innovation Specialist working on the Computing Cultural Heritage in the Cloud (CCHC) initiative at the Library. Hello! Things have really started to get underway with the Computing Cultural Heritage in the Cloud (CCHC) initiative, like rounding out our team and the arrival of […]
Peter Levashov, appearing via Zoom at his sentencing hearing today. A federal judge in Connecticut today handed down a sentence of time served to spam kingpin Peter “Severa” Levashov, a prolific purveyor of malicious and junk email, and the creator of malware strains that infected millions of Microsoft computers globally. Levashov has been in federal custody […]
In today’s post, By the People community managers Carlyn Osborn, Lauren Algee, and Abby Shelton reflect back on changes in their program since March 2020. Launched in 2018, By the People is a volunteer engagement and collection enhancement program at the Library of Congress that invites the public to explore and transcribe documents on the […]
Much of this focus has come about to address the sheer volume and sophistication of cyber threats in today’s landscape. The rise of malicious actors seeking to compromise data, steal information, disrupt services and cause damage has led to the implementation of numerous defense strategies, practices and technologies. Encrypting data, using firewalls to prevent unauthorized […]
Browse the comments on virtually any story about a ransomware attack and you will almost surely encounter the view that the victim organization could have avoided paying their extortionists if only they’d had proper data backups. But the ugly truth is there are many non-obvious reasons why victims end up paying even when they have […]
Alice Goldfarb, Innovation Specialist at the Library of Congress. Alice is working on Computing Cultural Heritage in the Cloud (CCHC). Photo credit: Becky Lettenberger We’re thrilled to share that Alice Goldfarb has joined the LC Labs team as an Innovation Specialist! Alice will be working on the Computing Cultural Heritage in the Cloud (CCHC) initiative at […]
Information Literacy plays a huge part in our everyday lives; with the amount of data bombarding us in every day, hour or even minute, it’s crucial for one to be able to navigate between the different, more or less reliable sources. However, this is not a skill you can just learn once, and then be […]
It provides a modern perspective for securing one’s virtual organization, in the same way that an organization’s physical office and assets are secured. And with the increasing frequency and sophistication of internet attacks, the need to secure one’s organization becomes more important every day. With the rise of IPv6 and the shortage of IPv4, newly […]
Microsoft today released updates to patch at least 116 security holes in its Windows operating systems and related software. At least four of the vulnerabilities addressed today are under active attack, according to Microsoft. Thirteen of the security bugs quashed in this month’s release earned Microsoft’s most-dire “critical” rating, meaning they can be exploited by […]
Last summer, financial institutions throughout Texas started reporting a sudden increase in attacks involving well-orchestrated teams that would show up at night, use stolen trucks and heavy chains to rip Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) out of their foundations, and make off with the cash boxes inside. Now it appears the crime — known variously as […]
On February 19, United for Libraries (UFL) hosted “Friends and Trustees under 40: Recruit Them, Retain Them, Engage Them,” a webinar featuring tips for attracting millennials and younger adults to Friends groups, trustee boards, and foundations. The session was moderated by Jillian Wentworth, UFL’s manager of marketing and membership, and presented by members of UFL’s […]
First published in 1974, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Intellectual Freedom Manual has become an essential reference for library workers who need dependable answers to thorny questions about book challenges, patron privacy, and policy development for their institutions. The 10th edition, coedited by Martin Garnar, director of Amherst (Mass.) College Library and former president of […]
