Latest news with #CarnegieMellon
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
This 1 Hidden iPhone Feature Could Instantly Make Your Online Data Safer — And It's Easy To Activate
Our iPhones carry our most private photos and secret files and notes inside them –– and there's one step you could do right now to keep their iCloud backups safer from prying eyes. It's called Advanced Data Protection, and it's a software option that was rolled out for iOS 16.2 in 2022 for U.S. users that you may not know about, because it's not a default setting, so you have to turn it on yourself. But you should. This feature 'maximizes the amount of privacy you can have' on Apple devices, explained David Huerta, senior digital security trainer at Freedom of the Press Foundation. Advanced Data Protection is a strong privacy and security feature because it enables end-to-end encryption for your iCloud backups. When you save your files and photos to the cloud, platforms like Apple, by default, will do 'in transit encryption,' meaning transferred data is private but that Apple itself can still see what you are doing. End-to-end encryption goes one step further because it will scramble data so that it's inaccessible unless there is an encryption key that only you know. It 'makes it so that even the platform owners cannot see that activity, those contents being created,' explained David Huerta, senior digital security trainer at Freedom of the Press Foundation. This way, no one –– not even Apple or a U.S. government that has the power to seize devices at the border –– can gain access to your revealing photos and voice memos saved on your iCloud, because only you have the encryption key. 'End-to-end encryption does make it so that law enforcement would have a tough time accessing things from cloud providers who get court orders, subpoenas ... sent to them to get access to different types of information,' Huerta said. Even if you are not an activist, celebrity or a journalist with sensitive information on your phone, you might still want your private photos, like your nudes, or your vulnerable breakup notes you back up to iCloud, to be under this extra layer of privacy. 'If you don't want your content to be used for advertising ... one of the best ways to get that to happen is to use a service that is end-to-end encrypted,' said Sarah Scheffler, an assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon's CyLab Security and Privacy Institute. She noted that end-to-end encryption also helps protect against potential employee misuse of your data or data breaches. Apple already automatically does end-to-end encryption protection for your payment information, passwords and health data — but it does not, by default, do it for other revealing parts of your iPhone, such as your photo libraries or your Notes, Reminders, Safari Bookmarks, Siri Shortcuts and Voice Memos. Turning on Advanced Data Protection changes that. Here's how it works. How To Turn On Apple's Advanced Data Protection Feature First, you need to make sure you enable two-factor authentication and update your device to at least iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, tvOS 16.2 or watchOS 9.2. Then go to Settings, click your Apple name, so you go to your Apple Account. Then select iCloud and Advanced Data Protection. As part of Advanced Data Protection, you must either create a recovery key or a recovery contact in case you get locked out of your account. For the recovery key option: You need to create a 28-character key that will help you unlock your account. You must write this down and keep it somewhere you will remember, because Apple can't help you recover this key if you forget it. For the recovery contact option: You need to designate someone you trust who has an Apple device to be your recovery contact. They'll get a message with a code to help you regain access to your end-to-end encrypted data if you get locked out. What Advanced Data Protection Doesn't Do This feature is a great, simple way to add a much-needed layer of security and privacy to your iPhone and the outside world — but it does come with caveats. Notably, iCloud Mail, Contacts and Calendar events will not be end-to-end encrypted under this extra layer of security. And it still takes a bit of time to set up. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation acknowledges in its pitch for people to use this feature, the digital rights group states, 'It'd be even better if this became Apple's default, instead of an opt-in.' And it's not available for users in every country, either. This year, Apple said it is withdrawing this feature for U.K. users, reportedly as a way to avoid complying with a request from the U.K. government to create a technical 'back door' for accessing user data. Unfortunately, there is also no exact equivalent to this one-stop, additional end-to-end encryption feature for Android users. 'Your Android phone, if it's a modern Android phone, will have full disk encryption, which is good, so that the actual device itself and the files in it are protected,' explained Huerta. 'But then as soon as you put that or save that in Google Photos or Google Drive or whatever, then that's when you know Google now has a fully readable copy of your data.' Don't let your guard down, either. Even if you are an Apple user with Advanced Data Protection turned on, don't assume that this step means you are completely private and secure on your phone. You should always be doing basic security steps like enabling two-factor authentication and password managers on your phone apps. But overall, Advanced Data Protection should be a feature you have on if you are worried about having your most sensitive photo libraries and files exposed for an authority or a hacker to find. In this era of online surveillance by hackers and empowered border agents, it doesn't hurt to be more careful. Related... This 1 iPhone Setting Might Be Messing With Your Friendships Knowing The Difference Between These 3 Types Of Emergency Alerts Could Save Your Life This Hidden iPhone Feature May Just Save Your Life In An Emergency 1 Seemingly Innocent Thing On Your Phone Might Make Border Agents Deny You Entry
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
This 1 Hidden iPhone Feature Could Instantly Make Your Online Data Safer — And It's Easy To Activate
Our iPhones carry our most private photos and secret files and notes inside them –– and there's one step you could do right now to keep their iCloud backups safer from prying eyes. It's called Advanced Data Protection, and it's a software option that was rolled out for iOS 16.2 in 2022 for U.S. users that you may not know about, because it's not a default setting, so you have to turn it on yourself. But you should. This feature 'maximizes the amount of privacy you can have' on Apple devices, explained David Huerta, senior digital security trainer at Freedom of the Press Foundation. Advanced Data Protection is a strong privacy and security feature because it enables end-to-end encryption for your iCloud backups. When you save your files and photos to the cloud, platforms like Apple, by default, will do 'in transit encryption,' meaning transferred data is private but that Apple itself can still see what you are doing. End-to-end encryption goes one step further because it will scramble data so that it's inaccessible unless there is an encryption key that only you know. It 'makes it so that even the platform owners cannot see that activity, those contents being created,' explained David Huerta, senior digital security trainer at Freedom of the Press Foundation. This way, no one –– not even Apple or a U.S. government that has the power to seize devices at the border –– can gain access to your revealing photos and voice memos saved on your iCloud, because only you have the encryption key. 'End-to-end encryption does make it so that law enforcement would have a tough time accessing things from cloud providers who get court orders, subpoenas ... sent to them to get access to different types of information,' Huerta said. Even if you are not an activist, celebrity or a journalist with sensitive information on your phone, you might still want your private photos, like your nudes, or your vulnerable breakup notes you back up to iCloud, to be under this extra layer of privacy. 'If you don't want your content to be used for advertising ... one of the best ways to get that to happen is to use a service that is end-to-end encrypted,' said Sarah Scheffler, an assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon's CyLab Security and Privacy Institute. She noted that end-to-end encryption also helps protect against potential employee misuse of your data or data breaches. Apple already automatically does end-to-end encryption protection for your payment information, passwords and health data — but it does not, by default, do it for other revealing parts of your iPhone, such as your photo libraries or your Notes, Reminders, Safari Bookmarks, Siri Shortcuts and Voice Memos. Turning on Advanced Data Protection changes that. Here's how it works. How To Turn On Apple's Advanced Data Protection Feature First, you need to make sure you enable two-factor authentication and update your device to at least iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, tvOS 16.2 or watchOS 9.2. Then go to Settings, click your Apple name, so you go to your Apple Account. Then select iCloud and Advanced Data Protection. As part of Advanced Data Protection, you must either create a recovery key or a recovery contact in case you get locked out of your account. For the recovery key option: You need to create a 28-character key that will help you unlock your account. You must write this down and keep it somewhere you will remember, because Apple can't help you recover this key if you forget it. For the recovery contact option: You need to designate someone you trust who has an Apple device to be your recovery contact. They'll get a message with a code to help you regain access to your end-to-end encrypted data if you get locked out. What Advanced Data Protection Doesn't Do This feature is a great, simple way to add a much-needed layer of security and privacy to your iPhone and the outside world — but it does come with caveats. Notably, iCloud Mail, Contacts and Calendar events will not be end-to-end encrypted under this extra layer of security. And it still takes a bit of time to set up. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation acknowledges in its pitch for people to use this feature, the digital rights group states, 'It'd be even better if this became Apple's default, instead of an opt-in.' And it's not available for users in every country, either. This year, Apple said it is withdrawing this feature for U.K. users, reportedly as a way to avoid complying with a request from the U.K. government to create a technical 'back door' for accessing user data. Unfortunately, there is also no exact equivalent to this one-stop, additional end-to-end encryption feature for Android users. 'Your Android phone, if it's a modern Android phone, will have full disk encryption, which is good, so that the actual device itself and the files in it are protected,' explained Huerta. 'But then as soon as you put that or save that in Google Photos or Google Drive or whatever, then that's when you know Google now has a fully readable copy of your data.' Don't let your guard down, either. Even if you are an Apple user with Advanced Data Protection turned on, don't assume that this step means you are completely private and secure on your phone. You should always be doing basic security steps like enabling two-factor authentication and password managers on your phone apps. But overall, Advanced Data Protection should be a feature you have on if you are worried about having your most sensitive photo libraries and files exposed for an authority or a hacker to find. In this era of online surveillance by hackers and empowered border agents, it doesn't hurt to be more careful. Related... This 1 iPhone Setting Might Be Messing With Your Friendships Knowing The Difference Between These 3 Types Of Emergency Alerts Could Save Your Life This Hidden iPhone Feature May Just Save Your Life In An Emergency 1 Seemingly Innocent Thing On Your Phone Might Make Border Agents Deny You Entry Solve the daily Crossword
Business Journals
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
Power shift: How CMU is helping shape America's energy evolution
As AI models grow more powerful, their appetite for energy also increases, straining an aging and outdated grid and prompting urgent questions about infrastructure, security and access. From reimagining AI data centers to modernizing and securing the electric grid, Carnegie Mellon University researchers are working on practical solutions to pressing challenges in how the U.S. produces, moves and secures energy. The AI-energy connection While AI drives economic growth and scientific breakthroughs, it's also straining the energy infrastructure that is currently in place. The good news? AI can help solve that problem. expand Zico Kolter 'As work across Carnegie Mellon shows, AI has the potential to drastically improve our energy consumption by assisting in developing more efficient techniques for grid operation, building better materials for batteries, and potentially even truly revolutionizing energy by accelerating the development of technologies like nuclear fusion,' said Zico Kolter, head of the Machine Learning Department in CMU's School of Computer Science. 'These are all big bets, to be clear, and advancing science is never a sure thing, but AI at its best can be a unique enabler of so many beneficial downstream technologies.' Getting into the fast lane Carnegie Mellon is pioneering the use of AI to modernize the electric grid to meet current and future needs. 'Transmission moves power from the locations where it is produced to the locations where it is needed, and the U.S. urgently needs more capacity,' said M. Granger Morgan, the Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering at CMU. 'The Department of Energy predicts the country will need to more than double high-voltage transmission capacity over the next several decades. At the same time the construction of new long-distance transmission has stalled. Breaking the logjam that often makes it impossible to build new transmission capacity without placing an unacceptable burden on consumers' electric bills is a major challenge.' expand M. Granger Morgan CMU researchers are developing 'AI fast lanes' — special lanes on the electricity "highway" just for clean energy projects that power AI and data centers. These fast lanes would let clean energy projects connect to the grid faster, ensure the electricity stays affordable and reliable, help protect the environment and make things fair for everyone. These innovations are crucial as the U.S. grid integrates more intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar. Securing the future As the grid becomes more digitized, security gaps widen — unless we address them. CMU's CyLab Security and Privacy Institute and Electrical and Computer Engineering department in the College of Engineering are working to stay ahead of the threat curve, using AI to anticipate and neutralize cyberattacks before they cause widespread disruption. 'AI-driven energy expansion is a prime opportunity to harden our infrastructure against cyber threats,' said Audrey Kurth Cronin, director of the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology. 'Upgrading energy infrastructure for AI offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to replace vulnerable legacy systems with inherently more defensible technologies.' CMU researchers Lujo Bauer, Larry Pileggi and Vyas Sekar are calling on the research and policy communities to develop more comprehensive and accurate grid evaluation frameworks and datasets, and for updating threat models and grid resiliency requirements to match cyber attackers' realistic capabilities. As part of their research, they interviewed 18 grid security specialists and analyzed four major threats, from overloading smart devices to taking over entire power plants. They found wide disagreement on how likely or dangerous these threats are. 'Our work has shown that inconsistencies in threat assessments occur because of ad hoc simulation and modeling methodologies, as well as dataset errors,' Sekar said. 'This shows the need for the creation of standardized public toolkits and datasets and for recommending ways to increase the accuracy of evaluations. This will enable us, as well as other researchers, to develop more rigorous foundations for securing tomorrow's electric energy grid.' Policy that meets the moment CMU's expertise extends beyond the labs and code to shape public policy through systems modeling, data-driven decision making and collaboration with government and industry. Ramayya Krishnan, director of the AI Measurement Science and Engineering Center, has said CMU's ability to look at issues from a systems standpoint is what makes the university uniquely positioned to address the complex challenges and opportunities that lie at the intersection of energy and AI. "That's our sweet spot," Krishnan said. "At CMU, we have strength in all the different layers. We have deep expertise in energy, deep expertise in AI and deep expertise in public policy, and we understand how these elements come together." Carnegie Mellon University brings together experts across disciplines to address real-world challenges and create lasting impact. From advancing technology to improving lives, CMU is committed to research, innovation, and education that drives meaningful change in society, industry, and communities around the world.
India Today
6 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Why U.S. universities are opening campuses in India and the Gulf
When 17-year-old Aanya Sharma began dreaming of studying computer science at a top U.S. university, she imagined four years in a snow-dusted college town, far from her home in Gurugram. What she didn't imagine was that just two metro stops away, a global university would soon be setting up a full-fledged campus offering the same degree, the same faculty, and nearly the same prestige, without the $60,000 price tag or a student visa decades, Indian students have flocked to the United States in pursuit of the "American degree dream." In 2024 alone, more than 1.3 million Indian students studied abroad, over 65% of them in the U.S., spending upwards of Rs.5 lakh annually per student on tuition and living expenses. But now, the tide is beginning to by policy reforms, growing demand, and strategic expansion goals, several top-ranked U.S. universities,, including the Illinois Institute of Technology, are setting up shop in India. At the same time, elite institutions like Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, and Northwestern have long-established operations in Qatar's Education City. The move represents a broader shift in how education is delivered, where students no longer need to cross oceans to earn global U.S. UNIVERSITIES ARE GOING GLOBAL The motivation for U.S. institutions is multi-layered:Enrolment pressures: Rising visa uncertainties, political tensions, and post-COVID enrolment dips have made international student mobility less predictable. Setting up branch campuses abroad allows universities to reach students where they diversification: With declining domestic enrolments and increasing competition, international campuses offer a way to maintain financial sustainability while expanding brand balance: In an increasingly multipolar world, universities are realigning their internationalisation strategies to hedge against regional to C-BERT (Cross-Border Education Research Team), over 320 international branch campuses exist globally today, with more than a quarter hosted by U.S. THE EDUCATION GOLDMINEIndia presents a particularly attractive proposition. It has:A youth-heavy population (over 50% under age 30)A growing higher education market, projected to cross $300 billion by 2030An unmet demand for quality education only ~30% of college-age youth are currently enrolledThe game-changer, however, was the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which opened India's doors to foreign universities. In 2023, the UGC released regulations allowing top 500 global institutions to establish fully autonomous campuses in India, with their own admission criteria, fee structure, and degree COMING TO INDIA? Illinois Institute of Technology (USA): Will open a campus in Mumbai by 2026, offering STEM and business programs. It's the first American university to do of Southampton (UK): Set to begin classes in Gurugram by August 2025, offering degrees in computing, law, business, and more. It expects to enroll up to 5,500 students of Liverpool, Aberdeen, and York (UK) and University of Western Australia have received Letters of Intent to open campuses, most by late Europeo di Design (IED, Italy) is opening in Mumbai, offering fashion, product, and visual design degrees at 25-30% lower cost than its European to the UGC, 15 foreign universities could begin operating in India by GULF MODEL: U.S. CAMPUSES IN QATARMeanwhile, in the Gulf, the U.S. has long maintained a strong education footprint:Carnegie Mellon University - Qatar (est. 2004)Georgetown University in Qatar (since 2005)Northwestern University in Qatar (since 2008)Texas A&M - Qatar, which will wind down by 2028These campuses are fully funded by host governments, like the Qatar Foundation, allowing U.S. institutions to maintain quality while eliminating financial IN IT FOR INDIAN STUDENTS?advertisementWorld-class degrees, closer to home: Global qualifications at local campuses eliminate visa hassles and drastically reduce travel and living costs: Tuition fees are expected to be 25-40% lower than on main campuses. The University of Southampton will charge students about two-thirds of UK tuition (~25,000-30,000 in the UK).Globally mobile careers: These campuses often offer pathways for semester exchanges, internships abroad, or even final-year transfers to the main U.S. competition = better education ecosystemAs global institutions arrive, Indian colleges may be forced to innovate, collaborate, and compete. CHALLENGES FOR STUDENTS Affordability gap: While cheaper than studying abroad, these programs still remain out of reach for a large portion of India's and curriculum parity: Maintaining the same academic standards, infrastructure, and faculty quality as the home campus is ambiguity: As this is new terrain for both foreign universities and Indian regulators, policy clarity and transparency will be key to long-term success. THE FUTURE IS GLOCALWhat was once considered a one-way ticket to succeeding, an American degree, is now becoming a two-way street. As the demand for global education rises and political barriers harden, universities are going "glocal" offering international standards within national boundaries. India is no longer just an exporter of students. With top U.S. and global universities arriving on its shores, it is emerging as a global education destination in its own right.- EndsMust Watch
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump unveils $70bn AI and energy plan at summit with oil and tech bigwigs
Donald Trump joined big oil and technology bosses on Tuesday at a major artificial intelligence and energy summit in Pittsburgh, outraging environmentalists and community organizations. The event came weeks after the passage of a mega-bill that experts say could stymy AI growth with its attacks on renewable energy. 'We're here today because we believe that America's destiny is to dominate every industry and be the first in every technology, and that includes being the world's number one superpower in artificial intelligence,' said Trump. The inaugural Pennsylvania energy and innovation summit, held at Carnegie Mellon University, is an attempt to position the state as an AI leader, showcasing the technological innovation being developed in the city and the widespread availability of fossil fuel reserves to power them. At the gathering, Trump announced $70bn in AI and energy investments for the state, Axios first reported, in a move the event's host, the Republican Pennsylvania senator, Dave McCormick, says will be a boon to local economies. It was evidence that Trump is making good on his promise to serve the people 'of Pittsburgh, not Paris' as he planned withdrawal from the UN Paris climate accord, McCormick said. At the summit, 20 leading technology and energy companies also announced more than $92bn of investments for AI development in Pennsylvania. 'Today's commitments are ensuring that the future is going to be designed, built and made right here in Pennsylvania and right here in Pittsburgh, I have to say right here in the United States of America,' said Trump. The new AI 'won't be powered by wind, because it doesn't work', Trump went on to say. 'I hate to say, it just doesn't work. It's rather intermittent,' he said. 'You don't want, it causes a lot of problems.' (Though wind is indeed intermittent, it can be more reliable than gas. Wind provided over 10% of US electricity in 2023 – a share experts say must increase to achieve climate goals.) Activists say the new investments, which will boost planet-heating energy production, will have disastrous consequences for the climate and for nearby communities. 'Pennsylvanians are paying the price for decisions made behind closed doors: higher utility bills, contaminated water, poor air quality, and worsening health,' said Hilary Flint, Pennsylvania field organizing manager at the non-profit Center for Oil and Gas Organizing. Flint signed a Tuesday letter to Pennsylvania's governor, Josh Shapiro, opposing his plans to work with Trump to expand AI, along with dozens of organizations and individuals. The event also came less than two weeks after Republicans on Capitol Hill passed a Trump-backed budget bill which could dramatically increase the spending and effort needed to power AI data centers, thanks to its rollback of green energy tax credits. Renewable energy is almost always cheaper to build and easier to bring online than fossil fuels. Many tech executives invited to the event have said the availability of wind and solar are essential to the success of AI. Microsoft's Satya Nadella said last May that powering data centers with renewable energy would 'drive down the cost of AI', while the OpenAI head, Sam Altman, said months earlier that 'there's no way' to grow his industry without a 'breakthrough' in affordable clean energy technology. Tech giants Google and its parent company Alphabet, as well as Meta have also both invested in wind and solar to power data centers. But the oil industry, whose top brass are also at the Pittsburgh summit, lobbied in favor of the mega-bill's green energy incentive rollbacks. 'It includes almost all of our priorities,' Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, the fossil fuel industry's largest lobbying group, told CNBC about the legislation. Sommers is on the guest list for the event. The gathering, to which no public interest consumer or environmental groups were invited, severely downplayed the climate and health consequences of this technological expansion fueled by oil and gas. Data centers used for AI are highly resource intensive, sometimes consuming as much power as entire cities. By the end of the decade, data processing, mainly for AI, is expected to consume more electricity in the US alone than manufacturing steel, cement, chemicals and all other energy-intensive goods combined, according to the International Energy Agency. 'Political leaders should be investing their time meeting with frontline communities, environmental scientists and renewable energy leaders and using their political muscle to create a just transition to renewable energy – not attending summits that double down on old, dirty energy,' said Jess Conard, Appalachia director at the environmental group Beyond Plastics, who lives in the nearby town of East Palestine, Ohio. 'Fossil fuels aren't progress, no matter how you try to rebrand them.' Critics have also raised concerns about security and privacy in the wake of AI's growth. The New York Times and other plaintiffs, including the prominent authors Ta-Nehisi Coates, Michael Chabon and Junot Díaz and the comedian Sarah Silverman, are suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement; OpenAI has also received scrutiny for reported labor misconduct. Both OpenAI and Microsoft have defended their positions around copyright infringement allegations. 'Trump's radical AI plan is yet another example of the president siding with powerful corporations ahead of the American people,' said Tyson Slocum, director of the energy program at the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.
