Faster Computation Will Damage the Internet's Integrity
An Intel researcher warns that SHA-1, a commonly used cryptographic algorithm, will be easy to crack by 2018.A security researcher says that the end is near for a cryptographic routine commonly used to...
View ArticleAn Internet of Treacherous Things
A zombie network of home routers highlights the importance of prioritizing smart appliance security.Plenty of science-fiction stories feature ordinary household appliances staging a revolt. In an...
View ArticleFaster Computation Will Damage the Internet's Integrity
An Intel researcher warns that SHA-1, a commonly used cryptographic algorithm, will be easy to crack by 2018.
View ArticleAn Internet of Treacherous Things
A zombie network of home routers highlights the importance of prioritizing smart appliance security.
View ArticleWhy Don’t Computers Boot Up Instantly?
Computers still require a phoenix-like rebirth after every little death that comes with a shutdown.
View ArticleWhat Powers Spacecraft to Outer Planets and Beyond?
An energy technology that NASA began using in the 1960s made the recent Pluto fly-by possible.
View ArticleWhat Is the Oldest Computer Program Still in Use?
Keeping software alive for just a few years without constant updates and overhauls might seem nearly impossible. But some software systems remain in fine fettle decades after their launch.
View ArticleHow Do Genome Sequencing Centers Store Such Huge Amounts of Data?
If genetic analysis is going to get as cheap as we expect, sequencing centers could become some of the world’s largest users of data storage.
View ArticleTwo Ways to Stop Ransomware in Its Tracks
The malware that holds files hostage until payment may have met its match.
View ArticleFaster Computation Will Damage the Internet’s Integrity
A security researcher says that the end is near for a cryptographic routine commonly used to protect the integrity of secure Web transactions, stored passwords, and hundreds of other purposes. By 2018,...
View ArticleAn Internet of Treacherous Things
Plenty of science-fiction stories feature ordinary household appliances staging a revolt. In an episode of Futurama, toasters and home robots rise up against their human oppressors. Two trends are now...
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Why Don’t Computers Boot Up Instantly?
It doesn’t take a few minutes to boot up your computer anymore, but it’s also still far from instantaneous. Even with modern, super-fast electronics, there’s a delay before you can start doing...
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What Powers Spacecraft to Outer Planets and Beyond?
Most spacecraft, including satellites and some Mars landers, rely on solar panels, but for rugged and complex outings like the Mars Curiosity rover mission and extremely long-term flights like the one...
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What Is the Oldest Computer Program Still in Use?
It’s widely accepted that the first computer program was written by Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, in 1842, although a device for which it was intended wasn’t built in her lifetime. But a reader asks:...
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How Do Genome Sequencing Centers Store Such Huge Amounts of Data?
Genomic sequencing has rapidly gone from something possible only at the scale of a national research project to something that can be performed quickly and even cheaply (see “Is It Really Only $1,000...
View ArticleTwo Ways to Stop Ransomware in Its Tracks
Ransomware has become a menace that strikes companies and individuals alike, but researchers have offered tantalizing evidence that we may soon be able to stop it before it does any damage.The most...
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