Category Archives: Google

Most of Google's US workforce has been working remotely since March due to the coronavirus. And last month, CEO Sundar Pichai said he expects most employees will largely be working from home for the rest of the year.

As the wellness and resilience lead at Google, it's Lauren Whitt's job to make sure Google employees remain healthy and have access to mental health and wellness resources during these uncertain times.

And that is no small task.

There are 10 members of the global well-being and mental health teams, who work with all of Google's employees across the globe.

To help with the shift to working from home, the company has offered virtual training and classes. And it has shifted some of its notorious perks online. Google also recently offered all employees a $1,000 allowance to spend on equipment to help outfit their home workspaces.

CNN Business spoke with Whitt about Google's recent wellness efforts during the pandemic. Here's what she had to say about what Google is doing to promote mental health and well being (This interview has been edited for clarity and length):

What role do managers have when it comes to their team's mental health? And what can they do to make sure their workers' are doing OK?

We are asking them to check in on the well-being of their team, to ask about how their team is doing. We do not want our managers to be therapists, counselors, advisers in any way on the mental health space. We do want them to check in on: 'How is your well being?' 'How are you doing?' 'How is life going for you right now?' And if there are signs or indications that there may be something going on, to be able to connect the Googler with the wealth of resources and suite of services that we have available.

The final thing that we are asking managers to do is to lead with intention with their own role modeling of well-being behavior.

We all have mangers, we all know that we often will see what our managers are doing before we hear what they are telling us to do. And so we are asking managers to lead by example and to role model well-being and detachment and recovery in their own lives as well.

The shift from working in an expansive workspace with lots of perks to being at home all the time can be tough. How are you helping workers adapt to their new reality?

I have been so impressed with Googlers' grassroots efforts to create a community and to create so much connection between what they were doing in the office to what they are doing at home.

When we are on-site, many offices have fitness centers and those coaches have taken those programs and those classes online and are doing them virtually so Googlers are still able to work out from home with people they used to work out with in the office using milk jugs and different crazy things that are around the house.

We all miss the fantastic food that we had in Google cafes and many of our cafe teams and chefs are beginning to offer virtual classes online -- so How to Cook classes for us to be able to pick up some of those unique and fun skills.

We have groups of Googlers that are doing virtual meditation and mindfulness classes -- programs called "gPause." We have peer-to-peer mental health support through our Blue Dot community so a lot of the things that were happening in the offices, we are just bringing them virtually.

Tell me about Google's decision to offer $1,000 to employees to equip their home offices. How important is the workspace?

For us to be able to provide resources for Googlers to set up the most productive workstation at home so that they have an opportunity to separate 'When I am in this space I am focused on my work and I am focused on these things, and when I step away from this space I am able to detach from work, I am able to connect with my family, my friends, my pets, the people in my community outside of this work box' is really important.

The routine and the habits that we used to have in the office are so important for us to translate those and set new routines and new habits into the workspace and work setup that we have at home.

That is really critical for us long term, as well as from a health perspective -- making sure that we have the best opportunity for ergonomically correct chairs, eye-line for monitors and those sorts of opportunities as well.

Are there any certain areas of wellness that you are focusing on more right now?

We are continuing to invest in this concept of resilience, the ability to recognize how to be present in this moment, to face the task at hand, and to focus on what can you do today?

We will continue our messages of ergonomics of proper alignments of your workspace, of having a chair that suits and supports your back, having the ergonomics and being able to alleviate some of those low back pains and muscular skeletal issues.

I think we are looking into the future, on what health and wellness will look like. How will we continue to support Googlers in their home environment and in their return to work environment to ensure that movement is a priority, that sleep is the No. 1 priority for us, and that nutrition will continue to matter to Googlers, independent of where they are working.

You say building resilience is important in a time like this. How are you helping employees develop that?

We spent a couple years really focused on making sure we had the resources and tools for Googlers to be able to focus on their mental health and get the support they need in that space.

About two years ago, we started to shift and say: 'OK, we have those tools and resources available, what is next? How do we now really focus on the ability to cope with stress, bounce back from adversity and understand that we can rebound to be able to recover from difficult challenges?'

We launched a check-in in the fall, we call it the T.E.A. [Thoughts, Energy, Attention] check-in. Our T.E.A. check is basically: where are your thoughts, where is your energy and where is your attention? And as we look at those three...is it time to take on a challenging project? Is [your energy] low? Do you need to jump up and down? Do you need to step away? Do you need to take a nap? And where is your attention? What is the one thing you can focus on today that you can control, that you can influence, that will give you purpose and meaning and optimism for today?

What is Google doing to address burnout, especially now that everyone is at home and work-life balance is harder to achieve?

One of our primary messages right now around burnout is being intentional about the recovery and the rest and the opportunity to turn things off, shift your focus to non-work activities. As Googlers are doing that, they are realizing that as they do recover and detach, they are able to come back to the work or come back to solving that problem with a refreshed, renewed excited perspective.

We often approach the conversation of burnout with very intentional practical ways to step away from your computer every 90 minutes, to get outdoors, even if you just need to do pushups or jumping jacks or stand up in between meetings and move around and shake it out, what are these ways to be able to shift your focus during and throughout the day.

Also for us, is continuing to encourage Googlers to take vacation, to step away from the work, even though you can't travel in many cases, to be able to invest in using that vacation time as recovery time.

Tell me about Google's Blue Dot Program pre-pandemic and what it looks like now.

The Blue Dot Program is our peer-to-peer mental health community. We started this program a number of years ago as Googlers wanted an opportunity to be able to talk about hard things, but they didn't necessarily feel like it was clinical. They wanted just a peer's perspective, somebody who had been through it, who had been where they were.

That group has pivoted in a really impressive way. They are operating virtual office hours, we have different places online where you can connect virtually over Google Meet video calls to be able to talk about those things.

Although the face-to-face component of that program has shifted, they have taken it virtually through Google tools and are continuing to really innovate around new ideas to be able to connect and support each other and those who are interested in joining moving forward.

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Google will give every employee $1,000 to WFH. Its head of wellness explains why - FOX5 Las Vegas

Google has added its line of Nest smart home devices to its Advanced Protection Program, a security offering that adds stronger account protections for high-risk users like politicians and journalists.

The program, launched in 2017, allows anyone who signs up access to a range of additional account security features, like limiting third-party access to account data, anti-malware protections and allowing the use of physical security keys to help thwart some of the most advanced cyberattacks.

Google said that adding Nest to the program was a top request from users.

Smart home devices are increasingly a target for hackers largely because many internet-connected devices lack basic security protections and are easy to hack, prompting an effort by states and governments to help device makers improve their security. A successful hack can allow hackers to snoop in on smart home cameras, or ensnare the device into a massive collection of vulnerable devices a botnet that can be used to knock websites offline with large amounts of junk traffic.

Although Nest devices are more secure than most, its users are not immune from hackers.

After a spate of reported automated attacks targeting Nest cameras earlier this year, Google began requiring that Nest users must enable two-factor authentication. Google said its systems had not been breached, but warned that hackers were using passwords stolen in other breaches to target Nest users.

Other device makers, like Amazon-owned Ring, were also targeted by hackers using reused passwords.

While two-factor authentication virtually eliminates these kinds of so-called credential stuffing attacks, Google said its new security improvements will add yet another layer of protection to users Nest devices.

Continued here:

After a spate of device hacks, Google beefs up Nest security protections - TechCrunch

Foreign hackers targeted the personal email accounts of staffers on the presidential campaigns of Democratic primary candidate Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, Reuters reported. It appears that state-backed hackers from China tried to target staffers on the Biden campaign, while Iranian hackers targeted the email accounts of Trump campaign staff.

Shane Huntley, the head of Googles Threat Analysis Group, tweeted that the hackers had made phishing attempts on campaign staffers emails, but there had been no sign of compromise.

A Google spokesperson told The Verge the company had not seen evidence that any of the attempted attacks had been successful and that it had sent the information to federal law enforcement officials. We encourage campaign staff to use extra protection for their work and personal emails, and we offer security resources such as our Advanced Protection Program and free security keys for qualifying campaigns, the spokesperson said.

Matt Hill, deputy national press secretary for the Biden campaign, says the campaign was aware of the phishing attempt and had been braced for something like this to happen. We have known from the beginning of our campaign that we would be subject to such attacks and we are prepared for them, Hill told The Verge in an email, adding that the campaign takes cybersecurity seriously and will remain vigilant against these threats.

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said it had been been briefed that foreign actors unsuccessfully attempted to breach the technology of our staff. We are vigilant about cybersecurity and do not discuss any of our precautions.

This apparently wasnt the first instance of Iranian hackers trying to access Trump campaign emails. Last year, Microsoft said an Iranian group known alternately as Phosphorous, APT 35, or Charming Kitten unsuccessfully tried to get into a presidential campaigns emails. Reuters later identified the campaign in question as Trumps.

Email hacking is a particularly fraught issue for US political campaigns after Russian hackers successfully phished the Democratic National Committee in 2016, exposing thousands of emails.

UPDATED June 4th 5:35PM ET: Added comment from Trump campaign spokesperson.

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Google says foreign hackers targeted emails of Trump and Biden campaign staffers - The Verge

Optus has been ordered to reveal the identity of a user who left an anonymous review on Google about a Melbourne dentist, who wants to sue the user for defamation damages.

Guardian Australia broke the news in February that Melbourne dentist Dr Matthew Kababbe had successfully compelled Google through the federal court to hand over the details of a user who left a negative review about his business.

The user known only as CBsm 23 claimed the dentist made the experience extremely awkward and uncomfortable and the procedure was a complete waste of time.

Kababbe was successful in obtaining an IP address associated with the review from Google, which revealed it was connected to an Optus account.

The federal court this week served a subpoena on Optus ordering the company to hand over information about which account was assigned the IP address at the time the review was made.

A spokeswoman for Optus did not provide a comment about the case, but said that Optus complies with all government laws and regulations, including court orders.

Kababbes lawyer, Mark Stanarevic of Matrix Legal, told Guardian Australia it had been difficult for Kababbe and some of his other clients to get Google to act on false negative reviews, which he said can be extremely damaging for peoples businesses.

You dont know what business youve lost from the people who didnt come because of the bad review, he said.

We are at the mercy of Google, thats the issue.

It is the latest in an increasing trend of people taking action against Google to find the identities of people behind negative reviews, which Google has beenreluctant to remove.

Stanarevic is also representing Melbourne gangland lawyer Zarah Garde-Wilson in her bid to unmask a user who left a negative review about her law firm, Garde Wilson Criminal Lawyers. On Thursday the federal court again ordered Google to provide information about an account that left a negative review Google had not removed, despite Garde-Wilson stating that the law firm had never acted for the user.

Stanarevic said users had the right to anonymity online, but there were limits.

There has to be a balance between freedom of speech and the rights of small business owners at the behest of a global monopoly. Theyre competing rights, he said.

If someone has time on their hands, and has malicious intent to destroy that small business they can actually quite easily do it, he said.

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Optus ordered to reveal identity of user who left negative Google review of Melbourne dentist - The Guardian

Department of Justice lawyers have interviewed numerous buy- and sell-side companies since kicking off an antitrust probe of Googles business practices roughly a year ago.

They know their shit now, said one ad tech executive whos had multiple calls and exchanged a flurry of emails with DOJ attorneys since October.

The early calls were about them trying to understand how this industry works, the executive said. But now they understand the landscape, they understand how this consolidation of power has happened and theyre looking for specific instances to prove their case.

And the case is picking up momentum. Fox Business reported in late May that the DOJ has hired unnamed outside counsel, evidence that its close to filing its suit. And sources tell The New York Times that the Justice Department has plans to bring antitrust charges against Google as early as this summer.

A bipartisan coalition of states led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is also probing Google on anticompetitive grounds, an effort that could eventually be merged into the DOJs investigation.

As DOJ enforcers probe both Googles search business and its ad practices and prepare their case, here is what theyve asked.

AdExchanger spoke with multiple people on condition of anonymity who have been questioned in recent months by the Justice Department.

Do you have examples of anticompetitive behavior on the part of Google?

Over the past eight months or so, the DOJs line of questioning has zeroed in on uncovering specific incidents of Google engaging in monopolistic practices.

Theyre looking for the smoking guns, said the CEO of an ad tech company on the buy side.

How was your company affected when Google cut off access to YouTube inventory?

In 2015, Google announced that it would cut off third-party access to YouTube inventory, effectively giving DV360 exclusive access to the largest marketplace for digital video.

The fallout for third-party ad tech was immediate. What was the impact on our company? Well, we lost millions of dollars in revenue, said one ad tech executive.

Former AppNexus CEO Brian OKelley testified during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last year that Googles announcement was a devastating move for his and other ad tech companies.

Pulling YouTube inventory out of AdX is a textbook example of monopolistic behavior, said another buy-side ad tech CEO. Basically, youre creating a second monopoly in the DSP market.

Were you harmed by dynamic allocation?

For years, DoubleClick for Publishers (now Google Ad Manager or GAM) gave preferential treatment to AdX through dynamic allocation, AKA last look. The rise of header bidding was in reaction to this advantage.

Google opened dynamic allocation to outside demand in 2016, creating a more unified auction, but the damage had already been done, said an ad ops executive at a large publisher. And by law US antitrust authorities are empowered to go after historical actions.

When you talk to regulators about dynamic allocation, their faces light up, the exec said. And thats because the tactics Google used over time impeded the growth of competitors. If Google didnt do dynamic allocation, for example, who knows, maybe a company like Rubicon could have been a competing ad server.

Do you know Googles margins?

Google has shared publicly that publishers receive 68% of revenue for displaying ads with AdSense. But the true margins remain opaque, and Google does not disclose the rev share for other AdSense products.

They have market share from a search perspective and a data perspective, a publishing exec said. You can use things like unified pricing and other methods to convince yourself that youve created a fair marketplace, but really its designed around extracting monopoly margins from a giant pool of demand in Google Ads.

What do you think Googles market share is across the ad server space, the DSP space and the exchange space?

The DOJ was particularly interested in what ad tech folks perceived as Googles market share across its ad products. For what its worth, the United Kingdoms Competition and Markets Authority estimates that Google has more than 90% of the ad server market, between 40% and 60% of the SSP market and between 50% and 70% of the DSP market.

Google doesnt maintain the same dominance across every piece, but, taken together plus their share of the browser market its a different story, said a buy-side ad tech executive. Its about the totality, which is why you cant look at the pieces in isolation.

Does Google have a data advantage?

Google has first-party relationships with consumers through its consumer-facing services, including Google Play, search, Gmail and Chrome (for those who choose to log in). This data doesnt leave the Google universe, but does flow into the Google ad tech stack.

The use of that data in a product like DV360 raises questions and eyebrows, said an executive at a DSP. And thats because Id argue many of those products have their own monopolies as well.

How have Googles privacy policies impacted your business?

Some of Googles rivals are convinced that many of the privacy-related changes Google has made to its policies over the years have more to do with preserving market share than preserving privacy.

One ad tech CEO brought up Googles behavior in the lead up to GDPR as evidence of anticompetitive behavior. In 2018, for example, Google stopped allowing buyers to use the DoubleClick ID for data transfer from its ad server and yanked the DoubleClick ID from its DSP in Europe.

At first, the DOJ lawyers werent inclined to pursue the topic, because anything outside the United States is beyond its scope.

But I talked about how destructive some of these moves were to everyone else other than Google and the fact that the companies affected are US companies and Google, of course, is a US company, the executive said. And then they really wanted to understand how these restrictions impacted our business.

How do you think this situation should be remedied, and if the remedy is a breakup of Google, where would you make the break?

Thats the multi-multibillion-dollar question.

They asked me this very specifically, and its a very tough one to answer, because the answer depends on where you sit, the CEO said. Owning access to the supply, then controlling the connection ofsupply and demandin the exchangeis problematic, because its an opportunity for abuse but so is owning the browser.

The DOJ seems fully cognizant that Googles various businesses form an interconnected web.

An ad ops publishing executive summed it up like this: This isnt one thing, its a million little things: DoubleClick, YouTube, search. I think the DOJ understands that just untying DFP from AdX for example, doesnt fix things.

More here:

This Is What The DOJ Is Thinking As It Preps Its Antitrust Case Against Google - AdExchanger

Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) has invested in Gojeka leading ride-hailing and food delivery provider in the Southeast Asia region. Notably, Facebook joins Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Tencent in one of Southeast Asias most promising technology startups. Tencent has a successful track record in technology startup investments. For example, Tencent invested in companies like Spotify (NYSE:SPOT), Huya (NYSE:HUYA), and Bilibili before their successful IPO. Also, Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) was a unit of Tencent before its 2018 fall IPO. Some 16 Tencent-backed startups went public in 2018. The company also sought a stake worth $200 million in Warner Music Group before the record labels IPO.

Before Facebook joined the party, Gojek raised $1.0 billion last year from a group of investors including Tencent, Google, and JD.com.

In addition to its ride-hailing and food delivery businesses, Gojek operates in the digital payments space. Facebook and Gojek want to support local businesses. Gojek has helped bring digital benefits to hundreds of thousands of merchants through its food delivery and payment platforms. According to Facebook, investing in the startup will help bring small businesses into the digital economy. Gojek is based in Indonesia, which is Southeast Asias largest economy.

Also, the Gojek investment comes a little over a month after Facebook put $5.7 billion into Indias Jio Platform for a 10% stake in the business. As part of the investment, Facebook and Jio will create technology solutions to benefit millions of local businesses in India.

Gojeks main competitor in the Southeast Asia region is Grab. Notably, Grabs backers include SoftBank. Overall, Gojek and Grab want to become Asias super apps.

The Gojek investment should expand Facebooks opportunities in Southeast Asias booming digital economy. Meanwhile, a Google-Temasek study showed that Southeast Asias digital economy could hit $300 billion by 2025. The regions digital economy was valued at $100 billion in 2019.

One of the fastest-growing sectors in Southeast Asias digital economy is digital payments. Facebooks investment in Gojek comes as it gears up to launch a digital payment system called Libra. Facebook counts on Libra to simplify and cut the cost of everyday money transactions for merchants and consumers.

Facebook stock has gained 13% year-to-date and trades above $232. However, the stock has over 20% upside to its highest Wall Street target price at $285.

View post:

Why Facebook Joined Google and Tencent in Gojek Investment - Market Realist

With help from Eric Geller, Martin Matishak, Melissa Heikkil, Cristiano Lima and Daniel Lippman

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A coronavirus contact-tracing initiative from Apple and Google has some privacy and security landmines to navigate.

An advocacy group urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to move ahead with cybersecurity standards despite calls to move back the timing.

A top U.N. official called for a digital cease-fire as the world contends with coronavirus, especially because of the need to safeguard health care organizations and employees.

HAPPY MONDAY and welcome to Morning Cybersecurity! So relatable. If a hacker gets a hold of a Zoom, what can they tell? Send your thoughts, feedback and especially tips to [emailprotected]. Be sure to follow @POLITICOPro and @MorningCybersec. Full team info below.

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TRACKING DOWNSIDES A joint Apple-Google project to track coronavirus exposure risks announced last week has sparked privacy and security fears even as some lawmakers are willing to give the tech giants some leeway. Tech companies new feature to contact trace coronavirus cases has positive potential, but we must ensure privacy concerns are considered, tweeted House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.). Ill be following this closely to ensure consumer privacy is protected. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who chairs E&Cs consumer protection subcommittee, echoed the sentiment.

Some security experts said that although the plan features safeguards, they arent adequate given the nature of the information at play. Phone data has NEVER been proven secure and the chance of release is above 0%, observed Sergio Caltagirone, vice president of threat intelligence for Dragos. In fact, this is so juicy I'd argue there will be lots of baddie[s] who are interested in finding ways to leak this. Matt Tait, a cyber fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, spelled out a slew of other potential problems.

Jennifer Granick, surveillance and cybersecurity council for the ACLU, credited the two companies for steps to mitigate risk but said there was room for improvement. These systems also cant be effective if people dont trust them, she said. People will only trust these systems if they protect privacy, remain voluntary, and store data on an individual's device, not a centralized repository.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, broadly touched on the issue in his newly released proposal to safely reopen America. In a New York Times op-ed outlining his plan, Biden calls for a contact tracing strategy that protects privacy. And Apple and Google reportedly will work with the U.K., too.

NOT SO SLOW The coronavirus pandemic isnt a reason to significantly delay supply chain cybersecurity standards for electric grid utilities, the grid resilience advocacy group Protect Our Power told FERC late last week. The North American Electric Reliability Corp. wants FERC to delay the deadline for complying with the cyber rule and other new regulations, saying compliance could disrupt operations at a critical time. But in comments filed Thursday with FERC, Protect Our Power said NERCs requested three-month delay may not be justified or necessarily be in the public interest. Instead, it asked FERC to only grant a 30-day extension. This approach would acknowledge the time lost by utilities due to the coronavirus pandemic, the group said, but otherwise require the industry to continue to treat the supply chain security issue with the importance and seriousness it deserves.

In requesting a 90-day delay, NERC argued that the extra time would allow entities to recover from coronavirus-related strains, but Protect Our Power said such a long recovery window likely wasnt necessary. Given that FERC issued the supply chain standard 15 months ago, the group said, many or most utilities may already be prepared to comply with it by the current July 1 deadline. A shorter delay, it said, would also prevent us from having one crisis, the pandemic, unnecessarily cause us to lose focus and a sense of urgency about another crisis, supply chain risk.

CYBER CEASE-FIRE The United Nations undersecretary-general on Friday published an op-ed calling for a worldwide digital cease-fire during the coronavirus pandemic. When launched successfully, digital attacks are catastrophic and can lead to loss of life, wrote Fabrizio Hochschild. In particular, health care workers and hospitals battling Covid-19 shouldnt have to question whether their data and medical equipment is secure or worry about it being shut down. We must commit to an immediate digital cease-fire, and governments, civil society groups, and the private sector must set the tone. Without this step, our global response to the pandemic will be weakened, according to Hochschild.

ALL I WANNA DO IS ZOOM-A-ZOOM-ZOOM-ZOOM The top Republican on the House Oversight panel on Friday called for majority Democrats to abandon usage of the Zoom video conferencing service, citing security issues. Given the concerns surrounding Zooms security, it is clear Zoom is not an appropriate platform for Committee business, which may be particularly sensitive during the COVID-19 pandemic, wrote Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Please immediately suspend any current or future use of Zoom systems for official committee activities and take immediate steps to evaluate the Committees internal cybersecurity preparedness to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive committee information through the Zoom platform.

Jordan cited the Senate sergeant at arms warning last week for offices to stop using it, broader hacking and malware concerns, and Zoom work done by employees in China as causes to suspend use. Jordan said House Oversight Democrats had been Zoom-bombed, something Democrats denied.

Rep. Jordans office was consulted directly and repeatedly about using Zoom and never raised any concerns, so its unfortunate that he is now putting out inaccurate information in this public letter, said Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). Had his office consulted with us first, we could have clarified their misunderstandings and provided more information about the steps the Committee has already taken to address any potential issues. She said the committee would continue to use a number of different technologies to fulfill its responsibilities. The House was already reevaluating whether the chamber should switch to a government-specific form of Zoom.

EDGAR RIGHT The SEC announced last week that it has settled charges with two traders accused of profiting by exploiting sensitive corporate earnings information hacked from its EDGAR system. David Kwon of California settled for $165,474 that represented the profits from his alleged illegal trades, and $16,254 in interest; Igor Sabodakha of Ukraine settled for $148,804 in profits, prejudgment interest of $20,945 and a civil penalty of $148,804, plus the SEC said it would dismiss charges against his wife, Victoria Vorochek, whose accounts he allegedly used to conduct trades.

The EDGAR hack generated considerable interest from Congress when the SEC disclosed it in 2017, with some lawmakers pointing to their prior concerns about SEC vulnerabilities. The SEC charges against seven individuals and two entities filed in 2019 were accompanied by criminal charges against two other men.

CRITICAL SAFETY AND PRIVACY FLAWS IN CONNECTED CARS Drivers beware: Your rides are vulnerable to digital saboteurs. Some of Europes most popular connected car models have crucial security flaws that allow intruders to access personal data such as passwords and location history as well as components that control key functions such as collision-warning systems and tire air pressure, according to an investigation by British consumer group Which?.

By lifting the Volkswagen badge on the front of the car, researchers say they were able to access the vehicles front radar module, which controls its collision-warning system, according to our friends at POLITICO Europes Cyber Insights. Using a cheap laptop and a 25 gadget bought from online marketplace Amazon, the researchers also hacked into the Ford Focus system monitoring air pressure in tires. The investigators also got access to personal data such as Wi-Fi passwords, phone contacts and location history.

TWEET OF THE WEEKEND And then Zoom keeps doing stuff like this.

Kevin Zerrusen is now a managing director at EY where he works on cybersecurity and advisory services. He most recently was senior adviser to the chairman for cybersecurity policy at the SEC and is also a Goldman Sachs alum and served in the CIA for 30 years.

POLITICO: Small business loan effort might be less generous than advertised.

The Wall Street Journal: After Congress allowed surveillance tools to lapse, DOJ hasnt been able to obtain wiretaps or request business records between five and 10 times.

The Wall Street Journal: The FBI made errors in two FISA application filings last year.

Forbes: Cryptocurrency scammer revenue is down during the pandemic.

CyberScoop: Cyber criminal forums are also offering discounts during the pandemic.

Register: Cyber criminals leaked sensitive documents from contractors for Boeing, SpaceX, Tesla and other major companies in retaliation for an unpaid ransomware demand.

The Wall Street Journal: Travelex paid a $2.3 million ransom to hackers.

Bleeping Computer: San Francisco International Airport had a data breach.

gCaptain: Mediterranean Shipping Company may have suffered a cyberattack.

ZDNet: Online betting company SBTech will have to place $30 million in escrow as insurance for covering the fallout from a suspected ransomware infection.

Inside Cybersecurity: Two industry groups want more details from the Pentagon on its cybersecurity standards for contractors.

Forbes: Big data firm Palantir got some coronavirus emergency relief funds.

The New York Times: Burning Cell Towers, Out of Baseless Fear They Spread the Virus.

Thats all for today.

Stay in touch with the whole team: Eric Geller ([emailprotected], @ericgeller); Bob King ([emailprotected], @bkingdc); Martin Matishak ([emailprotected], @martinmatishak); and Tim Starks ([emailprotected], @timstarks).

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The security issues with the Apple/Google virus tracking project - Politico

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Google has banned the popular videoconferencing software Zoom from its employees devices, BuzzFeed News has learned. Zoom, a competitor to Googles own Meet app, has seen an explosion of people using it to work and socialize from home and has become a cultural touchstone during the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, Google sent an email to employees whose work laptops had the Zoom app installed that cited its security vulnerabilities and warned that the videoconferencing software on employee laptops would stop working starting this week.

We have long had a policy of not allowing employees to use unapproved apps for work that are outside of our corporate network, Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson, told BuzzFeed News. Recently, our security team informed employees using Zoom Desktop Client that it will no longer run on corporate computers as it does not meet our security standards for apps used by our employees. Employees who have been using Zoom to stay in touch with family and friends can continue to do so through a web browser or via mobile.

Headquartered in San Jose, California, Zoom went public in 2019, making its CEO Eric Yuan a billionaire. The companys videoconferencing service was aimed at enterprises to run webinars and meetings but is now being used by locked-down people around the world for gym sessions, education classes, cocktail parties, and more. In March, 200 million people used Zoom daily compared to just 10 million in December.

But Zooms growth has been marred by concerns around the services security and privacy. Last month, an investigation by Motherboard showed that Zooms app for iPhone and iPads sent data about users devices to Facebook, including people who did not have Facebook accounts.

Zoom stopped sending the data to Facebook just a day later, but more problems surfaced soon after. A former NSA hacker discovered a Zoom security issue that could allow bad actors to control users microphones and webcams and gain control of Apple iMacs. The Intercept showed that Zoom calls werent actually encrypted the way that the company claimed. Last week, the company said that some video calls were mistakenly routed through servers in China when they shouldnt have been. The offices of 27 attorneys general have also raised questions about the company.

Google isnt the first company to ban employees from using Zoom. Earlier this month, Elon Musks rocket company SpaceX also banned employees, citing significant privacy and security concerns, according to Reuters. And on Monday, New York Citys Department of Education urged schools to abandon Zoom and switch to a service from Microsoft.

[We] recognize that we have fallen short of the communitys and our own privacy and security expectations, Yuan wrote on a blog post earlier this month. For that, I am deeply sorry.

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Google Told Its Workers That They Cant Use Zoom On Their Laptops Anymore - BuzzFeed News

This article is part of a series tracking the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on major businesses, and will be updated. It was originally published on April 8.

Alphabet Inc.s Google lords over the online-advertising market, which is both a blessing and a curse in the age of coronavirus.

The core business of Alphabet GOOGL, -1.20% GOOG, -1.19% commands roughly 30% of the $110 billion digital-advertising market world-wide, and is expected to maintain that lead in 2021 and beyond, according to eMarketer. YouTube is a big reason why, as it is expected to haul in $9.33 billion in 2020 and $11.4 billion in 2021, according to eMarketer. In February, Alphabet disclosed it brought in $15.1 billion in ads through YouTube in 2019, and $8.9 billion via Google Cloud.

If there is one company that will initially be hit hardest by ad cutbacks, its Google. Up to 40% of its revenue comes from categories hard hit by COVID-19: in-person retail, restaurants, travel, automotive and small businesses. But it is also likely to be the first to rebound because of its market leadership.

Business in the age of COVID-19: Read profiles of how other large companies will be affected by the coronavirus

Google has been here before, when it wasnt named Alphabet. During the recession sparked by the subprime-loan crisis a decade ago, sales remained at single-digit growth for five quarters in a row. Googles revenue estimates declined at least 15% in 2009 and 2010, with a marginally greater earnings hit, according to analysis by MKM Partners.

Then again, Google had the field all to itself more than a decade ago, before Facebook Inc. FB, -2.55%, Snap Inc. SNAP, -1.71%, and Twitter Inc. TWTR, -3.74% emerged as online ad rivals.

Back then, I was told at the time the recovery is quicker than you think it is when you get there, and the strongest companies recover quicker than the weaker ones, former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said in a Zoom ZM, +6.63% conference with business executives, investors and media on April 7.

Analysts seem to agree, painting a picture of short-term pain but a quick recovery for Google.

We are modeling a [year-over-year] decline in Google revenues in Q2 followed by a continued acceleration in revenues [in the second half], MKM Partners analyst Rohit Kulkarni said in an April 3 note. However, we do not expect Google to return to double-digit revenue growth until Q1 21.

To put this delicately, use the opportunity of the crisis to reconfigure and ensure the decisions you make now make you stronger when this lifts a year or maybe less, Schmidt said.

In 2008, for example, Google repriced stock options to employees to stabilize its workforce and retain talent.

It was the right decision at the time, Schmidt said.

Since the last recession, Google has also acted to diversify its business beyond search ads, with YouTube and Cloud accounting for more than 40% of incremental growth, MKM Partners reported.

Alphabet reports fiscal first-quarter results April 22.

Revenue: Average analyst expectations for the first quarter were $43.17 billion at the end of 2019, but have declined to $42.08 billion as of April 6. Estimates for Google websites, which account for most of Alphabets revenue, have declined from $30.32 billion to $29.73 billion in that time period, according to FactSet. For the full year, analysts expect revenue of $181.9 billion.

Earnings: Average analyst expectations from FactSet were $12.31 per share at the end of 2019. As of April 6, they were $11.24 per share. For the full year, analysts expect earnings of $48.90 as share.

Stock movement: During the first three months of 2020, Class A shares declined 13%. Google crested at $1,519.44 on Feb. 18, and closed at $1,183.19 on April 6.

Not much. Notoriously tight-lipped Alphabet executives havent said anything of note either in SEC filings, news releases or blog posts about the economic impact of coronavirus. What they have shared is mostly about a surge in traffic coursing over its network, prompting it to boost capacity to handle demands on its network and data centers.

April 3: Our priority now is how to meet the surge in demand, John Jester, vice president of customer experience at Google Cloud, told MarketWatch in a phone interview.

In a blog post on March 31, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said traffic on its premium videoconferencing property Meet has grown 60% day-over-day and is topping 2 billion minutes a day 25 times the traffic of a typical day.

Feb. 4: Until the last two quarters, Google was conspicuously silent about breaking out revenue figures by product division. During its fiscal fourth-quarter, it said YouTube was at $15 billion in annual ad revenue, and Cloud is on a $10 billion revenue run rate.

See also: YouTube, Google Cloud revenues finally revealed

Online advertising is half of global advertising, and Google has roughly 40% market share of online advertising. The math points toward an inevitable short-term disadvantage to Google, but a speedy recovery because of its clout, according to MKM Partners. We expect Google advertising revenues to decelerate from high teens (18% to 20%) during 2019 to 4% in 1Q:20, -1% in 2Q:20, and approx. +4% in 4Q20. We are raising our Google Cloud revenue assumptions as we expect continued acceleration in cloud, driven by sales force expansion and healthier end markets. MKM Partners analyst Rohit Kulkarni, maintained his buy rating while trimming Alphabets price target to $1,400 from $1,600 on April 3.

We expect Google to have a greater near-term disadvantage but also have a faster recovery as pandemic effects reduce... We believe Alphabet will be more resilient vs. Facebook in weathering the advertising decline due to its lower exposure to the [small business] advertiser base. As a result of these top-line changes, our 2020 GAAP EPS estimate is now $40.56 (vs. prior estimate of $53.47) and our 2021 GAAP EPS is now $54.30 (vs. prior estimate of $66. Citi analyst Jason Bazinet, maintained a buy rating while trimming Alphabets price target to $1,400 from $1,700 on April 1.

The rest is here:

Alphabet in the age of COVID-19: Google braved one recession, and now its more diversified - MarketWatch

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Google has published the first in what will be a series of blog posts dedicated to SEO case studies.

The aim of this series is to share success stories that demonstrate the value of SEO.

Google says the intended audience for these case studies are people who may need some extra convincing that SEO is a good investment.

We want people to hear about these success stories, so were starting a new blog post series that features case studies.

They may, for example, help with convincing a boss boss that investing in SEO or implementing structured data can be good for the business.

Googles inaugural blog post in this series focuses on the basics of investing in SEO and how it has been utilized to help a company.

The first case study in this series was shared by none other than Googles Gary Illyes.

Illyes spoke to an SEO manager named Moon Tae Sung following a presentation at a Google Webmaster Conference in Seoul.

Tae Sung manages SEO for Saramin, which is one of the largest job platforms in Korea.

Saramin offers services such as:

People go to Saramins site to look for jobs, submit applications, and access information related to job searches.

Saramins SEO efforts date back to 2015 using nothing but Google Search Console.

An entire year was dedicated to finding and fixing crawling errors identified by Search Console.

This alone lead to a 15% increase in organic search traffic.

Satisfied with their early success, Saramin decided to invest more into SEO.

The next step in the process was studying the Google Search developers guide and help center articles.

Illyes acknowledges that SEO is a process that may take time to bear fruit.

To that end, Saramin focused on implementing gradual changes such as:

This process of making these changes also involved the use of additional Google tools.

Saramin relied on the Structured Data Testing Tool, Mobile Friendly Test, AMP Test, and PageSpeed Insights.

Eventually, the errors in Search Consoles Index Coverage report turned from red to green.

Even more than, Saramin saw an accelerated increase in organic traffic.

The incremental changes reached a tipping point and the traffic continued to rise at a more remarkable speed.

In the peak hiring season of September 2019, traffic doubled compared to the previous year.

Along with the increase in organic traffic, the quality of traffic also went up.

Saramin achieved a 93% increase in the number of new sign ups and a 9% increase in conversions.

The work doesnt end there, however, as Saramins SEO manager says this is only the beginning of our story.

If you have an interesting case study you want to share, and potentially get featured in an upcoming blog post, Google is accepting submissions.

You can contribute a case study by signing up for a Google Webmaster Conference near you and submitting a talk proposal.

Source: Google Webmaster Central Blog

Read more here:

Google Launches a Series of Blog Posts Highlighting the Value of SEO - Search Engine Journal