NEWS
Biden-Harris Administration awards US $ 5.5 Million to Rhode Island in ‘ Internet for All ’ initiative
Rhode Island is receiving US $ 5,506,100 in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law , signed by President Biden , to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable , equitable and reliable high-speed Internet throughout the state .
“ The funding for Rhode Island is the first step to ensuring affordable high-speed Internet is available to every resident ,” said Gina Raimondo , Secretary of Commerce .
“ This money will allow the state to conduct the important planning and digital equity work vital to making this program a success . I thank Governor McKee , Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline for their commitment to connecting Rhode Island and bridging the digital divide .”
The Department of Commerce ’ s National Telecommunications and Information Administration ( NTIA ) has announced that Rhode Island received its first ‘ Internet for All ’ grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration ’ s Internet for All initiative .
Dan McKee , Rhode Island Governor , added : “ During the pandemic , households had increased reliance on broadband connections as access became essential for employment , education and daily activities . We thank the Biden Administration for this funding as it will help us in our mission to tackle barriers to connectivity , ensuring Rhode Islanders have better access to reliable and affordable highspeed Internet and the valuable resources and information it provides .”
Biometric authentication could be an achilles heel for Metaverse security
Trend Micro , a global cybersecurity leader , has released a new report , Leaked Today , Exploited for Life : How Social Media Biometric Patterns
Affect , warning that exposed biometric data creates a serious authentication risk across a wide range of digital scenarios , including the Metaverse .
William Malik , Vice President of Infrastructure Strategies at Trend Micro , said : “ The use of biometrics is championed by some as a more secure , easier-to-use alternative for passwords . However , unlike passwords , our features can ’ t be easily changed . So , a compromise could have a long-lasting impact on users . Hijacking a user ’ s Metaverse profile in the future could be similar to gaining complete access to their PC .”
As outlined in the report , threat actors in the future may be able to use stolen or leaked biometric data to trick connected devices , such as VR / AR headsets , into logging them in as someone else . That could open the door to data theft , fraud and extortion . Trend Micro ’ s report is intended to generate more dialogue in the IT and security community about how to head off such potential risks . It warns that huge volumes of biometric details , including face , voice , iris , palm and fingerprint patterns , are already being exposed online in high enough quality to trick authentication systems .
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