Sometimes the best way to fight fire is with fire. That's the idea between bug bounty programs using hackers to identify vulnerabilities in the cybersecurity systems of organizations. David Baker, Chief Security Officer at Bugcrowd, a bug bounty management company, explains how his company is exterminating cybersecurity threats.
Baker says the key to cybersecurity is transparency and adds that bug bounties are a way of fostering a relationship between hackers and companies. Uber's massive hack that impacted over 57 million people wasn't due to the absence of a bug bounty program because the ride-hailing company has a robust system in place, according to Baker. He says that from an ethical perspective, Uber's handling of the hack was bad and "they broke the law."
Bugcrowd is working to boost transparency in the cybersecurity space. To do so, it is launching a new tool, called Traffic Control, to give companies more insight and control of their bug bounty programs. The tool allows organizations to uncover additional return on investment from crowdsourced security testing with enhanced visibility into researcher activity, says Bugcrowd.
A Senate bill unveiled on Wednesday looks to tackleonline safety for children by regulating Big Tech and social media platforms to deter users from content that can harm their mental health. Irene Ly, a policy counsel for the age-based ratings and review organization Common Sense Media, joined Cheddar News to break down the potential of the Kids Online Safety Act. "We can't be imposing such a big burden on parents to be doing it all on theirselves," Ly said. "I think you also have to keep in mind that parents often didn't grow up with social media, so they don't understand what it's like to be addicted to social media or really understand how they work."
While many still remain skeptical about the metaverse, big tech firms and even one big bank are ready to expand their virtual worlds. Facebook parent company has pivoted so hard it will now call its employees 'Metamates,' and even JPMorgan Chase has created its own digital lounge on one virtual platform. While the sector remains young, there seems to be significant investment opportunity, especially with companies like Nvidia. Adam Johnson, a portfolio strategist at Adviser Investments, joins Closing Bell to discuss which companies could win in this space, consumer appetite, and more.
Marc Blinder, Co-Founder and CEO of Aikon, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses how his company is helping businesses use blockchain applications without needing to learn the intricacies of the new technology.
Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a new bill to afford greater protection to minors on social media. The genesis of the Kids Online Safety Act came from a Facebook whistleblower case exposing the harm apps can have on the mental health of young girls.
Ride share competitors Uber and Lyft both posted their fourth quarter earnings days apart from each other. Both companies have been trying to get back on their feet after taking some pandemic-related hits, but the Omicron variant had other ideas as the year came to a close, with each company taking a hit in ridership in December. Lance Ippolito, head trader at The Future of Wealth explains how Uber and Lyft measured up this earnings period and why Uber may still have an edge over the competition.
