Look beyond RPA hype

Posted by & filed under Automation, Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

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Despite talk that RPA is over hyped, Sarah Burnett, a guru on automation technologies, says that it can cut process costs by 30%, but there is another benefit, not so obvious, and it lies with creating data we can trust.

Source: Information Age

Date: March 27th, 2019

Link: https://www.information-age.com/look-beyond-rpa-hype-123481025/

Discussion

1) What is Robotic Process Automation?

2) How is Robotic Process Automation going to impact Accounting, Finance, Marketing, HR, Operations?

Phishing Attacks and Spear Phishing: What They are, Why They are Effective, and How to Prevent Them

Posted by & filed under Cybersecurity.

Phishing attacks have been a way for malicious actors to compromise organizations at alarming rates over the years. In fact, a recent survey found that 83% of respondents experienced a phishing attack in 2018, and that a successful attack costs a mid-size enterprise organization $1.6 million. Unfortunately, most industry experts agree that phishing will also be one of the top attack vectors for 2019, so it’s important to have a phishing prevention plan in place. Source: LMG Security Date: March 27th, 2019 Link: https://lmgsecurity.com/phishing-attacks-and-spear-phishing-what-they-are-why-they-are-effective-and-how-to-prevent-them/ Discussion 1) Why are phising attacks so successful? 2) How could you use the information in this article to form a company?

The Imminent Evolution of ‘Augmentation’ in Accounting and Finance

Posted by & filed under Automation, Careers, Future of Work.

Late last month, I was the keynote speaker at the Tax Executive Institute in San Mateo, CA. This was a gathering of global tax leaders from accounting firms and public companies coming together to discuss the impact of technology in tax and accounting professions. I asked several folks a simple question — how much of your time is spent gathering data compared to acting on it? The surprising response from many attendees was over half of their time — and these are expensive senior leaders! Imagine if instead that time could be spent on strategic initiatives and investing in people. Source: Medium Date: March 27th, 2019 Link: https://medium.com/@Ignition_Partners/the-imminent-evolution-of-augmentation-in-accounting-and-finance-df1eae71ca4 Discussion 1) ” while Artificial Intelligence (AI) is predicted to eliminate 1.8 million jobs by 2020, it’s also predicted that AI will create 2.3 million jobs in the same time period (Gartner) ” What sorts of jobs get eliminated? 2) “while Artificial Intelligence (AI) is predicted to eliminate 1.8 million jobs by 2020, it’s also predicted that AI will create 2.3 million jobs in the same time period (Gartner) .” What sorts of jobs get added, and what are you doing to make sure you are capable of performing those jobs?

Today’s Google Doodle uses AI to let you write music in the style of Bach

Posted by & filed under Careers, Emerging Technologies, Google.

Ever wanted to write music like Johann Sebastian Bach?

In honour of the composer’s 334th birthday, today’s Google Doodle uses artificial intelligence to turn a simple melody into a four-part chorale arrangement.

The machine-learning model that powers the Doodle, Coconet, was developed by Anna Huang. She’s an AI resident at Google and worked on the project while she was a visiting student at the Montreal Institute of Learning Algorithms.

Source: CBC News

Date: March 22nd, 2019

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/google-doodle-artificial-intelligence-bach-birthday-chorale-1.5066359

Discussion

1) How can Google provide AI technology free for somewhat inconsequential tasks like this?

2) How could you build a business around this free technology from Google?

How microwave-sized satellites can pinpoint oilsands emissions

Posted by & filed under business models, Careers, Emerging Technologies.

For years, space agencies around the world have used satellites to track greenhouse gas emissions from individual countries, but now a Canadian startup is able to focus more precisely on facilities such as power plants, refineries and landfills.

The oilsands industry in northern Alberta is already using the technology as the sector tries to gather better information about emissions.

Montreal-based GHGSat will launch its second satellite into space this summer to improve the it data collects and give companies an even better picture of the emissions from their facilities.

Source: CBC News

Date: March 22nd, 2019

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ghgsat-oilsands-oilpatch-ceraweek-1.5061390

Discussion

1) What other sorts of businesses could you start with this type of technology?

2) What are risks of running a business like this?

Hated and Hunted: The perilous life of a computer virus cracker

Posted by & filed under ransomware.

For the senior manager of a large corporation in Hong Kong, it was instant cold sweat. He had heard about this type of computer virus and how dangerous it could be. But he never thought that he would be tricked into clicking on a wrong link. Now, as he read the ransom note, he panicked. This could cost him his job. Ransomware is a particularly nasty type of computer virus. Instead of stealing data or money from victims, the virus takes control of computers and scrambles every single document, picture, video and email. Then the ransom demand is issued. Sometimes it’s written inside a note left on a desktop, sometimes it just pops up on a screen without warning. Source: BBC Capital Date: March 21st, 2019 Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/hated_and_hunted_the_computer_virus_malware_ransomware_cracker Discussion
  1. How can you protect yourself against ransomware
  2. How could you help a company protect its employees from ransomware?

Beefing up security

Posted by & filed under Cybersecurity.

MANY OF US have little more than a weak, reused password standing between our financial assets and a remote attacker—one armed with powerful tools and a database of passwords from security breaches. This is a losing battle. It’s the most likely way for weak computer security to put our finances at risk. Think this can’t happen to you? I’ll bet you have at least one password taken in a big security breach. A quick way to find out is entering your email address at Troy Hunt’s HaveIBeenPwned site. Source: HumbleDollar Date: March 22nd, 2019 Link: https://humbledollar.com/2019/03/beefing-up-security/ Discussion
  1. Why is that even though the steps to create more personal online security are well-defined and reasonably simple, most people won’t follow them?
  2. How would you help the company you work for implement these suggestions to improve online security?

Health Canada starts releasing protected drug and medical device data

Posted by & filed under Ethical Issues, ethics, health, Privacy.

Nonie Wideman said a plastic mesh she had surgically implanted to support her bladder gave her debilitating health problems. Health Canada rejected her multiple requests to see the clinical evidence the department used to approve the mesh for use in Canada. (Craig Chivers/CBC)

Source: CBC News

Date: March 15th, 2019

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/health-canada-drug-device-database-1.5054838

Discussion

1) “Canadians want greater access to credible information that will enable them to make well-informed decisions about their health and that of their families.”  How will the release of this medical data do this?

2) What are the privacy concerns around releasing this sort of information to the public?

Another costly federal IT glitch gets resolved — 10 years later

Posted by & filed under IT Infrastructure.

A computer glitch dating back to 2009 has been fixed at last, allowing the federal government to resume chasing down thousands of Canadians who owe the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) about $66 million due to erroneous overpayments.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) reinstated the collection of these old debts last November, going after 15,000 individuals or their estates after almost a decade of inaction.

Source: CBC News

Date: March 15th, 2019

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cpp-oas-debt-collection-cra-esdc-duclos-it-glitch-1.5047349

Discussion

1) “After 2009, the CRA was unable to collect anything — and could no longer accurately calculate the amounts owed — because the department had migrated its CPP system to a new IT platform.”  Why is it completely unacceptable to blame the issue on a “new IT platform”?

2) How would standard development procedures for new systems have avoided this issue?

Feeding Algorithms is a Full Time Job

Posted by & filed under Emerging Technologies, YouTube.

(Credit: Konstantin Ermakov)
Most mornings after Grace Lee wakes up, she spends two hours thinking up ideas for her YouTube channel, What’s So Great About That?, a series focused around popular films and TV programmes. Lee, a 24-year-old from Peterborough, England, researches ideas, then writes scripts that help explain the concepts to her 29,000 viewers. After that, she moves onto her work for another channel, The Financial Diet, a financial advice organisation with 630,000 subscribers. There, she researches and edits a series of animated explainer and life-hack videos. “I’ve been on YouTube since the year it started, but I didn’t know about professional help for YouTubers until I was in my second year at university,” Lee explains. “I still forget, with the people I watch, that they have a team – even though I’m part of a team.” Source: BBC Capital Date: March 15th, 2019 Link:http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190307-the-hidden-armies-that-power-the-internets-new-stars Discussion
  1. The internet and sites like YouTube were supposed to bring about the “democratization of technology”. What does this mean?
  2. It seems that there is a natural force that means that leads to large, powerful players dominating. Why is this?