1. Monthly archive
  2. March 2017

March 2017

Ad trust rises as news trust sinks

A new survey finds that 61 percent of people trust the advertising they see, an 11 percent jump from March 2014, according to eMarketer. In addition, 72 percent of respondents also said the ads are "honest," a 16 percent increase over the past two years.

Other studies have indicated that ad trustworthiness depends on the medium. Some studies show people are less likely to trust digital ads vs. traditional print or television ads. Why it matters: The most recent Gallup poll on trust in media shows that 68 percent of Americans don't trust the news - the lowest rate ever measured. The shift shows that as people trust established media brands less, they are turning towards unconventional sources of information, like social platforms. It also makes sense that digital ads are less likely to be trusted, because most are sold in an automated way that over 1/3 of consumers find invasive.

Keeping America Safe: Toward More Secure Networks for Critical Sectors

The digital systems that control critical infrastructure in the US and most other countries are easily penetrated and architecturally weak, and we have known it for a long time. This report proposes a policy and research agenda that has the potential to achieve significantly higher levels of security in critical networks over a five-to ten-year period. But the nation must begin now. our goal is action, both immediate and long-term.

DHS Needs to Continue to Advance Initiatives to Protect Federal Systems

Cyber-based intrusions and attacks on federal systems are evolving and becoming more sophisticated. The Government Accountability Office first designated information security as a government-wide high-risk area in 1997. This was expanded to include the protection of cyber critical infrastructure in 2003 and protecting the privacy of personally identifiable information in 2015. The Department of Homeland Security plays a key role in strengthening the cybersecurity posture of the federal government. Among other things, DHS has initiatives for (1) detecting and preventing malicious cyber intrusions into agencies' networks and (2) deploying technology to assist agencies to continuously diagnose and mitigate cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

This statement provides an overview of GAO's work related to DHS's efforts to improve the cybersecurity posture of the federal government. In preparing this statement, GAO relied on previously published work, as well as information provided by DHS on its actions in response to GAO's previous recommendations. In a January 2016 report, GAO made nine recommendations related to expanding NCPS's capability to detect cyber intrusions; notifying customers of potential incidents; providing analytic services; and sharing cyber-related information, among other things. DHS concurred with the recommendations and is taking actions to implement them.

In West Virginia, a state financial crisis poses the greatest threat to public media

While public radio stations across the country fret over the threat of federal-level funding cuts, West Virginia Public Broadcasting has its mind on other matters. A state-level proposal to zero out half of its $10 million budget had the network on the defensive this month. In West Virginia, which national media often portray as Trump Country Ground Zero due to its high proportion of Trump voters, you might expect that the rift is ideological. But the $4.6 million cut was proposed by Gov Jim Justice (D-WV) —a billionaire coal operator who coincidentally owes $4.4 million in back taxes to the state—and some Republicans in the legislature have been quick to come to the network’s defense. Instead of partisan rancor, the debate over public broadcasting here comes back to the state’s underlying financial crisis.

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