Page 43 - Informatics, July 2022

International eGov Update

Australian Researchers Develop New Cyber Honeypot Tech

A suite of cutting-edge cyber honeypot technology has been developed
by Australian students, researchers and industry professionals. The
DecaaS (Deception as a Service) Project uses machine learning (ML)
models to create highly realistic albeit fake versions of digital assets that are
attractive to hackers.
The team remarked that the approach of using honey pots was devel-
oped to rapidly detect if people have broken into a system about the intent,
equipment and processes that adversaries are using.
The project’s lead researcher, Dr. Kristen Moore of Australia’s national
science agency, CSIRO, explained that the DecaaS project team has creat-
ed models to generate fake content and traffic, including code repositories,
email servers, Wi-Fi traffic and Wiki corpora, to create a convincing cyber
honeypot. Furthermore, officials at the Cyber Security Cooperative Research
Center noted that these are real-world threats with potentially devastating
consequences.
The DecaaS project commenced in November 2019 alongside CSIRO’s As cyber threats increase in volume and sophistication, AI and machine
industry partner. The project is supported by Cyber-Security CRC and aims to learning offer an opportunity to assist overwhelmed human defenders and
apply cutting-edge machine learning and artificial intelligence to generate speed up decision-making and response. This is in addition to delivering
realistic computer systems and assets to deceive intruders who make their more agile defences in a way that was not previously possible.
way into a system.
Source- https://opengovasia.com/

US Unveils Website to Help Combat Extreme Heat Conditions

L ately as many parts of the US and Europe have experienced a heat icans, those who are pregnant, outdoor workers, and those who are experi-
wave resulting in dangerously high temperatures, the US administra-
encing homelessness.
tion launched a web application to help the public and government
During a media briefing unveiling the site on Tuesday, NOAA Adminis-
officials better respond to and understand the impacts of extreme heat. trator Rick Spinrad said that the platform features heat information from a
The web application, known as heat.gov, is designed to serve as an inter- wide range of federal agencies—including interactive maps, forecasts, tips
agency hub for the distribution of federal resources, data and tools related and other resources—to help officials and Americans navigate heat waves.
to extreme heat. Heat.gov was launched by the National Integrated Heat He further added, “It truly is an all-of-government approach, which includes
Health Information System (NIHHIS), a collaboration of federal agencies that heat forecasts from our weather service at NOAA and information about our
includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), the Nation- Urban Heat Island Mapping Campaign that focuses on the most vulnerable
al Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental populations.”
Protection Agency (EPA), among others. The website evolved out of the work of the Interagency Working Group
Extreme heat, which is responsible for thousands of hospital visits a year on Extreme Heat, an initiative created to combat the effects of extreme heat
and is the leading cause of weather-related deaths, is expected to grow in on the US.
severity over the coming years as a result of global warming.
In addition to worsening drought conditions and harming the agricul-
tural industry, high temperatures also disproportionately harm older Amer- Source- https://www.nextgov.com/

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