Hackers with IS connections take control of French TV network
Hackers have successfully launched an attack on a French TV network which experts say is a new level of sophistication. The group, which says it is allied to terrorist organisation Islamic State, managed to take 11 TV channels off the air at TV5 Monde and also took control of its social media accounts and websites. The attack happened on Wednesday night and on Thursday the network was still restricted to broadcasting recorded programmes as live capabilities were compromised. Officials in France have launched a terrorism investigation over the incident. Rob Pritchard, a cybersecurity expert, says that the hackers may have targeted hundreds of TV networks before getting lucky with TV5 Monde. Investigators will look at whether there was a single weakness in the network’s systems or something more widespread.
Bosses may be a major cause of low productivity
A report by Gallup found that more than half of US employees changed jobs to get away from their boss. The poll of more than 7,000 workers also found that bosses aren’t always that pleased to be there either with 51 per cent revealing that they don’t feel engaged in their work. For 14 per cent of bosses it goes even further – they actually ‘tune out’ at work! Gallup’s Jim Harter, who has the interesting job title of ‘chief scientist of workplace management and well-being’, says that a boss that’s not fully engaged in their work leads to an unhappy workplace and low productivity. He also said that, given the amount of time we spend at work, being unhappy there can result in health issues. Harter suggests that organizations should be mindful of who gets promoted and choosing those who have a natural ability to engage others.
Smartwatch risk for company drivers
As Apple’s new smartwatch goes on sale this week a vehicle safety firm has called for an immediate ban on using the devices while driving. SmartWitness says that drivers wearing the internet-connected devices could be easily distracted. There has already been research into the issue which found that using a smartwatch increases reaction times threefold. The Transport Research Laboratory in the UK found that for a driver to react to an emergency situation while reading a message on a smartwatch would take an average of 2.52 seconds; using a handheld cellphone it would be 1.85 seconds; while talking to a passenger there would be a 0.9 second delay in reacting. Mark Berry of SmartWitness told Business Car Manager that at 50mph it would add 36.6 feet to the stopping distance for a vehicle.
