Episode #287: Edwin Kwan: Mandatory Data Breach Notification Coming to Queensland; Ian Garrett: Deepfakes: A Growing Concern for 2024 Election Security; Katy Craig: A Prickly CACTUS: Ransomware to Encrypt and Exfiltrate Data; Mark Miller: This Day in Tech History

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The stories we’re covering today.

Mark Miller: December 5th, 1965. The first PhD dissertation in computer science is presented. Richard L Wexelblat was the first candidate in a computer science program to complete a dissertation. Wexelblat's diploma presented by the University of Pennsylvania, the home of ENIAC, was the first one to carry the designation, "Computer Science".

Ian Garrett: Enhancements to AI platforms have been incredible for the content generation market, as it is easier than ever to create realistic content with a fraction of the time it would have before. But, for every good use of a tool, there always is a malicious use as well.

Edwin Kwan: In a significant move, Queensland's parliament has approved a mandatory data breach notification scheme. The scheme is set to impact state agencies from mid 2025 and local governments from mid 2026.

Katy Craig: A new ransomware group named CACTUS recently surfaced, ranking in the top 10 for most monthly victims.  CACTUS represents a sophisticated and multi-faceted cybersecurity threat to large commercial organizations.