Toronto Electricians and Electrical Contractors

Human Rights Watch Reverse-Engineers Mass Surveillance App used by Police in Xinjiang For years, Xinjiang has been a testbed for the Chinese government’s novel digital and physical surveillance tactics, as well as human rights abuses. But there is still a lot that the international human rights community doesn’t know, especially when it comes to post-2016 Xinjiang. Last Wednesday, Human Rights Watch released a report detailing the inner workings of a mass surveillance app used by police and other officials. The application is used by offiicals to communicate with the larger Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP) , the umbrella system for collecting mass surveillance data in Xinjiang. This report uncovers what a modern surveillance state looks like, and can inform our work to end them. First, the report demonstrates IJOP’s system of pervasive surveillance targets just about anyone who deviates from an algorithmically-determined norm. Second, as a result, IJOP requires a ma...

San Francisco: Stop Secret Spy Tech, and Face Surveillance Government use of many surveillance technologies, and especially face surveillance, can invade privacy and chill free speech. It also disproportionately harms already marginalized communities: it increases the likelihood that they will be entangled with police, ICE, and other agencies with a history of abuse, bias, and unlawful violence. San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors will soon have an opportunity to join several Bay Area communities — and cities across the country — in requiring Board control of whether city departments may acquire new surveillance technologies. Most importantly, the proposal would ensure robust community input, and the opportunity to advocate against new spy tech before its adoption. Take Action SUPPORT THE STOP SECRET SURVEILLANCE ORDINANCE The proposed ordinance would also prohibit government agencies in San Francisco from using an especially pernicious form of spy tech: face surve...

EFF to Tenth Circuit: First Amendment Protects Right to Record Police The First Amendment protects the public’s right to use electronic devices to record on-duty police officers, EFF argued in an amicus brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. The case, Frasier v. Evans , was brought by Levi Frasier against five Denver police officers for interfering with his First Amendment right to record them while arresting another man. EFF’s amicus  brief argues that people frequently use modern electronic devices to record and share photos and videos, especially on social media. These often include newsworthy recordings of fatal police shootings and other police misconduct. Such recordings facilitate police accountability and enhance the public discussion about police use of force and racial disparities in our criminal justice system. The facts of this case demonstrate why protecting the right to record police officers is essential to local journalism and civilia...

Cybersecurity in smart buildings There is no question, smart buildings are becoming more commonplace in today’s real estate portfolios, and cybersecurity is a critical consideration.  In an in-depth, 2 part blog post earlier this year called Buildings Re-invented , Schneider EVP and blog author Laurent Bataille highlighted many of the  current Smart Buildings megatrends and illustrated the benefits of turning “buildings data chaos into meaningful insights.” There is little question that smarter buildings that leverage Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and Cloud-based analytics can lead to an excellent return-on-investment and are undoubtedly the way of the future, but inherent in this opportunity are risks.  Top among these risks are the cybersecurity vulnerabilities that can be inadvertently introduced when the new technologies are deployed without due consideration of how to protect those technologies and smarter systems from hackers and malware. Cybersecurity an...

Ten years ago, the iPad didn’t exist, we connected via a 3G network , and Gartner put cloud in its hype cycle . Clearly, much has changed including data center technology. But as assets age, it’s hard to know where to prioritize your data center modernization efforts to get the most bang for your buck. I explored this topic during a webinar hosted by IDG, Optimizing Data Center Revenue, Cost & Risk. If you are building a new data center, you should be deploying a cost and risk optimized solution. However, if you have an aging data center, you are likely not operating at the same efficiency and risk profile as a new data center being deployed today. This places you at a competitive disadvantage. The big question you should be asking is – how should I modernize my data center to improve costs and reduce risk? Essentially, there are three areas of focus for data center modernization : equipment (electrical and mechanical infrastructure), systems (EPMS, BMS, DCIM) and operations (op...