AM Prep-Cyber Corner

IN THE NEWS: FACEBOOK AND TWITTER USED BY RUSSIAN PROPAGANDISTS TO SWAY ELECTION

UNDATED (AP) — While many people use their Facebook and Twitter “feeds” to keep up with the world, we learned over the weekend that some of those same people may have been played by propaganda pushers from Russia. U.S. Special Counsel Robert Muller says that 13 Russians, including a businessman close to president Vladimir Putin have been charged in a plot to meddle in the 2016 presidential election. The indictment says the Russian conspiracy used social media propaganda aimed at helping Donald Trump — and hurting the Election Day prospects of Hillary Clinton. The alleged scheme was run by the Internet Research Agency, a troll farm based in St. Petersburg, Russia. It used bogus social media postings and ads fraudulently purchased in the name of Americans to try to influence the White House race.

IN THE NEWS: FACEBOOK – POST OFFICE

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — So, how will Facebook try to prevent future foreign meddling in U.S. elections? For the social network site, the answer is to rely on something that many of us have long eschewed: snail mail. How’s that going to work? Facebook says it will start sending postcards to would-be buyers of political ads — to make sure that the people placing them actually live in the United States. The postcard will contain a code — and enter it in Facebook to continue buying the ad. The arrangement is in place to apply to ads that name candidate in the upcoming midterm elections in November. The plan was unveiled a day after special counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russians with interfering in the presidential election. Mueller’s indictment described how Russian agents stole social security numbers and other information from real Americans and used them to create bank and PayPal accounts to buy online ads.

ON THE WEB: DNA SAMPLING BEING USED TO SEARCH FOR MISSING

CYBERSPACE (AP) — For those who have searched for years for missing loved ones, it’s a high-tech way to try to find the answers they’ve been yearning for. The medical examiner in New York City is leading a nationwide effort to collect genetic material — and try to match it with unidentified human remains. The New York M.E.’s office ramped up the use of DNA identification in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, as tens of thousands of small traces of human remains were found in the rubble of the World Trade Center. DNA can be obtained from items like strands of hair, or something like a toothbrush, comb or razor blade.

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Online:

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner: <a target=”&mdash;blank” href=”http://nyc.gov/ocme”>http://nyc.gov/ocme</a>

by Oscar Wells Gabriel II

Follow Oscar Wells Gabriel II on Twitter at <a target=”&mdash;blank” href=”https://twitter.com/OWGabriel2″>https://twitter.com/OWGabriel2</a>

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