Des Moines Area Community College on-line classes will resume today after a two-week hiatus caused by a ransomware attack. DMACC canceled online classes on June 3 and wound up closing the entire campus on June 4 due to the security breach. In-person classes resumed June 9. Governor Kim Reynolds … [Read more...]
Solar field projected to supply 30% of energy for Grinnell College
Construction will begin later this month on a seven-million dollar solar installation that will provide power for Grinnell College. Rob Hach is CEO of Storm Lake-based Trusted Energy, the firm that's installing more than 10,000 solar panels in a 30-acre field. "The project is located to the … [Read more...]
Delivery robots to become legal for use in Iowa
Iowa is joining a growing number of states making it legal to use robots for deliveries in areas where foot traffic is allowed, like sidewalks and crosswalks. They're called PDDs -- personal delivery devices and under the new law, the maximum speed for a delivery robot is no more than six miles … [Read more...]
ISU expert: hackers continually changing to find an opening
An Iowa State University expert on cybersecurity says the hacker attack on the southern gas pipeline could have been a lot worse. Professor Doug Jacobson says the attack could have done more than create gas lines. "The good news with this pipeline is they didn't get control of the pipeline. If … [Read more...]
Hero or traitor? ISU picks Edward Snowden to lead live lecture on privacy
One of the most controversial figures in the past decade involving international espionage and the leaking of government secrets will be speak live from Russia in an Iowa State University lecture this week. Edward Snowden, a former CIA officer and National Security Agency consultant, will address … [Read more...]
Pocket your smartphone to protect it from the Iowa winter’s chill
With the pandemic, many Iowans are spending more time outside to get exercise, even during the winter, and some may be noticing the cold can quickly sap the power from their cell phones. Most phones use lithium-ion batteries which contain a liquid. Dee Taylor, the west Iowa sales director for … [Read more...]
It takes a little more time, but two-factor authentication is much safer
Iowans who worry about their online security are likely familiar with what's known as "two-factor authentication." Information technology security expert Jesse La Grew explains that in many cases, to log onto one account, you'll have to enter a six-digit number that's texted to your cell … [Read more...]
Cedar Falls native could be next man to put boot prints on the Moon
The next man to walk on the Moon could be an Iowan. Only a dozen men have done so, the last one in 1972, but Cedar Falls native Raja Chari is among the 18 astronauts named to the new Artemis team which is setting its sights on our dusty, desolate neighbor some 239,000 miles away. “The Artemis … [Read more...]
Iowans can stay safer by using pass phrases, not passwords
A computer security expert suggests Iowans abandon using passwords in favor of pass phrases. Jesse La Grew says the old way of creating short, cryptic passwords that you change frequently is no longer practical for most of us. "If we have to change our passwords every 30 days, what are we likely … [Read more...]
Deere to add 5G tech at factories in four Iowa counties
Iowa's largest manufacturing employer is integrating fifth-generation technology -- or 5G -- broadband cellular networks into many of its facilities. Quad Cities-based John Deere won an auction from the Federal Communications Commission last week to implement 5G in its production lines. Craig … [Read more...]