tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/network-21747/articlesnetwork – The Conversation2018-09-12T18:46:02Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1030412018-09-12T18:46:02Z2018-09-12T18:46:02ZHow Les Moonves got to leave CBS on his own terms while others in #MeToo miscreant club got canned<p>On Sept. 9, CBS Chairman Les Moonves resigned, following <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/08/06/les-moonves-and-cbs-face-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct">accusations by 12</a> <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/as-leslie-moonves-negotiates-his-exit-from-cbs-women-raise-new-assault-and-harassment-claims">women</a> of harassment and assault.</p>
<p>His departure, however, has not followed the script of other executives publicly shamed over harassment allegations and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/10/us/men-accused-sexual-misconduct-weinstein.html">thrown out onto the curb</a>. </p>
<p>Unlike television hosts <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/business/media/nbc-matt-lauer.html">Matt Lauer</a> or <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/business/media/charlie-rose-fired-cbs.html">Charlie Rose</a>, he kept his job for several weeks after The New Yorker published the first of two articles on his alleged transgressions, which contained accounts from six accusers. Lauer and Rose were fired within days.</p>
<p>Moonves was also able to negotiate an <a href="http://investors.cbscorporation.com/node/27191/html">exit package</a> with a number of face-saving provisions, including the opportunity to resign, a temporary non-disparagement clause, and confidentiality of the results of the CBS internal investigation currently underway. </p>
<p>He also retains the theoretical, if unlikely, possibility of receiving a portion of his more than US$180 million severance package, pending the outcome of that investigation.</p>
<p>Why was Moonves allowed to stick around and leave on his own terms, when so many others were unceremoniously dumped? CBS – which could have easily stuck to the script – isn’t saying. </p>
<p>But I have a different theory, based on the timing of the deal and the contracts involved, where Moonves was used as a shield in an unrelated power play. If true, it reveals how #MeToo has become more than just a movement in the corridors of corporate power. </p>
<h2>Firing Moonves for ‘cause’</h2>
<p>Back in July, when The New Yorker published its first story, the CBS board would have been within its rights to fire Moonves based on harassment allegations from two former CBS employees, as well as a job candidate he reportedly assaulted during a pitch meeting. </p>
<p>Under CBS’s employment contract with Moonves, the company could have fired Moonves for “cause” with no severance package or settlement. The definition of “cause” included a “willful and material violation of any company policy,” including the <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/280/2016_CBS_Corporation_BCS.pdf?1536781333">harassment policy</a>, that proved <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cbs-les-moonves-sexual-stock-price-2018-7">harmful</a> to the company.</p>
<p>As a former employment lawyer, I don’t think CBS’ lawyers would have had trouble finding language in the <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/280/2016_CBS_Corporation_BCS.pdf?1536781333">harassment policy</a> to support a “cause” determination. Prohibited conduct includes “threaten(ing) or engag(ing) in retaliation after an overture or inappropriate conduct is rejected,” “a pattern of unwanted advances” and “unwanted touching.” </p>
<p>In other words, Moonves could have been fired summarily in July, just as CBS didn’t hesitate to end the career of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/business/media/charlie-rose-fired-cbs.html">one of his employees</a>, Charlie Rose, back in November.</p>
<p>Given the taint surrounding men accused of this kind of behavior ever since #MeToo became a household word in October, why did CBS keep him around? </p>
<p>It’s possible directors on the CBS board didn’t consider the initial allegations sufficient to warrant termination. However, I would attribute their hesitation in part to an unrelated lawsuit – and their hope that Moonves could be a useful bargaining chip.</p>
<h2>Moonves v. Redstone</h2>
<p>For the last six months, CBS has been <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6531012443734105408">caught up in a lawsuit</a> with its majority shareholder, National Amusements. That company is owned by 95-year-old business magnate Sumner Redstone and now run by his daughter Shari.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/cbs-sues-shari-redstone-national-amusements-in-bid-to-block-viacom-merger-1202809526/">lawsuit</a> centers around a disagreement over the Redstones’ wish to merge CBS with Viacom, another company they own.</p>
<p>Moonves and a faction of the CBS board tried to thwart the Redstones by voting to dilute their powerful Class A shares, which give them control of the network. CBS basically proposed giving Class B investors the same voting rights. </p>
<p>This was like resolving a fight over the executive bathroom by giving keys to everyone at the company. Technically, you’re not taking anything away. Except that you’ve transformed it into a regular bathroom.</p>
<p>Both sides sued over this coup-by-dilution, and the trial was <a href="https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/cbs-national-amusements-settlement-talks-leslie-moonves-shari-redstone-1202928317/">scheduled to start</a> Oct. 3. As the parties engaged in settlement talks, the stakes were high. But it also gave Moonves some unexpected leverage.</p>
<h2>Settling scores</h2>
<p>Negotiation scholars note that bargaining power comes from your own ability to <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/324551/getting-to-yes-by-roger-fisher-and-william-ury/9780143118756/">walk away</a> from a deal. And your ability to make life painful for those on the <a href="http://www.fnc.roundtablecenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/hbr-masterful-negotiating-2d-edition.pdf">other side of the table</a> if they don’t agree to your terms.</p>
<p>Although <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/business/cbs-les-moonves-board.html">some directors</a> on the board were so loyal to Moonves that they were apparently indifferent to the allegations, even independent board members may have faced a difficult choice. CBS needed the pretense of keeping Moonves in order to negotiate a favorable settlement deal with the Redstones. Moonves was likely to be an important witness at trial. </p>
<p>If CBS fired him before settling with the Redstones, he might not cooperate in court. That would erode CBS’ trial prospects and thus its bargaining position with Redstone.</p>
<p>At the same time, Moonves’ contract was also a pain point for the Redstones. </p>
<p>That’s because Moonves’ contract also had a provision known as a <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/10/a-short-history-of-golden-parachutes">“golden parachute”</a> clause. A golden parachute entitles an executive to a massive payout if certain changes are made to the company.</p>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/813828/000119312517116304/d368348ddef14a.htm">golden parachute</a> allowed Moonves to resign and receive a monstrous $182 million exit package – for a “good reason” resignation – if the Redstones wanted to change the composition of the board or force the company into a merger.</p>
<p>In other words, even if the Redstones won the lawsuit and kept their controlling stake, they wouldn’t be able to make big changes without enriching Moonves. This would be the pain – a controlling stake that can’t actually be wielded without awarding your adversary a mountain of cash.</p>
<p>So, I believe the swing votes on the CBS board sat on their hands in August – even as they confidentially learned of an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/business/cbs-les-moonves-board.html">attempted cover-up</a> by Moonves. They wanted that settlement with Redstone before cutting Moonves loose.</p>
<h2>The #MeToo movement presents a curveball</h2>
<p>Moonves likely used this time to negotiate his own exit. </p>
<p>But the #MeToo movement wasn’t done. On Sept. 9, The New Yorker published <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/as-leslie-moonves-negotiates-his-exit-from-cbs-women-raise-new-assault-and-harassment-claims">fresh accusations</a> against Moonves, and his options dwindled. </p>
<p>His settlement package mostly consists of CBS promising to do things it was willing to do anyway. Keep matters secret. Let the internal investigation run its course. <a href="https://mashable.com/article/les-moonves-leaves-cbs/">Donate $20 million</a> to the #MeToo movement to rebuild its reputation. </p>
<p>The high stakes game of chicken with Redstone had crumbled. CBS really could no longer credibly say it wanted Moonves to stay.</p>
<p>Hours later, CBS <a href="https://www.cbscorporation.com/cbs-corporation-and-national-amusements-announce-resolution-of-governance-disputes-and-transition-to-new-leadership/">announced</a> both the settlement of the lawsuit and Moonves’ departure.</p>
<h2>What it means</h2>
<p>This isn’t the first time, and probably won’t be the last, that the #MeToo movement collided with other business interests – for better or for worse. </p>
<p>Harvey Weinstein’s victims may have decided to go public against him last year at least in part because his power in the industry was already <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-harvey-weinstein-rise-fall-20171008-story.html">on the decline</a>. While #MeToo revelations fueled the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/business/nike-harassment.html">leadership shakeup</a> at Nike earlier this year, they apparently gained added force through an unrelated corporate <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/07/93d33bff127706/vanquishing_team_edwards_a_new.html">power struggle</a>. </p>
<p>Like any social movement that resides in the workplace, #MeToo can be attractive to competing business interests within an organization. For example, in the 1970s and 1980s, human resources departments capitalized on civil rights laws to cement their internal status and expertise, as sociologists <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/titles/8909.html">Frank Dobbin</a> and <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/W/bo24550454.html">Lauren Edelman</a> have documented.</p>
<p>For the #MeToo movement, the Moonves story is a partial victory, clouded by the board’s delay and his face-saving exit. But in a way, that’s okay. Business is messy. And the #MeToo movement is still very much at the table.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103041/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth C. Tippett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Moonves, accused by 12 women of sexual harassment and assault, managed to walk away with a face-saving exit package that may even include some of his $182 million severance.Elizabeth C. Tippett, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of OregonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1002772018-08-02T12:14:44Z2018-08-02T12:14:44Z5G: UK risks losing its lead, but some simple steps could prevent that<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230403/original/file-20180802-136676-1gs903w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-using-mobile-phone-bokeh-1105694417?src=dLY50sKShWSILtGTacgTHA-2-22">Shutterstock.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>5G <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/forging-a-full-fibre-broadband-and-5g-future-for-all">is expected to</a> offer unprecedented data speeds, improve performance and be more energy efficient than the current 4G network. It could even deliver real-time haptic feedback - the power of touch across the mobile network - a feature which has huge implications for fields from <a href="https://www.ericsson.com/en/cases/2017/kings-college/kings-healthcare">medicine</a> to <a href="https://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/city-of-london-to-host-the-worlds-first-5g-connected-theatre/">music</a>. </p>
<p>The UK is in a reasonably good position when it comes to mobile connectivity: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727889/Future_Telecoms_Infrastructure_Review.pdf">87% of the UK</a> has a 4G signal from at least one operator, and the UK mobile market is viewed as being competitive. The UK government <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/664563/industrial-strategy-white-paper-web-ready-version.pdf">has also committed</a> to becoming a world leader in 5G, by providing reliable high-speed connections throughout the nation’s towns, cities and rural areas, and <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/newsevents/news/newsrecords/2018/02-February/British-universities-debut-world's-first-5G-end-to-end-network-at-Mobile-World-Congress.aspx">investing in university research and development</a> of 5G, which can be commercialised to benefit the general public. </p>
<h2>Missed opportunities</h2>
<p>Unless the government continues to support 5G innovation, however, it may not remain in such a strong position. Historically, the UK has a patchy record when it comes to capitalising on innovation. Key innovations were made in Britain that were crucial for the development of computing and the internet. But often these scientific and technological discoveries were not followed up and commercialised successfully in the UK. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230405/original/file-20180802-136670-1vp1lu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230405/original/file-20180802-136670-1vp1lu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230405/original/file-20180802-136670-1vp1lu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230405/original/file-20180802-136670-1vp1lu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230405/original/file-20180802-136670-1vp1lu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230405/original/file-20180802-136670-1vp1lu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230405/original/file-20180802-136670-1vp1lu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Colossus in action.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer#/media/File:Colossus.jpg">The National Archives/Wikipedia.</a></span>
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<p>In some cases, pioneers are barely remembered. Tommy Flowers and colleagues <a href="http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/1078/Tommy-Flowers/">built the first</a> programmable digital electronic computer – Colossus – to assist with code breaking and intelligence gathering at Bletchley Park during World War II. Ten were built in total, but after the war all but two were dismantled. The breakthroughs made in Britain were never followed up, and Colossus had little influence on the subsequent development of the computer, which happened mainly in the US.</p>
<p>Another example is “<a href="https://www.livinginternet.com/i/iw_packet_inv.htm">packet switching</a>”, a key technology underlying the development of the internet. Packet switching means dividing up a data message into separate parts or “packets”, routing each packet in the most efficient way and then reassembling the message at its destination. It was invented independently on both sides of the Atlantic, by Paul Baran in the US, and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224386328_The_early_history_of_packet_switching_in_the_UK_History_of_Communications">Donald Davies</a> in the UK. Indeed, it was Davies who <a href="https://www.wired.com/2012/09/donald-davies/">coined the term</a> “packet switching”. </p>
<p>British scientists and engineers made key contributions to how the internet developed – but the centre of innovation soon moved elsewhere. Both Flowers and Davies are now recognised as pioneers of computing, but only belatedly.</p>
<h2>The valley of death</h2>
<p>More generally, the UK has struggled successfully to cross the “<a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmsctech/348/348.pdf">valley of death</a>” by translating its scientific and technological discoveries into commercially successful products and businesses. At King’s College London, my colleagues have worked on delivering 5G in a real-world setting – here’s <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/policy-institute/research-analysis/how-government-can-drive-5g-innovation.aspx">what my colleagues and I recommend</a> to ensure the UK maintains its position as a global leader. </p>
<p>At the moment, 5G is being developed as part of different projects led by a range of organisations. But there are few wider partnerships, and little focus on scaling up pilot projects or building larger networks. 5G requires radically different network infrastructure to 4G. And there are millions of lamp posts and other street furniture, where network equipment could be installed to build up coverage on a large scale. The government could make it simpler for operators, by creating a clear, nationwide process for leveraging these assets. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230402/original/file-20180802-136661-76fjjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230402/original/file-20180802-136661-76fjjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230402/original/file-20180802-136661-76fjjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230402/original/file-20180802-136661-76fjjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230402/original/file-20180802-136661-76fjjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230402/original/file-20180802-136661-76fjjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230402/original/file-20180802-136661-76fjjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Let there be 5G.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-holding-scrolling-texting-his-1062243614?src=Oh5S169rYWLCmA5LkKQx_g-2-52">Shutterstock.</a></span>
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<p>The existing digital infrastructure could also be used more efficiently. There’s already a strong fibre network spanning the UK. But it’s owned by a range of organisations, all working separately. As a result, the network is not being used to maximum economic and operational benefit. The government should prioritise - and regulate if necessary - fibre sharing among public institutions and private operators. </p>
<p>The government should also take a more nuanced approach when it comes to giving operators the right to use certain radio frequencies. As it stands, use of the radio spectrum is auctioned off to the highest bidder. But there are better ways to foster innovation: for example, by leasing or sub-leasing frequencies over given locations and time periods. </p>
<p>This would allow a wide range of organisations to explore new uses for mobile technology, which might not be prioritised under the current system, if operators are uncertain about returns on investment. </p>
<h2>Don’t play ‘catch up’</h2>
<p>There should also be laws and policies allowing enterprises such as manufacturing sites, shopping malls, cultural institutions and other organisations to build their own networks for their clients, together with traditional mobile network operators. </p>
<p>King’s College London has a range of spectrum test licences and, because of these, has been able to develop, test and deploy the first attempts at 5G in the UK. This has attracted significant interest and attention from operators, who – with a few exceptions – are unable to commit many resources to exploring a very new technology.</p>
<p>There must also be a national approach to building the skills to leverage the benefits offered by 5G, as these are currently in short supply. The technology is likely to be commercialised before people have a chance to develop these skills - as is already happening with <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252436963/UK-demand-for-AI-professionals-has-almost-tripled-in-three-years">AI</a>, <a href="https://www.techuk.org/insights/reports/item/9469-the-uk-s-big-data-future-mind-the-gap">big data</a> and the <a href="https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332655">Internet of Things</a>. It’s better to prioritise building up the skills needed for 5G now, rather than playing “catch up” later. </p>
<p>The UK has a unique opportunity. Through government leadership and investment, the foundations of 5G are being built across the UK. But more must be done if the UK is to avoid past mistakes, maintain its leadership in 5G and deliver the benefits to citizens and businesses.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100277/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Kleinman is employed by King's College London </span></em></p>Many computers built at Bletchley Park were dismantled and progress stalled – it would be a tragedy if the same thing happened with 5G.Mark Kleinman, Professor of Public Policy, King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/762582017-04-19T22:34:40Z2017-04-19T22:34:40ZCalculating where America should invest in its transportation and communications networks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/165883/original/file-20170419-2410-x9z679.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Which links are most important in road and information networks?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/network-connection-technology-concept-city-background-436942042">Sahacha Nilkumhang/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The American economy is underpinned by networks. Road networks carry traffic and freight; the internet and telecommunications networks carry our voices and digital information; the electricity grid is a network carrying energy; financial networks transfer money from bank accounts to merchants. They’re vast, often global systems – but a local disruption can really block them up.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/gdot-state-offering-31m-in-incentives-to-reopen-i-85-before-june/511832846">the I-85 bridge collapse in Atlanta will affect that city’s traffic for months</a>. A seemingly minor train derailment at New York City’s Penn Station resulted in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/nyregion/messy-commute-for-nj-transit-and-lirr-riders-a-day-after-derailment.html?_r=0">multiple days of travel chaos</a> in April. </p>
<p>As the Trump administration plans to <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-budget/328586-an-infrastructure-plan-coming-but-when">invest hundreds of billions in American infrastructure networks</a>, it will be crucial to identify what elements are the most crucial to repair or improve. This is not only important for maximizing benefits; it’s also useful in preventing disaster. Is there, perhaps, a telecommunication line that would be particularly damaging if it were destroyed? Or one road through an area that has an especially large role in keeping traffic flowing smoothly?</p>
<p><a href="http://greatvalley.psu.edu/person/qiang-patrick-qiang">Patrick Qiang</a> and I are operations management scholars who have developed <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10898-007-9198-1">a way to evaluate network performance</a> and simulate the effects of potential changes, whether planned (like a highway repair) or unexpected (like a natural disaster). By modeling the independent behavior of all the users of a network, we can calculate the flow – of <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10898-015-0371-7">freight</a>, <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/79/38005">commuters</a>, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77958-2_14">money</a> or anything else – across each link, and how other links’ flows will change. This lets us identify where investment will be most beneficial, and which projects shouldn’t happen at all.</p>
<h2>More isn’t always better</h2>
<p>It’s very difficult to measure networks’ performance, in part because they are so complex, but also because people use them differently at different times, and because those choices affect others’ experiences. For example, one person choosing to drive to work instead of taking the bus puts one more car on the road, which might get involved in a crash or otherwise contribute to a traffic jam.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Explaining the Braess paradox.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 1968, German mathematician Dietrich Braess observed the possibility that adding a road to an area with congested traffic <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/trsc.1050.0127">could actually make things worse</a>, not better. <a href="https://supernet.isenberg.umass.edu/braess/braess-new.html">This paradox</a> can occur when travel times depend on the amount of traffic. If too many drivers decide their own optimal route involves one particular road, that road can become congested, slowing everyone’s travel time. In effect, the drivers would have been better off if the road hadn’t been built.</p>
<p>This phenomenon has been found not only <a href="https://supernet.isenberg.umass.edu/braess/braess-new.html#BraessArticle">in transportation networks</a> and <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1239/jap/1032374242">the internet</a>, but also, recently, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/115/28004">in electrical circuits</a>. </p>
<p>We shouldn’t waste time and money building or repairing network links the community would be better without. But how can we tell which elements help and which make things worse?</p>
<h2>Calculating efficiency</h2>
<p>The best networks can handle the highest demand at the lowest average cost for each trip – such as a commute from a worker’s home to her office. Evaluating a network means identifying which locations need to be connected to each other, as well as the volume of traffic between specific places and the various costs involved – such as gas, pavement wear and tear, and police services keeping drivers safe.</p>
<p>Once a network is measured in this way, it can be converted into a computerized model where we can simulate removing links or adding new ones in particular places. Then we can measure what happens to the rest of the network: Does traffic get more congested, and if so, by how much? Or, as in the Braess paradox, do travel times actually get shorter when a link is removed? And how much money does a particular project cost to build, and save in time or user expenses?</p>
<h2>Going global</h2>
<p>Our method of measuring a network’s performance has been used to refine
<a href="https://ercim-news.ercim.eu/en79/rd/route-optimization-how-efficient-will-the-proposed-north-dublin-metro-be">the route of a proposed metro line in Dublin, Ireland</a>; <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313365965_Maritime_Network_Efficiency_Comparison_in_Indonesia_Nusantara_Pendulum_and_Sea_Tollway">to design new shipping routes in Indonesia</a>; <a href="http://www.cedim.de/download/14_Schulz.pdf">to identify which roads in Germany should be first on the maintenance list</a>; and <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0896-3">to determine the effects of road closures after major fires in regions of Greece</a>.</p>
<p>Our method has also been applied to make supply chains more efficient, both to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-634-2_6">maximize profits</a> and to <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856412000249">speed disaster relief supplies</a> to people in need.</p>
<p>As the U.S. works to enhance its economic competitiveness, the country will need to invest in many different types of networks, to maximize their usefulness and value to Americans. Using measurement methods like ours can guide leaders to wise investments.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/76258/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Nagurney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When planning major infrastructure investments, it’s important to know which road, freight and information networks are most important – and which proposals might make things worse, not better.Anna Nagurney, John F. Smith Memorial Professor of Operations Management, UMass AmherstLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/674172016-10-24T06:41:25Z2016-10-24T06:41:25ZData responsibility: a new social good for the information age<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142549/original/image-20161020-8826-15aczei.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">+ Claudio</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As climate change intensifies, catastrophic, record-setting natural disasters look increasingly like the “new normal” – from <a href="https://theconversation.com/hurricane-matthew-is-just-the-latest-unnatural-disaster-to-strike-haiti-66766">Hurricane Matthew</a> killing at least 1,300 people in September to Typhoon Lionrock, the previous month, causing flooding that left 138 dead and more than <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/14/493912206/devastating-typhoon-leaves-some-140-000-north-koreans-in-need-of-aid">100,000 homeless</a> in North Korea. </p>
<p>What steps can we take to limit the destruction caused by natural disasters? One possible answer is using data to improve relief operations.</p>
<p>Let’s look at the aftermath of the April 2015 Gorkha earthquake, the worst to hit Nepal in over 80 years. Nearly <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016/04/nepals-earthquakes-one-year-later/479772/">9,000 people were killed</a>, some 22,000 injured, hundreds of thousands were rendered homeless and entire villages were flattened. </p>
<p>Yet for all the destruction, the toll could have been far worse. </p>
<p>Without in any way minimising the horrible disaster that hit Nepal that day, I want to make the case that data — and, in particular, a new type of social responsibility — helped Nepal avoid a worse calamity. It may offer lessons for other disasters around the world.</p>
<p>In the wake of the Nepal disaster, a wide variety of actors – from government, civil society and the private sector alike – rushed in to address the humanitarian crisis. One notable player was <a href="https://www.ncell.axiata.com/">Ncell</a>, Nepal’s largest mobile network operator. Shortly after the earthquake, Ncell decided to share its mobile data (in an aggregated, de-identified way) with the the non-profit Swedish organisation, <a href="http://www.flowminder.org/">Flowminder</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142550/original/image-20161020-8852-1hwxcro.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142550/original/image-20161020-8852-1hwxcro.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142550/original/image-20161020-8852-1hwxcro.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142550/original/image-20161020-8852-1hwxcro.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142550/original/image-20161020-8852-1hwxcro.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142550/original/image-20161020-8852-1hwxcro.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142550/original/image-20161020-8852-1hwxcro.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142550/original/image-20161020-8852-1hwxcro.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">+ claudio</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Flowminder then used this data to <a href="http://www.flowminder.org/case-studies/nepal-earthquake-2015">map population movements</a> around the country, and these real-time maps allowed the government and humanitarian organisations to better target aid and relief, maximising the impact of their efforts. The initiative has been widely lauded as a model for data collaboration. </p>
<p>And Flowminder even won an award for “Mobile in Emergency or Humanitarian Situations” at <a href="http://www.globalmobileawards.com/social-economic-development/3c-mobile-in-emergency-or-humanitarian-situations/">the 2016 GSM Association’s Global Mobile Awards</a> in Barcelona.</p>
<h2>What is data responsibility?</h2>
<p>To me, the most striking part of the Flowminder-Ncell initiative is the way that data was used. In particular, how data originally collected for private purposes was exchanged for public ends: an act of data responsibility. </p>
<p>Data responsibility – and <a href="https://medium.com/@sverhulst/data-collaboratives-matching-demand-with-supply-of-corporate-data-to-solve-public-problems-dc75b4d683e1#.5c9vjs6nj">corporate data sharing</a> – is an emerging concept, still in development. But it is becoming increasingly apparent that it can play a central role in fostering a variety of public ends, including in the way we respond to natural and other disasters. </p>
<p>Data responsibility could also play a central role in fostering the 2015-2030 <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs">Sustainable Development Goals</a>. As <a href="https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/sustainable-development-data-by-jeffrey-d-sachs-2015-05">Jeffrey Sachs has noted</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>the data revolution can drive a sustainable development revolution, and accelerate progress toward ending poverty, promoting social inclusion, and protecting the environment. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>According to recent estimates, <a href="https://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/bigdata/what-is-big-data.html">2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every day</a>; nine-tenths of the data we have today was created in just the two years preceding 2015. </p>
<p>This data explosion has generated considerable enthusiasm for its potential economic, cultural and political benefits. The Economist has written of turning “<a href="http://www.economist.com/node/15557443">dross into gold</a>” by mining the huge streams of “data exhaust” often inadvertently left behind by always-connected users of social networks and mobile devices. </p>
<p>What is less discussed, however, is that most data remains locked up and proprietary, the private property of companies, governments and other organisations. This limits its public benefits. </p>
<p>Data responsibility can help organisations break down these private barriers and share their proprietary data for the public good. In the case of the private sector, in particular, it represents a type of corporate social responsibility for the 21st century.</p>
<p>Today, data responsibility remains relatively uncommon. Ncell, in Nepal, is one of relatively few corporations that have opened up their vast troves of data. </p>
<p>But there are a few encouraging signs. In Jakarta, for instance, Twitter shared some of its data with Australian researchers, who used it to create the website <a href="http://petajakarta.org/">PetaJakarta.org</a>. It provided real-time intelligence on flooding, enabling far better assessment and improving management, particularly during monsoon season. </p>
<p>In Senegal, the Orange Group initiated the <a href="http://www.d4d.orange.com/en/Accueil">Data for Development</a> challenge and shared its data with different teams of researchers in order to identify patterns and solutions that can improve health, agriculture, urban planning, energy and national statistics. </p>
<p>The winning team used mobile phone data to provide an accurate proxy of energy needs, allowing for bottom-up solutions to fluctuating energy demands.</p>
<h2>The three pillars of data responsibility</h2>
<p>Such examples show us that data can improve and even save lives. But in order to fully harness the potential of data, three conditions must be fulfilled. They comprise the three pillars of data responsibility.</p>
<p><strong>1. A duty to share</strong></p>
<p>This is perhaps the most evident duty: to share private data when it’s clear that it will serve the public good. Secondary use is not always popular among data holders (often for good reasons) but when done correctly, data sharing can have powerful social benefits, as illustrated above.</p>
<p><strong>2. A duty to protect</strong></p>
<p>Sharing does involve risks, notably to privacy, security and other individual rights. So it is imperative that organisations share responsibly, with every effort to protect both the data itself and the individuals who have surrendered their data (even if often unwittingly).</p>
<p>The consequences of failing to protect data have now been well-documented. The most obvious problems occur when data is not properly anonymised before it is shared, or when de-anonymised data otherwise leaks into the public domain.</p>
<p>Ostensibly anonymised data may itself also be susceptible to de-anonymisation, wherein information released for the public good ends up causing individual harm.</p>
<p>For example, in New York City in 2013, the Taxi and Limousine Commission, responding to a public request, released supposedly anonymised information data on pickup and drop-off times, locations, fares and tip amounts, collected from various taxi companies and ride-sharing firms. But within days, several civic hacker groups had managed to identify relevant taxi licenses and medallion numbers. </p>
<p>The consequences were worrisome and potentially rights-violating: the data could be used to calculate a driver’s annual income, for example, and to identify consumer travel and spending habits, including <a href="https://research.neustar.biz/2014/09/15/riding-with-the-stars-passenger-privacy-in-the-nyc-taxicab-dataset/">details</a> on several celebrities, which raised their risk of stalking.</p>
<p>Thus the good intentions guiding data releases must be accompanied by a powerful sense of responsibility at every stage of the information chain, from data collection, processing and analysing to sharing and use. </p>
<p><strong>3. A duty to act</strong></p>
<p>For released data to serve the public good, officials and others must also adopt policies and interventions based on insights gained from its release. Without action, the potential remains just that — potential.</p>
<p>This duty to act is particularly evident in the struggle against corruption. Around the world, datasets released by governments (and other organisations and individuals) have played a powerful role revealing corruption and increasing transparency. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.transparency-initiative.org/news/brazils-transparency-portal-freely-delivers-information-to-citizens">Brazil’s Transparency Portal</a>, for instance, created in 2004 by the Office of the Comptroller General to increase <a href="http://odimpact.org/case-brazils-open-budget-transparency-portal.html">fiscal transparency</a> by sharing government budget data, is now one of the country’s primary tools to identify and document corruption, registering an average of 900,000 unique visitors every month. </p>
<p>In Mexico, the online platform <a href="http://mejoratuescuela.org"><em>Mejora Tu Escuela</em></a> provides citizens with information about school performance, helping parents choose the highest-quality education for their children and get involved in their schooling. </p>
<p>For school administrators, policymakers and NGOs, on the other hand, the platform provides a way to identify <a href="http://odimpact.org/case-mexicos-mejora-tu-escuela.html">corruption</a> in the form of “ghost teachers” on government payroll and teachers who are paid apparently outsized salaries. </p>
<p>Still, to translate insights into impact, action is needed. And this often relies on vast and difficult changes in the face of vested interests and institutional obstacles. </p>
<h2>The need for a culture shift</h2>
<p>The difficulty of translating insights into results point to some of the larger social, political and institutional shifts that will be required to achieve the vision of true data responsibility. </p>
<p>Data responsibility requires an often unfamiliar commitment to values of transparency and accountability. Shifting from a habit of data shielding to data sharing and from traditional policy making to data-driven governance will require a cultural transformation in the way companies, governments and other actors treat their data. </p>
<p>The following three ways should be considered to bring about the required transformation in the short term.</p>
<p>First, public and private data holders should issue a public commitment (or pledge) to data responsibility, so that it becomes the norm within organisations, rather than the exception.</p>
<p>Second, the position of “data stewards” should be created within public and private organisations. They will act as change agents and determine what and when to share, how to protect, and how to act on available data.</p>
<p>Finally, we need a movement: it is time to expand the right-to-information community to include a demand for “data responsibility” to help improve lives – including ours.</p>
<p><em>A version of the article was presented by the author at <a href="http://tedxmidatlantic.com/">TEDx MidAtlantic</a> on October 20-21 in Washington DC.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/67417/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stefaan G. Verhulst does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Data can be used to limit damage from natural disasters and to improve our lives.Stefaan G. Verhulst, Co-Founder and Chief Research and Development Officer of the Governance Laboratory, New York UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/635442016-08-05T10:01:08Z2016-08-05T10:01:08ZIf two countries waged cyber war on each another, here’s what to expect<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133136/original/image-20160804-513-1eqkv50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-124191613/stock-photo-hacker-attack-background.html?src=BSvU_gtuq7pgomeZg_fxDw-1-19">lolloj</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine you woke up to discover a massive cyber attack on your country. All government data has been destroyed, taking out healthcare records, birth certificates, social care records and so much more. The transport system isn’t working, traffic lights are blank, immigration is in chaos and all tax records have disappeared. The internet has been reduced to an error message and daily life as you know it has halted. </p>
<p>This might sound fanciful but don’t be so sure. When countries declare war on one another in future, this sort of disaster might be the opportunity the enemy is looking for. The internet has brought us many great things but it has made us more vulnerable. Protecting against such futuristic violence is one of the key challenges of the 21st century. </p>
<p>Strategists know that the most fragile part of internet infrastructure is the energy supply. The starting point in serious cyber warfare may well be to trip the power stations which power the data centres involved with the core routing elements of the network. </p>
<p>Back-up generators and uninterruptible power supplies might offer protection, but they don’t always work and can potentially be hacked. In any case, backup power is usually designed to shut off after a few hours. That is enough time to correct a normal fault, but cyber attacks might require backup for days or even weeks. </p>
<p>William Cohen, the former US secretary of defence, <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/William-Cohen-defense-chief-terrorist-attack-power-grid/2015/06/29/id/652742/">recently predicted</a> such a major outage would cause large-scale economic damage and civil unrest throughout a country. In a war situation, this could be enough to bring about defeat. Janet Napolitano, a former secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security, <a href="http://www.offthegridnews.com/grid-threats/napolitano-warns-downed-power-grid-is-inevitable-due-to-cyber-attack/">believes</a> the American system is not well enough protected to avoid this. </p>
<h2>Denial of service</h2>
<p>An attack on the national grid could involve what is called a <a href="http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DDoS_attack.html">distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack</a>. These use multiple computers to flood a system with information from many sources at the same time. This could make it easier for hackers to neutralise the backup power and tripping the system. </p>
<p>DDoS attacks are also a major threat in their own right. They could overload the main network gateways of a country and cause major outages. Such attacks are commonplace against the private sector, particularly finance companies. Akamai Technologies, which controls 30% of internet traffic, <a href="https://www.akamai.com/uk/en/about/news/press/2016-press/akamai-releases-first-quarter-2016-state-of-the-internet-security-report.jsp">recently said</a> these are the most worrying kind of attack and becoming ever more sophisticated. </p>
<p>Akamai recently monitored a sustained attack against a media outlet of 363 gigabits per second (Gbps) – a scale which few companies, let alone a nation, could cope with for long. Networks specialist Verisign <a href="https://www.verisign.com/en_GB/forms/reportcyberthreatstrends.xhtml">reports</a> a shocking 111% increase in DDoS attacks per year, almost half of them over 10 Gbps in scale – much more powerful than previously. The <a href="https://www.akamai.com/uk/en/about/news/press/2016-press/akamai-releases-first-quarter-2016-state-of-the-internet-security-report.jsp">top sources</a> are Vietnam, Brazil and Colombia.</p>
<p><strong>Number of attacks</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133098/original/image-20160804-496-1r4cwza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133098/original/image-20160804-496-1r4cwza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133098/original/image-20160804-496-1r4cwza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=294&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133098/original/image-20160804-496-1r4cwza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=294&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133098/original/image-20160804-496-1r4cwza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=294&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133098/original/image-20160804-496-1r4cwza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133098/original/image-20160804-496-1r4cwza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133098/original/image-20160804-496-1r4cwza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Verisign</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Scale of attacks</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133100/original/image-20160804-505-1p0xdpd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133100/original/image-20160804-505-1p0xdpd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133100/original/image-20160804-505-1p0xdpd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133100/original/image-20160804-505-1p0xdpd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133100/original/image-20160804-505-1p0xdpd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133100/original/image-20160804-505-1p0xdpd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=223&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133100/original/image-20160804-505-1p0xdpd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=223&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133100/original/image-20160804-505-1p0xdpd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=223&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Verisign</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Most DDoS attacks swamp an internal network with traffic <a href="http://security.stackexchange.com/questions/35571/how-does-a-reflection-attack-work">via the</a> DNS and NTP servers that provide most core services within the network. Without DNS the internet wouldn’t work, but it is weak from a security point of view. Specialists have been trying to come up with a solution, but building security into these servers to recognise DDoS attacks appears to mean re-engineering the entire internet. </p>
<h2>How to react</h2>
<p>If a country’s grid were taken down by an attack for any length of time, the ensuing chaos would potentially be enough to win a war outright. If instead its online infrastructure were substantially compromised by a DDoS attack, the response would probably go like this:</p>
<p><strong>Phase one: Takeover of network</strong>: the country’s security operations centre would need to take control of internet traffic to stop its citizens from crashing the internal infrastructure. We <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/turkey-shows-hint-what-would-happen-cyber-warfare-william-buchanan?articleId=8214254822041100839">possibly saw this</a> in the failed Turkish coup a few weeks ago, where YouTube and social media went completely offline inside the country. </p>
<p><strong>Phase two: Analysis of attack</strong>: security analysts would be trying to figure out how to cope with the attack without affecting the internal operation of the network. </p>
<p><strong>Phase three: Observation and large-scale control</strong>: the authorities would be faced with countless alerts about system crashes and problems. The challenge would be to ensure only key alerts reached the analysts trying to overcome the problems before the infrastructure collapsed. A key focus would be ensuring military, transport, energy, health and law enforcement systems were given the highest priority, along with financial systems. </p>
<p><strong>Phase four: Observation and fine control</strong>: by this stage there would be some stability and the attention could turn to lesser but important alerts regarding things like financial and commercial interests.</p>
<p><strong>Phase five: Coping and restoring</strong>: this would be about restoring normality and trying to recover damaged systems. The challenge would be to reach this phase as quickly as possible with the least sustained damage. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133139/original/image-20160804-513-143grda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133139/original/image-20160804-513-143grda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133139/original/image-20160804-513-143grda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133139/original/image-20160804-513-143grda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133139/original/image-20160804-513-143grda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133139/original/image-20160804-513-143grda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133139/original/image-20160804-513-143grda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133139/original/image-20160804-513-143grda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mission: recovery.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-354538334/stock-photo-specialists-with-network-cable-macro-photo.html?src=oBinwJXlUrmMHubLWEQt7w-1-34">kirill_makarov</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>State of play</h2>
<p>If even the security-heavy US is concerned about its grid, the same is likely to be true of most countries. I suspect many countries are not well drilled to cope with sustained DDoS, especially given the fundamental weaknesses in DNS servers. Small countries are particularly at risk because they often depend on infrastructure that reaches a central point in a larger country nearby. </p>
<p>The UK, it should be said, is probably better placed than some countries to survive cyber warfare. It enjoys an independent grid and GCHQ and the National Crime Agency have helped to encourage some of the best private sector security operations centres in the world. Many countries could probably learn a great deal from it. Estonia, whose infrastructure was disabled for several days in 2007 <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/31801246/ns/technology_and_science-security/t/look-estonias-cyber-attack/">following</a> a cyber attack, is now <a href="https://next.ft.com/content/be26fbd2-5005-11e6-88c5-db83e98a590a">looking at</a> moving copies of government data to the UK for protection. </p>
<p>Given the current level of international tension and the potential damage from a major cyber attack, this is an area that all countries need to take very seriously. Better to do it now rather than waiting until one country pays the price. For better and worse, the world has never been so connected.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63544/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bill Buchanan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>How the internet has made us terrifyingly vulnerable.Bill Buchanan, Head, The Cyber Academy, Edinburgh Napier UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/600152016-05-27T07:44:41Z2016-05-27T07:44:41ZPatients with ‘exceptional responses’ to treatment could hold secret to new cancer cures<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/124154/original/image-20160526-22083-1q5wi4n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why we must work out why some people respond exceptionally well to cancer treatments.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Phil and Pam Gradwell (to be)/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Most cancer specialists – indeed, most doctors – have treated patients who respond to treatment in unexpected ways. Known as “exceptional responders”, the experiences of these patients and their doctors are generally relegated to anecdotes. While it may have once been impossible to tell why they responded better to treatment than others, an <a href="http://stm.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aad8417">editorial</a> in Science Translational Medicine argues that technology is now so advanced that we could actually learn something from such patients.</p>
<p>For example, most patients with pancreatic cancer do not respond to treatment and survival rates <a href="http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/pancreatic-cancer/survival">have remained below 5%</a>. Yet every so often a patient has a dramatic response to chemotherapy and the cancer stays away for years. Considering the average survival for pancreatic cancer is about six months, this is exceptional.</p>
<p>Rapid recent advances in genomic sequencing is allowing us to dig deep into the biology of individual tumours – and other diseases – and perhaps understand the genetic basis of positive responses. Indeed, understanding this – which particular subtype of a cancer responds well to a particular therapy, for example – paves the way for better targeted treatments for individual patients. Often called <a href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/31/15/1803.full">precision oncology</a>, this personalised treatment is the emerging model of high-tech cancer care.</p>
<p>The challenge lies in how we establish the link between the underlying biology of a particular cancer and the patient’s response to treatment. This is particularly important since traditional statistical methods can’t help when dealing with the enormous diversity between individuals. Perhaps an even greater challenge is the way in which details of these rare events can be compiled in order for us to glean some insight and apply what we’ve learned to improve medicines and treatment in a meaningful way.</p>
<h2>The need for networks</h2>
<p>The authors, Eric Perakslis and Isaac Kohane of Harvard Medical School, suggest we should follow the <a href="https://www.iapo.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/6%20Patient%20Centred-%20Rare%20Disease%20and%20Perosnalized%20Medicines.pdf">example set in the study of rare diseases</a>, where similar challenges have been overcome through forming global research networks. They propose founding a special network that can bring together data about exceptional responders. This would allow clinical sites to deeply analyse a certain tumour and connect it with clinical information. </p>
<p>A registry of exceptional responders could pull together data on the patients and the finest genetic details of the cancers involved. This would help us work out what meaningful similarities and differences there are. Of course, it is essential to share this data within and outside the network for greater benefit, in an ethically acceptable way.</p>
<p>This is a step forward – the importance of the societal shift in the way we approach healthcare cannot be underestimated. We now understand more and more about disease. We’re beginning to realise that what we once thought was a single disease (basing this on a microscopic analysis) reveals dramatic differences in the genetic composition of tumours. There are multiple genetic subtypes of cancer – even when they appear similar under the microscope. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/124155/original/image-20160526-22080-8p455t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/124155/original/image-20160526-22080-8p455t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124155/original/image-20160526-22080-8p455t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124155/original/image-20160526-22080-8p455t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124155/original/image-20160526-22080-8p455t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124155/original/image-20160526-22080-8p455t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124155/original/image-20160526-22080-8p455t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lymphocyte cancer cell under electron scanning microscope.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">wikimedia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over the longer term, the difficulty will grow. New therapies will become increasingly sophisticated and able to directly target a cancer’s biology. A treatment that targets a particular subtype of cancer will most likely not work when given to patients that do not have that subtype of cancer. As we understand more, <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-discover-there-are-10-types-of-breast-cancer-6541">we’ll classify more subgroups of cancer</a>. These subgroups will become smaller and smaller and it will become impossible to perform clinical trials of sufficient size. This means it may take many years to recruit enough participants in order to properly test a particular therapy.</p>
<p>Imagine what we will need in the future. Rather than a series of clinical trials to test only a small fraction of possible hypotheses, we will need to move toward what’s known as a “<a href="https://pct.mdanderson.org/">knowledge-bank approach</a>”. Faced with particular genetic subtypes of cancer for which there are few if any existing clinical trials, being able to turn to a knowledge bank rich in data on patients, their tumours, treatment and responses could become the guide for selecting the right therapy in the future.</p>
<p>This data-driven approach starts with the national and international networks and patient registries the paper’s authors describe. With sufficient data – and a proper framework for sharing that information among experts – it’s possible that, in the future, every patient will show an exceptional response to their treatment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/60015/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Biankin receives funding from Cancer Research UK, Wellcome Trust, MRC, EPSRC, Pancreatic Cancer UK, CSO - Scottish Government, Pancreatic Cancer UK. He is affiliated with Cure Forward Corporation. </span></em></p>Some patients respond miraculously well to cancer treatment. It is high time we try to understand why.Andrew Biankin, Professor and Regius Chair of Surgery, Director of Translational Research Centre, University of GlasgowLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/489452015-10-22T03:36:43Z2015-10-22T03:36:43Z3D-inspired hi-tech buoy takes African marine monitoring to new levels<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98989/original/image-20151020-32231-6xiaw9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A new real-time measuring buoy can change the way the maritime industry operates. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Supplied</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A hi-tech <a href="http://www.cput.ac.za/blogs/bulletin/2015/08/11/ocean-innovation-pays-off/">buoy</a> that provides real-time data can play a key role in helping South Africa manage its coastal waters. It could also be deployed beyond the country’s waters.</p>
<p>Devised and tested virtually using 3D computer simulation technology, the buoy will feature locally sourced components as opposed to the current fully imported flotation systems. </p>
<p>The coastal observer is a compact modular data-collecting <a href="http://www.cput.ac.za/blogs/bulletin/2015/08/11/ocean-innovation-pays-off/">buoy</a> purpose-made for a range of commercial and scientific applications at sea. </p>
<p>Its development charts remarkable progress since buoys first surfaced hundreds of years ago. While some types of floating markers may have existed before the 13th century, the first recorded <a href="http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/h_buoys.asp">buoy</a> was mentioned in La Compasso de Navigare in <a href="http://global.britannica.com/topic/Lo-compasso-da-navigare">1296</a>. Located in the Guadalquivir River, it aided mariners approaching Seville, Spain.</p>
<p>The buoy developed in South Africa enables users to get real-time data through wireless telemetry from a range of sensors mounted to, and powered by, the platform. It provides knowledge that would enable better understanding of the coastal environment. For example, it could provide an alert when the <a href="http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/envfacts/redtides/">red tide</a> is ready to crash on the west coast. During the red tide, water becomes toxic to certain marine animals. </p>
<p>South African has also had a problem on the coast with illegal <a href="http://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/southern-africa/2014/10/24/marine-fisheries-poaching/">fishing</a>, costing the industry an estimated R4 billion annually. The device can also monitor illegal activity on the coast. </p>
<h2>Bucking the trend</h2>
<p>Throughout the oceanographics engineering industry – made up of government departments, ports and harbours – more than 90% of equipment is sourced abroad. </p>
<p>Very little oceanographic equipment is made locally. All flotation systems are imported.</p>
<p>This project will buck the trend and ensure that local companies in the maritime industry can draw on tailor-made products that reduce costs. This solution allows them to have more options to collect more data at sea.</p>
<h2>Breaking new ground</h2>
<p>Bouys are deployed all along the South African <a href="http://www.southafrica.info/about/geography/geography.htm#.ViT3wnqqqko">coastline</a>. They are used by industry and government for oceanographic and atmospheric data sampling. The data collected is crucial for severe weather prediction, disaster management, oceanographic research and coastal management.</p>
<p>Currently, when servicing the device, technicians have to remove the entire buoy from the ocean. This means that crucial data cannot be collected during service periods.</p>
<p>To counter this problem, the functionality of the buoy was enhanced to simplify the operational procedures. This makes it easier for information to filter from the sea to a data centre.</p>
<h2>Evolution of a prototype</h2>
<p>The original system was big and its operational procedures required a highly skilled team. Improvements were identified and a new compact modular system was created.</p>
<p>A list of possible improvements to the new design were devised through various deployment, maintenance and recovery procedures. Out of this a compact modular system was created. </p>
<p>The modular design allows for eased maintenance and repairs as modules are of manageable size and simply be replaced with service modules when required.</p>
<p>The system was developed for a local buoy network that required a new optimised system to allow for expansion of the network to cover more of the South African coastline. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98990/original/image-20151020-32241-6o25q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98990/original/image-20151020-32241-6o25q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98990/original/image-20151020-32241-6o25q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98990/original/image-20151020-32241-6o25q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98990/original/image-20151020-32241-6o25q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98990/original/image-20151020-32241-6o25q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98990/original/image-20151020-32241-6o25q.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Big Brother is watching.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Supplied</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The platform allows its user to collect data from coastal waters and transfer it to a land-based server. </p>
<p>The system can now be tailored for uses ranging from oceanographic data collection, meteorological data collection, surveillance system.</p>
<p>The control system features a redundant design. Other parts can take over should any component fail. This allows for minimal system downtime and data loss.</p>
<h2>What next?</h2>
<p>We have successfully completed our proof of concept by testing a prototype in <a href="http://www.capetown.travel/attractions/entry/false-bay">False Bay</a> in the Western Cape. </p>
<p>The system performed very well and allowed us to identify possible design optimisations that can improve operational procedures. </p>
<p>The design has been improved with a final prototype for testing currently in the manufacturing phase.</p>
<p>Plans are underway to produce the buoy commercially in South Africa in 2016 before taking it to the rest of the continent.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/48945/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dirk Muller is project leader for the Coastal Observer Project at CPUT and part of the team that devised the new real-time measuring buoy and intends applying for a provisional patent on this technology. The project is funded by CPUT.
</span></em></p>Enhanced data collection capabilities will ensure that information collected from the coastline will be seamless.Dirk Muller, Researcher and Mechanical Engineer, Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.