ChiefOfficers.Net

It's the year that shouldn't have been and Mercedes are having a tough 2021. What's going on?

A good thing used for bad purposes. Sometimes.

While Cobalt Strike is the market leader, it is far from the only threat assessment tool - and others are even easier for criminals to make use of - on every server, desktop and mobile platform except, it seems, Apple mobiles.

Law enforcement can move fast - when the criminal conduct involves the reputation of governments. Reveals gaping hole in US government e-mail security - and one that, with hindsight, seems blindingly obvious.

The UK recently banned flights from the UAE because of fears over growing corona virus risks. It also added Turkey and Qatar to its red list. Ireland is a special case and there is free movement between the UK and Ireland.

Trying to fly to the UK from the Far East is difficult. At the moment, many flights are via the Middle East or Turkey. Some are via Singapore which is on the UK's "Green list."

But one middle east airline has found a way to circumvent the UK's ban on flights from there - and to facilitate dishonest passengers who want to avoid spending GBP2,000 on quarantine and testing and, of course, risk spreading CoVid-19 into the UK's population.

It's a telephone number and it's cropping up in all kinds of places, including a PayPal / Target / Apple iPhone scam that arrived in our own mailbox this morning.

Google is threatening to kill Android phones if users do not provide personal information.

There are several versions of the threat issued by Google where its persuasion has failed.

Google is facing two problems: first, its own message demands the information and then says it will be used to the customer's detriment and secondly, people no longer trust it.

Hayley Joan Street of Richmond, Victoria has been disqualified from managing corporations for four years following her involvement in two failed companies.

Norwegian-based, global, shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS (WWO) has pleaded guilty in the Australian Federal Court to criminal cartel conduct in a prosecution brought by the Australia on evidence obtained by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

One of the biggest reasons for migrating away from WhatsApp is privacy. It's been a problem ever since WhatsApp was launched. Indeed, I discussed it with the founders when it was new, ish, and they said that they had deliberately designed the system to create visibility between users. When I pointed out that a combination of various features compromised personal security, that was not something that concerned them... anyone can get your phone number, they said.

The Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal, on the joint application of the parties, agreed to replace an order cancelling a liquidator's licence and replace it with a period of suspension and a further period during which he must not act as sole liquidator.

It's the ultimate dream for motor racing fans and for a driver paying his dues in a tail-end-charlie team, even more so: the call comes from the boss of the most dominant team the sport has ever seen which is seemingly getting better and better. How do you fancy a drive this weekend? a voice at the other end of whatever is the modern equivalent of the line. Of course you say "yes." Sure, their car is designed to be the fastest in practice and to win from the front; sure their pitstops aren't as fast as you are used do; sure it's the same engine as has been helping you trudge around trying not to get lapped but the package it's in and the team around it are, somehow, in a different league and no one in your present team knows why - for sure, it's not dedication and sacrifice.

So, of course you say yes. Welcome to the week when George Russel's dreams came true - then were dashed in a series of critical errors by the Mercedes team and a couple of bits of bad luck.

We have often made jokes at the expense of Roman Crashjean, as we dubbed him. Grosjean's career in F1 has been long for someone with so little success and so much carnage behind him. Having been told he was being replaced at HAAS F1 at the end of the season and there being no seat available for him in another team for 2021, it seemed as if he would go off into the sunset, another driver who was just kind of there.

But today he is written into the annals of F1 history, recollections embedded into the memories of everyone who was in front of their televisions, settled down for an afternoon's racing around the Sakhir circuit. For this was the day that no one wants to happen - and for which everyone in the sport has been preparing. Not just Grosjean, the Gross Un, the big one. And he walked away, battered, bruised, burned but fundamentally OK.

The world breathed out.

Media release: Australian Consumer and Competition Commission 26 Nov 2020.

The ACCC has today instituted Federal Court proceedings against Telstra (ASX:TLS) for admitted unconscionable conduct in the sale of post-paid mobile products to Indigenous consumers.