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| February 9, 2016
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Trivial Taxes for Tech Titans

Trivial Taxes for Tech TitansJust in time for the start of the U.S. tax season, reports have surfaced that should piss off most tax-paying Americans. The Business Insider is reporting that most of the American tech giants, like Apple, Google and Microsoft are not paying their share of taxes.

the effective tax rate paid by US tech titans is well below the average rate paid by the 100 biggest S&P companies

The U.S. corporate tax rate is about 35%, but according to an analysis by financial research website WalletHub and charted by Statista, the effective tax rate paid by U.S. tech companies, like Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), and Google (GOOG), was well below the 28.6% average rate paid by the 100 biggest S&P companies.

Facebook (FB) was the exception with an effective tax rate of 41%, but the social networking company has paid a higher rate in past years and recouped some of the money in tax deductions, according to Quartz.

Infographic: How Much U.S. Tech Companies Pay in Taxes | Statista

One way these tech giants are lowering their tax bills is by stashing most of their profits overseas, where lower international tax rates apply. Despite claims by Apple CEO Tim Cook, that Apple pays all of its taxes, Apple, for example, keeps most of its cash offshore, and openly says it’s keeping it overseas to avoid their U.S. corporate tax bills.

Tax dodgerThe New York Times recently reported that Apple made a deal with Italian tax authorities over a dispute about how much tax the iPad maker should have paid Italy. A spokesman for Italy’s tax authority declined to comment to the NYT on the amount of owed taxes but the BBC reports that the figure is €318m ($348m).

The investigation found that since 2013, Apple had moved roughly $1.1 billion in revenue from its Italian operations through an Irish subsidiary to lower the taxes that the company was obliged to pay under the 27.5% corporate income tax rate in Italy.

The NYT says Ireland’s corporate tax rate, at 12.5%, is one of the lowest in the Western world, compared with 35%, before deductions, in the United States. Of course, Irish officials deny that the low-tax structure represents unfair competition.

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The Tech Titans have long lusted after a tax cut. I cover the 2011 meeting where Tech giants Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Apple, Steve Jobs, Yahoo, Cisco (CSCO), Twitter (TWTR), Oracle (ORCL), Netflix, Google, and venture capitalists lobbied Obama for a tax cut on $1 trillion of profits they’ve stashed overseas.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| January 13, 2016
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Ford to Make Google Cars

Ford to Make Google Cars The 2016 North American International Auto Show started today at Cobo Center in Detroit so let talk about autonomous cars. Ford and Google are in talks to have the Dearborn,MI-based automaker build Google’s next-generation autonomous cars under contract, Automotive News has learned. A source with knowledge of the project says both parties have been negotiating on the deal “for a long time.” An announcement, if finalized, could come as early as the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Ford logoNeither firm would confirm the reports for the record. Google (GOOG) officials did confirm that the company is talking to automakers. Ford Motor Company (F) official Alan Hall did say, “We work with a lot of tech companies all over the world. We keep these discussions private for obvious competitive reasons and we do not comment on speculation.”

Google loading up auto executives

To fan the rumors, two veteran Ford executives have recently joined Google. Former CEO Alan Mulally joined Google’s board of directors eight days after he retired from the automaker on July 1, 2014. Then in September, Google hired John Krafcik as CEO of the company’s Self-Driving Car Project. Mr. Krafcik, who most recently was president of TrueCar Inc., was CEO of Hyundai Motor America. He spent 14 years at Ford, including a stint as chief engineer during the development of the Ford Expedition SUV.

Google logoFord is scheduled to hold a press conference on Jan. 5 in Las Vegas. Ford CEO Mark Fields, product development chief Raj Nair, research and advanced engineering vice president Ken Washington, and Don Butler, executive director of connected vehicles and services, are scheduled to attend.

Yahoo Autos reported on the negotiations, quoting three sources familiar with the deal. The sources said the deal would create a joint venture legally separate from Ford. The venture would shield Ford from potential liability. The agreement, if completed, also would be non-exclusive, meaning Google could negotiate a similar deal with another automaker.

Autonomous vehicle

CEO Fields recently gave Auto News an update on Ford’s Smart Mobility efforts. The initiative would bolster the company’s expertise in car-sharing and other new business models for transportation. He said. “It’s not about just going from an old business to a new business. It’s about going to a bigger business.”

Auto News theorizes that a Ford deal with Google would fit within the strategy laid out by CEO Fields. He commented during an interview:

It’s not only about what are the things that are going to be core to us but who are we going to partner with. I don’t think we can just be so arrogant to think that we’re going to do everything on our own and we’re going to do something better than maybe a company that does that 24/7. For us, partnerships are really important.

New mobility models beyond cars

During a visit to Ford’s Silicon Valley research facility in Palo Alto, CA, Mr. Fields signaled that Ford sees new mobility models as a way to grow its business. When asked why Ford is developing its own software for self-driving cars, rather than striking a deal to use best-in-class software from an outside vendor. Ford’s Fields joked that Silicon Valley practically invented the concept of “frenemies.” In a corporate context, that means companies are willing to simultaneously collaborate on projects and compete against one another. Ford’s R&D center is working on self-driving software, Mr. Fields said, “that doesn’t mean we won’t work with others. I think that’s part of the beauty of being here.”

PartnersSuch a partnership would mark another step toward the marketplace for Google. Bloomberg reported that Google is thinking of putting its technology into automated taxis as a rival for Uber and Lyft. Google may spin-off the unit into a standalone business within its new Alphabet Inc. corporate structure in 2016.

Ties between Ford and Google

It isn’t clear whether Ford would design a purpose-built vehicle for Google or supply a standard production car fitted with the sensors and computers that the car needs to guide itself down the road.

Having Ford build Google’s test fleet would save the Silicon Valley tech giant years and billions in development costs. The Ford-built vehicles would use the automaker’s production-ready powertrain as well as safety and emissions components.

There are already ties between Ford and Google. Google’s first generation of 100 self-driving vehicles were assembled in Detroit by Roush Industries, a company closely aligned with Ford. The bubble-shaped cars, as Crain’s Detroit Business reported used components from local Detroit area suppliers.

Thilo Koslowski, lead automotive analyst at Gartner (IT) in Santa Clara, CA said it makes sense automakers would want to work with Google, which could help them catch up to rivals that are pursuing automated driving to differentiate their products.

And at Google, “the focus has shifted to looking for OEM partners to deploy the technology, rather than considering building their own vehicles,” The Gartner analyst said. “That makes sense. If Google is interested in bringing the benefit of the technology to consumers, then they need as many partners as possible.”

Ford and Google are said to have been in talks since at least 2012 on autonomous cars. The two companies also teamed up in 2011 on technology that would help vehicles learn customers’ driving habits and get them to destinations more efficiently.

VP Washington said recently that he expects fully autonomous vehicles to be ready within four years. Ford has secured approval from California to test its own autonomous cars in California. Ford has been testing autonomous Hybrid Fusion’s at the University of Michigan’s 32-acre simulated city Mcity.

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Autonomous cars will increase the direct impact of the Internet of Things (IoT). With all of IoT’s inherent security and connectivity issues.

 

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| December 7, 2015
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Let’s Encrypt Lives

Let's Encrypt LivesLet’s Encrypt, an initiative to set up a free certificate authority (CA) on the Intertubes has entered its public beta phase. All major browser makers including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Internet Explorer trust Let’s Encrypt certificates. In their announcement Josh Aas, the executive director of California based Internet Security Research Group (ISRG), which runs the Let’s Encrypt service, wrote:

We’re happy to announce that Let’s Encrypt has entered Public Beta. Invitations are no longer needed in order to get free certificates from Let’s Encrypt … We want to see HTTPS become the default. Let’s Encrypt was built to enable that by making it as easy as possible to get and manage certificates.

Encryption to protect communications

Lets Encrypt logoLet’s Encrypt is overseen by folks from Mozilla, Akamai (AKAM), Cisco (CSCO), Stanford Law School, CoreOS, the EFF, and others. Let’s Encrypt was first announced in 2014, (rb- Which I covered here). motivated by a desire to steer organizations towards the use of encryption to protect their communications. A key part of the strategy is offering free digital certificates, which is a radical departure from the very hefty premiums that certificate authorities typically charge.

The Register reports that the free cert is no freebie weakling. Lets Encrypt uses a 2048-bit RSA TLS 1.2 certificate with a SHA-256 signature installed and the server configured to use it. The cert gets an A from Qualys SSL Labs.

Let’s Encrypt to offer free SSL/TLS certs

Secure Socket Layer/Transport Layer Security certificatesLet’s Encrypt plans to distribute free SSL/TLS (Secure Socket Layer/Transport Layer Security) certificates, which encrypt data passed between a website and users. The use of SSL/TLS is signified in most browsers by “HTTPS” and a padlock appearing in the URL bar. Unencrypted web traffic poses a security risk. For example, an attacker could collect the web traffic of someone using a public Wi-Fi hotspot, potentially revealing sensitive data.

Besides securing your information going across the Internet from spies and thieves, FierceSecurityIT says another key aspect of Let’s Encrypt is to make it easy to generate and install new digital certificates. The Let’s Encrypt CA uses an open source “automated issuance and renewal protocol” that allows for certificates to be renewed without manual intervention.

automated issuance and renewalThe automated issuance and renewal protocol prevents oversights resulting in certificates for live websites expiring, a situation that does happen from time to time. FierceSecurityIT says that short-term certificates also offer better security by reducing exposure in the event that the private keys are stolen.

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Major technology companies including Google, Yahoo and Facebook have made a strong push for broader use of encryption in light of government surveillance programs and burgeoning cyber-crime.

The point of Let’s Encrypt is that anyone who owns a domain name can use Let’s Encrypt to get a trusted certificate at no cost. This will help HTTPS become the default. This is a big step forward in terms of security and privacy.

Instructions for getting a certificate with the Let’s Encrypt client can be found here.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| October 27, 2015
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Online Security in Era of Connected Cars

Online Security in Era of Connected CarsKarl-Thomas Neumann, CEO of General Motors‘ (GM) European Opel brand announced that GM would launch OnStar telematics service in vehicles sold in Europe in late 2015. The Opel CEO declared the new technology, “transforms the car into a true part of the Internet of things.” The Detroit Bureau says it raises some of the same concerns consumers face on the Internet, including how to protect their privacy in highly connected cars.

App controlled carEven though a growing number of consumers have embraced the idea of having mobile access to smartphone apps, built-in Wi-Fi, and the safety and security promised by systems like OnStar issues loom that consumers, manufacturers, and regulators need to address. At the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Jim Farley,  then the top marketing executive at Ford Motor Company (F),  told an audience that the automaker “know(s) everyone who breaks the law, we know when you’re doing it,” thanks to the data collected by its OnBoard Sync technology system.

Despite a quick backtrack by Mr. Farley, the article says he was being truthful. The fact is, the onboard black boxes in most cars are now equipped with two-way capabilities. Privacy has become “a big issue,” according to Jon Allen, a principal with consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton who focuses on security issues. Precisely what makes such technology so compelling is why it is also so worrisome. Mr. Allen told The Detroit Bureau,

Connected products provide customization and convenience because of the data they track. Part of the great opportunity to improve the customer experience is producing a vehicle that ‘learns’ your habits and preferences. But that information must be protected.

Data privacyThe EU takes privacy seriously and these types of tracking technology have drawn the attention of regulators in Europe and to a lesser extent, in the U.S. The article describes a measure of just how strongly Europeans feel about the issue that came during Opel chief Neumann’s news conference. Unlike the U.S. version of OnStar, the European system will include a “Privacy” button to let a user “choose whether they want to provide location information or not.”

That choice would only be over-ridden after a crash severe enough to trigger OnStar’s emergency call system, CEO Neumann explained. It’s designed to call rescue crews in the event of an accident severe enough passengers might be disabled.

Don't panicThere have been experiments with marketing that could target motorists much as Google today can toss ads at a web viewer based on information revealed by hidden “cookies.” Imagine, they suggest, being able to send a McDonald’s ad and virtual coupon to a car driving near one of its restaurants around lunchtime.

While some drivers might embrace that possibility, others are appalled. The Detroit Bureau reports the potential to reveal more detailed personal information, as well as allowing a vehicle to be tracked, is raising flags on both sides of the Atlantic.

Digtal trackingIn the U.S., an auto industry alliance recently agreed on an approach called “Privacy Principles for Vehicle Technologies and Services.” (rb- Which I covered here) Meanwhile, both the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are exploring the issues – though in some cases, they are actually encouraging greater access, noted analyst Allen.

The issue is further complicated by the threat of cyber-criminals exploiting vulnerabilities in-vehicle communications systems.

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I first covered this threat in 2011 here and here. And the theoretical became real in 2015 when researchers demonstrated they could use online systems to take over a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The threat to personal freedom and privacy in your car has accelerated as Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) join Microsoft (MSFT) in the battle to rule the car. Apple’s automotive ambition does not stop at CarPlay, they are also focused on developing an iCar. Google’s Autonomous Cars ambitions are well known, but their efforts to take over the car cockpit are also taking off with Android Auto.

The government is contributing to the connected car conundrum. The Feds are abetting the Autos by trying to prevent security researchers from doing testing and reverse engineering that could improve security and safety for all of us according to Naked Security.

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| August 13, 2015
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Mobile Apps Leaking Your Info

Mobile Apps Leaking Your InfoJust in time for Blackhat, San Francisco-based Appthority released its Q2 2015 Enterprise Mobile Threat Report. The big headline from the Appthority report is that enterprise mobile apps are leaking your info. They are sending personally identifiable information (PII) and other sensitive information all over the world often without the enterprise’s knowledge. Your phone is leaking your info all over the web.

Appthority logoFierceMobileIT says that the Appthority Enterprise Mobile Threat Team (EMTT) collected and analyzed security and risky behaviors in three million apps. They found that the top iOS apps sent data to 92 different countries, while the top Android apps are leaking your info to 63 different countries.

Zombie apps are leaking your info

The report found another threat to all data. Appthority’s all-in-one App Risk Management service shows that 100% of enterprises surveyed have zombie apps in their environments. Zombie apps are apps that have been revoked by the app stores and are no longer getting security updates. Zombie apps can give attackers a conduit into the enterprise.

zombie appsThe report estimates that 5.2% of the Apple (AAPL) iOS apps on employee devices in an enterprise are dead apps, and 37.3% are stale Apps. On Google (GOOG) Android devices, 3.9% are dead apps and 31.8% are stale apps.

Zombie apps can leak your info. Appthority explains that malicious third parties could use a man-in-the-middle attack to hijack the update mechanism for these apps to install new malware on user devices.

Threat to the enterprise

Despite the threats, app stores run by Apple, Google, and Microsoft (MSFT) are under no regulatory obligation to tell users of revoked apps anything after release. Including copyright infringements or serious security/privacy concerns.  The report points out. Domingo Guerra, president, and co-founder of Appthority classified this as a stealthy risk; “The ongoing threat of zombie apps and stale apps continues to be an ‘under the radar’ threat to the enterprise.”

programmersA third risk to the firm’s data comes from their own programmers according to the venture capital-backed Appthority. The firm says over-taxed enterprise app development teams are increasingly relying on third-party libraries and software development kits. Vulnerabilities in the third-party packages can put enterprise data at risk when they get baked into a corporate app.

The company told CSO that few mobile devices have security applications installed. In particular, only 4 percent of Android devices in use within enterprises had on-device scanning solutions.

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Firms that depend on mobile solutions as part of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) effort need to look after their apps as well as connectivity and hardware and data and governance and reimbursements. Bring your own device hardly seems like a cost saver to me.

I have said this repeatedly, it seems like costs are just being moved around. From spending on a PC in the office that is very less likely to be lost and that can be controlled to a bunch of new enterprise applications like EMM, mobile anti-malware to app monitoring.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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