Five great industry news stories from this week you may have missed.

Canada has ‘clearly fallen behind’ other countries in privacy law, says privacy commissioner

Via IT World Canada

Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien held a news conference last week to discuss his annual report a year after revealing serious weaknesses within Canada’s privacy legislation. More than a year later, things haven’t gotten much better. According to IT World Canada, Canada's efforts to update its privacy laws progress at a "snail's pace", which has prompted a stern warning from Therrien that Canada stands to lose not only public trust in government, but also good standing with European trading partners. Read the full story here. 

Microsoft takes down massive hacking operation that could have affected the election

Via CNN

On Monday, CNN reported Microsoft has disrupted a massive hacking operation that it said could have indirectly affected election infrastructure if allowed to continue. The company took down the servers behind Trickbot, an enormous malware network that criminals were using to launch other cyberattacks, including a strain of highly-potent ransomware. Microsoft said it obtained a federal court order to disable the IP addresses associated with Trickbot's servers, and worked with telecom providers around the world to stamp out the network.

When Do We Trust AI’s Recommendations More Than People’s?

Via Harvard Business Review

More and more companies are leveraging technological advances in machine learning, natural language processing and other forms of artificial intelligence to provide relevant and instant recommendations to consumers. However, a recent Harvard Business Review article argues why simply offering AI assistance won't necessarily lead to more successful transactions. In fact, they state that there are cases when AI's suggestions and recommendations may be "detrimental." Learn why firms with a good understanding of the conditions under which consumers do and do not trust the “word” of AI recommenders will have a competitive advantage here.

Hacking Human Psychology: Understanding Social Engineering Hacks

Via Relativity

Psychologically, we carry a powerful tool called trust. Trust increases our comfort level to allow us to speak and act more freely. But what if someone could develop an algorithm that could create trust, as human relationships do? Through observing personal mentalities, reoccurring routines and relationships, social engineers can develop the appearance of an individual you might naturally trust. A blog post by Relativity breaks down how social engineering is being used to manipulate targets using email, phone and in-person attacks to acquire confidential information — and, how you can avoid falling victim to the scheme.

Law firm leaders optimistic as business ramps up

Via CBA/ABC National

After riding the waves of uncertainty during the first few months of the pandemic, Canadian mid and large-sized law firms are focusing on 2021 as work in most sectors ramps up. A recent National by CBA/ABC article estimates the work that kept many firms busy in the early days of the shutdown — employment law, real estate and disputes — will continue to ramp up as the impact of COVID-19 continues to evolve.