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                                                                                           TECHNOLOGY Tuesday 3 January 2017


















                     Obama boosted White House technology; Trump sees risks



            JULIE PACE                   and viewed technology as
              AP  White  House  Corre-   key  to  making  the  sprawl-
            spondent                     ing  federal  government
            WASHINGTON  (AP)  —  As  more efficient and respon-
            Barack    Obama     began  sive to the public.
            preparing  to  leave  office,  A much less frequent Twitter
            the  first  smartphone-tot-  user  than  Trump,  Obama
            ing  U.S.  president  ordered  let loose Sunday with a vol-
            his  team  to  upgrade  the  ley  of  tweets  highlighting
            White House’s aging tech-    some  of  his  accomplish-
            nology  for  his  successor.  ments  as  president:  boost-
            New  computers  were  pur-   ing clean energy, bringing
            chased and faster internet  troops  home,  delivering
            was installed.               “the  longest  streak  of  job
            Not  included  in  the  mod-  growth in our history,” pass-
            ernization plans? A courier  ing  a  law  to  make  health
            service.                     care  affordable,  reducing
            But  that  delivery  method  dependence  on  foreign
            of  a  bygone  era  may  be  oil and working “to reaffirm
            in  for  a  comeback  under  that all are created equal.”
            Donald  Trump.  Despite  his  But  technology  has  also
            voracious use of Twitter, the  been a burden for Obama.
            president-elect appears to  Online sign-ups for his health
            be leaning toward old tech  care law were crippled by
            to  ensure  the  security  of  massive  technical  issues,
            sensitive messages.          resulting in one of the most
            “It’s  very  important,  if  you  embarrassing  episodes  of
            have  something  really  im-  his  presidency.  National
            portant,  write  it  out  and  Security  Agency  contrac-  In this Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, file photo, President Barack Obama meets with President-elect
            have  it  delivered  by  cou-  tor  Edward  Snowden  stole   Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
            rier, the old-fashioned way  classified  information  that                                                                      Associated Press
            because  I’ll  tell  you  what,  he leaked to journalists, re-
            no  computer  is  safe,”  vealing the Obama admin-        effective way to communi-    rounding  his  relationship  election year hacking. Nor
            Trump  told  reporters  Sat-  istration’s  bulk  collection   cate with Americans.     with  technology  will  in-  has  Trump  outlined  any
            urday in response to ques-   of  millions  of  Americans’   “Absolutely,   you’re   go-  volve  security.  U.S.  intelli-  changes in the way he ex-
            tions about Russia’s alleged  phone  records,  as  well  as   ing  to  see  Twitter,”  Spicer  gence agencies say Russia  pects  the  White  House  to
            hacking of Democrats dur-    U.S. spying on some friendly   said Sunday on ABC’s “This  hacked  the  Democratic  use technology for day-to-
            ing  the  presidential  elec-  foreign leaders.           Week.” ‘’I think it freaks the  National  Committee  and  day work.
            tion.  Trump,  who  doesn’t  Trump,  70,  rarely  uses  a   mainstream  media  out  —  a  top  aide  to  Democratic  Bruce Schneier, a technol-
            email  or  surf  the  internet,  computer and sifts through   that he has this following of  nominee Hillary Clinton dur-  ogy  security  expert,  said
            said days earlier that com-  stacks   of   newspapers,    45-plus  million  people  that  ing  the  election,  exposing  Trump was right to question
            puters  “have  complicated  magazines  and  printed       follow him on social media”  the  vulnerabilities  of  sys-  the safeguards that exist for
            lives very greatly.”         articles  to  read  the  news.   and he “can have a direct  tems  in  Washington.  Rev-  protecting his own commu-
            Trump’s    skepticism    of  He  panned  candidates’      conversation” with them.     elations that Clinton used a  nications as president.
            some  technology  marks  reliance on data and tech-       Trump has shown some in-     personal email and private  “If  the  Russian  spies  want
            a  sharp  contrast  from  the  nology in presidential cam-  terest  in  technology  since  internet  server  during  her  to get at his data, no com-
            president   he’ll   replace  paigns, preferring to make   winning  the  White  House.  four years as Obama’s sec-   puter  is  probably  safe,”
            on  Jan.  20.  Obama,  who  decisions in part based on    Billionaire   tech   investor  retary  of  state  highlighted  said  Schneier,  a  fellow  at
            was  a  youthful  47  years  the  reaction  from  audi-   Peter Thiel has been work-   the lax practices that exist  Harvard University’s Kenne-
            old  when  he  took  office,  ences  at  his  rallies.  While   ing  with  Trump’s  transition  in government.      dy School of Government.
            carries  a  specially  outfit-  Trump’s tweetstorms are al-  team  and  could  serve  as  As  a  candidate,  Trump  “Everything is vulnerable.”
            ted Blackberry, emails with  ready legendary, he utters   an  adviser  to  the  admin-  called  for  an  immediate  Of  course,  the  courier
            a  small  number  of  friends  some  of  his  messages  out   istration.  Trump  met  with  review  of  U.S.  cyber  de-  system  Trump  suggests  is
            and  aides,  and  has  re-   loud and leaves the actual   several  Silicon  Valley  ex-  fenses  and  vulnerabilities,  hardly foolproof, either. Af-
            ceived some of his daily se-  typing to aides.            ecutives last month, telling  though he has not detailed  ter the U.S. killed 9/11 mas-
            curity briefings on an iPad.  Incoming   White   House    them his administration was  specific  steps  he  plans  to  termind Osama bin Laden,
            He celebrated technologi-    press secretary Sean Spicer   “here  to  help  you  folks  do  take  to  bolster  cybersecu-  administration officials said
            cal innovations at an annu-  said  he  expects  Trump  to   well.”                     rity  and  has  not  publicly  they  had  gleaned  crucial
            al science fair, created the  continue  using  Twitter  and   As  Trump  heads  into  the  accepted  the  intelligence  information  on  his  where-
            job of chief technology of-  other social media sites as   White  House,  some  of  community’s        conclusion  abouts  by  tracking  the  al-
            ficer  in  the  White  House  president,  casting  it  as  an   the  biggest  questions  sur-  that Russia was behind the  Qaida leader’s courier.q
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