Autoconverting to a datatype in a spreadsheet, whatever the type, is a defect, plain and simple. The fact that it's often absurdly aggressive in its conversion makes it even worse. Your example - SEPT1 - should not even be considered valid for conversion into a date as it doesn't have a year. Any assumption as to what year to use - i.e. this year, the next September to occur - is a very strong assumption. Plus Excel will interpret a whole bunch of separators as being an attempt at a date, even those that don't fit the current locale.
A lack of a conversion can always be fixed after the fact. An unwanted conversion often cannot.
Excel isn't alone in this defect, most spreadsheets mimic this defective behaviour. It's an antifeature, and should be purged ASAP, from every piece of software with it.
...because hackers breaching research institutions horribly fucks up their ability to conduct the research in the first place.
Some forms of the data contain confidential patient information and certain types of genetic data can never be properly anonymised. That's data that is, and should be, kept behind the usual barriers of protection. A breach there has all the privacy implications it would in other circumstances.
Worse, if there's a breach, there the possibility that the data might be altered (perhaps even by accident) in the process - compromising the integrity of the data that researchers are trying to use.
A breach can also identify particular researchers, who may find their non-work devices and accounts under attack, and dealing with that would take time and energy away from their work.
And this is even before we consider the need to take services off-line to make sure they've been properly secured, further inhibiting the work.
I work at an academic institution in the UK that's had to beef up it's security after seeing an increase in social engineering and hacking attempts - although this far there are no indications there has been a breach. No-one here is rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of getting a patent or jealously hoarding their cache of information so they get the glory.
I don't doubt that stupid nationalistic sentiments exist at the country level, or that the usual suspects in pharma have their fingers crossed that they'll be able to make bank out of the pandemic. The point is that these hackers - every one of them - are exactly of a kind with the above: idiots compromising the response to the global pandemic for petty gain.
Throwing the book at them (modulo the messed up state of laws in this area) is exactly what should be done.
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Re:
Autoconverting to a datatype in a spreadsheet, whatever the type, is a defect, plain and simple. The fact that it's often absurdly aggressive in its conversion makes it even worse. Your example - SEPT1 - should not even be considered valid for conversion into a date as it doesn't have a year. Any assumption as to what year to use - i.e. this year, the next September to occur - is a very strong assumption. Plus Excel will interpret a whole bunch of separators as being an attempt at a date, even those that don't fit the current locale.
A lack of a conversion can always be fixed after the fact. An unwanted conversion often cannot.
Excel isn't alone in this defect, most spreadsheets mimic this defective behaviour. It's an antifeature, and should be purged ASAP, from every piece of software with it.
Why? The reason is obvious
...because hackers breaching research institutions horribly fucks up their ability to conduct the research in the first place.
Some forms of the data contain confidential patient information and certain types of genetic data can never be properly anonymised. That's data that is, and should be, kept behind the usual barriers of protection. A breach there has all the privacy implications it would in other circumstances.
Worse, if there's a breach, there the possibility that the data might be altered (perhaps even by accident) in the process - compromising the integrity of the data that researchers are trying to use.
A breach can also identify particular researchers, who may find their non-work devices and accounts under attack, and dealing with that would take time and energy away from their work.
And this is even before we consider the need to take services off-line to make sure they've been properly secured, further inhibiting the work.
I work at an academic institution in the UK that's had to beef up it's security after seeing an increase in social engineering and hacking attempts - although this far there are no indications there has been a breach. No-one here is rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of getting a patent or jealously hoarding their cache of information so they get the glory.
I don't doubt that stupid nationalistic sentiments exist at the country level, or that the usual suspects in pharma have their fingers crossed that they'll be able to make bank out of the pandemic. The point is that these hackers - every one of them - are exactly of a kind with the above: idiots compromising the response to the global pandemic for petty gain.
Throwing the book at them (modulo the messed up state of laws in this area) is exactly what should be done.
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by Queex.
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