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    in Information Technology

    US Supreme Court limits scope of CFAA and rules bribing cops for data is not hacking

    The US Supreme Court has ruled that a police officer who obtained information from a licence database for a civilian, in exchange for money, did not violate federal hacking laws. The ruling clarifies the scope of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 (CFAA) and what kind of conduct can be prosecuted. The CFAA became law after the US government found cybercrimes and hacking were not sufficiently addressed by legislation at the time. The case arose after the Federal Bureau of Investigation caught former Georgia police officer, Nathan Van Buren, using his patrol-car computer to access a law enforcement database to retrieve information about a particular license plate number in exchange for money. When making the search, Van Buren used his own, valid credentials. After Van Buren was first charged, a US District Court convicted him of two charges: Violating police department policy of obtaining database information for a personal purpose and violating the CFAA by using a computer network in a way contrary to his job. Van Buren appealed those charges, however, which eventually brought the case to the US Supreme Court and its judgment. At the Supreme Court, the justices ruled 6-3 in favour of Van Buren as he had access to the database as part of his valid credentials. When making that ruling, the justices framed their judgment on whether Van Buren “exceeded his authorised access” when accessing the license plate database.

    “In the computing context, ‘access’ references the act of entering a computer ‘system itself’ or a particular ‘part of a computer system,’ such as files, folders, or databases,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett said, who wrote the majority opinion. “It is thus consistent with that meaning to equate ‘exceed[ing] authorised access’ with the act of entering a part of the system to which a computer user lacks access privileges.” The three judges who dissented against the decision, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and John Roberts, believed that Van Buren did breach the hacking laws as he was forbidden from using the computer to obtain the licence information. “Van Buren’s conduct was legal only if he was entitled to obtain that specific license-plate information by using his admittedly authorised access to the database. He was not. A person is entitled to do something only if he has a ‘right’ to do it,” Thomas wrote in his dissenting opinion. In making the dissent, Thomas analogised Van Buren’s conduct to an employee pulling an alarm for a self-motivated reason or a valet accessing a patron’s car and then proceeding to go on a joyride. “An employee who is entitled to pull the alarm in the event of a fire is not entitled to pull it for some other purpose, such as to delay a meeting for which he is unprepared,” Thomas wrote. With the judgment, the CFAA charge against Van Buren has been dropped, while the charge for violating department policy remains intact. Related Coverage More

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    in Information Technology

    Fujifilm becomes latest ransomware victim as White House urges business leaders to take action

    Japanese conglomerate Fujifilm announced that it is suffering from a ransomware attack, becoming the latest victim of cyberattackers who in the last week alone have crippled everything from the largest meat processor in the US to the ferry system serving Martha’s Vineyard.In a statement, the company said it was investigating unauthorized access to its servers and had no choice but to shut down its network. On Tuesday evening, the company said it became aware that it was being hit with ransomware and spent the last two days trying to “determine the extent and the scale of the issue.”The photography and medical imaging giant said the attack had affected all of its external communications, including email and phone services. BleepingComputer spoke with Advanced Intel CEO Vitali Kremez, who said Fujifilm had been hit with the Qbot trojan in May and added that the people behind Qbot have been working with the REvil ransomware gang as of late.REvil caused outrage again this weekend after they were implicated in a ransomware attack on JBS, one of the world’s largest meat processors and a company providing about one fourth of the beef and pork in the US. They previously shut down Colonial Pipeline, causing gas shortages on the East Coast and national outrage that sparked more stringent cybersecurity guidelines for pipelines.Due to the increasing number of attacks, The White House released an open letter on Thursday titled, “What We Urge You To Do To Protect Against The Threat of Ransomware” from Anne Neuberger, deputy assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology. Despite the startling increase in ransomware attacks in the last few months, Neuberger touted the White House’s efforts to deal with the crisis, noting that the US government is currently “disrupting ransomware networks, working with international partners to hold countries that harbor ransomware actors accountable, developing cohesive and consistent policies towards ransom payments and enabling rapid tracing and interdiction of virtual currency proceeds.”But she added that it was important for the private sector to do its part in addressing the cybersecurity posture of their organizations. 

    “All organizations must recognize that no company is safe from being targeted by ransomware, regardless of size or location,” Neuberger said. She urged business leaders to “immediately convene their leadership teams to discuss the ransomware threat” and enhance security measures as well as continuity plans in case they are attacked. Neuberger included a list of best practices and suggestions that ranged from the creation of data backups to prompt system patches, third party cybersecurity reviews, and segmented networks. “Ransomware attacks have disrupted organizations around the world, from hospitals across Ireland, Germany and France, to pipelines in the United States and banks in the UK,” Neuberger wrote. “The US Government is working with countries around the world to hold ransomware actors and the countries who harbor them accountable, but we cannot fight the threat posed by ransomware alone. The private sector has a distinct and key responsibility.”Setu Kulkarni, vice president of strategy at WhiteHat Security, said the two pieces of advice that stood out from the letter are the incident response testing and pen testing. Kulkarni explained that often organizations treat incident response plans like business continuity plans, only creating them for compliance. “We need to make a change here to treat the incident response plan much like a fire drill or an earthquake drill so that when the inevitable breach happens, the entire organization is clear on the first few steps and that will give them the time they need to counter the threat effectively rather than scrambling at the nth minute,” Kulkarni said. “The memo should be updated to further emphasize penetration testing of production systems in a continuous manner — this is important because while the production systems may not change that often, the adversary and the threat landscape are fast evolving in an attempt to breach these production systems.” Focusing on continuous production security testing of web, mobile and API applications, Kulkarni added, should be non-negotiable. But Kulkarni said the memo fell short because it does not create an environment of incentives and disincentives for organizations to double down on these security fundamentals. Tony Cole, CTO of Attivo Networks and a former executive at FireEye, McAfee, and Symantec, told ZDNet that there were a variety of reasons behind the recent spate of ransomware attacks. Enterprises have an over reliance on vendors and in general, organizations continue to add digital tools to their operations which increase the complexity of work for cybersecurity officials.   Cole, who previously worked as a cyber operator for the US Army, added that there is a general lack of cyber defenders with the needed skill sets to keep organizations safe as well as systems that prevent privilege escalation. “No solution is perfect, and attackers will get into the enterprise if they are determined enough with the resources to back their efforts,” Cole said. “Organizations must understand that they can’t prevent all attacks.” Dozens of cybersecurity experts told ZDNet that the letter was an appropriate move considering the current landscape of cyberthreats. Many, like Egnyte cybersecurity evangelist Neil Jones, said there has been a marked shift from simple data theft and cyber-espionage to attacks specifically designed to cripple critical services and business productivity. Others echoed Neuberger’s letter in saying that companies now need to prepare for when, not if, they are hit with ransomware. Tom Garrubba, CISO of Shared Assessments, questioned why critical infrastructure organizations are not being held more accountable and said it was time for certain enterprises to be held to a higher level of legislative scrutiny, like financial institutions and even retail enterprises.”Perhaps it’s time to bring in the executives and board members of these breached organizations to publicly explain these breaches and how their organizations are addressing the IT risks in the current environment,” Garrubba explained. “Every C-Suite and BoD needs to be similarly prepared to answer these questions.”Sophos senior security advisor John Shier noted that the financial incentives of ransomware attacks need to be removed in order to address the problem. Shier said attackers want to hit where it hurts the most to increase their likelihood of a large payout, but most ransomware attacks aren’t targeted scenarios, as seen with the Colonial Pipeline attack. “Attackers are opportunistic. Once they realize they’ve secured a potentially lucrative victim, they go all in — that’s when they become targeted attacks,” he added, explaining that while no defense can be bulletproof, putting up tougher barriers will force cybercriminals to move on to easier targets.  While many experts said it was important to have plans in place for how to recover from an attack, Gurucul CEO Saryu Nayyar said organizations had to implement defenses that could reduce their attack surface and detect ransomware attacks in real-time. “The technology is available. It’s just a matter of putting it in place and working diligently to identify and derail cybercriminals and malicious insiders before they derail you,” Nayyar told ZDNet.But even with a slate of cybersecurity tools available, many IT teams and CISOs do not have the full buy-in from the leaders of their organization. The letter may help justify requests for bigger cybersecurity budgets and more help, according to Digital Shadows CISO Rick Holland. “One comment that stands out to me from Neuberger’s memo is the need for a ‘skilled, empowered security team.’ We so often focus on technology to solve our problems,” Holland said. “Focus on your teams first; have dedicated training and development programs.” Doug Britton, CEO of Haystack Solutions, said that while the recommendations from the White House were accurate and worthwhile, the biggest problem is finding a team able to implement the measures. “Unfortunately, with hundreds of thousands of cyber positions unfilled in the US alone, the million-pound gorilla in the room is, ‘where are the qualified cyber practitioners that can expertly implement the recommendations?'” Britton said.  “Ideally, the national strategy will also rethink the underlying economics of identifying the potential talent, decreasing the cost of training the talent, and retaining that talent in industry.”Kulkarni echoed those remarks, noting that the need for a skilled security team was one area where the gap is the largest between aspiration and reality.”There are just not enough security personnel in the world to staff security teams in organizations today,” Kulkarni said. “What is needed is a combinatorial approach: accelerated and scaled-up security training in the country for security professionals plus training the general population about avoiding risky online behavior.” More

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    in Networking

    Broadcom ups fiscal Q3 outlook based on strong demand for processors

    Broadcom reported better-than-expected fiscal second quarter results and projected strong demand ahead from service providers and cloud vendors. The company reported second quarter net income of $1.49 billion, or $3.30 a share, on revenue of $6.61 billion, up 15% from a year ago. Non-GAAP earnings were $6.62 a share. Wall Street was looking for second quarter revenue of $6.5 billion with non-GAAP earnings of $6.43 a share. Broadcom’s semiconductors are used in data centers, networking gear, broadband and wireless devices as well as industrial. The software unit features enterprise mainframe, cybersecurity and automation and monitoring apps. As for the outlook, Broadcom projected third quarter revenue of $6.75 billion with adjusted EBITDA of about 60% of revenue. Analysts were modeling non-GAAP earnings of $6.59 a share on revenue of $6.6 billion.  CEO Hock Tan said the company saw strong chip sales across its portfolio and the third quarter will also be better than expected. “Our third quarter outlook projects this year-over-year growth to sustain, as we continue to see strong demand from service providers and hypercloud,” said Tan.

    In the second quarter, semiconductors were 73% of sales with software, led by CA Technologies, representing 27%. Both units showed growth from a year ago. More

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    in Artificial Intelligence

    Exploring the future of humanitarian technology

    The year 2030 serves as the resolution to the United Nation’s Agenda for Sustainable Development. The agenda, adopted in 2015 by all UN member states including the United States, mobilizes global efforts to protect the planet, end poverty, foster peace, and safeguard the rights of all people. Nine years out from the target date, the sustainable development goals of the agenda still remain ambitious, and as relevant as ever.

    MIT Lincoln Laboratory has been growing its efforts to provide technology solutions in support of such goals. “We need to discuss innovative ways that advanced technology can address some of these most pressing humanitarian, climate, and health challenges,” says Jon Pitts, who leads Lincoln Laboratory’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Systems Group.

    To help foster these discussions, Pitts and Mischa Shattuck, who serves as the senior humanitarian advisor at Lincoln Laboratory, recently launched a new lecture series, called the Future of Humanitarian Technology.

    In the inaugural session on April 28, Lincoln Laboratory researchers presented three topics inherently linked to each other — those of climate change, disaster response, and global health. The webinar was free and open to the public.

    Play video

    The Future of Humanitarian Technology: MIT Lincoln Laboratory hosted a seminar exploring climate change, disaster response, and global health technology and how these areas might look ten years from now.

    Accelerating sustainable technology

    Deb Campbell, a senior staff member in the HADR Systems Group, started the session with a discussion of how to accelerate the national and global response to climate change.

    “Because the timeline is so short and challenges so complex, it is essential to make good, evidence-based decisions on how to get to where we need to go,” she said. “We call this approach systems analysis and architecture, and by taking this approach we can create a national climate change resilience roadmap.”

    This roadmap implements more of what we already know how to do, for example utilizing wind and solar energy, and identifies gaps where research and development are needed to reach specific goals. One example is the transition to a fully zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) fleet in the United States in the coming decades; California has already directed that all of the state’s new car sales be ZEV by 2035. Systems analysis indicates that achieving this “fleet turnover” will require improved electric grid infrastructure, more charging stations, batteries with higher capacity and faster charging, and greener fuels as the transition is made from combustion engines.

    Campbell also stressed the importance of using regional proving grounds to accelerate the transition of new technologies across the country and globe. These proving grounds refer to areas where climate-related prototypes can be evaluated under the pressures of real-world conditions. For example, the Northeast has older, stressed energy infrastructure that needs upgrading to meet future demand, and is the most natural place to begin implementing and testing new systems. The Southwest, which faces water shortages, can test technologies for even more efficient use of water resources and ways to harvest water from air. Today, Campbell and her team are conducting a study to investigate a regional proving ground concept in Massachusetts.

    “We will need to continuously asses technology development and drive investments to meet these aggressive timelines,” Campbell added.

    Improving disaster response

    The United States experiences more natural disasters than any other country in the world and has spent $800 billion in last 10 years on recovery, which on average takes seven years.

    “At the core of disaster support is information,” said Chad Council, also a researcher in the HADR Systems Group. “Knowing where impacts are and the severity of those impact drives decisions on the quantity and type of support. This can lay the ground work for a successful recovery … We know that the current approach is too slow and costly for years to come.”

    By 2030, Council contends that the government could save lives and reduce costs by leveraging a national remote sensing platform for disaster response. It would use an open architecture that integrates advanced sensor data, field data, modeling, and analytics driven by artificial intelligence to deliver critical information in a standard way to emergency managers across the country. This platform could allow for highly accurate virtual site inspections, wide area search-and-rescue, determination of road damage at city-wide scales, and debris quantifications.

    “To be clear, there’s no one-size-fits-all sensor platform. Some systems are good for a large-scale disaster, but for a small disaster, it might be faster for local transportation department to fly a small drone to image damage,” Council said. “The key is if this national platform is developed to produce the same data as local governments are used to, then this platform will be familiar and trustworthy when that level of disaster response is needed.”

    Over the next two years, the team plans to continue to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. National Guard, national laboratories, and academia on this open architecture. In parallel, a prototype remote sensing asset will be shared across state and local governments to gain enthusiasm and trust. According to Council, a national remote sensing strategy for disaster response could be employed by the end of 2029.

    Predicting disease outbreaks

    Kajal Claypool, a senior staff member in the Biological and Chemical Technologies Group, concluded with a discussion on using artificial intelligence to predict and mitigate the spread of disease.

    She asks us to fast-forward nine years, and imagine we have convergence of three global health disasters: a new variant of Covid-30 spreading across globe, vector-borne diseases spreading in central and south America, and the first carrier with Ebola has flown into Atlanta. “Well, what if we were able to bring together data from existing surveillance systems, social media, environmental conditions, weather, political unrest, and migration, and use AI analytics to predict an outbreak down to a geolocation, and that first carrier never gets on the airplane?” she asked. “None of these are a far stretch.”

    Artificial intelligence has been used to tackle some of these ideas, but the solutions are one-offs and siloed, Claypool said. One of the greatest impediments to using AI tools to solve global health challenges is harmonizing data, the process of bringing together data of varying semantics and file formats and transforming it into one cohesive dataset.

    “We believe the right solution is to build a federated, open, and secure data platform where data can be shared across stakeholders and nations without loss of control at the nation, state, or stakeholder level,” Claypool said. “These siloes must be broken down and capabilities available for low- and middle-income nations.”

    Over next few years, the laboratory team aims to develop this global health AI platform, building it one disease and one region as a time. The proof of concept will start with malaria, which kills 1.2 million people annually. While there are a number of interventions available today to fight malaria outbreaks, including vaccines, Claypool said that the prediction of hot spots and the decision support needed to intervene is essential. The next major milestone would be to provide data-driven diagnostics and interventions across the globe for other disease conditions.

    “It’s an ambitious but achievable vision. It needs the right partnerships, trust, and vision to make this a reality, and reduce transmission of disease and save lives globally,” she said.

    Addressing humanitarian challenges is a growing R&D focus at Lincoln Laboratory. Last fall, the organization established a new research division, Biotechnology and Human Systems, to further explore global issues around climate change, health, and humanitarian assistance. 

    “Our goal is to build collaboration and communication with a broader community around all of these topics. They are all terribly important and complex and require significant global effort to make a difference,” Pitts says.

    The next event in this series will take place in September. More

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    in Networking

    Cisco's Webex fails to read the room and I just want to cry

    The joy of Webex. Apparently.
    Screenshot by ZDNet
    So you think the last year’s been difficult, do you?

    You think spending ten hours a day on Zoom calls and then being invited to a (compulsory) virtual Happy Hour wasn’t the ideal scenario for your turn of the decade life?You think being monitored to within an inch of your bathroom is somehow unreasonable?What a ingrate you must be. Working from home is a thing of uncontrolled joy.Please, I did write those words down, but they’re really not my sincere feelings toward you. They seem to be those of a brand you may know well. You see, I’ve been invaded by a piece of communication that has my eyebrows desperate for a fringe to hit and my eyes withering into tears.There I was wafting about Twitter and there was this promoted message from Cisco: “Webex: When work becomes joy.”

    You miserable person, you. You’ve been using Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. No wonder your work life has made you want to ululate to the rafters in anguish.If only, if only you’d been using Webex you’d be gushing positivity of Scientological proportions.But wait, you’ll be wondering how Cisco justifies this. I confess I was. Well, the ad, which is constantly being promoted in my Twitter feed, begins: “When you’re having one of those days where work just flows and you’re energized by the outcome….”We all have those days. How many have you had lately? Or have you been more energized by seven Red Bulls and a vodka chaser?And then our warm, breathy voiceover really says the words: “THIS is when work becomes joy.”Surely she’s kidding, I hear you hope. Surely she’s not suggesting that just by being on Webex you’ll experience raptures bordering on the unbecoming.

    Work doesn’t have to feel like work with Webex.— Webex (@Webex) May 12, 2021

    Well, here’s her next line: “This is what happens on Webex.”Has Webex not heard of all the research — some of the most interesting coming from Microsoft — that many employees (but certainly not all) are in despair at their working-from-home experiences over the last year? They’re burning out. They’re far, far more miserable than, say, their bosses.What will they think when they hear Cisco telling them working from home would be a joy if only they’d used Webex?And even those who have found working at home an unusually liberating experience, are they going to believe that all that stands between them and euphoria is Webex?I’m sorry if I sound oddly intemperate, but please could you do some research for me? Please could you ask all your Webex-using friends and colleagues how many have experienced such uncontrolled rapture that their eyes bulge in wonder?There does seem to be something peculiar going on in Webex’s marketing department. Not so long ago, it emitted an ad that tried to make Webex seem sexy rather than, say, Webex.In advertising, there’s suspension of disbelief and then there’s suspension of all your human and critical faculties.I’m sure Webex has many aspects that are very useful. [Editor’s note: Try Webex here to see for yourself if it delivers more joy than other popular conferencing platforms such as Blue Jeans, Teams and GoToMeeting.] I’m equally sure that using Webex does not suddenly transport you into paroxysms of celestial working-from-home uplift.Because it can’t. More

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    in Information Technology

    Run Windows software and more with this $35 Mac app bundle

    When things take longer than they should, it takes up time that can be much more enjoyably spent elsewhere. There’s no reason for that, when the problem may be that you just don’t have the right software. And if that’s the case, then all you need in order to boost your productivity is The All-Star Mac Bundle Featuring Parallels Pro. Fortunately, it’s being offered at a 30% discount for a very limited time, when you use the code ALLSTARMAC.

    For instance, you can streamline your operating systems usage by running macOS and Windows at the same time using the Parallels Pro: 1-Yr Subscription included in this bundle. Buyers really love this service, they gave it a remarkable 4.7 out of 5 stars rating on Trustpilot. Then you can protect your privacy forever, not only on your Mac but also on up to 5 other devices, with a lifetime subscription to FastestVPN. Since you don’t have to sacrifice speed for security, this is a critic’s choice. According to TenBestVPNs:”FastestVPN is one of the most promising VPN services in the market.”Once you’ve got your operations rolling along, you can really begin to turbocharge your productivity in perpetuity with what is arguably the most powerful contact manager you can use on a Mac, because a perpetual license to Busy Contacts is also part of this bundle. The Smart Filter and Tags features allow you to organize your contacts, plus you can sync with all the common cloud services and even integrate it with your social media accounts. While the Activity List keeps track of all your communications and other events with each contact.You will also get a lifetime license for both Macs and Windows to PDFChef, which lets you do everything you need to with pdf files, as well as a perpetual license for Moho Debut. That’s a fun 2D animation program you can use to make cartoons, videos, and more, even if you are a complete novice.Don’t miss this chance to get a 30% discount off The All-Star Mac Bundle Featuring Parallels Pro during the short time it’s available. Use the code ALLSTARMAC today and pay only $35.Prices subject to change.

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    in Information Technology

    Necro Python bot revamped with new VMWare, server exploits

    A recent Necro Python bot campaign has shown that the developer behind the malware is hard at work ramping up its capabilities.

    On Thursday, researchers from Cisco Talos published a report on Necro Python, a bot that has been in development since 2015. The botnet’s development progress was documented in January 2021 by both Check Point Research (CPR) and Netlab 360, tracked separately as FreakOut and Necro. The developer behind the Necro Python bot has made a number of changes to increase the power and versatility of the bot, including exploits for over 10 different web applications and the SMB protocol that are being weaponized in the bot’s recent campaigns. Exploits are included for vulnerabilities in software such as VMWare vSphere, SCO OpenServer, and the Vesta Control Panel.  A version of the botnet, released on May 18, also includes exploits for EternalBlue (CVE-2017-0144) and EternalRomance (CVE-2017-0147).  The bot will first attempt to exploit these vulnerabilities on both Linux and Windows-based operating systems. If successful, the malware uses a JavaScript downloader, Python interpreter and scripts, and executables created with pyinstaller to begin roping the compromised system into the botnet as a slave machine.  Necro Python will then establish a connection to a command-and-control (C2) server to maintain contact with its operator, receive commands, to exfiltrate data, or to deploy additional malware payloads.  A new addition to the bot is a cryptocurrency miner, XMRig, which is used to generate Monero (XMR) by stealing the compromised machine’s computing resources. 

    “The bot also injects the code to download and execute a JavaScript-based miner from an attacker-controlled server into HTML and PHP files on infected systems,” the researchers say. “If the user opens the infected application, a JavaScript-based Monero miner will run within their browser’s process space.” Other features include the ability to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, data exfiltration, and network sniffing.  A user-mode rootkit is also installed to establish persistence by ensuring the malware launches whenever a user logs in, and to hide its presence by burying malicious processes and registry entries.  Another upgrade of note is Necro Python’s polymorphic abilities. According to the researchers, the bot has a module to allow developers to view code as it would be seen by an interpreter before being compiled to bytecode, and this module has been integrated into an engine that could allow runtime modifications. The engine runs every time the bot is started and it will read its own file before morphing the code, a technique that can make bot detection more difficult.  “Necro Python bot shows an actor that follows the latest development in remote command execution exploits on various web applications and includes the new exploits into the bot,” Talos says. “This increases its chances of spreading and infecting systems. Users need to make sure to regularly apply the latest security updates to all of the applications, not just operating systems.” Previous and related coverage Have a tip? Get in touch securely via WhatsApp | Signal at +447713 025 499, or over at Keybase: charlie0 More

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    in Robotics

    Do AI-powered food robots put human jobs at risk?

    Throughout the pandemic, there’s been major interest in contactless, automation-driven consumer experiences in the food industry. Robots like Flippy from Miso Robotics, an autonomous line cook, and Briggo, a robotic barista, are gaining purchase among customers whose attitude toward automation has been rewired amid fears of contamination and an expectation of rapid service.What’s clear is that the robots are coming to the food industry. The food robotics market, estimated at $1.9 billion in 2020, is expected to reach $4.0 billion by 2026. Advances in robotics and AI, coupled with operational cost advantages and major consumer and retailer shifts, are driving the food industry to more rapidly embrace automation. So what does that mean for human workers?I put the question to the CEO of Blendid, a company whose first product is an autonomous juice kiosk that uses robotics, machine vision, artificial intelligence, and fresh ingredients to create customized smoothies. Vipin Jain, who co-founded the California-based business, disagrees with those who claim that robots put human jobs at risk in the food service industry. As a robotics advocate, Jain clearly has a stake in how his company’s robots are perceived. Still, his answers are an insightful peek at how robots are being sold to businesses and consumers and what the future of food service may well look like in the months and years to come.GN: What’s your sales pitch to partners like Walmart and Jamba, who may not have had integrated in-store robotics before?Vipin Jain: Our conversations with partners usually start with the business opportunity — robotic platforms like Blendid offer a new way to serve their customers while strengthening their brand offerings. Blendid brings fresh food options that are healthy, delicious, personalized to a consumer’s unique taste and preferences, and available any time of the day. We unlock the full potential of food service. And Blendid does all this while making it cost effective for consumers and economically very attractive for operators. Our robots are win/win for all! GN: Contactless is obviously having a moment. What are the other benefits to businesses and consumers of a robotic kiosk?Vipin Jain: We think the surge in interest is here to stay. The excitement around robotics in the food service industry goes well beyond the current contactless craze. Robotic food kiosks offer a wide range of benefits to both the operators and their retail guests.  

    From the operator’s perspective, the benefits of deploying autonomous robotic kiosks such as Blendid are all tightly tied to supporting their business. Automated robotic food platforms provide cost-effective and efficient fresh food options, opening the door for 24/7 operation with very minimal downtime to quickly restock fresh ingredients. The ability to offer fresh food in areas where it may not make operational sense otherwise, due to a small footprint or low traffic, opens new revenue streams. In fact, we’ve provided businesses (operators) with a very attractive unit economics – with cash-on-cash return of less than 18 months … almost unheard of in the food service industry!And from the perspective of their guests, the number one benefit that Blendid offers is easier access to healthy and delicious food, at odd hours of the day when there aren’t many food options. We see this at Walmart where more than a third of our sales are in after-hours. Consumers enjoy the safe, contactless ordering and order-ahead capabilities so they can schedule their order in advance and pick it up exactly when they want it. Better yet, that food can be customized to their unique taste and health preferences at affordable prices. Customizing food is normally extremely costly and time consuming with human operators, but easy with robots. Those cost savings are then passed on to consumers.Robots also add a bit of fun, we could even call it retail food entertainment. Consumers (adults and kids alike) LOVE watching our robot make their drink, pour it, and deliver it to them, right in front of their eyes. And when our robot has a little free time, it can even dance to some popular tunes! It builds confidence in food preparation while bringing a little delight in an otherwise busy or stressful day.GN: Clearly one of the things missing here is the human server. But it sounds like you think robots like yours aren’t a threat to humans, who will continue to play an integral role. Can you elaborate?Vipin Jain: The human server element continues to be a challenge for the food industry. Food service operators have been struggling to properly staff their operations for years. This was a major issue before the pandemic and has become worse post-pandemic. People who were doing entry-level food preparation or line cook jobs have moved on to other jobs such as driving for DoorDash or Amazon or working in construction, services or at other tech companies. In many areas, thousands of minimum-wage, food preparation jobs are going unstaffed, which is slowing down the recovery for food operators. This is where robotic food automation can help. Robots can handle the routine work, and humans can lead the interactive and specialized skill work – such as daily restocking and cleaning, interacting with consumers, deploying, monitoring and servicing robots, and building or programming these robots. Some of these jobs require minimal training and can provide better pay and lifestyle.  Adding robots into the mix might also help entice food service workers to jump back into the workforce as it adds a layer of support for some of the more tedious jobs — who wouldn’t want to say they work with robots?!?In addition, big stores like Walmart or franchise operators like Jamba are in a constant battle to recruit, train and retain staff — especially when it comes to food service and food prep roles. The robots add a layer of consistency that can help reduce the costs and headaches often associated with trying to fill (and repeatedly refill) these roles.The shift to embracing robotics in the food service industry is not about robots taking away jobs; it’s about robots filling jobs that can’t be filled and then opening up a range of new jobs for humans. Like with any technology advancement, roles and opportunities will change, but there will always be a need for human workers. We believe human capital is too precious to waste on routine and repetitive tasks.GN: Do you think your customers, as well as consumers, are more primed for consumer-facing robots than they have been in the past? Where are we in the adoption curve and what do you think will happen over the next, say, five years?Vipin Jain: Absolutely. Automated food solutions were growing before the pandemic, but the COVID-19 crisis poured gasoline on the fire. Business continuity became a challenge for many food service and retail companies. Suddenly businesses had to figure out how to offer food safely in a contactless manner and cost effectively.  The pandemic has pushed up the timeline considerably.  Based on the exponentially growing interest Blendid is receiving from prospective operators worldwide, mounting staffing challenges, and robotics cost reductions, I expect food robots to be pervasive within 5 years.  What used to be forward-thinking has become the current-thinking. This is the new “normal” for food service.  More