Massive “Meltdown” flaw found in world’s computers

 And you should stop putting off that software update. [The Hustle]( Fri, Jan 5 Brought to you by [Robinhood Markets, LLC]( invest in stocks, not fees. “Major security flaws” were just discovered in the world’s computer chips. What does that mean for you? This week, researchers announced they’d discovered [2 enormous security slip-ups]( that likely affect the “vast majority” of computers, servers, and smartphones built in the past 20 years. The flaws, which affect every device that runs on a chip processor, may allow hackers to steal the entirety of your devices’ memory -- and they’ve launched the big dogs (Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft) into software update panic mode. What are the flaws? There are 2: Meltdown (which affects only Intel processors), and Spectre (which affects all processors) -- both fairly similar. See, the processors on your computers and smart devices run tons of small calculations per second to perform tasks. As a form of workflow optimization, they also preemptively perform tasks that are not necessarily needed. This is called "speculative execution” (in-depth description [here](. The processor works in tandem with your device, performing calculations (and storing tiny bits of data) from a range of applications simultaneously. Researchers have found that this could potentially [let bad actors]( access protected parts of your device’s memory. How might it affect you? In theory, hackers could trick you into downloading malicious software on your computer, then use these flaws to [access]( things like passwords, personal photos, emails, or documents. Since servers also run on affected processors, they could also log into a cloud account and use the Meltdown flaw to [bypass security protocols]( and access multiple users’ information simultaneously. Though these flaws have existed for 2 decades, there haven’t been any documented cases of hackers taking advantage of them… yet. How to protect yourself Luckily, most big companies have already taken action against meltdown. Microsoft has released a [patch update]( for Windows 10; the current version of Android is currently protected; browsers including [Google Chrome]( and Mozilla Firefox have pending updates; and [Apple's]( version of their OS, 10.13.2, protects against meltdown. More generally, if you haven’t done so already, you should immediately enable [two-factor authentication]( on your devices and get a [password manager]( set up. Note: special thanks to our engineer, Wes, for helping us understand how processors work. Always use protection (AKA, 2-factor)  Zuckerberg’s 2018 resolution: do his job Amid the onslaught of controversies surrounding Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg vowed in a Facebook post to make it his [“personal challenge”]( in the new year to address and fix the book’s recent problems. Seems like that goal should be implied for the founder of Facebook… but historically, Zuck’s [yearly challenges]( have focused on other things like: traveling to every state he’s never been to, learning Mandarin, or building his own robot. But, in the meantime, the Newsfeed festered Over the past few years, the Facebook has become a [breeding ground]( for #fakenews, ad fraud, and extremism. Fake accounts, specifically made by Russia, exploited a major chink in Facebook’s [armor]( using it to target politically divisive ads, while some newer features, like Facebook Live, have fallen into malicious hands, sandblasting hate and violence into user eyeballs. But that was FB 2017, 2018’s gonna be… better? In his [Facebook declaration]( Zuck recognizes people have “lost faith” in Facebook’s creed to break down centralized power, and layed out his ever-vague plan to get “groups of experts together to discuss and help work through [their recent issues.]” Yet, the question remains, shouldn’t he have been working on this the whole time? [Eh, work is boring, man…](  Volkswagen and Hyundai aim to have self-driving taxis by 2021 As the race toward an autonomous taxi heats up, automaking giants [Hyundai and Volkswagen]( announced Thursday they’ll both be getting into bed with new(ish) self-driving startup Aurora. While car companies are all jumping at once to [get in the self-driving mix]( Volkswagen and Hyundai join a few other automakers in the belief that ride-hailing services are the ticket to marketing road-ready autonomy. According to TechCrunch, both companies are aiming to operate autonomous taxis on a “commercial scale” by 2021. So what is Aurora? Started by ex-Waymo employee Chris Urmson and ex-Tesla’s Autopilot software engineer Sterling Anderson, the company had a promising lineage from the get-go. Last April, the startup raised north of [$3m]( in funding, and a month before Google sued Uber over alleged “secret-stealing,” Tesla filed a [similar suit]( Aurora -- so ya know they gotta be goooood. Looks like the automated taxi trend may be a tell With factors like [high vehicle costs]( looming, the path to getting autonomous vehicles on the market has been a mess, leaving automakers and tech companies scratching their eager heads. But Hyundai and Volkswagen aren’t going at this alone: other major automakers like Ford and GM are in the mix to shake up the autonomous ride-hailing scene -- and the race between established giants and tech titans like Uber and Google may soon get these things on the road. [As if Uber didn’t have enough to worry about.](  Bankrupt Westinghouse bought for $4.6B -- is US nuclear making a comeback? Nuclear has been nothing but trouble for US energy companies in the past few years, but it looks like the reactor space is heating back up. Canadian infrastructure investor Brookfield Asset Management has agreed to purchase struggling nuclear company [Westinghouse Electric for $4.6B]( -- a day after utility company Dominion Energy [acquired SCANA Corp for $14.6B]( with 2 unfinished nuclear reactors. Nuclear has had a rocky road in the states In the past decade, nuclear power has been a money pit for anyone who touches it. Since acquiring Westinghouse in 2006, Toshiba’s taken a $6.3B write-down on its 4 nuclear reactors, thanks to complications with construction that put projects over budget and over-deadline. Meanwhile, SCANA -- who partnered with Westinghouse to construct their 2 reactors -- also announced their plan to halt their $9B reactor project back in July (it’s unclear whether Dominion plans to pick up production again). So why is Brookfield buying? There’s speculation that the Trump administration will be as [bullish on nuclear]( as he’s been for other once out of favor power sources. And, as the only US company granted permits for new nuclear power plants since the Three Mile Island mishap, Westinghouse is a major gatekeeper to the industry -- if they can get their sh*t together. [Buses and construction -- never on time](  Just to clarify: Yesterday, in our ‘raw’ water piece, we lumped the company Zero Mass Water in as a player in the ‘raw’ water movement. But, unlike Live Water and a few others, Zero Mass Water markets a technology that “pulls pure water from vapor in the air, yielding clean drinking water.” Apologies for the mix-up.   friday shower thoughts - Home is where it smells like nothing. - If the current Queen sent all the people she’s knighted into battle, all those celebrity singers would likely be slaughtered. - Waking up in the middle of the night and realizing you aren't alone is either the best or the worst feeling. - Classic Rock stations have about 200 songs that they've played continuously for the last 40 years. - Smelling is just breathing normally and thinking about it more. - via [Reddit]( This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by The only investing lingo you need to know: Robinhood Bulls, bears, and blue chips. Lost? Yeah, so are most of us. Today’s finance jargon is exactly what you’d expect when you leave rich old dudes in a bank for 60 years. 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