Top morning business and technology headlines for Oct. 18, 2017:

· IBM shares are trading higher after the company's recent earnings beat expectations. Still, IBM had its 22nd straight quarters of falling revenue. The New York-based company, like several other legacy tech companies, has been trying to transition from selling IT hardware to providing cloud services. 

· Twitter is putting new rules in place to protect users from abuse and harassment. RECODE reports that there will be a tougher stance on non-consensual nudity and images shared without the other person's permission. Users who share the content won't just have their account permanently suspended. Twitter is still working on how it will crack down on hate symbols and violent groups.

· Facebook is bringing the drama. The social media site has signed "Scandal" star Kerry Washington to work on a scripted drama. It's called "Five Points" and will be based around high school students on the South Side of Chicago. Washington is the executive producer of the show, which will air on Watch, Facebook's platform for original.