The problem of unstructured data in foundation models [Q&A]

Artificial intelligence is only as good as the data that it has to work with and that means that large volumes of information are needed to train the software in order to get the best results.
Ensuring the quality of data therefore is a key task in any AI implementation. We talked to the CEO of Snorkel AI, Alex Ratner, to find out more about the issues involved and how organizations can overcome them.
Cybercriminals increasingly using legitimate websites to hide malicious payloads

A new report shows a 121 percent increase in cybercriminals using legitimate websites to obfuscate malicious payloads.
The report from Egress, based on data from its Egress Defend cloud email security solution, shows YouTube, Amazon AWS, Google Docs, Firebase Storage, and DocuSign to be the top 10 most frequently used sites.
Advanced phishing attacks grow 365 percent

A new report has identified a 356 percent growth in the number of advanced phishing attacks attempted by threat actors in 2022.
The study from threat detection specialist Perception Point also shows that the overall number of attacks increased by 87 percent.
Two-thirds of UK IT leaders think GDPR has harmed consumer trust

Five years on from the introduction of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), 66 percent of UK IT leaders polled in a new survey from Macro4 say the regulation has made customers less willing to trust businesses with their personal information.
On its introduction the landmark legislation was hailed as raising awareness of the need to protect personal information. Indeed a year after its introduction 36 percent of adults said it made them trust organizations more with their data.
Cyber insurance gets more expensive as ransomware attacks target backup storage

A new report reveals that 93 percent of ransomware attacks are now targeting backup storage as a way of ensuring payment.
The report from Veeam also shows that the success of attacks is having an impact on enterprises' ability to get insurance cover. 21 percent of organizations say that ransomware is now specifically excluded from their policies.
Half of organizations fell victim to spear phishing in 2022

The latest spear phishing trends report from Barracuda Networks shows that 50 percent of organizations studied were victims of spear-phishing in 2022, with 24 percent having at least one email account compromised through account takeover.
The report draws on a data set that comprises 50 billion emails across 3.5 million mailboxes, including nearly 30 million spear-phishing emails, as well as a survey by Vanson Bourne of IT professionals from frontline to the most senior roles at 1,350 companies.
Why AI still needs human intervention [Q&A]

There have been a number of instances lately where the line between artificial intelligence and artificial stupidity has been a pretty thin one. Microsoft's Bing insisting that we're still in 2022, or Google's Bard serving up factual errors, for example.
These problems show that human intervention is still key to getting the best from AI/ML models. We spoke to chief product officer at Tamr, Anthony Deighton, to discuss how organizations can leverage AI/ML while also keeping the key human component of the process.
Proton launches a family privacy and security plan

Online security and privacy can be difficult to achieve in a household environment, with different people using a range of devices. Proton, the company behind a number of privacy-focused services like Proton Mail and Proton VPN, may have the answer with the launch of a new family plan.
Proton Family offers an all-in-one digital security and privacy solution designed for families. The plan offers up to six family members access to Proton's premium services and features, including end-to-end encryption for emails, calendars, file storage, password management, and VPN protection.
Introverts are more likely to embrace AI

People who score low on the extraversion scale are more likely to embrace AI and have fewer concerns about using it -- compared to their high-extraversion colleagues, who express more reservations.
This is among the findings of new research from SnapLogic which shows other personality traits have an impact too. Those who score high on agreeableness and 'openness to experience' are more likely to have concerns about making mistakes when using AI.
80 percent of businesses are not ready for Windows 11

Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14 2025, just over two years away. But new research from Lansweeper shows that eight out of 10 businesses are still running it.
Windows 11 is gradually creeping into the enterprise but the process is slow. October 2022, data from Lansweeper shows just 2.61 percent of Windows 11 compatible devices were running Windows 11. Recently updated Windows 11 adoption rate figures show that this has now increased to 5.47 percent.
Are you planning ahead for the MySQL 5.7 end of life? [Q&A]

The popular database MySQL version 5.7 hits end of life status on the 31st of October 2023, just a few months away.
This means organizations that are running MySQL 5.7 will have to plan ahead on their options for the future. Dave Stokes, technology evangelist at Percona, spoke to us about some of the choices that will need to be made as well as how to get started on the process.
How AI is being used to spread misinformation

A new research paper from ShadowDragon examines how AI, such as ChatGPT, is being used to spread hate and misinformation via fake reviews and deepfakes.
Written by Nico Dekens, director of intelligence, collection innovation at ShadowDragon, the paper looks at how to identify AI-generated materials online that are intentionally spreading false information or worse.
Email is seen as the enterprise channel most vulnerable to attacks

The majority of organizations use six or more communication tools, across channels, with email being the single channel seen as the most vulnerable to attacks.
Of those responding to a new survey by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) and Armorblox of almost 500 IT and security professionals, 38 percent see email as the most vulnerable channel.
How DevSecOps can mitigate the cyber risks of emerging technologies [Q&A]

The technology world never stands still for very long and as new technologies emerge so too do new threats. With things like quantum computing on the verge of becoming mainstream it's important to understand their security implications.
We spoke to Archie Agarwal, founder and CEO of ThreatModeler to discuss how DevSecOps can help to identify and mitigate these new threats to cloud services.
Securing APIs is a top priority, yet many don't have dedicated security solutions

The security of APIs remains a top cybersecurity concern this year, according to a new study, yet there is still a lack of dedicated API security for many companies.
Research from TraceableAI, carried out at this year's RSA conference, finds that though 69 percent of organizations claim to factor APIs into their cybersecurity strategy, 40 percent of companies do not have dedicated professionals or teams for API security.