Enterprises using inaccurate data to make business decisions
According to a new study of 750 business and tech leaders, 58 percent say key business decisions are based on inaccurate or inconsistent data most of the time, if not always.
The research from IT consulting and digital services provider SoftServe shows the majority don’t understand the value of their data with 65 percent of all respondents believing no one at their organization understands all the data collected and how to access it.
Unpatched software: The silent gateway to cyber attacks and how AI-driven solutions can close the gap
Modern enterprises are under fire from all angles. Attackers have become increasingly sophisticated and persistent in how they target enterprise data and systems. But as the threat landscape has evolved and become more complex, one tried and true method for malicious attackers stands out as a weak point for nearly every enterprise attack surface: outdated software. As much as patch management has advanced in recent years, the fact remains that most organizations struggle to deploy patches consistently and effectively, and that leaves systems exposed to cyber attacks.
Cybercriminals have become quite adept at exploiting unpatched software, using it as an easy entry point into enterprise networks. Malicious actors have developed an incredibly sophisticated understanding of where enterprise weak points are. In fact, most criminal operators have a deeper understanding of enterprise attack surfaces than the security teams tasked with defending them. Enterprise networks often consist of hundreds of thousands of IT assets, and every single unpatched instance represents an opportunity for attackers to compromise data and operations.
Elections and increasing censorship spark hike in VPN use
With authoritarian governments increasingly turning to censorship to silence dissent, limit information, and manipulate public opinion, it's perhaps not surprising that more people are turning to VPNs.
A new report from Proton VPN finds 2024 saw spikes in signups in 119 countries, including six countries with at least one spike in signups of over 5,000 percent, and four countries with at least one spike in signups of over 10,000 percent.
Over half of UK financial institutions suffer third-party supply chain attacks
New research from Orange Cyberdefense shows that 58 percent of large UK financial services firms suffered at least one third-party supply chain attack in 2024, with 23 percent being targeted three or more times.
The research suggests that firms must re-evaluate how they assess third-party risk. 44 percent of FS institutions only assess third-party risk during the initial supplier onboarding stage, while a similar proportion (41 percent) perform periodic risk assessments. Crucially, just 14 percent follow the gold standard of continuously assessing risk and using dedicated third-party risk management tools.
Microsoft makes massive MIDI improvements for musicians using Windows 11
The MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard is decades old, but still going strong. It continues to serve musicians, making it possible to reliably connect a range of instruments to computers. With the latest update to Windows 11, Microsoft ushers in some significant MIDI improvements.
The launch of Windows 11 build 27788 sees the arrival of Windows MIDI Services Public Preview. Microsoft describes this as “our complete rewrite of MIDI on Windows with a focus on a great experience for musicians and a strong foundation for future expansion and enhancement”. Importantly, there is now full support for MIDI 2.0.
Google is the latest tech firm to drop diversity hiring targets following Trump’s executive orders
President Trump has issued a slew of executive orders in the early days of his second stint in the White House. Among these are several designed to cut back on government and federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that helped to boost job opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Following the executive orders and court rulings, numerous firms -- including tech companies such as Amazon and Meta -- announced that they were rolling back, revising, or killing off their DEI hiring targets. Now Google has followed suit.
Super Bowl LIX will stream in 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for the first time
The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and I suppose I’m excited. As a New York Jets fan, I can never truly enjoy football -- it’s a miserable existence. However, I enjoy all things sports, so even though I hate both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles (and refuse to cheer on either team), I will still tune in and watch the big game.
This year, you can watch the Super Bowl in 4K for free, which is definitely cool, but taking things a step further, if you have Xfinity TV service and the right hardware, you can experience the game in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos too. This upgrade is part of Comcast’s new “Enhanced 4K offering” on X1.
Ubuntu Linux on WSL gets massive upgrade with new tar-based install that makes Microsoft Store optional
If you are a Linux fan that is forced to use Microsoft Windows for some reason, you know how valuable Windows Subsystem for Linux is. If you aren’t familiar, WSL allows you to run a Linux environment from within Windows -- no virtual machine needed. It’s pretty wonderful.
Well, folks, today, Ubuntu on WSL gets a very useful upgrade that both developers and enterprises should really love. You see, thanks to Microsoft’s new tar-based distribution format, Ubuntu can now be installed and managed without relying on the Microsoft Store. That’s right, y’all -- no more struggling with Store-related headaches.
Rate of DMARC adoption doubles thanks to bulk sender requirements
A year on from Google and Yahoo implementing stricter requirements for bulk email senders, the rate of DMARC adoption has more than doubled.
A new study from Red Sift, based on the tracking of 72.85 million apex domains, shows the number of organizations adopting DMARC is up 2.32 million as of 18 December 2024.
This isn't just a web browser -- it's your new secret weapon for well-being, focus and relaxation
Just how many web browsers does the world need? Norwegian browser specialist Opera thinks the more the merrier. It’s just launched Opera Air Stable 116.0 for macOS and Windows, designed to improve user focus and well-being.
The new release sits alongside the browser’s other offerings, its main Opera browser, and the infinitely customizable Opera GX, aimed at the gamer community.
60 percent of organizations fail to keep pace with AI-driven data changes
According to a new report, 60 percent of respondents claim that their organization is failing to keep pace with data changes resulting from AI demands.
In addition, the study from Immuta shows that traditional data architecture challenges persist, with nearly half of organizations identifying compliance and privacy as primary data concerns, and 64 percent citing significant challenges in providing timely and secure access to data for authorized users.
Phishing-as-a-Service kits see a surge as threat actors target weaknesses
A new report from LevelBlue reveals an increase in the use of Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) kits, with business email compromise (BEC) remaining the most common form of
attack.
Because PhaaS kits are increasingly accessible, it's easier for threat actors to carry out advanced phishing attacks with minimal technical knowledge. According to the LevelBlue Threat Trends Report, there's a new PhaaS, known as RaccoonO365, on the block too. This kit uses methods that can intercept user credentials and multi-factor authentication (MFA) session cookies to bypass these common defensive measures.
Data breaches in UK legal sector up over a third
Analysis by NetDocuments of information collected by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) reveals a sharp increase in data breaches across the UK legal sector.
The report shows that in the period between Q3 2023 and Q2 2024, the number of identified data breaches in the UK legal sector rose by 39 percent (2,284 cases were reported to the ICO, compared to 1,633 the previous year).
PNY launches PRO Elite V3, Elite-X Fit, and Elite USB-C flash drives
Believe it or not, in the flash drive world, USB-A models are still the most common. Yes, folks, despite USB-C being far superior, consumers have been slow to adopt flash drives with the better connector.
Thankfully, companies are still producing USB-C flash drives despite the slow adoption. For example, today, PNY has launched a trio of new USB Type-C flash drives. The lineup includes the PRO Elite V3, Elite-X Fit, and Elite models.
MIXX Revival 55 record player blends retro design with modern Bluetooth
While I am a huge fan of steaming music for convenience, vinyl will always have a special place in my heart. You see, I have spent countless hours in record stores shopping for hip-hop on vinyl. Believe it or not, many of the records in my vast collection are not even on steaming services.
Do I listen to my vinyl ever? Unfortunately, no. Why? Because these days, I don’t even have a record player set up in my house. Sadly, I don’t have the space to dedicate to a player and stereo. This may change, however, thanks to a cool new portable record player from MIXX.
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