Forget about artificial general intelligence. AI agents will rock your world in the coming weeks and months. If fewer companies are paying ransoms, why is the total amount paid almost double from last year? Testing devices known as flippers are banned in Canada. Virus information about toothbrushes being infected with malware turned out to be a translation error.
All of this and more is in this tongue-in-cheek edition of Hashtag Trends. I'm your host, Jim Love. He is his CIO for IT World in Canada and TechNewsDay in the US.
OpenAI has hinted that it is on the verge of releasing an AI agent that will transform the way complex tasks are handled on devices.
These agents, whose launch schedule remains secret, promise to automate tasks that previously required human intervention and could reshape the employment landscape in certain sectors. There is sex.
Imagine an AI that can transfer data from documents to spreadsheets, fill out and process expense reports, or manage input into accounting software.
Automation beyond that level already exists. This allows AI to perform tasks similar to humans, such as clicking a mouse, moving a cursor, and entering text between different applications.
Until now, communication between AI and other applications has been done through programmatically developed functionality and structured application program interfaces (APIs).
This new kind of agent doesn't need that. Just by learning and navigating the web, you can autonomously devise and execute strategies to drive results for end users.
This will cause all sorts of problems. How to obtain and secure permission for AI to control devices. These devices store large amounts of private data, raising questions about privacy and data security, where files are stored, and to what extent this private interaction can be used to train future AI models.
The world is waiting to see what OpenAI will do, but this is not theoretical. Working applications using agents already exist on the market, one of which is Rabbit R1, which he announced at CES this year.
I'll be doing a special article about this on ITWorldCanada.com as part of my Best of YouTube series. Please pay attention within the next 1-2 days.
Sources include: Android Authority
In 2023, ransomware attacks not only intensified, but also marked a strategic shift toward higher-profile targets, including critical infrastructure sectors such as healthcare, education, and government. All this according to a new report from a company called Chainanaracy.
There was a notable spike in ransomware activity during the year, with attackers exploiting vulnerabilities in widely used software such as MOVEit, affecting organizations from the BBC to British Airways.
This aggressive approach led ransomware gangs to amass more than $1 billion in crypto payments from victims, marking a record year for ransomware revenue.
After a brief decline in 2022, ransomware's resurgence in 2023 highlights the adaptability and resilience of cybercriminals.
Despite efforts to curb their activity and reports that fewer companies are paying ransoms, ransomware gangs appear to be refining their strategies, focusing on more lucrative and effective attacks. . This change has not only increased financial risk, but also highlighted significant operational and reputational risks for affected organizations.
Other key insights from Chaina Analysis reports include:
– The economic impact of ransomware extends beyond paying the ransom, with companies like MGM Resorts facing over $100 million in damages even though they did not pay the ransom.
– Law enforcement interventions, such as the FBI’s infiltration of the Hive ransomware operation, have had some success in mitigating the impact of ransomware by preventing payments of millions of dollars.
– The ransomware ecosystem is evolving, with the rise of the Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) model and early access brokers making it easier for cybercriminals to penetrate and expanding the threat landscape.
In 2024, ransomware threats continue, with new variants and tactics emerging. The continued innovation by ransomware attackers and the profits they derive from their operations suggests that ransomware will continue to be a major challenge. Insights for 2023 highlight the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures, international cooperation, and the development of strategies to disrupt the economic incentives that drive ransomware attacks.
Sources of information are:
In a decisive step to stem the rise in auto theft, the Canadian government announced plans to ban the import, sale and use of Flipper Zero devices, along with similar gadgets identified as tools for auto theft. Flipper Zero is a versatile penetration testing tool designed for experimenting and debugging a variety of hardware and digital devices, allowing you to unlock your car, open your garage door, clone digital keys, and more. It is the subject of intense scrutiny as it is capable of carrying out replay attacks.
Canadian Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne urged this regulatory action, highlighting the government's concerns about the sophisticated tools used by criminals to steal cars. The announcement follows a national summit on combating car theft and reflects the government's determination to tackle the problem head-on.
Statistics Canada reports that approximately 90,000 vehicles are stolen each year. He reports that a theft occurs every six minutes, resulting in losses of $1 billion annually, including insurance costs. The surge in auto thefts has had a major impact on the country's Crime Severity Index, with auto theft being the main driver of his 2022 Crime Severity Index increase.
The government's Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) department will work with law enforcement agencies to remove devices like Flipper Zero from the Canadian market. However, Flipper Devices, the company that developed Flipper Zero, claims that its device cannot be used to steal vehicles manufactured after the 1990s because of its modern security system that employs rolling codes. They claim that Flipper Zero is intended for security testing and development, and that precautions are in place to prevent abuse.
The ban comes amid widespread concerns over the use of the technology in criminal activities, with Amazon announcing that it is using card-skimming technology in the wake of Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency's action to seize incoming purchases for suspected criminal use. Sales of Flipper Zero will be prohibited from April 2023 as it is a device. .
Sources include: BleepingComputer
In a world where smart devices are becoming increasingly popular, a recent article in Switzerland's Aargauer Zeitung newspaper claims that hackers have launched a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on approximately 3 million toothbrushes connected to the internet. It caused a huge stir when it was reported that the attack had been carried out. The story quickly spread, with damages suggested to be in the millions of euros. However, cybersecurity firm Fortinet, cited as a source for this information, clarified that this attack scenario was purely hypothetical and was presented during an interview to illustrate the type of cyber attack. It is believed that the confusion was caused by a translation error.
Major publications such as ZDNet, Tom's Hardware, and The Sun reported on the incident, demonstrating how hypothetical scenarios can easily be mistaken for real events.
It's nothing fancy. Smart devices are often vulnerable and poorly protected, and there are documented cases of attacks against smart devices.
But in retrospect, some may wonder whether we all should have been more skeptical.
I saw this article and didn't agree with it, but it's not because of my journalistic talent. I didn't think that was the best story to run. It was a bit sensational and already had a better story with a humorous twist at the end.
So I took it off the brush.
Therefore, I am not going to question the journalists who reported this story. But while I hope this makes us all more wary, it also made me think that we live in a world where this story is actually believable.
Sources include: Axios and several others.
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