Embracing Digital This Week

News and stories from the Week of May 01, 2023, in Digital Transformation, including cyberattacks and intelligent edge, non-verbal communication AI, and company merges in the IoT space.

Artificial Intelligence

The AI backlash begins: Fans of Snapchat are expressing their discontent with using ChatGPT-powered bots on the platform, marking a backlash against AI. Users criticize the lack of human-like responses and the inability to differentiate between actual and AI-generated content. The incident highlights growing concerns and the need for a balanced implementation of AI in social media platforms.

AI-equipped eyeglasses read non-verbal/silent speech. Cornell University researchers have developed a silent-speech recognition interface that uses acoustic sensing and artificial intelligence to continuously recognize up to 31 unvocalized commands based on lip and mouth movements. The low-power, wearable interface -- EchoSpeech -- requires just a few minutes of user training data before it recognizes commands and can run on a smartphone. I swear my Grandparents knew how to do this 40 years ago. They communicated well with just a head nod, a smirk, and a smile.

Can AI chatbots replace bosses? A startup named Aesthetic explores the potential of AI-powered chatbots in taking over managerial tasks, offering guidance, answering questions, and managing workflows. While efficient, some argue that human qualities like empathy are irreplaceable. Is the combination of human and AI interaction the best approach for effective leadership in the workplace?

CyberSecurity

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is seeking public comments on a draft directive requiring federal agencies to attest to software security practices. The directive aims to enhance the security of software supply chains, and the comment period is open until May 3, 2023.

Ransomware attackers have evolved tactics, as revealed in a CrowdStrike report, resorting to coercive methods to extort payments from victims. In addition to encrypting data, these tactics involve threatening physical harm, exposing stolen information to the media, and even targeting victims' families. Organizations need to stay vigilant and adapt their defenses to counter these new strategies to mitigate the impact of ransomware attacks and protect their valuable data from exploitation.

Cold storage provider Americold experienced a network breach that led to a widespread outage affecting multiple systems. The company confirmed the incident but did not disclose the nature of the breach or the extent of the impact. As a precautionary measure, Americold temporarily shut down specific systems and engaged external cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach. Customer data is believed to be secure, and the company is working to restore full functionality.

Intelligent Edge

Akamai Technologies has acquired NeoSec, a cybersecurity startup focused on API security, to strengthen its capabilities in detecting and responding to API-based attacks. The acquisition will enhance Akamai's security offerings and provide customers with improved protection against threats targeting application programming interfaces. Akamai aims to address the evolving cybersecurity landscape by expanding its security portfolio and offering enhanced solutions to combat API-related risks.

Zadara and Kasten by Veeam have partnered to deliver a comprehensive data protection solution for Kubernetes environments. Combining Zadara's zCompute, zStorage, and Kasten's K10 platform, the solution offers backup, disaster recovery, and application mobility. It enables seamless application movement across Kubernetes clusters, including Zadara's Global Edge Cloud locations. The collaboration addresses the need for agile, cost-effective storage solutions, protecting cloud-native applications in Kubernetes while supporting various databases. Additionally, Zadara recently launched its c9 Flex-N Infrastructure-as-a-Service Platform in Japan in collaboration with BroadBand Tower.