Guarding Against Holiday Cyber Scammers

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Rachael Medhurst, Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Cyber Security NCSA, University of South Wales

The festive season is a time for joy, family and festive cheer. However, it’s also a prime target for cybercriminals. As online shopping ramps up, so does the risk of falling prey to cyber-attacks. That’s why it’s crucial to be extra vigilant about your cybersecurity during this time.

Here are some essential tips to safeguard yourself and your data during the festive period:

Phishing

Phishing is when criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to trick their victims. Their goal is often to make you visit a certain website, which may download a virus on to your computer, or steal bank details or other personal data.

This type of scam tends to increase at this time due to the amount of people having bought or received new gadgets and technology.

Look out for there being no direct reference to your name in any communications, with wording such as “Dear Sir/Madam” or other terms such as “valued customer” being used instead. Grammar and spelling mistakes are also often present.

Be wary of any suspicious links or attachments within emails too, and don’t click them. It’s better to contact the company directly to check if the message is genuine. You can also report suspicious messages and phishing scams to the government’s National Cyber Security Centre.

Shopping safely online

The convenience of online shopping is undeniable, especially during the festive season. However, it’s crucial to prioritise your security when buying online.

Before entering your personal and financial information on any website, ensure it’s legitimate and secure. Look for the “https” in the address bar and a padlock icon, which indicates a secure and encrypted connection.

When creating passwords for online shopping accounts, use strong, unique combinations of letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts, as a breach on one site could compromise all your others.

As with shopping in the real world, be cautious when encountering offers that are significantly below usual prices or which make extravagant promises. Always conduct thorough research on the seller and product before making a purchase. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

And if you are out shopping in towns or city centers, there will often be a large number of public Wi-Fi options available to you. However, criminals can intercept the data that is transferred across such open and unsecured Wi-Fi. So, avoid using public Wi-Fi where possible, especially when conducting any financial transactions.

Social media

While social media platforms provide people with a means to keep in touch with family and friends over the festive period, they are often a goldmine for scams and malware (software designed to disrupt, damage or gain unauthorised access to a computer). In the spirit of the festive season, people often share an abundance of personal information on social media, often without considering the potential consequences.

This trove of data can make people vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Scammers can exploit this information to gain unauthorised access to social media accounts, steal personal information, or even commit identity theft. To protect yourself, be mindful of what you share.

Be wary when interacting with posts and direct messages, especially if they contain suspicious links or attachments. Before clicking on anything, hover over the link to verify its destination. If it shows a website you don’t recognise or seems unrelated to the message, do not click on it. If you receive a message from someone you know but the content seems strange or out of character, contact them directly through a trusted channel to verify its authenticity.

Likewise, be wary of messages containing urgent requests for money or personal information from businesses. Genuine organisations will never solicit sensitive details through social media.

There are many buy and sell platforms available on social media. But while such platforms can be a great place to find a unique gift, it is also important to remember that not all sellers may be legitimate. So, it’s vital that you don’t share your bank details. If the seller sends a link to purchase the item, do not use it. When meeting to collect an item, it’s generally safer to use cash rather than transferring funds electronically.

Package delivery scams

As well as being a time for giving and receiving gifts, the festive season is also ripe for cybercriminals to exploit the excitement surrounding package deliveries.

Scammers often pose as legitimate delivery companies, sending emails or text messages claiming that a delivery attempt was unsuccessful or requiring additional fees for processing, or even customs clearance. Typically, these messages contain links or phone numbers that, when clicked or called, lead to fake websites or automated phone systems designed to collect personal information or payments.

To protect yourself, always verify the legitimacy of any delivery notifications you receive. Check the sender’s email address or phone number against the official contact information for the delivery company. If the information doesn’t match or seems suspicious, don’t click any links or provide personal details.

Legitimate delivery companies will never ask for upfront payment or sensitive information through unsolicited messages or calls.

Remember, cybercriminals are skilled at manipulating the festive spirit to their advantage. Stay vigilant, exercise caution, and don’t let your excitement for gifts and deliveries compromise your cybersecurity.

Source: https://nation.cymru/news/how-to-protect-yourself-from-cyber-scammers-over-the-festive-period/

AI Poses Growing Threat To Next General Election

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Advances in artificial intelligence pose a growing threat to the integrity of the next general election in the UK, Britain’s cyber security agency has warned.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said countries such as Russia would likely seek to meddle with the outcome of the poll – which must take place by January 2025 – as well as other major elections in western democracies in the coming year, including in the United States.=

In an annual review of a broad range of cyber security issues, the agency, which is part of GCHQ, warned about the prospect of increasingly realistic, deepfake videos and other forms of disinformation designed to influence voter preferences.

“While the UK’s use of paper voting in general elections makes it significantly harder to interfere with our elections, the next election will be the first to take place against the backdrop of significant advances in AI,” it said.

“But rather than presenting entirely new risks, it is AI’s ability to enable existing techniques which poses the biggest threat.”

This included fabricated online posts at speed and deepfake campaigns spread across social media at great speed.

“Any interference or attempts to undermine our political discourse are completely unacceptable and the UK government is committed to enhancing our capabilities and countering the threat from online harms, such as disinformation,” the NCSC said.

It described how the “threat landscape” had evolved “significantly” since the last UK general election in 2019, in particular in the wake of Russia’s war with Ukraine.

People at Shefford Town Memorial Association to cast their vote in the Mid Bedfordshire by-election. Picture date: Thursday October 19, 2023.

That conflict “has made the prospect of influencing the political discourse in democracies ever more attractive to state actors”, the agency said.

It also warned about the emergence of cyber actors that are aligned with malign states such as Russia and share the same ideological goals but can act with less restraint, calling this category “a new class of adversary for the UK to counter”.

“The NCSC assesses that democratic events, such as elections, almost certainly represent attractive targets for malicious actors and so organisations and individuals need to be prepared for threats, old and new,” the NCSC said.

In response, the UK has set up a Defending Democracy Taskforce and a Joint Election Security Preparedness unit.

As well as a focus on Russia, the NCSC report agency also flagged the ongoing cyber threat posed by China, Iran and North Korea.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/ai-poses-growing-threat-to-next-general-election-warns-uk-cyber-security-agency-13007659

Google DeepMind Solves Unsolvable Math Problem With AI

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Recent advances in large language models (LLMs) have made artificial intelligence more adaptable than ever before, but that comes with a drawback: lies. Generative AI tends to make things up, but Google DeepMind has devised a new LLM that sticks to mathematical truths. The company’s FunSearch can solve highly complex math problems. Miraculously, the solutions it generates aren’t just accurate; they’re entirely new solutions that no human has ever found.

FunSearch is thus named because it searches for mathematical functions, not because it’s fun. Although, some people might consider the cap set problem a real hoot—mathematicians can’t even agree on how best to solve it, making it a genuine numerical mystery. DeepMind previously made advances in AI with its Alpha models like AlphaFold (protein folding), AlphaStar (StarCraft), and AlphaGo (playing Go). These systems were not based on LLMs, but they did reveal new mathematical concepts.

With FunSearch, DeepMind started with a large language mode, a version of Google’s PaLM 2 called Codey. There’s a second LLM layer at work, which scans Codey’s output and prunes incorrect information. The team behind this work didn’t know if this approach would work, and they’re still not sure why it does, according to DeepMind researcher Alhussein Fawzi.

To start, DeepMind engineers created a Python representation of the cap set problem, but they left out the lines that described the solution. Codey’s job was to add lines that accurately solved the problem. The error-checking layer then scores the Codey solutions to see if they are accurate. In high-level math, equations may have more than one solution, but not all of them are considered equally good. Over time, the algorithm identifies the best solutions from Codey and feeds them back into the model.

DeepMind logo

DeepMind let FunSearch churn for several days long enough to generate millions of possible solutions. This allowed FunSearch to refine the code and produce better results. According to the newly published research, the AI came up with a previously unknown but correct solution to the cap set problem. DeepMind also turned FunSearch loose on another difficult bit of math called the bin packing problem, an algorithm that describes the most efficient way to pack bins. FunSearch found a faster solution than those calculated by humans.

Mathematicians are still struggling with integrating LLM technology into their work, and the work at DeepMind shows a possible path forward. The team believes this approach has potential because it generates computer code rather than the solution. This is often easier to understand and verify than raw mathematical outputs.

Source: https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/google-deepmind-solves-unsolvable-math-problem-with-ai

Supercomputer Mimicking a Brain to Unlock AI and Mind Secrets

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A supercomputer scheduled to go online in April 2024 will rival the estimated rate of operations in the human brain, according to researchers in Australia. The machine, called DeepSouth, is capable of performing 228 trillion operations per second.

It’s the world’s first supercomputer capable of simulating networks of neurons and synapses (key biological structures that make up our nervous system) at the scale of the human brain.

DeepSouth belongs to an approach known as neuromorphic computing, which aims to mimic the biological processes of the human brain. It will be run from the International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems at Western Sydney University.

Our brain is the most amazing computing machine we know. By distributing its computing power to billions of small units (neurons) that interact through trillions of connections (synapses), the brain can rival the most powerful supercomputers in the world, while requiring only the same power used by a fridge lamp bulb.

Supercomputers, meanwhile, generally take up lots of space and need large amounts of electrical power to run. The world’s most powerful supercomputer, the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Frontier, can perform just over one quintillion operations per second. It covers 680 square meters (7,300 sq ft) and requires 22.7 megawatts (MW) to run.

Our brains can perform the same number of operations per second with just 20 watts of power, while weighing just 1.3kg-1.4kg. Among other things, neuromorphic computing aims to unlock the secrets of this amazing efficiency.

Transistors at the limits

On June 30 1945, the mathematician and physicist John von Neumann described the design of a new machine, the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (Edvac). This effectively defined the modern electronic computer as we know it.

My smartphone, the laptop I am using to write this article and the most powerful supercomputer in the world all share the same fundamental structure introduced by von Neumann almost 80 years ago. These all have distinct processing and memory units, where data and instructions are stored in the memory and computed by a processor.

DeepSouth.

For decades, the number of transistors on a microchip doubled approximately every two years, an observation known as Moore’s Law. This allowed us to have smaller and cheaper computers.

However, transistor sizes are now approaching the atomic scale. At these tiny sizes, excessive heat generation is a problem, as is a phenomenon called quantum tunnelling, which interferes with the functioning of the transistors. This is slowing down and will eventually halt transistor miniaturisation.

To overcome this issue, scientists are exploring new approaches to computing, starting from the powerful computer we all have hidden in our heads, the human brain. Our brains do not work according to John von Neumann’s model of the computer. They don’t have separate computing and memory areas.

They instead work by connecting billions of nerve cells that communicate information in the form of electrical impulses. Information can be passed from one neuron to the next through a junction called a synapse. The organisation of neurons and synapses in the brain is flexible, scalable and efficient.

So in the brain – and unlike in a computer – memory and computation are governed by the same neurons and synapses. Since the late 1980s, scientists have been studying this model with the intention of importing it to computing.

Microchip.

Imitation of life

Neuromorphic computers are based on intricate networks of simple, elementary processors (which act like the brain’s neurons and synapses). The main advantage of this is that these machines are inherently “parallel”.

This means that, as with neurons and synapses, virtually all the processors in a computer can potentially be operating simultaneously, communicating in tandem.

In addition, because the computations performed by individual neurons and synapses are very simple compared with traditional computers, the energy consumption is orders of magnitude smaller. Although neurons are sometimes thought of as processing units, and synapses as memory units, they contribute to both processing and storage. In other words, data is already located where the computation requires it.

This speeds up the brain’s computing in general because there is no separation between memory and processor, which in classical (von Neumann) machines causes a slowdown. But it also avoids the need to perform a specific task of accessing data from a main memory component, as happens in conventional computing systems and consumes a considerable amount of energy.

The principles we have just described are the main inspiration for DeepSouth. This is not the only neuromorphic system currently active. It is worth mentioning the Human Brain Project (HBP), funded under an EU initiative. The HBP was operational from 2013 to 2023, and led to BrainScaleS, a machine located in Heidelberg, in Germany, that emulates the way that neurons and synapses work.

BrainScaleS can simulate the way that neurons “spike”, the way that an electrical impulse travels along a neuron in our brains. This would make BrainScaleS an ideal candidate to investigate the mechanics of cognitive processes and, in future, mechanisms underlying serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

Because they are engineered to mimic actual brains, neuromorphic computers could be the beginning of a turning point. Offering sustainable and affordable computing power and allowing researchers to evaluate models of neurological systems, they are an ideal platform for a range of applications. They have the potential to both advance our understanding of the brain and offer new approaches to artificial intelligence.

Source: https://theconversation.com/a-new-supercomputer-aims-to-closely-mimic-the-human-brain-it-could-help-unlock-the-secrets-of-the-mind-and-advance-ai-220044

The 10 Biggest Cyber Security Trends In 2024 Everyone Must Be Ready For Now

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By the end of the coming year, the cost of cyber attacks on the global economy is predicted to top $10.5 trillion.

This staggering amount reflects the growing need for cyber security to be treated as a strategic priority on an individual, organizational and governmental level.

As in every other field of business and technological endeavor, artificial intelligence (AI) will have a transformative impact on both attack and defense. Its impact will be felt across every one of the trends covered here.

The Cyber Security Skills Crunch

A shortage of professionals with the skills needed to protect organizations from cyber attacks continues to be a running theme throughout 2024. In fact, the situation appears to be getting worse – research indicates that a majority (54 percent) of cyber security professionals believe that the impact of the skills shortage on their organization has worsened over the past two years. We can expect efforts to rectify this situation to include a continued increase in salaries paid to those with the necessary skills, as well as greater investment in training, development and upskilling programs.

As AI increases in sophisticoation at a frankly alarming rate, we will continue to see more sophisticated and smart AI-powered attacks. This will range from deepfake social engineering attempts to automated malware that intelligently adapts in order to evade detection. At the same time, it will help us detect, evade or neutralize threats thanks to real-time anomaly detection, smart authentication and automated incident response. If cyber attack and defense in 2024 is a game of chess, then AI is the queen – with the ability to create powerful strategic advantages for whoever plays it best.

Next-Level Phishing Attacks

Social engineering attacks involving tricking users into giving attackers access to systems will also increase in sophistication. Generative AI (such as ChatGPT) tools enable more attackers to make smarter, more personalized approaches, and deepfake attacks will become increasingly prevalent. The response to this will largely revolve around organization-wide awareness and education, although AI and zero trust will play a growing role, too.

Cyber Security In The Board Room

In 2024, cybersecurity is a strategic priority that can no longer be siloed in the IT department. Gartner has predicted that by 2026, 70 percent of boards will include at least one member with expertise in the field. This enables organizations to move beyond reactive defense, meaning that they can act on new business opportunities that come with being prepared.

IoT Cyber Attacks

More devices talking to each other and accessing the internet means more potential “ins” for cyber attackers to take advantage of. With the work-from-home revolution continuing, the risks posed by workers connecting or sharing data over improperly secured devices will continue to be a threat. Often, these devices are designed for ease of use and convenience rather than secure operations, and home consumer IoT devices may be at risk due to weak security protocols and passwords. The fact that industry has generally dragged its feet over the implementation of IoT security standards, despite the fact that the vulnerabilities have been apparent for many years, means it will continue to be a cyber security weak spot – though this is changing (more on this below).

Cyber Resilience – Beyond Cyber Security

Two terms that are often used interchangeably are cyber security and cyber resilience. However, the distinction will become increasingly important during 2024 and beyond. While the focus of cyber security is on preventing attacks, the growing value placed on resilience by many organizations reflects the hard truth that even the best security can’t guarantee 100 percent protection. Resilience measures are designed to ensure continuity of operations even in the wake of a successful breach. Developing the capability to recover in an agile manner while minimizing data loss and downtime will be a strategic priority in 2024.

Less Than Zero Trust

The fundamental concept of zero trust – always verify – evolves as systems become more complex and security is integrated into business strategy. Zero trust states that there is no perimeter within which network activity can be assumed to be safe. As the threat landscape evolves, this principle extends beyond the corporate network to the ecosystem of remote workers, partnered organizations and IoT devices. In 2024, zero trust moves from being a technical network security model to something adaptive and holistic, enabled by continuous AI-powered real-time authentication and activity monitoring.

Cyber Warfare And State-Sponsored Cyber Attacks

The war in Ukraine, which looks set to enter its third year, has exposed the extent to which states are willing and able to deploy cyber attacks against military and civilian infrastructure in 2024. It’s a safe bet that going forward, wherever military operations take place around the world, they will go hand-in-hand with cyber warfare operations. The most common tactics include phishing attacks designed to gain access to systems for the purposes of disruption and espionage and distributed denial-of-service attacks to disable communications, public utilities, transport and security infrastructure. Outside of warfare, major elections will take place in 2024 in countries including the US, UK and India, and we can expect an increase in cyber attacks aimed at disrupting the democratic process.

Soft Skills Becoming Increasingly Essential For Cyber Security Professionals

Cybersecurity professionals will increasingly be expected to take on more complex workloads during 2024 as the threat landscape grows ever more sophisticated. This doesn’t simply mean in a technical sense – those with responsibility for countering cyber threats will also find themselves tasked with more complex social and cultural aspects of threat mitigation. This will lead to a growing reliance on soft skills such as interpersonal communication, relationship-building and problem-solving.

Cyber Security Regulation

Governments and organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the risks to national security and to economic growth posed by cyber threats. The potential social and political fallout of large-scale data breaches is also a major factor in the emergence of new regulations around cyber security issues. For example, businesses in the UK have until April 2024 to ensure they are compliant with the Product Security and Telecommunications Act, which sets out minimum security requirements that networked products must adhere to (for example, they mustn’t be shipped with a default password). Implementation of the EU’s similar Radio Equipment Directive has been delayed until 2025, but the topic is still likely to be high on the agenda of legislators throughout 2024.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/10/11/the-10-biggest-cyber-security-trends-in-2024-everyone-must-be-ready-for-now/

IT Support Exposed: Ensuring Smooth Operations for Your Company

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In the fast-paced world of business, the reliance on Information Technology (IT) has become indispensable. From managing day-to-day operations to fostering innovation, IT plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth functioning of companies. Behind the scenes, a dedicated team of IT professionals provides the necessary support to keep the digital gears turning. In this article, we delve into the world of IT support, exploring the critical aspects that contribute to the seamless operation of a company.

The Backbone of IT Support

Proactive Problem Resolution

In the realm of IT support, the best approach is often proactive rather than reactive. Rather than waiting for issues to arise, IT professionals actively monitor systems, identify potential problems, and implement preventive measures. This involves regular system updates, security patches, and performance optimization. Proactive problem resolution not only minimizes downtime but also enhances the overall efficiency of the IT infrastructure. By anticipating and addressing issues before they impact operations, IT support becomes a strategic partner in the company’s success, rather than a mere firefighting squad.

Navigating the Information Technology Transition

As businesses evolve in the digital era, the transition emerges as a defining factor in their ability to stay competitive. This phase of the Information Technology transition involves not only upgrading hardware and software but also adapting to new paradigms in how technology is utilized within the organization. The IT support team plays a pivotal role in orchestrating this transition, ensuring a seamless integration of emerging technologies. Whether it’s migrating to cloud-based solutions, implementing advanced cybersecurity measures, or harnessing the power of data analytics, a well-executed Information Technology transition lays the foundation for enhanced operational efficiency and future growth. This dynamic process demands not only technical prowess but also a strategic vision as IT support becomes a driving force in shaping the technological landscape.

User Training and Education

While IT professionals are adept at navigating the intricacies of technology, not all employees share the same level of expertise. User training and education are critical components of a comprehensive IT support strategy. This involves conducting regular workshops, creating informative resources, and fostering a culture of digital literacy within the organization. When employees understand how to use technology effectively and securely, the likelihood of encountering issues decreases significantly. Additionally, a well-informed workforce can contribute valuable insights to the IT team, aiding in the continuous improvement of systems and processes.

Embracing Remote Support in the Digital Age

The landscape of work has undergone a profound transformation, with remote work becoming more prevalent than ever. In this context, IT support has had to adapt to the challenges of providing assistance to employees scattered across different locations. Remote support tools and technologies have become indispensable for IT professionals, enabling them to troubleshoot issues, install software, and perform system maintenance without being physically present. This shift to remote support not only enhances flexibility for both IT teams and employees but also underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data across various access points.

Scalability and Future-Proofing

As companies grow, so do their IT needs. A forward-thinking IT support strategy considers scalability and future-proofing as crucial elements. This involves implementing systems and solutions that can adapt to the evolving requirements of the business. Cloud computing, for example, offers scalable and flexible solutions that can grow with the company. Additionally, IT professionals must stay abreast of technological advancements, ensuring that the company’s infrastructure remains at the forefront of innovation. By anticipating future needs and embracing scalable solutions, IT support becomes a strategic enabler for the company’s long-term success.

Balancing Automation and Human Touch

Automation has become a buzzword in the tech world, promising efficiency and speed. However, in the realm of IT support, striking the right balance between automation and the human touch is crucial. While automation can handle routine tasks and streamline processes, the empathetic understanding and problem-solving skills of human IT professionals remain irreplaceable. Companies must find the sweet spot where automation enhances efficiency without sacrificing the personalized support that human interaction provides. This delicate balance ensures that the IT support team remains agile, responsive, and attuned to the unique needs of the organization.

In the intricate dance of modern business operations, IT support emerges as a linchpin that holds everything together. From providing the necessary technical expertise to fostering a culture of digital literacy, IT support is instrumental in ensuring the seamless functioning of a company. By adopting proactive problem resolution, investing in user training, embracing remote support, planning for scalability, and striking the right balance between automation and human touch, organizations can build a resilient IT support framework. In doing so, they not only mitigate risks and minimize downtime but also position themselves for sustained success in an increasingly digital and dynamic business landscape.

Source: https://www.otsnews.co.uk/it-support-exposed-ensuring-smooth-operations-for-your-company/

AI and quantum research at centre of UK science and tech announcements

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Artificial intelligence and quantum research were at the centre of science and technology announcements in the UK chancellor’s Autumn Statement on Wednesday.

The government will boost spending on computing power to develop AI by £500mn over two years to bring total planned investment to more than £1.5bn, said Jeremy Hunt.

The increase followed criticism of the £900mn allocated to AI computing in the March Budget as being too modest by international standards, with other countries planning to spend much more. “It’s great to hear that the government will find a further £500mn over the next two years to fund further innovation centres to help make us an AI powerhouse,” said Rashik Parmar, chief executive of the British Computer Society.

At the same time, the government revealed five “moonshot missions” for its £2.5bn national quantum strategy. They include developing UK-based quantum computers capable of running 1tn operations without making any errors — today’s fastest machines are capable of just a few hundred error-free operations.

It also aims to deploy “the world’s most advanced quantum network at scale, pioneering the future quantum internet”. “It is much more than headline pledges, it’s a call to arms,” said Chris Ballance, chief executive of UK quantum start-up Oxford Ionics. “The government is sending a clear signal of the UK’s unwavering commitment to becoming a leader in the quantum revolution.”

Elsewhere, the Autumn Statement provided £121mn to the UK space sector for a variety of infrastructure investments in Earth observation and communication technology. Some of the money, with additional funding from aerospace company Lockheed Martin, will enable Northumbria University in Newcastle to set up a £50mn North East Space Skills and Technology Centre.

The pharmaceutical and biotech industries welcomed the promise of a £520mn investment in life sciences manufacturing from 2025-26, as well as changes to research and development tax credits that the government says will provide relief worth an additional £280mn per year. “Increased flexibility in the tax relief scheme for R&D-intensive companies will make a meaningful difference to company growth, job creation and accelerating the delivery of new medicines to patients,” said Steve Bates, chief executive of the BioIndustry Association.

Looking at the Autumn Statement as a whole, Sarah Main, executive director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said: “I’m encouraged by the ideas that emerged. They show government thinking creatively about new ways to support science in the long term and seeding support across the breadth of the science economy.”

Source: https://www.ft.com/content/bdd127e4-0b6e-4047-b038-74c1324d8073

AI doesn’t cause harm by itself. We should worry about the people who control it

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At times it felt less like Succession than Fawlty Towers, not so much Shakespearean tragedy as Laurel and Hardy farce. OpenAI is the hottest tech company today thanks to the success of its most famous product, the chatbot ChatGPT. It was inevitable that the mayhem surrounding the sacking, and subsequent rehiring, of Sam Altman as its CEO would play out across global media last week, accompanied by astonishment and bemusement in equal measure.

For some, the farce spoke to the incompetence of the board; for others, to a clash of monstrous egos. In a deeper sense, the turmoil also reflected many of the contradictions at the heart of the tech industry. The contradiction between the self-serving myth of tech entrepreneurs as rebel “disruptors”, and their control of a multibillion-dollar monster of an industry through which they shape all our lives. The tension, too, between the view of AI as a mechanism for transforming human life and the fear that it may be an existential threat to humanity.

Many are ‘preppers’, survivalists prepared for the possibility of a Mad Max world

Few organisations embody these contradictions more than OpenAI. The galaxy of Silicon Valley heavyweights, including Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, who founded the organisation in 2015, saw themselves both as evangelists for AI and heralds warning of the threat it posed. “With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon,” Musk portentously claimed.

OpenAI was created as a non-profit-making charitable trust, the purpose of which was to develop artificial general intelligence, or AGI, which, roughly speaking, is a machine that can accomplish, or surpass, any intellectual task humans can perform. It would do so, however, in an ethical fashion to benefit “humanity as a whole”.

Then, in 2019, the charity set up a for-profit subsidiary to help raise more investment, eventually pulling in more than $11bn (£8.7bn) from Microsoft. The non-profit parent organisation, nevertheless, retained full control, institutionalising the tension between the desire to make a profit and doomsday concerns about the products making the profit. The extraordinary success of ChatGPT only exacerbated that tension.

Two years ago, a group of OpenAI researchers left to start a new organisation, Anthropic, fearful of the pace of AI development at their old company. One later told a reporter that “there was a 20% chance that a rogue AI would destroy humanity within the next decade”. That same dread seems to have driven the attempt to defenestrate Altman and the boardroom chaos of the past week.

One may wonder about the psychology of continuing to create machines that one believes may extinguish human life. The irony, though, is that while fear of AI is exaggerated, the fear itself poses its own dangers. Exaggerated alarm about AI stems from an inflated sense of its capabilities. ChatGPT is superlatively good at predicting what the next word in a sequence should be; so good, in fact, that we imagine we can converse with it as with another human. But it cannot grasp, as humans do, the meanings of those words, and has negligible understanding of the real world. We remain far from the dream of “artificial general intelligence”. “AGI will not happen,” Grady Booch, chief scientist for software engineering at IBM, has suggested, even “in the lifetime of your children’s children”.

For those in Silicon Valley who disagree, believing AGI to be imminent, humans need to be protected through “alignment” – ensuring that AI is “aligned with human values and follows human intent”. That may seem a rational way of countervailing any harm AI might cause. Until, that is, you start asking what exactly are “human values”, who defines them, and what happens when they clash?

Social values are always contested, and particularly so today, in an age of widespread disaffection driven often by the breakdown of consensual standards. Our relationship to technology is itself a matter for debate. For some, the need to curtail hatred or to protect people from online harm outweighs any rights to free speech or privacy. This is the sentiment underlying Britain’s new Online Safety Act. It’s also why many worry about the consequences of the law.

Then there is the question of disinformation. Few people would deny that disinformation is a problem and will become even more so, raising difficult questions about democracy and trust. The question of how we deal with it remains, though, highly contentious, especially as many attempts to regulate disinformation results in even greater powers being bestowed on tech companies to police the public.

The reason algorithms are prone to bias, especially against minorities, is because they are aligned to human values

Meanwhile, another area of concern, algorithmic bias, highlights the weaknesses of arguments for “alignment”. The reason algorithms are prone to bias, especially against minorities, is precisely because they are aligned to human values. AI programmes are trained on data from the human world, one suffused with discriminatory practices and ideas. These become embedded into AI software, too, whether in the criminal justice system or healthcare, facial recognition or recruitment.

The problem we face is not that machines may one day exercise power over humans. That is speculation unwarranted by current developments. It is rather that we already live in societies in which power is exercised by a few to the detriment of the majority, and that technology provides a means of consolidating that power. For those who hold social, political and economic power, it makes sense to project problems as technological rather than social and as lying in the future rather than in the present.

There are few tools useful to humans that cannot also cause harm. But they rarely cause harm by themselves; they do so, rather, through the ways in which they are exploited by humans, especially those with power. That, and not fantasy fears of extinction, should be the starting point for any discussion about AI.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/26/artificial-intelligence-harm-worry-about-people-control-openai

Making The Transition to Windows 11

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In our last piece we discussed the withdrawal of updates and support for Windows 10 by Microsoft, which is prompting many businesses to make the switch to Windows 11. In this piece, we give you guidance and insights into making a more seamless transition to Windows 11.

Moving to Windows 11 For Businesses

As discussed in our last piece, it’s possible to transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11 for free! Before making the transition, a key thing to explore is making sure that devices meet the compatibility requirements beforehand.

It’s likely this will not be an issue for your devices, but it’s better to look before you leap! There are certain other requirements as well that can obstruct adopting Windows 11, such as Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 requirements, which may be resolved by manually enabling it on the device if there is an issue.

If you find that any devices are not able to support Windows 11, they will either need to be upgraded, replaced, or have Extended Security Updates (ESUs) purchased from them, which can offer a lifeline of continued security for a price.

When will Windows 11 Support End?

No date has been confirmed as of yet for the end-of-life support for Windows 11, but it’s looking very unlikely that it will be anytime soon. One reason is because Microsoft has not yet released a successor OS, Windows 12 yet, which is due to be released in 2024. Even so, it will be several years until Windows 11 is no longer supported by Microsoft.

Preparing Your Organization to Transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11

Given that the upgrade is free and can be done at the click of a button, making the transition is a simple enough process on the surface. This said, depending on the size, complexity and setup of your organization, there are some important things to consider ahead of and during the transition.

These include:

· Prepare Your Team: Not just notifying the team of the rollout, but also this is an opportunity to help them to take advantage of Windows 11’s new features in their daily work!

· Systematise the rollout with cloud configuration tools: Cloud configuration tools like Intune, Windows Autopilot, and Configuration manager can be used to systematically roll out the upgrade without missing a beat.

· Update your Documentation: Windows 11 will have a different visual layout compared to Windows 10 in some key respects, so if your organization offers step-by-step guides, it will be important to update the processes, terminology and images in them appropriately. · Validate your IT environment with Windows 11: Microsoft offers a free Insider Program that enables you to ensure your software and hardware will work as intended ahead of a rollout.

· Conduct a Phased Rollout: Depending on the size of your organisation, a phased rollout can help to ensure a smoother, less disruptive process that identifies gaps, and implements best practices along the way.

Benefits of Transitioning Your Devices to Windows 11

Here are some of the range of benefits of transitioning to Windows 11 for users and businesses more broadly:

· Elevated Performance and Efficiency: With improved resource management and faster load times, Windows 11 offers better device performance to your business.

· Revamped User Interface: more than skin-deep, the revamped user interface is designed (although not all will agree!) to offer a sleeker user experience.

· Integrated Teams in Taskbar: ensures that your team can connect with colleagues with a single click.

· Enhanced Cyber Security Features: From the ground up, Windows 11 does come with more in-built security features that align with the zero-trust security model, an increasing standard for ensuring better business security.

· Direct Access to Android Apps: Windows 11 offers direct access to Android apps via the Microsoft store and Amazon appstore, which can bring together mobile and desktop experiences for users in organisations using both Android and Microsoft devices.

· Optimised for the Latest Hardware and Software: Configured for the latest hardware and being the most compatible of the Windows OSes with the latest softwares, Windows 11 will correlate to better performance for businesses in both areas.

Need a Hand with Making the Transition to Windows 11?

4TC can help! We can ensure that all aspects of your IT environment are ready for the upgrade to Windows 11, so that your business enjoys a smooth and harmonious transition. Sooner is better than later when it comes down to getting the best out of your business’s security and performance. Get in touch with us today and we’ll be glad to help you to take the next steps.

We Are 4TC Managed IT Services

4TC can support you with all the services you need to run your business effectively, from email and domain hosting to fully managing your whole IT infrastructure. Setting up a great IT infrastructure is just the first step. Keeping it up-to-date, safe and performing at its peak requires consistent attention.

We can act as either your IT department or to supplement an existing IT department. We pride ourselves in developing long-term relationships that add value to your business, with high quality managed support, expert strategic advice, and professional project management. Get assistance with your IT challenges today by getting in touch, we’ll be glad to assist you!

Is Your Business Ready for The End of Support for Windows 10? Here’s What You Need to Know

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Microsoft has announced that support for Windows 10 is going to stop before the end of 2025, which means that updates and security fixes will no longer be rolled out by default to business devices that still use this operating system (OS). If your business is still using Windows 10, don’t fret! In this blog we explore what this means for your business, some considerations around security, compliance and performance, and what next steps you can take forward.

Why Businesses Are Preparing to Move to Windows 11

All good things must come to an end, and the same is true for Windows 10. Like other previous operating systems like Windows Vista and 7, Windows 10 will eventually be put to rest in Microsoft’s graveyard of operating systems.

After the cut-off date in 2025, devices using Windows 10 will still work as you’d expect, but there are important consequences to the support cut-off that will become increasingly important for any business that sticks with this OS.

Because security and performance updates will cease to be released following the cut-off, devices will eventually become more vulnerable, unreliable and prone to performance issues over time. With this also being public knowledge, cyber criminals will be poised to try to take advantage of this support cut-off too.

Over time, other software and hardware providers will also stop developing and configuring their products to work with Windows 10 which will gradually increase compatibility issues over time for devices still using this OS.

As you’ll likely know, Window’s 11 is out and will be in support for the foreseeable future. Eventually, every business will need to make the switch to it, so what’s in store?

Windows 11: What’s New

Released 2 years ago, Windows 11 offers several new features including design changes and enhanced performance compared to Windows 10. Much of the changes are design based, featuring a more apple-esque appearance on its menus, the desktop taskbar is integrated with Microsoft 365 tools, particularly teams, and there are improved widgets and snap-layouts that are designed to make multi-tasking easier.

Is There a Way to Keep Using Microsoft 10 Safely?

Yes! Microsoft offers ESUs (Extended Security Update) products for old OSes, usually for roughly around 5 years after their initial cut-off point like the one we’re discussing here. However, these can be quite expensive to purchase for every device, and it is a yearly cost.

What Are the Risks of Sticking With Microsoft 10?

There are a number of reasons why sticking with Microsoft 10 can be risky and sub-optimal for your business, especially if you do not get purchase ESUs. They include:

· Windows 10 will receive less focus from developers, even as we approach the 2025 cut-off

· Businesses will miss out on updates and new features from Microsoft, which will become increasingly exclusive to Windows 11

· The cyber security risks of unsupported Windows 10 devices can lead to financial, reputational and operational losses if a cyber threat causes harm.

· Alongside general cyber security risks, businesses operating unsupported Windows 10 devices may also put their compliance at risk, as they may be seen as not taking reasonable measures to ensure the integrity of sensitive data for example.

What Should My Business Do?

We would ultimately recommend switching to Windows 11, and doing so well ahead of the support cut-off point in 2025. Windows 11 is a free upgrade on Windows 10 devices now, but for some organisations it will be important to plan the change, to make sure the transition is seamless and avoids causing inadvertent disruption.

We will explore making the transition to Windows 11 in our next article to offer some guidance for your business, stay tuned! If you’d like insights and advice tailored to your situation, you can also get in touch and we’ll be glad to help you.

We Are 4TC Managed IT Services

4TC can support you with all the services you need to run your business effectively, from email and domain hosting to fully managing your whole IT infrastructure. Setting up a great IT infrastructure is just the first step. Keeping it up-to-date, safe and performing at its peak requires consistent attention.

We can act as either your IT department or to supplement an existing IT department. We pride ourselves in developing long-term relationships that add value to your business, with high quality managed support, expert strategic advice, and professional project management. Get assistance with your IT challenges today by getting in touch, we’ll be glad to assist you!