6 Artificial Intelligence Myths Debunked: Separating Fact from Fiction

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Artificial Intelligence is undoubtedly the buzzword of our time. Its popularity, particularly with the emergence of generative AI applications like ChatGPT, has brought it to the forefront of technological debates.

Everyone is talking about the impact of AI generative apps like ChatGPT and whether it is fair to take advantage of their capabilities. However, amid all this perfect storm, there has been a sudden surge of numerous myths and misconceptions around the term Artificial Intelligence or AI.

I bet you might have heard many of these already! Let’s dive deep into these myths, shatter them, and understand the true nature of AI.

 1. AI is Intelligent

Contrary to popular belief, AI isn’t intelligent at all. Most people nowadays do think that AI-powered models are intelligent indeed. This might be led by the inclusion of the term “intelligence” within the name “artificial intelligence”

But what does intelligence mean?

Intelligence is a trait unique to living organisms defined as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. This means that intelligence allows living organisms to interact with their surroundings, and thus, learn how to survive.

AI, on the other hand, is a machine simulation designed to mimic certain aspects of this natural intelligence. Most AI applications we interact with, especially in business and online platforms, rely on machine learning.

6 Artificial Intelligence Myths Debunked: Separating Fact from Fiction

These are specialized AI systems trained on specific tasks using vast amounts of data. They excel in their designated tasks, whether it’s playing a game, translating languages, or recognizing images.

However, out of their scope, they are usually quite useless…  The concept of an AI possessing human-like intelligence across a spectrum of tasks is termed general AI, and we are far from achieving this milestone.

2. Bigger is Always Better

The race among tech giants often revolves around boasting the sheer size of their AI models. Llama’s 2 open-source LLM launch surprised us with a mighty 70 billion features version, while Google’s Palma stands at 540 billion features and OpenAI’s latest launch ChatGPT4 shines with 1.8 trillion features. However, the LLM’s amount of billion features doesn’t necessarily translate to better performance.

The quality of the data and the training methodology are often more critical determinants of a model’s performance and accuracy. This has already been proved with the Alpaca experiment by Stanford where a simple 7 billion features powered Llama-based LLM could tie the astonishing 176 billion features powered ChatGPT 3.5.

So this is a clear NO!

Bigger is not always better. Optimizing both the size of LLMs and their corresponding performance will democratize the usage of these models locally and allow us to integrate them into our daily devices.

3. Transparency and Accountability in AI

A common misconception is that AI is a mysterious black box, devoid of any transparency. In reality, while AI systems can be complex and are still quite opaque, significant efforts are being made to enhance their transparency and accountability. Regulatory bodies are pushing for ethical and responsible AI utilization. Important movements like the Stanford AI Transparency Report and the European AI Act are aimed to prompt companies to enhance their AI transparency and provide a basis for governments to formulate regulations in this emerging domain?.

Transparent AI has emerged as a focal discussion point in the AI community, encompassing a myriad of issues such as the processes allowing individuals to ascertain the thorough testing of AI models and understanding the rationale behind AI decisions. This is why data professionals all over the world are already working on methods to make AI models more transparent.

So while this might be partially true, it is not as severe as common though!

4. Infallibility of AI

Many believe that AI systems are perfect and incapable of errors. This is far from the truth. Like any system, AI’s performance is contingent on the quality of its training data. And this data is often, not to say always,  created or curated by humans.

If this data contains biases, the AI system will inadvertently perpetuate them.

An MIT team’s analysis of widely-used pretrained language models revealed pronounced biases in associating gender with certain professions and emotions. For example, roles such as flight attendant, or secretary were mainly tied to feminine qualities, while lawyer and  judge were connected to masculine traits. The same behavior has been observed emotion-wise. Other detected biases are regarding race. As LLMs find their way into healthcare systems, fears arise that they might perpetuate detrimental race-based medical practices, mirroring the biases inherent in the training data.

It’s essential for human intervention to oversee and correct these shortcomings, ensuring AI’s reliability. The key lies in using representative and unbiased data and conducting algorithmic audits to counteract these biases.

5. AI and the Job Market

One of the most widespread fears is that AI will lead to mass unemployment.

History, however, suggests that while technology might render certain jobs obsolete, it simultaneously births new industries and opportunities. For instance, the World Economic Forum projected that while AI might replace 85 million jobs by 2025, it will create 97 million new ones.

 6. The AI Takeover

The final and most dystopian one. Popular culture, with movies like The Matrix and Terminator, paints a grim picture of AI’s potential to enslave humanity.

While influential voices like Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have expressed concerns, the current state of AI is far from this dystopian image.

Today’s AI models, such as ChatGPT, are designed to assist with specific tasks and don’t possess the capabilities or motivations depicted in sci-fi tales.

So for now… we are still safe!

Main Conclusions

In conclusion, as AI continues to evolve and integrate into our daily lives, it’s crucial to separate fact from fiction.

Only with a clear understanding can we harness its full potential and address its challenges responsibly. Myths can cloud judgment and impede progress.

Armed with knowledge and a clear understanding of AI’s actual scope, we can move forward, ensuring that the technology serves humanity’s best interests.

Source: 6 Artificial Intelligence Myths Debunked: Separating Fact from Fiction – KDnuggets

The 10 Biggest Cloud Computing Trends In 2024 Everyone Must Be Ready For Now

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Worldwide, spending by businesses on cloud computing infrastructure is forecast to top $1 trillion for the first time in 2024. This will be driven by factors such as a growing need to adopt new platforms and as-a-service offerings, including artificial intelligence (AI) services.

This is because, in 2024, businesses are looking beyond the time-and-money-saving opportunities of cloud migration. Emerging use cases across all industries make it clear that it can often be the key to becoming more innovative, agile and successful.

For many businesses, there will still be significant challenges – often revolving around security and data protection issues. However, new models that seek to offer best-of-all-worlds solutions, like hybrid cloud and federated cloud systems, will continue to break down barriers.

In 2024, cloud will continue to be a dynamic and exciting driver of innovation and opportunity. Here’s my overview of what will be the most significant trends in this field.

AI As-A-Service

Hybrid And Multi-Cloud

The number of large organizations with a multi-cloud strategy (i.e., they buy cloud services from more than one provider) is predicted to rise from 76% to 85% during 2024. It offers cost and flexibility advantages but adds complexity to data governance and integration with legacy systems. Multi and hybrid cloud (mixing cloud with on-premises infrastructure) are advanced infrastructure solutions that will continue to grow in popularity as organizations seek to balance security with flexibility and pick and choose the services they need.

Real-Time Cloud Infrastructure

During 2024, organizations will increasingly look to leverage real-time data in order to get up-to-the-minute insights rather than acting on outdated, stale information. At the same time, more and more of the data we consume will come in the form of streamed data – movies and music from Netflix and Spotify, video data from Zoom or Teams calls, and new forms of streamed entertainment such as cloud gaming. This means data storage that prioritizes instant access, such as Flash and solid-state storage devices, will become increasingly in demand by cloud customers.

Cloud-Driven Innovation And Transformation

As well as AI mentioned above, adopting cloud computing technology can be a gateway to many other transformative technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and quantum computing. By eliminating the need to invest directly in architecture and infrastructure, businesses are able to launch quick-win/fail-fast initiatives to evaluate the benefits of emerging technologies more easily than ever in 2024, thanks to cloud computing.

Cloud Security And Resilience

Encryption, authentication and disaster recovery are three functions of cloud computing services that will be increasingly in demand as we face up to the evolving threat landscape of 2024. Data thefts and breaches are increasing in frequency and severity as hackers develop new AI-powered forms of attack, and any system that has to be accessible to a human is always going to be at risk from social engineering attacks. This means security and resilience are high on the agenda of all cloud providers and customers.

Sustainable Cloud Computing

The big cloud service providers have all made net-zero commitments, not just for their own operations but in order to help customers who use their services to reduce their carbon footprints. Amazon has pledged to achieve zero emissions by 2040, and Microsoft aims to beat this by ten years. Along with Google, they have also all stated their intention to generate 100 percent of the energy used in their operations from renewable sources. Whether they make it remains to be seen, but the push for greener and less environmentally impactful cloud computing will be a strong trend in 2024.

Simplified Cloud Computing

Today, low-code/ no-code tools are opening up the possibility for non-technical people to create applications that previously would have required trained software engineers. Likewise, cloud providers are leveraging drag-and-drop interfaces and natural language tools to eliminate the need for advanced technical skills and “democratize” the deployment and management of cloud services and infrastructure.

Privacy In The Cloud

Cloud privacy refers to the ongoing development of technological, regulatory and legislative solutions designed to help businesses leverage cloud while ensuring their customers can trust that their data is fully protected. When a business uses a cloud service, it generally involves passing data to a third party – usually the cloud service provider. Managing the privacy implications of this will continue to be an important theme in cloud computing during 2024.

Serverless And Pay-As-You-Go Cloud

Serverless is a model of cloud computing service that eliminates the need for businesses to manage their own servers. While a typical cloud service might charge the business for the number of servers that they want to host their infrastructure on, under a serverless model, the business simply pays for the resources they directly use. This drives efficiency by eliminating the need to pay for servers even when they are not in use and frees up the business’s time to spend on their core activities.

Edge Computing Everywhere

Edge computing is a cloud-related paradigm in which information is processed as close as possible to the location where it’s collected. An example might be a wearable real-time heart monitor designed to pick up arrhythmias. As most of the data it collects would be “normal” heart rhythms, sending it all to the cloud for analysis, then back to the user to tell them everything is fine, would be a waste of bandwidth. Analyzing the data on the device itself eliminates this cost and also means the user can be alerted more quickly if anomalous data is detected. In 2024, smaller, more power-efficient processors, more memory-efficient algorithms, and advanced networks like 5G all contribute to making edge increasingly viable for a growing number of applications.

Source: The 10 Biggest Cloud Computing Trends In 2024 Everyone Must Be Ready For Now (forbes.com)

How are cybersecurity firms adapting to gen AI

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Cybersecurity firms are increasingly looking at integrated platforms to provide holistic online security for both for their B2B and end users as disconnected point tools struggle to support enterprise security requirements

The main reason that cybersecurity companies give for focusing on development of integrated platforms is that they make it easier for companies to provide a comprehensive solution to a problem that is “categorised by its complexity and constant evolution” says Kartik Shahani, Country Manager, Tenable India.

What are integrated cybersecurity platforms?

Integrated platforms provide solutions to this problem. A 2020 IBM survey found that organisations deploy approximately 45 solutions on average, with most requiring coordination across 19 security tools.

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Integrated cybersecurity platforms “equip security teams with a holistic view of the entire attack surface and amalgamates diverse elements, including vulnerability management, cloud security, web app security, identity security, and attack surface management,” Shahani says.

Essentially, integrated platforms are better equipped at identifying threats, filling gaps in security, and mitigating threats due to the ability to collate and use information gathered from different areas of a network.

These platforms offer consolidated risk insights, exposure analytics, prioritises risk, recommends remediation strategies, and quantifies the reduction of cyber risk, he added.

Use of cloud-based computing has further allowed cybersecurity firms to provide access to their integrated platforms without requiring users to upgrade their systems. Integrated platforms from most firms have been designed to be easily integrated into organisation’s existing tech stacks, while also allowing customisations based on the user’s needs.

In some cases, “customers are beginning to pay on consumption basis rather than a subscription,” Binod Singh, CEO and Chairman, Cross Identity said.

Why are enterprises increasingly shifting to integrated platforms?

Integrated platforms are also increasingly finding takers in businesses due to their economic advantage, the lack of skilled personnel to manage security apparatus, and improved visibility of gaps in security for enterprises.

Businesses looking to cut costs may pivot to integrated platforms as there is minimal overlap in the implementation and identification of security products. Further, the use of integrated platforms also allows enterprises to sidestep the problem of hiring cybersecurity experts, which can be a problem due to the lack of skilled personnel in the domain.

Are platforms the future of cybersecurity?

With the benefits of integrated platforms, B2B organisations with complex IT environments are increasingly adopting unified platforms for monitoring and responding to security threats.

“B2B organizations are embracing integrated cybersecurity systems because they provide robust protection, simplify management, offer cost savings, adapt to changing needs, support regulatory compliance, and enhance the ability to respond to threats quickly and effectively,” Ritesh Chopra, Director Sales & Field Marketing, India and SAARC Countries, Norton, said.

Small and medium-sized enterprises in India with a view to restrict expenditure, which earlier involved adopting multiple points solutions on individual licenses or subscriptions, are now increasingly turning to integrated platforms.  The adoption of these platforms is aimed at bolstering security posture in accordance with the laws of the land without the overwhelming costs and complexities associated with managing multiple standalone security tools.

An of integrated cybersecurity platforms has its benefits for enterprises, it poses a challenge for startups in the cybersecurity space which may struggle to finding the right constellation of cybersecurity experts to develop all the features needed be truly comprehensive. “Most often, the best experts are specialized in topics such as threat intelligence, malware analysis, application security, data loss prevention, network security, vulnerability management, AI, privacy, etc. Thers is also a shortage of these experts on the market, which indeed presents a challenge to startups,” Chopra said.

For the end users, integrated platforms allow cybersecurity companies to present users with an all-round security solution, which while may not be a silver bullet, ensures protection across devices which may not be possible with point security solutions.

Source: How are cybersecurity firms adapting to gen AI – The Hindu

Here’s Everything You Can Do With Copilot, the Generative AI Assistant on Windows 11

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Despite plenty of misgivings, artificial intelligence—and in particular, generative AI that produces text and images from prompts—continues to be pushed into the hardware and software we use every day.

Microsoft has been active in the space, adding AI chatbot capabilities to its Bing search engine earlier this year, and it’s now previewing an early version of its new Copilot AI assistant in Windows 11.

Copilot has been built to “enhance your creativity and productivity,” Microsoft says, and it works in a similar way to Bing’s chatbot—capable of coming up with everything from travel advice to an original poem.

To get Copilot in Windows 11, make sure you’re running the very latest version of the operating system: Head to Windows Update in Settings to check (you might need to turn on the Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available toggle switch).

By default, you should see a Copilot button on the taskbar, which you can click to launch it (head to Personalization then Taskbar in Settings if you want to change this). You can also launch Copilot with the Win+C keyboard shortcut, or via the Start menu.

Text and Image Generation

If you’re completely new to generative AI, just dive in and try something: You can tell Copilot to compose a short poem, an introduction to a cover letter, or text for an email to a coworker. When you start a new chat, you’ll see you can choose between More Creative, More Balanced, and More Precise conversation styles, just like Bing Chat on the web—so you can tweak how imaginative Copilot gets with its responses.

You’re not just limited to generating text though, because you can ask Copilot questions as well. Thanks to its links to Bing and the web, it can tell you about the must-see sights in a particular place, give you cooking and recipe tips, or offer advice on the best ways to fix a DIY problem around the home. You’ll see that the responses come with links to where the information has been sourced from online.

Screenshot of Copilot on Windows 11

After each response from Copilot, you’ll be given a list of suggested ways to continue the conversation, or you can come up with your own follow-up questions. If you want to start over again, click the New topic button (the blue bubble) at the bottom. Meanwhile, hover over any Copilot output with the cursor and you’ll see you can copy the text (as well as give feedback on how good the response was).

Copilot can code, too. Tell it what you want your code to do, and which language you want it in, and you’ll get formatted code back in return that you can copy and paste elsewhere. As with everything else that the AI bot does, you can ask for edits and tweaks to the original response, without having to start again from scratch.

Screenshot of Copilot on Windows 11

Thanks to Dall-E integration, Copilot is able to generate images as well. Tell it what you want a picture of, and in what style, and after a few moments you’ll get a choice of four options—together with follow-up ideas you can use to change the output (you might want to take something out of the scene or add something in, for example, or change some of the colors used).

Click on any image to see it full size and download it—these links actually open up on the web, showing how closely Copilot is currently linked to Bing Chat. There’s also an Add an image button in the input box, which you can use to upload pictures: Copilot can tell you about what’s in the picture, or use it as the basis of a new image.

Windows 11 Functions

Everything we’ve talked about so far matches what Bing Chat can already do on the web, and it’s really the integration with the Windows 11 operating system itself that sets Copilot apart. This is also the functionality that’s newest and still under construction—bear in mind that you’re using an early preview version of Copilot.

One basic task that Copilot is able to do is open up programs for you—just type “open” followed by the app name, and your bidding is done (you will see a confirmation dialog first, which seems somewhat redundant). Click on the microphone button in the input box, and you can speak out your requests instead, which you might find easier.

Screenshot of Copilot on Windows 11

As well as opening the apps in question, Copilot can also tell you how to use them or help with troubleshooting problems. A few suggestions along these lines will pop up every time you open up a program in Windows 11, so it can be a useful way of exploring what a particular software tool can do for you.

A variety of Windows 11 commands work in Copilot as well: Try “mute volume” for example, though it seems a rather convoluted way of doing it compared with just tapping an icon or pressing a button on your keyboard. Again, you’ll get a prompt dialog on screen, to make sure the AI bot is exactly sure about what it is you want to do

MICROSOFT VIA DAVID NIELD

Other commands that work include “turn on do not disturb” and “turn on dark mode,” which both save you a trip through the Settings screens. Speaking of Settings, you can ask Copilot to bring up a particular options screen—relating to Wi-Fi, for example, or changing the configuration of the Start menu—and it’ll appear in a second or two (together with related instructions about how to use it).

What Copilot can’t do yet is much inside your programs—even the ones developed by Microsoft. For it to be a truly useful digital AI assistant, it would be helpful for it to be able to view and manipulate elements inside apps: Right now, this only works with Edge, and you can enable this by clicking the three dots (top right), then Settings, and turning on the Let Copilot in Windows use Microsoft Edge content toggle switch.

Source: Here’s Everything You Can Do With Copilot, the Generative AI Assistant on Windows 11 | WIRED UK

Microsoft is testing an AI-powered image creator for Windows 11 Paint

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Based on OpenAI’s DALL-E text-to-image platform, Paint Cocreator will conjure up images in Windows Paint based on your descriptions.

Those of you who’ve ever struggled to draw your own artwork in Microsoft Paint will soon be able to turn to AI to automatically generate your desired images.

In a Windows Insider blog post published Wednesday, Microsoft announced a new AI-powered tool for the Paint app in Windows 11 that will create images for you. Known as Paint Cocreator and based on OpenAI’s DALL-E text-to-image platform, the feature is currently on its way to Windows Insiders.

Like other AI-based image generators, Paint Cocreator will cook up images based on your descriptions. You can submit anything from a few general words to a couple of sentences. But you’ll want to be as descriptive as possible to improve your odds of getting just the right image.

You can also select a particular style of art. When you’re ready, the tool will create and display three different images from which to choose. Select the one you like and you can then fine-tune it in the Paint canvas if you wish.

To let you use Cocreator, however, Microsoft is imposing a credits system as virtual currency, according to its support page for the tool.

By Joining Cocreator, you start you off with 50 credits. Each time you create an image, one credit is used. You can always see how many credits you have left by checking the bottom right area of the Cocreator pane.

Microsoft didn’t explain what would happen if you run out of credits and need more. But hopefully that will get ironed out before the tool hits the release version of Windows 11, assuming this credits system sticks around.

To ensure that Cocreator is being used responsibly, Microsoft will also employ content filtering. The aim here is to prevent people from creating images that are considered harmful, offensive, or inappropriate. The content filter is based on certain standards, such as human dignity, diversity, and inclusion, according to Microsoft.

With all the buzz and interest surrounding AI, image generators have taken off among people who need to generate drawings, paintings, artwork, and other types of graphics. OpenAI offers its DALL-E image creator on which other tools are based. The company is currently testing a new version known as DALL-E 3.

Microsoft’s DALL-E-powered Bing Image Creator works as a standalone tool and as part of its Bing AI chatbot. Other popular tools include Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, DreamStudio, and Craiyon.

To try Cocreator at this point, you’ll need to be registered with the Windows Insider program for Windows 11. You’ll also need to be running the Dev or Canary build of Windows 11. And for now, the tool is available only in the US, UK, France, Australia, Canada, Italy, and Germany.

Make sure you’ve downloaded and installed the latest updates for your Windows 11 build. Once Cocreator is accessible, you’ll still need to join a waitlist to use the tool as Microsoft is rolling it out slowly at first. To do this, click the Waitlist button in the Cocreator pane when the tool shows up in your build. You’ll receive an email notice when you’ve been approved to use it.

Source: Microsoft is testing an AI-powered image creator for Windows 11 Paint | ZDNET

The IT Support Dilemma: Your Ultimate Guide to Business Survival

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Are you feeling overwhelmed with all the technical problems in your business? Trying to manage IT issues on top of everything else can be extremely stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide covers actionable advice on how to handle typical IT support dilemmas so that you can focus your time and energy on what matters most: growing your business.

You’ll learn tips and tricks for budgeting resources, finding reliable help, preventing network security threats, and much more – allowing you to build a strong foundation for success. So fasten your seatbelt as we dive deeper into the world of successful IT strategies!

Understanding the IT Support Dilemma

As technology continues to advance, businesses are increasingly reliant on IT support to ensure their operations run smoothly. However, with the IT support dilemma, businesses must navigate the challenge of providing adequate tech support to employees while managing costs. 

Lackluster IT support can lead to lost productivity and a potential loss of customers, making it essential for businesses to confront this challenge head-on. Investing in effective IT support can help businesses stay ahead of the curve and ensure their technology stays up-to-date, reliable, and secure. Whether it’s through an in-house IT team or outsourcing to a third-party provider, confronting the IT support dilemma is essential for any business that wants to remain competitive in today’s tech-driven landscape. Plus, with the right IT support, your employees can focus on their core responsibilities without getting bogged down by technical issues, a win-win situation for everyone involved.

How To Set Up Your IT Support System

Setting up an IT support system can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not familiar with the process. However, it’s undeniable that a well-planned support system can make all the difference when it comes to efficiency and issue resolution. The first step in the process is evaluating your current setup. Take a look at what’s currently in place and determine what’s working and what’s not. Once you have an understanding of your current situation, it’s time to explore the different options available. 

From hiring in-house support to outsourcing to a third-party vendor, there are pros and cons to each approach. Furthermore, when it comes to outsourcing, you can always find a guide to outsourcing IT support online. That way, you can make an informed decision that is best for your business. When making your decision, consider your budget, business needs, and long-term goals. With the right IT support system in place, you’ll be able to focus on what really matters – growing your business.

Secure Your Network

Cybersecurity is a growing concern for individuals and businesses alike. With the increased use of technology and the internet, it’s more important than ever to secure your network and protect your data from malicious attacks. 

Best practices for strengthening cybersecurity include regularly updating your software and operating systems, using strong and unique passwords, implementing antivirus and anti-malware software, and limiting access to sensitive data. Taking these steps and remaining vigilant can only help you with keeping your information safe from cyber threats. Don’t wait until it’s too late to take action – start securing your network today.

Manage Your IT Budget Wisely 

Now, this can be a daunting task, especially when you need to cut costs without compromising on the quality of your operations. However, with the right strategies, you can identify areas where you can reduce costs and optimize your budget without compromising the efficiency of your business. 

One such strategy is to analyze your IT assets and determine which ones are underutilized or obsolete. You can then eliminate or replace them with more cost-effective alternatives. Another useful approach is to leverage cloud computing instead of investing in expensive hardware and software, as it allows you to pay only for the resources you use. Implementing these and other cost-cutting strategies can not only help you manage your IT budget more wisely but also boost your organization’s overall performance and profitability.

Make Use of Automation Tools & Services

Companies that seek to streamline their operations and save time and money are turning to technology to help them achieve those goals. Automation tools can be used in a variety of ways, from automating repetitive tasks to providing data analysis that can help businesses make better decisions. Making use of these tools and services can enable companies to reduce human error, improve efficiency, and ultimately increase their bottom line. 

Furthermore, automation technology is constantly evolving, giving businesses access to even more advanced solutions that can make them more competitive in their markets. Regardless if it’s through automating manufacturing processes or improving customer service through chatbots, there are endless options available to those willing to embrace automation.

Monitor Performance Reliably

Ensuring reliable performance is crucial for any business, which is why tracking performance trends and addressing any issues quickly is essential. By monitoring performance trends, you can identify areas that require improvement and take proactive steps to maintain productivity and efficiency. 

However, it’s not always easy to stay on top of performance metrics, especially if you lack technical expertise. This is where expert support comes in. With the right support, you can have peace of mind knowing that any performance issues will be addressed quickly and efficiently. In turn, this will help you focus on optimizing your business operations and achieving your goals. Therefore, whether you’re dealing with technical issues or simply need some guidance, don’t hesitate to rely on expert support for all your performance monitoring needs.

To sum it up, it is evident that having an effective IT support system in place for your business is a must and one that should not be taken lightly. Taking the time to evaluate your current setup, review different options, secure your network with best-in-class practices, manage your IT budget wisely, make use of automation tools and services, and monitor performance reliably will help take your company from good to great. Don’t forget to enlist the help of expert professionals when you need advanced insight or further assistance addressing matters related to any of these areas. After all, preventing unforeseen problems is much easier than cleaning up a mess once it’s already been made.

Source: The IT Support Dilemma: Your Ultimate Guide to Business Survival (swindonlink.com)

Data-driven cyber: empowering government security with focused insights from data

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In recent months, the NCSC has been accelerating its approach to data-driven cyber (DDC). Our goal is to encourage the adoption of an evidence-based approach to cyber security decisions, not only in how we advise external organisations, but also in how we address our own security.

We acknowledge that enterprise cyber security is becoming increasingly complex, and many teams are reluctant to introduce an additional ‘data layer’ due to concerns of becoming overwhelmed. In this blog post, we aim to demonstrate how concentrating on manageable, actionable insights can help teams embrace data-driven cyber security.

Our example showcases a collaboration between two teams within the NCSC:

  • the Vulnerability Reporting Service (VRS)
  • the Data Campaigns and Mission Analytics (DCMA) team

The Vulnerability Management Team leads the NCSC’s response to vulnerabilities, while DCMA use their expertise in data science and analysis to provide the NCSC Government Team with evidence based security insights.

Small actionable insights drive action

Many government teams, including the VRS, gather and manage vast amounts of valuable data. The challenge they face is how to best analyse this, given the misconception that developing any useful insights requires a complete overhaul of existing workflows.

This misconception stems from the idea that implementing DDC involves plugging all data into a complex ‘master formula’ to unveil hidden insights and narratives. However, it’s essential to recognise that, especially in the beginning, DDC should be viewed as a tool for generating ‘small yet actionable insights’ that can enhance decision-making. This simpler and more focused approach can yield significant benefits.

Vulnerability Avoidability Assessment

In the case of the VRS we did exactly that, starting with the data sets that were available to the team and then focusing on a single insight that could be used to have a meaningful evidence-based security conversation.

To this end we created the Vulnerability Avoidability Assessment (VAA), an analytic that uses two internal data sources and one public source to determine what proportion of vulnerability reports were a result of out-of-date software. The data sources comprised of:

  • number of vulnerability reports received by VRS
  • number of reports where out-of-date software was listed as a reason
  • public vulnerability disclosure database

We created this analytic knowing that patch management is one category of vulnerability that could be influenced, and that diving deeper into the link between patch management and the vulnerabilities reported through the VRS would provide us with a security discussion point about how vulnerabilities can potentially be avoided or reduced.

Our analysis

We gained a deeper insight into the impact of unpatched software on government systems by comparing the number of vulnerability reports resulting from outdated software with information from an open source database. This database provided estimates of how long these vulnerabilities had been publicly known, and when patches had become available.

Using the above approach we were able to define an ‘avoidable vulnerability’ as one that has been publicly known for a considerable time, to the extent that a responsible organisation would reasonably be expected to have taken the necessary actions to apply the required updates and patches.

Our analysis of data from 2022 (refer to Table 1, below) revealed that each month the VRS receives a considerable number of vulnerability reports directly linked to software that was no longer up to date. Ranging from 1.6% to a peak of 30.7% of vulnerabilities in a single month, over the course of the year.

TABLE 1. TOTAL NUMBER OF OUT-OF-DATE SOFTWARE REPORTS COMPARED TO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VULNERABILITY (VULN) REPORTS RECEIVED FOR 2022.

We also investigated how long the software vulnerabilities went unpatched before they were exploited. Referring to NCSC guidance, which recommends applying all released updates for critical or high risk vulnerabilities within 14 days (NCSC Cyber Essentials guidance on ‘Security Update Management’, Page 13), we chose a 30-day buffer as a consistent timeframe for applying patches, regardless of their severity. Separating the timelines into these increments, we found that 70% of outdated software vulnerabilities reported to the VRS were due to software remaining unpatched for more than 30 days (refer to Chart 1, below).

CHART 1. SHOWCASES THE LENGTH OF TIME A VULNERABILITY HAD BEEN IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

This newfound understanding provided the VRS team with sufficient data to have an evidenced based discussion with stakeholders regarding their approach to patch management. Providing the data insights to support a case for meaningfully reducing the number of vulnerability reports received by the VRS against government systems.

Conclusions

The journey towards DDC has highlighted the immense value of leveraging data to make evidence-based security decisions. The collaboration between the VRS and the DCMA team serves as a concrete example of how data can inform decision making. It is essential for organisations to recognise that adopting DDC does not require a complete overhaul of existing systems, but rather the ability to focus on extracting small but actionable insights that can drive behaviours and decisions.

Source: Data-driven cyber: empowering government security with… – NCSC.GOV.UK

Meta announces AI chatbots with ‘personality’

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Meta has announced a series of new chatbots to be used in its Messenger service.

The chatbots will have “personality” and specialise in certain subjects, like holidays or cooking advice.

It is the latest salvo in a chatbot arms race between tech companies desperate to produce more accurate and personalised artificial intelligence.

The chatbots are still a work in progress with “limitations”, said boss Mark Zuckerberg.

In California, during Meta’s first in-person event since before the pandemic, Mr Zuckerberg said that it had been an “amazing year for AI”.

The company is calling its main chatbot “Meta AI” and can be used in messaging. For example, users can ask Meta AI questions in chat “to settle arguments” or ask other questions.

The BBC has not yet tested the chatbot which is based on Llama 2, the large language model that the company released for public commercial use in July.

Several celebrities have also signed up to lend their personalities to different types of chatbots, including Snoop Dogg and Kendall Jenner.

The idea is to create chatbots that are not just designed to answer questions.

“This isn’t just going to be about answering queries,” Zuckerberg said. “This is about entertainment”.

According to Meta, NFL star Tom Brady will play an AI character called ‘Bru’, “a wisecracking sports debater” and YouTube star MrBeast will play ‘Zach’, a big brother “who will roast you”.

Mr Zuckerberg said there were still “a lot of limitations” around what the bots could answer.

The chatbots will be rolled out in the coming days and only in the US initially.

Mr Zuckerberg also discussed the metaverse – a virtual world – which is a concept that Mr Zuckerberg has so far spent tens of billions of dollars on.

Although Meta had already announced its new virtual reality headset, Quest 3, the company gave further details at the event.

Meta’s boss described the headset as the first “mainstream” mixed reality headset. Cameras facing forward will mean the headset will allow for augmented reality. It will be available from 10 October.

The firm’s big, long-term bet on the metaverse still appears yet to pay off, with Meta’s VR division suffering $21bn (£17bn) in losses since the start of 2022.

The Quest 3 came after Apple entered the higher-priced mixed reality hardware market with the Vision Pro earlier this year.

Mat Day, global gaming strategy director for EssenceMediacom, said Mark Zuckerberg had “reinvigorated” the VR sector.

“Meta’s VR roadmap is now firmly positioned around hardware priced for the mass market. This is a stark contrast to Apple’s approach which is aimed at the high end tech enthusiast,” he said.

Meta’s announcement came on the same day as rival OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed creator of ChatGPT, confirmed its chatbot can now browse the internet to provide users with current information. The artificial intelligence-powered system was previously trained only using data up to September 2021.

Source: Meta announces AI chatbots with ‘personality’ – BBC News

Transitioning From ISDN To Cloud Telephony: A Step By Step Guide 

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In our last piece, we discussed the rise and fall of ISDN as a telephony solution for businesses and contrasted its growing disadvantages with the benefits of modern solutions such as VoIP, with the example of the Microsoft Teams Phone System. With ISDN and PSTN networks being completely taken offline by 2025, it’s essential for businesses to prepare to transition. In this piece, we will give a general step by step guide for migrating from ISDN-based telephony to a cloud-based telephony solution.  

Undertaking the Transition: A Step-by-Step Guide 

The simplicity of leveraging many cloud solutions has made arranging the transition to a new solution generally easier than it used to be, however, it’s still important to map your telephony territory and to ensure that a smooth transition can be undertaken for your business.  

Telephony Assessment  

Firstly, although ISDN is an outdated solution, no two businesses are the same. There may be some (albeit rarer) cases where keeping ISDN telephony continues to be more cost-effective for now.  

Begin by assessing your current communication needs and the opportunities around in the market. What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of your existing ISDN setup? By assessing the pros and cons around features, pricing, and potential transition costs (more on that shortly), you can move with confidence to planning a transition.  

Choose Your Alternative Solution 

VoIP and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) offer beneficial alternatives to the vast majority of businesses today. In a nutshell, for a business VoIP can be a virtually wireless solution (excepting internet broadband lines), while SIP offers a still modern alternative that’s often useful to larger organisations that wish to rely on copper line lines.  

Whichever solution you choose within these two umbrellas, it’s important to get clear on how they will be implemented for your particular business, based on its IT environment, infrastructure and commercial needs.  

Select a Reputable Service Provider 

A technology expert that understands the ins and outs of telephony and connectivity can take much of the legwork and stress out of the process for your business. When selecting a provider to help with the transition, consider their expertise, the specific solution’s reliability, customer support, scalability and pricing.  

Planning 

In partnership with a provider, the planning for the migration can be arranged in a way that minimises disruption and risk for your business. Considering how the migration will effect the way that services such as customer support will be provided, are among the considerations to factor in to ensure a smooth transition.  

Upgrade Your Infrastructure 

For modern telephony solutions, a reliable and fast internet connection will do the most justice to your new setup and maximise the benefits that it has to offer. Good connectivity will be essential for reliable and quality calling. You can consult with a Managed Service Provider to ensure that your network infrastructure is prepared to support the chosen solution 

Data Migration and Integration 

Transfer your existing contact lists, call logs, and any other pertinent data to the new platform. At this stage, you can also begin to tap into the new benefits that your solution can offer, by integrating the data with your other applications, notably your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software.  

Training and Familiarisation 

Provide comprehensive training to your employees to acquaint them with the new system. Highlight the benefits, features, and any alterations in operational processes and offer support to make the transition as smooth and supportive as possible.  

Testing and Pilot Phase 

Prior to the full go-live of your new telephony system, it’s best practice to carry out testing and pilot runs to ensure that it works as desired. As you test the solution, document any issues or concerns that arise so that you can address them ahead of the roll out.  

Phased Go-live 

Depending on the size and context of your business, a phased implementation can be helpful for ensuring that the process is a smooth one that works at scale. Begin by using a smaller group of users, such as a particular department that is well placed to use and benefit from your new telephony solution, and just like the testing phase, carefully document any lessons learned that can then be applied across the business.  

Conclusion: Embrace the Future of Communication 

Migrating from ISDN telephony to a VoIP or SIP based solution can seem like a daunting process, but with planning, assessment, and a phased-implementation with the support of a telephony solutions provider, the process can be much more smooth and seamless. There are many benefits to using a VoIP or SIP based solution compared to traditional ISDN telephony that stand to augment communications and productivity for every business.  

Taking advantage of the latest solutions on the market in today’s world will prove essential for maintaining a competitive edge and achieving profitable growth. We hope this series has been useful to you in your ongoing digital journey. The journey ahead will involve empowering innovation, efficiency, and connectivity; by making a smooth transition sooner rather than later, you’ll be taking another empowering step towards a prosperous future for your business.  

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! 

Replace Your ISDN Telephony by 2025: Embracing the Future of Business Communication 

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At its inception in the 1980s, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Framework) was a game-changer in the telephony industry. It enabled simultaneous voice and data transmission over digital lines, which is still a key function of telephony today, but since then, ISDN has become increasingly obsolete. In the UK, the ISDN and PSTN networks will be switched off entirely. Are you ready for the switch?  

Today, there are a range of more valuable and cost-efficient alternatives in the market. In this piece, we outline the reasons why your business should replace its ISDN telephony with modern cloud-based alternatives such as VoIP, focusing on the particular example of the Microsoft Teams Phone System.  

The Rise and Fall of ISDN 

When ISDN was introduced, it revolutionised business communication by offering faster, more reliable connections compared to traditional analogue telephony systems. It brought digital clarity to voice calls and provided data transfer capabilities that were essential for the usage of the internet in its early days. ISDN allowed businesses to access both voice and data services simultaneously, a groundbreaking concept at the time. However, as technology continued to advance, the limitations of ISDN became increasingly evident. 

Disadvantages of Keeping ISDN for Telephony: 

While ISDN served businesses well in its prime, the disadvantages of continuing to rely on it for telephony have become increasingly pronounced: 

  • Limited Bandwidth: ISDN offers limited bandwidth compared to modern broadband technologies, making it increasingly insufficient for supporting the data-intensive applications and multimedia communication of today’s world.  
  • High Costs: Maintaining ISDN systems involves high equipment expenses, line rental fees, and charges for long-distance calls. These costs are considerably higher than modern alternatives like VoIP. 
  • Complex Setup: Setting up and configuring ISDN systems can be complex and time-consuming, especially compared to the plug-and-play simplicity of modern solutions. 
  • Scalability Challenges: Expanding or modifying ISDN systems to accommodate changing business needs can be cumbersome and costly, hindering growth and adaptability. 
  • Lack of Advanced Features: ISDN lacks the advanced features that modern telephony solutions offer, such as call analytics, CRM integration, call forwarding, and voicemail-to-email transcription. 
  • Inflexibility for Remote Work: The rise of remote work demands flexible communication solutions that ISDN cannot provide, limiting the ability to support a dispersed workforce effectively. 
  • Incompatibility with Unified Communication: ISDN falls short in supporting unified communication platforms that integrate voice, video, chat, and collaboration tools for streamlined collaboration. These are being increasingly adopted today.  

A Path Forward From ISDN: VoIP and Microsoft Teams Phone System 

The path forward is clear: replace your ISDN telephony with modern alternatives that align with the demands of the digital age. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony is one such solution, with a particular example being the Microsoft’s Teams Phone System.   

VoIP 

VoIP solutions enable telephony to be conducted via an internet connection. A VoIP solution is accessible and manageable via an app; it is seamless to add new users, phone lines, and call packages onto a VoIP solution. Not only this, but also VoIP can work on any internet-connected smart device that can download the VoIP solution provider’s app!  

The benefits of VoIP are vast, and they contrast with the disadvantages of ISDN. VoIP telephony can be scaled at the push of a button, it’s remote-work friendly, and it’s a great solution in an application-driven world. VoIP can integrate with other applications such as CRM systems and often has intelligent features such as voicemail to email, as well as call forwarding capabilities. It is also more cost-effective and flexible; with monthly pricing options, minimal hardware investment costs, and it releases the need to support it with physical infrastructure, barring an internet router. 

Teams Phone System  

For those leveraging the Microsoft 365 platform, the Teams Phone System is often an ideal choice! Like VoIP, it enables staff to make national and international calls over an internet connection, from most smart devices. It’s highly reliable and offers robust connectivity, while bringing the capabilities of an enterprise-grade phone system into a cloud-based and popular platform, Microsoft 365.  

The integration with Microsoft 365 enables a truly unified communication solution that brings calling, chats, emails, meeting and calendar management under the roof of one platform. It’s possible to easily add users, numbers and to select call plans, making for an easy to manage and seamless telephony experience for businesses.  

Conclusion: The Time is Now 

The world is becoming more innovative and connected. While ISDN has served a valuable purpose in offering a foundation for modern telephony and connectivity, there are now superior solutions on the market that can equip businesses with the cost-effective tools that they need to conduct calling seamlessly and efficiently.  

In our next piece, we will discuss the practicalities of making a transition from ISDN telephony to more modern alternatives. With modern internet connectivity becoming increasingly available in wired and wireless forms, it has never been a better time to make the change to a modern telephony solution.  

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!