Wired [unpaywalled]: “When Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed the new Windows AI tool that can answer questions about your web browsing and laptop use, he said one of the “magical” things about it was that the data doesn’t leave your laptop; the Windows Recall system takes screenshots of your activity every five seconds and saves… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Microsoft
Windows AI feature that screenshots everything labeled a security ‘disaster’
The Verge: “Microsoft is about to launch a new AI-powered Recall feature that screenshots everything you do on your PC. Recall is part of the new Copilot Plus PCs that are debuting on June 18th, but experts who have tested the feature are already warning that Recall could be a “disaster” for cybersecurity. Recall is… Continue Reading
New FTC Data Shed Light on Companies Most Frequently Impersonated by Scammers
FTC: “New data from the Federal Trade Commission shows that Best Buy/Geek Squad, Amazon, and PayPal are the companies people report scammers impersonate most often. A newly released data spotlight shows that consumers in 2023 submitted about 52,000 reports about scammers impersonating Best Buy or its Geek Squad tech support brand, followed by about 34,000… Continue Reading
Giving Windows total recall of everything a user does is a privacy minefield
The Register: “Microsoft’s Windows Recall feature is attracting controversy before even venturing out of preview. Like so many of Microsoft’s AI-infused products, Windows Recall will remain in preview while Microsoft refines it based on user feedback – or simply gives up and pretends it never happened. The principle is simple. As noted earlier, Windows takes… Continue Reading
Microsoft LinkedIn release 2024 Work Trend Index on state of AI at work
“On Wednesday May 8, 2024 Microsoft Corp. and LinkedIn released the 2024 Work Trend Index, a joint report on the state of AI at work titled, “AI at work is here. Now comes the hard part.” The research — based on a survey of 31,000 people across 31 countries, labor and hiring trends on LinkedIn,… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, May 4, 2024
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, May 4, 2024 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the… Continue Reading
Microsoft is changing how you log in to your accounts
Washington Post [unpaywalled]: “As passwords slowly go extinct, Microsoft is introducing another way to log in to your consumer account. The company said Thursday that users logging in to Microsoft 365 workplace software, Copilot, Xbox and Skype can now use “passkeys” rather than traditional passwords or an authenticator app. That means whatever biometric authentication (such… Continue Reading
Microsoft’s “responsible AI” chief worries about the open web
Washington Post: “…Natasha Crampton, Microsoft’s chief Responsible AI officer, spoke with The Technology 202 ahead of Microsoft’s release today of its first “Responsible AI Transparency Report.” The 39-page report, which the company is billing as the first of its kind from a major tech firm, details how Microsoft plans to keep its rapidly expanding stable… Continue Reading
How to Turn Off (or Avoid) LinkedIn’s AI Features
Lifehacker: “Like it or not, LinkedIn is still one of the best ways to search for jobs online. But since 2023, the site has been experimenting with generative AI, making it possible to get AI help with finding new jobs, writing messages, connecting with others, and building your profile and job descriptions. Some users are… Continue Reading
Major US newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft for copyright infringement
Axios: “Eight prominent U.S. newspapers owned by investment giant Alden Global Capital are suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, in a complaint filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York. Why it matters: On top of a similar case filed by the New York Times against both companies, the new suits add heft… Continue Reading
New bill would try to make tools like Zoom and Teams work together securely
The Verge: “A new proposal from Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) would require videoconferencing and messaging tools used by the federal government to be able to communicate with each other, even if made by different companies. It would also enforce high security standards for government collaboration tools, including end-to-end encryption. The Secure and Interoperable Government Collaboration… Continue Reading
Did One Guy Just Stop a Huge Cyberattack?
The New York Times [unpaywalled] – “A Microsoft engineer noticed something was off on a piece of software he worked on. He soon discovered someone was probably trying to gain access to computers all over the world…Recently, while doing some routine maintenance, Mr. Freund inadvertently found a backdoor hidden in a piece of software that… Continue Reading
