It’s time for Bits & Bytes…
… where we bring you news, innovations, and thought-provoking insights from AI, IT, and beyond. In this week’s newsletter we’re looking at:
- Ransomware gang steals compromising photos of patients
- VMware bug exposed
- New camera tech inspired by cats
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
🗞️ AT&T’s “Oops” Costs Millions
AT&T is in hot water with the FCC, shelling out $13 million to settle an investigation into a data breach that exposed the personal info of nearly 9 million wireless customers back in 2023.
In January 2023, hackers broke into a vendor’s cloud system, gaining access to Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI)—we’re talking names, account numbers, phone numbers, and email addresses. While sensitive details like Social Security numbers or credit card info weren’t part of the loot, the breach raised serious concerns about how AT&T was managing its data, especially with third-party vendors.
Turns out, AT&T’s vendor was supposed to delete that data long before the breach even happened, but… they didn’t. Oops. The FCC found that AT&T wasn’t keeping a close enough eye on its vendors, leading to this massive slip-up.
Now, AT&T has agreed to tighten up its data security game. The telecom giant will roll out a comprehensive Information Security Program, beef up its vendor monitoring, and make sure vendors follow strict data retention and disposal rules. Plus, they’ll have to undergo annual compliance audits to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
TL;DR
- AT&T pays $13M to settle an FCC investigation into a 2023 data breach.
- AT&T was found to be slacking on vendor management and data protection.
- Hackers exposed names, account details, and emails of 9 million customers.
TECH HEADLINES FROM ACROSS THE WEB
🐛️ Another Day, Another Vulnerability
Broadcom has patched a critical remote code execution bug (CVE-2024-38812) in VMware vCenter Server, allowing attackers to take over systems with minimal effort. Found in a hacking contest, the bug affects key VMware products like vSphere. No workaround here, so update ASAP to keep your network safe.
⚖️ CA’s AI Crackdown
California has introduced nine new AI laws—America’s toughest yet—targeting deepfake nudes, election disinformation, and AI-cloned actors. These laws force platforms to label AI-generated political content and protect performers from unauthorized AI replicas. Governor Newsom still has 29 more AI-related bills to decide on, so don’t think this is the end of it.
📸 AI Steals the Show
Lionsgate is taking the AI plunge, partnering with Runway to train an exclusive AI model using its vast film and TV library. The studio hopes to cut production costs, but filmmakers and artists aren’t thrilled about their work being used to build AI tools. See above on how this might become an issue…
TECH FOR GOOD
Scientists in Korea have taken a page out of nature’s playbook by mimicking cat eyes to create an artificial eye that excels in the dark and detects camouflaged objects. By replicating the vertical slits of a cat’s pupils and the reflective tapetum lucidum layer behind their retinas, the team developed a camera that improves night vision while keeping a target in sharp focus—even when it’s hidden by its surroundings. These innovations give drones, robots, and other devices the ability to see clearly in low light and better track moving objects, offering huge potential for everything from search-and-rescue missions to military applications.
Once again, nature proves to be one of the best engineers out there!
