ICT news

• FBI Says It Has Sabotaged Hacking Tool Created By Elite Russian Spies

  09-05-2023 23:20 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The FBI has sabotaged a suite of malicious software used by elite Russian spies, U.S. authorities said on Tuesday, providing a glimpse of the digital tug-of-war between two cyber superpowers. From a report: Senior law enforcement officials said FBI technical experts had identified and disabled malware wielded by Russia's FSB security service against an undisclosed number of American computers, a move they hoped would deal a death blow to one of Russia's leading cyber spying programs.
  "We assess
  
  Read more

• Spotify Ejects Thousands of AI-made Songs in Purge of Fake Streams

  09-05-2023 22:41 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Spotify has removed tens of thousands of songs from artificial intelligence music start-up Boomy, ramping up policing of its platform amid complaints of fraud and clutter across streaming services. From a report: In recent months the music industry has been confronting the rise of AI-generated songs and, more broadly, the growing number of tracks inundating streaming platforms daily. Spotify, the largest audio streaming business, recently took down about 7 per cent of the tracks that had been up
  
  Read more

• 'Monoliths Are Not Dinosaurs'

  09-05-2023 22:02 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Amazon CTO Werner Vogels, writes in a blog post: Software architectures are not like the architectures of bridges and houses. After a bridge is constructed, it is hard, if not impossible, to change the way it was built. Software is quite different, once we are running our software, we may get insights about our workloads that we did not have when it was designed. And, if we had realized this at the start, and we chose an evolvable architecture, we could change components without impacting the cu
  
  Read more

• DAZN Joins Anti-Piracy Coalition To Crack Down on Bootleg Sports Streams

  09-05-2023 21:21 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  International online sports broadcasting company DAZN has joined a global task force that aims to shut down pirated and unauthorized sports streaming operations worldwide. The new group is operated by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), which counts giants like Amazon, Apple, NBC Universal, Netflix, Disney, Sony, and Warner Bros. among its members. From a report: Unauthorized streaming sources can often be the only available option for people to watch certain teams and matches s
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Pearson Taking Legal Action Over Use of Its Content To Train Language Models

  09-05-2023 20:43 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Textbooks giant Pearson is currently taking legal action over the use of its intellectual property to train AI models, chief executive Andy Bird revealed today as the firm laid out its plans for its own artificial intelligence-powered products. From a report: The firm laid out its plans on how it would use AI a week after its share price tumbled by 15% as American rival Chegg said its own business had been hurt by the rise of ChatGPT. Those plans would include AI-powered summaries of Pearson edu
  
  Read more

• 'Mind-boggling' Methane Emissions From Turkmenistan Revealed

  09-05-2023 20:18 via news.slashdot.org
  
  AleRunner shares a report: Methane leaks alone from Turkmenistan's two main fossil fuel fields caused more global heating in 2022 than the entire carbon emissions of the UK, satellite data has revealed. Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas from the oil- and gas-rich country are "mind-boggling," and an "infuriating" problem that should be easy to fix, experts have told the Guardian. The data produced by Kayrros for the Guardian found that the western fossil fuel field in Turkmenistan, on the Ca
  
  Read more

• Alphabet-backed Anthropic Outlines the Moral Values Behind its AI Bot

  09-05-2023 19:28 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Anthropic, an artificial intelligence startup backed by Google owner Alphabet, on Tuesday disclosed the set of written moral values that it used to train and make safe Claude, its rival to the technology behind OpenAI's ChatGPT. From a report: The moral values guidelines, which Anthropic calls Claude's constitution, draw from several sources, including the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and even Apple's data privacy rules. Anthropic was founded by former executives from Microsoft-bac
  
  Read more

• LinkedIn Will Cut Over 700 Jobs Worldwide and Shut Its China App

  09-05-2023 18:45 via slashdot.org
  
  LinkedIn, the networking platform used by millions of employees and companies, said on Monday it will pare down its operations in China, capping a multiyear pullback that exemplified the challenges of running a foreign business in China. From a report: The company, owned by Microsoft, said it will lay off 716 employees worldwide, including teams dedicated to engineering and marketing in China, because of slumping demand. It did not say how many of those layoffs will be in China. LinkedIn will al
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Meta Open-Sources Multisensory AI Model That Combines Six Types of Data

  09-05-2023 18:36 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Meta has announced a new open-source AI model that links together multiple streams of data, including text, audio, visual data, temperature, and movement readings. From a report: The model is only a research project at this point, with no immediate consumer or practical applications, but it points to a future of generative AI systems that can create immersive, multisensory experiences and shows that Meta continues to share AI research at a time when rivals like OpenAI and Google have become incr
  
  Read more

• Microsoft 365's AI-powered Copilot is Getting More Features and Paid Access

  09-05-2023 17:20 via slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft is expanding preview access to its Microsoft 365 Copilot, a digital assistant based on OpenAI's GPT-4 that brings AI-powered capabilities across Microsoft 365 apps and services. The tech giant has also announced a new indexing tool that lets Copilot more accurately report on internal company data, alongside some new Copilot features for apps like Microsoft Whiteboard, Outlook, and PowerPoint. From a report: The company is launching the Microsoft 365 Copilot Early Access Program -- an i
  
  Read more

• Apple Launches Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on iPad with New Subscription Pricing

  09-05-2023 16:40 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Apple is bringing Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro to the iPad. Both apps will be available for $4.99 per month or $49 per year on iPad starting on May 23rd. For comparison, buying Logic Pro on a Mac costs $199.99, and buying Final Cut Pro normally costs $299.99. From a report: The video and music editing apps will come with enhancements specifically for iPads. Final Cut Pro, for example, will come with a new jog wheel that's supposed to make the editing process "easier than ever," allowing you to na
  
  Read more

• IBM Unveils New Watsonx, AI and Data Platform

  09-05-2023 16:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  IBM on Tuesday launched watsonx, a new artificial intelligence and data platform to help companies integrate AI in their business. From a report: The new AI platform launch comes over a decade after IBM's software called Watson got attention for winning the game show Jeopardy. IBM at the time said Watson could "learn" and process human language. But Watson's high cost at the time made it a challenge for companies to use, according to Reuters reporting. Fast forward a decade, chatbot ChatGPT's ov
  
  Read more

• EU Lawyers Say Plan To Scan Private Messages For Child Abuse May Be Unlawful

  09-05-2023 15:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: An EU plan under which all WhatsApp, iMessage and Snapchat accounts could be screened for child abuse content has hit a significant obstacle after internal legal advice said it would probably be annulled by the courts for breaching users' rights. Under the proposed "chat controls" regulation, any encrypted service provider could be forced to survey billions of messages, videos and photos for "identifiers" of certain types of content where it
  
  Read more

• Microsoft Releases May 2023 Security Updates

  09-05-2023 14:00 via cisa.gov
  Microsoft has released updates to address multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft software. An attacker can exploit some of these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system.
  CISA encourages users and administrators to review Microsoft’s May 2023 Security Update Guide and Deployment Information and apply the necessary updates.
  
  Read more

• CISA and Partners Disclose Snake Malware Threat From Russian Cyber Actors

  09-05-2023 14:00 via cisa.gov
  Today, CISA and partners released a joint advisory for a sophisticated cyber espionage tool used by Russian cyber actors. Hunting Russian Intelligence “Snake” Malware provides technical descriptions of the malware’s host architecture and network communications, and mitigations to help detect and defend against this threat.
  CISA urges organizations to review the advisory for more information and apply the recommended mitigations and detection guidance. For more information on FS
  
  Read more

• Scientists Find Link Between Photosynthesis and 'Fifth State of Matter'

  09-05-2023 12:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Louise Lerner writes via Phys.Org: Inside a lab, scientists marvel at a strange state that forms when they cool down atoms to nearly absolute zero. Outside their window, trees gather sunlight and turn them into new leaves. The two seem unrelated -- but a new study from the University of Chicago suggests that these processes aren't so different as they might appear on the surface. The study, published in PRX Energy on April 28, found links at the atomic level between photosynthesis and exciton co
  
  Read more

• Arianespace CEO: Europe Won't Have Reusable Rockets For Another Decade

  09-05-2023 09:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel says Europe will have to wait until the 2030s for a reusable rocket. Space.com reports: Arianespace is currently preparing its Ariane 6 rocket for a test flight following years of delays. Europe's workhorse Ariane 5, which has been operational for nearly 30 years, recently launched the JUICE Jupiter mission and now has only one flight remaining before retirement. Ariane 6 will be expendable, despite entering development nearly a decade ago, when reusability was be
  
  Read more

• Feds Seize 13 More DDoS-For-Hire Platforms In Ongoing International Crackdown

  09-05-2023 05:30 via it.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The US Justice Department has seized the domains of 13 DDoS-for hire services as part of an ongoing initiative for combatting the Internet menace. The providers of these illicit services platforms describe them as "booter" or "stressor" services that allow site admins to test the robustness and stability of their infrastructure. Almost, if not all, are patronized by people out to exact revenge on sites they don't like or to further extortion
  
  Read more

• WordPress Plugin Hole Puts '2 Million Websites' At Risk

  09-05-2023 04:02 via it.slashdot.org
  
  A vulnerability in the "Advanced Custom Fields" plugin for WordPress is putting more than two million users at risk of cyberattacks, warns Patchstack researcher Rafie Muhammad. The Register reports: A warning from Patchstack about the flaw claimed there are more than two million active installs of the Advanced Custom Fields and Advanced Custom Fields Pro versions of the plugins, which are used to give site operators greater control of their content and data, such as edit screens and custom field
  
  Read more

• US Crypto Exchange Bittrex Files For Bankruptcy

  09-05-2023 03:25 via news.slashdot.org
  
  According to CoinDesk, crypto exchange Bittrex has filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. state of Delaware, "months after announcing it would wind down operations in the country and weeks after being sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)." From the report: The exchange believes it has more than 100,000 creditors, with estimated liabilities and assets both within the $500 million to $1 billion range, according to a court filing shared by Randall Reese of Chapter 11 Dockets, a bankruptcy
  
  Read more

• New York Times To Get Around $100 Million From Google Over Three Years

  09-05-2023 03:02 via news.slashdot.org
  
  According to the Wall Street Journal (paywalled), the New York Times is getting around $100 million from Google over the next three years as part of a deal that allows Google to feature Times content on some of its platforms. Reuters reports: The deal includes the Times' participation in Google News Showcase, a product that pays publishers to feature their content on Google News and some other Google platforms, according to the report, which cited people familiar with the matter. The Times in Fe
  
  Read more

• Activision Is Making More Money On PC Than Consoles For the First Time

  09-05-2023 02:45 via games.slashdot.org
  
  According to Activision Blizzard's latest financial report, the video game company's PC platform outperformed consoles by $27 million at the start of 2023, "continuing a trend with the Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch 2 publisher that's been consistent for nearly a year now," reports PC Gamer. From the report: Between January 1 and March 31, Activision made $666 million on PC versus $639 on console. Its PC segment also outsold its console business throughout half of last ye
  
  Read more

• NextGen Healthcare Says Hackers Accessed Personal Data of More Than 1 Million Patients

  09-05-2023 02:02 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: NextGen Healthcare, a U.S.-based provider of electronic health record software, admitted that hackers breached its systems and stole the personal data of more than 1 million patients. In a data breach notification filed with the Maine attorney general's office, NextGen Healthcare confirmed that hackers accessed the personal data of 1.05 million patients, including approximately 4,000 Maine residents. In a letter sent to those affected, NextGen
  
  Read more

• Google IO To Feature AI Updates, Showing Off PaLM 2 LLM

  09-05-2023 01:20 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  At its annual Google I/O developers conference on Wednesday, Google is planning to announce a number of generative AI updates, including launching a general-use large language model (LLM) called PaLM 2. CNBC reports: According to internal documents about Google I/O viewed by CNBC, the company will unveil PaLM 2, its most recent and advanced LLM. PaLM 2 includes more than 100 languages and has been operating under the internal codename "Unified Language Model." It's also performed a broad range o
  
  Read more

• SEC Issues Largest Ever Whistleblower Award of $279 Million

  09-05-2023 00:40 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has given its largest ever award of almost $279 million to a whistleblower whose information was crucial in an enforcement action by the regulator. The SEC did not reveal the case involved, but the award shows there is a significant incentive for whistleblowers to come forward with accurate information about potential securities law violations. Reuters reports: The award is more than double the $114 million that it had issued in October 2020. "As
  
  Read more

• DEF CON To Set Thousands of Hackers Loose On LLMs

  09-05-2023 00:02 via it.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: This year's DEF CON AI Village has invited hackers to show up, dive in, and find bugs and biases in large language models (LLMs) built by OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and others. The collaborative event, which AI Village organizers describe as "the largest red teaming exercise ever for any group of AI models," will host "thousands" of people, including "hundreds of students from overlooked institutions and communities," all of whom will be tas
  
  Read more

Follow @newslocke_ict on Twitter!