Microsoft Azure Outage Caused by Cyberattack, What To Do After a Data Breach, and More.

by | Jul 31, 2024 | This Week in Tech

This Week In Tech, we talk about the Microsoft Azure outage caused by cyberattack, steps to take after a data breach, and how ChatGPT is becoming more conversational.

Microsoft confirms a recent Azure outage was caused by cyberattack

Microsoft has confirmed that a distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyberattack was behind the Azure outage on July 30. Users reported issues accessing various Microsoft services, including Microsoft 365 products like Office and Outlook, as well as Azure itself, starting on Tuesday. The disruption lasted nearly 10 hours and occurred less than two weeks after a CrowdStrike update led to crashes in Microsoft Windows machines, resulting in intermittent errors, timeouts, and latency spikes. Sean Wright, head of application security at Featurespace, indicates that “Similar to the CrowdStrike issue from a few weeks ago, it seems there was a flaw in the software used to guard against DDoS attacks.”

Read More: Forbes

Steps to take after a data breach

After a breach, depending on the type of information compromised, you might face targeted scams or deal with the aftermath of identity thieves opening credit accounts in your name. Here’s how to safeguard yourself and what steps to take if you’re affected by a breach.

Use a password manager: A password manager is highly beneficial. It allows you to store all your passwords in one place while only needing to remember one master password. It also generates unique and complex passwords for you automatically, so you don’t have to remember them.

Avoid clicking on links: If you get an email from someone not in your address book or a text from an unknown number, avoid clicking on any links. If the message claims to be from a business, like a package delivery service, go directly to the company’s website instead.

Avoid QR codes when possible: No one can easily distinguish between a legitimate QR code and one that could compromise your phone with malware.

Use credit as your online payment: If a fraudster obtains your payment credentials, you’ll find it much easier to resolve the situation if you used a credit card, as it offers stronger fraud protections compared to a debit card.

Continue reading for steps to take if you experience a breach.

Read More: CNBC

New ‘advanced voice mode’ is making ChatGPT more conversational

Unlike the robotic voices typically associated with digital assistants like Alexa or Siri, this advanced voice mode sounds strikingly natural. It can respond in real time, adapt to interruptions, laugh at jokes, and even gauge a speaker’s emotional state based on their tone. However, voice mode will be limited to just four pre-set voice options created in collaboration with voice actors to prevent impersonation. Starting Tuesday, the advanced voice mode available with the premium ChatGPT-4o will begin rolling out to paid users. Initially, it will be offered to a select group of “Plus” subscribers, with plans to expand availability to all Plus users by the fall.

Read More: CNN

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