Tech Talk BFM Media

Matt Armitage and Rich Bradbury dive into the recent CrowdStrike outage that caused chaos worldwide. They explore the far-reaching implications of the incident, which affected millions of Windows PCs across various sectors including aviation, healthcare, and finance.

In dissecting the technical aspects of the outage, they discuss how a simple software bug in CrowdStrike's security system led to such widespread disruption. They also delve into the conspiracy theories that have sprung up around the event, from alleged connections to former US President Obama to claims of cyber warfare.

That takes them deep into the realm of technological choke points, drawing parallels between digital infrastructure and global shipping networks. Exploring the fragility of our interconnected systems and the challenges of maintaining security and stability in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

With occasional tangents into AI-generated aliases and bedtime stories, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at the vulnerabilities in our tech-dependent world and the unexpected consequences of even minor glitches in critical systems.
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Last Friday, a Microsoft-Crowdstrike update error caused one of the worst IT outages in history and this impacted over 8.5 million Microsoft devices around the world.

To provide more scope on this, more than 3,000 flights within, into, or out of the US were cancelled on July 19, with more than 11,000 delayed. Planes continued to be grounded in the days since, with nearly 2,500 flights cancelled within, into, or out of the US, and more than 38,000 delayed, three days after the outage occurred.

The outage also significantly impacted the healthcare industry, with some healthcare systems and hospitals postponing all or most procedures and clinicians resorting to pen and paper, unable to access Electronic Health Records. On the same day, CrowdStrike CEO, George Kurtz, apologised to the company’s customers and partners for crashing their Windows systems.

In light of this recent incident, today we breakdown how important cybersecurity is to modern-day businesses, some of the early preparation efforts companies should consider to avoid being in a similar situation and what to expect next in such fallout cases. Helping us with this is Eli Serota, Director in Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Communications at FTI Consulting.
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Today Rich Bradbury and Matt Armitage discuss the growing fear and anger surrounding unchecked advances in artificial intelligence (AI): the potential impact of AI on the job market, the ethical implications of AI-generated content, and the lack of regulation in the AI industry.

Matt references the movie "Surrogates" to illustrate the potential dangers of relying too heavily on technology, and highlights the increasing disconnect between humans and the technology they depend on. He also discusses the rise of AI agents, which are more autonomous and capable than traditional chatbots, and the potential for these agents to displace human workers.

The episode concludes with a discussion of the potential dangers of AI, including the possibility of AI-caused catastrophic harm to humanity. Matt references the predictions of former OpenAI employee Daniel Kokotajlo, who believes that AI could destroy or catastrophically harm humanity by 2027. Matt emphasizes the need for guardrails and regulation in the AI industry to mitigate these risks.
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In this episode of Tech Talk, we address the pressing issue of deepfake fraud in the financial sector with Frederic Ho, the Vice President of Asia Pacific at Jumio. Based on Jumio's 2024 Online Identity Study, we explore consumer confidence in banking fraud-protection measures and their specific concerns about deepfakes. Frederic will discuss how deepfakes pose unique threats to financial services and provide concrete examples of deepfake-powered fraud.

We'll look into the specific measures financial institutions and technology providers are implementing to strengthen defences against these cyber threats and the role of regulatory frameworks in this effort. Additionally, we'll cover consumers' expectations regarding reimbursement and accountability, and the importance of educational initiatives for raising awareness about deepfake risks.
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Join hosts Richard Bradbury and Matt Armitage for a fascinating journey through the latest in weird and wonderful scientific breakthroughs. In this episode, we explore:
• Bionic legs with neural interfaces that are changing lives and blurring the line between human and machine
• Fish-friendly hydropower turbines that could revolutionize renewable energy
• Why night owls might just be smarter than early birds (sorry, morning people!)
• How Lego is becoming an unexpected hero in scientific research labs worldwide
• The future of "self-shaping" wooden buildings that twist and form themselves
From MIT's cutting-edge prosthetics to DIY lab equipment made from children's toys, this episode is packed with mind-bending innovations that sound like science fiction but are quickly becoming reality.
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Today on Tech Talk, we speak with David Holland, Managing Director of Swag at Employment Hero on the intricacies of AI-driven recruitment platforms, their possible integration with existing and traditional HR systems as well as their role in predicting and meeting future hiring needs.

We’ll also discuss the benefits these platforms bring to businesses and job seekers alike along the challenges and future trends in AI-driven recruitment technologies moving forward.
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