CYBERSECURITY

• What's Worse Than the "Largest IT Outage in History"? It Could Be CrowdStrike-Hotfix.Zip, or the Congressional Response
• North Korean Hackers Fake IT Worker for Cybersecurity Firm
• TechCrunch Experts on How to Not Be the Next Crowd Strike
• CEOs Don't Have to Become Experts in Technical Aspects of Cybersecurity in Order to Be Prepared
• At Last! A Health Record Cyberhacker Got Caught!

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• Digital Twins: An AI Tech to Watch
• AI Budgets Poised to Surge in 2025
• OpenAI Startup Fund Backs AI Healthcare Venture with Arianna Huffington

TRANSPORTATION TECH

• Southwest, Archer Envision Air Taxi Network
• Easing EV Range Anxiety Through Faster Charging

On the afternoon of September 12, Alvaka will co-present an event - Navigating the Cyber Storm: Insights from IT, Legal, and Digital Forensics Experts, to be held in Westwood (L.A.).
MEANWHILE, read recent articles from Alvaka:
> How Do We Navigate the Surge in Ransomware with Essential Cybersecurity Strategies for 2024?, which explores the latest trends and offers crucial cybersecurity strategies to protect against ransomware attacks.
> FBI Recovers 7,000 LockBit Decryption Keys, which reports that LockBit ransomware is one of the most formidable ransomware variants in recent years. This development offers a ray of hope for victims worldwide, who can now reclaim their encrypted data for free. (LA)

Recent short videos from Dave include:
> This way to the exit! Steps to take preparing for your M&A event - an 8-minute video summarizing a one-hour course.
> Dave's 3-minute iteration of "The Berkus Method" of valuation - intended for pre-revenue early-stage companies with few metrics to measure value.
AND, recent articles from Dave include:
> Can You Be Liked While Being Tough? - A sense of values that allows for sharing and fairness is not at odds with a 'type A' entrepreneur driven for success.
> Should You Find a Business Coach? - Develop relationships with fellow CEOs in non-competing businesses for a start.
> Ever Receive Worthless Advice? - Filter all advice through the strainer of good reason, taking that which seems reasonable and rejecting that which is wrong for ourselves or for the immediate time. (LA)

In You need to offer interval funds, but how do you support their unique attributes?, Envision Financial Systems discusses that as interval fund launches continue to surge, fund servicers are facing the question of where to put them, operationally. Servicers typically divide operations into traditional and alternative fund operations, and the investor recordkeeping technology is separate for each. But what if there was a system that could accommodate both? (OC)

In The Best Time to Post on Social Media: A Guide for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, Get Visible explains that success on social media isn't just about creating engaging content - it's also about posting that content at the right time. For a variety of social platforms, Get Visible provides optimal posting times, factors influencing engagement, tips for maximizing reach, as well as some platform-specific strategies, and additional tips for success across all platforms. (LA)

In his recent post - 1P and My Second Act, Adam Miller writes, "Now that we have some real momentum, I wanted to share what I've been working on since Cornerstone, specifically on the philanthropic front. The focus of my "Second Act" has been the intersection of social impact and entrepreneurship. Together with my wife Staci Miller, I've been leveraging my resources, network, and experiences to try to make a real difference in our global community and create a legacy of taking action." Adam includes a document that highlights that work. In it, he discusses 1P.org, Instil, Groundswell, Clovers, and more. (LA)

CEO Ujj Nath talks about What's "the next big thing" for myKaarma, in this 41-second video.
AND, Ujj and fellow co-founder Gaurav Sharma discuss myKaarma's response to the CDK cyberattack, in this 1:32-minute video. (OC)

In Sustainable Manufacturing: Leveraging Technology for a Greener Future, The Joy Factory notes that as we face the realities of climate change and resource depletion, industries around the world are seeking ways to reduce their environmental impact in all aspects of their business. Manufacturing, being one of the largest sectors globally, has a crucial role to play in this green revolution, and connected technologies are allowing us to step up to the challenge.
AND, in HAZLOC vs Rugged: Understanding the Differences and Benefits, The Joy Factory details why choosing the right protective case for enterprise use of devices (i.e., tablets and smartphones) depends on the specific environment and risks associated with it. HAZLOC-certified solutions are essential for safety in dangerous environments, ensuring compliance and protecting workers. Rugged cases provide robust protection against physical damage in demanding conditions, enhancing device longevity and reliability. (OC & LA)

Recent episodes of Marshall's and Joel Kotkin's podcast, The Feudal Future, include:
> Unpacking Europe's Youth-Driven Political Shift - What if the youth of Europe are aligning more with right-wing populism than the traditional left? This episode unpacks this surprising trend with Fraser Myers, deputy editor of Spiked, and Frank Furedi, executive director of the NCC think tank in Brussels.
> Navigating South Africa's Political and Economic Changes - What if South Africa could become the next economic powerhouse? This episode brings on structural engineer Hügo Krüger and analyst Bheki Mahlobo to unpack South Africa's political upheaval and its road ahead.
ALSO, read Latinos Are the Primary Victim of Radical Climate Change Policies, a new report from Chapman's Center for Demographics and Policy, which includes input from Marshall. (OC)

Laith Pahlawan has introduced Bloom, "the ultimate AI-powered chatbot designed to revolutionize the way small businesses and business owners interact with their customers." Visit bloomchat.ai to learn more about this comprehensive AI platform that leverages chat bot technology to streamline data management and customer interactions. with instant connection to the most popular small business applications. (LA)

A large traditional agriculture group in Salinas has completed the widescale deployment of California Lightworks' MegaDrive LED grow light system over the majority of its million square feet of cultivation to capitalize on the rebounding market. The patented MegaDrive system powers up to 27 fixtures from one driver located at the end of the greenhouse. This means no power drops over the canopy, no conduits, no contactor panels or expensive electrical contractor bills. Removing all the driver electronics from the top of the canopy, where the temperature tends to be the highest, also markedly increases the system's reliability. The result is an up to 80% reduction in installation cost while significantly increasing the product lifespan. (LA)

USA Today recently published an article spotlighting CuraeSoft's coAmplifi - Digital Nomad and Work-From-Anywhere Culture Is Here to Stay; coAmplifi Helps Organizations Embrace This Talent Trend.
AND, in a recent issue of LA Weekly, How Can Employees Ensure Productivity in a Hybrid and Remote Work Environment, Leading to Better Job Security?, focuses on CuraeSoft and coAmplifi, with quotes from CEO Mark Parinas.
PLUS, the International Business Times published, CuraeSoft Integrates Its Product coAmplifi's Ethos of Transparency and Accountability Into Its Own Company Culture, also featuring Mark and his company. (LA)

Eckert & Ziegler Radiopharma GmbH (EZ), in collaboration with the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Ústav jaderné fyziky, "UJF") have opened a pioneering Actinium-225 (Ac-225) production facility. Currently, Ac-225-based radiopharmaceuticals are under clinical investigation for various cancers, and a substantial increase in Ac-225 demand is projected over the next decade. (LA)

On the evening of August 29, NuSci Nutrition Science Foundation will present a Nutrition Science Workshop, in which John Tanner will share his nutrition journey after suffering a near-fatal cardiac arrest in 2009. John will relay the scientific information the attendees need to avoid heart disease and other leading killers, discuss strategies for change, and field questions. The evening, to be held at Tanner Research, in Duarte, will include dinner and a gift book. (LA)

Optimum Info (OI) shares its success story with Kia Motors America, which, among other successes, has enabled KMA field operations to reduce time spent preparing for a dealer contact meeting by more than 60%. KMA implemented the full range of Optimum's Dealer Contact System features. (OC)

Primas Group's Cloud-based Conversational AI has passed StateRAMP Certification for cybersecurity, highlighting its dedication to safeguarding clients' businesses against unauthorized access and data breaches.
AND, read about Primas's advanced AI self-service chatbot solution - it learns content on your business's website and utilizes that to generate responses or provide assistance based on users' queries. It can understand and generate text on a wide range of topics directly from your website. (OC)

ProProfs announced that you can use Zapier to connect ProProfs Chat with leading CRM and marketing automation tools to streamline your workflow and relieve agents of any repetitive tasks, such as creating new contacts, manually sharing chat transcripts, etc.
AND, ProProfs Quiz Maker has debuted a unique question type - Fill-in-the-Blanks Numeric Range - which allows quiz takers to provide answers that must be either an exact number or within a specific range.
PLUS, ProProfs recently shared a couple of its success stories:
> Acer leveraged ProProfs Help Desk's customization features to analyze and optimize support costs.
> Spirit Airlines has enabled a self-service knowledge base creation via ProProfs. (LA)

Since malaria causes 600,000+ fatalities every year, with some 60% being children, ChromoLogic has developed QuickMag, with funds from NIAID. It's a rapid, battery-operated, point-of-care malaria screening device, successfully tested in Blantyre, Malawi (clinical study) in partnership with Michigan State University. (LA)

Almost 700 nurses at Golisano Children's Hospital are using a tool provided by Elemeno Health, a 24/7 digital platform created to boost communication between doctors and nurses in building patient profiles to avoid any errors in the OR. This hospital was the first to put this software into practice in New York State and officials say the hope is to extend Elemeno's technology to more facilities statewide in the future. Watch a 3-minute News 8 WROC video about Elemeno and Golisano here. (BA)

Makani Science was recently featured in the Innovation Column in the Orange County Business Journal, in an article entitled, "Irvine Startup Introduces Bandage-Sized Respiratory Monitor." It spotlights that Makani Science is developing a wearable respiration monitor, and the first-generation device is currently under review by the FDA, expected to receive approval by the end of the year. The product will cost an estimated $75 once the company begins commercialization. It also shares that Makani is already developing a second-gen version of the device, which will also have potential uses for neonatal care due to its small size, and that Makani is in talks with Children's Hospital of Orange County to conduct a study. (OC)

Three large health systems became strategic investors in DexCare, a digital health spinoff from Providence's Digital Innovation Group: Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital; Texas Health Resources (Arlington); and Community Health Network (Indianapolis). The new investors entered as part of DexCare's series C funding round, which was led by ICONIQ Growth. DexCare plans to use new funds to accelerate market adoption of its care orchestration platform.
AND, another Providence DIG spinoff - Praia Health - has partnered with CLEAR, the secure identity company, to enhance identity verification processes for health systems. Praia will integrate CLEAR's technology into the Praia platform in a seamless experience. (LA)

MedWand Solutions, founded by Bob Rose, has announced its expansion into New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands, with Whānau Tahi appointed as authorized distributor. By providing healthcare professionals with the tools to conduct comprehensive on-site or remote patient examinations, MedWand aims to bridge the gap in healthcare accessibility, particularly in historically underserved areas. The collaboration not only broadens the reach of MedWand's VirtualCare technology but also contributes to the goal of improving patient outcomes in the geographically diverse region. (OC)

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz wrote a heartfelt letter of apology to the 8.5 million of us Windows users who've been crippled by the CrowdStrike outage. He also mentioned that bad actors wasted no time in trying to exploit the event: a malicious file named "crowdstrike-hotfix.zip" that was being sent around by hackers posing as a 'quick fix' to the problem, which actually included malware enabling them to remotely control or monitor a user's device. (https://www.wsj.com/business/crowdstrike-outage-travel-snarl-hacking-threat-cybersecurity-16647177)
       While Kurtz has already explained that the outage stemmed from a faulty update to CrowdStrike's software, Congress wants to know more. So they've "invited" him to testify before a hearing, where they hope to hear assurances that safeguards have been put in place that this could never happen again. Meanwhile, the original outage is still roiling industries, large and small, including the cancellation of over 5,000 flights globally, with economic losses estimated in the billions. (https://apnews.com/article/crowdstrike-tech-outage-microsoft-windows-falcon-8fe725037ab975e011b2cfad67b17c0f)

Cybersecurity awareness training company KnowBe4 has revealed it was duped into hiring a fake IT worker from North Korea, resulting in attempted insider threat activity. A high level of sophistication used by North Korean attackers in creating a believable cover identity, capable of passing an extensive interview and background check. The case demonstrates North Korea's ongoing efforts to get fake workers employed in IT roles in Western companies, both as a means of generating revenue for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) government and to conduct malicious cyber intrusions. The applicant used a valid but stolen US-based identity. The picture provided on the application was AI 'enhanced' (to look completely different). Once employed, a fake worker requests their workstation be sent to an address that is an "IT mule laptop farm." They then use VPNs to access the workstation from their real physical location, which is usually North Korea or China. (https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/north-korean-hackers-targeted/)

- Without standardization, it's easier for bad code to slip through the cracks.
- Practicing standard software release hygiene involves testing before deploying and then deploying in a controlled way.
- Progressive rollouts are the place to start. Instead of delivering the change to every user all at once, instead release it to a small subset and see what happens before expanding the rollout. If something goes wrong, you can roll back features that aren't working and get people back to the prior version.
- A lab test doesn't always catch everything, and that's why you have to combine good DevOps testing with controlled deployment to catch things that lab tests miss.
- Bad code is going to slip through from time to time, but if you follow best practices, it probably won't be as catastrophic as what happened last week.
(https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/23/how-to-prevent-your-software-update-from-being-the-next-crowdstrike/)

Earlier this year, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty testified in front of Congress over a February cyberattack on its subsidiary Change Healthcare that affected an estimated third of Americans, and disrupted claims processing, payments to providers, prior authorization requests and eligibility checks for months. The incident was notable because while cybersecurity breaches have become common, a CEO answering security questions at the highest levels of government is not.
       The role of the CEO hasn't exactly changed when it comes to cybersecurity, but the CEO's perception of risk and level of engagement has, said Trevor Horwitz, CISO and founder of Trustnet. The difference now is the potential threat to business operations and reputations, he said. CEOs should be playing a role in cybersecurity strategy overall, said Horwitz, which includes overseeing the development and implementation of risk mitigation strategies, incident response plans, and disaster recovery plans. And, CEOs should be "asking deep and searching questions, not about the technical aspects of it but the coverage and depth and how confident we feel" in the company's cybersecurity stance, said Kevin Dunn, the former SVP and head of professional services at NCC Group who now serves as a senior manager for ProServe Security at AWS. (https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/ceo-cyber-security-strategy-CISO/721102/)

A data breach at Geisinger may have exposed the personal information of more than 1.2 million patients, according to a report filed with federal regulators. In late November, the Pennsylvania-based health system discovered a former employee of Nuance Communications, a Microsoft subsidiary, had accessed certain patient information two days after the employee was terminated, according to Geisinger. Law enforcement asked Nuance to delay notifying patients about the breach until now to avoid impacting their investigation. The worker has been arrested and is now facing federal charges, Geisinger said. Data exposed by the employee varied by patient, but could include names, birth dates, addresses, admit and discharge or transfer codes, medical record numbers, race, gender, phone numbers and facility names. No claims or insurance information, financial information or Social Security numbers were accessed by the former employee. (https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/geisinger-nuance-communications-data-breach/720382/)

The Consumer Technology Association has published a paper on AI, called 2024 Tech to Watch: Digital Twins. An excerpt: "From innovations on the CES show floor to major announcements from leading tech firms, 2024 is poised to be a major year for digital twins. This technology has the power to transform and elevate a variety of industries including automotive design, healthcare practices, and more. With the rise of artificial intelligence capabilities, the potential impact of digital twins will only grow further in the coming years." (https://www.ces.tech/articles/2024/may/2024-tech-to-watch-digital-twins.aspx)

The number of U.S. companies investing $10 million or more in AI is expected to almost double next year, according to a survey by Big Four accounting firm Ernst & Young. 30% of respondents said their business is planning to invest at least $10 million in AI next year, up from a current level of 16%, according to a report on the findings. But many of these organizations are failing to also invest in necessary infrastructure for AI, jeopardizing the technology's potential impact, the report said. (https://www.ciodive.com/news/AI-budget-rise-10M-EY/721665/)

Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are throwing their weight behind a new venture, Thrive AI Health, that aims to build AI-powered assistant tech to promote healthier lifestyles. Backed by Huffington's mental wellness firm Thrive Global and the OpenAI Startup Fund, Thrive AI Health will seek to build an "AI health coach" to give personalized advice on sleep, food, fitness, stress management and "connection," according to press release. DeCarlos Love, who previously led fitness and health experiences at Google's Fitbit subsidiary, primarily on the tech giant's Pixel Watch wearable, has been appointed CEO. (https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/08/openai-startup-fund-backs-ai-healthcare-venture-with-arianna-huffington/)

Archer Aviation and Southwest Airlines are teaming up to figure out what it will take to build out a network of electric air taxis at California airports. The two companies recently signed a memorandum of understanding, which sets the foundation for Archer to tap Southwest's customer base. It also gives Archer access to data about those customers which could inform decisions like where to build vertiports, or local eVTOL stations. This is the second U.S.-based airline that Archer has partnered with after United Airlines, suggesting the eVTOL company aims to support regional routes. Southwest operates at 14 airports across California, and Archer's Midnight aircraft is designed to replace 60- to 90-minute urban commutes by car with air flight that takes only 10 to 20 minutes. (https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/12/archers-vision-of-an-air-taxi-network-could-benefit-from-southwest-customer-data/)

The automotive industry is developing new ways to boost the range of electric vehicles and the speed at which they are charged, overcoming buyer hesitation that has limited the total percentage of EVs to 18% of vehicles being sold. (https://semiengineering.com/easing-ev-range-anxiety-through-faster-charging/)

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