FCC Restores Net Neutrality, AI in Law Enforcement, Microsoft Criticized for Security

[00:00:02] It's Friday, April 26th, 2024, and I'm Dave Sulp. Three things to know today. The FCC does vote to restore net neutrality, reclassifying broadband as essential service. AI's role in the workplace, enhancing productivity without displacing jobs, according to a new survey.

[00:00:20] And Microsoft urged to rebuild trust amid security breaches and rising criticism. This is the Business of Tech. You're looking for security solutions for your MSP, and Bitdefender has new ones for you. With advanced protection, simplified management, 24x7 analyst-led security, threat hunting, and end-to-end protection options,

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[00:01:01] Just visit Bitdefender.com or the link in the show notes. As previewed yesterday, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has voted to restore net neutrality rules, reclassifying broadband services as a Title II telecommunications service to regulate the broadband sector.

[00:01:21] These rules prohibit Internet service providers from blocking, throttling, or engaging in aid prioritization of lawful content. The FCC aims to ensure a fast, open, and fair Internet by treating it as an essential service and preventing providers from interfering with broadband speeds.

[00:01:38] However, the discussion around net neutrality is expected to continue, with industry groups likely challenging the rules in court. Maryland and Nebraska have passed consumer data privacy laws, with Maryland also adding a Kids Code. Maryland's Online Data Privacy Act of 2024 includes low thresholds for applicability,

[00:02:00] restrictions on the use of sensitive data, and stringent data minimization requirements. Maryland's Online Kids Code prioritizes children's privacy and safety and requires covered entities to conduct a data protection impact assessment. Nebraska's Data Privacy Act mirrors Texas' law and includes data minimization requirements,

[00:02:21] opt-in consent for processing sensitive data, and recognition of global opt-out signals. By treating broadband as an essential service, the FCC aims to maintain an equitable digital landscape where all content providers, regardless of their size and financial capabilities, have equal access to consumers.

[00:02:42] This is crucial for fostering innovation, protecting consumer rights, and maintaining the competitive dynamics of the Internet. As IT service providers, we depend on customers having as many options and a competitive set of connectivity options. Maryland and Nebraska's enactment of consumer data privacy laws reflects that growing trend

[00:03:03] toward enhancing data protection measures at the state level, particularly in the absence of a comprehensive federal data privacy law. That said, all change if Congress moves. Let's start with an AI use case before moving on to some more news around AI.

[00:03:20] Axon has launched DraftOne, an AI-powered software program that automates police report writing. The software uses GPT-4 to draft high-quality police report narratives by auto-transcribing audio from police body cameras. While Axon claims the software has safeguards and requires human officer review,

[00:03:41] critics raise concerns about potential misuse, software's ability to generate inaccuracies. The company states that trials have shown a significant decrease in report writing time. ClayLab, an AI startup from MIT, has developed a tool called the Trustworthy Language Model

[00:03:58] that assigns a reliability score to output generated by large language models. The tool aims to help users determine which responses from chatbots are trustworthy and which should be discarded. By providing a score between 0 and 1, businesses can make more informed decisions when using the models.

[00:04:16] Companies like Berkeley Research Group have already adopted the Trustworthy Language Model, reducing the workload and improving efficiency. ClayLab hopes that this tool will address concerns about the accuracy and reliability of large language models and the more attractive to businesses.

[00:04:33] TD Cynics has launched an AI industry ecosystem, bringing together independent software vendors, partners and vendors to explore the immediate benefits of artificial intelligence and create new solutions. The group aims to address how specific sectors and organizations can harness the power of AI

[00:04:49] and collaborate to develop real-world use cases. And from Axios, a top economic researcher argues that generative AI can benefit workers if businesses use it as a flexible tool to complement their tasks rather than replace them. The researcher highlights the potential for AI to improve productivity

[00:05:08] and avoid the negative labor market outcomes seen in past automation waves. However, the researcher warns that the bias toward automating tasks, the lack of transparency in AI tools are roadblocks to achieving this pro-worker phenomenon. Why do we care?

[00:05:25] AI excels at summarization tasks, and so we continue to see use cases in that space. The concerns raised about potential inaccuracies and misuse highlight the need for safeguards and human oversight. These concerns are especially pertinent given the high stakes of law enforcement documentation

[00:05:42] and the potential consequences of errors. Axios' approach, which includes human officer review of the reports, suggests an awareness of the issues, although the effectiveness of these safeguards will likely be a key area of scrutiny as the technology is adopted more widely.

[00:05:57] And thus, why tools like the trustworthy language model intrigue me. For businesses, this could mean enhanced decision-making capabilities and reduced risks associated with using AI in operations. Time for some Friday Big Ideas. The Verge with an article called, Microsoft Needs to Win Back Trust.

[00:06:17] Microsoft has been facing a series of high-profile security incidents, leading to concerns about trust in the company. Russian state-sponsored hackers have targeted the company, spying on email accounts and stealing source code. Chinese government hackers have also breached U.S. government emails through Microsoft cloud exploits.

[00:06:36] In response, Microsoft has launched the Secure Future initiative to improve its security efforts. The company is prioritizing security over new features and is focused on AI and security. However, there have been criticisms of Microsoft's security practices,

[00:06:51] including the upselling of security tools and the U.S. government's reliance on Microsoft software. Microsoft's response to these criticisms will be crucial in rebuilding trust. The Register with, Microsoft criticized for charging for security add-ons. Microsoft is facing criticism for charging for security add-ons,

[00:07:13] despite its own vulnerabilities and breaches. Some enterprises must pay for essential security tools on top of their existing subscriptions, leading to that customer frustration. While Microsoft's pricing strategy has resulted in high revenues, it's coming at a cost to users.

[00:07:29] Suggestions have been made to include more security products in standard subscriptions. This could risk revenue and attract the attention of antitrust regulators. Microsoft previously made concessions by providing free access to cloud security logs, raising questions about further steps the company could take to prioritize security.

[00:07:47] Now that we're on security, Hacker News with Ransomware Double Dip, Re-victimization and Cyber Extortion. The article discusses the phenomenon of re-victimization in cyber extortion and ransomware attacks. It explores the reasons behind it, such as second attacks, reusing stolen data, or affiliate crossovers.

[00:08:06] The article also provides insights into the current threat landscape, the volatility of cyber extortion groups, and the efforts of law enforcement to disrupt the operations. The analysis highlights the potential harm and challenges victim organizations face

[00:08:19] and emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity practices in mitigating the risk of cyber attack. Why do we care? Very heavy on cybersecurity thinking this week. Criticisms regarding the upselling of security tools highlights a misalignment between Microsoft's profit objectives and customer security needs.

[00:08:38] The company's challenge now is to balance these two more effectively to rebuild trust and ensure that security enhancements are both accessible and effective. It's a warning of the dangers of selling security as an add-on rather than an industry focus on combating the threat.

[00:08:54] Security is not just an add-on or a premium service, but a fundamental aspect of all digital offerings, ensuring the protection of users and the integrity of systems in an increasingly hostile environment. Security is a core component of security awareness training, community engagement, and dedicated partner support,

[00:09:36] with an average CSAT score of 99.3%. Technology can only get you so far. Human expertise is what's needed to truly elevate and protect small businesses, and you get that with Huntress. Secure your clients and help them thrive with the number one rated EDR for SMBs on G2.

[00:09:57] To find out more. Thanks for listening. Today is National Pretzel Day. Sucker for a good soft pretzel. And thank you to the listeners who reached out about some audio weirdness this week.

[00:10:10] I've worked on it, I think I got it, and I'll be going back to re-render the affected episodes this week. I really do appreciate hearing from you because I care about getting this right. And sometimes I do make a mistake. Have a question you want answered?

[00:10:24] If you're answering those listener questions, send them ideally as a voice memo or video to question at MSPradio.com. I answer listener questions live each week on the Wednesday live show on YouTube and LinkedIn.

[00:10:34] This weekend, a discussion with the CEO of Lunar Crush, Joe Visani, about social marketing metrics. And on Saturday, podcast listeners will get the live show from this Wednesday. Have a great weekend. The Business of Tech is written and produced by me, Dave Sobel, under ethics guidelines.

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[00:11:24] Once again, thanks for listening to me. I will talk to you again on our next episode of the Business of Tech.