The Biden administration's recent initiative involving Google and Microsoft aims to address the growing cybersecurity crisis in U.S. health care by offering training and software discounts to rural hospitals. However, experts argue that these efforts fall short of adequately protecting Americans' health data and preventing ransomware attacks. While the additional investment in cybersecurity is welcomed, critics believe the initiative prioritizes big tech interests over specialized cybersecurity firms better suited to address the specific vulnerabilities in health care systems.

Why Google and Microsoft can't defuse U.S. health care's ticking cybersecurity problem STAT

Amazon's attempt to transform Alexa with generative AI has stumbled, according to former employees. Despite a promising demo in September 2023, the new Alexa has yet to launch widely. Structural dysfunctions, technological constraints, and prioritization of other projects, such as AWS's Bedrock, have hindered progress. Insufficient data and outdated chips further impede development. As rival companies like OpenAI and Apple capture the generative AI market, Amazon's vision of making Alexa a leading conversational agent is in jeopardy, making it difficult for the digital assistant to catch up to its competitors.

How Amazon blew Alexa’s shot to dominate AI, according to more than a dozen employees who worked on it publication

The Sg2 analysis from Vizient predicts that both inpatient (IP) and outpatient (OP) volumes will see substantial growth over the next decade, primarily due to an aging population and rising chronic disease rates. Inpatient utilization is expected to increase by 3% to 31 million annual discharges, with a 9% rise in IP days, while outpatient volumes are projected to grow by 17% to 5.82 billion. Medical discharges will rise as the population ages, leading to bottlenecks in emergency departments. The demand for virtual and home health services will also grow, driven by technological advancements and the need to manage high-acuity, aging patients more efficiently. Organizations must strategically plan to address these shifts and ensure resource allocation effectively meets patient care needs.

Inpatient, outpatient volumes to increase over the next decade Healthcare Finance News

Microsoft has identified a critical Wi-Fi vulnerability, labeled CVE-2024-30078, affecting all supported Windows versions. This flaw, which scores 8.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, allows unauthenticated attackers in physical proximity to execute remote code on targeted devices without user interaction. Environments with numerous Wi-Fi connected devices, such as hotels and trade shows, are particularly at risk. It is crucial to apply the latest security patches immediately or use endpoint detection if patching is unfeasible. The vulnerability bypasses most network-based protections and is part of Microsoft's June 2024 Patch Tuesday update.

New Wi-Fi Takeover Attack—All Windows Users Warned To Update Now Forbes