The Cyber Why: What We Read This Week...

... and why you should too! (05/19/23)

I can't write TCW every Friday on my own. Without my team, TCW wouldn’t exist. I want to thank the entire TCW team (Jennie Duong, Rick Holland, Adrian Sanabria) for helping me produce this newsletter. Without you TCW wouldn’t exist.

The TCW team does our best to analyze the top stories we read each week, hopefully resulting in some fun commentary delivered to your inbox. We enjoy the creation process and hope you find value in our writing. If you do, please SHARE the newsletter on social media. We can’t grow without your help!

Thank you for being a reader of TCW. Now onto this week’s amazing stories.

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A Modern Day Footloose - NO TIKTOK!

Governor Gianforte Bans TikTok in Montana (Montana.gov)
Supreme Court Avoids the Big Question Surrounding the Internet (Newsweek)

Montana imposed a ban on TikTok, a decision that is quite perplexing. Implementing geographic restrictions on specific social media apps is absurd and unmanageable. The article suggests that there's minimal proof that China is using this app for espionage. Furthermore, Apple and Google could face a daily fine of $10,000 if their app stores continue to offer TikTok in Montana. This one will be in legal limbo for a long time and may eventually make it up to some very high-level courts. It will be interesting to see what steps the Whitehouse takes on this topic. I bet the real issue is that Governor Gianforte was too busy doing TikTok dances to finish his work and needed a break!

OpenAI Takes It To The Next Level

OpenAI unveils ChatGPT plugins, but there's a catch (ZDNet)
OpenAI CEO calls for laws to mitigate ‘risks of increasingly powerful’ AI (The Guardian)
Introducing the ChatGPT app for iOS (OpenAI)

Shit just got real! I know that I am a ranging AI fanboi and tend to over-hype the potential for AI, but adding plugins and web browsing capability to ChatGPT is a game changer. The world is your oyster as you ask the all-knowing OpenAI wizard questions. I have been using it daily to deliver work to my clients, and these new capabilities open up a world of new possibilities. The advanced capabilities require a $20-a-month fee, but it’s well worth it. It’s easily made me 10x more efficient!

$10 Million Reward For the Four-Fingered Criminal

Russian Hacker “Wazawaka” Indicted for Ransomware
(Rick pick - KrebsOnSecurity)

Earlier this year, some predicted that ransomware was trending down, but reports of ransomware's death are greatly exaggerated. On Tuesday, the Justice Department unsealed two indictments charging Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev in ransomware attacks. Matveev, also known as Wazawaka (which makes me think of Fozzie Bear), was involved with Lockbit, Babuk, and Hive ransomware attacks. Matveev is an interesting character who trolled Brian Krebs earlier this year and also is missing a finger. The State Department is offering a $10 million reward, but let's not expect anyone to snitch on Wazawaka. Snitches, after all, get stitches. Also, given how lucrative ransomware is, $10 million isn’t likely to move the needle that much.

Navigating the Harsh Reality of Startup IPOs

The Biggest Startup IPOs Are Down 2.5x More Post-Peak Than The Nasdaq (Jennie’s Pick - Crunchbase)

Startups face a brutal reality check as their valuations have plummeted since the market peak. While Uber manages to stay afloat, others are sinking fast. It's a stark reminder that profitability matters more than hype. Established giants like Apple and Microsoft weather the storm while newcomers struggle to prove themselves. Investors demand tangible results, not just promises of potential. It's time for startups to deliver on their valuations and show they can generate profits. In this volatile market, investors should approach deals cautiously and temper expectations for startup IPOs. Only time will reveal the true winners and losers in this ever-evolving industry.

Dyson Zone: The All-In-One Headphone and Air Purification Product — Tech of the Future?

Review: Dyson Zone (Jennie Pick - Wired)

We all know and love Dyson for their incredibly overpriced (but effective) vacuums and hair styling products. Just in time for memorial day, Dyson is releasing their next HOT item! Please welcome the - Dyson Zone! This is the future you’ve been waiting for! This hawt new item is “the world’s only active noise-canceling, air-purifying headphones.” Go buy them now!

Yup, you saw that correctly. If this is the future, you can count me out. The Dyson Zone is the only product in the world that combines premium headphones and air purification motors resulting in heavy headgear and questionable functionality while visually ensuring you'll never be taken seriously again. It’s almost as dumb looking as the old Google Glass!

Dyson should’ve included the following disclaimer for consumers: The Dyson Zone is not responsible for any social embarrassment, excessive attention, or uncontrollable laughter induced by its public usage. Wear at your own risk.

What’s the TL;DR of the article? If you have an extra $1,000 lying around and want to make a dubious fashion statement while (sort of) protecting yourself from pollution, go ahead and buy the Dyson Zone. But those of us who choose not to look like Bain from Batman should stick to more practical and affordable options.

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