by Gary Mintchell | Jul 19, 2024 | News, Security
A major cybersecurity failure. I have not written about the “Blue Screen of Death” or BSOD since the late 90s and the PC-based control movement. Waking up this morning, that dreaded phrase returned to my mail reads. By now you’ve seen photos of lines at airports and other inconveniences. Someone in my community posted about difficulties finding a ride home from O’Hare in the early morning hours.
It seems an automatic update a security company called Crowdstrike crashed Windows PCs. One pessimist I read said this won’t be the last time something like this happens.
This news item was my first hint from John Ellis News Items (subscription).
Businesses across the world, from airlines to financial services and media groups, have been hit by a global IT outage, causing massive disruption to a wide range of services and operations. Thousands of workers were unable to log on to their computers on Friday morning, disrupting businesses from finance to healthcare, in what is shaping up to be one of the most widespread IT outages ever. Australian businesses were the first to warn of problems, with the operations of retailers including Woolworths and 7-Eleven hit. Sydney airport said “a global technical outage” had affected its operations. In Europe, airlines and airports warned of disruption. The US Federal Aviation Administration said Delta, United and American Airlines had asked to ground flights due to take off. “I don’t think it’s too early to call it: this will be the largest IT outage in history,” said Troy Hunt, a prominent security consultant, in a social media post. “This is basically what we were all worried about with Y2K, except it’s actually happened this time.” (Source: ft.com)
PR people started sending me quotes from a variety of cybersecurity people.
Commenting on this, Adam Pilton, Senior Cybersecrity Consultant at CyberSmart and former Detective Sergeant investigating cybercrime said:
“At the time of writing IT systems around the world are not operating. This is impacting many businesses and will impact our daily lives.
Currently, we do not know what has happened, there is no suggestion that this is a cyber attack. The belief is that this is a technical issue. Maybe not coincidently, the cyber security company Crowdstrike are having issues too. Time will tell whether these are directly related.
Crowdstrike has stated that they are aware of reports of crashes on Microsoft’s Windows operating system relating to its Falcon sensor.
There are some suggestions that this is two major incidents running simultaneously. A service-wide Azure outage and CrowdStrike Falcon blue screens.
What we are seeing now though are the businesses which have business continuity and incident response plans in place. These businesses are effectively communicating the issues and ensuring their customers are informed.
Society is dependent upon technology and this is why we must have both technical and non-technical controls in place to protect us when issues arise, whether malicious or not.
Social media is ablaze with users reporting that they are unable to work and one user on Reddit even stated they were commenting purely to be part of history on ‘The day that Crowdstrike took out the internet!’
This is very much the point of why all businesses must plan and prepare. As we are seeing, a huge dependency on individual suppliers can take down supply chains.”
And this one:
“Multiple StickmanCyber security engineering and our 24×7/365 security operations teams across the country support reports that this outage is related to a CrowdStrike update.
“It is our understanding that any business running versions 7.15 and 7.16 are affected by the outage, but 7.17 seems to be ok. We are waiting on official advisory from CrowdStrike on these findings but doing our best to help affected customers. It’s a lesson to always update your software, but obviously this is an extreme example. IT security tools are all designed to ensure that companies can continue to operate in the worst-case scenario of a data breach, so to be the root cause of a global IT outage is an unmitigated disaster.
“Crowdstrike support is offering a workaround to customers. It claims users may be able to fix the issue by booting windows in safe mode or in the Windows Recovery Environment and deleting a file named “C-00000291*.sys”.
by Gary Mintchell | Jul 19, 2024 | News, Personal Development, Productivity, Workforce
- • ResumeTemplates.com Survey Finds ChatGPT Helps 4 in 10 Users Get Raises, as Workers’ Fears of AI Fizzle
- Workers report that ChatGPT helps them save time, complete tasks more efficiently, and increase their productivity
Everyone performs surveys these days. This company would not normally hit my radar. ResumeTemplates (think CV, not beginning again) provides a platform for free professional resume templates and examples. It recently surveyed 1,666 employees in the United States in order to determine the extent of usefulness or fear of Large Language Model (LLM) AI. Namely they questioned use of ChatGPT.
600 of the 1,666 reported using ChatGPT at least once a month. The survey is based on results of these 600.
According to the survey, 36 percent of workers use ChatGPT at least once a month at work. Specifically, 22 percent use it daily, 12 percent weekly, and 2 percent monthly. Workers primarily use ChatGPT to summarize documents, summarize topics, and write emails. Other common uses include brainstorming, interpreting data, writing articles or content, and translating text.
These types of results often drive my skepticism meter toward red, but they are interesting. Define saving time…
These ChatGPT users claim the AI tool has helped them save time at work. Notably, 16 percent of workers report saving one to two hours per week, 22 percent save three to four hours, and 30 percent save five to eight hours. Additionally, 11 percent save nine to 10 hours, and 18 percent save more than 10 hours per week. With the time saved, 94 percent of respondents say they reinvest “all” or “some” of that time back into the company.
“Workers report that ChatGPT assists them in completing assignments more quickly and delivering higher quality results,” says ResumeTemplates’ executive resume writer and career coach Andrew Stoner. This combination creates a win-win scenario for employers and workers, and I believe signals an eagerness on the part of workers to learn and adapt to new technology.”
Survey findings also suggest a significant impact of ChatGPT on respondents’ professional careers. In fact, 38 percent report earning a raise as a result of using ChatGPT. Furthermore, workers say ChatGPT has led to faster task completion, increased productivity, reduced stress levels, and enhanced problem-solving capabilities. Looking ahead, workers believe ChatGPT will continue to benefit their careers by helping them secure promotions, raises, more advanced roles, and better job offers.
View the complete report.
by Gary Mintchell | Jul 18, 2024 | Manufacturing IT, News
Aras invited me to their annual customer event this year. Energy and ideas abounded. The next edition will be held in Boston March 31-April 3, 2025.
Aras, a leader in product lifecycle management (PLM) and digital thread solutions, today announced today the date for its annual event, ACE 2025, taking place March 31-April 3, 2025, in Boston at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza.
Celebrating Aras’ 25th anniversary, ACE 2025 marks a milestone year by inviting its community to Boston, where it all began. This special occasion promises to be an unforgettable gathering of industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts showcasing how leading organizations are transforming engineering and PLM with Aras.
ACE 2025 spans a total of four days, including both pre- and post-event days that offer training opportunities and technical discussions. The main event takes place on the second and third days with a keynote and sessions focused on the latest in PLM and digital thread innovation. Attendees will gain insight from top leaders and industry experts on technology and industry trends reshaping the business of transformation.
“ACE 2025 offers a unique opportunity for our community to come together and discuss how we leverage digital technologies to design, build, and manage products,” said Roque Martin, CEO, Aras. “As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, hosting ACE in Boston is a special moment for us. The Aras community is a source for inspiration and education for innovative strategies that apply PLM and digital thread solutions to support sustainable growth in an increasingly dynamic world.”
by Gary Mintchell | Jul 17, 2024 | Personal Development
Cal Newport, computer science professor and author (Slow Productivity), noticed a sign while on book promotion tour in England regarding the noxious effects of overly processed food, aka junk food.
The message caused a companion thought—junk food for the mind. He had been thinking about how social media, over reliance on smart phones, and the like have corrupted the minds of many throughout the world.
What foods do you allow to fill your appetite? (In my case despite watching what I eat, I just drank 16 oz. of sugar—fruit juice plus ginger ale—just before a blood test. Really stupid.) Normally, I am careful about what goes in.
Likewise, what do you allow to fill your mind? Social media or quality fiction and poetry? TV or walking in nature?
Let us maintain a healthy body and mind.
by Gary Mintchell | Jul 16, 2024 | News, Organizations
The International Society of Automation (ISA), like all associations, has seen its heyday and then a slump as it found its way in a changed environment. At one time it had great support from corporations until said corporations began pinching pennies. I was a member for years. It still does valuable work in the standards area.
It is heartening to see that new leadership has pushed the organization forward. Glad to see this recognition.
The International Society of Automation (ISA) — the leading professional society for automation — announced it has been named a 2024 Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofits, the primary platform for community-sourced reviews about nonprofit organizations.
“We are proud to be named a 2024 Top-Rated Nonprofit,” said Claire Fallon, ISA CEO and executive director. “ISA has just experienced a tremendously successful 2023 with landmark growth across all areas of the organization. It is an honor to see that our success is recognized by our supportive volunteers and members, and that their experience as part of the ISA community has had a positive impact on them. Thank you to GreatNonprofits for highlighting our mission to create a better world through automation.”
The Top-Rated Nonprofit Award is based on the five-star rating and number of reviews that ISA received from its volunteers and members. Review contributors with a wide range of experiences shared the impact ISA has had on their professional lives:
- “In the first few years of my career, ISA was instrumental to my growth and advancement as a young engineer. It gave me access to industry standards, training and credentials that expanded my skillset and credibility with my team. It also helped me build a network of automation industry colleagues and mentors, first in my local area and later internationally. It was particularly inspiring and sustaining to me that many of these connections were with women and young professionals, during a time when I was often the only young woman in my work environment.”
- “My multifaceted journey within ISA, from local leadership to district-level responsibilities and now at the executive board, has been instrumental in my skill development and career.”
- “As an automation professional, ISA’s standards, certifications and training have been crucial for my career. Their conferences and networking events are fantastic for learning and connecting with others in the field. If you’re in the field, ISA is the place to be!”
GreatNonprofits is the leading website where people share stories about their personal experiences on more than 1.6 million charities and nonprofits. The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards are the only awards for nonprofits determined by those who have direct experience with the organizations — as donors, volunteers and recipients of aid.
