The fax is still king in healthcare — and it’s not going away anytime soon
The fax — that 1940s technology that exploded in the 1980s and operates by copying an image and transmitting it through squeaks and squawks over a phone line — is still used by a large majority of healthcare providers, insurance payers, and pharmacies. And it’s simply not going away anytime soon. As recently as 2019, seven in 10 hospitals were still relying on fax machines and phone lines to transfer and retrieve patient records or order prescriptions, according to the latest figures from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
Dish Network likely paid ransom after recent ransomware attack
Dish Network, an American television provider, most likely paid a ransom after being hit by a ransomware attack in February based on the wording used in data breach notification letters sent to impacted employees. While it didn’t directly confirm it paid, Dish implied as much by saying that it “received confirmation that the extracted data has been deleted.” Ransomware gangs only delete data or provide a decryption key after a ransom is paid, meaning that is highly unlikely that Dish could receive confirmation that the stolen data was deleted without paying.
Google settles location tracking lawsuit for only $39.9M
Google has settled another location tracking lawsuit, yet again being fined a relative pittance. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office announced the $39.9 million fine last week, along with news that Google will have to implement several state-ordered tracking reforms that clarify what data is being gathered and for what purposes. “Today’s resolution holds one of the most powerful corporations accountable for its unethical and unlawful tactics,” Ferguson said in a statement. The lawsuit is similar to others filed across the country last year, with attorneys general in Indiana, Texas and Washington, DC joining Washington state in suing Google over claims it used “dark patterns” to trick users into allowing location tracking and data collection, while also making it difficult to opt out.
That ChatGPT iPhone app has serious privacy issues you need to know about
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, recently brought its artificial intelligence bot to phones with the ChatGPT iPhone app. The mobile version of the chatbot has already climbed the ranks and become one of the most popular free apps on the App Store right now. However, before you jump headfirst into the app, beware of getting too personal with the bot and putting your privacy at risk. Until now, plenty of ‘imposter’ apps have floated around app stores trying to capitalize on the generative AI boom, so it makes sense that OpenAI would want to get its own app out into the world.
Suzuki motorcycle plant shut down by cyber attack
The Indian manufacturing plant responsible for manufacturing Suzuki motorcycles has been forced to shut down following a cyber attack. Since May 10, production of bikes and scooters at Suzuki Motorcycle’s Indian plant has reportedly been temporarily suspended with the loss of an estimated 20,000 vehicles. In addition, Suzuki Motorcycle has postponed its annual supplier conference, which was due to start this week. Although Suzuki has acknowledged that it is suffering a cybersecurity “incident,” it has not shared details of the nature of what has occurred while it continues to investigate.
