The real cost of poor security

How much do cyberattacks cost?

Recently, we reported on Clorox suing Cognizant for $380 million over alleged helpdesk failures during a cyberattack. We described how the complaint, filed in a California court, accuses Cognizant of gross negligence, citing transcripts where helpdesk agents gave away passwords and reset MFA without any identity checks. It was a popular story with the readers of CSO.  

Those readers also wanted to know how much a cyberattack costs these days. This is the perfect challenge for a tool like Smart Answers, based on a language model of only our high-quality human reporting. And the answer is startling. 

Globally speaking, the recent average cost of a data breach has hit an all-time high of $4.88 million, marking a 10% increase from the previous period. In the US, that number rises to $10.2 million. There are further variations based on verticals, but the bottom line is: secure yourself or pay out. 

Find out: What were the significant financial impacts of recent cyberattacks? 

How to create a winning culture in IT

We recently published an insightful piece from an IT leader about the benefits of the GRIT network. It explained how Growth, Recognition, Inspiration and Trust can transform culture and performance. It’s well worth a read.  

It’s also not the only approach to building a winning culture in IT. Readers of CIO.com were keen to understand in more holistic detail how leaders can do that. Smart Answers suggests that cultivating a winning IT culture involves several key management practices, focusing on leadership, employee engagement, and continuous development. 

Find out: What management practices cultivate a winning IT culture? 

Windows and AI: what’s the plan?

When generative AI (genAI) was just getting going, Microsoft had a healthy head start. But we recently reported that ChatGPT is crushing Microsoft Copilot, and explained why. That led readers of Computerworld to ask what Microsoft is doing, exactly. What is the plan for integrating AI into the Windows operating system? 

Smart Answers has thoughts.  

In essence, it says Microsoft is aggressively transforming Windows 11 into an AI-driven operating system, focusing on integrating genAI capabilities directly into the core OS and applications. This strategy emphasizes on-device AI processing, leveraging specialized hardware to enable offline functionality and enhanced user interaction. 

Find out: What is Microsoft’s current AI strategy for Windows operating system integration? 

About Smart Answers 

Smart Answers is an AI-based chatbot tool designed to help you discover content, answer questions, and go deep on the topics that matter to you. Each week we send you the three most popular questions asked by our readers, and the answers Smart Answers provides. 

Developed in partnership with Miso.ai, Smart Answers draws only on editorial content from our network of trusted media brands—CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World—and was trained on questions that a savvy enterprise IT audience would ask. The result is a fast, efficient way for you to get more value from our content.