The ITAM Roundup: 7/14/24
š° News
Three words to send a chill down your spine: Snowflake. Intrusion. Alert.
In this week's Kettle episode (from The Register), the team discusses recent security issues, including the AT&T Snowflake storage account intrusion affecting over 100 million people and the latest AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. The discussion, hosted by Iain Thomson and featuring Tobias Mann, Brandon Vigliarolo, and cybersecurity editor Jessica Lyons, is packed into a 15-minute segment.
In bid to loosen Nvidiaās grip on AI, AMD to buy Finnish startup for $665M
AMD is acquiring Finnish AI startup Silo AI for $665 million to expand its AI services and compete with Nvidia. The acquisition, one of the largest in Europe in a decade, will see Silo's team build custom large language models using AMD's software tools. This move aims to enhance AMD's AI technology stack and customer engagement, positioning it against Nvidia's dominant market presence.
Michael Acton and Tim Bradshaw, Financial Times
Licenseware Partners with HAT Distribution to Bring Next-Gen Software Asset Management Tools in ANZ
Licenseware, an innovator in software licensing automation, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with HAT Distribution, a premier Australian technology distributor. This collaboration establishes HAT Distribution as the official distributor of Licensewareās advanced Software Asset Management (SAM) solutions across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).
Licenseware
CIO Compensation May Soon Be Tied to Green Data Centers
Corporate boards are increasingly considering tying CIO compensation to sustainability achievements, particularly the adoption of green data centers. This shift aligns with a broader trend where IT job candidates prioritize companies' sustainability commitments when making employment decisions. The growing pressure for sustainability comes from stakeholders, employees, and supply chain partners, with green data centers seen as a straightforward way for companies to demonstrate environmental progress.
Adobeās lack of transparency is coming at a great cost
Adobe's recent terms of service update, which included provisions allowing the company to use or reproduce user-created content, sparked widespread user backlash and fears over data privacy and AI use. The situation escalated when users found they couldn't interact with Adobe products without agreeing to the new terms and faced a 50% cancellation fee if they attempted to cancel subscriptions, leading to legal action by the U.S. Justice Department and FTC. Although Adobe later clarified their terms and reassured users about their data use policies, the initial lack of transparency caused significant mistrust and resentment.
Allison Carter
š Tips
Is Microsoftās Unified Support Right for Your Organization?
Microsoft Unified Support can lock enterprises into paying premium fees for direct support, which may not always offer the best value. Smaller organizations might have more flexibility to explore alternatives, but larger ones often find it difficult to move away from Microsoft's ingrained solutions and support structures. It's crucial for organizations to thoroughly understand the complex and often opaque fee structures of Microsoft Unified Support, and consider exploring alternative support models to potentially reduce costs.
Erik Bullard
Want to sign an Azure Consumption agreement? Soon, MCA may be your only option
Microsoft is pushing to transition customers from Enterprise Agreements (EAs) to Microsoft Customer Agreements (MCAs), particularly for Azure consumption commitments. This shift affects both small and large companies, requiring them to sign Azure Consumption Commitments (MACC) under MCAs, eliminating the option to do so under EAs. While MCAs offer streamlined processes and flexibility, they also bring complexities, potential loss of benefits, and difficulties in managing perpetual licenses and subscription renewals.
Mary Jo Foley
North Star Metrics: How To Build a Roadmap Towards ISO 19770-1 Certification
In a recent ITAM Forum webinar, Chris Hayes from Anglepoint discussed with industry peers how to prepare for ISO/IEC 19770-1 certification, a key standard for ITAM practices. The panel explored the readiness assessment, certification process, and key elements of the standard, emphasizing its value and importance. Anglepoint offers a Readiness Assessment Quiz for personalized feedback, and the webinar highlighted the significance of aligning ITAM objectives with organizational goals, careful planning, stakeholder involvement, and starting with a smaller scope to demonstrate value.
š Bugs & Exploits
Okta CSO warns of rising post-authentication attacks
Okta's Chief Security Officer, David Bradbury, highlights a rising trend in cybersecurity threats shifting from pre-authentication to post-authentication attacks. Attackers are now targeting session tokens, which are easier to exploit than multi-factor authentication, allowing them to access applications without re-entering credentials. To combat this, Okta is collaborating with Google to develop device-bound credentials that cryptographically secure tokens, making them inaccessible to attackers even if a user's browser cookies are compromised.
Nancy Liu
