Tech Republic

The 2024 Datacom Annual Cloud Report, produced in collaboration with analyst firm Tech Research Asia, highlights some significant shifts in how Australian companies are approaching technology investments. Faced with economic uncertainties and operational pressures, organisations are becoming increasingly conservative with their tech spending — although they are still investing. IDC research projects that the ANZ IT market will grow from U.S. $75.7 billion in 2023 to U.S. $106.4 billion by 2028. However, spending priorities are becoming more focused on finding the paths of least resistance to fuel growth. Rather than investing in complex innovation or advanced technologies such as AI, companies are aiming to achieve growth through more foundational transformation and areas such as cloud. Conservative spending and changing priorities Datacom’s research indicates that Australian businesses are taking a more selective approach to technology spending, reflecting a “circling-the-wagons” mindset. With the focus on risk management and operational resilience, the emphasis is shifting toward finding low-cost growth opportunities. Mike Walls, Datacom’s director of Cloud for ANZ, said in an interview with TechRepublic that cloud is emerging as a key part of this strategy. “Modernising technology that leverages cloud is a strategy organisations are using to drive cost efficiency while enabling the growth of new digital experiences,” he said. Datacom’s research shows that just 33% of Australian organisations have an official hybrid cloud strategy, indicating that part of the focus being placed on cloud also has to do with “catching up” to best practices. “Cloud environments pose complex challenges in terms of systems migration, governance, provisioning, compliance, and ultimately cost,” Walls said. “This is why we are seeing our customers looking for a more nuanced approach to managing workloads on cloud platforms; while their organisations become more familiar with the behaviour of applications and data in cloud environments.” SEE: Year-round IT budget template (TechRepublic Premium) Cloud spending in, innovation out While spending and interest in cloud technologies suggest efforts toward cost management, this focus appears to be stifling innovation, with Australian businesses showing particularly discouraging trends. Earlier this year, Australian Bureau of Statistics research found that a third of Australian businesses do not invest in innovation. This was attributed principally to a lack of available funds to dedicate to that spending, as well as a lack of skills. These findings were further supported in October, when Ed Husic, the Australian government’s science and industry minister, said Australian R&D — a key indicator for innovation — is in a “sorry state.” He referenced a report on innovation spending from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources revealing that “access to funds has overtaken cost and lack of access to skills as the main barrier for business investment.” More Australia coverage A danger of being left behind The looming risk to these shifting priorities is that Australian organisations will be left behind at a time where across much of the rest of the world the focus is on innovation. As the Datacom report indicates, the investments that organisations are making would help companies achieve the platforms that could support innovation, which could open the door to invest in AI. “Our data points to investment in the modernisation of IT platforms to enable better growth, experiences, and security,” Walls said. “In this environment, the door is wide open for innovation and new ways of generating efficiencies that are best delivered by well-informed tech investment.” Cybersecurity is also high on the agenda, with companies investing heavily in managed security services. However, the report suggests that while security is recognised as a priority, budgets and strategies still lag when it comes to innovating with cybersecurity — particularly in areas such as AI security and cloud security frameworks. This gap highlights potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited if not addressed through comprehensive planning. Overall, the big concern is that while Australian organisations are investing in or have the potential to embrace innovation, the unwillingness or lack of resources to take that step is leaving companies, particularly smaller ones, behind. Cisco’s AI Readiness Index, published in early 2024, found that only 5% of Australian businesses were fully prepared and equipped to leverage AI, compared with the regional average of 17%. Datacom’s data suggest that the reputation that many Australian organisations share of being “laggards” with innovation isn’t going to correct course with the current set of priorities. Some improvements to the skills challenge On the positive side, the reduced concern about skills shortages among Australian organisations is encouraging, as these gaps have long been an impediment to innovation. As Walls pointed out, the latest data from Jobs and Skills Australia shows that 33% of all occupations had skill shortages in 2024, a drop from 2023 (36%). These findings help explain why Datacom’s data shows an easing of concern around recruitment and skills among organisations. However, that’s not to say the challenge has abated, either, Walls added. “The data marks a more defined move away from the operational impacts of the COVID years, where an internalised focus was vital for navigating such a challenging operational environment,” he said. “The fact Australian organisations have identified recruiting and retaining skilled staff as a top five challenge in this year’s report would suggest that skills shortages in key areas persist, even if the overall trend is easing.” How to achieve growth without neglecting innovation For long-term success, Australian businesses should not neglect innovation, even if there are opportunities to achieve growth with relatively conservative investment. This can be achieved in several ways: 1. Leverage data-driven decision makingOne of the benefits of moving to the cloud is an enhanced ability to leverage data for analytics. This capability should be used to identify which areas of the business would most benefit from a more substantial investment into innovation. 2. Adopt a hybrid innovation modelThe investment into innovation doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing. Allocate a percentage of the budget toward small, experimental innovation projects. And when some of them start to prove themselves, scale in kind 3. Participate in government, industry initiativesThe Australian government is heavily

Discover the key differences between Google Calendar tasks versus events, and learn how to use each feature effectively in your workflow. source

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AI tools and techniques are rapidly expanding in software as organisations aim to streamline large language models for practical applications, according to a recent report by tech consultancy Thoughtworks. However, improper use of these tools can still pose challenges for companies. In the firm’s latest Technology Radar, 40% of the 105 identified tools, techniques, platforms, languages, and frameworks labeled as “interesting” were AI-related. Sarah Taraporewalla, Thoughtworks’ APAC Chief Technology Officer, explained in an exclusive interview with TechRepublic  that AI tools and techniques are proving themselves beyond the AI hype that exists in the market. Sarah Taraporewalla, APAC Chief Technology Officer, Thoughtworks. “To get onto the Technology Radar, our own teams have to be using it, so we can have an opinion on whether it’s going to be effective or not,” she explained. “What we’re seeing across the globe in all of our projects is that we’ve been able to generate about 40% of these items we’re talking about from work that’s actually happening.” New AI tools and techniques are moving fast into production Thoughtworks’ Technology Radar is designed to track “interesting things” the consultancy’s global Technology Advisory Board have found that are emerging in the global software engineering space. The report also assigns them a rating that indicates to technology buyers whether to “adopt,” “trial,” “assess,” or “hold” these tools or techniques. According to the report: Adopt: “Blips” that companies should strongly consider. Trial: Tools or techniques that Thoughtworks believes are ready for use, but not as proven as those in the adopt category. Assess: Things to look at closely, but not necessarily trial yet. Hold: Proceed with caution. The report gave retrieval-augmented generation an “adopt” status, as “the preferred pattern for our teams to improve the quality of responses generated by a large language model.” Meanwhile, techniques such as “using LLM as a judge” — which leverages one LLM to evaluate the responses of another LLM, requiring careful set up and calibration — was given a “trial” status. Though AI agents are new, the GCP Vertex AI Agent Builder, which allows organisations to build AI Agents using a natural language or code first approach, was also given a “trial” status. Taraporewalla said tools or techniques must have already progressed into production to be recommended for “trial” status. Therefore, they would represent success in actual practical use cases. “So when we’re talking about this Cambrian explosion in AI tools and techniques, we’re actually seeing those within our teams themselves,” she said. “In APAC, that’s representative of what we’re seeing from clients, in terms of their expectations and how ready they are to cut through the hype and look at the reality of these tools and techniques.” SEE: Will Power Availability Derail the AI Revolution? (TechRepublic Premium) More must-read AI coverage Rapid AI tools adoption causing concerning antipatterns According to the report, rapid adoption of AI tools is starting to create antipatterns — or bad patterns throughout the industry that are leading to poor outcomes for organisations. In the case of coding-assistance tools, a key antipattern that has emerged is a reliance on coding-assistance suggestions by AI tools. “One antipattern we are seeing is relying on the answer that’s being spat out,” Taraporewalla said. “So while a copilot will help us generate the code, if you don’t have that expert skill and the human in the loop to evaluate the response that’s coming out we run a risk over risk of overbloating our systems.” The Technology Radar pointed out concerns about code-quality in generated code and the rapid growth rates of codebases. “The code quality issues in particular highlight an area of continued diligence by developers and architects to make sure they don’t drown in ‘working-but-terrible’ code,” the report read. The report issued a “hold” on replacing pair programming practices with AI, with Thoughtworks noting this approach aims to ensure AI was helping rather than encrypting codebases with complexity. “Something we’ve been a strong advocate for is clean code, clean design, and testing that helps decrease the overall total cost of ownership of the code base; where we have an overreliance on the answers the tools are spinning out … it’s not going to help support the lifetime of the code base,” Taraporewalla warned. She added: “Teams just need to double down on those good engineering practices that we’ve always talked about — things like, unit testing, fitness functions from an architectural perspective, and validation techniques — just to make sure that it’s the right code that is coming out.” How can organisations navigate change in the AI toolscape? Focusing on the problem first, rather than the technology solution, is key for organisations to adopt the right tools and techniques without being swept up by the hype. “The advice we often give is work out what problem you’re trying to solve and then go find out what could be around it from a solutions or tools perspective to help you solve that problem,” Taraporewalla said. AI governance will also need to be a continuous and ongoing process. Organisations can benefit from establishing a team that can help define their AI governance standards, help educate employees, and continuously monitor those changes in the AI ecosystem and regulatory environment. “Having a group and a team dedicated to doing just that, is a great way to scale it across the organisation,” Taraporewalla said. “So you get both the guardrails put in place the right way, but you are also allowing teams to experiment and see how they can use these tools.” Companies can also build AI platforms with integrated governance features. “You could codify your policies into an MLOps platform and have that as the foundation layer for the teams to build off,” Taraporewalla added. “That way, you’ve then constrained the experimentation, and you know what parts of that platform need to evolve and change over time.” Experimenting with AI tools and techniques could pay off Organisations that are experimenting with AI tools and techniques may have to shift what they use, but

On Nov. 4, Apple released the beta version of iOS 18.2, providing the next look at the artificial intelligence features coming to Apple’s mobile devices broadly in December. Apple also sent out corresponding beta releases for iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision and the development environment XCode 16.2 beta 2. What does iOS 18 beta 2 add? Expanded AI features, including ChatGPT’s integration with Siri, are highlights of the iOS 18.2 beta. The new Apple Intelligence AI features include: Image Playground and Image Wand bring generative AI picture generation and editing tools. Genmoji allows users to create emojis using natural language prompts or based on pictures of real people. Writing Tools adds AI rewriting, proofreading, and text summarization to various applications. ChatGPT integration for Siri. This is intended to make the voice assistant respond to natural language and handle some writing queries. Apple envisions ChatGPT with Siri making the assistant more flexible — and easier to use. Image: Apple iOS 18 beta 2 also adds: The new camera controls focus the image with one press and take the picture with a second. This appealingly evokes an analog camera, but time will tell whether it will feel clunky on the phone. Find My will now allow users to share the location of a lost item with another person. It will send a link that users can open on any device, not just from Apple. A new design for the Mail app adds Gmail-like category tabs. Various new settings and UI changes are available to explore. These AI features align with offerings from Apple’s competitors. Still, it will be interesting to see if Siri loyalty attracts an energetic new audience to the possibility of custom — or even agentic — AI voice commands. However, in the release notes for iOS 18.2, Apple notes that requesting ChatGPT to create images in Writing Tools might not work. Users may also need to reboot their device after downloading the beta so that messages can appear in the Messages app. SEE: The UK offers a free AI self-assessment tool for businesses to help manage the risks of AI. Must-read Apple coverage Upcoming feature may estimate how much time it will take for your phone battery to charge 9to5Mac was the first to report that iOS 18.2 includes a handy feature called Battery Intelligence, which provides a time estimate for how long it will take to charge your phone battery. I can envision this as a pleasant, small reduction of range anxiety when I’m in an airport for a work trip or out in the city for the day. 9to5Mac searched the beta’s code for the charge time estimate, so don’t expect the feature to be available in the beta or the public release. Furthermore, with “intelligence” in the name, I wonder whether Apple considered attaching AI to this estimate—but that may just be a matter of branding. Get a first look at the app transaction options now required in the EU The iOS 18.2 beta will show Apple’s upcoming changes to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the EU. These include options for developers to offer iOS and iPadOS apps on app stores outside of the Apple Store. Developers can create their own app marketplaces, and users can choose which app marketplace and contactless transaction app to set as their default and which to delete. To comply, support for exporting user data in Safari and for web browsers to import user data was also added in iOS 18.2. Apple isn’t happy about the changes, saying the EU directives introduce new possibilities for “malware, fraud and scams, illicit and harmful content, and other privacy and security threats.” The EU says Apple’s ‘walled garden’ ecosystem prevents competition from other app stores, payment methods, and creators. How to download the iOS 18.2 beta To participate, sign up for the free Apple Beta Software Program. Apple Intelligence features require iPhone 15 Pro or later to run generative AI on-device. source

The rise of cloud computing provides businesses the ability to quickly provision computing resources without the costly and laborious task of building data centers, and without the costs of running servers with unutilized capacity due to variable workloads. Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, launched in February 2010. In addition to traditional cloud offerings such as virtual machines, object storage, and content delivery networks, Azure offers services that leverage proprietary Microsoft technologies. For example, Remote Desktop allows for the deployment of Windows programs using a virtual machine, with clients on Windows, Mac OS, Android, or iOS using the program through a remote desktop connection. Azure also offers cloud-hosted versions of common enterprise Microsoft solutions, such as Entra ID and SQL Server. This introduction to Microsoft’s cloud platform will be updated periodically to keep IT leaders in the loop on new Azure services and ways in which they can be leveraged. SEE: Managing the multicloud Cloud: Must-read coverage Executive summary What is Microsoft Azure? Microsoft Azure is a collection of various cloud computing services, including remotely hosted and managed versions of proprietary Microsoft technologies, and open technologies, such as various Linux distributions deployable inside a virtual machine. Why does Microsoft Azure matter? Azure lacks upfront costs or an appreciable time delay in resource provisioning–capacity is available on demand. With a usage-based billing formula, Azure is a compelling option for enterprises transitioning from on-premise Windows servers to the cloud. Who does Microsoft Azure affect? Azure can be utilized at any scale, from a garage startup to a Fortune 500 company. Because of the ease of transition, organizations with an existing Windows Server deployment may find Azure to be best suited to their needs. When was Microsoft Azure released? Azure reached general availability in February 2010, with additional services and regional data centers being added continually since launch. How do I get Microsoft Azure? New users receive a $200 service credit good for 30 days when signing up for Microsoft Azure; the credit can be applied toward any Microsoft-provided service. Additional discounts and credits are available for startups, nonprofits, and universities. SEE: Putting Azure to work: Tips for IT pros (TechRepublic Premium) Image: Microsoft What is Microsoft Azure? Microsoft Azure is a platform of interoperable cloud computing services, including open-source, standards-based technologies and proprietary solutions from Microsoft and other companies. Instead of building an on-premise server installation, or leasing physical servers from traditional data centers, Azure’s billing structure is based on resource consumption, not reserved capacity. Pricing varies between different types of services, storage types, and the physical location from which your Azure instances are hosted. SEE: Microsoft Azure … in less than two minutes Key Microsoft Azure Services In addition to storage, Azure virtual machines, content delivery networks, and Windows-related features, Azure also offers a variety of other services. Azure Kubernetes Services allows business enterprises to create and manage Kubernetes clusters, including creating, scaling, and upgrading, freeing up developers to focus on their application. Azure Web3 Services allows businesses to build, govern, and expand blockchain networks at scale. The Preview feature simplifies the formation, management, and governance of consortium blockchain networks so you can focus on business logic and app development. Azure Digital Twins is a service, currently in preview, that provides the tools necessary to model the relationships between people, places, and devices using virtual representation of a physical environment, known as the spatial intelligence graph. Azure IoT Central offers various options for connecting and monitoring devices, as well as providing telemetry and analytics services. HDInsight is a customized Hadoop deployment. Azure Redis Cache is a managed version of the popular open-source Redis data structure server; Azure Cosmos DB is a hosted NoSQL database for specific use cases; and Azure Search is an OData-based managed search service. Azure Media Services offers cloud-based video playing, indexing, transcoding, and content protection services. Azure Arc allows organizations to extend Azure infrastructure across multiple environments, as well as in hybrid or on-premise formats. Azure Stack Hub is a completely on-premise way to run Azure services and applications in an on-premise data center to ensure sensitive data and bandwidth-intense applications continue to work well and securely. Azure Orbital, a ground-station-as-a-service product that allows organizations with satellites and spacecraft to communicate with, and process data from, those crafts without having to own a satellite ground station. Azure AI Services allow you to create AI apps with pre-built and customizable APIs and models. These include Azure OpenAI for use of the GPT model series, AI Speech for transcribing, and AI Vision for analyzing content in images and videos. Microsoft, in coordination with hardware vendors such as Lenovo, Dell EMC, HP Enterprise, Cisco, and Huawei, offers the Azure Stack appliance for use in hybrid cloud deployments. The Azure Stack certified hardware allows organizations to run Azure applications from the public Azure cloud while leveraging data hosted on-premise, as well as running the same services from the public Azure cloud on the Azure Stack platform. SEE: 5G: What it means for IoT Common Azure Commands Command Line Interface Azure’s command line interface lets users perform tasks across different platforms by typing commands. Here are some examples of some common Azure commands: Login: Log into Azure.az login Create a Resource Group: Set up a new group to organize Azure resources.az group create name MyResourceGroup –location eastus Create a Storage Account: Set up a storage account for data storage.az storage account create –name mystorageaccount –resource-group MyResourceGroup –location eastus –sku Standard_LRS Start a Virtual Machine: Start a specified VM.az vm start –name MyVM –resource-group MyResourceGroup Upload a Blob: Upload a file to Azure Blob Storage.az storage blob upload –container-name mycontainer –file /path/to/file –name myfile –account-name mystorageaccount Create Kubernetes Cluster: Set up a basic Kubernetes cluster.az aks create –resource-group MyResourceGroup –name MyAKSCluster –node-count 1 –generate-ssh-keys Get Activity Logs: Retrieve logs of activities within a resource group.az monitor activity-log list –resource-group MyResourceGroup PowerShell PowerShell is a command-line shell with unique syntax that is primarily used for scripting and automation. Here are the CLI command examples

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are invaluable, creating efficiency and convenience for both businesses and their customers. IVR answers common questions, directs calls to the right agents, and reduces wait times — giving customers quicker resolutions and fewer hold-ups. For companies, IVR cuts service costs by automating repetitive tasks and freeing up agents for complex issues, helping to optimize resources and enhance the customer experience. Implementing or upgrading an IVR system to better serve customers is a win-win. I’ll cover everything you need to know about this all-important feature of business phone services and call center software. 1 RingCentral Office Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees) Medium, Enterprise, Large Features Hosted PBX, Managed PBX, Remote User Ability, and more It’s more than a simple phone menu Unlike a traditional auto attendant, which provides a simple menu for call routing, modern Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems offer much more. Powered by automated speech recognition and natural language processing, today’s IVR can engage callers in interactive conversations, allowing them to access self-service features like checking account balances, making payments, or even placing orders — all without waiting for an agent. With these capabilities, IVR systems go beyond answering and routing calls. They can process payments, activate cards, reset PINs, conduct surveys, and handle a range of other tasks. By helping people solve their own problems without speaking to an agent, IVR enhances both efficiency and customer experience. SEE: Discover how call routing impacts your brand and seven surprising ways ASR benefits call centers.  Benefits of Interactive Voice Response Here are just a few ways it enhances the customer experience: Shorter wait times: As previously mentioned, IVR systems cut customer wait times by answering questions automatically and redirecting calls to the right place. This ensures a fast, hassle-free experience for customers, and serves as an important call queue management tool for administrators. Personalized interactions: When equipped with speech recognition and other enhanced technologies, an IVR can provide personalized help by understanding what your customers are saying. This leads to customers feeling heard and valued. Efficient problem resolution: Since IVR automates routine tasks, it lets your customer service reps focus more of their time on complex and more pressing customer issues. This streamlines the problem-resolution process, ensuring reps can address customer inquiries quickly and efficiently. Higher customer satisfaction rates: When customers feel valued and spend less time waiting for their issues to be addressed, it naturally leads them to be more satisfied. This can translate into positive impressions of the company, additional brand loyalty, and more word-of-mouth recommendations. SEE: Check out our best call queue management tips.  Here are some of the ways IVR helps companies achieve their goals: Cost efficiency: Because IVR automates routine tasks, it cuts down on the number of staff needed to handle the same amount of customer inquiries. This frees up human resources and saves on operational costs. Increased productivity: IVR can streamline call routing to ensure customer communications get directed to the correct departments before speaking to an agent. The resulting efficiency reduces employee idle time and lets staff prioritize issue resolution over call redirection — thus leading to higher productivity. Improved customer service: By providing relevant information in a hurry, your IVR system can decrease call queue times and deliver a higher standard of customer service. This creates satisfied customers and builds on your company’s good reputation. Data collection and analysis: IVR systems can gather and track valuable data like preferences and common issues or pain points during every customer interaction. These insights can help you make data-driven business decisions for enhancing your products or services. SEE: Discover the leading causes of long queue times and how to fix them.  Standard IVR capabilities Companies can choose from on-premises IVR systems, which provide control over hardware and data, or cloud-based IVR solutions, which offer easy scalability and minimal maintenance. IVR is often built directly into call center software and VoIP phone systems, creating a seamless experience for both agents and customers. Since there are a variety of ways to deploy technology, both the capability and pricing of IVR vary quite a bit. That said, there is a critical mass of features that almost every IVR has: Greetings and call routing: IVR systems greet callers with pre-recorded messages and provide early options (such as the option to switch to another language like Spanish). When the caller makes a selection, the IVR routes the call to the right person to meet their needs. Interactive menus: When callers reach an IVR, it guides them through a series of options for choosing the service they want. For example, a bank’s IVR might include options like account inquiries, loan information, or credit card services. Customers can usually navigate with their phone keypad or voice commands. Information retrieval: Some callers only need basic information like account balances, product details, and appointment schedules. IVRs can integrate with business databases to give customers real-time information. Transaction processing: Most standard IVR systems can enable customers to make simple transactions like paying bills and scheduling appointments. Voicemail and call recording: IVRs can accept voicemails and record calls when the right representative isn’t available. Advanced IVR capabilities While they typically cost more than basic systems, advanced IVRs can have some truly impressive features. Visual IVR builders: This feature lets businesses create custom IVR systems using a drag-and-drop visual interface. It’s useful for those without much technical knowledge to design the flow, customize menus, and incorporate multimedia. It can also be modified fairly easily to adapt to new customer needs. Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP functionality lets IVRs understand and process human language. This means they can interact with callers, interpret their intentions, and engage in more complex and natural communications. With this capability, customers can say what they need in their own words, and the system will understand and respond accordingly. Conversational IVR: Along with NLP, this technology enables IVRs to

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Generative AI is as trendy as it has ever been. This year, research into AI was awarded Nobel Prizes, and the largest tech companies in the world pumped AI into as many products as possible. The U.S. government promoted AI as a driver in creating a clean-energy economy and a strategic pillar for federal spending. But what’s next for 2025? The trend of generative AI in the last few months of 2024 points to a greater push for adoption from tech companies. Meanwhile, the results as to whether AI products and processes see ROI for enterprise software buyers are mixed. While it’s difficult to foresee how AI will continue to shape the tech industry, experts have offered predictions based on current trends. Respondents to an IEEE study in September rated AI as one of the top three areas of technology that will be most critical in 2025 in 58% of cases. Conversely, nearly all respondents (91%) agree that 2025 will see “a generative AI reckoning” regarding what the technology can or should do. Expectations for generative AI are high, but the success of projects leveraging it remains uncertain. 1. AI agents will be the next buzzword Based on my research and observations, the use of AI agents will surge in 2025. AI agents are semi-autonomous generative AI that can chain together or interact with applications to carry out instructions in an unstructured environment. For example, Salesforce uses AI agents to call sales leads. As with generative AI, the definition of an agent’s capabilities is unclear. IBM defines it as an AI that can reason through complex problems, such as OpenAI o1. However, not all products billed as AI agents can reason that way. Regardless of their capabilities, AI agents and their use cases will likely be at the forefront of generative AI marketing in 2025. AI “agents” could be the next stage of evolution for this year’s AI “copilots.” AI agents could spend time working through multi-stage jobs independently while their human counterpart handles another task. 2. AI will both help and hurt security teams Both cybersecurity attackers and defenders will continue to take advantage of AI in 2025. 2024 has already seen the proliferation of generative AI security products. These products can write code, detect threats, answer thorny questions, or serve as a “rubber duck” for brainstorming. But generative AI may present information that is inaccurate. Security professionals may spend as much time double-checking the output as they would if they had performed the work themselves. Failing to review such information can lead to broken code and even more security issues. “As AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini become deeply integrated into business operations, the risk of accidental data exposure skyrockets with new data privacy challenges,” Jeremy Fuchs, cyber security evangelist at Check Point Software Technologies, said in an email to TechRepublic. “In 2025, organizations must move swiftly to implement strict controls and governance over AI usage, ensuring the benefits of these technologies don’t come at the cost of data privacy and security.” Generative AI models are susceptible to malicious actors like any other software, particularly via jailbreak attacks. “AI’s growing role in cyber crime is undeniable,” Fuchs explained. “By 2025, AI will not only enhance the scale of attacks but also their sophistication. Phishing attacks will be harder to detect, with AI continuously learning and adapting.” Generative AI can make conventional methods of identifying phishing emails — poor grammar or out-of-the-blue messages — obsolete. Disinformation security will become more important as AI-generated videos, audio, and text proliferate. As a result, security teams must adapt to both using and defending against generative AI — just as they have adapted to other significant changes in business technology, such as the large-scale migration to the cloud. 3. Businesses will evaluate whether AI delivers ROI “The pendulum has swung from ‘new AI innovation at any cost’ to a resounding imperative to prove ROI in board rooms across the world,” Uzi Dvir, global CIO at digital adoption platform company WalkMe, said in an email. “Similarly, employees are asking themselves if it’s worth the time and effort to figure out how to use these new technologies for their specific roles.” Organizations struggle to determine whether generative AI adds value and to what use cases it can make the most difference. Organizations that adopt AI often face high costs and unclear goals. It can be difficult to quantify the benefits of generative AI use, where those benefits manifest, and what to compare them to. This challenge is a side effect of the integration of generative AI into many other applications. It makes some decision-makers wonder whether generative AI add-ons truly boost the value of those applications. AI tiers can be costly, and over the next year, more companies are expected to rigorously test — and sometimes discard — the features that don’t deliver results. Many companies that are incorporating generative AI at a large scale are seeing success. At its Q3 earnings call, Google attributed this result to its AI infrastructure and products such as AI Overviews. However, Meta reported that AI may significantly increase capital expenditures, even as user numbers decline. SEE: Google Cloud is previewing its sixth generation of the AI accelerator Trillium. 4. AI will make a major impact on scientific research Along with impacting enterprise productivity, contemporary AI has seen significant movement in science. Four of 2024’s Nobel Prize winners used AI: Demis Hassabis and John Jumper of Google DeepMind won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for predicting the structure of proteins with AlphaFold2. John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton won the Nobel Prize for Physics for their decades-spanning work developing neural networks. The White House held a summit on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 about the use of AI in life sciences, highlighting how AI enables solutions to complex challenges in ways that impact the world. This trend is likely to continue into next year as generative AI models grow and mature. 5. The environmental tools made with

There are more vulnerabilities around than ever. The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report highlighted an almost 200% growth in the exploitation of vulnerabilities in 2023. In the first seven months of 2024, new vulnerabilities rose by another 30% compared to the previous year. No wonder vulnerability management tools are becoming a staple of the enterprise cybersecurity arsenal. “Vulnerability management is a core function of cybersecurity,” said Michelle Abraham, research director, Security and Trust at IDC. “Leaving vulnerabilities without action exposes organizations to endless risk since vulnerabilities may leave the news but not the minds of attackers.” 1 Semperis Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Enterprise (5,000+ Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees) Enterprise, Large Features Advanced Attacks Detection, Advanced Automation, Anywhere Recovery, and more 2 ESET PROTECT Advanced Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Advanced Threat Defense, Full Disk Encryption , Modern Endpoint Protection, and more 3 NordLayer Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees) Medium, Enterprise, Large, Small Top vulnerability management tools comparison Many vulnerability management tools have similar features. But when I looked into them more closely, I noticed that they each have their own focus or approach. Some are more specialized than others. I compared them based on price as well as four key features: Cloud, on-prem, or both. Being part of a comprehensive cybersecurity suite. Automated discovery. Automated remediation. Be aware, however, that an apples-to-apples comparison based on price is impossible due to the different ways vendors price their products and services as well as a lack of transparency on pricing. Starting price Cloud or on-prem Cybersecurity suite features Automated discovery Automated remediation Tenable About $4,000 per year for 100 assets. Cloud-based. There is a separate on-prem suite called Tenable Security Center that includes vulnerability management. Vulnerability management, web application scanning, cloud security, identity exposure, operational technology security, attach surface management, and risk assessment. Yes Yes ESET $275 for five devices per year for the ESET Protect package that includes ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management Cloud-based. A separate on-prem suite is available that includes vulnerability management EDR, server security, mobile threat defense, encryption, threat defense, cloud protection, vulnerability & patch management, MFA, and MDR Some automated discovery but not as broad as some of the others Some auto-remediation capabilities are included Syxsense $9 per device per month or $960 per year for 10 devices One version for the cloud and another for on prem Patch management, vulnerability scanning, IT management, mobile device management, and zero trust Yes Yes CrowdStrike $184 per year for the full suite and about $40 per year for Exposure Management Cloud-based EDR, antivirus, threat hunting/intelligence, exposure management, AI, threat hunting, cloud security, SIEM, data protection, automation Yes Yes Qualys $295 per year for the small business version and about $2000 for the enterprise version. Cloud-based with an on-prem version available. Asset management, vulnerability & configuration management, risk remediation, threat detection & response, EDR, cloud security, and compliance. Yes Yes Rapid7 $6 per month per asset or $2 per month per asset for a 500-asset license. Cloud and on-prem AI engine, XDR, exposure management, and attack surface management. Yes Yes Ivanti $4 per month per user. Cloud or on-prem Discovery, IT automation, real-time insight, endpoint management, network and endpoint security, supply chain, and service and asset management. Yes Yes StorageGuard $200 per month for up to 50 systems. Cloud No Yes Limited Tenable Vulnerability Management: Best overall Image: Tenable Tenable Vulnerability Management takes a risk-based approach to vulnerability management. It focuses on network visibility in order to predict when attacks will occur and to be able to respond rapidly when critical vulnerabilities are in play. A 60-day free trial is available. SEE: How to Create an Effective Cybersecurity Awareness Program (TechRepublic Premium) Why I chose Tenable I selected Tenable as the best overall vulnerability management tool overall for many reasons. It is the market leader among vulnerability management tools with a 25% market share. It includes a wealth of features and ticks just about all the boxes. It contains hundreds of integrations with other platforms and security tools that make automation of workflows easy and reduce the number of resources needed to keep the enterprise safe. Pricing Tenable costs about $4,000 per year for 100 assets. Features The Tenable Community is active with plenty of users willing to assist you to address problems. Active and passive scanning of on-premise systems, virtual machines, cloud instances, and mobile devices. Cloud Connectors give continuous visibility and assessment into public cloud environments like Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Amazon Web Services. Built-in prioritization, threat intelligence, and real-time reporting help users to understand risk and proactively disrupt attack paths. Tenable Vulnerability Management helps IT to prioritize threats. Image: Tenable Pros and cons Pros Cons Fully integrated into the broader Tenable One platform. Some users report that support could be improved. Continuous, always-on discovery and assessment Real-time scanning and overall scanning speed could be improved. Threat intelligence Not the cheapest solution on the market. Automated vulnerability prioritization. Better suited to experienced IT professionals Real-time visualization of risk, and tracking of vulnerabilities, assets, and remediations. Vulnerability risk scores to identify risk. ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management: Best for SMEs Image: ESET ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management can automatically scan thousands of applications for any of tens of thousands of common vulnerabilities and exposures. It can prioritize and filter vulnerabilities by exposure score and severity. Why I chose ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management I liked ESET as it is easy to install and run. This makes it attractive for SMEs and larger organizations that lack IT and cybersecurity resources. Pricing $275 for five devices per year for the ESET Protect package that includes ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management. Features Supports multiple versions of Windows, Linux, and macOS. Detects over