Anti-trust: OpenAI And Microsoft – The Latest

Following the recent boardroom power struggle that led to the sacking and reinstatement of OpenAI boss Sam Altman, Microsoft’s relationship with OpenAI is now under US and UK antitrust scrutiny.  What Happened?  A recent boardroom battle at OpenAI (ChatGPT’s creator and working partner of Microsoft), led to the rapid ousting of OpenAI’s boss Sam Altman […]

Microsoft Launches New AI Content Safety Service

Microsoft has announced the launch of Azure AI Content Safety, a new content moderation service that uses AI to detect and filter out offensive, harmful, or inappropriate user and AI-generated text or image content.  What Kind of Harmful Content?  The type of content Microsoft’s developed Azure AI Content Safety to filter out includes anything that’s […]

Safety Considerations Around ChatGPT Image Uploads

With one of ChatGPT’s latest features being the ability to upload images to help get answers to queries, here we look at why there have been security concerns about releasing the feature.  Update To ChatGPT  The new ‘Image input’ which will soon be generally available to Plus users on all platforms, has just been announced […]

Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape: A Guide for Insurance Companies

Introduction The insurance sector is built on the foundation of trust and the secure handling of sensitive data. However, the increasing frequency of cyberattacks poses a significant threat to these foundations. In this blog, Astec aims to identify the critical cybersecurity pain points specific to insurance companies and offer actionable solutions. Data Privacy and Protection […]

The Imperative of Cybersecurity in the Financial Sector: Addressing Key Pain Points

Introduction In an era where data is the new gold, the financial sector remains a prime target for cybercriminals. With the increasing digitisation of financial services, cybersecurity is not just an IT issue but a core business concern for financial institutions. In this blog, we at Astec aim to shed light on the key pain […]

What’s Involved In a ‘Pen-Test’?

If you’d like to know what a ‘Pen Test’ is and the sorts of things you can expect from one, this article will give you a helpful overview. Pen Tests  Put simply, pen testing is short for “penetration testing” and in a virtual situation (we’ll concentrate mostly on virtual in this article) acts like a […]

Astec IT | The Highlights of The Year 2020

2020 has been a challenging year for most businesses, as well as for all of us at Astec IT. With multiple lockdowns spread throughout the year and the move from an office-based to a working-from-home culture, the IT requirements of many businesses have suddenly changed. We are happy to say that we have been able […]

Slow Computer | Why Your PC Might Be Running Slow

Is there anything quite as maddening as a slow computer? It can be incredibly frustrating when you have a computer that is creaking though even the simplest task. Over time you tend to build-up virtual detritus that can slow down your computer and impact its general performance. While it might feel like it is a […]

Penetration Testing | Do Small Businesses Need Penetration Testing?

Do small businesses need penetration testing? Every year there are unprecedented levels of cyberattacks targeting both small and large companies. If you are a small business, you might not think you would be high on the list for cyberattacks but that is not always the case. Wherever you can find software and hardware, there is […]