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Easterly helms RSAC, Windows update problems, Police Copilot gaffe
Winsage
January 16, 2026

Easterly helms RSAC, Windows update problems, Police Copilot gaffe

Jen Easterly has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the RSA Conference. She is a cybersecurity expert and former Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Palo Alto Networks has released security updates for a vulnerability (CVE-2026-0227) with a CVSS score of 7.7 affecting its GlobalProtect Gateway and Portal, which can cause a denial-of-service condition in PAN-OS software. The January 2026 security update from Microsoft has caused connection and authentication failures in Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365, affecting users across various Windows versions. Microsoft is working on a resolution. The chief constable of West Midlands Police acknowledged an error by Microsoft’s Copilot AI in generating a fictional intelligence report. Microsoft has not confirmed Copilot's involvement. Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has collaborated with Five Eyes partners to provide guidance on securing industrial operational technology, highlighting risks associated with remotely monitored systems. Kyowon, a South Korean conglomerate, confirmed a ransomware attack on January 10 that may have compromised customer information, affecting approximately 5.5 million members. Researchers at Varonis have identified a new attack technique called "Reprompt" that allows data exfiltration from Microsoft Copilot via a malicious link, exploiting a Parameter 2 Prompt (P2P) injection technique. Central Maine Healthcare is notifying over 145,000 patients about a data breach that compromised personal, treatment, and health insurance information, discovered on June 1.
Animated Malware Lures Evolve, Threatening Users' Cybersecurity
Tech Optimizer
December 24, 2025

Animated Malware Lures Evolve, Threatening Users’ Cybersecurity

Small businesses are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, who are using sophisticated tactics such as animated lures to entice users into downloading malware. The HP Threat Insights Report highlights that small businesses, often perceived as easier targets due to limited resources, are particularly vulnerable. The rise of purchasable malware services allows inexperienced criminals to engage in cybercrime, broadening the range of potential threats. To combat these risks, small business owners are advised to invest in employee training on phishing tactics, implement robust cybersecurity measures, conduct regular security audits, and develop incident response plans. However, challenges such as limited budgets and lack of dedicated IT staff hinder their ability to enhance cybersecurity. Keeping informed about evolving threats is essential for protecting their operations.
Optimize and troubleshoot database performance in Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL by analyzing execution plans using CloudWatch Database Insights
Tech Optimizer
December 12, 2025

Optimize and troubleshoot database performance in Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL by analyzing execution plans using CloudWatch Database Insights

Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched CloudWatch Database Insights in December 2024, a monitoring solution for Aurora (PostgreSQL and MySQL) and Amazon RDS engines, aimed at identifying and resolving database performance issues. The tool includes an Advanced mode for SQL execution plan analysis, which helps users troubleshoot query performance within Aurora PostgreSQL clusters. The PostgreSQL query optimizer generates execution plans to determine the most efficient way to execute SQL queries, which can be analyzed using the EXPLAIN command. Users can compare execution plans to identify performance degradation, such as changes in execution behavior due to dropped indexes or inefficient join strategies. For example, a comparison of execution plans for a SQL statement retrieving order details showed significant differences: one plan used an efficient index scan while another resorted to sequential scans due to missing indexes, leading to increased query costs and execution times. Additionally, analysis of execution plans can reveal performance bottlenecks, such as insufficient memory allocation for sorting operations. Adjusting the work_mem parameter allowed for in-memory sorting, improving performance significantly. CloudWatch Database Insights facilitates the identification of these issues, enabling users to optimize query performance effectively.
silver Android smartphone
Tech Optimizer
October 28, 2025

Optimize and troubleshoot database performance in Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL by analyzing execution plans using CloudWatch Database Insights

Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers monitoring tools for Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and Amazon Aurora databases, including Amazon CloudWatch Database Insights, which helps analyze SQL execution plans for troubleshooting and optimizing SQL query performance in Aurora PostgreSQL clusters. The PostgreSQL query optimizer generates multiple execution strategies for SQL queries and selects the most efficient based on cost estimation. A query access plan details the execution strategy, which can be analyzed using the EXPLAIN command. In December 2024, AWS launched CloudWatch Database Insights, supporting Aurora and RDS engines, aimed at helping DevOps engineers, developers, and DBAs identify and resolve database performance issues. The tool has Advanced and Standard modes, with SQL execution plan analysis available in Advanced mode. To analyze SQL execution plans, users can access CloudWatch Database Insights, review performance metrics, and compare execution plans side-by-side. For example, one execution plan may use a sequential scan while another uses an index scan, revealing differences in query performance. When troubleshooting performance degradation, DBAs can compare execution plans over time to identify changes affecting performance. For instance, dropping indexes can lead to suboptimal execution plans and increased query costs. Analyzing execution plans can uncover inefficiencies, such as missing indexes or outdated statistics. For example, a query summarizing customer spending revealed that the work_mem parameter was set too low, causing disk-based sorting instead of in-memory sorting, which degraded performance. Increasing the work_mem parameter improved query execution efficiency. CloudWatch Database Insights simplifies the process of identifying performance bottlenecks and optimizing query performance through visualizations and execution plan comparisons.
M&S shoppers urged to set up security measure on 'all accounts'
Tech Optimizer
May 28, 2025

M&S shoppers urged to set up security measure on ‘all accounts’

M&S shoppers are being urged to enhance their online security following a cyber attack that disrupted customer services. The retailer has acknowledged ongoing challenges, stating they cannot process online orders while stores remain open. Sensitive customer information, including phone numbers, email addresses, and order histories, was compromised in the breach. Security expert Luis Corrons from Norton recommends activating two-step verification for online accounts, being cautious about stored personal and payment information, deleting unused accounts, using strong passwords, and keeping devices and software updated to improve security. He emphasizes that cyber threats are increasingly targeting human behavior and that these security measures are essential for digital safety.
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