Tech writer Ed Bott examines five Windows 10 update issues that have drawn media fire and finds that much of the criticism is misplaced. In some cases, third-party software or hardware is the culprit, he notes, adding that overall, the recent update bodes well for the pending release of version 1909.

With a good portion of 2019 remaining, investments in legaltech have already set a record -- at least $1.2 billion, not including several instances in which a dollar figure was not announced. Industry expert Robert Ambrogi writes that total investment was $233 million in 2017 and zoomed to $1 billion last year.

Microsoft email and calendar program Exchange Server can customize separate "out of office" replies for internal and external contacts, writes Deborah Savadra. She outlines the process and points out that Exchange Server can shut the replies off at a date you specify, lest you forget.

The Senate Appropriations Committee wants to add $436 million to the defense budget to develop cybersecurity for 5G communications. An additional $100 million is proposed for cybersecurity for satellites and land-based missiles; National Guard cyberdefense programs; and various education programs.

Ecuador has arrested the executive of the data analytics firm that left personal data of 20.8 million Ecuadorians exposed. The government also is investigating how the company, Novaestrat, came to have highly sensitive information including 2.5 million car ownership records and 7.5 million financial and banking records.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has fined Phillip Capital $1.5 million for a data breach and for not alerting clients in a timely fashion. An IT engineer at the Chicago-based futures brokerage responded to a phishing email in February 2018 with login information that was later used to breach the system and to transfer $1 million to a Hong Kong bank account.

Cyberinsurers are in many cases encouraging companies hit by ransomware attacks to pay the ransom, seeing it as the most cost-effective approach to recovering. But this funds criminal activity and makes companies that carry insurance bigger targets, writes Danny Palmer, who urges better security measures and backup practices to prevent and mitigate such attacks in the first place.

Truck-makers are using telematics and data integration, a move that is said to be benefiting both OEMs and customers. For example, Daimler's 125,000 connected trucks provide key insights into performance on issues such as hard braking, and telematics in trucks in India are helping that country's highway authority develop smart traffic systems.

Amazon Web Services will soon begin offering its Outposts on-premises cloud platform, which is designed to compete with Cisco, Dell EMC and HPE. It includes a preassembled server rack that provides continuous connection to the AWS cloud, and a VMware version also will be available.

Managed service providers often struggle to convince customers that cybersecurity controls are vital, writes
Adrien Gendre of Vade Secure. He recommends that MSPs explain to customers how other companies are affected by cyberattacks and how commonly used defenses are falling short, though he cautions against being too heavy-handed in using fear tactics.