💾 AT&T Exposed: 73 Million Customer Records Leaked To Dark Web

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📰 Industry News

• Microsoft has announced that it is opening a new office in London dedicated to AI research. (Microsoft)

• Ted Baker had confirmed that it is set to close 15 stores, resulting in the loss of 245 jobs. (The Retail Bulletin)

• Kingfisher, the company that owns B&Q and Screwfix, is renewing its partnership with Virtualstock. Virtualstock is Europe's largest platform for drop shipping and curated marketplaces, which is being used to support 1,100 B&Q stores in eight European countries. (ChannelX)

• Meta has announced that starting next month, AI-generated content on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads will be labelled "Made with AI." (the decoder)

📦 AT&T Data Breach: 73 million Customer Details Leaked On Dark Web

In an alarming development for digital privacy, AT&T, a US telecom titan appears to have suffered a major data leak. A threat actor, identified as ShinyHunters, announced the sale of a database purportedly containing the personal information of 73 million AT&T customers.

Key Details:

• Massive Data Exposure: The leaked personal details appear to be from 2019 or earlier and include both current and past AT&T customers. The leaked data includes addresses, Social Security numbers, and passcodes, painting a distressing picture of privacy invasion. It’s believed 7.6 million are existing customers, while 65.4 million are former account holders.

• AT&T's Denial: Despite the lack of direct evidence pinpointing the theft of this data from AT&T's repositories, a company statement has not ruled out the possibility of a third-party compromise. To unravel the origins and full scope of the leak, AT&T has enlisted the expertise of cybersecurity specialists.

• ShinyHunters' Reputation: Known for previous breaches affecting companies worldwide, ShinyHunters' involvement brings a level of credibility to the claim. Their history of infiltrating systems and selling stolen data makes this situation particularly concerning, despite AT&T's denials.

The Outposts Opinion: Another high-profile data breach, albeit unproven but seemingly suggestive nonetheless, showcases the challenges in definitively proving data provenance and the strategies companies employ to manage potentially reputation-damaging situations. With AT&T dismissing the breach allegations, the onus is on the broader cybersecurity community to unravel the truth. Whatever the outcome, the alleged breach has resulted in much unwanted media coverage for the company which provides 5G network coverage to 290 million people across the US.

📉 Running Out Of Juice? Prime Sales Crash

In a dramatic turn of events, Prime, the soft drink co-owned by YouTube celebrities KSI and Logan Paul, is experiencing a sharp downturn in sales. After a banner year in 2023 that saw the brand's sales skyrocket to £148 million, Prime has encountered a significant setback, with sales dropping over 50% in the first quarter of 2024.

Key Details:

• Steep Sales Decline: Prime's sales have drastically fallen to £12.8 million from £26.8 million in the same quarter last year, with its Hydration line suffering a huge £15.2 million loss and a 41.1% volume decrease.

• Energy Line's Surge: Offering a glimmer of hope, Prime's Energy drink line which launched last spring, has witnessed a 352% surge, contributing £1.6 million to the last quarter's sales.

• Deep Discounts: To deal with excess inventory, retailers have greatly reduced prices on Prime products. Some flavours are now as low as 31p, an 87.6% decrease from the original price of £2.50. These products were in high demand last year and were even being sold for £13.95 on eBay.

• Market Saturation: The initial exclusivity and hype surrounding Prime gave way to market saturation, leading to decreased demand and significant stock clearances by retailers.

Looking Ahead:

Prime's story is one of rapid ascent followed by a challenging plateau. The brand's efforts to introduce new flavours, like the imminent Strawberry & Banana variant, alongside maintaining a consistent pricing strategy, highlight its attempts to navigate through its current predicament. These strategies may help stabilise the brand and foster a sustained interest among consumers.

A crash was always likely following the huge success the brand experienced in 2023. But whether Prime is resilient enough to reclaim its position in the market, or simply serve as a cautionary tale of the transient nature of viral success in the highly competitive beverage industry… only time will tell.

👀 SGE Spotted In The UK: A New Era Of Search?

Google's Search Generate Experience (SGE) is a new feature that is expected to revolutionise the way we search on the platform. By using AI to provide summaries on search engine results pages (SERPs), it will make searching for information easier.

Now for the first time, a select few UK users are seeing AI overlays on their searches.

Key Highlights:

• Launch in the UK: A select group of users in the UK are starting to see Google's AI overviews in their search results. This marks the first time SGE has been tested outside the US, where it has been undergoing trials since May 2023.

• Impact on Search Dynamics: The introduction of AI overviews by Google could significantly alter the way information is consumed online. It raises questions about the future of organic traffic, as the effectiveness of AI-generated summaries could reduce the need for users to click through to external websites for more detailed information.

• Subscription-Only Features?: Amidst these advancements, rumours are swirling about Google potentially gating some of its AI-powered search features behind a subscription model.

The Outposts Opinion: I expect to see broader rollouts of SGE in the UK over the coming months, and it’ll be interesting to see how brands and consumers respond. While details remain scarce on paid subscription models, it would be an interesting move by Google, whose mission is to make the world’s information ‘universally accessible’. In any case, Google will have to prove SGE’s value first.

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