📰 Tech News Roundup
Apple Partners with Google Gemini for Siri Overhaul
Apple is bringing Google's Gemini AI to power next-gen Siri capabilities. This signals a shift toward "platform pairing" where device makers choose foundation model partners like they choose search defaults. For small businesses: expect smarter voice assistants across iOS devices—plan for voice-enabled workflows.
AI Data Centers: $3 Trillion Investment Through 2030
The AI infrastructure buildout is massive. New projections show data centers will require $3 trillion in investment covering servers, compute, and power capacity. States like New York are requiring data centers to cover their own electricity costs. Locally, this means cloud service pricing will remain competitive as hyperscalers fight for capacity.
CES 2026 Highlights for SMBs
Samsung's creaseless foldable display – The folding phone era is maturing. Nvidia's "Physical AI" – AI models trained in virtual environments, deployed as physical robots. AMD Ryzen AI processors – AI-powered PCs are going mainstream. LG's humanoid robot – Service robots for household tasks are closer than expected. The trend to watch: AI is moving from cloud-only to on-device processing.
Oracle Hit with $20M Ransom Demand
Identity infrastructure and admin-level access remain prime targets. Attackers are going after platform-level access because one breach unlocks multiple systems. Lesson: audit your identity providers and admin accounts this quarter.
💡 Quick Tech Tips
Audit Your End-of-Life Hardware S.I.M.P.L.E.
EOL devices are being actively targeted in 2026. That old router still running because "it works"? It's a known attack surface. Inventory your network hardware, check firmware support status, and replace anything that no longer receives security updates. This aligns with the Secure pillar—your perimeter is only as strong as your weakest device.
MFA Everywhere—Especially Email
AI is accelerating password cracking. Multi-factor authentication on all accounts is non-negotiable. Priority order: email first (it's your identity recovery point), then financial systems, then everything else. If you're still relying on SMS codes, upgrade to authenticator apps or hardware keys.
Vendor Security Questionnaire
Supply chain attacks increased 3x since 2021. Before signing any new SaaS contract, ask: Do you have SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification? What's your incident response timeline? How do you handle data at termination? Stop giving every tool "full admin access" just because it's easier.
Test Your Backups This Month S.I.M.P.L.E.
Ransomware groups now steal data before encrypting, then threaten to leak it (double extortion). Your defense: immutable backups stored off-site or in isolated cloud storage. More importantly—test a restore. Backups that don't restore are just wasted storage. This covers the Protected pillar of your IT foundation.
🎯 Action Item This Week
Run a quick inventory of devices connected to your network. Identify anything older than 5 years or showing "end of support" status. Create a replacement timeline for Q1/Q2. One compromised device = one entry point for attackers.