Project management edition
A flaw in PHP calls for quick action this week, and four other stories look at what AI does to your reports, conversations and instructions.
PHP flaw: hackers were four days ahead
Amazon warns of two vulnerabilities in PHP. This is a programming language that a large part of the internet runs on. Hackers are already exploiting the flaws on a large scale. Amazon saw an attempt to exploit one of the flaws four days before it was made public. The US NSA and British authorities warn that websites worldwide are at great risk. According to reports, some European governments are taking sites offline while they close the gaps. The NSA tells all organisations that use PHP: update immediately or take your systems offline. The people who maintain PHP released updates on Wednesday.
Background for subscribersThis week, ask your suppliers which of your websites run on PHP and who will carry out the update. Record what happens if a site has to go offline, because that can affect planning, budget and service delivery. Make agreements about this with the suppliers who manage your websites.
Government wants money back from Deloitte over report full of errors
The government of Western Australia is 'very disappointed' in Deloitte. The consulting firm wrote a report about a possible merger of three universities. The government paid $166,000 for it. The report contains made-up sources from AI and sums that do not add up. One scenario says $399m, while the figures add up to $659m. Another scenario says $823m, while it should be $512m. Deloitte itself writes that it used generative AI for research, summarising and proofreading. The firm earlier called the errors 'minor'. The government now asks for repayment and says the errors do not affect the calculations and conclusions. Deloitte has to revise the report and issue it again. A source from a WHO report has a ChatGPT label in the link. Curtin University appears under a name the university has not used for years. One expert says a new report may be needed. Another expert misses openness about how AI was used. Deloitte did not respond to questions. If you buy reports yourself, you can set out in the contract which parts were made with AI and what happens if there are errors. If you write with AI yourself, your name still stays under the report.
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