AWS Spends $100B on AI While OpenAI Fumbles Security | Tech News of the Week

Chaos Lever Podcast

Welcome back to another jam-packed episode of Tech News of the Week! Chris and I are diving into four big stories that caught our attention this week. From sketchy ISP routers to OpenAI’s latest security fail, let’s break it all down.

🔹 **Stop Using Your ISP Router—Seriously**
If you're still using the router your internet provider gave you, it's time for an upgrade. Not only are ISP-provided routers outdated and full of security holes, but they might also be spying on you—and, in some cases, even harboring actual bugs (the creepy-crawly kind). A new website, [RouterSecurity.org], lays out just how bad these devices can be. Investing in a good third-party router is a small price to pay for better security and performance. Also, if you haven’t looked into mesh routing yet, you’re missing out! LINK: https://routersecurity.org/ISProuters.php

🔹 **AWS Goes on an AI Spending Spree**
Amazon reported solid Q4 earnings, but apparently, a 19% growth in AWS wasn't enough to impress investors. So, what's Amazon’s solution? Throw more money at AI! They’re planning to invest a whopping $100 billion in AI hardware this year, with much of that going toward NVIDIA-powered chips. The hope is that supply chain issues will ease up, allowing AWS to scale its AI efforts even further. But will all this spending pay off in the long run? We’ll see. LINK: https://ir.aboutamazon.com/news-release/news-release-details/2025/Amazon.com-Announces-Fourth-Quarter-Results/default.aspx

🔹 **Phishing Tests Are Getting… Meaner?**
We all know about phishing tests—those fake scam emails companies send to see if employees fall for them. But lately, these tests have been pushing the limits, with some using emotionally charged messages like fake Ebola outbreaks or rescinded bonuses. The Wall Street Journal reports that while these tactics may be effective, they’re also making employees furious. One particularly controversial example? A phishing email promising free Eagles tickets to people in Philadelphia. Ouch. LINK: https://www.wsj.com/tech/cybersecurity/phishing-tests-the-bane-of-work-life-are-getting-meaner-76f30173

🔹 **OpenAI’s New Model Helps… Write Malware?**
Well, that didn’t take long. OpenAI's new "secure" GPT-4 variant, O3 Mini, was supposed to be better at filtering out harmful requests. But within days, a security researcher tricked it into generating code to exploit Windows security processes. OpenAI insists the exploit wasn’t serious, but the fact remains—these models still aren’t as locked down as they claim. Maybe a little more internal testing before release wouldn’t hurt? LINK: https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/researcher-jailbreaks-openai-o3-mini

That’s it for this week! Drop a comment, let us know your thoughts, and we’ll catch you in the next one. 🚀