Channel Beat: Hackers Stun JPMorgan, Other Majors Banks

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Topping this week’s news, JPMorgan is at the center of a cybersecurity attack that is likely to include several other major banks. The FBI is currently investigating the incident.

Security experts believe JPMorgan was breached earlier this month, and the bank, which is the largest by assets, is trying to determine the size and scope of the breach. Hackers appear to have entered the bank's network through an employee’s computer, and then moved into the bank’s systems. Speculation around the attack has roused suspicion about a possible Russian organized crime link, but it is still too early to make any sound conclusions.

IDC released an improved outlook for PCs, but shipments are still expected to fall 3.4 percent by year’s end. Previously, IDC predicted PC numbers would drop 6 percent. The market is still heavily dependent on business spending, but Windows XP migration continues to bolster shipments. Experts say competition from tablets is beginning to wane, and the popularity of Chromebooks in the education sectors also helps. The 2015 marketplace will likely hinge on the success of the Windows 9 launch.

Just hours after the blogosphere revealed that Apple’s iWatch will launch Sept. 9, Samsung struck back, unveiling its own 3G Gear S smartwatch. Apple’s iWatch, which is now expected to be launched alongside the iPhone 6, will go head-to-head with the new Samsung model. The Gear S will allow users to make and receive calls directly from the watch, rather than strictly through a smartphone Bluetooth connection. LG also unveiled its LG G Watch R, which will operate on Android Wear.

PUBLISHED AUG. 29, 2014