Tech Giants Brace for Earnings Amidst Cybersecurity Crisis

AI, Tariffs, and a Zero-Day Hack Dominate Tech’s Week

The tech sector is navigating a turbulent week as major players like Alphabet and Intel prepare to release earnings reports, all while a critical cybersecurity threat targets Microsoft’s SharePoint software, potentially exposing sensitive government and corporate data.

Corporate Earnings on Deck

Following Netflix’s recent performance, investors are keenly awaiting reports from Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and IBM, both slated for release after Wednesday’s market close. Intel’s financial results are expected on Thursday.

Key investor concerns for Google and IBM revolve around their continued success in leveraging the Artificial Intelligence (AI) boom. For Intel, which is under new leadership, the focus will be on its strategy to compete in the AI hardware market, particularly against NVIDIA’s GPU dominance.

Massive Zero-Day Exploit Targets SharePoint

Government and business computer systems are currently under siege from an unknown hacker group exploiting a critical vulnerability in Microsoft SharePoint. This “zero-day” attack, targeting a previously undiscovered flaw, affects on-premise versions of the popular server software.

The exploit grants unauthorized access to systems, allowing malicious actors to obtain full control of SharePoint content, including file systems and internal configurations. It also permits remote code execution, posing a severe risk to organizations.

Sources indicate that at least two U.S. federal agencies, several European government bodies, universities, an energy firm, and a telecommunications company in Asia have already fallen victim to the breach.

Microsoft has confirmed it is urgently working on a security update, having already released a patch for one version of the software. The company stated, “Our team is working urgently to release a security update and will share more details as they become available.” The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert Sunday advising organizations on mitigation steps.

Our team is working urgently to release a security update and will share more details as they become available. Customer Guidance for SharePoint Vulnerability CVE-2025-53770: https://t.co/iBq29zTzT9

— Microsoft Security Response Center (@msftsecresponse) July 21, 2025

CISA’s alert ominously details the risk: the hack provides unauthenticated access to systems and enables malicious actors to fully access SharePoint content, including file systems and internal configurations, and execute code over the network.

Elon Musk’s xAI and Tesla Integration Sparks Privacy Concerns

Tesla vehicles are now automatically equipped with the Grok AI chatbot, a move that has raised significant questions about data sharing between Tesla and Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI.

This integration positions Tesla as a major client for xAI, although financial terms remain undisclosed. A key concern is how the vast amounts of data generated by sensor-laden Tesla vehicles will be utilized by xAI for training its large language models.

Tesla asserts that driver conversations with Grok will be processed by xAI under its privacy policy, with conversations being anonymized and disconnected from individual vehicles. However, the precise data xAI will access remains unclear. The potential for a “wake-word” activation raises questions about whether it captures all in-car conversations once activated or only specific snippets.

Furthermore, Tesla has not yet updated its privacy policy since Grok’s July 12 addition, leaving ambiguity about how the automaker itself might leverage these conversations. For instance, data from vehicle sensors could be combined with AI interactions, a practice detailed in numerous privacy policies. For example, Ford’s privacy policy for its SYNC system outlines the collection of vehicle diagnostic data, location information, and even voice commands for system improvement. (Ford 2025)

Quantum Computing Sees Analyst Optimism

We’re going to be turning the volume steadily. We can start to hear the music now, and eventually everyone will be able to hear the music. This sentiment from Rob Schoelkopf, cofounder and chief scientist of Quantum Circuits, reflects growing enthusiasm for quantum computing’s potential.

In Brief: Rings, EVs, and Dating Apps

Amazon Ring CEO Aisha Nsiah is reportedly requiring proof of AI tool usage for promotions.

Chinese startup U Power is aiming to lead a global EV taxi revolution with its battery-swapping technology.

Dating apps are exploring “in real life” (IRL) meetups as a potential antidote to perceived Gen Z fatigue with digital interactions.

A UK National Health Service AI tool has been flagged for potentially issuing false diagnoses, as seen in a London resident’s mistaken diabetes screening invitation.

Questions linger about the scalability of Tesla‘s robotaxi service, with some observers suggesting Elon Musk is taking a significant gamble.