The Log4j security vulnerability was discovered on December 9, 2021, by Chen Zhaojun of the Alibaba Cloud Security Team. The formal designation of the vulnerability is CVE-2021-44228 or Log4Shell. It is a publicly available and high-severity security flaw that impacts the core functionality of the widely used Apache Log4j logging library. This includes many cloud environments across the public vendor spectrum.

One of the effects of the work at home movement spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic is increased usage of Apple products in corporate settings. Many users are connecting to their office machines from home using MacBooks, iPhones, or iPads. The popularity of the iPhone also makes it a natural choice for employees operating in a BYOD (bring your own device) environment. 

The convergence of public cloud providers and artificial intelligence (AI) innovation is responsible for the development of powerful new applications and services. Some of these products, such as personal assistants Siri or Alexa, are designed to be used by individuals to streamline daily activities. They demonstrate some of the power inherent in AI in apps backed by the big data resources available in the cloud.