While Microsoft isn’t doing away with automatic updates entirely, Windows boss Pavan Davuluri is promising that in future, you’ll be able to pause them “for as long as you need.” You’ll be able to reboot or shut down your computer “without being forced to install them.” To be fair to Microsoft, I’ve seen an option to reboot or shutdown without updating for a while now.

Even if you fail to pause them, you’ll only have to reboot your computer once a month, Microsoft promises — though its says you’ll be able to get updates faster if you wish. If you’re the kind of user who wants new features so quickly that you’re part of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft says it’ll make that easier and make it clearer what you’ll get.

And as part of those updates, Microsoft says that this year, it will improve performance, responsiveness and stability, reduce memory consumption, make File Explorer and other apps launch and run faster, reduce crashes, improve drivers, make devices wake up more reliably, and much, much more.

It feels like Microsoft has also taken our feedback about the recent ridiculous hour-plus setup process for some Windows handhelds and laptops to heart. Davuluri writes that we’ll have “the ability to skip updates during device setup to get to the desktop faster.” And even if you sit through, there should be “fewer pages and reboots to getting started is simpler.” Plus, Microsoft will finally let you use gamepad controls to create your PIN during setup, instead of making you smudge the touchscreen.

Bravo, Microsoft, if this is all true, and if you can implement it in a reasonable length of time.

Davuluri writes that his team has spent months analyzing the feedback of Windows users, and “What came through was the voice of people who care deeply about Windows and want it to be better.”

If you watched a recent episode of “The Pitt” on Max, a streaming medical drama about life inside a high-pressure emergency department, you saw how quickly a hospital can spiral during a cyberattack. It made for gripping television. But in Mississippi, it was not a script. It was real life.

After a ransomware attack hit the University of Mississippi Medical Center, clinics across the state closed. Elective procedures were canceled. Phone systems and emails went down. Emergency care continued, but access to electronic medical records was disrupted.

When a hospital’s systems fail, the impact goes far beyond IT. It affects real people waiting for care. That is why hospital cyberattacks are no longer just a tech problem. They are a public safety issue.

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FIGURE DATA BREACH EXPOSES NEARLY 1M ACCOUNTS

Why hospitals have become prime targets

Hospitals cannot afford downtime. When systems fail, patient care is immediately affected, and the pressure to restore operations is intense. Ricardo Amper, founder and CEO of Incode Technologies, a digital identity verification and biometric authentication company, explains the reality.

“Hospitals are in a uniquely difficult position. If systems go down, patient care is immediately affected. That creates real pressure to restore operations fast, which is why ransomware groups often target healthcare.” He points to another major factor driving hospital cyberattacks. “Hospitals hold some of the most sensitive data that exists, including medical records, identity information and insurance details. That combination of urgency and high-value data makes them very attractive targets.”

Healthcare systems also rely on vendors and service providers. One weak link can open the door. “In healthcare, you’re only as secure as the entire ecosystem around you,” Amper said.

How AI-powered impersonation is changing the game

Many people imagine hackers breaking through firewalls. That still happens. But today, attackers often target people instead of systems. “What we’re seeing more and more is that attacks aren’t always about breaking into systems, they’re about tricking people,” Amper said.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made impersonation easier and scalable. Criminals can clone voices, generate convincing emails or create deepfake videos that appear to come from a trusted doctor, vendor or IT administrator. “AI doesn’t replace social engineering, it supercharges it.”

In practical terms, that might mean an employee receives what looks like a legitimate request to reset a password or approve a login. One click can open the door. “An employee is tricked into giving up credentials or approving a fraudulent authentication request. The attacker logs in as a legitimate user, and from there, they move quietly through internal systems,” Amper explained. Because the activity appears to come from a real employee, it may go undetected until significant damage is done.

5 MYTHS ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT THAT PUT YOUR DATA AT RISK

Why hospitals are especially vulnerable to cyberattacks

Inside a hospital, speed matters. Decisions happen quickly, and staff move from one urgent task to the next. That constant pressure creates opportunities for attackers who rely on deception. “Healthcare professionals are focused on patients, not cybersecurity. They work in high-pressure environments where speed matters. That urgency can make it easier for attackers to exploit trust or distraction,” Amper said.

Many hospitals also operate with legacy systems layered over time. Security was often added after the fact rather than built in from the start. That complexity increases risk. He also challenges how leaders think about the problem. “One misconception is thinking of cybersecurity as just an IT problem,” Amper said.

Today’s hospitals depend on digital systems for intake, diagnostics and billing. When those systems fail, care delivery suffers. “Cybersecurity today is fundamentally about operational resilience. It’s about keeping the hospital running safely and continuously.”

What happens to your data after a breach

When a hospital is breached, the exposed data often goes beyond a credit card number. “Breaches can expose medical histories, Social Security numbers, insurance information, billing details and contact data,” Amper said.

That combination is powerful. Criminals can use it for identity fraud, insurance fraud and highly targeted scams. Unlike a credit card, a medical identity cannot simply be replaced. “Stolen medical data can’t simply be canceled and replaced. That makes it especially valuable and long-lasting in criminal markets.”

The impact may not show up right away. “The impact isn’t always immediate; it can surface months or even years later.”

How hospitals can strengthen defenses

Identity now sits at the center of cybersecurity. “Identity has become the front line of cybersecurity. If an attacker can successfully impersonate a trusted user, many traditional defenses can be bypassed,” Amper said. Stronger identity verification, layered authentication and systems that can detect impersonation or deepfakes are becoming essential. The more certain a hospital is about who is accessing its systems, the harder it becomes for attackers to move quietly.

How to check if your information is on the dark web

After a hospital breach, many patients worry about whether their data has been sold or shared. One simple step is checking whether your email address appears in known data breaches. You can visit haveibeenpwned.com and enter your email address into the search bar. The site will show whether your information has appeared in past breaches tied to that email. If your email appears in a breach, take action immediately. Change passwords for affected accounts and make sure each account uses a unique password.

What patients should do after a hospital breach

If you receive a breach notification letter, do not panic. But do act. Amper offers clear guidance. “First, stay calm but take it seriously. Read the notice carefully and enroll in any credit or identity monitoring services offered.”

Then take practical steps right away:

• Review insurance statements for unfamiliar claims
• Check medical records for incorrect diagnoses or procedures
• Monitor your credit reports
• Consider placing a free credit freeze with the major credit bureaus if your Social Security number was exposed
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on email, financial and healthcare accounts wherever it is available
• Be cautious of emails or calls referencing the breach
• Reducing the amount of personal information available on data broker sites with a data removal service can also limit how easily scammers craft convincing follow-up attacks using your real details. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

“If something feels off, contact the hospital directly using official contact information. Don’t rely on links or numbers provided in unexpected messages.” He adds one final reminder. “Take your medical identity as seriously as your financial identity. Monitor your records, question anything unfamiliar and stay alert.”

Protect your accounts from long-term damage

Even if everything appears normal right now, take steps to secure your accounts. Credential leaks often surface weeks or months later.

• Consider identity theft protection. Identity monitoring services can alert you if criminals try to open accounts in your name or misuse your personal information. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com
• Stop reusing passwords immediately. If attackers gain access to one working login, they often test it across dozens of websites automatically.
• Change reused passwords first, starting with email, financial and cloud accounts. Each account should have its own unique password.
• Consider using a password manager to generate and store strong passwords securely. You can also use breach scanning tools that alert you if your email address or passwords appear in future leaks. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.
• Install strong antivirus software on your devices to help detect malware, phishing links and credential-stealing threats that could target you after a breach. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

Taking these steps now can prevent a hospital breach from turning into long-term identity damage later.

Kurt’s key takeaways

When hospital cyberattacks disrupt care, the consequences ripple across entire communities. Appointments get canceled. Surgeries are delayed. Families worry. This is not only about stolen records. It is about trust in the healthcare system. Technology has transformed medicine. It has also created new risks. The challenge now is building resilience into every layer of care. Because the next cyberattack will not feel like a TV episode. It will feel personal.

And that raises an uncomfortable question. If your local hospital went offline tomorrow, would you trust that your medical identity and your care are truly protected? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Not only is it the first release to support the upcoming Steam Machine living room gaming PC, it comes with long-awaited features for Valve’s handhelds and more support for other companies’ handhelds than we’ve seen to date — including Microsoft and Asus’ Xbox Ally series, the Lenovo Legion Go 2, the OneXPlayer X1, and additional support for MSI, GPD, Anbernic, OrangePi, and Zotac.

The one that excites me most: Valve is adding genuine hibernation and “memory power down” modes to the Steam Deck — though just the LCD model to start — which should help extend battery life when you hit the power button or leave them idle. Some Windows machines currently last longer than the Steam Deck when asleep, because they self-hibernate to save power, while the Steam Deck has an instant-on sleep mode.

Plus, Valve has finally added a setting in its gaming mode to let you use your Bluetooth headset microphones — something I’ve been asking for since the beginning. (Valve did add it to the Linux desktop mode last year.) And the Steam Deck LCD is finally getting Bluetooth Wake re-enabled, so you can turn on your TV-connected Deck with a wireless controller from your couch.

The update comes with all sorts of improvements for the Linux desktop modes that sound like they’ll come in handy on a Steam Machine plugged into a TV or monitor, too, including desktop HDR, VRR display support, per-display scaling, “improved windowing behavior for games running in Proton,” and an upgrade to KDE Plasma 6.4.3 among other things.

And for a Steam Machine or Steam handheld plugged into a home entertainment system, they can now detect how many audio channels you have over HDMI to enable surround sound. (I believe surround sound was already a thing, so perhaps this is just a different and better automatic implementation.)

There’s also a new Arch system base and an updated graphics driver.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the “Non-Deck” section of the changelog is huge. Valve says long-pressing your power button should work “across a wide variety of devices” to power off, restart, or switch to the desktop mode. You should be able to change your processor’s power modes on the Xbox Ally now, and night mode and screen color settings should work on AMD Z2 Extreme handhelds in general.

There’s also “Greatly improved video memory management with discrete GPU platforms,” you can limit how far the battery charges in any of the Lenovo Legion Go handhelds (in desktop mode), and it should fix “washed out colors for Zotac and OneXPlayer handhelds with OLED.”

There’s a lot in this update, and it’s possible I missed a feature you care about, so check out the whole changelog here and below.