Axios

This week, Axios caught up with Thoma Bravo managing partner Seth Boro, to chat about the cybersecurity sector's opportunities and challenges.

The big picture: Like other areas of software, venture-backed cybersecurity startups that raised funding at inflated valuations during the pandemic are now great acquisition targets, says Boro, who helps run the firm's cybersecurity investment efforts.

Wiz, a New York cybersecurity company that's seemingly become a large player overnight, is not shy about acquiring its way to success.

Why it matters: Few venture-backed companies openly raise merger and acquisition war chests.

The House Homeland Security Committee is trying to get Microsoft president Brad Smith to testify this month on the company's recent cyberattacks.

Why it matters: Microsoft has recently come under fire in Washington over its cybersecurity practices after a series of high-profile cyberattacks — but it's been years since a congressional committee grilled the tech company on the topic.

The dream of training AI tools to fight cyberattacks without human intervention could soon be a reality.

The big picture: Several AI security companies unveiled products at the RSA Conference this week designed to help mitigate cyber threats before they land on a corporate system.

Teenage gamers say video games help them build problem-solving skills, make friends and collaborate — but they also admit to problems like bad sleep habits and cyberbullying, a new Pew Research Center survey finds.

Why it matters: While moral panic over video games and violence are (mostly) behind us, it's still critical to understand how games are affecting young minds — both for good and for ill.

Road rage shooting incidents have skyrocketed over the past decade, a new analysis finds, increasing from 83 nationally in 2014 to 456 in 2023 — a nearly 450% jump.

The big picture: The findings, from an analysis of Gun Violence Archive (GVA) data by gun violence newsroom The Trace, mirror a broader increase in gun-related violence.

For the seventh consecutive year, women reported being less satisfied with their jobs than men, according to a new Conference Board survey.

The big picture: Considering the long-standing gender gap in pay and other workplace inequities, perhaps it's not shocking that there's also a difference in the way men and women feel about their jobs.

American Swifties are headed across the pond for the European leg of Taylor Swift's smash-hit Eras tour, which kicked off in Paris this week.

Why it matters: Swift's tour was credited with boosting local economies across the U.S. last year. Many European cities are anticipating the same boom.

Generative AI is not just teaching cyber bad guys new tricks — it's also making it easier for anyone to become a bad guy, said Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency chief Jen Easterly.

Why it matters: Cybercriminals with AI at their disposal will be able to do more of everything: from phishing and spamming, to acts of blackmail and terrorism, to campaigns of misinformation and election sabotage.