Everyone has secrets to protect. In today’s digital age, whether safeguarding personal messages, business communications, or confidential state information, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) offers essential security and peace of mind.
E2EE ensures that your communications remain private from internet service providers and the operators of messaging or video conferencing applications. Messages are encrypted on the sender’s device and only decrypted by the recipient, making them unreadable to unauthorized parties while in transit. This prevents access by any entity, including law enforcement or corporate insiders.
Digital encryption is rooted in robust mathematics rather than mere assurances. The RSA algorithm, introduced in 1977, pioneered modern encryption by relying on the complexity of factoring large numbers into their prime components. Since then, various algorithms have emerged, utilizing intricate mathematics to enhance cryptographic security.
The true strength of E2EE lies not just in its technical implementation, but in how it upholds democracy and human rights across the globe. As Matthew Feeney from the UK privacy group Big Brother Watch states, “There are individuals in perilous regions depending on encryption to preserve their lives.” Additionally, even in recognized democracies, freedom is vulnerable. Feeney warns that those who claim “I have nothing to hide” should take heed of history’s lessons.
Many governments view E2EE unfavorably because it blocks surveillance, similar to how postal services safeguard letters. Notably, UK governments have attempted to ban E2EE; most recently, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reversed a controversial request for a backdoor into Apple following a public outcry.
Feeney acknowledges the uncertainty surrounding the potential for E2EE to be compromised, as intelligence agencies typically do not disclose their capabilities. Concerns loom regarding the advent of quantum computing, which may soon breach current encryption algorithms. However, cryptography continues to evolve, with emerging mathematical solutions challenging outdated algorithms. “Governments may wield power, but they can’t override the laws of mathematics,” Feeney asserts.
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Struggling to recall numerous passwords? If you can remember them all, you either have too few or are using the same one across multiple sites. By 2026, this challenge could become obsolete.
Passwords present significant cybersecurity challenges; hackers trade stolen credentials daily. A Verizon analysis reveals that only 3% of passwords are complex enough to resist hacking attempts.
Fortunately, an innovative solution is emerging, making data security simpler. Instead of cumbersome passwords, biometric authentication—such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning—is increasingly being used for seamless logins.
“Passwordless authentication is becoming universal, providing robust security against phishing and brute force attacks,” says Jake Moore, an expert at cybersecurity firm ESET.
If you currently access your banking apps with your fingerprint, you’re already utilizing this cutting-edge method. It generates two cryptographic “passkeys”: a public key sent to your service (like your bank) during account creation and a private key securely stored on your device.
To log in, your bank sends a one-time cryptographic challenge to your device instead of requesting a password. Your fingerprint unlocks a secure chip that uses your private key to sign the challenge, sending the signed response back to your bank for verification against the public key. Importantly, your biometric data remains on your device. “Passkeys offer security, ease of use, and unparalleled convenience,” adds Moore.
Major companies are actively pushing passkey adoption. Microsoft announced in May 2025 that new accounts created with them will default to passwordless. “While passwords have been prevalent for centuries, their reign could soon come to an end,” the company stated. More organizations are expected to follow suit within the next year. Moore anticipates that as additional platforms embrace passkeys, more users will turn to biometric solutions that frequently scan their faces.
Various sectors are embracing passkey technology. Online gaming platform Roblox is rapidly expanding its use of passkeys, as shown by a 856% increase in authenticating users, with the public sector also participating; the German Federal Employment Agency ranks among the leading organizations adopting passkeys.
“Decreasing dependence on passwords benefits every organization,” affirms Andrew Schikier from the FIDO Alliance, which advocates for passkey integration. This transition also alleviates user concerns: data reveals that organizations switching to passkeys see an 81% drop in IT helpdesk requests regarding login issues. Schikier predicts that over half of the top 1,000 websites will adopt passkeys by 2026.
The Indian government has rescinded an order that mandated all smartphones to include a state-owned security application, following widespread protests concerning privacy issues and resistance from tech companies.
The Ministry of Telecommunications has announced the cancellation of a previous mandate requiring technology firms to integrate the government’s Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on all smartphones sold in India within a 90-day timeframe.
This order ignited a political uproar, with major tech giants, including Apple and Google, indicating their refusal to comply, citing privacy worries. In a statement released Wednesday, the government confirmed that it had “chosen not to mandate mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install it.”
The government emphasized that the app, designed to enable users to block and track lost or stolen devices and report fraudulent calls, is “secure and solely intended to help citizens combat the ‘bad actors’.”
The initial mandate, which was quietly communicated to tech companies last week, quickly drew backlash as internet privacy advocates and political opposition parties voiced concerns over its potential for mass surveillance.
Apple and Google, speaking anonymously to the media, asserted that tech firms would oppose the mandate due to privacy concerns impacting their operating systems and contradicting internal policies.
Protests erupted in Parliament on Wednesday, with opposition lawmakers accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration of infringing on citizens’ fundamental right to privacy.
Randeep Singh Surjewala from the opposition Indian National Congress party warned that the app “could function as a kill switch, turning all mobile phones into non-functional devices, potentially used against journalists, opposition leaders, and dissenters at the government’s discretion.”
Similar concerns arose after the Russian government mandated the installation of an app named Max on all smartphones in August, leading to accusations of potential mass surveillance.
In response to the backlash, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that the Sanchar Saathi app was optional and removable, which contradicted the original directive.
“In a democracy, every citizen has that right, so you can uninstall it just like any other application. No snooping will be possible with this app,” he stated.
The government’s decision to withdraw the order was welcomed by online rights and privacy advocacy groups. “At this moment, until formal legal guidance is released and independently verified, this should be viewed as cautious optimism rather than a definitive resolution,” commented the Internet Freedom Foundation.
‘Extremely serious’ cyber-attacks have surged by 50% over the past year, with UK security agencies now addressing a new nationally significant attack every two days, according to the latest data from the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC).
In what officials are calling a “call to arms,” national security leaders and ministers are encouraging all organizations, from small businesses to major corporations, to develop contingency strategies for the possibility that their “IT infrastructure is compromised.” [is] Tomorrow, all screens could potentially be rendered [go] Blank.”
The NCSC, a division of GCHQ, stated in its annual report released on Tuesday that a “highly sophisticated” China, along with a “competent yet reckless” Russia, Iran, and North Korea, represent the primary national threats. This rise is fueled by ransomware attacks from profit-driven criminals and society’s growing dependence on technology, resulting in more potential targets for hackers.
Prime Minister Rachel Reeves, Security Secretary Dan Jarvis, and Technology and Business Secretaries Liz Kendall and Peter Kyle have contacted the leaders of hundreds of the UK’s largest companies, urging them to elevate cyber resilience to a board-level concern and cautioning that hostile cyber activities in the UK are becoming “more intense, frequent, and sophisticated.”
“We must not make ourselves an easy target,” stated Anne Keast-Butler, GCHQ’s director. “It’s critical to prioritize cyber risk management, integrate it into governance, and set a tone from the top.”
The NCSC dealt with 429 cyber incidents from the past year up to September, with nearly half considered to be of national significance, a figure that has more than doubled in the last year. Among these, eighteen incidents were categorized as “very serious,” indicating they profoundly affected governments, essential services, the public, and the economy. Many of these were ransomware attacks, with Marks & Spencer and Co-op Group among those heavily impacted.
“Cybercrime poses a significant threat to our economy’s security, businesses, and the lives of individuals,” Jarvis remarked. “We are working tirelessly to combat these threats and support organizations of all sizes, but we cannot do this alone.”
The NCSC refrained from commenting on reports suggesting it is investigating possible Russian involvement in the severe attack on Jaguar Land Rover, which has halted production. This report indicated that Russia is encouraging unofficial “hacktivists” to target the UK, the USA, as well as European and NATO nations.
Last month, a cyberattack disrupted passenger services at numerous European airports, including London Heathrow.
Photo: Isabel Infantes/Reuters
Overall, the number of attacks up to September signifies the highest level of cyber threat activity recorded by the NCSC in the last nine years. For the first time in a year, the UK and its allies have detected Russian military units executing cyber attacks, provided recommendations against a China-linked campaign affecting thousands of devices, and raised alarms over cyber attackers affiliated with Iran, as noted by the NCSC. Domestic threats also persist, with two 17-year-old boys arrested in Hertfordshire last week following an alleged ransomware hack of children’s data from the Kido nursery chain.
Hackers are increasingly incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their activities, and although the NCSC has not yet encountered an AI-driven attack, they predict that “AI will almost certainly present cyber resilience challenges by 2027 and beyond.”
“We observe attackers improving their capacity to inflict significant damage on the organizations they compromise and those dependent on them,” commented Richard Horne, NCSC’s chief executive. “Their disregard for their targets and the harm they cause is clear. This is why all organizations must take action.”
He emphasized the psychological toll inflicted on victims of cyberattacks, stating, “I have been in numerous meetings with individuals profoundly affected by cyberattacks on their organizations. I am aware of the anxiety, the sleepless nights, and the consequent turmoil caused by such disruptions for employees, suppliers, and customers.”
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the initial clue is when you discover that someone has accessed one of your accounts. You’re focused on your details and cannot pinpoint the issue, but you made one mistake: reusing some passwords.
Even if a password is altered to include numbers and symbols, reusing the same base word can still provide an opening for criminals to gain access to your account.
Ethical “white hat” hacker Brandin Murtagh explains that information leaked through data breaches from sites like Dropbox and Tumblr, as well as cyberattacks, has been circulating on the internet for quite a while.
Hackers often obtain passwords and check if they work on other sites, a practice known as credential stuffing.
In some instances, hackers not only attempt the exact passwords from the compromised data but also try variants of those passwords to access accounts.
A Virgin Media O2 study found that four out of five people use the same or nearly identical passwords across their online accounts.
Using slightly modified passwords, such as Guardian1 instead of Guardian, creates an inviting opportunity for hackers to breach online accounts, warns Murtagh.
Collaborating with Virgin Media O2, he demonstrates to volunteers how effortlessly passwords can be traced with just an email address, often yielding results in mere minutes.
A spokesperson from Virgin Media O2 stated: “Human behavior is quite predictable. Criminals can utilize one password and then simply add a period or exclamation point at the end.”
What does fraud look like?
Criminals utilize a series of automated processes—scripts on computers that execute password variations to attempt access to additional accounts. This can occur on an industrial scale, according to Murtagh.
“It’s uncommon to be targeted as an individual; you’re typically caught in groups of thousands being targeted. These operations scale like a business,” he explains.
You may receive a warning message indicating a change to your email address or other account details.
What to do
Change the password to something distinct from the previous variants. Murtagh suggests focusing on the four most important accounts: banking, email, work-related, and mobile.
Utilize a password manager, often integrated into web browsers. For instance, Apple provides an iCloud Keychain, while Android offers Google Password Manager, both of which can generate and store complex passwords securely.
Implement two-factor authentication or multifactor authentication (2FA or MFA), which adds an additional layer of security by requiring two steps to log into the site.
Can we add quantum to the internet to enhance safety?
Nicolinino / Aramie
The U.S. military has initiated a program aimed at enhancing traditional communication infrastructures to improve the security of quantum devices and the information shared over the Internet.
Quantum networks utilize the quantum states of particles for information sharing, thereby ensuring high security. For instance, the messages linked to these quantum states cannot be copied without detection due to inherent quantum properties. Consequently, numerous quantum communication networks have already been established globally.
However, the development of a fully functional quantum internet remains restricted due to various unresolved technological challenges. Instead of awaiting the resolution of these issues, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has propelled a program focused on uncovering the immediate advantages of integrating quantum technologies into existing communication networks.
The agency emphasizes its goal of pinpointing practical and beneficial quantum enhancements available in the short term. Allison O’Brien, DARPA Program Manager of the Quantum Organised Network (Quanet) initiative, remarks, “We can’t convert everything from classical to quantum.”
In August, the Quanet team participated in a Hackathon, culminating in a tangible demonstration. Light was placed into a specific quantum state that successfully transmitted images, including the DARPA logo and simple cat graphics. This initial trial of the quantum-enhanced network achieved sufficient bitrate to stream high-resolution videos.
O’Brien indicates that the quantum state demonstrated is just one example of the multitude of quantum properties the Quanet initiative is investigating. Researchers are also delving into “hyperparting,” where multiple light properties are simultaneously linked through the complex nature of quantum entanglement. Initial mathematical models suggest this could allow for the encoding of more secure data within fewer optical signals, optimizing resource use within quantum networks.
Meanwhile, the team is exploring the prospect of generating light with certain quantum-like characteristics, but without fully altering the physical properties at a fundamental level.
Furthermore, Quanet researchers are designing quantum network interface cards that integrate with communication devices to facilitate the transmission and reception of quantum signals.
Numerous questions remain concerning the practical utility of these innovations, including optimal deployment stages and network design levels. However, O’Brien reassures that Quanet is uniting experts in quantum physics, electrical engineering, and networking to comprehensively address these inquiries.
“Quantum networks are not designed to be a universal solution.” states Joseph Lukens from Purdue University, Indiana. They excel in specific tasks, and performing them effectively necessitates some conventional networking components. “The future lies in the automatic integration of quantum networks with traditional ones,” Lukens asserts. He believes that initiatives like Quanet are valuable, despite the numerous questions we still face regarding the potential enhancement of our well-established internet infrastructure.
If this program successfully devises a means for users to activate an ultra-secure “quantum mode” on their devices, it will mark a significant achievement. In that scenario, we could all benefit from these advancements without needing to understand the complexities of quantum physics, says Lukens.
Scenario crafted in Hollywood now reflects a genuine threat: the potential for hackers to seize control of vessels remotely and instigate crashes. Yet, in the security operations hub in Oslo, maritime cyber specialists situated mere meters from the luminous fjords and their tourist boats, floating saunas, and wet bathers assert that such occurrences are not only feasible, but imminent.
“We’re certain this will eventually happen, hence our vigilance,” states Øystein Brekke-Sanderud, Senior Analyst at the Nordic Maritime Cyber Resilience Centre (Norma Cyber). Behind him, a dynamic map displays the fleet they monitor, accompanied by a screen brimming with graphs and codes. Two small rubber ducks observe the passing minutes.
In an unstable global landscape, transportation networks, ports, and terminals have garnered heightened strategic significance as potential targets for infrastructure disruption and espionage—especially pertinent in Scandinavian nations that share maritime boundaries with Russia.
Finland and Sweden are NATO members now, with all countries enhancing their defensive postures amid escalating concerns over hybrid threats and warfare.
A digital map that tracks ship locations globally via Norma Cyber. Photo: Sara Aarøen Lien/The Guardian
As ships become increasingly digitalized, the opportunities for cyber breaches expand, indicating an urgent need to mitigate the complexities of AI tools and intricate systems.
Oslo Harbor serves as the command center where maritime cyber specialists assess global ship threats. Photo: Carl Hendon/Getty Images
“These vessel systems are incredibly intricate, making them tough to manipulate. However, AI accelerates everything,” explains Brekke-Sanderud. “How does this part function? Can I locate a password amidst this dense manual?”
Stationed at the Norwegian Shipowner Association’s headquarters along the quay of the Norwegian capital, Norma Cyber collaborates with the Norwegian Shipowner’s Risk Insurance Association (DNK).
Two years ago, these organizations united to create a Maritime Security and Resilience Centre, which surveys global threats ranging from warfare and terrorism to intellectual property violations—both physical and digital. They also conduct this work on behalf of the Norwegian government.
Norma Cyber Staff, featuring Managing Director Lars Benjamin Vold, Analyst Øystein Brekke-Sanderud, and Chief Technology Officer Øyvind Berget. Photo: Sara Aarøen Lien/The Guardian
While it is technically feasible to crash a vessel from afar, hackers aiming to sow chaos don’t necessarily need such extreme measures. According to Norma Cyber Managing Director Lars Benjamin Vold, merely halting the vessel’s operations could result in significant system failures.
Emerging evidence suggests that nations may exploit these vulnerabilities against maritime adversaries.
Oil tanker discharging ballast water is one of the vulnerabilities targeted in cyber attacks. Photo: Island Stock/Aramie
Reports indicate that Iran is investigating methods to deploy cyber assaults to disrupt ballast systems—a threat to both ships and satellite networks. An unprecedented hack occurred in April, targeting 116 Iranian VSAT modems used for satellite communications across vessels.
“When discussing nation-states, it is about their willingness to act,” Vold states. Potential “threat actors” such as Russia and China possess substantial capabilities, though these depend on their strategic objectives, which may shift rapidly.
Consequently, while threat levels remain relatively stable, maritime vulnerabilities are on the rise. “The avenues for potential exploitation are multiplying as the sector grows more digital,” Vold remarks.
Norma Cyber has also pinpointed civilian vessels, including fishing boats, research ships, and cargo carriers, used for espionage within the Baltic, North Atlantic, and Arctic regions. China-linked threat actors are reportedly using USB devices to infiltrate maritime systems, such as those from Mustang Panda.
Last year, Norma Cyber documented 239 significant cyber attacks within the maritime sector, attributing the majority to the pro-Russian group NonAME057 (16).
Svein Ringbakken, managing director of DNK’s Oslo office. Photo: Sara Aarøen Lien/The Guardian
Curiously, the rising dependence on digital technology creates a greater demand for traditional navigation skills. Following disruptions to the Baltic satellite navigation system, Finland accused Russia of being the instigator. “An experienced sailor serves as the best protection,” Vold asserts.
Yet, alongside the unseen threats of the digital realm, the maritime industry grapples with unprecedented physical challenges. Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet, comprised of hundreds of unregulated vessels, poses a growing risk to environmental safety and the global shipping framework as it transports sanctioned crude oil primarily to China and India.
This Shadow Fleet consists of aging oil tankers obscuring their identities to evade Western sanctions. Estimates of its size range between 600 to 900 vessels according to various sources.
Finnish authorities scrutinized the Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker Eagle in December 2024 due to suspected interference with power cables. Photo: Finland Border Guard/AFP/Getty
Internal threats to ships can also arise from within. Engines, elevators, and water purification systems are all vulnerable targets on board vessels. Moreover, 15% of the global crew consist of either Ukrainian or Russian members. The composition of both crews has taken on new significance since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The presence of a Russian captain on a ship delivering aid to Ukraine certainly raises concerns,” says Svein Ringbakken, managing director of DNK. “These are sensitive issues that the industry is currently addressing.”
Rhine Falkenberg Orstad, an advisor to the Norwegian Shipowner Association and an expert on the Russian Shadow Fleet. Photo: Sara Aarøen Lien/The Guardian
Rhine Falkenberg Orstad expresses concern that the increasing presence of the Shadow Fleet could foster a “parallel fleet” comprised of crew members uninformed about the intentions at sea.
If one of these vessels experiences an environmental mishap, it poses a risk to Norway’s coastline, she warns. Some ships noted as sanctioned by the US remain operational, with many being at least 15 years old. “Our apprehension is that the situation is deteriorating.”
Another significant query remains: has the entire situation permanently shifted?
“Is the shadow fleet operating outside of Western jurisdiction a new norm? Or can this trend be reversed?” Ollestad ponders. “The answer remains elusive.”
The rubber ducks maintain a vigilant watch over the security operations room at Norma Cyber. Photo: Sara Aarøen Lien/The Guardian
The Italian Ministry of Interior has instructed police across the country to step up security at Tesla dealerships following a fire in Rome that destroyed 17 electric vehicles manufactured by Elon Musk’s company.
The Digos, an anti-terrorism force within the Italian state police, is investigating whether anarchists were behind the fire at a Tesla dealership in Torre Angela, a suburb of Rome.
Firefighters spent hours extinguishing the flames early Monday. Drone footage showed a line of charred vehicles in the dealership’s parking lot. Musk referred to the incident as “terrorism” on his social media platforms.
Italy is home to 13 Tesla dealerships managed by the parent company, with most located in cities like Rome, Florence, and Milan.
A source within the interior ministry indicated that they are alerting authorities to the possibility of anti-Tesla protests amidst a global trend of vandalism in response to Musk’s political involvement in the US. Surveillance at dealerships will be increased as needed.
Since Donald Trump’s presidency began, Musk has reduced government employees as part of his “government efficiency” initiative, leading to the establishment of the “Tesla Takedown” boycott movement that started in the US and spread to Europe.
While most protests have been peaceful so far, Tesla dealerships and vehicles are increasingly becoming targets of vandalism. In Germany, seven vehicles were vandalized at dealerships in Ottersburg, and in Sweden, two Tesla stores—one in Stockholm and another in Malmö—were destroyed with orange paint.
Musk has fostered ties with far-right leaders in Europe, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who praised him as “a great man.” Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right league in Italy, expressed solidarity with Musk following the incident in Rome.
“There is unwarranted animosity towards Tesla,” Salvini stated.
Signal, a popular messaging app, has recently come under scrutiny for reports that senior Trump administration officials used the platform to plan wars and inadvertently included journalists in messaging groups.
Launched in 2014 and boasting hundreds of millions of users, the app is favored by journalists, activists, privacy experts, and politicians.
The use of the app by government officials led to intelligence report violations occurring outside of the secure government channels typically used for classified, highly sensitive war plans. This incident raises concerns about the security of Signal and the reasons behind government officials using it. (In general, federal officials are not authorized to install Signal on government-issued devices.)
Here’s what you need to know.
What is Signal used for?
Signal is an encrypted messaging application used for secure communication. It encrypts messages end-to-end, ensuring that the content remains encrypted until it reaches the intended recipient. This method protects users from interception and ensures message confidentiality.
Users can set Signal messages to disappear after a set period of time. They can also enable a feature to auto-delete messages in individual chats.
Who owns Signal?
Signal is owned by an independent nonprofit organization in the U.S. called the Signal Foundation. It is funded through user contributions and grants.
Founded in 2018 with a $50 million donation from Brian Acton, co-founder of WhatsApp, the Signal Foundation was established after Acton left WhatsApp due to a dispute with Facebook. Acton teamed up with Moxie Marlinspike, the cryptographer behind Signal’s security system, to create the Signal Foundation, which is structured to prevent data selling incentives.
“There are numerous reasons why Signal is crucial,” wrote Marlinspike, who resigned from the foundation’s board in 2022. “One important reason is to avoid mistakenly adding the Vice President of the U.S. to group chats for coordinating sensitive military operations. This must not be overlooked.”
Is Signal secure?
Yes, Signal is widely regarded as the most secure messaging app due to its encryption technology and other privacy features.
The encryption technology used by Signal is open source, allowing external experts to review and identify any vulnerabilities. This technology is also utilized by services like WhatsApp.
When Signal was targeted by foreign hackers, its encryption technology proved effective. Although there were attempts to compromise user accounts, the encryption remained intact.
In case of a security breach, Signal minimizes user data retention to protect user privacy. Unlike other messaging platforms, Signal does not store user contacts or unnecessary information.
While Signal is secure, it may not be suitable for discussing sensitive military operations if a user’s device is compromised, potentially exposing message content. Government officials should use authorized communication systems to prevent inadvertent disclosures.
Signal representatives have not responded to requests for comment.
Are Signal text messages secure?
Generally, Signal text messages are secure, but users should exercise caution when adding new contacts, similar to other social platforms.
When creating group chats, users should verify that they are including the correct contacts to ensure message confidentiality.
The Trump administration has publicly stated that Russia is not considered a cyber threat to US national security or critical infrastructure, marking a significant departure from previous assessments.
Experts warn that this policy shift could leave the US vulnerable to Russian hacking attacks and may signal warming relations between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Recent incidents indicate that the US no longer views Russia as a cybersecurity threat.
Liesyl Franz, the State Department’s deputy director of international cybersecurity, did not mention Russia as a threat in her recent speech before the UN Working Group on Cybersecurity. This contrasts with statements from European Union and UK officials who highlighted the threat posed by Moscow.
US policy changes regarding cybersecurity have been made behind closed doors, with new directives focusing on China and neglecting to mention Russia.
Anonymous sources familiar with the matter have expressed concern that the US is ignoring the Russian cyber threat, which was previously a primary focus for agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Reports indicate that CISA officials have been reassigned, raising questions about the US government’s approach to protecting against cyber threats from Russia.
The New York Times reported that CISA officials tasked with safeguarding elections from cyberattacks have also been reassigned.
Concerns have been raised about the shift in US policy towards Russia, as many believe that Russia remains a significant cyber threat to US interests.
The CISA and State Department have not provided comments on these developments.
The change in US policy regarding Russia’s cyber threat is seen as a departure from previous assessments and has raised concerns among experts.
For over a quarter-century, Putin’s Russia has been active in cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, posing a challenge to the international order.
If you have any tips about this story, you can reach out to us at +1 646 886 8761 on Signal
DeepSeek has been banned from all federal equipment in order to crack down on Chinese AI chatbots due to an unspecified national security risk.
Last week, DeepSeek’s AI Generative Chatbot was released, causing concern in US high-tech circles regarding censorship and data security.
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order on Tuesday prohibiting the use of the program on all federal government systems and national security devices based on intelligence agency advice.
The Minister of the Interior emphasized that the decision was based on protecting the government and its assets, not influenced by China as a country of origin.
Bark stated, “The Albanese government is taking swift and decisive actions to safeguard Australia’s national security and interests.”
He added, “AI presents potential and opportunities, but the government will not hesitate to act if national security risks are identified.”
It is advised that governments and organizations promptly report and remove the app from their devices to prevent reinstallation.
This decision comes nearly two years after the Albanese government banned the Chinese social media app TikTok across government devices citing security and privacy risks.
In January, Minister of Science Ed Hepsick anticipated a similar debate surrounding DeepSeek.
He stated, “I believe there will be parallels drawn naturally. There is a resemblance to the discussions seen around TikTok with regard to DeepSeek.”
Australia joins Taiwan, Italy, and some US states in blocking and banning apps on government devices.
This week, the New South Wales state government has banned the application. Other state governments are also considering similar actions.
An analysis by Guardian Australia in January revealed that chatbots like DeepSeek have avoided discussing specific political events in the Chinese government.
In contrast to other models, DeepSeek did not engage in conversations about topics such as Tiananmen Square and The Umbrella Revolution when asked.
Immediately after its release in January, DeepSeek became popular in the global app store, causing a significant drop in a major US Tech Index.
Britain is being warned by its cybersecurity chief about the seriousness of online threats from hostile states and criminal organizations. Richard Horne, director of the GCHQ National Cyber Security Center, highlighted a threefold increase in “serious” incidents due to Russia’s “aggression and recklessness” and China’s “highly sophisticated” digital operations.
In his recent speech, Mr. Horne emphasized the growing hostile activity in UK cyberspace, driven by adversaries aiming to cause disruption and destruction. He mentioned Russia’s aggressiveness and recklessness and China’s continued sophistication as cyber attackers.
Despite the increasing risks, Horne expressed concern that the severity of the threats facing the UK has been underestimated. This serves as a wake-up call for businesses and public sector organizations.
The NCSC reported a significant increase in serious cyber incidents over the past year, with 430 incidents requiring assistance compared to 371 in the previous year. Horne stressed the need to enhance protection and resilience against cyber threats across critical infrastructure, supply chains, and the economy.
The NCSC’s investigation does not differentiate between nation-state attacks and criminal incidents, but ransomware attacks remain a significant concern in the UK. Recent incidents targeting high-profile organizations like the British Library and Synnovis highlight the reliance on technology and the potential human cost of cyberattacks.
With various cyber threats emanating from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, the NCSC is urging organizations to ramp up their cybersecurity measures and stay vigilant. The warning signals the need for a collective effort to safeguard against cyber dangers.
Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert, reiterated the importance of staying alert to cyber threats. The government’s warning serves as a reminder for both public and private sectors to prioritize cybersecurity measures.
In 1818, Mary Shelley invented a technology that has been used for both good and bad in the centuries since. It's called science fiction.
Although you might not think that literary genres count as technology, science fiction has long been a tool for predicting and critiquing science. Shelley’s Frankenstein Considered by many to be the first serious science fiction novel, it was so powerful that South Africa banned it in 1955. This story set the formula with a story that still serves today as a warning against unintended consequences.
As far as we know, the exact science that the eponymous Victor Frankenstein used to create is impossible. But today researchers can restore dead human brains to something resembling life. Experiments are underway to restart cell activity (but importantly not consciousness) after death to test its effectiveness in treating conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (see “Fundamental treatments that bring people back from the brink of death”).
It reminds me of many science fiction stories that feature similar scenarios and I can’t help but imagine what will happen next. The same is true for the study reported in “1000 people’s AI simulation accurately reproduces their behavior.” In this study, researchers used the technology behind ChatGPT to recreate the thoughts and actions of specific individuals with surprising success.
The team behind this work blurs the lines between fact, fiction, and what it means to be human.
In both cases, the teams behind this research are blurring the lines between fact, fiction, and what it means to be human, and their research is being conducted under strong ethical oversight. We are deeply aware that there are ethical concerns in the details. It was announced early on. But now that the technology is proven, there is nothing to stop more violent groups from attempting the same thing without oversight, potentially causing significant damage.
Does that mean the research should be banned for fear of it falling into the wrong hands, as Shelley’s book was? Far from it. Concerns about technology are best addressed through appropriate evidence-based regulation and swift punishment of violators. When regulators go too far, they miss out on not only the technology but also the opportunity to criticize and debate it.
circleIf you work security, stopping thieves can be an uphill battle. Most would-be thieves know that they have the same legal powers as security guards, so it can be hard to know who can use “appropriate force” when a teenager is trying to cut your bike lock right in front of you.
My shift coworker and I recently witnessed a heroin addict walking through the parking lot, repeatedly typing a shopping list into her phone of shampoo, school uniforms, and other low-quality items. She was part of a growing number of heroin addicts. Steal for othersIt focuses on things that people need but don’t want to pay for.
Shoplifting by telephone (aka “deliverobbing”) seems like a natural thing to happen when you consider the overall number of reported shoplifting cases. Store theft increased 37%But nobody wants to be caught in the act, and while the UK lacks police patrols to catch shoplifters, we make up for it in another area: cameras.
The UK is one of the most surveilled countries in the Western world. 13.21 cameras per 1,000 people That may seem Orwellian until you compare it with the estimated percentage for Chinese cities: 439.07.
It’s crazy to think that one of those cameras is now me. As a security guard who wears a body-worn camera (BWC) on his protective vest, I’m part of a growing demographic. This year alone, Pret a Manger staff members,BP and Greggs They are the latest employees to be issued BWCs to protect against misuse and theft.
Essex County Council Librarian Apparently “please be quiet” signs are no longer of any use: Rochdale crossing officers start recording the lollipop lady immediately after she crosses the road. Beaten Trying to stop traffic.
There’s a part of me that’s still in awe of this technology: when I was a kid in London in the ’80s, the only way to get on a screen was to walk past Rumbelows, an electronics store that happened to be promoting camcorders.
When I started working in security, I watched surveillance hardware evolve from bulky CCTV monitors like furniture to slim smart screens. Perhaps if frontline workers like me were issued BWCs, the conviction rate for shoplifting cases would be 100% today. 14% – Grow.
Recorded footage undoubtedly helped accelerate convictions after this summer’s riots, as far-right looters were quickly charged and convicted for stealing bath bombs (among other violent crimes) and begged for sympathy in court.
Some reports suggest the recent increase in shoplifting is due to gangs, not prices. account They were the “exploited middle class” who steal in the name of revenge against multinational corporations, then boast about the “big smile” they would give to security guards like me when we came out of the stores with our stolen goods.
I haven’t encountered any middle-class robbers yet, but it’s probably just a matter of time. Like many facilities that require security guards, my workplace is privately owned, but the doors are wide open. The premises are used as a public thoroughfare, and frontline workers like me can encounter everyone from users of the brain-damaging synthetic cannabinoid Spice to violent drunks and even mentally ill dropouts.
The recent surge in shoplifting is Attack on store clerk Given the abuse and attacks against frontline NHS staff, it is understandable why ambulance staff are issued with BWCs. 3,500 attacks In one year. This is despite the maximum prison sentence for attacking emergency workers being doubled in a 2020 consultation.
As a uniformed intermediary, I often have to call 999, and my boss has made it very clear to me when to press the record button. I can only press record following a “dynamic risk assessment”, but that can be difficult to implement during sudden outbursts of violence.
When my boss explained to me how BWCs worked — that they would always record but the footage would be dumped unless the “capture” tab was pressed — I became nervous: I feared that coworkers who forgot to press “stop” after a confrontation would furtively scroll through their phones or archive something inappropriate, like a nasty comment about their team leader.
Knowing when to press the button isn’t the only thing I fear about BWCs. My starting pay for my job is £11.44 an hour, the current minimum wage. The retail price of the camera I’m wearing is £534. I don’t even want to think about what would happen if I broke it. Sometimes I feel like the uniform is worth more than I am.
One group that doesn’t seem to care much about prices or digital overexposure are teenagers: the gangs we encounter are more interested in smashing windows and tearing open manhole covers.
If we approach them and say we are being recorded, they will film us with their cell phones and broadcast it to their followers, or they will threaten to stab us.
Perhaps only once the current backlog in the courts is cleared will the wider impact of BWCs be seen. Another London memory of the last century is the installation of CCTV in football grounds. Millwall’s 96-strong camera system has been used to track down Bushwhacker hooligan hangouts. “A well managed venue.”
If they can do it at the Den, they can do it downtown, and I don’t mind being the referee in the meantime, which makes sense considering I already wear black for work.
The collaboration is focused on addressing key Web3 challenges through data-driven insights, AI-powered development tools, and zero-knowledge proofs.
SuiThe layer-1 blockchain and smart contract platform created and launched by the core research team responsible for building Facebook’s Libra and Diem projects is working with Google Cloud to support the future of Web3 through a partnership with Mysten Labs. I am. This joint effort will focus on enhancing security, scalability, developer tools, and user experience across a variety of Web3 and AI-powered applications.
Key initiatives of this partnership include:
Data-driven dApps
By integrating Sui’s blockchain data into the BigQuery public dataset, Google Cloud strengthens its commitment to the Sui development ecosystem, providing developers with powerful analytical tools, new insights and innovative dApps. unlocked the potential of
Development using AI
Sui used Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s generative AI platform, and trained it in the Move programming language to help Web3 developers debug and extend code generation.
Mysten Labs uses Google Cloud’s AI and cloud capabilities to create a new AI-based code audit tool. This tool identifies security vulnerabilities in Rust, Move, Typescript, and Solidity, enhancing security efforts to quickly identify and remediate vulnerable code.
Seamless user experience
Sui’s zkLogin technology is already demonstrating the potential of this collaboration, as it bridges some of the gap between traditional (Web2) and decentralized (Web3) applications. zkLogin is a basic cryptographic primitive that uses OAuth credentials from Google and other trusted Web2 platforms to enable frictionless authentication of crypto wallets and dApps on Sui.
Robust and scalable infrastructure
Sui leveraged Google Cloud’s globally scalable infrastructure to enhance network security and high transaction throughput. This integration ensures high performance and seamless scalability.
said Evan Cheng, CEO and co-founder of Mysten Labs. “Working with Google Cloud allows us to accelerate the development of secure, scalable, and user-centric Web3 experiences.” “Google Cloud’s infrastructure and cutting-edge AI capabilities complement Sui’s unique technological strengths. We enable developers of all types to create next-generation decentralized applications on Sui.”
Amit Zaveri, Vice President, General Manager, and Head of Platforms, Google Cloud. “Sui’s advanced blockchain technology and commitment to a user-friendly experience make Sui a valuable collaborator for Web3 and Web2 developers to deliver innovative applications that are easy to adopt. Masu.”
Google Cloud is also committed to supporting the Sui developer community. Web3 startup program. The initiative will provide resources such as Google Cloud credits, access to his Discord channel with Web3 experts, foundation grants, and global events, all of which will accelerate the development of innovative applications at Sui. It is designed to.
About Sui
Sui is a first-of-its-kind Layer 1 blockchain and smart contract platform designed from the bottom up to make digital asset ownership fast, private, secure, and accessible to everyone. An object-centric model based on the Move programming language enables parallel execution, sub-second finality, and rich on-chain assets. With horizontally scalable processing and storage, Sui supports a wide range of applications at low cost and unmatched speed. Sui is a step-function advancement in blockchain and a platform that allows creators and developers to build amazing user-friendly experiences. learn more: https://sui.io
About Misten Lab
Mysten Labs is a team of leading experts in distributed systems, programming languages, and cryptography, and its founders were senior executives and lead architects of pioneering blockchain projects. Mysten Labs’ mission is to create the foundational infrastructure for Web3. learn more: https://mystenlabs.com
About Google Cloud
Google Cloud is a new way to the cloud, offering AI, infrastructure, developer, data, security, and collaboration tools built for today and tomorrow. Google Cloud provides a powerful, fully integrated, and optimized AI stack with unique global infrastructure, custom-built chips, generative AI models and development platforms, and AI-powered applications to transform your organization. We support. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories rely on Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner.
contact
global communication manager Lexi Wangler Misten Institute lexi.wangler@mystenlabs.com
A review board appointed by the Biden administration criticized Microsoft for its poor security and lack of transparency, stating that a series of mistakes by the tech giant allowed Chinese cyber operators to infiltrate the U.S. Department of Commerce and other entities, including accessing the email account of a senior official, Gina Raimondo.
The Cybersecurity Review Board, created in 2021, highlighted Microsoft’s sloppy cybersecurity practices, lax corporate culture, and dishonesty about targeted breaches affecting U.S. government agencies due to its business dealings with China.
The report concluded that Microsoft’s security culture is insufficient and needs a major overhaul due to the critical role its products play in national security, economic infrastructure, and public safety.
The committee blamed the breach on a chain of avoidable mistakes and recommended that Microsoft focus on improving security before adding new features to its cloud computing environment.
Microsoft’s CEO and board of directors were urged to publicly share a plan for fundamental security changes, emphasizing the need for a rapid cultural shift within the company.
Microsoft responded by saying it will enhance its systems against cyber attacks and implement stronger measures to detect and defeat malicious forces.
The report revealed that state-sponsored Chinese hackers breached the Microsoft Exchange Online emails of various organizations and individuals, showing the severity and reach of the security breach.
The board also raised concerns about another hack by state-sponsored Russian hackers targeting senior Microsoft executives and customers due to the company’s deprioritization of security investments and risk management.
Microsoft acknowledged the need for a new culture of security within its network and committed to improving infrastructure and processes to prevent future breaches.
Security officials have determined that Chinese state-backed hackers orchestrated two “malicious” digital campaigns targeting democratic institutions and politicians in the UK.
The UK holds China accountable for a cyberattack on its electoral commission, where the Chinese government allegedly accessed personal information of approximately 40 million voters.
The National Cyber Security Center, part of GCHQ, revealed that four British MPs critical of the Chinese government were targeted in a separate attack but were able to identify and prevent any compromise before it occurred.
The UK has imposed sanctions on two individuals and a front company associated with the Chinese state-backed cyber group APT31, believed to be behind the hack. “Beijing’s attempts to interfere in Britain’s democracy and politics have not succeeded,” noted Oliver Dowden.
Dowden emphasized that protecting democratic institutions is a top priority for the UK government and vowed to continue calling out and holding the Chinese government accountable for such activities.
The Foreign Office will summon the Chinese ambassador to answer for these actions, with Dowden stating that strong action will be taken if UK interests are threatened.
Since the cyberattacks in 2021 and 2022, the UK has bolstered its cyber defenses, established a Democracy Defense Task Force, and enacted the National Security Act of 2023 to empower security agencies to thwart hostile activities.
Members of Congress targeted by the cyberattacks are expected to be named by the government as victims of a Chinese state-sponsored cyber attack.
Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith called for a new approach to the UK’s relationship with China, recognizing the modern Chinese Communist Party for what it is.
China denied the accusations, stating that the cyberattack claims are fabricated and defamatory, and that they do not condone cyberattacks.
Prime Minister David Cameron addressed the cyberattacks directly with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, condemning the targeting of UK democratic institutions.
The UK remains vigilant in protecting its values and democracy from threats, and emphasizes the importance of awareness of such threats for all countries.
The political landscape of AI regulation became clearer when an influential Labor think tank outlined a framework for addressing the issue in the party’s manifesto.
From our story:
The policy paper, created by center-left think tank Labor Together, suggests banning specialized nudity tools that enable users to create explicit content from real images.
It also calls for developers of general AI tools and web hosting companies to take measures to prevent the creation of such harmful deepfakes.
While Labor’s proposals are not yet official party policy, they highlight the issues that Westminster technocrats believe they can rally around. (Shadow technology minister Peter Kyle has expressed interest in the proposals.)
For years, technology in the UK has been politically neutral, with all parties agreeing on the importance of supporting British technology for growth and influence. However, there have been limited efforts to go beyond this consensus.
Even as concerns about technology regulation grew, especially with the introduction of the Online Safety Act under Theresa May’s government, the debate remained technocratic rather than principled or partisan. The Labor Party pushed for specific amendments to the bill, which eventually passed without significant opposition.
The most notable opposition to the bill came from within the Conservative Party, with one faction attempting to ban acts that they deemed as “hurtful.” This was partially due to provisions in the bill aimed at replacing the outdated “malicious communications” offense with more specific crimes.
However, the current proposals by Labor, such as banning nudity tools, may face opposition from the Conservatives, showcasing the differing concerns of the two parties on AI issues. While the Conservative Party, led by Rishi Sunak, focuses on existential risks from Silicon Valley, Labor is more concerned with exploitation risks.
“MrDeepFakes does not represent technology”
Security China’s AI robot booth. Photo: Florence Lo/Reuters
In discussing this article with authors Kirsty Innes and Laurel Boxall, the expected disagreement was notable. “Analog conservatives lack rapid response in this area. They view AI as a ‘mutant algorithm’ or a Silicon Valley novelty that can be scaled without regard for its impact on workers,” said Innes. “It took seven years to pass the Online Safety Act through Congress, but the world has changed since then.”
“We need to move beyond the dichotomy of supporting innovation versus protecting public interest – government versus business,” added Innes. “Most tech companies want their tools used for positive purposes. They recognize the issue, but MrDeepFakes does not represent the tech industry. Therefore, they are likely to support us on this matter.”
The policy document also suggests more flexible regulations for various technology sectors supporting AI. Web hosts, search engines, and payment platforms would be required to prevent the creation of “harmful deepfakes” under threat of fines from Ofcom. Critics may argue that such policies could stifle innovation, potentially leading platforms to ban all deepfake tools deemed “harmful.”
According to a survey by Control AI, the UK public overwhelmingly supports a ban on deepfakes, with 86% expressing their approval – higher than in other countries like Italy (74%).
Deepfakes, “cheapfakes” and AI elections – join us live
Real news vs. fake news: Is AI a threat to democracy? Composite: Guardian/Getty Images
Another proposal in the paper suggests that major political parties abstain from using AI to create misleading content in their campaigns for the next nine months, as a pledge. However, the feasibility and sustainability of such a commitment amidst the UK’s political environment remain uncertain.
I’ll be hosting a Guardian Live event next month on the impact of AI on elections, where experts like Katie Harvath from Anchor Change and Imran Ahmed from the Center to Counter Digital Hate will discuss the implications of generative AI on the electoral process involving 2 billion voters.
While deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation are expected to play a role in campaigns, the extent to which they will be used remains uncertain. Are fake images and videos a significant shift in misinformation, or are they a continuation of existing deceptive practices?
What concerns me more is how new technologies will impact an already fragile public sphere. With social media platforms making changes, the direction of political discourse is unclear. Where are conversations headed, and how will campaigning evolve in this changing landscape?
Robotics
A humanoid robot from robot AI company Figure will do laundry for you. Photo: Figure.ai
I don’t usually share YouTube videos, but Figure’s latest demo is too cool to miss. Watch the video.
Although prediction season is over, I predict that chatbots in 2022 will be like robots in 2024.
Robotics, historically challenging and costly, is being revolutionized by advances in AI. Training systems in simulated environments, enabling natural language commands, and controlling physical bodies may lead to rapid progress akin to that seen in large-scale language models in recent years.
It appears that this transformation is already underway.
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Road Town, British Virgin Islands, March 13, 2024, Chainwire
riff 3 (LIF3/USD)(LIF3/USDt) an innovative multi-chain DeFi Layer-1 Ecosystem The company, which operates on Ethereum, Polygon, BNB Chain, and Phantom, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with. bitgo, an industry-leading secure and qualified institutional custodian. This collaboration represents a major step forward in securing and democratizing access to blockchain technology for users around the world. riff3.com Leverages BitGo’s pioneering multi-signature technology for custody transactions and cold storage. Lif3 token, L share token, and L3USD.
“We are excited to support Lif3’s goal of increasing access to DeFi with our industry-leading secure custody solution. This partnership will allow Lif3 users to feel secure and confidently participate in the DeFi ecosystem. Become.” mike belsheCEO of bitgo.
“This strategic partnership not only strengthens the security of digital assets for institutional customers, but also instills new confidence in secure storage and transaction capabilities within the Lif3 ecosystem, creating a new gold standard for asset protection in the DeFi space. As a supporter of the LIF3 ecosystem, I am very excited to leverage BitGo's renowned multi-signature authority custody solution to fully protect its core assets. By partnering with BitGo, recognized as the industry standard for security, we are able to leverage BitGo's cutting-edge cold storage technology to provide an innovative and unparalleled layer of security for Lif3 tokens, LSHARE tokens, and L3USD. It will be. My relationship with BitGo spans over 10 years, I've been using their products since 2013, and their product offerings have evolved from, for example, protecting Bitcoin to creating Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC). I've been doing it. “It was an easy decision for him to choose BitGo to protect the Lif3 ecosystem.” Harry YehManaging Director quantum fintech group.
This partnership supports Lif3's vision of a simpler, more secure, and more interactive user experience, and facilitates seamless consumer DeFi acquisition through .riff 3 walletYou can download it from “. app store and google play.
This BitGo announcement Lif3’s recent Ethereum migration announcement strategic partnership with layer zerois an alliance designed to address the challenges associated with token bridging for a more secure and efficient blockchain experience.
riff3.com And that “Riff 3 Wallet” continues to be an interesting platform for those investing in the future of decentralized finance and blockchain technology. With a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, Lif3 has established itself as a frontrunner in shaping the future landscape of the digital economy, and through the Lif3 mobile app, a one-stop solution for adoption, investment, and trading, Lif3 We are realizing our vision of breaking down barriers to adoption. , earn money, play games, and off-ramp.
About Lif3.com
Lif3.com is a complete omnichain DeFi ecosystem that includes carefully selected layer 1 blockchains and self-custodial wallets. ‘Lif3 Wallet’ is available on the App Store and Google Play – Unlocking the potential of Web3 through consumer DeFi, iGaming and entertainment sectors
LIF3
LIF3 (LIF3) is an ERC-20 token that powers the LIF3 ecosystem, providing a comprehensive suite of features for managing digital assets across multiple blockchains while allowing users to benefit from staking. Offers. To access $LIF3 on Bitfinex, please visit: https://trading.bitfinex.com/t/LIF3:UST – The API symbol for LIF3 is LIFIII. bitfinex
Founded in 2013, BitGo is a leading provider of secure digital asset wallet solutions, offering institutional-grade custody, staking, trading, and core wallet infrastructure. Notably, the company pioneered multi-signature wallets and launched BitGo Trust Company, the first certified custodian of digital assets, in 2018.with $250 million insurance policy, SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 certification, and strict regulatory compliance, BitGo guarantees high standards of security and confidentiality. BitGo has expanded its services and introduced his institutional-level DeFi, NFT, Web3 products, and the Go Network. In 2023, the company secured $100 million in Series C funding, giving it a company value of $1.75 billion. BitGo supports over 700 digital assets, processes 20% of on-chain Bitcoin transactions, and serves his over 1,500 institutional customers in 50 countries.
Disclaimer
Custody services are provided through BitGo Trust Company, a South Dakota chartered trust company. BitGo is not registered with the SEC and does not provide legal, tax, investment, or other advice. Please consult your legal/tax/investment professional with any questions regarding your specific situation.
About Quantum Fintech Group
Quantum Fintech Group is a private investment group founded in 2020 that focuses on providing superior returns in the alternative asset space with a particular focus on blockchain investments.
AI program Sora generated this video featuring an android based on text prompts
Sora/OpenAI
OpenAI has announced a program called Sora, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence system that can turn text descriptions into photo-realistic videos. This video generation model has added to excitement over advances in AI technology, along with growing concerns about how synthetic deepfake videos will exacerbate misinformation and disinformation during a critical election year around the world. I am.
Sora AI models can currently create videos up to 60 seconds using text instructions alone or a combination of text and images. One demonstration video begins with a text prompt describing a “stylish woman walking down a Tokyo street filled with warmly glowing neon lights and animated city signs.” Other examples include more fantastical scenarios such as dogs frolicking in the snow, vehicles driving down the road, and sharks swimming through the air between city skyscrapers.
“Like other technologies in generative AI, there is no reason to believe that text-to-video conversion will not continue to advance rapidly. We are increasingly approaching a time when it will be difficult to tell the fake from the real.” Honey Farid at the University of California, Berkeley. “Combining this technology with AI-powered voice cloning could open up entirely new ground in terms of creating deepfakes of things people say and do that they have never actually done.”
Sora is based on some of OpenAI's existing technologies, including the image generator DALL-E and the GPT large language model. Although his text-to-video AI models lag somewhat behind other technologies in terms of realism and accessibility, Sora's demonstrations are “orders of magnitude more believable and cartoon-like” than previous ones. “It's less sticky,” he said. Rachel TobackHe is the co-founder of SocialProof Security, a white hat hacking organization focused on social engineering.
To achieve this higher level of realism, Sora combines two different AI approaches. The first is a diffusion model similar to those used in AI image generators such as DALL-E. These models learn to gradually transform randomized image pixels into a consistent image. The second of his AI techniques is called “Transformer Architecture” and is used to contextualize and stitch together continuous data. For example, large-scale language models use transformer architectures to assemble words into commonly understandable sentences. In this case, OpenAI split the video clip into visual “space-time patches” that Sora's transformer architecture could process.
Sora's video still contains many mistakes, such as a walking person's left and right feet swapping positions, a chair floating randomly in the air, and a chewed cookie magically leaving no bite marks. contained. still, jim fanThe senior research scientist at NVIDIA praised Sora on social media platform X as a “data-driven physics engine” that can simulate the world.
The fact that Sola's video still exhibits some strange glitches when depicting complex scenes with lots of movement suggests that such deepfake videos are still detectable for now. There is, he says. Arvind Narayanan at Princeton University. But he also warned that in the long term, “we need to find other ways to adapt as a society.”
OpenAI has been holding off on making Sora publicly available while it conducts “red team” exercises in which experts attempt to break safeguards in AI models to assess Sora's potential for abuse. An OpenAI spokesperson said the select group currently testing Sora are “experts in areas such as misinformation, hateful content, and bias.”
This test is very important. Because synthetic videos allow malicious actors to generate fake footage, for example, to harass someone or sway a political election. Misinformation and disinformation fueled by AI-generated deepfakes ranks as a major concern For leaders as well as in academia, business, government, and other fields. For AI experts.
“Sora is fully capable of creating videos that have the potential to deceive the public,” Tobac said. “Videos don't have to be perfect to be trustworthy, as many people still don't understand that videos can be manipulated as easily as photos.”
Toback said AI companies will need to work with social media networks and governments to combat the massive misinformation and disinformation that could arise after Sora is released to the public. Defenses could include implementing unique identifiers, or “watermarks,” for AI-generated content.
When asked if OpenAI has plans to make Sora more widely available in 2024, an OpenAI spokesperson said the company “will make Sora more widely available in OpenAI's products.” We are taking important safety measures.” For example, the company already uses automated processes aimed at preventing commercial AI models from producing extreme violence, sexual content, hateful images, and depictions of real politicians and celebrities. .With more people than ever before Participate in elections this yearthese safety measures are extremely important.
French military and cybersecurity experts have identified a Moscow-based network that is spreading propaganda and disinformation across Western Europe.
France’s Agency Viguinum, established in 2021 to detect digital interference from foreign groups influencing public opinion, stated that it was unclear whether Russia was involved online in the lead-up to the European elections and other important votes this year, paving the way for a new wave of operations.
The online network, named Portal Combat, consists of at least 193 sites spreading pro-Russian propaganda supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticizing the Kiev government. The disinformation is spread through social media sites and messaging apps targeting people who propagate conspiracy theories.
Researchers at Biginum identified and analyzed the network between September and December last year, tracing the massive disinformation campaign back to Moscow. One pro-Russian channel on the French Telegram app publishes up to nine articles an hour almost continuously.
The European Commission, NATO, and UN agencies have classified disinformation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in 2024, recognizing it as a national security issue.
UN Information Secretary-General Melissa Fleming stated that disinformation was being used to create more suspicion and hatred, weakening peacekeeping forces.
EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell described this new war as being about words and ideas that can colonize minds, not about bombs that can kill people.
Vera Yulova, the EU’s vice-president for values and transparency, expressed the EU’s determination to fight back against Kremlin’s actions to spread propaganda and interfere in democracy, welcoming the strong determination of France, Germany, and Poland.
French defense experts noted that sites linked to disinformation networks do not produce original material, instead flooding the internet with materials from pro-Russian sources since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Biginum report revealed that the disinformation network is directly contributing to the polarization of digital public debate in the Francophone world and is targeting Russian communities in Ukraine and several Western countries.
Furthermore, Biginum identified three “ecosystems” involved in the propaganda campaign.
Another network of websites primarily targets Russian-speaking audiences in Ukraine and began operating just over a month after the Russian invasion, delivering propaganda focused on the Ukraine conflict.
Despite the massive propaganda and disinformation campaign, security experts believe it has had limited success, with the average traffic for the five portals in November 2023 reaching 31,000 visits.
The chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, a ranking Democrat, said he is concerned about President Joe Biden’s campaign’s decision to join TikTok.
On Sunday, Biden’s re-election campaign used the Super Bowl to launch a new TikTok account to reach younger voters ahead of November’s presidential election.
The launch of the campaign on TikTok is notable given that the app, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, is under review in the United States due to potential national security concerns. Some U.S. lawmakers have called for the app to be banned over concerns that the Chinese government could access user data and influence what people see on the app.
On Monday, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner said he was concerned about the national security implications.
“I think we still need to find a way to follow India, which banned TikTok,” Warner said. “I’m a little worried about the mixed messages.”
Many Republicans have also criticized the campaign’s decision to join TikTok.
White House Press Secretary John Kirby said nothing has changed regarding “national security concerns” regarding the use of TikTok on government devices. That policy continues today. “
Last year, the Biden administration ordered government agencies to remove TikTok from federally owned phones and devices.
TikTok insists it does not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and has taken substantial steps to protect user privacy. The company did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The Biden campaign said in a statement that it will “continue to meet voters where they are,” including on other social media apps such as Meta’s Instagram and Truth Social, founded by former President Donald Trump.
The campaign has “advanced security measures” in place for its devices and its presence on TikTok is separate from the app’s ongoing security review, campaign officials added.
In March 2023, the U.S. Treasury Department-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) demanded that TikTok’s Chinese owners sell their shares or face the app being banned, but the administration No action was taken.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that a review by CFIUS is underway, filed by Warner and others to give the government new tools to combat threats posed by foreign-owned apps. He noted previous White House support for the bill.
Last month, TikTok told Congress that 170 million Americans now use the short video platform, up from 150 million the year before.
Identity and access management company Okta acquires security company Spera.
According to Okta, the Spera acquisition is expected to close during the fiscal first quarter, beginning in early February, and will build on Okta’s existing identity threat detection and response (ITDR) capabilities and provide customers with the system management and technology to improve the identification of personal information, detect and remediate risks.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Calcalist report Okta is paying Spera approximately $100 million to $130 million, depending on milestones.
“As a leading identity partner, we remain committed to providing our customers with the tools and knowledge they need in an increasingly challenging environment, and we look forward to seeing how Spera Security enhances our ITDR efforts to help our customers. We’re excited to deliver safer outcomes.” Post published this morning on Okta blog To read.
Spera, which my colleague Frederic has covered previously, was co-founded several years ago by entrepreneurs Dole Fredel and Ariel Kadicevic. Based in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, the platform provides tools to identify silos across Software-as-a-Service and infrastructure apps, discover vulnerabilities across user populations, and address regulatory, attack vector, and industry challenges. Helps prioritize security issues based on best practices.
As Frederick said in the interview, services like Spera also serve a purpose beyond security, helping businesses reduce licensing costs by helping them find dormant accounts that can be turned off.
Spera, which has about 25 employees, had raised $10 million before acquiring Okta. Investors included YL Ventures and angel investors from tech giants like Google, Palo Alto Networks, Akamai, and Zendesk.
Okta believes Spera will enable customers to better assess the identity infrastructure and security posture of their apps and services, helping to attract new customers to the Okta platform.company quote Gartner research suggests that by 2026, 90% of organizations will have some kind of embedded ITDR strategy, compared to the current rate of 5% to 20%.
“With Spera Security, we provide our customers with richer insights and technology to better manage their identity security posture and quickly identify, detect, and remediate risks,” the blog post continues. “They can take advantage of specific suggestions from Spera Security, such as identifying SSO. [single sign-on] or M.F.A. [multifactor authentication] Improve your security posture and remediate potential threat vectors before they become critical by excluding privileged and service accounts. ”
Okta’s acquisition of Spera comes after Okta acquired the a16z-backed password manager Uno and after a rosy fiscal quarter for Okta. 6 billion dollar company beat Wall Street’s expectations for the fourth quarter suggest that publicly traded companies are on the right track, at least in the eyes of shareholders.
This is the perfect protection against hacking attacks.
Have you ever felt dizzy thinking your phone might be stolen? There’s no need to worry. Apple has devised a powerful new weapon in the fight against cybercrime. It’s a new IOS update called Stolen Device Protection that prevents thieves from accessing your smartphone with stolen passwords.
“In rare cases, a thief can steal your device by watching you enter your passcode, but Stolen Device Protection adds a sophisticated new layer of protection,” an Apple spokesperson said, says the person. said in a statement.
This bold new security feature, released Tuesday as an iOS 17.3 developer beta, is especially useful when users change their Apple ID password, remove Face ID, or remove other sensitive features. , requires the use of a biometric access code such as a face or fingerprint.
Whenever a user’s device is in an unfamiliar location, stolen device protection is initiated and the user is then required to complete the aforementioned protocol.
“In the rare case that a thief steals your device by watching you enter your passcode, Stolen Device Protection adds a sophisticated new layer of protection,” an Apple spokesperson said. Masu. Denphoto – Stock.adobe.com
As an additional safeguard against “smash-and-grab” operations, users must re-enter their data after an hour to confirm the change, effectively rendering any passcode hacking attempt futile.
Stolen Device Protection is currently only available to beta testers, but will be available to all users once Apple releases the final version of iOS 17.3. TechCrunch reported.
An Apple spokesperson said the move is part of an ongoing campaign to protect smartphone users “as threats to user devices continue to evolve.”
Last month, the release of a new iPhone feature, NameDrop, set off alarm bells. This allows a user to instantly share contact information with his iPhone or Apple Watch nearby, instead of physically handing the phone over to someone.
While it did speed up the information exchange process, viewers became concerned that users were unknowingly sharing their information with unknown iPhone users.
true anomaly has closed $100 million in new funding, a strong signal that the appetite for startups operating at the intersection of space and defense is not slowing down.
The new round was led by Riot Ventures with participation from Eclipse, ACME Capital, Menlo Ventures, Narya, 645 Ventures, Rocketship.vc, Champion Hill Ventures, and FiveNine Ventures. The funds will be used to continue expanding all parts of the business, according to a press release.
True Anomaly aims to fill critical gaps in space situational awareness and defensive operations through software and hardware, including a line of autonomous reconnaissance and tracking spacecraft called Jackals. These vehicles are equipped with an array of sensors and cameras to track, monitor, and collect data on objects in space. On the software side, the company is developing an integrated operating platform called Mosaic that will eventually be able to work in conjunction with the Jackal in orbit.
In a previous interview with TechCrunch, True Anomaly CEO Even Rogers pointed to a significant “information asymmetry” between the United States and its adversaries in space. Jackal, Mosaic, and the company’s other efforts in space domain awareness aim to fill that gap.
Founded in 2022 by a quartet of former Space Force members, the startup is rapidly moving towards this goal. During the company’s first full year of business, he opened his 35,000 square foot facility in Centennial, Colorado and doubled his headcount to more than 100 people.
In September, True Anomaly won a $17.4 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to help warfighters find and track objects in space, characterize those objects, and use artificial intelligence to predict changes in space. The agreement was signed to build a suite of space domain awareness capabilities, including prediction and identification. Object behavior.
The first two Jackal spacecraft are scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter 10 rideshare mission in March. In August, the company received permission from regulators to conduct imaging beyond Earth and demonstrate close space rendezvous operations with two spacecraft. This is such a huge technical challenge that I have no doubt that many people in both Silicon Valley and Washington will be paying close attention to how the demo mission unfolds.
Venture capital investment trends in the cybersecurity market suggest that the sector is in decline, at least in recent months. according to According to Crunchbase, the number of cybersecurity deals fell from 181 in the second quarter to 153 in the third quarter. In a more detailed report, Crunchbase suggests third-quarter cybersecurity venture funding is down 30% year-over-year, with investment in the category likely to fall to its lowest level since 2019.
But some cybersecurity startups are somehow escaping the industry’s downturn. opal security. Today, Opal, a vendor that takes an automated approach to identity access management, announced that it has raised $22 million in a Series B round led by Battery Ventures with participation from Greylock and Box Group.
Raising Opal’s maximum funding to $32 million, the new tranche will go toward doubling Opal’s 30-person team by the end of 2024, expanding its enterprise customer support organization, and ramping up product development, the founder and CEO said. Umaima Khan told TechCrunch in an email interview. He added that product enhancements include a new visualization suite and AI-powered tools designed to remediate identity and access risks.
Khan founded Opal in 2020. Prior to that, he studied cryptography at MIT, worked in defense research and at startups such as Amplitude and Collective Health.
Khan said that during his work in the private and public sectors, where he was responsible for building internal authentication and authorization services, particularly the policy layer, he began to notice common issues around visibility and lack of understanding of user access behavior. I did.
“I’ve seen firsthand how common problems like lack of proper infrastructure and over-access can cause completely avoidable cascading failures,” Khan told TechCrunch in an email interview. . “The reality is that most best-in-class security engineering teams understand this and are building these systems in-house to the best of their ability. However, scaling and maintaining these systems is a significant effort even for large enterprises and impractical for smaller organizations. ”
To address the perceived need for a more scalable access and identity orchestration platform, Khan created a suite that provides enterprises with a unified view and control of employee access to internal tools, apps, platforms, and environments. Founded Opal. Opal allows customers with thousands of employees to create policy workflows to automate access policies and set up approval flows for access requests that cannot be automated.
Opal is not alone in the access management market. In addition to incumbents (such as Okta), vendors such as Veza, SailPoint, Cyber-Ark, and Saviynt also compete. Some have raised large amounts of venture capital. But Khan said that unlike some of its competitors, Opal is building on more analytics and his AI capabilities aimed at preventing identity-based threats, and ultimately more of companies will be attracted to his Opal solution.
“Because we are a data platform, along with log data from specific end systems, we have a detailed ground truth understanding of system policies, users, groups and how policies are used, approved, denied, created and We have both metadata about the changes,” Khan said. “This gives us a unique and rich dataset to provide a baseline on various forms of risk associated with access and to identify potentially anomalous actors and systems… I’ve been thinking a lot about how to build possible datasets. [access management] It is a readable and writeable layer that prioritizes enterprise readiness from an infrastructure and feature perspective. ”
Customers seem to agree. Opal’s annual recurring revenue has quadrupled since the company’s Series A in June 2022 across a customer base of approximately 40 brands, including Databricks, Scale AI, and Figma. However, Khan declined to say whether Opal was profitable.
“Our technology addresses the challenge of scaling access management with limited information in complex enterprise environments, which is a major pain point for technical decision makers across the industry,” said Khan. states. “Large organizations have fragmented data and systems. These organizations increasingly need easy-to-use, scalable data and workflow processes for identity access management. Our platform meets that need. It’s a great fit and gives CISOs and CSOs the tools they need to view and control their systems.”
Asked if he was concerned about challenges in cybersecurity VC funding and the broader startup ecosystem, Khan said requiring companies to more quickly disclose cybersecurity incidents and other related policy announcements. Opal pointed to new rules from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a tailwind for Opal.
“Continued challenging market trends are forcing businesses to be as efficient as possible. Our platform improves the efficiency of security, compliance, and IT teams,” said Khan. . “We’ve also seen a similar shift in the sophistication and scale of cyber breaches as more companies undergo digital transformation in the wake of the pandemic. Our platform is a layer of defense against these breaches, and this bucket is very sticky…This latest round of funding allows us to navigate ongoing market challenges while meaningfully investing in our team and product development.”
The number of cybersecurity-related financing deals reached its highest point in 2022, but that doesn’t mean the sector is underutilized. According to Statista, in the second quarter of 2023 he had 148 deals, worth a total of $1.6 billion.
And, at least anecdotally, deal flow in the third quarter also looks healthy. Case in point, Xage securitya startup that provides software that prevents network intrusions, today announced that it has raised $20 million in a B2 funding round, bringing the company’s total funding to $80 million.
Piva Capital, March Capital, SCF Partners, Overture Climate Fund, Valor Equity Partners, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Science Applications International Corporation participated in Xage’s B2. Sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that the pre-money valuation is about 60% higher than Xage’s pre-money as of January 2022, when the company first closed its Series B.
Geoffrey Mattson, who was appointed CEO of Xage in September, said the proceeds will be used to expand research and development and Xage’s go-to-market operations, with a focus on expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
“Despite mixed technology economics, cybersecurity attacks against critical infrastructure are on the rise, and Xage sees growing tailwinds and headwinds given the threat environment and customer needs. ,” Mattson told TechCrunch in an email interview. “With more companies operating remotely to reduce costs, it is more important than ever to provide Zero Trust security solutions for critical infrastructure and distributed operations, including operational technology, IT, and cloud environments. Yes, it is a priority.”
Xage was founded in 2016 by Susanto Irwan and Roman Arutyunov after noticing an increase in attacks on Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including devices such as surveillance cameras and temperature sensors. (This trend continues, with 41% in his first two months of 2023. Rise Average number of weekly attacks per organization targeting IoT devices compared to 2022. )
With Xage, Irwan and Artyunov can protect IoT devices and operational technology (the hardware and software used to monitor, control, and upgrade industrial systems), whether they are isolated or connected to the cloud. We have started developing a cybersecurity platform that can.
Xage’s core product sits on top of your existing environment, ostensibly without the need for network changes, either on-premises or as part of a software-as-a-service installation. Xage “monitors” device interactions and data movements and changes on a company’s network, discovering policy violations, and enforcing security policies, including invoking multi-factor authentication for system logins from unknown locations. I will do it.
Xage is not alone in the market for platforms that protect IoT and industrial systems. Dragos is probably its biggest competitor, at least on the startup side. But Xage has done well when it comes to customer acquisition, with the U.S. Space Force winning him a $17 million contract and the U.S. Air Force a $743,000 contract.
Xage’s other customers include energy, manufacturing, utilities, and transportation infrastructure operators. Mattsson claims that the startup’s revenue of about 90 employees increased by 420% year-on-year in the first half of 2023, and bookings increased by 560%.
“When the pandemic first broke out, Zarj There was a temporary pause in demand as customers tried to organize their businesses,” Mattson said. “Fortunately, Zarj Companies believe that information and data security is key to business continuity, and they have secured a comfortable runway.
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