All news with #news tag

🚨Made by Israeli surveillance company Cognyte, the device simulates a mobile phone tower, forcing nearby phones to connect and allowing law enforcement to monitor all devices in the area. The system, called FalcoNet, can be hidden inside vehicles, carried in a backpack for foot operations, or mounted on helicopters. Cognyte’s contract with Texas reveals its deployment options and links the technology to earlier cell-site simulators like the Stingray made by L3Harris.

🔴 OpenAI has confirmed a widespread ChatGPT outage that began around 5 AM ET, preventing users worldwide from loading chats or accessing previous conversations. Affected users report the interface getting stuck on loading animations and an inability to interact with the AI. OpenAI acknowledged the issue on its status page and stated it is investigating. The situation is ongoing and being monitored.

🔎 Europol coordinated multi-week Referral Action Days in June–July 2026, identifying 4,340 URLs tied to "The Com," a diffuse network of nihilistic violent extremist groups. Investigators from nine EU countries participated to disrupt online propaganda and generate investigative leads, focusing on content that includes violent imagery, self-harm encouragement, and child sexual abuse material. The operation, run by the EU IRU and Spain's CITCO, supports the European Commission's ProtectEU agenda and builds on earlier Project Compass efforts.

🔒 The U.S. Justice Department seized more than 1,000 websites and blocked 1,970 domains used to stream FIFA World Cup 2026 matches without authorization. Law enforcement worked with partners including FIFA, the Motion Picture Association's ACE, beIN, NBCUniversal, UFC, and Warner Bros. These actions, led by the IPR Center and HSI Washington, are part of Operation Offsides and related efforts such as Operation Red Card.

🔒 At Black Hat USA 2026, Microsoft Security highlights how threat actors exploit trusted systems—software, developer workflows, identities, and AI—to scale attacks. Sessions and briefings across August 4–6 focus on supply chain compromises, AI security, and practical defense strategies. Visit booth #2144 for demonstrations, expert-led services, and community events including a reception on August 5.

📰 Microsoft has announced that Windows Server 2022 will reach the end of mainstream support on October 13, 2026, and will transition to extended support with security updates through October 14, 2031. Customers are advised to plan upgrades to Windows Server 2025, the latest LTSC release available since November 2024. Microsoft also extended hotpatching for Datacenter: Azure Edition until October 2027 and highlighted lifecycle resources for planning migrations.

🗓️ This page lists Bruce Schneier's scheduled speaking engagements for mid to late 2026, including virtual and in-person appearances. Events include the Policy-Relevant Privacy Research Workshop (Calgary) on July 20, the Boston Leadership Exchange on July 22, and several conferences in Las Vegas, Anaheim, and Vancouver with dates in August through October. Specific talk times for several events are noted as TBD and the list is maintained on this page.

🛡️ Lidl has alerted customers in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands after personal data was stolen from a third‑party IT provider. The retailer said the online shop itself was not affected but a separately stored file containing names, phone numbers, emails, birth dates and customer numbers was accessed. Lidl stated passwords, payment details and delivery addresses are not impacted and urged vigilance against phishing. Forensics experts and authorities have been engaged and customers are advised to verify senders and avoid clicking unknown links.

📰 Meta filed a patent for an AI system that listens to users' voices throughout the day, timestamps emotional readings, and links them to context like location and device usage. The application, published July 2, 2026, describes devices from phones to smart glasses transcribing speech and tagging segments with emotional labels, and optionally combining biometrics and eye-tracking. A related set of claims describes a mood-aware fitness coach that adjusts guidance based on inferred emotional state. The filing is a claim on the idea rather than an announced product, and raises regulatory and privacy questions.

🔒 A MetaCompliance report (July 9) based on responses from over 200 European CISOs finds 78% believe C-level executives do not fully grasp cybersecurity risks tied to employee behaviour. The survey highlights fading leadership support for security awareness, with 79% saying backing wanes over time and 40% worried employees share sensitive data with generative AI tools. AI-driven social engineering is cited as a key factor eroding confidence in organisational cyber resilience.

🔒 AssuranceAmerica disclosed a data breach impacting 6,998,886 individuals after detecting suspicious activity on March 17, 2026. The incident began with a targeted attack on an employee that allowed unauthorized access and copying of data files. Stolen records include names, contact details, policy and claims information, driver and vehicle data, and driver's license numbers. The insurer has disabled compromised credentials, isolated affected systems, notified law enforcement, and strengthened security controls.

🛡️ A cybersecurity startup called IRIS C2, linked to Calvexa Group LLC, is publicly recruiting researchers and offering large payouts for zero-day exploits. The venture is tied to convicted felons and far-right activists Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl, who have a history of fake intelligence firms, robocall schemes, and legal penalties. IRIS C2 claims to sell offensive capabilities to governments and says it hires junior talent regardless of formal credentials.

🛡️ In a coordinated international action, the FBI and Google's Threat Intelligence Group disrupted NetNut, a large commercial residential proxy network built on the Popa botnet. The operation targeted infrastructure, seized domains and worked with partners like Lumen and the IRS to degrade the service. Google disabled accounts, updated Play Protect and removed compromised apps to reduce the pool of infected devices by millions. The takedown exposed ties between the botnet and reseller programs and prompted debate after some NetNut domains remained temporarily active.

🔍 ESET Chief Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe reviews key cybersecurity stories from June 2026, assessing implications for defenders. He covers new CISA vulnerability patching rules, attacks on Internet-exposed automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems, rising imposter-scam losses reported by the FTC, and proposed UK and Canada social media bans for under-16s. Tony outlines lessons for organizations beyond federal agencies and practical steps to reduce risk.

🛰️ The Financial Times reports on how AI is transforming video surveillance, drawing on examples from Israel, Iran and Russia. These AI tools let analysts ask natural-language questions of video streams rather than rely on limited preset searches. Analysts can now search for behaviors—such as two people exchanging a bag, repeated vehicle movements, or changes in appearance—creating new investigative possibilities. Officials call this shift a major advancement in surveillance capability.

🔔 AWS is announcing availability changes affecting several services and features, with some moving to Maintenance and others entering Sunset or already at End of Support. Services moving to maintenance will not be accessible to new customers after specified dates, but existing customers can continue use. Several SageMaker features and select media and communication components are impacted. AWS provides migration guides and support resources to help affected customers.

🛡️ In Sacramento County, deputies used a drone equipped with a high-powered magnet to retrieve a knife from a suspect hiding inside a cluttered residence after negotiators failed to get a response. An officer wearing goggles operated the drone, located the suspect in a garage corner, and secured the weapon, which can be seen spinning as the drone returned it to deputies. The event was posted June 22 on the Sheriff's Office Instagram and accompanied online discussion.

🔎 Polish authorities arrested four suspects accused of orchestrating SIM-swapping attacks after breaching telecommunications partners and hijacking email accounts. The operation, led by the Polish Cybercrime Bureau (CBZC) with assistance from the FBI and HSI, uncovered sophisticated intrusions used to intercept SMS and email communications and seize crypto exchange accounts. Investigators estimate the group laundered millions via distributed financial networks and multiple bank accounts. The suspects face charges including organized crime, hacking, and money laundering, with potential sentences up to 25 years.

🔎 PirloTV, a network of sites embedding unauthorized live sports streams, has had 44 domains seized in a coordinated action. The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), UEFA, UC3, and Mexican authorities targeted domains that generated over 950 million visits annually, with heavy traffic from Mexico and Colombia. The takedown occurred ahead of the UEFA Champions League final and may affect piracy during the ongoing FIFA World Cup. Despite the seizures, some domains remain indexed and the network can quickly migrate to new domains.

⚠️ Scammers are exploiting World Cup hype with fake streaming sites, fraudulent betting platforms, and counterfeit merchandise stores that harvest payments and personal data. Many sites demand extensive personal information or up-front payments, sometimes even in cryptocurrency, and use professional-looking pages to trick victims. Fans and bettors risk losing money and having credentials reused across accounts stolen; strong security measures and unique passwords are advised.