Tech News

1. Cybercrime:

   • A network of over 1,200 scam online gaming and wagering websites are using deceptive ads on social media platforms like Discord to lure users with promises of free credits, ultimately absconding with deposited cryptocurrency funds. 👉 krebsonsecurity.com

2. Microsoft Security:

   • Microsoft is set to disable external workbook links to blocked file types in Excel to enhance security between October 2025 and July 2026. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Attackers are exploiting link-wrapping services from Proofpoint and Intermedia to mask malicious links leading to Microsoft 365 phishing pages. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com 👉 thehackernews.com

3. Data Breaches and Leaks:

   • A breach at a student loan company exposed 2.5 million records. (10 months ago) 👉 threatpost.com
   • A previously undisclosed heist of 127,426 BTC (now worth ~$14.5B) from Chinese mining pool LuBian in December 2020 has been uncovered. (4 years ago) 👉 theblock.co

4. AI and Security:

   • The uproar over Vogue’s AI-generated ad isn’t just about fashion. 👉 techcrunch.com
   • OpenAI is preparing to release new open weight models, along with GPT-5. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • AI-generated code has vulnerabilities, and researchers warn it is not secure. 👉 cybernews.com

5. Ransomware Attacks:

   • SonicWall firewall devices are being targeted in a surge of Akira ransomware attacks, potentially exploiting a zero-day vulnerability. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com 👉 thehackernews.com
   • The Akira ransomware attacks on SonicWall firewall devices are potentially exploiting a zero-day vulnerability on fully-patched devices. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

6. Vulnerability Disclosures:

   • CISA has open-sourced the Thorium platform for malware and forensic analysis. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • The AI-powered Cursor IDE had a vulnerability allowing attackers to run commands via prompt injection (now fixed). 👉 bleepingcomputer.com 👉 thehackernews.com
   • Spikes in malicious activity often precede new security flaws in 80% of cases. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

7. Campaigns and Actors:

   • Microsoft warns that a cyber-espionage group linked to Russia's FSB is targeting diplomatic missions in Moscow using local internet service providers. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Telecoms in Southeast Asia were targeted by CL-STA-0969 with covert malware for remote network control. 👉 thehackernews.com
   • A series of Salesforce data theft attacks at Qantas, Allianz Life, and LVMH, are attributed to ShinyHunters. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • A look at how Cambodia's Huione Group transformed the technology, with applications on factory floors and in hospitals and government offices, from a remote concept to a newfangled reality . (1 week ago) 👉 bloomberg.com^$

8. Data Centers and AI:

   • The AI data center building boom could spark a financial crisis akin to 2008, including the rising use of debt financing via private credit funds. 👉 noahpinion.blog
   • AI datacenter capex is already larger than peak telecom spending during the dot-com era and is approaching the railroad spending boom. 👉 paulkedrosky.com

9. Hiring and Talent:

   • Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Google grew their combined India headcount by 16% over the past year, adding 28K+ jobs. 👉 economictimes.indiatimes.com
   • A look at the newsletter platform Beehiiv, which has hit $30M in ARR and fees starting at $43/month for 1,000 subscribers, unlike Substack, which takes a 10% cut. 👉 theinformation.com
   • Andrew Tulloch declined Zuckerberg's offer of a $1.5B+ package over six years. 👉 wsj.com^$

10. Senate Confirms Sean Cairncross as National Cyber Director:

    • The US Senate confirms Sean Cairncross to serve as National Cyber Director, making him the first Senate-approved cybersecurity official of Trump's second term. 👉 nextgov.com

11. Stablecoin Regulations:

    • Asian financial hubs are updating stablecoin regulations and companies like Ant Group plan to become issuers, driven by US' embrace of dollar-pegged stablecoins. 👉 bloomberg.com^$

12. HR Software Acquisition:

    • SAP plans to acquire HR software company SmartRecruiters, with the deal expected to close in Q4; SmartRecruiters was valued at $1.5B in a 2021 funding round. 👉 bloomberg.com^$

13. Cybersecurity Spending:

    • Darktrace plans to invest $200M in the US in 2026, up 11% YoY, as part of a push to surpass $1B in revenue and grow its US sales to 50% of its revenue. 👉 ft.com^$

14. Figma IPO and M&A Scrutiny:

    • Lina Khan cites Figma IPO as vindication of M&A scrutiny, saying letting startups grow independently, rather than be acquired, can generate “enormous value”. 👉 techcrunch.com

15. AI's Influence on Cyber and Business:

    • Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue says open-source AI is vital for US innovation and the US risks losing the AI race to China if it falls behind in open source. 👉 venturebeat.com

16. Financial Services:

    • Thoma Bravo agrees to acquire a stake in Chicago-based Trading Technologies. (3 days ago) 👉 bloomberg.com^$

17. Government and Policy:

    • The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announces that it is shutting down following the loss of federal funding. (3 days ago) 👉 mediagazer.com
    • The Senate confirms former Fox News host and prosecutor Jeanine Pirro as US attorney for DC; she had been serving in the role on an interim basis since May. 👉 mediagazer.com

18. Human-AI Relationships:

    • An in-depth look at the rise of relationships between humans and AI companion chatbots on apps like Nomi, coinciding with a loneliness epidemic in the US. 👉 cnbc.com

19. Cybersecurity and Cybercrime:

    • Cybercriminals are selling access to Chinese surveillance cameras. (1 week ago) 👉 threatpost.com
    • Pwn2Own hacking contest pays $1 million for WhatsApp exploit. (3 days ago) 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
    • Microsoft is now paying up to $40,000 for some .NET vulnerabilities. (4 days ago) 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

20. Cyber Espionage:

    • Microsoft warns that Russian hackers use ISP access to hack embassies in AitM attacks. (4 days ago) 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
    • Secret Blizzard Deploys Malware in ISP-Level AitM Attacks on Moscow Embassies. (4 days ago) 👉 thehackernews.com

21. Web:

    • The Marin Community Foundation sold 13.4M+ Figma shares for $440M+ in the IPO; source: the foundation had received the shares from Figma co-founder Evan Wallace. 👉 fortune.com

22. Digital Trends:

    • Microsoft's AI coding assistant "GitHub Copilot" has now had 20 million "all-time users". 👉 techcrunch.com (5 days ago)
    • Craigslist drove the downfall of print classifieds. (5 days ago) 👉 poynter.org

23. Vibecoding:

    • Fiverr released an ad mocking vibe coding. (5 days ago) 👉 youtu.be

24. Breaches:

    • Women-only app Tea now "faces two class action lawsuits filed in California" in response to a recent breach. (5 days ago) 👉 npr.org
    • Radioactive wasp nests found near nuclear storage site in South Carolina. (5 days ago) 👉 msn.com

1754266200000