This ransomware negotiator was paid to fight hackers, he was secretly working with them instead
Angelo Martino was sentenced to 70 months after leaking client data to BlackCat, helping squeeze $75 million from his own clients
The EU just revived a law that lets Meta and Google scan your messages – critics call it mass surveillance
Encrypted messaging services are currently exempt, but a proposed stricter version could change that
Cash App reaches $45 million settlement over alleged failure to protect users from fraud
Every state is involved except for Hawaii, Missouri, South Carolina, and Wyoming
DLSS Swapper creator issues malware warning over user-submitted DLLs
This is your daily reminder to avoid downloading random DLLs from untrustworthy websites
Interpol arrests 5,811 people, seizes $293 million in global scammer crackdown
Why it matters: Interpol has wrapped up its biggest anti-fraud sweep of the year, reporting 5,811 arrests and the interception of $293 million in illicit assets across 97 countries and territories. The operation, code-named First Light 2026, ran from January 15 to April 30 and targeted social engineering fraud: the umbrella term for scams that manipulate victims into handing over money or sensitive information voluntarily, covering business email compromise, romance scams, impersonation fraud, investment fraud, and sextortion.
Meta's new AI tool can generate images of you using your Instagram photos, and you're opted in by default
And here's how to opt out of Meta Muse...
Through the looking glass: Meta launched a new AI image-generation model called Muse Image this week, letting users create, edit, and blend photos using natural language prompts inside Meta AI, with the tool already live on Instagram and WhatsApp and expected on Facebook and Messenger soon. However, the new feature is already raising privacy concerns, as it allows anyone to generate AI images using other people's Instagram photos.
LG and Alienware monitors caught auto-installing Windows adware
Silently installing bloatware that triggers McAfee ad pop-ups – Yuck!
The FBI and Google just took down a botnet that hijacked 2 million smart TVs
NetNut turned Android TVs, streaming boxes, and apps into proxies for cybercrime
Fake tech support, bogus crypto, and a gold pickup: how scammers stole $673,000 in three days
Four scams in one Washington county reveal the same fear-and-urgency playbook
One of Windows' most hated features just helped catch a 19-year-old hacker
Using a VPN couldn't save him
The big picture: People have grumbled about Windows telemetry for years, to the point that an entire cottage industry of tools that clean up the OS now exists just to strip the tracking bits out. While there are privacy concerns with the feature, in this particular case, it led to federal agents dropping a hacker into a Chicago courtroom.
Google is testing a webcam CAPTCHA that scans your hand, but it's already been bypassed using a photo
The feature, called "hand gesture verification," requires webcam access just to prove you're not a bot
A new attack uses a BioShock-style puzzle to convince AI browsers they're not in the real world
Researchers found a way to trick AI browsers into "forgetting" safety rules
A Microsoft Defender flaw is now being linked to ransomware attacks
A researcher published 'BlueHammer' exploit details before Microsoft had a patch ready
Apple's Hide My Email feature may be exposing users' real addresses anyway
The bug reportedly remained exploitable more than a year after Apple was told about it
WinRAR 7.23 fixes bugs, jokes that users are finally paying for it
WinRAR 7.23 fixes two security vulnerabilities, updates its bundled 7-Zip extraction library, and makes a few command-line tweaks. The release notes also include a playful nod to the archiver's legendary "infinite" trial, thanking users who supposedly finally bought the software. It's mostly a joke-but the security patches alone make this update worth installing.
Anthropic's Fable 5 shutdown ends with tougher safeguards and federal approval
The company says new safeguards block nearly all known exploits
Cargo thieves are now stealing millions in data center hardware, not just GPUs and consoles
Illinois cops just recovered $2.3 million worth of AI data center equipment
Ripple effect: The AI boom may be hurting consumers, white-collar workers, and rural residents living near data centers, but it's opened up "new opportunities" for cargo thieves. Criminals are reportedly cashing in on the data center construction boom by stealing millions of dollars' worth of server hardware, cables, and other high-value tech equipment.
License plate cameras are scanning 20 billion vehicles a month, cities are starting to push back
Several communities have canceled contracts over government overreach fears
In a nutshell: Cities are collecting vast amounts of vehicle data through AI-powered camera networks, giving police the ability to track a car's movements across jurisdictions in seconds. The same systems are also fueling a growing debate over how much surveillance is too much.
Microsoft's Windows Secure Boot certificates just expired – here's what you need to do
Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, and Acer have all published guides and are pushing BIOS updates
Prosecutors used a man's ChatGPT logs to try to link him to the Pacific Palisades fire, but it didn't work
A juror said using ChatGPT shouldn't be treated as a character flaw
OpenAI's GPT-5.6 gets staggered release after Trump administration cites national security concerns
GPT-5.6 Terra promises GPT-5.5 performance at half the cost, but access requires government approval
Polymarket says it will refund users after hackers drained close to $3 million from wallets
A compromised third-party vendor allegedly let attackers inject a malicious frontend script
Windows 10's free security updates now extend to October 2027
Because hundreds of millions of users still won't upgrade
Recap: Windows 10 technically reached end-of-life last October, and analysts say users have been migrating to Windows 11 in large numbers – but potentially millions are stubbornly holding on to the older OS. Microsoft appears to have quietly acknowledged that reality by tacking on another year to Windows 10's critical security support window.
What is the most commonly used password?
It takes less than a second to crack the world's most popular password. Do you know what it is?
LastPass customer names, emails, and support records stolen in third-party breach, vaults unaffected
Another security headache for the password manager