US Privacy Groups Urge Senate Not to Ram Through NSA Spying Powers

An effort to reauthorize a controversial US surveillance program by attaching it to a must-pass spending bill has civil liberties advocates calling foul.

Chinese Hackers Launch Covert Espionage Attacks on 24 Cambodian Organizations

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered what they say is malicious cyber activity orchestrated by two prominent Chinese nation-state hacking groups targeting 24 Cambodian government organizations. "This activity is believed to be part of a long-term espionage campaign," Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 researchers said in a report last week. "The observed activity aligns with geopolitical goals of

Senate Leaders Plan to Prolong NSA Surveillance Using a Must-Pass Bill

Top senate officials are planning to save the Section 702 surveillance program by attaching it to a crucial piece of legislation. Critics worry a chance to pass privacy reforms will be missed.

The NSA Seems Pretty Stressed About the Threat of Chinese Hackers in US Critical Infrastructure

US government officials continue to warn that the public and private sectors need to identify and root out China-backed attackers lurking in industrial control systems.

This New Tool Aims to Keep Terrorism Content Off the Internet

Small platforms without resources to handle takedown requests have been weaponized by terrorist groups that share their content online. A free new tool is coming to help clean house.

Here’s How Violent Extremists Are Exploiting Generative AI Tools

Experts are finding thousands of examples of AI-created content every week that could allow terrorist groups and other violent extremists to bypass automated detection systems.

Sandworm Hackers Caused Another Blackout in Ukraine—During a Missile Strike

Russia's most notorious military hackers successfully sabotaged Ukraine's power grid for the third time last year. And in this case, the blackout coincided with a physical attack.

Police Use of Face Recognition Is Sweeping the UK

Face recognition technology has been controversial for years. Cops in the UK are drastically increasing the amount they use it.

The GOP Presidential Debate Is Livestreaming on Rumble, Home to White Nationalist Nick Fuentes

The third GOP debate is sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition and will be livestreamed on a platform favored by one of America’s most notorious white nationalists.

Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2023 Seeks to End Warrantless Police and FBI Spying

The Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2023 pulls from past privacy bills to overhaul how police and the feds access Americans’ data and communications.

Internet Blackouts in Gaza Are a New Weapon in the Israel-Hamas War

Israel has said it’s prepared to disrupt internet service in Gaza, signaling a new age of warfare. In the past two weeks, the Palestinian territory has already suffered three communications shutdowns.

The UN Hired an AI Company to Untangle the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis

CulturePulse's AI model promises to create a realistic virtual simulation of every Israeli and Palestinian citizen. But don't roll your eyes: It's already been put to the test in other conflict zones.

This Cryptomining Tool Is Stealing Secrets

Plus: Details emerge of a US government social media-scanning tool that flags “derogatory” speech, and researchers find vulnerabilities in the global mobile communications network.

TikTok Streamers Are Staging ‘Israel vs. Palestine’ Live Matches to Cash In on Virtual Gifts

TikTokkers are using a little-known livestreaming feature to falsely represent Israelis and Palestinians—and the company is taking a cut of costly in-app gifts viewers give to participants.

Maine Mass Shooting Disinformation Floods Social Media as Suspect Remains at Large

In the hours following the worst mass shooting in Maine’s history, disinformation about the suspected gunman flooded social media with false claims that he had been arrested.

Elon Musk Mocked Ukraine, and Russian Trolls Went Wild

Inauthentic accounts on X flocked to its owner’s post about Ukrainian president Vlodymr Zelensky, hailing “Comrade Musk” and boosting pro-Russia propaganda.

A Powerful Tool US Spies Misused to Stalk Women Faces Its Potential Demise

Though often viewed as the “crown jewel” of the US intelligence community, fresh reports of abuse by NSA employees and chaos in the US Congress put the tool's future in jeopardy.

The Hamas Threat of Hostage Execution Videos Looms Large Over Social Media

Hamas has threatened to broadcast videos of hostage executions. With the war between Israel and Hamas poised to enter a new phase, are social platforms ready?

The Dangerous Mystery of Hamas’ Missing ‘Suicide Drones’

Hamas has long touted its military drones, but little is known about the true scale of the threat. The answer may have consequences for people on both sides of the Israel-Gaza border.

Who’s Responsible for the Gaza Hospital Explosion? Here’s Why It’s Hard to Know What’s Real

A flood of false information, partisan narratives, and weaponized “fact-checking" has obscured efforts to find out who’s responsible for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza.

Elon Musk’s Main Tool for Fighting Disinformation on X Is Making the Problem Worse, Insiders Claim

X is promoting Community Notes to solve its disinformation problems, but some former employees and people who currently contribute notes say it’s not fit for that purpose.

A Graphic Hamas Video Donald Trump Jr. Shared on X Is Actually Real, Research Confirms

A video posted by Donald Trump Jr. showing Hamas militants attacking Israelis was falsely flagged in a Community Note as being years old, thus making X's disinformation problem worse, not better.

The UN Risks Normalizing Internet Censorship

The United Nations' top internet governance body will allegedly host its next two annual meetings in countries known for repressive internet policies and human rights abuses.

Elon Musk Is Personally Undermining X’s Efforts to Curb Israel-Hamas War Disinformation

X’s Trust and Safety team says it’s working to remove false information related to the Israel-Hamas war. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is sharing conspiracies and chatting with QAnon promoters.

Activist Hackers Are Racing Into the Israel-Hamas War—for Both Sides

Since the conflict escalated, hackers have targeted dozens of government websites and media outlets with defacements and DDoS attacks, and attempted to overload targets with junk traffic to bring them down.

The Israel-Hamas War Is Drowning X in Disinformation

People who have turned to X for breaking news about the Israel-Hamas conflict are being hit with old videos, fake photos, and video game footage at a level researchers have never seen.

Israel's Failure to Stop the Hamas Attack Shows the Danger of Too Much Surveillance

Hundreds dead, thousands wounded—Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel shows the limits of even the most advanced and invasive surveillance dragnets as full-scale war erupts.

White Supremacist Active Clubs Are Breeding on Telegram

A “friendlier” front for racist extremism has spread rapidly across the US in recent months, as active club channels network on Telegram's encrypted messaging app.

Chinese Hackers Are Hiding in Routers in the US and Japan

Plus: Stolen US State Department emails, $20 million zero-day flaws, and controversy over the EU’s message-scanning law.

US Justice Department Urged to Investigate Gunshot Detector Purchases

A civil liberties group has asked the DOJ to investigate deployment of the ShotSpotter gunfire-detection system, which research shows is often installed in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

Risk of a US Government Shutdown Is Fueled by Very Online Republicans

Egged on by a far-reaching conservative media ecosystem, right-wing hardliners are forcing Washington to bend to their reality as the federal government careens toward a possible shutdown.

The Shocking Data on Kia and Hyundai Thefts in the US

Plus: MGM hackers hit more than just casinos, Microsoft researchers accidentally leak terabytes of data, and China goes on the PR offensive over cyberespionage.

You Need to Update Google Chrome or Whatever Browser You Use

Plus: Spyware-packing ads, TikTok GDPR violations, Elon Musk investigations, and more.

The US Congress Has Trust Issues. Generative AI Is Making It Worse

Senators are meeting with Silicon Valley's elite to learn how to deal with AI. But can Congress tackle the rapidly emerging tech before working on itself?

China-Linked Hackers Breached a Power Grid—Again

Signs suggest the culprits worked within a notorious Chinese hacker group that may have also hacked Indian electric utilities years earlier.

Mozilla: Your New Car Is a Data Privacy Nightmare

Plus: Apple patches newly discovered flaws exploited by NSO Group spyware, North Korean hackers target security researchers, and more.

Top US Spies Meet With Privacy Experts Over Surveillance 'Crown Jewel'

Civil rights groups say efforts to get US intelligence agencies to adopt privacy reforms have largely failed. Without those changes, renewal of a post-911 surveillance policy may be doomed.

Axon's Ethics Board Resigned Over Taser-Armed Drones. Then the Company Bought a Military Drone Maker

The CEO’s vision for Taser-equipped drones includes a fictitious scenario in which the technology averts a shooting at a day care center.

US and UK Mount Aggressive Crackdown on Trickbot and Conti Ransomware Gangs

Authorities have sanctioned 11 alleged members of the cybercriminal groups, while the US Justice Department unsealed three federal indictments against nine people accused of being members.

The International Criminal Court Will Now Prosecute Cyberwar Crimes

And the first case on the docket may well be Russia’s cyberattacks against civilian critical infrastructure in Ukraine.

How China Demands Tech Firms Reveal Hackable Flaws in Their Products

Some foreign companies may be complying—potentially offering China’s spies hints for hacking their customers.

The Strange Afterlife of Wagner’s Yevgeny Prigozhin

Posts praising the Wagner Group boss following his death in a mysterious plane crash last month indicate he was still in control of his "troll farm," researchers claim.

2 Polish Men Arrested for Radio Hack That Disrupted Trains

Plus: A major FBI botnet takedown, new Sandworm malware, a cyberattack on two major scientific telescopes—and more.

The Cheap Radio Hack That Disrupted Poland's Railway System

The sabotage of more than 20 trains in Poland by apparent supporters of Russia was carried out with a simple “radio-stop” command anyone could broadcast with $30 in equipment.

The Low-Stakes Race to Crack an Encrypted German U-Boat Message

A ramshackle team of American scientists scrambled to decode the Nazi cipher before the time ran out. Luckily, they had a secret weapon.

This Tool Lets Hackers Dox Almost Anyone in the US

The US Secret Service’s relationship with the Oath Keepers gets revealed, Tornado Cash cofounders get indicted, and a UK court says a teen is behind a Lapsus$ hacking spree.

Donald Trump's Mug Shot Matters in a World of Fakes

The first booking photo of a US president stands out among a sea of photoshops and AI-generated images online.

Trump’s Prosecution Is America’s Last Hope

Social norms—not laws—are the underlying fabric of democracy. The Georgia indictment against Donald Trump is the last tool remaining to repair that which he’s torn apart.

The Last Hour Before Yevgeny Prigozhin's Plane Crash

Russia tightly controls its information space—making it hard to get accurate information out of the country. But open source data provides some clues about the crash.

How X Is Suing Its Way Out of Accountability

The social media giant filed a lawsuit against a nonprofit that researches hate speech online. It’s the latest effort to cut off the data needed to expose online platforms’ failings.

The Mystery of Chernobyl’s Post-Invasion Radiation Spikes

Soon after Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022, sensors in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone reported radiation spikes. A researcher now believes he’s found evidence the data was manipulated.

How AI May Be Used to Create Custom Disinformation Ahead of 2024

Generative AI won't just flood the internet with more lies—it may also create convincing disinformation that's targeted at groups or even individuals.

The NSA Is Lobbying Congress to Save a Phone Surveillance 'Loophole'

The National Security Agency has urged top lawmakers to resist demands that it obtain warrants for sensitive data sold by data brokers.

China’s Breach of Microsoft Cloud Email May Expose Deeper Problems

Plus: Microsoft expands access to premium security features, AI child sexual abuse material is on the rise, and Netflix’s password crackdown has its intended effect.

NYPD Body Cam Data Shows the Scale of Violence Against Protesters

A landmark $13 million settlement with the City of New York is the latest in a string of legal wins for protesters who were helped by a video-analysis tool that smashes the “bad apple” myth.

Satellites Are Rife With Basic Security Flaws

German researchers gained rare access to three satellites and found that they're years behind normal cybersecurity standards.

Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act Goes Back to Congress

A bill to prevent cops and spies from buying Americans’ data instead of getting a warrant has a fighting chance in the US Congress as lawmakers team up against surveillance overreach.

FBI Surveillance Fears Are Uniting a Badly Broken Congress

The FBI has collected sensitive data on millions of Americans without warrants, drawing intense scrutiny from Congress and turning the agency into a punching bag across the political divide.

US Spies Are Buying Americans' Private Data. Congress Has a Chance to Stop It

The National Defense Authorization Act may include new language forbidding government entities from buying Americans' search histories, location data, and more.

US Supreme Court Hands Cyberstalkers a First Amendment Victory

Plus: Hackers knock out Russian military satellite communications, a spyware maker gets breached, and the SEC targets a victim company's CISO.