Google Ad-Tech Users Can Target National Security ‘Decision Makers’ and People With Chronic Diseases

Google enables marketers to target people with serious illnesses and crushing debt—against its policies—as well as the makers of classified defense technology, a WIRED investigation has found.

A Signal Update Fends Off a Phishing Technique Used in Russian Espionage

Google warns that hackers tied to Russia are tricking Ukrainian soldiers with fake QR codes for Signal group invites that let spies steal their messages. Signal has pushed out new safeguards.

The Official DOGE Website Launch Was a Security Mess

Plus: Researchers find RedNote lacks basic security measures, surveillance ramps up around the US-Mexico border, and the UK ordering Apple to create an encryption backdoor comes under fire.

Top US Election Security Watchdog Forced to Stop Election Security Work

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has frozen efforts to aid states in securing elections, according to an internal memo viewed by WIRED.

China’s Salt Typhoon Spies Are Still Hacking Telecoms—Now by Exploiting Cisco Routers

Despite high-profile attention and even US sanctions, the group hasn’t stopped or even slowed its operation, including the breach of two more US telecoms.

A Hacker Group Within Russia’s Notorious Sandworm Unit Is Breaching Western Networks

A team Microsoft calls BadPilot is acting as Sandworm's “initial access operation,” the company says. And over the last year it's trained its sights on the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.

The Murky Ad-Tech World Powering Surveillance of US Military Personnel

A Florida data broker told a US senator it obtained sensitive data on US military members in Germany from a Lithuanian firm, which denies involvement—revealing the opaque nature of online ad surveillance.

US Funding Cuts Are Helping Criminals Get Away With Child Abuse and Human Trafficking

Services supporting victims of online child exploitation and trafficking around the world have faced USAID and State Department cuts—and children are suffering as a result, sources tell WIRED.

UK Secret Order Demands That Apple Give Access to Users’ Encrypted Data

Plus: Benjamin Netanyahu gives Donald Trump a golden pager, Hewlett Packard Enterprise blames Russian government hackers for a breach, and more.

The Collapse of USAID Is Already Fueling Human Trafficking and Slavery at Scammer Compounds

The dismantling of USAID by Elon Musk's DOGE and a State Department funding freeze have severely disrupted efforts to help people escape forced labor camps run by criminal scammers.

Despite Catastrophic Hacks, Ransomware Payments Dropped Dramatically Last Year

Ransomware gangs continued to wreak havoc in 2024, but new research shows that the amounts victims paid these cybercriminals fell by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Meet the Hired Guns Who Make Sure School Cyberattacks Stay Hidden

An investigation into more than 300 cyberattacks against US K–12 schools over the past five years shows how schools can withhold crucial details from students and parents whose data was stolen.

Foreign Hackers Are Using Google’s Gemini in Attacks on the US

Plus: WhatsApp discloses nearly 100 targets of spyware, hackers used the AT&T breach to hunt for details on US politicians, and more.

DeepSeek’s Safety Guardrails Failed Every Test Researchers Threw at Its AI Chatbot

Security researchers tested 50 well-known jailbreaks against DeepSeek’s popular new AI chatbot. It didn’t stop a single one.

Exposed DeepSeek Database Revealed Chat Prompts and Internal Data

China-based DeepSeek has exploded in popularity, drawing greater scrutiny. Case in point: Security researchers found more than 1 million records, including user data and API keys, in an open database.

The Trial at the Tip of the Terrorgram Iceberg

Atomwaffen Division cofounder and alleged Terrorgram Collective member Brandon Russell is facing a potential 20-year sentence for an alleged plot on a Baltimore electrical station. His case is only the beginning.

DeepSeek’s Popular AI App Is Explicitly Sending US Data to China

Amid ongoing fears over TikTok, Chinese generative AI platform DeepSeek says it’s sending heaps of US user data straight to its home country, potentially setting the stage for greater scrutiny.

Scammers Are Creating Fake News Videos to Blackmail Victims

“Yahoo Boy” scammers are impersonating CNN and other news organizations to create videos that pressure victims into making blackmail payments.

US Privacy Snags a Win as Judge Limits Warrantless FBI Searches

Plus: A hacker finds an issue with Cloudflare’s systems that could reveal app users’ rough locations, and the Trump administration puts a wrench in a key cybersecurity investigation.

Subaru Security Flaws Exposed Its System for Tracking Millions of Cars

Now-fixed web bugs allowed hackers to remotely unlock and start any of millions of Subarus. More disturbingly, they could also access at least a year of cars’ location histories—and Subaru employees still can.

Trump Frees Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht After 11 Years in Prison

Donald Trump pardoned the creator of the world’s first dark-web drug market, who is now a libertarian cause célèbre in some parts of the crypto community.

How to Get Around the US TikTok Ban

TikTok is now unavailable in the United States—and getting around the ban isn’t as simple as using a VPN. Here’s what you need to know.

US Names One of the Hackers Allegedly Behind Massive Salt Typhoon Breaches

Plus: New details emerge about China’s cyber espionage against the US, the FBI remotely uninstalls malware on 4,200 US devices, and victims of the PowerSchool edtech breach reveal what hackers stole.

The FCC’s Jessica Rosenworcel Isn’t Leaving Without a Fight

As the US faces “the worst telecommunications hack in our nation’s history,” by China’s Salt Typhoon hackers, the outgoing FCC chair is determined to bolster network security if it’s the last thing she does.

Hackers Likely Stole FBI Call Logs From AT&T That Could Compromise Informants

A breach of AT&T that exposed “nearly all” of the company’s customers may have included records related to confidential FBI sources, potentially explaining the bureau’s new embrace of end-to-end encryption.

AV-Comparatives Crowns McAfee as 2024’s Leader in Online Protection and Speed

McAfee Total Protection users can feel even more secure online knowing that AV-Comparatives has named it the best in 2024 for both real-world protection and overall speed.

The two awards – the 2024 Real-World Protection Gold Award and the Best Overall Speed Gold Award – underscore McAfee’s commitment to providing powerful security without compromising PC performance, a critical combination at a time when 59% of people globally report falling victim to an online scam or knowing someone who has, with 87% of these individuals losing money—an astounding average loss of $1,366 USD.

“We are honored to receive both the Best Real-World Protection and the Best PC Performance awards,” said McAfee Chief Technology Officer Steve Grobman. “AV-Comparatives is a renowned institute with a reputation for analysis and quality assurance that stands tall, and this recognition further reinforces our leadership in online protection. With our AI-powered threat protection, we remain committed to staying one step ahead of cybercriminals while having the lowest impact on PC performance, so that people can enjoy their online lives with confidence.”

Why McAfee Stands Out

Each year, AV-Comparatives rigorously tests leading consumer security products to evaluate their effectiveness in real-world scenarios as well as their impact on system performance. McAfee’s standout results reflect the strength of its:

• Real-World Protection: AV-Comparatives’ Real-World Protection Test measures a product’s ability to combat malware under everyday conditions. Winners of this test, such as McAfee, provide high levels of protection with minimal false alarms, sparing users the stress and burden of identifying whether something is harmful.
• Performance: The PC Performance Test evaluates the impact of a security product on system performance. McAfee ranked with the lowest impact on PC performance throughout 2024, ensuring users can stay secure online without their devices losing speed and slowing down.

Learn More About Our Award-Winning Protection

Protect yourself and your family today with McAfee Total Protection, which includes the award-winning anti-malware technology, scam protection, identity monitoring, Secure VPN, password management, and safe browsing capabilities for all-in-one security.

Get started with a free trial of McAfee Total Protection here. McAfee’s award-winning technology is also available in McAfee+ Premium, McAfee+ Advanced, and McAfee+ Ultimate.

Read the full report on AV-Comparatives’ awards here.

The post AV-Comparatives Crowns McAfee as 2024’s Leader in Online Protection and Speed appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Biden's Cyber Ambassador Urges Trump Not to Cede Ground to Russia and China in Global Tech Fight

Nathaniel Fick, the ambassador for cyberspace and digital policy, has led US tech diplomacy amid a rising tide of pressure from authoritarian regimes. Will the Trump administration undo that work?

A New Jam-Packed Biden Executive Order Tackles Cybersecurity, AI, and More

US president Joe Biden just issued a 40-page executive order that aims to bolster federal cybersecurity protections, directs government use of AI—and takes a swipe at Microsoft’s dominance.

The ‘Largest Illicit Online Marketplace’ Ever Is Growing at an Alarming Rate, Report Says

Huione Guarantee, a gray market researchers believe is central to the online scam ecosystem, now includes a messaging app, stablecoin, and crypto exchange—while facilitating $24 billion in transactions.

Inside the Black Box of Predictive Travel Surveillance

Behind the scenes, companies and governments are feeding a trove of data about international travelers into opaque AI tools that aim to predict who’s safe—and who’s a threat.

Secret Phone Surveillance Tech Was Likely Deployed at 2024 DNC

Data WIRED collected during the 2024 Democratic National Convention strongly suggests the use of a cell-site simulator, a controversial spy device that intercepts sensitive data from every phone in its range.

License Plate Readers Are Leaking Real-Time Video Feeds and Vehicle Data

Misconfigured license-plate-recognition systems reveal the livestreams of individual cameras and the wealth of data they collect about every vehicle that passes by them.

McAfee Deepfake Detector: Fighting Misinformation with AMD AI-Powered Precision

In a world where deepfake scams and misinformation are increasingly pervasive, McAfee is taking a bold step forward with major enhancements to its AI-powered deepfake detection technology. By partnering with AMD and harnessing the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) within the latest AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors announced at CES, McAfee Deepfake Detector is designed to empower users to discern truth from fiction like never before. 

Deepfakes: A Growing Global Concern 

As deepfake technology becomes more sophisticated, so too does the challenge of identifying manipulated content. Nearly two-thirds of people globally report rising concerns over deepfakes, emphasizing the need for tools that can accurately detect falsified content. 

To address this growing issue, McAfee introduced its cutting-edge AI technology, now supercharged through its collaboration with AMD, McAfee Deepfake Detector can deliver detection in seconds to help consumers navigate videos increasingly riddled with misinformation. 

How McAfee’s AI Deepfake Detector Works

Cybercriminals are leveraging AI to manipulate audio and video, creating hyper-realistic deepfakes that are difficult to identify with the naked eye. McAfee’s Deepfake Detector uses advanced Convolution Neural Network models—AI tools specifically trained to identify manipulated or AI-generated audio within videos. 

The AI Advantage

• Dynamic Detection – Quickly identifies suspicious content and alerts users. 
• Local Processing – Inference occurs locally on the device. 
• Empowerment – Gives users the confidence to navigate online spaces and distinguish authentic content from fake. 

This groundbreaking technology is aimed at not only enhancing online safety but also setting a new standard for AI-powered tools. 

Powered by AMD’s NPU: Next-Level Enhanced Speed, Efficiency, and Privacy 

McAfee’s partnership with AMD takes deepfake detection to the next level. By leveraging the 50 TOPS of performance in the latest AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors, McAfee Deepfake Detector achieves lightning–fast detection of deepfakes. This collaboration announced at CES marks a significant leap forward in balancing AI performance with user privacy, giving consumers the best of both worlds: robust protection and peace of mind.  

This newest generation of AMD mobile processors represents huge leaps forward not just in compute and graphics performance but also in AI capabilities and experiences, all powered by the world’s most advanced family of processors1. McAfee Deepfake Detector leverages AMD XDNA 2 architecture providing up to a 5X increase in NPU power vs. the previous generation2, confirming continued AMD leadership in innovation and performance in this new category of AI PC computing. 

McAfee’s Deepfake Detector integrates effortlessly into the user’s workflow, ensuring that everyone—from professionals to casual users—can access next-level protection without technical hurdles. 

The Future of Online Safety: Detect Deepfakes, Stay Secure

As deepfake technology evolves, McAfee Deepfake Detector is a game-changer in the fight against misinformation and scams. By combining AI-powered detection with the cutting-edge AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors and NPU technology, McAfee delivers: 

• Smarter AI detection of manipulated deepfake videos
• Faster, power-efficient local processing
• Cutting-edge security features to inform users on what’s real and what’s fake

 Stay one step ahead of deepfake threats. Whether you’re a professional, a consumer, or simply navigating the digital world, McAfee empowers you to discern truth from fiction—designed for a safer, more secure online experience. 

 

1 Based on node size. As of January 2024, AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors are amongst the most advanced series of processors based on 4nm node size, whereas available competitive (non-AMD) x86 laptop processors are based on 7nm TSMC process.

2 Based on engineering specifications as of May 2024 comparing total TOPS capacity for Ryzen AI 300 Series processor’s NPU to Ryzen 7040 Series processor’s NPU.

The post McAfee Deepfake Detector: Fighting Misinformation with AMD AI-Powered Precision appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Apple May Owe You $20 in a Siri Privacy Lawsuit Settlement

Plus: The FBI discovers a historic trove of homemade explosives, new details emerge in China’s hack of the US Treasury Department, and more.

Facebook and Instagram Ads Push Gun Silencers Disguised as Car Parts

A network of Facebook pages has been advertising “fuel filters” that are actually meant to be used as silencers, which are heavily regulated by US law. Even US military officials are concerned.

US Treasury Department Admits It Got Hacked by China

Treasury says hackers accessed “certain unclassified documents” in a “major” breach, but experts believe the attack’s impacts could prove to be more significant as new details emerge.

The Paper Passport Is Dying

Smartphones and face recognition are being combined to create new digital travel documents. The paper passport’s days are numbered—despite new privacy risks.

You Need to Create a Secret Password With Your Family

AI voice cloning and deepfakes are supercharging scams. One method to protect your loved ones and yourself is to create secret code words to verify someone’s identity in real time.

The Invisible Russia-Ukraine Battlefield

In Russia’s war against Ukraine, electronic warfare, including signal-jamming, anti-drone weapons, and innovative protections for critical military systems, has become a key piece of the conflict.

Mystery Drone Sightings Lead to FAA Ban Despite No Detected Threats

Plus: Google’s U-turn on creepy “fingerprint” tracking, the LockBit ransomware gang’s teased comeback, and a potential US ban on the most popular routers in America.

This VPN Lets Anyone Use Your Internet Connection. What Could Go Wrong?

A free VPN app called Big Mama is selling access to people’s home internet networks. Kids are using it to cheat in a VR game while researchers warn of bigger security risks.

Stop Calling Online Scams ‘Pig Butchering,’ Interpol Warns

Experts say the catchall term for online fraud furthers harm against victims and could dissuade people from reporting attempts to bilk them out of their money.

The Top Cybersecurity Agency in the US Is Bracing for Donald Trump

Staffers at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency tell WIRED they fear the new administration will cut programs that keep the US safe—and “persecution.”

Hackers Can Jailbreak Digital License Plates to Make Others Pay Their Tolls and Tickets

Digital license plates sold by Reviver, already legal to buy in some states and drive with nationwide, can be hacked by their owners to evade traffic regulations or even law enforcement surveillance.

Microsoft’s AI Recall Tool Is Still Sucking Up Credit Card and Social Security Numbers

Plus: The US indicts North Koreans in fake IT worker scheme, file-sharing firm Cleo warns customers to patch a vulnerability amid live attacks, and more.

The New Jersey Drone Mystery May Not Actually Be That Mysterious

A flurry of drone sightings across New Jersey and New York has sparked national intrigue and US government responses. But experts are pouring cold water on America’s hottest new conspiracy theory.

Why the US Military Can't Just Shoot Down the Mystery Drones

Small, easily weaponizable drones have become a feature of battlefields from the Middle East to Ukraine. Now the threat looms over the US homeland—and the Pentagon's ability to respond is limited.

The ‘Ghost Gun’ Linked to Luigi Mangione Shows Just How Far 3D-Printed Weapons Have Come

The design of the gun police say they found on the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer—the FMDA or “Free Men Don’t Ask”—was released by a libertarian group.

US Officials Recommend Encryption Apps Amid Chinese Telecom Hacking

Plus: Russian spies keep hijacking other hackers’ infrastructure, Hydra dark web market admin gets life sentence in Russia, and more of the week’s top security news.

She Was a Russian Socialite and Influencer. Cops Say She’s a Crypto Laundering Kingpin

Western authorities say they’ve identified a network that found a new way to clean drug gangs’ dirty cash. WIRED gained exclusive access to the investigation.

A New Phone Scanner That Detects Spyware Has Already Found 7 Pegasus Infections

The mobile device security firm iVerify has been offering a tool since May that makes spyware scanning accessible to anyone—and it’s already turning up victims.

FTC Says Data Brokers Unlawfully Tracked Protesters and US Military Personnel

The FTC is targeting data brokers that monitored people’s movements during protests and around US military installations. But signs suggest the Trump administration will be far more lenient.

He Got Banned From X. Now He Wants to Help You Escape, Too

When programmer Micah Lee was kicked off X for a post that offended Elon Musk, he didn't look back. His new tool for saving and deleting your X posts can give you that same sweet release.

Top US Consumer Watchdog Has a Plan to Fight Predatory Data Brokers

A new proposal by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would use a 54-year-old privacy law to impose new oversight of the data broker industry. But first, the agency must survive Elon Musk.

Malicious Ads in Search Results Are Driving New Generations of Scams

The scourge of “malvertising” is nothing new, but the tactic is still so effective that it's contributing to the rise of investment scams and the spread of new strains of malware.

The Pressure Is on for Big Tech to Regulate the Broken Digital Advertising Industry

Brands have been at the mercy of the algorithm when it comes to where their ads appear online, but they’re about to get more control.

The US Army's Vision of Soldiers in Exoskeletons Lives On

Following decades of failed attempts and dashed dreams, the US Army is once again trying out powered exoskeletons to help soldiers haul munitions and equipment in the field.

Emergency Vehicle Lights Can Screw Up a Car's Automated Driving System

Newly published research finds that the flashing lights on police cruisers and ambulances can cause “digital epileptic seizures” in image-based automated driving systems, potentially risking wrecks.

Andrew Tate’s ‘Educational Platform’ Was Hacked

Plus: The worst telecom hack in US history rolls on, iPhones are harder to break into, and more of the week’s top security news.

Russian Spies Jumped From One Network to Another Via Wi-Fi in an Unprecedented Hack

In a first, Russia's APT28 hacking group appears to have remotely breached the Wi-Fi of an espionage target by hijacking a laptop in another building across the street.