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BlackSuit infrastructure dismantled in global raid

US law enforcement, alongside nine other nations, dismantled the BlackSuit ransomware gang’s infrastructure, replacing its leak site with a takedown notice after a coordinated operation. The group, formerly known as Royal, had amassed over $370 million in ransoms since 2022.

More than 450 victims were targeted across critical infrastructure sectors, with ransom demands soaring up to $60 million. Dallas suffered severe disruption in a notable attack, affecting emergency services and courts.

German authorities seized key infrastructure, securing data that is now under analysis to identify further collaborators. The operation also included confiscating servers, domains and digital assets used for extortion and money laundering.

New research indicates that members of BlackSuit may already be shifting to a new ransomware operation called Chaos. US agencies seized $2.4 million in cryptocurrency linked to a Chaos affiliate, marking a significant blow to evolving cybercrime efforts.

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Sam Altman praises rapid AI adoption in India

OpenAI’s new GPT‑5 model has been unveiled, and the company offers it free to all users. Three model versions, gpt‑5, gpt‑5‑mini and gpt‑5‑nano, offer developers a balance of performance, cost and latency.

CEO Sam Altman applauded India’s rapid AI adoption and hinted that India, currently OpenAI’s second‑largest market, may soon become the largest. A visit to India is planned for September.

The new GPT‑5 achieves a level of expertise akin to a PhD‑level professional and is described as a meaningful step towards AGI. OpenAI intends to make the model notably accessible through its free tier.

Head of ChatGPT Nick Turley noted that GPT‑5 significantly enhances understanding across more than twelve Indian languages, reinforcing India as a key market for localisation.

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AI-generated video misleads as tsunami footage in Japan

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula at the end of July triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific, including Japan. Despite widespread alerts and precautionary evacuations, the most significant wave recorded in Japan was only 1.3 metres high.

A video showing large waves approaching a Japanese coastline, which went viral with over 39 million views on platforms like Facebook and TikTok, was found to be AI-generated and not genuine footage.

The clip, appearing as if filmed from a plane, was initially posted online months earlier by a YouTube channel specialising in synthetic visuals.

Analysis of the video revealed inconsistencies, including unnatural water movements and a stationary plane, confirming it was fabricated. Additionally, numerous Facebook pages shared the video and linked it to commercial sites, spreading misinformation.

Official reports from Japanese broadcasters confirmed that the actual tsunami waves were much smaller, and no catastrophic damage occurred.

The incident highlights ongoing challenges in combating AI-generated disinformation related to natural disasters, as similar misleading content continues to circulate online during crisis events.

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GPT-5 launch sparks backlash as OpenAI removes ChatGPT model choice

OpenAI has launched GPT-5, replacing previous ChatGPT models and removing the model picker option. CEO Sam Altman called it a PhD-level AI, claiming improvements in reasoning, writing, coding, accuracy, and health-related queries, with fewer hallucinations. The rollout followed right after the announcement.

GPT-5 includes both an efficient and a reasoning model, but users no longer choose which to engage, OpenAI’s system automatically routes queries. The change has frustrated many, as favourite models like GPT-4o and o3 are no longer available.

Users on social media and forums complain that GPT-5 gives shorter, less engaging answers and has less personality. Some say the model ignores instructions, gets basic things wrong, and is slower despite not running in ‘thinking mode’.

Several users allege OpenAI shortened responses deliberately to reduce costs, removing emotional intelligence to discourage casual chatting. Critics believe the move could result in lost subscriptions despite efficiency gains.

Others describe GPT-5 as more organised but clipped in tone, with no clear quality improvement over earlier models. The loss of previous models has left some feeling that the upgrade is a downgrade, with one user saying it feels like ‘watching a close friend die’.

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France telecom exposes millions of customer records

A cyber‑attack on Bouygues Telecom has compromised the personal data of 6.4 million customers. The firm disclosed that a third party accessed personal and contractual information related to certain subscriptions.

Attackers gained access on 4 August and were blocked swiftly after detection, increasing the monitoring of the systems. Exposed data includes contact details, contractual and civil status information, business records for professional clients, and IBANs for affected users.

The cybersecurity breach did not include credit card numbers or passwords. Bouygues sent impacted customers notifications via email or text and advised vigilance against scam calls and messages.

The French data protection authority, the CNIL, has been informed, and a formal complaint has been filed. The company warned that perpetrators face up to five years in prison and a fine of €150,000 under French law.

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Healthcare cybersecurity failures put patient safety at risk, Modat warns

Over 1.2 million internet-connected healthcare devices and systems that expose patient data have been identified in research by Modat. The United States, South Africa, and Australia topped the list, with vulnerable systems including MRI scanners, CT machines, and hospital management platforms.

Using its Modat Magnify platform, the company identified misconfigurations, weak passwords, and unpatched software as common risks. Some devices had no authentication, while others used factory-default passwords such as ‘admin’ or ‘123456’. Sensitive MRI, dental X-ray, and blood test records were accessed.

Modat worked with Health-ISAC and Dutch CERT Z-CERT for responsible disclosure, alerting organisations to secure exposed systems. CEO Soufian El Yadmani said devices should never be open to the internet without safeguards, warning that remote access must be secure.

The research stressed that healthcare cybersecurity is a patient safety issue. Outdated or unprotected devices could enable fraud, extortion, or network breaches. Regular security checks, asset inventories, and monitoring were recommended to reduce risks.

Founded in 2024, Modat uses its Device DNA dataset to catalogue internet-connected devices globally. It aims to help healthcare and other sectors close the gap between rising cyber threats and effective resilience.

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The Browser Company unveils a paid plan for AI browser

The Browser Company has introduced a $20 monthly Pro subscription for Dia, its AI-powered web browser, offering unlimited access to advanced chat and skills features.

Free users will now encounter limits on AI usage, although light users engaging with AI a few times a week can still use the browser without paying. CEO Josh Miller mentioned plans to launch multiple subscription tiers, ranging from $5 to several hundred dollars, based on different feature sets.

The Pro plan was briefly available online before being removed, but it is now accessible again through Dia’s settings. It marks The Browser Company’s first paid offering following its previous success with the Arc browser.

The Browser Company has secured $128 million in funding from investors, including Pace Capital and several prominent tech leaders such as Jeff Weiner and Dylan Field.

The launch comes amid intensifying competition in the AI browser space, with rivals like Perplexity’s Comet, Opera’s upcoming Neon browser, and AI integrations from Google and Microsoft vying for user attention.

The Browser Company’s subscription model aims to capitalise on growing interest in AI-enhanced browsing experiences.

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Microsoft Copilot launches GPT-5 Smart Mode for users

Microsoft has upgraded all its Copilot tools with OpenAI’s latest GPT-5 model, now available through a new Smart Mode.

The update brings enhanced speed and better performance across Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure AI Foundry, GitHub Copilot, and the Windows AI chatbot pre-installed on PCs.

Users can try the Smart Mode via the Copilot website, which can be selected from a model selector below the text input. Notably, a Microsoft account is not required to use this new mode.

The Smart Mode rollout is gradual, and while not yet visible in the Windows Copilot app for everyone, early users have reported that GPT-5 delivers faster and more accurate responses compared to earlier models.

Unlike the free ChatGPT tier that limits queries and switches automatically to older versions after usage caps, Copilot offers fewer restrictions, allowing more extensive use.

Microsoft’s AI Red Team tested GPT-5 thoroughly before release, highlighting its strong safety profile and improved reasoning capabilities.

Microsoft 365 Copilot benefits from GPT-5’s advanced abilities to answer complex questions, maintain coherence over long conversations, assist with email replies, and analyse documents effectively.

GitHub Copilot has also been enhanced with GPT-5, significantly improving reasoning, code quality, and overall user experience. The upgrade positions Microsoft’s AI tools to support developers and professionals across multiple platforms better.

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ShinyHunters breach Google’s Salesforce database

Google has confirmed a data breach during its investigation into the ShinyHunters group, revealing the tech giant was also affected. The attackers accessed a Salesforce database used for storing small business customer information.

The breach exposed business names and contact details during a short window before access was revoked. Google stated no highly sensitive or personal data was compromised.

ShinyHunters used phishing and vishing tactics to trick users into authorising malicious Salesforce apps disguised as legitimate tools. The technique mirrors previous high-profile breaches involving firms like Santander and Ticketmaster.

Google warned the group may escalate operations by launching a data leak site. Organisations are urged to tighten their cybersecurity measures and access controls, train staff and apply multi-factor authentication across all accounts.

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GPT-5 launches with ‘PhD-level performance’

OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5, the latest generation of its widely used ChatGPT tool, offering what CEO Sam Altman described as a ‘huge improvement’ in capability.

Now free to all users, the model builds on previous versions but stops short of the human-like reasoning associated with accurate artificial general intelligence.

Altman compared the leap in performance to ‘talking to a PhD-level expert’ instead of a student.

While GPT-5 does not learn continuously from new experiences, it is designed to excel in coding, writing, healthcare and other specialist areas.

Industry observers say the release underscores the rapid acceleration in AI, with rivals such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Elon Musk’s xAI investing heavily in the race. Chinese startup DeepSeek has also drawn attention for producing powerful models using less costly chips.

OpenAI has emphasised GPT-5’s safety features, with its research team training the system to avoid deception and prevent harmful outputs.

Alongside the flagship release, the company launched two open-weight models that can be freely downloaded and modified, a move seen as both a nod to its nonprofit origins and a challenge to competitors’ open-source offerings.

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