Victoria’s Secret website hit by cyber attack

Victoria’s Secret’s website has remained offline for three days due to a security incident the company has yet to fully explain. A spokesperson confirmed steps are being taken to address the issue, saying external experts have been called in and some in-store systems were also taken down as a precaution.

Instead of revealing specific details, the retailer has left users with only a holding message on a pink background. It has declined to comment on whether ransomware is involved, when the disruption began, or if law enforcement has been contacted.

The firm’s physical stores continue operating as normal, and payment systems are unaffected, suggesting the breach has hit other digital infrastructure. Still, the shutdown has rattled investors—shares fell nearly seven percent on Wednesday.

With online sales accounting for a third of Victoria’s Secret’s $6 billion annual revenue, the pressure to resolve the situation is high.

The timing has raised eyebrows, as cybercriminals often strike during public holidays like Memorial Day, when IT teams are short-staffed. The attack follows a worrying trend among retailers.

UK giants such as Harrods, Marks & Spencer, and the Co-op have all suffered recent breaches. Experts warn that US chains are becoming the next major targets, with threat groups like Scattered Spider shifting their focus across the Atlantic.

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UK and EU strengthen maritime and cyber security

The UK and the EU have agreed to step up cooperation on cybersecurity as part of a wider defence and security pact.

The new framework, signed on 19 May, marks a major shift towards joint efforts in countering digital threats and hybrid warfare.

Instead of managing these challenges separately, the UK and EU will hold structured dialogues to address cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and other forms of foreign interference.

The deal outlines regular exchanges between national security officials, supported by thematic discussions focused on crisis response, infrastructure protection, and online misinformation.

A key aim is to boost resilience against hostile cyber activity by working together on detection, defence, and prevention strategies. The agreement encourages joint efforts to safeguard communication networks, protect energy grids, and strengthen public awareness against information manipulation.

The cooperation is expected to extend into coordinated drills and real-time threat sharing.

While the UK remains outside the EU’s political structure, the agreement positions it as a close cyber security partner.

Future plans include exploring deeper collaboration through EU defence projects and potentially forming a formal link with the European Defence Agency, ensuring that both sides can respond more effectively to emerging digital threats.

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Taiwan rebuffs China’s hacking claims as disinformation

Taiwan has rejected accusations from Beijing that its ruling party orchestrated cyberattacks against Chinese infrastructure. Authorities in Taipei instead accused China of spreading false claims in an effort to manipulate public perception and escalate tensions.

On Tuesday, Chinese officials alleged that a Taiwan-backed hacker group linked to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had targeted a technology firm in Guangzhou.

They claimed more than 1,000 networks, including systems tied to the military, energy, and government sectors, had been compromised across ten provinces in recent years.

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau responded on Wednesday, stating that the Chinese Communist Party is manipulating false information to mislead the international community.

Rather than acknowledging its own cyber activities, Beijing is attempting to shift blame while undermining Taiwan’s credibility, the agency said.

Taipei further accused China of long-running cyberattacks aimed at stealing funds and destabilising critical infrastructure. Officials described such campaigns as part of cognitive warfare designed to widen social divides and erode public trust within Taiwan.

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Iranian hacker admits role in Baltimore ransomware attack

An Iranian man has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a ransomware campaign that disrupted public services across several US cities, including a major 2019 attack in Baltimore.

The US Department of Justice announced that 37-year-old Sina Gholinejad admitted to computer fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, offences that carry a maximum combined sentence of 30 years.

Rather than targeting private firms, Gholinejad and his accomplices deployed Robbinhood ransomware against local governments, hospitals and non-profit organisations from early 2019 to March 2024.

The attack on Baltimore alone resulted in over $19 million in damage and halted critical city functions such as water billing, property tax collection and parking enforcement.

Instead of simply locking data, the group demanded Bitcoin ransoms and occasionally threatened to release sensitive files. Cities including Greenville, Gresham and Yonkers were also affected.

Although no state affiliation has been confirmed, US officials have previously warned of cyber activity tied to Iran, allegations Tehran continues to deny.

Gholinejad was arrested at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in January 2025. The FBI led the investigation, with support from Bulgarian authorities. Sentencing is scheduled for August.

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Decentralised AI could outgrow Bitcoin

Early blockchain adopters are now focusing on decentralised AI, with ecosystems like Bittensor (TAO) leading the way. These platforms allow ideas to gain support and funding from the community without relying on traditional venture capital.

Chris Miglino, CEO of DNA Fund, highlighted the firm’s AI compute fund, which has invested around $50 million in Bittensor’s ecosystem. The network’s unique subnets create specialised marketplaces for AI applications, attracting developers and miners alike.

Decentralised AI, which runs on distributed networks rather than central authorities, is DNA House’s main focus. Miglino believes it could become bigger than Bitcoin, reshaping society in profound ways.

DNA Fund supports developers to launch projects within the ecosystem without needing large venture capital investments. Decentralised AI is widely seen as the future, with pioneers like Ben Goertzel supporting it since the early 1990s.

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Quantum computers might break Bitcoin security faster than thought

Google researchers have revealed that breaking RSA encryption—the technology securing crypto wallets—requires far fewer quantum resources than previously thought. The team found cracking 2048-bit RSA could take under a week using fewer than a million noisy qubits, 20 times less than previously estimated.

Currently, quantum computers like IBM’s Condor and Google’s Sycamore operate with far fewer qubits, so crypto assets remain safe for now. The significance lies in the rapid pace of improvement in quantum computing capabilities, which calls for increased vigilance.

The breakthrough stems from improved algorithms that speed up key calculations and smarter error correction methods. Researchers also enhanced ‘magic state cultivation,’ a technique that boosts quantum operation efficiency by reducing resource waste.

Bitcoin relies on elliptic curve cryptography, similar in principle to RSA. If quantum computers can crack RSA sooner, Bitcoin’s security timeline could be shortened.

Efforts like Project 11’s quantum Bitcoin bounty highlight ongoing research to test the threat’s urgency.

Quantum threats extend beyond crypto, affecting global secure communications, banking, and digital signatures. Google has begun encrypting more traffic with quantum-resistant protocols in preparation for this shift.

Despite rapid progress, challenges remain. Quantum computers must maintain stability and coherence for long periods to execute complex operations. Currently, this remains a major hurdle, so there is no immediate threat.

It seems likely the first quantum-resistant blockchain upgrades will arrive well before any quantum attack on Bitcoin’s network.

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German court allows Meta to use Facebook and Instagram data

A German court has ruled in favour of Meta, allowing the tech company to use data from Facebook and Instagram to train AI systems. A Cologne court ruled Meta had not breached the EU law and deemed its AI development a legitimate interest.

According to the court, Meta is permitted to process public user data without explicit consent. Judges argued that training AI systems could not be achieved by other equally effective and less intrusive methods.

They noted that Meta plans to use only publicly accessible data and had taken adequate steps to inform users via its mobile apps.

Despite the ruling, the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Centre remains critical, raising concerns about legality and user privacy. Privacy group Noyb also challenged the decision, warning it could take further legal action, including a potential class-action lawsuit.

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Manhattan man accused of holding victim for Bitcoin credentials

A Manhattan-based crypto investor has been charged with kidnapping an Italian man. He allegedly tortured the victim in an attempt to gain access to his Bitcoin wallet.

John Woeltz, 37, was arrested on 24 May and later appeared in court, where he pleaded not guilty to four felony charges, including kidnapping for ransom.

Police said the 28-year-old victim was held inside a rented townhouse in Soho after arriving in the US on 6 May. He was allegedly beaten, electroshocked, and threatened with a firearm when he refused to give up his wallet credentials.

The man eventually escaped and contacted the authorities. Photographs found at the scene appeared to show signs of ongoing abuse.

A woman was also taken into custody, although no charges were filed against her. Investigators have not confirmed whether any cryptocurrency was taken or what the relationship between the parties may have been.

The case comes as more crypto executives and investors seek private security due to a rise in ransom threats. In France, authorities have introduced extra protections for those in the crypto industry.

These measures follow several kidnapping incidents, including the abduction of Ledger co-founder David Balland earlier this year.

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AI agents bring new security risks to crypto

AI agents are becoming common in crypto, embedded in wallets, trading bots and onchain assistants that automate decisions and tasks. At the core of many AI agents lies the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which controls their behaviour and interactions.

While MCP offers flexibility, it also opens up multiple security risks.

Security researchers at SlowMist have identified four main ways attackers could exploit AI agents via malicious plugins. These include data poisoning, JSON injection, function overrides, and cross-MCP calls, all of which can manipulate or disrupt an agent’s operations.

Unlike poisoning AI models during training, these attacks target real-time interactions and plugin behaviour.

The number of AI agents in crypto is growing rapidly, expected to reach over one million in 2025. Experts warn that failing to secure the AI layer early could expose crypto assets to serious threats, such as private key leaks or unauthorised access.

Developers are urged to enforce strict plugin verification, sanitise inputs, and apply least privilege access to prevent these vulnerabilities.

Building AI agents quickly without security measures risks costly breaches. While adding protections may be tedious, experts agree it is essential to protect crypto wallets and funds as AI agents become more widespread.

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Trump meme coin holders offload tokens before gala dinner

Most top holders of the TRUMP meme coin sold or moved their tokens before attending Donald Trump’s exclusive crypto dinner on Thursday.

Only eight of the 25 wallets that earned VIP access still held TRUMP tokens the next day, data from Solscan shows.

Tron founder Justin Sun was among those who retained his holdings, keeping nearly all of the 1.43 million TRUMP tokens that secured his top spot on the leaderboard.

The wallet linked to MemeCore, a meme coin blockchain, also kept its full balance. However, most other wallets sent their tokens to centralised exchanges like Coinbase, Binance, or Wintermute.

The combined average holdings of the VIP group have dropped to roughly $2.11 million from around $4.78 million. The top two wallets now make up the bulk of the value, holding nearly $37.3 million combined.

Those who sold or transferred their coins will no longer qualify for the limited edition ‘diamond hand’ NFT, which was reserved for loyal holders.

The timing of the sales has raised concerns about potential ‘pay-to-play’ tactics. Some lawmakers say these investments aimed to buy access to Trump, leading to protests and a proposed bill to block his crypto profits.

Senators had already requested an ethics probe ahead of the dinner. Meanwhile, the TRUMP token has fallen 14% in the past 24 hours and is now down over 80% from its January peak.

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