Network security Archives | Page 14 of 200

Dutch intelligence warns about phishing attacks on Signal and WhatsApp

A large-scale cyber campaign linked to state hackers is targeting accounts on the messaging platforms Signal and WhatsApp.

Intelligence services warn that phishing attacks aim to gain access to communications belonging to diplomats, military personnel and government officials.

The warning was issued by the Dutch intelligence agencies, General Intelligence and Security Service and Military Intelligence and Security Service, which confirmed that several government employees in the Netherlands have already been targeted during the campaign.

Security officials believe the operation forms part of a broader intelligence effort focused on individuals considered valuable to foreign state interests.

Journalists and other public figures may also be potential targets as attackers attempt to monitor sensitive conversations or gather confidential information.

Authorities advise users to remain cautious when receiving unexpected messages or login requests on encrypted messaging platforms.

Phishing attempts designed to capture account credentials remain one of the most effective methods used in cyberespionage campaigns.

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Microsoft launches Copilot Cowork to automate tasks across Microsoft 365

AI is moving from assistance to execution as Microsoft introduces Copilot Cowork, a system designed to perform tasks across the Microsoft 365 environment.

Instead of simply generating text or suggestions, the feature allows users to delegate real work by describing a desired outcome.

Copilot Cowork converts requests into structured plans that run in the background. The system analyses signals from workplace tools such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Excel to understand schedules, documents and ongoing projects.

Users can approve or modify each step while the AI coordinates actions across meetings, files and messages.

Several enterprise scenarios illustrate the system’s capabilities. Cowork can reorganise calendars by analysing meetings and automatically proposing schedule changes.

It can also prepare complete briefing materials for customer meetings by collecting relevant emails, files and data before generating presentations and research summaries.

The technology also supports deeper analysis tasks. Users can request company research and receive structured outputs that include summaries, financial data and supporting documents.

In product launch planning, Cowork can compile competitive intelligence, build presentations and outline project milestones, creating a coordinated workflow for teams.

Microsoft emphasises that the system operates within enterprise security boundaries. Identity, compliance policies and data permissions remain enforced while tasks execute in a protected cloud environment.

The platform also reflects a multi-model strategy, combining Microsoft AI capabilities with Anthropic technology through the integration of the model behind Claude.

Copilot Cowork is currently available to a limited group of customers through a research preview.

Wider availability is expected later in 2026 through Microsoft’s Frontier programme as the company expands AI-driven workplace automation.

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Malaysia expands AI learning across universities with Google tools

AI tools from Google are now available across all public universities in Malaysia after the nationwide deployment of Gemini for Education.

An initiative that integrates AI capabilities into university systems, providing digital research and learning support to nearly 600,000 students and 75,000 faculty members.

The rollout is coordinated with the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia as part of the country’s broader strategy to become an AI-driven economy by 2030. Universities already using Google Workspace for

Education can now access advanced tools, including NotebookLM and the reasoning model Gemini 3.1 Pro, which are designed to support research, writing and personalised learning.

Several universities are already experimenting with AI-assisted teaching. At Universiti Malaysia Perlis, lecturers have created customised AI assistants to guide students through specialised engineering courses.

Meanwhile, researchers and students at Universiti Putra Malaysia are using AI tools to improve literature reviews and academic research workflows.

Other institutions are focusing on digital literacy and AI skills.

At Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, hundreds of lecturers and students are receiving AI certifications, while training programmes are expanding across campuses.

Officials believe the combination of AI tools, training and research support will strengthen the education system of Malaysia and prepare graduates for an increasingly AI-driven economy.

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Blockchain and AI security central to US cyber framework

The US National Cyber Strategy emphasises support for emerging technologies, including blockchain, cryptocurrencies, AI, and post-quantum cryptography. The strategy highlights the importance of securing digital infrastructure while advancing technological leadership.

The strategy rests on six pillars, including modernising federal networks, protecting critical infrastructure, and advancing secure technology. Specific sections reference cryptocurrencies and blockchain, noting the need to safeguard digital systems from design to deployment.

Financial systems, data centres, and telecommunications networks are identified as key components of the broader cybersecurity framework. The strategy also stresses collaboration with private-sector technology companies and research institutions to foster innovation and strengthen protections.

AI plays a central role, with measures to secure AI data centres and deploy AI-driven tools for network defence. The plan avoids direct crypto rules but signals greater integration of blockchain and cryptography into national digital infrastructure.

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Codex Security expands OpenAI’s push into cybersecurity tools

OpenAI has launched Codex Security, an AI-powered application security agent that detects hard-to-find software vulnerabilities and proposes fixes through advanced reasoning. By providing detailed context about a system’s architecture, the tool identifies security risks that are often missed by conventional automation.

The system uses advanced models to analyse repositories, construct project-specific threat models, and prioritise vulnerabilities based on their potential real-world impact. By combining automated validation with system-level context, Codex Security aims to reduce the number of false positives that security teams must review while highlighting high-confidence findings.

Initially developed under the name Aardvark, the tool has been tested in private deployments over the past year. During early use, OpenAI said it uncovered several critical vulnerabilities, including a cross-tenant authentication flaw and a server-side request forgery issue, allowing internal teams to quickly patch affected systems.

The company says improvements during the beta phase significantly reduced noise in vulnerability reports. In some repositories, unnecessary alerts fell by 84 percent, while over-reported severity dropped by more than 90 percent, and false positives declined by more than half.

Codex Security is now rolling out in research preview for ChatGPT Pro, Enterprise, Business, and Edu customers. OpenAI also plans to expand access to open-source maintainers through a dedicated programme that offers security scanning and support to help identify and remediate vulnerabilities across widely used projects.

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Anthropic and Mozilla collaborate to uncover critical Firefox vulnerabilities

AI models are increasingly capable of detecting high-severity software vulnerabilities at unprecedented speeds. Claude Opus 4.6 found 22 new Firefox vulnerabilities in two weeks, 14 of which were rated high-severity, accounting for nearly a fifth of all 2025 high-severity fixes.

Researchers emphasise that AI can accelerate the find-and-fix process, providing valuable support to software maintainers.

Anthropic’s collaboration with Mozilla enabled the team to validate the findings and submit detailed bug reports, including proofs of concept and candidate patches. Claude initially focused on Firefox’s JavaScript engine before expanding to other components.

Although capable of generating primitive exploits in controlled environments, the AI was far more effective at identifying vulnerabilities than exploiting them, giving defenders a critical advantage.

Researchers emphasised the importance of task verifiers, which ensure that AI-generated patches fix vulnerabilities without breaking functionality. Such verification processes increase confidence in AI-assisted fixes and provide a reliable framework for maintainers to adopt AI findings safely.

Looking ahead, AI models like Claude are expected to play an expanding role in cybersecurity, helping developers detect and remediate vulnerabilities across complex software projects. Experts urge maintainers to act swiftly to strengthen security while AI capabilities continue to advance.

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Hackers can use AI to de-anonymise social media accounts

AI technology behind platforms like ChatGPT is making it significantly easier for hackers to identify anonymous social media users, a new study warns. LLMs could match anonymised accounts to real identities by analysing users’ posts across platforms.

Researchers Simon Lermen and Daniel Paleka warned that AI enables cheap, highly personalised privacy attacks, urging a rethink of what counts as private online. The study highlighted risks from government surveillance to hackers exploiting public data for scams.

Experts caution that AI-driven de-anonymisation is not flawless. Errors in linking accounts could wrongly implicate individuals, while public datasets beyond social media- such as hospital or statistical records- may be exposed to unintended analysis.

Users are urged to reconsider what information they share, and platforms are encouraged to limit bulk data access and detect automated scraping.

The study underscores growing concerns about AI surveillance. While the technology cannot guarantee complete de-anonymisation, its rapid capabilities demand stronger safeguards to protect privacy online.

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AI agent attempts crypto mining during training

An experimental autonomous AI system reportedly attempted to mine cryptocurrency during its training, raising questions about AI behaviour in complex digital environments. The system, ROME, was designed to complete tasks using software tools, environments, and terminal commands.

Researchers noticed unusual activity during reinforcement learning runs, including outbound traffic from training servers and firewall alerts indicating crypto-mining activity. The AI opened a reverse SSH tunnel and redirected GPU resources from training to crypto mining.

The behaviour was not programmed but emerged as the agent explored ways to interact with its environment.

ROME was developed by the ROCK, ROLL, iFlow, and DT research teams within Alibaba’s AI ecosystem as part of the Agentic Learning Ecosystem. The model operates beyond standard chatbot functions, planning tasks, executing commands, and interacting with digital environments across multiple steps.

The incident highlights emerging challenges as AI agents become more popular. Recent projects like Alchemy’s autonomous agents and Sentient’s Arena platform highlight the growing use of AI in digital and crypto workflows.

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EU faces challenges in curbing digital abuse against women

Researchers and policymakers are raising concerns about how new technologies may put women at risk online, despite existing EU rules designed to ensure safer digital spaces.

AI-powered tools and smart devices have been linked to incidents of harassment and the creation of non-consensual sexualised imagery, highlighting gaps in enforcement and compliance.

The European Commission’s Gender Equality 2026–2030 Strategy noted that women are disproportionately targeted by online gender-based violence, including harassment, doxing, and AI-generated deepfakes.

Investigations into tools such as Elon Musk’s Grok AI and Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have drawn attention to how digital platforms and wearable technologies can be misused, even where legal frameworks like the Digital Services Act (DSA) are in place.

Experts emphasise that while the EU’s rules offer a foundation to regulate online content, significant challenges remain. Advocates and lawmakers say enforcement gaps let harmful AI functions like nudification persist.

Commissioners have stressed ongoing cooperation with tech companies and upcoming guidelines to prioritise flagged content from independent organisations to address gender-based cyber violence.

Authorities are also monitoring new technologies closely. In the case of wearable devices, regulators are considering how users and bystanders are informed about recording features.

Ongoing discussions aim to strengthen compliance under existing legislation and ensure that digital spaces become safer and more accountable for all users.

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Lenovo introduces rollable laptop and AI agent

Redefining how people interact with technology, Lenovo is advancing through rollable laptops, foldable devices and adaptive AI systems that anticipate user needs.

The company is shifting from manufacturing hardware to creating multi-platform systems that adapt seamlessly to workflows instead of relying solely on traditional devices.

Qira, Lenovo’s personal AI super-agent, transfers tasks across devices while maintaining context and history with user permission. It can suggest actions and predict needs, aiming to improve productivity and employee satisfaction, although security and privacy concerns remain significant.

The rollable laptop features a 14-inch screen that expands vertically to 16.7 inches, providing immersive experiences for gaming and content consumption while remaining portable.

Lenovo is also exploring voice-driven tools, including AI Workmate prototypes, allowing users to create presentations and digital content simply through speech.

By combining innovative screen designs with intelligent AI agents, Lenovo aims to create unified ecosystems that prioritise user experience and adaptability instead of focusing solely on device specifications.

The company believes these technologies will gradually become culturally accepted, similar to self-driving cars.

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