Aimed at promoting the adoption of SBOM practices, the report highlights their role in improving transparency and addressing risks within the software supply chain.
By integrating SBOM generation, analysis, and sharing into existing security processes, organisations can better manage vulnerabilities and strengthen cyber resilience.
Practical risk management strategies and real-world examples outlined in the CSI support the broader Secure by Design initiative.
Authors urge a unified SBOM approach across the cybersecurity community to prevent fragmentation, lower implementation costs, and enhance long-term effectiveness.
Inconsistent or siloed adoption, they caution, could limit the sustainability and impact of SBOM as a core cybersecurity tool.
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Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said AI now generates around 40 per cent of the exchange’s code, expected to surpass 50 per cent by October 2025. He emphasised that human oversight remains essential, as AI cannot be uniformly applied across all areas of the platform.
Armstrong confirmed that engineers were instructed to adopt AI development tools within a week, with those resisting the mandate dismissed. The move places Coinbase ahead of technology giants such as Microsoft and Google, which use AI for roughly 30 per cent of their code.
Security experts have raised concerns about the heavy reliance on AI. Industry figures warn that AI-generated code could contain bugs or miss critical context, posing risks for a platform holding over $420 billion in digital assets.
Larry Lyu called the strategy ‘a giant red flag’ for security-sensitive businesses.
Supporters argue that Coinbase’s approach is measured. Richard Wu of Tensor said AI could generate up to 90 per cent of high-quality code within five years if paired with thorough review and testing, similar to junior engineer errors.
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Financial services firms are adapting rapidly to the rise of AI in cybersecurity, according to David Ramirez, CISO at Broadridge. He said AI is changing the balance between attackers and defenders while also reshaping the skills security teams require.
On the defensive side, AI is already streamlining governance, risk management and compliance tasks, while also speeding up incident detection and training. He highlighted its growing role in areas like access management and data loss prevention.
He also stressed the importance of aligning cyber strategy with business goals and improving board-level visibility. While AI tools are advancing quickly, he urged CISOs not to lose sight of risk assessments and fundamentals in building resilient systems.
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WhatsApp has fixed a vulnerability that exposed Apple device users to highly targeted cyberattacks. The flaw was chained with an iOS and iPadOS bug, allowing hackers to access sensitive data.
According to researchers at Amnesty’s Security Lab, the malicious campaign lasted around 90 days and impacted fewer than 200 people. WhatsApp notified victims directly, which urged all users to update their apps immediately.
Apple has also acknowledged the issue and released security patches to close the cybersecurity loophole. Experts warn that other apps beyond WhatsApp may have been exploited in the same campaign.
The identity of those behind the spyware attacks remains unclear. Both companies have stressed that prompt updates are the best protection for users against similar threats.
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Intelligence and cybersecurity agencies from 13 countries, including the NSA, CISA, the UK’s NCSC and Canada’s CSIS, have jointly issued an advisory on Salt Typhoon, a Chinese state-sponsored advanced persistent threat group.
The alert highlights global intrusions into telecommunications, military, government, transport and lodging sectors.
Salt Typhoon has exploited known, unpatched vulnerabilities in network-edge appliances, such as routers and firewalls, to gain initial access. Once inside, it covertly embeds malware and employs living-off-the-land tools for persistence and data exfiltration.
The advisory also warns that stolen data from compromised ISPs can help intelligence services track global communications and movements.
It pinpoints three Chinese companies with links to the Ministry of State Security and the People’s Liberation Army as central to Salt Typhoon’s operations.
Defensive guidelines accompany the advisory, urging organisations to apply urgent firmware patches, monitor for abnormal network activity, verify firmware integrity and tighten device configurations, especially for telecom infrastructure.
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Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new method hackers use to deliver malware, which hides malicious commands inside Ethereum smart contracts. ReversingLabs identified two compromised NPM packages on the popular Node Package Manager repository.
The packages, named ‘colortoolsv2’ and ‘mimelib2,’ were uploaded in July and used blockchain queries to fetch URLs that delivered downloader malware. The contracts hid command and control addresses, letting attackers evade scans by making blockchain traffic look legitimate.
Researchers say the approach marks a shift in tactics. While the Lazarus Group previously leveraged Ethereum smart contracts, the novel element uses them as hosts for malicious URLs. Analysts warn that open-source repositories face increasingly sophisticated evasion techniques.
The malicious packages formed part of a broader deception campaign involving fake GitHub repositories posing as cryptocurrency trading bots. With fabricated commits, fake user accounts, and professional-looking documentation, attackers built convincing projects to trick developers.
Experts note that similar campaigns have also targeted Solana and Bitcoin-related libraries, signalling a broader trend in evolving threats.
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The company stated there is currently ‘no evidence’ that any customer data has been compromised and assured it is working at pace to restore systems in a controlled manner.
The incident disrupted output at key UK plants, including Halewood and Solihull, led to operational bottlenecks such as halted vehicle registrations, and impacted a peak retail period following the release of ’75’ number plates.
A Telegram group named Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters, a conflation of known hacking collectives, claimed responsibility, posting what appeared to be internal logs. Cybersecurity experts caution that such claims should be viewed sceptically, as attribution via Telegram may be misleading.
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Cyber security specialists warn that human behaviour remains the most significant vulnerability in digital defence, despite billions invested in AI and advanced systems.
Experts note that in the Gulf, many cybersecurity breaches in 2025 still originate from human error, often triggered by social engineering attacks. Phishing emails, false directives from executives, or urgent invoice requests exploit psychological triggers such as authority, fear and habit.
Analysts argue that building resilience requires shifting workplace culture. Security must be seen not just as the responsibility of IT teams but embedded in everyday decision-making. Staff should feel empowered to question, report and learn without fear of reprimand.
AI-driven threats, from identity-based breaches to ransomware campaigns, are growing more complex across the region. Organisations are urged to focus on digital trust, investing in awareness programmes and user-centred protocols so employees become defenders rather than liabilities.
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Cybersecurity experts have warned that AI is being used to target senior citizens in sophisticated financial scams. The Phantom Hacker scam impersonates tech support, bank, and government workers to steal seniors’ life savings.
The first stage involves a fake tech support worker accessing the victim’s computer to check accounts under the pretence of spotting fraud. A fraud department impersonator then tells victims to transfer funds to a ‘safe’ account allegedly at risk from foreign hackers.
A fake government worker then directs the victim to transfer money to an alias account controlled by the scammers. Check Point CIO Pete Nicoletti says AI helps scammers identify targets by analysing social media and online activity.
Experts stress that reporting the theft immediately is crucial. Delays significantly reduce the chance of recovering stolen funds, leaving many victims permanently defrauded.
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Security researchers have warned Salesforce customers after hackers stole data by exploiting OAuth access tokens linked to the Salesloft Drift integration, highlighting critical cybersecurity flaws.
Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) reported that the threat actor UNC6395 used the tokens to infiltrate hundreds of Salesforce environments, exporting large volumes of sensitive information. Stolen data included AWS keys, passwords, and Snowflake tokens.
Experts warn that compromised SaaS integrations pose a central blind spot, since attackers inherit the same permissions as trusted apps and can often bypass multifactor authentication. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether connected systems, such as AWS or VPNs, were also breached.
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