Google Lifts Self-Imposed Ban on Using AI for Weapons and Surveillance

Google dropped a pledge not to use artificial intelligence for weapons and surveillance systems on Tuesday. And it’s just the latest sign that Big Tech is no longer concerned with the potential blowback that can come when consumer-facing tech companies Read More …

Spyware maker Paragon confirms US government is a customer

Israeli spyware maker Paragon Solutions confirmed to TechCrunch that it sells its products to the U.S. government and other unspecified allied countries. Paragon’s executive chairman John Fleming said in a statement to TechCrunch on Tuesday that “Paragon licenses its technology Read More …

Meta’s WhatsApp says spyware company Paragon targeted users in two dozen countries

An official with Meta Platforms’ (META.O), opens new tab popular WhatsApp chat service said Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted scores of its users, including journalists and members of civil society. The official said on Friday that WhatsApp had Read More …

New Orleans attacker filmed visits to city weeks earlier, wore Meta smart glasses during attack

The New Orleans terrorist attacker visited the Louisiana city twice in the weeks before the attack and recorded video of the area using Meta smart glasses, the FBI revealed Sunday. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, stayed at a rental home in New Read More …

Apple to pay $95 million to settle claims it used Siri to eavesdrop on customers

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a civil lawsuit accusing the privacy-minded company of deploying its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhone and other trendy devices. The proposed settlement filed Tuesday in an Read More …

WhatsApp scores historic victory against NSO Group in long-running spyware hacking case

A U.S. judge has ruled that Israeli spyware maker NSO Group breached hacking laws by using WhatsApp to infect devices with its Pegasus spyware. In a historic ruling on Friday, a Northern California federal judge held NSO Group liable for Read More …

Analyzing Malicious Intent in Python Code – A Case Study

Fortinet’s AI-driven OSS malware detection system recently identified two malicious packages: Zebo-0.1.0 on November 16, 2024, and Cometlogger-0.1 on November 24, 2024. Malicious software often masquerades as legitimate code, hiding its harmful features behind complex logic and obfuscation. In this Read More …

Israeli spyware startup Paragon acquired by U.S.-based private equity fund for up to $900M

Israeli offensive cyber company Paragon will be acquired by the U.S.-based private equity fund AE Industrial Partners for an initial payment of $500 million, with an additional $400 million contingent on meeting business milestones. Despite the acquisition, Paragon will remain Read More …

Pakistan tests secret China-like ‘firewall’ to tighten online surveillance

Pakistan’s government has deployed Chinese technology to build what some senior officials familiar with the project are calling a new, national internet “firewall” that will allow authorities to monitor online traffic and regulate the use of popular apps with greater Read More …

Cyber Security Association of China calls for cybersecurity review of Intel products sold in China

The Cyber Security Association of China on Wednesday called for the launch of a systematic review of potential cybersecurity risks in Intel products due to frequent vulnerabilities and high failure rates, in order to effectively safeguard China’s national security and Read More …