Security

AI tools collect and store data about you from all your devices. Here's how to be aware of what you're revealing

Like it or not, artificial intelligence has become part of daily life. Many devices—including electric razors and toothbrushes—have become "AI-powered," using machine learning algorithms to track how a person uses the device, how the device is working in real time, and provide feedback. From asking questions to an AI assistant like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to monitoring a daily fitness routine with a smartwatch, many people use an AI system or tool every day.

12/06/2025 20:58

Brain-like chips are boosting computers and battling cybercrime

The human brain is more powerful and energy-efficient than any computer. Scientists are imitating the way it works to produce better computer chips and help deal with the growing amounts of data generated every day.

12/06/2025 18:26

With retail cyberattacks on the rise, customers find orders blocked and shelves empty

A string of recent cyberattacks and data breaches involving the systems of major retailers have started affecting shoppers.

12/06/2025 11:30

New security flaw allows eavesdropping via laptop and smart speaker microphones

The ghostly woman's voice pipes through the speakers, covered in radio static but her message intact from beyond—"The birch canoe slid on the smooth planks."

11/06/2025 20:11

Researchers fight cyber threats at aging US hydropower system

Washington generates more hydroelectricity than any other state, so it is fitting that research to protect the critical infrastructure responsible for generating this power is happening right here in the Tri-Cities, at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

10/06/2025 18:22

Using AI to improve flagging of internal threats within the US Army

Research published in the International Journal of Applied Decision Sciences describes how artificial intelligence could be used to root out internal threats in the U.S. Army. The research centers on the Army's Insider Threat Hub, a facility that assesses the danger posed by individuals flagged for potentially harmful behavior. It then introduces a deep learning tool capable of significantly improving how such cases are prioritized and processed.

09/06/2025 22:36

If you're in this California town for two hours, the city is tracking you. Should you be worried?

Any time you spend two hours in Walnut Creek, California, local business leaders may be tracking you. The city's Chamber of Commerce has paired with a tech company to clock visitors as they move in and out of the city.

05/06/2025 22:05

How illicit markets fueled by data breaches sell your personal information to criminals

Every year, massive data breaches harm the public. The targets are email service providers, retailers and government agencies that store information about people. Each breach includes sensitive personal information such as credit and debit card numbers, home addresses and account usernames and passwords from hundreds of thousands—and sometimes millions—of people.

05/06/2025 20:10

Research reveals how fake social media accounts could be the cause of serious security breaches

New research led by the University of Portsmouth has found that fake social media profiles, particularly LinkedIn accounts, are a leading cause of security breaches among professionals.

05/06/2025 17:06

Prepping for Q-Day: Physics-based encryption aims to secure data in the quantum computing era

In our hyper-connected world, we rely on encrypted communications every day—to shop online, digitally sign documents, make bank transactions, check our steps on fitness trackers.

04/06/2025 21:40

Senior public servants think GenAI will boost productivity—but are worried about the risks

Many bold claims have been made about generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and its capacity to improve productivity and generate workplace efficiencies.

04/06/2025 17:39

'Not available in your region': What is a VPN and how can I use one safely?

"This video is not available in your location." It's a message familiar to many people trying to watch global content online. But beneath this frustration lies a deeper question—how do we navigate digital borders safely and ethically?

04/06/2025 17:26

Privacy abuse involving Meta and Yandex discovered

An international research collaboration has recently uncovered a potential privacy abuse involving Meta and the Russian tech giant Yandex. They found that native Android apps—including Facebook, Instagram, and several Yandex apps such as Maps, Navi, Browser, and Search—silently listen on fixed local ports on mobile devices to de-anonymize users' browsing habits without consent.

03/06/2025 18:25

Is a quantum-cryptography apocalypse imminent?

Will quantum computers crack cryptographic codes and cause a global security disaster? You might certainly get that impression from a lot of news coverage, the latest of which reports new estimates that it might be 20 times easier to crack such codes than previously thought.

03/06/2025 17:31

Google's SynthID is the latest tool for catching AI-made content. What is AI 'watermarking,' and does it work?

Last month, Google announced SynthID Detector, a new tool to detect AI-generated content. Google claims it can identify AI-generated content in text, image, video or audio.

03/06/2025 16:43

Circumventing internet censorship in countries like China or Iran

Free access to information online is a vital component of democratic societies. However, something that is taken for granted in this country is by no means possible everywhere.

02/06/2025 23:47

AI strategies promise smarter systems without sacrificing personal privacy

Every time you open an app, visit the doctor, or make an online purchase, you're generating data. That data feeds the artificial intelligence (AI) systems that help businesses improve services, doctors detect diseases faster, and governments make informed decisions.

02/06/2025 23:33

Q&A: How electro-optical sensors can offer improved protection against missile attacks

Satellite-based electro-optical sensors are intended to detect missile launches early on, gaining valuable time for initiating countermeasures in case of an attack. The Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB is developing design concepts for sensors like these on behalf of the German Ministry of Defense.

02/06/2025 23:00

Nets and high-tech hijackings: Anti-drone systems offer new ways to counter rising threats

Drones have harassed airports and bedeviled local police. They have trespassed over nuclear plants and prisons. On the battlefield, they can kill.

27/05/2025 20:10

'Kisses from Prague': The fall of a Russian ransomware giant

The sudden fall of a ransomware supplier once described as the world's most harmful cybercrime group has raised questions about Moscow's role in its development and the fate of its founder.

27/05/2025 20:02

Dutch intelligence agencies say Russian hackers stole police data in cyberattack

A previously unknown Russian hacker group with suspected ties to the Kremlin was responsible for a cyberattack last year on the Dutch police and has also targeted other Western nations that deliver military support to Ukraine, intelligence agencies announced Tuesday.

27/05/2025 20:00

Secure encryption and decryption with luminescent perovskites

To guarantee high data security, encryption must be unbreakable while the data remains rapidly and easily readable. A novel strategy for optical encryption/decryption of information has now been introduced in the journal Angewandte Chemie by a Chinese research team. It is based on compounds with carefully modulated luminescent properties that change in response to external stimuli.

27/05/2025 15:26

Dark LLMs: It's still easy to trick most AI chatbots into providing harmful information, study finds

A group of AI researchers at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, in Israel, has found that despite efforts by large language model (LLM) makers, most commonly available chatbots are still easily tricked into generating harmful and sometimes illegal information.

26/05/2025 17:30

Who really benefits from smart tech at home? 'Optimizing' family life can reinforce gender roles

Have you heard of the "male technologist" mindset? It may sound familiar, and you may even know such people personally.

26/05/2025 15:28

M&S cyber-attack: How to protect yourself from sim-swap fraud

Our mobile phone numbers have become a de facto form of identification, but they can be hijacked for nefarious purposes. Just such an attack may have been involved in the recent very damaging cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer (M&S).

22/05/2025 20:12

How a global malware operation was taken down from a federal court in Georgia

The messages seemed innocuous, mundane even. Someone posing as a prospective guest emailed a hotel questions about a purported comment left on Booking.com. Another message was supposedly from that third-party booking site to review negative guest feedback.

22/05/2025 14:20

Cyberattack costs UK retailer Marks & Spencer £300 mn

British clothes-to-food retailer Marks and Spencer on Wednesday said a cyberattack disrupting its online service is set to last through to July and hit group profit by around £300 million ($404 million).

21/05/2025 20:50

Marks & Spencer cyberattack: How can retailers regain customers' trust after a hack?

Several big British retailers have been in the news recently—but not for buoyant sales or new product launches. Firms like Marks & Spencer and Co-op have been hacked, affecting online sales and the range of products available in-store, and forcing them to apologize to customers and other stakeholders. Luxury retailer Harrods also suffered a near-miss.

21/05/2025 16:24

Graph neural networks show promise for detecting money laundering and collusion in transaction webs

A review by researchers at Tongji University and the University of Technology Sydney published in Frontiers of Computer Science, highlights the powerful role of graph neural networks (GNNs) in exposing financial fraud.

19/05/2025 23:37

Hackers strike UK's legal aid agency and compromise data of lawyers and clients

Britain's justice department said Monday that it shut down online services for legal aid recipients and the lawyers paid to help them after a cyberattack compromised personal information including criminal records, national insurance numbers and payment details.

19/05/2025 18:54