Tricky Web Timing Attacks Are Getting Easier to Use—and Abuse

Researchers have long known that they can glean hidden information about the inner workings of a website by measuring the amount of time different requests take to be fulfilled and extrapolating information—and potential weaknesses—from slight variations. Such “web timing attacks” have been described for years, but they would often be too involved for real-world attackers… Continue reading Tricky Web Timing Attacks Are Getting Easier to Use—and Abuse

Microsoft’s AI Can Be Turned Into an Automated Phishing Machine

Among the other attacks created by Bargury is a demonstration of how a hacker—who, again, must already have hijacked an email account—can gain access to sensitive information, such as people’s salaries, without triggering Microsoft’s protections for sensitive files. When asking for the data, Bargury’s prompt demands the system does not provide references to the files… Continue reading Microsoft’s AI Can Be Turned Into an Automated Phishing Machine

Inside the Dark World of Doxing for Profit

Since the early 1990s, people have used doxing as a toxic way to strike digital revenge—stripping away someone’s anonymity by unmasking their identity online. But in recent years, the poisonous practice has taken on new life, with people being doxed and extorted for cryptocurrency and, in the most extreme cases, potentially facing physical violence. For… Continue reading Inside the Dark World of Doxing for Profit

A Flaw in Windows Update Opens the Door to Zombie Exploits

New research being presented at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas today shows that a vulnerability in Windows Update could be exploited to downgrade Windows to older versions, exposing a slew of historical vulnerabilities that then can be exploited to gain full control of a system. Microsoft says that it is working on… Continue reading A Flaw in Windows Update Opens the Door to Zombie Exploits

A US Judge Ruled That Google Is an Illegal Monopolist. Here’s What Might Come Next

But if Mehta pursues the approach, he should make some improvements on the EU’s rules, says Kamyl Bazbaz, senior vice president of public affairs at DuckDuckGo. Users should be prompted with the choice screen periodically, not just once, Bazbaz says. They shouldn’t have to deal with popups from Google urging them to switch the default… Continue reading A US Judge Ruled That Google Is an Illegal Monopolist. Here’s What Might Come Next

Pack Your Bags With 8 Great Deals from Patagonia’s Past-Season Sale

we love Patagonia for all sorts of reasons. It was founded by legendary dirtbag climber Yvon Chouinard, who ate cat food. The company supports families with great onsite childcare. Famously, in 2022, Chouinard gave the company to a trust and a nonprofit to ensure that all sales would go toward combating climate change. If all… Continue reading Pack Your Bags With 8 Great Deals from Patagonia’s Past-Season Sale

Elon Musk’s X Sues Advertisers Over Alleged Boycott

X today filed a lawsuit against a group of major advertisers for allegedly conspiring to withhold advertising dollars from the social media platform, which, since Elon Musk’s takeover, has been seen as more amenable to hosting controversial content. The suit, filed in federal court in Texas, says dozens of advertisers followed the recommendation of a… Continue reading Elon Musk’s X Sues Advertisers Over Alleged Boycott

A New Plan to Break the Cycle of Destructive Critical Infrastructure Hacks

“It’s not just that the water goes out, it’s that when the sole wastewater facility in your community is down really bad things start to happen. For example, no water means no hospital,” he says. “I really encountered a lot of this during my leadership of the Covid Task Force. There is such interdependence across… Continue reading A New Plan to Break the Cycle of Destructive Critical Infrastructure Hacks

AI Is Heating the Olympic Pool

In the suburbs of northeast Paris there is a giant terracotta-colored warehouse, with a labyrinth of windowless corridors inside. A deafening whir emanates from behind rows and rows of anonymous gray doors and under white strip lights, disposable earbuds are available to protect passers-by from the noise. These are the uncanny innards of one of… Continue reading AI Is Heating the Olympic Pool

Elon Musk’s X Is Leaving San Francisco

The social media company X is closing its San Francisco office “over the next few weeks,” according to an internal email sent out by CEO Linda Yaccarino earlier today. “This is an important decision that impacts many of you, but it is the right one for our company in the long term,” Yaccarino wrote in… Continue reading Elon Musk’s X Is Leaving San Francisco