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What do a source code editor, a smart billboard, and a web server have in common? They've all become launchpads for attacks—because cybercriminals are rethinking what counts as "infrastructure." Instead of chasing high-value targets directly, threat actors are now quietly taking over the overlooked: outdated software, unpatched IoT devices, and open-source packages. It's not just clever—it's reshaping how intrusion, persistence, and evasion happen at scale. ⚡ Threat of the Week 5Socks Proxy Using IoT, EoL Systems Dismantled in Law Enforcement Operation — A joint law enforcement operation undertaken by Dutch and U.S. authorities dismantled a criminal proxy network, known as anyproxy[.]net and 5socks[.]net, that was powered by thousands of infected Internet of Things (IoT) and end-of-life (EoL) devices, enlisting them into a botnet for providing anonymity to malicious actors. The illicit platform, active since 2004, advertised more than 7,000 online proxies daily, with infected ...

AI agents are changing the way businesses work. They can answer questions, automate tasks, and create better user experiences. But with this power comes new risks — like data leaks, identity theft, and malicious misuse. If your company is exploring or already using AI agents, you need to ask:  Are they secure? AI agents work with sensitive data and make real-time decisions. If they're not protected, attackers can exploit them to steal information, spread misinformation, or take control of systems. Join Michelle Agroskin, Product Marketing Manager at Auth0 , for a free, expert-led webinar — Building AI Agents Securely  — that breaks down the most important AI security issues and what you can do about them. What You'll Learn: What AI Agents Are: Understand how AI agents work and why they're different from chatbots or traditional apps. What Can Go Wrong: Learn about real risks — like adversarial attacks, data leakage, and identity misuse. How to Secure Them: Discover prov...

What if attackers aren't breaking in—they're already inside, watching, and adapting? This week showed a sharp rise in stealth tactics built for long-term access and silent control. AI is being used to shape opinions. Malware is hiding inside software we trust. And old threats are returning under new names. The real danger isn't just the breach—it's not knowing who's still lurking in your systems. If your defenses can't adapt quickly, you're already at risk. Here are the key cyber events you need to pay attention to this week. ⚡ Threat of the Week Lemon Sandstorm Targets Middle East Critical Infra — The Iranian state-sponsored threat group tracked as Lemon Sandstorm targeted an unnamed critical national infrastructure (CNI) in the Middle East and maintained long-term access that lasted for nearly two years using custom backdoors like HanifNet, HXLibrary, and NeoExpressRAT. The activity, which lasted from at least May 2023 to February 2025, entailed "extensive es...

Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) on Friday fined popular video-sharing platform TikTok €530 million ($601 million) for infringing data protection regulations in the region by transferring European users' data to China. "TikTok infringed the GDPR regarding its transfers of EEA [European Economic Area] User Data to China and its transparency requirements," the DPC said in a statement. "The decision includes administrative fines totaling €530 million and an order requiring TikTok to bring its processing into compliance within 6 months." The order, in addition, requires the company to suspend data transfers to China within the time period. The penalty is the result of an investigation that was launched in September 2021 that probed the company's transfer of personal data to China and its compliance with stringent data protection laws regarding data transfers to third countries. Commenting on the decision, DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyl...

Talking about AI: Definitions Artificial Intelligence (AI) — AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines, enabling them to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as decision-making and problem-solving. AI is the broadest concept in this field, encompassing various technologies and methodologies, including Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning. Machine Learning (ML) — ML is a subset of AI that focuses on developing algorithms and statistical models that allow machines to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data. ML is a specific approach within AI, emphasizing data-driven learning and improvement over time. Deep Learning (DL) — Deep Learning is a specialized subset of ML that uses neural networks with multiple layers to analyze and interpret complex data patterns. This advanced form of ML is particularly effective for tasks such as image and speech recognition, making it a crucial component of many AI applications. Larg...

Everybody knows browser extensions are embedded into nearly every user's daily workflow, from spell checkers to GenAI tools. What most IT and security people don't know is that browser extensions' excessive permissions are a growing risk to organizations. LayerX today announced the release of the Enterprise Browser Extension Security Report 2025 , This report is the first and only report to merge public extension marketplace statistics with real-world enterprise usage telemetry. By doing so, it sheds light on one of the most underestimated threat surfaces in modern cybersecurity: browser extensions. The report reveals several findings that IT and security leaders will find interesting, as they build their plans for H2 2025. This includes information and analysis on how many extensions have risky permissions, which kinds of permissions are given, if extension developers are to be trusted, and more. Below, we bring key statistics from the report. Highlights from the Enterprise Browse...

Meta has announced that it will begin to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models using public data shared by adults across its platforms in the European Union, nearly a year after it paused its efforts due to data protection concerns from Irish regulators. "This training will better support millions of people and businesses in Europe, by teaching our generative AI models to better understand and reflect their cultures, languages, and history," the company said . To that end, users' posts and comments, as well as their interactions with Meta AI, are expected to be used for training and improving the models. It does not cover private messages sent between friends and family and data from accounts below the age of 18. Users in the region will start receiving notifications this week, both in the apps and via email, that detail the kinds of data the company will be using for this purpose and why it matters in the context of improving AI and the overall user experie...

AI is changing cybersecurity faster than many defenders realize. Attackers are already using AI to automate reconnaissance, generate sophisticated phishing lures, and exploit vulnerabilities before security teams can react. Meanwhile, defenders are overwhelmed by massive amounts of data and alerts, struggling to process information quickly enough to identify real threats. AI offers a way to level the playing field, but only if security professionals learn to apply it effectively. Organizations are beginning to integrate AI into security workflows, from digital forensics to vulnerability assessments and endpoint detection. AI allows security teams to ingest and analyze more data than ever before, transforming traditional security tools into powerful intelligence engines. AI has already demonstrated its ability to accelerate investigations and uncover unknown attack paths, but many companies are hesitant to fully embrace it. Many AI models are implemented with such velocity that they r...

AI holds the promise to revolutionize all sectors of enterpriseーfrom fraud detection and content personalization to customer service and security operations. Yet, despite its potential, implementation often stalls behind a wall of security, legal, and compliance hurdles. Imagine this all-too-familiar scenario : A CISO wants to deploy an AI-driven SOC to handle the overwhelming volume of security alerts and potential attacks. Before the project can begin, it must pass through layers of GRC (governance, risk, and compliance) approval, legal reviews, and funding hurdles. This gridlock delays innovation, leaving organizations without the benefits of an AI-powered SOC while cybercriminals keep advancing. Let's break down why AI adoption faces such resistance, distinguish genuine risks from bureaucratic obstacles, and explore practical collaboration strategies between vendors, C-suite, and GRC teams. We'll also provide tips from CISOs who have dealt with these issues extensively as w...

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new vulnerability impacting Google's Quick Share data transfer utility for Windows that could be exploited to achieve a denial-of-service (DoS) or send arbitrary files to a target's device without their approval. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2024-10668 (CVSS score: 5.9), is a bypass for two of the 10 shortcomings that were originally disclosed by SafeBreach Labs in August 2024 under the name QuickShell . It has been addressed in Quick Share for Windows version 1.0.2002.2 following responsible disclosure in August 2024. A consequence of these 10 vulnerabilities, collectively tracked as CVE-2024-38271 (CVSS score: 5.9) and CVE-2024-38272 (CVSS score: 7.1), was that they could have been fashioned into an exploit chain to obtain arbitrary code execution on Windows hosts. Quick Share (previously Nearby Share) is a peer-to-peer file-sharing utility similar to Apple AirDrop that allows users to transfer files, photos, videos, a...

In one of the largest coordinated law enforcement operations, authorities have dismantled Kidflix, a streaming platform that offered child sexual abuse material (CSAM). "A total of 1.8 million users worldwide logged on to the platform between April 2022 and March 2025," Europol said in a statement. "On March 11, 2025, the server, which contained around 72,000 videos at the time, was seized by German and Dutch authorities." The European law enforcement agency described it as the largest operation undertaken to combat child sexual exploitation. It has been codenamed Operation Stream. The multi-year probe , which commenced in 2022 and involved 38 countries across the world, saw 1,393 identified globally through an analysis of payment transactions, with 79 of them arrested to date for distributing CSAM. Some of the apprehended individuals have also been accused of not only uploading and watching such content but also abused children. In addition, more than 3,000...

On the 21st birthday of Gmail , Google has announced a major update that allows enterprise users to send end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) to any user in any email inbox in a few clicks. The feature is rolling out starting today in beta, allowing users to send E2EE emails to Gmail users within an organization, with plans to send E2EE emails to any Gmail inbox in the coming weeks and to any email inbox later this year. What makes the new encryption model – an alternative to the Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions ( S/MIME ) protocol – stand out is that it eliminates the need for senders or recipients to use custom software or exchange encryption certificates. "This capability, requiring minimal efforts for both IT teams and end users, abstracts away the traditional IT complexity and substandard user experiences of existing solutions, while preserving enhanced data sovereignty, privacy, and security controls," Google Workspace's Johney Burke and Julien Duplant said...

Explore how relying on CSRF tokens as a security measure against CSRF attacks is a recommended best practice, but in some cases, they are simply not enough. Introduction As per the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), CSRF vulnerabilities are recognized as a significant threat and are historically part of their top risks. The implications of CSRF attacks are far-reaching and could lead to critical security implications, such as: Unauthorized actions : Attackers can trick users into executing unwanted actions on websites where they're authenticated. For example, changing account settings, making purchases, or transferring funds. Identity exploitation : The attack works by exploiting the victim's authenticated session, making the application unable to distinguish between legitimate user requests and forged ones. Silent execution : CSRF attacks often happen without the victim's knowledge as they can be hidden in seemingly innocent links, images, or embedded c...