The Register

Google and WhatsApp also binned, which is far easier to explain than canning a local hero

Hong Kong’s government has updated infosec guidelines to restrict the use of Chinese messaging app WeChat, alongside Meta and Google products like WhatsApp and Google Drive, on computers it operates.…

For starters, it could launch a prompt injection attack on itself...

The latest version of AI startup Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet model can use computers – and the developer makes it sound like that's a good thing.…

Attacks on unprotected servers reach 'critical level'

An unknown attacker is abusing exposed Docker Remote API servers to deploy perfctl cryptomining malware on victims' systems, according to Trend Micro researchers.…

Don't ignore this nasty zero day exploit says TAG

A nasty bug in Samsung's mobile chips is being exploited by miscreants as part of an exploit chain to escalate privileges and then remotely execute arbitrary code, according to Google security researchers.…

Fight On, State? Not this time

Pennsylvania State University has agreed to pay the Justice Department $1.25 million to settle claims of misrepresenting its cybersecurity compliance to the federal government and leaving sensitive data improperly secured. …

Security shop and CISA urge rapid action

Fortinet has gone public with news of a critical flaw in its software management platform.…

We know where you got your skinny jeans - big deal

A data thief calling themselves Satanic claims to have purloined the records of around 350 million customers of fashion retailer Hot Topic.…

Plus, a POC to make it extra easy for attackers

A Microsoft SharePoint bug that can allow an attacker to remotely inject code into vulnerable versions is under active exploitation, according to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).…

Azure Blob Storage, AWS, and Twilio keys all up for grabs

An analysis of widely used mobile apps offered on Google Play and the Apple App Store has found hardcoded and unencrypted cloud service credentials, exposing millions of users to major security problems.…

TaxSlayer, H&R Block, TaxAct, and Ramsey Solutions accused of sharing info with Meta and Google

A quartet of lawmakers have penned a letter to the Department of Justice asking it to prosecute tax preparation companies for sharing customer data, including tax return information, with Meta and Google.…

Chip giant tells Uncle Sam someone could be making orders on the sly

TSMC has reportedly tipped off US officials to a potential attempt by Huawei to circumvent export controls and obtain AI chips manufactured by the Taiwanese company.…

If the first patches don't work, try, try again

VMware has pushed a second patch for a critical, heap-overflow bug in the vCenter Server that could allow a remote attacker to fully compromise vulnerable systems after the first software update, issued last month, didn't work.…

Unisys, Avaya, Check Point, and Mimecast settled with the agency without admitting or denying wrongdoing

Four high-profile tech companies reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to pay millions of dollars in penalties for misleading investors about their exposure to the 2020 SolarWinds hack.…

Crooks revert to old ways for greater efficiency

Experts believe the Akira ransomware operation is up to its old tricks again, encrypting victims' files after a break from the typical double extortion tactics.…

Miscreants combine it with an equally tricky piece of social engineering

The Ghostpulse malware strain now retrieves its main payload via a PNG image file's pixels. This development, security experts say, is "one of the most significant changes" made by the crooks behind it since launching in 2023.…

Note to Xi: Marco and Ted Cruz aren't the same person

China's Spamouflage disinformation crew has been targeting US Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) with its fake news campaigns over the past couple of months, trolling the Republican lawmaker's official X account and posting negative stories about Rubio on Reddit and Medium.…

Private equity giant Thoma Bravo adds another trophy to its growing collection

British security biz Sophos has announced a plan to gobble up competitor Secureworks in an $859 million deal that will make Dell happy.…

Dan O'Dowd tells El Reg about the OS secrets and ongoing clash with Musk

Interview  This month, presidential hopeful Donald Trump got a tool in his arsenal, some allegedly "unhackable" communications kit, and The Register has talked to the man behind the operating system, who also ran for the US Senate on a campaign to get self-driving Teslas off the road and is on something of a crusade about the matter.…

Like keeping your camera and microphone private? Patch up

In revealing details about a vulnerability that threatens the privacy of Apple fans, Microsoft urges all macOS users to update their systems.…

As TSMC defends itself against report it may have helped Huawei

Tesla has denied it was involved in illegal-map making activities in China after Beijing asserted an unnamed foreign firm working on a smart car project had done so – and even stolen state secrets – through a collaboration with a local business.…