Crypto-Funded Chinese Peptide Labs Are Booming
Plus: Hackers use Meta’s AI bots to hack Instagram accounts, Anthropic helps NSA hackers, a decades-long GPS satellite mystery may have been solved, and more.
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Student Loan Breach Exposes 2.5M Records
2.5 million people were affected, in a breach that could spell more trouble down the line.
Cybercriminals Are Selling Access to Chinese Surveillance Cameras
Tens of thousands of cameras have failed to patch a critical, 11-month-old CVE, leaving thousands of organizations exposed.
EU unveils tech sovereignty package to cut reliance on US, Chinese suppliers
The package bundles two draft laws — a Chips Act 2.0 and a Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) — alongside an Open Source Strategy and a roadmap for digitalizing the energy system.
Apple removes Russia’s state-backed messaging app Max from its store
Russian authorities have promoted Max as a domestic alternative to foreign messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp.
Trump considers Palantir exec to lead CISA
Shyam Sankar, the chief technology officer at Palantir Technologies, has emerged as a lead contender for the long vacant Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) director role, accordin
FTC considers setting aside or modifying $150 million privacy penalty against X
Twitter, renamed X in 2023, filed a petition saying that the settlement terms are unfair because the order was issued against a company that “no longer exists,” the workers responsible for the scheme
Russia seeks to label two anti-Kremlin hacker groups as ‘extremist’
The groups have previously claimed responsibility for cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and government institutions in Russia and Belarus.
Meta Silently Added Face-Recognition Code for Its Smart Glasses to Millions of Phones
Code reviewed by WIRED uncovered an unreleased face-recognition system embedded in Meta’s smart glasses platform. It’s designed to identify people via biometric data stored on users’ phones.
xAI Asks Court to Strip Alleged Grok Deepfake Nudes Victims of Anonymity
Four people suing Elon Musk's AI firm under pseudonyms due to the risks of being identified may face a difficult choice: Reveal your real names, or drop the lawsuit.
Android Is Fighting Phone Scams With a New Feature to Prove Who’s Calling
Available for Android 12 and later, the anti-scam feature is baked into Google Dialer, which sends a silent “confirmation signal” to ensure whoever’s calling you is who they appear to be.
The Manhattan Institute Helped Kill DEI. Now It’s Coming for Protests
The right-wing think tank is actively pushing “civil terrorism”—increasing penalties for minor crimes committed while people engage in constitutionally protected free speech.
The Romance Scammer Who Made a Small Fortune Posing as a WWE Superstar
In this excerpt from WIRED Book Club pick The Yahoo Boys, journalist Carlos Barragán traces one scammer’s journey from flop to fortune.
Websites Can Now Spy on You Through Your Hard Drive
Thanks to the newly detailed FROST technique, telltale SSD activity can be measured in the browser using simple JavaScript.
The White House’s Aliens.gov Site Brags That ICE Arrested More Than 700 US Citizens
The website, which compares human beings to extraterrestrials, touts arrest numbers from the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown. But some of its details are really out there.
The Pentagon Knew Enemies Could Track Troops’ Phones for Years. Now They Are
The US military has long known that cheap fixes could stop location data from exposing its troops. It adopted almost none—and now says adversaries are using the data to target soldiers during a war.
Scammers Are Using Your Real Hotel Reservations to Trick You With Spear-Phishing Attacks
Customer data from more than 350 hotels around the world may have been accessed as part of realistic reservation-hijacking scams.
Internet Starts to Return in Iran After 3-Month Blackout
Some internet connectivity is returning in Iran after nearly 90 days offline, web monitoring groups say. But it isn’t clear if the reconnection is permanent.
US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ as AI Hatred Grows
As Americans stew over the looming risk of job-stealing AI and data centers in their back yards, the feds are raising the alarm about a new category of threat, documents obtained by WIRED show.
‘Creepy’ Listening Tool for Targeted Ads Didn’t Actually Work, FTC Says
Three firms will pay nearly $1 million for selling “Active Listening” technology that they claimed tapped people’s phones for advertising. The FTC alleges the “tech” was just pricey email lists.