Is artificial intelligence about to steal your job? [Q&A]


With artificial intelligence becoming more powerful and completing more complex tasks, the natural question being asked in the industry is if and when AI will steal human jobs.
Myths abound about AI working autonomously and eliminating the human workforce, starting with entry-level jobs. In reality, however, AI makes workers better and it works best when paired with humans -- their strategic thinking, specialized judgment, and adaptability remain irreplaceable.
AI assistance delivers gains for SOC analysts


Security Operations Centers are inundated with thousands of alerts each day, most of which are false positives or low-severity issues. This flood of noise leads to alert fatigue, forcing SOC analysts to waste valuable time on false alarms instead of focusing on genuine threats.
A new study from Dropzone AI looking at SOC analyst performance across 148 security analysts shows that AI can improve effectiveness. AI assisted investigations were 22–29 percent more accurate than those in the unassisted control group.
Enterprises face increasing challenges with certificate management


A report released today finds that approximately 60 percent of businesses are using three
or more secure sockets layer (SSL) providers and suggests a lack of centralized processes for SSL certificate management.
The study from domain security company CSC analyzed usage trends and patterns for more than 802,000 digital certificates linked to 2.4 million domains. It finds domain validated (DV) certificates account for three-quarters (73.4 percent) of certificates while organization validation (OV) certificates represent nearly a quarter (24.6 percent). Extended validation (EV) certificates account for less than two percent (1.9 percent).
Only 11 percent of US consumers trust their first search result


According to a survey of over 1,000 US consumers conducted on behalf of brand visibility platform Yext, just 11 percent trust the first tool they use when searching online, meaning nearly nine out of 10 double-check or expand their results elsewhere.
The research suggests the age of one-stop search and shop is ending and Americans are increasingly blending traditional search engines with AI tools, social media, and review sites to make purchase decisions.
IT leaders struggle with the complexity of recovering from cyberattacks


A new global study of over 800 senior IT leaders reveals the concerns of IT leaders as they struggle with the rising complexity of recovery planning to cope with the aftermath of cyberattacks.
The survey from infrastructure specialist 11:11 Systems finds that 82 percent of respondents have experienced at least one significant cyberattack, while 57 percent endured two or more attacks within the past year.
Most big US companies now flag AI use in their public risk disclosures


A new report from The Conference Board and ESGAUGE finds that 72 percent of S&P 500 companies now flag AI as a material risk in their public disclosures. That’s up from just 12 percent in 2023, underscoring how rapidly AI has moved from experimental pilots to business-critical system.
Reputational risk tops the list, cited by 38 percent of companies. Firms warn that failed AI projects, missteps in consumer-facing tools, or breakdowns in service could quickly erode brand trust. Cybersecurity risks follow, disclosed by 20 percent of firms.
Google builds new AI agent to improve code security


Google has released information on a new AI-powered agent that automatically improves code security by fixing critical software vulnerabilities.
CodeMender has been built over the past six months and the company has already upstreamed 72 security fixes to open source projects, including some as large as 4.5 million lines of code.
Premium target -- why insurance companies are so attractive to hackers [Q&A]


The Scattered Spider group seems to have switched from high-profile attacks on UK retailers to new campaigns targeting the insurance sector. The group has recently been linked to ransomware incidents affecting US-based Philadelphia Insurance and Erie Insurance, which operates in both the UK and the US.
We spoke to Danny Howett, technical director at global cybersecurity consultancy CyXcel, to discuss why insurance is such an attractive target and some practical steps insurers can take to shore up their defences against increasingly organised cybercriminals.
ESET releases free resources for Cybersecurity Awareness Month


October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month designed to raise awareness of the ways people can protect themselves online. To mark this ESET has launched a free Cybersecurity Awareness Kit.
This includes a new and improved version of its free ESET Basic Cybersecurity Awareness Training along with access to ESET’s 2025 H1 Threat Report, and a free 30-day business trial of ESET’s full-featured security solution.
Why data lineage is a business strategy, not a technical feature [Q&A]


Modern enterprises are more than ever reliant on data. But that makes understanding how that data is generated, transmitted, changed and used over time -- its lineage, vitally important.
We spoke to Saurabh Gupta, chief of strategy, revenue and growth at The Modern Data Company, to discuss how proactive, context-rich systems of record enable organizations to accelerate, maintain trust, and strategically utilize data.
One in four free mobile VPN apps fail privacy checks


Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are trusted by millions to protect privacy, secure communications, and enable remote access on their mobile device. But what if the apps designed to safeguard your data are not secure?
Analysis by Zimperium zLabs of 800 free VPN apps for both Android and iOS reveals that the threat is real and widespread.
Security risks leave 84 percent of IT pros feeling stressed at work


A new study of 500 US IT and cybersecurity staff reveals that 84 percent report feeling uncomfortable levels of stress at work due to IT security risks, while 78 percent fear they will be personally blamed for security incidents.
The report from Object First exposes a gap in how organizations support their IT staff, highlighting the opportunity to provide mental health resources and less complex security technology to help reduce stress as cyber threats continue to rise.
90 percent of organizations face attacks involving lateral movement


A new report from Illumio, based on a survey of over 1,100 IT and cybersecurity decision makers, finds that almost 90 percent of leaders have detected a security incident involving lateral movement within the past 12 months.
Each incident involving lateral movement resulted in a global average of over seven hours of downtime. Alert fatigue, along with limited and fragmented visibility, especially across hybrid environments, are two of the top challenges to detecting lateral movement.
41 percent of schools suffer AI-related cyber incidents


A new survey of more than 1,400 education leaders across primary, secondary and higher education in the UK and US finds that while AI is already integrated into classrooms and faculty work, development of policies and protections needed to manage new risks in schools is lagging.
The study from Keeper Security shows 41 percent of schools have experienced AI-related cyber incidents, including phishing campaigns and misinformation, while nearly 30 percent reported instances of harmful AI content, such as deepfakes created by students.
The rise of the ‘bionic hacker’ -- AI’s impact on attack and defense


The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming both attack and defense according to a report released today by crowdsourced security platform HackerOne.
It finds that organizations have expanded their AI program adoption by 270 percent this year, while HackerOne’s platform reported a 540 percent surge in prompt injection vulnerabilities to make them the fastest-growing threat in AI security.
Ian's Bio
Ian spent almost 20 years working with computers before he discovered that writing about them was easier than fixing them. Since then he's written for a number of computer magazines and is a former editor of PC Utilities. Follow him on Mastodon
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