Financial sector faces increased cybersecurity threats
A new survey reveals that the financial industry has faced a surge in attacks, with 64 percent of respondents reporting cybersecurity incidents in the past 12 months.
The study from Contrast Security finds 71 percent of respondents reported zero-day attacks as the key concern to safeguarding applications and APIs, followed by dwell time (43 percent) and lack of visibility into the application layer (38 percent).
Why adopting AI needs a holistic approach [Q&A]
It's an increasingly rare system these days that doesn't claim to have incorporated artificial intelligence in some form or another.
But when implementing AI it's important to look beyond the hype and ensure that it can deliver real value for the business. We spoke to Ajay Kumar, CEO of SLK Software, about the need for a holistic approach to allow enterprises to leverage AI for solving complex business challenges.
Ransomware victims increased by 26 percent in 2024
Nearly 5,300 ransomware victims were reported last year, a 26 percent increase from the previous year, according to new analysis.
The Cybernews team looked at data from the Ransomlooker tool, which monitors the dark web and other hidden areas of the internet, and found that the number active ransomware gangs also grew over the previous year.
The challenges of managing non-human identities [Q&A]
Non-human identities (NHIs) outnumber human identities by between 10 and 50 times, but the industry lacks solutions to properly address this hole in the security perimeter.
Traditional IAM solutions and best practices aren't sufficient when it comes to managing NHIs, as evidenced by some recent breaches that have stemmed from exploitation of NHIs.
Inside Pluton -- Microsoft's security processor that's coming to a PC near you soon
Microsoft first announced its Pluton security processor as far back as 2020 and more recently has said it will be enabled by default on all Copilot+ PCs as part of the company's commitment to Secure by Design.
Today the company is releasing more details about Pluton and how it operates. Operating directly on dedicated hardware on the CPU system-on-chip (SoC), Pluton helps provide additional protection for sensitive assets like credentials and encryption keys, using a combination of hardware, firmware and software
Deepfakes, workforce fraud and phishing incidents on the rise across businesses
Half of businesses have reported a growth in deepfake and AI-generated fraud, alongside rising biometric spoofs and counterfeit ID fraud attempts, according to the 2025 State of Identity Fraud Report, released today by AuthenticID.
The report analyzes internal proprietary data anonymized from AuthenticID's identity verification and fraud detection technology. When paired with insights from annual fraud surveys of both fraud and technology professionals as well as consumers in North America, the report offers a comprehensive view of the fraud landscape.
Remote employees work longer hours
In findings that rather seem to contradict the wisdom of President Trump's return to office mandate for government employees, a new report from Cloudbrink shows that 'work from anywhere' employees actually put in longer hours than their nine to five counterparts.
Analysis of usage data from thousands of users of Cloudbrink's Personal SASE service shows heavy transfer of data on Fridays and heavy usage starting at 7:00 am and continuing to 7:00 pm. The report concludes that employees are working quite a bit outside the office, but could be even more productive if technical challenges could be reduced.
New tools help prevent leaks of personal data
One of the risks AI teams face is sensitive data lurking where it shouldn't be -- risks that are increasing as the volume unstructured data grows across all industries, a situation made worse still by GenAI.
Unstructured data management specialist Komprise is launching new sensitive data detection and mitigation capabilities to help organizations prevent the leakage of PII and other sensitive data to AI and reduce the risk of potentially ruinous data breaches.
AI-powered Chrome extensions are watching you…
It's not exactly Big Brother, but a new analysis of Chrome extensions from Incogni reveals that 67 percent collect user data, and 41 percent collect personally identifiable information (PII), including sensitive details like credit card numbers, passwords, and location data.
Extensions like Grammarly, which make writing almost anything effortless, or Vetted, which act as online shopping assistants, are quickly becoming essentials of everyday life. But because many users trust Google's ecosystem, they also assume that third-party extensions vetted through the Chrome Web Store are equally safe.
AI use drives APIs to become the main attack surface
A new report reveals that APIs have emerged as the predominant attack surface over the past year, with AI being the biggest driver of API security risks.
The survey from Wallarm, of 200 US-based enterprise leaders on AI and API security, finds over 53 percent report engaging in multiple AI deployments. These deployments are primarily enabled by API technology, cementing APIs as the foundation of enterprise AI adoption. However, while AI integration drives rapid API adoption across industries, it also introduces unique risks.
The role of private clouds in enterprise data strategy [Q&A]
As AI reshapes business operations, companies are facing new challenges around cost uncertainty, security, and data integrity. The rise of hybrid cloud strategies -- combining private clouds with public infrastructure -- is becoming a key approach to addressing these concerns.
While enterprises focus on cost control, safeguarding sensitive corporate data, and preventing AI-driven data leakage, they are also trying to leverage LLMs to exploit data in the public cloud while retaining sensitive data in private clouds that they control.
Enterprises consider ditching Oracle Java over cost worries
The percentage of organizations considering alternatives to Oracle Java has jumped significantly from 72 percent in 2023 to 88 percent today.
The Azul 2025 State of Java Survey and Report finds 99 percent of enterprises are using Java. The top reasons given for considering a migration away from Oracle Java include cost (42 percent), preference for open-source (40 percent), Oracle sales tactics (37 percent), uncertainty created by ongoing changes to pricing and licensing (36 percent), and restrictive Oracle policies (33 percent).
A third of companies don't know who is managing their AI risks
While 51 percent of organizations rely on their security teams to manage AI risks, 33 percent say that they either lack a dedicated role or are unsure who holds responsibility for AI risk management.
A new report from Wing Security and the Cloud Security Alliance also highlights that only 44 percent of organizations prioritize protecting all their sanctioned applications, while a mere 17 percent include unsanctioned ones as a priority.
Cloud and hybrid environments present weak spots for ransomware attackers
The increased connectivity of business systems and devices is making it harder for organizations to defend against ransomware attacks according to a new report.
The study from Illumio, with research conducted by the Ponemon Institute, shows organizations perceive the cloud and endpoints as being the most vulnerable, and 34 percent say a lack of visibility across hybrid environments makes it difficult to respond to ransomware attacks.
Data breaches are top privacy concern for consumers
Fears of a data breach dominate consumer concerns, with 64 percent naming breaches as their top privacy worry.
A new report, based on responses from almost 2,500 people around the world, released by Acronis to mark this year's Data Privacy Day, shows that in spite of heightened awareness 25 percent of respondents have experienced data theft or loss and 12 percent remain unsure if they've been breached, underlining the hidden nature of many cyberattacks.
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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