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.
Meta could be forced to make massive changes to timelines in its social media apps
A ruling by a Dutch court could ultimately force Meta to make sweeping changes to timeline appearance in the likes of Facebook and Instagram. While it is possible to switch form an algorithm-controlled timeline to a chronological one, the court says that this should be made more accessible.
What could this mean? Right now, it is difficult to say for sure, but it could be the case that – in some jurisdictions, at least – Meta could be required to make a chronological timeline the default.
Oracle releases emergency patch to address Cl0p data theft attacks in E-Business Suite
Oracle has released an emergency patch and an urgent security warning about a 0-day vulnerability in Oracle E-Business Suite.
Tracked as CVE-2025-61882, the security flaw has a severity rating of 9.8 and is described as an “easily exploitable vulnerability”. Oracle warns that the vulnerability is “remotely exploitable without authentication”, going some way to explaining why it is seen as being so serious an issue.
Google unveils Jules Tools, its AI command line coding tool
Anyone who thought command line tools were in danger of being consigned to the history books, Google’s unveiling of Jules Tools put pay to that idea.
For anyone not familiar with Google’s offerings, Jules Tools is a command line interface for its Jules asynchronous coding agent. Google is hardly setting a trend here – there are command line interfaces available for other AIs – but with Jules itself only having launched in December, the speed is a little surprising.
Discord admits customer data theft after third-party security breach
The personal data of Discord users has been exposed after a third-party customer service provider suffered a data breach.
Hackers were able to obtain support tickets from an unnamed company used by Discord to provide support. From this, they were then able to gain access to data including names and government-issued IDs.
AdGuard Ad Blocker lands in the Microsoft Store
AdGuard Ad Blocker is now available through the Microsoft Store, giving Windows users a new way to install the software.
The app is as one of the first full-featured system-wide ad blockers to reach the Store, giving Windows users who prefer centralized app management a direct installation option.
Bose releases second-gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones with lossless audio and longer battery life
Bose has announced the second generation of its QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, introducing a series of improvements to its flagship over-ear model.
Changes over its predecessor include lossless USB-C audio support, better adaptive noise cancellation, longer battery life, and a new Cinema Mode that boosts clarity in video and spoken-word playback.
GoDaddy introduces trusted identity naming system for AI agents
GoDaddy has stepped in to address what it describes as a growing issue in the AI ecosystem by creating a trusted identity naming system for AI agents.
With over one billion agents expected to be built by businesses within the next three years, the company says the challenge of distinguishing legitimate agents from malicious ones must be tackled now. As agent-to-agent interactions become the norm, a system is needed that can provide a standard of trust.
Opera to roll out enhanced native AI features across its flagship and GX browsers for free
Opera has announced plans to add expanded AI capabilities to its free browsers. The news comes just days after we wrote about Opera Neon, the company’s premium AI browser for power users.
Opera has been developing browsers for more than three decades and says it now serves hundreds of millions of active users every month. In recent years it has added a number of AI features to its products, starting in 2023 when it added its assistant Aria to Opera One, Opera GX, Opera Air (its "mindfulness" browser), Opera for Android and iOS, and Opera Mini.
Gmail makes encrypted emails more useful for business users
Google has announced that it is now possible to send Gmail end-to-end encrypted emails to anyone. Until this change was introduced, E2E emailing was only supported between Gmail to Gmail communications.
But now email encryption is being opened up and made platform agnostic. While this means that encrypted emails can be sent to anyone, it is something that needs to be enabled, and there are a few things to keep in mind.
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.
Perplexity releases AI web browser, Comet, for free; security warnings follow
Perplexity is the latest company to release an AI-powered web browser. Comet is available free of charge for Windows and macOS, and it is looking to compete with the likes of Opera’s Neon.
Comet is not brand new. It launches in July to a limited audience, but now its AI powers are being made available to everyone. But while there is much excitement from Perplexity about the launch, and excitement from users, there is also a warning from security experts.
Microsoft is giving its icons a sleek and smooth makeover
Microsoft has officially announced a subtle revamp of its Microsoft 365 icons. Taking something of a cue from Google, the redesign is subtle and sees a switch towards using gradients and flowing colors.
The update is the first for Office icons since 2018, and this latest change is a gentle revisiting and dialling up of the changes that were introduced then. This is not a rebrand or a major change, but a pleasing evolution.
Apple yanks ICEBlock app from the App Store after DoJ pressure
Apple has removed from its App Store, ICEBlock – described as “Waze but for ICE sightings”. The app launched back in April after Donald Trump announced a crackdown on immigration.
ICEBlock provides people with a way to report sightings of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents. The US Department of Justice was among those voicing concerns that agent tracking put people’s lives at risk, particularly in light of attacks on ICE facilities.
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