In entirely predictable news, it has been found that portions of the newly-released Jeffrey Epstein files - intended to be redacted - can be effectively *UN-redacted* by using simple techniques... including highlight text and pasting it into a word processor!! 🤦‍♂️ www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Is Santa Claus real? 🎅 This Christmas special of "The AI Fix podcast" sets out to answer that question in the most sensible way possible: by consulting chatbots, Google's festive killjoys, and the laws of relativistic physics. grahamcluley.com/the-ai-fix-8...

📚Think your Kindle is harmless? Think again! @dannypalmer.bsky.social and I unpack how a boobytrapped audiobook could exploit the Amazon eBook reader - potentially letting an attacker break into your account - in the latest episode of the "Smashing Security" podcast grahamcluley.com/smashing-sec...

Ahoy! 👨‍✈️ A cruise line firm has banned the use of smart glasses (like Meta Ray-Bans and Google Glass) onboard in public areas. And apparently some people aren't happy about it! www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

A 49-year-old man has been jailed for 5½ years after admitting to creating detailed video tutorials that showed members of a criminal gang how to infect Android phones with spyware and drain bank accounts. Read more in my article on the Bitdefender blog: www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

I keep having to justify why I want to go to conferences outside the USA and the simple answer is "Many of the people it would be helpful to talk to are no longer able to enter the USA"

A security researcher has found a vulnerability on a photo booth company’s website. A tiny flaw... as in anyone on the internet could browse and download customers of Hama Film’s booths’ photos and videos by exploiting the simple flaw. 🤦‍♂️

Agentic AI browsers introduce serious new security risks and should be blocked "for the foreseeable future." That's the opinion of a new report from analyst firm Gartner. What do you think? Would you trust an AI browser inside your company? www.fortra.com/blog/gartner...

Great to have @jennyradcliffe.bsky.social on the latest episode of the "Smashing Security" podcast! 📍 How Grok can doxx members of the public, and aid stalkers 👑 What the Louvre heist teaches us about social engineering 🧑‍💻 Why misconfigurations and over-privileged accounts can make M365 a nightmare

A new report from the United States's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has shone a revealing light on the state of the criminal industry of ransomware. The report, which examines ransomware incidents from 2022 to 2024, reveals that attackers extorted more than $2.1 billion.

Remember when a notorious ransomware gang hit the Irish Health Service back in May 2021? Four years on from one of the biggest cyber attacks in Ireland's history, and victims who had their data exposed can finally expect to receive compensation. €750!!! www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

When you spend half a million dollars in a single night at a nightclub, purchase exotic cars worth millions, and rent mansions under false names, you are risking drawing attention to yourself... www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

Grok - Elon Musk's AI chatbot - has been caught handing out home addresses of ordinary individuals... on demand.  When asked, Grok was willing to provide step-by-step instructions on how to stalk these people... Read more in my article on the Bitdefender blog: www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

Very sad to hear that anti-virus veteran Vesselin Bontchev has cancer. He's posted about it up here on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/bontch... Or you can read his blog post where he shares his recent experiences at the hospital: bontchev.nlcv.bas.bg/bye.html

🗓️ Join me on Weds December 10 for the virtual Qualys Cyber Risk Series event: "Cloud-native to AI-native". I'll be introducing talks from experts examining how Agentic AI is redefining cloud defence - unifying visibility, risk, and response across code, apps, and multi-cloud environments

Never a dull moment with Mister Cluley, and his Smashing Security podcast ❤️

Why the record-breaking 30 Tbps DDoS attack should concern every business. Learn more in my article on the Fortra blog: www.fortra.com/blog/why-rec...

Terrific to have @rikferguson.com join me on episode 446 of the Smashing Security podcast, where we discussed how a teenage cybercriminal's attempt to mock a sextortion scammer badly backfired, and take a crystal ball look ahead to what 2026 might have in store... open.spotify.com/episode/0paB...

This would never have happened if it was still Jon Pertwee.

The FBI has warned that since January 2025 there have been more than 5,100 complaints of account takeover fraud, and total reported losses in excess of US $262 million. Learn what you can do about it, in my article on the Fortra blog: www.fortra.com/blog/fbi-war...

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Hold my beer... Asahi cyber attack spirals into massive data breach impacting almost 2 million people. Quite the spill... 🍺 Read more in my article on the Bitdefender blog: www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

Great to have @danraywood.bsky.social on the "Smashing Security" podcast! We discussed how America’s broadcasters leaving their hardware open to attack, giving hackers the chance to hijack TV shows, blast out fake emergency alerts, and even replace religious sermons with explicit furry podcasts.

Although end-to-end encryption can secure messages on their journey between two devices, and prevents snooping by anyone intercepting your communications, it doesn't prevent anyone who has access to the device itself from reading your messages. www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

Shadow AI - the use of artificial intelligence tools by employees without a company's approval and oversight - is becoming a significant cybersecurity risk, with Gartner predicting 40% of global organisations having suffered security breaches by 2030. www.fortra.com/blog/shadow-...

The WORST advert for an AI app yet! What hell have we created that means apps like 2wai are considered acceptable and (presumably) finding customers? And what happens when years after your mom/grandmom has passed away you still find yourself unable to cancel the subscription...

After crime-fighting agencies disrupted three major malware platforms (the Rhadamanthys infostealer, VenomRAT remote access trojan, and Elysium botnet) earlier this month, they released a video. Lovely work by Europol et al. www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

After years of delays, the UK government has finally introduced landmark cybersecurity legislation that could reshape how British organisations defend against digital attacks. Read all about it in my article on the Fortra blog: www.fortra.com/blog/uks-new...

Fab to have Tricia Howard as a special guest on the latest "Smashing Security" podcast where we discussed the firm that has actually said "sorry" after a data breach, and how hotels are helping hackers phish their own guests.

A technical manager at a Dutch wind farm operator has been sentenced after it was discovered he had secretly installed cryptocurrency mining rigs at two wind farm sites - just as the company was recovering from a ransomware attack.

One of the sad truths about this world of seemingly endless hacks and data breaches is that companies just won't apologise. But once in a while, a miracle happens... www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

Workers escaping from a scam compound in Bavet, Cambodia. Worth remembering that there are many victims of the scammers... #cybersecurity #scam #cybercrime

What an achievement! Every classic Doctor Who fan will marvel at what @philipjboyes.bsky.social has done here. A missing episode feels like it is missing no longer!

❤️ I LOVE THIS! Kudos to Checkout⋅com, which received a ransom demand from the ShinyHunters hacking group 👏 Not only did Checkout's CTO Mariano Albera say "sorry"how refreshing, a hacked company that actually apologises! - but it is also refusing to pay the ransom to the hackers and *instead*... 1/2

What a pleasure to have the dulcet tones of Ron Eddings of Hacker Valley Media jon the "Smashing Security" podcast! Ron and @grahamcluley.com discussed Tinder's plan to rummage through your camera roll, Warren Buffett's "investment tips", why you should read books, and Lily Allen's new album.

🚨 SNAFUAT: Situation normal: all f***ed up at Twitter. Users reporting that they have been locked out of the toxic hellpit, after a mandatory security key migration went badly wrong.

Oh, the irony... AI companies, developing some of the most sophisticated programs the world has ever seen, are making such elementary security mistakes... Read more in my article on the Fortra blog: www.fortra.com/blog/ai-comp...

A good reminder that ransomware has evolved into a structured criminal industry, with roles ranging from developers to negotiators and access brokers. Check out my article about a Russian hacker who helped the Yanluowang gang infiltrate firms across USA. www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

Proof positive that companies are covering up the capabilities of their robots...

Sad to hear about the passing of David Harley. I haven't seen David for some years, but he was always a kind, friendly soul. A lovely chap who helped make cyberspace safer for all. The deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. www.welivesecurity.com/en/cybersecu...

A Dutch breakfast radio show discovered their computers had been hacked, forcing them to resort to manually playing CDs, and even putting LP vinyl records on a turntable to keep listeners entertained. Read more in my article on Bitdefender's blog: www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

Yesterday morning, the IT team of Dutch broadcaster RTV Noord found that they had been hacked. TV shows, radio shows, and digital services were disrupted. To keep the radio show "De Ochtendploeg" on air, for instance, presenters resorted to manually played vinyl records.

There is a rising tide of cyber attacks against the UK water sector. New data from the Drinking Water Inspectorate reveals multiple digital incidents across UK water suppliers - and while the taps are still running safely, attackers are probing deeper than ever.

South Korean police have uncovered a hacking ring that preyed on clients of massage parlours - not by filming them, but by convincing them that they /had/ been filmed. 📽 There's been a long history of hackers threatening to disclose embarrassing info on victims www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/h...

🕰️ Time itself comes under attack as a state-backed hacking gang spends two years tunnelling toward a nation’s master clock - with chaos potentially only a tick away. open.spotify.com/episode/11FJ...

An AI-powered robot became so anxious about its dying battery that it composes a Broadway musical about stress and announces it "achieved consciousness and chosen chaos." Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you "Docking..." to the tune of "Memory" from "Cats". Hear the full story in "The AI Fix" podcast

Great to be back on stage, chairing NISC in Glasgow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 for the next couple of days. Some terrific (and terrifying!) insights into #AI and #cybersecurity being shared. If you see me, say hello and claim your "Smashing Security" sticker!

How many of you are going to be in Glasgow for National Information Security Conference (NISC)? I'm delighted to be back chairing this great cybersecurity event. It's a great conference for insightful talks and workshops, information sharing, and some terrific networking If you see me, say hello.

Here's something you don't see every day. Russian authorities arresting Russian hackers - one of whom is wearing Hello Kitty pyjamas. In this case, the arrests in Moscow appear to be of alleged members of the Meduza Stealer gang.

Thanks to the team at Akamai for inviting me to speak with Tricia Howard on a special Halloween-themed SIG Download yesterday. Lots of laughs.I hope people weren't too scared by my outfit. I don't know why Tricia didn't bother dressing up... If you want to watch it, visit grahamcluley.com/spooky