Technology

• XZ-Utils backdoor was found over a year ago
• Despite warnings, some Linux images still contain it
• Debian won't budge as the images are "historical artifacts"

At least 35 Linux images hosted on Docker Hub contain dangerous backdoor malware, which could put software developers and their products at risk of takeover, data theft, ransomware, and more.

At least some of the images, however, will remain on the site and will not be removed, since they are outdated anyway and shouldn’t be used.

In March 2024, the open source community was stunned when security researchers spotted “XZ Utils”, a piece of malicious code, in the upstream xz-utils releases 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 (the liblzma.so library) that briefly propagated into some Linux distro packages (not their stable releases). The backdoor was inserted by a developer named ‘Jia Tan’ who, in the two years leading up to that moment, built significant credibility in the community through various contributions.

Debian, Fedora, and others

Now, security researchers at Binarly have said malicious xz-utils packages containing the backdoor were distributed in certain branches of several Linux distributions, including Debian, Fedora and OpenSUSE.

“This had serious implications for the software supply chain, as it became challenging to quickly identify all the places where the backdoored library had been included.” “This had serious implications for the software supply chain, as it became challenging to quickly identify all the places where the backdoored library had been included.”

Binarly's experts are now saying several Docker images, built around the time of the compromise, also contain the backdoor. It says that at first glance, it might not seem alarming since if the distribution packages were backdoored, then any Docker images based on them would be backdoored, as well.

However, the researchers said some of the compromised images are still available on Docker Hub, and were even used in building other images which have also been transitively infected. Binarly said it found “only” 35 images because it focused solely on Debian images:

“The impact on Docker images from Fedora, OpenSUSE, and other distributions that were impacted by the XZ Utils backdoor remains unknown at this time.”

Debian said it wouldn’t be removing the malicious images since they’re outdated anyway and shouldn’t be used. They will be left as “historical artifacts”.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Latest Ubuntu beta and other Linux distros delayed by xz-utils security issues
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Humidifiers and air purifiers can both help prevent certain indoor allergies and these are the best options for you.

Dealing with pregnancy insomnia? This is what the experts suggest.

• Epic has made its Easy Anti-Cheat tool compatible with Windows on Arm
• This means online games that use the tool work with Arm-based laptops
• That includes Fortnite, which is going to be one of the first games to implement this support for Snapdragon X (Arm) chips

If you've got a Copilot+ laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X (Arm) processor that you also use for gaming duties, here's some great news: one of the biggest stumbling blocks for gamers on Arm has now been banished.

As Thurrott.com reports, Epic has made good on its promise to make its Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) tool compatible with Windows on Arm (the version of Microsoft's OS that's installed on Copilot+ PCs with Arm chips, as opposed to AMD or Intel silicon).

The move comes with the new version of the Epic Online Services SDK (for game developers) which now boasts EAC compatibility to offer "secure multiplayer experiences on Arm-based Windows 11 devices", as Epic notes.

EAC is used by some big-name online games to weed out problem players who are using various shady tricks or exploits, and the lack of compatibility with the anti-cheat system meant that those games didn't work at all on Arm-based laptops.

Said games include Epic's Fortnite among other online shooters (Apex Legends, PUBG, and more), as well as the likes of Elden Ring.

Analysis: the ball is now in the developers' court

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Epic previously promised that it was going to make EAC work with Windows on Arm back in March 2025, and what we see here is the necessary work being implemented in the mentioned SDK (software development kit).

However, that isn't the end of this story – not quite. It's now up to game developers to incorporate the support in their titles, and Epic is going to be on the ball itself in that respect when it comes to bringing support to Fortnite.

A Qualcomm spokesperson told Thurrott.com: "Fortnite will be among the first titles to take advantage of this compatibility, bringing one of the world's most popular games to Snapdragon-powered laptops."

At any rate, support is going to filter through gradually to a number of games – hopefully quite swiftly – and this will remove one of the black marks in the 'against' column for Arm-based laptops.

Those devices running Snapdragon X chips can make a good enough effort at running even more demanding games – recall the early days of being impressed at these notebooks running Baldur's Gate 3 in 4K.

Being unable to play Easy Anti-Cheat games on these machines was a notable weakness, and particularly with Fortnite, given that this is a popular choice for laptop gamers (and not a demanding title), it was a shame to see it out of the grasp of those with Arm-based Copilot+ PCs – but that won't be the case for much longer.

You might also like...

• Microsoft promises to crack one of the biggest problems with Windows 11: slow performance
• No, Windows 11 PCs aren't 'up to 2.3x faster' than Windows 10 devices, as Microsoft suggests – here's why that's an outlandish claim
• Microsoft has all but given up on Windows 11 SE – and it looks like the war against Chromebooks has been lost

• Cybercriminals leaked stolen data in a Telegram channel
• Almost 3 million records from more than a million people were leaked
• There are ways to mitigate the risk

Experts have warned the data stolen in the recent Allianz Life ransomware attack has been leaked to the open internet, and have urged affected users to be on their guard.

Sensitive information on the “majority” of the insurance company’s 1.4 million customers, including people’s names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Tax Identification Numbers, and even social security numbers, was published in a Telegram group created by ShinyHunters, Scattered Spider, and Lapsu$ threat actors.

In total, 2.8 million data records for both individual customers and business partners were grabbed as part of a wider attack on Salesforce instances. Besides Allianz Life, the group also took credit for a number of other, high-profile incidents, including the attack on Internet Archive, Pearson, and Coinbase.

Stay protected

Usually, cybercriminals would demand a ransom payment in exchange for deleting the stolen files and not leaking it on the internet.

So, if these files were published, it is safe to assume Allianz Life has decided not to pay (or the negotiations broke down for other reasons). There is always the possibility that the crooks leaked the files even after getting paid because these are, after all, cybercriminals.

There are numerous ways hackers can abuse sensitive files. They can impersonate their victims, potentially opening bank accounts in their name, apply for loans and credit cards, or rack up debt. They can also commit fake tax returns, gain access to medical treatment or prescription drugs, and even get a job illegally, which might cause problems for the victims during background checks.

Criminals might also use social security numbers to apply for various Social Security benefits, unemployment compensation, or welfare.

The attack is particularly concerning as such records could contain more than enough of sensitive information for hackers to launch highly personalized, successful phishing campaigns, leading to identity theft, wire fraud, and even ransomware attacks.

How to stay safe

If you're concerned you may have been caught up in the incident, don't worry - there are a number of methods to find out. HaveIBeenPwned? is probably the best resource only to check if your details have been affected, offering a run-down of every big cyber incident of the past few years.

And if you save passwords to a Google account, you can use Google's Password Checkup tool to see if any have been compromised, or sign up for one of the password manager options we've rounded up to make sure your logins are protected.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Allianz Life cyberattack gets worse as company confirms Social Security numbers stolen
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best firewall tools around right now

Google's AI chatbot can learn from your past conversations. That may be helpful. But you don't have to keep it on.

The Champions League winner takes on the Europa League holder in Italy.

The years of $999 for the Pro reportedly will come to an end.

As readers face diminishing returns and AI summaries on news-related searches, Google offers a way to narrow sources. Here's how to put CNET as one of your top picks.

• The US Federal Court Filing System recently suffered a cyberattack
• Initial reports claim Russia is at least partially to blame
• The attack targeted sealed court files

Russia has allegedly been linked to a worrying recent cyberattack against the US Federal Court Filing System.

Reporting from the New York Times (NYT), which said it spoke to people familiar with the matter, claims there is evidence Russia is at least partially responsible for the attack, which has been a “yearslong” effort to breach the system.

The reports added the searches, “included midlevel criminal cases in the New York City area and several other jurisdictions, with some cases involving people with Russian and Eastern European surnames.”

Hacking sealed files

A cyberattack against the system was most recently confirmed on August 7 by the Administrative Office of the US Courts. However, Politico reported that the system had been under attack by an unknown threat actor since early July.

Furthermore, across the US, chief judges of district courts were told to move cases with overseas ties off the regular document-management system.

An internal memo, seen by NYT and issued to Justice Department officials, clerks and chief judges in federal courts by administrators with the court system stated that, “persistent and sophisticated cyber threat actors have recently compromised sealed records,” continuing with, “This remains an URGENT MATTER that requires immediate action.”

The Federal Court Filing System, like many filing systems, is a sprawling network that is continuously used and updated with new records, and was built on a system first developed in 1996.

As a result, the system is considered to have several serious vulnerabilities, with the system previously being breached in 2020.

There is still currently no known motive for the attack, but it is possible that if Russian intelligence services are involved they could be gathering intelligence on the potential compromise of assets in the US.

The same has been theorized about the telecoms breaches that hit the US in 2024, which were attributed to China. In these attacks, threat actors breached a backdoor used by law enforcement to pursue court-ordered wiretaps.

You might also like

• Take a look at the best Kaspersky alternatives around right now
• These are the best password managers on offer today
• Thousands of Microsoft Exchange servers remain unpatched against major threat

• Kodak might not be able to pay down its debt and survive
• The 137-year-old company has been struggling for years
• It's had a huge impact on photography – and on this author

Travel five hours north of New York City and you can visit the home of Kodak; or more properly, George Eastman's estate in Rochester, the birthplace of Kodak – and what's increasingly looking like its final resting place.

The iconic 137-year-old photography company is now in real danger of shutting down for good – although you'd be forgiven if you thought that happened more than a decade ago when the struggling firm first filed for bankruptcy protection.

As a longtime photographer who got his start shooting on Kodak standard and Kodak Ektachrome film, I considered a trek to the Eastman House akin to the journey to Cooperstown for a baseball fanatic.

George Eastman (left) and Thomas Edison (right). Kodak had a long history of supplying film for movie shoots (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

Kodak, some would argue, single-handedly brought photography to the masses, producing simplified box cameras that asked little more of early amateurs other than "You press the button, we do the rest." That campaign helped spark a revolution that was arguably as transformative as the more recent one in smartphone photography.

In the early part of the 20th century, Kodak had numerous popular camera series, including the classic and very boxy Brownie, but it was probably the 70-million-unit-selling Instamatic that put a camera in almost everyone's hands.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kodak achieved a 1973 version of a meme when its popular film stock, Kodachrome, inspired a 1973 top-10 hit by Paul Simon, one that seemed to extol the film's virtues:

"Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
Give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah".

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I missed much of Kodak's early history (geez, I'm not that old), but I grew up with a photographer dad who bought Kodak film and paper in bulk and built a darkroom in our Queens, NY, apartment's walk-in closet.

Naturally, I caught the bug, and by college I was building my own bedroom darkroom and buying Kodak film in giant rolls that let me spin my own 35mm canisters (and save on what was typically the $5 cost of a single roll of Kodak film).

Honestly, I think Kodak first stumbled when it failed to respond to Polaroid. The latter company first made its name in the 1960s with instant photography, producing the Land camera line that let you pull out the finished print (you just had to apply a thin coat of polymer to essentially fix and protect the image).

After the Polaroid SX-70 arrived (the first single-lens reflex instant camera), Kodak belatedly delivered its own instant cameras, but they never sold as well. Polaroid, meanwhile, has gone through travails of its own, including bankruptcy in 2001 and resurrection in 2020 with a whole new line of instant cameras.

Kodak's first digital camera (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

It's been more than 30 years since the dawn of consumer-grade digital photography, but neither company had much of a response to its arrival, perhaps believing – as many pro photographers did – that digital would never be as good a film.

By the time I visited The George Eastman Museum, Kodak's glory days were long gone. Consumers, the people who drove Kodak's original business, had moved on to the next easy photographic platform: their smartphones. Few people these days travel with dedicated cameras, let alone film-based ones; as photographers like to say, "the best camera is the one you have with you", and more often than not that's your phone

Perhaps Kodak can take comfort in the fact that today there's an even easier way to create lasting memories that requires neither film nor a lens: AI. Instead of aiming a camera at a person or scene, you simply dream up a prompt or feed in an image, press a button, and the AI does the rest.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Ironically, Kodak's possible demise comes just as Gen Z is showing a fascination with analog film photography, although most acknowledge that this flirtation will be short-lived. There are no one-hour photos around these days, and if you want a roll of film developed you might have to drive an hour away or mail it somewhere. Plus, there's the cost: a roll of Kodak 200 film could run you $10, and developing it might cost an additional $25.

I wish that the reason some people were embracing film again was due to an appreciation of Kodak and what it's done for the art of photography, but something else is at work here, and it mostly has to do with a return to the joy of anticipation (waiting a week to see how your photos turned out) and the simplicity of analog sharing (taking out a stack of photos and sharing them with one friend who can only comment to your face about that outfit).

Kodak might survive this latest round of fiscal bad news, but it's clear that we're never going back to when film was dominant and everyone who sang Kodachrome knew what Paul Simon was talking about.

You might also like

• Best camera for photography 2025: top picks for any budget
• Photography and hiking are my idea of a dream weekend
• These 8 photos made me believe the Polaroid Flip is the best analog instant camera on the market

• Proxy service Decodo has seen a notable rise in proxy usage from the UK
• Brits are increasingly turning to VPNs and proxies to sidestep age verification checks
• User data may be at risk due to an absence of encryption from proxies

Proxy usage in the UK is on the rise amid the country’s controversial age verification checks. Research from proxy service Decodo shows a significant increase in proxy users coming from the UK, as Brits look to bypass invasive age verification requirements and protect their privacy.

Like a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a proxy acts as an intermediary between a user’s device and the internet. Both VPNs and proxies route a user’s internet traffic through an external server and hide their original IP address, helping access restricted content and retain online anonymity.

Proxies are undoubtedly a useful tool, particularly for businesses looking to carry out market research. Yet, the average internet user may not be fully aware of the differences between the best VPN and a proxy services, and how using a proxy could be putting their data at risk.

An 88% increase in proxy traffic from the UK

(Image credit: Decodo)

The UK’s age verification requirements fall under the Online Safety Act and have impacted not only adult sites but even social media platforms, including Reddit, X, and Bluesky.

Websites and platforms must now have age verification measures in place to prevent minors from accessing potentially harmful content. Age verification methods include facial age estimation, credit card age checks, and photo-ID matching.

Age verification is not without concerns, however, particularly for its impact on data security and user privacy. Indeed, a petition to repeal the Online Safety Act has attracted over half a million signatures to date.

Decodo, the best proxy site we’ve reviewed, has revealed a 65% increase in proxy users coming from the UK, as well as an 88% increase in proxy traffic from the country.

"More organizations in the UK are investing time in understanding the tools that power secure and efficient online operations," said Gabriele Verbickaitė, Product Marketing Manager at Decodo. "Most companies test out different solutions, providers, and do their research on proxies and VPNs, and they’re also making more informed, strategic choices."

Unlike VPNs, proxies aren’t primarily for privacy

Though proxies can be an invaluable tool for businesses and individuals alike, it’s important to understand how they differ from VPNs, particularly as it relates to privacy.

The primary concern with proxies concerning the UK’s age verification checks is that, unlike VPNs, they don’t encrypt your internet traffic. This means that your data – including the websites you visit – can still be seen by snoopers, including your ISP.

Privacy advocates have serious doubts as to whether the websites and services implementing the new measures can properly secure customer data from breaches. It appears to be a valid concern considering the numerous high-profile data breaches in recent months.

VPNs reroute your internet traffic through a secure end-to-end encrypted tunnel that connects your device to a VPN server. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

The most secure VPN providers route all of your outgoing and incoming internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel, preventing it from being seen by prying eyes. This makes a VPN the safest choice for the average user looking to browse the internet privately.

Thanks to encryption and the way they reroute traffic, VPNs are also more difficult to detect and block than proxies, making them a superior option for navigating geographic restrictions and internet censorship.

The UK body regulator Ofcom has, however, discouraged their use to avoid age verification requirements.

Despite this, there’s been a significant spike in VPN signups in recent weeks. It’s then clear that proxies are also benefiting from the UK’s increased desire for online privacy.

You might also like

• Could VPNs be banned? UK government to look "very closely" into their usage following spike after age verification row
• Wikipedia loses UK Online Safety Act legal challenge, but it may still be safe from age checks
• The 10 biggest sites you didn't realise are impacted by age verification

• Windows 11's August update is now available
• It comes with a new feature aiming to recover a PC that won't boot
• There's also an important fix to iron out stability problems gamers are having with Windows 11 24H2

Windows 11 has a new update available that makes some smart introductions, including a fresh PC recovery ability and a vital fix for gamers.

The August patch for Windows 11 24H2 (known as KB5063878) brings in a new Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) feature that's a very welcome addition, but it's something I profoundly hope that I'll never have to actually see.

That's because this functionality – which is inbound for all Windows 11 users, as highlighted by Windows Latest – is designed to help recover your PC from a boot failure. That's the most awful of computing scenarios where you can't even get to the desktop, and obviously, that makes it difficult to troubleshoot whatever's gone wrong with your system.

In these cases, QMR represents a new choice in the Windows Recovery Environment (which can be accessed to attempt to recover a non-booting PC), whereby Windows 11 uses a local network connection to send diagnostic data regarding the system-halting problem to Microsoft. The idea is that this data can (hopefully) be used to find a solution, and that this cure can be automatically patched through.

In short, your PC will fix itself, which is a great idea, obviously, although as I already said, I hope to never use this functionality, because I'd rather not encounter a boot failure in the first place. (These are rare incidents, thankfully.)

There's also a big addition for Copilot+ PCs with the August patch, which is the deployment of the first-ever AI agent in Windows 11. This 'Windows Agent' resides in the Settings app and offers a way of finding the options that you need with a minimum of fuss. Essentially, it's an AI-powered search that uses natural language - so you can ask questions in a conversational manner, and it'll also suggest recommended settings for whatever you're looking for.

While that change is for Copilot+ laptops only, there's also a tweak that traditional Windows 11 PCs are getting, whereby the search box in Settings has been moved to a better, more visible position, centred at the top of the panel.

This latest patch also makes the Black Screen of Death – a more streamlined version of the old Blue Screen – official, though I have my doubts about whether this is an improvement.

The August update for Windows 11 also fixes the various game-related stability issues that have been present in version 24H2, which is a huge boon for gamers - and there's a new gamepad layout for the virtual keyboard of the OS, too.

For further details on this patch, see my breakdown of the preview release that came out late in July, which is essentially the same update (when it was still in testing as an optional upgrade).

Analysis: Slick quick fix trick?

(Image credit: fizkes / Shutterstock)

The highlight here, at least in terms of the features coming to all Windows 11 PCs (not just Copilot+ devices), is Quick Machine Recovery (QMR). This feature will live or die on whether it works well, and how useful it proves in resolving boot failures – although that said, any chance of some extra help in getting your PC to actually reach the desktop will be handy.

The good news is that Windows Latest has tried out QMR and observed that it's been implemented well enough (albeit the tech site didn't get to test it with an actual boot-halting issue).

It's worth noting that when Microsoft previously tested QMR in preview builds, the company said that it would be switched on by default for all Windows 11 Home users. That makes sense, as there's really no reason not to turn on this functionality for everyday folks (business users will have the decision made by their IT admins).

Okay, so maybe some home users won't like the idea of sending any data via the cloud to Microsoft, but when it's diagnostic info that could cure your PC so it boots, saving you a major headache in the process, I think even the more paranoid would concede this is a more than worthwhile trade-off. And if Microsoft doesn't have QMR on by default, the average user may never be aware of the feature, or benefit from it should their PC hit a showstopping bug that prevents it from booting up.

Aside from that, the gaming fix is a big one too. Some gamers running Windows 11 24H2 have been seriously frustrated by crashes in the likes of Fortnite, so hopefully this will bring down the curtain on that sorry episode. (24H2 has been very problematic for PC gamers, as you may recall.)

The AI agent is a great addition for Copilot+ PCs, and using AI to bolster search is a theme Microsoft is pushing ahead with – it's an obvious way to give more depth to a commonly used ability in different areas of Windows. Previously, Microsoft pepped up Windows 11's main search (via the box in the taskbar) with AI, which was good to see. Furthermore, Recall is another such trick for Copilot+ PCs, albeit one I remain unconvinced about.

You might also like

• Microsoft finally fixes one frustrating Windows 11 pop-up – just as a more irritating one arrives to take its place
• Microsoft promises to crack one of the biggest problems with Windows 11: slow performance
• Microsoft has all but given up on Windows 11 SE – and it looks like the war against Chromebooks has been lost

• Peal Abyss' Crimson Desert has been delayed to Q1 2026
• It was previously slated for late 2025
• The delay is due to voice-over work and console certification

Gamescom 2025 is shaping up to be one of the best in years, with plenty of games from developers like Capcom and Microsoft's Activision likely to be on show for fans as playable demos. Unfortunately, one ambitious title from Pearly Abyss that I'm pumped for has give us an early update – and, spoiler alert, it's not exactly great news.

As reported by Gematsu, Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert has been delayed to Q1 2026, as revealed during a Q2 earnings conference call. While the open-world RPG has never had an official release date, it was slated to launch in late 2025. This delay is due to the ongoing process of 'voice-overs' and 'console certification' leading up to release.

Crimson Desert will join the likes of Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem with playable demos available for fans attending Gamescom and PAX West in August, with bigger updates on both games expected for Opening Night Live with Geoff Keighley.

To say I'm bummed about Crimson Desert's delay is an understatement, as it's my most anticipated title between 2025 and 2026 – and yes, that means more so than GTA 6.

While the wait for Rockstar Games' next entry in the GTA franchise has been an agonizing one for just over a decade, Crimson Desert looks set to be a big surprise and become a goliath within the action-adventure genre.

I think it's safe to say that we know GTA 6 will be an instant hit in sales and will likely have the most immersive and realistic open-world in gaming. However, a significant number of gamers still believe Crimson Desert's open-world realism is too good to be true. So, the element of surprise that could come from Crimson Desert's potential major success is something I'm very much looking forward to.

Analysis: A delay hurts, but if it means more polish, then that's fine by me

While nobody wants to hear that an exciting title has been delayed, it's not all bad. The performance and optimization of games on consoles and especially PC is the worst I've seen in all my years of gaming, with plenty of developers seemingly relying on Nvidia, AMD, and Intel upscaling methods and frame generation technology.

We know that voice-over work and console certification are suggested to be significant factors in the delay, but I would not be surprised if better optimization before launch is a target for Pearl Abyss.

The same applies to GTA 6, which was also slated to launch in late 2025, but is now set for May 26, 2026. One of the worst things that could happen for any highly-anticipated title is bad performance; Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a prime example, as it's a great sequel to Fallen Order, but is ruined by consistent stuttering on console and PC.

In this case, Pearl Abyss should take all the time it needs to polish and refine Crimson Desert, to help it live up to the huge expectations that it's set.

You might also like...

• Crimson Desert shows off loads of action in feature-filled trailer at Gamescom 2023
• I’ve played the first chapter of Ninja Gaiden 4, and it’s hitting all the right notes with blood-soaked combat and punishing difficulty
• I've played every game in the Mafia series – here's why Mafia: The Old Country left me wanting more

In the early days of phishing, the signs were easier to spot: typos, odd phrasing, and clunky formatting that made emails feel off. But times have changed. AI has lowered the barrier to entry for cybercriminals, making it easy to craft emails with flawless grammar and tone.

It’s also allowed attackers to get smarter, using social engineering tactics that mimic the language and behavior of real people, tricking even the most vigilant recipients. Just last month, M&S reportedly fell victim to a social engineering scam so convincing it could wipe out up to £300 million of its operating profit this year.

Against this backdrop, EasyDMARC recently analyzed 1.8 million of the world’s leading email domains. Alarmingly, we found that only 7.7% have the highest level of phishing protection in place. On top of that, more than half haven’t even taken the first step in deploying the most basic level of email security.

That means the vast majority of organizations are still leaving the door wide open to impersonation attacks at a time when phishing is harder than ever to spot.

Why email is the weakest link

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard companies say, “we’ve done the training, so we’re covered.” But the truth is that training your staff to spot malicious emails won’t stop phishing. Not when the email looks like it came from your own domain, signed off by your CEO, and sent at just the right time.

Email is still the backbone of business communication. It’s the channel through which sensitive information flows and core processes are initiated and approved. Its ubiquity, and the trust placed in it, makes it an ideal target for attackers.

The problem is that email was never designed with built-in identity verification.

What DMARC actually does

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is an authentication protocol designed to stop attackers from sending emails that appear to come from your domain. It works by verifying whether the sender is authorized, using underlying standards like SPF and DKIM, and then tells receiving email servers how to handle messages that fail those checks.

A helpful way to think about DMARC is like border control for your organization's email. SPF and DKIM check the credentials; DMARC is the policy that decides what happens next. Do you let the message through, detain it for inspection, or turn it away entirely?

The DMARC enforcement gap

The problem is that most organizations treat DMARC as something that only needs to be set up, not maintained. They configure it once, leave it on the weakest policy setting, ‘p=none’, which simply logs suspicious activity without taking action, and assume that’s enough. But without proper enforcement, DMARC doesn’t stop phishing; it simply watches it happen.

Our latest research shows just how common this enforcement gap really is. Out of the world’s top 1.8 million domains, only 7.7% have set their DMARC policy to ‘p=reject’, the strongest level of enforcement that actively blocks unauthorized emails from being delivered.

We’ve seen the difference enforcement makes. In countries like the United States, where regulation and provider policies have pushed for stronger DMARC enforcement, the impact has been dramatic. Phishing email acceptance dropped from 68.8% in 2023 to just 14.2% in 2025.

Until more organizations take that final step to enforce DMARC properly, email will remain one of the easiest attack vectors for cybercriminals.

The landscape is shifting

Recent moves by major email providers like Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft to enforce DMARC, SPF, and DKIM protocols for bulk senders mark a pivotal moment in email security. Importantly, these changes are not the result of government mandates or new legislation; they’re being driven entirely by the email providers themselves.

That level of unilateral enforcement reflects a high degree of confidence in these protocols, particularly DMARC, as the best form of defense against phishing.

But while email providers are embedding authentication into the heart of communication, many organizations are lagging behind. For most, the response has been compliance-driven; focused on avoiding deliverability issues rather than strengthening overall security posture.

As the threat landscape evolves, the disconnect between regulatory inaction, provider-led standards, and enterprise readiness is becoming more pronounced.

Closing the gap: from compliance to commitment

In May , attackers impersonating HMRC stole £47 million. Attackers didn’t bypass complex zero-day defenses. They simply walked through the front door by spoofing trusted domains.

Enforcement is what turns visibility into action. As email providers lead the charge, it’s time for businesses to catch up, not out of obligation, but out of self-preservation. Because in a world where cybercriminals are better resourced than ever, doing the bare minimum is no longer good enough.

We've featured the best online cybersecurity course.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Wanbo has revealed its Vali 1 portable projector, which promises 900 ANSI lumens and costs just $319 / £269 / AU$499.

The Vali 1 is a 1080p smart portable projector that has Android TV 11 built-in for streaming and can display pictures up to 130 inches. It has two 6W speakers for audio and has a flexible stand that rotates up to 200°. It also supports auto keystone correction, auto focus and auto screen fit for setup.

On paper, the Vali 1 carries a lot of the features found in some of the other best portable projectors, so why does this one stand out in particular?

Well, other than its low price, it's the claimed 900 ANSI lumens. That is double the amount claimed by some of its most high-profile rivals.

The Samsung Freestyle Gen 2, currently number one on our best portable projectors list, only has 230 specified lumens and the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro only has 450 ISO lumens. Even the LG CineBeam Q, one of the best 4K projectors, claims 500 ANSI lumens.

If the Vali 1 could hit this number, it would be a truly remarkable feat, especially given its ultra-low price. The above projectors cost significantly more, so is there a catch?

Bold brightness claims

The 900 ANSI lumens claimed by Wanbo is certainly eye-catching and sounds almost too good to be true. Well, it turns out, it actually could be.

Projector Central tested and reviewed the Wanbo Vali 1 and discovered that it hit 422 lumens, with an absolute peak of 529 lumens in the bottom sector. That 422 lumens is 52% under Wanbo's claimed brightness of 900 lumens, a significant discrepancy and one that could undermine the Vali 1's value.

It's worth noting that 422 lumens is a typical if not respectable number for a projector of this size and price, and is in line with its rivals mentioned above.

We haven't seen or tested the Vali 1 ourselves yet, so we can't give a verdict on it. Still, this brightness gap uncovered by Projector Central is something to bear in mind.

You might also like

• A yay for AirPlay: Epson's new 3LCD projectors support it for the first time – get ready for direct streaming from your Apple device
• You can now buy a mind-blowingly small UST triple-laser projector in the US – huge, colorful images from a tiny box that sits right next to the wall
• Back-to-school portable projector guide: projectors we recommend, and how to get the best from them

Having been in the corporate communications industry for the past 25 years and for the past decade in communications technology, my career calling has been to bridge the gap that exists in so many organizations between those professionals working in IT and those in Communications.

My point of view – IT and Communications professionals have unique and important skill sets that are each critical to the success of the companies they work for. Nevertheless, a need for greater collaboration and mutual respect between the two is required for the sake of one – the employee.

One area where this partnership is especially critical is in the decision-making around a company’s corporate intranet. This digital hub is the technological glue that binds an organization whether it be a few hundred or hundreds of thousands of employees. It is the first thing employees see each day—a launchpad to news, tools, resources, collaboration spaces, and more.

When done well, it reinforces culture and streamlines work. When done poorly, it becomes a graveyard of outdated documents, unread announcements and broken links.

Let the conversation begin . . .

Traditionally, intranets have “lived” under IT and have been paid for through IT budgets. This makes sense from a technical standpoint. Intranets require software, servers, authentication, security and support. But the intranet is no longer just a technical utility—it’s a strategic communications platform.

There are various vendors offering modern intranet solutions. Some focus exclusively on the mobile experience and employee apps; others are desktop-only. Some offer integrated communications platforms that unify desktop, mobile, email, digital signage, SMS, etc. and are designed to reduce redundancy, improve content delivery across channels and save money.

This begs the question – who should make the intranet software buying decision? Communications professionals are often more familiar with the emerging tools that impacts the work they do, especially when it comes to creating and managing a meaningful employee experience. Since the employee is at the core of the work that both IT and Communications do, this is why the relationship between the two is so important.

SharePoint and ServiceNow: familiar, but not always a fit

In many organizations, IT controls enterprise licenses for platforms like Microsoft SharePoint and ServiceNow. As a result, there’s often pressure to maximize these investments—even if that means stretching their original use cases and purpose. Over the last decade, I’ve consulted with some of the world’s largest companies on how they manage their employee communications infrastructure. One common theme is the use of SharePoint and ServiceNow as makeshift intranets or communication platforms.

SharePoint was built for document management and team collaboration—not communications. But many organizations have expanded its scope to become their default intranet. Without strong governance, this often results in a proliferation of disjointed SharePoint sites. Content becomes duplicated and outdated. Employees searching for HR policies or benefit documents encounter multiple, conflicting versions. The user experience becomes confusing and inefficient.

Similarly, while ServiceNow excels at workflow automation and IT service management, its interface and capabilities aren’t optimized for communication or content engagement. Yet, due to its cost and enterprise footprint, some companies try to retrofit it for these purposes—with mixed results.

This isn’t to say that SharePoint or ServiceNow can’t work for some organizations in their communications. But for those where employee communications and experience are high priorities, it’s worth taking a closer look at purpose-built intranet platforms that were designed with communications in mind.

The day after: who owns the experience?

• What happens the day after we launch?
• Who’s going to be responsible for the content and keeping the homepage up to date and fresh?
• Who will track employee engagement and usability?
• Who will ensure that the intranet evolves with the needs of employees?

The answer? Communications of course.

Once the intranet becomes a daily ritual for employees, Communications professionals will be the ones responsible for publishing content, organizing information, and driving adoption. It is for this reason that they must have a meaningful role in choosing the platform they’ll be expected to lead.

Shared ownership, shared success

To be clear, this doesn’t mean IT’s role ends at this point. Ongoing collaboration will be essential to ensuring the intranet remains secure, stable, and scalable. But once it is in place, Communications will be on the frontline. They’re the ones who will be expected to bring it to life, every single day.

That’s why intranet buying decisions cannot be made in isolation. The Corporate intranet isn’t just software—it’s an employee communications, engagement and experience strategy. If IT builds it, Comms will be expected to fill it. But both will have the ongoing responsibility for shaping it.

We've featured the best VoIP provider.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Manpower says it detected an incident in late 2024
• Almost 145,000 people had sensitive files stolen
• Users should beware of scams and identity theft activity

Staffing giant Manpower has confirmed it suffered a cyberattack in late 2024 in which it lost sensitive data on almost 145,000 people.

The company has filed with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, detailing the breach, what it did to mitigate the threat, and how it helped its victims minimize the threat of follow-up attacks.

In the form, it said it spotted the attack while investigating an IT incident on January 20, noting, "Through that investigation, we learned of information suggesting that an unknown actor gained unauthorized access to our network between December 29, 2024 and January 12, 2025 and potentially acquired certain files, some of which may have contained certain individuals' personal information."

Escalating privileges

"On or about July 28, 2025, Manpower of Lansing learned that your personal information may have been involved in connection with the incident which is the reason for this notification."

In total, 144,189 people have been affected by the attack. Manpower did not say who was behind the incident, or what type of information was stolen.

However, BleepingComputer discovered that RansomHub, a known ransomware group and extortionist, claimed responsibility.

On their data leak website, RansomHub said it stole some 500GB of data, including client databases with personal and corporate information (passport scans, IDs, SSNs, addresses, contact information, and more), a lot of corporate communications, financial statements, confidential contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and more.

However, the leaksters also later removed Manpower from their website, suggesting that the company paid the ransom demand. In the meantime, affected customers were offered free credit monitoring and identity theft protection through Equifax.

You might also like

• US Authorities Issue RansomHub Ransomware Alert
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Xfinity customers can watch over 1,500 matches from the world's biggest leagues for $85 a month.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, August 13 (game #528).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #529) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Honest-to-goodness

NYT Strands today (game #529) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• CINEMA
• ]SMOKER
• CHANGE
• FLEA
• SAME
• RIDER

NYT Strands today (game #529) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #529) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #529) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #529, are…

• LEGITIMATE
• TRUE
• KOSHER
• GENUINE
• REAL
• AUTHENTIC
• SPANGRAM: BONAFIDE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Being AUTHENTIC is something that they really care about on my favorite reality TV show, Traitors. 

I’m often left asking myself if you were a GENUINE and AUTHENTIC person would you really want to go on a TV show where you have to lie and deceive your co-stars in order to win? Surely the more authentic someone is the more suspicious you should be of their motives.

Anyway I digress. I’ll keep it REAL and say that this was quite a basic Strands. A straight up and down spangram that was easy to spot, no strange words and minimal corkscrew turns.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, August 13, game #528)

• PSYCHO
• VERTIGO
• ROPE
• LIFEBOAT
• TOPAZ
• NOTORIOUS
• SPANGRAM: FILM TITLE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.