Technology

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for Connections No. 625 for Feb. 25.

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,347 for Feb. 25.

• MSI’s Multi-Platform Streamer Prime app - no extra software needed
• Integrates Google TV with thousands of movies and shows
• The wireless display feature supports Google Cast and Miracast

MSI has entered the smart monitor market with the launch of the Modern MD272UPSW, a UHD 4K display.

The 27-inch IPS panel features a 3840 × 2160 resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate, with 94% Adobe RGB, 98% DCI-P3, and 127% sRGB coverage. It also offers a 300-nit brightness level, an anti-glare surface, a 178° viewing angle, and a 4ms (GtG) response time, ensuring sharp visuals and vibrant colors.

MSI, known for gaming laptops, now joins the likes of Samsung and LG, who, with products like the LG 32-inch UltraGear OLED and Samsung ViewFinity S9, are embracing the smart business monitor trend — blending business and entertainment features into a single display.

Google TV integration for all-in-one entertainment

Unlike traditional business monitors, the MD272UPSW includes Google TV, for access to over 400,000 movies and TV episodes. Users can also browse through more than 10,000 apps and 800 free live TV channels.

It also integrates the Multi-Platform Streamer Prime app, allowing users to stream live content across multiple platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook without additional software.

With Google Assistant integration, voice commands can be used to search for shows, open apps, and control the monitor, while the included remote makes navigation effortless.

The MD272UPSW is still definitely designed for professionals, featuring a wireless display function with Google Cast and Miracast, plus Multi Control and KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) functionality for allowing users to operate two devices with a single keyboard and mouse.

For seamless connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.4a, LAN (RJ45), and USB Type-C with 65 W power delivery. The monitor also includes a headphone jack, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, and two 3W Dolby Audio speakers.

Via TechPowerUp

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It's rare that a robot video fills me with sadness, but this new one from 1X featuring the company's new Neo Gama humanoid robot left me in a state of ennui.

Neo Gamma is an update to the Neo Beta 1X introduced six months ago. At the time, the company claimed its black and gray humanoid robot was undergoing home trials. In the video, it showed the bot briefly interacting with (even hugging) a human companion. It left me and other roboticists I talked to skeptical. Home humanoid robots are generally thought to be a decade out, but 1X appeared to be trying to close that gap significantly.

Recently, the company unveiled Neo Gamma, a robot with numerous aesthetic and technical improvements. There are new "emotive" LED ear rings that the company thinks will help improve communication. I assume this is because the rings light up when you're talking to the robot, which features microphones and speakers.

They've redone the body cover and almost made it a more attractive beige, making it softer and safer for the home.

Movement's gotten an upgrade, too. Neo Gamma's arms can now swing, and its walk is smoother than that of the Beta model. Additionally, the robot can now sit down in a chair.

As with Neo Beta, Neo Gamma integrates AI. For instance, the updated visual manipulation model will make it possible for Gamma to handle objects it's never seen before. Overall, 1X claims on its website, "NEO Gamma’s design opens the door to start internal home testing—a first step in creating fully autonomous humanoids."

To illustrate this point, 1X released this launch video, which shows Neo Gamma operating in a typical home. It cleans, makes and serves coffee, pours wine, and collects the groceries from its owner. Neo Gamma even cleans windows.

But it's a lonely existence. Most of the time, the couple in the video ignores Neo Gamma, even as it's serving and working around them. When it serves coffee, they barely look up. As it vacuums the rug, it doesn't even get a glance. There is one touching moment where Neo Gamma helps hang a picture and even gets a thumbs up, but that is the extent of real human engagement. At the end of the video, the couple is enjoying a meal in the dining room, one that I bet Neo Gamma prepared and served, and the robot is in the other room alone. It takes a seat on the couch and stares into space.

Is this the "life" we anticipate for our humanoid companions – with us, but separate? Even though I assume these robots will have no feelings, I'm sure others and I will anthropomorphize them and start to thank them, chat, and engage in a more human way. I guess I wonder if 1X could have shown me a bit more natural human-to-robot interaction.

1X hasn't set a price or delivery date for Neo Gamma, but you can join the wait list to become the robot's mas...er...beloved owner.

In the meantime, I think I need to cheer up and go watch a fun cat video.

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Ambient music and recipes are a few of the new features developers and public beta testers can try now.

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• Seagate Exos and IronWolf Pro HDDs are prime targets for scammers
• Scammers alter QR codes and even drive serial numbers
• Toshiba and Western Digital are not as targeted as Seagate — why?

The controversy of fraudsters modifying used Seagate hard drives to appear unused despite having been powered on for thousands of hours rages on.

Exos HDDs were initially targeted, but new evidence from Heise (via ComputerBase — both originally in German) suggests IronWolf and IronWolf Pro NAS drives with capacities between 8 TB and 16 TB are now also being drawn into the scam.

Preowned units of the fastest hard drives can appear new if key data such as SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) parameters are tampered with.

How scammers manipulate hard drive data

Some of these drives have been found to have logged over 27,000 operating hours. However, users can verify a drive’s true condition using tools like smartmontools to retrieve hidden operational data.

Scammers also alter product labels and QR codes to bypass Seagate’s warranty verification system. Instead of directing users to a page displaying accurate product details, these modified QR codes redirect to Seagate’s warranty check but do not provide the serial number or storage capacity.

Another method used is serial number manipulation, wherein fraudsters take serial numbers from newer drives and attach them to old units, tricking Seagate’s system into displaying an extended warranty period.

However, this system often calculates exactly five years of warranty from their supposed production date, which is a potential red flag that worried customers can investigate.

Experts suggest that potential buyers can check certain logs - such as Self Test Logs or SATA Phy Event Counters - to determine if a drive has been previously used.

Seagate has acknowledged the issue, confirming that fraudulent practices are affecting IronWolf and Exos HDDs. The company is currently investigating the matter to address these concerns.

In the meantime, buyers are advised to be cautious when purchasing Seagate hard drives from unofficial sellers and to verify product details using multiple sources before making a purchase.

So far, there have been no confirmed reports of similar scams involving Toshiba or Western Digital (WD) hard drives. This raises the question: why is Seagate the primary target?

One possible reason is that Seagate’s verification system relies on data that fraudsters find easier to manipulate; unlike Seagate, WD and Toshiba do not use the same FARM value system.

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• Bybit confirms suffering a large cyberattack
• Hackers stole approximately $1.5bn worth of Ethereum
• Their identities are not confirmed, but researchers speculate it was Lazarus

One of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world has suffered a devastating cyberattack in which it lost approximately $1.5 billion worth of Ethereum.

The attack against Bybit was confirmed by the company’s CEO, Ben Zhou, who said the threat actors siphoned the exchange’s reserves, and not customer funds.

Despite this being the biggest heist in crypto’s history, Zhou noted the company remains solvent and is under no existential threat, and commended the industry’s big players, which rallied behind the victims and offered help.

Lazarus

The attack itself was quite sophisticated. Bybit kept ETH in a multi-signature cold wallet, a method that’s considered the safest possible. It also means that to move any funds, multiple people would need to sign the transaction.

Apparently, the attackers somehow managed to compromise all of the employees involved in fund transfer, and when the company wanted to pull funds from cold storage into a “hot wallet” to support its everyday activities, the attackers were able to redirect the funds.

All of the involved people never knew what happened, because on their monitors, all of the information checked out.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the cryptosphere. Hundreds of thousands of people initiated withdrawals of their money from Bybit, in fears that the company would not be able to serve everyone (as was the case with Celsius back in 2021). Ethereum dropped roughly 4% on the news.

For the first time, in face of extremely bad news, the crypto industry showed incredible resilience. Usually, news such as this one would send not just Ethereum, but Bitcoin as well, and with them most other currencies tumbling, wiping out a significant portion of their value in a matter of hours. However, Ethereum lost “just” 4% (which is almost negligible in the crypto world) and rebounded relatively quickly. Bybit served all of its customers during the “bank run”, and continues operating normally.

The identity of the attackers is not yet confirmed, although some researchers believe this to be the work of Lazarus, an infamous North Korean state-sponsored threat actor. Indeed, Lazarus is known for targeting crypto businesses and, being on North Korea’s payroll, definitely has the means to pull off a heist such as this one.

Via The Guardian

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Claude 3.7, the latest model from Anthropic, can be instructed to engage in a specific amount of reasoning to solve hard problems.

At least three people linked to Elon Musk’s DOGE task force have access to NIH systems that control budgets, procurement, and more, according to records and internal documents viewed by WIRED.

• Microsoft unveils a quantum chip with a Topological Core for stable and scalable qubits
• Majorana 1 features eight topological qubits, aiming for a million-qubit scale
• Breakthrough is comparable to how semiconductors revolutionized modern computing

Microsoft has unveiled Majorana 1, a quantum chip built on a Topological Core architecture, marking a huge step forward in its quantum computing efforts.

The company says this new chip, which positions the tech giant alongside rivals Google and IBM in the race for large-scale quantum computing, will lead to devices capable of solving industrial-scale problems in years rather than decades.

The chip is based on a topoconductor, a newly-engineered material that can observe and control Majorana particles - a discovery Microsoft represents no less than a new state of matter, which it has used to create a more stable and scalable qubit in a breakthroughit compares to how semiconductors transformed modern computing.

A clear path for scaling

“We took a step back and said ‘OK, let’s invent the transistor for the quantum age. What properties does it need to have?’” said Chetan Nayak, Microsoft technical fellow. “And that’s really how we got here – it’s the particular combination, the quality and the important details in our new materials stack that have enabled a new kind of qubit and ultimately our entire architecture.”

Microsoft adds Majorana 1 offers a clear path to scaling quantum systems. For now, it has eight topological qubits on a single chip, marking the first step toward its goal of reaching one million qubits. Achieving this scale will be essential if quantum computing is to drive advancements in industries such as healthcare, environmental science, and manufacturing.

“Whatever you’re doing in the quantum space needs to have a path to a million qubits. If it doesn’t, you’re going to hit a wall before you get to the scale at which you can solve the really important problems that motivate us,” Nayak said. “We have actually worked out a path to a million.”

The chip is built using a materials stack made from indium arsenide and aluminum, designed and fabricated atom by atom. The Topological Core architecture resists errors at the hardware level, making it more stable than current approaches.

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A WIRED investigation goes inside the Telegram groups targeting women who joined “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” groups on Facebook with doxing, harassment, and sharing of nonconsensual intimate images.

This move comes as Apple seeks to make Siri a more dynamic and intuitive virtual assistant.

• iOS 18.4 beta update adds a third row of apps in Apple CarPlay
• Not every infotainment system is compatible
• The update is welcome, but we still await news on CarPlay 2.0

Some Apple iPhone users are already experiencing some of the admittedly minor updates that the latest iOS 18.4 beta update brings with it, including smarter priority notifications using Apple Intelligence.

However, there has been a more subtle change to the Apple CarPlay experience, which has previously gone announced and has been only been discovered by some users by chance.

Upon plugging into a vehicle’s infotainment system, either wirelessly or via a cable, a Threads user (below) found that the Apple CarPlay app display now shows a third row of applications on the main screen, with three rows of four increasing the number of apps that can be displayed without having to swipe to reveal more.

Post by @jacecraftmiller View on Threads

Despite Apple CarPlay being introduced in March 2014, it has only really enjoyed numerous minor updates to how it looks, feels and performs, seemingly ignoring the fact that many modern vehicles now come with enormous infotainment displays.

The most recent update appears to address this issue, scaling up in a proportion to the screen size it is being displayed on.

That said, there is currently no news on the parameters required to enjoy the extra row of applications, only that it seems to work on those larger infotainment displays, particularly those with a portrait orientation.

CarPlay 2 can’t come soon enough

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple initially said that we would see an all-new version of its CarPlay system in 2024, but that suggested timeline has already elapsed and we are still waiting to see what comes next.

Far from simply being a way to mirror a handful of apps from your iPhone, Apple CarPlay 2 promises greater integration with all of the screens found in a modern vehicle, effectively taking over everything from the digital instrument cluster to the infotainment system.

Apple revealed that it was working with Porsche and Aston Martin on a brand-specific system that would stay true to the marques’ heritage and distinct design, but would effectively form the operating system upon which everything runs.

This would mean that applications and Apple’s user interface would be available from all of the digital touch points, including the digital instrument binnacles and passenger-facing touchscreens in the front and rear seats.

Porsche is arguably the only automotive manufacturer to harness the power of Apple’s Automaker toolkit and expand the Apple CarPlay offering within its vehicles so far.

Introducing more Apple functionality into its My Porsche app negates the need to exit Apple CarPlay to do things like change the radio station, heat for cool the cabin and check on vehicle state of charge and other settings.

But this is still some way off the levels of integration that Apple CarPlay 2 have previously promised, and this could be part of the problem.

In order to take over an entire dashboard, Apple has had to work with notoriously slow automotive manufacturing giants, effectively asking permission to access both vehicle and user data, which is likely something legacy automakers haven’t been particularly comfortable with.

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• A new report suggests the iPhone 17 will not get Apple's new C1 modem
• The iPhone 17 Air is, however, tipped to get the new chip
• Apple may opt for a MediaTek modem for the four main iPhone 17 models

With each new generation of iPhone, we expect to see Apple fit its high-end flagship phones with its latest and greatest features – for example, we’re expecting the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to come equipped with updated video capabilities, a refreshed design, and a faster processor, as well as the most cutting-edge components within the phone itself.

However, a new rumor suggests that Apple will be skipping its latest self-designed internal component when it comes to the iPhone 17 family – if this rumor holds true, Apple’s next handsets won’t be getting its new C1 cellular modem.

This comes from a report from publication The Information (via PhoneArena) that suggests the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Plus, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will use a MediaTek 5G chip for Wi-Fi, cellular connectivity, and Bluetooth, rather than the Qualcomm modem found in the iPhone 16 lineup.

The C1 modem was only recently revealed when Apple debuted the iPhone 16e, the first Apple device to sport Apple's new modem.

Apple debuted the new C1 modem in the recently-released iPhone 16e (Image credit: Future)

Interestingly, the report also suggests that the iPhone 17 Air will get the C1 chip, and that this inclusion will play a substantial role in allowing the iPhone 17 Air to be so much thinner than its full-sized siblings.

Apple has been seeking ways to reduce its reliance on external component manufacturers for the past few years, most prominently by developing its own chips and chipsets.

If Apple has a rival in the mobile chip space, it would surely be Qualcomm, which equips many of the best Android phones with its Snapdragon series chipsets. Its current flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite, beat Apple’s own A18 Pro chipset in benchmarks when we first got to grips with it last year.

From this perspective, it makes sense that Apple would want to stop giving Qualcomm its business – though Apple is no stranger to buying components from rival firms, equipping the iPhone lineup with panels and numerous parts made by Samsung.

In any case, most users won’t notice much of a difference between one modem or the other – but limiting a major new hardware feature to a mid-range phone and an ultra-thin spinoff would be strange behavior from Apple. Plus, As 9to5Mac notes, the C1 chipset might not stick around for long – we’ve heard that Apple eventually plans to merge the function of the C1 with its main A series chipsets to create an integrated platform.

In any case, we don’t expect to hear official information about the iPhone 17 family until much later this year. Until then, the above is mostly based on rumors – be sure to check out our list of the best iPhones for a refresher on the top Apple handsets that are currently available.

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Come on, AMD, where the hell are your budget X3D chips? Actually, scrap that - where are the Ryzen 3 series, or even the 5 series? I know those aren't exactly super-exciting top-tier product lines, brimming with insane Cinebench numbers or slightly higher frame rates than the competition in whatever the most popular game of the month is, but they're products that we seriously need as a community - if for no reason but the health of this beautiful PC-building hobby of ours.

What's worse is, by all accounts, (certainly for the 3 series) it's a segment that's been missing in the custom PC space since the rather excellent Ryzen 3 3300X way back in 2020. And with that, I'm talking about a full-fat design, complete with all of its PCIe lanes, and more. No G-series chips standing in pretending to be something it's not, aimed at eSports gamers.

Cheap as chips, as the British say. (Image credit: Future)

Without champions at the budget end of the spectrum - the Core i3s, the Ryzen 3s - the average cost of a good rig is only going to steadily increase. Not only does this effectively gatekeep our hobby, one that was once readily accessible to anyone looking to save a bit of cash, but it also encourages companies to push prices higher. Motherboards, RAM, SSDs, PSUs, cases, you name it. It introduces this weird, almost pseudo-elitism to it all. Sorry, you and your family don't have the financial clout to be PC gamers anymore. Perhaps you should try looking at becoming more socially mobile instead.

I get it; PCs are expensive things. As our transistor size shrinks, processors become increasingly difficult and more expensive to fabricate. But I got into this space because my house got struck by lightning when I was young. It fried a rig, and my dad decided to replace the damaged parts rather than buy a whole new system. It wasn't exactly easy, but it was cheaper, and soon enough he discovered he could build his own PCs and get better value for a pittance, and it was fun. I soon followed in his footsteps, and 25 years later here I am. Trying to do that today with the latest hardware, though? Not a chance. You'd have to buy, at minimum, a new motherboard and CPU combo for at least $500.

Stagflation Disaster

Inflation and stagnation haven't helped this whole situation either. Late last year, I wrote an article about this and the rising cost of PC gaming, and the numbers still hold true in 2025. In the last decade, we've seen general inflation climb by around 40%. Wherever you are in the Western world, on average, household income has increased by less than half that. That puts a major strain on budgets and further pushes building custom PCs outside of the reach of many many people. And that's before the US's general purpose and directed tariffs come into play later this year.

Over the years I've watched as builds have become more expensive. Yes, this is in part because the wider industry has introduced ridiculous RGB lighting, and cooling, and gaming chairs, and mechanical keyboards, and more advanced cases, but there's been a slow creep upward in terms of those core products too. Prices have continued upwards at a tedious but consistent rate, $20 here, $40 there, particularly for CPUs and motherboards, generation after generation.

In fact, it's such an accepted thing in our industry that we praise manufacturers when they keep the recommended retail pricing the same as last year's model. Or at least when they announce a product launching like that, only for it to increase by $200 at retail due to stock demand. The problem is, we don't go: "Hang on a minute, how do you have the ROI to manage that to begin with?" Instead, we go: "Awh, how kind? They understand the current inflationary pressures and are giving us a deal".

PC building is fun, but not every custom computer has to be a powerhouse machine. (Image credit: Maingear)

But I digress. We don't have a full-fat Ryzen 3 chip in the 9000 series, and it's not looking likely that we'll get one either. The cheapest Team Red CPU you can currently buy is $245, and that's the 9600X, with the 9600 nowhere in sight after six months. That's not helpful. We need processors that are cheaper, more accessible, and that don't trim back features to encourage you to buy upwards into a chip that you don't actually need.

I always thought it was graphics cards that were the major problem in this field, that the RTX 4060 cost way more than its GTX 660 counterpart back in the day - but ironically those prices have dropped with inflation, and Nvidia continues to support the low-end. Combine that with Intel, now aggressively pursuing that market as well with its Arc GPUs, and it almost feels like that graphics sector is sincerely masking a lot of those price hikes from other categories.

Just imagine it, though. A Ryzen 3 9300X. Four cores, eight threads, 3.5 GHz base clock, 5.0 GHz boost, 32MB of cache, and a 65W TDP, all for $150. Full compliment of 28 PCIe 5.0 lanes, compatibility with all the chipsets, heck, you could lop off the iGPU to save manufacturing costs if you really wanted. What a dream that would be - but one that sadly, remains just that: a dream.

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• Disney and Lucasfilm have finally released the first trailer for Andor season 2
• The critically-acclaimed series will return for its second and final season on April 22
• Its confident first teaser is packed with action, drama, humor, and even an apparent dance number

The first trailer for Andor season 2 has finally been released online – and it's an incredibly confident teaser that suggests we're in for a wild ride with the Star Wars show's second and final season.

Released today (February 24) on Star Wars' YouTube channel and social channels, the 90-second long teaser is absolutely packed with enthralling footage. Before I wax lyrical about everything it shows, though, just wrap your eyeballs around it below. Major spoilers follow for Andor's first season from this point on, so proceed at your own risk!

Aside from the self-congratulatory snippets from a variety of season 1 reviews (I'm not bitter that my Andor season 1 review isn't quoted in it, honest!), the trailer is stuffed with crowd-pleasing character reveals, and lots of explosive action and melodrama.

Indeed, we already knew that Ben Mendelsohn's Orson Krennic would be part of Andor season 2's cast – Mendelsohn previously playing the character in the Disney+ show's movie sequel – one that actually preceded the series' release – Star Wars: Rogue One. It wasn't a secret that Cassian Andor's (played by Diego Luna) android bestie K-2SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk) would feature, either, but it's nonetheless pleasing to see both characters appear as part of season 2's first-look footage.

Cassian's journey continues. The second season of #Andor streams April 22, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/lrUJDwlCG3February 24, 2025

There's plenty more to unpack from the teaser. There are a few shots of the Death Star being built, the titular individual carrying out numerous covert missions for the nascent Rebel Alliance, and more returning characters from season 1 including Adria Arjona's Bix Caleen, Forrest Whittaker's Saw Gerrera, Denise Gough's Dedra Meero, Kyle Soller's Syril Karn, Stellan Skarsgard's Luthen Rael, and Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma. The latter's appearance is particularly interesting, too, as she seems to be enjoying and/or throwing a lavish party. Are we about to see the first musical or dance number in Lucasfilm's iconic galaxy far, far away? It would be a brave move on Disney and Lucasfilm's part but, hey, I wouldn't be against it!

There'll be plenty more information dropping about Andor season 2 in the weeks leading up to its confirmed April 22 debut. For now, here's its plot synopsis: "Season 2 carries [on] the story of Cassian Andor and the emerging rebel alliance over the climactic four years that lead to the discovery of The Death Star and the events of Rogue One... season two will see relationships intensify as the horizon of galactic war draws near. Everyone will be tested and, as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices and conflicting agendas will become profound."

Want even more details on the hit show's return? My dedicated Andor season 2 guide is full of other intel (I definitely didn't enlist the aid of some Bothan spies to acquire it), including its confirmed cast, other story specifics, and why one of the best Disney+ shows won't be getting a third season.

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Leading cybersecurity company AMTSO has just unveiled its "first-ever" standards for VPN testing.

AMTSO, short for Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization, is an NGO established in 2008 to improve the quality of anti-malware testing methods. On February 19, 2025, the experts published the VPN Performance Testing Guidelines to help enhance fair privacy and security for VPN assessments.

Regular security and privacy audits carried out by independent experts have become a common practice among the best VPN providers. Third-party audits are users' guarantee their VPN service does what it claims to be.

New VPN testing guidelines

The recent publication, developed by AMTSO's VPN working group, which includes VPN vendors and testers, is only the first in a series of VPN standard guidelines.

"This first release is an important milestone in our mission to provide testing guidance in the world of privacy and security," said John Hawes, COO of AMTSO. "By setting clear benchmarks, we enable fair comparisons and help users make informed choices when selecting a VPN provider."

AMTSO's VPN testing guidelines include key aspects that testers must check when assessing the software's performance.

These include launch on-boot and auto-connection testing to ensure VPNs activate automatically for maximum protection, kill switch tests to verify that no data leaks occur when the VPN connection drops, check whether VPNs effectively block DNS, IP, and WebRTC leaks, and split tunneling testing.

Did you know?

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According to AMTSO's guidelines, testers should also evaluate how VPN services perform under different network conditions while measuring how well VPNs maintain access to websites.

Virtual private network (VPN) apps have become crucial tools for many people worldwide who want to regain control over their online privacy. A VPN encrypts all users' connections to avoid third-party access and spoofs their IP address to keep their online activities anonymous.

IP spoofing is also why increasingly more people are using streaming VPN services to keep up with their favorite shows while traveling.

Even more notably, VPN usage is soaring for the same reason among citizens living under a restricted internet environment as a censorship-resistant tool. As per ProtonVPN's latest data, 119 countries saw VPN usage spiking throughout 2024.

All this interest in VPN solutions makes it even more crucial to follow a standardized process when assessing these services.

AMTSO is now inviting independent testers and VPN vendors to adopt these guidelines. "Moving forward, the AMTSO VPN Working Group will expand its focus to include malware testing within VPN environments and additional security feature evaluations."