Technology

• Gen Threat Report shows emerging trends in cyberattacks
• Attackers are increasingly involving AI in their attack vectors
• Consumers and businesses alike are being hit harder and more often

Cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging AI technologies to enhance their attacks, experts have warned.

A report from Gen has underlined a growing need for vigilance as scammers integrate voices, images, and videos using AI.

It warned attackers are leveraging the technology to create deepfake videos, often featuring celebrities, to endorse fake cryptocurrency schemes. Scammers have also been spotted exploiting global events and hijacking platforms such as YouTube to run scams, such as the SpaceX Starship integrated flight test (IFT-4) scam, which stole over $1.4 million via fake crypto campaigns.

Cybercriminals expand attacks with AI

Scammers are not just adopting new technologies but also revamping older tactics, the report warns. For instance, the antivirus scam, which was popular in the 2000s, has made a comeback, as cybercriminals now deploy aggressive pop-up alerts mimicking legitimate antivirus programs, falsely claiming the victim’s computer is infected.

These alerts abuse the Windows notification system to appear as credible system messages, urging users to take action by purchasing fake antivirus software. The endgame is to earn commissions through third-party referral programs, while victims are left with a false sense of security.

Scammers are also taking advantage a fluctuating employment market by offering jobs such as promoting goods on social media, which evolve into more sophisticated schemes involving AI-generated voice communications. Victims are convinced to send money, often without realizing they have been duped until it's too late.

The report also reveals that this year has seen a surge in large-scale data breaches, with cybercriminals increasingly focused on stealing digital identities. While buying personal data on the Dark Web remains a popular method, hackers are now turning to more direct techniques such as InfoStealers to access sensitive information.

Cybercriminals are now shifting focus to less protected consumers as companies strengthen their defenses against ransomware attacks. According to Gen telemetry, there was a 24% increase in ransomware attacks targeting consumers in Q2/2024, with India witnessing a staggering 379% rise. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom also saw significant spikes in these attacks.

“We continue to see cybercriminals expand their toolkits with even more uses of AI to strengthen their attacks,” said Siggi Stefnisson, Chief Technology Officer at Gen. “Scammers are cunning and adept at exploiting what is most likely to be on consumers’ minds – whether it has to do with elections, love or financial security."

"Now with AI and other new tech, their schemes are more sophisticated and convincing than ever before. We urge consumers to stay informed and alert. We will continue to keep a watchful eye on the latest threats and provide the latest knowledge and tools needed to be safer despite the evolving threat landscape,” Stefnisson added.

Gen has also continued to strengthen its collaboration with governments worldwide to combat ransomware and provide free decryption tools to victims with the recent release of the Avast DoNex Ransomware Decryptor, designed to help individuals recover from damaging ransomware.

You might also like

• Take a look at the best VPN with antivirus
• This new keylogger uses Microsoft PowerShell scripts to quietly steal sensitive information
• These are the best password managers

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,254 for Nov. 24.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for the Nov. 24 Strands puzzle, No. 266.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for Connections No. 532 for Nov. 24.

Pull off a killer combo with a Street Fighter 2 Arcade 1UP cabinet, discounted to $399 just in time for Black Friday.

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 24.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for Connections: Sports Edition No. 62 for Nov. 24.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

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

NYT Connections today (game #532) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• LURCH
• TRANCE
• TREE
• THING
• TRAY
• REEL
• WEDNESDAY
• JUNGLE
• PITCH
• IDEA
• HEAVE
• PERSON
• BLOND
• HOUSE
• AMBIENT
• PLACE

NYT Connections today (game #532) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Move from side to side
• Green: Subject
• Blue: Hey DJ!
• Purple: [Residue of fire] blank

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #532) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: CAREEN
• GREEN: WHAT A NOUN MIGHT BE
• BLUE: ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC GENRES
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER “ASH”

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

NYT Connections today (game #532) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #532, are…

• YELLOW: CAREEN HEAVE, LURCH, PITCH, REEL
• GREEN: WHAT A NOUN MIGHT BE IDEA, PERSON, PLACE, THING
• BLUE: ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC GENRES AMBIENT, HOUSE, JUNGLE, TRANCE
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER “ASH” BLOND, TRAY, TREE, WEDNESDAY

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Fail

Sigh. My fledgling streak is back to zero again after a mere two victories, and today I don't even have the excuse that it was a particularly difficult day. It wasn't an easy one either, mind, but I'd say this counted as a standard day, rather than anything worse than that.

I managed to solve blue, too, so the fact that I couldn't get any of the others was frustrating. Blue was ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC GENRES with AMBIENT, HOUSE, JUNGLE and TRANCE, so my long-ago past in the clubs of London helped here. But that was as far as it went.

I thought there was an Addams Family connection with WEDNESDAY, THING and LURCH, but this was classic misdirection by the NYT and cost me two guesses as I tried to think of what the fourth could be (TREE? PERSON? I didn't remember the show well enough to know). I then wasted the other two on IDEA, PITCH, REEL as some kind of 'calling cards for an ad agency' type group, but was on the wrong track here too. Still, tomorrow is a new day…

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 23 November, game #531)

• YELLOW: TELLING OF EVENTS ACCOUNT, CHRONICLE, DESCRIPTION, STORY
• GREEN: SECRETED BY TREES GUM, LATEX, RESIN, SAP
• BLUE: THINGS ON STICKS BALL-IN-CUP, CORN DOG, COTTON SWAB, LOLLIPOP
• PURPLE: BLACK OR RED BALANCE SHEET, CHECKERS, LICORICE, ROULETTE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #266) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Start small

NYT Strands today (game #266) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• ROUGE
• ROGUE
• CREW
• RIDE
• PIPER
• DIRE

NYT Strands today (game #266) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• No big deal

NYT Strands today (game #266) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: right, 4th row

Last: left, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #266) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #266, are…

• DEVIL
• SPOON
• DIPPER
• WOMEN
• RASCALS
• FOOT
• LEAGUE
• ROCK
• SPANGRAM: LITTLE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

Now, this is more like it! This is absolutely the hardest Strands puzzle we've had for weeks, in large part because the concept is much more abstract than some of the recent list-items-in-a-specific-category games.

Instead, this is akin to the 'Blank word' groups you regularly get in Connections, with all of these being words that can go after LITTLE: LEAGUE, RASCALS, ROCK, DEVIL, WOMEN and so on. The only ones I don't understand are SPOON and FOOT, but I presume they have some relevance for others and that's just a lack of general knowledge on my part shining through.

Anyway, I solved it in the end, but had to think about it for a while, and didn't really get what the concept was until about halfway through; I kept finding words based on nothing more than looking for letters that often went together, then using the limited options in some corners of the board to get more. It was only when I got RASCALS that it became clear, which led me to the spangram and ultimately success. Good work, NYT.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 23 November, game #265)

• BANG
• HONK
• SIZZLE
• CRASH
• CRUNCH
• JINGLE
• KAPOW
• SPANGRAM: SOUNDEFFECTS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

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

Quordle today (game #1035) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1035) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1035) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1035) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 3.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1035) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• C

• P

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1035) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1035, are…

• CLOTH
• CLAMP
• PETTY
• CHEST

It's very rare that we get a Quordle with only four vowels in total, and indeed only 13 distinct letters across the 20 that are used. If you had C, which appears three times, and T (which appears four) you'll have been on easy street here.

PETTY is arguably the most difficult of the quartet, on account of having a repeated T, but it's hardly an obscure word. My three start words gave me all five letters for two of the answers and four of them for the other two, so it was all rather simple.

The Daily Sequence was even more formulaic in the sense that three of its words began with ST, but the plethora of possible answers here made it a tougher challenge and I needed all but one of my guesses to solve it.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1035) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1035, are…

• STAGE
• STEAM
• GRIPE
• STOVE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1034, Saturday 23 November: AVOID, PLANT, FILET, TWIRL
• Quordle #1033, Friday 22 November: CUTIE, ALOOF, ETUDE, SILLY
• Quordle #1032, Thursday 21 November: RABBI, EAGER, COUGH, BRASH
• Quordle #1031, Wednesday 20 November: MINTY, TOPAZ, BRUSH, LAPEL
• Quordle #1030, Tuesday 19 November: NINJA, PENCE, PAINT, FOIST
• Quordle #1029, Monday 18 November: ASCOT, BRINK, WEIRD, HOMER
• Quordle #1028, Sunday 17 November: STATE, BRAWN, SWORE, URBAN
• Quordle #1027, Saturday 16 November: NOTCH, BENCH, BUSED, FOUND
• Quordle #1026, Friday 15 November: PURER, TRUSS, TORCH, FORUM
• Quordle #1025, Thursday 14 November: EXALT, TASTE, CRONY, CLOUT
• Quordle #1024, Wednesday 13 November: YEARN, ELBOW, SURGE, PINEY
• Quordle #1023, Tuesday 12 November: CHORD, ATTIC, OLIVE, EIGHT
• Quordle #1022, Monday 11 November: COPSE, REGAL, GRUNT, GOODY
• Quordle #1021, Sunday 10 November: GROIN, FAULT, FERRY, SUITE
• Quordle #1020, Saturday 9 November: FLUME, THERE, ATOLL, SANER
• Quordle #1019, Friday 8 November: DELAY, NAVAL, MOLAR, SWARM
• Quordle #1018, Thursday 7 November: REPAY, SYNOD, LOATH, PITHY
• Quordle #1017, Wednesday 6 November: SASSY, DRUID, THREW, SLOSH
• Quordle #1016, Tuesday 5 November: BEGET, AMUSE, STONY, LOUSY
• Quordle #1015, Monday 4 November: CHILL, TACKY, GRAPH, PLAZA

• Stanford scientists are looking to combine SRAM and DRAM
• The new memory type would help solve issues with AI computing
• Gain Cell memory looks to bridge the gap between the two types

The development of more energy-efficient hardware for artificial intelligence (AI) systems is receiving increased support, with a focus on improving memory technology.

A hybrid type of memory that blends the high density of DRAM (Dynamic Random-Access Memory) with the speed of SRAM (Static Random-Access Memory) is at the forefront of this effort.

The project is being led by electrical engineers at Stanford University, with the team’s goal being to create faster, more efficient memory hardware for AI applications that addresses the current limitations in processing power and energy consumption.

Memory, a key AI bottleneck – hybrid gain cell memory to the rescue

This research is being funded under the CHIPS and Science Act, with a recent boost of $16.3 million in US Department of Defense funding to the California-Pacific-Northwest AI Hardware Hub.

AI systems are heavily reliant on hardware that can efficiently move and process large volumes of data. However, moving data between memory and logic unites takes time, which slows down GPUs and leads to increased energy consumption.

As AI models become larger and more complex, these memory bottlenecks become more pronounced. Therefore, faster and denser memory located directly on chips is seen as a potential solution to this problem.

Stanford University’s H.-S. Philip Wong, an electrical engineer and chair of the AI Hardware Hub, emphasizes the importance of memory in making AI hardware more energy efficient.

Wong’s team has turned to a new type of memory design called Gain Cell memory, which combines the advantages of both DRAM and SRAM. The hybrid gain cell offers a middle ground which has the small footprint of DRAM, but it also provides the faster readout speeds characteristic of SRAM.

The key difference in this new design is the use of two transistors—one for writing data and one for reading rather than the capacitor found in traditional DRAM. This allows the gain cell to retain data more reliably and to boost the signal strength when data is read.

Gain Cell memory has faced limitations such as rapid data leakage in silicon-based designs and slower readout speeds in oxide-based designs. However the Stanford team combined a silicon transistor with an indium tin oxide transistor, significantly enhancing the device's performance, offering faster readouts while maintaining a compact footprint.

The new design can hold data for over 5,000 seconds, far longer than traditional DRAM, which needs refreshing every 64 milliseconds. Additionally, the hybrid memory is around 50 times faster than oxide-oxide gain cells.

Wong likens this advancement to transitioning from a basic 3-gear bicycle to a sophisticated 20-gear bicycle, emphasizing that this evolution of memory technology will extend beyond traditional options like DRAM, SRAM, and flash memory. “We want to provide better options so designers can optimize better…it’s an opportunity to rearchitect computers,” Wong said.

Via IEEE

More from TechRadar Pro

• Scientists inch closer to holy grail of memory
• Server DRAM is set to overtake Mobile DRAM this year
• Take a look at the best mini-PCs

Has this fitness question been bugging you for a while? The answer to it isn't as simple as you might think.

While Xfinity is easy to get in Vancouver, we've found a few other internet service providers in the area worth checking out.

Walmart is offering Tineco vacuums for up to half off this Black Friday. That means you can keep your home clean without cleaning out your budget.

In Rose City, you’ll find a bunch of internet service providers, from big national names like Optimum to local favorites like DCTexas.

A 47% reduction takes these wireless Bluetooth buds down to $80.

Stock up on plenty of deals for everyone on your holiday shopping list.

Sustainable mattresses are out there, but you usually have to pay through the nose for your eco-friendliness. Can the Avocado Eco Organic mattress offer an affordable alternative without compromising on quality?

Black Friday is almost here, but retailers like Lego are already offering major discounts and even free gifts with qualifying purchases.

• espresso Display 15 offers FHD screen, 300 nits, 99% sRGB
• Stand+ provides flexible height adjustment and magnetic attachment
• Glide software enables seamless automatic multi-screen arrangement

Using dual screens is an effective, and proven way to boost productivity for many of us - and now, Espresso Displays, an Australian company specializing in portable monitors, has introduced a new product that simplifies adding a second screen to any laptop.

The bundle features a magnetic stand that will allow you to position the display alongside your laptop, or above it.

The espresso Display 15 features a 15.6-inch LCD screen with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution with 16.8 million colors and 99% sRGB color coverage. With a brightness of 300 nits and a contrast ratio of 1000:1, the screen should provide consistent image quality, suitable for work tasks and content viewing. The display is super-slim, measuring only 0.2 inches (5.3 mm), and weighs 865 grams, making it highly portable. It comes with two USB-C ports.

Portrait and landscape modes

Stand+ is built from durable aerospace-grade aluminum and includes rubber pads to ensure stability on various surfaces.

The magnetic stand (which is compatible with other espresso displays) offers variable height adjustment and will allow the screen to be used in both portrait and landscape modes, providing flexibility for different workspace setups. Stand+ is also designed for easy attachment and detachment, which espresso says will help users transition seamlessly between tasks.

In addition to the new hardware, espresso Displays has introduced a software tool called Glide, which is part of its multi-screen management system, espresso Flow.

Glide offers automatic digital screen arrangement by detecting the physical location of the espresso Display in relation to a laptop. This removes the need for manual adjustments, as users can simply move their cursor across screens.

espresso Display 15 and Stand+ are available for $299 and currently come with a free case and protector. If you want to buy just the Stand+ that will set you back $69. We reviewed an earlier version of espresso Displays' portable monitor, and you can see what we thought of it here.

(Image credit: espresso Displays) More from TechRadar Pro

• We've rounded up the best monitors for photo editing on the market today
• We're also tracking all the best Black Friday portable monitor deals you can get right now
• Is this the first true wireless monitor ever?