Technology

The inconsistent Red Devils travel to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais for this quarterfinal clash.

• Nvidia's unannounced RTX 5060 Ti has a benchmark leak revealing its performance leap over the RTX 4060 Ti
• It is reportedly up to 14% faster using the Vulkan graphics rendering API
• It's expected to be cheaper than its predecessor but may face inflation considering the current GPU market trend

We're still awaiting an official announcement of Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti GPU, which has had several rumors and leaks crop up recently. However, a new leak has given us fresh insight into expectations regarding its performance.

As highlighted by Wccftech, a new Geekbench 6 leak indicates that the RTX 5060 Ti is up to 14% faster than its predecessor, the RTX 4060 Ti. These benchmarks were done in both OpenCL and Vulkan: the latter is a popular graphics rendering API used across several games, and the upcoming Blackwell GPU scored an impressive 140,147 points using it.

As evident in the benchmark results, the RTX 4060 Ti scored 122,534 points in Vulkan, making its successor 13% faster - and while this may not be a significant margin, the new GPU is purported to be the cheaper option with both 16GB and 8GB models.

It's also worth noting that all RTX 5000 series GPUs have the advantage of Nvidia’s new Multi-Frame Generation over the previous gen, granting a better frame interpolation (additional AI-generated frames in between original rendered frames) experience. It certainly isn't perfect, especially with recent driver complications, but the feature will come in handy for gamers once all is back in shape again.

The rumored 16GB VRAM capacity may be a baffling one: the RTX 5070 (which is the higher tier GPU) offers 12GB of VRAM with a 192-bit memory bus, while the RTX 5060 Ti, is expected to have 16GB of VRAM with a 128-bit memory bus. It's total speculation, but the VRAM differences could be due to the memory bus differences, with the RTX 5070's 192-bit memory bus having much better memory bandwidth and therefore being able to manage with only 12GB of VRAM.

However, none of these rumors will change the fact that the GPU market is arguably in its worst state ever. So, even if the RTX 5060 Ti ends up cheaper than its predecessor, there's no guarantee it will stay at retail price.

(Image credit: Nvidia) None of this will be relevant, if the RTX 5060 Ti can't stay at launch price

Regardless of its potential performance leap over its previous gen counterpart, the price of the RTX 5060 Ti will be the dealbreaker for many budget gamers: I'm not only referring to its launch price - and I'm hoping the rumored $429 / around £330 / around AU$687 is accurate - but the price of third-party partner cards sold across multiple retailers.

Both Nvidia’s and AMD's new GPU lineups have been met with heavy scrutiny, as nearly none of these GPUs are available to purchase at retail price. This had been happening long before Trump's latest tariffs came into effect, due to low stock and high demand - so the chances of this trend continuing with the RTX 5060 Ti are very high.

It may turn out to be far worse if Nvidia doesn't have a reference card planned for the new GPU: the RTX 5070 Ti notably doesn't have a Founders Edition model, which are cards that are designed and sold directly from Team Green, and it means consumers must rely on third-party retailers selling third-party models. A repeat of this is a potentially dangerous move in a GPU climate where scalpers and inflation are at their worst.

We're supposedly a few weeks away from an official reveal and launch, so we may have our answers sooner rather than later… I just hope Nvidia doesn’t blow this one, because PC gamers are sorely in need of some sensibly-priced solutions.

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For about two decades, traditional microSD cards were the storage solution of choice for portable devices like mobile phones and handheld consoles.

However, the evolution of storage solutions has led to the development of microSD Express, an advancement over its predecessor.

While microSD cards and microSD Express appear the same, their specifications and applications differ. You may be wondering why you haven’t heard about microSD Express – that’s because the technology is not only relatively new, but its adoption has been quite slow.

microSD Express vs microSD card – the basics

microSD Express is an advanced version of microSD that uses PCIe and NVMe interfaces similar to high-end SSD storage solutions to achieve significantly faster transfer speeds of up to 985MB/s.

This storage format was first released by the SD Association in 2019, and since then, several brands have developed cards with guaranteed minimum speeds of 150MB/s, 300MB/s, 450MB/s, or 600MB/s, as indicated by the “E” symbol on the card label. These cards, however, have not seen wide usage until recently, when Nintendo announced plans to use them for expanded storage in the upcoming Switch 2.

On the other hand, a microSD card is a small, removable storage device that has been widely used in smartphones, tablets, cameras, and gaming consoles. Originally launched in 2005, the format has evolved into SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC variants, with capacities up to 2TB.

These cards use the SD interface and are classified based on speed. Most consumer devices today support UHS-I cards, with read speeds up to 100MB/s. Less common UHS-II and UHS-III cards can reach speeds of up to 300MB/s and 600MB/s, respectively.

Speed and performance

The obvious advantage of microSD Express over microSD is transfer speed. Its interfaces enable faster write speeds, allowing for seamless recording and quicker file transfers. Another key benefit is reduced latency, thanks to NVMe technology.

Unlike traditional microSD cards, which rely on older interfaces, microSD Express offers lower response times when accessing data. This leads to faster system responsiveness, especially when opening large files, running applications, or switching between stored media.

Backward compatibility concerns

One major drawback of microSD Express is its lack of full backward compatibility. If you use a microSD Express card in an older device with a traditional microSD slot, the transfer speed drops to UHS-I levels, which can be disappointing. In addition, devices made for microSD Express are exclusive, meaning regular microSD cards will not work in them.

This compatibility issue is clear with the Nintendo Switch 2, which only supports microSD Express cards. Users now need to purchase new storage solutions, even if they have plenty of data on older microSD cards from previous Switch models. This shift has caused frustration among users who expected backward compatibility to be preserved.

Use cases and adoption

microSD Express cards are not designed for all use cases. If you mainly store regular photos and videos on mobile phones or cameras, a standard microSD card will do just fine.

microSD Express shines in scenarios where high-speed data transfer is critical, with one key example being gaming.

Games are data-intensive, and faster read/write speeds reduce load times, improve performance, and make gameplay smoother. This is likely a key reason why the Nintendo Switch 2 adopted microSD Express.

Standard microSD cards often struggle with large files, leading to dropped frames or slow transfers when dealing with high data rates, such as 4K or 8K video. This makes microSD Express especially valuable for filmmakers and content creators.

Cost and availability

That all said, getting a microSD Express card isn’t easy. Few brands currently produce them, and availability may be limited in some regions.

Also, because the technology is still developing and uses more advanced components, microSD Express cards tend to be more expensive. For example, a 1TB microSD Express card from Lexar costs around $200, while a standard 1TB microSD card from the same brand is priced under $70.

Should you upgrade to microSD Express?

Whether to switch to microSD Express depends on your needs and device compatibility. If your device requires it, like the Nintendo Switch 2, then upgrading is necessary. But if your device only supports standard microSD cards, there’s little benefit, as speeds will drop by almost 90%. That said, if low latency is a priority, it may still be worth considering.

For general users who want affordable storage for smartphones, cameras, or other devices, traditional microSD cards remain a practical choice. Professionals working with high-speed applications, may find microSD Express to be a worthwhile investment.

Future of microSD Express

Portable computing devices, including laptops, tablets, and handheld gaming PCs, now use high-grade hardware and often rely on expandable storage for larger apps and media. For example, some mobile phones and cameras can now record in 8K, which puts a lot of pressure on storage performance.

A one-minute 8K video can be as large as 20GB. Saving this to a regular microSD card could take around four minutes, while a microSD Express card could do it in about 30 seconds. That is a significant difference that could drive the adoption of microSD Express.

Still, the future of microSD Express really depends on how many device manufacturers choose to support it. If more consoles, cameras, and portable devices integrate the format, prices may come down and the market could expand.

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A new teaser video shows off three new Razr phones and confirms the reveal date.

• Valve is reportedly ramping up facial interface production
• These parts are essential for VR wearables, suggesting that Valve Deckard is coming soon
• Valve's move could also be teasing future VR headsets beyond Deckard

Nearly six years since the launch of the smash hit Valve Index, it appears the Steam team is gearing up to start making the long-awaited standalone sequel according to new rumors.

Codenamed the Valve Deckard in leaks, the headset was initially believed to have a late 2025 release date, but details were few and far between, suggesting it might slip later.

However, new details from SadlyItsBradley – a source of several VR hardware leaks in the past – suggest that Valve could be steaming ahead with production, as the company has been importing the equipment needed to manufacture VR headset facial interfaces.

In a later post SadleyItsBradley pointed out that Valve has been receiving facial interface shipments since last year – suggesting that this new equipment may not just be to produce Deckard interfaces, but prototype designs for its next VR headset.

Alternatively, this might be an attempt by Valve to avoid some of the increased tariff costs that US President Donald Trump has been horsing around with recently.

FWIW, Valve also received pallet shipments of new facial interfaces (not machinery) since last year from the same companyThe machinery Valve recently received was probably* an injection moulder tweaked to focus on making future gaskets1/3 https://t.co/0qlgi2UcfD pic.twitter.com/D7YweQuRqJApril 10, 2025

Admittedly facial interfaces don’t tell us much about the headset itself, but given they're only used for devices like VR headsets and not anything else in Valve’s hardware line-up (such as a Steam Deck), Valve investing in their production suggests it has plans to make a new VR headset.

And since the Valve Index reportedly exited production sometime last year (via SadlyItsBradley, again) it’s unlikely these interfaces would be for its existing tech.

Valve Deckard could be a wearable Steam Deck (Image credit: Future / Roland Moore-Colyer)

Beyond this latest rumor, other leaks are teasing something special, with Deckard said to not only be a standalone headset (like the Meta Quest 3) but also a wearable Steam Deck that you can use for playing flat games.

Just be prepared for it to be pricey. We’re talking around $1,200 (around £950 / AU$1,950), though this would include a few games in a bundle.

This isn’t as cheap as a Meta Quest 3, but with Steam’s incredible software support the Valve Deckard could be a shoo-in for our best VR headsets list.

It’s worth remembering that all leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt, but with Valve Deckard it feels like where there’s smoke there's likely fire.

We’ll just have to wait and see if that’s the case as we roll through 2025 and the rumored Deckard release date approaches. If Deckard is announced you can sure we’ll be ready to keep you up to date on everything you need to know.

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• Europol follows up on last year's botnet takedown
• It made multiple arrests and home searches
• Some suspects cooperated

In a follow-up to its May 2024 botnet takedown operation codenamed Operation Endgame, Europol said it made multiple arrests.

Last year, the European law enforcement agency, together with a number of national partners, shut down some of the biggest malware droppers, including IcedID, SystemBC, Pikabot, Smokeloader, and Bumblebee. The operation spanned numerous countries and multiple continents.

Now, in a press release published on the Europol website, it was said that the operation continued, but this time against customers of Smokeloader.

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New actions

Smokeloader is a pay-per-install malware loader, in which cybercriminals pay to use the service (which has already infected numerous devices) and drop their own malware. Europol said criminals used Smokeloader for keylogging, webcam access, ransomware deployment, cryptomining, and more.

“Law enforcement tracked down the customers as they were registered in a database seized during Operation Endgame,” Europol explained, saying these people now faced “house searches, arrest warrants or ‘knock and talks’”.

It did not discuss the number of people involved, but it did say that “several suspects” cooperated with the authorities by facilitating the examination of their digital devices. Several other suspects admitted to have resold the Smokeloader services at a markup.

Just like in Operation Endgame, multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the follow-up, including the FBI, Secret Service, the DoD, DCIS, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Czech police, Danish police, French National Police, Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office, Prosecutor General’s Office Frankfurt am Main – Cyber Crime Center, The Netherlands’ National Investigations and Special Operations, and The Netherlands Police.

The agency also said that the operation has not yet concluded and that “new actions” will soon be announced on the website operation-endgame.com.

“Anyone with information is invited to contact the authorities through this website,” it said. “In addition, suspects involved in these and other botnets, who have not yet been arrested, will be held directly accountable for their actions.”

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• Nintendo says it wants to "future-proof" the Switch 2 like the original Switch
• Since game sizes are getting bigger, Game-Key Cards will allow for more games on the platform
• Nintendo wants to "make sure that people can be publishing games" on the Switch 2

Nintendo wants to ensure that the Switch 2 is "future-proof", and it's trying to achieve that with its new Game-Key Cards.

In a recent interview with Nintendo Life following the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo of America senior vice president of product development and publishing Nate Bihldorff discussed the company's new Game-Key Cards and how they will allow for more games on the platform, no matter the size.

When asked if Game Keys will be exclusive to third-party titles, Bihldorff said he doesn't know any specific roadmap for who's going to use the keys and that they're "just another way that we can have games on our platform".

"Obviously, there's a finite amount of memory on a game card, and if you happen to be a publisher who has a game that's bigger than that, that would still be a way of you being able to get a retail version of your game onto the system," he explained. "Probably the only way. Game sizes have gotten really big, so [Game Key] is just providing another avenue."

Bihldorff added, "The Switch lasted eight years. We really want to future-proof [Switch 2] and make sure that people can be publishing games on it, and I think that'll speak to that."

Nintendo confirmed after the Switch 2 Direct that Game-Key Cards will contain a download "key" and don't feature the full game data like other physical editions.

We know games like Bravely Default and Street Fighter 6: Year 1-2 Fighters Edition will only have a Game-Card Key, while new titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza will offer standard physical game cards like the original Switch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 officially launches on June 5, 2025, and will cost $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle.

Pre-orders are now live in the UK, but US pre-orders and Canada pre-orders have been delayed as Nintendo assesses the potential impact of tariffs.

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• 180-inch screens from just 4 metres away; designed for up to 200 inches
• AI-powered optimization of compressed streaming video
• HDR-PRO with HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+

BenQ has announced two new 4K projectors as part of its Home Cinema Series: the premium W5850, which is designed for theater-grade large screens; and the W4100i, which promises cinema-grade visuals for home theater rooms to rival the best projectors.

The 2,600 lumen W5 is "designed for the ultimate cinematic experience". It's capable of up to 200-inch screens with a shorter throw ratio of 1.0 to 1.6. That enables it to deliver a 180-inch display from just four meters away.

The W4100i has a 3,200-lumen LED light source, Android TV and AI Cinema Calibration mode, which BenQ says ensures "cinema-grade visuals" from streaming content.

(Image credit: BenQ) BenQ Home Cinema Series: key features

Each of the Home Cinema Series projectors meets key industry standards including 100% DCI-P3, and Delta E<3 (with high-end models such as the W5850 achieving Delta E<2).

There's BenQ's own HDR-PRO technology, which enhances contrast through multi-stage processing – Global Contrast Enhancer, Local Contrast Enhancer, and Dynamic Black – and the tech supports HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+.

There's built in noise reduction to enhance compressed streaming content, and the latest version of BenQ's AI Cinema Mode. This is a real-time image composition analyzer that dynamically adjusts HDR, color saturation and sharpness, significantly improving the appearance of the compressed video content from the major streaming services.

AI processing is big among the best TVs, but hasn't made an impact on projectors much yet – that's clearly starting to change.

Connectivity includes HDMI 2.1, SPDIF and eARC with support Dolby Atmos and 7.1 surround sound. There's also a low-latency Fast Mode that promises a fast 17.9ms response time for movies, sports, and games.

We only have UK pricing so far, with the BenQ W4100i set for a £2,999 (about $3,890 / AU$6,225) price, while the W5850 is set to cost £4,599 (about $5,960 / AU$9,550).

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• US businesses were prime targets for ransomware actors in Q1 2025
• Manufacturing, IT, and services, were particularly hit
• SMBs are a bigger target than enterprises

So far in 2025, US businesses were prime targets for ransomware attackers, taking up almost half of all incidents of that nature this year, according to a new report from threat exposure management platform NordStellar, whose researchers analyzed dark web data to compile the Q1 2025 statistics.

As per the report, there were 2,440 new ransomware cases made public on the dark web, up 84% compared to the same period in 2024 (1,325). Of that number, 990 (41%) were US businesses.

That makes the United States the most affected country globally by far, since second-placed Canada had “only” 105 cases. The UK is third with 74, followed by Germany (56), France (42), and India (42).

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Manufacturing, IT, professional services

According to NordStellar’s cybersecurity expert Vakaris Noreika, this is because the US has plenty of rich business targets: “A high concentration of wealthy businesses with cyber insurance that includes ransom coverage make the US a desirable target for hackers,” Noreika explained.

“The economy of the US is highly digitalized and most businesses depend on interconnected systems, cloud technologies, and remote work environments — all factors that create more opportunities for ransomware attacks to infiltrate.”

Ransomware criminals seem to be particularly interested in businesses in manufacturing, since this industry recorded 273 cases. IT was second with 172 cases, and professional services was third with 116. Surprisingly enough, these are mostly SMBs, not enterprises. Companies with a revenue of $10M-50M, employing 51-200 people, were most-hit in Q1.

Ransomware continues being one of the most destructive and disruptive cybercriminal operations out there. Every day the threat grows, as cybercriminals find new ways to deploy encryptors and abuse AI in their attacks:

“The soaring number of ransomware attacks is more than just a trend — it's an ever-growing threat for businesses worldwide,” Noreika said. “Ransomware groups are getting more sophisticated, exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities faster, and leveraging ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) to expand their reach. Many organizations still struggle with unpatched systems and weak credential security, thus, becoming easy targets. No business, regardless of size, is immune.”

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• People are writing messages to the Sora development team in its image browser
• The requests are mainly begging for new features or changes
• Others are saying thank you for how much fun they’re having with the app

One of my favourite things about Sora, OpenAI’s incredible AI video generator, is that you can see what everybody else around the world is making with it. People generate both still images and video in Sora, and because you can see exactly what they’re creating as one big gallery, you get to have a peek into what the current AI generation trends are.

Of course, the boxed action figure trend is still going strong, and before that it was the Studio Ghibli-style images. But today I noticed that there are a lot of appeals directly to the developers appearing in Sora's image gallery.

These take the form of people holding up notice boards with messages like “Sora team, we need 16:9 image generation!” and “Sora team, we need a stand-alone app!”, begging for new features to be added, or protesting about their image generation policies, in the hope that the Sora team see them.

It’s quite fascinating seeing how people have taken a technology and used it for something completely different to what it’s designed to do.

Protesting to the Sora team about their image policies. (Image credit: OpenAI) Serendipitous innovation

I’m sure there must be a word for taking a technology and using it in unexpected ways that it wasn't intended for, but I can’t think what it is. 'Serendipitous innovation' is quite close, as is 'transmogrification', but they’re not quite there.

Whatever the word is, it’s fascinating to me to see the innovative uses people have come up with for AI.

Of course, there’s no evidence that the Sora team will act on any of these requests, but you’ve got to imagine that they’re always keeping an eye on what people are creating with their software, and it probably will have some influence.

Some people simply want to thank the Sora team. (Image credit: OpenAI) Accessing Sora

Sora works by you first creating an image from a prompt, and then creating a video from a prompt that is based on that image.

Sora isn’t a stand-alone app (which is one of the things people are commonly requesting), it exists only as an option inside ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro in the web browser. When you click on Sora, the whole interface changes and you’re in the video generator app.

If you click on Images you can see all the images that people are creating, and if you click on one, you get to see the actual prompt that they used to create it.

This can be really useful when designing your own prompts, or as people have recently discovered, if you want to try and get a message to the developers to ask for new features.

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• WhatsApp update rolls out new Meta AI chatbot in more countries
• It's represented by a small blue circle in chats and is in chat search too
• Many WhatsApp users aren't happy that the feature isn't removable

If you've been wondering what the mysterious new blue, purple, and green ring symbol in WhatsApp is, you're not alone – and this wider rollout of Meta AI in the messaging app is proving controversial, to say the least.

The new circle or ring in the bottom-right corner of your chats is a shortcut to Meta's AI chatbot, effectively its take on ChatGPT. The feature rolled out in the US and Canada some time ago, but it's recently started arriving in countries across the EU, including the UK and Australia.

Because the EU is something of a heartland for WhatsApp, where the total number of users eclipses those in the US, the feature is back in the limelight – and it isn't proving particularly popular, according to various Reddit threads.

The biggest complaint is that there's no way to turn Meta AI off. It sits prominently in your chat section, looking a bit like a bug, and has also now conveniently been integrated into the chat search bar, which says "Ask Meta AI or Search."

The mysterious Meta AI shortcut button floats in the bottom-right corner of your chats section. Meta AI is also now incorporated in chat search at the top of the section. (Image credit: Meta / Future)

That naturally raises privacy concerns, though Meta has been keen to address them in its Help pages. It says that "your personal messages with friends and family are off limits" and that, while "AIs can read what is shared with them," your "personal messages remain end-to-end encrypted."

That said, your chats with Meta AI aren't encrypted and Meta says, "don't send messages to Meta with information you don’t want it to know."

If you happen to chat with Meta AI, intentionally or not, the best option is to delete the chat afterward. You can do that by going to the chat, swiping left on it, tapping 'more', and hitting 'delete chat'.

Analysis: Get used to it, or prepare to jump ship

Meta AI's capabilities in the WhatsApp app vary by region, with image requests currently possible in some countries but not in others (Image credit: Meta)

Despite some vocal online protests, it's pretty clear that Meta AI isn't going anywhere in WhatsApp. At last year's Meta Connect 2024, Mark Zuckerberg boasted that Meta AI was already one of the world's most-used AI assistants, with almost 500 million monthly active users.

Meta's ticket to increasing that figure is by tapping into WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Meta AI is now based on the new Llama 4 model, which shows that Meta is keen to continually upgrade its assistant and make it a WhatsApp chatbot staple – whether we want it or not.

One Member of the European Parliament has even raised the feature to the Executive Vice-President and Commissioner, questioning whether or not the lack of an option to remove it "aligns with EU rules."

Maybe we'll see Meta in the dock with the EU again soon.

Alongside the lack of a 'disable' option, the other main criticism of Meta AI in WhatsApp is that it simply isn't very good. Having dabbled with it in the app, I've also encountered its limitations. It often misunderstands what you've asked or contradicts itself. For example, I asked if it could analyze images – it asked me to upload one, then said, "I can't understand images yet."

In short, Meta AI still feels a world away from ChatGPT and also starts with the disadvantage that it's been thrust in your face within other apps rather than consciously chosen.

The solution for irked WhatsApp users will be to tolerate it or move to alternatives like Signal – a popular choice for privacy but one that may not be as popular among your friends.

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• Over 100,000 malicious emails were detected and blocked by HMRC
• These were sent between November 2021 and September 2024
• Critical infrastructure remains a top target for cybercriminals

New research has revealed that over 105,000,000 malicious emails have been blocked by HMRC in the last three years, outlining the escalation of cyber threats against the UK Government and critical infrastructure.

This information, obtained through a Freedom of Information request (FOI) by the Parliament Street think tank, shows a surge between November 2022 and October 2023 of 40,346,532, a significant increase from the almost 24,000,000 blocked in the same period the previous year.

Critical infrastructure is proving a seriously attractive target for cyber criminals, especially given the urgency of the services they provide and the rise in geopolitical tensions. Consequences of attacks on these providers can be severe, even life threatening, and over two fifths of critical infrastructure has suffered a cyber breach to date.

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A change in gateway

According to the request, HMRC has changed its supplier of its email ‘gateway’ which blocks and categorizes emails, meaning it can no longer break the information down into malware, phishing, spam, or other categories.

There is a recognition by the Government that this is an urgent issue, with the new Cyber Security Bill introduced to protect critical infrastructure by providing essential IT services, covering over 1,000 providers.

This comes after top security officials labeled Britain “shockingly vulnerable” to cyberattacks, pointing to services like the NHS and national power grid - both using third party vendors that aren’t subject to the stringent security regulations that public institutions must follow.

“These numbers show just how relentless cybercriminals are when it comes to targeting government institutions,” says Andy Ward, SVP International at Absolute Security.

“Security teams need to be able to isolate and shut down compromised systems immediately to stop attacks from spreading. With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated, having the right tools and defences in place is more important than ever to protect the UK’s Government Departments."

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Commentary: The Northern Irish golfer's pursuit of glory at Augusta is this weekend's must-watch sporting spectacle.

Before the rise of AI-driven cyber threats, phishing attempts were often easy to spot. Poor grammar, overly manipulative language, and unsolicited requests were telltale signs of malicious attacks.

With the implementation of offensive AI used by threat actors, these phishing attempts have become harder to identify. While Secure Email Gateways (SEGs) have also implemented defensive AI to combat these threats, these emails are still reaching users’ inboxes.

The AI email security gap

AI and Machine Learning (ML) models in SEGs are primarily trained on historical data, enabling them to recognize phishing patterns. While this retrospective approach is effective for identifying known threats, it struggles to keep pace with rapidly evolving attack techniques. Offensive AI enables threat actors to generate highly professional, industry-specific phishing emails using minimal effort or time investment. These attacks can mimic the jargon and technical terms of targeted sectors, making malicious emails appear legitimate, and allowing them to bypass SEGs.

Despite embracing AI capabilities with open arms, SEGs are still struggling to keep up with these sophisticated phishing attempts. While AI can efficiently identify repetitive patterns and filter out bulk threats, it remains reactive. This gap between offensive and defensive AI leaves organizations vulnerable to novel phishing techniques.

How attackers bypass SEGs

Cybercriminals continuously develop new methods to circumvent SEGs, often manipulating legitimate services or introducing novel techniques that AI models have yet to encounter. Some of the most effective tactics include:

QR codes: Embedding malicious links within QR codes can be challenging for AI systems to analyze automatically. This attack method requires the employee to scan a code on their phone, removing the physical protection on their enterprise systems. The most recent innovative QR code technique involves rotating and embedding one QR code within another so a SEG scanning a QR code will get a different result than a victim who is instructed to scan the code sideways.

Malicious attachments: Disguising harmful links within seemingly benign attachments, such as PDFs or Microsoft Office documents, allows attackers to exploit the trust associated with common business communication.

URL obfuscation or redirection: Threat actors use legitimate services to mask malicious links, redirecting victims to phishing sites.

SEG-encoded links: Since SEGs rewrite incoming email URLs to scan for threats, attackers can embed pre-encoded URLs from other SEGs, tricking security filters into marking them as safe.

Malicious HTML files: Attackers attach malicious HTML files that, when opened, direct users to phishing sites or prompt credential entry.

These various techniques highlight the adaptive nature of phishing threats and techniques employed by threat actors that are used to bypass email security defenses.

The necessity for a strong security culture

As phishing attacks evolve, introducing novel threats that AI tools may not yet recognize, human ingenuity becomes a vital component of a comprehensive, layered defense strategy. This makes the cultivation of a strong security culture within organizations essential. While AI excels at routine pattern recognition and data filtering, human intuition and vigilance remain indispensable for identifying and responding to complex or ambiguous threats.

Building a robust security culture starts with communicating the significance of email security and positioning employees as the first line of defense. Creating a non-punitive environment where staff feel empowered to report suspicious activity is key to enhancing overall security.

This can be achieved by implementing user-friendly reporting tools, enabling quick identification and response to live threats, and offering interactive training sessions tailored to the unique risks faced by the organization. These initiatives ensure employees are equipped with the knowledge to spot and report phishing attempts effectively.

Recognizing and rewarding proactive security behaviors not only boosts engagement but also reinforces the value of individual contributions to organizational safety. By integrating these elements of a strong security culture, organizations can leverage human ingenuity alongside AI-driven defenses to create a formidable, multi-layered approach to threat protection.

Combining the power of AI efficiency and human ingenuity

While defensive AI can offer significant advantages, it is not infallible. The most effective defense against sophisticated phishing attacks combines AI-driven capabilities with human insight. AI excels at managing repetitive tasks and flagging potential issues, but human analysis is crucial for interpreting context, assessing nuances, and making informed decisions in ambiguous situations.

As phishing strategies continue to evolve, organizations must recognize that AI alone is not enough. By investing in a strong security culture that empowers employees to serve as vigilant defenders and complementing this with the power of advanced AI tools, organizations can establish a resilient, multi-layered defense against cyber threats.

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• Adobe’s preparing for the next generation of AI agents
• More autonomy will unlock more creative time
• 75% of Photoshop users now use AI

Adobe has spilled the beans on exactly where it sees agentic AI playing a role in the workforce, and spoiler alert, humans won’t be displaced by the tech despite our concerns.

Described as “tech that’s capable of conversing, acting and solving complex problems,” agentic AI marks the next stage of the artificial intelligence wave, promising more autonomy to free up workers’ time for more productive and creative tasks.

In a blog post, Adobe’s Digital Media business CTO Ely Greenfield noted some of the areas that Adobe’s suite of apps have already seen major improvements with AI and AI agents, but the message remains clear – humans are at the center of creativity.

Adobe wants AI agents to help… not replace… human workers

“We’ve always believed that the single most powerful creative force in the world is the human imagination,” Greenfield commented.

In Acrobat, for example, AI Assistant can understand and interact with documents to help workers process huge amounts of data more efficiently, and custom agents are already on the way for role-specific tasks like research or sales assistants.

Maybe one of the most impressive use cases for Adobe’s AI is for enhancing the existing work of creatives – in Photoshop, users can use the models for context-aware edits like blurring backgrounds and removing people, while the tech also facilities with rough cuts, color adjustment and audio mixing in Premiere Pro.

Boating the generation of “more than 20 billion commercially safe, production-ready assets globally” since Firefly’s launch around two years ago, Adobe claims that more than three in four Photoshop users now use generative AI.

Greenfield also referenced another blog post highlighting Adobe’s creative-friendly approach to artificial intelligence, stressing that user data is “never” used to train Firefly.

Concluding, the CTO highlighted the company’s plans to “help every creator, at every skill level, work across every medium.”

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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections 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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, April 10 (game #669).

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 Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

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 #670) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CITRUS
• CITY
• RED CARPET
• ALL OUT
• AMERICAN
• FLAG
• KART
• BETWEEN
• SUNSHINE
• GALAXY
• LEAFY GREENS
• WORLD
• UBER RATING
• LAND
• STEADY
• SUPPLEMENTS
• TOWN

NYT Connections today (game #670) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Nutrients
• GREEN: Mall names 
• BLUE: Shine on
• PURPLE: Start with something that rhymes with “no”

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 #670) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: SOURCES OF VITAMINS 
• GREEN: PLACES USED IN RETAIL SUFFIXES 
• BLUE: PLACES TO FIND STARS 
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "GO" 

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

NYT Connections today (game #670) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #670, are…

• YELLOW: SOURCES OF VITAMINS CITRUS, LEAFY GREENS, SUNSHINE, SUPPLEMENTS
• GREEN: PLACES USED IN RETAIL SUFFIXES CITY, LAND, TOWN, WORLD
• BLUE: PLACES TO FIND STARS AMERICAN FLAG, GALAXY, RED CARPET, UBER RATING
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "GO" ALL OUT, BETWEEN, KART, STEADY

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

My mistake today came, as for many others I am sure, in thinking that Mario game titles was a common thread. Wrong!

After my bad start I got the four groups in order – I’m on a two-day streak doing this and it’s quite satisfying.

For PLACES TO FIND STARS the giveaway was UBER RATING. Having never thrown up in a car, canceled a ride a minute before they arrived, or given unwanted route instructions I’d consider myself to be a model passenger but I’m still under the magical 4.8 that supposedly results in a better service.

I have no idea what I did wrong to get the score drop – well, apart from insisting I Bluetooth my Polish ambient jazz mix. I get it, everyone has their own music taste, but everyone needs a little Sneaky Jesus, Krzysztof Komeda, and Klawo in their lives.

Plus, I find it makes the journeys go really quickly – the drivers can’t wait for me to leave!

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, 10 April, game #669)

• YELLOW: SHADES OF YELLOW CANARY, GOLD, LEMON, MUSTARD
• GREEN: SUPPLY MINE, RESERVE, STORE, WELL
• BLUE: ANTI-SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS BAH, COAL, GRINCH, NAUGHTY
• PURPLE: SPANISH WORDS ELLA, GUSTO, MAYO, SOY

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.

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