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The official LEGO Group website was hijacked by crypto scammers to promote a fake cryptocurrency.

The false advert for "LEGO coin" promised ‘secret rewards’ for those who bought the currency, and included a ‘buy now’ button which led to a phishing site.

The incident occurred at 3am CET, but LEGO’s Danish head office was quick to remove the message, which was only displayed for around 75 minutes. The toymaker confirmed no customer accounts were compromised, and that the cause has been identified and measures are being implemented to prevent another attack.

A popular scam

" On 5 October 2024 (October 4 evening in the US), an unauthorised banner briefly appeared on LEGO.com," the company's official statement said. "It was quickly removed, and the issue has been resolved. No user accounts have been compromised, and customers can continue shopping as usual. The cause has been identified and we are implementing measures to prevent this from happening again."

The ad appeared as a banner on the Lego site, which redirected visitors to an external marketplace where they could purchase ‘LEGO tokens’ using popular cryptocurrency Ethereum.

Fake cryptocurrencies are frequently used by fraudsters to trick unsuspecting victims out of their money, with ads, posts, or social media messages accounting for the introductions of almost half of the scams.

These mostly come in the form of ‘investment’ opportunities, where victims are encouraged to join fake cryptocurrencies and buy into as much as they can, with some even showing false ‘gains’ or earned money. The scam comes to fruition when victims try to withdraw their money, but are charged extortionate ‘fees’ to do so.

In 2023, this type of fraud stole a staggering $4.57 billion according to the FBI, costing more money than ransomware that year. This has continued into 2024, with the average amount stolen per incident rising by almost 80%, primarily due to bitcoin’s success.

Tech companies have recently teamed up against the scams, providing tools and knowledge to help protect customers from fraud. Tech Against Scams have pledged to share intelligence and help educate people to reduce the amount of successful scams.

Via Engadget

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No-code platforms have revolutionized software development by allowing users without programming skills to create applications through intuitive interfaces. These platforms democratize software creation, making it accessible to a wider audience and offering critical advantages in today's fast-paced business environment by accelerating development and reducing reliance on specialized IT resources.

Originating in the early 2000s with visual programming and rapid application development (RAD) tools, no-code platforms have evolved significantly due to technological advancements and the need for more agile software solutions. Now experiencing unprecedented growth, with Gartner predicting 65% of application development will use no-code or low-code platforms by 2024, these platforms are essential for businesses to adapt, innovate, and streamline operations.

In the midst of this rapid growth, the scope of no-code platforms has expanded beyond the field of application development. Nowadays, no-code platforms are empowering organizations to quickly document, analyze, automate, and optimize processes without requiring extensive coding expertise. This shift of scope is fundamentally altering how businesses approach digital transformation, ushering in a new era of innovation and agility.

Role of no–code and process mining

While digital transformation is undoubtedly a business imperative, achieving it can be difficult. According to a report from McKinsey, 70% of digital transformation initiatives fail. Notably, these failures are often caused by a lack of tools to help inform and support data-driven decisions to continuously optimize end-to-end business processes. In this context, process mining plays a pivotal role, offering insights that inform automation and optimization strategies.

Process mining enables business teams to analyse, monitor and optimise their business processes using data extracted from systems of record. In this way, organizations gain a clear, evidence-based understanding of their processes, far beyond theoretical process models.

The synergy between process mining and no-code platforms is powerful. Together they provide deep process insights and enable the rapid implementation of process improvements, without the need for coding. Armed with this intelligence, organizations manage business processes with greater efficiency, responsiveness and agility.

No-code platforms can provide business users with access to the tools that they need to independently drive organizational change without relying heavily on IT teams.

Democratizing business transformation

A decade ago, process mining was a complex task reserved for technical experts. No-code solutions have democratized process mining, allowing businesses to gain insights, access data and test changes without needing large technical support teams or specialized data scientists. This shift means that organizations can create faster, more efficient business processes, enhancing their agility and flexibility in the digital transformation journey.

Businesses using no-code platforms can explore their data, validate hypotheses and make quicker decisions. The ability to do this independently reduces potential issues, ensuring the entire team maximizes the value of their data and integrates process mining seamlessly into their operations.

The key benefits of no-code

When planning a transition to no-code, there are four key benefits to consider: Accessibility, acceleration, integration, and cost efficiency,

Accessibility: No-code platforms democratize technology. This means it is accessible to employees at all levels. This fosters a collaborative environment that unifies teams and drives innovation.

Acceleration: Most businesses want to drive change with pace. No-code enables them to do this. Significantly accelerating project timelines.

Integration: Seamless integration with existing enterprise software is another major advantage. This enables business leaders to gain deeper insights through built-in connectors, without disrupting daily operations.

Cost reduction: No-code platforms can offer significant cost savings by reducing the need for extensive IT resources and custom development.

Real-world applications

No-code is a proven, effective tool across a diverse range of industries. For example, in finance, no-code process mining tools lead an important digital transformation initiative. The adoption of no-code solutions enables the automation of customer onboarding procedures and other functions such as complaints management.

The no-code approach empowers business teams to independently review, innovate, analyze and recreate processes. This is a priceless level of efficiency that grants organizations an edge over other competitors by being able to adapt quickly, integrate changes with agility and keep the customer in mind. Organizations are also able to manage their business security needs thanks to no-code’s ability to control data, within a private cloud environment, this enables them to stick to strict security and compliance standards.

Will no code tools truly disrupt tech development?

The future of no-code platforms in process mining looks promising. As more organizations recognize the value, the adoption of no-code solutions continues to grow exponentially.

The no-code revolution is not just alive - it's thriving. It’s changing how software is built, transforming entire businesses from the ground up. No-code process mining is empowering organisations to adapt and remain competitive in today’s dynamic markets. The future belongs to those who embrace agility and innovation, and with no-code platforms at the forefront, the race to digital transformation has never been more accessible—or more critical.

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In May 2024, the UK entered the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC) program which brings together supercomputing resources from across 35 countries, including Norway, Turkey and all 27 European Union (EU) member states.

By joining the prestigious program, the UK aims to bolster its scientific and technological leadership, foster international +, and leverage HPC to drive innovation and economic growth – all of which are extremely positive ambitions for the British IT industry. However, membership of the EuroHPC will also accelerate demand for energy in the UK, and this could even advance beyond the nation’s current capabilities. Especially given that the UK has yet to contend with the formidable energy demand surge created by increased use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The Chief Executive Officer of the UK’s National Grid, John Pettigrew, commented that AI will consume 500% more power in the UK during the next decade. This is not just a problem for the UK, but this electrical surge is quickly becoming a global issue. Data centers worldwide consumed 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2022, almost two percentage points of total global electricity demand. With the added power demand for AI, electricity consumption from data centers in the EU in 2026 is predicted to be 30 percent higher than 2023.

According to recent research by Goldman Sachs, AI is set to increase data center power demand by 160% by the end of the decade. This is not unexpected given that Google’s emissions have nearly doubled in the past five years alone thanks to AI. These shocking figures pose questions about the possibility of net-zero emissions by the end of the decade.

The key question remains, how can we sustainably meet this level of demand?

The biggest trends of our time

AI and climate change are two of the most significant and impactful stories of our time, each shaping various aspects of society, the economy, and the environment in profound ways. They are far from being mutually exclusive. AI will doubtless play a role in tackling the challenges of climate change. Yet the power demands of data centers will put pressure on net zero goals.

Equivalent to the need for electricity, the UK also requires access to GPUs as it pushes to become an HPC and AI leader. But innovation must be sustainable to ensure that energy-intensive processes can be carried out with minimal environmental impact, and at no threat to the UK’s energy security.

100% sustainable data centers

The only viable solution is to harness renewable energy to power data centers.

Energy efficient strategies at AI data centers must also be prioritized to enable the UK to keep up without having to pull the plug due to power demand. Sourcing renewable energy to power data centers presents several challenges, primarily revolving around the need for consistent and reliable power supply, high initial investment costs, and the integration of renewable sources into existing infrastructure.

Some renewables like solar and wind are inherently intermittent, necessitating the development of efficient energy storage solutions and grid enhancements to ensure a steady power supply. NexGen Cloud hosts its AI Supercloud in a data center just outside of Oslo, which uses hydroelectric energy to power and cool its infrastructure. Hydroelectric energy is non-intermittent so allows the data center to be powered by around-the-clock clean energy.

Investment and sovereign clouds

Market forces alone are not enough to get us there, direct investment into GPU chips by the UK Government is also key to advancing the nation’s HPC and AI industries.

Government investment in GPU infrastructure is vital, as the current funding significantly lags behind other global players. The UK’s investment in Nvidia GPU chips is dwarfed by the orders from tech giants like Elon Musk’s X and China. According to Pitchbook, $122 billion has been invested in generative AI businesses in the US, while European generative AI businesses have received a comparatively modest $3.8 billion. Disparities like these hamper the UK’s ability to compete in the HPC and AI sectors, necessitating a robust governmental push to scale up GPU availability and infrastructure investment to match international standards.

Additionally, adopting sovereign cloud solutions can help UK businesses access high-powered GPUs while ensuring compliance with data protection laws, thereby enhancing the UK's competitiveness in the global AI market.

Cloud infrastructure is available today to ensure that AI operations can remain compliant with European data sovereignty and privacy regulations by keeping them within the European jurisdiction. By powering our data centers with 100% renewable energy, the UK and EU can significantly mitigate the environmental impact associated with High Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence, thus enabling innovation to continue without jeopardizing the possibility of net-zero by 2030.

Fundamentally, this can provide both the blueprint for how the UK can sustainably support HPC and AI, and become a true global leader in these sectors.

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In an all too predictable turn of events, Salt Typhoon, an infamous Chinese state actor, has reportedly hijacked government systems to breach several American broadband providers and gain access to the interception portals required by US law.

Research by the Wall Street Journal has revealed amongst those breached were US telecoms giants Verizon and AT&T, as well as ISP Lumen Technologies, where hackers may have had access to a ‘vast collection of internet traffic’ for months, including court-ordered wiretaps collected in the name of national security.

The US has long pressured telecoms companies to develop infrastructure for ‘lawful interception’ so that they can access communications from network users, but of course, if the access systems exist, they can be exploited.

All’s fair in love and backdoors

China unequivocally denies the allegations that it uses hackers to access government information, and said that the US has concocted a ‘false narrative’ to frame China in the past.

Salt Typhoon recently hit the headlines for another suspected attack on American ISPs, and due to its name, has been linked to other Chinese state-sponsored groups, all of which Microsoft named ‘typhoon’ - Flax Typhoon, Volt Typhoon, and Brass Typhoon, which are reportedly working in coordination to assist the Chinese government in achieving its geo-political goals, including a possible invasion of Taiwan.

As technology becomes even more integrated in our day-to-day lives, the capacity for surveillance and spyware only expands. Major telecommunications firms are forced to ‘cooperate’ in the name of national security by building backdoors for law enforcement or turn devices into ‘spy machines’.

Regardless of your opinion on your own government using surveillance techniques on its own people, the existence of these access systems mean that they can be compromised by threat actors or tech companies and used without your consent.

The US surveillance machine is not just contained within the states either, as these invasions are often used against foreigners living overseas, meaning no one is out of reach for Big Brother.

To try and mitigate this, we've listed the best VPN services around to help keep your information private.

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This robot mower let me lollygag all summer and I don’t want to say goodbye.

With this October Prime Day deal, you can save on your next meal ordered with Grubhub. But it won't last forever, so act fast.

From the creators of the Persona franchise comes a new fantasy RPG rife with politics and a rich story.

Apple has never spoken of a smart ring or even hinted at the impending existence of one, but if the latest rumors are to be believed, the illusory product is now nothing more than a pipe dream as Apple may have canceled the whole project. If true, it's a mistake.

You only need to wear a smart ring for a few weeks to understand its appeal. Wearables like the Oura Ring and Samsung Galaxy Ring are small, attractive, sleep-friendly, and offer enviable battery life. I started wearing an Oura Ring 3 some months ago, and it's the only technology that I wear 24/7 for days on end (until it needs a charge).

Smart rings offer most of the benefits of smartwatches like the Apple Watch. They track activity, exercise, sleep, blood oxygenation, heart rate, wellness, and more. The lack of a screen, microphones, speakers, and haptic vibrations lowers the distraction level to virtually zero.

It's easy for me to forget I'm wearing the Oura, though I do tend to worry the ring around my finger, endlessly spinning it with my thumb. When I do this, I need to remember to return the ring's indent to the palm side of my hand so that the inside ring sensors are in their best position to track my vitals.

The new Oura Ring 4 is apparently even better prepared for wearers like me who can't stop spinning their rings; the sensors are now spread all around the inner ring.

Still not a smartwatch

Smart Rings aren't perfect. In my case, I can't do certain exercises with them; anything that presses the ring against my finger, like pull-ups, causes pain, so I remove the ring for those routines. That's never been an issue with the Apple Watch.

The low profile and lack of screen and on-device alerts mean I often have no idea what the Oura Ring is tracking. I have to remind myself to check out the Oura app. I don't mind, really, because I also allowed my iPhone's Health App to capture all of my Oura data, so I'm fairly confident that nothing's been missed.

Bloomberg's report claims that Apple is canceling its ring project because it doesn't want to cannibalize the still-growing Apple Watch market. I don't get that. If what I've found can be broadly applied to the wearable market, then there are many people who do not want to wear a smartwatch and screen on their wrist and would appreciate a smart ring from Apple.

I'm not even sure this rumor makes business sense. Over the years, Apple has worked across its categories to fill in the blanks. Don't like a single iPhone option? How about a Pro model or a giant Plus one? EarPods, not your style? Check out these AirPods. Need more noise control? Check out these AirPods Pros. Prefer tablets over smartphones and computers? Here's an iPad. Prefer something small? How about an iPad Mini (version 7 might be coming soon).

Even in the wearable space, Apple has shown a propensity for expanding choices.

This doesn't make sense

Apple is also willing to take big swings. Just look at the Vision Pro. Sure, it's way too expensive and a niche product that's being pitched as the mixed reality experience for everyone. My point, though, is Apple is not timid and has shown little concern about category cannibalization.

If, though, Apple has truly killed the rumored Apple Ring project, it's made a mistake. I guarantee people want an Apple Ring and would love to use it to enable gestures that allow it to control everything from the Vision Pro to their Mac, iPads, and AirPods (tap your thumb and ring finger to pause and play).

Apple fans will gladly pay a premium for Apple's own very Applely take on a smart ring. I'm sure it'll be titanium (for the high-end) and aluminum for everyone else. It'll come in Pro and basic versions, with the basic offering custom skins (or etchings) that you can order printed on the ring before it arrives. Most will pay extra for the Pro because it'll be the one with the gesture control.

The more I think about it, the more I believe that Bloomberg is just plain wrong. There's no way Apple is walking away from this section of the wearable market. An Apple Ring will arrive – maybe as soon as next year. If you believe it, you better put a ring on it.

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Apple has released a new security update for iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 addressing the way accessibility features handle stored passwords, following speculation details could have been accidentally leaked.

The company rarely shares details about security updates it releases, and this time is no exception - so there is much about the vulnerability and the patch we don’t know.

However it is thought the issue might reveal a user's saved passwords in a slightly embarassing way - by reading them out loud.

VoiceOver and Passwords

Entering the domain of speculation, there are two things to keep in mind. Apple has an accessibility feature called VoiceOver. This is a screen reader, built into different Apple products (macOS, tvOS, and more), which the users can bring up to “speak” to the device and have the output spoken back to them. The other important thing here is that with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, the company introduced a native password manager, which it named the Passwords app.

Therefore, the bug could be in either of these two apps, but since Apple did not share the details, it is impossible to know.

Here is what we do know, though: The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2024-44204 and at press time, still did not have a severity score. It is described as a “logic issue” that was fixed with improved validation. It affects these devices:

iPhone XS and later
iPad Pro 13-inch
iPad Pro 12.9-inch third generation and later
iPad Pro 11-inch first generation and later
iPad Air third generation and later
iPad seventh generation and later
iPad mini fifth generation and later

The security community has long considered passwords as an extremely weak way of protecting digital valuables, mostly because users tend to keep the ones provided with the factory settings, or create weak ones that are easily cracked. Instead, they advise setting up passphrases, biometrics, or multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Via The Register

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Windows 11 adoption has been way slower than Microsoft would like, no doubt, and part of the reason for that is that some PCs (particularly older models) can’t upgrade due to system requirements – and if you fall into that boat, the software giant has some simple advice for you: buy a new PC.

Neowin noticed that Microsoft has updated a help document about what it means if you’re using an unsupported version of Windows (spoiler alert: if you’re online at all, it’s a huge security risk), which currently means PCs running Windows 8.1 (or 8) and Windows 7, or earlier.

It’s worth noting, however, that this will also be the case for Windows 10 devices in a year’s time if their owners don’t take any action, as the end of support rolls around for that OS in October 2025.

Microsoft’s article takes the form of a short discussion followed by a FAQ, and the main update applied to the document pertains to the options for staying supported with Windows, with a new choice added here: ‘Recommended: New PC with Windows 11.’

So, this is Microsoft’s primary recommendation if your unsupported PC isn’t up to scratch, hardware-wise, for Windows 11 – get a new computer.

Microsoft elaborates: “Windows 11 is the most current version of Windows. If you have an older PC, we recommend you move to Windows 11 by buying a new PC. Hardware and software have improved a lot, and today’s computers are faster, more powerful, and more secure.”

Then there’s a link to ‘view Windows 11 PCs’ which takes you to Microsoft’s hub which showcases new devices from itself and partners.

(Image credit: Shutterstock/fizkes) Analysis: That enormous landfill blot looming on the horizon

That first (‘recommended’) choice of buying a new PC is not the only option covered in the FAQ, of course. Microsoft also lists a couple of other possibilities, including upgrading your old computer to Windows 11 – maybe via Windows 10 first – but this may not be possible with older PCs. Indeed, a PC running Windows 8 (from pre-2015, when Windows 10 started arriving on new hardware) will very likely not meet the needed system specs for Windows 11 (the CPU will probably be too old, and TPM security requirement may not be met either).

And, in fairness to Microsoft, an upgrade of such an ailing PC to Windows 11 may indeed be relatively impractical (as you’ll likely have to replace a bunch of components – the CPU, the motherboard to get a socket that fits the new CPU, and probably memory too, and maybe more besides). By the time you reach the end of the component shopping list, you may as well be buying a new PC (with a new warranty to boot), and of course some PC owners won’t want to take on such an upgrade, or have the technical knowhow to do so.

So, in this case, Microsoft’s foremost recommendation to get a new PC makes at least some sense – to those with rapidly aging PCs, as frankly, in some scenarios they might not have much choice, particularly if they’re not tech-savvy, or they have a laptop (or all-in-one PC) which can’t be got inside and upgraded anyway.

However, it’s equally true that some folks (perhaps quite a few) could upgrade to Windows 10 (with its lighter system requirements) if not Windows 11, a possibility Microsoft touches on – while simultaneously observing that support runs out in a year for Windows 10, a fairly sizeable caveat. And indeed, therein lies the rub – we must bear in mind that this article’s advice will apply to Windows 10 PC owners next year, when they find themselves in the unsupported boat.

Given that, it’d be nice to see Microsoft working towards a solution in respect of somewhat newer PCs, which goes somewhere down the path of tackling some of the alarming stats we’ve heard about the number of Windows 10 machines heading to landfill in the future. This is a potential environmental disaster that could see hundreds of millions of PCs lumped unceremoniously on the scrapheap.

And ever since those concerns have been raised, we haven’t heard anything from Microsoft as to how they might be mitigated. What Windows 10 users (who can’t, or won’t, upgrade) can do is pay for extended support beyond October 2025 – but that could turn out to be an expensive way to go, particularly beyond the first year if Microsoft’s previous pricing in these schemes is anything to go by.

Logically, then, Microsoft needs to be looking at a way of keeping Windows 10 alive – for those totally blocked by Windows 11’s more demanding requirements on the security front and elsewhere – which works out to be way more cost-friendly for users, in an effort to save what might be a much heavier price to pay for the planet. In short, ‘buy a new PC’ will soon not be the answer we need frontloaded here, and pushing folks to make a purchase of a new computer is already a very dubious first port of call given what we’re facing down the road.

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Hyundai and Waymo have inked a multi-year deal that will see the South Korean automaker implement Waymo's sixth-generation fully autonomous technology into its own purpose built Ioniq 5 robotaxi platform.

We reported last year on Hyundai’s next-gen smart factory that recently opened its doors in Singapore, which was chiefly tasked with producing the Ioniq 5 robotaxi at scale using the latest developments in robotics and AI to automate the process.

Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS, for short), has since passed many of its innovative production methods onto the company’s newest Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Savannah, Georgia, where Waymo’s Ioniq 5 will be built at scale.

There is no word on how large the order is, but Waymo is expanding at a rapid rate, already running an autonomous service in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, with an announcement in the summer of 2023 that it would start testing in Austin, Texas. It plans to roll out a full service in Austin before the end of the year.

Waymo’s decision to opt for Hyundai’s platform will rapidly speed up the rate at which it the company can expand into further territories, as the vehicles will effectively roll off the production line ready to go, rather than having to undergo a series of hardware and software tweaks before they are operational.

Hyundai established a joint venture with autonomous driving specialist Aptiv in 2020, which also gave the manufacturer access to robotaxi and autonomous transport start-up Motional. 

However, Motional announced back in May of this year that it would pause its deployments with ride-hailing firms Uber Technologies and Lyft to focus on hardware development, which Hyundai has effectively now used to forge its latest deal.

Motional says it plans to resume its own robotaxi service in 2026, or when the business model becomes more viable. Allowing Waymo to continue paving the way could provice Hyundai (and Motional) with the perfect springboard to launch their own, revamped services.

Analysis: Robotaxis are all the rage

(Image credit: Hyundai Motor Group)

With Tesla set to unveil its vision of an autonomous ride-hailing service in a glitzy, Hollywood event this week, it appears the driverless taxi is open for business, where the technology leaps from an obscure pilot programme to providing over 100,000 paid driverless rides per week, as is the case with Waymo.

The recent announcement with Hyundai will only assist Waymo in expanding its operations across North America, with the company likely replacing the ageing Jaguar I-Pace vehicles it has been running as part of its partnership with Uber, as well as rolling them out to the wider fleet.

Arguably the biggest loser in the recent deal is Zeekr, which had previously announced a business venture that would see its eCM1s people-carrier platform used in Waymo’s operations.

However, the recent 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese-made EVs imposed by the US government has likely made the deal less lucrative, while news that the US might outright ban any vehicle technology hailing from China is probably the final nail in the coffin.

As a result, Hyundai Motor Group is on a path to become a leading provider of autonomous vehicles to numerous companies, as it looks to rip up the rulebook of what it means to be a ‘legacy automaker’. 

Chang Song, the company’s head of advanced vehicle platform division and software defined vehicle advocate has previously spoken at length of his vision to implement the humble passenger car into a wider network of autonomous and ride-hailing transport services. 

Song believes that by opening up the Group’s software to external developers, the company will create “killer apps” that will not only seamlessly integrate into user’s daily digital lives, but also bring customers flocking to the brand in the future.

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Hundreds of thousands of Comcast users had their data stolen in a third-party ransomware attack and data breach on a third-party partner, the company has confirmed.

Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS) fell prey to an attack from an unknown threat actor in February 2024 which saw sensitive data stolen and systems encrypted, with the hackers then demanding payment in exchange for releasing the decryption key.

When FBCS initially suffered the ransomware attack, the crooks made away with sensitive data on more than four million people, and at first, the firm believed Comcast’s customer data was secure, but after a more thorough investigation, FBCS has concluded it was affected, too.

Comcast and Truist Bank

In total, 237,703 Comcast customers had their sensitive data taken, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and the Comcast account numbers and ID numbers used internally at FBCS.

One intriguing point appears to be that the affected users were apparently Comcast customers around 2021, which is somewhat odd, since FBCS wasn’t a Comcast client at that time, and wouldn't be for another year.

FBCS is a debt collection firm, which Comcast allegedly used until 2020, also offering account management, financial advisory, credit solutions, and payment processing services.

After learning of the incident, Comcast started notifying its customers, and sent out a data breach notification letter, stating it will cover the expenses of identity theft protection services, since the FBCS allegedly cannot afford it. It also said that the firm notified the FBI of the intrusion.

Despite this being a major ransomware attack against a large enterprise, with millions of victims, no threat actor has yet claimed responsibility.

To make matters worse, Comcast was not the only company affected by the FBCS attack. BleepingComputer reports that Truist Bank was also a victim, but this firm did not say how many of its customers lost their data.

Via The Register

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The first paraxanthine-infused coffee succeeds at providing alertness without caffeine’s side effects.

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Ryanair’s ‘Customer Verification Process’ for tickets booked via third party websites has drawn the attention of the country’s Data Protection Commission (DPC).

An affected customer speaking to consumer rights programme Rip Off Britain (via The Register), claimed the stringent process entails “an ID check, facial similarity [checks], [a] liveness check and [a] profile data check”, with some customers opting to write off the cost and book a flight with a different airline upon failing it.

The DPC has indicated that more than one European Union (EU) member state is involved in the inquiry, which will rule on whether Ryanair is keeping to its legal obligations to GDPR specifically, including whether it is being transparent as to how the data is being used, and whether the data is being used within the bounds of EU law.

Ryanair’s data protection DPC case

The perceived wisdom is that the Ryanair is entitled to perform the verification process. In July 2024, a US court ruled that online travel agent (OTA) Booking.com sold Ryanair tickets by accessing the airline’s website “without permission”, and in doing so, made it difficult for the airline to stay in contact with customers.

To this end, a Ryanair spokesperson stressed to The Register the verification process “ensures that these passengers make the necessary security declarations and receive directly all safety and regulatory protocols required when travelling, as legally required.”

They also seemed enthusiastic about settling the legal status of the verification process in court, while damning supposedly unscrupulous OTAs.

"We welcome this DPC inquiry into our Booking Verification process, which protects customers from those few remaining non-approved OTAs, who provide fake customer contact and payment details to cover up the fact that they are overcharging and scamming consumers.”

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