Technology

Research from Searchlight Cyber has shown the number of ransomware groups that operated in the first half of 2024 rose to 73, up from 46 in the same period of 2023. The findings suggest law enforcement’s efforts to curb cyber criminal groups have seen some success, especially in disrupting the operations of notorious group BlackCat, which has since dissolved.

Groups were targeted by law enforcement in ‘Operation Cronos’, which facilitated the arrests of two people, took down 28 servers, obtained 1,000 decryption keys, and froze 200 crypto accounts - all linked to the infamous LockBit organization.

Although the number of groups has risen, the number of victims has fallen, which indicates a potential diversification rather than growth of ransomware groups. Other Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) groups such as RansomHub and BlackBasta have become more active, complicating the landscape for cyber security.

Persistent threats

The disruptions of cyber criminal activities should not be mistaken for the conclusion of operations. New organizations such as DarkVault and APT73 are expected to become more prolific in the near future.

Head of Threat Intelligence at Searchlight Cyber, Luke Donovan comments, “As we've seen in the first half of 2024, the ransomware landscape is not just expanding, it's fragmenting. With over 70 active ransomware groups now in operation, the ransomware landscape is becoming more complex for cybersecurity professionals to navigate.”

He adds, “The diversification we're witnessing means that smaller, lesser-known groups can emerge rapidly and execute highly targeted attacks.”

Recently, groups like Qilin have caused serious damage attacking NHS hospitals, which affected surgeries and transplants. The risks posed by these threat actors is illustrated in their willingness to attack high-impact targets in order to leverage as much ransom as possible.

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Applications determined by Google to be not secure enough will have Workspace access disabled as of September 30.

Google’s previously announced cutoff for “less secure apps” (LSA) aims to lower the number of third-party applications that do not use secure authorization from Workspace accounts.

Only third-party applications that use OAuth will be trusted to remain connected to Workspace.

Admins beware

OAuth is an authorization protocol that allows you to use third-party applications without sharing your credentials with them, by providing an authorization token to allow interaction.

Google’s intention behind the cutoff of LSAs is to reduce the number of third-party apps that have access to your username and password to prevent attackers that compromise your credentials from having easy access to your account and networks.

As a result, CalDAV, CardDAV, IMAP, POP and Google Sync will all require OAuth to use, rather than just a password. Those using Thunderbird, the mail app for iOS or MacOS, or Outlook for Mac will simply need to re-add your account and sign in using Google with OAuth.

“Admins will need to push a Google Account using their MDM provider, which will re-add their Google accounts to iOS devices using OAuth,” Google said in the announcement.

For those using Outlook 2016 or earlier, it’s time to upgrade to Microsoft 365, as it will be impossible to log in to older versions of Outlook without OAuth. Similarly, any third-party application that does not use OAuth will no longer work, so you may need to consider an alternative app.

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What if I told you that there was a way to make the quality of movies and TV shows you watch through the best streaming services better, even if your Wi-Fi isn’t the greatest? It sounds ideal, right? Well, I've got some good news and bad news…

The good news is that the next-gen video codec, Versatile Video Codec (VVC), also known as H.266, has arrived in Intel’s latest chips (as reported by FlatpanelsHD). The bad news? These chips, which are part of the Intel Core 200 series launched at IFA 2024 (also known as Lunar Lake, which are set to do battle with AMD and Qualcomm), are coming first to a range of "AI PC’s" from the likes of Lenovo, Asus, Acer, Dell, Samsung and more at the end of September 2024. 

While no official announcement has been made about when these chips will arrive in TVs, we're hopeful that it will eventually, because it would improve video encoding by making it more efficient, which would result in better quality video streaming, even for those with sub-par Wi-Fi strength. The unfortunate reality, however, is that we’re unlikely to see VVC in TVs any time soon. 

We'd love to see the VVC codec available on 4K and 8K TVs, such as the 8K Samsung QN900D pictured here.  (Image credit: Future)

Currently, TVs use the older High Efficiency Video Encoding (HEVC), or H.265, and in some cases the higher quality AOMedia Video 1 (AV1) video codec. These video codecs compress video files to make them easier to send over the internet, with the AV1 offering higher efficiency and better video quality over lower bitrates, which results in smoother streaming. But, AV1 does perform at a slower speed and have longer encoding times due to its complex algorithms. 

HEVC has been in use on TVs for years and AV1 was eventually introduced first to 8K TVs – like the best 8K TVs – in 2020 and then in 4K TVs in 2021. Some of the best TVs from the likes of Sony and Samsung also support it, while others continued to use HEVC. With that being said, just how much better could VVC be and what impact could it make?

A hope for the future of streaming 

According to the report by FlatpanelsHD, VVC has been found to offer 30-50% more compression efficiency than HEVC and 10-20% more than AV1 at 4K resolution. Meanwhile, with 8K resolution, VVC is said to offer 50-60% more efficiency than HEVC and 20-30% more than AV1. Bitmovin tested HEVC against VVC on its own Bitmovin Player app and found that VVC performed better with faster moving scenes and showed more detailing when compared with the same scene via the HEVC codec. 

This reduction in bitrate means that higher quality videos can be played back without taking up as much data, which once again means people with weaker Wi-Fi can still enjoy high-quality 4K and 8K (when it becomes available) streaming. But, it also should mean an improvement in performance, with less buffering for those with slower Wi-Fi as well. Plus, it’s great news for streaming services as the improved efficiency of VVC means less bandwidth costs, which will likely be welcomed with open arms. 

The VVC codec should increase encoding efficiency, resulting in better quality streaming on sites like Netflix.  (Image credit: Thomas Trutschel)

One of the most frustrating things about streaming is the sometimes inconsistent video quality. If you’re watching one of the best Netflix movies, for example, the last thing you want is a drop in quality, resulting in fuzzy textures and washed out colors and contrast. 

As I discovered when I tested Blu-ray vs Netflix and Disney Plus, streaming already has a disadvantage, usually topping out at a bitrate of 25Mbps during a 4K stream (Apple TV Plus can do 40Mbps), compared to a 4K Blu-ray, which runs at about 128Mbps. This means 4K streams run at about the same quality as a HD (1080p) Blu-ray, so imagine that being affected even further by a less efficient codec. The implementation of VVC won’t automatically mean 4K streaming is as high a quality as 4K Blu-ray, but it could at least make 4K, and even 8K streaming in future, a better experience. 

Worth the wait  

Although it is estimated that it could be a while before we see VVC implemented fully across TVs and streaming platforms, potentially years, VVC on the surface looks like it will be worth the wait. With streaming service prices consistently rising, with the likes of Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu increasing prices, another expected Netflix price hike and Max also raising its own prices just to name a few examples, the least we can expect is consistent performance and quality. 

With the VVC codec, it sounds like we could be heading in the right direction. General tests have found that its higher efficiency over the HEVC are significant and although it’s a closer competition between AV1 and VVC (according to reports from WinXDVD) , VVC looks more likely to be adopted by TVs in future, which is good news for streaming services looking to improve efficiency and in turn costs. 

Intel announced the new Lunar Lake series of chips at Computex 2024 in June.  (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

This is of course excellent news for users as well. If you’re sitting at home with one of the best OLED TVs, you’re going to want the best quality possible when streaming. So, although it may not be on the horizon just yet, the integration into Intel’s Lunar Lake chips is a good sign of wider commercial use and that hopefully mean TVs are next. Now, we play the waiting game. 

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The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has reportedly stepped up its antitrust investigation into Nvidia, according to Bloomberg.

Now, the DOJ has issued subpoenas to gather evidence that the AI chip giant could be engaging in business practices that enable it to monopolize the market.

The investigation addresses concerns that Nvidia could be preventing competition by making it difficult for customers to adopt rival products.

Nvidia is under the antitrust microscope

Bloomberg cites unnamed sources familiar with the matter who claim that the DOJ, which previously sent out questionnaires, is now sending legally binding requests for information.

Moreover, the DOJ also has its eyes on Nvidia’s acquisition of RunAI, an AI computing management software company. Concerns are raised that the merger could further inhibit competition.

Nvidia’s success has been largely thanks to the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence – its powerful chips have proven instrumental in setting up and maintaining high-performance AI datacenters. The company currently has a market cap of $2.02 trillion, after peaking at more than $3 trillion earlier this year and temporarily becoming the world’s most valuable company.

While companies like Intel and AMD have introduced their own products, Nvidia’s early and strong entry to the market positioned it well for future growth.

The dominating chipmaker isn’t only facing scrutiny in the US – French antitrust regulators have also launched an investigation as part of a broader look into the cloud computing market, and the EU is reportedly examining Nvidia’s business practices.

TechRadar Pro has asked Nvidia to comment on ongoing investigatory work, and we'll be sure to update this story with a response if we receive one.

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Cyber attacks exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities have historically been something of a worst-case scenario — a surprise attack that cannot be readily predicted. But while zero days used to be fairly rare, they are now becoming increasingly prevalent.

In two of the last three years, more of the mass compromise events Rapid7 analyzed arose from zero-day vulnerabilities than from new n-day exploits. And over the past year, major incidents involving vulnerabilities in Progress MOVEit Transfer, Barracuda ESG, Ivanti Connect Secure, and Fortra GoAnywhere MFT have underscored this trend.

As the scope of zero-day attacks grows, organizations must quickly familiarize themselves with the greatest threats and ensure they have proactive controls in place to mitigate risk.

Trends behind the rise in zero day exploits

Zero-day attacks can lead to severe consequences, including system compromises, network downtime, and substantial financial losses. However, the expertise and resources required have previously limited their use.

Discovering a new exploit requires research time and technical skill, making them the providence of more well-resourced threat groups either able to uncover the vulnerability or purchase exclusive exploits from brokers on the dark web.

But now we are seeing a distinct shift to zero days being deployed in widespread attacks — incidents where previously unknown vulnerabilities are exploited by a single skilled adversary hitting a large vulnerable target population with an orchestrated, timed attack.

Our research found that in 2023, more than half (53%) of the new widespread threat vulnerabilities were exploited as zero days, marking an increase from the previous year and a return to the high levels of zero-day exploitation seen in 2021.

Several factors are contributing to this rise. Because zero days can enable threat actors to pull off hugely profitable attacks, some threat groups are willing to pay vast sums to get their hands on new discoveries.

Rapid7 researchers have seen exploits for common enterprise tools like VPNs offered for $100K or more each on dark web forums, a powerful incentive for well-resourced cybercriminal gangs looking to increase their profits. With established threat groups taking in eight figures for large, global attack campaigns, it’s plausible that they may be able to comfortably afford the investment, bolstering a thriving underground economy.

Additionally, many of these vulnerabilities arise from simpler, easily exploitable root causes, such as command injection and improper authentication issues. These are often quicker and easier for attackers to exploit compared to more complex vulnerabilities like memory corruption flaws.

For example, vulnerabilities in Barracuda ESG and Fortra GoAnywhere MFT arose from command injection issues. Similarly, improper authentication issues have been central to many attacks on network edge devices.

Why network edge devices are at high risk

In tandem with the growing volume of CVEs and zero-day exploitation, cybercriminals have increasingly exploited network edge devices like routers, firewalls, VPNs, security gateways, and network appliances.

Edge devices present attractive targets due to their critical role in managing data flow and access. Once compromised, attackers can gain a foothold within the network, potentially allowing them to move laterally and escalate their privileges. But while they have always been a popular target, we are now seeing evidence that edge devices are increasingly being targeted en masse, with exploits that affect hundreds of organizations at a time.

Our research found that mass compromise events stemming from the exploitation of network edge devices have almost doubled since the start of 2023, with state-sponsored adversaries and ransomware groups alike racing to weaponize both new and known flaws in these technologies. High-profile ransomware groups like Cl0p, Akira, LockBit, and more have leveraged network edge device vulnerabilities in recent attacks.

Notably, 36% of widely exploited vulnerabilities occurred in network perimeter technologies. Over the last three years, more than 60% of network edge vulnerabilities have also been exploited as zero days, highlighting the value these devices offer threat groups looking to infiltrate networks in order to achieve their objectives.

Incidents involving vulnerabilities in network edge technologies, such as Citrix NetScaler ADC/Gateway, and Cisco ASA, have had significant impacts, leading to widespread compromises and service disruptions. For example, the zero-day exploitation of Barracuda Networks’s Email Security Gateway (ESG) eventually drove the company to recommend that users completely decommission some physical devices.

Proactive steps to prepare for the threat

The growing prevalence of zero-day exploits is a trend no company can ignore. Fortunately, there are multiple steps organizations can take to improve their resilience against these threats when they appear. The tried-and-true layered security strategy is key to mitigating risk. However, the growing prevalence of zero-day attacks means organizations must implement any missing controls urgently.

Frequent security assessments are important here, as they will enable security teams to build an accurate picture of what systems are most at risk. While it is not always possible to predict when a new exploit will appear, a solid understanding of the network will allow teams to understand the risks and best course of action for response.

Alongside this, regular patching and robust vulnerability management are essential. Closing off new exploit paths as soon as fixes are available will shrink the opportunity for a potential attack. Addressing other known vulnerabilities in the system will also mean fewer options are available for attackers. Patching activity should also prioritize high-value systems like network edge devices and file transfer solutions, which are prime targets for exploitation.

Finally, organizations must also be ready to act quickly when an attack does occur. Security teams can still be equipped to rapidly respond to a new attack, even if the individual exploit is initially unknown. Advanced threat detection tools, along with robust logging and monitoring capabilities, are critical for detecting indicators of compromise and attacker follow-on behavior.

The importance of MFA

Along with other proactive measures, multi-factor authentication (MFA) plays a crucial role in securing networks by adding an extra layer of protection beyond passwords. While zero-day attacks will incorporate novel exploits, many threat actors still rely on standard methods like stolen or reused credentials to execute their attacks.

Implementing MFA can contribute to security defences by reducing the risk of unauthorised access, as attackers need more than just a stolen password to breach systems. For internet-facing systems, properly implemented and enforced MFA ensures that even if credentials are compromised, additional authentication steps may be able to prevent immediate access to critical systems.

It’s not only important to have MFA implemented throughout the organization, that implementation must also be properly enforced. Sadly, 41% of incidents Rapid7 services teams responded to in 2023 were due to missing or unenforced MFA on internet-facing systems, especially on VPNs and virtual desktop infrastructure. For example, an organization may have MFA in place, but sometimes a large group of employees is placed in an MFA bypass group for convenience. So, while on paper the whole company is protected by MFA, in practice the policy is unlikely to be effective.

Remaining resilient in the zero-day surge

Zero-day vulnerabilities pose an escalating threat, and organizations must urgently adopt layered security measures to defend against the attack. There is no time to waste.

While there are multiple routes to improving resilience against zero days, making security changes can often be a painfully slow process, especially when it comes to organization-wide policies like MFA.

Further, attempting to do everything at once can often lead to limited impact — if everything is a priority, then nothing is. Security decision makers must be sure of their priorities, focusing on the issues that will have the biggest impact on resilience.

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

The first trailer for Warner Bros. Pictures' Minecraft movie has arrived – and, as this article's title suggests, I can't decide if it's drop-dead gorgeous or the stuff of nightmares.

Officially titled A Minecraft Movie, the live-action-animation hybrid flick has also blocked out an April 4, 2025 release date in US theaters. Ordinarily, that would be the headline news for a movie adaptation of one of the world's most popular videogame franchises. But, when you watch the 75-second-long teaser trailer below, you'll see why I'm on the fence about how visually spectacular and grotesque it looks.

Let's start with the "holy heck, this looks amazing!" side of things. The cube-based aesthetic that the film's various art departments that authentically captured here is nothing short of breath-taking. I mean, just look at the landscapes that greet four of the movie's intrepid human adventurers between the eight- and nine-second marks. Take in the blocky goodness! The draw distance! The faithful recreations of the creatures that inhabit this universe! Insert the chef's kiss hand gesture emoji here.

But then we come to the goofier and even frightening portion of the trailer for one of 2025's new movies. Where the former is concerned, the blend of live-action performers and their animated world does not look good. At all. Obvious as it is to say, you can just tell that green screen technology, rather than practical effects, has been heavily utilized. As long as it wasn't used, maybe The Volume would've been a better piece of tech to employ for this film.

Kill it with fire (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)

On the latter front – I mean, just look at the pink sheep, via the image above, to see what I mean by its nightmare fuel visuals. There are other examples of... how can I put this politely... unsettling creature designs in A Minecraft Movie, too, such as the dead-eyed Pigmen, the overly expressive llama, and even the fuzzy, almost tactile take on Minecraft's iconic Creepers. I can't be the only person who's getting flashbacks to Sonic the Hedgehog's original and horrifying humanoid design for his first film, right?

Who's been cast in A Minecraft Movie? And what's its story?

Jack Black will play Steve, Minecraft's blue-shirted mascot, in A Minecraft Movie (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)

Stepping away from A Minecraft Movie's visuals for a moment, what is Warner's movie take on the videogame series – one originally developed by Mojang and now owned by Microsoft – actually about?

Here's a plot brief, courtesy of the film's official website: "Four misfits – Garrett 'The Garbage Man Garrison' (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastien Eugene Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers), and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) – find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. 

"To get back home, they’ll have to master this world, and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter Steve (Jack Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world."

A new kind of block-buster. #MinecraftMovie - only in theaters 2025. pic.twitter.com/lmeb1jvLfLSeptember 4, 2024

As the story synopsis confirms, former Aquaman star Momoa and The Super Mario Bros Movie's Bowser voice actor Black are part of its ensemble, as is Myers, who most readers will recognize from Wednesday, Netflix's hugely popular spin on The Addams Family. Just Mercy's Hansen and The Color Purple's Brooks are also part of the main cast, while The White Lotus' Jennifer Coolidge will play a supporting role throughout.

Jared Hess, who's best known for co-writing and co-directing 2004 cult classic Napoleon Dynamite, is A Minecraft Movie's lead filmmaker. Hubble Palmer and Chris Bowman (Masterminds, The Secret Saturdays) have penned its script.

A Minecraft Movie will arrive on April 4, 2025 in the US, and April 2, 2025 in the UK and Australia.

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Post-pandemic, we are witnessing the biggest workplace shift in generations. Some of the major driving forces behind this include changing working habits and an exponential rise in the use of AI. There is a significant amount of noise surrounding AI-driven business apps, but one that is making significant cut through is Microsoft Copilot.

Having recently shed its licensing restrictions to become accessible to all, Copilot is AI-driven assistance that is accessible, affordable and easy to implement in all workplaces worldwide. Yet many business owners and IT decision makers remain in the dark about the many benefits of Copilot and how it can help their business to perform better across the board.

We must work with AI, and not against it, to truly harness its potential and elevate business performance. If we don’t, competitors will, so it is in everyone’s best interest to adopt responsible AI practices into the workplace now in order to stay ahead of the curve. How can Copilot help your business performance?

Copilot has transformative potential to redefine the workplace, and its effects are wide-reaching and impactful.

Integration with existing software

As an established, leading software provider for business, Microsoft Office is already a trusted stalwart in many organizations, from small and medium-sized businesses to enterprises and multinational corporations. For this reason, Microsoft Copilot can be seamlessly integrated into existing Microsoft software, meaning there is minimal upheaval for a business during the rollout phase.

Microsoft Copilot spans across the suite of Office 365 products, whether it be Word, PowerPoint, Excel or Outlook. Copilot’s reach also expands into Teams, the popular office messaging application, which means colleagues can easily collaborate within their teams and with others across a business. Copilot can also run across devices, whether it be mobile apps, iPads or laptops, making it an all-encompassing solution.

Unlocking accessibility and efficiency

Microsoft Copilot’s newfound accessibility is reshaping how individuals and businesses operate, streamlining workflows and boosting productivity. So much of working life is taken over by administrative tasks, whether it be organizing meetings, reading and replying to long email threads, or wading through unnecessary emails.

For example, Copilot has the power to summarize key discussion points raised in a chat and highlight areas where people are aligned and where they disagree. After Teams meetings, takeaways are taken care of too, with action drafting and follow-up meetings now firmly under the jurisdiction of AI. With Copilot, we can shift our efforts to the tasks that really matter.

Fueling creativity

Whether it be a report for a client or an important presentation to the board, starting with a blank canvas can be daunting for everyone. But with Microsoft Copilot, engaging content is just a prompt away. Whether you need some starter ideas or a first draft, Copilot can help when inspiration just isn’t striking.

Not to mention, while Copilot takes care of the time-stealing administrative tasks, workers’ time is freed up to challenge the ordinary and be more creative. A significant burden is taken off employees’ plates and, in exchange, they have more time to explore new terrain, come up with ideas that will make meaningful changes within the business, and see them through.

Taking the next steps

For swathes of businesses, Copilot will be their key first step into the world of AI. But by having this foundation in place, businesses will be better prepared for future technologies. AI isn’t going anywhere, and it will only grow in capability. Preparing employees and business operations for AI now will only impact performance positively in the long-run.

For any business looking for guidance on how to begin their digital transformation journey, partnering with an expert may be the optimum way forward. This is often the fastest way to extract value from AI projects, as tech partners have expertise and resources on tap.

However, it is crucial when choosing a partner that they provide some sort of co-managed service, so tech teams are learning from the AI experts and gaining the knowledge to run the systems themselves. Employees must be effectively trained on Copilot to work in harmony with AI and reap all the rewards it offers. But once this upskilling has been implemented, the possibilities for improving business performance are truly endless.

What’s next for Copilot?

Copilot foreshadows the evolving role of AI, moving towards ‘invisible AI’ that seamlessly integrates into our workflows. While generative AI currently requires human activity to guide prompts, now and into the near future, we can expect to see a greater platform for invisible AI. Once enabled within a business, apps can work in the background on a wide range of different tasks. This transition hints at a future where AI proactively drives innovation and efficiency, revolutionizing how we work.

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

Though it's a familiar setup, there's something very intriguing about the new Netflix show The Perfect Couple. We've got a wealthy family who seem to have it all, a dead body on the beach, and a whole host of shady characters, meaning almost anyone could be guilty. Though it's been done many times before, this kind of whodunnit can be a huge success, as we've seen in recent movies like Knives Out (which is available on Prime Video for those in the UK or Binge in Australia) and its sequel, Glass Onion (on Netflix).

This time, we've got a whole series to figure out just what's going on here. At face value, everything does indeed seem perfect. Amelia (Eve Hewson) is about to marry into the wealthy Nantucket Winbury family, as the long-term partner of Benji (Billy Howle). Enter Nicole Kidman's character, Benji's mother Greer, who is a successful novelist and lives a lavish lifestyle. The family is well known in the community, with the trailer hinting that they're donors to local causes. But while they hide behind a philanthropic nature, there is something going on with Greer, who disapproves of Amelia's arrival into her family.

The gripping new trailer (see below) for what could be one of the best Netflix shows claims that Greer makes visitors sign an NDA, which is not particularly welcoming at best, and very suspicious at worst. We also get a look at some of the other family members, Benji included, and honestly, it's not a family I'd want to marry into. No offense.

What else should we know about The Perfect Couple?

Like many Netflix thrillers, such as these three mystery thrillers with flawless ratings, this new six-part series is based on a bestselling novel of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand. With Greer being a novelist herself, the story plays on fun themes, including a real-life investigation that feels like it was plucked from one of the stories she wrote.

If you don't mind spoiling the ending for yourself before the series arrives on September 5, the book is widely available online and in bookstores. But if you'd rather watch the story play out in front of you, there's an excellent cast joining Nicole Kidman for this one. Dakota Fanning, who was in last week's recommended horror The Watchers, stars as Abby, the groom's sister-in-law.

Elsewhere, there's Liev Schreiber as Greer's husband Tag, Meghann Fahy as the bride's best friend Merritt, and Midsommar's Jack Reynor as the groom's brother, so even though the family may not be perfect, the cast certainly is!

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With every passing day, the number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud apps used by enterprises in the manufacturing sector grows. While commendable, this move also resulted in new avenues that cybercriminals can explore.

This is according to a new report from Netskope Threat Labs, published earlier this week. It claims that cloud app usage has grown significantly, with organizations in the sector now interacting with 24 cloud apps each month, on average.

Of all the different apps, OneDrive seems to be the driving force (pun definitely intended), since its popularity grew from 43% to 58% year-on-year.

Higher risks

When it comes to AI, businesses are also inclined towards Microsoft products. This year, Microsoft Copilot is in the manufacturing top 10 apps. With recent updates to Windows 10, and the increasing adoption of Windows 11, which will grow even further next year when Windows 10 hits EOD, it’s safe to assume that Copilot’s share will only grow.

But with increasing adoption also lurk risks. Roughly a half of all global HTTP/HTTPS malware downloads originate from popular cloud apps, Netskope said, adding that the most popular apps around the world “are also among the top apps in terms of the number of malware downloads.” In fact, OneDrive is the top app being abused for malware delivery in manufacturing, with 22%, twice as much as the second- and third-placed Sharepoint and GitHub, who each have 10%.

Crooks are mostly deploying one of these five malware families: Downloader.Guloader; Infostealer.AgentTesla; Phishing.PhishingX; Trojan.Grandoreiro; and Trojan.RaspberryRobin. For Paolo Passeri, Cyber Intelligence Principal at Netskope, this is interesting, since hackers are mostly interested in flexibility:

“What really caught my eye in this report is the fact that threat actors are diversifying the kind of payload they are delivering to organizations in manufacturing,” he said. “Rather than focusing on specific categories of malware, they prefer to deliver flexible downloaders or remote access tools (GuLoader, AgentTesla, and RaspberryRobin), which can then distribute multiple kinds of payloads depending on the attackers' objectives. Businesses will need to implement strict policies that ensure the safe handling of sensitive data, and regularly monitor cloud traffic for malicious behavior.”

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For IFA 2024, Acer has revealed tons of new products including several new AI-powered Acer Swift AI laptops, a gaming laptop and gaming PC, and – most surprisingly – a brand-new gaming handheld.

Non-gaming Swift AI laptops

There are two main models of the Intel-powered Swift AI laptops: the 14-inch with an Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2) CPU and a 2K OLED display, while the 16-inch comes with a Core Ultra 9 (Series 2) CPU and 3K OLED display. The NPU in both devices is capable of up to 48 TOPS and, according to Acer, up to a whopping 29 hours of video playback for the Swift 14 AI. Pricing will start at $1,199.99 / AU$1,899 for the 14-inch and $1,199.99 / AU$1,999 for the 16-inch, the former launching in September 2024 and the latter model releasing in October 2024 and Q1 2025, respectively.

Meanwhile, there are two other upcoming Swift models: the Swift 14 AI, powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU that features up to 50 TOPS, and the Swift Go 14 AI, equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus CPU with up to 45 TOPS. The former features three display options: the OLED WQXGA, the IPS WQXGA, and the IPS WUXGA. The Swift Go 14 AI will launch in September 2024, starting at $999, and Q4 starting at AU$1,399. The Swift 14 AI will also launch in September 2024 at a starting price of $1,999 and in Q4 2024 at AU$2,799.

All the Swift laptops will have touchpads with an AI Activity Indicator that shows when the NPU is utilized and if Copilot is activated, as well as a 1440p QHD IR webcam. 

Like other AI PCs launched this year, the entire Swift line will have Copilot+ – though they’ll come through free updates later in 2024. These specific laptops will also feature Acer-designed AI apps.

Gaming laptops, a gaming desktop, and a gaming handheld

The Predator Orion 7000 desktop is clearly meant to be a high-end gaming rig with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card and AI-powered DLSS, as well as both fan and liquid cooling systems. No pricing or release information has been revealed as of now, though.

There are also Nitro V 14 and Nitro V 16 gaming laptops. The 14 comes with two display options – a WQXGA (2560 x 1600) or WUXGA (1920x1200) – AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, up to an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. Meanwhile, the 16 features up to an Intel Core i7-14650HX CPU, up to an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, a WQXGA (2500 x 1600) display, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. The Nitro V 14 launches in September 2024 for $1,099 / AU$2,099, while the Nitro V 16 launches in October 2024 starting at $1,299.99 / AU$2,299.

Finally, Acer’s debuting its first PC gaming handheld, the Acer Nitro Blaze 7. The specs are quite impressive, featuring an AMD Ryzen 8040 Series CPU with up to 39 total AI TOPS and AMD Radeon 780M GPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. 

The display itself is a full HD IP touch panel with an impressive 144 Hz refresh rate and boasts AMD FreeSync compatiblity. It uses Windows 11 as the OS, which has so far been mixed in terms of its usability compared to other PC gaming handhelds. No pricing or launch window information has been revealed yet, so stay tuned.

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