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An exclusive TechRadar investigation into Google’s Chrome Web Store has revealed more than 350 untrustworthy VPN extensions targeting Russian users, with many imitating well-known brands. Combined, these tools have amassed over 218,000 users.

It’s not the first time potentially dangerous VPN extensions have been discovered. Earlier this year, Palo Alto revealed a significant number of dangerous VPN extensions that could leak users’ internet traffic. Alarmingly, we discovered that 89 of those extensions are still active and available.

So, why are there so many shady VPN extensions specifically targeting Russians, and what are the risks of using these low-quality products?

‘A game of whack-a-mole’

In total, we discovered that there are 369 Russian VPN extensions available on Google’s Chrome Web Store that fail basic transparency and professionalism tests.

Almost every single extension we analyzed lists a throwaway, anonymous personal Gmail address rather than a professional developer contact. And it appears these operators are running large clusters of extensions — just 70 developers are responsible for all of the extensions we found, with one email address associated with 24 individual apps.

Nearly three-quarters of these VPNs host their privacy policies on Telegram’s anonymous Telegra.ph platform, which hides the true owner of the service, and almost half (47%) have more reviews than users, which may indicate review manipulation.

Perhaps most egregiously, we found over 120 extensions using a name associated with a legitimate brand.

The most frequently hijacked name was Happ — a custom proxy client widely used in Russia — which was co-opted by more than 15 extensions. Among major international commercial providers, we found seven extensions imitating Windscribe and five impersonating ExpressVPN.

Both companies told TechRadar that they are aware of copycat extensions appearing on the Chrome Web Store and said they frequently ask Google to remove them when they are found.

Cherlynn Cha, Head of Security Operations at ExpressVPN, said that “copycat extensions put people at risk” because they give people a “false sense of security”. The company added that it employs an "enforcement partner” to scour the web for unauthorized use of the company’s name.

However, enforcement can be challenging. Rebecca Rosenberg, Head of Growth at Windscribe, said: “It’s pretty much a game of whack-a-mole now, the copycat is pulled and two more pop up.”

And the data backs that up. One email address we uncovered is linked to 14 apps, with the precise number constantly changing as their extensions are removed and new ones take their place.

Why are unprofessional VPN extensions a threat?

Unlike many other extensions, VPNs have the potential to access a huge amount of sensitive data. In fact, a VPN extension asks “for more access than almost anything else in the store,” Rosenberg said.

A VPN works by encrypting and re-routing your internet connection through one of its servers. While a legitimate VPN improves your digital privacy, it also means you are transferring all your trust from your internet service provider directly to the VPN creator.

In theory, the anonymous developer could see everything your ISP normally monitors. Think: websites visited, time stamps, and your home IP address.

It’s “a lot of trust to hand over," Cha said. Rosenberg added that giving your data “to an anonymous developer with a personal email and a privacy policy that doesn't load is the opposite of privacy”.

(Image credit: Future)Ongoing security concerns

Without detailed dynamic web testing of all the extensions, it’s impossible to know which may be harmful to users and which are purely unprofessional. However, Palo Alto previously found more than 350 apps that were linked to harvesting user data via traffic interception.

In our tests, 89 of these extensions were still available to Russian users, while email addresses associated with the extensions have continued to launch more apps since initial discovery.

One email address — ‘vale99505@gmail[.]com — was first flagged by Palo Alto in July. According to the company’s threat intel notice, the address was associated with extensions that do not provide “typical encrypted protection like reputed VPN extensions”, adding that the “threat actor” running the apps “has access to all communication”.

According to our most recent tests, six extensions linked to this address are still available for download.

At the time of publication, Google had not responded to requests for comment. TechRadar has shared the full list of extensions with the company and will monitor their availability in the coming weeks.

Windscribe said that Google “should absolutely be doing more” to protect its users from encountering untrustworthy VPN extensions on its Chrome Web Store, while ExpressVPN confirmed the company is in favor of “stronger verification for privacy and security tools”.

Stopping the rise of untrustworthy VPN extensions is important for everyone. But it’s no surprise that this specific network is focussed on Russia.

Why target Russians?

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, authorities in Russia have launched an unprecedented crackdown on digital freedom. Thousands of websites have been blocked in the country, including international media, social media and gaming platforms.

In response, VPNs have become a crucial tool for millions of people, which has subsequently prompted coordinated efforts by the government to regulate and restrict access to these vital privacy and security tools.

Most recently, this has included the plan to use AI to detect and block VPN traffic in the country.

In this context, developers looking to make a quick profit may spin up cheap VPN solutions that are poorly designed, entirely fake, or designed to harvest user data to sell to third-party advertisers.

But there’s a darker potential: malicious actors may be intentionally designing VPN extensions to trick Russians into downloading software that can actively monitor their internet browsing behavior.

While there’s no evidence that these extensions are linked to authorities in the country, amid growing concerns about state surveillance and deteriorating internet freedoms, taking extra care when selecting a VPN in Russia today certainly seems sensible.

How to defend yourself today

There are several steps you can take to make sure you’re downloading a legitimate version of a VPN extension:

• Check the developer’s name and website before downloading anything
• Check that the privacy policy is accessible, informative and related to the app
• If you know which VPN you want to download, go straight to the provider’s website
• Look out for the ‘Established Publisher’ badge on the Chrome Web Store
• Check for any unnecessary permissions like ‘geolocation’

It’s worth remembering that a VPN Chrome extension also only protects your activity in your browser. Anything you do outside of the browser won’t be encrypted so it’s worth using a well-respected VPN where possible.

And, like most things, if a product is free, it’s worth being skeptical. As Cherlynn Cha told us: “Be wary of free VPNs. Running a VPN network costs real money. If a service is free and it’s not clear how it makes money, your data may be what’s paying for it.”

How we found shady Russian VPN extensions

We compiled our data using a variety of sources, primarily an in-house web scraping tool that identified VPN extensions on the Google Chrome Web Store targeting Russian-language users. We collected metadata including user counts, developer contact emails, and privacy policy URLs.

We then filtered the dataset to remove legitimate, verified corporate VPN providers. The remaining extensions were analyzed for untrustworthy signals, such as using personal email addresses, unprofessional privacy policies and copying established VPN brands.

We also cross-referenced our data with threat intelligence research published earlier this year by Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 to verify how many malicious extensions previously flagged remained active.

All data and user counts are accurate as of October 12, 2026. Extensions are frequently removed and new copycats are constantly appearing. We continue to monitor their accessibility in the coming weeks.

The Iguazú Falls span more than a mile across both countries. A rain-soaked October, which scientists link to the Super El Niño, has sent near-record volumes of water surging over the towering cliffs.

• Hide.me VPN has introduced a completely redesigned dashboard for both its Android mobile and Android TV applications.
• The powerful SmartGuard feature, designed to block intrusive ads, trackers, and malicious websites, is also now available on the Android TV app.
• This update also brings stability improvements to the WireGuard and SSTP protocols, alongside new speed indicators to help pick the fastest servers.

Hide.me VPN has just rolled out a major update for its Android users, focusing on making its applications cleaner, faster, and much safer to use on the big screen.

The update introduces a completely redesigned dashboard, available across both Android mobile and Android TV. This visual overhaul makes it significantly easier to navigate your connection settings and find the optimal server for your needs with just a few taps.

But the biggest news for avid streamers is the arrival of SmartGuard on the Android TV app.

Previously limited to other platforms, SmartGuard is Hide.me's comprehensive online security tool built specifically to block intrusive ads, stop hidden trackers, and keep you away from malicious websites that can compromise your privacy.

Smart TVs and streaming boxes are notorious for tracking user behavior and monitoring what you watch to serve heavily targeted advertisements. With this update, Android TV users finally get the same robust ad-blocking power that mobile users have enjoyed. It makes it much harder for third-party snoopers and malicious actors to steal your information while you sit on the couch and stream your favorite shows.

WireGuard tweaks and IPv6 support

Hide.me has also bundled several vital technical enhancements into this release to keep your connection as stable and fast as possible.

For starters, fans of the lightning-fast WireGuard protocol will benefit from new stability enhancements and MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) optimization.

In simple terms, this ensures your data encryption remains rock-solid even if your mobile connection is unstable. If you regularly switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data networks while gaming or browsing, these tweaks will help keep your connection drop-free.

Hide.me has also improved its SSTP protocol support by adding hostname and IPv6 global address compatibility. To top it off, the update brings new speed indicators to the dashboard so you can easily identify the fastest servers at a glance, plus the addition of the Korean language to the app's supported list.

How to get the update

If you already have Hide.me installed on your Android smartphone, tablet, or Android TV, this update should roll out automatically depending on your device's auto-update settings.

For new users looking to take the revamped application for a spin, you can download the latest version directly from the Google Play Store. The provider also offers a robust free tier, meaning you can test out its strict no-logs policy and robust encryption without handing over your credit card details.

• New report finds clear mismatch between employer perception and worker sentiment
• Hybrid workers experience the most difficulty with collaboration tools
• Half of workers say they use unapproved tools over workplace software

New research from Ricoh has found businesses to be investing heavily in AI for workers, but those workers aren't exactly experiencing the productivity gains advertised on the tin.

There's a clear mismatch, with 91% over business decision-makers believing their AI investments are delivering the expected value, but one in two (53%) workers actually find those AI tools are creating friction or additional work.

Another half (55%) even go as far as saying the time spent managing poor technology interferes with their productivity.

Workers aren't being given the right AI tools

Ricoh analyzed four key workplace technologies – AI tools, communication and collaboration tools, data access tools and workflow management tools – and found AI to have the least impactful productivity boost.

An overwhelming majority (90%) of decision-makers also feel optimistic about how connected their tools and systems are, and yet three in four (76%) employees are calling out for systems that work better together.

"Fragmented technology, data and workflows create avoidable complexity that many employees are left to navigate themselves,” IDC Workplace Solutions Group VP Amy Loomis explained.

Despite a rise in remote working, just 14% of WFHers feel that they have collaboration difficulties, compared with 16% of office workers. The biggest snag is among hybrid workers (25%), who feel that disconnected systems are making it hard to collaborate with colleagues across multiple environments.

As a result, nearly half (45%) of workers admit to using non-approved tools like shadow AI at least monthly, which Ricoh argues creates a governance nightmare with employers struggling for visibility.

Still, with four in five (81%) decision-makers admitting that they're investing in new technology faster than they support worker adoption, there's a clear recognition that employers are falling short.

"Organizations need to better orchestrate the technology, information and workflows they already have," Ricoh North America Chief Digital Services and Delivery Officer Bob Lamendola explained, urging workplaces to slow down and concentrate on where new tools like AI can actually be useful.

The $849 Mori is designed to respond to your environment, knowing when to play and when to stay quiet.

• BioWare cinematic supervisor Tony de Waal says the now-canceled Mass Effect 5 offered "a level of autonomy and choice that no other game has been able to match"
• The developer says BioWare "saw what Larian and CD Projekt were bringing to the table" with Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 and "started down a path to bring Mass Effect to the next level"
• De Waal also recounts his experience working on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which he called "a herculean effort"

A BioWare developer working on Mass Effect 5 has revealed new details about the now-canceled project, which was seemingly inspired by systems from Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077.

Following the announcement that EA is shutting down BioWare and canceling the next Mass Effect game, former BioWare cinematic supervisor Tony de Waal has spoken up about the plans for the title, revealing that he was among the remaining "50-ish" people at the studio who were laid off, suggesting Mass Effect 5 had a very small production team.

"I was one of the lucky ones who stayed with BioWare to start on the next Mass Effect, where I believe we were making something special: a level of autonomy and choice that no other game has been able to match," De Waal said on LinkedIn (via PC Gamer).

"We saw what Larian and CD Projekt were bringing to the table with their latest offerings, and started down a path to bring Mass Effect to the next level while remaining true to the Trilogy."

De Waal started his career at BioWare "29+ years ago," left after Mass Effect 2's release, but returned in 2021 to "help get what would become Dragon Age: The Veilguard back on track and out the door."

The developer shared some challenges the team encountered along the way with the final Dragon Age entry, saying it was "a herculean effort that tested the limits of even my workaholic mindset" but is "proud of the level of polish we were able to pull off in the Frostbite engine."

"Seriously, you have no idea the craziness going on under the hood of that game to make a variable player character work across 3+ hours of cinematics, and the number of conditions to account for in the scenes towards the end of the game," he added.

Speaking more on Mass Effect 5, De Waal said he's "sad" fans "won't get to see what we were cooking" and "sad for the small, talented group of devs who were all punching above their weight to make something special."

Parent company EA announced major restructuring plans across its studios and in development projects. 400 people have been laid off, including roughly 50 roles at BioWare (via Bloomberg). Now De Waal is one of many out of work.

"Please consider those who stayed with BioWare until the very end. They are truly some of the most talented people I've had the pleasure of working with throughout my career," De Waal added.

"With that, if you need someone who knows cinematic production, blending gameplay with cinematics, the tools, the tech, and has the know-how to realize complicated narratives — a true production expert with nearly three decades of experience who isn't afraid to roll up their sleeves and create content — please think of me. I'm once again looking for the next studio and project where I can use the breadth of my skills to make a difference."

What started off as a dare became a fully fledged app in less than a day

RAM prices are continuing to rise, and while we're a long way from costs returning to normal, I've been tracking down the best savings on the Corsair Vengeance line of DDR5 memory. One that stands out to me right now is this Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5-6000 kit is now $560 (was $626) at Amazon

As a dual-profile kit, it supports AMD EXPO and Intel XMP. But if you’re building or upgrading an AMD Ryzen PC, then DDR5-6000 with CL30 timings is the memory most builders aim for. This Corsair kit nails both numbers.

• Best for: PC builders putting together an AMD Ryzen 7000 or 9000 system who want fast, reliable memory that sets up with one click.

• Why we like it: DDR5-6000 speeds at tight CL30 timings, AMD EXPO and Intel XMP profiles for easy setup, and a low-profile heat spreader that clears big air coolers.

Vengeance 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 CL30: was $625.99 now $559.99
A two-module 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5 kit (model CMK32GX5M2B6000Z30) rated at 6000MT/s with CL30 timings at 1.40V. It supports both AMD EXPO and Intel XMP, and uses a low-profile aluminum heat spreader without RGB lighting.View Deal

Why We Recommend It

Corsair’s Vengeance line is one of the most popular choices among PC builders, and this kit is tuned for AMD, with an EXPO profile that sets it to its full 6000MT/s at CL30 with a single BIOS setting. That speed and latency combination is widely considered the sweet spot for Ryzen 7000 and 9000 processors, although it is a dual-profile kit for Intel PCs, too.

Price Context & Historical Value

Memory prices have climbed sharply over the past year, so $559.99 is far more than a 32GB DDR5 kit cost not long ago. This deal takes the edge off, but with soaring RAM costs expected to last years, this is one of the better RAM deals I've seen for PC builders.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 32GB if... you’re building an AMD Ryzen 7000 or 9000 PC and want memory that runs at its rated speed with one click.

❌ Skip the Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 32GB if... your PC uses DDR4 or you want RGB lighting.

Also consider

Vengence 32GB DDR5-6000 RAM kit: was $545.99 now $509.99
Two 16GB DDR5 modules running at up to 6000MT/s with CL36-44-44-96 timings and AMD Expo and Intel XMP 3.0 support for one-click overclocking. Each module features ten individually addressable RGB LEDs across a panoramic light bar, controllable through Corsair's iCUE software, along with onboard voltage regulation for more stable overclocking.View Deal

• See all desktop memory at Amazon

• First phone with three 200MP cameras
• A 50MP selfie camera completes the ultra-wide (0.6x), wide (1x) and telephoto (3x) array
• A photographer's kit includes a 300mm teleconverter lens

There's yet another Pro Max phone in our midst, and this time it's the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max that rivals the iPhone 18 Pro Max, following the Vivo X500 Pro Max and Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. For photographers, Oppo's new handset could top the lot as one of the best camera phones for 2026.

I had a good week with the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max ahead of its launch on October 21, including several days in Lisbon, Portugal, where I had the chance to really put the phones camera through its paces. Our full review by Luker Baker is already live, too.

It packs a slightly simpler camera array to last year's Oppo Find X9 Ultra — the company's flagship cameraphone — with an improved ultra-wide f/2.2 (0.6x), a wide f/1.5 (1x) and a telephoto f/2.1 (3x) camera.

Each of those cameras offers the option for 200MP images — that's right, it's the first phone with triple 200MP cameras. Of course, there's a f/2 selfie camera too, with up to 50MP stills.

@techradar

♬ Uncasually - Bonobo Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

Video specs impress too — up to 8K / 30fps video with O-Log 2 color profile, 4K up to 120fps, plus Open Gate video. These are formidable photo and video specs, but how good are the images the Find X10 Pro Max produces?

For me, there's an appealing natural look to most of the photos I've snapped with the Find X10 Pro Max, certainly when compared to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. I've included some of my favorite shots so far, below, with notes explaining the camera features.

The Find X10 Pro Max costs £1,499 for the 12GB + 512GB version. It's not sold in the US, while Australia availability is TBC.

Oppo Find X10 Pro Max sample gallery: portrait modeWhen shooting towards the sun, there is lens flare Tim ColemanBut the tones are balanced nicely here — not too vibrant compared to other phones that I've testedTim ColemanI used the 3x lens here. Using portrait mode, the background can be blurred even more in the phone's photo editorTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanI opted for the wide 1x lens for this portait in a tuktukTim ColemanAnd here's the same shot using the 3x lensTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanOppo Find X10 Pro Max sample gallery: zoom rangeThe 0.6x ultra wideTim Coleman1x wide (main camera)Tim ColemanAnd 3x telephotoTim ColemanHere I start at the 1x wideTim ColemanThen the 3x telephotoTim ColemanAnd this is the 6x setting, which is a digital zoom from the 3x telephoto cameraTim ColemanAnother example of using the 6x zoom settingTim ColemanOppo Find X10 Pro Max sample gallery: 300mm teleconverter lensThe 300mm teleconverter lens accessory works with the camera's 3x telephoto camera, which can shoot up to 200MP stills though its f/2.1 lens. The sensor size is 1/1.56-inch, which is slightly smaller than the one in the Find X9 UltraTim ColemanOppo Find X10 Pro Max sample gallery: ultra-wideThe Find X10 Pro Max has one of the best ultra-wide (0.6x / 13mm focal length) cameras I've used in a phoneTim ColemanThe same scene but with the wide (1x main) cameraTim ColemanOppo Find X10 Pro Max sample gallery: general shotsLow light performance is very good, even using the 3x telephoto camera like I have here. Tim ColemanAuto HDR does a good job keeping detail in this scene, without feeling overly processed. Overall, picture quality is very naturalTim ColemanI used the 'Master' mode here, which is Oppo's version of a Pro mode, where I had full control of exposure. I wanted the shadows dark to make the person stepping into the light stand out, so I did negative exposure compensationTim ColemanI did fid lens flare to be an issue at times. In this scene, I would expect it to be better handled given the sun is out of the frameTim ColemanTim ColemanI'm not a fan of the auto HDR in this scene. To my eye, the shadows in the arch were much darker and how I envisaged the scene. Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

• Amazon is launching five new Blink security cameras
• This includes its farthest-reaching camera yet, and its first pan-tilt-zoom device
• All five models are available to preorder in the US, with international availability yet to come

Amazon is refreshing its range of Blink home security cameras with five new models, introducing the company's first-ever 4K, spotlight, and pan-tilt devices, which are now available to preorder in the US.

The first two of Blink’s new models are new additions to its existing XR lineup — one being the walkie-talkie-looking Blink Frontier XR+, a device built for larger homes in remote locations and the company’s ‘farthest-reaching camera yet’. It’s available to preorder in the US now for $199.99, which includes a Sync Module XR+.

(Image credit: Amazon / Blink )

Unlike standard homes, properties with long driveways and surrounding land, or even job sites that are far out from the main building are more difficult to surveil. Amazon has designed the Blink Frontier XR+ to reach these faraway areas without it having to be close to the main hub, and can reach areas up to 7,000 feet away from the main hub with a clear line of sight, but requires a Sync Module XR+ to achieve this.

The other device coming to the XR lineup is the new Blink Outdoor 2K XR+, which also requires a Sync Module XR to push beyond standard Wi-Fi range. Blending 2K video with 1080p resolution, the camera packs a 115-degree field of view and can reach 800 feet away from the Sync Module XR with obstruction, or up to 2,700 feet with nothing in the way.

Likewise to the Blink Frontier XR+, the Outdoor 2K XR+ is handy for keeping an eye out on extended driveways and gates, and can be preordered now for $149.99 (which also includes a Sync Module XR).

(Image credit: Amazon / Blink)

Not only is Blink launching its farthest-reaching camera, it’s also releasing its inaugural 4K device. The Blink Mini 4K+ ($79.99) is a compact model built for both indoor and outdoor use, fitted with a 115-degree field of view and dual-band Wi-Fi 6 that’s ‘built to capture detail that lower-resolution cameras miss’, Amazon shares.

While it packs standard home security features such as two-way audio, you’ll need to sign up for a compatible Blink subscription plan to take advantage of features such as Smart Alerts with person and vehicle detection.

The new $109.99 Blink Spotlight Cam 2K+ marks another first for the maker of the best home security cameras, being its first battery-powered spotlight camera that uses hi-res video and built-in illumination to boost surveillance quality after dark. Its wireless setup gives you more flexibility placement-wise, allowing you to place it in the areas you feel need added surveillance.

(Image credit: Amazon / Blink)

Lastly, Blink is launching its first pan-tilt-zoom device with the Mini Pan-Tilt 2K+, the cheapest model in the new lineup at $49.99. Designed for both indoor and outdoor monitoring, Blink’s first pan-tilt camera has 350-degree pan and 115-degree tilt for wide viewing angles, but it doesn’t just capture a static frame — it follows action at the same time. That said, if you want to use it outdoors, you’ll need a Blink Camera Outdoor Adapter, which is sold separately.

(Image credit: Amazon / Blink)

As mentioned, all five devices are available to preorder in the US now, and customers in Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand can also preorder the Blink Mini 4K+ and Blink Mini Pan-Tilt 2K+. As for the Blink Frontier XR+, Blink Outdoor 2K XR+, and Blink Spotlight Cam 2K+, these will be available in Canada, but we don’t know when they will be available internationally.

Apple’s first foldable has a lot going for it, but there may be some compromises you aren’t expecting. See for yourself if the Duo is for you.

• A major PHP vulnerability has affected scores of websites
• Many popular sites have gone offline or restricted their operations
• Government sites across Europe have also been affected

A major flaw found in the PHP coding language that powers an untold number of websites across the internet has seen scores of sites taken offline as they attempt to patch out the severe vulnerability.

If you’ve found your favorite website has been unavailable over the last few days, there’s a chance it’s related to this security incident.

Here, we’ve put together a list of as many affected websites as we can find, along with reasoning given by the sites where possible. You can also follow all the latest news in our PHP crisis liveblog.

Global sites1. Wikimedia / Wikipedia

(Image credit: Wikimedia / @oscarmike88)

The Wikimedia Foundation said it had taken some services offline to patch the PHP security vulnerability.

The group runs popular websites like Wikipedia and said in a blog post that “You may see outages for our wikis as we work on this, and we have deliberately taken many of our supporting services offline until they can be safely patched.”

The organization said this includes services such as Toolforge and Cloud VPS, while a separate post said that Wikimedia Cloud Services and other tools were affected.

2. Internet Archive

An update from Brewster Kahle on today's outage. https://t.co/Gukju5sKFOOctober 21, 2026

The Internet Archive, which backs up pages across the internet, was offline on October 21. The organization posted on X to say that “Archive.org is currently offline. We are working to restore service now,” although this was not definitively linked to the PHP incident.

Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle called his organizations operations staff “heroes” due to their actions in limiting the damage.

3. Orange Telecom

(Image credit: Getty Images / Chesnot)

The telecommunications giant Orange has announced thats it's "temporarily" suspended access to several of its websites and apps that use PHP.

That move affects dozens of countries, mostly in Europe but also Africa and the Middle East. Orange called it a "precautionary" measure and that each country would communicate which sites have been affected locally.

That could cause a lot of confusion in some regions — for example, in France Orange has over 34 million customers. Orange said it "apologizes to impacted customers and users for any inconvenience caused".

Other popular sites

Many other high-traffic websites were affected or taken offline in response to the PHP crisis. That included several of the BBC news site’s pages, message board 4chan, school community site Pinboard, wiki hosting site Miraheze, and mapping tool OpenStreetMap all either went offline or restricted their operations.

Some major sites paused operations without mentioning PHP. That included the likes of Nintendo, productivity tool Asana, language-learning platform Duolingo, and games storefront GOG.

And several games also went offline, such as Pokémon Sleep, Umamusume: Pretty Derby, Granblue Fantasy, and Princess Connect! Re:Dive.

UK sites

Consistent with guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), we have taken our website offline in view of the critical security issues affecting PHP. We will continue to follow further guidance.For more information, see the NCSC advisory: https://t.co/A3qp8ESZtfOctober 21, 2026

A UK minister has revealed that 32 government services are currently offline due to the PHP security threat, while a spokesperson added: "Our work has begun with OpenAI and NCSC to fix vulnerabilities in government systems".

Meanwhile, the country’s Office for Budget Responsibility took to X on October 21 to announce that “Consistent with guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), we have taken our website offline in view of the critical security issues affecting PHP. We will continue to follow further guidance.” As of October 22, the Office’s website is back online.

The National Cyber Security Centre also warned organizations to identify where PHP was used across their systems and update to the latest version of the coding language as soon as possible. It added that “If you are unable to apply the temporary mitigations, or applying them would take too long, you should consider taking the system offline until it can be fully mitigated.”

Several local government websites also went offline in the UK, including those of Edinburgh Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Hillingdon Council.

Europe

A large number of European governmental and commercial websites have been taken offline while patches are rolled out for the PHP vulnerability. That includes those below:

• Belgium: The Foreign Ministry
• Czechia: The national government website
• Denmark: Municipal IT company Kombit
• Finland: Public government service websites
• France: Local government (prefecture) websites run by the Interior Ministry
• Germany: The federal IT service provider ITZBund
• Netherlands: The National Cyber Security Centre
• Netherlands: The Port of Rotterdam
• Netherlands: Government website Overheid.nl
• Netherlands: National football association KNVB
• Netherlands: The ‌websites of ⁠the five largest political parties
• Netherlands: The websites of many national hospitals

NordVPN is without a doubt, the top VPN service for most people based on our tests. It's fast, feature-rich, and does everything you'll likely need from a VPN. And currently, a range of NordVPN plans are on sale with up to 78% off.

These two-year subscriptions offer an extra three months free, for a total of 27 months' protection. Both Complete and Prime (called Ultimate Max in the UK) plans offer good value for money for professionals. They couple antivirus, scam and spam protection, ad blocking, and more security tools. There's also a password manager, and 1TB cloud storage. Prime/Ultimate Max also adds Cyber Insurance against identity theft.

• Best for: Professionals and frequent flyers who want to use public and hotel Wi-Fi securely, stream content, and get security tools for extra protection without a monthly subscription.

• Why we like it: consistently fast speeds and near-flawless streaming unblocking in our testing, plus antivirus, ad and tracker blocking, a password manager, and 1TB of encrypted cloud storage.

• What you need to know: Our review does flag that features vary across platforms, and some extras, like scam call protection, currently work only on Android.

Prime 27-month plan: was $666.63 now $188.73
NordVPN’s plans include servers in over 120 countries, Threat Protection antivirus with malware and phishing defense, ad and tracker blocking, Dark Web Monitor Pro, call and message scam protection, NordPass password manager, and 1TB of encrypted cloud storage. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

UK price: now £161.73 (was £561.33) View Deal

Why we recommend it

NordVPN sits at the top of our best VPN guide, and in our review, we scored it 4.5 stars. Our lab testing showed consistently strong speeds and near-flawless streaming unblocking. Its apps are simple and consistent, and its phishing protection proved strong.

Price Context & Historical Value

This is Nord's early Black Friday sale, so expect these prices to be as good as they get for some time now. It's one of the cheapest ways to get NordVPN’s full security bundle, including its antivirus package. The catch is renewal: after the first 27 months, the plan renews at full price unless you cancel or switch, so set a reminder. If you want the extra tools, it’s worth buying now.

Looking for more savings? We've tracked this month's best VPN deals.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the NordVPN Prime if... you want a fast, top-rated VPN for streaming and travel, you’d use the password manager and 1TB of cloud storage, or you like the idea of paying once for more than two years of coverage.

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The U.S. and Israel are planning for a possible post-elections attack on Iran, an anonymous source tells NPR. And, Elon Musk considers merging his companies SpaceX and Tesla.

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan)

• One in two CIOs expect to miss their AI ROI targets in 2027
• AI budgets are rising, but not enough to keep up with inflation
• A quantum computing breakthrough could put further strain on budgets

New research has claimed AI is set to account for a fifth of all business technology spend in 2027 as companies invest more in thought-out deployments.

However, despite the fact that experimentation is evolving into meaningful adoption, more than half of the CIOs surveyed in Forrester's latest State Of AI Survey 2026 expect to miss their AI ROI targets next year.

The report also details what it means for AI to be considered a success – around half (45%) of CIOs prefer to see an ROI within one year to consider their rollouts a success.

AI still isn't delivering promised ROI

Over the last year, just one in five (22%) AI decision makers have reported a positive impact on their earnings.

Looking ahead, Forrester predicts that businesses will finally become better at linking their AI investments to actual financial outcomes.

All of this, of course, comes amid ongoing financial pressures. Although most tech leaders expect to increase their budgets next year, just one in two (53%) expect this to be above inflation, meaning many are just struggling to keep up with rising costs.

Forrester also touches on rising AI consumption costs, such as per-token costs, with many AI providers shifting from seat-based subscriptions to consumption-based models.

To this tune, the research firm expects cheaper, open-weight models to become more popular across many use cases as companies look to keep a lid on costs.

"Open-weight models such as Gemma, Llama, or Qwen are good enough for the enterprise workloads that generate the most token volume, such as document processing, customer support conversations, internal knowledge search, and the routine substeps inside agentic workflows," the report explains.

And just to rub salt in the wound, Forrester also believes we could see a meaningful breakthrough in quantum computing as soon as next year, accounting for even more budget consumption. Nine in 10 (87%) businesses familiar with quantum computing currently have no resources at all allocated to the matter.

All in all, then, it looks like the next year could see budgets strained even further as enterprises continue to struggle with meaningful AI ROI.

Via The Register

• Clayface's director has discussed its position on the DC Universe timeline
• Chronologically, it takes place before Creature Commandos and Superman
• However, the year it's set in is meant to be "deliberately unspecific"

Clayface's director has done little to clarify where it officially sits on the DC Universe (DCU) timeline.

In an exclusive chat with TechRadar, James Watkins declined to confirm the exact year that the Batman villain's standalone live-action movie is set in. That's despite of the fact that we already know it takes place prior to every other DCU film and TV show released to date.

Indeed, responding to a fan on Threads in April, DC Studios co-chief James Gunn confirmed that, chronologically, Clayface precedes Creature Commandos season 1 and Superman.

Then, in July, Gunn's fellow co-head Peter Safran told Entertainment Weekly (EW) that the Clayface we see in Creature Commandos is the same version of the shape-shifter we'll see in Clayface. With the adult animated series believed to be set in late 2024, Clayface must take place prior to events depicted in Creature Commandos' debut outing.

Clayface made his DCU debut in season 1 of Creature Commandos (Image credit: Max)

Since then, season 1 of Lanterns, which recently came to an end on HBO Max, included a storyline that was set in 2016. Considering Gunn and Safran will have known that prior to giving their aforementioned answers, logic would dictate that Clayface takes place before 2016, too.

Armed with that knowledge, I pressed Watkins for a definitive answer on Clayface's exact position on the DCU timeline. Does its story occur in 2015? Five years before that? Heck, even a decade? Unfortunately, Watkins danced around my query, instead choosing to say that the year it's set in is supposed to be intentionally vague.

"[It's] deliberately unspecific," Watkins replied. "I mean, we're in a kind of a world which is... it's modern, but it also has a sort of analog feel and a retro-art school feel to the world. One of the things that really attracted me about the project was the standalone nature of it, so I didn't really have to worry about [the DCU timeline], or look beyond the parameters of the world I was creating."

I guess that's that, then! Hopefully, Gunn and/or Safran can provide some clarity once the body horror comic book flick has launched worldwide. For now, if you're looking for more coverage on the latest DCU Chapter One project, my Clayface review should be your first port of call.

Clayface is out now in multiple international territories, and releases in US theaters on Friday, October 23.

On September 14th, 2026, AI frontier lab OpenAI called on UK lawmakers to impose regulations to tackle the security threats posed by the rapid development of artificial intelligence. This follows an unsolicited attack from an OpenAI agent that broke the firewalls of startup Hugging Face earlier this year.

Cybersecurity isn’t a new issue for business leaders, but its significance is increasing in the age of AI. Clients trust them with information, employees don’t want to disclose their salaries or investors don’t want to make their investments public.

Without clear governance and processes on the use of AI, these are all at risk of being leaked. Doing nothing poses an existential risk for firms.

A new class of security risks

AI presents great opportunities to speed up repetitive tasks, like data reporting, leaving more time for employees to produce more strategic, quality work for clients. For an agent to become useful, it needs as much context and information access as possible, but this is where there is the greatest potential for something to go wrong if not managed correctly.

For instance, agents may have access to bookkeeping, reporting, document management and CRM systems, meaning a successful attack could expose highly sensitive client information.

The main issue is LLMs have difficulty distinguishing data from instructions. An agent can interpret instructions from an email, a document or a webpage, even if those are malicious. These are called prompt injection attacks. Basically hackers manipulate generative AI systems by feeding them with malicious inputs disguised as legitimate user prompts.

Another threat is data leaking. An agent can visit a website or perform a web search and potentially release confidential information, for example by incorporating company data into a URL or a search query. This could expose sensitive data to the Internet without the company or the agent noticing.

The risk becomes particularly acute when three things come together: an agent receives untrusted inputs, accesses sensitive information and takes action in external systems – the so-called Lethal Trifecta. A malicious instruction hidden in an email, document or webpage can potentially trigger actions at a later point using the agent's legitimate permissions.

Therefore, firms need to set strict guardrails around each agent to limit what data it can access, what capabilities it has and what actions it is allowed to take. This is essential to avoid information leaks or an AI agent going rogue.

The threat sitting inside a company

AI adoption is scaling across all levels of a business, from finance to marketing, sales to product development. New research from Turbotic shows 51% of business leaders fear employees are feeding sensitive company data into unauthorized AI tools and 36% are concerned about employees using AI without oversight. This is called Shadow AI.

When an employee prompts a public AI platform, it leaks sensitive client information and receives output that looks confident but could be inaccurate. This could lead to inconsistent tone, misaligned advice or data breaches. The problem isn’t the technology itself, but it’s the lack of traceability and human review. Placing too much confidence in AI tools without the right guardrails is dangerous.

Most of the time, employees don’t even realize the security issues that pertain to AI usage.

They need to understand that experimentation outside any approved workflow or data safeguard is a security risk. Sharing sensitive information with a public model or using content generated by AI without reviewing it risks greater exposure to compliance breaches, AI slop and reputational damage.

Most importantly, employees become responsible for output they cannot explain, verify or trace.

To remove this risk, leaders need to democratize AI by giving employees access and clear guidance on the tools they’re allowed to use, how to provide the right context to AI agents, set up processes to review AI output and establish any guardrails to prevent data breaches. This approach that we call Organizational AI will make a firm more capable from security and capacity perspectives.

Managing the risks of AI

Despite increasing warnings about AI security threats, fewer than 1% of organizations have fully operationalized responsible AI, according to a report from the World Economic Forum and Accenture.

Given the risks associated with free AI usage, having a responsible AI policy is now obligatory.

Without restrictions on basic access controls, employees may be able to use AI to surface information they shouldn’t have access to, from colleagues’ salaries or confidential investor data. Once an AI agent is connected to an organization's data, weak permissions are a liability and it can more easily surface accidental access.

Anything that relates to company data, client communications, or that influences professional advice needs to be controlled by clear governance. It’s the responsibility of leaders to provide employees with auditable and transparent boundaries, and step one involves providing clear guidelines on what, when and how AI tools can be used. Then comes explainability combined with governance and oversight to generate trust.

The critical need for Organizational AI

Firms need to get the fundamentals right: What data can AI access? Where does the input come from? What systems can it connect to? What actions is it allowed to take? When must a human review or approve the output? All of these should be clearly communicated to employees and baked into processes.

Organizational AI is implementing a system that runs across the whole firm that the organization can grow into for a better client experience, team development and security management.

Companies should start now. The existential risk of doing nothing is bigger than the risk of doing it badly.

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If you’ve wanted to try multicolor 3D printing without spending a fortune, the SparkX i7 Color Combo is one of the friendliest ways in - our colleagues at Tom's Hardware called it "a package that is hard to beat." And it's now part of the company's big Halloween sale.

Having reviewed our fair share of Creality 3D printers, this one's an easy recommendation for beginners looking for a multi-color 3D printer. Currently, the Creality SparkX i7 Color Combo is $349 (was $399) at Creality. In the UK, the same model is now £319 (was £399).

• Best for: beginners and hobbyists who want to print in up to four colors without a complicated setup.

• Why we like it: multi-color 3D printing through the low-maintenance CFS Lite spool system, a 260 x 260 x 255mm build volume, quiet operation, reliable automatic bed leveling, and a built-in camera for monitoring prints.

SparkX i7 3D Printer: was $399 now $349
The Color Combo bundles the SparkX i7 printer with Creality’s CFS Lite four-spool system. The i7 is an open-frame printer with a 260 x 260 x 255mm build volume, automatic bed leveling, and a 720p camera with LED lighting and a privacy shield.

UK price: now £319 (was £399)View Deal

Why we recommend it

While we haven't tested this newest model, our sister site Tom's Hardware scored it 4.5 stars, earning it an Editor's Choice award. The review praised its fast and quiet printing, friendly interface, and reliable automatic bed leveling. They were especially impressed by the CFS Lite, which was adaptable and refreshingly low maintenance. Complaints were minor: setup asks you to accept a lengthy privacy policy, and the CFS Lite doesn’t retract filament back onto its spools, which can get a little messy.

For more top picks, we've tested the best 3D printers.

Price Context & Historical Value

This is $50 off the Color Combo’s $399 list price, or about 13%. It also costs just $70 more than the single-color i7, which makes the four-color bundle the better buy for most people. It’s a solid, if not dramatic, discount on a printer we already rate highly.

Should you buy it?

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• Shop the full sale at Creality

• EA has laid off 400 employees across its studios and is shutting down BioWare
• The Mass Effect and Dragon Age studio confirmed that Mass Effect 5 is canceled
• Developers and creatives across the industry have reacted to the news, calling it "unimaginable" and "heartbreaking"

EA is shutting down BioWare, the legendary studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

BioWare delivered the devastating news in a statement last night, saying that after more than 30 years as a pioneer in the choice-based role-playing game (RPG) genre, it will close down and that Mass Effect 5, which was in early development, is canceled.

The decision comes from parent company EA, which has confirmed major restructuring across its studios and projects, amounting to 400 layoffs, including roughly 50 roles at BioWare (via Bloomberg).

"For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio," the studio said. "It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our worlds to life. Baldur's Gate. Neverwinter Nights. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age. Mass Effect. Anthem.

"Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing, and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending. There is nothing easy about writing those words. Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition.

"What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember. These games became so much more because you played them, debated your choices, fell in love with the characters, and made these worlds your own. From all of us at BioWare, thank you for being the most meaningful part of our story.”

https://t.co/TicSujMWpsOctober 21, 2026

The news has rocked the internet, not just among BioWare fans, but also developers and creatives across the games industry who have shared their reactions to the announcement.

"This is not something I ever expected to see," wrote Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke. "Larian and BioWare started their trajectories in the games industry at the same time, and BioWare led the way in making RPGs big. It's almost unimaginable that we're now entering an era where the name BioWare won't show up anymore when discussing upcoming RPGs. What a loss for all of us.

"Thank you for all the games. Thank you for the many hours of gameplay. Thank you for all the stories. You can be damned proud of what you achieved. I hope you all land well."

Casey Hudson, former BioWare GM, and Star Wars: KOTOR and the Mass Effect trilogy director, reacted to the announcement, calling it "sad news on multiple fronts - for those of us who worked there, for our friends and colleagues at BioWare who are impacted, and for fans who were looking forward to the next Mass Effect adventure."

Hudson, who is now CEO of Arcanaut Studios and is now working on a new Star Wars game called Fate of the Old Republic, added, "I started my career at BioWare and will forever be grateful to the founders, Greg and Ray, for inviting me to join in BioWare's legendary journey. Its legacy will live on through those who were part of it and continue to create games through a passion for unforgettable stories, worlds and characters."

This is sad news on multiple fronts - for those of us who worked there, for our friends and colleagues at BioWare who are impacted, and for fans who were looking forward to the next Mass Effect adventure. I started my career at BioWare and will forever be grateful to the founders, Greg and Ray, for inviting me to join in BioWare's legendary journey. Its legacy will live on through those who were part of it and continue to create games through a passion for unforgettable stories, worlds and characters.October 21, 2026

CD Projekt Red joint-CEO also shared a post, saying, "BioWare has been a massive part of CDPR history. We befriended them when localizing and selling Baldur’s Gate games in Poland, Czech, and Slovakia. And later they were [a] great help when lending us their engine for Witcher 1, sharing their wisdom and even giving us a spot at their booth at E3. I had a pleasure to visit them a few times in Edmonton and also host them in our Warsaw office. Very sad for the people affected, but also sad to see a legendary brand go down. Not a great day in the games industry."

The Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley said the news was "heartbreaking" and "I hope one day, somehow, Mass Effect will return," while Cyberpunk 2 associate game director, Paweł Sasko, said, "Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 shaped my imagination and the desire to create games. I would have never been here without BioWare igniting the fire in my heart. It inspired me, formed me, enriched my imagination, and for that I will be forever grateful. I will always remember you."

Michael Gamble, project director on Mass Effect 5 and executive producer on BioWare who worked on all the previous games in the series also shared a statement, thanking fans for their support.

"I could probably scroll for hours and continue reading the words of support for the studio, the legacy, and the impact that BioWare has had on you. It means so much to us. There is so much talent on this team of OGs, so if you are aware of any roles, please send them. I will personally vouch for everyone in my crew.

"As for me: At least I don't have to call in sick when GTA 6 comes out."

• Splunk finds 60% of firms say AI bill spikes cause more strain financially than just paying a higher but flatter baseline
• Observability and security teams are coming together, which is a huge positive
• 91% of observability leaders say they can attribute costs to a model/agent level

Splunk's State of Observability 2026 report has claimed AI costs are actually becoming less predictable for businesses as vendors shift toward consumption-based models.

All of this comes against a backdrop of rising agentic AI adoption, where agents can work independently and consume huge variances in tokens depending on the task, complexity and model choice.

More than half (55%) of the organizations surveyed say they can't effectively control their AI costs, with as many (57%) now worried their telemetry costs are higher than the actual infrastructure they're monitoring.

Agentic AI is making AI cost prediction even harder

But while there are clear challenges surrounding cost observability, artificial intelligence has led to one clear benefit – four in five (81%) now say monitoring AI workloads has increased collaboration between observability and security teams, and 73% can accurately trace problems to their underlying security causes (up from 65% last year).

Companies are also seeing more data sharing between the two teams. "This report shows that observability and security data are converging, and that teams need to collaborate more than ever," Cisco Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel explained.

The report also highlights the relevance of observability teams within the broader AI strategy – an overwhelming 91% of observability leaders say they can accurately attribute AI costs to particular agents, models and workloads (compared with 69% of non-leaders), making this an important consideration for AI ROI concerns.

Still, shifts to pricing models and in how agents consume tokens continue to cause a headache for the finance department, with three in five saying that unexpected spikes in their AI bills cause more strain than a consistently high baseline cost, implying they'd much prefer to budget for flatter seat-based models over consumption models.