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The Dell XPS 13 is a great buy if you want a high-end Windows laptop – especially with this huge $350 discount for Labor Day.

The LG xboom Stage 301 is a hit, thanks to its brilliant sound, feature-rich companion app, and versatile design.

LG xboom Stage 301: two-minute review

If you’re looking to get the party moving, the LG xboom Stage 301 could be the perfect Bluetooth speaker for you. This floor monitor-inspired party speaker aims to unleash powerful bass, AI-optimized sound, and karaoke features – for casual users and performers alike. But can it live up to the hype? Well, yes – yes it can.

During my time testing the LG xboom Stage 301, I was hooked on its clean, impactful, yet controlled sound. Bass is meaty, sure, but it doesn’t overwhelm sounds elsewhere in the frequency range. There’s also AI calibration and EQ modes so that you can uncover the perfect tuning for your space and the genre of music you’re playing.

Even when blasting bass-heavy house tunes at top volumes, the LG xboom Stage 301 didn’t produce distorted or overly compressed audio – like the best Bluetooth speakers around, it’s a disciplined, talented sonic companion. It may not be capable of ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth audio, and its front-facing design means that you get pretty directional audio, but I was still very impressed with the speaker’s sonic capabilities.

This thing doesn’t only sound good, though, it’s also rammed full of features – most of which are accessible through the LG ThinQ companion app. Auracast, multi-speaker pairing, a sleep timer – you name it. There are even some fun (but kinda gimmicky) DJ sliders and sound effects, a karaoke mode (if you’ve got mics or a guitar to plug in), and Healing Therapy sounds, for when you want to wind down.

Design-wise, this model is a hit too. It has a quality dual-bar LED light system, which can be synced to your music or customized from scratch in LG’s companion app. Elsewhere, a classic black finish, well-sized buttons, and a classy speaker grille all combine for a solid overall look.

You can also angle this speaker upwards, stand it upright, or mount it on a stand, making it a very versatile option.

What’s more, this model is actually priced pretty well – something LG hasn’t always got right with its other Bluetooth speakers. It comes in with a list price of $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$449, but you’ll already spot it going for less in some territories.

Now, you probably won’t get the maximum 12 hour battery life LG quotes – that is unless you have lights off and play music at a low volume, but you can use this speaker plugged in, which also enables the speaker to hit its maximum power output. You can also replace the battery, which is handy if you run out of juice and want to slot a second in to keep the party going.

Overall, I’m feeling highly positive about this model. The IPX4 waterproof rating is average for a stage-style model, but won’t compete with typical party speakers like the IP67-rated Earfun UBoom X, for instance. There are a couple of small technical quirks in the app, too, but otherwise, it’s a really useful companion.

And in the end, the LG xboom Stage 301 stands tall as a versatile, fantastic-sounding, and feature-rich model that’s up there with some of the best party speakers I’ve tested. LG’s xboom range – produced alongside will.i.am – has been a bit of a mixed bag so far. But the Stage 301 is, without a doubt, one of the highlights of this line, and I’m more than happy to recommend it.

(Image credit: Future)LG xboom Stage 301 review: price and release date

• $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$449
• Launched in April 2025

The LG xboom Stage 301 was announced at CES 2025 as part of a new Bluetooth speaker range, alongside the LG xboom Bounce and LG xboom Grab. It’s the largest, and, as you’d expect, priciest speaker in the line-up, which was launched in collaboration with producer and artist will.i.am.

Although the Stage 301 has a list price of $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$449, I’ve already seen it going for less – it’s down to under £250 in the UK via LG's digital store, for instance. It’s worth noting that there’s no stand included for Concert Mode, so you’ll have to purchase one separately.

LG xboom Stage 301 review: specs

Weight

14.7lbs / 6.7kg

Dimensions

12.3 x 12.2 x 11.1 inches / 312 x 311 x 282mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm, USB (MP3 playback)

Battery life

12 hours

Speaker drivers

2x 2.5-inch midrange woofers, 1x 6.5-inch subwoofer

Waterproofing

IPX4

(Image credit: Future)LG xboom Stage 301 review: features

• Incredibly feature-rich companion app
• Customizable lights and EQ, room calibration, DJ and karaoke modes
• 12-hour battery life, but can play while charging

As is usually the case, LG has packed a ton of neat smart features into this speaker. There’s classic stuff like multi-point connectivity and multi-speaker pairing (with xboom models), for example. But with the LG ThingQ companion app, you can access so much more.

You can customize the speaker’s LED lights, with a variety of presets with differing colors and motion patterns. You can also enable AI Lighting, which analyzes playback and produces optimal lighting for your audio content. I made use of the AI mode and it worked great – it really made my music come alive.

The lights aren’t the only thing you can customize though. You can also adapt the speaker’s sound to fit your needs with EQ settings. There are a handful of presets here, such as Bass Boost and Voice Enhance, but the AI sound option was the one that piqued my interest the most. This performs a real-time “genre analysis” of the media being played, in order to output the best possible audio, and again, I could really hear the difference in the best way here.

One issue I had, though, is that while listening to music, changing to a different EQ causes playback to cut out for a split second. That was a bit jarring when I simply wanted to activate Bass Boost in a pinch, say. In addition, the custom equalizer option only uses three bands, which is a bit basic compared to a Bluetooth speaker like the Sony ULT Field 3, which has a seven-band alternative.

Anyway, let’s go back to the good stuff. Something I personally appreciated was an AI calibration tool, which tailors the speaker’s sound to your listening space. After you perform this, the app provides a before and after, making the difference more tangible to listeners. This is a really smart inclusion from LG, and it genuinely improved the clarity of my tunes.

And really, I could go on all day about the app’s copious options. I’ve not even mentioned the Healing Therapy sounds, which are great if you want a bit of ambience or just want to wind down at night. On top of that, there’s a sleep timer, Auracast, customizable shortcut button (called MY Button), and a tab that integrates locally stored music files. Whew. I did say there was a lot.

But perhaps some of the more unique options are the DJ and karaoke related modes. DJ mode allows you to alter playback with delay, wah, phaser, and flanger effects, play drum and ‘club’ sound effects, and even layer vocal samples that you can record in the companion app. These sounds aren’t perfectly responsive, but it's a fun little mode to play around with.

Meanwhile, karaoke mode can be accessed if you hook a microphone or guitar up to the Stage 301. It includes vocal effects like helium, robot, and soprano if you fancy switching things up a bit, and you can alter volume or reverb using control knobs on the reverse side of the speaker.

So, there’s a lot of options at your fingertips with the LG xboom Stage 301, but does it have the battery life to keep the party moving? Well, even though LG quotes battery life at twelve hours, your mileage will almost certainly vary. See, if you’re using AI sound mode with volume high and both lights on, you won’t get close to that. With this setup, I lost 20% capacity in about 40 minutes. If you’ve got the lights off and you’re keeping volume low-high in Clear Voice mode, though, you can expect a ton more playtime.

That max 12 hours is standard for this type of speaker, though most users will probably struggle to get that much. Instead, I found it best to keep the Stage 301 playing while plugged into the power socket. You get louder max volume and don’t have to worry about the speaker dying on you. It’s worth noting, too, that the battery is replaceable. So, if you’re not near a socket, you could insert a second battery to keep the tunes blasting well into the early hours.

• Features score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)LG xboom Stage 301 review: sound quality

• Clean, rhythmic bass
• Limited distortion and compression
• By design, sound is pretty directional

When we tried the LG xboom Stage 301 at CES 2025, our Managing Editor of Entertainment, Matt Bolton, said that it offered “bass that felt suitably deep but not overwhelming at all”, while also providing “tons of space for the rest of the music to leap out at you”. So, after putting the speaker through its paces in our music testing space, does this still ring true?

Well, before I give a definitive answer, let’s talk bass, which is the most important aspect of the Stage 301’s sonic abilities. I’ll start by saying that our first impression was very much accurate. This speaker didn’t spit out the heftiest bass I’ve ever heard, but that’s not inherently a bad thing. Low-end output remains meaty, but it doesn’t smother sounds elsewhere in the frequency range.

In addition, bass output is both clean and responsive. When blasting Fascinator by Max Dean, the hard-hitting kick drum sounded pleasingly deep and rapid, never sounding lethargic or unrhythmic. Sub-bass entering the fray around the minute-mark was also handled really well – every note was clear and impactful, resulting in an immersive, almost hypnotic listening experience.

If you feel like you do want a bit more low frequency weight, you can always enable Bass Boost in the speaker’s companion app or set your own custom EQ.

When bumping various bass-heavy bangers, vocal chops in the mid-range – as well as high-pitched percussion – were both well-defined in the mix, so you’ll get a disciplined, yet exciting listen out of the Stage 301. Even with a ballad like Solji’s Rains again, rain sound effects were true-to-life rather than staticky, while the delicate vocal performance was replicated adeptly, indicating that this model has the talent to handle a range of genres.

I tested the Stage 301 at a range of volumes, even cranking it up to the max for a bit. Something I realized was that peak loudness is only available if you’re using the speaker while its AC adapter is plugged in – it’s a fair bit quieter while battery powered. But when listening at top volumes, I was impressed with the lack of distortion and noticeable signal compression.

One shortcoming here, which may seem obvious, is that the Stage 301’s front-facing design limits the soundstage to a degree. For example, I tried listening to music from behind the speaker, and both mid-range and treble sounds were a bit muffled and far less prominent. This speaker is designed to fire audio towards listeners, rather than be a true 360-degree stereophonic hub, like the Marshall Kilburn III, say, so just ensure you work around its build and most will love what they hear.

And as one final note, there aren’t any ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth codecs here. The best this speaker can manage is AAC – there’s no LDAC or Snapdragon sound to uncover, something LG has experimented with on other products like the LG Tone Free T90S earbuds, which are fantastic by the way.

But still, you can expect a decently detailed, full-sound from the Stage 301. For so many speakers, ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth audio really isn’t the bottleneck. It’s well engineered drivers and enclosures, quality materials, and intelligent tuning that make a world of difference.

• Sound quality score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)LG xboom Stage 301 review: design

• Classy, customizable LED lighting
• Three different ways to stand the speaker
• IPX4 waterproof rating

When I reviewed the LG xboom Buds, I was very critical of their looks. How could a pair of buds designed alongside the fashion-savvy will.i.am look so plain and uninspired? Well, LG can consider itself redeemed, because I love the look of the Stage 301!

First of all, I’m a huge fan of the dual bar LED lights, which can sync up to your music for a highly immersive listening experience. Unlike a party speaker like the original Tribit Stormbox Blast, this model takes a much classier approach to LEDs. They’re housed behind a speaker grille and don’t appear cheap – there’s also a million ways to customize them via LG’s companion app.

The speaker itself also has a well-finished black exterior alongside red-detailed ‘xboom’ logos on either side. Being able to see the drivers behind the grille is a nice touch too. The handle is conveniently placed as well, and 14.7lbs / 6.7kg is fairly lightweight for a model of this size and shape, making it fairly easy to transport.

In addition, buttons on top of the speaker are well-sized and backlit, while the volume control can be twisted clockwise or anti-clockwise to crank things up (or tone them down).

Something I really loved about this speaker, though, was its ability to be stood in various positions, enabling you to find the optimal sound and display type. It can be placed flat like a regular Bluetooth speaker, but I personally enjoyed using it in Street Mode, an upward-angled configuration that made me feel like I was at a rave. There’s also Concert Mode, but this requires a stand, which is sold separately.

Finally, this speaker is IPX4-rated, essentially meaning it's splash resistant. Although that’s disappointing against IP67-rated party speakers like the JBL Xtreme 4, say, IPX4 is fairly standard for a stage speaker like this. It may not be the best for outdoor environments, though, so if you’re not totally sold on the wedge design, maybe look to a typical party speaker, such as those in the ‘Also consider’ section.

• Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)LG xboom Stage 301 review: value

• Competitively priced against rivals
• Already on sale in some markets
• Very good all-round quality

LG doesn’t always get it right when it comes to pricing. I can recall testing out the LG XBoom Go XG8T and being totally bamboozled by its sky-high $379.99 / £400 (about AU$600) list price. We weren’t quite bowled over by the $179.99 / £139 / AU$299 cost of the LG xboom Bounce, either, which couldn’t stack up to rivals in its price-class.

But when it comes to the LG xboom Stage 301, it’s a different story. This speaker is priced competitively if you stack it against rivals like the JBL Partybox range or the Bose S1 Pro+ PA system. It's even on par in terms of cost against Bluetooth speaker/karaoke machine hybrids like the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2, which has a list price of almost $300 / £260.

For new DJs looking for a stage speaker, it’s fairly affordable too, with a lot of the more industry-specific models costing well upwards of $300 / £300 for similarly designed alternatives. Considering the versatility of the Stage 301 for casual listening, karaoke, and even DJing, it’s a strong value pick.

It’s already on sale in some territories too. In the UK, for instance, you can scoop the speaker up for less than £250, which is well worth it. Sure, this isn’t a budget product, and if you want mics and a stand you’ll have to purchase them separately. But with a combination of great sound, features galore, and neat looks, you certainly get what you pay for.

• Value score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the LG xboom Stage 301?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Standard battery life, but AI features rock and it has customizable sound and lights.

4.5/5

Sound quality

Clean, impactful, but disciplined bass, controlled audio at higher volumes.

4.5/5

Design

Attractive lights, neat positioning options, IPX4 waterproofing is average.

4.5/5

Value

Well-priced against rivals, strong quality all round, overall well-worth it.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want plenty of bass
The LG xboom Stage 301 produces clean, impactful bass, but it never sounds overwhelming or muddy. When blasting a range of house tunes, I was treated to rapid, responsive, and rhythmic low-end output that had me hooked.

You’re looking for a versatile party speaker
The LG xboom Stage 301 is ideal for parties thanks to its floor speaker style design, immersive lighting, and pumping bass output. It even has DJ and karaoke modes if you want to make use of those. Wired connectivity is also handy if you want low-latency audio for performances.

Don't buy it if...

You want a rugged audio companion
This model is only IPX4-rated, meaning it’s not going to be ideal for outdoor use if it’s raining, or if you’re poolside, for example. IPX4 is normal for a model like this, but I would’ve liked to see LG push the boundaries.

You’re expecting ultra-long battery life
The LG xboom Stage 301 is a powerful stage speaker and won’t have the battery life of typical party rivals, such as those listed down below. Even compared to rival options, it's got a fairly standard battery life, and you’ll have to keep things very minimal to get the max 12 hours of playtime, as listed.

LG xboom Stage 301 review: also consider

LG xboom Stage 301

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2

Sony ULT Field 7

Price

$299.99 / £299.99 / AU$449

$299.99 / £257 (about AU$490)

$499 / £399 (about AU$770)

Weight

14.7lbs / 6.7kg

19.2lbs / 8.7kg

14 lbs / 6.3kg

Dimensions

12.3 x 12.2 x 11.1 inches / 312 x 311 x 282mm

18.8 x 10.2 x 7.6 inches / 477.5 x 259.1 x 193mm

20 x 9 x 9 inches / 512 x 224 x 222mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm, 6.3mm (mic/guitar) USB (MP3 playback)

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm, mic ports

Bluetooth 5.2, 3.5mm, 6.3mm (mic/guitar), USB

Battery life

12 hours

30 hours

30 hours

Speaker drivers

2x 2.5-inch midrange drivers; 1x 6.5-inch woofer

2x 45W mid-range drivers; 2x 15W tweeters

2x 46mm tweeters; 2 x 114mm woofers

Waterproofing

IPX4

IP67

IP67

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2
It’s safe to say I was blown away by the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 when I tested it at the start of 2025. It offers phenomenal thumping bass, customizable LED lights, and wonderful battery life – it really is the full package. Pair that with a karaoke mode, IP67 waterproofing, as well as a regularly discounted price, and you’re looking at a class-leading party speaker. Read our full Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review.

Sony ULT Field 7
The Sony ULT Field 7 has a lot in common with LG’s party-ready speaker, and thanks to price-cuts, it’s now well-worth considering. Both the Sony and LG are almost equal in weight, each offer ports for guitars and mics, and they each assume a unique build in what is a fairly ‘same-y’ market. You’ll get better battery life and wraparound sound from the ULT Field 7, but its build isn’t as optimal for DJs as the LG speaker and the lighting isn’t as classy. Read our full Sony ULT Field 7 review.

How I tested the LG xboom Stage 301

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested across the course of one week
• Mainly used in the music testing space at Future Labs
• Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the LG xboom Stage 301 Bluetooth speaker across the course of one week, spending most of my time with the unit in our music testing space at Future Labs.

During the testing period, I spent hours on end blasting tunes from a variety of genres, though I did put more of an emphasis on bass-heavy tracks to get the best out of the model. On top of that, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which is standard practice for me when trialing audio gear.

When listening to music, I typically used Tidal, but I also tried bumping some tunes from my library on Spotify. I listened at a variety of angles and volumes, exhausted all of the features in the LG companion app, messed around with various lighting calibrations, and used the speaker in its various standing positions.

• First reviewed: September 2025
• Read more about how we test

The HP OmniBook X Flip is a great value 2-in-1 laptop made even more affordable now that it's discounted at Best Buy.

• New phishing campaign found targeting Google Classroom users
• CheckPoint has detected and blocked the sites
• Hackers often use legitimate services to disguise their attacks

New research by Check Point has revealed a large-scale social engineering campaign which sees hackers using Google Classroom to victimize students and educators across the world.

A range of industries and companies were targeted in five coordinated waves of attack containing over 115,000 phishing emails aimed at 13,500 organizations, with fake invitations sent promoting ‘commercial offers’ such as SEO services or product pitches.

The attack often goes undetected by security software because it piggybacks on Google Classroom’s legitimate infrastructure, bypassing traditional defenses, the experts warned.

Phishing protections

To protect against attacks such as these, CheckPoint reaffirms the need for robust training for employees and members of your organization - and warns users to be very cautious of unexpected invitations or communications.

“This incident underscores the importance of multi-layered defenses,” CheckPoint’s statement confirms. “Attackers are increasingly weaponizing legitimate cloud services—making traditional email gateways insufficient to stop evolving phishing tactics."

The research also recommends using AI-powered detection to analyze content, to extend social engineering protections beyond just messaging and SaaS services, and to continuously monitor cloud applications.

Criminals often utilize legitimate platforms and services to distribute social engineering attacks or malware because it can help to evade detections. Earlier in 2025, hackers were observed bypassing security tools by mimicking legitimate login pages and stealing Microsoft credentials.

Microsoft’s Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) connects an organization’s internal systems to Microsoft services. In this campaign, malvertising was used to distribute the phishing attack - and since the attack didn’t rely on email, traditional email security filters weren’t effective.

Although social engineering attacks can be potent and convincing, they do primarily rely on human error to be effective - which means that being wary and ensuring all members of your organization are sufficiently trained and tested in spotting attacks is the most effective defense.

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• Google warns Salesloft attack may have compromised Workspace accounts and Salesforce instances

Even for vulnerable jobs like translation and research, that work is more than just the tasks AI may be able to assist with.

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• The iPhone 17 could go eSIM-only in more countries
• Changes are tipped for the Apple Clear Case accessory
• The launch is scheduled for Tuesday, September 9

Apple is almost certainly going to make the iPhone 17 official on Tuesday, September 9, but as we count down the days to the big launch event, the leaks are continuing – including fresh rumors around eSIMs and the official Apple Clear Case.

Current iPhone models are eSIM-only in the US, and according to a source speaking to MacRumors, retail employees at Apple Authorized Resellers in the EU are now being told to prepare to handle iPhones without physical SIM cards as well.

We've been hearing for months that the new, super-slim iPhone 17 Air model would only have support for eSIMs and not the physical cards, but it seems that's now going to be extended to other iPhones in more countries.

With eSIMs offering better security and more convenience, the move isn't really much of a surprise. Google has now gone eSIM-only for the first time with the new Google Pixel 10 series, though for now this only applies to phones sold in the US.

New iPhones, new cases

You’ve probably already seen the new iPhone 17 clear case, but here’s another look at it. Would you prefer an all-clear version? pic.twitter.com/jsCPankDkxSeptember 1, 2025

The other iPhone 17 leak doing the rounds today concerns the iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case with MagSafe – one of the official cases Apple is expected to launch for the new handset (and which it already offers for the iPhone 16 Pro).

As per images posted by tipsters @MajinBuOfficial and @SonnyDickson, there will be some tweaks to the design. Less of the case will be transparent, with a panel covering most of the back of the phone and hiding the MagSafe connectors.

We can also see there's a bigger cut-out for the cameras at the top, backing up the leaked renders we've seen of the redesign of this phone. The Apple logo also gets shifted down so it's in the center of the space below the cameras.

It also looks as though the case will support the new Crossbody Strap accessory that's been rumored, which lets you carry your iPhone with a magnetic lanyard. In a little over a week, we'll know for sure what Apple has been working on.

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• Volvo’s XC70 has been designed for China for now, but will hit other markets
• A 1.5-litre engine can be mated to 21.2kWh or 36.9kWh battery packs
• DC fast charging capability will come as standard

Volvo has revealed plans to launch a new XC70 model in China, which will neatly slot between its XC60 and XC90 SUVs, but will be offered in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version that’s capable of traveling 124-miles on battery power alone.

While the Swedish company already offers an enticing line up of hybrids in Europe and the US, the company has traditionally opted for smaller and lighter battery packs that offer around 50-miles of range.

Details of the upcoming XC70 suggest that it can be optioned with either 21.2kWh or 36.9kWh battery packs, which is larger than some pure EV city cars, such as the Fiat 500e and the BYD Seagull.

China’s CLTC range test is generally more generous when it comes to efficiency, so you can likely take the 124 miles of range with a pinch of salt in the real world (100-110 miles is more likely), but it is backed up by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine should the batteries run dry.

What’s more, Volvo claims the upcoming vehicle is capable of DC fast-charging, so battery packs can be brimmed to around 80 per cent in 28-minutes from the appropriate outlets, while bi-directional charging is also said to feature.

According to Auto Express, the vehicle is destined for China, where long range plug-in hybrids are all the rage, but the Swedish marque hasn’t ruled out bringing it to other markets “at a later date”.

Bridging the gap

(Image credit: Volvo)

Long-range plug-in hybrids, like the Volvo XC70, make a lot of sense — particularly for those with a charging outlet at home. Keeping the battery packs brimmed means the average daily mileage, which is as low as 19 miles per day in the UK, can easily be covered without troubling the engine.

Even much longer commutes can happily be dispatched in EV mode using Volvo’s larger battery packs, meaning only the longest journeys need to resort to fossil fuels.

Currently, public EV charging is expensive in the UK and much of Europe, which has been a key argument for many to not make the switch to EV. If charging is as expensive as filling up with fuel, then what’s the point?

With Volvo’s technology, owners could avoid the eye-watering charging fees found at highway service stations by instead opting to rely on the internal combustion engine. Once at a destination, it then makes sense to seek out cheaper, lower-power charging outlets to refill the battery packs.

Offering this sort of flexibility could be a huge draw for those currently sitting on the pure electric vehicle fence and, so long as it is plugged in and used predominantly as an EV, will reduce local emissions and could save owners money at the pumps.

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This back to school season, more districts than ever have cell phone bans in place. Teachers and legislators alike say the restrictions help kids focus in class.

President Trump has ended collective bargaining rights for more than one million federal workers. Unions have sued to block the move, but agencies are terminating contracts as litigation continues.

(Image credit: Rachel Woolf for NPR)

More than 250 news outlets around the world have signed onto an appeal that calls for the protection of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, and for press to have independent access to the territory.

(Image credit: Anas Baba)

Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting a high-profile summit with leaders from Russia, North Korea and India gathering among others in a challenge to U.S. influence.

For business leaders right now, two small words seem almost impossible to avoid: AI agents. Built on the ‘brain’ of an AI model, and armed with a specific purpose and access to tools, agents are autonomous decision-makers that are being increasingly integrated into live business processes.

Unlike normal AI tools, which rely on user prompts, agent-based – agentic – AI can execute tasks iteratively, making decisions that carry real business consequences, and real governance risk. In short, agents aren’t tools, they’re teammates. As well as sitting in an organization’s tech stack, they sit on its org chart.

Marc Benioff, cofounder, chairman and CEO of Salesforce, the $260 billion valued software giant, says that today’s CEOs will be the last to manage all-human workforces. (Asked if an agent could replace him some day, Benioff responded, half-joking, “I hope so.”) The sooner businesses recognize this shift, the faster they can move to securing and governing AI for accelerated innovation.

Just as human workers come under the umbrella of human resources (HR), it’s useful to think of agents as non-human resources (NHRs). Just like humans, there are costs to employing NHRs – including computing, architecture and security costs – and they need induction, training and appropriate limitations on what they can do, and how.

This is especially true as these NHRs move up the value chain to perform high-skill tasks that once belonged to mid-senior level talent. For example, autonomous agents are actively managing supplier negotiations, handling payment terms, and even adjusting prices based on commodity and market shifts – functions typically handled by teams of trained analysts.

Businesses can’t secure what they don't understand

Introducing NHRs at the enterprise level is requiring an entire rethink of governance and security. That’s because existing cybersecurity focuses on managing human risk, internally and externally; it’s not built for the realities of always-on, self-directed agents that understand, think, and act at machine speed.

Like the best employees, the most effective agents will have access to enterprise data and applications, from staffing information and sensitive financial data to proprietary product secrets. That access opens the organization up the risk of attacks from outside, as well as misuse from within.

In 2024, the global average cost of a data breach was $4.9 million, a 10% jump on the previous year and the highest total ever – and that was before the introduction of agents. In the AI era, bad actors have new weapons at their disposal, from prompt injection attacks to data and model poisoning.

Internally, a misaligned agent can trigger a cascade of failures, from corrupted analytics to regulatory breaches. When failures stem from internally-sanctioned AI, there may be no obvious attacker, just a compliant agent acting on flawed assumptions. In the age of agents, when actions are driven by non-deterministic models, unintentional behavior is the breach – especially if safeguards are inadequate.

Imagine an agent is tasked with keeping a database up to date, and has access and permissions to insert or delete data. It could delete entries relating to Fast Company, for example, by accurately finding and removing the term ‘Fast Company’.

However, it could equally decide to delete all entries that contain the word ‘Fast’ or even entries starting with ‘F’. This crude action would achieve the same goal, but with a range of unintended consequences. With agents, the question of how they complete their task is at least as important as what that task is.

Onboarding agents like employees

As organizations introduce teams of agents – or even become predominantly staffed by agents – that collaborate to rapidly make decisions and take action with a high level of opaqueness, the risk is amplified significantly.

The key to effective agentic adoption is a methodical approach from the start. Simply rebadging existing machine learning or GenAI activity, such as chatbots, as ‘agentic’ – a practice known as ‘agent washing’ – is a recipe for disappointing return on investment

Equally, arbitrarily implementing agents without understanding where they are truly needed is the same as hiring an employee who is unsuited to the intended role: it wastes time, resources, and can create tension and confusion in the workforce. Rather, businesses must identify which use cases are suitable for agentic activity and build appropriate technology and business models.

The security of the AI model underlying the agent should be extensively red-teamed, using simulated attacks to expose weaknesses and design flaws. When the agent has access to tools and data, a key test is its ability to resist agentic attacks that learn what does and doesn’t work, and adapt accordingly.

From there, governance means more than mere supervision; it means encoding organizational values, risk thresholds, escalation paths, and ‘stop’ conditions into agents' operational DNA. Think of it as digital onboarding. But instead of slide decks and HR training, these agents carry embedded culture codes that define how they act, what boundaries they respect, and when to ask for help.

As autonomous agents climb the (virtual) corporate ladder, the real risk isn't adoption – it's complacency. Businesses that treat AI agents as tools rather than dynamic, accountable team members will face escalating failures, eroding trust among customers.

Build cross-functional governance from day one

No smart business would let a fresh grad run a billion-dollar division on day one. Likewise, no AI agent should be allowed to enter mission-critical systems without undergoing structured training, testing, and probation. Enterprises need to map responsibilities, surface hidden dependencies, and clarify which decisions need a human in the loop.

For example, imagine a global operations unit staffed by human analysts, with AI agents autonomously monitoring five markets in real-time, and a machine supervisor optimizing output across all of them. Who manages whom – and who gets credit or blame?

And what of performance? Traditional metrics, such as hours logged or tasks completed, don't capture the productivity of an agent running hundreds of simulations per hour, testing and iterating at scale and creating compounding value.

To help surface and answer these questions, many businesses are hiring Chief AI Officers and forming AI steering committees that have cross-department representation. Teams can collaboratively define guiding principles that not only align with each sector of the business but the company as a whole.

A well-configured agent should know when to act, when to pause, and when to ask for help. That kind of sophistication doesn’t happen by accident, it needs a proactive security and governance approach.

This isn't just a technical evolution; it's a test of leadership. The companies that design for transparency, adaptability, and AI-native governance will define the next era. NHRs aren't coming, they're already here. The only question is whether we'll lead them or be led by them.

We list the best HR outsourcing service and the best PEO service.

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 Samsung Galaxy Watch7 is down to just $199 at Best Buy – that's a better deal than the budget FE.

Another month, another attempt to capture the magic of FromSoft’s genre-defining epic (even if French-Canadian developer Rogue Factor claims it isn’t). Yes, action-adventure game Hell Is Us sits with one foot in the soulslike category, but that's not a criticism; it takes what it needs from Dark Souls and its ilk, discards what it doesn't, then absconds in the night with a suitcase full of dodge-rolls and ominous-sounding characters.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: August 12, 2025

See, as a big fan of FromSoft’s games, I've come to the conclusion that it's almost impossible to properly capture the magic of a game like Bloodborne or Elden Ring. Many have tried, and there have been some successes; Lies of P and Remnant II were two recent standout examples for me. I think the trick is not trying to mirror exactly what FromSoft does; it's taking the formula and doing your own thing with it.

Does Hell Is Us succeed in this regard? For the most part, yes. If you're a fan of either action-adventure or the best soulslike games - or are curious about getting into the oft-impenetrable latter genre - it's worth a look. The setting is unique and interesting, the gameplay is enjoyable, and it's more forgiving overall than most games within the soulslike genre, even if the underlying DNA is impossible not to notice.

Needless to say, the 'Week of Peace' did not go so well. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)Hard times

Straight off the bat, this game is bleak - the world you inhabit feels dark and dangerous, poised to collapse into unmitigated chaos at any moment, with only small glimmers of hope left. Wracked by a long and bloody civil war, the setting of Hadea is an insular, vaguely eastern European nation with a rich history of animosity between two religious factions, the traditionalist Palomists and the more progressive (but still pretty damn zealous) Sabinians.

By 1992, the war has reached a fever point, with brutal pogroms, fighting in the streets, and virtually every crime against humanity you could care to list. Seriously, this game is not for the faint-hearted; you're going to see some pretty visceral evidence of those crimes against humanity.

Yep, that's a mass grave. Don't expect a cheery time in Hadea. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)

It's all rather horrible, but it does have a purpose. Although Rogue Factor didn’t seek to evoke any singular real-world conflict, the setting certainly echoes events like the Bosnian War, the Georgian Civil War, and the Croatian War of Independence. There's even a thinly-veiled UN imitator called the Organized Nations, characterised by their blue helmets just like in real life. Considering that Hadea is entirely fictional, there's an unsettling weight of reality to it all that stands as a testament to the quality of the world-building.

Our protagonist, Remi, doesn't really give a shit about any of this, though. He's come back to Hadea to find his parents, from whom he was separated as a young child. Naturally, said parents turn out to be entwined in the core narrative. See, that civil war is merely the backdrop; the real meat of the story here concerns an outbreak of bizarre, violent creatures, an ancient religious order, and a mysterious black-ops group doing nefarious things under the cover of Hadea’s present conflict.

The framing narrative is well-implemented, even if they do use the 'well, that's not how it happened' joke sometimes when you die. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)Uncovering the mystery

The story is told via a framing narrative, which sees Remi - immediately recognisable as Elias Toufexis, best known as the iconic baritone of Adam ‘I Never Asked For This’ Jensen in the newer Deus Ex games - being drugged and interrogated by a deeply unpleasant man with a chainsmoking habit and about sixteen chins. See, Hell Is Us loves its classic environmental storytelling, but it's also not above using actual cutscenes. There are also proper dialogue scenes with some (non-player characters) NPCs, which serve to both progress the story and deliver optional exposition about the world.

For the most part, I found the characters believable and (usually) likable. From sardonic war journalist Tania to the kind-hearted Abbot Jaffer, these NPCs inject the world with humanity and authenticity. Unfortunately, Remi himself doesn't have quite the same screen presence. He's the cold, brooding type, which mercifully does mean that he doesn't chatter to himself constantly while you're exploring or solving puzzles, but also results in him feeling a bit flat. Early in the story, it's revealed that he's a diagnosed sociopath with a military past, but this seems to serve mainly as a convenient reason to make him largely unbothered by the insanity unfolding around him.

Best Bit

(Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)

A handful of sections later in the game pit you against literal hordes of weaker enemies, which are so much fun to carve through with reckless abandon.

Many of the people you encounter while journeying across Hadea have side-quests to offer you, though this is usually done in a roundabout way; in typical soulslike fashion, there's no world map or objective markers. Instead, you might hear a soldier complaining about running low on his medication - and wouldn't you know it, later on, you'll find a bottle of the very pills he needs. Sometimes, the clock is ticking; I found a woman with a starving infant hiding from Sabinian soldiers, and by the time I returned with some bottles of baby formula, I was met with a shoebox with a pacifier on top. That hurt a little, honestly.

You can talk to many characters, but don't expect them all to be friendly or helpful - there's a war on, after all. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)

There's little handholding here, which admittedly had me wishing for a wiki on a few occasions while I was reviewing the game, but it's not quite as oblique as the average Souls series entry, instead feeling strangely more like a retro point-and-click adventure game. Remi has a chunky tablet device that doubles as an inventory screen and ‘investigation log’, noting down key information you come across and helpfully sorting the stuff you find into quest-critical items and the many, many lore snippets you can uncover.

Often, the pace is slowed by the inclusion of a puzzle, and these range from laughably easy to moderately head-scratching. Thankfully, these puzzles rarely outstay their welcome; even when you're hunting for the right combination of arcane sigils to unlock a door in some ancient ruin, you can expect to be set upon by ravenous monsters at any given moment.

Remi's stolen APC takes you from A to B across Hadea, and also serves as a sort of mobile base of investigations. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)Fight for your life

Speaking of monsters: let's talk combat. This is where Hell Is Us cribs from FromSoft’s homework the most, with the classic block-dodge-parry mechanics that should feel immediately familiar to any soulslike enjoyer. Of course, virtually every action consumes stamina, which is tied directly to your health bar, meaning that taking even a single hit immediately makes the fight harder.

Simply put, the combat gameplay is solid. Attacks that can be countered are telegraphed by the enemy pulsing red, with a reasonably generous parry window, but Rogue Factor still manages to distinguish itself from the usual business thanks to the ‘healing pulse’ mechanic. There’s no refillable healing flask here, and actual healing items are relatively sparse; instead, dealing damage to enemies releases particles, which periodically coalesce into a ring around you. At this point, you can tap a button to regain a bit of health based on the damage you’ve dealt, but you have to be fast, as the ring dissipates after barely a second.

As is typical of soulslike combat, you can lock onto enemies to more easily dodge and parry their attacks. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)

You also get a gradually expanding suite of extra abilities. These take three forms: glyphs that can be slotted into your weapons and consume ‘Lymbic Energy' (read: mana), powerful relics with long cooldown timers, and programs for the owl-like tricopter drone that perches on Remi’s shoulder and doubles as your flashlight in dark areas. You get three glyphs each across two equipped weapons, one relic, and four drone slots, making for a total of eleven abilities equipped at once - meaning there's plenty of build diversity available here, even if Remi doesn't have a traditional stat sheet. Most of these abilities are pretty fun - I was particularly partial to the drone skill that let me grab onto it and zoom forward, dealing heavy damage to anything in my path.

The creatures besieging Hadea are invulnerable to conventional weaponry, with the only way to kill them being ‘Lymbic weapons’. Unfortunately, there's not a huge amount of variety here: you get a regular sword, twin axes, a polearm, and a hulking great sword, filling the usual melee weapon archetypes. These can be upgraded and imbued with elements (Grief, Rage, Terror, and Elation), but all this does is make them hit harder and determine which type of glyphs you can equip on them. I quickly settled into using a Polearm of Terror and Twin Axes of Rage, but if you're the sort of gamer who enjoys experimenting with every new weapon you find, you might be disappointed here.

Some of the boss battle arenas are visually striking. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)

There's another issue with the combat that doesn't emerge until later in the game, though: some of those special abilities are pretty dang overtuned. For example, once I got my hands on the max-level Rage Spike glyph (an explosive ranged attack), most fights became comically easy, with Remi repeatedly blasting enemies to smithereens from far outside melee range. It's not a massive issue for me, since you have to conquer a good chunk of the game to become that powerful, but it did trivialize the majority of encounters towards the tail end of the story.

Rise to the challenge - or don't

Speaking of difficulty, Hell Is Us isn't overly punishing. I experimented with all three difficulty levels (described as Lenient, Balanced, and Merciless), which purely affect the combat and can be further fine-tuned in the settings to adjust enemy health, damage, and aggression, and found that the highest difficulty gave the ‘truest’ soulslike experience. Yeah, I know that customizable difficulty options are a personal affront to the most die-hard fans of the genre, but I honestly think it's a good inclusion: on ‘Lenient’ difficulty, even someone who has never played a soulslike before could have a good time here.

There's no shortage of ominous tombs to plunder in Hadea. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)

There's also no real penalty for dying; you just respawn at your most recent save point, and the enemies you killed remain dead (although there is an optional setting to make death fully reset any progress from your previous save). Hostiles *do* respawn, however, if you leave one of the game’s many areas by travelling between them in the armored vehicle Remi commandeers in the opening act. You can stop this - and render an area permanently safe - by collapsing Timeloops, which are large ferrofluid-looking orbs that sustain the creatures you face.

To do this, you have to track down specific enemies marked as ‘Timeloop Guardians’, kill them, then take a special item to the Timeloop and chuck it inside. These are mostly optional, but you do get loot for each Timeloop you shut down, and doing so is its own reward anyway; there's a lot of backtracking to be done if you're shooting for 100% completion, so it's nice to return to a region and find it free of enemies.

Then again, the hostiles you face are actually pretty fun to fight. The ‘Hollow Walkers’ are a brilliantly creepy piece of enemy design, feeling like something straight out of the SCP Foundation universe, with unsettling, jerky movements and eerie vocalizations. Some Hollow Walkers are paired with a ‘Haze’, a floating ball of the aforementioned elemental emotions which must be slain before its linked Walker can be harmed - and if you're not quick enough, the Haze will reform and you'll have to kill it again.

These are another good example of strong audiovisual design, with the Rage Haze unleashing a barrage of attacks and screaming with fury, while the Elation Haze cackles maniacally as it zooms around. The creatures were unleashed by the negative human emotions that spiked because of the Hadean civil war, and that plays nicely into their design.

That's a Timeloop: kill the guardians nearby to shut it down and stop them from coming back for good. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)

Sadly, a lack of diversity again hampers enjoyment a little here, as you basically fight the same measly selection of enemies over and over throughout the game. There are three tiers of enemy threat levels, but only the Hazes actually change in appearance and moveset from tier to tier; the Hollow Walkers merely get bigger health bars and more damaging attacks, and there are only five types of Walker to encounter. There's also a surprising dearth of boss fights - a common staple of both the action-adventure and soulslike genres - with only four real bosses to be found throughout the entire course of the game. The final boss, disappointingly, is just four much bigger versions of a basic enemy type. Clearly, no lessons were learned here from the final boss of the original Destiny campaign.

Hadean tourism

If I’m being honest, though, my criticisms are small. I really enjoyed my time with Hell Is Us, which clocked in at just shy of 30 hours for my review - and I was doing my best to do and see everything, which is possibly why I ended up being so overpowered. I played with both a gamepad and my usual mouse and keyboard, and although the game advises using a controller, I didn’t have any problems playing with the latter.

The biggest issue I have with the game is that I want more, which is quite the double-edged sword. The game is divided into three acts, but the third act is essentially just the underwhelming final battle, followed by a ten-minute cutscene that didn’t quite wrap things up to my satisfaction. Sure, it leaves things open for downloadable content (DLC) or an expansion and perhaps even a sequel (which I genuinely hope we get), but the finale feels a bit rushed, and it’s a shame not to end on a high note.

Arriving on the shores of the peaceful Lake Cynon reminds the player that underneath the violence of the civil war, this world can be quite beautiful. (Image credit: Rogue Factor / Nacon)

Still, it’s a super experience overall that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys either soulslikes specifically or just dark action-adventure games in general. It runs on Unreal Engine 5 (which may set off alarm bells for some gamers), but I found it to be reasonably well-optimized, with no noticeable performance issues at 1440p on my RTX 5060 desktop or at 1080p on the RTX 4060 gaming laptop I also used for testing. Hadea is genuinely beautiful at times, too. For every dank cave and bombed-out village, there’s a vibrant field of flowers or the crumbling majesty of an antediluvian ruin.

If you like good melee combat and won’t be turned off by graphic depictions of war crimes, Hell Is Us is definitely worth a shot. Just be prepared to consult Google from time to time - or, like I did, keep a pen and notepad handy, so you don’t forget exactly where you were supposed to take those baby formula bottles.

Should you play Hell Is Us?Play it if...

You love brutal melee combat
The combat in Hell Is Us is a definite strength of the game, with a satisfying weight to your strikes and (on higher difficulties) a constant feeling of peril, meaning every enemy needs to be taken seriously.

You’re keen to get into soulslikes
As a sort of almost-soulslike action-adventure with fully customizable difficulty, Hell Is Us could provide a more accessible avenue into the frequently gatekept genre spawned by FromSoft's legendary series.

You want to get lost in a dark world
The setting of Hadea is grim and unsettling in the best of ways, making for a seriously engrossing gameworld - provided you can stomach some of the bleaker stuff on show here.

Don't play it if...

You want in-depth RPG mechanics
One of my main criticisms of Hell Is Us is the lack of diversity in its weapon selection, and with no customizable stats for Remi himself, this isn't a game that encourages deep buildcrafting - though there is a decent range of equippable special abilities.

You’re looking for a chill game
This game is anything but relaxing. The combat is challenging, and the gameworld is bleak and filled with horrors both man-made and beyond human comprehension.

Accessibility

We've got the usual selection of accessibility options here, with three color blind modes - Deuteranope, Protanope, and Tritanope - which can be adjusted to varying degrees of color correction, as well as being able to reduce or disable motion blur and camera shake.

There are also gameplay accessibility options, which let you independently adjust the health, damage, and aggression of enemies, plus some customization options for the HUD and the ability to automate enemy lock-ons.

Of note is a directional audio indicator: this displays an on-screen marker denoting the direction and distance of gameplay-related sounds, including enemy attack sounds in combat and the identifying noise emitted by Timeloop Guardians. Considering how important directional sound can be in Hell Is Us, this is a good inclusion for hearing-impaired players.

How I reviewed Hell Is Us

I played Hell Is Us from start to finish, which took me a little under 30 hours - though I was being very thorough in my exploration, and a speedy player less concerned with 100% completion could likely beat the game far quicker.

I used my gaming desktop, which uses an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Nvidia RTX 5060 with 32GB of RAM, as well as an Acer Predator gaming laptop with an Intel Core i7, RTX 4060, and 16GB of RAM. On desktop, I used an Asus ROG keyboard and mouse and a Razer Raptor 27 gaming monitor. With the laptop, I used a Scuf Instinct Pro gamepad.

I frequently took the time to adjust both the difficulty level and graphical settings in several in-game locations to get a good idea of both how much challenge the game presents and how well it runs. I naturally also tested out each new weapon and ability the game gave me - though I quickly found my favorites and stuck with those for the majority of the game.

First reviewed August 2025

There’s a ticking clock in the world of cybersecurity and it’s counting down to what experts call Q Day — the day when quantum computers will theoretically become powerful enough to break some of today's cryptographic methods, and render many existing encryption methods obsolete.

Or at least that’s the theory. In truth, nobody can predict with absolute accuracy when, or even if, quantum computers will reach the level of sophistication and practicality to manifest this threat. But that doesn’t mean businesses shouldn’t be thinking about it.

While some are hearing the tick of the Q Day clock, others remain unaware. So, what is Q Day, is it a big deal, and what do businesses need to know to prepare?

Do businesses need to be aware of Q Day?

The short answer is yes. The potential threat that quantum computers could pose to current cybersecurity methods cannot be understated. What was once academic theory, akin to technology you’d see in a science fiction novel, is making strides towards reality.

Big companies like IBM and Google, as well as governments and startups, are racing to build more powerful quantum machines. These computers are still in the early stages, but they’ve already grown from handling a few quantum bits (or “qubits”) to managing hundreds, and they’re getting better at solving complex, specific problems.

While quantum computers can’t yet break the encryption software and protocols that protects the internet, experts seem to be reaching a consensus that the day that this could be a reality is about 10-15 years away. This is the so-called Q Day.

Aside from the obvious threat that breaking current encryption poses, businesses also need to be aware that the rise in quantum technology is being taken seriously by governments and regulators alike.

Agencies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have standardized post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms, while Europe’s ENISA is focused on standardizing the implementation and certification of PQC through schemes such as EUCC, all in preparation for Q Day.

When is Q Day?

Unfortunately, as with all things quantum, answering when Q Day will be is not simple, because no one knows for sure. It’s all dependent on when (and if) the technology reaches a specific level of capability and practicality. And it’s not only about the number of qubits.

However, the speed at which quantum computing is moving forward has prompted agencies like the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to put timelines in place.

The NCSC’s timeline for migrating to a quantum safe method of encryption has three phases: discovery and planning by 2028, early migration by 2031, and full migration by 2035.

That gives businesses a maximum of six years to plan and prepare to migrate their critical assets. But again, this timeline is not set in stone — Q Day could come sooner than 2035, later, or it could never come.

It’s difficult because we are talking about technology that hasn’t realized its theoretical potential yet, and no-one has a crystal ball. Quantum computers don’t follow Moore’s Law; they scale non-linearly, and quality matters more than quantity when it comes to qubits.

What do businesses need to do to prepare?

Staying calm should be step number one. Quantum technologies can sometimes be subject to scaremongering, pushing people to make premature or misinformed decisions. And I hate this FUD; it doesn’t lead to the best security outcomes.

Of course the threat is theoretically coming, but it isn’t imminent. Even if quantum computing does eventually break common encryption methods, it’s unlikely that everything will change in the blink of an eye — there will be time to prepare.

However, the time to prepare is now, not when the first quantum-powered breach makes headlines. And that starts with getting your basic digital hygiene sorted.

Organizations should begin by auditing their IT estate with two aims: the first being to identify what IT assets they have, because you can’t update or protect what you don’t know you have. The second is to identify which of those assets are most at risk, especially those dependent on public-key encryption or requiring long-term data confidentiality.

This is great security practice anyway - building a decent asset inventory will bring you gains beyond just post-quantum migration planning.

The next step is to prepare the inventory; decide what needs to be end-of-lifed, and prioritize what you have to migrate. It’s a short sentence to write, but a very long exercise. Good luck. Annex A of this ETSI standard has a very helpful set of questions to help.

If you want to follow the latest standards, here’s a quick update on where we are. NIST has published 3 PQC standards: FIPS 203, 204 and 205, with two more on the way: FIPS 206 in draft and a new fifth algorithm recently announced.

The mathematics is there, but we’re lacking the integration into protocols and widely used technologies. Instead of tracking NIST now, I’d recommend the best group to follow is ETSI’s Quantum Safe Cryptography Working Group focuses on the practical implementation of quantum safe primitives, and the IETF’s PQUIP group, which summarizes all the post-quantum efforts in internet standardization today.

When should businesses prepare for Q Day?

The NCSC timelines are very clear: prepare and plan by 2028, so that you can migrate by 2031. But the uncertainty on when/if Q Day will arrive complicates this slightly.

Prepare too early and you risk adopting immature technologies and standards, potentially increasing vulnerabilities. Wait too long and you may leave critical systems exposed.

The key is finding the timing that’s just right — it’s what I call the Goldilocks Theory and again, it comes down to preparedness: making a good asset inventory, while staying on top of the latest post-quantum standards.

Q Day may be uncertain, but your preparation shouldn’t be. Start planning now — not out of fear, but out of foresight.

We list the best software asset management (SAM) tool.

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

AI is having its moment, reshaping how developers work. While the best AI tools enable faster app development and anomaly detection, they also fuel faster, more sophisticated cyberattacks.

The latest headlines are making it clear – no sector is immune. As organizations race to deliver apps at an unprecedented pace, the rise of freely available AI tools with sophisticated capabilities has made it easier than ever for threat actors to effortlessly reverse engineer, analyze, and exploit applications at an alarming scale.

Gartner predicts that by 2028, 90% of enterprise software engineers will utilize AI code assistants to transform software development – placing the promise of lightning speed productivity gains in the hands of every developer and the welcome ability to automate repetitive, tedious tasks.

However, despite massive investments in AI, security continues to be a reluctant effort due to the perception that protection measures have the inverse effect, slowing down software innovation and application performance. The fact is AI has already amplified the threat landscape, especially in the realm of client applications, a primary cyberattack target.

Long considered outside the realm of a CISO’s control, software applications --particularly mobile apps --are a preferred entry point for attackers. Why? Because users tend to be less vigilant and the apps themselves “live” in the wild, outside of the enterprise network. CISO’s can no longer afford to ignore threats to these apps.

It’s an App-Happy World

Consumers have a voracious appetite for apps, and they use them as part of their daily routines; the Apple App Store today has nearly 2 million apps and the Google Play Store has 2.87 million apps. According to recent data, the average consumer uses 10 mobile apps per day and 30 apps per month. Notably, 21% of millennials open an app 50 or more times per day, and nearly 50% of people open an app more than 11 times a day.

As organizations race to deliver apps at an unprecedented pace, the rise of freely available AI tools with sophisticated capabilities have also made it easier than ever for hackers to effortlessly analyze, and reverse-engineer at an alarming scale. In fact, the majority (83%) of applications were attacked in January 2025, and attack rates surged across all industries, according to Digital.ai’s 2025 State of App Sec Threat Report.

Dozens of apps are installed on each of the billions of smartphones in use worldwide. And each app in the wild represents a potential threat vector. Why? Because applications contain working examples of how to penetrate access to back-end systems. The billions of dollars spent every year on security perimeters is rendered useless in the world of mobile applications.

Every application made and released to customers increases a business's threat surface. Developing multiple mobile apps means more risk—and leaving even one app unprotected isn’t an option. AI tools have made it that much easier for even amateur threat actors to analyze reverse engineered code, create malware, and more.

If adversaries have access to the same robust productivity tools, why wouldn’t they use them to get even better and faster at what they do?

New nefarious attacks are having a moment

New research from Cato Networks threat intelligence report, revealed how threat actors can use a large language model jailbreak technique, known as an immersive world attack, to get AI to create infostealer malware for them: a threat intelligence researcher with absolutely no malware coding experience managed to jailbreak multiple large language models and get the AI to create a fully functional, highly dangerous, password infostealer to compromise sensitive information from the Google Chrome web browser.

The end result was malicious code that successfully extracted credentials from the Google Chrome password manager. Companies that create LLMs are trying to put up guardrails, but clearly GenAI can make malware creation that much easier. AI-generated malware, including polymorphic malware, essentially makes signature-based detections nearly obsolete. Enterprises must be prepared to protect against hundreds, if not thousands, of malware variants.

The Dark Side of LLMs for Code Generation

A recent study by Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that by 2025, cybercrime will cost the world $10.5 trillion annually, a massive increase from $3 trillion in 2015, with much of the rise attributed to the use of advanced technologies like LLMs.

Take attribution - many have used an LLM to write “in the voice of”- but attribution is that much more difficult in an AI world, because threat actors can mimic the techniques, comments, tools, and TTPs. False flag events become more prevalent, such as the attack on U.S. service member wives.

LLMs are accelerating the arms race between defenders and threat actors, lowering the barrier to entry, and allowing attacks to be more complex, more insidious, and more adaptive.

Protecting Apps Running in Production

Enterprises can increase their protection by embedding security directly into applications at the build stage: this involves investing in embedded security that is mapped to OWASP controls; such as RASP, advanced Whitebox cryptography, and granular threat intelligence.

IDC research shows that organizations protecting mobile apps often lack a solution to test them efficiently and effectively. Running tests on multiple versions of an app slows the release orchestration process and increases the risk of delivering the wrong version of an app into the wild.

By integrating continuous testing and application security, software teams gain the game-changing ability to fully test protected applications, speeding up and expanding test coverage by eliminating manual tests for protected apps. This helps solve a major problem for software teams when testing and protecting apps at scale.

Modern enterprise application security is not a nice to have-- while CISOs certainly don’t need more work added to their plates, vectors that used to be outside of their control are now creating fissures inside what they do control.

The good news is that there are now robust, baseline protections that balance the need for security with the need for speed of innovation and performance. These features can be added instantly to almost any app in the wild and go right back into the app store.

1. The ability to protect by inserting security into DevOps processes without slowing down developers by adding security after coding and before testing

2. The ability to monitor via threat monitoring and reporting capabilities for apps in production

3. The ability to react by building apps with runtime application self-protection (RASP)

AI is accelerating code production, breeding applications, and reshaping app security – it’s time to stop thinking like a white knight and think like a hacker.

We list the best online cybersecurity courses.

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

In today’s work-anywhere culture, people are more connected than ever. As work becomes more mobile and meetings more virtual, one form of cyber threat is quietly becoming more common: audio surveillance.

Cybersecurity now extends far beyond protecting email accounts and stored files. In a hybrid working environment, where conversations happen over video conferencing, voice messages and shared screens, it’s not only your data that is at risk. The conversation itself can become a target.

And here is the reality, according to Forbes, an overwhelming 95% of all cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error. This includes everything from sharing sensitive information without proper safeguards to joining calls over unsecured networks.

It doesn’t always take a sophisticated hack to cause real damage. Sometimes, the risk comes from the tools we trust, the places we connect from or the assumptions we make about who’s listening.

The illusion of safety

Imagine opening your laptop at a coffee shop, putting on your headset and jumping into a client meeting. The connection seems strong, the audio is crystal clear and everything feels just right. But what if someone else is eavesdropping?

In hybrid work, we often step outside the secure walls of the office and into environments we can’t control. That flexibility is a defining feature of modern productivity, but it also opens the doors to silent risks. An unsecured café Wi-Fi network, for instance, can make it remarkably easy for malicious actors to intercept audio streams or access shared content without detection.

Every call, screen share and calendar invite can include sensitive materials, such as financial data, customer details, upcoming campaigns, or internal strategy. A breach of confidential information could result in serious consequences, including regulatory penalties, disciplinary action, financial and reputational liability, or even job loss.

Recent research published in ScienceDirect highlights just how vulnerable virtual collaboration can be. A comprehensive review of video conferencing platforms revealed persistent security flaws, including weak encryption protocols and insufficient access controls, that leave meetings open to unauthorized access and potential surveillance.

For hybrid professionals working from hotels, shared spaces or home networks, this means even the most routine call could be silently compromised if the right safeguards aren’t in place.

More than just a call

In hybrid work, our headsets, webcams and conferencing tools have become the new endpoints of trust. But here’s the uncomfortable truth; a headset isn’t just a device, it’s a data hub that carries voice, client queries, business sensitive information and, in many cases, biometric data like tone, speech patterns and emotional cues.

The risks aren’t just external either. With the rise of AI, even internal tools are learning from the voices of everyone in a company. If not built securely, they could share that information with more than just your team. We live in a world where what we say can be stored, analyzed and even weaponized.

That’s why companies are rethinking how they protect their people, not just their files. Security isn’t just about firewalls anymore, and IT teams need to consider about everything from what a headset hears to how your video bar streams to the cloud.

The quietest threats are the loudest warnings

It’s easy to spot a phishing email or a suspicious link. But the more subtle threats, like unsecured pairing between a headset and a laptop, or a public connection masking malicious intent, are the ones that slip through the cracks.

Imagine walking into a crowded room and announcing your company’s quarterly results out loud. You’d never do it. But working unprotected in a public space can be equally as revealing.

As reported by Comparitech, cybercrime is projected to cost the global economy $10.5 trillion USD annually by 2025. Businesses need to think beyond whether they will be targeted or not, it’s an inevitability.

Raising the Standard

Business leaders need to adopt the ethos that the only individuals who should be on a call are the ones who’ve been invited. That’s why all devices need to have an emphasis on security.

This includes encrypting conversations, implementing secure device pairing and building-in automated defenses against man-in-the-middle attacks. And implementation alone isn’t enough, IT teams need to stress-test solutions with in-house and contracted ethical hackers. This ensures customer trust is built into the very fabric of the tools we use.

Hybrid work is here to stay, and that’s a good thing. It gives workers freedom, flexibility and balance. But with that freedom comes a new kind of responsibility: to protect the digital spaces businesses occupy, the voices employees share and the people they connect with.

The next time you plug in your headset, ask yourself “who else might be listening?”. The biggest risks don’t always come with red warning signs; sometimes, they arrive quietly, just like a spy among us.

We list the best business phone systems.

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

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