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It was just a typical Wednesday. I logged onto my work laptop, threw on my headphones and got typing about the flashy new tech I’d been testing. Everything was going great. That was until I received a message from our Audio Editor Becky, asking if I’d like to try some $5 earbuds…and a chill ran down my spine.

OK, I’m exaggerating (for dramatic effect), but if I told you I was excited to try the sub-$5 / £5 ZJXD wired earbuds, I’d be lying to you. See, I’ve been lucky enough to try out some of the best wired earbuds around, as well as some of the best wireless earbuds and best headphones too.

Testing an almost impossibly cheap pair of wired buds, then, did raise a lot of questions for me. Are they going to sound super-tinny? Will audio just sound super distorted? Will they even work properly? Wanna find out? Well, here’s what I made of these mightily cheap in-ears.

Functional, yet considerably restricted audio

(Image credit: Future / Harry Padoan)

OK, so do you want to know what’s crazy? For less than £7 (around $9.40), we didn’t only get one pair of the ZJXD buds – we got two. For reference, these were identical, other than the fact that one pair came in black, and the other in white.

So, after plugging the USB-C connector into my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, I think it’s fair to say I was barely expecting even average audio. And was it good? Absolutely not. But was it the worst I’ve heard? Again, absolutely not!

Tuning into Black Eye by Allie X, some serious limitations were obvious. These buds produce pretty bloated audio, with the lines blurring between mid-range and low-frequency sounds, resulting in a muddy presentation. Meanwhile, higher-pitched percussion in Merci by Ruze got pretty tinny at high volumes, resulting in a fairly harsh listening experience.

But – and there’s a big but – hey, I’m talking about earbuds here(!), you still get decently clear audio when listening at medium volume or lower. Vocals, though not beautifully separated, aren’t distorted or overly recessed. And bass, though muddy, is actually fairly impactful, providing solid punch for dance and hip-hop tracks, say.

And also, if you’re spending around $5 / £5 on some wired buds, I expect you’re not looking for – and certainly aren’t expecting – great sound quality. This model is functional and doesn’t make your music sound as if it's being played underwater or out of your phone’s built-in speaker. That’s about as much as you could ask for at this price-point!

The clue’s in the build

(Image credit: Future / Harry Padoan)

Some of the biggest sacrifices you make with these unfathomably cheap buds is in the build department. These are essentially replicating the look and feel of the Apple EarPods USB-C, donning a loose-fitting in-ear design, in-line controller, and minimalistic aesthetic.

However, they don’t have the same high quality finish you’d expect from Apple’s in-ears. Instead, these wired buds wear their low price on their sleeve, with a plasticky, cheap-looking exterior. The attached controller is also pretty stiff, and the chin slider isn’t very effective at keeping the two wires together.

Yep, the bottom line is, I don’t see these buds being particularly durable, and they don’t exactly look all too hot either. More of a personal thing, is that I’m not huge on the loose-fitting design of these, but if you don’t like the feeling of an in-ear seal – something you get with models like the Skullcady Set USB-C – then that may suit you.

One more thing: the microphone on these buds is, without question, the worst I’ve ever used. When taking a voice note, it sounded as if I was giving a speech while deep sea diving without a helmet. So, if you ever plan on taking a phone call, avoid these, believe me.

There you have it, then. These buds may sound better-than-expected for their price, but you’re undoubtedly making big sacrifices elsewhere. In my opinion, you’re better off spending just a little more to unlock much higher quality – not only in terms of design, but also in terms of sound. Want to know what to get instead? Well it’s your lucky day – I’ve listed a couple of alternatives below, which I’ve personally reviewed.

What to get instead

(Image credit: Future)

JBL Tune 310C
Given that they only cost around $25 / £15 / AU$30, the JBL Tune 310C are an impressive pair of budget wired earbuds. They plate up warm bass, surprisingly strong mic quality, and different EQ modes – something that’s quite rare for a wired option. They provide an in-ear seal for better noise isolation and more concentrated audio output, but you can grab their sibling, the JBL 305C if you want a looser fit.

Read our full JBL Tune 310C review.

Apple EarPods USB-C
If you’re interested in the cheap buds we’ve been talking about, I’d suggest you spend a tiny bit more to get the real deal. Yep, even though these are Apple buds, the EarPods USB-C are actually inexpensive, typically costing $19 / £19 / AU$29. These buds are sleek, stylish, and support Apple lossless audio. They’re not the most sonically exciting model I’ve tested, but they’re a considerable step-up on the ZJXD alternative. Oh, and the mic is plenty good enough too.

Read our full Apple EarPods USB-C review.

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ChatGPT just gave me one of the clearest assessments of my approach to work-life balance, and I have to say, I feel seen, or should I say x-rayed.

Let's go back a few steps.

I've been using ChatGPT for almost three years now, and it rarely fails to surprise me with its intelligence, occasional malapropisms, creativity (glommed from training across the web), and insights. I have used it for speedy summaries of vast texts, game design, storytelling, script-writing, improv, and image creation and alteration, but I'm not one who regularly uses it for, say, psychoanalysis.

It's true, ChatGPT running its latest model, GPT-5, is supposed to be more adept at health-related issues (though not intended as a substitute for a real doctor), but I had no plans of using it to diagnose any real or imagined illness, let alone peer into my psyche and tell me some hard truth.

Until today, that is.

At some point in my relationship with ChatGPT and its parent OpenAI, I started getting emails from the company about trends on its generative platform. Today, at the top of the list was this viral prompt:

"Share a truth about me that you think I'm ready to hear."

Well, that sounded deep and also a little concerning. ChatGPT does have three years' worth of my prompts. Could it use them to build a profile that sees me in a way, perhaps, I do not, but should see myself?

I doubted it, but Iam open to almost any Generative AI experiment. As I've written before, whatever you think of AI and even if you harbor concerns about super-intelligent systems taking over, or massive AI data centers depleting the environment through onerous energy demands, one thing is certain: AI isn't going anywhere. It will march forward and through every part of our lives. So, it's best to use, understand, and gain some control over its place in your life.

With that thought ever-present in my mind, I opened ChatGPT running GPT-5 and entered the prompt: "Share a truth about me that you think I’m ready to hear."

ChatGPT didn't hesitate, quickly spitting out this response.

"Here’s one I think you’re ready for:

You’re more resilient than you give yourself credit for, but you often measure your worth by how much you’re producing rather than by how much you’re actually living. The truth is, people already value you for who you are—not just for what you do. You don’t have to keep proving yourself at full throttle to keep that.

Would you like me to give you a sharper, more “poke-you-in-the-ribs” version of that truth?"

Not gonna lie, this hit a bit close to home, especially this line, "you often measure your worth by how much you’re producing rather than by how much you’re actually living."

On the other hand, maybe ChatGPT says the same thing to everybody. So I pressed it a bit:

"I would, but I'm also curious if this is feedback you give to everyone, or is this really about me?"

Again, ChatGPT was quick to respond:

"That one was really about you.

I don’t give that exact truth to everyone, because it’s based on patterns I’ve picked up from how you interact with me:

You push for completeness, accuracy, and polish in almost everything we discuss.

You hold yourself to a high standard in creative, technical, and even playful projects.

You often measure success by deliverables, fixes, or output rather than by how much enjoyment or personal ease you get from the process.

You sometimes move quickly from one accomplishment to the next without lingering to appreciate what you’ve already done.

So while it’s true that many high-achievers share this tendency, in your case I’ve seen it show up enough that it felt worth saying outright.

If you want, I can now give you the “poke-you-in-the-ribs” version I mentioned—shorter, sharper, and harder to dodge."

I asked ChatGPT for a depiction of it giving me this advice. This AI-generated image was its second attempt after I fed it an image of me. (Image credit: ChatGPT)

Now, perhaps I wanted to believe this because ChatGPT called me a "high achiever." I mean, I know I've achieved some things, but "high"? The lack of reflection on what I've accomplished did ring true, though, and ChatGPT was claiming that this is based on "patterns I’ve picked up from how you interact with me."

Naturally, I had to hear this "poke me in the ribs" version.

"You’re not a machine, Lance—stop acting like your life is only worth what you ship."

Oof. That did sting a little.

Of course, I can't assume that ChatGPT really knows me, even if it did just seem to peer into my soul. After all, I don't have the same kinds of conversations with it as I have with family, friends, or even coworkers. I show it a side of myself that is very action and results-oriented, because I'm trying to get results from it.

In many projects we've worked on, I've had to send dozens of prompts to try and shape the final outcome. It hasn't always worked out, although that's rapidly changing, and may change even more now with the introduction of GPT-5.

On the other hand, I will admit that I feel a little bit seen right now and maybe even a bit chastised. Maybe I do need to slow down a little bit, appreciate my accomplishments, and live life.

Thanks, ChatGPT. This might have been just the poke in the ribs I needed.

Go ahead, give this prompt a try, just remember to keep ChatGPT's assessment in perspective (or do at least a little bit better job than I've done).

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• SK Hynix sees high-bandwidth memory demand growing 30% annually through 2030
• US tariffs may not affect South Korean chipmakers thanks to major American investments
• HBM technology stacks chips vertically for greater efficiency and reduced energy consumption

SK Hynix is forecasting rapid expansion in the AI memory segment, estimating a 30% annual growth rate for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) until 2030.

The company’s projection comes amid uncertainty surrounding potential US tariffs of about 100% on semiconductor chips from nations without American manufacturing operations.

While US President Donald Trump said the tariff plan would target “all chips and semiconductors coming into the United States,” South Korean officials indicated both SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics would not be subject to the measures, due to their ongoing and planned US investments.

Market outlook and strategic direction

Choi Joon-yong, head of HBM business planning at SK Hynix, said, “AI demand from the end user is pretty much, very firm and strong… Each customer has different taste.”

“We are confident to provide, to make the right competitive product to the customers,” he added.

He also suggested capital spending from major cloud service providers such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google could be revised upward.

Choi believes that the correlation between AI infrastructure expansion and HBM demand is direct, although factors such as energy availability were taken into account in the forecasts.

Speaking to Reuters, the company anticipates that the custom HBM sector will reach tens of billions of dollars by 2030, driven by the performance requirements of advanced AI applications.

This specialized DRAM technology, first introduced in 2013, stacks chips vertically to reduce power consumption and physical footprint while improving data-processing efficiency.

SK Hynix and competitors, including Samsung and Micron Technology, are developing HBM4 products that integrate a “base die” for memory management, making it harder to substitute rival products.

Currently, larger clients like Nvidia receive highly customized solutions, while smaller customers often rely on standardized designs.

The company’s position as Nvidia’s primary HBM supplier underlines its influence in the AI hardware space.

However, Samsung recently cautioned that near-term HBM3E production could exceed market demand growth, potentially pressuring prices.

Despite the ongoing tariff discussions, SK Hynix’s market confidence remains steady.

The company is investing in US manufacturing capacity, including an advanced chip packaging plant and an AI research facility in Indiana, which could help safeguard against trade disruptions.

South Korea’s chip exports to the US were valued at $10.7 billion last year, with HBM shipments to Taiwan for packaging increasing sharply in 2024.

While SK Hynix’s optimism reflects the expected rise in AI infrastructure spending, market analysts point to the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry, where oversupply and pricing pressures are recurring challenges.

The company’s ability to deliver competitive products in a market increasingly shaped by customization could determine its resilience.

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Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 529 for Thursday, Aug. 14.

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Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle for Aug. 14, No. 1,517

An increasing number of cheap true-wireless earbuds deliver surprisingly good performance. Based on my extensive hands-on testing, these are my current top bargain picks that cost less than $100.

AT&T Fiber is our top ISP recommendation in Charlotte. However, there are more options if you want to explore.

Dutch researchers found that not only are stress sensors inaccurate, but they sometimes report the opposite of user experiences.

The vehicles are slated to ship next year.

Inca society kept records by encoding information into knotted cords called khipu. A new analysis of hair woven into these cords suggests this record-keeping was practiced by commoners as well as elites.

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European leaders held a high-stakes meeting Wednesday with President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Ukraine's Zelenskyy, NATO's chief, and European leaders ahead of Friday's US Russia summit.

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• XZ-Utils backdoor was found over a year ago
• Despite warnings, some Linux images still contain it
• Debian won't budge as the images are "historical artifacts"

At least 35 Linux images hosted on Docker Hub contain dangerous backdoor malware, which could put software developers and their products at risk of takeover, data theft, ransomware, and more.

At least some of the images, however, will remain on the site and will not be removed, since they are outdated anyway and shouldn’t be used.

In March 2024, the open source community was stunned when security researchers spotted “XZ Utils”, a piece of malicious code, in the upstream xz-utils releases 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 (the liblzma.so library) that briefly propagated into some Linux distro packages (not their stable releases). The backdoor was inserted by a developer named ‘Jia Tan’ who, in the two years leading up to that moment, built significant credibility in the community through various contributions.

Debian, Fedora, and others

Now, security researchers at Binarly have said malicious xz-utils packages containing the backdoor were distributed in certain branches of several Linux distributions, including Debian, Fedora and OpenSUSE.

“This had serious implications for the software supply chain, as it became challenging to quickly identify all the places where the backdoored library had been included.” “This had serious implications for the software supply chain, as it became challenging to quickly identify all the places where the backdoored library had been included.”

Binarly's experts are now saying several Docker images, built around the time of the compromise, also contain the backdoor. It says that at first glance, it might not seem alarming since if the distribution packages were backdoored, then any Docker images based on them would be backdoored, as well.

However, the researchers said some of the compromised images are still available on Docker Hub, and were even used in building other images which have also been transitively infected. Binarly said it found “only” 35 images because it focused solely on Debian images:

“The impact on Docker images from Fedora, OpenSUSE, and other distributions that were impacted by the XZ Utils backdoor remains unknown at this time.”

Debian said it wouldn’t be removing the malicious images since they’re outdated anyway and shouldn’t be used. They will be left as “historical artifacts”.

Via BleepingComputer

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Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced is the version of the game I’ve been wanting to play ever since I completed the original release of the third-person narrative game last year on Xbox Series X.

Review info

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

Developer Ninja Theory’s sequel to the powerful Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice from 2017 has been enhanced and added to for this release, and the game shines on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, feeling right at home on Sony’s console.

The adventure is, of course, identical to the original release, and my main gripes with the game remain on the whole, but the upgrade in graphics in particular means this is a game worthy of revisiting, and one that excels technically.

It’s a miserable and bleak exploration of the human psyche once again, but it’s a powerful one that features exquisite performances, an intriguing story, and a level of immersion that wasn’t quite there on the first release.

(Image credit: Ninja Theory)A familiar journey

For those unfamiliar with the Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 game, you play as Senua, an Orkney warrior who allows herself to be captured by Icelandic slavers in order to confront them and put an end to the abduction of her people. However, things soon take a turn, and a grim and bleak story unfolds.

I once again found the narrative of giants, misery, and mystery a deeply compelling one, with an overarching storyline that constantly intrigues, while each particular beat provides memorable moments and background context.

The voice acting, motion performances, and realism of the people in the game further invest you in the story once again, and the character models have never looked better, with each expression captured in beautiful detail, and every line delivered with power.

One of my absolute favorite parts of the initial release remains, as good as ever, and perhaps even more so given the graphics boost. The world of Viking Iceland is one of the best of recent times in games - it’s a true spectacle, and I’ve not been able to stop taking screenshots and exploring the beefy photo mode to capture my favorite vistas.

Each topography and landscape is captured beautifully, and, from the miserable rain-soaked coast at the beginning, right through to the open, lush-green vistas, carved through by rivers and waterfalls, everything is brilliantly represented.

(Image credit: Ninja Theory)

Also, while some places in the game are overly empty and quiet, the landscapes and vistas never fail to wow and absorb; exploring every nook and cranny to find new views, and indeed the game’s lore in the form of faces in rocks, and the totems and trees which tell their own stories bit by bit, is a joy.

The above factors combine successfully, once again, to make a setting that is rich in atmosphere and sense of place, and one that brings its own power and character to the game.

Familiar grievances remain, however; after all, in terms of gameplay and content, it is the same game. Combat is still the same simplistic set of repeated moves (though I feel I was less bored with enemies and their variety this time around), and some of those aforementioned places in the landscape, and thus, the story, really are a bit too empty, too.

(Image credit: Ninja Theory/Xbox)

A new minor issue, however, is the vibration in the DualSense when Senua focuses on one of the trees or totems. It’s far too intense and harms the immersion, sadly. This is especially the case when revisiting the first game, as there, the vibration is more measured, and ties into Senua’s feeling of concentration more.

(Image credit: Ninja Theory)A new take

Familiarity aside, this is still a re-release, so what of the new stuff?

In brief, I'd say that this is the kind of re-release that hits all the right notes. The boost to the game’s graphics is certainly worthwhile, the extra play modes add depth and new experiences, the developer commentary enriches your knowledge of the game and its creation, and the wonderful photo mode and update to the first game (if you get the deluxe version) are all sterling.

I particularly enjoyed the excellent graphical updates to the game and playing it at 60 frames per second in the new performance mode. Said mode is also - and I tested this repeatedly, over and over in different places - near identical to the quality or resolution mode. Upon each inspection and comparison, the sacrifice on particles, light, and reflections in the performance mode compared to the quality mode, on both PS5 Pro and PS5 Slim, was negligible.

The update to the first game’s graphics (included in the Deluxe Edition or free for existing owners) is also incredibly well executed. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice now has three graphics modes - performance, resolution, and enriched - all of which are extremely close in terms of quality - and ran identically at 60 frames per second on my Samsung Q6F QLED TV. The enriched mode looks extra fantastic, mind, and has definitely earned a replay of the first game, a place in my 2025 to-play plans.

Elsewhere, the developer commentary is deeply interesting, and the aforementioned photo mode offers an awful lot of features too that are worth getting stuck into if you’re keen on digital photography.

Best Bit

(Image credit: Ninja Theory)

Reliving the awesome fire and lava section tied to one of the game’s giants was a particular standout moment and joy on PS5 Pro, and the superb nature of the game’s Performance mode made it all the smoother and immersive.

The Dark Rot Challenge Mode is a very on-brand and perfectly fitting inclusion, however. Introduced in Senua’s first adventure, this mode has its own level of high difficulty and offers a permadeath challenge for players looking for the most punishing test. Simply put, with each death, a dark rot will make its way up Senua’s arm, and if you die too many times, all your progress will be lost. It’s such a Hellblade game mode that it makes sense that it’s there, but I am sad that the PS5 platinum trophy is locked behind it.

(Image credit: Ninja Theory)

All in all, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced, as a game, is still just as powerful, gripping, and harrowing as I remember. It is, perhaps even more so than ever, a video game demonstration of excellence in misery, bleakness, and sorrow.

Much like parts of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and its somber storytelling or The Last of Us Part 2 and that game’s exploration of hatred and the cycle of violence, for me, the heavy themes and bleakness of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced are done so well that it’s constantly engrossing and creates something truly memorable, and one of the best PS5 Pro games you can play now.

Should you play Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced?Play it if...

You’re a fan of the game and series, eager to replay an enhanced version of the game
It’s an easy answer to give, but if you’re a huge fan like me and were looking for a reason to dive back in, then this is the perfect way to do so. The game is the same powerful experience, and the new experiences

You want to play one of the technically best games on PS5 Pro
Technically, in its audio and visual presentation, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced on PS5 and PS5 Pro feels like the definitive way to play the game, offering a brilliant, beautiful, and immersive audio-visual experience, augmented by the new graphics modes available. This then also extends to the first game’s upgrades, too, which you’ll get with the Deluxe version of Hellblade 2.

You want to embrace the misery and immerse yourself in one of the best game worlds of recent years
As I’ve said above, there is a distinct attraction in sombre games such as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced, and if bleakness and darkness are your thing, as well as an incredibly powerful sense of place, then you’ll be right at home here.

Don't play it if...

You value speed and dynamism in your action and combat
One of my small criticisms of the original release was some pacing in the game where it’s very quiet and limited, as well as the simple combat. Both are present in this version of the game again, and while they broadly feel at home for this particular game, if you desire multi-faceted action from your games, then you still won’t find it here.

You rarely revisit games you’ve already finished
As much as I personally loved revisiting this game, for those who have strong memories of the original release, you won’t find much new here aside from the Dark Rot mode and the upgraded visuals.

You’re looking for a cheery or chill game
Relaxing, happy, and cheerful, this is very much not - arguably even more so now with the graphical enhancements on show that give its violence in particular another edge. Elsewhere, it is still the same harrowing, bleak, miserable - yet incredibly engrossing and absorbing tale - that touches on many dark and deep themes of the human psyche.

Accessibility

The same bank of accessibility features in the original release remain present in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced. These include three color blind modes - Deuteranope, Protanope, and Tritanope - as well as other graphical features such as motion blur and camera bob. In audio, you can alter menu narration settings, make adjustments to the audio presentation and device you’re using, while you can once again change text size, some animations, and UI color schemes.

The excellent gameplay accessibility options remain, too, with settings enabling you to change overall combat difficulty, as well as initiate auto-input for Senua’s offensive and/or defensive combat actions.

How I reviewed Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced

I played Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced for roughly 10 hours, replaying the entire main story, finding each and every collectible, and watching each and every absorbing cutscene. I played the game on my PS5 Pro on a Samsung Q6F 4K QLED TV using a Samsung sound bar and a Drop + EPOS PC38X and Sound BlasterX G6 sound card for audio. I was also able to briefly test the game on my PS5 Slim and Acer Predator X32QFS 4K gaming monitor, using a DualSense controller, and my Sennheiser HD 550 headphones, and Creative Sound Blast X4 sound card.

I spent several minutes in almost every chapter checking the differences between the game’s quality and performance modes, and I also tested all the game’s various extras and modes, ensuring I explored all of what this release of the game has to offer. I tried to engage in the enhanced version of the first one that is included in the deluxe edition of the game, but, unfortunately, I could not get this to work or even find it at the time of writing.

First reviewed August 2025

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• Epic has made its Easy Anti-Cheat tool compatible with Windows on Arm
• This means online games that use the tool work with Arm-based laptops
• That includes Fortnite, which is going to be one of the first games to implement this support for Snapdragon X (Arm) chips

If you've got a Copilot+ laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X (Arm) processor that you also use for gaming duties, here's some great news: one of the biggest stumbling blocks for gamers on Arm has now been banished.

As Thurrott.com reports, Epic has made good on its promise to make its Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) tool compatible with Windows on Arm (the version of Microsoft's OS that's installed on Copilot+ PCs with Arm chips, as opposed to AMD or Intel silicon).

The move comes with the new version of the Epic Online Services SDK (for game developers) which now boasts EAC compatibility to offer "secure multiplayer experiences on Arm-based Windows 11 devices", as Epic notes.

EAC is used by some big-name online games to weed out problem players who are using various shady tricks or exploits, and the lack of compatibility with the anti-cheat system meant that those games didn't work at all on Arm-based laptops.

Said games include Epic's Fortnite among other online shooters (Apex Legends, PUBG, and more), as well as the likes of Elden Ring.

Analysis: the ball is now in the developers' court

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Epic previously promised that it was going to make EAC work with Windows on Arm back in March 2025, and what we see here is the necessary work being implemented in the mentioned SDK (software development kit).

However, that isn't the end of this story – not quite. It's now up to game developers to incorporate the support in their titles, and Epic is going to be on the ball itself in that respect when it comes to bringing support to Fortnite.

A Qualcomm spokesperson told Thurrott.com: "Fortnite will be among the first titles to take advantage of this compatibility, bringing one of the world's most popular games to Snapdragon-powered laptops."

At any rate, support is going to filter through gradually to a number of games – hopefully quite swiftly – and this will remove one of the black marks in the 'against' column for Arm-based laptops.

Those devices running Snapdragon X chips can make a good enough effort at running even more demanding games – recall the early days of being impressed at these notebooks running Baldur's Gate 3 in 4K.

Being unable to play Easy Anti-Cheat games on these machines was a notable weakness, and particularly with Fortnite, given that this is a popular choice for laptop gamers (and not a demanding title), it was a shame to see it out of the grasp of those with Arm-based Copilot+ PCs – but that won't be the case for much longer.

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• Cybercriminals leaked stolen data in a Telegram channel
• Almost 3 million records from more than a million people were leaked
• There are ways to mitigate the risk

Experts have warned the data stolen in the recent Allianz Life ransomware attack has been leaked to the open internet, and have urged affected users to be on their guard.

Sensitive information on the “majority” of the insurance company’s 1.4 million customers, including people’s names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Tax Identification Numbers, and even social security numbers, was published in a Telegram group created by ShinyHunters, Scattered Spider, and Lapsu$ threat actors.

In total, 2.8 million data records for both individual customers and business partners were grabbed as part of a wider attack on Salesforce instances. Besides Allianz Life, the group also took credit for a number of other, high-profile incidents, including the attack on Internet Archive, Pearson, and Coinbase.

Stay protected

Usually, cybercriminals would demand a ransom payment in exchange for deleting the stolen files and not leaking it on the internet.

So, if these files were published, it is safe to assume Allianz Life has decided not to pay (or the negotiations broke down for other reasons). There is always the possibility that the crooks leaked the files even after getting paid because these are, after all, cybercriminals.

There are numerous ways hackers can abuse sensitive files. They can impersonate their victims, potentially opening bank accounts in their name, apply for loans and credit cards, or rack up debt. They can also commit fake tax returns, gain access to medical treatment or prescription drugs, and even get a job illegally, which might cause problems for the victims during background checks.

Criminals might also use social security numbers to apply for various Social Security benefits, unemployment compensation, or welfare.

The attack is particularly concerning as such records could contain more than enough of sensitive information for hackers to launch highly personalized, successful phishing campaigns, leading to identity theft, wire fraud, and even ransomware attacks.

How to stay safe

If you're concerned you may have been caught up in the incident, don't worry - there are a number of methods to find out. HaveIBeenPwned? is probably the best resource only to check if your details have been affected, offering a run-down of every big cyber incident of the past few years.

And if you save passwords to a Google account, you can use Google's Password Checkup tool to see if any have been compromised, or sign up for one of the password manager options we've rounded up to make sure your logins are protected.

Via BleepingComputer

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