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• Microsoft names three Chinese hacking groups it claims were abusing recently discovered flaws in SharePoint
• Hackers were apparently able to access sensitive data
• The company is confident the attacks will keep coming until the systems are patched

At least three major Chinese hacking groups were abusing recently discovered vulnerabilities to target businesses using Microsoft SharePoint, the company has said.

Microsoft recently released an urgent patch to fix two zero-day vulnerabilities affecting on-premises SharePoint servers, tracked as CVE-2025-49704 (a remote code execution bug), and CVE-2025-49706 (a spoofing vulnerability), which were being abused in the wild.

Now, Microsoft is saying that the groups targeting the flaws are Chinese state-sponsored groups - namely Linen Typhoon, Violet Typhoon, and Storm-2603.

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Two typhoons and a storm

The first two are part of the larger “typhoon” operation, counting at least half a dozen organizations, including Brass Typhoon, Salt Typhoon, Volt Typhoon, and Silk Typhoon.

In the last couple of years, these groups were attributed with breaches into critical infrastructure organizations, government, defense, and military firms, telecom operators, and similar businesses, across the western world and NATO members.

Some researchers are saying that these groups were tasked with persisting in the target networks, in case the standoff between the US and China over Taiwan escalates into actual war. That way, they would be able to disrupt or destroy critical infrastructure, eavesdrop on important conversations, and thus gain the upper hand in the conflict.

At least seven major telecommunications operators in the United States have recently confirmed discovering Typhoon operatives on their networks and removing them from the virtual premises.

"Investigations into other actors also using these exploits are still ongoing," Microsoft said in a blog post, stressing that the attackers will definitely continue targeting unpatched systems.

SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, SharePoint Server 2019, and SharePoint Server 2016 were said to be affected. SharePoint Online (Microsoft 365) was secure.

Microsoft recommends customers to use supported versions of on-premises SharePoint servers with the latest security updates immediately, and says users should ensure their antivirus and endpoint protection tools are up to date.

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BisectHosting has been around since 2011 as a child company of Venture Node LLC and was registered in Ohio. The company focuses on providing the best Minecraft server hosting but also covers several other games including Rust, Terraria, 7 Days to Die, Valheim, ARK: Survival Evolved and many more.

Relatively unusually for a game hosting provider, BisectHosting also provides other web hosting services such as shared hosting, VPSand dedicated server hostingto those who want to launch their own website.

BisectHosting’s main website is a good example of a user-friendly approach done right, where you’ll be able to find everything you need within a reach of a click or two. It has 20 server locations around the world with the majority in Europe and USA, but others scattered across the globe. Bear in mind that some of these are only accessible for those signing up to a Premium plan.

With strong claims of being the ultimate destination for seemingly everything, I dived into BisectHosting to see how well it works as a Minecraft server provider, looking at its pricing, how easy it is to use, and more.

There are many Minecraft pricing plans. (Image credit: BisectHosting)BisectHosting plans and pricing

For those interested in Minecraft server hosting only, BisectHosting offers forty packages in total (a half of which are “Budget” while the other half belongs to “Premium” ones), which is such a considerable amount of choices that we were struck with analysis paralysis straight away.

Even the budget-friendly ones are chock-full of features that are fundamental in Minecraft, including custom JAR support, full FTP access, free MySQL, a free subdomain, free DDoS protection and more. The most affordable “Budget” plan will cost you mere $5.98 per month and provide 2GB of RAM and support for up to 12 slots, in addition to everything mentioned above.  

Apart from Minecraft, there are fitting packages for other popular multiplayer games including: Terraria, Valheim, ARK: Survival Evolved, Left 4 Dead 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, 7 Days to Die, Rust, Counter Strike: Source, Arma 3, Garry's Mod and Team Fortress 2.

Besides gaming-focused hosting, BisectHosting offers a few options for those looking to host a website (or several of them) which include shared hosting (that start at $2.99 per month), VPS (from $4 a month) and dedicated server hosting solutions (from $109 a month).

All hosting packages (with the exception of dedicated ones) come with 3-day money-back guarantee. Although it is far below the industry’s standard, at least there is one being actually offered.

As for payment methods, BisectHosting currently accepts credit cards, PayPal, and Paysafecard.

You can manage your Minecraft server from BisectHosting's modified control panel (Image credit: BisectHosting)Ease of use

One thing BisectHosting provides all of its users with is an abundance of choice, with something being offered to suit most tastes. Whether you want hosting for a small multiplayer community or a large one, BisectHosting should get you covered with its unlimited slots.

Those who are on the lookout for Minecraft server hosting services can select from Bedrock (mobile) and Java (original) edition, with more pre-designed packages being provided for Java. Whichever you opt for, the following step is to select a plan and check all of its details, such as data center location, billing cycle and add-ons.

If you aren’t hell bent on saving a few bucks, you could go with the most pocket-friendly out of the “Premium” packages, since they come with all features you could wish for without the need to pay extra for each of them. The most noteworthy are: unlimited slots, NVMe SSD space, dedicated IP, daily backups, Sponge installation and modpack updates and installations. Of course, all of “Budget” server features are included in this one as well.  

Creating an account with BisectHosting will require you to provide a number of personal details (although nothing out of the ordinary) and since instant setup is one of their key features, your server will be ready to use in the blink of an eye.

All server hosting plans come with a highly modified version of MultiCraft as your control panel, and which variation you’ll get depends on whether you chose a plan from the “Budget” or “Premium” section. Both control panels share the same easy-to-use functionality and will enable fast navigation for Java and Bedrock users alike. Even if you haven't used any version of MultiCraft before, with its user-friendly interface you should be able to swiftly find ways to customize your server by installing modpacks, plugins, server JARs and much more.

We used GTmetrix to measure the uptime and response time of our BisectHosting server (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

In order to fulfil its goal and become one of the best Minecraft server providers out there, BisectHosting should present us with close to perfect performance, even more so since they claim that NVMe or SSDs are used exclusively to run all of their game servers. After testing the speed of BisectHosting’s main website by utilizing GTmetrix as our tool we got somewhat expected and highly satisfactory results. All vital web metrics related to speed performance were well above the average, resulting in near-perfect an A (99%)

Although BisectHosting offers no uptime guarantee, according to the results we got after monitoring it for a month (via UptimeRobot) it should be close to 100%. No major oscillations were recorded in response time and not a single second of downtime on top of everything. Admittedly, one month of perfect performance doesn’t have to be indicative of a whole year, but it sure seems like a good start. 

Support

As reported by a large number of their users (and supported by our own first-hand experience) BisectHosting’s customer support team is one of their major selling points. Not only they are at your disposal around-the-clock, but the persons in charge are responsive, resourceful and very respectful in their approach to customers. This “dream team” can be reached via support ticket and live chat.

You can find answers to common problems in BisectHosting's knowledgebase (Image credit: BisectHosting)

If you want to be more self-sufficient, you’ll find a major source of information in BisectHosting’s knowledgebase. It currently contains 139 articles in total which are split into ten corresponding categories (Billing Panel, Domain Management, Game Servers, Minecraft Java/Bedrock Servers and so forth). As far as we can see, most of these articles are easy-to-follow and often supplemented with pictures or video tutorials from BisectHosting’s official YouTube channel.

We should give a special mention to their YouTube channel as well, since it is only less than a year old and, yet, it is overflowing with how-to videos which seem to be coming out on a weekly basis.

The competition

When placed side by side, Shockbyte and BisectHosting seem quite similar in terms of pricing, features and support, but there are small differences that might be decisive for some users. Shockbyte is more famous for its overall performance (which means high response time, low latency and lag improbabilities), while BisectHosting’s technical team is doing a better job with support for unlimited domains, SSL certificates and backups.

Both Apex Hosting and BisectHosting offer servers of all sizes with a myriad of additional options. However, the cheapest Minecraft server hosting option with Apex Hosting will cost you $4.49 per month (and for the first month only, after which it will rise to $5.99), while with BisectHosting it’s merely $2.99 per month. On the other hand, with Apex Hosting you’ll get a somewhat longer money-back guarantee.

Besides game server hosting, BisectHosting provides a shared web hosting option with a few attractive features and pricing that is a match for Bluehost’s. The cheapest plans with both hosts come at quite an attractive price, which is $2.95 per month with Bluehost and $2.99 with BisectHosting. However, with Bluehost’s plan you’ll get free domain registration, a free SSL certificate and CDN, which is hard to beat.

HostGator is a great alternative both to Bluehost and BisectHosting for all those looking for a simple-to-use yet feature-packed hosting service equally fit for individual users and small businesses. As expected, even with its cheapest plan, HostGator provides users with a wide array of beginner-friendly and useful features (free domain registration, one-click installs, a free SSL certificate, free domain and website transfer, free MySQL and script transfer, and a generous 45-day money back guarantee), so it might be a better choice.  

Final verdict

On the question if BisectHosting is likely to make your gaming dreams come alive, we would have to say “yes, probably”. It offers a great diversity with its Minecraft packages, a full set of favorable features, prompt and proficient customer support and all at a pocket-friendly price.

Its web hosting packages are, however, another matter and leave out some of the beginner-friendly bonuses we are accustomed to see with other providers. Newcomers who would like to get some of those benefits are better off with fan-favorites such as HostGator, Hostinger or Bluehost.

Roland Reisley is the last original client of Frank Lloyd Wright, still living in the Usonian home designed by the famed architect. Even after 73 years, he told NPR, he still marvels at the beauty of the home.

(Image credit: Keren Carrión)

Does precooling your home work? Yes, no or maybe — depending on who you ask. But don't worry, we also have some other tips to keep you cool this summer.

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While researchers agree food security is important, they say scrutiny of foreign collaboration could hurt U.S. innovation.

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What's better than wireless charging? Even faster wireless charging. The latest Qi2.2 wireless charging standard makes wireless power much faster, much smarter and even more useful – and while several brands have recently obtained Qi2.2 certification, Baseus is the first to publicly release visuals and detailed specifications of three certified devices. So while others make promises, Baseus is already making Qi2.2 products.

That means Baseus customers will be among the very first people to get a massive wireless power-up.

The AM52 is a super-slim power bank with speedy 25W wireless charging (Image credit: Baseus)Why Qi2.2 is brilliant news for you

Qi2.2 is the very latest version of the world's favourite wireless charging standard. Qi charging is supported by all the big names in smartphones and accessories, delivering convenient and safe wireless charging for all kinds of devices. And the latest version is the best yet. Qi2.2 is much faster, even more efficient and even safer.

There are three key parts to Qi2.2: supercharged wireless power, smarter heat control and magnetic precision. The first means that instead of maxing out at 15W of power like existing wireless chargers do, Qi2.2 can push the limit to 25W. That means much faster charging and less time waiting: Qi2.2 can charge your phone up to 67% faster than Qi2.0.

Wireless charging generates heat, and Qi2.2 keeps that down with next-generation thermal regulation, stricter surface temperature limits and improved coils. And the new Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) built into the standard ensures more precise alignment with your phone, reducing energy waste and improving charging efficiency by 15% whether you're charging in the car, at home or on the go.

The powerful PicoGo AM61 comes with its own USB-C cable so you can charge wired and wirelessly at the same time. (Image credit: Baseus)Qi2.2 is made for everything everywhere

Qi2.2 is made to work across all kinds of devices from the iPhone 12 and endless Androids to future models that haven't even been made yet. And while it's focused on the future it's also fully backwards compatible: your Baseus Qi2.2 power bank or charger will happily power up a device made for older Qi standards, and Qi phone cases can add wireless charging capability to older phones that weren't built with wireless charging inside.

Baseus is the industry leader in Qi2.2 charging, and it's just launched three new products that take full advantage of Qi2.2's extra power and improved efficiency: two powerful PicoGo magnetic power banks for any device and a really useful foldable 3-in-1 PicoGo charger for your phone, earbuds and smartwatch.

The two magnetic power banks are the PicoGo AM61 Magnetic Power Bank and the PicoGo AM52 Ultra-Slim Magnetic Power Bank. Both versions deliver a massive 10,000mAh of power, both have a 45W USB-C charging port so you can charge two things at once, and both can charge your device wirelessly at up to 25W via the new Qi2.2 standard without any danger of overheating.

The AM52's ultra-slim design features a graphene and aluminium shell for heat dissipation and smart temperature control that protects all of your devices while charging, and the slightly larger AM61includes a built-in USB-C cable for extra convenience.

If you're looking for a super-speedy compact charger, you'll love the PicoGo AF21 foldable 3-in-1 wireless charger. It delivers the same super-fast 25W wireless charging as its siblings, and with a total 35W of power across its three modules it can wirelessly power up not just your phone but your earbuds and smartwatch too.

That makes it an ideal bedside charger as well as a great travel charger: it’s extremely small at just 75.5 x 80 x 38.11am and it’s highly adjustable for optimal viewing and charging. You can rotate the watch panel 180º, adjust the phone panel through 115 degrees and adjust the base bracket too.

The PicoGo AF21 foldable 3-in-1 wireless charger is super-portable and extremely adjustable. (Image credit: Baseus)Ride the next wireless wave with Baseus' brilliant power-ups

Baseus is setting the standard for Qi2.2 wireless charging, and whether you grab the powerful dual-charging PicoGo AM61, the super-slim PicoGo AM52 or the multi-talented PicoGo AF21 charger you're getting the latest, greatest and fastest charging for your phone. With Qi2.2 Baseus isn't just riding the next wireless wave. It's shaping it.

The Baseus PicoGo AM61 Magnetic Power Bank, PicoGo AM52 Magnetic Power Bank and PicoGo AF21 3-in-1 Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charger will all be available this August, and you'll be able to order them directly from Baseus’s website and from major retailers such as Amazon.

Apex Hosting is a US-based company which launched in 2013. Its goal according to the site is to "deliver the highest level of customer support to our Minecraft server hosting clients". It makes sense then to see it feature prominently in our look at the best Minecraft server hosting. Registered in Florida, USA, its main office is situated in Sarasota with data centres across 18 locations around the world .

These include six locations in the USA (Portland, Las Vegas, San Jose, Dallas, Vint Hill and Miami), and one each in the following countries: Canada (Montreal), Brazil (Sao Paulo), the UK (London), France (Gravelines), Poland (Warsaw), Germany (Frankfurt), Israel (Tel Aviv), Russia (Moscow), China (Hong Kong), Singapore (Singapore), Australia (Sydney) and Turkey (Istanbul).

While its website isn't the most visually appealing of sites, Apex Hosting knows what counts for users. Below, you'll find exactly how I found the service with most of the things available within a few clicks.

Apex Hosting offers a wide variety of plans to suit your Minecraft server hosting needs (Image credit: Apex Hosting)Apex Hosting plans and pricing

Apex Hosting offers 14 Minecraft packages with the most budget-friendly plan starting at $5.99 for the first month (renewing at $7.99). For the price, you get 2GB RAM which Apex explains is good for basic servers and some modpacks.

To be able to confidently enjoy all modpacks imaginable, opt for the 8GB RAM package which costs $20.99 for the first month recurring at $27.99. In all cases, there’s a discount for committing to paying quarterly but this is still a little pricier than some game server alternatives.

The most expensive option offers 32GB RAM for $77.99 for the first month, increasing to $103.99. All plans offer unlimited player slots, dedicated live chat support, full DDoS protection, automated backups, a free subdomain, one-click pack installers, and unlimited storage.

Another option is to sign up for the Ex Series which has 16GB RAM but also a more powerful server with the Ryzen 9 5900X 4.8GHz, NVMe SSDs, free premium support, and a free dedicated IP.

Although there is no free trial, Apex Hosting provides a 7-day money-back guarantee, which is always handy to have.  As for payment methods, Apex Hosting accepts credit/debit cards, and PayPal.

Ease of use

With so many Minecraft server plans, it's pretty easy to figure out what will work best for you. They all offer unlimited player slots but you will be somewhat limited by the RAM available to you. Fortunately, users have the flexibility to change their chosen plan at any time, so if one plan doesn’t fit your bill, there is probably another one that will. However, if neither of them work for you, don’t forget about their money-back guarantee.

After choosing your server, you’ll have to configure some details about it (billing cycle, your Minecraft username, server version and optional subdomain) and decide if you want to include a few add-ons for extra cash (plugin installations, permissions setup, dedicated IP or premium support). Oddly, there are only two options in regard to the billing cycle (monthly and quarterly) with a saving of 10% when you commit to quarterly. After this, you’ll have to provide your personal information, pick out a payment method, create a password and proceed to checkout.

This is Apex Hosting's customized Multicraft control panel (Image credit: Apex Hosting)

Since Apex Hosting utilizes a customized version of easy-to-use Multicraft as its control panel, keeping your server running and managing all of its aspects should become a straightforward experience in no time. In addition to that, video guides are found only a click away, as is one-click modpack installer, all of which is sure to make things even easier.

Another noteworthy feature that is included with every package is automated backups, which will ensure the safety of your Minecraft world.

We used GTmetrix to test the uptime and response time of our Apex Hosting server (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

While boasting (and rightfully so) about hosting over 200,000 Minecraft servers and having the best support in the whole industry (which should be put under question), Apex Hosting brings up  their dedicated hardware features such as “high clock speed” CPUs and the use of SSDs. This should indicate high TPS and lag-free servers for all of their customers. To check out the speed of their servers we tested the performance of their main website with GTmetrix as our tool. The results we got were pretty promising, with all the vital web metrics being above the average and rated with a conclusive grade of an A (100%).

Apex Hosting promises a 99.9% uptime and, as reported by UptimeRobot, it is very likely that you’ll be able to uphold it. We monitored Apex Hosting’s main website for more than a month and were presented with a report showing an impeccable 100% of uptime, which came as a welcome surprise. Not a second of downtime was recorded and while there were several oscillations in response time, they should have no substantial impact on the overall performance.

Support

Although we were rather skeptical about Apex Hosting’s claims to have “the best support in the industry” we decided to give them a chance to prove us wrong. Their customer support is available 24/7 through tickets and live chat, which they seem to take great pride in. From our perspective, chat seems well-organized and functions as a one-stop-solution for most of the problems one might encounter along the way. A support agent we got in touch with responded within five minutes and provided us with everything we wanted to know in a very kind way. If you are using some of the same social platforms they are active on, you can try to reach them there as well.

You can find answers to common web hosting and Minecraft server-related questions in Apex Hosting's knowledgebase (Image credit: Apex Hosting)

If you prefer finding solutions on your own, Apex Hosting’s knowledgebase should probably be your first stop, although their YouTube channel shouldn’t be overlooked since it offers a decent number of easy-to-follow video guides.

The competition

Both Shockbyte and Apex Hosting tend to get high on the majority of “best Minecraft host” lists, and rightfully so. While Shockbyte has more server options in general, a longer list of features and all at a budget-friendly price, Apex Hosting is stronger in terms of customer support.

BisectHosting is another provider determined to make a Minecraft server hosting experience as easy as possible, much like Apex Hosting does. However, BisectHosting is slightly stronger in terms of package options, features and included add-ons, while Apex Hosting provides superior support to its customers. Additionally the daily backups you’ll get with Apex Hosting are a great bonus.

Another difference between the two is the availability of web hosting options (shared hosting, VPS and dedicated server hosting) you have with BisectHosting, but not with Apex Hosting, since it’s focusing on Minecraft. Another web hosting alternative and quite a popular one, would be Bluehost, since in addition to attractive pricing, it provides a full range of hosting services capable of responding to most needs.

Another good (and beginner-friendly) choice for those looking to launch their own website would be HostGator. Besides everything one would expect from a well-known host, they offer their own easy-to-use website builder with all of their shared hosting plans (even the cheapest one) and a 45-day money-back guarantee with “no questions asked”.

Final verdict

There are several reasons behind Apex Hosting’s growing popularity among Minecraft fans, including a variety of server options and total control over it. When we add fast and lag-free performance, backups and DDoS protection, simple-to-use control panel and first-class support to the deal, it’s really hard to say “no” to Apex Hosting.

Although the money-back guarantee is valid for only seven days and might not seem particularly generous, it is actually a bit longer than what is found with some of the company's Minecraft-focused competitors. For a usual 30-day one, you can try out Hostinger, which is one of top web hosting providers out there, with and without Minecraft.

However, if you are on the lookout for a reputable and reliable host for your website and don’t even know how you ended up here in the first place, don’t miss out on checking Bluehost and HostGator.

Third-party attacks are one of the most prominent trends within the threat landscape, showing no signs of slowing down, as demonstrated by recent high-profile cyber incidents in the retail sector.

Third-party attacks are very attractive to cybercriminals: threat actors drastically increase their chances of success and return on investment by exploiting their victims’ supplier networks or open-source technology that numerous organizations rely on.

A supply chain attack is one attack with multiple victims, with exponentially growing costs for the those within the supply chain as well as significant financial, operational and reputational risk for their customers.

In a nutshell, in the era of digitization, IT automation and outsourcing, third-party risk is impossible to eliminate.

Global, multi-tiered and more complex supply chains

With supply chains becoming global, multi-tiered and more complex than they have ever been, third-party risks are increasingly hard to understand.

Supply chain attacks can be extremely sophisticated, hard to detect and hard to prevent. Sometimes the most innocuous utilities can be used to initiate a wide-scale attack. Vulnerable software components that modern IT infrastructures run on are difficult to identify and secure.

So, what can organizations do to improve their defenses against third-party risk? We have outlined three areas organizations can take to build meaningful resilience against third-party cyber risk:

1. Identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities across the supply chain

Understanding third-party risk is a significant step towards its reduction. This involves several practical steps, such as:

i) Define responsibility for supply chain cyber risk management ownership. This role often falls between two stools - the internal security teams who will focus primarily on protecting the customer, while the compliance and third-party risk management programs who own responsibility for third party risk and conduct, but don’t feel confident addressing cyber risks given their technical bias.

ii) Identify, inventory and categorize third parties, to determine the most critical supplier relationships. From a cyber security perspective, it is important to identify suppliers who have access to your data, access into your environment, those who manage components of your IT management, those who provide critical software, and – last but not least – those suppliers who have an operational impact on your business.

This is a challenging task, especially for large organizations with complex supply chains, and often requires security teams to work together with procurement, finance and other business teams to identify the entire universe of supplier relationships, then filter out those out of scope from a cyber security perspective.

Assess risk exposure by understanding the security controls suppliers deploy within their estate or the security practices they follow during the software development process, and highlight potential gaps. It is important to follow this up with agreement on the remediation actions acceptable to both sides, and to work towards their satisfactory closure. The reality is that suppliers are not always able to implement the security controls their clients require.

Sometimes this leads to client organizations implementing additional resilience measures in-house instead – often dependent on the strength of the relationship and the nature of the security gaps.

Move away from point-in-time assessments to continuous monitoring, utilizing automation and open-source intelligence to enrich the control assessment process. In practice, this may involve identifying suppliers’ attack surfaces and vulnerable externally-facing assets, monitoring for changes of ownership, identifying indicators of data leaks and incidents affecting critical third parties, and monitoring for new subcontractor relationships.

2. Prepare for supply chain compromise scenarios

Regrettably, even mature organizations with developed third-party risk management programs get compromised.

Supply chain attacks have led to some of the most striking headlines about cyber hacks in recent years and are increasingly becoming the method of choice for criminals who want to hit as many victims as possible, as well as for sophisticated actors who want to remain undetected while they access sensitive data.

Preparedness and resilience are quickly becoming essential tools in the kit bag of organizations relying on critical third parties.

In practice, the measures that organizations can introduce to prepare for third-party compromise include:

i) Including suppliers in your business continuity plans. For important business processes that rely on critical suppliers or third-party technology, understand the business impact, data recovery time and point objectives, workarounds, and recovery options available to continue operating during a disruption.

ii) Exercising cyber-attack scenarios with critical third parties in order to develop muscle memory and effective ways of working during a cyber attack that may affect both the third party and the client. Ensure both sides have access to the right points of contact – and their deputies – to report an incident and work together on recovery in a high-pressure situation.

iii) Introducing redundancies across the supply chain to eliminate single points of failure. This is a difficult task, especially in relation to legacy suppliers providing unique services or products. However, understanding your options and available substitutes will reduce dependency on suppliers and provide access to workarounds during disruptive events such as a supply chain compromise.

3. Secure your own estate (monitor third-party access, contractual obligations)

Protecting your own estate is as important as reducing exposure to third-party risk. Strengthening your internal defenses to mitigate damage if a third party is compromised involves a number of important good practice measures, including but not limited to:

i) Enhanced security monitoring of third-party user activity on your network,

ii) Regular review of access permissions granted to third-party users across your network, including timely termination of leavers,

iii) Continuous identification and monitoring of your own external attack surface, including new internet-facing assets and vulnerable remote access methods,

iv) Employee security training and social engineering awareness, including implementation of additional security verification procedures to prevent impersonation of employees and third parties.

Security vetting of third-party users with access to your environment or data

As third-party threats evolve and become more prominent, organizations must have a clear view of who they’re connected to and the risks those connections pose. An end-to-end approach to cyber due diligence, encompassing assessment, monitoring, and response capabilities to threats across their supply chains before damage is done.

Third-party risk will remain a challenge for many organizations for years to come, especially as more threat actor groups begin to explore supply chain compromise as an attractive tactic, offering high rewards with relatively low resistance.

Regulators across all sectors are beginning to pay greater attention to supply chain security. Frameworks such as DORA, NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act reflect the growing concerns that supply chain security must be a key component of digital strategy. Those who lead on this issue will be best placed to navigate supply chain compromise.

We list the best identity management software.

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 Dabbsson DBS1000 Pro portable power station provides 2000W of inverter power in a compact footprint. The base unit features a 1000Wh battery that can be expanded to 5kWh with additional packs. The unit has four fans and is quiet enough to work in an office environment. It supports a handy UPS mode, where the AC output switches from the grid to the battery in under 15ms, ensuring uninterrupted office work.

It has all the bells and whistles that the competition offers: a super-fast charger, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, and a sleek mobile app for remote operation. With the addition of a battery pack, the inverter's output power increases to 2400W, a feature not found in similar products. The DBS1000 comes with a powerful front flashlight to help in roadside emergencies and supports three types of charging.

Dabbsson DBS1000: Price and Availability

The Dabbson DBS1000 carries an MSRP of $899 and is on special for $541 for a limited time. The 2kWh battery expansion, which usually costs $1499, is available at a reduced price of $1099 also for a limited time. Other product variants include two DBS1000s with a parallel connector box that increases the output inverter power and battery capacity. This combination is discounted to $1700 from an MSRP of $2549.

(Image credit: Future)Dabbsson DBS1000: Design

The Dabbsson DBS1000 ships with one AC cord and two DC cables for car and solar charging. A user manual and a warranty card complete the package. The unit is compact, measuring 43 cm x 25 cm x 25 cm, which translates to a volume of just under 28 liters. Two large handles on either side of the case help carry the 16kg unit around effortlessly. The top surface is clear of obstructions and can act as a small table, making it ideal for resting electronic devices such as tablets and phones.

Specifications

Battery chemistry: LiFePO4

Battery capacity: 1024Wh

Number of charge cycles: Over 4000 before 20% drop

AC output power: 2000W, surge 4000W

Number of AC outlets: 4

Number of USB sockets: 3 Type A, 3 Type C

Number of 12V sockets: 1 XT60, 1 Cigar lighter, 2 DC 5521

Number of extra battery ports: 2, total of 5120Whr

AC inverter efficiency: 90%

Number of power inputs: 3

Fastest charge time: 1 hour

Additional features: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, flashlight

Weight: 16kg

The user interface features a large LCD on the front panel. The high-contrast display is easily visible from a distance of a few meters. The remaining battery capacity, input and output power consumption, and warnings such as low battery are displayed clearly. User interaction is straightforward through push buttons located near the output sections, which illuminate when activated.

The DBS1000 features four AC power sockets that can supply over 2000W with a 4000W surge capacity. The unit also allows the power limit to exceed 2000W for longer durations through the P-Boost mode when not charging. The P-Boost mode is compatible only with resistive devices, such as electrical heaters, as the AC output voltage can vary depending on the available thermal margin.

The Dabbsson station provides nine low-voltage DC outputs. Six USB ports, organized as three Type-A and three Type-C ports, give the user multiple options to charge devices, such as smartphones and laptops. Two Type-Cs support up to 100W in PD mode, while two Type-As can fast charge at 18W. The remaining three DC outputs are all 12V, consisting of a 120W cigar outlet and two DC5521, each supporting 50W. The DC and AC outputs have a combined power budget of 2200W.

Dabbsson DBS1000: In Use

A short press on the power button activates the unit. The LCD shows status information, including battery capacity and whether any protection features have been triggered. The display will turn off after five minutes if the station remains unused to conserve power, and it will resume operation when a load is connected. To turn off the unit, a long press on the power button is required.

The DBS1000 has a fast AC charger that supports input power of up to 1200W. DC charging through solar panels, with a similar power rating, is also available. Considering the unit’s 90% efficiency, the station will fully charge the 1000Wh battery in under one hour. The power station can accept a DC voltage of up to 60V at a maximum of 25A, representing six 200W solar cells arranged in a 3-series x 2-parallel configuration.

Any abnormal behavior triggers a self-protection mechanism that turns off the input and output ports. For example, the input current can remain above 20A for an extended period, triggering the overload protection. The app shows a pop-up explaining the issue. The user can then decide to continue charging by clearing the fault.

Dabbsson's mobile app is available on both Android and iOS platforms. Once installed, the next step is to enable pairing by pressing the IOT button on the station. The DBS1000 should be detected automatically and added to the app homepage. The optional firmware update may appear as a single step during the initial setup. The final step is to enable Wi-Fi, which allows for full remote access to the unit.

(Image credit: Future)Dabbsson DBS1000: The competition

The DBS1000 has plenty of competition. The Jackery Solar Generator 1000 possesses features similar to those of the DBS1000. With a 1000Wh battery capacity and a comparable number of output sockets, the Jackery 1000 lacks a mobile app and is non-expandable. It also cannot sustain the same output power as the DBS1000. Finally, the Dabbsson station is less expensive than Jackery’s offering, with a price tag of $999 compared to $1899 for the Jackery.

Dabbsson DBS1000: Final Verdict

The Dabbsson DBS1000 sets the bar high in terms of inverter power and battery capacity, all within a small footprint, and at a reasonable price. For a little less than $1000, the unit offers a 2000W AC inverter that can easily reach 4000W for short durations on a 1 kWh battery capacity. Having a way to increase battery capacity with extra modules is also a great option.

The unit offers multiple charging options, including solar or car DC input, an AC socket, and an additional battery port. The DBS1000 features include a UPS mode, fast charging, Wi-Fi, and an emergency light, making it an ideal companion for the road.

Buy the DBS1000 if you want a low-cost compact power station with an option to expand the battery capacity.

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To the casual observer, it might seem like the U.S. has been spent years in a constant state of protest, from the Women's March in 2017 to the racial uprisings in 2020 to the No Kings protests earlier in the summer. But some are starting to wonder: How effective are any of those protests? When it comes to achieving lasting social change, do any of them work?

Many people have never heard of Wikidata, yet it’s a thriving knowledge graph that powers enterprise IT projects, AI assistants, civic tech, and even Wikipedia’s data backbone. As one of the world’s largest freely editable databases, it makes structured, license-free data available to developers, businesses, and communities tackling global challenges.

With a gleaming new API, an AI-ready initiative, and a long-standing vision of decentralization, Wikidata is redefining open data’s potential. This article explores its real-world impact through projects like AletheiaFact and Sangkalak, its many technical advances, and its community-driven mission to build knowledge “by the people, for the people,” while unassumingly but effectively enhancing Wikipedia’s global reach.

Wikidata’s impact: from enterprise to civic innovation

Launched in 2012 to support Wikipedia’s multilingual content, today Wikidata centralizes structured data — facts like names, dates, and relationships — and streamlines updates across Wikipedia’s language editions. A single edit (like the name of a firm’s CEO) propagates to all linking pages, ensuring consistency for global enterprises and editors alike. And beyond Wikipedia, Wikidata’s machine-readable format makes it ideal for business-tech solutions and ripe for developer innovation.

Wikidata’s database includes over 1.3 billion structured facts and even more connections that link related data together. This massive scale makes it a powerful tool for developers. They can access the data using tools like SPARQL (a query language for exploring linked data) or the EventStreams API for real-time updates. The information is available in a wide variety of tool-friendly formats like JSON-LD, XML, and Turtle. Best of all, the data is freely available under CC-O, making it easy for businesses and startups to build on.

Wikibase’s robust and open infrastructure drives transformative projects. AletheiaFact, a platform for verifying political claims based in São Paulo, harnesses Wikidata’s records to drive civic transparency, empowering communities with trusted government insights and showcasing open knowledge’s transformative impact. In India, Wikidata was used to create a map of medical facilities in Murshidabad district, color-coded by type (sub-centers, hospitals, etc.) , making healthcare access easier.

In Bangladesh, Sangkalak opens up access to Bengali Wikisource texts, unlocking a trove of open knowledge for the region. These projects rely on a mix of SPARQL for fast queries, the REST API for synchronization, and Wikimedia’s Toolforge platform for free hosting, empowering even the smallest of teams to deploy impactful tools.

A lot of large tech companies also use Wikidata’s data. One example is WolframAlpha, which uses Wikidata through its WikidataData function, retrieving data like chemical properties via SPARQL for computational tasks, or analyzing chemical properties. This integration with free and open data streamlines data models, cuts redundancy, and boosts query accuracy for businesses, all with zero proprietary constraints.

Wikidata’s vision: scaling for a trusted, AI-driven future

Handling nearly 500,000 daily edits, Wikidata pushes the limits of MediaWiki, the software it shares with Wikipedia, and the team is working on various areas of scaling Wikidata. As part of this work, a new RESTful API has simplified data access, thereby energizing Paulina, a public domain book discovery tool, and LangChain, an AI framework with strong Wikidata support. Developers enjoy the API’s responsiveness, sparking excitement for Wikidata’s potential in everything from civic platforms like AletheiaFact to quirky experiments.

The REST API release has had immediate impact. For example, developer Daniel Erenrich has used it to integrate access to Wikidata’s data into LangChain, allowing AI agents to retrieve real-time, structured facts directly from Wikidata, which in turn supports generative AI systems in grounding their output in verifiable data. Another example is the aforementioned Paulina, which relies on the API to surface public domain literature from Wikisource, the Internet Archive and more, a fine demonstration of how easier access to open data can enrich cultural discovery.

Then there is the visionary leap of the Wikibase Ecosystem project, which enables organizations to store data in their own federated knowledge graphs using MediaWiki and Wikibase, interconnected according to Linked Open Data standards. Decentralizing the data reduces strain on Wikidata and lets it go on serving core data. With its vision of thousands of interconnected Wikibase instances, this project could create a global open data network, boosting Wikidata’s value for enterprises and communities.

The potential here is enormous: local governments, enterprises, libraries, research labs, and museums could each maintain their own Wikibase instance, contributing regionally relevant data while maintaining interoperability with global systems. Such decentralization makes the platform more resilient and more inclusive, offering open data stewardship at every scale.

Community events drive this mission. WikidataCon, organized by Wikimedia Deutschland and running from 31 October to 2 November 2025, unites developers, editors, and organizations in an effort to refine tools and data quality. Wikidata Days, local meetups and editathons foster collaboration and offer support for budding projects like Paulina. These events embody Wikidata’s ethos of knowledge built by the people, for the people, and help it remain transparent and community-governed.

Wikidata and AI: the Embedding Project and beyond

The Wikidata Embedding Project is an effort to represent Wikidata’s structured knowledge as vectors, enabling generative AI systems to employ up-to-date, verifiable information. It aims to address persistent challenges in AI — such as hallucinations and outdated training data — by grounding machine outputs in curated, reliable sources. This could render applications like virtual assistants significantly more accurate, transparent, and aligned with public knowledge.

The next decade holds promising opportunities for Wikidata’s continued relevance. As enterprise needs become more complex and interconnected, the demand for interoperable, machine-readable, and trusted datasets will only grow. Wikidata is uniquely positioned to meet this demand — remaining free, open, community-driven, and technically adaptable.

Enterprise IT teams will find particular value in Wikidata’s real-time APIs and its nearly 10,000 external identifiers, which link entries across platforms like IMDb, Instagram, and national library systems. These links reduce duplication, streamline data integration, and bridge otherwise isolated datasets. Whether it’s mapping identities across services or enhancing AI with structured facts, Wikidata provides a scalable foundation that saves time and improves precision.

With AI chatbots and large-language models now woven into everything from enterprise search to productivity software, the need for accurate, real-time information is more urgent than ever. Wikidata’s linked data embeddings could herald a new generation of AI tools — blending the speed of automation with the reliability of human-curated, public knowledge.

As AI reshapes the digital landscape, Wikidata stands out as a beacon of trust and collaboration. By empowering developers, enterprises, and communities alike through projects like AletheiaFact and Sangkalak, it supports transparency, civic innovation, and educational equity. With the Embedding Project improving AI accuracy, the Wikibase Ecosystem enabling federated knowledge networks, and events like WikidataCon and Wikidata Days sparking global collaboration, Wikidata is building an accountable future full of open data. More than a knowledge graph, it’s a people-powered infrastructure for the trustworthy web.

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

Personalized content is now a fact of life – what was once considered innovative is now standard for online marketing. As anybody who has indulged in a bit of online retail therapy can tell you, websites are now surprisingly accurate in what they recommend, with promotions appearing at just the right time and content adapting as if by magic.

Whilst that’s the super power of personalization, it’s also a bit… disconcerting? As convenient as it might be to see exactly the right product at exactly the right time, this also raises a lot of questions: where does all of this information actually come from? Exactly how much does this company know about me? Did I really consent to sharing all of this data?

These questions are only becoming more frequent as consumers become more aware of the value of their data. A recent Deloitte study showed over two-thirds of smartphone users worry about data security and privacy on their devices, whilst in the US 86% of consumers are more worried about their data privacy than the state of the economy.

These are sobering statistics and beg the question: if consumers are crying out for better data protection, how can businesses enact a privacy-first approach to data-driven personalization?

Thinking strategically about personalization

The first important part of making personalization fit for our privacy-conscious age is ensuring that it’s done with purpose. Thinking strategically about personalization, as opposed to just considering the technical aspects of it, is crucial to building a model which is both useful to a business and respects data privacy demands from consumers.

Personalizing without a clear goal risks losing consumer trust: just because a business can collect a certain piece of data or display content to a specific target group, it doesn’t mean they should. Over-personalization or irrelevant suggestions can cause rejection – especially when it’s unclear where the information comes from, so it is always better to personalize with purpose.

This also applies to the data that businesses collect. Even with consent, users today expect to decide what information they share. The starting point shouldn’t be a tracking script, but a deliberate content strategy: Which data is truly necessary? What do we want to achieve with it? And how can we explain it clearly and understandably?

Doing this properly brings two benefits: the data is legally secure and often significantly better in quality. Transparency also builds trust – which is more important than ever in digital marketing. Instead of asking for a full set of personalization data upfront, businesses should consider asking for smaller data points like a postcode to show local offers. This approach creates value for both sides and, crucially, builds consumer trust.

Segments rather than individuals

Advances in technology now mean that personalization can be really granular – but is that always desirable? In a privacy-conscious world, definitely not.

Not every user wants to be individually addressed, and not every website needs to do so. Often, it’s more effective to tailor content for groups with similar interests, behavior, or needs. Common segments include first-time visitors vs. return users, mobile vs. desktop users, regional audiences, or browsers who never add items to their cart.

Targeting these groups allows for impactful content variation – without the complexity of individual personalization. Privacy preferences can also be respected: cautious users are addressed neutrally, while opt-in users get a more personal experience.

Flexibility is key

Many companies struggle to reconcile data protection and personalization – often because they see them as contradictory. But the opposite is true: taking data protection seriously builds trust and allows for better personalization.

Take consent banners as an example: one which clearly differentiates data types and allows easy management of preferences is more transparent and, so consistent data shows, reduces bounce rates.

The key is to recognize that flexibility on what consumers expect is king. Personalization is not a one-time project and, just as regulation is continuously evolving, so are user expectations. Successful privacy-first personalization means regularly reviewing and adapting content, processes, and technology.

The bottom line is that personalization is not an end in itself. Rather, it’s meant to help deliver the right content to the right audience at the right time – without crossing lines. Focusing on what users truly need and are willing to share often leads to better results than collecting as much data as possible.

A privacy-first approach to personalization isn’t an oxymoron, it’s a necessity in the modern world. Personalization shouldn’t just be a technical concept, but one that places consumers at the heart of what a business does and offers – not just relevant content, but a brand built on clarity, consistency and respect for consumer attitudes towards privacy.

We list the best Linux distro for privacy and security.

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

After years of lobbying by vulnerable island nations, the U.N. asked the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion, a non-binding but important basis for international obligations.

(Image credit: Annika Hammerschlag)

Ukraine's parliament passed legislation that will tighten oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies, which critics say could significantly weaken their independence.

(Image credit: Alex Babenko)