Security
security roundup
Andrew Tate’s ‘Educational Platform’ Was Hacked
Plus: The worst telecom hack in US history rolls on, iPhones are harder to break into, and more of the week’s top security news.
Dhruv Mehrotra
Hop to It
Russian Spies Jumped From One Network to Another Via Wi-Fi in an Unprecedented Hack
Andy Greenberg
Bitfinex Hacker Gets 5 Years for $10 Billion Bitcoin Heist
Plus: An “AI granny” is wasting scammers’ time, a lawsuit goes after spyware-maker NSO Group’s executives, and North Korea–linked hackers take a crack at macOS malware.
Lily Hay Newman, Matt Burgess, and Andrew Couts
More Spyware, Fewer Rules: What Trump’s Return Means for US Cybersecurity
Experts expect Donald Trump’s next administration to relax cybersecurity rules on businesses, abandon concerns around human rights, and take an aggressive stance against the cyber armies of US adversaries.
Eric Geller
These Guys Hacked AirPods to Give Their Grandmas Hearing Aids
Three technologists in India used a homemade Faraday cage and a microwave oven to get around Apple’s location blocks.
Matt Burgess and Lily Hay Newman
ICE Started Ramping Up Its Surveillance Arsenal Immediately After Donald Trump Won
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement put out a fresh call for contracts for surveillance technologies before an anticipated surge in the number of people it monitors ahead of deportation hearings.
Caroline Haskins
China’s Surveillance State Is Selling Citizen Data as a Side Hustle
Chinese black market operators are openly recruiting government agency insiders, paying them for access to surveillance data and then reselling it online—no questions asked.
Andy Greenberg
Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany
More than 3 billion phone coordinates collected by a US data broker expose the detailed movements of US military and intelligence workers in Germany—and the Pentagon is powerless to stop it.
Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell Cameron
Immigration Police Can Already Sidestep US Sanctuary City Laws Using Data-Sharing Fusion Centers
Built to combat terrorism, fusion centers give US Immigration and Customs Enforcement a way to gain access to data that’s meant to be protected under city laws limiting local police cooperation with ICE.
Lily Hay Newman
The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance
Donald Trump has vowed to deport millions and jail his enemies. To carry out that agenda, his administration will exploit America’s digital surveillance machine. Here are some steps you can take to evade it.
Andy Greenberg and Lily Hay Newman
What Google’s U-Turn on Third-Party Cookies Means for Chrome Privacy
Earlier this year, Google ditched its plans to abolish support for third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. While privacy advocates called foul, the implications for users is not so clear cut.
Kate O'Flaherty
Apple’s New Passwords App May Solve Your Login Nightmares
Apple is launching its first stand-alone password manager app in iOS 18. Here’s what you need to know.
Matt Burgess
How Apple Intelligence’s Privacy Stacks Up Against Android’s ‘Hybrid AI’
Generative AI is seeping into the core of your phone, but what does that mean for privacy? Here’s how Apple’s unique AI architecture compares to the “hybrid” approach adopted by Samsung and Google.
Kate O'Flaherty
How to Spot a Business Email Compromise Scam
In this common email scam, a criminal pretending to be your boss or coworker emails you asking for a favor involving money. Here’s what do to when a bad actor lands in your inbox.
Justin Pot
Meta Finally Breaks Its Silence on Pig Butchering
The company gave details for the first time on its approach to combating organized criminal networks behind the devastating scams.
Lily Hay Newman and Matt Burgess
Teen Behind Hundreds of Swatting Attacks Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges
Alan Filion, believed to have operated under the handle “Torswats,” admitted to making more than 375 fake threats against schools, places of worship, and government buildings around the United States.
Dhruv Mehrotra
The Real Problem With Banning Masks at Protests
Privacy advocates worry banning masks at protests will encourage harassment, while cops’ high-tech tools render the rules unnecessary.
Ilica Mahajan
The AI Machine Gun of the Future Is Already Here
The Pentagon is pursuing every available option to keep US troops safe from the rising tide of adversary drones, including a robotic twist on its standard-issue small arms.
Jared Keller
Latest
Oh, Canada
Man Arrested for Snowflake Hacking Spree Faces US Extradition
Matt Burgess and Andy Greenberg
Own Goals
Flaw in Right-Wing ‘Election Integrity’ App Exposes Voter-Suppression Plan and User Data
Dhruv Mehrotra
Security Roundup
Florida Man Accused of Hacking Disney World Menus, Changing Font to Wingdings
Matt Burgess and Lily Hay Newman
Internet of Threats
Zero-Click Flaw Exposes Potentially Millions of Popular Storage Devices to Attack
Kim Zetter
Hacker vs. Hacker
Inside a Firewall Vendor's 5-Year War With the Chinese Hackers Hijacking Its Devices
Andy Greenberg
WIRED Exclusive
The Untold Story of Trump's Failed Attempt to Overthrow Venezuela's President
Zach Dorfman
Cybercriminals Pose a Greater Threat of Disruptive US Election Hacks Than Russia or China
Lily Hay Newman and Dell Cameron
Security Roundup
Chinese Hackers Target Trump Campaign via Verizon Breach
Lily Hay Newman and Andy Greenberg
Dark Knight
Meet ZachXBT, the Masked Vigilante Tracking Down Billions in Crypto Scams and Thefts
Andy Greenberg
2024 Election
Microsoft Warns Foreign Disinformation Is Hitting the US Election From All Directions
Lily Hay Newman
Final Countdown
Nigeria Drops Charges Against Tigran Gambaryan, Jailed Binance Exec and Former IRS Agent
Andy Greenberg
World of Hurt
Exposed United Nations Database Left Sensitive Information Accessible Online
Lily Hay Newman
Made You Look
ICE's $2 Million Contract With a Spyware Vendor Is Under White House Review
Vas Panagiotopoulos