AI agents such as OpenAI’s Operator have added more functionality than these tools had in the past and can now help attackers launch phishing campaigns. Symantec researchers explained that about a year ago, they would tell security pros that large language models (LLMs) were passive and could only help attackers create phishing materials or write … Read more
Mar 10, 2025Ravie LakshmananCybersecurity / Malware Cybersecurity researchers have demonstrated a novel technique that allows a malicious web browser extension to impersonate any installed add-on. “The polymorphic extensions create a pixel perfect replica of the target’s icon, HTML popup, workflows and even temporarily disables the legitimate extension, making it extremely convincing for victims to believe … Read more
Mar 04, 2025Ravie LakshmananCybercrime / Threat Intelligence Threat actors deploying the Black Basta and CACTUS ransomware families have been found to rely on the same BackConnect (BC) module for maintaining persistent control over infected hosts, a sign that affiliates previously associated with Black Basta may have transitioned to CACTUS. “Once infiltrated, it grants attackers a … Read more
Corporate and diplomatic trends in AI writing According to the researchers, all sectors they analyzed (consumer complaints, corporate communications, job postings) showed similar adoption patterns: sharp increases beginning three to four months after ChatGPT’s November 2022 launch, followed by stabilization in late 2023. Organization age emerged as the strongest predictor of AI writing usage in … Read more
In the 1990s, Lane, as NSF director, ushered in the requirement that, in addition to intellectual merit, reviewers should consider a grant proposal’s “broader impacts.” In general, he said, the aim was to encourage science that would benefit society. The broader impacts requirement remains today. Among other options, researchers can fulfill it by including a … Read more
