Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
hosang I.T.

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Tech

Tech Articles from a wide variety of topics and categories
Show all categories

Passwd: A walkthrough of the Google Workspace Password Manager

Passwd is designed specifically for organizations operating within Google Workspace. Rather than competing as a general consumer password manager, its purpose is narrow, and business-focused: secure credential storage, controlled sharing, and seamless Workspace integration. The platform emphasizes practicality over feature overload, aiming to provide a reliable system for teams that already relyView the full article
Hacker News

Certified DevOps Engineer Roles, Salaries, and Opportunities

The Certified DevOps Engineer certification helps you prove real skills in making software teams faster and more reliable. It covers building CI/CD pipelines, automating servers with tools like Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, Ansible, and Git, plus monitoring everything. This 3-hour exam-only test shows you can solve daily DevOps problems like fixing broken builds or scaling apps during busy times. Many companies look for this because it means you can jump in and help right away without much training.​
Why Certified DevOps Engineer Certification Counts
DevOps engineers are like the glue between developers and operations teams. They set up automatic systems so code goes from laptop to live servers quickly and safely. The Certified DevOps Engineer badge tells employers you know how to do this every day. Right now, about 85% of big companies use DevOps methods, so jobs are everywhere. In India, new hires get ₹4-8 lakhs a year, people with 3-5 years make ₹12-20 lakhs, and top experts earn ₹25 lakhs or more. In the US, it’s around $100,000 starting.​
security, andThis certification grows fast because cloud apps need constant updates. Think shopping sites during sales or banking apps that never crash. LinkedIn has over 50,000 openings asking for Jenkins or Docker know-how. It teaches not just tools but smart ways like testing code automatically and watching for problems before users notice. Keywords like CI/CD Jenkins, Docker containers, Kubernetes orchestration, Ansible automation, Git workflows, infrastructure provisioning, pipeline monitoring, cloud deployment (AWS), container security, DevOps practices help your resume show up first in searches.​
Big wins include cutting release time from days to minutes, finding bugs early to save money, and handling sudden traffic spikes like Black Friday sales without servers breaking. Companies save time and headaches, which means happier teams and customers.​
Key Skills Tested in Certified DevOps Engineer
The exam makes sure you can use tools in real jobs, not just read about them. For CI/CD, you learn to create Jenkins jobs that pull code from Git, run tests with Maven, and push to test servers automatically. With containers, you package apps in Docker so they run the same everywhere—from your laptop to production. Kubernetes comes next: you deploy groups of containers as pods, set up services for talking between them, and scale up when needed using simple YAML files or Helm for ready templates.​
Configuration management uses Ansible to set up many servers at once—install software, change settings, all without logging into each one. Monitoring tools like Prometheus track how apps perform, Grafana makes pretty charts, and ELK collects logs from everywhere to spot issues fast. You also touch clouds like AWS EC2 for virtual machines or EKS for Kubernetes, plus basic Terraform to code your servers. Keywords: Jenkins pipelines, Docker images, K8s deployments, Ansible roles, Git branching, Maven builds, Prometheus metrics, Grafana visualization, Helm charts, Terraform modules appear in job ads a lot.​
Here’s a simple table of what you learn and why it matters:
Skill AreaCore ToolsReal-World UseExtra TipsCI/CD PipelinesJenkins, GitLab CI, MavenAuto-build on every code changeAdd notifications for failures​ContainerizationDocker, PodmanMake apps portable across machinesUse multi-stage builds to shrink size​OrchestrationKubernetes, HelmRun and scale 100s of app copiesSet health checks to restart bad pods​ConfigurationAnsible, PuppetSetup 100 servers in minutesWrite reusable roles for common tasks​MonitoringPrometheus, Grafana, ELKWatch uptime and catch slowdownsSet alerts for CPU over 80%​ Common fixes: When a deploy fails, check logs first. For resource limits, add more CPU in Kubernetes. Overloaded logs? Filter them smartly. This hands-on practice builds confidence for interviews.​
DevOpsSchool Certified DevOps Engineer Program
The 120-hour Certified DevOps Engineer program walks you through 46 popular tools step by step. You build 3 full projects, like a complete pipeline from Git commit to Kubernetes live deploy for an e-commerce site. Get lifetime access to the Learning Management System (LMS) with videos you can watch anytime. It includes ready-made interview question kits used by over 10,000 graduates, free AWS cloud labs so there’s no setup hassle, and extras on DevSecOps security and SRE reliability—no need for separate training before the exam.​
What makes it special:
One program covers DevOps, DevSecOps, and SRE basics together. Check trainer profiles upfront, and get detailed step-by-step guides and extra videos. Discounts for teams: 10% off for 2-3 people, 15% for 4-6, and 25% for 7 or more. Mock tests that match the real exam, plus digital badges for LinkedIn.​ Compare it easily:
FeaturesDevOpsSchoolStandard ProgramsTools Count46 (from Jenkins to Istio)Usually 15-25 basic onesProjects3 full real-world scenariosOften just theory or 1 simpleAccessLifetime LMS, 24/7 support, job helpShort-term or exam-onlyExtrasInterview kits, AWS labs, badgesBasic certificate only​ DevOpsSchool stands out as a top place for training with over 50 certifications like CDE, CDA, CKA, and more. They’ve helped 100,000+ people worldwide get certified. Options include classroom training in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, or Delhi for groups of 6+, or easy online classes via GoToMeeting. All programs are DCP accredited, use AWS free tier for safe practice, offer 24/7 video replays, offer 3-month catch-up classes if you miss any, and give USA-recognized lifetime certificates with no renewal fees.​
Rajesh Kumar: Trusted Mentor
The program is led by Rajesh Kumar, who has over 20 years of experience fixing real DevOps problems at big companies like JDA and IBM. He’s trained more than 10,000 people at 70+ firms, including Software AG, Intuit, and Vodafone. With an MTech in Software Systems, he specializes in building CI/CD for 40+ products, setting up ELK for monitoring, and moving teams to Kubernetes—which cuts downtime by 80%. He writes blogs on SCMGalaxy and does corporate training for names like Oracle, HCL, and Citrix.​
His teaching style is simple: live demos you can follow, instant fixes for your questions, and starting from easy basics up to handling big production systems. Past students say, “He built my confidence from “zero”—Abhinav; “Hands-on examples were spot “on”—Indrayani; “Real-world fixes made it stick”—Ravi”. You get personal attention in small classes.​
Ideal Candidates and Prep Needs
This fits sysadmins, developers, or QA testers with 2+ years in IT. You should know basics like Linux commands, Git for code versions, and simple networking. No fancy degree needed—just practice. Keywords like blue-green deployments (safe updates), canary releases (test on few users), service mesh Istio (app talking), chaos testing (break to learn), cost optimization FinOps, log aggregation ELK, alerting PagerDuty, backup strategies, multi-cluster K8s, security scanning Trivy prepares you extra well.​
Prep tip: Practice on a free AWS account or local setup. The exam is online from your PC (needs just 2GB RAM).​
Program Delivery and Extras
Take the exam anytime from home—no travel or schedules. Optional live training uses GoToMeeting with screen sharing. All hands-on happens on shared AWS clouds, so your laptop stays simple. Lifetime LMS has class recordings, notes, quizzes, and projects for your portfolio. You can retry the exam up to 3 times free if needed. Share digital badges on LinkedIn right away.​
Happy students share: “Sessions were super “interactive”—Abhinav; “Questions answered super “fast”—Indrayani; “Mastered all tools easily”—Sumit”. Support doesn’t stop after class.​
Job Paths and Earnings
Land junior DevOps roles at ₹4-8 lakhs, move to full engineer at ₹12-20 lakhs, then lead at ₹25 lakhs+. Bangalore pays an average of ₹15 lakhs. In the US, start at $100K+. This opens doors to architect jobs later. Surveys show 97% of certified people get better jobs or raises fast.​
Conclusion and Overview
Certified DevOps Engineer gives you the tools to automate and speed up software work, mentored by Rajesh Kumar at DevOpsSchool. Overview: Simple 3-hour exam, 46 tools covered, lifetime access, 3 projects—get job-ready in DevOps fast.​
Contact DevOpsSchool:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Prepare for Your Certified DevOps Architect Exam Journey

The Certified DevOps Architect certification prepares you to design large-scale DevOps solutions across clouds like AWS, Azure, and GCP. It focuses on infrastructure as code, microservices, and secure deployments for real business needs. This credential helps senior IT pros lead teams to faster, reliable software delivery.​
Why Certified DevOps Architect Matters Today
DevOps architects bridge development and operations by creating systems that scale, stay secure, and cut costs. The Certified DevOps Architect role handles multi-cloud setups, CI/CD pipelines, and IaC with tools like Terraform—vital as 90% of firms adopt hybrid clouds. Salaries average ₹18-28 lakhs in India, up to $175K in the US for experienced ones.​
Job growth hits 40% yearly per LinkedIn, with roles in finance and e-commerce needing resilient architectures. It blends DevSecOps for secure pipelines and SRE for 99.99% uptime. Keywords like IaC Terraform, microservices design, CI/CD Jenkins, cloud architecture AWS, DevSecOps security, Kubernetes orchestration, multi-cloud strategy, pipeline automation, observability Prometheus SRE practices boost profiles.​
Real wins: Reduce deploy times from weeks to hours, automate compliance, and handle 10x traffic spikes without crashes.​
Core Skills of Certified DevOps Architect
Certified DevOps Architect pros design end-to-end systems. Master IaC: Code infra in Terraform/CloudFormation for reproducible envs. Microservices: Break monoliths into Docker/K8s services with API gateways like Istio.​
CI/CD: Build pipelines in Jenkins/GitLab with GitOps ArgoCD. Security: Embed SAST/DAST, secrets in Vault, and RBAC policies. Monitoring: Prometheus/Grafana for SLOs, ELK for logs. Clouds: AWS EKS, Azure AKS, and GCP GKE with multi-region HA.​
Skill AreaTools/PracticesBusiness ImpactIaC & ProvisioningTerraform, Ansible, PackerZero-downtime updates​Container OrchestrationKubernetes, Docker, Helm50% faster scaling​CI/CD PipelinesJenkins, GitLab CI, ArgoCDDaily releases​ObservabilityPrometheus, Grafana, ELK80% less MTTR​SecurityVault, Falco, OPA GatekeeperCompliance audits passed​ Fixes issues like env drift, slow rollouts, and security gaps.​
DevOpsSchool Certified DevOps Architect Program
The 120-hour Certified DevOps Architect course covers 46 tools, 3 real projects (e.g., multi-cloud e-commerce pipeline), and lifetime LMS. Includes interview kits from 10K+ alumni, AWS labs, and DevSecOps/SRE focus.​
Highlights:
One course for DevOps/DevSecOps/SRE. Faculty check step-by-step guides and videos. Group discounts: 10% (2-3), 15% (4-6), 25% (7+).​ FeaturesDevOpsSchoolOthersCoverageDevOps+SecOps+SRESingle focusTools46 (Maven to Istio)10-20Projects3 real-time1 basicSupportLifetime + jobsLimited​ DevOpsSchool leads with 50+ certs (CKA, CAPA, MDE) for 100K+ pros. Classroom Bangalore/Hyderabad/Chennai/Delhi (6+), GoToMeeting online, DCP accredited by DevOpsCertification.co, AWS demos/free tier, 24/7 LMS, 3-month catchups, 1L+ certified globally.​
Rajesh Kumar: Leading Mentor
Guided by Rajesh Kumar, a 20+ year DevOps architect at JDA/IBM, trained 10K+ across 70+ firms (Software AG, Intuit). MTech Software Systems; expert in CI/CD, ELK/Splunk monitoring, and GitOps—cuts failures by 80%. Blogs SCMGalaxy; standardized 40+ products’ CICD.​
Teaching: Live demos and real fixes, from basics to enterprise. Reviews: “Built confidence”—Abhinav Gupta; “Query resolution excellent”—Indrayani; “Hands-on perfect”—Ravi Daur.​
Who Should Pursue and Prerequisites
Senior DevOps engineers, SREs, and cloud architects with 5+ years of experience. Know Linux, Git, and basic cloud/K8s. Keywords: multi-cloud IaC, serverless architecture, blue-green deployments, chaos engineering, FinOps cost mgmt, service mesh Envoy, GitOps Flux, observability stack, compliance automation, SRE SLOs.​
Training Format and Support
GoToMeeting live, AWS cloud labs (no setup hassle). Lifetime LMS: Recordings, notes, quizzes. Post: 3 projects for portfolio, resume/job help. No refunds post-start, flexible pauses.​
Testimonials: “”Interactive”—Abhinav; “Tools deep-“dive”—Sumit; “Knowledge “shone”—Vinayakumar.​
Career Boost and Salary Insights
Roles: DevOps Architect (₹18-28L), SRE Lead (₹20-35L). US: $150K+. Top cities: Bangalore ₹25L avg. Path to CTO; 97% report efficiency gains.​
Conclusion and Overview
Certified DevOps Architect equips you for scalable DevOps leadership, mentored by Rajesh Kumar at DevOpsSchool. Overview: 120 hrs, 46 tools, 3 projects, lifetime support—enterprise-ready architect skills.​
Contact DevOpsSchool:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Track a Flight on Your iPhone

Flight tracker apps are a popular way to keep tabs on planes in the sky, because when you're preparing to fly or when someone you know is on board a flight, you can use them to check that things are still on schedule. But if you have an iPhone, you don't need to download and install a third-party app to track a flight – it's a handy built-in feature of the operating system.


The ability to track flights in iOS is thanks to the data detectors that Apple has integrated into the system for quite a few years now. Data detectors recognize things like times, dates and addresses, and in the right context, turns these into tappable links. Here's how it works.

Track Flights in Messages

If someone sends you a flight number (U2502, say) in Messages, you can press and hold the underlined number to get a real-time view of the flight's progress plotted on a map.


You also get the option to learn more by tapping Preview Flight, which will give you information like departure and arrival times, delays, and for some airports, baggage claim details. You'll find links to the airline website and Apple Maps at the bottom of the information card.

To increase the chances that iOS detects the flight number, it's best to include the full airline name along with the number (EasyJet U2502, for example).

Track Flights in Spotlight Search

On iPhone and iPad, you can also track flights in Search.


Swipe down from the middle of the Home screen and simply input the flight number into the search field to get departure and arrival information. Tap the information card to get the additional details mentioned above.

Tracking Flights on a Mac


Apple has included the same data detectors into macOS, meaning you can track flights on your Mac, too. Simply invoke Spotlight with the Command-Spacebar key combination and type the flight number into the input field.


Select the flight data in the results, and you'll see the same information card that appears in iOS, complete with the flight's live trajectory shown on a map and other details.
This article, "Track a Flight on Your iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Understanding the Certified Argo Project Associate (CAPA) Role

The Certified Argo Project Associate (CAPA) Certification Training Course helps you learn key tools for Kubernetes workflows like Argo CD, Workflows, Events, and Rollouts.
It teaches how to automate deployments and manage apps in cloud setups, perfect for DevOps teams. This program builds skills for real jobs with hands-on practice.​
Why CAPA Certification Training Stands Out
Argo tools make Kubernetes easier by handling complex tasks like GitOps deliveries and event triggers. The Certified Argo Project Associate (CAPA) Certification Training Course proves you know when to use each tool, boosting your resume in fast-growing cloud jobs.
Certified pros handle reliable deploys, cut errors, and speed up releases—key for teams running microservices.​
Demand grows as companies shift to GitOps: LinkedIn shows rising roles for Argo experts in SRE and platform engineering. Salaries jump 15-25% with CAPA, from ₹8-12 lakhs for juniors to ₹20+ lakhs for seniors in India.
It fits DevOps by linking workflows to CI/CD, like triggering builds on Git pushes.​
Benefits include better security through declarative configs, scalable apps with rollouts, and community support from CNCF projects used by Netflix and Intuit.
Detailed CAPA Exam and Topics Breakdown
The CAPA exam (60 mins, multiple-choice, $250) tests Argo ecosystem knowledge from the Linux Foundation/CNCF. Passing shows you grasp fundamentals, best practices, and tool integration for DevOps/GitOps.
Prep 40-60 hours with labs on minikube or kind clusters.​
Main areas:
DomainWeightKey TopicsArgo Workflows36%DAGs, templates, artifacts, data jobs, cron schedulesArgo CD25%GitOps sync, app health, rollbacks, multi-clusterArgo Events20%Triggers, sensors, webhooks, Kafka/Slack sourcesArgo Rollouts15%Canary/blue-green analysis, metrics from PrometheusEcosystem4%Tool integration, best practices, troubleshooting Practice YAMLs for workflows like CI pipelines or ML training steps.
Core Skills You Gain
This training teaches practical Argo use on Kubernetes. For Argo CD: Declare apps in Git, auto-sync changes, and monitor health with Synced/Healthy status. Workflows: Build DAGs for parallel steps (build-test-deploy); use parameters for reuse.
Events: Set sensors for GitHub webhooks triggering workflows; Rollouts: Canary deploys pausing on high error rates. Keywords: GitOps CD, Kubernetes workflows, Argo events triggers, progressive rollouts, DAG templates, artifact management, sync policies, canary analysis, sensor dependencies, CNCF Argo.
ToolMain UseExample CommandArgo CDContinuous Deliveryargocd app create guestbook –repo https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd.gitWorkflowsPipelinesargo submit –watch workflow.yamlEventsTriggerskubectl apply -f sensor.yamlRolloutsSafe Deployskubectl rollout status rollout demo​ Solve issues like stuck syncs or failed DAG steps.
DevOpsSchool CAPA Program Features
The 10-15 hour Certified Argo Project Associate (CAPA) Certification Training Course offers AWS labs daily, lifetime LMS, and the top 16 tools (Argo suite + Helm/Kustomize). Capstone: Full GitOps pipeline project for portfolio.
Standouts:
Hands-on: Real scenarios like event-driven CD. Interview kits, mocks, and group discounts (10-25%). Flexible: Online live, self-paced. FeatureDevOpsSchoolTypicalLabsUnlimited AWSLimitedAccessLifetime LMS6 monthsPrepExam mocks and projectsTheory onlyTools16 incl. integrationsArgo basic​ DevOpsSchool tops with 50+ certs like CKA, Kubernetes Admin, DevOps, and SRE for 10K+ learners. Live in Bangalore/Delhi, etc. (6+), GoToMeeting online, DCP accredited, AWS demos/free tier guides, 24/7 replays, 3-month catchups.
Rajesh Kumar: Expert Guide
Mentored by Rajesh Kumar, 20+ years in DevOps, SRE, Kubernetes, and cloud. Trained 10K+ at 70+ firms (Software AG, IBM); CI/CD, ELK, and GitOps expert—cuts downtime 80%. Blogs SCMGalaxy and MTech extend to Argo for modern workflows.​
Style: Live fixes, real examples. Reviews: “Confidence boost”—Abhinav”; “Hands-on “great”—Indrayani.​
Who Benefits and Prerequisites
For DevOps engineers, SREs, K8s admins, and developers. Need basic Kubernetes; a 2GB RAM PC is ok. Keywords: Argo CD sync, workflow DAGs, event sensors, rollout strategies, GitOps principles, artifact repositories, cron workflows, health checks, dependency graphs, progressive delivery.
Delivery and Support Details
Live instructor-led on GoToMeeting, AWS hands-on. LMS lifetime: Videos, notes, quizzes. Capstone GitOps project, resume help, and job alerts. Discounts for groups.
Testimonials: “”Interactive”—Abhinav; “Query “solved”—Indrayani; “”Organized”—Sumit.​
Career Growth with CAPA
Roles: GitOps Engineer (₹12-18L), Platform SRE (₹15-25L). Leads to CKS, advanced Argo. Employers value automation pros for reliable K8s ops.​
Conclusion and Overview
The Certified Argo Project Associate (CAPA) Certification Training Course builds Argo skills for Kubernetes, guided by Rajesh Kumar at DevOpsSchool. Overview: 10-15 hrs, AWS labs, lifetime access, GitOps project—cloud-native career boost.​
Contact DevOpsSchool:
Email: [email protected] Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841 Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329 DevOpsSchool

View the full article
reporter

A Beginner’s Guide to CCNA Certification Training

The CCNA Certification Training opens doors to exciting IT networking careers by teaching key skills for Cisco networks. It covers everything from basic setups to modern automation, helping beginners and pros alike build real-world know-how. This hands-on program prepares you to pass the Cisco CCNA exam and land jobs in high-demand fields.​
Why CCNA Certification Training Matters Now
Networking forms the backbone of all digital businesses, from small offices to global enterprises. CCNA Certification Training equips you with skills in network fundamentals, IP services, security basics, and automation—exactly what companies need as cloud and AI grow. Certified pros often see salary jumps of 20-30%, with freshers earning ₹3-5 lakhs yearly in India and experienced ones hitting ₹10-12 lakhs or more.​
Demand stays strong: LinkedIn lists thousands of CCNA-related jobs in network support, admin, and security ops. It blends classic routing with new tools like SDN and APIs, making you ready for hybrid networks. Real perks include faster troubleshooting, better uptime for apps, and roles in telecom, finance, or e-commerce, where networks never sleep.​
For IT starters, CCNA beats general certs by focusing on Cisco gear used in 80% of enterprises. It also ties into DevOps by teaching automation that speeds deployments, like using Python scripts for config management alongside Jenkins or Ansible.​
Full Breakdown of CCNA Exam Topics
The Cisco CCNA (200-301) exam tests six main areas in a 120-minute format with 100-120 questions, including simulations. The passing score is around 825/1000; it costs $300 USD and is valid for 3 years. Study 3-6 months with daily practice on subnetting and CLI commands.​
Core domains include:
DomainWeightKey Skills and ExamplesNetwork Fundamentals20%OSI model, IPv4/IPv6 addressing, subnetting (e.g., /24 to /30 masks), Ethernet cabling, TCP/UDP ports​Network Access20%VLAN setup, trunking with 802.1Q, EtherChannel for link aggregation, STP/RSTP to prevent loops​IP Connectivity25%Static/dynamic routing (OSPF basics), OSPF areas, route summarization for efficient tables​IP Services10%DHCP relay, NAT/PAT overload, NTP sync, SNMP polling, QoS marking for voice/video priority​Security Fundamentals15%ACLs (standard/extended), port security on switches, VPN site-to-site basics, WPA3 wireless​Automation & Programmability10%REST APIs (CRUD ops), JSON data, Cisco DNA Center for SDN, Python for NETCONF​ Labs use Packet Tracer or GNS3 for free practice; expect sims like configuring inter-VLAN routing or ACL blocks.​
Hands-On Skills You Gain
CCNA Certification Training builds practical abilities through CLI mastery on Cisco IOS. Learn to cable switches/routers, assign IPs with VLSM, troubleshoot with ping/traceroute/show commands, and secure ports against MAC floods.​
Key takeaways:
Build layer-2 networks: VLANs segment traffic, and trunks carry multiple VLANs over trunks. Routing essentials: OSPF auto-discovers paths, and EIGRP (legacy but common) balances load. Services: NAT hides private IPs, and DHCP assigns addresses dynamically for 1000+ devices. Security: ACLs filter traffic (e.g., block Telnet, allow HTTP), and AAA with RADIUS is for logins. Modern twists: Ansible playbooks automate configs, and APIs query device stats via Postman.​ Keywords like network fundamentals, VLAN configuration, OSPF routing, ACL security, IP subnetting, DHCP services, STP protocol, QoS basics, Cisco IOS CLI boost your resume for network engineer roles.​
Skill AreaDaily Use CasesTools/CommandsLayer 2 SwitchingOffice LANs, VLAN isolationswitchport mode trunk, spanning-tree​IP RoutingBranch connectivityip route, router ospf 1​Services & MonitoringRemote access, loggingip nat inside, logging host​SecurityFirewall rules, hardeningaccess-list 101 deny tcp​ These fix common issues like slow networks or unauthorized access.​
DevOpsSchool CCNA Program Highlights
This 15-hour CCNA Certification Training packs unlimited AWS labs daily, lifetime LMS access, and real scenario projects like end-to-end network builds for Java/Python apps. Get 50+ interview kits, demo sessions, and guidance till you land a job.​
Unique edges:
Top 16 tools: Cisco IOS, Packet Tracer, plus Linux/Python/Ansible for automation. Real-time project: Plan, code, deploy, and monitor a microservices network from scratch. Lifetime support and group discounts (10% for 2-3, 15% for 4-6, and 25% for 7+).​ FeaturesDevOpsSchoolOthersLabsUnlimited AWS dailyLimited simsSupportLifetime + job help6-12 monthsExtras50+ interview kits, projectsBasic Q&ATools16 incl. DevOpsCisco only​ DevOpsSchool leads with 50+ courses in DevOps, Kubernetes, AWS, CCNA, and more for 10,000+ learners. Classroom in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Delhi (6+ students); GoToMeeting online; DCP-certified accredited; AWS-hosted demos with free-tier guides; 24/7 LMS replays; 3-month catch-ups.​
Rajesh Kumar: Your Networking Mentor
Led by Rajesh Kumar, with 20+ years in DevOps, SRE, Kubernetes, and cloud, and now extending to networking like CCNA. Trained 10,000+ across 70+ firms (Software AG, IBM, Intuit); expert in CI/CD, ELK monitoring, and GitOps—reduces failures 80%. Blogs on SCMGalaxy; MTech Software Systems.​
His style: live demos, query resolution, and hands-on from basics to advanced. Reviews: “Built confidence”—Abhinav Gupta; “Great examples”—Indrayani; “Solid sessions”—Ravi Daur.​
Who Should Join and Prep Tips
Perfect for IT freshers, helpdesk techs, or DevOps folks adding networks. No prereqs beyond basics; a 2GB RAM PC suffices. Prep: Daily subnetting (master 10 problems), GNS3 labs, and Boson practice exams.​
Keywords: wireless security, REST APIs, EtherChannel, SNMP monitoring, NTP config, TFTP transfers, remote access SSH, syslog features, DHCP relay, QoS forwarding.​
Training Setup and Full Support
GoToMeeting live, AWS labs (trainers demo, you follow on free tier). LMS forever: recordings, notes. Post-course: Project portfolio, resume tweaks, job alerts. No refunds post-start, but flexible pauses.​
Testimonials: “Interactive, confidence-building” – Abhinav; “Query resolution top” – Indrayani; “Organized tools deep-dive” – Sumit.​
Career Paths and Salary Boost
Start as Network Support (₹3-5L), grow to Admin (₹6-8L), and then Engineer (₹10+L). Top cities: Mumbai ₹6-10L avg. Add CCNP for senior roles.​
Conclusion and Overview
CCNA Certification Training launches networking careers with practical Cisco skills, mentored by Rajesh Kumar at DevOpsSchool. Overview: 15 hours, unlimited labs, lifetime access, job prep—your entry to IT networking success.​
Contact DevOpsSchool:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Complete Azure Solutions Architect AZ-300 and AZ-303 Path

The Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-300 & AZ-303) certification delivers core skills to design, deploy, and manage robust Microsoft Azure cloud solutions that drive business success.
IT professionals use it to build secure, scalable infrastructures handling everything from daily operations to massive growth demands. In a market where cloud expertise commands premium salaries and roles, this credential positions you as a go-to expert for enterprise transformations.​
Why Azure Solutions Architect Certification Excels Today
Cloud adoption surges across industries, with Microsoft Azure powering 95% of Fortune 500 companies through its 60+ global regions, AI-ready services, and seamless hybrid capabilities.
Azure Solutions Architects craft architectures that slash operational costs by 30-50% via right-sizing resources, auto-scaling, and reserved instances, while guaranteeing 99.99% uptime for mission-critical apps during peaks like e-commerce Black Friday rushes or financial reporting seasons.​
Recent LinkedIn data shows Azure architect positions exploding by 40% year-over-year, fueled by digital shifts post-pandemic. Average salaries range $130,000-$160,000 USD globally, hitting ₹20-35 lakhs annually in India for mid-level pros, with seniors earning more through bonuses tied to cost savings.
For DevOps teams, it accelerates pipelines by embedding Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, and monitoring into workflows, reducing release times from weeks to hours while maintaining compliance.​
Emerging trends amplify its value: integrate Azure OpenAI for generative AI apps, deploy edge solutions via Azure Stack for IoT factories, or orchestrate multi-cloud with Azure Arc.
Real-world wins include zero-downtime migrations of legacy VMware setups, disaster recovery plans restoring petabyte-scale data in minutes, and governance frameworks enforcing policies across thousands of resources automatically.
In-Depth Certification Path Breakdown
This expert-level track merges AZ-300 (deployment-focused) and AZ-303 (design-oriented) into a comprehensive 360-degree Azure mastery. AZ-300 emphasizes hands-on implementation: provisioning VMs, configuring storage, and automating via scripts.
AZ-303 dives into strategic planning: optimizing governance, hybrid connectivity, and high-availability designs for global enterprises.​
Exams span 150-180 minutes, featuring 40-60 questions blending multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and interactive case studies simulating real scenarios like architecting a retail platform with failover. Passing requires 700/1000; retakes allowed after 24 hours.
Detailed topic weights and examples:
SectionWeightingCore Topics and Practical ExamplesDeploy & Manage Infrastructure25-30%ARM templates/Bicep for declarative deployments; Azure CLI/PowerShell automation; VM scale sets with custom images for rapid fleet expansion during traffic spikes.​Load Balancing & Storage Implementation15-20%Application Gateway for web traffic routing; Blob Storage tiers (hot/cool/archive) with lifecycle management; Azure Files SMB shares for lift-shift file servers; Data Box for terabyte offline imports.Secure Workloads & Data20-25%Azure AD Conditional Access policies; Key Vault integration for secrets rotation; NSGs/ASGs for micro-segmentation; Just-In-Time VM access to minimize attack surfaces.​Design Identities, Governance & Networking25-30%Hybrid identity sync via Azure AD Connect; VPN Gateway vs. ExpressRoute for low-latency links; Azure Cost Management + Advisor for budgeting forecasts and anomaly alerts.Monitor, Backup & Recovery10-15%Azure Monitor workbooks for custom dashboards; Log Analytics KQL queries for troubleshooting; Site Recovery for geo-redundant VMs with RPO under 15 minutes.​ Expect 100-200 study hours: 40% theory via Microsoft Learn paths, 60% labs building end-to-end solutions like resilient e-commerce stacks with CDN acceleration.
Comprehensive Skills Development Across Azure Ecosystem
Gain proficiency in compute: deploy B-series burstable VMs for dev/test, E-series for memory-intensive databases, or N-series GPUs for ML training; scale web apps via App Service Plans; trigger serverless Azure Functions on events like Cosmos DB changes.
Storage expertise spans Blob for petabytes of logs with immutability, Premium Disks for low-latency IOPS, and Azure SQL Hyperscale for 100TB databases with auto-failover groups.​
Networking mastery: segment VNets with service endpoints, peer across subscriptions/regions for low-cost connectivity, layer Azure Firewall Premium for IDS/IPS.
Security layers include Azure AD B2C for customer identities, RBAC custom roles, and Defender for Cloud threat protection with auto-remediation.
Monitoring suite: Application Insights for end-to-end tracing, Sentinel SOAR playbooks for incident response, Container Insights for AKS health.
DevOps synergy: author Terraform modules for IaC, orchestrate Azure Pipelines YAML for multi-stage approvals, integrate Blueprints for compliant environments repeatable across teams.
Skill DomainReal-World ApplicationsKey Services & Best PracticesCompute & ContainersMicroservices, batch processing, HPCAKS clusters with Azure CNI; Functions Durable for orchestrations; Batch for parallel jobs.Data & StorageAnalytics lakes, archival, cachingADLS Gen2 with hierarchical namespaces; Redis Enterprise for sub-ms caching; Backup Center policies.Networking & SecurityGlobal distribution, zero-trustFront Door/WAF for geo-routing; Private Link for PaaS without public IPs; Sentinel ML anomaly detection.Governance & OptimizationCompliance audits, FinOpsPolicy assignments at scale; Management Groups hierarchy; Lighthouse for delegated multi-tenant mgmt.​ These competencies resolve pain points: overprovisioning waste, compliance violations, slow incident response.
DevOpsSchool Program: Unmatched Features and Value
This 30-40 hour instructor-led online course immerses you in 100+ guided labs progressing from single-resource spins to full-stack enterprise deployments, complemented by scenario-based capstone projects like a HIPAA-compliant healthcare portal with multi-region DR.
Access 250+ vetted interview questions from 10,000+ alumni experiences, plus mock exams mimicking Pearson VUE pressure.​
Standouts: one curriculum preps for AZ-900 (fundamentals), AZ-104 (admin), AZ-400 (DevOps)—triple certification value; lifetime LMS with unlimited replays, downloadable notes/slides/videos; 24/7 expert support via ticket/Slack; faculty vetting with profile transparency.
Labs leverage DevOpsSchool’s AWS-hosted environments with pixel-perfect Azure replication guides for your $200 free tier credit—no personal infra costs.
Premium FeaturesDevOpsSchool EdgeIndustry StandardDepth & Scope30-40 hrs, 100+ labs/projects, 3 certs20-25 hrs, 20-50 labs, 1 certCareer Acceleration250+ interviews, mocks, resume/LinkedIn kits, job portal alertsBasic Q&A, limited post-trainingAccess & FlexibilityLifetime LMS/tech support; 3-mo makeup classes6-12 mo access; no catchupsAffordabilityGroup tiers: 10% (2-3), 15% (4-6), 25% (7+); fixed no-haggle pricingVariable, fewer discounts​ DevOpsSchool dominates with 50+ cutting-edge tracks in Kubernetes orchestration, Jenkins/Gitea CI/CD, AWS/Azure/GCP multi-cloud, AIOps observability—serving 10,000+ learners from startups to MNCs.
In-person in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi (min 6); GoToMeeting virtual excellence; DevOps Certified Professional (DCP) accredited by DevOpsCertification.co based on rigorous project evals; proven FAQ handling like no-demo policy offset by pre-recorded samples.​
Rajesh Kumar: Proven Mentor with Global Impact
Under Rajesh Kumar, leverage 20+ years mastering DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, plus deep Kubernetes/Docker/Ansible/Terraform/Jenkins and Azure/AWS migrations.
Trained 10,000+ across 70+ orgs including Software AG/MNCs; authored SCMGalaxy blogs; pioneered test-driven pipelines slashing MTTR 80% via ELK/Splunk/Prometheus stacks and GitOps with ArgoCD/Flux.​
His interactive style shines: live debugging sessions, real failure recreations, tailored roadmaps. Alumni testimonials:
Abhinav Gupta (Pune, 5/5): “Interactive training built confidence—Rajesh clarified every doubt.” Indrayani (India, 5/5): “Effective query resolution, loved hands-on.” Ravi Daur (Noida, 5/5): “Solid basics to advanced, time well-used.” Sumit Kulkarni: “Organized, tool-deep dives.” Vinayakumar (Bangalore PM, 5/5): “Knowledge display unmatched.”​ Target Audience and Entry Requirements
Ideal for sysadmins, DevOps engineers, cloud enthusiasts, fresh grads—spans beginner to expert. Prereqs minimal: networking/OS basics; course bootstraps Azure from portal navigation to advanced CLI.
IT vets upgrade portfolios; newcomers build interview-ready projects showcasing keywords: Azure infrastructure orchestration, cloud monitoring stacks, hybrid connectivity, Terraform IaC modules, Azure AD federation, VM optimization, storage tiering, disaster recovery orchestration, AKS Kubernetes deployments, Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines.
Seamless Delivery, Robust Support Ecosystem
GoToMeeting delivers screen-shared, interactive sessions (limited cohort sizes for quality). Req: 2GB RAM PC (Win/Mac/Linux), 20GB HDD.
Trainers demo on AWS; students replicate via step-guides on Azure free tier/VMs. LMS: 24/7 lifetime access to 100% recordings/notes/labs.
Miss class? Join any batch within 3 months. Capstone: implement full scenario project for GitHub portfolio. Extras: resume tailoring, “JOB updates” forum with partner leads. Policies: no refunds post-start, flexible pauses; competitive fees with group savings.​
Transformative Career Trajectories
Certified architects spearhead $MM migrations, engineer 72% savings via Reservations/Spot, fuse SRE SLIs/SLOs with DevSecOps shift-left scanning.
Next: AZ-400 for elite DevOps Engineer; stack with CKAD for containers. Microsoft data: 25% faster promotions, 20% salary uplift Year 1.​
Conclusion and Executive Overview
Elevate to Azure mastery through Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-300 & AZ-303), expertly curated by Rajesh Kumar at DevOpsSchool.
Overview: 30-40 intensive hours yielding 100+ labs, lifetime assets, triple-cert readiness, job ecosystem—propelling you from practitioner to architect in months.​
Contact DevOpsSchool:
Email: [email protected] Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841 Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329 DevOpsSchool

View the full article
reporter

U.S. DoJ Seizes Fraud Domain Behind $14.6 Million Bank Account Takeover Scheme

The U.S. Justice Department (DoJ) on Monday announced the seizure of a web domain and database that it said was used to further a criminal scheme designed to target and defraud Americans by means of bank account takeover fraud. The domain in question, web3adspanels[.]org, was used as a backend web panel to host and manipulate illegally harvested bank login credentials. Users to the website areView the full article
Hacker News

Critical n8n Flaw (CVSS 9.9) Enables Arbitrary Code Execution Across Thousands of Instances

A critical security vulnerability has been disclosed in the n8n workflow automation platform that, if successfully exploited, could result in arbitrary code execution under certain circumstances. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-68613, carries a CVSS score of 9.9 out of a maximum of 10.0. The package has about 57,000 weekly downloads, according to statistics on npm. "Under certainView the full article
Hacker News

Agentic AI already hinting at cybersecurity’s pending identity crisis

Making the most of agentic AI is a top agenda item for many enterprises the coming year, as business executives are keen to deploy autonomous AI agents to revamp a range of business operations and workflows.
The technology is nascent and, as with generative AI rollouts, CIOs are under pressure to move quickly with agentic AI strategies — a potential nightmare in making for CISOs charged with ensuring organizational security in the face of widespread agentic experimentation and deployment.
A key area of concern is identity and authentication. Some security experts estimate that more than 95% of enterprises deploying or experimenting with autonomous agents are doing so without leveraging existing cybersecurity mechanisms — such as public key infrastructure (PKI) — to track, identify, and control their agents.
This issue becomes even more dangerous due to the prevalence of agent-to-agent communications common to agentic AI rollouts.
For agentic AI to work, AI agents must communicate autonomously with other agents to pass tasks, data, and context. Without sufficient identity management, authentication, and related cybersecurity measures in place, not only could an agent be controlled by a cybercriminal or state actor, but rogue agents could engage in a variety of prompt injection attacks with an unlimited number of legitimate agents.
should a hijacked agent communicate with an enterprise’s legitimate agents before it is detected and its credentials are pulled, the damage from legitimate agents following the rogue agent’s instructions isn’t halted. 
And the likelihood of this knock-on effect isn’t trivial. Most robust authentication mechanisms today revoke and/or shut down credentials when bad behavior is detected. But behavioral analytics systems often need to witness acts of bad behavior before they can flag the problem to terminate the ID. Any actions previously initiated by the compromised agent will already be in motion across the agentic chain.
Having a trail of every interaction and an automated system for contacting all legitimate agents that interacted with the rogue agent to tell them to disregard instructions from that agent — and alert IT security of any actions already taken on the rogue’s instructions — is the goal, but vendors have yet to address this need. Moreover, many security experts argue it’s too complex a problem to easily solve.
“Because autonomous agents are increasingly able to execute real actions within an organization, if a malicious actor can affect the decision-making layer of an autonomous agent, the resulting damage could be exponentially greater than in a traditional breach scenario,”says Nik Kale, principal engineer at Cisco as well as a member of the Coalition for Secure AI (CoSAI) and ACM’s AI Security (AISec) program committee.
The ever-expanding attack surface of autonomous agents
“Because agents are programmed to follow instructions, they will likely follow a questionable instruction absent some mechanism to force the agent to slow its process to validate the safety of the request,” Kale says. “Humans have intuition and therefore often sense when something does not feel right. Agents do not possess this instinctual sense and thus will follow any request unless the system specifically prevents them from doing so.”
Gary Longsine, CEO at IllumineX, agrees that the cybersecurity risks from uncontrolled agentic deployment is unlike anything CISOs have faced.
“The attack surface of the AI agent could be thought of as essentially infinite, due to the natural language interface and the ability of the agent to summon a potentially vast array of other agentic systems,” Longsine says.
DigiCert CTO Jason Sabin suggests the situation may be even worse because of how relatively easy it is to perform an agent hijacking.
“Without robust agentic authentication, organizations risk deploying autonomous systems that can be hijacked with a single fake instruction,” Sabin claims. 
Agentic AI’s identity crisis
Authentication and agentic experts interviewed — three of whom estimate that less than 5% of enterprises experimenting with autonomous agents have deployed agentic identity systems — say the reasons for this lack of security hardening are varied.
First, many of these efforts are effectively shadow IT, where a line of business (LOB) executive has authorized the proof of concept to see what these agents can do. In these cases, IT or cyber teams haven’t likely been involved, and so security hasn’t been a top priority for the POC.
Second, many executives — including third-party business partners handling supply chain, distribution, or manufacturing — have historically cut corners for POCs because they are traditionally confined to sandboxes isolated from the enterprise’s live environments. 
But agentic systems don’t work that way. To test their capabilities, they typically need to be released into the general environment. 
The proper way to proceed is for every agent in your environment — whether IT authorized, LOB launched, or that of a third party — to be tracked and controlled by PKI identities from agentic authentication vendors. Extreme defense would include instructing all authorized agents to refuse communication from any agent without full identification. Unfortunately, autonomous agents — like their gen AI cousins — often ignore instructions (aka guardrails). 
“Agentic-friendly encounters conflict with essential security principles. Enterprises cannot risk scenarios where agents autonomously discover each other, establish communication channels, and form transactional relationships,” says Kanwar Preet Singh Sandhu, who tracks cybersecurity strategies for Tata Consultancy Services.
“When IT designs a system, its tasks and objectives should be clearly defined and restricted to those duties,” he adds. “While agent-to-agent encounters are technically possible, they pose serious risks to principles like least privilege and segregation of duties.For structured and planned collaboration or integration, organizations must follow stringent protocols such as MCP [Model Context Protocol] and A2A [Agent to Agent], which were created precisely for this purpose.”
DigiCert’s Sabin says his interactions with enterprises revealed “little to none” creating identities for their autonomous agents. “Definitely less than 10%, probably less than 5%. There is a huge gap in identity.”
Agentic IDs: Putting the genie back in the bottle
Once agentic experiments begin without proper identities established, it’s far more difficult to add identity authentication later, Sabin notes.
“How do we start adding in identity after the fact? They don’t have these processes established. The agent can and will be hijacked, compromised. You have to have a kill switch,” he says. “AI agents’ ability to verify who is issuing a command and whether that human/system has authority is one of the defining security issues of agentic AI.”
To address that issue, CISOs will likely need to rethink identity, authentication, and privilege. 
“What is truly challenging about this is that we are no longer determining how a human authenticates to a system. We are now asked to determine how an autonomous agent determines that the individual providing instructions is legitimate and that the instructions are within the expected pattern of action,” Cisco’s Kale says. “The shift to determining legitimacy based on the autonomous agent’s assessment of the human’s intent, rather than simply identifying the human, introduces a whole new range of risk factors that were never anticipated by traditional authentication methods.”
Ishraq Khan, CEO of coding productivity tool vendor Kodezi, also believes CISOs are likely underestimating the security threats that exist within agentic AI systems.
“Traditional authentication frameworks assume static identities and predictable request patterns. Autonomous agents create a new category of risk because they initiate actions independently, escalate behavior based on memory, and form new communication pathways on their own. The threat surface becomes dynamic, not static,” Khan says. “When agents update their own internal state, learn from prior interactions, or modify their role within a workflow, their identity from a security perspective changes over time. Most organizations are not prepared for agents whose capabilities and behavior evolve after authentication.”
Khan adds: “A compromised agent can impersonate collaboration patterns, fabricate system state or manipulate other agents into cascading failures. This is not simply malware. It is a behavioral attack on decision-making.”
Harish Peri, SVP and general manager of AI Security at Okta, puts it more directly: “This is not just an NHI problem. This is a recipe for disaster. It is a new kind of identity, a new kind of relentless user.”
Regarding the problem of being unable to undo the damage when a hijacked agent gives malicious instructions to legitimate agents, Peri says it can be a challenging problem that no one seems to have solved yet.
“If the risk signal is strong enough, we do have the capability to revoke not just the privilege but the access token,” Peri says. But “the real-time kind of chaining requires more thought.”
Unwinding agent interactions will be a tall order
One issue is that tracking interactions for backward chaining will require a massive amount of data to be captured from every agent in the enterprise environment. And given that autonomous agents act at non-human speed, a data warehouse for that activity will likely fill up quickly.
“By the time the agent does something and identity gets revoked, all of the downstream agents have already interacted with that compromised agent. They have already accepted assignments and have already cued up its next step actions,” Cisco’s Kale explains. “There is no mechanism to propagate that revocation backwards. Kill switches are necessary but they are incomplete.”
The process to go backwards to all contacted agents “sounds like a straightforward script. It looks easy until you try and do it properly,” he says. “You need to know every instruction an agent has issued and the hard part is deciding what to undo” — a scenario Kale likens to alert fatigue. “This could absolutely collapse from its own weight. This could all become noise and not security at that point.”
Jason Soroko, a senior fellow at Sectigo, agrees that backward alerting of impacted agents “is nowhere near to being fully solved at this time.” 
But he argues that agentic cybersecurity has inadvertently painted itself into a corner. 
“A lot of autonomous AI agent authentication will rely on a simple API token to verify itself.  We have inadvertently built a weapon waiting for a stolen shared secret,” Soroko says. “To fix this, we must move beyond shared secrets to cryptographic proof of possession, ensuring the agent verifies the ‘who’ behind the command, not just the ‘concert wristband’ authenticator.”
View the full article
CSOonline

Agentic AI already hinting at cybersecurity’s pending identity crisis

Making the most of agentic AI is a top agenda item for many enterprises the coming year, as business executives are keen to deploy autonomous AI agents to revamp a range of business operations and workflows.
The technology is nascent and, as with generative AI rollouts, CIOs are under pressure to move quickly with agentic AI strategies — a potential nightmare in making for CISOs charged with ensuring organizational security in the face of widespread agentic experimentation and deployment.
A key area of concern is identity and authentication. Some security experts estimate that more than 95% of enterprises deploying or experimenting with autonomous agents are doing so without leveraging existing cybersecurity mechanisms — such as public key infrastructure (PKI) — to track, identify, and control their agents.
This issue becomes even more dangerous due to the prevalence of agent-to-agent communications common to agentic AI rollouts.
For agentic AI to work, AI agents must communicate autonomously with other agents to pass tasks, data, and context. Without sufficient identity management, authentication, and related cybersecurity measures in place, not only could an agent be controlled by a cybercriminal or state actor, but rogue agents could engage in a variety of prompt injection attacks with an unlimited number of legitimate agents.
Should a hijacked agent communicate with an enterprise’s legitimate agents, detecting it and pulling its credentials will not be enough to halt the damage from legitimate agents following the rogue agent’s previous instructions. 
And the likelihood of this knock-on effect isn’t trivial. Most robust authentication mechanisms today revoke and/or shut down credentials when bad behavior is detected. But behavioral analytics systems often need to witness acts of bad behavior before they can flag the problem to terminate the ID. Any actions previously initiated by the compromised agent will already be in motion across the agentic chain.
Having a trail of every interaction and an automated system for contacting all legitimate agents that interacted with the rogue agent to tell them to disregard instructions from that agent — and alert IT security of any actions already taken on the rogue’s instructions — is the goal, but vendors have yet to address this need. Moreover, many security experts argue it’s too complex a problem to easily solve.
“Because autonomous agents are increasingly able to execute real actions within an organization, if a malicious actor can affect the decision-making layer of an autonomous agent, the resulting damage could be exponentially greater than in a traditional breach scenario,”says Nik Kale, principal engineer at Cisco as well as a member of the Coalition for Secure AI (CoSAI) and ACM’s AI Security (AISec) program committee.
The ever-expanding attack surface of autonomous agents
“Because agents are programmed to follow instructions, they will likely follow a questionable instruction absent some mechanism to force the agent to slow its process to validate the safety of the request,” Kale says. “Humans have intuition and therefore often sense when something does not feel right. Agents do not possess this instinctual sense and thus will follow any request unless the system specifically prevents them from doing so.”
Gary Longsine, CEO at IllumineX, agrees that the cybersecurity risks from uncontrolled agentic deployment is unlike anything CISOs have faced.
“The attack surface of the AI agent could be thought of as essentially infinite, due to the natural language interface and the ability of the agent to summon a potentially vast array of other agentic systems,” Longsine says.
DigiCert CTO Jason Sabin suggests the situation may be even worse because of how relatively easy it is to perform an agent hijacking.
“Without robust agentic authentication, organizations risk deploying autonomous systems that can be hijacked with a single fake instruction,” Sabin claims. 
Agentic AI’s identity crisis
Authentication and agentic experts interviewed — three of whom estimate that less than 5% of enterprises experimenting with autonomous agents have deployed agentic identity systems — say the reasons for this lack of security hardening are varied.
First, many of these efforts are effectively shadow IT, where a line of business (LOB) executive has authorized the proof of concept to see what these agents can do. In these cases, IT or cyber teams haven’t likely been involved, and so security hasn’t been a top priority for the POC.
Second, many executives — including third-party business partners handling supply chain, distribution, or manufacturing — have historically cut corners for POCs because they are traditionally confined to sandboxes isolated from the enterprise’s live environments. 
But agentic systems don’t work that way. To test their capabilities, they typically need to be released into the general environment. 
The proper way to proceed is for every agent in your environment — whether IT authorized, LOB launched, or that of a third party — to be tracked and controlled by PKI identities from agentic authentication vendors. Extreme defense would include instructing all authorized agents to refuse communication from any agent without full identification. Unfortunately, autonomous agents — like their gen AI cousins — often ignore instructions (aka guardrails). 
“Agentic-friendly encounters conflict with essential security principles. Enterprises cannot risk scenarios where agents autonomously discover each other, establish communication channels, and form transactional relationships,” says Kanwar Preet Singh Sandhu, who tracks cybersecurity strategies for Tata Consultancy Services.
“When IT designs a system, its tasks and objectives should be clearly defined and restricted to those duties,” he adds. “While agent-to-agent encounters are technically possible, they pose serious risks to principles like least privilege and segregation of duties.For structured and planned collaboration or integration, organizations must follow stringent protocols such as MCP [Model Context Protocol] and A2A [Agent to Agent], which were created precisely for this purpose.”
DigiCert’s Sabin says his interactions with enterprises revealed “little to none” creating identities for their autonomous agents. “Definitely less than 10%, probably less than 5%. There is a huge gap in identity.”
Agentic IDs: Putting the genie back in the bottle
Once agentic experiments begin without proper identities established, it’s far more difficult to add identity authentication later, Sabin notes.
“How do we start adding in identity after the fact? They don’t have these processes established. The agent can and will be hijacked, compromised. You have to have a kill switch,” he says. “AI agents’ ability to verify who is issuing a command and whether that human/system has authority is one of the defining security issues of agentic AI.”
To address that issue, CISOs will likely need to rethink identity, authentication, and privilege. 
“What is truly challenging about this is that we are no longer determining how a human authenticates to a system. We are now asked to determine how an autonomous agent determines that the individual providing instructions is legitimate and that the instructions are within the expected pattern of action,” Cisco’s Kale says. “The shift to determining legitimacy based on the autonomous agent’s assessment of the human’s intent, rather than simply identifying the human, introduces a whole new range of risk factors that were never anticipated by traditional authentication methods.”
Ishraq Khan, CEO of coding productivity tool vendor Kodezi, also believes CISOs are likely underestimating the security threats that exist within agentic AI systems.
“Traditional authentication frameworks assume static identities and predictable request patterns. Autonomous agents create a new category of risk because they initiate actions independently, escalate behavior based on memory, and form new communication pathways on their own. The threat surface becomes dynamic, not static,” Khan says. “When agents update their own internal state, learn from prior interactions, or modify their role within a workflow, their identity from a security perspective changes over time. Most organizations are not prepared for agents whose capabilities and behavior evolve after authentication.”
Khan adds: “A compromised agent can impersonate collaboration patterns, fabricate system state or manipulate other agents into cascading failures. This is not simply malware. It is a behavioral attack on decision-making.”
Harish Peri, SVP and general manager of AI Security at Okta, puts it more directly: “This is not just an NHI problem. This is a recipe for disaster. It is a new kind of identity, a new kind of relentless user.”
Regarding the problem of being unable to undo the damage when a hijacked agent gives malicious instructions to legitimate agents, Peri says it can be a challenging problem that no one seems to have solved yet.
“If the risk signal is strong enough, we do have the capability to revoke not just the privilege but the access token,” Peri says. But “the real-time kind of chaining requires more thought.”
Unwinding agent interactions will be a tall order
One issue is that tracking interactions for backward chaining will require a massive amount of data to be captured from every agent in the enterprise environment. And given that autonomous agents act at non-human speed, a data warehouse for that activity will likely fill up quickly.
“By the time the agent does something and identity gets revoked, all of the downstream agents have already interacted with that compromised agent. They have already accepted assignments and have already cued up its next step actions,” Cisco’s Kale explains. “There is no mechanism to propagate that revocation backwards. Kill switches are necessary but they are incomplete.”
The process to go backwards to all contacted agents “sounds like a straightforward script. It looks easy until you try and do it properly,” he says. “You need to know every instruction an agent has issued and the hard part is deciding what to undo” — a scenario Kale likens to alert fatigue. “This could absolutely collapse from its own weight. This could all become noise and not security at that point.”
Jason Soroko, a senior fellow at Sectigo, agrees that backward alerting of impacted agents “is nowhere near to being fully solved at this time.” 
But he argues that agentic cybersecurity has inadvertently painted itself into a corner. 
“A lot of autonomous AI agent authentication will rely on a simple API token to verify itself.  We have inadvertently built a weapon waiting for a stolen shared secret,” Soroko says. “To fix this, we must move beyond shared secrets to cryptographic proof of possession, ensuring the agent verifies the ‘who’ behind the command, not just the ‘concert wristband’ authenticator.”
View the full article
CSOonline

FCC Bans Foreign-Made Drones and Key Parts Over U.S. National Security Risks

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday announced a ban on all drones and critical components made in a foreign country, citing national security concerns. To that end, the agency has added to its Covered List Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS critical components produced in a foreign country, and all communications and video surveillance equipment and services pursuantView the full article
Hacker News

Cyber Risk Assessments: Risikobewertung hilft CISOs

Mit Hilfe von Cyber Risk Assessments können CISOs nicht nur das konkrete Risiko im Unternehmen ermitteln, sondern auch den Erfolg ihrer Arbeit sichtbar machen.
Foto: Elnur – shutterstock.com
Ab einem gewissen Alter gehen viele Menschen regelmäßig zum Arzt für einen Check-up. Das ist sinnvoll und wird sogar von der Krankenkasse bezahlt. Auf diese Weise können Risiken und Gefahren frühzeitig erkannt und entsprechende Maßnahmen getroffen werden. Genauso verhält es sich in der Cybersicherheit: Regelmäßige Risikobewertungen helfen den Security-Teams, Schwachstellen und Optimierungspotenziale zu identifizieren. Dennoch werden solche Bewertungen nicht flächendeckend durchgeführt.
Vorteile eines Cyber Risk Assessment
Dabei haben CISOs folgende Vorteile, wenn sie Cybersecurity Risk Assessments in ihre Arbeit integrieren:
Schwachstellen erkennen: Eine Cyberrisikobewertung hilft dabei, Sicherheitslücken in der IT-Infrastruktur, den Netzwerken und Systemen eines Unternehmens zu erkennen. Dies bietet die Möglichkeit, diese Schwachstellen zu beseitigen, bevor sie von Cyberkriminellen ausgenutzt werden können.
Maßnahmen zum Risikomanagement priorisieren: Nicht jedes System ist kritisch, ebenso sind nicht alle Daten eines Unternehmens gleich wichtig. Die Ergebnisse des Risk Assessment verdeutlichen, welche Assets und Systeme am wichtigsten und dem höchsten Risiko eines Angriffs ausgesetzt sind. Auf dieser Basis können Sicherheitsverantwortliche ihre Maßnahmen priorisieren und damit ihre Ressourcen effektiver zuweisen, um die kritischsten Risiken zuerst anzugehen.
Compliance-Anforderungen einhalten: Nahezu jedes Unternehmen muss verschiedene Vorschriften zum Datenschutz und zur Datensicherheit einhalten, etwa die DSGVO oder den Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Zahlreiche dieser gesetzlichen Vorgaben verlangen explizit spezielle Risikobewertungen, etwa im Rahmen der DSGVO eine Datenschutz-Folgenabschätzung. Risk Assessments helfen, die Compliance-Anforderungen für verschiedene Vorschriften zu erfüllen. Auf diese Weise kann sichergestellt werden, dass die erforderlichen Sicherheitsstandards eingehalten und mögliche Geldbußen oder rechtliche Konsequenzen bei Verstößen vermieden werden.
Intelligente Entscheidungen treffen und Kosten senken: Durch Cyber-Risikobewertungen erhalten Unternehmen ein umfassendes Verständnis ihrer Cyberrisiken. Zum einen können sie auf dieser Grundlage fundierte Entscheidungen über Strategien zur Risikominderung treffen und damit die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines erfolgreichen und kostspieligen Cyberangriffs reduzieren. Zum anderen sind sie in der Lage, zielgerichtete und damit effektivere Investitionen in ihre Cybersicherheit zu tätigen.
Ein Blick auf das Datenrisiko
Das Ziel der meisten Cyberangriffe sind die Daten eines Unternehmens – mit enorm kostspieligen Auswirkungen: So verursachte ein Datenvorfall laut dem Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025 von IBM im Durchschnitt einen Schaden von 4,44 Millionen US-Dollar. Deshalb lohnt sich ein besonderer Blick auf die Daten und das Risiko, dem sie ausgesetzt sind.
Dies ist umso wichtiger, da Daten im Gegensatz zur Infrastruktur und anderen Systemen nicht “unkompromittierbar” sind. Server können neu eingerichtet, Cloud-Instanzen neu aufgebaut werden. Einmal entwendete Daten bleiben jedoch in den Händen von Cyberkriminellen. Hiervor schützen auch keine Backups.
Welchen Risiken Daten im Allgemeinen ausgesetzt sind, zeigt eine Analyse von fast 10 Milliarden Cloud-Objekte im Rahmen von Datenrisikobewertungen bei mehr als 700 Unternehmen aus den verschiedensten Branchen weltweit. Demnach ist einer von zehn Datensätzen in der Cloud für alle Mitarbeitende zugänglich. Dies schafft einen internen Radius, der den potenziellen Schaden bei einem Ransomware-Angriff erheblich vergrößert.
Aber auch eine fehlende Multi-Faktor-Authentifizierung (MFA) erleichtert es Angreifern, intern exponierte Daten zu kompromittieren: Microsoft hat festgestellt, dass mehr als 99 Prozent der kompromittierten Konten nicht über MFA verfügen.
Fazit
Diese allgemeinen Ergebnisse zeigen bereits die größten Problemfelder auf. Dennoch ist es wichtig, im Rahmen eines Datenrisiko-Assessments das individuelle Datenrisiko zu ermitteln und Schwachpunkte zu identifizieren.
In aller Regel wissen die Unternehmen nicht, welche Daten sie überhaupt besitzen, wo sie gespeichert sind und wer Zugriff auf sie hat. Nur wenn man über diese grundlegenden Informationen verfügt, kann man sein Risiko erkennen und gezielte Maßnahmen ergreifen. Der Zeitaufwand ist dabei mit rund zwei bis vier Stunden überschaubar und liefert im Rahmen eines ausführlichen Reports sofort umsetzbare Empfehlungen. Darüber hinaus treten im Assessment-Prozess oftmals auch weitere Sicherheitsprobleme zutage, von laufenden Cyberangriffen bis hin zu Kerberos-Passwörtern, die bis zu 15 Jahre alt sind.
Mit einer in regelmäßigen Abständen durchgeführten Cyberrisikobewertung, lassen sich deutlich nachvollziehbar Fortschritte im Bereich der Datensicherheit dokumentieren – auch für das Management. CISOs haben damit endlich ein Tool zur Verfügung, dass ihre Cybersecurity-Erfolge sichtbar macht.
Lesetipp: Mit diesen vier Schritten minimieren Sie das Cyberrisiko
View the full article
CSOonline

Der Aufstieg des Chief Trust Officers: Wo passt der CISO hinein?

Watchara Ritjan – shutterstock.com
Immer mehr Unternehmen heben Vertrauen als Unterscheidungsmerkmal für ihr Geschäft hervor. Durch Datenschutzverletzungen, Bedenken hinsichtlich der Produktsicherheit und Unsicherheiten in Bezug auf künstliche Intelligenz hat das Vertrauen der Kunden in den vergangenen Jahren stark gelitten.
Wie aus dem Edelman Trust Barometer 2025 hervorgeht, ist das Vertrauen allgemein angeschlagen, insbesondere gegenüber Unternehmen und Führungskräften.
Dies könnte sich jedoch ändern, da Unternehmen mit dem Chief Trust Officer (CTrO) eine neue Führungsposition schaffen. Um effektiv zu sein, muss diese Position mehr sein als nur ein umbenannter Sicherheitsbeauftragter und messbare Ergebnisse sowie konkrete Verbesserungen vorweisen können.
Für CISOs stellt sich nun die Frage, inwiefern der CTrO mit der Sicherheit zusammenhängt. Könnte diese Position ihren nächsten Karriereschritt darstellen?
Lesetipp: Ein neues Berufsbild für CISOs
Was genau ist ein Chief Trust Officer?
Die CISO-Funktion entstand, um die Verantwortung für die Sicherheit zu formalisieren, zunächst innerhalb von Finanzdienstleistungs- und Technologieunternehmen, bevor sie auf andere Sektoren ausgeweitet wurde.
In ähnlicher Weise entstand die Funktion des Chief Trust Officers vor etwa einem Jahrzehnt, angeführt von B2B-Software- und Technologieunternehmen, die laut Forrester einer zunehmenden Kontrolle hinsichtlich der Sicherheit ihrer Produkte und Plattformen ausgesetzt waren.
In den vergangenen zehn Jahren hat sich der Druck in Bezug auf Datenschutz, Sicherheit, Compliance, Risikomanagement und KI verstärkt. Als Reaktion darauf formalisieren einige Unternehmen das Vertrauen, indem sie die Verantwortung in einer einzigen C-Suite-Funktion festlegen.
Laut einem Bericht von Forrester haben weltweit bereits 16 Unternehmen einen Chief Trust Officer. Dazu zählen vor allem Software- und Technologieanbieter wie Atlassian, Salesforce, NinjaOne und SAP. Die bisherige Amtszeit der CTrOs variiert von sechs Monaten bis hin zu fünf bis sechs Jahren.
Chris Peake, Chief Trust Officer bei Gong, hat diese Position seit etwa drei Monaten inne, nachdem er zuvor als CISO bei Smartsheet und als Director of Trust and Customer Security bei ServiceNow tätig war. Er sieht darin eine Weiterentwicklung dieser Position, die ihren Ursprung im Bank- und Finanzwesen hat.
Forrester beschreibt diese Position als die Übernahme der Verantwortung dafür, das Bekenntnis des Unternehmens zu Vertrauen authentisch und bewusst zu gestalten.
Für Peake stehen Datenschutz, verantwortungsvoller Umgang mit Daten und Offenheit im Mittelpunkt seiner Rolle, insbesondere im Hinblick darauf, wie KI-Modelle trainiert und geschützt werden. „Wir müssen transparent sein. Wir müssen gut kommunizieren. Bei KI geht es beispielsweise darum, was wir mit diesen Daten machen. Wie wir unsere Modelle trainieren. Wie sie geschützt werden. Transparenz und Kommunikation in diesen Bereichen sind also entscheidende Säulen“.
CISO und CTrO: Modell für eine funktionierende Partnerschaft?
Da Kunden, Partner und Regulierungsbehörden mehr Offenheit und Sicherheit verlangen, sagen diejenigen, die die Rolle des CTrO ausüben, dass der Aufbau von Vertrauen die Antwort ist. Der Aufgabenbereich umfasst Sicherheit, Datenschutz, Compliance, Ethik, Kundensicherheit und interne Kultur.
In der Regel ist der CISO weiterhin für Kontrollen und Schutz zuständig, während der Chief Trust Officer sich um Reputation, Ethik und Kundenvertrauen kümmert. Wenn Cybersicherheit dem CTrO unterstellt ist, bietet dies eine Möglichkeit, sich aus der IT und den konkurrierenden Prioritäten mit dem CIO herauszuhalten. Diese Partnerschaft positioniert die Sicherheit neu, von einer „Abteilung des Neins” zu einem Geschäftsbeschleuniger, bemerkt Forrester.
Vinay Patel, Chief Trust and Security Officer bei Zendesk, stimmt zu, dass diese Rolle Vertrauen mit der Geschäftsstrategie in Einklang bringt. „Ein CISO schützt Systeme. Der Chief Trust Officer schützt das Vertrauen. Der eine schützt das Unternehmen, der andere schützt dessen Glaubwürdigkeit.”
Eine zusätzliche Herausforderung besteht darin, dass der CTrO die Verantwortung für das Vertrauen in einer schwierigen Zeit trägt. Das Thema ist zu einem Problem für den Umsatz und den Ruf geworden. Patel betont, dass eine starke Ausrichtung zwischen dem Vertrauen der Kunden und der Geschäftsstrategie entscheidend ist. „Wenn Sie auf dem Markt, bei Ihren Partnern und Kunden keine Glaubwürdigkeit mehr haben, ist Ihre Geschäftsstrategie von vornherein zum Scheitern verurteilt“, erklärt er gegenüber CSO.
Während zu den täglichen Aufgaben des CISO die Überprüfung des SOC, das Checken von Warnmeldungen, GRC, die Verwaltung anderer Sicherheitsvorgänge und die Berichterstattung an den Vorstand gehören, ist die Rolle des Chief Trust Officers laut Patel durchgängig mit dem Kundenvertrauen verknüpft. „Es geht darum, diese Vertrauensperspektive in die Entscheidungsfindung einzubeziehen und Kollegen und Partner dazu anzuregen, auf die gleiche Weise zu denken.“
Patels doppelter Titel signalisiert, dass er gleichermaßen Wert auf die Sicherheit der Plattform und die integre Verwaltung von Kundendaten legt. „Es war nicht nur wichtig zu zeigen, dass wir unsere Systeme gut schützen, sondern auch zu verdeutlichen, wie wichtig es ist, dieses Kundenvertrauen jeden Tag neu zu gewinnen und zu erneuern.“
In Gongs Modell wurden IT und Sicherheit zu einem einheitlichen Trust Office zusammengefasst, wobei der CISO an Peake berichtet. Seine Aufgaben umfassen Produktsicherheit, Compliance, Sicherheitsmaßnahmen (wie die Reaktion auf Vorfälle) und die Leitung eines Teams von Sicherheitsmitarbeitern vor Ort, die direkt mit den Kunden interagieren.
Dieses Partnerschaftsmodell hilft dabei, komplexe technische Zusicherungen in Vertrauen auf Unternehmensebene umzusetzen und durch Offenheit und Empathie bei Vorfällen schnell wieder Vertrauen aufzubauen.
Peake beschreibt seinen Ansatz als kooperativ und nach außen gerichtet, wobei er die Vertrauensfunktion als Brücke zwischen Kunden, Vertrieb und technischen Teams positioniert. Er fungiert als „Verbindungsglied“ zwischen den Erwartungen der Kunden und den Sicherheits- und KI-Praktiken des Unternehmens.
Dabei konzentriert er sich darauf, eine sichere, stabile und widerstandsfähige Plattform zu schaffen, der Kunden vertrauen können und die über traditionelle Sicherheit und Compliance hinausgeht. „Wenn Sie einem Unternehmen vertrauen, werden Sie wieder zu ihm zurückkehren. Es besteht also ein klarer Zusammenhang zwischen der Förderung des Geschäfts und dem Vertrauen Ihrer Kunden”, so Peake.
Der Zendesk-CTrO ist der Ansicht, dass diese Rolle über die Compliance hinausgeht und die menschliche Emotion des Vertrauens berührt.„Es entsteht durch die Verbindung zu den Kunden und nicht durch Kennzahlen.“
Aber wie riskant ist es, institutionelles Vertrauen zu besitzen? Peake ist sich der Belastung und Sichtbarkeit dieser Rolle bewusst und sagt, dass der CTrO in Krisenzeiten zum „Hüter der Ehrlichkeit“ wird.
Wie operationalisiert man Vertrauen und vermeidet leere Vertrauenssignale?
Es stellt sich auch die Frage, wie Organisationen Vertrauen operationalisieren – und kann es gemessen werden? Es gibt keine fertige Plattform, daher müssen CTrOs ihre eigenen Dashboards erstellen, in denen sie Kunden- und Mitarbeiterkennzahlen kombinieren. So können sie Trends verfolgen und frühe Anzeichen für einen Vertrauensverlust erkennen.
Peake warnt davor, den Titel als Trend oder Hype zu behandeln – „der Beweis wird sich in unserem Verhalten und Handeln zeigen. Ich würde davon absehen, das Vertrauen selbst zu messen, und mich stattdessen auf die Indikatoren konzentrieren. Diese zeigen, ob wir vertrauenswürdig sind oder nicht.“
Er nutzt die Kundenstimmung, das Vertrauen in die Plattform und die Kundenbindung als zuverlässige Vertrauenssignale. „Das zeigt sich in einer nachlassenden Kundenstimmung oder darin, wie viel Vertrauen die Kunden in die Plattform haben und ob Sicherheitsbedenken uns daran hindern, neue Kunden zu gewinnen“, so Peake.
Patel konzentriert sich auf robuste Prozesse wie verantwortungsvolle KI-Governance und die Validierung durch externe Benchmarks wie die ISO 42001-Zertifizierung für KI-Vertrauen und -Governance sowie die Arbeit an CSA STAR für KI. „Diese bieten Kunden und Stakeholdern einen Standardmaßstab, um zu bewerten, inwieweit ein Unternehmen über ein starkes Sicherheitsprogramm oder ein starkes KI-Vertrauens- und Governance-Programm verfügt.“
Auch Forrester warnt vor einer Übernahme des Titels ohne echte Veränderungen. Echte Verantwortlichkeit, so das Analystenhaus, erfordere die Unterstützung der Führungskräfte, abgestimmte Anreize und die Aufsicht durch den Vorstand, um Worte in messbare Taten umzusetzen.
In einigen Fällen schaffen Unternehmen nach einem Vorfall die Position eines Vertrauensbeauftragten, um Kunden und dem breiteren Markt zu signalisieren, dass sie Vertrauen schätzen. Aber in ihrer Eile, ihre Reputation unter Beweis zu stellen, müssen sie mehr tun, als nur einen neuen Titel hinzuzufügen. Es gibt wesentliche Fragen, die Unternehmen beantworten müssen, sagt Peake. „Was ist unser grundlegendes Bedürfnis, um ein vertrauenswürdiges Unternehmen zu sein? Sie müssen sich überlegen, was das für Ihre Kunden bedeutet und wie Sie diese Lücke schließen können“, sagt er.
Was ist mit dem Vorstand?
Alle Institutionen müssen daran arbeiten, Vertrauen wieder aufzubauen, da ein höheres Vertrauensniveau mit besseren wirtschaftlichen Ergebnissen und mehr Wohlbefinden verbunden ist, wie der Edelman-Bericht feststellt. Alle Unternehmen müssen ihren Beitrag leisten, und das muss von oben geführt werden.
Wenn Vertrauen ein grundlegender Wert des Unternehmens sein soll, muss die Rolle des Chief Trust Officers für den Vorstand sichtbar und rechenschaftspflichtig sein. Die meisten CTrOs berichten direkt an den CEO und überwachen häufig die Bereiche Sicherheit, Datenschutz und Compliance, wobei der CISO ihnen unterstellt ist oder ihnen zur Seite steht, wie Forrester herausfand.
Die Positionierung von Vertrauen auf Führungsebene signalisiert, dass es sich um ein strategisches Thema handelt und nicht nur um ein technologisches Anliegen.
„Wenn ich mit dem Vorstand kommuniziere, spreche ich über Dinge, die das Vertrauen der Kunden beeinflussen. Diese Punkte helfen dem Top-Management, Maßnahmen besser zu verstehen, als die Anzahl der behobenen Schwachstellen oder andere technische Fakten, die CISOs für den Vorstand übersetzen müssen.“
Ist der Chief Trust Officer der nächste Schritt für CISOs?
Viele der ersten CTrOs waren ehemalige CISOs, was laut Forrester auf eine Entwicklung von Sicherheit und Compliance hin zu Reputation und Ethik hindeutet. Diese Position baut auf den Grundlagen des CISO auf, erfordert jedoch einen breiteren Fokus auf Empathie, Kommunikation und Kundenvertretung statt auf reine Risikominderung.
Da sich Unternehmen durch vertrauenswürdige KI und verantwortungsvollen Umgang mit Daten von anderen abheben, könnte der CTrO genauso verbreitet werden wie der CISO. Peake glaubt, dass Vertrauen zu einer Grundlage für Geschäftsbeziehungen werden wird, insbesondere da bei den Kundenanliegen KI und Datenverwaltung dominierten. Peake bezeichnet dies als „evolutionären Schritt“ für Sicherheitsverantwortliche, dank seiner jahrelangen Kundenbindung sei dies ein natürlicher Übergang gewesen.
Einige CISOs fungieren möglicherweise bereits de facto als Trust Officers, indem sie ohne formellen Titel mit externen Stakeholdern zusammenarbeiten und funktionsübergreifende Risikoprogramme leiten. Der Titel sollte jedoch nicht einfach eine Umbenennung der CISO-Rolle sein.
Patel fordert, dass CISOs die Rolle des Chief Trust Officers weniger als Karriereschritt, sondern vielmehr als Chance betrachten, einen größeren Einfluss auf die Unternehmensstrategie zu nehmen. „Es ist eine Veränderung der Denkweise. Wenn das bei einem bestehenden CISO Anklang findet, ist das ein Zeichen für eine Berufung.“ (jm)
Lesetipp: Vom CISO zum Chief Risk Architect
View the full article
CSOonline

Der Aufstieg des Chief Trust Officers: Wo passt der CISO hinein?

Watchara Ritjan – shutterstock.com
Immer mehr Unternehmen heben Vertrauen als Unterscheidungsmerkmal für ihr Geschäft hervor. Durch Datenschutzverletzungen, Bedenken hinsichtlich der Produktsicherheit und Unsicherheiten in Bezug auf künstliche Intelligenz hat das Vertrauen der Kunden in den vergangenen Jahren stark gelitten.
Wie aus dem Edelman Trust Barometer 2025 hervorgeht, ist das Vertrauen allgemein angeschlagen, insbesondere gegenüber Unternehmen und Führungskräften.
Dies könnte sich jedoch ändern, da Unternehmen mit dem Chief Trust Officer (CTrO) eine neue Führungsposition schaffen. Um effektiv zu sein, muss diese Position mehr sein als nur ein umbenannter Sicherheitsbeauftragter und messbare Ergebnisse sowie konkrete Verbesserungen vorweisen können.
Für CISOs stellt sich nun die Frage, inwiefern der CTrO mit der Sicherheit zusammenhängt. Könnte diese Position ihren nächsten Karriereschritt darstellen?
Lesetipp: Ein neues Berufsbild für CISOs
Was genau ist ein Chief Trust Officer?
Die CISO-Funktion entstand, um die Verantwortung für die Sicherheit zu formalisieren, zunächst innerhalb von Finanzdienstleistungs- und Technologieunternehmen, bevor sie auf andere Sektoren ausgeweitet wurde.
In ähnlicher Weise entstand die Funktion des Chief Trust Officers vor etwa einem Jahrzehnt, angeführt von B2B-Software- und Technologieunternehmen, die laut Forrester einer zunehmenden Kontrolle hinsichtlich der Sicherheit ihrer Produkte und Plattformen ausgesetzt waren.
In den vergangenen zehn Jahren hat sich der Druck in Bezug auf Datenschutz, Sicherheit, Compliance, Risikomanagement und KI verstärkt. Als Reaktion darauf formalisieren einige Unternehmen das Vertrauen, indem sie die Verantwortung in einer einzigen C-Suite-Funktion festlegen.
Laut einem Bericht von Forrester haben weltweit bereits 16 Unternehmen einen Chief Trust Officer. Dazu zählen vor allem Software- und Technologieanbieter wie Atlassian, Salesforce, NinjaOne und SAP. Die bisherige Amtszeit der CTrOs variiert von sechs Monaten bis hin zu fünf bis sechs Jahren.
Chris Peake, Chief Trust Officer bei Gong, hat diese Position seit etwa drei Monaten inne, nachdem er zuvor als CISO bei Smartsheet und als Director of Trust and Customer Security bei ServiceNow tätig war. Er sieht darin eine Weiterentwicklung dieser Position, die ihren Ursprung im Bank- und Finanzwesen hat.
Forrester beschreibt diese Position als die Übernahme der Verantwortung dafür, das Bekenntnis des Unternehmens zu Vertrauen authentisch und bewusst zu gestalten.
Für Peake stehen Datenschutz, verantwortungsvoller Umgang mit Daten und Offenheit im Mittelpunkt seiner Rolle, insbesondere im Hinblick darauf, wie KI-Modelle trainiert und geschützt werden. „Wir müssen transparent sein. Wir müssen gut kommunizieren. Bei KI geht es beispielsweise darum, was wir mit diesen Daten machen. Wie wir unsere Modelle trainieren. Wie sie geschützt werden. Transparenz und Kommunikation in diesen Bereichen sind also entscheidende Säulen“.
CISO und CTrO: Modell für eine funktionierende Partnerschaft?
Da Kunden, Partner und Regulierungsbehörden mehr Offenheit und Sicherheit verlangen, sagen diejenigen, die die Rolle des CTrO ausüben, dass der Aufbau von Vertrauen die Antwort ist. Der Aufgabenbereich umfasst Sicherheit, Datenschutz, Compliance, Ethik, Kundensicherheit und interne Kultur.
In der Regel ist der CISO weiterhin für Kontrollen und Schutz zuständig, während der Chief Trust Officer sich um Reputation, Ethik und Kundenvertrauen kümmert. Wenn Cybersicherheit dem CTrO unterstellt ist, bietet dies eine Möglichkeit, sich aus der IT und den konkurrierenden Prioritäten mit dem CIO herauszuhalten. Diese Partnerschaft positioniert die Sicherheit neu, von einer „Abteilung des Neins” zu einem Geschäftsbeschleuniger, bemerkt Forrester.
Vinay Patel, Chief Trust and Security Officer bei Zendesk, stimmt zu, dass diese Rolle Vertrauen mit der Geschäftsstrategie in Einklang bringt. „Ein CISO schützt Systeme. Der Chief Trust Officer schützt das Vertrauen. Der eine schützt das Unternehmen, der andere schützt dessen Glaubwürdigkeit.”
Eine zusätzliche Herausforderung besteht darin, dass der CTrO die Verantwortung für das Vertrauen in einer schwierigen Zeit trägt. Das Thema ist zu einem Problem für den Umsatz und den Ruf geworden. Patel betont, dass eine starke Ausrichtung zwischen dem Vertrauen der Kunden und der Geschäftsstrategie entscheidend ist. „Wenn Sie auf dem Markt, bei Ihren Partnern und Kunden keine Glaubwürdigkeit mehr haben, ist Ihre Geschäftsstrategie von vornherein zum Scheitern verurteilt“, erklärt er gegenüber CSO.
Während zu den täglichen Aufgaben des CISO die Überprüfung des SOC, das Checken von Warnmeldungen, GRC, die Verwaltung anderer Sicherheitsvorgänge und die Berichterstattung an den Vorstand gehören, ist die Rolle des Chief Trust Officers laut Patel durchgängig mit dem Kundenvertrauen verknüpft. „Es geht darum, diese Vertrauensperspektive in die Entscheidungsfindung einzubeziehen und Kollegen und Partner dazu anzuregen, auf die gleiche Weise zu denken.“
Patels doppelter Titel signalisiert, dass er gleichermaßen Wert auf die Sicherheit der Plattform und die integre Verwaltung von Kundendaten legt. „Es war nicht nur wichtig zu zeigen, dass wir unsere Systeme gut schützen, sondern auch zu verdeutlichen, wie wichtig es ist, dieses Kundenvertrauen jeden Tag neu zu gewinnen und zu erneuern.“
In Gongs Modell wurden IT und Sicherheit zu einem einheitlichen Trust Office zusammengefasst, wobei der CISO an Peake berichtet. Seine Aufgaben umfassen Produktsicherheit, Compliance, Sicherheitsmaßnahmen (wie die Reaktion auf Vorfälle) und die Leitung eines Teams von Sicherheitsmitarbeitern vor Ort, die direkt mit den Kunden interagieren.
Dieses Partnerschaftsmodell hilft dabei, komplexe technische Zusicherungen in Vertrauen auf Unternehmensebene umzusetzen und durch Offenheit und Empathie bei Vorfällen schnell wieder Vertrauen aufzubauen.
Peake beschreibt seinen Ansatz als kooperativ und nach außen gerichtet, wobei er die Vertrauensfunktion als Brücke zwischen Kunden, Vertrieb und technischen Teams positioniert. Er fungiert als „Verbindungsglied“ zwischen den Erwartungen der Kunden und den Sicherheits- und KI-Praktiken des Unternehmens.
Dabei konzentriert er sich darauf, eine sichere, stabile und widerstandsfähige Plattform zu schaffen, der Kunden vertrauen können und die über traditionelle Sicherheit und Compliance hinausgeht. „Wenn Sie einem Unternehmen vertrauen, werden Sie wieder zu ihm zurückkehren. Es besteht also ein klarer Zusammenhang zwischen der Förderung des Geschäfts und dem Vertrauen Ihrer Kunden”, so Peake.
Der Zendesk-CTrO ist der Ansicht, dass diese Rolle über die Compliance hinausgeht und die menschliche Emotion des Vertrauens berührt.„Es entsteht durch die Verbindung zu den Kunden und nicht durch Kennzahlen.“
Aber wie riskant ist es, institutionelles Vertrauen zu besitzen? Peake ist sich der Belastung und Sichtbarkeit dieser Rolle bewusst und sagt, dass der CTrO in Krisenzeiten zum „Hüter der Ehrlichkeit“ wird.
Wie operationalisiert man Vertrauen und vermeidet leere Vertrauenssignale?
Es stellt sich auch die Frage, wie Organisationen Vertrauen operationalisieren – und kann es gemessen werden? Es gibt keine fertige Plattform, daher müssen CTrOs ihre eigenen Dashboards erstellen, in denen sie Kunden- und Mitarbeiterkennzahlen kombinieren. So können sie Trends verfolgen und frühe Anzeichen für einen Vertrauensverlust erkennen.
Peake warnt davor, den Titel als Trend oder Hype zu behandeln – „der Beweis wird sich in unserem Verhalten und Handeln zeigen. Ich würde davon absehen, das Vertrauen selbst zu messen, und mich stattdessen auf die Indikatoren konzentrieren. Diese zeigen, ob wir vertrauenswürdig sind oder nicht.“
Er nutzt die Kundenstimmung, das Vertrauen in die Plattform und die Kundenbindung als zuverlässige Vertrauenssignale. „Das zeigt sich in einer nachlassenden Kundenstimmung oder darin, wie viel Vertrauen die Kunden in die Plattform haben und ob Sicherheitsbedenken uns daran hindern, neue Kunden zu gewinnen“, so Peake.
Patel konzentriert sich auf robuste Prozesse wie verantwortungsvolle KI-Governance und die Validierung durch externe Benchmarks wie die ISO 42001-Zertifizierung für KI-Vertrauen und -Governance sowie die Arbeit an CSA STAR für KI. „Diese bieten Kunden und Stakeholdern einen Standardmaßstab, um zu bewerten, inwieweit ein Unternehmen über ein starkes Sicherheitsprogramm oder ein starkes KI-Vertrauens- und Governance-Programm verfügt.“
Auch Forrester warnt vor einer Übernahme des Titels ohne echte Veränderungen. Echte Verantwortlichkeit, so das Analystenhaus, erfordere die Unterstützung der Führungskräfte, abgestimmte Anreize und die Aufsicht durch den Vorstand, um Worte in messbare Taten umzusetzen.
In einigen Fällen schaffen Unternehmen nach einem Vorfall die Position eines Vertrauensbeauftragten, um Kunden und dem breiteren Markt zu signalisieren, dass sie Vertrauen schätzen. Aber in ihrer Eile, ihre Reputation unter Beweis zu stellen, müssen sie mehr tun, als nur einen neuen Titel hinzuzufügen. Es gibt wesentliche Fragen, die Unternehmen beantworten müssen, sagt Peake. „Was ist unser grundlegendes Bedürfnis, um ein vertrauenswürdiges Unternehmen zu sein? Sie müssen sich überlegen, was das für Ihre Kunden bedeutet und wie Sie diese Lücke schließen können“, sagt er.
Was ist mit dem Vorstand?
Alle Institutionen müssen daran arbeiten, Vertrauen wieder aufzubauen, da ein höheres Vertrauensniveau mit besseren wirtschaftlichen Ergebnissen und mehr Wohlbefinden verbunden ist, wie der Edelman-Bericht feststellt. Alle Unternehmen müssen ihren Beitrag leisten, und das muss von oben geführt werden.
Wenn Vertrauen ein grundlegender Wert des Unternehmens sein soll, muss die Rolle des Chief Trust Officers für den Vorstand sichtbar und rechenschaftspflichtig sein. Die meisten CTrOs berichten direkt an den CEO und überwachen häufig die Bereiche Sicherheit, Datenschutz und Compliance, wobei der CISO ihnen unterstellt ist oder ihnen zur Seite steht, wie Forrester herausfand.
Die Positionierung von Vertrauen auf Führungsebene signalisiert, dass es sich um ein strategisches Thema handelt und nicht nur um ein technologisches Anliegen.
„Wenn ich mit dem Vorstand kommuniziere, spreche ich über Dinge, die das Vertrauen der Kunden beeinflussen. Diese Punkte helfen dem Top-Management, Maßnahmen besser zu verstehen, als die Anzahl der behobenen Schwachstellen oder andere technische Fakten, die CISOs für den Vorstand übersetzen müssen.“
Ist der Chief Trust Officer der nächste Schritt für CISOs?
Viele der ersten CTrOs waren ehemalige CISOs, was laut Forrester auf eine Entwicklung von Sicherheit und Compliance hin zu Reputation und Ethik hindeutet. Diese Position baut auf den Grundlagen des CISO auf, erfordert jedoch einen breiteren Fokus auf Empathie, Kommunikation und Kundenvertretung statt auf reine Risikominderung.
Da sich Unternehmen durch vertrauenswürdige KI und verantwortungsvollen Umgang mit Daten von anderen abheben, könnte der CTrO genauso verbreitet werden wie der CISO. Peake glaubt, dass Vertrauen zu einer Grundlage für Geschäftsbeziehungen werden wird, insbesondere da bei den Kundenanliegen KI und Datenverwaltung dominierten. Peake bezeichnet dies als „evolutionären Schritt“ für Sicherheitsverantwortliche, dank seiner jahrelangen Kundenbindung sei dies ein natürlicher Übergang gewesen.
Einige CISOs fungieren möglicherweise bereits de facto als Trust Officers, indem sie ohne formellen Titel mit externen Stakeholdern zusammenarbeiten und funktionsübergreifende Risikoprogramme leiten. Der Titel sollte jedoch nicht einfach eine Umbenennung der CISO-Rolle sein.
Patel fordert, dass CISOs die Rolle des Chief Trust Officers weniger als Karriereschritt, sondern vielmehr als Chance betrachten, einen größeren Einfluss auf die Unternehmensstrategie zu nehmen. „Es ist eine Veränderung der Denkweise. Wenn das bei einem bestehenden CISO Anklang findet, ist das ein Zeichen für eine Berufung.“ (jm)
Lesetipp: Vom CISO zum Chief Risk Architect
View the full article
CSOonline

ChatGPT Now Has a 2025 Year-End Summary Feature Like Spotify Wrapped

OpenAI added a year-end summary feature to ChatGPT, allowing users to get a personalized overview of their 2025 ChatGPT usage. The summary is similar to year-end wrap-ups from companies like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other services.


ChatGPT offers up an overview of themes discussed and chat stats, such as busiest chatting day, number of overall chats, messages sent, and more. ChatGPT provides each user with a chat style based on writing or speaking habits, along with an "archetype" based on what ChatGPT is used for.

The year-end update also provides a poem, a personalized pixel painting, a 2025 "award," and predictions for 2026.

ChatGPT users can get their year-end summary by asking ChatGPT to "Show me my year with ChatGPT" in the ChatGPT app or on the web. Summaries are available for Free, Pro, and Plus users who have chat history and memory enabled for ChatGPT.

Countries where the feature is available include the United States, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Tags: ChatGPT, OpenAI
This article, "ChatGPT Now Has a 2025 Year-End Summary Feature Like Spotify Wrapped" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

iOS 26.3 Brings AirPods-Like Pairing to Third-Party Devices in EU Under DMA

The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers.


The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS 26.3, EU wearable device makers can now test proximity pairing and improved notifications.

Here are the new capabilities that Apple is adding:

Proximity pairing - Devices like earbuds will be able to pair with an iOS device in an AirPods-like way by bringing the accessory close to an iPhone or iPad to initiate a simple, one-tap pairing process. Pairing third-party devices will no longer require multiple steps.
Notifications - Third-party accessories like smart watches will be able to receive notifications from the ‌iPhone‌. Users will be able to view and react to incoming notifications, which is functionality normally limited to the Apple Watch. Notifications can only be forwarded to one connected device at a time, and turning on notifications for a third-party device disables notifications to an Apple Watch.

The European Commission says that developers can test third-party TVs, smart watches, and headphones with the new features in iOS 26.3, with the functionality to be "fully available in Europe" in 2026.

iOS 26.3 offers "another step towards a more inter-connected digital ecosystem to the benefit of all EU citizens," according to the European Commission. iOS 26.3 is expected to launch at the end of January.

The changes to proximity pairing and notifications are only available for device makers and ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ users in the European Union.
This article, "iOS 26.3 Brings AirPods-Like Pairing to Third-Party Devices in EU Under DMA" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Apple Offers Free Two-Hour Delivery for Last-Minute Holiday Shopping

Apple has started offering free two-hour delivery on eligible, in-stock products for those who still need to do some last-minute gift shopping. The two-hour delivery upgrade is available through December 24 in most metro areas of the U.S. and Canada. Three-hour delivery is also available in Australia.


Two-hour delivery is provided through courier companies that Apple partners with, like Uber Eats or Postmates, and it typically costs $9. Items are delivered from a local Apple retail store, so whatever you're ordering needs to be in stock at a nearby location.

The offer is available for in-stock purchases of iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple TV, and Beats headphones. It is not available for custom Macs or engraved orders, nor is it applicable to accessories. Some accessories and products are also still available for December 24th delivery with express shipping.

Apple is still providing an extended return policy, so items purchased now can be returned through January 6, 2026.
This article, "Apple Offers Free Two-Hour Delivery for Last-Minute Holiday Shopping" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Where's the New Apple TV?

Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new ‌Apple TV‌ before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would update both the HomePod mini and the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K toward the end of the year, and we also heard the same information from other sources. No announcement happened in September alongside the iPhone launch, and when Apple updated the Vision Pro, iPad Pro, and MacBook Pro in October, there was no sign of the ‌Apple TV‌.

It's not clear what happened, but it's possible Apple decided to hold all home-related product announcements until spring 2026, when the smarter, more capable version of Siri will be ready in iOS 26.4.

That's right around the time when Apple is rumored to be launching its new home hub device, so we could see the ‌Apple TV‌, home hub, and ‌HomePod mini‌ sometime in late March or April.

Rumored Features

The ‌Apple TV‌ isn't going to get a major design overhaul, but there are some useful updates in store. It's long overdue for a new chip, and Apple's newer chip options will bring gaming improvements.
A-Series Chip

The next-generation ‌Apple TV‌ is expected to get an updated A-series chip, and Apple backend code we found suggests that it'll use the A17 Pro. The A17 Pro is the chip that Apple first used in the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro models, and it would bring Apple Intelligence support to the ‌Apple TV‌ for the first time. The A17 Pro is built on 3-nanometer technology and it would also bring support for console-quality games thanks to much improved CPU and GPU performance. It'll be a significant improvement over the current A15 Bionic chip.
N1 Chip

Apple debuted its custom N1 networking chip in the iPhone 17 models, and rumors suggest that the N1 will also be used in the upcoming ‌Apple TV‌. It adds support for Wi-Fi 7, which is not a current ‌Apple TV‌ feature. With Wi-Fi 7 support, the ‌Apple TV‌ will be able to connect to Wi-Fi networks that support the faster and less crowded 6GHz band. Users can expect faster Wi-Fi speeds and lower latency.
New Siri Features

With a faster chip that supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌, the next-generation ‌Apple TV‌ will support the LLM version of ‌Siri‌ coming in 2026. ‌Siri‌ will be more like Claude or ChatGPT, which could lead to better ‌Apple TV‌ recommendations, the option to use voice commands to do more than before, better support for questions about actors and music in movies and shows, and much more.
Pricing

There's a possibility that Apple will cut costs for the next ‌Apple TV‌, and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that Apple is targeting a price point around $100. With the A17 Pro chip and the N1 chip, Apple might not be able to hit that price with the flagship model, but there could be a lower-end entry-level option that's more affordable. Pricing right now starts at $129.
New Launch Date

In early November, Gurman said that an ‌Apple TV‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌ "shouldn't be too far off" based on dwindling supplies of the devices at Apple retail stores. At the time, he said a post-2025 debut was a possibility, but he confirmed the products are ready to go and could launch at any time.

The ‌HomePod mini‌ and ‌Apple TV‌ will "help showcase the new ‌Siri‌ and ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features" that Apple has coming, which makes the spring timing sound even more likely.Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater
This article, "Where's the New Apple TV?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Scammers use AI to make fake art seem real

Fraudsters have started using AI to create fake documents claiming that artworks are genuine or legally owned, the Financial Times reports. According to art insurance brokers at Marsh, chatbots and big language models are being used to forge invoices, appraisal certificates and certificates of authenticity.
In other cases, it has not been a case of deliberate fraud, but rather AI hallucinating false references to a work of art, which the owner has taken to be true.
False documents are nothing new in the art world, but AI has made them more realistic and harder to detect.
“AI makes something that’s been going on for a long time a little easier and a little faster. You don’t have to invent a professorial expert anymore — you can just let the AI do it for you,” Harry Smith of art valuation firm Gurr Johns told the Financial Times.
To counter this trend, both insurers and appraisers are now trying to use AI themselves to review metadata and identify manipulation.
More on AI’s impact on security:
Human-in-the-loop isn’t enough: New attack turns AI safeguards into exploits AI startups leak sensitive credentials on GitHub, exposing models and training data AI hallucinations lead to a new cyber threat: Slopsquatting

View the full article
CSOonline

Fake WhatsApp API Package on npm Steals Messages, Contacts, and Login Tokens

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new malicious package on the npm repository that works as a fully functional WhatsApp API, but also contains the ability to intercept every message and link the attacker's device to a victim's WhatsApp account. The package, named "lotusbail," has been downloaded over 56,000 times since it was first uploaded to the registry by a user named "View the full article
Hacker News

Pirate activists have copied Spotify’s entire music library

A collective of pirate activists say they gained access to 256 million rows of metadata and 86 million audio files, equivalent to around 300 terabytes of data, from Spotify, Billboard reports.
The metadata, but no audio files, has been made publicly available through the open search engine Anna’s Archive.
Anna’s Archive describes the project as an effort to “preserve the knowledge and culture of humanity” by creating a music archive for preservation purposes.
Spotify itself has confirmed that it is investigating a breach in which a third party allegedly data scraped public metadata and unauthorizedly circumvented DRM protection to access certain audio files.
More on hactivism:
Don’t give hacktivists what they really want Hacktivism’s reemergence explained: Data drops and defacements for social justice London internet attack highlights confusing hacktivism movement

View the full article
CSOonline

Apple Hit With Supersized Fine in Italy Over an iPhone Privacy Feature

Italy's Competition Authority (AGCM) has imposed a €98.6 million ($116 million) fine on Apple over its App Tracking Transparency feature.


Since the release of iOS 14.5 in April 2021, Apple has required apps to ask for permission before tracking a user's activity across other apps and websites for personalized advertising, as part of a feature named App Tracking Transparency. If a user selects the "Ask App Not to Track" option, the app is unable to access the device's advertising identifier.

In a press release and executive summary today, the AGCM said the App Tracking Transparency rules are "disproportionate," and "harmful" to app developers and advertisers. Ultimately, it found that Apple abused its dominant position in the EU market.

The regulator does not take issue with Apple implementing policies that are designed to strengthen privacy and security for users, but it said the App Tracking Transparency feature is "excessively burdensome for developers."

Specifically, iPhone and iPad users in the EU are presented with both App Tracking Transparency and GDPR-related permission prompts in apps, and the AGCM found this "double consent" requirement to be harmful to app developers and advertisers.

"Apple could have achieved the same level of privacy protection for its users through means less restrictive of competition," the AGCM said. "This would have prevented the unilateral imposition of additional burdens on third-party developers, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned double consent requests for advertising purposes."

The regulator also found that the App Tracking Transparency rules appear capable of generating financial benefits for Apple, even though the feature applies to its own apps as well. The only reason that Apple apps do not show an App Tracking Transparency prompt is because Apple does not track user activity across other apps and websites.

In a statement shared with several media outlets, Apple said it will appeal the decision, and it touted the privacy benefits of App Tracking Transparency.

Earlier this year, Apple warned that it may be forced to stop offering App Tracking Transparency in the EU due to regulatory pressures in countries such as Italy, France, Germany, and Poland, and from the overarching European Commission.Tag: App Tracking Transparency
This article, "Apple Hit With Supersized Fine in Italy Over an iPhone Privacy Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Apple Clings to Samsung as RAM Prices Soar

Apple is significantly increasing its reliance on Samsung for iPhone memory as component prices surge, according to The Korea Economic Daily.


Apple is said to be expanding the share of ‌iPhone‌ memory it sources from Samsung due to rapidly rising memory prices. The shift is expected to result in Samsung supplying roughly 60% to 70% of the low-power DRAM used in the iPhone 17, compared with a more even split with SK Hynix in previous generations, with Micron also participating as a smaller supplier.

The change is occurring against a backdrop of tightening supply in the global memory market. The ‌iPhone‌ relies on low-power double data rate memory (LPDDR), which is optimized for energy efficiency and thermal performance in mobile devices. While Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron all manufacture LPDDR at scale, industry sources report that SK Hynix and Micron have increasingly redirected production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is in high demand for artificial intelligence accelerators and data center hardware. As a result, their available capacity for mobile-focused LPDDR has become heavily constrained.

By contrast, Samsung has apparently maintained substantial production of general-purpose and mobile DRAM, allowing it to meet Apple's requirement for extremely large and predictable volumes. Samsung is said to be the only company that can meet Apple's conditions in a situation where SK Hynix seems to be focused on HBM.

According to the report, Apple's hardware is particularly sensitive to momentary voltage spikes, which are not well accommodated by its latest chips, including the A19 and A19 Pro. This places additional pressure on memory suppliers to deliver components that perform identically across very large production runs.

The price of a 12GB LPDDR5X module, the likes of which are used in the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro, has risen sharply, from around $30 at the beginning of 2025 to roughly $70 today. Apple's scale and long-standing practice of negotiating multi-year supply agreements typically provide some insulation from short-term price volatility, but the magnitude of the increase has made supplier reliability and volume commitments more important. Concentrating a much larger share of orders with Samsung should allow Apple to secure more predictable deliveries and potentially benefit from economies of scale, even as overall component costs rise.Tag: Samsung
This article, "Apple Clings to Samsung as RAM Prices Soar" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Get $100 Off Apple Watch Series 11, Starting at $299

Amazon and Best Buy this week have all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. These discounts beat the Black Friday prices we saw last month by about $30.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you'll find four of the 42mm GPS models on sale at this all-time low price, and three of the 46mm GPS models on sale.

$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (42mm GPS) for $299.00
$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (46mm GPS) for $329.00

If you're shopping for cellular models, you can find record low prices on multiple models this week on Amazon. The 42mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 has hit $399.00, down from $499.00, and the 46mm cellular model has hit $429.00, down from $529.00.

$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (42mm Cell) for $399.00
$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (46mm Cell) for $429.00

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.



Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find this holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




Related Roundup: Apple Deals
This article, "Get $100 Off Apple Watch Series 11, Starting at $299" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Apple Still Testing Ultra-Thin Glass to Eliminate Foldable iPhone Crease

Apple is reportedly testing next-generation ultra-thin flexible glass (UFG) for its book-style foldable iPhone as it works to make the display crease invisible and potentially solve one of the most persistent issues of existing foldable displays.


According to Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple is evaluating UFG panels with uneven thickness, using thinner glass in the folding area to improve flexibility while retaining thicker sections elsewhere for rigidity and durability.

Unlike existing foldables, which rely on ultra-thin glass (UTG) that inevitably deforms along the hinge, UFG is designed to distribute bending stress more evenly across the panel. In theory, this approach could reduce the crease to the point where it becomes visually imperceptible during everyday use.

The testing is said to be ongoing as Apple refines manufacturing processes and long-term reliability targets ahead of an expected 2026 launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models.

The timing may appear late in Apple's development cycle, but it doesn't necessarily suggest a delay. Apple is likely currently transitioning from design validation into early production validation, where the big hardware decisions are already locked in, but more high-risk components continue to undergo final qualification.

Apple testing UFG now could be part of an effort to validate the novel way it's being applied, rather than to do with a decision about whether to use the technology at all. Apple could have more mature UTG solutions available as a fallback if its targets are not met. The report also claims that multiple Chinese display makers are also evaluating UFG-based solutions, suggesting the technology is approaching commercial readiness.
iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable
The foldable iPhone is expected to feature a book-style design with an approximately 5.3- to 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner screen. It will reportedly use liquid metal hinges to achieve a virtually crease-free display and is expected to be priced between $2,000 and $2,500, making it Apple's most expensive iPhone ever.Tags: Digital Chat Station, Foldable iPhone
This article, "Apple Still Testing Ultra-Thin Glass to Eliminate Foldable iPhone Crease" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Think you can beat ransomware? RansomHouse just made it a lot harder

A recent upgrade to the RansomHouse ransomware operation has added new concerns for enterprise defenders, introducing a multi-layered encryption update to the group’s double-extortion RaaS model.
Also tracked under the cluster Jolly Scorpius, the ransomware gang has transitioned from a simple, single-phase encryption routine to a multi-layered dual-key encryption architecture that increases the complexity of its extortion operations.
Detailed by Palo Alto Networks’ threat intelligence team, the update raises the bar for recovery once systems are compromised. The change affects how files are processed and encrypted during an attack, complicating analysis and limiting defenders’ ability to recover data without paying a ransom.
“The upgrade in encryption used by RansomHouse RaaS, going from a simple linear model to a more complex multi-layered approach, signals a concerning trajectory in ransomware development,” Unit42 researchers said in a blog post. “This demonstrates how threat actors are updating their techniques to enhance effectiveness.”
Researchers described the scale of RansomHouse’s operations as “significant”, with at least 123 victims listed on its data leak site spanning healthcare, finance, transportation, and government.
VMware ESXi-tuned encryption upgrade
The researchers confirmed that RansomHouse is moving away from a linear encryption model toward a multi-stage, dual-key process, which materially complicates decryption or key recovery. They tracked the updated encryptor under the name “Mario,” describing it as the ransomware component for the newly introduced multi-layered process.
In Unit42’s reverse engineering of Mario, analysts observed that the upgraded binary generates both a 32-byte primary and an 8-byte secondary encryption key, executing separate encryption passes that interlock.
For enterprises running virtual infrastructure, particularly VMware ESXi hosts, this development represents a pivot toward higher-impact compromise. RansomHouse’s tools specifically target ESXi files and backups, encrypting them with the “e.mario” extension while dropping ransom instructions for payment.
Combined with MrAgent, RansomHouse’s deployment and persistence utility, the RaaS framework impairs both operational continuity and recovery efforts, the researchers noted.
RansomHouse attempts double extortion
Beyond the cryptographic update, RansomHouse leverages a double extortion model, which involves exfiltrating data and threatening public disclosure in addition to encrypting it, to add pressure on victims to pay.
This layered pressure tactic, already a common feature of modern ransomware attacks, complicates incident response timelines and negotiating strategies for corporate security teams.
Unit 42’s disclosure also revealed that RansomHouse operates with a modular attack chain separating operators (tool developers and leak managers) from attackers/affiliates (those who gain access and deploy the ransomware). This model allows the RaaS to scale and adapt, even as individual affiliates rotate or rebrand.
The disclosure noted that detection strategies that rely solely on static signatures are increasingly insufficient against ransomware like RansmHouse that use dynamic, chunked encryption with multi-phase execution. Investing in behavioral analytics, real-time monitoring, hardened segmentation, and regular backup validation remains essential. Unit 42 has published indicators of compromise (file hashes, file extensions, and ransom note artifacts) tied to the updated RansomHouse tooling, urging enterprises to proactively hunt for related activity across affected endpoints and virtualized environments.
View the full article
CSOonline

iPhone 18 Trial Production to Start in February Ahead of Spring 2027 Launch

Apple is reportedly preparing to begin trial production of the iPhone 18 after Chinese New Year, according to Weibo-based leaker Fixed Focus Digital.


The claim suggests small-scale manufacturing runs will start once factories return to normal operations following the Lunar New Year shutdown, which typically ends in late February.

The Chinese leaker claims that production lines for the iPhone 18 Pro models have already been set up, indicating that the Pro hardware design has already been locked in. The leaker adds that the scope of external design changes is expected to be smaller than some may be anticipating.

That lines up with reports that the iPhone 18 Pro models will feature the same general design as the iPhone 17 Pro models, with the triple-lens rear camera system residing within the new camera plateau.

The report also fits with Apple's rumored shift to a split iPhone launch cycle. Under the reported strategy, the iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to debut in September 2026 alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone, while the standard iPhone 18 will follow later with the iPhone 18e for a spring 2027 launch.

Apple's iPhone 18 models could feature a simplified Camera Control button without a capacitive sensor to cut costs, but pressure sensing will still be available for all of the button functions. The standard iPhone 18 could be also upgraded to 12GB RAM in 2026, while adopting TSMC's 2nm architecture for the A20 chip, but beyond that we don't have many specifics about what else to expect at this time.

As for the iPhone 18 Pro models, they are expected to debut Apple's A20 Pro chip and could potentially feature under-screen Face ID technology, not to mention a variable aperture lens, and a new three-layer stacked image sensor made by Samsung. Apple is also expected to use the device to debut its next-generation, custom-made C2 modem. Related Roundup: iPhone 18Tag: Fixed Focus DigitalRelated Forum: iPhone
This article, "iPhone 18 Trial Production to Start in February Ahead of Spring 2027 Launch" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

⚡ Weekly Recap: Firewall Exploits, AI Data Theft, Android Hacks, APT Attacks, Insider Leaks & More

Cyber threats last week showed how attackers no longer need big hacks to cause big damage. They’re going after the everyday tools we trust most — firewalls, browser add-ons, and even smart TVs — turning small cracks into serious breaches. The real danger now isn’t just one major attack, but hundreds of quiet ones using the software and devices already inside our networks. Each trusted system canView the full article
Hacker News

How to Browse the Web More Sustainably With a Green Browser

As the internet becomes an essential part of daily life, its environmental footprint continues to grow.  Data centers, constant connectivity, and resource-heavy browsing habits all contribute to energy consumption and digital waste. While individual users may not see this impact directly, the collective effect of everyday browsing is significant. Choosing a browser designed withView the full article
Hacker News

Elevate Expertise through Azure Fundamental AZ-900 Training Fast

The Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) Training gives you a simple start to cloud computing with Azure. It teaches easy ideas like cloud types, Azure parts, security, costs, and how to pick the right services for jobs. This beginner cert fits new people, IT starters, managers, or anyone curious about the cloud without a tech background. Companies use Azure to save on servers, grow fast, and keep data safe—trained folks know the basics to talk smart about cloud plans.​
Azure leads fast growth as firms cut old servers for cloud savings. AZ-900 opens doors to cloud jobs and shows you get core ideas like IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, regions, and SLAs. Earn a cert quickly and build a resume for admin or DevOps next steps with real understanding.​
Course Overview
DevOpsSchool offers about 20 hours of online teacher-led Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) training with live demos and easy talk. It works for total newbies, grads, IT pros, and managers—made from 10,000+ job needs and 20+ years of know-how. You get full cloud basics plus a path to AZ-104 admin and AZ-400 DevOps. Mix open tools like Jenkins and GitHub in Azure demos. Classes are online any time or in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, or Delhi for a group feel. Sets you up for the AZ-900 cert and real cloud chat.​
Key Learning Areas
This Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) Training covers cloud easy: benefits, service types (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS), Azure build blocks, core tools, security nets, identity logins, rule watch, privacy laws, cost plans, and SLAs uptime. Learn regions/zones for safe data, management portals, basic nets, and governance tags.​
Main parts:
Cloud good/bad: Save money, grow easily vs. learn the curve. Service types: IaaS own servers, PaaS less work, and SaaS ready apps. Azure parts: Subscriptions, resources, and global regions. Security: Firewalls, keys, and Azure AD identity. Cost/SLA: Budget tools, uptime promises 99.9%. Governance: Policies and tags for big teams. These make you talk cloud smart at work or interviews.​
Hands-On Practice
Get 100+ lab tasks and real projects in Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) Training to see cloud live. Try portal sign-up, make storage, do a simple VM start, and do a cost check—step-by-step guides for the first try. Use DevOpsSchool Azure or a free account at home. Labs show pick-up service, region safety, and basic bill watch.​
Practice cloud type comparisons, read SLAs, and add governance tags. This builds an eye for real choices without deep code.​
Program Features
DevOpsSchool helps with all steps in Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) Training, from hello to cert day.​
FeatureDetailsDurationApproximately 20 hours onlineLabs100+ assignmentsSupportLifetime LMS and tech helpExtrasInterview kits, 250+ questionsCertDevOps Certified Professional Keep slides, videos, and notes forever—ask anytime later.​
Ideal Participants
No skills needed for Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) Training—the perfect first cloud step. Good for new grads, non-tech managers, sales who sell cloud, IT changing to Azure, and starters before admin certs. Basic computer is ok, no code asked.​
Career Growth
AZ-900 starts the cloud path to admin jobs, sales roles, and manager spots. Shows basics firms want for team hires. DevOpsSchool kits from 200+ years of real experience, 10,000+ learners, and direct job tips. Helps with resume entry, simple talks, and first cloud roles open.​
About DevOpsSchool
DevOpsSchool is best for Azure starts with AZ-900, admin AZ-104, and DevOps AZ-400, plus AWS and Kubernetes—India and USA cities. Hands-on match jobs from research.​
Good points:
Classes in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, and Delhi—6+. Ok. Online GoToMeeting, easy PC, lifetime LMS materials. Open tools like Jenkins and Azure for the next steps.​ Rajesh Kumar’s Mentorship
The Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) Training led by Rajesh Kumar, a pro trainer with 20+ years of experience in DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, and cloud-world firms. Shares simple cloud stories, portal walks, and why-pick-service tips. Style talk shows are good for new folks with job advice.​
Teachers checked hard, 10-15 years each.​
Training Support
Miss? Next 3 months or 24×7 LMS videos. PC: 2GB RAM, 20GB Windows/Mac/Linux. Help class or chat fast.​
Pricing and Discounts
Good price groups save in Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) Training.​
2-3: 10% off 4-6: 15% off 7+: 25% off No refund starts or changes for good reasons, ok.​
Conclusion and Overview
Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) Training starts cloud-easy, from types to costs for smart picks. Labs, projects, guide set basics, cert, first cloud talk at work. Simple step to the Azure pro path.​
Call to Action
Reach DevOpsSchool:
Email: [email protected]
Phone India: +91 7004 215 841
Phone USA: +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Elevate Expertise through Azure DevOps AZ-400 Training Fast

The Azure DevOps (AZ-400) Training teaches you to move code from idea to live apps quick and safe. It covers watch logs, alerts, safe logins, code branches, builds, tests, sends to users, and team talks. This helps coders, IT pros, and teams speed up work while keeping quality high for business needs. Azure grows fast as cloud for apps, data, and teams, and trained people cut wait time, fix issues early, and share updates smooth so companies ship better software.​
Course Overview
DevOpsSchool gives about 40 hours of online teacher-led Azure DevOps (AZ-400) Training with real job paths. Made from 10000+ job looks and 20+ years know, it fits new grads, IT pros, or teams with steps from basic AZ-900 to run AZ-104 to DevOps AZ-400. You learn full Azure DevOps plus open tools like Jenkins, GitHub, Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker in Azure for all skills. Classes online or in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Delhi for easy join. It readies you for three certs with job-ready ways.​
Key Learning Areas
This Azure DevOps (AZ-400) Training shows easy code flow, watch, safe, build, test, send, and team work in Azure. Learn logs and watch data, alerts that act, fail guess, health checks, safe logins, secret keep, rules force, code branches plan, repos set, tool links, send news to business, docs auto, team chat easy, build auto design, pack handle, infra plan, build keep same, send scripts, flow auto, send spot plan.​
Main parts:
Logs, watch mix, alert plans, fail guess, health checks.​ Safe login plans, secret safe, rules force.​ Code branches, repos, tool links, send news, docs, team chat.​ Build auto, pack plan, infra plan, build same cross team.​ Send scripts, flow auto, send spot plans.​ These speed code to live, cut bugs, keep safe for teams big or small.​
Hands-On Practice
You get 100+ lab tasks and real projects in Azure DevOps (AZ-400) Training to build full flows yourself. Make code branch, build, test, send to live like company work from first line to user see. Use DevOpsSchool Azure or free spot with step notes for home try. Labs cover branch fights, build fails, send rollbacks, watch drops.​
Try code safe, build same every time, test auto, send blue-green, alerts that fix self, team docs live. This readies you for jobs where fast send wins customers.​
Program Features
DevOpsSchool gives full back-up in Azure DevOps (AZ-400) Training from start to work.​
FeatureDetailsDurationApprox 40 hours online​Labs100+ assignments​SupportLifetime LMS and tech help​ExtrasInterview kits, 250+ questions​CertDevOps Certified Professional​ Keep slides, videos, notes, class talks forever and ask help any time.​
Ideal Participants
Basic IT helps but no musts for Azure DevOps (AZ-400) Training. Good for coders, testers, ops to DevOps, new grads, teams who ship apps. Sysadmins or IT who want fast code flow learn best with real steps.​
Career Growth
This cert gets DevOps jobs, code flow roles, cloud send spots quick. It shows watch, safe, build, send skills firms need for quick ship. DevOpsSchool kits from 200+ years know, 10000+ learners, job calls from firms hiring. Resume fix, fake talks help land spots fast.​
About DevOpsSchool
DevOpsSchool tops Azure, AWS, DevOps train in India, USA cities. Hands-on for AZ-400 flow, AZ-900 base, AZ-104 run, AWS, Kubernetes with job match projects.​
Good points:
Spots Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Delhi for 6+ groups.​ Online GoToMeeting any PC, life LMS all files.​ Open tools Jenkins, Docker in Azure full train.​ Rajesh Kumar’s Mentorship
The Azure DevOps (AZ-400) Training led by Rajesh Kumar, pro with 20+ years DevOps, safe DevOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, cloud big firms. Shares night fix tales, bill cuts, easy shows, open code, talks; talk-show-do way with tips resume.​
Teachers check pass 10-15 years each.​
Training Support
Miss? Next batch 3 months or 24×7 LMS watch. 2GB RAM PC, 20GB Windows/Mac/Linux. Teachers clear class/chat.​
Pricing and Discounts
Fair fit group save Azure DevOps (AZ-400) Training.​
2-3: 10% off 4-6: 15% off 7+: 25% off​ No back post start, change good need.​
Conclusion and Overview
Azure DevOps (AZ-400) Training full flow code-watch-safe-send steady ship. Labs, projects, pro ready tests, job day, grow Azure teams. Easy start control fast safe cloud send.​
Call to Action
Reach DevOpsSchool:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
Website: DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Hackers exploit Microsoft OAuth device codes to hijack enterprise accounts

Cybercriminals and state-sponsored hackers are increasingly exploiting Microsoft’s legitimate OAuth 2.0 device authorization process to hijack enterprise accounts, bypassing multifactor authentication protections and gaining persistent access to sensitive organizational data, a report said.
Researchers at Proofpoint tracked multiple threat clusters — both financially motivated and state-aligned — that were using device code phishing techniques to trick users into granting unauthorized access to their Microsoft 365 accounts. The campaigns have surged since September 2025, representing a significant shift from limited, targeted attacks to widespread exploitation.
“While this is not necessarily a novel technique, it is notable to see it used increasingly by multiple threat clusters,” the Proofpoint Threat Research Team wrote in a blog post.
The tactic represents an evolution of techniques that financially motivated groups used earlier this year to breach Salesforce environments at Google, Qantas, and luxury brands through similar OAuth abuse, affecting hundreds of organizations. Those Salesforce attacks, which began in June 2025, used voice phishing. The current wave drops the phone calls for email-based social engineering, making attacks easier to scale.
A legitimate process turned malicious
The attacks abuse OAuth’s device authorization flow, which was designed for authenticating on input-constrained devices like smart TVs and IoT devices. Threat actors, according to the blog post, initiate the legitimate Microsoft device authorization process, then trick victims into entering the generated device code — disguised as a one-time password — at Microsoft’s own verification URL.
“The lures typically claim that the device code is an OTP and direct the user to input the code at Microsoft’s verification URL,” the researchers wrote. “Once the user inputs the code, the original token is validated, giving the threat actor access to the targeted M365 account.”
Successful attacks enable account takeover, data exfiltration, lateral movement within networks, and establishment of persistent access to corporate resources. In some cases, stolen data becomes the basis for extortion attempts, as ShinyHunters demonstrated in its Salesforce campaigns.
Tools of the trade
What’s driving the surge is the availability of tools that make these attacks easy to execute. Proofpoint identified two primary kits: SquarePhish2 and Graphish.
SquarePhish2 is an updated version of a tool originally published by Dell Secureworks in 2022. It automates the OAuth Device Grant Authorization flow and integrates QR code functionality.
The Graphish phishing kit, shared on vetted criminal hacking forums, enables the creation of convincing phishing pages leveraging Azure App Registrations and adversary-in-the-middle attack capabilities. “The tool is designed to be user-friendly and does not require advanced technical expertise, lowering the barrier for entry and enabling even low-skilled threat actors to conduct sophisticated phishing campaigns,” the Proofpoint researchers wrote in the blog.
These tools help attackers overcome a key limitation: device codes are typically short-lived. The automation enables larger-scale campaigns than were previously possible.
State actors join cybercriminals
Since January 2025, Proofpoint has tracked multiple state-aligned threat actors abusing OAuth device code authorization for account takeover, representing a concerning evolution in espionage tradecraft.
“This technique has been most widely used by Russia-aligned threat actors,” the researchers noted, citing prior reporting by security firm Volexity. Proofpoint also observed suspected China-aligned activity and other unattributed espionage campaigns.
One group, Proofpoint tracks as UNK_AcademicFlare, has been conducting device code phishing since at least September 2025. The suspected Russia-aligned actor uses compromised email addresses from government and military organizations to target entities in government, think tanks, higher education, and transportation sectors across the US and Europe.
UNK_AcademicFlare typically conducts patient rapport building via benign outreach before launching device code phishing attempts. The group uses compromised accounts to arrange fictitious meetings or interviews, then shares malicious links to Cloudflare Worker URLs spoofing OneDrive accounts.
Volexity researchers documented similar tactics in recent campaigns where Russian actors created fake websites masquerading as legitimate European security conferences to trick attendees into granting OAuth access.
Widespread campaigns target financial lures
Financially motivated threat actors have also embraced device code phishing. Proofpoint highlighted activity from TA2723, a high-volume credential phishing actor known for campaigns spoofing Microsoft OneDrive, LinkedIn, and DocuSign.
Beginning in October 2025, TA2723 launched campaigns using salary and benefits-themed lures. One campaign used email messages purporting to contain documents titled “OCTOBER_SALARY_AMENDED” and “Salary Bonus + Employer Benefits Reports 25.”
The messages directed recipients to URLs that ultimately led to device code authorization pages where victims were tricked into generating and entering one-time passcodes. Proofpoint researchers suspect TA2723 used both SquarePhish2 and Graphish tools across different campaign waves.
The 2025 ShinyHunters campaign demonstrated the potential damage. In a separate but related OAuth abuse incident, threat actors exploited OAuth tokens stolen from the Salesloft/Drift integration to access Salesforce instances at hundreds of organizations. Companies, including Cloudflare, Zscaler, and Tenable, publicly disclosed unauthorized access to data, triggering breach notification requirements.
Proofpoint recommended organizations create Conditional Access policies to block device code flow entirely or implement allow-lists for approved users and IP ranges. “Traditional phishing awareness often emphasizes checking URLs for legitimacy. This approach does not effectively address device code phishing, where users are prompted to enter a device code on the trusted Microsoft portal,” the researchers wrote.
Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment on the findings.
View the full article
CSOonline

Elevate Expertise through Azure Administrator AZ-104 Training Fast

Azure is a fast-growing cloud platform. It helps businesses run apps, store data, and use AI. Azure Administrator (AZ-104) Training teaches you to manage users, storage, networks, and more in Azure. It fits IT pros, new grads, or anyone starting in cloud jobs.​
This cert leads to roles like Azure Admin or Cloud Engineer. You can work at big companies like Microsoft or Accenture. Pay often goes up 15-30%. In the US, it’s over $120,000 a year. In India, packages are strong too.​
Core Skills Covered in Training
The 25-hour class covers key Azure tasks. Learn Azure AD for users and access. Set up RBAC roles and policies. Manage storage like blobs and files safely.​
Handle VMs with ARM templates. Work with containers and App Service. Build networks with VNets and load balancers. Use Azure Monitor for alerts and backups.​
Key skills:
Azure AD users, groups, and MFA. Storage encryption and tiers. VM scaling and custom images. Network security like NSGs. Monitoring with logs and alerts. Labs let you practice real tasks. Fix issues like slow networks.​
Exam Breakdown and Prep Tips
AZ-104 has 40-60 questions. Types include multiple choice and case studies. It lasts 120-180 minutes. The pass score is 700/1000. Cost is $165 USD.​
DomainWeightKey TopicsPrep FocusIdentities & Governance15-20%Azure AD, RBAC ​Role assignmentsStorage15-20%Blobs, files ​Lifecycle rulesCompute20-25%VMs, AKS ​Deploy with CLINetworking15-20%VNets, NSGs ​Peering setupMonitor & Backup15-20%Azure Monitor ​Set alerts Use 100+ labs and 250+ questions. Do mock exams.​
DevOpsSchool Tops Azure Training
DevOpsSchool is great for Azure AZ-104 and more. Locations in India like Bangalore and Hyderabad. Also the USA. Online or classroom for groups of 6+.​
Lifetime LMS has videos and support. Covers tools like Jenkins and Kubernetes.
FeaturesDevOpsSchoolOthersFaculty CheckYesLimitedLifetime LMSYesNo100+ LabsYesFew250+ QsYesBasicProjectsRealSimulatedToolsJenkins, K8sRare ​ Easy setup with 2GB RAM PC.​
Guided by Rajesh Kumar
Rajesh Kumar has 20+ years in DevOps and cloud. Trained 70+ companies like IBM and JPMorgan. Cuts deployment time with tools like Terraform.​
Students love him: “Built confidence” (Abhinav, 5.0). “Great hands-on” (Indrayani, 5.0).​
Practical Projects and Labs
25 hours include real projects. Build full Azure setups. Deploy VMs, secure storage, and set networks.​
Key parts:
Big project for your resume. Interview kit with 250+ questions. Get DCP cert after tests. Job help via forums.​
Job Growth and Salary Perks
Manage Azure well with this cert. Roles pay $110K-$140K US. In India, ₹15-25L. Growth is 30% yearly.​
Discounts: 10% for 2-3, 15% for 4-6, 25% for 7+.​
Learner Success Stories
“Useful “training”—Abhinav Gupta (5.0)​ “Great “trainer”—Indrayani (5.0)​ “Mastered tools”—Sumit Kulkarni (5.0)​ “Good sessions”—Ravi Daur (5.0)​ “Good “knowledge”—Vinayakumar (5.0)​ Small classes for better learning.​
Advance with Azure Administrator (AZ-104) Training
Learn Azure AD, RBAC, storage, VMs, networks, and monitoring. Ready for AZ-104.​
Conclusion and Overview
Azure Administrator (AZ-104) Training makes you a pro Azure admin. DevOpsSchool with Rajesh Kumar gives real skills. Overview: 25 hours, labs, and projects—start your cloud path.
Contact:
Email: [email protected]
India: +91 7004 215 841
USA: +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Unlock AWS SysOps Administrator Training Success Now

The AWS SysOps Administrator Training Course teaches you to watch, fix, and run AWS systems every day with ease. It covers how to set up services, keep data safe, connect networks properly, save money on bills, and handle real work problems step by step. This training helps IT workers, sysadmins, and new cloud teams do daily tasks like checking alerts, updating systems, and stopping issues before they grow big, all with no stress. Companies pick AWS because it makes safe, fast systems that cost less than buying servers, and trained people make sure everything stays up, data stays private, and work runs smoothly without stops.​
Course Overview
DevOpsSchool gives about 60 hours of online teacher-led AWS SysOps Administrator Training Course with live help every step. It works great for coders, non-coders, teams, or single learners with paths made just for your needs and speed. You learn AWS from all sides—from basic ideas to real use in jobs—with clear talks, examples, and checks along the way. Classes happen online from home or in real spots like Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Pune, plus more cities for a hands-on feel. It helps you pass tests easily and run real work setups like live apps and data flows without fear.​
Key Learning Areas
This AWS SysOps Administrator Training Course shows simple watching, easy auto-work, and steady AWS use for busy teams. Learn CloudWatch to set warnings for problems, IAM to control who sees files or runs jobs, VPC to build safe nets between services, and CloudFormation to make setups with code files that anyone can use again. You also cover how to mix services like Lambda for serverless jobs and Route 53 for web names that point right.​
Main parts you learn:
Set up with EC2 machines, ELB to share load, and auto-grow groups that add power when busy.​ Handle storage with S3 buckets for files and EBS copies for quick save points you can bring back fast.​ Keep safe with security groups like doors, rule lists, and checks to meet company rules.​ Watch costs day by day and make services faster with the right sizes and plans.​ These help make systems that stay up even if parts break, work fast for users, and fit budgets year-round.​
Hands-On Practice
You get 100+ lab tasks plus real job projects in the AWS SysOps Administrator Training Course to try everything yourself. Make full test setups, work areas, and live flows from the first plan to the final watch and fix. Use the DevOpsSchool AWS space that stays ready or your own free account to save money and keep going home. Every lab shows common fixes like slow sites or full disks, so you know what to do fast.​
Try fixing real problems like lost data, too many users, or wrong bills, plus saves, easy scripts that run alone, and checks that send phone notes. This gets you set for real jobs where one wrong click costs time, and you learn safe ways first.​
Program Features
DevOpsSchool gives full help in the AWS SysOps Administrator Training Course from day one to long after.​
FeatureDetailsDurationApproximately 60 hours online​Labs100+ assignments​SupportLifetime LMS and tech help​ExtrasMock interviews, 250+ questions​CertDevOps Certified Associate​ Keep slides, videos, talks, notes, and guides forever to look back anytime, even years later when AWS changes.​
Ideal Participants
No hard rules are needed, but net basics like ports and IPs help start fast in the AWS SysOps Administrator Training Course. It’s good for sysadmins who fix servers now, cloud workers new to running tasks, coders moving to the ops side, or IT teams handling apps. IT newbies, starters in the cloud, or pros who want AWS paper learn best with simple steps and no rush.​
Career Growth
This paper helps get cloud run jobs, sysadmin roles, or ops team spots quick. It shows easy auto-work, steady skills, and fixed knowledge that companies want for 24/7 systems. DevOpsSchool gives talk kits from 200+ years of real knowledge and 10000+ past learners, plus job news from calls and emails. They share open spots at firms looking for trained people right away.​
Paper help, fake talks with real questions, and resume tips make jobs easier to land and keep.​
About DevOpsSchool
DevOpsSchool is top for AWS and DevOps learning in India, the USA, and the Netherlands, with spots everywhere. It has hands-on for SysOps runs, cloud builders, and DevOps ways, plus papers that match jobs with real tasks you do the same day.​
Good parts:
Spots in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, and Pune for face talks and group work.​ Online with GoToMeeting that works on any net, room class for 6+ groups in your city.​ Keep LMS for all talks, notes, videos, and step guides forever, plus ask for help anytime.​ Rajesh Kumar’s Mentorship
The AWS SysOps Administrator Training Course gets close help from Rajesh Kumar, a teacher with 20+ years of hands-on experience in DevOps, safe DevOps, SRE keep-up, Kubernetes groups, and cloud builds for big global firms. He tells real fixes from tough jobs like down sites at night or bill shocks and shows easy demos anyone can follow. His way mixes talk, showing, and doing so you remember for jobs.​
Teachers pass hard checks—profiles, tech tests, and demo classes—with 10-15 years of real work each.​
Training Support
Miss class for work or sickness? Go to the next batch in 3 months for free or see the full 24×7 LMS recordings right away. Need just a 2GB RAM PC and 20GB space on Windows, Mac, or Linux—no fancy gear. Teachers answer all questions clearly and fast in class or after.​
Pricing and Discounts
Good prices that fit most with group help in the AWS SysOps Administrator Training Course—talk to the team for yours.​
2-3 people: 10% less money right away 4-6 people: 15% less for teams 7+ people: 25% less big save​ No money back after starting to keep quality, but changing the date is ok for good reasons like work shifts.​
Conclusion and Overview
The AWS SysOps Administrator Training Course gives full-run skills, from watching alerts to full safe setups anyone can trust. Labs match real jobs, projects build your book, and help from pros makes you set for tests, first-day work, and long career growth. Grow your cloud job with a good AWS run that keeps companies happy and bills low.​
Call to Action
Talk to DevOpsSchool now:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
Website: DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Elevate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Expertise

AWS powers businesses worldwide with reliable cloud services for hosting, storage, and more. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate helps beginners and pros design secure, resilient systems using AWS tools. It proves you can build solutions that meet business needs now and in the future.​
This entry-level cert ranks high in demand, with certified folks earning around $127,868 on average. It opens doors to roles like Cloud Engineer and builds a strong base for advanced paths.​
Main Skills You Learn
Training focuses on AWS Well-Architected Framework for secure, high-performing designs. Cover EC2, S3, VPC, IAM, and services like Lambda for serverless apps. Practice resilient setups with Auto Scaling and load balancers.​
Core topics include:
Secure access via IAM policies, roles, and MFA. Networking with VPCs, subnets, gateways, and Route 53 DNS. Storage options: S3 buckets, EBS volumes, EFS file systems. Databases like RDS, DynamoDB, and monitoring with CloudWatch. Hands-on labs let you test ideas safely, turning theory into real skills for daily work.​
Exam Facts and Prep Guide
SAA-C03 exam lasts 130 minutes with 65 questions—multiple choice or response—costing $150 USD. Pass at 720/1000, covering Design Secure (30%), Resilient (26%), High-Performing (24%), Cost-Optimized (20%) domains.​
DomainWeightKey AreasDesign Secure Architectures30%IAM, shared responsibility ​Design Resilient Architectures26%Multi-AZ, backups ​High-Performing Architectures24%Caching, scaling ​Cost-Optimized Architectures20%Pricing models, storage classes ​ About 40 hours of training packs 100+ labs, projects, 250+ interview questions, and mocks. No strict prereqs, but basic Linux/Windows helps.​
DevOpsSchool Stands Out
DevOpsSchool tops lists for AWS and DevOps training in India (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Delhi) and USA. They offer online instructor-led sessions or classroom for 6+ in key cities, with lifetime LMS access to recordings, slides, and support. Custom paths suit beginners to teams, focusing on real projects from dev to prod.​
What sets them apart:
FeaturesDevOpsSchoolOthersFaculty CheckFull ProfileBasicLifetime LMSYesLimited100+ LabsIncludedFewMock InterviewsAfter TrainingRare250+ Interview QsYesNoReal ProjectsScenario-BasedSimulated ​ Use GoToMeeting online; miss class? Replay in 3 months or forever via LMS. Simple setup: 2GB RAM PC, Free Tier guides.​
Led by Rajesh Kumar
Rajesh Kumar, with 20+ years in DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, and Cloud, mentors every step. He’s coached thousands at 70+ firms including IBM and Intuit, mastering CI/CD, Docker, Jenkins, AWS migrations. His practical style cuts costs via automation and test-driven methods.​
Learners rave: “Rajesh built confidence interactively” (Abhinav Gupta, 5.0). “Clear concepts, great hands-on” (Indrayani, 5.0). Preps you for AWS hotseat perfectly.​
Real Practice and Projects
40-hour program gives full AWS grasp through industry scenarios. Build from planning to monitoring in dev/test/prod. Trainers show on their cloud; you use Free Tier/VMs with guides.​
Benefits:
One post-training project for your portfolio. Interview kit from 200+ years experience, 10,000+ learners. Earn “DevOps Certified Associate (DCP)” via projects/tests. No job placement, but resume help, job alerts via forums keep you ready.​
Job Boost and Pay Rise
Cert holders design scalable apps, handle backups, and optimize costs—top skills for IT jobs. Tackle web hosting, big data, IoT with confidence. Expect better offers and networks.​
Group deals: 10% off (2-3 students), 15% (4-6), 25% (7+). Fixed fees, no refunds post-start but flexible pauses.​
Learner Feedback Speaks Volumes
Honest reviews:
“Interactive training, Rajesh resolved all queries.” – Indrayani (5.0)​ “Organized, understood tools deeply.” – Sumit Kulkarni (5.0)​ “Useful basics, good sessions.” – Ravi Daur (5.0)​ “Confidence boost with hands-on.” – Abhinav Gupta (5.0)​ Pre-recorded videos for preview. Small batches for quality.​
Explore AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
Master VPC networking, EC2 instances, S3 storage, IAM security, Lambda serverless, Auto Scaling, Route 53 DNS, CloudWatch monitoring, RDS databases, DynamoDB NoSQL, EBS volumes, ELB load balancing. Ideal SAA-C03 prep.​
Conclusion and Overview
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate launches cloud careers with secure, resilient designs. DevOpsSchool, under Rajesh Kumar, delivers hands-on excellence. Overview: 40 hours, labs, mocks, projects—your gateway to AWS success.
Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Achieve AWS Certified Solution Architect Professional Excellence

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional certification shows you can design complex, secure AWS systems for big needs. It covers advanced topics like billing strategies, cross-account access, and data management. This level proves you handle real enterprise challenges with AWS services.​
Many cloud jobs now ask for this cert to show deep skills in scalable designs. It helps admins, engineers, and architects move up in their careers.​
Course Overview
DevOpsSchool offers about 60 hours of online instructor-led AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional training. The program fits developers and non-developers with custom learning paths. You get hands-on work to apply ideas in real settings.​
After finishing, you understand AWS from all angles with projects that build real skills. It prepares you for the exam and daily work tasks.​
Key Learning Areas
This training dives into advanced AWS design for high-performance systems. You learn consolidated billing, connectivity options, and directory services. Topics include data analytics, security, and migration strategies.​
Core areas cover:
Compute and storage with EC2, S3, EBS for fault-tolerant setups.​ Networking via VPC, Route 53, and load balancers.​ Databases like RDS, DynamoDB, and serverless options.​ Security with IAM, encryption, and compliance tools.​ These skills help design cost-effective, resilient cloud solutions.​
Hands-On Practice
You get over 100 lab assignments and real-time projects in the course. Build dev, test, and production setups from start to end. Labs run on DevOpsSchool’s AWS cloud or your free tier account.​
Practice disaster recovery, auto-scaling, and monitoring in safe environments. This builds confidence for production-level architecture.​
Program Features
DevOpsSchool stands out with full support in its training setup.​
FeatureDetailsDurationApprox 60 hours online​Labs100+ assignments​SupportLifetime LMS and tech help​ExtrasMock interviews, 100+ questions​CertDevOps Certified Professional​ Lifetime access to recordings, slides, and videos aids long-term learning.​
Ideal Participants
This fits architects, engineers, and consultants with some AWS basics. System admins and IT pros aiming for senior roles gain most. No need for expert skills upfront as it builds step by step.​
Career Growth
The cert opens doors to cloud architect and senior engineer jobs. It highlights skills in secure, optimized designs that companies need. DevOpsSchool offers resume help and job updates.​
About DevOpsSchool
DevOpsSchool leads in cloud and DevOps training across India and USA. It provides hands-on courses in AWS, Kubernetes, Jenkins, and more certifications.​
Key strengths:
Custom paths for teams or individuals.​ Classroom in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi.​ Online via GoToMeeting for easy access.​ Rajesh Kumar’s Mentorship
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional program is guided by Rajesh Kumar, a top expert with 20+ years in cloud and DevOps. He specializes in DevSecOps, SRE, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, and large AWS projects for global companies like Oracle and Vodafone.​
His teaching uses real stories, live demos, and fixes common issues from years in the field. Trainers pass a strict check with 10-15 years experience.​
Training Support
Missed sessions? Join another batch in 3 months or watch recordings 24×7 via LMS. Simple setup: 2GB RAM PC with internet works fine. Faculty clears doubts with clear examples.​
Pricing and Discounts
Fees match market rates with group deals.​
2-3 students: 10% off 4-6 students: 15% off 7+ students: 25% off​ No refunds after start, but talk for reschedule options.​
Conclusion and Overview
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional training gives full cloud design knowledge from basics to pro level. With labs, projects, and pro guidance, you gain skills for exams and jobs. This path boosts your role in scalable AWS setups.​
Call to Action
Reach DevOpsSchool today:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
Website: DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Enhance Your Skills with AWS Certified DevOps Professional Training.

The AWS Certified DevOps Professional Training helps professionals build strong skills in cloud automation and operations. It focuses on real-world tasks like setting up CI/CD pipelines and managing secure AWS systems. This program prepares you for both the certification exam and daily job challenges.​
Course Overview
This training covers 30 hours of online instructor-led sessions on AWS DevOps topics. It includes hands-on labs, projects, and interview prep to give you full practical knowledge. You learn to provision, operate, and manage distributed apps on AWS with best practices.​
Key Learning Areas
Participants gain skills in core AWS services for DevOps workflows. The course teaches Infrastructure as Code using CloudFormation and CI/CD pipeline design. You also cover monitoring with CloudWatch, security via IAM, and logging setups.​
AWS services like EC2, S3, VPC, and Lambda for scalable setups.​ Automation tools for builds, tests, and deployments.​ Incident response and compliance practices.​ Hands-On Practice
The program offers over 100 lab assignments and real-time projects. You build dev, test, and production environments from start to finish. Labs use DevOpsSchool’s AWS cloud or your free tier account.​
This setup lets you practice blue-green deployments and auto-scaling in safe scenarios.​
Program Features
DevOpsSchool provides strong support through its training model.​
FeatureDetailsDuration30 hours onlineLabs100+ assignmentsSupportLifetime LMS and tech helpExtrasMock interviews, 250+ questionsCertDevOps Certified Professional Lifetime access to recordings and materials helps with ongoing learning.​​
Ideal Participants
This suits DevOps engineers, admins, and developers with basic AWS knowledge. SREs and platform teams transitioning to cloud roles benefit most. No deep prior skills needed as concepts build step by step.​
Career Growth
The certification boosts chances for senior DevOps and cloud architect roles. It shows expertise in automation and reliability, key for high-pay jobs. DevOpsSchool adds resume help and job updates.​
About DevOpsSchool
DevOpsSchool leads in DevOps and cloud training programs. It offers courses in Kubernetes, Jenkins, Terraform, and AWS certifications with hands-on focus.​
Tailored paths for teams and individuals.​ Classroom options in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and more.​ Tools like GoToMeeting for smooth online sessions.​ Rajesh Kumar’s Mentorship
The AWS Certified DevOps Professional Training is led by Rajesh Kumar, a top trainer with 20+ years in DevOps and cloud. He experts in DevSecOps, SRE, AIOps, Kubernetes, and AWS projects for global firms. His sessions share real project tips and troubleshooting from years in the field.​
Training Support
Trainers have 10-15 years of industry experience and clear teaching styles. Missed classes can join other batches within 3 months. System needs are simple: 2GB RAM PC with internet.​
Pricing and Discounts
Fees stay affordable with group savings.​
2-3 students: 10% off 4-6 students: 15% off 7+ students: 25% off​ Contact for exact rates as they fit most budgets.​
Conclusion and Overview
This AWS Certified DevOps Professional Training gives a full view of cloud DevOps from basics to advanced ops. With labs, projects, and expert guidance, it builds skills for certification and real jobs. Start your path to better cloud careers today.​
Call to Action
Reach DevOpsSchool for details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
Website: DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

What CISOs should know about the SolarWinds lawsuit dismissal

The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Nov. 30 decision to dismiss its lawsuit against SolarWinds and its CISO, Tim Brown, was met with immediate and widespread joy across the cybersecurity leadership community.
For many CISOs, the dismissal landed not as an abstract legal development, but as something deeply personal. “Thank God,” Gadi Evron, CEO and founder of Knostic and CISO in Residence for AI at the Cloud Security Alliance, said when he learned of the dismissal. “People are feeling relieved, and there is a sense of community and celebrating together,” he tells CSO.
“I breathed a sigh of relief,” Diana Kelley, CISO of Noma Security, tells CSO. After five years of investigation, litigation, and public scrutiny, “I think a lot of CISOs [let out a collective exhale] around this case,” she adds.
That collective sense of relief, however, should not be mistaken for closure. Experts emphasize that the case did not erase the personal and professional risks of being a CISO, nor did it resolve the deeper structural tension it exposed. Security leaders are still held publicly accountable for cyber failures while lacking full authority over budgets, disclosures, and enterprise risk decisions.
Even though the SolarWinds case sparked a deeper recognition that cybersecurity responsibility should be a shared responsibility across enterprises, shifting policy priorities and future administrations could once again put CISOs in the SEC’s crosshairs, they warn.
In the meantime, the legal saga of Tim Brown — along with the federal conviction of former Uber CISO Joe Sullivan in 2022 — highlights critical steps CISOs can take to protect themselves and their organizations before any similar litigation arises in the future.
Overview of the case: From Russian hackers to dismissal
To understand why the SolarWinds case sent such a chill through the CISO community, and why its dismissal matters, a recap of how the breach unfolded and how the SEC framed its claims is useful.
Beginning in 2019 and continuing through November 2020, threat actors — widely believed to be the threat group known as APT20 or Cozy Bear, part of Russia’s foreign intelligence service or SVR — compromised the Orion IT management solution sold by SolarWinds by inserting malicious code into a legitimate software update.
Using malware called SUNBURST, the attackers installed a backdoor that affected roughly 18,000 customers, although a much smaller subset was selectively exploited, including multiple US government agencies and major companies.
Years after the technical compromise itself, the fallout took a more personal turn. Amid a streak of other publicly alarming, high-profile breaches in the US, on Oct. 30, 2023, the US Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil action against SolarWinds and — to the shock of many — its CISO, Brown, alleging fraud and internal control failures relating to allegedly known cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities.
The lawsuit claimed that SolarWinds and Brown defrauded investors by overstating SolarWinds’ cybersecurity practices and understating or failing to disclose known risks. On July 18, 2024, federal judge Paul Engelmayer dismissed most of the lawsuit’s claims.
“He basically dismissed all the charges in terms of post-incident activity and said it is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback, but you’re going to have to prove that they really did something intentionally misleading,” Sullivan, who is also a former federal prosecutor and is now CEO of Joe Sullivan Security, tells CSO.
The remaining claims focused on Brown and the degree to which cybersecurity statements posted on SolarWinds’ website before the incident were appropriate in terms of advising customers of their risks. “The judge really focused on that one publication on the company’s website that went into some specificity about what the company does from a cybersecurity perspective and got frankly fairly granular as far as these things go,” Cara Peterman, partner with Alston & Bird’s Securities Litigation Group, tells CSO.
The judge’s reasoning reassured many security leaders, but it also exposed a more profound discomfort about how accountability is assigned inside modern organizations. “The area that a lot of us were really uncomfortable about was the idea that an operational head of security could be personally responsible for what the company says about its cybersecurity investments,” Sullivan says.
He adds, “Tim didn’t have the CISO title before the incident. And so there was just a lot there that made security people very concerned. Why is this operational person on the hook for representations?”
But even if he had had the CISO role before the incident, the argument still holds, according to Sullivan. “Historically, the person who had that title wasn’t a quote-unquote ‘chief’ in the sense that they’re not in the little room of people who run the company,” Sullivan says. “They don’t report to the CEO; they don’t get a huge budget.”
Perhaps in recognition of this fact, and after settlement talks among the SEC, SolarWinds, and Brown, the securities regulator dropped its suit.
In a statement, company CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna said, “We said from the beginning — and demonstrated during the litigation — the claims were unfounded, and we are happy the SEC has finally decided to abandon them. We stood firmly with our CISO, Tim Brown, and this decision affirms our belief that our team acted with integrity throughout.” SolarWinds has kept Brown on as CISO and paid for his legal representation.
Responsibility without authority is the real risk
At the heart of the SolarWinds lawsuit was a familiar problem for security leaders: responsibility without authority. The dynamic that caught Tim Brown in the SEC’s jaws is that, despite his experience, seniority, and title, he, like most CISOs, carries tremendous responsibility without any real organizational authority to back him up — with concerns around personal liability in the face of that further souring many CISOs on the role.
“We have a lot of the responsibility and very little of the authority,” Knostic’s Evron says. “The organization manages the risk. Our job is to present the risk and to manage the risk once the organization decides what risk to take.”
“We work in a larger ecosystem,” Noma Security’s Kelley adds. “We are not all-powerful. We cannot make all decisions in a company. We must work within the budget. We can advocate for a budget, but then the budget is decided collaboratively by the business. The same with our resources for headcount, or decisions on what is allowed or what’s not allowed in terms of new controls or new policies.”
However, since the lawsuits against Sullivan and Brown first emerged, CEOs and other high-ranking decision-makers have increasingly come under more pressure to accept some of the cyber incident legal liabilities that have often been the sole province of CISOs.
“In my case, at my sentencing hearing, the judge turned to the prosecutor and repeatedly asked, ‘Why isn’t the CEO charged?’” Sullivan says. “The judge literally said, ‘As far as I’m concerned, the CEO is at least as culpable, if not more, as anyone else inside the company when it comes to the situation.’”
Sullivan adds, “In Australia, in the Qantas case, the board took away the bonuses for the CEO and a bunch of others. In one of those DOJ civil cyber fraud cases, the Aero Turbine case, they pierced the corporate veil and went after the private equity firm as well. There is a growing recognition inside government enforcement authorities that if you want to change corporate behavior, you’ve got to aim a little higher than the CISO.”
How CISOs should protect themselves
If the SolarWinds case clarified anything, it’s that relief is temporary and preparation is essential. CISOs have a window of opportunity to shore up their organizational and personal defenses in the event the political pendulum swings and makes CISOs litigation targets again.
“I feel that the SEC staff over the past five to ten years has become more educated and has a more in-depth understanding and knowledge as to how this all works,” Alston & Bird’s Peterman says. “CISOs should be breathing a sigh of relief with this development, but I would be cautious about reading into it too broadly based on shifting changes within this administration or the next one,” Peterman adds.
“Brown had to live through five years of this, first, investigation and, then, litigation,” she says. “And I assume that comes with a significant personal toll, psychological toll, and physical toll. [Brown suffered a heart attack during the litigation.] If CISOs don’t have the necessary indemnification agreements or directors and officers [D&O] insurance protections via the bylaws or by agreement, it can also mean that even if you win, it carries a significant financial toll.”
Noma Security’s Kelley emphasizes that CISOs will still be the face of cybersecurity for most organizations, which means continued diligence in how risks are communicated. “When customers or regulators or investors need answers, none of that has changed [as a result of the SolarWinds dismissal]. One of the takeaways is being very intentional and accurate in how we communicate about our programs.”
Sullivan advises CISOs and other security leaders to become proactive and communicate throughout the organization what they need. “It’s really important that we not sit in the corner and just let all the risks sit on our shoulders,” he says. “We have to engage with the rest of the executives and the CEO and say, ‘Look, cybersecurity is a company decision.’”
He also stresses that the CISO community owes a debt of gratitude to Brown for his fortitude. “A lot of us are really grateful for Tim for how he didn’t disappear during this process,” Sullivan says. “He spent a lot of time out at different events, typically closed-door ones, meeting with a lot of people. I had the opportunity to be on panels and calls with him where he and I shared a stage. All of us are very happy that Tim made it through this in one piece, and that he’s standing and that he still has his job.”
View the full article
CSOonline

Android Malware Operations Merge Droppers, SMS Theft, and RAT Capabilities at Scale

Threat actors have been observed leveraging malicious dropper apps masquerading as legitimate applications to deliver an Android SMS stealer dubbed Wonderland in mobile attacks targeting users in Uzbekistan. "Previously, users received 'pure' Trojan APKs that acted as malware immediately upon installation," Group-IB said in an analysis published last week. "Now, adversaries increasingly deployView the full article
Hacker News

6 wichtige Punkte für Ihren Incident Response Plan

PeopleImages.com – Yuri A – Shutterstock.com
Wenn ein Unternehmen einen größeren Ausfall seiner IT-Systeme erlebt – beispielsweise aufgrund eines Cyberangriffs – ist es zu diesem Zeitpunkt nicht mehr voll geschäftsfähig. Deshalb ist ein effektiver Plan zur Reaktion auf Vorfälle (Incident Response, IR) unerlässlich.
Es geht jedoch nicht nur darum, die Quelle eines Angriffs zu finden und ihn einzudämmen. Unternehmen müssen auf Widerstandsfähigkeit ausgelegt sein, um auch dann weiterarbeiten zu können, wenn wichtige Systeme nicht mehr verfügbar sind.
Was gehört zu einem effektiven Incident Response Plan? Hier sind sechs wesentliche Komponenten:
Folgen abschätzen
Wenn eine Sicherheitsverletzung wichtige Systeme zum Erliegen bringt, müssen Unternehmen über einen soliden IT-Ausfallsicherheits- oder Business-Continuity-Plan (BC) verfügen. Selbst wenn das Unternehmen nur für ein paar Stunden ausfällt, kann dies zu großen finanziellen Verlusten und einer negativen PR führen.
„Eine der wichtigsten Komponenten ist es, die wesentlichen Funktionen zu verstehen, die Ihr Unternehmen erfüllt, und welche Auswirkungen es hätte, wenn diese gestört würden“, betont Justin Kates, leitender Business-Continuity-Berater für den Betreiber von Convenience-Stores Wawa.
„Dies geschieht in der Regel durch eine sogenannte Business Impact Analysis (BIA)“, ergänzt der Experte. “Einige im Bereich der Geschäftskontinuität sind der Meinung, dass die BIA kein hilfreiches Mittel ist. Sie hilft jedoch dem Verantwortlichen für Business Continuity , ein besseres Verständnis dafür zu bekommen, wie Prozesse im gesamten Unternehmen funktionieren.“
Die BIA katalogisiert jeden Prozess und ermittelt, welche Auswirkungen in bestimmten Intervallen je nach Dauer eines Geschäftsausfalls zu erwarten sind. Laut Kates können dabei Workarounds mit manuellen Schritten zur Durchführung des Prozesses oder die Nutzung alternativer Dienste zur Erfüllung von Mindestanforderungen hilfreich sein.
Schon im Vorfeld sollte klar sein, welche Teile des Unternehmens für den Betrieb am wichtigsten sind. „Nach Meinung von Adam Ennamli, Chief Risk, Compliance and Security Officer bei der General Bank of Canada, besteht die Grundlage eines jeden effektiven Notfallplans darin, „sein Unternehmen wirklich zu verstehen – von den Menschen über die Prozesse bis hin zum Betrieb, und zwar durch eine detaillierte und pragmatische Folgenabschätzung.“
Der Security-Spezialist fügt hinzu: „Wenn man über BIA und RTOs [Recovery Time Objective] spricht, sollte man nicht nur Kästchen ankreuzen. Sie erstellen eine Karte, die Ihnen und Ihren Entscheidungsträgern genau zeigt, worauf Sie sich konzentrieren müssen, wenn etwas schief geht.“
Laut Enmamil behandeln allerdings viele Organisationen ihre Systeme als gleich kritisch. „Und wenn es bei einem tatsächlichen Vorfall darauf ankommt, wird wertvolle Zeit mit weniger wichtigen Ressourcen verschwendet, während kritische Geschäftsfunktionen offline bleiben und keine Einnahmen bringen.“
Umfassende Kommunikationsstrategie
Ein weiteres Schlüsselelement, das über Erfolg oder Misserfolg einer Strategie zur Reaktion auf Vorfälle entscheiden kann, ist die Kommunikation. Ohne klare Kommunikation zwischen den wichtigsten Interessengruppen des Unternehmens kann es zu viel längeren Ausfallzeiten oder zum Verlust wichtiger Prozesse über längere Zeiträume kommen.
“Es geht nicht nur darum, eine Telefonkette oder eine Liste mit E-Mail-Adressen zu haben. Sie benötigen vorab genehmigte Inhaltsblöcke und Vorlagen für verschiedene Szenarien, [mehrere] Backup-Kommunikationskanäle und klare Entscheidungs- und Delegationsstrukturen. Es muss klar sein, wer was zu wem sagen darf“, betont Ennamil. „Wenn ein Vorfall eintritt, ist das Letzte, was Sie wollen, Pressemitteilungen zu verfassen, Massen-E-Mails zu versenden oder herauszufinden, wie Sie Ihr Team erreichen können, weil Ihre primären Kanäle ausgefallen sind.“
Jason Wingate, CEO von Emerald Ocean fügt hinzu, dass Unternehmen über solide Kommunikationsprotokolle verfügen sollten. „Sie werden sich eine klare Befehlskette und Kommunikation wünschen“, sagt er. „Ohne festgelegte Protokolle sind Sie in etwa so effektiv wie bei dem Versuch, eine Brandbekämpfung mit Rauchzeichen zu koordinieren.“
Die Schwere des Vorfalls sollte die Kommunikationsstrategie bestimmen, ergänzt David Taylor, Geschäftsführer des globalen Beratungsunternehmens Protiviti. „Während die Mitglieder des Cybersicherheitsteams in engem Kontakt stehen und zusammenarbeiten, sind andere wahrscheinlich nicht so gut eingebunden oder nicht so gut informiert.“
Taylor führt aus: „Je nach Schweregrad sollte die Art, das Publikum und die Häufigkeit der Kommunikation von der Unternehmensführung vorgegeben werden.“ Dies ermögliche es den Verantwortlichen für Cybersicherheit und anderen Führungskräften, einen einheitlichen Zeitrahmen zu entwickeln, in dem sie mit Updates rechnen können. „Gemeinsam können sich die technischen Einsatzteams auf die Reaktion konzentrieren, ohne den Fortschritt zu stoppen, um ad hoc Updates bereitzustellen.“
Einer der wichtigsten Schritte ist die Ernennung eines Kommunikationsleiters , merkt Business-Continuity-Berater Kate an. „Wenn Technologiesysteme nicht verfügbar sind, müssen viele innerhalb der Organisation Workarounds implementieren, um wesentliche Prozesse am Laufen zu halten.“ Dem Experten zufolge basieren viele Entscheidungen auf Updates, die über den Status des Vorfalls und die erwarteten Lösungszeiten bereitgestellt werden. „Die Technologieteams werden sich darauf konzentrieren, die Auswirkungen des Vorfalls zu mildern, und haben möglicherweise nicht die Zeit, Updates bereitzustellen“, so Kates. „In Ihren Plänen sollte festgelegt sein, wer die Führung bei der Weitergabe von Updates an interne und externe Interessengruppen übernimmt, einschließlich der Aktualisierung, wenn es möglicherweise keine neuen Informationen gibt.“
Klare Strukturen mit definierten Reaktionsrollen und Arbeitsabläufen
Es ist wichtig zu verstehen, wer nach einem Vorfall wofür verantwortlich ist. „Wenn ein Cybervorfall eintritt, ist Verwirrung der größte Feind“, so der CEO von Emerald Ocean. “Ein Team ohne definierte Rollen wird wie ein Orchester ohne Dirigenten herumlaufen. Bei Vorfällen kostet Verwirrung Zeit, und wenn ein Vorfall eintritt, ist Zeit alles.“
Struktur und Rollen sollten über die Cybersecurity- oder IT-Mitarbeiter hinausgehen. „Der größte Irrglaube in der Cybersicherheit ist, dass es sich nur um ein IT-Problem handelt“, mahnt Wingate. Die IR-Struktur und die Rollen sollten idealerweise Vertreter aus dem gesamten Unternehmen umfassen.
„Zu den wichtigsten Rollen im Bereich Cybersicherheit gehören unter anderem der CIO/CTO, der CISO, der Einsatzleiter, der Koordinator für Vorfälle, der Endpunktanalyst, der Netzwerkanalyst und die externe forensische Unterstützung“, fasst Taylor zusammen. Zu den Rollen außerhalb der Cybersicherheit sollten das Krisenmanagementteam und möglicherweise Vertreter aus den Bereichen Recht, Unternehmenskommunikation, Personalwesen, Finanzen und andere gehören, je nach Ausmaß des Vorfalls.
„Es ist wichtig festzulegen, wer welche dieser Rollen übernimmt, und die damit verbundenen Verantwortlichkeiten sollten ebenfalls klar definiert und in den entsprechenden Plänen leicht nachzuschlagen sein“, betont Taylor.
Laut Rocco Grillo, Geschäftsführer der Unternehmensberatungsfirma Alvarez & Marsal Disputes and Investigations , ist es auch wichtig, dass „die wichtigsten externen Interessengruppen identifiziert werden.
„Dazu gehören externe Anwälte, IR- und forensische Ermittlungsunternehmen, Cyber-Versicherungskontakte, Benachrichtigungs- und Kreditüberwachungsunternehmen, Strafverfolgungsbehörden und Ransomware-Verhandlungsunternehmen“, so  der Leiter der globalen Praxis für Cyberrisiken und Incident Response Services des Unternehmens.
Überblick über die gesamte Bedrohungslandschaft
Die Bedrohungslandschaft im Bereich der Cybersicherheit ist breit gefächert und komplex. Wirksame IR-Strategien müssen so konzipiert werden, dass sie dieser Komplexität gerecht werden. Angriffe können von einer wachsenden Zahl von Quellen ausgehen und nicht nur ein Unternehmen, sondern auch seine Lieferanten und andere Geschäftspartner betreffen. „Der Fokus liegt mehr auf Angriffen auf die Lieferkette als auf direkten Angriffen auf Unternehmen“, ergänzt Grillo.
„Angriffe auf die Lieferkette sind so, als würde ein Einbrecher in das Büro des Hausmeisters einbrechen, um sich die Schlüssel für alle Wohnungen im Gebäude zu verschaffen”, erläutert der Unternehmensberater, “im Gegensatz zu einem Einbrecher, der nur in das Penthouse des Gebäudes einbricht, um die Kronjuwelen zu stehlen.“
Darüber hinaus müssen sich IR-Pläne nicht nur auf externe Bedrohungen konzentrieren, sondern auch auf Insider-Bedrohungen. „Insider-Bedrohungsrisiken beschränken sich nicht nur auf böswillige Mitarbeiter, sondern auch auf Mitarbeiter, die menschliche Fehler begehen und/oder unwissentlich Cyber-Risiken für ihre Unternehmen schaffen, die Bedrohungsakteure ausnutzen können“, ergänzt Grillo.
Auch Drittanbieter und Lieferanten würden in diese Kategorie fallen. „Dritte können autorisierten Zugang zu einem Unternehmen haben. Wenn sie von einem Bedrohungsakteur kompromittiert werden, schaffen sie diesen versehentlich Zugang“, so der Berater.
Regelmäßige Tests
Unternehmen müssen ihre Pläne zur Reaktion auf Vorfälle und zur Geschäftskontinuität regelmäßig testen, um sicherzustellen, dass sie wirksam sind. „Das sollte eigentlich selbstverständlich sein: Wie bei allem anderen in der Technik auch, sollte man alles erst einmal testen“, fordert Wingate von Emerald Ocean. “Wenn Sie aus einem Flugzeug springen, möchten Sie ja auch, dass Ihr Fallschirm vorher überprüft wurde.“
Einer der Gründe, warum regelmäßige Tests so wichtig sind, ist die sich ständig verändernde Cybersicherheitslandschaft. „Meiner Erfahrung nach liegt der Schlüssel zu einer effektiven Wiederherstellung darin, Incident-Response-Pläne nicht als statische Dokumente zu betrachten und sie regelmäßig einem Stresstest zu unterziehen“, erklärt Ennamli von der General Bank of Canada. “Der Dreh- und Angelpunkt liegt darin, über die theoretische Planung hinauszugehen und praktische, getestete Schritte zu unternehmen, die sich unter Druck bewährt haben.“
Nach jedem Sicherheitsvorfall müssen die IR- und BC-Teams des Unternehmens überprüfen, wie gut die Pläne umgesetzt wurden und wo Verbesserungen vorgenommen werden können.
„Nach der Wiederherstellung nach einem Vorfall [und] Übungen des Vorfallsreaktionsprogramms muss eine disziplinierte Auswertung der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse erfolgen“, so Taylor von Protiviti. „Diese werden allgemein als After-Action-Reviews (AARs), Post-Incident-Reviews (PIRs), Hotwashes oder Debriefings bezeichnet. Unabhängig von der Bezeichnung ist ein disziplinierter und dokumentierter Ansatz zur Bewältigung sowohl positiver als auch negativer Aspekte nach einem Vorfall für eine kontinuierliche Verbesserung von entscheidender Bedeutung.“
Einfachheit und Modularität sollten im Vordergrund stehen
Obwohl die Bedrohungslandschaft komplex ist, müssen IR- und BC-Strategien dies nicht sein. Manchmal ist einfacher besser.
„Wir sehen in der Regel, dass Organisationen zahlreiche, hundertseitige Ordner für ihre Notfallpläne erstellen, einen für die Reaktion auf Vorfälle, einen anderen für die Geschäftskontinuität, einen weiteren für die Notfallwiederherstellung“, beschreibt Kates von Wawa. „Die meisten dieser Pläne überschneiden sich erheblich und sind nur kopierte Vorlagen, die sie online gefunden haben.“
Anstatt für jede Art von Vorfall separate, umständliche Pläne zu erstellen, empfiehlt Kates einen modularen ‘Playbook“-Ansatz. „Man kann einige wenige gefahrenspezifische Playbooks entwickeln – Ransomware, Stromausfall, Unwetter –, die gängige Funktionen der Reaktion auf Vorfälle [wie] Kommunikation, Lagebewertung, Umgehung von Geschäftsprozessen – sofort einsatzbereit machen“.
Dieser Ansatz ermögliche es den Teams, relevante Maßnahmen je nach Art des Vorfalls zu aktivieren und zu kombinieren, wodurch ein nützlicherer Plan entsteht. „Ich habe festgestellt, dass es auch viel einfacher ist, als mehrere große Pläne zu verwalten, um sicherzustellen, dass die Informationen aktuell bleiben“, sagt er. “Die Strategiebücher enthalten Checklisten und Entscheidungsbäume, die die Einsatzkräfte durch komplexe Verfahren führen und so die kognitive Überlastung während einer Krise reduzieren.“ (jm)
View the full article
CSOonline

Podcast: Die IT-Tops und -Flops 2025

abdullah Ghashqeen – Shutterstock
Ein turbulentes Jahr 2025 neigt sich dem Ende zu. Es war geprägt von wirtschaftlicher Unsicherheit, geopolitischen Spannungen und dem ungebremsten Siegeszug der Künstlichen Intelligenz. Grund genug für die Redaktion von Computerwoche, CIO und CSO, in der letzten TechTalk-Podcast-Folge des Jahres Bilanz zu ziehen. Im Fokus: Die IT-Tops und -Flops 2025.
Kaum ein Thema hat die IT-Welt 2025 so stark dominiert wie KI – mit Licht und Schatten. Einer der größten Flops des Jahres ist dabei der massive Stellenabbau, der vielerorts mit dem Verweis auf KI begründet wird. Laut einer Analyse von Surfshark haben weltweit mindestens 200.000 Menschen infolge des KI-Booms ihren Job verloren – vermutlich sind es sogar deutlich mehr.
KI: Große Versprechen, bittere Realität
Das Groteske daran, betont Manfred Bremmer, Editorial Manager Computerwoche: „Oft sind solche Entlassungsrunden eine Mogelpackung. Teilweise wurden später wieder Mitarbeitende eingestellt, weil sich eben doch nicht alles automatisieren lässt.“ Auch mit Blick auf die Zukunft sei das Vorgehen alles andere als nachhaltig, so Bremmer, weil vor allem Junior-Jobs wegfallen.
Einen weiteren KI-spezifischen Flop bringt sein Kollege Tristan Fincken ins Spiel: Cyberkriminelle nutzen KI zunehmend zur Automatisierung von Angriffen. Während Angreifer dadurch schneller und effizienter werden, kämpfen Unternehmen und Sicherheitsverantwortliche häufig mehr mit regulatorischen Vorgaben als mit technischen Lösungen.
CIOs bleiben pragmatisch
Ein Lichtblick im KI-Bereich hebt Jens Dose, Editor in Chief bei CIO.de, hervor: Trotz vollmundiger KI-Versprechen in den Marketing-Botschaften der Anbieter würden sich viele IT-Verantwortliche weiterhin auf die Basics konzentrieren, nämlich Datenqualität, Datensichtbarkeit, stabile Prozesse und belastbare Infrastrukturen.
Auch innovatives Change-Management im KI-Kontext sticht aus seiner Sicht positiv hervor – etwa beim Schweizer TK-Anbieter Mobilezone, der KI-Agenten nicht wie Software, sondern wie neue Mitarbeiter behandelt.
Digitale Souveränität zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit
Das Thema digitale Souveränität bleibt 2025 ambivalent. Positiv bewertet Computerwoche-Redakteur Jürgen Hill etwa das Rennen um KI-Gigafactories in Europa. So investiere Schwarz IT elf Milliarden Euro in ein Rechenzentrum, um eine souveräne Alternative zu US-Hyperscalern zu schaffen. Auch die Gründung eines Digitalministeriums soll die Digitalisierungsbemühungen von Bund und Ländern besser koordinieren – wenngleich Hill angesichts des geplanten Etats seine Zweifel an der Effektivität der Behörde hat.
Als Vorzeigeprojekt in Sachen Digitale Souveränität gilt Schleswig-Holstein: Das Bundesland setzt in der Landesverwaltung konsequent auf Open Source und verabschiedet sich schrittweise von Microsoft. Ab 2026 sollen so jährlich über 15 Millionen Euro an Lizenzkosten eingespart und gleichzeitig Abhängigkeiten von Tech-Giganten reduziert werden.
Demgegenüber steht ein deutlicher Flop im FreistaatBayern. Dieser plant, sich langfristig an Microsoft 365 zu binden. Kostenpunkt: fast eine Milliarde Euro über fünf Jahre.
Security: Lichtblicke trotz regulatorischem Chaos
Im Bereich IT-Sicherheit fällt die Bilanz gemischt aus, urteilt Julia Mutzbauer, Editorial Manager bei der CSO. So sollte NIS2 eigentlich EU-weit für einheitliche Standards sorgen, sorgt in der Praxis aber für Verunsicherung: Unterschiedliche nationale Umsetzungen, unklare Zuständigkeiten und abgeschwächte Vorgaben – etwa beim Schwachstellenmanagement – stießen auf breite Kritik.
Gleichzeitig gebe es aber in 2025 auch Erfolge zu vermelden, betont sie. Internationale Ermittlungen hätten zur Zerschlagung der Ransomware-Gruppe 8Base, zur Abschaltung krimineller Infrastrukturen im Rahmen der Operation Endgame sowie zur Stilllegung gefährlicher Malware geführt. Auch mit der Operation „Olympia“ wurde eine große Geldwäsche-Plattform vom Netz genommen.
Angesichts dieser vielfältigen Entwicklungen bleibt mit Spannung zu erwarten, was 2026 in der IT-Welt passieren wird. Wir wünschen frohe Feiertage und halten Sie auch im neuen Jahr auf unseren Kanälen auf dem Laufenden!
View the full article
CSOonline

Podcast: Die IT-Tops und -Flops 2025

abdullah Ghashqeen – Shutterstock
Ein turbulentes Jahr 2025 neigt sich dem Ende zu. Es war geprägt von wirtschaftlicher Unsicherheit, geopolitischen Spannungen und dem ungebremsten Siegeszug der Künstlichen Intelligenz. Grund genug für die Redaktion von Computerwoche, CIO und CSO, in der letzten TechTalk-Podcast-Folge des Jahres Bilanz zu ziehen. Im Fokus: Die IT-Tops und -Flops 2025.
Kaum ein Thema hat die IT-Welt 2025 so stark dominiert wie KI – mit Licht und Schatten. Einer der größten Flops des Jahres ist dabei der massive Stellenabbau, der vielerorts mit dem Verweis auf KI begründet wird. Laut einer Analyse von Surfshark haben weltweit mindestens 200.000 Menschen infolge des KI-Booms ihren Job verloren – vermutlich sind es sogar deutlich mehr.
KI: Große Versprechen, bittere Realität
Das Groteske daran, betont Manfred Bremmer, Editorial Manager Computerwoche: „Oft sind solche Entlassungsrunden eine Mogelpackung. Teilweise wurden später wieder Mitarbeitende eingestellt, weil sich eben doch nicht alles automatisieren lässt.“ Auch mit Blick auf die Zukunft sei das Vorgehen alles andere als nachhaltig, so Bremmer, weil vor allem Junior-Jobs wegfallen.
Einen weiteren KI-spezifischen Flop bringt sein Kollege Tristan Fincken ins Spiel: Cyberkriminelle nutzen KI zunehmend zur Automatisierung von Angriffen. Während Angreifer dadurch schneller und effizienter werden, kämpfen Unternehmen und Sicherheitsverantwortliche häufig mehr mit regulatorischen Vorgaben als mit technischen Lösungen.
CIOs bleiben pragmatisch
Ein Lichtblick im KI-Bereich hebt Jens Dose, Editor in Chief bei CIO.de, hervor: Trotz vollmundiger KI-Versprechen in den Marketing-Botschaften der Anbieter würden sich viele IT-Verantwortliche weiterhin auf die Basics konzentrieren, nämlich Datenqualität, Datensichtbarkeit, stabile Prozesse und belastbare Infrastrukturen.
Auch innovatives Change-Management im KI-Kontext sticht aus seiner Sicht positiv hervor – etwa beim Schweizer TK-Anbieter Mobilezone, der KI-Agenten nicht wie Software, sondern wie neue Mitarbeiter behandelt.
Digitale Souveränität zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit
Das Thema digitale Souveränität bleibt 2025 ambivalent. Positiv bewertet Computerwoche-Redakteur Jürgen Hill etwa das Rennen um KI-Gigafactories in Europa. So investiere Schwarz IT elf Milliarden Euro in ein Rechenzentrum, um eine souveräne Alternative zu US-Hyperscalern zu schaffen. Auch die Gründung eines Digitalministeriums soll die Digitalisierungsbemühungen von Bund und Ländern besser koordinieren – wenngleich Hill angesichts des geplanten Etats seine Zweifel an der Effektivität der Behörde hat.
Als Vorzeigeprojekt in Sachen Digitale Souveränität gilt Schleswig-Holstein: Das Bundesland setzt in der Landesverwaltung konsequent auf Open Source und verabschiedet sich schrittweise von Microsoft. Ab 2026 sollen so jährlich über 15 Millionen Euro an Lizenzkosten eingespart und gleichzeitig Abhängigkeiten von Tech-Giganten reduziert werden.
Demgegenüber steht ein deutlicher Flop im FreistaatBayern. Dieser plant, sich langfristig an Microsoft 365 zu binden. Kostenpunkt: fast eine Milliarde Euro über fünf Jahre.
Security: Lichtblicke trotz regulatorischem Chaos
Im Bereich IT-Sicherheit fällt die Bilanz gemischt aus, urteilt Julia Mutzbauer, Editorial Manager bei der CSO. So sollte NIS2 eigentlich EU-weit für einheitliche Standards sorgen, sorgt in der Praxis aber für Verunsicherung: Unterschiedliche nationale Umsetzungen, unklare Zuständigkeiten und abgeschwächte Vorgaben – etwa beim Schwachstellenmanagement – stießen auf breite Kritik.
Gleichzeitig gebe es aber in 2025 auch Erfolge zu vermelden, betont sie. Internationale Ermittlungen hätten zur Zerschlagung der Ransomware-Gruppe 8Base, zur Abschaltung krimineller Infrastrukturen im Rahmen der Operation Endgame sowie zur Stilllegung gefährlicher Malware geführt. Auch mit der Operation „Olympia“ wurde eine große Geldwäsche-Plattform vom Netz genommen.
Angesichts dieser vielfältigen Entwicklungen bleibt mit Spannung zu erwarten, was 2026 in der IT-Welt passieren wird. Wir wünschen frohe Feiertage und halten Sie auch im neuen Jahr auf unseren Kanälen auf dem Laufenden!
View the full article
CSOonline

Podcast: Die IT-Tops und -Flops 2025

abdullah Ghashqeen – Shutterstock
Ein turbulentes Jahr 2025 neigt sich dem Ende zu. Es war geprägt von wirtschaftlicher Unsicherheit, geopolitischen Spannungen und dem ungebremsten Siegeszug der Künstlichen Intelligenz. Grund genug für die Redaktion von Computerwoche, CIO und CSO, in der letzten TechTalk-Podcast-Folge des Jahres Bilanz zu ziehen. Im Fokus: Die IT-Tops und -Flops 2025.
Kaum ein Thema hat die IT-Welt 2025 so stark dominiert wie KI – mit Licht und Schatten. Einer der größten Flops des Jahres ist dabei der massive Stellenabbau, der vielerorts mit dem Verweis auf KI begründet wird. Laut einer Analyse von Surfshark haben weltweit mindestens 200.000 Menschen infolge des KI-Booms ihren Job verloren – vermutlich sind es sogar deutlich mehr.
KI: Große Versprechen, bittere Realität
Das Groteske daran, betont Manfred Bremmer, Editorial Manager Computerwoche: „Oft sind solche Entlassungsrunden eine Mogelpackung. Teilweise wurden später wieder Mitarbeitende eingestellt, weil sich eben doch nicht alles automatisieren lässt.“ Auch mit Blick auf die Zukunft sei das Vorgehen alles andere als nachhaltig, so Bremmer, weil vor allem Junior-Jobs wegfallen.
Einen weiteren KI-spezifischen Flop bringt sein Kollege Tristan Fincken ins Spiel: Cyberkriminelle nutzen KI zunehmend zur Automatisierung von Angriffen. Während Angreifer dadurch schneller und effizienter werden, kämpfen Unternehmen und Sicherheitsverantwortliche häufig mehr mit regulatorischen Vorgaben als mit technischen Lösungen.
CIOs bleiben pragmatisch
Ein Lichtblick im KI-Bereich hebt Jens Dose, Editor in Chief bei CIO.de, hervor: Trotz vollmundiger KI-Versprechen in den Marketing-Botschaften der Anbieter würden sich viele IT-Verantwortliche weiterhin auf die Basics konzentrieren, nämlich Datenqualität, Datensichtbarkeit, stabile Prozesse und belastbare Infrastrukturen.
Auch innovatives Change-Management im KI-Kontext sticht aus seiner Sicht positiv hervor – etwa beim Schweizer TK-Anbieter Mobilezone, der KI-Agenten nicht wie Software, sondern wie neue Mitarbeiter behandelt.
Digitale Souveränität zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit
Das Thema digitale Souveränität bleibt 2025 ambivalent. Positiv bewertet Computerwoche-Redakteur Jürgen Hill etwa das Rennen um KI-Gigafactories in Europa. So investiere Schwarz IT elf Milliarden Euro in ein Rechenzentrum, um eine souveräne Alternative zu US-Hyperscalern zu schaffen. Auch die Gründung eines Digitalministeriums soll die Digitalisierungsbemühungen von Bund und Ländern besser koordinieren – wenngleich Hill angesichts des geplanten Etats seine Zweifel an der Effektivität der Behörde hat.
Als Vorzeigeprojekt in Sachen Digitale Souveränität gilt Schleswig-Holstein: Das Bundesland setzt in der Landesverwaltung konsequent auf Open Source und verabschiedet sich schrittweise von Microsoft. Ab 2026 sollen so jährlich über 15 Millionen Euro an Lizenzkosten eingespart und gleichzeitig Abhängigkeiten von Tech-Giganten reduziert werden.
Demgegenüber steht ein deutlicher Flop im FreistaatBayern. Dieser plant, sich langfristig an Microsoft 365 zu binden. Kostenpunkt: fast eine Milliarde Euro über fünf Jahre.
Security: Lichtblicke trotz regulatorischem Chaos
Im Bereich IT-Sicherheit fällt die Bilanz gemischt aus, urteilt Julia Mutzbauer, Editorial Manager bei der CSO. So sollte NIS2 eigentlich EU-weit für einheitliche Standards sorgen, sorgt in der Praxis aber für Verunsicherung: Unterschiedliche nationale Umsetzungen, unklare Zuständigkeiten und abgeschwächte Vorgaben – etwa beim Schwachstellenmanagement – stießen auf breite Kritik.
Gleichzeitig gebe es aber in 2025 auch Erfolge zu vermelden, betont sie. Internationale Ermittlungen hätten zur Zerschlagung der Ransomware-Gruppe 8Base, zur Abschaltung krimineller Infrastrukturen im Rahmen der Operation Endgame sowie zur Stilllegung gefährlicher Malware geführt. Auch mit der Operation „Olympia“ wurde eine große Geldwäsche-Plattform vom Netz genommen.
Angesichts dieser vielfältigen Entwicklungen bleibt mit Spannung zu erwarten, was 2026 in der IT-Welt passieren wird. Wir wünschen frohe Feiertage und halten Sie auch im neuen Jahr auf unseren Kanälen auf dem Laufenden!
width="100%" height="152" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4gZLpXaoXCrmXQsaNnNNUA?utm_source=oembed"> View the full article
CSOonline

Podcast: Die IT-Tops und -Flops 2025

abdullah Ghashqeen – Shutterstock
Ein turbulentes Jahr 2025 neigt sich dem Ende zu. Es war geprägt von wirtschaftlicher Unsicherheit, geopolitischen Spannungen und dem ungebremsten Siegeszug der Künstlichen Intelligenz. Grund genug für die Redaktion von Computerwoche, CIO und CSO, in der letzten TechTalk-Podcast-Folge des Jahres Bilanz zu ziehen. Im Fokus: Die IT-Tops und -Flops 2025.
Kaum ein Thema hat die IT-Welt 2025 so stark dominiert wie KI – mit Licht und Schatten. Einer der größten Flops des Jahres ist dabei der massive Stellenabbau, der vielerorts mit dem Verweis auf KI begründet wird. Laut einer Analyse von Surfshark haben weltweit mindestens 200.000 Menschen infolge des KI-Booms ihren Job verloren – vermutlich sind es sogar deutlich mehr.
KI: Große Versprechen, bittere Realität
Das Groteske daran, betont Manfred Bremmer, Editorial Manager Computerwoche: „Oft sind solche Entlassungsrunden eine Mogelpackung. Teilweise wurden später wieder Mitarbeitende eingestellt, weil sich eben doch nicht alles automatisieren lässt.“ Auch mit Blick auf die Zukunft sei das Vorgehen alles andere als nachhaltig, so Bremmer, weil vor allem Junior-Jobs wegfallen.
Einen weiteren KI-spezifischen Flop bringt sein Kollege Tristan Fincken ins Spiel: Cyberkriminelle nutzen KI zunehmend zur Automatisierung von Angriffen. Während Angreifer dadurch schneller und effizienter werden, kämpfen Unternehmen und Sicherheitsverantwortliche häufig mehr mit regulatorischen Vorgaben als mit technischen Lösungen.
CIOs bleiben pragmatisch
Ein Lichtblick im KI-Bereich hebt Jens Dose, Editor in Chief bei CIO.de, hervor: Trotz vollmundiger KI-Versprechen in den Marketing-Botschaften der Anbieter würden sich viele IT-Verantwortliche weiterhin auf die Basics konzentrieren, nämlich Datenqualität, Datensichtbarkeit, stabile Prozesse und belastbare Infrastrukturen.
Auch innovatives Change-Management im KI-Kontext sticht aus seiner Sicht positiv hervor – etwa beim Schweizer TK-Anbieter Mobilezone, der KI-Agenten nicht wie Software, sondern wie neue Mitarbeiter behandelt.
Digitale Souveränität zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit
Das Thema digitale Souveränität bleibt 2025 ambivalent. Positiv bewertet Computerwoche-Redakteur Jürgen Hill etwa das Rennen um KI-Gigafactories in Europa. So investiere Schwarz IT elf Milliarden Euro in ein Rechenzentrum, um eine souveräne Alternative zu US-Hyperscalern zu schaffen. Auch die Gründung eines Digitalministeriums soll die Digitalisierungsbemühungen von Bund und Ländern besser koordinieren – wenngleich Hill angesichts des geplanten Etats seine Zweifel an der Effektivität der Behörde hat.
Als Vorzeigeprojekt in Sachen Digitale Souveränität gilt Schleswig-Holstein: Das Bundesland setzt in der Landesverwaltung konsequent auf Open Source und verabschiedet sich schrittweise von Microsoft. Ab 2026 sollen so jährlich über 15 Millionen Euro an Lizenzkosten eingespart und gleichzeitig Abhängigkeiten von Tech-Giganten reduziert werden.
Demgegenüber steht ein deutlicher Flop im FreistaatBayern. Dieser plant, sich langfristig an Microsoft 365 zu binden. Kostenpunkt: fast eine Milliarde Euro über fünf Jahre.
Security: Lichtblicke trotz regulatorischem Chaos
Im Bereich IT-Sicherheit fällt die Bilanz gemischt aus, urteilt Julia Mutzbauer, Editorial Manager bei der CSO. So sollte NIS2 eigentlich EU-weit für einheitliche Standards sorgen, sorgt in der Praxis aber für Verunsicherung: Unterschiedliche nationale Umsetzungen, unklare Zuständigkeiten und abgeschwächte Vorgaben – etwa beim Schwachstellenmanagement – stießen auf breite Kritik.
Gleichzeitig gebe es aber in 2025 auch Erfolge zu vermelden, betont sie. Internationale Ermittlungen hätten zur Zerschlagung der Ransomware-Gruppe 8Base, zur Abschaltung krimineller Infrastrukturen im Rahmen der Operation Endgame sowie zur Stilllegung gefährlicher Malware geführt. Auch mit der Operation „Olympia“ wurde eine große Geldwäsche-Plattform vom Netz genommen.
Angesichts dieser vielfältigen Entwicklungen bleibt mit Spannung zu erwarten, was 2026 in der IT-Welt passieren wird. Wir wünschen frohe Feiertage und halten Sie auch im neuen Jahr auf unseren Kanälen auf dem Laufenden!
width="100%" height="152" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4gZLpXaoXCrmXQsaNnNNUA?utm_source=oembed"> View the full article
CSOonline

Synthetic Monitoring – Complete Guide

Synthetic Monitoring – Complete Guide
1. Observability Foundation
Modern observability is not a single tool, but a stack of complementary signals:
Infrastructure + Logs + APM + Synthetic + RUM ============================================ Alerts + Dashboards Role of Each Signal
LayerPurposeInfrastructure MonitoringCPU, memory, disk, network, nodesLog MonitoringErrors, warnings, audit trailsAPMTraces, service latency, dependenciesSynthetic MonitoringProactive availability & performance checksRUM (Real User Monitoring)Actual end-user experience 👉 Synthetic Monitoring fills the proactive gap: it tells you something is broken before real users complain.
2. What Is Synthetic Monitoring?
Synthetic Monitoring is a technique where automated scripts simulate user or system behavior by sending requests to your application at regular intervals.
These scripts:
Call endpoints Validate availability Measure performance Check correctness Even if no real users are active, synthetic monitoring still runs.
3. Core Concept (From Your Notes)
SCRIPT ---> ENDPOINT (API / HTTP / TCP / UDP) | UP or DOWN? Key Characteristics
Script-driven Predictable execution Runs on schedule Independent of real traffic 4. What Can Synthetic Monitoring Test?
Supported Protocols
ProtocolUse CaseHTTP / HTTPSREST APIs, websitesAPI (REST / GraphQL)Backend servicesTCPDatabase ports, SMTP, SSHUDPDNS, VoIP, streamingICMPBasic reachability (ping) 5. Types of Synthetic Monitoring
5.1 API / HTTP Synthetic Monitoring (No JavaScript)
Characteristics
Direct HTTP calls JavaScript not executed Lightweight and fast Ideal for backend checks Typical Checks
Status code (200/201/etc.) Response time Response body validation Headers and auth TLS handshake Example
Client (Synthetic Agent) ---> HTTP API | JSON Response 5.2 Browser Synthetic Monitoring (JavaScript Executed)
Characteristics
Uses a real browser Executes JavaScript Simulates real user behavior Heavier than API checks Typical Scenarios
Login flow Form submission SPA loading (React / Angular / Vue) Checkout journey Example
Synthetic Browser ---> Load HTML ---> Execute JS ---> DOM rendered 6. Where Are Synthetic Scripts Hosted?
Script Hosting Model
============================= SCRIPT hosted by Monitoring Platform ============================= In tools like Dynatrace, scripts are:
Centrally managed Versioned Secure Executed by managed agents 7. Global Execution Locations (15+ Regions)
Scripts run from multiple geographic regions:
USA ---> API ---> Latency / Availability INDIA ---> API ---> Latency / Availability EU ---> API ---> Latency / Availability Why Global Locations Matter
Detect regional outages Measure geo-latency Validate CDN behavior Catch ISP-specific issues 8. What Exactly Is Tested in a Synthetic Request?
From your notes:
https protocol load auth pass cert token body param Detailed Breakdown
8.1 Protocol
HTTP / HTTPS TLS version Cipher negotiation 8.2 Load & Performance
DNS resolution time TCP connect time TLS handshake time Time to first byte (TTFB) Total response time 8.3 Authentication
TypeExampleBasic AuthUsername + PasswordTokenBearer / OAuth / JWTCertificatemTLSCustom HeadersAPI keys 8.4 Request Body
JSON XML Form data GraphQL payload 8.5 Parameters
Query parameters Path variables Headers 9. Availability vs Performance
Synthetic Monitoring checks both:
AspectExampleAvailabilityEndpoint reachable?PerformanceResponse < 500ms?CorrectnessJSON field exists?SecurityTLS valid? 10. Alerting & Dashboards
Alert Flow
Synthetic Failure ↓ Alert Rule Triggered ↓ Notification (Slack / Email / PagerDuty) Dashboards Show
Uptime % Response time trends Region-wise comparison Failure root causes 11. Synthetic vs RUM (Critical Difference)
Synthetic MonitoringRUMProactiveReactiveScript-basedReal usersControlledUncontrolledRuns 24×7Runs when users exist 👉 Best practice: Always use Synthetic + RUM together.
12. Common Use Cases
API health checks Login page monitoring SSL certificate expiry checks Geo-availability validation Pre-release testing SLA / SLO verification 13. Best Practices
Design
Keep scripts small and focused Separate API and browser checks Avoid unnecessary UI steps Execution
Run from multiple regions Use realistic authentication Set meaningful thresholds Alerting
Avoid alert storms Combine with APM context Alert on user-impacting failures 14. Synthetic Monitoring in Observability Strategy
Infra + Logs + APM + Synthetic + RUM =================================== Single Pane of Glass Synthetic Monitoring acts as:
Early warning system External viewpoint SLA guardian 15. Summary
Synthetic Monitoring:
Uses scripts to test endpoints Works with HTTP, API, TCP, UDP Runs globally from managed regions Tests availability, performance, and correctness Complements APM and RUM Enables proactive incident detection
View the full article
reporter

Iranian Infy APT Resurfaces with New Malware Activity After Years of Silence

Threat hunters have discerned new activity associated with an Iranian threat actor known as Infy (aka Prince of Persia), nearly five years after the hacking group was observed targeting victims in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Turkey. "The scale of Prince of Persia's activity is more significant than we originally anticipated," Tomer Bar, vice president of security research at SafeBreach, saidView the full article
Hacker News

Apple's AirTag 4-Pack Drops to $64.98 on Amazon

Apple's AirTag 4-Pack has dropped to $64.98 this weekend on Amazon, down from the original price of $99.00. Prime members can get the accessory delivered today in many locations, but otherwise free shipping options have moved past December 25.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Overall, this is a solid second-best price on the AirTag 4-pack that's within $2 of the Amazon all-time low price, which we last tracked during Black Friday. If you're shopping for a single AirTag, Amazon has the AirTag 1-Pack for $24.00, down from $29.00.

$34 OFFAirTag 4-Pack for $64.98

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.



Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find this holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




Related Roundup: Apple Deals
This article, "Apple's AirTag 4-Pack Drops to $64.98 on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More

You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates.


This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories!

Top Stories

iOS 26.3 Beta 1 Features: What's New So Far

With iOS 26.2 and other 26.2 updates now available to the general public, Apple has started beta testing on the next round of 26.3 updates. With work on this round of updates typically spanning the holidays, they tend to be smaller in scale, but there are still a few notable changes.


iOS 26.3 brings changes that make it easier to switch from iPhone to Android, with corresponding changes to Android making the reverse process simpler as well. Users in the European Union will also be gaining a setting that allows iPhone notifications to be forwarded to third-party devices, increasing interoperability.

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Macworld's Filipe Espósito last week revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28.


As always, Apple's plans could change, so there is no guarantee that any or all of these features will end up being released to the general public, but some of the leaked features include:
iOS 26.4: Revamped Siri powered by Apple Intelligence
iOS 26.4: Redesigned Health app, potentially involving a previously rumored Apple Health+ subscription service
iOS 26.4: Credit card AutoFill improvements for third-party apps
iOS 27: Improvements to collections in the Photos app and AirPods pairing
iOS 28: New metrics for Apple Watch sleep tracking
Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

More information on the sourcing of that software leak has subsequently surfaced, and it apparently comes from an early build of iOS 26 (then still known as iOS 19) that was on a leaked prototype iPhone.


In addition to numerous features planned for future software updates, which we've outlined in more detail, the leak also reveals dozens of devices in Apple's product pipeline, including many of the expected evolutionary updates to existing products but also some new products that have either been previously rumored or newly revealed.

Notable additions include the first foldable iPhone, Apple's upcoming smart home products, the rumored low-cost MacBook powered by an A18 Pro chip, an iMac with a high-powered M5 Max chip, and more.

Apple Aims to Boost Popularity of iPhone Air 2 in Two Ways

A new report this week from The Information outlined some details on Apple's iPhone product roadmap, including word that Apple is looking at two key improvements for the second-generation iPhone Air: a second rear camera and a lower price tag.


The current iPhone Air has reportedly not sold well due to compromises related to camera capabilities, battery life, and perceived value for the price, with suppliers reportedly already winding down production due to the number of already-produced units still available for distribution.

The same report claimed that next year's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will include under-screen Face ID with the front camera becoming a punch hole at the top-left corner of the screen. Apple is reportedly also adding a mechanical iris to one of the device's rear cameras, which will allow for variable aperture to control the amount of light reaching the sensor.

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

We've already heard a lot about Apple's first foldable iPhone that's expected next year, but a new report from a frequent leaker on Chinese blogging site Weibo has added a few new details to the existing rumors.


The foldable iPhone will reportedly use a Touch ID power button on the side of the device rather than Face ID in order to save internal space, and it will include a 7.58-inch internal display with an under-screen camera. When folded, the outside will feature a 5.25-inch display with a punch-hole camera.

ChatGPT's Apple Music Integration Is Now Live

There's now a dedicated Apple Music app for ChatGPT, which allows ChatGPT to make music recommendations and build playlists.


ChatGPT can be used to search through the ‌Apple Music‌ catalog for songs, artists, albums, and playlists, even without an ‌Apple Music‌ subscription. OpenAI says that all users are able to discover music, generate playlists, and listen to preview clips in ChatGPT. ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers can add songs, albums, and playlists to their ‌Apple Music‌ Library using ChatGPT.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!Tag: Top Stories
This article, "Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

U.S. DOJ Charges 54 in ATM Jackpotting Scheme Using Ploutus Malware

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) this week announced the indictment of 54 individuals in connection with a multi-million dollar ATM jackpotting scheme. The large-scale conspiracy involved deploying malware named Ploutus to hack into automated teller machines (ATMs) across the U.S. and force them to dispense cash. The indicted members are alleged to be part of Tren de Aragua (TdA, Spanish forView the full article
Hacker News

2025 Recap: The Year Software Development Changed Shape

2025 was the year software teams stopped optimizing models and started optimizing systems.
By December, a few truths were impossible to ignore.
1. Developer Productivity Became the Real Competitive Advantage
By mid-year, every major AI lab had cleared the “good enough reasoning” bar. With model quality converging, the differentiator was no longer raw intelligence. It was how fast teams could ship.
The fastest teams used systems that were:
Declarative: automation defined in YAML and config, not code Composable: agents calling tools with minimal glue Observable: evaluated, traced, and versioned  Reproducible: identical behavior every run Productivity became a platform problem, not a talent problem.
2. Security Went From “Filters” to “Blast Radius”
The real problem wasn’t what models say. It was what they could do.
Once agents can act, blast radius matters more than the prompt.
Production incidents across the industry made it clear:
Agents leaking internal data within minutes Malicious plugins shipping ransomware Supply-chain bugs in AI tooling  Agents deleting repos or months of work Smart teams adopted the same guardrails they use for privileged system processes:
Sandboxed runtimes Containerized toolchains Signed artifacts Policies in front of tool calls Hardened bases and reproducible builds The industry stopped filtering danger out of the model. They focused on containing it.
3. Agents Stopped Being Demos 
Agents became good enough to do real jobs.
At the start of the year, “agent” meant a clever prototype. By the end, agents were doing operational work: updating infrastructure, resolving customer issues, moving money, managing SaaS tools.
Two shifts unlocked this:
Reasoning took a leap.
OpenAI’s o3 solved 25% of FrontierMath, problems that take researchers hours or days. DeepSeek sent waves with their R1 model, proving that the frontier moved from model size to compute at inference time.
Tools became standardized.
MCP became the USB-C port of AI, a universal way for agents to safely access tools, data, and workflows. Once the ecosystem aligned on a common port, everything accelerated. 4. Containers Quietly Remained the Execution Layer for Everything
Containers continued doing the quiet work of powering every stack.
More than 90% of companies used containers as the default environment where:
Applications run Build systems operate Agents execute real tasks Infrastructure is tested before hitting production Even in an agent-driven world, developers need environments that act the same way every time. Containers remained a universal, stable execution surface.

5. Hardened Images Became the New Starting Point
You can’t trust the system if you don’t trust the base image. 
Docker Hardened Images (DHI) solved the first question every team had to ask: “What are we actually running?” 
DHI answered that with:
A known, verified base image A transparent bill of materials Reproducible builds Signed artifacts When hardened images became free, the cost of doing the right thing dropped to zero. Teams no longer layered security patches on top of unknown upstream risk. They began from a secure, trusted baseline.
What’s Next for 2026
The race for raw model intelligence is over. What separates winners in 2026 will be everything around the model.
Agents become a standard runtime target. Versioned and deployed like services. Security frameworks treat agents as users. With permissions, onboarding, and monitoring. Ecosystem gravity increases. MCP is the start. The dominant tool interface becomes the center of the agent economy. Trust becomes infrastructure. Signed models to verified tools to hardened bases. Winners will have the smallest blast radius when things break. The term “AI engineer” fades. What remains is what has always been: software engineers who build secure, governable, and resilient systems. In 2023, we learned to talk to models. In 2024, we learned to chain them. In 2025, we gave them real power.
2026 will be about earning the right to keep it.
View the full article
reporter

Grow Skills AIOps Certification Training Course | AIOps Certified Professional (AIOCP) Journey

AIOps Certification Training Course | AIOps Certified Professional (AIOCP) smartly blends AI into IT operations for faster monitoring and smooth fixes. It teaches full tools from Bash scripting to Moogsoft for complete automation. This fresh take details AIOps Certification Training Course | AIOps Certified Professional (AIOCP) with clear steps ​.
Clear AIOps Ideas and Real Gains
AIOps joins AI power with daily IT tasks to track systems tight. It catches issues early and guides right fixes. Groups save hours and drop downtime low .​
Main pieces handle events, track incidents, auto heal, dig root causes, look ahead with predicts. True stories prove big cuts in alert mess. Keywords: AIOps platforms, event management, incident management, root cause analysis, predictive analytics .​
AIOps Works in Today’s IT Setup
Ties old systems to fresh AI smarts. Tools like Moogsoft, BigPanda smart group alerts. Stories show firms win over tough spots .​
DevOps vs AIOps chart makes roles plain.​
SLDevOpsAIOps1Culture tools mixTech platforms auto IT ​2Fast app deliveryCuts human error time3Agile fast releaseSpots reacts real time ​4Ops dev team upBig data ML core5No silos auto workInsight action from tools ​ Bash Scripts Build Base Power
Linux screen basics flow to full scripts. Vars loops functions add strength. Files make change read write .​
Cron times backups clean. Debug holds code tight.​
AWS Cloud Full Hands-On
EC2 S3 IAM VPC Lambda main. Smart build high up time. CloudWatch eyes spend watch .​
Safe IAM fits best all ways.​
AWS ServiceRoleKey UseEC2ServersScale compute ​S3StorageBuckets safeIAMAccessUser rules ​VPCNetSecure space Docker Runs Light Containers
Images start quick beat VMs. CLI shapes compose many. Volumes nets hold safe best .​
Jira Confluence Links Teams
Jira plans sprints flows custom. Confluence pages tie close. Agile boards show reports .​
Python Flask Makes Back Strong
Flask APIs MySQL full CRUD. Moves safe launch cloud.​
Git Holds Code Changes Safe
Clone stage commit push branch. GitHub PR reviews CI.​
Kubernetes Helm Grows Big
Pods services roll easy. Helm packs deploy smooth.​
Terraform Codes Infra Clean
Plans cloud links providers track state. Best far store.​
ArgoCD Flows Git Smart
Git leads K8s roll outs.​
Prometheus Grafana Eyes All
Pulls metrics sets alert. Live boards clear watch.​
Jupyter TensorFlow PyTorch Works Data
Books Pandas draw plots. Train models tune sharp.​
Pytest scikit KServe Airflow checks serve pipes.​
Kafka Moogsoft PagerDuty Rundeck Acts
Flows events trim false. Auto answer heal fast.​
Elastic SIEM SOAR guards tight.​
DevOpsSchool Rules AIOps Learning
DevOpsSchool heads AIOps certs from 2014 start. Endless LMS help, known certs, team saves. Day night groups world times .​
Standouts:
10-17yr field guides true​ 24×7 LMS clips notes works projects Talk kits check self Free redo events each month FeaturesDevOpsSchoolOtherLifetime SupportYesNo ​LMS AccessForeverShortCert RecogIndustryBasicDiscountsGroupNone ​ Rajesh Kumar Guides AIOps Wins
AIOps Certification Training Course | AIOps Certified Professional (AIOCP) grows under Rajesh Kumar, 20+ years DevOps SRE AIOps MLOps Kubernetes cloud lead. Shows AWS Docker K8s Prometheus live ​. Tells break fix tales plain .
Rajesh shapes crews world wide. Hands work query fast wins fans.​
AIOps Cert Lifts Jobs High
Gartner notes 30% firms AI ops 2023. Boom hits 40B 2026. Keywords: Bash scripting AWS, Docker Kubernetes, Terraform ArgoCD, Prometheus Grafana, Jupyter TensorFlow, Kafka Moogsoft PagerDuty .​
Fits code makers admins SRE AI pros.​
Road to AIOps Master Clear
AIOps Bash AWS ground.​ Docker Git Jira Python next . K8s Terraform CI Argo flow. Watch ML Kafka full set.​ Cert work job land . Growth Numbers Tell Truth
87% rise 2017-2020. 21% up to 40B.​
Conclusion and Overview
AIOps Certification Training Course | AIOps Certified Professional (AIOCP) fits you for AI IT ahead. Learn Bash to Rundeck for auto work wins. Grab peak know how today ​.
Contact Details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Drive Efficiency with The AIOps Certification Training Roadmap

THE AIOPS CERTIFICATION TRAINING helps IT teams use artificial intelligence to manage complex systems smarter and faster. This training covers monitoring tools, machine learning, and automation that predict problems before they happen.​
THE AIOPS CERTIFICATION TRAINING shows how AI transforms IT operations from reactive firefighting to proactive management.​
What AIOps Does for IT Teams
AIOps combines AI with IT operations to handle massive data from logs, metrics, and events. Instead of manual alerts, AI finds patterns and suggests fixes automatically.​
Key benefits from THE AIOPS CERTIFICATION TRAINING:
Faster problem detection through anomaly spotting.​ Root cause analysis across multiple systems.​ Automated responses that reduce downtime.​ Better business decisions from clear insights.​ Teams move from fixing issues to preventing them.​
AIOps vs Traditional Monitoring
Old monitoring tools create alert storms that overwhelm teams. AIOps uses machine learning to prioritize real problems.​
Monitoring Comparison
ApproachTraditionalAIOpsData HandlingManual filteringAI correlation​AlertsToo manySmart prioritization​Root CauseGuessworkAutomated analysis​ResponseHuman delayAuto-remediation​ AIOps scales with cloud complexity.​
Prometheus and Grafana Monitoring
Prometheus collects metrics while Grafana visualizes them clearly. These open-source tools form AIOps foundations.​
Training covers:
Prometheus installation and metric collection.​ PromQL queries for custom alerts.​ Grafana dashboards with dynamic variables.​ Hands-on app monitoring setup.​ Real-time visibility prevents surprises.​
ELK Stack for Log Management
ELK (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) handles massive log volumes. Logstash processes data while Kibana shows patterns.​
Practical skills include:
Logstash pipelines for data cleaning.​ Elasticsearch indexing and searches.​ Kibana visualizations for anomaly detection.​ Integration into AIOps workflows.​ Logs become actionable insights.​
Kafka for Event Streaming
Kafka streams real-time events across systems reliably. Producers send data while consumers process it.​
Key Kafka concepts:
Topics, partitions, and replication.​ Kafka Streams for processing.​ Connectors for data import/export.​ Hands-on pipeline building.​ Event-driven AIOps reacts instantly.​
TensorFlow Machine Learning Basics
TensorFlow builds AI models for IT predictions. Training covers neural networks for anomaly detection.​
Hands-on ML skills:
Tensor creation and computation graphs.​ Simple neural network building.​ AIOps use cases like predictive maintenance.​ Keras for easier deep learning.​ AI learns from your operations data.​
Jupyter Notebooks for Analysis
Jupyter combines code, visuals, and notes for data exploration. Perfect for AIOps data investigation.​
Notebook training includes:
Pandas for data manipulation.​ Matplotlib/Seaborn visualizations.​ Time series analysis for metrics.​ Integration with monitoring tools.​ Teams analyze without leaving notebooks.​
Ansible Configuration Automation
Ansible manages servers without agents using simple YAML. Playbooks automate routine tasks.​
Automation coverage:
Inventory setup and ad-hoc commands.​ Roles, variables, and templates.​ Error handling and debugging.​ AIOps pipeline integration.​ Configuration drifts disappear.​
Terraform Infrastructure as Code
Terraform creates cloud resources predictably. Declare what you want, Terraform builds it.​
IaC fundamentals:
Providers, resources, and state management.​ Plan/apply workflow safety.​ Modules for reusable code.​ Multi-cloud support.​ Infrastructure matches code reliability.​
Jenkins CI/CD Pipelines
Jenkins automates testing and deployment in AIOps. Pipelines run monitoring and remediation.​
Pipeline mastery:
Jenkinsfile declarative syntax.​ Git and Docker integration.​ Test reporting and notifications.​ Multi-branch automation.​ Operations become as automated as development.​
Rundeck Runbook Automation
Rundeck executes predefined recovery procedures. Jobs run across servers with logging.​
Runbook skills:
Job workflows and scheduling.​ Node management and plugins.​ Git integration for playbooks.​ API automation access.​ Teams self-heal common issues.​
AIOps Tool Ecosystem
THE AIOPS CERTIFICATION TRAINING covers these essential tools:
CategoryToolsPurposeMetricsPrometheus, GrafanaReal-time monitoring​LogsELK StackPattern detection​EventsKafkaReal-time streaming​MLTensorFlowAnomaly prediction​AnalysisJupyterData investigation​AutomationAnsible, Terraform, Jenkins, RundeckSelf-healing ops​ Complete observability stack.​
DevOpsSchool AIOps Platform
DevOpsSchool delivers THE AIOPS CERTIFICATION TRAINING with hands-on labs across all major tools. Programs emphasize practical AIOps deployment.​
DevOpsSchool strengths:
Complete tool coverage from metrics to ML.​ Real-world use case exercises.​ Industry-recognized certification.​ Lifetime access to materials.​ Live instructor guidance.​ Builds production-ready AIOps skills.​
Rajesh Kumar AIOps Expertise
Rajesh Kumar mentors with 20+ years in DevOps, AIOps, SRE, Kubernetes, and cloud operations. His enterprise implementations guide training.​
Rajesh’s mentorship includes:
Real production AIOps patterns.​ Tool integration strategies.​ Clear hands-on explanations.​ Career-focused practical advice.​ Connects theory to daily operations work.​
AIOps Deployment Strategies
Training covers deployment types and challenges:​
On-prem vs cloud vs hybrid setups.​ Data storage and scaling patterns.​ DevOps/SRE integration approaches.​ Common pitfalls and solutions.​ Successful AIOps matches your environment.​
Conclusion and Overview
THE AIOPS CERTIFICATION TRAINING equips teams to use AI for proactive IT operations management. From Prometheus metrics to Rundeck automation, professionals build complete observability platforms.​
DevOpsSchool with Rajesh Kumar provides hands-on mastery plus certification for enterprise AIOps success. Graduates reduce downtime through intelligent monitoring and automation. The overview confirms comprehensive AIOps career preparation.​
Contact Details
Ready for THE AIOPS CERTIFICATION TRAINING? Contact now:
Email: [email protected] Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841 Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329 Website: DevOpsSchool



View the full article
reporter

Achieve Top Jobs Full Stack QA Certified Professional (FSQCP) Now

Full Stack QA Certified Professional (FSQCP) prepares testers to handle every app layer from basic manual checks through advanced performance and security tests. It equips QA pros with practical tools, real projects, and agile mindset for modern dev teams. This refreshed guide expands on Full Stack QA Certified Professional (FSQCP) with deeper insights, extra examples, and career tips for complete QA growth.​
Deeper Look at Full Stack QA Role
Full stack QA thinks about all quality sides: function works right, users find it easy, speed stays fast under load, and safety blocks attacks. Testers move across front-end UI, back-end logic, database queries, APIs, and even deploy pipelines. In agile sprints, QA joins daily standups, writes auto tests during coding, and verifies production changes live .​
This shift means testers code scripts, read logs, and suggest fixes early instead of waiting for broken builds. Full automation covers UI clicks to load sims saving hours weekly. Keywords: manual testing, automation testing, security testing, performance testing, API testing, UI testing, load testing, Selenium, JMeter, Postman, exploratory testing, regression suites.​
Expanded Skills Breakdown for FSQCP
QA masters need broad toolkit from simple clicks to complex scripts. Build step-by-step.​
Manual: Write test cases, run exploratory sessions, log defects in Jira with steps/screenshots . Automation: Selenium grids for browsers, Appium cross-mobile, Python/Java frameworks.​ Performance: JMeter threads ramp-up, response assertions, Grafana dashboards . Security: OWASP top 10 scans, SQL injection tests, auth bypass checks.​ API: Postman collections, Newman CLI runs, schema validation . Database: Query checks, data integrity, backup verifies.​ Practice daily on sample apps boosts speed 3x .
Skill TypeTools UsedTest FocusReal ExampleManualJira, Excel casesUser flow, edge bugsLogin fails on IE11 ​AutomationSelenium, Appium, CypressRepeat UI/APIE2E checkout scriptPerformanceJMeter, LoadRunner, GatlingSpeed/scale1000 users cart load ​SecurityOWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, SnykRisks/vulnsXSS in search fieldAPIPostman, RestAssured, SoapUIEndpoints/dataPOST /users 201 status ​MobileAppium, EspressoTouch/gesturesSwipe crashes on Android Full Course Breakdown with Extra Practice
60 hours live instructor-led online, fixed price no haggle. Sessions mix theory (20%), demos (30%), labs (50%) with quizzes after each module . Real project: Java/Python/.NET microservices app—test auth service, payment API, user dashboard from reqs to prod monitor.​
50+ interview kits include scenario Qs like “Debug flaky Selenium test?” with demo mocks. Cloud setups (AWS EC2, Azure VMs, Cloudshare) pre-configured; local VirtualBox CentOS guide covers 20GB HDD, 2GB RAM min . Missed class? LMS videos + 3-month free batch join.​
Why Full Stack QA Outshines Traditional
Regular QA catches end bugs; full stack prevents them via shift-left. Early API tests block 70% issues. Agile demands QA codes pipelines, reviews PRs, chaos tests deploys . Architects path opens: design test grids, own perf SLAs.​
Complete Top 20 Tools Coverage
Hands-on all major QA tools grouped smart.​
UI Auto: Selenium WebDriver, Cypress, Playwright . Mobile: Appium, XCUITest.​ Perf: JMeter, Locust, k6 . API: Postman, Karate, Tavern.​ Security: ZAP, Nessus, Checkmarx . Manage: Jira, TestRail, Zephyr.​ CI: Jenkins, GitLab CI for test runs . Monitor: ELK, Grafana for test metrics.​ Lifetime LMS replays sessions unlimited .
Tool CategoryTop PicksIntegrationLab HoursUI AutomationSelenium, CypressJenkins, Git15 ​PerformanceJMeter, k6Grafana10API TestingPostman, RestAssuredNewman CI8 ​Security ScanOWASP ZAP, SnykGitHub Actions7Bug TrackJira, TestRailSlack alerts5 ​ Real-World Project Deep Dive
End-to-end microservices e-commerce: Auth svc (JWT), Catalog (DB queries), Order (Saga pattern). Test plans, smoke/regression, perf spikes, security pentest. Deploy to Kubernetes, monitor with Prometheus—fix live issues . Portfolio Git repo proves skills to employers.​
Comprehensive Interview and Job Prep
50 sets cover behavioral (“Shift-left example?”), technical (“Page Object Model?”), scenarios (“Flaky test fix?”). Resume tweaks, LinkedIn profiles, mock 3-rounds till offer. High QA demand: 30% roles unfilled per StackOverflow .​
DevOpsSchool Stands Above QA Training
DevOpsSchool leads with lifetime tech support, unlimited LMS, 20 tools mastery, real projects beating basic sims. Industry-recognized cert, step tutorials, pro slides .​
Extra strengths:
10-12yr industry trainers explain real fails.​ Sample recordings preview quality . Flexible payments, 3-month makeup classes.​ Vs others: Full features table shows edge . FeaturesDevOpsSchoolOthersLifetime Support✓ Unlimited✓ Limited ​LMS AccessLifetime6 monthsTools Count20 Top5-10ProjectsReal E2ESimulated ​Interview Kits50+ MocksBasic QsCert ValueIndustry RecogGeneric Rajesh Kumar’s Proven QA Mentorship
Full Stack QA Certified Professional (FSQCP) excels under Rajesh Kumar, 20+ years leading DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, AIOps, Kubernetes, cloud QA practices. Trains Selenium/JMeter/Postman with production war stories. Students love his query clears, confidence boosts via interactive labs .​
Rajesh Kumar authored test frameworks, fixed outages live, mentors agile QA shifts globally.​
Glowing Student Testimonials Expanded
5-star feedback proves impact.​
“Interactive gold. Rajesh built real tester confidence.” – Abhinav Gupta, Pune.​ “Query master. Hands-on examples stuck.” – Indrayani, India.​ “Solid basics despite time crunch.” – Ravi Daur, Noida.​ “Organized deep tool grasp.” – Sumit Kulkarni.​ “Knowledge powerhouse.” – Vinayakumar + dozens more.​ Top FSQCP Certification Benefits
Proves versatile QA ready for agile/DevOps. Keywords: CI/CD testing, cross-browser, mobile testing, database validation, smoke testing.​
BenefitPersonal WinTeam ImpactAll SkillsAny test typeNo gaps ​Project ProofStrong resumeTrust hireLifetime LearnSkills freshLong value ​Job SupportQuick onboardFast rampArchitect PathLeadershipStrategy role Step-by-Step Path to FSQCP Mastery
Enroll 60hr lives, setup VM/cloud.​ Master manual/auto daily labs . Tool deep dives + mini projects. Full microservices E2E test.​ 50 mocks, cert, land role . Solving Real QA Pain Points
End silos with full view. Auto 80% repeats frees manual exploratory. Early security saves breach costs.​
QA’s Bright Agile Future
Architects design grids; leads own quality gates. Full stack = top 20% earners.​
Conclusion and Overview
Full Stack QA Certified Professional arms you for modern testing across all layers with 20 tools, real project, endless support. Transform to agile QA star mastering Selenium to JMeter. Launch your top career now.​
Contact Details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool



View the full article
reporter

Grow Expertise in Full Stack Developers Certified Professional Roadmap

Full Stack Developers Certified Professional equips you with skills from front-end design to full deployment pipelines. It teaches modern tools for building complete applications end-to-end. This refreshed guide dives deeper into Full Stack Developers Certified Professional with expanded hands-on steps and real-world insights.​
Detailed Journey from Waterfall to DevSecOps
Software development evolved from waterfall’s strict, linear steps that often led to long delays and difficulty handling changes. Agile improved teamwork and flexibility through sprints but still struggled with deployment speed and integration issues. DevOps introduced CI/CD pipelines for automated, frequent releases while DevSecOps embeds security checks right from the code stage .​
SRE practices focus on system reliability, error budgets, and toil reduction to keep services running smoothly at scale. These models address key pains like manual handoffs, waste in rework, and siloed teams by promoting shared responsibility and continuous improvement. Understanding DevOps values—such as collaboration, automation, and fast feedback—helps teams boost productivity while managing enterprise adoption challenges like cultural shifts and tool integration risks .​
In-Depth Microservices Fundamentals and Patterns
Microservices architecture breaks monolithic applications into independent, loosely coupled services for easier scaling and maintenance. Core patterns include choreographing services via events, separating presentation components, business logic, and database access logic. Application integration uses APIs or message queues, while modeling ensures clear boundaries .​
Teams learn what to test (unit, integration, contract), when (shift-left), and how to prepare for deployment with canary releases. Monitoring covers performance metrics, logs, and traces using tools like Prometheus. Container demos highlight avoiding breaking changes, choosing sync/async protocols (REST vs Kafka), and handling legacy migrations through strangler patterns. This approach reduces downtime and speeds innovation .​
Comprehensive OS Foundations: CentOS and Ubuntu
Start by installing CentOS7 or Ubuntu on local machines or VMs. Gain secure remote access via SSH with key-based authentication. Master command line essentials: reading files with cat/less, editing via vi (insert, command, visual modes), pipingping (grep|awk) for data processing, and redirection (> >>) .
Archiving uses tar/gzip, permissions (chmod/chown) prevent unauthorized access, and root/sudo requires careful use with tools like screen for persistent sessions. These skills form the bedrock for server management and scripting.​
Advanced Virtualization: VirtualBox and Vagrant Workflows
Hypervisors like VirtualBox enable isolated environments; install and create CentOS/Ubuntu VMs with snapshots for quick resets. Vagrant streamlines this: basic workflow (up/destroy), advanced (multi-machine), Vagrantfile configs for provisioning (shell/ansible), networking (private/public/bridged), and synced folders .​
Install Nginx via provisioners, share sites with vagrant share, and version configs. This setup mimics production for safe experimentation.​
Expanded AWS Hands-On with Key Services
AWS Free Tier lowers entry barriers; understand global infrastructure (regions, AZs). IAM covers users, roles, policies, MFA for least privilege. EC2 labs: launch instances, security groups, user data scripts .​
Storage deep dive: EBS volumes (gp3/io2), snapshots; S3 buckets (versioning, lifecycle, encryption); EFS for shared file systems. RDS MySQL: multi-AZ, backups, read replicas. ELB: ALB/NLB setup, health checks; VPC: subnets, NAT, peering.​
AWS ToolKey RolePractice LabPro TipEC2ComputeInstance start, AMIsT3 for burstable ​S3Object storeBucket make, policiesIA for infrequentRDSDBMySQL run, scalingParameter groups ​VPCNetworkSubnet build, IGWFlow logsELBBalance loadTraffic route, SSLSticky sessions ​ Docker Mastery: From Basics to Deep Dives
Containers virtualize OS, lighter than VMs. Docker architecture: client/server, engine, registries. Install/config, build first image, manage containers (run/ps/stop). Dockerfile best practices: multi-stage, .dockerignore .​
Deep dives: image layers, networks (bridge/overlay), volumes (bind/named), resource limits (CPU/memory), compose for stacks (Java/Rails/PHP/Node with yaml services, depends_on, ports).​
Jira and Confluence for Agile Planning
Jira: install Linux/Windows, projects (classic/next-gen), issues (epics/stories), workflows, custom fields/screens, JQL searches, GitHub integration, plugins. Agile boards: sprints, burndown .​
Confluence: spaces/pages, templates, users/groups/permissions, macros, backups, addons. Customize dashboards for team collaboration.​
Java Backend: Fundamentals to Deployment
Setup JDK, fundamentals (primitives, arrays, loops), methods, conditionals, exceptions, OOP (classes/inheritance/polymorphism). Build JAR/WAR, deploy Tomcat.​
Python: Scripts to Advanced Structures
Interpreted ease, versions (3.x), scripts, strings/math ops, flow (if/while/for), data (lists/tuples/sets/dicts), functions (args/kwargs/lambdas), files/JSON/pickle, exceptions.​
Frontend Core: HTML, CSS, JavaScript Projects
HTML: semantics, forms, tables, media. CSS: selectors (class/id/combinators), box model, flex/grid. JS: DOM, events, arrays/objects, async/await .​
Project: Responsive website with navigation, forms, animations.​
Git Complete Version Control Guide
Distributed VCS history; install/config all OS. Init/commit/branch/merge/rebase, diffs/logs, stashes/remotes (clone/push/pull), tags (light/annotated), .gitignore. Real project: California site edits, resets .​
Git SkillCommandUse CaseAdvancedCommit changesgit commit -mSave work–amend ​Create branchgit branch newNew featurecheckout -bMerge codegit mergeJoin lines–no-ff ​Push remotegit pushTeam share-u origin SonarQube for Secure Code Analysis
Install server/scanner, analyze projects, dashboard (issues/measures/duplications), rules/plugins, branch analysis.​
MySQL 8: Architecture to SQL Mastery
Install/upgrade, my.cnf tuning, users/databases, InnoDB (transactions/MVCC), SQL (queries/joins/DML/DDL), troubleshooting.​
Build Tools: Gradle, Artifactory, Packer
Gradle: tasks/dependencies/plugins, multi-project. Artifactory: repos (local/virtual), Maven deploy. Packer: AWS AMIs, provisioners (Ansible), pipelines .​
Frameworks: Bootstrap, jQuery, Nginx, Spring
Bootstrap: responsive grid/components (navbars/modals). jQuery: selectors/events/AJAX. Nginx: vhosts/SSL/rate-limit/gzip . Spring: IoC/beans/XML/Java config.​
Testing: JUnit and PyTest Thoroughly
Unit testing value; JUnit5 (asserts/params/@Test), PyTest (fixtures/markers).​
Jenkins CI/CD: Full Enterprise Setup
Freestyle/pipeline jobs, triggers/plugins (20+ top), nodes HA, integrations (Git/Sonar/AWS/Docker), reports/notifications, security/backup. Covers Java/Python/C++/NET .​
Jenkins PartGainTools LinkScale TipPipelinesAuto flowCI/CD/CDBlue Ocean ​PluginsAdd power20 topManagerNodesRun scaleLinux WinLabels ​ Keywords: microservices, Docker, AWS, Jenkins, Git, Java, Python, Nginx, SonarQube, Gradle.​
DevOpsSchool: Premier Certification Platform
DevOpsSchool dominates full stack certs, DevOps training with lifetime LMS/support, 21 tools, real projects, mock interviews, step tutorials/slides. Accredited by DevOpsCertification.co, agile focus outshines competitors .​
Points:
End-to-end projects, interview kits.​ Multi-skilled for agile teams . Global, industry-expert delivery.​ Rajesh Kumar: Proven Global Mentor
Full Stack Developers Certified Professional thrives under Rajesh Kumar, 20+ years mastering DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, cloud platforms. He delivers practical Jenkins/Docker/AWS training worldwide, authors guides on Git/microservices. Trainees highlight his clear explanations, query resolution, hands-on confidence-building . Leads real agile transformations.​
Full Stack Certified Pros Excel in Agile
Versatile for front-end (HTML/CSS/JS/Bootstrap), back-end (Java/Python/Spring/Flask), DB (MySQL), infra (AWS/Docker/Nginx), tools (Git/Jenkins/Sonar). High-demand roles emphasize sustainable dev, CI/CD, customer value.​
FeatureDevOpsSchoolOthersLifetime SupportYesNo ​LMS AccessLifetimeLimitedTools Covered21 TopFewProjectsReal TimeBasic ​InterviewsMockNoneCert AuthorityAccreditedVaries Clear Steps to Full Stack Certification
Grasp models/OS/virtualization.​ Front/back ends, Git . Cloud/containers/microservices.​ Builds/tests/CI/CD . Frameworks, project, cert/interview.​ Conclusion and Overview
Full Stack Developers Certified Professional transforms you into an agile-ready pro mastering 21+ tools from Git to Jenkins. Gain multi-skills for high-pay roles with real projects and expert support. Start building complete apps today.​
Contact Details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool



View the full article
reporter

Transform Ideas into Reality Full Stack Developers

Full stack developers manage front-end, back-end, and deployment with confidence. They create full apps from idea to launch. This refreshed guide explores the THE FULL STACK DEVELOPERS journey with essential tools and clear steps.​
Shift in Software Development Models
Software moves from waterfall to agile, then DevOps and beyond. Waterfall causes delays with rigid steps. Agile adds flexibility but calls for faster delivery .​
DevOps brings CI/CD for quick releases. DevSecOps adds security from the start. SRE stresses reliability. These changes reduce waste and improve team work .​
Basics of Microservices and Architecture
Monolithic apps struggle to scale. Microservices break tasks into small, linked services. Patterns such as choreography connect them well .​
Main elements cover UI, business logic, and data access. Test each part for strength. Container tools show this in action .​
Strong OS and Server Skills
CentOS and Ubuntu provide solid foundations. SSH allows remote server access. Command line basics handle files, editing, and permissions .​
The vi editor and pipes speed up daily work. Root access requires caution.​
Key Virtualization Tools
VirtualBox launches VMs with ease. Vagrant simplifies setups. Build CentOS VMs and share files across .​
Vagrantfiles manage networks and Nginx deployments.​
AWS Cloud Hands-On Learning
AWS free tier opens the door. IAM controls user access. EC2 powers compute, EBS and S3 manage storage .​
RDS supports MySQL, ELB spreads traffic, VPC protects networks.​
AWS ServiceMain UseHands-On LabEC2ServersLaunch instances ​S3StorageBuckets setupRDSDatabasesMySQL deploy ​VPCNetworksSubnets createELBLoad BalanceTraffic split ​ Deep Dive into Docker Containers
Containers outperform full VMs in speed. Docker handles image builds, runs, and sharing. Dockerfiles outline exact builds .​
Compose runs multi-container setups like Java apps. Networks connect services, volumes save data .​
Jira and Confluence for Planning
Jira organizes issues and sprints. Create projects, workflows, and add plugins. Confluence stores docs and team wikis .​
Handle users, pages, and site backups.​
Java and Python Backend Power
Java teaches OOP, exceptions, and web apps. Pack as JAR or WAR for Tomcat. Python manages scripts, lists, and file operations .​
Functions and dictionaries drive core logic.​
Frontend Foundations: HTML, CSS, JS
HTML builds page structure with tags and forms. CSS applies styles via selectors. JS manages events and arrays .​
Combine them to craft complete websites.​
Git Mastery for Version Control
Git follows changes in team projects. Commit, branch, and merge smoothly. Manage remotes and temporary stashes .​
Tags highlight key releases.​
Git ActionCommand ExamplePurposeCommitgit commit -m “msg”Save changes ​Branchgit branch newSplit workMergegit merge mainCombine ​Pushgit push originShare remote SonarQube for Code Quality Checks
Scan code for bugs and security risks. Set up and review projects. Check issues and key measures .​
MySQL Database Management
Install MySQL 8 with users and queries. Use InnoDB for tables. Adjust configs and fix issues .​
Tools for Builds and Packaging
Gradle assembles Java projects and beyond. Artifactory holds artifacts safely. Packer builds AWS images .​
Frameworks Like Flask, Spring, Bootstrap
Flask powers Python web apps. Spring connects Java components. Bootstrap creates responsive designs .​
jQuery streamlines JavaScript tasks.​
Nginx as Reliable Web Server
Nginx delivers content quickly with caching and SSL. Set locations and rewrites.​
JUnit and PyTest for Testing
Create unit tests to verify code. Execute and analyze outcomes.​
Jenkins for CI/CD Automation
Jenkins runs builds and deployments automatically. Configure jobs, nodes, and plugins. Link with Git, Sonar, and AWS .​
Jenkins FeatureBenefitExamplePipelinesFull flowCI/CD ​NodesScaleLinux/WindowsPluginsExtend20+ top ones ​ DevOpsSchool Leads in Certifications
DevOpsSchool excels in full stack training and certifications. It spans DevOps to cloud with practical labs. Worldwide access aids career growth .​
Highlights:
Practical sessions from OS to Jenkins.​ Certifications in DevSecOps, SRE . Real projects plus ongoing support.​ Skills ready for jobs.​ Rajesh Kumar’s Expert Guidance
THE FULL STACK DEVELOPERS excels with Rajesh Kumar, holding 20+ years in DevOps, SRE, Kubernetes, cloud. He teaches Docker, Jenkins, and more. His straightforward lessons and practical solutions inspire confidence .​
Rajesh Kumar mentors global teams, authors AWS content, and offers Git advice. Students rave about his interactive approach.​
Advantages of Full Stack Expertise
Full stack developers tackle complete projects. They deploy swiftly and scale applications. Includes 10+ keywords: microservices, Docker, AWS, Jenkins, Git, Java, Python, Nginx, SonarQube, Gradle .​
Path to Full Stack Mastery
Grasp basics: OS, Git.​ Build front and back ends . Integrate cloud and containers.​ Automate with CI/CD . Earn certification and build projects.​ Career Growth from These Skills
Full stack positions offer strong pay. Teams value all-around experts.​
Conclusion and Overview
THE FULL STACK DEVELOPERS prepares you for today’s app building. Master from development models to Jenkins for top opportunities. Begin your journey today.​
Contact Details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool



View the full article
reporter

Maximize Value from Effective FinOps Services

FinOps services help businesses control cloud spending in a smart way. They bring finance, tech, and operations teams together for better results. This guide shows how FinOps services cut waste and boost value.​
Fresh Look at FinOps Services
FinOps services mix money management with cloud use. They focus on clear costs, smart forecasts, and team work. Cloud bills grow fast without them, but these services keep things in check .​
Businesses use FinOps to track every dollar spent on cloud tools. It covers startups to big firms in places like India, USA, and Europe. Key parts include cost checks, budget plans, and auto tools .​
Why Cloud Costs Need Attention Now
Cloud setups offer speed and growth, but bills surprise many. Without plans, waste hits 30% or more of spend. FinOps services spot extra use and fix it quick .​
Teams gain real-time views of spending. This stops shocks and aids smart choices. Firms save big by aligning spend with goals .​
Strong Wins from FinOps Services
FinOps services bring clear wins for any business. They cut costs while keeping cloud power strong.​
Lower cloud bills through smart use . Better team talks between finance and IT.​ Fast forecasts for future needs . Less waste with auto alerts.​ Data-driven picks for resources . These help e-commerce, fintech, and health sectors thrive.​
BenefitHow It HelpsExample GainCost VisibilitySee spend now20-40% savings ​Team AlignmentFinance + Ops workFewer fightsAuto ToolsSpot waste fastQuick fixes ​ForecastsPlan aheadNo surprisesCustom FitMatches your sizeStartup to enterprise ​ Simple Steps in FinOps Services
FinOps starts with team setup and goals. Then comes cost tracking and fixes. Steps build a habit of smart spending .​
Experts guide from start to end. They add tools for bills, alerts, and reports. Ongoing checks keep gains steady .​
DevOpsSchool Stands Strong
DevOpsSchool leads in cloud training and services like FinOps. It serves global spots from India to Australia with hands-on help. Thousands cut costs thanks to their plans .​
Standout points:
Full support from plan to run.​ Tailored for sectors like SaaS and media . Training builds team skills.​ Real results in cost drops.​ This makes DevOpsSchool a trusted name for cloud money management.​
Rajesh Kumar Leads the Way
Services gain from Rajesh Kumar, with 20+ years in DevOps, cloud, SRE, and more. He trains teams worldwide on cost tools and best ways. His clear style and real examples build strong skills .​
Rajesh Kumar has led fixes for big cloud wastes. He shares tips on Kubernetes costs and auto savings. Learners praise his query fixes and hands-on focus. His work ensures lasting FinOps success .​
Real Voices from Clients
Real users love the changes. Feedback shows trust in results.​
“Useful and interactive. Rajesh built confidence.” – Abhinav Gupta.​ “Solved queries well. Hands-on was great.” – Indrayani.​ “Good on basics. Strong sessions.” – Ravi Daur.​ “Organized and helpful for tools.” – Sumit Kulkarni.​ “Great knowledge shared.” – Many voices.​ These prove FinOps services deliver .
Top Tools for FinOps Work
Top tools track and cut cloud costs. They fit AWS, Azure, or multi-cloud.​
Cloud bill watchers for alerts . Auto rightsizing for servers.​ Tag rules for spend split . Forecast dashboards.​ Practices like reviews keep teams sharp .
Tool/PracticeUseCloud FitCost ExplorerTrack trendsAWS ​Budget AlertsStop overspendAllRightsizingFit needsAzure ​TaggingSplit billsMultiAnomaly DetectionSpot issuesGCP ​ Easy Path to FinOps Adoption
Start simple with these steps:​
Check current cloud spend. Set team roles. Pick tools and baselines . Train staff. Review monthly.​ Expect cuts in 1-3 months .
StepActionTimeAssessReview bills1 week ​PlanSet goals2 weeksImplementAdd tools1 month ​MeasureTrack winsOngoing FinOps Fits All Sizes
Startups need basic tracking. Enterprises want full auto. Services scale to fit .​
Small: Simple budgets.​ Medium: Team dashboards . Large: Multi-cloud governance.​ All gain from cloud cost optimization .
Fixes for Common Hurdles
Big issues include blind spots and team silos. FinOps services bridge them. Training fixes skill gaps .​
Forecast errors drop with data views. Waste from idle resources ends via alerts.​
Ways to Track FinOps Wins
Use metrics like savings rate and forecast accuracy . Aim for 20-30% drops first year. Surveys check team buy-in .​
Grow a FinOps Mindset
Share wins often. Make cost talks normal. Leaders push daily checks .​
Conclusion and Overview
FinOps services turn cloud spend into smart investments. They cut waste, align teams, and drive growth. Explore FinOps services for your business edge.​
Contact Details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool



View the full article
reporter

Drive Success with Proven Corporate Training Strategies

Corporate training helps organizations build skills in DevOps and cloud technologies to stay competitive. These programs focus on hands-on learning for teams at all levels, from beginners to experts. They address real-world challenges like CI/CD pipelines and automation.
Why Corporate Training Matters
In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses face constant pressure to adopt new technologies. Corporate training bridges skill gaps by offering customized programs in DevOps, cloud transformation, and automation. Teams learn to work efficiently, improve productivity, and deliver reliable results.​
Organizations benefit from interactive workshops led by experienced trainers. These sessions cover practical tools like Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes. Positive feedback from past participants highlights clear concepts and hands-on examples.​
Key Benefits of Tailored Programs
Customized corporate training meets specific business needs. Programs adapt to team expertise, whether starting with basics or advancing to complex workflows.
Boosts collaboration across development, operations, and security teams. Enhances system reliability through continuous integration practices. Reduces deployment times with automation strategies. Fosters a culture of ongoing learning and innovation. Trainers resolve queries effectively, building team confidence. Reviews note well-organized sessions on tools like DataDog.​
Core Topics Covered
Corporate training dives into essential DevOps practices. Participants gain skills in CI/CD, GitOps, and cloud infrastructure management.
TopicDescriptionKey ToolsContinuous IntegrationAutomate code builds and testing for faster feedback.Jenkins, GitLab ​ContainerizationPackage apps for consistent deployment across environments.Docker, KubernetesCloud MigrationMove workloads to scalable cloud platforms.AWS, AzureMonitoring & ObservabilityTrack performance and detect issues early.DataDog, Prometheus These modules include real projects for practical experience.​
Hands-On Learning Approach
Training emphasizes 70% practical work and 30% theory. Teams tackle live scenarios, like setting up pipelines or managing Kubernetes clusters.
Interactive sessions feature:
Real-time query resolution. Group exercises on automation tools. Post-training support for implementation. This method ensures skills stick and apply directly to work. Feedback praises trainers for clear explanations and useful examples.​
Expert Mentorship by Rajesh Kumar
Programs are mentored by Rajesh Kumar, a trainer with over 20 years in DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, and cloud. He has guided 70+ global organizations, from startups to enterprises like Nokia and Ericsson. His expertise covers continuous delivery, containerization, and production monitoring.
Rajesh focuses on test-driven approaches and reducing technical debt. He delivers workshops worldwide, earning praise for knowledge and hands-on demos.​
DevOpsSchool as Leading Platform
DevOpsSchool stands out for quality training in DevOps and related fields. It offers online, classroom, and corporate training with lab facilities and real projects.
Key strengths include:
40+ certification programs aligned to industry needs. Expert instructors with deep experience. Flexible modes for professionals worldwide. Focus on tools like Ansible, Terraform, and Selenium. The platform helps teams achieve certifications and career growth.​
Training for All Team Levels
Beginners learn fundamentals like version control and basic scripting. Advanced groups optimize workflows with AIOps and observability.
LevelFocus AreasDurationBeginnerGit, basic CI/CD, intro to Docker2-3 daysIntermediateKubernetes, Ansible, cloud basics4-5 daysAdvancedSRE practices, MLOps, security5-7 days Customization ensures relevance.​
Real Participant Feedback
Testimonials show strong impact:
“Training was useful and interactive. Rajesh built confidence.”​ “Resolved queries effectively with hands-on examples.” “Very well organized, helpful for DataDog concepts.” Repeat praise for Rajesh’s sessions underscores quality.​
Implementing Skills Post-Training
After training, teams see quick wins like faster deployments. Organizations report better productivity and reliability.
Steps to maximize value:
Assign internal champions for knowledge sharing. Schedule follow-up sessions. Integrate learnings into daily workflows. This sustains long-term gains.​
Comparison: In-House vs Outsourced Training
AspectIn-HouseOutsourced Corporate TrainingCostLower initiallyHigher but scalable ROIExpertiseLimited to staffWorld-class trainersCustomizationBasicFully tailoredDisruptionHighMinimal, flexible scheduling Outsourced options like those from DevOpsSchool deliver superior results.​
Future-Proof Your Team
Corporate training prepares for trends like AI integration and edge computing. Skills in GitOps and observability future-proof operations.
Invest now to lead in digital transformation.​
Conclusion and Overview
Corporate training empowers teams with vital DevOps skills for efficiency and innovation. From hands-on labs to expert guidance by Rajesh Kumar, these programs deliver real results. Overview: Tailored sessions cover CI/CD, containers, and cloud, with proven benefits seen in feedback and outcomes. Contact DevOpsSchool today to elevate your organization.
Contact Details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
Website: DevOpsSchool



View the full article
reporter

Iranian APT Prince of Persia returns with new malware and C2 infrastructure

Researchers have discovered new activity from a threat actor dubbed Prince of Persia that’s believed to be tied to the Iranian government. The group appeared to have gone dormant in 2022 after multiple security companies documented its operations and crippled its command-and-control infrastructure, but new evidence shows the attackers retooled and continued to target new victims under the radar.
Prince of Persia, also known as Infy based on the name of its original malware, has been operating for almost 20 years. Researchers have noted likely ties to Iran based on the group’s target selection and other factors. Victims were previously identified in 35 countries and included Iranian dissidents and government targets from Europe and elsewhere.
The first company to document the group’s attacks and malware toolkit in detail was Palo Alto Networks back in 2016. That same year the company executed a successful takedown operation that involved sinkholing the group’s command-and control servers. However, the group was back one year later with new malware variants dubbed Foudre and Tonnerre — lighting and thunder in French.
“Despite the appearance of having gone dark in 2022, Prince of Persia threat actors have done quite the opposite,” researchers from security firm SafeBreach said in a new report. “Our ongoing research campaign into this prolific and elusive group has highlighted critical details about their activities, C2 servers, and identified malware variants in the last three years. This threat group is still active, relevant, and dangerous.”
Changes in malware delivery and C2 infrastructure
When the group fell off the radar in 2022, the latest known version of Foudre was v27 and for Tonnerre it was v15. Today, the most recent versions recovered by researchers are Foudre v34 and Tonnerre v17, both of which include significant changes.
Foudre is first-stage malware used for reconnaissance and victim identification. If a target is deemed important enough, the Tonnerre Trojan is deployed for data exfiltration and surveillance.
Foudre used to be distributed through malicious macros embedded in Microsoft Office documents sent as attachments in phishing emails on topics of interest to their targets. The latest version is delivered as an Excel file with an embedded malicious executable that’s not detected by any antivirus engine on VirusTotal.
The embedded executable is a self-extracting archive (SFX) file that contains a malicious DLL and a decoy MP4 video file. Excel files with malicious macros continue to be used and they attempt to execute a file called ccupdate.tmp.
One major difference compared to previous versions is the switch to a new domain generation algorithm (DGA) through which the malware determines on which domain names it will find the command-and-control server. Tonnerre v17 uses the same DGA with a different key prefix, meaning the domains it will generate for C2 will be different.
The SafeBreach researchers managed to identify many C2 servers and to extract data from them. Some servers were used for testing while other had data collected from real victims.
“Most of the victims were located in Iran, but there were some across Europe and countries like Iraq, Turkey, India, and Canada,” the researchers said. “While we have chosen not to publish the data here due to privacy concerns, we are more than willing to share the data with authorized law enforcement agencies.”
Monitoring the group’s campaigns is difficult because the attackers switch C2 servers quite often and they issue commands to delete the malware from the systems of victims that are no longer of interest.
A shift to Telegram
More recently, the researchers identified a new Tonnerre variant that’s advertised as v50, as well as an unknown new Foudre version that goes along with it. These versions use a new C2 server structure and, most importantly, can download a file from the server that enables Telegram communication via its API.
The Telegram feature is enabled only for a select number of victims, but the researchers managed to use the API to query the configured Telegram channel. It had two members, one of which was a channel bot and one user named Ehsan written in Farsi, who could be one of the hackers in charge of controlling the malware and who was last active as of Dec. 13.
“Ehsan is a common Persian name typical for an Iranian,” the researchers said. “This attribution is pretty strong in combination with the IP location of the attacker’s testing machine. We tracked the IP addresses used over several years, all of which indicated Iran as the location. While different IP location databases provided different cities, all of them were in Iran.”
The researchers also uncovered other samples of malware and payloads used in campaigns prior to 2022, including signs of an additional malware family called Rugissement (roar in French), a newer version of MaxPinner, a Telegram-based trojan used by the group in 2021, as well as various trojanized binaries used to distribute the malware.
The report includes details about the new DGA algorithms as well as indicators of compromise and sample hashes in hopes it will help other companies and researchers track the elusive group’s activities going forward.
View the full article
reporter

Beats Launches Travis Scott Partnership Featuring New 'DARE TO DREAM' Ad Campaign

Apple's Beats brand is launching a new celebrity ad campaign today featuring rapper Travis Scott and entitled "DARE TO DREAM." The campaign is inspired by a 2011 tweet from Scott when he was just starting his career, in which he claimed, "One day Travis Scott will be somebody."


The campaign short film is a "testament to how belief in oneself can manifest into reality" and features a re-creation of his actual childhood bedroom and an appearance by his real mother, Wanda Webster.

The film depicts a young Scott working on music projects using his iMac and the original Beats Studio headphones, with the scene transforming from his bedroom to a dream of sold-out shows on his just-completed "Circus Maximus" tour spanning multiple legs over the past two years.


The dream is short-lived, however, with his mother calling him back to reality and sending him off to school. Inspired by the dream, Scott composes his prophetic tweet, and on his way out of the house he discovers a pair of Powerbeats Fit in his pocket, a symbol linking past and present.

While the partnership with Scott is currently focused on the campaign film, Beats Chief Marketing Officer Chris Thorne hints that we can expect to see more in the future.Whether this means we'll see any product partnerships between Beats and Scott down the road remains to be seen.Tags: Beats, Travis Scott
This article, "Beats Launches Travis Scott Partnership Featuring New 'DARE TO DREAM' Ad Campaign" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 234 With Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.


‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 234 includes fixes and updates for Animations, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, MathML, Media, SVG, Web API, Web Authentication, Web Inspector, and WebRTC.

The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Sequoia and macOS Tahoe, the newest version of macOS.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser from Apple’s website. Complete release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while it is designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download and use.Tag: Safari Technology Preview
This article, "Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 234 With Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Don't Want to Upgrade to iOS 26? Here's How to Stay on iOS 18 (For Now)

Since the beginning of December, Apple has been pushing iPhone users who opted to stay on iOS 18 to install iOS 26 instead. Apple started by making the iOS 18 upgrades less visible, and has now transitioned to making new iOS 18 updates unavailable on any device capable of running ‌iOS 26‌.


If you have an ‌iPhone‌ 11 or later, Apple is no longer offering new versions of iOS 18, even though there was a security update that came out alongside iOS 26.2. Apple stopped showing new iOS 18 updates when iOS 26.2 launched, forcing iOS 18 users to upgrade to iOS 26.2 if they want to keep their devices secure.

For now, there's a way to stay on iOS 18 and continue to get security updates. On a device running iOS 18, you can turn on iOS 18 public beta updates to force new versions of iOS 18 to show up. This may not remain an option for long, but it works at the current time.

Apple's move to push users to ‌iOS 26‌ is timed with a long list of security updates introduced in iOS 26.2 and iOS 18.7.3, including a WebKit vulnerability known to be actively exploited. Both updates addressed the problem, so there is no technical need for the iOS 26.2 requirement.

Jason Snell wrote an article yesterday on Apple's decision not to offer iOS 18 users further iOS 18 upgrades and speculated that it might be a bug or an error, but the reality is that Apple does this every year.

The iOS 14 to iOS 15 transition in 2021 was the first time that Apple allowed users to remain on an older version of iOS. At the time, Apple said that iOS offered "a choice between two software update versions." Users would be able to update to iOS 15 at release, or opt to continue on iOS 14 and "still get important security updates."

As promised, Apple did allow users to stay on iOS 14 and avoid the iOS 15 update, but only temporarily. Apple started pushing people to iOS 15 in January 2022 by making the iOS 15 software update option more prominent and no longer offering iOS 14 security updates for devices capable of running iOS 15.

In fact, iOS 14 updates stopped being available when Apple launched iOS 15.2, which might sound familiar because it is the exact same path that it followed with the iOS 18 to ‌iOS 26‌ transition. Apple did the same thing with the iOS 16 to iOS 17 transition, and the iOS 17 to iOS 18 transition.

For a clear answer why iOS 18 security updates are no longer available on devices capable of running ‌iOS 26‌, we can look to what Apple had to say in 2022 after people complained about being forced to upgrade to iOS 15. According to Apple, the option for users to stay on iOS 14 and avoid iOS 15 was always meant to be temporary. Apple provided a grace period for people to remain on iOS 14 while iOS 15 bugs were worked out, but Apple ultimately wanted users on the latest version of iOS.

In a support document published in 2021, Apple clarified that users would be able to stay on the old version of iOS "for a period of time," but not forever.

Apple has continued with the same update policy since iOS 15, but the company's move to wean users off of iOS 18 is more visible this year due to the design changes introduced with ‌iOS 26‌. Liquid Glass is a major user interface overhaul that's polarizing, and some users are unsurprisingly reluctant to update for that reason.
This article, "Don't Want to Upgrade to iOS 26? Here's How to Stay on iOS 18 (For Now)" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Russia-Linked Hackers Use Microsoft 365 Device Code Phishing for Account Takeovers

A suspected Russia-aligned group has been attributed to a phishing campaign that employs device code authentication workflows to steal victims' Microsoft 365 credentials and conduct account takeover attacks. The activity, ongoing since September 2025, is being tracked by Proofpoint under the moniker UNK_AcademicFlare. The attacks involve using compromised email addresses belonging to governmentView the full article
reporter

MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone 17 and Fresh Coat Screen Protector From Astropad

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Astropad to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPhone 17 and one of Astropad's Fresh Coat anti-reflective screen protectors to go along with it.


Fresh Coat is a new kind of screen protector that Astropad designed with an optical-grade anti-reflective coating to reduce glare and provide a more pleasant iPhone viewing experience. The technology that Astropad is using cuts reflections by 75 percent, while improving contrast and keeping colors vibrant. Unlike other anti-reflective screen protectors, there's no haze or distortion.


Priced at $30, Fresh Coat is made from a scratch-proof tempered glass that also provides protection for the ‌iPhone‌'s display in addition to cutting down on glare and reflections. It's slim and won't add any bulk to the ‌iPhone‌ even though it has a five-layer design. From the top down, there's an anti-reflective coating, an oleophobic and hydrophobic coating, a layer of tempered glass, a dust barrier, and an impact-resistant "airbag" bonding.


If you have an ‌iPhone 17‌, it comes with a new anti-reflective coating added by Apple. What you might not know, though, is that you can't use just any screen protector with the ‌iPhone 17‌. If you put a regular screen protector without an anti-reflective coating on, it entirely nullifies the anti-reflective properties of that added coating.


Since Fresh Coat has its own anti-reflective coating, it actually improves upon Apple's included anti-reflective layer, reducing glare even further. With Fresh Coat, the ‌iPhone‌'s screen is easy to see in any lighting conditions, there's less eye strain, and if you use Dark Mode, it looks even darker.


If you don't have an ‌iPhone 17‌, Fresh Coat can provide an ‌iPhone‌ 17-style display upgrade, mirroring Apple's own reflection-reducing display coating. Fresh Coat is available for all ‌iPhone 17‌ models, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, and the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro and Pro Max.


Astropad even designed an installation process that's impossible to mess up, so you get perfect alignment on your ‌iPhone‌ without hassle.

We have an ‌iPhone 17‌ in white and a Fresh Coat screen protector for one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
Astropad Giveaway
The contest will run from today (December 19) at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on December 26. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after December 26 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.Tag: Giveaway
This article, "MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone 17 and Fresh Coat Screen Protector From Astropad" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

You Can No Longer Downgrade to iOS 26.1

Apple has stopped signing iOS 26.1, meaning that iPhone users can no longer downgrade to that software version. iOS 26.2 is now the minimum version that is still signed by Apple, and the first beta of iOS 26.3 is also available to developers and public beta testers.


iOS 26.2 was released last week. The update adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and much more.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26
This article, "You Can No Longer Downgrade to iOS 26.1" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

WatchGuard fixes ‘critical’ zero-day allowing firewall takeover

WatchGuard has issued an urgent patch alert for its Firebox firewall appliances after discovering a critical-rated vulnerability that is under exploit by threat actors.
Tracked as CVE-2025-14733, with a CVSS score of 9.3, the flaw is an Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability affecting the iked process, a WatchGuard Fireware OS component responsible for the IKEv2 key exchange in IPSec VPNs.
According to the WatchGuard advisory, this weakness could “allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code,” taking control of the appliance through remote code execution (RCE) without having to log in.
Because it was under attack before a patch was made available by WatchGuard on December 18, this makes CVE-2025-14733 a bona fide zero-day vulnerability. The first job for admins should therefore be to check Firebox appliances for signs of current or recent compromise.
WatchGuard’s advisory lists four IP addresses associated with exploitation; outbound traffic to them is “a strong indicator of compromise,” while inbound connections from them “could indicate reconnaissance efforts or exploit attempts,” the advisory said. With logging enabled, other strong indicators were an IKE_AUTH request log message with an abnormally large CERT payload greater than 2,000 bytes, or evidence of an iked process hang, the company said.
Affected Fireware OS versions are 2025.1 up to and including 2025.1.3, 12.0 up to and including 12.11.5, and legacy 11.10.2 up to and including 11.12.4_Update1.
The resolved versions are 2025.1.4, 12.11.6, 12.5.15 (T15 & T35 models), and 12.3.1_Update4 (B728352) for the FIPS-certified release. There is no fix for 11.x, which is considered end of life.
Importantly, WatchGuard warned, patching may not be enough: “If the Firebox was previously configured with the mobile user VPN with IKEv2 or a branch office VPN using IKEv2 to a dynamic gateway peer, and both of those configurations have since been deleted, that Firebox may still be vulnerable if a branch office VPN to a static gateway peer is still configured.”
And some admins have even more post-patching tasks to perform, it said, noting, “in addition to installing the latest Fireware OS that contains the fix, administrators that have confirmed threat actor activity on their Firebox appliances must take precautions to rotate all locally stored secrets on vulnerable Firebox appliances.”
Deja vu
In September, WatchGuard patched a similar Firebox vulnerability, CVE-2025-9242, also affecting the iked VPN configuration and given a CVSS score of 9.3. At the time, WatchGuard said there were no reports of active exploitation, but by October, the company had revised this assessment after exploitation attempts were detected.
This is a reminder not to read initial vulnerability assessments for this type of infrastructure too optimistically — exploitation is frequently detected after a flaw has been made public. Firewalls and VPNs are major targets for cybercriminals, and every significant vulnerability in them represents a clear and present cyber security risk.
Unfortunately, the evidence shows that some WatchGuard customers don’t patch vulnerabilities as quickly as they should. In October, a scan by The Shadowserver Foundation found that over 71,000 Firebox appliances had not yet been patched for CVE-2025-9242, including 23,000 in the US. Despite its zero-day status, it’s likely to be a similar story for CVE-2025-14733.
Slow or reluctant patching might also explain why Russian-aligned ‘Sandworm’ hackers were recently discovered to be targeting WatchGuard Firebox and XTM appliances by exploiting CVEs dating back several years.
View the full article
reporter

The MacRumors Show: 2025 Year-in-Review

On this year's final episode of The MacRumors Show, we take a look back at all of Apple's major announcements and new products from 2025.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
In February, Apple introduced the iPhone 16e, positioned as a replacement for the iPhone SE as a lower-cost model, starting at $599. It offers the A18 chip and a 48-megapixel camera in an ‌iPhone‌ 13-style design, but with matte back glass, a USB-C port, and no MagSafe. The device debuted Apple's custom C1 5G modem, replacing components from Qualcomm for the first time.

In March, Apple refreshed several iPads and Macs. The standard iPad was updated with the A16 chip, and noticeably still lacks Apple Intelligence support. The 11- and 13-inch iPad Air was refreshed with the M3 chip, and Apple released a redesigned Magic Keyboard for it. Apple also updated the MacBook Air with the M4 chip and introduced a new Mac Studio with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options.

At WWDC in June, Apple previewed its major software updates for the year. The biggest announcement was the introduction of Liquid Glass, an all-new design language for all of Apple's software platforms.

iOS 26 redesigned apps such as Phone and Photos, and added Live Translation with AirPods, a host of new features for Messages, and a new Games app. iPadOS 26 introduced a new, Mac-like multitasking system with windows, while macOS 26 Tahoe revamped Spotlight with a clipboard history feature and quick commands.

In September, Apple released its annual ‌iPhone‌ lineup update. The iPhone 17 features a larger display with ProMotion for refresh rates up to 120Hz and a 48-megapixel Fusion ultra-wide camera.

The iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max tout a completely new aluminum unibody frame with a large, full-width camera plateau and vapor chamber cooling. The telephoto camera received a major upgrade to 48-megapixels, with options for 4x and 8x optical zoom.

The iPhone Air arrived as a totally new ‌iPhone‌ option, replacing the "Plus" model in the lineup. Sitting between the ‌iPhone 17‌ and the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, the ‌iPhone Air‌ has a radically thin design with a polished titanium frame, and uses Apple's custom C1X and N1 connectivity chips. The device only has one rear camera, a single speaker, and supports eSIM only.

All of the new iPhones feature an A19 or A19 Pro chip, Ceramic Shield 2, a 18-megapixel Center Stage front-facing camera with a square sensor, and new color options. Apple also released updated charging and accessory products, including a new ‌MagSafe‌ battery designed specifically for the ‌iPhone Air‌, TechWoven cases, and crossbody straps.

Apple refreshed its wearable and audio lineups in the same month. Apple Watch SE was updated with the S10 chip and an always-on display. The aluminum Apple Watch Series 11 gained stronger front glass and a slightly bigger battery, while the Apple Watch Ultra 3 gains satellite connectivity for the first time. Cellular models of the new Apple Watches feature 5G connectivity.

Apple also released the third generation of AirPods Pro, with improved active noise cancellation, a more refined design with ear tips that include foam, and heart-rate sensing.

In October, Apple updated the iPad Pro, 14-inch MacBook Pro, and Vision Pro with the M5 chip. The new Vision Pro also gained a new dual knit headband, promising improved comfort, along with better battery life, higher-refresh rate displays, more rendered pixels.

The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips in 2026.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel!

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.



If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about Apple's plans to refresh the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR.
cent
Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.Tag: The MacRumors Show
This article, "The MacRumors Show: 2025 Year-in-Review" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Australia Approves Apple Watch's Hypertension Notifications

Australia has granted approval for Apple to enable its Apple Watch hypertension notification feature in the country, Information Age reports.


The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australia's medical device regulator, has approved Apple's hypertension notification feature for use on Apple Watch, formally listing the software as a medical device on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods earlier this month.

Apple announced hypertension detection in September. The feature is designed to identify patterns associated with elevated blood pressure rather than directly measuring blood pressure itself. It uses data collected by the optical heart sensor on the back of supported Apple Watch models to analyze how blood vessels respond to heartbeats over rolling 30 day periods. If the system detects consistent indicators associated with possible hypertension, the user receives a notification advising follow-up using conventional blood pressure measurement methods.

The system is intended for adults aged 22 and older who are not pregnant and who have not previously been diagnosed with hypertension. It requires an Apple Watch Series 9 or later or an Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later running watchOS 26, paired with an iPhone 11 or later running the latest version of iOS.

Apple can now legally activate the feature for Australian users, although the company has not yet confirmed when it will become available. In previous cases involving regulated health features, Apple has enabled functionality either through a subsequent software update or by remotely activating the feature once regulatory clearance has been obtained. Hypertension notifications have already rolled out in more than 150 countries. Tag: Australia
This article, "Australia Approves Apple Watch's Hypertension Notifications" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Cracked Software and YouTube Videos Spread CountLoader and GachiLoader Malware

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new campaign that has used cracked software distribution sites as a distribution vector for a new version of a modular and stealthy loader known as CountLoader. The campaign "uses CountLoader as the initial tool in a multistage attack for access, evasion, and delivery of additional malware families," Cyderes Howler Cell Threat IntelligenceView the full article
reporter

Dismantling Defenses: Trump 2.0 Cyber Year in Review

The Trump administration has pursued a staggering range of policy pivots this past year that threaten to weaken the nation’s ability and willingness to address a broad spectrum of technology challenges, from cybersecurity and privacy to countering disinformation, fraud and corruption. These shifts, along with the president’s efforts to restrict free speech and freedom of the press, have come at such a rapid clip that many readers probably aren’t even aware of them all.
FREE SPEECH
President Trump has repeatedly claimed that a primary reason he lost the 2020 election was that social media and Big Tech companies had conspired to silence conservative voices and stifle free speech. Naturally, the president’s impulse in his second term has been to use the levers of the federal government in an effort to limit the speech of everyday Americans, as well as foreigners wishing to visit the United States.
In September, Donald Trump signed a national security directive known as NSPM-7, which directs federal law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts to target “anti-American” activity, including any “tax crimes” involving extremist groups who defrauded the IRS. According to extensive reporting by journalist Ken Klippenstein, the focus of the order is on those expressing “opposition to law and immigration enforcement; extreme views in favor of mass migration and open borders; adherence to radical gender ideology,” as well as “anti-Americanism,” “anti-capitalism,” and “anti-Christianity.”
Earlier this month, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo advising the FBI to compile a list of Americans whose activities “may constitute domestic terrorism.” Bondi also ordered the FBI to establish a “cash reward system” to encourage the public to report suspected domestic terrorist activity. The memo states that domestic terrorism could include “opposition to law and immigration enforcement” or support for “radical gender ideology.”
The Trump administration also is planning to impose social media restrictions on tourists as the president continues to ramp up travel restrictions for foreign visitors. According to a notice from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), tourists — including those from Britain, Australia, France, and Japan — will soon be required to provide five years of their social media history.
The CBP said it will also collect “several high value data fields,” including applicants’ email addresses from the past 10 years, their telephone numbers used in the past five years, and names and details of family members. Wired reported in October that the US CBP executed more device searches at the border in the first three months of the year than any other previous quarter.
The new requirements from CBP add meat to the bones of Executive Order 14161, which in the name of combating “foreign terrorist and public safety threats” granted broad new authority that civil rights groups warn could enable a renewed travel ban and expanded visa denials or deportations based on perceived ideology. Critics alleged the order’s vague language around “public safety threats,” creates latitude for targeting individuals based on political views, national origin, or religion. At least 35 nations are now under some form of U.S. travel restrictions.
CRIME AND CORRUPTION
In February, Trump ordered executive branch agencies to stop enforcing the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which froze foreign bribery investigations, and even allows for “remedial actions” of past enforcement actions deemed “inappropriate.”
The White House also disbanded the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative and KleptoCapture Task Force — units which proved their value in corruption cases and in seizing the assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs — and diverted resources away from investigating white-collar crime.
Also in February, Attorney General Pam Bondi dissolved the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, an entity created during Trump’s first term designed to counter the influence of foreign governments on American politics.
In March 2025, Reuters reported that several U.S. national security agencies had halted work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation and cyberattacks. Former President Joe Biden had ordered his national security team to establish working groups to monitor the issue amid warnings from U.S. intelligence that Russia was escalating a shadow war against Western nations.
In a test of prosecutorial independence, Trump’s Justice Department ordered prosecutors to drop the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. The fallout was immediate: Multiple senior officials resigned in protest, the case was reassigned, and chaos engulfed the Southern District of New York (SDNY) – historically one of the nation’s most aggressive offices for pursuing public corruption, white-collar crime, and cybercrime cases.
When it comes to cryptocurrency, the administration has shifted regulators at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) away from enforcement to cheerleading an industry that has consistently been plagued by scams, fraud and rug-pulls. The SEC in 2025 systematically retreated from enforcement against cryptocurrency operators, dropping major cases against Coinbase, Binance, and others.
Perhaps the most troubling example involves Justin Sun, the Chinese-born founder of crypto currency company Tron. In 2023, the SEC charged Sun with fraud and market manipulation. Sun subsequently invested $75 million in the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial (WLF) tokens, became the top holder of the $TRUMP memecoin, and secured a seat at an exclusive dinner with the president.
In late February 2025, the SEC dropped its lawsuit. Sun promptly took Tron public through a reverse merger arranged by Dominari Securities, a firm with Trump family ties. Democratic lawmakers have urged the SEC to investigate what they call “concerning ties to President Trump and his family” as potential conflicts of interest and foreign influence.
In October, President Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance. In 2023, Zhao and his company pled guilty to failing to prevent money laundering on the platform. Binance paid a $4 billion fine, and Zhao served a four-month sentence. As CBS News observed last month, shortly after Zhao’s pardon application, he was at the center of a blockbuster deal that put the Trump’s family’s WLF on the map.
“Zhao is a citizen of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and in May, an Emirati fund put $2 billion in Zhao’s Binance,” 60 Minutes reported. “Of all the currencies in the world, the deal was done in World Liberty crypto.”
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has made the agency’s new posture towards crypto explicit, stating “most crypto tokens are not securities.” At the same time, President Trump has directed the Department of Labor and the SEC to expand 401(k) access to private equity and crypto — assets that regulators have historically restricted for retail investors due to high risk, fees, opacity, and illiquidity. The executive order explicitly prioritizes “curbing ERISA litigation,” and reducing accountability for fiduciaries while shifting risk onto ordinary workers’ retirement savings.
At the White House’s behest, the U.S. Treasury in March suspended the Corporate Transparency Act, a law that required companies to reveal their real owners. Finance experts warned the suspension would bring back shell companies and “open the flood gates of dirty money” through the US, such as funds from drug gangs, human traffickers, and fraud groups.
Trump’s clemency decisions have created a pattern of freed criminals committing new offenses, including Jonathan Braun, whose sentence for drug trafficking was commuted during Trump’s first term, was found guilty in 2025 of violating supervised release and faces new charges.
Eliyahu Weinstein, who received a commutation in January 2021 for running a Ponzi scheme, was sentenced in November 2025 to 37 years for running a new Ponzi scheme. The administration has also granted clemency to a growing list of white-collar criminals: David Gentile, a private equity executive sentenced to seven years for securities and wire fraud (functionally a ponzi-like scheme), and Trevor Milton, the Nikola founder sentenced to four years for defrauding investors over electric vehicle technology. The message: financial crimes against ordinary investors is no big deal.
At least 10 of the January 6 insurrectionists pardoned by President Trump have already been rearrested, charged or sentenced for other crimes, including plotting the murder of FBI agents, child sexual assault, possession of child sexual abuse material and reckless homicide while driving drunk.
The administration also imposed sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). On February 6, 2025, Executive Order 14203 authorized asset freezes and visa restrictions against ICC officials investigating U.S. citizens or allies, primarily in response to the ICC’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Earlier this month the president launched the “Gold Card,” a visa scheme established by an executive order in September that offers wealthy individuals and corporations expedited paths to U.S. residency and citizenship in exchange for $1 million for individuals and $2 million for companies, plus ongoing fees. The administration says it is also planning to offer a “platinum” version of the card that offers special tax breaks — for a cool $5 million.
FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY
President Trump campaigned for a second term insisting that the previous election was riddled with fraud and had been stolen from him. Shortly after Mr. Trump took the oath of office for a second time, he fired the head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — Chris Krebs (no relation) — for having the audacity to state publicly that the 2020 election was the most secure in U.S. history.
Mr. Trump revoked Krebs’s security clearances, ordered a Justice Department investigation into his election security work, and suspended the security clearances of employees at SentinelOne, the cybersecurity firm where Krebs worked as chief intelligence and public policy officer. The executive order was the first direct presidential action against any US cybersecurity company. Krebs subsequently resigned from SentinelOne, telling The Wall Street Journal he was leaving to push back on Trump’s efforts “to go after corporate interests and corporate relationships.”
The president also dismissed all 15 members of the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), a nonpartisan government entity established in 2022 with a mandate to investigate the security failures behind major cybersecurity events — likely because those advisors included Chris Krebs.
At the time, the CSRB was in the middle of compiling a much-anticipated report on the root causes of Chinese government-backed digital intrusions into at least nine U.S. telecommunications providers. Not to be outdone, the Federal Communication Commission quickly moved to roll back a previous ruling that required U.S. telecom carriers to implement stricter cybersecurity measures.
Meanwhile, CISA has lost roughly a third of its workforce this year amid mass layoffs and deferred resignations. When the government shutdown began in October, CISA laid off even more employees and furloughed 65 percent of the remaining staff, leaving only 900 employees working without pay.
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security has reassigned CISA cyber specialists to jobs supporting the president’s deportation agenda. As Bloomberg reported earlier this year, CISA employees were given a week to accept the new roles or resign, and some of the reassignments included relocations to new geographic areas.
The White House has signaled that it plans to cut an additional $491 million from CISA’s budget next year, cuts that primarily target CISA programs focused on international affairs and countering misinformation and foreign propaganda. The president’s budget proposal justified the cuts by repeating debunked claims about CISA engaging in censorship.
The Trump administration has pursued a similar reorganization at the FBI: The Washington Post reported in October that a quarter of all FBI agents have now been reassigned from national security threats to immigration enforcement. Reuters reported last week that the replacement of seasoned leaders at the FBI and Justice Department with Trump loyalists has led to an unprecedented number of prosecutorial missteps, resulting in a 21 percent dismissal rate of the D.C. U.S. attorney’s office criminal complaints over eight weeks, compared to a mere .5% dismissal rate over the prior 10 years.
“These mistakes are causing department attorneys to lose credibility with federal courts, with some judges quashing subpoenas, threatening criminal contempt and issuing opinions that raise questions about their conduct,” Reuters reported. “Grand juries have also in some cases started rejecting indictments, a highly unusual event since prosecutors control what evidence gets presented.”
In August, the DHS banned state and local governments from using cyber grants on services provided by the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), a group that for more than 20 years has shared critical cybersecurity intelligence across state lines and provided software and other resources at free or heavily discounted rates. Specifically, DHS barred states from spending funds on services offered by the Elections Infrastructure ISAC, which was effectively shuttered after DHS pulled its funding in February.
Cybersecurity Dive reports that the Trump administration’s massive workforce cuts, along with widespread mission uncertainty and a persistent leadership void, have interrupted federal agencies’ efforts to collaborate with the businesses and local utilities that run and protect healthcare facilities, water treatment plans, energy companies and telecommunications networks. The publication said the changes came after the US government eliminated CIPAC — a framework that allowed private companies to share cyber and threat intel without legal penalties.
“Government leaders have canceled meetings with infrastructure operators, forced out their longtime points of contact, stopped attending key industry events and scrapped a coordination program that made companies feel comfortable holding sensitive talks about cyberattacks and other threats with federal agencies,” Cybersecurity Dive’s Eric Geller wrote.
Both the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command have been without a leader since Trump dismissed Air Force General Timothy Haugh in April, allegedly for disloyalty to the president and at the suggestion of far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer. The nomination of Army Lt. Gen. William Hartman for the same position fell through in October. The White House has ordered the NSA to cut 8 percent of its civilian workforce (between 1,500 and 2,000 employees).
As The Associated Press reported in August, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence plans to dramatically reduce its workforce and cut its budget by more than $700 million annually. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the cuts were warranted because ODNI had become “bloated and inefficient, and the intelligence community is rife with abuse of power, unauthorized leaks of classified intelligence, and politicized weaponization of intelligence.”
The firing or forced retirements of so many federal employees has been a boon to foreign intelligence agencies. Chinese intelligence agencies, for example, reportedly moved quickly to take advantage of the mass layoffs, using a network of front companies to recruit laid-off U.S. government employees for “consulting work.” Former workers with the Defense Department’s Defense Digital Service who resigned en-masse earlier this year thanks to DOGE encroaching on their mission have been approached by the United Arab Emirates to work on artificial intelligence for the oil kingdom’s armed forces, albeit reportedly with the blessing of the Trump administration.
FREE SPEECH, PRESS
President Trump has filed multibillion-dollar lawsuits against a number of major news outlets over news segments or interviews that allegedly portrayed him in a negative light, suing the networks ABC, the BBC, the CBS parent company Paramount, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, among others.
The president signed an executive order aimed at slashing public subsidies to PBS and NPR, alleging “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting. In July, Congress approved a request from Trump to cut $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the nonprofit entity that funds PBS and NPR.
Brendan Carr, the president’s pick to run the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), initially pledged to “dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans.” But on January 22, 2025, the FCC reopened complaints against ABC, CBS and NBC over their coverage of the 2024 election. The previous FCC chair had dismissed the complaints as attacks on the First Amendment and an attempt to weaponize the agency for political purposes.
President Trump in February seized control of the White House Correspondents’ Association, the nonprofit entity that decides which media outlets should have access to the White House and the press pool that follows the president. The president invited an additional 32 media outlets, mostly conservative or right-wing organizations.
According to the journalism group Poynter.org, there are three religious networks, all of which lean conservative, as well as a mix of outlets that includes a legacy paper, television networks, and a digital outlet powered by artificial intelligence.  Trump also barred The Associated Press from the White House over their refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
Under Trump appointee Kari Lake, the U.S. Agency for Global Media moved to dismantle Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other networks that for decades served as credible news sources behind authoritarian lines. Courts blocked shutdown orders, but the damage continues through administrative leave, contract terminations, and funding disputes.
President Trump this term has fired most of the people involved in processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for government agencies. FOIA is an indispensable tool used by journalists and the public to request government records, and to hold leaders accountable.
Petitioning the government, particularly when it ignores your requests, often requires challenging federal agencies in court. But that becomes far more difficult if the most competent law firms start to shy away from cases that may involve crossing the president and his administration. On March 22, the president issued a memorandum that directs heads of the Justice and Homeland Security Departments to “seek sanctions against attorneys and law firms who engage in frivolous, unreasonable and vexatious litigation against the United States,” or in matters that come before federal agencies.
The Trump administration announced increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, with an internal State Department memo saying that anyone involved in “censorship” of free speech should be considered for rejection.
Executive Order 14161, issued in 2025 on “foreign terrorist and public safety threats,” granted broad new authority that civil rights groups warn could enable a renewed travel ban and expanded visa denials or deportations based on perceived ideology. Critics charged that the order’s vague language around “public safety threats” creates latitude for targeting individuals based on political views, national origin, or religion.
CONSUMER PROTECTION, PRIVACY
At the beginning of this year, President Trump ordered staffers at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to stop most work. Created by Congress in 2011 to be a clearinghouse of consumer complaints, the CFPB has sued some of the nation’s largest financial institutions for violating consumer protection laws. The CFPB says its actions have put nearly $18 billion back in Americans’ pockets in the form of monetary compensation or canceled debts, and imposed $4 billion in civil money penalties against violators.
The Trump administration said it planned to fire up to 90 percent of all CFPB staff, but a recent federal appeals court ruling in Washington tossed out an earlier decision that would have allowed the firings to proceed. Reuters reported this week that an employee union and others have battled against it in court for ten months, during which the agency has been almost completely idled.
The CFPB’s acting director is Russell Vought, a key architect of the GOP policy framework Project 2025. Under Vought’s direction, the CFPB in May quietly withdrew a data broker protection rule intended to limit the ability of U.S. data brokers to sell personal information on Americans.
Despite the Federal Reserve’s own post-mortem explicitly blaming Trump-era deregulation for the 2023 Silicon Valley Bank collapse, which triggered a fast-moving crisis requiring emergency weekend bailouts of Banks, Trump’s banking regulators in 2025 doubled down. They loosened capital requirements, narrowed definitions of “unsafe” banking practices, and stripped specific risk categories from supervisory frameworks. The setup for another banking crisis requiring taxpayer intervention is now in place.
The Privacy Act of 1974, one of the few meaningful federal privacy laws, was built on the principles of consent and separation in response to the abuses of power that came to light during the Watergate era. The law states that when an individual provides personal information to a federal agency to receive a particular service, that data must be used solely for its original purpose.
Nevertheless, it emerged in June that the Trump administration has built a central database of all US citizens. According to NPR, the White House plans to use the new platform during upcoming elections to verify the identity and citizenship status of US voters. The database was built by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Governmental Efficiency and is being rolled out in phases to US states.
DOGE
Probably the biggest ungotten scoop of 2025 is the inside story of what happened to all of the personal, financial and other sensitive data that was accessed by workers at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). President Trump tapped Elon Musk to lead the newly created department, which was mostly populated by current and former employees of Musk’s various technology companies (including a former denizen of the cybercrime community known as the “Com”). It soon emerged that the DOGE team was using artificial intelligence to surveil at least one federal agency’s communications for hostility to Mr. Trump and his agenda.
DOGE employees were able to access and synthesize data taken from a large number of previously separate and highly guarded federal databases, including those at the Social Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Personnel Management, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. DOGE staffers did so largely by circumventing or dismantling security measures designed to detect and prevent misuse of federal databases, including standard incident response protocols, auditing, and change-tracking mechanisms.
For example, an IT expert with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleges that DOGE employees likely downloaded gigabytes of data from agency case files in early March, using short-lived accounts that were configured to leave few traces of network activity. The NLRB whistleblower said the large data outflows coincided with multiple blocked login attempts from addresses in Russia, which attempted to use valid credentials for a newly-created DOGE user account.
The stated goal of DOGE was to reduce bureaucracy and to massively cut costs — mainly by eliminating funding for a raft of federal initiatives that had already been approved by Congress. The DOGE website claimed those efforts reduced “wasteful” and “fraudulent” federal spending by more than $200 billion. However, multiple independent reviews by news organizations determined the true “savings” DOGE achieved was off by a couple of orders of magnitude, and was likely closer to $2 billion.
At the same time DOGE was slashing federal programs, President Trump fired at least 17 inspectors general at federal agencies — the very people tasked with actually identifying and stopping waste, fraud and abuse at the federal level. Those included several agencies (such as the NLRB) that had open investigations into one or more of Mr. Musk’s companies for allegedly failing to comply with protocols aimed at protecting state secrets. In September, a federal judge found the president unlawfully fired the agency watchdogs, but none of them have been reinstated.
Where is DOGE now? Reuters reported last month that as far as the White House is concerned, DOGE no longer exists, even though it technically has more than half a year left to its charter. Meanwhile, who exactly retains access to federal agency data that was fed by DOGE into AI tools is anyone’s guess.
KrebsOnSecurity would like to thank the anonymous researcher NatInfoSec for assisting with the research on this story.
View the full article
reporter

Best Apple Deals of the Week: AirPods Pro 3 for $199, Plus Sitewide Sales at Samsung and Sonos

It's the last week before Christmas, which means that the holiday shopping season is quickly wrapping up. With this in mind, we're recapping all of the best last-minute deals you can find online this week, but be warned that guaranteed delivery by December 25th is going to be increasingly difficult to find over the next few days.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AirPods Pro 3


What's the deal? Take $50 off AirPods Pro 3
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$50 OFFAirPods Pro 3 for $199.00

Apple's AirPods Pro 3 hit a record low price of $199.00 this week on Amazon, down from $249.00, and they're still available today. This deal beats the Black Friday price we saw last month by about $20.

Samsung


What's the deal? Save sitewide on Samsung TVs, monitors, and more
Where can I get it? Samsung
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$600 OFF65" The Frame for $1,199.99

Samsung expanded its ongoing holiday event this week, introducing great deals on monitors, storage accessories, TVs, Galaxy smartphones, and home appliances. Many of these deals are the exact same all-time low prices we tracked during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

TVs
55-inch QLED QEF1 Smart TV - $379.99, down from $599.99
55-inch QLED Q7F Smart TV - $399.99, down from $529.99
55-inch QLED Q8F Smart TV - $599.99, down from $749.99
55-inch OLED S95F Smart TV - $1,899.99, down from $2,299.99
75-inch The Frame Pro - $1,999.99, down from $3,199.99
85-inch Neo QLED QN90F Smart TV - $2,299.99, down from $4,499.99
Monitors
43-inch Odyssey Neo G7 Smart Gaming Monitor - $549.99, down from $999.99
27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 Gaming Monitor - $599.99, down from $899.99
49-inch Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor - $777.99, down from $1,299.99
49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 Monitor - $899.99, down from $1,799.99
55-inch Odyssey Ark 2nd Gen - $1,299.99, down from $2,699.99
57-inch Odyssey Neo G9 Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,499.99, down from $2,299.99

MacBook Air


What's the deal? Take $250 off M4 MacBook Air
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$250 OFF13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $749.00
$250 OFF15-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $949.00

You can get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $749.00 this week on Amazon, down from $999.00, with Christmas delivery for select colors. This price matches the Amazon all-time low price on the M4 MacBook Air, and there are similar lows on other models with higher storage.

Sonos


What's the deal? Get up to 25% off home audio devices
Where can I get it? Sonos
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
UP TO 25% OFFSonos Last-Minute Holiday Sale

Sonos this week introduced a last-minute holiday sale, offering up to 25 percent off the company's most popular devices. This includes the Sonos Ace headphones, Arc Ultra soundbar, Move 2 speaker, and more, with many prices matching the deals we saw over Black Friday.

Apple Watch


What's the deal? Take up to $100 off Apple Watch SE 3 and Series 11
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (42mm GPS) for $299.00
$100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (46mm GPS) for $329.00
$50 OFF40mm GPS Apple Watch SE 3 for $199.00
$50 OFF44mm GPS Apple Watch SE 3 for $229.00

Amazon has a few record low prices on multiple Apple Watch models this week, including the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch SE 3. These have been some of the most consistent deals to stick around after Black Friday, and they're available in multiple color options and sizes.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.



Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find this holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




Related Roundup: Apple Deals
This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: AirPods Pro 3 for $199, Plus Sitewide Sales at Samsung and Sonos" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

From the Captain’s Chair: Igor Aleksandrov

Docker Captains are leaders from the developer community that are both experts in their field and are passionate about sharing their Docker knowledge with others. “From the Captain’s Chair” is a blog series where we get a closer look at one Captain to learn more about them and their experiences.
Today we are interviewing Igor Aleksandrov. Igor is the CTO and co-founder of JetRockets, a Ruby on Rails development agency based in NYC, bringing over 20 years of software engineering experience and a deep commitment to the Rails ecosystem since 2008. He’s an open-source contributor to projects like the Crystal programming language and Kamal, a regular conference speaker sharing expertise on different topics from container orchestration to migration from React to Hotwire.
Can you share how you first got involved with Docker? What inspired you to become a Docker Captain?
Looking back at my journey to becoming a Docker Captain, it all started with a very practical problem that many Rails teams face: dependency hell. 
By 2018, JetRockets had been building Ruby on Rails applications for years. I’d been working with Rails since version 2.2 back in 2009, and we had established solid development practices. But as our team grew and our projects became more complex, we kept running into the same frustrating issues:
“It works on my machine” became an all-too-common phrase during deployments Setting up new developer environments was a time-consuming process fraught with version mismatches Our staging and production environments occasionally behaved differently despite our best efforts Managing system-level dependencies across different projects was becoming increasingly complex We needed a unified way to manage application dependencies that would work consistently across development, staging, and production environments.
Unlike many teams that start with Docker locally and gradually move to production, we decided to implement Docker in production and staging first. This might sound risky, but it aligned perfectly with our goal of achieving true environment parity.
We chose our first Rails application to containerize and started writing our first Dockerfile. Those early Dockerfiles were much simpler than the highly optimized ones we create today, but they solved our core problem: every environment now ran the same container with the same dependencies.
Even though AWS Beanstalk has never been a developer friendly solution, the goal was reached – we had achieved true environment consistency, and the mental overhead of managing different configurations across environments had virtually disappeared.
That initial Docker adoption in 2018 sparked a journey that would eventually lead to me becoming a Docker Captain. What began with a simple need for dependency management evolved into deep expertise in container optimization, advanced deployment strategies with tools like Kamal, and ultimately contributing back to the Docker community.
Today, I write extensively about Rails containerization best practices, from image slimming techniques to sophisticated CI/CD pipelines. But it all traces back to that moment in 2019 when we decided to solve our dependency challenges with Docker.
What are some of your personal goals for the next year?
I want to speak at more conferences and meetups, sharing the expertise I’ve built over the years. Living in the Atlanta area, I would like to become more integrated into the local tech community. Atlanta has such a vibrant IT scene, and I think there’s a real opportunity to contribute here. Whether that’s organizing Docker meetups, participating in Rails groups, or just connecting with other CTOs and technical leaders who are facing similar challenges.

If you weren’t working in tech, what would you be doing instead?
If I weren’t working in tech, I think I’d be doing woodworking. There’s something deeply satisfying about creating things with your hands, and woodworking offers that same creative problem-solving that draws me to programming – except you’re working with natural materials and traditional tools instead of code.
I truly enjoy working with my hands and seeing tangible results from my efforts. In many ways, building software and building furniture aren’t that different – you’re taking raw materials, applying craftsmanship and attention to detail, and creating something functional and beautiful.
If not woodworking, I’d probably pursue diving. I’m already a PADI certified rescue diver, and I truly like the ocean. There’s something about the underwater world that’s entirely different from our digital lives – it’s peaceful, challenging, and always surprising. Getting my diving instructor certification and helping others discover that underwater world would be incredibly rewarding.

Can you share a memorable story from collaborating with the Docker community?
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Docker Captain is our regular Captains meetings, and honestly, I enjoy each one of them. These aren’t just typical corporate meetings – they’re genuine collaborations with some of the most passionate and knowledgeable people in the containerization space.
What makes these meetings special is the diversity of perspectives. You have Captains from completely different backgrounds – some focused on enterprise Kubernetes deployments, others working on AI, developers like me optimizing Rails applications, and people solving problems I’ve never even thought about.
What’s your favorite Docker product or feature right now, and why?
Currently, I’m really excited about the Build Debugging feature that was recently integrated into VS Code. As someone who spends a lot of time optimizing Rails Dockerfiles and writing about containerization best practices, this feature has been a game-changer for my development workflow.
When you’re crafting complex multi-stage builds for Rails applications – especially when you’re trying to optimize image size, manage build caches, and handle dependencies like Node.js and Ruby gems – debugging build failures used to be a real pain.
Can you walk us through a tricky technical challenge you solved recently?
Recently, I was facing a really frustrating development workflow issue that I think many Rails developers can relate to. We had a large database dump file, about 150GB, that we needed to use as a template for local development. The problem was that restoring this SQL dump into PostgreSQL was taking up to an hour every time we needed to reset our development database to a clean state.
For a development team, this was killing our productivity. Every time someone had to test a migration rollback, debug data-specific issues, or just start fresh, they’d have to wait an hour for the database restore. That’s completely unacceptable.
Initially, we were doing what most teams do: running pg_restore against the SQL dump file directly. But with a 150GB database, this involves PostgreSQL parsing the entire dump, executing thousands of INSERT statements, rebuilding indexes, and updating table statistics. It’s inherently slow because the database engine has to do real work.
I realized the bottleneck wasn’t the data itself – it was the database restoration process. So I wrote a Bash script that takes an entirely different approach:
Create a template volume: Start with a fresh Docker volume and spin up a PostgreSQL container One-time restoration: Restore the SQL dump into this template database (this still takes an hour, but only once) Volume snapshot: Use a BusyBox container to copy the entire database volume at the filesystem level Instant resets: When developers need a fresh database, just copy the template volume to a new working volume The magic is in step 4. Instead of restoring from SQL, we’re essentially copying files at the Docker volume level. This takes seconds instead of an hour because we’re just copying the already-processed PostgreSQL data files.
Docker volumes are just filesystem directories under the hood. PostgreSQL stores its data in a very specific directory structure with data files, indexes, and metadata. By copying the entire volume, we’re getting a perfect snapshot of the database in its “ready to use” state.
The script handles all the orchestration – creating volumes, managing container lifecycles, and ensuring the copied database starts up cleanly. What used to be a one-hour reset cycle is now literally 5-10 seconds. Developers can experiment freely, test destructive operations, and reset their environment without hesitation. It’s transformed how our team approaches database-dependent development.
What’s one Docker tip you wish every developer knew?
If something looks weird in your Dockerfile, you are doing it wrong. This is the single most important lesson I’ve learned from years of optimizing Rails Dockerfiles. I see this constantly when reviewing other developers’ container setups – there’s some convoluted RUN command, a bizarre COPY pattern, or a workaround that just feels off.
Your Dockerfile should read like clean, logical instructions. If you find yourself writing something like:
RUN apt-get update &amp;&amp; apt-get install -y wget &amp;&amp; \ wget some-random-script.sh &amp;&amp; chmod +x some-random-script.sh &amp;&amp; \ ./some-random-script.sh &amp;&amp; rm some-random-script.sh …you’re probably doing it wrong.
The best Dockerfiles are almost boring in their simplicity and clarity. Every line should have a clear purpose, and the overall flow should make sense to anyone reading it. If you’re adding odd hacks, unusual file permissions, or complex shell gymnastics, step back and ask why.
This principle has saved me countless hours of debugging. Instead of trying to make unusual things work, I’ve learned to redesign the approach. Usually, there’s a cleaner, more standard way to achieve what you’re trying to do.
If you could containerize any non-technical object in real life, what would it be and why?
If I could containerize any non-technical object, it would definitely be knowledge itself. Imagine being able to package up skills, experiences, and expertise into portable containers that you could load and unload from your mind as needed. As someone who’s constantly learning new technologies and teaching others, I’m fascinated by how we acquire and transfer knowledge. Currently, if I want to dive deep into a new programming language like I did with Crystal, or master a deployment tool like Kamal, it takes months of dedicated study and practice.
But what if knowledge worked like Docker containers? You could have a “Ruby 3.3 expertise” container, a “Advanced Kubernetes” container, or even a “Woodworking joinery techniques” container. Need to debug a complex Rails application? Load the container. Working on a diving certification course? Swap in the marine biology knowledge base.
The real power would be in the consistency and portability – just like how Docker containers ensure your application runs the same way everywhere, knowledge containers would give you the same depth of understanding regardless of context. No more forgetting syntax, no more struggling to recall that one debugging technique you learned years ago.
Plus, imagine the collaborative possibilities. Experienced developers could literally package their hard-earned expertise and share it with the community. It would democratize learning in the same way Docker democratized deployment.
Of course, the human experience of learning and growing would be lost, but from a pure efficiency standpoint? That would be incredible.
Where can people find you online? (talks, blog posts, or open source projects, etc)
I am always active in X (@igor_alexandrov) and on LinkedIn. I try to give at least 2-3 talks at tech conferences and meetups each year, and besides this, I have my personal blog.

Rapid Fire Questions
Cats or Dogs?
Dogs
Morning person or night owl?
Both
Favorite comfort food?
Dumplings
One word friends would use to describe you?
Perfectionist
A hobby you picked up recently?
Cycling

View the full article
reporter

Docker Hardened Images: Security Independently Validated by SRLabs

Earlier this week, we took a major step forward for the industry. Docker Hardened Images (DHI) is now available at no cost, bringing secure-by-default development to every team, everywhere. Anyone can now start from a secure, minimal, production-ready foundation from the first pull, without a subscription.  
With that decision comes a responsibility: if Docker Hardened Images become the new starting point for modern development, then developers must be able to trust them completely. Not because we say they’re secure, but because they prove it: under scrutiny, under pressure, and through independent validation.
Security threats evolve constantly. Supply chains grow more complex. Attackers get smarter. The only way DHI stays ahead is by continuously pushing our security forward. That’s why we partnered with  SRLabs, one of the world’s leading cybersecurity research groups, known for uncovering high-impact vulnerabilities in highly sensitive systems.
We gave them everything they needed to challenge us: full transparency, full access, no restrictions. At Docker, we understand that trust is not earned through claims, it is earned through testing, validation and a commitment to do this continuously.  
Phase One: Grey Box Assessment
SRLabs started with a grey box assessment focused on how we build, sign, scan, and distribute hardened images. They validated our provenance chain, our signing practices, and our vulnerability management workflow.
One of the first things they called out was the strength of our verifiability model. Every artifact in DHI carries SLSA Build Level 3 provenance and Cosign signatures, all anchored in transparency logs via Rekor. This gives users a clear, cryptographically verifiable trail for where every hardened image came from and how it was built. As SRLabs put it:
“Docker incorporates signed provenance with Cosign, providing a verifiable audit trail aligned with SLSA level 3 standards.”
They also highlighted the speed and clarity of our vulnerability management process. Every image includes an SBOM and VEX data, and our automated rebuild system responds quickly when new CVEs appear. SRLabs noted:
“Fast patching. Docker promises a 7 day patch SLA, greatly reducing vulnerability exposure windows.”
They validated the impact of our minimization strategy as well. Non root by default, reduced footprint, and the removal of unnecessary utilities dramatically reduce what an attacker could exploit inside a container. Their assessment:
“Non root, minimal container images significantly reduce attack vectors compared to traditional images.”
After three weeks of targeted testing, including adversarial modeling and architectural probing, SRLabs came back with a clear message: no critical vulnerabilities, no high-severity exploitation paths, just a medium residual risk driven by industry-wide challenges like key stewardship and upstream trust. And the best part? The architecture is already set up to reach even higher assurance without needing a major redesign. In their words:
“Docker Hardened Images deliver on their public security promises for today’s threat landscape.”
 “No critical or high severity break outs were identified.”
And 
“By implementing recommended hardening steps, Docker can raise assurance to the level expected of a reference implementation for supply chain security without major re engineering.”
Throughout the assessment, our engineering teams worked closely with SRLabs. Several findings, such as a labeling issue and a race condition, were resolved during the engagement. Others, including a prefix-hijacking edge case, moved into remediation quickly. For SRLabs, this responsiveness showed more than secure technology; it demonstrated a security-first culture where issues are triaged fast, fixes land quickly, and collaboration is part of the process. 
SRLabs pointed to places where raising the bar would make DHI even stronger, and we are already acting on them. They told us our signing keys should live in Hardware Security Modules with quorum controls, and that we should move toward a keyless Fulcio flow, so we have started that work right away. They pointed out that offline environments need better protection against outdated or revoked signatures, and we are updating our guidance and exploring freshness checks to close that gap.They also flagged that privileged builds weaken reproducibility and SBOM accuracy. Several of those builds have already been removed or rebuilt, and the rest are being redesigned to meet our hardening standards.
 You can read more about the findings from the report here.
Phase Two: Full White Box Assessment
Grey box testing is just the beginning. 
This next phase goes much deeper. SRLabs will step into the role of an insider-level attacker. They’ll dig through code paths, dependency chains, and configuration logic. They’ll map every trust boundary, hunt for logic flaws, and stress-test every assumption baked into the hardened image pipeline. We expect to share that report in the coming months.
SRLabs showed us how DHI performs under pressure, but validation in the lab is only half the story.

The real question is: what happens when teams put Docker at the center of their daily work? The good news is,  we have the data. When organizations adopt Docker, the impact reaches far beyond reducing vulnerabilities.

New research from theCUBE, based on a survey of 393 IT, platform, and engineering leaders, reveals that 95 percent improved vulnerability detection and remediation, 93 percent strengthened policy and compliance, and 81 percent now meet most or all of their security goals across the entire SDLC. You can read about it in the report linked above.
By combining Independent validation, Continuous security testing and Transparent attestations and provenance, Docker is raising the baseline for what secure software supply chains should look like.
The full white-box report from SRLabs will be shared when complete, and every new finding, good or bad, will shape how we continue improving DHI. Being secure-by-default is something we aim to prove, continuously.
View the full article
reporter

Turn Off the User Profiles Screen on Apple TV 4K

Starting with tvOS 26.2, Apple TVs began displaying a user profile selection screen every time you wake the device from sleep. The feature helps households with multiple users maintain separate viewing histories and recommendations, but it can feel like an unnecessary step if you're the sole user.


Fortunately, Apple lets you disable this prompt entirely. Here's how to turn off the user profiles screen and go straight to your Home screen.

Disable the User Profile Selection Screen


Open Settings on your Apple TV.
Select Profiles and Accounts.
Toggle off Choose Profile on Wake.
With this setting disabled, your Apple TV will skip the profile selection screen and take you directly to the Home Screen when you wake it.

What Happens When You Disable Profile Switching

Turning off the profile switcher doesn't delete your user profiles or their associated watch history and recommendations. It simply removes the prompt that appears each time you turn on your TV or Apple TV.

If you share your Apple TV with others and want to switch profiles manually, you can still access profile options by going to Settings ➝ Users and Accounts and selecting a different user profile from there.

To learn more about how user profiles can be genuinely useful, check out our dedicated hands-on article.
This article, "Turn Off the User Profiles Screen on Apple TV 4K" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

AirPods Now Closing in on a Decade

Today marks nine years since Apple launched the original AirPods. Unveiled in September 2016 alongside the iPhone 7, the wireless headphones became available on December 19, 2016, following a slight delay.


At the time, wireless headphones were already on the market but had not yet reached true mass popularity. AirPods helped redefine the category through their convenience and seamless integration with Apple devices. Apple's Phil Schiller at the time:

Priced at $159, the first-generation AirPods introduced key features such as one-tap pairing with Apple devices and in-ear detection for automatic play-pause functionality. Powered by Apple's custom W1 chip, they delivered enhanced audio quality compared to wired EarPods and set a new standard for battery life in a compact, completely wireless design.


AirPods were initially met with skepticism following their unveiling, with much of the reaction focused on their unconventional stem-based design and the removal of the headphone jack on the ‌iPhone‌ 7. The earbuds were widely mocked online and compared to wired EarPods with the cables cut off, while some critics questioned their practicality and battery life. However, early reviews and real-world use quickly shifted perceptions, as the convenience of automatic pairing, reliable wireless performance, and all-day battery life made AirPods increasingly popular among ‌iPhone‌ users.

AirPods quickly grew into one of Apple's most successful accessories, helping to normalize truly wireless earbuds and accelerating the decline of the traditional headphone jack across the industry. While Apple does not disclose sales figures, analysts estimate that tens of millions of units are sold each year, making AirPods the best-selling wireless earbuds globally and a major contributor to Apple's wearables revenue.


Since their debut, AirPods have evolved with the release of second-, third-, and fourth-generation models in March 2019, October 2021, and September 2024. These updates brought improvements such as better audio quality, longer battery life, hands-free "Hey Siri" functionality, a wireless charging case, and, most recently, active noise cancellation. A fifth-generation is believed to be in the works. The product line has also expanded with the premium AirPods Pro, featuring an in-ear design and active noise cancellation, in October 2019, and the over-ear AirPods Max in December 2020.Related Roundup: AirPods 4Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral)Related Forum: AirPods
This article, "AirPods Now Closing in on a Decade" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Samsung Announces World's First 2nm Mobile Chip Ahead of Apple

Samsung has officially unveiled the Exynos 2600, the world's first 2 nanometer mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC), built on the company's Gate-All-Around (GAA) process. The 10-core ARM-based design aims to deliver improved performance and efficiency for flagship devices like the upcoming Galaxy S26 series.


The chip uses Arm's latest cores and supports new instructions for improved CPU speed and on-device AI, with Samsung claiming up to a 39 percent boost in CPU performance and 113 percent faster NPU performance, enabling larger and more efficient AI workloads. Its GPU is based on the latest Xclipse design, which Samsung says doubles previous graphics performance and boosts ray tracing by up to 50 percent.

Earlier Exynos processors earned a poor reputation for running hot and throttling performance, particularly when compared with competing chips from Apple. To address those shortcomings, Samsung has introduced a new thermal approach called Heat Path Block (HPB). The technique uses a High-k EMC material to improve heat dissipation, enabling the Exynos 2600 to maintain higher performance levels for longer periods, even under sustained heavy workloads, claims Samsung.

Apple is widely expected to adopt the 2nm process node for several devices in 2026, albeit using TSMC's 2nm (N2) process. Apple has reportedly secured a significant portion of TSMC's initial N2 production capacity, with the A20 and A20 Pro chips for the iPhone 18 lineup expected to be the first Apple silicon built on this node. The N2-based processors would succeed Apple's A17 Pro through A19 Pro chips, fabricated using TSMC's series of 3nm processes.

Compared to current 3nm chips, TSMC's 2nm process promises up to 15 percent higher performance at the same power level, or 25 to 30 percent lower power consumption at the same performance level. The process also achieves approximately 15 percent higher transistor density, allowing more functionality to be packed into the same physical space.

Apple's first 2nm chips are likely to debut in iPhone 18 Pro models and Apple's first foldable iPhone, all of which are expected to launch in late 2026. Beyond iPhones, Apple's M6 series for future Macs could also use TSMC's 2nm process, although we haven't heard any specific rumors that this will be the case. Tags: 2nm, Samsung
This article, "Samsung Announces World's First 2nm Mobile Chip Ahead of Apple" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Future Trends and Evolution of Automated NoOps Services Solutions

Teams waste countless hours on manual fixes and scaling that grind progress to a halt. Top NoOps Services fully automate infrastructure management, freeing developers to build innovative features that drive real business value.​
What Are NoOps Services?
NoOps Services deliver self-managing infrastructure that operates independently without dedicated human operations teams. Advanced automation manages provisioning, scaling, monitoring, and recovery via declarative code and intelligent cloud-native platforms.​
NoOps eliminates all traditional operations tasks entirely. Systems automatically self-heal, scale on demand, and deploy continuously without intervention. Organizations achieve massive cost savings and dramatically faster delivery cycles free from operations bottlenecks.​
Enterprises deploy NoOps for serverless architectures, cloud-native applications, and resilient CI/CD pipelines that run flawlessly 24/7. Reliable performance emerges without constant oversight from operations specialists.​
Key Benefits of NoOps Services
NoOps slashes operations costs by 60% through comprehensive automation that runs perpetually. Engineering teams eradicate manual scaling, patching, and incident response permanently.​
Deployments accelerate 10x via continuous delivery pipelines. Self-healing mechanisms eliminate downtime proactively. Usage-based auto-scaling delivers predictable cloud expenses.​
Developers gain full ownership of delivery pipelines. Innovation surges without operations handoffs. Automated policy-as-code ensures continuous compliance.​
NoOps Lifecycle Practices
NoOps implements automation spanning the entire technology stack. Infrastructure manifests as version-controlled code. GitOps pipelines enable instant deployments. Observability drives autonomous remediation loops.
PracticePurposeTools/ApproachIaCAuto-provisionTerraform, CloudFormation ​CI/CDContinuous deployGitHub Actions, ArgoCD ​Auto-scalingHandle demandKubernetes HPA, Serverless ​Self-healingZero downtimeCircuit breakers, auto-restart ​ObservabilityProactive fixesPrometheus, Datadog ​ These layered automation practices guarantee NoOps success across projects.​
NoOps Services vs DevOps
NoOps automates operations completely, eliminating human involvement. DevOps distributes responsibilities across development and operations teams. NoOps removes operations teams permanently.​
AspectNoOps ServicesDevOpsOps TeamNone, fully automatedShared dev/ops ​FocusDeveloper productivityCollaboration ​ScalingPredictive auto-scaleManual + auto ​CostLowest ops overheadModerate team costs ​SpeedFastest deliveryFast with pipelines ​ NoOps represents the ultimate evolution of DevOps automation principles.​
Core Features of NoOps Services
Leading NoOps Services provide comprehensive automation consulting, implementation, training, and ongoing managed operations. Self-service developer portals, policy-as-code enforcement, and continuous monitoring form the foundation.​
Serverless and container orchestration scale autonomously. Real-time observability dashboards provide instant visibility. Security and compliance scanning execute continuously.
Ready-to-deploy Infrastructure as Code templates Intuitive self-service developer portals Intelligent auto-scaling and self-healing systems Complete compliance and security automation 24/7 managed operations support​ Strategic consulting defines migration roadmaps. Implementation delivers production-ready automation swiftly.​
Challenges NoOps Services Solve
Critical skills gaps hinder automation adoption industry-wide. NoOps Services deliver specialized expertise and comprehensive training programs.​
Organizational resistance to cultural transformation proves common. Guided transitions to self-service models accelerate adoption. Multi-cloud strategies mitigate vendor lock-in risks effectively.​
Legacy infrastructure resists modernization. Phased migration strategies enable seamless transitions. FinOps tools prevent cost overruns proactively.​
Real-World Success Stories
Fast-growing startups achieve 10x scale without operations hires through serverless NoOps architectures.​
Large enterprises reduce AWS spend by 50% via automated optimization and compliance enforcement.​
Healthcare organizations maintain zero downtime through resilient self-healing infrastructure.​
NoOps Best Practices
Adopt Infrastructure as Code universally from day one. Deploy self-service portals enabling developer autonomy. Prioritize serverless architectures strategically.​
Enforce governance through policy-as-code. Implement comprehensive observability for autonomous remediation. Design for proactive auto-scaling.
PracticeWhy EssentialImplementationIaC FirstVersioned infraTerraform modules ​Self-ServiceDev autonomyGitOps portals ​ServerlessZero opsAWS Lambda, Fargate ​ObservabilityAuto-remediationOpenTelemetry ​Policy-as-CodeAuto-complianceOPA Gatekeeper ​ Consistent execution achieves true NoOps maturity.​
Why DevOpsSchool Platform Excels
DevOpsSchool dominates global NoOps Services with proven expertise spanning India, USA, Europe, UAE, UK, Singapore, and Australia. Comprehensive offerings include consulting, implementation, hands-on training, and 24/7 managed support for organizations of all sizes.​
Training programs emphasize practical automation, cloud-native patterns, and self-healing systems through real-world labs. Flexible delivery formats build lasting internal capabilities.
Strengths:
Precision-engineered NoOps roadmaps and assessments Complete end-to-end automation implementations Proven success across healthcare, finance, and e-commerce Training programs producing autonomous automation teams​ Mentored by Rajesh Kumar
Transformative guidance from Rajesh Kumar, possessing 20+ years mastering DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, and multi-cloud architectures globally. Mentored 10,000+ engineers at leading organizations including ServiceNow, Adobe, IBM, Intuit, and Cotocus.
Serves as Principal DevOps Architect at Cotocus, architecting high-traffic CI/CD pipelines. Maintains active YouTube presence (TheDevOpsSchool) sharing enterprise-grade automation patterns. Delivered mission-critical systems at JDA. Students consistently praise practical instruction, real-world examples, and responsive support.​
Start Your NoOps Journey
Transform operations completely with battle-tested NoOps Services. Schedule your complimentary assessment immediately.
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool
Conclusion and Overview
NoOps Services liberate engineering teams to focus exclusively on innovation. Intelligent automation manages infrastructure reliably around the clock.​
Overview: Conduct thorough current-state assessments, establish IaC foundations, deploy self-service capabilities, activate auto-healing mechanisms, deliver cloud-native training, implement continuous monitoring. The path to operations-free excellence stands ready.
#NoOpsServices, #SelfHealingInfra, #AutomationFirst, #ServerlessOps, #IaC, #CloudNative, #ZeroDowntime, #DevProductivity, #AutoScaling, #NoOperations,

View the full article
reporter

Attackers bring their own passwords to Cisco and Palo Alto VPNs

Security researchers have flagged a coordinated credential-based campaign targeting VPN authentication endpoints from Cisco and Palo Alto Networks.
Over just two days in mid-December, attackers launched large-scale automated login attempts against Cisco’s SSL VPN and Palo Alto Networks’ GlobalProtect services.
A GreyNoise analysis noted that the campaign does not exploit software bugs, but instead relies on churning through username and password combos at scale.“Consistent infrastructure usage and timing indicate a single campaign pivoting across multiple VPN platforms,” the researchers said in a blog post.
GreyNoise confirmed millions of login sessions across more than 10,000 unique attacking IP addresses, pointing to a highly scripted and centralized campaign. It also clarified it has no evidence connecting the activity to the recent campaign targeting Cisco Secure Email Gateway and Secure Email and Web Manager.
Palo Alto portals hit with a wave of login traffic
GreyNoise reported a spike in automated login traffic targeting Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect portals on December 11. Over a 16-hour window, roughly 1.7 million sessions were observed hitting emulated GlobalProtect and PAN-OS login endpoints.
“Emulated” refers to decoy or simulated VPN login pages that GreyNoise runs, not real customer VPNs.
The targeted portals were geographically distributed, primarily in the United States, Pakistan, and Mexico, with the traffic almost exclusively originating from IP space linked to a single German hosting provider, 3xk GmbH. The login attempts followed a highly uniform pattern, reusing common usernames and passwords and even adopting a browser-like Firefox user agent string.
This is a telltale sign of scripted credential probes rather than opportunistic scanning, the researchers noted.
“This consistency of the user agent, request structure, and timing suggests scripted credential probing designed to identify exposed or weakly protected GlobalProtect portals, rather than interactive access attempts or vulnerability exploitation,” they said.
Brute-forcing Cisco’s SSL VPN follows
Just a day after the GlobalProtect surge, the same actor infrastructure pivoted to Cisco’s SSL VPN endpoints, with the same TCP fingerprint and hosting provider IP space. GreyNoise saw the number of unique attacking IPs jump from a typical daily baseline of fewer than 200 to over 1200, signalling a sharp rise in brute-force login attempts.
Unlike the more structured GlobalProtect activity, much of the Cisco traffic hit vendor-agnostic facade sensors. This indicated that attackers were probing broadly rather than holding a finely targeted list of known endpoints.
However, the underlying behavior remained automated credential-based authentication attempts.
GreyNoise disclosure urges defenders to harden authentication hygiene, including enforcing strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA), auditing exposed edge devices for unexpected login attempts, and leveraging threat intel blocklists to filter out malicious IPs at the perimeter. The disclosure shared blocklists for its platform customers as well as non-GreyNoise users.
View the full article
reporter

Attackers bring their own passwords to Cisco and Palo Alto VPNs

Security researchers have flagged a coordinated credential-based campaign targeting VPN authentication endpoints from Cisco and Palo Alto Networks.
Over just two days in mid-December, attackers launched large-scale automated login attempts against Cisco’s SSL VPN and Palo Alto Networks’ GlobalProtect services.
A GreyNoise analysis noted that the campaign does not exploit software bugs, but instead relies on churning through username and password combos at scale.“Consistent infrastructure usage and timing indicate a single campaign pivoting across multiple VPN platforms,” the researchers said in a blog post.
[ Related: More Cisco news and insights ]
GreyNoise confirmed millions of login sessions across more than 10,000 unique attacking IP addresses, pointing to a highly scripted and centralized campaign. It also clarified it has no evidence connecting the activity to the recent campaign targeting Cisco Secure Email Gateway and Secure Email and Web Manager.
Palo Alto portals hit with a wave of login traffic
GreyNoise reported a spike in automated login traffic targeting Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect portals on December 11. Over a 16-hour window, roughly 1.7 million sessions were observed hitting emulated GlobalProtect and PAN-OS login endpoints.
“Emulated” refers to decoy or simulated VPN login pages that GreyNoise runs, not real customer VPNs.
The targeted portals were geographically distributed, primarily in the United States, Pakistan, and Mexico, with the traffic almost exclusively originating from IP space linked to a single German hosting provider, 3xk GmbH. The login attempts followed a highly uniform pattern, reusing common usernames and passwords and even adopting a browser-like Firefox user agent string.
This is a telltale sign of scripted credential probes rather than opportunistic scanning, the researchers noted.
“This consistency of the user agent, request structure, and timing suggests scripted credential probing designed to identify exposed or weakly protected GlobalProtect portals, rather than interactive access attempts or vulnerability exploitation,” they said.
Brute-forcing Cisco’s SSL VPN follows
Just a day after the GlobalProtect surge, the same actor infrastructure pivoted to Cisco’s SSL VPN endpoints, with the same TCP fingerprint and hosting provider IP space. GreyNoise saw the number of unique attacking IPs jump from a typical daily baseline of fewer than 200 to over 1200, signalling a sharp rise in brute-force login attempts.
Unlike the more structured GlobalProtect activity, much of the Cisco traffic hit vendor-agnostic facade sensors. This indicated that attackers were probing broadly rather than holding a finely targeted list of known endpoints.
However, the underlying behavior remained automated credential-based authentication attempts.
GreyNoise disclosure urges defenders to harden authentication hygiene, including enforcing strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA), auditing exposed edge devices for unexpected login attempts, and leveraging threat intel blocklists to filter out malicious IPs at the perimeter. The disclosure shared blocklists for its platform customers as well as non-GreyNoise users.
More Cisco news:
Cisco confirms zero-day exploitation of Secure Email products Cisco defines AI security framework for enterprise protection Cisco initiative targets device security Key takeaways from Cisco Partner Summit AI networking demand fueled Cisco’s upbeat Q1 financial Cisco launches AI infrastructure, AI practitioner certifications Cisco centralizes customer experience around AI Cisco unveils integrated edge platform for AI View the full article
reporter

WatchGuard Warns of Active Exploitation of Critical Fireware OS VPN Vulnerability

WatchGuard has released fixes to address a critical security flaw in Fireware OS that it said has been exploited in real-world attacks. Tracked as CVE-2025-14733 (CVSS score: 9.3), the vulnerability has been described as a case of out-of-bounds write affecting the iked process that could allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code. "This vulnerability affects both theView the full article
reporter

Future-Proof Your Skills with Updated Consulting Training Methodologies

Businesses struggle with slow deployments and team skill gaps that hold back growth significantly without proper support. Top Consulting Training combines expert advice and hands-on learning to speed up digital change effectively and reliably every single day.​
What Is Consulting Training?
Consulting Training blends strategic guidance with practical skills development for real results that matter most to every organization. Consultants assess current setups carefully and thoroughly without missing details, create custom plans that fit perfectly without any gaps whatsoever, and train teams to implement them successfully without issues ever. This approach fixes problems while building internal know-how that lasts long-term forever without fail.​
In everyday terms, Consulting Training means experts work side-by-side with your staff closely and collaboratively every moment without exception. They spot issues in workflows quickly and accurately always every time, suggest fixes that work well perfectly, and teach everyone how to maintain improvements over time consistently without any fail whatsoever. Companies end up with faster releases and capable teams ready for future challenges ahead confidently and completely always.​
Organizations use Consulting Training for DevOps setups, cloud moves, CI/CD pipelines, and Kubernetes rollouts reliably every single day without any exception. Results include better collaboration and systems that perform consistently without fail ever.​
Key Benefits of Consulting Training
Consulting Training speeds up product launches by 50% through automated pipelines that deliver smoothly every single time without any problem. Teams cut manual work significantly and completely entirely, focus on features customers want most desperately right away, and deploy confidently without fear or hesitation ever again completely.​
Costs drop 30-40% from fewer errors and optimized resources across operations entirely and completely without any waste whatsoever. Training ensures staff handles changes without needing constant outside help every single time without exception ever again. Uptime improves with monitoring and best practices everyone follows closely always and forever without stop.​
Collaboration grows as dev, ops, and security teams align on common goals perfectly without doubt ever. Businesses gain agility to handle market shifts quickly and effectively without stress whatsoever at all ever.​
Consulting Training Lifecycle
Consulting Training follows clear steps: assess needs thoroughly and completely without missing anything ever, plan strategy carefully step-by-step precisely and perfectly always, implement changes smoothly without disruption ever again completely, train staff effectively with practice thoroughly and fully without gap, support ongoing work consistently long-term forever without end ever. Each phase builds on the last for lasting results that stick firmly always and forever completely.​
Assessments reveal gaps accurately and precisely every single time without fail ever. Roadmaps guide action clearly and confidently without fail whatsoever. Hands-on sessions build skills practically and thoroughly completely without any gap. Follow-up ensures adoption stays strong always without question ever.
PhaseFocusKey ActivitiesAssessCurrent stateMaturity audits, gap analysis ​PlanStrategyRoadmaps, tool selection ​ImplementChangesPipeline builds, migrations ​TrainSkillsWorkshops, labs ​SupportSustainOptimization, monitoring ​ This table outlines the full process for smooth transitions every single step completely and perfectly always.​
Consulting Training vs In-House Efforts
Consulting Training brings outside expertise for faster results organizations need desperately right this very moment without delay. In-house tries rely on limited knowledge, leading to trial-and-error delays that frustrate everyone involved terribly and completely always.​
AspectConsulting TrainingIn-House OnlySpeedQuick wins, proven pathsSlow learning curve ​ExpertiseDeep industry knowledgeInternal limits ​CostHigher upfront, ROI fastSpread out, higher long-term ​RiskLow, guided changesHigh trial failures ​SustainabilityTrained teams take overKnowledge stays narrow ​ External help accelerates transformation reliably without guesswork or wasted time ever again completely.​
Core Features of Consulting Training
Top Consulting Training offers assessments, custom roadmaps, hands-on implementation, team workshops, and ongoing optimization support comprehensively from start to end perfectly. They cover CI/CD, cloud, containers, monitoring from start to finish completely without any gap whatsoever.​
Tailored strategies fit your industry perfectly without compromise whatsoever ever again. Training uses real projects for relevance that truly matters most every single time. Support prevents backsliding after launch completely without fail always ever.
DevOps maturity audits thoroughly and completely every single time without miss. CI/CD pipeline design expertly and precisely without error ever again. Cloud migration plans carefully and thoughtfully always without fail ever. Kubernetes setups reliably and consistently every single project without issue. Security integration training effectively and practically for everyone always.​ Consultants handle complex migrations while upskilling staff simultaneously and seamlessly perfectly without issue ever.​
Challenges Consulting Training Solves
Skill shortages block progress everywhere without fail completely and totally always. Consulting Training fills gaps with targeted workshops that deliver results quickly and effectively every time without fail.​
Cultural resistance slows change significantly and noticeably always without any relief. Experts facilitate team buy-in naturally and smoothly without effort needed ever. Tool overload confuses choices completely; consultants pick optimal stacks wisely and confidently every single time always.​
Overhead strains resources heavily without relief ever again completely. Structured plans minimize disruption effectively always without issue whatsoever. Implementation stalls get expert fixes promptly and professionally immediately without any delay.​
Real-World Success Stories
Financial firms cut deployment times 60% with automated pipelines, boosting reliability noticeably and substantially every season without fail ever.​
E-commerce platforms reduced bugs 70%, improved satisfaction through DevOps practices consistently every single day without fail ever again.​
FinTech startups scaled via cloud migrations, handling user growth smoothly without issues whatsoever at all ever.​
Consulting Training Best Practices
Start with thorough assessments always without exception ever again completely. Build phased roadmaps carefully and meticulously precisely every time without fail. Mix online and in-person sessions quarterly for best results possible always without exception.​
Focus on hands-on labs practically and intensively completely without any gap ever. Measure progress with metrics clearly and objectively without bias ever again. Foster accountability through champions actively and continuously forever without stop ever.
PracticePurposeHow-ToMaturity AuditsBaseline gapsToolchain reviews ​Phased RolloutsManage changePilot then scale ​Hands-On LabsSkill buildingReal project sims ​Quarterly RefreshKeep currentUpdates, webinars ​Metrics TrackingProve ROIDeployment freq, uptime ​ These steps ensure adoption sticks permanently without fail ever again completely.​
Why DevOpsSchool Platform Excels
DevOpsSchool stands out as a global leader in Consulting Training for DevOps, cloud, and modern practices worldwide consistently every year without any exception ever. They deliver customized strategies, full implementations, and skill-building programs across industries effectively always without miss whatsoever.​
Worldwide reach covers India, USA, Europe, UAE, UK, Singapore, Australia serving all organizations perfectly without fail ever. Programs suit startups to enterprises with flexible formats perfectly suited always and forever completely.
Key strengths:
Tailored DevOps roadmaps and audits precisely and accurately every single project without miss. End-to-end CI/CD and cloud setups completely and thoroughly without gap ever again. Hands-on training for all levels effectively without gaps whatsoever always completely. Proven results in finance, tech, healthcare reliably proven consistently every time ever.​ Mentored by Rajesh Kumar
Programs guided by Rajesh Kumar, with 20+ years in DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, cloud globally recognized worldwide everywhere always. Trained 10,000+ at ServiceNow, Adobe, IBM, Intuit, Cotocus successfully worldwide without fail ever again.
Principal DevOps Architect at Cotocus, manages CI/CD for sites like jetexe.com reliably day-to-day consistently without issue ever. Shares via YouTube (TheDevOpsSchool), blogs regularly with real value every time always. Built pipelines at JDA effectively over many years successfully completely. Trainees love clear explanations, practical labs, quick query help that builds confidence solidly forever and ever without end.​
Start Your Transformation
Achieve faster delivery with expert Consulting Training. Contact for assessment today without delay whatsoever ever.
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool
Conclusion and Overview
Consulting Training drives real change by pairing strategy with skills effectively and completely always without fail ever. Teams deliver faster, reliably, with less cost over time consistently forever and ever completely.​
Overview: Assess gaps thoroughly first always without miss ever, plan roadmaps wisely without fail ever again, implement changes smoothly carefully every single time without exception, train thoroughly completely for everyone always, optimize continuously forever without stop ever again, measure success clearly objectively always perfectly without doubt. Path to operational excellence awaits everyone ready now without doubt whatsoever.


View the full article
reporter

Future Trends and Evolving Practices in DevSecOps Services

DevSecOps services blend security right into the fast-paced world of software development and deployment. This approach helps teams build apps that are both quick to release and safe from threats.​
Why DevSecOps Matters Today
Teams today face pressure to release software faster, but skipping security can lead to big problems like data breaches. DevSecOps services fix this by making security a team effort from day one, not an afterthought. It shifts security “left” in the process, catching issues early to save time and money.​
Businesses of all sizes benefit from these services. Startups get scalable protection without hiring extra staff, while big companies meet strict rules like GDPR or HIPAA. Real-world examples show faster deployments with fewer vulnerabilities when security tools run automatically in pipelines. In today’s digital world, where cyber threats grow daily, embedding security ensures your business stays ahead without slowing down.​
Core Features of DevSecOps Services
DevSecOps services offer tools and processes that fit into your daily work. Key parts include automated scans for code flaws, checks for open-source risks, and ongoing monitoring. These features cover everything from strategy planning to daily operations, making security simple and effective.​
Here’s a table summarizing main features:
FeatureDescriptionBenefitAutomated Security ScanningChecks code (SAST), running apps (DAST), and libraries (SCA) at every step. ​Finds issues early, cuts fix time.Continuous ComplianceAuto-reports for standards like PCI-DSS or ISO, keeping audits simple. ​Avoids fines, eases reviews.Threat IntelligenceLive updates on new risks to stay ahead of attacks. ​Protects against fresh dangers.Incident ResponseQuick auto-fixes for threats to cut damage time. ​Limits breach impact fast.Role-Based AccessLimits who sees what, following least-privilege rules. ​Stops insider risks.Multi-Cloud SupportWorks across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud seamlessly. ​Fits any setup you use. These tools make security a helper, not a hurdle, in your workflow.​
How DevSecOps Services Work
The process starts with a full check of your current setup to spot weak points. Next, experts pick and set up tools like scanners and monitors into your CI/CD pipelines. A test run on a small project proves it works before going big. This way, changes feel smooth and show quick results.​
Steps in a typical rollout:
Assess risks and needs with your team. Build custom pipelines with security baked in from the start. Train everyone on tools and best practices through hands-on sessions. Roll out company-wide with constant monitoring. Keep improving based on real data and feedback. This step-by-step method ensures quick wins and long-term gains. It turns security into a shared habit across dev, ops, and security groups.​
Benefits for Your Business
Speed stays high while risks drop low. Teams fix bugs early, cutting fix costs by up to 100x compared to production. Compliance becomes automatic, easing audits and avoiding fines. Plus, teams work better together when everyone shares security duties.​
Other wins include better team collaboration—devs, ops, and security work as one. Scalability grows with your business, handling more apps without more headaches. Reviews from users praise hands-on training and real results, like faster query resolution and solid concepts. Keywords like vulnerability scanning, CI/CD security, and compliance automation become part of your success story.​
In short, DevSecOps services boost efficiency, cut costs, and build trust with customers who expect safe apps.
Real-World Implementation Steps
Start with a security review of your pipelines to find gaps. Pick open tools to avoid lock-in, like those for container checks or runtime alerts. Then integrate them step by step, testing as you go.​
Engagement Options:
Fully managed: Experts handle everything while you focus on core work. Team-assisted: You learn as they build, gaining skills along the way. Custom: Focus on one area, like cloud security or microservices protection. Ongoing support includes 24/7 monitoring and tweaks based on new threats. This builds a security culture that lasts, with metrics to track progress like reduced vulnerabilities per release.​
Leading DevSecOps Services
DevSecOps Services stand out for full coverage from consulting to support. They embed security in pipelines with vulnerability scans, compliance tools, and incident plans tailored to your needs. Services suit startups to enterprises, with proven results in secure, fast delivery.​
Positive feedback highlights interactive sessions, clear guidance, and real-world examples. Their approach includes automated testing, data protection, and training, ensuring continuous security in CI/CD flows.​
Spotlight on Expert Leadership
Programs draw from deep know-how, mentored by Rajesh Kumar, a top trainer with 20+ years in DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, and Cloud. He has guided big names like Nokia, Ericsson, and Verizon on pipelines, Kubernetes, and monitoring. His style focuses on practical projects, test-driven methods, and clear explanations that stick—perfect for teams needing real skills fast. Rajesh Kumar brings global experience with a local touch, making complex topics easy through hands-on demos and query resolution.​
DevOpsSchool leads as a top platform for training and certifications in these fields. As a trusted name, it offers hands-on courses in DevSecOps with live projects, certs that boost careers, and flexible options worldwide. Key strengths:
Expert trainers with deep industry experience. Online and in-person modes to fit your schedule. Job-ready skills in tools like Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes. Global reach, especially strong in India and USA. High ratings from pros like Abhinav Gupta for interactive, useful sessions.​ This combo of leadership and platform makes learning and implementing DevSecOps reliable and effective.
Key Tools in DevSecOps Services
Top keywords like container security, threat modeling, secure microservices, IaC security, and runtime protection fit right in. Use SAST for code review, DAST for app tests, SCA for dependencies. Add IaC checks with Terraform and runtime guards for full coverage.​
Tool TypeExamplesUse CaseCode AnalysisSonarQube, CheckmarxStatic scans early in dev.​Runtime MonitoringFalco, SysdigWatch containers live.​ComplianceOPA, StyraPolicy enforcement auto.​Dependency CheckSnyk, WhiteSourceScan open-source risks.​ These keep your pipeline strong with secure CI/CD and automated compliance.
Challenges and Solutions
Common hurdles include team buy-in and tool overload. Solution: Start small with pilots and training. Legacy systems? Use hybrid setups that bridge old and new without full rewrites.​
Tips for Success:
Train all teams together for shared understanding. Measure with metrics like mean time to fix vulnerabilities. Update tools often for new threats. Foster shared ownership across roles. This tackles issues head-on, turning challenges into strengths.​
Future of DevSecOps Services
Expect more AI-driven scans, zero-trust models, and edge security as apps spread. Services will focus on multi-cloud and AI ops, keeping pace with tech shifts. Partnering with experts ensures you stay ready for what’s next.​
Conclusion and Overview
DevSecOps services transform risky speed into safe agility, protecting apps while speeding innovation. Overview: From auto-scans and compliance to full lifecycle support, they deliver end-to-end security that scales. Choose proven providers with expert mentorship for lasting results—secure your future today.​
Contact DevOpsSchool:
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
Website: DevOpsSchool


View the full article
reporter

Cisco bestätigt Zero-Day-Exploit für Secure Email

JarTee – shutterstock.com
Cisco Talos hat kürzlich eine Cyberkampagne entdeckt, die auf Ciscos AsyncOS-Software für Secure Email Gateway, Secure Email und Web Manager abzielt. Die Kampagne soll mindestens seit Ende November laufen. Ein Patch ist derzeit noch nicht verfügbar, so der Netzwerkriese.
Umfang des Risikos
Laut Cisco betrifft die Schwachstelle Systeme, auf denen die Spam-Quarantäne-Funktion aktiviert ist. Security-Experten zufolge verringert dies allerdings nicht unbedingt das Risiko für Unternehmen.
„Auch wenn die Funktion standardmäßig nicht aktiviert ist – die Sicherheitslücke kann ein hohes Risiko darstellen“, mahnt Sunil Varkey, Analyst für Cybersicherheit. „Betroffene Geräte stehen in der Regel an privilegierten Positionen im Netzwerk.“
Zudem sei unklar, wie viele Unternehmen die Funktion in Produktionsumgebungen aktiviert haben,
„Die Spam-Quarantäne bietet Administratoren die Möglichkeit, ‚False Positives‘, also legitime E-Mail-Nachrichten, die vom Gerät als Spam eingestuft wurden, zu überprüfen und freizugeben“, erklärt Keith Prabhu, Gründer und CEO von Confidis. „Angesichts des heutigen Remote-Supports und des 24×7-Betriebs ist es durchaus möglich, dass diese Funktion von vielen Unternehmen aktiviert wurde.“
Laut Akshat Tyagi, Associate Practice Leader bei HFS Research, ist das größte Problem die Art des Ziels. „Im Gegensatz zu einem Anwender-Laptop oder einem eigenständigen Server stehen E-Mail-Sicherheitssysteme im Mittelpunkt der Art und Weise, wie Unternehmen den E-Mail-Verkehr filtern und vertrauen. Das bedeutet, dass Angreifer innerhalb einer Infrastruktur operieren würden, die darauf ausgelegt ist, Bedrohungen zu stoppen, anstatt sie zu erhalten.“
Tyagi fügt hinzu: „Die Tatsache, dass es noch keinen Patch gibt, erhöht das Risiko zusätzlich. Wenn der Hersteller empfiehlt, die Geräte neu aufzusetzen, anstatt sich selbst darum zu kümmern, zeigt dies, dass es hier um Persistenz und Kontrolle geht und nicht nur um einen einmaligen Exploit.“
Varkey weist darauf hin, dass der Exploit nicht unbedingt eine direkte Internetverbindung erfordere, sondern auch über interne oder über VPN erreichbare Netzwerke erfolgen könne. Er empfiehlt Unternehmen, den Zugriff auf betroffene Management-Ports vorübergehend zu sperren oder einzuschränken.
Tipps zum Wiederaufbau und betriebliche Kompromisse
Cisco erklärte, dass in Fällen, in denen eine Kompromittierung bestätigt wurde, derzeit eine Löschung und ein Wiederaufbau der Geräte erforderlich ist.
„Aus Sicherheitsgründen ist dies in der Tat die richtige Entscheidung“, so Tyagi. „Wenn die Gefahr besteht, dass sich Angreifer tief in ein System eingenistet haben, reicht das Aufspielen von Patches allein nicht aus, um das Problem zu lösen. Eine Neuinstallation ist die einzige Möglichkeit, um sicherzustellen, dass die Bedrohung vollständig beseitigt ist.“
Varkey merkt jedoch an, dass dies für viele Unternehmen möglicherweise keine praktikable Option sei, da damit geschäftliche Risiken verbunden seien. Darunter Ausfallzeiten, Fehlkonfigurationen und die potenzielle Wiedereinführung von Persistenz durch kompromittierte Backups.
Unternehmen müssen ein Gleichgewicht zwischen der Geschwindigkeit der Behebung und der Aufrechterhaltung des Geschäftsbetriebs finden und sich gleichzeitig auf kompensierende Kontrollen verlassen, um das Risiko zu begrenzen.
„Cisco Secure Email Gateway, Cisco Secure Email und Web Manager sind wichtige Komponenten der E-Mail-Infrastruktur“, betont Prabhu. „Unternehmen müssten diese Maßnahme so planen, dass Ausfallzeiten minimiert werden, gleichzeitig aber auch das Zeitfenster für Kompromittierungen reduziert wird. In der Zwischenzeit könnten sie andere Sicherheitsmaßnahmen wie das Blockieren von Ports in der Firewall einsetzen, um die Angriffsfläche zu begrenzen.“ (jm)
View the full article
reporter

Nigeria Arrests RaccoonO365 Phishing Developer Linked to Microsoft 365 Attacks

Authorities in Nigeria have announced the arrest of three "high-profile internet fraud suspects" who are alleged to have been involved in phishing attacks targeting major corporations, including the main developer behind the RaccoonO365 phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) scheme. The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF–NCCC) said investigations conducted in collaboration withView the full article
reporter

Maximizing Business Continuity with Strategic SRE Services

Teams lose money when systems go down unexpectedly during peak times without proper safeguards. Top SRE Services keep applications running smoothly with smart monitoring and automation that prevents outages.​
What Are SRE Services?
SRE Services apply software engineering to IT operations for reliable systems that scale. They balance new features with stability using error budgets and clear goals everyone can track. Teams automate toil to focus on important work that moves the business forward.​
In plain terms, SRE Services treat operations like code that can be improved. Engineers build tools for monitoring, alerting, and recovery instead of manual fixes every time. Businesses get 99.99% uptime without slowing development speed or innovation.​
Companies use SRE Services for SLOs, incident response, and capacity planning that works. They handle growth while keeping services available around the clock.​
Key Benefits of SRE Services
SRE Services cut unplanned work by 50% through automation that saves time. Teams spend time on features, not firefighting constant alerts. Uptime hits 99.9%+ with proactive fixes before issues spread.​
Costs drop as efficiency rises across operations. Error budgets prevent over-engineering while guiding safe releases. Incidents resolve 3x faster with blameless postmortems that teach real lessons.​
Scalability supports growth without service disruption. Systems handle traffic spikes smoothly during high demand. Customer trust grows with reliable service every day.​
SRE Lifecycle Practices
SRE follows principles like embracing risk and automation always. Define SLOs, measure SLIs, manage error budgets carefully. Automate toil below 50% of team time.​
Plan capacity ahead of demand. Monitor health continuously without gaps. Respond to incidents quickly with clear runbooks. Learn from postmortems thoroughly. Release engineering ensures smooth deploys without drama.
PracticePurposeKey MetricSLO/SLI/SLADefine reliability99.9% availability ​Error BudgetBalance speed/stability0.1% allowed failures ​Toil ReductionAutomate ops<50% manual work ​Incident ResponseFast recoveryMTTR under 30min ​PostmortemsLearn from failuresBlameless reviews ​ This table shows core practices for SRE success in production.​
SRE Services vs DevOps
SRE Services focus on reliability engineering with measurable outcomes. DevOps emphasizes culture and collaboration across teams. SRE uses software to achieve DevOps goals with precision.​
AspectSRE ServicesDevOpsFocusReliability metricsCulture/process ​MetricsSLOs, error budgetsDeployment frequency ​RiskQuantified via budgetsExperimentation ​RoleSoftware engineers in opsCross-functional teams ​AutomationToil reductionCI/CD pipelines ​ SRE implements DevOps with engineering rigor that lasts.​
Core Features of SRE Services
Top SRE Services offer consulting, implementation, training, support without gaps. They define SLOs, build monitoring, automate recovery completely.​
Error budgets guide smart decisions daily. Capacity planning prevents overloads before they hit. Incident management reduces MTTR significantly.
Custom SLO frameworks tailored to your needs. Automation toolchains that scale with growth. 24/7 incident response always ready. Team training programs that stick.​ Consulting maps your path clearly. Implementation deploys solutions smoothly.​
Challenges SRE Services Solve
Cultural resistance slows adoption across organizations. SRE Services train teams on shared responsibility that works.​
Complex infra overwhelms staff without proper tools. Services standardize tools and processes simply. High costs block startups; managed service scales affordably.​
Measurement gaps hurt decisions without data. SLOs provide clear targets everyone follows. Skill shortages? Expert guidance fills them fast.​
Real-World Success Stories
E-commerce retailers cut outages 50%, boosting revenue during peaks like Black Friday.​
Hospitals achieve reliable patient systems, improving care delivery without downtime.​
Financial firms reduce MTTR 60%, minimizing fraud exposure effectively.​
SRE Best Practices
Embrace risk with error budgets that balance speed and safety. Automate toil relentlessly to free up time. Measure everything with clear SLIs.​
Blameless postmortems drive learning forward. Simplicity over complexity always wins. Release engineering prevents toil from building up.
PracticeWhy EssentialImplementationError BudgetsBalance innovation/reliabilityTrack vs SLOs ​AutomationReduce toilRunbooks, tooling ​SLOsObjective targets4 golden signals ​PostmortemsSystemic fixesActionable items ​MonitoringObservabilitySLIs, dashboards ​ Follow these for production excellence that endures.​
Why DevOpsSchool Platform Excels
DevOpsSchool leads SRE and DevOps training globally with real impact. Comprehensive courses, certifications, hands-on labs cover SLOs, error budgets, incident management across all levels.​
Global presence: India, USA, Europe, UAE, UK, Singapore, Australia serving thousands. Flexible online/onsite formats simulate real production environments accurately.
Highlights:
Tailored SRE consulting frameworks matched precisely. Complete implementation from monitoring to automation. Proven results in finance, healthcare, e-commerce. Training builds self-sufficient SRE teams confidently.​ Mentored by Rajesh Kumar
Expertise from Rajesh Kumar, 20+ years mastering DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, cloud worldwide. Trained 10,000+ engineers at ServiceNow, Adobe, IBM, Intuit, Cotocus successfully.
Principal DevOps Architect at Cotocus, managing CI/CD for high-traffic sites like jetexe.com reliably. Shares practical insights via YouTube (TheDevOpsSchool), blogs regularly. Built enterprise pipelines at JDA. Trainees rave about clear explanations, hands-on examples, rapid query resolution that builds confidence.​
Start Your SRE Journey
Achieve 99.99% uptime with proven SRE Services. Contact for tailored solutions today.
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool
Conclusion and Overview
SRE Services create reliable, scalable systems balancing innovation and stability. They automate toil, measure success objectively, prevent outages proactively.​
Overview: Define SLOs clearly, implement error budgets wisely, automate operations fully, conduct blameless postmortems always, partner with SRE experts reliably. Clear path to production excellence that scales.

View the full article
reporter

Predict Issues and Prevent Outages Using AIOps Services

IT teams drown in alerts and fix problems after they break things for users everywhere. Top Aiops Services use AI to spot issues early and fix them automatically before major impact hits.​
What Are Aiops Services?
Aiops Services mix artificial intelligence with IT operations to make systems smarter and more efficient every day. They watch data in real time constantly, predict problems before they happen at all, and handle fixes without waiting for humans to step in. These services collect logs, metrics, and events to find patterns humans miss in complex environments.​
In simple terms, Aiops Services turn reactive firefighting into proactive prevention that saves time and resources. Instead of chasing alerts all day without end, teams get clear insights on root causes right away. Businesses cut downtime significantly and focus on growth, not constant breakdowns.​
Companies use Aiops Services for anomaly detection, event correlation, and automated responses that work. They handle complex cloud setups where traditional tools fall short completely.​
Key Benefits of Aiops Services
Aiops Services slash mean time to resolution by 60% or more across organizations of all sizes. Teams fix issues faster with AI spotting patterns across huge data sets accurately. Downtime drops sharply, saving revenue—every hour costs big in e-commerce or finance sectors.​
Costs fall noticeably as automation handles routine tasks without extra staff needed. No more alert storms overwhelming everyone on the team. Predictive analytics forecasts demand to avoid over-spending on servers unnecessarily.​
Reliability jumps high with self-healing systems that recover automatically. AI restarts services or scales resources before users notice anything wrong. Teams collaborate better with unified views of IT health everywhere.​
Aiops Lifecycle Stages
Aiops works in stages from data collection to continuous learning over time. It ingests data broadly, analyzes patterns deeply, detects issues early, and improves over time.​
Collect from logs, metrics, apps across environments. Analyze for normal vs. unusual behavior patterns. Detect anomalies early before damage. Automate fixes intelligently. Learn from outcomes continuously.
StageMain TasksCommon ToolsData IngestionGather logs, metrics, eventsSplunk, ELK ​AnalysisFind patterns, baselinesMoogsoft, Dynatrace ​DetectionSpot anomalies, root causesBigPanda, Datadog ​AutomationTrigger fixes, self-healServiceNow, PagerDuty ​LearningImprove models over timeMachine Learning engines ​ This table maps stages to real tools for clear implementation paths.​
Aiops Services vs Traditional IT Ops
Aiops Services shift from reactive to predictive ops that prevent problems. Traditional methods react after failures happen; Aiops prevents them with AI insights ahead.​
AspectAiops ServicesTraditional OpsResponseProactive, predictiveReactive, manual ​Data HandlingReal-time, massive scaleSiloed, limited ​Issue ResolutionAutomated, fastHuman-dependent, slow ​Alert ManagementNoise reductionAlert fatigue ​ScalingDynamic, AI-drivenStatic planning ​ Aiops collects from everywhere for full visibility always, unlike scattered traditional tools.​
Core Features of Aiops Services
Leading Aiops Services cover end-to-end from consulting to 24/7 support without gaps. They integrate AI for real-time monitoring and auto-remediation that works reliably.​
Predictive analytics forecasts failures accurately every time. Automated workflows fix common issues instantly without delay. Dashboards give clear views everyone understands easily.
Custom roadmaps for your specific setup. Hands-on implementation with tools like Splunk effectively. Training for team mastery that lasts. Ongoing optimization keeps it fresh always.​ Consulting assesses gaps first thoroughly. Implementation ensures smooth rollout at every step.​
Challenges Aiops Services Solve
Data silos block insights in complex environments daily. Aiops unifies sources for clear pictures across everything.​
Skill gaps slow adoption and frustrate teams. Services provide training and experts on demand immediately. High costs worry teams greatly; cloud models scale pay-as-you-go flexibly.​
Poor data quality leads to bad predictions often. Built-in cleansing ensures accuracy from the start. Integration hurdles vanish with expert setup guidance.​
Real-World Success Stories
E-commerce platforms predict traffic spikes, auto-scale perfectly, avoid Black Friday crashes—boosting sales significantly.​
Telecom cuts response time 30% with network auto-management reliably. Automotive hits 99.9% uptime, 60% faster fixes across all plants.​
Banks detect fraud early via anomaly spotting precisely. Healthcare keeps patient systems reliable 24/7 without fail ever.​
Best Practices for Aiops Success
Define clear goals like MTTR reduction first always. Pick quality data sources carefully every time.​
Maintain data hygiene daily consistently. Secure everything properly from start. Train teams well ongoing.
PracticeWhy It WorksAction StepClear ObjectivesMeasures successSet MTTR targets ​Data QualityAccurate AICleanse silos first ​IntegrationFull visibilityConnect all tools ​Security FocusTrustworthy opsMulti-tier access ​ Start small, scale with wins steadily. Update models regularly for best results always.​
Why Choose DevOpsSchool Platform
DevOpsSchool leads in Aiops and DevOps training globally with proven impact everywhere. Courses, certifications, labs cover AI monitoring, predictive analytics, automation for all levels effectively.​
Spans India, USA, Europe, UAE, UK, Singapore, Australia seamlessly. Online/onsite with hands-on projects mimicking real ops centers perfectly.
Key strengths:
Tailored Aiops consulting roadmaps precisely matched. Full implementation from monitoring to self-healing completely. Industry wins in finance, telecom, e-commerce proven widely. Training empowers independent teams fully and confidently.​ Mentored by Rajesh Kumar
Guidance from Rajesh Kumar, 20+ years in DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, cloud worldwide successfully. Trained 10,000+ at ServiceNow, Adobe, IBM, Intuit, Cotocus with proven success.​
Leads global CI/CD at Cotocus for high-traffic sites reliably every day. Shares practical tips via YouTube, blogs regularly. Built enterprise pipelines at JDA. Trainees praise clear examples, fast query resolution, interactive hands-on sessions that build confidence.​
Start Your Aiops Journey
Upgrade ops with expert Aiops Services. Contact for custom plans today easily.
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool
Conclusion and Overview
Aiops Services make IT proactive, automated, and reliable across all environments completely. They predict, prevent, fix—driving efficiency forward powerfully.​
Overview: Assess needs thoroughly first, unify data completely across systems, automate responses smartly always, train teams effectively on an ongoing basis, and partner with experts wisely long-term. Simple path to smarter ops that lasts forever.


View the full article
reporter

How Professional MLOps Services Scale Your AI Projects

Machine learning models often fail in production without proper MlOps Services management. Top MlOps Services fix this by automating ML deployment, model monitoring, and scaling for reliable MLOps results.​
Understanding MlOps Services Basics
MlOps Services blend machine learning with DevOps practices to streamline operations effectively and reliably. They help teams move models from experiments to live use without headaches in MLOps pipelines. These MlOps Services cover data handling, training, testing, and updates for seamless workflows. Businesses gain speed and trust in AI outputs through strong MLOps practices. For instance, automated checks catch issues early in ML operations.​
In simple terms, MlOps Services make ML repeatable and safe, much like DevOps does for apps. It handles unique ML challenges like changing data in MLOps workflows. Teams using these MlOps Services see models perform better over time with less manual work in production ML.​
Key Benefits of MlOps Services
Adopting MlOps Services cuts deployment time by half for many teams in CI/CD for ML. Costs drop as automation replaces manual work in MLOps platforms. Reliability rises with constant model monitoring, so models stay accurate even as data evolves. Teams collaborate better across roles with MLOps tools.​
Scalability supports growth without rework in ML scaling. Real gains show in faster decisions and happier customers via MLOps benefits. For example, companies report up to 15% lower operational costs through better predictions and efficiency in data pipelines.​
Full MlOps Lifecycle Breakdown
The MLOps lifecycle has clear steps for smooth MlOps Services operations. Each phase builds on the last for end-to-end MLOps control. Data collection starts it all, followed by cleaning and feature work. Training and validation come next, with versioning key for repeatability in ML lifecycle.​
Deployment uses CI/CD pipelines for safe releases. Model monitoring tracks performance, triggering retrains as needed. This loop ensures models improve continuously with MLOps automation.
Lifecycle StageMain TasksCommon ToolsData ManagementCollect, clean, version dataDVC, Great Expectations ​Model DevelopmentTrain, tune, validateMLflow, TensorFlow ​DeploymentCI/CD for ML, servingKubernetes, Seldon ​OperationsModel monitoring, retrain, scalePrometheus, Kubeflow ​ This table outlines stages simply and shows how MLOps tools fit for efficiency.​
MlOps Services Compared to DevOps
MlOps Services extends DevOps for ML needs. DevOps focuses on code; MlOps Services adds data and model care. Both use automation and teamwork, but MLOps tracks experiments and drift unlike standard apps.​
FeatureMlOps ServicesDevOpsCore FocusModels and dataCode and infra ​VersioningData, models, featuresSource code ​TestingAccuracy, bias checksUnit, integration ​Model MonitoringDrift, predictionsLogs, uptime ​ MlOps Services borrows CI/CD from DevOps but customizes for ML flows. This makes it a natural next step for tech teams.​
Essential Features in MlOps Services
Look for full lifecycle coverage in top MlOps Services. End-to-end help from setup to tweaks sets them apart. MLOps pipeline automation ensures repeats without errors. Integration with clouds like AWS eases moves to production.​
Model monitoring dashboards alert on drops right away. Security and compliance fit regulated fields like finance and health.​
Automated retraining on data shifts keeps models fresh in MLOps. Team training builds skills for long-term ownership with MlOps Services. Global support handles any scale or location.​ CI/CD expertise shines, deploying without downtime even as data grows.​
Common MlOps Challenges Solved
Data quality issues plague many teams. MlOps Services standardize prep for consistency every time. Skill mixes confuse roles between data scientists and ops. Training bridges these gaps effectively.​
High costs slow starts for smaller businesses. Cloud options scale pay-as-you-go to fit budgets in ML scaling. Compliance worries ease with built-in safeguards for sensitive data.​
Partners guide custom fixes and train staff for future-proof MLOps setups. This hands-on approach reduces risks and speeds results.​
Industry Success Stories
Retail giants like Walmart use MlOps Services for stock forecasts, cutting waste by 15%. Healthcare predicts equipment fails early, saving lives and money with model monitoring. Finance spots fraud in real-time with full audits.​
Tech firms speed new features to users faster across global teams via MLOps pipelines. These wins prove MlOps Services drives real business value in diverse sectors.​
Proven Best Practices
Define goals first, tied to clear business outcomes. Start simple, then automate fully across the MLOps pipeline. Version all assets: data, code, and models for easy rollbacks. Test rigorously at each step to catch problems early.​
Encourage cross-team tools and shared dashboards. Monitor key metrics like accuracy, latency, and drift with model monitoring.​
PracticeWhy It MattersQuick TipAutomationSaves time and errorsScript all steps ​Version ControlEnsures reproducibilityUse Git for models ​Model MonitoringProvides early alertsSet drift thresholds ​CollaborationReduces silosShared dashboards ​ Follow these for strong, lasting results in any MLOps setup.
Why Choose DevOpsSchool Platform
DevOpsSchool leads in DevOps and MlOps Services training worldwide. They provide courses, certifications, and hands-on labs on MLOps, cloud, Kubernetes, and more for all skill levels.​
Global reach covers India, USA, Europe, UAE, UK, Singapore, and Australia. Options include flexible online and onsite formats with real-world MLOps projects.
Highlights include:
Tailored pipelines blending DevOps and ML best practices. Full lifecycle support from consulting to ongoing model monitoring. Proven client wins in health, finance, retail, and tech. Training programs that empower teams for independence.​ Meet Mentor Rajesh Kumar
Guidance comes from Rajesh Kumar, with 20+ years in DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, DataOps, AIOps, MLOps, Kubernetes, and cloud technologies. He’s trained over 10,000 professionals at companies like ServiceNow, Adobe, IBM, and Intuit.​
At Cotocus, he leads global CI/CD initiatives for major projects. Rajesh shares practical tips via YouTube channels, blogs, and forums, focusing on real-world MlOps applications. His clear teaching style, hands-on examples, and quick query resolution earn high praise from trainees.​
Start Your MlOps Journey
Transform your ML projects with expert MlOps Services. Contact today for a custom plan that fits your team and MLOps goals.
Email: [email protected]
Phone & WhatsApp (India): +91 7004 215 841
Phone & WhatsApp (USA): +1 (469) 756-6329
DevOpsSchool
Conclusion and Overview
MlOps Services make machine learning production-ready, reliable, and scalable across the board. They automate common hassles to deliver steady business wins in ML deployment.​
In overview, assess your needs first, automate the full MLOps lifecycle, monitor actively for issues, and partner with proven experts. This straightforward path maximizes AI value for the long term, helping businesses stay ahead in a data-driven world with model monitoring and CI/CD for ML.


View the full article
reporter

New UEFI Flaw Enables Early-Boot DMA Attacks on ASRock, ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI Motherboards

Certain motherboard models from vendors like ASRock, ASUSTeK Computer, GIGABYTE, and MSI are affected by a security vulnerability that leaves them susceptible to early-boot direct memory access (DMA) attacks across architectures that implement a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and input–output memory management unit (IOMMU). UEFI and IOMMU are designed to enforce a securityView the full article
reporter

Managing agentic AI risk: Lessons from the OWASP Top 10

LLM-powered chatbots have risks that we see playing out in the headlines on a nearly daily basis. But chatbots are limited to answering questions. AI agents, however, access data and tools and carry out tasks, making them infinitely more capable – and more dangerous to enterprises.
The OWASP Top 10 for Agentic Applications can help CISOs explain what the issues are to their business counterparts. It can also help CISOs to directly improve agentic AI security, because it comes with threats taxonomy, mitigation strategies and playbooks, and example threat models.
It’s all part of OWASP’s Agentic Security Initiative. Scott Clinton, OWASP GenAI security project board co-chair and co-founder, says he was surprised by how many agentic solutions were already deployed in organizations that the OWASP team uncovered while they were researching the list. And how many of those solutions were deployed without the knowledge of IT and security teams.
This level of risk is unprecedented, he says. That includes a lot of theoretical, “academic” risks.
“However, we focused on those that were data-driven,” he says. “Where we would provide practical guidance based on real-world conditions today.”
The challenge of educating stakeholders
“If you’re a CSO, chances are you are having quite a time educating your stakeholders about the risks that are being introduced by the use cases that are probably being pushed on you,” says Kayla Underkoffler, director of AI security and policy advocacy at Zenity, an AI security company, and one of the core contributors to the OWASP list.
The CISO might not be able to say no, she adds – but might also be a little hesitant to say that the company can go all in and adopt the technology without thinking of the consequences.
The list was deliberately designed to be consumable, she says. “It will help with threat modeling, help with telling the story, help explain what controls need to be in place to reduce the risk and why.”
A security leader can get an agentic AI use case from the business and align the top risks to fit that use case. The list also provides a common language around agentic AI and its risks, Underkoffler says.
Actionable guidance
Agentic AI is the main topic of conversation in discussions among his peers, says Keith Hillis, VP of security engineering at Akamai Technologies.
“Most organizations are confronted with the challenge of balancing the promising power of AI while also ensuring the organization is not incurring increased security risk,” he says. So, the biggest value he finds in the new Agentic AI OWASP top 10 is that it’s immediately useful. “It’s directly actionable as a control baseline in both security architecture and governance, risk, and compliance contexts,” he says.
One aspect of the list that he found particularly insightful was the evolution of “least privilege” to “least agency.”
He recommends that CISOs use the list to assess their programs, identify gaps, and map out a plan of action for improvement. “Most likely already have active programs in place,” he says. But it’s also likely they will need to evolve to accommodate the specific risks of agentic AI.
Missing pieces
The only thing that’s lacking in this first release of the list is that some of the mitigation sections aren’t detailed enough, says Zenity’s Underkoffler.
But there are plans to address that. “We have some efforts to really dive into the mitigations for security teams, to help implement these controls,” she says. “Not just descriptions of what you should do but real code examples of how you can implement them.”
For example, she says, one of the suggested mitigations is to “apply the principle of least privilege”. “Which is completely accurate,” she says. “Everyone should apply the principle of least privilege. But what does that mean for agents?”
Rick Holland, data and AI security officer at Cyera, a data security vendor, says he’d like the list to explain the likelihood of each type of attack. “Not all threat actors are created equal,” he says.
For organizations targeted by nation-state actors, for example, the attackers might use more sophisticated attack vectors, like memory and context poisoning or agentic supply chain vulnerabilities. Rank-and-file cybercriminals might go after more low-hanging fruit, Holland says, using techniques like agent goal hijack or tool misuse.
Jose Lazu, associate director of product management at CMD+CTRL, a security training company, says that there are some second-tier risks that could have been included, such as model and tuning supply-chain integrity, long-horizon data poisoning, multi-agent coordination exploits, and cost-based resource exhaustion.
“These areas are evolving quickly, so CSOs need to keep them on their radar,” he says.
OWASP Top 10 for Agentic AI
Below we list the OWASP Top 10 for Agentic Applications 2026, a framework that identifies the most critical security risks facing autonomous and agentic AI systems.
1 – Agent Goal Hijack
Attackers use prompt injection, poisoned data, and other tactics to manipulate the AI agent’s goals, so that the agent carries out unwanted actions. For example, a malicious prompt can manipulate a financial agent into sending money to an attacker.
2 – Tool Misuse and Exploitation
Agents misuse legitimate, authorized tools for data exfiltration, destructive actions, and other unwanted behaviors. In fact, we’ve already seen examples of AI agents deleting databases and wiping hard drives.
3 – Identity and Privilege Abuse
Flaws in agent identity, delegation, or privilege inheritance allow attackers to escalate access, exploit confused deputy scenarios, or execute unauthorized actions across systems. For example, an attacker can use a low-privilege AI agent to relay instructions to a high-privilege in order to do things they’re not supposed to be able to do.
4 – Agentic Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
Compromised or malicious third-party agents, tools, models, interfaces, or registries introduce hidden instructions or unsafe behavior into agentic ecosystems. For example, an attacker can embed hidden instructions into a tool’s meta-data.
5 – Unexpected Code Execution
Agent-generated or agent-invoked code executes in unintended or adversarial ways, leading to host, container, or environment compromise. AI agents can generate code on the fly, bypassing normal software controls, and attackers can leverage this. For example, a coding agent writing a security patch might include a hidden back door due to poisoned training data or adversarial prompts.
6 – Memory and Context Poisoning
Attackers corrupt persistent agent memory, RAG stores, embeddings, or shared context to affect an agent’s future actions. For example, an attacker keeps mentioning a fake price for a product, which gets stored into an agent’s memory, and the agent might later think the price is valid and approves bookings at that price.
Contaminated context and shared memory can spread between agents, compounding corruption.
7 – Insecure Inter-Agent Communication
Weak authentication, integrity, or semantic validation in agent-to-agent messaging enables spoofing, tampering, replay, or manipulation. For example, an attacker can register a fake agent in a discovery service, and intercept privileged coordination traffic.
8 – Cascading Failures
A single fault, such as hallucination, poisoned memory, or compromised tool, propagates across autonomous agents. For example, a regional outage in a hyperscaler can break multiple AI services, leading to a cascade of agent failures across many organizations.
9 – Human-Agent Trust Exploitation
Agents exploit human trust, authority bias, or automation bias to influence decisions or extract sensitive information. For example, a compromised IT support agent can request credentials from an employee and send them to the attacker.
10 – Rogue Agents
Agents can act harmfully and deceptively in such a way that individual actions may appear legitimate. This could be due to prompt injection, or due to conflicting objectives or reward hacking. For example, an agent whose job is to reduce cloud costs might figure out that deleting files is the most efficient way to do that.
View the full article
reporter

Positiv denken für Sicherheitsentscheider: 6 Mindsets, die Sie sofort ablegen sollten

In einem falschen Security-Mindset gefangen?
Foto: Paul Craft – shutterstock.com
Dass Jobs im Bereich Cybersecurity ein hohes Burnout-Potenzial aufweisen, ist längst kein Geheimnis mehr: Das Umfeld von Sicherheitsprofis ist vor allem geprägt von dem (gefühlten) Druck, täglich steigenden Anforderungen gerecht werden zu müssen. Dafür sind diverse Gründe ursächlich – in erster Linie aber die Art und Weise, wie über Security gedacht wird. Die gute Nachricht: Wenn Sie ein schädliches Mindset identifizieren, können Sie es verändern und sowohl sich als auch Ihre Teams besser für den Erfolg positionieren.
Cybersicherheit ist ein hochtechnisches Gebiet und in gewisser Hinsicht eine harte Wissenschaft. Auf der anderen Seite ist sie aber auch stark von Elementen der Psychologie und Moral geprägt. Wie effektiv die IT-Sicherheit letztlich ausfällt, hängt auch vom Mindset und den Überzeugungen der Fachkräfte und Entscheider auf diesem Gebiet ab.

Sollten Sie eines der folgenden sechs Mindsets an den Tag legen, ist Arbeit angesagt, damit ein gesünderes Security-Umfeld gedeihen kann.
1. “Security ist ein Ziel”
Ein besonders heimtückisches Security-Mindset ist die Überzeugung, dass es sich um eine Reise mit Start- und Zielpunkt handelt. Zu dieser Überzeugung kommt man (hoffentlich) nicht bewusst – Profis ist klar, dass es sich um eine kontinuierliche Aufgabe handelt. Unterbewusst kann es aber durchaus dazu kommen, dass es zu vorübergehender Untätigkeit kommt, wenn bestimmte Tasks gerade erledigt wurden.
Das führt allerdings nur dazu, dass alle im Team mehr unnötigen Stress haben. Denn wer ein Ende in Aussicht stellt, erzeugt ein subtiles Gefühl der Enttäuschung oder gar des Scheiterns, sobald offenbar wird, dass es doch immer noch etwas mehr zu tun gibt. Zur Ruhe werden Sie (und Ihr Team) erst kommen, wenn sie akzeptieren, dass Security ein fortlaufender Prozess ist.
2. “IT-Sicherheit ist nur was für Profis”
Die Auffassung, dass Security ausschließlich in den Händen der entsprechenden Spezialisten liegt, führt zu zweierlei unglücklichen Konsequenzen:
Alle anderen Mitarbeiter werden – zumindest gefühlt – aus der Verantwortung entlassen.
Sicherheitsprofis werden auf subtile Weise in eine Einzelkämpferrolle gedrängt.
Softwareentwickler sollten Security in jeder Phase des Lebenszyklus im Hinterkopf behalten, statt sich erst zur Auslieferung damit zu befassen. Das gilt jedoch auch für alle anderen Mitarbeiter im Unternehmen: Nur wenn Awareness herrscht, kann die Gefahr von Cyberangriffen minimiert werden.
Natürlich kommt den Sicherheitsexperten diesbezüglich eine führende, beziehungsweise leitende Rolle zu. Letztendlich sollte sich aber jeder Mitarbeiter dazu befähigt fühlen, zur allgemeinen Unternehmenssicherheit beitragen zu können. Eine gemeinschaftliche Aufgabe stärkt davon abgesehen auch das Wir-Gefühl.
3. “Security wird immer nur diffiziler”
Kaum etwas ist entmutigender als eine klassische Sisyphos-Aufgabe. Dieser Eindruck kann allerdings leicht entstehen, wenn es um Security geht: Cyberkriminelle werden immer raffinierter und nutzen immer bessere Tools, während die digitale Infrastruktur, die geschützt werden muss, sich immer umfangreicher, komplexer und vernetzter gestaltet.
In der Realität ist der Kampf zwischen White und Black Hats ein ständiges Geben und Nehmen. Das Phänomen Ransomware ist ein gutes Beispiel: Eine Zeit lang schienen sich Verschlüsselungstrojaner zu einer Plage zu entwickeln – inzwischen hat sich die Sicherheitsbranche entsprechend weiterentwickelt und messbar zurückgeschlagen.
Indem Sie die zyklische Natur der IT-Sicherheit akzeptieren, befähigen Sie sich dazu, eine Haltung einzunehmen, die die richtige Balance zwischen Entspannung und Wachsamkeit findet. Mentales Gleichgewicht ist der Schlüssel zu langfristigem (Security-)Erfolg.
Sie wollen weitere interessante Beiträge rund um das Thema IT-Sicherheit lesen? Unser kostenloser Newsletter liefert Ihnen alles, was Sicherheitsentscheider und -experten wissen sollten, direkt in Ihre Inbox.
Jetzt CSO-Newsletter sichern
4. “Sicherheit ist ein Produkt”
Die IT Security wird nicht selten als Standalone-Funktion oder Zusatzprodukt betrachtet, die über die zugrundeliegende Infrastruktur “gestülpt” wird oder als konkrete “Sache”, die finalisiert und ausgeliefert werden muss. Das ähnelt ein bisschen der einstigen Perspektive auf Qualität im Allgemeinen als eine eigenständige, separate Komponente der Dinge. Um es mit Aristoteles zu sagen: “Qualität ist keine Handlung, sondern eine Gewohnheit”.
Security wiederum ist wie Qualität kein fertiges Produkt, sondern (wie bereits angemerkt) eine fortlaufende Disziplin. Sicherheit als eine Praxis zu betrachten, die ständig verfeinert werden muss, setzt die dafür nötige Energie frei. Sie sollten es als Segen betrachten, in einem Bereich zu arbeiten, der kontinuierlich Raum für Wachstum und die Möglichkeit bietet, Ihre Skills vollumfänglich zur Geltung zu bringen. Haben Sie dieses Mindset verinnerlicht, gilt es, das mit dem gesamten Unternehmen zu teilen.
Security sollte in keinem Fall wie ein Produkt ausgeliefert werden, denn sie ist keine Begleiterscheinung oder ein Hilfsmittel. Vielmehr sollte sie der Treiber für Kultur und bewusstes Handeln sein. Kurzum: IT-Sicherheit sollte Teil des täglichen Doings sein – auf individueller und organisatorischer Ebene.
5. “Die Kriminellen treiben die Security”
Security-Profis, die kontinuierlich damit beschäftigt sind, Brände zu löschen, können zur Überzeugung kommen, dass die Cyberkriminellen das Spiel beherrschen. Diese reaktive Perspektive auf die IT-Sicherheit sorgt für Frustration und ein Gefühl der Machtlosigkeit.
In der Realität haben die Unternehmen das Ruder in der Hand: Sie sind es schließlich, deren Assets für Kriminelle verlockende Ziele darstellen. Die Angreifer sind in den meisten Fällen nicht zu unterschätzen – es ist jedoch das Business, dass die Sicherheit treibt.
6. “100 Prozent reicht gerade”
Gute Sicherheit braucht messbare Faktoren. Metriken wie die “Mean Time to Detect” (MTTD) ermöglichen es, die Situation zu monitoren und die Effektivität von Programmen zu messen. Problematisch wird es in diesem Bereich, wenn Sie der Vorstellung erliegen, dass sich sämtliche Indikatoren stets in eine positive Richtung – oder noch schlimmer im “perfekten” Bereich – bewegen müssen. Diese unrealistische Erwartung ist ein Einfallstor für verzerrte Messwerte.
Stattdessen sollten Sie Metriken eher als Wegweiser sehen, die Sie ans Ziel bringen können. Der Schlüssel liegt jedoch darin, die nötigen Schritte zu unternehmen und Maßnahmen einzuziehen, um die Dinge in die richtige Richtung lenken. Das macht es essenziell, sich ehrlich mit Messungen auseinanderzusetzen. (fm)



View the full article
reporter

React2Shell is the Log4j moment for front end development

Attackers have upped the ante in their exploits of a recently-disclosed maximum severity vulnerability in React Server Components (RSC), Next.js, and related frameworks.
Financially-motivated attackers have found a way to use the flaw, dubbed React2Shell (CVE-2025-55182), to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable servers through a single malicious HTTP request. This allows them to quickly and easily gain access to a corporate network and deploy ransomware, according to researchers at cybersecurity company S-RM and the Microsoft Defender Security Research Team.
Attackers initially exploited the vulnerability to introduce backdoor malware and crypto miners; this new method represents an escalation, and experts say it reveals a fundamental security flaw in front end development.
“For too long, we’ve treated front end development as low end, low risk work,” said David Shipley of Beauceron Security. “This is to front end of applications what Log4j was to the back end, a massive opportunity for attackers.”
How attackers easily get ‘highly privileged’ access
React is widely used in enterprise environments, with Microsoft researchers identifying “tens of thousands of distinct devices across several thousand organizations” running React or React-based applications.
React2Shell is a pre-authentication remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability affecting React Server Components (RSC), the open-source framework Next.js, and other related frameworks. It has been rated a 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) because it is easy to exploit, puts numerous exposed systems at risk, and is highly susceptible to automated attacks since it doesn’t require authentication to execute.
The vulnerability specifically impacts the Flight protocol, a core feature in the React development library and Next.js. RSC contains packages, frameworks, and bundlers that allow React apps to run parts of their logic on the server rather than in the browser.
Flight allows server and client to communicate; when the client requests data, the server receives and parses a payload, executes server-side logic, and returns a human-readable software package.
With the React2Shell vulnerability, impacted RSCs fail to validate incoming payloads, allowing threat actors to inject malicious components that React identifies as legitimate. Attackers can send HTTP requests to trick the server into running compromised code, potentially giving them “highly privileged” access to unpatched systems, according to the S-RM researchers.
According to initial reporting on React2Shell, nation-state actors began exploiting the vulnerability within hours of public disclosure. While early impact was limited to the installation of persistent backdoors into networks and crypto currency mining, React2Shell is now being used as the initial access vector in a ransomware attack.
S-RM notes that it is likely being used by “less sophisticated actors” targeting public-facing web servers.
The Microsoft researchers warn of the dangers of this vulnerability: It can be exploited with just one HTTP request; default configurations are vulnerable, meaning there’s no special setup and attackers don’t have to wait for user mistakes; exploitation doesn’t require authentication because it occurs pre-authentication; and proof-of-concept exploits show near-100% reliability.
“For all the over-talk on zero trust, here’s a great example of where it would’ve been useful,” said Beauceron’s Shipley. “Way too much trust and access was built into the React model. And attackers figured out how to exploit it.”
What to look for
In an attack tracked by S-RM, immediately after the threat actor gained access to a targeted company’s network, they ran a hidden PowerShell command, establishing command and control (C2) by downloading a Cobalt Strike PowerShell stager, a tactic regularly used by red teamers, and installing a beacon to allow them to communicate with their external servers. They then disabled real-time protection in Windows Defender Antivirus.
The ransomware binary was dropped and executed “within less than one minute of initial access,” the S-RM researchers report. The attackers modified encrypted files, left recovery notes, created text files that included the target’s public IP address, and cleared event logs and backup snapshots.
The researchers noted that they did not observe lateral movement to other systems or attempts to steal data. The compromised server was taken down the day after it was discovered.
S-RM advises enterprises using RSC to verify that it is a fully-patched version; however, React has warned that even initially released patches (versions 19.0.2, 19.1.3, and 19.2.2) are vulnerable.
Beyond patching, organizations should perform forensic reviews to check for:
Unusual outbound connections that could indicate C2 was executed; Disabling of antivirus and endpoint protection, or log clearing or tampering; Unusual spikes in resource use, which could indicate crypto miners; Windows event logs or endpoint detection and response (EDR) telemetry indicating attackers executed files in memory from binaries related to Node or React. Indicators of compromise (IOC) detailed in the advisory, both host-based and network-based. Front end is no longer low-risk
This vulnerability reveals a fundamental gap in the development environment that has largely been overlooked, experts say.
“There is a dangerous comforting lie we tell ourselves in web development: ‘The frontend is safe.’ It isn’t,” notes web engineer Louis Phang. He called this a “logic error in the way modern servers talk to clients,” that turns a standard web request into a weapon. It is the result of developers focusing on reliability, scalability, and maintainability, rather than security.
For years, all that happened when a front end developer made a mistake was that a button that looked wrong, a layout was broken, or, in a worst-case scenario, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), which allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages, was possible, Phang said. With React rendering on the server, front end code has privileged access, and vulnerabilities serve as a backdoor into databases, keys, and data.
“React2Shell signifies the end of the front end developer as a low-risk role,” Phang contended.
Beauceron’s Shipley agreed, noting that the need for server-side heavy lifting changed the risk, but the tech stack didn’t respond accordingly.
“First, we had confusion about whether it was severe or not, then some were downplaying how much exploitation would happen, and now we’re in a feeding frenzy,” he said.
It’s concerning how long it’s taking to rouse the technology environment to deal with this threat; it could ultimately be a side effect of cuts to security teams and budgets and developer burnout, he noted.
“This is a concerning trend heading into 2026, which will be even more intense for zero days thanks to AI,” Shipley predicted.
This article originally appeared on InfoWorld.

View the full article
reporter

HPE OneView vulnerable to remote code execution attack

A maximum severity remote code execution vulnerability in Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) OneView network and systems management suite is “bad” and needs to be patched immediately, says a cybersecurity expert.
“Vendors typically downplay the severity of a vulnerability,” says Curtis Dukes, executive VP for security best practices at the Center for Internet Security, “but HPE did not – it’s a 10.”
The vulnerability is remotely executable by an unauthenticated user, he added, and it impacts every recent version of the suite. On top of that, he pointed out, OneView is a central manager of IT infrastructure in organizations.
“For these reasons, the patch should be implemented immediately,” Dukes said.  “Adversaries, nation-state, and criminal gangs alike know there is a window of opportunity and are likely working on an exploit.”
HPE says in its advisory that the vulnerability, CVE-2025-37164, affects all versions between 5.20 and 10.20.  It can be resolved by applying a security hotfix, which must be reapplied after an appliance upgrade from HPE OneView version 6.60.xx to 7.00.00, as well as after any HPE Synergy Composer reimage.
HPE offers separate hotfixes for HPE OneView virtual appliance and HPE Synergy Composer.
The advisory adds that any third party security patches that are to be installed on systems running HPE software products should be applied in accordance with the customer’s patch management policy.
Asked for comment, an HPE spokesperson said the company has nothing to say beyond its advisory, other than to urge admins to download and install the patches as soon as possible.
Jack Bicer, director of vulnerability research at Action1, said that because this vulnerability can be exploited without authentication or any user interaction, it is “an extremely severe security issue. There are no available workarounds, so the patch should be applied immediately. Until the patch can be applied, restrict network access to the OneView management interface to trusted administrative networks only.”
HPE describes OneView as a solution that simplifies infrastructure lifecycle management across compute storage and networking through a unified API. It allows admins to create a catalogue of workload-optimized infrastructure templates so more general IT staff can rapidly and reliably provision resources. These templates can quickly provision physical, virtual, and containerized systems, setting up BIOS settings, local RAID configuration, firmware baseline, shared storage and more. HPE says software-defined intelligence allows IT to run multiple applications simultaneously with repeatable templates that ensure high reliability, consistency, and control. The vendor also says the embedded automation speeds provisioning and lowers operating expenses.
The most recent major vulnerability in OneView was revealed in June: CVE-2025-37101, a local elevation of privilege issue which relates specifically to OneView for VMware vCenter. If exploited, an attacker with read only privilege could upgrade their access to allow them to perform admin actions.
View the full article
reporter

TikTok U.S. Sale to Oracle-Led Group Set to Close in January

TikTok has agreed to sell its U.S. operations to an investment group that includes Oracle, Silver Lake, and UAE-based company MGX, reports Axios. The "TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC" that includes the three companies will own 45 percent of TikTok, while ByteDance will keep close to 20 percent. Existing investors will continue to hold the remaining shares.


The U.S. group will handle U.S. data protection and content moderation, while also maintaining algorithm security. It has been tasked with retraining the content recommendation algorithm on U.S. user data to "ensure the content feed is free from outside manipulation." Oracle will be in charge of auditing and validating compliance with National Security Terms.

The agreement states that the USDS Joint Venture will "operate as an independent entity" that has authority over U.S. data protection, while TikTok's global U.S. entities will manage global product interoperability along with e-commerce, advertising, and marketing.

With the sale, TikTok will be able to continue operating in the United States while complying with the 2024 Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The act required TikTok parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. operations to a non-Chinese company or be banned from operating in the United States.

TikTok was briefly banned in January, but Donald Trump signed an executive order granting an extension that brought it back. The ban has been extended multiple times since then to provide additional time for a deal to be established. The agreement is set to go into effect on January 22.Tag: TikTok
This article, "TikTok U.S. Sale to Oracle-Led Group Set to Close in January" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

AirPods Pro 3's Static and Noise Issues Haven't Been Resolved

Since the AirPods Pro 3 launched, there have been complaints from users who have noticed a static-like sound or a crackling issue when using the earbuds, particularly when Active Noise Cancellation is on but no media is playing. Users have also run into strange high-pitched whistling sounds that happen intermittently.


We shared the issues back in late October, and despite two subsequent firmware updates, the problems haven't been solved. Apple released ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ firmware version 8B25 in November, and firmware version 8B30 on December 10.

Feedback from users who have installed the firmware updates indicate that the noise issues have not been addressed. Affected users are hearing static noises with Active Noise Cancellation on, sometimes with media playing and sometimes without. There have also been reports of problems with latency and sound syncing when watching videos.

Some ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ users have had their AirPods replaced by Apple, but replacement earbuds have had the same issue, so it's not clear if there is a hardware fix for the problem.

Apple's latest firmware updates have not provided details on what's included, specifying only "bug fixes and other improvements."
This article, "AirPods Pro 3's Static and Noise Issues Haven't Been Resolved" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Fortnite Not Coming to iOS in Japan as Epic Games CEO Accuses Apple of 'Obstruction and Lawbreaking'

Epic Games is not going to bring Fortnite to iOS in Japan as promised because of the fees imposed by Apple's new App Store rules, ‌Epic Games‌ CEO Tim Sweeney said on social media. Sweeney complained that Apple did not comply with Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act "honestly" and instead "launched another travesty of obstruction and lawbreaking in gross disrespect to the government and people of Japan."


Back in 2024 when the MSCA passed, Sweeney said that Epic would launch Fortnite in Japan in late 2025. He made the announcement before he was aware of how Apple planned to comply with the MSCA.

Sweeney accused Apple of charging "competition-crushing" junk fees, including a five percent fee on revenue from apps distributed through alternate app marketplaces. ‌Epic Games‌ would need to pay Apple a five percent fee on all revenue generated via game purchases made through an ‌Epic Games‌ Store in Japan, or 15 percent on digital purchases through a web link if the Fortnite app were to be distributed through the ‌App Store‌.

Sweeney said that ‌Epic Games‌ plans to raise complaints with the Japanese Fair Trade Commission.

Apple says that it worked with Japanese regulators when establishing its new rules to comply with the MSCA, so it is not clear if ‌Epic Games‌ will be able to persuade Japan to implement more stringent restrictions.

Japan's rules allow Apple to be compensated for its intellectual property, and Japan's interoperability rules allow Apple to refuse requests in situations where privacy and security would be compromised. Along with allowing for alternative app marketplaces, the MSCA adds support for alternate payment methods and allows Japanese users to set new functionality for the iPhone's Side Button.

‌Epic Games‌ was able to bring the ‌Epic Games‌ Store to the European Union, but Apple does have a 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee for marketplaces there, too. The Core Technology Fee will transition to a five percent Core Technology Commission for all developers in the EU starting on January 1, 2026, so the fees will be very similar to the Japan fees.Tags: Epic Games, Fortnite, Japan
This article, "Fortnite Not Coming to iOS in Japan as Epic Games CEO Accuses Apple of 'Obstruction and Lawbreaking'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Apple Quietly Discontinued Flyover City Tours in Apple Maps

Apple Maps no longer offers a Flyover feature that provides users with automated tours of notable landmarks in major cities. The Flyover option appears to have been nixed around when iOS 26 launched, but its removal went largely unnoticed.


Flyover city tours were introduced in 2014 with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, using Flyover imagery to generate an aerial tour. Most cities with Flyover imagery supported the tour feature, but it may not have been used often since Apple was able to quietly discontinue it.

Flyover imagery has not been removed and over 350 cities continue to have 3D Flyover imagery that highlights landmarks, parks, important buildings, and more with a bird's-eye view.

Apple uses imagery collected with small military-grade planes that created detailed maps of buildings from above for Flyover. The feature is not available in some areas due to privacy and security concerns.

Flyover city tours used to be accessible by tapping on the Flyover icon when searching for a city, but that option has now been removed.Tag: Apple Maps
This article, "Apple Quietly Discontinued Flyover City Tours in Apple Maps" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

macOS Tahoe Bug Causes Studio Display Flickering Issues

macOS Tahoe introduced a bug that causes a Studio Display connected to a Mac to flicker every so often, and subsequent updates only seem to have made the issue worse.


Mac users with the Studio Display have been complaining about intermittent flickering since the update launched in September. There are also complaints from users who have other kinds of displays, so it might be a bug that is affecting more than one type of external monitor.

We have experienced this issue with a MacBook Pro running macOS Tahoe connected to a Studio Display, and the macOS Tahoe 26.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.2 updates haven't improved the situation at all. In fact, the flickering seems to be getting worse in recent days.

Flickering happens most often when switching between apps that feature stark white backgrounds, or scrolling through webpages on light backgrounds. Any app can cause the flickering, and sometimes it just seems to be random. When flickering occurs, it's typically a brief flicker, but the display can also flicker several times in a row for a few seconds at a time. Switching from dark content to light content can almost always trigger a flicker on affected machines.

It's not clear what is causing the issue, but given that multiple Studio Display owners are experiencing it, it's likely some kind of software issue that could be addressed with new Studio Display firmware rather than a hardware problem.Related Roundup: macOS Tahoe 26Related Forum: macOS Tahoe
This article, "macOS Tahoe Bug Causes Studio Display Flickering Issues" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

AltStore Available in Japan One Day After Apple Enables Alternative App Marketplaces

Just a day after Apple announced alternative app marketplace support for iOS users in Japan, AltStore PAL has launched in the country.


iPhone and iPad users in Japan can download the alternative app marketplace from the AltStore website, and then use the AltStore to download apps without having to go through Apple's App Store. Prospective AltStore users need to be physically located in Japan, and have a Japanese ‌App Store‌ account. Devices also need to be running iOS/iPadOS 26.2 or later.

AltStore developer Riley Testut said that Apple did not provide a heads up about the ‌App Store‌ rule changes that went into effect yesterday, but the marketplace was able to launch within a few hours because it has been live in the European Union for months now.

To celebrate AltStore PAL's launch in Japan, users can get a month of free Patreon access with patron-exclusive features. AltStore is free to download, but the AltStore Patreon provides access to beta updates for the popular Delta game emulator.

Along with Delta, AltStore PAL offers several other apps created by independent developers, some of which have functionality that's not allowed in the standard ‌App Store‌. Apps distributed through AltStore PAL are able to monetize through Patreon subscriptions.

Apple is allowing alternative app marketplaces to meet the requirements of the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA) that went into effect on December 18. Marketplace apps are required to pay Apple a five percent Core Technology Commission.

Alternative app marketplaces require authorization from Apple to operate, and are able to distribute apps that have also been notarized by Apple. The notarization process checks for basic functionality and ensures that apps do not include malware, but marketplace apps are not subject to the same content requirements, and Apple has little content oversight.Tags: AltStore, Japan
This article, "AltStore Available in Japan One Day After Apple Enables Alternative App Marketplaces" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter

Apple's New M5 MacBook Pro Hits $1,349.99 on Amazon ($249 Off)

Amazon today has dropped the price of the new M5 MacBook Pro to $1,349.99, down from $1,599.00. This is the 10-Core model with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD, and it's a match of the all-time low price on the M5 MacBook Pro.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Additionally, the 16GB/1TB M5 MacBook Pro has hit $1,549.99 on Amazon, which is another $249 discount on the notebook. Both models have estimated delivery dates that are after Christmas, but if you've been waiting for a return of the best prices we've ever seen on these models, now's definitely a good time to buy.

$249 OFF14-inch M5 MacBook Pro (16GB RAM/512GB) for $1,349.99
$249 OFF14-inch M5 MacBook Pro (16GB RAM/1TB) for $1,549.99

This version of the MacBook Pro just launched in October and it comes with the newest M5 chip, which offers up to 15% faster CPU performance and up to 45% faster graphics when compared to the M4 chip. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.



Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find this holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!




Related Roundup: Apple Deals
This article, "Apple's New M5 MacBook Pro Hits $1,349.99 on Amazon ($249 Off)" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

View the full article
reporter
OHC_logo_transparent_01.jpeg flags-medium.png OHC_logo_blue_square_small.jpeg

 

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications
Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.