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Author: DEROBS

  • Malicious search results exploit decades-old Windows utility in ClickFix attacks

    Malicious search results exploit decades-old Windows utility in ClickFix attacks

    A sophisticated new malware campaign has been identified that leverages a decades-old Windows utility to carry out ClickFix attacks. By manipulating Google search results related to Amazon, attackers are redirecting unsuspecting users toward malicious infrastructure designed to compromise their systems.

    The attack sequence utilizes the legacy ‘finger’ utility, a tool historically used for querying user information on remote systems, to initiate the infection process. Once triggered, the campaign prompts the user to complete a fake CAPTCHA. Engaging with this fraudulent verification step results in the unauthorized installation of malware, most notably the Lumma information stealer, which is designed to harvest sensitive data from infected devices.

    This campaign highlights the ongoing threat of “ClickFix” social engineering techniques, where attackers guide users through seemingly routine security or verification prompts to gain execution privileges on a system. By combining deceptive search engine optimization with the repurposing of outdated or obscure system tools, threat actors continue to bypass traditional security awareness by mimicking standard web-based interactions.

    Source: Dark Reading
    Original article: https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/decades-old-windows-utility-modern-clickfix-attack

  • OpenAI expands ChatGPT advertising platform to 26 additional countries

    OpenAI expands ChatGPT advertising platform to 26 additional countries

    OpenAI has extended the reach of its advertising platform by launching in 26 new countries. The development is designed to allow a broader range of businesses, spanning from local enterprises to global brands, to connect with consumers during their decision-making processes within the ChatGPT interface.

    According to the company, more than 100,000 advertisers have already utilized the platform to reach users as they search for, compare, and evaluate products and services. The expansion aims to further integrate commercial discovery into the user experience as individuals interact with the AI model.

    Source: OpenAI
    Original article: https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-ads-expands-26-new-countries

  • Wikipedia volunteers develop new strategies to combat AI-generated content

    Wikipedia volunteers develop new strategies to combat AI-generated content

    Since the emergence of widespread AI writing tools in 2023, Wikipedia has faced an influx of machine-generated contributions that clash with the platform’s mandate as a human-written resource. To address this, a volunteer initiative known as the WikiProject AI Cleanup has been working to identify and filter out AI-generated material that violates site guidelines.

    Early efforts focused on identifying conspicuous patterns, such as repetitive phrases like “stands as a testament” and generic structural prompts common to initial versions of ChatGPT. According to project member Ellia Lebleu, a Ph.D. researcher in AI, the challenge has since evolved as AI models have become more sophisticated. Current identification methods now focus on subtler linguistic patterns, such as the frequent use of the “rule of three” and negative parallelisms, as well as behavioral analysis, such as monitoring for bulk contributions submitted at high speed.

    The project is also addressing the rise of misleading citations. While AI-generated content once frequently contained entirely hallucinated sources, models now more commonly use real sources that are cited incorrectly or inaccurately summarized. To combat these issues, volunteers are employing a variety of technical safeguards. Projects like the AI source verifier examine citations for accuracy, while the Wikimedia Foundation is developing “Paste Check” to flag content copied directly from AI chatbots.

    Measuring the success of these interventions remains complex. Collaboration with the detection company Pangram suggests that flagged AI-generated content among new submissions dropped from approximately 20 percent in late 2025 to roughly 15 or 16 percent in early 2026. However, it remains unclear whether this decline is due to stricter policy enforcement, the widespread use of prompt refusal features in commercial AI models, or improvements in AI writing that make detection more difficult.

    As the encyclopedia navigates its role in an increasingly AI-integrated digital landscape, the Wikimedia Foundation is exploring attribution frameworks for content cited by AI search tools. These developments reflect a broader effort to preserve Wikipedia’s identity as a human-curated project, even as it considers future symbiotic relationships with AI systems, such as enabling readers to request edits via AI interfaces.

    Source: IEEE Spectrum
    Original article: https://spectrum.ieee.org/wikipedia-wikiproject-ai-writing-cleanup

  • Integrating passkeys and agentic checkout for payment authentication

    Integrating passkeys and agentic checkout for payment authentication

    As digital payment ecosystems evolve, the integration of advanced authentication methods and autonomous agent-based systems has become a focal point for secure commerce. Recent industry discussions, such as those led by Vladyslav Kolodistyi, highlight the shift toward combining passkeys—a passwordless authentication standard—with agentic checkout processes to streamline user verification while enhancing security.

    Passkeys are designed to replace traditional passwords by leveraging cryptographic key pairs, which mitigate risks associated with credential theft and phishing. When applied to the checkout flow, these credentials provide a robust layer of identity verification that reduces friction for the consumer.

    The emergence of agentic checkout represents a shift where autonomous agents are increasingly responsible for navigating the purchasing journey. Authenticating these agents, and the transactions they facilitate, presents new security considerations. By incorporating secure, device-bound authentication standards like passkeys, organizations aim to establish a reliable foundation for verifying automated purchasing processes, ensuring that transactions remain secure as the role of AI agents in digital commerce continues to expand.

    Source: Finextra
    Original article: https://www.finextra.com/blogposting/33115/passkeys-and-agentic-checkout-vladyslav-kolodistyi-on-authenticating-payments?utm_medium=rssfinextra&utm_source=finextrafeed

  • Examining the intersection of Buy Now, Pay Later and credit reporting

    Examining the intersection of Buy Now, Pay Later and credit reporting

    The integration of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services into broader financial ecosystems continues to prompt discussion regarding consumer credit management and reporting standards. As BNPL products become increasingly prevalent in the digital economy, the question of how these short-term installment payments should be recorded by credit bureaus remains a central topic for industry stakeholders and consumer advocates.

    Discussions regarding “Pay in Three” models—where consumers split purchases into three equal installments—often center on whether these transactions should be formally reported to credit bureaus. Proponents of mandatory reporting argue that including this data could provide a more comprehensive view of an individual’s financial behavior, potentially helping those with limited credit histories build a track record. Conversely, there is ongoing debate about how such reporting might impact existing credit score models and whether the nature of BNPL debt, which is typically interest-free and short-term, is accurately reflected by traditional credit risk assessment frameworks.

    As regulators and financial institutions evaluate the implications of these lending models, the objective remains to balance consumer convenience with transparency and responsible lending practices. Monitoring the evolution of these reporting requirements is essential for understanding the future trajectory of consumer credit in the digital era.

    Source: Finextra
    Original article: https://www.finextra.com/blogposting/33116/pay-in-three-report-to-the-bureau-vladyslav-kolodistyi-on-bnpl-credit-scores-and-consumer?utm_medium=rssfinextra&utm_source=finextrafeed

  • atNorth reaches topping out milestone for new data center in Espoo

    atNorth reaches topping out milestone for new data center in Espoo

    Data center operator atNorth has announced the completion of the topping out phase for its newest facility located in Espoo, Finland. The milestone marks the structural completion of the building’s frame.

    The expansion project involves the construction of a five-story building on the company’s existing campus. Further technical specifications and operational timelines for the facility were not disclosed in the initial announcement.

    Source: Data Center Dynamics
    Original article: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/atnorth-tops-out-latest-data-center-in-espoo-finland/

  • KKR disputes European Commission allegations regarding NetCo deal

    KKR disputes European Commission allegations regarding NetCo deal

    Investment firm KKR has issued a formal response contesting allegations brought by the European Commission regarding its €22 billion acquisition of Telecom Italia’s fixed-network business, known as NetCo.

    The dispute centers on claims by the European Commission that the firm provided misleading information during the regulatory review process of the transaction. KKR has officially disputed these allegations, maintaining its position regarding the accuracy of its submissions during the deal’s approval phase.

    The NetCo deal, which involved the carve-out and acquisition of the primary fixed-line network assets from Telecom Italia, represents a significant development in the European telecommunications infrastructure landscape. The transaction has been subject to intense regulatory scrutiny due to its scale and impact on the Italian digital infrastructure market.

    Further details regarding the specific nature of the allegedly misleading information and the potential consequences for the transaction remain limited, as the involved parties engage in the regulatory review process.

    Source: Data Center Dynamics
    Original article: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/virgin-media-o2/

  • Duos secures cloud provider as customer for 20MW of data center capacity

    Duos secures cloud provider as customer for 20MW of data center capacity

    Duos has successfully secured a major contract to provide 20MW of data center capacity to an undisclosed cloud provider. The agreement is valued at $700 million.

    According to the company, the data center capacity is scheduled to go live next year.

    Source: Data Center Dynamics
    Original article: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/duos-secures-cloud-provider-as-customer-for-20mw-of-data-center-capacity/

  • AT&T reports only 1% of customer base remains on legacy copper networks

    AT&T reports only 1% of customer base remains on legacy copper networks

    AT&T has reported that its legacy copper network now supports only 1% of its total customer base. This milestone marks a significant step in the telecommunications carrier’s ongoing transition toward modern fiber-optic infrastructure.

    The shift is part of a broader industry trend where major network operators are phasing out aging copper lines in favor of higher-capacity fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology. By migrating subscribers to fiber, carriers aim to reduce maintenance costs associated with maintaining legacy systems while providing faster and more reliable connectivity services.

    The announcement underscores the progress of AT&T’s long-term infrastructure investment strategy, which prioritizes the expansion of its fiber footprint. As the company continues its fiber rollout, the decommissioning of legacy copper assets remains a central component of its effort to streamline network operations and improve service quality for its remaining customer base.

    Source: Data Center Dynamics
    Original article: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/att-copper-retirement-pushes-on-as-carrier-reveals-just-1-still-using-legacy-technology/

  • NorthC begins construction on new data center facility in Geneva

    NorthC begins construction on new data center facility in Geneva

    NorthC has officially broken ground on a new data center facility located in Geneva, Switzerland. The project represents a expansion of the company’s regional footprint, with the development currently in its initial phase of construction.

    According to the project specifications, the facility is designed to support a total power capacity of 4.5MW. NorthC has scheduled the first phase of the data center to come online in 2028.

    Source: Data Center Dynamics
    Original article: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/northc-breaks-ground-on-data-center-in-geneva-switzerland/