https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/security-news/ en-us The latest news on cyber security, network security, software vulnerabilities, data leaks, malware, and viruses Artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the defining technologies of what economists and policymakers describe as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is an era in which digital, physical, and biological systems are increasingly intertwined. In practical terms, AI refers to computer systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as recognizing patterns, learning from data, making predictions, and assisting in complex decisions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-deepfakes-job-losses-opaque-exploring.html Security Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:00:08 EST news691861801 The internet is rife with anonymous accounts as users adopt pseudonyms, sometimes for genuine reasons like speaking freely, and other times for nefarious ones. But this era of online privacy could be coming to a close. In a study available on the arXiv preprint server, researchers demonstrate that large language models (LLMs) can identify the people behind these accounts at scale. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-online-anonymity.html Security Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:40:04 EST news691850205 Artificial intelligence models can now clone a voice with just a few seconds of audio, fueling a surge of deepfake songs online and creating a growing crisis for musicians who don't want their voices hijacked. Beyond the obvious intellectual property rights issue, this can lead to lost revenue and take an emotional toll on artists who put their heart and soul into their songs. But researchers now have a solution. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-deepfake-songs-tool.html Security Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:20:10 EST news691780081 Anthropic, a leading AI company, recently refused to sign a Pentagon contract that would allow the United States military "unrestricted access" to its technology for "all lawful purposes." To sign, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei required two clear exceptions: no mass surveillance of Americans and no fully autonomous weapons without human oversight. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-anthropic-iran-limits-ai-war.html Security Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:00:09 EST news691775462 A study published in The Journal of Engineering Research at Sultan Qaboos University presents an advanced intrusion detection system (IDS) designed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of identifying cyberattacks. The proposed model combines a double feature selection technique with a stacked ensemble machine learning approach to enhance detection performance while reducing computational complexity. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ensemble-ai-cyber-intrusion-high.html Security Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:10:01 EST news691759300 A new study from Abertay University reveals that the most effective way to protect people from AI voice scams is not through traditional warning messages, but by educating them about how advanced and authentic AI voices have become. Published in the Journal of Cybersecurity, the study provides one of the first psychological countermeasures against AI voices, offering a proactive approach to fraud prevention. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-crucial-tackling-voice-scams.html Security Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:20:03 EST news691684502 Across Africa, governments are introducing digital systems that use individuals' unique physical measurements to identify them. These systems collect citizens' biometric and personal data and use it to give people access to essential public services like voting, health care, education and social protection. Biometric digital identification systems are often promoted as tools to improve efficiency, inclusion and service delivery. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-biometric-ids-africa-reveals-pitfalls.html Security Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:20:06 EST news691679461 There are some things perhaps we might not want artificial intelligence to handle, at least for the time being. When leading chatbots were put through war-game simulations, they opted for nuclear signaling or escalation in 95% of cases. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-escalates-nuclear-action-war.html Security Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:20:03 EST news691678634 Artificial intelligence (AI) loves to cheat. When matched against a chess bot, an OpenAI model preferred hacking into its opponent's system to winning the game fairly, according to a recent study. While chess doesn't have moral stakes, more serious ethical issues could arise in everything from medicine to self-driving cars as AI becomes even more pervasive. So, what does it mean for AI to be safe? https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-safe-ai-isnt-fairness-honesty.html Security Fri, 27 Feb 2026 07:00:01 EST news691381502 Researchers at IMDEA Networks Institute, together with European partners, have found that tire pressure sensors in modern cars can unintentionally expose drivers to tracking. Over a ten-week study, they collected signals from more than 20,000 vehicles, revealing a hidden privacy risk and highlighting the need for stronger security measures in future vehicle sensor systems. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-car-sensors-track.html Security Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:00:05 EST news691252054 University of California, Irvine computer scientists have discovered a critical security vulnerability in autonomous target-tracking drones that could have far-reaching implications for public safety, border security and personal privacy. The UC Irvine team demonstrated how attackers could use an ordinary umbrella to manipulate drones, drawing the aircraft close enough to capture them or cause them to crash. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-expose-critical-vulnerability-autonomous-drones.html Robotics Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:20:06 EST news691247442 With increasing cyberattacks and government data breaches, one of the most important devices to keep secure is the one in everyone's pocket: smartphones. The problem is that it is difficult to check that a smartphone has not been tampered with without the risk of unintentionally damaging the device itself. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-smartphones-tampered.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:00:05 EST news691052170 A paper written by University of Florida Computer & Information Science & Engineering, or CISE, Professor Sumit Kumar Jha, Ph.D., contains so many science fiction terms, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a Hollywood script: Nullspace steering. Red teaming. Jailbreaking the matrix. But Jha's work is decidedly focused on real life, most notably strengthening the security measures built into AI tools to ensure they are safe for all to use. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-jailbreaking-matrix-bypassing-ai-guardrails.html Security Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:00:01 EST news690803473 Online chat service Discord has announced it will begin testing age verification for some users, joining a growing list of platforms trying to work out who is actually behind the screen. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-age-verification-online-safely-privately.html Internet Sat, 21 Feb 2026 19:00:03 EST news690725304 Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are now widely used by millions of people worldwide, as tools to source information or tackle specific tasks more rapidly and efficiently. Today, some of the most used are large language models (LLMs), computational models trained on large collections of texts that can process and generate written content in various languages. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-ai-leak-sensitive-fingerprints.html Security Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:02 EST news690725126 A newly discovered vulnerability could allow cybercriminals to silently hijack the artificial intelligence (AI) systems in self-driving cars, raising concerns about the security of autonomous systems increasingly used on public roads. Georgia Tech cybersecurity researchers discovered the vulnerability, dubbed VillainNet, and found it can remain dormant in a self-driving vehicle's AI system until triggered by specific conditions. Once triggered, VillainNet is almost certain to succeed, giving attackers control of the targeted vehicle. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-ai-hijack-vehicles.html Security Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:40:05 EST news690809490 A ransomware attack forced the University of Mississippi Medical Center to close all of its roughly three dozen clinics around the state and cancel elective procedures for a second day on Friday, hobbling one of Mississippi's largest healthcare providers. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-mississippi-hospital-clinics-ransomware.html Security Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:40:05 EST news690812405 A cyber-attack does not always need to steal data or shut systems down to cause damage. Sometimes it only needs to shift the clock. Researchers at the University of East London (UEL), in collaboration with industry, have identified a critical weakness in the timing systems that keep modern automated industries running—and warn attackers could exploit it to quietly destabilize factories, robotics and other safety‑critical infrastructure. The work is published as a comprehensive analysis of threats to Time‑Triggered Ethernet (TTEthernet) clock synchronization in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-cyber-disrupt-smart-factories.html Business Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:25:22 EST news690729901 Most people believe they can spot AI-generated faces, but that confidence is out of date, research from UNSW Sydney and the Australian National University (ANU) has demonstrated. With AI-generated faces now almost impossible to distinguish from real ones, this misplaced confidence could make individuals and organizations more vulnerable to scammers, fraudsters and bad actors, the researchers warn. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-people-overconfident-ai.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:00:49 EST news690634801 Spanish police said Wednesday they had arrested a 20-year-old man who allegedly hacked a hotel booking website to reserve luxury rooms for as little as one cent, in the first known cybercrime of its kind. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-spanish-police-hacker-luxury-hotels.html Security Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:40:12 EST news690629727 As a career counterintelligence officer for the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Defense Intelligence Agency, I worked inside a fully integrated intelligence system. Signals intelligence from the National Security Agency guided investigations. Satellite imagery from the National Reconnaissance Office provided visibility into hostile environments. Human intelligence came through Defense Intelligence Agency channels. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-amazon-track-pets-revealed-future.html Security Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:50:08 EST news690545315 Modern and powerful security technology that protects against hacking attempts is used to a very limited extent—despite having been available to developers for more than a decade. Researchers at Umeå University can now reveal why the technology fails to take hold. "At the same time, we present an automated solution that makes it easy to adopt the technology," says Sabine Houy, doctoral student at the Department of Computing Science, who is now defending her thesis. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-advanced-technology-rarely-solution.html Security Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:30:01 EST news690561255 People who regularly use online services have between 100 and 200 passwords. Very few can remember every single one. Password managers are therefore extremely helpful, allowing users to access all their passwords with just a single master password. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-knowledge-encryption-password-theft-servers.html Computer Sciences Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:10:02 EST news690461993 From perfectly spelled phishing emails to fake videos of government officials, artificial intelligence is changing the game for Interpol's cat-and-mouse fight against cybercrime at its high-tech war rooms in Singapore. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-interpol-backroom-warriors-cyber-criminals.html Security Sun, 15 Feb 2026 07:20:01 EST news690361783 The infamous Target data breach during the 2013 holiday shopping season, which cost the company more than $200 million in damages, has since been hailed as a landmark case in cybersecurity. Exposure to these threats has only increased as businesses continue to expand their digital footprints. That's why, as a new study involving Binghamton University's School of Management found, businesses that sufficiently prepare to defend against cyberattacks are also more likely to perform better financially. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-cybersecurity-pay-links-readiness-stronger.html Security Sat, 14 Feb 2026 11:00:05 EST news690114174 For many companies, customer privacy is often seen as a regulatory burden that limits data use and personalization rather than as a business opportunity. Research by Natalie Chisam at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln reveals companies that handle customer data with transparency, care, and clear communication can gain a measurable competitive advantage through what researchers call privacy stewardship. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-companies-gain-advantage-prioritizing-customer.html Business Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:00:04 EST news690197681 As the use of large language model agents, such as virtual assistants or chatbots, increases at work, at home and in schools, users may be sharing more private information than they realize, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-ai-chat-reveal.html Security Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:20:02 EST news690114008 Sometimes, cybersecurity isn't about passwords or computer chips or networks. Instead, it may be about what's on your wrist. New research led by WPI faculty members and students shows that electromagnetic signals from smartwatches that connect to cellular networks can be collected and used to make inferences about a wearer's behavior, activities, and even health. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-privacy-wrist-smartwatch-electromagnetic-expose.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:04:20 EST news690123842 Romance scams are among the most emotionally damaging forms of cyber crime because they combine carefully manufactured intimacy with financial theft—the scammers go after your heart, and then your wallet. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-romance-scams-internet-stay-safe.html Internet Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:06:35 EST news690030362 A new AI agent that can run locally on computers is reverberating inside and outside Silicon Valley, performing everything from writing emails and updating calendars to implementing workflow automations and creating custom applications. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-openclaw-ai-agent-privacy-nightmare.html Security Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:42:31 EST news690028922