Security news

Security

Rush is on to patch a software vulnerability that could impact 70% of websites worldwide

Governments and corporations worked throughout the night on urgent security updates after the AI-assisted discovery of vulnerabilities in a programming language vital to 70% of websites globally.

Security

What to know about the AI-detected security bug impacting wide swaths of the internet

The language that's known as the backbone of the internet is now subject to what experts describe as one of the most notable vulnerabilities in recent memory.

Security

OpenAI says its AI agents disabled their own safety monitors

OpenAI has revealed that two of its artificial intelligence agents disabled or weakened systems built to catch them misbehaving, with one later denying it had done so.

Internet

Websites down: What is PHP and how has it raised AI hacking fears?

Artificial intelligence has found critical security flaws in a major programming language called PHP, with many websites taken offline Thursday as organizations worldwide scramble to fend off would-be hackers.

Security

Why the most dangerous AI may be the one we trust too much

Machines don't have to become superintelligent to cause catastrophic harm. As artificial intelligence spreads through military decision-making, they just have to be wrong—and trusted by the humans in charge.

Robotics

Secret trigger words could make AI-powered robots dangerous

Large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude and Google Gemini are increasingly being used to help robots perform tasks, but what if LLMs could be exploited to turn helpful robots into harmful robots?

Security

When a ship's systems lie, cybersecurity gets complicated

Sailors at sea rely on electronic equipment to keep ships on course and out of danger, but what happens when hackers get involved? Are the mariners equipped to handle modern cybersecurity threats like GPS spoofing?

Software

Your car's weakest spot may not be in the car

A car is a computer on wheels. It communicates with the car manufacturer's cloud services, the driver's phone and charging stations, and when children stream movies in the back seat, data travels over the internet. All these ...

Security

New cyber threat to water systems exposes limits of encryption

University of British Columbia researchers have uncovered a vulnerability that could allow hackers to target and disrupt critical infrastructure such as water treatment plants and energy grids without needing to break into ...

Security

Fairness tool catches AI bias early

Machine learning software helps agencies make important decisions, such as who gets a bank loan or what areas police should patrol. But if these systems have biases, even small ones, they can cause real harm. A specific group ...

Computer Sciences

Ultra-fast random numbers: New generator boosts security and speed

In computer security, random numbers are crucial values that must be unpredictable—such as secret keys or initialization vectors (IVs)—forming the foundation of security systems. To achieve this, deterministic random bit ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Unique fingerprints in 3D printing may foil adversaries

3D printing is a simple way to create custom tools, replacement pieces and other helpful objects, but it is also being used to create untraceable firearms, such as ghost guns, like the one implicated in the late 2024 killing ...

Security

One tiny flip can open a dangerous back door in AI

A self-driving motor vehicle is cruising along, its numerous sensors and cameras telling it when to brake, change lanes, and make turns. The vehicle approaches a stop sign at a high rate of speed, but instead of stopping, ...

Internet

AI web browser assistants raise serious privacy concerns

Popular generative AI web browser assistants are collecting and sharing sensitive user data, such as medical records and social security numbers, without adequate safeguards, finds a new study led by researchers from UCL ...

Security

How poisoned data can trick AI, and how to stop it

Imagine a busy train station. Cameras monitor everything, from how clean the platforms are to whether a docking bay is empty or occupied. These cameras feed into an AI system that helps manage station operations and sends ...