Archive for May, 2025

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Claims Have Surfaced That Coca-Cola Has Been Pwned

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

It is being reported from posts on dark web forms that the Everest ransomware group claims to have compromised internal and confidential information belonging to Coca-Cola, while the Gehenna hacking group claims to have breached Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ Salesforce database earlier this month.

According to their claims, the compromised data appears to be primarily related to the Middle East operations.

This group has previously been linked to high-profile attacks on organizations including NASA and the Brazilian government.

In a separate but potentially more damaging incident, the Gehenna hacking group claims to have successfully breached Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ Salesforce dashboard in early May 2025.

Javvad Malik, lead security awareness advocate at cybersecurity company KnowBe4, commented:

“The recent breaches at Coca-Cola and its Europacific Partners, claimed by the Everest and Gehenna hacking groups, highlight the vulnerability of internal systems and third-party platforms like Salesforce, emphasizing the need for comprehensive cybersecurity strategies. It underscores the importance of not only robust technical defenses but also human-centric approaches to cybersecurity.

In response, organizations must prioritize data protection through layered and advanced security measures which can reduce the target area, educate and inform people of the dangers, create a culture which empowers people to make the right security decision, and protects the organization should an error occur.” 

Another day, another incident that highlights the need for organizations of all sizes to prioritize defences that keep the bad guys out regardless of the attack vector. Because incidents like these are becoming way too frequent.

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Saviynt to Launch SaviTalk Podcast

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

Saviynt today announced the launch of SaviTalk, its official audio and visual podcast, with the first episode going live on Thursday, June 5. Taping of the episodes began in April at the RSA Conference in San Francisco. SaviTalk will provide an engaging platform for thought-provoking discussion on the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, identity security, and digital transformation.

Designed to be the go-to resource for security professionals, industry leaders, and enterprises navigating the complexities of modern identity security, SaviTalk will feature insightful conversations with Saviynt’s top executives, customers, and industry influencers. The podcast aims to unpack the most pressing challenges and opportunities in identity governance, privileged access management, and compliance, while also exploring the latest innovations shaping the future of cybersecurity.

The name SaviTalk was inspired by the concepts of TED Talks – concise, insightful discussions that drive thought leadership and innovation. By incorporating Savi, the podcast stays true to Saviynt’s identity while reinforcing its role as a leading voice in identity security.

Meet the Hosts

SaviTalk is hosted by some of the most influential experts in identity security, each bringing a unique perspective and wealth of experience to the conversation:

  • Henrique Teixeira, SVP of Strategy – A seasoned identity security strategist with a deep background in product and business transformation, Teixeira previously held an analyst role at Gartner, where he influenced major market shifts in identity and access management.
  • Simon Gooch, Field CIO – With decades of experience advising enterprise CIOs and CISOs, Gooch bridges the gap between technology and business needs. He has led digital transformation initiatives across Europe and North America, offering a customer-first perspective that resonates with global audiences.
  • David Lee, Field CTO – Known for his engaging communication style and sharp insights, Lee is a go-to voice in the cybersecurity community. With experience at companies like Cloudentity, AWS, and Lockheed Martin, he brings clarity to complex topics and a vision for simplifying identity security at scale.
  • Jim Routh, Chief Trust Officer – A legendary cybersecurity executive, Routh has served as CISO for organizations like Mass Mutual, Aetna, and JP Morgan Chase. He is widely respected for his forward-thinking approach to cyber risk, innovation, and building resilient security cultures.

With these industry experts at the helm, SaviTalk will deliver high-impact conversations designed to educate, challenge, and inspire listeners across the security ecosystem.

SaviTalk will debut Thursday, June 5, with an exclusive first episode featuring CEO Sachin Nayyar, where he shares his journey in identity security and the vision for Saviynt’s future. Listeners can tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major streaming platforms.

Additionally, Saviynt is inviting security professionals, customers, and partners to participate in upcoming episodes. Whether it’s a customer success story, a major industry trend, or an innovative security approach, SaviTalk aims to spotlight the voices shaping the future of identity security. Interested guests can submit nominations for topics and speakers through Saviynt’s website.

For more information and to listen to the latest episodes of SaviTalk, visit the website.

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Father’s Day Tech Deals from Epson that Dad Will Love 

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

If you are in the market for high-quality, long-lasting tech for Dad this Father’s Day, Epson has them covered with major sales on select printers and projectors. As a trusted name in consumer technology, Epson is a go-to brand known for performance and durability — qualities any father figure can appreciate.

Epson EpiqVision Mini EF21 Portable Smart Laser Projector (MSRP: $1,149.99 CAD)

Spending quality family time together has become a rare occasion in 2025. If you want to invest in a piece that Dad can enjoy with the whole family for years to come, The Epson EpiqVision EF21 is crafted to encourage family bonding. With built-in Google TV1 and stunning picture quality, everyone can binge watch their favourite TV shows, enjoy big sporting events or even play video games together. The projector is currently on sale for $849.99, making it more attainable if everyone contributes to the gift (everyone will be enjoying it).

Where to Buy:

·       Best Buy

·       Epson

·       Amazon

ET-4850 Wireless Colour All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer (MSRP: $599.99 CAD)

The Epson ET-4850 is a cartridge-free printer ideal for the work-from-home dad who needs an office-grade printer to support his job or business. This model is packed with time-efficient features for the dad with no time to waste, like its high-speed printing, auto-document feeder and 2.4″ colour touchscreen for faster navigation. If Dad is a businessman, he understands a good deal and will appreciate that he’ll save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles compared to traditional ink cartridges2. The ET-4850 is also currently on sale for $100 off at participating stores. Keep an eye on the links below as offers update.

Where to Buy:

·       Epson

·       Amazon

·       Staples

ET-2850 Wireless Colour All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer (MSRP: $399.99 CAD)

The Epson ET-2850 is another cartridge-free printer designed with the simple dad in mind. If he’s been looking for a reliable, low-hassle printer, this one’s for him. The entire household will benefit from worry-free colour printing, no matter the printing job. This printer comes with up to two years of ink in the box3, designed for long-term savings that won’t put a hole in Dad’s wallet. Plus, it can also print up to 5000 pages4, making it a smart investment. Select printers are currently on sale for $100 off at participating stores. Keep an eye on the links below as offers update.

Where to Buy:

·       Epson

·       Amazon

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Guest Post: Meta AI just beat Gemini as the most data-hungry chatbot 

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

It’s time for Google Gemini to step aside. Meta recently introduced its chatbot app, Meta AI, which is the new data king. According to a study by cybersecurity company Surfshark, Meta AI collects user data like no one before. It stands out among all analyzed chatbots by collecting 32 out of 35 data types, which is more than twice the average. 

Meta AI collects the most user data among the analyzed apps, gathering 32 out of 35 possible data types — over 90% of the total. It is also stands out from all the others because it is the only one chatbot app that collects data across categories such as financial information, health and fitness, and even sensitive information, which includes racial or ethnic data, sexual orientation, pregnancy or childbirth information, disability, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, political opinion, genetic information, or biometric data.

Additionally, only Meta AI and Copilot collect data linked to user identity for purposes such as displaying third-party ads in the app or sharing data with third parties that display third-party ads. While Copilot lists two data types, such as Device ID and Advertising Data, used for this purpose, Meta AI may use up to 24 different data types. 

“Meta is an ecosystem that collects user data across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Audience Network for displaying third-party ads, and now it’s doing the same through Meta AI. This chatbot learns from public posts, photos, and texts, as well as new data shared by users, which is an example of gross misconduct and mishandling of user data. Generative AI should not be trained on user data, and this highlights why regulations for AI are an urgent necessity,” says Karolis Kaciulis, Leading System Engineer at Surfshark.

Chatbots collect and learn from diverse data, which can have flaws

The average number of collected types of data is 13 out of a possible 35 for the analyzed AI chatbot apps. 45% of the apps collect users’ locations. Additionally, nearly 30% of these apps track user data. Tracking refers to linking user or device data collected from the app with third-party data for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes or sharing it with a data broker. 

AI chatbots learn from diverse sources of information, with Meta AI having the additional factor of learning from Facebook and Instagram posts and images. As they gather massive amounts of data, including public posts and user-provided content, the results we receive can vary and often be incorrect due to inaccuracies in their training data. The latest example of how X’s Grok responded to unrelated prompts and discussed white nationalist themes with X users highlights the challenge we have with current generative AI standards.

“People should keep in mind that even though these chatbots may provide you with a quick answer, the results they get are mediocre. Why is that? AI chatbots are being fed with all kinds of information and the majority of it can be inaccurate. Every person is responsible for the results they provide at their job, but generative AI is not; it is unaccountable and is not legally subject to the same scrutiny as a human,” K. Kaciulis comments.

Be careful when sharing information with chatbots

Google Gemini collects 22 unique data types. This includes precise location data, which only Gemini, Meta AI, Copilot, and Perplexity collect. Gemini also collects a significant amount of data across various other categories, such as contact info (name, email address, phone number, etc.), user content, contacts (such as a list of contacts in the user’s phone), search history, browsing history, and several other types of data.

ChatGPT collects 10 types of data, such as contact information, user content, identifiers, usage data, and diagnostics, while avoiding tracking data or using third-party advertising within the app. While ChatGPT collects chat history, it is possible to use temporary chats, which auto-delete all data after 30 days, or to request the removal of personal data from training sets.

Copilot, Poe, and Jasper are the three apps that collect data used to track you. This data could be sold to data brokers or used to display targeted advertisements in your app. While Copilot and Poe only collect device IDs, Jasper collects device IDs, product interaction data, advertising data, and other usage data, which refers to “any other data about user activity in the app”. 

According to K. Kaciulis, when using chatbots, users pay not only in money for subscriptions but also in personal data. “As a human being, especially in Europe, where GDPR protects user rights, personal data belongs to you, not to corporations or AI systems. Sharing it with generative AI can lead to it being stored, analyzed, and used without your full control, risking targeted manipulation, identity theft, or misuse. Also, people should be aware that things AI learns from your personal data can not be unlearned. It’s important to protect your privacy and online integrity in an age where personal data is increasingly treated as a commodity.” 

METHODOLOGY

We identified the 10 most popular AI chatbots, with Meta AI added as an additional app on May 20, 2025, and analyzed their privacy details on the Apple App Store. The comparison was based on how many types of data each app collects, whether it collects any data linked to you, and whether the app includes third-party advertisers. We also checked the privacy policies of DeepSeek and ChatGPT to better understand what kind of data is kept on servers and for how long.

Note on data used to track the user: “Tracking refers to the act of linking user or device data collected from your app with user or device data collected from other companies’ apps, websites, or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes. Tracking also refers to sharing user or device data with data brokers.” 

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Google-backed Glance launches AI commerce platform for fashion and more

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

In a pivotal moment for global commerce and AI innovation, Glance, a leading consumer technology company backed by Google, has unveiled Glance AI, an AI-native commerce platform powered by its most advanced proprietary AI models. Built to revolutionize how people shop and to reshape how intelligence drives decisions and economies, Glance AI moves online shopping beyond search to an inspiration-led discovery experience. It also marks the emergence of the ‘AI consumer’, one who doesn’t wait to browse, but expects the technology to understand them, imagine for them, and spark desire even before they know what they want.   

The standalone app launches today available worldwide on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store, with deeper integrations rolling out to Android handset makers and telecom operators. While the initial model is trained on fashion, Glance plans to extend the same experience to categories such as beauty, accessories, and travel later this year, setting a new benchmark in AI commerce.  

Unlike conventional e-commerce stores that simply display multiple products to browse or search for, Glance AI lets users discover their AI-curated stylized looks. By simply taking a selfie or uploading an image, Glance AI immerses them in a visual world where they take centre stage. Each experience is generated in real-time with an AI-native commerce engine using advanced diffusion models, personalization engines, and a live commerce layer that maps each user’s unique AI look to real, shoppable products from curated brands across the globe. With one tap, users can now explore looks and products tailored to their preferences and complete purchases seamlessly from 400+ global brands. All of this while the user retains control over their data.  

At its core, Glance AI is built on a three-layered deep tech architecture:   

  • Commerce Intelligence Model: trained on decades of global commerce data, learning from new trends, cultures, and consumer behavior.  
  • GenAI Experience Model: generating hyper-realistic visualization based on thousands of parameters such as gender, body type, ethnicity, skin tone, fit, style and season to simulate how a particular clothing will look on an individual.  
  • Transaction Journey Model: an agent that understands shopping intent before consumers do, pairing visualizations with best matched product from millions of catalogues globally.  

Glance AI has integrated its proprietary models with cutting-edge platforms including Google Gemini and Imagen on Vertex AI delivering hyper-realistic, personalized experiences to users. Glance AI is a fully opt-in platform, with privacy and user control built into its core design. Users can explore looks, save or share them, set them as wallpapers, and visualize themselves in unique looks and collections driven by global trends and occasions.   

Glance AI is beyond the app experience. It is built on an open architecture with deep integrations across hardware and software with manufacturers, telecom operators, and brands. It turns phones into AI phones, TVs into household commerce devices and brand stores into AI shopfronts.  

Early results from Glance AI’s U.S. trials signal strong consumer engagement for inspiration-led shopping. In just a few weeks, the platform has attracted more than 1.5 million active users, half of whom return weekly after trying the experience. Engagement runs deep: Users have generated over 40 million style requests, 50 percent download or share their personalized styles, 40 percent tap through to begin a shopping journey, setting a new benchmark for stickiness and social virality in AI commerce apps.  

  

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Big Tech on Trial: A Systematic Review of Class Action Lawsuits

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

The research team at  vpnMentor analyzed a random sample of 79 major class action lawsuits from the past five years to highlight emerging trends, in order to study whether billion-dollar lawsuits are truly holding tech firms accountable, or if they’re simply reshaping their business strategies.

Key findings at a glance:

  • Privacy-related lawsuits account for 73.4% of tech cases. Furthermore, Most tech lawsuits are filed in the US (88.4%), with California leading among the states at (68.4%).
  • While the US remains the epicenter of privacy lawsuits (88%), countries like Australia, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands (4% each) are also tightening privacy regulations to protect consumers from tech-related risks.
  • Big tech companies have faced 43 lawsuits since 2018, with Alphabet leading at 10 cases. Privacy violations are the most common (55.8%), followed by tech product recalls (25.6%) and AI-driven privacy concerns (18.6%).
  • Notable companies like Apple, Alphabet (Google), Meta, and Samsung have faced significant regulatory fines and class action lawsuits over privacy and data security issues, with damages reaching hundreds of millions of dollars (USD).

While legal battles have led to multi-billion-dollar settlements, many cases are still pending, highlighting the challenges in resolving disputes and stopping harmful practices in tech industries. As regulatory scrutiny intensifies worldwide, the long-term impact of these legal actions on industry practices remains to be seen.

You can access the report here: https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/tech-class-actions-research/

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184M+ Credential Exposed on Suspected InfoStealer Malware Breach 

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

Recently, cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered and reported to Website Planet about a non-password-protected database containing over 184 million credential records from a suspected InfoStealer malware breach affecting a wide range of services, applications, and accounts, including email providers, Microsoft products, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox, and many more.

What happened:

A publicly exposed database was found containing 184,162,718 records with a total size of 47.42 GB. The exposed data includes emails, login account names, passwords, authorization URLs, and more.

Why it matters:

This kind of breach could lead to targeted phishing attacks, identity theft or financial fraud, social engineering and more.

Read the full report here: https://www.websiteplanet.com/news/infostealer-breach-report/

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ESET Participates In Lumma Stealer Takedown

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

Yesterday I reported on a takedown of the Lumma Stealer network which is a big deal as this infostealer is a huge threat to computer users everywhere. Today ESET announced that has taken part in this takedown. The operation, spearheaded by Microsoft and supported by BitSight, Lumen, Cloudflare, CleanDNS, GMO Registry, and ESET, has successfully disrupted key elements of Lumma Stealer’s infrastructure, significantly impeding its ability to exfiltrate sensitive data from victims worldwide.

Key Contributions by ESET:

ESET contributed to the disruption by analyzing and processing tens of thousands of Lumma Stealer samples, identifying C&C servers, affiliate identifiers, and tracking the malware’s evolution in real time. Our automated telemetry enabled continuous monitoring of Lumma Stealer’s activities, supporting the takedown of over 3,000 malicious domains used since mid-2024.

ESET provided in-depth technical analysis and statistical breakdowns, helping cluster threat actors and understand the malware’s changing tactics.

The Threat of Lumma Stealer

Lumma Stealer (also known as LummaC or LummaC2) has been one of the most active infostealers in the cybercrime landscape over the past two years. Operated on a subscription-based MaaS model, it allowed cybercriminals to steal browser data, credentials, cryptocurrency wallets, and more, which are frequently sold on underground marketplaces to ransomware groups and other threat actors.

The malware’s infrastructure included Telegram-based dead-drop resolvers, weekly domain updates, and an elaborate affiliate tracking system through unique LID and UID identifiers. Its modular design and advanced anti-analysis techniques like control flow flattening and encrypted stack strings made detection and mitigation difficult—until now.

Global Disruption Impact

The collaborative disruption effort has rendered large portions of Lumma Stealer’s command-and-control network inoperable, striking a major blow to its ability to continue operations. While the actors behind Lumma Stealer are likely to attempt to regroup or pivot, this intervention marks a significant disruption to one of the most pervasive infostealer operations in recent years.

What Comes Next

ESET will continue to monitor the cybercrime ecosystem for signs of Lumma Stealer’s return or rebranding and remains committed to disrupting infostealer malware families that put organizations and individuals at risk.

Read the Full Technical Report

To explore the complete in-depth technical analysis, infrastructure breakdowns, sample statistics, and obfuscation techniques used by Lumma Stealer, visit the ESET We Live Security Blog: https://www.welivesecurity.com/en/eset-research/eset-takes-part-global-operation-disrupt-lumma-stealer/

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iOS app Sleep Journey: Insomnia Helper exposed over 25,000 users’ data 

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

The Cybernews research team has discovered that the iOS sleep management app Sleep Journey: Insomnia Helper exposed over 25,000 users via a misconfigured Firebase database.

The leaked data revealed names, email addresses, dates of birth, gender, sleeping data, habits such as alcohol and nicotine consumption, before-sleep activities, and medication use.

Here’s why this story matters:

  • Leaking sensitive information like sleep patterns, substance use, and medical habits alongside names and emails gives cybercriminals everything they need to launch highly personalized and targeted attacks.
  • It’s not just user data — it’s app infrastructure. Secrets like API keys, client IDs, and storage bucket credentials were hardcoded into the iOS app, potentially giving attackers high-level access to backend systems and user devices.
  • Cybercriminals could use automated scrapers to harvest sensitive data in real-time — putting user privacy and service integrity at serious risk.
  • It’s part of a larger, systemic issue. This breach was uncovered during Cybernews’ investigation into 156,000 iOS apps — revealing that 71% leak at least one secret, showing just how widespread insecure coding practices are.

To read the full research, please click here.

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Arms Cyber Launches Full Anti-Ransomware Support for macOS

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 22, 2025 by itnerd

Arms Cyber, the leading anti-ransomware platform, today announced full-featured support for macOS, becoming the first company in the industry to deliver comprehensive ransomware protection across all major operating systems — Windows, Linux, and now Mac. 

This milestone marks a major advancement in enterprise cybersecurity, addressing a critical gap in protection that has long left macOS users vulnerable. Arms Cyber’s solution brings this enhanced product offering with its existing Windows and Linux offerings — including preemption, blocking, and reporting capabilities specifically engineered to stop state-of-the-art ransomware threats. 

A Complete and Cost-Effective Solution 
With ransomware attacks on macOS systems rising sharply, Arms Cyber’s cross-platform protection fills a growing void for both enterprise IT leaders and individual users. Until now, organizations were often forced to focus their anti-ransomware efforts solely on Windows due to vendor limitations, leaving other systems exposed and at risk. 
This macOS support eliminates that exposure, offering a low-cost, unified solution that closes the gap across all enterprise endpoints. 

Market-Defining Differentiation 
Arms Cyber now stands alone in the cybersecurity space as the only company offering robust ransomware protection across Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms. While other anti-ransomware vendors provide partial support — typically detection-only on Linux and nothing on Mac — Arms Cyber delivers full-stack protection across all systems. 
This achievement places the company several years ahead of the competition in platform breadth and ransomware-specific defense capabilities. 

Solving the Real Problem: Platform Blind Spots 
With ransomware attackers increasingly shifting focus to under-protected systems like Linux and macOS, security teams face growing risks and rising costs from incident response and downtime. Arms Cyber’s complete coverage allows CISOs and IT leaders to: 

  • Minimize operational risk 
  • Streamline security investments 
  • Reduce the frequency and impact of ransomware events 

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