The security & privacy stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
A security firm says most AI agents at its customers have not run in months, yet their logins still work and some can be started by outsiders.
Read more: Most AI agents sit unused for months but keep their accessParityCube, a Mumbai company, has launched OpenTrust, a free shared list for Indian merchants to flag and check phone numbers tied to fraud.
Read more: Indian company ParityCube launches free fraud-number registry for shopsBank of Ireland says its AI scored over 1 billion card payments and stopped €9.7m of fraud, so a verify request from your bank is likely an automated check.
Read more: Bank of Ireland says AI checked 1 billion card payments and stopped €9.7m of fraudA new Southeast Asia report says missing payment options cost sales at checkout, and Indonesia shows it most. Here is what sellers abroad should know.
Read more: Southeast Asian shoppers abandon carts when their payment method is missingAmazon says attackers used the PHP2Shell flaws on October 17, four days before anyone was told. Websites built on PHP are the concern.
Read more: Hackers hit PHP2Shell flaws four days before the public warningA new review tests ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini on scam texts, but no independent lab has scored them, so treat any AI verdict as a second opinion.
Read more: People are pasting suspicious texts into AI chatbots to check themA Japanese server rental service says hackers installed malware on up to 26,739 customer servers. If you store passwords on rented servers, the clock is ticking.
Read more: Hackers plant malware on up to 26,739 rented servers in JapanColorado gets 27 million unwanted robocalls a month, and scammers now take up to $4,000 per successful call. Details that sound real are no proof.
Read more: Colorado gets 27 million scam calls a month, and they cost more nowFTC data shows older Americans lost about $3 billion to fraud. A talk with a parent or relative about common scams could help protect their money.
Read more: Older Americans lost about $3 billion to fraud, FTC data showsSeveral European governments and Canada pulled sites offline after a patch for two serious flaws in PHP, software behind WordPress and Drupal. Business sites should update.
Read more: Governments pull websites offline over a flaw in web softwareKaspersky says North Korea's Lazarus Group used quantum-resistant encryption to hide malware aimed at South Korean firms, a sign that attackers adopt top security tools too.
Read more: North Korean hackers use next-generation encryption to hide their malwareVirginia says scammers are texting and calling food benefit cardholders with fake warnings about declined payments. Here is what the messages say and what to do.
Read more: Virginia warns food benefit card users about scam calls and textsA US agency says attackers are actively using four Plex flaws to take over servers. Older versions are exposed, and a fix has been out since August.
Read more: Hackers are breaking into Plex media servers with a new attackCoast Dental will pay $3.84 million over texts and calls that allegedly kept coming after people replied stop. Eligible people can claim cash or a voucher.
Read more: Coast Dental to pay $3.84M over texts sent after patients said stopVodafone's owner says 98% of the scam calls it studied came through one internet phone firm. The firm says stopping them is hard. Here is what it means for you.
Read more: Vodafone says 24 million scam calls came through one phone firmScammers posing as Fairfield police say you missed court and face arrest. Police say a real officer will never ask for payment by phone to cancel a warrant.
Read more: Fake police calls in Fairfield claim you missed court and face arrestA $25 billion penalty against Meta, over claims it misled users about privacy, is a reminder to check what your social apps actually do with your data.
Read more: Meta must pay $25 billion over misleading users about privacyAI shopping helpers can search, compare and buy for you, and scammers are building fake deals to catch them. Here is what that means before holiday shopping.
Read more: AI shopping helpers are hunting holiday deals, and scammers are waitingA Missouri county health department will pay $2.25 million over a 2022 breach. Affected people can claim $150 or up to $300 by November 16, 2026.
Read more: Missouri health department pays $2.25M over 2022 data breachBroadcom launched Arcot Scam Defense, a tool that lets banks block an online card payment you approved if it looks like you were being manipulated.
Read more: Broadcom adds a second check to stop card scams you approve yourselfHHS has warned seven health tech companies suspected of blocking access to health data. You have a legal right to your records, and regulators are starting to act.
Read more: Federal Regulators Warn Seven Health Tech Firms Over Blocked Patient DataFrance's cyber agency chief says criminals took over retailers' smart fridges through weak passwords and missing protection, not advanced hacking.
Read more: Hackers took over French retailers' smart fridges using weak passwordsYouTube plans to limit hacked channels used for fake celebrity livestreams, a move meant to cut off a tool scammers rely on to spread fake videos.
Read more: YouTube to limit hacked channels used for fake celebrity livestreamsAARP Illinois runs free online scam-awareness talks and is recruiting volunteers to share what they learn with friends, family and neighbors.
Read more: AARP Illinois Volunteers Teach Neighbors How to Spot Scams
