Latest news with #BEC
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI-powered social engineering scams are getting savvier. Here's how consumers can protect themselves
Social engineering and AI-driven fraud are climbing to the top of global security concerns. The World Economic Forum lists them among the biggest cybersecurity threats of 2025. And the threat is no longer just spam emails with obvious typos. Today's scams are targeted, convincing, and increasingly powered by artificial intelligence. We're not just talking about phishing links or fake support calls. We're talking about deepfaked voicemails from loved ones. Phony messages that sound like your boss. Emails that mirror your own writing style. AI makes it easy to personalize deception on a massive scale. In this article, Heimdal breaks down where social engineering started, how it's evolving with AI, and who's most likely to fall for it. We'll highlight real-world examples and finish with straightforward steps to help individuals and organizations protect themselves. Social engineering relies on psychological manipulation. Scammers trick people into revealing personal information or taking actions they wouldn't normally consider. Basically, it's convincing someone to act against their interests, exposing their private or confidential information. The concept isn't new. Early scams go back to in-person cons. But the digital shift changed everything. The internet opened new ways to deceive people. Online platforms gave scammers more reach, resulting in faster, broader, and more convincing scams. According to the FBI's 2024 IC3 Report, this explosion in connectivity has dramatically expanded the scale of attacks. No one is immune to social engineering, but some people and places see more damage than others. Older adults face the highest losses. In 2024, individuals 60 and older reported the most complaints to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. They also lost more money than any other age group at over $4.8 billion, up 43% from 2023. Phishing/spoofing and tech support scams hit this group hardest. Where you live also matters. California, Texas, Florida, and New York had the most reported complaints and the highest losses last year. California saw over $2.5 billion in losses, while Texas lost more than $1.3 billion and Florida about $1 billion. Organizations are just as vulnerable. The WEF's 2025 Outlook highlights how critical sectors, such as government, healthcare, finance, and infrastructure, face heightened cyber risks. Today's scams build on familiar tricks but are more convincing. However, classic methods still dominate. Phishing, business email compromise (BEC), romance scams, and fake tech support calls remain go-to techniques. In 2024, the FBI received over 193,000 phishing and spoofing complaints, and BEC scams caused $2.77 billion in losses. AI is making scams like these harder to spot. Deepfakes. Scammers fake a loved one's voice or mimic an executive in a video. Hyper-personalized phishing. AI crafts clean, accurate, and targeted emails. Automation. Large-scale attacks launch in seconds with little effort. The cost is staggering. According to the IC3 report, investment fraud (often AI-driven) led to $6.57 billion in losses in 2024. Cryptocurrency fraud reached $9.3 billion, with adults over 60 most affected. What was once obvious is now polished and personal. Urgency and fear remain core tools among scammers. One common scam begins with a fake call or message claiming a loved one is in danger. Victims are pressured to act fast—send money, share banking info, or buy gift cards. Empathy-driven scams work just as well. Romance scams build trust and then ask for money. The latest twist is generative AI tools. Criminals now use them to build fake identities and clone online profiles. The IC3 warns that this tactic is spreading, especially in financial fraud, with criminals using AI-generated text, images, audio, and video. Whether it's fear or empathy, the goal is the same. Scammers hope to convince victims that a problem is real and get them to act before thinking. Stopping these scams starts with spotting the signs. Verify money or data requests through a separate, trusted communication channel. Question urgency. Don't act on impulse when receiving unsolicited messages. Look for deepfake signs, such as robotic speech or visual glitches. Use strong passwords and enable MFA. Train employees to detect phishing and fraud attempts. Require verification for fund transfers and sensitive data requests. Use strong email filtering and anti-phishing tools. Report scams at or contact your local FBI office. Social engineering isn't slowing down. It's adapting, and fast. AI gives scammers new tools to make old tricks far more believable. What used to be low-effort deception is now hyper-targeted, high-tech manipulation. But while the tools may be new, the core defense remains the same: awareness, verification, and quick reporting. Think before acting, pause when something feels rushed, ask questions, and don't be afraid to confirm through another channel. Technology can help, too. MFA, strong passwords, and smart filters all put up real barriers between scammers and their targets. The FBI urges everyone, individuals and businesses included, to report scams and share information. Even one report could help someone else avoid the same trap. Staying ahead of AI-driven scams requires preparation. The more you know, the harder it is to be fooled. This story was produced by Heimdal and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Energy Sector Releases Blueprint For NZ's Energy Strategy
Press Release – BusinessNZ A new paper outlining practical actions to support the Government's energy strategy has been developed by the BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC), the newly founded Energy Transition Framework, ARUP and leading industry associations including ERANZ, ERA, … New Zealand's energy sector has rallied around a secure and affordable vision for a sustainable energy future, and is calling on Government to adopt its perspective as part of their eventual energy strategy. A new paper outlining practical actions to support the Government's energy strategy has been developed by the BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC), the newly founded Energy Transition Framework, ARUP and leading industry associations including ERANZ, ERA, ENA, FlexForum, IEGA, and MEUG. The paper provides an overview of the energy sector today, addressing challenges related to security, investment, and infrastructure, and includes a vision statement with strategic priorities and actions for the energy transition. BEC Executive Director Tina Schirr says the vision outlined is one which can support a high-growth, productive economy while delivering better outcomes for all New Zealanders. 'A well-designed and effectively implemented national energy strategy can drive economic growth and productivity. Sustained regulatory uncertainty and sovereign risk have muted investment in new flexible electricity generation, storage, and gas – its an issue that needs urgent attention. 'We're urging Government to develop of a clear plan of action to address long-term gas constraints. Upcoming work on fuel security offers a chance to broaden the scope and build a robust, future-proof energy strategy.' The group also calls for the removal of regulatory barriers to enable consumer-led innovation and ensure all New Zealanders can equitably participate in the energy transition. 'New Zealand is uniquely positioned to lead by harnessing our abundant natural resources, maintaining a consumer-first focus via competitive forces, and enabling innovation across all fuels and technologies.' The paper advocates for transparent, evidence-based progress tracking to ensure accountability and keep the transition on course. 'Our collective vision is clear: We're seeking a modern energy system that delivers for people, business and the planet. We're ready to partner with government to make this vision a reality.'
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Energy Sector Releases Blueprint For NZ's Energy Strategy
New Zealand's energy sector has rallied around a secure and affordable vision for a sustainable energy future, and is calling on Government to adopt its perspective as part of their eventual energy strategy. A new paper outlining practical actions to support the Government's energy strategy has been developed by the BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC), the newly founded Energy Transition Framework, ARUP and leading industry associations including ERANZ, ERA, ENA, FlexForum, IEGA, and MEUG. The paper provides an overview of the energy sector today, addressing challenges related to security, investment, and infrastructure, and includes a vision statement with strategic priorities and actions for the energy transition. BEC Executive Director Tina Schirr says the vision outlined is one which can support a high-growth, productive economy while delivering better outcomes for all New Zealanders. "A well-designed and effectively implemented national energy strategy can drive economic growth and productivity. Sustained regulatory uncertainty and sovereign risk have muted investment in new flexible electricity generation, storage, and gas - its an issue that needs urgent attention. "We're urging Government to develop of a clear plan of action to address long-term gas constraints. Upcoming work on fuel security offers a chance to broaden the scope and build a robust, future-proof energy strategy." The group also calls for the removal of regulatory barriers to enable consumer-led innovation and ensure all New Zealanders can equitably participate in the energy transition. "New Zealand is uniquely positioned to lead by harnessing our abundant natural resources, maintaining a consumer-first focus via competitive forces, and enabling innovation across all fuels and technologies." The paper advocates for transparent, evidence-based progress tracking to ensure accountability and keep the transition on course. "Our collective vision is clear: We're seeking a modern energy system that delivers for people, business and the planet. We're ready to partner with government to make this vision a reality." Note
Muscat Daily
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Muscat Daily
Ethnic Hungarian, Moldovan voters saved Romania's democracy
Bucharest, Romania – Last week, just before midnight on Sunday, an important piece of news spread quickly around the world: The hard-right candidate George Simion has been defeated, democracy in Romania is safe, and the liberal, pro-European mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, will be the next president of Romania. Another-important piece of news followed, which came as a surprise to many Romanian observers but was not as widely reported internationally: Romania's ethnic Hungarians and Moldovan citizens who also hold Romanian passports voted in record numbers for Nicusor Dan, making a decisive contribution to his victory. Conservative estimates say that over 500,000 – perhaps even over 700,000 – of these voters voted for Dan, which would account for a large proportion of his 830,000-vote lead over his opponent. In short, without the votes of these two groups, Dan could have lost the election. Hungarian and Moldovan votes Ethnic Hungarians in Romania? Moldovans with dual citizenship? For those who do not know Romania well, this might sound like a niche issue to be discussed by election buffs. This probably explains why it received little international attention on the evening of the election. The fact is, however, that both groups play an important role not only in domestic politics in Romania, but also, by extension, in Europe. Hungarians have been a national minority in Romania since the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, when Transylvania and other regions became part of Romania. There are currently around one million ethnic Hungarians in Romania, which accounts for about 5.5% of the total population. Most of these ethnic Hungarian Romanians support Viktor Orban, the autocratic prime minister of neighbouring Hungary. Just a week before the second round of Romania's presidential election, Orban gave his backing to hard-right candidate George Simion, even though Simion has an explicitly anti-Hungarian stance and was in the news several years ago for violent actions that targeted the Hungarian minority. Orban likes to portray himself as the protector of all ethnic Hungarians outside Hungary. Nevertheless, from his perspective, backing Simion in Romania's presidential election was logical and of a higher priority because a Simion victory would have strengthened the 'sovereigntist' camp – in other words, the autocratic, pro-Russian, anti-EU camp – in Europe. For Romania's ethnic Hungarians, however, following Orban's lead and backing Simion was not an option. It would have meant voting for a politician with deep-seated anti-minority attitudes and, ultimately, against themselves. So, they didn't. Outstanding result for Dan This became clear on Sunday evening, when Romania's central electoral commission, the BEC, published the figures for each district (judet). Nicusor Dan received about 53.6% of the total vote, about 830,000 votes more than George Simion. The vote for Dan in all districts with a larger ethnic Hungarian population was massive. Although there are no exact statistics on ethnic voting patterns, experts like the Transylvanian Hungarian sociologist Nandor Magyari estimate that Dan got between 550,000 and 600,000 votes from Romania's Hungarian minority. 'In this way, Romanian Hungarians voted for the preservation of liberal democracy and the continuation of Romania's Euro-Atlantic path,' Magyari told DW. Some fascinating records were broken in Sunday's election: In the Romanian district of Harghita, where 85% of residents are ethnic Hungarian, an incredible 91% voted for Nicusor Dan, his best result in any Romanian district. Moldovans vote in record numbers Many Moldovans hold dual Moldovan-Romanian citizenship and are entitled to vote in elections in Romania. These voters also voted for Dan in record numbers. The president-elect received about 135,000 votes in Moldova – some 88% of all votes cast there. Most of what is now the Republic of Moldova and the Romanian region known as Moldavia were once both part of the Principality of Moldavia. Three-quarters of the people in the Republic of Moldova are Romanian-speakers, and the country is occasionally referred to as the 'second Romanian state'. Of the country's 2.45mn inhabitants, 640,000 hold dual Moldovan–Romanian citizenship. Many of this group live in western European countries and it is likely that they voted in large numbers for Nicusor Dan there, too. The reason for this is that Dan's opponent, George Simion, is in favour of the reunification of Moldova and Romania and the creation of a 'Greater Romania' – an idea that is not very popular in Moldova. Simion has been barred from entering Moldova since 2014. What's more, Simion adopts a paternalistic tone towards Moldovans, which does not go down well with most of them. DW
Korea Herald
21-05-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
WHO Foundation and Laerdal Global Health announce US $12.5 million to launch massive Acute Care scale up aiming to save over 50,000 lives per year
Over half of deaths in low-and middle-income countries could be addressed with effective emergency care. GENEVA, May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A newly-announced philanthropic partnership between Laerdal Global Health and the WHO Foundation will fund WHO to scale up acute care training for health workers in select African countries. Laerdal Global Health founder, Tore Laerdal and WHO Foundation Chair, Thomas Zeltner announced the US $12.5 million commitment at an event during the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Tuesday 20th May 2025. This contribution includes support for WHO Basic Emergency Care training in 400 hospitals across three African countries, as well as specially designed training kits for ongoing workplace-based training. In association with this core commitment, the WHO Foundation and Laerdal Global Health have also established a funding consortium – Lifeline: the Acute Care Action Fund – and are already in active discussions with other private and public partners to reach a total of $25M to bring this program to 1,000 hospitals in five or more countries, saving an estimated 50,000 lives every year. The Basic Emergency Care (BEC) program was developed in 2016 by WHO, with the collaboration of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation for Emergency Medicine. Since that time, tens of thousands of health workers have been trained in Basic Emergency Care across more than 60 countries. Prior studies in first level hospitals across Africa and Asia showed a 34 to 50 percent reduction in mortality from acute conditions –- including pneumonia, road injuries, diabetic crisis and post-partum haemorrhage – following the implementation of the BEC program. "We know that the Basic Emergency Care program can reduce mortality from a range of acute conditions by up to 50 percent," says Tore Laerdal. "We have been privileged to collaborate with WHO, the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, and the International Committee of the Red Cross in developing a new course model that uses simpler and much more affordable training materials, enabling ongoing refresher sessions at each hospital," he adds. "Strengthening health systems and supporting health workers to deliver effective acute care is essential to universal health coverage and health security," says Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director General, Universal Health Coverage, Life Course Division, WHO. "This support to bring the Basic Emergency Care program to scale— particularly at this time of constricting resources— will have a critical impact around the world." WHO Foundation Chair, Thomas Zeltner, adds: "This generous and timely contribution from Laerdal Global Health supports WHO's vital work at a time when funding for global health is under threat." "We now invite others to join Lifeline: the Acute Care Action Fund to support the scale-up of the BEC program across the region and beyond - including in humanitarian settings - saving millions of lives." About Laerdal Global Health Laerdal Global Health is a not-for-profit company dedicated to helping save lives in low-resource settings. It develops simple, scalable, and locally adaptable solutions for health worker training and clinical care—supporting countries to improve outcomes for mothers, newborns, and people affected by trauma, sepsis, and other acute conditions. Working in close collaboration with governments, global and local partners, Laerdal Global Health works to strengthen health systems by empowering frontline providers with the tools, skills and confidence they need. It is part of the Laerdal group, a mission-driven organization with a shared goal of helping save one million more lives, every year, by 2030. About the WHO Foundation The WHO Foundation, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is an independent grant-making organization that supports the mission of the World Health Organization. It mobilizes philanthropic capital and builds catalytic partnerships to address the world's most pressing health challenges, especially for vulnerable communities.
