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Techday NZ
28-05-2025
- Techday NZ
AI-fuelled scams & phishing soar in New Zealand, says Gen
Gen has released its Q1/2025 Threat Report, highlighting a substantial increase in AI-driven, highly personalised cyber threats impacting New Zealand and global internet users. According to the report, breached data sets and the growing availability of AI tools are enabling cybercriminals to craft more sophisticated and convincing attacks, with New Zealand identified as one of the nations most affected by these developments. Fake update scams, where fraudulent browser update notifications are used to trick individuals into installing malware, have surged dramatically. In New Zealand, such scams increased by over 11,000% in terms of blocked attacks. Globally, there was a 1,711% increase in risk associated with these fake update scams compared to the previous quarter. Alongside scams involving fraudulent browser updates, other prevalent threats in New Zealand during the first quarter of 2025 included malvertising, phishing, romance and e-commerce scams, adware, and what Gen refers to as "Scam-Yourself Attacks." These attacks often use social engineering to manipulate individuals into infecting their own devices. The report also recorded a significant global rise in breached personal information, with a 186% increase in exposed data such as passwords, emails, and credit card numbers. In New Zealand, incidents involving infostealers—a type of malware that targets personal and financial information—rose by 137% in the quarter. These include advanced threats like password stealers and banking trojans targeting credentials, cryptocurrency wallets, and instant payment systems. Gen stated it helped protect over 4 million people worldwide from Scam-Yourself Attacks in the quarter. This attack vector is increasingly being powered by AI-generated personas, deepfake influencers, and even hired actors, who are used to convince users—sometimes via compromised YouTube accounts—to install malware, engage with fake CAPTCHAs, or grant unnecessary device permissions. "Online threats are evolving at a startling pace," said Siggi Stefnisson, Cyber Safety CTO at Gen. "Attackers are moving away from broad, indiscriminate campaigns to highly personalised, AI-enhanced deception. Breached data and AI tools are giving cybercriminals just enough personal information and design sophistication to more easily manipulate people. That's why we constantly evolve our cybersecurity solutions to be an interactive partner in fighting scams and to be one step ahead of cybercriminals." The Gen report notes a 36% increase in the number of company data breaches compared to the previous quarter, with attackers employing advanced infostealers such as Lumma Stealer. These tools make data compromise faster and harder to detect for individuals and organisations alike. Phishing remains a significant concern with reports to the Norton Genie scam detector platform rising by 466% compared to the previous quarter. Nearly 32% of all scam submissions were related to phishing, making it the fastest-growing threat after generic scams. "Phishing is the fastest-growing threat, second only to generic scams, which accounted for 51% of reports. The good news is that people are becoming more wary of potential phishing scams and reporting these messages," the report states. Phishing campaigns are increasingly using dynamic DNS services, subdomain providers, and free website builders to host deceptive login portals, mimicking trusted brands and creating a false sense of security. An observed trend is the use of urgent messages claiming account issues or prompting users to review sensitive documents, which increases the effectiveness of these scams even if the language is poorly written. Use of familiar domains allows these phishing attempts to bypass security filters more readily. Fake update scams have grown to over 17 times their frequency from the prior quarter. Gen describes how these attacks mimic the branding, language, and layout of genuine software updates, often displaying messages such as: "Your version is out of date, click to update now!" to increase the likelihood of user interaction. On the financial threat front, mobile financial crime, particularly on smartphones, continued to grow. Attackers use malware and banking trojans that exploit accessibility features to overlay counterfeit login pages, stealing sensitive information like cryptocurrency wallet credentials. The report underscores a rise in credit and transaction fraud alerts as attackers increasingly view mobile devices as entry points to financial data. Digital currencies also remain a prime target. In early 2025, the cybercrime group CryptoCore was able to steal close to USD $4 million through over 2,000 transactions by using deepfake videos of public figures on compromised YouTube accounts, timed around the US presidential inauguration. Gen has reiterated that it will continue to evolve its cybersecurity offerings to address the shifting threat landscape. Its range of solutions includes identity protection through LifeLock, scam detection via Norton Genie, and mobile device protection with Avast Mobile Security.
Associated Press
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Lithuanians bid farewell to 4 US soldiers who died during training exercise
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — A procession carrying the coffins of four American soldiers who died during a training exercise in Lithuania will proceed past the capital's cathedral square Thursday. Government officials and religious leaders are expected to pay their last respects before the bodies are taken to the airport to be returned to the U.S. The soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle went missing a week ago, the Army said. Lithuanian, Polish and U.S. soldiers and rescuers searched through the forests and swamps at the Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with Belarus. The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was pulled from a peat bog Monday and the final body was recovered Tuesday. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, the defense minister and the Vilnius archbishop are expected to attend the ceremony. An honor platoon from 3rd Infantry Division will also pay tribute to the soldiers, Maj. Nicholas Chopp, the deputy media chief for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, told The Associated Press. A Lithuanian nonprofit that also helps Ukrainian war refugees has asked residents of Vilnius to attend the ceremony and pause for a moment when the coffins pass by to pay their respects. 'Even though it's a workday, let's not remain indifferent ... bow your head, and honor the US soldiers who lost their lives during training while preparing to defend our freedom, standing true to their oath, giving their all, to the very end,' Stiprus Kartu, or Strong Together, wrote on Facebook. About 3,500 soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team deployed in January to Poland and the Baltic states for a nine-month rotation as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which supports NATO allies and partners following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How local airports deal with snowy conditions
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Snow impacts nearly every facet of our lives, and travel is no exception. For airport workers, clearing the runways and making sure planes are able to fly is paramount. While the snow that came down this week in central Illinois wasn't as significant as first thought, it still required an all-day effort from airport workers. Gene Olson is the Director of Airports for the Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport and said the swift response time is necessary. 'As soon as the snow starts to cover the markings on the pavement, we get out there and start working on it because the pavement markings tell things to pilots, and they have to be able to see that,' he said. In terms of snow maintenance, Olson said the two main focal points are the pavement and the planes themselves. He said taking care of the planes is complex, as factors such as what kind of precipitation is coming down, the temperature and the water content are all taken into account. From there, a holdover time needs to be calculated quickly. 'From the time when they de-ice an aircraft, they only have a certain number of minutes based on those calculations to get that aircraft off the ground,' he said. Once the plane is in the air, Olson said the heat from the engines plus the air compression makes it a lot easier to keep the ice off. For the pavement, Olson said they can't use salt, as it can corrode the planes that are mostly made of aluminum. Instead, they use a potassium acetate liquid to prevent ice. If ice and snow have already accumulated, Olson said they use sodium acetate pellets that can eat through the snow and ice. When snow or freezing rain is falling, Olson said conditions are assessed at least once every hour. From there, they file a 'Notice to Air Missions,' or NOTAM, which goes out to a national network, so pilots know what to expect before they land. Melissa Beaver is the Manager of Marketing and Communications at the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, often shortened to CIRA. She said similar things to Olson, mainly about how it's 'all hands on deck' from the time the snow starts, and that there's a checklist for maintenance items all day. In terms of de-icing the planes and treating the pavement, it's roughly the same. For passengers, Beaver said to be patient and stay in touch with the airport, as delays and cancellations may not be related to CIRA, but the destination airport. For passengers, Olson said to be 'patient and flexible' when flying in inclement weather and to arrive early to avoid any potential trouble. Something that has popped up recently, according to Olson, is people arriving later due to airlines notifying people of delayed plane arrivals. 'That can cause problems because the ticket counter might be closed when they get here. Think about whether you should adjust your arrival time based on that email. You might want to still get here in plenty of time,' he said. Olson also recommends people join frequent flyer clubs, even if they don't fly a lot. He said they are 'great' for receiving information from airlines. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
