Latest news with #Messing
Axios
7 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
U.S. companies brace for Israel-Iran cyber spillover
As Israel and Iran exchange airstrikes, cybersecurity experts are warning that a quieter, but still destructive, digital conflict is unfolding behind the scenes. And U.S. companies could soon find themselves in the blast radius. Why it matters: Iran and Israel are home to some of the world's most skilled hackers. Escalating tensions between the two could spill over into cyberspace, potentially disrupting critical infrastructure, commercial networks and global supply chains. Driving the news: U.S. cybersecurity organizations are urging businesses to remain on high alert for possible Iranian cyberattacks on domestic infrastructure. The Food and Ag-ISAC and the IT-ISAC published a joint statement Friday urging companies to proactively bolster their defenses, noting a history of Iranian state-sponsored hackers and hacktivism targeting U.S. critical infrastructure during previous conflicts. Radware, a U.S.-based cybersecurity firm, estimated there's been a 700% increase in Iranian cyberattacks against Israeli targets since Israel launched its initial missile strike on Tehran on June 12. Threat level: The scale and nature of potential Iranian cyberattacks on American organizations will likely depend on how the U.S. responds to the broader military conflict. As of now, the Trump administration has told allies it will not intervene unless Iran directly targets Americans. But if that decision changes, Iran could redirect cyber resources toward state-sponsored ransomware campaigns or wiper malware attacks on U.S. infrastructure, Austin Warnick, director of national security intelligence at Flashpoint, told Axios. Zoom in: Gil Messing, chief of staff at Israel-based Check Point Software Technologies, told Axios that he's observed several disinformation campaigns appearing to originate from Iranian-linked actors in the days following the strikes. One such campaign involved a text message sent to thousands of Israelis warning that fuel supplies would be halted at gas stations for 24 hours. Another message falsely warned of a possible terrorist attack at a regional shelter, urging recipients to avoid the area — an apparent attempt to sow panic during missile attacks. Both messages were crafted to appear as if they came from Israel's Home Front Command, but they were fake, Messing said. He added that he's also seen lower-level cyber activity potentially linked to Iran, including DDoS attacks and phishing campaigns. What they're saying:"Their main objective is intimidation, fake news, [and] disinformation, much more than anything else," Messing told Axios. He added that much of the current Iranian cyber activity is "lower profile" — in part because Tehran appears to be focusing the bulk of its resources on physical warfare right now. The big picture: During traditional military conflicts, cyberattacks are often deployed to incite fear and confusion among civilians. More destructive operations — such as infrastructure attacks — tend to emerge only in the lead-up to major strikes or invasions, as seen before Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Messing said that's why Iran appears to be focusing on disinformation and smaller-scale attacks so far. The goal currently is to incite fear. Reality check: Israel also poses a formidable cyber threat in this conflict. However, its digital offensives are expected to remain focused on Iranian targets, Warnick said. A pro-Israel hacking group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack this morning on Iran's Bank Sepah, causing widespread outages. The group also claims it "destroyed" all of the bank's data. Israel has a long history of sophisticated cyber operations, most notably the Stuxnet attack that targeted Iran's nuclear program. Its intelligence units, particularly Unit 8200, are also known for advanced cyber espionage capabilities.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Debra Messing on serendipitous reunion with Robert De Niro after losing 'Casino' role to Sharon Stone
Debra Messing has waited 30 years to share the screen with Robert De Niro — in a gangster film, no less — after she missed out on a big role in Casino. Now the two play husband and wife in The Alto Knights. The film, in theaters March 21, is about the bitter feud between two of New York's most notorious mid-century organized crime bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. For Messing, it's a bit of a full-circle moment as she was close to starring opposite De Niro in the 1995 film Casino. The Will & Grace alum was up for the role of Ginger McKenna that ultimately went to Sharon Stone. "I met [Bob] for the first time when I was 25 years old and I just graduated from NYU grad school and it was one of my first auditions for film," Messing, 56, told Yahoo Entertainment. "I was called back and they said, 'You're going to be meeting Robert De Niro and Marty Scorsese for Casino.'" Messing continued, "Just getting a callback at that point was so incredible. But I was like, 'I am too young for this.' And I went to a salon and I said, 'Give me an updo, make me look older and sophisticated and glamorous.' And I knocked on the door [at the audition] and Bob opened it and he was like, 'What, you going to a prom?'" Messing laughed, "I died. I don't remember anything after that." In The Alto Knights, Messing plays mob boss wife Bobbie Costello. In a career first, De Niro plays dual roles as he stars as both Costello and Genovese. "When we actually read together ... the third line in, Bob started improvising and I thought, 'What's going on? This isn't the scene I learned.' And I thought, 'OK, sink or swim. This is what you learned how to do in graduate acting school at NYU. So just dive in' — and I did," Messing said about finally working with De Niro. "And it became really fun and really fluid. We just had a good chemistry, and he just made it feel very safe and welcoming." One of the next big things on Messing's calendar? Attending the April Broadway premiere of Smash, which is based on her cult-hit TV show. 'I will be there opening night,' she said. 'I already saw an early workshop of it, and I was crying through it. It's going to be so wonderful.' Although she's ready to walk down memory lane with Smash, it doesn't sound like a second revival of Will & Grace will happen anytime soon. The three-season reboot ended in 2020, and Messing seems to be content with leaving it there. 'I think the only thing that we could ever get away with would be in a couple of decades, The Golden Girls: Will and Grace, where all four of them are living in Boca Raton together and everyone's in a caftan,' she said. 'I would buy that! But I don't think anything before that. ... Come back in 40 years!' is in theaters on March 21.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Instagram May Spin Off Reels As a Standalone App, Report Says
Instagram may be considering spinning off its Reels feature into a standalone app. The company's head, Adam Mosseri, was reportedly overheard discussing the idea with employees as part of a broader strategy to better compete with TikTok, according to The Information. The report said the move is part of parent company Meta's internal initiative called Project Ray aimed at taking on the wildly popular TikTok. Project Ray also focuses on improving the algorithms behind content recommendations and enhancing support for longer Reels, the report said. The news follows Instagram's recent launch of Edits, a video editing app strikingly similar to TikTok owner ByteDance's CapCut platform. Instagram has also reportedly attempted to lure TikTok creators to its platform with cash bonuses of between $10,000 and $50,000. TikTok's legal status in the US remains up in the air following the enactment of a law banning it if certain conditions were not met by mid-January. The Trump administration is not currently enforcing the ban and, after a brief interruption, TikTok continues to operate for US users. Meta declined to comment for this story. This wouldn't be Instagram's first attempt at a TikTok competitor. In 2018, the company launched Lasso, an app that let users create short-form videos with music, text and filters to appeal to younger audiences. However, it shut down two years later as the company shifted its focus to Reels. According to Sol Messing, a research associate professor at NYU's Center for Social Media and Politics, the move could appeal to some users who may just want to watch Reels rather than visiting Instagram or Facebook to access them. Messing was previously an employee of several tech companies, including Meta and X. "Whether it works out for Meta depends on how it affects the recommendation system underlying Reels," he told CNET. "Many have complained it's not as good as TikTok. Creating a separate app may reflect a broader effort to prioritize Reels at the company, which could be indicative of investing more in the Reels recommender system." At the same time, he said, Meta likely wants to see a return on its significant investments in generative AI and launching a separate app could encourage more streamlined collaboration within its gen AI team. Still, Messing said: "It's hard to see this move as unrelated to TikTok's recent legal drama."
CNN
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Debra Messing says she will never stop fighting against antisemitism: ‘I don't think I've ever felt as proud of being a Jew'
Hours after Hamas launched its attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, Debra Messing, the actress and activist, spoke out on social media against the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. 'An unprovoked massacre,' Messing wrote. 'This is not a two sided conflict. This is a coordinated terrorist attack. The only thing that should be in your mind and heart today is compassion and prayers for Israel.' More than 15 months after the Hamas attacks, Messing continues to use her platform to share her unwavering support for Israel and combat the global spread of antisemitism. And while Messing says some other Hollywood stars have been reluctant to speak on the conflict, her voice keeps getting louder. 'I don't think I've ever felt as proud of being a Jew,' Messing told CNN in an interview in December. 'It really has awakened in me a pride and a strength I think that was lying dormant, and I think I was too scared to reveal.' The 'Will & Grace' star, who is Jewish, has been speaking out against antisemitism for years. But October 7 changed her life, she said. 'I think I was in the shadows prior to October 7,' Messing said. 'I actually didn't realize how much the antisemitism that I have experienced throughout my entire life had affected my ability to be out and proud, so to speak, as a Jew.' Messing is now serving as executive producer on a documentary about an increase in antisemitism in the past year and a half. Aptly titled 'October 8,' the documentary explores the rise of antisemitic violence, protests on college campuses and the spread of misinformation across social media, as it pertains to Israel and Palestine. Directed by filmmaker Wendy Sachs, 'October 8' will premiere in theaters on March 14 and will also be released across streaming platforms. The documentary was submitted to the Academy for Oscars consideration. 'This is not a film litigating the war in Gaza,' Sachs told CNN. 'What's happening in Gaza is horrific. No one would disagree with that. But that's not what this is about. This is about extremism versus democracy. It's about what we're seeing in the streets of America, on college campuses and on social media.' Sachs continued, 'How did we get to this moment? How did it become this explosive time between social media and media bias that have sort of portrayed this whole situation as a fight against Israel rather than a fight against terrorism?' Messing traveled to Israel to meet with representatives of the Israeli Defense Force, families of hostages and survivors of the Nova music festival, where nearly 400 innocent festivalgoers were massacred and dozens more were taken hostage into Gaza. 'I felt compelled to go and to bear witness so that I could come back and share their stories and not be called a liar,' Messing said of her trip to Israel. Messing acknowledged that 'being the eyes and ears for everybody who does not have the opportunity to go there' has put her in a 'vulnerable position' as a public-facing person who is speaking out about a highly polarizing issue. 'I felt very alone and often scared and despairing, but it was so clear to me, if not now, when? And it just was not an option to stay silent,' Messing said. While some public figures have come together to stand up against antisemitism, Messing reveals in the documentary that she has felt abandoned by many in the entertainment community. In a scene where she is shown hanging up posters call for the release of the hostages, Messing expresses surprise more people did not join the cause. 'I thought there would be an army of activists and celebrities who would be out,' Messing says in the documentary. 'And I felt completely betrayed by Hollywood.' In her interview with CNN, Messing said that while she has publicly supported other groups facing hate, she doesn't feel that the entertainment industry has taken enough of a stance against antisemitism. 'I have been an activist for 25 years and I have marched and stood behind every leader of every marginalized community that has been seeking equity and inclusion,' Messing said. 'The thing that I have had to mourn the most is the fact that when I look to my right and my left, the people who I supported were not with me.' Sachs praised Messing's fearlessness to continue speaking out amid increasing hate, particularly on social media. 'Debra has a courage that I haven't seen in so many others and I applaud her for that,' Sachs said. 'It's really hard. There's a lot of hate out there.' Due to the fraught nature of the conflict, Sachs said the documentary was nearly impossible to get off the ground. 'I've been told by pretty much every agent and every agency in Hollywood, 'Great film. No one's going to touch it,'' the director told CNN. 'There's definitely a feeling out there that it's nuclear. Companies are afraid of subscriptions being cancelled. They're afraid of boycotts. They're afraid of the noise, and I think what we've seen collectively, it's very noisy on the other side.' Two months ago, 'October 8' was acquired by Briarcliff Entertainment, which is handling distribution in the US. With their film soon set for release, Messing and Sachs hope the documentary can educate audiences and lead to more unity. 'What is happening in Gaza is devastating. Any loss of life is devastating. War is devastating,' Messing said. 'The thing that has been very hard to understand is how people can't seem to hold two things at once – how you can be pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel at the same time.' Messing ended her nearly hour-long conversation with CNN on a hopeful note. 'One of the most beautiful parts of Judaism, for me, is that it is always about finding the light in the dark and bringing light into the dark,' she said. 'I believe that that can change everything.'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Debra Messing says she will never stop fighting against antisemitism: ‘I don't think I've ever felt as proud of being a Jew'
Hours after Hamas launched its attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, Debra Messing, the actress and activist, spoke out on social media against the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. 'An unprovoked massacre,' Messing wrote. 'This is not a two sided conflict. This is a coordinated terrorist attack. The only thing that should be in your mind and heart today is compassion and prayers for Israel.' More than 15 months after the Hamas attacks, Messing continues to use her platform to share her unwavering support for Israel and combat the global spread of antisemitism. And while Messing says some other Hollywood stars have been reluctant to speak on the conflict, her voice keeps getting louder. 'I don't think I've ever felt as proud of being a Jew,' Messing told CNN in an interview in December. 'It really has awakened in me a pride and a strength I think that was lying dormant, and I think I was too scared to reveal.' The 'Will & Grace' star, who is Jewish, has been speaking out against antisemitism for years. But October 7 changed her life, she said. 'I think I was in the shadows prior to October 7,' Messing said. 'I actually didn't realize how much the antisemitism that I have experienced throughout my entire life had affected my ability to be out and proud, so to speak, as a Jew.' Messing is now serving as executive producer on a documentary about an increase in antisemitism in the past year and a half. Aptly titled 'October 8,' the documentary explores the rise of antisemitic violence, protests on college campuses and the spread of misinformation across social media, as it pertains to Israel and Palestine. Directed by filmmaker Wendy Sachs, 'October 8' will premiere in theaters on March 14 and will also be released across streaming platforms. The documentary was submitted to the Academy for Oscars consideration. 'This is not a film litigating the war in Gaza,' Sachs told CNN. 'What's happening in Gaza is horrific. No one would disagree with that. But that's not what this is about. This is about extremism versus democracy. It's about what we're seeing in the streets of America, on college campuses and on social media.' Sachs continued, 'How did we get to this moment? How did it become this explosive time between social media and media bias that have sort of portrayed this whole situation as a fight against Israel rather than a fight against terrorism?' Messing traveled to Israel to meet with representatives of the Israeli Defense Force, families of hostages and survivors of the Nova music festival, where nearly 400 innocent festivalgoers were massacred and dozens more were taken hostage into Gaza. 'I felt compelled to go and to bear witness so that I could come back and share their stories and not be called a liar,' Messing said of her trip to Israel. Messing acknowledged that 'being the eyes and ears for everybody who does not have the opportunity to go there' has put her in a 'vulnerable position' as a public-facing person who is speaking out about a highly polarizing issue. 'I felt very alone and often scared and despairing, but it was so clear to me, if not now, when? And it just was not an option to stay silent,' Messing said. While some public figures have come together to stand up against antisemitism, Messing reveals in the documentary that she has felt abandoned by many in the entertainment community. In a scene where she is shown hanging up posters call for the release of the hostages, Messing expresses surprise more people did not join the cause. 'I thought there would be an army of activists and celebrities who would be out,' Messing says in the documentary. 'And I felt completely betrayed by Hollywood.' In her interview with CNN, Messing said that while she has publicly supported other groups facing hate, she doesn't feel that the entertainment industry has taken enough of a stance against antisemitism. 'I have been an activist for 25 years and I have marched and stood behind every leader of every marginalized community that has been seeking equity and inclusion,' Messing said. 'The thing that I have had to mourn the most is the fact that when I look to my right and my left, the people who I supported were not with me.' Sachs praised Messing's fearlessness to continue speaking out amid increasing hate, particularly on social media. 'Debra has a courage that I haven't seen in so many others and I applaud her for that,' Sachs said. 'It's really hard. There's a lot of hate out there.' Due to the fraught nature of the conflict, Sachs said the documentary was nearly impossible to get off the ground. 'I've been told by pretty much every agent and every agency in Hollywood, 'Great film. No one's going to touch it,'' the director told CNN. 'There's definitely a feeling out there that it's nuclear. Companies are afraid of subscriptions being cancelled. They're afraid of boycotts. They're afraid of the noise, and I think what we've seen collectively, it's very noisy on the other side.' Two months ago, 'October 8' was acquired by Briarcliff Entertainment, which is handling distribution in the US. With their film soon set for release, Messing and Sachs hope the documentary can educate audiences and lead to more unity. 'What is happening in Gaza is devastating. Any loss of life is devastating. War is devastating,' Messing said. 'The thing that has been very hard to understand is how people can't seem to hold two things at once – how you can be pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel at the same time.' Messing ended her nearly hour-long conversation with CNN on a hopeful note. 'One of the most beautiful parts of Judaism, for me, is that it is always about finding the light in the dark and bringing light into the dark,' she said. 'I believe that that can change everything.'
