Latest news with #PointWild
Forbes
3 days ago
- Forbes
FBI Warning To 10 Million Android Users — Disconnect Your Devices Now
Discconnect now, FBI warns 10 million Android users. Update, July 26, 2025: This story, originally published on July 25, has been updated with a statement from the researchers which initially disclosed and disrupted the BadBox 2.0 operation that the FBI and Google are tackling head-on. In March, I reported that one of the largest botnets of its kind ever detected had impacted over a million Android devices. That massive attack was known as BadBox, but it has now been eclipsed by BadBox 2.0, with at least 10 million Android devices infected. Google has taken action to protect users as best it can, as well as launching legal action against the attackers, and the FBI has urged impacted users to disconnect their devices from the internet. Here's what you need to know. The FBI, Google And Others Warn Of Android BadBox 2.0 Attacks The FBI cybersecurity alert, I-060525-PSA, could not have been clearer: ongoing attacks are targeting everything from streaming devices, digital picture frames, third-party aftermarket automobile infotainment systems and other assorted home smart devices. The devices, all low-cost and uncertified, mostly originating in China, allow attackers to access your home network and beyond by, the FBI warned, 'configuring the product with malicious software prior to the user's purchase.' It has also been noted, however, that mandatory 'software updates' during the installation process can also install a malicious backdoor. Point Wild's Threat Intelligence Lat61 Team reverse-engineered the BadBox 2 infection chain and, as a result, uncovered new indicators of compromise that have been shared with global Computer Emergency Response Teams, as well as law enforcement. 'This Android-based malware is pre-installed in the firmware of low-cost IoT devices, smart TVs, TV boxes, tablets, before they even leave the factory,' Kiran Gaikwad from the LAT61 team said, 'It silently turns them into residential proxy nodes for criminal operations like click fraud, credential stuffing, and covert command and control (C2) routing.' Google, meanwhile, confirmed in a July 17 statement that it had 'filed a lawsuit in New York federal court against the botnet's perpetrators.' Google also said that it has 'updated Google Play Protect, Android's built-in malware and unwanted software protection, to automatically block BadBox-associated apps.' Human Security Behind Initial BadBox 2.0 Disclosure And Disruption Human Security, whose Satori Threat Intelligence and Research Team originally both disclosed and disrupted the BadBox 2.0 threat campaign, said at the time that researchers believed 'several threat actor groups participated in BadBox 2.0, each contributing to parts of the underlying infrastructure or the fraud modules that monetize the infected devices, including programmatic ad fraud, click fraud, proxyjacking, and creating and operating a botnet across 222 countries and territories.' If nothing else, that provides some context to the scale of this campaign. Now, Stu Solomon, the Human Security CEO, has issued the following statement: 'We applaud Google's decisive action against the cybercriminals behind the BadBox 2.0 botnet our team uncovered. This takedown marks a significant step forward in the ongoing battle to secure the internet from sophisticated fraud operations that hijack devices, steal money, and exploit consumers without their knowledge. Human's mission is to protect the integrity of the digital ecosystem by disrupting cybercrime at scale, and this effort exemplifies the power of collective defense. We're proud to have been deeply involved in this operation, working in close partnership with Google, TrendMicro, and the Shadowserver Foundation. Their collaboration has been invaluable in helping us expose and dismantle this threat.' FBI Recommendations And Mitigations — Disconnect Your Devices Now The FBI has recommended that Android users should be on the lookout for a number of potential clues that your Chinese-manufactured smart device could be infected with BadBox 2.0 malware. When it comes to mitigation, the advice is straightforward: users should 'consider disconnecting suspicious devices from their networks,' the FBI said.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Forbes
FBI Warning To 10 Million Android Users — Disconnect From Internet Now
Discconnect now, FBI warns 10 million Android users. In March, I reported that one of the largest botnets of its kind ever detected had impacted over a million Android devices. That massive attack was known as BadBox, but it has now been eclipsed by BadBox 2.0, with at least 10 million Android devices infected. Google has taken action to protect users as best it can, as well as launching legal action against the attackers, and the FBI has urged impacted users to disconnect their devices from the internet. Here's what you need to know. The FBI, Google And Others Warn Of Android BadBox 2.0 Attacks The FBI cybersecurity alert, I-060525-PSA, could not have been clearer: ongoing attacks are targeting everything from streaming devices, digital picture frames, third-party aftermarket automobile infotainment systems and other assorted home smart devices. The devices, all low-cost and uncertified, mostly originating in China, allow attackers to access your home network and beyond by, the FBI warned, 'configuring the product with malicious software prior to the user's purchase.' It has also been noted, however, that mandatory 'software updates' during the installation process can also install a malicious backdoor. Point Wild's Threat Intelligence Lat61 Team reverse-engineered the BadBox 2 infection chain and, as a result, uncovered new indicators of compromise that have been shared with global Computer Emergency Response Teams, as well as law enforcement. 'This Android-based malware is pre-installed in the firmware of low-cost IoT devices, smart TVs, TV boxes, tablets, before they even leave the factory,' Kiran Gaikwad from the LAT61 team said, 'It silently turns them into residential proxy nodes for criminal operations like click fraud, credential stuffing, and covert command and control (C2) routing.' Google, meanwhile, confirmed in a July 17 statement that it had 'filed a lawsuit in New York federal court against the botnet's perpetrators.' Google also said that it has 'updated Google Play Protect, Android's built-in malware and unwanted software protection, to automatically block BadBox-associated apps.' FBI Recommendations And Mitigations — Disconnect Devices From The Internet Now The FBI has recommended that Android users should be on the lookout for a number of potential clues that your Chinese-manufactured smart device could be infected with BadBox 2.0 malware. When it comes to mitigation, the advice is straightforward: users should 'consider disconnecting suspicious devices from their networks,' the FBI said.
Associated Press
05-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
UltraAV Delivers Continuous Innovation in Antivirus Protection
BOSTON, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UltraAV, the next-generation antivirus solution from Point Wild (formerly Pango Group) — has implemented significant enhancements, adding new features and strengthening its threat protection. Since the initial rollout, UltraAV has delivered a steady cadence of updates, focused on both user experience and advanced threat detection capabilities. Notable recent updates include: 'UltraAV was built on decades of cybersecurity experience and is now delivering the protection and performance that today's digital lives demand,' said Dr. Zulifkar Ramzan, Chief Technology Officer at Point Wild. 'Our focus remains on product maturity, user trust, and delivering tangible value across antivirus, privacy, and identity protection.' UltraAV has rapidly evolved and is a future-ready security platform trusted by millions. With continuous innovation, an expanding feature set, and a commitment to transparency and user control, UltraAV is redefining what users should expect from modern antivirus protection. About UltraAV UltraAV is an advanced antivirus solution backed by over 20 years of research and development. Now under the Point Wild portfolio, UltraAV combines real-time threat intelligence, AI-driven detection, and comprehensive identity protection in one intuitive platform. Learn more at About Point Wild Point Wild is a global leader in cybersecurity, protecting individuals and businesses from the ever-evolving threats of the digital world. Powered by a unified product platform and more than 20 years of expertise, our industry-leading brands deliver best-in-class security solutions-including device protection, online privacy and identity theft prevention-to move more than 25 million users worldwide. To learn more, visit Media Contact: Sydney Harwood, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Point Wild
Forbes
29-03-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Next Phase: Intuitive AI That Attempts To Mimic The Human Psyche
Next frontier: automate intuition? getty Can artificial intelligence eventually mimic human intuition? And is that a good thing? Intuition has fueled many a business or personal life decision, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest that it's a fairly powerful and accurate tool. It taps into and selects from a vast wellspring of information in one's brain. As this recent podcast with neuroscientist Joel Pearson illustrates, intuition involves more than just 'tapping into any unconscious information. It's the learned information. So when we go about our lives, our brains processing thousands of things, we're only conscious of a tiny bit of that. We have no idea what our brains processing most of the time.' Intuitive AI – which can sense and respond to many seen and unseen factors – may represent the next phase of the technology. With the advent of machine learning and generative AI, there's been excitement about its productivity potential. The next frontier of AI may be what Ruchir Puri, chief scientist at IBM Research and IBM Fellow, describes as 'emotional AI.' While "human intelligence encompasses multiple dimensions – IQ or intelligence quotient, EQ or emotional quotient, and RQ or relational quotient. So far, AI has primarily only mastered IQ.' 'EQ helps humans understand and manage emotions, while RQ shapes how we build relationships,' Puri explained. "These are the next frontiers for AI development – systems that recognize, interpret and respond to human emotions beyond just sentiment analysis.' Emotional AI may even "become one of the most significant cultural turning points of our time,' he continued. 'Machines capable of understanding, responding to and generating emotions will reshape how society and businesses functions, with AI working alongside humans in a profoundly integrated way.' The IQ of AI will definitely keep growing as well, and "we'll soon see AI with an IQ of 1,000,000, as described by Emmy Award-winning producer Ryan Elam, founder and CEO of LocalEyes Video Production. 'At some point, AI will reach a level of intelligence so far beyond human cognition that it will no longer be comprehensible to us,' Elam predicted. "A machine with an IQ of 1,000,000 wouldn't just solve problems faster; it would perceive and define reality differently. These ultra-intelligent AIs may discover scientific laws we don't even have the cognitive framework to understand, essentially operating as alien minds among us. The challenge won't be building them—it will be figuring out how to interpret their insights." Wrap this into a future in which "our most intimate signals -- heart rate, body temperature, microexpressions, and subtle voice shifts -- are openly accessible,' said Dr. Zulfikar Ramzan, chief technology officer at Point Wild. 'In this world, AI, once celebrated for mastering highly analytical domains like Chess, Go, and even protein folding, can elevate – or wreak havoc upon -- the concept of emotional intelligence.' Most of the required technology already exists, Ramzan continued. 'High-resolution and high-frame-rate cameras, remote photoplethysmography, thermal imaging, radar-based skin conductivity sensing, and sensitive microphones can capture signals that that we once thought private: real-time pupil size, subtle color changes in skin caused by blood flow, microexpressions, skin temperature, sweat gland activity from a distance, voice prosody.' AI can merge these data streams, 'and analyze video, images, and speech to transform ostensibly hidden signals into a cogent narrative about the inner workings of the people around us. We can literally read the room.' Ramzan illustrates how this could work in business settings. 'Imagine negotiating a deal when AI notes your counterpart's pupils widen at a specific price point -- signaling non-verbal interest that could pivot the conversation,' he said. 'Picture delivering a presentation, but getting instant feedback on audience engagement. Suddenly, those who persistently struggle to interpret non-verbal cues are on nearly equal footing to the most preternaturally gifted empathetic, charismatic social chameleons.' Getting to more intuitive or emotional AI requires a more fluid user interface – to the point in which people do not realize they're still talking to machines – but, hopefully, will still be aware they are. 'Too often, AI impresses in carefully curated demos or cherry-picked case studies, but struggles in real-world use," said Anastasia Georgievskaya, founder and CEO of "People end up spending 15 to 20 minutes trying to make it work or even an hour refining prompts just to get a decent result.' This frustration, she continued, "comes from a fundamental limitation: we're trying to communicate highly complex, contextual thoughts through simple text prompts, which just isn't efficient. Our thoughts are richer, more layered than what we can type out, and that gap between what we mean and what AI understands leads to underwhelming results.' Once we move beyond prompting and text commands, 'the real innovation will happen—moving beyond text commands,' said Georgievskaya. 'I see a future where we can leverage neurotechnology to express intent without language. AI that doesn't wait for us to spell things out, but instead picks up on our thoughts, emotions, and context directly, making interactions far more intuitive.' 'Take skincare recommendations. Instead of typing, 'I want something lightweight with vitamin C,' AI could already know,' said Georgievskaya. 'It could sense your emotional reactions, subconscious preferences, even remember which influencer's review you engaged with. It might recognize that you're drawn to certain textures or packaging – without you needing to say a word. Within a few years, AI may no longer ask what we want – it will simply understand.'
Associated Press
24-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Eyeon Group AB (publ) Announces Strategic Partnership with Point Wild to Expand Cybersecurity Offerings
BOSTON, Feb. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Eyeon Group AB (publ) has entered into a strategic partnership with Point Wild to resell its industry-leading Password Manager, further strengthening its cybersecurity portfolio. This collaboration underscores Eyeon Group's commitment to providing comprehensive digital security solutions for both businesses and consumers. Point Wild is a global leader in online security, specializing in identity protection, privacy, and digital device security. With innovative and scalable solutions, the company serves over 25 million users worldwide, equipping them with cutting-edge tools to safeguard their digital lives. 'Partnering with Eyeon Group is an exciting step in expanding access to robust cybersecurity solutions,' said Tom Serani, Chief Channel Officer at Point Wild. 'Through Pango, our partner business, we enable companies to scale revenue with industry-leading, white-labeled cybersecurity solutions—helping them meet growing demand for digital protection.' Under this agreement, Eyeon Group will integrate Point Wild's Password Manager into its portfolio, making it available through its B2B and B2C sales channels. This partnership not only enhances Eyeon Group's product offerings but also aligns with its strategy to build a comprehensive cybersecurity marketplace. 'The collaboration with Point Wild is a key milestone in our vision of becoming a one-stop shop for cybersecurity solutions tailored to both individuals and businesses,' said Fredrik Björklund, CEO of Eyeon Group AB. 'By incorporating Point Wild's innovative Password Manager into our portfolio, we are reinforcing our commitment to delivering best-in-class security solutions to our customers.' This partnership marks a significant step forward in the cybersecurity space, ensuring that more businesses and consumers have access to the tools they need to stay secure in an increasingly digital world. For further information, contact: Fredrik Björklund, CEO, Eyeon Group AB (publ.) Phone: +4670-892 35 92 Sydney Shapiro, Senior Communications Manager, Point Wild About EyeonGroup Eyeon Group AB (publ) was founded in 2015 and is a SaaS provider that, through proprietary technology for collecting, analyzing and packaging data, develops and sells smart solutions that make life on the internet easier and safer for people, companies and organizations. The company provides business solutions within IT security, privacy protection services and AI-based data solutions. These are primarily aimed at the B2B market in Europe for industries such as e.g. banking, insurance, telecom and hosting. About Point Wild Point Wild is a global leader in cybersecurity, protecting individuals and businesses from the ever-evolving threats of the digital world. Powered by a unified product platform and more than 20 years of expertise, our industry-leading brands deliver best-in-class security solutions-including device protection, online privacy and identity theft prevention-to move than 25 million users worldwide. To learn more, visit
