Filipendula vulgaris, commonly known as dropwort, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Rosaceae and closely related to meadowsweet. Found in Europe, western Siberia, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and North Africa, it has finely cut, fern-like radical leaves that form a basal rosette, and an erect stem 20 to 50 centimetres (8 to 20 inches) tall. The flowers appear in dense clusters, and the plant has an overall height of 50 to 100 centimetres (20 to 40 inches), achieved after two to five years, and a spread of around about 10 to 50 centimetres (4 to 20 inches). The plant thrives on chalk and limestone downs, and on heaths on other basic rocks, with full sun or partial shade, and is tolerant of dry conditions. This F.vulgaris inflorescence was photographed in Kulna, Estonia. The photograph was focus-stacked from 26 separate images.Photograph credit: Ivar LeidusRecently featured: NadarRed pandaFord Strikers RiotArchiveMore featured pictures

April 6: Tartan DayABBA1776 American Revolutionary War: Ships of the Continental Navy unsuccessfully attempted to capture HMSGlasgow near Block Island.1808 John Jacob Astor founded the American Fur Company, the profits from which made him the first multi-millionaire in the United States.1974 ABBA (pictured) won the Eurovision Song Contest representing Sweden with the song "Waterloo".1994 The aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvnal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down in Kigali; the event became the catalyst for the Rwandan genocide.2009 Mass protests began across Moldova against the results of the parliamentary election.James Mill (b.1773)Donald Wills Douglas Sr. (b.1892)Rose O'Neill (d.1944)Mingyu (b.1997)More anniversaries: April 5April 6April 7ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Meta has announced the release of Llama 4, its newest collection of AI models that now power Meta AI on the web and in WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram Direct. The two models, also available to download from Meta or Hugging Face now, are Llama 4 Scout, a small model capable of fitting in a single Nvidia H100 GPU, and Llama 4 Maverick, which is more akin to GPT-4o and Gemini 2.0 Flash. And the company says its in the process of training Llama 4 Behemoth, which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says on Instagram is already the highest performing base model in the world.According to Meta, Scout has a 10-million-token context window the working memory of an AI model and beats Googles Gemma 3 and Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite models, as well as the open-source Mistral 3.1, across a broad range of widely reported benchmarks, while still fitting in a single Nvidia H100 GPU. It makes similar claims about its larger Maverick models performance versus OpenAIs GPT-4o and Googles Gemini 2.0 Flash, and says its results are comparable to DeepSeek-V3 in coding and reasoning tasks using less than half the active parameters, or the variables that guide AI models behavior.Meanwhile, Llama 4 Behemoth has 288 billion active parameters with 2 trillion parameters in total. The company again says Behemoth can outperform its competitors, in this case GPT-4.5 and Claude Sonnet 3.7, on several STEM benchmarks. For Llama 4, Meta says it switched to a mixture of experts (MoE) architecture, an approach that conserves resources by using only the parts of a model that are needed for a given task. The company plans to discuss future plans for AI models and products at LlamaCon, which is taking place on April 29th.As with its past models, Meta calls the Llama 4 collection open-source, although it has been criticized for its licenses less-than-open requirements. For instance, the Llama 4 license requires commercial entities with more than 700 million monthly active users to request a license from Meta before using its models, which the Open Source Initiative wrote in 2023 takes it out of the category of Open Source.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 399 for April 6.

Triopoly With new contracts, SpaceX will become the US militarys top launch provider The military's stable of certified rockets will include Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Vulcan, and New Glenn. Stephen Clark Apr 4, 2025 11:33 pm | 27 A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off on June 25, 2024, with a GOES weather satellite for NOAA. Credit: SpaceX A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off on June 25, 2024, with a GOES weather satellite for NOAA. Credit: SpaceX Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe US Space Force announced Friday it selected SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin for $13.7 billion in contracts to deliver the Pentagon's most critical military to orbit into the early 2030s.These missions will launch the government's heaviest national security satellites, like the National Reconnaissance Office's large bus-sized spy platforms, and deploy them into bespoke orbits. These types of launches often demand heavy-lift rockets with long-duration upper stages that can cruise through space for six or more hours.The contracts awarded Friday are part of the next phase of the military's space launch program once dominated by United Launch Alliance, the 50-50 joint venture between legacy defense contractors Boeing and Lockheed Martin.After racking up a series of successful launches with its Falcon 9 rocket more than a decade ago, SpaceX sued the Air Force for the right to compete with ULA for the military's most lucrative launch contracts. The Air Force relented in 2015 and allowed SpaceX to bid. Since then, SpaceX has won more than 40 percent of missions the Pentagon has ordered through the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, creating a relatively stable duopoly for the military's launch needs.The Space Force took over the responsibility for launch procurement from the Air Force after its creation in 2019. The next year, the Space Force signed another set of contracts with ULA and SpaceX for missions the military would order from 2020 through 2024. ULA's new Vulcan rocket initially won 60 percent of these missionsknown as NSSL Phase 2but the Space Force reallocated a handful of launches to SpaceX after ULA encountered delays with Vulcan.ULA's Vulcan and SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets will launch the remaining 42 Phase 2 missions over the next several years, then move on to Phase 3, which the Space Force announced Friday.Spreading the wealthThis next round of Space Force launch contracts will flip the script, with SpaceX taking the lion's share of the missions. The breakdown of the military's new firm fixed-price launch agreements goes like this:SpaceX will get 28 missions worth approximately $5.9 billionULA will get 19 missions worth approximately $5.4 billionBlue Origin will get seven missions worth approximatelyThat equates to a 60-40 split between SpaceX and ULA for the bulk of the missions. Going into the competition, military officials set aside seven additional missions to launch with a third provider, allowing a new player to gain a foothold in the market. The Space Force reserves the right to reapportion missions between the three providers if one of them runs into trouble.The Pentagon confirmed an unnamed fourth company also submitted a proposal, but wasn't selected for Phase 3.Rounded to the nearest million, the contract with SpaceX averages out to $212 million per launch. For ULA, it's $282 million, and Blue Origin's price is $341 million per launch. But take these numbers with caution. The contracts include a lot of bells and whistles, pricing them higher than what a commercial customer might pay.According to the Pentagon, the contracts provide "launch services, mission unique services, mission acceleration, quick reaction/anomaly resolution, special studies, launch service support, fleet surveillance, and early integration studies/mission analysis."Essentially, the Space Force is paying a premium to all three launch providers for schedule priority, tailored solutions, and access to data from every flight of each company's rocket, among other things. New Glenn lifts off on its debut flight. Credit: Blue Origin "Winning 60% percent of the missions may sound generous, but the reality is that all SpaceX competitors combined cannot currently deliver the other 40%!," Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, posted on X. "I hope they succeed, but they arent there yet."This is true if you look at each company's flight rate. SpaceX has launched Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets 140 times over the last 365 days. These are the flight-proven rockets SpaceX will use for its share of Space Force missions.ULA has logged four missions in the same period, but just one with the Vulcan rocket it will use for future Space Force launches. And Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos's space company, launched the heavy-lift New Glenn rocket on its first test flight in January."We are proud that we have launched 100 national security space missions and honored to continue serving the nation with our new Vulcan rocket," said Tory Bruno, ULAs president and CEO, in a statement.ULA used the Delta IV and Atlas V rockets for most of the missions it has launched for the Pentagon. The Delta IV rocket family is now retired, and ULA will end production of the Atlas V rocket later this year. Now, ULA's Vulcan rocket will take over as the company's sole launch vehicle to serve the Pentagon. ULA aims to eventually ramp up the Vulcan launch cadence to fly up to 25 times per year.After two successful test flights, the Space Force formally certified the Vulcan rocket last week, clearing the way for ULA to start using it for military missions in the coming months. While SpaceX has a clear advantage in number of launches, schedule assurance, and pricingand reliability comparable to ULABruno has recently touted the Vulcan rocket's ability to maneuver over long periods in space as a differentiator."This award constitutes the most complex missions required for national security space," Bruno said in a ULA press release. "Vulcan continues to use the worlds highest energy upper stage: the Centaur V. Centaur V's unmatched flexibility and extreme endurance enables the most complex orbital insertions continuing to advance our nations capabilities in space."Blue Origin's New Glenn must fly at least one more successful mission before the Space Force will certify it for Lane 2 missions. The selection of Blue Origin on Friday suggests military officials believe New Glenn is on track for certification by late 2026."Honored to serve additional national security missions in the coming years and contribute to our nations assured access to space," Dave Limp, Blue Origin's CEO, wrote on X. "This is a great endorsement of New Glenn's capabilities, and we are committed to meeting the heavy lift needs of our US DoD and intelligence agency customers."Navigating NSSLThere's something you must understand about the way the military buys launch services. For this round of competition, the Space Force divided the NSSL program into two lanes.Friday's announcement covers Lane 2 for traditional military satellites that operate thousands of miles above the Earth. This bucket includes things like GPS navigation satellites, NRO surveillance and eavesdropping platforms, and strategic communications satellites built to survive a nuclear war. The Space Force has a low tolerance for failure with these missions. Therefore, the military requires rockets be certified before they can launch big-ticket satellites, each of which often cost hundreds of millions, and sometimes billions, of dollars.The Space Force required all Lane 2 bidders to show their rockets could reach nine "reference orbits" with payloads of a specified mass. Some of the orbits are difficult to reach, requiring technology that only SpaceX and ULA have demonstrated in the United States. Blue Origin plans to do so on a future flight. This image shows what the Space Force's fleet of missile warning and missile tracking satellites might look like in 2030, with a mix of platforms in geosynchronous orbit, medium-Earth orbit, and low-Earth orbit. The higher orbits will require launches by "Lane 2" providers. Credit: Space Systems Command The military projects to order 54 launches in Lane 2 from this year through 2029, with announcements each October of exactly which missions will go to each launch provider. This year, it will be just SpaceX and ULA. The Space Force said Blue Origin won't be eligible for firm orders until next year. The missions would launch between 2027 and 2032."America leads the world in space launch, and through these NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 contracts, we will ensure continued access to this vital domain," said Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. "These awards bolster our ability to launch critical defense satellites while strengthening our industrial base and enhancing operational readiness."Lane 1 is primarily for missions to low-Earth orbit. These payloads include tech demos, experimental missions, and the military's mega-constellation of missile tracking and data relay satellites managed by the Space Development Agency. For Lane 1 missions, the Space Force won't levy the burdensome certification and oversight requirements it has long employed for national security launches. The Pentagon is willing to accept more risk with Lane 1, encompassing at least 30 missions through the end of the 2020s, in an effort to broaden the military's portfolio of launch providers and boost competition.Last June, Space Systems Command chose SpaceX, ULA, and Blue Origin for eligibility to compete for Lane 1 missions. SpaceX won all nine of the first batch of Lane 1 missions put up for bids. The military recently added Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket and Stoke Space's Nova rocket to the Lane 1 mix. Neither of those rockets have flown, and they will need at least one successful launch before approval to fly military payloads.The Space Force has separate contract mechanisms for the military's smallest satellites, which typically launch on SpaceX rideshare missions or dedicated launches with companies like Rocket Lab and Firefly Aerospace.Military leaders like having all these options, and would like even more. If one launch provider or launch site is unavailable due to a technical problemor, as some military officials now worry, an enemy attackcommanders want multiple backups in their toolkit. Market forces dictate that more competition should also lower prices."A robust and resilient space launch architecture is the foundation of both our economic prosperity and our national security," said US Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman. "National Security Space Launch isn't just a program; it's a strategic necessity that delivers the critical space capabilities our warfighters depend on to fight and win." Listing image: SpaceX Stephen ClarkSpace ReporterStephen ClarkSpace Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the worlds space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 27 Comments

Elisabeth Diana, head of communications at human resources Deel, is no longer with the company, according to her LinkedIn profile.Bloomberg first reported the news that Diana had resigned from Deel, which was recently accused of planting a spy at rival company Rippling.TechCrunch reached out to Diana but had not heard back at the time of publication. Her LinkedIn profile shows that she started working at Deel (whose CEO Alex Bouaziz is pictured above) in November 2021 and stopped working there in April 2025. She was previously head of communications at Instagram and corporate head of communications at Facebook.We are grateful for the work Elisabeth did while at Deel and wish her the best in her next endeavor, the company said in a statement.Rippling, a workforce management platform, announced on March 17 that it was suing Deel over alleged spying, leveling charges ranging from violation of the RICO racketeering act (often used to prosecute members of the Mafia) to misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition.At that time, Rippling didnt reveal the name of the employee in question, but that changed on April 2, when it released an affidavit signed by the employee, Keith OBrien, who seemed to confirm Ripplings accusations.Even more than the already-spectacular lawsuit that Rippling filed against Deel in March, OBriens account reads like the script to a movie about corporate espionage, complete with a sting operation and a smashed phone.The future of Deel, which was last valued at $12.6 billion, remains in question. The startup is backed by the likes of General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Spark Capital and Y Combinator. It was said to be eyeing the public markets just two months ago.Deel responded to Ripplings lawsuit with a statement denying all legal wrongdoing and claiming its rival was seeking to shift the narrative from accusations that Rippling itself violated Russian sanctions. (OBrien later said that at the urging of Deel executives, hed made statements to various authorities saying that Rippling was facilitating Russian payments even though he knew those statements were false.)This post has been updated with a statement about Dianas departure from Deel, and with more context about OBriens statements.

Does anybody have any video recommendation to create UI FXs?I mean like when a character get frozen the screen starts freezing, or when a player its low heal it start pulsing, or even a moving widget. 1 post - 1 participant Read full topic

Digital 2025 Sign on Computer Code. 3D RendergettyIn 2025, cybersecurity is gaining significant momentum. However, there are still many challenges to address. The ecosystem remains unstable in spite of investments and the introduction of new tools. In addition to adding my own findings, I have examined some recent statistics, trends, and remedies. Among the subjects covered are ransomware, DDoS attacks, quantum technology, healthcare breaches, artificial intelligence and AI agents, and cybersecurity for space assets. No doubt, there are many more that could be added.Mechanical artificial intelligence eyeball with glowing blue, pink, and purple lines converginggettyArtificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and AI Agents87% of security professionals report that their organization has encountered an AI-driven cyber-attack in the last year, according to a new study by SoSafe, Europes largest security awareness and human risk management solution. 87% of firms hit by AI cyber-attacksAgents are the talk of the AI industrytheyre capable of planning, reasoning, and executing complex tasks like scheduling meetings, ordering groceries, or even taking over your computer to change settings on your behalf. But the same sophisticated abilities that make agents helpful assistants could also make them powerful tools for conducting cyberattacks. They could readily be used to identify vulnerable targets, hijack their systems, and steal valuable data from unsuspecting victims. Cyberattacks by AI agents are coming | MIT Technology Reviewenefits such as cyber protection technologies, AI may also have disadvantages as described in the articles above. Threat actors can use them. Malicious hackers and antagonistic countries can already recognize and exploit vulnerabilities in threat detection models using AI agents. However, agentic AI enabled cybersecurity holds enormous potential for detecting, filtering, neutralizing, and remediating cyberthreats. Agentic AI can tackle the core issues of threat detection, response time, and analyst burden. Security teams can function more efficiently in a more hostile digital environment thanks to these technologies, which automate operations while preserving human oversight.Additionally, GenAI and predictive algorithms may be able to use predictive models in cybersecurity more effectively, producing better outcomes and more reliable security data. AI agents combined with GenAI could be used to recommend paths for mitigation and optimize cybersecurity knowledge and incident response for businesses and organizations.AI Agents TrendingThe growth in the popularity of AI agents in the latter months of 2024 mirrors how ChatGPT and other generative AI systems catapulted into and transformed the AI market in 2022. Vendors seemingly jumped from developing the latest large language models (LLMs) and AI chatbots to creating agents and action models. 2025 will be the year of AI agents | TechTargetAI Agents For Good- Artificial General Decision Making (AGD) A San Francisco company founded in 2023 called Klover AI defines Artificial General Decision Making (AGD) as the creation of systems designed to enhance human decision-making capabilities, ultimately leading to superhuman productivity and efficiency for individuals . The fundamental goal of AGD, according to the company, is to empower individuals to such an extent that every person on the planet can achieve a state of superhuman capability through the use of advanced decision-making systems. Dany Kitishian, the founder of Klover AI, describes these AI agents as sophisticated software entities capable of perceiving their environment, making informed decisions, and performing actions to achieve specific objectives, thereby significantly enhancing communication and user interactions . This vision is rooted in the idea of augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them, aligning with a people-centered AI strategy that aims to amplify human strengths and provide individuals with more opportunities through better-informed systems . Google Gemini Deep Research confirms Klover pioneered and Coined Artificial General Decision Making (AGD) | by Dany Kitishian | kloverai | Mar, 2025 | MediumCB Thoughts: Advancements in technology have led to significant changes in businesses and societal norms through artificial intelligence. This new era may alter our self-perception through AI and machine learning-based computing and Agentic AI will be a catalyst and help lead the way. The integration of engineering, computer algorithms, and culture is ushering in an era of rapidly advancing, interconnected devices. The growth of technology will influence societal progression. Scientific and technological developments are anticipated to significantly impact humanity. A doctor interacting with medical icons on a futuristic interface, conceptualizing advanced ... More healthcare technology on a blue-toned workspace backgroundgettyHealthcare Breaches Continue to RiseIn 2024, healthcare data breaches reached an all-time high, with 276,775,457 records compromised a 64.1% increase from the previous years record and equivalent to 81.38% of the United States population. Despite managing sensitive patient data, findings reveal that healthcare organizations still struggle with corporate customer data protection. Data breaches rock leading US hospitals| CybernewsCyberattacks targeting healthcare organizations are rising, and the financial and operational toll they take is growing. A recent report from Proofpoint found 92% of healthcare organizations reported experiencing a cyberattack in 2024, up from 88% in 2023, while the average cost of the most expensive attack was $4.7 million. The Biggest Healthcare Cybersecurity Threats in 2025 | HealthTechCB Thoughts: It is hardly surprising that criminal hackers are still focusing on the healthcare industry. As medical care grows more networked and connected through computers and other devices, the digital environment of health administration, clinics, hospitals, and patients has become increasingly vulnerable.It is necessary to safeguard many facets of the cybersecurity healthcare environment. These include safeguarding patient privacy, securing medical devices and equipment, and protecting hospital and medical facility information security networks. Healthcare organizations must implement intrusion detection and response systems, conduct regular security audits, and use penetration testing to safeguard sensitive data. In addition to reducing the impact of bot assaults and improper IT configurations, these techniques can be used to identify potential insider threats. Multifactor authentication and employee training are two aspects of good cyber hygiene that hospitals and other healthcare organizations should implement. Additionally, they want to employ several firewalls, multilayer protection, and real-time network system monitoring. To reduce security risks, medical devices should also be encrypted. Plans for backup, recovery, and continuity should be in place for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The risks are too high to overlook the necessity of an all-encompassing approach to holistic cybersecurity.Digital background depicting innovative technologies in (AI) artificial systems, neural interfaces ... More and internet machine learning technologiesgettyQuantum Cybersecurity Becoming an ImperativeQuantum computing is becoming real and will soon be able to solve problems well beyond the capabilities of today's fastest supercomputers. In the wrong hands, however, quantum computers will also create a new pain level for cybersecurity professionals. How quantum cybersecurity changes the way you protect data | TechTargetIn a striking development, researchers have created a quantum algorithm that allows quantum computers to better understand and preserve the very phenomenon they rely on quantum entanglement. Quantum Computers Just Got Smart Enough to Study Their Own EntanglementThese computers work by harnessing quantum physics the strange, often counterintuitive laws that govern the universe at its smallest scales and coldest temperatures. Todays quantum computers are rudimentary and error-prone. But if more advanced and robust versions can be made, they have the potential to rapidly crunch through certain problems that would take the current computers years. Thats why governments, companies and research labs around the world are working feverishly toward this goal. Quantum Computing Explained | NISTCB Thoughts: There is concern that protected data may be cracked using quantum computers in the future. The processing power of quantum computers poses a risk to cybersecurity through their ability to quickly decode complex problems. This situation poses an immediate threat to financial systems and critical infrastructure. The RSA-2048 encryption standard would require a billion years for a conventional computer to break, but a quantum computer could theoretically do so in less than two minutes. Quantum researchers refer to the day when large-scale quantum computers can use Shor's algorithm to break all public key systems based on integer factorization as "Q-Day". The era of quantum computing is approaching faster than anticipated, with artificial intelligence likely to be integrated with quantum technology. The convergence of these technologies will have significant implications. It is important to prepare for both the positive and negative impacts of quantum technologies due to their disruptive potential.Also see: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckbrooks/2025/02/22/quantum-computing-has-arrived-we-need-to-prepare-for-its-impact/Global network connection covering the earth with lines of innovative perception . Concept of 5G ... More wireless digital connection and future in the internet of things . - Elements of this image furnished by NASA (https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/73000/73776/world.topo.bathy.200408.3x5400x2700.jpg)gettyCybersecurity for Space AssetsAs the space domain continues to evolve, so do its threat actors. In the proverbial game of keeping data safe and secure, how is the cybersecurity world keeping up?Via Satellite spoke with cybersecurity and space experts to predict whats to come in 2025, including the impact of rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies. Game-Changing Predictions for Cybersecurity in 2025 | April/May 2025Protecting the frontier of space systems is unquestionably a security priority for governments and industry. Due to our increasing reliance on space, and particularly satellites, for communications, security, intelligence, and business, satellite and space cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important in this new digital era. (26) Cybersecurity of Space Systems | LinkedInCB Thoughts: Space increasingly serves nations for information exchange and surveillance, monitoring threats and geopolitical developments, which is essential for national security. The national security apparatus recognizes the rising threat posed by cyber threats to satellites.The reliance on space and satellites for communications, security, intelligence, and commerce highlights the growing importance of satellite and space security in the digital era. In recent years, the number of satellite launches has increased, resulting in thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit that are susceptible to cyberattacks. Satellites facilitate data transfer over long, international distances, and many communication networks are transitioning from land-based communications to cloud systems. As launch costs have decreased, the number of satellites in orbit has surged, expanding the potential targets for hackers both in space and at ground control centers.Email Phishing Ransomware Malware Hacker AttackgettyAlarming Ransomware Attacks ContinueA new report from Ivanti surveyed more than 2,400 security leaders and found that the top predicted threat for 2025 is ransomware. According to the report, nearly 1 out of every 3 security professionals (38%) believe ransomware will become an even greater threat when powered by AI. The report found a gap in preparedness for ransomware attacks, with only 29% of security leaders saying they are very prepared for ransomware incidents. 1 in 3 security leaders say AI will make ransomware a greater threat | Security MagazineThe Travelers Companies, an insurer, published findings indicating that ransomware remains a significant threat. The fourth quarter of 2024 experienced the highest level of ransomware activity recorded in any prior quarter, with a total of 1,663 known victims posted on leak sites, according to that research. In addition, 55 new ransomware groups emerged last year a 67% increase in group formation compared with 2023, the Travelers report said. Ransomware attacks surged 50% in February: NCC | CFO DiveCB Thoughts: Businesses are facing ransomware more frequently because of AI enabled phishing attacks combined with social engineering. In ransomware attacks, hackers encrypt vital files so victims cannot access their data. They demand a ransom to restore the systems and data. These attacks can spread fear and disrupt company networks and systems, especially for businesses dependent on supply chain coordination. Small businesses, healthcare facilities, and higher education institutions have been found to be the most susceptible sector to ransomware cyberattacks due to their lack of cybersecurity expertise and significant security resources. They have paid a high price and frequently covertly pay ransoms in cryptocurrencies to avoid liabilities and suffering closures, even though it is not encouraged.DDOS attack concept. DDoS inscription on digital background. 3d render.gettyDDoS Attacks ProblematicThe number of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks has shot up since the first half of last year, according to new research, with DDoS-for-hire services becoming increasingly sophisticated. Figures from Netscout show there were almost nine million DDoS attacks in the second half of 2024, up 12.75% on the first half. The rise is driven by the increasing use of DDoS attacks as a tool of choice in cyber warfare linked to socio-political events such as elections, civil protests, and policy disputes. Surging DDoS attack rates show no sign of slowing down heres why | IT ProCB Thoughts: A Denial-of-Service attack (DDoS) occurs when an adversary utilizes many devices to flood a target system, network, or website with traffic. This technique stops authorized users from accessing the target by overloading its processing power. Hackers often target networking equipment that connects to the internet in DDoS assaults, taking advantage of common server and network device behavior. As a result, attackers focus on edge network elements (such switches and routers) rather than individual servers. A denial-of-service attack overloads the devices that deliver bandwidth, or the network's pipe. DDoS as a service platform is also used by criminals to launch assaults against corporate websites and demand ransom payments, threatening to degrade the service if the money is not paid.As innovative technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing advance in capabilities and comprehension, 2025 will see a variety of both old and new cyberthreats. For everyone concerned, defending their data and business continuity against cyberattacks will be particularly difficult this year.

Last month, Marvel revealed most of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday including several actors from the 20th Century Fox X-Men movies. There were a few notable omissions from the returning X-Men, including Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman. While the latter is likely to show up in some capacity given his recent appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine, Berry has seemingly shot down the possibility of reprising her role as Storm in Doomsday.During an interview with Black Girl Nerds at CinemaCon, Berry was asked whether her name will be among the chairs for the next Doomsday casting announcement. In response, the actress said, Keep waiting, not gonna be there. Not gonna be there.Recommended VideosHalle Berry says during her red carpet interview at CinemaCon her name wont be there for the chair reveal for the next set of names to be uncovered for Avengers: Doomsday #AvengersDoomsday pic.twitter.com/22mbqVMcBC Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) April 3, 2025RelatedBerry expressed more of a willingness to return during a 2021 interview with Vanity Fair, if the story made sense.I would absolutely return to it, said Berry at the time. [Shes] a beloved character, I loved playing Storm, and people love Storm. So, I would absolutely, you know, if we could find a version that would make sense, or a storyline that would make sense, I would absolutely do that, for sure.Rebecca Romijn is currently the only female member of the X-Men cast confirmed to return. Romijn will reprise her role as Mystique, but theres no word about whether Famke Janssen or Anna Paquin will be back as Jean Grey or Rogue, respectively. Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), James Marsden (Cyclops), and Kelsey Grammer (Beast) are the male X-Men characters slated to appear in Doomsday so far.Avengers: Doomsdaywill hit theaters on May 1, 2026.Editors Recommendations

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick lost money in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images 2025-04-05T22:51:41Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Kevin Bacon discussed losing money in former financier Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme.Bacon told Esquire that he and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, were "certainly angry" over the ordeal.The FBI called Madoff's operation "history's biggest Ponzi scheme."Actor Kevin Bacon says he isn't jaded after losing money in former financier Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, but it still stings all these years later.Bacon discussed the incident during a recent interview with Esquire, nearly two decades after Madoff's criminal operation crumbled.Madoff, founder of an eponymous Wall Street firm, received a 150-year prison sentence in 2009 for leading "history's largest Ponzi scheme," according to the FBI.Authorities arrested Madoff in December 2008 for securities fraud amounting to $64 billion. In 2021, Madoff died in federal prison at age 82. Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in federal prison in 2009. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, were among those Madoff defrauded. It's unclear how much money the couple lost, but Bacon told the "SmartLess" podcast in 2022 that they kept "most" of their money with Madoff.During his interview with Esquire, Bacon said the memory of Madoff still lingers nearly two decades later."I go to this gym. It has a few machines and only a handful of people there at any given time. There's no showers, it's very bare bones. But there's a leg press machine. A leg press can be brutal. You're on your back, and you're going like this," Bacon said. "The machine is right next to a window, and when I look out that window, I'm looking right at the building where Madoff was."Bacon said the view of Madoff's old building is motivational."I'm in excruciating pain, doing the leg press, staring out that window. It's perfect, in a funny way, because I also have to think, 'I can get through this.' And that's how we felt about Madoff," Bacon said. "It sucked, and we were certainly angry and all the things. But then we woke up the next day and said, 'What do we got? We love each other. We love our children. We're healthy. No one took away our ability to make a living.' So we got back to work."Those affected by the Ponzi scheme have received compensation through the Madoff Victim Fund. In December 2024, the Justice Department said the Madoff Victim Fund had paid $131.4 million, a fraction of what was lost, to about 23,400 victims.Representatives for Kevin Bacon did not immediately respond to Business Insider.Recommended video