The job of stringing lights on your tree is no joke, and unless you have a team of elves to help you out, youre likely all on your own to figure out an easy way to put lights on a Christmas tree. But even though this tedious task can be a headache, oh, the rewards! That glow of a real Christmas tree (or an artificial Christmas tree!) can downright take your breath away!Chances are youve been hanging lights on your tree the way your parents did. But, believe it or not, there are a few different ways to light a Christmas tree. Online and off, questions abound: Do you hang Christmas tree lights horizontally or vertically? Do you go top-to-bottom, or bottom-to-top? Do you put lights on a Christmas tree before anything else? (For the record, we say definitely yes to this!)Before you start doubting (or changing) your stringing technique, we have some good news: There really is no right or wrong way to light your tree. If your method of outfitting your tree suits you, stick with ityou have no reason to change! But if youre new to decorating or dreading the seems-so-hard task, and wonder, What is the easiest way to put lights on a Christmas tree? we have the answers for you. Below, our tips on several great ways to hang Christmas lights on your tree. Jump to:Becky Luigart-StaynerTip: In general, plan for about 100 Christmas lights per foot; a 6-foot tree would get 600 lights.Start With the Perfect Tree:How to Hang Christmas Tree Lights Horizontally Nico De Pasquale Photography//Getty ImagesHanging Christmas lights horizontally is the most widely used technique when it comes to decorating the tree. Its pretty self-explanatory, but if this is your first time hanging lights, youll want to follow these directions:First, plug in each set of lights to make sure all the bulbs are working. (This will save you a lot of stress later.)Starting at the top or bottom of your tree (depending solely on preferencesee below), wrap the lights over and under the branches of the tree, moving around the tree and slowly either up or down.Mix things up by placing some lights deeper into the tree than others, and by alternating the patterns so that it looks more organic. Get creative with it, and have fun!Tip: When you have to connect plugs, hide the eyesore by fastening the area to a branch with floral wire.How to Hang Christmas Tree Lights VerticallyThe vertical approach to hanging Christmas tree lights is a trend that started circulating a few years ago and Country Livings Managing Editor Amy Mitchell says switching to this technique has been life-changing! It is so much easier and more manageable, says Amy. No more carrying that bundle of lights while moving the ladder around and around the tree. Bonus: It's a whole lot easier to take them down once the holiday's over! Try this for outdoor Christmas light displays too. Heres how to hang: Plug in each strand of lights to make sure all the bulbs are in working order.Start with the plugless end of your lights at the top or bottom of the tree and let the lights lay vertically like a seam.Each time you reach the top or bottom, turn the lights back the other way until you have a sideways S pattern around the whole tree. For best results, Amy recommends hanging the lights in a back and forth S-like pattern, rather than a straight U, to prevent stripes.Tip: Try to avoid any obvious pattern or spiral; you want the lights to look natural. RELATED: The Enduring Love Story Behind the 2024 Rockefeller Christmas Tree How to Hang Christmas Lights Top to Bottom Catherine McQueen//Getty Images I string my lights from top to bottom because your plug is at the end of the strand and closer to the bottom of the tree and outlet, says The Home Depots Director of Trend and Design Sarah Fishburne, making a solid case for this method. Plus, she says, if you run out of lights, its easier to spread them out this wayand its easier to add more lights to the bottom versus the top of the tree. Heres how to do: Plug in the lights to make sure all the bulbs are working. Starting at the top of the tree, intertwine the lights on top of and under branches.Work your way down and around the tree, hanging lights in the back as well.When you reach the bottom, hide any extra lights behind the tree.If you want to add more lights, simply do another pass, starting again at the top and working your way down.Tip: Make sure you wrap the lights loosely on each branch for the best overall affect.How to Hang Christmas Lights Bottom to Topmartinedoucet//Getty ImagesThe Home DepotChristmas lights bottom to top because she can plug the lights in first. It makes it easier to see what the lit tree will look like as Im stringing the lights, she says. End up with extra lights at the top? Just wind them back down the tree for extra glow. And if you run out of light, simply start a new string and run an extension cord down the back of the tree. Heres how to do it: Plug in the lights to make sure all the bulbs are working. Starting at the bottom, zig zag Christmas tree lights through the tree in quadrants, section by section, versus around the tree.Place some lights deeper into the branches and place some closer to the front to create depth.Hide the lights connectors by pushing them deep into the tree branches near the trunk.Once you reach the top, you can either tuck the extra lights into the back of the tree or wind the extras back down the tree.Tip: Hang shiny ornaments towards the middle of your tree to reflect the light for more depth.Our Favorite Christmas LightsHoliday String Lights, 25 CountNow 20% Off$69 $55 at schoolhouse.comTwinkly Strings App-Controlled LED String LightsNow 41% Off$200 $117 at AmazonSYLVANIA Mini Christmas Lights, ClearNow 11% Off$18 $16 at AmazonColorful Christmas LightsNow 20% Off$18 $14 at AmazonJoiedomi 7-Strand Old-Fashioned Bubble String LightsNow 46% Off$28 $15 at Amazon24 Reviews Cherry Light Strings$69 at Balsam HillNow for the Decorating! Here Are Our Favorite Ideas to Get You Started:Alison AllsoppAlison Allsopp is the Style and Market Editor at Country Living.

Perched on a hilltop in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, the 2024 Whole Home isn't just a pretty faceit's an eco-savvy sanctuary with leafy nature-preserve views. The 4,000-square-foot contemporary mountain retreat is nestled within a conservation-focused community called Sprout on a private preserve in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Inside, environmentally friendly systems and design elements work to conserve energy throughout. And when you look beyond the house's energy-efficient status and bucolic locale, you also find thoughtful decor and final flourishes that make the interiors feel alive. While many magazine-worthy rooms are more inspiring than attainable, our House Beautiful team took a different approach to developing this home's look and feel. By partnering with 11 talented design teams from across the country, we've made every space shoppable, so you can get the building blocks of the overall sense of laid-back luxury delivered right to your doorstep. Much of the room's decorative accents (from plant stands to mirrors) and furniture (including accent chairs and dining tables) was sourced from Wayfair Professional, which provides design professionals access to an unrivaled selection of items. With exclusive Pro Pricing - offering up to 15% off plus an additional 10% off across the Wayfair network of specialty brands AllModern, Joss & Main, and Birch Lane - as well as 360-degree support from a dedicated team and access to luxury brand Perigold. Read on to see what the designers handpicked for their respective rooms. Lower PatioCofounders of the Curated Nest Erin Coren and Lina Galvo sought inspiration from some far-flung destinations for the home's three separate patios. For the lower one, the team channeled the old-world aesthetic of Italy's Lake Como, combining raffia-wrapped chairs, striped chaise longues, and a row of stone pedestals crafted from natural travertine as plant stands to create the overall effect. The Met x Eichholtz Plant Stand in BeigeSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALUpper PatioFor the upper patio, the Curated Nest design team employed rich layers of rugs and pillows to evoke the souks of Morocco. A pair of daybed swings with custom bench covers anchor the seating area, while a handcrafted Meranti wood-and-bone framed mirror rounds out the look. A low-slung lounger and a brown vegan-leather pouf featuring a knife-edge finish provide additional seating. Bungalow Rose Vertical Modern & Contemporary Accent MirrorSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALClassic Home Ezekiel Vegan Leather PoufSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALLiving-Dining RoomIn the open-concept living-dining room, which features 22-foot ceilings, designer Dane Austin aimed for a mix of furnishings that feels collected over time"a mix of old and new, masculine and feminine, with some custom-made and some flea-market finds," he says. Nesting tableswith distressed metal bases and cleanlined marble topsstrike the perfect balance. In the dining area, an oval table with a sculptural pedestal base comfortably seats a crowd, courtesy of armchairs and a tufted settee. In the living area, the distressed look of a hand-planed tray-top end table with curvaceous legs fits right in with the curated array of vintage and modern furnishings. The coffee table, made from stainless steel and available in three polished finishes, is topped with black tempered glass, giving it a sleek two-tone design. It provides a contemporary contrast to some of the room's more traditional silhouettes. Everly Quinn Marble Top Nesting TablesSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALJoss & Main Adara Oval Dining TableSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALOrren Ellis Jasonville Glass Top Coffee TableSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALWoodbridge Furniture Tray Top End Table with StorageSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALStudio Designer Anita Yokota devised her soothing "recovery room" in calming shades of blue. To provide some storage, she included an antique-blue sideboard, which features built-in adjustable shelves and a concentric three-dimensional design. A rounded armchair with a storage ottoman transforms a corner of the room into a space to lounge or read. The light gray linen fabric keeps everything feeling breezy. Bungalow Rose Sideboard With Circular Groove Design And Round Metal HandlesSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALLatitude Run Danieal Upholstered Barrel Chair with OttomanSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALKitchenIn the kitchen, designer Kelsey McGregor of Kelsey Leigh Design Co. prioritized organic finishes and textures. A high-quality granite mortar and pestle match the natural theme. The hardworking kitchen tool also looks striking on the countertop when not in usethe perfect combination of form and function. Charlton Home Rodman Mortar and Pestle SetSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALPlayroomIn the playroom, Byron Risdon experimented with color and pattern, incorporating a palette of rich blues and yellows. Accessories like puzzle-piece bookends and a balloon-animal sculpture up the ante on the fun. Ivy Bronx Jakila Balloon Animal Dog Sculpture DecorSHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALGarageThe Iron House Design team of Jim and Tanya Ryno transformed the garage into a multi-use space that includes a home gym. Decorative accessories that nod to the outdoorsy locationlike a pair of novelty canoe-oar paddleskeep the space feeling more like a considered room than a mere utilitarian annex. Dovecove Wood Novelty Canoe Oar Paddle Home Wall Decor SHOP AT WAYFAIR PROFESSIONALNot a Wayfair Professional member? Join for free and discover even more member benefits.

London-based startup Lighthouse just raised a hefty $370mn from American investment giant KKR at a valuation of over $1bn, making it Europes latest unicorn tech company.The funding will supercharge the companys ambitions to shake up the $15bn travel tech market. Whats on the to-do list? Refining its AI tools, expanding globally, and snapping up competitors through mergers and acquisitions (it has already made four).Lighthouses platform crunches over 400 terabytes of travel data every day, using AI to turn that ocean of info into bite-sized insights that help hotels make better business decisions. It includes data like how many people are booking rooms, when theyre booking, what theyre willing to pay, and how hotels compare to others in the same area. This data helps businesses understand the market, predict trends, and make decisions to increase bookings and revenue.The startup says its tools are used by over 70,000 hospitality providers in 185 countries, including big names like Holiday Inn, Radisson, and NH Hotel Group. It has more than 700 employees worldwide.Watch Back NowCEO Sean Fitzpatrick is pumped about whats next. I couldnt be more energized by what were working towards. Were just getting started in making hospitality data and tools more powerful, accessible, and affordable, he said, adding that KKRs investment will boost AI capabilities, pull in new data sets, and push the company deeper into the global market.Gino Engels and Matthias Geeroms founded Lighthouse in 2012. The company was originally called OTA Insight and started in Ghent, Belgium, before moving its HQ to London. Now, it has raised one of the largest rounds for any startup based in the British capital.For KKR, this is another notch in a long belt of tech growth bets. Since 2010, the firm has funnelled around $23bn into the sector. Stephen Shanley, KKRs head of tech growth in Europe, called Lighthouse the leading platform in this space, praising its ability to serve everyone from boutique inns to multinational hotel chains.Back in 2021, Lighthouse raised $80mn in a Series B, with backers like Spectrum Equity and F-Prime Capital sticking around for this latest buy-in. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

Candela is flying high and across the Atlantic.The Swedish startup has secured $14mn, marking the close of its Series C round at a cosy $40mn. This puts its total funding at just shy of $90mn.Candela has also sold its first P-12 ferry in the US, amid burgeoning demand for what is the worlds fastest and longest-range electric passenger vessel.FlyTahoe, the company that will operate the service, will use the P-12 to shuttle tourists and locals across Lake Tahoe. This massive freshwater lake straddles the border of California and Nevada and is best known for its clear blue waters and nearby world-class ski resorts.Watch Back NowCandelas ferry will run a north-south route across the lake at 25 knots (30 mph), halving travel times from an hour by car to just 30 minutes minus the emissions.Its ironic that while millions, myself included, drive around Lake Tahoe to admire its beauty, the road sediment we generate contributes to the largest threat to the lakes famous cobalt blue clarity, Ryan Meinzer, founder and CEO of FlyTahoe.Computer-controlled hydrofoils lift the P-12 above water, reducing drag and cutting energy use by 80% compared to regular boats. This also provides a smooth, silent ride unaffected by waves and winds.Attracting over 15 million visitors annually, Lake Tahoe suffers from road congestion, worsened in winter by heavy snow and road closures. However, since the lake never freezes over, the P-12 can operate year-round, providing a quicker, cleaner alternative to driving.Last month, Stockholm became the first city to adopt Candelas ferry as part of its public transport system. The P-12 runs a 15km route from the suburb of Eker into the City centre, cutting a 55-minute commute in half.Candela estimates 120 of its shuttles could replace Stockholms entire 35-strong fleet of diesel ferries. At $1.7mn (1.5mn) a piece, thats a big investment, but CEO Gustav Hasselskog is bullish on the returns.Unlike a lot of green technologies, the cost is lower, its cheaper to run, and cheaper to maintain, he told TNW when we visited the companys headquarters earlier this year.Powered by a fresh batch of funding, Candelas is rushing to fulfil orders from New Zealand, Berlin, Saudi Arabia and now the US, as it prepares for its biggest phase of growth yet.Our technology offers a strong economic incentive to switch to zero-emission fleets while unlocking the potential for waterways to ease road congestion and enable multi-modal urban travel. This investment comes at a critical time for the planet, said Hasselskog in a press release.SEB Private Equity, a global private equity investor, led the funding round, with participation from existing investors EQT Ventures and KanDela AB. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

Following a recent expansion of Tap to Pay on iPhone to more countries in Europe, Apple this week announced that it is bringing the feature to yet another country this year. As of today, users in New Zealand can count on the feature that turns the iPhone into a payment terminal.Tap to Pay on iPhone now available in New ZealandThe news was confirmed by Apple on its website (via MacRumors). In New Zealand, Adyen, ANZ Bank, Stripe, Windcave and Worldline are the first platforms to support Tap to Pay on iPhone.For those unfamiliar, Tap to Pay enables merchants to accept contactless payment via a compatible iOS app running on an iPhone Xs or newer, equipped with the latest iOS version. During the checkout process, the merchant will only need to instruct the customer to hold their iPhone, Apple Watch, or compatible NFC card near the merchants iPhone to make a payment.Just like any Apple Pay transaction, Tap to Pay is securely processed using NFC technology, and theres no requirement for extra hardware to facilitate contactless payments. In countries where the feature is available, developers can use an API available in iOS 15.4 and later to implement Tap to Pay support.Tap to Pay on iPhone supports contactless credit and debit cards from leading payment networks, including American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard and Visa.Tap to Pay on iPhone first debuted in the US in 2022, and expanded internationally to the UK,France,Taiwan,Australia,the Netherlands,Brazil,Ukraine,Japan, Canada, Italy and more.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Reading PDFs has become second nature, but when it comes to editing, converting, or even organizing PDF documents, the process can be cumbersome. UPDF has changed that, offering an AI-powered PDF solution that makes these complex tasks easier for Mac users. With full-featured editing at just a quarter of the price of Adobe Acrobat Pro, UPDF brings an impressive suite of capabilities to the table, including AI tools that summarize, translate, and even let you chat with PDFs. And this Black Friday, UPDF is available at up to 50% off, making it a perfect time to enhance your productivity.Explore the power of UPDF and get massive Black Friday savings!UPDF is an all-in-one PDF editor that does more than just basic editing. You can annotate, convert, organize, and even interact with PDFs in ways that save time and simplify tasks. With Black Friday here, UPDFs biggest sale is live, offering a significant discount of up to 50%.From editing text and images to managing complex files, UPDF offers a robust toolkit for all your PDF needs. Lets look at its key features:Edit all elements on PDFs with easeModify any text, images, and even layouts in your PDF files with just a few clicks. UPDF makes it easy to adjust content, ensuring your documents are always accurate and up-to-date.UPDFs annotation features allow you to highlight, underline, and add notes, making it perfect for collaborative work, study, or quick reference.Seamless conversion to popular formatsWith UPDF, converting PDFs to other file types is quick and efficient. It supports conversion to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, text, images, HTML, and more.OCR with AI makes scanned PDFs editableUsing AI-powered OCR, UPDF can convert scanned documents into editable files, saving hours of manual retyping and making content searchable and accessible.Organize PDFs in secondsRearrange pages, split documents, or merge files effortlessly, keeping your PDFs organized and easy to navigate.Fill out forms and sign documentsNeed to complete a form or sign a document? UPDF allows you to fill forms, add digital signatures, and securely manage document signing.Print to PDF and save files easilyUPDFs print-to-PDF feature simplifies the process of saving your documents for quick, reliable access later.Reduce PDF file sizes to make sharing simple without losing quality, ensuring files are accessible and manageable.Protect PDF documentsUPDF enables you to add passwords, redact sensitive information, and control document access for enhanced security.UPDF Sign: Send, sign, and track documentsWith UPDF Sign, you can send, sign, and track documents securely and legally. The tool supports certificate-based digital signatures and works seamlessly on any device, making document tracking and security easier than ever.What sets UPDF apart is its AI capabilities. UPDF is the first PDF editor to offer features that let you chat with a PDF, summarizing lengthy documents in seconds or even translating them into multiple languages. With UPDF, you can transform complex files into mind maps, making it ideal for students, researchers, and professionals who need to visualize information. From articles to complex research, you can convert them into an easy-to-read format.UPDF editor features and benefits youll appreciateUPDF combines advanced PDF editing with an intuitive interface, making it the perfect choice for anyone looking to maximize productivity. Here are some highlights:Comprehensive tools: UPDF provides annotating, converting, editing, form field recognition, organization, permissions, signing, security, OCR, and redaction.AI chat functionality: Engage with documents in real-time, saving time on summarizing, translating, and understanding complex files.Cross-platform access: Access UPDF on macOS, Windows, Android, or iOS with one account.AI translation support: Translate documents into various languages without needing additional tools.UPDF Cloud storage: Store up to 110GB of files, giving you access to important documents anytime, anywhere.Affordable and risk-free: UPDF comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and includes regular updates along with 24/6 customer support.Take advantage of UPDFs Black Friday deal!This Black Friday, UPDFs biggest sale is here, with discounts up to 50% off. Nows the time to enhance your PDF experience and save on one of the most feature-rich PDF editors available. Get UPDF now with Black Friday savings!For more updates, follow UPDF on social media:Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

"A disturbing and disappointing house of cards that deceived and victimized many across the country."AllFakeAfter duping the Los Angeles school system into giving her gobs of money, the founder of an AI ed tech firm allegedly spent a lot of it on herself.As theLA Times reports, 33-year-old Joanna Smith-Griffin, the founder of an AI startup called AllHere, has been charged by federal prosecutors with identity theft and multiple counts of fraud after her alleged web of lies regarding her company's sketchy wares came tumbling down.Earlier this year, the same newspaper reported that after being contracted to build out a chatbot connecting families with information from the Los Angeles Unified School District, AllHere filed for bankruptcy despite tens of millions of dollars in public and private investment.Now, the reason why seems to be emerging, per the allegations: that the founder's repeated lies about the company's worth, and dips into its investments for her own personal gain, led it to ruin.Double DippingProsecutors maintain in their indictment against Smith-Griffin that the founder of the Boston-based company inflated AllHere's worth to attract investors, claiming that she had raised millions for its bespoke educational chatbot tech when in reality the firm had far less in its coffers.According to the indictment, the founder also allegedly used some of the tens of millions she raised from private and public investors to put a down payment on a house in North Carolina and fund her own lavish wedding.Aside from outside investments, the firm was contracted with the LAUSD, the nation's second largest-school system, for $6 million. According to school officials who spoke to theLA Times, the district only paid out about half or $3 million of that contract to AllHere ahead of its collapse.Ed TechLaunched in March, AllHere's chatbot for the LAUSD, named "Ed," was meant to be a part of students' individualized toolkits. Just a few months after its splashy rollout, however, the school district quietly took Ed offline and soon, the company that made it was sinking as well."We can obviously point the finger at companies, especially startups, that are pressured to overpromise and... generally underdeliver," University of Southern California AI expert Stephen Aguilar told the LA Times after Ed went dark. "Ultimately, the responsibility rests with the school district."Now, the superintendent of the LAUSD is condemning Smith-Griffin and what prosecutors called a "deliberate and calculated scheme.""The indictment and the allegations represent, if true, a disturbing and disappointing house of cards that deceived and victimized many across the country," superintendent Alberto Carvalho told the LA Times following the recent charges. "We will continue to assert and protect our rights."Those rights, it seems, include the ability to revive the Ed chatbot at will and as Carvalho told the newspaper, the LAUSD hasn't given up hope that it will be able to do so.More on AI in education: Parents Sue School After Teacher Sends Son to Detention for Using AIShare This Article

Some accounts uploaded the videos straight to the platform while X turned a blind eye.Verified HorribleVerified accounts on Elon Musk's social media platform X-formerly-Twitter are promoting the sale of child sex abuse videos.As the BBC found, the identified accounts were using Saudi Arabic phrases and hashtags to link to websites that sell the appalling content. Other associated accounts even went as far as to upload child sex abuse material (CSAM) straight to the platform.It's a harsh reminder of just how meaningless the company's purported "verification" system has become while CSAM is flourishing in the absence of effective content moderation efforts.After the broadcaster identified the accounts to X, the company promptly removed them. Yet some accounts got thousands of views, while linking to Telegram channels purportedly containing CSAM."These accounts have been suspended in accordance with our policies," a spokesperson told the BBC, as translated from Arabic by Google, but refused to elaborate on how X's verification system works.Free for AllIt's a particularly problematic situation given the fact that verified users with blue checkmarks on the site are paying a monthly fee to jump the line and get far more visibility on the Musk-led platform.In simple terms, X is effectively making money off the sale of CSAM being openly promoted on its platform.Some of the identified accounts were active for over a year, highlighting the platform's failure to address the issue in a timely manner.That's despite Meta's Instagram and Facebook banning related keywords that were being used by these accounts earlier this year, according to the report.None of this should be particularly surprising. In the first couple of months after Musk took over the platform in late 2022, the team gutted the 20-person team responsible for preventing child sexual exploitation.According to February 2023 reportingby the New York Times, the company failed to keep child abuse content off the platform, with CSAM widely circulating.That's despite Musk making lofty promises about making "removing child exploitation" his "priority #1" three months earlier.In May, the European Commission requested information on X's content moderation and how much resources it was committing to those efforts. The Commission pointed to an X transparency report, which revealed that its content moderation team was cut by almost 20 percent since October 2023.Given the latest news, its content moderation in other parts of the world the Arab-speaking world in particular is woefully inadequate as well.Worst of all, X's content moderation practices remain a black box. In October, an Australian court upheld an order for Musk's company to pay a fine of almost half a million dollars after failing to cooperate with regulators in a request for information regarding anti-child-abuse practices.Share This Article

Nov 22, 2024Ravie LakshmananCyber Attack / MalwareThe threat actor known as Mysterious Elephant has been observed using an advanced version of malware called Asynshell.The attack campaign is said to have used Hajj-themed lures to trick victims into executing a malicious payload under the guise of a Microsoft Compiled HTML Help (CHM) file, the Knownsec 404 team said in an analysis published today.Mysterious Elephant, which is also known as APT-K-47, is a threat actor of South Asian origin that has been active since at least 2022, primarily targeting Pakistani entities.The group's tactics and tooling have been found to share similarities with those of other threat actors operating in the regions, such as SideWinder, Confucius, and Bitter.In October 2023, the group was linked to a spear-phishing campaign that delivered a backdoor called ORPCBackdoor as part of attacks directed against Pakistan and other countries.The exact initial access vector employed by Mysterious Elephant in the latest campaign is not known, but it likely involves the use of phishing emails. The method leads to the delivery of a ZIP archive file that contains two files: a CHM file that claims to be about the Hajj policy in 2024 and a hidden executable file.When the CHM is launched, it's used to display a decoy document, a legitimate PDF file hosted on the government of Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony website, while the binary is stealthily executed in the background.A relatively straightforward malware, it's designed to establish a cmd shell with a remote server, with Knownsec 404 identifying functional overlaps with Asyncshell, another tool the threat actor has repeatedly used since the second half of 2023.As many as four different versions of Asyncshell have been discovered to date, boasting capabilities to execute cmd and PowerShell commands. Initial attack chains distributing the malware have been found to leverage the WinRAR security flaw (CVE-2023-38831, CVSS score: 7.8) to trigger the infection.Furthermore, subsequent iterations of the malware have transitioned from using TCP to HTTPS for command-and-control (C2) communications, not to mention making use of an updated attack sequence that employs a Visual Basic Script to show the decoy document and launch it by means of a scheduled task."It can be seen that APT-K-47 has frequently used Asyncshell to launch attack activities since 2023, and has gradually upgraded the attack chain and payload code," the Knownsec 404 team said."In recent attack activities, this group has cleverly used disguised service requests to control the final shell server address, changing from the fixed C2 of previous versions to the variable C2, which shows the importance APT-k-47 organization internal places on Asyncshell."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Nov 22, 2024Ravie LakshmananCyber Espionage / MalwareThreat actors with ties to Russia have been linked to a cyber espionage campaign aimed at organizations in Central Asia, East Asia, and Europe.Recorded Future's Insikt Group, which has assigned the activity cluster the name TAG-110, said it overlaps with a threat group tracked by the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) as UAC-0063, which, in turn, overlaps with APT28. The hacking crew has been active since at least 2021."Using custom malware tools HATVIBE and CHERRYSPY, TAG-110 primarily attacks government entities, human rights groups, and educational institutions," the cybersecurity company said in a Thursday report. "HATVIBE functions as a loader to deploy CHERRYSPY, a Python backdoor used for data exfiltration and espionage."TAG-110's use of HATVIBE and CHERRYSPY was first documented by CERT-UA back in late May 2023 in connection with a cyber attack targeting state agencies in Ukraine. Both the malware families were again spotted over a year later in an intrusion of an unnamed scientific research institution in the country.As many as 62 unique victims across eleven countries have been identified since then, with notable incidents in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, indicating that Central Asia is a primary area of focus for the threat actor in a likely attempt to gather intelligence that informs Russia's geopolitical objectives in the region.A smaller number of victims have also been detected in Armenia, China, Hungary, India, Greece, and Ukraine.Attack chains involve the exploitation of security flaws in public-facing web applications (e.g., Rejetto HTTP File Server) and phishing emails as an initial access vector to drop HATVIBE, a bespoke HTML application loader that serves as a conduit to deploy the CHERRYSPY backdoor for data gathering and exfiltration."TAG-110's efforts are likely part of a broader Russian strategy to gather intelligence on geopolitical developments and maintain influence in post-Soviet states," Recorded Future said. "These regions are significant to Moscow due to strained relations following Russia's invasion of Ukraine."Russia is also believed to have ramped up its sabotage operations across European critical infrastructure following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, targeting Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Poland with the goal of destabilizing NATO allies and disrupting their support for Ukraine."These covert activities align with Russia's broader hybrid warfare strategy, aiming to destabilize NATO countries, weaken their military capabilities, and strain political alliances," Recorded Future said, describing the efforts as "calculated and persistent.""As relations between Russia and the West will almost certainly remain fraught, Russia is very likely to increase the destructiveness and lethality of its sabotage operations without crossing the threshold of war with NATO as discussed in the Gerasimov doctrine. These physical attacks will likely complement Russian efforts in the cyber and influence operations realm in line with Russia's hybrid war doctrine."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE