Aonic secures over 150m in fundingInvestment will support firm's subsidiaries and future acquisitionsImage credit: OtherSide Entertainment News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Dec. 23, 2024 Aonic has received a 152 million investment after entering an agreement with Metric Capital Partners and Active Ownership.Metric Capital Partners have provided 100 million of the funding, while the remaining 52 million has been converted from Active Ownership's shareholder loan.The investment will be used to support Aonic's subsidiaries, which includes nDreams, OtherSide Entertainment, and Exmox, and to fund future acquisitions.Earlier this year, Aonic unveiled its publishing arm Megabit to support its development studio portfolio.In September, its subsidiary nDreams laid off 17.5% of its workforce following a new "strategic focus".

Honda and Nissan have announced plans to merge as the Japanese automakers struggle with competition from rival brands in the electric vehicle market. The two companies confirmed on Monday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding that would create the third largest car maker by sales, behind Toyota and Volkswagen.Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors is also in talks with Honda and Nissan to join the integration, with a decision expected by the end of January. Based on the market capital of all three companies, a finalized merger could result in an entity worth more than 50 billion dollars. Honda will initially lead the management of the merged company according to Honda president, Toshihiro Mibe, with the aim to complete a formal merger agreement by June and finalize the deal by August 2026.Creation of new mobility value by bringing together the resources including knowledge, talents, and technologies that Honda and Nissan have been developing over the long years is essential to overcome challenging environmental shifts that the auto industry is facing, Mibe said in a statement.The proposed merger was initially teased last week, and aims to establish a joint holding company to tackle growing global competition from brands like Tesla and Chinas BYD in the EV market. The deal would also help to rescue the struggling Nissan, which saw its net earnings in mid-2024 fall by more than 90 percent year over year, and announced plans in November to lay off thousands of workers.If realized, I believe that by uniting the strengths of both companies, we can deliver unparalleled value to customers worldwide who appreciate our respective brands, said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida. Together, we can create a unique way for them to enjoy cars that neither company could achieve alone.Ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn told Bloomberg on Friday that the merger is a desperate move by Nissan, and that its not a pragmatic deal because frankly, the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find. The company has been in turmoil since Ghosn was arrested by Japanese authorities in 2018 over charges of financial misconduct.

X has substantially raised the price of its top-tier user subscription in multiple regions to help bolster the platforms creator payouts. The increase for Premium Plus came into effect on December 21st according to X, raising prices in the US from $16 per month to $22, or from $168 to $229 for annual subscriptions.Many European countries like France, Germany, and Spain are impacted by a similar increase, taking monthly prices from 16 to 21. Monthly subscribers in Canada (currently paying $20), Australia ($26) and the UK (16) will also see pricing increased to $26, $35, and 17 respectively. The higher pricing is immediately applicable to new subscribers, with existing users grandfathered into their current rates until January 20th. Xs basic subscription tier remains unaffected.The pricing changes for US subscribers are the highest increase introduced since Elon Musk purchased the social media platform in 2022. X gave several reasons to justify the price hike, citing that Premium Plus is now completely ad-free which it described as a significant enhancement to the current user experience.X also references changes made to the X revenue sharing program in October, saying that subscriptions now more directly fuels creator payouts to reward content quality and engagement rather than ad views alone. Premium Plus subscribers will additionally receive priority user support, access to additional features like Xs Radar trend monitoring tool, and higher limits on the platforms Grok AI models.

Palworld has closed out what has been a remarkably eventful year with its huge Feybreak update.The update, which brings Palworld up to v0.4.11, adds new areas, new pals, new buildings, a hardcore mode, expeditions, research and a lot more. Check out the patch notes, below, for more.Feybreak arrives as developer Pocketpair works to defend itself in a high-profile patent lawsuit filed by Nintendo and The Pokmon Company. After Palworlds huge launch earlier this year on PC and Xbox, comparisons were made between Palworlds Pals and Pokmon, with some accusing Pocketpair of "ripping off" Pokmon designs. But rather than file a copyright infringement lawsuit, Nintendo and The Pokmon Company went down the patent route. They want 5 million yen (approx $32,846) each plus late payment damages, as well as an injunction against Palworld that would block its release.Palworld vs. Pokmon ComparisonIGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!To start:...try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250Last month, Pocketpair confirmed the three Japan-based patents, which revolve around catching Pokmon in a virtual field, it is being sued over. Palworld does include a mechanic that involves throwing a ball-like object (called a Pal Sphere) at monsters out in a field to capture them, similar to the mechanic seen in the 2022 Nintendo Switch exclusive Pokmon Legends: Arceus. However, without explanation, Pocketpair recently tweaked how players summon Pals, with observers speculating the change had to do with the patent infringement lawsuit.Palworld launched on Steam priced $30 and straight into Game Pass on Xbox and PC earlier this year, breaking sales and concurrent player number records in the process. Pocketpair boss Takuro Mizobe has said Palworld's launch was so big that the developer couldnt handle the massive profits the game generated. Still, Pocketpair acted swiftly to capitalize on Palworlds breakout success, signing a deal with Sony to form a new business called Palworld Entertainment thats tasked with expanding the IP.Patent experts have said Nintendo and The Pokmon Companys lawsuit against Pocketpair is evidence of the threat posed by Palworld, which has since gone on to launch on PS5, albeit after a short delay in Japan.PlayAll eyes are on the lawsuit to see who will emerge victorious, if it isn't settled first. Pocketpair has vowed to take on Nintendo and The Pokmon Company in court, however, saying: We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.Through it all, Pocketpair has continued to release major updates for Palworld and Feybreak is just the latest example of that. The developer is even moving forward with crossovers with other huge video games, including the start of a Terraria collaboration with today's release of Feybreak.Palworld Feybreak update 0.4.11 patch notes:New ContentMeowmere from Terraria! Meowmere, the first "bullet-firing melee weapon" in Palworld, has been added. This is only a small taste of the Palworld x Terraria collab, and in 2025, even more collaboration content will be released! Enjoy taking a step towards a new adventure alongside the sound of cat meowing!New Island - FeybreakA new island, Feybreak, has appeared! A mysterious island with many challenges, glowing sand and many new Pals!Conquer the Feybreak Warriors, a new faction that dominates the island with the power of their missile battery camp!New Resources - Chromite and Hexolite Quartz!Chromite is buried underground and can only be found by using Pals or items that can detect metal.Hexolite Quartz is a rare ore that only exists on Feybreak.New Mechanic - Expeditions!Obtain supplies by sending Pals out on expeditions at the Pal Expedition Station!New Mechanic - Research!By conducting research at the Pal Labor Research Laboratory, you can unlock permanent passives and rewards that increase the productivity of your base!*Some existing buildings that increase work speed will now be unlocked as research rewards.Predator PalsVicious Predator Pals will now appear throughout the world. These Pals are extremely difficult to defeat but those strong enough to take them down will earn rare resources in return for their bravery!New "Bounty" NPCsDangerous criminals have appeared all over the Palpagos Islands. Bring these crooks to justice and cash in the country for rewards.New Strongholds and Stronghold Boss: The Attack ChopperA large and very difficult "Platform Oil Rig" has appeared! Great riches, important supplies and more are stored here. A powerful Attack Chopper guards this rig from any intruders!A smaller oil rig, the "Barge Oil Rig" has been added for beginners.Player level cap raised to 60! New technologies and more await!New Raid - Xenolord!Defeat the dark mechanical dragon that controls the Xeno army!Sphere ModulesYou can now attach modules to spheres to significantly change their trajectory, such as curving it, which in turn increases the capture rate!New ItemsMetal Detector - Find chromite buried underground on Feybreak.Pouches - Increases your inventory size!Double Jump Boots - Stylish and practical, time to double jump!Air Dash Boots, - Allows the player to dash while in the air.Revival Potion - Bring your Pals back to life.New cooking recipes have been added.Hardcore Mode!The ultimate challenge. Player and Pal death is permanent.Can be enabled in the world settings.Random Pal Mode!Turn on Random Pal Mode in world settings to randomize Pal spawns!Randomize by Region - Randomize Pal spawns while maintaining a certain regional range.Completely Random - All Pal spawns in all regions will be completely randomized! It could be a bit chaotic...New Area Discovery Bonus!Players will earn experience points when they discover a location for the first time.Many New Weapons!Makeshift SMGMakeshift Assault RifleMakeshift ShotgunOld RevolverSMGSemi-Auto RifleSemi-Auto ShotgunLaser Gatling GunPlasma CannonCompound BowAdvanced BowKatanaBeam SwordDark GrenadeDragon GrenadeGround GrenadeGrass GrenadeWater GrenadeNew BuildingsLarge-Scale Electric Egg Incubator - Hatch up to 10 eggs at the same time.Guild Chest - Items placed in a guild chest are shared among all guild chests.Item Retrieval Machine - Search for and take any item from any chest within your base!Medicine Rack - Pals will take medicine stored to treat their illnesses and injuries.Flea Market - Sell Pals and items to other players!Large-Scale Stone Oven and Gigantic Furnace - Multiple Pals can work together to cook and refine at higher speeds!Skillfruit Orchard - Plant and grow skill fruits!Gold Coin Assembly Line - Illegally produced coins, now made at home!Ladders - Players can go up and down without needing to build stairs!Pure Quartz Mine - Mine an infinite amount in the comfort of your base.Accumulator - By storing extra electricity, you can keep your facilities running at night while your Pals sleep.Elemental Treasure ChestsRare treasure chests that can only be unlocked by Pals of specific elements have appeared!PlayerPlayers can now sit on chairs!You can now obtain Successful Bounty Tokens by defeating field bosses. These tokens provide permanent passives to the player.Player climbing speed has been increased.Increased the maximum amount of power that can be enhanced by Lifmunk Effigies from 12 to 14.Implemented "Sphere Critical" hits! Throwing a sphere at a Pal's weak spot (the same weak spot as when attacking a Pal) will temporarily increase the capture rate!Experience points gained from crafting and building have been increased. You now also gain experience points for Pals crafting and building even when you aren't at your base!Improved player animations.Players will now be invincible for a few seconds after teleporting or entering/exiting dungeons.When mounted, Pals now cancel any active skills that are in effect, allowing it to move immediately.Base RelatedA function to replace foundation structures and defensive walls without destroying them has been implemented. Walls already built can be upgraded.New foundation structures, "Japanese Style" have been implemented! You can recreate Sakurajima's Japanese-style architecture at your base. Sliding doors have also been implemented.The maximum base level has been increased to 30.Pal transportation work has been improved while the player is not in the base.In Single-Player and COOP modes you can build much more freely around the world, except in some dungeons.The Pal working state set in the monitoring stand is now saved.PalsChristmas Skins!6 Christmas skins have been added for all players!(You must own the Pal to equip the skin)Pudding la GumossParty Night DepressoWinter Style ChilletWinter Style Chillet IgnisRoyal FrostallionWhite ShadowbeakRedistributing Limited-Time skins to all players!(You must own the Pal to equip the skin)Gold RelaxaurusSailor QuivernSummer ChilletNew Unique SkillsVanwyrm - Flame BreathVanwyrm Cryst - Tempest BlizzardAstegon - Firefist BreathstormMaraith - Spirit DashVerdash - Spinning RoundhouseUnivolt - Lightning GaleBlazehowl - Volcanic FangRagnahawk - Rush BeakBeegarde - Needle SpearBeakon - Lightning DiveRayhound - Beckon LightningJormuntide - Slither SlamJormuntide Ignis - Magma SerpentCryolinx - Blizzard ClawWumpo - Snow BowlingWumpo Botan - Lawn BowlingNew Ground SkillStone BeatNew Dark SkillPoison ShowerNew Dragon SkillCharge CannonNew Tier of Passive SkillsAn even higher tier of passives, "rainbow passive skill" has been added! Breed the ultimate Pal! "Swift" has been promoted to a rainbow passive skill, and the chance of obtaining it has decreased.Work Suitability Enhancement Books!By using various technique books, you can permanently increase Pal's work suitability.The limit on strengthening Pals with souls has been lifted! It's now possible to further develop your Pals.If a summoned Pal has three moves that are all on cooldown, it will use the most basic move of its element.Enemy Pals will now use every move they know at that level.Alpha Pal eggs are no longer all huge but are now each the appropriate size.UIAdded a filter function to the Technology screen.You can now add Pals to your favourites with a single button in the Pal Box UI.Improved Pal Box sorting function, making it easier to find the Pal you're looking for.You can now change the font size in the options settings.The player's main HUD no longer becomes hidden over time. (You can revert this setting in the options.)Mouse and KeyboardYou can now close any window with the Tab key.The right Shift key and right Ctrl key can now be registered in the key configuration.Controller PadFixed an issue where the player would continue walking if the UI was opened while moving.Changed the cutscene skip button on controller to Y.CrimeThe charges have been expanded. Serious crimes, such as "Obstructing Public Officials" will increase the player's criminal level even more.Dedicated ServersYou can now set "Maximum number of buildings per base" in the world settings.This allows server administrators to make adjustments to stabilize server performance and maintain a comfortable playing environment.Balance AdjustmentThe weight multiplier for all items can now be changed in world settings.Technology unlock levels have been adjusted.The selling prices of some Pals have been adjusted.Merchant stock and prices have been adjusted.The crafting recipes for some ammunition have been adjusted.Boss enemies are now immune to stuns and will now become staggered when their stun accumulation value reaches 100.Some technologies can now be unlocked by defeating tower bosses.Adjusted the work suitability of some Pals:Blazamut Ryu - Kindling 3 4Selyne - Handiwork 3 4Knocklem - Mining 3 4Cryolinx - Added TransportingLegendary Pals are now level 60, and they can learn more powerful skills.The recovery amount of Felbat and Lovander's partner skills has been increased from 6% to 10%Bug FixesImproved base pals so they don't get stuck as often.Reduced the issue of players falling under the ground after fast travel.Improved enemy pathing so they don't get stuck in walls as often.Improved the raid algorithm and pathing to ensure that raids reach bases much more often.Many many many other minor bug fixes.OtherNew NPCs have been added to various locations.Added the "Free Pal Alliance Judicator" to the Free Pal Alliance. He will now appear at their camps.Slowed down the work speed animation of base Pals with work speed buffs. (This is a measure to prevent the processing load from increasing too much when the effect is played at high speed. This change does not affect actual work speed.)Changed Paldeck to Palpedia to be more in line with other languages.Soundtrack3 new songs have been added to the soundtrack. If you have already purchased the game, please update the soundtrack.*Please note that the soundtrack update may be delayed by about a day.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Even a brief review of the App Store revealed more than 200 risky or inappropriate apps rated as ok for children, according to a new report. They had collectively notched up more than 550 million downloads.Two child safety groups say that more than 25% of the child-rated apps they reviewed gave cause for concern, suggesting that the total number of problematic apps is very much higher Risky apps rated as appropriate for childrenThe groupspartnered on a project to review a sample of apps labeled as appropriate for children as young as four.The Apple App Store hosts nearly 2 million apps, presenting a daunting research challenge for organizations without the resources of Apple. Instead of attempting to review all apps, Heat Initiative and ParentsTogether Action partnered with a researcher who worked to review as many apps as possible within a time-bound period 24 hours. The focus of the review were apps in several categories with a history of presenting safety risks to kids: chat apps, beauty apps, diet and weight loss apps, internet access apps, and gaming apps.Within that 24 hours, approximately 800 total apps were reviewed. At the time of reporting, more than 200 of those were rated as inappropriate for kids as young as 4, 9, or 12, despite concerning content or features. The 200+ risky apps identified have a combined total of more than 550 million downloads.Examples included 25 chat apps that connect kids with strangers. One of those was described as being nothing but pedophiles.Another category was apps specifically designed to help kids circumvent restrictions on internet access. Others included apps which invited users to upload photos to be rated for hotness, as well as those encouraging unhealthy weight loss.Some gaming apps included dares which would be inappropriate for children, including running around outside naked and imagining a sexy photo shoot.The report suggests that the App Store is a mass distributor of risky and inappropriate apps to children.Apple fails to deliver on safety promisesThe report notes that Apple claims to carry out app reviews which include checking that age ratings are appropriate.It cites Apples marketing claims that the App Store is a safe and trusted place to discover and download apps and specifically assuring parents that its easy to make sure your kids are engaging with age-appropriate content.The reality, it says, is that Apples checks do not achieve this, and the company puts all legal liability for age ratings on developers. It accuses the iPhone maker of profiting from lax controls as these boost downloads and therefore commission for Apple.As long as the people issuing app age ratings have a profit motive to make them available to the widest possible audience, this problem and its devastating impacts on families will persist.9to5Macs TakeTheres a certain degree of subjectivity here in terms of what is or isnt appropriate for kids, but its clear that some of the examples do not fall into this gray area: they shouldnt be offered to kids, period.There are also those who would suggest that the primary responsibility for vetting the suitability of apps for children rests with their parents or guardians.Apples biggest issue here is the gap between what it promises and what it delivers, especially when the company has relied on these promises to defend antitrust cases.While all apps are subject to review before being made available in the App Store, the company has revealed in the past that it has a global team of around 500 people to review an average of 132,500 apps per week. That would mean each person reviewing around 50 apps per day.Its obvious that this cannot possibly provide the level of vetting promised by Apples marketing materials, and that it either needs to promise less for example, noting that it carries out checks intended to minimize the number of rogue apps which make it through, then acting on user reports of problematic ones or to provide the level of resources needed to truly deliver on the promises.Photo bycharlesdeluvioonUnsplashAdd 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

Dec 23, 2024Ravie LakshmananPhishing / CybercrimeAn interruption to the phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) toolkit called Rockstar 2FA has led to a rapid uptick in activity from another nascent offering named FlowerStorm."It appears that the [Rockstar2FA] group running the service experienced at least a partial collapse of its infrastructure, with pages associated with the service no longer reachable," Sophos said in a new report published last week. "This does not appear to be because of a takedown action, but due to some technical failure on the backend of the service."Rockstar2FA was first documented by Trustwave late last month as a PhaaS service that allows criminal actors to launch phishing attacks that are capable of harvesting Microsoft 365 account credentials and session cookies, thereby circumventing multi-factor authentication (MFA) protections.The service is assessed to be an updated version of the DadSec phishing kit, which is tracked by Microsoft under the name Storm-1575. A majority of the phishing pages have been found to be hosted on .com, .de, .ru. and .moscow top-level domains, although the use of .ru domains is believed to have shrunk over time.Rockstar2FA appears to have suffered a technical interruption on November 11, 2024, when redirects to intermediate decoy pages generated Cloudflare time-out errors and the counterfeit login pages failed to load.While it's not clear what caused the disruption, the void left by the PhaaS toolkit has resulted in a surge in phishing activity associated with FlowerStorm, which has been active since at least June 2024.Sophos said that both the services share similarities when it comes to the format of the phishing portal pages and the methods used to connect to the backend servers for credential harvesting, raising the possibility of a common ancestry. They also abuse Cloudflare Turnstile in order to ensure that the incoming page requests are not from bots.It's suspected that the November 11 disruption represents either a strategic pivot in one of the groups, a change in personnel running them, or an intentional effort to decouple the twin operations. There is no definitive evidence linking the two services at this stage.The most frequently targeted countries using FlowerStorm include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Germany, Singapore, and India."The most heavily targeted sector is the service industry, with particular focus on firms providing engineering, construction, real estate, and legal services and consulting," Sophos said.If anything, the findings once again illustrate the ongoing trend of attackers using cybercriminal services and commodity tools to carry out cyber attacks at scale even without requiring much technical expertise.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Dec 23, 2024The Hacker NewsCybersecurity / Threat IntelligenceThe 2025 cybersecurity landscape is increasingly complex, driven by sophisticated cyber threats, increased regulation, and rapidly evolving technology. In 2025, organizations will be challenged with protecting sensitive information for their customers while continuing to provide seamless and easy user experiences. Here's a closer look at ten emerging challenges and threats set to shape the coming year.1. AI as a weapon for attackersThe dual-use nature of AI has created a great deal of risk to organizations as cybercriminals increasingly harness the power of AI to perpetrate highly sophisticated attacks. AI-powered malware can change its behavior in real-time. This means it can evade traditional methods of detection and find and exploit vulnerabilities with uncanny precision. Automated reconnaissance tools let attackers compile granular intelligence about systems, employees, and defenses of a target at unprecedented scale and speed. AI use also reduces the planning time for an attack.For example, AI-generated phishing campaigns use advanced natural language processing for crafting extremely personal and convincing emails to increase the chances of successful breaches. Deepfake technology adds a layer of complexity by allowing attackers to impersonate executives or employees with convincing audio and video for financial fraud or reputational damage.Traditional security mechanisms may fail to detect and respond to the adaptive and dynamic nature of AI-driven attacks, leaving organizations open to significant operational and financial impacts. To stay secure in the face of AI threats, organizations should look to AI-enhanced security solutions.2. The rise of zero-day vulnerabilitiesZero-day vulnerabilities are still one of the major threats in cybersecurity. By definition, these faults remain unknown to software vendors and the larger security community, thus leaving systems exposed until a fix can be developed. Attackers are using zero-day exploits frequently and effectively, affecting even major companies, hence the need for proactive measures.Advanced threat actors use zero-day attacks to achieve goals including espionage and financial crimes. Organizations should try to mitigate risks by continuous monitoring and advanced detection systems through behavioral identification of exploit attempts. Beyond detection, sharing threat intelligence across industries about emerging zero-days has become paramount for staying ahead of adversaries. Addressing zero-day threats requires response agility to be balanced with prevention through secure software coding, patching, and updating.3. AI as the backbone of modern cybersecurityArtificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a mainstay in cybersecurity. From handling and processing large volumes of data to detecting even minute anomalies and predicting further, threats, AI is taking the fight against cybercrime to new levels of effectiveness. It's likely that in 2025, AI will become integral in all aspects of cybersecurity, from threat detection and incident response to strategy formulation.AI systems are particularly good at parsing complex datasets to uncover patterns and recognize vulnerabilities that might otherwise go unnoticed. They also excel in performing routine checks, freeing human security teams to focus on more difficult and creative security tasksand removing the risk of human error or oversight in routine, manual work.4. The growing complexity of data privacyIntegrating regional and local data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA into the cybersecurity strategy is no longer optional. Companies need to look out for regulations that will become legally binding for the first time in 2025, such as the EU's AI Act. In 2025, regulators will continue to impose stricter guidelines related to data encryption and incident reporting, including in the realm of AI, showing rising concerns about online data misuse.Decentralized security models, such as blockchain, are being considered by some companies to reduce single points of failure. Such systems offer enhanced transparency to users and allow them much more control over their data. When combined with a zero-trust approach that can process requests, these strategies help harden both privacy and security.5. Challenges in user verificationVerifying user identities has become more challenging as browsers enforce stricter privacy controls and attackers develop more sophisticated bots. Modern browsers are designed to protect user privacy by limiting the amount of personal information websites can access, such as location, device details, or browsing history. This makes it harder for websites to determine whether a user is legitimate or malicious. Meanwhile, attackers create bots that behave like real users by mimicking human actions such as typing, clicking, or scrolling, making them difficult to detect using standard security methods.Although AI has added an additional layer of complexity to user verification, AI-driven solutions are also the most reliable way to identify these bots. These systems analyze user behavior, history, and the context in real-time to enable businesses to adapt security measures with minimal disruption of legitimate users.6. The increasing importance of supply chain securitySupply chain security breaches are indeed on the rise, with attackers exploiting vulnerabilities in third-party vendors to infiltrate larger networks. Monitoring of these third-party relationships is often insufficient. Most companies do not know all the third parties that handle their data and personally identifiable information (PII) and almost all companies are connected to at least one third-party vendor that has experienced a breach. This lack of oversight poses significant risks, as supply chain attacks can have cascading effects across industries.Unsurprisingly, even prominent organizations fall victim to attacks via their suppliers' vulnerabilities. For example, in a recent attack on Ford, attackers exploited the company's supply chain to insert malicious code into Ford's systems, creating a backdoor that the attackers could use to expose sensitive customer data.In 2025, organizations will need to prioritize investing in solutions that can vet and monitor their supply chain. AI-driven and transparency-focused solutions can help identify vulnerabilities in even the most complex supply chains. Organizations should also examine SLAs to select suppliers that maintain strict security protocols themselves, thereby creating ripples of improved security further down the ecosystem.7. Balancing security and user experienceOne of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity is finding a balance between tight security and smooth usability. Overly strict security measures may irritate legitimate users, while lax controls invite the bad guys in. In 2025, as the cyber threat landscape becomes more sophisticated than ever before, businesses will have to navigate that tension with even greater precision.Context-aware access management systems offer a way forward. These systems take into account user behavior, location, and device type to make intelligent, risk-based decisions about access control.8. Cloud security and misconfiguration risksAs organizations continue to move their services toward the cloud, new risks will emerge. Some of the most frequent reasons for data breaches have to do with misconfigurations of cloud environments: missing access controls, storage buckets that are not secured, or inefficient implementation of security policies.Cloud computing's benefits need to be balanced by close monitoring and secure configurations in order to prevent the exposure of sensitive data. This requires an organization-wide cloud security strategy: continuous auditing, proper identity and access management, and automation of tools and processes to detect misconfigurations before they become security incidents. Teams will need to be educated on best practices in cloud security and shared responsibility models to mitigate these risks.9. The threat of insider attacksInsider threats are expected to intensify in 2025 due to the continued rise of remote work, AI-powered social engineering, and evolving data privacy concerns. Remote work environments expand the attack surface, making it easier for malicious insiders or negligent employees to expose sensitive data or create access points for external attackers.AI-driven attacks, such as deepfake impersonations and convincing phishing scams, are also likely to become more prevalent, making insider threats harder to detect. The widespread adoption of AI tools also raises concerns about employees inadvertently sharing sensitive data.To mitigate these risks, companies should adopt a multi-layered cybersecurity approach. Implementing zero-trust security models, which assume no entity is inherently trustworthy, can help secure access points and reduce vulnerabilities. Continuous monitoring, advanced threat detection systems, and regular employee training on recognizing social engineering tactics are essential. Organizations must also enforce strict controls over AI tool usage to keep sensitive information protected while maximizing productivity.10. Securing the edge in a decentralized worldWith edge computing, IT infrastructure processes information closer to the end user, reducing latency times significantly and increasing real-time capability. Edge enables innovations such as IoT, autonomous vehicles, and smart citiesmajor trends for 2025.However, decentralization increases security risk. Many edge devices are out of the scope of centralized security perimeters and may have weak protections, thus becoming the main target for an attacker who tries to leverage vulnerable points in a distributed network.Such environments require protection based on multidimensional thinking. AI-powered monitoring systems analyze data in real-time and raise flags on suspicious activity before they are exploited. Automated threat detection and response tools allow an organization to take instant measures in a timely manner and minimize the chances of a breach. Advanced solutions, such as those offered by edge-native companies like Gcore, can strengthen edge devices with powerful encryption and anomaly detection capabilities while preserving high performance for legitimate users.Shaping a secure future with GcoreThe trends shaping 2025 show the importance of adopting forward-thinking strategies to address evolving threats. From zero-day attacks and automated cybercrime to data privacy and edge computing, the cybersecurity landscape demands increasingly innovative solutions.Gcore Edge Security is uniquely positioned to help businesses navigate these challenges. By leveraging AI for advanced threat detection, automating compliance processes, and securing edge environments, Gcore empowers organizations to build resilience and maintain trust in an increasingly complex digital world. As the nature of cyber threats becomes more sophisticated, proactive, integrated DDoS and WAAP defenses can help your business stay ahead of emerging threats.Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

As enterprises race to implement AI and automation, one often overlooked factor can make or break their success: data quality. In fact, 72% of enterprises have adopted AI for at least one business function. The success of these AI and automation initiatives hinges on quality data. What separates effective automation from costly failures often boils down to the quality of the data feeding these systems. To achieve effective automation, enterprise leaders must rely on high-quality data. In this article, Ill outline simple strategies for gathering and sharing data that drives success.Data Quality: Impact Across IndustriesThe implications of poor data quality can vary across industries, but the underlying risks remain similar. For instance, in healthcare, poor data can lead to poor patient care, putting their safety at risk. Financial services are another sector where data accuracy is paramount -- poor data quality leads to flawed financial reports and increased operational risks, eroding trust, and potentially incurring regulatory penalties. Even retail isnt immune, as inaccurate inventory data can lead to poor stock management decisions, resulting in costly stockouts or excess inventory.Data Quality ChecklistHigh-quality data empowers automation and AI to provide outputs that are accurate, reliable, and context-rich, enabling users -- from data analysts to business leaders -- to make informed, confident decisions. This requires data to meet a checklist of criteria, which are as follows:Related:Timeliness: Is your data up to date? Timely data ensures relevant decision-making. For example, relying on outdated customer data in retail can lead to inaccurate personalization, missing opportunities for sales.Accuracy: Does your data accurately represent real-world conditions? Eliminating biases or errors is critical. For instance, biased healthcare data can lead to improper diagnoses, directly impacting patient outcomes.Completeness: Are your datasets comprehensive? Incomplete data can distort AI outcomes or even lead to hallucinations, where algorithms generate inaccurate or misleading results. For example, missing sales data could result in flawed revenue forecasts.Consistency: Do your records align across datasets? Inconsistent data creates errors that can ripple across automation systems. Imagine a supply chain scenario where mismatched product IDs lead to shipping delays and increased costs.Building a Foundation of Quality DataEnsuring data quality is not just about data cleansing; it requires robust data governance and management practices. Implementing a framework that prioritizes data quality across the organization is essential to achieving reliable outcomes from AI and automation investments. Here are a few best practices:Related:Data stewardship: Designate individuals responsible for monitoring and maintaining data quality across its lifecycle. This ensures that the integrity of the data is preserved.Automated data validation: Proactive detection and correction of errors in real-time is essential for organizations that rely on up-to-date data for fast-paced decision-making.Data lineage tracking: By tracking data from its origin through its transformations, organizations can better understand its reliability and accuracy.Hyperautomation as a Data Quality Use CaseHyperautomation, as defined by Gartner, is reshaping business by automating end-to-end processes across the entire IT landscape. This process merges AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation (RPA) to streamline operations, cut costs, and elevate customer experiences. However, the effectiveness of hyperautomation depends on one crucial factor: data quality. This is because the intelligence behind hyperautomation -- AI and ML models --relies on data.Related:In hyperautomation, data-driven decisions are vital for optimizing processes. Poor data quality can lead to less effective choices, undermining efficiency gains. Analyzing historical data allows organizations to forecast trends and proactively automate, yet the accuracy of these predictions is only as good as the data theyre based on.Hyperautomation also requires integrating data from multiple sources, and inconsistent formats or quality issues can impede seamless integration and scalability. High-quality data helps ensure the reliability and robustness of hyperautomation initiatives, minimizing errors and system risks.For customer-facing hyperautomation projects, such as applications like AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, these depend on accurate, current data to respond effectively to inquiries. Organizations that focus on data integrity while deploying hyperautomation projects -- both internal and customer-facing -- can fully harness its potential, enhancing operational efficiency and gaining a competitive advantage.Long-Term Impact of Quality Data on Business StrategyAt the strategic level, high-quality data doesnt just make AI and automation systems work better -- it enhances business outcomes. With data that is complete, accurate, and timely, companies can leverage AI and automation to improve efficiency, reduce operational risks, and foster more data-driven decisions that strengthen competitive advantage.Organizations that prioritize data quality today will be the ones to define industry benchmarks tomorrow. The question is: Is your data strategy ready to meet the demands of AI and automation?

The world might seem to be on the brink of a humanoid-robot heyday. New breakthroughs in artificial intelligence promise the type of capable, general-purpose robots previously seen only in science fictionrobots that can do things like assemble cars, care for patients, or tidy our homes, all without being given specialized instructions. Its an idea that has attracted an enormous amount of attention, capital, and optimism. Figure raised $675 million for its humanoid robot in 2024, less than two years after being founded. At a Tesla event this past October, the companys Optimus robots outshined the self-driving taxi that was meant to be the star of the show. Teslas CEO, Elon Musk, believes that these robots could somehow build a future where there is no poverty. One might think that supremely capable humanoids are just a few years away from populating our homes, war zones, workplaces, borders, schools, and hospitals to serve roles as varied as therapists, carpenters, home health aides, and soldiers. Yet recent progress has arguably been more about style than substance. Advancements in AI have undoubtedly made robots easier to train, but they have yet to enable them to truly sense their surroundings, think of what to do next, and carry out those decisions in the way some viral videos might imply. In many of these demonstrations (including Teslas), when a robot is pouring a drink or wiping down a counter, it is not acting autonomously, even if it appears to be. Instead, it is being controlled remotely by human operators, a technique roboticists refer to as teleoperation. The futuristic looks of such humanoids, which usually borrow from dystopian Hollywood sci-fi tropes like screens for faces, sharp eyes, and towering, metallic forms, suggest the robots are more capable than they often are. Im worried that were at peak hype, says Leila Takayama, a robotics expert and vice president of design and human-robot interaction at the warehouse robotics company Robust AI. Theres a bit of an arms waror humanoids warbetween all the big tech companies to flex and show that they can do more and they can do better. As a result, she says, any roboticist not working on a humanoid has to answer to investors as to why. We have to talk about them now, and we didnt have to a year ago, Takayama told me. Shariq Hashme, a former employee of both OpenAI and Scale AI, entered his robotics firm Prosper into this arms race in 2021. The company is developing a humanoid robot it calls Alfie to perform domestic tasks in homes, hospitals, and hotels. Prosper hopes to manufacture and sell Alfies for approximately $10,000 to $15,000 each. Why are we enamored with this idea of building a replica of ourselves? Guy Hoffman, associate professor, Cornell University In conceiving the design for Alfie, Hashme identified trustworthiness as the factor that should trump all other considerations, and the top challenge that needs to be overcome to see humanoids benefit society. Hashme believes one essential tactic to get people to put their trust in Alfie is to build a detailed character from the ground upsomething humanlike but not too human. This is about more than just Alfies appearance. Hashme and his colleagues are envisioning the way the robot moves and signals what hell do next; imagining desires and flaws that shape his approach to tasks; and crafting an internal code of ethics that governs the instructions he will and will not accept from his owners. In some ways, leaning so heavily on the principle of trustworthiness for Alfie feels premature; Prosper has raised a tiny amount of capital compared with giants like Tesla or Figure and is months (or years) away from shipping a product. But the need to tackle the issue of trustworthiness head-on and early reflects the messy moment humanoids are in: Despite all the investment and research, few people would feel warm and comfortable with such a robot if it walked into their living room right now. Wed wonder what data it was recording about us and our surroundings, fear it might someday take our job, or be turned off by its way of moving; rather than elegant and useful, humanoids are often cumbersome and creepy. Overcoming that lack of trust will be the first hurdle to clear before humanoids can live up to their hype. But on the road to helping Alfie win our trust, one question looms larger than any other: How much will he be able to do on his own? How much will he still rely on humans? New AI techniques have made it faster to train robots through demonstration datausually some combination of images, videos, and other data created by humans doing tasks like washing dishes while wearing sensors that pick up on their movements. This data can then coach robots through those tasks much the way that a large body of text can help a large language model create sentences. Still, this method requires lots of data, and lots of humans need to step in and correct for errors. Hashme told me that he expects the first release of Alfie to handle only about 20% of tasks on his own. The rest will be assisted by a Prosper team of remote assistants, at least some of them based in the Philippines, who will have the ability to remotely control Alfies movements. When I raised, among other concerns, whether its viable for a robotics business to rely on manual human labor for so many tasks, Hashme pointed to the successes of Scale AI. That company, which processes training data for AI applications, has a significant workforce in the Philippinesand is often criticized for its labor practices. Hashme was one of the people managing that workforce for about a year before founding Prosper. His departure from Scale AI was itself set off by a violation of trustone for which he would serve time in federal prison. The success or failure of Alfie will reveal much about societys willingness to welcome humanoid robots into our private spaces. Can we accept a profoundly new and asymmetric labor arrangement in which workers in low-wage countries use robotic interfaces to perform physical tasks for us at home? Will we trust them to safeguard private data and images of us and our families? On the most basic level, will the robots even be useful? To address some of these concerns around trust, Hashme brought in Buck Lewis. Two decades before Lewis worked with robots, before he was charged with designing a humanoid that people would trust rather than fear, the challenge in front of him was a rat. In 2001, Lewis was a revered animator and one of the top minds at Pixar. His specialty was designing characters with deep, universal appeal, a top concern to studios that fund high-budget projects aimed at capturing audiences worldwide. It was a niche that had led Lewis to bring trucks and sedans to life in the movie Cars and create characters for many DreamWorks and Disney films. But when Jan Pinkava, the creative force behind Ratatouille, told Lewis about his pitch for that filmthe story of a rat who wants to be a chefthe task felt insurmountable. Rats evoke such fear and apprehension in humans that their very name has become a shorthand for someone who cannot be trusted. How could Lewis turn a maligned rodent into an endearing chef? Its a deeply ingrained aversion, because rats are horrifying, he told me. For this to work, we had to create a character that rewires peoples perceptions. To do that, Lewis spent a lot of time in his head, imagining scenes like a group of rats hosting a playful pop-up dinner on a sidewalk in Paris. The result was Remy, a Parisian rat who not only rose through the culinary ranks in Ratatouille but was so lovable that demand for pet rats surged globally after the films release in 2007. Two decades later, Lewis has made a career change and is now in charge of crafting every aspect of Alfies character at Prosper. Much as the appealing Remy rebranded rats, Alfie represents Lewiss attempt to change the image of humanoid robots, from futuristic and dangerous to helpful and trustworthy. Prospers approach reflects a foundational robotics concept articulated by Rodney Brooks, a founder of iRobot, which created the Roomba: The visual appearance of a robot makes a promise about what it can do and how smart it is. It needs to deliver or slightly overdeliver on that promise or it will not be accepted. According to this principle, any humanoid robot makes the promise that it can behave like a humanwhich is an exceedingly high bar. So high, in fact, that some firms reject it. Some humanoid-skeptic roboticists doubt that a helpful robot needs to resemble a human at all when it could instead accomplish practical tasks without being anthropomorphized. Why are we enamored with this idea of building a replica of ourselves? asks Guy Hoffman, a roboticist focused on human-robot interactions and an associate professor at Cornell Universitys engineering school. Early prototypes of Prospers robotic butler, which could perform household tasks like cleaning a kitchen table, rinsing dishes, and discarding trash.DAVID VINTINER The chief argument for robots with human characteristics is a functional one: Our homes and workplaces were built by and for humans, so a robot with a humanlike form will navigate them more easily. But Hoffman believes theres another reason: Through this kind of humanoid design, we are selling a story about this robot that it is in some way equivalent to us or to the things that we can do. In other words, build a robot that looks like a human, and people will assume its as capable as one. In designing Alfies physical appearance, Prosper has borrowed some aspects of typical humanoid design but rejected others. Alfie has wheels instead of legs, for example, as bipedal robots are currently less stable in home environments, but he does have arms and a head. The robot will be built on a vertical column that resembles a torso; his specific height and weight are not yet public. He will have two emergency stop buttons. Nothing about Alfies design will attempt to obscure the fact that he is a robot, Lewis says. The antithesis [of trustworthiness] would be designing a robot thats intended to emulate a human and its measure of success is based on how well it has deceived you, he told me. Like, Wow, I was talking to that thing for five minutes and I didnt realize its a robot. That, to me, is dishonest. But much other humanoid innovation is headed in a direction where deception seems to be an increasingly attractive concept. In 2023, several ultrarealistic humanoid robots appeared in the crowd at an NFL game at SoFi stadium in California; after a video of them went viral, Disney revealed they were actually just people in suits, a stunt to promote a movie. Nine months later, researchers from the University of Tokyo unveiled a way to attach engineered skin, which used human cells, over the face of a robot in an attempt to more perfectly resemble a human face. Through this kind of humanoid design, we are selling a story [that this robot] is in some way equivalent to us or to the things that we can do. Guy Hoffman, roboticist Lewis has considered much more than just Alfies appearance. He and Prosper envision Alfie as an ambassador from a future civilization in which robots have incorporated the best qualities of humanity. Hes not young or old but has the wisdom of middle age, and his primary function in life is to be of service to people on their terms. Like any compelling character, Alfie has flaws people can relate tohe wishes he could be faster, and he tends to be a bit obsessive about finishing the tasks asked of him. Core tenets of Alfies service are to respect boundaries, to be discreet and nonjudgmental, and to earn trust. Hes an entity thats nonhuman, but he has a sort of sentience, Lewis says. Im trying to avoid looking at it as directly comparable to human consciousness. Ive been referring to Alfie as heat the risk of over-anthropomorphizing what is currently a robot in developmentbecause Lewis pictures him as a gendered male. When I asked why he pictures Alfie as having a gender, he said its probably a relic from the archetypal male butlers he saw on television shows like Batman growing up. But in a conversation with Hashme, I learned there is actually a real-life butler who is in some ways serving as an inspiration for Alfie. That would be Fitzgerald Heslop. Heslop has decades of experience in high-end hospitality training, and for seven years he was the only person within the United States Department of Defense qualified to train household managers who would run the homes of three- and four-star generals. Heslop now runs the household of a wealthy family in the Middle East (he declined to get more specific) and has been contracted by Prosper to inform Alfies approach to service within the home. Shortly into my conversation with Heslop, he elaborated on what excellent service looks like. Thats the level of creativity the good butler deals in: the making of beautiful moments to put people at their ease and increase their pleasure, he said, quoting Steven M. Ferrys book Butlers & Household Managers: 21st Century Professionals. He spoke with conviction about the impact great service can have on the world and about how protocol and etiquette can level the egos of even top dignitaries. Citing a quote often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, he said, The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Though he has no experience in robotics, Heslop is drawn to the idea that household robots could someday provide impeccable levels of service, and he thinks that Prosper has identified the right priorities to get there. Privacy and discretion, attention to detail, and meticulous eyes for that are mission critical to the overall objective of the company, he says. And more importantly, in this case, Alfie. It is one thing to dream up an Alfie in sketchbooks, and another to build him. In the real world, the first version of Alfie will depend on remote assistants, mostly working abroad, to handle approximately 80% of its household tasks. These assistants will use interfaces not unlike video-game controllers to control Alfies movements, relying on data from his sensors and cameras to guide them in washing dishes or clearing a table. Hashme says efforts are being made to conceal or anonymize personally revealing data while the robot is being teleoperated. That will include steps like removing sensitive objects and peoples faces from recordings and allowing users to delete any footage they like. Ideally, Hashme wrote in an email, Alfie will often simply look away from any potentially private activities. The AI industry has an appalling track record when it comes to workers in low-wage countries performing the hidden labor required to build cutting-edge models. Workers in Kenya were reportedly paid less than $2 an hour to manually purge toxic training data, including content describing child sexual abuse and torture, for OpenAI. Scale AIs own operation in the Philippines, which Hashme helped manage, was criticized in 2023 by rights groups for not abiding by basic labor standards and failing to pay workers properly and on time, according to an investigation by the Washington Post. In a statement, OpenAI said such work needs to be done humanely and willingly, and that the company establishes ethical and wellness standards for our data annotators. In a response to questions about criticisms of its operation in the Philippines, Scale AI wrote, Over the past year alone, weve paid out hundreds of millions in earnings to contributors, giving people flexible work options and economic opportunity, and that 98% of support tickets regarding pay have been successfully resolved. Hashme says he was not aware of the allegations against ScaleAI during his time there, which ended in 2019. But, he said in an email, we did make mistakes, which we quickly corrected and generally took quite seriously. I asked him what lessons he takes from the allegations against Scale AI and other companies outsourcing sensitive data work and what safeguards hes putting in place for the team hes building in the Philippines for Prosper, which so far numbers about 10 people. Shariq Hashme, a former employee of both OpenAI and Scale AI, entered his robotics firm Prosper into the humanoid arms race in 2021.DAVID VINTINER A lot of companies that do that kind of stuff end up doing it in a way which is kind of shitty for the people who are being employed, Hashme told me. Such companies often outsource important HR activities to untrustworthy partners abroad or lose workers trust through bad incentive programs, he said, adding: With a more experienced and closely managed team, and a lot more transparency around the entire system, I expect well be able to do a much better job. Its worth disclosing the nature of Hashmes departure from Scale AI, where he was hired in 2017 as its 14th employee. In May 2019, according to court documents, Scale noticed that someone had repeatedly withdrawn unauthorized payments of $140 and transferred them to multiple PayPal accounts. The company contacted the FBI. Over the course of five months, approximately $56,000 was taken from the company. An investigation revealed that Hashme, then 26, was behind the withdrawals, and in October of that year, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.Ahead of his sentencing, Alexandr Wang, the now-billionaire founder and CEO of Scale AI, wrote a letter to the judge in support of Hashme, as did 13 other current or former Scale employees. I believe Shariq is genuinely remorseful for his crime, and I have no reason to believe he will ever do something like this again, Wang wrote, and he said the company would not have wanted the wrongdoer prosecuted if it had known it was Hashme. Hashme lost his job, his stock options, and Scales sponsorship of his green card application. Scale offered him a $10,000 severance payment before leaving, which he declined to accept, according to Wangs letter. Hashme paid the money back in 2019, and in February 2020, he was sentenced to three months in federal prison, which he served. Wang is now a primary investor in Prosper Robotics, alongside Ben Mann (cofounder of Anthropic), Simon Last (cofounder of Notion), and Debo Olaosebikan (cofounder and CEO of Kepler Computing). I had a major lapse in judgment when I was younger. I was facing some personal challenges and stole from my employer. The consequences and the realization of what Id done came as a shock, and led to a lot of soul-searching, Hashme wrote in an email in response to questions about the crime. At Prosper, he wrote, were taking trustworthiness as our highest aspiration. There are some real upsides to being able to control robots remotely, but the idea of large-scale robotic teleoperation by overseas workers, even if it takes years for it to be effective, would be nothing short of a seismic shift for labor. It would present the possibility that even highly localized physical work that we perceive as immune to moving offshorecleaning hotel rooms or caring for hospital patientsmight someday be conducted by workers abroad. It also seems antithetical to the very idea of a trustworthy robot, since the machines effectiveness would be inextricably tied to a faceless worker in another country, most likely receiving paltry wages. Hashme has spoken about using a portion of Prospers profits to make direct payments to people whose jobs have been affected or replaced by Alfies, but he doesnt have specifics on how that would work. Hes also still thinking through issues related to who or what Prospers customers should be trusting when they allow its robot into their home. We dont want you to have to place as much trust in the company or the people the company hires, he says. Wed rather you place trust in the device, and the device is the robot, and the robot is making sure the company doesnt do something theyre not supposed to do. He admits that the first version of Alfie will likely not live up to his highest aspirations, but he remains steadfast that the robot can be of service to society and to people, if only they can trust him.

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