The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has announced the indictment of five men two North Koreans, a Mexican and two American citizens in a developing scandal that saw North Korean operatives obtain remote IT contractor positions with US companies to generate funds for the isolated regime.Named on Thursday 23 January as Jin Sung-Il, Pak Jin-Song, Pedro Ernesto Alonso De Los Reyes, Erick Ntekereze Prince and Emanuel Ashtor, the men are accused of running a scheme dating back to April 2018 in which 64 companies unwittingly employed remote North Korean staffers, with payments from 10 of those companies generating more than $860,000 alone. This money was laundered through a Chinese bank account.The two Americans, Ntekereze and Ashtor, operated a laptop farm from Ashtors home in the state of North Carolina, from where they hosted victim-company-supplied laptops to deceive their victims into thinking their new employees were based in the US.Both Ntekereze and Ashtor are in custody following an FBI sting, while Alonso is in custody in the Netherlands pending extradition. The North Koreans remain at large with little chance they will face justice.The Department of Justice remains committed to disrupting North Koreas cyber-enabled sanctions-evading schemes, which seek to trick US companies into funding the North Korean regimes priorities, including its weapons programmes, said supervisory official Devin DeBacker of the Justice Department's National Security Division.Our commitment includes the vigorous pursuit of both the North Korean actors and those providing them with material support. It also includes standing side-by-side with US companies to not only disrupt ongoing victimisation, but to help them independently detect and prevent such schemes in the future.According to the US government, North Korea has dispatched thousands of skilled IT workers to live abroad mainly in China and Russia to deceive western businesses into hiring them as freelance IT workers.The job creation scheme involves the use of pseudonymous email, social media, payment platform and online job site accounts, as well as fake websites, a network of proxy computers, and third-parties both witting and unwitting.The defendants are further accused of using forged and stolen passports to conceal the identities of their North Korean co-conspirators to enable them to evade sanctions and other laws.All five face charges of conspiracy to cause damage to a protected computer, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to transfer false identification documents. The North Koreans are further charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, while the other three men all face a maximum jail sentence of 20 years if convicted.The discovery of fake North Korean IT staffers plugging in to corporate systems has been making headlines in the US for months. Michael Barnhart, who leads the North Korean threat hunting team at Google Clouds Mandiant, said that increased pressure from law enforcement and media coverage was having an impact on the success of the scheme.However, he cautioned, an unfortunate byproduct of this is that now that they are facing repercussions, with the North Koreans are becoming more aggressive in their tactics.We are increasingly seeing North Korean IT workers infiltrating larger organisations to steal sensitive data and follow through on their extortion threats against these enterprises. Its also unsurprising to see them expanding their operations into Europe to replicate their success, as its easier to entrap citizens who arent familiar with their ploy, said Barnhart.North Korean IT workers are also exploiting some companies that have begun using virtual desktop infrastructure [VDI] for their remote employees instead of sending them physical laptops. While this is more cost-effective to the company, it's easier for the threat actors to hide their malicious activity, he told Computer Weekly via email.As a result, North Korean IT workers are turning a companys short-term savings into long-term security risks and financial losses, so its imperative for more businesses to pay attention to these operations.Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at the Secureworks Counter Threat Unit, said that he had been tracking individuals involved in the scheme for 12 months and had observed them ramping up their use of deepfakes and artificial intelligence (AI) as useful tools in their deception.To counter state-sponsored groups, like Nickel Tapestry, its crucial to understand not only how their tradecraft is changing but also where it began, said Pilling. Businesses must stay vigilant and ensure they understand how best to mitigate this threat.For organisations hiring remote IT contractors, Pilling offered a five-point checklist to safeguard the recruitment process against infiltration:Verify identity: Always cross-check personal details and work history with official documentation.Watch for red flags: During in-person or video interviews, be alert to unusual behaviour. Long pauses or evasive answers could herald trouble.Be alert when onboarding: Candidates who may not be on the level might request address changes or ask to have their pay routed through money transfer services.Limit remote access: Restrict the use of unauthorised remote tools and ensure new hires only have access to tools that are strictly necessary.Practice ongoing vigilance: Monitor employees after hiring to confirm the person who obtained the contract is the person showing up.Read more about North Korean threat activityA relationship between North Korean actor Jumpy Pisces and Play ransomware would be unprecedented, as the former has not collaborated with cyber crime gangs previously.North Korean state-sponsored threat actors have been conducting successful social engineering campaigns against cryptocurrency employees over the last several months.Mandiant has upgraded the North Korean threat actor known as Andariel to APT status and warned of coordinated efforts to steal western military IP, including nuclear secrets.

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IdeasBy Hans Vestberg and Robert F. SmithJanuary 24, 2025 10:12 AM ESTVestberg is the chairman and chief executive officer of Verizon and chairman of the EDISON AllianceSmith is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity PartnersIn an increasingly digital world, connectivity is a necessity. Yet, nearly a third of the global population remains offline, unable to access the services vital to participating in our global digital economy and society. The Edison Alliance at the World Economic Forum has worked to change that by delivering digital connectivity and access to financial, healthcare, and education services to those who need them most. Our partnerships with governments, industries, and non-governmental organizations drive lasting systemic change.The World Economic Forum played a pivotal role in launching and guiding the Alliances work, providing a platform for stakeholders to come together and commit to a vision with actionable ideas and plans. CEOs, ministers, and heads of international organizations harnessed the power of public-private partnerships and gathered to discuss the barriers to connectivity and identify scalable solutions.The 1 Billion Lives Challenge, achieved by the Edison Alliance in 2024, one year ahead of schedule, exemplifies what can be achieved when diverse stakeholders work toward a common goal. Through partnerships with telecom providers, financial institutions, technology companies, and policymakers, the Alliance delivers impactful programs worldwide. In India, we are using digital tools to connect rural communities to vital health services. In Africa and the U.S., mobile banking solutions empower millions of unbanked individuals with access to financial services. In Latin America, digital literacy initiatives opened new educational opportunities for often underrepresented populations.Each of our efforts underscore the profound impact of digital connectivity. For the rural farmer in Kenya, it means access to real-time market information that can increase yield and revenue. For the student in a remote village in Peru, it means access to online learning platforms and global educational resources. For the small business owner in Indonesia, it means the ability to reach new markets and grow. Connectivity, quite simply, is the key to unlocking potential and reducing inequality.Achieving the 1 Billion Lives Challenge is not just a milestone, as every life touched is a life improved and a call to further action. It demonstrates that global challengesno matter how complexcan be addressed when we come together with purpose and determination. But our work is far from over. While one billion people have better and more comprehensive access to our digital world, billions more still lack access to these critical digital tools. And, the adoption of AI and Generative AI tools threatens to further widen that gap. The digital divide remains one of the most pressing issues of our time, and the Alliance is committed to continuing its efforts to close it.The World Economic Forum will remain a critical organization for advancing our work. It is a place where leaders are not only inspired to think big but are also held accountable for delivering on their commitments. The Forums unique structure, which emphasizes multi-stakeholder collaboration, ensures that progress is not just discussed but achieved. It is in this spirit that the EDISON Alliance was born, and this is the spirit that will launch further efforts to expand access to vital resources and opportunities. Our work will continue through new initiatives like the World Economic Forums AI for Prosperity and Growth in Africa, launched at this years Annual Meeting.Looking ahead, we see a world where connectivity is available to all who want it. This vision requires sustained effort, innovation, and investment. It requires us to address the structural barriers that perpetuate the digital divide, from affordability and infrastructure to digital literacy and policy frameworks. It requires us to keep asking tough questions and pooling our resources to push the boundaries of what is possible. We call on the public and private sectors to increase their collaboration so we can meet these bold ambitions. Together, we will build a world where no one is left behind in the digital age.

A hot potato: Meta and Mark Zuckerberg have been through a lot of changes this month, many of which have upset some people. Removing fact-checkers, allowing users to say pretty much anything, and killing diversity programs led to calls for a boycott of Meta platforms. It doesn't appear to have much of an effect on its user numbers, though things might have been different had TikTok's future been more certain. Earlier this month, Zuckerberg signaled that he wanted Meta to be more like X by removing "politically biased" third-party fact checkers in favor of community notes and focusing on free speech and political discourse. The company is also killing its DEI programs.Some users of Meta's platforms deleted their accounts in protest at the new policies. There were also calls for a boycott from R.E.M frontman Michael Stipe, who urged people to log out of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Messenger, WhatsApp, Giphy, Meta Quest, and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for a week as part of a campaign called "Lights Out Meta."View this post on InstagramA post shared by Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe)As noted by Business Insider, several analytics firms reported a slight decline in engagement among Meta users following the announcement of the changes. However, news of TikTok's impending ban sent many of ByteDance's users over to its rival's platforms. Facebook's number of Daily Active Users (DAUs) had been down 2% for most of January, according to Apptopia, but it began showing year-on-year growth ahead of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the TikTok ban.Engagement on Meta's platforms has now returned to the same level it was before Zuckerberg's announcement. Instagram, which has a user demographic closer to TikTok's, saw an even more impressive rebound in DAUs than Facebook. Instagram also has the advantage of Reels, a short-form video platform that has attracted many former TikTokers. // Related StoriesIt's not just new users that Meta might be thanking TikTok for. If TikTok does disappear from the United States completely the app is working but still not available to download from US app stores it's estimated that Meta could bring in up to $3.37 billion from newly available ad revenue.A recent survey of 1,346 Americans by CivicScience found that 36% of participants supported Meta's changes while 32% opposed them and 32% were neutral. GenZ users aged 18-24 were the biggest supporters, with just over half supporting the moves.It was reported earlier today that many people are selling phones with TikTok installed on eBay in the wildly optimistic hope of making thousands of dollars.

The big picture: Researchers from MIT and Caltech have developed an experimental nanoparticle vaccine designed to protect against a broad range of coronaviruses. This includes not only variants of the virus responsible for Covid-19 but also other coronaviruses currently circulating in animals that could potentially jump to humans in the future. In simple terms, scientists may have discovered a way to stay ahead of the next coronavirus outbreak before it even starts. Traditional vaccines typically focus on the most accessible parts of viruses, which are often the rapidly mutating receptor-binding domains. These RBDs enable the virus to latch onto and infect human cells. However, because these regions mutate frequently with each new replication of the virus, vaccines targeting them can quickly become ineffective unless updated promptly.Caltech researchers decided to take a different approach. Instead of targeting the highly variable RBDs, they focused on more conserved regions of the virus areas that remain relatively stable across different strains. They engineered a nanoparticle vaccine that displays 60 copies of RBDs from up to eight different coronaviruses. While these viruses share conserved regions, their variable regions differ, allowing the vaccine to prepare the immune system to respond to a broader range of potential threats.When injected, the nanoparticle exposes the immune system to all the distinct RBD shapes simultaneously. This prompts the body to produce antibodies targeting both the variable and conserved regions of the viruses.With this approach, the immune system gains a robust line of defense capable of neutralizing entire families of viruses, making it much harder for any single strain to evolve and bypass the vaccine's protection.In animal studies, a nanoparticle vaccine called "mosaic-7COM" outperformed earlier iterations, such as "mosaic-8," by generating strong antibody responses against seven different SARS-CoV-2 variants and four other related coronaviruses from the sarbecovirus family. The vaccine successfully prevented the virus from infecting the test animals. // Related StoriesRemarkably, mosaic-7COM also demonstrated near-equivalent effectiveness in animals that had previously received existing mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines. This finding reflects a real-world scenario, where next-generation vaccines must enhance pre-existing immunity.Efforts are already underway to progress the mosaic-8 nanoparticle into clinical trials. Researchers also plan to test mosaic-7COM soon, given its superior performance in recent studies. Additionally, they are exploring ways to adapt the vaccines for mRNA delivery, a step that could simplify large-scale manufacturing.Image credit: Artem Podrez, Polina Tankilevitch

SamsungSamsung recently held its highly anticipated Unpacked 2025 event, pulling back the curtain on the Galaxy S25 smartphone lineup. The event wasnt all about phones, however, as we also learned about plans to turn SmartThings appliances into motion sensors. Driving the change is Home AI a feature thatll gather insights from your daily habits to build personalized experiences to create a smarter smart home.Planned to roll out through 2025 and into 2026, Home AI is bringing ambient sensing to a variety of SmartThings devices. Doing this will allow the platform to understand how it can better serve you, as itll monitor activities like cooking, exercising, and sleeping to gather important details about your lifestyle.Recommended VideosSamsung says SmartThings will eventually be able to provide real-time feedback, giving you reminders to stand up if youve been sitting for too long or recommendations on how to optimize your environment for your current activity. For example, it might give you guidance on your form during workouts or automatically dim the lights when you sit down for movie night.SamsungBy better understanding movements and sounds within your home, SmartThings will be able to detect whats going on and actively make changes to your surroundings. Its a bold vision for the smart home, and one that does away with the need to issue voice commands or fiddle with clunky menus on your smartphone.Please enable Javascript to view this contentCoinciding with Home AI is the new personalized Map View. This lets you create a detailed map of your home by taking pictures with your smartphone to better train SmartThings on what your space looks like. Once the platform has integrated these new details into its system, itll better be able to perform automatic adjustments based on your activities, such as adjusting your lights and smart thermostats.Of course, privacy is a huge concern when collecting data on this scale, and Samsung says all information will be stored locally on your network. That means you wont have to worry about sending your data off to the cloud. Expect to learn more details in the coming months, including which devices will gain these motion-sensing abilities.Editors Recommendations

According to a known tipster, the PlayStation 6 chipset is nearly ready for fabrication, with estimates giving it a release window as early as 2027 as long as current patterns continue. Take the news with a grain of salt, though; none of this is confirmed, and this is one of the earliest supposed leaks weve seen.User KeplerL2 shared the initial information in a NeoGaf forum post. The estimated release window of 2027 is based on previous Sony trends; each Sony console is released typically two years after entering the fabrication stage. The range also fits the typical seven-year lifespan for Sony consoles. The PS3 dropped in 2006, the PS4 in 2013, and the PS5 in 2020, according to Android Authority.Recommended VideosYou might recall the PS5s custom 7nm AMD Zen 2 CPU from the consoles early marketing. Several users worried the PS6 could launch on a slightly-upgraded version of that hardware that wouldnt be much of an upgrade, but KeplerL2 suggests the Zen6 design is complete, with some of it running on N2 architecture and an early fork of gfx13, better known as AMDs RDNA5.Digital TrendsIn laymans terms, this suggests a major power upgrade from the PS5 to the PS6. Another user suggested the PlayStation 6 could come with as much as 32GB of RAM, although the console could opt for slightly-older DDR6 RAM to cut expenses. There have also been hints the console might use multiple GPUs in varying configurations, too.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThere has been a lot of discussion surrounding the price of the PlayStation 6. Most players expect it to fall within the $600 to $800 range, which lines up with the $600 estimate analysts have previously provided.Again, all of this is rumor and hearsay. With even the most generous estimates placing the console launch at least two years away, absolutely everything about the console could change between now and launch. That said, the rumored potential specs provide an idea of what the next-gen console might be capable of and so far, it looks like it will be a marked improvement from even the PlayStation 5 Pro.Editors Recommendations

The social-media giant plans to spend between $60 billion and $65 billion, the latest sign of tech companies accelerating investments into AI.