Industry analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities believes that publisher Take-Two and developer Rockstar might sell the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 for $100. Caught by VGC, Pachter believes that the companies will accomplish this by bundling the single-player part of the game with rewards for the new version of GTA Online.We think the company has plans to sell the game at a previously unheard of price point, and suspect that management can offer consumers an incentive to pay $100 or more per unit by rewarding them with a large amount of in-game currency to be spent in GTA Online, said Pachter.He brought up Activision seeing success with a similar strategy where it rewarded Call of Duty buyers with extra rewards in Warzone as well as Call of Duty Mobile. This led to a rise of 40 percent in sales of mainline Call of Duty games, and Pachter believes that the same strategy can be applied to GTA 6 and GTA Online to raise the games price from its expected $70 price tag all the way up to $100.There is precedent for integrating an online game experience with a premium game, as Activision did so with both Call of Duty Warzone and Call of Duty Mobile content prior to the release of its annual Call of Duty premium installment, he wrote.In Activisions case, the integration led to a 40% increase in sales of Call of Duty premium; in Take-Twos case, we think a successful integration of GTA Online and GTA VI can lead to a $100 price point for the premium game.Interestingly, Pachters statements come with the assumption that the only way to buy Grand Theft Auto 6 would be through a bundle that includes GTA Online rewards. While this might end up being the case, we might also see a more reasonable price tag for GTA 6 that doesnt include bonuses for its online mode.Back in January, Epyllion analyst Matthew Ball believed that GTA 6 would be the first title to be priced somewhere between $80 and $100. Ball said that this would allow other companies in the industry to also sell their AAA games at similar price points.Other gaming industry analysts, however, have said that such a hike in price would be completely unnecessary, and might even harm Take-Two and Rockstar more in the long run. Circanas Mat Piscatella wrote about how a higher price tag would reduce the number of players for GTA 6s launch, and that the company would be better off keeping the base games price low to make the funnel as wide as possible.You want to make the funnel as wide as possible, while also optimizing launch $, he said. You dont do this [by] making the base price of a game so high that the funnel narrows. It just makes no sense. At all.Piscatella, along with MIDias Rhys Elliot also pointed out that major gaming publishers have already had games priced at $100 through collectors edition releases, and even by offering, for instance, early access to games.Most huge AAA games already charge $100 (sometimes more) in the first 3-7 days before launch, but they call it early access and slap collectors edition in the name, said Elliot. Publishers have hijacked collectors editions as a way to charge more for early access AKA delayed access for those consumers unwilling to pay the markup.Grand Theft Auto 6 is under development for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game is expected to launch in Fall 2025. There has been no word yet on a PC release of the game.

I know, I know. Being excited about a soulslike is about as rare a sight as Assassins Creed Shadows stepping in controversy. Just about every year has seen one or two game of the year contenders in the ever popular genre. But even after playing so many games running from bonfire to bonfire and dying innumerable times to punishing bosses, I still came away pretty surprised by The First Berserker. This game is a soulslike through and through and theres no denying it. But its emphasis on cinematic storytelling and strong character development help distinguish itself from the crowd.The First Berserker is set in Korean developer Nexons Dungeon Fighter Online universe. But dont be too put off by its connection to an existing IP; after all, it takes place a whopping 800 years before the events of the successful side-scrolling beat-em-up RPG. But where DnG lives and breathes in the live service atmosphere, The First Berserker is a strictly offline single-player experience.If theres one thing I took away from all the preview coverage of the game, its the unexpected banger of a voice cast. The First Berserker managed to snatch up some of the busiest and most prolific voice actors in the action RPG space today. Ben Starr is the perfect match for the road-weary Khazan. Starr, who famously voiced Clive from FF 16, pulls off that rugged and beat-up warrior tone in an unmatched way. And thats exactly how Khazan should sound. Hes a vaunted hero turned prisoner; someone who should be basking in the glory of the kingdoms citizens, but is punished by that very kingdom instead. Betrayed and abandoned, Khazan really sounds as if hes been put through hell, and we have Ben Starrs signature voice to thank for that. Theres a distinctness to Khazans intonation so he doesnt just sound like another version of Clive too, which is good.Another key character well be hearing a lot of throughout the story is Blade Phantom, a unified collection of spirits that tries to possess Khazans body for itself. Anthony Howell, who played Margit from Elden Ring (you know, the foul tarnished boss), pulls off Blade Phantoms menacing and sinister aggression beautifully. The sound team designed a legion of overlapping voices utilizing distinct tones as a representation of Blade Phantoms splintered essence. Throughout the game, youll be interacting with a slew of other significant characters like the scholar Daphrona and the disgraced aristocrat Lantimos, each played by actors that plenty of players will recognize.And its apparent these characters arent just one-off interactions either. In the Unveil the Voice video, actor Wilf Scolding says his character has, loads of scenes with other characters who dont necessarily like [his] character. It seems likely well interact with these key characters repeatedly throughout the game central hub area called The Crevice. Itll be fun to check back on characters as the games narrative advances, getting a more complete glimpse at characters backstories.Dont take my word for it though. Go check out the Unveil The Voice video from Khazans official YouTube channel to see how great the acting is shaping up. The behind the scenes may not reach the pinnacle brilliance of KCD2s live action videos, but its a wonderful glimpse into the passion and enthusiasm the actors and sound team have put into the game.Another factor that elevates the characters of The First Berserker is the colorful cel-shaded art style. The game isnt shy about its visual anime leanings. Fortunately, this isnt some cheap attempt at capturing such a well-trod style. The lip syncing is impressive, matching English voice lines seamlessly, and characters move with mannerisms and quirks unique to their personality. What weve seen of the cinematography and scene direction is already impressive.Environments look nice and painterly as well, making good use of Unreal Engine 5. And if the demos first snow area is anything to go by, the game promises some impressive sights. One thing I noticed during my time in the demo is how linear and straightforward the levels are, at least in the start of the game. This is no Elden Ring. If anything, I found myself thinking back to Nioh and the kind of basic level pathing that game had. A side path here or there leads to treasure or the occasional mini-boss. And even though environmental design is pretty basic, theres still the good old fashioned looping shortcuts.If you havent caught on already, yes, The First Berserker wears its soulslike identity proudly. You heal and respawn at checkpoints resembling bonfires and level up by spending the required amount of souls, or Lacrima as its named here. I love how snappy and instant respawning is. Dying isnt nearly as punishing or irritating as it could be thanks to such instant respawns. Combat is just as fast as respawning, which is sure to please Bloodborne or Wukong fans. The fact that you can kill most early enemies in just three chained heavy attacks means backtracking to a boss youre stuck on doesnt need to be a laborious slog.Of course, we havent seen how spongy enemies might be past the early access parts. Even if enemies do have padded health in other sections, the break mechanic at least promises moments of vulnerability in opponents. Heavy attacks break enemies faster than normal attacks. Once an opponent is broken and their stamina is depleted, a brutal attack indicator pops up, allowing you to chop off a significant amount of their health bar. Brutal attacks arent the kind of crazy spectacle one might expect, but they still feel visceral and satisfying. The break system also encourages a mastery of parrying since parries heavily drain enemy stamina.The first significant boss of the game really impressed me with its diverse moveset. Yetugas attacks are telegraphed so parries and perfect dodges can be pulled off reliably, and the amount of cheap moments and awkward camera are pretty much non-existent. This boss kept me on my toes with its ramped up aggression halfway through its health bar. Theres no doubt in my mind The First Berserker will supply some of this years most engaging and thrilling boss fights.Like the simple level design, stats are streamlined to offer a more focused kind of progression. Theres only five attributes: Vitality, Endurance, Strength, Willpower, and Proficiency. Its probably a good thing the game doesnt bog us down with a complex character sheet because theres plenty of variety in the weapon types. Each weapon type has its own dedicated skill tree and mastery progression that you can explore. Duel swords feels quite different than the greatsword and the range of unique skills and passive buffs through each tree promises a wealth of build options. And lastly, you can fashion souls it up with tons of armor combinations. Complete armor sets apply buffs, rendering hoarding a worthwhile pursuit, and of course all armor shows on Khazans character model.Play the demo if youre at all on the fence about The First Berserker; progress carries over to the full game and its a lot of fun with its fast-paced action combat. Fans of soulslikes havent been starved for good games for the last decade, and The First Berserker looks to be one of the most promising ones of the 2025. Its unique focus on story and characters helps differentiate it enough from the more esoteric narratives of Elden Ring or half a dozen other similar titles. Like many of you, Im a complete newcomer to the Dungeon Fighter Online universe. I didnt know what to expect but came away intrigued to learn more about the games world and Khazans role in it, and Im looking forward trying my hand at some more boss fights come March 27ths full release.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Thursday, March 6th, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerD5 Render 2.10 adds real-time path tracinghtml PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Dimension 5 has released D5 Render 2.10, the new version of its real-time visualization tool and GPU renderer for DCC and CAD software including 3ds Max, Blender and Cinema 4D.Its a significant update, adding support for real-time path tracing for more realistic renders, a new automated 3D city generator, and updates to the night sky system and weather effects.A rapidly evolving GPU ray tracing renderer for architectural visualisationFirst released in 2021, D5 Render is an increasingly powerful architectural renderer with linking plugins for a range of DCC and CAD applications.As well as rendering scenes directly from a linked DCC app, users can import models in FBX, Alembic or SKP format, apply PBR materials, and assign HDRIs, lights and LUTs.Other features include object scattering and shot dressing tools, support for volumetric and particle-based effects, and path-based animation tools for crowds or vehicles.The software supports DXR-based hardware-accelerated ray tracing on NVIDIA, AMD and Intel GPUs, and is capable of rendering 16K still images, and 4K videos.D5 Render 2.10: experimental support for real-time path tracingThe headline change in D5 Render 2.10 is the experimental new real-time path tracing system.Its based on NVIDIAs ReSTIR algorithm, a modified version of which is used in existing real-time GI solution, introduced in D5 Render 2.4.According to Dimension 5, the new method gets closer to ground truth references, particularly improving diffuse indirect lighting and indirect lighting in reflections.You can read more about the implementation which is still officially in alpha in this blog post, which also covers the key settings for trading visual quality against performance.New automated City Generator generates low-res 3D citiesThe other major new feature in D5 Render 2.10 is the City Generator.It automatically generates low-detail city models from real-world OpenStreetMap data or GIS data in .shp format, with users able to adjust the heights and materials of the buildings.Updates to night skies and weather effectsUpdates to existing features include a rework of the night skies generated by Geo&Sky.The skies generated can now include the Milky Way, and users can now adjust settings including star intensity and the intensity, altitude and phases of the moon.The update also improves the realism of D5 Renders weather effects, with a new Water Mist effect to add atmosphere to rainy scenes, and more detailed raindrop and snowflake particles.More new generative AI features: inpainting and motion blurDimension 5 has been adding generative AI features to D5 Render over recent updates, with version 2.10 adding two new AI features.AI inpainting automatically fills in missing elements in renders, like the sky, water or vegetation, and is intended to reduce the need to place assets manually to fill those parts of a scene.AI motion blur adds well, motion blur to moving objects in images, but as a post effect, without the need to render it directly.Workflow and performance improvements, and updates to the asset libraryWorkflow improvements include better control over the scale units used for assets, support for batch scene deletion, and new French and Japanese language localizations.The software has also been updated to support DLSS 4, the latest version of NVIDIAs AI render upresing and frame interpolation technology, also recently supported in Chaos Vantage.The softwares accompanying asset library gets new object scattering templates, and over 240 new assets themed around hotels and holiday resorts, including characters and lobby decor.Pricing and system requirementsD5 Render is available for Windows 10+. It requires a compatible GPU: Dimension 5 recommends a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060+, AMD Radeon RX 6400 XT+ or Intel Arc A3+.Integration plugins are available for 3ds Max 2014-2016 and 2018+, ArchiCAD 21+, Blender 2.93+, Cinema 4D R20+, Revit 2018.3+, Rhino 6.1+, SketchUp 2017+ and Vectorworks 2024+.The Community edition is free; the Pro edition, which includes AI features, frame sequence rendering, and access to the full asset library, costs $38/month or $360/year.Teams subscriptions, which add further features including simultaneous editing and support for 3D Gaussian Splatting, cost $75/month or $708/year.Read a full list of new features in D5 Render 2.10 in the online release notesHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.Latest NewsD5 Render 2.10 adds real-time path tracingMajor update to Dimension 5's real-time visualization software adds experimental path tracing system. Check out the other new features.Thursday, March 6th, 2025Download Marmoset's free materials for Toolbag 5Library Drop 05 makes over 150 new assets available for the real-time rendering and look dev software, including 86 new materials.Wednesday, March 5th, 2025Autodesk lays off 1,350 staffSo why is the Maya and 3ds Max developer culling 9% of its global workforce when revenue is actually going up across the business?Tuesday, March 4th, 20253d-io releases Unwrella-IONew standalone app from the maker of the Unwrella plugins for 3ds Max and Maya promises easy UV unwrapping and packing.Tuesday, March 4th, 20255 key features for CG artists in Godot 4.4Discover five key new features in the open-source game engine, including updates to shading, lighting, animation and physics.Tuesday, March 4th, 2025Trimble releases SketchUp 2025.0Check out the new features in the architectural modeling app, also used in concept art, including HDRI lighting and PBR materials.Monday, March 3rd, 2025More NewsTutorial: Dynamic Cloth Simulation for ProductionCheck out free Blender scattering add-on OpenScatterCETA Software launches Artist AccessFoundry releases Nuke 16.0Boris FX releases SynthEyes 2025Adobe launches Photoshop on iPhonePlastic Software releases Plasticity 2025.1Technicolor Group begins to shut down operationsDownload four free VDB clouds from VFX AssetsArtlist discontinues the FXhome apps: HitFilm and Imerge deadFree tool: Mesh Cleaner for BlenderTutorial: Introduction to Lighting & Compositing for CinematicsOlder Posts

Sony launches new beta program for PlayStationFirm describes initiative as an "easier, more consolidated" way for players to participate in beta testsImage credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on March 6, 2025 Sony has announced a new beta program for PlayStation players.In a blog post, the firm described it as an "easier, more consolidated" way for players to sign up for future beta tests.The program requires a single registration, after which participants will be able to express interest to test games that fit their preferences.There will be beta tests for games on PS5 and PC, in addition to testing features on the PlayStation App and PlayStation website.To register, those interests must have a valid PlayStation Network account that is "in good standing," i.e. accounts with "restrictions or violations may not be eligible."Participants must live in a region where the beta program is available, and meet the legal age requirement for their region.

In this tutorial, well walk through a reliable and hassle-free approach using Cloudflared, a tool by Cloudflare that provides a secure, publicly accessible link to your Streamlit app. By the end of this guide, we will achieve a fully functional cryptocurrency dashboard that dynamically scrapes and visualizes real-time price data from CoinMarketCap. You can track the top 10 cryptocurrencies, compare their prices and market capitalizations, and view interactive charts for better insights.!pip install streamlit requests beautifulsoup4 pandas matplotlib plotly!npm install -g localtunnelFirst, the above command installs the necessary dependencies for building and deploying a Streamlit-based cryptocurrency dashboard. The first command installs essential Python libraries like Streamlit for the web app, BeautifulSoup4 for web scraping, Pandas for data manipulation, and Plotly for interactive visualizations. The second command installs LocalTunnel, which creates a public URL for accessing the Streamlit app from Colab.%%writefile app.pyimport streamlit as stimport requestsfrom bs4 import BeautifulSoupimport pandas as pdimport plotly.express as px# Function to scrape cryptocurrency pricesdef scrape_crypto_prices(): url = "https://coinmarketcap.com/" headers = {"User-Agent": "Mozilla/5.0"} response = requests.get(url, headers=headers) if response.status_code != 200: return pd.DataFrame(), "Error fetching data." soup = BeautifulSoup(response.text, "html.parser") rows = soup.select("tbody tr")[:10] # Get top 10 cryptocurrencies data = [] for row in rows: columns = row.find_all("td") name = columns[2].find("p").text # Crypto name symbol = columns[2].find("p", class_="coin-item-symbol").text # Symbol price = columns[3].text # Price change = columns[4].text # % Change market_cap = columns[6].text # Market Cap data.append([name, symbol, price, change, market_cap]) return pd.DataFrame(data, columns=["Name", "Symbol", "Price", "% Change", "Market Cap"]), None# Streamlit UIst.title(" Live Cryptocurrency Prices")data, error = scrape_crypto_prices()if error: st.error(error)else: st.dataframe(data) data["Price"] = data["Price"].replace({"$": "", ",": ""}, regex=True).astype(float) fig = px.bar(data, x="Symbol", y="Price", color="Name", title="Top 10 Cryptos by Price") st.plotly_chart(fig) fig_market_cap = px.pie(data, names="Name", values="Market Cap", title="Market Cap Distribution") st.plotly_chart(fig_market_cap)# Footerst.markdown(" Data scraped from CoinMarketCap. Updated in real-time.")Here, we define a Streamlit web application that scrapes real-time cryptocurrency prices from CoinMarketCap and displays them in an interactive dashboard. It uses BeautifulSoup4 to extract the top 10 cryptocurrencies, including their name, symbol, price, percentage change, and market capitalization. The scraped data is processed using Pandas and visualized with Plotly. The app presents a bar chart for price comparison and a pie chart for market capitalization distribution. The app displays an error message if an error occurs while fetching data. Finally, a footer note indicates that the data updates dynamically from CoinMarketCap.import subprocessimport time# Start Streamlit in the backgroundsubprocess.Popen(["streamlit", "run", "app.py", "--server.port=8501"])# Wait for Streamlit to starttime.sleep(5)# Start Cloudflare tunnel and expose the app!./cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:8501 --no-autoupdateFinally, the above code launches the Streamlit app in the background using subprocess.Popen and allows it to run on port 8501. A short delay (time.sleep(5)) ensures the app initializes properly before starting the Cloudflared tunnel, which creates a public URL to access the app from Google Colab without authentication or additional setup.App ViewDownload a CSV file of the dataIn conclusion, this tutorial provided a step-by-step guide to building and deploying a real-time cryptocurrency tracking app using Streamlit, BeautifulSoup, Pandas, and Plotly. We successfully scraped live crypto data from CoinMarketCap, displayed it in an interactive dashboard, and hosted it seamlessly using Cloudflared. Unlike traditional hosting methods, this approach ensures easy deployment without authentication hassles. Whether youre a beginner exploring web scraping and data visualization or a developer looking for a lightweight, accessible deployment method, this tutorial equips you with the tools to build and share interactive web apps efficiently.Here is the Colab Notebook and CSV File for the above project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitterand join ourTelegram ChannelandLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our80k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqWebsite| + postsBioAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.Asif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Qwen Releases QwQ-32B: A 32B Reasoning Model that Achieves Significantly Enhanced Performance in Downstream TaskAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Researchers from FutureHouse and ScienceMachine Introduce BixBench: A Benchmark Designed to Evaluate AI Agents on Real-World Bioinformatics TaskAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Step by Step Guide to Build an AI Research Assistant with Hugging Face SmolAgents: Automating Web Search and Article Summarization Using LLM-Powered Autonomous AgentsAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Defog AI Open Sources Introspect: MIT-Licensed Deep-Research for Your Internal Data Recommended Open-Source AI Platform: IntellAgent is a An Open-Source Multi-Agent Framework to Evaluate Complex Conversational AI System' (Promoted)

Apples first modem, the C1 chip, had one notable omission: theres no support for mmWave 5G, the ultra-fast variant of 5G.While I expressed my view at the time that this was no big deal, given that theres been very limited rollout by carriers, it seems there may be a very specific reason for the decision The C1 chip took many years to developGiven Apples ability to design Mac processors that have left Intel ones in the dust, you might think that designing a radio chip would be a rather trivial exercise. In reality, its very much more complicated than it sounds because mobile data standards are insanely complicated, for three reasons.First, standards vary around the world, and a chip intended to be used globally needs to support all of them.Second, even within one country, different carriers often have their own versions of each mobile data standard, and again Apple needs to support all of them.Finally, in addition to meeting every variation of every current standard in every country, a radio chip also needs to meet all of the previous standards. If 5G isnt available, the chip needs to fall back seamlessly to 4G, for example. So thats every variation of every generation in every country. Thats how you end up with a modem spec list like this:5G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n26, n28, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n53, n66, n70, n75, n76, n77, n78,n79)FDDLTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32,66)TDLTE (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48,53)UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100MHz)GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz)5G (sub-6GHz) with 44 MIMOGigabitLTE with 44MIMOWiFi6 (802.11ax) with 22 MIMOBluetooth5.3NFC with reader modeExpress Cards with Power ReserveApple made two compromisesWe were hearing ahead of time that Apple would be making some compromises with the first version of the chip, and that did indeed turn out to be the case.Specifically, Apple omitted support for mmWave 5G, and also limited Wi-Fi support to Wi-Fi 6 rather than Wi-Fi 7.Kuo says mmWave 5G was omitted for power reasonsOne of the key benefits of the C1 chip touted by Apple is significantly lower power consumption than the Qualcomm modem chips it replaced. This, says Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, is the reason the company had to skip mmWave 5G support for now.While supporting mmWave isnt particularly challenging, achieving stable performance with low power consumption remains a key hurdle.However, he says the company is working on solving this problem, and the standard will be supported in the next version.The C1 refreshed version is under development for mass production next year, aiming to improve power consumption and transmission speed and support for mmWave.Image: AppleAdd 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

Mar 06, 2025The Hacker NewsThreat Intelligence / Network SecurityCyber threats are growing more sophisticated, and traditional security approaches struggle to keep up. Organizations can no longer rely on periodic assessments or static vulnerability lists to stay secure. Instead, they need a dynamic approach that provides real-time insights into how attackers move through their environment.This is where attack graphs come in. By mapping potential attack paths, they offer a more strategic way to identify and mitigate risk. In this article, we'll explore the benefits, types, and practical applications of attack graphs.Understanding Attack GraphsAn attack graph is a visual representation of potential attack paths within a system or network. It maps how an attacker could move through different security weaknesses - misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and credential exposures, etc. - to reach critical assets. Attack graphs can incorporate data from various sources, continuously update as environments change, and model real-world attack scenarios.Instead of focusing solely on individual vulnerabilities, attack graphs provide the bigger picture - how different security gaps, like misconfigurations, credential issues, and network exposures, could be used together to pose serious risk.Unlike traditional security models that prioritize vulnerabilities based on severity scores alone, attack graphs loop in exploitability and business impact. The reason? Just because a vulnerability has a high CVSS score doesn't mean it's an actual threat to a given environment. Attack graphs add critical context, showing whether a vulnerability can actually be used in combination with other weaknesses to reach critical assets.Attack graphs are also able to provide continuous visibility. This, in contrast to one-time assessments like red teaming or penetration tests, which can quickly become outdated. By analyzing all possible paths an attacker could take, organizations can leverage attack graphs to identify and address "choke points" - key weaknesses that, if fixed, significantly reduce overall risk.Types of Attack Graphs ExplainedAll attack graphs are not equal. They come in different forms, each with its strengths and limitations. Understanding these types helps security teams choose the right approach for identifying and mitigating risks.Security Graphs Security graphs map relationships between different system elements, such as user permissions, network configurations, and vulnerabilities. They provide visibility into how various components connect. However, they don't show how an attacker could exploit them. Pros - Security graphs are relatively easy to implement and provide valuable insights into an organization's infrastructure. They can help security teams identify potential security gaps. Cons - They require manual queries to analyze risks, meaning security teams must know what to look for in advance. This can lead to missed attack paths, especially when multiple weaknesses combine in unexpected ways.Aggregated Graphs Aggregated graphs combine data from multiple security tools like vulnerability scanners, identity management systems, and cloud security solutions into a unified model. Pros - They leverage existing security tools, providing a more holistic view of risk across different environments. Cons - Integration can be challenging, with potential data mismatches and visibility gaps. Since these graphs rely on separate tools with their own limitations, the overall picture may still be incomplete.Holistic Attack GraphsAdvanced and holistic attack graphs take a different direction. These are purpose-built to model real-world attacker behavior, with special focus on how threats evolve across systems. They map out all possible attack paths and continuously update themselves as environments change. Unlike other graphs, they don't rely on manual queries or predefined assumptions. They also provide continuous monitoring, real exploitability context, and effective prioritization which helps security teams focus on the most critical risks first.Practical Benefits of Attack Graphs Attack graphs provide continuous visibility into attack paths, which offers security teams a dynamic, real-time view instead of outdated snapshots from periodic assessments. By mapping how attackers could potentially navigate an environment, organizations gain a clearer understanding of evolving threats. They also improve prioritization and risk management by contextualizing vulnerabilities. Rather than blindly patching high-CVSS flaws, security teams can identify critical choke points the key weaknesses that, if fixed, significantly reduce risk across multiple attack paths. Another major advantage is cross-team communication. Attack graphs simplify complex security issues, crucially helping CISOs overcome the challenge of explaining risk to executives and boards through clear visual representations. Finally, attach graphs enhance the efficiency of remediation efforts by ensuring that security teams focus on securing business-critical assets first. By prioritizing fixes based on both actual exploitability and business impact, organizations can allocate security resources effectively. Leveraging Attack Graphs for Proactive Security Attack graphs are shifting cybersecurity from a reactive stance to a proactive strategy. Instead of waiting for attacks to happen or relying on quickly-outdated assessments, security teams can use attack graphs to anticipate threats before they're exploited. A key element of this shift from reactive to proactive security is the ability of attack graphs to integrate threat intelligence. By continuously incorporating data on emerging vulnerabilities, exploit techniques, and attacker behaviors, organizations can stay ahead of threats rather than reacting after damage occurs. Continuous assessment is also critical in modern IT environments, where change is the norm. Attack graphs provide real-time updates. This helps security teams adapt as networks, identities, and cloud environments shift. Unlike static models, attack graphs offer ongoing visibility into attack paths, enabling smarter, more informed decision-making. By leveraging attack graphs, organizations can move beyond traditional vulnerability management to focus on real exploitability and business impact. This shift from reactive patching to strategic risk reduction makes security operations more efficient and effective. Ultimately, attack graphs empower teams to close critical security gaps, strengthen defenses, and stay ahead of adversaries. Note: This article is expertly written by Menachem Shafran, SVP of Strategy and Innovation, and Tobias Traebing, VP of Global Sales Engineering, at XM Cyber.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

Lisa Morgan, Freelance WriterMarch 6, 20255 Min Readnipiphon na chiangmai via Alamy StockSoftware supply chains are under attack, and the fallout affects all kinds of organizations. Breaches such as SolarWinds and MOVEit serve as a wake-up call, underscoring the need for better visibility and protection.The reality of software development today is that were all building layers over layers that we, as tech professionals, dont fully grasp, says Adam Ennamli, chief risk and security officer at General Bank of Canada. Virtually every application nowadays is a complex patchwork of third-party components. Its inevitable if you want to maintain competitive time-to-market metrics. The problem is that while this accelerates your lifecycle, it also means youre inheriting, and therefore taking, unknown risks.Some teams learn about software supply chain risks the hard way when suddenly the critical open-source components they rely on suddenly become unmaintained or critically vulnerable. Another factor is that some open-source projects are being intentionally poisoned. Similarly, erroneous and misleading content is being added to the internet with LLMs that use that data as a target.You can't treat supply chain security as just another checkbox on your security assessment as it touches the very fabric of your products reliability, and therefore, the trust of your customers, says Ennamli. You need visibility into what code is running in your environment, who maintains it, and how it's being updated. This isnt just about scanning packages anymore; its about understanding the entire ecosystem your applications depend on.Related:Visibility into data streams tends to be a major challenge CIOs and CISOs face.Understanding all third-party suppliers, resources, and software components can be a major hurdle as organization's environments are ever changing and expanding, says Jeremy Ventura, Field CISO at global systems integrator Myriad360. With this comes a data issue. Who has access to my data? What type of data do I own? Where is my data being sent and received? When is my data being accessed? [These questions] are all examples of what technology leaders should be asking themselves every day.Supply Chain Risk Is a Team SportDevelopers cant manage risks on their own, nor can CISOs.Effectively protecting, defending and responding to supply chain events should be a combination among many departments [including] security, IT, legal, development, product, etc., saysVentura. Not one department should fully own the entire supply chain program as it touches many business units within an organization. Spearheading the program typically falls under the CISO or the security team as cybersecurity risks should be considered business risks.Related:One of the most common mistakes is having a false sense of security.Thinking with the mindset of, If I haven't had a supply chain issue before, why fix it now? leads to complacency and a lack of taking cybersecurity serious throughout the business, says Ventura. Another common mistake is organizations relying too heavily on vendor-assessments, where an organization can say they are secure, but haven't put in robust controls. Trusting an assessment completely without verification can lead to major issues down the road.By failing to focus on supply chain risks, organizations put themselves at a high risk of a data breach, financial loss, regulatory and compliance fines and business and reputational damage. According to Ventura, a healthcare organization recently suffered a data breach due when one of its suppliers was attacked, which caused lost patient data, ultimately leading to compliance and regulatory penalties.My best advice is to focus on visibility into data -- your organizations data, customers data, and third parties who may have access to your data, says Ventura. Invest in solutions that provide a comprehensive software bill of materials (SBOMs) for auditing purposes and continuously run risk assessments against your software supply chain vendors. Lastly, ensure that security is a shared responsibility between multiple departments internally.Related:General Bank of Canadas Ennamli says effective supply chain management requires four things:Frequent communication between dev teams who understand the technical intricacies, security teams who can assess and understand risks, and business leaders who can weigh the tradeoffs between speed and safety,Automated or semi-automated tools for visibility,More education and experimentation around concepts such as SBOMs, andA culture where developers feel empowered to raise concerns about suspicious packages while understanding the business pressure to move quickly.All of these components need to move together, in balance and harmony, or you'll either end up moving too slowly and frustrating your developers or moving too fast and exposing yourself to loss of trust, says Ennamli.Joseph Leung, CTO and chief product officer at JAVLIN Invest says vulnerabilities within a third-party software library are inherently difficult to track as products scale and age in the market.We automate dependency tracking with tools such as OWASP Dependency-Check, but it cannot be relied on by itself. In my experience, the best ROI for managing threats is to make security a part of everyone's role, says Leung. Creating policies for vetting libraries and performing regular security reviews into the dev pipeline are two easy processes that instill a security-focused culture into my teams. In short, its all about creating maximum visibility across all members within your product teams."The root cause of the problem is that organizations lack insights into third-party components used across their applications.The rapid pace of vulnerability disclosures can overwhelm teams, says Leung. Resource allocation, legacy systems, and lack of executive buy-in can further complicate security efforts.Adam Martin, director of IT and operations at full-service architecture and engineering firm American Structurepoint, says cross-functional collaboration is critical.IT and development teams must actively scan and update systems, while legal and procurement should vet vendors' security practices, says Martin. It is important that executive leadership aligns with the need to prioritize software supply chain security."Bottom LineOrganizations need to do a better job of understanding whats included in their applications. Without that sort of visibility, all sorts of bad outcomes may follow, not the least of which is potential liability. SBOMs and software composition analysis solutions help. So does fine-tuning internal processes and creating a collaborative culture that prioritizes software and dependency visibility.About the AuthorLisa MorganFreelance WriterLisa Morgan is a freelance writer who covers business and IT strategy and emergingtechnology for InformationWeek. She has contributed articles, reports, and other types of content to many technology, business, and mainstream publications and sites including tech pubs, The Washington Post and The Economist Intelligence Unit. Frequent areas of coverage include AI, analytics, cloud, cybersecurity, mobility, software development, and emerging cultural issues affecting the C-suite.See more from Lisa MorganWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

Social media has become a double-edged sword. On one side, it has revolutionized communication, enabling people to connect, share ideas, and mobilize for social change at an unprecedented scale. On the other side, social media has become a breeding ground for disinformation where false, misleading or derogatory information is spread deliberately to deceive people or to plant false narratives.The consequences of disinformation are far-reaching -- undermining democratic processes, polarizing societies and eroding trust in institutions.There are numerous motivations behind social media disinformation. Some love to push out conspiracy theories, hate speech or divisive narratives. Bipartisan actors want to peddle certain narratives that are more favorable towards their political party.Foreign adversaries from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea promote narratives for their own geo-political or nationalistic agendas. Threat actors might be looking to deceive, attack or social engineer people by exploiting emotions, biases and trust. Scammers may be seeking financial gain by creating clickbait content and frauds that drive traffic and generate revenue. Competitors and adversaries want to tarnish the reputation of businesses, individuals and brands.Related:Why Disinformation Is Growing So RapidlyDisinformation on social media is not new. Platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok have algorithms that favor sensational, scandalous and emotionally charged content. According to a study at MIT, fake content on these platforms is 70% more likely to be reposted than true ones, reaching a broader audience in significantly less time.The arrival of generative AI is another major reason why disinformation is exploding on social media. These tools enable the rapid escalation of highly convincing fake content and impersonations, including deepfake videos, synthetic images and fabricated text, making it difficult for users to sift fact from fiction. Social media platforms are flooded with AI bots that are raking in billions of views.Crushing the Infodemic Requires CollaborationSocial media disinformation is a pressing challenge. To win this war, societies must adopt a multi-faceted, group dynamic where governments, organizations, social media platforms, nonprofits and individuals make a concerted effort in prioritizing truth. Responsibility of social media platforms. Social media companies should demonstrate some accountability for those users that might be spreading disinformation. This means having mechanisms (combating AI with AI) where they can identify the accounts that are spreading the misinformation. For example, if a platform has a user posting 700 times a day, that should be flagged immediately. Transparency is also a critical component. Platforms should provide clear information about sources of content, the credibility of accounts, whether they are automated, and reasons why certain posts are promoted or flagged.Related:Role of government. Social media platforms cannot be trusted to self-regulate. Governments must establish frameworks that hold platforms accountable for the spread of disinformation. In addition, they must conduct independent research and develop tools for detection and mitigation. Additionally, they must work with the private sector to develop a process for counter messaging. For example, if theres a false narrative being spread about Israel using a floating US pier off Gaza for hostage rescue missions then the government must proactively squash those claims and provide evidence. Governments must build resilience through community engagement, working with local organizations, hosting town halls, workshops and campaigns to combat disinformation and create a shared understanding of the facts.Related:Duty of organizations. Organizations have a duty to promote media literacy in their workforce. Through corporate training, they should make employees aware of the dangers of disinformation, promote fact checking and clearly define their roles and accountability in preventing the spread of false information. Using cyber simulation exercises, they must ensure that their cyber preparedness is as high as possible, that users are equipped to respond appropriately when faced with a real-world disinformation crisis. Sharing case studies is also an effective way to educate and train employees as it reinforces lessons and makes the training program more relatable and impactful.Commitment from people. Individuals should be mindful about combating disinformation. Before sharing content, they must pause and ask themselves: Is this information credible? What is the source? Is there any evidence that supports this claim? They should verify the accuracy of information being shared by leveraging fact-checking websites (Snopes, Politifact, FactCheck.org) cross-referencing sources and seeking expert opinions. By adopting a more critical thinking approach around social media, individuals can help break the cycle of viral falsehoods.The war against disinformation is a complex, ongoing battle that society cant afford to lose. To succeed, individuals, institutions, governments and social media platforms must work collectively, leverage technology, and educate the masses. The stakes are high but with collaborative action and resolve, we can try to create a less polarized and resilient society for future generations.

Headquarters: 100% remote URL: https://novac-solutions.comShape Brands from Screen to SpaceWere looking for a hands-on creative leader to take full ownership of branding and design at NOVAC-SOLUTIONS. This role is not just about making things look good - its about creating a complete brand experience, from digital marketing to on-site signage and building aesthetics.If you love turning ideas into reality, enjoy working both digitally and physically, and take full responsibility for execution, this is the perfect role for you. Youll shape how our properties look, feel, and communicate - without waiting for instructions.About NOVAC-SOLUTIONSWe transform empty Swiss real estate into fully functional, high-value spaces. Whether its a co-living space, office hub, or hospitality venue, we create places where people want to be.Branding plays a crucial role in this transformation. The right visual identity, signage, and digital presence shape the entire experience. Thats why were looking for a Head of Branding & Design - someone who will take full ownership of our brand identity and execute across both digital and physical spaces.The RoleThis is not a role for someone who waits for instructions. You will lead branding from concept to execution, ensuring every project has a cohesive, high-impact identity. Youll work on websites, marketing materials, signage, interior branding, and more - seeing your ideas fully realized in both digital and physical form.You need to be strategic, hands-on, and proactive. Youll define how our spaces look and feel, and youll own the execution - coordinating with designers, manufacturers, and installers when needed.What Youll Do- Develop the complete visual identity for each project - from online presence to physical branding.- Ensure a consistent, premium brand experience across logos, signage, digital assets, and marketing materials.- Create and manage landing pages, social media graphics, presentations, and promotional materials.- Create and manage landing pages, on-site branding elements - from wayfinding signage to window graphics.- Oversee the end-to-end execution, ensuring branding elements are implemented exactly as envisioned.- Work closely with real estate teams, architects, and contractors to bring branding to life in physical spaces.- Take full ownership - no half-finished ideas, no waiting for approval, just delivering results.Who You Are- A brand builder who sees the big picture but also executes the details.- Experienced in both digital and physical branding - from landing pages to building signage.- Self-sufficient - you dont wait for instructions, you take initiative and deliver.- Capable of designing AND writing - you know how to create visuals AND compelling brand messaging.- Comfortable coordinating with suppliers, printers, and teams to make sure things are executed flawlessly.- Skilled in graphic design, visual branding, and creative direction.- Able to travel occasionally (1-2 weeks per project) to visit properties and oversee branding implementation.Why Join?- End-to-end ownership - you dont just design, you create complete branding experiences.- Impact beyond digital - see your work physically come to life in buildings and public spaces.- Remote-first with flexibility, but with the opportunity for on-site involvement.- No micromanagement - we trust you to make decisions and execute.Employment Options- Full-time roleCompensation- 2.800 EUR / MonthTo apply: https://weworkremotely.com/remote-jobs/novac-solutions-head-of-branding-design-swiss-hospitality-and-real-estate-business