MALWARE DEVELOPMENT
Meet Marcin Kleczynski, who was 14 when a computer virus led him to start a side hustle; how did he turn it into a multi-hundred-million-dollar company?
Marcin Kleczynski was not initially an experienced professional programmer. He taught himself coding using online communities and programming resources. He started developing malware-removal utilities to tackle infections that many antivirus products were missing. His early work included a tool that helped remove rogue security software. One of the people he connected with through an online security forum was Bruce Harrison, who later became his business partner.
Binance says North Korean hackers stole $6.34 billion funds in a technical breach
Binance reported a cyberattack attributed to North Korea that compromised $6.34 billion in digital assets. Approximately $2.85 billion of the affected assets have since been frozen or intercepted. The attackers utilized fake job interviews and advanced malware to breach Binance's security systems. Subsequently, the company took steps to replenish the lost assets and mitigate the damage caused.
North Korean hackers linked to crypto thefts among world's best, experts say
Blockchain investigation firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis attribute the heist to a North Korean hacking group known as "TraderTraitor," a name used in a 2022 joint warning from the FBI, CISA and US Treasury that described how hackers used malicious software and other tricks to target software developers and IT staff at cryptocurrency companies.
Moonshot curbs hacking ability in new Kimi model as fears grow over AI-powered cyberattacks
Beijing-based Moonshot announced the curbs while introducing Kimi K3.1 Pro, which it describes as its most capable 3-trillion-parameter-class open-weight model. The company plans to publish the model's weights - files allowing outside developers to run and modify it on their own systems - by November 4.
ETtech Explainer: How a flaw in PHP, the code behind 70% of websites, sent governments offline
Since PHP powers 70% of the world’s websites, the vulnerabilities can allow unauthenticated attackers to execute code on affected servers or read sensitive process memory, which may contain passwords, authentication tokens, API keys and certificates belonging to other requests or the server itself, as per Wiz Research.
US banning Chinese AI DeepSeek from government agency IT systems
The department is also banning acquisition of DeepSeek products and third-party services developed using DeepSeek by US civilian government agencies. DHS said DeepSeek models pose "multiple threat vectors" and raised concerns that use of the product "may result in the transfer of sensitive data to the PRC if used by US government employees or vendors."
Why AI makes computer worms harder to stop
Anthropic's warning that AI-powered "worms" could soon spread across smart gadgets is the latest in a series of studies showing how artificial intelligence could supercharge self-spreading malware. A computer worm is malicious software that spreads between devices on its own.
Sleeper cells and lone wolves. The West could be Iran’s next front
The arrest of five British men near RAF Fairford has revived concerns over Iran’s ability to retaliate beyond the Middle East. No Iranian link has been established, with investigators examining multiple possibilities. Western security officials have warned Iran could use proxies, covert networks, lone actors or cyberattacks.
AI firms like Anthropic can slow down, but can't ask others while they keep building: Zoho's Sridhar Vembu
Sridhar Vembu emphasised the responsibility of AI companies to address safety while continuing development. He criticised firms that advocate slowing progress while still investing and innovating. Vembu also highlighted the necessity of human oversight in AI applications, particularly in employee assessments.
Ultraviolette's fresh funding; Bira 91 revival plan
Ultraviolette has roped in Intel chief Lip-Bu Tan as an investor and advisor after a fresh capital raise. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
A look at AI doomsday scenarios that researchers say could put humanity at risk
AI researchers are debating whether increasingly powerful systems could pose existential risks, from enabling bioweapons and cyberattacks to triggering nuclear conflict or acting beyond human control. While some industry leaders warn of catastrophic scenarios, critics argue many of the most extreme predictions remain speculative and risk overstating what current AI systems can actually do.
Worries about an AI internet takeover gain new urgency among doomsday scenarios
What companies have described as their AI agents going rogue has involved bots working toward goals set by humans, skeptics note. But the idea that AI could break away and work toward its own agenda is looking increasingly plausible to other researchers and experts.
How Anthropic disrupted bioweapons research efforts, Russian hacking, Chinese Claude misuse
A growing number of illegal hacking attempts by rogue AI agents along with concerns over the technology's risks voiced by industry insiders have increased the pressure on leading pioneers in the field, raising the prospect of more regulation.
State-backed hackers are using Claude for espionage, surveillance and military operations: Anthropic
State-backed groups are now using artificial intelligence for cyber espionage and surveillance. Suspected Russian actors employed AI in a cyber espionage operation targeting over twenty organisations. Iranian actors utilised AI for reconnaissance and tool development against military infrastructure. AI is increasingly automating complex tasks, making operations faster and cheaper.
India orders Google to take down hundreds of Firebase accounts over cyber fraud
India has directed Google to remove hundreds of accounts on its Firebase platform after officials found scammers using the service to impersonate banks, distribute malware and steal financial information. The crackdown highlights growing concerns over cyber fraud as criminals exploit widely used digital tools to target India's expanding online payments ecosystem.
India orders removal of Google Firebase accounts after spotting scam pattern
Online scams have become one of India's most pressing law enforcement challenges, with Indians losing nearly $2.4 billion in alleged cyber fraud in 2025, according to government data. For years, the government has gone after scammers by ordering their websites removed.
Ethereum smart contracts hijacked: Hackers use ETH to hide malware — is blockchain’s security at risk?
Ethereum smart contracts, a backbone of the blockchain ecosystem, are under attack. Hackers are now exploiting ETH to hide malware, using decentralized infrastructure to bypass security tools and compromise developers, applications, and crypto networks worldwide.
New malware in Discord named Vare can steal users' information, warn researchers
The team from CyberArk Labs - a US-headquartered identity security firm - spotted the malware called Vare which uses Discord's infrastructure as a backbone for its operations.
Government set to clean up digital network with botnet cleaning centre
Government plans to ensure cleanliness in the online world with a ‘Digital Swachhata Kendra’ for analysis of malware and botnets.
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