News
A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, July 18 (game #1271).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1272) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1272) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 3.
Quordle today (game #1272) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.
Quordle today (game #1272) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.
If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:
Quordle today (game #1272) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• E
• C
• T
• S
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1272) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1272, are…
- EARLY
- CLICK
- TRITE
- SPREE
I changed one of my start words today – “would” instead of “could” – and came close to ending my winning streak.
I’m not sure whether the two are connected, but when it came down to my final guess I used the letter C and it resulted in a last-ditch correct guess.
That’ll teach me to experiment!
Daily Sequence today (game #1272) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1272, are…
- SENSE
- STAND
- BIRTH
- COAST
- Quordle #1271, Friday, 18 July: CINCH, FOYER, FUDGE, TAFFY
- Quordle #1270, Thursday, 17 July: CRESS, TABOO, POWER, HATER
- Quordle #1269, Wednesday, 16 July: UNCLE, NADIR, REMIT, BROOM
- Quordle #1268, Tuesday, 15 July: VILLA, FLECK, TIGER, CRANE
- Quordle #1267, Monday, 14 July: SURGE, PIZZA, PAPER, POPPY
- Quordle #1266, Sunday, 13 July: KAYAK, DECRY, RUDDY, HATER
- Quordle #1265, Saturday, 12 July: WREAK, NANNY, CLASP, STAIN
- Quordle #1264, Friday, 11 July: LAPEL, DRAIN, FROND, GROSS
- Quordle #1263, Thursday, 10 July: CROSS, WHEEL, UNDID, PENCE
- Quordle #1262, Wednesday, 9 July: SHIRE, SIXTH, SINGE, IMAGE
- Quordle #1261, Tuesday, 8 July: PLIED, PRANK, GAWKY, OXIDE
- Quordle #1260, Monday, 7 July: DROLL, TRUCE, TWIRL, SINCE
- Quordle #1259, Sunday, 6 July: AMPLY, SPAWN, EXTOL, RIDGE
- Quordle #1258, Saturday, 5 July: HAVEN, SNAKE, DREAM, TORUS
- Quordle #1257, Friday, 4 July: FAVOR, SKUNK, GAWKY, FLUFF
- Quordle #1256, Thursday, 3 July: DANCE, EYING, GLAZE, EGRET
- Quordle #1255, Wednesday, 2 July: INANE, SCOUR, ELITE, ULCER
- Quordle #1254, Tuesday, 1 July: REBAR, YEARN, FORTH, CROWD
- Quordle #1253, Monday, 30 June: INGOT, INFER, TAPIR, CLUED
Not sure what time the doors open for the theatre show you’re seeing tonight? Are you going to “Google It”? My teenage son and most of his Gen Z cohort certainly wouldn’t. They’ve been “searching it up” for years as they’ve grown up in a world where the definition of search is rapidly expanding. Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram as well as AI tools are starting to crowd Google out of more and more searches, shifting where and how people find information.
Google has long been the dominant consumer destination for discovering products and services. That started changing over the past decade as social media platforms, anchored around image and video content, created more engaging and brand-friendly experiences for users. While the news media wondered aloud if social media, TikTok in particular, might finally rival Google’s dominance, no one was ready for the apparent sea change in search ushered in by Open AI’s launch of ChatGPT.
Consumers were immediately drawn to the conversational user experience. Questions were seamlessly and naturally answered. The search experience felt personal as content generated responses were able to layer in guidance and recommendations. Fully formed answers and insights were served directly to consumers, without even needing to click on a link.
Large language models (LLMs), the core technology powering these AI search experiences, are completely overhauling how consumers access information. Brands now have a unique opportunity to effectively increase discoverability and engage with customers in this new age of search — depending on the strength, accuracy, and adaptability of their digital presence.
The Rise of LLMsYounger generations and tech-savvy users are increasingly gravitating towards LLMs, drawn by their ability to deliver personalized, engaging, and highly interactive responses. Unlike traditional search engines that provide static lists of links, LLMs excel at understanding context, answering complex queries, and even offering creative solutions. Ignite Visibility data showed that almost two thirds (62%) of people now use ChatGPT or Google Gemini to find a product or service.
At the heart of this transformation are advancements in AI and machine learning, which have enabled these new search experiences to index vast amounts of data and leverage semantic understanding of language to dynamically generate responses to questions and prompts from users. For digital natives, LLMs align seamlessly with their preference for intuitive and adaptive technologies, shaping a future where conversational AI becomes the default interface for finding, learning, and deciding.
As LLMs continue to evolve, their impact is poised to redefine the digital experience, influencing everything from consumer habits to how businesses connect with their audiences.
Navigating the Shifting Search LandscapeBrand website traffic continued to decline over the past year, a trend that cannot be solely attributed to the rise of LLMs. Objective queries often pull answers from platforms like Wikipedia or Reddit instead of individual brand websites, resulting in reduced traffic.
However, both Google and tools like ChatGPT are improving their source citation practices for brand-specific questions, which could encourage a renewed interest in direct brand engagement. This shift in search behavior may require brands to rethink how they structure and present their information online.
Although the “zero-click phenomenon” raised concerns among marketers, LLMs should be seen as a transformative force rather than a restrictive one. By directly addressing informational queries, LLMs streamline the pre-conversion research process, enabling users to make faster, more informed decisions.
This shift may result in fewer overall impressions for brands but higher click-through rates for intent-driven queries, emphasizing quality over quantity in user engagement.
Unlike traditional search engines that prioritize their own proprietary algorithm to score brand relevance and prominence, tools like ChatGPT collect insights from a broader range of publishers. This democratization of information presents both challenges and opportunities for marketers: to thrive in this new landscape.
Brands must expand their reach beyond singular platforms and ensure their digital presence is ubiquitous and consistent across diverse channels. It also encourages greater transparency and accuracy in how brands represent themselves.
Brands: ensure your information is accurate, well-structured, and optimized for various digital platforms, from search engines to social media and conversational AI tools. Consistency, authority, and trustworthiness are key to navigating this transformation. Whenever customers encounter your brand, they should be able to find reliable, up-to-date information, regardless of the platform or device.
Preparing for the FutureHow can brands future-proof their strategies by investing in systems that prioritize data integrity and adaptability? The answer lies in knowledge graphs. These powerful tools are essential for helping brands organize and structure the data needed to remain relevant and visible as consumer search behaviors continue to evolve.
By creating and actively managing a graph of structured data, companies have the foundational asset to broadly syndicate brand data across every channel necessary to provide valuable insights that resonate with modern users.
Establishing a knowledge graph and widely syndicating brand data acts to ground content generated by LLMs. This not only prevents AI hallucinations but also ensures your brand’s information is accurate, up-to-date and consistently engaging. Businesses that shift their focus from traditional search optimization to conversational search models today will be the ones leading the way tomorrow.
Leveraging knowledge graphs and embracing AI search platforms and LLMs l positions brands as forward-thinking and competitive, giving them an edge in the rapidly changing digital landscape.
We list the best SEO keyword research tool.
This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro
By the early 2000s, free antivirus software started offering decent protection for casual users, leading countless people to wonder if paying for an AV was really necessary.
The dilemma got even more pronounced when Microsoft Defender (then Windows Defender) evolved into a full antivirus in the 2010s. Why would someone pay for such an app when Windows already has one built in?
I’m afraid the answer isn’t that straightforward. The issue has evolved over the years, focusing more on added features rather than core protection, no matter how solid it may be at no expense. Plus, freebie antivirus software comes with a fine print of sorts, which is just one point in favor of the best antivirus software.
Free but with strings attachedThere is no shortage of free antivirus software available for both mobile and desktop devices, so you have quite a selection to choose from. However, that in itself is a danger, since the more obscure efforts could pose a serious risk to your privacy and/or security.
For starters, certain vendors engage in what can best be described as problematic practices, such as partnering with other companies, sometimes even adware distributors or low-reputation download portals. This leads to bundled installations of unwanted software like browser toolbars, virtual private networks (VPNs), or third-party apps from sketchy sources.
In some instances, free AVs may use scare tactics, like showing deceptive security warnings by falsely flagging perfectly fine software to push a paid solution. A more benign version is exaggerated threat reports to get you to upgrade, or pushing ever-persistent notifications or ads to switch to “full protection”. These actions aren’t necessarily malicious but are disruptive and not quite trustworthy.
Then, there’s the matter of data collection and user privacy - or lack thereof, to be more precise. It’s common for free antivirus providers to make money off their apps by collecting and selling user data, including browsing history, app usage, device data, and so on. While this is usually anonymized and disclosed in the privacy policy, most users don’t realize what they’re agreeing to.
It’s important to note that not all free antivirus vendors behave this way. Still, the fact remains that the lower barrier to entry and the need to somehow monetize a free product are often the grounds for questionable behavior.
So, the key is to separate the wheat from the chaff and pick a reputable provider. That shouldn’t be a problem as the likes of Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, and others offer a no-cost alternative to their premium offerings.
Once you settle on a freebie, you’ll quickly learn that what you’re dealing with is basic. Yes, you will get a good enough protection for your device or two at no financial cost, but the operative word here is basic because paid apps go far above the essentials.
Typically, you’ll get core malware detection, while advanced features such as integrated firewalls, ransomware protection, and generally more comprehensive web security will require opening up your wallet.
Of course, how much you’ll have to fork over depends on the product range you’re looking at, but there is no denying that a fair share of valuable extras comes packed with premium antivirus apps.
Beyond the basicsThe thing is, paid antivirus solutions have evolved considerably beyond simple virus detection. These days, they are comprehensive security suites designed to grapple with the multifaceted and evolving threat landscape. As such, they offer a layered defense that extends well beyond what their free counterparts are capable of.
A key distinction lies in their comprehensive feature set. While free antivirus often lacks a firewall, paid versions integrate advanced firewalls and network protection as part of their endpoint protection efforts. These act as digital gatekeepers, monitoring and filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic to block external intrusions, thereby complementing the antivirus' primary role of scanning for internal threats.
(Image credit: Norton)Many top-tier security suites also bundle VPNs into their offerings to provide a layer of encrypted privacy and security by masking a user's IP address and web activity. If you’ve ever connected to a public Wi-Fi network that may or may not be secured, you know how crucial a VPN can be.
As part of the package, you’ll routinely find secure browsers engineered for sensitive activities like online banking (e.g., Bitdefender’s excellent Safepay). These operate within an isolated, sandboxed environment, preventing malicious websites or links from infecting the user's device. Each browsing session within this virtual environment is usually deleted upon completion, eliminating any malware encountered during that session.
Furthermore, the inclusion of password managers helps generate, securely store, and manage complex and (preferably) unique passwords that are much needed today. These tools significantly lessen the risk of credential theft, a common initial access point for attackers. For families, some manner of parental controls is often a standard feature, allowing parents to manage children's online content, block inappropriate websites, and implement screen time limits.
Increasingly, premium antivirus vendors have extended protection to identity theft protection, offering dark web and credit monitoring, and identity theft insurance to scan for compromised credentials and provide restoration services.
The bundling of these diverse services reflects the interconnected nature of modern threats and the necessity for a more encompassing security posture, thus safeguarding the majority of attack vectors. This integrated approach offers a holistic defense while simplifying security management at the same time.
Advanced threat protectionWhen it comes to basic virus and malware detection, free versions can be just as effective as paid ones, since they largely utilize the same core scanning engine. That said, arguably the most significant check in the paid antivirus’s pro column lies in its cutting-edge threat defense capabilities.
Through behavioral analysis and AI-driven detection engines that employ machine learning models, these solutions can detect previously unknown malicious patterns at the earliest stages of execution. This is a critical capability for combating zero-day exploits and fileless malware that traditional signature-based detection often misses.
By analyzing real-time process activity, these systems can identify the malicious nature of a program and even roll back changes made by an attack, even if the malicious code is obfuscated. It’s a fundamental shift from reactive detection of known threats to proactive identification of irregular behavior and immediate remediation, where a paid antivirus represents a more intelligent and adaptive defense system capable of countering novel and complex attacks.
Advanced solutions also offer specialized ransomware rollback and recovery mechanisms. Many integrate with extended detection and response (XDR) platforms, which restore encrypted files to a pre-attack state by continuously monitoring and recording file changes. In the worst-case scenario, having this functionality at your disposal is vital for rapid recovery, minimizing downtime, and avoiding the payment of ransoms.
For advanced phishing and deepfake defense, paid antivirus solutions incorporate sophisticated safeguards to shield users from deceptive links and emails. Some leverage AI models and powerful neural processing units (NPUs) within the hardware to analyze streaming audio and video locally, detecting manipulated content in seconds and alerting users. Others use digital signatures, blockchain technology, or maintain catalogs of known deepfakes to verify content authenticity.
The broader implication is that future cybersecurity will increasingly rely on a tighter integration between software and dedicated hardware components for optimal performance and real-time threat mitigation.
Superior supportPerhaps not an obvious factor, but paid antivirus offers better user support and, by proxy, experience (or at the very least, an ad-free one). If something goes sideways, you can actually pick up the phone or jump on a live chat to get help from real people. With free options, you're usually on your own, maybe with just a few FAQs or a web knowledge base to guide you.
Finally, let's talk cost. Paid antivirus isn't always as expensive as you might think, more so if you opt for a longer-term subscription, as the monthly breakdown can be surprisingly low. For a high level of protection, it often works out to just a few dollars a month, which is a pretty small investment for significant peace of mind.
Is paid antivirus really worth it?The appeal of "free" software is undeniable, but those quotation marks are there for a reason. The illusion of no-cost alternatives often masks the true cost of negligence, which can expose you to often unseen risks and, ultimately, far greater financial expenses.
That’s not to say that a good free AV can’t get the job done. If you're truly just looking for the bare essentials, there are enough reputable (there goes that word again) vendors that will meet your needs.
But if you look at the big picture, paying for antivirus makes a lot of sense. It will keep you much safer online, where advanced and extra features can be a huge win for specific, yet everyday scenarios. Plus, getting that kind of protection doesn't have to break the bank, since some of the best paid options out there start at less than a few bucks a month.
- Read more: How to choose the best antivirus for you
- GitHub is being weaponized as malware infrastructure, report warns
- Emmenhtal and Amadey are part of a coordinated, multi-layered attack chain
- Victims are mostly Ukrainian organizations, but all GitHub users should be on their guard
Security researchers have uncovered a sophisticated malware-as-a-service (MaaS) operation which exploits public GitHub repositories to compromise its targets.
In a blog post, Cisco Talos said the threat actors evolved their delivery tactics, moving away from traditional phishing methods and into GitHub, which is often whitelisted in enterprise environments.
GitHub is an extremely popular platform in the open source world, and as such is under a constant barrage of attacks. This batch of malicious repositories was removed, just like countless before it.
How to defend against GitHub-borne attacksThe campaign sought to deliver two malware families - Emmenthal and Amadey - mostly to organizations in Ukraine.
Emmenthal is a malware loader that usually drops SmokeLoader, another loader. While a loader loading a loader doesn’t sound logical at first, there is a strategic rationale behind it.
Emmenhtal is designed as a stealthy, multistage downloader that excels at initial infection and evasion. Once a foothold is secured, it hands off the next phase of the attack to SmokeLoader, which is a feature-rich modular loader specializing in post-infection operations.
Amadey, on the other hand, is a botnet that was first spotted around 2018, mostly sold on Russian-speaking cybercrime forums. It acts as a modular downloader and system profiler, capable of delivering a wide range of malware including information stealers and ransomware.
In this campaign, Amadey was hosted on GitHub and disguised in various ways, such as an MP4 file, or embedded in Python scripts like `checkbalance.py’.
To defend against this, and other threats like it, businesses should enforce strict filtering for script-based attachments, keep a close eye on PowerShell execution, and review GitHub policies, wherever possible.
They should also go for defense-in-depth and behavioral monitoring, as these can help spot shady download patterns, or payloads being executed on targeted machines.
You might also like- Hackers are hiding powerful info-stealing malware in fake free VPNs downloaded from GitHub, don’t get tricked
- Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
- We've rounded up the best password managers
If a recent uptick in cybersecurity threats inspired you to tighten your defenses, power to you. Granted, an intention is only half the battle. The trickiest part of the process is settling on which type of software to invest in, especially when you consider the sheer number of options out there.
While the best antivirus software and internet security suites are both viable (and popular) options, each offers a different level of protection. Since this is often an annual commitment, we can’t blame you if you’re worried about making the wrong choice, thus leaving yourself ill-prepared for a cyberthreat.
To put your mind at ease and decide which option will fulfill your needs better, here is a detailed breakdown of antivirus and internet security, their features, and the type of threats they’re effective against.
What is antivirus?An antivirus is software that detects and eliminates malware. Depending on the underlying engine, an antivirus leverages various techniques to recognize harmful programs.
Traditionally, AV products primarily relied on signature-based detection, where they checked if the signature of the file matched the signature of malware in their database. Still, due to the growing sophistication of cyber threats, modern antivirus engines may also employ heuristic-based detection (among other techniques), which is a fancy way to say they analyze programs to see if they exhibit characteristics commonly linked to malware.
Since an antivirus scans files on your device, you can look at it as a sort of local protection, at least for the purpose of clarity. In the past, these programs were limited to local files (i.e., files already on your device), but today’s versions aren’t “offline-only” anymore and employ additional security layers to better shield you from incoming online threats.
What types of threats is antivirus effective against?Although the name may lead you to believe that antivirus software can only remove viruses, it’s actually great when put to work against most types of malware (a broad term for malicious programs).
Malware can come in many forms. For instance, viruses are infamous because they can self-replicate by attaching to other files and programs, thereby infecting a device or a network. On the other hand, worms don’t require any other programs to replicate.
Then, there are the aptly named Trojan horses that pose as legitimate software and can perform their real functions once you execute or install them.
Depending on the type, the damage malware can cause ranges from stealing system resources for crypto mining or sending spam emails, to stealing your sensitive data, spying on you, or simply damaging your system.
Either way, an antivirus will stand its ground against most malware, meaning it should be an integral part of your digital security stack.
What is internet security?In contrast to an antivirus, internet security suites include a wide array of tools aimed at protecting you online by preventing malicious files from finding their way onto your device.
Besides including an antivirus to protect you locally, internet security software also provides continuous monitoring that proactively busts threats while you’re browsing the web. Thus, it may also come packed with essential utilities such as VPN, password managers, parental control features, a comprehensive firewall, and so on.
What types of threats is internet security effective against?For almost any threat you encounter online, there’s a high possibility that a robust internet security program will be able to shield you against it.
Take shady websites, for example. Threat actors can hack sites and use them to infect users with malware to grab hold of their information. Internet security software has up-to-date databases of malicious websites, so when you try to access one of them, you’ll receive a nifty warning that will help you stay out of harm’s way.
Furthermore, due to defenses like a firewall and VPN, internet security suites also address vulnerabilities hackers can exploit to steal your private details by hijacking your session and intercepting your data.
Another huge advantage of internet security programs is that they protect against phishing. Even if you don’t partake in torrenting or streaming movies on shady sites, you may still end up with malware if you fall for a phishing scam (which are sadly also getting more sophisticated).
The most common avenue for phishing is email. Scammers may mimic a legitimate service or an organization and con you into opening a malicious link or downloading a malware-ridden attachment. As these emails are indistinguishable from the real thing, thanks to cybercriminals using ChatGPT and similar AI language models to perfectly imitate company language, there’s always a chance you may fall for the scam.
Fret not. Internet security software can protect your inbox and stop these messages from ever reaching you.
Additionally, this suite may have features like a password manager. This will significantly up your security as it will help generate complex passwords, which you won’t have to remember because password managers have auto-fill capabilities.
Beyond the marketingBefore proceeding, here’s a quick summary of the differences between antivirus and internet security
- Antivirus protects against malware by scanning local files, whereas internet security monitors your online activities and protects you from downloading malware.
- Antivirus provides more basic features, while internet security programs are a combination of various security tools that include antivirus functions.
- Internet security stops hackers from exploiting network vulnerabilities.
- Antivirus and internet security are largely interchangeable when talking about the latest iterations of AV programs, which use cloud-based threat intelligence (previously limited to internet security) to identify and eliminate newer threats.
Vendors are now bundling antivirus and internet security together, so the distinction is pretty much about pricing tiers in the same line of products. Norton Antivirus and Norton 360 are good examples of this tiered approach. The former includes antivirus and basic security options, while the latter expands the offering to include extras like dark web monitoring, cloud backup, parental controls, and so on.
In a sense, it’s more about marketing than anything else, meaning that if you opt for an antivirus, you’ll also receive online protection, as well as the classic local file scans.
Which suite should you choose?There are plenty of antivirus suites with powerful internet security capabilities to select from.
Let’s start with Avast, which has a capable free tier. In addition to a regular antivirus that detects threats in real time, it also scans for Wi-Fi security features, protects from ransomware, and spots fake sites. Opting for premium tiers unlocks more security tools, like a firewall, VPN, and sandboxing.
Same goes for Bitdefender, which has an excellent antivirus engine, while also blocking phishing emails and zero-day threats even in its free tier. Premium options are much more comprehensive, offering security bells and whistles that include a VPN, password manager, and data breach protection.
Norton Antivirus and its “heavier” version, Norton 360, are both great solutions. Along with AI detection, depending on the plan, you can also receive powerful identity protection services and parental controls, just to name a few.
These are just three examples. Whichever antivirus you go with, you’ll typically also receive internet protection in the basic subscriptions. Naturally, this doesn’t make your choice any easier, as most of these suites have overlapping functionalities, and are, as a rule, pretty good against various incarnations of malware.
Malware tests conducted by AV-Comparatives are a testament to this fact, as the majority of vendors on our list of best antivirus software boast offline and online detection rates that go as high as 99.6% in some cases. Thus, you’ll probably need to decide what features you want to have at your disposal and how much money you’re willing to pay for them. If you don’t care about the more sophisticated capabilities, then the free versions of these antivirus solutions may suffice, depending on your browsing habits.
You can read more about how to choose the best antivirus for you here.
Is a security suite enough?In conclusion, internet security and an antivirus are indispensable tools for those who want to ensure that they’re doing everything in their power to safeguard their data and devices from cyber threats. As luck would have it, you no longer need separate programs as these two are often bundled together, so you can pretty much view them interchangeably.
A word of warning, though. Never let software lull you into a false sense of security. Despite how sophisticated these suites are, they’re not 100% foolproof. So, arm yourself with information on how to stay safe online and keep your eyes open at all times.