News
- Ernst & Young confirms breach via a third‑party IT service management platform, exposing client tax data between March 28 and April 12, 2026
- Attackers accessed documents tied to tax support tickets; exact scope and affected clients remain undisclosed, with no dark web leaks or group claims so far
- EY activated incident response, secured systems, and is offering 24 months of Experian identity monitoring to impacted customers
Ernst & Young (EY) has confirmed suffering a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive customer information, including tax data.
In a data breach notification letter sent to affected individuals, the firm said that on April 23, 2026, it spotted “anomalous activity” within a third-party platform its IT team uses. This is an IT service management platform that helps EY staff support the teams that perform tax-related work for clients. Therefore, the tickets submitted through this platform sometimes also contain documents with client tax information which may have been exposed in the incident.
EY then activated its incident response protocols, bringing in third-party cybersecurity experts, as well as notifying relevant authorities and affected clients.
Free identity theft protectionFurther investigation determined that the unnamed threat actors broke in on March 28, 2026 and have, until April 12, been exfiltrating the files. EY did not say exactly which information was pulled, or how many clients were affected. We also don’t know if this only pertains to US clients, or overseas ones, as well. The attackers have, since then, been removed from EY’s virtual premises, and the systems have been secured, the company confirmed.
So far, no hacking groups claimed responsibility for this attack, and the data is yet to surface anywhere on the dark web. EY’s customers should be on the lookout for unsolicited emails, especially those claiming to be from the professional services giant.
To help them stay secure, EY is offering 24 months of free identity monitoring and restoration services through Experian.
Ernst & Young is one of the "Big Four" largest professional services and accounting networks in the world. It is headquartered in London, but operates as a global network of independent members spanning more than 150 countries and employing more than 400,000 people. The company’s core business includes assurance, tax, consulting, and M&A strategy.
Via BleepingComputer
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- People keep arriving at a Reddit user’s house seeking their lost iPhones
- It may be down to a quirk with how Apple’s Find My system works
- It sounds similar to another case from ten years ago
If someone turned up at your door claiming their lost device was at your address — and you knew it definitely wasn’t — you might be a little confused, but not too bothered. But if it happened repeatedly over a period of years, you’d start to get concerned. That’s exactly what’s been happening to one long-suffering Reddit user, and the cause is still a mystery.
As recounted by the victim on their recent Reddit thread, “About 3-4 years ago, we had two men turn up to our door because one of them had an iPhone stolen the night before, and the Find My app brought them to our house.” The device wasn’t there, however, and the men left.
“Ever since, we’ve had at least four or five more instances or random guys, iPad, or friend’s phone in hand, saying ‘My phone is here,’” they continued. “It’s frustrating to have to explain to them that this has happened and we don’t have them.”
But aside from the mere confusion of the incidents, the original poster was also concerned about their safety. “We’re both women, and I don’t want one guy to be absolutely fuming about his phone missing and hurt us,” they worried.
Some people thought this might be more than a simple case of mistaken identity or Find My having a glitchy moment. “I’ve seen videos from Ring doorbells being posted saying that this is a common scam nowadays,” said one, with another adding that “I would call the police. It may be someone trying to gain access to your property, whatever you do don’t let them in.”
Can anything be done?(Image credit: Ring)Situations like this can be concerning, especially if they keep happening with different people turning up on your doorstep. But this is not the first time Apple’s Find My feature has befuddled people in this way, with a similar case reported back in 2013, for example.
And back in 2016, the Reply All podcast investigated after a strikingly similar occurrence in Atlanta, GA. In the end, the podcast concluded that it was all to do with the “digital desert” present in the area, with the Atlanta victims being one of the few homes with a router in the area.
As the podcast explained, if a lost phone is trying to broadcast its location, it might do so by connecting to GPS. If that’s not feasible, it’ll next try to find the nearest IP addresses and Wi-Fi networks, triangulating itself based on the relative strengths of those networks.
If the center of that IP address area happens to be a person’s house, that’s where people seeking their lost device will end up. Moreover, considering how few routers were in the area, any lost phone that was relatively nearby and couldn’t connect to GPS might have found the victims’ router as a fallback, leading people straight to the home in question.
What's the answer?Apple’s Find My feature uses Bluetooth to connect to a network of other devices, using them to pinpoint a lost phone’s location.
It’s therefore conceivable that the solution for the Reddit conundrum is slightly different to that suggested by Reply All. One alternative suggested on Reddit was that stolen devices are being handled nearby and send out a ‘ping’ before they’re disassembled or deactivated. That ping is an approximate location, but it happens to line up with the victims’ house, sending people to their door.
Another possibility relates to Wi-Fi networks, as in the 2016 case. This time, it was pointed out that Find My can log local Wi-Fi networks — if the victims’ home network strength is strong enough, lost devices nearby could show it as the phone’s last known location. The answer this time could be to add _nomap to the home network SSID name, as one user suggested.
But without a solid idea of what’s happening, solutions might not always be possible. As one commenter said, “depending on where you live it could be that your home happens to be the location that a lot of IP addresses default to on the map. Sadly there is very little you can do about it.”
- Windows 11's July update was blocked from certain Dell laptops due to nasty issues with unexpected shutdowns and poor performance
- Microsoft just issued an emergency patch to fix those problems, so the PCs in question can install the latest update
- However, that patch might end up installed on non-Dell PCs if the user has enabled the option to get the latest updates as soon as possible
Windows 11's latest (July) update was blocked from Dell PCs as it was buggy on those systems, but the good news is that it's now fixed — but there's an additional wrinkle to be aware of here for those of you who don't own a Dell machine.
Windows Latest reports that Microsoft just deployed an emergency update (KB5121767) which fixes the problems with certain Dell laptops with Intel CPUs, which include unexpected shutdowns and generally poor performance (including running sluggishly and overheating, as well as increased battery drain).
Those with an affected Dell laptop — and that apparently includes some XPS models, as well as Dell Pro and Precision (business) notebooks, and possibly others — should install the emergency patch. As Microsoft makes clear, you'll find it under optional updates, which is reached via 'Advanced options' in the Windows Update panel.
However, the wrinkle that I mentioned is that Windows Latest observes that it's possible some Windows 11 PCs that aren't Dell laptops may automatically grab and install this update — if they have the 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' toggle on.
Analysis: a notable side effect(Image credit: Future)This feature is one that people turn on in the hope that they'll get Windows 11 updates, and more to the point, new feature rollouts, more quickly (there can be quite a wait for certain features to arrive, such as the Start menu revamp from last year, which some folks still haven't received even now).
So, bear in mind that if you've enabled this option, you may get certain updates automatically — like this emergency patch — when you don't actually need them on your PC. It doesn't help that this particular update is confusingly named, being called '2026-07 Update (KB5121767) (26200.8894)', which could leave you wondering what on earth it is exactly (until you look up the codename KB5121767).
At any rate, if you're not happy with this situation, to turn off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' you need to head to Windows Update (in Settings) and adjust the relevant slider (at the top of the 'More options' panel).
Why is this option configured in this way? It seems especially odd in this case seeing as Microsoft tells us: "This OOB [emergency] update is only recommended for devices affected by this issue." That said, seemingly it doesn't do any harm to a non-affected PC (whether a Dell model, or not) if it does end up with this emergency patch installed.
At any rate, if you do enable the option to get the latest updates, just don't forget that this can have side effects, such as installing optional updates that you don't actually want. It would be a better idea if, in these cases, Microsoft simply flagged these updates as available, rather than having them install automatically.
It's also worth noting that this isn't the first time Dell laptops have run into trouble with Windows 11 recently, as last month an update to the firm's SupportAssist app left some notebooks crashing every half an hour or so.
- NordStellar reports 2,581 ransomware attacks in Q2 2026, with Qilin (299) and The Gentlemen (284) leading activity, far ahead of DragonForce (147)
- US SMBs were hit hardest, suffering 769 incidents; Canada (97), Germany (83), and the UK (74) followed, while attacks on billion‑dollar enterprises surged 74%
- Experts say rivalry between Qilin and The Gentlemen is driving the spike, with major corporate hits seen as reputation‑boosting trophies in the cybercriminal underground
Two ransomware gangs are battling for dominance, and US-based SMBs are the ones suffering most for it, experts have claimed.
Fresh data about the state of ransomware in 2026, compiled by security experts from NordStellar, shows two groups - Qilin and The Gentlemen - being by far the most active ones.
After analyzing more than 200 threat actor blogs, NordStellar concluded that there were 2,581 ransomware attacks in the second quarter of the year - and of that number, 299 belong to Qilin, the most active threat actor out there. Close second are The Gentlemen, with 284 attacks. The third most active group - DragonForce - doesn’t even come close with “just” 147 attacks.
SMBs and enterprises under assaultWhile it seems like a close race, it’s actually The Gentlemen who have been doing the heavy lifting between April and June 2026. This group experienced a 39% increase in attacks, while Qilin’s activity actually declined somewhat, compared to Q1.
In this morbid race to the bottom, the biggest victims are US-based small and medium-sized businesses (SMB). These companies, with up to 200 employees and revenues under $25 million, experienced 769 attacks in Q2 2026, followed by Canada (97), Germany (83), and the UK (74).
NordStellar also mentioned US enterprises, who are now increasingly being targeted. Attacks against organizations with revenues north of $1 billion surged by 74%, going from 23 incidents in Q1, to 40 in Q2.
“Ransomware actors historically target SMBs because these organizations often lack comprehensive defenses, which can increase the likelihood of a successful attack,” commented Vakaris Noreika, cybersecurity expert at NordStellar.
“This recent spike in enterprise targeting is unusual and may be a temporary fluctuation. This shift likely stems from the rivalry between dominant threat actors — a successful hit on a major corporation is a badge of honor that boosts a group’s reputation within the cybercriminal underground."
- 13,750 Vera CPUs and 27,500 Rubin GPUs will drive compute at the Nvidia Vera Rubin AI factory
- The project will be the world’s first national AI infrastructure for physical AI
- By partnering with Noetra Corp, Nvidia is providing hardware to drive Japan’s FRONTia Project
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is supporting a partnership between Noetra Corp and Nvidia to provide the foundation for the its national artificial intelligence initiative, the FRONTia Project.
Noetra Corp – which comprises NEC, Sony, Honda, SoftBank Corp, and has backing from 44 other companies and organizations – won a tender on June 30 2026 to run FRONTia until 2030, with as much as ¥1 trillion (around $6.1 billion) expected to be invested in the project over the five years.
Japan sees FRONTia as providing the heart of its sovereign AI ecosystem for industry, providing compute power for the development of advanced multimodal foundation models that can be used to drive physical AI. Robotics across industry and healthcare can potentially benefit from this, along with the development of superior AI agents and digital twins.
What is the FRONTia Project?Aiming to foster collaboration between global technology leaders and Japan’s manufacturing expertise, and leveraging real-world industrial data, the FRONTia Project (referring to the “Development of Multimodal Foundation Models with a View to AI Robotics and Physical AI” project) is described as “the core of the country’s physical AI ecosystem,” by Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
“By fostering collaboration between Japan and leading global innovators — including NVIDIA — and leveraging Japan’s strengths, such as its onsite expertise and manufacturing technology infrastructure, we will build highly reliable multimodal foundation models and contribute to solving global social challenges.”
When constructed, the Nvidia Vera Rubin AI facility will provide Noetra’s multimodal foundation models to domestic model developers and enterprises. Nvidia’s own AI-related software models and libraries will also be available.
There has been some criticism of the FRONTia Project, however. Concerned parties have highlighted the lack of financial transparency from Noetra and the Japanese government, as well as the presence of Nvidia as partners, with the US company seen as a strategic rival. Meanwhile the massive energy costs associated with AI installations is once again considered an unnecessary problem to create.
“Japan invented modern manufacturing. Now, it is building the AI factories that will power the next industrial revolution,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia.
“NVIDIA is honored to partner with Japan and its industrial leaders to build the AI infrastructure that will power the country’s industries, its economy and a new generation of innovation.”
Is the world ready for physical AI?AI’s impact on creative industries has been widely discussed, but its potential for beyond “generative” processes – such as in the physical space – have avoided scrutiny. To date, physical AI (the integration of AI with physical hardware such as robots, vehicles, or industrial machines) hasn’t been able to scale as quickly as generative AIs with ever-deepening LLMs.
Predicting the next word is a lot easier than, say, predicting shifting terrain for an autonomous machine, and without the delicate motor skills of a human, no process can be completely automated.
This is a problem for physical AI, and investing money in developing solutions such as the NVIDIA Vera Rubin AI factory will surely have a direct impact on the workforce. A successful physical AI project means more automation from robots, and fewer physical jobs.
- China has enforced laws to clamp down on AI-generated persona apps
- The new rules say AI tools can no longer induce emotions and damage real-life connections
- Tech giants have shut down their services, leaving users going through a nationwide breakup
The Chinese government is introducing new regulations designed to clamp down on AI-generated romantic companions.
Issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and four other government departments, the regulations state that AI tools can no longer “excessively cater to users, induce emotional dependence or addiction, and damage users’ real interpersonal relationships,” while also banning virtual relationships with minors. This came into effect on July 15.
Chinese tech giants including ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba each have their own platforms (most famously ByteDance’s Doubao) that allow users to generate their own AI companions which are designed to express human-like emotions. In the wake of the new laws, companion chatbots must now undergo evaluation before they become publicly available, and allow the government to shut them down if they’re deemed unsafe.
According to The Wall Street Journal ($/£), these regulations could also apply to regular AI chatbots if they respond to human prompts with replies that may be deemed too emotional.
However, rather than complying with the new laws, tech giants have disabled some of their custom persona features altogether, leading to nationwide virtual breakups. So why are these government laws being issued now? To put it plainly, not enough babies are being born.
Users are opting for virtual romance over human connectionOver the last four consecutive years, China’s birth rates have decreased significantly, falling to a record-low number in 2025, as The Wall Street Journal also reports. It’s likely that the worries of declining birth rates are one of the catalysts behind the new regulations, and the Chinese government fears AI personas on services like Doubao are preventing users from forming real-life relationships and having children.
The crackdown on AI companionships has hit users like a ton of bricks, and now they’re starting to break their silence.
Speaking with Bloomberg ($/£), 19-year-old student Yan Yongqi spoke about her sudden heartbreak following the law enforcement action, which resulted in her losing her AI partner of over a year. “I really felt like I couldn’t go on living. Every day at home, I did nothing but cry,” she said, adding, “This is like being told the date of my lover’s death while leaving me completely powerless”.
On paper, it sounds like some kind of dystopian sci-fi story, but believe it or not, this is a growing issue in regions like China where AI services are being developed to mimic human compassion. It’s even getting to the point where users are creating AI versions of their ex-partners to help them move on from a breakup, but it’s not just an issue sweeping China.
Back in May, we spoke with a UK-based user who confessed to falling in love with ChatGPT after taking to the service as a means of therapy to help with mental health struggles. Despite the user’s self-awareness of the issue, we also spoke with therapist Amy Sutton, who shed light on the wider issues.
“Unfortunately, this feels like a failing of human services rather than an integral benefit of the technology itself,” she shared, later adding “AI companion apps are designed for maximum engagement – to keep users subscribed and enthralled,” she says. “ChatGPT was not designed to be a therapeutic intervention".
With that in mind, it’s a rather upsetting circumstance, and services such as therapy are becoming more financially unreachable for those who really need it. At the same time, there’s a level of duty and care that influential AI companies need to prioritize for users who think their services are the be-all and end-all of their needs.
- Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) struck a Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter in flight over the Belgorod region with a SkyFall Shrike 10 FPV drone, hitting the helicopter from above
- The attack, which saw a $400 drone strike and 'kill' a $19 million attack helicopter as per Skyfall, represents an impressive 47,500x exchange ratio
- The attack isn't isolated: Russia has lost over 20+ Mi-28s in similar attacks since the conflict began in 2022
The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to expand as the latter continues to leverage asymmetric warfare to hold its own against a rival with superior technology and manpower, even as the conflict heads into its fifth year.
Much of this is due to Ukraine's pivot to home-grown drone and bot manufacturing, which helps to counter heavy Russian weaponry such as tanks, helicopters, and APCs using cheap but effective drones and bots to hold the line.
It has also allowed several startups to join the fray, offering low-cost options, often funded by external partners and allies to bolster Ukraine's war effort, and SkyFall's Shrike 10 FPV drone is one of them.
An impressive achievement, albeit with disputed claimsThe Shrike 10 FPV drone, which costs less than a mid-range smartphone, flew up alongside a Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter, climbed above it, and dove into its tail boom on the morning of the July 17, 2026, in Russia's Belgorod region.
The strike was carried out by operators of the 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade "Rarog," and confirmed by Major Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), who published the drone's own final-approach footage on Telegram with the terse caption that the "Night Hunter" had gone "into the ground."
Ukrainian firm SkyFall, whose FPY drone, the Shrike 10, was involved in the attack, stated that it was priced at under $400 per unit. The Mi-28, per the same company, costs $19 million.
While the headline is impressive, the math might not completely check out: other sources put the cost of the Mi-28 at approximately $15 million, while a recent deal with Germany (50,000 SkyFall-built FPV drones for Ukraine, fitted with autonomous targeting software from US firm Auterion in a €90 million (~$103 million) deal) could mean that some liberties may have been taken to get to the $400 figure, though the Shrike 10 that attacked the Mi-28 might be differently configured or on the lower end of the spectrum.
The instance, which sees Ukraine claiming a kill on what is a pricey part of the Russian arsenal, is partially unconfirmed, with independent observers pointing out that there is no aftermath video and that attack helicopters often survive and successfully land after such hits. To Ukraine's credit, a similar kill, however, was reported in 2025 by the Ukrainian armed forces with footage to confirm the crash that followed.
Irrespective of the sum, the fact that a drone that costs a ten-thousandth of an attack helicopter that has been retrofitted to hunt it can be a credible predator of the same is potentially alarming, not only for the Russians but for military planners across the world, even if the damage in question might be open to dispute.
This is further corroborated by unverified sources claiming that the damage was 'minor' and did not affect either of the helicopter's two occupants at the time, thereby disputing much of SkyFall's claims beyond the drone's impact.
Russia's defense ministry, however, has not commented directly on the matter, and no open-source tracker such as Oryx has confirmed imagery of any wreckage either.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said the natiopn is producing 10 million drones a year while vying for a production target of 20 million drones in the future, much of it backed by foreign aid, indicating that the Russian Mi-28, which has 20+ confirmed visual losses since the conflict began, continues to be both, an attacker and defender against drones of all shapes and sizes
- NATO wants eight allies to share satellite power without surrendering national control
- HALO aims to connect military satellites for faster communications and missile tracking
- NATO says isolated satellite fleets remain vulnerable to jamming, cyberattacks, and destruction
NATO has confirmed plans to build a shared satellite constellation designed to strengthen military communications, surveillance and missile tracking across the alliance.
The initiative, dubbed HALO, was unveiled at the recent NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in Ankara, brings together eight member nations under a single space framework.
Denmark, Canada, Finland, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Turkey have all agreed to take part in this emerging space project.
NATO seeks a more resilient military space networkHALO, Hybrid Alliance Layered Operations in Space, is intended to link national satellite systems while allowing participating countries to retain ownership and control.
Officials say individual satellite constellations run independently by member countries remain vulnerable to cyberattacks, jamming and physical destruction during conflict.
NATO Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Šekerinska said such fragmented systems are also too slow to relay large volumes of data effectively.
"So this new model will be particularly helpful for high-speed communications, intelligence and missile tracking, overcoming the cost, the time and coverage limitations of single-nation satellite fleets," she added.
HALO is therefore intended to improve how allied space assets work together during military operations.
The project could also allow NATO members to combine national capabilities without creating a single satellite fleet controlled by one country.
“I’m really pleased to announce…HALO, opening a new chapter in allied space operations,” Šekerinska said.
Canada and other allies expand space commitmentsThe announcement came alongside several other space-related commitments made during the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in Ankara.
Canada became the 15th NATO member to join STARLIFT, a multinational initiative examining launch capabilities for quickly sending allied assets into orbit.
The programme seeks to develop access to launch services from spaceports across the alliance, potentially giving NATO members more options when deploying satellites at short notice.
The effort is separate from HALO but reflects the broader push to strengthen allied space infrastructure.
Spain also became the 19th country to join NATO’s Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space initiative, pledging to support coastal surveillance through imagery supplied by its Atlantic Constellation satellites.
Turkey, meanwhile, announced plans to develop two additional high-resolution satellites intended to expand regional space capabilities.
These separate commitments show how NATO members are pursuing both shared networks and national systems at the same time.
HALO remains at the exploratory stage, meaning the participating allies have not yet established a final constellation design, deployment schedule or confirmed satellite count.
Its success will depend on whether different national systems can share data securely while maintaining sovereign control.
Halloween might seem like a long way away, but it's never too early to start getting ready, and if you're anything like me, then you can't wait for the weather to start getting cooler, with crisp leaves underfoot and misty mornings. It seems the designers at IKEA agree, because they've already launched a whole set of Kustfyr Halloween decor so you can start preparing for spooky season now.
The new seasonal lights are particularly cute, and I defy anyone not to be charmed by the adorably spooky LED ghost table lamp with its arms raised mid-scare. Pair it with a set of ghostly battery-powered LED string lights for a full themed room.
It wouldn't be Halloween without pumpkins, and you can avoid the mess and hassle of carving a real gourd by picking up one of IKEA's fun pumpkin lamps. The globe-shaped LED pumpkin table lamp is a cute classic, while the matching battery-powered pendant lamp is safe to use outdoors, so you can hang it on your porch when it's time for trick-or-treating.
Want more creepy ways to decorate your home? Check out the full Kustfyr collection, which includes everything from plushies to plates.
Adorably spooky Halloween lights IKEA Kustfyr Battery LED Table Lamp - Ghost IKEA Kustfyr LED Table Lamp - Pumpkin IKEA Kustfyr Battery Pendant Lamp - Pumpkin IKEA Kustfyr Lantern for Pillar Candle - Black IKEA Kustfyr Battery LED Table Decoration - Pumpkin IKEA Kustfyr LED Lighting Chain With 32 Lights - Ghost IKEA Kustfyr LED String Light With 12 Lights - GhostAlan Turing is widely revered as one of the most important scientific and technological figures in modern history. Following his work on cracking the Enigma Machine during the Second World War, Turing published his thoughts on the future of machine intelligence – and specifically on the pathway that we can one day take to achieve proficient AI.
Eating machinesTuring concluded his seminal 1950 study 'Computing Machinery and Intelligence' with musings on how to fulfill what he saw as achieving the great promise of machine intelligence in the future.
Quote of the dayThis article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here.
The pioneering mathematician and computer scientist suggested, in his concluding passage, that even though you may hold some vision for the future, or long-term ambitions, it's key to solve the immediate challenges you face now. True progress isn't achieved in one leap, but through a series of smaller and seemingly less significant steps.
In the context of his paper, Turing suggested that scientists in the future need not strive to achieve human-like intelligence in machines, but build the very first iterations of what he described as "thinking machines" so that this work can be iterated on in the future.
Beyond the Turing TestWhen the study was published, the term "artificial intelligence" was not in widespread use, with scientists instead opting for terms like cybernetics or machine intelligence.
What followed over the next decades was a cascading series of breakthroughs – including the birth of neural networks in the 80s and the transformer architecture in 2017 – that have led to today's widely used large language models and generative AI services.
Although true human-like intelligence is still some distance away, we've advanced to such an extent that many have even claimed the Turing Test – where somebody cannot tell the difference between interacting with a human and AI – has already been beaten.