Author: HackWatchit
In the first post of this series (Agentic AI 101: Starting Your Journey Building AI Agents), we talked about the fundamentals of creating AI Agents and introduced concepts like reasoning, memory, and tools. Of course, that first post touched only the surface of this new area of the data industry. There is so much more that can be done, and we are going to learn more along the way in this series. So, it is time to take one step further. In this post, we will cover three topics: Guardrails: these are safe blocks that prevent a Large Language Model…
A new tool called ‘Defendnot’ can disable Microsoft Defender on Windows devices by registering a fake antivirus product, even when no real AV is installed. The trick utilizes an undocumented Windows Security Center (WSC) API that antivirus software uses to tell Windows it is installed and is now managing the real-time protection for the device. When an antivirus program is registered, Windows automatically disables Microsoft Defender to avoid conflicts from running multiple security applications on the same device. The Defendnot tool, created by researcher es3n1n, abuses this API by registering a fake antivirus product that meets all of Windows’ validation checks.…
US Government officials targeted with texts and AI-generated deepfake voice messages impersonating senior U.S. officials Pierluigi Paganini May 17, 2025 FBI warns ex-officials are targeted with deepfake texts and AI voice messages impersonating senior U.S. officials. The FBI warns that ex-government officials are being targeted with texts and AI-generated deepfake voice messages impersonating senior U.S. officials. The FBI warns of a campaign using smishing and vishing with deepfake texts and AI voice messages impersonating senior U.S. officials to current or former senior US federal or state government officials and their contacts Since April 2025, threat actors have been using texts…
Cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase has suffered a breach, which resulted in attackers acquiring customers’ data that can help them mount social engineering attacks, the company confirmed today by filing a report with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The attack did not involve the compromise of company systems or networks. Instead, the data was accessed by a group of malicious support agents. How did the attack happen? According to the US-based company, criminals bribed some customer support agents to copy customer data and share it with them. “Their aim was to gather a customer list they could contact while…
Kent Ickler and Derrick Rauch* // Sun Protection Factor Err… wait a second. Sender Policy Framework Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of 1997, Wear Sunscreen…I will dispense my advice, now: “ Email “forging” exists in the web today, thanks @ustayready. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) was created with origins back in 2005 (RFC 4408) with more recent version updated in 2014 (RFC 7208) and DKIM and DMARC updates. It attempts to thwart forged emails by providing recipient-mail-servers, a method to determine if the origination of the email was authorized to send mail on behalf of the domain in the FROM field of…
A news report highlighted that U.S. energy officials are re-evaluating the potential risks associated with Chinese-made devices that are integral to renewable energy infrastructure, following the discovery of unexplained communication equipment within some of these devices, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Power inverters, which are primarily manufactured in China, are essential for connecting solar panels and wind turbines to electricity grids worldwide. These devices are also used in batteries, heat pumps, and electric vehicle chargers. Although inverters are designed for remote access to facilitate updates and maintenance, utility companies typically implement firewalls to block direct communication with…
Stressful work environments don’t just erode morale, they can quietly undermine cybersecurity. When employees feel overworked, unsupported, or mistreated, their judgment and decision-making suffer. “From an organizational perspective, a toxic culture often leads to increased errors, missed threats, decreased productivity, and higher turnover rates,” said Rob Lee, Chief of Research and Head of Faculty at SANS Institute. According to CyberArk, 65% of office workers admit they’ve bypassed cybersecurity policies to stay productive. Frustration and anger can also drive impulsive behavior, including actions that intentionally or unintentionally put company systems at risk. The high price of stress When getting things done…
ReversingLabs discovers dbgpkg, a fake Python debugger that secretly backdoors systems to steal data. Researchers suspect a pro-Ukraine hacktivist group is behind the attack on the PyPI repository especially those used by Russian developers. Cybersecurity researchers at ReversingLabs (RL) have discovered a new malicious Python package, named dbgpkg, that masquerades as a debugging tool but instead installs a backdoor on developers’ systems. This backdoor allows attackers to run malicious code and steal sensitive information. By analysing the techniques used, RL suspects a hacktivist group known for targeting Russian interests in support of Ukraine may be involved. Sophisticated Backdoor Uses Sneaky…
For years, we’ve watched technology initiatives stumble not because they failed to innovate, but because they failed to govern. Now, with artificial intelligence reshaping industries at breakneck speed, many organizations are falling into the same trap: rushing ahead with AI initiatives without building the governance foundations needed to sustain them.The mistake? Treating AI governance like a compliance checkbox. Too often, organizations bolt it on after models are built, when it should have been embedded from day one. This approach turns governance into a bottleneck instead of a business enabler. By the time issues like bias, security gaps, or explainability failures…