Achive.php April 2, 2025 - The Cyber Shark
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Archives for April 2, 2025

The European Commission will invest €1.3 billion in digital skills, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence

The European Commission

The European Commission has allocated €1.3 billion to boost AI and digital ID development under the Digital Europe Programme. The funding will support AI innovation, cybersecurity, and digital skills training across the EU. A total of €1.3 billion has been announced by the European Commission to support the advancement and implementation of vital technologies in the European Commission digital ecosystem. Digital ID and artificial intelligence have emerged as key new technologies that support contemporary society. In order to compete with growth on a worldwide scale, the Digital Europe Programme (Digital) Work Programme places special emphasis on integrating artificial intelligence into society and launching new AI companies. One of the main goals of the DIGITAL work program is to increase the availability and accessibility of generative AI applications, such as expanding into the healthcare industry, as the competition for AI innovation continues to increase. The available funds will be used to assist Innovation Hubs, a network of businesses and government agencies with the technical know-how to offer advice on the adoption of AI models, implement the AI Act, and curate AI “virtual realities.” These steps are essential to advancing the EU’s objectives of building more AI “factories,” which entails facilitating the development of AI start-ups or generative AI models for commercial use. AI can strengthen cyber defences against intrusions. The EU is keen to continue developing AI defences to outperform fraud driven by AI. Furthermore, the technical capabilities of AI will support the deployment of the European Trust Infrastructure and the new EU Digital Identity Wallet architecture in Member States. “Investing in cutting-edge technologies and enabling individuals to enhance their digital competencies is the first step towards safeguarding European tech sovereignty,” stated Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy. With extra money, EU education and training institutes will teach digital skills to entice more talent to enter the profession. “We are making sure that new technologies—and with them, new potential—reach European citizens, businesses, and public administrations through the opportunities under the Digital European Commission Program.”

STF cracks cyber fraud racket in Lucknow, arrests six including kingpin

STF cracks cyber fraud

The Uttar Pradesh STF cracks cyber fraud arrested six members of a cyber fraud gang in Vibhuti Khand, including the mastermind, for running corporate bank accounts on rent to conduct scams. Seized items included luxury cars, bank documents, electronic devices, and evidence linking them to fraud cases worth crores across India. In the Vibhuti Khand neighbourhood of the state capital, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) detained six members of an organized cyber fraud gang, including the mastermind. On March 29, 2025, STF said in a news release that the gang ran corporate bank accounts on rent to conduct extensive cyber scams involving online gambling, share market investments, digital arrest, and other purportedly criminal acts. During the raid, the STF also seized expensive cars, bank paperwork, and technological gadgets. The STF retrieved a driver’s license, voter ID, 18 debit and credit cards, three Aadhaar cards, three PAN cards, 11 cell phones, and 52 WhatsApp chats containing APK files and corporate bank account information. Two four-wheeler vehicles that were allegedly used in the crime as well as ₹34,500 in cash were confiscated. According to the police, around 11:05 p.m. on March 28, 2025, the STF team, led by assistant superintendent of police Vishal Vikram Singh, arrested the accused in Vibhuti Khand near the Aadhaar Card Office across from a cafe. According to the STF, the inquiry started after Lucknow-based Alex Innovation Pvt Ltd, an IT solutions company, complained about a scam involving about ₹48 lakh at the Cyber fraud Crime Police Station. According to the lawsuit, the gang’s leader, Abdul Malik, used a malicious APK file to get access to the company’s private bank account. Before the bank closed the account, he carried out almost 3,200 unauthorized transactions. Subsequent investigation verified that the transactions were connected to cyber fraud. The gang also includes Pushpendra Singh (MBA) from Rae Bareli, Vijay Kumar Pathak (PhD) from Jaunpur, Ayush Mishra (BTech) from Gorakhpur, Yaseen Ahmed alias Yasir (Class 10) from Gonda, and Syed Alim Hussain (BBA) from Gonda. According to the press release, each had a distinct function in the illegal enterprise. STF officials claim that in 2024, Malik made contact with Farhan from Lucknow, who then connected him with foreign agents Daniel from Kathmandu, Nepal, and Jackie from Pune. The gang used the promise of large commissions to entice business bank account customers. One of the gang’s main schemes was to use a private bank account in December 2024 to defraud Atex Innovation Pvt Ltd of ₹47.58 lakh. Through an Indian Overseas Bank account acquired through a Telegram contact named Nilesh Yadav from Bihar, they laundered ₹1.2 crore in January 2025. Details of ten corporate bank accounts used for cyber fraud were found on electronic devices found during the raid, and 25 more complaints were filed against the gang throughout India. The accused has been the subject of a formal complaint filed under Section 66C of the Information Technology Act and Sections 318(4), 319(2), and 111(2)(b) of the Indian Penal Code. In addition to forensic examination of the confiscated electronic devices to find more proof of the gang’s activities, STF officers revealed that attempts are still being made to track down and capture additional gang members.