the cyber shark Archives - Page 11 of 18

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

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

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.

Vodafone Advances Cybersecurity for Businesses in Germany

Vodafone, Inc. The opening of a cybersecurity centre in Düsseldorf, Germany, was recently announced by VOD. The cybersecurity centre will provide small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) nationwide with 24/7 protection. Vodafone has a wide range of cybersecurity products. Businesses are better equipped to withstand new cyber threats thanks to Vodafone Business Managed Security Services. The administrator may configure and keep an eye on laptops, smartphones, and other devices used by an organization thanks to Unified Endpoint Management. A risk management tool called Vodafone Business Security Assessment-Security Ratings gives companies the ability to continuously monitor and provide a comprehensive picture of any cyber threats. Organizations can respond quickly to security threats thanks to this thorough visibility and accurate evaluation of cyber health. To prevent cyberattacks, Vodafone’s cyber security centre will try to detect any dangers and efficiently activate defences. It will also provide a cyber portal that would show information about security status and prevent cyberattacks. To guarantee the smooth deployment, monitoring, and upkeep of security systems for its clients, Vodafone has more than 100 security specialists on staff and provides round-the-clock services. To further enhance security capabilities and integrate cutting-edge technologies, the organization is also actively collaborating with significant tech firms like Google, Microsoft, Lookout, CybSafe, Zscaler, and others. Additionally, Vodafone’s cyber centre will work with clients to give corporate staff the right training and resources to identify such risks. Will VOD’s Share Performance Be Driven by This Initiative? To prevent cyberattacks, big businesses with substantial financial resources set up advanced IT infrastructure. SMEs with little funding are unable to make significant investments in cyber defence. In a highly competitive corporate environment, this renders them vulnerable and disadvantageous. Cybercriminals frequently take advantage of this weakness. According to recent studies, SMEs are the target of more than 50% of cyberattacks, and it takes them around 21 days to recover. This has a huge impact on how businesses operate. The German economy relies heavily on SMEs, thus the rise in cyberattacks targeting them is concerning for the nation. Vodafone is attempting to improve the digital resilience of its SME clients nationwide by establishing a cyber security centre in recognition of this underserved market. A customer-focused strategy like this bodes well for the long-term expansion of the business. Other Stocks to Consider Inter Digital In the last four quarters, IDC’s earnings surprised by 158.41%. It is a leader in cutting-edge mobile technologies that make wireless capabilities and communications possible. The business creates and develops a broad range of cutting-edge technological solutions for usage in networks and products connected to IEEE 802, digital cellular, and wireless 3G and 4G. Celestica Inc. Many of the top original equipment manufacturers in the world rely on CLS for post-manufacturing support, competitive manufacturing technologies, and service solutions for printed circuit and system assembly. United States Cellular Corporation USM’s most recent reported quarter saw a 150% earnings surprise. To improve churn control and speed up subscriber additions, U.S. Cellular has taken proactive measures. The company wants to give consumers the greatest cellular experience possible by offering a top-notch network with nationwide coverage. It is ideally situated to facilitate the expenditure needed for network improvements, such as the introduction of 5G technology.

Police Say Former Odisha IT Minister Loses Rs 1.4 Crore to Cybercriminals

Former Odisha IT Minister and MLA Tusharkanti Behera lost Rs 1.4 crore to cyber fraud, allegedly through a friend’s misuse of his trading account. Police have arrested seven suspects and frozen Rs 15 lakh while continuing the investigation. Bhubaneswar: On March 31, 2025, a top police officer here stated that an Odisha IT Minister A and former information technology minister had lost Rs 1.4 due to cyber fraud in around a month and a half.In relation to the crime, seven people were taken into custody by the police: three from Tamil Nadu and four from Karnataka. But in January, the former minister filed a police complaint in this respect, alleging that a buddy had been using his trading account and misappropriated the funds. Odisha IT Minister to say the police officer claimed that the accused and their colleagues used to pretend to be trade analysts in order to get individuals to invest money in shares, IPOs, and other trades by promising them large profits. Between November 13, 2024, and January 1, 2025, the accused obtained Rs 1.40 crore fraudulently from the complainant, according to the Crime Branch’s cybercrime unit, which conducted the inquiry, he added. Sarthak Sarangi, the IG for the Crime Branch, stated during a news conference that on January 13 of this year, “we received a complaint that cyber fraudsters swindled Rs 1.4 crore from the complainant through a mobile app.” He did not, however, identify the complainant because he believed it would interfere with the inquiry. The complainant, according to police sources, is an IIT graduate, a current Odisha IT Minister , and a former minister of information technology. However, former IT minister and BJD Odisha IT Minister Tusharkanti Behera told reporters: “My friend used my trading account and lost the money to cyber fraud.” I don’t know anything about the fraud directly. According to Sarangi, bank accounts in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, and Maharashtra have received the funds. Seven people were taken into custody by crime branch teams that were dispatched to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala during the first phase. “Very soon we will send our teams to Hyderabad, West Bengal and Delhi to arrest other accused persons in this case,” the officer said. According to him, the Crime Branch has frozen Rs 15 lakh in the accused individuals’ bank accounts and recovered Rs 4 lakh from them thus far.According to Sarangi, a Navy commander and a university vice-chancellor were lately the targets of cyber fraud.

Business fraud losses of 9.5 lakhs are recovered by a cybercrime team A Major Victory

Hyderabad Cyber Crime Unit recovered ₹9.5 lakh from fraudsters who tricked a businessman with a fake business fraud opportunity fraud. Authorities warn against upfront payment scams and advise verifying company legitimacy. A businessman who was defrauded by cybercriminals was successfully refunded ₹9,50,531 by the Hyderabad City Cyber Crime Unit. The police emphasized that the likelihood of recovering lost money can be increased by reporting such fraud right away. To receive assistance, victims can call the cybercrime helpline 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in. According to the police, a 32-year-old complainant in this case was tricked into sending the money to bank accounts that the scammers had offered under the guise of a business fraud opportunity. Inspector K. Prasada Rao headed a squad that located and detained the accused in Sector-7, Dwarka, New Delhi, together with SI Abhishek, HC Satish, and PCs Srinivas Reddy and Kranthi Kumar Reddy. A demand draft was used to successfully return the whole money to the victim. Authorities have issued warnings to entrepreneurs about fraudulent schemes in which fraudsters demand upfront fees for website construction, ISO certification, and registration in exchange for lucrative business fraud negotiations. It is advised that victims check the legitimacy of the company, refrain from making sizable upfront payments, and be wary of unsolicited offers.

Goa Police Bust Cybercrime Recruitment Ring, Arrest Three for Exploiting Victims

Goa Police arrested three individuals for defrauding people into working for cybercrime centres in Thailand and planning to expand operations internationally. PANAJI: According to the Goa Police , three persons, including a Kazakh national of Chinese descent, have been taken into custody for allegedly defrauding people into working for cybercrime centres in Thailand. On March 26, the accused, named as 22-year-old Talaniti Nulaxi, was taken into custody at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. On that same day, authorities issued a lookout notice for him when he tried to leave the country, according to the police. Following the arrest of Adithya Ravichandran, 22, of Bengaluru, and his supervisor, Rupnarayan Gupta, 36, of Mumbai, who claimed to be operating an organization that assisted individuals in finding employment overseas, Goa Police located Nulaxi. Additionally, the gang hired victims to perpetrate forced financial fraud through WeChat, Zoom, Telegram, WhatsApp, and other social media sites. Rahul Gupta, the superintendent of Goa Police , stated that the gang held Zoom interviews and meetings to talk about how they operate. Adithya was employed by the second defendant, Rupnarayan Gupta, who owns and operates Ivanka, a Mumbai-based employment agency in Mulund West. The Ministry of External Affairs has not registered the agency to transport Indians overseas. According to Gupta, Rupnarayan forwards candidate data to recruiters overseas for interviews after receiving it from his national agents. During her five days in Bengaluru, Talaniti Nulaxi assisted with setting up a call centre. Chinese people are living in Thailand, Cambodia, and other places. They have a hierarchical, well-organized apparatus. He is a member of this wider network. Gupta added, “This is a component of the broader investigation that will continue over the next few days.” The inquiry also showed that the group was recruiting young women under the guise of “work from home,” who were subsequently used for extortion and honey traps, according to Goa’s Director General of Goa Police Alok Kumar. We are also looking into some information that has surfaced so far that suggests this group was considering opening contact centres in India, Nepal, and a few other nations they had identified that were comparable to those in Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Additionally, he was in negotiations to rent space in multi-story buildings for the same purpose, according to Alok Kumar.

Mozilla Fixes a Serious Firefox Issue Like the New Zero-Day Vulnerability in Chrome

Mozilla has patched a critical sandbox escape vulnerability (CVE-2025-2857) in Firefox for Windows, with no evidence of active exploitation. Only a few days after Google patched a similar vulnerability in Chrome that was actively exploited as a zero-day, Mozilla has published fixes to fix a serious security weakness affecting its Firefox browser for Windows. According to descriptions, the security flaw CVE-2025-2857 is an instance of an improper handle that could result in a sandbox escape. “Following the recent Chrome , Mozilla sandbox escape (CVE-2025-2783), various Firefox developers identified a similar pattern in our IPC [inter-process communication] code,” an alert from Mozilla stated. “A compromised child process could cause the parent process to return an unintentionally powerful handle, leading to a sandbox escape.” In Firefox 136.0.4, Firefox ESR 115.21.1, and Firefox ESR 128.8.1, the flaw that impacts both Firefox and Firefox ESR has been fixed. CVE-2025-2857 has not been exploited in the wild, according to any evidence. To address CVE-2025-2783, which has been used in the wild as part of attacks on Russian government agencies, media outlets, and educational institutions, Google published Chrome version 134.0.6998.177/.178 for Windows. The infection happened when unidentified victims clicked on a specifically constructed link in phishing emails and used Chrome to access the attacker-controlled website, according to Kaspersky, which discovered the activity in mid-March 2025. According to reports, CVE-2025-2783 was linked to another unidentified browser exploit to bypass the sandbox’s restrictions and accomplish remote code execution. Nevertheless, fixing the flaw successfully stops the whole assault chain. Since then, the vulnerability has been added to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) database, and federal agencies are required to implement the required mitigations by April 17, 2025. To protect themselves from potential threats, users are advised to update their browser instances to the most recent versions.

Uttarakhand Police Bust International Cybercrime Gang, Arrest Two

Uttarakhand Police arrested two cyber criminals involved in international fraud using fake business accounts and cryptocurrency transactions. The accused operated via Telegram, earning commissions by converting illicit funds into Indian currency. Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Police claimed to have busted a gang of international cybercriminals by arresting two of its members, including a trainer, who is a tenth pass out, officials said. The Special Task Force (STF) also found huge funds in the shape of cryptocurrency in the mobile phones of the accused. The accused Harjinder Singh and Sandeep Singh would provide fake business accounts to other cybercriminals to transact money and exchange funds with international gangs in cryptocurrencies. This comes weeks after the central government brought 540 Indians back from Myanmar, who were trafficked by a Chinese network of cyber criminals on the pretext of jobs in Thailand. At least 22 of the victims were from Uttarakhand Police, which prompted the state government police to form an STF under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Navneet Bhullar. Uttarakhand Police Following the joint probe with CBI and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), two persons, Harjinder Singh and Sandeep Singh, were arrested near Zila Panchayat Chungi on Thanon Road ahead of Maharana Pratap Chowk under the Raipur Police Station area. The STF team recovered one laptop, seven mobile handsets, one passport, two chequebooks, three debit cards, two PAN cards, one passbook, one stamp seal and four SBI bank forms stamped in the name of some firm from the possession of the accused. According to officials, Sandeep and Harjinder, both friends, would use Telegram to connect with criminals and open fake bank accounts under various firm names for cybercriminals to use for illegal transactions globally. Later, they would receive payments in cryptocurrency (USDT), take a 1% fee per transaction and convert it into Indian currency. “Over the past year, the accused made about Rs 1.2 crore in profit, including Rs 25 lakh in March alone,” officials added.

Government Implements Stricter Rules to Curb Child Sexual Abuse and Cybercrime Online

The Indian government is enhancing regulations to curb online child sexual abuse and cybercrime, with stricter rules for digital platforms. Measures include content removal, grievance redressal, and international collaboration. The Indian government is working harder to control internet content and stop the spreading of sexually graphic materials, especially when it comes to child sex abuse. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Railways, Information & telecast, and Electronics & IT, told the Lok Sabha that some steps are being taken to guarantee a secure online environment under the Information Technology Act of 2000 and the IT Rules of 2021. The publication or transmission of pornographic material is already illegal under the Information Technology Act of 2000, with more severe penalties for content involving minors. Digital platforms, including social media intermediaries, must adhere to due diligence under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. They are no longer legally shielded from accountability for content hosted by third parties on their platforms if they don’t comply. Notably, major social media platforms that offer messaging services are now required to make it possible to identify the original creator of communications about offences like child sexual abuse , rape, or sexually explicit content. Intermediaries are also required to take down any content that shows someone having sex, exposing their private parts, or depicting nudity within 24 hours. The government has also established Grievance Appellate Committees to improve user grievance redressal, enabling users to challenge decisions made by social media companies on the removal the content of child sexual abuse. Controlling pornographic material on OTT platforms and in movies The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) still oversees public film screenings in the entertainment industry, making sure that adult material is categorized correctly following the Cinematograph Act of 1952 and its certification guidelines. The IT Rules, 2021, require OTT platforms to follow a code of ethics that includes limiting access to youngsters, classifying content according to age appropriateness, and implementing age verification for adult-rated content. The government’s multifaceted strategy to combat cybercrime The Indian government has taken several steps to fight cybercrime in addition to regulating content of child sexual abuse. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: The Ministry of Home Affairs has a website called www.cybercrime.gov.in where anyone can report any kind of cybercrime, with a concentration on crimes against minors. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): a specialized organization that plans actions to combat online crimes, such as child exploitation of child sexual abuse. Financial aid for cybercrime prevention: Under the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) program, the government has provided funding to states and Union Territories so they can set up cyber forensic labs and provide law enforcement training. Blocking CSAM websites: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Interpol provide information that is used to periodically block websites that include child sexual abuse material (CSAM). ISPs are also required to dynamically block certain websites using lists provided by Project Arachnid (Canada) and the Internet Watch Foundation (UK). Parental control and awareness initiatives: Internet service providers have been asked to advertise parental control filters, and the government is running awareness campaigns on cybercrime through educational handbooks, radio broadcasts, and the @CyberDost Twitter handle. International collaboration: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), USA, has teamed with India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to gather information on online child exploitation. These reports are subsequently forwarded to states and Union Territories for additional action.

Businessman from Hyderabad loses Rs 1.22 crores to online scammers.

Hyderabad businessman was scammed of Rs 1.22 crores through a fake online trading scheme. Police arrested Ankit Arora, while the main accused, Deepak Kumar, remains at large. Hyderabad: After being tricked into investing in an internet trading company that promised enormous earnings, a Hyderabad businessman lost Rs 1.22 crores to cyber criminals. The victim, a resident of Secunderabad, received a message on Telegram ID Doll6726@Navyaand from a stranger who lured him to invest in online trading over time. He assured me that the profits would be huge and asked him to download an application on his mobile phone. Initially, the person invested some amount for investment and in return received some profits on the investment. After businessman being mesmerized by the profits, the man sent Rs 1, 22, 87,120 to the account that the stranger, who claimed to be Deepak Kumar, had provided. After a few weeks, Deepak failed to withdraw the winnings from the victim’s wallet and asked him to transfer more money. He became suspicious and filed a report with the police. Based on the evidence they gathered, police were able to hold on to Ankit Arora, a 38-year-old native of Uttar Pradesh who had provided Deepak Kumar with his bank account credentials. Under the guise of internet trading, Deepak was able to defraud a Hyderabad man out of Rs 1, 22, 87,120 using the bank account details. Ankit Arora’s bank account received the money from the victim, and Deepak subsequently moved it to other accounts. Cybercrime police officials claimed that Deepak had given Ankit a commission. After learning that Deepak operates out of Thailand, the police will issue a Look Out Circular (LoC) for him.

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