The trend of integrating AI into digital platforms continues. In the latest Android beta release (2.26.9.4), the company has introduced a feature that allows users to organize their chat history with the help of Meta AI.

Organize WhatsApp chats with Meta AI (Source: WABetaInfo)

Some beta testers can access a new feature that lets them review their conversations with Meta AI. Each time a user sends a new prompt, the chatbot starts a separate conversation, and the information shared within that thread is used to understand context and respond to subsequent messages.

Despite this separation, all messages exchanged with Meta AI are still displayed within a single interface, even when they belong to different conversations.

“With the latest update, WhatsApp is making it easier for users to track information shared in specific conversations with Meta AI. Each conversation is now treated as a separate thread, so information from one chat is not automatically carried over to another. However, memory is still shared across all AI threads unless users choose to disable it from the contact info screen,” WABetaInfo reported.

The feature may appeal to users who value AI-assisted organization. It also raises questions about data handling and privacy.

Messages sent to Meta AI are processed on the company’s servers to generate responses and maintain context. These exchanges fall outside WhatsApp’s standard end-to-end encrypted user-to-user model.

Users may disclose sensitive details, including health, financial or personal information, without knowing how long the data is stored or how it may be used. That creates privacy concerns, particularly in the EU, where regulators have said certain forms of AI data processing may require explicit consent.

The company has already faced criticism over its AI training practices.

According to a company blog post, the AI feature allows Meta to personalize content and advertising based on users’ interactions with its generative AI tools. There is no opt-out for this data use, and it applies to anyone who engages with Meta AI on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Messenger.

Meta says it is investing significant effort in protecting user privacy. How those safeguards perform over time remains to be seen.

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Anthropic suffered widespread service disruptions Monday morning, leaving thousands of users unable to access its Claude AI platform. Most users reporting problems said they encountered errors when attempting to log in. The first notice was posted at 11:49 UTC. In its latest update, the company said it was continuing to work on a fix for the issue after discovering that some API methods were not functioning properly. The disruption comes at a sensitive time for … More →

The post Anthropic’s Claude hit by widespread service outage (updated) appeared first on Help Net Security.

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Five years can feel like a commitment, but not for a quality VPN this cheap. Right now, you can get an iProVPN five-year subscription on sale for just $19.99 at StackSocial, down from its $360 list price. Instead of paying month to month or even annually, you’re effectively paying about $4 per year. At that price, the money isn't as much a concern as whether the service fits how you actually use the internet. So let's focus on that.

iProVPN positions itself as a general-purpose VPN, not a niche privacy tool meant for power users. In day-to-day use, iProVPN covers most of what people expect from a modern VPN: It runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, browsers, routers, and even consoles and streaming devices. You can connect up to 10 devices at once, which is enough to cover a laptop, phone, tablet, and a few shared household devices. The service uses AES 256-bit encryption and includes a kill switch, so your connection shuts off if the VPN drops instead of leaking data. There’s also a Smart Connect option that automatically picks the fastest server, which matters if you don’t want to manually test locations. Speaking of, it has a reasonable geographic spread with over 250 servers across more than 45 countries. Streaming access is supported for services like Netflix, Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer, and speeds are generally stable thanks to WireGuard and OpenVPN support, plus 10 Gbps servers in some locations.

While iProVPN advertises a strict no-logs policy and added features like malware blocking and split tunneling, it doesn’t have the long public track record or independent audits that some higher-priced competitors do. Advanced users who want continuous server expansion or access to niche locations may find the network a bit limited. You also need to activate the plan within 30 days of purchase. Still, for casual streaming, basic privacy on public wifi, torrenting with P2P-friendly servers, and general everyday use, this subscription makes sense on cost alone.

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If you're in the market for a new iPhone, good news: Apple just announced one. Despite the company's big event planned for Wednesday, it decided to drop some product news early, including its newest "affordable" phone, the iPhone 17e. While affordable certainly doesn't mean "cheap," the "e-series" offers most of what you'd expect in an iPhone with a price tag lot lower than $1,000.

At first glance, the new iPhone 17e looks remarkably like the iPhone 16e. That's because the phones are functionally the same in design. You'll still get the same 6.1-inch display with 800 nits of brightness (1200 nits for HDR); the same overall dimensions, minus an extra .08 ounces; the same IP68 water and dust resistance; a single camera on the back that supports 4K Dolby Vision video; and the same battery life (Apple says 26 hours of video playback). But though there are many similarities, that doesn't mean these are the same iPhones. In fact, there are a number of upgrades that make the iPhone 17e an interesting choice, especially for the price.

A faster chip, and what else is new with the iPhone 17e

The big hardware upgrade here is the A19 chip: If you take a look at the Geekbench scores for the iPhone 17 (A19) and the iPhone 16e (A18), you'll see the advantage. The iPhone 17 scored 3627 in single-core, and 9249 in multi-core, with a GPU score of 37146. The 16e scored 3242 in single-core, 7976 in multi-core, and 23888. These are all numbers on paper, and we'll need to see how the A19 runs on the 17e itself, but there's a real leap here, especially in multi-core and GPU performance. That means even if you're coming from last year's iPhone, you should see improvements in intense games and professional workflows, though not as much for simpler tasks. (I don't think anyone is writing home about how fast Notes opens on an A19 iPhone.)

That's not to say the A19 alone is reason enough to upgrade from an iPhone 16e. It's true there are performance jumps, but they're not making the A18 obsolete, nor the A17 for that matter. In fact, Apple press release compares the speed of the iPhone 17e to the iPhone 11, which shows you how good the iPhones in between still are, even in 2026. Still, we have to acknowledge the hardware gains here: The A19 is a 3nm chip, with a four-core GPU featuring "Neural Accelerators," which Apple says gives games a boost.

A faster modem

The 17e also gets the C1X, Apple's in-house modem. The company says this hardware is up to two times faster than the C1 modem in the iPhone 16e, and uses 30% less energy than the modem in the iPhone 16 Pro. That may help increase battery life when out and about, while maintaining speeds when connected to cellular networks.

A "better" camera

While the 17e still has one rear camera, Apple says it benefits from some improvements—namely, it's now a "48MP Fusion" camera, with "optical-quality 2x Telephoto." Optical-quality is not optical, as this lens won't actually "zoom," but Apple seems to say the larger sensor can mimic the quality of a 2x camera. While the iPhone 16e supports Portrait mode with depth control, Apple says the 17e supports "next-generation portraits" with depth and focus control.

Credit: apple

A more durable display

One small upgrade that actually will make a big difference is Ceramic Shield 2. This is the display tech that the rest of the iPhone 17 series comes with, and, surprisingly, is one of my favorite features of my 17 Pro Max. Apple says the new glass has three times the scratch resistance, and while I can't speak to those numbers exactly, I haven't seen a single scratch on my screen since buying my phone (knock on wood).

MagSafe charging

The iPhone 17e also supports MagSafe, something the iPhone 16e was missing. That means the new iPhone supports first and third-party MagSafe accessories, but also Apple's faster Qi2 wireless charging, with a 15W or 20W adapter or higher.

Credit: Apple

How to buy the iPhone 17e

The iPhone 17e starts at $599 for 256GB of storage—double the amount the 16e starts with. (That's effectively a price cut right there.) You can also choose to upgrade to 512GB for $799. It's available in black, white, or soft pink.

Apple says the iPhone 17e will be available to preorder starting March 4, likely after its big keynote presentation, and will be available to buy starting March 11. Curiously, that's the same day Samsung is launching the Galaxy S26 series.

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Enterprises are pushing AI deeper into workflows that touch sensitive data across cloud platforms and SaaS apps. The 2026 Thales Data Threat Report, based on a survey of 3,120 respondents in 20 countries, places that shift alongside growing pressure on data protection, identity controls, and cloud security.

A dedicated budget for AI security is becoming more common. Thirty percent of respondents report having a dedicated AI security budget, up from 20% in the prior year. Many organizations continue to fund AI initiatives through existing security allocations, which keeps AI risk management closely tied to broader cyber programs.

Deepfake activity and AI generated misinformation are now part of routine threat modeling. Fifty nine percent of respondents report experiencing deepfake attacks. Reputational damage linked to AI generated misinformation reaches 48%. These figures sit alongside broader concerns about the security of AI ecosystems and data pipelines that feed models.

Cloud remains a primary attack surface

Cloud assets continue to rank among the most targeted resources. Cloud based storage, cloud delivered applications, and cloud management infrastructure hold the top three positions in reported attack targets at 35%, 34%, and 32% respectively.

The average organization uses 2.26 cloud providers and 89 SaaS applications. That footprint increases the number of identities, interfaces, and data stores that require oversight.

Credential abuse stands out in attacks against cloud management infrastructure. 67% cite credential theft or compromise, including misappropriated secrets, as a leading technique. Third party vulnerabilities and API exposures also register prominently, reinforcing the concentration of risk around identity and access pathways.

Encryption coverage in cloud environments shows uneven adoption. Forty seven percent of sensitive cloud data is encrypted in 2026, down from 51% in 2025. The data reflects gaps in consistent protection across workloads and storage tiers.

Tool sprawl and limited visibility

Data protection programs often span multiple point solutions. 77% report using five or more data protection tools, reflecting broad tool sprawl across environments. That distribution adds friction to policy enforcement and limits consistent telemetry across platforms.

Visibility into data location remains constrained. Only 34% report complete knowledge of where their data is stored. Many organizations continue to track structured and unstructured data across hybrid estates with partial inventories and uneven classification.

Nearly half report using five or more key management systems. Encryption strategies vary between enterprise managed keys and provider managed services, creating mixed control models within the same organization.

Misconfiguration and human error remain the most common causes of data breaches at 28%. Configuration governance and access control discipline continue to influence incident frequency across cloud and SaaS deployments.

Breach reporting differs across leadership tiers. Seventy eight percent of CEOs, presidents, and managing directors report no experience with an on premises breach, compared with 58% across the broader survey population. For cloud breaches, 62% of executives report no prior incident history, compared with 54% overall. The gap reflects differing visibility and reporting perspectives within organizations.

Sovereignty and cryptographic planning

Data sovereignty initiatives continue to influence architecture decisions. Portability is cited by 45% as the primary driver of a sovereignty initiative. Thirty four percent cite a desire for full control over software and data. Workload placement also factors into planning, with 49% indicating that the physical location of cloud infrastructure is important for some or all workloads.

Quantum risk is moving from theory into program planning. Harvest now, decrypt later is cited by 61% as the top quantum-related concern. Fifty nine percent report prototyping and evaluating post quantum cryptographic algorithms. These efforts signal early stage preparation for cryptographic transition in anticipation of future quantum capabilities.

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Gaming handhelds are in a bit of a rough spot right now. The Nintendo Switch 2 costs significantly more than its predecessor, the Steam Deck is out of stock in most regions, and the Xbox handheld is prone to bugs. Plus, they're all huge.

Lenovo has been one of the better companies in this space of late, releasing two of my favorite gaming handhelds running, but the company apparently isn't done with handhelds yet. At Mobile World Congress, Lenovo showed off its newest concept, the modular Legion Go Fold handheld, a device that tries to solve pretty much every problem in gaming handhelds through one neat trick: It's also a foldable tablet.

Various ways to use the Lenovo Legion Go Fold Concept Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

The device is essentially a tablet with an 11.6-inch OLED screen that can fold in half, but it comes with two controller halves that can attach to it in a number of ways. While you can use the full screen horizontally if you like, with one controller half on either side, you can also orient the tablet vertically for a "dual-screen" experience. Or, fold that vertical orientation over itself for a more compact 7.7-inch screen. There's also a stand and Bluetooth keyboard you can use to turn the tablet into a pseudo laptop, and you can even connect the controller halves to a connector piece to turn it into a standalone controller that doesn't need to be attached to the tablet. I tried all of these configurations, and they mostly felt comfortable, although I'll admit the "dual-screen" mode did feel a little top heavy on the early prototype I tested.

Lenovo's "FPS Mode" even makes a return, so you can take the right-hand controller piece and slot it into a special dock to use it like a mouse. Essentially, this thing can play in pretty much any orientation or form factor you can think of, meaning you won't need to buy multiple handhelds for different use cases anymore. The tablet is Windows-based, too, promising more app compatibility than Android. And one of the controller halves even has its own tiny OLED screen, for keeping an eye on important performance stats.

The catch? Like a lot of Lenovo's more interesting devices, the Legion Go Fold is just a concept for now. If you want to see it come to fruition, you'll have to make your voice heard with an email or social post—Lenovo has a history of making good on its concepts, so you never know if the company is just testing the waters to gauge interest.

Unfortunately, because it's a concept, there's no word on what the Legion Go Fold might cost, although I do know the prototype I saw was decked out with an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Based on Lenovo's other gaming handhelds, I'd have to guess this would start for at least $600, and could go as high as $1,100, which is obviously pricier than the Switch 2 or Steam Deck, but might be worth it for all this device can do.

Lenovo also showed off a Framework competitor

ThinkPad Modular AI PC Concept Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

The Legion Go Fold is the clear standout among Lenovo's MWC lineup, but there are a few other noteworthy devices worth calling out.

Alongside iterations on existing laptops and consumer tablets that will be making their way to market later this year, Lenovo also showed off the ThinkBook Modular AI PC concept, which reads like the company's approach to the Framework Laptop. This device seems like a normal laptop at first, but you can swap out the keyboard for a second display if you'd like. You can then use that display for touch input, or continue to use the keyboard you just removed wirelessly. There's also an integrated kickstand, so you can prop up the second display to become an external monitor instead, and slot the second display into the laptop lid to use the device like a tablet while it's closed.

So far, none of that is especially Framework-y, but the kicker is that this concept's ports are modular, so you can mix and match how many USB or ethernet connections you have. That's something we haven't really seen from any company other than Framework, so it looked like Lenovo decided to see that laptop's bet and then raise it.

Concepts for Lenovo AI Workmate (left), Lenovo AI Work Companion (center), Yoga Wireless Webcam (right) Credit: Lenovo

The Lenovo Workmate is an odd AI device

In the enterprise space, there's the Lenovo AI Workmate, a concept that basically attaches an AI chatbot to an animated touchscreen and puts it on an articulating robot arm. It's supposed to be able to do regular computer things, like scan documents or even create PowerPoints, but looking at the thing, I think the idea is to make you greet your new robot overlords with a smile.

Also, while I didn't get to see them, Lenovo also showed off concepts for the AI Work Companion, which focuses more on scheduling and look like a retro alarm clock, and the Yoga Wireless Webcam, which can stream 4K video to your computer from a distance.

Lenovo Yoga Book Pro 3D Concept Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Finally, the company showed off a glasses-free 3D laptop concept, called the Yoga Book Pro 3D. Devices like these have become common among creatives in the past few years, but what sets this one apart is that it comes with magnetic pucks you can place on it to summon certain tools in your editing programs.

Again, these concepts aren't guaranteed to come to market, but they certainly bring some much-needed oddball energy to the table at a time when other big companies are sticking with tried-and-true designs. Here's hoping the RAM crisis doesn't keep them in the lab longer than necessary.

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Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles, interviews and videos:

Identity verification systems are struggling with synthetic fraud
Fake and expired IDs keep showing up in routine customer transactions, from alcohol purchases to credit card applications. The problem shows up most often in industries that depend on fast onboarding and remote transactions, where identity checks rely heavily on scanned documents and automated workflows.

Enterprises are racing to secure agentic AI deployments
AI assistants are tied into ticketing systems, source code repositories, chat platforms, and cloud dashboards across many enterprises. In some environments, these systems can open pull requests, query internal databases, book services, and trigger automated workflows with limited human involvement. The State of AI Security 2026 from Cisco places this level of access inside a growing pattern of AI-driven operations that connect directly to core business systems.

The hidden security cost of treating labs like data centers
In this Help Net Security interview, Rich Kellen, VP, CISO at IFF, explains why security teams should not treat OT labs like IT environments. He discusses how compromise can damage scientific integrity and create safety risks that backups cannot fix.

AI is becoming part of everyday criminal workflows
Underground forums include long threads about chatbots drafting phishing emails, generating code snippets, and coaching social engineering calls. A new study examined conversations captured between January 1, 2025 and July 31, 2025 across dozens of cybercrime forums to map how AI tools are entering day to day criminal operations.

AI-driven DAST reduces manual setup and surfaces exploitable vulnerabilities
In this Help Net Security interview, Joni Klippert, CEO at StackHawk, discusses what defines DAST coverage in 2026 and why scan completion does not equal security. She explains how AI-driven DAST testing automates attack surface discovery, supports business-logic testing in pre-production, and reduces the manual setup that has limited adoption. Klippert also describes how organizations can implement runtime testing without instrumenting production systems.

Review: Digital Forensics, Investigation, and Response, 5th Edition
Digital Forensics, Investigation, and Response, 5th Edition presents a structured survey of the digital forensics discipline. The book spans foundational principles, platform specific analysis, specialized branches, and incident response integration.

Open-source security debt grows across commercial software
Open source code sits inside nearly every commercial application, and development teams continue to add new dependencies. Black Duck’s 2026 Open Source Security and Risk Analysis Report data shows that nearly all audited codebases contain open source components, with average component counts rising sharply over the past year.

The $19.5 million insider risk problem
Routine employee activity across corporate systems carries an average annual cost of $19.5 million per organization. That figure comes from the 2026 Cost of Insider Risks Global Report, conducted by the Ponemon Institute and based on data from 354 organizations that experienced one or more material insider related incidents over the past year.

Industrial networks continue to leak onto the internet
Industrial operators continue to run remote access portals, building automation servers, and other operational technology services on public IP address ranges. Palo Alto Networks, Siemens, and Idaho National Laboratory describe the scope of that exposure in the Intelligence-Driven Active Defense Report 2026.

DeVry University’s CISO on higher education cybersecurity risk
In this Help Net Security interview, Fred Kwong, VP, CISO at DeVry University, outlines how the university balances academic openness with cyber risk. He describes how systems for students are separated from back end operations to limit exposure.

Japanese chip-testing toolmaker Advantest suffers ransomware attack
Japanese tech testing company Advantest has suffered a ransomware attack, the company confirmed last Thursday, after detecting unusual activity within its IT environment on February 15, 2026.

Fake troubleshooting tip on ClawHub leads to infostealer infection
A new malware delivery campaign has hit ClawHub, the official online repository for “skills” that augment the capabilities of the popular OpenClaw AI agent. Unlike previous ones, this campaign does not aim to trick users into downloading a bogus, malicious skill.

Self-spreading npm malware targets developers in new supply chain attack
Security researchers have uncovered another supply chain attack targeting developers: 19 typosquatting npm packages published on npmjs.com that steal credentials, infect projects, and propagate themselves across developer environments.

CISA flags exploited FileZen command injection bug, patch now! (CVE-2026-25108)
CISA has added CVE-2026-25108, an OS command injection vulnerability in Soliton Systems’ FileZen secure file transfer solution, to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. The vendor has confirmed active exploitation, stating it has received multiple reports of damage caused by attackers abusing the flaw.

SolarWinds Serv-U hit by four critical RCE-level vulnerabilities
SolarWinds has fixed four critical vulnerabilities in its popular Serv-U file transfer solution, which is used by businesses and organizations of all sizes. If exploited, the flaws may allow attackers to create a system admin user and/or execute code as a privileged account.

Threat actor leveraged Cisco SD-WAN zero-day since 2023 (CVE-2026-20127)
A “highly sophisticated” cyber threat actor has been exploiting a zero-day authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2026-20127) in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller (formerly vSmart) and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager (formerly SD-WAN vManage), Cisco has announced.

Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters seeks women for vishing attacks
The Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters (SLH) hacking collective has launched a recruitment push aimed specifically at women, offering cash payments for participating in voice-phishing (vishing) attacks. A few days ago, threat intelligence firm Dataminr detected posts on a public Telegram channel advertising roles for female callers willing to conduct social-engineering phone operations.

Why SOCs are moving toward autonomous security operations in 2026
The modern security operations center faces a crisis of scale that human effort cannot fix. With alert volumes exponentially growing and threat actors automating their attacks, organizations must pivot to autonomous SOC strategies. This shift to AI-driven defense is the only way to survive the operational realities of 2026.

Binding Operational Directive 26-02 sets deadlines for edge device replacement
In this Help Net Security video, Jen Sovada, General Manager, Public Sector at Claroty, explains CISA’s Binding Operational Directive 26-02 and what it means for federal agencies. The directive requires agencies to inventory, report, decommission, and replace unsupported edge devices such as firewalls, routers, switches, load balancers, and wireless access points.

Police seize 100,000 stolen Facebook credentials in cybercrime raid
Officers from Poland’s Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime (CBZC) dismantled an organized group that used phishing to seize Facebook accounts and extract BLIK payment codes from victims.

Spanish police arrest suspected Anonymous members over DDoS attacks on government sites
Spanish police (Guardia Civil) arrested four members of the hacktivist group Anonymous Fénix over DDoS attacks targeting ministries, political parties and public institutions. Police identified the organization’s leadership, including its administrator and moderator, who were arrested in May 2025 in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) and Oviedo (Asturias).

Security and complexity slow the next phase of enterprise AI agent adoption
Enterprise AI agents are embedded in routine business processes, particularly inside engineering and IT operations. Many organizations report active production deployments, and agent development ranks high on strategic agendas. A new study from Docker, The State of Agentic AI Report, examines how enterprises are deploying agentic systems and the challenges emerging as deployments scale.

Microsoft extends security patching for three Windows products at a price
Support is ending for three Windows products released in 2016, with deadlines beginning in October 2026. Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2016 LTSB will reach end of support on October 13, 2026, followed by Windows Server 2016 on January 12, 2027.

International operation dismantles fraud network, €400,000 seized
A coordinated international operation supported by Eurojust dismantled a fraudulent call centre operating from three offices and targeting citizens throughout Europe. Authorities arrested 11 suspects and seized more than €400,000 in cash.

Teenagers charged over public bike service breach that exposed 4.62 million records
Two South Korean teenagers have been charged in connection with a cyberattack that compromised the personal data of 4.62 million users of Seoul’s public bike service, Ttareungyi. The compromised data included user IDs, mobile phone numbers, addresses, dates of birth, gender, and weight.

Airline brands become launchpads for phishing, crypto fraud
Airline brands sit at the center of peak travel booking cycles, loyalty programs, and high value transactions. Criminal groups continue to register thousands of lookalike domains tied to these brands, targeting travelers, employees, and business partners. Recent threat intelligence from BforeAI’s PreCrime Labs identifies sustained impersonation activity across the global commercial airline sector.

Cyber valuations climb as capital concentrates, AI security expands
Venture funding in cybersecurity continued to concentrate in large private rounds at the end of 2025, driving valuations higher across stages. Data from DataTribe shows total capital invested approached $150 billion for the year, with a disproportionate share flowing into fewer than 100 deals.

Ex-L3Harris executive sentenced to 87 months for selling stolen cyber-exploit trade secrets
Peter Williams, a former executive of Trenchant, L3Harris’ cyber division, has been sentenced to 87 months in prison by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., after pleading guilty to stealing and selling sensitive cyber-exploit trade secrets to a Russian broker.

Anthropic’s Remote Control feature brings Claude Code to mobile devices
Anthropic has introduced a new Claude Code feature called Remote Control, allowing developers to continue a local coding session from a phone, tablet, or any web browser. The feature is rolling out as a research preview to Max users.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 turns privacy into a visible and invisible feature
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is out, offering plenty of security features that protect personal data while providing users with transparency and control over how their information is used. The feature that grabbed the spotlight is the built-in Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra model, designed to help keep on-screen activity out of view in public places.

Telegram rises to top spot in job scam activity
Encrypted messaging platforms are becoming a primary channel for Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, with Telegram representing a growing share of reported cases, according to the Revolut report.

NATO greenlights iPhone and iPad for classified information handling
Apple confirmed that the iPhone and iPad have been approved for use with classified information in NATO restricted environments. The devices will no longer require special software or settings to handle NATO restricted-level information.

Microsoft taps ASUS and Dell for the Windows 365 Cloud PC strategy
Microsoft is adding two new Windows 365 Cloud PC devices, the ASUS NUC 16 for Windows 365 and the Dell Pro Desktop for Windows 365, expanding hardware options for its cloud-based desktop service. Both devices are scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2026, with distribution varying by region and model.

Meta tightens grip on scam advertisers
Meta is stepping up the fight against scams on its platforms by filing multiple lawsuits targeting companies and individuals in Brazil, China, and Vietnam who used deceptive tactics to run scam ads. The company said it has taken technical enforcement actions in these cases, including suspending payment methods used in the scams, disabling accounts linked to those operations, and blocking domains associated with scam sites.

Coroot: Open-source observability and APM tool
Coroot is an open-source observability and application performance monitoring tool. The core software, published in Go and accompanied by companion repositories such as coroot-node-agent, focuses on collecting telemetry data across systems. It uses extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) technology to gather metrics and trace inter-service communications without manual instrumentation of application code.

Perplexity AI lands on Samsung’s next Galaxy lineup
Samsung will add Perplexity to its upcoming Galaxy S26 devices as part of its Galaxy AI multi-agent ecosystem expansion. Users will be able to access Perplexity through quick-access controls, such as pressing and holding the side button, or by using the voice wake phrase “Hey, Plex.”

WhatsApp is adding another lock to your account
Meta has released WhatsApp Beta for Android 2.26.7.8 through the Google Play Beta Program. The update includes references to password-protected accounts, indicating plans to introduce an additional layer of protection beyond the app’s current authentication options.

Windows 365 for Agents brings managed cloud PCs to autonomous workflows
Microsoft’s Windows 365 for Agents is a cloud platform that gives AI agents secure access to cloud PCs. It lets builders run copilots, agents, and automated workflows in Windows environments without managing infrastructure. The platform includes security, policy controls, scalability, and visibility so agents can browse websites, process data, and complete tasks inside a managed cloud PC.

Microsoft expands Sovereign Cloud security with governance, local productivity and AI
Microsoft expands Microsoft Sovereign Cloud with new disconnected and AI capabilities that help organizations run critical infrastructure, productivity services and large AI models inside sovereign boundaries while keeping governance and operational continuity across connected and disconnected environments.

Edge systems take the brunt of internet-wide exploitation attempts
Internet-facing VPNs, routers, and remote access services absorbed sustained exploitation attempts throughout the second half of 2025, with nearly 3 billion malicious sessions recorded over 162 days. The concentration on edge infrastructure aligns with how attackers pursue initial access across the public internet.

Microsoft adds domain libraries and Copilot integration to the quantum development kit
The Microsoft Quantum Development Kit (QDK) is an open-source toolkit that runs on laptops and in common development environments. It includes code, simulators, libraries, and workflows that work with Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot. Integration with these tools gives developers features for writing, testing, debugging, and submitting quantum code.

Apple blocks 18+ app downloads in select markets
Apple has introduced expanded age assurance tools to help developers comply with regulations taking effect in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana. The updates, available in beta, expand the Declared Age Range API and related App Store systems.

Reddit fined $19.5 million for failing to protect children’s personal data
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Reddit $19.5 million after finding that the company failed to use children’s personal information lawfully, exposing them to inappropriate and harmful content.

Hottest cybersecurity open-source tools of the month: February 2026
This month’s roundup features exceptional open-source cybersecurity tools that are gaining attention for strengthening security across various environments.

Wireshark 4.6.4 resolves dissector flaws, plugin compatibility issue
Packet inspection remains a routine activity across enterprise networks, incident response workflows, and malware investigations. Continuous use places long-term stability and parsing accuracy at the center of daily operations. Wireshark version 4.6.4 addresses two vulnerabilities affecting protocol dissectors and resolves a plugin compatibility issue within the 4.6 release series.

Fraudsters integrate ChatGPT into global scam campaigns
AI models are being folded into fraud and influence operations that follow long standing tactics. A February 2026 update to OpenAI’s Disrupting Malicious Uses of Our Models report details how ChatGPT and related API access were used in romance scams, fake legal services, coordinated influence campaigns, and a state linked harassment effort.

AWS Security Hub Extended brings enterprise security under one roof
AWS Security Hub Extended is a plan within Security Hub that simplifies how customers procure, deploy, and integrate a full-stack enterprise security solution across endpoint, identity, email, network, data, browser, cloud, AI, and security operations.

The CISO role keeps getting heavier
Personal liability is becoming a routine part of the CISO job. In Splunk’s 2026 CISO Report, titled From Risk to Resilience in the AI Era, 78% of CISOs said they are concerned about their own liability for security incidents, up from 56% last year. The role carries personal exposure alongside operational accountability, and that shift is influencing how security leaders approach risk, documentation, and board communication.

Android app uses Bluetooth signals to detect nearby smart glasses
Smart glasses with built-in cameras are showing up in more public spaces, and a growing number of people want a way to know when one is nearby. An Android app called Nearby Glasses, developed by Yves Jeanrenaud, attempts to fill that gap by scanning Bluetooth Low Energy traffic for manufacturer identifiers associated with known smart glasses makers.

Ransomware activity peaks outside business hours
Intrusions continue to center on credential access and timed execution outside standard business hours. The Sophos Active Adversary Report 2026 analyzes 661 incident response and managed detection and response cases handled between November 1, 2024 and October 31, 2025, spanning organizations in 70 countries.

Android 17 second beta expands privacy controls for contacts, SMS and local networks
Google’s second beta of Android 17 continues updates to platform behavior and introduces new APIs focused on protecting sensitive data.

Europol goes after The Com’s ransomware and extortion networks
Law enforcement agencies across 28 countries have spent the past year building cases against a loosely organized collective known as The Com, a decentralized network of mostly teenagers and young adults linked to high-profile ransomware attacks, financial extortion, and the coercion of vulnerable children.

Cybersecurity jobs available right now: February 24, 2026
We’ve scoured the market to bring you a selection of roles that span various skill levels within the cybersecurity field. Check out this weekly selection of cybersecurity jobs available right now.

New infosec products of the month: February 2026
Here’s a look at the most interesting products from the past month, featuring releases from Aikido Security, Avast, Armis, Black Duck, Compliance Scorecard, Fingerprint, Gremlin, Impart Security, Portnox, Redpanda, Socure, SpecterOps, Veza, and Virtana.

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