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Cybersecurity researchers have flagged a new malware campaign that infects Windows systems with a Linux virtual instance containing a backdoor capable of establishing remote access to the compromised hosts. The "intriguing" campaign, codenamed CRON#TRAP, starts with a malicious Windows shortcut (LNK) file likely distributed in the form of a ZIP archive via a phishing email. "What makes the CRON#Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Thursday added a now-patched critical security flaw impacting Palo Alto Networks Expedition to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, citing evidence of active exploitation. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-5910 (CVSS score: 9.3), concerns a case of missing authentication in the Expedition migration tool that

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Thursday added a now-patched critical security flaw impacting Palo Alto Networks Expedition to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, citing evidence of active exploitation. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-5910 (CVSS score: 9.3), concerns a case of missing authentication in the Expedition migration tool that Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

North Korean threat actor BlueNoroff has been targeting crypto-related businesses with a new multi-stage malware for macOS systems. [...]

Today, CISA warned that attackers are exploiting a critical missing authentication vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks Expedition, a migration tool that can help convert firewall configuration from Checkpoint, Cisco, and other vendors to PAN-OS. [...]

Nokia's investigation of recent claims of a data breach found that the source code leaked on a hacker forum belongs to a third party and company and customer data has not been impacted. [...]

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into whether US glass producer Corning, known for its Gorilla Glass, might have abused its dominant position in the market for protective glass for electronic devices. Corning’s products are used, among other things, in several of Apple’s and Samsung’s devices.

The Commission suspects the company might have entered into anticompetitive agreements with cell phone makers and glass refiners, including claims for exclusive purchases and discounts based on those pacts. Gorilla Glass has been used in mobile devices for more than a decade.

The agreements might have prevented competitors from entering the market, reducing consumer choice, raising prices and inhibiting innovation. If Corning is found guilty, the company could be fined. Before that happens, Corning will have the chance to respond to the European Commission’s objections and the investigation can be closed if the company fulfills certain commitments.

Does anyone else out there remember Xserve? 

Discontinued in 2010, this was an Apple server that saw adoption as a supercomputer cluster, and found another use within movie industry workflows as a RAID system. Fans might be interested to know that an Xserve cluster at Virginia Tech ranked No. 7 on the Top 500 list of supercomputers in 2004, topping out at 12.25 teraflops of performance. (That, incidentally, is about the performance of an iPhone 12, or an M1-based Mac.)

Holding it wrong

Apple discontinued the Xserve with a famously terse Steve Jobs email apparently claiming “hardly anyone was buying it.”

Today, with what is arguably the world’s most performant low-power computer chips rolling off production lines, the Apple Silicon opportunity means the company is returning to the server market; it’s tasking Foxconn with making M4-powered servers to run Apple Intelligence as that service gets rolled out globally over the coming year. 

Apple Intelligence servers are currently powered by the M2 Ultra chip, but Apple intends to upgrade these to M4 chips next year. It is alleged that the choice of Taiwan is deliberate, as the company hopes to gain some input from engineers who have worked on Nvidia servers, though as Apple Intelligence is an internal Apple project there’s no conflict of interest in that proposal — at least, not yet.

After all, Apple is not competing in the server market simply by making servers for its own AI, though its M4 Ultra chip might even outperform Nvidia’s mighty RTX 4090 processor, reports claim. So perhaps there’s a pathway there.

Apple now makes servers

Apple uses these servers for Apple Intelligence functions that require more power than the Apple device used to request the task. When those tasks are uploaded to the cloud, they are given to Apple’s own super-private servers or (optionally) outsourced to OpenAI.

To protect the flow of data, the company’s Private Cloud Compute is a server-based Apple Intelligence rig that lets Mac, iPhone, and iPad users exploit Apple’s own AI in the cloud. What’s important about the service is that it maintains the high privacy and security we already expect from Apple. That means Apple won’t get to see or keep your data and will not know what you’ve requested. “Private Cloud Compute allows Apple Intelligence to process complex user requests with groundbreaking privacy,” said Craig Federighi , Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering. 

The idea is that you can use these LLM tools with peace of mind — the kind any rational person will require when handling their own information. I’ve argued before that this is what every cloud-based AI service should strive to deliver, though I don’t think they will; too many business models are based around capturing, exploiting, and even selling information about their users. That’s why some companies ban staff from using AI.

Perhaps it could sell or rent these servers?

The one thing Apple Intelligence has that perhaps isn’t being fully explained is that Apple also offers developers APIs so they can weave the generative AI technology into their products. Right now, that means introducing Apple Intelligence features within them, but given the importance of AI to developers, and the desire among some of them to make smart tools that can be used privately for specific use cases, at what point might Apple offer Private Cloud Compute as a service to provide trusted computing? Perhaps that is why it is putting the system through such rigorous security review?

There has to be an opportunity. There will be some companies who want to make their own AI solutions, but demand the kind of hardcore security Private Cloud Compute provides. Given that Apple has tasked Foxconn with making servers to support that service, at what point will provision of the servers, along with the bare bones, highly secure, software they run, become a business opportunity? There’s a business case, and given Apple is already leading the industry in just how willing it is to open these boxes up for security review, it feels like a potential direction — if there’s any money in it.

And there clearly is — quite a lot, in fact.

As everything becomes AI, where’s the money?

Recognition of the value and need for AI servers is, in part, what has driven Nvidia’s market cap to intermittently overtake that of Apple this year. The need for servers to provide support for AI is a growth opportunity for all in the space — except perhaps for Intel and AMD, who are watching as ARM’s reference designs define expectations for processor performance.

Whether it wants to be or not, Apple is in the server business, and now that it is, it makes sense for the company to generate more revenue from it. After all, who else promises the kind of rock-solid platform-focused security? Who else can provide such fast chips at such low energy requirements? The only snag in this particular ointment is that Apple Intelligence is not inherently cross-platform, though this hasn’t really got in the way of the company’s success for the last couple of decades. 

Please follow me on LinkedIn, Mastodon, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill group on MeWe.

The Canadian government has ordered the dissolution of TikTok Technology Canada following a multi-step review that provided information and evidence of the social media company posing a national risk. [...]

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) released updates for Instant AOS-8 and AOS-10 software to address two critical vulnerabilities in Aruba Networking Access Points. [...]

In an internal meeting, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy responded to recent criticism from many employees about the company’s new plan for a full return to the office in January. The mandate means that as the beginning of the new year, almost all employees will have to be in the office five days a week.

Jassy said ​​the aim is not to force any resignations among staffers or to satisfy decision-makers in cities, which were among the allegations made by angry employees, Reuters reports.

Employees have also objected that return-to-work plan is stricter than arrangements at other large tech companies and that it will make work less efficient due to commuting times. Jassy previously said his goal is to increase efficiency at work and promote collaboration and innovation.

A threat actor with ties to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been observed targeting cryptocurrency-related businesses with a multi-stage malware capable of infecting Apple macOS devices. Cybersecurity company SentinelOne, which dubbed the campaign Hidden Risk, attributed it with high confidence to BlueNoroff, which has been previously linked to malware families such as

A threat actor with ties to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been observed targeting cryptocurrency-related businesses with a multi-stage malware capable of infecting Apple macOS devices. Cybersecurity company SentinelOne, which dubbed the campaign Hidden Risk, attributed it with high confidence to BlueNoroff, which has been previously linked to malware families such as Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Defending your organization’s security is like fortifying a castle—you need to understand where attackers will strike and how they’ll try to breach your walls. And hackers are always searching for weaknesses, whether it’s a lax password policy or a forgotten backdoor. To build a stronger defense, you must think like a hacker and anticipate their moves. Read on to learn more about hackers'

Defending your organization’s security is like fortifying a castle—you need to understand where attackers will strike and how they’ll try to breach your walls. And hackers are always searching for weaknesses, whether it’s a lax password policy or a forgotten backdoor. To build a stronger defense, you must think like a hacker and anticipate their moves. Read on to learn more about hackers' The Hacker Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

AMD has launched its first open-source large language models (LLMs) under the OLMo brand, aiming to strengthen its position in the competitive AI landscape led by giants like Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm.

AMD OLMo is a series of 1-billion parameter large language models trained from scratch using trillions of tokens on a cluster of AMD Instinct MI250 GPUs. They are designed to excel in reasoning, instruction-following, and chat while embracing an open-source ethos that allows developers access to data, weights, training recipes, and code.

“Continuing AMD tradition of open-sourcing models and code to help the community advance together, we are excited to release our first series of fully open 1 billion parameter language models, AMD OLMo,” AMD said in a statement.

AMD’s open-source approach positions OLMo as an accessible and scalable option for companies seeking alternatives in AI technology. The model can be deployed in data centers or on AMD Ryzen AI PCs equipped with neural processing units (NPUs), allowing developers to leverage advanced AI directly on personal devices, the statement added.

“AMD is following Nvidia’s lead by expanding into the large language model (LLM) space alongside its well-established strength in computing hardware — a direction that Intel and Qualcomm have not yet fully embraced,” said Abhigyan Malik, practice director at Everest Group. “By fostering an open ecosystem, AMD enables developers to innovate and build diverse applications through a network effect.”

According to Malik, this strategy amplifies AMD’s core value proposition, particularly in driving demand for its underlying hardware, including AMD Instinct MI250 GPUs and Ryzen CPUs, where “AMD seeks to create lasting market impact.”

Extensive training and fine-tuning

The OLMo series follows a detailed three-phase training and fine-tuning process, according to AMD.

Initially, OLMo 1B was pre-trained on a subset of the Dolma v1.7 dataset using a transformer model focused on next-token prediction. This helped the model grasp general language patterns. In its second phase, the OLMo 1B was supervised and fine-tuned (SFT) on multiple datasets to refine its capabilities in science, coding, and mathematics.

The final model, OLMo 1B SFT DPO, was optimized with Direct Preference Optimization (DPO) based on human feedback, resulting in a model that effectively aligns its responses with typical user expectations.

Competitive performance and benchmark success

In internal benchmarks, AMD’s OLMo models performed well against similarly sized open-source models, such as TinyLlama-1.1B and OpenELM-1_1B, in multi-task and general reasoning tests, the company claimed. Specifically, its performance increased by over 15% on tasks in GSM8k, a substantial gain attributed to AMD’s multi-phase supervised fine-tuning and Direct Preference Optimization (DPO). ‘

In multi-turn chat tests, AMD claimed, OLMo showed a 3.41% edge in AlpacaEval 2 Win Rate and a 0.97% gain in MT-Bench over its closest open-source competitors.

However, when looking at the broader LLM landscape, Nvidia’s GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip and H100 GPU remain leaders in LLM processing, particularly for large, multi-faceted AI workloads. Nvidia’s focus on innovations like C2C link, which accelerates data transfer between its CPU and GPU, gives it an edge, providing a speed advantage for high-demand inference tasks such as recommendation systems.

Intel, while slightly behind in peak speed, leverages its Habana Gaudi2 accelerator for cost-effective yet robust performance, with future upgrades planned for increased precision. ‘

Meanwhile, Qualcomm’s Cloud AI100 emphasizes power efficiency, meeting the needs of organizations seeking high AI performance without the extensive energy demands associated with Nvidia’s high-end systems.

AMD’s OLMo models also showed strong performance on responsible AI benchmarks, such as ToxiGen (for toxic language detection), crows_pairs (bias assessment), and TruthfulQA-mc2 (accuracy). These scores reflect AMD’s commitment to ethical AI, an essential focus as AI integration scales across industries.

AMD’s position in the AI market

With its first open-source LLM series, AMD is positioned to make significant inroads in the AI industry, offering a compelling balance of capability, openness, and versatility to compete in a market currently led by Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm.

However, AMD’s ability to close the gap will depend on how well its open-source initiative and hardware enhancements keep pace with rivals’ advances in performance, efficiency, and specialized AI capabilities.

“AMD’s entry into the open-source LLM space strengthens the ecosystem, potentially lowering the operational costs associated with adopting generative AI,” said Suseel Menon, practice director at Everest Group.

AMD’s move into LLMs places it against established players like Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm, who have gained market prominence with their proprietary models.

“This move also puts pressure on proprietary LLMs to continually innovate and justify their pricing structures,” Menon added.

Analysts believe AMD’s unique open-source strategy and accessibility aim to attract enterprises and developers looking for flexible, affordable AI solutions without proprietary constraints.

“For large enterprises with long-term data privacy concerns, AMD’s open-source model offers a compelling alternative as they navigate AI integration,” Menon added. “By building a cohesive, full-stack AI offering that spans hardware, LLMs, and ecosystem tools, AMD is positioning itself with a distinct competitive edge among leading silicon vendors.”

Cloud architects, data security engineers, and ethical hackers are among the highest-paying skills that can be attained through IT certifications — and AI technology didn’t even make the list.

Online learning platform Skillsoft analyzed the top reported salaries of IT professionals around the world to find the highest-paying certifications and developed a list of more than 20.

This year’s list shows that cloud computing skills remain in high demand and can be quite lucrative. The AWS Certified Security Specialty training jumped from sixth-highest to the top-paying certification this year to now command a $204,000 annual salary on average — a up 22% or $40,000 over last year.

The presence of certifications for Google Cloud Platform (GCP), AWS, Azure, and Nutanix also highlights the value of a diverse cloud skillset, as organizations adopt multi-cloud or hybrid cloud strategies, according to Skillsoft.

Its list is similar to one published earlier this year by job search platform Indeed, which also placed an AWS certification in the No. 1 slot. (Indeed found AWS Certified Solutions Architects could earn from $133,200 to $246,900 a year at some firms.)

“So, are they worth it? For those looking for any of the above, it’s a resounding yes,” Skillsoft said a blog post. “But, earning a certification takes time, effort, and often money.”

Are certifications worth the price?

Earning a certification led to pay raises, promotions and new jobs, according to Skillsoft. In addition to AWS training, rounding out the top five certifications were:

1. Google Cloud – Professional Cloud Architect, averages $190,204.
2. Nutanix Certified Professional – Multicloud Infrastructure (NCP-MCI) v6.5, averages $175,409.
3. CCSP – Certified Cloud Security Professional, averages $171,524.
4. CCNP Security, averages $168,159.

Indeed’s list of 17 top certifications had these top five:

1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
2. Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE)
3. Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
4. Certified Data Professional (CDP)
5. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

Gartner Research, in an August report, also found that AWS Certified Cloud Practitioners and Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals certifications were top upskilling opportunities for tech workers. Other IT certifications with fast-growing demand this year are in cybersecurity, including the CISSP certification, CISA, and CompTIA Security+, according to Gartner. (The latter — IT certifications from the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a non-profit trade association — were also among the general class of top certifications on multiple lists.)

“While learning new technology skills is vital, the ability for employees to demonstrate practical expertise through industry-recognized certifications is increasingly valued,” Gartner said. “Though they may not be a mandatory prerequisite for every position, certifications can empower individuals and organizations alike.”

“Our data suggests that tech professionals skilled in cloud computing, security, data privacy, and risk management, as well as able to handle complex, multi-faceted IT environments, will be well positioned for success,” said Greg Fuller, vice president of online learning platform Codecademy Enterprise. “Overall, the IT job market is characterized by a significant imbalance between supply and demand, which continues to drive salaries higher.”

What’s happening with AI training?

While AI certifications have not yet to the top of IT certification lists, the increasing emphasis on data privacy and compliance is closely tied to the rollout of AI technologies. And while AI skills are gaining popularity, it often takes time for certifications to gain traction, Fuller said.

“Right now, what we see with areas like AWS Security at the top is that organizations are still preparing for large scale AI rollouts,” he said. “So more adjacent skills are on this year’s list. Ultimately, it’s a mix of certifications being a bit slower to evolve and adjacent skills rising in criticality.

“In the meantime, the backbone of AI is cloud, so getting cloud certified is a good first step. Then, look at some of the more specialized Cloud AI certifications,” Fuller added.

Recruitment and talent consulting firm WilsonHCG released a report this week indicating that while AI certifications might not be on the top 20 lists, there is rising demand for AI skills across sectors. The market for AI-skilled workers is expanding, too, with 5,898 average monthly job postings in October, according to WilsonHCG.

The rise in the number AI-focused certifications reflects a significant increase from the 12-month average of 5,147, driven by heightened interest in roles like data scientist, AI research engineer, and machine learning engineer.

Companies such as TikTok, Apple, Google, Amazon, and Deloitte are among the most active in AI recruitment, underscoring the technology’s growing adoption in sectors from tech to finance and professional services, according to WilsonHCG.

“The need for AI skills extends beyond traditional tech positions. Companies are seeking professionals across a range of roles, including Founding AI Engineer and Senior Software Engineer for AI products,” WilsonHCG said in its report. “This trend is reshaping hiring practices and job titles as more organizations prioritize data-driven and AI-enabled functions across departments.”

Skills continue to matter more than formal education

Skills-based hiring approaches that emphasize strong work backgrounds, certifications, assessments, and endorsements, continue to dominate the tech industry. And soft skills are becoming a key focus of hiring managers, even over hard skills.

Elise Smith, co-founder and CEO of Praxis Labs, an AI-based learning platform, said she has worked with enterprises like Google, Uber, and ServiceNow to help senior leaders develop the skillsets needed for “new-age talent retention” and collaboration in the workplace.

“As workplaces continue to transform — whether its emerging technologies like genAI transforming how we work or sociopolitical conflicts that cause disruption to our workflows — human skills will become more and more important,” Smith said.

What’s often missing from higher education is a focus on skills building around interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, critical reasoning, and the ability to determine fact from opinion or misinformation. “What once may have been called soft skills will be seen as power skills, and workforces who focus and develop these skills will differentiate in market outcomes,” Smith said.

While building relations and moving beyond “transactional trust” in the workplace can be challenging — especially for a hybrid global workforce — it’s important to build skills around workplace connection.

“When managers are skilled in asking open-ended questions, coaching disengaged team members, learning more about individuals’ backstories and contexts, and encouraging them in their work, teams thrive,” she said. “These are the skillsets we help our clients and their people leaders develop.”

Tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) form the foundation of modern defense strategies. Unlike indicators of compromise (IOCs), TTPs are more stable, making them a reliable way to identify specific cyber threats. Here are some of the most commonly used techniques, according to ANY.RUN's Q3 2024 report on malware trends, complete with real-world examples. Disabling of Windows Event Logging

Tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) form the foundation of modern defense strategies. Unlike indicators of compromise (IOCs), TTPs are more stable, making them a reliable way to identify specific cyber threats. Here are some of the most commonly used techniques, according to ANY.RUN's Q3 2024 report on malware trends, complete with real-world examples. Disabling of Windows Event Logging The Hacker Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

An ongoing phishing campaign is employing copyright infringement-related themes to trick victims into downloading a newer version of the Rhadamanthys information stealer since July 2024. Cybersecurity firm Check Point is tracking the large-scale campaign under the name CopyRh(ight)adamantys. Targeted regions include the United States, Europe, East Asia, and South America. "The campaign