Online security stories

Meta took down nearly 6m scam ads in 2025 after alerts from Lithuanian watchdog Debunk.org under the EU's Digital Services Act system.

Scammers hijack Israel-Iran war headlines for classic advance-fee email cons, security researchers warn, urging users not to respond.

Avast rolls out Deepfake Guard for Windows and expands Scam Guardian on mobile, promising real-time protection from AI-powered scams.

AI is turning romance scams into industrial-scale fraud, with deepfakes and chatbots driving billions in losses, Tenable warns.

Record digital squatting surge sees 6,200 disputes in 2025, as lookalike domains drive costly phishing, malware and payment fraud.

Avast rolls out Deepfake Guard for Windows and takes Scam Guardian global on mobile in a push to combat rising video-led fraud.

Gen Z click on phishing links nearly three times more than Baby Boomers, despite heavier use of multi-factor authentication, Yubico finds.

Forter launches Prism AI copilot and fresh benchmarks as agentic activity soars 2,107% and automated fraud attempts jump 202%.

Cloudflare warns 2025 brings surging AI traffic, record DDoS attacks and escalating Internet 'bot wars' as civil groups face rising threats.

Rising fraud is exploiting fake and disposable emails; smarter validation at sign-up and checkout can block attacks before they cost you.

One in five Australians has been duped by fake online tickets, losing an average AUD $432 as scams surge ahead of the busy summer events season.

New Zealand cyber agency emails 26,000 people in first mass alert over Lumma Stealer malware infecting Windows devices nationwide.

Norton has launched Neo, a free AI-native browser offering enhanced privacy and security against rising AI-driven online threats, now available worldwide.

SecurEnvoy says flexible, phishing-resistant MFA is becoming essential as attackers increasingly exploit human error and regulatory pressure intensifies.

Norton has launched Neo, an AI-native browser with strong privacy and security features, now freely available on MacOS and Windows worldwide including New Zealand.

Cyber fraud in Australia targets international students via gift card scams, with retailers often failing to intervene during purchases worth hundreds or thousands.

Early AI browsers face security risks like prompt injection and agent corruption, raising doubts about their readiness to replace traditional browsing.

Security experts warn new AI browsers like OpenAI's ChatGPT Atlas pose serious privacy, safety and data risks amid growing adoption and emerging vulnerabilities.

New Zealanders lost NZD $1.6 billion to online scams in 2024; a new digital tool helps assess personal data exposure to prevent further losses.

AI has boosted phishing success as 44% admit falling for scams, yet only 48% of firms fully use multi-factor authentication, says Yubico survey.