Top Tech Headlines for August 12, 2025

Today’s a big one in the tech world—AI gets smarter, cybersecurity threats intensify, and critical system updates roll out. Whether you're a privacy pro, IT admin, or just want to keep your data secure, here's what’s making waves this August 12th.

Claude Sonnet 4 Hits 1 Million Token Context Limit

Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4 now supports up to 1M tokens of context—but only via its API. This allows developers to build ultra-contextual AI experiences that can rival Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro. Expect more power (and memory) in your future chatbots.

Hackers Leak Allianz Life Data in Salesforce Attacks

Over 2.8 million sensitive customer records tied to Allianz Life were leaked following a wave of Salesforce-related attacks. If your organization uses cloud CRMs, now’s the time to check configurations and tighten access controls.

ChatGPT Now Reads Your Gmail, Calendar & Contacts

OpenAI has launched integration with Google services—Gmail, Calendar, and Contacts—for ChatGPT. While it brings smarter, context-aware responses, the feature’s powerful aggregation of personal data raises more privacy questions than answers.

OpenAI Introduces Budget Plan: ChatGPT Go

ChatGPT Go offers a new pricing tier at roughly $4.55/month, available first in India. However, it’s not accessible to all users yet and details about its feature set remain limited. Still, it’s a clear move toward wider accessibility.

35 Docker Images Still Harbor XZ Backdoor

The notorious XZ Utils backdoor is still active in dozens of Linux containers on Docker Hub, highlighting ongoing supply chain vulnerabilities in open-source software. Developers and sysadmins should double-check image sources ASAP.

Microsoft Patches 107 Flaws, Including Windows Kerberos Zero-Day

August's Patch Tuesday drops updates for 107 vulnerabilities—including one critical zero-day affecting Windows Kerberos. If you manage Windows systems, don’t delay these patches. Remote code execution and privilege escalation risks are real.

Windows 11 & 10 Receive Major Cumulative Updates

Microsoft has released KB5063878 and KB5063875 for Windows 11, along with KB5063709 for Windows 10. These updates address multiple security issues and a significant bug impacting Extended Security Updates enrollment. Time to run those updates.

US DOJ Seizes Over $1M from BlackSuit Ransomware Gang

Law enforcement hit back by seizing over $1 million in crypto from BlackSuit, a known ransomware outfit. The seizure shows progress in tracking rogue digital finance operations, but the prevention side still needs attention.

Android’s pKVM Earns Highest IoT Security Certification

Google’s protected Kernel-based Virtual Machine (pKVM) now carries SESIP Level 5 certification—the highest security standard in the IoT space. This move is big for mobile device security and makes Android a more serious player in enterprise use cases.

New 'Curly COMrades' APT Hits Governments with Custom Malware

A Russian-aligned threat group named “Curly COMrades” is hitting government systems in Georgia and Moldova with stealthy malware and credential theft tactics using NGEN COM hijacking. Agencies are urged to elevate detection and response now.

Over 3,000 Citrix NetScaler Devices Remain Unpatched

Despite patch availability, over 3,300 Citrix NetScaler appliances are still open to the dangerous CitrixBleed 2 vulnerability. The Dutch NCSC confirms active targeting of critical infrastructure. Patch or potentially be breached—it’s that urgent.

275M Patient Records Breached in 2024—HIPAA Under Microscope

Healthcare topped data breach charts in 2024, with over 275 million patient records exposed. Experts recommend using self-hosted password managers to meet HIPAA standards and keep patient data protected from credential-related threats.

Windows 11 23H2 Reaches End of Support in November

Microsoft has announced end-of-support for Windows 11 23H2 Home and Pro editions this November. If you’re running these versions, plan your upgrade path soon to stay protected and supported.

Manpower Discloses Data Breach Affecting 145,000 People

One of the world’s largest staffing firms, ManpowerGroup, has confirmed a cyberattack that compromised personal data of nearly 145,000 people. The attack, initially claimed in 2024, continues to unfold with serious privacy implications.

Interlock Ransomware Behind Saint Paul Government Cyberattack

Saint Paul’s mayor has confirmed the Interlock group as the culprit behind the city’s ransomware incident. Municipal services were disrupted, proving once again that local governments remain prime targets for cyber extortion.

SoundHound Gives AI Vision with New Visual Processing

SoundHound’s expanding its voice assistant AI by adding "Vision AI," giving the tech the ability to recognize what it sees. This evolution toward multi-modal AI could transform customer service, AR apps, and accessibility tools.

NVIDIA’s Blackwell GPUs Power New AI & Robotics Servers

NVIDIA’s powerful RTX PRO 6000 GPUs wrapped in Blackwell architecture are now shipping in servers from major OEMs. These new machines are built for AI, robotics, and high-performance compute tasks and are already being adopted for enterprise AI pipelines.

Fortinet SSL VPNs Targeted in Global Brute-Force Attacks

FortiGate and FortiManager platforms are being hammered by over 780 IPs in global brute-force campaigns. Admins should enable multi-factor authentication and review VPN security configurations immediately.

Cybercrime Gangs Team Up to Phish and Extort

ShinyHunters and Scattered Spider are working together to launch coordinated Salesforce phishing and extortion schemes. Researchers warn financial institutions are among the top targets. Increased phishing awareness and DMARC/SPF protections are advised.

Enterprise Browsers vs. Secure Extensions: The Security Debate

New research compares enterprise-grade browsers to secure extensions, especially in setups with GenAI and BYOD policies. While embedded security in enterprise browsers has its merits, lightweight extensions often provide more flexibility and lower overhead.

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