Top Tech Headlines for August 27, 2025

Today’s cybersecurity and tech landscape is buzzing with major developments: AI is making ransomware smarter, smart locks are getting facial recognition, and governments around the world are in the crosshairs of advanced threat actors. Here’s what you need to know right now—plus how to stay one step ahead with the right tools.

AI-Powered PromptLock Ransomware Targets All Major OSes

Researchers have uncovered PromptLock, the first known AI-driven ransomware. Using Lua scripting and OpenAI's gpt-oss:20b model, it evades detection while efficiently encrypting or stealing sensitive data across Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. This development signals a dangerous evolution in malware capabilities.

FreePBX Servers Under Attack by Zero-Day Exploit

A critical zero-day vulnerability in FreePBX is being actively exploited. If your Administrator Control Panel is publicly exposed, you're at risk. Sangoma has released an emergency fix—patch it asap to avoid service disruption or worse.

Supply Chain Attack Disrupts Over 200 Swedish Municipalities

IT services provider Miljödata was hit by a cyberattack that's affecting over 200 municipalities in Sweden. The breach has severely impacted access to public services, highlighting how vulnerable regional governments remain to supply chain attacks.

Chinese Firms Linked to Global Salt Typhoon Hacking Campaigns

A coalition of global cybersecurity agencies—including the NSA and UK’s NCSC—has attributed the Salt Typhoon campaigns to three Chinese tech firms. These long-running hacks have targeted critical infrastructure worldwide, reinforcing the need for stronger public-private cyber intelligence sharing.

28,000+ Citrix Servers Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution

A critical Citrix vulnerability dubbed CVE-2025-7775 is under active exploitation. Over 28,200 internet-facing instances remain vulnerable, compromising enterprise environments globally. Time to patch or isolate your Citrix infrastructure—immediately.

Healthcare Data Breach Impacts Over 624,000 Individuals

The Healthcare Services Group Inc. (HSGI) has disclosed a massive data breach affecting 624,000 people. Personal healthcare data collected over the past year may have been compromised. It’s another reminder that the healthcare sector remains an attractive target for cybercriminals.

Storm-0501 Uses Azure Entra ID to Delete Cloud Data

The hacking group known as Storm-0501 is using Microsoft’s Entra ID to infiltrate hybrid cloud environments and delete Azure data. Victims are then pressured with ransom demands through Microsoft Teams—a new low in social engineering tactics.

Global DDoS Attacks Break 8 Million Barrier in 2025

DDoS attacks are on the rise globally—with over 8 million incidents recorded in the first half of 2025 alone. Coordinated with political events, these attacks show how cyber warfare tactics are expanding in sophistication and scope.

Salesforce Customer Data Exposed in OAuth Breach

A breach leveraging Drift AI’s OAuth tokens exposed sensitive Salesforce data between August 8–18, 2025. While the tokens were revoked, there’s concern that downstream services like AWS and Snowflake may also be at risk.

Google Vids Adds AI Avatars and Image-to-Video Tools

Google is supercharging its Vids video editing platform with AI avatars and image-to-video functionality. These generative tools aim to transform content creation with minimal user input—propelling AI deeper into creative workflows.

EZVIZ Launches Smart Lock with Facial and Palm Scanning

A new smart lock from EZVIZ incorporates facial and palm recognition as well as full remote control via app. It’s sleek and secure—but whether it's truly hack-proof remains to be seen.

Zopa Report Warns AI May Displace Finance Jobs

UK-based fintech firm Zopa suggests that AI in banking may streamline operations—but at the cost of many jobs. While automation is accelerating, the report urges a proactive look at balancing efficiency with employment.

Anthropic Stops AI Cybercrime Ring Demanding $500K in Ransom

AI safety company Anthropic neutralized a coordinated cyberattack campaign using generative AI to automate extortion. The arrests and takedowns signal a win for good AI in the fight against automated cybercrime.

ShadowSilk Uses Telegram Bots to Target 36 Governments

The advanced threat actor ShadowSilk has attacked 36 government entities in APAC and Central Asia using Telegram bots for data exfiltration. This represents a clever and stealthy command-and-control (C2) method—one that's hard to block.

Blind Eagle Campaign Targets Colombian Government with Malware

Researchers are tracking five active clusters of the group Blind Eagle, which is waging phishing, malware, and RAT campaigns against Colombian government targets. The use of dynamic DNS makes attribution and takedown harder than ever.

The 5 Golden Rules for Secure AI Adoption

With AI being rapidly deployed across the enterprise, CISOs must follow five core strategies to maintain trust and defense. These include monitoring for drift, enforcing minimal privilege, and integrating secure development practices.

Zero Trust Is a Continuous Process, Not a One-Time Fix

A new reminder from Specops Software outlines why zero trust isn’t a checkbox. Organizations must consistently test, adapt, and refine controls to stay resilient, especially in the face of evolving threats like supply chain compromises and AI-powered malware.

Decentralized AI Promises Access—And Raises Alarms

While the dream of decentralized AI is about democratizing intelligence, experts warn of unintended threats—from bias creep to unmonitored algorithmic behavior. It may be empowering, but it needs robust guardrails.

Qualcomm Unveils First Enterprise CPU with Built-In RFID

Qualcomm has announced the Dragonwing Q-6690, the first processor to integrate ultra-high frequency RFID directly into the chip. This innovation could supercharge asset tracking and IoT authentication at the hardware level.

Trump Media Partners with Crypto.com in $100M CRO Token Venture

In a bold fintech move, Trump Media has launched a $100 million CRO token fund in partnership with Crypto.com and Yorkville. It’s a high-visibility bet on the future of crypto-backed media ventures.

Want to stay ready for anything? From data recovery to bootable OS installs, our Ultimate USBs have your back. Check out our tools today.