iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

evacide @evacide.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Android has rolled out some new features for Advanced Protection, including intrusion logging, which is especially useful for survivors because nearly all commercially-available Android stalkerware is installed by a person with physical access logging in: blog.google/security/and...

blog.google

6 ways Advanced Protection on Android keeps you safe

Discover new Advanced Protection features on Android designed to defend against sophisticated threats and keep your data safe.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

NEW: An iPhone hacking company claims it can freeze the iPhone in a state that makes it easier for cops to access data. The iPhone has an automatic reboot feature that reverts the device to a state where data is harder to extract. This would defeat that feature. www.404media.co/cops-can-byp...

404media.co

Cops Can Bypass iPhone’s Automatic Reboot to Get Into Locked Phones, Leaked Video Claims

Magent Forensics, the owner of the GrayKey phone unlocking tool, says it can bypass an iPhone rebooting feature that was locking cops out.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 29/09/2026

If you're still running iOS, iPadOS, or macOS 26 (which is still the majority of Apple users!) then update today: Apple says hackers may be abusing a bug to target some users' devices. Bypass for ad-block users: web.archive.org/web/20260929...

techcrunch.com

Still running iOS 26? Update your iPhones, iPads and Macs for this urgent security fix | TechCrunch

Apple says the bug was used to attack "specific targeted individuals" running iOS 26, which the majority of Apple customers are still using.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 28/09/2026

Apple has released a security update for iPhones and iPads running the older iOS/iPadOS 26 software, fixing a bug that Apple says was "exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 27." Meta discovered the flaw/attack.

support.apple.com

About the security content of iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1 - Apple Support

This document describes the security content of iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Spyware maker Paragon is reportedly going public. "Paragon and REDLattice generated combined revenue of $267 million in the 12 months ended June 2026, representing a 29% increase from the same period a year earlier." www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/ar...

calcalistech.com

Israeli cyber company Paragon to go public through Nasdaq SPAC merger at $1.25 billion valuation | CTech

The company and U.S. partner REDLattice generated $267 million in combined revenue over the past year, up 29%.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

New from 404 Media: the group that hacked the FBI and stole data on "all FBI employees" says it won't publish the data. The group gave the FBI a one week countdown. Now says won't publish at all. Still represents a massive national security/counterintelligence risk www.404media.co/fbi-hackers-...

404media.co

FBI Hackers Say They Won’t Publish Massive Trove of FBI Employee Data

ShinyHunters, the group that stole data on “all FBI employees” including addresses and details on their spouses, told 404 Media on Monday “Since the very beginning we had made our decision that we wou...

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

New: from 404 Media. The catastrophic FBI hack also exposed the FBI's own hacking unit. The Remote Operations Unit is a highly secretive part of the FBI, responsible for making tools to break into peoples' devices. Some of their names and addresses are in the data www.404media.co/fbi-hack-exp...

404media.co

FBI Hack Exposed FBI’s Own Hacking Unit

The FBI's Remote Operations Unit (ROU) is a highly secretive team of hackers making exploits and tools to break into target’s devices. Some of its members just got exposed.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

New: hackers say they have personal data on all FBI employees and spouses. I got a sample of 5,000 alleged employees, including name, physical address, phone number, and in some cases spouses. Could be a massive national security and counterintelligence risk www.404media.co/we-hacked-th...

404media.co

‘We Hacked the FBI:’ Hackers Say They Have Data on All FBI Employees

A sample of 5,000 alleged agents seen by 404 Media includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and details on FBI employees' spouses.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I want to say that teaming up with @zackwhittaker.com, one of the most experienced cyber journalists out there, to cover the mostly awful corners of the hacking world, was truly an incredible experience, and I will miss it a lot. I wish the whole team at TechCrunch the best in these tough times.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

If you are looking for some cool stories about cybersecurity and surveillance; or help researching and reporting for a larger project, and similar services, please let me know. lorenzofb.com

lorenzofb.com

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai — Cybersecurity Reporter

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

~ Personal news ~ I left TechCrunch. I will now focus on finishing my book about Hacking Team and the history of government spyware. After that, and in the meantime as well, I will be freelancing. Contact me: Lorenzofb.writes@gmail.com or Signal @LorenzoFB.1337 (+1 917 257 1382)

A masked puppet comes out of a keyboard.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

New from 404 Media: humans are reading ChatGPT conversations. OpenAI has hired an army of contractors who read real ChatGPT users' chats. I've seen internal docs, the review system, and real user prompts. Sometimes they contain very personal and sensitive information www.404media.co/inside-proje...

404media.co

Inside ‘Project Lily’: The Humans Reading Your ChatGPT Chats

Humans are reading ChatGPT users’ prompts to improve OpenAI’s models, and those chats can include sensitive, personal information, according to leaked internal documents and real prompts seen by 404 M...

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

States, IDK if anyone in Italy charges that much.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Last night I paid $40 (plus tip) for a pizza margherita. I am reporting the pizzeria to the Italian authorities. No pizza should cost that much.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 01/09/2026

New: Florida and Texas are moving to block or end their use of license plate surveillance tech, like Flock, citing privacy concerns and police abuse. The backlash against Flock is both growing and increasingly bipartisan. Bypass for ad-blockers: web.archive.org/web/20260901...

techcrunch.com

Florida and Texas move to block Flock cameras over privacy concerns | TechCrunch

Flock's searchable network of 130,000 license plate cameras around the U.S. have sparked bipartisan privacy and civil liberties concerns.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

NEW: Could AI make software so secure that it will make it harder for governments to use hacking tools and spyware? To try to answer that question, I spoke to cybersecurity and privacy experts, and people with experience finding and exploiting security flaws that can be then sold to governments.

techcrunch.com

How AI could make it harder for governments to use hacking tools | TechCrunch

AI is proving effective at finding and exploiting vulnerabilities. Some say this will make it harder for governments to use hacking tools and spyware and could reignite calls to backdoor devices.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 30/08/2026

In this.weekinsecurity.com: Medical device maker Boston Scientific hit by destructive hack; Aussie cops nab TeamPCP hackers; GTA 6 leaks are breaking the web; how journalists used a website bug to trace a prolific scammer; and the DOJ walks back Chinese botnet hack claims; plus, much more.

this.weekinsecurity.com

this week in security — august 30 2026 edition

Boston Scientific knocked offline in major hack, U.S. seizes Chinese botnet, Australia arrests PCPTeam hackers, U.S. water hacks broader than first disclosed, Grand Theft Auto VI hit by leaks, Russia ...

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

NEW: I recapped all the times AI agents went “rogue”—so to speak—and hacked third parties. There have been 17 cases already, with OpenAI and Anthropic leading the race, per a website keeping tally. And those are the ones we know about. I apologize for all the whoopses that appear in this article.

techcrunch.com

Here’s all the times AI has gone rogue and hacked other companies | TechCrunch

A recap of all the incidents involving LLMs made by Anthropic, Meta, and OpenAI, which went rogue and attacked real companies and individuals on the internet.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

NEW: Alabama launched an investigation into OpenAI's Hugging Face hack, saying “this AI lab leak showed that Alabamians’ and Americans’ worst fears about artificial intelligence are not just theoretical.” techcrunch.com/2026/08/24/a...

techcrunch.com

Alabama launches investigation into OpenAI's hack of Hugging Face | TechCrunch

Weeks after OpenAI disclosed that one of its cybersecurity models had gone rogue and hacked AI dataset company Hugging Face, Alabama’s Attorney General announced an investigation into the incident.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

You've stumbled into an unknown computer system. Now what? (Source.)

An image for Hacker, from the October 1985 issue of Amstrad Action. Top left: "HACKER. You've stumbled into an unknown computer system. Now what?" Center, a man looks over his commodre 64 late at night and chews his pen, an unfamiliar interface on the screen. Bottom: "'Logon'. One word appears on your screen. What do you do now? You don't know the password. You don't even know what computer system you've hacked into. But you do know that you must find out more. There are no instructions. No rules. No clues. You're completely on your own. You've found your way in. But is there a way out?"

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I know spyware is not exactly a mainstream issue. But having the chance to interview Giorgia Meloni, and not ask her about the spy scandal her intelligence agencies are likely responsible for, is such a missed opportunity. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/w...

nytimes.com

Giorgia Meloni Cuts the Hard Right a Path to Power (Gift Article)

In a rare interview, the onetime political outcast reflects on her route from “the uncomfortable side of history” to the threshold of leading Italy’s most durable postwar government.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I have a very vivid memory of finding out that one of my classmates in elementary school liked ketchup on pasta, and everyone being horrified. My first Italian food gatekeeping experience.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 21/08/2026

New, by me: Private equity giant Apollo Global says hackers stole personal information, including Social Security numbers, during a July breach. The hack comes after Google researchers warned that an extortion gang targeted financial giants. Ad-block bypass: archive.is/BucaL (Wayback not working)

techcrunch.com

Private equity firm Apollo confirms data breach amid hacking wave targeting financial giants | TechCrunch

The private equity giant confirms a breach, weeks after Google researchers said hackers were targeting financial companies.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Here's the letter Wyden sent to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) about this. www.documentcloud.org/documents/28...

documentcloud.org

wyden-led-law-enforcement-hacking-letter

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

NEW: Sen. Ron Wyden is asking a U.S. government watchdog to review how federal law enforcement agencies are using hacking tools and spyware in their investigations. Wyden is worried about federal agents abusing them, the risk of dangerous leaks like the Peter Williams/Trenchant case, and more.

techcrunch.com

Senator asks US government watchdog to review how feds use hacking tools | TechCrunch

Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the U.S. federal watchdog requesting a comprehensive review of how the FBI, DEA, ICE's HSI, and the Secret Service use hacking tools and spyware against Americans.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I just made chickpea pasta with garlic, kale, chipotle mayo, and parmigiano. Not bad. Not bad at all. I recommend it. Hopefully I don't get my Italian passport revoked.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

NEW: Someone tried to hack cybersecurity researchers inviting them to a fake cryptocurrency conference. The hacker used a real Google Doc, and a legitimate Google platform that allows developers to customize the user interface of documents, to try to trick targets into downloading malware.

techcrunch.com

Someone targeted security researchers using a fake crypto conference as a lure | TechCrunch

A hacker pretending to work for a leading cryptocurrency news website targeted several cybersecurity professionals using Google Docs as a way to deliver malware.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

NEW: OpenAI mistakenly revoked several security researchers' access to its limited cybersecurity program “Trusted Access for Cyber.” They now have to reapply and submit a government ID again. The company blamed it on “a technical issue” that affected “a limited set of users.”

techcrunch.com

Researchers complain that OpenAI revoked their access to limited cyber program | TechCrunch

Multiple cybersecurity researchers said they suddenly lost access to OpenAI’s Trusted Access for Cyber (TAC) program, which offers models with fewer guardrails for vetted users.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Apropos of what I was talking about yesterday.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Yeah, I think "most" is probably not fair. It's hard to quantify. But a lot of the people who used to be there are still there and never left. And I have anecdotally seen a few people who left and then went back. It still feels lively in a way that I don't feel on Bsky or Mastodon.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

And thanks for mentioning those accounts, I did not know about them.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

My question was dumb. I guess I meant where you get news before they turn news. Cause that’s what we as journalists do on X.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 17/08/2026

Since chatbots, LLMs, and the use of AI to craft legal arguments are back in the news again, I thought I'd re-up this piece I wrote for paid subscribers of this.weekinsecurity.com on if, and how, privilege applies during legal cases. It depends!

this.weekinsecurity.com

When AI chatbots and LLMs get legal, check your privilege

Using AI tools and LLMs for sensitive matters, such as for legal and medical uses, raises important questions about where that data goes and who can access it.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 17/08/2026

It's good that Apple sends these threat notifications to spyware victims as it offers *some* transparency to who gets attacked by gov'ts. But it's also not great to see the number of threat notifications at "unprecedented" levels as it shows spyware use continues to prolifierate.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Sounds like I need to scroll LinkedIn more…

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Do you have a good list to share? I am on a couple already but will take more.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

NEW: An "unprecedented" number of people have received Apple's latest notifications alerting them they were targeted with mercenary spyware, according to security researchers. A soldier fighting in Ukraine told us he knows of other soldiers getting them. Lots of posts on social media too.

techcrunch.com

‘Unprecedented’ number of Apple users received recent spyware alert, say investigators | TechCrunch

Cybersecurity experts who investigate spyware attacks say the number of people who received a recent threat notification from Apple is unusually high.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I am afraid the answer to all that is yes. It is frustrating to see most of the infosec community still being there. I think it also says something about Bsky and Mastodon, but not sure exactly what.

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Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I reluctantly have to admit that since X toggled with the algorithm recently (don't remember when exactly) my timeline is now again filled with cybersecurity posts. There's much less spam and random posts. I can also confirm that most of the infosec industry is either back there or never left.

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Reposted by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Emanuel Maiberg @emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

We put a tracking device in a shipment of rare books acquired by an anonymous buyer. It ended up at an Amazon facility where the company scans books for training data and destroys them in the process: www.404media.co/we-tracked-a...

404media.co

We Tracked a Shipment of Rare Books. It Ended at an Amazon AI Training Facility

We placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it, and found an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books.

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