Technology

• Google Maps timelines are disappearing for some users
• It seems to be a Google One issue, but there's no known fix
• Thankfully not everyone is affected, but it's frustrating for those who are

Google Maps timelines are disappearing, and not only is there no guaranteed fix for the issue right now, it isn’t clear if this is a permanent removal or only a temporary glitch.

At first glance, reports of people’s timelines being lost seems like they might have fallen afoul of Google Map’s big privacy change: your Google Maps timeline is moving from the cloud to your device, and unless you agree to various new settings by a deadline date (which is different for different users, weirdly) you’ll lose your travel history.

However, according to reports in the Google Maps subreddit (spotted by 9to5Google), it’s an unrelated issue as it’s affecting people who have agreed to backup their timeline locally. What’s more, they’re unable to restore old backups (even if they delete and reinstall the Maps app), and some are noting that new visits aren’t being tracked either.

Some users have posted saying that Google Support blames the issue on Google One, and that Google is working on a fix, though, at the time of writing, there doesn’t appear to be a reliable method for getting your timeline back.

There was a time when restoring a backup seemed to work, however, the issue has gone on so long the backups are now being overwritten – or simply can’t be restored – meaning this option isn’t available anymore.

Why is it such a big deal?

Thankfully, the issue doesn’t seem to be impacting everyone – the Google Maps timeline on our devices appears to be fine, for example – but this is nevertheless frustrating.

While having Google tracking your location sounds less than ideal for many, having a timeline of their travel history is a dream come true for plenty others. It serves as a useful tool for reminiscing about holidays, or finding a location you want to return to later – such as a cafe you stopped at the other day, or a museum you didn’t spend enough time in on your last trip away.

I love looking back through my timeline and would be disappointed if my travel history was ripped from me by a glitch – especially as right now there’s no word on when users’ timelines will be restored.

From the sounds of things, it should be a glitch Google can resolve, but, for now, everyone affected will have to wait and see when a fix is sent out.

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• YouTube creators are being threatened with copyright claims
• The way to resolve the problem is to share a download link
• The link distributes trojanized programs that install a cryptominer

Cybercriminals have been targeting YouTubers with fake copyright claims, threatening them into distributing malware through their videos and channels. T

Cybersecurity researchers at Kaspersky recently spotted the campaign in the wild, claiming the majority of the victims are Russian.

Kaspersky said it spotted a video with more than 400,000 views sharing the malicious link, and that the campaign resulted in more than 40,000 downloads (before being pulled down).

Tens of thousands of downloads

Kaspersky said Windows Packet Divert (WPD), a user-mode network packet capture and injection tool for Windows, is growing increasingly popular in Russia. It allows applications to intercept and modify network packets at various stages in the Windows network stack, and is used as part of a tech stack that allows users to bypass government censorship.

There are many YouTube video tutorials on how to use WPD tools to do just that, and their creators are being targeted. Apparently, threat actors would file a copyright claim with YouTube, and then reach out to the creators, claiming they were the tool’s owners. They would then demand the creators add the tool’s GitHub download link in the videos’ description.

Alternatively, they would just reach out to the creators claiming to be the developers and offering an “updated” download link.

However, the GitHub repository being shared this way is trojanized and includes a version of the tool that carries a cryptocurrency miner called SilentCryptoMiner. This is a modification of the infamous XMRig, and is capable of mining ETH, ETC, XMR, and RTM.

"According to our telemetry, the malware campaign has affected more than 2,000 victims in Russia, but the overall figure could be much higher," Kaspersky said in its analysis.

Cryptojackers are a popular type of malware which can be easily spotted, since the device running it cannot do anything else, as its compute power is fully utilized in the mining process.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Microsoft's Windows 11 23H2 beta has a new image editing and compression feature in Windows Share
• It's not clear whether this will come to other feature updates other than 23H2
• This could make the snipping tool obsolete as cropping, adjusting, and filtering are all possible

Microsoft has been under fire recently due to its Windows 11 24H2 problems - but fortunately we bring some good Windows 11 update news, as it's reportedly introducing new features to image sharing and editing capabilities.

Spotted by phantomofearth on X, Microsoft will be bringing image editing and compression to its Windows Share feature, as highlighted by Windows Report. This will allow users to crop and adjust images without using the Snipping Tool while also having access to file compression.

It's important to note that this was found in the Windows 11 23H2 beta (Microsoft is still updating older versions of Windows 11), so it's not available to all users yet - it's also not clear whether these handy tools will come to 23H2 only or if it will be available to other feature updates. This is an ideal move for those looking to share much larger images in terms of file sizes.

It would be even better if it turns out that video compression and general file compressions are possible - it would eliminate the need to find different file compression sites, saving users plenty of time. While it's likely better to wait until Microsoft fully implements this in 23H2 (or other feature updates if possible), you can access the feature early by joining the Windows Insider Programme to access 23H2's beta.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Windows 11 23H2 is a breath of fresh air, and this beta feature is another reason why

Having faced a whole host of issues using Windows 11 24H2, I recently went back to Windows 11 23H2 - Nvidia's 572.70 Game Ready Driver forced my hand in this case as it gave me black screens on startup - and I'm happier than ever.

The strange bugs, slowdowns, and game compatibility issues are no longer a burden and I can finally use my PC as intended. There are more than likely going to be issues in some capacity with feature updates, but 23H2 is the safest bet at the moment (aside from the weird 100% CPU usage bug).

While I'm not using the 23H2 beta, this Windows Share update is one I've wanted Microsoft to implement for a long time - more specifically for videos and other files rather than relying on other software or online free websites to do the job. Sure, compressing much larger files is a much bigger ask, but this is a great starting point.

I don't know when I'll update my system again (that's if updates aren't forced upon me), in the same way I won't be upgrading my GPU drivers until I know my system is safe from BSoDs.

If Microsoft can get 24H2 back into good shape and the new file compression feature can be used on other file types, I'll finally be able to let go of my gripes - let's hope that it happens sooner rather than later.

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• Synseer's HealthBuds claim 'hearing, heart and health monitoring' perks
• An in-ear infra and ultrasonic operating system takes your heart rate
• The catch? The price – plus the $30 monthly subscription fee on top

When it comes to health tracking features there’s pretty much nothing that the best smartwatches can't do, but audio company Synseer aims to be the next fitness tracking contender, with its new HealthBuds wireless earphones.

Like the newly released Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, they're fitted with heart and ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) abilities, but you also get hearing health tech (the kind you'll only find in Apple's top-tier AirPods Pro 2.

Synseer's HealthBuds are launching today (March 10), and while they sound innovative on paper, there are a few catches you need to know about – and a subscription fee that leaves me with more questions than answers.

(Image credit: Synseer)

Synseer’s HealthBuds claim to pack simultaneous heart and hearing health tracking, which is already a step up from a number of the best earbuds – with the exception of the aforementioned PowerBeats Pro 2, Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds and a few others. The HealthBuds are designed for around-the-clock fitness tracking, meaning that they operate in the background while you’re taking a call or listening to your favorite songs.

Using an in-ear infra and ultrasonic operating system to detect changes within the ear, the HealthBuds are Synseer’s first personal health device designed to be an ‘affordable’ option for fitness tracking headphones. I’ve seen a lot of outrageously-priced pieces of tech, but none of them comes close to what you’re about to find out.

A subscription fee on top of an already hefty price tag?

The HealthBuds are available to preorder now and will start shipping later this summer, and according to Synseer you’ll be eligible for a discount if you lock in a preorder now. Instead of paying $799 (which is around £620 or AU$1,260), those who preorder the HealthBuds can claim them for $399, which is… better, but far from the ‘great value’ price tag Synseer mentions in its press release.

And that doesn’t even scratch the surface, because on top of that fee, you’ll have to pay a monthly subscription of $25 (normally $30). What additional benefits does this buy, specifically? We're not sure – Synseer hasn't disclosed the details yet.

It’s a big ask – especially from a relatively unknown audio company – to demand hundreds of dollars for a brand new set of earbuds, then stipulate an additional monthly fee equating to $300 a year, at the discounted rate. You’d expect a fitness subscription to offer benefits such as advanced fitness tracking and maybe hearing aid technology, but it seems as though Synseer is already offering that through the HealthBuds themselves, so the subscription benefits remain a mystery. And let's not forget that AirPods Pro 2 offer specific iOS ecosystem benefits such as Find My, head-tracked spatial audio using Apple Music (although the music service is not free, it's true) audio sharing and so on when paired to your iPhone, all for $249.

How can Synseer compete? Will accuracy be enough? If the company's HealthBuds do indeed prove a reliable health device (something to take the place of medical-grade appliance) then perhaps. It’s impossible to tell right now. Perhaps Synseer has something extra up its sleeve, otherwise it could be a case of misguided pricing. I’m keeping my ears peeled for more information (which is admittedly thin on the ground at present), but as things stand, Synseer has yet to sound as sincere as you'd hope, for this kind of money…

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• New agentic AI tool Manus is being hailed as more capable than previously available agents
• Others are less impressed, citing crashes and hallucinations, while experts call for caution
• A use case gallery shows Manus being used to plan trips and analyse stocks

Manus, a new ‘agentic’ AI tool from Chinese startup Monica, has entered into invite-only preview, and, according to some users, “[redefines] what’s possible” for automated AI workflows to achieve.

That’s according to one Twitter user who asked Manus to ‘code a threejs game where you control a plane’ and “ended up concluding that Manus is the most impressive AI tool I've ever tried”.

Manus’ own use case gallery (via TechCrunch) lays out some of the possibilities, such as planning a trip to and producing a personalised guidebook for a trip to Japan, accessing a database to sort information from it into tables, analyzing stocks in a human-readable dashboard, and scheduling job candidate interviews without intervention from a real person.

What are AI agents?

AI ‘agents’, though powered by large language models (LLMs), differ from AI writers in that they utilise systems to automate a workflow based on a user’s prompt, rather than produce a single piece of output.

Manus isn’t offering anything especially new, though it is notable that, up until now, perhaps, AI agents haven’t had the best reputation; known for struggling with factual information, and basically being non-functional.

Others, however, aren’t as impressed. TechCrunch’s Kyle Wiggers gave a cohesive account of their experience, reporting crashes, and failures on tasks ranging from simple (booking a table at a restaurant) to the convoluted (“Then I asked the platform to build a Naruto-inspired fighting game)”.

Comparisons have also been made with DeepSeek’s LLMs, though these don’t quite add up. Manus and DeepSeek might both hail from China, but DeepSeek is not an agent, and Manus is not open source, and indeed has no release schedule. That said, an open source version, OpenManus, is in active development.

Manus coming from a Chinese startup has caused unease, with some circles, Axios notes, worrying China is gaining ground in a so-called “race for AI supremacy”.

Experts doubt Manus

Two industry figures told TechRadar Pro their doubts surrounding agentic AI still remain. Corpora.ai’s CEO, Mel Morris, said that “Manus' demonstrations showcase the potential of Agentic AI as a significant step forward. However, granting autonomous AI agents like Manus the ability to perform independent actions raises serious concerns.”

“We have already witnessed numerous examples of generative AI and so-called reasoning models producing flawed outputs. If given autonomy over high-stakes tasks - such as buying and selling stocks - such imperfections could lead to chaos. The ability to compare stock fundamentals and trading activity in minutes is vastly different from successfully navigating the complexities of the market.”

Similarly, Copyleaks co-founder and CEO Alon Yamin said that ,“while innovation in AI can drive remarkable efficiency, it also amplifies concerns around transparency, data security, and responsible oversight. Manus’ cloud-based operations surface several critical questions about data governance: Who controls the information? Where does it reside? How is the data protected?”

“As AI systems become more autonomous, ethical development and regulatory alignment must be prioritized. AI governance solutions that help organizations detect and mitigate AI risks remain critical, ensuring advancements like Manus AI are deployed responsibly and transparently.”

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AdGuard just became the latest VPN provider to add quantum-resistant encryption to its software.

Specifically, AdGuard VPN now integrates a combination of classic encryption methods with one of the post-quantum algorithm standards released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in August last year. The feature was rolled out on macOS and Windows on March 6, 2025, with the mobile apps expected to get the upgrade later in the month.

The firm now follows in the footsteps of Google Chrome and some of the best VPN providers on the market by upgrading its encryption protections to ensure user data is protected against new threats posed by quantum computing.

The need for quantum-proof encryption

"We are on the brink of the quantum technology era, and data protection must stay ahead of the threats, not just react to them. By implementing post-quantum cryptography, we are laying the foundation for a secure internet in the future," said Denis Vyazovoy, AdGuard VPN CPO.

Experts predict that it's just a matter of time before quantum computers break current RSA-based encryption methods. This is mainly because these machines will have the ability to process computations that today's computers can't handle, within minutes.

Recent releases such as Google's Willow quantum chip and Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip, AdGuard explains, "are pushing quantum computing closer to solving complex real-world problems." This may be a portent of what the industry has long feared – that current encryption will soon become obsolete.

Quantum computers are still some years away from becoming mainstream, but cybercriminals are thought to have already adopted "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks. These involve malicious actors collecting encrypted data and decrypting it once quantum machines are up for the task.

It's exactly with this in mind that NIST experts released the first sets of quantum-safe algorithms last year designed for specific tasks, namely protection for key exchanges (ML-KEM) and identity authentication (ML-DSA and SLH-DSA).

Encryption refers to the scrambling of data into an unreadable form to prevent third-party access. VPNs – like encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp – use end-to-end encryption to secure your data in transit. (Image credit: Getty Images)

As mentioned earlier, AdGuard VPN has implemented a hybrid encryption approach that includes the classic X25519 elliptic curve algorithm with the post-quantum Kyber768-based ML-KEM768.

This dual-layer encryption approach, the provider explains, "ensures robust protection against both current and future risks, enabling secure session keys that are resilient to quantum computing advancements."

This is exactly what the likes of Google, Signal, Tuta Mail, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Mullvad VPN, Windscribe, and PureVPN have also done.

Put simply, having a hybrid encryption method ensures that tried and tested algorithms always protect your data, even if the post-quantum protection fails.

If you're using the latest version of AdGuard VPN on desktop, you should already be able to enable this feature through the settings menu. This advanced security option is also expected to land on the iOS and Android VPN apps in the next couple of weeks.

The social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, has been having a very bad Monday so far, with users reporting its third outage of the day – and it might not be the last.

The first spike in reported problems on Downdetector happened at 10am ET, with X users in both the US and UK unable to get their usual fix of memes and outrage in the app or website.

While that outage was quickly resolved, X has gone down a further two times – with the latest one approaching an earlier peak at 2pm. So to quote X's own tagline "what's happening"?

Here's all the latest news on the X downfall and when we can expect normal service (if that's ever possible on the reincarnated Twitter) to resume...

The latest news

• X (formerly Twitter) is down for the third time today
• The latest outage started at around 10.50am ET / 2.50pm GMT
• It's affecting both the app and site, with a DDOS attack rumored

When did this latest X outage start?

(Image credit: Downdetector)

This is very much a global X / Twitter outage, with reports of problems climbing fast in the US and UK from around 10.50am ET / 2.50pm GMT on the site Downdetector.

They've just hit a peak of 30,000 reports in the US, which is a massive outage. In the UK, reports have fallen in the past hour, but are still hovering at the 4,700 mark.

So, what's causing the problems? While there's been nothing official, some cybersecurity commentators suggest it may be a so-called DDOS (or Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks, where a flood of internet traffic overwhelms a server.

In other words, buckle up – because this could last a while...

'Something went wrong'

(Image credit: X / Future)

Ever the master of understatement, X is greeting many users (my US colleagues in particular) with error messages like 'something went wrong' or simply a blank screen.

Some have taken to (other) social media platforms like Reddit to exclaim that this is actually an improvement to their lives. But here in the UK, X is back (for me at least) with its usual mix of Elon Musk ramblings, AI-generated memes and Fessholes.

This latest outage has fallen short of the second one earlier today at around 10am ET / 2pm GMT, but it is still pretty widespread. There's still no official word from X on the cause of today's wobbles, but presumably Grok is working on it...

Time to head to Bluesky?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Not surprisingly, many folks over on Bluesky are enjoying today's X outage and are looking back at the smoking remains of Twitter with a degree of schadenfreude.

Bluesky has managed to establish itself as a genuine X alternative, with the maker of the popular Tweetbot app (which was shut down after Twitter banned third-party apps) recently announcing that it's making an iOS and Mac app for the platform that's aptly called Phoenix.

Some Bluesky fans have noted (below) that it's been a particularly bad day for Elon Musk, with Tesla stock also down. And looking at Downdetector, the X problems don't seem to be easing...

(Image credit: Bluesky) The longest outage of the day...

(Image credit: Downdetector)

It might not have hit the Downdetector peaks of the second outage earlier today, but this latest X wobble is the longest of the day – it's now over the two-hour mark, which means the world's productivity has coincidentally hit a 2025 peak.

That's now over seven hours in total since the first reported problems earlier today, which easily overshadows former Twitter outages in the past like the one in 2022 when the world was denied its memes for only an hour or so.

Back then, that seemed like a long time for the site to be down. Of course, the X workforce has shrunk by about 80% since then, but it did at least go on a cybersecurity hiring spree late last year – and we imagine it's been a busy day for them.  

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• Cisco Talos recently found a bug in PHP-CGI, being used in attacks against Japanese firms
• GreyNoise said the attacks are being seen worldwide, and called for "immediate action"
• A patch was released in the summer of 2024, so update now

Cybersecurity researchers from Cisco Talos recently discovered a critical PHP-CGI vulnerability which could soon become a “global problem” - and doubling down on these findings, experts from GreyNoise have now added “immediate action” from is needed to tackle the threat.

In its report, GreyNoise noted how Cisco Talos recently observed threat actors targeting Japanese organizations through CVE-2024-4577, a critical remote code execution (RCE) flaw in PHP-CGI, with 79 exploits available. Cisco Talos said the unnamed threat actor used the bug to steal credentials and establish persistence on the target system “indicating the likelihood of future attacks.”

“While Talos focused on victimology and attacker tradecraft, GreyNoise telemetry reveals a far wider exploitation pattern demanding immediate action from defenders globally,” the report said.

The US, Singapore, and other targets

Cisco Talos said the threat actors were exploiting the flaw to drop Cobalt Strike beacons, and conduct post-exploitation activities using the TaoWu toolkit.

However, GreyNoise said the flaw was being abused in multiple places around the world, including the United States, Singapore, Japan, and other countries.

The attacks started in January this year, with GreyNoise’s Global Observation Grid (a worldwide network of honeypots) detecting 1,089 unique IPs (separate threat actors, essentially), attempting to exploit CVE-2024-4577 in January 2025 alone.

Almost half (43%) of IPs targeting CVE-2024-4577 in the past 30 days came from either Germany, or China, GreyNoise said.

Cisco Talos has released guidance to help businesses with internet-facing Windows systems exposing PHP-CGI mitigate the threat and defend against potential attacks, which you can find here. A patch was released in the summer of 2024, according to The Record, and GreyNoise added users should run retro-hunts to identify similar exploitation patterns.

Via The Record

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Unplanned downtime costs the Global 2000 a staggering $400 billion annually, according to Oxford Economics research, with each company facing an average loss of $200 million per year due to unexpected digital disruptions.

The repercussions of this can be severe. In a world where customers demand round-the-clock product and service availability, IT organizations are under constant pressure to deliver it for their mission critical IT services. So, what is business downtime, and what are the solutions?

Defining and understanding IT downtime

There’s no doubt that today’s digital landscape is ruled by the applications that we all rely on. While most people don’t spend a huge amount of time thinking about IT downtime, it can be nothing short of a nightmare when it disrupts an application that an organization can’t function without. “IT downtime” describes any period when systems, services, or networks are unavailable. While some downtime is planned, such as maintenance activity, the bigger risk comes from unplanned downtime, typically caused by technical failures, cybersecurity incidents, or natural disasters. For businesses, this unplanned downtime can lead to significant financial and client loss, with Europe and APAC having the longest recovery times from downtime events.

The causes of downtime can range from software bugs to infrastructure configuration errors, networking errors, or even storage failures. Adding to the challenge, IT operations teams often manage hundreds of different inter-dependent applications, making the process of identifying a root cause lengthy, manual and very complicated.

The cyber-attack on the British Museum in October 2023 is one example of just how financially damaging downtime can actually be. A hacker group named Rhysida targeted the British Museum and caused a technology outage. Rhysida demanded a ransom of approximately £500,000 at the time, which the library refused to pay. As a result, Rhysida publicly released approximately 600GB of sensitive data online. The breach forced the library to take its main catalogue offline for several months, with a partial read-only restoration occurring in January 2024. The institution had to use about 40% of its financial reserves, estimated at £6–7 million, to recover from the attack. Ciaran Martin, the previous CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, said, “This incident has been described as "one of the worst cyber incidents in British history.”

Oxford Economic Research shows that some organizations can expect their stock price to drop between one and nine percent after a single downtime event - and then take an average of 79 days to recover. It’s not difficult to understand how these and other hidden costs could easily amount to more than $200 million annually for a single company.

The business impact of downtime

Financial impact: Beyond the costs of restoring systems, businesses may face hefty regulatory fines and penalties. Additionally, operational disruptions can lead to lost revenue and hinder employee productivity. When customers experience service interruptions, it not only affects their satisfaction but can also tarnish the company's reputation, leading to long-term trust issues. Impact on innovation: Innovation is essential for economic growth because it creates new markets, industries, jobs and investment opportunities.

When a company experiences any measure of downtime, it can stymie innovation by disrupting workflows, moving attention away from new projects, creating delays in development cycles and preventing development of new ideas. When systems are unavailable, employees are unable to focus on creative problem-solving and exploring new technologies, negatively impacting the progress of innovative ideation.

Customer experience: Not only can financial and productivity losses impact the bottom line, they can also create a negative customer experience. This can bring ill-repute on an organisation, while potentially dissuading new customers from wanting to do business together. Customers expect reliability and availability from applications, and frequent downtime can frustrate users and erode customer trust. A single incident can result in lost customers, negative reviews, and diminished brand loyalty.

Brand reputation: Organizations have regulatory and compliance consequences to manage. Critical systems that are unavailable can impact reporting and recording leading to legal ramifications and fines, damaging an organization's reputation.

The hidden costs of downtime

With technology, and more specifically applications, becoming increasingly integral to daily operations, business downtime has become a significant risk to the productivity of organizations. In fact, a recent Forbes article reports that large enterprises can see costs as high as $9k per minute from downtime.

The reality is that the cost of business downtime often goes far beyond lost income. The financial impact is compounded by lost opportunities to acquire new customers or expand sales, as well as by recovery costs, such as repairs or overtime compensation. Further, negative publicity can drive away future customers and supply chain disruption can impact supplier relationships.

Actions to strengthen your resilience

So, how can businesses combat downtime as an issue? No one expects businesses to become resilient to downtime immediately, but there are actions organizations can take to navigate and minimize the damage:

1. Agree on a downtime strategy: Regularly testing apps and having the staff on hand to resolve any issues is a strong start to ensure systems are back online as quickly as possible.

2. Analyze historic vulnerabilities: Organizations should get into the habit of analyzing what went wrong every time there’s a forced period of downtime. This helps to avoid issues reoccurring. It is also worth investing in data analytics tools to constantly monitor the performance of critical applications.

3. Enforce data control: By having a clear data governance policy, organizations can better enhance security and resilience by protecting against data shocks and strengthening their ability of recovering and withstanding security threats.

4. Be proactive: Prevention is always better than a cure. Getting ahead of potential issues and coordinating their teams to prevent them from occurring will pay dividends.

Be on the front foot

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, application failures can have widespread and severe consequences. To mitigate these risks, businesses should adopt proactive and efficient strategies to anticipate potential issues and address them without delay. Prioritizing infrastructure and application resiliency not only minimizes operational risks but also fosters customer loyalty, positioning organizations for sustained growth and innovation in an increasingly competitive market. How resilient is your business?

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here : https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

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“Proper preparation and planning prevents poor performance” is a famous adage that the British Army has used for centuries. The phrase highlights the importance of a well-structured plan - it ensures that teams stay on track, budgets are managed efficiently, and objectives are achieved.

Whilst most enterprises are not combatting tanks or missiles like the military, they are facing constant threats in the form of cyberattacks. Ensuring that employees are well-prepared for whatever challenges arise is crucial.

Being prepared for a cyberattack requires strong cyber crisis management underpinned by individuals with the right skills, which enables effective decision-making, steadfast leadership, and the learning of lessons. Readiness can be the difference between a well-handled, minor cyber incident and a major crisis.

The lessons of past global incidents

“Proper preparation and planning prevents poor performance” has another joking meaning by the British military. Military leaders have used the line when something has gone wrong, but it can still be used to teach a valuable lesson.

In cybersecurity, there is so much focus on the next threat that it can be easy to overlook past incidents. While the tactics and techniques employed by cybercriminals have rapidly changed over the years, having an effective crisis management plan has always been critical.

For example, when it was first discovered in December 2021, around one in three applications using the vulnerable version of Log4Shell were susceptible to remote code execution, marking one of the most extensive cyber threats to date.

Despite the scale of the vulnerability, it was relatively easy to address on an individual level by simply updating to a secure version. The Log4j incident highlighted the critical need for proactive vulnerability management and a robust incident response strategy.

Businesses that lagged on security trends or had ineffective patching processes remained exposed for much longer, with many continuing to use vulnerable versions even years later.

Almost two years later, the MOVEit vulnerability, a zero-day vulnerability that affected more than 2,600 organizations and nearly 90 million individuals, again highlighted the importance of organizations being prepared, but in a different way.

As a zero-day, there was little that could be done to proactively reduce risk. However, clear, transparent, and timely communication with stakeholders was crucial in managing expectations and maintaining trust throughout the incident.

Whilst the two incidents required very different responses from organizations, both carry the lesson of the importance of preparedness.

How to make the right decision during a crisis

In a crisis, leaders face intense pressure, where every decision is significant. Success depends on a clear decision-making framework that balances urgent needs with long-term objectives. So, what does an effective framework look like?

A strong starting point during any crisis is being able to gather all accurate and relevant information. By understanding the full scope of the crisis and its potential impacts, leaders help prioritize actions and allocate resources effectively.

It’s critical in any crisis management framework that leaders establish credible sources that allow them to determine the extent of the crisis and make effective decisions. These sources must be rigorously cross-checked to avoid the spread of unverified information, which will only spread panic and distrust during a crisis.

In addition to having the correct information, leaders should go into cyber crises knowing what their key priorities and strategic focuses are. For example, how do you keep people safe, and which systems are essential for maintaining services?

Actions must align with the organization's mission and values, ensuring responses are both effective and true to core principles. Effective crisis management demands prioritizing resources and making informed trade-offs to minimize the impact of an attack.

Considering such priorities before an incident will also reveal the ethical implications of each choice. This includes the impact of decisions on customers, employees, and business relationships. By considering such implications, leaders can then make decisions that support sustainable recovery.

What to do in the middle of a crisis

As mentioned before, preparation is key to making the right decisions. However, during a crisis, there are a number of points leaders need to follow.

First and foremost, clear and transparent communication is absolutely essential. Stakeholders need to be provided with regular updates so they can manage expectations. It’s critical that any statement provides truthful information about the situation, including any associated risks and uncertainties.

A company might handle the technical aspects of a cyber incident very well, but if they don’t manage communications effectively or address the business impact, it could lead to negative media coverage and customer backlash—the court of public opinion, as I like to call it.

For example, CrowdStrike was both applauded and criticized in the court of public opinion, despite resolving the issue fairly quickly.

On the other hand, Atmos recently showcased the importance of regular communication. Through regular statements, they were able to hit back at ransomware attack claims and then later that week confirm the claims of compromise were unfounded.

By immediately addressing the rumors of a potential breach, they prevented panic from spreading among customers and partners, and fostered a reputation of transparency and credibility.

During a crisis, it’s also critical that leaders remain flexible and adaptable to changes. Cyber incidents are constantly changing, and new information is coming to the forefront. For example, initially, a breach might just be the encryption of systems, but days later it can quickly unfold that customer data has been exfiltrated.

Leaders must learn from ongoing events and adjust their approaches based on real-time feedback and evolving circumstances. By incorporating feedback from stakeholders and team members, leaders can refine strategies and improve crisis management.

Practice makes perfect

It’s easy for organizations to complete their cyber crisis plans and leave them on the shelf until needed. However, preparation doesn’t mean just creating plans but regularly testing and refining them.

An effective crisis management framework should include well-defined roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols. Regular drills and simulations are essential to test and refine the plan, ensuring teams are prepared for real emergencies.

Ongoing training is crucial to reinforce the crisis management framework, instilling confidence and ensuring familiarity with assigned roles. Comprehensive crisis simulations, including cyber drills, should emulate real-life scenarios to enhance preparedness and situational awareness.

Following a cyber incident, it is vital to update the response framework. After the immediate crisis is resolved, a thorough review must be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the response and identify areas for improvement.

Debriefing sessions enable leaders to analyze successes and pinpoint gaps in the response process. Documenting lessons learned and updating protocols based on this analysis ensures the organization is better equipped to manage future incidents. Maintaining a culture of continuous improvement is key to sustaining a robust state of crisis readiness.

Ultimately, the rate and impact of cyberattacks is not going to slow down anytime soon. However, being prepared for such incidents can stop an attack from becoming a full-blown crisis. Preparation is key to stopping cyberattacks, and at the heart of preparation is a proactive and regularly tested crisis management plan.

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 10 (game #1141).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1142) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1142) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1142) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1142) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1142) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• L

• J

• S

• R

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1142) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1142, are…

• LINGO
• JUICE
• SHARP
• REVEL

A close shave for me today, due to a poor start and some bad luck. I had an incorrect hunch that there would be lots of Es in today’s puzzle, while I wasted a start word with FUNKY.

Next, I had two near misses before guessing SHARP and LINGO, leaving me zero margin for error with the last couple of words.

Somehow I finished before running out of turns. Phew!

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1142) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1142, are…

• MACAW
• MOODY
• DROOL
• FIERY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1141, Monday 10 March: AVAIL, THESE, TITAN, GAUGE
• Quordle #1140, Sunday 9 March: SKILL, IDEAL, WHERE, REHAB
• Quordle #1139, Saturday 8 March: WATCH, LAPSE, WREST, HEFTY
• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER
• Quordle #1136, Wednesday 5 March: PLEAD, TWANG, MAJOR, RISKY
• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER
• Quordle #1134, Monday 3 March: FRILL, KAYAK, REBAR, WORDY
• Quordle #1133, Sunday 2 March: TUNIC, GLOSS, DEBUG, LARGE
• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL
• Quordle #1130, Thursday 27 February: THIEF, CHAIR, ETHER, GRIME
• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER
• Quordle #1128, Tuesday 25 February: TWIST, TWEAK, MEANT, CLEAR
• Quordle #1127, Monday 24 February: LEASH, LEVER, TOTEM, CREME
• Quordle #1126, Sunday 23 February: RABID, RELIC, SCRAM, BASIS
• Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
• Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
• Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE
• Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 10 (game #638).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #639) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PHONE
• BREAK
• FOOTBALL
• LEGEND
• SADDLE
• KEYS
• BELL
• WALLET
• ALTERNATIVE
• KING
• WONDER
• CHANGE
• MOCCASINS
• INTERCOM
• DEPARTURE
• ALARM

NYT Connections today (game #639) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Doing things differently 
• GREEN: Chiming
• BLUE: Made from the same material 
• PURPLE: Playing all the right notes

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #639) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: VARIATION FROM THE NORM 
• GREEN: THINGS THAT RING 
• BLUE: THINGS TRADITIONALLY MADE OF LEATHER 
• PURPLE: SINGER-SONGWRITER PIANISTS 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #639) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #639, are…

• YELLOW: VARIATION FROM THE NORM ALTERNATIVE, BREAK, CHANGE, DEPARTURE
• GREEN: THINGS THAT RING ALARM, BELL, INTERCOM, PHONE
• BLUE: THINGS TRADITIONALLY MADE OF LEATHER FOOTBALL, MOCCASINS, SADDLE, WALLET
• PURPLE: SINGER-SONGWRITER PIANISTS KEYS, KING, LEGEND, WONDER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I had a hunch that WONDER was connected to Stevie, but my uncertainty over who could join him led me to pursue other groups.

THINGS TRADITIONALLY MADE OF LEATHER was the first connection I saw, mainly down to MOCCASINS and SADDLE, with my only hesitation being FOOTBALL as I knew that in the early days they were called pigskins.

After initially thinking that both BREAK and DEPARTURE had vacations in common, I saw that difference or VARIATION FROM THE NORM was the link. In a huge departure from the norm for me, I managed to get today’s puzzle without a mistake. A unique and enjoyable experience.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 10 March, game #638)

• YELLOW: CAT BREEDS RAGAMUFFIN, RUSSIAN BLUE, SPHYNX, TURKISH ANGORA
• GREEN: FAMOUS SMILES CHESHIRE CAT, COMEDY MASK, JOKER, MONA LISA
• BLUE: ATTRACTIONS ICONICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR ORIGINAL FORMS LIBERTY BELL, STATUE OF LIBERTY, TOWER OF PISA, VENUS DE MILO
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED WITH "THE DUDE" LEBOWSKI BATHROBE, BOWLING, RUG, WHITE RUSSIAN

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 10 (game #372).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #373) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… What's the magic word?

NYT Strands today (game #373) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• LAST
• PAST
• REST
• SING
• TANK
• BRASH

NYT Strands today (game #373) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Said with a wave of a wand

NYT Strands today (game #373) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 6th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #373) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #373, are…

• TADA
• SHAZAM
• ABRACADABRA
• PRESTO
• ALAKAZAM
• SPANGRAM: CASTING SPELLS

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

The Strands trend for very long Spangrams continues, with CASTING SPELLS taking up a large chunk of today's puzzle.

The large block taken up by the theme words made for an easier than normal search. The only challenge was navigating the high number of As and coping with the return of an earworm I’d only just shaken…

The song ABRACADBRA by Steve Miller had only just left my head after its appearance in the Connections category #1 SONGS FROM 1982 a couple of days ago and now it’s returned – competing for headspace with Lady Gaga’s song of the same name. Frankly, I need some kind of vanishing magic spell to rid me of this agony.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 10 March, game #372)

• VOLUME
• BACK
• POWER
• HOME
• MUTE
• GUIDE
• CHANNEL
• SPANGRAM: REMOTE CONTROL

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.