TechRadar News

• Clorox 2023 breach happened when a threat actor impersonated an employee and had their credentials reset
• Clorox argues Cognizant did not follow standard procedures
• Cognizant says cybersecurity wasn't its job to begin with

Clorox is suing its IT service provider Cognizant following a 2023 ransomware attack which cost the firm millions of dollars in damages.

Recently filed with the Superior Court of California, the lawsuit says Cognizant is being sued for breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, gross negligence, and intentional misrepresentation.

Back in 2013, Cognizant was contracted to operate Clorox’s employee service desk, which included tasks such as password recovery, credential resets, and IT support for staffers. In 2023, a cybercriminal called a Cognizant employee on the phone, said they were a Clorox employee, and asked for a password and multi-factor authentication (MFA) recovery, since they lost access to their account.

Whose job is it, anyway?

In the filing, Clorox argues the Cognizant employee complied without following established procedures on identity verification, providing alleged transcripts of phone calls between the attacker and the Cognizant employee which allegedly prove the password reset was granted on the spot.

Once the attackers gained access, they reset MFA tokens, changed phone numbers linked to SMS authentication, disabled cybersecurity tools, and exfiltrated sensitive files from the system.

As a result, Clorox had to shut down its systems, pause manufacturing, and rely on manual order processing for weeks. This allegedly resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales and reputational damage.

Clorox is now seeking $49 million in direct remediation damages, as well as $380 million in total damages.

In response to the lawsuit, Cognizant told the press it wasn’t their job to defend the IT network from attacks.

Speaking to BleepingComputer, a company spokesperson said: "It is shocking that a corporation the size of Clorox had such an inept internal cybersecurity system to mitigate this attack. Clorox has tried to blame us for these failures, but the reality is that Clorox hired Cognizant for a narrow scope of help desk services which Cognizant reasonably performed. Cognizant did not manage cybersecurity for Clorox."

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• KontrolFreek has revealed new Minecraft themed controller accessories
• This includes thumbsticks and grips
• Both are available now

Gaming accessory brand KontrolFreek has unveiled a new series of controller add-ons in collaboration with hit survival game Minecraft.

The KontrolFreek Minecraft Thumbstsicks are compatible with the DualSense Wireless Controller or Xbox Wireless Controller and feature a bright green, blocky Creeper-inspired design.

A set of two mid-rise sticks, they're intended to increase comfort and control over extended Minecraft sessions. They also help your controller stand out from the crowd, making them the perfect choice for fans of the popular creative sandbox game.

They arrive alongside the KontrolFreek Minecraft Thumb Grips, more compact versions that slip over the top of your thumbsticks like a cover. They have a similar design, and are available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 controllers.

The Minecraft Thumbstsicks cost $19.99 / £19.99, while the Thumb Grips come in a little cheaper at $12.99 / £12.99. Both are available now via the KontrolFreek website and other retailers.

KontrolFreek is the most popular controller enhancement brand according to data from market research firm Circana. They remain a mainstay of the first-person shooter (FPS) community, with some players and content creators swearing by the small accessories.

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We know all too well that Avengers: Doomsday will put Robery Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU as Doctor Doom front and center, but if rumors are to be believed (first discussed by entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni on The Town podcast), Chris Hemsworth’s Thor will be the new Marvel movie’s secondary lead character.

Chris Hemsworth’s potential casting update in Avengers: Doomsday makes sense, given that he’s the most prominent Avenger of the bunch out of the movie’s confirmed cast, meaning it’s only natural he’ll step up to lead our heroes as the newbies find their feet and the X-Men make their full transition into their new cinematic universe.

I should stress “confirmed” here. After the studio’s five-hour Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement that convinced millions of people to watch a bunch of empty chairs, it’s still suspected that a hefty percentage of actors involved in the movie have been kept under wraps. If any of the original Avengers who survived the post-Thanos chaos happen to pop up, it could be endgame (pun intended) for Thor’s leading man reputation. Even so, how much attention anyone can successfully draw away from Doom himself remains to be seen.

Regardless, I’ve been keeping an eye on Hemsworth’s moves in the build-up to Doomsday filming (in a non-stalkery, appreciative way), and one of his biggest new projects likely explains how he’s prepared for Marvel’s most momentous moment of the decade. And if I’m right, everyone else he’s squaring up to better be wary.

Chris Hemsworth’s new series Limitless was ideal training for Thor’s return in Avengers: Doomsday

I’m talking about the second season of Limitless: Live Better Now, Hemsworth’s documentary series made in conjunction with Darren Aronofsky, Disney+ and National Geographic. We’re veering off course from how he was pushed to his limits the first time around, instead exploring how to live a better life through three high-stakes challenges focused on pain, fear, and cognitive decline. Translated, that means scaling the highest man-made rock climbing wall in Switzerland, being put through South Korea’s rigorous SAS training program and learning the drums to play with Ed Sheeran on his most recent sold-out stadium tour.

Not only does this mean Thor can now serenade Doctor Doom with ‘Thinking Out Loud’ if it all goes belly up, but the physical and mental demands of Hemsworth’s tasks should mean he’s in the best shape possible to give the action-packed performance of his life. From the trailer alone, we see him push through feats that even his stunt double hasn’t had to endure, going far beyond the typical fitness regimes we know the actor has always kept up with. He’s not so successful when he’s hooked up to a cramp simulator while trying to play Jenga with his mates, but hey, even the best of us are wiped out by a bad tummyache.

Taking on two huge physical feats within the last year likely means Hemsworth’s resilience is built up to brand-new levels, with the Swiss climbing wall and South Korean training regime being among the hardest in the world to get through. It’s also likely he’s built up a new kind of tolerance for managing pain (episode 3 will look at this more directly), meaning he can push himself ever further on Marvel’s set. Does this mean Doctor Doom can do less fictional damage on our alleged lead Avenger? I’d like to think so.

Thankfully, we’re going to get Limitless episodes a lot sooner than we have to wait to find out if Thor is indeed our second lead in Doomsday. Limitless arrives on Disney+ (internationally) and Hulu (US) on August 15, 2025, with all three episodes released in one go. Doomsday arrives in cinemas on December 18, 2026, delayed from its original release date of May 1, 2026.

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• Microsoft is claiming Windows 11 24H2 is the most reliable version ever
• The company says it has 24% fewer crashes than version 22H2
• In a blog post about resiliency, Microsoft also clarifies the benefits of the latest Windows update for 24H2

Microsoft has put forward a case for Windows 11 24H2 being the "most reliable version" of its desktop operating system ever made.

The long and short of this is that the software giant claims there are a good deal fewer crashes with version 24H2 compared to version 22H2 of Windows 11.

XDA Developers spotted that Microsoft made this assertion in a post on the Windows IT Pro Blog, stating that: "We're also proud to share that Windows 11 24H2 is our most reliable version of Windows yet. Compared to Windows 10 22H2, failure rates for unexpected restarts have dropped by 24%."

This is based on telemetry data gathered this month (July 2025) by Microsoft, we're told. Unexpected restarts refers to complete lock-ups of the system, and as noted earlier in the post, these Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) experiences have been changed to a more streamlined black screen. That happened in the latest update for Windows 11 24H2, which just arrived in preview (but will be a full release next month).

Microsoft underlines the benefits of the new BSoD (which handily enough uses the same acronym) and notes that: "In Windows 11 24H2, we made significant improvements to crash dump collection that reduced the time users spend on the [BSoD] screen from 40 seconds to just 2 seconds for most consumer devices." (I should note that the bolding for emphasis is Microsoft's).

Furthermore, Microsoft reminds us of recent progress in terms of recovery from nasty crashes, namely boot failures, observing that the most recent Windows 11 update also represents the rollout and general availability of quick machine recovery. QMR is a new spin on attempting to fix a PC that will no longer boot to the desktop.

Analysis: crash tests, dummy

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan)

There's no doubting that Microsoft has made some useful strides forward here in terms of making Windows 11 devices more resilient, which is the theme of the blog post. But does the latest version of Windows 11, 24H2, really have a quarter fewer crashes than 22H2?

Well, we obviously need to be cautious about stats produced by internal testing - not that I'm accusing Microsoft of anything underhand, but we're all aware that in these kind of scenarios, multiple tests can be carried out and results cherry-picked. (This practice is common across all marketing, of course).

There are doubtless those who would argue vehemently that 24H2 very much isn't the most reliable take on Microsoft's desktop OS that's ever been seen - mainly based on all the bugs that came with this release. I won't bang on about those glitches again, save to say that there were indeed a lot of them initially, and some were very odd affairs indeed.

I've always been of the opinion that the shift to a new underlying platform for Windows 11 (called Germanium) threw a number of unexpected spanners in the works for the OS.

Microsoft has made a lot of headway in fixing those bugs, mind - although not all of them - and I've got to accept the stats the company presents here at face value. (I can hardly disprove them with my own crash testing, after all).

However, what I can say is that this is all relative, anyway. By which I mean I've not seen a BSoD in ages, on my Windows 11 PCs, or indeed my Windows 10 machines.

So, fewer crashes means those BSoD instances are even closer to next-to-nothing - and how meaningful is the difference, then? I'm not sure. There's no disputing that in contemporary times, full-on lock-ups are a lot rarer in Windows than they used to be. Rewind time by 15 years or so, and crashes like this were more of a problem (and go back further, to the turn of the millennium, and that was doubly true).

Whatever the case, Microsoft deserves some credit here, and I'm also hoping that the new quick machine recovery feature will be a useful string to the troubleshooting bow when a PC hits a boot failure (that most dreaded of problems).

I have my reservations about the redesigned BSoD, mind - as I've said before - and you can bet that Microsoft's assertion that Windows 11 24H2 is the most reliable version ever is going to cause the grinding of some gears out there - particularly with those who adopted 24H2 early, and were unfortunate to run into some of the many bugs that plagued the release (gamers were especially in the firing line).

However, there are anecdotal reports on Reddit that Microsoft is finally getting it right with version 24H2, even if it was wonky to begin with - though note that in the same thread, others are still reporting negative experiences (again, particularly those who are keen PC gamers).

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• Broadcom was given European approval to acquire VMware in July 2023
• CISPE's European Cloud Competition Observatory has issued Broadcom two red warnings
• CISPE is now asking the European Commission to annul its decision amid ongoing concerns

The Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers in Europe (CISPE) has filed a formal appeal to challenge the European Commission's decision to approve Broadcom's 2023 acquisition of VMware.

CISPE – a group representing Europe's sovereign cloud infrastructure providers, and recently in the news for bringing complaints about Microsoft's unfair cloud licensing fees – is now seeking annulment of the Commission's decision.

The news comes around two years after the European Commission approved the takeover, at which point Broadcom promised to deliver continued interoperability.

CISPE isn't happy about Broadcom's VMware acquisition

In November 2024, CISPE announced it would be launching the European Cloud Competition Observatory (ECCO) to monitor competition. Later in February 2025, the organization wrote: "In the case of Broadcom, CISPE members and customers report little or no engagement from the company on their issues."

As such, ECCO assigned a Red/Critical status to Broadcom, which was reconfirmed in May 2025 when ECCO wrote: "This second report finds that Broadcom’s wide ranging and brutal imposition of unfair contract terms for cloud infrastructure service provides continue unabated."

At that time, ECCO called for "urgent official investigations," while CISPE Secretary General Francisco Mingorance noted that "Broadcom shows no interest in finding solutions, or even of working with European cloud infrastructure providers."

"Urgent action is needed," Mingorance added.

On July 24, 2025, CISPE claimed there had been errors in law and a flawed competitive assessment by the Commission in the first place – although the Commission had acknowledged competitive risks, it had not imposted conditions on Broadcom.

Since the VMware takeover, Broadcom has terminated contracts with short notice periods and introduced new licensing terms with drastic price hikes (up to 10X) and mandatory multi-year commitments.

In this most recent development, Mingorance noted that hospitals, universities and municipal authorities have also been affected – not just cloud service providers.

"The Commission was warned this would happen, yet it stood by. It must now reconsider its decision," the Secretary General concluded.

TechRadar Pro has asked Broadcom for a response to CISPE's complaint, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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• T-Mobile’s Starlink-powered satellite service has just fully launched
• You can connect to satellites without needing apps or settings changes
• It’s available for a monthly fee, even to non-T-Mobile customers

T-Mobile has just launched its Starlink satellite service, dubbed T-Satellite, after testing it for many months. It brings connectivity to remote areas not currently served by any of the major mobile networks – but what do you get from T-Mobile, and how does it compare to the free alternative offered by Apple?

With T-Satellite, T-Mobile says you’ll get coverage provided by over 650 satellites orbiting the Earth. Your phone will connect automatically, with no apps to download or settings to change. That said, you may get a small amount of downtime as your phone disconnects from one satellite and connects to another – the satellites are moving in orbit, after all, so you won’t always be hooked up to the same one.

According to T-Mobile, the service works with over 60 mobile devices. That includes every iPhone from the iPhone 13 onwards, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and later, Google Pixel phones going back to the Google Pixel 9, and more.

Other supported devices include the latest Motorola Razr 2025 series and the latest Samsung Galaxy A56. You can read the full list on T-Mobile's eligibility guide. The latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 are listed as "coming soon".

If you’re on T-Mobile’s Go5G Next or Experience Beyond plans, you get T-Satellite included for free. Other T-Mobile customers can access it for $10 a month per line, although the company says the price will rise to $15 per month after a “limited time.” Customers of other networks can also sign up for $10 a month (later $15 a month) by contacting T-Mobile.

How does Apple compare?

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple has offered its own satellite service for a few years now, so you might be wondering what its advantages and disadvantages are compared to T-Satellite.

For one thing, Apple’s offering is a lot broader than what you get with T-Mobile. With Apple, you can send and receive messages, contact emergency services, share your whereabouts with Find My, organize roadside assistance for your vehicle, and get weather reports. T-Satellite, meanwhile, only supports sending and receiving text messages. It doesn’t offer data or any of the other services that Apple supports.

As well as that, Apple’s satellite functionality is entirely free (for the time being, at least), whereas T-Mobile’s requires a monthly subscription. On the other hand, you can only access Apple’s satellite service if you have an Apple device, while T-Mobile’s works with a range of iOS and Android products.

You’ll need to consider which option suits you best based on your circumstances. But with T-Satellite emerging from its beta-testing period, you’ve got another choice for staying connected when you’re off the grid.

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• Report finds over half of UK companies could be missing out on revenue from slow AI adoption
• 30% are worried they've missed the AI adoption window
• UK businesses are among the most AI-optimistic

Over half of UK companies could be losing up to 5% of monthly revenue simply down to a delay in AI adoption – a considerable loss that could be easily fixed.

Research by Couchbase found four in five (79%) agree AI tools give them a competitive advantage, but many are failing to move quickly enough, with as many as one in three (30%) now fearing they've missed the AI adoption window.

"The AI race has clearly already begun and while the potential is clear, complexity and fragmentation leave many businesses struggling to keep up," Couchbase Global Customer Technology Strategy Leader Chris Bridgland explained.

UK businesses are missing out on the AI race

More than half (51%) of the businesses surveyed said they're worried about project failure, which is holding them back from adopting AI.

Others battle with data access and management (44%), creating safe environments for AI experimentation (40%) and security issues associated with third-party AI solutions (43%).

Although AI readiness is at its highest with generative AI, this still only stands at 56%. Alarmingly, only 40% feel ready for AI-powered applications, and even fewer (32%) feel prepared for agentic AI, which promises huge automation benefits.

Despite the challenges, the UK still leads the way when it comes to optimism, with 50% believing it will enhance customer experience compared with 35% in India and 32% in Germany. Half (52%) also believe agentic AI will help them to identify new trends.

Looking ahead, two-thirds (68%) agree that AI would be easier to control when there are fewer technologies involved. "As AI architectures grow more sophisticated, organisations are realising that simplicity isn’t a compromise, it’s a competitive advantage," Bridgland added.

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• France Travail breach could affects thousands
• No threat actors assumed responsibility, and the data has not yet been abused
• This is not the first time France Travail has been hit

France’s national employment agency has suffered a cyberattack in which threat actors allegedly accessed sensitive data on “hundreds of thousands” of people.

In a data breach notification letter, sent to affected individuals and seen by French local media, France Travail said the criminals accessed the data through Kairos, a digital platform mostly used by training organizations and employment counselors to manage professional training activities, including tracking course enrollment, validating funding requests, and monitoring job seeker progress.

Initial reports place the number of affected individuals at roughly 340,000, with the exposed data including full names, postal addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and France Travail ID numbers.

Suspects arrested

While there is no evidence of abuse in the wild, this type of data is valuable for criminals looking to carry out identity theft or other activities.

Knowing the identities and contact information of people who were looking for work, threat actors can create convincing emails, inviting people to fake job interviews. Through these interviews, they can deploy all sorts of malware, or even ransomware.

Lazarus Group, for example, is famous for its Operation DreamJob campaign, in which it invites their targets to fake job interviews.

The good news is that financial information, such as banking data or credit card information, was not leaked. Still, France Travail urged all users to remain vigilant, and pay special attention to unsolicited emails.

According to Cybernews, this is not the first time France Travail suffered a cyberattack, as a March 2024 incident was significantly larger in scope, affecting 43 million individuals - more than two-thirds of the country’s entire population, making it the largest cyberattack in French history.

In the aftermath, three suspects aged 21 to 23 were arrested in connection to the attack. All three were based in France and allegedly impersonated Cap Emploi advisors to gain access. No known ransomware group has claimed responsibility, and the attack has not been formally attributed to any organized cybercriminal group.

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• Battlefield 6 will be officially revealed in a special livestream today
• The broadcast begins at 4pm BST / 5pm CEST / 11pm EST / 8am PST
• A cinematic trailer or the first look at gameplay is likely to be showcased

Electronic Arts has officially announced Battlefield 6, and a first look at the next game will be revealed today in a special livestream.

The 'Battlefield 6 Official Reveal Trailer' broadcast is scheduled to take place today, July 24, at 4pm BST / 5pm CEST / 11pm EST / 8am PST and can be watched on the official Battlefield YouTube channel.

A teaser was shared earlier this week showing four soldiers overlooking what appears to be a war-torn New York City, with the Brooklyn Bridge caught in an explosion.

EA hasn't confirmed the details of the upcoming livestream or how long it will last, but we're expecting a cinematic trailer at least or a potential gameplay overview showcasing the setting, roles, and first-person shooter action.

Closed beta tests for Battlefield 6 have been running for the past few months, so this will be the first time the game has been shown off to the public.

Before the livestream announcement, it was reported that content creators familiar with the series had been receiving special packages from EA.

It was also claimed by Battlefield content creator Rivalxfactor that there will be a three-day EA event following the game's official reveal; however, the creator stated this would occur on July 29, which we now know to be false and is happening today instead.

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Dandadan season 2 made its triumphant return to Netflix at the beginning of July, and has since released three episodes under its belt. So far we’ve seen Jiji become possessed, a giant death worm threatening to trap people and Momo outright escaping death. Episode 3 ended with a volcanic eruption impending on the resort town and we’ll be able to see what happens next in episode 4, which is set to air later this week (July 25).

Instead of the hit Netflix anime tapering off after its explosive season 1, it’s a case of so far, so much better when it comes to Dandadan season 2. The action sequences are more dynamic, the tension has been raised even higher through fatal stakes, and there’s enough lore and backstory to never fully know whether you’re coming or going. We could put this down to the incredible storytelling and craft we knew we should expect from season 1, but is that all?

As it turns out, no. The more I watch Dandadan season 2, the more it feels like there’s been a change that I can’t put my finger on. To my surprise, I’m actually onto something, with the show’s creators confirming as much – about the change that’s been right in front of us the entire time – at Anime Expo 2025.

Dandadan season 2’s creators have purposefully changed colours to make scenes more exciting

According to series director Fuga Yamashiro, the change in Dandadan season 2 is down to a change in the show’s color palette to highlight key moments when the team were originally running out of colors to use. “At first, I thought I could continue with Dandadan's signature use of shifting color palettes,” he explained (via ScreenRant). “However, I quickly ran into a problem as audiences tend to interpret colours very literally. For example, what I see as a subtle difference between pink and red might look identical to someone watching the anime at home. I began running out of colors to differentiate characters and scenes thematically.”

He continued: “So rather than just playing with color, I introduced different visual textures to Dandadan. This season, you’ll notice some cuts have rougher finishes resembling oil paintings for instance rather than watercolor. This shift gives scenes a totally different impression because of its texture rather than its hue. This was my big experiment this season.”

As far as I’m concerned, it’s a big experiment that’s paid off. It’s hard to tear your eyes away from the screen as it is, but the extra lift in the show’s most dynamic moments make it nigh on impossible. If anything, it’s strange there was a sense of uncertainty from the creative team when on screen, Dandadan feels more certain of its own greatness than ever.

We’ve still got eight episodes of season 2 left to go, and absolutely anything can play out over that space of time. There are some things we can take a logical guess will happen in all their newly found bright glory (such as the Evil Eye continuing to haunt Jiji), but the original manga arcs can only tell us so much. Our best guess is that season 2 will close out with the Space Globalists Arc, while a Kaiju continues to threaten the search for the second golden sphere in the meantime. Whatever happens, more screen time for Turbo Granny, please.

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The recent ransomware attack on Peter Green Chilled, a UK logistics provider responsible for refrigerated deliveries to major supermarkets, didn’t just delay shipments. It sent a warning shot to the entire retail industry. When chilled goods can’t reach stores, the consequences are immediate: shelves go empty, supply chains falter and customer trust erodes. This attack joins a string of recent incidents targeting retailers including Marks & Spencer, Co-op, Harrods, Adidas and Victoria’s Secret.

What’s happening isn’t random. Retail is being deliberately and strategically targeted by cybercriminal groups aiming to create high-impact disruption. These organizations are particularly vulnerable because they rely on just-in-time logistics, operate on thin margins and depend on a vast network of third-party vendors and suppliers. When one link in that chain breaks, the effects cascade, making retailers more likely to pay ransoms to get back online fast.

Scattered Spider and the Evolution of Social Engineering

Among the groups behind this wave of attacks is Scattered Spider, also known by its designation UNC3944, a highly sophisticated collective that has focused its efforts on enterprises in both the UK and the U.S.

Scattered Spider rose to notoriety through phishing and SIM-swapping campaigns, but it has since evolved into a much more formidable threat. Today, the group employs a blend of social engineering, credential harvesting and abuse of legitimate tools to infiltrate environments and evade detection.

Key to Scattered Spider’s effectiveness is its ability to impersonate internal support teams. By using tactics like help desk impersonation and SMS-based phishing, also known as smishing, they exploit trust relationships within an organization. Employees, particularly those in IT and administrative roles, become the primary targets. When these workers are convinced to reset MFA settings or hand over credentials, the attackers gain immediate, privileged access.

What sets Scattered Spider apart is its fluency in English, familiarity with Western business operations and ability to operate in real time. These are not language-barrier-limited, spray-and-pray operations. These are targeted intrusions executed with precision.

When Trusted Tools Become Threat Vectors

Perhaps most concerning is how attackers are co-opting the very tools defenders rely on. Remote administration utilities like AnyDesk, TeamViewer and Microsoft Quick Assist are frequently used by internal IT teams for legitimate support tasks. But in the hands of an adversary, they become stealthy weapons.

These tools don’t raise red flags in the same way malware might. They’re signed, trusted and often already whitelisted in security policies. That makes them perfect vehicles for attackers seeking to maintain persistence and move laterally inside networks.

Retail organizations, with dispersed physical locations and complex logistics ecosystems, are particularly reliant on remote access software. This reliance opens up a massive surface for abuse, especially when access permissions are overly broad or insufficiently monitored.

A Playbook for Retail Resilience

As threat actors increasingly exploit trusted tools and personnel, retailers must focus on reducing their attack surface and limiting the blast radius of potential breaches. This means going beyond reactive measures and embedding proactive security into everyday operations. Retailers can take action with strategies like these:

Harden Identity Controls: Organizations must implement strict policies for MFA and password resets. Real-time monitoring of these actions is essential to catch anomalies such as MFA enrollment from an unfamiliar device or rapid changes to high-privilege accounts.

Lock Down Remote Access: Remote access tools should be treated as sensitive assets. Their use must be tightly controlled, with policies in place to ensure they are only enabled when explicitly approved. Security teams should maintain inventories of authorized tools and actively hunt for unauthorized use.

Monitor for Behavioral Anomalies: Relying solely on signatures and known indicators of compromise is no longer sufficient. Security operations centers (SOCs) should implement behavioral analytics to identify unusual access patterns, like logins during off-hours, large data transfers from point-of-sale systems or unusual access from vendor accounts.

Prioritize Training for High-Risk Roles: Help desk workers, IT administrators and third-party vendors often have elevated access and are prime targets for social engineering. These employees must receive ongoing training not just on phishing, but on impersonation tactics, smishing attempts and unusual requests that should raise red flags.

Protecting Trust, Operations and the Bottom Line

The recent surge in retail-targeted ransomware attacks underscores a critical truth: security is no longer just a back-office function. It’s a frontline defense that directly affects customer experience, brand reputation and business continuity.

Retailers can no longer afford to take a reactive stance. The focus must shift toward continuous control validation, proactive threat hunting and investing in tools that reduce human error and shorten response times. That means combining technical controls with a strong culture of awareness, empowering employees to be an extension of the security team, not just a vulnerability.

The next ransomware attack won’t just compromise data. It could halt the movement of goods, empty shelves and leave customers questioning a brand’s reliability. For retailers, cybersecurity is now a matter of operational survival. And for groups like Scattered Spider, the attack surface has never been more inviting.

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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

• A banner showing off all four Pixel 10 models has been spotted on the Google Play Store
• You can see the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold from the back
• Other leaks have revealed possible dimensions and colors

The Google Pixel 10 series is now just weeks away, but there might not be much left for Google to unveil at this rate, as the company has seemingly accidentally shared a render showing all four expected models.

Android Authority has found a banner in the Google Play Store app showing the Pixel 10 itself, the Pixel 10 Pro, the Pixel 10 Pro XL, and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Google presumably didn’t mean for this banner to appear yet, as the accompanying text says ‘Now available’ – but perhaps the company won’t mind so much given that it has already intentionally shown off the Pixel 10 Pro.

In any case, three of the phones are shown here in a gray-blue shade believed to be dubbed Moonstone, while the base Pixel 10 is pictured in a much brighter blue that’s reportedly called Indigo.

A render of all four Pixel 10 models, leaked by Google itself (Image credit: Google / Android Authority)

Sadly, the phones are only shown from the back, and thanks to previous leaks, there’s not really anything here that we haven’t seen before. But we can now say with certainty that this is what the Pixel 10 series will look like.

In other news, Android Headlines has claimed that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will be sold in just two shades – the Moonstone option pictured above, and Jade, which is more of a pale green.

Previous leaks suggested the other Pixel models will be sold in four shades, so you might not have as much choice here, but at least Moonstone and Jade are a bit more interesting than what Google could have gone with.

Getting thicker and heavier

And finally, Android Headlines has also shared what it claims are the dimensions for the entire Google Pixel 10 series. Supposedly the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro will both be 152.8 x 72 x 8.6mm, making them the same height and width as their predecessors, but 0.1mm thicker.

The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is said to be 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm, making it identically sized to the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, but apparently it will be heavier at 232g, compared to the 221g of its predecessor.

And the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is apparently 155.2 x 150.4 x 5.2mm when unfolded and 155.2 x 76.3 x 10.8mm when folded, making it marginally narrower but thicker than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold when folded, and marginally wider and thicker when unfolded. It’s also apparently 1g heavier at 258g.

So, if these leaked dimensions are accurate, then unlike many smartphone makers, Google won’t be making any attempts to slim its phones down.

Google is holding an event on August 20 where we expect all of these devices to be unveiled, so we’ll find out exactly what they’re like then – or perhaps sooner if Google accidentally reveals more details in the meantime.

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• Some Pixel 9 exclusive photo-editing tools could be heading to older phones
• The Auto Frame and Reimagine AI tools may roll out more widely
• Handsets from the Pixel 6 onwards are tipped to get the upgrade

The Google Pixel 9 series launched with a stack of AI photo-editing features that were exclusive to those devices – but now it looks like Google is preparing to push some of these features out to older Pixel handsets.

As spotted by @AssembleDebug and Android Authority, the latest version of the Google Photos app for Android features code that suggests both Auto Frame and Reimagine are going to be made available to the Pixel 6 and newer phones.

Auto Frame lets you make sure the primary subject of your photo is well placed within that photo – that might involve cropping the image, or expanding the background using some AI magic. There's also a similar feature on the best Samsung phones.

As for Reimagine, this lets you tweak parts of your photo using a text prompt and AI image generation. You might want to add a car to a street scene, for example, or a tree to a nature landscape – if you can imagine it, Reimagine in Google Photos can do it.

Pixel exclusives

Reimagine lets you add elements to photos, like these palm trees (Image credit: Google / Future)

Google hasn't said anything officially yet, so it's not clear when these new features will reach handsets such as the Google Pixel 8 (assuming Google follows through with this) but the rollout shouldn't be far away.

It makes sense that Google would want to make as many of its AI photo-editing features available to as many people as possible, assuming that their phones have the necessary processing power to run them.

While keeping features exclusive to newer handsets can drive sales, it's not clear how many users have been upgrading to the Pixel 9 just to use the AI image features – though we've been largely impressed by what they're capable of.

In less than a month we'll do it all again, when the Google Pixel 10 series gets its grand unveiling on Wednesday, August 20. Expect a lot more talk about the power of AI, and perhaps some features that are only available on the new Pixel 10.

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• The latest PS5 firmware beta update will arrive in the coming months and include a new DualSense pairing feature
• Sony will soon allow DualSense controllers to be paired across multiple devices simultaneously
• A Power Saver mode will also be introduced later on to reduce the power consumption of supported PS5 games

Sony has announced the new features for its latest PlayStation 5 beta firmware update, which includes simultaneous DualSense pairing across multiple devices.

The details were shared on PlayStation Blog, where Sony said that it believes enabling compatibility of its peripherals across multiple platforms "creates a more flexible and seamless gaming experience."

To further this effort, the latest beta update will preview a new feature that allows DualSense wireless controllers and DualSense Edge wireless controllers to be paired across multiple devices simultaneously, making it easier for players to switch between them without needing to pair each time.

"With this update, you can now register up to four devices simultaneously, and easily switch between them directly from your controller," Sony explained.

"For example, you can take your controller which you use with your PS5, then seamlessly switch connection to a PC to play PC games, or connect it to a smartphone to enjoy Remote Play from your PS5. With this enhanced flexibility, you can enjoy gaming more freely across multiple devices."

Sony also revealed a new Power Saver mode that, when enabled, allows supported PS5 games to run with lower power consumption and reduce environmental impact.

This is part of its Road to Zero environmental plan, and will appear as a new option in the PS5 settings menu when it's released.

This feature won't be in the latest beta update, which is set to release globally in the coming months, but Sony did say it will be available at a later date.

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Last year was the year of the best smart rings, and 2025 is shaping up to be another interesting one in the world of wearables – and we discuss that and lots more on the latest episode of the TechRadar podcast.

From the scramble to find the next 'it' form factor in the wearables space to the race for AI feature supremacy, there's plenty to talk about, and we're particularly interested in some of the new devices we've seen this year, like the Garmin Venu X1 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.

We've also seen our first glimpse of Meta's latest smart glasses, which it produces in collaboration with Ray-Ban's sister-brand, Oakley. Alas, we're not exactly thrilled with the outcome – you'll have to catch the episode to find out why.

Plus, with more devices set to land later this year, including the Pixel Watch 4 and the Apple Watch Series 11 (and, hopefully, the Apple Watch Ultra 3), it's still all to play for in the contest to release the best smartwatch of 2025.

To hear our thoughts on all of the above (and a robot vacuum), join me, Hamish Hector and Matt Evans, as well as friend of the show and special guest, YouTuber and tech reviewer Mark Ellis.

Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, or if you prefer an audio-only podcast experience you can listen along on Spotify, or Apple Podcasts – and wherever you catch us, you'll also find all of our previous episodes, including our CES and gaming specials.

So, what are you waiting for? Tune in to find out why we think Garmin has a long way to go before winning over die-hard Apple or Samsung users, why Meta's Oakley collab fell flat in our estimations, and who has the lowest antioxidant level on a table of overworked tech journalists.

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The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the best phones in Australia, and in 2025 it’ll be a difficult handset to beat as our attention turns to the Google Pixel 10 Pro and the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max coming later this year. It only improves upon the best cameraphone of 2024, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and it continues a trend set by the S24. In 2025, software took over the stage almost entirely in San Jose at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event.

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra received a new rounded design that makes it look more like its standard S25 and S25 Plus counterparts. Samsung also decided to axe Bluetooth features from the S Pen with the S25 Ultra, which enabled users to take photos with the phone’s included stylus (super useful for group shots and selfies, though Samsung said it’s not a popular feature). Hardware undoubtedly changed and indeed the phone did receive its annual CPU/GPU performance buff – but in 2025, Samsung’s more interested in software.

With the launch of One UI 7, Samsung’s app icons, widgets, status bar and other core software features have gotten a refresh. They feel more efficient, space-aware and better in line with the customization that many users crave from their smartphones. When I first received this phone, my colleagues and I were saddened at how limited the ‘Good Lock’ OS-modifying tool had become with One UI 7, but after toying with the operating system, I’ve come to realize that I could finally get by without it.

Better yet, the introduction of the Now Bar and the all-new Now Brief are actually useful productivity features that look good on the display, and they’re my favorite features of the launch.

Whether or not Samsung’s useful Now Brief page, which generates an AI-assisted snapshot of the rest of your day (or next day), effectively encompasses what has become the popular perception of AI (incorporating the use of large-language models and the like) feels beside the point. This is a genuinely useful feature and to some extent, I’m disappointed that it has been tarnished by the ‘AI’ tag that justifiably puts a bad taste in people’s mouths.

To that end, we can ignore the elephant in the room no longer – the messy state of affairs that is AI on a Samsung phone. Such phones are torn between Galaxy AI tools (many of which function on-device) and Google Gemini, and there’s cause for concern in this discrepancy.

So let’s chat Samsung’s latest OS polish, its handy new tricks, and its spotty AI-fication.

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)Hello, beautiful

I’ll quickly admit that Samsung’s approach to UI design up until now hasn’t been my favorite. Coming from iOS in 2022, the Google Pixel range won me over with the uniform aesthetic that makes it the closest thing to an iPhone on the Android side of the fence. Samsung’s phones, albeit partly due to their overstuffing of bloatware with a fresh install, tend to have a more tech-savvy aesthetic – showing more icons on a space, settings icons at all times across the settings bar (top of the display) and generally sharing more information than is necessary for a casual user.

That doesn't seem to be the case with the Samsung Galaxy S25 series and One UI 7. With this launch, subtle but sweeping changes have been made to the home screen, including app icon scale choice, dark icons in dark mode when ‘Color Palette’ is applied to apps, and expanded folders (which you can tap to open apps without opening said folder).

One of my big reservations about Samsung phones up until now has been the cluttered Status Bar, showing oh so many symbols that don’t need to be displayed at all times (for example, the 5G icon, NFC icon and Bluetooth icon, to name a few). These icons have now been relegated to the status bar only when accessing the quick settings and notifications menu (accessed by swiping down), while app notifications continue to persist on the left of the status bar (unless disabled).

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)How to customize the Galaxy S25’s lock screen and always-on display

Widgets and lock screen/notifications menu pop-ups have also received a glow-up, and are now rounded at the corners and displaying more information on the home screen. However, to activate these notification ‘cards’ on the lock screen, you’ll need to do so in your lock screen settings (switching over from icons to cards).

Beyond that, there are a few ways to customize the always-on display: You can change the wallpaper, clock style, font, color, and add widgets galore. Some widgets might require the Good Lock app for customization, but it's a simple download that will help you fully customize your phone.

Then there's the new Now bar; a multi-function widget that appears contextually at the bottom of the lock screen. I really love how it expands when tapped while playing music, displays timers and how it communicates Google Maps info. It’s great having it so low on the screen, so it’s more accessible one-handed. It feels more intuitive than Apple’s Dynamic Island, which it seems inspired by.

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

Moreover, Now Brief is a genuinely useful addition to the One UI suite of features. In the morning, at mid-day and at night, the phone will produce a ‘Now Brief’ rundown of upcoming events (including weather reports, travel information and calendar notifications) and a recap of your last several hours (including sleep data, missed calls and photos taken).

It’s a useful tool for putting all your contextually appropriate alerts in the one spot for your review, and it pains me that it’s not even more useful. I’d love for it to pull information from more apps – recommending me to continue listening to a podcast, select audiobook or keep watching a Disney+ series. The best it’ll do on these fronts is recommend you a Spotify playlist or push you in the direction of YouTube Shorts.

I’d also like it to be a little less… wrong? After waking up one morning, it recommended me a ‘liquid EDM’ playlist. I've been known to l listen to the odd EDM song here or there, but it seems like a wild genre to wake up to.

But it’s in Now Brief that we approach the cluttered state of Samsung’s AI suite.

Samsung’s AI confusion

And then there’s Google Gemini. On One UI 7 and the S25 range, Gemini has replaced the default Google Assistant (Bixby who?), and while I do like Gemini as a virtual assistant, its coexistence with these other AI tools is potentially confusing to a casual user.

That being said, Samsung has added cross-app actions to the S25 range with Google Gemini. You can ask Gemini to perform a complex series of commands, such as finding the information on several businesses online to be added to your Notes app, and it will be done so fluidly (as demonstrated by our friends at Tom’s Guide). The only third-party apps currently supported are Whatsapp and Spotify, but this awesome time-saving feature genuinely has the potential to help get stuff done quickly.

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

Erring on the critical side, I think we’re being a bit liberal with what we’re appropriately calling an ‘AI feature’. For example; Google Circle to Search continues to be one of my favorite features of Android phones in 2024. It’s supposedly underpinned by AI, but it’s unclear how AI actually factors into the function of this tool. After all, it’s basically a simple-to-access spin on Google Lens with support for on-screen circling.

Similarly with Now Brief, it’s not clear just how much of it benefits from so-called AI features. A day-to-come or day-passed snapshot is simply a splash screen displaying your upcoming events, weather alerts, a smattering of content recommendations and health figures from throughout the day.

It might seem bereft to criticize AI features on the merit of being ‘AI-powered’, but I have one major concern. Since the launch of the Galaxy S24 range, Samsung has noted that it may, eventually, start to charge for its AI features. At the time of writing, the official company tagline is:

“Fees may apply for AI features at the end of 2025. Certain Galaxy AI features require [a] Samsung and Google Account. [An] internet connection may be required to use some features. AI Features will be provided free of charge until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices.”

My concern is that access to some of these genuinely useful features will be paywalled alongside the AI tools that many people won’t actually get any use from.

I have no problem paying a subscription for a genuinely useful product or service if I’m actually getting value from it. Between Circle to Search and Now Brief, I now have two AI features that I like.

And I don’t think I could sensibly pay for either.

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)Samsung needs to steer carefully

While Samsung has spent a fair amount of time beautifying its operating system, its AI software is starting to become a different story altogether. No doubt people are using such features at their own discretion, but so far there hasn’t been a must-have AI tool built into One UI (or any phone OS for that matter).

On the bright side, One UI 7 brings with it a nice aesthetic refresh, and in a hardware lull year, it’s the best I could have wanted from Samsung.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 range is available now.

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps director has revealed how he shot scenes that are supposed to be set in space – and what differentiates those sequences from other cosmic Marvel movies, including Guardians of the Galaxy.

In an interview with TechRadar, Matt Shakman admitted he didn't use a zero gravity (Zero-G) simulator to film sequences that involved The Fantastic Four heading into space via their Excelsior star ship. The group do so on a couple of occasions in the flick, with the most notable space-based set-piece seeing them confront Galactus in deep space after he threatens to destroy their world. You can read more about why he wants to in my review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

It's during this intense intergalactic sequence that the film's crew needed to achieve the feeling of weightlessness for the eponymous team.

Indeed, as they flee in their spaceship (the Excelsior) after unsuccessfully attempting to negotiate with Galactus, the quartet are forced to act on the fly as they try to evade capture. Subsequently, there's no time to strap themselves into their seats, hence the need to carry out their actions in Zero-G.

First Steps' cast and crew used as many practical effects and sets as they could throughout its production (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

So, how did Shakman and company replicate the absence of gravity for this sequence? And what is it about the approach they took that separates it from the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy?

"One of the things I really wanted to do is imagine the Fantastic Four as the Apollo 11 astronauts," Shakman said. "When they go into space, it's zero gravity. It's not like Guardians, where they're able to walk around their ship like Star Trek. I wanted it to feel as real as possible.

"But shooting zero gravity is difficult," the Marvel Phase 6 film's director added. "It involves a lot of wire work and it's hard on the actors' bodies. It's very difficult for them to be able to perform and do what they need to do, while also dealing with that sort of physical discomfort. So, while it was a wonderful thing to execute and bring to life in an authentic way, it was challenging."

That scale of that challenge is more remarkable when you consider how much work goes into shooting a sequence like this.

#TheFantasticFour: First Steps is Certified Fresh at 88% on the Tomatometer, with 83 reviews: https://t.co/g632UvfMQK pic.twitter.com/BWhJdzUFMnJuly 22, 2025

For starters, over 10,000 feet of wire and almost 30 wire rigs were required throughout the Excelsior's interior. The ship's cockpit and fuselage were physically built by First Steps' production team to further underline the crew's commitment to use practical sets and effects wherever possible.

Once the actors portraying Marvel's First Family were hoisted up in harnesses and attached to various ceiling tracks via the aforementioned wires, they were taught to push off from the set itself without swinging harshly. Doing so would expose the wires and make it more difficult to delete the cables during the post-production phase.

Lastly, puppeteers in gray suits helped to control the speed and movement of each actor, and allow them to hit their marks. Add in the fact that each star had to remember their lines an actually act during this sequence, and you really get a sense of how demanding it was for the entire cast and crew to successfully execute.

Thankfully, all of their hard work pays off in the final product. It'll be interesting to see if a similar set-up will be used in future Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) projects, including Avengers: Doomsday, which is currently in production and might feature one or more space-set sequences. You can read more about the aforementioned film via my dedicated Avengers: Doomsday hub.

There's less than 24 hours to go (at the time of publication) until First Steps is out in theaters, so get your last-minute lowdown on it by reading my ultimate guide to The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Read the section below, too, for more exclusive coverage on it.

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• IT decision-makers see upgrading as a chance to get the latest AI PCs
• Advanced security and boosted productivity are especially attractive
• 62% would now consider an AI PC over a regular PC

New research on Windows 11 and AI PC Readiness says the timing couldn't be more perfect – Windows 10 end of life has coincided with a surge of AI PCs available on the market, making now the perfect time to upgrade for two reasons.

The study from Dell found with 80% of UK businesses migrating or having already migrated to Windows 11, they're seeing it as a strategic opportunity to adopt AI-ready PCs rather than just a simple OS update.

Nearly three-quarters (71%) of IT decision-makers agree they've been presented with an opportunity to upgrade to more powerful AI PCs at the same time.

Windows 11 upgrade is causing many to consider AI PCs

Nearly half agreed AI PCs bring advanced security features (47%) and greater employee productivity (44%), with around two-thirds (64%) considering AI-capable hardware critical for future operations.

Those additional security features are much-needed, too, with a similar number (46%) citing security breaches as the main driver for refreshing PC fleets – more than the number of businesses refreshing due to the Windows 10 EOS (42%).

However, some factors continue to hold businesses back, and they're the same ones we see time and time again. Software compatibility (45%) was the most frequently cited concern, with many also concerned about hardware compatibility (34%) and operational disruption (32%).

That leaves 20% of the businesses surveyed not yet having started transitioning, even though the deadline is now less than four months away.

"Adding the context of the Windows 11 transition means the AI PC isn't just a new product to sell; it is a gateway to higher-value services like strategic deployment, security hardening and workflow integration," Dell UK Channel and Distribution Lead Ian Heath explained.

Looking ahead, it's clear that AI PCs are gaining in popularity. Three in five (62%) IT decision-makers would choose a Copilot+ PC over a regular one, based on the promises of longer battery life, better performance, local AI processing and integrated productivity tools.

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The technology industry is always trying to tempt consumers into buying or upgrading to the latest offerings. However, where consumers once rushed to get their hands on the newest technology as soon as possible, the diminishing returns that come from upgrading most devices today makes people much more reluctant to part with their hard-earned cash.

With this in mind, technology companies have started looking for new ways to appeal to consumers and something that’s become more and more prevalent in recent years is the promotion of ‘rugged’ features on consumer grade devices, such as rugged phones and rugged laptops.

In particular, ingress protection (IP) ratings have become commonplace amongst the latest smart devices, with many now boasting ratings as high as IP68. But what exactly does this mean?

IP ratings explained

IP ratings are a useful standard for understanding how resistant a digital device is to the intrusion of dust and liquids. The rating is split into two numbers with the first denoting the level of resistance to dust and outside objects, measured on a scale from 0 to 6 (with 6 being the highest resistance). According to the IEC’s rating guide, 5 means “dust-protected” and 6 means “dust-tight.”

The second number in the IP rating represents the device’s water resistance and is measured on a scale of 0 to 9 (with 9 being the highest resistance). Devices rated 7 can be fully submerged in shallow water for a short period of time, while those with an 8 rating are certified to go a few meters deeper and remain unscathed, although the increase in depth is variable.

For example, a device rated as IP68 is sealed off from dust and can be submerged in water up to a depth of six meters for a short time (around 15-30 mins) without breaking.

If an IP rating uses an “X” in one of the two number slots, it means the device isn’t rated for water or dust protection accordingly.

IP rating alone does not make a device truly rugged

While something like an IP rating can help with consumer confidence in the event of the device accidentally falling in the sink or down the toilet, it’s important to realize that this alone doesn’t make a device ‘rugged’.

Modern rugged design is about optimizing device performance in challenging environments where consumer grade devices simply wouldn’t survive for any meaningful length of time. Consequently, an effective rugged device must excel in multiple categories, from damage resistance and excellent all-weather performance to comprehensive connectivity and manufacturer support. Below are some of the key considerations for anyone looking to purchase a truly rugged device.

1. Independent rugged certifications

All rugged devices are IP and MIL-STD certified but a lack of legislation around the certification process means many manufacturers self-certify their products, making it hard to know how rugged they really are. True rugged manufacturers always will have their devices independently certified, so be sure to look out for this when choosing a device.

When it comes to specific rugged standards to look for, MIL-STD 810H is considered the benchmark, meaning the product has passed rigorous US Military standard testing focused on environmental conditions. Extreme temperature, moisture, dust, shock and drop resistance are just a few of the 30 situations in which a device is tested before it can be MIL-STD 810H certified. Similarly, IP ratings remain key to the process, with most fully rugged devices now coming with IP67-IP68 as standard.

2. Excellent battery life

Long battery life is another key consideration for anyone that wants to use a rugged digital device for extended periods of time in the field, where there’s usually no access to charge facilities. As such, many rugged devices are designed to accommodate high-capacity batteries and allow users to hot swap batteries on the go without having to switch the device off first. This means many more hours of uninterrupted operation than would be possible from a device with a fixed battery capacity.

3. Multiple connectivity options

Rugged devices typically feature a diverse set of connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 4G/5G. This enables users to collect/share information and communicate with colleagues in a wide range of environments, from busy city centers to remote outdoor regions and everything in between. When it comes to connectivity options, the more a device has, the better.

4. Comprehensive aftermarket support and OS longevity

Before buying a rugged device, customers need to make sure it comes with a level of aftermarket support that fits their needs. This includes things like service and repair, diagnostic assistance, and provision of any software drivers that might be required, both now and at a later date. Another key thing to look at is OS longevity, particularly if their app ecosystem is built around a specific version.

5. A top-tier warranty

True rugged manufacturers stand behind their products. If a rugged device doesn’t come with a top-tier warranty, it’s best to steer clear.

In the fast-paced technology industry, manufacturers are increasingly using ‘rugged features’ to promote and differentiate their latest consumer devices. But while the inclusion of something like an IP rating can be great for a little added peace of mind, that alone is not enough to turn a consumer-grade product into a truly rugged device.

Rugged manufacturers specialize in creating devices that can thrive in highly challenging environments and this is reflected in their exceptional build quality, overall specification and aftermarket support. Not everyone needs the all benefits that a true rugged devices offers, but for those that do, there’s no substitute for the real thing.

We list the best rugged hard drive and SSD.

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

Everyone’s talking about AI agents. From Manus to Gemma, they’re hailed as the next frontier in enterprise transformation. In fact, 25% of enterprises are forecast to deploy AI agents this year alone. But the rise of AI agents isn’t the real story—it’s a symptom of something far bigger.

AI is not just changing how we work. AI tools are disrupting entire industries. From healthcare to finance, retail to telecom, AI is reshaping not only the tools we use but the very foundations of how businesses operate, communicate, and compete.

Organizations that cautiously experiment will fall behind. It’s those who rebuild from the ground up that will lead in the future.

This article lays out the critical mindset shift separating those who browse AI from those who build with it and shows how organizations can move from pilots to real transformation by embedding intelligence into the heart of how they work.

Two distinct approaches to AI adoption

To understand this divide, let’s first explore the Browsers. These organizations tend to approach AI cautiously, treating it as a set of isolated tools or pilot projects. They might deploy a chatbot, automate a single workflow, or experiment with generative content creation. On the surface, this seems progressive as they’re engaging with the technology, running pilots, and holding conversations.

But these efforts often lack long-term impact.

Such initiatives rarely scale or become integrated into core business processes. They often reside in pockets owned by teams without clear accountability for ongoing adoption or improvement. The central question guiding these efforts tends to be: can AI solve this one problem?

While well-intentioned, this mindset limits AI’s potential.

Builders reimagine the entire organization

In contrast, Builders take a fundamentally different approach. For them, AI is not merely an add-on feature—it is the foundation of how the business operates. These organizations embed intelligence throughout every process, workflow, and decision point.

Rather than asking if AI can solve an isolated problem, Builders ask: how can AI be integral to everything we do?

This shift in mindset drives measurable outcomes, accelerating innovation, enhancing operational intelligence, and enabling scalable growth. Builders aren’t just improving the present; they are engineering the future.

A broader disruption is already underway

This distinction between Browsers and Builders grows more critical as AI’s impact deepens. Disruption is no longer confined to specific tasks or isolated sectors. Entire industries—from telecommunications and finance to logistics, sales, and creative fields—are being fundamentally transformed.

AI is remapping the fundamentals of language, logic, design, engineering, and decision-making science. No layer of the enterprise remains untouched, and no sector remains immune.

The stakes could not be higher. Organizations that linger in cautious experimentation risk being outpaced by those bold enough to rebuild their foundations with AI at the core.

Transformation begins with process, not technology

Yet one of the most common missteps businesses make is leading with tools rather than strategy. It’s tempting to jump straight into deploying AI solutions—whether chatbots, copilots, or large language models—without first understanding how work currently happens.

Meaningful transformation begins by gaining clarity on existing processes.

When organizations adopt a process-first, AI-second mindset, they can design solutions that truly amplify and complement the way work is done. Intelligence then becomes a force multiplier, not a disconnected experiment. Skip this critical step, and AI initiatives risk becoming isolated pilots that fail to realize their true potential.

From pilots to platforms, what sets builders apart

It’s common to hear leaders say they want to “lead with AI.” However, their strategies often reveal something different: a pattern of proof-of-concept projects that stall, responsibilities assigned without execution, and business cases that do not translate into action.

This pattern exemplifies the Browser trap: movement without momentum.

Builders, by contrast, go deeper. They tailor AI models to their unique data environments, invest in infrastructure built for scale, and weave AI into their organizational DNA—embedding it into products, systems, and services so it evolves with the business rather than running alongside it.

Talent as a critical enabler

None of this transformation is possible without people.

In recent conversations with enterprise leaders across the UK and Europe, talent consistently emerged as a major barrier, not due to a lack of belief in AI, but because of limited confidence in teams’ ability to build, implement, and manage AI solutions effectively.

The most successful Builders do more than train their teams. They rethink how their teams work by fostering internal fluency in AI principles, pairing internal champions with external experts, and transforming AI from a discrete innovation project into a cross-functional capability.

The choice facing every organization

Ultimately, the question for every leader is no longer whether AI is relevant—that is already settled. The real choice is whether you will build for disruption or wait to be disrupted.

This moment calls not for incremental gains but for fundamental re-architecture.

In a world where intelligence becomes the new infrastructure, organizations that remain Browsers, tentatively piloting without scaling, will quickly fall behind. The future belongs to the Builders who have the vision, discipline, and talent to engineer transformation at scale.

If you want to lead, start thinking like a Builder. Embed AI into your processes, invest in your people, and prepare to redefine your organization from the ground up. Because AI’s real disruption isn’t just about new tools; it’s about a new way of thinking, working, and winning.

An aggressive CEO isn’t exploring just four AI use cases a quarter—they’re aiming for over 1,000 AI-powered interventions in the next 365 days, each built, deployed, and monitored with intent. And AI budgets? They won’t be a sliver of IT spend. In the near term, expect them to rival 25% of your personnel costs, reflecting a shift in how businesses create, scale, and compete.

In the era of AI, leadership isn’t about adoption, it’s about ambition. The organizations that build boldly now will be the ones defining what’s next.

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