Sophos, a leading provider of innovative cybersecurity solutions, shared practical advice to help internet users safeguard their credentials and maintain continuous protection online.

Sophos

According to the upcoming Sophos Active Adversary Report, compromised credentials were the leading cause of attacks (42.06%) in 2025.

This is a strong trend that continues to dominate the scene, with cyber attackers demonstrating ever-increasing ingenuity and relying on new tools to compromise the security and privacy of internet users.

John Shier, Field CISO Threat Intelligence at Sophos, said: “The way attackers are using automation and generative AI to massively increase the speed and volume of their attacks suggests that attacks will become faster and more sophisticated. The best approach to protecting our identities and digital data is to take a proactive stance on defense.”

“Criminals are increasingly targeting people rather than devices, and this trend is expected to continue and even accelerate. Once again, AI is being used as a weapon to create highly detailed phishing lures to entice people to disclose passwords or financial information through well-designed emails, text messages, and WhatsApp messages.”

1. Keep your devices up to date: the most important and simplest measure you can take to protect yourself in the long term.

Cybercriminals are constantly on the lookout for computers that don’t have all the latest security patches, making them easy targets for compromise. This includes computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and home Internet/Wi-Fi routers. In most cases, you just need to click “Check for Updates” or “Update Now” and allow the device to restart.

2. Use a password management tool, whether it is built into an operating system or a third-party tool.

Password uniqueness and complexity are then managed automatically, greatly facilitating account isolation and protection.

3. Enhance protection with phishing resistant (MFA).

Many websites offer the option of using an “authentication app,” a smartphone app that displays a unique code for a short period of time, which must be entered after the password, making it much more secure than simply using a password.

Better still, there is a new solution called “passkeys,” which generally uses biometric authentication on your smartphone (face scan, fingerprint) to log in without any password. This is the best choice when available.

John Shier concludes: “Criminals will never stop trying to steal from us, so we must remain vigilant. We know that they are constantly improving and becoming more skilled at deceiving us, so it’s up to us to move forward and improve our protections to stay safe.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.sophos.com

European Union has launched a formal challenge against Meta Platforms over a new policy restricting third-party artificial intelligence tools on WhatsApp.

Meta

Regulators accuse the U.S. tech giant of abusing its dominant position in the messaging market to favor its own AI assistant.

On January 15, Meta implemented changes to the WhatsApp Business API, allowing only its proprietary Meta AI to operate while blocking rival chatbots.

The European Commission quickly responded with a statement of objections and announced plans for interim measures to prevent “serious and irreparable harm” to competitors during the ongoing investigation.

EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera stressed the need to safeguard competition in the booming AI sector. “We cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance for an unfair advantage,” she said.

Interim steps could force Meta to restore access for third-party AI tools on WhatsApp pending the probe’s outcome.

Meta defended the policy, insisting the WhatsApp Business API serves business-to-customer needs, not general AI distribution.

A spokesperson highlighted alternatives like app stores, devices, and websites for other AI options, rejecting claims that the API is essential for chatbots.

This dispute echoes actions elsewhere: Italy restricted Meta similarly last December, while Brazil recently lifted a comparable court order.

As AI integrates deeper into daily apps, the EU’s moves signal heightened scrutiny on tech gatekeepers.

Webb Fontaine has launched Webb Fontaine Zerø, a groundbreaking AI-powered Customs platform, at the 2026 WCO Technology Conference in Abu Dhabi, drawing over 1,500 delegates from 100+ countries.

Webb Fontaine

CEO Alioune Ciss unveiled the LLM-based concept during the keynote, calling it a “complete reset” from legacy systems – embedding AI across operations for real-time regulatory adaptation, risk management, and trade facilitation under the theme “Customs Agility in a Complex World.”

CTO Ara Shamirzayan led panels on AI risk analytics, while GM Anicet Houngbo moderated border digitalization talks showcasing emerging market successes.

The firm’s stand hosted Zerø demos, interactive sessions, and a sponsored gala dinner, reinforcing WCO ties via SAFE Framework and PSCG contributions.

Webb Fontaine eyes global partnerships to deploy agile, future-proof Customs tech amid rising trade demands.