Latest news with #Norton
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Gen Threat Report Reveals Rise In Crypto, Sextortion And Tech Support Scams In An AI-Powered World
Press Release – Gen Cryptocurrency scams are fraudulent schemes where scammers trick people into sending digital currency or sharing sensitive login information. These scams often involve fake investment opportunities, impersonation of trusted figures, or emotional manipulation … Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global leader powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, MoneyLion and more, today released its Q2/2025 Gen Threat Report. This quarter was marked by the takedown of the first known ransomware developed using AI, and globally, a 21% growth in data breaches and a 340% increase in financial scams. The team of Gen researchers also found a 100% increase in sextortion scams and a surge in Tech Support Scams spreading through Facebook. New Zealand's top threats in Q2/2025 were: · Malvertising · Scams (phishing, generic scams, E-shop scams, dating scams) 'This quarter's global trends reveal a troubling surge in cyber threats, from AI-powered ransomware to cryptocurrency scams and sextortion,' said Mark Gorrie, Managing Director APAC for Gen Digital. 'With the rise of AI and widespread data breaches, scams have become faster, more personalised, and harder to spot. New Zealand is not immune to these trends.' Weaker economy might fuel the rise in crypto and financial scams Generally, crypto scams have been on the rise almost everywhere. In Q2/2025, blocked attacks jumped from thousands to millions globally, with June marking the sharpest spike. Globally, the risk of being targeted by crypto scams increased by 69,508% in Q2. New Zealand experienced an even sharper rise at 77,721%, which indicates heightened risk well above the global average. 'In a weaker economy, people facing financial uncertainty are increasingly drawn to quick fixes like crypto, creating fertile ground for scammers to exploit,' said Gorrie. Cryptocurrency scams are fraudulent schemes where scammers trick people into sending digital currency or sharing sensitive login information. These scams often involve fake investment opportunities, impersonation of trusted figures, or emotional manipulation through romance scams. The anonymous and irreversible nature of crypto transactions makes it harder to recover lost funds. Globally, financial scams jumped 340% in Q2/2025, with many traced back to deceptive ads and fake pages on Facebook. Scammers used everything from deepfake videos to chatbot forms to collect personal and financial data, often under the guise of legal help or investment offers. New Zealand among top 20 countries at risk of sextortion In New Zealand, sextortion scams surged by 170% in Q2, significantly higher than the global average increase of 100%, pushing New Zealand to #19 on the list of the top 20 most at-risk countries. The top 20 sextortion countries by risk ratio includes Japan, Czechia, Croatia, Singapore, Cyprus, Hong Kong, South Africa, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Australia, Canada, Greece, Maldives, Cabo Verde, United Arab Emirates (the), New Zealand, Curaçao, highlighting how widespread and borderless the threat has become. Criminals are refining their tactics, thanks to the help of AI and a wealth of personal data available from recent large-scale breaches. One of the latest techniques used by cybercriminals involves Google Maps and is designed to employ a more invasive and personalised approach that can really shock and intimidate their victims into complying with demands. Criminals – utilising names, addresses, and emails readily available on the Dark Web due to data breaches – can create targeted emails to victims containing fabricated footage and unsettling information and images of their real homes. Push notifications and Facebook tech support scams flourishing In Q2/2025, the report reveals that globally, 14% of all blocked Facebook threats were linked to Technical Support Scams, a sharp rise driven by fake Messenger-style pages that locked browsers and pushed users to call fake help lines. Facebook's reach and ad infrastructure continue to make it a powerful tool for fraud at scale. In New Zealand, there was a 278% spike in malicious push notifications, often disguised as video players or system alerts. These deceptive pop-ups trick users into clicking, leading them to phishing sites or triggering unwanted downloads, a tactic increasingly used to spread scams and malware. 'Scammers are counting on panic clicks; they exploit the split second where you react before you think. And that single click can take a person straight to a scammer's doorstep,' Gorrie explained. 'If an alert feels aggressive or off, trust your instincts and double-check through your antivirus software directly, and avoid giving notification permissions to untrusted websites.' Beating the bots: Gen cracks AI-powered ransomware Gen continues to uphold its commitment to help victims of ransomware, uncovering a critical cryptographic flaw in FunkSec. This was the first known ransomware strain partially built using generative AI. While the malware successfully encrypted data and demanded payment, the Gen research team worked quietly with law enforcement to help victims recover their files without paying via a free decryptor released by Avast. FunkSec has since gone quiet. Other key global highlights from the report include: · +21% increase in data breach events, with the number of breached emails increasing by nearly 16%. · Lumma Stealer remained active post-takedown, using a fresh infrastructure to continue data exfiltration. · +317% spike in malicious push notifications, often disguised as video players or system alerts. · +62% rise in remote access attacks, led by the return of Wincir RAT and abuse of cloud services like OneDrive. · DealPly adware, a threat that has been steadily declining, was revived with a focus on the US, Brazil, France and India. · A target on small businesses with infostealers, exploits, and remote access tools. Scams remained the top threat to small businesses. Gen's family of trusted brand is always focused on keeping people's digital lives safe and protecting against scams – the very scams mentioned in this report – through solutions such as the newly added Scam Guardian feature in Avast Free Antivirus and Avast Premium Security to protect people from scams before they even spot them. Norton Genie within the Norton lineup is also an extra layer of scam protection on desktop and mobile. For identity threats, LifeLock helps keep people covered in the event of a breach or data exposure. About Gen Gen (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted consumer brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, MoneyLion and more. The Gen family of consumer brands is rooted in providing financial empowerment and cyber safety for the first digital generations. Today, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely, privately and confidently for generations to come. Gen brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online privacy, identity protection and financial wellness to nearly 500 million users in more than 150 countries. Learn more at
BBC News
20 hours ago
- BBC News
Serving Cleveland Police officer in court for child sex offences
A serving police officer has appeared in court charged with child sex Nathan Henderson, 30, of Norton, Stockton, has been charged with 11 counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and one count of perverting the course of entered no pleas when he appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and Police said PC Henderson had been suspended and it had referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as was mandatory. The bearded officer, who wore a grey sweatshirt and black trousers, used a walking stick to enter the was remanded in custody until his next hearing on 28 August at Durham Crown force said the officer had been "arrested and suspended from duty on Monday". Additional reporting by PA Media. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
This Aggressive Weight Loss Method Actually Works, Nutrition Expert Says
This Aggressive Weight Loss Method Actually Works, Nutrition Expert Says originally appeared on Men's Fitness. If you have an event coming up—like a wedding or seaside vacation—and want to shed a few pounds fast, it might not be out of reach. In a recently shared Huberman Labclip, Andrew Huberman and nutrition expert Layne Norton, Ph.D., explored the topic of rapid weight loss and whether or not it can be done safely. There's a widely accepted belief that fast weight loss isn't sustainable and that the weight will come right back. But Norton says that's not always true, especially for people with higher body fat. "The research data actually tends to suggest that people who are obese who lose a lot more weight early are more likely to keep it off," Norton said. While it may seem counterintuitive, early results can also create a stronger buy-in effect, which helps people stick to their laid out a common scenario: someone wants to lose fat fast—maybe three pounds per week—by cutting calories in half and doubling their workouts. Norton said that approach can work, but it depends on your body composition. "The more adipose tissue you have, the more aggressively you can diet without negative consequences," Norton explained. In simpler terms, the more body fat you have, the more aggressive you can safely be with dieting without risking lean muscle loss. But if you're already lean, extreme restriction can backfire and lead to muscle loss or metabolic issues. Both Huberman and Norton agree that rapid weight loss isn't sustainable long-term, but it can be a helpful short-term tool if followed by a transition into a more manageable lifestyle Aggressive Weight Loss Method Actually Works, Nutrition Expert Says first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jul 28, 2025 This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Time of India
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
TVS Motor gears up for global expansion with Norton launch, new product pipeline
TVS Motor is gearing up for a transformative year in FY26 with a strategic focus on global expansion, premium product launches, and sustainable mobility. The company will roll out the iconic British brand Norton Motorcycles in the UK, India, and select European markets in the third quarter of FY26. Four new models are scheduled for launch, with deliveries slated for the summer of 2026. 'Our journey is just beginning,' said Sudarshan Venu, Managing Director, TVS Motor Company. 'Favourable macroeconomic trends such as lower repo rates, tax relief, and infrastructure-led consumption will boost two- and three-wheeler demand. We are strategically placed to capitalise on this momentum with our diversified portfolio and sharp customer focus.' Norton lineup The new Norton lineup will reflect TVS's philosophy of 'Design, Dynamism, and Detail', aiming to position the brand as a premium offering in global markets. Alongside this, TVS will enter the adventure tourer segment in India and launch made-in-India electric bicycles within the year. Chairman Ralf Speth said the Norton launch will be a key milestone in the company's global journey. 'It reinforces our ambition to deliver desirable mobility solutions across continents, backed by a unique international workforce and strong Indian expertise.' Export potential TVS also sees significant export potential in FY26, with growth expected in Africa, the Middle East, ASEAN, and Latin America. The company is cautiously optimistic that global geo-political challenges can be offset by rising demand in these regions. Armed with a robust product pipeline and expansion strategy, TVS Motor is set to unlock its next wave of growth—anchored in digitalisation, innovation, and sustainability.
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Norton VPN's feature drive makes it a serious VPN option – and the ex-ExpressVPN Head of Product has now joined its ranks
Norton is a big name in the world of cybersecurity. Its speciality has always been malware, scam, and antivirus protection – we didn't previously associate it with having one of the best VPNs. But is this about to change? We could be seeing Norton upset the VPN status quo and establish itself as one of the leading VPN providers. The team at Norton VPN have been focusing on overhauling the product and it has seen a huge array of feature updates over the last year. We've explored these in detail in our Norton VPN review – where it gets an impressive 4 stars out of 5 – but wanted to delve further. Norton VPN Plus: a new VPN challengerSave 72%: Norton VPN has improved over the last year, and it's now excellent value. Our exclusive deal means you can get a one-year plan for $2.50 per month ($29.99 up front). You'll get protection for up to 5 devices, threat protection, fast speeds, and strong streaming unblocking. Plus, there's a free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee. Back in August 2024, we wrote how Norton was getting serious about its VPN. Updates included the launch of its Mimic protocol (more on this later), a no-logs audit, and threat protection features. Support for Apple platforms was noticeably absent, but this is no longer the case as Norton VPN has taken things up a notch. Himmat Bains is now leading Norton VPN's feature output. Bains was previously Head of Product at ExpressVPN and also worked at Private Internet Access (PIA). "This year marks a significant step forward in our mission to build the most trusted and user-centric VPN on the market," Bains said. "Many of the enhancements we've delivered are a direct result of customer feedback which continues to shape our roadmap and priorities to ensure we stay ahead of what people expect from a modern VPN." "And we're just getting started. More updates and a new independent no-log audit are on the horizon as part of our ongoing commitment to privacy, transparency, and performance." To be considered one of the most secure VPNs and a leading provider, a kill switch is a must-have. It cuts your internet connection should your VPN fail, ensuring none of your traffic goes unprotected. This has been present on Norton VPN Android and Windows VPN apps for a while but wasn't available for Mac and iOS. Norton VPN resolved this issue and released a kill switch for its Mac VPN app back in December 2024. In June 2025, a kill switch finally came to its iOS VPN app. Although we'd have preferred this to happen sooner, the fact a kill switch is present across all Norton VPN apps is a real positive and a big plus point for the provider. Norton VPN now has over 100 server locations worldwide, including 25 cities in 18 states in the US and 5 cities in the UK. This takes the providers total servers to over 3,000. Since December 2024, it has added 40 new countries and 16 new city locations to its server network. 19 countries were added between December 2024 and January 2025. These included Argentina, Greece, Italy, Nigeria, and Thailand. The cities added in this period were: In Q1 of 2025, 20 countries were added. Azerbaijan, Iceland, Libya, Malaysia, South Korea, and Ukraine were some of these. Norton VPN doesn't disclose its total number of servers, but it boasts decent global coverage and we would expect more locations to be added. A few P2P-optimized servers are part of Norton VPN's server offering and new locations have been recently added. Again, this is a little behind more established rivals, but likely to improve soon. Mimic is Norton VPN's unique VPN protocol. It's fast, and designed to obfuscate your VPN traffic – making it appear like you're not connected to a VPN at all. This is useful for bypassing firewalls and internet censorship, and many of the most private VPNs have their own obfuscating protocols. Thanks to a June 2025 update, Mimic is available on iOS, having already been supported on Mac, Windows, and Android VPN apps. Currently, WireGuard and OpenVPN are only supported on Windows and Android. However Norton VPN is aiming to bring WireGuard to Mac, iOS, and TV users soon. Double VPN routes your traffic through two encrypted VPN servers instead of the usual one, with improved levels of privacy and security its objective. It's not designed for everyday browsing or streaming, and you may see a decrease in performance when using the feature. Norton VPN has made Double VPN a full feature and it can be accessed on all platforms under the Advanced Servers tab on the Change VPN Location screen. Privacy is also the focus with Norton VPN's IP Rotation. This feature changes your IP address every 30 seconds and makes it harder for you to be tracked online. Like Double VPN, IP Rotation can be selected from the Advanced Servers tab. You may see an impact on performance and it's not optimized for streaming. The Ad Blocker feature targets intrusive ads and trackers. It's available as part of the new Norton VPN desktop browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. VPN protection goes beyond just your smartphone and laptop, you can protect your smart TV too. Norton VPN has launched apps for Google TV with Android TV OS and Apple TV with Apple tvOS. This is great for streaming your favorite shows and with speeds of over 950 Mbps recorded in our testing, Norton VPN is one of the fastest VPNs out there. Finally, Norton VPN has added widgets and a Pause VPN feature. Widgets allow you to control your VPN from your phone's home screen, without opening the Norton VPN app. You can connect, disconnect, or pause your VPN connection in one tap. Pause VPN allows you to temporarily pause your VPN connection, without turning it off entirely. This can be done for 15, 30, or 60 minutes and is useful for accessing sites that may have trouble interacting with a VPN, such as online banking. Norton VPN isn't done yet, and there's plenty more to come before the end of 2025. The provider has been audited for a second time by VerSprite, with full results to be announced in the coming weeks. This follows a 2024 audit and goes a long way in reassuring users it's complying with its no-logs policy. VerSprite has also audited Norton VPN's Mimic protocol. This is the first time Mimic has been examined and results will also be announced later this summer. OpenVPN is a robust and trusted VPN protocol, but it's now seen as slow and can't quite match the speeds and performance capabilities of the newer, lighter WireGuard protocol. Although some providers are moving away from OpenVPN, many still consider it a valuable protocol, and Norton VPN is one of them. It currently supports OpenVPN on Windows and Android and will be bringing OpenVPN Data Channel Offload (DCO) to these platforms later this year. OpenVPN DCO revolutionizes OpenVPN connections and improves speeds and performance. Norton VPN will also be adding more locations worldwide, further expanding its server network. Norton VPN has three tiers – Norton VPN Standard, Norton VPN Plus, and Norton VPN Ultimate. Tom's Guide currently has an exclusive deal which means you can get one-year of Norton VPN Plus for $2.50 per month ($29.99 up front). With this plan you get protection for up to 5 devices, all the features mentioned above, threat protection, and up to 10GB of cloud storage. Norton VPN Standard works out at $3.33 per month ($39.99 up front) and Norton VPN Ultimate is also $3.33 per month ($39.99 up front). We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
