Catch up on this month’s round-up of the latest hosting and tech news. Here’s what we’ve uncovered since our last edition.
Gmail AI Scam
Hackers are reportedly employing sophisticated AI-enabled scams to con Gmail users into revealing their login credentials. Attacks begin with victims receiving an AI-generated phone call that seems to originate from Google Support, alerting them to a potentially compromised account.
Any victim that looks up the telephone number making the call will find it leads to Google. However, this is not a genuine Google Support number but a misleading trick in which the scammers have used Google Assistant to make the calls on their behalf. Victims also receive an official-looking email from a domain closely resembling Google. Those convinced the call is legitimate and under pressure to reset their compromised accounts, frequently provide the scammers with their login credentials.
To prevent becoming a victim, Gmail users are advised to enrol in Google’s Advanced Protection Program, which requires a passkey or hardware security key in addition to a username and password.
Air Taxi Milestone
Having successfully conducted piloted hover flight tests of its VX4 electric aircraft at Cotswold Airport, Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace will become only the second company, globally, to carry out low-speed manoeuvre tests.
Designed to transport four passengers over distances of up to 100 miles, the VX4 aims to alleviate congestion in towns and cities where expanding road infrastructure is not feasible. Ideal for urban flights, the aircraft’s innovative eight-propeller design makes it much safer than conventional helicopters while its near-silent operation cuts down noise pollution.
According to Vertical Aerospace, the VX4 can carry out various roles, including as an airport shuttle, a sightseeing vehicle, and a way to bridge transport gaps between major cities like Manchester and Leeds.
AI Impacts Water Supply
The UK’s plans to expand its AI capabilities will put additional strain on the country’s already limited drinking water supplies, according to industry experts. Data centres require substantial amounts of fresh water for cooling purposes, with some facilities using as much water per day as an entire town. Though deemed essential national infrastructure by the government, Thames Water has cautioned that the water available to data centres might need to be restricted during droughts and periods of extreme heat.
While the government intends to situate AI Growth Zones in areas with pre-existing water and energy infrastructure, environmental specialists claim that greater transparency and regulatory measures are necessary. With population growth and climate change increasing water demand, the Environment Agency says data centre operators need to strategize consumption and find sustainable, long-term solutions. This is already happening, with companies like Microsoft exploring alternative cooling methods, such as closed-loop systems and air cooling.
Energy-Saving Code
Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada have discovered that simply by making a minor modification to the Linux operating system code, they could reorganise the processing of data packets and, in doing so, potentially reduce data centre energy consumption by as much as 30%.
The modification, which involves altering just 30 lines of code, optimises the way Linux manages network traffic, leading to a decrease in CPU load and an enhancement in data flow. It also implements ‘interrupt request suspension,’ which effectively balances CPU power with efficient data handling.
This update has since been integrated into the most recent Linux kernel (version 6.13) and could lead to substantial reductions in energy usage if data centre operators adopt the technology. Currently, data centres are responsible for 2–4% of global electricity consumption, with the demand for AI set to increase this substantially. However, researchers are optimistic that the widespread implementation of this new approach could result in significant energy savings across the globe.
LinkedIn Job Scam
Cybercriminals are increasingly using LinkedIn to entice jobseekers into downloading malware through deceptive job offers. Recent findings from security researchers at Bitdefender have shed light on a campaign by North Korea’s Lazarus Group, which has been targeting professionals with fraudulent job opportunities.
Potential victims receive attractive offers to work on cryptocurrency projects and are asked to provide their CVs or GitHub profiles. Subsequently, they are sent a malicious demo file that, when opened, installs malware that steals cryptocurrency wallet credentials and gives the hackers secure, long-term access to the victim’s system.
According to Bitdefender, the Lazarus Group is also targeting the aviation and defence sectors, with the goal of stealing sensitive information. IT professionals looking for jobs via LinkedIn are advised to verify job listings, examine repositories for discrepancies, and refrain from executing unverified code on their devices.
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