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Saudi Arabia's acquisition of Electronic Arts faces pushback from game developers, petition calls on FTC to 'scrutinize this deal closely'
AppWizard
October 17, 2025

Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of Electronic Arts faces pushback from game developers, petition calls on FTC to ‘scrutinize this deal closely’

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, along with private equity firms, is acquiring Electronic Arts (EA) for a billion dollars, facing significant resistance from the United Videogame Workers-CWA union. The union has urged regulators to prioritize job protection, creative freedom, and accountability in decision-making. EA, with annual revenues of .5 billion and profits of billion, is not in distress, but concerns have been raised about potential layoffs, particularly at BioWare, a studio known for its progressive narrative approach. The union warned that job losses would be a choice made for investor profit rather than necessity. U.S. senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren have expressed concerns about national security risks related to the acquisition, but regulatory intervention seems unlikely due to a shift in the FTC's stance and the involvement of Jared Kushner in the deal. The union has initiated a petition to prompt regulatory examination of the acquisition.
Android VPN Apps Linked to Chinese Co (Qihoo 360) Tied to PRC
AppWizard
August 22, 2025

Android VPN Apps Linked to Chinese Co (Qihoo 360) Tied to PRC

Recent investigations by Arizona State University and Citizen Lab have revealed that several popular Android VPN applications are linked to entities in mainland China and Hong Kong, raising security concerns. These apps, which have millions of downloads, share ownership and infrastructure, and exhibit significant security flaws, including the collection of location data against privacy policies, outdated encryption methods, and hard-coded passwords that could compromise user traffic. One company manages all VPN servers for a second group of apps, while a third group is vulnerable to connection interference attacks. Notably, these VPN providers are connected to Qihoo 360, a Chinese company flagged as a potential national security threat, with ties to the Chinese military. The Tech Transparency Project reported that millions of Americans have downloaded apps that route internet traffic through Chinese companies, with one in five of the top 100 free VPNs in the U.S. App Store in 2024 being covertly owned by Chinese firms. Some VPNs have targeted younger audiences through social media ads, raising concerns about their marketing strategies. Qihoo 360 has been sanctioned and is on the Commerce Department’s Entity List, emphasizing the national security risks associated with these services. Users are advised to research their VPN providers to avoid affiliations with the Chinese Communist government.
Zero-Day Flaw in PostgreSQL Exploited to Target BeyondTrust Systems
Tech Optimizer
August 4, 2025

Zero-Day Flaw in PostgreSQL Exploited to Target BeyondTrust Systems

A significant PostgreSQL vulnerability, CVE-2025–1094, was identified during the investigation of another vulnerability, CVE-2024–12356, which was exploited in the BeyondTrust breach in December 2024. The breach involved unauthorized access to BeyondTrust's systems and was linked to the state-sponsored hacking group Silk Typhoon from China. The U.S. Treasury Department confirmed its network was compromised through a stolen BeyondTrust API key. CVE-2025–1094 is an SQL injection vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands due to improper handling of invalid UTF-8 byte sequences. Rapid7 found that CVE-2024–12356's exploitation relied on CVE-2025–1094, and that CVE-2025–1094 could be exploited independently. BeyondTrust issued patches for these vulnerabilities, but the patch for CVE-2024–12356 did not directly address the underlying cause of CVE-2025–1094. The exploitation of these vulnerabilities underscores the need for timely patching and proactive security measures in organizations using PostgreSQL.
Kaspersky Rolls Back for US Customers, Makes Way for UltraAV
Tech Optimizer
September 24, 2024

Kaspersky Rolls Back for US Customers, Makes Way for UltraAV

Kaspersky has withdrawn its anti-malware software from US customers due to a ban by the US Department of Commerce and has partnered with UltraAV to provide automatic replacements. Following its addition to the Entity List in June, Kaspersky ceased US operations and laid off its workforce. The Biden administration's ban was based on national security concerns. In September, Kaspersky informed customers about the transition to UltraAV, but communication was unclear, leading to user confusion. Some users expressed dissatisfaction with UltraAV, citing trust issues and difficulties with system scans. The transition took effect on September 19, with Kaspersky assuring customers of maintained security standards. Users have shared instructions for removing UltraAV, but the effectiveness of these solutions is uncertain.
US bans this 27-year-old antivirus company: What Russia has to say - Times of India
Tech Optimizer
June 22, 2024

US bans this 27-year-old antivirus company: What Russia has to say – Times of India

The US government has banned Kaspersky software due to national security and privacy risks stemming from the company's Russian origins. The ban will come into effect on July 20, preventing Kaspersky from selling products to individual customers and businesses. Users who already have Kaspersky antivirus can continue using it until September 29, but are advised to find an alternative as software and services will degrade.
US bans Kaspersky antivirus software due to national security risks - Help Net Security
Tech Optimizer
June 21, 2024

US bans Kaspersky antivirus software due to national security risks – Help Net Security

The US has banned Kaspersky from entering into new agreements with US persons for cybersecurity and antivirus products and services, as well as providing updates and operating the Kaspersky Security Network in the US. The ban was not unexpected, as Kaspersky has been previously removed from federal information systems and listed as a threat to national security. The ban is based on concerns that Kaspersky's software could potentially transfer sensitive information to Russia and leave US persons vulnerable to malware and exploitation. Kaspersky intends to pursue legal options to preserve its operations.
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