Stabbings, firebomb attacks, shootings, and plots for contract killings—all associated with a splinter faction of the 764 crime network called “No Lives Matter.” As outlined in their manifesto, the group aims to “purify humanity through relentless assaults,” having published at least two “kill guides” linked to violent schemes in both the US and Europe. Intelligence reports reviewed by WIRED indicate mounting alarm among analysts, yet experts are uncertain about how to quell the group’s expansion.
On Monday, X faced intermittent outages after a botnet bombarded the social media platform with junk traffic, attempting to cripple its operations. Elon Musk claimed that the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack originated from Ukrainian IP addresses, suggesting that the country—already under attack from a Russian invasion and often ridiculed by the centibillionaire—might be behind it. However, security specialists tell WIRED that this attribution misrepresents how DDoS attacks are executed.
Simultaneously, at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, widespread layoffs are undermining US cybersecurity efforts, weakening defenses against foreign threats. Essential personnel reductions have left remaining employees overworked and strained international collaborations, according to interviews with agency staff tasked with protecting cities, businesses, and nonprofits from cyber threats. “Many are anxious,” states one employee. “We’re anticipating that next wave of challenges. We remain uncertain about what lies ahead.” As WIRED delves into the agencies at the forefront of the turmoil and disarray of the second Trump administration, we have refreshed our straightforward guide to utilizing Signal, aiding you in maximizing the messaging app’s end-to-end encryption benefits.
But that’s not all. Every week, we compile the security and privacy updates that didn’t receive extensive coverage from us. Click on the headlines for the full stories. Stay vigilant out there.
Those “green bubbles,” the cross-platform text messages that irritate iPhone users and place Android users in an inferior group-chat status, are not solely a cultural issue. They also represent a security concern: Text messages exchanged between Android and iOS devices—unlike blue-bubble iMessage texts or Android-to-Android messages—lack end-to-end encryption, rendering them susceptible to surveillance or interception. Now, this might finally be set for a change.
The GSM Association, the organization responsible for many common telecom standards, announced this week that its Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol will now feature end-to-end encryption for cross-platform messaging, and Apple disclosed that it will integrate this RCS feature into its iOS devices. Until now, both Apple and Google had endorsed other RCS features for messaging between iOS and Android, but not end-to-end encryption, which guarantees that only the devices involved in sending and receiving messages can decrypt them, safeguarding them from any servers or observers monitoring the transmission.
Neither Apple nor the GSMA has provided a specific timeline for the launch of these new privacy features. Until then, anyone engaging in cross-platform messaging would be prudent to stick to applications like WhatsApp or Signal, which have long offered end-to-end encryption—and have also spared Android and iPhone users from personal disputes over bubble colors.
The White House has appointed Sean Plankey to lead CISA, the agency within the Department of Homeland Security chiefly responsible for safeguarding American digital infrastructure. Plankey, widely viewed as the frontrunner for the position, previously held several cybersecurity posts in the first Trump administration and had senior roles in US Cyber Command. In that Department of Defense agency focused on cyber offense, he served as a branch chief for weapons and tactics and received a Bronze Star for his hacking operations in Afghanistan. CISA, like many federal entities, has recently experienced numerous personnel cuts, and its former director, Chris Krebs, faced significant criticism during the last Trump administration for the agency’s efforts to counter disinformation and ensure election security. Krebs was terminated via a Trump tweet just before the end of his term after CISA characterized the 2020 election—whose results Trump unfoundedly disputed—as the “most secure in American history.”
Even the National Security Agency has not escaped the fallout from Elon Musk’s aggressive initiative to reduce the federal workforce. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk had visited the intelligence agency at Fort Meade, speaking with leadership regarding staff reductions and operational modifications, according to current and former US officials who briefed the Journal.
Despite being one of the most protected segments of US intelligence, the NSA has still been drawn into Musk’s influence. The visit to Fort Meade signifies the far-reaching impact of his sway and the extraordinary access the world’s wealthiest individual has gained over even the most confidential federal operations.
