Chinese AI systems "have matched the performance of Anthropic's powerful model Mythos in some cybersecurity scenarios," reports the Wall Street Journal.
They call it "a development poised to reset the global tech race and pressure the White House in its overhaul of U.S. AI policy."
Security researchers said that a new AI model, released this month by China's Zhipu AI, also known as Z.ai, can match the latest U.S. models when it comes to finding security bugs, although it still lags behind Anthropic's and OpenAI's products in other tasks. Overall, the capability gap between top U.S. models and those built by Chinese companies has narrowed significantly, and use of Chinese AI systems has surged as businesses seek to rein in runaway costs. A host of companies, including Microsoft, are weighing how they can offer Chinese models on their platforms, a development that is set to alter the balance of power among tech companies...
Unlike models from Anthropic or OpenAI, Zhipu's GLM-5.2 is open-weight. That means it can be downloaded and run on hardware operated by anybody and can be modified and used without supervision. Open-weight models are ideal for users who want unfettered access to systems they control, but they are also ideal for hackers, who can run them in the shadows. GLM-5.2 has ranked as one of the 10 most-used AI models, according to data from OpenRouter, a company that provides access to more than 400 AI models. In some benchmarking tests, according to the cybersecurity company Semgrep, GLM-5.2 bested Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.8 model, which was released in May. When given further instructions, Opus 4.8 and GLM-5.2 can match Mythos in bug-finding ability, according to researchers...
"Banning Fable while selling chips China needs to develop its own version is a gift to China," said Saif Khan, a distinguished technology fellow at the Institute for Progress think tank who worked on export restrictions in the Biden administration. The U.S. needs to maximize the use of Mythos and comparable models to harden its cyber defenses while it can, he added. Among the Mythos 5 and Fable 5 users that had lost access before Friday's decision to restore Mythos 5 access for some trusted entities: the National Security Agency, which had been testing the tools and found them impressive in trials, according to people familiar with the matter... "It is incentivizing companies across the globe to use cheaper but very capable Chinese open-weight models, while at the same time undermining the U.S. AI industry," said Niels Provos, a researcher who led security teams at Google and Stripe. "I don't understand it."
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 for sharing the article.
They call it "a development poised to reset the global tech race and pressure the White House in its overhaul of U.S. AI policy."
Security researchers said that a new AI model, released this month by China's Zhipu AI, also known as Z.ai, can match the latest U.S. models when it comes to finding security bugs, although it still lags behind Anthropic's and OpenAI's products in other tasks. Overall, the capability gap between top U.S. models and those built by Chinese companies has narrowed significantly, and use of Chinese AI systems has surged as businesses seek to rein in runaway costs. A host of companies, including Microsoft, are weighing how they can offer Chinese models on their platforms, a development that is set to alter the balance of power among tech companies...
Unlike models from Anthropic or OpenAI, Zhipu's GLM-5.2 is open-weight. That means it can be downloaded and run on hardware operated by anybody and can be modified and used without supervision. Open-weight models are ideal for users who want unfettered access to systems they control, but they are also ideal for hackers, who can run them in the shadows. GLM-5.2 has ranked as one of the 10 most-used AI models, according to data from OpenRouter, a company that provides access to more than 400 AI models. In some benchmarking tests, according to the cybersecurity company Semgrep, GLM-5.2 bested Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.8 model, which was released in May. When given further instructions, Opus 4.8 and GLM-5.2 can match Mythos in bug-finding ability, according to researchers...
"Banning Fable while selling chips China needs to develop its own version is a gift to China," said Saif Khan, a distinguished technology fellow at the Institute for Progress think tank who worked on export restrictions in the Biden administration. The U.S. needs to maximize the use of Mythos and comparable models to harden its cyber defenses while it can, he added. Among the Mythos 5 and Fable 5 users that had lost access before Friday's decision to restore Mythos 5 access for some trusted entities: the National Security Agency, which had been testing the tools and found them impressive in trials, according to people familiar with the matter... "It is incentivizing companies across the globe to use cheaper but very capable Chinese open-weight models, while at the same time undermining the U.S. AI industry," said Niels Provos, a researcher who led security teams at Google and Stripe. "I don't understand it."
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 for sharing the article.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The New York Times tells the story of a 63-year-old retiree who wrote a check for several thousand dollaras to pay her taxes. But she discovered much later that her taxes were never paid because that check had been intercepted and then altered to be payable to someone else:
In some cases, thieves may pilfer one or more checks from local mailboxes. Adam Rust, director of financial services for the Consumer Federation of America, said thieves sometimes "fish" for checks at free-standing drop boxes, using long tools with sticky pads on the ends to grab letters. In other cases, more sophisticated criminals may steal large batches of checks, copy them and then sell them on the internet. Often, the purloined checks are chemically altered in what's known as "check washing" to remove the name of the recipient. The thief replaces it with a fraudulent name, and often increases the amount of the check, before cashing or depositing it.
The 63-year-old retiree's bank told her she'd waited too long to recover the funds:
Schwab's "security guarantee," outlined on its website , says that "Schwab will cover losses in any of your Schwab accounts due to unauthorized activity." But fine print at the bottom of the page notes that reimbursement "requires your timely reporting of unauthorized activity to Schwab," and that Schwab "will not be liable for additional or increased losses resulting from a failure to report unauthorized activity in a timely manner." It notes that more details are available in account agreements... Notify your bank as soon as possible, said Scott Anchin, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and policy at the independent bankers association. Banks generally allow at least 30 days and sometimes up to 90 days from the time your statement is made available to you to report suspected check fraud, he said.
So how can you avoid check fraud? Adam Rust, director of financial services for the Consumer Federation of America, just suggests that "No one should ever mail a check."
If you must write a check, he said, try to deliver it in person or take it inside a post office to mail rather than relying on your own mailbox or public drop boxes. The American Bankers Association recommends using permanent "gel" ink pens when you do write checks to reduce the risk of tampering... And if you don't already, consider using your bank's online bill payment service.
The article notes that even the U.S. federal government "has been moving away from paper checks for things like benefit payments and income tax refunds, saying digital payment methods are more secure."
In some cases, thieves may pilfer one or more checks from local mailboxes. Adam Rust, director of financial services for the Consumer Federation of America, said thieves sometimes "fish" for checks at free-standing drop boxes, using long tools with sticky pads on the ends to grab letters. In other cases, more sophisticated criminals may steal large batches of checks, copy them and then sell them on the internet. Often, the purloined checks are chemically altered in what's known as "check washing" to remove the name of the recipient. The thief replaces it with a fraudulent name, and often increases the amount of the check, before cashing or depositing it.
The 63-year-old retiree's bank told her she'd waited too long to recover the funds:
Schwab's "security guarantee," outlined on its website , says that "Schwab will cover losses in any of your Schwab accounts due to unauthorized activity." But fine print at the bottom of the page notes that reimbursement "requires your timely reporting of unauthorized activity to Schwab," and that Schwab "will not be liable for additional or increased losses resulting from a failure to report unauthorized activity in a timely manner." It notes that more details are available in account agreements... Notify your bank as soon as possible, said Scott Anchin, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and policy at the independent bankers association. Banks generally allow at least 30 days and sometimes up to 90 days from the time your statement is made available to you to report suspected check fraud, he said.
So how can you avoid check fraud? Adam Rust, director of financial services for the Consumer Federation of America, just suggests that "No one should ever mail a check."
If you must write a check, he said, try to deliver it in person or take it inside a post office to mail rather than relying on your own mailbox or public drop boxes. The American Bankers Association recommends using permanent "gel" ink pens when you do write checks to reduce the risk of tampering... And if you don't already, consider using your bank's online bill payment service.
The article notes that even the U.S. federal government "has been moving away from paper checks for things like benefit payments and income tax refunds, saying digital payment methods are more secure."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The Mercedes star returned to the top of the podium for the first time since the season-opener in Australia.
George Russell returned to winning ways at the Red Bull Ring, cutting into Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelliās lead at the top of the championship standings.
DE KOOG (ANP) - Op het strand van Texel is zondagavond even voor 22.00 uur een overleden persoon aangetroffen. Het lichaam werd aangetroffen op het strand ter hoogte van De Koog, meldt een politiewoordvoerder. Over de identiteit van het slachtoffer kan de politie niets kwijt.
Hoewel de persoon op het strand werd gevonden, is het volgens de politiewoordvoerder niet duidelijk of het slachtoffer uit het water kwam of op het strand is overleden. Ook over de verdere toedracht is niets bekend. Er wordt overlijdensonderzoek gedaan.
TEL AVIV (ANP/RTR) - Het Israƫlische leger zegt ondergrondse infrastructuur te hebben vernietigd die zou worden gebruikt door de Libanese beweging Hezbollah in een dorp in Zuid-Libanon. Dat staat in een gezamenlijke verklaring van de Israƫlische premier Benjamin Netanyahu en minister van Defensie Israel Katz.
De Verenigde Staten waren vooraf op de hoogte gebracht van de aanval, die gericht was op een 200 meter lange tunnel in de plaats Majdal Zoun, aldus de verklaring.
Vrijdag sloten Israƫl en Libanon een door de VS bemiddelde veiligheidsovereenkomst die een einde moet maken aan de gevechten tussen Israƫl en Hezbollah. Onderdeel daarvan is dat Israƫlische troepen zich moeten gaan terugtrekken uit Libanon. Een dag later verklaarde de Israƫlische defensieminister Israel Katz dat Israƫl zijn troepen pas terugtrekt uit Libanon als Hezbollah volledig is ontwapend.
MOSKOU (ANP/RTR) - De Russische president Vladimir Poetin heeft gezegd dat het Russische leger zijn offensief op OekraĆÆens grondgebied voortzet. Een recent voorstel van Kyiv om wederzijds af te zien van aanvallen met langeafstandsraketten verandert daar niets aan, aldus Poetin.
OekraĆÆne bestempelde zijn voorstel als een "stap richting vrede", maar Moskou ziet het als een afleidingsmanoeuvre. Volgens Poetin is het doel ervan de aandacht af te leiden van het Russische streven om vier regio's in Oost-OekraĆÆne - Donetsk, Loehansk, Cherson en Zaporizja - volledig in te nemen tijdens de militaire campagne.
"Het is duidelijk waarom dit voorstel wordt gedaan: onze tegenaanvallen diep in OekraĆÆens gebied zijn veel krachtiger, hebben meer impact en zijn destructiever dan de OekraĆÆense," vertelde Poetin aan een Russische televisieverslaggever.
Rusland heeft te maken met een groeiend aantal OekraĆÆense luchtaanvallen die vooral zijn gericht op de Russische olie- en gassector.
Makerfield MP on course to be PM will argue for more decision-making in regions and communities as he sets out platform for government
Andy Burnham will pledge to deliver āgood growth in every postcodeā by overseeing a significant transfer of power out of Whitehall to local communities as he sets out his case to become the UKās next prime minister.
In his first major speech since winning the Makerfield byelection, Burnham will argue for decision-making to be devolved to regions and communities to drive economic growth locally, replacing the current top-down national model.
Continue reading...Jesse Marsch clenched both fists and, for a split second, seemed to resist the temptation to charge on to the pitch to celebrate the goal that sent Canada into the last 16 of the World Cup. But then all hell broke loose, Marsch, some of his Canada staff and a raft of unused substitutes emptied on to the turf.
Sixty-four seconds into at least five minutes of second-half stoppage time, Stephen EustƔquio chested a South Africa clearance and struck a sweet right-foot shot with his laces, the ball thudding into the bottom corner of the goal. It was undoubtedly deserved but for so long it was impossible to shake the sense that the game was heading for extra time, South Africa seemingly content to play the long game, showing little ambition on the ball. Their goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, was frequently booed for retaining possession.
Continue reading...
