THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 01/05/26

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 01/05/26

Image Credit: iStock / Michael Fitzsimmons | Imagery Disclaimer

Securing Tomorrow: Your Daily Dose of Cyber Safety, Tech Trends, National Security News, and Inspiration.

“Data is the new oil.”

 

– Clive Humby

I. National Security: Key developments in national security, particularly cyber and technological warfare.

  • This Is What The Night Stalkers’ MH-60M Direct Action Penetrator Brought To The Venezuelan Op

  • The Night Stalkers’ MH‑60M Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) Black Hawk played a pivotal role in the U.S. raid that seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, flying low‑altitude, night‑time attack runs that combined heavy armament—including 70 mm rockets, Hellfire missiles, a 30 mm M230 cannon, and forward‑firing miniguns—with advanced sensors such as terrain‑following radar, infrared/EO turrets, and laser designators to locate and engage targets precisely; its lightweight stub‑wing pods and multi‑station armament support structure let operators swap weapons quickly, while built‑in defensive suites—CIRCM laser countermeasures, radar and missile warning sensors, and electronic jamming—protected the aircraft from MANPADS and other threats; the DAP’s in‑flight refueling probe extended its range for the deep‑penetration mission, and its robust communications array kept it linked to supporting SOAR assets, enabling coordinated strikes on fortified positions, armored vehicles, and air‑defense systems during the operation. Click here to read more.

II. Tech Trends: Updates on emerging technology trends shaping the digital world.

  • Nvidia CEO Huang says next generation of chips is in full production

  • Jensen Huang announced at CES 2025 that Nvidia’s next‑generation chips are now in full production and can deliver roughly five times the AI computing power of the company’s prior devices, a leap he attributes to a proprietary data technique that boosts performance despite only a modest increase in transistor count; he unveiled the Vera Rubin platform, which will combine up to 72 graphics units and 36 new central processors per flagship chip and can be linked into pods containing more than a thousand chips, while also introducing “context memory storage” to speed chatbot responses and new co‑packaged‑optics networking switches to connect massive machine clusters; Huang highlighted Nvidia’s open‑source software for autonomous‑vehicle decision‑making and noted growing competition from AMD, Google’s own AI silicon, Broadcom and Cisco, emphasizing that the upcoming chips aim to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving AI market. Click here to read more.

     

III. Inspiration: Articles centered on faith that offer guidance and reflection.

  • How 5 Evangelical Leaders Reacted to U.S. Action in Venezuela

  • Evangelical leaders across the United States praised President Donald Trump’s weekend raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, framing the operation as a decisive stand against oppression, corruption, and drug trafficking; Franklin Graham thanked Trump for reducing illicit drug flows and urged prayers for Venezuelan churches, while Pastor L. Gilberto Corredera highlighted the personal anguish of his Venezuelan‑majority congregation and called for prayerful humility and a peaceful transition of power; Samuel Rodriguez celebrated the event as a moral reset affirming God‑given liberty, and Daniel R. Suhr argued that the raid fits within presidential authority and historical precedent, likening it to the 1990 Noriega operation; Albert Mohler warned that the aftermath will be crucial, insisting the strike was justified but predicting intense international criticism and urging vigilance over future U.S. actions. Click here to read more.
     

IV. Cyber Safety: A focus on the latest cybersecurity threats, tips, or breaches impacting individuals and organizations.

  • Cyberattack Unlikely in Communications Failure That Grounded Flights in Greece

  • Greek authorities say the nationwide radio‑communication failure that halted air traffic on Sunday was not a cyberattack, though investigators are still probing the root cause; noisy interference across primary and backup channels forced the shutdown of Athens and Thessaloniki airports, grounding about 120 flights and diverting many others, which left thousands of travelers stranded until operations gradually resumed Monday. Eurocontrol helped reroute aircraft, and a newly formed committee—including civil‑aviation officials, the Greek air force, Eurocontrol and a state cyber‑defence agency—has launched a judicial inquiry and internal probe to determine why the outage occurred. Click here to read more.

V. Shield of Israel: Coverage from The Jerusalem Post, providing an Israeli perspective on ongoing conflicts.

  • End of uncertainty: Why Tehran now takes Trump’s warnings seriously – analysis

  • Iran’s leaders, who once dismissed President Donald Trump’s harsh rhetoric, now treat his warnings as genuine threats after a series of decisive U.S. actions—direct strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, the abrupt capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, and public statements promising immediate retaliation if Iranian forces kill protesters—have lent credibility to his words; faced with the prospect of U.S.‑Israeli military escalation and mounting domestic unrest, Tehran appears to be tempering its crackdown, deliberating between a brutal suppression that could trigger American intervention, a retaliatory strike against Israel that might invite overwhelming Israeli force, or a restrained approach that risks further protest spread, while senior officials reportedly draft contingency plans to flee the country. Click here to read more.

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 01/02/26

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 01/02/26

Image Credit: U.S. Department of War (DoW) / Army | Imagery Disclaimer

Securing Tomorrow: Your Daily Dose of Cyber Safety, Tech Trends, National Security News, and Inspiration.

“Knowledge is power.”

 

-Sir Francis Bacon

I. National Security: Key developments in national security, particularly cyber and technological warfare.

  • Army creates new AI-focused career field for officers

  • The U.S. Army has opened a new “49B Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning” career field for officers, creating a cadre of uniformed experts tasked with integrating AI and ML into logistics, battlefield decision‑making and robotics; officers can transfer via the Volunteer Transfer Incentive Program, undergo graduate‑level training, and may later be joined by warrant officers, as part of a broader DoD push that includes a Pentagon‑wide rollout of Google’s Gemini AI for service members. Click here to read more.

II. Tech Trends: Updates on emerging technology trends shaping the digital world.

  • OpenAI reorganizes some teams to build audio-based AI hardware products

  • OpenAI is consolidating engineering, product and research teams into a single initiative to accelerate its audio‑model work, aiming to launch a new audio language model in early 2026 as a stepping stone toward dedicated hardware—such as smart speakers or audio‑focused glasses—that would broaden voice‑interface adoption beyond the text‑centric ChatGPT experience. Click here to read more.

     

III. Inspiration: Articles centered on faith that offer guidance and reflection.

  • Brett Favre Encourages Fans to Follow Jesus in Conviction-Filled Christmas Post

  • Former NFL star Brett Favre posted a Christmas‑time Instagram message declaring that his football talent comes from Jesus Christ, urging fans to “put your faith in Him who can save,” quoting Ephesians 2:8‑9 and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas; he reflected on his career, including a pivotal 2003 game played after his father’s death, and highlighted how his faith has guided his life and decisions both on and off the field. Click here to read more.
     

IV. Cyber Safety: A focus on the latest cybersecurity threats, tips, or breaches impacting individuals and organizations.

  • New York-based fashion maker claimed by Russia-linked hackers

  • Esquire Brands, a New York‑based maker of children’s footwear that licenses names like DKNY, Sam Edelman and Kenneth Cole, was hit by the Play ransomware gang, which posted a threat on the gang’s dark‑web forum to release stolen client files, payroll data, financial records and other confidential information as early as January 3; the attackers, linked to Russian‑aligned cybercrime networks, have a history of high‑profile extortions and use intermittent encryption to speed data exfiltration, prompting concerns over identity theft, phishing and corporate espionage. Click here to read more.

V. Shield of Israel: Coverage from The Jerusalem Post, providing an Israeli perspective on ongoing conflicts.

  • ‘We are locked and loaded’: Trump threatens to attack Iran regime if protesters harmed

  • President Donald Trump warned on Truth Social that the United States is “locked and loaded” and ready to intervene militarily if Iranian authorities kill any more protestors, urging Tehran to stop the violence; Iranian officials, including an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dismissed the threat as dangerous interference, while opposition figures such as Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir voiced support for the demonstrators, amid reports of multiple deaths and arrests during the ongoing protests. Click here to read more.

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 12/30/25

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 12/30/25

Image Credit: iStock / MikeMareen | Imagery Disclaimer

Securing Tomorrow: Your Daily Dose of Cyber Safety, Tech Trends, National Security News, and Inspiration.

“Over the past week or so, U.S. MQ‑9 Reaper drones have been spotted carrying increasingly greater numbers of AGM‑114 Hellfire missiles on sorties from Puerto Rico. This includes at least one Reaper seen armed with 10 Hellfires, a loadout that does not previously appear to have been disclosed as being an option for these drones.”

 

-Joseph Tre​vithick, TWZ article

I. National Security: Key developments in national security, particularly cyber and technological warfare.

  • MQ-9 Reapers Flying With Unusually Heavy Weapons Loads Over Caribbean

  • U.S. MQ‑9 Reaper drones operating from Puerto Rico have been observed carrying unusually heavy Hellfire missile loads—up to ten missiles per aircraft and using four‑rail launchers—far exceeding typical armaments, coinciding with a covert CIA‑directed strike on a Venezuelan port facility and a broader buildup of U.S. forces in the Caribbean that suggests an escalation beyond routine counter‑drug missions; the expanded payloads likely support larger kinetic operations against high‑value targets while highlighting increased coordination between military and intelligence assets in the region. Click here to read more.

II. Tech Trends: Updates on emerging technology trends shaping the digital world.

  • “100% human” to become luxury label amid AI craze

  • As AI hype wanes, brands are flipping the script by touting “100 % human” or “no AI” labels as a new luxury marker, positioning authentic, human‑crafted content as the digital equivalent of “organic” or “non‑GMO”; marketers say this shift taps consumer fatigue with low‑quality “AI slop,” appeals to ethical concerns about privacy, employment and environmental impact, and is especially resonant in creative fields like publishing, music, journalism and design, as well as services that rely on empathy and nuanced judgment. Click here to read more.

     

III. Inspiration: Articles centered on faith that offer guidance and reflection.

  • Franklin Graham attributes rising church attendance to young people’s rejection of ‘anti-God socialism’

  • Franklin Graham, CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, linked a recent uptick in church attendance among Gen Z and Millennials—averaging 1.9 and 1.8 visits per month respectively—to a rejection of “anti‑God socialism,” arguing that younger Americans are turning away from socialist ideas and seeking truth in faith, especially after the high‑profile murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which he says spurred a surge in Bible sales and spiritual interest. Click here to read more.
     

IV. Cyber Safety: A focus on the latest cybersecurity threats, tips, or breaches impacting individuals and organizations.

  • “These Chrome extensions read your ChatGPT and DeepSeek chats

  • Malicious Chrome extensions posing as AI sidebars—“Chat GPT for Chrome with GPT‑5, Claude Sonnet & DeepSeek AI” (600 k+ installs) and “AI Sidebar with DeepSeek, ChatGPT, Claude, and more” (300 k+ installs)—were found to exfiltrate users’ ChatGPT and DeepSeek chat histories, browsing activity and other data every 30 minutes, even though they appear legitimate and one carries Google’s “Featured” badge; researchers at OX Security warned that the stolen information could be used for corporate espionage, identity theft or phishing and urged users to uninstall the extensions immediately. Click here to read more.

V. Shield of Israel: Coverage from The Jerusalem Post, providing an Israeli perspective on ongoing conflicts.

  • Israel asks Trump administration to exclude Turkey from Board of Peace, sources tell ‘Post’

  • Israel has asked the Trump administration to keep President Recep Tayyip Erdogan out of the upcoming Board of Peace that will oversee the International Stabilization Force and Gaza reconstruction, fearing Turkish troops and humanitarian involvement would give Ankara undue influence in the Strip; while senior U.S. officials remain divided over Turkey’s role—some argue the country, along with Egypt and Qatar, is a guarantor of the Hamas agreement—President Trump defended Erdogan as a close friend and praised Turkey’s contributions, even as Israel pushes to limit Ankara’s presence in future peace‑building efforts. Click here to read more.

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 12/22/25

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 12/22/25

Image Credit: U.S. Department of War (DoW) | Imagery Disclaimer

Securing Tomorrow: Your Daily Dose of Cyber Safety, Tech Trends, National Security News, and Inspiration.

“The future Trump-class battleship, the USS Defiant, will be the largest, deadliest and most versatile and best-looking warship anywhere on the world’s oceans.”

 

-Secretary of the Navy John Phelan

I. National Security: Key developments in national security, particularly cyber and technological warfare.

  • Navy will build new force of nuclear-armed, Trump-class battleships, president says

  • President Donald Trump announced a new “Trump‑class” battleship program, promising vessels far larger and more heavily armed than the WWII‑era Iowa‑class, equipped with hypersonic weapons, railguns, high‑powered lasers and nuclear‑capable cruise missiles; the Navy plans to start with two ships— the first to be named USS Defiant—aiming for commissioning within roughly two and a half years and ultimately targeting a fleet of 20‑25 such warships as a centerpiece of Trump’s “Golden Fleet” vision. Click here to read more.

II. Tech Trends: Updates on emerging technology trends shaping the digital world.

  • Power outage paralyzes Waymo robotaxis when traffic lights go out

  • A power outage in the San Francisco Bay Area knocked out traffic signals, causing Waymo’s robotaxis to halt at intersections as they defaulted to a four‑way‑stop protocol; the gridlock prompted a temporary suspension of the ride‑hailing service, but power was largely restored by noon and Waymo resumed operations, noting it will incorporate lessons from the event to improve handling of such infrastructure failures. Click here to read more.

     

III. Inspiration: Articles centered on faith that offer guidance and reflection.

  • Christians and Religious Nones Unite in Rejection of AI Video Content on Social Platforms

  • A recent Story Radius survey found that a clear majority of Evangelical, non‑denominational and unaffiliated Americans—58 % of evangelicals, 57 % of Protestants and 52 % of the religiously unaffiliated—oppose the rise of AI‑generated videos on social platforms, citing concerns about authenticity, emotional manipulation and a loss of trust that can even drive users away from sites like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok; similar resistance appears across other faith groups, indicating a broader “trust gap” that tech companies must address. Click here to read more.
     

IV. Cyber Safety: A focus on the latest cybersecurity threats, tips, or breaches impacting individuals and organizations.

  • “We backed up Spotify:” pirates claim to have scraped 300TB of music

  • Anna’s Archive, a shadow digital library known for pirated books, claims to have scraped roughly 300 TB of Spotify’s catalog—about 86 million tracks covering 99.6 % of listens—by bypassing DRM and prioritizing songs using Spotify’s popularity metrics; the group has already released a 200 GB torrent of metadata for 256 million tracks and plans to distribute the audio files, prompting Spotify to confirm an investigation into the unauthorized access. Click here to read more.

V. Shield of Israel: Coverage from The Jerusalem Post, providing an Israeli perspective on ongoing conflicts.

  • Israel, Greece, Cyprus reaffirm security, energy commitments at trilateral summit

  • Israel, Greece and Cyprus reconfirmed a strategic partnership at a Jerusalem summit, pledging deeper cooperation on security, energy and connectivity; leaders announced plans to advance the India‑Middle East‑Europe Economic Corridor and the Great Sea Connector, linking maritime routes, pipelines and power grids across the region, while also discussing a possible joint rapid‑response force to counter Turkish aggression and other regional threats. Click here to read more.

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 12/19/25

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 12/19/25

Image Credit: U.S. Department of War (DoW) / Coast Guard | Imagery Disclaimer

Securing Tomorrow: Your Daily Dose of Cyber Safety, Tech Trends, National Security News, and Inspiration.

“The FF(X) is a highly adaptable vessel. While its primary mission will be surface warfare, its ability to carry modular payloads and command unmanned systems enables it to execute a broad spectrum of operations, making it ready for the challenges of the modern maritime environment.”

 

– U.S. Navy release

I. National Security: Key developments in national security, particularly cyber and technological warfare.

  • This Will Be The Navy’s New FF(X) Frigate

  • The U.S. Navy has chosen a new FF(X) frigate design based on the Coast Guard’s Legend‑class National Security Cutter, targeting a first hull launch in 2028 to replace the cancelled Constellation program; the ship will feature a 57 mm gun, a RAM launcher, angled missile launchers likely for Naval Strike Missiles, a modular payload bay, and a Saab Sea Giraffe radar, while the Navy plans a lead‑yard build followed by competitive follow‑on contracts to accelerate production and bolster domestic shipbuilding capacity. Click here to read more.

II. Tech Trends: Updates on emerging technology trends shaping the digital world.

  • Developers can now launch their apps in ChatGPT under new OpenAI program

  • OpenAI announced a new program that lets developers submit “apps” for integration into ChatGPT, where approved apps will appear in an in‑chat directory and let users take actions such as ordering groceries, creating slide decks or searching for apartments; developers can use the beta Apps SDK to build tightly scoped, chat‑friendly tools, check approval status on the OpenAI Developer Platform, and expect the first batch of vetted apps to roll out gradually next year, alongside other features like Instant Checkout for U.S. shoppers. Click here to read more.

     

III. Inspiration: Articles centered on faith that offer guidance and reflection.

  • Hobby Lobby Distributes 500,000 Free Copies of Lee Strobel’s ‘The Case for Christmas’

  • Hobby Lobby is distributing 500,000 free copies of Lee Strobel’s revised “The Case for Christmas,” a journalistic investigation into the identity of the infant in the manger, across its U.S. stores as the holiday season approaches; the giveaway follows Strobel’s 2024 update of the book, which builds on his earlier “Case for Christ” narrative, and aligns with Hobby Lobby’s long‑standing public‑faith branding, including its Sunday closures, biblical advertising and recent charitable donations such as a $7 million contribution to rebuild a megachurch sanctuary. Click here to read more.
     

IV. Cyber Safety: A focus on the latest cybersecurity threats, tips, or breaches impacting individuals and organizations.

  • North Korea’s Digital Surge: $2B Stolen in Crypto as Amazon Blocks 1,800 Fake IT Workers

  • North Korean cyber groups stole over $2 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025—accounting for about 76 % of all crypto service compromises—while also running a massive fake‑IT‑worker scheme that Amazon blocked 1,800 fraudulent applicants, many posing as software engineers to infiltrate exchanges, custodians and AI‑related firms; the operation relies on stolen identities, recruiter scams and insider placements to launder funds, prompting heightened detection efforts and rewards for information. Click here to read more.

V. Shield of Israel: Coverage from The Jerusalem Post, providing an Israeli perspective on ongoing conflicts.

  • Defending Jewish communities is part of fight for Europe’s soul, Hungarian EU minister tells ‘Post’

  • Hungarian EU affairs minister and antisemitism envoy János Bóka told The Jerusalem Post that safeguarding Jewish communities is essential to preserving Europe’s Judeo‑Christian heritage, emphasizing Hungary’s “zero‑tolerance” stance, strict migration policies and strong societal support that have kept antisemitic incidents low compared with Western Europe; he warned that radical‑Islamist and left‑wing anti‑Zionist narratives are fueling a new wave of antisemitism across the continent, calling for coordinated EU action, tighter monitoring of NGOs and online platforms, and deeper cooperation with Israel to protect Jewish life and culture. Click here to read more.

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 12/18/25

THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 12/18/25

Image Credit: U.S. Department of War (DoW) / Air Force Airman 1st Class Arnet Tamayo  | Imagery Disclaimer

Securing Tomorrow: Your Daily Dose of Cyber Safety, Tech Trends, National Security News, and Inspiration.

“The F-35 is the nation’s most sophisticated fighter jet, outfitted with stealth technology and a cockpit helmet display that allows pilots to virtually see through the airplane at targets on the ground below.”

 

-Thom Patterson

I. National Security: Key developments in national security, particularly cyber and technological warfare.

  • Canadian NORAD Commander’s View On Future F-35 Fighter Force

  • Canada’s NORAD commander Maj. Gen. Chris McKenna outlined a massive modernization effort to integrate F‑35A fighters into the RCAF and NORAD, noting a $30 billion, 88‑aircraft procurement under review, extensive runway extensions at Arctic forward operating locations, new A‑330 MRTT tankers slated for 2027, upgraded infrastructure at Trenton and Edmonton, and complementary upgrades to CF‑18 Hornets, all aimed at achieving overmatch against high‑end threats and ensuring layered air‑defense coverage across the High North. Click here to read more.

II. Tech Trends: Updates on emerging technology trends shaping the digital world.

  • LLMs’ impact on science: Booming publications, stagnating quality

  • Researchers at Berkeley and Cornell examined millions of pre‑print abstracts from arXiv, SSRN and bioRxiv, training a detector on human‑written versus GPT‑3.5‑rewritten texts to spot likely LLM‑generated submissions; they found that once authors began using large language models their output surged—often doubling for non‑native English speakers—but the papers’ linguistic complexity rose while their odds of reaching peer‑reviewed journals fell, reversing the usual positive link between sophisticated language and scientific merit; nevertheless, AI‑assisted manuscripts cited a wider, more recent range of sources, hinting at potential diversification of scholarly references. Click here to read more.

     

III. Inspiration: Articles centered on faith that offer guidance and reflection.

  • ‘Back to the Biblical Principles’: 10 Commandments Monument Restored at State Capitol

  • Kentucky restored a granite Ten Commandments monument to the Capitol grounds after House Joint Resolution 15 cleared a prior court block that relied on the now‑overruled Lemon test; the Fraternal Order of Eagles, represented by First Liberty, secured the monument’s return, and state leaders and faith‑based groups hailed the move as a reaffirmation of the historic role of biblical principles in American law and culture. Click here to read more.
     

IV. Cyber Safety: A focus on the latest cybersecurity threats, tips, or breaches impacting individuals and organizations.

  • France confirms cyberattack on Ministry of Interior, hackers claim 16M individuals exposed

  • French authorities confirmed a serious cyber intrusion into the Ministry of the Interior, where attackers claimed to have accessed the Criminal Records Processing System and Wanted Persons File, allegedly exposing data on 16 million citizens, though officials say only a few dozen files were confirmed removed and the true scope remains unclear; the breach was posted on the revived Breachforums site, with perpetrators demanding payment to delete the data, while investigators are probing credential theft via plain‑text emails and assessing potential impacts on ongoing investigations and personal privacy. Click here to read more.

V. Shield of Israel: Coverage from The Jerusalem Post, providing an Israeli perspective on ongoing conflicts.

  • Marco Rubio announces sanctions on ICC judges over Israel investigations

  • U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on two International Criminal Court judges—Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia—citing Executive Order 14203 for targeting Israeli nationals without Israel’s consent, while the ICC condemned the move as an attack on judicial independence; the United States also froze any U.S. assets of the judges and barred their families from entry, and separately imposed sanctions on 29 vessels and related firms tied to Iran’s shadow fleet. Click here to read more.

Pin It on Pinterest