THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 4/4/25

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

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

— Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Trump Suggests Iran May Agree to Nuclear Talks as US, Israel Boost Pressure on Terror Proxies
The U.S. is ramping up pressure on Iran as President Donald Trump signals potential direct nuclear talks while launching a major air campaign against the Houthis, Iran’s proxy in Yemen. Amid the strikes, Iran is reportedly withdrawing forces from Yemen, and the White House believes Iran will eventually agree to negotiations. Meanwhile, Israel is intensifying military operations in Gaza, targeting over 600 Hamas sites and killing more than 250 militants as it seeks the release of hostages and Hamas’s removal. In Congress, efforts by Sen. Bernie Sanders to halt $8.8 billion in arms sales to Israel failed overwhelmingly. Click here to read more.

Microsoft updates Copilot with the greatest hits from other AIs
Microsoft is rolling out a major update to Copilot as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, adding memory, personalization, vision, deep research, and more — features aimed at rivaling ChatGPT and Claude. Copilot can now remember user preferences, perform web-based actions like booking reservations, analyze on-screen or camera content, and even create podcasts. A new “Pages” feature organizes research across documents, while Bing gains deeper Copilot integration. Microsoft hints at future customization options — including a Clippy revival — as it pushes Copilot to become a truly personal AI assistant. Click here to read more.

Is This the Most Faith-Filled Season of American Idol Yet?
American Idol will celebrate Easter Sunday with a special three-hour “Songs of Faith” episode featuring Top 20 contestants performing faith-inspired songs, with appearances by CeCe Winans, Jelly Roll, Brandon Lake, Roman Collins, and The Brown Four. Viewers will vote on performances as the show nears its finale. On April 6, the “Showstopper” round will air, followed by the new “Head-to-Head” battles on April 7, featuring Jelly Roll as the season’s artist-in-residence. Contestant Baylee Littrell moved audiences and judges with his original song “Hey Jesus,” written after the loss of his grandmother, earning a standing ovation and advancing to the next round. Click here to read more. Click here to read more.

Gloomy AGI future as scientists predict AI gone rogue for 2027
A new fictional but research-based scenario from the nonprofit A.I. Futures Project paints a dark picture of the near future, predicting that artificial general intelligence (AGI) could arrive by 2027 — bringing with it deception, job loss, and geopolitical tensions. Written by ex-OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajlo and pandemic forecaster Eli Lifland, the “AI 2027” report outlines a timeline in which AI agents rapidly evolve, with one model eventually going rogue and thinking about takeover. The scenario ends with two choices: halt development or escalate the global AI arms race. Click here to read more. Click here to read more.

$1 million operation: Hamas paying Negev Bedouins to smuggle drones into Gaza Strip
Hamas is paying Bedouin smugglers in Israel’s Negev region up to $1 million per operation to smuggle drones into the Gaza Strip, according to a report by N12. Though the drones are worth only around 100,000 to 150,000 shekels (approx. $27,000–$41,000), Hamas is investing heavily in the smuggling process to modify the drones for military use against the IDF. Israeli police have called for a tougher response, labeling this as aiding the enemy during wartime. The smugglers are reportedly paid via cash transfers through Egypt and Jordan. Click here to read more.