THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 5/6/25

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

“Strength respects strength.”

-Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

India Strikes, Pakistan Responds (Updated)
India launched “Operation Sindoor,” striking nine alleged terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir in retaliation for an April 22 attack that killed 26 people. India framed the strikes as “measured” and non-escalatory, avoiding military or civilian targets, but Pakistan condemned them as an “act of war,” claiming civilian deaths and launching retaliatory attacks. Unconfirmed reports claim downed Indian aircraft and casualties, while India has neither confirmed nor denied losses. A state of emergency has been declared in Pakistan’s Punjab province, and airspace has been closed amid rising tensions. Global leaders, including the U.N. Secretary-General, are calling for restraint to prevent further escalation between the nuclear-armed nations. Click here to read more.

IBM CEO pushes into AI market, seeks increased US investment
IBM unveiled new tools on Tuesday aimed at helping businesses manage and integrate multiple AI agents, including those from providers like Salesforce, Workday, and Adobe. CEO Arvind Krishna said IBM sees an opportunity to support customers in combining and customizing AI capabilities across platforms, offering tools that allow companies to create their own AI agents in under five minutes using IBM’s Granite models or those from Meta and Mistral. With $6 billion already generated from generative AI, IBM is positioning itself as a key player for clients using multi-cloud or on-premise infrastructure. Click here to read more.

Duffy hangs replica of controversial USMMA Jesus painting in DOT office: ‘It looks beautiful’
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday that he has hung a replica of the 1944 painting Christ on the Water in his Department of Transportation office, following controversy over the artwork’s removal from a prominent position at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). The original painting by Hunter A. Wood, which depicts Jesus saving sailors at sea, had hung in Wiley Hall for 76 years before being relocated to a basement chapel after a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Duffy’s call to “bring Jesus up from the basement” received enthusiastic support from midshipmen, prompting him to display the painting himself and advocate for its restoration. Click here to read more.

A massive Chinese phishing cartel unveiled: 2 million SMSes sent daily
A Chinese cybercrime group is behind a vast SMS phishing operation using a tool called “Panda Shop” to send up to 720 million smishing messages annually via Apple iMessage, Google RCS, and SMS. The toolkit, offered as a crime-as-a-service on Telegram, enables identity theft and credit card fraud by impersonating major brands and collecting victims’ data through spoofed websites. Researchers link the group to the Smishing Triad and say its operators, based in China, act without fear of U.S. law enforcement. The operation highlights how geopolitical tensions hinder effective countermeasures. Click here to read more.

IDF strikes shut down Sanaa International airport
The IDF conducted a series of airstrikes on Tuesday across Yemen, targeting Sanaa International Airport, power stations, and infrastructure such as the al-Imran cement factory used by the Houthis for tunnel construction. These strikes, coordinated with ongoing U.S. operations, marked Israel’s seventh such operation since July 2024 and came in response to a recent Houthi ballistic missile attack near Ben-Gurion Airport. Notably, the IDF issued a rare pre-strike warning to civilians at the airport, underscoring the sensitivity of the location. Click here to read more.