THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 7/29/25

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

“Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring Communist Chinese military aggression.”

-U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Japan moves to expand missile reach near China and North Korea
Japan is set to deploy upgraded long-range Type-12 missiles on Kyushu by spring 2025 as part of its push to strengthen defenses in the Nansei Islands amid rising threats from China, North Korea, and Russia. With a new range of 620 miles, the missiles could reach parts of China and North Korea. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani emphasized the urgency of building standoff capabilities given Japan’s increasingly complex security environment. Additional deployments are planned for other sites in Kyushu and Okinawa. Click here to read more.

Why is Sam Altman afraid of GPT-5?
Sam Altman’s recent comments comparing GPT-5 to the Manhattan Project and admitting he’s “nervous” about its development have sparked speculation: is he truly afraid, or shaping the narrative? By invoking historical gravity and warning of “no adults in the room,” Altman may be building anticipation around GPT-5’s rumored leaps in reasoning, multimodal capabilities, and agent-like behavior. Critics suggest this fear-driven framing could be a strategic move to justify safety controls and boost hype ahead of release. Click here to read more.

In Those Days, There Was No King Over AI
The artificial intelligence industry today operates like ancient Israel during the time of the judges—without a “king” or centralized authority to guide its actions. In his Christianity Today article, Stephen Carradini draws a powerful biblical analogy to critique the largely unregulated and ethically inconsistent state of AI development. While companies like OpenAI advocate for regulation in theory, they often resist concrete legislation, leaving decisions up to individual entities acting “in their own eyes.” Carradini argues that Christians must avoid both hype and fear in responding to AI and instead be guided by love for God and neighbor. This means critically evaluating AI’s impact on work, the environment, data privacy, and society. He shares his own experience developing a water conservation chatbot in Arizona—highlighting the difficult balance between serving public good and confronting AI’s ecological and ethical costs, including massive water and energy use and potentially exploitative data practices. Carradini ultimately urges Christians to lead by example, weighing their AI use with humility, prayer, and a commitment to neighborly love—because while AI has no king, Christians serve one who calls them to justice, mercy, and stewardship. Click here to read more.

US Fermilab hit in cyberattack targeting Microsoft’s SharePoint, Bloomberg News reports
Fermilab, one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s premier national labs, was recently targeted in a cyberattack exploiting flaws in Microsoft’s SharePoint software, Bloomberg reports. While hackers attempted to breach Fermilab’s servers, officials say the threat was quickly identified, and no sensitive or classified data was accessed. The servers have since been restored. This attack follows a broader campaign exploiting a critical SharePoint vulnerability that Microsoft’s June patch failed to fully resolve. Click here to read more.

IDF to continue attacking Hezbollah until it disarms, even if leads to another war
Despite the November 2024 ceasefire, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has vowed to continue strikes against Hezbollah until the group is fully disarmed—even if it risks sparking another war. Since the ceasefire, the IDF has launched over 500 operations, significantly weakening Hezbollah’s arsenal and manpower. Rocket stockpiles are down by up to 80%, launchers have been reduced drastically, and elite Radwan forces have shrunk by half. The IDF also credits improved U.S.-backed cooperation with the Lebanese army for addressing ceasefire violations. Click to read more.