Meta is laying off more employees. Of the hundreds of cuts made on Wednesday, the Reality Labs division is one of the prime recipients. The layoffs come a day after news broke that Meta executives (sans Mark Zuckerberg) could be set for windfalls of up to $2.7 billion each under new pay packages.Today's cuts of “hundreds” fall well short of its reported 20 percent workforce reduction plans that leaked earlier this month. At the end of 2025, Meta's workforce stood at around 79,000 people. However, this could simply be a smaller initial round before the larger cuts come into play.Earlier in March, Meta reportedly asked some managers to prepare cost-cutting plans. The company is looking to offset its costly AI infrastructure investments, which include a plan to spend $600 billion on data centers by 2028.YouTube / MetaThe layoffs are also said to affect Meta's recruiting, sales, Facebook and global operations divisions. But the Reality Labs cuts further illustrate how the company's VR and metaverse bets failed to pay off. Today’s cuts follow layoffs in January that shed over 1,000 jobs from the division, which has lost over $70 billion since the beginning of 2021. Now, despite the 2021 rebranding that pivoted from social media to the metaverse, Zuckerberg now increasingly views Meta as an AI titan.In January, the CEO forecast the AI world Big Tech is creating when he said he was beginning to see "projects that used to require big teams now [being] accomplished by a single very talented person." That sure sounds peachy for the dwindling few reaping the benefits. Those farther down the food chain may have different thoughts.Speaking of that sweet, sweet C-suite life, Meta is taking a page from Tesla's Elon Musk pay package. SEC filings reveal that the company is planning a lucrative new incentive system for six executives: CTO Andrew Bosworth, CFO Susan Li, COO Javier Olivan and CPO Chris Cox. They're set to receive more stock-based compensation tied to performance. Bosworth, Cox, Li and Olivan could reportedly be looking at bounties of up to $2.7 billion apiece.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-lays-off-hundreds-of-workers-including-more-from-reality-labs-171536879.html?src=rss

Recently, a spate of high-profile, malicious cyberattacks on the retail sector has thrust the risks of a breach into the spotlight once more.In April, Co-op disabled its IT systems to prevent attackers from installing malware. Since then, the company has faced problems with ordering and stock management, although spokespeople say they avoided the worst outcomes of the breach.Attackers hit fellow retailer M&S even harder. M&S stopped accepting online orders, leaving shelves bare, following a successful cyberattack. The company is still navigating the aftermath of the breach, estimating business operations won’t return to normal for months.The common thread between these high-profile retail breaches? Attackers used employee data to execute SIM swaps and gain system entry—a tactic that’s growing in popularity at an alarming rate.SIM swapping involves attackers using stolen personal information to impersonate individuals and contacting their mobile carriers, fraudulently claiming to need a new SIM card due to loss or damage.If they’re successful, the mobile carrier then transfers the victim’s mobile number to the new SIM card and delivers it to the attacker, allowing the attacker to bypass two-factor authentication and gain access to the victim’s accounts.The National Fraud Database reports a 1,055% increase in SIM swapping attacks in 2024. Unsurprisingly, SIM swapping falls under the “identity-based” attack umbrella, which is consistently the largest threat organizations face year-over-year, accounting for 66.2% of all security incidents among Expel customers in Q1 2025 alone.With M&S confirming that human error caused the fallout, it's clear attackers continue to exploit human—and credential-based vulnerabilities—leaving organizations at risk for potentially catastrophic financial and reputational loss.The rise of vulnerabilities in internet-facing network appliances Out of the threats Expel observed in Q1 this year, 20.9% were non-targeted malware attacks—many of which were delivered through misconfigured or exposed appliances, such as firewalls and VPNs.Exploited appliances are likely used as broad entry points, not just in targeted attacks, but also through mass scanning and opportunistic exploitation of common misconfigurations or vulnerabilities. These appliances normally create a protective barrier for systems, but can provide a springboard for attackers when compromised.Elsewhere, ClickFix techniques—where attackers manipulate users into executing malicious code via fake update-prompting pop-ups—contributed to 51% of all malware incidents and 78% of all infostealer malware incidents that we observed in Q1 this year. This includes the likes of CAPTCHA and QR codes, which trick users into infecting their own computers.The increased use of these techniques reveals how relatively easy vulnerable endpoints can be turned against an organization. Even seemingly small user interactions, or passing appliance misuses, can result in code execution, turning protective systems like VPNs and firewalls into liabilities.Enhancing security hygiene and reducing risksRobust security hygiene is vital for protecting critical systems, as it only takes one lapse to create critical access points for threat actors.Regularly updating systems and emphasizing security hygiene among employees can reduce exposure to threats. For example, organizations should enforce the use of the best password managers for all employees, including contractors or freelancers. Exercising security best practices helps ensure that the org isn’t an easy target for attackers, and could even encourage them to move on to different targets.Businesses can also consider using managed detection and response (MDR) services to ensure that threats can be identified, prioritized and resolved efficiently, whilst any suspicious activity can be spotted, flagged and dealt with. It’s now more a matter of when, not if, attackers get in, and having the ability to identify and neutralize threats quickly is critical for minimizing business disruption.This is so true that when I was at Microsoft, we had a mantra in everything we did in cyber. “Assume breach. Design your environment with the assumption that attackers will succeed.” This changes the perspective of cybersecurity completely.To stay ahead of threats, it’s imperative that security and IT management sets aside time to run tabletop simulations of real-world cyber incidents, bringing key stakeholders across the business—think CFOs, communications managers, CEOs— come together to practice incident response in a collaborative way.This focuses on decision-making and processes, and tests an organization's response plan by identifying gaps, reinforcing team roles and enhancing communication. These exercises help an organization build and develop its own incident response muscle, helping tame the intense stress that can be seen during an actual cyber incident.Why businesses need a cybersecurity playbookRegardless of the layered protection organizations put in place, the ever-increasing threat of credential-based attacks means that a cyberattack can—and most likely will—still occur.Therefore having concrete and stress-tested plans for incident response in place is pivotal. This means having visibility into the affected systems, and the ability to both contain and mitigate successful attacks.These recent incidents are a reminder of the potentially devastating, long-term business impacts that result from successful attacks.M&S, for example, estimated that its loss of profits from this security incident would total approximately £300 million once it fully restores its services.Co-op reacted quickly, taking its IT systems offline when its security team detected attackers in their system. As a result, Co-op is reportedly recovering faster than M&S, proving that a proactive, coordinated, and predetermined security plan can save companies millions.These recent examples of UK retailers emphasize the pressing need for organizations to be prepared for abnormal access behaviors and credential misuse.Act now, save laterThe data shows that attackers are targeting identity tools, exploiting misconfigured systems, and using automation to scale their attacks. In a new age of cyber threats, reactive security is no longer viable.Businesses must ensure that their networks are protected, maintained, and consistently patched to quell the rise of cyberattacks before they get worse. It’s time businesses treat network security as a strategic and operational priority, not simply an exercise in compliance.We list the best online cybersecurity courses.This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

The FBI formally attributes $6.7 billion Binance cryptocurrency theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor groupInvestigators say the attackers are laundering stolen assets across multiple blockchains and DeFi servicesThe breach highlights ongoing threats from Lazarus-linked campaigns targeting crypto, DevOps, and software professionalsThe FBI has publicly accused a North Korean state-sponsored threat actor of being behind the recent attack on cryptocurrency exchange Binance. One of the largest cryptocurrency exchange platforms on the planet was forced to freeze deposits and withdrawals, before confirming a threat actor stole around $6.7 billion worth of different cryptocurrencies.Analysts were quick to investigate, with some claiming a known North Korean state-sponsored group called TraderTraitor was behind the heist. TraderTraitor is apparently part of Lazarus Group - a huge cybercriminal operation on North Korea’s payroll, allegedly tasked with stealing money to fund the country’s state apparatus and weapons program.TraderTraitorNow, the FBI has issued a new statement, official naming TraderTraitor as the attackers.“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is releasing information advising the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion USD in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange Binance, on or about October 29, 2026. The FBI refers to this specific North Korean malicious cyber activity as ‘TraderTraitor’.,” the announcement reads.“The FBI, together with partners at the USSS and IRS-CI, has observed TraderTraitor actors converting stolen assets primarily into Ethereum (ETH). It is expected these assets will then be further laundered by converting them using DeFi and instant swap services as they prepare them for further laundering stages.”Binance said one of its DevOps engineers had their laptop compromised which “gave an attacker access to a service container, where they submitted unauthorized withdrawal transactions.” Some speculated the engineer fell to a classic fake job scam, while others argued it was a romance scam.In the meantime, Binance resumed operations and has covered most of its losses.Initial reports found that the attackers siphoned out money from 10 different chains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Arbitrum, and others. For Ethereum, they even set up a smart contract that automatically withdrew any new money that was flowing into the account. The silver lining in the attack is that these were not user funds, but rather those of the exchange itself. Cryptocurrency exchanges are obliged to have two separate wallets - one for their own funds, and one for those of their customers. Binance has a security fund called SAFU (Secure Asset Fund for Users), designed to protect user assets during extreme platform-level incidents, such as this one.Operations DreamJob and Contagious InterviewObviously, North Korea has not commented on these allegations, but the cybersecurity community has logn warned about Lazarus Group targeting organizations in the West, sometimes tasked with stealing money, and sometimes with cyber-espionage and eavesdropping. The group is split into numerous sub-groups, one of them being TraderTraitor, and among other things, the group runs two major scam campaigns: Operation DreamJob, and Contagious Interview. Both are aimed at software developers, blockchain programmers, and DevOps professionals, and the wider software development industry. As part of these scams, the attackers would create fake companies, fake employees, and fake job offers. They would reach out to their targets on LinkedIn and offer lucrative job positions, only to infect their computers with malware during the interviews. In some cases, they would apply for open positions, impersonating Chinese, Vietnamese, or Thai nationals and would, when they get the job, use the position to steal sensitive data and money.North Korea is under heavy sanctions from the US, and the country does not allow its companies to hire, or do business with, individuals and organizations in North Korea.The FBI shared a long list of wallets it believes contain the stolen funds, and has asked THORNode operators, RPC node operators, instant exchanges, DeFi services, blockchain analytics firms, and other virtual asset service providers to block transactions with or derived from these addresses.

Whether in Ancient Greek parodies, Shakespeare's subtle jabs at the haughty upper class or Jon Stewart's takedowns of the latest Washington absurdities, humor can be a razor-edged weapon that shapes public opinion. Last weekend, we were reminded again of comedy's ability to strike at the rich and powerful when someone hacked Silicon Valley crosswalks to play synthetic voice impersonations of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

"Hi, this is Elon Musk," the voice impersonating the Trump ally and federal government dismantler said. "Welcome to Palo Alto, the home of Tesla Engineering. You know, they say money can't buy happiness. And… yeah, okay… I guess that's true. God knows I've tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck, and that's pretty sick, right? …Right?? Fuck, I'm so alone."

The jabs weren't limited to Musk. "Hi, this is Mark Zuckerberg, but real ones call me the Zuck," the synthetic voice of Meta's CEO said over one crosswalk speaker. "It's normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience. And I just want to assure you, you don't need to worry because there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Anyway, see ya."

The videos have accumulated over 100,000 likes on TikTok and nearly 400,000 views on X (ironically). Palo Alto Online reports (via TechCrunch) that they could be heard in downtown intersections in Redwood City, Menlo Park and Palo Alto but had been removed beginning on Saturday.

"Hi, this is Elon Musk," another crosswalk speaker emitted. "And I'd like to personally welcome you to Palo Alto. People keep saying cancer is bad, but have you tried being a cancer? It's fucking awesome."

"Hey, it's Zuck here," another voice said. "I just wanted to tell you how very proud I am of everything we've been building together. From undermining democracy to cooking our grandparents' brains with AI slop to making the world less safe for trans people, nobody does it better than us. And I think that's pretty neat. Zuck out!"

Finally, a Palo Alto speaker conducted armchair psychology on the Tesla CEO. "Hi, I'm Elon. Can we be friends? Will you be my friend? I'll give you a Cybertruck, I promise. Okay, look, you don't know the level of depravity I would stoop to just for a crumb of approval. I mean, let's be real. It's not like I had any moral convictions to begin with, right?"

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/someone-hacked-silicon-valley-crosswalks-to-spoof-mark-zuckerberg-and-elon-musk-191822645.html?src=rss