News

In a surprise twist, 23andMe founder and former CEO Anne Wojcicki is set to regain control of the DNA company's assets, according to a press release from 23andMe. In May, a company called Regeneron bought 23andMe for $256 million in a bankruptcy auction, but Wojcicki's nonprofit, TTAM Research Institute, was able to reopen bidding with an "unsolicited offer" of $305 million, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A bankruptcy judge agreed to reopen bidding on 23andMe under the condition that Regeneron top Wojcicki's proposed price by at least $10 million, according to WSJ. Regeneron declined, leaving 23andMe in TTAM's control assuming the judge approves the deal. A hearing to consider the new deal is set for June 17, 2025.

Regeneron had previously planned to keep on all of the company's employees and continue offering consumer DNA testing kits. Besides answering customers' questions about their ancestry, 23andMe's genetic data is valuable as a way to identify possible health risks, and in the case of Regeneron, as a tool for identifying drug targets.

It's not completely clear what Wojcicki intends to do next, but 23andMe's announcement includes a list of customer data and privacy protections TTAM Research Institute has agreed to, including continuing to allow customers to delete their data and opt-out of research, establishing a Consumer Privacy Advocacy Board and promising to "not sell or transfer genetic data" in the event of another bankruptcy — unless the buyer agrees to the same privacy protections.

Maintaining control of the company's assets has been Wojcicki's plan since 23andMe declared bankruptcy in March 2025. She originally resigned as the company's CEO to make a bid on the company.

"I am thrilled that TTAM Research Institute will be able to continue the mission of 23andMe to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome," Wojcicki says. "We believe it is critical that individuals are empowered to have choice and transparency with respect to their genetic data and have the opportunity to continue to learn about their ancestry and health risks as they wish."

23andMe had a turbulent few years prior to declaring bankruptcy, suffering a data breach in 2023 that impacted millions of customers and mass layoffs in 2024 that affected 40 percent of the company's staff.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/23andme-founder-anne-wojciki-will-regain-control-of-embattled-dna-company-after-all-214534016.html?src=rss

Forescout report finds many vulnerable solar devices run outdated firmware with known exploits active in the wildEurope holds 76% of all exposed solar power devices, with Germany and Greece particularly at riskSolarView Compact exposure jumped 350% in two years, and it's already linked to cybercrimeThe rapid growth of solar energy adoption worldwide has sparked renewed concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities within solar infrastructure.A study by Forescout’s Vedere Labs found nearly 35,000 solar power devices, including inverters, data loggers, and gateways, are exposed to the internet, making them susceptible to exploitation.These findings follow a previous report by Forescout which identified 46 vulnerabilities in solar power systems.High exposure and geopolitical implicationsWhat’s particularly alarming now is that many of these devices remain unpatched, even as cyber threats grow more sophisticated.Ironically, vendors with the highest number of exposed devices aren’t necessarily those with the largest global installations, suggesting issues such as poor default security configurations, insufficient user guidance, or unsafe manual settings.Forescout found Europe accounts for a staggering 76% of all exposed devices, with Germany and Greece most affected.While an internet-exposed solar system isn’t automatically vulnerable, it becomes a soft target for cybercriminals. For example, the SolarView Compact device experienced a 350% increase in online exposure over two years and was implicated in a 2024 cyber incident involving bank account theft in Japan.Concerns around solar infrastructure deepened when Reuters reported rogue communication modules in Chinese-manufactured inverters.Although not tied to a specific attack, the discovery prompted several governments to reevaluate the security of their energy systems.According to Forescout, insecure configurations are common, and many devices still run outdated firmware versions. Some are known to have vulnerabilities currently under active exploitation.Devices like the discontinued SMA Sunny WebBox still account for a significant share of exposed systems.This is not just a matter of faulty products, it reflects a system-wide risk. While individually limited in impact, these internet-exposed devices may serve as entry points into critical infrastructure.To mitigate risk, organizations should retire devices that cannot be patched and avoid exposing management interfaces to the internet.For remote access, secure solutions such as VPNs, along with adherence to CISA and NIST guidelines, are essential.Additionally, a layered approach using top-rated antivirus tools, endpoint protection solutions, and especially Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) architecture may be necessary to keep critical systems insulated from intrusion.You might also likeExperts warn GTA and Minecraft being used to lure in cyberattack victimsThese are the best green web hosting providersWe’ve rounded up a list of the best web hosting providers