AMC's Interview with the Vampire has been renewed for its third season in the run up to the final episode of season two this weekend. [Note: all links may contain spoilers!]

Despite rave critical and audience reviews, IWTV has struggled to gain traction, which may be partially due to AMC's lack of marketing and poor scheduling which has resulted in the show not being eligible for the 2024 Emmy season. It may also have something to do with the way the show has always been unapologetic about its queerness, as well as the complex traumas faced by its main characters. But it's clear AMC is definitely hoping for more from these vampires. They've invested in the entire catalogue of Anne Rice's IPs (including the recently greenlit show about the shadowy supernatural organization The Talamasca, and the sadly lackluster Mayfair Witches) and with the news that IWTV will soon be coming to Netflix in the US, I know I'm hoping the future stays bright for these nasty children of darkness! (For anyone who wants to watch or rewatch the series, please join us on FanFare to discuss it and lie together on the floor while we're overcome with emotions.)

Hacktivist group KillSec has revealed a new weapon in their digital arsenal: a Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) program designed to empower aspiring cybercriminals with hacking capabilities. The threat actor revealed the RaaS program on June 24, 2024, sharing its features for those looking to deploy ransomware attacks on their targets.  The centerpiece of KillSec RaaS is its advanced locker, meticulously crafted in C++ for optimal performance and efficiency. This encryption tool is engineered to lock down files on victims' computers, rendering them inaccessible until a ransom is paid and a decryption key is provided. Operating through a user-friendly dashboard accessible via the Tor network, known for its anonymity features, KillSec ensures that its clients can operate discreetly.

KillSec Announces New RaaS Program for Hackers

[caption id="attachment_79012" align="alignnone" width="532"] Source: Dark Web[/caption] The dashboard boasts several essential features designed to streamline the ransomware deployment process. Users can track the success of their campaigns with detailed statistics, manage communications via an integrated chat function, and customize ransomware configurations using the built-in builder tool. In addition to its current capabilities, KillSec has announced forthcoming enhancements to its RaaS program. These include a stresser tool for launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, automated phone call capabilities to pressure victims into paying ransoms, and an advanced stealer for harvesting sensitive data such as passwords and financial information. Access to KillSec's RaaS program is available for a fee of $250, aimed at "trusted individuals," with KillSec taking a 12% commission from any ransom payments collected. This pricing model highlights the group's commitment to making advanced cyber weaponry accessible while maintaining a profitable partnership with their clients.

Who is the KillSec Hacktivist Group?

Founded in 2021, KillSec has emerged as a prominent force in the hacktivist community, often aligning itself with the ethos of the Anonymous movement. Their activities have included high-profile website defacements, data breaches, and ransomware attacks, including recent breaches affecting traffic police websites in Delhi and Kerala. Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) programs, similar to what KillSec has announced, represent an evolution in cybercrime tactics, democratizing access to powerful malicious software for a global audience.  The RaaS program model allows less technically skilled individuals to engage in cyber extortion with relative ease, leveraging customizable ransomware variants to target businesses and individuals worldwide. The proliferation of RaaS platforms has contributed to the escalating frequency and severity of ransomware attacks, posing substantial challenges to law enforcement agencies worldwide. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

Read 18 remaining paragraphs | Comments

30,000 websites at risk: Check yours ASAP! (800 Million Ostriches Can’t Be Wrong.)

The post WordPress Plugin Supply Chain Attack Gets Worse appeared first on Security Boulevard.

The star has Stiff Person Syndrome, meaning moments of elation can trigger potentially lethal spasms. We meet the director who captured the singer’s Las Vegas home life – and one shocking attack that almost killed her

Irene Taylor has travelled the world to tell stories about sexual abuse scandals and oil spills, staunch conservationists and blind Nepalese farmers trying to regain their sight. The Portland-based film-maker is not someone you would usually associate with celebrity-obsessed mainstream America. But decidedly cushier environs are the setting for her latest project: a documentary about Canadian pop singer Celine Dion and her struggle to contend with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS). The film is called I Am: Celine Dion.

Pop documentaries have become a bankable streaming-era trend, but if there is anyone equipped to avoid hagiography it’s Taylor, who readily admits to knowing hardly anything about Dion before signing on to the film. “When Titanic came out,” she says of the blockbuster Dion provided the theme tune for, “I was a mountain guide in the Himalayas. I don’t even think I remember when it came out.” When she was approached to work on the documentary, she adds, “I was not a fan. The Celine I understood was ‘Celine Dion’ – what I knew of her was the lowest-hanging fruit.”

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Amazon

💾

© Photograph: Amazon

The rock star turned activist turned Sopranos actor talks about his revealing new documentary, Disciple, his unlikely career and his fears over the state of the world

For Stevie Van Zandt, unique as the consigliere to both Bruce Springsteen and Tony Soprano, the moment of political awakening came four decades ago in white minority rule South Africa.

“I was in a cab and a Black guy stepped off the kerb and the cab driver swerved to try and hit him,” Van Zandt, 73, recalls. “He [the driver] says, ‘Fucking kaffir’, which of course was the Afrikaans word for [N-word]. I couldn’t quite believe what I’d just seen – whoa! let me out.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

💾

© Photograph: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Guardian: The average public library is not only a provider of the latest Anne Enright or Julia Donaldson: it is now an informal citizens advice bureau, a business development centre, a community centre and a mental health provider. It is an unofficial Sure Start centre, a homelessness shelter, a literacy and foreign language-learning centre, a calm space where tutors can help struggling kids, an asylum support provider, a citizenship and driving theory test centre, and a place to sit still all day and stare at the wall, if that is what you need to do, without anyone expecting you to buy anything.

The manifesto opens with the kind of pun Vonnegut could never resist. "Gentlemen," the professor writes, "As the first superweapon with a conscience, I am removing myself from your national defense stockpile. Setting a new precedent in the behavior of ordnance, I have humane reasons for going off." The manifesto goes on for another page and a half. The tone is Norbert Wiener's, [wiki] but the politics are even more overt. [sciencefriday]

this post is inspired by a recent comment by torokunai linking current thinking about Machine Learning to Kurt Vonnegut's first published novel. the FPP quote is from an unpublished earlier work (Vonnegut is one of my favorite writers, having discovered Sirens of Titan at a young age). Westworld [fanfare] came to mind, thinking about all of this. happy to see that was by design: "Westworld co-producer Jonathan Nolan has credited Vonnegut with inspiring the show's player piano, referring to it as a touchstone image of the show's first season." [the conversation; playlist, denofgeek] Nine Inch Nails (inspiration for the post title [wiki]) when the simulacra starts to fray at the edges, things begin to rock [season 3, content note: violence] Common People, originally (bonus: cover by Star Trek's Captain Kirk) Westworld previously on the tech [illanoise.edu]

Mattias Krantz is a Swedish engineer who modifies instruments mostly by having really dumb or funny ideas, and then being stubborn and persistent enough not to give up where any sensible person would. He has done a number of weird and whacky pianos (including one previously featured on mefi) but has more recently moved on to guitars: a petrol-powered electric, an acoustic strung with Madagascan spider silk, and a spinning necked guitar which he then tries to play. Now his most recent guitar project is all about speed: picking speed, specifically. Here is his concept for a thousand-pick auto-picking guitar, like a hair metal hurdy-gurdy. [MLYT]

Tech companies have been making subtle and not-so-subtle changes to their rules for better access to data for building A.I. We took a look at some of them.

Our digital ecosystem thrives on division in everything from politics to pop. Devoted fanbases are one result - ready to unleash hell on haters

Being a geriatric millennial means I was born too late to take advantage of cheap house prices and too early to become an influencer. I was, however, born at the perfect time to be a fan. The late 90s were the halcyon days of teenage fan culture: technology was advanced enough to let you connect with other devotees through online discussion forums and pour your heart into fan sites (I had a GeoCities site devoted to the grunge band Bush). But it also wasn’t easy to spend unhealthy amounts of time obsessing online: dial-up connections meant regularly getting booted off the internet so your parents could use the phone.

Now, of course, there’s nothing preventing people spending every waking minute cultivating unhealthy parasocial relationships. Superstars like Taylor Swift have armies of fans that span the globe, ready to unleash hell on haters. Earlier this year, for example, Paste magazine published a (negative) review of Taylor Swift’s album The Tortured Poet’s Department without a byline, to keep the writer safe. The outlet explained that “in 2019 when Paste reviewed Lover, the writer was sent threats of violence”.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Continue reading...

💾

© Composite: Getty, Harley Weir

💾

© Composite: Getty, Harley Weir

A journalist merges family history with his own experience in Beijing to provide a fascinating insight into Chinese life and politics

It’s hard to think of a country that has changed as fundamentally as China without altering its basic political system. When I first visited Beijing, three weeks before the Tiananmen massacre in 1989, the main avenues of the city were rivers of bicycles. The very few cars you saw were official ones, with senior party figures sitting stiffly in the back. In the street, you’d be surrounded by staring, smiling people who had never seen a European before. When I jotted things in my notebook, they would crane their necks to see the strange, barbaric signs I was making. If you asked the students in Tiananmen Square what they wanted, they invariably said “democracy”; yet scarcely any of them had the slightest idea what that meant.

Deng Xiaoping, who ultimately gave the order to open fire on the demonstrators, was responsible for the extraordinary enrichment of ordinary Chinese people, eventually lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. It’s conventional to say that modern China is based on a compromise: we’ll make you rich, if you don’t ask for political change. But that makes it sound as though it’s an open choice. In fact, the Chinese Communist party decided after 1989 that even the slightest letup in its fierce control over society might lead to a new Tiananmen, or to the kind of collapse which happened to the Soviet Union. There’s very little ideology in today’s Chinese system, as anyone who has had to plough through the basic documents of “Xi Jinping Thought” can attest. It’s all about keeping control.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Mark Avery/AP

💾

© Photograph: Mark Avery/AP

Country-pop singer and noted equine enthusiast tells BBC of plans ahead of her ‘legend’ slot on Sunday

Shania Twain has said she hopes to ride on horseback to her set at Glastonbury on Sunday.

The Canadian country-pop star light-heartedly told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday: “I love horses. I love all animals. I’m going to go see if there’s a horse around I can borrow – maybe I could go riding, that would be awesome.”

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Burak Çıngı/Redferns

💾

© Photograph: Burak Çıngı/Redferns

We’re already drowning in US pop culture. Surely there’s a case for giving our homegrown talent a chance to compete

• Elijah is a DJ and writer specialising in Black British culture and electronic music

It’s been five years since Stormzy headlined Glastonbury, a defining moment in Black British music history. But if you listen to stations like Capital Xtra, Kiss and BBC Radio 1Xtra, they still centre American hip-hop and R&B – a staggering amount of it from the early 2000s – such as 50 Cent, Ja Rule and Chris Brown. It’s particularly vexing that BBC Radio 1Xtra, which uses “Amplifying Black music and culture” as its tagline, still doesn’t prioritise Black British artists in its daytime programming. Homegrown music is reserved for the night-time slots, when fewer people are listening. Why are we paying for a station that doesn’t focus on representing our music?

It’s no secret that the publicly funded station faces heavy competition from commercial rival Capital Xtra, but the answer can’t be to copy its tired formula of “hits” all day and night. Last week I listened to 1Xtra and Capital Xtra, and they both played Joe Budden’s Pump It Up, a US rap hit from 2003, within minutes of each other in the middle of the afternoon. It’s as if our airwaves are frozen in time, with no benefit to our artists or ecosystem.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Jo Hale/Redferns

💾

© Photograph: Jo Hale/Redferns

Red Teaming security assessments aim to demonstrate to clients how attackers in the real world might link together various exploits and attack methods to reach their objectives.

The post Stepping Into the Attacker’s Shoes: The Strategic Power of Red Teaming (Insights from the Field) appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Hacktivist group AzzaSec has announced the release of a Windows ransomware builder. The builder was posted via the Telegram channel on June 23, 2024. Designed in .NET, this malicious software features sophisticated functionality including SHA 512 and AES encryption, ensuring its undetectable (FUD) status with minimal risk of detection, as verified by its single hit on KleenScan. AzzaSec claims their ransomware can bypass major antivirus solutions such as Windows 10 / 11 Defender, Avast, Kaspersky, and AVG. In addition to its encryption prowess, the builder includes anti-virtual machine, anti-debugging, and anti-sandbox capabilities, as demonstrated in a revealing demo video shared alongside the announcement. This video showcases how decryption keys and victim information are stored securely on a centralized Command and Control (C2) server.

AzzaSec Announces New Windows Ransomware Builder

[caption id="attachment_78968" align="alignnone" width="373"] Source: Dark Web[/caption] Pricing for AzzaSec's ransomware varies, from $300 for a single-use stub to a subscription model costing up to $4500 for six months. The source code for this Windows ransomware builder is also available for purchase at a steep $8000. The development of AzzaSec's ransomware marks a new advancement in cyber threats, highlighting the evolution of ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS). This model not only empowers threat actors with turnkey tools but also commodifies cyber extortion, potentially increasing the frequency and impact of ransomware attacks globally. The group's announcement highlights a growing trend where malicious actors leverage sophisticated technologies and monetization strategies to maximize their impact on unsuspecting victims. As cybersecurity defenses evolve, so do the tactics of those seeking illicit gains through digital means.

Features and Functionality of the Windows Ransomware Builder

In their Telegram post, AzzaSec described their ransomware's capabilities in detail. Developed with VB.NET and weighing 10MB, the ransomware utilizes a unique algorithm for encryption. It operates with a fully undetectable structure, boasting a detection rate of only 1 out of 40 on KleenScan. Tested against various security solutions including Windows Defender, Avast, Kaspersky, and AVG, AzzaSec ensures its malware's effectiveness in compromising systems. The ransomware functions by connecting to a C2 server, where decryption keys and device information are stored. This approach allows the threat actors to monitor and control the ransomware's impact remotely. Furthermore, the ransomware includes anti-virtual machine, anti-debugging, and anti-sandbox features, making it resilient against common security countermeasures. AzzaSec also outlined its pricing strategy: $300 for a single-use stub, escalating to $4500 for a six-month subscription. For those seeking full control, the source code is available for $8000, enabling other threat actors to customize and deploy the ransomware independently. AzzaSec's emergence into the ransomware scene signals a reminder for organizations and individuals alike to upgrade their cybersecurity measures and remain vigilant against online threats. As ransomware-as-a-service models become more accessible, preemptive cybersecurity measures and incident response plans are essential defenses against these ever-present dangers.

Several balloons were spotted in and around the airport boundaries, as one balloon landed on the tarmac near passenger terminal two

Takeoffs and landings at South Korea’s Incheon international airport have been disrupted for about three hours because of balloons launched by North Korea filled with refuse, an airport spokesperson said.

One balloon landed on the tarmac near passenger terminal two and the three runways at Incheon were temporarily shut down on Wednesday, the spokesperson said.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: YONHAP/EPA

💾

© Photograph: YONHAP/EPA

With the BBC livestreaming globally for the first time, and an especially rich lineup of Black artists, 2024’s festival champions a broad remit – but plays it safe with Coldplay

Whether seen as too male, too white, too traditional or not traditional enough, complaints about the Glastonbury lineup have become something of a national pastime. But as it opens its gates for 2024’s edition, the festival can lay claim to one of the most diverse and globe-straddling bills in the British festival calendar this year.

For the first time there are two women among the three Pyramid stage headliners. On Friday Dua Lipa is expected to bring lavish production and thrilling choreography to her relatively small but hits-packed discography, making her the most dance-focused headliner since Basement Jaxx in 2005. On Sunday the American singer SZA becomes the first Black woman, and first R&B artist, to headline the Pyramid since Beyoncé in 2011. The Sunday teatime “legend” slot will also be held by a woman: Shania Twain.

Continue reading...

💾

© Composite: Getty Images

💾

© Composite: Getty Images

She has topped the charts and been called the world’s sexiest woman, while also being stricken with anxiety. She discusses Paul Cattermole, therapy and finding her strength

In 2001, at the height of their fame, S Club 7’s reputation as squeaky clean, child-friendly pop puppets went up in weed smoke. Apparently bored with promoting their future wedding-disco staple Don’t Stop Movin’, the UK band’s three male members – Paul Cattermole, Bradley McIntosh and Jon Lee – were arrested in Covent Garden in London for sharing a joint. The briefest moment of rebellion saw the band rechristened “Spliff Club 7” by the tabloids, while the BBC – which aired S Club’s various spin-off TV shows on which the band would debut shiny, multi-platinum hits such as Bring It All Back, S Club Party and Reach – distanced itself from the controversy. A mooted endorsement deal with cereal brand Sugar Puffs was immediately nixed.

Twenty-three years later and Rachel Stevens, who, like band members Jo O’Meara, Hannah Spearritt and Tina Barrett, wasn’t present during the still-quite-PG-13 drugs bust (for which the three men received a caution), can just about laugh about it. “It’s so funny,” she says. “I mean, it wasn’t funny at the time. We were marketed to a young audience, and we really felt that responsibility. That’s a lot on teenagers who are making mistakes, and we did it publicly.” Did she ever partake? Silence.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

💾

© Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

Global demand for renewable energy is surging so why make solar panels, wind turbines and EVs dearer for western consumers?

With historic heatwaves sweeping across the US and other parts of the northern hemisphere, June is expected to be the 13th consecutive month of record-breaking global temperatures. The primary cause, of course, is the enormous amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Despite the existential threat posed by rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, emissions continue to increase at a faster pace than previously anticipated.

On one front, however, progress in the fight against the climate crisis has exceeded expectations. Amid the global shift from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles and the accelerated adoption of solar and wind power, demand for renewable energy is rapidly rising in the US and the EU.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

💾

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The 13-member band, whose sales last year were only beaten by Taylor Swift, perform both as a full ensemble and in smaller units

While household names including Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Shania Twain abound on the Glastonbury roster this year, one of the biggest acts on the festival’s main Pyramid Stage might not be so well known in the UK.

But sales of the South Korean boyband Seventeen – which has 13 members – last year surpassed those of every other pop act worldwide bar Taylor Swift.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: TCD/Prod.DB/Alamy

💾

© Photograph: TCD/Prod.DB/Alamy

After a year of safety problems, layoffs and mass executive departures, G.M. is trying to find stability for its futuristic driverless car business.

© Cydni Elledge for The New York Times

Read 7 remaining paragraphs | Comments

New, equally controlled joint venture will share electric vehicle architecture and software, companies said

Shares in Rivian surged after Volkswagen agreed to invest up to $5bn in the Amazon-backed electric carmaker.

Volkswagen will initially invest $1bn as part of a partnership with Rivian to form a new, equally controlled joint venture to share electric vehicle architecture and software, the companies said on Tuesday.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Joel Angel Juarez/Reuters

💾

© Photograph: Joel Angel Juarez/Reuters

KINGSTON — Two people were sent to hospital Tuesday afternoon after a collision on Highway 401. Read More

Canadian rock band Crash Test Dummies will headline this year’s Rockin’ the Square event in Springer Market Square in downtown Kingston on July 26. Read More

After a year of safety problems, layoffs and mass executive departures, G.M. is trying to find stability for its futuristic driverless car business.

© Cydni Elledge for The New York Times

VW and Rivian, a maker of electric trucks that has struggled to increase sales and break even, will work together on software and other technologies.

© Joel Angel Juarez/Reuters

Read 16 remaining paragraphs | Comments

District of Columbia court hints at further repercussions, including possibility of being permanently disbarred

Hunter Biden’s right to practice law in Washington DC has been suspended following his recent conviction on federal gun charges, with the possibility that he could be permanently disbarred.

The District of Columbia court of appeals issued an order on Tuesday suspending Biden’s licence, citing the guilty verdict on three felony charges following this month’s trial in Wilmington, Delaware, which it said were defined as “serious crimes” under the district’s bar rule.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Matt Slocum/AP

💾

© Photograph: Matt Slocum/AP

Charity says it has ‘breathing space’ after donation, as Liverpool food bank network also receives ‘incredible gift’

Taylor Swift has a convoy of at least 50 trucks for her Eras tour, and now her donations to food banks in every UK city in which she performs have enabled one charity to use a lorry of its own.

Thanks to a discreet donation by Swift – the largest donation by an individual that Cardiff Foodbank has ever received – the charity says it has the “breathing space” to try something different.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Shirlaine Forrest/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

💾

© Photograph: Shirlaine Forrest/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Copying users’ files and deleting some? Even a cartoon hound knows this isn’t fine.

The post Microsoft Privacy FAIL: Windows 11 Silently Backs Up to OneDrive appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Co-founded by Binzer in 1995, the Los Angeles band had a global hit with their 2000 single Butterfly

Seth Binzer, the lead singer of Los Angeles rap-rock band Crazy Town – who had a US No 1 hit with Butterfly in 2001 – has died aged 49. The LA medical examiner certified that his death took place on 24 June 2024 but gave no cause.

Binzer, also known as Shifty Shellshock, founded Crazy Town in 1995 alongside Bret Mazur. The band released their debut album, The Gift of the Game, in 1999.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Markus Cuff/Corbis/Getty Images

💾

© Photograph: Markus Cuff/Corbis/Getty Images

We would like to hear about the best album you have heard this year so far and why

The Guardian’s music writers are compiling their favourite albums of the year so far – and we’d like to hear about yours, too.

Have you listened to a new album that has had you hooked? Or one you’d recommend? Tell us your nomination and why you like it below.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ABA

💾

© Photograph: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ABA

Shani Gonzales of Warner Chappell says that although people are ‘having fun’ with creating AI songs, ‘what happens when someone tries to sell it?’

Arriving in London in the teeth of the pandemic to take a top music industry job, Shani Gonzales had few opportunities to immerse herself in British culture, with venues shut and parties off the table. The New Yorker instead turned to TV for her education, bingeing on The Crown, Downton Abbey and – a more left-field choice – Naked Attraction.

“I was trying to get as much of a cross-section as possible!” says Gonzales, who heads the UK arm of music publishing giant Warner Chappell. “Music is culture, taste, environment – it felt daunting not being able to leave the house and meet artists in a role like this.”

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Louise Haywood-Schiefer

💾

© Photograph: Louise Haywood-Schiefer

The multi-talented musicians were held back in their home country where even certain instruments were off limits – but they’re ready to take centre stage at Worthy Farm

Walking into an industrial estate in Peckham, I can hear impassioned cries coming out of a rehearsal space located here. Soaring vocals are punctuated by the gentle strum of a thumb piano along with bells that are strapped to the shaking ankles of Pendo and Leah Zawose, who make up the Zawose Queens. It’s their first time playing this music outside Tanzania – and if that wasn’t enough of a culture shock, some of their first-ever UK gigs will be a trio of sets at Glastonbury this weekend.

“We don’t really have any idea about Glastonbury or what it will be like,” says Pendo, via Aziza Ongala who is the band’s manager and acting as a translator. “But I’m told it’s a big deal. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to grasp how big of an experience it is until we actually do it but we’re very excited.”

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Michael Mbwambo

💾

© Photograph: Michael Mbwambo

Exclusive: Organisation that collects and distributes royalties in UK says it will ‘vigorously defend’ lawsuit which alleges preferential treatment for major songwriters

A group of songwriters, including Jim and William Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chain and King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, are suing UK body PRS for Music over how it handles royalties from live performances, accusing it of levying high administration costs for smaller songwriters while giving preferential treatment to already successful stars.

PRS has a near monopoly in the UK, acting as an intermediary between companies that play music (such as radio stations and shops as well as live events) and those who write it: companies sign licences, and PRS distributes the proceeds to songwriters.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Jansos/Alamy

💾

© Photograph: Jansos/Alamy

In an interview the actor blamed cultural climate on casting issues as well as reflecting on his relationship with Madonna

Sean Penn says it would be currently impossible for him to play the part of a gay man, as he did in the 2008 film Milk, blaming a “timid and artless” current creative climate.

Penn was speaking to the New York Times about his earlier career, and responded to a question asking him if he would now be able to play Harvey Milk, the role for which Penn won a best actor Oscar. Saying that Milk “was the last time I had a good time [on a film set]”, Penn added: “It could not happen in a time like this. It’s a time of tremendous overreach. It’s a timid and artless policy toward the human imagination.”

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

💾

© Photograph: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

What is a Compliance Report? A compliance report describes how successfully or poorly a company complies with security and business-related regulations. It is distributed to various audiences, including the board, senior executives, regulators, business partners, third-party vendors, etc. Whatever compliance requirements a company may already have, a good rule of thumb is to ensure the […]

The post Top 6 Compliance Reporting Tools in 2024 appeared first on Centraleyes.

The post Top 6 Compliance Reporting Tools in 2024 appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Study identifies 16,825 sites around the world where prioritising conservation would prevent extinction of thousands of unique species

Protecting just 1.2% of the Earth’s surface for nature would be enough to prevent the extinction of the world’s most threatened species, according to a new study.

Analysis published in the journal Frontiers in Science has found that the targeted expansion of protected areas on land would be enough to prevent the loss of thousands of the mammals, birds, amphibians and plants that are closest to disappearing.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Jes Aznar/Getty

💾

© Photograph: Jes Aznar/Getty

She’s the subject of a new documentary, has just announced her farewell tour, and is about to play Glastonbury. The singer and songwriter discusses Trump, resilience and why she hated being pitted against Madonna

Once you’ve had a feature-length documentary made about you, it’s surely time to accept you’ve reached legendary status? Cyndi Lauper laughs. “My dogs don’t think so,” she says, to the sound of barking. Then, to her dogs: “You gotta stop, guys!”

Lauper is the subject of Let the Canary Sing, a new film by Alison Ellwood. It follows Lauper from her difficult childhood with an abusive stepfather, through the New York music scene and early bands, to the release of feminist anthem Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and beyond. There are clashes with music execs who don’t understand Lauper’s art school sensibility and want her to compete with Madonna, and she survives a career downturn. More recently, Lauper has become a campaigner, and the writer of award-winning musicals.

Continue reading...

💾

© Photograph: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

💾

© Photograph: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

According to Gartner, who coined the term, AI TRiSM (AI Trust, Risk and Security Management) ensures an AI model’s governance, trustworthiness, fairness, reliability, robustness, efficacy, and data protection. This includes solutions and techniques for model interpretability and explainability, AI data protection, and attack resistance.  “Organizations that do not consistently manage AI risks are exponentially more […]

The post What is AI TRiSM? And Why Is It Important? appeared first on Centraleyes.

The post What is AI TRiSM? And Why Is It Important? appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments

NIS2 will further enhance the work started in the NIS Directive in building a high common level of cybersecurity across the European Union.It places obligations on Member States AND individual companies in critical sectors. New in NIS2 Three Main Pillars of NIS2 Views: 1

La entrada NIS 2A Quick Reference Guide se publicó primero en CISO2CISO.COM & CYBER SECURITY GROUP.

Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has come a long way since Gartner christened this cloud-centric cybersecurity framework in 2019.

Related: Can SASE stop tech sprawl?

SASE blends networking architecture, namely SD-WAN, with cloud-delivered security services such as security … (more…)

The post RSAC 2024: The many flavors of ‘SASE’ now includes Aryaka’s ‘Unified SASE as a Service.” first appeared on The Last Watchdog.

The post RSAC 2024: The many flavors of ‘SASE’ now includes Aryaka’s ‘Unified SASE as a Service.” appeared first on Security Boulevard.

The company’s App Store policies are illegal under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, according to regulators in Brussels.

© Johanna Geron/Reuters

The company’s latest internal memo about its corporate culture is more about how it expects employees to behave than what it wants to become.

© Philip Cheung for The New York Times

In this episode of the Shared Security Podcast, the team debates the Surgeon General’s recent call for social media warning labels and explores the pros and cons. Scott discusses whether passwords should be stored in web browsers, potentially sparking strong opinions. The hosts also provide an update on Microsoft’s delayed release of CoPilot Plus PCs […]

The post Social Media Warning Labels, Should You Store Passwords in Your Web Browser? appeared first on Shared Security Podcast.

The post Social Media Warning Labels, Should You Store Passwords in Your Web Browser? appeared first on Security Boulevard.

💾