Kim Zetter
@kimzetter.bsky.social
Journalist - cyber/natn'l security. Speaker. Georgetown adjunct prof. Author - COUNTDOWN TO ZERO DAY: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon
Signal: KimZ.42
https://www.zetter-zeroday.com
Signal: KimZ.42
https://www.zetter-zeroday.com
Pinned
Kim Zetter
@kimzetter.bsky.social
· Feb 6
Have tips? Story ideas? Something you think I should know about?
Reach me on Signal at KimZ.42
I cover cybersecurity and national security, writing about nation-state hacking, espionage, cyber warfare, cybercrime, and policy. I don't write about companies - unless they've done something wrong.
Reach me on Signal at KimZ.42
I cover cybersecurity and national security, writing about nation-state hacking, espionage, cyber warfare, cybercrime, and policy. I don't write about companies - unless they've done something wrong.
Tough for female reporter to react to this kind of unprofessionalism/sexism. If she chastises him, she risks losing interview or having him be uncooperative and having viewers call her "unlikable." If she smiles while trying to get him on track, it encourages him and undermines her professionalism
November 7, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Tough for female reporter to react to this kind of unprofessionalism/sexism. If she chastises him, she risks losing interview or having him be uncooperative and having viewers call her "unlikable." If she smiles while trying to get him on track, it encourages him and undermines her professionalism
Meta makes about $7 billion a yr from running ads for scams/banned goods, company docs show. Most comes from ads suspicious enough to be flagged by Meta’s warning system. But unless system determines it's 95% certain ad is fraud Meta won't ban it; instead it only charges advertiser a higher ad rate
Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show
Meta projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, and it internally estimates that its platforms show users 15 billion scam ads a day, company documents show.
www.reuters.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Meta makes about $7 billion a yr from running ads for scams/banned goods, company docs show. Most comes from ads suspicious enough to be flagged by Meta’s warning system. But unless system determines it's 95% certain ad is fraud Meta won't ban it; instead it only charges advertiser a higher ad rate
Reposted by Kim Zetter
This will be *interesting*: Tinder to begin accessing your camera roll for “insight” & training its AI models #privacy #AI techcrunch.com/2025/11/05/t...
Tinder to use AI to get to know users, tap into their Camera Roll photos | TechCrunch
Tinder is testing a feature called Chemistry that will get to know users through questions and, with permission, will access Camera Roll photos on their phones to learn more about their interests and ...
techcrunch.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:02 PM
This will be *interesting*: Tinder to begin accessing your camera roll for “insight” & training its AI models #privacy #AI techcrunch.com/2025/11/05/t...
Password to the Louvre's video surveillance system was "Louvre"
Password to Louvre’s video surveillance system was 'Louvre', according to employee
According to an employee with knowledge of the system, the password to the Louvre's video surveillance system was simply "Louvre" at the time of the robbery last month.
abcnews.go.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Password to the Louvre's video surveillance system was "Louvre"
Many media wrote about Chinese astronauts delayed from returning to Earth due to possible damage from debris hitting their spaceship. But of 4 stories I read, 3 failed to mention what the debris might be. Only NYT piece addresses the growing hazard caused by discarded satellites and other space junk
China Delays Return of Astronauts After Debris May Have Hit Spacecraft
www.nytimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Many media wrote about Chinese astronauts delayed from returning to Earth due to possible damage from debris hitting their spaceship. But of 4 stories I read, 3 failed to mention what the debris might be. Only NYT piece addresses the growing hazard caused by discarded satellites and other space junk
Evil
TikTok Users Crushed After Finding Out Viral Retirement Home Residents Dressed Up for Halloween Are Actually AI
A TikTok account called @basincreekretirement has gone viral for its funny and heartwarming Halloween costume videos featuring “senior residents.” But the people, home, and even the laughter aren’t re...
people.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Evil
Reposted by Kim Zetter
At WH press gaggle right now, JD Vance keeps saying airline pilots aren't being paid during the government shutdown.
Why would that be ... since the pilots don't work for the government?
Why would that be ... since the pilots don't work for the government?
October 30, 2025 at 6:41 PM
At WH press gaggle right now, JD Vance keeps saying airline pilots aren't being paid during the government shutdown.
Why would that be ... since the pilots don't work for the government?
Why would that be ... since the pilots don't work for the government?
Reposted by Kim Zetter
New: The FBI is quietly urging ICE agents to properly ID themselves in the field.
In a bulletin to law enforcement last month, it warned of criminals posing as ICE to rob, rape, kidnap—a problem it says now demands national coordination to confront.
By me & @carolinehaskins.bsky.social:
In a bulletin to law enforcement last month, it warned of criminals posing as ICE to rob, rape, kidnap—a problem it says now demands national coordination to confront.
By me & @carolinehaskins.bsky.social:
FBI Warns of Criminals Posing as ICE, Urges Agents to ID Themselves
In a bulletin to law enforcement agencies, the FBI said criminal impersonators are exploiting ICE’s image and urged nationwide coordination to distinguish real operations from fakes.
www.wired.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:34 PM
New: The FBI is quietly urging ICE agents to properly ID themselves in the field.
In a bulletin to law enforcement last month, it warned of criminals posing as ICE to rob, rape, kidnap—a problem it says now demands national coordination to confront.
By me & @carolinehaskins.bsky.social:
In a bulletin to law enforcement last month, it warned of criminals posing as ICE to rob, rape, kidnap—a problem it says now demands national coordination to confront.
By me & @carolinehaskins.bsky.social:
Reposted by Kim Zetter
Two men who previously worked for ransomware-recovery firms have been indicted in Florida and accused of using the ALPHV/Black Cat ransomware to hack multiple US firms, and then trying to extort them for millions: www.cnn.com/2025/11/03/p...
Two men accused of hacking and extorting US companies previously worked for cybersecurity firms | CNN Politics
Two former employees of cybersecurity firms that sold services helping companies combat hackers have been indicted and accused of participating in a conspiracy, outside of their day jobs, to hack mult...
www.cnn.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Two men who previously worked for ransomware-recovery firms have been indicted in Florida and accused of using the ALPHV/Black Cat ransomware to hack multiple US firms, and then trying to extort them for millions: www.cnn.com/2025/11/03/p...
Reposted by Kim Zetter
My first book, Takeover, was about Dick Cheney's quest to expand presidential power (or "restore" it, as he saw it, to the level it had reached when Nixon was president, before Watergate). First two chapters, including Cheney's rise, free here: charliesavage.com/books/takeov...
Begin Reading “Takeover” by Charlie Savage - Charlie Savage
CHAPTER ONE Inside the Bunker 1. As the United States of America reeled, Vice President Dick Cheney took control. At a quarter past ten o'clock on the morning of September 11, 2001, a choking cloud of...
charliesavage.com
November 4, 2025 at 1:39 PM
My first book, Takeover, was about Dick Cheney's quest to expand presidential power (or "restore" it, as he saw it, to the level it had reached when Nixon was president, before Watergate). First two chapters, including Cheney's rise, free here: charliesavage.com/books/takeov...
Nice. @daveaitel.bsky.social tells the Three Buddy Problem podcast that he came up with the name for OpenAi's Aardvark project (openai.com/index/introd...). Why Aardvark? "Because they eat bugs"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ikm...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ikm...
Three Buddy Problem Episode 70 Livestream
YouTube video by Three Buddy Problem
www.youtube.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Nice. @daveaitel.bsky.social tells the Three Buddy Problem podcast that he came up with the name for OpenAi's Aardvark project (openai.com/index/introd...). Why Aardvark? "Because they eat bugs"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ikm...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ikm...
Halloween and @weratedogs.com is the perfect combination to end the week
These dogs were spotted taking a group photo in their Halloween costumes. We're impressed by the dog walker's dedication to getting the shot, but that ghost definitely wishes he could actually disappear. 14/10 for all (TT: franklinbarkzoo)
October 31, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Halloween and @weratedogs.com is the perfect combination to end the week
Canadian authorities say hacktivists breached water and energy facilities multiple times across the country and tampered with critical systems at a water-treatment facility, an oil & gas firm, and an agricultural facility "causing disruptions, false alarms, and a risk of dangerous conditions"
Canada says hacktivists breached water and energy facilities
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security warned today that hacktivists have breached critical infrastructure systems multiple times across the country, allowing them to modify industrial controls that c...
www.bleepingcomputer.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Canadian authorities say hacktivists breached water and energy facilities multiple times across the country and tampered with critical systems at a water-treatment facility, an oil & gas firm, and an agricultural facility "causing disruptions, false alarms, and a risk of dangerous conditions"
Reposted by Kim Zetter
New court doc in Peter Williams case reveals the former Trenchant exec continued to sell stolen code to Russian zero-day broker even after realizing that code he'd written and previously sold to Russian buyer was being "utilized" by a South Korean broker, indicating wide distribution of the code
Former Trenchant Exec Sold Stolen Code to Russian Buyer Even After Learning that Other Code He Sold Was Being "Utilized" by Different Broker in South Korea
The former executive of Trenchant who pleaded guilty this week to selling his company's software hacking tools to a zero-day broker in Russia, sold at least one of these tools to the Russian firm even...
www.zetter-zeroday.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:19 AM
New court doc in Peter Williams case reveals the former Trenchant exec continued to sell stolen code to Russian zero-day broker even after realizing that code he'd written and previously sold to Russian buyer was being "utilized" by a South Korean broker, indicating wide distribution of the code
New court doc in Peter Williams case reveals the former Trenchant exec continued to sell stolen code to Russian zero-day broker even after realizing that code he'd written and previously sold to Russian buyer was being "utilized" by a South Korean broker, indicating wide distribution of the code
Former Trenchant Exec Sold Stolen Code to Russian Buyer Even After Learning that Other Code He Sold Was Being "Utilized" by Different Broker in South Korea
The former executive of Trenchant who pleaded guilty this week to selling his company's software hacking tools to a zero-day broker in Russia, sold at least one of these tools to the Russian firm even...
www.zetter-zeroday.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:19 AM
New court doc in Peter Williams case reveals the former Trenchant exec continued to sell stolen code to Russian zero-day broker even after realizing that code he'd written and previously sold to Russian buyer was being "utilized" by a South Korean broker, indicating wide distribution of the code
Please news please stop please
October 30, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Please news please stop please
Starting Monday LinkedIn will begin using data from your profiles/posts to train AI. If you live in EU/EEA/Switzerland/Canada/Hong Kong your data is subject to being used this way, but you can opt out. Go to Settings/Privacy/Data for Generative AI Improvement and toggle the switch to off
Update to our Terms and data use | LinkedIn Help
Update to our Terms and data use
www.linkedin.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Starting Monday LinkedIn will begin using data from your profiles/posts to train AI. If you live in EU/EEA/Switzerland/Canada/Hong Kong your data is subject to being used this way, but you can opt out. Go to Settings/Privacy/Data for Generative AI Improvement and toggle the switch to off
Reposted by Kim Zetter
A former Coast Guard lieutenant who called for President Trump’s assassination on social media was acquitted by a federal jury after his attorneys argued the posts were protected speech under the First Amendment.
Jury acquits Virginia man who called for Trump’s assassination
“I would do it. I would take the fall to save America. Too bad I don’t have the operational skills to pull it off,” Stinson wrote in one post.
wapo.st
October 30, 2025 at 3:30 PM
A former Coast Guard lieutenant who called for President Trump’s assassination on social media was acquitted by a federal jury after his attorneys argued the posts were protected speech under the First Amendment.
Reposted by Kim Zetter
There is a long interview with Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar by columnist Ross Douthat in the Times today. "We’re explicitly not building Skynet," he reassures Douthat, in a wide ranging conversation that ranges from the company's work with ICE and Israel to Sankar's appetite for pro-American movies.
Opinion | What Palantir Sees
www.nytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:41 AM
There is a long interview with Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar by columnist Ross Douthat in the Times today. "We’re explicitly not building Skynet," he reassures Douthat, in a wide ranging conversation that ranges from the company's work with ICE and Israel to Sankar's appetite for pro-American movies.
Peter Williams former Trenchant exec accused of selling trade secrets to someone in Russia pleaded guilty in court this morning. Prosecutors say he sold software trade secrets to Russian company that buys zero days from researchers and sells to other Russian firms. My story for Wired will be up soon
October 29, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Peter Williams former Trenchant exec accused of selling trade secrets to someone in Russia pleaded guilty in court this morning. Prosecutors say he sold software trade secrets to Russian company that buys zero days from researchers and sells to other Russian firms. My story for Wired will be up soon
Next yr Google will make Always Use Secure Connections the default in Chrome. Currently you can choose this as option so you get alert when trying to access sites that don't use HTTPS and are therefore not secure. After change Chrome will always alert 1st time you try to connect to non HTTPS sites
It's time to make HTTPS the web's default, and reap the full security benefit from years worth of HTTPS adoption!
security.googleblog.com/2025/10/http...
security.googleblog.com/2025/10/http...
HTTPS by default
One year from now, with the release of Chrome 154 in October 2026, we will change the default settings of Chrome to enable “Always Use Secu...
security.googleblog.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Next yr Google will make Always Use Secure Connections the default in Chrome. Currently you can choose this as option so you get alert when trying to access sites that don't use HTTPS and are therefore not secure. After change Chrome will always alert 1st time you try to connect to non HTTPS sites
A 75-year-old British cyclist lost half his face after a drunk driver hit him from behind while he was on his bike and dragged him beneath the car. But with 3D printer technology, he now has a new eye and face prosthetic with a near-match skin tone. people.com/grandfather-...
Grandfather Receives 3D Printed Face After Being Dragged Underneath a Drunk Driver’s Car
Dave Richards, 75, suffered horrific injuries that left him feeling “vulnerable” after losing his eye, half his face, and sustaining significant trauma to his body.
people.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:33 PM
A 75-year-old British cyclist lost half his face after a drunk driver hit him from behind while he was on his bike and dragged him beneath the car. But with 3D printer technology, he now has a new eye and face prosthetic with a near-match skin tone. people.com/grandfather-...
Reposted by Kim Zetter
Three times in the past two weeks, editorials at the 'Washington Post' failed to disclose that they focused on matters in which owner Jeff Bezos had a material interest. n.pr/3X0UZtS
'Washington Post' editorials omit a key disclosure: Bezos' financial ties
Three times in the past two weeks, editorials at the 'Washington Post' failed to disclose that they focused on matters in which owner Jeff Bezos had a material interest.
n.pr
October 28, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Three times in the past two weeks, editorials at the 'Washington Post' failed to disclose that they focused on matters in which owner Jeff Bezos had a material interest. n.pr/3X0UZtS
Russian lawmakers are talking about crafting a bill that would require all Russian bug hunters to register with the state and require anyone who discovers a zero-day vulnerability to report it to the vendor - and to the state - or face criminal charges. A law like this already exists in China
Russian bill would require all researchers to report bugs to the FSB
In other news: WSUS bug under attack; US charges poker hacking group; data breach at Iran's top hacking school.
news.risky.biz
October 28, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Russian lawmakers are talking about crafting a bill that would require all Russian bug hunters to register with the state and require anyone who discovers a zero-day vulnerability to report it to the vendor - and to the state - or face criminal charges. A law like this already exists in China
Reposted by Kim Zetter
We published an investigation from @kcinbk.bsky.social
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...
Rage-baiting YouTube videos falsely claim to expose police for arresting FBI agents
Indicator identified 55 false or misleading cop comeuppance that generated hundreds of millions of views. In response, YouTube removed 13 channels
indicator.media
October 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
We published an investigation from @kcinbk.bsky.social
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...