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NordStellar found 924 dark‑web posts about deepfakes‑as‑a‑service (DFaaS) Jan–May 2026, up 39% year‑on‑yearRising interest driven by generative AI advances, enabling hyper‑realistic “fake boss” scams and lowering barriers for attackersExperts urge prevention through employee education and monitoring for leaked company data to reduce risk of targeted deepfake attacksThe interest in deepfakes-as-a-service (DFaaS) among criminals is growing, and the cybersecurity community is worried it might fuel the next wave of “fake boss” scams.This is according to a new report from threat exposure management platform, NordStellar. Analyzing discussions on the dark web, the researchers found that between January and May this year, there were 924 posts about DFaaS, up 39% compared to the same period last year, when there were 663 similar posts.“The rapid growth in popularity of deepfakes as a service is likely accelerated by advancements in generative AI, which help cybercriminals in two ways — by speeding up the creation of deepfakes and making them hyper-realistic,” says Vakaris Noreika, cybersecurity expert at NordStellar. “Ultimately, this service lowers the barrier to entry for deepfake technology, enabling threat actors to deploy highly deceptive attacks at a larger scale, regardless of their personal technical skill set.”How to defend against convincing deepfake attacks?Experts are worried the rising interest might result in more “fake boss” scams which, at that, would be even more difficult to spot. Business Email Compromise (BEC), a “fake boss” scam that primarily uses written emails, has for years been among the most lucrative tactics in the criminal underworld. According to the FBI, BEC was the second costliest tactic last year, with company losses exceeding $3 billion (up 11% compared to 2024). Defending against highly convincing deepfake images and videos might not be easy, but it certainly isn’t impossible. Noreika suggests businesses should focus on prevention and employee education, since they cannot control whether crooks target them or not. “The more details and access attackers obtain, the easier it is for them to craft highly realistic, targeted attacks,” says Noreika. “Monitoring the dark web for leaked company information is a critical step in preventing cybercriminals from finding credentials to breach accounts or data to use as intel.”

Pilot describes drones moving in a unified jellyfish-like aerial formationIntelligence officials remain divided over the accuracy of combat sightingA concussion during the crash raises questions about the pilot's perception reliabilityA US F-15 pilot was shot down over Iranian territory during the US-Israel war against Iran in April 2026, and he spent several hours on the ground before special operations forces completed his rescue.During a subsequent debriefing, the pilot reportedly described unusual aerial activity involving Iranian drones during the combat operations that preceded his downing.He claimed the drones assumed a formation resembling a jellyfish, with multiple units moving together in coordinated patterns across the airspace above him.Debrief Account and Contested InterpretationIntelligence officials reportedly debated the account at length, with one source describing the scene internally as “real alien sh*t.”Officials disagreed sharply on how to interpret the events, noting the pilot had suffered a concussion during the crash itself.He had also previously been involved in a friendly fire incident earlier in the conflict, so some analysts questioned whether he had accurately perceived events, or whether sensory distortion under extreme stress shaped his account.Some intelligence analysts, however, also considered whether the reported pattern could reflect an emerging form of coordinated drone control rather than a misperception.The technical concept referenced throughout internal analysis was described as one-to-many meshed networking, a system allowing several drones to be commanded simultaneously.Questions over meshed networking capabilityReports suggested Iran may have received external assistance from China and Russia in developing its drone technologies during the broader conflict period.Iranian forces had reportedly used attack drones as asymmetric weapons throughout weeks of operations against US, Israeli, and Gulf state forces.Defense expert Emma Bates told CNN that countering this kind of coordination would demand enormous resources.“We will spend huge, huge dollars, like a lot of blood and treasure, protecting ourselves from something that can coordinate like that,” said Emma Bates, a drone warfare and defense modernization expert.She noted that drones maintaining a coordinated shape while carrying explosives, and reserving capacity for follow-up strikes, would represent a genuinely capable approach.Officials separately noted that meshed networking could theoretically support internet connectivity in remote regions lacking infrastructure, though such civilian applications remain largely hypothetical for now.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment publicly on the pilot's account or any ongoing internal assessment.Whether the pilot witnessed genuine drone coordination, misperceived events under extreme stress, or described something intelligence agencies have yet to fully understand remains unresolved.Via CNN

⚽ Match in Vancouver kicks off at 12pm local time/4pm ET/8pm BST⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot Some corners of the internet were determined that Canada’s totemic and traumatic 6-0 World Cup victory on Thursday would be remembered mostly through Jesse Marsch memes.The American’s handsy sideline shuffle after Jonathan David rifled the first goal of a hat-trick past Qatar duly racked up social media views by the million. Shots of Marsch holding up six fingers to Canada fans at the end of the match were chopped and put side by side with Michael Jordan in identical pose after winning his sixth NBA title with the Chicago Bulls.Johan Manzambi (Switzerland, 20)The introduction of the forward in the last minutes of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina was quite dramatic. Within minutes this powerful, speedy, right-footed player destroyed his opponents’ hopes of surviving with a draw. They had just lost Muharemovic and Manzambi exploited the extra space with perfect timing to get two goals. When he scored the first, a well taken volley, it was clear he would be the centre of attention and it reminded me of the impact on Michael Owen’s life when he brushed past Argentina defenders to score for England in Saint-Étienne. Manzambi spent his early days with Servette before moving to Freiburg and has shown he has the pace and power, combined with adequate control, to trouble defenders in the Bundesliga. He seems well respected by his colleagues there but after contributing a combined 16 goals and assists for his club this season, he may soon have new teammates. Continue reading...