The latest cyber threat to emerge is one that should send shivers down the spines of parents and policymakers alike: "violence-as-a-service". Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency, has warned that organized criminal groups are recruiting vulnerable young people to carry out violent acts for a fee. This disturbing trend, dubbed "outsourcing violence" by the agency, involves youngsters being groomed or coerced into committing crimes such as grievous bodily harm, torture, and arson.

Cybersecurity company Trend Micro has also sounded the alarm on this growing menace. Researchers at the firm discovered detailed online forums in Russia where criminals were offering to carry out physical attacks for the highest bidder. In one post, a user offered to commit "grievous bodily harm" for $5,000, while another advertised "torture with extortion of information" for $6,000 a day. The price tag for arson of a target's apartment? A whopping $10,000.

The problem has become severe enough that Europol has announced a taskforce to tackle this crime and published advice for parents on how to spot the signs of children being targeted by criminal networks. Among the warning signs are the use of encrypted messaging apps and an unusually healthy cash flow - but there may be benign explanations for these behaviors.

Parents, take heed! If you don't know how your teen is making money, it's probably a good idea to have a chat with them about it. Got a tip on surveillance or cybercrime? Contact me at +1 929-512-7964 via Signal.

Millions Of Apple Airplay-Enabled Devices Can Be Hacked Via Wi-Fi

Researchers at Israeli cybersecurity startup Oligo have discovered vulnerabilities in Apple's AirPlay that can be exploited to install malware on connected devices. Dubbed "AirBorne" attacks, the researchers revealed how they could target the software development kit (SDK) used by third-party devices to work with AirPlay, allowing them to hijack devices like speakers or smart TVs.

Apple has patched weaknesses that would have allowed attacks on its own AirPlay-enabled devices, but experts warn that tens of millions of products may still be vulnerable. Worried about your phone? You can disable Airplay by going to settings on your iPhone and searching for it, then turn Automatically AirPlay to "Never."

Malware Masquerading as Open Source Word Processing App

Researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab have discovered malware masquerading as an open-source word processing and spell-check app for the Uyghur language. Senior members of the World Uyghur Congress living in exile were among the targets.

Cyberattack Brings Down Marks & Spencer Online Payments

British retail giant Marks & Spencer has been hit by a cyberattack that has brought down its online payments for five days. A ransomware group known as Scattered Spider is reportedly linked to the hack.

Google Reports Drop in Zero-Day Attacks, But Warns of Future Rise

Google's latest report shows that zero-day attacks targeting mobile devices have fallen by about 50% compared to this time last year. However, Google warns that it expects overall zero-day attacks to rise steadily over the next 12 months.

TechCrunch Reports on Healthcare Industry Breaches

Two breaches in the healthcare industry have been reported this week. One was at Yale New Haven Health, which appeared to have been hit by ransomware, potentially affecting more than 5.5 million people. The other was at insurance giant Blue Health, which revealed that it had been sharing patients' private health information with Google for years due to a misconfiguration.