Mustang Panda Deploys Updated COOLCLIENT Backdoor in Government Cyber Attacks

Threat actors with ties to China have been observed using an updated version of a backdoor called COOLCLIENT in cyber espionage attacks in 2025 to facilitate comprehensive data theft from infected endpoints. The activity has been attributed to Mustang Panda (aka Earth Preta, Fireant, HoneyMyte, Polaris, and Twill Typhoon) with the intrusions primarily directed against…

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Experts Detect Pakistan-Linked Cyber Campaigns Aimed at Indian Government Entities

Ravie LakshmananJan 27, 2026Threat Intelligence / Cyber Espionage Indian government entities have been targeted in two campaigns undertaken by a threat actor that operates in Pakistan using previously undocumented tradecraft. The campaigns have been codenamed Gopher Strike and Sheet Attack by Zscaler ThreatLabz, which identified them in September 2025. “While these campaigns share some similarities…

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Anthropic selected to build government AI assistant pilot

Anthropic has been selected to build government AI assistant capabilities to modernise how citizens interact with complex state services. For both public and private sector technology leaders, the integration of LLMs into customer-facing platforms often stalls at the proof-of-concept stage. The UK’s Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) aims to bypass this common hurdle…

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India Orders Phone Makers to Pre-Install Government App to Tackle Telecom Fraud

India’s telecommunications ministry has ordered major mobile device manufacturers to preload a government-backed cybersecurity app named Sanchar Saathi on all new phones within 90 days. According to a report from Reuters, the app cannot be deleted or disabled from users’ devices. Sanchar Saathi, available on the web and via mobile apps for Android and iOS,…

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Dubai’s AI government efficiency strategy revealed

When Dubai launched its State of AI Report in April 2025, revealing over 100 high-impact AI use cases, the emirate wasn’t just showcasing technological prowess—it was making a calculated bet that speed, not spending, would determine which cities win the global race for AI-powered governance. In an exclusive interview, Matar Al Hemeiri, Chief Executive of Digital Dubai…

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