This Week in Cybersecurity
Each week at Applied Tech we recap the biggest cybersecurity news headlines from the week to keep you informed and ready to face the latest threats. Here’s your breakdown for the week of July 18th – July 24th!
Feds Seize Over 1,000 Illegal World Cup Streaming Sites
The Justice Department seized more than 1,000 domains and blocked nearly 2,000 more used to illegally stream FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. The takedown, called Operation Offsides, involved 14 countries and partners including FIFA, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros.
A related effort, Operation Red Card, blocked hundreds of illegal streams across South America and led to four arrests in Colombia. Officials say these sites do more than steal broadcasts. They often carry malware that puts viewers’ personal and financial data at risk.
Source: BleepingComputer
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Google Rolls Out AI Model Built to Hunt Software Flaws
Google DeepMind released Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber, a specialized AI model designed to find and patch security vulnerabilities in code. The model will roll out first to governments and trusted partners through Google’s CodeMender program. In testing on the complex V8 JavaScript engine, it found 55 confirmed issues, ahead of both Gemini 3.5 Flash and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.6.
Google says the tool gives defenders a head start on catching flaws before attackers find them, while limiting broader misuse of the technology.
Source: The Hacker News
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Ernst & Young Notifies Clients After Support System Breach
Ernst & Young is notifying clients of a data breach tied to a third-party support ticket platform used by its IT staff. The company found suspicious activity in April and later confirmed an outside party had accessed the platform for about two weeks in March and April, downloading files that may have included client tax documents.
EY has not disclosed how many clients are affected or which countries were impacted. The firm is offering two years of identity monitoring through Experian to those notified. No ransomware group has claimed responsibility.
Source: BleepingComputer
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US Agencies Warn of Iranian Hackers Targeting Industrial Controllers
Federal agencies updated an advisory warning that Iran-linked hackers are targeting industrial control systems from Siemens, Schneider Electric, and Rockwell Automation. The attackers gain access through internet-exposed programmable logic controllers, then alter the underlying logic to disable safety alarms and shutdown protections without alerting operators.
Targeted devices include Rockwell CompactLogix and Micro850, Schneider Modicon M340, and Siemens S7-1200 controllers. The advisory includes new detection guidance and indicators of compromise for organizations in critical infrastructure sectors.
Source: Security Week
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