The AI Gold Rush: Unchecked Risks & Security Concerns

Welcome to Hacker Hacks the podcast where we dive into the latest and most critical cybersecurity issues. In today's episode we explore major vulnerabilities and breaches from AI’s growing cybersecurity risks to flaws in government and enterprise systems. We’ll also discuss cutting-edge efforts to secure critical infrastructure like the U.S. power grid. Stay tuned to understand the evolving landscape of cybersecurity and how hackers are continuously testing our defenses.

Newly launched DOGE website hacked: Classified information leaked??

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency website suffered a security breach days after launch raising concerns about its rushed development. Hackers defaced the site exposing vulnerabilities and mocking its security flaws. Reports indicate that the website may have leaked classified data including information on the secretive National Reconnaissance Office. Experts also question whether the site is hosted on secure government servers. Meanwhile DOGE’s budget has doubled from $6.75M to $14.4M despite its goal of reducing government waste. The White House has yet to comment.

The United States government has a cybersecurity problem

Cybersecurity firm Trimble has identified a critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-0994) in its Cityworks tool, used by governments for infrastructure management. The flaw allows remote code execution on Microsoft IIS servers enabling attackers to deploy Cobalt Strike beacons. Trimble released security updates (15.8.9 and 23.10) and warned about misconfigurations that could increase risk. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has urged organizations to apply patches assess risks and report incidents. Affected entities must address these issues to restore secure operations.

The AI Hype Frenzy Is Fueling Cybersecurity Risks

The AI gold rush has led to a surge in AI adoption but it’s creating significant cybersecurity risks. Companies are deploying AI in critical systems including banking and healthcare without adequate security checks. A notable example is DeepSeek a Chinese AI app that has raised concerns for hard-coded encryption keys unencrypted data transmission and funneling data to China. This unchecked AI expansion is exposing sensitive data to adversaries and governments are starting to respond by banning apps like DeepSeek on official devices. However the larger issue lies in the reckless trust placed in AI without security audits. The rush to deploy AI is creating irreversible consequences highlighting the need for stringent security transparency and regulation.

SonicWall Firewall Authentication Bypass Vulnerability Exploited in Wild Following PoC Release

A critical authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2024-53704) in SonicWall firewalls is being actively exploited following the release of proof-of-concept exploit code on February 10 2025. The flaw affecting SonicWall's Gen 6 Gen 7 and TZ80 firewalls allows attackers to hijack active VPN sessions bypass multi-factor authentication and gain unauthorized access to internal networks. The vulnerability affects SonicOS versions 7.1.x 7.1.2-7019 and 8.0.0-8035. Exploits have been observed originating from VPS-hosted IPs and ransomware groups like Akira and Fog have historically targeted SonicWall devices. SonicWall urges immediate patching to versions 8.0.0-8037 or 7.1.3-7015. If patching isn't feasible organizations should disable SSL VPN on public interfaces and restrict access to trusted IPs.

Iowa engineers, researchers build cybersecurity tools to protect nation's power grid

Iowa State University and Central Iowa Power Co-op are collaborating on a project to enhance cybersecurity for the U.S. power grid focusing on zero-trust principles. The project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy aims to secure critical infrastructure by ensuring that all users and devices are continuously authenticated before accessing data or applications. As renewable energy sources like wind and solar expand the grid has become more complex and vulnerable. The project uses real-world scenarios including simulations of attacks on Ukraine’s grid to test security measures. The goal is to develop software that secures the grid without compromising performance with the possibility of commercialization by 2027.

That’s a wrap for today’s episode of Hacker Hacks! Remember in the world of cybersecurity the stakes are high and staying informed is key to staying secure. Don’t forget to subscribe and join us next time as we continue to uncover the vulnerabilities and trends shaping the digital world.