August 2025 Security Roundup with Tony Anscombe

From Meta’s purge of 6.8 million scam-linked WhatsApp accounts to mounting threats against critical infrastructure, August 2025 brought a wave of impactful cybersecurity developments. ESET Chief Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe breaks down the biggest headlines and what they mean for your defenses.

Top highlights

• WhatsApp crackdown: Meta removed 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts in the first half of 2025 tied to global scam operations.
• Encryption win: The UK government dropped its push for Apple to build a backdoor to users’ encrypted cloud data.
• Critical infrastructure targeted: Russia-aligned threat actors hit water facilities in Norway and Poland, underscoring risks to essential services.
• Major cybercrime crackdown: Nigeria deported 100+ foreign nationals, including 50 from China, amid a sweep against a large foreign-led cybercrime syndicate.
• Sensitive accounts for sale: Active police and government email credentials surfaced in underground forums, increasing risks of fraud and data breaches.

Why it matters

• Messaging threats are evolving fast—enable multifactor authentication, scrutinize unsolicited messages, and report suspicious activity.
• Strong encryption protects everyone; backdoors can weaken security for both individuals and organizations.
• Critical infrastructure requires layered defenses, continuous monitoring, and rapid incident response to limit disruption.
• Credential hygiene and access controls are crucial, especially for public-sector and high-trust accounts.

For more context and ongoing trends, explore Tony’s monthly recaps and stay tuned for future editions.

WeLiveSecurity