Senior Cyber Safety Briefing – October 15, 2025

🚨 ALERT – Microsoft patches three actively exploited zero‑days
👉 Why it matters – If your Windows PC is unpatched, hackers could already be trying to break in. 
📣 Call to Action – Run Windows Update now and install all security patches (restart required).

🧠 MUST‑READ – Firms slow cyber threat sharing after liability protections expire
👉 Why it matters – Without clear legal protection, companies are hesitating to send threat alerts to government agencies — which means you might not hear about serious attacks fast enough. 
📣 Call to Action – Stay extra cautious: monitor your accounts, enable alerts, and act fast on any odd login messages.

📈 ECONOMY & SECURITY – CISA hit by 176 more layoffs amid shutdown
👉 Why it matters – The agency tasked with defending U.S. infrastructure is losing staff at a fragile moment. 
📣 Call to Action – Don’t rely solely on government protection — maintain your own security habits (backups, strong passwords, MFA).

🔥 PRIVACY & BIG TECH – Discord breach raises questions over vendor responsibility
👉 Why it matters – 70,000 users may have had their ID photos exposed via a third‑party service. 
📣 Call to Action – If you use Discord or similar apps, check for breach notices, change passwords, and enable extra login security.

💡 OPPORTUNITY – Microsoft introduces ExCyTIn‑Bench tool for AI assessment in cybersecurity
👉 Why it matters – It’s a chance for organizations to evaluate AI tools smartly — but it also signals where cyber tech is heading. 
📣 Call to Action – If you or your local institutions work with tech, ask whether they’re using rigorous tools like this for safety evaluation.

✅ Quick Safety Tip of the Day
Always verify the sender before clicking links in texts or emails — even if it looks like it’s from your bank or a known contact.

(AI was used to create this article.)

🙋 Closing Note

Stay safe, stay secure, stay curious, and remember my friends—you’re never too old to outsmart a scammer👋