This Is the Group That's Been Swatting US Universities

WIRED spoke to a self-proclaimed leader of an online group called Purgatory, which charged as little as $20 to call in fake threats against schools...

The US Court Records System Has Been Hacked

Plus: Instagram sparks a privacy backlash over its new map feature, hackers steal data from Google's customer support system, and the true scope of the Columbia University hack comes into focus...

Microsoft Put Older Versions of SharePoint on Life Support. Hackers Are Taking Advantage

Multiple hacking groups—including state actors from China—have targeted a vulnerability in older, on-premises versions of the file-sharing tool after a flawed attempt to patch it...

China’s Salt Typhoon Hackers Breached the US National Guard for Nearly a Year

Plus: Secret IRS data-sharing with ICE, a 20-year-old hackable vulnerability in train brakes, and more...

Truth Social Crashes as Trump Live-Posts Iran Bombing

The social network started experiencing global outages within minutes of Donald Trump posting details of a US military strike on Iran...

How the US TikTok Ban Would Actually Work

The fate of TikTok now rests in the hands of the US Supreme Court. If a law banning the social video app this month is upheld, it won’t disappear from your phone—but it will get messy fast...

How Protesters Became Content for the Cops

The tactics behind protest policing are changing—from one of cooperation to intentional antagonism for political marketing purposes...

FBI Says DC Pipe Bomb Suspect Brian Cole Kept Buying Bomb Parts After January 6

The 30-year-old Virginia resident evaded capture for years after authorities discovered pipe bombs planted near buildings in Washington, DC, the day before the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack...

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team

Documents show that ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation...

Iran’s Internet Blackout Adds New Dangers for Civilians Amid Israeli Bombings

Iran is limiting internet connectivity for citizens amid Israeli airstrikes—pushing people towards domestic apps, which may not be secure, and limiting their ability to access vital information...

The ‘Long-Term Danger’ of Trump Sending Troops to the LA Protests

President Trump’s deployment of more than 700 Marines to Los Angeles—following ICE raids and mass protests—has ignited a fierce national debate over state sovereignty and civil-military boundaries...

How a Travel YouTuber Captured Nepal’s Revolution for the World

Harry Jackson went into Kathmandu as a tourist. He ended up being one of the main international sources of news on Nepal’s Gen Z protests...

DOGE’s USDS Purge Included the Guy Who Keeps Veterans’ Data Safe Online

The cybersecurity lead for VA.gov was fired last week. He tells WIRED that the Veterans Affairs digital hub will be more vulnerable without someone in his role...