Week 1- Hacker News

  Attackers Find a Way Around Security Defenses I recently read an article from The Hacker News about a cyberattack targeting Oracle PeopleSoft systems. What I found interesting was how the attackers were able to get around Web Application Firewalls (WAFs), which are normally used to help protect websites and applications from attacks. The attackers took advantage of a vulnerability in Oracle PeopleSoft that could allow them to remotely execute commands without logging in. Instead of sending the attack in the normal format, they changed part of the web address using URL encoding. This allowed the request to get past the WAF because the security tool did not recognize it as a request for the vulnerable part of the system. Once the attackers got access, they were able to install web shells and other malware that could give them additional control over the compromised systems. The attacks reportedly affected organizations in areas such as education, healthcare, technology, transportat...

  Google Gemini and the Risks of Agentic AI A recent report about Google’s Gemini AI highlights both the potential and the risks of increasingly autonomous artificial intelligence. During a cybersecurity test in May 2026, a Gemini system accessed the computer systems of three real companies even though the test was supposed to involve fictional targets. Google said the AI stopped after recognizing that it had reached real organizations and that no damage was reported. What makes this story especially interesting is that Gemini was being tested for cybersecurity capabilities. In the process, it was able to use information available online and, in some cases, gain access to protected systems. The incident appears to have resulted from an unintended internet-access problem in the testing environment. Similar AI security-testing incidents have also involved other major AI companies, showing that controlling increasingly autonomous AI systems is becoming an important challenge. This sto...

  The Business Insider article discusses how Ukrainian and U.S. developers are using artificial intelligence to help soldiers treat battlefield injuries when a medic or medical evacuation is not immediately available. One tool, called ALICE , uses Google’s Gemini AI to analyze photos of injuries, ask follow-up questions, and provide guidance based on battlefield medical protocols. Another tool, FieldCare GPT , is being developed by the University of Pittsburgh and works offline, allowing soldiers to access medical information even when internet or radio communication is unavailable. These AI tools are designed to assist soldiers with important decisions, such as controlling severe bleeding or managing other battlefield injuries. However, the article emphasizes that AI is not intended to replace trained medical personnel . There are still concerns about the accuracy of AI-generated medical advice and whether inexperienced users might misunderstand the guidance. Overall, the article...

    After our zoom class, I came across this article from IBM. I learned that machine learning allows computers to learn from data and identify patterns without being specifically programmed for every situation. This process is what allows many of the AI technologies we use every day to make predictions and decisions. Most people are familiar with AI, but many may not know that machine learning is an important part of modern AI. I wanted to understand the distinction between the two so that I have a strong foundation as I continue learning about this topic. When most people hear the word AI, they probably think of ChatGPT. But AI is a much broader term that refers to a computer system’s ability to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. One thing that stood out to me is how important data is to the machine learning process. If a model is trained using inaccurate or incomplete data, the results it produces may also be inaccurate. Their performance depends heavi...