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The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warns that Russian state cyber group APT28 has exploited vulnerable internet routers to enable domain name system (DNS) hijacking operations. The resulting malicious DNS resolutions enable adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) attacks that harvest passwords, OAuth tokens and other credentials for web and email related services. This puts organisations at risk of credential theft, data manipulation and broader compromise. The NCSC has provided a list of mitigation measures that could help in defending against the activity described in its advisory. 

 

Bloomberg

Financial Times

Infosecurity Magazine

NCSC

Amnesty International has raised concerns that the European Commission's 'Digital Omnibus' initiative, which is aimed at simplifying digital regulation, could undermine key privacy and fundamental rights protections. Critics argue that proposed changes - including redefinitions of personal data and reduced obligations under the AI Act - risk weakening safeguards against excessive data collection and accountability. Additionally, the potential for delays in regulatory implementation might allow harmful systems to operate without adequate oversight. The broader reform agenda may also impact other regulations, leading to a shift away from rights protection towards corporate flexibility, raising issues related to surveillance and discrimination.

 

DigWatch

The US Treasury plans to meet domestic and international insurance regulators over the risks in private credit after recent upheaval in the multitrillion-dollar market. "This first series of meetings will facilitate greater ​regular communication with the state insurance regulators, who serve as the insurance ⁠industry's primary regulators, and lay the groundwork for sustained close collaboration," the department said. Initial meetings “will allow participants to survey recent market events, emerging risks, risk management practices and outlooks for the sector,” it added. The meetings are scheduled to begin this month and continue through early May.

 

Financial Times

Reuters

The British government is weighing a plan to conduct standardised testing of all UK lenders' general purpose AI models after they were warned over their evaluation practices last year.

 

Financial Times

UK tax authority HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) reported a £24.2bn compliance yield for the period of 2025-2026, alongside preventing £8.5bn in tax losses. According to data gathered by Stewarts, HMRC has concentrated its efforts on large corporates because tax losses are greater than from smaller businesses, despite the latter showing lower compliance levels. Stewarts notes that HMRC has been gradually shifting the compliance burden onto large business, and now, with its enhanced IT infrastructure, HMRC is better able to target large businesses for detailed scrutiny. Matthew Greene a partner with Stewarts, says the compliance environment in the UK is not necessarily hostile, but businesses with exposure to the UK "should act now to ensure that their audit trails are robust and complete."

 

Bloomberg Tax

The IMF warns that emerging markets are increasingly vulnerable to global shocks due to their reliance on volatile capital sources, particularly hedge funds. Since the 2008 financial crisis, foreign investment in these markets has surged, with inflows nearing $4tn by 2025. Debt from foreign investors now averages 15% of GDP, up from 9% in 2006. The IMF noted that sharp capital retrenchments could lead to increased borrowing costs and currency depreciations. "These risks have come to the fore in the context of the war of the Middle East," IMF staff said.

 

Financial Times

The Guardian

Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have told their Paris staff they can temporarily work from home after a thwarted bombing at Bank of America’s office in the French capital last week. The police have said they suspect the foiled plot is linked to HAYI, a pro-Iranian group that ‌had ⁠posted a video naming Bank of America's Paris headquarters. However, prosecutors say the link is yet to be confirmed, Reuters notes.

 

Financial Times

Reuters

Lloyds Bank has begun testing quantum computing to enhance its financial crime prevention efforts. The bank evaluated quantum algorithms to identify money mule behaviour in transaction data. The system successfully detected a deliberately placed money mule account.

 

The Times

Hackers have stolen $280m from Drift, the largest so-called perpetual futures exchange on the Solana blockchain. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said the heist shows multiple hallmarks of North Korean state-sponsored DPRK hackers. “It is a continuation of the DPRK’s sustained campaign of large-scale cryptoasset theft, which the U.S. government has linked to the funding of its weapons programs. DPRK-linked actors are believed to be responsible for billions of dollars in cryptoasset theft in recent years,” Elliptic said.

 

CoinDesk

Financial Times

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has proposed a €56bn ($65bn) deal to combine Universal Music Group with a US-listed vehicle, offering shareholders cash and stock while pushing to shift the company’s primary listing from Amsterdam to New York and cancel around 17% of shares. The plan, aimed at boosting valuation and addressing what Ackman calls an underutilised balance sheet, has driven a sharp rise in UMG’s share price but faces uncertainty without support from major shareholder Vincent Bolloré, whose backing is seen as critical for the deal to proceed.

 

Bloomberg

Wall Street Journal

KLM CEO Marjan Rintel saw her pay increase by nearly 32% in 2025, reaching just under €1.6m, as the airline implemented cost-saving measures. While her base salary remained at €600,000, bonuses surged due to the performance of Air France-KLM's market value. KLM's "Back on Track" programme aims to enhance profitability but includes job cuts, with 250 positions set to be eliminated. The FNV union and Finance Minister Eelco Heinen criticised the pay rise, calling it "highly inappropriate" given the pressures on KLM staff. Rintel has been granted a second four-year term to lead the carrier's restructuring.

 

NL Times