Criterion is a new player in the wealth advisory space and uniquely designed for advisors and their clients

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 13, 2026/PRNewswire/ -- Criterion – comprised of three national wealth advisory leaders – today announced its next phase of growth. Initially established by Sammons Financial Group, Criterion is the new name for its wealth advisory holding company and marks the next phase of its strategic expansion beyond Sammons' core insurance and annuity business lines. Criterion's three advisory firms include Beacon Capital Management, NorthRock Partners, and Wealthcare.

Criterion's overarching business strategy is to address the evolving needs of financial advisors and the clients they serve. Its wealth advisory practices offer investment expertise, client-centered advisory services, and a broad range of financial solutions and capabilities to meet those needs.

The Criterion family of companies collectively has more than $27 billion in assets under management or advisement (AUM/AUA), allowing it to aggressively compete in the U.S. wealth management and advisory marketplace.

"The businesses that comprise Criterion represent a new approach in a constantly changing financial services marketplace," said Michael Mock, Criterion president. "Over the past five years, these businesses have been assembled specifically to design and build a broad differentiated wealth management platform. Criterion combines its financial strength and access to capital to deliver cutting-edge wealth advisory solutions to our advisors, clients, and partners."

Criterion's introduction is the next step in a long-term plan to expand through strategic acquisitions, technology investments, and enhanced capabilities for financial advisors and their clients. The company is establishing a distinct role and purpose in the wealth advisory industry. As a parent company to three thriving brands, Criterion offers access to capital and greater flexibility to expand across the wealth management and advisor industry.

"Today's wealth advisors seek partners that understand and preserve their independence while providing the resources and stability they need to grow," Mock said. "As an employee-owned company backed by permanent, long-term capital, Criterion will build upon its existing business partnerships, create new relationships, and heavily invest in the specific capabilities advisors need."

The wealth management industry in the U.S. continues to evolve toward independent and hybrid registered investment advisory, or RIA, models. Criterion will meet this increasing demand by offering advisors the flexible, sophisticated capabilities and long-term support they demand.

Criterion will also continue to pursue growth through acquisitions while simultaneously investing in technology, talent, and capabilities across its advisory firms. Its strategy remains centered on maintaining the functional independence and brand of its three founding businesses while identifying opportunities to strengthen the organization. The end result is to create value for advisors and clients.

"Introducing our new name is an important milestone. What matters most is what the Criterion name enables us to build," Mock said. "Criterion reflects our confidence in the future of this business and the opportunity we see to thoughtfully grow a wealth management organization designed for the long term."

About Criterion

Criterion is an employee-owned wealth management organization with a long-term focus on serving and supporting financial advisors and their clients. Its family of businesses includes Beacon Capital Management, NorthRock Partners, and Wealthcare. These individual firms, each with a distinct focus within the broader wealth advisory marketplace, bring together investment expertise, client-centered advisory services, and comprehensive wealth solutions and advisor capabilities.

SOURCE Criterion

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Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DEXA, body composition scans provide a detailed look at a member's body fat, visceral fat, lean muscle mass, and bone density. These scans, along with Future's bloodwork, sleep tracking and mobility assessment offerings, now give members and their coaches more objective data to integrate into their health plan, making it easier to build and track progress over time.

"A DEXA scan is much more valuable when it's part of an ongoing coaching relationship," said Ali Jafari, CEO of Future. "Our coaches help members understand their results, build a plan around them, and track their progress over time, giving members a reason to get a subsequent scan through Bodyspec to see what's changed."

Early data from the beta suggests that members who complete a DEXA scan are more engaged with their coach and their health plan. Among 185 members with at least 30 days in the program, those who completed a DEXA scan averaged 5.8 workouts per week compared with 3.7 for members who did not complete a scan. They also exchanged an average of 6.7 messages per week with their coach, compared with 4.7.

BodySpec, the leading provider of accessible, medical-grade DEXA scans for body composition, will serve as Future's preferred partner across 15 metropolitan markets, including Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, Los Angeles, Denver, San Diego, Seattle, and more. Future Core members receive one DEXA scan annually, while Premium members receive quarterly scans, with additional scans available for purchase directly through the Future app.

"We scan more than a thousand people each day across the U.S. to help them get a clear and accurate picture of their body composition – a key indicator of overall health and longevity," said Elaine Shi, co-founder and CEO of BodySpec. "Now, in our work together with Future, members will have a new way to incorporate their DEXA results into a continuous health plan, measure their progress over time, and make better, real-time decisions about their health."

Starting today, Future Core members will receive one DEXA scan annually, while Premium members receive quarterly scans, with additional scans available for purchase directly through the Future app.

About Future

Future is a health and fitness company built around personalized, one-on-one coaching. Every member is paired with a dedicated coach who learns their goals, health history, training experience, preferences, and schedule, then builds an individualized plan and adjusts it as circumstances change. Future is co-chaired by Tom Brady and has served more than 100,000 members since launching in 2019. Future Health is available now at https://future.co/health-coach/progress.

About BodySpec

BodySpec is making preventative, clinical-grade body composition scans accessible to Americans nationwide. Trusted by over 350,000 clients, BodySpec operates affordable, full-body DEXA in storefront locations and mobile vans in more than 15 markets across the U.S., with several additions planned by early 2027. By providing personalized insights on muscle mass, body fat, and bone density, BodySpec empowers individuals to take control of their health, optimize their training, and track their wellness progress with clinical precision. To learn more, please visit www.bodyspec.com. 

SOURCE Future

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The EIB and Santander have signed a guarantee agreement to boost financing for SMEs and mid-caps operating in the European security and defence supply chain.

This is the second operation that Santander has carried out with the EIB to provide financing in the field of security and defence.

The agreement strengthens the EU’s security and defence ecosystem and capabilities and contributes to its strategic autonomy in a context of growing geopolitical uncertainty.

Madrid, October 8, 2026.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), part of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group), has signed a guarantee agreement with Santander that will enable the mobilisation of approximately €300 million in new financing to facilitate access to credit for SMEs and mid-caps operating in the European security and defence supply chain.

SMEs and mid-caps represent a key component of the European security and defence ecosystem. Their capacity for innovation, technological specialisation, and flexibility makes them strategic suppliers of technologies, components, and advanced solutions for major companies in the sector. However, many of these companies face barriers to accessing the financing needed to undertake investments, increase production capacity, finance working capital, or develop new technologies.

The agreement between the EIB and Santander will help address these needs by expanding the range and improving the terms of available financing solutions. These funds may be allocated to both productive investments and working capital needs arising from increased activity and the execution of new contracts. The operation thus fosters the growth of a more competitive, innovative, and resilient business landscape in a strategic sector for Spain and Europe.

The operation will also help drive the development of next-generation technologies with applications in both the defence and civil sectors. Technological innovation is a decisive factor not only for strengthening Europe’s security and defence capabilities but also for enhancing productivity, competitiveness, and European industrial leadership in strategic technologies.

Strengthening the European defence and security industrial base is a strategic priority for the EIB Group. In 2025, the EIB Group quadrupled its investments in this area, exceeding €4 billion. In 2026, it expects to exceed €5 billion, representing 5% of its total investments. In Spain, €500 million was allocated to this priority in 2025. The EIB Group provides financing in five key areas: major critical infrastructure; European industrial capabilities; research and development of advanced technologies; fostering the venture capital ecosystem dedicated to investing in the sector; and support for SMEs in the supply chains of European defence contractors.

Against this backdrop, the EIB has launched a pan-European intermediated financing instrument, with a lending envelope of €3 billion, to address the financing constraints facing EU companies active in the European security and defence supply chains. The transaction with Santander forms part of this scheme, from which other major banks in Europe also benefit.

The agreement with Santander was concluded today in Madrid at a signing ceremony between the two institutions.

Gemma Feliciani, Director of Financial Institutions at the European Investment Bank, stated at the end of the ceremony: “This new agreement with Santander is an example of how the EIB is strengthening its partnerships with banks across the EU to accelerate investment in a strategic sector, such as security and defence. Thanks to this initiative, more SMEs and mid-caps will be able to access the financing they need to grow within this ecosystem, strengthening Europe’s industrial base and contributing to greater European strategic autonomy in a context of growing geopolitical uncertainty.”

Borja Oyarzabal, Global Head of Commercial Banking at Santander, noted: “At Santander, we want to be a strategic partner for companies that contribute to Europe’s industrial development. This agreement with the EIB enables us to combine our financing capacity with a European risk-mitigation instrument to facilitate access to credit for mid-caps and SMEs with investment, innovation, and growth projects in a sector that is key to European competitiveness. SMEs and mid-caps form the core of the European defence supply chain and are an essential driver of innovation and technological development. Facilitating access to finance not only strengthens Europe’s defence capabilities but also boosts competitiveness, industrial resilience, and European technological leadership in sectors strategic to future economic growth.”

Alexandra Borisova, Global Head of Private Debt Mobilization at Santander Corporate & Commercial Banking, added: “Europe needs to mobilise an unprecedented volume of investment to strengthen its capabilities in security, defence and resilience. Achieving that goal requires close collaboration between public and private capital. Combining Santander’s financing capacity with European risk-mitigation instruments makes it possible to multiply the impact of public resources and expand access to credit for companies with high growth and innovation potential.”

From Barren Land to Prosperity: What 30 Years of Fujian-Ningxia Partnership Has Achieved?

BEIJING, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Nations once labelled it as one of the least suitable places for human habitation on the planet. Chronic drought and barren soil condemned its residents to a life of dire poverty. Yet today Xihaigu, at the southern tip of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is being hailed as a model of socio-economic progress and environmental rejuvenation.

Key to this success is a nationwide strategy, introduced in 1996, designed to encourage China's more developed east coast regions to cooperate with poverty alleviation efforts in the less-developed west.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the strategy's launch, China Media Group has produced From Barren Land to Prosperity: Fujian-Ningxia Partnership. This major new documentary chronicles how a decisive shift from external financial support to locally-driven, self-sustained growth and rural revitalisation has been achieved in Ningxia with support from investors and experts from Fujian Province. Interviews with entrepreneurs, resettled residents and front-line aid workers reveal how large-scale ecological resettlement projects, the promotion of industries ranging from wine-grape cultivation to rural e-commerce, and steady improvements to education, health care and the infrastructure have all contributed to creating a vibrant model of economic development.

Commenting on the remarkable transformation, UN Under-Secretary-General Melissa Fleming says the United Nations would welcome the wider application of this development model.

From Barren Land to Prosperity: Fujian-Ningxia Partnership premiered on the CMG channel CCTV-4 on October 5.

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Movable Ink Introduces Headless Marketing Capabilities

Agentic Orchestration Includes Launch of AI-Powered Assistants

LONDON, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Movable Ink, the AI-powered personalized content platform, today announced new headless marketing capabilities, enabling marketers to create, manage, and optimize campaigns directly within Movable Ink or through the AI tools they already use.

Powered by Movable Ink's Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server and complemented by a growing set of specialized AI assistants, the launch advances the company's Programmatic CRM approach, introduced at Think Summit NYC in June. It brings the automation and decisioning principles of paid media to owned channels like email, mobile, and web, while giving marketers greater flexibility in how and where they work.

"Marketers have embraced AI across the martech stack, but most AI still operates without the context that makes marketing work—the campaigns, creative, customer data, and performance behind every decision," said Adam Stambleck, CEO of Movable Ink. "Our MCP Server changes that by making Movable Ink's capabilities available directly within the AI tools marketers already use. The future of marketing isn't about forcing teams into another interface. It's about bringing the intelligence and execution to wherever they choose to work."

At the center of Movable Ink's headless approach is its Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, which connects external AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT to Movable Ink while keeping execution context-aware and brand-consistent within Movable Ink. For example, the MCP Server exposes more than 50 APIs across eight Da Vinci domains, allowing marketers to use natural-language prompts to:

- Manage, schedule, and proof content across all channels

- Manage and activate audiences and data

- Create, review, approve, and manage creative

- Access brand assets and creative guidelines

- Pull campaign, creative, and performance reporting

Alongside its headless capabilities, Movable Ink's Agentic Orchestration Platform brings AI directly into existing workflows through a growing set of specialized assistants, including:

- Analytics Assistant provides natural-language reporting and performance insights

- Brand Kit Assistant automates brand guidelines and creative setup

- Subject Line Assistant generates on-brand copy

- Designer Assistant enables marketers to create custom creative properties without code using conversational prompts.

Together, these capabilities give marketers two ways to put AI to work where and how it makes sense for them—through the tools they already use or directly within Movable Ink—with the marketing context and intelligence needed to move from a prompt to real execution. It marks the next step in Movable Ink's Programmatic CRM vision, creating a more open operating model where marketers spend less time navigating tools and manually managing campaigns, and more time directing the strategy, creativity, and customer experiences that drive growth.

About Movable Ink

Movable Ink personalizes every customer engagement through automation and artificial intelligence. The world's most innovative brands rely on Movable Ink to maximize revenue, simplify workflow, and achieve the optimal customer experience. Headquartered in New York City with 600 employees, Movable Ink serves its global client base with operations throughout North America, Central America, Europe, and Australia.

Learn more at movableink.com.

SOURCE Movable Ink

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Gemtek, Qualcomm and gFiber Collaborate to Bring Edge AI to Wi-Fi 8 Broadband Gateways

New AI-Native Wi-Fi 8 Gateway combines next-generation connectivity, local AI computing, and intelligent software

TAIPEI, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gemtek Technology Co., Ltd. announced it is highlighting an AI-native Wi-Fi 8 broadband gateway at Network X 2026, developed in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and gFiber, Inc. to bring Edge AI and next-generation connectivity into the home.

Built on the Qualcomm Dragonwing™ NPro A8 Elite Platform, the gateway is engineered by Gemtek and powered by intelligent software from Genix Networks, a Gemtek subsidiary, with gFiber as the launch service provider. It combines Wi-Fi 8 Quad-Band connectivity, Edge AI computing, and intelligent software for a more responsive broadband experience.

Bringing Intelligence into the Home Gateway

Designed as a home internet hub and a local platform for agentic AI, the gateway supports network optimization, device awareness, security, and proactive management.

Subscribers can use natural-language voice commands to manage their home network and access supported services. Local processing of supported requests can help protect privacy, improve responsiveness, and reduce reliance on the cloud.

Network Intelligence for the User Experience

Genix software connects the gateway, devices, and network through an AI-driven interface. Voice-controlled application integration lets users ask about device activity, performance, and security, and take supported actions.

Reimagining the Role of CPE

Gemtek reimagines Customer Premises Equipment as a striking living-room centerpiece. Combining thoughtful design with intuitive interaction, the gateway brings home connectivity and everyday services into a device people want to see and use.

Roles Across the Collaboration

Qualcomm provides advanced connectivity and AI platform technologies for next-generation intelligent edge devices.

Gemtek leads product and AI system innovation, integrating hardware and Genix software into a carrier-grade gateway.

gFiber defines the subscriber experience and will be the first operator to deploy the gateway.

Together, the three companies are exploring a new broadband model that integrates technology, product and AI system innovation, and service experience from the platform level through to the subscriber experience, with commercial deployment targeted for 2027.

"Bringing intelligence to broadband is as much an integration challenge as a technology challenge. This collaboration combines Qualcomm's Wi-Fi 8 platform and gFiber's subscriber experience with Gemtek's product engineering and Genix software. Together, we are creating a product that operators can deploy and subscribers can use in everyday life."

— James Lee, CEO, Gemtek Technology

Wi-Fi 8. Edge AI. Intelligent Broadband.

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YeePay Granted EMI License by De Nederlandsche Bank, Strengthening Its European Payment Network

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- YeePay has officially been granted an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the Dutch central bank.

As the Netherlands is a major financial hub within the European Union, the EMI license represents an important step in YeePay's European expansion. The approval further strengthens the company's regulatory footprint and supports its ability to provide compliant, localized payment services to businesses operating across international markets, subject to applicable regulatory requirements.

Terry, Senior Vice President of YeePay, said:

"Receiving an EMI license from De Nederlandsche Bank is a key milestone in YeePay's European strategy. With the Netherlands as an important strategic hub, alongside our UK EMI license, we will continue to strengthen our local presence and regulated service capabilities in Europe, subject to applicable regulatory requirements. By combining local regulatory capabilities and financial infrastructure with YeePay's global payment network, we will further strengthen our global collection and payout, local account, and multi-currency FX capabilities. Our goal is to provide international clients with a one-stop payment solution for global cross-border trade, helping improve cross-border fund flows, optimise transaction costs, and support businesses in expanding into European and other international markets."

YeePay has established a growing portfolio of financial and payment licenses and registrations across key international markets. These include a Money Service Operator (MSO) license in Hong Kong, China, US Money Services Business (MSB) registration, registration as a Money Transmitter (Transmisor de Dinero) in Mexico, Hong Kong SFC licenses for Type 1, 4, and 9 regulated activities, as well as EMI licenses in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Supported by its global business network and fintech capabilities, YeePay's services cover more than 200 countries and regions, with real-time FX capabilities across 100+ currencies. This global infrastructure enables YeePay to provide businesses with payment services designed to support increasingly complex cross-border operations.

Looking ahead, YeePay will continue to deepen its partnerships with financial institutions worldwide and strengthen its one-stop cross-border payment offering, covering global collections, global payouts, FX services, and global accounts, through relevant entities and partners and subject to applicable regulatory requirements.

Through continued investment in financial technology and regulated infrastructure, YeePay aims to make cross-border payments simpler, more efficient, and more accessible for businesses expanding internationally.

Find out more at: global.yeepay.com

Follow us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/yeepay-inc

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Xinhua Silk Road: "Courtyard economy" spurs rural cultural tourism in central China county

BEIJING, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- After becoming a trendy topic abroad earlier this year, "country walk" has been gaining popularity among inbound tourists to China.

In Changsha County, central China's Hunan Province, a small village named Xiangfeng Village is riding the wave of "country walk" and leveraging "courtyard economy" to boost rural tourism.

Among its foreign visitors, seven youths from six countries including the United States, Germany and Malaysia have lived in the village while filming the popular TV reality show "From Far Lands to China's Farmlands".

Acting as "new farmers", these energetic foreign youths worked side by side with local villagers to experience the courtyard-centered rural cultural tourism in Xiangfeng Village.

Apart from converting idle rural houses into spaces featuring popular international styles, they also tried herbal hot pot and experienced intangible cultural heritage (ICH) activities, while enjoying oven-baked bread and specialty coffee there.

What impressed them most was not only the delicious Chinese food, but also the enchanting rural life in Xiangfeng Village where agritainment thrives and Chinese and foreign cultures intertwine in harmony.

After the second season of "From Far Lands to China's Farmlands" amassed 420 million views online, the TV reality show that became a sensation in China brought Chinese rural tourism into the spotlight again.

When the young people from Malaysia and Georgia decided to formally settle there, Changsha County used these small courtyards to create not only new rural consumption scenarios, but also platforms to present the Chinese-style rural micro-vacations to the world.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/352515.html

SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road

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S2 Capital Completes Loan Modifications and Refinancings Across 26-Asset, $1.2 Billion Multifamily Portfolio

Transactions funded in connection with the initial closing of S2's continuation vehicle

DALLAS, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- S2 Capital ("S2"), a national vertically integrated real estate investment manager, today announced it has completed a series of loan modifications and refinancings across 26 multifamily assets representing approximately $1.2 billion of loan balance. The transactions cover 8,223 units across seven markets. Of the 26 communities, 12 were subject to foreclosure proceedings that have been terminated in connection with the modifications. The transactions provide extended maturity dates, revised pricing, and resolve existing defaults and near-term maturities, allowing S2 to focus on maximizing operating performance across its portfolio.

The transactions include a modification of the loan secured by a 531-unit community in North Dallas. The modification waives existing defaults, including a maturity default, terminates a pending foreclosure posting, and extends the stated maturity date to July 2031, subject to earlier repayment. It was completed in consideration of a principal paydown and payment of accrued amounts. In connection with the modification, the parties agreed to dismiss related litigation involving the guarantor.

"This took six months and a lot of work from our lenders and our team, and I'm grateful for both," said Scott Everett, CEO of S2 Capital. " In our view, the pressure on multifamily in this cycle has come mainly from a historically high level of new supply, not from weaker renter demand, and we are seeing new deliveries in our markets begin to decline. We believe these modifications give the assets a capital structure better suited to the timeline we anticipate for recovery. Our focus now is on execution: occupancy, resident experience, and disciplined operations."

About S2 Capital

Founded in 2012, S2 Capital is a Dallas-based real estate investment manager specializing in residential and industrial assets across opportunistic, value-add, credit, and core-plus strategies. S2 has transacted over $13 billion in total capitalization since its inception and maintains a fully integrated platform encompassing acquisitions, development, capital formation, construction, asset management, and property management. S2 is committed to investing in communities and creating long-term value through every stage of the real estate lifecycle. For more information, visit www.s2cp.com.

Media Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE S2 Capital LLC

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1H 2026 Research Reveals Growing Abuse of Trusted Identities, Collaboration Platforms, and Business Workflows as Attackers Scale Operations while Reducing the Cost of Attack

ZÜRICH, Switzerland, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ontinue, a leading MXDR partner providing nonstop managed security operations through its Agentic SOC, today released its 1H 2026 Threat Intelligence Report revealing that approximately 30% of monitored organizations experienced at least one fake IT support impersonation attempt through Microsoft Teams during the first half of 2026. The report also found that attackers are increasingly abusing trusted identities, collaboration platforms, software supply chains, and routine business workflows to achieve greater impact with less effort.

Drawing on observations from incident investigations, threat intelligence research, and telemetry from Ontinue's Advanced Threat Operations team, the findings reveal that rather than investing in increasingly sophisticated malware, cybercriminals are achieving greater scale by exploiting trust. Throughout the first half of 2026, Ontinue observed attackers repeatedly abusing legitimate identities, Microsoft services, collaboration platforms, software supply chains, and routine business processes to blend into normal activity and evade detection.

"The majority of effective attacks today don't rely on sophisticated exploits. They rely on trust," said Balazs Greksza, Director of Advanced Threat Operations at Ontinue. "Whether it's an attacker impersonating IT support through Microsoft Teams, abusing legitimate authentication workflows, or hiding command-and-control infrastructure within trusted services, we're seeing cybercriminals focus on blending into everyday business activity. That makes visibility, identity protection, and rapid response more important than ever."

Identity Attacks Continue to Dominate

Identity remained one of the most prevalent themes observed across the first half of 2026. The report details multiple cases of device-code phishing, tokentheft, credential harvesting, session hijacking, and abuse of legitimate Microsoft authentication workflows.

Among the findings, Ontinue identified 10 confirmed device-code phishing compromises across five customer tenants between May and June 2026, demonstrating how attackers can gain access through legitimate Microsoft authentication experiences without ever stealing a user's password.

The report also highlights the growing industry transition toward passkeys and phishing-resistant authentication as organizations work to reduce the effectiveness of credential-based attacks.

Nearly One-Third of Organizations Experienced Microsoft Teams Impersonation Attempts

Microsoft Teams has become a recurring initial-access vector for threat actors impersonating internal IT support personnel. Ontinue found that approximately 30% of monitored organizations experienced at least one fake IT support impersonation attempt, while approximately one in every 990 external Teams contacts showed indicators of impersonation activity. Attackers increasingly use trusted collaboration tools to persuade employees to grant remote access or execute malicious actions without exploiting a technical vulnerability.

"These attacks work because they leverage the same tools employees use every day," said Craig Jones, Chief Security Officer at Ontinue. "The most dangerous attacks increasingly look like normal business activity. Security teams need visibility across identities, collaboration platforms, and user behavior to identify threats before they become incidents."

Attackers Move Beyond Traditional Infrastructure

The report also identifies a rapid evolution in attacker infrastructure. During an analysis of more than 10,800 suspicious ClickFix campaigns, Ontinue researchers found that attackers are increasingly relying on blockchain technology to host and deliver malicious payloads.

Among confirmed malicious findings, 25.3% leveraged blockchain-based command-and-control infrastructure, allowing operators to conceal payload delivery and evade traditional domain- and hosting-based defenses. Researchers additionally found that 6,188 delivery domains resolved to just 158 payload hosts, highlighting the growing concentration and industrialization of malicious infrastructure.

The report also examines how software supply-chain attacks continue to evolve, including incidents such as Shai-Hulud and emerging examples of AI-assisted offensive activity targeting open-source ecosystems.

Key Findings from the Report

- Approximately 30% of monitored organizations experienced at least one Microsoft Teams IT-support impersonation attempt.

- Approximately 1 in every 990 external Teams contacts showed signs of impersonation activity.

- Ontinue identified an uptick of device-code phishing compromises.

- More than 25% of confirmed ClickFix findings leveraged blockchain-based command-and-control infrastructure.

- Researchers observed 6,188 delivery domains tied to just 158 payload hosts, highlighting the increasing industrialization of attacker infrastructure.

- Attackers are increasingly achieving scale through trusted identities, legitimate platforms, automation, and mature criminal ecosystems

Read the full report here.

About Ontinue

As a leading provider of AI-powered managed security operations, Ontinue is on a mission to give every organization the freedom to focus on what they do best; by making nonstop security excellence accessible, not just aspirational. By combining advanced AI with deep human expertise, Ontinue delivers managed security operations that are tailored to each organization's unique environment, operational needs, and risk profile.

Ontinue's ION SecOps Platform integrates AI-driven insights, automation, and real-time collaboration to continuously prevent, detect, and respond to threats. With deep expertise in Microsoft security technologies, Ontinue helps customers maximize the value of their existing investments while achieving stronger, more scalable security outcomes.

Continuous protection. AI-powered Nonstop SecOps. That's Ontinue.

Alison Raymond - [email protected]

SOURCE Ontinue

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