Description
PHP EXPLAINED
Major cybersecurity flaws have been found in software that underpins more than 70% of websites on the internet. These are the kinds of messages that greeted users who tried to access many websites overnight, after experts from cybersecurity company Wiz used AI to find two big flaws in a software called PHP. PHP is a general-purpose scripting language; basically, it's one of the languages used to make websites work behind the scenes. When a visitor loads a page, a server running PHP assembles the content and sends it to the browser. It's been around since the mid-1990s, and has been the backbone of things like Facebook, Wikipedia, WordPress, and to this day, it underpins many official government websites, including our own cybersecurity agency, the Australian Signals Directorate. In fact, PHP runs roughly 75% of websites globally! So, when the cybersecurity tech heads at Wiz found flaws they say are "arguably the most severe in software history", it sent shock waves across the net, and many websites were quickly taken offline as a precaution. Wiz says the flaws could allow attackers to take control of servers, steal sensitive data, and change websites. PHP has now released emergency security patches, and while websites around the world are racing to install them, some experts reckon many sites could take a while to be updated, and are worried some smaller sites won't be fixed at all.
META FINED
Tech giant Meta has been ordered to cough up 35 and a half billion dollars. It's the largest amount of money the company has ever been fined. And it's all to do with a scandal that's lasted nearly ten years. A court in the US state of New Mexico found Meta liable for misleading users about the privacy of their data, after it was alleged that a political consulting firm had used Facebook user data without consent to create targeted ads. Meta says the ruling "makes it all but impossible to do business in the state of New Mexico", and says it plans to appeal the decision.
BIRD COUNT
Australia's Biggest Bird Count has kicked off this week! Kushi caught up with Sean from Birdlife Australia to find out what it is, and how you can get involved.
CASSOWARY EGG
First up, have you ever seen a southern cassowary egg before? Yeah. They're naturally this bright green colour. And they're pretty rare! Adelaide Zoo's resident cassowary just laid it, and zookeepers are over the moon. It's estimated that there are only about 4000 southern cassowaries left in the wild, most of them in Queensland.
KANGAROO RESCUE
Staying in South Australia, to a kangaroo rescue off the coast of Port Lincoln! Discovered by a local fishing crew, about 3 kilometres from shore.
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For the past 55 years, Behind the News has been helping to break down current issues and events for young people all around the world. The program is a high-energy, fun way for people to learn about the stories we see in the news while providing background information that isn’t usually given by other news bulletins.
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