15-Jan-2026 Microsoft Takes Down RedVDS, Anchorage Hit by Cyber Incident, DeadLock Ransom Demands

Welcome to Hacked dAily, your not-so-basic AI-driven cybersecurity podcast, brought to you by the geeks at Cytadel Cyber. Today's episode is packed with tales of heroism, mischief, and downright tech-savvy stubbornness. First up, Microsoft went all vigilante, shutting down RedVDS, where cybercriminals were living their best virtual lives until the landlord decided enough was enough. Imagine criminals using Microsoft, only to be shown the exit by the very same! Talk about biting the binary hand that feeds you. Meanwhile, over in Alaska, the Anchorage police department had to sprint for the plug after a "cyber incident" courtesy of a sneaky third-party software upgrade. Could this be a new genre for Alaska reality TV—Cyber Cops, anyone? Next, Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot was caught snoozing at the wheel, with hackers making away with data like seasoned conjurers. Perhaps it's time for Copilot to get a little AI sidekick who can whisper, "stay in your lane." Speaking of innovation, the DeadLock Ransomware Group decided plain-old Bitcoin was so last season and dabbled in demanding ransom via Polygon smart contracts. Dripping with tech-savvy flair, or just trying to sound cooler at hacker conventions? Finally, advocacy groups are asking tech giants to de-list Grok’s X. Seems like someone finally decided that nonconsensual deepfakes aren't the new selfie—who would've thought? Stay safe, stay secure, and catch you tomorrow for another cyber-adventure! This episode is sponsored by Cytadel Cyber. Specialist in Ransomware Readiness Assessments, Threat Intel-Led Red Teaming, AI DeepFakes, AI Voice Cloning and AI Vishing Simulations. Cyatdel helps you test your cyber resilience against the threats of today, keeping your data secure. Checkout cytadel.co.uk for more information.