Benedict Collins

Benedict Collins

Senior Writer, Security

Benedict is a Senior Security Writer at TechRadar Pro, where he has specialized in covering the intersection of geopolitics, cyber-warfare, and business security.

Benedict provides detailed analysis on state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, and the protection of critical national infrastructure, with his reporting bridging the gap between technical threat intelligence and B2B security strategy.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the University of Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), with his specialization providing him with an elite academic framework for deconstructing complex international conflicts and intelligence operations. He also holds a BA in Politics with Journalism, providing him with a strong investigative nature and the ability to translate complex security data into clear, actionable insights.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest data breach or security threats, Benedict enjoys running and cycling throughout the UK countryside.

Articles by: Benedict Collins

A smartly dressed man sat in a polluted city wearing a facemask while using a tablet computer
‘Our corrupt, AI-addicted President cannot be allowed to sacrifice our federal lands’: A bill to permanently ban AI data centers from federal lands has been introduced to Congress

By Benedict Collins

The Trump administration is pushing forward with a huge data center buildout while sidelining environmental concerns and worsening pollution.

Texas flag with blue sky - stock photo
Texas has electricity and water bills below the national average — but they’re rising faster than inflation for one key reason that won’t surprise anyone

By Benedict Collins

Data centers are causing electricity and water prices in Texas to grow at unprecedented rates.

The Keeper logo next to a label stating "Price Cut".
It's not too late to save up to 50% off Keeper plans — secure your passwords and company security with big discounts on Personal and Business plans

By Benedict Collins

Keeper is one of the best solutions to password storage and security, with up to 50% off across Personal, Family, and Business plans

An image depicting a graph of increasing oil prices impacting financial markets and economies worldwide
A torrent of states are repealing data center tax exemptions — but it could increase costs by upwards of 7%

By Benedict Collins

Multiple states are repealing or modifying sales tax exemptions, and it could cause the cost of data centers to skyrocket.

A forensic police officer examines a smartphone as evidence in a murder case at a forensic laboratory
'We’ve been behind the ball for so long': Experts say DNA samples from crime-scene forensics can be modified and even switched using an AI tool

By Benedict Collins

Researchers used AI-assisted code to undetectably tamper with data from computerized scans of physical DNA evidence produced by widely used crime-lab machines.

AI
Is bulldozing homes, seizing land, harming the climate, and replacing workers really worth everyone having an AI agent?

By Benedict Collins

AI agents will soon handle your work, and your personal life - but at what cost?

Abstract digital human face. Artificial intelligence concept of big data or cyber security
'C-suite executives need to upskill themselves to really understand the threats': AI is becoming a tool for attackers and defenders, but true resilience requires a constantly changing strategy, says former GCHQ intelligence expert

By Benedict Collins

Exclusive The only choice for businesses it to adapt and respond, and that means using an evolving resilience strategy.

A conceptual image featuring Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping on a screen, with undulating stocks and a dollar bill in the background.
It’s hard to feel sorry for AI companies when China is giving them a taste of their own medicine

By Benedict Collins

It's time to read AI its rights

Ante Pamuković, Chief Revenue Officer at Infobip (left), and Michael Heath, Senior Fan Engagement & CRM Manager at TGR Haas F1 Team (right)
'I want Racemate to be the second screen': Infobip is helping TGR Haas to fund Formula 1 car development through an entirely new kind of fan engagement

By Benedict Collins

RaceMate is an AI companion designed to answer all your questions about TGR Haas, the drivers, and the races.

The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, as seen on April 15, 2017. It is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense.
Oracle awarded 10-year $7 billion Pentagon deal to supply Department of War with vital software and services

By Benedict Collins

The contract unifies existing Oracle licensing under a single vehicle, and is expected to save $441 million across the 10-year period.

The United States Capitol Building at sunset in Washington DC, USA.
‘Powerful AI systems can go rogue, behave in extremely dangerous ways, or even resist human intervention’: A bill requiring AI systems to have a ‘kill switch’ is now in Congress

By Benedict Collins

The bill would give the Secretary of Homeland Security the ability to shut down AI models that are advancing too quickly

Apple iMac 24-inch M3 (2023)
Best Data Removal Service of 2026: Expert Reviews, Comparisons, and Real-World Testing

By James Capell

We've tested and reviewed all the best data removal services to help keep your data safe and out of the hands of data brokers online

Nvidia logo on a dark background
‘Our nation depends on our men and women who fight on the front lines’: Nvidia donates DGX GB300 AI supercomputer to US Naval Postgraduate School to train AI leaders, run high-fidelity simulations, and create naval digital twin environments

By Benedict Collins

The supercomputer will now be used across a range of applications, from simulations and digital twins, to weather prediction and cybersecurity

Sam Altman talking
OpenAI is spending $30 billion on a new mega 3.2 GW data center in Georgia — and it's trying really hard to quell local opposition

By Benedict Collins

OpenAI really wants to avoid the local opposition seen at other data center projects, and is willing to offer commitments to the locals to ensure its campus gets built.

watch biden inauguration day 2021
White House wants to shift billions of dollars of research funding away from ‘slow consensus peer review’ and into individual scientists and AI

By Benedict Collins

Moving funding to individual scientists and AI could undermine US scientific credibility at home and abroad.

donald trump at trump rally smirking at camera
200 US utility firms join Trump electricity pledge as data center electricity use expected to quadruple by 2035 — but does the President's pledge have the teeth to regulate electricity pricing?

By Benedict Collins

The huge rise in consumer electricity pricing across the US has largely been fueled by data center construction and grid updgrades to connect them.

Trump
Trump’s head of AI safety agency just resigned, but he was only on the job for three months

By Benedict Collins

Chris Fall was only in the job for three months before resigning, and no reason has been provided for his departure.

Industrial interior of water pump, valves, pressure gauges, motors inside engine room. Valve and pumps in an industrial room. Urban modern powerful pipelines and pumps, automatic control systems
UK AI data centers could be given water priority during heatwaves and hosepipe bans — trade body warns that usage hasn’t been factored into AI growth zone projections

By Benedict Collins

The trade body representing UK water companies says that the UK government hasn't properly estimated projections for AI water usage.

A US flag with a large green eye peering through the red and white stripes of the flag.
70% of Americans don’t want data centers built nearby, but the government is seizing private property to force construction to start

By Benedict Collins

'Eminent domain' is being used to force landowners to sell their personal property to help build infrastructure for data centers.

European Union flag and map on damaged wall - stock photo
‘Parliament has not been immune to AI slop’: The EU is about to roll out its own AI platform — including tools from OpenAI, Meta, Anthropic and Mistral

By Benedict Collins

The platform will provide secure access to Meta’s Llama, OpenAI’s GPT-OSS, Mistral Small, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet.

In this photo illustration, the Meta Platforms, Inc. logo is displayed on a smartphone screen.
Meta says it will spend an extra $40 billion on its nearly 4,000-acre data center campus in Louisiana in its quest for more compute power

By Benedict Collins

Meta mega campus covers 4,000 acres and will require 10 methane-burning gas turbine plants to power the data center, which is set to use three times more electricity than New Orleans.

Satya Nadella CEO of Microsoft at the 50th Anniversary event
'You essentially pay for intelligence twice, once with money, and again with something even more valuable': Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella warns AI users not to give away too much

By Benedict Collins

By moving to on-prem models trained on the data businesses already keep in the cloud, their is less risk of the big AI companies selling business secrets to the competition.

Checking windows update on laptop screen close up view
Watch out Windows users, a Secure Boot update has been blocked on Windows 11 PCs due to failing on some devices — here's how to check if you're affected

By Benedict Collins

Certain older devices that cannot receive updates via their OEM may not be able to install the latest Secure Boot certificate.

An illustration depicting peaks and troughs in stock prices with an AI brain representing AI technologies and firms.
‘The fate of humanity must not be decided behind closed doors’: US artificial intelligence sovereign wealth fund sees surge in support as AI job losses mount — 69% of Americans want to see half of AI stock placed into new state-owned investment fund

By Benedict Collins

There is now overwhelming support in the US for AI firms to contribute to a sovereign wealth fund designed to redistribute wealth to working class Americans.

Power cables stretching out in front of the horizon
Ireland’s data center electricity consumption rises 360% in ten years, and is set to account for as much power as every home combined — 23% of national power sent to servers despite moratorium on new data center grid connections

By Benedict Collins

Ireland's grid is struggling to handle data center electricity consumption growth, so new data centers have to meet stringent power demand considerations.

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