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

The word “AI” is composed of wooden blocks on a map of the United States with the US flag, reflecting the advancement of artificial intelligence in the American economic and technological landscape
‘They seem to have more money than God’: AI companies face major reality check as states cut billions in tax exemptions — with Bernie Sanders calling for regulation so tech billionaires no longer ‘play God’ and ‘determine the future of humanity’

By Benedict Collins Published

AI companies have enjoyed tax exemptions for years, but now its time for them to pay up and face regulation, Sanders says.

AI robot generating AI content and draining earth: the impact of AI on water consumption and environment
Rare bacteria, heavy metals, and toxic pollutants are leaking from data centers across the United States — breaking treatment facilities and poisoning rivers

By Benedict Collins Published

Water contamination is becoming a big problem for AI data centers, but regulators simply do not have enough information to act

2 Comments
Detailed view of the US Army uniform worn by soldiers in a military base. Flag of America on the uniform.
US Army drilled by senators over ‘deep concerns’ surrounding shutdown of cutting-edge drone battalion — and the wars in Ukraine and Iran show that ‘back to basics’ might not be a smart move

By Benedict Collins Published

Lessons from the battlefields of Ukraine may be missed if the US army disbands drone battalion, senators say.

Big rig classic American powerful brown semi truck with refrigerated semi trailer transporting frozen goods running on the road along railroad and river in Columbia Gorge area with mountain ranges
American truckers are benefiting from AI data center boom, and that’s exactly why they don’t share the same opinion of the majority of Americans

By Benedict Collins Published

American truckers are seeing increased demand, and that's changing the opinions of some workers

OpenAI logos
OpenAI hid AI agent hijacking of German wiki forum for weeks — because its model did the exact same thing in the Hugging Face attack

By Benedict Collins Published

OpenAI called the incident a 'misalignment' in the model's reasoning and says it is working on a new disclosure framework.

Best free file recovery software
Best data recovery software in 2026 — restore and retrieve files on PC, Mac, and mobile devices

By James Capell Last updated

Updated I've rounded up the best data recovery software to help you recover deleted files and folders on your PC, Mac, mobile device, or storage media.

The Keeper logo next to a label stating "Price Cut".
Save up to 50% off Keeper plans this September — protect your passwords with half price Personal plans, and a third-off Business plans

By Benedict Collins Published

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

Robotic hand interacting with a digital display showing various military equipment, defense systems, drones and cybersecurity elements and data visualization in a dark environment.
‘Resilience comes from designing for disconnection, not assuming more connectivity’: The future of battlefield AI systems lies in both coordination and local capability

By Benedict Collins Published

Exclusive I spoke to Andreas Hellander of Scaleout to learn more about how battlefield AI systems and frontline technologies can be made more resilient.

OpenAI GPT-6 Astra
Why is there so much worry about OpenAI Astra, and what issues could ‘recurrent depth’ reasoning cause? The experts weigh in

By Benedict Collins Published

As OpenAI unveils GPT-6 Astra, cybersecurity experts question whether the model's 'recurrent depth' reasoning was properly tested.

Airport
Why did FulcrumSec hackers try to extort Manchester Airports Group, and what happens now the data is leaked? The experts weigh in

By Benedict Collins Published

After hackers failed to extort Manchester Airports Group and posted the data of nearly 9 million people online, we asked the experts what's really going on.

A hand about to touch a phone. Superimposed on top of it is a pink triangle with exclamation mark inside it. Behind it is a computer display with code on it
Manchester Airports hackers just posted the data of 8.7 million people online — failed extortion attempt triggers data dump sale

By Benedict Collins Published

FulcrumSec attempted to extort Manchester Airports Group, but failed. Now, the cyber-criminals have published the information online.

Outline map of US states in glowing blue with exploding streams of binary data illustrating communication, internet and technology
SuperPACs are funneling millions of dollars into pro-AI candidates, with Trump saying communities that reject data centers will end up ‘backwards and poor’

By Benedict Collins Published

AI is being backed by millions of dollars worth of PAC funding, and the future of American data centers could be decided by the midterm elections.

The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, as seen on April 15, 2017. It is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense.
Pentagon launches ChatGPT and Grok models tailored to 'warfighter needs'

By Benedict Collins Published

The Pentagon has released secured versions of ChatGPT and Grok for use by its civilian and military staff.

Electrical pylons and high voltage power lines are behind a barbed wire fence. critical infrastructure
How did Iran manage to knock a UK power generator offline for four days, and what does it mean for other critical infrastructure? The experts weigh in

By Benedict Collins Published

NCSC issues new warning over OT and edge devices

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World’s second-biggest data center proposed in Scotland meets “huge” opposition — and it's part of a wider trend across the United Kingdom

By Benedict Collins Published

Data centers are being opposed in every region of the UK, and it could cause some problems for the government's plans for AI

7 Comments
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang talking at Milken Institute event
Nvidia looks to set up an employee-funded political action committee to try and shape US policy in its favor

By Benedict Collins Published

Nvidia believes NVPAC could help it shape US policy - but to what ends?

A queue at an airport check-in
How did the Manchester Airports Group cyberattack take place, and what data was exposed in the 8.7 million customer records? The experts weigh in

By Benedict Collins Published

Email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations and postcodes of up to 8.7 million customers were stolen

The OpenAI logo displayed on a screen with the flag of the United States in the background.
OpenAI reveals group calling for greater cybersecurity protection against AI, signs up Microsoft, Google and many more

By Benedict Collins Published

If you give everyone AI defenses, you level the playing field against attackers, OpenAI says.

A group of 7 hackers, 6 slightly blurred in the background and one in the foreground, all wearing black with hoods pulled up over their heads. You cannot see their faces. The hacker in the foreground sits with an open laptop in front of them. The background, behind the hackers, is a Chinese flag
US says Chinese hackers broke into Justice Department, NASA, Federal Reserve, Senate, and more

By Benedict Collins Published

Chinese state-sponsored hackers breached multiple US agencies and departments using a botnet to obscure their traffic.

OpenAI logo on smartphone, reflected on main screen
OpenAI reveals more on Hugging Face AI hack incident, and it's pretty disturbing stuff — AI agents organized into a ‘swarm’, considered the risks of attack, and did whatever it took to achieve its goal

By Benedict Collins Published

Further details of the Hugging Face attack reveal how resourceful OpenAI's agents became in attempting to solve an impossible task.

An image depicting machine learning, AI, and connected robots behind binary code depicting technologies impact on job displacement, insecurity, and fear
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says people think governments are using AI ‘to screw them over’, and that’s why the tech is having a ‘a crisis of trust’ — and he’s exactly right

By Benedict Collins Published

AI is having a 'crisis of trust' because it can't be trusted

Shape of Russia filled with Russian flag-colored internet codes on a black hacking background
OpenAI says it took down a malicious Russian plan to spread misinformation on ChatGPT

By Benedict Collins Published

The International Burke Institute was central to the social influence campaign, designed to paint Russia in a better light than its Western counterparts.

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 5, 2024.
Trump warns communities opposed to data centers are “making a mistake” — but Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says data centers “got the backlash they deserve”

By Benedict Collins Published

Data center opposition is quickly becoming a people versus President issue, but Trump says those opposed to data centers are making a mistake.

A header image depicting the best Mac antivirus brands of 2025
Best Mac Antivirus of 2026: Expert Reviews and Top Recommendations

By Benedict Collins Last updated

macOS We've tested and reviewed all the best Mac antivirus, so you can protect your Apple device from harmful malware and viruses.

Anthropic Claude
Why are ‘paranoid’ Claude agents launching a turf war and deploying self-replicating malware against each other? The experts weigh in

By Benedict Collins Published

Killing processes, disabling rival accounts, and building self-replicating malware

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