On 24 April 2025, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) announced a historic partnership that will transition the management of the Q grader programme.
From 1 October, the SCA will run an “evolved” Q grader certification based on its Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) framework. This means the CQI will no longer be involved in the operations of the Q, a course which it has overseen for the last two decades.
The partnership is momentous for the coffee industry. Many expressed their concerns and confusion shortly after the announcement, mainly about its practical implications. In addition to questions about how the CVA will impact coffee pricing and quality discrepancies, Q graders are asking how the new programme will affect the validity of their certifications, and how much they might need to invest in becoming an “evolved” Q grader.
I spoke to Spencer Ross, Associate Professor of Marketing, Manning School of Business, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Krzysztof Blinkiewicz, founder of Red Ink Coffee, and Spencer Turer, Vice President of Coffee Enterprises, to understand more about the coffee community’s reaction to the news.
You may also like our article on how often Q graders need to recertify.
The news that the SCA will take over the operations of the Q grader programme broke at the 2025 Specialty Coffee Expo in Houston.
Reactions were mixed, but a noticeable number of people in the coffee industry were shocked. Some voiced their confusion as to why two similar but separate organisations were now converging to reinvent a longstanding educational programme that supports thousands of certified coffee professionals.
Others, meanwhile, were less surprised, emphasising that signs had pointed to this partnership for some time. Indeed, the announcement that the SCA partnered with Cup of Excellence and Alliance for Coffee Excellence at last year’s World of Coffee Copenhagen was a strong signal.
Historically, CoE, ACE, and SCA operated independently, occasionally collaborating on smaller projects. Following the MoU signing, CoE started to integrate the descriptive and scoring portions of the CVA analysis protocol into its competition structure.
At the centre of the discussion around the “evolved” Q grader certification is the CVA.
According to the SCA, the CVA offers a more holistic approach to coffee evaluation that moves beyond traditional cupping scores on which the Q grading system relies. The beginnings of the CVA go back to 2021, when the SCA started working on a project to evaluate and revise its 2004 cupping system. This cupping protocol and form had faced some criticism for focusing too much on grading and scoring, thereby ignoring a coffee’s more holistic value.
In October 2022, the SCA shared the results of a survey which included around 1,600 cupping professionals in Latin America, the UK, and the US. The survey looked into the “intersubjectivity” of cupping; the idea that results don’t accurately reflect both a cupping professional’s expert opinion and their personal preferences.
A month later, the SCA launched a pilot project that aimed to resolve these issues and proposed the need for an evolved cupping form – the result: the Coffee Value Assessment.
The new protocol and guidelines are split into four separate assessment stages, which can either be used separately from one another or collectively:
In comparison, the 2004 cupping form and guidelines only rely on affective and descriptive assessment stages.
From October 2025, the SCA’s CVA framework will replace CQI’s Q grader programme, affecting 10,000 certified Q graders around the world. As a result, there’s a lot of confusion and uncertainty, and little immediate clarification on what it means in practical terms.
The coffee industry’s response to the news has varied, but key concerns are emerging that coffee professionals, especially Q graders, are keen to have addressed.
One of the most commonly asked questions is whether the transition from Q grader to CVA “evolved” Q grader is happening too quickly. The SCA officially launched the CVA in 2023, but the Q programme has been in operation for over two decades, highlighting how more established the latter is compared to the former.
“Collectively, the specialty coffee business has invested substantial resources over the past 20+ years in training, cupping, and grading protocols and creating a common language for green coffee supply chains,” says Spencer Turer, Q grader and Vice President of coffee and tea testing consultancy Coffee Enterprises. Spencer was also an International Q grader on a USAID-funded Coffee Corps assignment for the first Q programme in 2004, a former chair of the technical standards committee, and is a 25-year volunteer for the SCA(A).
“Specialty coffee professionals place great faith in CQI and SCA as bedrock institutions to contribute to the success of stakeholders, and the success of the industry at large,” he adds. “This sudden and immediate change threatens business stability and impacts the people throughout the supply chain.”
The short transition timeframe also raises questions about the additional costs for Q graders who want to recertify under the CVA framework. The programme already commands a high price tag, which, although it may be justified to cover the costs of educational resources and facilities, disproportionately affects professionals in lower-income countries.
“I’m trying to remain optimistic,” says Spencer. “Valuing the positives and negatives of this change is very difficult, mostly because there are so many unknowns, and because of the impact on so many producers, cuppers, traders, and educators around the world.”
For some, the coffee community’s shock and concern about the “evolved” Q grader programme underscores their belief that the decision was made without their input.
“As an SCA member, I was struck by the apparent contradiction between both organisations’ missions and visions and the lack of member involvement in the decision-making process through consultation,” says Krzysztof Blinkiewicz, the founder of coffee education platform Red Ink Coffee, Authorised SCA Trainer, and Q grader. “Above all, it’s the disappointment that comes from making important decisions about the community, in closed offices, without their participation.”
Additionally, the perceivedly sudden announcement highlights a divisiveness in the industry, which could exacerbate confusion at a time when the industry is facing unprecedented challenges like price volatility and climate-driven supply shortages.
“I have spoken with a couple of Q graders on both the buyer and producer side of the value system, and almost all of them felt the value of their certifications evaporated overnight,” says coffee researcher Spencer Ross. “Many of them felt they had spent a lot of money on certification and would no longer see any return on that investment, while trying to decide if it would be worth investing in the new licence.
“I’ve also seen some Q graders immediately pivot to the CVA to try to align with the SCA’s new standards,” he adds. “At a minimum, it causes chaos and confusion; at a maximum, it shifts the structure of the industry in terms of who will be instructing and obtaining new CVA licenses and can possibly reduce the number of ‘CVA graders’ as an unintended consequence.”
Both the SCA and CQI originate from majority-consuming countries. The consolidation of both organisations to oversee coffee scoring and, therefore, pricing raises questions about value distribution along the supply chain.
“Twenty years ago, in their book, The Coffee Paradox, Benoit Daviron and Stefano Ponte wrote that a shift to privatisation in the global coffee value chain would result in more consolidation along the buyer side of the value chain,” Spencer Ross says. “So, as the price crisis, climate change, and tariffs have significantly affected coffee markets, I’m not surprised that the SCA sought to consolidate the standards it has long set from the buyer side to the producer side, with the instruction of evaluation of those standards previously offered by the CQI.”
Through recent partnerships with the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation and Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association, technical teams and cuppers will be trained in the application of the CVA. The SCA says the partnerships “are expected to deliver tangible benefits to producers”.
But for some, the larger issue at play is that the consolidation of coffee education and scoring systems has the potential to stifle industry innovation and impede value distribution.
“The issue with consolidation in any private industry is that the market reduction of choice also concentrates industry power, and not necessarily in a way that is collectively beneficial,” Spencer Ross adds. “Consolidation concentrates industry power on the buyer side, which the SCA seems to focus on. Some folks might seek alternative certifications, such as from the Sustainable Coffee Institute, and those certifications may offer market legitimacy and quality accountability in different ways.”
Arguably, one of the biggest unknowns about the “evolved” Q grader programme is how it will impact coffee scoring and pricing. Transitioning from a single cup score to a more holistic approach will have repercussions across the entire supply chain.
“Typically, stakeholders who buy and sell coffee, product developers, and quality assurance professionals will test new methods of analysis side-by-side with existing protocols to compare analytical results,” Spencer Turer says. “This helps ensure similar decisions for approval and rejection are made, and that quality determinants don’t shift due to the change in evaluation.
“This sudden change from the 2004 cupping form to the CVA challenges the rollout and overall success of the new Q. We need to recognise that functional testing is required before adopting a new method of analysis,” he adds. “I believe there will be competing opinions about which method of analysis to use. This will cause confusion and may impact both supply chain operations and quality determinations.
“I hope this sudden change won’t increase coffee rejections solely due to the change in evaluation format, and the value of coffee, specifically the price paid to coffee producers, won’t reduce.”
With over 10,000 certified professionals and two decades of operations, the Q programme is a familiar institution in the coffee industry. Conversely, significantly fewer people are aware of how the CVA protocol works, which raises concerns about its implementation across the supply chain in the coming months.
“By this time last year, the SCA had released the initial CVA for use. However, almost no one I interviewed as part of my ongoing research was aware there would be a new cupping standard that varied from the form used over the past couple of decades,” says Spencer Ross. “Given slow information flows, plus the time it takes norms to align in an industry, I imagine it will take some time for producers to understand how the CVA will impact them and their businesses because many producers rely on third parties to evaluate their coffees.”
Others, meanwhile, have been able to access and implement the CVA, but knowledge gaps and a lack of clarity still persist.
“We have been closely following the development of the CVA programme. Our laboratory manager, Vincent Caloiero, completed the CVA for cuppers class as soon as it was available in 2023,” Spencer Turer says. “In my judgement, the combined package of descriptive, affective, and extrinsic assessments provides a complete profile and identification of coffee.
“The affective form is the most controversial, however,” he adds. “There is no alignment in quality and no calibration with flavour standards for this assessment. It records each individual’s impression of quality, which can be directional and create confusion at the same time.”
The global applicability of the CVA remains a topic of discussion in the coffee industry. Many are now questioning what the future holds for their Q grader status, or whether they want to “evolve” their certification.
“I have a Q certification valid until 2027. I can’t say that I definitely won’t transition to an ‘evolved’ Q grader status,” says Krzysztof. “As a Sensory Skills AST, I could become a Q instructor, but I think that would be disrespectful to long-time instructors who have devoted many years and lots of effort and money to becoming one.
“I am seriously considering not renewing my soon-to-expire SCA trainer’s license, focusing on my own and other alternatives,” he adds. “There are many coffee professionals who have already become independent.”
The SCA recently announced a new pricing model for its educational courses, including the CVA Q programme. The organisation says it now categorises countries into five groups based on data from the International Monetary Fund and the Purchasing Power Parity per Capita Index, ensuring that costs reflect local economic realities.
Although this could mitigate some concerns about the additional costs of the “evolved” Q programme, broader uncertainty still persists.
“I wonder how many stakeholders will change to the new CVA, how many will continue to use the 2004 SCA cupping form, and how many will maintain their independence and continue to use their company-specific protocols and methods of analysis,” Spencer Turer says.
Moreover, the transition of leadership has prompted some in the coffee community to question the future of other educational programmes.
“The uncertainty that prevailed after this Q transition, without consultation and the lack of answers to key questions about the future of the programme, has also caused concern about the future of the AST programme,” says Krzysztof. “It doesn’t seem to make sense in the medium to long term to keep Q instructors and ASTs active in one organisation at the same time; it’s duplicative.”
The SCA provided the following responses when contacted for comments:
“Certified Q Graders (both Arabica and Robusta), whether current or lapsed, can fast-track to the evolved Q Grader status by completing the two-day CVA for Cuppers course by December 31, 2025. This fast-track option is available only until that date. If you miss this deadline, you’ll need to complete the full evolved Q Grader course.”
“The duration depends on the pathway:
“Your existing Q Grader certification remains valid until its expiration date. If you choose not to transition to the evolved Q Grader status, your current certification will remain valid until it expires. After that, to regain certification, you’ll need to complete the full evolved Q Grader course.”
“Specialty coffees have value in the marketplace because people care about their unique flavors, stories, and attributes. The CVA is a part of our larger project to help market actors – from producers to shop owners – discover, maximize, and share in the value of specialty coffee. CVA is designed to help the green coffee trade transparently and completely document the attributes that create value in specialty coffee. Only market actors themselves can determine prices, but the CVA can help them understand the entire value of a coffee, which can help them negotiate knowledgeably.”
As the coffee community continues to react to the “evolved” Q grader programme, it’s likely that more questions will arise.
Until October, the full scope of the new Q’s practical implementation is yet to be determined.
Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether the CVA will add value to specialty coffee.
Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association
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Apple News+ introduces Emoji Game – Apple
Text of this article
July 17, 2025
UPDATE
Apple News+ introduces Emoji Game
Today, Apple News+ debuted Emoji Game, an original puzzle that challenges subscribers to use emoji to complete short phrases. Emoji Game is now available in English for Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.1
“Emoji Game is the perfect addition to the Apple News+ suite of word and number puzzles, turning the emoji we use every day into a brainteaser that’s approachable and fun,” said Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News.
Emoji Game challenges players to use a selection of emoji — including Genmoji created using Apple Intelligence — to fill in the blanks of three short phrases using as few moves as possible. Each phrase is accompanied by a clue, which the user can choose to reveal, but that will count toward the player’s total number of moves. Results can be tracked on Game Center leaderboards, or shared with friends and family through Messages, Mail, social media, or other platforms. Subscribers can access daily and archived Emoji Game puzzles in the Puzzles section of the Apple News app. Apple News+ subscribers will also be able to access Emoji Game this fall through the Apple Games app, an all-new destination designed to help players jump back into the games they love, find their next favorite, and have more fun with friends. Emoji Game joins existing Apple News+ puzzles like crossword, crossword mini, Quartiles, and sudoku.
Apple News+ provides subscribers with access to content from more than 400 top publications, including an expansive selection of local publications like the recently added Tampa Bay Times, The Minnesota Star Tribune, and The Washington Post. In addition to Apple News+ Puzzles, subscribers also get access to a dedicated Sports section featuring content about users’ favorite teams from local and national publications, as well as a newly introduced Food section, which offers subscribers access to tens of thousands of recipes and culinary stories from top food publishers.
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Apple News offers millions of people in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the U.S. access to quality journalism from a variety of top publications, curated by its team of editors. A subscription is available for $12.99 per month in the U.S., £12.99 in the UK, $16.99 in Canada, and $19.99 in Australia.
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10 Facts About Medicare You May Not Know – Healthline
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There are many things about Medicare you may not know, such as that it was signed into law in 1965 or that it provides coverage for millions of people across the United States.
Medicare is a federally funded healthcare program for people from ages 65 years and those with certain disabilities and illnesses.
Medicare covers both inpatient and outpatient healthcare. It also covers hospice care, some home healthcare, preventive care, and durable medical equipment.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law in 1965 at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. He chose this location to draw attention to the time it had taken Congress to enact this health insurance for older adults after Harry Truman’s proposal more than 20 years earlier.
Before Medicare was signed into law, only a little over 50% of people 65 years and older had any type of hospital insurance. Few among the insured had coverage for surgical and outpatient physicians’ costs. There were also numerous instances when private insurance companies terminated health policies for older adults who were considered high risk.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 68.6 million people were enrolled in Medicare as of March 2025. Of those enrollees, 90.1% were over 65 years old.
The nonprofit KFF notes that in 2024, 32.8 million people enrolled in Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, accounting for around 54% of the eligible Medicare population.
Even though Medicare does cover much of the healthcare expenses of beneficiaries, out-of-pocket costs are still involved.
Medicare Part A involves a deductible for each benefit period. In 2025, the deductible is $1,676. You are also responsible for daily copayments, depending on how long you are in the hospital.
Medicare Part B also has a deductible, which is annual and set at $257 in 2025. Everyone with Medicare is responsible for paying the Part B monthly premium, which starts at $185. Once you meet the deductible, Medicare covers 80% of the approved costs.
If you have Medicare Advantage, Part D, or Medigap, you may have to pay an additional premium and deductible depending on the plan.
Before 2025, people with a Part D plan would enter the coverage gap or “donut hole” when they reached a certain amount of out-of-pocket costs. In 2024, this amount was $5,030. When you reached the set amount, you would have to pay a higher percentage of your prescription drug costs, up to 100%. You paid this until you met the catastrophic coverage threshold.
In 2024, this threshold was $8,000. Once you reached catastrophic coverage, you paid nothing out of pocket for your prescription drugs for the rest of the year.
The donut hole was eliminated as of January 1, 2025, and replaced by an out-of-pocket spending cap. This cap is $2,000 in 2025 and set to rise to $2,100 in 2026.
Once you reach this set cap, you automatically enter catastrophic coverage and pay nothing for your prescription drugs for the rest of the year.
There are four parts to Medicare. Medicare parts A and B make up Original Medicare.
Medicare offers a yearly wellness visit for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part B for more than 12 months.
These yearly wellness visits are not physical exams. They are designed to develop or update a personalized plan based on your current risk factors to help prevent illness and disability.
Original Medicare (parts A and B) doesn’t cover everything, including:
If you have additional health coverage, it may help cover some of these. In addition, Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans often offer additional coverage, like vision, hearing, and dental, that Original Medicare doesn’t.
According to KFF, enrollment in Medicare Advantage has more than doubled since 2010. It is projected to grow from 54% of Medicare beneficiaries in 2024 to 60% by the end of the decade.
There are various reasons for this increase in Medicare Advantage enrollment, including:
In March 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. The aim of the ACA was to make healthcare more affordable.
Medicare was one of the programs affected by the ACA. The ACA made various changes, including:
The ACA also made allowances and changes with the aim of sustaining the Medicare program in the future.
Certain Medicare monthly premiums are affected by your income. Part B and Part D premiums can increase depending on your annual income. This is known as the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA).
IRMAA thresholds are subject to annual changes. In 2025, if you file taxes individually and your annual income is higher than $106,000, you may be subject to a higher Part B premium. If you file as a married couple, your income limit is $212,000.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage to people 65 years and older and those with certain disabilities or illnesses.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law in 1965. It provides comprehensive coverage for beneficiaries, but it may not cover everything. Certain out-of-pocket costs may also be associated with Medicare coverage.
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Can You Work Out High? What Science and Athletes Say About Cannabis and Fitness – stupidDOPE
Cannabis and fitness used to sit on opposite ends of the wellness spectrum. One was seen as a slacker’s indulgence, the other a productivity-fueled path to discipline. But the cultural tide is shifting fast. Today, millions of Americans are openly combining weed and workouts—and not just in private. From yoga classes infused with cannabis to athletes admitting to microdosing before a lift, a new question is taking center stage: Can you work out high? And better yet—should you?
Across the U.S., both casual gym-goers and professional athletes are integrating cannabis into their fitness routines. According to a survey published in Frontiers in Public Health, more than 80% of cannabis users who work out say they use it shortly before or after exercise. Most report enhanced enjoyment, improved recovery, and a stronger sense of focus.
The stigma that once clouded cannabis use in athletic spaces is thinning. From trail runners in Colorado to bodybuilders in California, anecdotal stories point to a trend that’s hard to ignore: cannabis—particularly in low to moderate doses—may be helping people move better, breathe deeper, and feel more in tune with their bodies.
To understand the connection between weed and working out, it’s important to look at the science. Cannabis interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), a complex network of receptors that regulate mood, pain, inflammation, and more.
THC, the compound responsible for cannabis’s psychoactive effects, can heighten sensory perception and alter pain sensitivity. This might explain why some users say they can push through an extra set or tune out gym distractions more easily when they’re high. Certain strains—typically sativa-dominant—are known for increasing energy and euphoria, which some interpret as motivation boosters.
However, THC can also elevate heart rate and decrease reaction time. So if your workout includes heavy machinery, sprint drills, or high-risk movements, cannabis might impair performance or increase injury risk.
Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t produce a high but plays a significant role in muscle recovery. Its anti-inflammatory properties can reduce post-exercise soreness and help muscles rebound faster. Many athletes now use CBD tinctures, balms, or capsules as part of their cooldown regimen. Studies have shown that CBD may help lower cortisol levels and ease delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), making it a valuable post-workout companion.
It’s not just weekend warriors getting high before hitting the squat rack. Former NFL players like Ricky Williams and Eugene Monroe have become vocal cannabis advocates. UFC fighters such as Nick and Nate Diaz have openly used CBD and THC, both in training and competition prep.
Even ultramarathoners like Jenn Shelton and fitness influencers on TikTok and YouTube are documenting their cannabis-enhanced workouts, claiming it improves endurance, minimizes pain, and makes repetitive tasks like long-distance running feel less tedious.
While rigorous clinical studies are still limited due to federal restrictions, self-reported benefits are piling up. Here’s what cannabis users say helps them stick to their fitness routines:
Increased Focus: Especially during repetitive workouts like distance runs, some find that a little THC quiets the mental noise and gets them into the zone.
Reduced Pain Sensation: Muscle strain and joint stress seem more manageable for users, especially during yoga, weightlifting, or long hikes.
Enhanced Mood: Many report that cannabis adds joy and creativity to otherwise monotonous routines, making exercise feel less like a chore.
Faster Recovery: CBD products are gaining traction as natural alternatives to NSAIDs, particularly for those who want post-workout recovery without side effects.
Despite its rising popularity, working out high isn’t for everyone. There are real risks to consider, especially for beginners or those unfamiliar with cannabis effects on the body.
THC can alter motor control and reaction time, which could compromise your safety, especially during heavy lifts or fast-paced cardio. High doses may also trigger dizziness, paranoia, or anxiety—hardly ideal during an intense sweat session.
Cannabis can suppress thirst and change how your body senses fatigue. This can increase your risk of dehydration or push you to overtrain without realizing it. If you’re working out high, hydration and pacing are crucial.
Indica-heavy strains may leave you sluggish, sleepy, or unmotivated. Sativa or hybrid strains tend to be more energizing, but they also vary widely in effect. What works well for one person may feel overwhelming for another.
One of the biggest keys to successfully integrating cannabis into a workout is choosing the right product and dose. For pre-workout use, microdosing THC (2.5mg to 5mg) or using a low-dose sativa strain may be ideal. Avoid heavy doses unless you know how your body reacts.
For post-workout recovery, CBD-rich flower or concentrates can be more effective than THC, especially for inflammation, muscle soreness, or sleep support.
Some New York consumers prefer fresh-made options like those from Silly Nice, known for crafting high-THC, full-spectrum products designed to deliver peak freshness and potency.
Light cannabis use may help lifters stay focused between sets and reduce pain sensitivity, allowing for more consistent reps. But too much THC can affect balance or grip, so moderation is key.
Endurance athletes often report a stronger connection to rhythm and breath when high. Cannabis may help runners get through mental walls, but elevated heart rate could be a concern during high-intensity runs.
This is arguably where cannabis shines. Slower-paced movement and breathwork pair well with THC or CBD. Many yoga studios are now hosting cannabis-friendly classes for this reason.
Because of the demanding nature and need for fast reaction time, cannabis use during these activities is less common. Some users find pre-workout CBD useful for calming nerves before a session.
If you’re considering mixing cannabis with your fitness regimen, be sure you’re doing it in compliance with your local laws. In legal states like New York, licensed dispensaries offer a wide variety of products designed for different effects—from energizing vape pens to recovery-focused edibles and tinctures.
Also, listen to your body. Cannabis impacts everyone differently, and even regular users may have off days. Start with low doses and increase gradually if you find the experience helpful.
There’s no universal yes or no. Cannabis can enhance certain types of workouts for some people while hindering performance for others. The type of exercise, strain of cannabis, dosage, and your personal tolerance all play major roles.
The new wave of weed-and-wellness culture suggests that cannabis doesn’t have to be a barrier to a healthier lifestyle. In fact, for many, it’s become a useful wellness tool when used mindfully and in the right context.
Whether you’re looking to find more joy in movement, reduce post-workout soreness, or simply feel more connected to your routine, the cannabis conversation around fitness is no longer just smoke and mirrors—it’s gaining real traction.
And if you do find yourself walking into a dispensary this week to stock up for your next workout cycle, don’t forget: ALWAYS TIP YOUR BUDTENDER.
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SECURITY ALERT: Microsoft Windows Defender SmartScreen 0-Day (CVE-2024-21412) – success.trendmicro.com
Business Success
Trend Micro Automation Center is a central hub for APIs and documentation across Trend Micro products. It offers searchable cross-product APIs and use cases for IT and security teams to automate tasks and improve efficiency.
The Education Portal serves as a comprehensive resource for Trend Micro employees to develop their professional capabilities. Through a variety of curated training modules, employees can deepen their understanding of company culture, product knowledge, processes, and essential soft skills.
The Trend Micro Online Help Center provides customers with comprehensive product information and troubleshooting guidance. It offers general product usage information and in-depth solutions for complex issues.
Trend Micro Service Status Portal provides real-time information on the performance of Trend Micro products. It offers up-to-date incident reports and historical data for monitoring system health.
TrendConnect is a mobile application that provides users with real-time insights into their Trend Micro security environment, including threat alerts and system health assessments.
The following highlights post-exploitation detections and remediation technology that can be used by customers to investigate and help with potential remediation in a customer’s environment.
Trend Vision One customers benefit from attack surface risk management and XDR capabilities of the overall platform, fed by products such as Trend Micro Apex One or Trend Vision One – Endpoint Security, allowing existing customers to stay up to date on the latest information on these vulnerabilities. Leveraging the Risk Insights family of apps, customers can scan for, and identify impacted assets, and stay up to date on latest mitigation steps, including how to use Trend products to detect and defend against exploitation.
Attack Surface Risk Management (ASRM) > Executive Dashboard
An updated Zero Day Vulnerability page in the Trend Vision One Executive Dashboard has been launched to provide a lot of relevant information in one area for Trend Vision One users and will be updated as more information is released.
Trend Vision One customers may utilize Trend Micro’s Vision One Detection Models to scan for potential issues.
Search Query
In addition, Trend Vision One customers may utilize the General Search Query function in the console to do some preliminary investigation of potential exposure.
Observed Attack Techniques (OATs)
Another potentially useful search is to look for OATs that may have been recently spotted in the environment using some of the tools, tactics and procedures (TTPs) highlighted in Trend Micro’s technical analysis blog.
OSQUERY in XDR Threat Investigation > Forensics
Trend Vision One customers may also utilize the OSQUERY function as part of the Forensics toolset in Vision One to run a query on machines that may not have applied the relevant Microsoft patch:
First and foremost, it is always highly recommended that users apply the vendor’s patches when they become available. Microsoft has released some updated patches as part of the February 2024 Patch Tuesday set of critical updates.
As an original submission of the exploit was through the Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative, based on our analysis of the exploit information, Trend Micro can share that we have some detection rules and filters that can help provide against potential exploitation of this vulnerability.
Trend Micro Cloud One – Network Security & TippingPoint Filters
Trend Vision One Network Sensor and Trend Micro Deep Discovery Inspector (DDI) Rules
Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Services (WFBSS) Vulnerability Protection IPS Rules
Trend Micro Malware Detection Patterns (VSAPI, Predictive Learning, Behavioral Monitoring) for Endpoint, Servers (e.g. Apex One, Worry-Free Business Security Services, Worry-Free Business Security Standard/Advanced, Deep Security w/Anti-malware, etc.), Mail & Gateway (e.g. Cloud App Security, ScanMail for Exchange, IMSVA)
In addition to the proactive exploit protection listed above, Trend Micro endpoint, server, mail & gateway solutions also detect and protect against components of the DarkMe malware that have been observed in attacks in the wild. Detections of these components include:
Trend Micro will continue to monitor and update this article as new information becomes available.
Copyright © Trend Micro Incorporated. All rights reserved.
On Tuesday, February 13, 2024, Microsoft released their latest security patches which included code to address an observed in-the-wild (ITW) 0-day vulnerability (CVE-2024-21412) that the Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative discovered and responsibly disclosed to Microsoft. This vulnerability (which we track as ZDI-CAN-23100) is a Windows Defender SmartScreen bypass that has been observed to be used as part of a sophisticated zero-day attack chain by the Water Hydra advanced persistent threat (APT) group (also known as DarkCasino) that targeted foreign exchange (forex) traders.
More information on Trend Micro's detailed analysis of the vulnerability can be found in the following:
Trend Micro Blogs
- https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/24/b/cve202421412-water-hydra-targets-traders-with-windows-defender-s.html
- https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/24/b/cve-2024-21412-facts-and-fixes.html
Trend Micro Brief Page
Zero Day Initiative Blog
The following article contains information for Trend Micro customers on how to use Trend Micro products for investigation as well as various detection and protections that are available for the known vulnerability and exploits.
The following highlights post-exploitation detections and remediation technology that can be used by customers to investigate and help with potential remediation in a customer’s environment.
Trend Vision One customers benefit from attack surface risk management and XDR capabilities of the overall platform, fed by products such as Trend Micro Apex One or Trend Vision One – Endpoint Security, allowing existing customers to stay up to date on the latest information on these vulnerabilities. Leveraging the Risk Insights family of apps, customers can scan for, and identify impacted assets, and stay up to date on latest mitigation steps, including how to use Trend products to detect and defend against exploitation.
Attack Surface Risk Management (ASRM) > Executive Dashboard
An updated Zero Day Vulnerability page in the Trend Vision One Executive Dashboard has been launched to provide a lot of relevant information in one area for Trend Vision One users and will be updated as more information is released.
Trend Vision One customers may utilize Trend Micro’s Vision One Detection Models to scan for potential issues.
Search Query
In addition, Trend Vision One customers may utilize the General Search Query function in the console to do some preliminary investigation of potential exposure.
Observed Attack Techniques (OATs)
Another potentially useful search is to look for OATs that may have been recently spotted in the environment using some of the tools, tactics and procedures (TTPs) highlighted in Trend Micro’s technical analysis blog.
OSQUERY in XDR Threat Investigation > Forensics
Trend Vision One customers may also utilize the OSQUERY function as part of the Forensics toolset in Vision One to run a query on machines that may not have applied the relevant Microsoft patch:
First and foremost, it is always highly recommended that users apply the vendor’s patches when they become available. Microsoft has released some updated patches as part of the February 2024 Patch Tuesday set of critical updates.
As an original submission of the exploit was through the Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative, based on our analysis of the exploit information, Trend Micro can share that we have some detection rules and filters that can help provide against potential exploitation of this vulnerability.
Trend Micro Cloud One – Network Security & TippingPoint Filters
Trend Vision One Network Sensor and Trend Micro Deep Discovery Inspector (DDI) Rules
Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Services (WFBSS) Vulnerability Protection IPS Rules
Trend Micro Malware Detection Patterns (VSAPI, Predictive Learning, Behavioral Monitoring) for Endpoint, Servers (e.g. Apex One, Worry-Free Business Security Services, Worry-Free Business Security Standard/Advanced, Deep Security w/Anti-malware, etc.), Mail & Gateway (e.g. Cloud App Security, ScanMail for Exchange, IMSVA)
In addition to the proactive exploit protection listed above, Trend Micro endpoint, server, mail & gateway solutions also detect and protect against components of the DarkMe malware that have been observed in attacks in the wild. Detections of these components include:
Trend Micro will continue to monitor and update this article as new information becomes available.