Last Samurai Standing begins with a familiar premise. Desperate samurai dispossessed by the restoration of the emperor enter into a deadly game for a life-changing cash prize — all for the entertainment of anonymous elites. Unlike its inspirations Battle Royale and Squid Game, however, Last Samurai Standing’s violence is chaotic, fast-paced, and kinetic, though it hides a careful choreography that makes the series a more electric proposition than its predecessors.
Technology
Nearly 1 million Medicare beneficiaries face data breach
Nearly 1 million Medicare beneficiaries have recently learned that their personal information may have been compromised in a data breach last year. This incident comes on the heels of another incident and highlights the ongoing challenges in protecting sensitive health care data and the importance of staying vigilant about your personal information.
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A total of 946,801 Medicare beneficiaries may have had their personal data exposed due to a security vulnerability. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
The breach: What happened?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is notifying 946,801 Medicare beneficiaries that their personal data may have been exposed due to a security vulnerability in the MOVEit file transfer software used by Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corp., a CMS contractor.
On July 8, 2024, Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) Insurance Corp. informed CMS about a cybersecurity incident involving MOVEit, a file transfer software. This incident compromised files containing protected health information, including Medicare claims data and other personally identifiable information.
The vulnerability in the MOVEit software allowed unauthorized access to personal information between May 27 and May 31, 2023. Progress Software, the developer of MOVEit, discovered and publicly disclosed this vulnerability on May 31, 2023, promptly releasing a software patch to address the issue.
WPS immediately applied the patch and conducted an initial investigation, which did not reveal any evidence of unauthorized file access at that time. However, in May 2024, new information prompted WPS to conduct a more thorough review with the assistance of a third-party cybersecurity firm. This review confirmed that while the vulnerability was successfully patched in early June 2023, an unauthorized third party had copied files from WPS’s MOVEit system before the patch was applied.
In coordination with law enforcement, WPS evaluated the impacted files. Initially, the examined portion did not contain personal information. However, on July 8, 2024, WPS discovered that some files in a different portion did contain personal information, leading to the immediate notification of CMS.
As of now, CMS and WPS are not aware of any reports of identity fraud or misuse of personal information resulting directly from this incident. Nevertheless, they are taking proactive measures to notify potentially affected individuals and provide resources to help protect their personal information.
It’s important to note that this incident does not affect current Medicare benefits or coverage.
The data breach does not affect Medicare benefits or coverage. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What information was exposed?
The compromised data potentially includes:
- Names
- Addresses
- Birth dates
- Social Security numbers
- Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs)
- Hospital account numbers
- Dates of services
Steps being taken by CMS
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corp. are taking comprehensive measures to address the data breach and protect affected beneficiaries. They have initiated a process of mailing written notifications to all individuals whose information may have been compromised. These notifications provide detailed information about the breach and offer guidance on protective steps.
In addition to the notifications, CMS and its contractor are offering affected beneficiaries complimentary credit monitoring services for a period of 12 months. This service will help individuals monitor their credit reports for any suspicious activity that could indicate identity theft or fraud.
Furthermore, CMS is taking the proactive step of issuing new Medicare cards to beneficiaries whose Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs) were potentially exposed in the breach. These new cards will contain updated MBIs, effectively invalidating the compromised numbers and adding an extra layer of security to beneficiaries’ accounts.
To ensure transparency and provide clear guidance, WPS has prepared a comprehensive letter that is being sent to all potentially affected individuals. This letter outlines the nature of the breach, the specific information that may have been compromised, and it details instructions on how to utilize the offered protection services. It also includes contact information for further assistance and answers to frequently asked questions, helping beneficiaries navigate this challenging situation with as much support as possible.
We reached out to CMS for a comment on this article, and a rep provided this statement: “We take the privacy and security of your Medicare information very seriously. CMS and WPS apologize for the inconvenience this incident might have caused you.”
A person holding an elderly person’s hand (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
HACKED, SCAMMED, EXPOSED: WHY YOU’RE ONE STEP AWAY FROM DISASTER ONLINE
What you should do
If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:
1) Watch for official communication: CMS will send letters to affected individuals. Be cautious of unsolicited calls or emails claiming to be from Medicare.
2) Monitor your credit: Take advantage of the free credit monitoring services offered if you receive a notification letter.
3) Review your Medicare summary notices: Check for any unfamiliar charges or services.
4) Be alert for scams: Beware of anyone contacting you about needing a new Medicare card. This is likely a scam.
5) Contact Medicare directly: If you’re concerned, call 1-800-MEDICARE to ask if your account was involved in any data breaches.
6) Report suspicious activity: If you suspect fraud, contact your state’s Senior Medicare Patrol for guidance.
7) Be cautious with digital communications: Don’t click on any links or download attachments in unsolicited emails, texts or social media messages claiming to be from Medicare or related to the data breach. These could be phishing attempts to gather more of your personal information. The best way to protect yourself from clicking malicious links is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. This can also alert you of any phishing emails or ransomware scams. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
8) Use an identity theft protection service: Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security Number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.
9) Consider using a data removal service: Given that Medicare beneficiary information may be exposed online due to data breaches, consider using a reputable data removal service. These services can help reduce your digital footprint by removing your personal information from various online databases and people-search websites. This can make it more difficult for scammers to find and misuse your information. However, be cautious when selecting such a service and ensure it’s legitimate, as some scammers may pose as data removal services to collect more of your personal information. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.
Protecting your Medicare information
To safeguard your Medicare data in the future. Never share your Medicare number with unsolicited callers or emailers. Be cautious about giving personal information over the phone or online. Regularly review your Medicare statements for any unusual activity. Keep your Medicare card in a safe place, just like you would a credit card.
PHARMA GIANT’S DATA BREACH EXPOSES PATIENTS’ SENSITIVE INFORMATION
Kurt’s key takeaways
While data breaches are unfortunately becoming more common, staying informed and taking proactive steps can help mitigate potential risks. Remember, Medicare will never call you unsolicited to ask for personal information or to issue a new card. If you’re ever in doubt, hang up and call Medicare directly using the official number on your card or the Medicare website. By staying vigilant and following these guidelines, you can help protect your personal and health care information from potential misuse.
Given the increasing frequency and scale of data breaches in the health care sector, what additional measures do you think Medicare and its affiliated organizations should implement to better protect beneficiaries’ personal information and prevent future security incidents? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Viewers have Junichi Okada to thank for that. As well as starring in and producing Last Samurai Standing, he serves as the series’ action planner. Many will be familiar with the results of an action planner’s work — sometimes called an action director, elsewhere a “coordinator,” and even “choreographer” — though perhaps not what the role entails. In the case of Last Samurai Standing, it’s a role that touches on nearly every aspect of the production, from the story to the action itself.
“I was involved from the script stage, thinking about what kind of action we wanted and how we would present it in the context of this story,” Okada tells The Verge. “If the director [Michihito Fujii] said, ‘I want to shoot this kind of battle scene,’ I would then think through the content and concept, design the scene, and ultimately translate that into script pages.”
The close relationship between the writer and director extends to other departments, too. Though an action planner’s role starts with managing fight scenes and stunt performers, they also liaise with camera, wardrobe, makeup, and even editorial departments to ensure fight scenes cohere with the rest of the production.
Image: Netflix
It’s a role which might appear a natural progression for Okada, who is certified to teach Kali and Jeet Kune Do — a martial art conceived by Bruce Lee — and holds multiple black belts in jiujitsu. Though the roots of his progression into action planning can be traced back further, to 1995 when he became the youngest member of J-pop group V6.
“Dance experience connects directly to creating action,” he says. “[In both] rhythm and control of the body are extremely important.” Joining V6 at the age of 15, that experience has made Okada conscious of how he moves in relation to a camera during choreography, how he is seen within the structure of a shot, and, critical to action planning, how to navigate all of that safely from a young age.
That J-pop stardom also offered avenues into acting, initially in roles you might expect for a young pop star: comic heartthrobs and sitcom sons. But he was steadily able to broaden his output. A starring turn in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Hana followed, as did voice acting in Studio Ghibli’s Tales From Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill. A more telling departure was a starring role in 2007’s SP, in which he played a rookie in a police bodyguard unit, for which he trained for several years under shootfighting instructor Yorinaga Nakamura.
“What I care about is whether audiences feel that ‘this man really lives here as a samurai.’”
In the years since, Okada has cemented himself as one of Japan’s most recognizable actors, hopping between action starring roles in The Fable to sweeping period epics like Sekigahara. Those two genres converge in his Last Samurai Standing role of Shujiro, a former Shogunate samurai now reduced to poverty, working through his PTSD and reckoning with his bloodthirsty past in the game. These days, it’s less of a concern that the character butts up against his past idol image, he suggests. “What I care about is whether audiences feel that ‘this man really lives here as a samurai.’”
For Okada’s work on Last Samurai Standing, as both producer and action planner, that involved lacing high-octane but believable action with the respect for history and character studies of the period dramas he loves. “Rather than being 100 percent faithful to historical accuracy,” he adds, “my goal was to focus on entertainment and story, while letting the ‘DNA’ and beauty of Japanese period drama gently float up in the background.”
A focus on what he defines as “‘dō’ — movement,” pure entertainment that “never lets the audience get bored” punctuated — with “‘ma,’” the active emptiness that connects those frenetic moments. Both can be conversations, even if one uses words and another communicates dialogue through sword blows. This is most apparent when Shujiro faces his former comrade Sakura (Yasushi Fuchikami) inside a claustrophobic bank vault that serves as a charnel house for the game’s less fortunate contestants.
“The whole battle is divided into three sequences,” Okada says. The first starts with a moment of almost perfect stillness, a deep breath, before the two launch into battle. “A fight where pride and mutual respect collide,” he says, “and where the speed of the techniques reaches a level that really surprises the audience.” It’s all captured in one, zooming take with fast, tightly choreographed action reminiscent of Donnie Yen and Wu Jing in Kill Zone.
So intense is their duel that both shatter multiple swords. The next phase sees them lash out in a more desperate and brutal manner with whatever weapons they find. Finally, having fought to a weary stalemate, the fight becomes, Okada concludes, “a kind of duel where their stubbornness and will are fully exposed” as they hack at each other with shattered blades and spear fragments.
Image: Netflix
It’s a rhythm that many fights in Last Samurai Standing follow, driven by a string of physical and emotional considerations that form the basis of an action planner’s tool kit: how and why someone fights based on who they are and their environment. Here it is two former samurai in an elegant and terrifyingly fast-paced duel. Elsewhere we see skill matched against brutality, or inexperience against expertise.
“I define a clear concept for each sequence,” Okada says, before he opens those concepts up to the broader team. From there, he might add notes, but in Last Samurai Standing, action is a collaborative affair. “We keep refining,” he says. “It’s a back-and-forth process of shaping the sequence using both the ideas the team brings and the choreography I create myself.”
There is a third factor which Okada believes is the series’ most defining. “If we get to continue the story,” he says, “I’d love to explore how much more we can lean into ‘sei’ — stillness, and bring in even more of a classical period drama feel.”
As much of a triumph of action as Last Samurai Standing is, its quietest moments are the ones that stay with you. The charged looks between Shujiro and Iroha (Kaya Kiyohara) or their shuddering fright when confronted with specters of their past. Most of all, Shujiro watching his young ward, Futaba Katsuki (Yumia Fujisaki), dance before a waterlogged torii as mist hovers. These pauses are what elevate and invigorate the breathless action above spectacle.
The pauses are also emblematic of the balance that Last Samurai Standing strikes between its period setting and pushing the boundaries of action, all to inject new excitement into the genre. “Japan is a country that values tradition and everything it has built up over time. That’s why moments where you try to update things are always difficult,” Okada says. “But right now, we’re in the middle of that transformation.”
That is an evolution that Okada hopes to support through his work, both in front of and behind the camera. If he can create avenues for new generations of talent to carry Japanese media to a broader audience and his team to achieve greater success on a global stage, “that would make me very happy,” he says. “I want to keep doing whatever I can to help make that possible.”
The first season of Last Samurai Standing is streaming on Netflix now, and a second season was just confirmed.
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If your iPhone keeps warning you about low storage, your Messages app may be part of the problem. Photos, videos and documents saved inside your text threads can stack up fast. The good news is that you can clear those big files without erasing entire conversations.
Below, you will find simple steps that work on the latest iOS 26.1. These steps help you clean up storage while keeping your messages right where you want them.
If you haven’t updated to iOS 26.1, go to Settings > General > Software Update to install the latest version.
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‘CLOUD STORAGE FULL’ SCAM STEALS YOUR PHOTOS AND MONEY
An iPhone displays a low-storage alert as large photos, videos and documents saved in Messages fill device space, prompting users to remove files without deleting entire conversations. (Cyberguy.com)
Why clearing attachments helps your iPhone run better
Removing large attachments gives you quick breathing room on your iPhone. It can free up gigabytes in seconds, especially if you text lots of photos or videos. Clearing old files also keeps your message threads tidy and helps your device run more smoothly by reducing the amount of storage your system needs to manage. The best part is that you can clean up everything without losing a single conversation.
How to delete attachments but keep your conversations on iPhone
These quick steps help you clear large files from Messages while keeping every conversation intact.
- Launch the Messages app on your iPhone
- Open the conversation thread that holds the attachments you want to delete.
- Tap on the name of the contact(s) in the text thread.
To the right of Info, click on Photos or Documents; you may need to swipe over other tabs to see these. Photos will also contain videos and GIFs, while documents will contain Word documents, PDFs and other types of files.
- Hold your finger and long-press on a photo, video or document until a menu appears.
- Tap Delete to remove that single file.
Then confirm Delete when asked.
How to delete multiple files on your iPhone at once
To clear out several attachments at once, follow these quick steps on your iPhone.
Deleting attachments in Messages quickly frees space without losing your conversations. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
- Go back to the Photos or Documents tab.
- Tap Edit.
- Click Select documents or Select Photos
- Tap on the photos or documents that you want to remove. You will see a blue checkmark appear in the bottom-right corner.
- Tap the trash icon in the bottom right corner.
Confirm you want to delete the selected attachments by clicking Delete Photos.
These steps work almost the same way on an iPad. After you finish, you will often see an instant boost in available storage.
How to review large attachments in settings and delete them
If you want to clear the biggest files on your device, you can check them from your iPhone’s storage screen and delete them:
- Open Settings
- Tap General
- Choose iPhone Storage
- Tap Messages
- Click Review Large Attachments to see photos, videos and attachments taking up storage in Messages.
- Click Edit.
- Select items to delete by clicking the circle next to the attachment you want to delete. A blue checkmark will appear.
Then, tap the trash can icon in the upper right to delete it.
APPLE RELEASES IOS 26.1 WITH MAJOR SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS AND NEW FEATURES FOR IPHONE USERS
This method gives you a quick overview of what takes up the most space and lets you delete it quickly.
IPhone users can clear large photos, videos and files from Messages using built-in storage tools, helping free space, keep conversations intact and improve device performance. (Cyberguy.com)
Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?
Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Freeing up storage doesn’t have to be confusing. A few quick taps can remove bulky files and keep your conversations intact. With these simple steps, your iPhone stays organized, runs smoothly and is ready for more photos, videos and apps.
What is the one type of attachment that takes up the most space on your iPhone? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
The Federal Communications Commission has banned new drones made in foreign countries from being imported into the US unless the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security recommends them. Monday’s action added drones to the FCC’s Covered List, qualifying foreign-made drones and drone parts, like those from DJI, as communications equipment representing “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.”
DJI is “disappointed” by today’s action, Adam Welsh, DJI’s head of global policy, says in a statement. “While DJI was not singled out, no information has been released regarding what information was used by the Executive Branch in reaching its determination.” Welsh adds that DJI “remains committed to the U.S. market” and noted that existing products can continue operation as usual. Other items on the FCC’s list include Kaspersky anti-virus software (added in 2024) and telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE (added in 2021).
The FCC says it received a National Security Determination on December 21st from an interagency body saying that “uncrewed aircraft systems” (UAS) and critical UAS components produced in a foreign country could “enable persistent surveillance, data exfiltration, and destructive operations over U.S. territory” and that “U.S. cybersecurity and critical‑infrastructure guidance has repeatedly highlighted how foreign‑manufactured UAS can be used to harvest sensitive data, used to enable remote unauthorized access, or disabled at will via software updates.”
If you already own a drone made outside the US, you will still be able to use it, according to the FCC’s fact sheet. Drones or drone components can be removed from the Covered List if the DoD or DHS “makes a specific determination to the FCC” that it does not pose unacceptable risks.
“Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones, offer the potential to enhance public safety as well as cement America’s leadership in global innovation,” FCC chairman Brendan Carr says.
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