Technology
Police agencies turn to virtual reality to improve split-second decision-making
Police agents train with virtual reality
Police departments across the country are turning to virtual reality training to help officers make quick decisions in high-pressure and potentially dangerous situations.
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AURORA, Colo. – Police departments across the country are turning to virtual reality training to help officers make split-second decisions in difficult, and sometimes dangerous, situations.
The goal is to help officers respond quickly and safely to any call, according to tech company Axon, and more than 1,500 police agencies across the United States and Canada are now using Axon’s virtual reality training program to make that happen.
Recruits at the Aurora Police Department in Colorado are among those training with the technology.
“You get to be actually in the scene, move around, just feel for everything,” recruit Jose Vazquez Duran said.
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Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are increasingly adopting virtual reality training programs to better prepare officers for real-life, high-pressure situations. (Kennedy Hayes/FOX News)
Fellow recruit Tyler Frick described it as “Almost like… a 3D Movie. Except this is exactly what we are going to be doing when we graduate the academy.”
Aurora PD uses Axon’s virtual reality program to prepare recruits for scenarios including de-escalation, Taser use and other high-stress interactions.
“It’s filmed with live actors who are re-enacting scenarios. And we have a lot of content there focused on a wide range of topics, from mental health to people who are experiencing drug overdose or encountering domestic violence,” said Thi Luu, vice president and general manager of Axon Virtual Reality.
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In Aurora, Colorado, police recruits are training with VR to prepare for real-life scenarios, including de-escalation, Taser use and other high-stress interactions. (Kennedy Hayes/FOX News)
The Aurora Police Department has used Axon’s virtual reality training program for three years. Officials say the technology keeps getting more advanced and easier to use, which helps free up other resources.
“Really helps on manpower for my staff, the training staff, when we can have, you know, 10 or 15 recruits all doing the exact same scenario at the same time. That means we are getting the most out of our training hours and having well-trained, well-rounded officers is really important,” said Aurora Police Sgt. Faith Goodrich.
Axon said the artificial intelligence in its newest training program can adjust how virtual suspects act – making them friendly, aggressive or anything in between. They can answer questions, talk back or even refuse to cooperate, just like in real life.
Every session is different, depending on how officers handle the situation.
Police recruits interact with virtual reality to sharpen their skills. (Kennedy Hayes/ FOX News)
A study from PwC found that virtual reality can speed up officer training and boost confidence in applying new skills compared with classroom-trained counterparts.
According to the study, VR learners showed a four times faster training rate and a 275% boost in confidence when applying learned skills compared to their classroom-trained counterparts.
Hiking is one of life’s great joys. Turning off the screens and stepping out into nature for an extended period of time, perhaps even several days, is rejuvenating. Unfortunately, as someone with two young kids and a bad back, I’m not really able to go backpacking anymore. So I often find myself trying to live vicariously through others who write about their lengthy travails along the Appalachian or the PCT. That’s what I thought I was signing up for when I picked up On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor. But it turned out to be so much more.
The prologue starts with Moor talking about his decision to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. And chapter one doesn’t stray too far from the expected subject matter either. It focuses primarily on Moor’s trip to Western Brook Pond in Newfoundland and broadly discusses the concept of wilderness.
His talents as a writer are apparent from moment one. A storm pins Moor down on a ridge:
For the better part of an hour, awash in mounting waves of tympanic rumble, I had time to reconsider the merits of hiking. Stripped of its Romantic finery, the wild ceased to inspire; only a gauzy scrim separated sublimity and horror.
This is perhaps the first hint that what you’re in for is not some travelogue or a simple memoir that uses the trail as a narrative device. Chapter two immediately solidifies this, launching a discussion of ant trails and the fine distinctions of various English words for lines of movement.
On Trails bounces around gleefully from topic to topic: Game trails, fiber optic wires, Moor’s stint as a shepherd. And all throughout, Moor seamlessly navigates shifting tones. One moment, he’s waxing poetic about the power of nature, the next, he’s spinning an anecdote about misplacing an entire flock of sheep with a comic’s sense of pacing, then turning philosophical about the damage done by colonialism.
It’s a testament to Moor’s skill that the book not only manages to be compulsively readable, but never feels disjointed as he swings wildly from exploring a proto-internet envisioned by engineer Vannevar Bush in 1945, to quoting poet Gary Snyder.
On Trails starts with a simple idea: how did the Appalachian Trail, or any hiking trail for that matter, form? And from there it branches off endlessly into a thousand different tributaries, exploring how the very concept of trails can help us understand the world.
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You’ve seen CAPTCHA checks everywhere. You click a box. You move on. No big deal. Now imagine that same box asking you to press a few keys on your keyboard. It might tell you to open a command window and paste something. It feels a little odd. Still, the page looks real.
That is exactly what scammers are counting on. A new warning from the Identity Theft Resource Center highlights a growing scam that turns a basic security check into a malware trap.
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This fake CAPTCHA looks legitimate at first, but the moment it asks you to press keyboard shortcuts, it turns into a malware trap. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How the fake CAPTCHA scam works
This scam flips a familiar process into something dangerous. Here is what happens:
- You land on a website that looks normal
- A CAPTCHA box appears, asking you to verify that you are human
- Instead of clicking images, you get instructions
- The page tells you to press Windows + R
- Then press Ctrl + V and Press Enter
At that point, the damage is already underway. Those steps open a hidden Run window on your PC. A malicious script is already copied to your clipboard. When you paste and execute it, you install malware without realizing it. No download button. No warning screen. You did it yourself.
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Many people encounter these scams during everyday browsing, often while distracted or multitasking on their devices. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What gets installed on your computer
Security researchers say this scam often delivers StealC malware. This type of malware works quietly in the background. It looks for anything valuable and sends it to attackers. That can include:
- Saved passwords
- Browser login sessions
- Autofill data
- Cryptocurrency wallet details
Because it runs silently, many people have no idea anything is wrong until accounts start getting accessed.
Why is this trick so effective?
This scam works because it feels familiar. People trust CAPTCHA prompts. They see them on banking sites, shopping pages and login screens. That trust lowers your guard. It also avoids the usual red flags. There is no suspicious download. No pop-up warning. No obvious scam message. Instead, it gives you instructions. Simple steps. Follow them, and you bypass your own security.
A real CAPTCHA will never do this
This is the key takeaway. A legitimate CAPTCHA will never:
- Ask you to open a command window
- Tell you to use keyboard shortcuts like Windows + R
- Instruct you to paste or run commands
If you ever see that, close the page immediately.
What this means for you
This scam shows how fast online threats are evolving. You can do everything right. Avoid bad links. Ignore suspicious emails. Still, a single moment of trust can lead to a full compromise. That is why scams like this are so dangerous. They target behavior, not just technology.
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Once the malicious command runs, attackers can quietly access sensitive data like passwords and login details without you noticing. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Ways to stay safe from fake CAPTCHA scams
Start with awareness. That alone stops most attacks. Here are practical steps that make a real difference:
1) Never follow keyboard instructions from a website
If a page tells you to open Run or paste a command, leave immediately.
2) Close the page instead of interacting
Do not try to “fix” it. Do not click anything else. Just exit.
3) Use strong antivirus software
Security tools like strong antivirus software can catch malware even if it gets installed. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
4) Consider using a data removal service
Scammers often pair stolen data with information from data broker sites. A data removal service can help reduce your exposure and limit follow-up scams. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.
5) Keep your system updated
Updates patch vulnerabilities that malware often exploits.
6) Change passwords if you think you were exposed
Use a separate device to update your accounts and consider using a password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords for each account. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at CyberGuy.com.
7) Watch for unusual activity across your accounts
Look for login alerts, password reset emails or transactions you do not recognize.
What to do if you ran the fake CAPTCHA commands
Act quickly. Time matters here.
- Disconnect your computer from the internet
- Run a full antivirus scan
- Change passwords from another device
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on key accounts
The sooner you respond, the better your chances of limiting damage.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Scammers are getting smarter about how they trick people. They are not relying on obvious phishing emails anymore. They are blending into everyday online habits. That simple CAPTCHA box you have clicked hundreds of times now carries risk if it behaves differently. Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.
If a website asked you to press a few keys to prove you are human, would you hesitate or follow along without thinking? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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