The caveat is that the iPhone user will need to switch AirDrop into the “Everyone for 10 Minutes” mode instead of “Contacts Only” mode. Google says this isn’t some kind of workaround solution. It’s a direct, peer-to-peer connection; your data isn’t routed through a server, shared content isn’t logged, and no extra data is shared. Naturally, iPhone owners will be able to send data back to Pixel 10 phones as well.

Google has not worked with Apple on this cross-compatibility, as the company says it “welcomes the opportunity” to work with Apple so that this sharing function can work in the Contacts Only mode. “We accomplished this through our own implementation,” a Google spokesperson tells WIRED. “Our goal is to provide an easy and secure file-sharing experience for our users, regardless of who they are communicating with.”

In a security blog post, Google says the underlying strategy for what makes this new synergy between Quick Share and AirDrop work is the memory-safe Rust programming language. “These overlapping protections on both platforms work in concert with the secure connection to provide comprehensive safety for your data when you share or receive,” writes Dave Kleidermacher, vice president of Google’s platforms security and privacy.

Google tapped NetSPI, a third-party and independent penetration testing firm, to validate the security of the new sharing feature. The findings? The interoperability is “notably stronger” than other industry implementations. That’s pretty important, considering what happened the last time someone tried to improve cross-compatibility between iOS and Android without Apple: The startup Beeper tried to make texts from Android phones show up as blue bubbles on iPhones and caused all kinds of drama.

The number of people who can actually use this feature is limited because it’s only available on Google’s latest Pixel 10 smartphones, which just launched this past August. However, Google says it’s looking to expand the feature to more Android devices in the future.

This new feature in Quick Share is rolling out starting today to the Pixel 10 series, which includes the Google Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. As it’s rolling out, you may not see it immediately on your device. To use it, all you need to do is select something to share, whether it’s a file, contact, or photo, choose Quick Share in the sharing menu, and make sure the iPhone owner has their AirDrop set to “Everyone for 10 Minutes Only.” The iPhone will be able to see the Pixel 10 device and can receive or send data.

The UK’s National Crime Agency and partners from the Anglophone Five Eyes intelligence alliance have fired several shots across the bows of so-called ‘bulletproof’ hosting services Media Land and ML Cloud that shielded their customers, including ransomware gangs such as Black Basta, Evil Corp and LockBit, from detection.

The two organisations are alleged to be part of a Russia-based operation run by an individual named as Alexander Volosovik (aka Yalishanda), who is described as a “critical enabler” of global cyber crime.

They are accused of supporting large-scale ransomware campaigns and other malware operations, leading to financial losses, operational disruption and reputational damage for ordinary businesses all over the world.

The NCA said the actions complemented its strategy of targeting the ransomware ecosystem’s key enablers who facilitate criminal activity and lower the barrier to entry for cyber criminals.

“Bulletproof hosting is a key component of the cyber crime ecosystem, providing a digital safe haven  for cyber criminals that can appear resistant to law enforcement takedown activity,” said NCA deputy director Paul Foster, head of the National Cyber Crime Unit.

“Services like Media Land … are critical enablers for cyber criminals so sanctions like today’s against Media Land will inhibit their ability to plan, launch and monetise criminal schemes.

“This action will assist in law enforcement’s pursuit of nullifying the ‘bulletproof’ shield provided by illicit hosting services, helping to degrade the cybercrime ecosystem that nefarious actors depend on.”

Volosovik and two associates have been sanctioned by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in the UK, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and Australia’s Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The other two individuals were named by the US as Kirill Zatolokin, who was allegedly responsible for collecting payments and liaising with other cyber criminals, and Yulia Pankova, who allegedly provided legal and financial support to the operation.

“These so-called bulletproof hosting service providers like Media Land provide cybercriminals essential services to aid them in attacking businesses in the United States and in allied countries,” said John Hurley, under secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

“Today’s trilateral action with Australia and the UK, in coordination with law enforcement partners, demonstrates our collective commitment to combatting cyber crime and protecting our citizens.”