Cyprus Launches €31 Million Welfare Reform

by News Editor

August 6, 2026

Cyprus is rolling out a €31 million reform to modernise its Social Welfare Services, with a focus on strengthening child protection, supporting vulnerable groups and improving the quality and speed of public services.

Speaking on Wednesday, Social Welfare Services Director Maria Kyratzi described the initiative as the first comprehensive overhaul of the country’s welfare system.

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“This reform is designed to improve the functioning of the Social Welfare Services while substantially upgrading Cyprus’ social protection system, with social cohesion, equal opportunities and a decent quality of life for all citizens at its core,” she said.

The project is being implemented under the THALIA 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy Programme and is co-financed by the European Union.

Stronger Child Protection And Local Support

The reform will modernise the organisation’s structures, procedures and intervention mechanisms to create a more efficient and people-centred welfare system.

Social Welfare Services currently manage more than 40 programmes and employ over 500 professionals. According to the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, rising demand and increasingly complex cases, particularly those involving children under state guardianship, have made the overhaul necessary.

A key measure is the creation of multidisciplinary teams at central and district level to improve the management of complex cases and strengthen cooperation between public agencies. The reform will also introduce escort and mentoring services, together with additional specialist support for vulnerable children.

Since May 2026, the Deputy Ministry has been working with the ministries of education, justice and health on a national child protection strategy and action plan, due to be completed by the end of 2029.

Digital Upgrade

Following a successful pilot phase, the Neighbourhood Social Worker programme will be expanded nationwide in cooperation with municipalities and community clusters, bringing services closer to local communities and strengthening early intervention.

The reform also includes the introduction of a new digital information system to improve efficiency and modernise the delivery of social welfare services.

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Ring Makes New Encryption Standard Default For Cloud-Based Features

by News Editor

August 27, 2026

Amazon’s smart home division Ring is introducing a new encryption standard that will become the default for video protection and user controls, while allowing the company to offer more cloud-based features.

The standard, called TAKE, or “Throw Away the Key Encryption,” is designed to balance privacy with features that can be limited by end-to-end encryption, including video search, descriptions and access for trusted users.

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Temporary Keys Support Cloud Features

Under TAKE, Ring uses rotating encryption keys that are temporarily stored in the cloud and accessible only when needed to provide features activated by users. Once a request is completed, the company says the relevant keys will be deleted within 24 hours.

The system allows Ring to temporarily decrypt and process videos for cloud services such as Smart Alerts, which can notify users when people, vehicles or packages appear in a camera’s view. The company said in a blog post that the encryption key is deleted after the feature has been used.

Amazon’s technical white paper says TAKE was developed using Messaging Layer Security, an open messaging standard created by the Internet Engineering Task Force.

Users Can Still Choose End-To-End Encryption

TAKE will begin rolling out to customers in September and will become the default worldwide. Ring users will still be able to manually select end-to-end encryption instead.

The new system also includes several options for recovering encryption keys. Users who lose access to their device can authenticate by standing near their Ring cameras, while passphrases, cloud backups, another approved device or passkeys can provide alternative recovery methods.

Ring said the approach is intended to preserve access to cloud features without requiring users to give up control of their video encryption keys.

Privacy Concerns Remain

The announcement comes after months of scrutiny over Ring’s use of facial recognition. Its Familiar Faces feature can identify people appearing in camera footage.

In June, a class-action lawsuit accused Amazon of storing images of people passing by Ring cameras without their consent. The introduction of TAKE therefore comes as Ring faces continued questions over how its cameras process and protect personal data.

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