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Suit says faith foiled by fossil fuels in 401(k) funds. A new 401(k) suit alleges employment discrimination for refusing to offer investment options that don't invest in fossil fuels. A new 401(k) suit alleges employment discrimination in a refusal to offer investment options that don't invest in fossil fuels. The plaintiff here[i] is Dr. Andrew Hartley, a statistical science director at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and the suit accuses his employer of discriminating against him and refusing to accommodate his religious beliefs in violation of Title VII[ii] and the New York State Human Rights Law. The suit asserts that he is a devout Christian and member of the United Methodist Church, and that he sincerely believes[iii] that investing his retirement money in "ecologically and socially destructive" fossil fuel companies violates his religious beliefs. The suit (Hartley v. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., case number 1:26-cv-01612, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York) further asserts that due to the reality that Thermo Fisher's current equity-based retirement plan options maintain significant investments in fossil-fuel companies, he is "...forced to either compromise his religious beliefs or forego a significant component of his employer-provided benefit." The suit claims that Hartley requested that his employer "provide him with an accommodation that would allow him to partake of the benefits of his 401(k) plan in a manner consistent with his faith" - and that he "provided Thermo Fisher with a list of several funds that are frequently available on 401(k) menus and that are consistent with his beliefs, and asked that the company make one of them (or a similar fund of the company's choosing) available on the 401(k) plan menu." The suit notes that Thermo Fisher acknowledged receipt of the accommodation request "...but, despite multiple attempts to follow up and initiate negotiations, Thermo Fisher has failed to offer any accommodation or reason why such accommodation cannot be provided". Arguing that Hartley has been "subjected to persistent discrimination and denial of reasonable accommodations due to his religion," the suit says it wants to compel Thermo Fisher to "cease its unlawful discriminatory practices, implement effective policies to prevent religious discrimination, provide reasonable accommodations as required by law, and compensate him for the damages he has suffered as a result of Thermo Fisher's actions." Stay tuned. - Nevin E. Adams, JD [i] Hartley is represented by Kathleen Konopka of ClientEarth USA Inc. [ii] Title VII defines religion to include "all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief," and requires an employer to accommodate its employees' religious beliefs "unless an employer demonstrates that he is unable to reasonably accommodate an employee's or prospective employee's religious observance or practice without undue hardship on the conduct of the employer's business." [iii] The suit asserts that "Dr. Hartley believes his Christian faith commands him to care for and steward the earth, and that actively investing in and profiting from fossil fuel companies whose work directly harms the earth, and its inhabitants, violates his religious obligations." Please log in or create a free account to comment on this article. Share to: Publish date: August 05, 2026 By: Sponsored by MFS

Critical vulnerability in DNA forensic software threatens 30 years of evidence. Post Views: 14 Researchers have identified a significant security flaw in forensic software used by U.S. crime laboratories, risking DNA evidence from 1995 onward. Discovery of the vulnerability. Researchers have identified a significant security flaw in forensic software utilized by major U.S. crime laboratories, which could enable unauthorized modifications to DNA evidence dating back to 1995. The vulnerability, uncovered by a team of forensic and computer scientists, allows an AI-driven approach to alter digital representations of genetic data without detection. Impact on forensic evidence. Although the software vendor, Thermo Fisher Scientific, has not reported any confirmed breaches, the researchers emphasize that methods to detect such tampering remain elusive. A systems engineer demonstrated the exploit within an hour, gaining access to encrypted data. The potential for malicious actors to manipulate DNA profiles raises concerns about wrongful convictions or unjust acquittals. Broader implications. Experts highlight that forensic science has lagged in implementing robust security protocols compared to other sectors, resulting in inconsistent safeguards across more than 200 laboratories. Thermo Fisher Scientific has acknowledged the issue and is developing a software update incorporating digital signatures to ensure data integrity moving forward. Technical details of the exploit. The flaw specifically enables the manipulation of digital scans generated since 1995, leveraging machine learning techniques to introduce undetectable alterations. This capability could allow adversaries to introduce or remove genetic markers, undermining the reliability of forensic conclusions. Researchers noted that the exploit bypasses existing verification mechanisms, leaving no clear audit trail for investigators. Response and mitigation efforts. The discovery underscores broader challenges in securing legacy systems within the forensic sector, where rapid technological advancements have outpaced the adoption of modern cybersecurity practices. Thermo Fisher Scientific confirmed the vulnerability and stated that the upcoming update will include cryptographic validation to prevent unauthorized data modifications. However, the lack of immediate mitigation measures has prompted calls for urgent review of evidence-handling protocols. Long-Term concerns. The incident also raises questions about the long-term integrity of genetic databases, which contain records critical to both criminal investigations and civil cases. The findings align with growing concerns about the intersection of artificial intelligence and forensic science, as emerging technologies introduce new vectors for exploitation. Cybersecurity experts urge forensic institutions to prioritize proactive risk assessments and collaborate with software developers to address systemic vulnerabilities.

Thermo Fisher DNA analysis software flaw lets attackers secretly alter test data. 2026-08-04 07:08 Thermo Fisher Scientific has released security updates for a high-severity flaw in its Applied Biosystems Human Identification (HID) software. This vulnerability could allow nearly undetectable manipulation of DNA test data files before analysis. The issue, tracked as CVE-2026-17583, carries a CVSS v4 score of 8.2 and affects .fsa and .hid file outputs used in forensic [...] Read the original article: Thermo Fisher Scientific has disclosed a high-severity security flaw affecting several of its Applied Biosystems Human Identification (HID) software... Secure email service August 3, 2026 In "Cyber Security News"