Category: Biz Tech

Equinix and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board have struck a $4 billion deal to acquire Nordic data centre operator atNorth from Partners Group, marking one of the largest transactions in Europe’s digital infrastructure sector and underscoring intensifying investor appetite for facilities tailored to artificial intelligence workloads. The agreement, announced this week, hands joint control of Iceland-headquartered atNorth to US-listed Equinix and CPP Investments, the Toronto-based pension fund manager. The valuation reflects the rapid expansion of hyperscale and high-performance computing demand across

OpenAI’s expanding work with the United States military has ignited a wave of criticism among sections of its user base, with some subscribers cancelling ChatGPT plans and shifting to rival platform Claude, citing concerns over artificial intelligence ethics and safety. The controversy follows confirmation that OpenAI is collaborating with US defence agencies on projects involving cybersecurity and the responsible deployment of advanced language models. The company has said its tools are being adapted for defensive and research purposes rather than for

Cyber criminals are exploiting counterfeit Zoom and Google Meet pages to install employee monitoring software on unsuspecting Windows systems, security researchers have warned, marking a shift towards using legitimate enterprise tools as covert surveillance implants. Investigations by multiple cyber security firms show that threat actors are building convincing replicas of video-conferencing portals belonging to Zoom and Google Meet, part of Google’s Workspace suite, to trick users into downloading what appears to be a meeting client update or required plug-in. Instead of

Threat actors are exploiting a legacy Windows feature to deliver remote access malware while sidestepping conventional browser safeguards and some endpoint monitoring tools, according to new findings from cybersecurity researchers. Investigators at Cofense Intelligence have identified an ongoing campaign in which attackers abuse the Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning protocol, known as WebDAV, in combination with Windows File Explorer. The technique allows malicious files hosted on remote servers to be accessed and executed through the operating system’s native file management interface,

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman confirmed that the company has reached a strategic agreement with the U. S. Department of War to deploy its artificial intelligence models on the ministry’s classified network, signalling a major shift in the technology sector’s engagement with national security infrastructure and government contracts. The contract embeds safety principles that bar mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapon-control, reflecting a delicate balance between innovation and ethical restraint as the administration redefines its approach to AI governance. The

OpenAI has secured an unprecedented $110 billion investment commitment from Amazon, Nvidia and SoftBank, propelling the artificial intelligence company into what could be the largest private funding round in history and sharply intensifying competition in the AI sector. The financial injection comes as the developer of the ChatGPT generative AI platform prepares for a potential public offering later this year and looks to expand its global infrastructure at scale. Amazon is set to lead the funding trio with a $50

Anthropic has declined to proceed with a revised artificial intelligence contract offered by the US Department of Defense, citing concerns that changes to the agreement would weaken safeguards tied to its core safety commitments and restrictions on military applications. The San Francisco-based company, founded by former OpenAI executives including Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei, confirmed it would not accept amendments to a previously negotiated arrangement that it believed diluted provisions aligned with its published safety framework. The decision comes amid heightened

Atlassian has moved to embed autonomous artificial intelligence agents directly into Jira, unveiling an open beta that allows teams to assign tasks, automate workflows and connect enterprise systems through agent-driven collaboration. The Australia-founded software group said the new capability enables AI agents to operate alongside human users inside Jira, carrying out actions such as creating and updating tickets, triaging issues, assigning work and responding to project changes in real time. The initiative marks a shift from AI as a passive assistant

Google has upgraded its Wear OS platform to allow smartwatches to receive earthquake alerts independently of a paired smartphone, expanding a safety feature that until now relied largely on a connected handset. The update, delivered through Google Play Services, enables compatible Wear OS devices to display earthquake warnings even when they are out of Bluetooth range of a phone or temporarily disconnected. The change means users wearing LTE-enabled smartwatches can receive early warnings directly on their wrist, a move that strengthens

Super Micro Computer Inc. and Abu Dhabi-based EHC Investment have unveiled plans to develop sovereign artificial intelligence data centres in the United Arab Emirates, positioning the Gulf state to expand domestic control over high-performance computing infrastructure amid accelerating demand for AI workloads. The partnership seeks to deliver modular, rapidly deployable data centre facilities designed to support advanced AI training and inference while ensuring data residency within the UAE. Executives from both companies said the initiative will combine Supermicro’s high-density server and

OpenAI has disclosed that a ChatGPT account with connections to individuals affiliated with Chinese law enforcement was exploited as part of a multi-faceted cyberattack and influence operation, according to its latest threat report on malicious AI use. The account was used to draft, plan and document activities that included online harassment, covert influence campaigns and operational coordination across hundreds of platforms, prompting OpenAI to ban the associated account and highlight how artificial intelligence tools are being abused to support complex

Cyber security researchers have identified a fresh phishing campaign distributing an updated strain of Agent Tesla that relies on process hollowing and layered anti-analysis techniques to bypass conventional detection tools, underscoring the malware’s enduring role in credential theft and corporate espionage. Investigators tracking the activity say the operation begins with carefully crafted phishing emails masquerading as invoices, purchase orders or shipping documents. Attached files typically contain malicious archives or obfuscated scripts that execute a multi-stage infection chain. Once activated, the payload

Moscow’s Federal Security Service has opened a criminal investigation into Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov, accusing him of aiding and abetting terrorist activities linked to widespread content on the messaging platform and alleging refusal to cooperate with law enforcement. State-affiliated media in Moscow published material this week stating that the investigation falls under Russia’s criminal code provisions on assistance to terrorism, a charge that carries severe penalties under domestic law. The move marks a significant intensification of pressure

WhatsApp is testing a scheduled messages feature in its iOS beta, allowing users to choose a specific date and time for a message to be delivered automatically, a move that reflects a deeper shift in how the platform is positioning itself for more structured, business-oriented communication. The feature, spotted in the iOS beta distributed through Apple’s TestFlight programme, enables users to draft a message and set it to be sent at a later time without relying on third-party automation tools. While

Google has unveiled a major advancement in its Gemini artificial intelligence assistant that allows the software to autonomously handle multi-step operations on Android devices, enabling users to command the AI to book rides, order food and manage other everyday tasks without manual execution. The new capability positions Gemini not just as a conversational helper but as an active agent capable of executing instructions across multiple apps in sequence, a shift that could reshape the way people interact with mobile devices

Nvidia delivered record quarterly and annual revenue, beating Wall Street expectations and pushing back against claims that the artificial intelligence boom is overheating. The Silicon Valley chip designer said revenue for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year ended 26 January 2025 rose to $39.3 billion, up sharply from a year earlier and above market forecasts. Full-year revenue reached $130.5 billion, more than doubling on the previous fiscal year, as demand for its data centre processors continued to outstrip supply. Net income

Amazon has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of Alexa, introducing selectable personality modes that allow users to tailor the assistant’s tone, humour and conversational style, marking one of the company’s most ambitious attempts to reposition its voice platform in the generative AI era. The update, rolled out as part of a broader AI upgrade to Alexa across Echo devices and select Fire TV products, enables users to choose from different conversational personas designed to feel more natural and emotionally responsive. Executives say

Microsoft has warned that threat actors are exploiting seemingly legitimate Next. js repositories to compromise software developers, embedding staged backdoors inside projects that mimic technical assessments and open-source tools. Security researchers at Microsoft said the campaign targets developers who routinely clone public repositories for evaluation, collaboration or recruitment exercises. The attackers publish projects that appear credible, often styled as coding challenges or portfolio pieces, and rely on standard development workflows in Visual Studio Code and Node. js to trigger malicious activity.

Meta Platforms is redirecting its Horizon Worlds platform towards smartphones, marking a decisive pivot away from its earlier emphasis on Quest virtual reality headsets as the primary gateway to its metaverse ambitions. The company has indicated that development efforts for Horizon Worlds will centre almost entirely on mobile devices, reflecting a broader reassessment of how users access immersive social experiences. Executives have acknowledged that while virtual reality remains integral to long-term plans, scale and engagement are more readily achieved through the

Meta Platforms has struck a landmark long-term agreement with Advanced Micro Devices to buy tens of billions of dollars’ worth of AI processors and data-centre hardware over the next five years, a deal that could exceed $100 billion and reshape the competitive landscape for artificial-intelligence infrastructure. This multiyear pact will see Meta deploy up to six gigawatts of AMD-based computing capacity, starting with initial shipments in the second half of 2026, underlining the company’s strategy to diversify its chip supply and

Nordic data centre operator atNorth has confirmed plans to develop a 300MW high-density colocation campus in Sollefteå Municipality, Sweden, marking one of the largest artificial intelligence-focused infrastructure projects announced in the region. The facility, to be built at the Hamre Industrial Park, is scheduled to begin operations in the first half of 2028. Company executives said the campus is designed to meet accelerating demand for AI and high-performance computing workloads, particularly from hyperscale cloud providers and enterprises training large language models.

Microsoft has acknowledged a significant flaw in its Microsoft 365 Copilot AI assistant that allowed the system to process and summarise emails labelled as confidential, bypassing established data protection controls. The issue, tracked internally as CW1226324, emerged from a coding defect in the Copilot “Work” tab that inadvertently pulled content from users’ Sent Items and Drafts folders — even when those messages carried sensitivity labels and were protected by data loss prevention policies designed to prevent such access. The glitch

  Anthropic’s Claude Code, an AI-driven coding agent that autonomously reads, writes and executes software instructions from a user’s terminal or browser interface, is accelerating change across the software development industry and unsettling traditional players in legacy computing and cybersecurity. The tool, which has transitioned from research preview to widespread adoption in developer communities, now integrates security scanning and parallel agent workflows that can handle complex development tasks previously requiring substantial human effort. This leap towards autonomous code generation and execution

Kyndryl has unveiled a Cyber Defense Operations Center in Bengaluru, bringing its network and security operations under a single command structure as enterprises confront an escalation in AI-enabled cyber attacks. The new facility, described by the company as a Cyber Defense Operations Center, is designed to integrate traditional network monitoring with advanced threat detection, incident response and resilience planning. Executives said the unified model is intended to reduce response times, eliminate operational silos and give clients a consolidated view of risk

North Korean state-backed hackers are exploiting global technology recruitment channels to plant malware, siphon intellectual property and generate covert revenue, according to multiple cyber security investigations tracking activity since 2022. The operations combine fake IT worker identities with booby-trapped job interviews, turning routine hiring processes into attack vectors aimed at software developers and technology firms. Security analysts say the campaigns form part of a broader strategy by Pyongyang to circumvent international sanctions by earning foreign currency and stealing proprietary code. Investigators

More than a thousand malicious plug-ins capable of siphoning cryptocurrency wallet data and sensitive credentials have been identified on OpenClaw’s ClawHub platform, raising fresh concerns over the security of decentralised software marketplaces and the speed at which harmful code can spread through developer ecosystems. Security researchers examining ClawHub said they had flagged 1,184 so-called “skills” that appeared designed to harvest SSH keys, private wallet information and other authentication data from unsuspecting users. The findings point to a coordinated effort to exploit

A sophisticated cyber-espionage group known as Silver Fox has launched a fresh wave of targeted attacks against organisations in Taiwan, deploying advanced techniques designed to evade detection and disable security controls while delivering a remote access trojan known as Winos 4.0, also referred to by researchers as ValleyRat. Cyber security analysts tracking the activity say the campaign combines DLL sideloading with a method called Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver, or BYOVD, enabling attackers to load legitimate but flawed drivers to undermine

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have intercepted what they describe as organised, terrorist-linked cyberattacks aimed at government systems and critical national infrastructure, preventing attempts to disrupt essential digital services and infiltrate strategic networks. The UAE Cybersecurity Council said coordinated operations targeted state entities and vital sectors through ransomware deployment, phishing campaigns and network intrusion efforts. Officials characterised the incidents as part of a broader attempt to undermine digital stability and erode public confidence in national institutions. Swift countermeasures and collaboration

Advantest Corporation, a leading supplier of semiconductor testing equipment, has disclosed that a ransomware attack has disrupted parts of its internal network, prompting containment measures and raising concerns across the global chip supply chain. The Tokyo-listed company said it detected unauthorised access to its systems on 15 February Japan Standard Time and swiftly moved to isolate affected servers. Several internal systems were taken offline as a precaution while forensic investigations were launched. Advantest has not publicly detailed the scale of data

Apple is preparing to equip the iPhone with a more visually intelligent assistant as it integrates a new artificial intelligence model, known as Ferret-UI, into the software foundation of iOS 18. The development marks a shift in how Siri may interpret and respond to what appears on a user’s screen, enabling more precise app navigation, icon recognition and contextual understanding. The Ferret-UI model, introduced through Apple’s machine learning research division, is designed to comprehend graphical user interfaces rather than relying solely

DeepSeek has expanded the context capacity of its flagship large language model by a factor of ten and pushed its knowledge cut-off forward to May 2025, sharpening competition in China’s fast-moving artificial intelligence sector as rival Zhipu introduced a new model aimed at enterprise and developer markets. The Hangzhou-based company said the upgrade enables users to process far longer documents and multi-step prompts in a single session, addressing a key limitation in earlier generations of large language models. The extension of

PayPal has disclosed a cybersecurity incident that left sensitive customer information accessible for almost six months, attributing the breach to a software error within its PayPal Working Capital loan application system. The payments company has begun notifying a limited number of affected users, warning that personally identifiable information linked to business loan applications may have been exposed online between late last year and mid-year. The company said the flaw emerged in its PayPal Working Capital, or PPWC, platform, which provides financing

Three engineers working in Silicon Valley have been indicted in the United States on allegations of conspiring to steal sensitive chip design trade secrets from Google and other technology companies, in a case that federal prosecutors say underscores mounting insider threats to the semiconductor industry. The US Department of Justice announced that Samaneh Ghandali, 41, and her husband Mohammadjavad Khosravi, also known as Mohammad Khosravi, along with a third engineer based in Northern California, were arrested following a grand jury indictment.

Noise cancellation was once considered a premium feature, typically chosen after other aspects were already established. However, it has now become an essential component of daily audio consumption, providing users with greater control over background noise and enhancing focus in various environments. Noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds are purposefully designed to integrate seamlessly into one’s routine, minimising distractions and streamlining the listening experience. In this evolving landscape, boAt has distinguished itself as a key player by making noise-cancelling audio technology accessible and