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Cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover exposes UK supply chain risks

The UK’s ministers are considering an unprecedented intervention after a cyberattack forced Jaguar Land Rover to halt production, leaving thousands of suppliers exposed to collapse.

A late August hack shut down JLR’s IT networks and forced the suspension of its UK factories. Industry experts estimate losses of more than £50m a week, with full operations unlikely to restart until October or later.

JLR, owned by India’s Tata Motors, had not finalised cyber insurance before the breach, which left it particularly vulnerable.

Officials are weighing whether to buy and stockpile car parts from smaller firms that depend on JLR, though logistical difficulties make the plan complex. Government-backed loans are also under discussion.

Cybersecurity agencies, including the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency, are now supporting the investigation.

The attack is part of a wider pattern of major breaches targeting UK institutions and retailers, with a group calling itself Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters claiming responsibility.

A growing threat that highlights how the country’s critical industries remain exposed to sophisticated cybercriminals, raising questions about resilience and the need for stronger digital defences.

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Anthropic models join Microsoft Copilot Studio for enhanced AI flexibility

Microsoft has added Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 to Copilot Studio, giving users more control over model selection for orchestration, workflow automation, and reasoning tasks.

The integration allows customers to design and optimise AI agents with either Anthropic or OpenAI models, or even coordinate across both. Administrators can manage access through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, with automatic fallback to OpenAI GPT-4o if Anthropic models are disabled.

Anthropic’s models are available in early release environments now, with preview access across all environments expected within two weeks and full production readiness by the end of the year.

Microsoft said the move empowers businesses to tailor AI agents more precisely to industry-specific needs, from HR onboarding to compliance management.

By enabling multi-model orchestration, Copilot Studio extends its versatility for enterprises seeking to match the right AI model to each task, underlining Microsoft’s push to position Copilot as a flexible platform for agentic AI.

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Apple escalates fight against EU digital law

US tech giant Apple has called for the repeal of the EU’s Digital Markets Act, claiming the rules undermine user privacy, disrupt services, and erode product quality.

The company urged the Commission to replace the legislation with a ‘fit for purpose’ framework, or hand enforcement to an independent agency insulated from political influence.

Apple argued that the Act’s interoperability requirements had delayed the rollout of features in the EU, including Live Translation on AirPods and iPhone mirroring. Additionally, the firm accused the Commission of adopting extreme interpretations that created user vulnerabilities instead of protecting them.

Brussels has dismissed those claims. A Commission spokesperson stressed that DMA compliance is an obligation, not an option, and said the rules guarantee fair competition by forcing dominant platforms to open access to rivals.

A dispute that intensifies long-running friction between US tech firms and the EU regulators.

Apple has already appealed to the courts, with a public hearing scheduled in October, while Washington has criticised the bloc’s wider digital policy.

A clash has deepened transatlantic trade tensions, with the White House recently threatening tariffs after fresh fines against another American tech company.

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Gatik and Loblaw to deploy 50 self-driving trucks in Canada

Autonomous logistics firm Gatik is set to expand its partnership with Loblaw, deploying 50 new self-driving trucks across North America over the next year. The move marks the largest autonomous truck deployment in the region to date.

The slow rollout of self-driving technology has frustrated supply chain watchers, with most firms still testing limited fleets. Gatik’s large-scale deployment signals a shift toward commercial adoption, with 20 trucks to be added by the end of 2025 and an additional 30 by 2026.

The partnership was enabled by Ontario’s Autonomous Commercial Motor Vehicle Pilot Program, a ten-year initiative allowing approved operators to test automated commercial trucks on public roads. Officials hope it will boost road safety and support the trucking sector.

Industry analysts note that North America’s truck driver shortage is one of the most pressing logistics challenges facing the region. Nearly 70% of logistics firms report that driver shortages hinder their ability to meet freight demand, making automation a viable solution to address this issue.

Gatik, operating in the US and Canada, says the deployment could ease labour pressure and improve efficiency, but safety remains a key concern. Experts caution that striking a balance between rapid rollout and robust oversight will be crucial for establishing trust in autonomous freight operations.

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New EU biometric checks set to reshape UK travel from 2026

UK travellers to the EU face new biometric checks from 12 October, but full enforcement is not expected until April 2026. Officials say the phased introduction will help avoid severe disruption at ports and stations.

An entry-exit system that requires non-EU citizens to be fingerprinted and photographed, with the data stored in a central European database for three years. A further 90-day grace period will allow French border officials to ease checks if technical issues arise.

The Port of Dover has prepared off-site facilities to prevent traffic build-up, while border officials stressed the gradual rollout will give passengers time to adapt.

According to Border Force director general Phil Douglas, biometrics and data protection advances have made traditional paper passports increasingly redundant.

These changes come as UK holidaymakers prepare for the busiest winter travel season in years, with full compliance due in time for Easter 2026.

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AI-driven remote fetal monitoring launched by Lee Health

Lee Health has launched Florida’s first AI-powered birth care centre, introducing a remote fetal monitoring command hub to improve maternal and newborn outcomes across the Gulf Coast.

The system tracks temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse for mothers and babies, with AI alerting staff when vital signs deviate from normal ranges. Nurses remain in control but gain what Lee Health calls a ‘second set of eyes’.

‘Maybe mum’s blood pressure is high, maybe the baby’s heart rate is not looking great. We will be able to identify those things,’ said Jen Campbell, director of obstetrical services at Lee Health.

Once a mother checks in, the system immediately monitors across Lee Health’s network and sends data to the AI hub. AI cues trigger early alerts under certified clinician oversight and are aligned with Lee Health’s ethical AI policies, allowing staff to intervene before complications worsen.

Dr Cherrie Morris, vice president and chief physician executive for women’s services, said the hub strengthens patient safety by centralising monitoring and providing expert review from certified nurses across the network.

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Secrets sprawl flagged as top software supply chain risk in Australia

Avocado Consulting urges Australian organisations to boost software supply chain security after a high-alert warning from the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). The alert flagged threats, including social engineering, stolen tokens, and manipulated software packages.

Dennis Baltazar of Avocado Consulting said attackers combine social engineering with living-off-the-land techniques, making attacks appear routine. He warned that secrets left across systems can turn small slips into major breaches.

Baltazar advised immediate audits to find unmanaged privileged accounts and non-human identities. He urged embedding security into workflows by using short-lived credentials, policy-as-code, and default secret detection to reduce incidents and increase development speed for users in Australia.

Avocado Consulting advises organisations to eliminate secrets from code and pipelines, rotate tokens frequently, and validate every software dependency by default using version pinning, integrity checks, and provenance verification. Monitoring CI/CD activity for anomalies can also help detect attacks early.

Failing to act could expose cryptographic keys, facilitate privilege escalation, and result in reputational and operational damage. Avocado Consulting states that secure development practices must become the default, with automated scanning and push protection integrated into the software development lifecycle.

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UK government AI tool recovers £500m lost to fraud

A new AI system developed by the UK Cabinet Office has helped reclaim nearly £500m in fraudulent payments, marking the government’s most significant recovery of public funds in a single year.

The Fraud Risk Assessment Accelerator analyses data across government departments to identify weaknesses and prevent scams before they occur.

It uncovered unlawful council tax claims, social housing subletting, and pandemic-related fraud, including £186m linked to Covid support schemes. Ministers stated the savings would be redirected to fund nurses, teachers, and police officers.

Officials confirmed the tool will be licensed internationally, with the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand among the first partners expected to adopt it.

The UK announced the initiative at an anti-fraud summit with these countries, describing it as a step toward global cooperation in securing public finances through AI.

However, civil liberties groups have raised concerns about bias and oversight. Previous government AI systems used to detect welfare fraud were found to produce disparities based on age, disability, and nationality.

Campaigners warned that the expanded use of AI in fraud detection risks embedding unfair outcomes if left unchecked.

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UN General Assembly highlights threats of unregulated technology

World leaders opened the 80th UN General Debate with a strong call to keep technology in the service of humanity, warning that without safeguards, rapid advances could widen divides and fuel insecurity. Speakers highlighted the promise of AI, digital innovation, and new technologies, but stressed that global cooperation is essential to ensure they promote development, dignity, and peace.

A recurring theme was the urgent need for universal guardrails on AI, with concerns over regulation lagging behind its fast-paced growth. Delegates from across regions supported multilateral governance, ethical standards, and closing global capacity gaps so that all countries can design, use, and benefit from AI.

While some warned of risks such as inequality, social manipulation, and autonomous weapons, others emphasised AI’s potential for prosperity, innovation, and inclusive growth.

Cybersecurity and cybercrime also drew attention, with calls for collective security measures and anticipation of a new UN convention against cybercrime. Leaders further raised alarms over disinformation, digital authoritarianism, and the race for critical minerals, urging fair access and sustainability.

Across the debate, the unifying message was clear. The technology must uplift humanity, protect rights, and serve as a force for peace rather than domination.

For more information from the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, visit our dedicated page.

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OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank expand Stargate with new US data centres

A collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank has announced five new data centres under the Stargate initiative, a $500 billion plan to expand US AI computing infrastructure.

The latest sites bring total planned capacity to nearly 7 gigawatts, with over $400 billion already committed, putting the project ahead of schedule to meet its 2025 target of 10 gigawatts.

Oracle will lead three projects in Texas, New Mexico and the Midwest, adding over 5.5 gigawatts of capacity and creating more than 25,000 jobs.

SoftBank will develop facilities in Ohio and Texas, expected to scale to 1.5 gigawatts within 18 months. SB Energy, its affiliate, will provide rapid-build infrastructure for the Texas site.

The companies described the expansion as a step toward faster deployment and greater cost efficiency, making high-performance computing more widely accessible.

Site selection followed a nationwide review of more than 300 proposals, with further projects under evaluation, suggesting investment could surpass the original commitment.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stressed that compute power is key to unlocking AI’s promise, while Oracle and SoftBank leaders highlighted scalable infrastructure and energy expertise as central to the initiative. With Stargate, the partners aim to anchor the next wave of AI innovation on US soil.

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