Cloud computing

France and Germany unite on digital sovereignty, AI, quantum and cloud technologies

The Franco-German Ministerial Council announced a joint Economic Agenda aiming to strengthen the bilateral partnership in strategic areas, and to foster sovereignty in Europe. The Agenda proposes ‘flagship projects’ across key policy fields like energy, trade, industry, cutting-edge technologies, digital sovereignty, labour, and finance.

The document mainstreams the importance of digital sovereignty and advanced technologies, as Europe faces growing geopolitical and economic pressures. A key milestone will be the European Digital Sovereignty Summit on 18 November 2025, which aims to align EU institutions, member states, industry, and other stakeholders around a shared strategy for digital sovereignty and coordinated funding.

Both governments also committed to strengthening cloud sovereignty, with special attention paid to sensitive data and jurisdiction issues.

Within the context of the public administration, the agenda promotes closer alignment of digital workplace tools, such as France’s ‘La Suite numérique’ and Germany’s ‘OpenDesk’, with the ambition of building a Franco-German digital ecosystem for public services.

Paris and Berlin will also submit a joint proposal to the European Commission to simplify and better coordinate EU regulations in AI, cybersecurity, and data areas.

The two countries committed to strengthening joint efforts in AI, quantum computing, cloud, and space technologies, supporting collaborative research and industrial projects.

The Agenda combines bilateral cooperation on infrastructure and governance, aiming to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty.

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Schneider joins SK Telecom on new AI data centre project in Ulsan

SK Telecom has expanded its partnership with Schneider Electric to develop an AI Data Centre (AIDC) in Ulsan.

Under the deal, Schneider Electric will supply mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment, such as switchgear, transformers, automated control systems and Uninterruptible Power Supply units.

The agreement builds on a partnership announced at Mobile World Congress 2025 and includes using Schneider’s Electrical Transient Analyser Program within SK Telecom’s data centre management system.

It will allow operations to be optimised through a digital twin model instead of relying only on traditional monitoring tools.

Both companies have also agreed on prefabricated solutions to shorten construction times, reference designs for new facilities, and joint efforts to grow the Energy-as-a-Service business.

A Memorandum of Understanding extends the partnership to other SK Group affiliates, combining battery technologies with Uninterruptible Power Supply and Energy Storage Systems.

Executives said the collaboration would help set new standards for AI data centres and create synergies across the SK Group. It is also expected to support SK Telecom’s broader AI strategy while contributing to sustainable and efficient infrastructure development.

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Salesforce customers hit by OAuth token breach

Security researchers have warned Salesforce customers after hackers stole data by exploiting OAuth access tokens linked to the Salesloft Drift integration, highlighting critical cybersecurity flaws.

Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) reported that the threat actor UNC6395 used the tokens to infiltrate hundreds of Salesforce environments, exporting large volumes of sensitive information. Stolen data included AWS keys, passwords, and Snowflake tokens.

Experts warn that compromised SaaS integrations pose a central blind spot, since attackers inherit the same permissions as trusted apps and can often bypass multifactor authentication. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether connected systems, such as AWS or VPNs, were also breached.

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Claude chatbot misused in unprecedented cyber extortion case

A hacker exploited Anthropic’s Claude chatbot to automate one of the most extensive AI-driven cybercrime operations yet recorded, targeting at least 17 companies across multiple sectors, the firm revealed.

According to Anthropic’s report, the attacker used Claude Code to identify vulnerable organisations, generate malicious software, and extract sensitive files, including defence data, financial records, and patients’ medical information.

The chatbot then sorted the stolen material, identified leverage for extortion, calculated realistic bitcoin demands, and even drafted ransom notes and extortion emails on behalf of the hacker.

Victims included a defence contractor, a financial institution, and healthcare providers. Extortion demands reportedly ranged from $75,000 to over $500,000, although it remains unclear how much was actually paid.

Anthropic declined to disclose the companies affected but confirmed new safeguards are in place. The firm warned that AI lowers the barrier to entry for sophisticated cybercrime, making such misuse increasingly likely.

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Attackers bypass email security by abusing Microsoft Teams defaults

A phishing campaign exploits Microsoft Teams’ external communication features, with attackers posing as IT helpdesk staff to gain access to screen sharing and remote control. The method sidesteps traditional email security controls by using Teams’ default settings.

The attacks exploit Microsoft 365’s default external collaboration feature, which allows unauthenticated users to contact organisations. Axon Team reports attackers create malicious Entra ID tenants with .onmicrosoft.com domains or use compromised accounts to initiate chats.

Although Microsoft issues warnings for suspicious messages, attackers bypass these by initiating external voice calls, which generate no alerts. Once trust is established, they request screen sharing, enabling them to monitor victims’ activity and guide them toward malicious actions.

The highest risk arises where organisations enable external remote-control options, giving attackers potential full access to workstations directly through Teams. However, this eliminates the need for traditional remote tools like QuickAssist or AnyDesk, creating a severe security exposure.

Defenders are advised to monitor Microsoft 365 audit logs for markers such as ChatCreated, MessageSent, and UserAccepted events, as well as TeamsImpersonationDetected alerts. Restricting external communication and strengthening user awareness remain key to mitigating this threat.

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Google Sheets gains smarter table conversion with Gemini

Last year, Google introduced ‘Convert to table’ suggestions in Sheets, allowing users to turn a selected data range into a formatted table with one click.

Now, Google has enhanced that feature with Gemini integration. When users accept a table suggestion, Gemini applies proper formatting and creates sensible names, such as ‘Project_Status’ or ‘Office_Expenses’, making formula references more precise and meaningful.

For example, users can write =SUM(Office_Expenses[Amount]) instead of cryptic cell ranges like =SUM(E2:E15).

These newly named tables offer dynamic formula ranges that automatically expand or shrink as rows are added or removed, helping spreadsheets stay accurate without manual edits. The feature can be turned off under Tools > Suggestion controls if users prefer their original workflow.

Rollout is underway for Google Workspace Business Standard/Plus and Enterprise plans and Google AI Pro, Ultra, and specific education add-ons.

Rapid Release domains are receiving it now. Scheduled Release domains will see it from 12 September. Admins must enable innovative features and personalisation for users to access them.

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IBM and AMD unite to build quantum-classical supercomputers

IBM and AMD have launched a strategic collaboration to pioneer quantum-centric supercomputing architectures, blending IBM’s quantum computing capabilities with AMD’s strengths in high-performance computing (HPC), AI acceleration, CPUs, GPUs and FPGAs.

Their vision involves creating hybrid systems where quantum components handle atomic-scale or highly complex tasks, such as molecular simulation or optimization, while classical and infrastructure powered by AI processes large datasets efficiently.

The approach aims to unlock new levels of computational power. A demonstration of these hybrid workflows is scheduled for later this year.

Additionally, AMD’s technology may facilitate real-time error correction, a vital step toward achieving IBM’s goal of fault-tolerant quantum computing by the end of this decade.

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Storm-0501 wipes Azure data after ransomware attack

A ransomware group has destroyed data and backups in a Microsoft Azure environment after exfiltrating sensitive information, which experts describe as a significant escalation in cloud-based attacks.

The threat actor, tracked as Storm-0501, gained complete control over a victim’s Azure domain by exploiting privileged accounts.

Microsoft researchers said the group used native Azure tools to copy data before systematically deleting resources to block recovery efforts.

After exfiltration, Storm-0501 used AzCopy to steal storage account contents and erase cloud assets. Immutable resources were encrypted instead.

The group later contacted the victim via Microsoft Teams using a compromised account to issue ransom demands.

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Europe adds 12 new unicorn startups in first half of 2025

Funding season is restarting in Europe, with investors expecting to add several new unicorns in the coming months. Despite fewer mega-rounds than in 2021, a dozen startups passed the $1 billion mark in the first half of 2025.

AI, biotech, defence technology, and renewable energy are among the sectors attracting major backing. Recent unicorns include Lovable, an AI coding firm from Sweden, UK-based Fuse Energy, and Isar Aerospace from Germany.

London-based Isomorphic Labs, spun out of DeepMind, raised $600 million to enter unicorn territory. In biotech, Verdiva Bio hit unicorn status after a $410 million Series A, while Neko Health reached a $1.8 billion valuation.

AI and automation continue to drive investor appetite. Dublin’s Tines secured a $125 million Series C at a $1.125 billion valuation, and German AI customer service startup Parloa raised $120 million at a $1 billion valuation.

Dual-use drone companies also stood out. Portugal-based Tekever confirmed its unicorn status with plans for a £400 million UK expansion, while Quantum Systems raised €160 million to scale its AI-driven drones globally.

Film-streaming platform Mubi and encryption startup Zama also joined the unicorn club, showing the breadth of sectors gaining traction. With Bristol, Manchester, Munich, and Stockholm among the hotspots, Europe’s tech ecosystem continues to diversify.

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NVIDIA’s sales grow as the market questions AI momentum

Sales of AI chips by Nvidia rose strongly in its latest quarter, though the growth was less intense than in previous periods, raising questions about the sustainability of demand.

The company’s data centre division reported revenue of 41.1 billion USD between May and July, a 56% rise from last year but slightly below analyst forecasts.

Overall revenue reached 46.7 billion USD, while profit climbed to 26.4 billion USD, both higher than expected.

Nvidia forecasts sales of $54 billion USD for the current quarter.

CEO Jensen Huang said the company remains at the ‘beginning of the buildout’, with trillions expected to be spent on AI by the decade’s end.

However, investors pushed shares down 3% in extended trading, reflecting concerns that rapid growth is becoming harder to maintain as annual sales expand.

Nvidia’s performance was also affected by earlier restrictions on chip sales to China, although the removal of limits in exchange for a sales levy is expected to support future revenue.

Analysts noted that while AI continues to fuel stock market optimism, the pace of growth is slowing compared with the company’s earlier surge.

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