Critical internet resources

Google Cloud’s new AI tools expand enterprise threat protection

Following last week’s announcements on AI-driven cybersecurity, Google Cloud has unveiled further tools at its Security Summit 2025 aimed at protecting enterprise AI deployments and boosting efficiency for security teams.

The updates build on prior innovations instead of replacing them, reinforcing Google’s strategy of integrating AI directly into security operations.

Vice President and General Manager Jon Ramsey highlighted the growing importance of agentic approaches as AI agents operate across increasingly complex enterprise environments.

Building on the previous rollout, Google now introduces Model Armor protections, designed to shield AI agents from prompt injections, jailbreaking, and data leakage, enhancing safeguards without interrupting existing workflows.

Additional enhancements include the Alert Investigation agent, which automates event enrichment and analysis while offering actionable recommendations.

By combining Mandiant threat intelligence feeds with Google’s Gemini AI, organisations can now detect and respond to incidents across distributed agent networks more rapidly and efficiently than before.

SecOps Labs and updated SOAR dashboards provide early access to AI-powered threat detection experiments and comprehensive visualisations of security operations.

These tools allow teams to continue scaling agentic AI security, turning previous insights into proactive, enterprise-ready protections for real-world deployments.

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Energy and government sectors in Poland face mounting hacktivist threats

Poland has become the leading global target for politically and socially motivated cyberattacks, recording over 450 incidents in the second quarter of 2025, according to Spain’s Industrial Cybersecurity Center.

The report ranked Poland ahead of Ukraine, the UK, France, Germany, and other European states in hacktivist activity. Government institutions and the energy sector were among the most targeted, with organisations supporting Ukraine described as especially vulnerable.

ZIUR’s earlier first-quarter analysis had warned of a sharp rise in attacks against state bodies across Europe. Pro-Russian groups were identified as among the most active, increasingly turning to denial-of-service campaigns to disrupt critical operations.

Europe accounted for the largest share of global hacktivism in the second quarter, with more than 2,500 successful denial-of-service attacks recorded between April and June, underlining the region’s heightened exposure.

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Mount Fuji eruption simulated in an AI video for Tokyo

Residents of Tokyo have been shown a stark warning of what could happen if Mount Fuji erupts.

The metropolitan government released a three-minute AI-generated video depicting the capital buried in volcanic ash to raise awareness and urge preparation.

The simulation shows thick clouds of ash descending on Shibuya and other districts about one to two hours after an eruption, with up to 10 centimetres expected to accumulate. Unlike snow, volcanic ash does not melt away but instead hardens, damages powerlines, and disrupts communications once wet.

The video also highlights major risks to transport. Ash on train tracks, runways, and roads would halt trains, ground planes, and make driving perilous.

Two-wheel vehicles could become unusable under even modest ashfall. Power outages and shortages of food and supplies are expected as shops run empty, echoing the disruption seen after the 2011 earthquake.

Officials advise people to prepare masks, goggles, and at least three days of emergency food. The narrator warns that because no one knows when Mount Fuji might erupt, daily preparedness in Japan is vital to protect health, infrastructure, and communities.

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Dell expands AI innovation hub in Singapore to drive regional growth

Dell Technologies has launched a new Asia Pacific and Japan AI Innovation Hub in Singapore, strengthening its role in advancing AI across the region.

The hub extends the company’s Global Innovation Hub, which has already received more than US$50 million in investment since 2019. Its focus is on driving AI transformation, enablement and leadership, in line with Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0.

Instead of offering only infrastructure, the hub delivers end-to-end support, from strategy to deployment, helping enterprises bridge the gap between ambition and practical results. Research shows 62% of Singaporean businesses prefer such holistic partnerships.

Since 2024, the hub has developed about 50 AI prototypes and carried out more than 100 proof-of-concepts, workshops and demonstrations across areas such as generative and predictive AI.

The projects have already influenced multiple sectors. In energy, AI solutions are strengthening infrastructure resilience and enhancing customer engagement with digital humans and chatbots.

In telecommunications, AI is supporting agility and operational efficiency, while in education, cloud-based technologies are empowering research and innovation.

Dell’s AI Centre of Excellence Lab further supports these initiatives by testing solutions for AI PCs and edge computing in collaboration with academic and hardware partners.

A strong emphasis is also placed on skills development. By the end of 2025, the hub aims to train around 10,000 students and mid-career professionals in AI engineering, platform engineering and related fields.

Working with 10 local institutes, Dell is addressing the talent shortage reported by nearly half of Singaporean organisations. Events such as the Dell InnovateFest and the Dell Innovation Challenge provide platforms for students and partners to showcase ideas and create solutions for social good.

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Meta strikes $10 billion cloud deal with Google

Meta has signed a cloud computing deal with Google worth more than $10 billion, marking one of the most significant agreements in the industry.

The six-year partnership will see Meta use Google Cloud’s servers, storage, networking and other services to power its massive AI projects.

The deal comes as Meta accelerates its AI infrastructure spending, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledging hundreds of billions of dollars for new data centres.

Last month, Meta raised its capital expenditure forecast to $72 billion and disclosed plans to offload $2 billion in data centre assets to outside partners.

The partnership highlights a growing trend of rival technology giants collaborating on AI infrastructure. Just weeks earlier, OpenAI struck a similar deal to use Google Cloud services despite being a competitor in the AI field.

These agreements have boosted Google Cloud’s performance, which saw a 32% jump in second-quarter revenue in July, surpassing market expectations.

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Series K funding pushes Databricks valuation over $100bn

Databricks has secured a fresh funding round that pushes its valuation beyond $100bn, cementing its place among the world’s most valuable private tech firms. The Series K deal marks a sharp rise from the company’s $62bn figure in late 2024 and underscores investor confidence in its long-term AI strategy.

The new capital will accelerate Databricks’ global expansion, fuel acquisitions in the AI space, and support product innovation. Upcoming launches include Agent Bricks, a platform for enterprise-grade AI agents, and Lakebase, a new operational database that extends the company’s ecosystem.

Chief executive Ali Ghodsi said the round was oversubscribed, reflecting strong investor demand. He emphasised that businesses can leverage enterprise data to create secure AI apps and agents, noting that this momentum supports Databricks’ growth across 15,000 customers.

The company has also expanded its role in the broader AI ecosystem through partnerships with Microsoft, Google Cloud, Anthropic, SAP, and Palantir. Last year, it opened a European headquarters in London to cement the UK as a key market and strengthen ties with global enterprises.

Databricks has avoided confirming an IPO timeline, though Ghodsi told CNBC that investor appetite surged after fintech Figma’s listing. With Klarna now eyeing a return to New York, Databricks’ soaring valuation highlights how leading AI firms continue to attract capital even as market conditions shift.

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Applied Digital unveils $3 billion AI factory in North Dakota

Applied Digital is expanding in North Dakota with Polaris Forge 2, a $3 billion AI factory breaking ground in September 2025. The Harwood site will add 280 megawatts of capacity by 2027, cementing the state’s role in US AI infrastructure.

The project reflects demand and Applied Digital’s push to deliver high-performance compute power at scale. CEO Wes Cummins confirmed strong partner interest, including discussions with a US hyperscaler, and stated that the development will enhance growth and community value.

North Dakota has become a key destination for data centres, with abundant power, land, and a business-friendly climate. Polaris Forge 2 builds on the success of the Ellendale campus, with over 900 acres contracted and energy secured from Cass County Electric Cooperative.

The campus will employ more than 200 staff and contractors upon completion of operations. Governor Kelly Armstrong welcomed the investment, praising Applied Digital’s housing and workforce initiatives in Ellendale as a model for rural innovation and economic resilience.

Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken said the Harwood site extends that success, reinforcing North Dakota as a hub for sustainable AI infrastructure. Applied Digital sees Polaris Forge 2 as advancing its mission to deliver innovation while driving local development and long-term growth.

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US may take stake in Intel to boost chip production

The US government is reportedly considering acquiring a stake in Intel to support its domestic chip manufacturing plans. Talks began after Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan met with Trump administration officials on 11 August, following calls for his resignation over alleged China ties.

President Trump has pushed for greater control over the semiconductor sector and recently criticised Tan, prompting political pressure on Intel’s board.

While Intel declined to comment on a possible deal, it stated its commitment to supporting US technology and manufacturing leadership.

The proposed stake would aid Intel’s delayed Ohio chip factory project and expand its US production capacity.

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North Korean hackers switch to ransomware in major cyber campaign

A North Korean hacking unit has launched a ransomware campaign targeting South Korea and other countries, marking a shift from pure espionage. Security firm S2W identified the subgroup, ‘ChinopuNK’, as part of the ScarCruft threat actor.

The operation began in July, utilising phishing emails and a malicious shortcut file within a RAR archive to deploy multiple malware types. These included a keylogger, stealer, ransomware, and a backdoor.

ScarCruft, active since 2016, has targeted defectors, journalists, and government agencies. Researchers say the move to ransomware indicates either a new revenue stream or a more disruptive mission.

The campaign has expanded beyond South Korea to Japan, Vietnam, Russia, Nepal, and the Middle East. Analysts note the group’s technical sophistication has improved in recent years.

Security experts advise monitoring URLs, file hashes, behaviour-based indicators, and ongoing tracking of ScarCruft’s tools and infrastructure, to detect related campaigns from North Korea and other countries early.

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Google patches critical Chrome bugs enabling code execution

Chrome security update fixes six flaws that could enable arbitrary code execution. Stable channel 139.0.7258.127/.128 (Windows, Mac) and .127 (Linux) ships high-severity patches that protect user data and system integrity.

CVE-2025-8879 is a heap buffer overflow in libaom’s video codec. CVE-2025-8880 is a V8 race condition reported by Seunghyun Lee. CVE-2025-8901 is an out-of-bounds write in ANGLE.

Detection methods included AddressSanitizer, MemorySanitizer, UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer, Control Flow Integrity, libFuzzer, and AFL. Further fixes address CVE-2025-8881 in File Picker and CVE-2025-8882, a use-after-free in Aura.

Successful exploitation could allow code to run with browser privileges through overflows and race conditions. The automatic rollout is staged; users should update it manually by going to Settings > About Chrome.

Administrators should prioritise rapid deployment in enterprise fleets. Google credited external researchers, anonymous contributors, and the Big Sleep project for coordinated reporting and early discovery.

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