Critical internet resources

NVIDIA launches Spectrum-XGS to connect AI data centres

AI data centres face growing pressure as computing demands exceed the capacity of single facilities. Traditional Ethernet networks face high latency and inconsistent transfers, forcing companies to build larger centres or risk performance issues.

NVIDIA aims to tackle these challenges with its new Spectrum-XGS Ethernet technology, introducing ‘scale-across’ capabilities. The system links multiple AI data centres using distance-adaptive algorithms, congestion control, latency management, and end-to-end telemetry.

NVIDIA claims the improvements can nearly double GPU communication performance, supporting what it calls ‘giga-scale AI super-factories.’

CoreWeave plans to be among the first adopters, connecting its facilities into a single distributed supercomputer. The deployment will test if Spectrum-XGS can deliver fast, reliable AI across multiple sites without needing massive single-location centres.

While the technology promises greater efficiency and distributed computing power, its effectiveness depends on real-world infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and data synchronisation.

If successful, it could reshape AI data centre design, enabling faster services and potentially lower operational costs across industries.

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FBI says China’s Salt Typhoon breached millions of Americans’ data

China’s Salt Typhoon cyberspies have stolen data from millions of Americans through a years-long intrusion into telecommunications networks, according to senior FBI officials. The campaign represents one of the most significant espionage breaches uncovered in the United States.

The Beijing-backed operation began in 2019 and remained hidden until last year. Authorities say at least 80 countries were affected, far beyond the nine American telcos initially identified, with around 200 US organisations compromised.

Targets included Verizon, AT&T, and over 100 current and former administration officials. Officials say the intrusions enabled Chinese operatives to geolocate mobile users, monitor internet traffic, and sometimes record phone calls.

Three Chinese firms, Sichuan Juxinhe, Beijing Huanyu Tianqiong, and Sichuan Zhixin Ruijie, have been tied to Salt Typhoon. US officials say they support China’s security services and military.

The FBI warns that the scale of indiscriminate targeting falls outside traditional espionage norms. Officials stress the need for stronger cybersecurity measures as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea continue to advance their cyber operations against critical infrastructure and private networks.

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Google boosts Virginia with $9 billion AI and cloud projects

Alphabet’s Google has confirmed plans to invest $9 billion in Virginia by 2026, strengthening the state’s role as a hub for data infrastructure in the US.

The focus will be on AI and cloud computing, positioning Virginia at the forefront of global technological competition.

The plan includes a new Chesterfield County facility and expansion at existing campuses in Loudoun and Prince William counties. These centres are part of the digital backbone that supports cloud services and AI workloads.

Dominion Energy will supply power for the new Chesterfield project, which may take up to seven years before it is fully operational.

The rapid growth of data centres in Virginia has increased concerns about energy demand. Google said it is working with partners on efficiency and power management solutions and funding community development.

Earlier in August, the company announced a $1 billion initiative to provide every college student in Virginia with one year of free access to its AI Pro plan and training opportunities.

Google’s move follows a broader trend in the technology sector. Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta are expected to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on AI-related projects, with much dedicated to new data centres.

Northern Virginia remains the boom’s epicentre, with Loudoun County earning the name’ Data Centre Alley’ because it has concentrated facilities.

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Brave uncovers vulnerability in Perplexity’s Comet that risked sensitive user data

Perplexity’s AI-powered browser, Comet, was found to have a serious vulnerability that could have exposed sensitive user data through indirect prompt injection, according to researchers at Brave, a rival browser company.

The flaw stemmed from how Comet handled webpage-summarisation requests. By embedding hidden instructions on websites, attackers could trick the browser’s large language model into executing unintended actions, such as extracting personal emails or accessing saved passwords.

Brave researchers demonstrated how the exploit could bypass traditional protections, such as the same-origin policy, showing scenarios where attackers gained access to Gmail or banking data by manipulating Comet into following malicious cues.

Brave disclosed the vulnerability to Perplexity on 11 August, but stated that it remained unfixed when they published their findings on 20 August. Perplexity later confirmed to CNET that the flaw had been patched, and Brave was credited for working with them to resolve it.

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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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