The US House of Representatives has passed legislation that would officially designate the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as the federal lead for cybersecurity across communications networks.
The move follows last year’s Salt Typhoon hacking spree, described by some as the worst telecom breach in US history.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act, introduced by Representatives Jay Obernolte and Jennifer McClellan, cleared the House on Monday and now awaits Senate approval.
The bill would rebrand an NTIA office to focus on both policy and cybersecurity, while codifying the agency’s role in coordinating cybersecurity responses alongside other federal departments.
Lawmakers argue that recent telecom attacks exposed major gaps in coordination between government and industry.
The bill promotes public-private partnerships and stronger collaboration between agencies, software developers, telecom firms, and security researchers to improve resilience and speed up innovation across communications technologies.
With Americans’ daily lives increasingly dependent on digital services, supporters say the bill provides a crucial framework for protecting sensitive information from cybercriminals and foreign hacking groups instead of relying on fragmented and inconsistent measures.
Nvidia has announced plans to resume sales of its H20 AI chip in China, following meetings between CEO Jensen Huang and US President Donald Trump in Beijing.
The move comes after US export controls previously banned sales of the chip on national security grounds, costing Nvidia an estimated $15 billion in lost revenue.
The company confirmed it is filing for licences with the US government to restart deliveries of the H20 graphics processing unit, expecting approval shortly.
Nvidia also revealed a new RTX Pro GPU designed specifically for China, compliant with US export rules, offering a lower-cost alternative instead of risking further restrictions.
Huang, attending a supply chain expo in Beijing, described China as essential to Nvidia’s growth, despite rising competition from local firms like Huawei.
Chinese companies remain highly dependent on Nvidia’s CUDA platform, while US lawmakers have raised concerns about Nvidia engaging with Chinese entities linked to military or intelligence services.
Nvidia’s return to the Chinese market comes as Washington and Beijing show signs of easing trade tensions, including relaxed rare earth export rules from China and restored chip design services from the US.
Analysts note, however, that Chinese firms are likely to keep diversifying suppliers instead of relying solely on US chips for supply chain security.
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European policymakers are turning to quantum technology as a strategic solution to the continent’s growing economic and security challenges.
With the US and China surging ahead in AI, Europe sees quantum innovation as a last-mover advantage it cannot afford to miss.
Quantum computers, sensors, and encryption are already transforming military, industrial and cybersecurity capabilities.
From stealth detection to next-generation batteries, Europe hopes quantum breakthroughs will bolster its defences and revitalise its energy, automotive and pharmaceutical sectors.
Although EU institutions have heavily invested in quantum programmes and Europe trains more engineers than anywhere else, funding gaps persist.
Private investment remains limited, pushing some of the continent’s most promising start-ups abroad in search of capital and scale.
The EU must pair its technical excellence with bold policy reforms to avoid falling behind. Strategic protections, high-risk R&D support and new alliances will be essential to turning scientific strength into global leadership.
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Two versions of the popular Gravity Forms plugin for WordPress were found infected with malware after a supply chain attack, prompting urgent security warnings for website administrators. The compromised plugin files were available for manual download from the official page on 9 and 10 July.
The attack was uncovered on 11 July, when researchers noticed the plugin making suspicious requests and sending WordPress site data to an unfamiliar domain.
The injected malware created secret administrator accounts, providing attackers with remote access to websites, allowing them to steal data and control user accounts.
According to developer RocketGenius, only versions 2.9.11.1 and 2.9.12 were affected if installed manually or via composer during that brief window. Automatic updates and the Gravity API service remained secure. A patched version, 2.9.13, was released on 11 July, and users are urged to update immediately.
RocketGenius has rotated all service keys, audited admin accounts, and tightened download package security to prevent similar incidents instead of risking further unauthorised access.
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Malaysia’s trade ministry announced new restrictions on the export, transshipment and transit of high-performance AI chips of US origin. Effective immediately, individuals and companies must obtain a trade permit and notify authorities at least 30 days in advance for such activities.
The restrictions apply to items not explicitly listed in Malaysia’s strategic items list, which is currently under review to include relevant AI chips. The move aims to close regulatory gaps while Malaysia updates its export control framework to match emerging technologies.
‘Malaysia stands firm against any attempt to circumvent export controls or engage in illicit trade activities,’ the ministry stated on Monday. Violations will result in strict legal action, with authorities emphasising a zero-tolerance approach to export control breaches.
The announcement follows increasing pressure from the United States to curb the flow of advanced chips to China. In March, the Financial Times reported that Washington had asked allies including Malaysia to tighten semiconductor export rules.
Malaysia is also investigating a shipment of servers linked to a Singapore-based fraud case that may have included restricted AI chips. Authorities are assessing whether local laws were breached and whether any controlled items were transferred without proper authorisation.
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Europe is facing a growing wave of AI-powered fake news and coordinated bot attacks that overwhelm media, fact-checkers, and online platforms instead of relying on older propaganda methods.
According to the European Policy Centre, networks using advanced AI now spread deepfakes, hoaxes, and fake articles faster than they can be debunked, raising concerns over whether EU rules are keeping up.
Since late 2024, the so-called ‘Overload’ operation has doubled its activity, sending an average of 2.6 fabricated proposals each day while also deploying thousands of bot accounts and fake videos.
These efforts aim to disrupt public debate through election intimidation, discrediting individuals, and creating panic instead of open discussion. Experts warn that without stricter enforcement, the EU’s Digital Services Act risks becoming ineffective.
To address the problem, analysts suggest that Europe must invest in real-time threat sharing between platforms, scalable AI detection systems, and narrative literacy campaigns to help citizens recognise manipulative content instead of depending only on fact-checkers.
Publicly naming and penalising non-compliant platforms would give the Digital Services Act more weight.
The European Parliament has already acknowledged widespread foreign-backed disinformation and cyberattacks targeting EU countries. Analysts say stronger action is required to protect the information space from systematic manipulation instead of allowing hostile narratives to spread unchecked.
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In the first six months of the year, 95 employees from seven government bodies in Azerbaijan fell victim to cyberattacks after neglecting basic cybersecurity measures and failing to follow established protocols. The incidents highlight growing risks from poor cyber hygiene across public institutions.
According to the State Service of Special Communication and Information Security (XRİTDX), more than 6,200 users across the country were affected by various cyberattacks during the same period, not limited to government staff.
XRİTDX is now intensifying audits and monitoring activities to strengthen information security and safeguard state organisations against both existing and evolving cyber threats instead of leaving vulnerabilities unchecked.
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Security researchers have identified a serious flaw in Google Gemini for Workspace that allows cybercriminals to hide malicious commands inside email content.
The attack involves embedding hidden HTML and CSS instructions, which Gemini processes when summarising emails instead of showing the genuine content.
Attackers use invisible text styling such as white-on-white fonts or zero font size to embed fake warnings that appear to originate from Google.
When users click Gemini’s ‘Summarise this email’ feature, these hidden instructions trigger deceptive alerts urging users to call fake numbers or visit phishing sites, potentially stealing sensitive information.
Unlike traditional scams, there is no need for links, attachments, or scripts—only crafted HTML within the email body. The vulnerability extends beyond Gmail, affecting Docs, Slides, and Drive, raising fears of AI-powered phishing beacons and self-replicating ‘AI worms’ across Google Workspace services.
Experts advise businesses to implement inbound HTML checks, LLM firewalls, and user training to treat AI summaries as informational only. Google is urged to sanitise incoming HTML, improve context attribution, and add visibility for hidden prompts processed by Gemini.
Security teams are reminded that AI tools now form part of the attack surface and must be monitored accordingly.
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AI is being hailed as a transformative force in healthcare, with the potential to reduce costs and improve outcomes dramatically. Estimates suggest widespread AI integration could save up to 360 billion dollars annually by accelerating diagnosis and reducing inefficiencies across the system.
Although tools like AI scribes, triage assistants, and scheduling systems are gaining ground, clinical adoption remains slow. Only a small percentage of doctors, roughly 12%, currently rely on AI for diagnostic decisions. This cautious rollout reflects deeper concerns about the risks associated with medical AI.
Challenges include algorithmic drift when systems are exposed to real-world conditions, persistent racial and ethnic biases in training data, and the opaque ‘black box’ nature of many AI models. Privacy issues also loom, as healthcare data remains among the most sensitive and tightly regulated.
Experts argue that meaningful AI adoption in clinical care must be incremental. It requires rigorous validation, clinician training, transparent algorithms, and clear regulatory guidance. While the potential to save lives and money is significant, the transformation will be slow and deliberate, not overnight.
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An advanced persistent threat (APT) group with suspected ties to India has been accused of targeting Italian defence companies in a cyber-espionage campaign.
Security researchers found that the hackers used phishing emails and malicious documents to infiltrate networks, stealing sensitive data.
The attacks, believed to be state-sponsored, align with growing concerns about nation state cyber operations targeting critical industries.
The campaign, dubbed ‘Operation Tainted Love,’ involved sophisticated malware designed to evade detection while exfiltrating confidential documents.
Analysts suggest the group’s motives may include gathering intelligence on military technology and geopolitical strategies. Italy has not yet issued an official response, but the breach underscores the escalating risks to national security posed by cyber-espionage.
This incident follows a broader trend of state-backed hacking groups increasingly focusing on the defence and aerospace sectors.
Cybersecurity experts urge organisations to strengthen defences, particularly against phishing and supply chain attacks. As geopolitical tensions influence cyberwarfare, such operations highlight the need for international cooperation in combating digital threats.
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