The Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has identified a powerful exploit toolkit, Coruna, that targets Apple iPhones running iOS versions 13.0 to 17.2.1.
The toolkit contains five complete exploit chains and 23 exploits designed to compromise devices using previously unseen techniques and mitigation bypasses.
Parts of the exploit chain were first detected in early 2025, when a client of a commercial surveillance vendor used them. Later investigations revealed the same framework in highly targeted attacks against Ukrainian users linked to a suspected Russian espionage group.
Toward the end of the year, the toolkit resurfaced in large-scale campaigns linked to financially motivated actors operating from China.
Coruna relies on a sophisticated JavaScript framework that identifies iPhone models and their iOS versions before delivering the appropriate WebKit remote code execution exploit and additional bypass techniques.
Several vulnerabilities exploited by the toolkit had previously been treated as zero-day flaws, highlighting the growing circulation of advanced cyber-attack tools among multiple threat actors.
Google warned that the payload can steal sensitive data, including financial and cryptocurrency wallet information, and allows attackers to deploy additional modules remotely.
The company has added related malicious domains to Safe Browsing and urged users to install the latest iOS updates, noting that the exploit kit does not affect the newest version of Apple’s operating system.
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Chinese authorities have introduced new rules to classify online content that could affect the health and well-being of minors. Set to take effect on 1 March, the measures aim to adapt to a rapidly evolving internet landscape.
Top government bodies, including those in cyberspace, education, publishing, film, culture, tourism, public security, and radio and television, jointly released the initiative. Together, they outlined four categories of content that could negatively impact minors and specified their key characteristics.
Recent issues, such as the misuse of minors’ images, have been integrated into the regulatory framework. Authorities also established preventive guidelines to manage risks from emerging technologies, including algorithmic recommendations and generative AI.
Internet platforms and content producers are now required to take both proactive and corrective measures against harmful content. The rules emphasise that platforms must monitor, block, or remove information that could affect minors’ well-being.
The Cyberspace Administration of China pledged to continue purifying the online environment. Authorities will urge platforms to assume their primary responsibilities and strengthen governance of content affecting young users, aiming to create a safer and healthier digital space for children.
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Governments across the world are increasingly treating AI as a strategic capability that shapes economic development, public services and national security. Momentum behind the idea of ‘sovereign AI’ is growing as countries reassess who controls the chips, cloud infrastructure, data and models powering modern technology.
Complete control over the entire AI stack remains unrealistic for most economies because of the enormous financial and technological costs involved. Global infrastructure continues to rely heavily on US technology firms, which still operate a large share of data centres and AI systems worldwide.
Policy makers are therefore exploring different approaches to sovereignty across the AI ecosystem rather than pursuing total independence. Strategies range from building domestic computing capacity to adapting global AI models for national languages, regulations and public services.
Several countries already illustrate different approaches. The EU is investing billions in AI infrastructure, Canada protects sensitive computing resources while using global models, and India prioritises applications that serve its multilingual population through public digital systems.
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Europe is being urged to take a leading role in developing sixth-generation wireless technology as global competition intensifies over the future of connectivity and AI.
Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Wassim Chourbaji of Qualcomm argued that 6G will represent a technological revolution rather than a gradual improvement over existing networks.
The company expects early pre-commercial deployments to begin around 2028, with broader commercialisation targeted for 2029.
Next-generation wireless networks are expected to support physical AI systems capable of interacting with the real world, including robotics, smart glasses, connected vehicles, and advanced sensing technologies.
High-capacity uploads and faster processing between devices and data centres will allow AI systems to analyse video streams and real-time data more efficiently.
Qualcomm has also launched a coalition aimed at accelerating 6G development with partners including Nokia, Ericsson, Amazon, Google and Microsoft.
Advocates argue that combining European industrial strengths with advanced wireless and AI technologies could allow the continent to secure a leading position in the next phase of global digital infrastructure.
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AI is becoming central to industrial networking strategies, but it is also creating new security challenges, according to Cisco’s 2026 State of Industrial AI Report.
Based on a survey of 1,000 professionals across 19 countries and 21 sectors, the report shows organisations view cybersecurity as both a barrier and an opportunity for AI adoption. About 40% cited cybersecurity concerns as a major obstacle, while 48% named security their biggest networking challenge.
At the same time, many organisations believe AI will strengthen their cyber resilience. Cisco noted that ‘while security gaps are limiting AI scale today, organisations view AI as a tool to strengthen detection, monitoring and resilience’.
The report also highlights organisational challenges, particularly collaboration between IT and operational technology teams. Only 20% of organisations report fully collaborative IT and OT cybersecurity operations, despite the growing importance of coordination for AI deployment.
Cisco said industrial AI adoption is accelerating, with 61% of organisations already deploying AI in industrial environments. However, only one in five reports mature, scaled adoption, suggesting many deployments remain in early stages.
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Cyber stability is increasingly tested by geopolitical fragmentation, rapid technological change, and tightly coupled digital supply chains. Open source software sits at the centre of these dynamics: widely embedded in critical digital infrastructure, globally developed, and governed through models that were not designed for today’s security, policy, and geopolitical pressures.
In 2026, the Geneva Dialogue will focus on stress-testing cybersecurity practices and agreed cyber norms under real-world conditions. hrough a scenario-based engagement framework, the Dialogue brings together policymakers, private sector actors, technical communities, and civil society to examine how responsibilities, incentives, and governance arrangements hold up when systems are under strain, with insights from Costin G. Raiu, Mika Lauhde, and Roman Zhukov.
Ransomware attacks are increasingly relying on stolen passwords rather than traditional malware, according to Cloudflare’s latest annual threat report. Attackers now exploit legitimate account credentials to blend into regular traffic, making breaches harder to detect and contain.
Manufacturing and critical infrastructure organisations account for over half of targeted attacks, reflecting their high operational stakes.
Cloudflare highlighted that AI is enabling attackers to prioritise speed and scale over technical sophistication. Generative AI lets criminals automate fraud, hijacking email threads and targeting a ~$49,000 sweet spot to maximise profit while avoiding scrutiny.
Nation-state actors also leverage legitimate platforms for command-and-control operations, with Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea each following distinct cyber strategies.
Researchers warned that modern ransomware is less a malware crisis and more an identity and access challenge. Attackers using authorised credentials can bypass defences and execute high-impact extortion, marking a significant shift in global threat vectors.
The report urges businesses to strengthen identity security, monitor access, and defend against AI-driven attacks that exploit impersonation and automation at scale.
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The European Commission is preparing more stringent requirements for ageing data centres rather than allowing legacy infrastructure to operate under looser rules.
A draft strategy tied to the EU’s tech sovereignty package signals that older sites will face higher efficiency expectations and stricter sustainability checks as part of an effort to modernise the digital backbone of the EU.
The proposal outlines minimum performance standards for new data centres by 2030, aiming to align the entire sector with the bloc’s climate and resilience goals. Officials want to reduce energy waste and improve monitoring across facilities that have long operated without uniform benchmarks.
The draft points to an expanded role for the Cloud and AI Development Act, which is expected to frame future obligations for cloud providers instead of relying on fragmented national measures.
Brussels sees consistent rules as essential for supporting secure cloud services, AI infrastructure and cross-border digital operations.
The strategy underscores that modernisation is central to the EU’s vision of tech sovereignty. Older centres would need upgrades to maintain compliance, ensuring that Europe’s digital infrastructure remains competitive, efficient and less dependent on external providers.
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Europe is building a federated cloud and AI infrastructure intended to reduce reliance on US and Chinese technology providers and avoid ongoing strategic vulnerability.
The project, known as EURO-3C, was announced in Barcelona by Telefónica and is backed by the European Commission. More than seventy organisations across telecommunications, technology and emerging companies have joined the effort.
Architects of the scheme argue that linking national infrastructures into a shared network of nodes offers a realistic path forward, particularly as Europe cannot easily create a hyperscale cloud provider from scratch.
The initiative follows a series of US cloud outages that exposed the risks of excessive dependence on external infrastructure and raised questions about sovereignty, resilience and long-term competitiveness.
Commission officials described the programme as a way to build a secure cross-border digital ecosystem that supports industries such as automotive, e-health, public administration and sovereign government cloud.
Telefónica stressed that agentic AI, capable of taking autonomous actions, will play a central role in enabling Europe to develop technology rather than import it.
The partners view the project as a foundation for a unified and independent digital environment that strengthens industrial supply chains and prepares European sectors for the next phase of cloud and AI adoption.
They present the initiative as a significant step toward reducing strategic exposure while stimulating domestic innovation.
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Deutsche Telekom is turning to satellite connectivity to address Europe’s persistent mobile coverage gaps, rather than relying solely on terrestrial networks.
The company announced a partnership with Starlink during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, arguing that non-terrestrial networks can help reach remote forests, mountains and islands that remain underserved despite broad coverage elsewhere.
A collaboration that aims to support direct-to-device satellite links by 2028, enabling future smartphones to connect to Starlink’s MSS spectrum without additional hardware.
Telecommunications leaders describe the plan as a step toward an ‘everywhere network’, extending reliable service to areas long constrained by topographical and conservation barriers. The partnership follows earlier joint work with SpaceX to eliminate dead zones.
Deutsche Telekom is also increasing its use of agentic AI, integrating autonomous network-enhancing systems intended to improve translation, search and service features across devices.
Executives say these capabilities work even on older phones, reducing dependence on apps and creating a more inclusive digital environment.
Although committed to European digital sovereignty, the company insists that global collaboration remains necessary for long-term competitiveness.
Leadership argues that precise regulation and controlled data environments aligned with European standards can balance international cooperation with privacy protection. They remain confident that European technology firms and start-ups will continue driving meaningful innovation across the sector.
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