Critical infrastructure

Viasat launches global IoT satellite service

Viasat has unveiled a new global connectivity service designed to improve satellite-powered internet of things (IoT) communication, even in remote environments. The new offering, IoT Nano, supports industries like agriculture, mining, transport with reliable, low-data and low-power two-way messaging.

The service builds on Orbcomm’s upgraded OGx platform, delivering faster message speeds, greater data capacity and improved energy efficiency. It maintains compatibility with older systems while allowing for advanced use cases through larger messages and reduced power needs.

Executives at Viasat and Orbcomm believe IoT Nano opens up new opportunities by combining wider satellite coverage with smarter, more frequent data delivery. The service is part of Viasat’s broader effort to expand its scalable and energy-efficient satellite IoT portfolio.

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The US push for AI dominance through openness

In a bold move to maintain its edge in the global AI race—especially against China—the United States has unveiled a sweeping AI Action Plan with 103 recommendations. At its core lies an intriguing paradox: the push for open-source AI, typically associated with collaboration and transparency, is now being positioned as a strategic weapon.

As Jovan Kurbalija points out, this plan marks a turning point where open-weight models are framed not just as tools of innovation, but as instruments of geopolitical influence, with the US aiming to seed the global AI ecosystem with American-built systems rooted in ‘national values.’

The plan champions Silicon Valley by curbing regulations, limiting federal scrutiny, and shielding tech giants from legal liability—potentially reinforcing monopolies. It also underlines a national security-first mentality, urging aggressive safeguards against foreign misuse of AI, cyber threats, and misinformation. Notably, it proposes DARPA-led initiatives to unravel the inner workings of large language models, acknowledging that even their creators often can’t fully explain how these systems function.

Internationally, the plan takes a competitive, rather than cooperative, stance. Allies are expected to align with US export controls and values, while multilateral forums like the UN and OECD are dismissed as bureaucratic and misaligned. That bifurcation risks alienating global partners—particularly the EU, which favours heavy AI regulation—while increasing pressure on countries like India and Japan to choose sides in the US–China tech rivalry.

Despite its combative framing, the strategy also nods to inclusion and workforce development, calling for tax-free employer-sponsored AI training, investment in apprenticeships, and growing military academic hubs. Still, as Kurbalija warns, the promise of AI openness may clash with the plan’s underlying nationalistic thrust—raising questions about whether it truly aims to democratise AI, or merely dominate it.

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NASA launches twin satellites to study space storms

NASA has launched two TRACERS satellites aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to study space weather near Earth’s poles.

These identical spacecraft will probe the polar cusps in Earth’s magnetic field better to understand the origins and dynamics of geomagnetic storms.

Magnetic reconnection, a process where solar wind collides with Earth’s magnetosphere, is central in triggering auroras and potentially damaging solar storms.

Using tandem satellites, scientists can now monitor changes in real time, offering insights that single-orbiting spacecraft could not provide.

The mission aims to record around 3,000 reconnection events over the next year, helping researchers determine how solar energy enters Earth’s system.

By doing so, they hope to improve forecasting of disruptive space weather events that can impact GPS, satellites, and power grids.

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Microsoft replaces the blue screen of death with a sleek black version in Windows 11

Microsoft has officially removed the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) from Windows 11 and replaced it with a sleeker, black version.

As part of the update KB5062660, the Black Screen of Death now appears briefly—around two seconds—before a restart, showing only a short error message without the sad face or QR code that became symbolic of Windows crashes.

The update, which brings systems to Build 26100.4770, is optional and must be installed manually through Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalogue.

It is available for both x64 and arm64 platforms. Microsoft plans to roll out the update more broadly in August 2025 as part of its Windows 11 24H2 feature preview.

In addition to the screen change, the update introduces ‘Recall’ for EU users, a tool designed to operate locally and allow users to block or turn off tracking across apps and websites. The feature aims to comply with European privacy rules while enhancing user control.

Also included is Quick Machine Recovery, which can identify and fix system-wide failures using the Windows Recovery Environment. If a device becomes unbootable, it can download a repair patch automatically to restore functionality instead of requiring manual intervention.

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Network failure hits EE, BT and affects other UK providers

Thousands of EE and BT customers across the UK encountered widespread network failures on 24 July, primarily affecting voice services.

The outage, lasting over 24 hours, disrupted mobile and landline calls. Over 2,600 EE users reported issues with Downdetector at peak volume around 2:15 p.m. BST. Despite repair efforts, residual outages were still being logged the following day.

Although Vodafone and Three initially confirmed their networks were stable, users who recently switched carriers or ported numbers from EE experienced failures when making or receiving calls. However, this suggests cross-network routing issues burdened by EE’s technical fault.

Emergency services were briefly impacted; some users could not reach 999, though voice functionality has resumed. BT and EE apologised and said they were working urgently to restore reliable service.

Given statutory obligations around service resilience, Ofcom has opened inquiries into scale and causes. Affected MVNO operators using EE infrastructure, like 1pMobile, reported customer disruptions.

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Big companies grapple with AI’s legal, security, and reputational threats

A recent Quartz investigation reveals that concerns over AI are increasingly overshadowing corporate enthusiasm, especially among Fortune 500 companies.

More than 69% now reference generative AI in their annual reports as a risk factor, while only about 30% highlight its benefits, a dramatic shift toward caution in corporate discourse.

These risks range from cybersecurity threats, such as AI-generated phishing, model poisoning, and adversarial attacks, to operational and reputational dangers stemming from opaque AI decision-making, including hallucinations and biassed outputs.

Privacy exposure, legal liability, task misalignment, and overpromising AI capabilities, so-called ‘AI washing’, compound corporate exposure, particularly for boards and senior leadership facing directors’ and officers’ liability risks.

Other structural risks include vendor lock-in, disproportionate market influence by dominant AI providers, and supply chain dependencies that constrain flexibility and resilience.

Notably, even cybersecurity experts warn of emerging threats from AI agents, autonomous systems capable of executing actions that complicate legal accountability and oversight.

Companies are advised to adopt comprehensive AI risk-management strategies to navigate this evolving landscape.

Essential elements include establishing formal governance frameworks, conducting bias and privacy audits, documenting risk assessments, ensuring human-in-the-loop oversight, revising vendor contracts, and embedding AI ethics into policy and training, particularly at the board level.

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Starlink suffers widespread outage from a rare software failure

The disruption began around 3 p.m. EDT and was attributed to a failure in Starlink’s core internal software services. The issue affected one of the most resilient satellite systems globally, sparking speculation over whether a botched update or a cyberattack may have been responsible.

Starlink, which serves more than six million users across 140 countries, saw service gradually return after two and a half hours.

Executives from SpaceX, including CEO Elon Musk and Vice President of Starlink Engineering Michael Nicolls, apologised publicly and promised to address the root cause to avoid further interruptions. Experts described it as Starlink’s most extended and severe outage since becoming a major provider.

As SpaceX continues upgrading the network to support greater speed and bandwidth, some experts warned that such technical failures may become more visible. Starlink has rapidly expanded with over 8,000 satellites in orbit and new services like direct-to-cell text messaging in partnership with T-Mobile.

Questions remain over whether Thursday’s failure affected military services like Starshield, which supports high-value US defence contracts.

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Microsoft hacking campaign expands into ransomware attacks

A state-aligned cyber-espionage campaign exploiting Microsoft server software vulnerabilities has escalated to ransomware deployment, according to a Microsoft blog post published late Wednesday.

The group, dubbed ‘Storm-2603’ by Microsoft, is now using the SharePoint vulnerability to spread ransomware that can lock down systems and demand digital payments. This shift suggests a move from espionage to broader disruption.

according to Eye Security, a cybersecurity firm from the Netherlands, the number of known victims has surged from 100 to over 400, with the possibility that the true figure is likely much higher.

‘There are many more, because not all attack vectors have left artefacts that we could scan for,’ said Eye Security’s chief hacker, Vaisha Bernard.

One confirmed victim is the US National Institutes of Health, which isolated affected servers as a precaution. Reports also indicate that the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies have been impacted.

The breach stems from an incomplete fix to Microsoft’s SharePoint software vulnerability. Both Microsoft and Google-owner Alphabet have linked the activity to Chinese hackers—a claim Beijing denies.

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US lawmaker proposes to train young Americans in AI for cyberwarfare

In a Washington Post opinion piece, Rep. Elise Stefanik and Stephen Prince, CEO of TFG Asset Management, argue that the United States is already engaged in a new form of warfare — cyberwarfare — waged by adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran using tools such as malware, phishing, and zero-day exploits. They assert that the US is not adequately prepared to defend against these threats due to a significant shortage of cyber talent, especially within the military and government.

To address this gap, the authors propose the creation of the United States Advanced Technology Academy (USATA) — a tuition-free, government-supported institution that would train a new generation of Americans in cybersecurity, AI, and quantum computing. Modelled after military academies, USATA would be located in upstate New York and require a five-year public service commitment from graduates.

The goal is to rapidly develop a pipeline of skilled cyber defenders, close the Pentagon’s estimated 30,000-person cyber personnel shortfall, and maintain US leadership in strategic technologies. Stefanik and Prince argue that while investing in AI tools and infrastructure is essential, equally critical is the cultivation of human expertise to operate, secure, and ethically deploy these tools. They position USATA not just as an educational institution but as a national security imperative.

The article places the academy within a broader effort to outpace rivals like China, which is also actively investing in STEM education and tech capacity. The authors call on the President to establish USATA via executive order or bipartisan congressional support, framing it as a decisive and forward-looking response to 21st-century threats.

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Meta tells Australia AI needs real user data to work

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has urged the Australian government to harmonise privacy regulations with international standards, warning that stricter local laws could hamper AI development. The comments came in Meta’s submission to the Productivity Commission’s review on harnessing digital technology, published this week.

Australia is undergoing its most significant privacy reform in decades. The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024, passed in November and given royal assent in December, introduces stricter rules around handling personal and sensitive data. The rules are expected to take effect throughout 2024 and 2025.

Meta maintains that generative AI systems depend on access to large, diverse datasets and cannot rely on synthetic data alone. In its submission, the company argued that publicly available information, like legislative texts, fails to reflect the cultural and conversational richness found on its platforms.

Meta said its platforms capture the ways Australians express themselves, making them essential to training models that can understand local culture, slang, and online behaviour. It added that restricting access to such data would make AI systems less meaningful and effective.

The company has faced growing scrutiny over its data practices. In 2024, it confirmed using Australian Facebook data to train AI models, although users in the EU have the option to opt out—an option not extended to Australian users.

Pushback from regulators in Europe forced Meta to delay its plans for AI training in the EU and UK, though it resumed these efforts in 2025.

Australia’s Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has issued guidance on AI development and commercial deployment, highlighting growing concerns about transparency and accountability. Meta argues that diverging national rules create conflicting obligations, which could reduce the efficiency of building safe and age-appropriate digital products.

Critics claim Meta is prioritising profit over privacy, and insist that any use of personal data for AI should be based on informed consent and clearly demonstrated benefits. The regulatory debate is intensifying at a time when Australia’s outdated privacy laws are being modernised to protect users in the AI age.

The Productivity Commission’s review will shape how the country balances innovation with safeguards. As a key market for Meta, Australia’s decisions could influence regulatory thinking in other jurisdictions confronting similar challenges.

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