The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published lessons from its response to a federal agency breach.
Hackers exploited an unpatched vulnerability in GeoServer software, gaining access to multiple systems. CISA noted that the flaw had been disclosed weeks earlier and added to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue, but the agency had not patched it in time.
Investigators also found that incident response plans were outdated and had not been tested. The lack of clear procedures delayed third-party support and restricted access to vital security tools during the investigation.
CISA added that endpoint detection alerts were not continuously reviewed and some US public-facing systems had no protection, leaving attackers free to install web shells and move laterally through the network.
The agency urged all organisations to prioritise patching, maintain and rehearse incident response plans, and ensure comprehensive logging to strengthen resilience against future cybersecurity attacks.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Avocado Consulting urges Australian organisations to boost software supply chain security after a high-alert warning from the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). The alert flagged threats, including social engineering, stolen tokens, and manipulated software packages.
Dennis Baltazar of Avocado Consulting said attackers combine social engineering with living-off-the-land techniques, making attacks appear routine. He warned that secrets left across systems can turn small slips into major breaches.
Baltazar advised immediate audits to find unmanaged privileged accounts and non-human identities. He urged embedding security into workflows by using short-lived credentials, policy-as-code, and default secret detection to reduce incidents and increase development speed for users in Australia.
Avocado Consulting advises organisations to eliminate secrets from code and pipelines, rotate tokens frequently, and validate every software dependency by default using version pinning, integrity checks, and provenance verification. Monitoring CI/CD activity for anomalies can also help detect attacks early.
Failing to act could expose cryptographic keys, facilitate privilege escalation, and result in reputational and operational damage. Avocado Consulting states that secure development practices must become the default, with automated scanning and push protection integrated into the software development lifecycle.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A 40-year-old man has been arrested in West Sussex in connection with a cyberattack that caused major disruption across several European airports, including London’s Heathrow. The arrest was confirmed by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which is leading the investigation.
The incident targeted Collins Aerospace, a key provider of airline baggage and check-in software. The attack triggered system failures that forced staff at multiple airports to revert to manual check-in processes, resulting in hundreds of flight delays and frustration for passengers.
The NCA described the case as being in its early stages, with inquiries ongoing into the scale of the attack and the suspect’s potential role. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether others may be involved or what the broader motives behind the cyber-attack were.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Officials want to know how these companies detect fraudulent content and what safeguards they use to prevent scams. For app stores, the focus is on fake financial applications imitating legitimate banking or trading services.
For Booking.com, attention is paid to fraudulent accommodation listings, while Bing and Google Search face scrutiny over links and ads, leading to scam websites.
The Commission asked platforms how they verify business identities under ‘Know Your Business Customer’ rules to prevent harm from suspicious actors. Companies must also share details of their ad repositories, enabling regulators and researchers to spot fraudulent ads and patterns.
By taking these steps, the Commission aims to ensure that actions under the DSA complement broader consumer protection measures already in force across the European Union.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank has announced five new data centres under the Stargate initiative, a $500 billion plan to expand US AI computing infrastructure.
The latest sites bring total planned capacity to nearly 7 gigawatts, with over $400 billion already committed, putting the project ahead of schedule to meet its 2025 target of 10 gigawatts.
Oracle will lead three projects in Texas, New Mexico and the Midwest, adding over 5.5 gigawatts of capacity and creating more than 25,000 jobs.
SoftBank will develop facilities in Ohio and Texas, expected to scale to 1.5 gigawatts within 18 months. SB Energy, its affiliate, will provide rapid-build infrastructure for the Texas site.
The companies described the expansion as a step toward faster deployment and greater cost efficiency, making high-performance computing more widely accessible.
Site selection followed a nationwide review of more than 300 proposals, with further projects under evaluation, suggesting investment could surpass the original commitment.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stressed that compute power is key to unlocking AI’s promise, while Oracle and SoftBank leaders highlighted scalable infrastructure and energy expertise as central to the initiative. With Stargate, the partners aim to anchor the next wave of AI innovation on US soil.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Meta will provide its Llama AI model to key European institutions, NATO, and several allied countries as part of efforts to strengthen national security capabilities.
The company confirmed that France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the EU will gain access to the open-source model. US defence and security agencies and partners in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK already use Llama.
Meta stated that the aim is to ensure democratic allies have the most advanced AI tools for decision-making, mission planning, and operational efficiency.
Although its terms bar use for direct military or espionage applications, the company emphasised that supporting allied defence strategies is in the interest of nations.
The move highlights the strategic importance of AI models in global security. Meta has positioned Llama as a counterweight to other countries’ developments, after allegations that researchers adapted earlier versions of the model for military purposes.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Eurojust has coordinated a large-scale operation to dismantle a cryptocurrency fraud scheme worth more than €100 million across Europe. The action, requested by Spanish and Portuguese authorities, resulted in the arrest of five suspects, including the alleged mastermind.
Victims from Germany, France, Italy, Spain and other countries were lured into false investment platforms promising high returns.
Investigations revealed that funds were funnelled mainly through Lithuanian bank accounts to launder the illicit proceeds. Victims were later asked to pay additional fees to recover their money, after which the fraudulent websites vanished, leaving many with severe losses.
The scheme has been running since 2018, affecting people in 23 countries.
Authorities in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Romania and Bulgaria conducted searches and froze bank accounts and financial assets. Eurojust backed a Spain-Lithuania investigation team, while Europol sent a cryptocurrency expert to support operations in Portugal.
The coordinated action also relied on European Arrest Warrants, Investigation Orders and freezing orders. National agencies and prosecutors across Europe united in one of the most significant efforts against cryptocurrency fraud.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
The European Union and Indonesia have concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA), strongly emphasising technology, digitalisation and sustainable industries.
The agreements are designed to expand trade, secure critical raw materials, and drive the green and digital transitions.
Under the CEPA, tariffs on 98.5% of trade lines will be removed, cutting costs by €600 million annually and giving EU companies greater access to Indonesia’s fast-growing technology sectors, including electric vehicles, electronics and pharmaceuticals.
European firms will also gain full ownership rights in key service areas such as computers and telecommunications, helping deepen integration of digital supply chains.
A deal that embeds commitments to the Paris Agreement while promoting renewable energy and low-carbon technologies. It also includes cooperation on digital standards, intellectual property protections and trade facilitation for sectors vital to Europe’s clean tech and digital industries.
With Indonesia as a leading producer of critical raw materials, the agreement secures sustainable and predictable access to inputs essential for semiconductors, batteries and other strategic technologies.
Launched in 2016, the negotiations concluded after the political agreement reached in July 2025 between Presidents Ursula von der Leyen and Prabowo Subianto. The texts will undergo legal review before the EU and Indonesia ratification, opening a new chapter in tech-enabled trade and innovation.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge, has disclosed a data breach affecting its North American customer service operations.
The company said it recently discovered unauthorised access to a third-party service platform and confirmed that customer contact details were exposed. Stellantis stressed that no financial information was compromised and that affected customers and regulators are being notified.
Cybercriminal group ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility, telling tech site BleepingComputer it had stolen over 18 million Salesforce records from the automaker, including names and contact information. Stellantis has not confirmed the number of records involved.
ShinyHunters has targeted several global firms this year, including Google, Louis Vuitton and Allianz Life, often using voice phishing to trick employees into downloading malicious software. The group claims to have stolen 1.5 billion Salesforce records from more than 700 companies worldwide.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
At Climate Week NYC 2025, UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell urged governments and industries to accelerate clean energy, embrace industrial and AI transformation, and prepare for decisive progress at COP30 in Belém.
He highlighted that renewable investment reached US$2 trillion last year and that most new renewable projects are cheaper than fossil fuels, showing that the transition is already underway instead of being dependent on breakthroughs.
Stiell warned, however, that the benefits remain uneven and too many industrial projects lie idle. He called on governments to align policy and finance with the Paris Agreement sector by sector while unlocking innovation to create millions of jobs.
On AI, he stressed the importance of harnessing its catalytic potential responsibly, using it to manage energy grids, map climate risks and guide planning, rather than allowing it to displace human skills.
Looking ahead, the UN Climate Chief pointed to the Baku to Belém Roadmap, a plan to mobilise at least US$1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to support climate action in developing countries. He said COP30 must respond to this roadmap, accelerate progress on national climate commitments and deliver for vulnerable communities.
Above all, he argued that climate cooperation is bending the warming curve and must continue to drive real-world improvements in jobs, health and energy access instead of faltering.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
