Cybersecurity

Singtel opens largest AI ready data centre in Singapore

Singtel’s data centre arm Nxera has opened its largest data centre in Singapore at Tuas. The facility strengthens Singapore’s role as a regional hub for AI infrastructure.

The Tuas site in Singapore offers 58MW of AI-ready capacity and is described as the country’s highest- power-density data centre. More than 90 per cent of Singapore’s capacity was committed before the official launch.

Nxera said the Singapore facility is hyperconnected through direct access to international and domestic networks. Singapore gains lower latency and improved reliability from integration with a cable landing station.

Singtel said the Tuas development supports rising demand in Singapore for AI, cloud and high performance computing. Nxera plans further expansion in Asia while reinforcing Singapore’s position in digital infrastructure.

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New York weighs pause on data centre expansion

Lawmakers in New York have introduced a bill proposing a three year pause on permits for new data centres. Supporters say rapid expansion linked to AI infrastructure risks straining energy systems in New York.

Concerns in New York focus on rising electricity demand and higher household bills as tech companies scale AI operations. Critics across the US argue local communities bear the cost of supporting large scale computing facilities.

The New York proposal has drawn backing from environmental groups and politicians in the US who want time to set stricter rules. US senator Bernie Sanders has also called for a nationwide halt on new data centres.

Officials in New York say the pause would allow stronger policies on grid access and fair cost sharing. The debate reflects wider US tension between economic growth driven by AI and environmental limits.

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Shadow AI becomes a new governance challenge for European organisations

Employees are adopting generative tools at work faster than organisations can approve or secure them, giving rise to what is increasingly described as ‘shadow AI‘. Unlike earlier forms of shadow IT, these tools can transform data, infer sensitive insights, and trigger automated actions beyond established controls.

For European organisations, the issue is no longer whether AI should be used, but how to regain visibility and control without undermining productivity, as shadow AI increasingly appears inside approved platforms, browser extensions, and developer tools, expanding risks beyond data leakage.

Security experts warn that blanket bans often push AI use further underground, reducing transparency and trust. Instead, guidance from EU cybersecurity bodies increasingly promotes responsible enablement through clear policies, staff awareness, and targeted technical controls.

Key mitigation measures include mapping AI use across approved and informal tools, defining safe prompt data, and offering sanctioned alternatives, with logging, least-privilege access, and approval steps becoming essential as AI acts across workflows.

With the EU AI Act introducing clearer accountability across the AI value chain, unmanaged shadow AI is also emerging as a compliance risk. As AI becomes embedded across enterprise software, organisations face growing pressure to make safe use the default rather than the exception.

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EU strengthens cyber defence after attack on Commission mobile systems

A cyber-attack targeting the European Commission’s central mobile infrastructure was identified on 30 January, raising concerns that staff names and mobile numbers may have been accessed.

The Commission isolated the affected system within nine hours instead of allowing the breach to escalate, and no mobile device compromise was detected.

Also, the Commission plans a full review of the incident to reinforce the resilience of internal systems.

Officials argue that Europe faces daily cyber and hybrid threats targeting essential services and democratic institutions, underscoring the need for stronger defensive capabilities across all levels of the EU administration.

CERT-EU continues to provide constant threat monitoring, automated alerts and rapid responses to vulnerabilities, guided by the Interinstitutional Cybersecurity Board.

These efforts support the broader legislative push to strengthen cybersecurity, including the Cybersecurity Act 2.0, which introduces a Trusted ICT Supply Chain to reduce reliance on high-risk providers.

Recent measures are complemented by the NIS2 Directive, which sets a unified legal framework for cybersecurity across 18 critical sectors, and the Cyber Solidarity Act, which enhances operational cooperation through the European Cyber Shield and the Cyber Emergency Mechanism.

Together, they aim to ensure collective readiness against large-scale cyber threats.

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Czechia weighs under-15 social media ban as government debate intensifies

A ban on social media use for under-15s is being weighed in Czechia, with government officials suggesting the measure could be introduced before the end of the year.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has voiced strong support and argues that experts point to potential harm linked to early social media exposure.

France recently enacted an under-15 restriction, and a growing number of European countries are exploring similar limits rather than relying solely on parental guidance.

The discussion is part of a broader debate about children’s digital habits, with Czech officials also considering a ban on mobile phones in schools. Slovakia has already adopted comparable rules, giving Czech ministers another model to study as they work on their own proposals.

Not all political voices agree on the direction of travel. Some warn that strict limits could undermine privacy rights or diminish online anonymity, while others argue that educational initiatives would be more effective than outright prohibition.

UNICEF has cautioned that removing access entirely may harm children who rely on online platforms for learning or social connection instead of traditional offline networks.

Implementing a nationwide age restriction poses practical and political challenges. The government of Czechia heavily uses social media to reach citizens, complicating attempts to restrict access for younger users.

Age verification, fair oversight and consistent enforcement remain open questions as ministers continue consultations with experts and service providers.

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New York moves toward data centre moratorium as energy fears grow

Lawmakers in New York have proposed a three-year moratorium on permits for new data centres amid pressure to address the strain prominent AI facilities place on local communities.

The proposal mirrors similar moves in several other states and reflects rising concern that rapidly expanding infrastructure may raise electricity costs and worsen environmental conditions rather than supporting balanced development.

Politicians from both major parties have voiced unease about the growing power demand created by data-intensive services. Figures such as Bernie Sanders and Ron DeSantis have warned that unchecked development could drive household bills higher and burden communities.

More than 230 environmental organisations recently urged Congress to consider a national pause to prevent further disruption.

The New York bill, sponsored by Liz Krueger and Anna Kelles, aims to give regulators time to build strict rules before major construction continues. Krueger described the state as unprepared for the scale of facilities seeking entry, arguing that residents should not be left covering future costs.

Supporters say a temporary halt would provide time to design policies that protect consumers rather than encourage unrestrained corporate expansion.

Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the Energize NY Development initiative, intended to modernise the grid connection process and ensure large energy users contribute fairly.

The scheme would require data centre operators to improve their financial responsibility as New York reassesses its approach to extensive AI-driven infrastructure.

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Bitcoin cryptography safe as quantum threat remains distant

Quantum computing concerns around Bitcoin have resurfaced, yet analysis from CoinShares indicates the threat remains long-term. The report argues that quantum risk is an engineering challenge that gives Bitcoin ample time to adapt.

Bitcoin’s security relies on elliptic-curve cryptography. A sufficiently advanced quantum machine could, in theory, derive private keys using Shor’s algorithm, which requires millions of stable, error-corrected qubits, and remains far beyond current capability.

Network exposure is also limited. Roughly 1.6 million BTC is held in legacy addresses with visible public keys, yet only about 10,200 BTC is realistically targetable. Modern address formats further reduce the feasibility of attacks.

Debate continues over post-quantum upgrades, with researchers warning that premature changes could introduce new vulnerabilities. Market impact, for now, is viewed as minimal.

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OpenClaw faces rising security pushback in South Korea

Major technology companies in South Korea are tightening restrictions on OpenClaw after rising concerns about security and data privacy.

Kakao, Naver and Karrot Market have moved to block the open-source agent within corporate networks, signalling a broader effort to prevent sensitive information from leaking into external systems.

Their decisions follow growing unease about how autonomous tools may interact with confidential material, rather than remaining contained within controlled platforms.

OpenClaw serves as a self-hosted agent that performs actions on behalf of a large language model, acting as the hands of a system that can browse the web, edit files and run commands.

Its ability to run directly on local machines has driven rapid adoption, but it has also raised concerns that confidential data could be exposed or manipulated.

Industry figures argue that companies are acting preemptively to reduce regulatory and operational risks by ensuring that internal materials never feed external training processes.

China has urged organisations to strengthen protections after identifying cases of OpenClaw running with inadequate safeguards.

Security analysts in South Korea warn that the agent’s open-source design and local execution model make it vulnerable to misuse, especially when compared to cloud-based chatbots that operate in more restricted environments.

Wiz researchers recently uncovered flaws in agents linked to OpenClaw that exposed personal information.

Despite the warnings, OpenClaw continues to gain traction among users who value its ability to automate complex tasks, rather than rely on manual workflows.

Some people purchase separate devices solely to run the agent, while an active South Korea community on X has drawn more than 1,800 members who exchange advice and share mitigation strategies.

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Smart policing project halted by Greek data protection authority

Greece’s data protection authority has warned against activating an innovative policing system planned by the Hellenic Police. The ruling said biometric identity checks carried out on the street would breach data protection law in Greece.

The system would allow police patrols in Greece to use portable devices to scan fingerprints and facial images during spot checks. Regulators said Greek law lacks a clear legal basis for such biometric processing.

The authority said existing rules cited by the Hellenic Police only apply to suspects or detainees and do not cover modern biometric technologies. Greece, therefore, faces unlawful processing risks if the system enters full operation.

The innovative policing project in Greece received the EU funding of around four million euros and received backlash in the past. Regulators said deployment must wait until new legislation explicitly authorises police to use biometrics.

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Sainsbury’s ejects shopper after facial recognition misidentification

A data professional, Warren Rajah, was escorted out of a Sainsbury’s supermarket in south London after staff incorrectly believed he matched an offender flagged by Facewatch facial recognition technology.

Facewatch later confirmed that there were no alerts or records associated with him, and Sainsbury’s attributed the incident to human error rather than a software fault.

Rajah described the experience as humiliating and ‘Orwellian’, criticising the lack of explanation, absence of a transparent appeals process, and the requirement to submit personal identification to a third party to prove he was not flagged.

He expressed particular concern about the impact such incidents could have on vulnerable customers.

The case highlights broader debates around the deployment of facial recognition in retail, where companies cite reductions in theft and abuse. At the same time, civil liberties groups warn of misidentification, insufficient staff training and the normalisation of privatised biometric surveillance.

UK regulators have reiterated that retailers must assess misidentification risks and ensure robust safeguards when processing biometric data.

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