A UK public sector cyberattack on Kensington and Chelsea Council has exposed the growing vulnerability of government organisations to data breaches. The council stated that personal details linked to hundreds of thousands of residents may have been compromised after attackers targeted the shared IT infrastructure.
Security experts warn that interconnected systems, while cost-efficient, create systemic risks. Dray Agha, senior manager of security operations at Huntress, said a single breach can quickly spread across partner organisations, disrupting essential services and exposing sensitive information.
Public sector bodies remain attractive targets due to ageing infrastructure and the volume of personal data they hold. Records such as names, addresses, national ID numbers, health information, and login credentials can be exploited for fraud, identity theft, and large-scale scams.
Gregg Hardie, public sector regional vice president at SailPoint, noted that attackers often employ simple, high-volume tactics rather than sophisticated techniques. Compromised credentials allow criminals to blend into regular activity and remain undetected for long periods before launching disruptive attacks.
Hardie said stronger identity security and continuous monitoring are essential to prevent minor intrusions from escalating. Investing in resilient, segmented systems could help reduce the impact of future UK public sector cyberattack incidents and protect critical operations.
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A newly identified vulnerability in Telegram’s mobile apps allows attackers to reveal users’ real IP addresses with a single click. The flaw, known as a ‘one-click IP leak’, can expose location and network details even when VPNs or proxies are enabled.
The issue comes from Telegram’s automatic proxy testing process. When a user clicks a disguised proxy link, the app initiates a direct connection request that bypasses all privacy protections and reveals the device’s real IP address.
Cybersecurity researcher @0x6rss demonstrated an attack on X, showing that a single click is enough to log a victim’s real IP address. The request behaves similarly to known Windows NTLM leaks, where background authentication attempts expose identifying information without explicit user consent.
ONE-CLICK TELEGRAM IP ADDRESS LEAK!
In this issue, the secret key is irrelevant. Just like NTLM hash leaks on Windows, Telegram automatically attempts to test the proxy. Here, the secret key does not matter and the IP address is exposed. Example of a link hidden behind a… https://t.co/KTABAiuGYIpic.twitter.com/NJLOD6aQiJ
Attackers can embed malicious proxy links in chats or channels, masking them as standard usernames. Once clicked, Telegram silently runs the proxy test, bypasses VPN or SOCKS5 protections, and sends the device’s real IP address to the attacker’s server, enabling tracking, surveillance, or doxxing.
Both Android and iOS versions are affected, putting millions of privacy-focused users at risk. Researchers recommend avoiding unknown links, turning off automatic proxy detection where possible, and using firewall tools to block outbound proxy tests. Telegram has not publicly confirmed a fix.
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Spain’s government has approved draft legislation that would tighten consent rules for AI-generated content, aiming to curb deepfakes and strengthen protections for the use of people’s images and voices. The proposal responds to growing concerns in Europe about AI being used to create harmful material, especially sexual content produced without the subject’s permission.
Under the draft, the minimum age to consent to the use of one’s own image would be set at 16, and stricter limits would apply to reusing images found online or reproducing a person’s voice or likeness through AI without authorisation. Spain’s Justice Minister Félix Bolaños warned that sharing personal photos on social media should not be treated as blanket approval for others to reuse them in different contexts.
The reform explicitly targets commercial misuse by classifying the use of AI-generated images or voices for advertising or other business purposes without consent as illegitimate. At the same time, it would still allow creative, satirical, or fictional uses involving public figures, so long as the material is clearly labelled as AI-generated.
Spain’s move aligns with broader EU efforts, as the bloc is working toward rules that would require member states to criminalise non-consensual sexual deepfakes by 2027. The push comes amid rising scrutiny of AI tools and real-world cases that have intensified calls for more precise legal boundaries, including a recent request by the Spanish government for prosecutors to review whether specific AI-generated material could fall under child pornography laws.
The bill is not yet final. It must go through a public consultation process before returning to the government for final approval and then heading to parliament.
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Malta’s government is preparing new legal measures to curb the abusive use of deepfake technology, with existing laws now under review. The planned reforms aim to introduce penalties for the misuse of AI in cases of harassment, blackmail, and bullying.
The move mirrors earlier cyberbullying and cyberstalking laws, extending similar protections to AI-generated content. Authorities are promoting AI while stressing the need for strong public safety and legal safeguards.
AI and youth participation were the main themes discussed during the National Youth Parliament meeting, where Abela highlighted the role of young people in shaping Malta’s long-term development strategy, Vision Malta 2050.
The strategy focuses on the next 25 years and directly affects those entering the workforce or starting families.
Young people were described as key drivers of national policy in areas such as fertility, environmental protection, and work-life balance. Senior officials and members of the Youth Advisory Forum attended the meeting.
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Fintech investment platform Betterment has confirmed a data breach after hackers gained unauthorised access to parts of its internal systems and exposed personal customer information.
The incident occurred on 9 January and involved a social engineering attack connected to third-party platforms used for marketing and operational purposes.
The company said the compromised data included customer names, email and postal addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth.
No passwords or account login credentials were accessed, according to Betterment, which stressed that customer investment accounts were not breached.
Using the limited system access, attackers sent fraudulent notifications to some users promoting a crypto-related scam.
Customers were advised to ignore the messages instead of engaging with the request, while Betterment moved quickly to revoke the unauthorised access and begin a formal investigation with external cybersecurity support.
Betterment has not disclosed how many users were affected and has yet to provide further technical details. Representatives did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication, while the company said outreach to impacted customers remains ongoing.
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European labour markets are showing clear signs of cooling after a brief period of employee leverage during the pandemic.
Slower industrial growth, easing wage momentum and increased adoption of AI are encouraging firms to limit hiring instead of expanding headcounts, while workers are becoming more cautious about changing jobs.
Economic indicators suggest employment growth across the EU will slow over the coming years, with fewer vacancies and stabilising migration flows reducing labour market dynamism.
Germany, France, the UK and several central and eastern European economies are already reporting higher unemployment expectations, particularly in manufacturing sectors facing high energy costs and weaker global demand.
Despite broader caution, labour shortages persist in specific areas such as healthcare, logistics, engineering and specialised technical roles.
Southern European countries benefiting from tourism and services growth continue to generate jobs, highlighting uneven recovery patterns instead of a uniform downturn across the continent.
Concerns about automation are further shaping behaviour, as surveys indicate growing anxiety over AI reshaping roles rather than eliminating work.
Analysts expect AI to transform job structures and skill requirements, prompting workers and employers alike to prioritise adaptability instead of rapid expansion.
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NVIDIA and Eli Lilly have announced a joint AI co-innovation lab aimed at advancing drug discovery by combining AI with pharmaceutical research.
The partnership combines Lilly’s experience in medical development with NVIDIA’s expertise in accelerated computing and AI infrastructure.
The two companies plan to invest up to $1 billion over five years in research capacity, computing resources and specialist talent.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the lab will support large-scale data generation and model development using NVIDIA platforms, instead of relying solely on traditional laboratory workflows.
Beyond early research, the collaboration is expected to explore applications of AI across manufacturing, clinical development and supply chain operations.
Both NVIDIA and Eli Lilly claim the initiative is designed to enhance efficiency and scalability in medical production while fostering long-term innovation in the life sciences sector.
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Morocco is preparing to unveil ‘Maroc IA 2030’, a national AI roadmap designed to structure the country’s AI ecosystem and strengthen digital transformation.
The strategy seeks to modernise public services, improve interoperability across digital systems and enhance economic competitiveness, according to officials ahead of the ‘AI Made in Morocco’ event in Rabat.
A central element of the plan involves the creation of Al Jazari Institutes, a national network of AI centres of excellence connecting academic research with innovation and regional economic needs.
A roadmap that prioritises technological autonomy, trusted AI use, skills development, support for local innovation and balanced territorial coverage instead of fragmented deployment.
The initiative builds on the Digital Morocco 2030 strategy launched in 2024, which places AI at the core of national digital policy.
Authorities expect the combined efforts to generate around 240,000 digital jobs and contribute approximately $10 billion to gross domestic product by 2030, while improving the international AI readiness ranking of Morocco.
Additional measures include the establishment of a General Directorate for AI and Emerging Technologies to oversee public policy and the development of an Arab African regional digital hub in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme.
Their main goal is to support sustainable and responsible digital innovation.
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The eSafety regulator in Australia has expressed concern over the misuse of the generative AI system Grok on social media platform X, following reports involving sexualised or exploitative content, particularly affecting children.
Although overall report numbers remain low, authorities in Australia have observed a recent increase over the past weeks.
The regulator confirmed that enforcement powers under the Online Safety Act remain available where content meets defined legal thresholds.
X and other services are subject to systemic obligations requiring the detection and removal of child sexual exploitation material, alongside broader industry codes and safety standards.
eSafety has formally requested further information from X regarding safeguards designed to prevent misuse of generative AI features and to ensure compliance with existing obligations.
Previous enforcement actions taken in 2025 against similar AI services resulted in their withdrawal from the Australian market.
Additional mandatory safety codes will take effect in March 2026, introducing new obligations for AI services to limit children’s exposure to sexually explicit, violent and self-harm-related material.
Authorities emphasised the importance of Safety by Design measures and continued international cooperation among online safety regulators.
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Innovations across China are moving rapidly from laboratories into everyday use, spanning robotics, autonomous vehicles and quantum computing. Airports, hotels and city streets are increasingly becoming testing grounds for advanced technologies.
In Hefei, humanoid cleaning robots developed by local start-up Zerith are already operating in public venues across major cities. The company scaled from prototype to mass production within a year, securing significant commercial orders.
Beyond robotics, frontier research is finding industrial applications in energy, healthcare and manufacturing. Advances from fusion research and quantum mechanics are being adapted for cancer screening, battery safety and precision measurement.
Policy support and investment are accelerating this transition from research to market. National planning and local funding initiatives aim to turn scientific breakthroughs into scalable technologies with global reach.
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