Network security

Washington Post confirms hit in Oracle-linked Cl0p hacking spree

The Washington Post said it was affected by a wider breach tied to Oracle’s E-Business Suite, joining a growing list of victims. The vulnerability was reportedly exploited by the Cl0p ransomware gang, which demands payment from victims in exchange for not leaking stolen files.

Oracle, a major enterprise software provider, disclosed in October that a zero-day flaw in its E-Business Suite had been exploited over the summer. Google also warned that Oracle systems were being targeted in what appeared to be a broader wave of data theft attempts. An initial emergency patch on 2 October failed, and a second critical fix on 11 October left customers exposed for days.

Cl0p’s campaign has already hit high-profile targets including Harvard University, Envoy Air, DXC Technology and Chicago Public Schools. The group, active since at least 2019, previously abused MOVEit, GoAnywhere and Cleo file-transfer tools.

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India’s AI roadmap could add $500 billion to economy by 2035

According to the Business Software Alliance, India could add over $500 billion to its economy by 2035 through the widespread adoption of AI.

At the BSA AI Pre-Summit Forum in Delhi, the group unveiled its ‘Enterprise AI Adoption Agenda for India’, which aligns with the goals of the India–AI Impact Summit 2026 and the government’s vision for a digitally advanced economy by 2047.

The agenda outlines a comprehensive policy framework across three main areas: talent and workforce, infrastructure and data, and governance.

It recommends expanding AI training through national academies, fostering industry–government partnerships, and establishing innovation hubs with global companies to strengthen talent pipelines.

BSA also urged greater government use of AI tools, reforms to data laws, and the adoption of open industry standards for content authentication. It called for coordinated governance measures to ensure responsible AI use, particularly under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act.

BSA has introduced similar policy roadmaps in other major markets, apart from India, including the US, Japan, and ASEAN countries, as part of its global effort to promote trusted and inclusive AI adoption.

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Bank Indonesia reports over 370 million cyber threat attempts in 2024

Bank Indonesia (BI) has reported more than 370 million attempted cyber threats targeting the country, highlighting the growing exposure linked to Indonesia’s rapid digital transformation.

The central bank also noted a 25% increase in anomalous cyber traffic in 2024 compared to the previous year. Deputy Governor Filianingsih Hendarta stated that the rise in cyber activity underscores the need for all stakeholders to remain vigilant as Indonesia continues to develop its digital infrastructure.

She also added that public trust is essential to sustaining a resilient digital ecosystem, as trust takes a long time to build and can be lost in to moment.

To strengthen cybersecurity and prepare for continued digitalisation, BI has developed the Indonesian Payment System Blueprint (BSPI) 2030, a strategic framework intended to enhance institutional collaboration and reinforce the security of the national payment system.

BI data shows that internet penetration in Indonesia has reached 80.66%, equivalent to approximately 229 million people, surpassing the global average of 68.7% (around 6.66 billion people worldwide).

Filianingsih also emphasised that strengthening digital infrastructure requires cross-sectoral and international cooperation, given the global and rapidly evolving nature of cyber threats.

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Social media platforms ordered to enforce minimum age rules in Australia

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has formally notified major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, that they must comply with new minimum age restrictions from 10 December.

The rule will require these services to prevent social media users under 16 from creating accounts.

eSafety determined that nine popular services currently meet the definition of age-restricted platforms since their main purpose is to enable online social interaction. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to block underage users may face enforcement measures, including fines of up to 49.5 million dollars.

The agency clarified that the list of age-restricted platforms will not remain static, as new services will be reviewed and reassessed over time. Others, such as Discord, Google Classroom, and WhatsApp, are excluded for now as they do not meet the same criteria.

Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the new framework aims to delay children’s exposure to social media and limit harmful design features such as infinite scroll and opaque algorithms.

She emphasised that age limits are only part of a broader effort to build safer, more age-appropriate online environments supported by education, prevention, and digital resilience.

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EU conference highlights the need for collaboration in digital safety and growth

European politicians and experts gathered in Billund for the conference ‘Towards a Safer and More Innovative Digital Europe’, hosted by the Danish Parliament.

The discussions centred on how to protect citizens online while strengthening Europe’s technological competitiveness.

Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen, Chair of the Danish Parliament’s Digitalisation and IT Committee, stated that the event demonstrated the need for the EU to act more swiftly to harness its collective digital potential.

She emphasised that only through cooperation and shared responsibility can the EU match the pace of global digital transformation and fully benefit from its combined strengths.

The first theme addressed online safety and responsibility, focusing on the enforcement of the Digital Services Act, child protection, and the accountability of e-commerce platforms importing products from outside the EU.

Participants highlighted the importance of listening to young people and improving cross-border collaboration between regulators and industry.

The second theme examined Europe’s competitiveness in emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing. Speakers called for more substantial investment, harmonised digital skills strategies, and better support for businesses seeking to expand within the single market.

A Billund conference emphasised that Europe’s digital future depends on striking a balance between safety, innovation, and competitiveness, which can only be achieved through joint action and long-term commitment.

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Salesforce report shows poor data quality threatens AI success

A new Salesforce report warns that most organisations are unprepared to scale AI due to weak data foundations. The ‘State of Data and Analytics 2025’ study found that 84% of technical leaders believe their data strategies need a complete overhaul for AI initiatives to succeed.

Although companies are under pressure to generate business value with AI, poor-quality, incomplete, and fragmented data continue to undermine results.

Nearly nine in ten data leaders reported that inaccurate or misleading AI outputs resulted from faulty data, while more than half admitted to wasting resources by training models on unreliable information.

These findings by Salesforce highlight that AI’s success depends on trusted, contextual data and stronger governance frameworks.

Many organisations are now turning to ‘zero copy’ architectures that unlock trapped data without duplication and adopting natural language analytics to improve data access and literacy.

Chief Data Officer Michael Andrew emphasised that companies must align their AI and data strategies to become truly agentic enterprises. Those that integrate the two, he said, will move beyond experimentation to achieve measurable impact and sustainable value.

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Google Maps launches AI-powered live lane guidance for safer driving

Google has introduced AI-powered live lane guidance for cars with Google built in, marking a significant step toward intelligent in-vehicle navigation.

A new feature that enables Google Maps to interpret roads and lanes like a driver, offering real-time audio and visual cues to help motorists make timely lane changes and avoid missed exits.

Using AI that analyses lane markings and road signs through the vehicle’s front-facing camera, Google Maps integrates the live data with its navigation system, used by over two billion people monthly. The result is more accurate guidance alongside existing traffic, ETA, and hazard updates.

The feature will debut in Polestar 4 vehicles in the US and Sweden, with plans to expand across more models and road types in collaboration with major automakers.

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Facebook update lets admins make private groups public safely

Meta has introduced a new Facebook update allowing group administrators to change their private groups to public while keeping members’ privacy protected. The company said the feature gives admins more flexibility to grow their communities without exposing existing private content.

All posts, comments, and reactions shared before the change will remain visible only to previous members, admins, and moderators. The member list will also stay private. Once converted, any new posts will be visible to everyone, including non-Facebook users, which helps discussions reach a broader audience.

Admins have three days to review and cancel the conversion before it becomes permanent. Members will be notified when a group changes its status, and a globe icon will appear when posting in public groups as a reminder of visibility settings.

Groups can be switched back to private at any time, restoring member-only access.

Meta said the feature supports community growth and deeper engagement while maintaining privacy safeguards. Group admins can also utilise anonymous or nickname-based participation options, providing users with greater control over their engagement in public discussions.

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Live exploitation of CVE-2024-1086 across older Linux versions flagged by CISA

CISA’s warning serves as a reminder that ransomware is not confined to Windows. A Linux kernel flaw, CVE-2024-1086, is being exploited in real-world incidents, and federal networks face a November 20 patch-or-disable deadline. Businesses should read it as their cue, too.

Attackers who reach a vulnerable host can escalate privileges to root, bypass defences, and deploy malware. Many older kernels remain in circulation even though upstream fixes were shipped in January 2024, creating a soft target when paired with phishing and lateral movement.

Practical steps matter more than labels. Patch affected kernels where possible, isolate any components that cannot be updated, and verify the running versions against vendor advisories and the NIST catalogue. Treat emergency changes as production work, with change logs and checks.

Resilience buys time when updates lag. Enforce least privilege, require MFA for admin entry points, and segment crown-jewel services. Tune EDR to spot privilege-escalation behaviour and suspicious modules, then rehearse restores from offline, immutable backups.

Security habits shape outcomes as much as CVEs. Teams that patch quickly, validate fixes, and document closure shrink the blast radius. Teams that defer kernel maintenance invite repeat visits, turning a known bug into an avoidable outage.

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Perplexity launches AI-powered patent search to make innovation intelligence accessible

The US software company, Perplexity, has unveiled Perplexity Patents, the first AI-powered patent research agent designed to democratise access to intellectual property intelligence. The new tool allows anyone to explore patents using natural language instead of complex keyword syntax.

Traditional patent research has long relied on rigid search systems that demand specialist knowledge and expensive software.

Perplexity Patents instead offers conversational interaction, enabling users to ask questions such as ‘Are there any patents on AI for language learning?’ or ‘Key quantum computing patents since 2024?’.

The system automatically identifies relevant patents, provides inline viewing, and maintains context across multiple questions.

Powered by Perplexity’s large-scale search infrastructure, the platform uses agentic reasoning to break down complex queries, perform multi-step searches, and return comprehensive results supported by extensive patent documentation.

Its semantic understanding also captures related concepts that traditional tools often miss, linking terms such as ‘fitness trackers’, ‘activity bands’, and ‘health monitoring wearables’.

Beyond patent databases, Perplexity Patents can also draw from academic papers, open-source code, and other publicly available data, revealing the entire landscape of technological innovation. The service launches today in beta, free for all users, with extra features for Pro and Max subscribers.

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