Governance

New AI accountability toolkit unveiled by Amnesty International

(DigWatch) Amnesty International has introduced a toolkit to help investigators, activists, and rights defenders hold governments and corporations accountable for harms caused by AI and automated decision-making systems. The resource draws on investigations across Europe, India, and the United States and focuses on public sector uses in welfare, policing, healthcare, and education. – https://dig.watch/updates/new-ai-accountability-toolkit-unveiled-by-amnesty-international

G7 ministers meet in Montreal to boost industrial cooperation

(DigWatch) Canada has opened the G7 Industry, Digital and Technology Ministers’ Meeting in Montreal, bringing together ministers, industry leaders, and international delegates to address shared industrial and technological challenges. The meeting is being led by Industry Minister Melanie Joly and AI and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon, with discussions centred on strengthening supply chains, accelerating innovation, and boosting industrial competitiveness across advanced economies. – https://dig.watch/updates/g7-ministers-meet-in-montreal-to-boost-industrial-cooperation

AI job interviews raise concerns among recruiters and candidates

(DigWatch) As AI takes on a growing share of recruitment tasks, concerns are mounting that automated interviews and screening tools could be pushing hiring practices towards what some describe as a ‘race to the bottom’. The rise of AI video interviews illustrates both the efficiency gains sought by companies and the frustrations candidates experience when algorithms, rather than people, become the first point of contact. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-job-interviews-raise-concerns-among-recruiters-and-candidates

Legislation

Intellectual property laws in Azerbaijan adapts to AI challenges

(DigWatch) Azerbaijan is preparing to update its intellectual property legislation to address the growing impact of artificial intelligence. Kamran Imanov, Chairman of the Intellectual Property Agency, highlighted that AI raises complex questions about authorship, invention, and human–AI collaboration that current laws cannot fully resolve. – https://dig.watch/updates/intellectual-property-laws-in-azerbaijan-adapts-to-ai-challenges

Australia enforces under-16 social media ban as new rules took effect

(DigWatch) Australia has finally introduced the world’s first nationwide prohibition on social media use for under-16s, forcing platforms to delete millions of accounts and prevent new registrations. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, Kick and Threads are removing accounts held by younger users. At the same time, Bluesky has agreed to apply the same standard despite not being compelled to do so. The only central platform yet to confirm compliance is X. – https://dig.watch/updates/australia-enforces-under-16-social-media-ban-as-new-rules-took-effect

EU AI Act changes aim to ease high-risk compliance pressure

(DigWatch) The European Commission has proposed a series of amendments to the EU AI Act to ensure a timely, smooth, and proportionate rollout of the bloc’s landmark AI rules. Set out in the Digital Omnibus on AI published in November, the changes would delay some of the most demanding obligations of the AI Act, particularly for high-risk AI systems, linking compliance deadlines to the availability of supporting standards and guidance. – https://dig.watch/updates/eu-ai-act-changes-aim-to-ease-high-risk-compliance-pressure

Senators return to effort to boost cybersecurity for commercial satellite industry

(Martin Matishak – The Record) A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators on Wednesday reintroduced legislation meant to help commercial satellite providers defend their networks against digital threats. The bill, dubbed the Satellite Cybersecurity Act, is sponsored by Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) and would require the Commerce Department to create voluntary cybersecurity guidelines for industry. The measure would task the National Cyber Director, the National Space Council and the chair of the Federal Communications Commission to work with other government agencies to develop a strategy to boost coordination on federal digital security for space systems. – https://therecord.media/commercial-satellite-industry-cybersecurity-cornyn-peters-bill-returns

Geostrategies

The Consequences of Exporting AI Chips to China

(Michael C. Horowitz, Chris McGuire, and Zongyuan Zoe Liu – Council on Foreign Relations) Three CFR experts discuss President Donald Trump’s decision to allow Nvidia to sell advanced AI chip sales to China and what implications it could have for the future of AI, U.S. national security policy, and Chinese relations. – https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/consequences-exporting-ai-chips-china

Launch of Qai advances Qatar’s AI strategy globally

(DigWatch) Qatar has launched Qai, a new national AI company designed to strengthen the country’s digital capabilities and accelerate sustainable development. The initiative supports Qatar’s plans to build a knowledge-based economy and deepen economic diversification under Qatar National Vision 2030. – https://dig.watch/updates/launch-of-qai-advances-qatars-ai-strategy-globally

New Canada–Germany Digital Alliance Prioritizes Quantum Collaboration

(Quantum Insider) Canada and Germany have launched the Canada–Germany Digital Alliance, with a key focus on accelerating joint work in quantum technologies, AI, digital infrastructure and innovation. The countries will issue a joint call for quantum technology proposals in January 2026, led by the National Research Council of Canada and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. Both governments committed to growing competitive tech ecosystems through collaboration on quantum commercialization, generative AI, large language models and frontier digital capabilities. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/canada-germany-quantum-alliance/

Microsoft commits $17.5 billion to AI in India

(DigWatch) The US tech giant, Microsoft, has announced its largest investment in Asia, committing US$17.5 billion to India over four years to expand cloud and AI infrastructure, workforce skilling, and operations nationwide. An announcement that follows the US$3 billion investment earlier in 2025 and aims to support India’s ambition to become a global AI leader. – https://dig.watch/updates/microsoft-commits-17-5-billion-to-ai-in-india

Security and Surveillance

4B+ records, including numerous LinkedIn profiles, exposed in one of the largest lead-generation datasets ever found open

(Vilius Petkauskas – Cybernews) An unprotected database exposed 4.3 billion records, some with LinkedIn-derived personal information. The 16TB-strong instance contained emails, photos, employment histories, and other personal data. A single collection alone contained 732 million records, including photographs. Researchers suggest the data may have been collected within the last two years, spanning multiple regions worldwide. – https://cybernews.com/security/database-exposes-billions-records-linkedin-data/

OpenAI warns “high” cybersecurity risk posed by new AI models

(Cybernews) OpenAI on Wednesday warned that its upcoming artificial intelligence models could pose a “high” cybersecurity risk, as their capabilities advance rapidly. The AI models might either develop working zero-day remote exploits against well-defended systems or assist with complex enterprise or industrial intrusion operations aimed at real-world effects, the ChatGPT maker said in a blog post. As capabilities advance, OpenAI said it is “investing in strengthening models for defensive cybersecurity tasks and creating tools that enable defenders to more easily perform workflows such as auditing code and patching vulnerabilities”. – https://cybernews.com/ai-news/openai-warns-high-cybersecurity-risk-new-ai-models/

Russia’s flagship airline hacked through little-known tech vendor, according to new report

(Daryna Antoniuk – The Record) A cyberattack that forced Russia’s flagship airline to cancel dozens of flights this summer was linked to a little-known Moscow software developer that had maintained access to the carrier’s internal systems, according to a new investigation. The report by the independent outlet The Bell, which is designated a “foreign agent” in Russia, is based on interviews with anonymous sources close to the company and involved in the incident’s investigation. It offers the most detailed account to date of what has become one of the largest cyberattacks in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. – https://therecord.media/russia-flagship-airline-hacked-through-little-known-vendor

Aeroflot hack explained: report says infrastructure was nearly destroyed

(Gintaras Radauskas – Cybernews) The Bell, an independent Russian news outlet, has published a deep dive into this July’s major hack of Russia’s national airline Aeroflot. It turns out the company’s entire infrastructure was close to collapsing. Back in July, two pro-Ukraine hacking groups – “Silent Crow” and the “Belarusian Cyber-Partisans” – claimed responsibility for an attack on Aeroflot. After managing to cripple 7,000 servers, extract data on passengers and employees, and gain control over the personal computers of staff, including senior managers, the hackers said this was a year-long operation to penetrate Aeroflot’s network. – https://cybernews.com/security/russia-aeroflot-airline-ukraine-hack/

Attackers exploit React2Shell vulnerability to target home CCTV, smart plugs, and TVs

(Paulina Okunytė – Cybernews) A critical new flaw in React Server Components has unleashed a global wave of automated attacks hammering thousands of smart devices. In the days following the disclosure of CVE-2025-55182 – a critical Node.js vulnerability now informally known as React2Shell – Bitdefender researchers observed an explosion of exploitation attempts. The bug, labeled by developers as a “worst case scenario,” enables external attackers to run privileged, arbitrary code on servers without any authorization. While the React team urged updates, researchers identified 150,000 exploit attempts a day, many involving direct command injection. – https://cybernews.com/security/react2shell-nodejs-critical-vulnerability-smart-home/

Hackers abuse Mimecast links to push out 40,000 fake SharePoint and DocuSign emails

(Ann-Marie Corvin – Cybernews) A major phishing campaign is exploiting a trusted security feature to deliver thousands of fake SharePoint and e-sig notifications that appear authentic. According to new research from Check Point, attackers sent more than 40,000 phishing emails in just two weeks, targeting over 6,000 customers worldwide. The campaign’s success hinged on a simple but effective trick: abusing Mimecast’s secure-link rewriting feature. – https://cybernews.com/cybercrime/hackers-abuse-mimecast-links-40000-fake-emails/

British government sanctions Russian and Chinese groups over information warfare

(Alexander Martin – The Record) The United Kingdom imposed new sanctions Tuesday against several Russian and Chinese organizations accused of undermining the West through both cyberattacks and influence operations. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper used the centenary of the Locarno Treaties — signed in the wake of World War I in an ultimately failed attempt to ensure peace on the continent — to call for Europe to adopt a “new and reinvigorated and more agile form of multilateralism” to counter “ever more complex hybrid security threats.”. In a speech at the Locarno suites in the Foreign Office, Cooper announced sanctions on seven Russian individuals and influence networks including the Telegram channel Ryber and its co-owner Mikhail Zvinchuk, an organization called Pravfond described by Estonian intelligence as a front for the GRU, and the Centre for Geopolitical Expertise, a Moscow-based think tank founded by Aleksandr Dugin. – https://therecord.media/uk-sanctions-russia-china-entities-information-warfare

Rybar Telegram channel and two China tech firms hit UK’s naughty list

(Ann-Marie Corvin – Cybernews) Chinese tech firms i-Soon and Integrity Tech, as well as Russian Telegram channel Rybar, are the latest companies to be sanctioned by the UK for disinformation and cyber threats. Speaking in London on Tuesday Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper added that Rybar’s coowner Mikhail Sergeevich Zvinchuk has also been added to the list. The UK Foreign Office said that Rybar “masquerades as an independent body” using “classic Kremlin manipulation tactics,” including fake “investigations” and AI- driven content to respond rapidly to global events and shape narratives in the Kremlin’s favour. – https://cybernews.com/cyber-war/russia-rybar-china-tech-sanctions/

ClickFix Social Engineering Sparks Rise of CastleLoader Attacks

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine) A new malware campaign using a Python-based delivery chain to deploy the emerging CastleLoader family has been discovered by cybersecurity researchers.  According to Blackpoint, the activity revolves around the use of ClickFix social engineering prompts that convince users to open the Windows Run dialog and execute a command that appears to be part of a harmless verification step. That single action initiates a multi-stage sequence that quietly downloads, decrypts and runs an attacker-controlled payload in memory. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/clickfix-rise-castleloader-attacks/

DOJ, CISA warn of Russia-linked attacks targeting meat processing plants, nuclear regulatory entities and other critical infrastructure

(Jonathan Greig – The Record) U.S. agencies warned critical infrastructure organizations this week of attacks launched by multiple Russian groups backed financially by the country’s government. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), alongside several other U.S. and international agencies, released an advisory covering the cyberattacks launched by CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR), NoName057(16) and several related groups. The advisory covers the tactics the groups have used since 2022 to target the water, energy and food sectors. – https://therecord.media/doj-cisa-warn-russia-hackers-targeting-critical-infrastructure

Pro-Russia Hackers Target US Critical Infrastructure in New Wave

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine) Loosely organized pro-Russia hacktivist groups have been observed exploiting exposed virtual network computing connections to breach operational technology systems across multiple sectors. According to a new report by CISA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Security Agency (NSA), and other national and international partners, the attacks are part of a surge in low-skilled but disruptive intrusions affecting entities in water treatment, food production and energy in the US. According to the authoring organizations, groups such as Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR), Z-Pentest, NoName057(16) and Sector16 are using simple reconnaissance tools and common password-guessing techniques to reach internet-facing human-machine interfaces. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/russia-hackers-target-us-critical/

Log4Shell Downloaded 40 Million Times in 2025

(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine) Tens of millions of downloads of the popular Java logging library Log4j this year were vulnerable to a CVSS 10.0-rated vulnerability that first surfaced four years ago, according to Sonatype. The security vendor claimed 13% of Log4j downloads in 2025 were still vulnerable to Log4Shell, hinting at the challenge of persistent risks in the open source ecosystem. “On one side, there’s unfixed risk: vulnerabilities that never get patched upstream. On the other, there’s corrosive risk: vulnerabilities that do have fixes, but continue to spread because consumers don’t move,” it explained. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/log4shell-downloaded-40-million/

Notepad++ releases emergency patch as hackers exploit updater to deploy malware

(Ernestas Naprys – Cybernews) Hackers are abusing Notepad++, a popular text and source code editor, to deliver malware. The app’s updater, WinGUp, can be tricked by an attacker-in-the-middle to pull compromised executables from malicious servers. Patches are now available. – https://cybernews.com/security/hackers-exploit-vulnerability-in-notepad-plus-plus-updater/

Frontiers and Markets

MIT introduces rapid object creation using AI

(DigWatch) MIT researchers have created a speech-driven system that uses AI and robotics to build physical objects in minutes. Users provide a spoken request, and a robotic arm constructs items such as stools, shelves or decorative pieces from modular components. – https://dig.watch/updates/mit-introduces-rapid-object-creation-using-ai

IBM and Riyadh Air set a new benchmark in AI-driven airlines

(DigWatch) Riyadh Air has become the world’s first AI-native airline in a landmark collaboration with IBM. The airline was built from scratch without legacy systems, allowing generative and agentic AI to streamline operations and unify employee and guest experiences. By embedding AI into its core, Riyadh Air aims to redefine aviation efficiency and innovation. – https://dig.watch/updates/ibm-and-riyadh-air-set-a-new-benchmark-in-ai-driven-airlines

Four Things Every Business Leader Should Know About Quantum Computing, According to an MIT Quantum Engineer

(Quantum Insider) MIT’s William Oliver argues that quantum computing will not transform corporate IT in the short term, but decisions on security, talent and strategy made today will determine which companies benefit when the technology matures. Quantum computers will likely complement rather than replace classical systems, with progress now limited more by the lack of practical algorithms than by hardware, making partnerships and workforce development critical. Executives are advised to begin planning for post-quantum cryptography and to monitor advances in quantum error correction, which MIT identifies as the key technical barrier to achieving commercially scalable quantum systems. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/10/four-things-every-business-leader-should-know-about-quantum-computing-according-to-an-mit-quantum-engineer/

F5 and NetApp Launch Joint AI + Post-Quantum Security Solution

(Quantum Insider) F5 and NetApp expanded their partnership to improve high-performance AI data delivery and strengthen enterprise readiness for post-quantum cryptography. The integrated F5–NetApp stack enhances throughput, resiliency, and security for AI/ML workflows across S3 storage environments. The companies are introducing hybrid cryptography and NIST-approved PQC algorithms to help enterprises transition to quantum-safe encryption with minimal disruption. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/10/f5-netapp-ai-pqc/

Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, Illinois EDC, and Silicon Catalyst Announce Partnership to Support Quantum Startup Companies

(Quantum Insider) The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park and Silicon Catalyst formed a partnership to support quantum startups by providing access to lab space, specialized equipment, and scale-up infrastructure in Illinois. Companies in Silicon Catalyst’s accelerator will gain entry to IQMP’s facilities, including the National Quantum Facility with cryogenic and quantum proving-ground capabilities. Illinois EDC facilitated the agreement, positioning the state to attract and retain quantum companies as the park develops and its On Ramp program comes online. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/illinois-quantum-and-microelectronics-park-illinois-edc-and-silicon-catalyst-announce-partnership-to-support-quantum-startup-companies/

SEALSQ Boosts Quantum Investment Fund from $35 Million to Over $100 Million

(Quantum Insider) SEALSQ increased its Quantum Investment Fund from $35 million to over $100 million to support Europe’s post-quantum security, sovereign quantum computing, and a pan-European Quantum Corridor. The company is deploying capital across semiconductors, PQC, secure satellites, blockchain identity, QKD, and quantum-ready silicon through investments in Spain, Switzerland, France, and the U.S. SEALSQ says the strategy is aimed at protecting European data, communications, and critical infrastructure from future quantum-enabled cyber threats while advancing technological sovereignty. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/sealsq-boosts-quantum-investment-fund-from-35-million-to-over-100-million/

Nu Quantum Closes Oversubscribed $60 Million Series A

(Quantum Insider) Nu Quantum closed an oversubscribed $60 million Series A round led by National Grid Partners to accelerate development of its quantum networking platform for distributed, fault-tolerant quantum computing. The company’s Entanglement Fabric is designed to interconnect multiple quantum processors via photonic links, addressing the scalability barrier that limits today’s single-processor systems. The funding will support product development, deployment of quantum networking subsystems, and international expansion across Europe and the United States. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/10/nu-quantum-closes-oversubscribed-60-million-series-a/

What Are ‘Perpetual Five-Year Technologies’? Why Hard Tech Can be Valuable Tech, According to Quantum VC

(Quantum Insider) Quantonation argues in a new white paper that quantum computing, fusion, and other physics-based fields are “Perpetual Five-Year Technologies” that generate real economic value long before their ultimate goals are reached. The firm says repeated delays reflect the step-by-step physical, manufacturing, safety, and supply-chain constraints unique to hard tech, not failure of the underlying science. The paper concludes that venture capital must adapt to longer timelines, blended public-private financing, and partial markets where enabling components create standalone commercial value. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/what-are-perpetual-five-year-technologies-why-hard-tech-can-be-valuable-tech-according-to-quantum-vc/

Quantum Dice Secures €2m From European Innovation Council

(Quantum Insider) Quantum Dice has secured a €2m EIC Accelerator grant to  advance the development and commercialisation of its ORBIT™-powered probabilistic computing platform. The funding will support work on Quantum Dice’s quantum-enabled p-bit processor, aimed at solving complex optimisation problems and enabling next-generation probabilistic AI models. The company was selected as one of 40 deep-tech start-ups across Europe, with additional benefits including mentoring, investor access, and business support through the EIC programme. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/quantum-dice-eic-grant/

Quantum Corridor, Toshiba Demonstrate Cross-state Quantum Key Distribution Over Live Commercial Metro Fiber Network

(Quantum Insider) Quantum Corridor and Toshiba successfully demonstrated quantum-secured communication using QKD over a live 21.8-kilometer commercial fiber network connecting Tier III data centers in Illinois and Indiana. The system achieved continuous quantum key generation integrated with 800G encrypted transport, maintaining full line-rate performance with zero packet loss over 48 hours. The project, developed through the Chicago Quantum Exchange partnership, validates the commercial readiness of quantum-secure networking on existing U.S. carrier infrastructure. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/quantum-corridor-toshiba-demonstrate-cross-state-quantum-key-distribution-over-live-commercial-metro-fiber-network/

Quantum Source Report Outlines Engineering Pathways to Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing

(Quantum Insider) Quantum Source released a comprehensive technical report, developed with The Quantum Insider, that compares all major qubit modalities and outlines engineering pathways toward fault-tolerant quantum computing. The report highlights that the field has moved from theoretical exploration to practical engineering, with recent demonstrations from Google and Quantinuum showing logical qubits outperforming physical ones. It introduces a unified framework comparing qubit systems by qubit carrier and computational model, showing that while no modality currently dominates, hybrid approaches may have the potential to overcome key scalability limits. A case study on Quantum Source’s deterministic atom–photon platform shows how their design replaces probabilistic photonic entanglement with efficient, repeatable atom-mediated processes, reducing hardware overhead and enabling scalable, modular architectures for future fault-tolerant systems. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/quantum-source-report-outlines-engineering-pathways-to-fault-tolerant-quantum-computing/

QuantrolOx and C-DAC India Launch Joint Full-Stack Quantum Training Platform

(Quantum Insider) QuantrolOx and India’s C-DAC have formed a strategic partnership to launch Quantum EDGE Academy, a full-stack training platform combining quantum algorithm education with simulated superconducting hardware. The program integrates structured coursework with interactive low-level hardware simulation, enabling students and researchers to learn without access to a physical lab. The collaboration leverages QuantrolOx’s software expertise and C-DAC’s Qniverse platform to strengthen India’s quantum workforce development initiatives. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/quantrolox-cdac-quantum-edge-academy/

01 Quantum Collaborates With Bullfrog Power Adding Quantum-Safety to Their Environmental Token

(Quantum Insider) 01 Quantum has integrated its post-quantum cryptography into Bullfrog Power’s Environmental Token to secure long-term verification of corporate sustainability claims. The quantum-safe digital certificates are designed to protect environmental impact records from future risks posed by quantum computing. Staples Canada is the first company participating in the pilot adoption of the Bullfrog Environmental Token secured with post-quantum signatures. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/01-quantum-collaborates-with-bullfrog-power-adding-quantum-safety-to-their-environmental-token/

Quobly Begins Processing 28Si FD-SOI Wafers at ST’s 300 mm Fab

(Quantum Insider) Quobly, Soitec and STMicroelectronics have reached a milestone with the first 28Si FD-SOI wafers now running in ST’s 300 mm fab as part of their effort to build an industrial quantum processor supply chain. The 28Si-enriched FD-SOI substrates significantly reduce isotopic noise, enabling single-qubit gate fidelities near 99.999%. The collaboration establishes a European value chain linking advanced materials, high-volume semiconductor manufacturing, and silicon-based quantum device development. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/09/quobly-begins-processing-28si-fd-soi-wafers-at-sts-300-mm-fab/