Daily Digest on AI and Emerging Technologies (11 December 2024)

TOP OF THE NEWS

Cybersecurity

 

Utility Companies Face 42% Surge in Ransomware Attacks

(Kevin Poireault – Infosecurity Magazine – 10 December 2024) Ransomware groups are focusing more than ever on utilities, with the sector facing a 42% surge in attacks over the past year, according to ReliaQuest. In its latest report, Uncovering Critical Cyber Threats to Utilities, published on December 10, the US cybersecurity firm shared findings of cyber threats to the utilities sector between November 1, 2023, and October 31, 2024. The report shows that the rise in ransomware is due to cybercriminals setting their eyes on companies that have to deal with a blend of IT and operational technology (OT) systems. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/utility-companies-42-surge/

New AppLite Malware Targets Banking Apps in Phishing Campaign

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine – 10 December 2024) A sophisticated phishing campaign distributing a newly identified malware variant called AppLite Banker has been uncovered. Security researchers from Zimperium’s zLabs identified the malware as an updated version of the Antidot banking Trojan. The campaign, which primarily targets Android devices, employs advanced social engineering techniques to steal credentials and compromise devices used for both personal and corporate purposes. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/applite-malware-targets-banking/

Scottish Parliament TV at Risk of Deepfake Attacks

(James Coker – Infosecurity Magazine – 10 December 2024) Deepfake technologies threaten the integrity of live video streams and recordings of Scottish Parliamentary proceedings, according to new research by the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) and the University of Edinburgh. The researchers analyzed potential deepfake attacks on Scottish Parliament TV, a website providing livestreaming and archived recordings from the Debating Chamber and committee rooms in Holyrood, the Scotland’s devolved legislature, to the public. The Scottish Parliament was one of the world’s first legislatures to introduce this level of access to proceedings. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/scottish-parliament-deepfake/

Hackers Exploit AWS Misconfigurations in Massive Data Breach

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine – 10 December 2024) A significant cyber operation exploiting vulnerabilities in improperly configured public websites has been linked to the Nemesis and ShinyHunters hacking groups, exposing sensitive data, including customer information, infrastructure credentials and proprietary source code. According to independent cybersecurity researchers Noam Rotem and Ran Locar, the attackers orchestrated a large-scale internet scan targeting vulnerable endpoints within Amazon Web Services (AWS) IP ranges. They accessed sensitive information through misconfigured systems, resulting in over 2 TB of compromised data. This data included thousands of credentials and secrets alongside detailed lists of exploitable targets worldwide.  – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/hackers-exploit-aws/

Heart Device Maker Artivion Suffers Ransomware Breach

(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine – 10 November 2024) A leading manufacturer of cardiac implants and devices has revealed that it was hit by a ransomware attack back in November. Artivion makes stent grafts, heart valves, prosthetics and other products to help cardiac and vascular surgeons perform life-saving operations. However, the firm admitted in an SEC Form 8-K filing on Monday that it suffered a serious “cybersecurity incident” on November 21. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/heart-device-maker-artivion/

Major Drop in Cyber-Attack Reports from Large UK Financial Businesses

(Kevin Poireault – Infosecurity Magazine – 10 December 2024) The number of cyber-attacks reported by large finance institutions to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fallen 53% in 2024 compared to 2023. This is according to data shared by cybersecurity training platform provider Hack the Box on December 9 following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/drop-cyberattack-reports-financial/

Defense, Intelligence, and War

Defense officials hopeful incoming administration keeps funding cutting-edge tech

(Patrick Tucker – Defense One – 11 December 2024) No one knows whether defense spending will grow or shrink in the next administration, whose publicly stated goals include rebuilding arsenals, curbing government expenditure, cutting taxes, and shrinking federal headcount. But defense officials who oversee investment in dual-use technologies and companies say they’re optimistic about their corner of the Pentagon budget. That’s because such investments—for example, in microelectronics, additive manufacturing, and materials development—are key to other stated Trump administration priorities, such as competing with China and rebuilding U.S. manufacturing capability, defense officials said on the sidelines of the Reagan National Security Forum. – https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2024/12/defense-officials-hopeful-incoming-administration-keeps-funding-cutting-edge-tech/401585/?oref=d1-featured-river-top

What ‘really’ worries the head of the Space Development Agency

(Theresa Hitchens – Breaking Defense – 10 December 2024) The head of the US Space Development Agency isn’t really scared of a potential anti-satellite attack by an adversary, given the large number of low Earth orbit satellites being planned for the agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Instead, Derek Tournear said he’s worried about two potential problems that could undercut SDA’s primary goal to enable fast as possible sensor-to-shooter connections: weak cybersecurity across the constellation and shaky supply chains. “There are two threats out there that I am really worried about. They’re common mode failure threats,” Tournear said during a panel discussion during the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, Calif. – https://breakingdefense.com/2024/12/what-really-worries-the-head-of-the-space-development-agency/

China’s space moves: Highly mobile satellites stalking GEO spook Space Force

(Theresa Hitchens – Breaking Defense – 10 December 2024) Not only has China’s space fleet ballooned over the past decade, but Beijing is increasingly using maneuvering satellites to crisscross geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) in order to keep eyes on, and potentially do harm to, their US counterparts, according to Space Force and industry officials. Chinese satellites are “zigzagging” from altitudes above GEO, through the belt and then to slightly lower altitudes, often coming uncomfortably close to US satellites, Clint Clark of sky-watching firm Exoanalytics said. – https://breakingdefense.com/2024/12/chinas-space-moves-highly-mobile-satellites-stalking-geo-spook-space-force/

 

In NDAA, Congress aims to move ball forward on solving drone incursion problem

(Valerie Insinna – Breaking Defense – 10 December 2024) Congress wants more information from the Pentagon on what authorities and technologies it needs to protect military installations from the threat of drone incursions, as a spate of high-profile incidents spark concerns that adversaries could use drones to exploit weaknesses in US base security. The compromise version of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act includes several provisions aimed at improving the US military’s response to potential drone threats to its installations, including the creation of a counter-drone strategy. – https://breakingdefense.com/2024/12/in-ndaa-congress-aims-to-move-ball-forward-on-solving-drone-incursion-problem/

Trump 2.0: What cybersecurity shifts lie ahead?

(Stephanie K. Pell – Brookings – 9 December 2024) The incoming Trump administration is unlikely to continue some key elements of Biden’s 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy, including industry regulation and liability. However, cybersecurity is a bipartisan issue, and the new Trump administration will likely continue “defend forward” operations, a form of forward defense that was part of the DoD Cyber Strategy issued under the first administration. While Trump 2.0 is unlikely to continue all elements of the Biden administration’s cyber strategies, the recent Chinese Salt Typhoon telecom hack is one example of the serious cyber threats and challenges that persist across administrations. – https://www.brookings.edu/articles/trump-2-0-what-cybersecurity-shifts-lie-ahead/

Anduril self-funds robot submarine testing to court US customers

(Valerie Insinna – Breaking Defense – 9 December 2024) Anduril is putting a new autonomous submarine known as Dive-XL through endurance runs off the coast of California, as it seeks to tap into what company executives tell Breaking Defense they see as a growing commitment from the Pentagon to use unmanned underwater vehicles. The first test vehicle — a non-missionized version of the Ghost Shark robotic submarine in development for the Royal Australian Navy — recently wrapped up a voyage where it spent 100 hours underway, a precursor to an upcoming demonstration where the Dive-XL will complete a mission in excess of 1,000 nautical miles while fully submerged. “That’s in the coming months — weeks, if you will. And that’ll be the longest that we believe anyone’s really done,” Shane Arnott, Anduril’s senior vice president for programs and engineering, said during an interview at the company’s headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif. – https://breakingdefense.com/2024/12/anduril-self-funds-robot-submarine-testing-to-court-us-customers/

Open development standards are key to keeping the US military on top

(Nick Guertin, Jacob Glassman – Defense News – 9 December 2024) Warfare is ever changing, and today we see the most technologically dynamic battlefield in history. Our rigid acquisition system and our legacy technical architectures, unfortunately, put us at a disadvantage to meet this threat. One action that would have an outsized impact on bringing this divergence into alignment is for the Department of Defense to further embrace Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA) as a warfighting capability that is essential for 21st century warfare. MOSA is a mission system architecture that uses widely practiced, consensus-based standards like the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE). By implementing and promulgating MOSA to our combat systems portfolios, we will be able to rapidly transition critical battlefield capability as well as expand the industrial production potential of the Defense Industrial Base. – https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2024/12/09/open-development-standards-are-key-to-keeping-the-us-military-on-top/

Frontiers

Sana, Transforming Learning with AI

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 10 December 2024) In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining industries, Joel Hellermark, the CEO of Sana, sees a massive transformation in corporate learning. In a podcast last month with Josh Bersin, Hellermark talked about Sana’s mission, AI’s role in reshaping education and the vision for a personalized, seamless learning experience. Hellermark’s journey with AI began early. “I got obsessed with what is this process that enables humans to acquire new knowledge,” he recalled, sharing how this fascination led him to establish his first AI company at 16. Now, with Sana, he’s focusing on the intersection of machine learning and human learning, aiming to solve problems that have long eluded the learning technology market. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/12/10/sana-transforming-learning-with-ai/

Czech Startup Elin.ai Receives €1M Pre-Seed to Revolutionize Social Media Safety with AI

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 10 December 2024) Czech AI-driven startup Elin.ai, which focuses on improving the mental health and digital well-being of teenagers and young adults, has secured €1M in a pre-seed funding round. The round was led by JSK Investments, founded by entrepreneur Simona Kijonkova, who contributed €420K. Other investors included Presto Ventures and BD Partners, who had previously invested earlier in 2024. Elin.ai, which has already garnered over 2,000 users since launching its MVP app in October on Android and iOS, aims to reach 5,000 active users by year-end. The funds will enable the startup to expand internationally and enhance its AI models to address a broader range of mental health issues, including eating disorders, anxiety, and the effects of social media pressures. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/12/10/czech-startup-elin-ai-receives-e1m-pre-seed-to-revolutionize-social-media-safety-with-ai/

AI Inference Powers Tomorrow’s Decisions Today

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 10 December 2024) “AI inference is an AI model’s time to shine,” said Martin Keen in IBM’s insightful exploration of AI inference and its transformative role in technology. Inference is where models transition from the learning phase to real-world application, turning data into actionable results with speed and precision. Keen’s explanation went into this vital stage of artificial intelligence, showing us its challenges, innovations and significance. AI models operate in two stages: training and inference. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/12/10/ai-inference-powers-tomorrows-decisions-today/

Roadzen Chosen by One of the World’s Largest LPG Carriers to Bring AI to its Fleet for Road Safety and Compliance

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 10 December 2024) Roadzen Inc. secured a five-year contract with a leading LPG supplier in India to equip over 500 trucks with its DrivebuddyAI system, which monitors driver fatigue and enhances safety through real-time feedback, generating seven-figure revenue. As the first ARAI-certified system under India’s AIS184 regulation, DrivebuddyAI leverages advanced AI, video telematics, and predictive analytics to offer features like drowsiness alerts, distraction monitoring, and proactive collision avoidance. Positioned for expansion into European markets, Roadzen’s innovative AI solutions aim to enhance road safety, reduce insurance premiums, and streamline compliance for global fleet operations. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/12/10/roadzen-chosen-by-one-of-the-worlds-largest-lpg-carriers-to-bring-ai-to-its-fleet-for-road-safety-and-compliance/

ProRata Announces Gist.ai, New AI Search Engine Based Entirely on High-Quality Licensed Content

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 10 December 2024) ProRata.ai introduced Gist.ai, an AI search engine that uses high-quality licensed content, ensuring fair attribution and compensation for content creators while maintaining reliable AI outputs. The company has partnered with leading media organizations like ADWEEK, BuzzFeed, Healthline, and Slate, sharing 50% of all revenue with content creators to build a sustainable knowledge ecosystem. Backed by major investors, ProRata.ai employs proprietary algorithms to credit content sources, pioneering transparent and equitable practices in generative AI development. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/12/10/prorata-announces-gist-ai-new-ai-search-engine-based-entirely-on-high-quality-licensed-content/

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