TOP OF THE DAY
EU’s New Technology Chief Prioritizes Quantum for Europe’s Sovereignty
(Matt Swayne – Quantum Insider – 18 November 2024) Henna Virkkunen, the incoming EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, outlined an ambitious vision for European leadership in quantum technologies, including a potential EU Quantum Act to address market fragmentation and foster coordinated investments. During her parliamentary confirmation hearing, Virkkunen emphasized the importance of quantum technologies for EU sovereignty, competitiveness, and defense capacities, proposing a long-term EU Quantum Chips Plan to position Europe as a global leader. Virkkunen’s proposals align with the Quantum Flagship SRIA 2030 roadmap and were endorsed by industry leaders like the European Quantum Industry Consortium, signaling strong support for Europe’s strategic push toward becoming the world’s first ‘Quantum Valley.’ – https://thequantuminsider.com/2024/11/18/eus-new-technology-chief-prioritizes-quantum-for-europes-sovereignty/
Lawrence Livermore’s El Capitan supercomputer is officially fastest in the world
(Alexandra Kelley – NextGov – 18 November 2024) The El Capitan supercomputer housed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California was officially named the fastest supercomputer in the world, processing a peak of 2.7 exaflops and able to perform 1.742 quintillion calculations per second, a 20-fold increase over the lab’s flagship system, Sierra. Announced in a press call on Sunday, El Capitan’s verification was the result of a collaboration between the National Nuclear Security Administration, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and IT company AMD. – https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2024/11/lawrence-livermores-el-capitan-supercomputer-officially-fastest-world/401113/?oref=ng-home-top-story
Generative AI and the Trough of Disillusionment
(Mardi Witzel — Centre for International Governance Innovation – 18 November 2024) The early excitement around generative artificial intelligence (AI) has recently been tempered with a heavy dose of risk-related concern and growing disappointment. Among the problems cited are a lack of killer apps, weak return on investment (ROI) and the general struggle to meet high expectations. This cooling presents a renewed opportunity for more mature AI technologies such as machine learning, as companies that have invested heavily in the infrastructure to exploit generative AI experience the friction that comes from both seeking and worrying about a new technology. Machine learning has been around for decades and is considered a branch of AI. Having spent the last two years firmly in the shadow of its flashier cousin, machine learning may seem a bit old and dull. But that would be selling it short. It could be argued that machine learning remains the more impactful, more understood and safer form of AI. – https://www.cigionline.org/articles/generative-ai-and-the-trough-of-disillusionment/
Many US water systems exposed to ‘high-risk’ vulnerabilities, watchdog finds
(Jonathan Greig – The Record – 18 November 2024) Nearly 100 drinking water systems across the U.S. have “high-risk” vulnerabilities in the technology they use to serve millions of residents, according to a new report from a federal watchdog. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General conducted a review of the agency’s cybersecurity initiatives, using an algorithm to rank issues at specific water utilities across the U.S. revolving around email security, IT hygiene, vulnerabilities, adversarial threats, and malicious activity. – https://therecord.media/us-water-systems-exposed-vulnerabilities
Neuroscientist Heather Berlin on What Conscious AI Could Never Be
(James Dargan – AI Insider – 17 November 2024) In her TEDxKC talk, neuroscientist Dr. Heather Berlin confronted one of the most provocative questions of our age: what would a conscious AI look like? Her conclusion is strikingly definitive: in its current form, AI may mimic what humans do, but it will never be what humans are. Berlin explores the profound implications of this distinction and the potential for humanity’s future as it merges with technology. “AI doesn’t have experiences,” Berlin stated, framing her argument. “It’s not aware of itself like we are. It’s not conscious. Or is it?” This paradox underscores the crux of her talk: while AI’s abilities are accelerating at an astonishing rate, its essence remains fundamentally distinct from human consciousness. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/17/neuroscientist-heather-berlin-on-what-conscious-ai-could-never-be/
COP29 Digitalisation Day ‘hardwires’ the digital technology sector for climate action
(International Telecommunication Union – 16 November 2024) Global tech and environment leaders at COP29 have endorsed a declaration on boosting climate action with digital technologies while cutting the environmental impacts of those same technologies. In total, endorsements representing over 1,000 governments, companies, civil society organizations, international and regional organizations, and other stakeholders were received for the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action. – https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/Pages/PR-2024-11-16-cop29-declaration-green-digital-action.aspx
OpenAI Unveils US AI Strategy Blueprint Featuring Economic Zones, Private Investment, and a North American Alliance to Rival China
(James Dargan – AI Insider – 16 November 2024) OpenAI has outlined its ambitious “blueprint for U.S. AI infrastructure,” underlining AI economic zones, private investment in government-backed projects, and leveraging nuclear power expertise, according to a document reviewed by CNBC. The blueprint aims to position the U.S. as a global leader in AI while competing with China’s rapidly advancing initiatives. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/16/openai-unveils-us-ai-strategy-blueprint-featuring-economic-zones-private-investment-and-a-north-american-alliance-to-rival-china/
GOVERNANCE AND LEGISLATION
To counter China, Trump’s administration should build on Biden AI memo
(Mohammed Soliman – Breaking Defense – 18 November 2024) Across both the Biden and Trump administrations, the US has consistently viewed China as the primary global rival, particularly in the fast-evolving field of artificial intelligence. President Biden’s administration recently underscored this stance with the first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on AI, which set a firm foundation for addressing the AI challenge posed by Beijing. The memo could prove to be a defining moment in the US strategy to retain global technological dominance, linking AI to national security and the broader competition with China’s geopolitical and technological ambitions. The NSM directs the US government to implement concrete and impactful steps to ensure American leadership in the development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. While there are some differences between Biden’s and Trump’s approaches to AI development, the overarching theme of AI as a national security imperative in the geopolitical competition with China remains a point of continuity and commonality. – https://breakingdefense.com/2024/11/to-counter-china-trumps-administration-should-build-on-biden-ai-memo/
Organized Labor Is Key to Governing Big Tech
(Sophia Paslaski – Lawfare – 18 November 2024) In August, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump posted that Vice President Kamala Harris had shared a fake photo from one of her campaign rallies featuring an AI-generated crowd. Even as reporters and attendees readily verified the existence of the 15,000-person crowd, Trump continued to cast doubt in the days that followed. But with few safeguards on Big Tech’s use and development of generative AI (genAI), often there is no easy way to tell what’s real and what’s fake. In 2018, law professors Danielle Citron and Robert Chesney warned of the “liar’s dividend,” the phenomenon that results when the spread of deepfakes and similar reality-mimicking technologies make the public equally as skeptical of real information as they are of fake. But six years later, Big Tech has forged ahead, racing to put out genAI tools that have exacerbated the problem. Even as democracy hangs in the balance, without guardrails, Silicon Valley has little incentive to change. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/organized-labor-is-key-to-governing-big-tech
SECURITY
Ransomware gang Akira leaks unprecedented number of victims’ data in one day
(Alexander Martin – The Record – 18 November 2024) Akira, a ransomware-as-a-service gang with a growing profile in the cybercrime underworld, has published a record number of new victims to its darknet leak site in a single day, with 35 published on Monday as of writing, and more apparently still being added. The criminals, who offer a platform to hackers to enable them to extort victims by stealing and encrypting data, emerged in March 2023 according to the FBI. In its first year of operations, Akira made $42 million from around 250 attacks, the agency said. – https://therecord.media/akira-ransomware-group-publishes-unprecedented-leak-data
Swiss Cyber Agency Warns of QR Code Malware in Mail Scam
(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine – 18 November 2024) A new malware campaign targeting Swiss residents through fake postal letters has been uncovered by the country’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The scam involves fraudulent correspondence disguised as official communication from MeteoSwiss, the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, urging recipients to scan a QR code and download a malicious weather app for Android devices. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/swiss-cyberagency-qr-code-mail-scam/
Fake Donald Trump Assassination Story Used in Phishing Scam
(Beth Maundrill – Infosecurity Magazine – 18 November 2024) A new phishing campaign is luring victims with a fake story about an attempt on President-elect Donald Trump’s life. While there have been real assassination attempts against Trump, this one is fake news. The story, which implies it is from the New York Times (NYT), describes Trump in a critical condition after being shot by Iranian agents. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/fake-trump-assassination-phishing/
Surge in DocuSign Phishing Attacks Target US State Contractors
(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine – 18 November 2024) A rise in sophisticated phishing attacks leveraging DocuSign impersonations to target businesses interacting with state and municipal agencies has been uncovered by threat researchers. Since November 8, these attacks have spiked by 98% compared to activity recorded in September and October. According to SlashNext, hundreds of instances are now detected daily, with the tactics evolving rapidly to outpace detection methods. These campaigns exploit the trusted relationship between businesses and regulatory authorities. Attackers impersonate entities like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the City of Milwaukee, among others, using legitimate DocuSign accounts and APIs to craft convincing fraudulent documents. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/docusign-phishing-targets-us-state/
Beyond Compliance: The Advantage of Year-Round Network Pen Testing
(The Hacker News – 18 November 2024) IT leaders know the drill—regulators and cyber insurers demand regular network penetration testing to keep the bad guys out. But here’s the thing: hackers don’t wait around for compliance schedules. Most companies approach network penetration testing on a set schedule, with the most common frequency being twice a year (29%), followed by three to four times per year (23%) and once per year (20%), according to the Kaseya Cybersecurity Survey Report 2024. Compliance-focused testing can catch vulnerabilities that exist at the exact time of testing, but it’s not enough to stay ahead of attackers in a meaningful way. – https://thehackernews.com/2024/11/beyond-compliance-advantage-of-year.html
Fake Discount Sites Exploit Black Friday to Hijack Shopper Information
(Ravie Lakshmanan – The Hacker News – 18 November 2024) A new phishing campaign is targeting e-commerce shoppers in Europe and the United States with bogus pages that mimic legitimate brands with the goal of stealing their personal information ahead of the Black Friday shopping season. “The campaign leveraged the heightened online shopping activity in November, the peak season for Black Friday discounts. The threat actor used fake discounted products as phishing lures to deceive victims into providing their Cardholder Data (CHD) and Sensitive Authentication Data (SAD) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII),” EclecticIQ said. – https://thehackernews.com/2024/11/fake-discount-sites-exploit-black.html
British software company Microlise confirms hackers compromised corporate data
(Alexander Martin – The Record – 18 November 2024) Microlise, the Nottingham-based telematics business, confirmed on Monday that hackers compromised corporate data from its headquarters during a cyberattack three weeks ago. The attack on Microlise had knock-on effects on the company’s customers, including leaving British prison vans without functioning tracking systems or panic alarms. – https://therecord.media/microlise-british-software-company-data-breach
North Korean IT Worker Network Tied to BeaverTail Phishing Campaign
(Kevin Poireault – Infosecurity Magazine – 18 November 2024) North Korean hackers have used the BeaverTail malware in phishing campaigns that target job seekers in the technology sector via fake recruiters, according to Palo Alto Networks. Unit 42, Palo Alto’s research team, observed that a North Korean IT worker activity cluster tracked as CL-STA-0237 and likely operating from Laos, was involved in recent phishing attacks using BeaverTail-infected video conference apps. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/north-korean-it-worker-beavertail/
DEFENSE, INTELLIGENCE, AND WAR
AUKUS nations ink new hypersonic tech sharing agreement
(Justin Katz – Breaking Defense – 18 November 2024) The United States, United Kingdom and Australia today signed a new agreement under the AUKUS trilateral security pact that will allow the three countries to use one another’s hypersonic weapons testing facilities as well as share technical information needed to develop and manufacture the technology. The new agreement has been dubbed the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation (HyFliTE) Project Arrangement, and will include “up to six” trilateral test flight campaigns by 2028 using a $252 million funding pool, according to a US Defense Department statement. – https://breakingdefense.com/2024/11/aukus-nations-ink-new-hypersonic-tech-sharing-agreement/
FRONTIERS
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Adds IQM Resonance Quantum Cloud Service to Its Quantum Computing User Program
(Matt Swayne – Quantum Insider – 18 November 2024) End-users will access IQM’s Crystal and Star topologies through Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) Quantum Computing User Program (QCUP), IQM Crystal is a high-fidelity quantum processing unit (QPU) with square-lattice topology while IQM Star is a QPU based on star-shaped topology with a central resonator to drive cutting-edge research. This announcement lays the groundwork to offer IQM Resonance quantum cloud service to QCUP users in the US and worldwide long term. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2024/11/18/oak-ridge-national-laboratory-adds-iqm-resonance-quantum-cloud-service-to-its-quantum-computing-user-program/
What Are Quantum Tokens? QKD Enters New Era of Secure Networks, Next-Generation Applications
(Matt Swayne – Quantum Insider – 18 November 2024) Quantum tokens leverage the no-cloning theorem to potentially prevent forgery, enable local validation for faster and more resilient transactions, and preserve user privacy. With applications spanning finance, IoT, and critical infrastructure, quantum tokens signal a transformative approach to digital security, blending quantum and classical systems for unprecedented protection. Quantum tokens, demonstrated by Quantinuum, Mitsui and NEC over a 10-kilometer quantum network, offer a secure and private way to authenticate digital transactions using quantum mechanics. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2024/11/18/what-are-quantum-tokens-qkd-enters-new-era-of-secure-networks-next-generation-applications/
Quantinuum, Mitsui Send Unforgeable Quantum Tokens Over 10-Kilometer Fibre Network in First-Ever Trial
(Matt Swayne – Quantum Insider – 18 November 2024) The demonstration is the first successful delivery of quantum tokens using commercial QKD hardware, demonstrating fast transaction verification at the point of exchange – a crucial step toward quantum-enhanced financial security and a major advance for QKD. Quantum tokens are designed to provide unforgeability, privacy and fast settlement, in a single financial instrument. No previous technology can deliver these three combined benefits. In the world’s first implementation using off-the-shelf hardware, quantum tokens were transmitted across 10km of fibre in Tokyo, using commercial quantum key distribution (QKD) devices provided by NEC. This is a pivotal step towards the deployment of ultra-high-security quantum tokens in use cases such as tokenized asset security and high-speed trading. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2024/11/18/quantinuum-mitsui-send-unforgeable-quantum-tokens-over-10-kilometer-fibre-network-in-first-ever-trial/
Regie.ai Launches State-of-the-art AI Dialer: a New Feature of Their Autonomous Prospecting Agents
(James Dargan – AI Insider – 17 November 2024) Regie.ai announced the general availability of its AI Dialer, an advanced feature within its AI-driven demand generation platform that enhances outbound calling operations for enterprise sales teams by automating and personalizing prospecting workflows. The AI Dialer leverages intelligent call targeting, automated dialing for efficiency, personalized call scripts, and access to extensive contact data, streamlining sales processes and improving key metrics like dials per day and call-to-connect rates. Used by companies like RingCentral and Workday, Regie.ai’s tools save time and cut costs while reducing operational complexity. The AI Dialer builds on the success of Regie.ai’s Auto-Pilot Agents, cementing the company’s leadership in AI-powered sales automation. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/17/regie-ai-launches-state-of-the-art-ai-dialer-a-new-feature-of-their-autonomous-prospecting-agents/
Lumina AI Expands to Silicon Valley, Marking a New Chapter in Innovation and Growth
(James Dargan – AI Insider – 17 November 2024) Lumina AI, known for its transformative machine learning solutions like the Random Contrast Learning (RCL) algorithm, has established a presence in Menlo Park, California, to deepen collaboration with top tech innovators and industry leaders. The new location enables Lumina AI to engage with Silicon Valley’s ecosystem, enhancing its ability to deliver scalable, efficient AI solutions and foster innovation in the AI and machine learning landscape. CEO Allan Martin highlights the move as a step toward strengthening global impact through cutting-edge research, partnerships, and support for data-driven organizations. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/17/lumina-ai-expands-to-silicon-valley-marking-a-new-chapter-in-innovation-and-growth/
Couple.com Launches AI Matchmaker: Revolutionizing Dating with Cutting-Edge Video and AI Technology
(James Dargan – AI Insider – 17 November 2024) Couple.com launches AI Matchmaker, combining video speed-dating and patented AI technology to analyze tone, body language, and micro-expressions, creating matches based on genuine human connection. The platform generates “compatibility vectors” for personalized matchmaking, going beyond traditional algorithms to foster authentic relationships through deeper understanding of chemistry and preferences. Couple.com will host a singles celebration at Houston Hall, NYC, on November 21, 2024, featuring demos of AI Matchmaker and opportunities to explore its groundbreaking features in a social setting. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/17/couple-com-launches-ai-matchmaker-revolutionizing-dating-with-cutting-edge-video-and-ai-technology/
Ecosia & Qwant Collaborate on European Search Index to Drive Generative AI Innovation & Reduce Reliance on Big Tech
(James Dargan – AI Insider – 17 November 2024) Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in France, and Ecosia, a Berlin-based nonprofit search engine funding environmental initiatives, have announced a joint venture to develop a European search index. The collaboration aims to reduce their reliance on Big Tech, particularly Microsoft’s Bing and Google, whose search APIs both companies currently use. Rising API costs, including a significant price hike by Microsoft last year, are a key factor motivating this initiative. The joint project, called European Search Perspective (EUP), will focus on building an independent search index tailored for innovation in areas such as generative AI. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/17/ecosia-qwant-collaborate-on-european-search-index-to-drive-generative-ai-innovation-reduce-reliance-on-big-tech/