Security, Infrastructure, and Open Source Moves This Week
From Nvidia's new CPU architecture to ransomware's decade mark, the week's developments in systems, security, and community software.
Tech news: Copilot price probe, cloud growth, and active exploits
A roundup of the most consequential developments, from Microsoft's subscription scrutiny to critical Joomla vulnerabilities and the final 32-bit Debian.
Source material: theregister.com
Microsoft faces competition probe over Copilot price hike
Microsoft is under investigation for the price increase on its Copilot subscription, with competition authorities examining whether the move breaks market rules. No regulator has been publicly identified, but the probe signals mounting oversight of AI service pricing. The subscription hike affects users of the AI assistant, and the outcome could reshape how vendors set AI prices. The case adds to a growing list of regulatory challenges for Big Tech over AI monetization.
Cloud infrastructure spending tops $143B quarterly
Enterprise cloud infrastructure adoption shows no signs of slowing, with quarterly revenue now above $143 billion. Growth is accelerating, defying predictions of a market cooldown. The figure covers off-premises compute, storage, and networking services, as businesses double down on cloud migration despite economic pressures. The data points to cloud as the default backbone for enterprise IT, with providers continuing to see strong demand for managed services.
Microsoft's SharePoint patches fail, leaving zero-day active
Microsoft's latest patches for on-premises SharePoint did not fully resolve the vulnerability, which is now being exploited as a zero-day. The incomplete fix leaves enterprise deployments exposed, with attacks already observed in the wild. The vendor's updates have not closed the flaw, and the incident highlights the challenge of securing legacy on-premises systems that remain critical in many organisations.
Russian actors impersonate Signal support in phishing campaign
Threat actors linked to Russia are posing as Signal support personnel in phishing attacks. The campaign sends fake support messages to dupe users into handing over login details. The social engineering vector is well established, but the scale of the operation remains unclear.
Critical Joomla extensions bugs exploited
Two Joomla extensions, iCagenda and Balbooa Forms, carry vulnerabilities with perfect 10 severity scores. The flaws affect the open-source CMS that powers about a million sites worldwide, and exploitation has already been spotted in the wild. Website administrators using these components face direct compromise risk, and the developer has not yet provided a fix. The incidents underscore the risk of third-party plugins in mainstream CMS platforms.
UK proposes refundable grid connection fee for datacenters
The UK government is moving to charge datacenter operators a refundable fee for grid connection requests. The measure targets speculative applications that never lead to actual projects, which clog the connection queue. The fee would be returned once a connection is realised, aiming to filter out time wasters. The plan is part of broader efforts to relieve pressure on the country's electricity grid amid soaring datacenter demand.
EQT takes majority stake in Acronis at $3.5B valuation
Private equity firm EQT has acquired a majority share of the Swiss cybersecurity company Acronis, with the deal valuing the whole business at over $3.5 billion. The specific percentage sold was not disclosed. Acronis is known for backup and disaster recovery services, and the investment signals continued PE interest in security infrastructure. The transaction is expected to accelerate Acronis's expansion in cyber protection and recoverability.
Nvidia's Vera CPU packs 88 cores and 1.5TB of laptop RAM
Nvidia's Vera CPU, powered by Olympus cores, features 88 custom cores with 176 threads, and is paired with 1.5TB of what Nvidia describes as 'laptop RAM' and 1.8TB/s of NVLink connectivity. The unusual memory specification suggests a novel packaging approach for high-bandwidth compute. The chip appears aimed at dense datacenter workloads, though it is not a typical server processor. The design trades traditional specs for functional performance.
Debian 13.6 and 12.15 mark final x86-32 releases
Debian has shipped versions 13.6 and 12.15, the last releases to support the x86-32 architecture. The project is ending 32-bit support, directing remaining users to newer systems. The new versions include security updates but no new features for the aging architecture. The move follows the industry-wide shift to more capable processors, and signals the end of an era for hobbyists and old hardware.
Cinnamon 6.8 adds optional Wayland support
The upcoming Cinnamon 6.8 desktop, part of Linux Mint's next release, will support the Wayland display server as a choice alongside the existing X11. Users can select which one to run at login, keeping the traditional session as the default. The move brings Mint in line with other desktops that have embraced Wayland, while preserving a fallback for compatibility. The release is expected in the next cycle.
Where this came from. This breakdown is based on source material published at theregister.com. Images above are used with the credits shown beneath each one.
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