Welcome to our latest round-up of news from the technology and hosting world. Here’s what we’ve discovered this month.
AI Coding Risk
Cybersecurity experts have discovered a new software supply chain threat caused by AI tools making up fake software components. Known as ‘slopsquatting’, threats can arise when a code-generating AI suggests hallucinated software packages that don’t actually exist. This provides an opportunity for hackers to create those fake packages, embed them with malicious code and make them available in depositories. As a result, unwitting developers could use this code to write their software.
Researchers in the US have found that nearly one in five software packages recommended by AI tools were completely made up. Moreover, with the suggestions often having similar names to legitimate packages and showing up repeatedly in AI results, the potential for users to trust them and for hackers to exploit them is significant.
While no instances of this software have yet been found in depositories, developers are advised to scan software packages before using them. Additionally, as AI tools become increasingly used for programming, it is important to avoid blindly trusting their coding and to carry out security checks.
Moon Datacentres
Following the successful testing of a small prototype during a SpaceX mission, US company, Lonestar Data Holdings, now plans to create a solar-powered data storage facility on the moon within the next two years.
With the growing use of AI, there’s a huge demand for new datacentres. However, limited space, high energy use, lack of energy infrastructure and opposition from local communities mean building datacentres on the ground has become increasingly challenging. A moon-based datacentre, however, can benefit from constant solar energy and isolation. Moreover, as data from space can avoid terrestrial networks, security can also be improved.
Lonestar is not the only company looking into space-based datacentres. In Europe, Thales Alenia Space is investigating whether satellite clusters could be used to replicate the processing power of a medium-sized datacentre.
While there are benefits to off-world datacentres, high costs, complex infrastructure, cooling issues, space weather and maintenance are all hurdles that will need to be overcome if these projects are to be successful.
Nuclear Robot
The famous robot dog, Spot, developed by US company Boston Dynamics, has been put to a new use, successfully reactivating equipment at the Dounreay nuclear site in Scotland. After the four-legged robot had been specially modified by the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo), it was able to turn on a waste-handling crane that had been out of service for two years.
The crane’s control panel is located in the site’s fuel cycle area, once part of Dounreay’s experimental nuclear programme and which is now being decommissioned. As radiation levels prevent human workers from reaching the control panel, Spot was equipped with a special gripping tool and then trained to use a short pole to hit the crane’s ‘on’ button.
Dounreay has a history of using robotic devices to enter areas where humans cannot go. In the past, Spot has been used to map a four-story radioactive facility, doing so in complete darkness and climbing several staircases in the process. Additionally, the site has been used to trial a snake-like probe and a worm-like device for inspecting hard-to-reach infrastructure.
UK Quantum Boost
The UK government is allocating £121 million to boost the adoption and innovation of quantum computing. The funding, part of the National Quantum Technologies Programme, is intended to improve commercial uses in fields such as healthcare, finance and national security.
The UK is the world’s second-largest quantum business community, and it is hoped the investment will spur the development of new quantum tools and products that enhance growth, make lives easier and help tackle important challenges.
The project includes £46.1 million from Innovate UK to promote advancements in computing, sensing and navigation, £21.1 million for the National Quantum Computing Centre and £24.6 million for the establishment of five new research hubs across the country. A further £15.1 million will be used to support 11 fellowships aimed at transforming academic research into real-world applications, such as tools for drug discovery and combating money laundering.
Cyberattacks Fall
According to the government’s latest Cybersecurity Data Breaches Survey, cyberattacks on UK businesses decreased slightly last year, with the number of firms reporting incidents down from 50% in 2023 to 43% in 2024. The total number of incidents reported during the year was 612,000.
Small businesses have made the biggest improvements in cybersecurity, including increased adoption of cyber insurance and continuity plans. However, the focus on security at board level has decreased, with only 27% of businesses now having a board member with designated security oversight, a drop from 38% in 2021.
Charities, especially those with higher incomes, have also seen a reduction in essential cybersecurity measures. Currently, only 39% have a formal security strategy, and just 20% assess supply chain risk. With the rise of sophisticated attacks, business and charity leaders are advised to focus on visibility, prevention and proactive security.
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