Staffing Is Top SOC Challenge Even as AI Proliferates, Says SANS
(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine) A lack of skilled staff is the top operational challenge faced by today’s security operations centers (SOCs), although practitioners and leaders have diverging perceptions of hiring needs, according to SANS Institute. The 2026 SANS SOC Survey was based on interviews with 444 IT and security professionals actively working in monitoring or security operations (SecOps) roles, plus an additional 69 CISOs and senior security executives. It found that 14% of practitioners cited staffing as their main challenge; the top-rated answer. However, over half (59%) of the “cyber leaders” interviewed claimed that management actually pays close attention to SOC hiring and retention needs. This contrasted with just a third (32%) of practitioners. – Staffing Is Top SOC Challenge Even as AI Proliferates, Says SANS – Infosecurity Magazine
EdTech Faces a Cybersecurity Crisis: Data Breaches Surge
(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Resecurity (USA) warns the education technology (EdTech) sector has become a prime target for cybercriminals, as attacks against educational institutions and related platforms continue to escalate. Recent high-profile incidents, including attacks by groups such as ShinyHunters and FulcrumSec, highlight the vulnerability of educational organizations and the increasing sophistication of cyber extortion tactics. – EdTech Faces a Cybersecurity Crisis: Data Breaches Surge – Security Affairs
FulcrumSec Targets Novo Nordisk, Leaks Clinical and Research Data
(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) On June 15, 2026, a data-theft extortion group calling itself FulcrumSec began leaking files from Novo Nordisk, the Danish maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, after the company refused a $25 million ransom demand. The attackers claimed access since March, opened a dialogue with Novo Nordisk on June 1, and started posting samples and a file tree once negotiations went nowhere. Novo Nordisk has confirmed unauthorized access to a limited number of internal IT systems and exposure of pseudonymized clinical-trial data, though it hasn’t validated the full scope of what FulcrumSec claims to have taken. “Novo Nordisk A/S recently identified an IT security incident involving unauthorised access to a limited number of internal IT systems.” reads the notice published by the company. “The incident included unauthorised access to certain personal data stored on the internal IT systems.” – FulcrumSec Targets Novo Nordisk, Leaks Clinical and Research Data
China-Linked FishMonger Ports SprySOCKS to Windows With Kernel-Level Stealth and UEFI Bootkit Hints
(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) ESET researchers have found two previously undocumented Windows versions of SprySOCKS, a backdoor that the security community had until now treated as Linux-only. Trend Micro first documented the Linux variant in September 2023 and attributed it to Earth Lusca, a China-linked actor also tracked as Aquatic Panda, Charcoal Typhoon, and RedHotel, which has been active since at least 2021 and operated by a Chinese contractor named i-Soon. ESET researchers track the same cluster as FishMonger and place it under the broader Winnti umbrella. “ESET researchers have discovered two as-yet undocumented Windows variants of SprySOCKS, a previously Linux-only backdoor reportedly used by FishMonger” reads the report published by ESET. “The Windows variants discovered are internally marked as WIN_DRV and WIN_PLUS. Both come with a hardcoded C&C configuration and support communication over TCP, UDP, and WebSocket protocols.” – China-Linked FishMonger Ports SprySOCKS to Windows With Kernel-Level Stealth and UEFI Bootkit Hints – Security Affairs
UK deepens AI adoption in healthcare with new NHS funding
(DigWatch) According to UKAuthority, the UK government is investing nearly £30 million to expand the use of AI-powered diagnostic technologies across England’s National Health Service (NHS). The funding aims to accelerate diagnoses and improve patient care for millions of people. Under the programme, £20 million will be allocated to deploy AI-powered chest X-ray tools across every NHS trust in England by 2029. The technology is already used by around half of NHS trusts and has supported more than four million patients through faster lung cancer diagnosis or clearance – Government invests in AI cancer diagnosis | UKAuthority
South Korea launches AI-RAN project for 6G networks
(DigWatch) The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) has launched the AI-RAN Global Flagship Project, a multi-year research and development programme backed by an investment of 47 billion won (approximately $31.2 million). The initiative aims to develop AI native network technologies for the 6G era. The project will run until 2030 and brings together South Korea’s three largest mobile operators, SK Telecom, KT Corp and LG Uplus, alongside technology companies, universities and research institutions. The programme aims to integrate AI training and inference capabilities directly into next-generation network architecture. – South Korea’s ETRI launches AI-RAN initiative | TelecomTV
Thailand updates legal framework to modernise capital markets
(DigWatch) Thailand is advancing amendments to the Securities and Exchange Act to create a legal framework for electronic securities and support the digitalisation of its capital markets. The draft bill has passed its first reading in the House of Representatives, with a special committee appointed to review the details before the second and third readings. The proposal would allow securities to be issued, held, transferred and used as collateral in electronic form with legal effect. – Thailand amends securities law to support digital economy
Manchester tops UK AI city ranking for third consecutive year
(DigWatch) Manchester has ranked as the UK’s most AI-ready city outside London for the third consecutive year, according to the SAS AI Cities 2026 Index. The index, produced by data and AI company SAS, assesses cities using indicators including AI-related jobs, business activity, innovation funding, education opportunities and digital infrastructure. – Manchester retains UK’s top AI city crown for third year – Prolific North
Foxconn and Schneider Electric partner on AI data centre infrastructure
(DigWatch) Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) has formed a strategic partnership with Schneider Electric to develop next-generation AI data centres and support the global expansion of AI infrastructure. The companies plan to develop a reference architecture for AI data centres focused on closed-loop energy optimisation, modular power and cooling systems, and standardised designs. They aim to create repeatable, high-performance ‘AI factory’ models that can be deployed at scale. – Taiwan’s Foxconn partners with Schneider Electric on AI data centers | Taiwan News
Vietnam targets digital economy at 30% of GDP by 2030
(DigWatch) Vietnam has approved a national programme to develop its digital economy and digital society from 2026 to 2030, setting a target for the digital economy’s value-added contribution to reach around 30% of GDP by the end of the decade. The programme aims to accelerate digital transformation across public services, businesses and society through digital platforms, data infrastructure, AI and wider adoption of digital services. – Vietnam targets digital economy at 30% of GDP by 2030 | Digital Watch Observatory
Trump’s AI export strategy runs into Trump’s export controls
(Ashley Gold – Axios) The Trump administration has made exporting American AI a key part of its plans for global AI dominance, but ad hoc policy decisions around the most advanced AI are threatening that effort. A flagship U.S. program designed to boost AI exports could be undermined by the very administration that created it. “The government’s willingness to arbitrarily and abruptly remove America’s best models from all foreign use shows that the strategy behind the AI Export Program is no longer relevant to decision makers in the U.S. government,” Dean Ball, a former AI adviser in the Trump administration, told Axios. The Trump administration slapped export controls on Anthropic’s newest model Fable 5 due to disagreements over whether it is safe for deployment, causing Anthropic to pull access to it entirely. – Trump’s AI export strategy runs into Trump’s export controls
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