The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has released a report titled, ‘Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2026’, providing a snapshot of global digital connectivity in 2026 on key indicators such as internet use, mobile network coverage, digital skills, gender digital divide, among others. As per the report, an estimated 6.3 billion people or 76% of of the world’s population is online, up from 6.1 billion in 2025, with the remaining 2 billion people still remain offline. – Digital Watch Observatory ITU report on measuring digital development
The Republic of Korea has announced a national strategy to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across maritime transport, ports, fisheries and marine environmental management. Presented by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on 28 October, the Maritime and Fisheries AI Transformation Strategy outlines five priorities and 15 implementation programmes aimed at improving industrial productivity, maritime safety and environmental monitoring. – Digital Watch Observatory Republic of Korea launches maritime AI transformation plan
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on 2 November 2026 requiring qualifying data centre owners in Russia to reserve 10% of their existing floor space and computing capacity. Operators must establish the reserve within ten days of the decree entering into force, although they may continue using those resources until they are required. The measure excludes facilities owned by government bodies, state or municipal unitary enterprises, and state or municipal institutions. Its stated purpose is to support the functioning of information resources owned by Russian citizens and legal entities. – Digital Watch Observatory Russia requires data centres to reserve capacity
On 29 October 2026 the governments of the United States and Finland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) titled the Technology Prosperity Deal. The MOU provides a framework for bilateral cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and connectivity, quantum technology, energy, space, defence innovation, biotechnology, advanced materials, Arctic technology and shipbuilding, and research and industry security. – Digital Watch Observatory United States and Finland sign MOU on technology deal
AI-powered malware is strongly expected to feature in ransomware attacks on the UK’s critical national infrastructure by 2028, the country’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned. The country faces “a real prospect of an unprecedented rise in the number of cyber incidents,” NCSC CEO Richard Horne said during the launch event for the agency’s annual State of the Cyber Nation report in London, on November 3. Horne said this heightened threat is supercharged by the use of AI, whose impact “will be felt by us all, whether you and your organization choose to harness it or not”. The report warned that AI-powered malicious software is “highly likely” to be used in cyber-attacks conducted by financially motivated hackers against the UK’s power stations, airports and hospitals by 2028. It also warned that nation states including Russia and China will routinely use AI in their cyber activity to achieve their geopolitical goals. – Infosecurity Magazine NCSC Chief Warns of AI Ransomware Threat to UK Critical Infrastructure
Google has warned of a growing enterprise threat to AI infrastructure from cybercriminals selling access to large language models (LLMs). The tech giant’s Mandiant business said it had responded to multiple incidents so far this year across financial services, retail, technology, and transportation sectors in which “LLMJacking” techniques were discovered. “Unlike the gradual resource consumption associated with cryptojacking, LLMJacking can generate large spikes in fraudulent cloud charges in a matter of hours,” it warned. “Across individual incidents, we observed fraudulent charges associated with resource consumption exceeding $100,000 in a single day, with cumulative charges at some organizations reaching $1m before access was revoked.” – Infosecurity Magazine LLMJacking is Costing Some Businesses Up to $1m
Google and its partners dismantled a backdoor called XCPE that had enrolled more than 1.3 million set-top boxes in a botnet. The result of the investigation into the malware operation is the striking part: Videostrong Technology Co., an Android device maker, built and ran the botnet for money. Google says it is highly confident that Videostrong deliberately created, spread and operated the backdoor. The company reportedly sold access to criminal groups and installed their malware on infected devices. The malware was used for ad fraud, secretly added devices to residential proxy networks and installed other malicious software. Google says this was not the work of a rogue employee or a simple coding mistake. The backdoor was found in many device models and brands over several years. Its operation involved dedicated infrastructure and regularly changing configurations. “We assess with high confidence that the backdoor and botnet were intentionally developed, deployed, and operated for financial gain by Videostrong Technology Co., an Android Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturer (ODM).” Google states. “Videostrong monetized the backdoor by selling access to criminal affiliates and loading those affiliates’ malware modules onto infected devices.“ – Security Affairs Inside XCPE, the botnet that turned 1.3M set-top boxes into proxy servers
NIS2 board accountability gives directors a more direct role in cybersecurity. Under Article 20, the management bodies of essential and important entities must approve the cybersecurity risk-management measures required by the directive, oversee their implementation, and can be held liable for infringements, subject to national law. That obligation is live across most of the EU, with four member states going to the Court of Justice in July for failing to notify full transposition. Access control is one of the required measures. Directors are not expected to decide who gets administrator rights or review individual user accounts. They do, however, need to know that access is being controlled, that someone has responsibility for managing the risk, and that problems are being addressed. An estimated 160,000 entities fall within the scope of NIS2 across the EU. – Security Affairs NIS2 Makes Board Members Personally Liable for Access Control Decisions
The German government is warning politicians and public figures that they were targeted by government-backed spyware. The warning follows Apple’s notifications, which began reaching iPhones on October 29, according to the federal cybersecurity office, the BSI. The BSI says members of the Bundestag and other notable people got an Apple alert about an attack with so-called mercenary spyware. “The Federal Office for Information Security ( BSI ) has learned that several members of the German Bundestag and other public figures have received a threat notification from Apple on their devices since October 29, 2026. In the notification, Apple states that it has detected an attack using so-called mercenary spyware . This is commercially developed, advanced spyware that has frequently been used in the past by state actors against specific, targeted individuals.” reads the notice issued by BSI. “The BSI (Federal Office for Information Security) is unaware whether these notifications indicate actual compromises or merely signal attempted attacks.y “. “Germany’s digital minister, Karsten Wildberger, has confirmed that members of the Bundestag and the federal government received warnings from Apple that their iPhones may have been targeted by spyware.” states the report. – Security Affairs Apple’s spyware notifications reach the Bundestag: what the BSI says to do now
Cisco Talos has analyzed a new Windows infostealer called VOLTA, which calls itself VOLTA-AUTODOXER. It steals the usual data, then hands the loot to a large language model that ranks what the victim is worth. Ryan Fetterman laid it out in a Talos report, after the malware turned up through the CAIRN research effort. “There is a new idea in the cybercrime world — cast a wide net, steal everything, and let AI sort out the specifics. A new malware self-named “VOLTA-AUTODOXER,” surfaced through the CAIRN research effort, is a self-deleting Windows infostealer that augments its post-theft workflow with an LLM-powered victim-profiling stage.” reads the report published by Talos. The malware deletes itself after running and does not use servers controlled by the attacker. Instead, it uses third-party systems to carry out its activities. The malicious code supports data-stealing features are advanced. It collects browser passwords, cookies and saved payment card details from Chromium browsers, as well as data from Firefox, Thunderbird and Outlook. It also steals Slack workspace information and login sessions from Discord, Telegram, Steam, Battle.net and Roblox. The malware also collects Microsoft OAuth tokens, SSH keys, cloud service credentials, screenshots and all saved Wi-Fi passwords. For crypto wallets, it tries to crack the wallet password directly on the infected device and saves the results in its report. To steal some browser tokens, it must bypass Chrome’s App-Bound Encryption. – Security Affairs VOLTA, the infostealer that asks an AI which victims are worth the effort
