Security Week
The European Commission (EC) said it was targeted in a cyberattack that impacted cloud infrastructure hosting its Web presence on the Europa.eu platform, although its public websites were not disrupted. A message posted over the weekend on the website of the ShinyHunters cyber extortion group claimed more than 350GB of data were stolen, “including data dumps of mail servers, databases, confidential documents, contracts, and much more sensitive material." The data breach was the second confirmed by the EC this year.
From "European Commission Reports Cyber Intrusion, Data Theft"
Security Week (03/30/26) Eduard Kovacs
View Full Article
Reuters
The Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) on Friday reversed a policy that would have banned research papers from entities under U.S. sanctions after a boycott threat from the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). CAST had responded to the policy with a statement that it would stop accepting funding applications for members wanting to attend NeurIPS. NeurIPS said the restrictions had been published in error due to miscommunication with its legal team.
From "AI Conference Reverses Ban on Papers from U.S.-Sanctioned Entities After Chinese Boycott Threat"
Reuters (03/27/26) Eduardo Baptista
View Full Article
New Scientist
A computer proof-checking language uncovered a fundamental error in a widely cited physics paper, marking the first time such software has identified a flaw in published physics research. Researcher Joseph Tooby-Smith at the U.K.'s University of Bath used the Lean language to formalize research published in 2006 on the stability of the two Higgs doublet model potential, but instead revealed the error. According to Tooby-Smith, the paper’s authors confirmed the error and would publish a correction notice.
From "Computer Finds Flaw in Major Physics Paper for First Time"
New Scientist (03/26/26) Matthew Sparkes
View Full Article - May Require Paid Subscription
The Guardian (U.K.)
Google warned that quantum computers could break most current encryption systems as soon as 2029. “The encryption currently used to keep your information confidential and secure could easily be broken by a large-scale quantum computer in coming years.” the tech company said in a blog post. Google said it has "adjusted our threat model to prioritize post-quantum cryptography migration for authentication services," even though forecasts for sufficiently powerful quantum computers range from the 2030s to the 2050s.
From "Google Warns Quantum Computers Could Hack Encrypted Systems by 2029"
The Guardian (U.K.) (03/26/26) Aisha Down
View Full Article
The New York Times
A global helium shortage triggered by the Middle East conflict is threatening the semiconductor industry. Helium, essential for cooling and cleaning during chip manufacturing, is produced mainly in the U.S. and Qatar. When output in Qatar was halted in March, it cut off roughly a third of the global supply. A lack of helium could impact semiconductor production lines within months, and eventually the production of semiconductor-powered devices.
From "Helium Shortage Threatens Chip Industry"
The New York Times (03/27/26) Meaghan Tobin; Xinyun Wu
View Full Article - May Require Paid Subscription
CBS News
Major League Baseball debuted its robot umpire system during a season opener between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. The Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), using Hawk-Eye cameras, allows players to challenge a human umpire's calls. New York's José Caballero made history by issuing the first challenge, but the system upheld the strike call. Teams receive two challenges per game.
From "MLB's Robot Umpire Debuts"
CBS News (03/26/26)
View Full Article
