Taiwanese infosec researchers challenge Microsoft's China espionage finding

Asia In Brief Taiwan-based infosec consultancy Team T5 has disputed Microsoft's alleged timeline of conscionable erstwhile a Beijing-linked onslaught group named Flax Typhoon commenced its campaigns.

Microsoft past week asserted that Flax Typhoon gains and maintains semipermanent entree to Taiwanese targets without dense reliance connected malware. Instead, nan group uses devices built into nan operating strategy mixed pinch "normally benign software" that thief nan infiltration enactment undetected.

"Flax Typhoon achieves first entree by exploiting known vulnerabilities successful public-facing servers," said Microsoft. "The services targeted vary, but see VPN, web, Java, and SQL applications. The payload successful these exploits is simply a web shell, specified arsenic China Chopper, which allows for distant codification execution connected nan compromised server."

Microsoft said nan threat actor's behaviour suggests espionage and attempts to support access. They besides pin nan cyber gang's activity arsenic opening mid-2021.

However, Taiwanese threat intelligence group TeamT5 told The Register it had tracked nan group's activity since astatine slightest 2020 and had fixed it nan impermanent codification sanction SLIME13.

Team T5 main expert Charles Li said nan group had notified and assisted respective unfortunate entities – mostly Taiwanese universities and physics companies – complete nan past 2 years.

Indian PM calls for world regularisation of AI, crypto

India's premier curate Narendra Modi yesterday called for world regulations to govern cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.

Speaking astatine nan B20 acme – nan business dialog that runs arsenic portion of nan G20 acme – Modi identified some topics arsenic emerging issues that were unimaginable 10 to 15 years successful nan past.

Without offering detail, nan PM based on nan rumor of cryptocurrencies "requires a highly integrated approach. I judge a world model needs to beryllium established, considering nan concerns of each stakeholders."

"An attack akin to this is besides needed for Artificial Intelligence (AI)," he added.

"The world is presently brimming pinch excitement astir AI, but wrong this excitement, location are ethical considerations arsenic well. Concerns are being raised astir skilling and re-skilling, algorithmic bias, and nan societal effect of AI. We each request to travel together to reside these issues."

Modi said nan business organization and governments "must collaborate to guarantee nan description of Ethical AI.

"We must analyse imaginable disruptions successful different sectors. Disruption is becoming much profound, pervasive, and important pinch each instance. This situation requires a solution nether a world framework."

Modi cited nan improvement of world regulations governing nan aviation and financial sectors arsenic precedents for efforts to constitute nan rules of crypto and AI.

– Simon Sharwood

Vietnam wants infosec independence

Vietnam's premier curate Pham Minh Chinh past week called for awesome reforms to amended nan nation's cyber security.

An announcement that followed nan gathering of a cyber information steering committee saw nan PM raise infosec to a apical governmental priority, requiring mobilization of authorities and business to make improvements.

PM Chinh added calls for activity to find nan basal resources to make nan desired changes – including done public/private partnerships.

He besides called for Vietnam to execute self-reliance successful protecting its ain cyberspace.

Local media interpreted nan PM's words arsenic a telephone for Vietnam to create indigenous infosec products.

– Simon Sharwood

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• Indonesia blocks Musk's X.com complete its X-rated past

Beijing to prohibition generative AI from penning prescriptions

Beijing plans to prohibition nan usage of AI for prescribing aesculapian drugs, according to Chinese media.

The draught proposal, which is unfastened for feedback until September 16, will require prescriptions beryllium written by quality physicians, sometimes successful collaboration pinch quality pharmacists.

US whitethorn widen exemptions to semicon sanctions

The US will widen a one-year exemption that allows South Korea and Taiwan based chipmakers to export precocious semiconductor manufacturing instrumentality and different technologies into China, according to Nikkei Asia.

The US's sanctions connected China restrict nan activity of definite semicon kit into aliases wrong China, but exemptions to those rules were offered to chipmakers specified arsenic South Korea's SK hynix, which was granted permission to nonstop immoderate worldly to nan Middle Kingdom. South Korea lobbied difficult for specified exemptions, connected grounds they wounded section companies.

The exemption was owed to expire successful October, but an hold has been expected since astatine slightest May.

Naver flatters Microsoft's Bing by imitating its AI

Naver, nan South Korean tech elephantine often compared to Google, unveiled an update to its hyperscale AI exemplary connected Thursday.

The latest loop of Naver's LLM, called HyperCLOVA X, includes a chatbot called CLOVA X and a Microsoft Bing-esque generative AI hunt motor called Cue. CLOVA X entered beta testing connected Thursday, and Cue will travel suit successful September.

Japan, ASEAN, successful smartphone recycling pact

The Japanese authorities and nan Association of Southeast Asian Nations past week agreed to trim e-waste by reusing captious materials extracted from spent smartphones.

According to Nikkei Asia, Japan will found rules for e-waste disposal, "including registration and certification systems for postulation and dismantling businesses" and nan situation ministry will see its costs successful its FY 2024 fund request.

Toshiba helps Vanuatu to spot nan light

Japanese tech conglomerate Toshiba launched an LED lantern sharing work proceedings successful nan South Pacific land federation of Vanuatu past Tuesday.

The trial, which will extremity successful September, involves renting star charged LED lanterns to residents of Malampa, an area successful Vanuatu that does not person entree to power. The residents will usage an app to negociate loans and returns of nan lanterns.

"Toshiba ESS has focused connected sharing services for electrical products charged by renewable power and has been conducting needs assessments and demonstrations of electrical merchandise sharing services successful Pacific Island countries since 2019," said Toshiba. "The institution has now confirmed nan request for and acceptance of nan sharing work by residents successful nan Malampa Province of nan Republic of Vanuatu, and has reached an statement to behaviour nan Trial, based connected nan imaginable of securing economical viability done nan sharing service."

In different news …

India had immoderate bully news this past week, aft nan Chandrayaan-3 ngo successfully touched down connected nan Moon, marking nan subcontinental federation a superior subordinate – so it's beaten US and Chinese missions to scope nan satellite's southbound pole.

North Korea attempted yet different motorboat of what it claimed was a satellite, and yet again it failed – and its neighbors are getting a small tired of this.

In further news of North Korean naughtiness, nan FBI warned that nan hermit kingdom mightiness beryllium trying to offload a cache of stolen cryptocurrency.

Japan's Softbank is getting fresh for nan long-awaited nationalist offering of Arm, but analysts are starting to wonder astir nan details.

For 1 thing, it turns retired Arm is vulnerable to being locked out of China, which accounts for a important chunk of its income.

Chinese artillery shaper CATL made a very bold claim astir processing an EV powerfulness root that could screen 400km aft conscionable 10 minutes of charging – but nan numbers look contestable.

In different China news, Beijing is reportedly looking for ways to get astir nan waste and acquisition restrictions that are choking its supplies of precocious tech arsenic good arsenic its export markets – immoderate reports moreover accusing Huawei of building a covert web of spot fabs.

Incidentally, nan Semiconductor Industry Association, whose position apparently sparked nan "secret fabs" speculation, reckons nan reporting sewage a small overheated and folks should chill.

Not that China hasn't been up to covert no-goodness, though – nan FBI pointed to Beijing-backed snoops arsenic culprits down nan hack of Barracuda Email Security appliances.

And South Korea's biggest telco has expressed its disappointment that 5G grounded to present each nan wonders promised earlier its debut. ®