Ransomware payments cratered in 2025
Chainalysis research shows ransomware payments dropped to record lows in 2025 despite attacks surging 50% year-over-year, with over 8,000 organizations publicly named on leak sites according to Emsisoft data. Developed economies remain primary targets with the US leading followed by Canada, Germany, and UK, while high-profile victims included Jaguar Land Rover's costliest UK cyber incident and Marks & Spencer's Scattered Spider-linked breach wiping hundreds of millions in market value.
The Register • Feb 28
CORPORATE REGULATION CYBERCRIME
Trump directs US agencies to toss Anthropic's AI as Pentagon calls startup a supply risk
The Trump administration ordered federal agencies to immediately cease using Anthropic technology after the AI company refused Pentagon demands to remove guardrails on its Claude model for autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk to national security—a label typically reserved for firms from adversarial nations like China—blocking any military contractor from working with the company. The $200 million defense contract represented a small portion of Anthropic's $14 billion revenue, but the blacklisting threatens its planned public offering and broader business relationships. Anthropic stated it would challenge the designation in court.
Reuters • Feb 28
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These former government tech leaders are prepping day-one plans for a future administration
A coalition of former government technology leaders including US Digital Service veterans and former VA CTO Marina Nitze have formed "Tech Viaduct" to prepare comprehensive day-one plans for the next presidential administration. The group aims to reform federal procurement, civil service, and oversight processes to enable effective technology delivery in government. The initiative reflects recognition that institutional capacity for technology governance has eroded and requires structural intervention regardless of political outcome.
Government Executive • Feb 28
CORPORATE REGULATION TECH
How a million new satellites could turn night into day
SpaceX has proposed deploying up to one million satellites to create orbital data centers, while a separate startup seeks FCC approval to deploy reflective satellites that would beam sunlight to Earth at night. The Washington Post reports these proposals threaten to transform the night sky into a permanent artificial twilight, with satellites outnumbering visible stars and fundamentally altering humanity's relationship with the cosmos.
The Washington Post • Feb 28
CORPORATE NEOCORP INFRASTRUCTURE
Could a niche 80s technology be the key to better quantum computers?
SEEQC, a quantum computing startup, is reviving superconducting computing circuits first explored in the 1980s to build more efficient quantum processors. New Scientist reports that the company, operating from a former IBM superconducting computing facility in New York, is developing digital single flux quantum technology that could dramatically reduce the energy costs and error rates plaguing current quantum systems.
New Scientist • Feb 28
CORPORATE TECH INFRASTRUCTURE
Cutting-edge Chinese gene-editing technique raises prospect of new autism treatments
Chinese researchers have successfully used an advanced gene-editing tool to correct a DNA mutation responsible for cognitive and behavioral problems in laboratory mice. The South China Morning Post reports that mice engineered with the mutation showed significant behavioral changes after receiving injections with edited genes, suggesting potential pathways for treating autism spectrum disorders. The research represents a significant advance in precision genetic medicine.
South China Morning Post • Feb 28
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Ocean geoengineering trial finds no evidence of harm to marine life
Researchers conducted a field trial in the Gulf of Maine, pumping 65,000 litres of sodium hydroxide into coastal waters to test ocean alkalinity enhancement. The trial removed up to 10 tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide without measurable harm to marine wildlife, plankton, or lobster larvae. The technique increases water alkalinity, allowing oceans to absorb more CO2 and converting it into bicarbonate ions expected to remain sequestered for tens of thousands of years.
New Scientist • Feb 28
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FCC approves the merger of cable giants Cox and Charter
The Federal Communications Commission has approved Charter Communications' $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Enterprises' residential cable, commercial fiber, and managed IT businesses. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr claimed the merger will expand rural connectivity and keep jobs in the U.S. The deal creates one of the largest cable and Wi-Fi providers in the country, consolidating significant telecommunications infrastructure under a single entity. The approval follows a pattern of merger-friendly decisions under the current FCC leadership.
Engadget • Feb 28
CORPORATE NEOCORP ANTITRUST
Conduent Data Breach Could Affect 25M People. Learn How to Protect Your Online Accounts
A ransomware attack on government contractor Conduent has exposed personal data of 25 million Americans across multiple state healthcare programs, including names, Social Security numbers, and medical information. The SafePay ransomware gang spent three months in Conduent's systems before discovery, exfiltrating approximately 8 terabytes of data. Many affected individuals were unaware their data flowed through Conduent's backend systems, highlighting systemic supply-chain vulnerabilities in government technology procurement.
CNET • Feb 27
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Mistral AI inks a deal with global consulting giant Accenture
French AI startup Mistral AI signed a multi-year partnership with Accenture, the global consulting firm that has also recently announced partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic. The deal positions Accenture as the dominant channel for enterprise AI deployment, giving it control over how businesses access and implement competing AI systems. Accenture aims to capture the consulting and integration market as enterprises struggle to find return on investment from AI tools and turn to consultants for deployment assistance.
TechCrunch • Feb 27
CORPORATE NEOCORP AUTOMATION
The Silicon Valley billionaires spending big to write America's AI rules
Silicon Valley billionaires are investing heavily in 2026 midterm elections to shape AI regulation, funding candidates across party lines to influence policy outcomes on algorithmic governance, export controls, and intellectual property. The spending aims to prevent restrictive AI legislation and maintain industry self-regulation as Congress and state legislatures debate AI oversight measures. The effort represents an unprecedented alliance of tech capital seeking to capture regulatory frameworks before they solidify.
Financial Times • Feb 27
CORPORATE GEOPOLITICS INEQUALITY
Trump announced a major deal on data centers. It's still unclear what's in it.
President Trump announced a "Rate Payer Protection Pledge" during his State of the Union address, claiming major tech companies agreed to build their own power plants for data centers so consumers don't pay for AI's energy appetite. Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, xAI, Oracle, and OpenAI are expected to sign the pledge on March 4. Lawmakers from both parties remain skeptical, noting the absence of enforcement mechanisms or policy specifics, and the Data Center Coalition spent nearly $1 million on lobbying in 2025.
Politico • Feb 27
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Microsoft's Japan Chief Stresses Compliance With Azure Antitrust Probe
Japan's Fair Trade Commission raided Microsoft Japan's Tokyo offices on February 25, investigating whether Microsoft's cloud service practices violate anti-monopoly laws. The probe examines allegations that Microsoft blocks Azure customers from using rival cloud services—tactics mirroring Microsoft's licensing practices already under scrutiny by UK, EU, and US regulators. Microsoft's Japan president stated the company is "fully cooperating" as regulators also seek information from Microsoft's US parent company.
Bloomberg • Feb 27
CORPORATE NEOCORP ANTITRUST
How Chinese AI Chatbots Censor Themselves
Stanford and Princeton researchers found that Chinese AI models including DeepSeek and Alibaba's Qwen are significantly more likely than Western counterparts to dodge political questions or deliver inaccurate responses on sensitive topics. The study reveals systematic self-censorship mechanisms embedded in Chinese AI systems, with researchers finding techniques to force models to expose their hidden refusal instructions.
WIRED • Feb 27
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How AI is supercharging Russia's online disinformation campaigns
Security experts warn that Kremlin-aligned actors are deploying AI-generated synthetic videos at scale to shape public opinion across Europe and the US, while Western governments lack adequate tools and laws to respond. A King's College London professor's identity was hijacked via AI voice-over deepfake for a Russia-linked operation dubbed "matryoshka," which embeds false claims in layers of ambient re-posts from compromised accounts.
BBC • Feb 27
GEOPOLITICS CYBERWAR SOCIAL
Data Broker Breaches Fueled Nearly $21 Billion in Identity-Theft Losses
Congressional Democrats released findings showing data broker breaches have cost consumers tens of billions in identity theft losses. The report follows a WIRED investigation that exposed how data brokers hid opt-out pages from search engines using "no index" codes, making it nearly impossible for consumers to remove their personal information. Four companies subsequently removed the blocking code after congressional scrutiny.
WIRED • Feb 27
CORPORATE SURVEILLANCE PRIVACY
FTC declines to enforce a kids privacy law for data collected to verify users' ages
The Federal Trade Commission announced it will not enforce the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) against companies collecting personal data solely for age verification technologies, provided strict safeguards are followed. The policy shift incentivizes age verification adoption but privacy advocates warn it creates new risks. The Electronic Frontier Foundation noted that age verification systems have already experienced data breaches, citing a Discord incident where 70,000 users had government IDs exposed through a third-party vendor.
The Verge • Feb 27
CORPORATE SURVEILLANCE PRIVACY
Rocket Lab scrubs planned Feb. 25 launch of hypersonic scramjet vehicle for the US military
Rocket Lab scrubbed the planned February 25 launch of its HASTE suborbital rocket carrying DART AE, a scramjet-powered hypersonic test vehicle developed for the Defense Innovation Unit. The mission, dubbed "That's Not a Knife," would have been DIU's second hypersonic demonstration using Rocket Lab's HASTE platform after the November 2025 "Prometheus Run" launch. The vehicle tests technologies enabling sustained flight at Mach 5+ for missile defense and strike applications.
Space.com • Feb 26
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Anthropic says Claude Code transformed programming. Now Claude Cowork is coming for the rest of the enterprise.
Anthropic launched Claude Cowork, expanding its enterprise AI platform with private plugin marketplaces, deep integrations with Google Workspace, Salesforce, and financial data providers, and administrative controls for usage and cost tracking. Early enterprise deployments show substantial efficiency gains: Novo Nordisk reduced regulatory documentation creation from 10 weeks to 10 minutes, while Thomson Reuters achieved 94% accuracy in legal research tasks using Claude.
VentureBeat • Feb 26
CORPORATE NEOCORP LABOR
Critical Cisco SD-WAN bug exploited in zero-day attacks since 2023
Cisco disclosed CVE-2026-20127, a maximum-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Catalyst SD-WAN Controller and Manager products that has been actively exploited since 2023. The flaw allows unauthenticated remote attackers to gain administrative privileges and establish persistent access as rogue peers within SD-WAN fabric networks. CISA issued Emergency Directive 26-03 and added the vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, ordering federal civilian agencies to patch within 24-48 hours.
BleepingComputer • Feb 26
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The Media Merger You Should Actually Care About
Nexstar's proposed $6 billion acquisition of Tegna would create a broadcasting giant controlling more than 250 local TV stations across 44 states and the District of Columbia, requiring the FCC to waive or abolish ownership caps that have prevented excessive media concentration since the New Deal era. Trump-aligned FCC chair Brendan Carr supports lifting the ownership cap, while the merger faces opposition from both progressive groups and right-wing outlets including One America News and NewsMax.
The New Yorker • Feb 26
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Slater's departure at DOJ signals new era for antitrust under Trump
Gail Slater, the Department of Justice's top antitrust enforcer, has resigned after less than a year leading the division amid repeated tensions with top Trump officials. Her departure raises questions about the administration's approach to major anti-monopoly cases and controversial mergers, including the proposed $70 billion Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Trump had initially nominated Slater as part of a promised crackdown on Big Tech, declaring that "Big Tech has run wild for years."
The Hill • Feb 26
CORPORATE NEOCORP ANTITRUST
US tells diplomats to lobby against foreign data sovereignty laws
The Trump administration has ordered U.S. diplomats to lobby against foreign governments' data sovereignty laws, arguing that regulations restricting how American tech companies handle foreigners' data would disrupt global data flows, increase costs and cybersecurity risks, limit AI and cloud services, and expand government control. A February 18 State Department cable signed by Secretary Marco Rubio instructs diplomatic posts to push back against data localization requirements in Europe and other jurisdictions.
TechCrunch • Feb 26
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Inside the story of the US defense contractor who leaked hacking tools to Russia
Doogie Williams, former general manager of Trenchant — an L3Harris division developing offensive hacking and surveillance tools for U.S. intelligence — pleaded guilty to stealing and selling classified zero-day exploits to a Russian firm. Prosecutors said Williams, a 39-year-old Australian citizen with security clearance, abused full network access to download tools onto portable drives over an extended period. The case exposes critical vulnerabilities in contractor vetting for offensive cyber capabilities and raises questions about which foreign actors ultimately obtained these tools.
TechCrunch • Feb 26
CORPORATE GEOPOLITICS CYBERWAR
Lawmakers Ask Tech Companies What User Data They Provided to D.H.S.
US lawmakers demanded answers from Meta, Google and other technology companies following reporting that the Department of Homeland Security issued subpoenas for user information tied to accounts tracking or commenting on ICE activities. The requests come amid scrutiny over DHS cooperation with tech platforms on surveillance targeting immigration-related political content.
The New York Times • Feb 26
CORPORATE SURVEILLANCE PRIVACY
Workday hits over five-year low as sluggish sales forecast sparks AI disruption fears
Workday shares plunged to a five-year low after the HR and payroll software provider issued a soft sales forecast, intensifying investor concerns about AI-driven competitive threats. The company is facing pressure from AI tools that could directly disrupt its core offerings, alongside broader hiring slowdowns as AI adoption reduces demand for HR software. Australian software firm WiseTech Global announced plans to cut 2,000 jobs (one-third of its workforce) in a two-year AI-linked restructuring. Workday's struggles exemplify how AI is reshaping enterprise software markets, with investors punishing companies perceived as vulnerable to AI disruption while rewarding those positioned to capture AI productivity gains.
Reuters • Feb 26
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