Technology giant NVIDIA validates that its network was compromised in a cyberattack that resulted in a leak of the company’s proprietary data and employee login information.
According to some sources, a group called LAPSUS$ claims responsibility for the attack and alleges to have obtained 1TB of data, including schematics and driver source code. However, the hacker’s group said that NVIDIA has yet not reached out to them.
NVIDIA stated that it became aware of the breach on February 23rd and that it does not expect any disruption to its business or ability to serve its customers as a result of the incident.
“We are aware that the threat actor took employee credentials and some NVIDIA proprietary information from our systems and has begun leaking it online,” said NVIDIA in an official statement.
In response to the attack, NVIDIA identified the attackers and infected the perpetrator’s system with ransomware, encrypting the stolen data. Reports suggest that LAPSUS$ has already begun leaking a 19GB archive containing information about NVIDIA’s software.
The leaked information also contains the source code for the company’s frame-rate boosting DLSS technology. LAPSUS$ said that the leaked data was found from the 1TB cache they managed to collect from NVIDIA during the cyberattack.
Furthermore, LAPSUS$ claims to have a GPU driver capable of bypassing NVIDIA’s Ethereum mining limiter on the company’s RTX 3000 graphics cards. NVIDIA stated that it has no evidence of ransomware being deployed on their network or that this is related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
A spokesperson from NVIDIA said,” We are investigating an incident. Our business and commercial activities continue uninterrupted.”
He also mentioned that they are still assessing the nature and scope of the incident and have no additional information to share at the moment.
General Motors’ Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo receive permits to charge fares for their autonomous vehicles taxi service in California, United States.
The permit was issued by California’s Public Utility Commission, allowing the companies to charge customers for their ride but with a safety driver on board during trips.
Earlier, Cruise and Waymo were only allowed to provide passenger transportation for testing purposes, with no fare collecting allowed. The new development is a significant step towards both the companies’ goal of commercializing their autonomous taxi service.
This is the first time California authorities have allowed the true commercialization of autonomous taxi services. The newly granted permit will allow Waymo to operate at speeds of up to 65 mph in parts of San Francisco and San Mateo counties.
Whereas, Cruise can travel at up to 30 mph on some public roads in San Francisco between 10 PM to 6 AM. However, a common restriction for both companies is that they are not allowed to run their operations during heavy rainfall and dense fog.
Vice President of Global Government Affairs at Cruise, Prashanthi Raman, said, “another positive incremental step forward. Our mission has always been to launch a driverless commercial ride-hail service here in San Francisco, and that’s what we’ll continue working with our regulators to deliver.”
General Motors and Cruise petitioned US regulators earlier this month for permission to deploy a few self-driving vehicles without human controls, such as steering wheels or brake pedals.
Waymo recently announced that it plans to apply what it has learned from operating its autonomous commercial taxi service in Arizona to its expanding service in San Francisco.
“We’ll begin offering paid trips through the program in the coming weeks,” said Waymo in a statement.
Oral hygiene products manufacturing company Oral-B introduces artificial intelligence to personalize the teeth brushing routine of customers.
The company has announced the release of its new electric toothbrush in its iO line, which includes artificial intelligence to provide a tailored experience. The announcement was recently made by Oral-B during the ongoing Mobile World Congress event.
With a customized experience. The new iO10 with iOSense, the latest edition to the innovative iO line, will revolutionize the way people brush their teeth across the globe.
Oral-B employs a smart device called iOSense, which uses artificial intelligence to provide real-time guidance and a personalized brushing experience for healthier gums and teeth.
Senior Vice President of P&G Europe’s Oral Care division, Benjamin Binot, said, “iO 10 with iOSense is our latest commitment to building a digital health ecosystem that leads with advanced technologies, accessible solutions and more effective educational tools to improve oral care and health for all.”
He further added that the advancement represents a new era of brushing that is more than simply an electric toothbrush but a blend of cutting-edge technology, appealing design, and outstanding performance.
Oral-B’s new brush has a charging time of 3 hours and comes with a mobile Power2go charging case to allow customers to use the product while traveling.
The key feature of the one-of-a-kind artificial intelligence-powered toothbrush includes a timer for optimal brushing time along with a Wi-Fi clock, iOSense smart lights system to assist in reaching every area in the mouth, and an Oral-B tracking application to monitor goals and provide personalized feedback after every brushing.
Oral-B carried out an intensive study over six months, which shows that 96% of the users moved from unhealthy to healthy gums by using the newly launched AI toothbrush.
Furthermore, the iO toothbrush removes 62% more plaque along the gumline and 26% more in hard-to-reach places when compared to the Sonicare DiamondClean SMART toothbrush.
India’s Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) and Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer training in multiple new-age technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML), Internet of Things (IoT), and others.
We are glad to share that DSEU and Telecom Sector Skill Council have signed an MoU. The partnership will focus on curriculum development, industry integration along with the setting up a state of the art lab. pic.twitter.com/BbMhf4twfb
— Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (@dseu_official) February 19, 2022
According to officials, the new partnership is a step towards boosting the employability of Indians in the advanced technology sector. It is a three-year collaboration in which DSEU students and other aspirants from the NCR region will receive skill development training through jointly developed multiple courses.
TSSC will assist DSEU in creating a Center of Excellence (CoE) at DSEU that will be together run as the Telecom Center of Excellence.
Vice-Chancellor of DSEU, Dr. Neharika Vohra, said, “As academic partners of TSSC, we will create ICT courses and training labs that will set apart the candidates passing out of DSEU. Industry 4.0 will require a manpower base well-versed in futuristic technologies like 5G, ML, AI, IoT, etc.”
She further added that they want to close the skill gap in the present and the future through this new partnership.
The official statement stated that the three-year contract includes DSEU co-certification with TSSC for various programs offered under the ‘Center of Excellence initiative, placement support for TSSC students, and DSEU building capacity while operating as a Train the Trainer (ToT) academy for the courses.
CEO of TSSC, Arvind Bali, said, “This partnership has a lot of potentials to create a stir in the skill ecosystem and potentially lead to a long duration degree (3 years) course on telecom which will be wholeheartedly welcomed by the industry,” The newly announced courses will be offered to learners from the academic year of 2022-2023.
Network intelligence company Net AI unveils its new mobile traffic analysis and demand estimation tool at Mobile World Congress.
Net AI’s technology will be showcased at Hall 6, stand 6C31.9, during the MWC event. The highly capable tool named O-Ran caters to all the needs of network providers to offer better efficiency and increase their revenue.
The introduction of 5G and the applications will drastically raise network complexity, causing humans to be unable to manually run and optimize networks. That is where precisely Net AI’s newly showcased tool comes into play.
O-RAN Alliance advocates for intelligence to be embedded at all network levels as network infrastructures must be able to learn as it goes and operate at machine speed.
Net AI’s cutting-edge technology excels in the field of automation, and it fits right in with this framework. The company’s solution can be deployed at the cell or core level, providing visibility into end-to-end resource utilization.
Mobile operators can seamlessly determine where to best arrange network functions/compute units when they have real-time knowledge of service-wise traffic consumption provided by Net AI’s technology.
Co-founder and CEO of Net AI, Paul Patras, said, “We are witnessing significant changes in the Telecom sector as 5G is being rolled out and operators’ appetite for cloud/edge computing and artificial intelligence is growing.”
He further added that the company is excited to be riding this wave, and they are very keen to engage with potential early adopters of our technology.
United Kingdom-based network intelligence firm Net AI was founded by Marco Fiore, Mark Chapman, and Paul Patras in 2021. The company is best known for developing a cloud-native platform that uses AI to provide real-time analytics, driving the optimization of virtualized mobile networks.
To date, Net AI has raised total funding of £750 thousand from investors like Techstart Ventures, Old College Capital, Edinburgh Technology Funds, and others in its pre-seed funding round.
Cayman Islands-based artificial intelligence company Euler Digital announces that it has acquired independent artificial intelligence research platform AI Forum in a recent deal.
Euler Digital has acquired a 100% stake in AI Forum and plans to use the company’s expertise to bring in breakthroughs in the artificial intelligence industry. Euler Digital decentralizes Artificial Intelligence by deploying a worldwide, open eco-system for data, models, apps, computing, and products utilizing blockchain technology.
Euler Digital Blockchain (EDB) peer-to-peer payment rails open up a world of developing technologies, many of which are meant to improve the quality of life for millions of people who suffer from debilitating health problems.
The company was founded by Ian Gilmour in 2021. Marketplace technologies and novel value transfer models, such as AI non-fungible tokens, are among the company’s innovations, intending to make artificial intelligence more accessible, equitable, and affordable. Euler Digital raised more than $270 thousand over its pre-seed and seed funding rounds.
Founder of Euler Digital, Ian Gilmour, said, “As soon as we got a sniff of this deal, we knew we had to add this world-class platform to our growing portfolio. On behalf of the staff and Directors of Euler Digital, we want to thank Peyman for entrusting us with his baby.”
He further mentioned that adding blockchain expertise opens up new possibilities in domains like EdgeAI, and they’re excited to announce the first new AI Forum relationship with Cudos.
The firm also plans to launch its new decentralized cloud computing platform this year. Interested individuals can visit the official website to register for a free testing program and also submit their feedback.
“AI Forum’s customers will benefit from the addition of blockchain AI knowledge, which will inevitably drive new insights and discoveries. It has been a terrific experience, and I want to thank all our customers and advisory board members for their support,” said the founder of AI Forum, Peyman Mestchian.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) announces the launch of the region’s first artificial intelligence research center in the Republic of Congo.
The newly established artificial intelligence research center is located in the capital city of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville. The Denis Sassou Nguesso University in Kintélé, in the north of Brazzaville, will house the scientific research center.
The research center was jointly developed by UNECA and the Government of the Republic of Congo with the sole purpose of advancing artificial intelligence research in the areas of digital policy, infrastructure, finance, skills, digital platforms, and entrepreneurship to advance digital technology in Africa.
According to Congolese officials, the center plans to conduct multiple research projects in the academic year 2022-2023, including neural networks, computer vision, machine learning, VR/AR, natural language processing, robotics, and others.
UNECA, in a statement, said, “The center will be the first of its kind in Africa, and it will provide a regional hub for the development of emerging technologies in the region.”
The African Research Center on Artificial Intelligence, which the ECA and other partners are supporting, will provide the required technology education and skills to enhance Africa’s integration, as well as contribute to inclusive economic growth and job creation.
In addition, the facility will also work to alleviate poverty for the continent’s socio-economic development and ensure that Africa has access to the latest digital management tools.
“This institution aims to undertake cutting-edge research on artificial intelligence by focusing on a human-centered approach to maximize benefits and counter development challenges,” said Congolese Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Leon Juste Ibombo.
The AI research center is part of a larger strategy to make Africa the world’s future powerhouse by 2063. Apart from mainstream academics and research, the AI research center will provide certified online training to Africans and also offer an introductory training course on robotics and AI through the green classroom for primary and secondary school students.
The geopolitical tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have been soaring in the past few weeks. Amid these strained situations, on Thursday, the National Bank of Ukraine released several decisions in connection with the country’s current martial law. Among these, the National Bank of Ukraine has instructed electronic money (e-money) issuers to halt e-money issuance and e-wallet refilling. The written ruling further said that e-money distribution was temporarily prohibited.
Here, e-money refers to fiat currency maintained in digital form, such as that held in a PayPal account or a digital bank through a cash app. While the reason for the central bank’s e-money ban is unclear, it appears to be a wise move to protect Ukraine’s financial institutions from cyber-attacks and prevent cash outflows during the crisis. It’s unclear if this applies to cryptocurrency or other digital money, which are classed as ‘virtual assets’ under Ukrainian law. Last year, the central bank was granted authorization to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The restrictions also halt the foreign exchange market, restrict withdrawals from customers’ bank accounts, and prohibit foreign currency withdrawals from customer accounts.
Quite recently, according to Chainalysis’ Global Crypto Adoption Index, trailing after Vietnam, India, and Pakistan, Ukraine stood fourth with roughly US$8 billion in bitcoin passing through the nation each year. With a market worth of about $80 billion, Tether is the most popular stablecoin, which doesn’t experience volatility like bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies. As a result, for a nation whose citizens are accustomed to dealing with the dollar as a reserve currency, Tether is a favorite.
Almost a week earlier, in a tweet, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that the country’s Parliament had passed a bill on virtual assets that will legalize cryptocurrencies. Fedorov further stated that by making this move, Ukrainians’ assets would be protected from any exploitation or fraud. According to a study published by blockchain researcher Elliptic, this move came when Bitcoin contributions skyrocketed to Ukrainian volunteer and hacker organizations that support the Ukrainian government, as fears of a possible Russian strike grew. On the 25th of February alone, one of the organizations called ‘Come Back Alive” received almost US$400,000. As per the latest update, the total donations are pegged at US$13 million.
Last September, Ukraine’s Parliament instituted legislation legalizing cryptocurrencies. However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vetoed it the following month. According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine could not afford to build a new regulatory structure to manage cryptocurrency.
This time, according to Zelenskyy’s recommendation, the revised version of the legislation on virtual assets, places crypto regulation under the supervision of the National Commission on Securities and Stock Market.
Notably, the bill excludes Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from the definition of legal tender. Ukraine has not followed El Salvador’s lead, which made Bitcoin a legal tender in September of last year. However, the new law will provide enterprises operating in what was previously a ‘legal limbo’ some peace of mind.
Despite the absence of institutional regulation in the past, Ukraine has established itself as Europe’s main crypto hub. The New York Times reports that the Eastern European country handles more cryptocurrency transactions every day than it does in its fiat currency, the hryvnia. Officials in the government believe that the new law would encourage more foreign investment into Ukraine’s developing crypto economy, which is presently being overshadowed by Russia’s invasion.
The military invasion of Ukraine by Russia has had a detrimental influence on global markets, including the cryptocurrency industry, which lost more than US$200 billion in value on Thursday. In the meantime, the Russian ruble has fallen to its lowest levels versus the US dollar since 2016. Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies have declined by almost 10%. This freefall means that Bitcoin, which was previously considered a safe asset like gold, is now subject to external influences, a common occurrence in the share market.
While the Ukrainian government may be striving to block cash outflows, the Russian government has suggested that in response to growing economic penalties and allegations of western nations freezing Russian nationals’ overseas assets, it will take severe measures. Parallelly, on Sunday, Fedorov has taken to Twitter to urge major crypto exchanges to block addresses of Russian users.
Today, cryptocurrency fundraising has become increasingly prominent for various social causes. Earlier, the Ukrainian government had tweeted their Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets addresses seeking donations for their resistance against Russia.
Stand with the people of Ukraine. Now accepting cryptocurrency donations. Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT.
BTC – 357a3So9CbsNfBBgFYACGvxxS6tMaDoa1P
ETH and USDT (ERC-20) – 0x165CD37b4C644C2921454429E7F9358d18A45e14
Unfortunately, at the same time, cybercriminals aren’t taking a break and have started taking advantage of such events, including the Ukraine invasion. Elliptic says one social media post was found to copy a legitimate tweet from an NGO, but with the author swapping the Bitcoin address, presumably with one of their own.
Students from the United Arab Emirates are receiving next-generation internship opportunities in fields like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency.
The opportunity will considerably help students make them industry ready for their future careers. According to the plan, digital internships will be provided at major global firms such as HSBC, Uber, Weiss Asset Management, KPMG, and Dentons to students aged thirteen to twenty in the United Arab Emirates.
Crimson Education, a higher education consultancy in the UAE, is in charge of executing this one-of-a-kind internship program. This significant step by UAE is to train a group of highly skilled workers in specialized areas for an ever-changing employment landscape.
Students will emphasize on three competencies, including cryptocurrencies, which gives an understanding of how the industry operates. The second focuses on blockchain, while the third is about entrepreneurship.
Regional Director of Crimson Education, Soraya Beheshti, said, “We believe that young people tend to get sidelined a lot because of age, and tend to be told that your age is really a limitation, you shouldn’t be working, you shouldn’t be doing this, you’re not experienced enough, you have to pay your due.”
She further added that she wants young people to believe they belong and deserve a seat at the table. Crimson Education mentioned that the cost of the training varies depending on how much assistance the intern requires, but it can cost as much as $4,900 for the most comprehensive instruction.
Additionally, the best interns will be hired as paid analysts by Weiss Asset Management, a worldwide investment company based in the United States.
Siddhant Tandon, an Indian student at Dubai International Academy, received an internship opportunity with PWC Australia, which he was able to secure through a Crimson Education competition.
While talking about the internship opportunity, he said that before starting college, every student should do at least one internship to gain experience in the workplace.
Global semiconductor manufacturing giant Intel unveils new capabilities of its AI developer toolkit OpenVINO to bring more intelligence to the Edge.
The recently released update to the OpenVINO toolbox introduces significant improvements in artificial intelligence inferencing performance, recording a greater than 40% increase in developer downloads compared with its previous generation.
OpenVINO, which debuted in 2018 with a focus on computer vision, now with updates, supports a more extensive range of deep learning models, including audio and natural language processing.
According to Intel, the new generation of OpenVINO also includes a new and enhanced optimization process that automatically detects system computes and accelerators. After this, the toolkit dynamically load balances and enhances artificial intelligence parallelization based on memory and compute capabilities.
The upgrade also includes an enhanced and simplified API that makes it easier to import TensorFlow models and dramatically improves code portability.
Intel discussed its role in powering the software-defined transformation across the network and edge with industry leaders, including leading communication service providers, telecommunication equipment manufacturers, and Internet of Things (IoT) leaders American Tower, AT&T, BT, Ericsson, Verizon, Rakuten Mobile, and Zeblok.
Intel Senior Fellow and senior vice president of the Network and Edge Group, Nick McKeown, said, “As we usher in a new era of innovation in network and edge transformations, now, more than ever, this evolution is being driven by the need for more control, adaptability, and scalability to provide those who build and operate infrastructure the ability to quickly introduce new capabilities.”
He further added that they aim to supply programmable hardware and open software through the broadest ecosystem possible, in a way that best serves their customers and partners in the future, and they will drive the next generation of cloud-to-network infrastructure together.
To date, thousands of developers have used OpenVINO to deploy AI workloads at the Edge, including industry-leading companies like BMW, Audi, Samsung, John Deere, and many more.
