🕵️♂️ Rogue WHOIS flaw, UK boosts cyber, Intel’s tough road
Good morning. It’s Thursday, September 12. Today we are covering:
Rogue WHOIS server gives researcher superpowers no one should ever have
Britain labels data centers critical infrastructure to boost cyber defenses
Intel Has Only Tough Options After Its Long and Stinging Fall From Grace
Coinbase's Wrapped Bitcoin cbBTC Goes Live
Bluesky catches up to X with native support for video
Let’s dive in
Rogue WHOIS server gives researcher superpowers no one should ever have
By Dan Goodin via Ars Technica
Benjamin Harris, CEO of security firm watchTowr, gained control of a rogue WHOIS server by purchasing an expired domain, enabling him to generate fake HTTPS certificates and track email activity.
Within hours of setting up the server, it received queries from over 76,000 unique IP addresses, including governments, universities, and certificate authorities, highlighting a critical flaw in the trust placed in outdated WHOIS systems.
Harris’s findings underscore the vulnerability of WHOIS, a key internet governance tool, and the ease with which malicious actors could exploit similar loopholes.
𝕏: In August, watchTowr Labs hijacked parts of the global .mobi TLD - and went on to discover the mayhem that we could cause. - watchTowr (@watchtowrcyber)
Britain labels data centers critical infrastructure to boost cyber defenses
By Ryan Browne via CNBC
The U.K. has designated data centers as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), giving operators direct government support to defend against cyber threats and improve coordination during attacks.
The government backed a £3.75 billion investment from DC01UK to build Europe’s largest data center in Hertfordshire, which is expected to create over 700 jobs.
The move follows a global IT outage earlier this year and is part of broader efforts, including a forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, to strengthen the U.K.’s cybersecurity defenses.
𝕏: Data centres are the engines of modern life, they power the digital economy and keep our information safe. Bringing them into the Critical National Infrastructure regime will allow better coordination and cooperation with gov against cyber criminals and unexpected events. - Peter Kyle (@peterkyle)
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Intel Has Only Tough Options After Its Long and Stinging Fall From Grace
By Ian King via Bloomberg
Intel is facing a critical juncture as CEO Pat Gelsinger's plan to spend the company back to relevance falters, with disappointing growth and job cuts announced after its August earnings report.
Over three days of meetings, Intel's board is considering how to proceed after the company’s forecast missed Wall Street estimates, leading to a sharp decline in share prices and further eroding confidence in the turnaround strategy.
Gelsinger’s tenure, which began in 2021, is now under intense scrutiny as Intel struggles to regain its former position in the highly competitive chipmaking industry.
𝕏: Since Tues, Intel’s board has been debating how to move forward after an Aug. 1 financial report shattered confidence in Gelsinger’s turnaround plan No final decisions expected. Intel more likely to delay/halt non-US fabs than AZ or OH - Mackenzie Hawkins (@mackhawk)
Coinbase's Wrapped Bitcoin cbBTC Goes Live
By Shaurya Malwa via CoinDesk
Coinbase has launched cbBTC, a wrapped bitcoin token on the Ethereum and Base networks, enabling users to leverage bitcoin for DeFi services like trading, lending, and collateral.
cbBTC is backed 1:1 with bitcoin held by Coinbase, with automatic conversion for users moving BTC between Coinbase and the supported networks.
This release positions Coinbase as a competitor to BitGo's WBTC, as part of plans to build a "massive bitcoin economy" on Base.
Bluesky catches up to X with native support for video
By Sarah Perez via TechCrunch
Bluesky has introduced native support for 60-second videos, allowing users to share video content on its decentralized platform, positioning it to compete with X, Instagram Threads, and Mastodon.
Users can upload up to 25 videos or 10GB of video content per day, with autoplay enabled by default and the ability to add subtitles and filter adult content through moderation tools.
This update is part of a broader push by Bluesky to enhance its platform, following recent features like DMs, a personalized Discover feed, and anti-toxicity tools.
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