/ News Briefs

Russian Attack Disrupts Internet and Digital Services Across Kyiv

A Russian attack disrupted Internet access for about 100,000 Kyiv-area households and affected data centers, hosting and court services, exposing disruptions across multiple infrastructure layers while leaving possible shared dependencies unclear.

IPv6 Growth Remains Concentrated Among Major Infrastructure Providers

IPv6 availability now reaches more than half of measured website hosts, but provider-led deployment means the global figure can obscure how heavily adoption depends on major hosting, cloud, CDN, DNS and email platforms.

ICANN Reports Persistent Acceptance Gaps for Internationalized Domains

ICANN reports 151 internationalized top-level domains and 4.3 million second-level registrations, but persistent Universal Acceptance gaps still prevent some applications, websites and email systems from reliably handling internationalized names.

ICANN Confirms 1,616 Applications Will Proceed in 2026 New gTLD Round

ICANN says 1,616 applications will proceed in the 2026 new gTLD round, with Reveal Day expected by October 14 to disclose applicants, requested strings and initial contention sets.

Microsoft Disrupts EvilTokens AI Cybercrime Service Linked to 12,000 Compromised Inboxes

Microsoft disrupted EvilTokens, an AI-enabled cybercrime service linked to more than 12,000 compromised inboxes, seizing websites and disabling domains used to automate mailbox analysis, impersonation and preparation for financial fraud.

ICANN Commenters Urge Limits on Proposed Domain Abuse Checks

ICANN commenters broadly support proposed registrar checks of domains associated with known DNS abuse but urge evidentiary safeguards to prevent weak associations from triggering action against legitimate domains.

EU Sets Sustainability Labels for Larger Data Centers

The European Commission has adopted an A-to-G sustainability rating system for larger data centers, grading energy and water efficiency as EU computing demand grows and regulators consider binding performance standards.

ICANN Comment Period Closes on Linking gTLDs With Alternative Naming Systems

ICANN is closing consultation on technical rules for linking gTLDs with matching alternative naming systems, as commenters debate controller requirements, security safeguards, policy boundaries and protections for existing registrations.

Candle Submarine Cable Reaches Indonesia on Route Across Six Asian Markets

The 8,000-kilometre Candle submarine cable has landed in Batam, advancing a six-market Asian system designed for 570 Tbps capacity, 24 fiber pairs and geographically diverse routes ahead of commercial service in 2028.

AWS Says Iran Strikes Caused Permanent Customer Data Loss in Bahrain and UAE

AWS says Iranian strikes caused permanent customer data loss in Bahrain and the UAE, exposing the limits of Availability Zone redundancy when physical destruction affects multiple cloud facilities within a region.

UK, US and Dutch Agencies Expose Iranian Spyware Targeting Dissidents and Journalists

UK, US and Dutch agencies have exposed Iranian state-linked spyware that uses personalized social engineering to compromise Windows devices and surveil dissidents, activists and journalists, capturing communications, files, audio and other sensitive data.

Study Finds Tribal-Built Broadband Network Linked to 4% Income Gain

A tribal-built broadband network on Washington's Colville Reservation was associated with a 4% income increase, offering evidence that connectivity can produce economic gains even without substantial growth in household broadband subscriptions.

Canada Plans Sovereign Broadband Backbone With New Fibre Investment Incentive

Ottawa plans to help finance a national broadband backbone with direct links to Europe and Asia, while new tax incentives aim to spur fibre investment and strengthen Canadian control over critical digital infrastructure.

Cyberattackers Are Using AI Across More of the Kill Chain, Anthropic Reports

Anthropic says attackers are increasingly using AI agents to orchestrate cyber operations, automating reconnaissance, exploitation, data theft and malware adaptation while lowering the expertise and resources previously required for sophisticated attacks.

Amazon Taps Qualcomm for AI Chips and Optical Data Center Networking With $60 Billion Purchase Milestones

Amazon's Qualcomm deal spans custom AI inference chips and optical networking, with equity warrants tied to purchasing milestones reaching $60 billion, potentially expanding competition across the data-center compute and connectivity supply chain.