Bloomberg
Google’s Threat Intelligence Group linked the compromise of Axios, a tool widely used to develop software applications, to a suspected North Korean hacking group. Hackers were able to breach one of the few accounts that can release new versions of Axios late Monday and published malicious versions of it. The malicious code could be used to breach major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, and could allow hackers to steal computers and the data stored on them.
From "North Korean Hackers Suspected in Axios Software Tool Breach"
Bloomberg (03/31/26) Ryan Gallagher
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Ars Technica
Two whitepapers concluded that building a quantum computer capable of cracking elliptic-curve cryptography (ECC) would require far fewer resources than previously thought. In one, researchers in California demonstrated the use of neutral atoms as reconfigurable qubits that have free access to each other, which could allow a quantum computer to break 256-bit ECC in 10 days using 100 times less overhead than previously estimated. A paper by Google researchers demonstrated how to break ECC-securing blockchains for cryptocurrencies in less than nine minutes while achieving a 20-fold resource reduction.
From "Quantum Computers Need Vastly Fewer Resources Than Thought to Break Vital Encryption"
Ars Technica (03/31/26) Dan Goodin
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The New York Times
On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order requiring safety and privacy guardrails on AI companies contracting with the state. Earlier in March, the White House issued AI policy guidelines to prevent a “patchwork of conflicting state laws" from undermining "American innovation and our ability to lead in the global AI race.” States this year have introduced dozens of bills to put guardrails around AI; over 100 existing state laws already do so.
From "States Plow Ahead With AI Regulation"
The New York Times (03/30/26) Cecilia Kang
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Scientific American
An international team of researchers submitted three papers written by an AI system, without human involvement, to a workshop at the 2025 International Conference on Learning Representations; one paper passed peer review. While co-author Jeff Clune at Canada's University of British Columbia and colleagues described the paper created by the AI Scientist system as mediocre, the accomplishment highlights AI's shift from helping scientists to generating science on its own.
From "AI-Authored Paper Passes Peer Review"
Scientific American (03/27/26) Jacek Krywko
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Deutsche Welle (Germany)
Austria has announced plans to ban social media use by children under 14. The nation’s centrist coalition plans to present a draft law by the end of June. A digitalization official in Chancellor Christian Stocker's office said "technically modern methods" will be used to verify users' ages while respecting privacy. Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler said the age restriction will apply to platforms that rely on addictive algorithms, generate profits, and can harm children.
From "Austria Plans to Ban Social Media for Under-14s"
Deutsche Welle (Germany) (03/27/26) Emmy Sasipornkarn
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CNBC
A report by cybersecurity firm Human Security found that automated traffic by AI and bots surpassed human Internet activity last year. Traffic from large language models was up 187% in 2025, while agentic AI traffic surged close to 8,000%, according to the report. Human Security CEO Stu Solomon said, “Machine-based traffic is effectively replacing humans as the dominant form of traffic on the other side of the Internet.”
From "AI, Bots Have Officially Taken Over the Internet, Report Finds"
CNBC (03/26/26) Lola Murti
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