Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Threat Actor Silently Forwarded Sensitive Emails Matching Strategic TopicsGoogle says Chinese espionage group UNC6508 compromised REDCap environments at North American research institutions, deployed custom malware, stole credentials and covertly forwarded strategically relevant emails through abused compliance rules to support long-term intelligence collection.

Report: China, Russia Exploiting US Cyber Policy Gaps to Gain Strategic AdvantageA new McCrary Institute report urges Washington to adopt a more offensive cyber strategy, warning that the current reactive approach leaves the U.S. unable to counter China and Russia’s persistent campaigns to gain asymmetric leverage in cyberspace.

Report Urges Indo-Pacific Cyber Shield Strategy Amid Increased Nation-State ThreatsA Center for a New American Security study found China and North Korea are accelerating cyberattacks, influence operations and infrastructure breaches across the Indo-Pacific, as researchers urge the U.S. to help develop a regional cyber shield, and deploy forward cyber teams.

Shanghai Firm Bets on Open-Source Strategy, Efficiency ClaimsShanghai artificial intelligence startup MiniMax released a new open-source large language model, positioning it as a direct competitor to American and other Chinese models. MiniMax says its model performs competitively on benchmark tests against leading proprietary and open models.

Hackers Targeted Critical Infrastructure for Sabotage, Data TheftRussian and Chinese hackers targeted critical infrastructure in the Netherlands for strategic gains amid escalating tensions with Western governments, the Dutch intelligence agency said. The Netherlands witnessed a number of "cyberespionage attempts against the Dutch government."

AI Leaders Call for Proactive US Response Amid Chinese Technology BreakthroughsThe United States risks losing the so-called "AI Cold War" against China unless it abandons traditional containment strategies and adapts to Beijing's advances, panelists told lawmakers Tuesday. "I'm as stunned as all of you about just how fast China has caught up," said Adam Thierer.

Also: Rapid7's Boardroom Shake-Up, China's Shift Tactical Cyber ShiftIn this week's update, ISMG editors unpacked stealth vs. spectacle in ransomware attacks, Rapid7’s boardroom shake-up led by activist investors, and China's shift from cyber espionage to infrastructure sabotage - driving key shifts in global cybersecurity strategy and resilience.

Not Every New Generation of LLM Needs Exponentially More Chips, Says Tencent ExecChinese tech giant Tencent reported a slowdown in GPU deployment, attributing it to a prioritization among Sino tech companies of chip efficiency over raw numbers, a strategy made clear internationally by artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek.

Hackers Reportedly Exploited Barracuda ESG Zero-DayThe Belgian government opened a federal probe into a suspected Chinese espionage campaign targeting the country's civilian intelligence service. The attack on the Belgian government aligns with the broader Chinese strategy of compromising edge devices for stealth espionage campaigns.

Manufacturers May Have to Reassess Product Strategy to Maintain Competitive EdgeDeepSeek's entry into the AI market triggered a ripple effect, with a potential major impact on chipmakers. Shares of Nvidia, AMD and Intel took a hit immediately after the Chinese model's release and is forcing these silicon stalwarts to reassessment of their product strategies.

Hackers Targeted a PAN-OS Flaw Days After Its DisclosureA suspected Chinese hacking campaign that began in November is exploiting a vulnerability in Palo Alto firewalls to install a custom malware backdoor for espionage. UNC5325 activity aligns with the Chinese hacking strategy of targeting edge devices.

Experts Warn China's Tech Rise Could Reshape Global Cybersecurity and WarfareChina has surged past the United States in critical technology research, according to a recent report published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Experts warn the shift could have profound global implications, including risks to U.S. cybersecurity, innovation and global leadership.

Experts Warn China's Tech Rise Could Reshape Global Cybersecurity and WarfareChina has surged past the United States in critical technology research, according to a recent report published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Experts warn the shift could have profound global implications, including risks to U.S. cybersecurity, innovation and global leadership.

Experts Warn China's Tech Rise Could Reshape Global Cybersecurity and WarfareChina has surged past the United States in critical technology research, according to a recent report published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, as experts warn the shift could have profound global implications, including risks to U.S. cybersecurity, innovation and global leadership.

Report: North Korean, Russian, Chinese, Iranian Actors Are Targeting Research OrgsRussian state hackers are targeting think tanks studying strategic interests and the defense sector, warned the French cyber agency. A hacking group that officially is Unit 26165 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate appears to be Russia's most prolific targeter of think tanks.

Hack Targeting Top Government Officials ‘Was Preventable,’ Scathing Report SaysThe independent Cyber Safety Review Board published a scathing report that recommended an overhaul of Microsoft’s security infrastructure and said the tech giant’s operational and strategic decisions led to the successful Chinese hacking campaign targeting top U.S. government officials.

Chinese Hackers Have Used DinodasRATHackers are using a new version of a backdoor to target Linux servers and gain and maintain access in what appears to be an espionage campaign, warn researchers from Kaspersky. The hallmark of DinodasRAT's strategy is its sophisticated victim identification and persistence mechanisms.

Former Bridgewater CTO Igor Tsyganskiy Named CISO in Wake of Chinese Email HackMicrosoft has demoted its CISO after 14 years on the job, reassigned its deputy CISO and named Igor Tsyganskiy - a former CTO at Bridgewater Associates who just joined Microsoft four months ago as chief strategy officer - as its new chief information security officer.