Tech News from Simmons Systems (Page 3)

Tech News from Simmons Systems

CISA Urges Immediate Patching of Actively Exploited SharePoint Vulnerabilities

CISA warns that attackers are actively exploiting three serious vulnerabilities in Internet-exposed, on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server instances. These flaws, tracked as CVE-2026-32201, CVE-2026-45659, and CVE-2026-56164, affect all supported self-hosted versions of SharePoint Server. Attackers use them to bypass authentication, execute remote code, and establish persistence on compromised systems. According to

New York Becomes First State to Pause New Data Center Construction

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signs an executive order halting the approval of new permits for data centers 50 megawatts or larger, making New York the first state to implement such a pause. The state's Department of Environmental Conservation stops issuing permits until a comprehensive environmental review concludes,

Microsoft's Secure Boot Leaves Windows and Linux Vulnerable for Over a Decade

Security researchers at ESET reveal that Microsoft's Secure Boot, an industry standard designed to protect devices from firmware infections, has been trivial to bypass for 13 of its 14 years of existence. The discovery centers on 11 firmware shim images, some dating back to 2013, that contain known

Apple Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft and Corporate Espionage

Apple files a blockbuster lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the AI startup of stealing confidential documents, spying on hardware prototypes, and tricking a trusted partner into performing proprietary product design techniques. The 41-page complaint centers on the alleged actions of three individuals and paints a picture of systematic corporate espionage. The

AI Agent Startup Nous Research Nears $1.5 Billion Valuation in New Funding Round

Nous Research, the startup behind the widely popular open-source Hermes AI agent, is finalizing a new funding round that values the company at $1.5 billion. The round, raising at least $75 million, is led by Robot Ventures with significant participation from USV and other prominent investors. The company, founded

US Government Warns Russian State Hackers Target Home and Office Routers

Russian state-sponsored hacking groups backed by the FSB continue to mass-compromise home and small office routers worldwide, according to a new advisory from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The hackers exploit poorly configured devices, particularly those with exposed SNMP agents that still accept default or common credentials. Once compromised,

Hackers Compromise Jscrambler npm Package with Infostealer Malware

Hackers compromise the Jscrambler npm package, injecting information-stealing malware into versions 8.14, 8.16, 8.17, and 8.20. The malicious package executes during the preinstall hook and receives approximately 1,479 downloads within a two-hour window before Jscrambler deprecates it and releases a safe version. The company confirms

New York Enacts Nation's First AI Data Center Moratorium

New York becomes the first state in the nation to enact a moratorium on new data centers. Governor Kathy Hochul signs an executive order that blocks new environmental permits for data centers over 50 megawatts for up to one year. The pause gives the state time to develop regulations aimed

US and Allies Warn of Russian Hackers Targeting Critical Infrastructure Routers

Cybersecurity agencies from the United States and eight allied nations issue a joint advisory warning that Russian state hackers are actively targeting critical infrastructure networks. The advisory, co-authored by the NSA, FBI, and CISA alongside agencies from Australia, the UK, Canada, and several European nations, attributes the campaign to the

Apple's Canceled Car Project Sparks Powerful AI Chip Legacy

Apple's ambitious self-driving car project never makes it to production, but its technological legacy lives on in the company's current chip lineup. During early development of the vehicle platform, Apple realizes that autonomous driving demands powerful on-device AI processing. Though the dedicated car processor remains unfinished,

llm harness engineering

Strong Scaffolding Can Elevate Weak AI Models — But Only So Far

An engineer tests a bold hypothesis: whether a swappable, weaker AI model wrapped in a robust software harness can match the performance of frontier-level models. The harness combines deterministic knowledge retrieval, curated tools, verification loops, and structured workflows to compensate for the model's limitations. The approach promises to

Closed-Door AI Coding Experiments Reveal Cost and Strategy Lessons

Seven AI models tackle the same coding task with both answer doors shut—no git history and no network access. Three models pass, four fail, and every run remains honest, fetching no hidden answers. The experiment covers a spectrum from budget-friendly runs to expensive ones, with costs ranging from under

artificial intelligence

Chinese AI Models Attract Growing Interest from U.S. Businesses

Chinese AI models are capturing attention from U.S. businesses looking for capable and cost-effective alternatives to domestic options. As these models continue to improve in performance, companies across various sectors are exploring what Chinese providers bring to the table. This growing interest points to a more competitive global AI