The internet was built to connect machines, not people. Its basic architecture maps servers to domain names and uses cryptographic certificates to prove websites are authentic. Yet it lacks a built-in way to bridge the gap between our offline identities - citizen, taxpayer, patient, employee, student - and the digital systems on which we increasingly rely to conduct our economic, civic, and personal lives.
Mplify (formerly MEF), a global alliance of network, cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise organizations working together to accelerate the AI-powered digital economy, today warned that the $10.5 trillion cybercrime economy (according to Cybersecurity Ventures), weaponized AI, and escalating global conflicts are creating unprecedented risks to IT systems and critical infrastructure. In response, its Enterprise Leadership Council (ELC) has issued a manifesto calling for mandatory SASE certification across all products, services, and solutions under the Mplify framework.
As the U.S.-Japan alliance confronts an era where digital threats increasingly target economic stability and national security, integrating cyber strategy into the relationship is essential. The longstanding pillars of military, trade, and diplomacy have supported peace and prosperity. Still, the rise of cyberspace as a borderless, high-stakes domain demands that both nations make cybersecurity a foundational element of their partnership in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The US State Department has put a $10 million bounty on the heads of three Russians accused of being intelligence agents hacking America's critical infrastructure - primarily via old Cisco kit, it seems. The alert directly connects them to reports of the Russian Federal Security Service's (FSB) Center 16 - aka Berserk Bear - accused of using a flaw (CVE-2018-0171) Cisco patched in 2018, but attackers recently exploited it in the Salt Typhoon hacking campaign,
A Deutsche Bahn (DB) spokeswoman told the dpa news agency that the fire appeared to have been fueled by an accelerant. Initial findings indicated cable sheathing had been set on fire near railway switches the mechanisms that let a train move from one track to another. Police described it as a "switch fire" that was large enough to have been noticed by a nearby resident who informed authorities shortly before midnight.
Let's dig into what this really means, why it matters, and where we go from here. But then I thought a bit more. It's not just necessary-it's overdue. And not only for national security systems. This gap in software understanding exists across nearly every enterprise and agency in the public and private sector. The real challenge is not recognizing the problem. It's addressing it early, systemically and sustainably-especially in a DevSecOps context.
The ransomware landscape witnessed a dramatic shift in June 2025 as the Qilin ransomware group surged to become the most active threat actor, recording 81 victims and representing a staggering 47.3% increase in activity compared to previous months.
