News of the Cyber World

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Seattle Airport Under Cyber-Attack!?

Hundreds of Flights Cancelled When ‘Possible Cyberattack’ Hits Seattle Airport

The Port of Seattle and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) experienced a “possible cyberattack” on Saturday that caused significant issues for travelers.

Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled as officials tried to work out the issue, Fox 13 reported. Authorities encouraged people heading to the airport on Saturday to check with their airlines for updated information regarding their itineraries.

In a social media post on Saturday, SEA explained what was happening and gave further information.

“Earlier this morning the Port of Seattle experienced certain system outages indicating a possible cyberattack. The Port isolated critical systems and is in the process of working to restore full service and do not have an estimated time for return,” the post read:

In a subsequent message, SEA said, “We are working closely with appropriate authorities and partners to help travelers who may be impacted. If you are traveling today, please check with our airline partners for travel information and allow extra time to get to SEA and to your gate.”

King 5 reported on Saturday that the possible cyberattack took down internet, phone lines, and additional systems. The outlet noted at the time that officials had no estimate of when the problem would be resolved. At the time of the report, the outlet said 225 flights had been delayed and six were canceled:
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In a social media post early Sunday, SEA said, “The Port of Seattle, including SEA Airport, continues to see system outages. There is not an estimated time for return and Port teams continue to work to restore full service”:

In July, the U.S. cybersecurity company known as CrowdStrike issued a faulty software update to computers with Microsoft Windows which grounded flights and caused big problems at airports all over the world, Breitbart News reported.

The article noted that “Cybersecurity officials have stated that the issues are not believed to be the result of a malicious cyberattack.”

“Instead, the problems stem from a misconfigured or corrupted update pushed out by cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike to its customers. The incident appears to only be affecting devices running the Windows operating system,” the report stated.

Telegram CEO's Arrest Not Related to Online Censorship?

French authorities arrest Telegram CEO Pavel Durov at a Paris airport, French media report

The founder and CEO of the messaging service Telegram was detained at a Paris airport on an arrest warrant alleging his platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and other offenses, French media reported Sunday.

Pavel Durov, a dual citizen of France and Russia, was taken into custody at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday evening after landing in France from Azerbaijan, according to broadcasters LCI and TF1.

Investigators from the National Anti-Fraud Office, attached to the French customs department, notified Durov, 39, that he was being placed in police custody, the broadcasters said.

Durov’s representatives couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

French prosecutors declined to comment on Durov’s arrest when contacted by The Associated Press on Sunday, in line with regulations during an ongoing investigation.

French media reported that the warrant for Durov was issued by France at the request of the special unit at the country’s interior ministry in charge of investigating crimes against minors. Those include online sexual exploitation, such as possession and distribution of child sexual abuse content and grooming for sexual purposes.

Telegram was founded by Durov and his brother in the wake of the Russian government’s crackdown after mass pro-democracy protests that rocked Moscow at the end of 2011 and 2012.

The demonstrations prompted Russian authorities to clamp down on the digital space, adopting regulations that forced internet providers to block websites and cellphone operators to store call records and messages that could be shared with security services.

In the increasingly repressive environment, Telegram and its pro-privacy rhetoric offered a convenient way for Russians to communicate and share news. In 2018, Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor moved to block Telegram over its refusal to hand over encryption keys, but ultimately failed to fully restrict access to the app.

Telegram continued to be widely used — including by government institutions — and the ban was dropped two years later. In March 2024, Roskomnadzor said that Telegram was working with the Russian government to a certain extent and had removed more than 256,000 posts with prohibited content at Roskomnadzor’s request.

Telegram also continues to be a popular source of news in Ukraine, where both media outlets and officials use it to share information on the war, and deliver missile and air raid alerts.

Telegram did not immediately respond to a message for comment on Sunday.

A French judicial official suggested that Durov could appear before a judge later Sunday to determine whether he will remain in custody. The official wasn’t authorized to be named publicly during an ongoing investigation.

“If the person concerned is to be brought before a judge today, it is only in the context of the possible extension of his police custody measure — a decision that must be taken and notified by an investigating judge,” the official said.

Chick-Fil-A Wants to Enter the Streaming World

Report: Chick-Fil-A Planning to Launch Streaming Entertainment Service Featuring Family-Friendly Shows

Would you like a streaming subscription with your waffle fries?

Chick-Fil-A is reportedly planning to launch a streaming entertainment service that will feature original content, including family-friendly reality programming.

The popular purveyor of chicken sandwiches has made no formal announcement, but Deadline reported that Chick-Fil-A has been working with a number of major production companies, including some of the major Hollywood studios, to create family-friendly shows, particularly in the unscripted space.

Among the shows to reportedly receive the greenlight is a game show. Chick-Fil-A is also  in talks to license and acquire content.

Other details about the planned streaming service remain sparse. The plan is to launch the service later this year, according to Deadline.

Chick-Fil-A isn’t a complete stranger to the world of entertainment.

The company previously produced content for its site, including Stories of Evergreen Hills, a series of animated shorts.

Chick-Fil-A had long upheld Christian and rather conservative social views. But in 2019, the company took a turn for the woke when it stopped donating money to charities including the Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes following pressure from LGBTQ+ groups.

An enormous backlash ensued from loyal customers who felt the company had too easily folded to woke pressure campaigns from the left.

Chinese Humanoid Workers

China's robot makers chase Tesla to deliver humanoid workers

China dominates the market for electric vehicles. Now it's chasing Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab in the race to build battery-powered humanoids expected to replace human workers building EVs on assembly lines.

At the World Robot Conference this week in Beijing, over two dozen Chinese companies showed off humanoid robots designed to work in factories and warehouses, with even more displaying the made-in-China precision parts needed to build them.

China's push into the emerging industry draws from the formula behind its initial EV drive more than a decade ago: government support, ruthless price competition from a wide field of new entrants and a deep supply chain.

"China's humanoid robot industry demonstrates clear advantages in supply-chain integration (and) mass production capabilities," said Arjen Rao, analyst at China-based LeadLeo Research Institute.

The robotics effort is backed by President Xi Jinping's policy of developing "new productive forces" in technology – a point made in brochures for this week's event.

The city of Beijing launched a $1.4 billion state-backed fund for robotics in January, while Shanghai announced in July plans to set up a $1.4 billion humanoid industry fund.

The robots on display this week draw from some of the same domestic suppliers that rode the EV wave, including battery and sensor manufacturers.

Goldman Sachs forecast in January the annual global market for humanoid robots would reach $38 billion by 2035, with nearly 1.4 million shipments for consumer and industrial applications. It estimated the cost of materials to build them had fallen to about $150,000 each in 2023, excluding research and development costs.

"There is big room to squeeze the cost down," said Hu Debo, CEO of Shanghai Kepler Exploration Robotics, a company he co-founded last year inspired by Tesla's humanoid robot Optimus.

"China specialises in fast iteration and production."

Hu's company is working on its fifth version of a worker robot to trial in factories. He expects the sales price to be less than $30,000.