The latest high-impact IT news today is that **AWS announced new AI-powered cloud services at re:Invent 2025, including the EC2 Trn3 UltraServers for significantly faster and more efficient generative AI training and AWS Transform services that automate and accelerate enterprise application modernization using AI**[2].

Additionally, **China’s AI chip company Cambricon plans to triple its AI chip production to compete directly with Nvidia amid growing geopolitical tensions and U.S. export restrictions on advanced GPUs**[1].

Brevo, Europe’s leading customer engagement platform, has become a unicorn after securing a €500 million funding round, fueling its AI-driven growth and expansion into the U.S. market. The investment will accelerate product innovation, particularly in AI-powered marketing and sales tools, solidifying Brevo’s position as a global leader in customer engagement software.

Brevo, Europe’s leading customer engagement platform, has become a unicorn after securing a €500 million funding round, marking one of the largest European tech investments of 2025.

The latest high-impact IT news today is that Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud have jointly launched a multicloud networking service enabling enterprises to connect workloads across both platforms within minutes, addressing critical reliability needs after costly outages like the October AWS disruption affecting apps such as Snapchat and Reddit[1]. This rare collaboration highlights growing cloud interoperability and the financial importance of resilient AI-era internet infrastructure.

A major wave of AI-driven cyberattacks is emerging, with threat actors deploying fully autonomous AI agents and advanced deepfake-based business email compromises, prompting urgent calls for organizations to adopt governed defensive AI and strengthen supply-chain security.

A **security researcher uncovered 17,000 secrets exposed in public GitLab repositories**, representing a significant vulnerability in code management practices[2]. Additionally, **South Korean ecommerce giant Coupang suffered a major data breach affecting over 33 million accounts**, highlighting growing cybersecurity threats to major tech companies[2].

A major cybersecurity incident saw Russia’s Midnight Blizzard breach Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, accessing executive emails and sensitive internal communications, marking one of the most significant state-sponsored attacks of early 2025.

The latest high-impact general IT news today is that the Adani Group plans to invest up to $5 billion in Google’s new AI infrastructure hub in southern India, marking a major boost to AI development and digital capacity in the region[1]. Additionally, cybersecurity concerns rise as researchers uncovered over 17,000 live secrets exposed in public GitLab projects, highlighting risks in software development environments[2][3].

Professional certifications have become essential credentials in today’s competitive job market. Whether you’re looking to advance in your current field or transition to a new career, earning industry-recognized certifications can significantly boost your earning potential and career prospects.

According to recent studies, professionals with certifications earn an average of 15-20% more than their non-certified counterparts. Certifications validate your expertise and demonstrate commitment to professional development, making you a more attractive candidate to employers.

Popular certification paths include IT certifications from CompTIA (https://www.comptia.org), project management credentials from PMI (https://www.pmi.org), and cloud computing certifications from AWS (https://aws.amazon.com/certification). Each certification requires dedicated study and preparation, but the investment often pays off through increased job opportunities and higher salaries.

When choosing a certification, consider your career goals, industry demand, and the time commitment required. Research shows that certifications aligned with emerging technologies and in-demand skills provide the best return on investment for career advancement.

Affinity iPad Apps — Lifetime Free Promotion (October 2025 Update)

In early October 2025, Affinity (developed by Serif) is offering all three of its iPad creative apps — Affinity Photo 2, Affinity Designer 2, and Affinity Publisher 2 — as completely free to download and permanently licensed for a limited period.

this “lifetime free” campaign is intended to mark the transition before Affinity launches its next-generation products, expected at the end of October 2025. During this promotional window, users can obtain full, perpetual access to the current versions via a $0 in-app purchase.

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1. App Overview

Affinity Photo 2 for iPad

A professional raster-based image editor, comparable to Adobe Photoshop but optimized for touch and Apple Pencil.
Core features:
• RAW photo development, HDR, panorama stitching, focus stacking.
• Layer masks, adjustment layers, real-time filters, non-destructive editing.
• Full PSD import/export and integration with Designer and Publisher.

Ideal for photographers, digital artists, and retouchers who need desktop-class power on iPad.

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Affinity Designer 2 for iPad

A hybrid vector + raster design tool — similar to Illustrator but faster and fully optimized for iPad multitouch.
Core features:
• Infinite artboards, grids, snapping, and advanced vector tools.
• Pixel persona for detailed texture work.
• CMYK and Pantone support for print workflows.

Perfect for graphic designers, illustrators, and UI/UX professionals.

⸻

Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad

A full desktop-publishing environment built for multi-page layout design.
Core features:
• Professional page composition, linked text frames, master pages.
• Integration with Designer and Photo via StudioLink (switch persona seamlessly).
• Export to print-ready PDF/X and EPUB.

Best suited for publishers, layout designers, and marketing professionals.

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2. What “Lifetime Free” Means

During this promotional period:
• Each app can be downloaded and unlocked for $0 (no payment required).
• Once redeemed, the license remains active permanently for the current version (Version 2).
• Users will retain all professional features indefinitely, without a subscription.
• However, when future major versions (e.g., Version 3) are released, users may need to repurchase or upgrade — Affinity has not yet confirmed future pricing.

This effectively makes the 2025 promotion a “one-time free license grant” for existing iPad builds.

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3. Activation & Registration Steps

Follow these instructions carefully to secure your permanent license during the offer window.

Step 1 — Download the Apps

1. On your iPad, open the App Store.
2. Search for:
   • Affinity Photo 2 for iPad
   • Affinity Designer 2 for iPad
   • Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad
3. Tap Get to install each app (they are temporarily listed as free).

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Step 2 — Launch and Check the License Screen

1. Open one of the apps after installation.
2. A welcome or activation window will appear offering “Unlock Full Version.”
3. During the promotion, this option should display “$0 (Free)” as the in-app purchase price.

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Step 3 — Create or Log In to an Affinity / Serif Account

1. Tap Sign In / Create Account when prompted.
2. If you’re a new user:
   • Enter your email address, password, and country/region.
   • Verify your email via the confirmation message sent by Serif.
3. Existing users can simply sign in with their current Affinity ID credentials.

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Step 4 — Redeem the Free License

1. Select the “$0 Unlock Full Version” button.
2. Confirm the transaction using Face ID / Touch ID (Apple ID confirmation).
3. The purchase will complete instantly at no cost, and the app will display “Licensed / Full Version Activated.”

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Step 5 — Verify and Sync the License

1. Open the other two Affinity iPad apps.
2. Sign in with the same Serif ID to sync your license status.
3. Each app should automatically detect and activate its corresponding free license.

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Step 6 — Record Your License Information
• Go to Settings › Account › Licenses in any Affinity app to confirm that the license type is “Perpetual.”
• Capture a screenshot or note the license ID for recordkeeping.
• Keep your Serif account credentials secure in case future reactivation is needed.

⸻

4. Important Notes
   • This “lifetime free” promotion is time-limited — once the campaign ends, the apps will likely return to paid status.
   • “Lifetime” applies only to the current version (v2); upgrades to future versions may still incur a charge.
   • The offer is officially available worldwide via the App Store, though regional availability may vary.
   • Serif’s official site currently features a teaser titled “Creative Freedom Is Coming”, hinting at a major announcement scheduled for October 30 2025.

Browser becomes a tab-context AI surface (summaries across up to 10 tabs); re-think extensions/help flows.

Security/Compliance: Launch excludes standard Workspace certifications (HIPAA, SOC, ISO, FedRAMP High). Gate usage.

Investor: Locks users further into Google surfaces; raises bar for AI browsers.

Technical details: Tab-aware context, omnibox AI Mode, Gemini Live; desktop Mac/Windows; US/EN; 18+. Mobile integration coming.

Risks & mitigations:Detect: DLP/telemetry on browser AI usage.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/google-adds-gemini-chrome-browser-after-avoiding-antitrust-breakup-2025-09-18/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

What happened: On August 12, Microsoft released patches for 111 security flaws, including a zero‑day in Windows Kerberos (CVE‑2025‑53779) enabling full domain admin compromise via relative path traversal; credit to Yuval Gordon of Akamai.

Why it matters: CTOs and security leaders must prioritize patching owing to the extreme enterprise impact.

Technical details: 13 critical vulnerabilities; one high-severity Azure OpenAI remote access (CVE‑2025‑53767, CVSS 10.0).

Risks & Mitigations: Unpatched systems risk full compromise.

Action: detect patched status → assess exposure → apply updates urgently.

Market angle: Security diligence differentiator for platforms; failure could erode trust.

source: https://thehackernews.com/2025/08/microsoft-august-2025-patch-tuesday.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com&m=1

The alleged Oracle Cloud breach, discovered in March 2025, involved the exfiltration of approximately 6 million records affecting over 140,000 tenants1. The threat actor, known as “rose87168,” claimed to have exploited a vulnerability (CVE-2021-35587) in Oracle’s cloud login infrastructure, specifically targeting the endpoint login.(region-name).oraclecloud.com2. The compromised data reportedly includes Java Key Store (JKS) files, encrypted SSO and LDAP passwords, and Enterprise Manager JPS keys12. Despite Oracle’s denial of the breach, multiple customers have confirmed to BleepingComputer that data samples shared by the attacker are valid3, and independent security researchers have corroborated the incident’s authenticity45.

Citations:

1. https://www.esecurityplanet.com/trends/oracle-cloud-breach-6m-records-140k-tenants-risk/
2. https://orca.security/resources/blog/oracle-cloud-breach-exploiting-cve-2021-35587/
3. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/oracle-customers-confirm-data-stolen-in-alleged-cloud-breach-is-valid/
4. https://www.acaglobal.com/insights/six-million-records-potentially-compromised-oracle-cloud-breach
5. https://blackkite.com/blog/oracle-cloud-breach-claims-denials-and-the-reality-of-cloud-security-risks-in-tprm/

Honeywell International intends to take its quantum computing company, Quantinuum, public within the next two years, aiming for a valuation around $10 billion. Quantinuum has achieved notable advancements, including surpassing classical capabilities in number generation tasks.

Link

Amazon Chime will be discontinued through a phased approach:
• February 19, 2025: Amazon will stop accepting new Chime accounts.
• February 20, 2026: The final shutdown date for the service.

During this transition period, existing customers with Team or Enterprise accounts created before the cutoff date can continue using all Chime features, including scheduling meetings, managing users, and accessing the administration console. This timeline gives users over a year to migrate their communications to alternative platforms and ensure a smooth transition away from the service.

Recommended Alternatives

As Amazon Chime users prepare for the service’s discontinuation, several alternative platforms are recommended for a smooth transition. Here’s a list of popular collaboration tools that offer similar features:
• Zoom: Now Amazon’s official meeting application for internal and external communications. It offers robust video conferencing, chat, and collaboration features.
• Microsoft Teams: A comprehensive platform integrating chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
• Google Meet: Part of Google Workspace, it provides seamless video conferencing and collaboration tools, especially for organizations already using Google’s suite of products.
• Slack: While primarily known for its chat capabilities, Slack also offers video calling and screen sharing features, making it a versatile option for team communication.
• Cisco Webex: An enterprise-focused solution offering video conferencing, team messaging, and file-sharing capabilities.

When choosing a replacement for Chime, organizations should consider factors such as scalability, security features, integration capabilities with existing tools, and specific communication needs to ensure a successful transition before the February 2026 deadline.

Sources

[1] Amazon Pulls the Plug on ‘Chime,’ Its Zoom Alternative – PCMag
[2] Amazon is Shutting Down its Zoom and Google Meet Rival: Here’s What the Company Said – Times of India
[3] Amazon to End Support for Chime – DMNews
[4] Amazon Shuts Down Chime, Its Zoom Alternative – TechCrunch
[5] Amazon is Ending Support for Its Business Calls and Meetings Service – TechRadar

Microsoft claims to have created Majorana particles, which could lead to more stable qubits for quantum computing. However, many physicists are skeptical of the results, citing insufficient evidence and lack of reproducible data. To build confidence, Microsoft needs to release more experimental data and collaborate with independent researchers. Long-term, fostering an open scientific environment where discoveries are validated through transparent research could help address these doubts.

https://www.wsj.com/science/physics/microsoft-quantum-computing-physicists-skeptical-d3ec07f0

ToxicPanda is a recently identified Android banking trojan that poses significant threats to users by targeting financial information and facilitating unauthorized transactions. Discovered in October 2024, it is believed to have evolved from the TgToxic malware family, with notable code modifications distinguishing it as a separate entity. ​​

Key Characteristics and Threats:

On-Device Fraud (ODF): ToxicPanda employs ODF techniques, allowing attackers to perform account takeovers directly from compromised devices. This method enables the initiation of unauthorized money transfers while bypassing traditional banking security measures. ​​

Abuse of Accessibility Services: By exploiting Android’s accessibility services, the malware gains elevated permissions, enabling it to manipulate user inputs, capture data from other applications, and remotely control the infected device. ​​

Interception of One-Time Passwords (OTPs): ToxicPanda can intercept OTPs sent via SMS or generated by authenticator apps, allowing cybercriminals to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA) and authorize fraudulent transactions. ​​

Remote Control Capabilities: The malware enables attackers to perform various actions, including initiating transactions and modifying account settings without the user’s knowledge. ​​

Geographical Impact:

As of November 2024, over 1,500 Android devices have been infected, with significant concentrations in Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, and Peru. This distribution underscores the malware’s extensive reach and adaptability. ​​

Protective Measures:

To safeguard against ToxicPanda:

Install Apps from Trusted Sources: Only download applications from official app stores like the Google Play Store to minimize the risk of malware infection. ​​

Regularly Update Your Device: Keep your device’s operating system and applications updated to ensure the latest security patches are applied. ​​

Be Cautious with Permissions: Be wary of apps requesting access to accessibility services or other sensitive permissions without a clear justification. ​​

Monitor Financial Accounts: Regularly check your bank statements and account activities for any unauthorized transactions. ​​

By adhering to these precautions, users can reduce the risk of falling victim to ToxicPanda and similar banking trojans.​​