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GenAI Sparks Security Worries Among 92% of Indian Firms

In a worryingly trend, 22 per cent of those surveyed are not monitoring the GenAI usage at all, and 36 per cent have yet to implement any additional GenAI-related security measures, though many have it on their roadmap…reports Asian Lite News

As Generative AI tools take centre stage in India’s digital economy, at least 92 per cent of organisations consider GenAI to be a potential security risk, a new report showed on Wednesday.

While 95 per cent of organisations in India are using GenAI tools in some form, 75 per cent of them admit lack of skill or talent for not yet using GenAI tools like ChatGPT, according to the report by Cloud security provider Zscaler.

About 71 per cent in India agree that IT teams, not general employees, emerge as the overwhelming force behind usage. “Our survey underscores the dynamism of GenAI adoption, highlighting the need to sharpen focus on both Zero trust principles and skill development to unlock the full potential of GenAI technology,” said Sudip Banerjee, CTO, APJ, Zscaler.

“Therefore, integrating a zero-trust solution can provide full control over technology’s usage per user and application, allowing organisations to maintain a secure and controlled environment,” he added.

In a worryingly trend, 22 per cent of those surveyed are not monitoring the GenAI usage at all, and 36 per cent have yet to implement any additional GenAI-related security measures, though many have it on their roadmap.

“With the current ambiguity surrounding their (GenAI tools) security measures, a mere 30 per cent of organisations in India perceive their adoption as an opportunity rather than a threat,” said Sanjay Kalra, VP Product Management at Zscaler.

“This not only jeopardises their business and customer data integrity, but also squanders their tremendous potential,” he noted.

Despite mainstream awareness, it is not employees who appear to be the driving force behind current interest and usage – only 3 per cent of respondents in India said it stemmed from employees. Instead, 71 per cent said usage was being driven by the IT teams directly in India.

“The fact that IT teams are at the helm should offer a sense of reassurance to business leaders,” Kalra said.

With 75 per cent of respondents in India anticipating a significant increase in the interest of GenAI tools before the end of the year, organisations need to act quickly to close the gap between use and security, the report mentioned.

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-Top News Business USA

US giants among 80 chip firms at SemiconIndia 2023

In addition to showcasing innovations, the event will comprise of 25 startups who will showcase their innovations and connect with industry leaders…reports Asian Lite News

As many as 80 semiconductor companies including US giants Micron Technology and Applied Materials are participating in SemiconIndia 2023 exhibition that kicked off in Gandhinagar.

Micron Technology has pledged an investment of $825 million in a Gujarat-based semiconductor assembly and test plant and Applied Materials has committed $400 million for their Engineering Collaborative Centre after talks held during PM Modi’s recent state visit to the USA.

The exhibition has a lineup of 150 stalls representing 80 leading companies to showcase their innovations and products. These diverse companies cover the entire spectrum of semiconductors, including supply chain, global Integrated Device Manufacturers, and domestic majors.

In addition to showcasing innovations, the event will comprise of 25 startups who will showcase their innovations and connect with industry leaders.

SemiconIndia 2023 will also witness participation from 23 countries and multiple states, with stalls from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, displaying the collective effort of state governments in supporting the semiconductor industry’s growth.

Institutions like SCL, ISRO and the Space Application Centre have their showcases as well, and educational institutes like IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, BITS Pilani, Ganpat University, and Nirma University will actively participate, highlighting academia’s vital role in driving India’s semiconductor advancements.

This exhibition marks the start of Semicon India 2023’s second edition, organised by India Semiconductor Mission in close collaboration with industry and industry associations as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to make the country a major electronics manufacturing hub.

Taking place from 25th to 30th July, the event will showcase India’s journey towards becoming a global powerhouse in Semiconductor Design, Manufacturing, and Technology Development, aligned with India Semiconductor Mission’s vision.

The ‘SemiconIndia 2023’ exhibition was inaugurated Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, in the presence of Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

SemiconIndia 2023 is a testament to India’s strong commitment to building a robust semiconductor ecosystem. With its grand scale and innovative showcases, the exhibition proudly displays India’s potential as an emerging global hub for semiconductor excellence, according to an official statement.

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-Top News UK News

British firm reveals micro-launcher rocket

Orbex recently revealed their first test launch platform at a new test facility in Kinloss, a few miles from the company’s headquarters at Forres in Moray, Scotland…reports Asian Lite News

Orbex’s Prime rocket reaching technical readiness represents a significant achievement that brings together key elements of the ground infrastructure and prototype launch vehicle for the first time and is a major step forward for the company and for the UK launch industry.

The UK Space Agency supported the development of Orbex’s Prime rocket with £5.5 million of funding, as part of the government’s plans to enable small satellite launch from UK spaceports.

With the first integration of a full scale Orbex prototype launch vehicle on a launch pad now complete, the company will enter a period of integrated testing, allowing dress rehearsals of rocket launches and the development and optimisation of launch procedures.

Orbex recently revealed their first test launch platform at a new test facility in Kinloss, a few miles from the company’s headquarters at Forres in Moray, Scotland.

Science Minister George Freeman said, “This is a hugely exciting time for the UK space and satellite sector as we count down to the first satellite launches from UK spaceports later this summer. Orbex Prime is a remarkable feat of engineering from a British rocket company, pioneering more sustainable and innovative fuels that cut carbon emissions. It is also fantastic to see Moray-based Orbex creating more high-quality jobs, demonstrating the value of our thriving space sector to support emerging clusters of innovation to help level up the whole of the UK.”

Orbex Prime will launch from Space Hub Sutherland, a new spaceport on the North Coast of Scotland. Space Hub Sutherland was the first vertical spaceport to receive planning permission in the UK and has committed to being carbon-neutral, both in its construction and operation.

Ian Annett, Deputy CEO of the UK Space Agency, said, “We are on the cusp of an historic moment, with Orbex playing a leading role in generating a brand-new launch capability in the UK, while creating opportunities for people and businesses across the country. I can’t wait to see Prime lift off from Space Hub Sutherland.”

Space Hub Sutherland is one of seven potential spaceport sites across the UK and is being developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The spaceport is expected to generate around 60 jobs in Caithness and Sutherland, and more than 600 jobs in the wider region.

The UK already has a thriving space sector, employing 47,000 people and generating an income of £16.5 billion. The government’s National Space Strategy set out plans for the UK to be the leading country in Europe to offer small satellite manufacturers a direct end to end route to launch, building on our leading small satellite industry. Harnessing the opportunities provided by commercial spaceflight will create high skilled jobs and local opportunities around UK spaceports.

Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency, said, “I am deeply impressed with the speed at which the Orbex Prime rocket was developed. It is the first full orbital micro-launcher in Europe. But I am equally impressed by the low-carbon footprint technology applied. My sincere congratulations to the whole Orbex team for this impressive achievement.”

Orbex Prime is a 19-metre long, two-stage rocket that is powered by seven engines, that is being designed and manufactured in the UK and Denmark. The six rocket engines on the first stage of the rocket will propel the vehicle through the atmosphere to an altitude of around 80km. The single engine on the second stage of the rocket will complete the journey to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), allowing the release of its payload of small, commercial satellites into Earth’s orbit.

Chris Larmour, CEO, Orbex, said, “This is a major milestone for Orbex and highlights just how far along our development path we now are. From the outside, it might look like an ordinary rocket, but on the inside, Prime is unlike anything else. To deliver the performance and environmental sustainability we wanted from a 21st century rocket we had to innovate in a wide number of areas – low-carbon fuels, fully 3D-printed rocket engines, very lightweight fuel tanks, and a novel, low-mass reusability technology.”

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-Top News Business China

China fined EV firm for facial recognition breach

The firm did not inform consumers of the data collection and its use, nor did it ask for their permission, which violated the Consumer Rights Protection Law, analysts said…reports Asian Lite News.

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) firm XPeng Motors on Tuesday apologised for the illegal collection of 430,000 facial images of visitors to its stores over a six-month period, after the company was fined by market regulators for the illegal behaviour and prompted harsh criticisms on Chinese social media, Global Times reported.

In a statement sent to the Global Times, the company said that all data involved had been deleted without leaks or the illegal use of personal information.

The statement came after its Shanghai-based company was fined 100,000 yuan ($15,716.6) by local market regulators for illegal collection of over 430,000 photos of consumers’ faces without their consent from January to June this year.

The issue topped search trends on China’s social media Sino Weibo on Tuesday. Many netizens expressed anger about the company’s illegal performance, urging authorities to intensify crackdowns on companies that illegally collect private information, the report said.

According to a notice for the penalty, the company purchased 22 cameras with facial recognition functions and installed them in its stores, so as to count the number of people entering the stores and analyze the proportion of people by gender and age.

The firm did not inform consumers of the data collection and its use, nor did it ask for their permission, which violated the Consumer Rights Protection Law, analysts said.

Xpeng is not the first company to be punished for illegally collecting customers’ facial information in China. On March 15, the World Consumer Rights Day, China Media Group (CMG) reported that more than 20 stores, including Kohler and BMW 4S, had installed cameras with facial recognition functions to collect facial data without consumers’ consent.

“Facial data is highly sensitive personal information. Once leaked, it will cause great harm to personal and property security,” Zhao Zhanling, a legal counsel at the Beijing-based Internet Society of China, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

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-Top News Business China

Johnson orders review of Beijing takeover of UK tech firm

According to the SMH, the deal was not reviewed under the UK’s new national security law, which is meant to stop high-risk foreign takeovers of critical infrastructure firms…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said his government will review the purchase of the UK’s largest producer of semiconductors by a Chinese-owned manufacturer, a day after his government said it would not intervene.

This comes after Chinese-owned firm Nexperia on Monday said it had acquired Britain’s largest producer of silicon chips Newport Wafer Fab. The agreement was said to be worth around USD 116 million but this has not been confirmed, The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reported.

According to the SMH, the deal was not reviewed under the UK’s new national security law, which is meant to stop high-risk foreign takeovers of critical infrastructure firms.

The semiconductor industry has gained geopolitical importance as China has targeted the key technology for the future economy. Beijing has ambitions to corner the global supply chain of semiconductors as silicon-based products are the imperative component of all electronic devices.

The sale was “a very difficult business”, said Johnson and warned against anti-China sentiment by default. “I do not want an anti-China spirit to lead to us trying to pitchfork away every investment from China into this country,” he said. “That would be economically foolhardy.”

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the UK foreign affairs select committee said that the government has to judge whether the stuff the company (Newport Wafer Fab) is making is of real intellectual property value and interest to China and whether there are real security implications.

“I think semiconductors are of huge importance to this country, one of the things I wanted to look at immediately was whether we could be more self-reliant. We’re thinking about what to do.” (ANI)

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