Security experts struggle to keep pace with AI threats as 90% report at least one security incident in the past year

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 5, 2026 by itnerd

The vast majority of businesses are struggling to adapt and scale their security operations in the face of talent shortages and new threats from AI according to research released by enterprise CMS Storyblok.

Storyblok surveyed 300 senior security professionals in leadership or decision making roles at medium to large scale companies. The research underlines the challenges businesses now face in continuing to grow their operations while countering new security threats.

When asked to rank how they expected AI to impact company security practices in the coming year, 65% say they needed to upgrade security and threat monitoring, 54% identity and access management would become more complex, and 50% believe stronger data protection and privacy controls are required. However, meeting these demands is unlikely to be straightforward, with 50% responding that talent and skills shortages were a major barrier to improving security, followed by the complexity of legacy tech systems (46%), regulatory uncertainty (45%) and budget limitations (42%).

Website security remains a key area of concern. Only 49% of businesses say they were ‘fully prepared’ for a security incident and 39% reported a security issue impacting their content strategy in the past year. 62% cited data encryption and privacy as an area which needs to be prioritized for future website security investment, followed by user authentication and control (56%), and AI powered security tools (51%).

The top three security threats identified by businesses were threats from hackers and malware (54%), employee human error (47%), and AI introducing new risks (45%). 

In relation to AI-specific security threats, 59% rated new AI tools being used by hackers as a major challenge, followed by protecting data used or generated by AI (53%), and compliance and regulatory risks caused by AI (53%). 

When asked which parts of their company’s strategy was most affected by security concerns, 60% said being able to scale security operations in line with company growth, followed by handling employee and customer data across countries (58%), and working with new vendors and partners safely (49%).

Despite these concerns, 76% of businesses rated their company’s security as above average, with only 5% admitting it was below industry standards.

Looking ahead to threats in the next three to five years, increasing use of AI was unsurprisingly number one at 55%, followed by cloud adoption and multi-cloud complexity (49%), and growing global regulatory and compliance requirements (45%).

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TELUS opens Canada’s first fully sovereign AI Factory to startups and small businesses through L-SPARK collaboration

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 4, 2026 by itnerd

TELUS and L-SPARK today announced a new partnership to provide Canadian startups and innovators with access to the TELUS Sovereign AI Factory –

Canada’s fastest and most powerful supercomputer – addressing a critical barrier facing Canadian AI startups: access to high-performance compute infrastructure without relocating or building on foreign platforms.

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in enabling Canada’s startup and innovation ecosystem by providing them access to the same enterprise-grade computing infrastructure available to large organizations. By making this same technology available, regardless of business size, TELUS and L-SPARK are creating a new pathway for Canadian companies to build cutting-edge AI solutions, scale domestically and compete globally – all while keeping everything under Canadian control and jurisdiction.

As Canada’s leading corporate accelerator partner, L-SPARK connects high-potential startups and growing companies with enterprise partners and the resources necessary to thrive in today’s competitive market. For nearly a decade, L-SPARK has supported over 130 Canadian companies through specialized accelerator programs, helping them raise more than $200 million in follow-on funding. Now, this landmark partnership will empower more startups and small businesses to leverage the TELUS Sovereign AI Factory – powered by latest-generation NVIDIA H200 GPUs and NVIDIA Quantum 2 InfiniBand networking – to train, fine-tune and deploy AI models on Canadian-controlled infrastructure.

The collaboration will prioritize organizations in regulated and mission-critical sectors where data residency, auditability and Canadian legal jurisdiction are essential, including public sector services, healthcare, finance, critical infrastructure and utilities.

This partnership builds on TELUS’ longstanding commitment to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs across Canada through programs including TELUS Global Ventures, TELUS #

StandWithOwners, and TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good. By providing access to sovereign, high-performance compute infrastructure, TELUS is helping level the playing field for Canadian startups that would otherwise need to rely on foreign cloud providers or forgo ambitious AI initiatives altogether. TELUS plans to expand startup AI access through additional partnerships with accelerators, incubators, research institutions and innovation hubs across Canada in the coming months.

Canadian startups, scaleups and research teams with defined AI workloads and significant GPU requirements can sign up here with L-SPARK to access reserved TELUS AI Factory GPU capacity.

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Lynx Claims To Have Pwned Lakelands Public Health

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 4, 2026 by itnerd

Comparitech is reporting that a ransomware group, Lynx, yesterday claimed a cyberattack against Lakelands Public Health in Ontario, Canada. The attack has not yet been confirmed. Bit seeing as this is in my backyard, I’m interested in following this story:

Commenting on this news is Rebecca Moody, Head of Data Research at Comparitech: 

“As Lakelands Public Health continues to grapple with this attack, it’s important it provides an update on its investigation and Lynx’s ransomware claim as soon as possible. That way, anyone involved can begin to mitigate any potential risks that may arise from the breach (e.g. by monitoring accounts for unauthorized activities and being on high alert for potential phishing messages).

Lynx has been around for nearly two years now and doesn’t tend to fabricate claims. Therefore, I think it’s highly likely there has been some kind of breach of data in this attack. Hopefully, it will be limited. According to our data, Lynx is responsible for the breach of nearly 213,500 records across 17 separate attacks (where breach figures and notifications have been provided).”

If or when this is confirmed, I would be very interested in what the Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has to say as this would have to be reported to them at the very least. That would be very instructive.

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SIOS Technology COO Masahiro Arai Named to South Carolina 500 List of Most Influential Business Leaders

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 4, 2026 by itnerd

SIOS Technology Corp. today announced that Masahiro Arai, Chief Operating Officer, has been named to the 2025 South Carolina 500 list of Most Influential Business Leaders by SC Biz News.

The South Carolina 500 is a premier recognition program celebrating the most influential and accomplished professionals shaping the state’s economy across industries through leadership, innovation, and community impact. Arai’s selection highlights his visionary leadership at SIOS Technology and his contributions to advancing resilient IT infrastructure for organizations across critical sectors.

In his role, Arai oversees the company’s day-to-day business operations, driving alignment across product management, engineering, sales, and marketing teams to deliver innovative HA and DR solutions. Under his leadership, SIOS Technology has expanded its capabilities and fortified its market position, helping organizations maintain continuity for essential workloads across physical, virtual, cloud, and hybrid environments.

Arai’s career began with a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering, Robotics from Tokyo Denki University and spans engineering, product management, sales, and technical leadership roles. Despite his senior position, he remains deeply engaged with technology innovation, regularly working with teams on proof-of-concept solutions that respond to customer and partner needs.

The South Carolina 500 list serves as a definitive guide to influential business leaders across sectors who are driving growth, creating opportunity, and elevating the state’s economic landscape.

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Why CVSS Scores Don’t Always Reflect an Exploit’s Actual Severity

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 4, 2026 by itnerd

Today we’re covering Operation Neusploit, the advanced cyberespionage campaign identified by Zscaler ThreatLabz attributed with confidence to the Russia-linked APT28 (A.K.A. Fancy Bear) threat group, we’re sharing this perspective on its 7.8 score.

Neusploit weaponizes CVE-2026-21509, a Microsoft Office zero-day security bypass vulnerablity, to target government and executive organizations in Ukraine, Slovakia, and Romania. It uses native language social engineering ploys to launch multi-stage infection chains that begin by monitoring login events and forwarding emails to attackers. A dropper then downloads further malicious implants and a post-exploitation framework for command and control as well as lateral movement.

Given the campaign’s potential impact, some have questioned the vuln’s 7.8 Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score vs. a higher one.

Sunil Gottumukkala, CEO of Averlon, explained:

   “A 7.8 CVSS score for this vulnerability is based on the prerequisites needed for exploitation: #1 the payload (in this case the specially crafted office file) to be delivered locally, and #2 the local user to open it. It cannot be exploited without end user interaction at that early and specific point in time.

“However, scoring that single specific slice of the exploit chain fails to capture just how effective modern, highly targeted social engineering has become, especially with AI. In campaigns like this, overcoming the user interaction prerequisite is becoming straightforward, and that initial foothold becomes the first step in a sophisticated attack chain that can quickly expand before organizations are able to patch.”

This is a big hint that the scoring of vulnerabilities needs a rethink to reflect the modern reality of cybersecurity. But I for one do not thing that this will happen anytime soon.

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AI is a top growth tactic in 2026 for Canadian sales teams 

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 4, 2026 by itnerd

With mounting concerns that AI is producing more ‘workslop’ than ROI, the pressure is on for Canadian businesses to turn AI into revenue and productivity gains in 2026. 

Salesforce’s 7th Edition State of Sales Report reveals AI and AI agents rank as the #1 growth tactic for 2026 shaping Canada’s sales industry. Based on a survey of 4,050 sales professionals – including 250 respondents in Canada – the report finds that top performers are 1.7x more likely to use AI agents than struggling teams. Not only this, nearly 9 in 10 global sellers plan to use AI agents by 2027 to close a growing capacity gap.

Key Canadian findings include:

  • 49% of sales representatives view cold outreach as the worst part of their job, and 47% say they lack the bandwidth to do it.
  • Only 18% of Canadian sales reps’ workweek is dedicated to prospecting clients – one of the primary, revenue-driving functions of sales teams.
  • 88% of Canadian sellers using AI agents say this technology is critical for meeting business demands.

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New SystemBC Botnet Malware Research Finds Novel Variant & 10K Unique Infected IPs Part of Family

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 4, 2026 by itnerd

Silent Push has revealed its analysts have identified more than 10,000 unique infected IP addresses as part of the SystemBC botnet malware family, which is used in ransomware attacks and as a SOCKS5 proxy network. 

Silent Push’s analysis shows SystemBC infections are globally distributed at scale, with the highest concentration of infected IP addresses observed in the US, followed by Germany, France, Singapore, and India.

Silent Push identified SystemBC infections within sensitive infrastructure, including compromised IP addresses hosting government websites in Burkina Faso and Vietnam. 

The research uncovers a previously undocumented SystemBC variant written in Perl, indicating continued development activity and ongoing evolution of the malware family.

You can read the analysis here: https://www.silentpush.com/blog/systembc

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Marlabs AgilityAI Transforms AI Adoption into Successful Business Outcomes

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 3, 2026 by itnerd

Marlabs today announced the launch of Marlabs AgilityAI, a Full Lifecycle Enterprise AI Transformation Suite. In a market saturated with fragmented tools and stalled experiments, AgilityAI offers a unified engine designed to do one thing: move enterprises from isolated AI pilots to sustainable, governed business capabilities.

The launch arrives as businesses face a specific crisis: “AI pilot fatigue.” The recent State of AI in Business 2025 study from MIT finds that while $40 billion has flowed into generative AI pilots, 95% of AI pilots fail to deliver significant impact on P&L. Companies are stuck between the pressure to innovate and the reality of failing projects.

Marlabs AgilityAI is not just a platform; it is a comprehensive framework for transformation. It addresses the core points-of-failure by providing a framework to align AI to business value, pre-built accelerators to reduce implementation time, and the operational models to deploy AI confidently.

What is AgilityAI?

Marlabs AgilityAI integrates three essential components into one seamless delivery model:

  • Strategic Discovery Framework: Identifies high-value use cases and filters out hype
  • Agentic AI Catalog: A library of proprietary, pre-built, and business-validated accelerators that speed up development
  • Comprehensive Governance Model: Ensures security, data integrity, and scalable operational implementation and control

Leading Global Enterprises Trust Marlabs

Over thirty Fortune 500 companies already trust Marlabs to navigate complex transformations, such as a major stock exchange that harnessed Agentic AI to improve productivity, a global pharmaceutical giant that developed an AI-powered optimized clinical trial operations, and a leading North American telecom provider that streamlined fragmented data systems. These industry leaders are confident in Marlabs’ ability to scale AI initiatives that now drive measurable business value rather than just theoretical experiments.

Marlabs was recently named as a “Contender” in the ISG Provider Lens™ Generative AI Services 2025 Global Report, and as a “Major Contender” in Everest Group’s 2025 Data and AI Services for Mid-Market Enterprises PEAK Matrix® Assessment.

Three Core Values for the Enterprise

Marlabs AgilityAI was engineered to solve the specific friction points of enterprise adoption:

Quick, Low-Risk Validation

Using the AgilityAI “Catalog of Accelerators,” Marlabs teams do not start from a blank page. By leveraging pre-tested models and proven frameworks, the suite reduces the time-to-value for Proofs of Concept (POCs) by 50%. This allows companies to test ideas rapidly and inexpensively, validating viability before committing significant budget.

Practical, Proven ROI

AgilityAI rejects the “AI for AI’s sake” approach. The suite includes a rigorous ROI-filtering mechanism that prioritizes practical, scalable applications over theoretical experiments. It also includes cost-control innovations like PromptRouter®, which automatically routes tasks to the most cost-effective Large Language Model (LLM) to reduce licensing costs by more than 50%.

Organizational Strategy & Evolution

True transformation requires more than software; it requires a cultural shift. AgilityAI is designed as a “Build-to-Run” model. It helps clients establish the internal roles, data foundations, and oversight committees necessary to evolve the whole organization, ensuring AI becomes a sustainable core function like Finance or HR.

Availability

The Marlabs AgilityAI Full Lifecycle Enterprise AI Transformation Suite is available immediately for organizations looking to operationalize their AI strategy. For more information, visit Marlabs AgilityAI or book a meeting with a Marlabs AI expert today.

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Sage X3 brings real-time, AI-driven intelligence to help mid-sized businesses act faster

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 3, 2026 by itnerd

Sage today announced new AI-powered enhancements to Sage X3. The new capabilities give product-centric organizations clearer visibility across finance, sales, and supply chain operations, allowing teams to respond faster as conditions change.

Mid-sized businesses are operating in a near-constant state of change. Ongoing supply chain disruption, new compliance demands, and tighter resources mean finance and sales teams are expected to respond faster than ever. At the same time, businesses are generating more data than they know what to do with, and too often that information doesn’t translate into timely action in the systems people use every day.

According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report, 88% of organizations now use AI in at least one part of their business. However, most are still at an early stage when it comes to using AI to actively support decision-making and day-to-day operations. While 62% are experimenting with AI agents, only 23% have managed to scale them in at least one area, highlighting a gap between ambition and real-world impact.

Sage is changing this by bringing contextual AI directly into Sage X3 workflows. By connecting insight and action across finance, sales and supply chain operations, Sage X3 helps teams spot risks earlier, reduce manual intervention, and make more confident decisions as conditions change.

Delivering more responsive, connected operations

Sage X3 is designed for mid-sized, product-centric businesses managing complex operations across multiple sites, regions, and regulatory environments. By combining conversational AI, intelligent automation, and connected operational insight within the ERP experience, Sage helps organizations improve visibility, reduce friction, and respond more effectively as conditions change.

Sage Copilot for X3 introduces a more natural way for teams to interact with their business data, while new agent-driven sales intelligence capabilities continuously monitor activity across orders, inventory, and customer demand. These agents proactively surface risks and opportunities as they emerge, helping teams act earlier rather than reacting after issues escalate.

What’s new in Sage X3

  • Sage Copilot for X3 with Sales Intelligence Agent – Sage Copilot brings conversational interaction directly into Sage X3, allowing users to ask natural language questions and receive immediate, contextual insights. The new Sales Intelligence Agent proactively alerts teams to risks such as overdue orders, delayed shipments or declining customer demand, enabling faster intervention and better customer outcomes.

           Available globally

  • AI-powered Accounts Payable Automation – Expanded AP automation reduces manual invoice processing through AI-driven document capture, classification, and vendor matching. By minimizing errors and accelerating approvals, finance teams can improve accuracy, strengthen compliance and shorten month-end cycles.

           Available globally

  • Sage Supply Chain Intelligence – New connected supply chain capabilities provide real-time visibility from purchase order creation through to delivery, enabling closer collaboration with suppliers and earlier identification of fulfilment risks. This helps organizations reduce stock-outs, improve reliability, and protect customer commitments.

            Available to early adopters in the US.

  • Sage Business Reporting – Bringing real-time Sage X3 data directly into Excel, Sage Business Reporting enables faster, self-service analysis without reliance on IT. AI-assisted insights help teams build accurate, flexible reports that support quicker, more informed decisions.

           Available globally

  • Sage X3 Builder and platform enhancements – Sage X3 Builder now includes new AI-assisted capabilities that help partners and customers tailor Sage X3 more quickly. These updates simplify configuration, reduce time to value, improve total cost of ownership and lower the learning curve for teams extending the platform.

          Available globally

To find out more, visit Sage X3.

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Samsung Has Picks to Elevate Super Bowl Hosting

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 3, 2026 by itnerd

With the Super Bowl around the corner, Samsung is sharing some products that could elevate hosting for everyone!

For the busy host – With the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, hosting doesn’t have to mean missing a single play or the halftime show. Thanks to seamless multitasking across apps, you can stream the game, follow a recipe, and prep crowd-pleasing snacks all at once, all on an immersive 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display that keeps everything front and center.

For the hardcore fan – Between the edge-of-your-seat gameplay and Bad Bunny’s highly anticipated performance, it’s bound to be a heart-pounding night. The Galaxy Watch8 or Galaxy Ring lets fans track exactly how intense the action gets, bringing a new layer of insight to game day excitement.

For those on-the-go – Super Bowl Sunday is a full-day event. Whether you’re running out to grab pizza during halftime or stepping away briefly, Galaxy Buds3 FE with ANC ensure you don’t miss a moment, keeping the game’s energy with you wherever you are.

For the Instagrammers – Game day moments deserve instant replays. With Galaxy S25 Ultra’s pro-grade camera and AI-powered editing, fans can capture touchdown celebrations, halftime reactions, and snack spreads, then share everything on social before the next drive even starts.

Have a look at samsung.ca for more ideas.

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