Technology News: Latest Updates from 2026-04-14
This report is a summary of technology news from 2026-04-14 and is based exclusively on the original texts of the sources.
Cyberattacks on Manufacturing Industry Surge Sharply
According to blog.checkpoint.com, the global manufacturing industry faces one of the most aggressive cyber threat landscapes in its history in 2025. According to the Manufacturing Threat Landscape 2025 report, global ransomware incidents reached 7,419 documented cases – an increase of 32 percent year-over-year. The manufacturing industry was the most frequently attacked sector: attacks rose by 56 percent, from 937 incidents in 2024 to 1,466 in 2025. Three structural weaknesses drive the risk: outdated OT systems such as SCADA and industrial IoT devices without modern security controls, growing supply chain complexity, and matured Ransomware-as-a-Service models. In Europe, according to the source, 80 percent of manufacturers operate critical OT systems with known vulnerabilities. Attackers exploit VPN access without multi-factor authentication, compromised credentials, and phishing campaigns with AI-generated lures as entry points.
| Country | Ransomware Incidents (2025) |
|---|---|
| United States | 713 |
| India | 201 |
| Germany | 79 |
| United Kingdom | 65 |
| Canada | 62 |
Several ransomware groups dominated the attacks on the manufacturing industry. Akira, active since 2023, generated an estimated $244 million in revenue by the end of 2025, according to the report. In one incident, a German cable manufacturer was attacked, with 27 GB of sensitive data exfiltrated. The Russia-based group Qilin stole 29,843 internal files from a manufacturing and logistics company in one attack. The FBI reported approximately 900 affected facilities from Play ransomware by mid-2025. Additionally, hacktivist actors such as NoName057(16) and Chinese-aligned groups conducted denial-of-service attacks and OT reconnaissance against industrial companies.
| Attack Vector | Share / Detail |
|---|---|
| Exploited Vulnerabilities | 32 percent of attacks |
| Phishing / Malicious Email | 23 percent of incidents |
| Compromised Credentials | $4,000 to $70,000 on the darknet |
| Supply Chain Attacks (2025) | 297 incidents (2024: 154) |
Regionally, in Europe in Q3 2025, according to the source, 72 percent of industrial ransomware attacks targeted manufacturing. Average ransom demands reached $1.16 million – more than double the previous year. High-profile incidents disrupted supply chains in the automotive, aerospace, and transportation industries. The report shows that in addition to traditional encryption, data theft, extortion-only tactics, and information system disruptions are increasingly being used – companies should therefore urgently prioritize backup software, network segmentation, and comprehensive cybersecurity solutions.
Cisco Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 90 Percent
According to blogs.cisco.com, Cisco reduced its Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 90% compared to the 2019 baseline year in fiscal year 2025. For the first time in company history, renewable electricity was procured to cover 100% of annual global electricity demand at company-owned and leased facilities. The company states it intends to maintain at least a 90% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions while working toward the goal of net-zero GHG emissions by 2040.
In fiscal year 2025, according to the report, 78 energy efficiency projects were implemented, saving approximately 11.5 gigawatt-hours of energy consumption and 27,200 metric tons of CO2e per year. AI and advanced analytics were used to optimize energy and cooling in laboratories. Initial building electrification projects were completed in San Jose, California and Galway, Ireland. The share of electric vehicles in the fleet for European employees rose from 11% in fiscal year 2019 to 66% in fiscal year 2025, according to the company.
| Area | Detail | Data |
|---|---|---|
| Bangalore, India | Solar and Wind Installation | 92 MW, approx. 181,400 megawatt-hours annually |
| Texas | Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (Solar) | 172 MW total, of which 100 MW from 2027 |
| Diesel Reduction Bangalore | Dual Power Supply | approx. 30% less diesel consumption |
| Total Renewable Energy | Annual Generation | over 500,000 MWh per year |
| Certified Buildings | LEED and WELL Certifications | 45 locations, 21% of portfolio |
| Shanghai Office | LEED and WELL Platinum | 18% more energy efficient than code |
| Suppliers with Emissions Targets | Target: 80%, achieved | 88% |
The company also states that it uses biodiesel for approximately 10% of emergency power needs in Bangalore and procures renewable natural gas for locations in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the area of smart building technology, Cisco uses Cisco Spaces, sensors, and Webex endpoints in its San Francisco and New York offices to automatically adjust room settings and save energy, according to the report.
Lovable and Databricks: Building Data Apps Without Code
According to databricks.com, there is a new Databricks Connector in Lovable that enables teams to build data-driven applications without having to write SQL. Previously, business departments – such as those in Ops, Finance, Sales, or Supply Chain – had to submit requests to the data team and sometimes wait weeks or months for results.
With the new integration, users can connect Lovable to their Databricks environment and describe what they need in plain English. The AI-powered development platform Lovable then creates and deploys a functional application. The data is queried directly from Databricks at runtime, so according to the source, no ETL, no data replication, and no sync jobs are needed. The data does not leave the security perimeter of Databricks.
Lovable is described as a world-class AI-powered development platform and is intended to serve as an interface layer, while Databricks remains the data source. This enables, for example, line-of-business teams to independently build apps – without additional support from engineering or data teams. Lovable is positioned as an on-ramp for collaboration across the entire organization.
Secure Boot Certificates Expire in June 2026
Microsoft’s widely used Secure Boot certificate “Microsoft Corporation KEK CA 2011” reaches the end of its validity in June 2026. Affected are not only physical PCs and servers, but also virtual machines on VMware ESX hosts. While the expiration does not immediately cause boot problems, security updates for the Secure Boot databases (DB and DBX) can no longer be applied afterward – a significant risk for operating system security.
The situation is particularly critical for virtual machines: Windows Server 2016 and newer as well as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and higher enable Secure Boot by default. VMs created with ESX versions below 8.0U2 still use the old certificates. VMs created before ESX 9.0 also use a platform key (PK) with a NULL signature, which blocks automatic KEK updates by the operating system.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Expiring Certificate | Microsoft Corporation KEK CA 2011 |
| Expiration Date | June 2026 |
| New Certificate (KEK) | Microsoft Corporation KEK 2K CA 2023 |
| Validity of New KEK | until 2038 |
| Min. vHW Version for Update | Version 14 |
| Affected Windows VMs | Windows Server 2016 and newer |
| Affected Linux VMs | RHEL 8 and newer |
For the manual update of PK and KEK, Broadcom recommends creating snapshots as a backup beforehand and securing recovery keys when using vTPM with BitLocker or LUKS. Broadcom is working together with Microsoft on an automated solution for future releases. Administrators should review their environment promptly – for example via VCF PowerCLI – and inventory the certificate status of all VMs with active Secure Boot to be able to plan in time.
SAP SuccessFactors 1H 2026: AI and HR Connected
According to news.sap.com, SAP deepens connectivity across the entire HR lifecycle with the SAP SuccessFactors 1H 2026 release. The focus is on four priorities: suite-wide Connected AI, unified experiences, processes for clarity, accuracy, and compliance, and a stronger foundation for skills and long-term growth.
| Priority | New Features |
|---|---|
| Connected AI | Suite-wide agentic AI across areas such as Recruiting, Payroll, Learning, and Talent Development; Workforce Knowledge Network via Joule with expert-backed guidance; intelligent Q&A in SAP SuccessFactors Learning for context-aware answers |
| Unified Experiences | Native integration of SmartRecruiters, SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, and SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding; new Extensibility Wizard on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP); redesigned 401(k) experience in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Global Benefits for U.S. employees |
| Compliance & Transparency | Pay Transparency Insights in the People Intelligence package in SAP Business Data Cloud for analyzing compensation patterns, for example in alignment with EU regulations |
| Skills Governance | Enhanced Talent Intelligence Hub with a central interface for managing skills and governance standards across SAP SuccessFactors solutions |
A connected network of AI agents can support areas such as Recruiting, Workforce Administration, Payroll, Learning, Performance, and Talent Development, for example. Through Joule, teams can access research-driven insights and global employment guidelines directly in their workflow without having to leave their workflows.
Bianka Woelke, Group Vice President and Head of Application Product Management for SAP SuccessFactors, emphasizes according to the report the focus on an intelligent, connected HCM foundation that brings together data, AI, and experiences across the HR lifecycle to reduce friction and enable data-driven decisions.
Conclusion
Today’s news highlights important developments in the tech industry that bring both opportunities and challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
On what basis were these news items summarized?
Exclusively based on the original texts of the linked sources.
📚 Sources
- 🔗 blog.checkpoint.com: Why Manufacturing Cyber Security is Becoming More Complex as Cyber Att…
- 🔗 blogs.cisco.com: How we’re building a cleaner, more efficient energy supply | FY25 Purp…
- 🔗 databricks.com: Lovable + Databricks: Build Data-Driven Apps at the Speed of Thought…
- 🔗 blogs.vmware.com: [TAM Blog] セキュアブート証明書の有効期限切れに関する注意点と対応について…
- 🔗 news.sap.com: SAP SuccessFactors 1H 2026 Release: Strengthening Connection Across HR…
