Malaysian operator Maxis has been reportedly hit by a cyberattack from an international hacking group that claims to have stolen internal data and posted it on the dark web.

On Monday, according to the Soya Cincau website, the R00TK1T ISC Cyber Team posted several screenshots purported to be a backend system belonging to Maxis. The group said it would start releasing Maxis customer data in the following few days.

Later on Monday, Maxis said in a statement that it was investigating the claim.

“While we did not identify anything related to our own systems, we identified a suspected incident involving unauthorised access to one of our third-party vendor systems that resides outside of Maxis’ internal network environment” the telco said. “We are working with them to investigate further and have also informed the relevant authorities.”

Maxis didn’t name the third-party vendor, or say whether the incident was related to the claims made by R00TK1T.

On Tuesday, according to Cyber Express, R00TK1T posted details of the alleged cyberattack on the dark web and on its Telegram channel. The group claimed to have exploited a compromised single sign-on user access to the FortiGate Firewall, which gave it access to sensitive Maxis employee data, including employee IDs, names, business emails, and work locations at Maxis retail stores.

R00TK1T also posted stolen Maxis data such as “MAC addresses, connection details on the Maxis Wi-Fi network, and administrative access to the Maxis Interactive Retail Assistant (MIRA) dashboard”, the Cyber Express report said.

R00TK1T said it would continue to release data until Maxis publicly admits that it was breached. Maxis had not responded to the latest claims as we went to post.

The Maxis cyberattack is part of a broader campaign by R00TK1T, which issued a statement on January 26 announcing its intention to attack Malaysia’s digital infrastructure. Since then, the group has claimed to have successfully hacked Malaysian network solutions and system integrator Aminia and online education website YouTutor.

On January 30, Malaysia’s Natonal Cyber Coordination and Command Centre (NC4) issued an alert warning all Malaysian organisations to implement essential preventive measures in order to safeguard against attacks.

NC4 also said it believes  R00TK1T is « part of a retaliation team against the cyber campaign stemming from the Middle East conflict. Historical data reveals that the threat actor has previously targeted various sectors in multiple countries, including education, transportation, healthcare, telecommunications, and ICT services, by exploiting known vulnerabilities and enlisting the assistance of insider threats and disgruntled employees. »

NC4 also advised the R00TK1T campaign could last for several weeks.

Press Release

Aqua Comms, a leading provider of global subsea connectivity services, today announced a long-term lease agreement for Trans-Atlantic subsea spectrum with Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) for 25% of a fibre pair between New York, Dublin and London. This agreement marks the first Trans-Atlantic spectrum acquisition by ESnet, the high-performance network built to support scientific research, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science and managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

ESnet serves as the DOE research community’s “data circulatory system,” providing services to tens of thousands of scientific researchers throughout the entire national laboratory system, its supercomputing facilities, and its major scientific instruments, as well as peering with more than 270 research and commercial networks worldwide. Secured for 15 years, this quarter-fibre-pair will provide a dedicated 5 Tbps data pipe that will be a foundational element of ESnet’s long-term trans-Atlantic strategy to accommodate rapid increases in data traffic from DOE science collaborations and facilities, including ramping up for the high luminosity upgrade of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.

“Scientific research has entered the exascale era, and researchers need to be able to rapidly, seamlessly, and reliably move vast quantities of data from instruments to high-performance computing facilities to their human collaborators all over the world — and back again,” said ESnet Executive Director Inder Monga. “ESnet is committed to continuing to build a robust, redundant network ready to serve the Department of Energy’s research ecosystem now and for the long-term future.”

Jim Fagan, CEO at Aqua Comms, said, “Subsea Spectrum offers the scalability and control of dark fibre at a fraction of the cost allowing customers to plan for their long-term network needs. By working with Aqua Comms, ESNet can be confident in our expertise and leading global subsea engineering services as we continue to demonstrate that we are at the forefront of the technology supporting the needs of our customers with high-bandwidth, efficient network services.”

The Aqua Comms network is leveraging Ciena’s (NYSE: CIEN) GeoMesh Extreme submarine network solution, powered by WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optics and Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) advanced software capabilities, to support customers’ ever-growing connectivity and bandwidth needs. Additionally, Ciena Services is providing submarine-specific automation for installation, spectrum activation, and testing for time savings and improved optimization, as well as SLTE technical support to ensure optimal network reliability.

“When 400G wavelengths are not sufficient for growing demands, operators are turning to subsea spectrum to fulfill their scalable, continent-to-continent requirements,” commented Thomas Soerensen, Vice President, Global Submarine Solutions, Ciena.“With Ciena’s best-in-class GeoMesh Extreme solution, Aqua Comms’ network has the high bandwidth, intelligence, and cost efficiency to meet the unique connectivity needs of big science.”

Want to keep up with all the latest news from the submarine cable community? Join the discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA, the world’s largest subsea communications event

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E& Carrier & Wholesale Services (C&WS) an internet, mobile and regional hub for international cable systems, is set to anchor the 2Africa subsea cable; this will be the most extensive subsea cable system landing in the UAE to date.

The chosen gateway for this development is Kalba, a city in the north-eastern part of the United Arab Emirates, a choice, e& says, that complements its existing Fujairah cable landing station, fortifying diversity and resilience in the UAE’s connectivity landscape

The 2Africa consortium of Bayobab, centre3, China Mobile International, Meta, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group and WIOCC is developing a  45,000 kilometre submarine cable system, the world’s largest subsea cable project, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. Alcatel Submarine Networks is responsible for the manufacture and installation of the 2Africa cable.

As the designated landing partner for 2Africa in the UAE, e& will lead the development of the necessary infrastructure for the landing station and will be responsible for its maintenance in the coming decades.

Around 20 subsea cable systems land in the UAE and the majority of these are managed by e&, which says it boasts unique technical expertise, a robust operating structure, a neutral access data centre, diverse landing stations, and adherence to global standards.

E& Carrier & Wholesale says it is the largest internet, mobile and regional hub for international cable systems, with an ecosystem that links 160 international carriers with its international mobile network reaching more than 800 destinations.

Its range of solutions for mobile operators, carriers, ISPs, wholesalers, and OTTs includes mobile, data, voice and satellite services.

News

Yemeni telecoms operators say they fear Houthis may destroy submarine cable infrastructure as part of the ongoing conflict

Vague threats from Houthi rebels have Yemeni telecoms operators fearing that local submarine cable infrastructure could be in jeopardy.

Late last year, a Houthi-linked Telegram channel published a map showing submarine network infrastructure in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf alongside a message that appeared to imply these cables could become targets for future aggression.

“There are maps of international cables connecting all regions of the world through the sea. It seems that Yemen is in a strategic location, as internet lines that connect entire continents — not only countries—pass near it,” read the post.

The Red Sea is a vitally important thoroughfare for international data traffic, allowing data to travel from Asia and Africa into the Mediterranean Sea and on to Europe via the Suez Canal. The Red Sea’s floor plays host to 16 submarine cables that reportedly carry around 17% of the world’s internet traffic, including crucial military communications for the surrounding region.

Perhaps the most important of these cables is the Asia-Africa-Europe (AAE-1) cable, which spans over 25,000km and connects Southeast Asia to Europe. Damage to the AAE-1 or accompanying cables could have major ramifications not only for the local economies that rely on them for connectivity but also for the international data community.

In recent months, this fact has become more pertinent with Yemeni Houthi rebels conducting a drone-led attack campaign against commercial shipping in the region in retaliation for the ongoing war in Gaza. This has led to major bombing campaigns in Yemen by Western powers, with the conflict expanding to include around a dozen countries.

But could this conflict realistically come to also encompass submarine cable infrastructure? The realities of such an attack seem unlikely. While the general location of submarine infrastructure is published by the community in order for maritime traffic to avoid damaging the cable, locating the cable accurately enough to attack it from the surface would be very difficult without precision equipment. Similarly, getting close enough to attack these cables without submersibles – particularly in an area constantly patrolled by various naval vessels – would be a risky business.

On the other hand, the part of the seabed where the cables pass near the Yemeni coast is notably shallow, reaching depths of only about 100m. While this would be of little help to the Houthis when it comes to locating the cables themselves, it does make the prospect of damaging these cables more feasible using conventional means; for example, using submersible explosives similar to the sea mines that the Houthi’s have deployed in the Red Sea for numerous years.

If a cable were to be damaged, the repair process would likely be arduous. There is only a very limited number of cable ships available internationally to perform the repairs, many of which would have to travel for days or even weeks to reach the location of the break. Couple this with the added complexity and security requirements of working on a cable in troubled waters like the Red Sea and cables could take months to repair.

For now, the Houthis’ veiled threats to submarine cable infrastructure seem to be little more than hot air, but they do highlight a growing appreciation for the critical role that submarine cable infrastructure plays in global economy – and the far-reaching impact disrupting these systems could have for the international community.

How are global conflicts impacting international data traffic? Join the submarine networks community in discussion at this year’s Submarine Networks EMEA conference

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Telecom Egypt and Budapest-based telecoms/IT group 4iG have formally established a joint venture to build their proposed express subsea cable between Albania and Egypt.

On Thursday, the two companies signed an agreement on the terms of cooperation for the construction of the cable, which aims to create a high capacity, intercontinental connection linking Africa and Asia (through the Red Sea) to Europe, via Egypt, the Mediterranean, and Albania.

This follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Telecom Egypt and 4iG last October.

The initial configuration of the subsea cable will include a branch to Italy, with the option to extend the cable to Mediterranean destinations such as Libya, Cyprus, and Greece.

Both ends of the cable will be designed with an open point-of-presence concept, which means the Egyptian end will provide access to various subsea cables running southeast via the Red Sea to Asia and Africa, as well as over ten terrestrial trans-Egypt routes connecting the Mediterranean cable segment to other cable extension options in the Red Sea.

On Albania’s end, the system will provide the shortest path to Frankfurt, as well as other international traffic destinations in Eastern and Central Europe and the Balkans, including Sofia, Vienna and Budapest.

As we previously reported, the Albania-Egypt system will leverage open and neutral ecosystem WeConnect as an enabler, ensuring seamless cross-connection with multiple subsea systems and offering customers robust connectivity solutions and access to Egypt’s infrastructure.

4iG Group chairman Gellért Jászai said the agreement will enable the company to accelerate its growth and competitiveness in international markets.

“Our strong market presence in Albania gives us the opportunity to make the additional onshore investments necessary for the success of the project and to open a new data gateway to Europe in cooperation with Telecom Egypt,” he said.

Mohamed Nasr, MD and CEO at Telecom Egypt, said the new cable will add more diversity to its Mediterranean network and cater to the booming growth in international data traffic coming from Asia and Africa to Europe.

Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Amr Talaat, who witnessed the signing, said the most important feature of JV is that it comes within the framework of the Egyptian government’s strategy to target the Eastern Europe region to enhance business continuity and future expansion.

“Egypt is keen to expand its international digital infrastructure, especially given that more than 90% of the international data traffic between the East and the West passes through the country thanks to its distinguished geographical location – with 14 international subsea cables currently in service,” he said is a statement. “Work is underway to establish another five international subsea cables through international alliances.”

News 

Industry associations representing the operators argue that operators would rather keep the existing legislation than implement the proposed framework 

Industry groups representing European telecoms operators have warned that the European Commission’s proposed Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA) could penalise companies and damage the sector. 

The European Telecommunications Network Operators Association (ETNO), the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA), the GSMA, and GigaEurope have released a joint statement outlining their concerns on the draft proposal, which comes ahead of an EU meeting next week when lawmakers will draft the final legislation. 

The GIA was first proposed by the European Commission in February 2023, with the legislation aimed at reducing the costs of deploying gigabit-capable networks and simplify the rollout process. The GIA is part of a wider EU goal of deploying gigabit-capable infrastructure across the EU by 2030, in line with the EU’s Digital Decade programme.  

However, the joint statement from the industry associations has disputed the proposed GIA’s effectiveness, saying that the current negotiations “risk turning it into a measure that penalises telecoms operators, without producing any real benefit in terms of administrative simplification”.  

The statement takes two main issues with the draft text. Firstly, the European Commission’s suggestion of eliminating the ‘tacit approval’ clause, which currently would allow operators to push through with their deployment if local municipalities do not respond to a request for a construction permit within a reasonable timeframe. The clause is controversial, with some EU companies considering it an intrusion on the rights of third parties and private property owners, but the telecoms organisations argue that to remove the clause is to remove a “key measure that would speed up network rollout”. 

Secondly, a proposal added by the European Parliament to impose price caps on calls and messages within the EU, which the group says is unnecessary due to the market’s competitive nature. 

The joint statement argues that the provision of digital networks is “critical for the prosperity of the whole of Europe, providing the backbone of a modern, efficient and sustainable economy for European citizens”. It is clear that most citizens would agree with this sentiment, but this statement is masking the real motivation from the operators: a cheaper and easier way to roll out their networks. 

The end of the statement makes clear that the “EU telecom industry” would rather retain the current laws on the subject than implement the new ones, saying that retaining the regulatory status quo would be “less damaging”. 

Keep up with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter

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Press Release

Ericsson and Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) today announced a long-term co-operation for joint research in the area of AI, Compute and Radio.

As part of this collaboration, two milestone agreements were inked between both the organizations which will allow researchers from both organizations to collaborate towards developing novel AI and distributed compute technology towards 6G research.

A symposium on Radio and Network research was organized at GS Sanyal School of Telecommunications (GSSST) where leaders from Ericsson Research and IIT Kharagpur participated to discuss the developments and advancements for the future of networks and communication.

AI and Compute Research is instrumental to Ericsson’s 6G networks as the compute offload needs to be managed dynamically at edge and the policies would primarily be driven by AI. These themes of research are well aligned with IIT Kharagpur and both organizations view this partnership as a way to push the boundaries of fundamental and applied research in the Radio domain.

Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director of IIT Kharagpur, says: “In the commitment towards Digital India and making India the hub of technological innovation, this collaboration with Ericsson will be effective for next-generation technology significantly. 6G networks integrated with artificial intelligence will enable AI-powered applications to run faster and more efficiently. In the 6G era, IIT Kharagpur aims to contribute to Radio Access Technology and Network, Core Network, RF & Device Technologies, VLSI Design, Neuromorphic Signal Processing, Services and Applications. The institute also looks forward to participate in Telecommunications Standardization Process, Developing Test Beds, Prototype Development and Commercialization along with training and manpower development. This collaborative research partnership in fundamental areas as well as translational research will be transformational for our Future Network Platforms.”

Magnus Frodigh, Head of Ericsson Research, says: “This collaboration strengthens our R&D commitments in India and is pivotal to Radio, Compute and AI research. We are excited to partner with IIT Kharagpur and look forward to collaborative research in fundamental areas as well as translational research for our Future Network Platforms”. Dr Frodigh also presented Ericsson’s vision on 6G which aims to blend the physical and digital worlds enabling us to improve the quality of life by incorporating widespread Sensor-based communications between humans and machines through digital twins.

Nitin Bansal, Managing Director of Ericsson India, says: “Ericsson is well poised to lead 6G innovation and we are making significant R&D investments in India in line with our commitment to the country. Given our 5G and technology leadership, our research initiatives are geared to provide affordable network platforms for ubiquitous connectivity all across the country”.

The Speakers and Panellists of the Conference included Prof. Suvra Sekhar Das (Head, GSSST), Prof. Debarati Sen, Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti, Prof. Soumyajit Dey and many other faculty members from IIT Kharagpur; Dr Magnus Frodigh, Head of Ericsson Research, Dr Mikael Hook, Head of Radio Research and Dr Mikael Prytz , Head of Network Research.

Some of the key initiatives finalized by both the organizations include:

• Compute offload and Resource Optimization at edge compute: The project aims to explore resource optimization, dynamic observability and sustainable distributed and Edge computing technologies.
• RL based Beamforming for JCAS: Safe, Causal, and Verifiable: The project aims to explore causal AI methods for joint communication and sensing (JCAS)

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News 

‘The platform is a result of two year’s research and development  focussing on generative AI 

Jio Platforms, the parent company of Reliance Jio, India’s largest mobile operator, has announced the launch of its new artificial intelligence platform named ‘Jio Brain’. 

The platform, which was announced in a LinkedIn post by Senior Vice President Aayush Bhatnagar, will “integrate Machine Learning capabilities in the telco network or any industry-specific IT environment – without undergoing network / IT transformation.” 

The platform will aid the creation of new 5G services, help transform enterprises, optimise network operation, and allow for innovation in 6G, where machine learning is a key capability, according to Bhatnagar. 

Digging into the attached information sheet, the platform combines the speed, latency and connectivity of 5G with the data processing, analysis, and automation capabilities of machine learning, to allow any operator or enterprise to institutionalise machine learning in their day-to-day operations. 

Users will be able to integrate their own datasets using a simple interface, with the platform supported by over 500 application programming interfaces to allow for customised offerings. 

Current applications already available include ‘enterprise and mobile-ready LLM (large language models)-as-a-Service’, text-to-text translation, and speech-to-text translation services. 

Bhatnagar described the platform as a “significant milestone” for the company’s 5G/6G product line. 

Generative AI is a huge hot topic for the telco industry. Last July, four major global telcos (SK Telecom, e&, Deutsche Telecom, and Singtel) partnered to form a Global Telco AI Alliance, signing a Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop a Telco AI Platform that will serve as a foundation for new AI services such as super apps and digital assistants.  

Earlier still, in 2022, SK Telecom announced its intention to become an AI company to set itself apart from competitors. The company said it would do this in three ways: redefining its core businesses with AI, innovating customer relations through AI, and sharing its AI transformation processes with other companies. 

Keep up with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter

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