TECHNOLOGY
Palo Alto Networks: Poor software supply chain impacts cloud infrastructure
As an example of the prevalence of misconfigurations, Unit 42 researchers analyzed public Terraform modules by number of misconfigurations (left) and types of misconfigurations and their percentages (right). Source: Unit 42 Cloud Threat Report, 2H 2021.
Posted on Nov. 19, 8:48 p.m.
HIGH-PROFILE software supply chain attacks such as SolarWinds and Kaseya have shed a glaring light on the disparity between organizations’ perceptions of security within their cloud infrastructure, and the reality of threats in their supply chains that can impact business catastrophically.
In the latest Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 Cloud Threat Report, 2H 2021, Unit 42 researchers dive deep into the full scope of supply chain attacks in the cloud and explain often misunderstood details about how they occur.
They also provide actionable recommendations any organization can adopt immediately to begin protecting their software supply chains in the cloud.
The Unit 42 team analyzed data from a variety of public data sources around the world in order to draw conclusions about the growing threats organizations face today in their software supply chains.
Their findings indicate that many organizations may have a false sense of security in the cloud and in reality are vastly unprepared for the threats they face.
In addition to analyzing data, Unit 42 researchers were commissioned by a large SaaS provider (a customer of Palo Alto Networks) to run a red team exercise against their software development environment. In just three days, a single Unit 42 researcher discovered critical software development flaws that left the customer vulnerable to an attack similar to that of SolarWinds and Kaseya.
Key Findings
Poor Supply Chain Hygiene Impacts Cloud Infrastructure
The large SaaS provider detailed in the red team exercise has what many would consider a mature cloud security posture. However, during the exercise, Unit 42 researchers were able to leverage misconfigurations in the organization’s software development environment, such as the presence of hardcoded IAM key pairs, that would have allowed them to control all development processes and thus conduct a successful supply chain attack.Further, Unit 42 researchers found that 21% of the security scans they ran against the customer’s development environment resulted in misconfigurations or vulnerabilities, highlighting how process gaps and critical security flaws leave an organization exposed and susceptible to a business-halting attack.
Third-Party Code Is Rarely Trustworthy
In their research, Unit 42 researchers discovered that 63% of third-party code templates used in building cloud infrastructure contained insecure configurations, and 96% of third-party container applications deployed in cloud infrastructure contain known vulnerabilities. With this level of risk, an attacker could easily gain access to sensitive data in the cloud and even take control of an organization’s software development environment. Based on the Unit 42 team’s findings, it’s evident that unvetted code can quickly snowball into a security breach, especially as infrastructure flaws can directly impact thousands of cloud workloads. For that reason, it is critical that organizations understand where their code is coming from since third-party code can come from anyone, including an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT).
Conclusion: Organizations Need to Shift Security Left
Teams continue to neglect DevOps security, due in part to lack of attention to supply chain threats. Cloud native applications have a long chain of dependencies, and those links have relationships of their own. DevOps and Security teams need to gain visibility into the bill of materials in every cloud workload in order to evaluate risk at every stage of the dependency chain and establish guardrails.
TECHNOLOGY
HUAWEI’s 4-in-1 flagship tablet, HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max: Pre-order now to enjoy P39,595 worth of freebies
7:11 a.m. August 18, 2026
As the no. 1 tablet brand in the Philippines, HUAWEI empowers Filipino creators and professionals with the launch of the HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max. Users nationwide can pre-order the thinnest, lightest 13-inch+, PC-level productivity tablet and secure massive premium freebies until August 19.
The HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max minimizes limits so users can define every moment of mobile productivity and artistic creation. It brings together top-tier industrial design, an immersive display, and AI assistant capabilities to push the boundaries of what large-screen tablets can achieve.
4-in-1 PC-Level Portability and AI-Powered Productivity
The HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max delivers the ultimate 4-in-1 PC-like experience, designed to adapt effortlessly to everyday situations across work, entertainment, study, and creative pursuits. It simplifies daily tasks with the upgraded PC-Level WPS Office and the new WPS AI suite, which intelligently suggests topics, refines text, and extracts key points to create presentations. The software also uses real-time multi-device collaboration, allowing teams to edit and sync files instantly using shared links and multi-level permissions.
Showcasing top-tier portable industrial design, the HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max features the HUAWEI Cloud Falcon Architecture integrated into a full-metal unibody. This structure enables an ultra-slim profile at just 4.7 mm, while keeping the device ultra-light at just 499 g. The tablet is designed to improve overall bending resistance by 60%, earning it the industry’s first TÜV Rheinland Ultra-Thin Bending Resistance Certification. Performance is driven by a 10,400 mAh battery that delivers up to 14.5 hours of video playback, alongside the 40 W reverse SuperCharge and Live Multitask features that can run three apps simultaneously.
Complementing this is the 439 g high-strength alloy HUAWEI Glide Keyboard that folds and connects to the tablet like a laptop. Designed with a magnetic flexible hinge, the keyboard opens effortlessly in a single motion, while an integrated hidden slot stores and charges the stylus. It also features second-generation keycaps with three times greater resistance against wear and stains.
The HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max is available in a sleek Blue variant that draws inspiration from the interplay of light on sunlit water. Its luminous finish uses a nano-scale coating that creates dynamic, rippled visual effects across the metallic surface. The exclusive PaperMatte Edition weighs 509 g, making it the thinnest and lightest 13-inch+ tablet available.
Eye-Comforting, Immersive, and Flexible PaperMatte Display
The HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max features a 13.2-inch 3K flexible OLED display with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, maintaining clarity under bright lighting. The screen supports a 144 Hz refresh rate that renders fast motion and accurate colors smoothly. The exclusive PaperMatte Edition applies a nano-level etching process that improves clarity by 20%, earning it the TÜV Rheinland Full Care Display 5.0 Certification. To maximize the viewing area, the tablet’s top-tier industrial design has a 94% screen-to-body ratio and narrow 3.55 mm bezels.
TECHNOLOGY
Sophos announces partnership with OpenAI to bring Frontier AI to the Channel
9:19 a.m. August 14, 2026
Sophos, a global cybersecurity leader, announced a partnership with OpenAI to bring OpenAI frontier models to managed service providers (MSPs) through Sophos Fusion, the industry’s most complete AI-native Cybersecurity Defense System.
Through this partnership, Sophos intends to give partners a new way to deliver frontier AI security as one connected defense system, and to build recurring services on top of it.
Sophos Fusion is built on a single, open architecture where every control point operates as one, whether native to Sophos or a third-party integration. The partnership will extend that open model, with a focus on bringing OpenAI frontier models into a cyber defense system that already connects endpoint, network, email, cloud, identity, and security operations, and compounds intelligence from every threat it encounters. For MSPs, that means frontier AI arrives inside the defense system they already run, not as another tool to wire in themselves.
In addition to applying frontier AI to strengthen defense, Sophos is also defending the AI that organizations increasingly adopt. Through Sophos AI Defense, available for early access in August 2026, Sophos gives organizations visibility into how AI and shadow AI is used across their environment, enforces policy on that usage, and helps govern how sensitive data is used across AI models and tools. Sophos intends to expand this protection with OpenAI, securing the AI workloads, data, and usage that organizations increasingly depend on as part of one connected defense system.
The partnership builds on an established relationship between Sophos and OpenAI through the OpenAI Daybreak Cyber Partner Program. Through Daybreak, OpenAI works with leading cybersecurity companies to develop practical, governed solutions for defenders, building new workflows, integrating frontier capabilities, and helping security teams identify, validate and remediate threats faster. This partnership deepens that work with a dedicated focus on the MSPs that deliver security to organizations worldwide, and reflects Sophos’ commitment to an open architecture that brings best-of-breed technologies into one defense system.
“Frontier AI only protects organizations at scale when you have the architecture to operationalize it and the reach to deliver it,” said John Peterson, chief technology officer, Sophos. “Sophos Fusion will give OpenAI models a defense system to work inside: connected control points, shared context, and human accountability. Our channel gives them reach through a global network of more than 25,000 partners, including over 7,000 MSPs. For those partners, it opens a new class of AI security services to build a business on. That is how frontier AI reaches the organizations that need it most.”
MSPs are uniquely positioned to turn frontier cyber capabilities into practical security outcomes because they understand their customers’ environments and already operate the workflows organizations rely on. Sophos Fusion supports that work by connecting endpoint, network, email, cloud, identity and security operations in one coordinated defense system. By pairing that foundation with OpenAI’s frontier capabilities, Sophos plans to help approved partners enhance detection, investigation, and response and develop new services tailored to their customers’ needs.
TECHNOLOGY
TECNO MEGAPAD 2 Launches in PH: An 11-inch 2.5K Eye-Care AI tablet for learning and productivity
12:57 p.m. August 2, 2026
TECNO, an AI-powered innovative technology brand, announced today the official launch of the TECNO MEGAPAD 2 in the Philippines. Unveiled globally at MWC 2026, the new tablet combines an 11-inch 2.5K eye-care display, practical AI tools, seamless cross-device connectivity, and a slim metal design in one versatile device.
Designed as a tablet that users can start learning and working on immediately after bringing it home, MEGAPAD 2 delivers an out-of-the-box experience without requiring separately purchased accessories. Its thin and lightweight design, internet connectivity, typing capability, and intelligent productivity features help students and young users turn fragmented moments into meaningful study and task-completion time.
Every MEGAPAD 2 purchase in the Philippines comes with one free Bluetooth keyboard, making it ready for learning, note-taking, content creation, and everyday productivity from day one.
Eye-Care Display in Slim Design
TECNO MEGAPAD 2 features an 11-inch 2.5K display with a 90Hz refresh rate and has obtained TÜV Rheinland Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light certification. It delivers clear visuals and eye comfort for long study sessions, reading, and entertainment. Packaged in a 6.6mm ultra-slim body, it is lightweight, easy to grip, and highly portable.
AI for Smarter Learning and Daily Convenience
For learning and education, the study hub in MEGAPAD 2 is designed to support different study needs across ages and scenarios. Children can explore LearnUp Massive Free Learning Resources, gaining access to a wide range of educational and interest-based content. Meanwhile, parents can customize parental controls that help create a safer online environment for children. When students encounter difficult questions, Photo-based Problem Solving can identify problems and encourage their independent thinking.
In everyday life, MEGAPAD 2 serves as a smart companion for multiple uses. With AI SnapMemo & MindHub, users can quickly capture and organize useful information into a personalized knowledge hub. AI Drawing Board turns simple sketches into vivid images, bringing ideas to life instantly. For entertainment, AI Captions provide clear subtitle support across apps, helping users enjoy content in different languages. With AI Translation, users can translate photos, selected text, social media content, and face-to-face conversations in up to 160 languages.
Seamless Connectivity and Collaboration
As the first tablet launched following the update of TECNO’s OneLeap platform, MEGAPAD 2 can easily connect with other products in TECNO ecosystem by drag-and-drop or one-tap pairing. MEGAPAD 2 supports file sharing, photo sharing, and triple-screen collaboration among TECNO smartphones, laptops, and the tablet. It can also connect to a TECNO smartphone or laptop as an extended screen for a larger workspace. When paired with a smartphone, phone calls, messages, and notifications can be synced to the tablet, allowing users to answer calls directly without reaching for the phone.
Reliable Performance
In terms of performance, TECNO MEGAPAD 2 is powered by a MediaTek Helio 8-Core Processor, delivering an excellent balance between power and efficiency. Available with 12GB (6GB+6GB) or 16GB (8GB+8GB) of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage, it also supports microSD expansion up to 2TB. Running HiOS 16, MEGAPAD 2 delivers a smarter interface and a responsive experience for everyday applications and multitasking, while also offering comprehensive protection for privacy, account security, and safer payments.

