Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: ONEKEY GmbH

The most effective way to ensure the security of software in devices, machines and systems is to use a combination of deterministic analysis, artificial intelligence and automation.

Düsseldorf, September 17, 2026 — Artificial intelligence (AI) is a double-edged sword in cybersecurity. While attackers can use it to uncover vulnerabilities faster than ever before, AI is also an excellent tool for detecting and fixing hidden security vulnerabilities. According to Düsseldorf-based cybersecurity specialist ONEKEY, the situation is particularly critical when it comes to firmware–the control software for devices, machines, and systems.

Experts cite two main reasons for this. First, control systems often comprise hundreds or even thousands of software components that interact with one another, and their exact origins and security status are frequently unknown. Second, cyberattacks can have particularly severe consequences because the affected devices, machines, and systems operate in both the physical and digital worlds.

“Large language models, such as Mythos, have demonstrated how swiftly and thoroughly AI can identify and exploit vulnerabilities,” said ONEKEY CEO Jan Wendenburg. He added: “A single security vulnerability in a widely used library can affect numerous products that have been in use for years. That's why it's essential for manufacturers to know exactly which components are used in which products and where security updates are needed.”

AI Still Has Room for Improvement When It Comes to Identifying Security Vulnerabilities

“AI alone does not inherently make firmware secure,” emphasized Jan Wendenburg. That is why ONEKEY combines deterministic firmware analysis with targeted AI support. The ONEKEY platform lists software components in the form of SBOMs (Software Bills of Materials), compares them against known vulnerabilities (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, or CVEs), and tracks new CVE reports. Language models are used on a case-by-case basis for closer analysis and classification of findings or unknown vulnerabilities.

ONEKEY points out that large language models (LLMs) do not necessarily find every vulnerability on the first run. The same language model can discover new vulnerabilities with each successive run. Anthropic, the developer of Mythos, documented how its AI performed around 1,000 independent analysis runs in iterative loops to identify several dozen vulnerabilities in a target component. “The use of large language models for vulnerability detection is not currently a process that yields reproducible results,” said ONEKEY CEO Jan Wendenburg, highlighting the limitations of AI in firmware security. Before a new firmware version is released, developers must be able to distinguish between insecure code and a fluctuating model response.

A Deterministic Foundation Before Deploying AI

That is why ONEKEY relies on deterministic testing before deploying AI. The platform dissects the firmware, creates a software bill of materials, and compares it against known vulnerabilities. Additionally, static binary analysis scans the code for vulnerabilities. The advantage of this method is that running the same firmware through the same analysis process again yields the same results.

Furthermore, deterministic verification analyzes firmware systematically and comprehensively. This provides security teams with transparency into what is actually inside the device. Based on this information, the platform can identify known vulnerabilities affecting the components contained within and deliver this information in the appropriate context.

ONEKEY was specifically designed to reduce the “noise” that traditional security scans often generate. Embedded developers often receive long lists of CVEs from generic scanners, many of which later prove to be irrelevant or already fixed. That's why ONEKEY relies on version-aware and binary-specific analyses. These analyses show which vulnerabilities are relevant to the specific firmware and help filter out false positives. AI is used as a supplement in complex cases, such as with unknown or obfuscated components. Vulnerability management involves maintaining a comprehensive inventory of all software installed on devices, machines, and systems.

Combining the Benefits of AI and Deterministic Analysis

In this way, ONEKEY addresses another important aspect of AI-powered firmware security: efficient time and budget management. Since language models realize their full potential through numerous analysis runs, it makes sense to use AI agents that examine different segments of the program code simultaneously and share their findings. However, the practical implementation of such multi-agent systems is complex. It requires custom scripts and simulated runtime environments, as well as extensive prompt engineering and expert knowledge. For most companies, this level of effort is not feasible for every new firmware version, especially given the significant time and costs involved.

Jan Wendenburg explained: “LLM-based code analysis and deterministic analysis complement each other. AI enables creative, context-aware vulnerability detection, while deterministic analysis methods ensure reproducibility, consistency, and scalability.”

Automation and Integration into Development

In addition to advanced vulnerability detection, automation and integration into the software development process are increasingly important given the growing number of identified vulnerabilities–a trend being further accelerated by AI. The ONEKEY platform can be integrated into existing development and release processes to ensure that every new firmware version is analyzed automatically and known vulnerabilities are detected before release.

Furthermore, ONEKEY continuously monitors firmware security throughout its entire lifecycle. Once a firmware version has been analyzed, users are automatically notified if new vulnerabilities affecting that firmware are discovered. An indexed inventory of components across the entire product portfolio ensures that all devices, machines, and systems are continuously included in security checks.

“In the age of AI, security updates must be developed and deployed ever more quickly, so centralized, automated monitoring for firmware vulnerabilities is essentially indispensable,” said Jan Wendenburg. Whenever a new vulnerability is reported, the ONEKEY platform performs all necessary analyses and assessments related to the firmware across the entire product range in the background. Rather than spending time on this time-consuming preparatory work, security teams can focus on resolving issues clearly identified by the platform.

ONEKEY is the leading European specialist in Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Management and part of the investment portfolio of PricewaterhouseCoopers Germany (PwC). The unique combination of the automated ONEKEY Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Platform (OCP) with expert knowledge and consulting services provides fast and comprehensive analysis, support, and management to improve product cybersecurity and compliance from product purchasing, design, development, production to end-of-life.

Critical vulnerabilities and compliance violations in device firmware are automatically identified in binary code by AI-based technology in minutes – without source code, device, or network access. Proactively audit software supply chains with integrated Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) generation. “Digital Cyber Twins” enable automated 24/7 post-release cybersecurity monitoring throughout the product lifecycle.

The integrated ONEKEY Compliance Wizard already supports compliance with requirements from IEC 62443-4-2, ETSI EN 303 645, UNECE R155, and many other standards and regulations.

As part of the EU-funded CRACoWi (Cyber Resilience Act Compliance Wizard) project, ONEKEY is collaborating with 13 European partners to develop an AI-powered assistant for the automated implementation of the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

The solution will guide companies through the entire compliance process–from the initial CRA scope assessment to the generation of the required Declaration of Conformity.

The Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is effectively supported by the integrated automatic prioritization of vulnerabilities, significantly reducing the time to remediation.

Leading international companies in Asia, Europe and the Americas already benefit from the ONEKEY Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Platform (OCP) and ONEKEY Cybersecurity Experts.

ONEKEY GmbH

Source: BestBrokers.com

The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter point on Wednesday as persistent inflation and higher energy prices continue to put pressure on the economy, while the Bank of England is expected to hold its 3.75% rate despite UK inflation rising to 3.1% in August. Amid elevated prices and higher costs of living in most parts of the world, I am reaching out with our latest analysis examining the countries where annual inflation accelerated the most between July and August 2026.

To identify the countries where inflationary pressures are intensifying, the team at BestBrokers compared annual inflation rates for 93 countries with available August 2026 data. We measured the change in each country’s inflation rate between July and August, rather than comparing monthly price movements. The figures were collected from national statistical offices and Trading Economics, with the dataset available on Google Drive via this link.

The analysis shows that the biggest acceleration was recorded in Pakistan and Fiji, where between July and August, annual inflation rose by 1.9 percentage points. Rwanda follows with a 1.2-point increase, while Senegal recorded a 0.9-point rise. Among major economies, inflation also accelerated notably in Spain, going up from 3.6% to 4.3%, while in Italy it intensified from 2.9% to 3.3%, and in the United Kingdom, from 2.9% to 3.1%.

Other key findings from the report:

• Pakistan and Fiji recorded the sharpest acceleration in price growth, with annual inflation in both countries heating up by 1.9 percentage points in August. Pakistan’s rate climbed from 9.2% in July to 11.1%, while Fiji’s increased from 5.7% to 7.6%.
• Rwanda also saw a notable 1.2-point acceleration as yearly inflation rose from 14.5% in July to 15.7% in August, while Senegal recorded a 0.9-percentage-point increase – from just 0.3% in July to 1.2% in August.
• European countries experienced significant uptake in inflation, too, with Kosovo recording an increase by 0.8 percentage points to 7.3%, while Moldova, Montenegro, and Spain both recorded 0.7-point rises to 7%, 4.5%, and 4.3%.
• Inflation moved in the opposite direction in Romania, with annual rates falling by 2 percentage points from July to August to 6.2%. Still, this remains the highest inflation in the European Union.
• Argentina and Turkey currently have the world’s highest inflation at 33.50% and 31.51%, respectively. Sizable price increases for August were also recorded in Rwanda (15.70%), Ethiopia (15.10%), Egypt (14.50%), Mongolia (12.50%), Pakistan (11.10%), and Kazakhstan (9.80%).

‘When inflation accelerates, the consequences tend to reach well beyond families’ budgets. Households find their purchasing power squeezed, while businesses face rising costs and tougher decisions over prices, wages, and investment. The latest figures also show how uneven the global inflation picture remains, with some countries seeing a renewed rise in price pressures, while others are moving in the opposite direction. That divergence makes the policy response more complicated, particularly for central banks trying to balance inflation against economic growth. For consumers, however, even a relatively small acceleration can matter if it persists and begins to erode incomes over time.’

– comments Alan Goldberg from BestBrokers.

Additional details about the countries with the highest and lowest inflation rates in August 2026 can be found in the full report. It also features the places where inflation continues to go up, along with the methodology behind our findings, while the full dataset we compiled is available on Google Drive via this link.

Source: New Zealand National Party

Statement – You’ve probably noticed that grocery prices in New Zealand still feel high even though we have brought inflation down and got the economy growing again – it was confirmed today that our economy grew 2.6% in the year to June.

A big reason for high grocery prices is a lack of competition, with just two major supermarket groups. The profit margins on every trip you take to a New Zealand supermarket chain is about double what it is in other countries.

One of National’s core values is competitive enterprise. More competition means supermarket chains have to work harder for every customer. That’s how Kiwi shoppers get a better deal. And there simply isn’t enough competition right now.

That is why, if re-elected, National will pursue a separation of PAK’nSAVE and New World/Four Square to create more competition between supermarket chains.

Independent analysis estimates this split could save households $560 a year on average on their grocery bill.

There is a very high bar for this intervention, so we will direct the Commerce Commission to make an independent assessment of whether separation stacks up for shoppers before proceeding.

For your local supermarket owner-operators, nothing much changes. They will still own their stores and operate under the same name, but they’ll be more competitive for customers. That helps them too because it means more opportunities to grow their business.

Competition is also a big opportunity for suppliers. More competition means local growers and producers have more options about where to supply and more leverage to negotiate better terms from supermarkets wanting to secure and keep their product.

National’s plan is to give Kiwis a fairer deal at the checkout, while protecting local ownership of the stores.

Read the full policy

Source: Social Empowerment Education Program (SEEP)

17 September 2026

The Social Empowerment Education Program (SEEP) is calling for early and sustained public awareness on Fiji’s proposed national referendum, saying the recent low turnout at the Parliamentary consultation in Labasa provides an important lesson on the need to give communities sufficient time and information to participate.

Fewer than 10 members of the public attended the consultation on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2026 held on 15 September at Khatriya Hall, Naodamu, Labasa. SEEP was the only organisation that made a submission.

SEEP Research and Policy Officer Metuisela Gauna made the submission, accompanied by SEEP Deputy Director Josefa Ravea.

SEEP believes the low turnout should not automatically be interpreted as a lack of public interest. Instead, it raises questions about whether communities were given enough notice, information and opportunity to prepare and participate.

The consultation also took place on the same day as the National Agriculture Show at Subrail Park, which attracts people from across the North.

SEEP Executive Director Chantelle Khan said the Labasa experience should be taken as a lesson as Fiji moves towards a proposed national referendum.

“People need enough time to understand, think, discuss and ask questions before they are asked to participate in an important national process,” Ms Khan said.

According to media sources, the Government has proposed holding a referendum between November and mid-December 2026, with the proposed new Constitution to take effect by 24 December 2026, subject to the required processes.

SEEP acknowledges the progress being made on the constitutional review but is concerned about the short timeframe available to prepare the public for a referendum, a process Fiji has never held before.

“The concern is that we should not wait until one week or one day before the referendum to start explaining to people what the process is and how it will work,” Ms Khan said.

SEEP is therefore calling for public awareness on the proposed referendum to begin now, using radio, television, social media, print media and community meetings.

The organisation believes the public should have sufficient time to understand the referendum process, the proposed constitutional changes and how they will participate.

“Labasa has shown us that public participation cannot be assumed. We need to make sure people are informed and given a genuine opportunity to participate,” Ms Khan added.

SEEP encourages Government, Parliament and relevant authorities to begin engaging communities on the referendum process as early as possible.

Source: Save the Children

Over 12,000 children – or more than five every day – were killed or injured by landmines, unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices and other explosive ordnance between 2020 and 2025 [1], according to new Save the Children analysis.

The research found that explosive ordnance was the largest single named weapon type category in UN reporting on child casualties, causing more recorded child casualties than air strikes or artillery shelling. Children accounted for nearly half (46%) [2] of civilian casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war, where age was known.

The report also highlights how the growing use of drones is changing children's experience of conflict. Drone attacks can kill and injure children directly, while also disrupting the schools, hospitals, homes and humanitarian services they rely on. Their ability to hover overhead, monitor movement and strike with little warning can leave children feeling unsafe even when they are not directly targeted. In Ukraine, drone attacks on schools increased by 358% in 2025 compared with the previous year, forcing many children back into remote learning [3].

Save the Children warns that the international norms designed to protect children and their families are being weakened, while rapidly evolving military technology is exposing children to new explosive threats both during conflicts and long after they end.

Against this backdrop, the need for innovation to support children affected by conflict is more critical than ever. Save the Children UK, Archewell Philanthropies and Imperial College London are today committing to strengthening their existing partnership to support child amputees with the latest prosthetic technology, rehabilitation and long-term physical and mental health support.

Claire Sanford, Conflict and Humanitarian Director at Save the Children UK, said:

“Children are facing a new generation of explosive threats from the air, on the ground, and increasingly enabled by AI. As technologies transform conflict, with devastating consequences for children, both partnership and political action are urgently needed. Governments must ensure that the laws and protections designed to keep children safe evolve with changes to warfare. Children’s rights and safety must remain at the centre of decisions about how emerging technologies are developed and used.”

In 2025, air-launched explosive weapons, including drones, were involved in around two-thirds (67%) of incidents that harmed civilians worldwide [3]. The growing use of AI and other technologies in warfare also raises concerns about how decisions to use force are being made, particularly when children and other civilians are present.

In Sudan, drone attacks accounted for 78% of reported child casualties between January and March 2026 [4]. Health professionals have reported carrying out medical procedures using only a phone light, to reduce the risk of detection and attack by drones. The true scale of harm remains largely unseen.

The report also highlights Gaza as an example of a new phase in modern warfare, in which drone surveillance, AI-supported targeting and other unmanned systems are being used at an alarming scale in densely populated areas.

Save the Children is calling on the international community to stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and enforce stronger political and military policies to protect children in conflict. The organisation is also calling for the international community to invest in victim assistance, research, and rehabilitation for children affected by blast injuries, and establish international rules for AI technology that require meaningful human control and prohibit systems that can select and engage people to target without human oversight.

Notes:

• The report draws on evidence from the United Nations, including the UN Secretary-General’s Annual Reports on Children and Armed Conflict, UNICEF, OHCHR and other UN human rights monitoring mechanisms; the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, Explosive Weapons Monitor and Insecurity Insight, as well as Save the Children’s own research and analysis.
• [1] United Nations, Children and Armed Conflict: Report of the Secretary-General, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026. Calculation: UN data records 12,053 children killed or injured by explosive ordnance between 2020 and 2025. There are 2,191 days across this six-year period (including the leap year). Dividing 12,053 by 2,191 gives an average of 5.5 children killed or injured every day.
• [2] Landmine Monitor 2025: Landmine-Monitor-2025-Final-Online-updated.pdf
• [3] Explosive Weapons Monitor: Explosive-Weapons-Monitor-2025.pdf
• [4] Unicef 2026: At least 245 child casualties in Sudan in first 90 days of 2026