Data Center News Roundup: AWS Investments, TSMC Breach

With data center news moving faster than ever, we want to make it easy for data center professionals to cut through the noise and find the most important stories of the week.

The Data Center Knowledge News Roundup brings you the latest news and developments across the data center industry — from investments and mergers to security threats and industry trends.

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1. Startup to Use AI to Develop New Clean Energy Tech

London-based startup Orbital Materials announced a new application of generative AI: to accelerate the development of clean energy technologies and identify novel green energy materials. While still in early phases of development, the goal is to design AI that can find formulas for sustainable, carbon-efficient products — from jet fuel to wind turbines.

2. Are Vendors' Cloud Security Guidelines Any Good?

As cloud security becomes increasingly important, security architects rely on vendors' learning resources and documentation to develop a "grand design" for protecting a cloud estate. Klaus Haller breaks down the pros and cons of the cloud security guides and resources offered by AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud and determines how valuable they are for novice and seasoned architects alike.

3. U.S. to Limit China's Access to Cloud Computing Services

The U.S. government is proposing to limit China's access to popular cloud computing services, including AWS and Microsoft Azure. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, these cloud providers will need U.S. government permission before serving Chinese companies in the AI space. The move comes as tensions — technological and otherwise — between the U.S. and China continue to escalate. On Monday, China implemented its own tech-related restrictions to limit the export of metals used in the chip, electric vehicle, and defense industries.

4. TSMC Blames IT Hardware Supplier for Costly Breach

After discovering a major systems breach last Thursday, TSMC (one of Apple's biggest semiconductor suppliers) has placed blame on one of its third-party IT hardware suppliers: Kinmax Technology. Kinmax, which also services Microsoft, Cisco, and HPE, experienced its own cybersecurity incident that leaked information about TSMC's server setup and configuration. In turn, the data breach has exposed TSMC to a $70 million ransom demand from the LockBit ransomware group.

5. Amazon Invests in Ohio Data Centers

Alongside continued investments in the ever-hot Virginia data center market, Amazon announced plans this week to invest nearly $8 billion to expand its data center operations in central Ohio over the next six years. Amazon's announcement follows recent plans from competitors Google and Intel to build data center and semiconductor facilities in Columbus and Lancaster, Ohio.

Other Great Data Center Reads on DCK

Data Center Outsourcing: A Comprehensive Guide to DCO. Weighing your data center outsourcing options or looking for a DCO provider? In this guide, we cover the benefits, challenges, and approaches to outsourcing data center management.

How Climate Change Will Impact the Location of Data Centers. In the coming years, a rapidly warming global climate will have significant impacts on the data center market. With this in mind, DCK contributor Christopher Tozzi looks at the climate-related factors to consider when choosing future data center locations.

That's all for this week. Which of these stories is most important to you? Let us know in the comments below!