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Hackers have compromised several different companies’ Chrome browser extensions in a series of intrusions dating back to mid-December, according to one of the victims and experts who have examined the campaign.

Among the victims was the California-based Cyberhaven, a data protection company that confirmed the breach in a statement to Reuters on Friday.

“Cyberhaven can confirm that a malicious cyberattack occurred on Christmas Eve, affecting our Chrome extension,” the statement said. It cited public comments from cybersecurity experts. These comments, said Cyberhaven, suggested that the attack was “part of a wider campaign to target Chrome extension developers across a wide range of companies.”

Cyberhaven added: “We are actively cooperating with federal law enforcement.”

The geographical extent of the hacks was not immediately clear.

Browser extensions are typically used by internet users to customize their Web-browsing experiences, for example by automatically applying coupons to shopping websites. In Cyberhaven’s case, the Chrome extension was used to help the company monitor and secure client data flowing across Web-based applications.

Jaime Blasco, cofounder of Austin, Texas-based Nudge Security, said he had spotted several other Chrome extensions that had been subverted in the same way as Cyberhaven’s. At least one appeared to have been hit in mid-December.

Blasco said the other affected extensions included ones related to artificial intelligence and virtual private networks. He said that suggested an opportunistic effort to vacuum up sensitive data using as many compromised extensions as possible.

“I’m almost certain this is not targeted to Cyberhaven,” Blasco said. “If I had to guess, this was just random.”

The U.S. cyber watchdog CISA referred questions to the companies involved. A message seeking comment from Alphabet which makes the Chrome browser, was not immediately returned. Reuters

OpenAI on Friday outlined plans to revamp its structure, saying it would create a public benefit corporation to make it easier to “raise more capital than we’d imagined,” and remove the restrictions imposed on the startup by its current nonprofit parent.

The acknowledgement and detailed rationale behind its high-profile restructuring confirmed a Reuters report in September, which sparked debate among corporate watchdogs and tech moguls including Elon Musk. At issue were the implications such a move might have on whether OpenAI would allocate its assets to the nonprofit arm fairly, and how the company would strike a balance between making a profit and generating social and public good as it develops AI.

Under the proposed plan, the ChatGPT maker’s existing for-profit arm would become a Delaware-based public benefit corporation (PBC) – a structure designed to consider the interests of society in addition to shareholder value.

OpenAI has been looking to make changes to attract further investment, as the expensive pursuit of artificial general intelligence, or AI that surpasses human intelligence, heats up.

Its latest $6.6 billion funding round at a valuation of $157 billion was contingent on whether the ChatGPT-maker could upend its corporate structure and remove a profit cap for investors within two years, Reuters reported in October.

The nonprofit, meanwhile, will have a “significant interest” in the PBC in the form of shares as determined by independent financial advisers, OpenAI said in a blog post, adding that it would be one of the “best resourced nonprofits in history.”

OpenAI started in 2015 as a research-focused nonprofit but created a for-profit unit four years later to secure funding for the high costs of AI development. Its unusual structure gave control of the for-profit unit to the nonprofit and was in focus last year when Sam Altman was fired as CEO only to return days later after employees rebelled.

“We once again need to raise more capital than we’d imagined. Investors want to back us but, at this scale of capital, need conventional equity and less structural bespokeness.”.

“The hundreds of billions of dollars that major companies are now investing into AI development show what it will really take for OpenAI to continue pursuing the mission.”

Its plans to create a PBC would align the startup with rivals such as Anthropic and the Musk-owned xAI, which use a similar structure and recently raised billions in funding.

Anthropic garnered another $4 billion investment from existing investor Amazon.com last month, while xAI raised around $6 billion in equity financing earlier in December.

“The key to the announcement is that the for-profit side of OpenAI ‘will run and control OpenAI’s operations and business,’” DA Davidson & Co analyst Gil Luria said.

“This is the critical step the company needs to make in order to continue fund raising,” Luria said, although he added that the move did “not necessitate OpenAI going public.”

The startup could, however, face some hurdles in the plan.

Musk, an OpenAI co-founder who later left and is now one of the startup’s most vocal critics, is trying to stop the plan and in August sued OpenAI and Altman. Musk alleges that OpenAI violated contract provisions by putting profit ahead of the public good in the push to advance AI.

OpenAI earlier this month asked a federal judge to reject Musk’s request and published a trove of messages with Musk to argue that he initially backed for-profit status for OpenAI before walking away from the company after failing to gain a majority equity stake and full control.

Meta Platforms is also urging California’s attorney general to block OpenAI’s conversion to a for-profit company, according to a copy of a letter seen by Reuters.

Becoming a benefit corporation does not guarantee in and of itself that a company will put its stated mission above profit, as that status legally requires only that the company’s board “balance” its mission and profit-making concerns, said Ann Lipton, a corporate law professor at Tulane Law School.

“The only reason to choose benefit form over any other corporate form is the declaration to the public,” she said. “It doesn’t actually have any real enforcement power behind it,” she said.

In practice, it is the shareholders who own a controlling stake in the company who dictate how closely a public benefit company sticks to its mission, Lipton said. Reuters

Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest foundry (semiconductor manufacturing), began mass production of semiconductors at its Kumamoto plant in Japan this month, as reported by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 27th.

The TSMC Kumamoto Phase 1 plant, which opened in February, has been conducting test productions until now.

TSMC noted, “The Phase 1 plant has completed all process certifications and commenced mass production as planned this month,” adding, “We aim to become a stable advanced semiconductor production base in Japan and contribute to the global semiconductor ecosystem system.”

Takashi Kimura, the governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, also said at a press conference that he received a report stating that the Phase 1 plant entered the mass production phase as scheduled this month.

The TSMC Kumamoto Phase 1 plant progressed rapidly through all processes in about three years, from the decision to build the factory in the fall of 2021 to mass production this month. Construction of the factory began in April 2022, and the opening ceremony was held in February this year.

At this plant, it can produce 55,000 wafers per month, based on 300 mm silicon wafers, for semiconductors with 12 to 16 nanometers (nm) and 22 to 28 nanometers, which are used in various products such as smartphones, automobiles, and industrial equipment. Chosun Biz

The government is poised to amend the Income Tax Act in Budget 2025, introducing a presumptive taxation scheme under Section 44 for foreign semiconductor firms.

The move aims to simplify compliance, attract global companies, and bolster India’s semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem, a senior official revealed.

The proposed scheme will allow foreign semiconductor companies to compute taxable income as a fixed percentage of turnover, bypassing detailed accounting.

The corporate income tax rate of 35 percent will then be applied to this calculated income, making tax assessments straightforward and predictable.

“This is a simplified taxation system. Once implemented, their expenditure becomes immaterial—they pay tax on turnover without the need for extensive assessments,” the official told Moneycontrol on condition of anonymity.

The initiative, aligned with the government’s vision of making India a global semiconductor hub, follows similar presumptive tax schemes adopted for sectors like oil and shipping.

For example, the July 2024 Budget extended such measures to cruise ships, which could calculate income as 20 percent of passenger revenue.

The exact turnover percentage for semiconductors will be decided after consultations with industry stakeholders.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) played a key role in proposing the amendment, aiming to facilitate foreign firms in establishing labs and manufacturing units in India.

The new regime is expected to attract international players, drive domestic manufacturing, and foster the transfer of global best practices.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of domestic semiconductor production, stating in September, “India’s semiconductor ecosystem is a solution not just for India’s challenges but also for global challenges.”

This amendment is part of a broader push to reduce India’s reliance on imports and address surging demand for semiconductors driven by sectors like consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and telecommunications.

By simplifying taxation and offering financial incentives, the government seeks to secure India’s place in the global semiconductor value chain while meeting domestic needs. KNN

The Maharashtra Urban Development Department has issued a notice (dated Sept 30, 2024) inviting suggestions and objections for the proposed modification and incorporation of an addendum to the Model Building Bye-Laws 2016, issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), as part of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations – 2034 for Greater Mumbai.

In a bid to enhance digital connectivity infrastructure in Mumbai and its suburbs, the Maharashtra Urban Development Department has issued a notice inviting suggestions and objections from architects, developers, and town planners for the incorporation of Common Telecommunication Infrastructure in new building plans.

What does the Maharashtra Urban Development Department’s notice say?
The notice asks architects, developers and planning authority officials to ensure that a plan for the creation of Common Telecommunication Infrastructure including a common duct to access the common space used as a telecom room inside the building is included in new building proposal plans.

The notice issued by the Maharashtra Urban Development Department states that an Occupancy or Building completion certificate to a building is to be granted only after ensuring that the Common Telecommunication Infrastructure as per the prescribed standards is in place.

This is in line with the addendum to Model Building Bye-laws 2016 and has been issued under Section 154 of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act (MRTP).

“Notice under section 37 (IAA) of the Maharashtra Regional & Town Planning Act, 1966. Proposed modification for Incorporation of addendum to model building Bye-Laws 2016 issued by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) Development Control and Promotion Regulations -2034 for Greater Mumbai,” the notice reads.

The Maharashtra Urban Development Department has sought inputs from various stakeholders for the creation of a Common Telecommunication Infrastructure in new building plans.

In 2022, the Telecom Regulatory Authority finalised a framework for the creation of an ecosystem for Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI), making it a part of the building development plan similar to other building services like water, electricity or fire safety systems.

“Plan for the creation of Common Telecommunication Infrastructure including the common duct to access the common space used as telecom room inside the building is also a prepared and separate set of draw drawings showing the inter / intra connectivity access to the building with the distribution network,” the notice reads.

The circular specifies that buildings with more than 465 sq mt of built-up area should have a minimum 3.0 m X 2.4 m telecom room. Buildings with a built-up area of less than 465 sq mt, should have a 0.6 m x 2.6 m or 1.3 m x 1.3 m telecom room.

The notice further states that the telecom room should not be susceptible to flooding. It should not be exposed to water, moisture, fumes, gases or dust. It should be able to withstand the designed equipment load (to be specified in the design). It should be located away from any vibrations to avoid dislocation/dislodgement.

At the layout stage, the UDD notice says, the placement and sequence of above-and below-ground utilities at the appropriate location in the right-of-way to be ensured for unconstrained movement as well as easy access for maintenance. Empty pipes (large-size Hume pipes / HDPE pipes) should be laid before planting trees in order to accommodate additional Infrastructure. It also suggests that telecom cables should be ideally placed below the parking area or service lane which could be easily dug up without causing any major inconvenience.

The notice also asked developers to submit a service plan for IBS infrastructure in consultation with a telecom networking hardware consultant.

“The layout plans should clearly indicate the telecom as Utility Infrastructure lines. While submitting the proposed Building plan seeking approval from the relevant sanctioning Authority, the applicant shall also submit a complete Service Plan for In-Building Solutions (IBS) -Infrastructure along with required specifications in consultation with, and certified by a credible Telecom Networking hardware consultant,” the notice reads.

“Occupancy / Building Completion certificate to a building to be granted only after ensuring that the Common Telecommunication Infrastructure as per the prescribed standards is in place,” it said.

What do officials have to say?
An official from the Urban Development Department confirmed that the department has issued a notice seeking inputs from various stakeholders for the creation of a Common Telecommunication Infrastructure in new building plans.

“This is in line with the Central government’s framework for creating an ecosystem for digital connectivity. We have now sought suggestions and objections from various stakeholders,” the official said.

He further said that depending on the suggestions and objections, the department will proceed with the directive. “After the department receives suggestions and objections, we will discuss them with stakeholders and finalize the plan. This generally takes about a month after receiving input from the stakeholders,” he added.

Thumbs up from the stakeholders
Stakeholders from various sectors have welcomed the Urban Development Department’s move to enhance digital connectivity.

Jitendra M. Mehta, President of CREDAI MCHI Thane, said, “We are a developing country, and digital technology is a very important platform. Today, the internet connection is at the heart of our lives. In every home, internet users include senior citizens, children, and housemaids. Just a few years ago, there was a telephone connection.”

“As developers, we should always upgrade facilities for our flat purchasers. Now, locker facilities should be provided so that we can operate the lockers at our convenience, and not just during banking hours. CCTV should be mandatory in every building, covering all floors, lobby areas, and other common spaces, and it should be easy to operate from a centralised room,” he added.

Manju Yagnik, Vice Chairperson at Nahar Group and Senior Vice President of NAREDCO—Maharashtra, said, “The Maharashtra Urban Development Department’s directive to include Common Telecommunication Infrastructure (CTI) in new building plans is a forward-looking initiative aimed at enhancing Mumbai’s connectivity as the city prepares for a more aggressive 5G rollout in 2025. This policy ensures that residential and commercial spaces will be equipped for the growing demand for high-speed internet and smart technologies, positioning Mumbai as the key city in India’s tech-driven urban development. For developers, integrating CTI may involve an initial investment, but it presents long-term benefits, including enhanced property value and marketability. This investment not only aligns with the increasing buyer preference for digitally equipped spaces but also boosts the competitiveness of developers in a rapidly evolving market.”

“The government will be engaging with the developers and urban planners during the planning phase and this collaboration will help identify potential challenges that may arise during the design and execution stages, ensuring that the directive is both practical and feasible. Furthermore, integrating such infrastructure can stimulate the growth of the technical sector, providing opportunities for innovation and creating new markets. This will, in turn, contribute to the country’s overall economic development, driving the GDP higher and positioning India as a technologically advanced, globally competitive nation,” she added.

Sandeep Ahuja, Global CEO of Atmosphere Living, said that the directive from the Maharashtra Urban Development Department to mandate Common Telecommunication Infrastructure in new building plans is a step in the right direction.

“It aligns with the growing demand for seamless connectivity, which has become an essential part of modern living. While the requirement for telecom infrastructure before granting Occupancy or Completion Certificates adds an additional compliance layer, it also ensures that residents have access to uninterrupted digital services from day one. However, effective implementation will require collaboration between developers, civic authorities, and telecom providers. Early consultations and clear guidelines can prevent delays and streamline the process. If the government facilitates a practical framework with adequate timelines, it will help the real estate sector incorporate this change more efficiently. Ultimately, this initiative reflects a future-focused approach to urban planning, enhancing the overall quality of living in Mumbai’s developments,” he said.

Abhishek Tharwani, Director, Tharwani Realty, said, “Inclusion of Common Telecommunication Infrastructure in building new buildings would be a positive move to complement the rising needs of a non-disjoint connectivity network within urban regions. Given that people depend increasingly on digital services, proper telecom infrastructure should be ensured during the initial development stages, both for people living and operating their businesses within these spaces. The directive also underscores the need for more holistic urban planning. As cities grow smarter, integrating utilities like telecom, power, and waste management systems should be part of a larger vision for sustainable development.”

Tharwani further said that while the intent is commendable, the directive could pose challenges in terms of execution. “Developers will need clear guidelines and technical assistance to incorporate CTI efficiently, especially in projects where space and cost considerations are already tight,” he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, Sunny Bijlani, Joint-Managing Director of Supreme Universal, said, “The Maharashtra Urban Development Department’s directive to include Common Telecommunication Infrastructure (CTI) in new building plans is a proactive step in line with India’s expanding digital landscape. With over 1.2 billion telecom subscribers in India as of 2024, as per TRAI, ensuring robust connectivity is essential for modern urban living and future-ready smart cities. A collaborative approach between the government and the developers and the urban planning community can help address challenges like space constraints and cost models, ensuring compliance without compromising on project efficiency. This initiative can lead to long-term benefits, fostering smarter and more connected communities that contribute to the growth of a sustainable urban infrastructure.” Mid Day