Technology

• Canada’s House of Commons notified its employees of a cyberincident
• It lost sensitive employee data to unnamed hackers
• Threat actors apparently broke in through a Microsoft SharePoint flaw

Canada’s House of Commons has reportedly suffered a cyberattack which saw it lose sensitive employee data.

A CBC report, citing an internal email that the organization sent to its staff, says the attack saw an unidentified threat actor exploit a “recent Microsoft vulnerability” to access a database with information on employee computers and mobile devices.

Among the data stolen in the attack was employee names, email addresses, job titles, office locations, and information about the devices they use.

SharePoint under the magnifying glass

At the moment, both the House of Commons and Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) are investigating the issue.

"Attribution of a cyber incident is difficult. Investigating cyber threat activity takes resources and time, and there are many considerations involved in the process of attributing malicious cyber activity," CSE apparently said in a statement.

The organization told its employees to remain vigilant, and be wary of incoming communications.

The details are scarce, but the House of Commons saying the attackers used a “recent Microsoft vulnerability” fueled speculation that it was done through an infamous SharePoint flaw which has been exploited recently.

Canada’s Cyber Centre recently issued a warning about a SharePoint Server flaw called ToolShell, tracked as CVE-2025-53770.

ToolShell was first observed in late July 2025, and has been abused by multiple threat actors, including Chinese state-sponsored groups.

Multiple high-profile organizations have already been compromised this way, including the US National Nuclear Security Administration, Rhode Island General Assembly, and many others.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Microsoft SharePoint worries increase as ransomware gangs join the party, experts warn
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Managing energy consumption is one of the biggest challenges to turn a nation’s AI vision into reality. AI data centers require vast power resources at a time when the national grids are shifting toward renewables. Another major hurdle is talent. With global competition for AI expertise heating up, countries must invest more in education and training. There should also be more industry collaboration to build the skilled workforce needed for a true independent AI vision.

AI workloads and energy use

AI workloads, particularly those associated with large language models (LLMs) and advanced analytics, impose varying energy demands. Training AI models is an extremely computationally intensive process, requiring stable, high-energy inputs over extended periods. It involves feeding large datasets into deep learning models, running complex calculations, and iterating repeatedly to refine accuracy.

This process demands high-performance computing resources and an uninterrupted power supply, making it one of the most energy-consuming aspects of AI.

In contrast, AI inference runs models in real-time to make predictions, classify data, or analyze text, images, and video. Though less demanding than training, inference workloads are dynamic and need efficient and steady energy resource allocation for real-time tasks like chatbots, automation, and edge computing.

So how can we manage the energy consumption from these intensive AI workloads?

Renewable energy: A double-edged sword

Renewable energy is central to the UK's AI Action Plan and its ambitions to become a leader in AI data centers. With substantial resources in wind, solar and hydro contributing 36.1% of electricity generation in 2023, the UK can tackle the growing electricity demand in a more environmentally sustainable manner.

The UK's newly established AI Energy Council is expected to explore innovative energy solutions, such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), to bridge this gap. With AI-driven energy consumption accelerating, a 160% increase in data center power demand is anticipated.

Despite hardware efficiency gains seen in AI adoption and real-world scenarios, increasing demand for the technology outpaces these improvements. Popular AI-driven solutions, such as ChatGPT, have seen rapid user adoption, surpassing 100 million users in 2025 with approximately 464 million visits per month.

The International Energy Agency reports that a single ChatGPT query requires 2.9 watt-hours of electricity, nearly ten times more than a Google search, which only needs 0.3 watt-hours.

As AI continues to scale, the growing energy consumption raises important concerns about environmental sustainability, highlighting the need for strategic solutions.

Aligning AI workloads with renewable energy and advanced resource management

It is clear that renewable energy alone is insufficient in meeting the UK’s AI Action Plan’s requirements, which presents a chance for AI data centers to adopt intelligent workload scheduling and resource management strategies. AI workloads should be scheduled to coincide with periods of peak renewable energy generation, such as high-wind periods or midday solar peaks.

This approach allows AI training tasks, which require significant power, to be executed when renewable energy availability is at its highest, reducing reliance on non-renewable backup sources or storage technologies such as batteries.

AI requires high levels of compute resources, typically utilizing specialized hardware like GPUs, which handle high levels of parallel transactions essential for AI models and applications. Multi-tenanted GPU virtualization and graphics virtualization solutions effectively consolidate resource utilization, reducing the need for additional hardware and energy consumption.

GPUs are significantly more energy-efficient than CPUs for AI inference tasks—studies show up to 42x greater efficiency—but their increasing cost and energy intensity make strategic allocation crucial. Given the complexity of GPU scenarios, which vary depending on applications, query types, and user volume, ensuring these powerful resources are fully utilized and not left idle is a top priority for reducing environmental impact and maximizing return on investment.

Effective GPU optimization strategies include dynamic sharing and partitioning techniques, enabling better resource allocation, minimizing wastage, and supporting data centers transitioning to renewable energy sources.

AI schedulers should be designed to scale compute resources up or down based on real-time energy availability. This means distributing (within data proximity requirements) workloads across different geographic locations where renewable energy is abundant at any given time and adjusting processing speeds to match fluctuating renewable energy supplies.

Further boosting energy efficiency in data centers requires innovative solutions, like liquid cooling and AI-driven optimization, with advanced designs and hardware that minimize energy consumption. A diversified energy mix is also key, combining renewables with technologies like SMRs to ensure a stable power supply, supported by data center energy monitoring and allocation modelling.

Government agencies can also drive environmental sustainability by financially incentivizing data centers to run on renewable energy while managing growth to protect the energy grid. These strategies ensure consistent power availability while maximizing the use of renewable energy when conditions are favorable.

Building a future of innovation and environmental sustainability

The UK is well-placed to achieve its AI ambitions without overwhelming the energy grid, provided it embraces a portfolio of efficiency levers across workload, hardware and infrastructure layers. Physical virtualization is one of the most immediate and proven techniques. Deployments of advanced virtualization platforms can cut physical servers by 39 % and trim three-year infrastructure cost by 34 %, according to IDC’s 2024 study.

Fewer racks translate directly into a lower baseload on the grid and quicker alignment with renewable-energy contracts. AI acceleration now benefits as well; tests have shown that virtualization solutions with GPU support delivers AI training performance within 1–6 % of bare metal and inference at 94–105 % yet still leave up to 88 % of CPU cores free for other work. Multi-tenant GPU virtualization therefore drives higher AI throughput per watt, deferring additional hardware purchases and the embodied carbon they carry.

Alongside virtualization, emerging technologies such as liquid cooling, AI-driven energy-optimization software and diversified power sources (including small modular reactors) will further curb data-center consumption. While no single solution is a silver bullet, the strategic combination of consolidated, software-defined infrastructure and intelligent energy management positions the UK to set a global example—demonstrating how cutting-edge AI capability and energy security can advance together on a clear trajectory to net-zero.

By prioritizing environmentally sustainable and sovereign approaches, the UK has a unique opportunity to set a global example – demonstrating how cutting-edge AI and energy security can evolve together.

We've featured the best AI website builder.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, August 15 (game #796).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #797) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TISSUE
• WORK
• PLUCK
• CONSTRUCTION
• CRUSH
• CREPE
• CREAM
• RESOLVE
• ROLLING
• REPAIRS
• SHELLAC
• TOILET
• GRIT
• ROUT
• UPGRADES
• FORTITUDE

NYT Connections today (game #797) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Unwavering perseverance 
• GREEN: Home improvements
• BLUE: To deliver a heavy defeat
• PURPLE: Pulp friction

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #797) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: INTREPIDITY 
• GREEN: RENOVATIONS
• BLUE: TROUNCE
• PURPLE: KINDS OF SOFT/LIGHTWEIGHT PAPER

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #797) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #797, are…

• YELLOW: INTREPIDITY FORTITUDE, GRIT, PLUCK, RESOLVE
• GREEN: RENOVATIONS CONSTRUCTION, REPAIRS, UPGRADES, WORK
• BLUE: TROUNCE CREAM, CRUSH, ROUT, SHELLAC
• PURPLE: KINDS OF SOFT/LIGHTWEIGHT PAPER CREPE, ROLLING, TISSUE, TOILET

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

A great puzzle today which got me pondering how we use TOILET paper to sneeze into, blow our noses, or dab them.

TOILET paper works perfectly well for this function because it’s essentially the same product as facial tissue, just in a different format. Yet, despite this, we’d never think of using facial tissue in place of toilet paper. Why is that? We might even use less and save money if we did.

The INTREPIDITY group contained four incredible qualities we should all strive to possess and I suspect those that do possess them don’t have time to ponder the differences between KINDS OF SOFT/LIGHTWEIGHT PAPER.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, August 15, game #796)

• YELLOW: POULTRY CUTS BREAST, TENDER, THIGH, WING
• GREEN: HANDLE, AS A BILL FOOT, PAY, SETTLE, TAKE CARE OF
• BLUE: SPLENDID BRILLIANT, CAPITAL, FINE, GRAND
• PURPLE: STARTS OF CULINARY NUTS CASH, HAZE, MAC, PEC

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, August 15 (game #1299).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• O

• Q

• S

• E

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1300) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1300, are…

• OWING
• QUAKE
• SLIDE
• ELITE

A very tricky round that could have easily gone sideways.

It took me quite a while before I found a letter containing A,U and E from the letters I had left. I could think of plenty using unavailable letters and came close to entering "usage" just to end the misery. Then I thought of QUAKE and the sweet relief of reaching the end.

Daily Sequence today (game #1300) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1300, are…

• SPEAK
• MORAL
• WIMPY
• SMACK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1299, Friday, 15 August: WHALE, PRISM, DRAKE, TEPEE
• Quordle #1298, Thursday, 14 August: LAPEL, IDIOM, RENEW, LIVER
• Quordle #1297, Wednesday, 13 August: CACTI, HOMER, EMAIL, ALBUM
• Quordle #1296, Tuesday, 12 August: SPOOL, TITLE, JAUNT, OVINE
• Quordle #1295, Monday, 11 August: ADULT, BROOM, PURER, CRUEL
• Quordle #1294, Sunday, 10 August: SCRUM, PIPER, TROLL, SPORE
• Quordle #1293, Saturday, 9 August: NOOSE, INLET, ELEGY, VIRUS
• Quordle #1292, Friday, 8 August: KNEEL, KINKY, RALPH, BOOZY
• Quordle #1291, Thursday, 7 August: PLUNK, PROXY, CURVY, PEARL
• Quordle #1290, Wednesday, 6 August: RISKY, APART, FAUNA, HANDY
• Quordle #1289, Tuesday, 5 August: ROAST, SLICK, AUDIT, BILLY
• Quordle #1288, Monday, 4 August: MACAW, SINCE, COLON, CHIRP
• Quordle #1287, Sunday, 3 August: MOTIF, LEERY, LOFTY, BURST
• Quordle #1286, Saturday, 2 August: WARTY, PUPAL, CLEAR, SLICE
• Quordle #1285, Friday, 1 August: ACTOR, MEALY, WIDTH, ADOBE
• Quordle #1284, Thursday, 31 July: STYLE, VALET, AGONY, ALLOY
• Quordle #1283, Wednesday, 30 July: DEBAR, ADMIN, FOLIO, USAGE
• Quordle #1282, Tuesday, 29 July: BATCH, TOPIC, MURKY, BUNCH
• Quordle #1281, Monday, 28 July: CANDY, TRYST, SHIRT, FORGO

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, August 15 (game #530).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #531) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Think on it!

NYT Strands today (game #531) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• LEGAL
• BANGER
• GAURD
• SNUB
• NOSE
• FATAL

NYT Strands today (game #531) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #531) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 2nd column

Last side: bottom, 1st column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #531) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #531, are…

• LOGIC
• ANALYSIS
• LANGUAGE
• NUMBERS
• ORDER 
• REASON
• SPANGRAM: LEFT BRAIN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

The theme “Think on it!” could mean anything at all, so I went hunting for non-game words to earn a hint.

I got the word LEFT but completely missed seeing BRAIN, which probably says something about my lack of LOGIC and LEFT BRAIN dexterity.

Anyway, with logic gifted to me I was able to spot the other thinking words including a corkscrewing ANALYSIS and backwards REASON.

A nice work out for the brain, then, but not so taxing an exercise that I actually had to do any proper thinking.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, August 15, game #530)

• DISHES
• GARBAGE
• GROCERIES
• LAUNDRY
• VACUUMING
• SPANGRAM: WHAT A CHORE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Wet-dry vacuums are becoming more common products. The latest S30 and S30 Pro from Narwal come with AI-powered features and self-cleaning.

Different noise colors affect your brain differently and they can be helpful if you have them on as you go to sleep. Here's how noise colors work and how you can try them.

Whether you're looking for an affordable option or one with all of the bells and whistles, we've rounded up the best microwaves for every situation.