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Today’s topics include how vigilante malware is protecting unpatched routers, HP launches its Open-Source Network OS, Twitter locks in Jack Dorsey as its permanent CEO, and Cisco is driving its investments in network chip startup Aquantia.
Countless numbers of routers and Internet-connected devices around the world are not properly updated, leaving the devices, their owners and the Internet at large at risk. A new code infection, however, dubbed Linux.Wifatch, is taking unpatched routers and devices a different route, protecting them, rather than exploiting them.
Symantec security researchers first discovered the Linux.Wifatch Trojan back on Jan. 12, identifying it as very low risk. On Oct. 1, Mario Ballano, senior security response engineer at Symantec, reported that Linux.Wifatch is remediating other malware infections present on the compromised device.
Hewlett-Packard made a strong entrance into the growing open networking field earlier this year with the release of its Altoline of switches, enabling customers to buy the branded systems and run third-party software on top of them. Now, the tech company is leading the launch of a Linux-based open-source network operating system (NOS) that will give networking vendors, developers and customers the ability to more easily optimize their networks for the rapidly changing demands being put on the data center.
On Oct. 5, Twitter named interim chief executive and co-founder Jack Dorsey as its permanent CEO. Dorsey, has been a member of Twitter’s board since the company was founded in March 2006. For the last three months, he has been dividing his time between Twitter and his full-time job as chief exec at mobile payments service Square. Twitter is getting Dorsey for a good deal: zero salary. Dorsey, who holds about a 4.7 percent stake in Twitter, is already a billionaire due to Square’s success.
Networking chip maker Aquantia has raised another $37 million in funding, thanks to the continued backing of Cisco Systems and new investors like chip manufacturer Globalfoundries. On Oct. 5, officials with 10-year-old Aquantia announced the new round of funding. They noted that Aquantia—which has more than 160 employees—has now raised a total of $199 million from vendors such as Cisco, Intel, Xilinx and Globalfoundries. A number of venture capital firms, such as Walden Riverwood and Venture Tech Alliance, also are investing the company.