================================================================ INFOSECFOLLOW -- security, markets, business, pittsburgh Sunday, June 21, 2026 - 4:05 PM EDT ================================================================ Microsoft's decade-old Secure Boot certificates begin expiring June 24, threatening the trusted boot chain on Windows and Linux machines that skip the update. CONTENTS: Emerging Trends and Key Updates | Security | Business and Politics | Pittsburgh | Sports | Reading | Markets EMERGING TRENDS AND KEY UPDATES ---------------------------------------------------------------- * [TREND] Threats are burrowing beneath software as the HAMLOCK backdoor hides in edge-device FPGAs and ASICs while expiring Secure Boot certificates leave UEFI machines unable to verify boot loaders. see: HAMLOCK Hardware Neural-Network Backdoor; Secure Boot Certificate Expiration * [UPDATE (new)] The crew behind the Madison Square Garden breach now claims to have publicly dumped its stolen corporate trove, turning the haul into extortion leverage. see: Madison Square Garden Data Leak * [UPDATE (updated)] Trump's pressure is reshaping diplomacy as Iran paused its Switzerland talks over a strike threat and Keir Starmer weighed resigning after Trump said he would step down. see: Iran Pauses U.S. Talks After Trump Strike Threat; Starmer on Brink of Resigning as UK Prime Minister * [TREND] Tech writers warn over AI hype, with Zitron calling inflated valuations a bursting Silicon Valley bubble and Newport arguing AI merely exposes knowledge work already broken. see: Premium: The Silicon Valley Bubble (Part 2); AI Isn't Breaking Work. It's Already Broken. * [UPDATE (new)] Local fixtures are shifting as Galaxie Electronics closed after 30 years in Squirrel Hill, Fayette County opened a Penn State feasibility study, and Hempfield prepared senior rebate checks. see: Galaxie Electronics Closes in Squirrel Hill; Penn State Fayette Campus Feasibility Study; Hempfield Senior Tax Rebate Checks Coming SECURITY ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. SECURE BOOT CERTIFICATE EXPIRATION Vulnerabilities and Exploits · [patch, vulnerability] Latest developments: Wired warned that the Microsoft-issued cryptographic keys underpinning UEFI Secure Boot start expiring June 24, 2026, on Windows and Linux machines. Microsoft issued the certificates that validate a computer's boot sequence in 2011, and they now reach end of life. Machines that miss the firmware and certificate refresh can no longer trust new boot-loader updates, opening a path for bootkits, so users and administrators should apply vendor Secure Boot updates before the deadline. - Wired Security: https://www.wired.com/story/a-critical-deadline-is-approaching-for-windows-and-linux-security/ 2. HAMLOCK HARDWARE NEURAL-NETWORK BACKDOOR AI Security · [supply-chain, ai, hardware] Latest developments: Researchers at the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida unveiled HAMLOCK, a backdoor that hides inside the FPGAs and ASICs running deep-learning models on edge devices by splitting its malicious logic across the hardware. Edge AI systems lean on third-party accelerator chips for speed, which creates supply-chain exposure. HAMLOCK spreads its malicious functionality across that silicon so it evades inspection and triggers on demand, putting any organization that buys rather than builds its AI hardware at risk. - Help Net Security: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/06/21/week-in-review-74k-fortinet-firewall-credentials-stolen-splunk-enterprise-rce-under-active-attack/ 3. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN DATA LEAK Data Breaches · [breach, leak] Latest developments: Wired reported that the attackers behind the Madison Square Garden breach now claim to have leaked the stolen data publicly. The trove tied to Madison Square Garden Entertainment includes a risk-rated list of celebrities and players alongside New York Knicks records. People named in the data face heightened targeting risk. - Wired Security: https://www.wired.com/story/security-news-this-week-hackers-claim-to-leak-stolen-madison-square-garden-data/ BUSINESS AND POLITICS ---------------------------------------------------------------- * Iran Pauses U.S. Talks After Trump Strike Threat Latest developments: Tehran said Sunday it paused the Switzerland negotiations after Trump threatened to strike Iran over its backing of Hezbollah, even as Vice President JD Vance met Iranian officials near Lake Lucerne to launch the talks. U.S. and Iranian negotiators gathered at a Swiss resort to build out last week's interim deal ending the war, with Vance meeting parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi; Trump's threat over the Israel-Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon now clouds whether the talks survive. - WSJ World News: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/war-in-lebanon-casts-shadow-over-renewed-iran-u-s-nuclear-talks-f457c7e9 - FT World: https://www.ft.com/content/c1014643-940c-4874-998a-0a52eb517c49 * Starmer on Brink of Resigning as UK Prime Minister Latest developments: Trump declared Sunday that Keir Starmer "will resign," and the prime minister went dark at Chequers to weigh his departure with his wife, Victoria, with some ministers expecting an announcement next week. Andy Burnham's by-election win has pushed Starmer toward quitting as British prime minister, and investors watch whether a Labour leadership change pressures UK gilts as Burnham's team already explores government appointments. - FT World: https://www.ft.com/content/ed96e673-8d46-4dec-aebc-d69863b9e801 - FT World: https://www.ft.com/content/e586d110-34cf-47c6-8a05-68750ee425dd PITTSBURGH ---------------------------------------------------------------- Weather: This Afternoon: Partly Sunny, high 82F. Tonight: Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, low 62F. Monday: Showers And Thunderstorms then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, high 77F. Business: * Galaxie Electronics Closes in Squirrel Hill Latest developments: Galaxie Electronics shut its doors after 30 years selling and repairing turntables in Squirrel Hill. Galaxie Electronics, the Squirrel Hill shop known for "keeping the tables turning," closed permanently after three decades in business, ending a longtime Pittsburgh source for audio gear and repairs. - WTAE: https://www.wtae.com/article/galaxie-electronics-stops-turning-tables-after-30-years-in-squirrel-hill/71653443 * Penn State Fayette Campus Feasibility Study Latest developments: Fayette County leaders and community partners launched a comprehensive feasibility study to weigh future uses for the Penn State Fayette campus property. The study will evaluate future opportunities for the Penn State Fayette campus property, as Fayette County officials look to chart what comes next for the site. - WPXI: https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/feasibility-study-explore-future-possibilities-penn-state-fayette-campus/MPEVCVKNBFHB3GMJJ2T7SJKB4Y/ Around town: * North Huntingdon Plans Irwin-Larimer Trail Study Latest developments: North Huntingdon officials approved hiring a consultant to study a walking and biking trail linking downtown Irwin to the township's Larimer village. The feasibility study will assess a proposed multiuse trail connecting downtown Irwin to the North Huntingdon community of Larimer in Westmoreland County. - TribLive: https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/north-huntingdon-seeks-proposals-for-trail-study/ * Hempfield Senior Tax Rebate Checks Coming Latest developments: Hempfield reported more applicants than expected for its new senior tax rebate program, and approved seniors should receive checks within the next few months. Hempfield Township's new senior tax rebate program drew heavier-than-anticipated demand, with approved applicants set to be reimbursed in the coming months. - TribLive: https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/applicants-for-hempfield-tax-rebate-more-than-expected/ SPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates (38-39) Sat Jun 20 · Pirates 1 · Rockies 2 · Final McCarthy hits leadoff inside-the-park homer off Skenes in Rockies' 2-1 win over Pirates https://plaintextsports.com/mlb/2026-06-20/pit-col Sun Jun 21 · Pirates 0 · Rockies 1 · Top 4th (in progress at last update) https://plaintextsports.com/mlb/2026-06-21/pit-col Up Next · Mariners @ Pirates · Tue Jun 23, 6:40 PM https://plaintextsports.com/mlb/2026-06-23/sea-pit Around the Teams: * Brandon Lowe on Fatherhood After Infertility Latest developments: In a Post-Gazette Father's Day feature, Pirates infielder Brandon Lowe called fatherhood "the greatest gift" after he and his wife battled infertility and turned to IVF. The Post-Gazette profiled Pirates infielder Brandon Lowe, who spoke about his and his wife's struggle with infertility and their path through IVF to having children. - Post-Gazette Pirates: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2026/06/21/brandon-lowe-kids-infertility-ivf-fathers-day-mlb/stories/202606210057 Team USA: * USMNT's Alex Freeman and His NFL Roots Latest developments: ESPN profiled U.S. men's national team defender Alex Freeman, son of former Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Freeman, on how his family steered him to the 2026 World Cup. The feature traces how Antonio Freeman taught his son Alex what it takes to be a professional, while Alex's mother and stepfather gave him his love of soccer, a path that landed him on the USMNT defense for the home World Cup. - ESPN Soccer: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49003063/how-alex-freeman-pro-bowl-dad-green-bay-packers-antonio-freeman-helped-world-cup-dream-usmnt READING ---------------------------------------------------------------- * Ed Zitron -- Premium: The Silicon Valley Bubble (Part 2) Building on his scoop that OpenAI spent $34 billion to make $13.07 billion in revenue, Zitron argues that years of inflated AI valuations have created a Silicon Valley bubble now approaching its end. https://www.wheresyoured.at/premium-the-silicon-valley-bubble-part-2/ * Stratechery -- An Interview with Michael Morton About E-Commerce in the Age of AI Ben Thompson interviews Michael Morton on how AI reshapes e-commerce, covering unfalsifiable bear cases, distribution versus referral models, grocery, and autonomous vehicles. https://stratechery.com/2026/an-interview-with-michael-morton-about-e-commerce-in-the-age-of-ai/ * Cal Newport -- AI Isn't Breaking Work. It's Already Broken. Responding to a Financial Times interview with Rebecca Hinds of the Work AI Institute about a survey of 6,000 digital workers, Newport argues that AI exposes dysfunction in knowledge work that long predates the technology. https://calnewport.com/ai-isnt-breaking-work-its-already-broken/ MARKETS (weekly average, change vs prior week) ---------------------------------------------------------------- S&P 500 7,483.56 ▲ +1.6% Dow 51,586.04 ▲ +1.8% Nasdaq 26,297.74 ▲ +2.5% WTI crude 77.35 ▼ -12.5% EUR/USD 1.1555 ▲ +0.1% GBP/USD 1.3359 = -0.0% USD/JPY 160.50 ▲ +0.1% ================================================================ Generated 2026-06-21 16:05 EDT. Sources: 24 security feeds; 9 Pittsburgh feeds; 4 Pittsburgh arts and events feeds; 6 Pittsburgh sports beat and podcast feeds; 4 Team USA feeds; the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, and the Financial Times; and Ed Zitron, Stratechery, Cal Newport. Markets from Yahoo Finance, weather from the NWS, scores from ESPN. Summaries are AI-generated from the linked reporting; verify at the sources. ================================================================