# Spyware hidden in ads, Cohere buys a security startup, and a spy agency data centre

> Citizen Lab's AdFection findings, Cohere's deal for Aisle, CSE's planned data centre, a holiday scam warning and VGLX.

- Published: 2026-10-16T11:00:00.000Z
- By: The Circuit Staff
- Type: Daily Briefing
- Topics: Daily Briefing, Security, AI, Gaming
- URL: https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-16-briefing/

Yesterday was a big day for security news. Here's what happened.

## 1. Citizen Lab finds spyware delivered through ads

The University of Toronto's Citizen Lab and Confiant documented a "zero-click" spyware attack delivered through targeted ads, which they called AdFection. The ads ran on nearly 200,000 sites and apps, including CBC, and infected targets' devices without a click. [Read the full story](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-15-citizen-lab-adfection-spyware/)

**Why it matters:** Spyware advice usually assumes you have to click something. This only needed an ordinary ad.

## 2. Cohere moves to buy Aisle and launch Cohere Cyber

Cohere signed a letter of intent to acquire Aisle, which uses AI to find and fix software flaws, and is launching a security unit called Cohere Cyber, [The Logic reports](https://thelogic.co/news/cohere-deal-acquire-aisle-cybersecurity/). [Read the full story](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-15-cohere-to-acquire-aisle/)

**Why it matters:** Cohere is betting its future on governments and regulated industries, where security matters most.

## 3. CSE plans a data centre worth up to $1.8 billion

A Defence Construction Canada notice points to a new Ottawa-area data centre for the Communications Security Establishment, costing $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion. [Read the full story](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-15-cse-ottawa-data-centre/)

**Why it matters:** More of Canada's most sensitive data is moving to infrastructure the government controls.

## 4. The Cyber Centre's holiday shopping warning

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security's holiday guidance warns that AI is making fake stores, ads and reviews harder to spot, and that AI shopping assistants can't reliably tell a real seller from a fake one. [Read the full story](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-15-cyber-centre-ai-shopping-scams/)

**Why it matters:** The old warning signs, like bad spelling and sloppy design, are disappearing. Verify sellers yourself.

## 5. VGLX wants to be Canada's big gaming show

Canada makes plenty of games but has no PAX or Gamescom of its own. VGLX's second show runs October 24–25 in Mississauga. [Read the full story](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-15-vglx-canada-gaming-convention/)

**Why it matters:** A consumer show gives Canadian studios a stage, and gives fans one closer to home.

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**One more thing:** Epic bragged that its rebuilt game launcher opens in 5.47 seconds, almost twice as fast as Steam. Then Valve quietly shipped an update, and users clocked Steam at about 5.2 seconds, [MobileSyrup reports](https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/10/15/epic-games-brags-about-faster-vibe-coded-app-as-steam-quietly-beats-it/).