Mobile networks continue to be a major target for cybersecurity breaches, and Chinese hacking group Salt Typhoon's persistent attacks on multiple carriers

As venture capital coalesces around the national capital, the surrounding region recently saw a big leap in how much these investors have put into companies with local ties. Companies in DC and its suburbs collected $1.7 billion in investment across 67 deals during 2024’s second quarter, according to the latest quarterly Venture Monitor report that PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) released on Thursday. This is twice the amount that was invested in the prior quarter, as well as the greatest sum of funds since the first quarter of 2022, which saw a nearly $2.1 billion investment.JUUL brought in an overwhelming portion of last quarter’s investment  — about $1.3 billion. The electronic cigarette company, which relocated to DC in 2020 but still has a massive West Coast presence, raised almost as much in a mega deal that topped PitchBook’s regional figures for Q4 2023. These latest tallies represent an uptick in investment compared to the first quarter’s quieter start to the year, which brought in $858 million. There were 67 deals reported in the second quarter, just three more than the preceding one