Iran “Leapfrogging” U.S. Cyber Defenses | Saving Colorado River Water | Hamas Banned in U.K., and more

The British government’s latest move represents both a rejection of the group’s extreme antisemitic ideology and a recognition that artificially dividing Hamas into separate military and political wings, like with Hezbollah, was a mistake.
Hamas, the Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, uses its provision of social services to build grassroots support amongst Palestinians, helping it to win the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections. Governance, however, did not moderate Hamas or temper its commitment to terrorism. Hamas has continued to carry out bombings, rocket and mortar attacks, shootings, and kidnappings. Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch accused Hamas of war crimes when it fired thousands of rockets and mortars into Israeli population centers and endangered Palestinian as well as Israeli civilians. In 2015, Amnesty International similarly accused Hamas of war crimes against Palestinian civilians during its 2014 conflict with Israel.
Hamas does not recognize Israel’s right to exist and has dedicated itself to violently seeking Israel’s destruction. It has been steadfast in its refusal to disarm, while its leaders have remained committed to the group’s violent strategy. In response to Britain’s planned proscription today, Hamas again reiterated its commitment to so-called “armed resistance.” In 2013, Hamas leaders declared the “gun” is the “only response” to Israel. The 1988 Hamas charter reiterates a Quranic call for Muslims to “fight the Jews (killing the Jews)” before the arrival of Judgment Day. Despite Hamas’s insistence that it is only anti-Israel and not antisemitic, Hamas members continue to use “Jews” and “Israel” interchangeably in calling for violence.

Four Takeaways from the Iranian Election Interference Indictments  (Joseph Marks, Washington Post)
Iran is shaping up to be one of the United States’ most nettlesome cyber foes.
That’s one of several clear takeaways from sanctions and indictments leveled yesterday against two Iranian hackers for attempted interference in the 2020 election.
Iran has been a major U.S. cyber opponent since at least 2011, when it launched a barrage of attacks against financial institutions that overwhelmed their websites with Internet traffic until they couldn’t operate.

QAnon Backer Sentenced to 14 Months for Attack on Army Reservists  (AP / Navy Times)
A QAnon supporter accused of attacking two U.S. Army reservists in a Milwaukee suburb earlier this year was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in federal prison.
Prosecutors say Ian Alan Olson, of Nashotah, drove a car spray-painted with QAnon slogans to the Wisconsin Army Reserve Center in Pewaukee on March 15 and shouted, “This is for America” before firing two or three paintball rounds at the soldiers. His gun then jammed.
The rounds did not hit the reservists, who initially believed Olson was holding a real firearm. One of the servicemen tackled Olson and held him to the ground until police arrived, investigators said.

Iran Is “Leapfrogging Our Defenses” in a Cyber War  (Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC)
On Thursday, the U.S. government revealed an indictment of two Iranian hackers for election interference.
Kevin Mandia, CEO of Mandiant, says Iran is among the nation-state sponsors of hacking that has improved its cyberattack capabilities in recent years to bypass U.S. defenses.
Mandia worries that whether it is Iran, China, Russia or North Korea, the rapid advances made by geopolitical rivals in cyberthreats is leading to a war the U.S.“will lose.”