OUR PICKSThe Bioeconomy Revolution | Iranian Cyber Group | Redefining Cyber Warfare, and more

What We Learned About Pegasus, the Smartphone Cracker  (Michael Levenson, New York Times)
Israel used the NSO Group’s cyberweapon as a tool of diplomacy. The F.B.I. tested it for domestic surveillance. Then everything soured. Here are highlights of a New York Times Magazine investigation.

Private Israeli Spyware Used to Hack Cellphones of Journalists, Activists Worldwide  (Dana Priest, Craig Timberg, and Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post)
NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, licensed to governments around the globe, can infect phones without a click.

DHS Data Use Evolving and Improving, Officials Say  (Patience Wait, Nextgov)
Chief data officers are having a major impact.

Biden Team Promises New Approach to Extremism, but Critics See Old Patterns  (Odette Yousef, NPR)
There is widespread agreement that domestic extremism poses a grave threat. But the Biden administration’s response has some observers wondering if the president’s team is recycling past mistakes or failing to grasp the scope of the challenge.

Republicans Slam Biden DHS for Starting Climate Change Program as Border Crisis Rages  (Tyler Olson, Fox News)
Southern border crossings increased yet again in December.

Senator: U.S. Needs More Cyber Plans, Money to Handle Russia  (Arpan Lobo, Holland Sentinel / Government Technology)
Given that Washington, D.C., and Russia are at odds over Ukraine, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said there’s an urgent need for more federal cybersecurity programs and funding to prepare for any Russia-linked cyber attacks.

Russian Invasion of Ukraine Could Redefine Cyber Warfare  (Maggie Miller, Politico)
As Russian troops mass on the Ukrainian border, experts outline the worst-case scenario for cyberattacks and counterstrikes.

FBI Warns Over Iranian Cyber Group, Tells Organizations to Up Their Defenses  (Liam Tung, ZDNet)
FBI says the group poses a broader cybersecurity threat outside of information operations.

The Future and Past of War and Disease  (Michael Spirtas and Stephen Webber, RAND / United Press International Outside View)
Imagine a war with China, with a deadlier virus decimating carrier crews and air bases in the Pacific. Would the United States and allied militaries slow operations to limit infection, at the risk of losing the war, or would they try to fight through the disease? DoD could do more to prepare for the next pandemic, which could occur within the next 60 years.
War and disease have a long and wretched history. The Athenians battled plague in addition to Sparta. In the late Middle Ages, disease contributed to the fall of the Venetian Empire. Napoleon benefited from Venice’s fall, but his own empire was brought low by disease. The Grande Armée that invaded Russia was hurt more by typhus than by the Russians (PDF).
Disease has also played a role in American military history. In 1777, George Washington inoculated the Continental Army against smallpox. More than 60% of casualties on both sides of the American Civil War were attributed to disease. In World War I, the 1918 influenza pandemic hampered efforts to mobilize the American Expeditionary Forces.

The Bioeconomy Revolution Can End the Panic-and-Neglect Cycle in Health Security  (Ryan Morhard, Think Global Health)
Progress in biotechnology will advance pandemic defenses even more in coming decades