OUR PICKSThreat from Quantum Computers | Case for the Nuclear Deterrent | China Bolts Residents into Apartments, and more

White House Sounds Alarm on Threat from Quantum Computers  (Patrick Tucker, Defense One)
New directive orders the government to work with industry on security that can stand up to tomorrow’s quantum-powered decryption tools.

Backlash to DHS Disinformation Governance Board Grows, Fueled in Part by Misinformation  (Suzanne Smalley, Cyberscoop)
Mayorkas spent the weekend on cable news trying to combat misinformation about the disinformation board. He emphasized that the board will be advisory and will not have operational authority. Asked about the comparisons to Orwell’s Ministry of Truth, Mayorkas told CNN that “those criticisms are precisely the opposite of what this small working group within the Department of Homeland Security will do.”
But Mayorkas also acknowledged that his team “probably could have done a better job of communicating what it does and does not do.”
It’s a view several disinformation experts agreed with, saying that the vagueness around what the board will do combined with its tone-deaf name raises important questions about whether it is an appropriate tool for DHS to use to fight disinformation.

China Bolts Residents Reluctant to Lock Down into Apartments in Desperate Pursuit of Zero-COVID  (Tom, Sykes, Daily Beast)
Chinese authorities are now using bolts and wires to forcibly lock residents into their apartments to prevent them leaving their homes, in brutal COVID-prevention strategies that recall the darkest early days of the pandemic. Caixin Global, an independent news agency quoted by the Telegraph, said the radical measures, the latest salvo in Beijing’s quest for zero Covid, were being reserved for people who declined to voluntarily lock themselves into their apartments—and hand over the keys.

“He Has Embarked on a War He Can’t Stop”: Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Putin’s Next Move  (Will Dunn, New Statesman)
Jailed for a decade by Putin, the exiled oligarch explains how the Russian leader consolidated his power – and why the West still fails to understand him.

The Case for the Nuclear Deterrent Is Clearer Than Ever  (Julian Lewis and John Woodcock, Prospect)
It is beyond doubt that Ukrainians today wish they had nuclear weapons. We should never surrender ours.

Can Sustainable Suburbs Save Southern California?  (Emily Witt, New Yorker)
Developers are planning new towns full of electric cars outside L.A. Critics say that sprawl—even if it comes with new tech and carbon offsets—will worsen the environmental crisis.

CISA Director Warns of Threat of ‘Cascading Attacks’ from Russia Like NotPetya ‘as War Drags on’  (Bridget Johnson, HSToday)
Budget request of $2.5 billion funds ability of CISA and partners to detect, analyze, mitigate, and respond to cybersecurity threats, Easterly tells Congress.

How to Gauge the Risk of a Nuclear Escalation with Russia  (Maj. Shane Praiswater, Defense One)
Escalation theories can help NATO policymakers avoid nuclear war—but it is ultimately up to Putin.