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Taking the Elf Off the Shelf: Why the U.S. Should Consider a Civilian Cyber Defense  (Maggie Smith, Mark Grzegorzewski, and Barnett Koven, Lawfare)
The U.S. doesn’t have a civilian cyber defense. Here’s why it should and how it should be implemented.

Jan. 6 Hearings to Examine Role Extremist Groups, White House Played in Capitol Attack  (Scott Patterson, Wall Street Journal)
Next public hearings are likely to focus on the extent of ties between extremist groups and associates of Donald Trump.

The Three Ps of Amplifying and Accelerating Domestic Extremism in the United States  (Anne Speckhard And Molly Ellenberg, HSToday)
When communities are polarized, they increasingly see those on the other side of any issue as being completely unlike them and opposing their sacred values.

China’s Biomedical Data Hacking Threat: Applying Big Data Isn’t as Easy as It Seems  (Kathleen M. Vogel and Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley, Texas National Security Review)
Concerns have developed in recent years about the acquisition of U.S. biomedical information by Chinese individuals and the Chinese government and how this creates security and economic threats to the United States. And yet, China’s illicit acquisition of data is only one aspect of what is required to produce an enhanced science and technology capability that would pose a security threat. Current assessments fail to account for the heterogeneity of big data and the challenges that any actor (state or nonstate) faces in making sense of this data and using it. In this context, current law enforcement and policies that focus on the Chinese acquisition of biomedical big data should expand to other important aspects of China’s science and technology capabilities, including the country’s ability to interpret, integrate, and use the acquired data for its economic or military benefit. This article provides new socio-technical frameworks that can be used to provide greater insights into Chinese threats involving biomedical big data.

Canada’s National Police Force Admits Use of Spyware to Hack Phones  (Maura Forrest, Politico)
The RCMP says it needs to use malware because encryption has made surveillance “exponentially more difficult.”

Italy Faces Worst Drought in Decades as Europe Feels the Heat  (Eric Sylvers, Wall Street Journal)
With extreme weather events becoming more frequent in Europe, Italy’s longest river is at its lowest level since at least World War II.