OUR PICKSUkraine’s Drone Strike and the Innovation Imperative | Trump Guts Digital ID Rules | Fake Images and Conspiracy Theories Swirl Around L.A. Protests, and more

Fake Images and Conspiracy Theories Swirl Around L.A. Protests  (Steven Lee Myers, New York Times)
Disinformation spreading on social media platforms has stoked an already tense situation.

Ukraine’s Drone Strike and the Innovation Imperative  (John B. Sherman, HSToday)
Ukraine’s bold drone strike against multiple Russian bomber bases on June 1 of this year continues to reverberate in security circles around the globe. Russian President Vladimir Putin, quite predictably, struck back days later with his own extensive drone and missile attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Whereas Russia’s attacks were again an example of blunt, uncalibrated force, Kiev’s ability to destroy numerous Russian bombers and early warning aircraft, perhaps totaling $7B in assets, serves an intelligence and operational coup that will be studied for decades to come.
Much has already been written about how Ukraine’s operation again demonstrated that the nature of warfare has changed in a way that many have not fully grasped. We talk in the U.S. about rapidly emerging technologies –  drones, artificial intelligence (AI), new cyber capabilities, software-defined weapons, and commercialized space systems – and militaries worldwide, including ours, are working to adapt. Still, there’s something about Ukraine’s practical, here-and-now employment that is awe-inspiring. They’re not talking about it, nor working through complex bureaucracies and requests of information. They’re instead fighting a war of survival and showing how innovation thrives when one’s family and homeland is under a real threat.

Russian Spy Ring Reveals the Reality of Radio Frequency Espionage  (Luke Whiting, HSToday)
In an age where nation-states wage information warfare not just online, but in the invisible spectrum around us, wireless signals have become a vital domain of espionage. A recently uncovered case involving Russian intelligence operatives reveals the scale and sophistication of modern RF (radio frequency) surveillance efforts. It serves as a wake-up call for enterprises and federal defense agencies alike. 

Trump Cyber Executive Order Drops Biden-Era Provisions  (Jonathan Greig, The Register)
An executive order issued Friday by President Donald Trump rolls back rules for federal software acquisition and sets strict deadlines for government agencies to create new rules about quantum and AI-related cybersecurity measures.
The directive amends previously issued cybersecurity executive orders from former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

Trump Guts Digital ID Rules, Claims They Help ‘Illegal Aliens’ Commit Fraud  (Jessica Lyons, The Register)
Also axes secure software mandates - optional is the new secure, apparently.

States Sue Trump Administration to Prevent Use of Rapid-Fire Gun Device  (Perry Stein, Washington Post)
The device allows semiautomatic weapons to fire more rapidly. Federal officials had classified them as machine guns, effectively making them illegal.