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iPhones, social networking add to IT security woes
The security staff at private and government organizations have new security problems to contend with: smartphones and social networking
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U.S. Government recommends weighing laptop before and after visit to China
The U.S. government urges travelers to follow extremely strict policies for visits to China which extend far beyond standard software protection; the policies encourage them to leave their standard IT equipment at home and to buy separate gear only for use in China
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New disappearing ink developed
Nanoparticle inks that fade away in hours could be ideal for secure communications, top-secret maps, and other sensitive documents
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NSA to build $2 billion data center in Utah
The NSA major data center — in Fort Meade, Maryland — has maxed out the capacity of the Baltimore area power grid; the super-secret agency is building a second data center in San Antonio, Texas, and has revealed plans to build a third center — a mammoth, 65 MW, $1.93 billion in Camp Williams, Utah
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Disk containing secret defense-contract details sold in Ghana for $40
Journalism students buy a hard-drive containing secret information on multi-million dollar contracts between Northrop Grumman and the Pentagon; they bought the drive at Ghana “digital dump” for $40
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U.K. appoints a new "C"
Outsider Sir John Sawers appointed new head of MI6, the U.K. Secret Intelligence Service; by tradition, the head of MI6 is called “C” (for “Chief”), and he writes all internal memos in green ink
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Worries in the U.K. over Chinese-made phone equipment
BT is engaged in a massive upgrade of its 21CN network backbone; trouble is, at the core of this upgrade is equipment acquired from Chinese networking giant Huawei, a company Western intelligence services have long suspected of being a front for Chinese intelligence; fear of an undetectable “kill switch” that could disable critical communications
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Tensions arise over White House reorganization plan
President Obama plans to merge the staffs of the White House National Security Council and Homeland Security Council — while stipulating that John Brennan, his homeland security adviser, will still be reporting directly to the president; tensions rise
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Parliamentary committee: 7/7 bombings might have been stopped
A Parliamentary committee finds that MI5’s operational decisions prior to the 7/7 attacks in London were “understandable and reasonable”; MI5 had to plot leader and some of his followers in its sights, but could not connect the dots for lack of information and resources
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China deploys secure computer operating system
China has installed a secure operating system known as “Kylin” on government and military computers designed to be impenetrable to U.S. military and intelligence agencies
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F-35 project hacking case highlights need for tighter contractor security
Hackers managed to download terabytes of information about one of the Pentagon’s most prized weapons systems; experts say this latest breach highlights the need for stricter security requirements for contractor networks
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Hackers steal several terabytes of data on U.S. fighter-jet project
Hackers — in all likelihood Chinese operatives — breach Pentagon’s security and download several terabytes of data on the $300-billion Joint Strike Fighter project (the F-35 Lightning II) which may make it easier to defend against the futuristic aircraft
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Dennis Blair ousts ONI Inspector General
Last November, the Inspector General (IG) at the U.S. Office of National Intelligence issued a report in which he highlighted ongoing problems inside ONI and the intelligence community, including poor communication, turf battles, incompatible computer systems, and mission confusion; last Friday, Dennis Blair, director of ONI, fired the IG
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Their brothers' keepers: Spy satellites spy on each other
If you thought spy satellites in the sky only look down at what is going on on Earth, think again; the United States admits two covert inspection satellites got real close to a failed geostationary satellite to see what was wrong with it; experts worry this is the beginning of anti-satellite arms race
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Pair behind Chinese counterfeit computer components arrested
Two California men arrested for illegally exporting sensitive technology to China; pair also accused of conspiring to purchase counterfeit electronic components for distribution in the U.S.
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The long view
AI-Powered Massive Deepfake Detector to Safeguard Elections from Deepfake Threats
Israeli startup Revealense has introduced its illuminator Massive Deepfake Detector, an AI-powered solution designed to combat the growing threat of deepfakes in electoral processes. Dov Donin, CEO of Revealense, said: “Our system is already used by several governments globally.”
How the U.S. Can Counter Disinformation from Russia and China
Attempts by Russia, China, and other U.S. adversaries to spread dangerous false narratives need to be countered before they take root.
Emerging Threats to the U.S. Financial System
In early 2021, a freewheeling, freethinking group of investors on Reddit plowed their money into GameStop, a video game retailer that several big hedge funds had bet against. The stock price shot up, some people made millions—and, to the delight of those on Reddit, the hedge funds had some very bad days. Researchers saw the GameStop story as a cautionary tale. If investors on Reddit could work together to move the markets like that, what could an adversary like China do?