- Aug 2022
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domestic intelligence gap
What should this be about?
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offering incentives for internet service providers (ISPs) and cloud providers to reduce malicious activity within their infrastructure
Adding more liability to businesses to clean their portions. This may bring in limitations by ISPs and cloud providers on the use of encryption, or allow them to do DPI to scan the packages. It may be tricky with regards to freedoms in some aspects.
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greater transparency about defend forward actions
Also a very important proposal: greater transparency about weapons (exploits, vulnerabilities) and how these are collected and managed (that's VEP above) + about operations (who and how can deploy those and other tools, in what circumstances, under whose authorization, against what targets, etc)
This was already raised at the OEWG through the Geneva Dialogue contribution.
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Develop coalition-wide practices for the Vulnerabilities Equities Process (VEP).
It is good there is recognition that vulnerabilities are among key challenges. Current US VEP is a good and positive example, but not sufficiently transparent. It is not expected that US 'adversaries' will do the same, but they expect at least partners.
Yet, an open question will be how to make sure other parties are not exploiting vulnerabilities (and thus having advantages)? It would have to be done as combination of a) more secure products by partners (security by design practices)<br> b) stricter supply chain control to avoid vulnerabilities in imported products c) strengthening vulnerability disclosure processes and policies, as well as resources/capabilities (eg. finding ways to lure Chinese researchers to report vuln. to western institutions in spite of Chinese law)
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Declare norms against destructive attacks on election and financial systems.
Possible further norms. Though the more norms they have, the bigger limitations the US will have on their possible offensive operations referred to above and below. ||AndrijanaG|| ||Pavlina||
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Create an international cybercrime center
This is very strange and confusing. What should such a center do? Would it be a law enforcement body (but then there is interpol...)? Or forensics support? Or awareness and capacity building? ||AndrijanaG|| ||bojanakATnetwork.diplomacy.edu||
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Agree to and adopt a shared policy on digital privacy that is interopera-ble with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).• Resolve outstanding issues on U.S.-European Union (EU) data transfers.
US would need to find a way to agree on privacy, data, big tech issues with EU
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its policy for digital competition with the broader enterprise of national security strategy
Washington to link its digital competition (economic and trade policies) with national security. Another signal that digital trade and data flow will be more strongly linked to national security.
||JovanK|| ||MariliaM||
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balance more targeted diplomatic and economic pressure on adversaries, as well as more disruptive cyber operations, with clear statements about self-imposed restraint on specific types of targets
when it comes to adversaries, a combination of economic pressure and 'disruptive' (read also: offensive?) cyber operations - while respecting the OEWG/GGE norms endorsed by partners
Question is if partners (esp. beyond EU - eg. India, Brazil) would accept that offensive approach of the US against their adversaries - even if respecting the norms and int. law?
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consolidate a coalition of allies and friends around a vision of the internet
In other words, if internet has to fragment, let's make sure we get the biggest part of it ruled by a common set of rules that support democratic values.
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Cybercrime is a national security risk
This is an important recognition: cybercrime used to be discussed separately from national security and int. peace and security. This won't be possible any more, because tools, tactics and procedures are similar (eg. ransomware, exploits), and resources of perpetrators are similar (eg. organised criminal groups) or adversaries are linked or work together (eg. APT groups with states).
In that sense, keeping global dialogue about cybercrime fully separated from peace and stability won't be possible any more; there will need to be links.
||AndrijanaG|| ||Pavlina|| ||bojanakATnetwork.diplomacy.edu|| ||teodoramATnetwork.diplomacy.edu||
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Indictments and sanctions have been ineffective in stopping state-backed hackers.
Another rather blunt recognition: indictments and sanctions don't work when it comes to deterrence. Yet, some believe they are powerful as part of a set of measures. (There is certain broader question about the effectiveness of sanctions, though)
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Norms are more useful in binding friends together than in constraining adversaries
An interesting and well articulated point: US should make sure that friends and partners (in broader sense - esp. swing states) adhere to norms. They can't expect that Russia and China will adhere, so for them they might need a different approach (combining multiple options as discussed elsewhere in the document)
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The United States can no longer treat cyber and information opera-tions as two separate domains
Another merging area: information warfare and cyber conflict. For long, the US has been pushing back strongly not to bring discussions about content into cybersecurity discussions. It was the main difference between the US and Russia/China in understanding the scope. As content becomes weapon in full sense, this won't be possible any more. Likely, US will bring the two together in discussions with like-minded partners, but not (yet) in global negotiations where their 'adversaries' are present.
||AndrijanaG|| ||Pavlina|| ||asokemATdiplomacy.edu||
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Increased digitization increases vulnerability,
As we would put it: "Whatever is connected can be hacked". The paper proposes further cooperation on reducing (and disclosing) vulnerabilities, and has some good points on zero-day exploits and various groups of adversaries.
||AndrijanaG|| ||Pavlina||
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Data is a source of geopolitical power and competition and is seen as central to economic and national security.
Re-focusing from (promoting) values of an open society to (promoting) data flow and economic aspects
||MariliaM|| ||GingerP||
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U.S. policies promoting an open, global internet have failed, and Wash-ington will be unable to stop or reverse the trend toward fragmentation.
Fragmentation can not be prevented.
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As former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe put it, the goal should be to establish “data flows with trust,” not to promote Western-style democracy
The key of the suggested new framing: it is not about western values of openness and human rights (that might not be acceptable by everyone) - it is about free and trusted data flow. This boils down to economy, and might be more broadly understood and endorsed.
With Fick's background of enterpreneurship, and some signals in this document, as well as with composition of third departments of the bureau which deal with 'other' issues (norms, int.orgs, human rights), should we expect that his priority agenda will be digital trade? Thus, that we will see high importance of WTO and other digital trade negotiations (at least with 'like-minded' and swing states) in the future State Department agenda? ||MariliaM|| ||JovanK|| ||GingerP||
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The era of the global internet is over
A clear and provocative thought, coming from the US. ||JovanK|| ||MariliaM|| ||sorina|| ||GingerP||
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Frankly, U.S. policy toward cyberspace and the internet has failed to keep up. The United States desperately needs a new foreign policy that confronts head on the consequences of a fragmented and dangerous internet.
A blunt recognition that the former US approach to an open internet has failed. Also, a call for a new digital foreign policy.
||JovanK|| ||sorina||
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known cyber campaign to cause physical damage
Same old vocabulary: Stuxnet, which destroyed a facility, was 'cyber campaign' ('to cause physical damage'), not 'an attack'. Yet, Iranian strike against Saudi Aramco (just a line below) is 'attack'.
[Maybe it's only to me, but this is the same pattern of 'campaign' (and not 'attack' or 'aggression') against Iraq or Yugoslavia, yet 'aggression' (and not 'special operation') about Russia's strike against Ukraine.]
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Nathaniel Fick
Nathaniel Fick is a likely future US cyber ambassador (ie ambassador at large, to lead the Cyber Bureau of the State Department). The report was prepared in July, when he was already the candidate. Thus, we can probably read this as his programme - or at least that he is not against it.
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Foreign Policy for a Fragmented Internet
The title already signals what the paper confirms: US should/will accept that single internet is no more a reality.
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www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
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TITLE: Saudi woman sentenced to 45 years in prison for social media posts
CONTENT: A Saudi Arabian court convicted Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani to 45 years of prison time for posts on social media, according to a rights group. According to a Washington-based DAWN organization, she was convicted by the Saudi Specialized Criminal Court on charges of ‘using the internet to tear the (Saudi) social fabric’ and for ‘violating public order by using social media.’
DAWN stated that almost nothing is known about Qahtani or even what her social media posts stated and that the investigation into her case was ongoing. Salma al-Shehab, a mother of two and doctoral candidate at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for following and retweeting dissidents and activists on Twitter just a few weeks before Qahtani's conviction.
According to Abdullah al-Aoudh, Director of Research for the Gulf Region at DAWN, Saudi authorities used "abusive" laws in both the Shebab and Qahtani cases to target and sanction Saudi citizens for opposing the government on Twitter.
According to what Saudi officials told Reuters last month, the kingdom has no political prisoners, and the thought of it is ridiculous. On the other hand, a request for comment was not responded to by the Saudi government's media office.
DATE: 30.08.2022.
EXCERPT: Saudi Arabian woman, Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for her posts on social media platforms. A few weeks before that, another woman, Salma al-Shehab was sentenced to 35 years in prison for following and retweeting dissidents and activists on Twitter. A Washington-based DAWN organization is still investigating into al-Quahtani’s case, as it is not clearly known what her posts contained. Presumably, she criticized the government. Saudi authorities are using abusive laws to punish citizens who dare to oppose the rulers.
TOPIC: Freedom of expression
COUNTRY: Saudi Arabia
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www.infosecurity-magazine.com www.infosecurity-magazine.com
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UK Spies Fund New Course for Female Coders
TITLE: UK Spies are funding a new course for female coders
CONTENT: With a new bootcamp course, the UK's main intelligence agency for dealing with cyber-threats hopes to attract more female coders to its workforce. GCHQ is sponsoring one of Code First Girls' 14-week 'nanodegree' courses, which are designed to appeal to women considering a career switch.
According to Jo Cavan, the security agency's director of strategy, policy, and engagement, teams such as counter-terrorism have performed better since becoming more diversified. Cavan claims that one key area where GCHQ needs more diversity is in countering threats from the east. She also added: ‘We have been working hard to increase that number so we have more diverse teams and better get across the threats we need to today.’
According to the certification organization ISC2, women still make up only 25% of cybersecurity roles global level. When it comes to its 2021 industry report, fewer women (38%) than men (50%) came from an IT background, while women have higher rates of entry through self-learning than men (20% vs. 14%). These figures suggest that there may be a sizable group of female job seekers looking to change careers to one that involves cyber.
LINK: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-spies-fund-new-course-for/
DATE: 30.08.2022.
TOPIC: Gender rights online
EXCERPT: The UK’s main intelligence agency for dealing with cyber-threats is aiming to attract more female workers, in order to increase diversity. Studies have shown that teams such as counter-terrorism have performed better since becoming more diversified. In this article, you can also see the percentage of women in cybersecurity roles and the level of their entry through self-learning compared to men. The information is provided by the certification organization, ISC2.
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www.bleepingcomputer.com www.bleepingcomputer.com
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TITLE: Chinese hackers use ScanBox malware to target the Australian government
CONTENT: Threat actors based in China have been targeting Australian government agencies and wind turbine fleets in the South China Sea by directing select individuals to a fake news media outlet impersonating an Australian news outlet. The sender pretended to be an employee of the hoax media outlet "Australian Morning News," with a link leading to the malicious website. The site included plagiarized content from legitimate news websites.
Victims started arriving at the fraudulent site after receiving phishing emails with appealing lures, and the ScanBox reconnaissance framework delivered a malware payload. From April to June of this year, the campaign targeted individuals at local and federal Australian Government agencies, Australian news media organizations, and global heavy industry manufacturers which provide maintenance to wind turbines in the South Chinese Sea.
Proofpoint and PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) security researchers who observed the campaign concluded that the goal was cyberespionage. They attribute the activity with moderate confidence to a Chinese-based threat group known as APT40 (a.k.a. TA423, Leviathan, Red Ladon).
EXCERPT: China-based actors have been targeting Australian government agencies and wind turbine fleets by directing individuals to a fake media outlet, pretending to be an Australian media outlet. The site they were led on, contained plagiarized information from legitimate news websites. From April to June 2022, the campaign targeted individuals at local and federal Australian Government agencies, Australian news media organizations, and global heavy industry manufacturers working to maintain wind turbines in the South Chinese Sea.
TOPIC: Cyberconflict and warfare, Cybercrime
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www.g77.org www.g77.org
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there are multiple high-level events planned in 2023, including the SDG Summit, the High Level meeting on Universal Health Coverage, Global stocktake, and the High Level Dialogue on Financing for Development. Within the High Level Week itself, we have several High Level Meetings, for which we would also have preparatory meetings and negotiations.
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7. Second, the Group is also concerned regarding stakeholders consultations convened by the co-facilitators for the modalities resolution. This is quite unusual and do not have past precedence for any UN meeting. Negotiations on modalities resolutions have been solely under the domain of member states.
Not very multistakeholdre enthusiastic.
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www.infosecurity-magazine.com www.infosecurity-magazine.com
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TITLE: Acronis’ Mid-year Cyberthreat Report warns that global ransomware damage will exceed $30bn by 2023
CONTENT: Switzerland-based cybersecurity company Acronis reported in its Mid-Year Cyberthreat Report, published on August 24, that almost half of breaches during the first six months of 2022 involved stolen credentials. The primary goal of cybercriminals using these credentials is to launch ransomware attacks, which remain the number one threat to large and medium-sized businesses, including government organizations, the report says.
Acronis found that out of 600 malicious email campaigns in the first half of 2022, 58% were phishing attempts, and 28% featured malware. Unpatched or software vulnerabilities are now also being targeted by cybercriminals in order to extract data, with a recent increase in Linux operating systems and managed service providers (MSPs) and their network of SMB customers.
The Swiss firm is highlighting: ‘Ransomware is worsening, even more so than we predicted.’ They also mentioned Conti and Lapsus gangs as the prime targets for international security services. It is expected that global ransomware damage will exceed up to $30bn by next year.
EXCERPT: Swiss-based cybersecurity company Acronis reports in their Mid-Year Cyberthreat that the first six months of this year involved stolen credentials. With hacking methods in development, like targeting unpatched or software vulnerabilities, and malicious email campaigns, ransomware is worsening. It is excepted that global ransomware will exceed up to $30bn by 2023.
LINK: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-exceed-30bn-dollars-2023/
TOPIC: Cybercrime, Cyberconflict and warfare
DATE: 29.08.2022.
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www.bleepingcomputer.com www.bleepingcomputer.com
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Montenegro says Russian cyberattacks threaten key state functions
TITLE: Montenegro suspects the cyberattacks are coming from Russia
CONTENT: Cyberattacks are persistent in Montenegro and targets are the main infrastructure objects, such as electricity and water supply systems, transportation services, and online portals citizens use. At the time of writing, Bleeping Computer states that the official website of the government of Montenegro is unreachable.
The country's Defense Minister has blamed Russian actors for the attacks, telling local media on Saturday that there is enough evidence to suspect the attack was "directed by several Russian services."
The country's currently battling polarization which has been impacted by the current government's decision to support sanctions against Russia. This has sparked outrage from certain demographic groups and, in some cases like now, even external attacks.
Montenegro is currently receiving assistance from NATO allies to block the attacks. Most notable efforts come from France. The country has deployed an ANSSI (French Agency for Information Systems Security) team to assist in the defense of critical systems and the restoration of compromised networks.
DATE: 29.08.2022.
TOPIC: Cyberconflict and warfare
EXCERPT: Montenegro suffers a series of cyberattacks directed toward their vital infrastructure. The country’s Defense Minister is attributing these attacks to Russia, as Montenegro decided to support sanctions against them. Currently, Montenegro receives help from NATO allies, but mainly from France.
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www.un.org www.un.org
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This could include connecting those not yet connected; equitable use of digital public goods; avoiding fragmentation of the internet; providing people with options for how their data is used; safeguarding human rights in digital spaces; introducing accountability for disinformation and misleading content; and aligning the regulation of artificial intelligence with our universally shared values.
The UN SG suggests the following issues to be covered in the Global Digital Compact:
- access and connectivity
- digital public good
- preventing Internet fragmentation
- data protection and privacy
- safeguarding human rights in digital spaces
- accountability for disinformation and misleading content
- artificial intelligence
||Jovan||||sorina||
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This could include a commitment to negotiate an international instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space; common principles for the governance of outer space activities; and measures to accelerate agreement on the removal of space debris, and to coordinate space traffic.
In the Pact for the Future which should be adopted during the UN Summit for the Future to be held in September 2023, one of seven pillars is outer space.
The UN SG aims to achieve a high-level political agreement on the peaceful, secure and sustainable use of outer space with commitment 'to negotiate an international instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space; common principles for the governance of outer space activities; and measures to accelerate agreement on the removal of space debris, and to coordinate space traffic.'
You can more information in the UN SG remarks to the UN GA Consultation on 'Our Common Agenda'.
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UN SG established terminology that will be used. It will be the UN Pact for the Future with 7 elements
- A New Agenda for Peace
- A Global Digital Compact
- A Declaration on Future Generations
- Outer Space (international instrument on the prevention on an arms race in outer space
- The Emergency Platform
- More Effective Multilateral Arrangements
- 'Seventh thread' will include topics in making: integrity in public information, a commitment to ensuring meaningful youth engagement at the UN, commitment to metric that go beyond GDP and take vulnerabilities into account.
Other issues of the Pact for Future will include: human rights including safeguarding human rights in digital spaces, gender equality, inclusion of marginalised groups,
UN SG also mentioned the following other initiatives as part of 'Our Common Agenda':
- the Scientific Advisory Mechanisms
- Transformation towards a UN 2.0 including: a new culture and new capabilities in data, digital innovation, behavioural science, and strategic foresight.
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a New Agenda for Peace.
||Jovan||
For the Peace Week, you can consider this linkage to the UN Pact for Future and in particular development of the UN toolbox to prevent the outbreak and escalation of hostilities on land, at sea, in space and in cyberspace.
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We see these two meetings as twin summits, with the same overall objective: to create conditions for a sustainable, equitable and inclusive future.
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The SDG Summit
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a Global Digital Compact will be meaningless without the input of technology companies and scientists.
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Human rights and gender equality will be cross-cutting themes of the Summit of the Future
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These include a general commitment to integrity in public information; a commitment to ensuring meaningful youth engagement at the United Nations; and a commitment to metrics that go beyond Gross Domestic Product and take vulnerability into account.
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more effective multilateral arrangements.
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the Emergency Platform.
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outer space
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a Declaration on Future Generations.
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a Global Digital Compact,
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the Pact for the Future.
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The Pact for the Future must demonstrate to the world that while we face daunting challenges, we can overcome them with co-operation, compromise and global solidarity.
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The Permanent Representatives of the Netherlands and Fiji are developing an elements paper for a Declaration for Future Generations –a major step towards the proposed Summit of the Future. The Permanent Representatives of New Zealand and Oman are leading negotiations on the modalities resolution that would enable that the Summit of the Future to take place.
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Futures Lab.
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UN Behavioural Science Week
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the potential of data for people, planet and the SDGs.
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a new culture and new capabilities in data, digital, innovation, behavioural science, and strategic foresight.
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the Scientific Advisory Mechanism.
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a roadmap for the development and effective implementation of international law.
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to ensure legal identity for all
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And an upgrading of the United Nations, so that we are better equipped to support governments in finding and implementing multilateral solutions.
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An effort to deliver public goods and manage global shocks and crises more effectively;
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A focus on the future, with steps to enhance youth engagement and to take future generations into account in policy decisions;
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A New Global Deal to redistribute power and resources, and a renewal of the social contract;
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Four countries have already defaulted on their debts
What are 4 countries?
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the efforts and the pressure over societies - especially in the developing world, will remain very high.
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supply chain disruptions, high costs of transportation, high costs of energy,
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the triple planetary crisis of climate breakdown, air pollution and biodiversity los
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TITLE: Montenegro’s digital infrastructure hit by a unprecedented cyberattack
CONTENT: Montenegro's government digital infrastructure has been hit by a ‘unprecedented’ cyber attack, and swift measures have been taken to minimize the impact, officials said on Friday. ‘A persistent and ongoing cyber-attack is in process in Montenegro,’ The U.S. Embassy in Podgorica posted a warning on its website.
‘Certain services were switched off temporarily for security reasons but the security of accounts belonging to citizens and companies and their data have not been jeopardised,’ said Public Administration Minister Maras Dukaj on Twitter.
According to Reuters, in 2016, cyber criminals also targeted Montenegro's state digital infrastructure on election day, and again several months later in 2017, as this small Balkan state prepared to join NATO.
The Western military alliance is aware of reports of cyber attacks in Montenegro and is prepared to assist its authorities if needed, according to an unidentified NATO official quoted by Voice of America.
EXCERPT: Montenegro’s government digital infrastructure has been hit with an unprecedented cyber attack. The hacker’s origin is still not officially known, but it woke concerns among NATO members. This is not the first time the cyber attack of this range happened in Montenegro, but it is considered to be a persistent and ongoing according to the U.S. Embassy in Podgorica.
DATE: 26.08.2022.
TOPIC: Cyberconflict and warfare, Cybercrime
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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SpaceX has already undercut the rest of the industry with its cheap, reusable Falcon rockets, and regularly flies both cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station.
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private-sector “New Space” industry,
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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Over half of items are returned because they are the wrong size.
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The outbound system is highly automated and streamlined; a return must be opened and someone has to decide what to do with it. “A worker in an Amazon warehouse can pick 30 items in a minute, but a return can take ten minutes to process,” says Mr Rogers.
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In America 21% of online orders, worth some $218bn, were returned in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation, up from 18% in 2020.
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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“The Russian word for hospital is bol’nitsa, which comes from the word pain. The Ukrainian is likarnya, from the word to cure. That tells you a story, and there are many other examples like this.”
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Millions of Russian-speaking Ukrainians, appalled at what is being done in their name, are making a point of switching to Ukrainian.
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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Nobody can counter aggression through dollars and semiconductors alone.
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Ukraine marks a new era of 21st-century conflict in which the military, technological and financial elements are intertwined.
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Given that more countries depend on China than America as their largest trading partner, enforcing a global embargo would be even harder than with Russia.
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the West could seize China’s $3trn of reserves and cut off its banks.
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The biggest flaw is that full or partial embargoes are not being enforced by over 100 countries with 40% of world gdp. Urals oil is flowing to Asia. Dubai is brimming with Russian cash and you can fly with Emirates and others to Moscow seven times a day. A globalised economy is good at adapting to shocks and opportunities, particularly as most countries have no desire to enforce Western policy.
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Energy sales will generate a current-account surplus of $265bn this year, the world’s second-largest after China. After a crunch, Russia’s financial system has stabilised and the country is finding new suppliers for some imports, including China. Meanwhile in Europe, an energy crisis may trigger a recession. This week natural-gas prices rose by a further 20% as Russia squeezed supplies.
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But the Russia embargo takes sanctions to a new level by aiming to cripple the world’s 11th-biggest economy, one of the biggest exporters of energy, grain and other commodities.
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Sanctions seemed to offer an answer by allowing the West to exert power through its control of the financial and technological networks at the heart of the 21st-century economy.
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As well as satisfying Western public opinion, these measures have strategic objectives. The short-term goal, at least initially, was to trigger a liquidity and balance-of-payments crisis in Russia that would make it hard to finance the Ukraine war and thus alter the Kremlin’s incentives. In the long run the intent is to impair Russia’s productive capacity and technological sophistication so that, if Vladimir Putin aspires to invade another country, he would have fewer resources to hand. A final aim is to deter others from warmongering.
reasons for sanctions
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cpj.org cpj.org
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TITLE: CPJ joins letters urging the U.S. government to hold the NSO Group accountable for spyware that surveilled journalists
CONTENT: In August, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined human rights and press freedom organizations in separate actions demanding the US government to hold NSO Group accountable for providing Pegasus spyware to governments that have secretly surveilled journalists around the world. The Israeli-owned NSO Group claims that it only licenses its Pegasus spyware to government agencies investigating crime and terrorism and that it should be immune from prosecution in US courts because it acted as an agent of foreign governments under the doctrine of sovereign immunity.
Nevertheless, according to the CPJ’s letter it is clear their actions are malicious: ‘The evidence of the use of Pegasus spyware against human rights defenders, journalists, opposition parties, and state officials by repressive regimes continues to mount, contrary to NSO Group’s claim that their spyware is used as a tool for investigating criminal activity and terrorism.’
EXCERPT: Committee to Protect journalists (CPJ) joins the letters of human rights and press freedom organizations in their separate actions urging the U.S. government to hold the Israeli-owned NSO Group accountable for providing Pegasus spyware to governments that have secretly surveilled journalists.
DATE: 25.08.2022.
TOPIC: Freedom of expression, Freedom of the press, Cybercrime
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www.diplomacy.edu www.diplomacy.edu
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regain autarchy in key areas, from cyber components to pharmaceutical products
What would be the cost of this autarchy? Can Swiss small economy support economic autharchy? How far this autarchy should extend (only Switzlerand, EU, USA, like-minded countries, developing countries)?
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On the strategic level there were Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I and SALT II); The Anti-Ballistic Missile Agreement (ABM Treaty), Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START I and II) and the «New START» agreement. At the intermediate range level there was INF (Interme
A good summary of the main disarmament agreements.
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the installation of a «red phone» between Washington and Moscow to be able to speak in a crisis with each other directly and immediately.
Are there red phones today? Do USA and Russia communicate in time of crisis?
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The creation of NATO in 1949 (whose purpose it, as a British general put it, was to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down)
Good summary of raison d' etre of NATO.
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Many felt that it would be possible to put the genie back into the bottle.
It was not possible to reverse impact of nuclear technology.
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Ambassador Theodor H. Winkler asks, "Has The West been Sleeping?" in his article for Stratos Digital journal. His answer is positive. The West is falling behind China and Russia in many military and strategic areas.
One reason was the West's acceptance of the "end of history" view after the Cold War. The Ukraine war serves as a wake up call.
Ambassador Winkler shared his thoughts on both the changes in thinking about war, security, politics, and practical steps to be taken to avoid strategic sleepwalking in Western societies.
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We must support the international commu-nity in its effort to prevent this, anticipate the impact of such a war on us, and do everything to reduce it
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the concepts of comprehensive defence again
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has not so many technological inroads into our economy that it can freeze or stop it at will
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reduce our economic dependence on Rus-sia and, above all, China
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We should form something like half a dozen brigades with national defence as main task; fully equip them with armour, modern artillery, and the latest in infan-try fighting equipment
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We can offer Geneva as negotiating table and we have the three Geneva Centers initiated by Switzerland as islands of excellence.
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render our world less secure.
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they must be understood as tools to formulate and im-plement political strategies
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We must, above all, cease to perceive weapons (as the peace movement does) as instruments of the evil, which should be abolished as soon as possible.
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Through the use of artificial intelligence and quantum computers it should be possible to throw a cloud of obstacles into their trajectory. Any collision, as small as it may be, would lead to the immediate dis-integration of the glider
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Particularly in the US, more recently also in Russia, there is, moreover, a growing attraction of small or very small nuclear weapons that could be used as easily as conventional weapons. That is wrong and it is dangerous.
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We must realize that Putin may begin to prepare the ground for a nuclear surprise attack – if he chooses so.
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The time of nuclear arms control is over; the time has come for rearmament
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As a super-anti-subma-rine weapon. A large hydrogen bomb detonated in an area known to be frequented by US SSBN might be able to destroy, or at least weaken, the US underwa-ter deterrent.
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While the West believes that the world ends once the red but-ton is pushed, for the Russians and the Chinese the war enters simply a new phase, once the nuclear exchange has started.
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Xi is building the potentially largest ICBM force in the world, roughly the equivalent of the US and the Russian arsenals combined.
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attributed to China a total nuclear force of 200–400 warheads, comparable to the arsenals of the UK and of France (but far below the numbers of the US and Russian arsenals)
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that are placed under the direct control of the Communist Party’s (KPC) Central Military Commis-sion (CMC), headed by Xi Jinping
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It refuses until today to enter into any arms control negotiations.
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France, where control of the warheads and the land-based launchers lay not with the armed forces but with the Gendarmerie nationale, shows the same attitude.
Interesting phenomenon
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based on minimal deterrence, and announced a «No First Use» policy
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He believed that even a single nuclear weapon that would hit the attacker in retalia-tion would be totally unacceptable price – and hence constitute a sufficient deterrent.
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The hyperve-locity missiles entering the Russian and Chinese order of battle can now bypass the whole collection.
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Both projects need, though, still several years until becoming operational while their Russian and Chinese equivalents are al-ready operational today (the Russian models were suc-cessfully used in the war with Ukraine)
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The Columbia class boats will displace some 21,000 tons, mount 16 tubes for Trident D5 SLBM each, and be the most sophisticated submarines ever built by the US.
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China has tested (and is about to introduce) hypersonic glider systems.
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The Sarmat, the Avangard, and the Iskander-M are already deployed.
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«Iskander-M»
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«Status-6»,
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«Avangard»
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he airborne «Kinzhal»
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«Zirkon» hypersonic glider (GL)
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finds itself today – as far as armour is concerned – with two partially equipped, skeleton armoured di-visionstructures with a total of 244 main battle tanks.
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Under the impression of having won the Cold War, the West felt it needed no longer armed forces capable to fighting a succession of major conventional battles against powerful Russian invasion forces.
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The truth is that the US has, after the end of the Cold War, largely neglected its strategic nuclear forces.
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national security cannot be ultimately guar-anteed without the possession of nuclear weapons.
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Ukraine is helpless. It can prevail on the battlefield, but it cannot force an end to the aggression
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The hell a nuclear war would un-leash would be too close to result in the extinction of the human race, and thus deprive words like «victory» of any meaning.
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he ensuing ABM Treaty limited both sides to one field of 100 ABM interceptors. The Russians completed under this regime their ABM defensive ring protecting Moscow, while the US chose to protect an ICBM field in Wyoming
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The US went down from a peak of more than 31,000 weap-ons in 1967 to an inventory of 5,428 today (of which 1,744 are deployed and ready to be launched, 1’964 in a stockpile, and 1’720 retired, awaiting dismantling). The USSR/Russia went from close to 40’000 weapons in 1985 down to 5’977 in 2022 (1,528 deployed, 2’949 in stockpile, and 1,500 retired, awaiting dismantling).
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diate Range Nuclear Forces), at the conventional level CFE (Conventional Forces in Europe).
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The nuclear nightmare would not disappear but be-come less costly
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This German unease has always been recognized by the So-viet Union (and later Russia) as NATO’s Achilles’ heel
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the US would rather go nuclear than being overwhelmed.
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and frozen to death in the «nuclear winter»
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would suffice to bomb the attacker back to the stone age.
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to be the political destiny of our planet.
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De-terrence and Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) had rendered the nuclear confrontation a dead end and hence essentially stable.
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www.fiod.nl www.fiod.nl
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Arrest of suspected developer of Tornado Cash
TITTLE: The Netherland's financial crime agency arrested the Tornado Cash developer.
On August 10, the Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) arrested Alexey Pertsev (29) as a suspect to be a developer behind the Tornado Cash online service.
A couple of days earlier, on August 8, the US Treasury sanctioned the Tornado Cash online service and froze all of their property in hand of the US regulators. The Treasury also issued a list of cryptocurrency wallet addresses that are affected by this sanctions.
The FIOD mentioned in the statement that 'advanced technologies, such as decentralised organisations (DAO) that may facilitate money laundering are receiving extra attention' from the financial watchdog.
'Investigations showed that at least one billion dollars' worth of cryptocurrencies of criminal origin passed through the mixer. It is suspected that persons behind this organisation have made large-scale profits from these transactions'
This is a rare case in which the open source developer is charged for the illicit activities that are performed on the platform he created.
The investigation is led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for serious fraud, environmental crime and asset confiscation.
LINK: https://www.fiod.nl/arrest-of-suspected-developer-of-tornado-cash/
TOPIC: Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Legal, cybercrime,
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home.treasury.gov home.treasury.gov
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U.S. Treasury Sanctions Notorious Virtual Currency Mixer Tornado Cash
The US Treasury sanctions the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash
TITLE: The US Treasury sanctions the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash
CONTENT: On August 8th 2022, The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the online service Tornado Cash that served as a mixer for the Ether cryptocurrency since 2019. The cryptocurrency mixers are online places where users could obfuscate the origin of cryptocurrency. Mixers use utility of decentralised exchanges and peer-to-peer trading, to create massive amount of transactions in short period of time - mixing tinted coins with the rest of the online supply. Mixers don't collect any user data related to people behind the cryptocurrency funds, therefore they are in a violation of the US federal regulations, and the global AML/CFT regulation. The Treasury stated an issues of national security to be one of the reasons for such action. The FBI and the OFAC are arguing that Tornado Cash facilitated a money laundry operation for the ransomware group Lazarus attributed to the DPRK. The OFAC is calming that cryptocurrency mixer was mostly used for illicit founds. and issued a list of Ether wallet addresses that are sanctioned in this case. It is not an usual practice for OFAC to sanction online service as they main targets are individuals. The OFAC called for the cryptocurrency industry to address challenges that anonymising features can present to AML/CFT obligations.
The Tornado Cash was decentralized entity that run on an open source code.
EXCERPT: The US Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash and
LINK: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0916
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20220808 - LIST OF CRYPTOCURRENCY WALLETS
TOPIC: Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Legal,
TREND:
PROCESS:
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TITLE: RSF’s new investigation on online media attacks throughout the Brazilian election campaign
CONTENT: Throughout Brazil's election campaign, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will track and analyze internet threats, violence, and attacks against the media as a part of their ongoing project. The election campaign was launched on 16 August and it will end with the election of a new president, members of both houses of the national congress, governors and members of the legislative assemblies in Brazil’s states on 2 or 30 October.
During the campaign, RSF's Latin America bureau will monitor, analyze, and denounce online attacks on journalists in collaboration with the Laboratory for Image and Cyberculture Studies (LABIC), a leading research center specializing in social media analysis and digital trends affiliated with the Federal State University of Espirito Santo.
The results of this research will be collected and posted on the RSF website on a regular basis. Following the elections, a detailed report analyzing the main trends and attacks observed during the project will be published. The project's goal is to better understand the origin, structure, and spread of these online attacks, to expose the main perpetrators, and to find effective and long-term solutions to combat this phenomenon.
RSF published the findings of a survey of Twitter users' behavior in 2021, the platform used for the majority of attacks against the media and journalists in Brazil. Bolsonaro supporters were the primary perpetrators of these attacks, with the main targets being female journalists and media outlets critical of the government.
EXCERPT: RSF is planning to investigate the online attacks on Brazilian media during the ongoing election in their new project. The results will be posted on a regular basis, and after the elections end, a detailed report on main trends and attacks during the project will also be published. The main goals of this analysis are to better understand what caused the spread of these online attacks, as well to expose the main perpetrators whilst finding a solution to combat this phenomenon.
DATE: 23.08.2022.
LINK: https://rsf.org/en/rsf-will-analyse-online-attacks-against-media-during-brazilian-election-campaign
TOPIC: Freedom of the press, Freedom of expression
COUNTRY: Brazil
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www.blockdata.tech www.blockdata.tech
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blockchain investments these top corporations made from September 2021 to mid-June 2022.
TITLE: Research on the corporate investments in the blockchain technology for the 2021-2022 period.
CONTENT: According to the latest research from the Blockdata company, 40 corporations invested in companies in the blockchain/crypto space during the September 2021 till June 2022.
Korean tech giant Samsung is the most active, having an invested share in 13 companies.
Research look at the total funding amounts of the rounds companies participated in.
Based on this, the investors active in the biggest funding rounds are Alphabet ($1,506M in 4 rounds), Blackrock ($1,171M in 3 rounds), Morgan Stanley ($1,10M in 2 rounds), Samsung ($979M in 13 rounds), Goldman Sachs ( $698M in 5 rounds, BNY Mellon ($690M in 3 rounds), and PayPal ($650M in 4 rounds).
EXCERPT: Approximately $6 billions invested in the blockchain based startups in 2021. Samsung and Alphabet are leading the pack followed by the financial industry corporations
TOPIC: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency,
TREND: -
PROCESS: -
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www.bleepingcomputer.com www.bleepingcomputer.com
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TITLE: Dominican Republic government agency was disrupted by a quantum ransomware attack
CONTENT: The Quantum ransomware assault that affected the Instituto Agrario Dominicano in the Dominican Republic and encrypted numerous services and workstations, occurred on August 18, local media reports. ‘They ask for more than 600 thousand dollars. We were affected by four physical servers and eight virtual servers; virtually all servers,’ Walixson Amaury Núñez, the IAD's director of technology, told the local press.
As IAD does not have enough money to pay the ransom and with only basic security software systems - the company’s data was completely compromised.
According to the National Cybersecurity Center (CNCS), who has been helping the agency recover from the attack, the attackers' IP addresses came from the United States and Russia.
BleepingComputer investigated the case and found out that the Quantum ransomware operation was the attacker. If IAD did not pay the ransom publicly, the threat actor, who claimed having stolen over 1TB of data, threatened to release it. This ransomware actor is supposedly an offshoot of the Conti ransomware operation which adopted the earlier name of the MountLocker ransomware operation.
EXCERPT: Instituto Agrario Dominicano, Dominican Republic’s government agency, suffered a ransomware attack by the Quantum ransomware operation. They are threatening them with a ransom of around 650.000 dollars. As the agency is not able to afford the ransom, and with only basic software security, their data is at stake. As the National Cybersecurity Center reports, the IP addresses of the attackers come from the U.S. and Russia.
TOPIC: Cyberconflict and warfare, Cybercrime
COUNTRY: Dominican Republic
DATE: 24.08.2022.
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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Patrick Hillmann, chief communications officer at the world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance, claims scammers made a deepfake of him to trick contacts into taking meetings.
The CCO of the world biggest cryptocurrency exchange, wrote about this case in his blog published on a company website. In his words: 'this deep fake was refined enough to fool several highly intelligent crypto community members”
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www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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Russia’s Yandex to sell off news service as state tightens grip on online media
TITLE: Russia's Yandex sells news and blogging services as state tightens control over online media
CONTENT: In a transaction that would expand direct state control over the news that many Russians view online, the largest internet firm in Russia will sell off its news and blogging services to the state-controlled social media site VK.
Yandex.ru's main page, which was sold together with the news aggregator and blogging platform Zen, is expected to turn into a social media-style news feed managed by Gazprom-owned VK as a result of the transaction, with its chief executive being the son of a Kremlin official tasked with integrating the occupied territories of Ukraine.
News articles on Yandex were already perceived as having been deliberately selected to abstain from controversial subjects in Russia, particularly criticism of the war in Ukraine. By reducing Yandex's exposure to politics, the sale of the company's media holdings is reportedly an effort to protect it from the threat of western sanctions.
DATE: 23.08.2022.
TOPIC: Freedom of the press
COUNTRY: Russia
EXCERPT: Russia’s Yandex sells its news and blogging services to the state-controlled social media site VK. Yandex.ru’s main page is expected to turn into a social media-style news feed managed by Gazprom-owned VK, as a result of this transaction. The goal was reportedly an effort to loosen up the threats from western sanctions.
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techcrunch.com techcrunch.com
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The TikTok threat to Google’s business isn’t just limited to YouTube, as it turns out. Core Google services, including Search and Maps, are also being impacted by a growing preference for social media and videos as the first stop on younger users’ path to discovery, a Google exec acknowledged today, speaking at an industry event.
It is interesting to see that Google is getting threatened even on search function by TikTok and Instagram.
We should monitor this development.
||Jovan||
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www.bleepingcomputer.com www.bleepingcomputer.com
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TITLE: Greece’s largest natural gas distributor DESFA suffered ransomware-related data breach
CONTENT: Greece’s largest natural gas distributor (DESFA) suffered a limited scope data breach and IT system outage which were followed by a cyberattack, this Saturday.
DESFA shared in a public statement that hackers tried to infiltrate its network, but were faced with a quick response from their IT team. Nevertheless, the attack possibly caused the leakage of some files and data and a network intrusion was definitely made, although limited. DESFA is working on returning to normal operations and is ensuring the customers this incident would not impact the gas supplies.
The attack was confirmed on Friday by Ragnar Locker ransomware operation, a threat actor. It is said in a recent FBI report that Ragnar Locker made 52 intrusions in critical U.S. infrastructure entities since January this year.
This ransomware actor is threatening to publish all files that would victimize DESFA, if they do not answer their demands. The timeline of this attack is tough for European gas suppliers after being cut from Russia’s natural gas.
The upcoming period is believed to be full of shortages, power cuts, and growing energy prices, leaving everyone involved even more vulnerable to ransomware attacks against gas distributors.
EXCERPT: DESFA, Greece’s largest gas distributor was targeted with an ransomware attack. This attack was confirmed to be made by Ragnar Locker - a ransomware operation, familiar to FBI for their previous intrusions. This attack comes at a vulnerable time for European gas suppliers after being cut from Russian gas, and it is believed that the situation will get worse if similar attack should happen in this region again.
COUNTRY: Greece
TOPIC: Cyberconflict and warfare, Cybercrime
DATE: 22.08.2022.
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cpj.org cpj.org
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TITLE: Jordanian journalist arrested for allegedly violating Jordan’s cybercrime law by writing posts on Facebook
CONTENT: On August 15, Adnan Al-Rousan, a Jordanian journalist, has been arrested by seven unidentified men, with two of them being in military uniform. The reasons behind this arrest are Al-Rousan’s posts on his Facebook profile, which were considered to be ‘insulting to Jordan.’ His most recent one, on August 14, was directed towards the ruler of Jordan, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, saying ‘Jordan isn’t your property, it’s for us Jordanians.’
He is believed to be violating Jordan’s cybercrime law with these posts on social media, while regularly publishing political commentary of similar content as above mentioned. Committee to Protect Journalist asks for an immediate release of the reporter, while trying to get any contact information for the Jordanian public prosecutor.
EXCERPT: Adnan Al-Rousan, a Jordanian journalist has been arrested for allegedly violating the country’s cybercrime law. He regularly posts on his Facebook profile, criticizing the regime. Recently he wrote a post directed towards the King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, which caused his arrest. Committee to Protect Journalists condemns this arrest and asks for his immediate release.
TOPIC: Freedom of the press
DATE: 18 August 2022
COUNTRY: Jordan
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www.infosecurity-magazine.com www.infosecurity-magazine.com
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Estonia's Battle Against a Deluge of DDoS Attacks
TITLE: Estonia battles a series of DDoS attacks during August
CONTENT: According to Infosecurity magazine, Estonian public authorities and businesses have been the subject of increased large-scale distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in August. The Head of the incident response (CERT-EE) department, Tõnu Tammer, said that these attacks are a daily occurrence in Estonian cyberspace. Nevertheless, the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) is highlighting that data confidentiality is not at risk, as attackers are not able to access or change the data. On August 18, Estonia faced the most extensive cyber-attack since 2007.
Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian stated-backed cybercriminals are believed to be the main suspect for numerous cyberattacks on neighboring countries. This is why it is advised to Governments in Eastern Europe to heighten their alerts and ensure their cyber-defenses are as robust as they can be.
EXCERPT: Estonian public authorities and businesses are facing a large number of DDoS attacks during the month of August 2022. Infosecurity magazine has talked about this issue with Tõnu Tammer, the Head of the CERT-EE department. Estonia is not the only Eastern European country at risk of potential cyber attacks since the start of the Russian invasion on Ukraine in February this year. Strengthening cyber-defenses of these actors is highly recommended.
LINK: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news-features/estonias-battle-against-a-deluge/
TOPIC: Cyberconflict and warfare, Cybercrime
TREND:
PROCESS:
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csrc.nist.gov csrc.nist.gov
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On 5 July, the USA National Institute for Standardisation and Technology (NIST) selected candidate to become standard for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
The new PQC standards should prevent risk that powerful quantum computing will pose to existing cryptography and encryption of digital traffic.
It is anticipatory standard that should prevent risk that will come with deployment of quantum computing for cracking encrypted communication.
See more here: https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/post-quantum-cryptography
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The Candidates to be Standardized and Round 4 Submissions were announced July 5, 2022. NISTIR 8413, Status Report on the Third Round of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Process is now available. NIST has developed Guidelines for Submitting Tweaks for Fourth Round Candidates.
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thediplomat.com thediplomat.com
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the Open Technology Fund
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hese efforts could be used to improve legislative oversight of Chinese ICT companies and other entities seeking involvement in a host country’s digital information stack
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closer to Chinese data policy regulations that focus on state sovereignty over personal data, even when couched in the language of protecting privacy.
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extensive training programs at both the popular and elite levels aimed at fostering dependence on, and brand loyalty to, Chinese telecommunications firms like Huawei and ZTE
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a state-centric model of cyber governance
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The digital information stack consists of five layers – network infrastructure, devices, applications, content, and governance – and each layer of the stack includes several components.
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to be more aware of the tradeoffs of China’s involvement in their digital information stacks
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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Most who implement pqc will not see any difference, and have no need to fuss with the 600-digit numbers in use today.
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nist’s new standards are unlikely to be the last, as quantum computers’ strengths develop and protocols are tested to destruction in the white-hat hackers’ white-hot heat.
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Eventually the new standards must percolate through every device and service that transmits encrypted data—every browser tab, every nuclear facility, every payment gizmo, every military digital radio.
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None has yet become a trusted standard, but now nist has picked a set of recipes that have survived years of tyre-kicking.
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“post-quantum cryptography”
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Cryptography protocols involve calculations that are harder to undo than do.
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the National Institute of Standards and Technology (nist)
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When quantum computers reach their potential, decades of secret intelligence, credit-card details, intellectual property and military and medical data will become as easy to read as the words before your eyes.
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One defence is to use encryption, but in the fast-approaching era of quantum computers that defence will fail.
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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We will now allow singular use of data alongside the plural. Specifically, when considered as a concept—as in data is the new oil—the singular will be acceptable, as well as when the data in question is considered as a mass (the data on this mobile-phone plan is insufficient). However, when data points are considered as a group of pieces of information, the plural should still be used: data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicate the hottest summer of all time.
The Economist allows use of data as both singular and plural. For example, data is the new oil. But, as it was indicated 'data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicate the hottest summer of all time.'
The Economist explains plural and singular use of 'data' here.
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Plural data in the sense of “data points” will probably appear in one kind of story exclusively (ie, those reporting on a study based on a number of observations), and mass-style singular data in others (especially those to do with computing). In any case, our style guide already allows some collective nouns, like council or staff, to be singular or plural depending on whether it is the entity or its constituents under discussion, with no resulting chaos.
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Singular data is now more common than the plural in books, and far more prevalent on the web.
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Data, as every child at a grammar school once knew, is the plural of Latin’s datum, “something given”.
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We will now allow singular use of data alongside the plural. Specifically, when considered as a concept—as in data is the new oil—the singular will be acceptable, as well as when the data in question is considered as a mass (the data on this mobile-phone plan is insufficient). However, when data points are considered as a group of pieces of information, the plural should still be used: data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicate the hottest summer of all time.
||GingerP|| We should update our editorial text on data.
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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Tencent is Chinese company behind WeChat, one of the most used Internet applications. Tencent is also major gaming company globally. It has investment in hundreds of tech start-ups.
While Tencent is strong in China, its global activiteis could be endangered by Splinternet building around Sino-American digital tensions.
More at the Economist article.
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As Sino-American tensions worsen, that is a game no one can win.
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as well as its games, run the risk of arousing hostility from China hawks in America
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Mr Xi’s crackdown on internet firms has hit its gaming arm, its fintech plans and local investments such as Didi. It has to censor itself vigorously.
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Tencent is embedded in almost every aspect of life there
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are fascinatingly idiosyncratic,
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As Ms Chen puts it, it has become an incubator of startups, not a killer of potential competitors.
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all of Tencent’s transformational ideas, including WeChat, came from second-tier teams competing against each other, not from the top brass
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(“You either wait for someone to kill you or you kill yourself first,” is how he describes the firm’s constant efforts at reinvention)
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That threatens its reputation in the West, where it is a huge investor in gaming (among other businesses) and where it is keen to expand its reach.
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WeChat is Tencent’s flagship product, a “Swiss Army Knife” of a super app, offering messages, search, ride-hailing, food delivery and other applications on a single platform. But in a paranoid regime, its power is also a threat.
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It was a rare moment when WeChat (Weixin within China) was used to express people’s anger and pain, rather than the blander stuff—swanky dinners, clouds at dusk—that people usually post.
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www.voanews.com www.voanews.com
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"extremely straightforward, very open and friendly. He's got a pretty good sense of humor."
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He was CEO of the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based national security think tank, before becoming CEO of Endgame, a cybersecurity software firm that was acquired by the cloud computing firm Elastic in 2019.
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to make the case for developing countries to incorporate openness and freedom into their regulation of the internet rather than authoritarian control.
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imit the flow of information to and among their citizens.
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lighter regulation biased in favor of the free flow of information
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It's a battle over who controls the digital environment."
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for security and digital policy
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The bureau combines three pre-existing policy units within the State Department: International Cyberspace Security, International Information and Communications Policy, and Digital Freedom.
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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Casting the prosecution of a presidential candidate as a deep-state conspiracy is peculiarly compelling.
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Not charging Mr Trump gives him an air of impunity; charging him unsuccessfully would make him look invincible.
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But the possibility of prosecution seems to fire Mr Trump and his supporters up, rather than turn them off. They treat it as offering a form of vindication—evidence of how much “the regime” wants him off the scene.
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“People are happy—overwhelmingly—with the direction of the party. And that means America First,” says Ms Longwell. “Even if Trump the man loses some altitude…the party has now changed for ever.”
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Much of it has come from former Trump donors who think the risk of another loss against Mr Biden is too high.
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“We will bring Big Tech down to their knees!” screamed Lauren Boebert, a Republican congresswoman.
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The Republican parties in various other potential swing states, including Michigan and Nevada, have chosen to field Big Lie endorsers as their candidates for some or all of the same offices (see chart 2).
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Any investigative committees they come to control will abruptly lose interest in Mar-a-Lago’s safes and turn their attention to President Joe Biden’s administration and family.
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they will act as fierce Trump loyalists
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The party’s base is still devoted to Mr Trump (65% net approval in polls) and to his Big Lie about the 2020 election (70% tell pollsters they believe it was stolen from him), and he can focus their ire on anyone whose head rises above the parapet. His power in the party is not absolute. But it is unquestionable.
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curator.diplomacy.edu curator.diplomacy.edu
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This is rare, optimistic, article on EU and Brussels. Author returns after 10 years to Brussels. EU survived 'decennium horribilis'.
EU has not moved into direction of more democarcy. National governments make deals in the late night negotiations. But, while they criticise Brussels, they often pass difficult political issues to the EU.
New mantra is 'a Europe that protects'. But the real question is if EU will manage to protect from problems that are beyond EU's power to shape.
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“we will live in a world determined by others, with stifling constraints on our ability to shape our future”.
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