OODA Analysis and Briefs

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Did Snowden Escalate the Cyberwar?

Edward Snowden is guilty of lot of things. But contrary to Kurt Eichenwald’s recent Newsweek analysis, he did not “escalate the cyberwar.” Eichenwald interviews a host of business, intelligence, cybersecurity, and Asia experts and argues that Edward Snowden’s disclosures deep-sixed any American attempt to restrain China’s epidemic computerized corporate, technical, and military-intelligence espionage. Because the US’s…
Football and the Illusive Stability of Coalition Governments in the MENA States

An Arab Spring political cycle is emerging. Single-party domination gives way to multi-party democracy which crumbles back into single-party domination. Football: An Introductory Anecdote Sitting with a group of western-educated, politically active Tunisians at a restaurant in Tunis, I commented on my surprise at the absence of soccer-playing children. I had been there for ten…
The Growing Threat of Maritime Terrorism

Introduction The 21st century has seen large-scale, well-organized terrorist attacks by Islamist terrorists on nearly every continent. These same terrorists and terrorist organizations have leveraged the cyber domain to support recruitment, training, and attacks. The maritime frontier, however, is perhaps the one that has continued comparatively untouched throughout the history of modern Islamist terrorism. Attacks…
Frame Reflection:A Critical Review of US Military Approaches to Complex Situations

We are pleased to present this monograph on frame reflection. As the authors note: “Our hope is that the insights gained from institutional barriers in the modern military may provide insights for designers in other walks – with ideas on framing messy situations. We have advocated that frame reflection is essential to design practice in…
Why “Cyberwar” Isn’t Happening

“Cyberwar” is an imprecise and ugly term. Equal parts misleading and ambiguous, the term cyberwar has somehow battled its way into our modern lexicon and is used vaguely to describe acts of virtual aggression. Most often, cyberwar is used to describe an ill-defined and inevitable sate of computer-centric conflict between two nation states or groups.…
We’re only Human: Addressing the Cyber Threat Origin

Private entities are pouring money and manpower into creating the best technologies to help mitigate a host of threats in the cyber realm. The US federal government is increasingly following this strategy. Yet, even cutting edge technology cannot determine one of the most critical and elusive intelligence questions: motivation. What drives the adversary? What does…
Destruction and Creation

To comprehend and cope with our environment we develop mental patterns or concepts of meaning. The purpose of this paper is to sketch out how we destroy and create these patterns to permit us to both shape and be shaped by a changing environment. In this sense, the discussion also literally shows why we cannot…
Skid Row Terrorist

The rubric of terrorism studies embeds terrorist TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures) within the overall context of motivations and intent that a terrorist are/is presumed to have. This is further fundamentally subordinate to the over-arching al-Qaeda framework. However, if we consider characters such as the ‘dishevelled or nihilist terrorist’ (Flaherty, 2012), then terrorist TTPs have…
The Cyber Moscow Rules: Trust no one. Trust no device.

Lessons learned from US agents who operate in enemy territory have been captured for years and transformed into a code of conduct popularly known as “Moscow Rules.” Those old rules existed for a reason. Real-world experience proved their effectiveness when agents had to operate in the presence of adversaries. Since modern cyber defenders are also…
When Armies Divide: The Security of Nuclear Arsenals During Revolts, Coups, and Civil Wars

In this brief volume Jenkins takes a detailed look at the General’s putsch, which was a 1961 coup attempt by a group of retired French Generals against President Charles de Gaulle. However, it is not the putsch itself that attracts Jenkins’ analytical attention, but the chaos surrounding the status of a nuclear device that was…
West Africa: Terrorism’s New Front Yard

Introduction There is a new front in the global fight against terrorism and terrorists. Ethnic, religious, and political tensions in West Africa, simmering for the past few years, have boiled over into widespread violence and coordinated military efforts throughout the region. A recent attack at an oil facility in Algeria has highlighted the wealth of…
Slavery and Human Trafficking in 2013

Introduction Reports and statistics from the UN, national governments, and politically diverse NGO’s demonstrate that human trafficking and slavery are as common today as they were during the years when transAtlantic slave trading was a legal enterprise. Estimates place the number of global victims as high as 29 million. The reality of this twenty-first century…
Adam Lanza and Dangerous Minds

We asked Chris Flaherty, author of the recent OODA sponsored monograph entitled “Dangerous Minds: The Relationship between Beliefs, Behaviors, and Tactics” for his thoughts regarding the recent Adam Lanza attacks. What follows is his response. “Adam Lanza, has been the subject of much media speculation, however if some of the reporting is to be credited…
The International Drug Trade and West Africa: An Enforcement Quandary

“In the past decade, there has been significant growth in the illicit trafficking of drugs, people, firearms, and natural resources. Trafficking in these and other commodities is generally characterized by high levels of organization and the presence of strong criminal groups and networks. While such activities existed in the past, both the scale and the…
Boko Haram: A Threat to Nigeria and Beyond

Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Al-Shabaab, Hezbollah, the Haqqani network, and the Taliban are all infamous names to the Western world. These organizations, however, are but a handful of the many dozens of organizations with the official US designation of “Foreign Terrorist Organizations.” Each organization has its country or region of operations and influence. Hezbollah in Lebanon, the…

Briefs

Honda made an airport robot to handle all the boring, repetitive tasks

Honda’s latest robot is an autonomous work vehicle (AWV) designed to handle all the boring, repetitive tasks at airports. It’s also meant to demonstrate that autonomous vehicles can have other purposes that don’t involve jamming up city streets or obstructing emergency vehicles. The company is sending its first prototype to the Toronto Pearson Airport as…
Wall Street Watchdog Says AI Will Cause ‘Unavoidable’ Economic Collapse

There’s a calamity on the horizon if you believe Gary Gensler, Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). America’s top Wall Street watchdog has issued a dire warning about artificial intelligence: if regulators don’t act now, Gensler said it’s “nearly unavoidable” that AI will trigger a financial meltdown in the next ten years.…
How to make space-based solar power a reality

The young researchers gathered on the rooftop of Caltech’s engineering laboratory in Pasadena on a balmy May evening did not set out to make history that night. But after a long day setting up equipment to test a solar power satellite, the professor leading the project told them to grab something to eat and come…
U.S. Tightens Curbs on AI Chip Exports to China, Widening Rift With U.S. Businesses

The Biden administration is tightening restrictions on China’s ability to buy advanced semiconductors, fueling friction with U.S. businesses that sell to the vast Chinese market. The Commerce Department on Tuesday said it would significantly constrict exports of artificial-intelligence chips, making it tougher for U.S. companies Nvidia and Intel to sell existing products in China—or to…
Biden to cut China off from more Nvidia chips, expands curbs to more countries

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will halt shipments of advanced artificial intelligence chips to China. The new rules will also restrict a wider range of advanced chips and chipmaking tools to a broader group of countries, including Iran and Russia. The measures seek to hamper China’s military development by limiting its access…
Iran says ‘preemptive action’ by resistance front expected in coming hours

On Monday night, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian announced that Iran could engage in preemptive action against Israel on state TV. The announcement came one day after Amirabdollahian met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Amirabdollahian told an Al Jazeera representative on Sunday that “it is highly probable that many other fronts will be opened” in…
Warning: Unpatched Cisco Zero-Day Vulnerability Actively Targeted in the Wild

Cisco published an advisory on Monday detailing an unpatched critical vulnerability impacting its IOS XE software. The zero-day is under active exploitation and was assigned a 10.0 on the CVSS scoring system. The vulnerability enables attackers to create accounts with level 15 access and exercise complete control over compromised systems. The zero-day impacts physical and…
US Gov Expects Widespread Exploitation of Atlassian Confluence Vulnerability

CISA, the FBI, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) issued a warning regarding a recent Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server zero-day. A nation-state threat actor exploited the zero-day on September 14, two weeks before Atlassian patched the vulnerability. The advisory explained that cyber actors were able to obtain initial access and…
CERT-UA Reports: 11 Ukrainian Telecom Providers Hit by Cyberattacks

The Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) recently announced that an actor it tracked as UAC-0165 interfered with 11 telecommunications providers from May to September 2023. The intrusions led to service disruptions for the companies’ customers. The threat actor began attacks by scanning company networks from previously compromised Ukrainian servers for exposed RDP or…
Signal Pours Cold Water on Zero-Day Exploit Rumors

Representatives from Signal recently dispelled widespread rumors of a zero-day exploit in its encrypted messaging service. Signal conducted an investigation and concluded there was no evidence of an active vulnerability. The rumors developed from a copy-pasted warning which stated that the “generate link preview” feature was susceptible to exploitation. The anonymous note advised users to…
Two Swedes shot dead in Brussels, Belgium raises terror alert to top level

A man who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State killed two Swedish nationals and wounded a third in Brussels on Monday night. The suspect fled the shooting and remained at large as Belgian authorities conducted a massive manhunt. The man called himself Abdesalem Al Guilani and stated he was a fighter for Allah in a…
Restart of Venezuela, opposition talks could lead to US sanction relief

Venezuela’s government announced on Monday it plans to resume talks with opposition leaders on Tuesday. The United States incentivized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with eased sanctions if his government commits to a free and internationally observed election next year. The announcement marks the first democratic concessions from Caracas since the last government-opposition talks a year…
US tackles loopholes in curbs on AI chip exports to China

The U.S. will take steps to prevent American chipmakers from selling semiconductors to China that circumvent government restrictions, a U.S. official said, as part of the Biden administration’s upcoming actions to block more AI chip exports. The new rules, details of which Reuters is reporting for the first time, will be added to sweeping U.S.…
Tether freezes $873K USDT linked to terrorist activity in Ukraine, Israel

Stablecoin issuer Tether has moved to freeze 32 addresses linked to terrorist activity in Israel and Ukraine in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies. $873,118 worth of Tether linked to illicit activity in Israel and Ukraine have been frozen, according to an announcement from the company. The action was taken in collaboration with Israel’s National…
The Crypto Exchange Moving Money for Criminal Gangs, Rich Russians and a Hamas-Linked Terror Group

The U.S. last year sanctioned a Moscow-based crypto exchange to stymie Russian efforts to evade the financial blockade imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. A year on, the exchange is booming. Despite its place on the U.S. blacklist, which restricts transactions with sanctioned entities, Garantex has become a major channel through which Russians move funds into and…
Quantum risk is real now: How to navigate the evolving data harvesting threat

In an era where data security is paramount, the recent revelations about firmware backdoors implanted by Chinese government-backed hackers serve as a stark reminder of the evolving threat landscape. BlackTech is infiltrating routers to gain undetectable backdoor access to the networks of companies in the US and Japan. This incident underscores the vulnerabilities in our…
Sorry, Elon! The Satellites of the Future Are Heading to Space Right Now

A new generation of satellites is redefining what’s possible in space. They are radically different from what has been the standard for almost the entire history of humans hurling things into orbit. They tantalize potential customers—including governments, businesses and consumers—with the promise of fast, always-on internet access, anywhere on Earth, anytime. Thousands of this new…
How ‘A.I. Agents’ That Roam the Internet Could One Day Replace Workers

The widely used chatbot ChatGPT was designed to generate digital text, everything from poetry to term papers to computer programs. But when a team of artificial intelligence researchers at the computer chip company Nvidia got their hands on the chatbot’s underlying technology, they realized it could do a lot more. Within weeks, they taught it…
China Prepares for Belt and Road Summit in Shadow of Israel-Gaza War

China is due to host representatives of 130 countries for a forum on its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that is likely to be overshadowed by the Israel-Gaza war, and the continuing conflict in Ukraine. At the top of the forum’s guest list is Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, on his first trip to a major…
Hamas Warns of Environmental Crisis as 1,000 Bodies Still Under Gaza Rubble

The bodies of more than 1,000 Palestinians are trapped under the rubble of buildings that were destroyed by Israeli air attacks in Gaza, the Hamas interior ministry says, warning of humanitarian and environmental crises. Hundreds of Hamas fighters crossed the border into Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people and taking dozens captive.…
Tusk Celebrates Potential Win Over Ruling Nationalists in Poland Election

Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk has welcomed exit polls showing opposition parties on course to potentially secure a majority in the country’s parliamentary election over the ruling conservative nationalist party. A former European Council President, Tusk’s victory would see Poland moving closer to European allies and reviving support for Ukraine. Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/16/new-era-tusk-celebrates-exit-polls-suggesting-opposition-win-in-poland
Ukraine Worries That Prolonged War in Gaza May Dilute Global Support

Ukraine, who is still in fierce combat with Russia, finds itself worrying about the shifts in the geopolitics of the war. The attention of key allies is pivoting to the war in Gaza, military aid from the United States is bogged down in the Republican fight over leadership in Congress, and cracks in European support…
Microsoft Improving Windows Authentication, Disabling NTLM

Microsoft is pushing for more secure Windows authentication with new features for Kerberos that would eventually eliminate the use of the New Technology LAN Manager (NTLM) protocol. NTLM is meant to provide authentication, integrity, and confidentiality, however, it is prone to relay attacks and passwords can be brute-forced easily using modern hardware, making the protocol…
Stronger Ransomware Protection Finally Pays Off

Hornetsecurity revealed that 92.5% of businesses are aware of ransomware’s potential for negative impact. Still, just 54% of respondents said their leadership is ‘actively involved in conversations and decision-making’ around preventing such attacks. 12.2% of organizations do not have a disaster recovery plan. Of those companies, more than half cited a ‘lack of resources or…
Gaza Conflict Paves Way for Pro-Hamas Information Operations

Researchers are on the lookout for state-sponsored information operations springing from the Israel-Hamas conflict, but so far, no major initiatives have cropped up. However, attacks are expected to increase over time as the situation continues, especially from actors related to Iran and Lebanon-based Hezbollah. It is also expected to see activity designed to look like…
DarkGate Operator Uses Skype, Teams Messages to Distribute Malware

A threat actor is using compromised Skype and Microsoft Teams accounts to distribute DarkGate, a troublesome loader associated with multiple malicious activities, including information theft, keylogging, cryptocurrency miners, and ransomware. According to researchers at Trend Micro, forty-one percent of the targets of the campaign are organizations in the Americas. The security firm recommends that organizations…
China gives Ehang the first industry approval for fully autonomous, passenger-carrying air taxis

Self-driving air taxis are one step closer to reality in China. Guangzhou-based Ehang on Friday said it received an airworthiness “type certificate” from the Civil Aviation Administration of China for its fully autonomous drone, the EH216-S AAV, that carries two human passengers. The regulator is the equivalent of the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. U.S.-listed…
Leveraging IoT For Business Growth: Opportunities And Challenges

Siri, tell me about IoT. -What are you looking for? -I am looking for ways to apply it to different businesses. -Here is what I found on the internet. Sound familiar? This is because the Internet of Things (IoT) is everywhere. From smart home appliances controlled by voice commands, like Amazon’s Alexa, to smartwatches, we…
US Space Force pauses use of AI tools like ChatGPT over data security risks

The U.S. Space Force has paused the use of web-brd generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT for its workforce over data security concerns, according to a memo seen by Reuters. A memo dated Sept. 29 and addressed to Guardians, the name Space Force calls its workforce, prohibits personnel from using such AI tools including large-language models…
How Hamas is using cryptocurrency to raise funds

Iran has loomed large as one of Hamas’ most generous financial backers, providing the militant group crucial resources it needs to carry out acts of terrorism. But investigators in the US and across the globe have identified another revenue source being exploited by Hamas: Far-flung online donors offering support in cryptocurrency. Even before Hamas launched…
Biden eyes adding AI chip curbs to Chinese companies abroad

The Biden administration is considering closing a loophole that gives Chinese companies access to American artificial intelligence (AI) chips through units located overseas, according to four people familiar with the matter. The United States last year shook relations with Beijing when it unveiled new restrictions on shipments of AI chips and chipmaking tools to China, seeking…
SEC Investigating Progress Software Over MOVEit Hack

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is conducting an investigation into the data breach incident associated with the vulnerability in Progress Software’s MOVEit transfer tool, which exposed data from over 2,000 organizations and 60 million individuals. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2023-34362, was exploited by the Cl0p ransomware group to steal data from organizations using…
Microsoft Offers Up to $15,000 in New AI Bug Bounty Program

Microsoft has introduced a bug bounty program focused on artificial intelligence (AI), offering rewards of up to $15,000 for identifying vulnerabilities in its AI-powered Bing. The program will concentrate initially on bing.com in browsers and the Bing integration in Edge, Microsoft Start Application, and the Skype mobile apps. Microsoft is interested in reports describing inference…
Dozens of Squid Proxy Vulnerabilities Remain Unpatched 2 Years After Disclosure

Numerous vulnerabilities in the widely used open-source Squid caching and forwarding web proxy remain unpatched two years after being reported by a researcher. Joshua Rogers identified 55 vulnerabilities using fuzzing, manual code review, and static analysis in 2021. He said that only a few of them have been assigned CVE identifiers, with 35 remaining unpatched.…
Juniper Networks Patches Over 30 Vulnerabilities in Junos OS

Juniper Networks has released patches for over 30 vulnerabilities in Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved, including nine high-severity flaws. The most critical issue allows an unauthenticated attacker with local access to create a backdoor with root privileges, and six other high-severity vulnerabilities can lead to denial of service (DoS). These patches should be applied…
U.S. Clamps Down on Russian Oil Sales With New Sanctions

Finance ministers from the Group of 7 nations pledged on Thursday to continue providing economic support for Ukraine and backed a plan that would help finance the nation’s reconstruction with proceeds from Russian assets that have been frozen by Western nations. The agreement to explore the use of Russian funds to help pay for Ukraine’s…
Thousands Flee Gaza After Israel Orders Mass Evacuation

Panic and confusion gripped the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, where thousands of people were fleeing south after the Israeli military ordered a mass evacuation of parts of the densely crowded, impoverished and besieged coastal strip that is home to more than two million Palestinians. Some Gaza residents said they feared this could end up…
Growing Wariness of Aid to Ukraine Hangs Over Polish Election

The radical right-wing candidate running for Parliament in Poland’s deep south thinks Poland should focus on helping its own people, not cheering for Ukraine. In a country where millions of citizens rallied last year to help fleeing Ukrainians, and where the government threw itself into providing weapons for use against Russia’s invading army, complaints about…
Israel targets Hamas’s Labyrinth of Tunnels Under Gaza

Israel says it is striking parts of a secret labyrinth of tunnels built underneath the Gaza Strip by Hamas, as it continues to retaliate for the Palestinian Islamist militant group’s unprecedented cross-border attack on Saturday. It is very difficult to assess the size of the network, which Israel has dubbed the “Gaza Metro” because it…
Character.AI introduces group chats where people and multiple AIs can talk to each other

Character.AI, the a16z-backed AI chatbot startup from ex-Google AI researchers, is out today with a new feature for its subscribers. The chatbot platform, which offers customizable AI companions with distinct personalities and tools to make your own, is now offering a group chat experience where users and their friends can chat with multiple AI characters…
AI’s Cost Curve Has Big Tech Losing Money

Artificial intelligence (AI) has captured the imagination of some of the world’s largest companies. It has also captured a sizable portion of their spending — without giving much back. Big Tech companies, including Microsoft, Google and others, are struggling to profitably monetize their generative AI products due to the costs that the models require to…
US Space Force demonstrates fast satellite launch mission

Getting satellites into orbit is a complicated process. It usually takes months to prepare a spacecraft for launch, and the spacecraft itself was typically ordered years earlier. That won’t do in wartime. U.S. military forces are so dependent on satellites for communications, reconnaissance, attack warnings and even weather reports that if they are lost or…
Platypus Finance suffers its third hack in 2023, losses $2m

Decentralized finance (defi) protocol Platypus Finance suffered yet another hack this year, as around $2 million was stolen from the project. According to a security firm PeckShield, the protocol has been exploited on the Avalanche blockchain as attackers discovered a vulnerability, allowing them to withdraw Wrapped Avax (WAVAX) and Staked Avax (SAVAX). As of press…
Is Artificial Intelligence Right For Your Business?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved to become a cornerstone of the business landscape, driving transformational changes across industries. As a business leader, you will find yourself at a crossroads, contemplating whether to embrace AI and if so, how to go about doing so. Today, AI is more than just a buzzword. It encompasses a range of…
Microsoft Defender can automatically contain compromised user accounts

The “contain user” feature is now available to a wider pool of organizations. The feature has been tried out since November 2022 by select Microsoft Defender for Endpoint customers and is now being spread to other organizations. The feature aims to disrupt human operated attacks like ransomware, business email compromises and adversary-in-the-middle attacks. These attacks…
New Clues Suggest Stolen FTX Funds Went to Russia-Linked Money Launderers

There is an ongoing criminal trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried while cryptocurrency experts are following a different FTX-related crime. There are still-unidentified thieves who stole over $400 million out of FTX on the same day that the exchange declared bankruptcy. After nine months of silence, the thieves have been busy moving the funds across…
US top diplomat Blinken visits Israel, urges protection of Gaza civilians

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has visited Israel to express solidarity and support, but urged Israel to practice restraint to protect Palestinian civilians. The visit occurred as the Israeli bombarding of Gaza continues for the sixth day. Netanyahu praised the visit as an example of America’s support of Israel. Blinken’s visit came after Israeli…
Russia’s Putin makes rare visit to Kyrgyzstan despite ICC arrest warrant

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kyrgyzstan for two days to attend a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, an organization made up of former Soviet republics. This is Putin’s first foreign trip since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for alleged war crimes. Putin is also expected to…
Ukraine’s Zelensky seeks to rally Western support as attention shifts to Middle East

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke in front of the press in Brussels on Wednesday. It was Zelensky’s first time at NATO’s headquarters since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky recommended that NATO leaders support Israel in the war in the Middle East. Zelensky’s visit to Brussels coincided with the meeting of the Ukraine…
Applying AI to API Security

It is hard to go anywhere in the security profession these days without the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) coming up. Indeed, AI is a popular topic. Like many popular topics, there is quite a bit of buzz and hype around it. All of a sudden, it seems that everyone you meet is leveraging AI…
US Space Force Pauses Generative AI Use Based on Security Concerns

US Space Force has temporarily banned the use of web-based generative artificial intelligence tools and so-called large language models that power them, citing data security and other concerns, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg News. The Sept. 29 memorandum, addressed to the Guardian Workforce, the term for Space Force members, pauses the use of…
Hamas Militants Behind Israel Attack Raised Millions in Crypto

Hamas’s lightning strike on Israel last weekend has raised the question how the group financed the surprise operation. One answer: cryptocurrency. During the year leading up to the attacks, three militant groups—Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and their Lebanese ally Hezbollah—received large amounts of funds through crypto, according to a review of Israeli government seizure orders…
Integration of AI and IoT in Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management plays a pivotal role in the success of any enterprise. Entrepreneurs and business owners are constantly seeking innovative ways to optimize their supply chains, reduce operational costs and enhance overall efficiency. This is where the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart technologies step in to revolutionize the field of supply chain management.…
Southeast Asia eyes hands-off AI rules, defying EU ambitions

Southeast Asian countries are taking a business-friendly approach to artificial intelligence regulation in a setback to the European Union’s push for globally harmonised rules that align with its own stringent framework. Reuters reviewed a confidential draft of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) “guide to AI ethics and governance,” whose content has not previously…
Paraguay jail: Rioting inmates hold guards hostage

Inmates at Paraguay’s largest prison, Tacumbú jail, took at least 10 guards hostage during a riot. The prisoners are demanding a guarantee that the police won’t storm the jail, a signed document promising no reprisals for the riot, and the reopening of the overcrowded facility for new inmates. The hostage situation reportedly involves members of…
Australian Cheng Lei freed from China detention

Cheng Lei, an Australian journalist who had been detained in China for over three years, has returned to Australia. She was arrested in August 2020 while working as a business reporter for China’s state-run English language TV station CGTN. Her charges, which were never publicly disclosed, included “illegally supplying state secrets overseas.” Her release comes…
Inside Kfar Aza where Hamas militants killed families in their homes

The kibbutz Kfar Aza, an Israeli community along the border with Gaza, was the site of a massacre during the early days of the war as Hamas fighters breached the Israeli defenses, killing Israeli residents, including children. The Israeli army took 12 hours to respond, and the residents of Kfar Aza were caught off guard.…
Gaza: Children screamed in street as we fled 2am air strike

Gaza’s sole power plant has ceased operations due to a lack of fuel, and supplies of medical and food are dwindling as hundreds flee air strikes. Israeli airstrikes, which have persisted for five days, have caused increasing desperation for the 2.3 million people in Gaza, who are trapped in the territory with no means of…
Chrome 118 Patches 20 Vulnerabilities

Google has released Chrome 118, which fixes 20 vulnerabilities, 14 of which were reported by external researchers. The most severe issue was a use-after-free bug in Site Isolation, a Chrome component for preventing one site from stealing another’s data. Google has not yet set a bug bounty reward for the critical vulnerability, but it has…
US Government Releases Security Guidance for Open Source Software in OT, ICS

Several U.S. government agencies have collaborated to produce new cybersecurity guidance for the use of open-source software (OSS) in operational technology (OT). The document aims to promote understanding of OSS and its implementation in industrial control systems (ICS) and other OT environments, offering best practices for secure use. It details recommendations for supporting OSS development,…