OODA Analysis and Briefs

Analysis

On Sources

Thomas Joscelyn writes in the Weekly Standard about James Risen and his sources: On NBC’s “Today” show this morning, New York Times scribe Jim Risen told Katie Couric that he hopes he will not have to reveal his sources to a grand jury and declared his story to be the exact opposite of the Plame…
Drip, Drip, Drip

Given my background I may be slightly biased, but I’ve never been a big fan of leakers of classified information. The whole point of keeping stuff classified is that it isn’t supposed to be out on the front page of the NY Times. That we tend to over-classify things is another issue. The bottom line…
Dangers of GI Blogs

From Newsday: Letters home filled with tales of death and danger, bravery and boredom are a wartime certainty. And now, as hundreds of soldiers overseas have started keeping Internet journals about the heat, the homesickness, the bloodshed, word speeds from the battlefront faster than ever. More and more, though, U.S. military commanders in Iraq and…
Pshaw!

And they said that no one from the JTF would ever amount to anything: The spookiest venture capital firm on the planet has hired a new CEO. In-Q-Tel – the CIA’s venture capital unit – has tapped Amit Yoran as the successor to Gilman Louie, according to a report in the Washington Business Journal.…
Post Holiday Catch-Up

Such an effort is almost a waste of time (almost) since you’re starting long after the gun has gone off, but it is a nice way to reboot the mental OS out of hibernation and get back into the swing of things. So, where to begin?This gem from Reuters is a nice starting point: A…
It just came to me . . .

. . . another reason why the polygraph isn’t a very good tool for screening out potential spies and leakers: Clearly the people who are leaking about Plame, the rendition program, NSA interceptions, etc. are in positions that require periodic testing. Either their kung fu is so strong they can’t be accurately read by the…
PATRIOT Act Extension (Sort of)

A month is what the House thinks is appropriate: The House of Representatives agreed to extend a controversial domestic surveillance law this afternoon, but it limited the extension to one month and rejected a carefully brokered compromise from the Senate that had given the law a six-month reprieve. Prediction I: Post-holiday showdown takes place on…
WaPo DHS Expose

A great start to what is going to be a multi-part series on DHS in the WaPo today: Born out of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, DHS was initially expected to synthesize intelligence, secure borders, protect infrastructure and prepare for the next catastrophe. For most of those missions, the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission recently…
Imperfect System = Tortured Solutions

Much rending of hair and gnashing of teeth has been taking place since a leak in the New York Times revealed the existence of a Presidentially authorized secret program to intercept and exploit the communications of suspected terrorists that might be operating in the US. Under a presidential order signed in 2002, [NSA] has monitored…
Hezbollah.com

Via Judeoscope: [Hezbollah] — regarded by many as even more sophisticated than al-Qaeda — has sharpened its counterintelligence expertise over the years by keeping a step ahead of Mossad, Israel’s secret service. [They have] become ever more adept at intercepting electronic surveillance, penetrating cellphone networks and recruiting computer science technicians. “Hezbollah has a long history…
Unrestricted Warfare

The following selections are taken from “Unrestricted Warfare,” a book published in China in February 1999 which proposes tactics for developing countries, in particular China, to compensate for their military inferiority vis-à-vis the United States during a high-tech war. The selections include the table of contents, preface, afterword, and biographical information about the authors printed…

Briefs

How Russia can use cryptocurrency to avoid US sanctions over Ukraine

The Biden administration pledged to impose harsh economic sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, which began in earnest on Thursday morning. But billionaire oligarchs close to Russian President Vladimir Putin could potentially blunt the effects of the sanctions thanks to cryptocurrency, according to experts. The decentralized nature of digital currencies like bitcoin and ethereum allows…
Decentralized Compute Is The Foundation Of The Metaverse

The metaverse is still a thing, an experience, a service in the making, an envisioned 3D world fueled in large part by artificial intelligence and immersive graphics that will, many hope, be a place where consumers can play games and interact with others and companies can do business in ways that can’t be done today. The…
Using artificial intelligence to find anomalies hiding in massive datasets

Identifying a malfunction in the nation’s power grid can be like trying to find a needle in an enormous haystack. Hundreds of thousands of interrelated sensors spread across the U.S. capture data on electric current, voltage, and other critical information in real-time, often taking multiple recordings per second. Researchers at the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab…
White House Denies Mulling Massive Cyberattacks Against Russia

The White House has denied reports that President Biden received plans containing an arsenal of ways to launch massive cyberattacks against Russia, including tampering with trains, electric service, and internet connectivity. The cyberattacks would hinder Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. NBC News reported on the matter on Thursday, listing the options provided. The outlet’s sources…
Ukraine conflict: Kyiv braces for Russian assault

Russian tanks have been filmed entering Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, for the first time. The city was hit by blasts overnight with at least one block of flats damaged and civilians injured. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence called on residents to make fire bombs to neutralise the enemy. A plane was shot down over Kyiv, with disputes…
Greece approves its biggest naval modernisation in 20 years

Greek opposition parties and the Greek government have come together and approved the country’s biggest modernisation in 20 years. 2.26bn euros will be spent over the next four years in Greece to buy three Belharra frigates. These are built by France’s Naval Group and are considered to be state of the art. Greece is expected…
Ukraine Attacked with Wiper Malware

Ukraine is reportedly being targeted by a new-data wiping malware amid a physical attack on three sides by Russian armed forces. Researchers at cybersecurity companies ESET and Symantec found that hundreds of machines spanning several organizations in Ukraine were infected with a wiper called HermeticWiper on Wednesday. The cyberattack took place just hours after the…
Trudeau revokes Emergencies Act, saying existing laws are enough to deal with protesters

The Emergencies Act will be lifted by the Canadian government only nine days after it was invoked. The government claims that police have all the tools they need to deal with the law-breaking protests in Ottawa. The sweeping powers had been put into place to handle an “acute” emergency. Small pockets of the protestors remain…
Russia bans British airlines from its airspace

British airplanes are banned from landing in Russian airports and from crossing its airspace. This move was a response from Russia after the UK stopped Russia’s national airline Aeroflot from landing in Britain. The move against Russia airlines was part of sanctions imposed on Russia after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia stated this response was…
China lifts restrictions on Russian wheat imports

Restrictions on imports of Russian wheat have been relaxed in China to address food security concerns and could ease the impact of Western sanctions on Russia’s economy. The decision was made earlier this month during President Putin’s visit to Beijing and the announcement was made this week. This agreement is the latest in many deals…
Iran’s hackers are using these tools to steal passwords and deliver ransomware, say FBI and CISA

Hackers with ties to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security are using a wide range of exploits to carry out its cyber espionage goals. The US and UK authorities have released a joint advisory to the pubic regarding the attacks, which are targeting organizations located around the world. The advisory, published by the Federal…
Nicaragua court convicts government critics of ‘conspiracy’

A Nicaraguan court has found seven different critics of President Danial Ortega’s administration guilty of conspiracy. Human rights groups have denounced the court proceedings as a political trial. Three individuals convicted of conspiracy were opposition leaders who planned to run in the 2021 election. During the 2021 election, dozens of government critics were detained and…
U.S., Allies Poised to Hit Russia With Broad Sanctions for Ukraine Invasion

The US and its allies are poised to unveil harsh sanctions against Russia after the country launched an unprecedented invasion of Ukraine. President Biden has called the military operation an “unprovoked and unjustified” attack on the nation. Western powers hope that the fresh slew of penalties will punish Russia and convince the country to reduce…
Ukraine vows defiance as Russia launches major invasion

On Thursday, Russia launched an unprecedented military invasion against Ukraine that has already left dozens dead, prompting international condemnation. Western leaders have vowed their unity with Kyiv, however, US President Joe Biden has proclaimed that he would not send US forces to fight the Russian army in Ukraine. Early Thursday, explosions were heard in several…
Uganda’s proposed new law will see anti-vaxxers face fines or six months in jail

Uganda has proposed new and harsh penalties for anti-vaxxers in a new bill that is still under consideration of the parliament as the country attempts to crack down on its Covid-19 vaccine mandate. On Tuesday, a parliamentary health committee stated that it plans to propose legislation to fine or imprison unvaccinated residents. The proposal introduces…
Samsung Shattered Encryption on 100M Phones

Samsung reportedly shipped 100 million smartphones containing botched encryption, including models ranging from the 2017 Galaxy S8 to last year’s Galaxy S21. The incident was reportedly by researchers at Tel Aviv University, who confirmed that they found severe cryptographic design flaws that could allow attackers to siphon the devices’ hardware based cryptographic keys. If obtained,…
Oklahoma Cops Say Rape Victims’ Data May Have Been Leaked

The Oklahoma City Police Department announced Monday that personal data belonging to victims of sexual assault may have been exposed as the result of a security incident that occurred at a DNA analysis laboratory used by the police department. The department was performing forensic testing on evidence provided by sexual assault victims at the time…
Asia most targeted region in 2021, taking on one in four cybersecurity attacks

IBM’s annual X-Force Threat Intelligence Index revealed that Asia was the region that was most targeted by cyberattacks in 2021, suffering from one in four cybersecurity incidents. Within the region, Japan, Australia, and India saw the most incidents. Server access and ransomware were among the most popular forms of attacks against the listed countries, while…
Blockchains And NFTs In Identification And Security Protocols

Blockchain technology first became popular with the invention of Bitcoin. Now, it is what unifies Bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies. Another incredible innovation of our time is NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Blockchain and NFTs are two revolutionary concepts that are fast changing our new data world and how we secure it. Since the existence of computers, data…
Why are smart contracts the smart choice for financial services?

In an age of rapid digitalisation, accelerated by the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, “smart contracts” are seen by many as a building block in the development of a more efficient and more automated financial services sector. In this series, we will look at the use cases of smart contracts in financial services, and the Law…
Blockchain and Automation Revolutionizing Supply Chains

Have you ever wondered why your online orders took longer than expected to arrive? Or where do the goods you order come from? Shipment delays affect customer retention heavily. According to a report, 69 percent of customers are less likely to purchase from a retailer if their item is not delivered on time. As per…
The Metaverse Is Coming; We May Already Be in It

A few years ago, while doing research for a virtual reality (VR) program at MIT that I would be running, I donned a VR headset and played a ping-pong game. The game was so realistic that it momentarily fooled my brain. When it ended, I instinctively tried to put the paddle down on the “table”…
The Importance of Humanized Autonomous Decision-Making in AI

Advanced automation technologies like artificial intelligence, coupled with data generated from the internet, smart devices and social networks, are making it easier than ever to off-load real-time decision making from humans to algorithms. This is more than just recommending your next television show to binge, Instead, it is evidence that we are increasingly relying on machines…
NCSC Issues First-Ever Cybersecurity Guidance for the Construction Industry

In the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released its first cybersecurity guidance to the construction industry, providing practical advice for firms on how to protect their businesses and building projects from cyberattackers. The guide offers details on the most common attack vectors faced by the industry, including ransomware attacks, supply chain attacks,…
These new hacking groups are striking industrial, operational tech targets

Researchers claim that new hacking groups have emerged, targeting industrial players, critical infrastructure providers, utilities companies, and energy companies. The attackers are allegedly seeking to steal data or intellectual property, cause disruption, or access sensitive material rather than to make money via ransom payments. Researchers state that the ransomware incidents experienced by Colonial Pipeline and…
Australia demands answers from China over alleged laser incident at sea

Australia has demanded that China investigate an incident that occurred in waters off the country’s north coast. The incident consisted of the alleged use of a laser to illuminate an Australian jet. Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated on Monday that he called to Chinese government to explain how dangerous and reckless the act was, and…
OpenSea Phisher Stole $2m Worth of NFTs

A threat actor has allegedly stolen over $2 million from customers of the OpenSea non-fungible token (NFT) trading platform after launching a phishing attack against the marketplace. Researcher at Check Point stated that the attack occurred earlier this week, when OpenSea published an article about an upcoming contract upgrade, inspiring the attackers to design a…
Can the law keep up with crypto?

A lot of Web3 ideas seem to run directly into the existing legal system in complicated and sometimes very funny ways. The NFT world seems to have an impressionistic understanding of copyright law. DAOs, well, they aren’t actually recognized as legal entities in most states. So in a very technical sense, they can’t actually do…
The Important Difference Between Web3 And The Metaverse

Two terms that are generating a lot of hype and excitement in the world of business technology right now are Web3 (sometimes called web 3.0) and metaverse—judging by some of the coverage, you would be forgiven for thinking that they refer to the same thing. Actually, although they are related in several important ways, they…
DeFi explained: What is decentralised finance and could it be a death sentence for banks?

DeFi, short for decentralized finance, is another buzzword that has entered our lexicon, joining the likes of Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, NFTs, blockchain and the metaverse. So, what is it? Today, most of the financial transactions in the economy are digital. We’re still using banknotes and coins on occasions but it’s marginal. It’s a logical step that this mainly…
Big brands are jumping into the metaverse – will their bet pay off?

The metaverse. You’ve heard about it. You’ve read about it. But do you really understand it? Unfortunately, most small business owners I know don’t. They should. The metaverse is virtual. But it’s also real. It’s an online world that might generate its own economy. So far it’s been mostly created and championed by Mark Zuckerberg, who…
Making Sense Of The ‘Unknown’ With Data Intelligence And Hyperautomation

Two years ago, the onset of Covid-19 brought not only a global health crisis but also business chaos. Economic challenges, supply chain issues, the shift to remote work, evolving company culture and access to data were only a few of the many problems enterprises faced. As I spoke to customers and partners, a common theme was…
At least 60 people killed in blast at gold mine in Burkina Faso, state TV reports

In Burkina Faso, roughly 60 people have been killed and dozens more wounded after an explosion at an informal gold mining site occurred. State television outlets reported on the tragedy, stating that the cause of the explosion remains unknown. The blast occurred in the Poni province. Images from the scene show a large blast site…
Almost 100,000 new mobile banking Trojan strains detected in 2021

Researchers have detected almost 100,000 new variants of mobile banking Trojans over the past year, as many malware developers have shifted their focus to the creation of mobile threats. Many of the infection routes of these trojans are still workable, such as phishing and the download execution of suspicious software, however, cyberattacker are now focusing…
IRS will let taxpayers opt out of ID.me facial recognition with a live interview

After recent news that the IRS would mandate ID.me facial recognition security to access taxpayer accounts, the IRS decided that US taxpayers who do not want to submit biometric data will instead sign up for a live, virtual interview to create an account. According to the agency, the new authentication system is available as a…
Russia orders troops into Ukrainian rebel-held regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops to occupy two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine, claiming that they are recognized as independent states. Russia stated that the troops will act as peacekeeping forces in the regions, which the country has backed since 2014. The troops have not been deployed yet, but the announcement drew criticism…
Next bitcoin bull run won’t happen until end 2024, says top crypto exchange co-founder

Bitcoin may not see a bull market until late 2024 or the beginning of 2025, if past price cycles are any indication, according to the co-founder of Huobi, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Du Jun told CNBC that bitcoin bull markets are closely tied to a process called halving, which occurs every few years. This…
Web3 might be crypto’s key to the mainstream market

2021 has been a significant year for crypto with no fungible token (NFT) being awarded word of the year, decentralized finance (DeFi) trending in the mainstream media and crypto companies making headlines for a variety of announcements. This is, no doubt, in part due to the effects that COVID-19 has had on the economy, with…
How GitHub Uses Machine Learning to Extend Vulnerability Code Scanning

Applying machine learning techniques to its rule-based security code scanning capabilities, GitHub hopes to be able to extend them to less common vulnerability patterns by automatically inferring new rules from the existing ones. GitHub Code Scanning uses carefully defined CodeQL analysis rules to identify potential security vulnerabilities lurking in source code. Manually creating those rules…
Here’s How Companies Plan to Take Advantage of The Metaverse

The beginning of the year was marked by a cascade of corporate announcements about their plans for the metaverse, the crypto sphere, and NFTs. Faced with the multitude of announcements, it is logical to wonder what is the business model behind it and especially if these are not simply smokescreens motivated by the fear of…
Steps Enterprises Can Take To Build A Dependable AI Talent Pool

As AI establishes a strong foothold across industries, demand for AI talent is exponentially rising. However, the growing AI talent gap remains a persistent issue. As evidenced in the results of a recent O’Reilly survey, the lack of skilled people and difficulty hiring remain the top two AI challenges presented by enterprises. Add to this…
Iranian State Broadcaster Clobbered by ‘Clumsy, Buggy’ Code

Cybersecurity researchers report that an attack on January 27th in which opposition leaders called for the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader was a messy and unsophisticated wiper attack. The video footage ran on several of the nation’s state-operated channels in late January after a cyberattack hit Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. The cybersecurity incident is one…
Russia “Pre-positioning” Cyber-Attacks for Potential Invasion

Last week, the UK and US governments attributed DDoS attacks on Ukrainian organizations to Russian intelligence, with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) reporting that they were almost certain the attacks were the work of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). A Foreign Office spokesperson stated that the attack showed a disregard for Ukrainian sovereignty, leading…
Banking World Rocked After Leak Exposes 18,000 Credit Suisse Accounts

Credit Suisse has spoken out against allegations of due diligence failures after the details of 18,000 accounts connected to 30,000 clients was exposed. The data trove was shared by an anonymous whistleblower, who reached out to several different media outlets. The anonymous reporter left a message claiming that the company’s secrecy laws were immoral and…
Investigation claims Credit Suisse handled dirty money

An international media investigation due to a large data leak from Credit Suisse revealed the handling of billions of dollars of dirty money at Switzerland’s second-largest bank. The bank held over $8 billion dollars in accounts of criminals, dictators, human rights abusers and businessmen under sanctions according to the investigation published Sunday. Credit Suisse rejected…
Ukraine tensions: Biden agrees in principle to summit with Putin

United States President Joe Biden has agreed to hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the crisis over Ukraine. The talks were proposed by France and the United States will only participate if Russia does not invade Ukraine. The Kremlin stated that there were not solid plans for a summit. These talks…
Seven children killed in airstrike by Nigerian forces in Niger, official says

Children were killed and wounded in an airstrike in Niger that was carried out by the NIgerian military. Nigeria’s military said they were still investigating these claims. The attack was in the village of Nachadé in Maradi, Niger, on Friday. Seven children were killed and five were wounded, but evidence was not provided to show…
Microsoft warns of emerging ‘ice phishing’ threat on blockchain, DeFi networks

Microsoft has warned of new threats impacting blockchain technologies and Web3 including “ice phishing” campaigns. The blockchain, decentralized technologies, DeFi, smart contracts, the concept of a ‘metaverse’ and Web3 — the decentralized foundation built on top of cryptographic systems that underlay blockchain projects — all have the potential to produce radical changes in how we…
What are private, public, and consortium blockchains?

Since its introduction, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology has exploded in popularity. Millions of people are investing in crypto as an asset, and it has become an essential part of many portfolios. The rise in investment has also led to developers and creators experimenting with the technology, customizing it to serve various sectors such as governance…
What Is Web3 and How Will it Work?

Even if you’re not into blockchain technology like Bitcoin and NFTs, you’ve probably heard about Web3 (or Web 3.0). Your tech-savvy friends might be telling you it’s the future, but the concept is a bit confusing. Is it the blockchain or cryptocurrency? Here’s what you need to know. Yahoo’s home page in 1999. Let’s back up.…
The Metaverse: A 5-Year Forecast of How It Will Affect Your Business

The metaverse is having its moment internationally, accelerated by COVID-19’s impact on digital-based economies and disruptions to offline business models. The rise of blockchain, digital assets, and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) further fuels the demand for the metaverse. Defined as a virtual-reality space in which users can interact, the metaverse is evolving into an increasingly vast…
DeepMind scientists say they trained an A.I. to control a nuclear fusion reactor

Scientists at DeepMind have found another real-world application for their artificial intelligence software. The London-based AI lab, which is owned by Alphabet, announced Wednesday that it has trained an AI system to control and sculpt a superheated plasma inside a nuclear fusion reactor. Nuclear fusion, a process that powers the stars of the universe, involves smashing and…
Niger to accept foreign troops fighting insurgents in Sahel

Niger will welcome French and European special forces after their withdrawal from Mali, as confirmed with President Mohamed Bazoum on Friday. The forces will be especially welcome in Takuba according to the president and the special forces will respond to the threat posed by terrorist organizations. The forces will secure the border are of the…
Russia: Putin to oversee huge nuclear drills amid Ukraine tension

It was announced by Russia that President Vladimir Putin will personally oversee military drills involving “strategic forces” on Saturday. The exercise will include multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles according to the defense ministry. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will also be overseeing Saturday’s drills. The drills will include the air force,…
Greek ferry: Hundreds evacuated from Olympia blaze off Corfu

290 people on board a ferry that burst into flames near Corfu in the Ionian Sea were evacuated by Greek and Italian boats. A fire broke out on deck as the Euroferry Olympia had left Igoumenitsa in Greece and was on the way to the Italian port of Brindisi. Passengers were asked to leave she…
Global markets stabilize as Russian invasion threat continues

Global markets stabilized on Friday after the Dow had its worst day of 2022 due to the threat of Russian invasion in Ukraine. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed down 1% and Japan’s benchmark Nikkei closed down 0.4%. Shanghai Composite Index gained 7% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.9% after the open. London’s FTSE 100 and…
UK bracing for possible ‘sting jet’ as rare threat-to-life warning issued in back-to-back storms

A rare danger-to-life alert has been issued in the UK by meteorologists as Storm Eunice is expected to impact the country Friday. A red alert is the highest weather warning category in the UK due to a forecast that Eunice will bring winds up to 90 mph. The storm could also cause high waves and…
Ukrainian DDoS Attacks Should Put US on Notice

On Tuesday, Ukraine’s military and economy sectors were hit by denial-of-service attacks. The institutions involved suffered limited impact, however, the ramifications of the attack could be severe. The attacks sparked a series of headlines around the world, despite their restricted scope. Cybersecurity researchers stated that the implications of the attacks for critical infrastructure beyond Ukraine…
Fertility Clinic Hit with Ransomware

A New York City based fertility clinic is undergoing the process of notifying patients that their personal data may have been compromised during a recent cyberattack. The clinic, Extended Fertility, specializes in IVF and was hit with ransomware in December. Since the attack, the clinic has hired a third-party digital forensic specialist to determine the…
Researchers Block “Largest Ever” Bot Attack

Security researchers have allegedly stopped the largest bot attack in history, leveraging 400,000 compromised IP addresses to scrape web data. The massive botnet generated 400 million requests from the IP addresses over four days, resulting in the compromise of roughly 10 requests per IP per hour, on average. Imperva stated that its mitigation service detected…