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In this post, I examine the steps Xi Jinping could take to try to cripple the U.S. economy through financial warfare, along with the range of U.S. responses that could follow. I also offer a net assessment of who might prevail. While a full-scale economic war with the PRC may still be a low-probability event,…
In an era of converging exponential technologies, deep tech startup teams and serial entrepreneurs who are innovating for national security must structure their thinking to operate as exponential organizations (ExOs) – aligned to technological, accelerationist drivers. We discussed what you and your team need to know last week at Deep Tech Week NYC. Details are…
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been at the forefront of enhancing the United States’ cybersecurity posture. OODA Loop’s comprehensive analyses shed light on CISA’s initiatives, particularly the Shields Up! campaign and the activities of the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee (CSAC), emphasizing the agency’s proactive approach to emerging cyber threats.
Michael Kratsios was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 25, 2025, as the 13th Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in a bipartisan 74–25 vote. In this role, he also serves as the President’s Science Advisor, guiding national strategies on emerging technologies, innovation, and scientific research. He has just…
On April 3, 2025, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in collaboration with the National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and international partners, released a joint advisory titled “Fast Flux: A National Security Threat.”
The largest growth area in the federal budget for the foreseeable future is the Golden Dome initiative. OODA Network experts are examining architecture and technology solutions for this missile shield in our 18 April member meeting. Join us for insights on the future and how to contribute to this transformational project.
Biotechnology isn’t just about medical, CRISPR, and pharmaceutical breakthroughs—it’s about global power. The U.S. must decide now whether to lead or cede the future.
A sweeping new memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directs U.S. federal agencies to aggressively expand their use of artificial intelligence while establishing strict governance and risk management protocols. Why This Matters: This is the most comprehensive federal policy to date on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in government operations. It…
As we navigate multiple technological revolutions happening simultaneously, few authors offer as rich a vision of human-AI coexistence as Iain M. Banks’ “The Culture” series – a collection that deserves more attention from those of us working on the challenges of emerging technologies.
Strategic advantage will belong to those who can think in alternatives, adapt quickly, and act decisively.
Global organized crime networks have newfound, democratized access to exponential technologies like AI and quantum – while quantum computing could break today’s cryptography by 2035. The UK and EU are urging immediate action.
Recent reporting has revealed that China appears interested in exploiting recent cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the U.S. federal workforce by targeting individuals that have been let go with promises of employment in the hopes of obtaining classified information. According to a researcher from a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, Chinese intelligence has allegedly…
A year ago, a 1,200-acre stretch of farmland outside New Carlisle, Ind., was an empty cornfield. Now, seven Amazon data centers rise up from the rich soil, each larger than a football stadium. Over the next several years, Amazon plans to build around 30 data centers at the site, packed with hundreds of thousands of…
Dutch authorities report pro-Russian cyberattacks ahead of NATO summit in The Hague. On Monday, the Netherlands’ National Cybersecurity Center confirmed denial-of-service attacks targeting municipalities and NATO-linked organizations. The attacks, claimed by the hacker group NoName057(16), are believed to have ideological motives. While the city of The Hague, which is hosting the summit, remains operational, officials…
Thailand restricts land border crossings with Cambodia following a deadly border clash last month. Thailand has blocked tourist travel to Cambodia following a May 28 border incident that left one Cambodian soldier dead. Only those with essential needs are allowed to cross. In response, Cambodia cut Thai internet, electricity, and fuel supplies. Thai officials also…
The loan aims to ease blackouts and boost jobs as South Africa tackles slow growth. The World Bank has granted South Africa a $1.5 billion loan aimed at improving transport and energy infrastructure and supporting a shift toward a low-carbon economy. The government hopes the funds will help ease blackouts, clogged ports, and high unemployment.…
European leaders call for diplomacy as the U.S., Iran, and Israel trade military strikes. European leaders are urging Iran to resume talks after a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear sites triggered missile retaliation on a U.S. base in Qatar. While Britain, France, and Germany continue diplomatic outreach, Iran has turned to Russia for support and…
Experts say pro-Iranian hackers may escalate operations amid heightened tensions. The Department of Homeland Security has issued an alert anticipating Iranian cyber activity in response to U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. Officials say both state-sponsored hackers and pro-Iranian hacktivists may target American networks, with risks ranging from low-level disruptions to more sophisticated espionage. Experts…
Researchers link deepfake Zoom hacks to the North Korean group BlueNoroff. Security firms say North Korea’s BlueNoroff group is behind a wave of social engineering attacks using fake Zoom calls and deepfake avatars to trick victims into running malware. Targets included employees in the gambling and cryptocurrency sectors, who were coaxed into downloading malicious scripts…
New “Echo Chamber” jailbreak exposes how AI can be manipulated despite built-in safeguards. Researchers at NeuralTrust have identified a method called Echo Chamber that uses innocuous prompts to steer AI models toward restricted content without triggering safety systems. By subtly altering conversation context over multiple turns, the technique avoids prohibited keywords while achieving harmful outcomes.…
Nucor confirms data theft in May cyberattack but reports limited business impact. Following a mid-May cyber incident, Nucor Corporation disclosed that hackers accessed its IT systems and stole a limited amount of data. Affected systems have since been restored, and the company says the breach is unlikely to affect its financial performance. While no group…
Well, I’ve been promising a lot of continued volatility, and that’s what we’ve been getting. And, unfortunately, I was right about my prediction of an escalating war in the Middle East. The Israel/Iran conflict is worsening, and the U.S. is now involved, whether it likes it or not. We can only hope for a deal…
A suicide bomber in Syria opened fire then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people praying on Sunday, killing at least 22 and wounding 63 others, state media reported. The attack took place in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus inside the Mar Elias Church, according to state media SANA,…
The United States believes Iran could carry out retaliatory attacks targeting American forces in the Middle East soon, although the U.S. is still seeking a diplomatic resolution that would see Tehran forgo any attack, two U.S. officials said on Monday. One of the officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss the…
Thailand’s prime minister announced new land border restrictions Monday aimed at blocking tourists heading into Cambodia as the two countries engage in retaliatory measures in their border dispute. Relations between the countries have deteriorated following an armed confrontation May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested territory. While the…
The Subarnarekha River, which flows through Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha, has flooded large parts of Balasore district in Odisha, affecting over 50,000 people and inundating dozens of villages. Heavy rains and the release of excess water from Jharkhand pushed the Subarnarekha River to flow above the danger mark of 10.36 meters, inundating 61 villages…
Police arrested on Sunday 22 suspects accused of a mob attack that left at least a dozen people killed two days ago in central Nigeria. A passenger bus was mobbed in the Mangu area of the state of Plateau, according to a police statement released Saturday. The passengers traveled from Zaria, in north-western Kaduna state,…
Iran may be threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz but experts told CNBC that it’s also the one with the most to lose. In major move after U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites, the country’s parliament on Sunday approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report from Iran’s state-owned Press TV…
Tesla’s robotaxi service, touted by Elon Musk as the future of his flagging electric-car maker, launched in the company’s home city of Austin on Sunday with about 10 vehicles and a human safety driver on board amid regulatory scrutiny of its self-driving technology. Shares in Tesla have risen about 50 per cent from this year’s…
AI firm DeepSeek is aiding China’s military and intelligence operations, a senior U.S. official told Reuters, adding that the Chinese tech startup sought to use Southeast Asian shell companies to access high-end semiconductors that cannot be shipped to China under U.S. rules. Hangzhou-based DeepSeek sent shockwaves through the technology world in January, claiming its artificial…
Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), a global leader in quantum computing solutions spun out from Oxford University, today announces research that could dramatically accelerate the path to commercially viable quantum computers. The company’s latest research demonstrates a new approach to quantum error-detection that could reduce the massive hardware requirements which have slowed the development of practical…
Apple will need to make the biggest acquisition in its history to put an end to its artificial intelligence debacle. Also: Meta rolls out new Oakley smart glasses; Honor prepares a new ultrathin foldable phone; and Apple’s annual back-to-school deal gets underway. Among the giants of Silicon Valley, Apple Inc. has long had an unusual…
Hexagon AB last week launched its first humanoid robot, AEON, at its flagship Hexagon LIVE Global event. The Zurich-based company said it specifically designed AEON to meet real-world customer needs and address labor shortages. “Hexagon’s legacy in precision measurement and sensor technologies has always been about enabling next-generation autonomy,” said Ola Rollén, the chairman of…
The smartest AI researchers and engineers have spent the past few months getting hit up by one of the richest men in the world. Mark Zuckerberg is spending his days firing off emails and WhatsApp messages to the sharpest minds in artificial intelligence in a frenzied effort to play catch-up. He has personally reached out…
Amazon’s second batch of Kuiper internet satellites reached low Earth orbit on Monday, adding to its plans for a massive constellation and ramping up competition with SpaceX’s Starlink. A United Launch Alliance rocket carrying 27 Kuiper satellites lifted off from a launchpad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 6:54 a.m. ET,…
Thinking Machines Lab, the secretive AI startup founded by OpenAI’s former chief technology officer Mira Murati, has closed a $2 billion seed round, according to The Financial Times. The deal values the 6-month-old startup at $10 billion. The company’s work remains unclear. The startup has leveraged Murati’s reputation and other high-profile AI researchers who have…
Evacuations are underway and reinforcements have been drawn from across the country. Fires broke out Sunday near the town of Chios and quickly grew due to strong winds, leading to evacuations in a dozen areas and a large response from firefighters and aircraft. Additional personnel and equipment were sent from Athens and Thessaloniki to assist…
Wagner fighters in Mali have created graphic content online to intimidate local communities. A legal brief submitted to the ICC accuses Wagner operatives and Malian soldiers of committing war crimes between 2021 and 2024, including killings, torture, and public mutilation. It also claims that posting graphic videos on social media may itself qualify as a…
Overnight unrest escalates protests in Bocas del Toro over social security reforms. On Friday, Panama’s government suspended the right to assemble and move freely in Bocas del Toro province for five days after protest-related damage to a local airport, a baseball stadium, and Chiquita Brands facilities. The unrest stems from nationwide opposition to social security…
The attack has raised fresh concerns about ongoing extremist violence in Borno state. At least 10 people were killed late Friday when a suicide bomber targeted a restaurant in Konduga, a town near Maiduguri in Nigeria’s Borno state. Local reports say the attacker was female and used the cover of heavy rain to evade notice…
Cybernews uncovers 16 billion exposed login credentials, potentially one of the largest leaks to date. Researchers discovered over 30 massive datasets containing a total of 16 billion login records, many sourced from infostealer malware and accessible via unsecured servers. These datasets, some linked to services like Google, Apple, and Telegram, could enable phishing, account takeover,…
The company is investigating the potential exposure of customer Social Security numbers and health data. Aflac states it has detected suspicious activity on its U.S. network, possibly affecting Social Security numbers, claims details, and health records. The breach was contained within hours, and the company is offering 24 months of credit and identity protection to…
Cloudflare has mitigated the largest DDoS attack on record, targeting a hosting provider. In mid-May, Cloudflare mitigated a short but intense DDoS attack that peaked at 7.3 terabits per second and targeted a single IP address across nearly 35,000 destination ports per second. Over 99% of the traffic came from UDP floods, with additional reflection…
Krispy Kreme confirms over thousands of affected users in a 2024 ransomware attack. Following a late 2024 ransomware attack claimed by the Play group, Krispy Kreme reported that 161,676 individuals’ data was compromised, including Social Security numbers, health details, and payment information. Most affected are current or former employees and their families, with nearly 7,000…
When Baiju Bhatt stepped away from his role as chief creative officer at Robinhood last year, only those close to him could have predicted his next move: launching a space company built around tech that the aerospace industry has largely dismissed, and which might be more groundbreaking than anyone realizes. If people aren’t paying much…
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s government has been rocked after a major coalition partner quit amid mounting public anger over a leaked phone call she had with a former Cambodian leader. Paetongtarn faced growing calls to resign on Thursday as the kingdom was racked by renewed political instability, with fears that an ongoing border dispute…
At least 12 miners have tragically lost their lives following the collapse of an artisanal coltan mine in North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), officials confirmed on Friday. The incident occurred Thursday near the town of Rubaya, though the exact cause of the collapse remains under investigation. Dozens of miners reportedly escaped…
Chinese and Philippine vessels have clashed again in the South China Sea, with Beijing saying its coastguard used a water cannon to expel a Philippine government vessel near Scarborough Shoal on Friday. China Coast Guard spokesman Liu Dejun said on Friday afternoon that Philippine vessel 3006 had “ignored repeated warnings and insistently intruded” into Chinese…
Satellite pictures from Maxar Technologies, dated June 19, confirm that Israel’s recent airstrike caused substantial structural damage to Iran’s heavy water reactor facility at Arak, also known as Khondab, roughly 250 kilometres southwest of Tehran. The high-resolution images reveal the collapse of the upper section of the reactor dome alongside visible destruction to adjacent infrastructure,…
Thousands of supporters of Myanmar’s jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi celebrated her 80th birthday Thursday by attempting to set a world record for the most birthday greeting videos, while others took to the streets in demonstrations against the military government that ousted her. Kalo Say Htoo, an organizer of the birthday video campaign,…
Taiwan‘s defence ministry says that it has detected more than 70 Chinese military aircraft around the island in the last 24 hours, just days after a British naval vessel sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait. The latest sightings reported on Friday come as Beijing continues to ramp up the deployment of fighter jets and naval…
Chinese authorities have warned of flash floods and swift currents in mountainous areas in the eastern, central, southern and southwestern regions of the country after heavy rains there. The red alerts, the first for this year, were issued late on Thursday covering areas in the provinces of Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou and Guangxi region,…
SoftBank Group Corp. founder Masayoshi Son is seeking to team up with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to realize what could be his biggest bet yet — a trillion-dollar industrial complex in Arizona to build robots and artificial intelligence. Son envisions a version of the vast manufacturing hub of China’s Shenzhen that would bring back high-tech…
Microsoft Quantum is continuing to advance the global quantum ecosystem by adding cutting-edge features to its compute platform. By developing powerful error-correction codes that are applicable to many types of qubits, we are advancing the field of quantum computing while putting it within reach of experts and nonexperts alike. Microsoft’s novel four-dimensional geometric codes require…
Meta Platforms Inc. held discussions with artificial intelligence search startup Perplexity AI Inc. about a possible takeover before moving ahead with a multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI, according to people familiar with the matter. The two companies couldn’t come to an agreement and decided not to pursue the deal, said the people, who asked not…
Taiwan’s Foxconn and U.S. artificial intelligence chips maker Nvidia are in talks to deploy humanoid robots at a new Foxconn factory in Houston that will produce Nvidia AI servers, two sources familiar with the matter said. This would be the first time that an Nvidia product will be made with the assistance of humanoid robots…
A U.S. official told top global semiconductor makers he wanted to revoke waivers they have used to access American technology in China, people familiar with the matter said, a move that could inflame trade tensions.Currently, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing enjoy blanket waivers that allow them to…
Top executives at some of the largest American companies have a warning for their workers: Artificial intelligence is a threat to your job. CEOs from Amazon to IBM, Salesforce and JPMorgan Chase are telling their employees to prepare for disruption as AI either transforms or eliminates their jobs in the future.AI will “improve inventory placement,…
When Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg poached Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang last week as part of a $14.3 billion investment in the artificial intelligence startup, he was apparently just getting started. Zuckerberg’s multibillion-dollar AI hiring spree has now turned to Daniel Gross, the CEO of Ilya Sutskever’s startup Safe Superintelligence, and former GitHub CEO Nat…
Iran has declined to hold nuclear talks as the conflict continues. Iran has declined to hold talks concerning its nuclear program as the conflcit Israel continues. The United States has also refused to enter the conflict as of yet it. The United Nations and other states in region has pressed for all sides to end…
Belgium has announced it will impose border checks. Belgium has annouced it will impose border checks. The checks will begin this summer. This move comes as Germany and the Netherlands have implemented similar policies. Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/belgium-announces-border-checks-migration-clampdown-2025-06-20/
Congo is considering extending its cobalt export ban. The Democratic Republic of Congo is considering extending its export ban on cobalt. The country is also considering imposing export quotas. The extension of the ban is likely because the government needs more time to decide how to divide the quota between the various mining companies. Read…
Panama has cracked down on protests in the province of Bocas del Toro. Panama has cracked down on protests in the province of Bocas del Toro. Protests have been on going for several weeks due to proposed changes to the country’s pension laws. The crackdown has been critized by several opposition groups. Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/panama-temporarily-suspends-some-constitutional-guarantees-protest-rocked-2025-06-20/
Israeli linked group has attacked Iran’s largest crypto bank. The Israeli linked group Predator Sparrow has attacked Iran’s largest crypto bank. The group was able to steal $90 million of crypto currency. The attack has also exposed the banks entire source code. Read more: https://www.securityweek.com/predatory-sparrow-burns-90-million-on-iranian-crypto-exchange-in-cyber-shadow-war/
Cloudflare has disrupted a record breaking DDoS attack. Cloudflare has disclosed that it stoped a record breaking DDoS attack. The company said the attack was aimed at a hosting provider. The attack came from over 5,000 devices registered in 160 countries. Read more: https://www.securityweek.com/record-breaking-ddos-attack-peaked-at-7-3-tbps/
Krispy Kreme has disclosed that it was the victim of a data breach. Krispy Kreme has disclosed that it was the vicitm of a data breach. The breach has affected 161,000 customers accounts. The company said that this was related to a ransomware attack but did not disclose who was responsib;e. Read more: https://www.securityweek.com/161000-people-impacted-by-krispy-kreme-data-breach/
Hackers have breached the Oxford City Council’s systems. Oxford is notifying current and former employees that their personal data was likely exposed after a hack. The City has said that the attackers were able to access several decades of data. It is not currently known who was responsible for the attack. Read more: https://www.securityweek.com/hackers-access-legacy-systems-in-oxford-city-council-cyberattack/
US soldiers have tested Overland AI’s ULTRA autonomous ground vehicles across 15 live mission scenarios. Activities included pre-mission checks, payload integration, and munition loading. Troops used Overland’s OverWatch interface to plan, launch, and adjust operations in real-time. Assigned tasks included kinetic and electronic warfare breaching and the deployment of various payloads, including drones. ULTRA enabled…
An Iranian missile barrage has struck several sites across Israel, damaging a hospital in the country’s south, and Israel has attacked Iran’s Arak heavy water nuclear reactor as the two countries trade fire for a seventh consecutive day. At least 240 people were wounded in the Iranian attacks, including four seriously, according to Israel’s Ministry…
South Africa was under a declared state of national disaster on Thursday as the death toll from floods caused by severe rains in the Eastern Cape region rose to 92. The Eastern Cape government honoured the victims of last week’s floods with a provincial Day of Mourning and a memorial service at King Sabatha Dalindyebo…
A Chinese military magazine, Naval and Merchant Ships, recently zeroed in on one of Taiwan’s biggest vulnerabilities. The island democracy, which China claims is part of its territory and threatens to overtake, imports more than 96 percent of its energy. Most of it — oil, coal and liquefied natural gas — arrives by ship, and…
Since the Arakan Army’s seizure of much of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Rohingya armed groups have paused their turf war in Bangladesh’s refugee camps and ramped up recruitment, using religious language to mobilise refugees to fight the Rakhine armed group. Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi government has started engaging the Arakan Army. A Rohingya insurgency against the Arakan…
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