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The term “splinternet” refers to the increasingly balkanization of the Internet, where the cyber domain is dividing due to a variety of reasons to include but not limited to technology, commerce, nationalism, politics, among others. This segmentation has increased over time as some governments recognized the harm they could suffer as a result of citizens’…
We continue our effort to underscore certain patterns and themes found throughout the OODAcast library of close to 100 conversations with leaders and decision-makers, on topics such as leadership, empowering a team, clear decision-making while operating in a low information environment, the qualities and best practices of a true leader, the future of intelligence, the…
As we shared with the OODA Loop membership in July, the Nuclear-Powered Sky Hotel is the intersection of speculative design and a creative belief in the future of nuclear energy (directly at odds with nuclear’s decades of bad press and over-regulation of the market). The Nuclear-Powered Sky Hotel, through speculative design, asks “What if?” Personal…
The true expanse of China’s cyber power is visible in the current geopolitical climate that has China at odds with the United States, and the world consumed by an ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as well as increased tensions with Taiwan. In the former, China plays a supporting role, publicly backing its ally Russia; in the…
We continue our effort to underscore certain patterns and themes found throughout the OODAcast library of close to 100 conversations with leaders and decision-makers, on topics such as leadership, empowering a team, clear decision-making while operating in a low information environment, the qualities and best practices of a true leader, the future of intelligence, the…
Various outlets have reported on the release of a report in April 2022 which is not yet publicly available. We assume the report, entitled “Bio-Futures 2050: Defense Impacts and Opportunities”, is the result of the work of the Department of Defense (DoD) Innovation Marketplace’s Biotechnology Community of Interest, which is possibly the most creative exploration…
We continue our effort to underscore certain patterns and themes found throughout the OODAcast library of 100 conversations with leaders and decision-makers, on topics such as leadership, empowering a team, the qualities and best practices of a true leader, innovation, exponential technologies, and strategic action. In July of 2021, OODA CTO Bob Gourley spoke with…
Cybersecurity Community Events in August – Las Vegas, NV: OODA team members will attend the following August event in Las Vegas. If you plan to attend, please reach out with opportunities to connect with the OODA Loop community.
The Global Cyber Games Charity Battle 2022, a PlayCyber Competition powered by Katzcy, took place at the same time as BlackHat USA 2022 in Las Vegas at the HyperX Esports Arena on August 11, 2022, from 12 PM–10:00 PM PST.
The Black Hat Innovation Spotlight is a new video competition for cybersecurity start-ups to present their products and solutions* live and in person at Black Hat USA. Our own OODA Network member Robert J. Stratton III is a judge of the event.
From the organizers of BSides Las Vegas – about the conference: After shaking off the rust, we are happy to announce it is full steam ahead for the 13th BSides Las Vegas! Join us at the Tuscany Hotel and Casino on August 9th and 10th, 2022 for all of the education, communication, and mischief you’ve…
Cybersecurity Community Events in August – Las Vegas, NV: OODA team members will attend the following August event in Las Vegas. If you plan to attend, please reach out with opportunities to connect with the OODA Loop community
As corruption is sending shock waves through China’s chipmaking industry, President Biden signs the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 into law in the White House Rose Garden. Following are the fab projects which have been previously announced and will commence groundbreaking activities as soon as the $52 billion semiconductor manufacturing subsidy known as the…
The Department of Homeland Security recently published a joint advisory along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Treasury on suspected North Korean state-sponsored ransomware campaign implementing the Maui malware. The campaign has been targeting healthcare-related organizations for the purposes of coercing compromised victims into paying ransoms. These operations have successfully…
On July 13th, Homeland Security Startup Studio 2022 (HSSS 22) hosted a virtual Converge event to showcase the program finalists’ pitches for the cutting-edge technologies they have worked to advance over the past 18 weeks. The HSSS pairs inventors from federal labs with seasoned entrepreneurs and mentors to help move federally funded technologies from the…
The U.S. has charged Asif Merchant, a Pakistani man, with attempting to hire a hitman to kill political officials. Merchant has links to Iran. It is believed that his assassination plots were revenge for the U.S. assassination of an Iranian military commander. The name of his intended target has not yet been revealed. However, there…
On Tuesday, Hamas announced that Yahya Sinwar has been selected as the next head of Hamas’s political office. Sinwar was one of the masterminds behind Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel. Sinwar has been Hamas’s leader in Gaza for around seven years, but this move will consolidate his power over the group as he replaces…
On Monday, Bangladesh’s authoritarian leader, Sheikh Hasina, fled the country during an uprising. Following the former leader’s resignation, on Tuesday the president of Bangladesh appointed Muhammad Yunus to lead an interim government. Yunus is a Nobel laureate and a pioneer in microfinance. He will lead the interim government as the Bangladeshi Parliament has been dissolved.…
Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new method used by cyber attackers targeting Canadians. The attackers are using a Chameleon Android banking trojan to disguise itself as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) app. Chameleon was spotted this past month across Canada and Europe. It is often used for fraudulent money transfers and can also steal user…
Over the weekend, cyber attacks hit the Réunion des Musées Nationaux et Grand Palais (RMN). The RMN is a French cultural institution which maintains multiple museums, shops, and exhibitions around France. Throughout the summer the RMN has hosted events related to the Olympics such as fencing and Taekwondo. The attackers attempted to initiate a ransomware…
Hunters International, a cybercrime group, is using a new remote access Trojan (RAT) in recent attacks. The group seems to be targeting IT professionals with Hive ransomware. The new malware is called SharpRhino. First, Hunters International uses SharpRhino to gain access to infrastructure and maintain remote access to a device. The attackers can then launch…
In mid-July, a Singapore company was the victim of a business email compromise (BEC) scam. A BEC scam is a type of cybercrime where an actor pretends to be a trusted figure to trick victims into sending money or sharing company secrets through email. The Singapore company received an email from a third-party supplier requesting…
Artificial intelligence startups raised billions of dollars last year, aiming to become winners in the latest tech-driven boom. Now many are struggling to survive—and asking Silicon Valley’s biggest companies to bail them out. At least three once-hot AI startups have been rescued via a new type of deal that many in the tech industry say are…
Artificial intelligence startup Groq Inc. has raised $640 million in new funding, underscoring investor enthusiasm for innovation in chips for AI systems. The startup designs semiconductors and software to optimize the performance of AI tasks, aiming to help alleviate the huge bottleneck of demand for AI computing power. It was valued at $2.8 billion in…
John Schulman, one of OpenAI’s co-founders and a key architect of its ChatGPT chatbot, has left to join its main rival Anthropic, becoming the latest in a succession of senior figures to depart the leading artificial intelligence company in recent months. Schulman is leaving to work on alignment — research to ensure AI systems conform…
The idea of advanced security robots—intelligent machines designed to safeguard life and property, even at the risk of their own destruction—has, in popular culture, long captivated our imagination. Growing up, I was particularly intrigued by Lost in Space, largely due to the compelling relationship between Will Robinson and “Robot” (designation B9). Robot exhibited a mix…
In certain corners of the tech industry, it’s an article of faith that training artificial intelligence systems on larger amounts of online data will allow these tools to get better over time — possibly to the point of outperforming humans on certain tasks. But a new research paper is casting some doubt on that approach…
Five US personnel were wounded after an attack against a US base in Iraq. Reports indicate that a strike on a US base in Iraq wounded up to five US personnel. It is unclear if this strike was part of Iranian plans to punish the US for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh. The US plans…
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister has resigned following weeks of protests. Following weeks of protests, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh has resigned. The President and chief of the military announced that Parliament was dissolved and a temporary government has been installed. The interim government will be kept in place until order can be restored and elections…
A key Myanmar military HQ has fallen to resistance forces in the north of the country. The Myanmar military has confirmed reports that a key base in the north of the country has fallen to resistance forces. The base in Lashio was a critical point for the regime’s operations in north of the country. The…
Investigators have found that Chinese groups have successfully delivered malware via DNS poisoning. Attacks carried out by an APT known as StormBamboo have successfully delivered malware via DNS poisoning. StormBamboo was accessing automatic update systems to upload the malware. ISPs working with the firm Veloxity have worked to responded to the vulnerability. Read more: https://www.securityweek.com/chinese-hackers-deliver-malware-via-isp-level-dns-poisoning/
North Korean hackers have launched attacks on South Korea’s construction and urban development industries. South Korea has identified two North Korean state backed groups as being responsible for a series of cyber attacks against South Korean industries. The attacks were carried out through multiple methods over the course of several months. It is suspected that…
Illinois voter data exposed by unsecured contractor databases. A cyber security researcher has identified several unsecured databases containing voter data for counties in Illinois. The finding of these unsecured databases has restarted debates about the security of US voter systems. The unsecured database have been reported to owners and were secured sometime after. Counties with…
Hezbollah has launched drone attacks on Israel, but has said that further attacks are coming. Hezbollah launched drone attacks on multiple sites in northern Israel. The group said that further attacks will come as revenge for the killing of its senior commander. Israel said that air defenses did engage some drones over its territory. Read…
French police are investigating a ransomware attack on the Grand Palais exhibition hall. French police have begun an investigation into a ransomware attack on the Grand Palais exhibition hall. The attack targeted the facilities central computer systems. French authorizes have said that there will not be any disruption to the Olympic events being held at…
The U.S. is planning to bar Chinese software in autonomous and connected vehicles in the coming weeks, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters, amid national security concerns. The Commerce Department is expected to propose a rule barring Chinese software in vehicles with Level 3 automation and above in the U.S. and effectively ban testing of…
OpenAI has a method to reliably detect when someone uses ChatGPT to write an essay or research paper. The company hasn’t released it despite widespread concerns about students using artificial intelligence to cheat. The project has been mired in internal debate at OpenAI for roughly two years and has been ready to be released for about…
Google launched its latest artificial intelligence powerhouse, Gemini 1.5 Pro, today, making the experimental “version 0801” available for early testing and feedback through Google AI Studio and the Gemini API. This release marks a major leap forward in the company’s AI capabilities and has already sent shockwaves through the tech community. The new model has…
There is no one large language model (LLM) to rule them all, at least not according to enterprise IT leaders surveyed by IBM. That finding is part of a new report released today by the IBM Institute for Business Value, titled “The CEO’s Guide to Generative AI: AI Model Optimization.” The report is based on…
Apple is finally releasing some of the Apple Intelligence features it announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. However, the rollout is currently restricted to developer beta versions of iOS 18.1. So if you don’t want to deal with early-stage buggy software, you might want to wait for the Apple Intelligence feature release of public…
Design flaws could cause a delay of three months or more in the launch of chip giant Nvidia’s upcoming artificial-intelligence chips, tech-focused publication the Information said on Friday. The setback could affect customers such as Meta Platforms, Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft, which have collectively ordered tens of billions of dollars’ worth of chips, it said,…
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has presided over a ceremony to mark the delivery of 250 new tactical ballistic missile launchers to military units at the border. North Korea has been expanding its range of mobile short-range weapons designed to overwhelm missile defenses in neighboring South Korea, while also developing intercontinental ballistic missiles designed…
Yemen’s Houthi armed group has claimed its first attack on shipping since Israel carried out an air strike in the port city of Hodeidah on July 20. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement on Sunday that the MV Groton was attacked by ballistic missiles. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a…
The U.S. is trying to stop China from getting Nvidia microchips to advance its military. The United States, with some success, has tried to control the export of these chips. Still, The New York Times has found an active trade in restricted A.I. technology — part of a global effort to help China circumvent U.S.…
An Israeli airstrike on a school functioning as a shelter in Gaza City killed at least 30 people and injured dozens more on Sunday, according to the Palestinian emergency response agency in Gaza. The Israeli military said it had targeted “terrorists” in “Hamas command and control centers” located at the Hassan Salame and Nasser schools…
The Justice Department sued TikTok on Friday, accusing the company of violating children’s online privacy law. The complaint comes as the U.S. and the prominent social media company are embroiled in yet another legal battle that will determine if – or how – TikTok will continue to operate in the country. The latest lawsuit focuses…
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) security firm Protect AI has raised $60 million in a Series B funding, which brings the total raised by the company to $108.5 million. The new investment round was led by Evolution Equity Partners. The company’s AI Security Posture Management (AI-SPM) platform, which includes five products, provides customers…
The European Union’s (EU) world-first artificial intelligence law formally took effect on Thursday. EU officials say the Artificial Intelligence Act will protect the “fundamental rights” of citizens while also encouraging investment and innovation in the booming AI industry. The AI Act is a comprehensive rulebook for governing AI in Europe. The AI Act covers any…
In our globalized economy, supply chains are the lifelines that ensure products move seamlessly from manufacturers to consumers. However, supply chain disruptions—whether due to natural disasters, geopolitical tensions or pandemics—pose significant challenges. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies like Cloud ERP (enterprise resource planning) and AI (artificial intelligence) can significantly mitigate these disruptions. By enhancing demand forecasting, improving…
In the eyes of Wall Street, they disappointed. Shares in Google owner Alphabet have fallen 6.1% since it reported last week. Microsoft has declined in the two days since its own results. Amazon — the latest to drop its earnings on Thursday — slid in premarket trading. Silicon Valley hailed 2024 as the year that…
Not all that long ago, it used to be hard, really hard to generate 3D images. It was a process that involved complex wireframes, complicated software and beefy hardware. Today that’s no longer the case. Stability AI today announced a new generative AI technology called Stable Fast 3D to rapidly generate 3D images from a…
The battle between every startup and incumbent comes down to whether the startup gets distribution before the incumbent gets innovation. In sales tech, it’s easy to assume incumbents like Salesforce and Hubspot have the edge. First, they are embedded as “systems of record,” so sales leaders are loath to rip them out and replace them.…
The term “Shadow AI” has over 281,000 Google results The reason why the term is blowing up now? Nearly half (45%) of executives have adopted a “wait and watch” approach to AI adoption, but employees are missing the memo with 75% using AI at work. That practice is known as “Shadow AI,” and it’s a…
The assassinations of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon this week could help Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regain domestic support as he fights for his political survival. Israel has been wracked by internal unrest and divisions over support for Netanyahu. Yet, the spate of assassinations…
Russia mounted its largest assaults in eight months in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, seizing a string of settlements in an apparent bid to cut off key supply routes and force a mass Ukrainian retreat. Russian forces have pressed their advantage in these areas to prevent Ukraine from digging entrenched defenses. In the past week, the…
A prisoner swap on Thursday among seven countries freed the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other Americans held in Russia. The trade freed 15 people imprisoned by Russia and one by its ally Belarus, in return for eight held in Western countries, including a convicted assassin and several held as Russian spies.…
After Israel’s strike in Lebanon’s capital this week, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said on Thursday that its conflict with Israel had entered a new phase. Since the Israeli strike there has been worries around the Middle East that Israel’s hostilities with Iran and its allies could erupt into an…
A renowned Israeli hacking group, WeRedEvils, claimed credit for attacking Iranian internet providers ahead of social media reports overnight that internet access was down in parts of the country. The hacking group said they collected a lot of information that was passed on to the security forces in Israel. This news comes as Iran is…
A new Android trojan, called BlankBot, provides attackers with a broad range of malicious capabilities, Intel 471 reports.The threat is posing as utility applications and appears to be targeting Turkish Android users now, but could soon be used in attacks against users in more countries. Once the malicious application has been installed, the user is…
Roughly 20,000 VMware ESXi servers that are apparently unpatched against an exploited vulnerability are accessible from the internet, data from The Shadowserver Foundation shows. The flaw is an authentication bypass that allows threat actors to gain full access to a vulnerable ESXi instance. Threat actors such as Storm-0506, Storm-1175, Octo Tempest, and Manatee Tempest, Microsoft…
OpenAI will give the US AI Safety Institute early access to its next model as part of its safety efforts, Sam Altman has revealed in a tweet. Apparently, the company has been working with the consortium “to push forward the science of AI evaluations.” The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has formally established…
Google Thursday said that it is introducing new Gemini-powered features for Chrome’s desktop version, including Lens for desktop, tab compare for shopping assistance, and natural language integration for search history. Years after introducing and evolving Google Lens on mobile, the feature is finally coming to desktop. Rolling out to users across the world in the…
The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 set off a generative AI gold rush, with companies scrambling to adopt the technology and demonstrate innovation. Many of the AI use cases entrenched in business today use older, more established forms of AI, such as machine learning, or don’t take advantage of the “generative” capabilities of AI…
German robotics manufacturer Neura this week released video of a humanoid robot, called 4NE-1, performing a variety of activities, like ironing and moving boxes. The promotional video arrives as Nvidia is showcasing a slew of new tools for humanoids at the Siggraph conference in Colorado. Neura is one of a baker’s dozen of firms that…
The European Union’s landmark artificial intelligence law officially enters into force Thursday — and it means tough changes for American technology giants. The AI Act, a landmark rule that aims to govern the way companies develop, use and apply AI, was given final approval by EU member states, lawmakers, and the European Commission — the…
Myanmar’s military regime has extended the state of emergency by six months as they face increasing pressure from rebel forces. Myanmar’s military regime has announced a six month extension of the state of emergency declared in 2021. The announcement comes as various rebel groups continue to launch offensives against the military government. It is currently…
France has announced that it will now support Morocco’s plan to grant Western Sahara autonomy instead of independence. France has announced a shift in its Western Sahara policy. They will support a plan put forward by Morocco in 2007 to grant Western Sahara autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty instead of full independence. This shift follows similar…
A Canadian warship transited the Taiwan Strait as part of the nation’s plan to increase its operations in the Indo-Pacific. A Canadian warship transited the Taiwan Straight as part of the country’s commitment to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific. The exercise was condemned by China which claims the straight and the island of Taiwan.…
A ransomware attack has impacted services at nearly 300 hundred Indian banks. A ransomware attack on the technology service provider C-Edge Technologies has impacted nearly 300 hundred Indian banks. The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has said that it has temporarily isolated impacted systems as a preventative measure. The NPCI will conduct a full…
Japanese firms have been targeted by Chinese hackers with malware in order to steal sensitive information. Cyber security researchers have identified that Japanese firms are being targeted by a new malware campaign. This campaign is being orchestrated by APT10 and is employing new backdoors to access to sensitive information. The threat actors are employing LODEINFO…
A large blood bank in the American Southeast has been hit with a ransomware attack. OneBlood, a large blood bank, has been hit with a cyber attack which has disrupted supplies of blood for more 300 hospitals in the Southeast United States. The organization has said that they have shifted to manual processes and asked…
Iran and its proxies will meet to discuss plans for retaliation against Israel. Iran and its network of proxies plan to meet to discuss how to respond to the assassination of major Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and leaders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard’s Corps are likely to attend the meeting in…
DigiCert has announced that they will be revoking 83,000 certificates due to verification issues. DigiCert has notify customers that 83,000 certificates are being revoked due to issues with domain verification. The company has said that a 24 hour window to revoke and re-certify domains is likely not possible for all customers, but that all impacted…
AMD just announced its second quarter 2024 earnings today, and the highlight was this: nearly half the company’s sales are now data center products — not chips for personal computers, not game consoles, not embedded chips for industry or vehicles. The company’s data center business has doubled in a single year, and this quarter’s growth…
OpenAI began rolling out ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode on Tuesday, giving users their first access to GPT-4o’s hyperrealistic audio responses. The alpha version will be available to a small group of ChatGPT Plus users today, and OpenAI says the feature will gradually roll out to all Plus users in the fall of 2024. When OpenAI first…
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