When Donald Trump was on the campaign trail, he argued that coordination by the Biden administration and social media companies on disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and elections amounted to political censorship. He claimed that supposed censorship stifled the free and unencumbered exchange of ideas essential to democracy, and posed a clear threat to the…
Category: Geopolitics
AI, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Department of Justice (DOJ), Dtex Systems, Geopolitics, Global Security News, North Korea, North Korean IT workers, sanctions, Treasury Department
North Korea’s ‘state-run syndicate’ looks at cyber operations as a survival mechanism
Over the past few years, cybersecurity experts have increasingly said that nation-state operatives and cybercriminals often blur the boundaries between geopolitical and financial motivations. A new report released Wednesday shows how North Korea has flipped that idea on its head. North Korea has silently forged a global cyber operation that experts now liken to a…
cross-site scripting, defense contractors, Europe, Fancy Bear, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, Russia, Ukraine
Fancy Bear campaign sought emails of high-level Ukrainians and their military suppliers
Fancy Bear, the hacking group linked to Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), has been targeting the email accounts of high-ranking Ukrainian officials as well as executives at defense contractors located in other countries who sell weapons and equipment to Kyiv, according to new research from ESET. The campaign, ongoing since at least 2023, has taken…
AI, Asia Pacific, china, Congress, contractors, deepseek, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government
Senators move to quash the use of Chinese AI system by federal contractors
A bipartisan Senate bill would formally ban the use of DeepSeek by federal contractors, part of a larger effort to keep the Chinese-made large language model out of government systems and networks, where lawmakers fear it could pose cybersecurity and national security concerns. The bill, introduced by Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.,…
AI, Asia Pacific, china, Congress, Cybersecurity, deepseek, export control, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, House Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party, openai, Technology
House investigation into DeepSeek teases out funding, security realities around Chinese AI tool
A House panel has concluded that the U.S. government should double down on export controls and other tools to slow down the progress of Chinese AI companies like DeepSeek, while also preparing for a future where those efforts fail. In a report released Wednesday, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party further fleshes…
Asia Pacific, china, critical infrastructure, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Microsoft, National Security Agency, National Security Agency (NSA)
Chinese law enforcement places NSA operatives on wanted list over alleged cyberattacks
China stepped up its allegations of U.S. cyberattacks Tuesday, with local law enforcement saying they were investigating three National Security Agency operatives they had placed on a wanted list and a national official condemning the alleged attacks. State media outlet Xinhau advanced the claims in two stories, one detailing a hacking campaign during the Asian…
Access Now, Amnesty International, Amnesty Tech, Cellebrite, Geopolitics, Global Security News, JD Work, Jen Ellis, National Security Council, National Security Council (NSC), NCC Group, North America, NSO Group, Pall Mall Process, privacy, Romania, Spyware
Cyber experts offer lukewarm praise for voluntary code governing use of commercial hacking tools
Cybersecurity professionals who participated in discussions over a code of conduct for nations to use commercial hacking tools said the final voluntary guidelines offer modest promise, even if they fall short of what some wanted. The next step for the joint France/U.K.-led Pall Mall Process, which last week got 21 signatories to the code, is…
Australia, Canada, china, Citizen Lab, fbi, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Geopolitics, Germany, Global Security News, Lookout, National Security Agency, National Security Agency (NSA), New Zealand, North America, nsa, Spyware, taiwan, Threats, Tibet, Uighur, United Kingdom (U.K.)
BadBazaar and Moonshine malware targets Taiwanese, Tibetan and Uyghur groups, U.K. warns
Two spyware variants are targeting Uyghur, Taiwanese and Tibetan groups and individuals, the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre warned in a joint alert Wednesday with Western allies. Cybersecurity researchers have previously linked the BADBAZAAR and MOONSHINE spyware to the Chinese government. The variants mentioned in Wednesday’s alert trojanize apps that are of interest to the…
Cybersecurity, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, Threats
Cybercom discovered Chinese malware in South American nations — Joint Chiefs chairman nominee
The post Cybercom discovered Chinese malware in South American nations — Joint Chiefs chairman nominee appeared first on CyberScoop.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Asia Pacific, china, cloud computing, Commerce Department, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, quantum computing, sanctions, semiconductors, Technology
Commerce limits 19 Chinese, Taiwanese companies from buying U.S. tech
The Commerce Department plans to finalize economic sanctions this week on nearly 20 Chinese and Taiwanese organizations, citing the need to limit their access to U.S. cloud, artificial intelligence and quantum computing technologies. The sanctions, which will be detailed and published Friday in the Federal Register , would place additional license requirements on, and limit…
Asia Pacific, china, FCC, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, Huawei, Technology, telecommunications, ZTE
FCC’s Carr alleges Chinese companies are making ‘end run’ around Chinese telecom bans, announces investigation
The first initiative from The Federal Communications Commission’s newly-created Council on National Security will be a “sweeping” investigation of Chinese-made equipment in America’s telecommunications infrastructure, the agency announced Friday. In particular, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the focus will be on equipment and services from Chinese companies already barred from U.S. networks under the Secure…
CryptoCurrency, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Department of Justice (DOJ), Elliptic, Europe, Europol, Garantex, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Lazarus Group, Ransomware, Russia, sanctions, Secret Service, Technology, Telegram
Russian crypto exchange Garantex seized in international law enforcement operation
U.S. and European law enforcement agencies have seized the infrastructure of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange accused of laundering billions in criminal proceeds, in a sweeping international operation that signals heightened focus on illicit financial flows in cryptocurrency markets. According to Justice Department documents unsealed Friday, the Moscow-based exchange processed approximately $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions…
Asia Pacific, china, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, indictment, Legal, Threats, Treasury Department
US indicts 12 Chinese nationals for vast espionage attack spree
The Justice Department on Wednesday indicted 12 Chinese nationals for their alleged involvement in an extensive nation-state-backed espionage campaign that included a spree of attacks on U.S. federal and state agencies, including the late 2024 attack targeting the Treasury Department. Officials accused the Chinese individuals, including two officers of China’s Ministry of Public Security, eight…
CISO, Cybersecurity, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, liability, Policy, Russia, SolarWinds
SolarWinds CISO says security execs are ‘nervous’ about individual liability for data breaches
SolarWinds’ top cybersecurity executive said chief information security officers are increasingly grappling with how to do their jobs while avoiding individual legal liability for breaches that happen on their watch. Tim Brown, now CISO at SolarWinds, was a vice president and the highest-ranking security official at the company when hackers working on behalf of the…
APT, Asia Pacific, Cybersecurity, Dragos, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, industrial control systems (ICS), operational technology, Ransomware
Dragos: Surge of new hacking groups enter ICS space as states collaborate with private actors
Cyberattacks against industrial organizations surged in 2024 as a glut of new threat actors increasingly targeted operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS), according to cybersecurity firm Dragos. According to a report released Tuesday, attacks on industrial organizations soared by 87% last year, while the number of ransomware groups impacting the OT/ICS space jumped…
Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence (AI), china, Cyber Command, cyber workforce, cybersecurity workforce, DistrictCon, Gen. Paul Nakasone, Geopolitics, Global Security News, hunt forward operations, Iran, Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Agency, National Security Agency (NSA), North America, nsa, openai, Paul Nakasone, Pete Hegseth, Ransomware, Russia, Salt Typhoon, telecommunications, telecoms, Threats, Vanderbilt University, Workforce
Former NSA, Cyber Command chief Paul Nakasone says U.S. falling behind its enemies in cyberspace
The United States is falling “increasingly behind” its adversaries in cyberspace, a former Cyber Command and National Security Agency boss said Saturday. Speaking at the DistrictCon cybersecurity conference in Washington, D.C., retired Gen. Paul Nakasone said that “our adversaries are continuing to be able to broaden the spectrum of what they’re able to do to…
Asia Pacific, children, china, Cybersecurity, Cynthia Kaiser, fbi, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Geopolitics, Global Security News, Salt Typhoon, sanctions, telecommunications, telecoms, Threats
Salt Typhoon telecom breach remarkable for its ‘indiscriminate’ targeting, FBI official says
One of the most notable elements of the monumental hack of major telecommunications companies is just how “indiscriminate” it was in its pursuit of data, a top FBI official said Wednesday. The FBI has been investigating the breach, which it has blamed on Chinese government hackers commonly known as Salt Typhoon. “What we found particularly…
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Asia Pacific, cyber attack, Geopolitics, Global Security News, openai, Technology, website registration
DeepSeek AI claims services are facing ‘large-scale malicious attacks’
DeepSeek, the Chinese startup whose open-source large language model is causing panic among U.S. tech and AI companies this week, said it is having difficulty registering new users due to “large-scale malicious attacks” on its services. On Monday, the company’s website posted a banner note stating that it was temporarily pausing new registrations to deal…
Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, North America, North Korea, North Korean IT workers, sanctions, Treasury Department
Treasury sanctions North Korea over remote IT worker schemes
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions Thursday against two individuals and four entities allegedly involved in generating revenue for North Korea through illicit remote IT workforce operations, the latest salvo in ongoing efforts to disrupt financial streams that support Pyongyang’s weapons programs. The sanctions focus on efforts in which North Korea sent thousands of skilled…
Department of Justice (DOJ), FSB, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, Microsoft, phishing, Russia, Star Blizzard, Threats, WhatsApp
Microsoft catches Russian state-sponsored hackers shifting tactics to WhatsApp
The cat-and-mouse game between state-sponsored Russian hackers and one of the world’s biggest technology companies has continued into 2025. Microsoft’s threat intelligence team published research Thursday examining how a state-sponsored Russian threat actor group, known as Star Blizzard, has altered its longstanding attack strategies to target WhatsApp accounts. This attack vector is a significant change…
china, Cyber Command, Cybersecurity, Department of Defense (DOD), Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, National Security Agency (NSA), North America, offensive cybersecurity, Salt Typhoon, Stuxnet, Technology, Volt Typhoon
Trump and others want to ramp up cyber offense, but there’s plenty of doubt about the idea
In recent months, incoming Trump administration national security adviser Mike Waltz and some lawmakers have suggested that in response to Chinese cyber breaches, the United States needs to prioritize taking more aggressive offensive actions in cyberspace rather than emphasizing defense. It’s been said before. And it’s easier said than done. Experts that spoke with reporters…
Asia Pacific, china, Christopher Wray, Department of Treasury, fbi, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Financial, Flax Typhoon, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Integrity Technology Group, internet of things, Internet of Things (IoT), State Department, Technology, Treasury Department
U.S. sanctions take aim at Chinese company said to aid hackers’ massive botnet
The U.S. government on Friday sanctioned a Chinese company that Western nations had connected to a Beijing-sponsored hacking group’s botnet, which had compromised hundreds of thousands of devices before a joint takedown operation last year. Flax Typhoon hackers made use of infrastructure at Integrity Technology Group to exploit victims, according to the Treasury Department’s Office…
disinformation, election hacking, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, Iran, Russia, sanctions, Technology, Threats
US sanctions Russian, Iranian groups for election interference
The U.S. State Department has sanctioned two foreign organizations and one individual who it alleges worked on behalf of Russian and Iranian intelligence agencies to interfere in the 2024 U.S. general election. “These actors sought to stoke sociopolitical tensions and undermine our election institutions during the 2024 U.S. general election,” said State Department Press Secretary…
Budapest Convention, Chris Painter, Cybercrime, David Kaye, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Geopolitics, Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, Global Security News, human rights, North America, Policy, privacy, Russia, State Department, treaties, United Nations
After UN adoption, controversial cybercrime treaty’s next steps could prove vital
A divisive United Nations cybercrime treaty — one that critics say is a huge danger to human rights and that the United States cautiously agreed to advance — is now in the hands of member nations. The U.N. General Assembly adopted the treaty without a vote last week, leaving ratification to individual states. If the…
Asia Pacific, china, Commentary, critical infrastructure, Cybersecurity, cybersecurity harmonization, Federal Communications Commission, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, Salt Typhoon, Threats, White House
Feds lay blame while Chinese telecom attack continues
The United States’ telecommunications infrastructure has been infiltrated by actors affiliated with China. Some of our nation’s most powerful leaders have been targeted — including President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. This is one of the most severe cybersecurity incidents against telecom the United States has ever been subject to, and — worse…
Asia Pacific, backdoors, china, Cyber Command, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, Microsoft Exchange, National Security Agency, National Security Agency (NSA), nsa, Salt Typhoon, telecoms, trojan
Chinese cyber center points finger at U.S. over alleged cyberattacks to steal trade secrets
China’s national cyber incident response center accused the U.S. government of launching cyberattacks against two Chinese tech companies in a bid to steal trade secrets. In a notice Wednesday, the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China (CNCERT) said a suspected U.S. intelligence agency was behind the attacks, and that CNCERT had…
Central Intelligence Agency, Commerce Department, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Google, Kaspersky, Mastercard, Money, North America, Recorded Future, Russia, Ukraine
Russia bans cybersecurity company Recorded Future
Russia banned the cybersecurity company Recorded Future on Wednesday, labeling it an “undesirable” organization — much to its CEO’s delight. The company stands accused of collaborating with the Central Intelligence Agency, Ukraine and other countries. “They provide information and technical support for the propaganda campaign launched by the West against Russia,” Russia’s Office of Prosecutor…
APT41, Asia Pacific, backdoor, china, Cybercrime, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, malware, nation-state hackers, php, QiAnXin, Threats, Winnti
PHP backdoor looks to be work of Chinese-linked APT group
Cybersecurity researchers at a China-based cybersecurity company have uncovered an advanced PHP backdoor that suggests a new asset in the arsenal of Chinese-linked Advanced Persistent Threat group Winnti. Researchers at QiAnXin’s XLab discovered the backdoor, which they titled Glutton, targeting China, the United States, Cambodia, Pakistan, and South Africa. After initially discovering the malware in…
Amnesty International, Amnesty Tech, Cellebrite, Donald Trump, Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Norway, NoviSpy, NSO Group, pegasus, privacy, Serbia, Spyware, surveillance, Threats
Amnesty International exposes Serbian police’s use of spyware on journalists, activists
Serbian police and intelligence authorities have combined phone-cracking technology with spyware to eavesdrop on activists and journalists there, Amnesty International revealed in a report Monday, in what the human rights group says could be a disturbing preview of a future era of digital surveillance. Amnesty International’s 87-page document surveys the broader picture of digital spying…
china, Cybercrime, Department of Justice, Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of State, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Justice Department, Mandiant, North America, North Korea, North Korean IT workers, Russia, State Department, U.S. courts, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State
Court indicts 14 North Korean IT workers tied to $88 million in illicit gains
A federal court has indicted 14 more North Korean IT workers as part of an ongoing U.S. government campaign to crack down on Pyongyang’s use of tech professionals to swindle American companies and nonprofits. The Justice Department said the 14 indicted workers generated at least $88 million throughout a conspiracy that stretched over approximately six…
atlantic council, Ben Ray Lujan, budget, CALEA, china, CISA, Congress, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FCC, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Communications Commission, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Government, Jerry Moran, Jessica Rosenworcel, John Thune, Justin Sherman, Money, National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, Policy, regulation, Salt Typhoon, Senate Commerce Committee, Technology, Ted Cruz, telecommunications, telecoms
Senators, witnesses: $3B for ‘rip and replace’ a good start to preventing Salt Typhoon-style breaches
The $3 billion that Congress folded into the annual defense policy bill to remove Chinese-made telecommunications technology from U.S. networks would be a huge start to defending against breaches like the Salt Typhoon espionage campaign, senators and hearing witnesses said Wednesday. Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel recently told Hill leaders that the $1.9 billion…
Cybersecurity, Exploits, Geopolitics, Global Security News, Microsoft, Research, Threats, Turla
Turla living off other cybercriminals’ tools in order to attack Ukrainian targets
A Russian nation-state threat actor has been observed leveraging tools from other cybercriminal groups to compromise targets in Ukraine, a recent report by Microsoft Threat Intelligence disclosed. This clandestine approach, which is the second time in as many weeks that Microsoft has highlighted the group’s effort, shows how Turla uses a wide range of attack…