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☆ Swarms of drones are a rising threat to the US homeland, and law enforcement isn't ready
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

RAND focused on various ways that terrorists inside the US could wreak havoc with drone swarms. Current technology allows unmanned aircraft to be employed in what RAND terms "surrogate swarm technology," in which formations are only loosely coordinated. James Newsome/US ArmyNations such as America and China are busy developing military drone swarms. Such technology is becoming available to the public: the FAA has already allowed limited use of drone swarms to spray crops. Thus the question isn't if intelligent drone swarms become a domestic security threat, but when.

Persons: —, What's, Alfred Hitchcock's, James Newsome, Daniel Gerstein, Gerstein, isn't, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, RAND Corp, Business, RAND's Homeland, Analysis, Department of Homeland Security, RAND, Kremlin, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Threat Systems Management Office, US Army Nations, FAA, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, America, China, North Carolina, Forbes

☆ Nearly half of Russia's imported battlefield tech has been coming from US and EU companies: joint report
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementIn total, the advanced tech imported by the Kremlin in those months is valued at $8.77 billion, the report said. Components from all of these companies have been found in Russian weapons retrieved from the battlefield, the report added. That's more than the US, but still less than the amount of imported tech originating from the Western coalition, which includes South Korea and Japan, per the report's data. AdvertisementThe joint report comes just after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Western sanctions were marred by loopholes. The Yermak-McFaul International Working Group on Russian Sanctions is partially run by Zelenskyy's office.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Michael McFaul Organizations: Service, Business, Kremlin, Russian Sanctions, Kyiv School of Economics, Manufacturers, Intel, Devices, Texas Instruments, AMD, Western, Stanford Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, US, Massachusetts, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan

☆ North American grid regulator tests physical, cyber security preparedness
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - The North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) said on Thursday it has concluded a two-day simulation with power sector entities to stress-test their emergency response and recovery plans for physical and cyber security attacks. We must continue to be vigilant," said NERC senior vice president Manny Cancel, who leads its Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC). The E-ISAC's GridEx, the biggest grid security exercise in North America, took place on Nov. 14-15 with more than 250 participants, including electric and natural gas companies government agencies. NERC warned of evolving cyber threats to the electric grid, "guided by geopolitical events, new vulnerabilities, changes in technologies, and increasingly bold cyber criminals and hackers." In an August report, NERC pushed to develop standards for the power sector on mitigating risk from cloud adoption and artificial intelligence technologies, along with cyber security training for the workforce.

Persons: NERC, Manny Cancel, GridEx, David Gregorio Our Organizations: North American Electric Reliability Corp, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S . Department of Energy, Thomson Locations: Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, South Carolina, North America, Bengaluru

The logo of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is pictured at the entrance to its branch in Beijing, China April 1, 2019. ICBC, whose U.S. arm was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted trades in the U.S. Treasury market on Nov. 9, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "They paid a ransom, deal closed," the Lockbit representative told Reuters via Tox, an online messaging app. "The market is mostly back to normal now," said Zhiwei Ren, a portfolio manager at Penn Mutual Asset Management. The ransomware attack came at a time of heightened worries about the resiliency of the $26 trillion Treasury market, essential to the plumbing of global finance, and is likely to draw scrutiny from regulators.

Persons: Florence, BNY Mellon, Zhiwei Ren, Ransom, Allen, James Pearson, Davide Barbuscia, Carolina Mandl, Tatiana Bautzer, Pete Schroeder, Michelle Price, David Goodman, Jonathan Oatis, Alexander Smith Organizations: Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, REUTERS, Commercial Bank of, Reuters, U.S . Treasury, Penn Mutual Asset Management, Treasury, U.S . Treasury Department, Financial, Authorities, Boeing, Overy, Washington DC, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Commercial Bank of China, U.S, Tox, United States, London, Carolina, New York, Washington

Sagadahoc County, Maine CNN —The US Army asked local police to check on the reservist who killed 18 people after a soldier became concerned he would “snap and commit a mass shooting,” according to information shared with CNN. The welfare report detailed to CNN repeatedly cited the Maine National Guard as the source of the concerns and the troubling information about the shooter’s actions. It should also be noted that no bulletins or assistance was requested from MSP’s Maine information and analysis center. Thirty-eight days later, the Army reservist walked into a bowling alley and started shooting. He was a US Army reservist.

Persons: Robert Card, “, ”, Ruth Castro, Mike Sauschuck, Joel Merry, Rick LaChapelle, Joseph Prezioso, Jack Clements, WMTW, Sagadahoc County Sheriff Merry, Merry, Brother, Robert Card's Organizations: Maine CNN, US Army, CNN, Army, Maine National Guard, US Army Reserve, State Public, Sunday, of Public Safety, Maine State Police, DPS, Coastal Defense Firearms, New York Times, Office, National Guard, Sheriff’s, Saco Police, Sagadahoc County Sheriff, Associated Press, Army Reserve, Kennebec Locations: Sagadahoc County, Maine, Kennebec County, Sagadahoc, ”, Lewiston , Maine, ” Maine, MSP’s Maine, Auburn , Maine, AFP, New York, West Point, “, Saco, WMTW Maine

The search for Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, involved both old-fashioned footwork and advanced technology, but for almost two days after the shooting there was still no sign of Card by air, water or land. Maine's wildlife game wardens were among the officers taking part in the water search. “That AI technology can be used to search the video faster," Carter said. SEARCHING BY AIRColder temperatures expected this weekend would have made it easier to use thermal search equipment, Sauschuck said during the afternoon press conference. “Helicopters and drones, given how wooded it is there, using infrared technology can help you look through the canopy,” Carter said.

Persons: outdoorsman, Robert Card, Bowdoin, Mike Sauschuck, Sauschuck, Ryan Smith, David Carter, ‘ I’ve, ’, ’ ”, Carter, “ It’s, ” Carter, “ It's, “, ”, Michael Balsamo Organizations: Maine Public, U.S . Coast Guard, Maine's Department of Public, Michigan State University, FBI, “ Helicopters, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries, Wildlife, Canada Border Services Agency, Lewiston Police Department, Analysis, Associated Press Locations: Maine, Androscoggin, Lisbon Falls , Maine, Kennebec, U.S, State, New York

☆ Manhunt underway for suspect in Maine shooting that left at least 18 people dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Law enforcement officials load into a tactical vehicle at Lisbon High School in Lisbon, Maine, Oct. 26, 2023, as a manhunt resumes for the suspect in a mass shooting in nearby Lewiston the previous day. Law enforcement agencies are searching for the suspect in a mass shooting that left at least 18 people dead and 13 injured Wednesday at a bowling alley and a bar in the town of Lewiston, Maine. The suspect, Robert Card, remained at large Thursday and is considered armed and dangerous, Gov. The search is a coordinated effort between federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement. The rifle used by the suspect was purchased legally this year, two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter told NBC News.

Persons: Robert Card, Janet Mills, Mills Organizations: Lisbon High School, Army, Maine, Analysis, National Guard, NBC News Locations: Lisbon , Maine, Lewiston, Lewiston , Maine, Maine

Reuters GraphicsThe bloodshed rocked the largely rural state of Maine in the northeastern corner of the U.S. bordering Canada. [1/6]Police close Lincoln Street leading to Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant after deadly mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, U.S. October 26, 2023. The bar and the bowling alley are about four miles (6.5 km) apart. A bowling alley. The number of annual homicides in the state has fluctuated between 16 and 29 since 2012, according to Maine State Police.

Persons: Robert R, Mike Sauschuck, Sauschuck, Nicholas Pfosi, Kris Brown, Brady, Jason Levesque, Levesque, Joe Biden, Janet Mills, Senators Angus King, Susan Collins, Jared Golden, Daniel Trotta, Julia Harte, Steve Gorman, Trevor Hunnicutt, Phil Stewart, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Maine Public, Police, U.S . Army, National Guard, Maine, Analysis Center, Reuters, Associated Press, Lincoln Street, Schemengees, REUTERS, Rights Police, Auburn, U.S, Senators, Maine State Police, Thomson Locations: Maine, Lewiston, Lisbon, U.S, Canada, Lincoln, Lewiston , Maine, Androscoggin County, Maine's, Portland, Brady, Lewiston's, Androscoggin, Washington, Las Vegas, Carlsbad , California, New York, Los Angeles

☆ Chinese operatives are using AI photos to trick American voters and turn them against each other, Microsoft says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft warned that China has been using AI-generated images to sow discord among US voters. Microsoft analysts said it was posted by an account suspected of being run as a Chinese influence operation. "This relatively high-quality visual content has already drawn higher levels of engagement from authentic social media users," the analysts warned. Videos of their protests were then "amplified" by social media accounts used by the operatives, Mandiant added. The social media company said it removed all of them.

Persons: Clint Watts, Watts, Liu Pengyu, Mandiant, Meta Organizations: Microsoft, Embassy, Washington , D.C, Service, Analysts, Chinese Communist Party, Liberty, CCP, Facebook Locations: China, Washington ,, Wall, Silicon, North Korea, Xinjiang

☆ Victims of Cyberattack on File-Transfer Tool Pile Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Catherine Stupp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

The list of companies hit by a cyberattack on a widely used software tool continues to expand and several victims have filed lawsuits alleging mishandling of data. The continued disclosure of new victims affected by hackers exploiting a vulnerability in MoveIt, a common file-transfer tool from Progress Software, underscores how cyberattacks can ripple through supply chains. Some companies have been drawn into data breaches without having used MoveIt because their business partners use it. The Cl0p ransomware group has taken responsibility for the cyberattacks and posted data from some victims on its underground website. A 2021 cyberattack on a tool similar to MoveIt—Accellion’s File Transfer Appliance—had similar ripple effects.

Persons: ”, Brett Callow, cyberattacks, Callow, Genworth, PBI, “, Shell, Rob Carr, Suzie Squier, Johns, Johns Hopkins, Emsisoft’s Callow, Catherine Stupp Organizations: Progress Software, . Progress, Progress, Shell, BBC, Energy Department, Genworth Financial, Social, PBI Research Services, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Colorado State University, BG Group, Johns Hopkins University, Getty Locations: British, MoveIt, Kaseya, Johns Hopkins

☆ Back Then, Baby Galaxies. Next, a Super-Mega Galactic Cluster?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Dennis Overbye | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Like basketball scouts discovering a nimble, super-tall teenager, astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope reported recently that they had identified a small, captivating group of baby galaxies near the dawn of time. These galaxies, the scientists say, could well grow into one of the biggest conglomerations of mass in the universe, a vast cluster of thousands of galaxies and trillions of stars. The seven galaxies they identified date to a moment 13 billion years ago, just 650 million years after the Big Bang. He described the proto-cluster as the most distant and thus earliest such entity yet observed. Dr. Morishita was the lead author of a report on the discovery, which was published on Monday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - Russian hackers appear to be preparing a renewed wave of cyber attacks against Ukraine, including a "ransomware-style" threat to organizations serving Ukraine's supply lines, a research report by Microsoft (MSFT.O) said on Wednesday. The report, authored by the tech giant’s cyber security research and analysis team, outlines a series of new discoveries about how Russian hackers have operated during the Ukraine conflict and what may come next. “Since January 2023, Microsoft has observed Russian cyber threat activity adjusting to boost destructive and intelligence gathering capacity on Ukraine and its partners’ civilian and military assets,” the report reads. Experts say the tactic of combining physical military operations with cyber techniques mirrors prior Russian activity. These developments have been paired with a growth in more stealthy Russian cyber operations designed to directly compromise organizations in countries allied to Ukraine, according to the report.

☆ What is happening in Moldova, Ukraine's tiny European neighbor with a pro-Russian movement?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

President Maia Sandu on Monday accused Russia of plotting a coup to overthrow her pro-European Union government using "foreign saboteurs." Until now, Ukraine's defense forces and Western allies have estimated that Russia's renewed offensive would be concentrated in the east of the country. "President Sandu has been warning about these risks for months now," said Orr. Moldova, a landlocked European country on Ukraine's western border, has been battling political and economic instability following Russia's invasion of its neighbor. The attack came days before Moldova temporarily closed its airspace on Tuesday over what authorities say was a suspected Russian drone.

☆ Senator calls for probe of mass surveillance tool used by U.S. law enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Law enforcement agencies have routinely accessed the vast trove of money transfer records without court oversight, Wyden said. The TRAC database was created as part of a 2014 money laundering settlement between the Arizona attorney general's office and Western Union (WU.N). The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, DHS and Arizona attorney general's office have all asked for data from money transfer companies and directed them to send data to TRAC, Wyden said. Western Union, MoneyGram International (MGI.O), Viamericas Corp, and Euronet Worldwide (EEFT.O) are among the companies that have shared customer data with TRAC in bulk, he added. Wyden announced in March that HSI issued custom summonses, a type of subpoena, for millions of money transfer records between Mexican residents and people living in four U.S. states.

☆ Little-Known Surveillance Program Captures Money Transfers Between U.S. and More Than 20 Countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Dustin Volz | Byron Tau | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON—Hundreds of federal, state and local U.S. law-enforcement agencies have access without court oversight to a database of more than 150 million money transfers between people in the U.S. and in more than 20 countries, according to internal program documents and an investigation by Sen. Ron Wyden . The database, housed at a little-known nonprofit called the Transaction Record Analysis Center, or TRAC, was set up by the Arizona state attorney general’s office in 2014 as part of a settlement reached with Western Union to combat cross-border trafficking of drugs and people from Mexico. It has since expanded to allow officials of more than 600 law-enforcement entities—from federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to small-town police departments in nearly every state—to monitor the flow of funds through money services between the U.S. and countries around the world.

☆ A Space Force director was investigated for wearing a chartreuse mankini around colleagues and keeping a case of sex toys in the office — and kept his job, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Air Force Times reported Andrew Cox kept his job, despite unprofessional behavior and misconduct. Cox reportedly wore a chartreuse mankini over his clothes in the office and kept sex toys at work. "It was chartreuse green, and he brought it out into the main area," Air Force Times reported one person familiar with the matter said of Cox's revealing bathing suit, popularized by the 2006 film "Borat." "Mr. Cox remains the director of the Space Warfighting Analysis Center," Air Force Times reported Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said Friday. Representatives for the Air Force and Space Force did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Reported Ransomware Incidents, Costs Soared in 2021, Treasury Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( James Rundle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. banks flagged ransomware-related transactions adding up to more than $1 billion in 2021, the Treasury Department said, although risk experts said that barely scratches the surface of cybercrime’s true economic scale. In 2020, such transactions totaled $416 million across 487 reports. FinCEN is an arm of the Treasury that analyzes financial data to identify money laundering, terrorist financing and other crimes. Reports from the first six months of 2021 alone exceeded the total for all of 2020, FinCEN said, noting that around 75% of incidents in 2021 stemmed from Russia-based cyber actors. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors.

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