DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Israel rejects claim Mossad backed judiciary overhaul protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, April 9 (Reuters) - Israel's government on Sunday rejected claims raised in documents allegedly leaked from the Pentagon that leaders of its foreign intelligence service Mossad had supported nationwide protests against a proposed overhaul of Israel's judiciary. The paper said that while the leaked documents seemed authentic, it did not mean they were accurate. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the report was "mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever". "The Mossad and its senior officials did not – and do not – encourage agency personnel to join the demonstrations against the government, political demonstrations or any political activity," it said. After weeks of intensifying demonstrations, Netanyahu in late March relented and said he would delay the contested reforms to allow for compromise talks with opposition parties.

☆ Putin built identical offices across Russia to conceal his location, a Russian intelligence officer who defected says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vladimir Putin has replicas of his offices across Russia, a former intelligence officer said. The officer, who defected from Russia, shed light on Putin's paranoia and obsession with safety. Karakulov told the Dossier Center that offices in Putin's residences in St. Petersburg, Sochi, and Novo-Ogaryovo had been designed to look identical. Karakulov said that Putin sometimes further obscured his location by sending his motorcade to the airport despite remaining at home. While in actual fact, he would stay in Sochi," Karakulov said.

☆ Everyone in Washington is talking about a TikTok ban. But is it really a national security threat?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

However, more than two years after the Trump administration first issued a similar threat to TikTok, evidence remains unclear about whether the app is a national security threat. “Regarding privacy, we also did not see the TikTok app exhibiting any behaviors similar to malware.”TikTok has cited Lin’s research as part of its defense. He also repeatedly noted that TikTok does not collect more user data than most of its peers in the industry. TikTok later confirmed the incident and ByteDance fired several employees who had improperly accessed the TikTok data of two journalists. “And governments around the world are ignoring their duty to protect citizens’ private information, allowing big tech companies to exploit user information for gain.

☆ Lawmakers say TikTok is a national security threat, but evidence remains unclear
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

If there’s a risk, it’s primarily concentrated in the relationship between TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, and Beijing. TikTok has been erecting technical and organizational barriers that it says will keep US user data safe from unauthorized access. “Regarding privacy, we also did not see the TikTok app exhibiting any behaviors similar to malware.”Are there other security concerns? TikTok later confirmed the incident and ByteDance fired several employees who had improperly accessed the TikTok data of two journalists. “And governments around the world are ignoring their duty to protect citizens’ private information, allowing big tech companies to exploit user information for gain.

☆ Rep. Jamaal Bowman says the push to ban TikTok is 'xenophobic' and 'part of another Red Scare'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But Rep. Jamaal Bowman — among the most prolific TikTokers in Congress — is pushing back. And amid growing bipartisan calls in Washington for a nationwide ban on the popular video-sharing app, he's decided to speak up. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers increasingly speak of TikTok as a potential vector for malign influence from the Chinese Communist Party. "Me being against a ban of TikTok is not about thinking TikTok is the greatest thing ever, and that there aren't regulations and reforms needed." The Biden administration, meanwhile, is threatening to ban TikTok if ByteDance doesn't sell its stake in the company.

The chief judge has sole discretion over sealed federal grand jury proceedings. As chief judge, Boasberg is poised to rule on certain legal arguments raised in the grand jury probes, including efforts to restrict witnesses from testifying. Grand jury proceedings are kept from public view. Another special counsel, Robert Hur, was named by Garland in January to look into classified records found at Biden's home in Delaware and former office in Washington. During her tenure as chief judge, Howell regularly heard legal arguments in special counsel investigations.

☆ Biden Administration Urges Congress to Renew Spy Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Dustin Volz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Attorney General Merrick Garland, in a letter with Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, said the law protects the U.S. from foreign-based cyberattacks and arms traffickers. WASHINGTON—Top Biden administration officials urged Congress to renew an expiring surveillance law they say is vital to addressing a range of national security threats, launching what is expected to be a difficult campaign to persuade lawmakers to not curtail spying powers. In a letter to Tuesday to congressional leadership, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the law, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, protects the U.S. from foreign-based cyberattacks and arms traffickers and yields intelligence to address challenges posed by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

[1/2] A man is silhouetted near logos of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and Wikipedia in this photo illustration taken in Sarajevo March 11, 2015. REUTERS/Dado RuvicWASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a bid by the operator of the popular Wikipedia internet encyclopedia to resurrect its lawsuit against the National Security Agency challenging mass online surveillance. The NSA, part of the Defense Department, is the agency responsible for U.S. cryptographic and communications intelligence and security. The U.S. government has said the NSA's surveillance targeting is authorized by a 2008 amendment to a federal law called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Wikimedia compared the interception by the NSA of its communications to the "seizing and searching the patron records of the largest library in the world."

☆ Second Suspect in Germany Intelligence Breach Was Questioned in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Bojan Pancevski | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The headquarters of the BND, Germany’s foreign intelligence agency. U.S. and British officials fear the leak could be the worst to affect the BND in decades. A man suspected of helping leak Western intelligence on the war in Ukraine to Russian agents was detained by U.S. authorities and questioned there before being flown to Germany where he was arrested last month, according to German and U.S. officials. Named only as Arthur E., the 31-year-old suspect is currently in detention pending an investigation into possible spying and treason, according to German prosecutors.

☆ Russian threat to Baltic security rising -Estonian intelligence report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Andrius Sytas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VILNIUS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Estonia's Foreign Intelligence Service said it believed Russia still had the strength to exert "credible military pressure" on the Baltic region, where the security risk has risen for the medium and long-term. NATO and the European Union members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - the so-called Baltic states - have sharply boosted defence spending in response to Russia's 2014 capture of Crimea from Ukraine and the invasion of Ukraine last year. "Russia considers the Baltic states to be the most vulnerable part of NATO, which would make them a focus of military pressure in the event of a NATO-Russia conflict." Russia's military presence near the Baltic states' borders could be rebuilt in four years, the intelligence service said. Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius, editing by Terje Solsvik and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Top lawmakers want answers from Meta on documents which show that 245,000 developers in 'high risk' countries like China may have been able to access user data pre-2014
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Roughly 245,000 developers in "high risk" countries could have accessed Facebook users' data pre-2014, unsealed documents show. The Senate Intelligence Committee has sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg asking for more details. Last December, Meta agreed to pay $725 million to settle the lawsuit, which accused it of sharing users' data with the political consulting firm. A Meta spokesperson told Insider: "These documents are an artifact from a different product at a different time. Many years ago, we made substantive changes to our platform, shutting down developers' access to key types of data on Facebook while reviewing and approving all apps that request access to sensitive information."

☆ Exclusive: The FBI's McGonigal labyrinth
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +28 min

She never saw McGonigal pay. "The notion that Mr. Deripaska is some proxy for the Russian state is a blatant lie," Ruben Bunyatyan, a spokesperson for Deripaska, told Insider by email. McGonigal was not charged with espionage, and although there is currently no evidence that McGonigal committed espionage, an FBI source told Insider that the investigation is ongoing. At the FBI, McGonigal racked up a string of big cases and promotions. "He said he needed to make more money," Guerriero told Insider.

☆ US senators seek answers from Meta on whether user data was accessed by China, Russia and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday, Sens. The findings are “especially remarkable given that Facebook has never been permitted to operate in [China],” they added. “These documents are an artifact from a different product at a different time,” said Meta spokesman Andy Stone. Hostile governments could seek to use Americans’ personal information to spread disinformation or identify intelligence targets, US officials have said. But the lawmakers’ letter highlights how worries about data access by foreign adversaries extends beyond TikTok and encompasses some of the largest social media platforms.

☆ U.S. senators question Meta on Chinese, other developers' access to sensitive data
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Facebook app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. The letter said an internal Meta document showed that nearly 90,000 developers in China had been given access to information about users, including profile data, photos and private messages even though Facebook had never been able to operate in China. More than 42,000 developers in Russia and thousands in Iran and North Korea also had access to the information, they wrote. The unsealed documents came to light as part of litigation in the Northern District of California that was filed in 2018. "We have grave concerns about the extent to which this access could have enabled foreign intelligence service activity, ranging from foreign malign influence to targeting and counter-intelligence," the two senators wrote.

☆ Iran Grants Amnesty, Reduces Prison Sentences for Some Protesters
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( David S. Cloud | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei granted amnesty for some of those arrested in antigovernment demonstrations. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei granted amnesty and reduced prison sentences on Sunday to a “significant number” of protesters arrested in antigovernment demonstrations, Iranian state media said, highlighting the regime’s shifting tactics after a lethal crackdown that has recently quieted street demonstrations in many parts of the country. The move, part of a wider amnesty ahead of the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, covers protesters who have asked the government for forgiveness, but it excludes anyone accused of violent crimes, arson or having contact with foreign intelligence services, Iran’s official judiciary news service Mizan reported.

☆ China tells U.S. to remain 'cool-headed' over suspected spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowBeijing urged Washington to remain "cool-headed" Friday, as it investigates reports that a suspected Chinese-operated spy balloon has been hovering over sensitive U.S. airspace. Spotted over MontanaFootage of what appears to be a high-altitude balloon was captured by an eyewitness over Billings, Montana, on Wednesday. A senior defense official said the balloon is still over the U.S. but declined to say where it is now. A senior defense official said authorities are continuing to monitor the balloon closely and will take "all necessary steps" to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information. The balloon does not pose a threat to civil aviation because of its altitude, the official added.

☆ China might have sent a spy balloon over the US as a power play to prove it can do what it wants, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Chinese spy balloon was detected over the US, the Department of Defense said. Experts say spy balloons can do things satellites can't, and China may have wanted to get caught. The balloon, the Pentagon said, was "most certainly" sent by China to spy on the US. What is the Chinese spy balloon? A spy balloon is a balloon with any kind of surveillance equipment is attached.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - A suspected Chinese spy balloon has been flying over the United States for a few days, and senior U.S. officials have advised President Joe Biden against shooting it down for fear the debris could pose a safety threat. The old-fashioned spy-movie-like intelligence collection method recalls lengths to which Beijing and Washington have been willing to go to spy on each other amid increased tensions. China and the United States, the world's two largest economies, have experienced tensions of late, clashing over Taiwan and China's human rights record and its military activity in the South China Sea. Spy balloons have flown over the United States several times in recent years, but this balloon appeared to be lingering longer than in previous instances, the official said. "Currently, we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective, but we are taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information," the official said.

☆ Suspected Chinese spy balloon found over northern U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Courtney Kube | Carol E. Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Pentagon would not confirm that the balloon in the photo was the surveillance balloon. The U.S. military has been monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been hovering over the northern U.S. for the past few days, and military and defense leaders have discussed shooting it out of the sky, according to two U.S. officials and a senior defense official. "The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon spokesperson Brig. A senior defense official said the balloon is still over the U.S. but declined to say where it is now. Pentagon leaders presented the options to President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters. It was not clear how the discovery of the spy balloon might affect those plans. Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said the spy balloon was alarming but not surprising. A separate U.S. official said the spy balloon had been tracked near the Aleutian Islands and Canada before entering the United States. Spy balloons have flown over the United States several times in recent years, but this balloon appeared to be lingering longer than in previous instances, an official said.

☆ Putin discusses Russia's claim to giant chunk of Arctic Ocean seabed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Jan 27 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin held talks on Friday with top security officials about the status of Russia's efforts to legally expand the outer boundaries of its continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean. Russia in 2021 filed a submission to the United Nations seeking to redefine its continental shelf, which is believed to contain vast untapped reservoirs of oil and gas. A continental shelf is defined under international law as an area of typically shallow water bordering a country's shoreline that is considered an extension of its territory, allowing the country to exploit its natural resources. "We have several important issues today, colleagues, concerning both the domestic agenda and the issue of the outer limit of Russia's continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean. NATO member states have ramped up Arctic military exercises in recent years, as Russia has expanded and renewed its military infrastructure in the region.

☆ Chinese engineer sentenced to 8 years in U.S. prison for spying
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A former Chicago graduate student in electrical engineering was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison for spying for the Chinese government. Ji Chaoqun, 31, a Chinese national, was convicted last year of acting as an agent of China's Ministry of State Security and making a material false statement to the U.S. Army. Chinese engineer Ji Chaoqun. During the meetings, he said he could use his military identification to visit and take photos of "Roosevelt-class" aircraft carriers, the Justice Department said. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Germany arrests 2nd suspect in Russia spying case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

German authorities said Thursday that they have arrested a second person in connection with a high-profile espionage case that embarrassed Germany’s foreign intelligence agency. Prosecutors said the suspect, a German citizen, is accused of treason for passing secrets obtained by Carsten L., an acquaintance working at Germany’s BND spy agency, to Russian intelligence. Arthur E. was not an employee of the BND, prosecutors said. German authorities received support in their investigation from the FBI, they said. German authorities have warned of likely heightened Russian spying given the Kremlin’s stand-off with the West over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

☆ German arrested for allegedly passing on intelligence to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A German citizen was arrested at the Munich airport on suspicion of treason for allegedly colluding with an intelligence service employee to pass on intelligence to Russia, the prosecutor general's office said on Thursday. The man, identified as Arthur E., was arrested on Sunday upon arriving in Germany from the United States, the prosecutor said in a statement. He is said to be an associate of Carsten L., an employee of the German foreign intelligence service (BND) who was arrested in December on suspicion of spying for Russia. Arthur E., who is not a German intelligence employee, is believed to have passed on to the Russian intelligence service information he had obtained from Carten L., according to the prosecutor's statement. German authorities have warned of likely heightened Russian spying given the Kremlin's stand-off with the West over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Classified records pose conundrum stretching back to Carter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The mishandling of classified documents is not a problem unique to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. He contrasted that pattern for top officials to senators, who are required to retain classified materials in secure rooms at the Capitol. It's notable that Carter signed the Presidential Records Act in 1978 but it did not apply to records of his administration, taking effect years later when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated. Former President Bill Clinton's office said, "All of President Clinton's classified materials were properly turned over to NARA in accordance with the Presidential Records Act." The power to change or amend how classified documents are handled rests largely with the president.

Search resuls for: "Foreign Intelligence"

25 mentions found