Australian govt launches COVID-19 vaccine digital certificates | Pipeline investigation upends idea Bitcoin is untraceable | Violent religious-nationalist cult targets India’s minorities on Facebook

Jun 10, 2021

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The federal government has launched digital certificates for Australians to show on their smartphones to prove they have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine digital certificate will be available through myGov and the Medicare apps, with vaccination providers also able to print out or send the certificate to individuals without access to a phone or the internet. InnovationAUS
The F.B.I.’s recovery of Bitcoins paid in the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack showed cryptocurrencies are not as hard to track as it might seem. The New York Times
Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS), a subsidiary of the Sanatan Sanstha (SS), a violent and right-wing religious-nationalist cult based in India but operating internationally, developed a network on Facebook comprised of at least 46 pages and 75 groups to promote hostile narratives targeting the country’s religious minority populations. DFRLab

ASPI ICPC

Derek Cai @derekcaiyw

#China is laying out a new security bill governing how local & foreign firms manage #data of Chinese citizens. May pass as early as today. @He_Shumei from @ASPI_org told @BBCMarikoOi what this would mean for companies who want Chinese consumers' #business

See more on the global expansion of China’s techology companies using the newly re-launched ‘Mapping China’s Tech Giants’ website, here.

Businesses urged to ‘de-risk’ ties with China, as Xinjiang ‘colour and movement’ comment sparks anger
The Australian
@FinnianMchugh
A report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in 2020 found 82 “well-known global brands” had potentially profited, either directly or indirectly, from slave labour sent from Xinjiang. It estimated 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of the region between 2017 and 2019 to work in factories.

Read more about forced labour in Xinjiang in the ASPI ICPC report, ‘Uyghurs for sale’, here.

Australia

Govt launches COVID-19 vaccine digital certificates
InnovationAUS
@denhamsadler
The federal government has launched digital certificates for Australians to show on their smartphones to prove they have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine digital certificate will be available through myGov and the Medicare apps, with vaccination providers also able to print out or send the certificate to individuals without access to a phone or the internet.

Australians spent AU$26.5m in cryptocurrency to pay scammers in 2020
ZDNet
Asha Barbaschow
Australians in 2020 reported losses to scams totalled AU$851 million, with AU$128 million lost to business email compromise (BEC), AU$8.4 million classed as remote access scams, and AU$3.1 million a result of identity theft.

JBS Foods pays $14.2 million ransom to end cyber attack on its global operations
ABC News
@claughtond @nikolaibeilharz
Global meat processing company JBS Foods has confirmed that it paid the equivalent of $US11 million ($14.2 million) to a criminal gang to end a five-day cyber attack that halted its operations around the world last week, including Australia.

China

Alibaba logistics arm Cainiao partners with China’s Hainan gov’t
Tech in Asia
@roninbautista
Cainiao Smart Logistics Network (Cainiao), the logistics arm of Alibaba Group, entered a strategic partnership with China’s Hainan government to develop the island-province’s global smart supply chain zone.

Bloomberg Next China @next_china

The sudden cancellation of Ant Group’s IPO shocked investors, but Beijing's crackdown of Jack Ma was years in the making. And Alibaba and Ant aren't the only tech firms under scrutiny. 🎥 Watch in full: trib.al/aN8qK9j

USA

Pipeline Investigation Upends Idea That Bitcoin Is Untraceable
The New York Times
@nicoleperlroth @eringriffith @ktbenner
The F.B.I.’s recovery of Bitcoins paid in the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack showed cryptocurrencies are not as hard to track as it might seem.

The Ruthless Hackers Behind Ransomware Attacks on U.S. Hospitals: ‘They Do Not Care’
The Wall Street Journal
@kpoulsen @_melaevans
A ransomware attack on a national hospital chain nearly brought Las Vegas hospitals to their knees. Another attack in Oregon abruptly shut down alerts tied to patient monitors tracking vital signs. In New York, one county’s only trauma center briefly closed to ambulances, with the nearest alternative 90 miles away.

U.S. Senate to probe whether legislation needed to combat cyber attacks
Reuters
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday said he is initiating a review of recent high-profile cyber attacks on governments and businesses to find out whether a legislative response is needed.

South and Central Asia

Violent religious-nationalist cult targets India’s minorities on Facebook
DFRLab
@DFRLab
Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS), a subsidiary of the Sanatan Sanstha (SS), a violent and right-wing religious-nationalist cult based in India but operating internationally, developed a network on Facebook comprised of at least 46 pages and 75 groups to promote hostile narratives targeting the country’s religious minority populations.

UK

Britain will lead global fightback against cyber attackers, says Dominic Raab
The Telegraph
@LOS_Fisher
Dominic Raab has vowed to “take the fight to cyber criminals” extorting businesses, schools and hospitals, as Britain is poised to announce a raft of sanctions on foreign hackers.

Europe

How can broadcasters secure themselves against possible cyber attacks?
TVB Europe
@jennypriestley
Following the recent ransomware attack on one US media group, Quantum's Eric Bassier explains why broadcasters are being targeted, and how they can safeguard themselves against such threats.

Middle East

Al Jazeera repels cyber-attacks that sought to disrupt media network
The Daily Swig
@jleyden
Media network Al Jazeera claims to have overcome a series of cyber-attacks that were indented to “access, disrupt, and control” some of its news platforms and websites.

Israel's COVID pandemic ending, cyber pandemic worsening - cyber chief
The Jerusalem Post
@jeremybob1
Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) chief Yigal Unna has said that “Israel got out of the biological pandemic, but we will not get out of the cyber pandemic, it is just getting worse,” as part of a joint virtual conference with the OECD.

Misc

A packed set of Apple announcements could have big impacts on news publishers — for good and for ill
Nieman Lab
@jbenton
The news alerts you send to iPhones might be about to disappear from your users’ screens. The bedrock metric of the newsletter business just got murdered. (But there’s good news, too.)

Peter Maurer @PMaurerICRC

Digital threats during conflict are growing. Today, I launched the @ICRC Global Advisory Board to put a spotlight on digital threats to civilians and unite leading experts to identify legal and policy solutions.

Global Advisory Board on digital threats during conflictA high-level advisory board is supporting the ICRC on legal and policy challenges to protect civilians from cyber threats and other digital risks during conflicticrc.org

Jobs

ICPC Analyst or Senior Analyst - Cyber & technology
ASPI ICPC
ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) has a unique opportunity for an exceptional cyber-security or technology focused analyst or senior analyst to join its centre in 2021. Please note that interviews have commenced for this position and will continue until the end of June. This role will focus on policy relevant cybersecurity analysis, informed public commentary and either original data-heavy research and/or technical analysis. Analysts usually have around 7-15 years work experience. Senior analysts usually have a minimum of 15 years relevant work experience and tend to be involved in staff and project management, fundraising and stakeholder engagement.

Technology Reporter at BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed News is hiring a technology reporter for its award-winning Tech and Business Desk.