Facebook Prepares Measures for Possible Election Unrest | Inside the campaign to 'pizzagate' Hunter Biden | Facebook and encryption experts unite against 'Sith Lord' Dutton
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Facebook teams have planned for the possibility of trying to calm election-related conflict in the U.S. by deploying internal tools designed for what it calls “at-risk” countries, according to people familiar with the matter. WSJ.
Pizzagate-style rumors in 2016 were largely confined to far-right message boards. This year, they are reaching the mainstream with help from a website boosted by Trump. NBC.
Facebook has defended its use of end-to-end encryption on all of its messaging platforms, after Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton accused it of helping paedophiles, terrorists and criminals to prosper and Departmental Secretary Mike Pezzullo likened it to the Galactic Empire in Star Wars. Mr Phair said the discussion of how to protect citizens and maintain the necessary privacy was hugely important, but was being hampered by Mr Dutton's emotive language. AFR.
ASPI ICPC
Fighting tyranny with milk tea: the young rebels joining forces in Asia
The Guardian
“Online users in Asia are realising there is strength in numbers and in the shared experiences of resisting and fighting back against authoritarian governments,” said Tracy Beattie, a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, who has closely followed online political activism in Thailand.
Stories of our times: Investigation: Inside Russia's disinformation war (Pt 1) on Apple Podcasts
Daily News
In an exclusive investigation, this podcast has uncovered a Russian campaign of disinformation and fake news aimed at discrediting the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. Guests include Dr Jake Wallis.
World
How The Epoch Times Created a Giant Influence Machine
NYT
Since 2016, the Falun Gong-backed newspaper has used aggressive Facebook tactics and right-wing misinformation to create an anti-China, pro-Trump media empire.
Australia
Govt develops principles to secure critical technology supply chains
IT News
The federal government has proposed a set of regulatory principles to help secure the supply chains of critical technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing in a bid to reduce vulnerabilities.
Submissions and discussion paper: Critical Technology Supply Chain Principles
Department of Home Affairs
The Department has developed draft Critical Technology Supply Chain Principles intended to assist organisations – including governments and businesses of all sizes - in making decisions about their suppliers. Make your submission.
Facebook and encryption experts unite against 'Sith Lord' Dutton
AFR
Facebook has defended its use of end-to-end encryption on all of its messaging platforms, after Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton accused it of helping paedophiles, terrorists and criminals to prosper and Departmental Secretary Mike Pezzullo likened it to the Galactic Empire in Star Wars. Mr Phair said the discussion of how to protect citizens and maintain the necessary privacy was hugely important, but was being hampered by Mr Dutton's emotive language. “Having the Minister constantly referring to terrorists and paedophiles is not helping the public debate. Being shrill like this may play to a political constituency, but we need a whole-of-society debate on this issue," Mr Phair said.
China
China and Huawei move data centres into hollowed-out hills
Asia Times
Tech giants drilling into mountains in Guizhou, which are seen as good sites for server bases because of their stable geography, cheap and plentiful power, plus cool climate, which is needed to help with heat dissipation, as Microsoft and Facebook know well
Kicked off Weibo? Here’s what happens next.
Rest of World
Thousands of Weibo accounts have been deleted as China’s government cracks down on free speech.
USA
Facebook Prepares Measures for Possible Election Unrest
WSJ
Facebook Inc. teams have planned for the possibility of trying to calm election-related conflict in the U.S. by deploying internal tools designed for what it calls “at-risk” countries, according to people familiar with the matter.
Apps Give Trump, Biden Campaigns Tools to Rally, Track Supporters
WSJ
The Trump and Biden campaigns have each developed apps aimed at rallying supporters and swaying votes, but they also collect data on their users and their friends, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.
Inside the campaign to 'pizzagate' Hunter Biden
NBC
Pizzagate-style rumors in 2016 were largely confined to far-right message boards. This year, they are reaching the mainstream with help from a website boosted by Trump.
As Trump casts doubt on election, new agency contradicts him
AP
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump was predicting on Twitter that this election would be “the most corrupt” in American history. A day later, the head of an obscure government agency he created offered a much different message.
Russians Who Pose Election Threat Have Hacked Nuclear Plants and Power Grid
NYT
The hacking group, Energetic Bear, is among Russia’s stealthiest. It appears to be casting a wide net to find useful targets ahead of the election, experts said.
Activists Turn Facial Recognition Tools Against the Police
NYT
“We’re now approaching the technological threshold where the little guys can do it to the big guys,” one researcher said.
Asia
UK
Dark Ironies: The Financial Times and Cambridge Analytica
Byline Times
Dr Emma Briant reports on the contract between the famous media company and the now-defunct data operation set up by Steve Bannon and Robert Mercer.
UK has mounted covert attacks against Russian leadership, says ex-mandarin
The Guardian
Britain has carried a series of covert attacks on Russia’s leaders and their allies, the former cabinet secretary has disclosed. Mark Sedwill said the UK had sought to exploit Moscow’s “vulnerabilities”, including through the deployment of its recently declared offensive cyber-capability.
Dr Reddy's: Covid vaccine-maker suffers cyber-attack
BBC
Pharmaceutical company Dr Reddy's, which is developing a Covid-19 vaccine, says it has been hit by a cyber-attack. Sites around the world have been affected, including those in the UK, Brazil, India, Russia and the US. The India-based company said it had isolated all of its data centre services to contain the attack. Last week, Dr Reddy's was given permission to begin its final stage trials of Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine.
Europe
German economy minister calls for strong European actors for 5G expansion
Reuters
The EU supports the idea of free competition but must be vigilant when its security interests are affected, Germany's economy minister said when asked whether sidelining China's Huawei on the 5G mobile network expansion could lead to a competitive disadvantage.
US signs 5G security deal with Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Kosovo
DW
North Macedonia, Kosovo and Bulgaria joined the US agreement aimed at stemming Chinese influence in 5G infrastructure. The US and EU also launched bilateral talks to discuss China issues.
Russia
Hackers behind life-threatening attack on chemical-maker are sanctioned
Ars Technica
Russian state nationals accused of wielding life-threatening malware specifically designed to tamper with critical safety mechanisms at a petrochemical plant are now under sanction by the US Treasury Department.
Misc.
Zoom Deleted Events Discussing Zoom “Censorship”
Buzzfeed
Zoom shut down a series of events meant to discuss what organizers called “censorship” by the company.
New RAT malware gets commands via Discord, has ransomware feature
Bleeping Computer
The new 'Abaddon' remote access trojan may be the first to use Discord as a full-fledged command and control server that instructs the malware on what tasks to perform on an infected PC. Even worse, a ransomware feature is being developed for the malware.
Events
2020 Cybersecurity Conference
European Chamber
In order to examine how the Cybersecurity Law and the Data Security Draft Law will coexist, and what the long-term impact will be on European companies operating in China, the European Chamber as assembled a distinguished group of government representatives, lawyers, security experts and industry representatives to discuss this topic at its annual Cybersecurity Conference.
Networking: Women speak cyber (brought to you by Palo Alto Networks)
Join this networking event to meet the power women diversifying the Australian cyber security sector. Drop-in for short 1:1 networking sessions, facilitated through the ‘Hopin’ platform, with a range of ‘cyber power women’. Date & Time: 30 October 12:00 pm (AEST).
Jobs
Senior Researcher / Project Lead
ASPI ICPC
ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) has an outstanding opportunity for a senior researcher to lead a one-year project looking at leadership networks across Asia. Interviews will start immediately.
Intern
ASPI
Are you a recent graduate wanting to develop your expertise in defence, national and cyber security and strategic policy? Do you want to inform the public and government on critical strategic choices facing Australia and learn what it takes to be a professional strategic analyst? If so, you might be interested in applying for the ASPI Research Internship Program.
Executive Level 1 - Assistant Director, Cyber Policy and Technology (Specialist)
DFAT
The Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology Branch (CYB) is responsible for implementing Australia’s International Cyber and Critical Technology Engagement Strategy (ICCTES) and Australia’s broader international cyber and critical technology agenda, led by Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology. We are seeking enthusiastic and high calibre individuals to fill multiple positions in the Branch.
Research Assistant, Technology and International Affairs - Washington, District of Columbia, USA Job Opening
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Partnership for Countering Influence Operations project, part of the Technology and International Affairs program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is seeking to hire a Research Assistant.