False Coronavirus Claim Spread Quickly In Romanian Facebook Groups | Russian-led troll network in west Africa uncovered | Beijing Pushing a Conspiracy Theory That the US Brought COVID-19 to China
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Experts say Facebook is struggling to stop dangerous misinformation about coronavirus in languages other than English, after Romanian-language posts saying lemons kill the virus spread like wildfire on the site over the past couple of days. Buzzfeed.
A newly discovered Russian-led network of professional trolls was being outsourced to Ghanaian and Nigerian operatives, according to Facebook and Twitter, who removed the network’s accounts on Thursday. The Guardian.
China has had enough of defending its response to the coronavirus outbreak, and now it’s on the attack, with a top government official boosting a conspiracy theory that the U.S. military brought the coronavirus to Wuhan. Vice.
ASPI ICPC
Opinion | Western companies must stop profiting from China’s crimes against humanity
Washington Post
A second report, by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, identified 83 foreign and Chinese companies “directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through potentially abusive labour transfer programs.”
Uighurs in forced labour may have made the screen you’re using to read this story. Canada is doing nothing to stop it
The Star
@Nuttallreports
But nearly two weeks ago, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute released a comprehensive report titled “Uighurs for Sale,” detailing how more than 80,000 of those interned have been forced to work in factories throughout China, in some cases being part of supply chains used to make products for some of the world’s most popular brands. It said the 80,000 is a “conservative” figure. The report specifically notes that technology for touch screens used in products made by Lenovo, Samsung and Huawei were produced by one manufacturer using Uighur labour. The same company, which says it makes these products on its website, also says it manufactures cameras for some iPhone models.
Beijing is Pushing a Conspiracy Theory That the US Army Brought the Coronavirus to China
Vice
“Beijing is muddying the waters with multiple counter-narratives about the origin of the coronavirus,” Fergus Ryan, an analyst who studies Chinese social media at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told VICE News.
World
Coronavirus tracking app locks up Android phones for ransom
SC Magazine
A malicious Android app that supposedly helps track cases of the coronavirus actually locks users’ phones and demands a ransom in order to restore access.
Hackers Use Interactive Malicious COVID-19 Map to Spread Malware
Know Be4
A real interactive dashboard of Coronavirus infections and deaths produced by Johns Hopkins University is being used in malicious Web sites (and possibly spam emails) to spread password-stealing malware.
Meet the woman fighting coronavirus misinformation online
CNN
A global network of researchers and journalists spanning 40 countries has issued more than 800 fact checks related to the coronavirus in just seven weeks, one of the coordinators of the effort told CNN Business.
Facebook Is Clamping Down On Coronavirus Misinformation In English, But Hoaxes Are Going Viral In Other Languages
Buzzfeed
@josephmdurso
Experts say Facebook is struggling to stop dangerous misinformation about coronavirus in languages other than English, after Romanian-language posts saying lemons kill the virus spread like wildfire on the site over the past couple of days.
Australia
Coronavirus and the NBN: will your broadband be up to speed if you have to work from home?
The Guardian
@joshgnosis
How well internet performs during heavy use nationally depends on various factors – but regional areas are set to struggle most.
Cyber security is essential when preparing for COVID-19
ASD
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) would like to remind you to incorporate cyber security into your contingency planning. As more staff may work from home, and the use of remote access technology increases, adversaries may attempt to take advantage. ASD's Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) encourages Australians to remain vigilant and ensure sound cyber security practices.
China
USA
Trump Caught Google Off Guard With a Bogus Coronavirus Site Announcement
Wired
@brbarrett
A source at Google tells WIRED that company leadership was surprised that Trump announced anything about the initiative at the press conference. What he did say was also almost entirely wrong. There will be a coronavirus testing site, not from Google but from Alphabet sister company Verily. “We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing,” Google tweeted in a statement. “Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time.”
Comcast suspends data caps, makes Xfinity WiFi free for 60 days
Engadget
@rjcc
Yesterday Comcast and AT&T were among ISPs announced some relaxed policies to help people suddenly stuck at home due to countermeasures taken in the fight against COVID-19.
Monitoring And Debunking COVID-19 Panic: The “Haarlem Aldi” Hoax
Bellingcat
Throughout the coming weeks, we only expect the fake content surrounding this topic to escalate. Now, we invite you to join us in fighting the hysteria-causing disinformation and independently verifying the viral videos around you. If you come across a viral video that you think is fake and related to COVID-19 panic, tag us on Twitter. We will attempt to debunk the big ones as they come and invite you to do the same.
Opinion | We weren’t ready for a pandemic. We better be ready for a cyberattack.
Washington Post
Amid the chaos of the coronavirus, it was encouraging this week to see a bipartisan, blue-ribbon commission announce a coherent plan for dealing with the next potential catastrophe — a major cyberattack against the United States.
Our Full Report on the Voatz Mobile Voting Platform
Trail of Bits
Trail of Bits has performed the first-ever “white-box” security assessment of the platform, with access to the Voatz Core Server and backend software. Our assessment confirmed the issues flagged in previous reports by MIT and others, discovered more, and made recommendations to fix issues and prevent bugs from compromising voting security.
Why is Trump funding quantum computing research but cutting other science budgets?
Washington Post
On Wednesday, the White House brainstormed with U.S. tech companies, asking their help tracking the spread of covid-19 and misinformation about the outbreak — and analyzing vast amounts of data about the virus. The White House’s proposed $4.8 trillion budget proposal last month, in contrast, isn’t so science-friendly, and cuts many aspects of scientific research.
U.S. Probes Chinese Telecom Giant ZTE for Possible Bribery
WSJ
The Justice Department is investigating ZTE Corp. for possible bribes of foreign officials, according to people familiar with the matter, which could subject the Chinese telecom giant to a fresh round of criminal penalties amid increasing tensions between the U.S. and China.
UK
UK ministers seek to placate Tory rebels over Huawei deal
FT
UK ministers are working on possible concessions to their plan to use Huawei technology in Britain’s 5G mobile phone networks, amid pressure from rebel Conservatives and US officials who want to prohibit the Chinese telecoms equipment maker’s kit.
UK ministers will no longer claim 'no successful examples' of Russian interference
The Guardian
Ministers have been told they can no longer say there have been “no successful examples” of Russian disinformation affecting UK elections, after the apparent hacking of an NHS dossier seized on by Labour during the last campaign.
Taxpayers’ money helps Beijing identify masked protesters
The Times
The Home Office and Scotland Yard are involved in a publicly funded research programme that carries out work jointly paid for by the Chinese state — despite Beijing’s reported use of similar software to target persecuted minorities and imprison them in detention camps.
Europe
France to allow some Huawei gear in its 5G network - sources
Reuters
France will authorize the use of some of Huawei’s equipment in the rollout of its 5G network, two sources close to the matter told Reuters, despite U.S. calls to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the West’s next-generation communications.
Czech Republic's second-biggest hospital is hit by cyberattack
Cyber Scoop
@snlyngaas
It was not immediately clear how, if at all, the hack would affect University Hospital Brno’s ability to test for the COVID-19 virus, but it was nevertheless a reminder of how cyberattacks have the potential to exacerbate the global health crisis.
Africa
Russian-led troll network based in west Africa uncovered
The Guardian
@alexhern
A newly discovered Russian-led network of professional trolls was being outsourced to Ghanaian and Nigerian operatives, according to Facebook and Twitter, who removed the network’s accounts on Thursday.
Misc.
Chenault Leaves Facebook Board After Disagreements With Zuckerberg
WSJ
Kenneth Chenault will be leaving Facebook Inc.’s board of directors following disagreements with Mark Zuckerberg over the company’s governance and political policies, according to people familiar with the matter.
Princess Cruises, hobbled by the coronavirus, admits data breach
Tech Crunch
@zackwhittaker
Princess Cruises, the cruise liner forced to halt its global operations after two of its ships confirmed on-board outbreaks of the coronavirus, has now confirmed a data breach.
Confronting the Ubiquity of Norms in Cyberspace and Cyber Governance
Lawfare Blog
@MRaymondonIR
I introduce several vital but sometimes misunderstood features of how norms work and discuss their implications for American cybersecurity strategy.