Huawei slammed by new ‘nightmare scenario’ warning | Spies hacked Moroccan activists amid crackdown on protests | Apple has a lot to lose if it crosses China’s party bosses
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A terrible few weeks for Huawei has just got worse. In a surprise move that will knock the leadership in Shenzhen, it seems Europe may be bending in the direction of the U.S. when it comes to restrictions on China’s 5G tech. Forbes
Moroccan human rights activists have been targeted by hackers armed with sophisticated computing spying software amid a government crackdown on protests in recent years, according to research by Amnesty International. Reuters
Under pressure from China, Apple has removed a smartphone app that enabled Hong Kong protesters to track police. It has cut off access in mainland China to a news app that extensively covered the anti-government demonstrations. And it has made it harder to find an emoji representing the Taiwanese national flag. Few U.S. companies have as much of their business tethered to China as Apple. AP
ASPI ICPC
Will China meddle in the 2020 election?
The Spectator
@RossjournoClark
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute recently analyzed 97 election campaigns held in countries since November 2016, and found that in 20 of them there was evidence of involvement by foreign powers. While China was found to be active in only four cases — compared with Russia’s 16 — there was a big difference.
Read the ASPI report HERE
Australia's Cyber Strategy, version 2.0
ASPI ICPC
Back in 2016, Australia launched its first national cybersecurity strategy. The strategy covers a four-year period to 2020, and given the changes in the security environment, an update is now clearly warranted. To that end, the government has just launched a discussion paper to kick off the public consultation. The closing date for submissions on the discussion paper is 1 November. To complement the public submission process, ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre is initiating a public debate on what should be included in the next cybersecurity strategy. Contributions will be compiled into a report that we will deliver to the Department of Home Affairs to inform the strategy’s development. Follow the debate here.
Australia
Sydney startup faces cyber attack after supporting pro-Hong Kong gamer
Sydney Morning Herald
@nickbonyhady
A Sydney gaming startup has been hit by a concerted cyber attack after it offered to support a professional gamer banned from his sport for endorsing Hong Kong democracy protests.
China
Apple has a lot to lose if it crosses China’s party bosses
AP
@johnleicester @mattoyeah
Under pressure from China, Apple has removed a smartphone app that enabled Hong Kong protesters to track police. It has cut off access in mainland China to a news app that extensively covered the anti-government demonstrations. And it has made it harder to find an emoji representing the Taiwanese national flag. Few U.S. companies have as much of their business tethered to China as Apple.
Apple removes Quartz news app from the Chinese App Store over Hong Kong coverage
The Verge
@nickstatt
News organization Quartz tells The Verge that Apple has removed its mobile app from the Chinese version of its App Store after complaints from the Chinese government. According to Quartz, this is due to the publication’s ongoing coverage of the Hong Kong protests, and the company says its entire website has also been blocked from being accessed in mainland China. The publication says it received a notice from Apple that the app “includes content that is illegal in China.”
USA
Trump Green-Lights Some Sales to Huawei
The New York Times
@AnaSwanson
The Trump administration plans to soon issue licenses allowing some American companies to supply nonsensitive goods to the Chinese telecom giant Huawei, according to people familiar with the matter, a step that could cool tensions between the United States and China as trade talks resume this week.
How Lindsey Graham Got Fooled by a Phony Turkish Official
GQ
@juliaioffe
On a pair of calls this summer, two notorious Russian pranksters duped the Senator into thinking he was working toward a deal with the Turkish Defense Minister.
South East Asia
Fake news spark mass panic
AFP
Thousands of Indonesians are still in shelters nearly two weeks after a deadly earthquake sparked a stream of fake news and hoaxes warning that an even bigger disaster was looming, the government said.
United Kingdom
UK passport program uses AI to create a virtual speed-line for white people
The Next Web
@mrgreene1977
The lighter your skin, the better AI-powered facial recognition systems work for you. The UK Home Office knows this, because the government‘s been briefed several times on the problem. And a recent report shows that it knew it was developing a passport program built on biased, racist AI. It just doesn’t care.
Brexit party MEPs vote against plans to tackle Russian propaganda
The Guardian
@JenniferMerode
The Brexit party have voted against stronger EU measures aimed at countering “highly dangerous” Russian disinformation. The party’s MEPs cast their votes against a European parliament resolution calling for an upgrade of the EU’s anti-propaganda unit East StratCom, as well as support for public service media.
Europe
2,200 Viewed Germany Shooting Before Twitch Removed Post
The New York Times
@tiffkhsu
Twitch, the Amazon-owned live-streaming platform known for its video game content, is developing another, darker reputation as a place to find footage of mass shootings. On Wednesday, a heavily armed man with a head-mounted camera live-streamed his shooting rampage in Halle, Germany, on Twitch for more than 35 minutes. Two people were killed and two others injured in the attack, which took place outside a synagogue and in a kebab shop.
Huawei’s dominance in 5G should be challenged
Financial Times
Western governments should aspire to open, competitive markets. Yet in China they face a superpower rival that does not share this belief. The open market imperative seems to conflict with the need to preserve competition and innovation. A degree of dirigisme to support western 5G technology is preferable to the alternative: a future in which the only choice is Huawei.
Huawei Slammed By New ‘Nightmare Scenario’ Warning
Forbes
@ukzak
A terrible few weeks for Huawei has just got worse. After the ordeal of launching its first smartphone absent U.S. technology on the consumer side of its business, the last thing the company needed was a public setback on the 5G side. But that’s exactly what has happened. In a surprise move that will knock the leadership in Shenzhen, it seems Europe may be bending in the direction of the U.S. when it comes to restrictions on China’s 5G tech.
Dutch Prostitution Site Hookers.nl Hacked—250,000 Users’ Data Leaked
Forbes
@iblametom
Hackers have obtained the data and personal details of around 250,000 users of the Dutch sex work forum Hookers.nl.
Middle East and North Africa
Spies hacked Moroccan activists amid crackdown on protests: researchers
Reuters
@Bing_Chris @razhael
Moroccan human rights activists have been targeted by hackers armed with sophisticated computing spying software amid a government crackdown on protests in recent years, according to research by Amnesty International.
Read the Amnesty report HERE
A schematic illustration showing how a number of Moroccan activists were hacked in recent years. One activist was targeted 11 times between November 2017 and July 2019.
War Zone Stories, Liberated via Social Networking
The New York Times
@VivianHYee @hwaida_saad
How do New York Times journalists use technology in their jobs and in their personal lives? Vivian Yee and Hwaida Saad, who report on the Middle East and are based in Beirut, Lebanon, discussed the tech they’re using.
Hezbollah’s “Virtual Entrepreneurs:” How Hezbollah is Using the Internet to Incite Violence in Israel
CTC Sentinel
@Shkolnik_M @alex_corbeil
In recent years, Hezbollah has used social media to recruit Israeli Arabs and West Bank-based Palestinians to attack Israeli targets. A recent innovation in terrorist tactics has given rise to “virtual entrepreneurs,” which to date have been largely associated with the Islamic State’s online recruitment efforts. Hezbollah’s virtual planners, similar to those in the Islamic State, use social media to establish contact with potential recruits before transitioning to more encrypted communications platforms, transferring funds, and issuing instructions to form cells, conduct surveillance, and carry out terrorist attacks.
Misc
Amazon Workers May Be Watching Your Cloud Cam Home Footage
Bloomberg
@nat_droz @turnergs @mattmday
Dozens of Amazon workers based in India and Romania review select clips captured by Cloud Cam, according to five people who have worked on the program or have direct knowledge of it. Those video snippets are then used to train the AI algorithms to do a better job distinguishing between a real threat (a home invader) and a false alarm (the cat jumping on the sofa).
Events
Cyber Security Hypothetical – Panel
UNSW
We invite you to join us on 22 October, in challenging paradigms and provoking discussion around this important topic that impacts and targets us all. Cyber Security Hypothetical will be led and moderated by Mr Steve Wilson and panellists will include MAJGEN Marcus Thompson, Professor Michael Frater, Mr Alastair MacGibbon, Ms Kate Carruthers and Mr Justin Warren.
The rise of information warfare: in-conversation with Peter W. Singer
ASPI ICPC
This event for 29 October is SOLD OUT but you can watch a livestream on ASPI's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ASPI.org/ - ASPI's International Cyber Policy Centre invites you to an in-conversation with Peter W. Singer and Danielle Cave to consider the rise of information warfare. Peter Warren Singer is strategist and senior fellow at New America. He has been named by the Smithsonian as one of the nation’s 100 leading innovators, by Defense News as one of the 100 most influential people in defense issues, by Foreign Policy to their Top 100 Global Thinkers List, and as an official “Mad Scientist” for the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. A drinks and canapes reception will conclude the event. This event is kindly supported by Microsoft.
.au Licensing Rules and .au Namespace Implementation Policy Consultation
auDA
auDA, the domain registrar and policy body for the .au domain, is seeking input from the Australian internet community on proposed changes to the .au licensing rules and the .au Namespace Implementation Policy. Consultations are scheduled in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and online between 15 and 17 October.
NetThing – the Aussie internet governance forum renewed
Net Thing
@NetThing_au
On 28 October, NetThing is taking place at UTS Sydney. NetThing is an annual forum to strengthen Australia’s Internet community and consists of robust Australia-based Internet policy exploration and discussion. Anyone with an interest is encouraged to join and engage in the panels and workshops.