Ukraine identifies Gamaredon members, links to Russia’s FSB | China gives 38 app operators five days to change data policies | Hackers are stealing data so quantum computers can crack it in a decade
Follow us on Twitter. The Daily Cyber Digest focuses on the topics we work on, including cyber, critical technologies & strategic issues like foreign interference.
The Ukrainian Security Service (SSU) has revealed today the real identities of five members of the Gamaredon cyber-espionage group, linking its members to the Crimean branch of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). The Record by Recorded Future
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) notified the operators of 38 popular apps that they have five days to change the way they collect user data or face fines and penalties. The Record by Recorded Future
While they wrestle with the immediate danger posed by hackers today, US government officials are preparing for another, longer-term threat: attackers who are collecting sensitive, encrypted data now in the hope that they’ll be able to unlock it at some point in the future. MIT Technology Review
ASPI ICPC
Australia’s wide open sunny spaces can power the metaverse
Australian Financial Review
Karly Winkler @Miah_HE
We have all the natural advantages you can ask for to become our land-poor region’s clean energy hub for the fourth industrial revolution.
Tennis star Peng Shuai accuses former senior Chinese official of sexual assault
ABC News
Fergus Ryan, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told the ABC that Chinese social media platforms applied a different standard of censorship to online discussions that target senior political officials. "The top leaders in the Chinese system are meant to be completely unimpeachable and they're meant to be squeaky clean," Mr Ryan said. "While there has been a sort of burgeoning #MeToo movement in China, many of the people who have been accused of impropriety have generally not been at this level. So this is quite a momentous phenomenon that we're seeing here."
World
Hackers are stealing data today so quantum computers can crack it in a decade
MIT Technology Review
@HowellONeill
The US government is starting a generation-long battle against the threat next-generation computers pose to encryption.
The United Nations Could Finally Create New Rules for Space
WIRED
Ramin Skibba
The proposal to create a process for preventing military confrontations and misunderstandings in orbit would be the first major step in more than 40 years.
Australia
We'll see if we can do it as well as Matt Damon did': How astronauts will grow plants on the moon
ABC News
Belinda Sanders
Within the next five years, astronauts will be growing vegetables in space with technology developed by Australian scientists.
China
China gives 38 app operators five days to change their data collection practices
The Record by Recorded Future
@NPRDina
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) notified the operators of 38 popular apps that they have five days to change the way they collect user data or face fines and penalties.
Alibaba’s silicon chip in the age of hypersonic missiles
SupChina
Paul Triolo
Alibaba’s Yitian 710 chip shows how the U.S.-China-Taiwan semiconductor dance hides an increasingly unstable equilibrium.
Tech regulation in China brings in sweeping changes
MERICS
@kavocabo Valarie Tan
Relations between Beijing and China’s tech giants have been complex and in flux for many years. But just recently the government has taken a much clearer approach, introducing a swathe of measures designed to bring these companies in line with its goals and keep them on their toes. MERICS analysts Kai von Carnap and Valarie Tan analyze the latest developments.
TechScape: Xi Jinping’s ‘Little Red Book’ of tech regulation could lead the way
The Guardian
@nivincent
The Jack Ma saga sheds light on wealth, politics and fame in today’s China.
China Moves to Quash Online Rumors That Taiwan War Looms
Bloomberg
Chinese state media have sought to quiet online speculation that a conflict with Taiwan may be imminent, in a sign of how heated rhetoric between Washington and Beijing was feeding public concern about the risk of war.
USA
Milley Addresses Aspen Security Forum on Today's Military Challenges
U.S. Department of Defense
Terri Moon Cronk
The world is witnessing one of the largest shifts in global geostrategic power it has ever seen, the general said, adding that the shift is a fundamental change in the character of war. "The last big [shift] was the introduction of the airplane, mechanization and the radio. Today, you're seeing robotics, artificial intelligence, precision munitions and a wide variety of other technologies that, in combination, are leading to a fundamental change in the character war.
Blue Origin loses protest of SpaceX’s $3BN moon landing contract
Al Jazeera
Daniel Seiden
‘NASA will resume work with SpaceX,’ the agency said in a statement after the US court ruling.
Facebook's Whistleblower, Amy Poehler Talk Tech at Lisbon Summit
Bloomberg
Katie Roof
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen kicked off this year's event with a talk on why the social media giant should focus on becoming a safer space for users and less on rebranding as Meta. She called for CEO Mark Zuckerberg to step down and for better corporate governance.
Here’s what happened when Facebook stopped protecting users — on purpose
Protocol
@issielapowsky
In her testimony before Congress last month, whistleblower Frances Haugen told lawmakers Facebook has conducted experiments where it withholds certain protections from a subset of users to see how they'll react. Facebook refers to this experimental group internally, she said, as "integrity holdouts."
Facebook is backing away from facial recognition. Meta isn’t.
Vox
@rebheilweil
The social network is scaling back facial recognition, but similar technology could show up in the metaverse.
Meta Makes Changes to Marketing Strategy Amid Scandals
The New York Times
@tiffkhsu @daveyalba
After the social media giant auditioned agencies to manage its ad budget, underscoring its Madison Avenue ties, Spark Foundry won the business.
Incoming New York mayor Eric Adams vows to take first three paychecks in bitcoin
CNBC
@KenzieSigalos
New York City mayor-elect Eric Adams plans to take his first three paychecks in bitcoin, in the politician’s latest move to give Miami a run for its money as one of the country’s top destinations for crypto enthusiasts.
The AP Interview: Justice Dept. conducting cyber crackdown
AP News
Eric Tucker
The Justice Department is stepping up actions to combat ransomware and cybercrime through arrests and other actions, its No. 2 official told The Associated Press, as the Biden administration escalates its response to what it regards as an urgent economic and national security threat.
DOD Releases 2021 Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China
U.S. Department of Defense
The Department of Defense announces the release of its annual report on “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China.” The congressionally mandated report serves as an authoritative assessment on military and security developments involving the PRC.
CISA creates catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities, orders agencies to patch
The Record by Recorded Future
@campuscodi
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has established today a public catalog of vulnerabilities known to be exploited in the wild and has issued a binding operational directive ordering US federal agencies to patch affected systems within specific timeframes and deadlines.
Space hacking risks pose cyber policy test for Biden admin
README_
Shaun Waterman
The White House won’t be defining the space industry as critical infrastructure, despite mounting pressure from business and lawmakers. README explains why.
White House preps order to clarify top cyber roles in federal government
CyberScoop
@timstarks
The Biden administration is working on an executive order that spells out the responsibilities of myriad top cybersecurity officials in the federal government, National Cyber Director Chris Inglis said Wednesday.
Sinclair Broadcast Group says ransomware incident not 'fully resolved' weeks after breach
CyberScoop
AJ Vicens
The ransomware attack on conservative broadcasting giant Sinclair is still causing problems, the company reported in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing Wednesday.
North-East Asia
Google to Open App Store Payments to Comply With South Korea Law
Bloomberg
@vladsavov
Alphabet Inc.’s Google said it will add the option for developers to offer alternative billing systems on its Android app store in South Korea, complying with a recently passed law in the country.
South Asia
New Zealand & The Pacific
Second Sub-Sea Cable Project Gains Momentum
Vanuatu Daily Post
An International Cable Working Committee has been formed to spearhead Vanuatu’s second subsea cable (ICN2), which will connect Port Vila and Honiara, Solomon Islands.
UK
UK warns Facebook to focus on safety as minister eyes faster criminal sanctions for tech CEOs
TechCrunch
@riptari
The U.K.’s recently appointed secretary of state for digital, Nadine Dorries, has signalled she wants to take a tougher line on social media platforms than her predecessor — telling a parliamentary committee she’s looking at speeding up the application of criminal sanctions for breaches of incoming U.K. online safety legislation.
Europe
Can the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council Succeed?
Council on Foreign Relations
@J_A_Hillman Seara Grundhoefer
Previous attempts at economic coordination have floundered, but focusing on a limited set of strategic concerns may allow the Trade and Technology Council to be more successful.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testifies in Parliament on 8 November
Atualidade | Parlamento Europeu
MEPs will discuss with Ms Haugen the negative impact on users of big tech companies’ products and business models, and how EU digital rules can address these issues.
Google News to relaunch in Spain after mandatory payments to newspapers scrapped
The Verge
James Vincent
Another skirmish in the battle of Google vs The News.
Apple's software boss warns against draft EU policy on App Store
Reuters
Supantha Mukherjee Clara-Laeila Laudette
Apple software boss Craig Federighi took the stage at the Web Summit in Lisbon to voice the iPhone maker's objections to EU draft guidelines that could allow customers to install software from outside its App Store.
Russia
Ukraine discloses identity of Gamaredon members, links it to Russia’s FSB
The Record by Recorded Future
@campuscodi
The Ukrainian Security Service (SSU) has revealed today the real identities of five members of the Gamaredon cyber-espionage group, linking its members to the Crimean branch of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
Ukraine Doxes Russian Government Hackers’ Phone Calls
VICE
@lorenzofb
By publishing a video containing the intercepted conversations, Ukraine is sending a message to Russia.
Too early to tell' if Russia has cracked down on ransomware gangs, Nakasone says
The Record by Recorded Future
@martinmatishak
The country’s top military cyber official on Wednesday said that is too soon to know if the Kremlin has taken action against ransomware gangs operating on Russian soil.
A likely hoax highlights what’s still shadowy in cyberspace
The Washington Post
@Joseph_Marks_
A Russian hacker may have tricked cyber firms and media.
Middle East
The ‘Echo Chamber’ of Syrian Chemical Weapons Conspiracy Theorists
New Lines Magazine
@Brian_Whit
The real issue here is not so much the denial of chemical attacks as the way it serves as a vehicle for normalizing conspiracy theories under the guise of critical thinking. Admirable though it is to view news reports and government statements with caution and scrutinize the evidence, the denial campaign was something else, encouraging people to reject information at will simply because it didn't fit their view of how the world works.
Africa
On Twitter, political disinformation clouds Kenya’s trending topics
TechCrunch
@tayhatmaker
In the days immediately following revelations that Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta held secret wealth in offshore tax havens, Odanga Madung noticed something odd on Twitter. In spite of the damning information implicating Kenyatta in a hypocritical tax shelter scheme, the prevailing conversation on Kenyan Twitter focused on defending the country’s beleaguered leader.
Misc
‘Is it OK to …’: the bot that gives you an instant moral judgment
The Guardian
@PoppyNoor
Delphi, an online AI bot, promises to answer any moral question users pose. We put it to the test.
The Guide for the Next Decade of Space Research Just Dropped
WIRED
Chris Wright
The Astro2020 Decadal Survey's top priorities include new telescopes, the search for habitable exoplanets, and far-infrared and x-ray probe missions.
‘Sideloading is a cyber criminal’s best friend,’ according to Apple’s software chief
The Verge
@cgartenberg
Apple argues sideloading is too big a risk.
Academic Researchers Need Access to the Facebook Papers
Slate
@zns202 @Jonathan_Nagler @j_a_tucker
The Facebook Papers offer a chilling account of how the company’s internal research revealed potential harms caused by its platforms. Reports underscore Facebook’s role in the diffusion of misinformation, the prevalence of hate speech, and the coordination of the Capitol insurrection.
Trustworthy AI
Spiros Margaris
@SpirosMargaris
Before we explore the importance of trust in artificial intelligence (AI), we should first consider what is meant by the word “trust.” We commonly use this word when discussing people and things, but we rarely think to define or explain it because it is something we feel deep inside ourselves…
Events
The Sydney Dialogue
ASPI
@ASPI_ICPC
The Sydney Dialogue is a world-first summit for emerging, critical and cyber technologies. Launching virtually on 17 November, the inaugural Sydney Dialogue will have an Indo-Pacific focus, featuring keynote addresses from Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison; India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi; and former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe - as well as a number of panel discussions with experts from around the world. You will hear from political, technology, business and civil society leaders and - as well as the world’s best strategic thinkers - as they generate new ideas, work towards common understandings and formulate possible solutions to maximise the opportunities and minimise the negative consequences of the next wave of new technologies. Head on over to our brand new website to check out the line-up of events and speakers, and register for the virtual sessions you’d like to attend.
Where to next for the Indigenous Procurement Policy?
ASPI
@HuonCurtis @DarkiesDesign
On Friday 5th November 2-pm, ASPI International Cyber Policy Centre’s IndigiCyber, Defence & Space Program will host an online roundtable ‘Where to next for the Indigenous Procurement Policy?’ This will provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss and explore the IPP, and potential opportunities for Indigenous businesses.
Jobs
ICPC Analyst & Project Manager - Coercive diplomacy
ASPI ICPC
ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) has a unique opportunity for an Analyst and Project Manager to manage, and help lead, a project on coercive diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific region... This new role will focus on analysis, workshops and stakeholder engagement centred around coercive diplomacy, including how countries in the Indo-Pacific can work together to tackle this complicated policy challenge.
ICPC Senior Analyst or Analyst - China
ASPI ICPC
ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) has a unique opportunity for exceptional and experienced China-focused senior analysts or analysts to join its centre. This role will focus on original research and analysis centred around the (growing) range of topics which our ICPC China team work on. Our China team produces some of the most impactful and well-read policy-relevant research in the world, with our experts often being called upon by politicians, governments, corporates and civil society actors to provide briefings and advice. Analysts usually have at least 5 years, often 7-10 years’ of work experience. Senior analysts usually have a minimum of 15 years relevant work experience and, in addition to research, they take on a leadership role in the centre and tend to be involved in staff and project management, fundraising and stakeholder engagement.