Significant Updates – Brief 192 – September 5, 2020 » The International Cybersecurity Dialogue

Welcome back! Today’s edition is encouraging by and large. You will read of progress in integration of best practices, new working partnerships, public awareness, citizen engagement and the value of increased attention to information security from media standards to sabotage.

In that vein, I want to recognize the Journalism Institute of the National Press Club for its exceptional programs and dedication “to promote an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.” I am proud to be a NPC member for more than 25 years.

Here’s a sampling.

International

Cybersecurity Officials from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand Release Best Practices for Incident Response
CISA DHS
“WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), New Zealand’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC NZ) and Computer Emergency Response Team NZ (CERT NZ), Canada’s Communications Security Establishment, and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC UK), are releasing a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory: Technical Approaches to Uncovering and Remediating Malicious Activity.”

Beyond Secret Cyber Deals, Israel and UAE Ties May Be a Boon for AI
Haaretz, Uri Eliabayev
“The UAE is the only country in the world to have an artificial intelligence minister and it has even opened a university dedicated to the field – they have much to gain from cooperating with Israel.”

United States of America

US Intelligence Agencies Warn of North Korean Hackers Running Cyber Attacks Against Banks, Stealing Billions
CPO Magazine SCOTT IKEDA
“A new warning from a collection of US government agencies indicates that they have really stepped up cyber attacks of this nature during the Covid-19 pandemic months, with a group that has been active since 2015 stealing tens of millions this year alone.”

Tesla employee foregoes $1M payment, works with FBI to thwart cybersecurity attack
Teslarati
“Tesla employee foregoes $1M payment, works with FBI to thwart cybersecurity attack. Sometimes, the events that transpire inside a company could be just as exciting and nail-biting as the most popular thrillers in fiction.”

Ready USDHS Cybersecurity Preparedness Public Awareness Site
This DHS one stop reference page with instructions and links provides how to prepare, who to inform before, during, after cyber attack.

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Commit $300 Million to Voting Efforts
Barrons Penta, Fang Block
“Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, have committed $300 million to bolster voting rights and democracy during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

OMB, CISA release a trifecta of cyber guidance
Federal News Network, Jason Miller

SynED and US VALOR Help Bring Veterans Into the Cybersecurity Workforce
69 News, By SynEd

Africa

Kenya earmarks $140 million to connect public primary schools to the Internet
Techpoint Africa, Emmanuel Paul
“Kenya’s ICT ministry is partnering with the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to bring Internet connectivity to 1000 public primary schools in Kenya. From September 2020, the funds will reportedly be used to lay fibre optic cables, build computer laboratories, buy tablets for pupils and train teachers under the country’s Digital Learning Project.”

Australia

Code of practice released to help stop smart devices being hacked
Sidney Morning Herald, Anthony Galloway
“The makers of web-connected devices including smart TVs, watches and fridges will be told to make their systems more secure from hackers under a new industry code.”

Belgium

Brussels Workshop Weighs Risks of Satellite Hacking
Signal, Shaun Waterman
Experts map the dangerous new territory of cyber attacks on spacecraft.

Canada

BIS employee hailed for cyber security excellence
CFB Esquimalt Lookout Navy News
“WO (Retired) Sherry Rumbolt, a senior information security officer, was recently honoured as one of Canada’s Top Women in Cyber Security. Rumbolt was among 20 recipients selected in the inaugural award category by the magazine IT World Canada from a list of 170 nominations.”

European Union

What Is the EU Cybersecurity Act and What Does It Mean for US-Based Businesses?
State of Security, ANASTASIOS ARAMPATZIS
“Are US-based Businesses Affected? Short answer: yes. Any business offering ICT products, services, or processes within the EU, whatever their size, are affected by the Cybersecurity Act and should begin monitoring the ENISA and EU websites for updates on EU cybersecurity certification schemes.”

India

Indian State To Add 6 Million Jobs In Massive IT Push Over Next Five Years
Taiwan Times, Amy Wu
“Bengaluru: The Karnataka State government announced on Thursday a new information technology (IT) policy for the period 2020 – 2025 envisaging a total job creation of six million during the implementation period.”

Information Security

‘Fake news’ spotlighted in virtual cyber exercise
GCN, Lauren C Williams
“Due to the ongoing pandemic, the National Guard is moving its massive annual cyber exercise, Cyber Shield 2020, completely online and focusing on information operations.”

Microsoft unveils software that can spot ‘deepfake’ photos and videos ahead of the US vote
Economic Times
“SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft has unveiled software that can help spot ‘deepfake’ photos or videos, adding to the list of programs designed to fight the hard-to-detect images ahead of the US presidential election.”

ASU Journalism School Launches Free Media Literacy Course Online
The Wrap Lindsey Ellefson
“Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is launching a free online course in media literacy.”

NATO

NATO to Hire its First CIO
CBR, ED TARGETT
“Non-negotiable: proven experience in consensus building…
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is hiring a Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the first time. They will face the formidable challenge of bringing IT “coherence” to the NATO Enterprise’s 41 civil and military bodies and 25,000+ users.” NATO Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Director of the CIO Office-200633

Pakistan

Hackers delete Bykea database, company unaffected due to backups
Pt Profit, Taimoor Hassan, Babar Khan Javed
“LAHORE: Early on Tuesday morning, Bykea experienced a breach wherein hackers managed to infiltrate and delete an entire database, though the company remained unaffected because the attack was caught early on and the company had data backups.”

United Kingdom

BBC boss Tim Davie to crack down on staff airing views on social media
BBC, Mark Sweney
“Tim Davie is to crack down on staff posting their views on social media in a move to restore the view of the BBC as impartial, and raised the question of slashing the corporation’s output by a fifth, cutting more jobs and potentially shutting TV channels.”

Analysis

AI NOW LAUNCHES “REGULATING BIOMETRICS: GLOBAL APPROACHES AND OPEN QUESTIONS”
AI Now Institute, New York University, Amba Kak, Editor
“Amid heightened public scrutiny, interest in regulating biometric technologies like face and voice recognition has grown significantly across the globe, driven by community advocacy and research. ..Addressing this moment of possibility, AI Now worked with academics, advocates, and policy experts to publish a Compendium of case studies on current attempts to regulate biometric systems, and reflect on the promise, and the limits, of the law.

Edited by Amba Kak, AI Now’s Director of Global Strategy & Programs, the compendium begins with an introduction and a summary chapter which identifies key themes from existing legal approaches, and poses open questions for the future. These questions highlight the critical research needed to inform ongoing national policy and advocacy efforts to regulate biometric recognition technologies.”

The International Cybersecurity Dialogue

Building a cyber bridge

Significant Updates – Brief 192 – September 5, 2020