American eavesdropping systems targeted by China-linked hack | Russian state media disrupted by ‘unprecedented’ cyber attack

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The Daily Cyber ​​& Tech Digest focuses on the topics we work onincluding cybersecurity, critical technologies, foreign interference and disinformation.

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• A Chinese government-linked cyberattack compromised the networks of many U.S. broadband providers and potentially accessed information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorized network tapping requests. The Wall Street Journal

• Google should give competing third-party app stores access to the entire catalog of Google Play apps and distribute third-party stores. The edge

• Russian state television and radio channel VGTRK was hit by a cyber attack on Monday that disrupted its operations, the company confirmed in a statement to local news agencies. Recorded Future’s record

As deepfakes continue to advance with technology, there are concerns that they could become a “threat to democracy.”
ABC News
Sarah Richards
As technology advances, there are concerns that digitally manipulated content could influence the outcome of elections and threaten the way people perceive democracy.

Criminals hack phones using ‘dirtboxes’ in the backs of cars to create fake cell towers
The Australian
Jared Lynch
Criminals are preying on unsuspecting Australians using ‘fake cellular’ networks that cost just a few thousand dollars to steal personal data and sensitive information, cyber security experts have warned.

Australians targeted in cryptocurrency scams by overseas call centers because they are ‘easy prey’, says former employee
ABC News
Nadia Dali
A former call center worker in Ukraine claims Australians are being targeted in scams because they are perceived as wealthy and gullible. The perception that Australians are “easy prey” is one of the biggest hurdles in tackling the spread of scams, an expert has said.

Meet the hip new affordable toy that wants to kill you
The Mandarin
Julian Bajkowski
The military is pulling its hair out over what to do with cheap electronic and remote-controlled toys that can be deployed to deliver military-equivalent effects that evade conventional detection. You know: infrared detection is used to detect rocket-propelled grenades or mortars.

China claims a breakthrough in silicon photonics that could overcome a technical hurdle
South China morning mail
Xinmei Shen
A state-funded semiconductor laboratory in China said it has achieved a “milestone” in the development of silicon photonics that could help the country overcome current technical barriers in chip design and achieve self-sufficiency amid US sanctions.

China is advocating the use of local AI chips over those from US powerhouse Nvidia
South China morning mail
Che Pan
Chinese authorities have informally advised local companies to use domestic artificial intelligence chips instead of Nvidia’s, according to two sources familiar with the matter, as alternative suppliers on the mainland try to catch up with the US tech giant.

American eavesdropping systems targeted by China-linked hack
The Wall Street Journal
Sarah Krouse, Dustin Volz, Aruna Viswanatha and Robert McMillan
A Chinese government-linked cyberattack compromised the networks of many U.S. broadband providers and potentially accessed information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorized network tapping requests.

Helene’s response hampered by misinformation and conspiracy theories
The Washington Post
Maxine Joselow, Will Oremus, Gerrit De Vynck and Mark Berman
False claims are adding to the chaos and confusion in many storm-ravaged communities. Social media platforms like X have allowed the untruths to spread.

Instagram is helping Brazilians avoid a national ban on vape sales
Rest of the world
Pedro Nakamura
As Brazilian law conflicts with Meta’s policies, illegal vapes flood social media and the streets. Meta’s policy allows stores to buy, sell, trade, gift or solicit e-cigarettes on its platforms, which violates Brazil’s ban on e-cigarette marketing.

Japan aims for homegrown ‘unbreakable’ quantum encryption by 2030
Nikkei Asia
Kiu Sugano
The Japanese government will support the development of quantum encryption technology by 2030, potentially enlisting partners including Toshiba and NEC in an effort to defend against the next generation of cyber attacks, Nikkei has learned.

Japan is considering a wind farm off the coast of Hokkaido to power the technology industry
Nikkei Asia
Daishi Chiba
Electricity demand on the country’s northernmost main island is expected to increase after Japanese chipmaker Rapidus broke ground on a state-of-the-art factory there and made plans for a SoftBank data center. Because sending more power from the main island of Honshu would be expensive, there is an urgent need to expand locally produced renewable energy.

Telegram app hosts ‘underground markets’ for Southeast Asian crime gangs, UN says
Reuters
Poppy Mcpherson and Tom Wilson
Powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia are making extensive use of the messaging app Telegram, which has enabled a fundamental change in the way organized crime can carry out large-scale illegal activities, the United Nations said in a report on Monday.

• Scammers from Southeast Asia will steal up to $37 billion in 2023, the UN says
  Bloomberg
  Filip Heijmans
  Illegal cyber activity has surged since the pandemic, with countries in the Mekong region – Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos – becoming a hotbed for crime syndicates to set up operations that carry out investment schemes for romance, crypto fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling .

One of the biggest AI boomtowns is emerging in a depressed area of ​​the tech industry
The Wall Street Journal
Stu Woo
Nowhere else on Earth has its physical form been changed so quickly by artificial intelligence as the Malaysian state of Johor. Three years ago, this region was a backwater for the technology industry next to Singapore.

NZ officials remain silent on questions about Temu and cyber security
RNZ
Phil Pennington
The country’s cyber watchdog has declined to weigh in on whether popular Chinese online shopping site Temu could pose a threat.

Operation Russian state media company disrupted by ‘unprecedented’ cyber attack
Recorded Future’s record
Darina Antoniuk
Russian state television and radio channel VGTRK was hit by a cyber attack on Monday that disrupted its operations, the company confirmed in a statement to local news agencies.

• Megahack shuts down Putin’s online state media
  POLITICS
  Csongor Körömi
  Ukraine-linked hackers have hit Russian state broadcaster VGTRK in an “unprecedented” attack, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said on Monday. In the early morning hours, all of the company’s online broadcasting and internal services stopped working, including the streaming services of prominent TV and radio channels such as Russia-1 and Russia-24.

Dutch police blame ‘state actor’ for recent data breach
Recorded Future’s record
Darina Antoniuk
The Dutch national police have deemed it “highly likely” that a state-sponsored threat actor was behind a massive data breach discovered last week. During the attack, unidentified hackers stole “work-related contact information,” including names, email addresses, phone numbers and private information of some of the agency’s 65,000 agents.

The British government hires TikTok’s communications chief
POLITICS
Noah Keate
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has brought in a senior communications expert from tech giant TikTok as he tries to restart his struggling Downing Street operation. James Lyons’ appointment may raise eyebrows as TikTok is banned on UK government phones.

Google must open Android to third-party stores, Epic judge rules
The edge
Sean Hollister
Google’s Android App Store is an illegal monopoly – and now that has to change. Google should give competing third-party app stores access to the entire catalog of Google Play apps and distribute third-party stores.

Judge greenlights FTC’s antitrust case against Amazon
The edge
Lauren Feiner
A federal judge gave the Federal Trade Commission the green light to pursue antitrust claims against Amazon, a new public order shows, although some claims won’t move forward under state law.

Huawei will roll out a homegrown mobile operating system to challenge Apple’s iOS and Android
South China morning mail
Xinmei Shen
Huawei Technologies will debut its highly anticipated mobile operating system HarmonyOS Next on Tuesday, touting it as an alternative to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, as the telecommunications equipment giant brings together domestic tech companies to build a Chinese mobile ecosystem amid US sanctions . .

TSD Summit Sessions: Cybersecurity and Tech Diplomacy with Jennifer Bachus
ASPI
ASPI’s Bart Hogeveen speaks with Jennifer about cybersecurity and technology diplomacy, and how the US government is working to improve cyber resilience at home and supporting partners worldwide to do the same.

AI & elections: are democracies ready?
POLITICS
This POLITICO event will bring together international policymakers, regulators and thought leaders who will take stock of the blockbuster election year and explore how AI can tip the scales during democratic processes and the lessons learned for future processes. Join POLITICO’s journalists on how the election could play out and what impact it will have on the EU’s political landscape on Monday, October 14.

Main Events
ASPI
ASPI has an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated events professional to strengthen the organization as Head of Events. Lead a small, dedicated, close-knit team to deliver a program of internationally renowned events on a variety of topics ranging from defense and national security to critical technologies and space. The closing date for applications is October 18, 2024.

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The Daily Cyber ​​& Tech Digest is brought to you by ASPI’s Cyber, Technology & Security team.