Archive for December, 2017
Vietnam army reveals 10,000-strong cyber warfare unit
Dec 26th
From: Financial Times
Communist party tackles ‘wrong views’ as growing numbers of citizens go online
John Reed in Bangkok
***
Lt Gen Nguyen, deputy head of the Vietnamese military’s political department, made the remarks at a conference on “propaganda activities” attended by Communist party officials.
“The Central Military Commission is very interested in building up a standing force to counter the wrong viewpoints,” he said, referring to the party’s branch in the military. He added that the military would work with internal security and other forces in Vietnam to build a specialised cyber warfare force.
Lithuanian government bans Kaspersky Lab in critical infrastructure
Dec 22nd
From: XinhuaNet
VILNIUS, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) — The Lithuanian government decided to ban Kaspersky Lab software in the state’s critical infrastructure and information resources on grounds of security threats, announced the Lithuanian defense ministry on Thursday.
The Baltic State’s government recognized in its sitting that Kaspersky Lab software poses potential threat to the national security. The cabinet also ordered managers of critical information infrastructure and state information resources to replace the software with “safe equivalents”, according to the Defense ministry’s announcement.
Security Cameras and Data Security Regulations
Dec 20th
From: Lexology
Yigal Arnon & Co |Israel
1. New Guidelines for Employers on Use of Surveillance Cameras.
The Privacy Protection Authority (the “PPA“), formerly known as the Israel Law, Information and Technology Authority or ILITA, has published new guidelines for employers regarding the use of surveillance cameras (the “Guidelines“). These guidelines supplement guidelines issued by the PPA in 2012 regarding use of surveillance cameras generally (see our legal update at http://www.arnon.co.il/files/e3b84790d602b8d3179de6a92b2be89a/34.%20Database%20Registrar%20 Directive%20-%20Surveillance%20Cameras_0.pdf)
Safety and Security Trump Administration To Hold North Korea Responsible For WannaCry
Dec 19th
From: PYMNTS
***
According to The Washington Post, the Trump administration will now be calling on “all responsible states” to counter North Korea’s ability to conduct cyberattacks and to implement all “relevant” United Nations Security Council sanctions.
Trump’s homeland security adviser, Tom Bossert, made the announcement in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on Monday evening.
From India to Australia via Gibraltar: Cryptocurrency Regulation Update From warm welcomes to high surveillance, cryptocurrency is attracting government attention everywhere.
Dec 11th
From: Finance Magnates
From warm welcomes to high surveillance, cryptocurrency is attracting government attention everywhere.
***
France
On Friday, the French government approved the use of blockchain technology by banks in an effort to improve its reputation as a center of financial innovation, according to a report from Reuters.
Specifically, companies are now allowed to trade unlisted securities with blockchain technology. “The use of this new technology will allow fintech firms and other financial actors to develop new ways of trading securities that are faster, cheaper, more transparent and safer,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in a statement.
Chinese Hacker Groups to Shift Focus to India in 2018: Cyber Security Firm
Dec 8th
From: News18.com
Enterprise cybersecurity company FireEye said unorganised ‘hacktivism’ attacks as a response to political tensions within and against India, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and other South-east Asian countries is expected to continue and possibly rise throughout the new year as China and neighbouring countries are still continuing political disputes in the Asia-Pacific region.
New Delhi: Chinese advanced persistent threat (APT) groups that have allegedly been creating cyber havoc internationally will shift their focus in 2018 to countries like India and Hong Kong and groups seen as a threat to Beijing’s influence over global markets, enterprise cybersecurity company FireEye said on Thursday.
This country’s hacking efforts have become too big to ignore
Dec 8th
From: CyberScoop
Chris Bing
While hackers linked to China, North Korea and Russia have dominated headlines over the past year, similar groups in Iran have caused significant damage while drawing far less attention.
Multiple cyber-espionage groups attributed to Iran became increasingly active over the last 12 months, as at least four entities with ties to the regime have broken into a wide array of organizations, according to private sector cybersecurity experts and three former U.S. intelligence officials with knowledge of regional activity.
Bangladesh Bank, NY Fed discuss suing Manila bank for heist damages
Dec 8th
From: Reuters
Krishna N. Das, Serajul Quadir
DHAKA (Reuters) – Bangladesh’s central bank has asked the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to join a lawsuit it plans to file against a Philippines bank for its role in one of the world’s biggest cyber-heists, several sources said.
The Fed is yet to respond formally, but there is no indication it would join the suit.
Why Saudi Arabia’s New Cyber Security Authority Will Need The Private Sector To Succeed
Dec 4th
From: Frontera
By Azhar Unwala
Saudi Arabia’s National Cyber Security Authority is a first step towards fulfilling the aims of Vision 2030. However, it cannot succeed without stronger public-private partnerships, better information sharing, and clear legal frameworks regarding data security and privacy.
Saudi Arabia recently announced the creation of a National Authority for Cyber Security. The Authority will be chaired by the Minister of State Musaed Al-Aiban. Also heading the Authority will be the Saudi President of State Security, Chairman of General Intelligence, Deputy Minister of Interior, and Assistant Minister of Defense. According to Minister Al-Aiban, the Authority aims to enhance the protection of networks, IT systems, and data through regulatory and operational tasks. The Authority will also seek to attract human resources in the cybersecurity field and build partnerships with the private sector.
FBI, DHS Warn of Hacker Mercenaries Funded by Nation-States
Dec 1st
From: Nextgov
By Joseph Marks
Lawmakers also are considering giving Homeland Security more authority to test anti-drone tech.
Lines between government-backed hackers and cyber criminals are getting fuzzier, top officials told lawmakers Thursday.
That’s one message the FBI wanted to send when it indicted two Russian intelligence officers and two criminal co-defendants for a major breach of the Yahoo email service in March, Director Christopher Wray said.