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Global Cyber Bi-Weekly Report by INSS September 1, 2017

ISRAEL

Israel Police commissioner declares launch of cybercrime unit to combat pedophilia

Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh declared the launch of a cybercrime unit against pedophilia: “The police will be everywhere youth are found—Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat.” Alsheikh also revealed that tens of thousands of Israelis downloaded pedophilic content to their computers.



Special project for talented Israeli girls to learn cyber

Approximately 100 girls from all around Israel participated in a special summer camp intended to train them in cyberspace. Over the past several years, the IDF has needed more and more cyber experts. As a result, it established special projects to locate and train talented teens. One such project, known as Cyber Girlz, trains a group of girls between the ages of fifteen to sixteen to become cyber experts. The IDF hopes that more girls will be recruited to the technological sector.



UNITED STATES

Trump elevates Cyber Command status to boost cyber defense

President Donald Trump said he was elevating the status of the Pentagon’s US Cyber Command to help spur development of cyber weapons to deter attacks and punish intruders. In a statement, Trump said the unit would be ranked at the level of Unified Combatant Command focused on cyberspace operations. The US Cyber Command had been subordinate to the US Strategic Command, which is also responsible for military space operations, nuclear weapons, and missile defense. Once elevated, the Cyber Command would have the same status as US Strategic Command and eight other unified commands that control US military forces and are composed of personnel from multiple branches of the armed services. The elevation of the US Cyber Command reflects a push to strengthen American capabilities to interfere with the military programs of adversaries such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and the Islamic State’s ability to recruit, inspire, and direct attacks, according to three US intelligence officials.



Chinese national arrested in Los Angeles on US hacking charge

US authorities on Thursday accused a Chinese national visiting the United States of providing malware that has been linked to the theft of security clearance records of millions of American government employees. Yu Pyongan of Shanghai was arrested on Monday at Los Angeles airport after a federal criminal complaint had been lodged, accusing him of conspiring with others and wielding malicious software known as Sakula, a Justice Department spokesman said. The complaint said the group attacked a series of unnamed US companies using Sakula, the same rare program involved in the hacks of US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which were detected in 2014 and 2015. The complaint filed did not mention the OPM hacks.



US Navy collisions stoke cyber threat concerns

The Pentagon will not yet say how the USS John S. McCain was rammed by an oil tanker near Singapore, but red flags are flying as the Navy’s decades-old reliance on electronic guidance systems increasing appears to be a target of another cyberattack. “There’s something more than just human error going on because there would have been a lot of humans to be checks and balances,” said Stutzman, a former information warfare specialist in the Navy.



EUROPE

Holidaymakers told to protect phones and laptops after hotel cyberattacks in Europe

Holidaymakers are being warned to protect their mobile phones and laptops after a string of cyberattacks in hotels across Europe. UK intelligence organization GCHQ has told tourists to secure their smartphones and computers while traveling abroad this summer and avoid “insecure” Wifi networks. This statement follows claims of at least seven European countries that saw hotels targeted by Russian hackers, according to a report by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Center.



Estonia ranks highest in Europe in cybersecurity

Estonia ranks highest in Europe and fifth in the world in cybersecurity, according to the 2017 cybersecurity index, compiled by the International Telecommunication Union. “Estonia enhanced its cybersecurity commitment after a 2007 attack. This included the introduction of an organizational structure that can respond quickly to attacks as well as a legal act that requires all vital services to maintain a minimal level of cooperation if they are cut off from the internet. The country also hosts the headquarters of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence,” the report said. In Europe, Estonia is followed by France, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. On the global level, the leader in cybersecurity is Singapore, followed by the United States, Malaysia, Oman, and Estonia.



RUSSIA

IT attacks and hacking in Russia are on the rise

Russian Attorney General Yuri Chaika said that the number of IT-related crimes in Russia since 2013 has grown significantly. The number of crimes committed using modern information and communication technologies has increased six-fold (from eleven thousand to 66 thousand) from 2013 to 2016, according to Chaika.



​Russia tested new types of communication in the combat conditions of Syria

Russian troops in Syria have tried a new way of organizing classified communication, using networks of telecommunication operators of foreign countries, said Lieutenant General Khalil Arslanov, head of the Main Communications Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces.



Putin tightens cybersecurity of his apparatus

President Putin released a draft of his new presidential decree. According to the document, the FSO (the Russian Federal Protective Service—the equivalent of the US Secret Services) will receive new powers, allowing it to participate in state policy on information security. The service will participate in “cyber confrontation activities” and will oversee the work of the “state system’s main departmental of detection, prevention and elimination of consequences of computer attacks on information resources of the Russian Federation, which are under the jurisdiction of the FSO.” One of the main tasks of the service will be to protect the personal data of state security objects (Russian government officials) and their family members. This decree might be considered as a “game changer” in the Russian regime’s cyber security policy and measures.



MIDDLE EAST

Turkey detains five people involved in Qatar News Agency hacking

Five people have been detained by the Turkish authorities for their connection to the hacking of the official Qatar News Agency last May. As part of the cooperation between Qatar and Turkey in combating cybercrime, the Turkish authorities were able to detain five cyber criminals that were involved and began investigating the hacking event that was attributed to the United Arab Emirates and possibly Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt, which recently cut diplomatic links with Qatar.



Danish Foreign minister admits to selling mass-surveillance technology to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates despite human rights concerns

Denmark's foreign minister has publicly commented for the first time about a report on government approval for the sale of surveillance technology to Arab regimes, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He claimed that his government agreed to the export of controversial surveillance systems to authoritarian Arab governments as it could help in the fight against terror organizations such as the Islamic State group. Although the Danish government claimed it had considered the human right implications when exporting such technology to repressive Arab regimes, it admitted this was just one part in the overall assessment of the issue.



New York regulator may fine Pakistan's Habib Bank up to $630 million for money laundering and payments to cybercriminals

New York State’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) is seeking to fine Pakistan’s Habib Bank Ltd. up to $630 million for money laundering and sanctions-compliance failures at its only US Branch. The DFS investigation has uncovered payments totaling more than $27,000 sent to an account at the bank’s head office associated with an individual wanted by the FBI for cybercrimes. New York’s anti-money laundering regulations were imposed in 2015, and the DFS has since pursued several aggressive enforcement actions against foreign banks for lapses in anti-money laundering control over the past two years.



CHINA and APAC

Second India-Japan Cyber Dialogue, New Delhi

On August 17, many distinguished members of the governments of both India and Japan gathered for the second India-Japan Cyber Dialogue, held in New Delhi. The aim of the event was for both sides to reaffirm their commitment to a cyberspace that enables economic growth and innovation. This commitment ensures that both countries abide by international law and do not support any country that engages in theft of intellectual property in cyberspace, which jeopardizes the competitive advantage of national enterprises. The strategies to strengthen bilateral cooperation, such as through the ARF Intersessional Meeting on Security of and in the Use of Information and Communication Technologies, which was established earlier this month, were some of the topics discussed.



Singapore financial sector conducts terror and cyberattack simulation to test business continuity

On August 24, the Association of Banks in Singapore launched a simulated cyberattack, using the code-name Exercise Raffles, to help institutions practice crisis management and implement contingency plans in response to potential scenarios of terrorist attacks and cyberattacks. This valuable exercise provided an opportunity to practice coordination among the financial institutions, including in crisis response and sharing of information. This exercise involved the communication and coordination between 139 financial institutions and government authorities, and it emphasized the importance for the general insurance industry to collaborate in sharing information, undertake active discussions, and test threat response and business continuity plans.



Aadhaar is here to stay, cyber experts say

The Supreme Court of India ruled that the right to privacy was a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian constitution. This ruling referred to the Aadhaar project, which intended to offer the citizens some control over their personal data. However, many experts argue that the “reasonable restriction” clause stated in the article might dilute the impact of the ruling. Also, it was not clear by the ruling whether linking Aadhaar to the financial transaction was an infringement of privacy.



China tech groups to demand ID verification for online posts

The Chinese government has made it obligatory for tech companies to keep a record of the identity of people who make comments online, saying that some of the comments use rumors, filthy language, and illegal messages that damage the online environment. Last month, tech company censors tried to end a long-running joke that compared President Xi Jinping with Winnie the Pooh, by banning the mention of the fictional bear on social media. Previously, the Chinese Cyber Space Regulators had asked internet service providers to authenticate the users’ identity and to investigate compliance with the law.



China pumping millions into developing “cyber army with world-famous web security schools”

The Cyberspace Administration of China and China’s education minister announced plans to build institutions for cybersecurity studies in the next ten years as part of its drive on becoming a leading power in cyberspace. President Xi Jinping asserted the need to invest in the best resources to build world-renowned institutions in cybersecurity and selected four to six universities that would receive government resources to implement this interdisciplinary program. The president also said that China should uphold its sovereignty in cyberspace and thereby increase its rule-making power. However, critics argue that the government’s main intention to launch this program is to build a national cyber army.



AFRICA

Kenya’s Central Bank gives ultimatum to banks on cybersecurity plans

The Central Bank of Kenya issued an ultimatum to Kenyan banks to table their cybersecurity policies by November 30. The banks should present their strategies, policies, procedures, and related activities aimed at mitigating cyber risks, subsequently creating a safer and more secure cyberspace that underpins information system security priorities and promotes stability of the Kenyan banking sector. According to the “African Cyber Security Report 2016,” Kenya is hit with cybercrime more than any other country in East Africa, with Kenya having lost $171 million to cybercriminals last year, followed by Tanzania, which lost $85 million, while Uganda lost $35 million.



Cybercrime cannot continue thriving in Nigeria

Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu said the menace of cybercrimes cannot be allowed to thrive in Nigeria. Shittu, who lamented the spate of cybercrimes rocking the nations, said the global village is becoming increasingly insecure. Shittu spoke at the Nigeria ICT Impact CEO Forum 2017, organized by ICT Watch Network, which had the theme “Broadband Access: The Challenges of Cybersecurity Threat and Effect of Social Media.” He stated, “It is not only germane but comes at a time when there is a global concern about the security of technology and cyber infrastructure. The growing broadband penetration in the nation has brought about an even greater participation by citizens, businesses, and governments in cyber activities such as e-commerce, social media and connectivity on most of our daily things. As we increasingly depend on technology and the cyberspace for our daily businesses, it gets more and more insecure. It goes without saying that cybersecurity has become a top national concern for most governments around the world. This has been due to the unprecedented rise in the number of cyberattacks and campaigns recorded globally with North Korea being one of the topmost instigators of the cyber warfare.” Shittu added that “the federal government has estimated an annual loss of over N 127 billion to cybercrime activities” in the nation, and continued saying that “Cybersecurity is more than a challenge for government as it poses a huge obstacle to our digital transformation and digital Nigeria agenda in social and economy desired for the country.”




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