Splunk pulls out of Russia
American analytics company Splunk has released a statement mentioning that it “will no longer be selling software and services to organizations in Russia – either directly or through partners*.” The firm did not really elaborate on the decision, mentioning only that it will “continue to evaluate our global investments […] to
Cyber blitzkrieg replaces cyber Pearl Harbor
Greg Austin, one of Australia’s top cyber strategists, believes that major cyber powers like the US, China and Russia have begun to think about cyberwar in a different way. While in the past the focus was on developing “policies, processes, and procedures for identifying and responding to a multi-sector cyber attack
India Proposes Chinese-Style Internet Censorship
India’s government has proposed new, sweeping rules that would enable strict government censorship of content. The public comment period on the rules has ended and the government could enact them at any time, worrying opposition candidates and free speech activists ahead of national elections scheduled for the spring. The rules
What the Pentagon’s new AI strategy means for cybersecurity
On February 12, the US Department of Defense (DoD) released its new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, which outlines plans for the integration of machine learning in the military’s defensive cyber operations. The strategy mentions that “in order to ensure DoD AI systems are safe, secure, and robust,” the pentagon “will fund
Ukrainian official: Hacking intensifies as election nears
The head of Ukraine’s cyber-police, Serhii Demediuk, is warning that increased Russian hacking efforts are targeting the upcoming presidential elections in the country. He predicts that attacks will continue to be launched before, on and after March 31, election day, in an attempt to disrupt the voting itself as well as the subsequent
Could Russia and Belarus trade oil for national sovereignty?
The Belarusian and Russian presidents have been locked in meetings over several days in recent months, prompting rumors that the two countries are exploring deals that could see Belarus fall under the control, directly or indirectly, of Russia. Relations between Russia and Belarus have remained closer than most former soviet
What Happens If Russia Cuts Itself Off From The Internet
Russia plans to test the independence of the country’s internet, known as Runet, by disconnecting it from the global Internet. The plan is the result of a new law that was proposed in the Russian parliament in December of last year. Under the law, Russian Internet service providers (ISPs) need to
Venezuela hopes to create non-dollar trading bloc
Venezuela is seeking to build a trade bloc that conducts transactions outside the U.S. dollar, allowing it to finalize oil sales beyond the reach of U.S. sanctions. China, Russia, and India are Venezuela’s prospects for the bloc. “We can all build one economy and that economy does not necessarily have
Climate Change Still Seen as the Top Global Threat, but Cyberattacks a Rising Concern
A new Pew Research Center survey conducted in 26 counties across the globe, highlights climate change, ISIS terrorism and cyberattacks as the biggest global threats. While respondents from 13 countries identified climate change as the biggest threat, ISIS was considered the main concern in 8 countries, including France, Italy, Russia, Indonesia
US Senators ask DHS to look into US government workers using foreign VPNs
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) have asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to investigate the potential risks of the use of foreign software for data redirection, such as VPN applications and data proxies, by US government personnel. They are worried that software providers based in countries