Month: September 2024

Safeguarding Secrets From Quantum Spying

Posted on by esimantiras

Safeguarding Secrets From Quantum Spying

source: axios.com (contributed by FAN, Bill Amshey)  |  image: pexels.com

 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released its highly anticipated standards for protecting encrypted data from future quantum technologies.

Why it matters: China and other foreign foes are likely already collecting encrypted U.S. secrets with the hopes of breaking into them once quantum computing technology catches up.

What’s happening: NIST this week formally approved three post-quantum cryptography standards, marking an important first step in protecting government and critical services from encryption-breaking quantum.

  • IBM researchers developed two of the three standards in collaboration with industry and academic partners.
  • The third standard was developed by a researcher who has since joined IBM.
  • Apple, Meta, Google and some other companies are already implementing these standards.

What’s next: These standards will serve as a blueprint for governments and private-sector organizations around the world.

Go deeper.

U.S. Not Ready for Global War

Posted on by esimantiras

U.S. Not Ready for Global War

source: axios.com (contributed by FAN, Bill Amshey) | image: pexels.com

The United States — its citizens, industry, decision-makers and military — is unprepared for a war that could kick off with Russia and China and later engulf the world, Axios’ Colin Demarest writes from a new study.

Why it matters: The Commission on the National Defense Strategy, a congressionally mandated group with members handpicked by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, isn’t known for hyperbole.

  • Its conclusion — that the U.S. “has not kept pace with a worsening situation” — should be a wakeup call.

Here are some of the top-line issues the commission laid out in a 100-plus-page document published this week:

  1. 🇨🇳 China has “largely negated the U.S. military advantage” in the Western Pacific after 20 years of investment.
  2. 🇷🇺 The Pentagon’s portrayal of Russia as an “acute threat” undersells the “ongoing and persistent” nature of the hazards it poses, especially in space and cyber.
  3. 🏭 Stateside production capacity is “grossly inadequate” — meaning a “World War II–style industrial mobilization” is off the table.

 

 

How Telegram Became a Destination for Criminals

Posted on by esimantiras

How Telegram Became a Destination for Criminals

source: axios.com (contributed by FAN, Bill Amshey)  |  image: pexels.com

 

Telegram has long been a hotbed for cybercriminal gangs boasting about their attacks and looking to recruit new members.

Why it matters: Billionaire Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest over the weekend has put a spotlight on what policies Telegram does — and doesn’t — have to deter cybercriminals and extremist groups who use its platform.

The big picture: Telegram’s relaxed content moderation policies and encrypted service offerings have made it an attractive destination for cybercriminals, terrorism organizations and drug dealers.

  • Terrorist organizations, including ISIS, have used Telegram to publicly claim responsibility for attacks.
  • Politically motivated hackers — including those tied to the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war — also post about their crimes in public Telegram forums.

Experts say Telegram has unique features that — taken in combination — hackers have been able to abuse in an effort to hide their activities.

  • Secret Chats allows users to turn on end-to-end encryption.
  • That means Telegram has no way of seeing what’s discussed in Secret Chat conversations. Users also can’t forward these messages, which can self-destruct — making it even harder for third parties to intercept their contents.
  • Apple Messages and WhatsApp messages are also encrypted by default, but neither allows users to sign up with a virtual phone number.
  • Telegram accounts don’t need to be linked to a SIM card, Taisiia Garkava, an intelligence analyst at Intel 471, told Axios.

Continue reading “How Telegram Became a Destination for Criminals” →

Deploying Deepfake Detection

Posted on by esimantiras

Deploying Deepfake Detection

source: cnet.com  |  image: pexels.com

 

Deepfake video, photo and audio programs have benefited from the same AI boost as other software programs, which is … worrisome, to say the least. But security software company McAfee is hoping AI can play a role in solving the problem. The company unveiled the McAfee Deepfake Detector this week, and folks with Lenovo’s new Copilot-Plus PCs will be the first to get the chance to try out the tool. It scans audio in videos you come across online to alert you to potential deepfakes, but it won’t work if the sound is off. It also can’t determine if photos are deepfakes.

I don’t mind admitting that deepfakes are one of the consequences of AI that keep me up at night. We’ve seen a lot of AI-generated content used for jokes and memes — remember that one of the pope in a puffy white coat? — but it can also be used maliciously, such as to spread political disinformation. So, for my two cents, any effort to take a closer look at questionable material online is a good one.