This report was prepared by The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and The Cyber Security Forum Initiative (CSFI) to create better cyber situational awareness (Cyber SA) of the nature and scope of threats and hazards to national security worldwide in the domains of cyberspace and open source intelligence. It is provided to Federal, State, Local, Tribal, Territorial and private sector officials to aid in the identification and development of appropriate actions, priorities, and follow-up measures.
USA
United States and Australia strengthening cyber cooperation
A few days ago, the United States and Australia announced
they will strengthen their cooperation on cyber-security issues.
According to the White House, it will be an “alliance for the future.”
The White House declared: “The United States and Australia
are also working to strengthen cooperation on space and cyber issues,
including cyber defence and cyber security incident response.”
It is not their first cooperation, as the US,
UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (which form the “Five Eyes
Alliance”) have an international agreement of cooperation in signals intelligence.
Additionally, President Barak Obama and the Canadian Prime
Minister Abbott met at the White House in order to talk about this new
collaboration, in terms cyber-defence. The cyber cooperation intends to
strengthen the United States cyber security more so than ever,
especially considering that the US is constantly targeted by foreign
cyber spying operations.
Israel
Israel as a cyber-security superpower
Brig. Gen. Eitan Eshal, Head of Research and Development at
Mapat in the Defense Ministry, warned against the dangers of the
growing dependence on cyberspace in daily life. “Every year we expose
ourselves more and more to cyber-attacks. All of this creates a
situation where everything is connected with everything, and cyberspace
becomes a dimension of warfare.”
This reality creates new challenges to cyber security. The
old cyber defense tools are not enough “to deal with the new situation,
security systems go in the direction of intelligence driven security.”
Eshal also spoke about the growth of the Israeli cyber industry: “We
have a tight cooperation with the industry. When we started we worked
with 4 companies; today we are working with more than 30.”
Eshal’s words correspond with those of the Minister of
Science, Technology and Space, Yaakov Peri, who stated in the next two
years his office and the Israel National Cyber Bureau will be investing
millions of shekels in cyber security “turning Israel to a leading
superpower in that field.
Russia
Russian hacker accused by US for cyber money laundering
US authorities accused Russian hacker Evgeny Bogachev in
absentia of major computer fraud, money laundering, and stealing
millions of dollars from accounts of US citizens. American authorities
announced Bogachev, also known to the US cyber security community under
the nickname “Lucky12345” and “slavik,” was among the group of hackers
who attacked about a million computers in the United States.
As the representative of US Department of Justice stated at
a press conference, Bogachyov created a bot-net (a network of infected
computers) called Gameover Zeus, which since 2007 has been used to steal
personal and financial data. US law enforcement authorities have
requested assistance from Russia in search and arrest of Bogachyov.
Currently in the US, there is a trial of another Russian
hacker – Alexander Panin, accused of creating the malware SpyEye,
affecting about 1.5 million computers worldwide.
Middle East
Cyber crime second most common form of economic crime in the Middle East
According to a recent PwC 2014 global economic crime
survey, cybercrime is the second most common form of economic crime
reported in the Middle East, though it is the fourth most common form of
economic crime globally. The increase in digital applications and
Internet adoption also means more complex security threats.
According to the survey, an approximate amount lost due to
cybercrime in the Middle East may vary between $1 million and $100
million annually. The countries most affected by cybercrime of financial
services (between 2012 and 2013) included the UAE, Oman, and Lebanon.
Iraqi Communication Ministry blocked Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
As Iraq faces an inner conflict in the north, the country’s
Ministry of Communications has blocked access to a number of social
media sites. According to Cyber Arabs,
an organization based in Lebanon monitoring Internet freedom, confirmed
Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter were all blocked in Iraq.
Facebook and YouTube’s spokespersons mentioned they
received reports of limited access to Internet services. Both confirmed
there is no technical issue on their side and are checking into the
reports. Many Iraqis have now reported using the social media site
Whisper, which is an application allowing users to post anonymous posts
(similar in the functionality to Twitter, yet with no trace to the
original user).
China and APAC
China once again behind a cyber-espionage operation
According to an intelligence report published by
CrowdStrike, the Chinese hacker “Putter Panda,” a member of the PLA
Hacking Unit61486, is responsible for a range of cyber intelligence
operation against the US, UK, and French technology.
The report explained the hacker’s strategy included sending
emails from familiar addresses by sending fake invitations containing
malware, hoping users press on the links and unwittingly give hackers
access to their computer systems. The company said the goal of the
hacker was “obtaining intellectual property and industrial secrets
related to defense technology” with intent to “conduct space
surveillance, remote sensing, and interception of satellite
communications.”
Besides the American accusation, China still denies these
operations and is continuing its cyber espionage campaign to catch up in
terms of space and technology. China is targeting the US, UK, and
France because they are among the most advanced countries in the space
industry.
Vietnam concerned about cyber security
According to security reports by Microsoft, Symantec, and
local security company, BKAV, Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable
countries regarding cyber security. Seventy-eight percent of government
websites reported having poor security, forty percent of websites
contain security loopholes (compared to 15% in Europe and 5% in the
United States), and some fifty percent of computers infected with
malicious code (compared to 40% worldwide).
Last year three Vietnamese popular news sites were attacked
and paralyzed for three weeks, among over two thousand other sites that
have been attacked. In an attempt to improve security and increase the
number of cyber security experts, Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and
Communication and Vietnam’s Computer Emergency Response Center (VNCERT)
signed two Memorandums of Understanding with Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft will assist Vietnam to modernize IT facilities,
provide monthly security reports, help develop cloud computing, and
train Vietnamese cyber security experts. Additionally, Microsoft will
help coordinate computer emergency assistance and inspect security
breaches. The Vietnamese effort to improve security may improve its
stand against China, which is suspected of holding significant cyber
offensive capabilities.
Tension between China and other nations over South China
Sea rises lately, leading to clashes involving ramming of fishing boats
and water cannon fights between Vietnamese and Chinese vessels. Chinese
and Vietnamese hackers accompanied the maritime clashes with dozens of
website hijackings and denial of services on both sides. In today’s new
world of cyber warfare, Vietnam may face a new threat against whom it is
poorly prepared to fight.
Europe
UK: The Bank of England in war against cyber crime
The Bank of England is currently setting up a cyber
intelligence army including ethical hackers to fight against
cybercrimes. This decision was made last year after the Financial Policy
Committee decided to improve the security of the financial system
against cyber-attacks.
Andrew Gracie, the Bank’s Executive Director for
Resolution, explained CBEST is a framework including intelligence from
government agencies and security companies to evaluate risks to the
national financial system. Moreover, Gracie declared, “Unlike physical
attacks, which are likely to be localised, the impact of a successful
cyber-attack on the financial system as a whole is potentially more
serious from a financial stability point of view.”
The UK cyber security is in constant evolution, and the
cooperation between the government and private companies is becoming
stronger every day. England is one of the most advanced countries in
Europe for cooperation in the field of cyber security. Moreover, it is
also the most advanced country in terms of cyber technology development.
They have understood the importance of a close cooperation between
private and public sectors to ensure their national security.
France officially joining NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence
Since its return to the integrated military command of
NATO, France is increasingly more active in the Atlantic organization.
In fact, because of decisions taken last year by the French Ministry of
Defence in terms of cyber defense, it is as expected that France would
strengthen its international cyber cooperation. Just as the UK and Czech
Republic, France is officially joining the center of excellence
responsible for NATO cyber defense issues.
Greece and Turkey are also joining the alliance. Since
2013, France is engaged in a process of strengthening its national
security and placed cyber defense as a priority. The French Ministry of
Defense and the National Agency for Information Security Systems are
working closely to protect the French cyberspace. Beside its cyber
defense policy, France is developing offensive cyber capabilities to
counter eventual cyber-attacks.
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