GLI USA E IL CHIPS ACT

FOCUS

August 2, 2022. Mark Muro, Brookings. The CHIPS and Science Act—the sprawling technology package Congress passed last week—has been called many things.  What started as the Endless Frontier Act became the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, then the COMPETES Act, the Bipartisan Innovation Act, CHIPS-Plus, and finally, the CHIPS and Science Act. Can the CHIPS Act heal the nation’s economic divides?

AROUND THE WORLD

Africa

• August 3, 2022. Andrew Mold and Aloysius Uche Ordu, Brookings. Andrew Mold, chief of regional integration for Eastern Africa at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, explores aspects of the continent’s economic integration agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), arguing that low estimates of intra-African trade can be misleading and exploring how the region’s individual regional economic communities will be central to the agreement’s implementation. The role of regional economic communities in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area

China

• August 1, 2022. Tan Chee Yun, Think China. In the sixth of a seven-part Lianhe Zaobao-Business Times series on China and ASEAN, we look at how brands from China are going international, particularly among Gen Z consumers in Southeast Asia. Once ‘the world’s factory’, China now builds global brands, Economy News

• August 3,  2022. Hongzhou Zhang, Genevieve Donnellon-May, East Asia Forum. Global fish stocks are facing a crisis, with nearly all classified as either fully exploited, overexploited or significantly depleted. China is the largest contributor to this problem as a world leader in both fishery exports and imports. It is simultaneously responsible for 15 per cent of the global total of caught fish and one-third of fish consumption worldwide. China’s efforts to reel in overfishing

Europe

• August 3, 2022. Oya Celasun, Dora Iakova and Ian Parry, IMF blog. Soaring energy prices have sharply increased living costs for Europeans. Since early last year, global oil prices doubled, coal prices nearly quadrupled and European natural gas prices increased almost seven-fold. With energy prices likely to remain above pre-crisis levels for some time, Europe must adapt to higher import bills for fossil fuels. How Europe Can Protect the Poor from Surging Energy Prices

India

• August 2, 2022. Xinyu Weng, Nadeem Karmali, World Bank blogs. Data-driven housing studies in the developed world have shown that regulations and geography have played a part in reducing the supply of housing in many cities. As a result, new housing construction has been muted by these factors, despite house price appreciation. In turn, some policymakers are exploring adjustments to housing density regulations to increase housing supply.  Housing demand in urban India: Through the (kitchen) roof

Japan

• August 3, 2022. Sae Shimauchi, East Asia Forum. In Japan, funding for education is largely considered the responsibility of the family. This viewpoint was established by the revision of the Fundamental Law of Education during the Abe administration. But the problems facing Japanese society have become too large to leave higher education to the pocketbooks of families. Equally accessible tertiary education in Japan still faces obstacles

Japan – Indo Pacific

• August 2, 2022. Mason Richey, Michael Reiterer, East Asia Forum. As a major regional power and key US ally, Japan has a special role in influencing security and economic outcomes in the Indo-Pacific region. To begin with, Japan’s position relies on Tokyo’s alliance with Washington, which stations 50,000 soldiers on Japanese territory and provides the archipelago with extended nuclear deterrence. The United States is also Japan’s second-largest trade partner and a partner in democratic values. Japan’s ability to promote a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’ depends on the growth and adaptation of this alliance, as well as on cooperation with other partners.  Answering the bell — Japan’s Indo-Pacific leadership aspirations

Russia

• August 2, 2022. Paul Globe, The Jamestown Foundation. Since 1991, when the Soviet Union disintegrated and Kaliningrad became an exclave separated from the Russian Federation by Poland and Lithuania, Moscow has been worried about two aspects: transportation links between Kaliningrad and Russia proper and changes in the Kaliningrad population’s attitudes because of their neighbors’ actions—which are leaving the populace less like their nominally Russian ethnic counterparts and potentially less loyal. The first has almost always attracted more attention, most recently when Lithuania imposed, and then lifted, a ban on the movement of EU sanctioned goods between Russia and Kaliningrad and when a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercise suggested that the West might seize Kaliningrad in a time of war (see EDM, October 12, 2021, March 10). The second angle is at least as worrisome as the first, if less obvious, because it may represent a more serious long-term challenge to the Kremlin’s control in Kaliningrad and its ability to maintain the Russian nation’s unity more generally against regionalist sentiments. Moscow Fears ‘De-Russianization’ of Kaliningrad and Steps Up to Block It

Russia – Turkey

• August 3, 2022. Ian Hill, The Interpreter. Ahead of this week’s meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Sochi, it’s worth trying to make sense of the important yet complex – and occasionally baffling – relationship between Russia and Turkey. The key to understanding this lies in their intertwined interests and aspirations in Eurasia.  Russia and Turkey: Sometimes strongmen need to get along

Russia – Ukraine (on the ground – impact)

• August 2, 2022. Richard Arnold, The Jamestown Foundation. One of the seemingly forgotten but oft-victimized casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian war has been the Ahiska Turk minority residing in Ukraine and Russia alike. The Ahiskas, also known as Meskhetians, are one of the most persecuted minorities in history and were deported en masse by Joseph Stalin in 1944 from present-day Georgia to Uzbekistan. In 1989, they were the victims of pogroms from Uzbek nationalists and relocated throughout the Soviet Union. While in many regions of Russia their stay was tolerable, in southern Krasnodar Krai, the Ahiskas were denied residency rights (and thus access to social services) as well as being subject to periodic violence from Cossack militias (Richard Arnold, Russian Nationalism and Ethnic Violence: Symbolic Violence, Lynching, Pogrom, and Massacre, 2016). The persecution led, once again, to a deportation, this time to the United States under a 2004–2006 visa waiver program initiated by the US Department of State. One of the Ahiskas’ new homes became the city of Dayton, Ohio, where an Ahiska Turk cultural center now serves some 10,000 Ahiska refugees. And the war in Ukraine looks set to increase that number greatly. Caught in Conflict: Ahiska Turks and the Russo-Ukrainian War

• August 2, 2022. Olevs Nikers, The Jamestown Foundation. Focused on substantial reinforcement of self-defense capabilities while the regional security situation deteriorates due to Russia’s re-invasion of Ukraine, Latvia is considering reinstating a  policy of compulsory military service, which is officially supported by the governing political parties (Lsm.lv, July 13). Compulsory military service already exists in the other two Baltic states, Estonia and Lithuania. Estonia has continued to maintain compulsory conscription even while developing a professional army. Latvia Contemplates Conscription in Face of Russian Aggression

• August 2, 2022. Kateryna Stepanenko, Layne Philipson, Katherine Lawlor, Karolina Hird, and Frederick W. Kagan, ISW. Russian forces have likely decided to attack Avdiivka frontally from occupied Donetsk Oblast territory rather than waiting for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from their prepared defensive positions as a result of Russian envelopment operations northeast of the settlement.The Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and Kremlin-sponsored sources have published videos suggesting that Russian forces pushed Ukrainian forces out of their positions around the Butivka Coal Mine ventilation shaft southwest of Avdiivka. Ukrainian forces have held positions around the Butivka Coal Mine ventilation shaft since 2015 and have described the location as the closest Ukrainian position to Donetsk City and a key defensive outpost for Avdiivka. Russian forces have likely captured the Ukrainian position, given the Ukrainian General Staff‘s vague reports of ”partially” successful Russian advances in the area. Russian forces are also continuing assaults on Pisky, west of Avdiivka, and will likely attempt to seize the E50 highway connecting the two settlements. Russian forces had previously attempted to break through Avdiivka’s northeastern outskirts but have not made significant progress in months. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 2

• August 2, 2022. Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, Brookings. The war in Ukraine is often described by Western analysts as a turning point in international relations that has upended the post-Cold War international order. In the Global South, the war is equally historic, reinvigorating foreign policy autonomy and non-alignment as geopolitical tensions rise between the West and Russia (and China). How do Global South politics of non-alignment and solidarity explain South Africa’s position on Ukraine?

USA

• August 2, 2022. Shibley Telhami, Brookings. Previous polls have shown a wide gap between Democratic Party constituents, on the one hand, and the positions of elected congressional Democrats and the Biden administration, on the other, regarding U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As our new University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll shows, this includes a split on the question of boycotting Israel. But is the public aware of the gap? And does it matter for electoral politics? New polls: Democrats say Biden and members of Congress lean toward Israel more than they do

USA – Israel – Middle East

• August 2, 2022. Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, JCPA. With the fading of the festival fanfare of President Biden’s visit, it can be said that even if the potential for a strategic change in the region was only partially realized, the potential nevertheless exists. The question now is to what extent the changes in the American attitude toward the region will lead to changes in the regional reality. Does Biden’s Israel Visit Signal New U.S. Resolve in the Middle East?

TOPICS

Climate Change & Sustainability

• August 2, 2022. Think China. Erik Baark points out some of the peculiarities of China’s emissions trading system (ETS) with Chinese characteristics on its one-year anniversary. Going forward, will the Chinese ETS gradually morph into an ETS in the likes of the EU ETS as it works towards meeting its dual carbon ambitions? A happy birthday to China’s national emissions trading scheme, Economy News

• July 29, 2022. Caixin Global, Think China. Data centres have become a thriving sector in the Asia Pacific, with global companies setting up infrastructure in hotspots such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney. Compared with traditional real estate assets, data centres promise higher returns on investment. However, developers will need to contend with rising energy costs and stricter regulations for greener developments. From Singapore to China, data centre investments thriving amid challenges , Economy News

• August 2, 2022. Michaël Aklin and Johannes Urpelainen, Brookings. Officials in the United States and around the world are launching new “just transition” initiatives at an unprecedented pace, creating policies and programs to help workers impacted by the clean energy transition. Several U.S. state leaders are included among those that have recently undertaken just transition initiatives, including Colorado and New Mexico. Enable a just transition for American fossil fuel workers through federal action

Counter terrorism – Defense – Intelligence – Military – Security – Space

• August 3, 2022. Robert Chesney, Lawfare. Early in the morning on Sunday this past weekend, Ayman al-Zawahiri stepped out onto a balcony of a home in Kabul. It was something he’d done many times before without apparent incident, but this time would be his last. U.S. personnel had identified him, and had a drone in place to take the shot. A manhunt that began immediately after 9/11 and lasted nearly 21 years was over at last. On the Legality of the Strike that Killed Anwar al-Zawahiri

• August 3, 2022. Aaron Mehta, Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense. The Senate Appropriations Committee has joined a congressional chorus of concern over how the Pentagon is using a new acquisition authority designed to speed up procurement of cutting edge technologies. Citing routine cost jumps, Senate appropriators add to Middle Tier authority concerns

• August 3, 2022. Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One. Docked by the sunken wreckage of a 1909 dreadnought, two unusual vessels are helping the U.S. Navy navigate its way toward its future. The unmanned Nomad and Ranger, which resemble seagoing flatbed trucks loaded with conex containers, represented the debut of uncrewed surface vessels at the giant biannual Rim of the Pacific exercise. Robot Ships Debut at RIMPAC, Helping US Navy Sail Toward a Less-Crewed Future

• August 3, 2022. Naval News. L3Harris Technologies, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, demonstrates how unmanned surface vehicle technologies can provide critical support for traditional maritime forces during the 2022 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC 2022) – the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. The demonstration is being held June 29 through August 4, 2022, off the coast of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. L3Harris and US Navy Demonstrates AUSV Capabilities at RIMPAC 2022

• August 3, 2022. Benjamin Felton, Naval News. The Kongsberg-Thales “StrikeMaster” is still the only confirmed competitor for the Australian Army’s land-based anti-ship missile project, Project Land 4100 Phase 2. Several potential competitors with a significant presence in the Australian market, contacted for comment by Naval News, declined to confirm if they will submit bids for the effort.  Is NSM a shoo-in for Australia’s Land Based Anti-Ship Missile?

• August 2, 2022. Meir Elran, Asa Kasher, INSS. “The Spirt of the IDF,” the IDF ethical code formulated twenty years ago, was updated recently with a new fundamental value: “stateliness” (mamlachtiyut, in Hebrew). What did Chief of Staff Kochavi intend with his addition of the term, and how can this value be best instilled among IDF soldiers and the general public? Stateliness, IDF style

• August 2, 2022. Shimon Stein, Ephraim Asculai, INSS. The 10th Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference is underway in New York, against the background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in itself a gross violation of the treaty; Putin’s threat to resort to nuclear weapons; the deadlock in negotiations with Iran; and more. In these difficult circumstances, the participants will hopefully be able at the very least to issue a joint statement affirming the norms underlying the NPT. The Tenth NPT Review Conference: In the Shadow of Russian Aggression in Ukraine

• July 29, 2022. Shin Kawashima, Think China. Japanese academic Shin Kawashima notes that concerns about Japan’s possible increased militarism amid constitutional revision may be misplaced. The debate in Japan is focused on making Japan’s Self-Defence Forces constitutional, and not so much altering Article 9 itself. If countries are concerned about Japan’s security moves, they should really be looking out for changes in documents such as the revised National Security Strategy to be launched at the end of the year. Japanese academic: Misunderstandings surrounding Japan’s constitutional revision, Politics News

• August 3, 2022. James Goldrick, The Strategist. Australia’s recent change of government provides a useful opportunity to reflect on the problems of the South China Sea and the way ahead for our national policies. In a sense, the clear continuity between the approach of the last government and, so far, that of Labor confirms the need to consider matters both in their wider strategic context and for the long term. As a strategic problem, the South China Sea isn’t going to go away. Australia must speak carefully and carry a big enough stick in the South China Sea

• August 3, 2022. Minxin Pei, Project-Syndicate, The Strategist. US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan has incited a predictably strong response from China. Chinese warplanes have brushed up against the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese foreign ministry has warned of ‘serious consequences’ as a result of Pelosi’s visit to the island. Chinese President Xi Jinping has told US President Joe Biden that ‘those who play with fire will perish by it’. And now, China has announced a major military exercise with live-fire drills starting tomorrow (just after Pelosi leaves Taiwan). The spectre of military confrontation looms large. Pelosi’s visit and the coming Taiwan crisis

• August 3, 2022. Michael Shoebridge, The Strategist. America has killed al-Qaeda’s head, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was living in a wealthy Kabul suburb under the noses of the Taliban leadership. Al-Zawahiri living and working in Afghanistan is an echo of the safe harbour the Taliban gave his former boss, Osama bin Laden, to plan and conduct the horrific September 11 attacks. That continued until the Taliban were ousted at the start of the 20-year Afghan war. So, there’s a symmetry to the Taliban again harbouring an al-Qaeda head while America hunts him. Zawahiri’s death: echoes of 9/11 and a demonstration of US resolve

• August 2, 2022. Aaron Mehta, Breaking Defense. The US State Department today approved more than $5 billion in arms deals for key Middle East partners, including $3.05 billion in Patriot missiles for Saudi Arabia and $2.25 billion in THAAD systems for the United Arab Emirates. State Department approves $5 billion in missile defense for UAE, Saudi Arabia

• August 2, 2022. Jaspreet Gill, Breaking Defense. As Congress works through the messy process of building next year’s Pentagon budget, there are concerns within the Army that cuts proposed by Senate appropriators to network and radio modernization upgrades will impact the service’s ability to field key components of its next capability set, an Army official told Breaking Defense.  In Army, worry follows Senators’ proposed cuts to network, comms upgrades: Official

• August 2, 2022. Valerie Insinna, Breaking Defense. L3Harris has won the Armed Overwatch program and will build up to 75 AT-802U Sky Warden attack aircraft for US Special Operations Command. L3Harris Sky Warden attack plane wins SOCOM’s Armed Overwatch program

• August 2, 2022. Justin Katz, Breaking Defense. The Navy’s engineers guiding the service’s future unmanned surface vessels say this year’s RIMPAC has shown that, unlike some in Washington, the fleet is less concerned about the autonomy software driving the new tech and focused more on what missions it can help sailors achieve. After RIMPAC, sailor feedback shows evolving view of unmanned vessels: Officials

• August 2, 2022. Andrew Eversden, Breaking Defense. The Rafael-made Iron Dome system successfully defeated cruise missile and unmanned aerial system surrogates during a recent test with the US Army at White Sands Missile Range, the Israeli company announced today. US Army successfully tests Iron Dome at White Sands Missile Range

• August 2, 2022. Breaking Defense. China has never been shy about using economic ties to try and reach geostrategic goals, and for many years it found a willing partner in the nations of Europe. But in 2022 that ground has shifted, and skepticism in Europe towards Beijing is now growing. Nathan Picarsic and Emily de La Bruyere, senior fellows at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, argue below that now is the time for the US and Europe to come together for an industrial/geopolitical strategy of their own for dealing with China. It’s time for a US-EU industrial strategy on China – even if it costs industry
• August 2, 2022. Jaspreet Gill, Breaking Defense. The United States is at a “relative disadvantage” in the field of biotechnology compared to adversaries like China and risks “ceding American leadership over one of the most powerful and transformative fields of technology in recent memory,” according to a new report from the Center for a New American Security.  US at ‘relative disadvantage’ in biotech compared to China, report finds

• August 2, 2022. Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One. The Biden administration has approved more than $5 billion in arms deals that would send missile interceptors to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Just Weeks After Saudi Trip, Biden Administration Greenlights $5B in Arms for Gulf Nations

• August 2, 2022. Jacqueline Feldscher, Defense One. For decades, Republicans have positioned themselves as staunch supporters of the military, but last week’s vote to stall benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits has given some Democrats a political opening ahead of the November midterms to paint their opponents as un-American officials who refuse to support those they sent to fight.  Dems Using Burn-Pit Vote To Target GOP Opponents in Midterms

• August 2, 2022. Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One. Defense giant Lockheed Martin doubled its venture capital fund from $200 million to $400 million as it looks to increase investments in startups. Lockheed Martin Doubles Ventures Fund as It Hunts for Future Tech Startups

• August 2, 2022. Haroro J. Ingram, Andrew Mines and Daniel Milton, Defense One. Ayman al-Zawahri was an Egyptian-born jihadist who became al-Qaida’s top leader in 2011 after his predecessor, Osama bin Laden, was killed by a U.S. operation. Al-Zawahri’s ascent followed years in which al-Qaida’s leadership had been devastated by U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan. Bin Laden had himself been struggling in the years leading up to his death to exert control and unity across al-Qaida’s global network of affiliates.  Where Does al-Zawahri’s Death Leave al-Qaida?

• August 2, 2022. Naval News. The Chief Executive Officer of Brahmos Aerospace company, Atul Rane, told Russian TASS agency that the hypersonic version of the BrahMos cruise missile, the BrahMos-II, may include technology from Russia’s Tsirkon hypersonic missile. Hypersonic BrahMos-II missile may include tech from Tsirkon missile

• August 3, 2022. Zamone Perez, Defense News. The U.S. State Department on Tuesday cleared possible foreign military sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to a statement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. State Department clears weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE

• August 2, 2022. Stephen Losey, Defense News. U.S. Special Operations Command’s new Armed Overwatch aircraft will be able to carry multiple weapons configurations and modular sensors that can be quickly swapped out as well as be disassembled for deployment within hours. How L3Harris created US special operators’ new plane to hunt and strike terrorists

• August 2, 2022. Seth J. Frantzman, Defense News. The U.S. Army has completed an interceptor test of the Iron Dome air defense system, the second event of its kind since two batteries were supplied to the service at the end of 2020. Iron Dome intercepts targets, works with US systems in Army test

• August 2, 2022. Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery (ret.) and Bradley Bowman, Defense News. All eyes are understandably on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan this week as Beijing issues threats and rattles its saber. But those interested in supporting the free people of Taiwan and pushing back on increasingly aggressive behavior from Beijing should not miss an important legislative development unfolding simultaneously on Capitol Hill. As Pelosi visits Taiwan, don’t miss the action on China in Congress

• August 2, 2022. Courtney Albon, Defense News. Lockheed Martin plans to launch a three-satellite testbed next year to demonstrate space-enabled joint all-domain operations. Lockheed to launch space-based testbed for joint all-domain operations

• August 2, 2022. Bryant Harris and Chris Martin, Defense News. As the annual defense policy bill makes its way through the halls of Congress, lawmakers are fighting the Biden administration’s proposal to scrap two nuclear investments. Global military spending hits record high

• August 2, 2022. William Reinsch, Emily Benson, Aidan Arasasingham, CSIS. Technological innovation has been a driving force for U.S. global leadership and economic prosperity for over a century. This legacy of innovation largely stands on the foundation of a key component: semiconductor chips, found today in almost all electronic products. Semiconductors are an integral component of various consumer products across industries, including cars, smartphones, and household appliances. But semiconductors can also be used in dual-use goods—products that have both military and civilian applications—such as air guidance systems for both civilian and military aircraft. The tension between economic gain and security risk inherent within dual-use semiconductor goods is heightened in fields with national security implications, such as supercomputing and artificial intelligence (AI). How the government and private sector manage the global value chains (GVCs) of chips will directly affect U.S. global competitiveness and national security going forward. Given the evolving security relationship between the United States, the Quad, and the European Union, this paper focuses on both Quad and EU countries and the possibilities for friend-shoring in both. It assesses how the EU and U.S. governments can collaborate to avoid duplicative policies that fail to enhance the overall resiliency of transatlantic semiconductor supply chains. Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains: An Affirmative Agenda for International Cooperation

• August 2, 2022. Vanda Felbab-Brown, Brookings. The successful U.S. hit against Ayman al-Zawahri, the post-Osama bin Laden leader of al-Qaida, is a great moment of justice: Zawahri had been a key plotter of 9/11 and other vicious terrorist attacks. Although in recent years he has not been involved in daily tactical al-Qaida planning, his death will have a negative strategic and demoralizing impact on al-Qaida. Al-Qaida will not stop existing and operating, but it has again been put on the back foot. What Ayman al-Zawahri’s death says about terrorism in Taliban-run Afghanistan

Cybersecurity

• August 3, 2022. Lennart Maschmeyer, Lawfare. In a Lawfare post, Jason Healey provides a thoughtful critique of my recently published theory on the “subversive trilemma.” The key argument I make (summarized here) is that cyber operations are instruments of subversion that hold great strategic promise but suffer from a set of three interlinked operational constraints: speed, intensity of effects, and control. Because under a given set of conditions actors can typically only improve one of these variables at the cost of losing out on the remaining ones, these constraints pose a trilemma for sponsors of cyber operations and limit their strategic value.  The Subversive Trilemma in Cyber Conflict and Beyond

• August 3, 2022. Alessandro Mascellino, Infosecurity. European missile maker MBDA has publicly denied some of the hacking allegations against the company made on a dark web forum in July and posted on Twitter by Today Cyber News on Tuesday. Missile Maker MBDA Refutes Hacking Allegations

• August 3, 2022. Alessandro Mascellino, Infosecurity. A third of organizations experience a ransomware attack at least once a week, with one in 10 experiencing them more than once a day, according to a new report by Menlo Security. Ransomware Attacks Taking Toll on Security Professionals, Menlo Security Report

• August 3, 2022. Colin Demarest, Defense News. The U.S. and Ukraine agreed to further cooperate on cybersecurity issues and to improve avenues of information sharing, as Russia’s assault in Eastern Europe grinds on. US, Ukraine agree to more cyber cooperation amid Russian threat

• August 2, 2022.  John Sakellariadis, Atlantic Council. This issue brief investigates the drivers of the ransomware surge that menaced the United States in the summer of 2021, explains why these attacks remain a persistent threat today, and offers recommendations for mitigating the problem in the future. The 2021 surge in ransomware activity stems from a change in how criminals launch ransomware attacks. Between 2016 and 2019, cybercriminals shifted away from automated ransomware campaigns that emphasized scale to targeted extortion operations against organizations and established businesses. This adaptation made ransomware more disruptive and more profitable, eventually attracting the attention of well-organized cybercrime gangs. The intensification of the ransomware epidemic from that point until the attack on Colonial Pipeline resulted from the growing adoption of this new extortion model among criminals.  Behind the rise of ransomware

• August 3, 2022. Phil Muncaster, Infosecurity. The former owner of a T-Mobile store has been found guilty of a multimillion-dollar scheme to illegally unlock and unblock mobile devices. T-Mobile Retailer Guilty of $25m Fraud Scheme

• August 3, 2022. Phil Muncaster, Infosecurity. One of the UK’s leading security agencies has stepped in to warn of potentially malicious efforts to alter the result of the upcoming Conservative Party leadership election. Tory Leadership Voting Delayed Over Security Concerns

• August 3, 2022. Phil Muncaster, Infosecurity. Multiple distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks caused intermittent outages across several government websites in Taiwan yesterday following the much-publicized arrival of a senior US lawmaker. DDoS Attacks Pepper Taiwanese Government Sites

• August 2, 2022. Alessandro Mascellino, Infosecurity. A Sentinel One investigation revealed threat actors (TA) have been abusing the Windows Defender command line tool to decrypt and load Cobalt Strike payloads. LockBit Ransomware Exploits Windows Defender to Sideload Cobalt Strike Payload

• August 2, 2022. Alessandro Mascellino, Infosecurity. Google published its monthly security bulletin for August on Monday, detailing the latest available patches for Android. Google Patches Critical Android Bluetooth Flaw in August Security Bulletin

• August 2, 2022.  Alessandro Mascellino, Infosecurity. Machine identity management firm Venafi has published new research suggesting that 87% of the ransomware found on the dark web has been delivered via malicious macros to infect targeted systems. Dark Web Research Suggests 87% of Ransomware Brands Exploit Malicious Macros

• August 2, 2022. James Cunningham, Infosecurity. Five years on from the WannaCry Ransomware attack that hit 60 NHS Trusts, including hospitals, NHS facilities and GP surgeries, are we now doing enough to protect our NHS, its staff and patients from future cybersecurity breaches?  Are We Doing Enough to Protect Our NHS?

• August 2, 2022. Colin Demarest, Defense News. The Defense Information Systems Agency extended its Thunderdome cybersecurity contract with Booz Allen Hamilton, citing lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine war and the need to better secure the Pentagon’s communication system for secrets. Pentagon’s secret communications network to get upgrade from Booz Allen

Digital & Tech

• August 3, 2022. Gill Savage, The Strategist. Innovation in northern Australia is thriving. It’s not clear why, but there’s no doubt that northern Australians are seizing the opportunity to pursue innovative projects that generate economic benefits, contribute to national resilience and respond to defence needs. Industry 4.0 driving sovereign capability in northern Australia

• August 2, 2022. George Ingram, Brookings. The effectiveness of development co-operation has been front and center of the global development agenda for two decades, notably growing in attention and commitment following the adoption of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness in 2005. The idea of aid effectiveness is based on the premise of “why provide/why receive” development assistance if it does not advance development.The threat of setback to development from the tsunami of COVID, climate change, refugee crisis, rising food prices and shortages, and the war in Ukraine, makes even more urgent achieving the most out of scarce development resources. Scale & digital public goods: Realizing the effectiveness principles for longer-term development

Health & Digital 

• August 3, 2022. Shania Kennedy, Health IT Analytics. Maryland-based TidalHealth and artificial intelligence (AI) software company Regard have launched a collaboration designed to increase patient diagnosis accuracy, reduce clinician burnout, and enhance revenue through improved documentation. MD Health System Launches AI-Driven Collab to Tackle Clinician Burnout

• August 2, 2022. Shania Kennedy, Health IT Analytics. In new commentary published in Health Affairs, researchers from the Rand Corporation posit that having knowledge of race and ethnicity, and including that data in healthcare algorithms, is necessary to combat algorithmic bias effectively, rather than taking a “race-blind” approach. Researchers Propose Framework to Ensure Equitable Healthcare Algorithms

• August 2, 2022. Shania Kennedy, Health IT Analytics. Tennessee-based LifePoint Health has launched a strategic collaboration with data and analytics technology company Health Catalyst to advance patient care and improve outcomes across the health system’s network. TN Health System Strikes Analytics Partnership to Advance Patient Care

• August 1, 2022. Shania Kennedy, Health IT Analytics. Researchers at the University of Arkansas will collaborate with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Google to develop software and cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) modules for biomedical research. Researchers Partner With NIH, Google to Develop AI Learning Modules