Following last week's US presidential election, Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who exposed numerous government surveillance programs in 2013 and is now living in Russia, has publicly discussed the results at least twice. "We are starting to substitute open government for sheer authoritarianism, a government based not upon the principle of informed … Continue reading Snowden weighs in on election results
Tag: russia
The risk of foreign hackers shifting the outcome of the U.S. presidential election has likely been exaggerated. Nevertheless, officials and policy makers reportedly "do anticipate so-called cyber mischief, including the possible release of fake documents and the proliferation of bogus social media accounts designed to spread misinformation," according to NBC News. To fight back against … Continue reading US warning to Russia a real threat or PR posturing for US public?
Another day, another media freakout over the alleged Wikileaks-Russian axis of hacking. On Monday, it was Marc Thiessen of the American Enterprise Institute and the Washington Post's turn to attack Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who, according to Thiessen "is the devil." Thiessen asserts that the media is being hypocritical and irresponsible in not reporting on … Continue reading Assange ‘is the devil,’ but is he a ‘cyber combatant’?
With the U.S. presidential election less than three weeks away, many Americans remain focused on domestic politics, or in foreign affairs, on the escalating tensions with Russia over the war in Syria. In other news, however, the U.S. is also escalating its role in an array of other conflicts across the Middle East -- and … Continue reading As Americans focus on election, U.S. steps up involvement in several wars
Adm. Mike Rogers, the "dual-hatted" head of both the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command (Cybercom), repeated his position Tuesday that the two agencies should be split and run separately, saying it is only a matter of “the right time” and “the right process.” The proposed move is opposed by some including Senate Armed … Continue reading Proposed NSA-Cybercom split comes as govt. looks to justify cyberattacks
The United States on Thursday launched cruise missile strikes that destroyed three radar sites on the coast of Yemen, retaliating following missile attacks against a U.S. Navy destroyer earlier this week, but also escalating a conflict that threatens to further entangle America in yet another war in the Middle East. The missile launches mark the … Continue reading U.S. steps up involvement in Yemen conflict
The United States was one of 44 countries to sign a declaration Wednesday that sets the stage for a conference next year to create formal rules regarding the export and use of armed, unmanned aerial vehicles, otherwise known as drones. "As a world leader in the development and deployment of military UAVs, the United States … Continue reading U.S., other countries issue drone declaration, but key players absent
Following news today that a National Security Agency contractor, Harold Thomas Martin, was arrested over a month ago and secretly detained since then for allegedly stealing classified documents, many questions remain unanswered, but some details are known. Martin worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, the same defense and intelligence community contractor that whistleblower Edward Snowden had been … Continue reading Detained NSA contractor doesn’t fit ‘insider threat’ profile, raising questions
It's typically not every day that Americans hear about "influence operations," though recent history has been an exception to that rule as news outlets and government officials have aggressively hyped the alleged threat of Russian covert ops aimed at swaying the U.S. election, or at least at causing chaos leading up to it. Indeed, much … Continue reading Anti-ISIS influence ops drill reveals parts of U.S. deception strategy
Federal Bureau of Investigation officials warned this week that despite predictions of military defeat for the Islamic State extremist group's "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria, terrorist attacks inspired by the organization can be expected to continue. While the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh) will inevitably be "crushed," FBI Director James … Continue reading FBI warns of post-ISIS blowback as EU tries to export its refugee problem