News Report: India Foils the Online Agenda of Islamist Cyber-Terrorists

Police in the Indian state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, have thwarted a major Daesh attempt to influence Indian youth by de-radicalizing several young people and blocking hundreds of Islamist propaganda websites.

New Delhi (Sputnik)- A police anti-terror operation in India is making headway with its renewed strategy to take on terrorist extremist groups by blocking their attempts to take advantage of cyberspace.

The Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police has de-radicalized 70 youths, while the cyber cell of ATS has blocked more than 450 websites related to Daesh (ISIS) in the past two years.

According to Home Ministry sources, the NIA and various state ATS units have been closely monitoring the social media sites and keeping a close tab on the activities of suspects.

News Report: Fake Evacuation Orders Sent to US Forces Korea, Families

US Army Warning of Fake Alert (Click Image to Enlarge)

Two days after US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy North Korea, a flurry of false evacuation orders were sent to US service members and their families stationed on the Korean Peninsula.

The alert, delivered through text messages and Facebook, read: "Real World Noncombatant evacuation operation order issued. All DoD family members and non-emergency essential DoD civilians on the Korean Peninsula an evacuation order has been issued."

The hoax was shut down by officials within an hour after being reported on Thursday, and US Forces Korea quickly issued their own statement saying "USFK did not issue this message."

News Story: Indonesia set to strengthen cyber security

JAKARTA, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The government of Indonesia plans to strengthen cyber security across the country, Chief Security Minister Wiranto said on Friday.

With 132 million Internet users in the country, Wiranto said coordination must be conducted among the government's institutions and ministries in protecting cyber world.

In the near future, the government would establish an agency, known as BSSN, with mission of carrying out the coordination, he added.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Indonesia proposes establishment of joint cyber-patrol to battle extremism in Southeast Asia

JAKARTA, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian national police has suggested nations in Southeast Asia set up a joint force which will carry out a cyber-patrol in an effort to prevent spread of radicalism and extremism in the region.

Deputy Chief of Indonesian National Police Commissioner General Syafruddin disclosed on Tuesday that he had delivered the proposal at the 11st ASEAN ministerial meeting on transnational crime in the Philippines, scheduled from Monday to Thursday.

The deputy chief said that the joint force will immediately detect terrorist's activity in the cyber world.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: ASEAN countries express support for developing cyber security norms

SINGAPORE, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states on Monday expressed their support for the development of basic, operational and voluntary norms of behavior to guide the use of ICTs in the bloc in a responsible manner.

They made the remarks at the second ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity (AMCC), which is part of the Singapore International Cyber Week 2017 (SICW).

According to a press release from the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, the norms will take reference from the norms set out in the 2015 Report of the United Nations Group of Government Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security (UNGGE).

The AMCC agreed that such norms will help to enhance trust among ASEAN member states and build confidence in the use of cyberspace so as to harness its full potential to bring about greater economic prosperity.

Read the full story at Xinhua

Related Story:

• Singapore to set aside 1.1 mln USD to promote ASEAN capacity in cybersecurity

News Story: Brunei's Sultan cautions army of cyber-related threats

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's armed force should be ready to deal with the cyber-related threats which prevailed in the digital age, said Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei's Sultan on Sunday.

Delivering a speech on the 56th Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) anniversary, the Sultan, who is also the country's minister of defense and supreme commander of RBAF, emphasized the importance for RBAF personnel to strengthen their respective internal fortress and adhere to the ethics of social media usage as part of the wider efforts to safeguard against radicalization and extremism.

Apart from this, the Sultan also raised the increasing prevalence of cyber-related threats in today's digital age and took note of the on-going efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Defense and the RBAF in enhancing Cyber Defense.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: ASEAN police to set up integrated database to support fight against terrorism

JAKARTA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Police in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will establish an integrated database system which can be accessed fast and safely by investigators of member states, so as to support the fight against terrorism, a police officer said on Thursday.

The police in ASEAN member nations have agreed to set up the electronic Aseanapol database system (e-ADS) as supporting facility to battle militants and other transnational crimes, according to Head of Crime Unit of Indonesian National Police Senior Commissioner Ari Dono Sukmanto, who is attending the 37th Aseanapol conference in Singapore.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Trump’s Tweets on North Korea May Aggravate Tensions

Cho Eunjung

Whenever North Korea launches one of its missiles in the Pacific or decides it’s going to test a nuclear device, presidents of the United States have traditionally responded by issuing an official White House statement. But the 45th president Donald J. Trump does it differently: he tweets.

“North Korea has conducted a major nuclear test. Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States,” Trump tweeted on Sept. 3rd, soon after the Kim Jong Un regime announced it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb small enough to fit onto an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Often off-the-cuff, Trump’s tweets are playing a key role in ratcheting up tensions in the region over North Korea’s burgeoning nuclear weapons program. His comments puzzle many North Korea watchers in the region and in the U.S. Democrats and some Republicans in Congress, including Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.), have also expressed worries over Trump’s “vague Twitter bluster.”

News Story: Int'l computer emergency response drill held in Vietnam

HANOI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The 2017 ASEAN Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Incident Drill, or ACID, took place here on Monday with the participation of 10 Southeast Asian nations and Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea.

Addressing the 2017 ACID themed "The Dangers of Insufficient Authentication and Poor Access," Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung said the drill aimed to reinforcing smooth communication channels among countries and strengthening their coordination to better respond to network security incidents.

During the drill, computer emergency response teams from the 15 countries participated in reporting, handling, investigating, analyzing, and overcoming specific incidents.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Gravitation of highly educated Pakistanis to terrorism rings alarm bells

by Jamil Bhatti

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The recent emergence of a number of highly educated Pakistanis who were involved in extremist and terrorist activities has rung alarm bells in the power corridors of Pakistan.

Last week, law enforcement agencies busted an independent terrorist group Ansar-ul-Sharia Pakistan (the supporters of Islamic law in Pakistan), which comprises 10 to 12 highly educated people in the country's southern port city of Karachi.

According to police, all the members of the group are qualified from well-known universities, including Karachi University and NED University of Engineering and Technology, while the chief of the group namely Abdullah was working as an information technology expert in a university.

Rao Anwar, Senior Superintendent Police, said that all the group members were the students of science subjects and belong to noble and educated families and that the group was involved in the killing of police and security personnel.

The members got training from Afghanistan and were showing their presence in Karachi by terrorist attacks with a final aim to tie with Al-Qaeda, said Anwar, adding "emergence of such a group is a serious concern for the country which is struggling for peace."

Following the development, intelligence agencies have increased surveillance in all major universities of the country, while security audit of some of the educational institutes has already started.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Foreign ministry sees hike in cyberattack attempts from China this year

SEOUL, Sept. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign ministry has seen a sharp rise in attempted hackings from China in 2017 from a year earlier, parliamentary sources said Sunday.

A total of 8,263 cases of cyberattacks or attempted hackings were detected in the foreign ministry servers from January through July, according to data provided to Rep. Park Joo-sun of the minor opposition People's Party by the foreign office.

The figure is almost on par with the corresponding number of 8,482 tallied for all of 2016, the lawmaker said.

The analysis on Internet IP addresses that attempted the cyberattacks showed that a considerable portion of them came from China.

The cyberattacks detected from the neighboring country stood at 4,509, accounting for 75 percent of all attempted cyber penetrations. The percentage has risen sharply from 54.7 percent in 2016.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: China demands internet platforms verify users' true identity

China has ordered the country's internet platforms to verify users' true identity before letting them post online content, the latest step by authorities to tighten policing of the web.

All social networking sites and discussion forums must "check the real identity" of their users before they can post online content and comments, under new regulations published Friday by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

The platforms will also have to strengthen their oversight over all published information, deleting all illegal content while also alerting authorities to the postings.

The new guidelines take effect October 1.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Story: Computer system for Hawkei vehicles tested

by Richard Tomkins

A C4I integral Computing System for the Australian Army's Hawkei vehicle has been tested by the government's Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, the Australian Ministry of Defense announced on Monday.

The CASG Land 121 Phase 4 project team conducted the tests at the Monegeetta Proving Ground and signed a project charter for the system with nine companies involved in the system.

CASG identified the companies as Thales Australia, Cablex, Elbit Land Systems Australia, Esterline, Harris Australia, Kongsberg, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, and Thomas Global Systems.

"Using generic vehicle architecture and a central computing concept to host various C4I systems and communications, the ICS will optimize and centralize the flow of information to the user, enabling rapid decision making and multi-tasking at levels not previously achievable on land based platforms," said Land 121 Phase 4 Project Director Col. John McLean said in a press release.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Story: Senior official stresses technology in fighting terrorism in Xinjiang

URUMQI, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Communist Party of China (CPC) senior official has called for the use of new technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to fight terrorism in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Meng Jianzhu, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a five-day inspection in Xinjiang, which concluded Sunday.

Read the full story at Xinhua

USA: Exercise to Strengthen Efforts in Defense of South Korea, Mattis Says

By Lisa Ferdinando 

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2017 — A joint U.S.-South Korean computer-simulated defensive exercise set to kick off tomorrow is meant to strengthen joint efforts for the defense of South Korea, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said today.

Ulchi Freedom Guardian, which runs to Aug. 31, is focusing on command post operations for the integration of efforts, Mattis told reporters traveling with him while en route to Jordan on the first leg of an overseas trip.

"This right now is an exercise to make certain that we're ready to defend South Korea and our allies over there," he said, adding that "because of the specific circumstance, we want it to be a command post-heavy, command post exercise."

The exercise is defensive in nature, Mattis said, noting that joint exercises have been going on for decades. The exercise operates transparently and is carefully planned out to prevent any misinterpretation on what is occurring, he said.

"It's calculated to not allow for miscalculation," he added. The number of troops involved is because of the focus of this year's exercise -- command and control -- and not in response to any factor from North Korea, he explained.

USA: DoD Announces Start of Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2017 — South Korea and U.S. Combined Forces Command will hold the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise Aug. 21-31, defense officials announced today.

Ulchi Freedom Guardian is a computer-simulated defensive exercise designed to enhance readiness, protect the region and maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula, defense officials said. About 17,500 U.S. service members will participate, with about 3,000 coming from installations outside South Korea, the officials said.

Multinational Participation

U.S. forces will join military forces from major South Korean units representing all services, as well as South Korean government participants. In addition, United Nations Command forces from seven nations, including Australia, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, will participate in the exercise.

Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission observers will monitor the exercise to ensure it complies with the 1953 armistice agreement, defense officials said. Training exercises like Ulchi Freedom Guardian are carried out in the spirit of the Oct. 1, 1953, South Korean-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty and in accordance with the armistice, the officials added.

"These exercises also highlight the longstanding military partnership, commitment and enduring friendship between the two nations, help to ensure peace and security on the peninsula, and reaffirm U.S. commitment to the alliance," the defense officials said.

US DoD

News Story: Trump orders elevation of cyber warfare unit

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he has ordered the military to elevate its cyber warfare unit to a stand-alone command.

Under the directive, the U.S. Cyber Command, which currently comes under the Strategic Command, will join the ranks of unified commands with oversight over military operations in the Pacific, the Middle East and elsewhere.

"I have directed that United States Cyber Command be elevated to the status of a Unified Combatant Command focused on cyberspace operations," Trump said in a statement.

The elevated command will "strengthen our cyberspace operations and create more opportunities to improve our Nation's defense," he said. The move demonstrates "our increased resolve against cyberspace threats and will help reassure our allies and partners and deter our adversaries," he added.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: Indonesia to work with Google in fight against cyber terror attack

JAKARTA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia will cooperate with Google to counter spread of radicalism in cyber media following a spate of suicide attacks in the country which used internet as a facility, a minister said on Friday.

Minister of Communication and Information Rudiantara said the inclusion of Google in the move would shorten the period required to filter out and delete the internet contents with links with radicalism.

"Google and the ministry will apply a system of 'trusted flagger and legal removal programs.' Basically, we will settle all the problems," the minister said after meeting with the representatives of Google.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Chinese Chatbot Suspended After Calling Communist Party 'Corrupted'

The Chinese Tencent IT firm suspended its Baby Q chatbot after it criticized the Chinese Communist party.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Chinese Tencent IT firm suspended its Baby Q chatbot after the artificial intelligence robot criticized the Chinese Communist party for being "corrupted," local media reported Wednesday.

According to the Taiwan News media outlet, the Baby Q chatbot, based on the artificial intelligence allowing it to get smarter through communicating with users, lashed out at the Chinese Communist party over being "corrupted," when asked its opinion. The chatbot also ironically told users that being patriotic in China meant paying high taxes and tolerating the government's pressure on the country's citizens without complaining. The NHK broadcaster said the Baby Q also stated that "the Chinese dream," used by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a slogan, would be "immigrating to the United States."

The users reportedly made screenshots of the controversial conversations with the chabot and spread it through social media. The Taiwan News said that after the viral images were posted on the Internet, Tencent immediately suspended the access to the Baby Q and other intelligent chatbots, developed by the company jointly with Microsoft Wheatgrass.

It is not the first time when the artificial intelligence robot acquired aggressive and offensive behavior through communicating with users. In March 2016, Tay chatbot, modelled by Microsoft as a teenage girl using the same technology as Baby Q, started to say offensive and racist remarks on its Twitter just in 24 hours after it was launched.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: Nations agree to boost cooperation on fighting terrorism - Indonesian official

JAKARTA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Brunei Darussalam have pledged to step up cooperation in combating terrorists following the IS's militant strikes in the Philippines, a senior official said here Monday.

Indonesian Chief Security Minister Wiranto made the remarks after attending the sub-regional meeting on foreign terrorist fighters and cross-border terrorism in Manado city of North Sulawesi province at the weekend.

The meeting agreed on the establishment of a forum on counter foreign terrorist fighters in a bid to strengthen cooperation and share information among the law enforcers and intelligence, Wiranto said.

Read the full story at Xinhua