Tag Archive for: force

Sri Lanka’s controversial internet safety law comes into force


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The controversial Online Safety Act has sparked protests among activists in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s draconian law to regulate online content has come into force, in a move rights groups say is aimed at stifling freedom of speech.

The Online Safety Act gives a government commission broad powers to assess and remove “prohibited” content.

Authorities said it would help fight cybercrime, but critics say it suppresses dissent ahead of elections.

Social media had a key role in protests during an economic crisis in 2022, which ousted the then president.

The act was passed on 24 January by 108-62 votes – sparking protests outside parliament – and came into effect on Thursday after the Speaker endorsed it.

The wide-ranging law prohibit “false statements about incidents in Sri Lanka”, statements with “an express intention of hurting religious feelings” and the misuse of bots, among other things.

A five-member commission appointed by the president will be given powers to assess these statements, to direct their removal, and to impose penalties on the people who made those statements.

The legislation will also make social media platforms liable for messages on their platforms.

Publicity Security Minister Tiran Alles, who introduced the draft legislation in parliament, said it was necessary to tackle offences associated with online fraud and statements that threaten national stability.

More than 8,000 complaints related to cybercrimes were filed last year, he noted.

A Sri Lankan pro-democracy group said on Thursday that the government’s “adamant pursuit” of the legislation was a “clear indication of its intention to silent dissent and suppress civic activism” as the country was still reeling from the consequences of its worst economic crisis.

Food prices and inflation have reached record levels since the country declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83bn in debt. Then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to step down and leave the country after thousands of anti-government protesters stormed into his residence.

“While the citizens silently suffer amidst escalating cost of living and unmanageable hunger, it is crucial for the rulers to recognise that this…

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Air Force cyber wing looking for new ways to recruit, keep top talent


Amid a global competition for cyber experts, one Air Force wing is looking at new and different ways to recruit and retain service members with the right know-how.

Attracting and maintaining top talent is becoming even more critical as the Air Force must provide six additional cyber mission force teams on behalf of U.S. Cyber Command.

“I would anticipate CMF growth, continuing through the years. We know we probably don’t have the capacity [that] we likely really need,” Col. Sean Kern, commander of 67th Cyberspace Wing, told DefenseScoop in a December interview.

The cyber mission force began building in 2012, with an end goal of 133 teams. The Department of Defense did not add to that number for several years after those groups reached full operational capability in 2018. Starting with the fiscal 2022 budget, Cybercom was authorized funding to augment the CMF, which consists of the offensive, defensive and support teams that the military branches provide to the command to conduct cyber operations. Now, the plan is to increase the capacity to 147 teams over the next five years or so.

The six additional Air Force teams —a total of 264 airmen spanning two offensive teams, two defensive teams and two support teams — that will be added to the CMF, will be built with a phased approach. The first three will start forming in 2024. They’re scheduled to reach initial operational capability 18 months after establishment and full operational capability 18 months after IOC — setting them up to be fully ready by 2027. The next slate of teams will begin building in 2025, with the expectation that they’ll be fully ready by 2028.

“Imagine already presenting, trying to present 1,715 [personnel and] add 264 in a pretty difficult mission area to bring talent into,” Kern said of his position right now.

However, officials across the DOD have consistently maintained that recruiting new talent for the cyber mission force is not the main problem — it’s retention. With lucrative pay opportunities in the private sector, it has been a struggle to keep the experts the military has spent millions of dollars and several years to train.

Kern is looking at…

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US Space Force Major urges Defense Department to adopt Bitcoin as an ‘offset strategy’


U.S. Space Force Major Jason Lowery has brought a novel perspective on Bitcoin to light, extending its significance far beyond finance and into national defense and cybersecurity.

In a detailed letter to the Defense of Defense’s (DoD) Innovation Board, Lowery argued that Bitcoin and similar proof-of-work (PoW) protocols hold substantial strategic importance, urging the government to delve deeper into their potential applications.

Macrochip

The major’s letter contextualized Bitcoin within the military strategy of an offset approach. The concept historically involves leveraging technological advancements to counterbalance adversaries’ strengths.

Lowery suggested that Bitcoin and its underlying technology could serve as contemporary tools in this regard, potentially redefining the landscape of cyber warfare and defense.

Lowery described Bitcoin as a pioneering “macrochip,” a concept that transforms the global electric power grid into a vast, resource-intensive computer. This innovative approach, he argued, introduces physical costs into the digital domain, offering a new method of securing a wide array of data across the internet.

According to Lowery, this strategy challenges the conventional paradigms of cybersecurity and could mark a significant shift in protecting national interests in the digital age.

Lowery also addressed the ongoing challenges in cybersecurity, highlighting the inadequacies of existing software-based solutions. He proposed that the proof-of-work protocol, as exemplified by Bitcoin, represents a significant innovation in this field.

By introducing the notion of real-world physical costs as deterrents in cyberspace, this approach could revolutionize the way digital security is enforced.

Recommendations to DoD

The letter further explored the implications of this technology for cyber warfare and defense strategies. Lowery emphasized the need for the United States to recognize and quickly adapt to Bitcoin’s potential as a strategic offset in cybersecurity.

He warned that failure to do so could impact the global balance of power, especially in an era where digital and interconnected systems are increasingly vulnerable to security breaches.

In his role as the U.S….

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Guam Army National Guard hosts Guam Cybersecurity Summit > Andersen Air Force Base > Features




On Nov. 6-7, 2023, representatives from local and national agencies have visited the University of Guam lecture hall and gymnasium to partake in the 2024 Central Pacific Cybersecurity Summit.

“Over the next two days, we are going to lean on one another, exchange ideas, and use our collective expertise to fortify our island and our regions’ ability to not only respond but to recover from a cybersecurity attack,” said Lou Leon Guerrero, governor of Guam. “Because to simply say it’s a priority is an understatement. It is mission-critical to our island’s defense and our nation’s defense that we get this done.”

The goal is to execute a whole-of-government and community approach by providing opportunities for several different local and national agencies to communicate, exchange and strengthen strategies and ideas that will bolster the different levels of cybersecurity, while also deterring adversaries and promoting integrated deterrence.

“We recognize the vulnerability and weaknesses of our cybersecurity program, so we came up with the Central Pacific Cybersecurity summit to gather all the experts that can help us solidify and prevent future cyber-attacks,” Leon Guerrero said. “We want to protect and make a solid plan of actions to strengthen our cybersecurity and cybersecurity deterrence.”

Agencies such as U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), U.S. Cyber Command (USCC), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI, Guam Homeland and Civil Defense, Guam Office of Technology (OTECH), public utilities, internet service providers, Joint Region Marianas (JRM), Andersen Air Force Base, Marine Corp Base Camp Blaz, U.S. Coast Guard and more attended the summit sharing information and resources they had to offer.

Jennilyn LaBrunda, CISA cybersecurity advisor, discussed the resources available on the CISA website. Adam Dickinson and Robert Schuett of Google Mandiant, discussed the performance of Intelligence Led Security.

“This is just one of many ways that we can combine the efforts of our friends to come up with a unified plan to address every evolving threat of cyber-attacks.” said…

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