Category Archives: Internet Security
How Russia Is Isolating Its Own Cybercriminals – DARKReading
Russian cybercriminals dominate the threat landscape, aided largely by a government that has heretofore turned a blind eye to their illicit dealings as long as their attacks target organizations and individuals outside of Mother Russia. However, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the Kremlin has made a series of moves that threatens to disrupt the delicate balance that exists between them.
Without an extradition treaty with the United States, most of these cybercriminals operate with impunity or are nabbed when traveling outside of the United States. But in recent months this has not been the case. Several administrators and hosting providers were arrested in Russia in the past year for allegedly breaking the unspoken agreement between the government and cybercriminals. On Jan. 14, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), in concert with US authorities, arrested members of the REvil ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) collective that was responsible for the Kaseya attack. About a week later, the FSB detained four members of the Infraud Organization, including the group's founder, Andrey Novak, who was also wanted by the FBI. Though Russia is responsible for detaining these cybercriminals, these arrests and illicit marketplace takedowns have been few and far between and seem to signal more of a public relations ploy than a formal desire to stop cybercrime that affects its Western counterparts; there is no formal cyber alliance between Russia and the United States.
In some ways, Russian cybercrime has always been different, even in the underground. Russian cybercriminals, often young men, have had the autonomy to target foreign victims and establish various Dark Web-based marketplaces, card shops, and forums that attract like-minded threat actors. Wanted posters for these cybercriminals may very well be accompanied by images that showcase their Instagrammable lifestyles poses that include expensive luxury automobiles, exotic cats, and stacks on stacks of US dollars.
Connection to CybercrimeThere is a demonstrable connection between the Russian government and cybercrime. Public records show that Alyona Eduardovna Benderskaya is the wife of "Evil Corp" ringleader Maxim Yakubets and daughter of FSB agent Eduard Bendersky. The exotic cat-wielding Bogachev has also been associated with Yakubets regarding money laundering for various malware schemes. Former cybercriminal-cum-FSB officer Dmitry Dokuchaev sought the services of Shaltai-Boltai ringleader Vladimir Anikeyev and Yahoobreachers Alexsey Alexseyevich Belan and Karim Baratov. Dokuchaev was also sentenced to six years in prison for treason, so perhaps there is no love lost there. Aleksei Burkov, founder of cybercrime forum "DirectConnection" and co-administrator of "MazaFaka," was recently released from the United States and returned to Russia short of his nine-year sentence. Despite these indictments, all of these Russia cybercriminals remain at large, housed and protected in Russia.
But Russia may unconsciously be eating its own: Russia's war with Ukraine has resulted in a global effort to isolate Putin and, as a result, Russian cybercriminals are feeling the pressure.
For one, Russia has taken an aggressive stance on Internet blocking, which has increased since the start of the war and is affecting the ways in which cybercriminals operate. News and social media websites are actively being censored to create a filter bubble within Russia's borders. Previous reports indicate that Russia has attempted to block Internet protocols such as DNS over HTTPs (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT), threatening the security and privacy of Internet communications. Russia is also blocking access to the Tor network, which is having an effect on freedom of speech and the landscape through which cybercriminals can communicate. While dissidents are downloading VPNs in greater numbers, threat actors are actively seeking workarounds that bypass Russia's deep packet inspection (DPI) capability. Threat actor recommendations include "anti-DPI" technology, Tor bridges, and VPN-to-VPN services, though the effectiveness of these countermeasures remains to be seen.
Secondly, Russia previously faltered in implementing its "sovereign Internet," finding difficulty in going from an open global Internet to a closed one. Cybercriminals may be able to gamble on Russia unsuccessfully disconnecting from the Internet. While countries like China have been more successful in closing their borders to disinformation, dissent, and foreign influence, it has come at the cost of vast human, technical, and financial resources. Other examples, such as Iran's walled garden and North Korea's restricted Internet, have demonstrated that cybercrime can persist, though usually it is at the behest of the government.
Thirdly, foreign governments are also making it difficult for Russian cybercriminals to cash out and launder the proceeds of their criminal campaigns. On April 5, German law enforcement, in concert with the US Justice Department, shut down Hydra, Russia's largest cybercrime marketplace. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) followed by sanctioning over 100 cryptocurrency addresses and virtual currency exchange Garantex. The sanctions followed a September 2021 initiative to disrupt ransomware payments by sanctioning Suex, and then Chatex, which have helped facilitate ransomware payments to threat actors. All three were tied to the "Moscow tower," which has been a hub of money laundering and cash-out activity. These sanctions are affecting cybercriminals' ability, in combination with sanctions against Russian financial institutions, to move cryptocurrencies from illicit activities (such as ransomware payouts) into fiat currencies.
Changing Face of CybercrimeCybercrime has a way of transforming. When one threat actor group is taken offline, another one takes its spot. There has never been a shortage of victims, and despite increased cybersecurity, there are always loopholes that can be exploited. Russian cybercriminals will have a difficult time overcoming the recent sanctions, although they are not a panacea. Russia has benefited from an overly permissive stance on cybercrime, and cybercriminals have acted with impunity. However, the increased restrictions on protocols, illicit services, and cybercrime marketplaces will make it increasingly difficult to financially benefit from conducting cyberattacks within Russia's borders. The implicit treaty between Russia and cybercriminals has been broken, and it is yet to be seen how they respond.
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How Russia Is Isolating Its Own Cybercriminals - DARKReading
How to know if the infrastructure bill is actually working – Protocol
Good afternoon! It's been more than five months since President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, so we asked the experts to look at how the rollout was looking and the best ways to measure its efficacy. Want more on the infrastructure bill? Protocol's Issie Lapowsky hosted a panel today about what to expect next.
Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton
In 1954, the Eisenhower Administration referred to the $175M down payment on the National Highway System as a good start. Two years later, Congress authorized $27B to launch nationwide efforts to construct one of Americas greatest achievements. In November 2021, President Biden signed the $1.2T infrastructure bill, the first significant down payment of modernizing a now aging infrastructure with 21st century technologies. A good start.
But how will we know its working and creating bipartisan support to finish the job as the National Highway System did? Its important to examine three long-term indicators that will foreshadow the degree to which we transform our infrastructure.
First, will states emerge as laboratories of innovation or just spend the money? In areas like alternative energy and electric vehicle adoption, we already see promising signs of states taking novel approaches and forming intriguing partnerships to spur innovation.
Second, will private industry invest heavily now or wait on the sidelines? When the Affordable Care Act was passed, for example, Congress appropriated $10B for innovative health pilots. But the market signal it sent generated a wave of large-scale industry investment, triggered market shifts, and stimulated innovation. Will a similar pattern emerge with infrastructure?
Third, will technology adoption accelerate or stagnate? In the automotive industry alone, EVs, AVs, and even UAVs could disrupt business and regulatory models and produce unpredictable advancements and consequences. The adoption curves shape over the next five to eight years will tell us much about the success of this down payment.
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Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at The Brookings Institution
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is primed to place a large down payment on the equitable deployment and adoption of affordable, high-speed broadband. If implemented, it will guarantee that no child nor community in America will be left offline ever again. But to determine its success, two factors should stay top of mind: the details of new broadband network deployments, and the percentage of Americans fully benefitting. The former may appear easy but may require some flexibility in how new networks are accounted for, including an approach that incorporates opportunities for novel technologies like 5G fixed wireless, as well as enhancements to existing network infrastructure. The latter will require metrics from states and other local stakeholders that provide data on local technology adoption and use. These should be made public to enable research and accountability from interested parties. Right now, many public and private sector leaders are focused on getting the monies allocated in accordance with legislative goals and timelines, but success will not come in the sole review of balance sheets. Rather, how human capital will be enhanced by these opportunities also matters and may take longer to determine. That is why ensuring that NTIAs Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth must expediently provide the nation with public landscape analyses on both broadband deployment and digital equity progress. Without knowledge of where the U.S. is starting on these key issues, it will be impossible to determine whether IIJA has succeeded or failed.
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President at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
The clearest indicator of success for the infrastructure bill will be a lot more infrastructure built in a cost-efficient and timely manner. However, the as intended question complicates things, as many progressive members of Congress did not intend for the bill to expand Infrastructure. For example, there is a risk that anti-road progressives will limit funding for expanding road and bridge capacity and instead focus on repair.
In the case of IT-related infrastructure, the metrics of success should be clear. For broadband, this means bringing up the percentage of households served by at least one fixed provider to around 98 percent. Trying for 100 percent would waste money. The last few percent are better served by low-earth-orbit satellite broadband. The way to achieve this goal is to limit broadband overbuilding: funding new networks in places with adequate broadband. And adequate broadband should be defined reasonably: no more than 100mbs down and 10 up.
Success also means widespread deployment of 5G networks to most places people live and regularly travel (e.g., along the Interstates).
If there is any money left over after building networks in unserved places, it should be spent helping low-income households adopt broadband and gain digital skills.
Finally, achieving these goals will be much harder if the administration insists on applying Buy America provisions on the IT components of infrastructure builds. ITIF estimates that this would raise IT costs by approximately 25 percent. By definition, this means less infrastructure being built.
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CEO and Co-founder at Illumio
From a cybersecurity standpoint, all eyes are on how organizations will respond to President Bidens Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA). The bill is significant in that it requires multiple sectors to report material cybersecurity incidents and ransomware payments within 72 and 24 hours, respectively to CISA.
If the bill works as intended, we can first expect to see more organizations across industries (from FinServ to agriculture) disclose cybersecurity incidents to CISA in a timely manner. This will lead to increased information sharing between public and private sectors, which will help us better understand imminent cyber threats.
This knowledge is key to helping organizations strengthen their defenses against cyber criminals and safeguard critical infrastructure.
If security decision makers take this bill seriously, we should also see more federal agencies and organizations taking proactive steps to bolster cyber resilience by shoring up their mission-critical assets: backing up data, practicing incident response plans, and segmenting networks.
The federal governments continued emphasis on cyber as a national imperative is a step in the right direction. Although it may take time for us to reach national resilience, its important to remember that decisive action is a win and any action beats entropy. Our attackers never stop, and its our mandate to push forward during this critical time.
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Global General Manager, IOT Cities & Transportation Solutions at Intel
The IIJA is a once-in-a generation bipartisan law that will provide hundreds of billions of dollars to upgrade and modernize U.S. transportation systems and physical infrastructure as well as expand broadband internet access and digital infrastructure. It is also an opportunity to rethink how these upgrades are approached and the value digital technologies can bring to transform our infrastructure, making it more resilient, innovative, and efficient and providing more value to our communities, municipalities, and states.
The digital revolution is already here transforming the way we live, work, and communicate. Smart infrastructure is a key part of this revolution. In todays knowledge-based society, we must think about infrastructure differently. Its not just concrete and steel, its also the digital components that can help make our roads, skies, waterways, and airways safer, cleaner, and more efficient. In effect, physical and digital infrastructure go hand in hand one cannot exist without the other.
Learn more.
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Area Vice President, U.S. Public Sector, State, Local Government and Education Markets (SLED) at Cisco
Regarding the IIJAs broadband provisions, success depends on federal agencies, state and local governments, community leaders, and private companies coordinating effectively so that all Americans have access to the connectivity necessary to succeed in a digital economy. Capturing the full picture of the digital divide in the United States is crucial, and accurate FCC-led mapping of unserved and underserved areas is central to making sure funding is going to struggling communities. As the true conveners of broadband infrastructure, state and local governments must navigate the needs of the community with available funding and solutions to achieve meaningful impact. These federal funds should also seed investments of private capital from ISPs and equity firms to make sure that there is a long-term solution increasing broadband access.
The IIJA aims to use unprecedented infrastructure investment to boost domestic manufacturing and provide quality jobs for American workers. In the case of high-tech broadband equipment, onshoring of manufacturing will be a multi-year process impacted by numerous factors affecting global supply chains. A clear indicator of success will be whether urgently needed broadband investment is allowed to proceed in parallel with the shift to increased domestic manufacturing.
Finally, we must move beyond the same old solutions to the same old problems. Beyond broadband, a strong indication of success will be strategic investments in operational technologies that support and secure our nations roadways, water systems, subways, pipelines, and utilities. Investments that include technology can lead to more sustainable, affordable, and secure solutions for years to come.
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Senior Vice President of Americas & Public Sector at Splunk
When it comes to our nations security, there are several provisions focused on tying physical infrastructure to its corresponding vulnerabilities. These sections of the bill showcase that cybersecurity is more important than ever and the ultimate indicator of the bills success is our investment in it. First, we must ask ourselves if we are funding for true success. Are we able to secure the tools, talent, and frameworks that allow for agility and innovation? Are we bringing the right talent together through expanding jobs and increased public/private partnerships to disseminate information and best practices?
We must use measurable data to ensure the provisions in the infrastructure bill are creating a lasting impact. For example, we must see the adoption of more automated solutions, like SOAR and SIEM, specifically for securing critical infrastructure; the growth of public/private partnerships across essential sectors of infrastructure at the state and local levels; and the implementation of zero-trust & DevSecOps operational capabilities. Providing agencies with the proper amount of funding - down to the state and local level - to implement these strategies and tools is vital in meeting the bills goals. However, without measuring the investment in these areas, we wont truly be able to assess if the infrastructure bill is working for increasing our cybersecurity posture and resilience.
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Senior Vice President and Acting General Manager of Operations and Security Services at the Center for Internet Security
In cybersecurity, it is often not what you see but what you dont see, or hear about, that offers the best indicator of success. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act invests almost $2 billion over the next four years to help defend our nation against cyberattacks intent on disrupting and endangering our hospitals, schools, water systems, energy sources, and other critical infrastructure. Much of that investment is focused on state and local governments down to rural areas, where the cyber risk has proven significant while resources to defend against it are limited.
The first indication of success may well be that we, as a nation, have recognized the enormous need of state and local governments. Until now, the U.S. government has primarily funded cybersecurity efforts to protect federal networks and systems with few exceptions so the acknowledgement that the cybersecurity deficit within state and local government is a national security issue is a major step in the right direction.
At the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), we assess the cybersecurity maturity of state and local governments through the Nationwide Cybersecurity Review (NCSR). Our assessment focuses on cyber maturity in key areas ranging from implementing technical security controls to user awareness training. A key indicator of success for this grant program will be year-over-year increases to the maturity assessments of organizations participating in the NCSR.
Cybersecurity is a race without a finish line. We know it is impossible to defend against every conceivable threat and our goal is not to achieve perfect protection. Using these funds, we encourage state and local governments to drive decision making through risk management, ensure the involvement of executive leadership and governing bodies, and collaborate with others to make the most effective use of these funds. It may just be what were not hearing aboutmassive data breaches or ransomware incidents among local governmentsthat proves federal money has been well spent.
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Chief Strategy Officer and CISO Advisor at Sectigo
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has within it language that outlines improvements to cyber resiliency including $2 billion allocated towards state and local cybersecurity as it relates to critical infrastructure. While this is indeed much-needed funding towards cyber resiliency and protection, there must be increased funding considerations for the future. The measures outlined in the bill are a good step forward, however, the intricacies of cybersecurity and infrastructure are complex, and it may be some time before we can determine the benefits of this legislation. We cannot rely on tech if we dont understand the risks associated with it, especially when it comes to cyber threats to national-security and critical infrastructure which we saw firsthand with SolarWinds.
Importantly, the White Houses plans to bolster cyber education and critical infrastructure resilience should implement identity and cybersecurity solutions that are hand-in-hand with interoperability and openness. Though, ultimately, we need a Zero Trust security approach, which President Biden and his administration have put more of an emphasis on as outlined in their overall cybersecurity strategy. Ensuring that his priorities are intertwined with varying policy initiatives is especially critical and an opportunity for local, state and the federal government to work together and will help determine if the legislation is impactful and is working as intended.
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How to know if the infrastructure bill is actually working - Protocol
Official Visit of the Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, 18 to 20 April – Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore
The Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, received a ceremonial welcome at the Istana this morning and had a new orchid hybrid, the Dendrobium Jacinda Ardern, named in her honour. Prime Minister Ardern called on President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee. The two Prime Ministers also held a Joint Press Conference before adjourning for an Official Lunch hosted by Prime Minister Lee.
President Halimah and Prime Minister Ardern reaffirmed the strong and multifaceted relations between Singapore and New Zealand. They noted the strong COVID-19 cooperation between both sides, which demonstrates that we are close partners that can rely on each other in times of need. They had an engaging conversation on the contributions and progress of women in both countries. They also discussed the importance of maintaining social cohesion, particularly in diverse, multicultural societies such as Singapore and New Zealand.
Prime Minister Lee and Prime Minister Ardern reaffirmed the warm and excellent bilateral relations, which were upgraded to an Enhanced Partnership (EP) during Prime Minister Arderns last visit in 2019. The Prime Ministers were pleased with the good progress made under the EP across the four pillars of trade and economics, security and defence, science, technology and innovation, as well as people-to-people ties. They also welcomed the close cooperation between Singapore and New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic, including an air freight connectivity partnership that brought food supplies into Singapore and sent essential medical supplies to New Zealand.
The Prime Ministers agreed to explore new areas of cooperation to keep the EP forward-looking. They announced the establishment of a new pillar on climate change and green economy under the EP, which reflects the ongoing cooperation in this important area and the joint commitment to pursue closer collaboration. Cooperation under this pillar will include initiatives on energy transition technology, carbon markets, sustainable transport and waste management as a start. The Prime Ministers also welcomed the establishment of initiatives on sustainable aviation, business collaboration and supply chain resilience.
The Prime Ministers welcomed the timely launch of the Vaccinated Travel Framework by Singapore from 1 April 2022, and New Zealands reopening of borders to visa-free countries, including Singapore, from 1 May 2022. The reopening of borders is an important step towards living with COVID-19, and is critical in restoring the people-to-people and business links between both countries and with the rest of the world. The establishment of a bilateral Working Holiday Scheme will allow young Singaporeans and New Zealanders to travel and work in each others countries.
The Prime Ministers also exchanged views on key regional and international developments. They agreed on the importance of international law and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. Both leaders strongly condemned the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and called on all parties to facilitate unhindered humanitarian assistance to those in need in Ukraine.
Following the meeting, the Prime Ministers issued a Joint Statement on the key outcomes of the meeting. The full text of the Joint Statement is at Annex.
. . . . .
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
19 APRIL 2022
Annex
JOINT STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTERS OF NEW ZEALAND AND SINGAPORE
1. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosted Prime Minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern on an Official Visit to Singapore on 19 April 2022. The Prime Ministers acknowledged the longstanding friendship and multi-faceted, wide-ranging cooperation between Singapore and New Zealand across many fields, in spite of the challenges presented by COVID-19.
Reconnecting
2. The Prime Ministers discussed their respective countries responses to managing COVID-19. They reflected on the high value of the close cooperation and frequent discussions between health, border, transport, foreign affairs, and other officials throughout the pandemic. They welcomed reconnecting through the reopening of borders to each other, which will restore people-to-people links between the two countries.
3.The Prime Ministers welcomed a new Working Holiday Scheme for young Singaporeans and New Zealanders, who will soon once again be able to travel and work in each others country each year.
Bilateral Cooperation
4.The Prime Ministers welcomed the excellent progress made in the Enhanced Partnership between Singapore and New Zealand, established during Prime Minister Arderns Official Visit in 2019. The Enhanced Partnership currently covers four pillars: (a) Trade and Economics; (b) Security and Defence; (c) Science, Technology and Innovation; and (d) People-to-People links.
5.The Prime Ministers agreed to strengthen the Enhanced Partnership by adding a new pillar on Climate Change and Green Economy to better reflect our recognition of the existential threat posed by climate change and our shared commitment to implement the Paris Agreement and seize growth opportunities in the green economy. Cooperation under this pillar can include energy transition technology, carbon markets, sustainable transport, and waste management as a start. A list of agreed initiatives is in theAnnex.
6. As the region adapts to evolving global trends and supply chain vulnerabilities, the Prime Ministers agreed that increasing economic resilience will be crucial. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore and New Zealand have worked together to guard against protectionism to ensure that supply chains remained open. To help build resilience against current and future supply chain disruption, the Prime Ministers agreed to launch a Singapore and New Zealand Supply Chain Working Group. They asked officials, working closely with the private sector, to identify opportunities for collaboration in support of more productive, resilient, sustainable, and digitally enhanced supply chains for enterprises of all sizes and for improved food and energy security in both countries.
7.The Prime Ministers noted the ongoing opportunities for New Zealand and Singapore companies to work together to support the growth of exports and services to South East Asia, South Asia, and beyond. New Zealand is an important producer of food and agricultural products while Singapore is a natural transport and logistics hub for New Zealand businesses. They reaffirmed the importance of further strengthening partnerships in food and agriculture between the two countries, to enhance food security and facilitate the development of innovative food systems. They agreed to strengthen the relationship between our research institutions in areas such as alternative protein as well as collaborate on the commercialisation of new food products.
8.The Prime Ministers agreed that New Zealand and Singapore will continue to strengthen defence and security cooperation including through high-level dialogues, training exercises, professional exchanges, and cooperation at multilateral fora. The Prime Ministers were pleased to note an increase in both countries engagement on counter terrorism and exchange of maritime security insights, and climate change. The Prime Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to the Five Powers Defence Arrangements, which marked its 50thanniversary in 2021, and to the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus.
9.The Prime Ministers noted that there have been frequent exchanges between Singapore and New Zealand cyber security experts since a Cyber Security Memorandum of Arrangement was signed in 2019.Wide-ranging discussions have covered the resilience of critical infrastructure and SMEs to cyber incidents, cyber security workforce development, Internet of Things security, ransomware and cooperation with the private sector for stronger cyber outcomes. The Prime Ministers directed their respective cyber security leads (Chief Executive of Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and the New Zealand Prime Ministers Special Representative for Cyber and Digital) to meet virtually to discuss opportunities to further deepen the cyber security partnership between the two countries.
Regional Economic and Trade Cooperation
10.The Prime Ministers welcomed the development of stronger economic linkages between Singapore and NewZealand arising from the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the recent entry into force of theRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP).
11.The Prime Ministers noted their support for ongoing efforts to conclude, ratify, implement and upgrade trade agreements in the region that benefit our peoples and our businesses. They also welcomed the ongoing efforts by the US to work with partners on the establishment of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Both countries will continue to support the upgrade of the ASEAN Australia NewZealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) as well as the expansion of existing agreements such as the CPTPP and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) to economies that can fully adhere to the agreements high standards.
Global Developments
12.The Prime Ministers exchanged views on global developments.
13.The Prime Ministers reiterated their strong condemnation of the invasion and occupation of Ukraine and demanded Russias immediate withdrawal. They agreed that actions by Russia are a flagrant violation of fundamental principles of international law and risk long-term global instability, and called on all parties to protect civilians and respect human rights. They also called on all parties to facilitate unhindered humanitarian assistance to those in need in Ukraine.
14.The Prime Ministers reiterated their shared commitment to an open, inclusive, rules-based and resilient Indo-Pacific region, which supports and promotes free trade and open markets, and respects the rights of countries to lead their national existence free from external interference, subversion and coercion. They reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN Centrality, and agreed to continue to work closely with ASEAN in ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum. They also reaffirmed their shared determination to strengthen the WTO and the rules-based multilateral trading system.
15.In the maritime domain, the Prime Ministers reaffirmed the right of freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the seas accorded by international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They reaffirmed the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, in particular UNCLOS, which sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out. They affirmed the need to respect states ability to conserve, sustainably develop, and effectively manage their maritime natural resources in accordance with international law, in particular UNCLOS.They reaffirmed that all concerned parties must abide by the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and reiterated their support for ASEAN-led efforts to develop an effective and substantive Code of Conduct for the South China Sea that upholds the legitimate rightsand interestsof all parties and is consistent with UNCLOS. They also affirmed the importance of acting consistently with the relevant Standards and Recommended Practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the relevant instruments and conventions of the International Maritime Organization.
16.The Prime Ministers shared their deep concerns regarding the situation in Myanmar following the 2021 military coup. Both Prime Ministers agreed that the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar adopted at the ASEAN Leaders Meeting on 24 April 2021 should be fully implemented as soon as possible and reiterated calls for the violence to end, for inclusive dialogue between all parties in Myanmar, for the release of all political detainees including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and foreign detainees, and for the Myanmar military authorities to avoid actions that would be inimical to eventual national reconciliation in Myanmar. They appreciated the constructive role played by ASEAN in facilitating a peaceful solution in the interest of the people of Myanmar. Singapore and New Zealand also remain committed to supporting ASEANs efforts in alleviating the humanitarian situation in Myanmar.
17.The Prime Ministers reiterated their support for multilateral and UN engagement on Myanmar including the work of the UN Special Envoy for the Secretary General and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar and called for UN representatives and agencies to be granted full access to Myanmar.
18.Both Prime Ministers underscored that New Zealand and Singapore are staunch supporters of international law and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. They agreed that New Zealand and Singapore will continue to work together to strengthen their bilateral relationship and uphold international law and the multilateral system, and to stay in close contact on regional and global issues of concern. On climate change specifically, the Prime Ministers acknowledged the need for intensified global effort to counter climate change, and committed to work together to build on the outcomes of the COP26 in Glasgow and the recommendations of the latest deeply concerning IPCC reports.
19.Both Prime Ministers also agreed that to ensure global security, prosperity and the meeting of challenges such as climate change in the coming decades, it is important to support regional and global institutions and approaches that facilitate constructive dialogue between all countries.
INITIATIVES FOR THE NEW CLIMATE CHANGE AND GREEN ECONOMY PILLAR UNDER THE SINGAPORE-NEW ZEALAND ENHANCED PARTNERSHIP
Letters to the Editor – Geauga Maple Leaf
Dont Be Deceived by Fake GOP Endorsements
Hello Geauga County Voters,
I have had the honor to serve the past eight years as Chairman of the Geauga County Republican Party.
It seems that every primary election cycle I must address the fact that, historically, our county Republican Party chooses not to endorse candidates in opposed primary elections. Over the years, there were groups that attempted to confuse voters by co-opting our party and its brand with mailers, social media posts and advertisements claiming Republican endorsements.
One recent such group is the Geauga County Conservative Club. It has chosen selected Republican candidates to promote using the Republican elephant image and the Republican Partys name. They attempt to fool voters into believing that their hand-picked candidates went through a formal vetting process by the Geauga County Republican Party; however, that is not the case. Do not be deceived by these fake Republican endorsements!
Another thing I would like to address is a recent visit to Geauga County by Ohio State Auditor Keith Faber. Auditor Faber attended a Mentor Area Chamber breakfast and let me know that he planned to visit our county auditors office and then a business in Burton later that day. Upon his arrival in Burton, he discovered that Diane Grendell was with the business owner. He later told me he had no prior knowledge that she would be there.
After a few photos were taken, he asked her not to use any of them in her campaign and told her that he does not endorse candidates in primaries. Unfortunately, shortly after he left, photos of him with Diane Grendell began appearing in campaign ads on social media and more recently in local newspapers. After discussing this with him on the phone, Mr. Faber submitted a written statement to me:
While I know and have worked with both candidates for County Auditor, I have not endorsed, nor do I plan to endorse, any candidate in this race. This election is about the people of Geauga County, and they should make up their own minds as to who would be best to serve as their County Auditor.
It is unfortunate that Auditor Faber and our county Republican Party have been taken advantage of for political purposes.
Geauga County voters, talk to your friends and neighbors, research the candidates, and please get out and vote in the primary election on Tuesday, May 3!
God Bless and Thank You.
Nancy McArthurGeauga County Republican Party Chairman
In trying to decide whether to write a letter regarding the upcoming primary, I have been weighing which of the myriad of issues presented by the current pollical climate in Geauga County to speak to. It has not been an easy choice.
Do I opine on the mudslinging, name calling and outright lies perpetrated by several campaigns? Do I bog myself down in trying to explain the minutiae of an issue in the short space of an editorial letter? Do I even bother writing a letter at all?
In the end, I decided that the most important message in any election is simply this: VOTE. One of my favorite Abraham Lincoln quotes is, Elections belong to the people. Its their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.
And so I urge everyone, dont get burned, get out and make your voice heard by casting your ballots on May 3, 2022.
Matt RamboRussell Township
During a recent election in my local school district, one school board candidate proclaimed he was a candidate for community accountability. Its a nice catch-phrase, but what does it mean?
Does it mean (as we hope it would) that elected officials, with your interests in their hearts and acting honestly and as servant leaders in the performance of their duties, will be your representatives in the oversite and enforcement of proper spending of taxpayer dollars, no matter whos spending such funds?
And does it mean they will not be driven by personal agendas and personal conflicts of interest and by narrow objectives primarily related to desired results associated with their positions and personal philosophies?
Or does community accountability represent nothing more than an attractive sound bite, devoid of its reasonable and public-focused meaning, for the sake of promoting a set of amorphous goals that broadly speaking may sound legitimate?
Does it mean positioning oneself to be an arbiter of all things for the sake of a chosen few, even when obvious conflicts of interest are present? Is the phrase simply a coded appeal to a select audience?
These are questions you, the voter, will need to answer in the upcoming primary election. Who will be serving you when the rubber meets the road?
How is community accountability achieved when the not-so-wise fox is guarding his/her own hen house? How is a separation of duties, oversite and true accountability achieved when the skulk runs in a pack?
Does the candidate demonstrate an understanding of the issues, an expertise in requirements of the position, a plan for insuring the safe and constructive use of your tax funds, and provide substantive proposals for improvement of accounting systems and checks and balances?
Or has the candidate chosen the approach of an attack dog, without plans to protect the taxpayers of the county and without a focus on your needs and your best interests?
There are solution providers. And, there are projectionists who divert attention from their own objectives by projecting their weaknesses on others. And then there are diversionists, who actively look for ways to cloud your vision, obfuscate the public, and obscure their true goals.
Who would you choose?
With the primary vote on the horizon and with the priceless privilege of the vote available to you, please be certain to study the credentials and qualifications of all candidates, understand who theyll be serving and why, determine if they are capable of serving your best interests and carefully consider whether they, by their actions and words, will actually serve the county residents or will they serve others masters. And above all, vote.
Bill JacksonCity of Chardon
I write to show support for Carolyn Brakey in her new role as board member of the Geauga Board of Public Health (GPH).
I have gotten to know Mrs. Brakey through her activities at GPH and have always found her to be polite, professional, well informed and extremely competent.
My wife has made me aware of some comments made of Mrs. Brakey on public forums such as Facebook that are simply untrue or are, at best, unknown, because she has not yet acted on behalf of Geauga County in any such capacity. The notion that her bringing a fresh perspective to a body that has been plagued with issues for quite some time is somehow a bad thing is mystifying.
The idea that having a lawyer serve on the board is equally nonsensical.To borrow from my wifes comments on the matter:
Public health is the juncture of medicine, public policy and law. Its about creating and enacting policies that branch into every area of our lives and impact all of our citizens.
Its ludicrous to suggest that its not appropriate to have a lawyer who is passionate about individual rights on a public health board.
Those of us concerned with citizens rights and the over-reach of government are counting on the bright voices of peoples like Mrs. Brakey to question runaway regulation and to be certain that our interests are always a part of the equation for any such board!
Jonathan R. BroadbentNewbury Township
Im writing to voice my support for Chuck Walder for Geauga County Auditor in the Republican primary election.
Mr. Walder took over the auditors office at a time when it was in complete disarray and worked diligently to restore integrity and competence.
In his tenure as auditor, he has wisely used his authority to insist that every county department produce a coherent budget plan that makes the best use of county funds to provide services that meet the needs of the public and eliminates waste and misuse.
Not all county departments have been happy about his insistence on correct accounting practices and fiscal integrity, but as a voter and taxpayer I support his position wholeheartedly.
In addition, Mr. Walders background in the management of information technology is a tremendous asset to Geauga County government. He has modernized the extensive computer network and communications infrastructure of county government, and maintained a high level of security in those systems. Having an auditor who actually understands those systems and how to keep them secure is a valuable asset.
I urge every Republican voter to vote for Chuck Walder for Geauga County Auditor in the May 3 Republican Party primary.
Frank GwirtzParkman Township
I saw Jim Dvorak around the community for many years, but never really knew who he was until I joined the rotary in which he was already a member.
It did not take long to know that Jim was very active in many programs benefiting the people of Geauga County. Having heritage in Geauga County since the early 1800s, I appreciate all his efforts in making our county a great place to live.
When Jim spearheaded The Red Tulip Project and asked our family business to help, we were happy to help and glad we could participate. Another good project bettering Geauga County.
Jim has done many good things for us here. I believe he will continue to do so. I will cast my vote May 3 to keep Jim a county commissioner.
Ted BermanClaridon Township
Please vote to retain Chuck Walder as Geauga County Auditor. He has clearly demonstrated the knowledge, leadership and work ethic required of the job.
Chuck Walder has been a great help to me over the years, first as a fellow fiscal officer and now as the county auditor. His experience, knowledge and true understanding of the position are evident as he protects the money of the residents of Geauga County.
This is not a figurehead position. Chuck is hands-on and has proven a thorough knowledge and understanding of what is required of an auditor.
Here is a short list of Chuck Walders accomplishments that I have witnessed in my role as fiscal officer:
There has been a lot of misinformation spread recently in this campaign. Despite the negativity, lies and unjust accusations, Chuck Walder has kept to the facts about his accomplishments and has not stooped to the level of his opponent. That speaks volumes about the type of person he is and is indicative of how he runs his office. He treats people with respect and is respected statewide, as evidenced in the many awards and achievements he has received.
Please get out and vote for Chuck Walder on May 3. Elections have consequences. Chuck Walders experience matters for Geauga County!
Janice SugarmanBainbridge Township
I would like to respond to a recent letter to the editor concerning H.B. 488.Simply put, the bill would allow courts to independently seek adequate legal representation. The bill would further insulate judges from the quirks of the political process.
Ohio judges must follow the Code of Judicial Conduct.This code is very specific in limiting a judges speech and actions with respect to litigation involving the judge. No other Ohio elected officials have such limitations.The passage of H.B. 488 would lessen this huge disadvantage.
Currently, county commissioners can retain lawyers for any purpose, without any oversight. Yet, Judges are required to supplicate to the whims of county commissioners, without recourse. Can you imagine if you were getting divorced and your soon-to-be ex-spouse got to decide if you get a lawyer and to decide which lawyer you get?Neither can I.
In my thirteen years as a judge I have continually strived to increase the independent reputation of judges and courts. This bill would reaffirm the independence and impartiality of our judiciary.
James T. Walther, JudgeLorain County Probate Court
Weve grown tired of the political fighting, the name-calling and especially the innuendosthat try todestroya persons good name.
We read with interestthefull pageadsof bothauditor candidates.We were impressed by Mr.Waldersexplanation of his job duties.The statementwas clear and straight forward.
In contrast,DianeGrendellsadvertising seemed bent upon ruiningMr.Waldersreputation with unproven innuendos.Ms.Grendells persistentname calling in this ad, and other places, does not inspire confidenceand seems rather juvenile. We wanted to hear about theskills she could bring tothisobviously complex job.
What impressed us most about Mr.Walderwas his lengthy list of local people who were endorsing him. Three of our elected officials here in Munson Township, where we live,haveendorsed him.
We believe that Mr. Walders rsum,a four-year record of positive performanceandano drama approach are good reasons to give him our vote on May 3.
Mike and Peggy SaxonMunson Township
Jim Dvorak has been our County Commissioner for several years. He has done an excellent job. He follows through completely on everything he does.
An example: He was the only non-veteran on the Geauga County Veterans Memorial, Inc. A-plus job that he performed.
It was an organization that lasted for 12 years to complete the Veterans Monument which contains the names off all the Veterans in Geauga County on it. It took $500,000 to build it. Amazing that that kind of money went to veterans.
Jim was involved with marketing on the project. He created the Celebrity Bricklaying Contests. Ten events over several years garnered funds for the project, and it was fun, indeed. Lots of people were involved with it.
He performed at the Geauga County Maple Festival, The Great Geauga County Fair and with Kenny Crumpton on Channel 8 at Kicking with Kenny. Jim was an ideal person with the program and he did it very well. That is just one of the things he has done well and good.
Jim Dvorak gets my vote for County Commissioner.
Paul A. NewmanHambden Township
As a retired Information Technology (IT) software professional, I shudder whenever I read of a business, hospital or local government that is a victim of a computer systems breach that steals our personal information, or worse locks out all access until the organization transfers a large sum of money (ransomware) to an untraceable bank account.
I wondered how well Geauga Countys automated data processing system was working and how strong its internet defenses were from such intrusions.
Our current auditor, Charles Walder, took over in 2018 after a serious accounting scam by a county IT employee caused a loss of almost $2 million. Hes been working on system security ever since. He knows maintaining internet security and preventing intrusions is a highly technical, never ending job.
His engineering background serves him well in this regard. There are actually frequent unsuccessful attempts to breach the safeguards in the county system. Each time that happens Mr. Walder and his IT team go over theattempted breach and work to make the system even stronger. He is justifiably proud that in the last four years there have been no successful intrusions.
Geauga County has a $222 million annual budget. A successful ransomware attack would cripple the countys financial operations; payroll, purchasing and payments for needed equipment and supplies would be stopped until the hackers were paid off.For four years, Geauga County Auditor Charles Walder has operated the computer systems of Geauga County government to the highest standards. Mr. Walder is my pick to retain as county auditor. We cant do better, but we could do a whole lot worse.
Gideon JohnsonClaridon Township
Voters have the opportunity to directly affect politics close to home by choosing a county commissioner. We can re-elect incumbent Jim Dvorak or re-elect private citizen Skip Claypool, but wait, Claypool is not the incumbent so why do his signs say re-elect?
Claypool lost to Dvorak four years ago, so asking to be re-elected is an example of Claypools cesspool politics.He is defiantly twisting, bending and/or breaking election rules.
What other deceptive tricks are in Claypools cesspool of politics?Have you ever listened to him speak? You ask him what time it is and he drones on for an hour about his irrelevant personal agenda while never stating what time it is.
Claypools cesspool of politics consists of his personal agenda and not the needs of Geauga County.
Dvorak is an honest, hard-working and God-fearing man, while the only thing Claypool fears is a moderator declaring his time is up.Go ahead, admit it: You have heard Claypool speak and as his hypnotic self-aggrandizement free-flows, you say to others, Oh, that is just Skippy.
Geauga County needs to re-elect Jim Dvorak who has spent countless hours in service to local government as well as community organizations serving others.The clear difference is that Jim Dvorak focuses on the needs of others while Claypool draws on the cesspool of politics to tell you his needs.
I fully support Jim Dvorak as the only candidate that you can re-elect as county commissioner and he is the only Geauga County conservative representing our needs.
Please vote Jim Dvorak for Geauga County Commissioner on May 3.
Timothy H. Snyder, Esq.Burton Township
As a decade-long resident of Geauga, and locally involved civil volunteer, I find the future of my community to be of utmost interest.
I am both personally and historically invested in this community. Like many others though, I struggle to get honest and fairaccess to our candidates leading up to our elections so that I can exercise my democratic duty to help better inform our elected officials of the morals and values that our community embodies.
Too often, we are inspired to fall prey to electoral rhetoric that lands in our mailboxes instead of getting to know our candidates.
I would like to momentarily recognize the League of Womens Voters of Geauga (LWVG) for their efforts to bring access to our county electorate and to provide a forum for important issues and elections throughout our county. The LWVG has organized a candidate forumon Wednesday, April27 at 7 p.m.where you can attend in-person at the Bainbridge Library, attend a simulcast watch party at the Library Administration Center in Chardon, or opt for a live-stream option for those less inclined to attend in person. This is an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates prior to theMay 3primary.
If you would like to submit candidate questions ahead of time, they even have an email address,heycandidates@lwvgeauga.org,to do just that. Please consider participating in this important event and thank you LWVG.
John LateulereBainbridge Township
There is much talk of what the Republican Party is about. Who is a good Republican and who is a RINO?
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Letters to the Editor - Geauga Maple Leaf
Cybersecurity Act of 2022: A Step in the Right Direction With a Significant Loophole – DARKReading
During the past few years, we have witnessed an alarming increase in the volume and sophistication of cybercrime and cyberattacks. It is both understandable and necessary that the US Congress has taken measures to strengthen our countrys cybersecurity. The Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act of 2022, for example, was recently passed by the Senate and is currently in review by the House of Representatives. The cybersecurity community is pleased to see action by Congress on this important issue, but, unfortunately, the act contains a significant loophole added late in the legislative process that will impede progress toward the goal of increasing US cybersecurity: a complete carve-out of DNS from the reporting requirements and other obligations outlined in the bill.
The Domain Name System, of course, registers domain names and translates them into digital addresses that route traffic through the global Internet. DNS is at the heart of the Internet and represents the exact type of information that needs to be reportable to proactively protect our cyber assets.
For decades, DNS and the data concerning individuals and organizations that register and use domain names known as WHOIS data have been critical to law enforcement agencies and private cybersecurity companies to protect the US and its citizens from cyberattacks and cybercrime.
As stated in written testimony to Congress by the FBI Cyber Division in 2003, Cyber Division investigators use the WHOIS database almost every day. Querying of domain name registries is the first step in many cybercrime investigations. Anything that limits or restricts the availability of WHOIS data to law enforcement agencies will decrease its usefulness in FBI investigations This was true in 2003, and it is true now. In 2020, DHS reaffirmed, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) views WHOIS information, and the accessibility to it, as critical information required to advance HSI criminal investigations, including COVID-19 fraud.
Gone DarkDespite the unambiguous statements from governments and law enforcement agencies expressing the critical importance of DNS and open and immediate access to accurate WHOIS data for cybersecurity, WHOIS data has essentially gone dark since May 2018. This can be traced to the enactment of policies put in place by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) as the organization attempted to comply with the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). But GDPR applies to people, not to companies or governments. Yet nearly all useful registration data has been hidden even the data not subject to GDPR.
It is not only US-based law enforcement agencies that emphasize the critical role of the DNS and WHOIS data for cybersecurity. In 2018, the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) Advisory Group on Internet Security stated, Almost all cyberattacks require infrastructure which is subject to DNS registration at some point in the attack life cycle. As such, the international Whois protocol plays a critical role in identifying malicious infrastructure and thus defending against or preventing attacks. Accessing Whois registrant information is an essential element of the cybersecurity communitys efforts to maintain the overall security and stability of the global Internet.
Passing cybersecurity legislation while exempting DNS and ignoring the lack of WHOIS data accessibility is like trying to improve banking security while removing the know-your-customer (KYC) requirements. Doing so leaves the country increasingly vulnerable and unable to identify, track, and prevent malicious behavior.
Restore Access to WHOIS DataGiven these circumstances, it is contrary to the goal of improving security for the federal government and the American people for Congress to give a pass on mandatory reporting to the DNS and the current lack of availability of WHOIS data. It would be more beneficial for Congress to restore access to WHOIS data and require that all domain name registries and registrars that have any business nexus to the US be able to verify the accuracy of the WHOIS data of their customers. Such data should also be made publicly accessible. The three top-level domains .com, .org, and .net are all administered by US companies and, as of April 2021, comprised 60% of all domain names used by websites around the world.
As explained by the Anti-Phishing Working Group at a Cooperation Against Cybercrime international conference, Restricted access to WHOIS data by GDPR regulation under its initial interpretation (by ICANN) hampers Internet security; law enforcement activities; security research; anti-money laundering activities; and programmatic suppression of criminal infrastructure. Turning a blind eye to this critical component of cybersecurity and relegating these DNS and WHOIS data issues to the exclusive provenance of ICANNs multistakeholder organization, which has failed to serve the public interest, will impede rather than improve the cybersecurity of the US.
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Cybersecurity Act of 2022: A Step in the Right Direction With a Significant Loophole - DARKReading
BitSight contributes to the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition to bridge the Cyber Capacity Gap in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) – PR Newswire
"I welcome this Partner2Connect pledge by BitSight to bridge the cyber capacity gap in the Least Developed Countries," said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. "Through this contribution, LDCs will access useful resources to identify their cyber vulnerabilities and take targeted steps to lower their cyber risks."
This pledge towards Partner2Connect will provide LDCs with free access to the BitSight Critical National Infrastructure solution for a full year. The solution will let LDCs monitor their critical infrastructure, such as electric utilities, water systems and emergency services, so they can better protect themselves from cyber threats.
"With advanced data tools, LDCs can immediately establish a better understanding of the risks their organizations face and how to manage them," said Steve Harvey, BitSight's chief executive officer. "By helping these countries improve their cybersecurity stature, we are creating a more secure global environment. We are proud to partner with the ITU on this critical initiative to improve global cyber capacity."
Botswana, an early participant of the program, has already seen improvements in its national cybersecurity capacity. Head of Botswana CIRT (BwCIRT) Emmanuel Thekiso noted, "Before using the BitSight tool, the Botswana CIRT team did not have any tool in place to measure the cybersecurity posture in the country. The BitSight tool has a large footprint on the public internet for observing traffic and makes efforts to ensure accurate data. The platform is easy to use and provides fantastic summary reporting related to security which is easy for management and the Board to understand. It provides valuable, objective and comparable data, which can drive better risk-based decisions across different stages of vendor risk management life-cycle."
Eswatini, another early program participant, hassimilarly seen improvements. Eswatini Communications CommissionIT Engineer Nokuthula Hlophe commented, "BitSight is a great tool that has given Eswatini visibility of the country's cyber risks, helping the country make informed decisions and improve the nation's cybersecurity posture as a whole. The tool is non-intrusive with no requirement for any hardware. The dashboards are easy to navigate and compliment internal vulnerability applications. Improving the threat landscape for any country requires a concerted effort from different stakeholders and BitSight offers just that."
For more information, contact cybersecurity(at)itu.int, or visit http://www.itu.int/go/cyberforgood.
About BitSightBitSight transforms how organizations manage cyber risk. The BitSight Security Ratings Platform applies sophisticated algorithms, producing daily security ratings that range from 250 to 900, to help organizations manage their own security performance; mitigate third party risk; underwrite cyber insurance policies; conduct financial diligence; and assess aggregate risk. With the largest ecosystem of users and information, BitSight is the Standard in Security Ratings. For more information, please visitwww.bitsight.com, read ourblog or follow@BitSight on Twitter.
About ITUThe International Telecommunication Union (ITU)is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies ICTs.
Founded in 1865 to facilitate international connectivity in communications networks, we allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develop the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strive to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide. Every time you make a phone call via the mobile, access the Internet or send an email, you are benefitting from the work of ITU.
ITU is committed to connecting all the world's people wherever they live and whatever their means. Through our work, we protect and support everyone's right to communicate.
About Partner2ConnectThe Partner2Connect Digital Coalition is a multistakeholder alliance launched by ITU in close cooperation with the Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology, and in line with the UN Secretary-General's Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, to foster meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally, with a focus on but not limited to hardest- to-connect communities in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), visithttps://www.itu.int/Partner2Connect.
SOURCE BitSight
http://https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1798194/BitSight_Security_Rating_Averages.jpg https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1798194/BitSight_Security_Rating_Averages.jpg
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BitSight contributes to the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition to bridge the Cyber Capacity Gap in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) - PR Newswire
Impervious.ai Raises Seed Round to Develop the Peer-to-Peer Internet Standard – PR Newswire
Impervious Technologies Inc. (impervious.ai) closes seed round to scale the Peer-to-Peer ("P2P") internet standard.
The Impervious Browser, set for release in Q2 2022, provides an entire suite of easy to use P2P tools that help to mitigate censorship and surveillance controls.
As users increasingly rely on the browser to access web applications and communications, the browser itself now serves as a de facto operating system and is due for a significant overhaul. The nearly 2/3rds of internet users who rely on Google Chrome are captured in Google's virtualized operating system. The Impervious team believes the best opportunity to normalize adoption of the P2P internet standard is to provide P2P communications and decentralized publishing tools directly from within into the browser.
By interlacing the Bitcoin Lightning Network,Decentralized Identifiers(DIDs), a DIDComm system, WebRTC,IPFSand more throughout theImpervious Browser, users are provided an entire suite of initiative P2P tools.
By connecting individuals directly with each other through cryptographically secure data transmission channels, the Impervious Browser offers a variety of capabilities that otherwise today depend on third-party intermediaries - i.e., video calls, messaging, shared documents, content publishing and payments.
"The Impervious Browser enables Zoom without Zoom, messaging without WhatsApp, publishing without Facebook and identity without the state," said Chase Perkins, Founder & CEO of Impervious Technologies.
"Consumer protection and cyber security-related infrastructure initiatives are largely unachievable until we introduce mechanisms that bolster data privacy. The Impervious Browser provides individuals with greater day-to-day discretion and control over their data, payments and communications," continued Perkins.
The companyplans to use the funds to scale its rapidly growing team and attract the best talent across the systems engineering, mobile and Bitcoin ecosystems. With an eye on rapidly capturing big tech's market share, Impervious plans on developing more user-friendly products - including a mobile browser and a new suite of applications on top of the Impervious browser.
Meltem Demirors, Chief Strategy Officer of CoinShares added, "The Impervious Browser represents a new approach to the internet. One that defaults to the P2P internet standard and provides consumers with a much needed choice concerning where and how their data is stored and transferred."
Other investors in this round included XBTO Humla Ventures Fund, Jungle Boys Capital, Bitcoiner Ventures, and Lightning Ventures.
Sign up for early access to the Impervious Browser, here.
SOURCE Impervious Technologies Inc
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Impervious.ai Raises Seed Round to Develop the Peer-to-Peer Internet Standard - PR Newswire
How to keep websites from seeing everything you do online – Backend News
Have you ever wondered why, after liking a photo of a pair of shoes online, you find yourself seeing more shoes on almost every website you visit soon after?
We are being watched online and its no secret.
Some of the largest websites on the internet use third-party software to track everything you do on their sites, including what you type, click, and scroll through. Its mainly used by website developers for performance diagnostics so they know what people are doing on their websites and if any pages are broken or not working as they should.
Kaspersky study reveals steps Filipinos take after online scam or fraudKaspersky shares 5 ways to keep finances safe online
But it becomes a problem because first, the software is capable of tracking a great deal of information that isnt exactly useful for website developers, and second, these third parties have access to that information.
A group of researchers from Princeton University reported that the collection of page content by third-party replay scripts may cause sensitive information such as medical conditions, credit card details and other personal information to leak and expose users to identity theft, online scams and other unwanted behavior.
Control over data
Everytime we use the internet, the websites that we go to capture everything we type, mouse over, or click on, said Charleen Caban, Territory Channel manager for the Philippines at Kaspersky. Our private information is accessed, analyzed, and used by many organizations to create a profile on each of us and our online activity. Fortunately, its not a completely helpless situation though. We can actually have control over our data.
What can be done to help preserve our online privacy? Let us count the ways:
Kaspersky Total Security
But if you still cant make yourself understand how these tools work, theres still yet another way to make your digital life easier with a solution called Kaspersky Total Security or KTS.
Apart from automatically making backups of your files, included in the KTS is the Safe Money feature that protects your payment data with bank-grade encryption by establishing a secure container within your browser to automatically block your financial transactions from phishing attacks that can steal your identity or your money.
KTS has the Private Browsing feature that blocks all kinds of online trackers so companies will know less about you and be unable to bother (or tempt) you with personalized ads.
Available to Windows PC users, the Ad Blocker will stop annoying website banners from showing up on screen and the Keylogger Protection will automatically stop keyloggers from recording your keystrokes to help protect any data you enter on your keyboard.
KTS has a VPN feature called Kaspersky Secure Connection to help you connect without worrying about using wifi networks at cafes and parks where spies can intercept your data. This feature protects your data regardless of the network you are connected to and can also connect you to ultra-fast servers. If the connection is unstable, it will automatically use the Kill Switch feature to block all transmission of data until protection kicks in.
If you are the type who does not like creating and remembering long, complicated passwords for each of your online accounts, the Kaspersky Password Manager in KTS will be useful for you. It will remember all of your passwords for you and it will even tell you which passwords are not reliable enough and will suggest a replacement for them.
Installing Kaspersky Total Security is as easy as 1-2-3. Download the app, enter the activation code on the app, click activate and youre set.
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How to keep websites from seeing everything you do online - Backend News
Scrubbed offline forever? An internet security company wants to know – CBS News 8
Nord VPN surveyed a thousand people and more than half wished to be completely erased from the internet.
SAN DIEGO In its early days, the internet seemed harmless. It was a fun way to keep in touch through email, share photos on your personal blog, and watch the hottest videos before the term viral was a thing.
But now its 2022, and the internet is firmly apart of our lives.
Today, over 90% of all Americans go online and many couldnt imagine a world without it. Its how we work, get entertainment and most importantly, the internet is the way we connect with the world around us.
For people like me, whos been connecting and sharing things to the worldwide web since I was a teenager. Its safe to say its not hard to find an unflattering picture from those days.
"If it's on the internet, it's there forever," said David Nuti, the Senior Vice President in North America for Nord Security, a web-based company with Internet safety tools.
After surveying over a thousand people, Nord found that 55% of users would completely delete themselves from the internet if they could, 26% would want old dating and social media profiles deleted, and 23% would want previous employment history scrubbed.
"It's a promising sign," said Nuti. "Not from a viewpoint of paranoia, but that people are becoming more aware of having good hygiene when they're moving around the internet, and taking some caution on to where their personal information is,"
Once its on the web, its not coming off, but there are several things you can do to make sure photos, data, and personal information dont fall into the wrong hands.
Go through your social media and make sure youre comfortable with what others are seeing, pick a complex password to prevent your accounts from being hacked. And for more security, add a VPN to your browser. Its a way to hide all your web traffic from advertisers and hackers.
"There's no reason to be afraid of the internet," said Nuti. "Just pay attention to what you're doing and utilize the service that allows you to move around the internet safely and anonymously."
The internet has certainly evolved from what it once was, and our lives will continually be more connected by the worldwide web. Stories about trolls or other bad actors online are causing people to rethink how they navigate the web.
WATCH RELATED: Ukraine hit with Russian cyberattack during invasion, is the U.S. next? (February 2022)
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Scrubbed offline forever? An internet security company wants to know - CBS News 8
Zen Internet partners with Kroll to enhance cybersecurity strategies for businesses across the UK – Help Net Security
Zen Internet announced a new strategic partnership with Kroll to enhance online protection for businesses across the UK.
Zen will offer Krolls flagship managed detection and response solution, Kroll Responder, and its penetration testing, attack simulation and protection services. Zens customers will benefit from Krolls front-line threat intelligence and experienced team of accredited analysts, threat hunters and incident response experts who handle more than 3,200 incidents every year.
With more robust and resilient cyber security in place, organizations cyber risk will be minimised and their ability to quickly identify and respond to threats in real-time will be improved, a critical capability given that digital communications and therefore the potential opportunities for attack are accelerating at pace.
Mark Nicholls, Chief Research Officer in Krolls Cyber Risk practice comments: With the UKs Information Commissioners Office only recently saying that weve entered a new era of security and our research finding that there was a 140 percent increase in data breach cases reported between 2019 and 2020, its clear that businesses in the UK need to invest in their protection against cyber attacks.
Were looking forward to working with Zen to bring our security solutions to more businesses in the UK market. It will allow organizations to not only improve their cyber resilience through better detection and response but also allow them to assess the effectiveness and maturity of these measures something which is essential in the current threat environment.
Dave Barber, Portfolio Management Director at Zen Internet, comments: With the number of cyberattacks rising sharply, businesses are feeling the pressure to ensure their security measures are up to scratch, whilst simultaneously accelerating their digital transformation journey post-covid. With the skills gap in the cybersecurity industry ongoing, businesses are increasingly outsourcing services to experts in the field who can provide a one-stop shop for holistic security solutions.
Our partnership with Kroll is fundamental in enhancing our clients cybersecurity strategies; it brings a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity and risk management, providing UK businesses with round the clock access to qualified analysts to support their digital transformation and protect their business.
Krolls Penetration Testing Services offer Zens clients cyber assessments of computer networks, systems, and applications to identify and address security weaknesses. The range of penetration testing engagements helps organizations to effectively manage cybersecurity risk by identifying, safely exploiting, and helping to remediate vulnerabilities that could otherwise lead to data and assets being compromised by malicious attackers. Given the scale of increasingly sophisticated breach attacks being encountered by businesses, this will enhance the overall cyber resilience of organizations.
A managed detection and response (MDR) solution, Kroll Responder merges frontline threat intelligence and incident response experience with proprietary forensic tools and rich telemetry from endpoints, network, cloud and SaaS providers. It delivers enhanced visibility to enable organizations to rapidly shut down cyber threats.
This new portfolio of security products is available now.
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Zen Internet partners with Kroll to enhance cybersecurity strategies for businesses across the UK - Help Net Security