Insider espionage
Two European telecom service providers have chosen 5G technology from Finland’s Nokia Corp. for their networks in Belgium, dropping China’s Huawei. The decision followed months of diplomatic pressure from the U.S., which considers the Chinese technology a national security risk. [node:read-more:link]
The National Security Agency has issued an advisory that Chinese-connected adversaries are targeting vulnerable U.S. systems. “It can be hard to prioritize patching and mitigation efforts,” says NSA Cybersecurity Director Anne Neuberger. “While these vulnerabilities are already public, they’re still being successfully leveraged by malicious cyber actors,” highlighting the need for action. [node:read-more:link]
State-sponsored cyber activity by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea pose the “greatest strategic threats” to Canada’s critical infrastructure, intellectual property and politics, according to the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. In its latest threat assessment report, the agency within the Communications Security Establishment says the foreign cyber attacks are “almost certainly” continuing. [node:read-more:link]
The federal government’s use of polygraphs in security screenings has been questioned by the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency. It focuses in a new report on the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Communications Security Establishment, flagging limited oversight of polygraph use and warning that the tests could have “profound negative impacts on an employee's mental health if not used appropriately.” [node:read-more:link]
Former U.S. Navy analyst Jonathan Pollard, imprisoned in 1985 after pleading guilty to spying for Israel, has been welcomed to Tel Aviv by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pollard was paroled in 2015 but prohibited from foreign travel for at least five years. Israel had granted him citizenship in 1995. [node:read-more:link]
Cameron Ortis, the former director general of the RCMP’s national intelligence centre, faces three more charges under the Security of Information Act. Relating to unauthorized communication of special operational information, they are in addition to the original charge in September that he was preparing to share sensitive information with a foreign entity or terrorist organization. [node:read-more:link]
Israel’s military has disclosed that it has foiled a move by Palestinian Hamas militants to hack into Israeli troops’ smartphones. It uncovered the plot several months ago but let it continue under surveillance until they shut it down. Dozens of troops were targeted by Hamas agents posing as young women, enabling them to download malware. [node:read-more:link]
Seven variants of a malware program associated with North Korea prompted the U.S. intelligence community to issue a warning 17 February to the public and private sectors. The “Hidden Cobra” program evidently includes a remote-access trojan which would enable hackers to upload and download files as well as monitor victims’ microphones, clipboards and screens. [node:read-more:link]
A former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst faces up to 10 years in prison for sharing classified information with two journalists in 2018. Henry Frese has pled guilty. One of the journalists was his girlfriend at the time, a national security reporter for the CNBC business network. [node:read-more:link]
A Chinese citizen has pleaded guilty to taking photographs of a U.S. Navy base in Florida. His arrest is similar to the cases of three other Chinese nationals caught photographing the base in Key West. [node:read-more:link]
Former Defence Minister and now Conservatives Party leadership contender Peter MacKay said 25 February that if he eventually was able to form a government, he would not permit Huwei 5G communications technology to be used in Canada. His statement, in which he also said Britain would eventually reverse its decision to permit limited 5G use, came during a wide-ranging interview. [node:read-more:link]
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he and his British counterpart, Ben Wallace, have agreed to “further” reduce Huawei’s presence in 5G telecom infrastructure, but Esper is not elaborating. Britain has agreed to limited Huawei involvement while the U.S. remains vehemently opposed on security grounds, and it remains unclear that the two administrations had struck an actual deal. [node:read-more:link]
The Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Jonathan Vance, is worried about anything that would give China easier access to Canadian military computer networks. However, he says, he is confident that any security risks from Huawei's participation in expanding 5G service in Canada can be addressed. [node:read-more:link]
With 5G becoming the next generation of mobile telecommunications, China’s involvement in the technology remains a widespread concern because of national security questions. Most of the concern is in the U.S. but it also has become a political conundrum for Canada and other allies. The Australian Strategic Policy Initiative has taken a close look at the issue. [node:read-more:link]
The U.S. public is being asked to comment on the White House’s strategy for controlling the evolution of fifth-generational telecommunications networks. The administration and the Department of Defense are pushing for the removal of what they see as “foreign adversaries” from the 5G supply chain, notably China’s Huawei telecom giant. [node:read-more:link]
