TechLetters #101 - Australia to get LARGEST data protection fines in the world; Root of trust spec; Fibres cut in France again; EU to digitise its currency(?); Armed ground drones in Lithuania
Security
Europol arrests a group of 31. They stole cars of two French brands - those with keyless fobs ones. You open such stuff with software. Software developers were also detained.
European Union calls for increasing resilience of critical infrastructure. Physical layer, cyber layer. "...performing or updating risk assessments in line with the evolving nature of the current threats...". Those are very different than in 2021. Obviously: due to war in Europe.
Big tech software/hardware vendors to create a "root of trust". For processors/CPUs, hard disks, and such. To guarantee cybersecurity/integrity. Also to improve supply side security. Specification here. Discusses really low level attacks, for example Optical emission analyzers, Microscopic imagining, Scanning electron microscope imaging, Focussed ion beam
Fibre cables cut in France. Act of sabotage. Transoceanic communication affected.
Privacy
Australia to boost data protection fines big. Australia recently faced big breaches of their companies, touching many users. As a response, the country will beef up their data protection laws. In addition to the need to report a data breach to the Data Protection Authority, they are to increase tge penalties for major data breaches. "A$50m [€32.23m], three times the value of the benefit obtained through the misuse of information, 30% of turnover in the relevant period". This is significantly higher level than #GDPR! With its max of "€20m or 4% of turnover". The mechanism of "three times the value of the benefit obtained through the misuse" is also innovative.
Digital currencies. In 2023, European Commission will announce rules for a ... natively (?) digital euro€ currency? But the problem is… do we need further digitization of payments? We have a lot of that. We have good digital banking. We have contactless payments. So? While no details are known, I wonder what the proposal would be, would that be a cryptocurrency-based proposal? Or something else? In contactless/digital banking, currencies are already functionally digital today. Will the proposal modify some laws, like the GDPR?
Technology Policy
Smartphone technology used in warfare. Ukraine developed an app, ePPO, that lets anybody report (real-time coordinates!) sightings of an enemy drone, or a missile. Innovative approach to air-defence. Everybody with a smartphone can become part of air defence network sensors.
Other
Armed unmanned ground vehicles (bots) in Lithuania. Near Russian border. THeMIS positioned/”experimental use” by Netherlands/NATO(?) in Lithuania near the Russia border. It is an interesting development, if not a testament of our times and what's ahead. Whatever that may be, that is.
About electronic warfare. Including thorough content about Russian war in Ukraine.
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