TechLetters #114 - GitHub change reveals fragility of tech ecosystem; interference in domestic affairs via cyber/info; banning targeted political ads
The updated US policy of employing autonomous weapons does not flag a transition to less human involvement.
Security
GitHub downed large number of important software ecosystems. With a tiny change. Package managers, applications, various sorts of things went down. A slight change (compression change), and that’s it. The software ecosystem, it’s all so fragile! Another conclusion: GitHub is a critical global infrastructure.
The Russian cyber operation in US was likely an interference in domestic US affairs. Still, it seems that the '2016 elections meddling' had no measurable impact on voters. At least the posta on social media but the whole campaign cannot, obviously, be limited just to this particular dimension. The campaign itself was more complex so it is not justified to say that this was the only thing
Poland's and Ukraine's cybersecurity teams identified and neutralised a threat source. Trying to do phishing on government (PL, UA) folks. That’s the first official and overt confirmation that the teams of the two countries cooperate rather closely.
Iran behind the information operation targeting the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. The cyberattack allegedly stole subscribers' data. Many elements of this information operation are typical of such activities.
Technology Policy
European Parliament voted on the prohibition of targeted online political ads. Election staffs will be manoeuvring these laws, then.
Other
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