INTSUM reading list for Oct 22

Oct 22, 2022

More in-depth write-ups will be coming soon. Things are still taking shape on this platform. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments

Strategic Risk:

Retired Admiral Mike Mullen calls for peace before the tensions and possibly nuclear weapons begin to fly
A new writeup that assesses we may be past the nuclear tipping point and it is all a matter of game theory at this point, who will blink first
Saudi Arabia will seek entrance to the BRICS Nations early next year at a summit in South Africa
A strategic level brief from Space Force on the threat situations from Russia and China in space. The space domain of conflict and espionage is what cyber was 20 years ago, not talked about openly but highly contested and has effects on all other aspects of life
Can China recruit US citizens who must now leave China in the next 12 months because of the new semiconductor rules to spy for them? Even if they get 1%, it could be enough to get the information they need
Even with a debt to-GDP ratio over 200% Fitch still rates Japan as an ‘A’ with a stable outlook. In the current environment and with tensions in the region growing China may seek to take advantage of that high ratio

Economics & Finance:

The ban on US talent at Chinese chip firms and their ability to get equipment to make higher level chips will mean real Chinese backlash in the espionage world as they will steal access to the resources they need as they have before via cyber or malicious insiders.
To save on energy use and cost the EU will be marking crypto as high-energy consumers. This will no doubt take mining in the area offline and further drop the price of the currencies
The Chinese debt crisis is still taking its toll as China is reshuffling assets, and allowing some groups to fail so they can renegotiate the structure and payment terms of their debt
China summons their chip-making firms for emergency talks. The new rules from the US on chip-making and exporting restrictions have the potential to stop Chinese technological advancement in its tracks
Apartment and multifamily construction is still booming, with people not able to get mortgages they will be forced to rent, and the costs will likely be exorbitant due to supply and demand
The Russians are targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of the winter to help drive energy costs and civilian discomfort up. This also includes other methods to increase the cost of European countries’ energy as well

Counterintelligence & Espionage:

30 or more UK military pilots have been recruited by China to train the Chinese Air Force against western tactics. This a very relevant albeit different type of insider threat concern. Similar to the Chinese American intelligence officer (Jerry Chun Shing Lee) who left employment in the US and went to work for Chinese intelligence and was responsible for eliminating human source networks inside the Chinese mainland. What can they do with the information after they leave?
11 real insider threat examples and the strategic effects they caused
To avoid counterintelligence issues, the UK is introducing a very strict set of rules for individuals and businesses doing work with foreigners
Surveillance and spyware technology are being used more and more on journalists and other high-net-worth individuals
Even though M&A has slowed drastically in the recession, there are still major concerns when conducting the integration phase regarding malicious insiders and disgruntled employees as well as taking over companies with software from China
Establishing employee behavior patterns that are “normal” is getting more and more difficult for employers, especially in non-traditional roles and industries

Hackers in the Wild:

Hacker claims he is justified in stealing $100mm from the blockchain because “code is law” an interesting defense similar to saying every NFT is different even if they are the same art
A group of Chinese-linked hackers has used the Log4J vulnerability to attack state-level government networks successfully. Showing that almost 1 year after this very large and public vulnerability was discovered that it is not fixed everywhere
A writeup on what public schools need to know to prevent ransomware attacks which have been more common recently; there may be some carry-over to universities as well
NSA Director of Cybersecurity is warning the private sector about the possible disruptions that could come from a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a matter intensified by the recent chip manufacturing rules
Hamas officially acknowledged its offensive cyber unit at a memorial for one of its founders who was recently killed by the IDF. The unit was no secret to the community just never officially named
Just as fear is growing among civilians regarding nuclear threats, it is also growing around Chinese and Russian cyberattacks on a grand scale with real kinetic effects

The INTSUM