United States

Cyber

The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act signed on Dec. 23 by President Joe Biden allocates $3 billion to a 2020 FCC "rip and replace" provision to help telecom firms remove and replace equipment in response to ongoing Chinese hacking campaigns, The Record reported Dec. 24. 

United States: Cyber Provisions in Defense Bill Include Efforts to Prevent Chinese Hacks

Vietnam

Economics

Politics

Vietnam will begin enforcing Decree 147 on Dec. 25, which requires social media users to verify their identities and compels tech companies to store user data onshore and share it with authorities on demand, AFP reported Dec. 23.

Vietnam: Stricter Cyber Law Coming Into Effect Dec. 25

China

Environment, Science & Technology

The U.S. government is weighing whether to ban home internet routers sold by Chinese manufacturer TP-Link as a part of an ongoing investigation into whether the devices are enabling cyberattacks, The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 18.

U.S., China: Washington Considers Ban on Popular Chinese Routers

U.S.-China Relations

Military & Security

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner, revealed new details about the China-backed Salt Typhoon hack against U.S. telecommunications infrastructure, including confirmation that the group has been able to read victims' SMS text messages and listen in on their phone calls in real-time, The Washington Post reported Nov. 21.

U.S.: China-Linked Salt Typhoon Hackers Have Been Listening to Calls, Reading Texts

Canada

The Canadian government directed social media platform TikTok, owned by Chinese-based company ByteDance, to close its offices in the country due to national security risks, The New York Times reported on Nov. 7.

Canada: Government Directs TikTok To Shutter Offices, Citing National Security

Australia

The Australian government is set to pass legislation banning social media for children under 16, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as cited by the Australian Financial Review on Nov. 7.

Australia: Social Media Ban for Minors To Go Forward, Aiming for 2025 Implementation

Hackers under the China-backed Salt Typhoon campaign attempted to infiltrate the phones of former President Donald Trump and running mate Sen. JD Vance, The New York Times reported on Oct. 25.

U.S., China: Chinese Salt Typhoon Campaign Hacked Phones Used by Trump and Vance

U.S. President Joe Biden signed the first-ever National Security Memorandum on Artificial Intelligence, which implements rules for AI use cases by national security and intelligence agencies, The New York Times reported on Oct. 24.

U.S.: White House Announced New AI Rules for National Security Agencies

<p>Individuals, companies, governments and militaries alike all depend on computers. And as is so often the case, these dependencies create vulnerabilities that have made cybersecurity all the more important as proficiencies in cyber warfare and cyber crime improve. That technology constantly improves only adds to the problem of staying safe in the internet age. How governments and their constituents attune themselves to this brave new world will ultimately shape their relationship with the internet &mdash; and with each other.</p>

That technology constantly improves only adds to the problem of staying safe in the internet age.

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Cargo containers painted with Chinese and U.S. flags. Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025.

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Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025.

2025 Annual Forecast: A Global Overview

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The outgoing U.S. Biden administration's liberal use of "intelligence diplomacy" as a tool of foreign policy raises questions about how the incoming Trump administration will take up the torch.

Declassified: The Future of U.S. 'Intelligence Diplomacy'

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Germany

France

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Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency is set to disrupt trans-Atlantic relations, likely escalating trade tensions, weakening already limited cooperation on climate and tech policy, and straining EU unity on defense and support for Ukraine. 

What Trump's Return to Office Means for the European Union

Global Elections

India

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While their recent efforts to ease bilateral tensions will probably reduce the risk of border clashes, deep-seated mistrust between the two strategic rivals will very likely limit the scope of any reconciliation. 

After a Tense Few Years, India and China Try To Turn Down the Heat

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The tight race and its perceived existential stakes portend further violent threats in the days leading up to and after the Nov. 5 election.

The U.S. Braces for a Turbulent – and Potentially Violent – End to the Election

Media

Podcasts

How do foreign adversaries view the upcoming U.S. general election, and what could that mean for the cyber threat landscape?

Essential Geopolitics: Cyber Concerns Ahead of the U.S. Election

On Security

Iran

A photo taken on June 24, 2024, shows the aftermath of a fire at a manufacturing facility in Berlin, Germany, that was allegedly linked to Russia.

Intelligence agencies are increasingly using third parties to do their dirty work abroad, raising the risk of miscalculations with potentially violent consequences.

The Saboteur's Dilemma: The Risk of Using Proxies for Espionage

App icons of social media platforms Twitter, Mastodon, Discord, Facebook, Reddit, Parler and Truth Social, are seen on an iPhone. 

As mis- and disinformation proliferate online, government-led content moderation efforts threaten to do more harm than good.

Can Europe Solve the Puzzle of Content Moderation?

A digital illustration shows a binary code overlaying the Iranian flag.

In the second part of this series, we explore Iran's attempts to steal information, silence critics, and disrupt Western critical infrastructure and organizations via damaging cyberattacks and espionage campaigns.

Iran's Escalating Cyber Strategy Against the West, Part 2

In the first of this two-part series, we explore Iran's attempts to sway the upcoming U.S. presidential election and heighten anti-Israel sentiments via online influence campaigns and cyberattacks.

Iran's Escalating Cyber Strategy Against the West, Part 1

United Kingdom

Italy

A Russian warship transits the Neva River in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Russia's risk tolerance for physical and cyber operations against Western targets appears to be increasing, raising the likelihood of more disruptive and/or violent attacks.

A More Brazen Russia Slowly Raises the Specter of a NATO Confrontation

What preventative steps should organizations take to protect themselves from cyberattacks? 

Cyber

SITUATION REPORTS

United States: Cyber Provisions in Defense Bill Include Efforts to Prevent Chinese Hacks

Vietnam: Stricter Cyber Law Coming Into Effect Dec. 25

U.S., China: Washington Considers Ban on Popular Chinese Routers

U.S.: China-Linked Salt Typhoon Hackers Have Been Listening to Calls, Reading Texts

Canada: Government Directs TikTok To Shutter Offices, Citing National Security

Australia: Social Media Ban for Minors To Go Forward, Aiming for 2025 Implementation

U.S., China: Chinese Salt Typhoon Campaign Hacked Phones Used by Trump and Vance

U.S.: White House Announced New AI Rules for National Security Agencies

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