The Russia connectionRevelations of Cyberattacks on U.S. Likely Just “Tip of the Iceberg” Published 28 December 2020 Russian government hackers have infiltrated the computer networks of some of the nation’s biggest corporations, leading defense contractors, and top U.S. government agencies, including those in national security branches, in what security analysts believe is a “very significant”

Iran’s nukesIran Vows 20 Percent Uranium Enrichment “As Soon As Possible” Published 2 January 2021 Iran said on January 2 that it plans to enrich uranium up to 20 percent purity at its underground Fordow nuclear facility “as soon as possible,” a level far above limits set by an international nuclear accord. Iran’s public announcement

Pandemic responseModel Used to Evaluate Lockdowns Was Flawed Published 2 January 2021 In a recent study, researchers from Imperial College London developed a model to assess the effect of different measures used to curb the spread of the coronavirus. A new study, published in Nature, however, claims that the model had fundamental shortcomings and cannot

Muslins in EuropeAustria Calls for European Register of Muslim Imams Published 2 January 2021 Since the start of 2021, Austria has required the registration of all imams in the country. Now Austria is calling for the European Union to adopt the registration of imams, the worship leaders of Mosques in Muslim communities. Since the start of

CybersecurityThe Sunburst Hack Was Massive and Devastating – 5 Observations from a Cybersecurity Expert By Paulo Shakarian Published 2 January 2021 So much remains unknown about what is now being called the Sunburst hack, the cyberattack against U.S. government agencies and corporations. U.S. officials widely believe that Russian state-sponsored hackers are responsible. The attack gave

China syndromeHomeland Security and the China Challenge Published 28 December 2020 On 21 December, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf delivered remarks at a virtual event hosted by the Heritage Foundation detailing the enduring threat from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and DHS’s strategy to confront it. “Today, the threats to our

Terrorism watch-listUighur Diaspora Hails Removal of ETIM from U.S. Terror List By Asim Kashgarian Published 28 December 2020 Uighur activists and experts alike welcomed the removal of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) from the U.S. terrorist list, saying the move by Washington last month helps the religious minority fight more effectively for its rights,

The Russia connectionRevelations of Cyberattacks on U.S. Likely Just “Tip of the Iceberg” Published 28 December 2020 Russian government hackers have infiltrated the computer networks of some of the nation’s biggest corporations, leading defense contractors, and top U.S. government agencies, including those in national security branches, in what security analysts believe is a “very significant”

CybersecurityAssessing President Trump’s Legacy of Cyber Confusion By Brandon Valeriano Published 28 December 2020 After Chris Krebs, the head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), was fired by President Trump for releasing a statement claiming, “the November 3rd election was the most secure in American history,” Donald Trump’s campaign lawyer, Joe diGenova countered

China syndromeHomeland Security and the China Challenge Published 28 December 2020 On 21 December, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf delivered remarks at a virtual event hosted by the Heritage Foundation detailing the enduring threat from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and DHS’s strategy to confront it. “Today, the threats to our