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6:00 PM ET, Wednesday, August 9, 2023

The Cipher Brief curates open source information from around the world that impacts national security. Here's a look at today's headlines, broken down by region of the world:  

In the Americas

Canada Says ‘Highly Probable’ China Targeted Canadian Lawmaker.  The Canadian government said on Wednesday that member of parliament Michael Chong was targeted by an online “information operation” in which China’s involvement was “highly probable.”  The government said it detected the operation on the social media platform WeChat in June and that China likely had a role in it, though authorities have not found “unequivocal proof” that Beijing ordered the campaign given the “covert nature” of such online social media campaigns.  Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper reported in May that the Chinese government sought information about Chong and his family in China over his criticism of the Chinese government.  Reuters

U.S., Canada Impose New Belarus Sanctions.  The U.S. imposed new sanctions against Belarus on Wednesday for its support of Russia’s war in Ukraine, increased authoritarianism, and continued repression of civil society and opposition.  The new measures designate eight individuals and five entities, four employees of a Belarusian government agency, three individuals accused of helping Minsk evade sanctions, and state-owned Belavia Belarusian Airlines and Byelorussian Steel Works Management Company.  Canada also expanded sanctions on Belarus as well, targeting nine individuals and seven entities, including government officials, judges, the head of Belarusian state television, the Belarusian defense ministry, and military manufacturing and technology firms.  Reuters U.S. Department of the Treasury

U.S. Nurse, Daughter Kidnapped in Haiti Freed.  U.S. nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter were freed on Wednesday almost two weeks after being kidnapped in Port au Prince.  The aid organization El Roi Haiti, which was founded by Dorzainvil’s husband, confirmed their safe release but did not provide further details, including whether a ransom was paid.  The U.S. State Department welcomed the news and thanked Haitian and U.S. interagency partners for helping secure their release, but also did not provide additional details.  Witnesses say the two were abducted by armed men from a cling in a gang-controlled area of the Haitian capital.  Haiti has been rocked by gang warfare, as well as political instability and humanitarian crises.  Associated Press CNN Reuters The Cipher Brief

Western Europe

Germany Arrests Suspected Russian Spy.  German authorities arrested a man who worked for Germany’s military on suspicion that he tried to spy for Russia.  Germany’s federal prosecutor said the man worked in the army’s office for equipment, information technology and in-service support.  The prosecutor’s office said the man approached the Russian consulate in the western city of Bonn and the Russian Embassy in Berlin “on his own initiative” several times since May.  He is suspected of passing along information to the diplomatic missions intended for Russian intelligence.  The arrest of the suspect comes amid German warnings of “aggressive Russian espionage.”  Associated Press Reuters Deutsche Welle

Northern Ireland’s Police Reeling from Accidental Data Leak.  Northern Ireland’s police accidentally leaked the names and work location of all staff members after mistakenly including them in a response to a freedom of information request.  The information was published on the requestor’s website for over two hours.  The police issued updated personal security advice to all personnel and set up an emergency threat assessment group in response.  The accidental data release is particularly sensitive in Northern Ireland since police officers are still targeted by dissident groups despite the 1998 peace deal that largely ended decades of sectarian violence in the province.  Separately, the police say they are investigating the theft of a police-issued laptop and radio and documents, including a spreadsheet with names of over 200 officers and staff, which went missing in early July.  BBC Reuters The Guardian

Romania Cancels 1.2 Billion Euro Warship Deal with France.  Romania’s Defense Ministry announced late Tuesday that it has canceled a deal to buy four warships from the French firm Naval Group.  The cancellation comes after Naval Group and the Romanian company Santierul Naval Constanta failed to meet a deadline to sign a contract on the deal due to legal challenges and disagreements over rising costs.  The deal would have included the construction of four Gowind navy corvettes and the renovation of two existing frigates for Romania’s navy.  The deal was worth up to 1.2 billion euros ($1.32 million).  Reuters

EU Preparing Niger Sanctions.  European Union officials have begun to lay the groundwork for the implementation of sanctions on members of the junta that seized power in Niger. The implementation of said sanctions would need to be agreed upon by all 27 member states of the European Union. It is not immediately clear when that could happen, though the EU’s executive spokesman on Foreign Policy Peter Stano said the bloc “is ready to support ECOWAS’s decisions, including the adoption of sanctions.” The EU has already suspended security cooperation and financial support worth 503 million euros with Niger and plans to discuss the West African country’s situation in Toledo, Spain on August 31.  Reuters

Central and Eastern Europe

Ukraine Reports Russian Attack on Zaporizhzhia City Kills Two.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed two people.  He said a rescue operation is underway following the attack by “Russian terrorists.”  He did not provide further details.  Zaporizhzhia city officials said earlier that a Russian attack hit a residential area of the city.  Barron’s Reuters

Russian Officials Say Ukraine Shelling Hits Donetsk, Belgorod.  The governor of Russia’s western Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Wednesday that Ukrainian shelling hit Gorkovsky village in the region, killing one man and injuring four others.  He also said air defenses intercepted a drone near the town of Shebekino.  The Russian-appointed head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said Wednesday that Ukrainian shelling also hit the eastern city of Donetsk, killing one person and injuring three others.  Pushilin claimed that Ukraine used “163 rounds of ammunition” in the attack, including “cluster-type artillery.”  CNN CNN

Ukraine Says It Hits Russian Command Post in Nova Kakhovka.  Ukraine’s military claimed to hit a Russian command post in the Nova Kakhovka city on the occupied east bank of the Dnipro River.  The claim comes amid intensifying Ukrainian activity in the southern Kherson region as part of its counteroffensive.  CNN could not independently verify the claim, but footage circulating online showed plumes of smoke coming from the city on Wednesday.  CNN

Asia and Oceania

Chinese Foreign Minister to Visit ASEAN Members Amid South China Sea Tensions.  Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit ASEAN members Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia later this week amid escalating tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.  China’s foreign ministry said Wang’s trip, which will be his first since being reappointed foreign minister on July 25, aims to increase “strategic communication” and regional stability and economic ties.  His trip will come after a row over a Chinese coast guard vessel firing a water cannon at a Philippine supply ship at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where Philippine troops are stationed on a grounded warship.  Analysts say Wang will likely try to seek consensus with ASEAN members on a South China Sea code of conduct and promote economic integration and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.  South China Morning Post

Taiwanese Coast Guard Ship Docks in Japan.  An armed Taiwanese coast guard vessel, the Hsun Hu No 8, docked in Tokyo Bay on Tuesday.  Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said the ship made the port call “for routine maintenance and supply” during a high-seas fishery patrol mission.  The stop came as former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso concluded a visit to Taiwan.  Taiwanese vessels rarely make stops in Japan unless in an emergency or to take shelter from storms, though the island has a mutual boarding and inspection mechanism with Japan, the U.S., and other partners.  Observers say the Hsun Hu No 8’s port call in Tokyo underscores growing unofficial ties between Taiwan and Japan amid concerns over a cross-Strait conflict.  South China Morning Post

Thailand Makes Efforts to Form Government.  Thailand’s Pheu Thai party announced on Wednesday that it was able to gain the support of six more parties after election winner Move Forward was blocked from forming a government.  Even with the additional support, the Pheu Thai party is struggling to find the necessary support to form a government — the same issue Move Forward experienced prior to being blocked.  Though Pheu Thai is trying to form a government without Move Forward, it is still lobbying to gain the support of the election winner’s 150 lawmakers in a prime ministerial vote that is expected to be held later this month.  Pheu Thai’s Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Wednesday that the “parties aren’t fighting. We understand each other.”  However, Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat stated that no decision has been made on whether to back a Pheu Thai government.  Reuters

Pakistan Parliament Dissolved.  The Pakistani president dissolved the country’s parliament late Wednesday at the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.  The move dissolved the parliament three days before its five-year term was set to expire on August 12.  Sharif and an opposition leader will appoint a caretaker administration.  New elections are meant to be held in 90 days, though the vote could be delayed since the election commission is redrawing constituencies based on fresh census results.  Analysts say any delay may spark anger, especially due to instability over the recent jailing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges.  Reuters

Middle East and Northern Africa

White House Says No Saudi-Israel Deal Framework.  The White House on Wednesday said there has been no agreed framework for a deal to have Saudi Arabia and Israel normalize diplomatic relations.  Saudi Arabia has reportedly signaled an agreement hinges on a decision about Palestinian statehood.  National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby played down a report by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that Washington and Riyadh have reached broad consensus on such an agreement, saying much more talks are needed for a deal.  A U.S. State Department spokesperson said there has been “progress” and “productive conversations” and that negotiations are expected to continue in the coming weeks.  Kirby added that President Joe Biden will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “somewhere in the U.S.” this year without providing further details.  Al Jazeera Reuters

Clashes Between Lebanon’s Hezbollah Residents of Christian Town Kill Two.  Clashes between Lebanon’s Shi’ite armed group Hezbollah and residents of the Christian town of Kahaleh killed two people on Wednesday.  Security sources say clashes took place after residents surrounded an overturned lorry truck.  Sources say the Lebanese army later surrounded the truck.  It is unclear what the truck’s cargo was.  Reuters

Roadside Bombing in Syria Kills Four.  Syrian state news agency SANA reported that reporter Firas al-Ahmad along with three Syrian soldiers were killed on Wednesday after their vehicle was hit by a roadside bombing.  SANA alleges that terrorists targeted the vehicle by planting IEDs on the road in the al-Shayyiah area in the Deraa countryside.  An earlier statement claimed that a cameraman was also killed in the attack, but he was later found alive after being rescued by local villagers.  Al Jazeera 

Syria Blames Turkey for Increase in Violence in Country.  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday said that Ankara is to blame for the increase in violence in Syria, asserting that “Terrorism in Syria is made in Turkey.”  Turkey has been a main supporter of armed opposition groups in Syria and Turkish forces controlling part of northern Syria.  Damascus has maintained pressure on Ankara to put forward a timetable for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria in order to normalize relations.  Assad also denied rumors that he will be meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite recent meetings between Turkish and Syrian defense and foreign ministers.  Associated Press

Sub Saharan Africa

Niger Junta Accuses France of Violating Airspace.  Nigerien Army Officer Amadou Abdramane accused France on Wednesday of violating Niger’s airspace, attacking a military camp and freeing “terrorists” as part of a broader plan to destabilize the country.  France’s Foreign Ministry has rejected the accusations, stating that aircraft movements were part of an earlier agreement with Niger forces and that any French troops stationed in the country are there upon request by the legitimate authorities.  This comes after former rebel Rhissa Ag Boula announced the creation of the Council of Resistance for the Republic (CRR) with the goal of reinstating ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum.  Reuters

Ethiopia Push Out Amhara Militiamen from Two Towns.  Ethiopia’s military gained control of two towns in the Amhara region, pushing out local militiamen in the Ethiopian government’s first significant advance since the start of fighting with Amhara militias.  Residents reported Ethiopian forces in Gondar, Amhara’s second-biggest city, and the holy town of Lalibela, which were overrun by the Fano militia last week.  The militia was allied with Ethiopian forces during the Tigray war, but relations deteriorated over Amhara’s accusations that the federal government was moving to weaken the region’s defenses.  Reuters

Somalia Bus Explosion Kills Six.  An explosion targeting a bus in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region killed six people and injured 12 others on Wednesday.  Mohamed Ibrahim, governor of Lower Shabelle region, said the blast occurred on a road between Qoryoley and Marka districts and called it a terrorist attack.  He did not accuse a group for carrying out the explosion, though al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has conducted similar attacks in the past.  Al Jazeera Reuters

Cyber and Tech

Interpol Leads Global Takedown of Widely Used ‘Phishing’ Tool Marketplace.  Interpol, leading a global investigation, has closed down the 16shop “phishing-as-a-service” platform that marketed hacking tools to cybercriminals on dark web forums.  It is estimated that 16shop had 70,000 users over 43 countries since November 2017.  The platform’s tools specialized in deceiving Internet customers through email scams that seized credentials and payment details leading to theft of funds.  Phishing kits on sale contained a full range of components needed to carry out email scams, including email distribution, hosting, data proxying, victim overview dashboards, and other tools.  Targeted financial apps included Apple, PayPal, American Express, and Amazon.  Phishing kits were sold in a range from $60 to $150, with kit users active against targets in Germany, Japan, France, the U.S., Britain, and other countries. 16shop’s servers were hosted on a U.S.-based firm.  A 21-year-old Indonesian man accused of administering the platform was arrested, along with two other individuals involved, one in Indonesia and another in Japan. The police confiscated electronic devices and luxury items belonging to the suspects.  The Record BleepingComputer CyberNews

German Study Shows China Using ‘Back Door’ Licensing Deals to Access Tech Know-How.  China has increased its use of licensing as an avenue to acquiring German technology to evade investment regulations that have narrowed options for company acquisitions, according to the Handelsblatt newspaper.  A study by the IW economic institute examined Bundesbank data revealed that German license revenues from China doubled in 2022 compared with 2020.  Juergen Matthes, an IW research head, noted that the increase “is a clear early indication that Chinese companies are looking for a new way to get access to German technology."  He described technology licensing as a “back door” for Chinese efforts to acquire valuable know-how.  As part of a deliberate strategy to “de-risk” from overreliance on China, Germany has intensified scrutiny of direct investments and takeover bids by Chinese companies.  But licensing agreements allow Chinese companies to gain legal access to German technology.  A German economy ministry spokesman said various options are being examined to more closely regulate licensing practices as part of a planned reform of investment audit law.  Reuters

China Announces New Mobile App Disclosure Requirements Effective in 2024.  China will require all mobile app providers operating in the country to provide business details to Beijing authorities in a new effort to intensify monitoring of the apps sector.  The requirement will go into effect in March 2024.  Experts speculate that the move could limit the number of apps operating in China, with an especially strong impact on small developers.  Rich Bishop, co-founder of an app publishing firm, said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) requirement will likely apply to foreign-based developers, which to date have been able to offer apps through the Apple store without providing the government with documentation.

Compliance with the new rule, Bishop said, will require developers to have a China-based company or to work through a local app publisher.  The MIIT announcement added that Internet information services operating apps that offer news, publishing, media, and religious content “should also submit relevant documents."  Mobile games in China already require licenses before they launch.  China purged thousands of unlicensed games from various app stores in 2020.  Reuters

Update to NIST Cybersecurity Framework Extends Beyond Critical Infrastructure.  The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced significant changes to the scope and guidance of its Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 (CSF) that emphasize flexible implementation of recommendations.  A sixth pillar of the framework – “Govern” – joins five previous focal points in the framework, namely, “Recover,” “Identify”, “Respond,” “Detect,” and “Protect.”  These elements are intended to guide the internal cybersecurity programs for all organizations, not just those identified as critical infrastructure.  “Govern” is aimed at promoting new integration methods for the framework and to underscore the roles and responsibilities of individuals for an organization’s cybersecurity risk management.   Cherilyn Pascoe, lead developer of the NIST framework, said that the CSF initially was designed for critical infrastructure elements such as the banking and energy sectors, but that its usefulness has been proved in areas as diverse as schools, small business, and local and foreign governments.  Other elements of the NIST update include clarifications of how to evaluate and measure improvements to organization’s digital system cybersecurity posture.  It also encourages the use of other guidance, such as the Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework, into organizational programs.  The CSF 2.0 is not a regulatory regime, but serves as a voluntary set of best practices that can be employed by organizations of any size or industry.  Pascoe noted that comments on the initial NIST framework led to expanded guidance on implementing the CSF as well as attention to emerging cybersecurity threats such as supply chain and ransomware threats.  She added, “because these issues affect lots of organizations, including small businesses, we realized we had to up our game.”  Comments on the CSF 2.0 are open to the public until November 4, 2023.  NextGov NIST

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