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Monday, June 26, 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

US Ratchets Up Pressure on Chinese Companies Tied to Fentanyl Production.  On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal charges against four different Chinese chemical companies and eight different individuals for illegally trafficking the chemicals utilized in the manufacture of fentanyl. This indictment marks the first time the United States had sought to prosecute Chinese companies for the manufacturing of chemicals utilized in fentanyl production. The Chinese foreign ministry urged the United States to stop using “fentanyl-related pretexts” to sanction and prosecute Chinese entities. Prosecutors allege that the companies advertised the precursor chemicals on social media in Mexico and used false customs forms and mislabeled packages to ship the chemicals. The Justice Department stated that undercover sources posing at fentanyl manufactures met with two Chinese nationals earlier this year and agreed to purchase 210 kg of the precursor chemicals for cryptocurrency and the DEA received the chemicals in May. These two nationals were arrested on June 8 and detained in Honolulu. These arrests and indictments come after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a visit to China where he stated that Washing needs much more Chinese cooperation to stem the flow of fentanyl and as tensions between the United States and China have been on the rise even as both states seek to control the escalation. Reuters  

Read our latest analysis on the opioid crisis here

US Convened Nuclear Meeting with China, France, Russia, UK.  The US hosted a meeting in Cairo earlier this month between the five nuclear powers, China, France, Russia and the UK to discuss nuclear weapons issues, including strategic risk reduction.  Diplomats and defense officials from participating countries attended the meeting, which U.S. officials described as part of an “ongoing exchange in the context of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)”. This is the second meeting of its kind with a prior meeting occurring in Dubai in February.  A State Department spokesperson described the multilateral conversations as “professional” and “useful.”  Reuters

U.S. Releases Declassified Report on Origins of Covid 19.  The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a report on Friday that said the U.S. intelligence community has not found evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic began from a leak at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).  The report said that while the lab leak theory could not be fully ruled out and noted that “extensive work” has been done on coronaviruses at WIV, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and one other unnamed agency has found no evidence of an incident at WIV causing the outbreak.  The report adds that the agencies have yet to pinpoint a precise cause of the pandemic at all.  FBI Director Christopher Wray said in March that the bureau has assessed the origin of Covid-19 is “most likely a potential lab incident.”  The U.S. Energy Department likewise said in February it has “low confidence” a lab leak caused the pandemic.  China has rejected these claims as having “no credibility.”   Reuters New York Times  South China Morning Post 

U.S. Sanctions Russians over Election Influence  The US Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence officers accused of taking part in global election influence operations, including the engagement of political groups in the US to disperse pro-Russia propaganda, incite division, and spread disinformation. Two Moscow-based officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Aleksey Sukhodolov and Yegor Popov, were for years allegedly involved in activities enlisting “co-optees” to sway elections that advanced the Kremlin’s goals. The US government said that the two were also suspected of efforts to influence elections in Spain, Ukraine, Ireland, and the UK. Previously, Popov and Sukhodolov were criminally indicted by the Department of Justice, and the two officers were linked to co-optees Aleksandr Ionov and Natalya Burlinova, who allegedly communicated to collect info related to their “foreign malign influence” in the US and other nations. The Treasury Department said that Moscow seeks “to further its goals of destabilizing democratic societies” by enlisting and creating “ties with people and groups around the world who are positioned to amplify and reinforce Russia’s disinformation efforts.” Foreign action on elections is expected to increase as the 2024 presidential campaign approaches. Brian E. Nelson, undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said that the US “will not tolerate” interference, as Moscow “continues to target a key pillar of democracy around the world — free and fair elections.” CyberScoop The Record 

Honduras Imposes Curfews After More than 20 killed in Separate Attacks.  Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced curfews on Sunday in two northern cities, San Pedro Sula and Choloma, after more than 20 people were killed over the weekend in separate assaults amid heightened gang violence and turf wars. On Saturday evening, armed men killed 13 people in Choloma, and at least 11 other murders occurred across the northern region of Valle de Sula on Saturday, including the city of San Pedro Sula. The government imposed a 15-day curfew from 9pm to 4am in Choloma, effective immediately, and another in San Pedro Sula, effective July 4th.  Castro said on Twitter that "multiple operations, raids, captures and checkpoints are initiated," while Security Minister Gustavo Sanchez revealed that 1,000 additional military and police will be deployed to the Sula Valley zone. These attacks come in the wake of a prison riot last week, in which 46 women were massacred by the Barrio 18 gang. Reuters 

Modi Concludes U.S. Trip With CEO Meetings.  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with U.S. and Indian technology leaders in Washington DC on Friday to end his U.S. visit.  In meetings also attended by President Joe Biden, Modi met with several CEOs including Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, as well as other Indian tech leaders, the CEO of OpenAI and a NASA astronaut.  Modi reportedly agreed to expand Indian defense and technology cooperation with the U.S. business leaders he met.  During the meeting, Biden stated that U.S.-Indian “will go a long way, in my view, to define what the 21st century looks like.”  The meeting came amid efforts by the U.S. to bolster ties with India to both shift New Delhi away from Russia and strengthen partnerships to address challenges from China.  Reuters

Read our latest analysis on Modi’s trip and the role of the Global South in the sanctions regime against Russia here.

Western Europe

Chinese Premier Li Urges Europe, China Ties.  Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged China and Europe to find “creative solutions” and “rise above differences” at a summit in Paris in order to overcome global issues. Li further stated that “China will unequivocally reject trade protectionism and all forms of decoupling and severing of supply chains.” Key objectives of the summit were to reduce the debt burden of some of the world’s most vulnerable countries and freeing up funds for climate finance. Li further stated that “China is ready to be engaged in debt relief efforts in an effective, realistic, and comprehensive manner in keeping with the principle of fair burden sharing.” Also, during the summit, Zambia reached a deal to restructure $6.3 billion in debt owed to other governments. These statements come as several European countries have voiced concern over maintaining close economic ties with China. Reuters

Mitsotakis Re-Elected Greek PM.  Kyriakos Mitsotakis was sworn in for a second term as Greece’s prime minister on Monday.  His center-right New Democracy won 158 seats in Greece’s 300-seat parliament in a repeat election on Sunday.  He promised to rebuild Greece’s credit rating, boost tourist industry revenues and increase wages.  Reuters

Central and Eastern Europe

Wagner Group’s Prigozhin Leads Mutiny in Russia.  The head of Russia’s Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led a mutiny in Russia over the weekend, posing the greatest direct challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule in years.  The mutiny was sparked after Prigozhin claimed the Russian military had attacked some Wagner forces, which Russia’s defense ministry denies.  In response, Prigozhin led Wagner units into Russia in a rebellion aimed at the Russian military leadership.  He said that the move was “no military coup,” calling it a “March for Justice” to stop the “evil” of the military leadership.  Prigozhin also justified his actions by publicly questioning the Russian military’s reasons for invading Ukraine “so that [Defense Minister Sergei] Shoigu could become a marshal… [and that] the war wasn’t needed to demilitarize or denazify Ukraine.”  Russia’s Defense Ministry called Prigozhin’s comments and accusations “informational provocation,” and Russia’s FSB domestic intelligence service opened a criminal investigation into Prigozhin for “the organization of criminal insurrection.”   Quickly moving in from Ukraine, Wagner forces seized military and security buildings in the southwestern Russian city of Rostov-on-don and then proceeded north towards Moscow.  Enroute to the Russian capital, Wagner forces reportedly shot down at least six Russian helicopters and a plane, according to social media posts and the Ukrainian Air Force.  Russian forces also reportedly destroyed an oil depot in the city of Voronezh to deny advancing Wagner forces fuel supply and dug trenches in major roadways leading to Moscow.  Wagner forces eventually made it to within approximately 200 kilometers from Moscow.  Putin responded to the mutiny in a televised address on Saturday, accusing Prigozhin of “treason” and vowing to “neutralize” the uprising,” which he called a “stab in the back of our troops and the people of Russia.”  The incident ended on Saturday evening when Prigozhin reportedly struck a deal with Putin, under which Wagner forces involved in the rebellion would return to bases and avoid prosecution.  As for Prigozhin, criminal charges against him would be dropped and he would be exiled to Belarus.  Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko reportedly helped broker the deal.  Few additional details about the deal have been released; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not say if any concessions such as changes to Russia’s military leadership were offered to Prigozhin, only saying that the deal avoided punishing Wagner for the “higher goal” of avoiding Russian bloodshed.  However, Russian state media on Monday reported that the criminal cases against Prigozhin have not been dropped, casting doubt on whether the deal has gone through.  Prigozhin has not been seen since Saturday evening when he left Rostov.  Al Jazeera Deutsche Welle Politico Washington Post

Read The Cipher Brief’s coverage of the Wagner Group mutiny here, including an interview with Cipher Brief expert Beth Sanner, former Deputy Director National Intelligence, on the global consequences of the revolt.

Russian Defense Minister Appears Publicly Following Wagner Mutiny.  Russia’s Defense Ministry released a video on Monday showing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu speaking with officers at a command post.  The video is the first time Shoigu has appeared in public since the Wagner Group mutiny over the weekend.  It is not clear where or when Shoigu’s visit took place, but it appears that he will remain in his position.  The head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, had launched his mutiny in part against the Russian military leadership.  Notably, General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff and head of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has not been seen since the mutiny.  Reuters

Zelensky Speaks With Allies Following Wagner Mutiny.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksii Reznikov spoke with several allies on Sunday to discuss the aborted mutiny by Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin.  Zelensky said in his talk with President Joe Biden, the two discussed the turmoil in Russia, which he said “exposed the weakness of Putin’s regime,” as well as next steps in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, emphasizing Ukraine’s need for long-range weapons.  Reznikov spoke on the counteroffensive with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as well, saying that “things are moving in the right direction.”  Zelensky separately spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, focusing on the “threatening situation” at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Zelensky also spoke with Polish President Andrzej Duda for similar discussions.  Reuters

West Sees ‘Cracks’ in Putin’s Russia After Wagner Mutiny.  Western officials say that the Wagner mutiny demonstrates weaknesses in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule and wider instability in Russia.  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the mutiny has exposed fresh “cracks” in Putin’s rule, adding that he doesn’t think the aborted mutiny was the “final act.”  Blinken also said the mutiny shows that Russians are “distracted and divided,” which may make it harder for Moscow to achieve its goals in Ukraine, alluding to assertions by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at the start of the munity that the invasion of Ukraine was based on lies.  Retired U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and Cipher Brief expert, added that the mutiny shows that Russian institutions are “slowly unraveling” and that Russia’s military is “much diminished.”  NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the mutiny showed the “big strategic mistake” Putin made with his “illegal annexation of Crimea and the war against Ukraine.”  Many Western officials added that the turmoil in Russia is an “internal matter” and that focus should go towards ensuring continued aid for Ukraine to counter Russian forces.  Nikkei Asia Reuters 

U.S. Intelligence Reportedly Knew Prigozhin Planning Mutiny.  Officials say that U.S. intelligence agencies knew Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin was planning military action against the Russian military leadership.  The intelligence was reportedly considered solid and alarming, with officials saying that there was high concern about risks from turmoil in Russia, as well as the unpredictability of Prigozhin in leadership positions.  Sources say intelligence officials warned the White House, Pentagon, and a narrow group of congressional leaders about Prigozhin’s plans.  While similar to the U.S. intelligence community getting and then declassifying information ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials say intelligence about the Wagner mutiny was not declassified to avoid suggesting that the U.S. was involved and avoid helping Russian President Vladimir Putin prepare in advance.  France 24 New York Times Washington Post

Russian Missile Attack on Kyiv Kills At Least Three.  A Russian missile attack on Kyiv killed at least three people and wounded 11 others early on Saturday.  Kyiv officials said more than 20 missiles were reportedly intercepted in the attack, but falling debris caused a fire on multiple floors of a 24-story apartment building.  This was the eighth such missile attack on Kyiv this month.  EuroNews New York Times  

Ukraine Reports Marginal Progress in Bakhmut.  Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Monday that not much has changed on the battlefield in the past week, though Ukrainian forces have retaken territory from Russia along the southern frontline and fierce fighting continues there. Since the beginning of the counter-offensive, Ukrainian forces have liberated around 50 square miles (130 square kilometers) in southern Ukraine.  Ukraine’s Eastern Command said Sunday that Ukrainian forces have advanced up to 1,000 meters on the flanks of Bakhmut on Saturday.  An Eastern Command spokesperson added that Russia continues to reinforce Bakhmut with airborne troops, signaling that it intends to hold the city. He also reported that Russia had “186 troops killed in action, 224 wounded in action, and eight captured” around Bakhmut.  On Monday, Moscow’s RIA media agency countered Ukrainian claims of progress in Bakhmut, claiming that Ukraine was not coordinating offensive activities around the city.  The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that its forces are making “gradual but steady tactical progress” and have resisted a Russian breakthrough in the Serebryanka forest near Kremina.  CNN Reuters Kyiv Independent 

Europol Takes Down Albanian Drug Trafficking Network.  Europol, in coordination with law enforcement from three separate countries, has taken down an Albanian drug trafficking network that spanned Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. The takedown resulted in the arrest of 35 suspects and the seizure of over 1 million euros ($1.1 million) of cash.  The criminal organization behind the network was known for trafficking cocaine and cannabis into the EU from Latin America and for its use of violence including torture, extortion, and kidnapping.  Reuters

Financial Crimes Watchdog Adds Croatia, Vietnam, Cameroon to Grey List.  The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international financial crime watchdog, added Croatia, Cameroon and Vietnam to its gray list on Friday.  The FATF listed the countries in response to their reported failures in the prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing.  The three countries are now “subject to increased monitoring.”  The gray list already included the UAE, Panama and Mali.  Reuters Al Jazeera

Asia and Oceania

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Makes Rare Stop in Vietnam.  The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan stopped in Vietnam’s port city of Danang on Sunday.  The visit marked the third time a U.S. aircraft carrier has docked in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War, following visits in 2018 and 2020.  The visit followed reported incursions by Chinese vessels in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, as well as amid U.S. efforts to bolster ties with Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries to counter Chinese influence in the region.  Al Jazeera U.S. Embassy in Vietnam

Chinese Warplanes Cross Taiwan Strait Median Line.  Taiwan’s defense ministry said eight Chinese warplanes crossed the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait and “got close” to Taiwan’s contiguous zone on Saturday.  Taiwan defines its contiguous zone as 24 nautical miles (44.4 kilometers from its coast.  The ministry said that five Chinese warships also carried out “joint combat readiness patrols” in the area.  The ministry added that the Taiwanese military deployed its own aircraft and warships and activated missile systems to monitor the Chinese incursions.  South China Morning Post 

Australia to Offer Ukraine 70 Armored Vehicles to Ukraine.  Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday that Australia will offer Ukraine a new $73.5 million military support package, which includes 70 armored vehicles.  The package includes 28 medium trucks, 28 M113 armored vehicles, 14 special operations vehicles, and 14 trailers.  Albanese said that this additional assistance “will make a real difference, helping the Ukrainian people who continue to show great courage in the face of Russia's illegal, unprovoked and immoral war.” He said that the government has been working on the proposal “for some time,” and that the news has nothing to do with the mercenary Wagner Group’s mutiny over the weekend.  In addition to the military aid, Albanese also said that Australia will extend duty-free access for materials imported from Ukraine for another year. Australia has been one of the biggest non-NATO supporters of Kyiv, providing assistance, ammunition, and defense equipment, and imposing export controls and sanctions on Russia.  Reuters  

Pakistan Criticizes Biden, Modi Call on Counterterrorism.  Pakistan’s Foreign ministry criticized a joint statement by US President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Modi over  Pakistan’s territory being used as a staging ground for militant attacks. The ministry called it “unwarranted, one-sided, and misleading.” Relations between Islamabad and New Delhi have been frayed with New Delhi accusing Islamabad for launching militant attacks including the 2008 attacks in Mumbai and has recently revoked the special status of both Kashmir and Jammu in 2019.  Reuters

Taliban Orders Female Aid Workers to Cease Work in Kandahar.  The Taliban has released an official letter ordering all female aid workers to cease work in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.  The letter alleges that aid workers in the town of Spin Boldak have been in violation of the orders in work relating to refugees.  The Taliban has signaled in January that it would work on a set of written guidelines for aid agencies to operate with female staff in Afghanistan, but it still has yet to do so.  The letter underscores the uncertainty of the operating environment for aid agencies in Afghanistan.  The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), an international NGO, said it had previously received exemptions to allow for its female staff to resume work in Kandahar.  It did not comment on the latest letter.  Reuters 

Middle East and Northern Africa

Russian Air Strikes in Syria Kill Nine.  Russian air strikes on Idlib in northwestern Syria killed at least nine civilians on Sunday.  The emergency rescue group White Helmets said the attack targeted a market Jisr al-Shughour city, Idlib city, Benin town and the al-Arbeen mountain area.  In addition to the airstrikes, Syrian forces have also reportedly been shelling towns in southern Idlib in recent days.  The Syrian government and Russia maintain their actions only target insurgent groups.  The latest attacks came after drone strikes on the towns of Qardaha, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ancestral town, and Salhab, another government-held town, on Thursday and Friday.  Those strikes killed at least three people.  Al Jazeera CNN France 24 Reuters

Hezbollah Allegedly Downs Israeli Drone in Lebanon.  Hezbollah-linked media outlets claimed on Monday that the armed group shot down an Israeli drone that flew into southern Lebanon.  Both Hezbollah-affiliated television station Al-Manar and Hezbollah-linked “War Media” channel made the claim, saying the drone was downed near the town of Zibqin.  Israel’s military said one of its drones “fell into Lebanese territory during routine activity,” adding that there was “no risk” of data being accessed from the drone wreckage.  Both Hezbollah and Israel regularly make claims about shooting down each other’s drones.  Reuters

Israel Claims Foiled Iranian ‘Terrorist’ Attack in Cyprus.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that an “Iranian terrorist attack” against “Israeli targets” in Cyrus had been foiled.  He did not elaborate further, saying only that Israel “operates everywhere” to “sever Iranian terrorism… including on Iranian soil.”  Israeli news website Ynet reported that the foiled plot involved an attack on Israelis in the Cypriot city of Limassol.   Cyprus did not comment on the matter, citing national security reasons.  Reuters

UN Human Rights Chief Warns West Bank Risks ‘Spiraling Out of Control.’  UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned on Friday that the situation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is worsening and urged Israel to comply with international law.  Speaking via a spokesperson at a UN briefing in Geneva, he said that recent airstrikes with helicopter gunships on Jenin refugees were "a major intensification.”  The helicopters were called in during a long gunbattle between Israeli troops and Palestinians which resulted in the deaths of seven Palestinians, including two minors. Palestinian gunmen killed four Israelis near a settlement in retaliation.  Reuters Al Jazeera

Sub Saharan Africa

Sudan’s Conflict Widens across the Country.  Sudan’s two-month conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army has engulfed new parts of the country after a three-day ceasefire brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia expired. Fierce fighting has been reported in Omdurman, Khartoum, Al Fashir, El Obeid, Nyala, and El Geneina. The worst fighting has been documented in the city of El Obeid located in West Darfur and new fronts are reportedly opening in South Kordofan.  The US suspended peace talks between the warring groups on Thursday over their failure to end the conflict.  The fighting has displaced 2.5 million people with hundreds of thousands fleeing to neighboring countries.  Reuters Al Jazeera

Violence Flares up After Sierra Leone Elections.  Violence erupted on Sunday in Sierra Leone after elections on Saturday after police surrounded the All People’s Congress (APG) building whose leader, Samura Kamara, is seen as the primary contender to the country’s current president Julius Maada Bio. Kamara had gathered supporters, party staff, and local officials at the APG headquarters in Freetown to sift through data from Saturday’s vote when police surrounded the building and fired live ammunition and tear gas into the building. The Sierra Leone police claim that tear gas was fired in order to disperse the crowd. One woman was severely injured and unresponsive at the scene.  Reuters New York Times

Cyber and Tech

Hong Kong Researchers Create New Flexible Semiconducting Nanomaterial.  Researchers from Hong Kong say they have developed a new way to produce a semiconducting nanomaterial that is more flexible and can be more easily produced.  The researchers say the nanomesh — which is made from a network of nanowires — can be made at lower temperatures than existing semiconductors are produced at and can be made with cheaper and more common materials like plastic and paper.  The nanomesh also uses tellurium, an emerging semi-metallic material that can be used either as a metal or semiconductor and can be mixed with other metals to form alloys.  The unique structure of tellurium allows nanomeshes made with it to self-weld and grow on flexible or curved surfaces.  Scientists hope to use the nanomesh for the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including sensors on curved infrastructure and aircraft, as well as night-vision cameras.  South China Morning Post 

Japan Testing Starlink Satellite Internet Service.  The Japanese military is reportedly testing Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service with the goal of adopting it next fiscal year, according to Yomiuri newspaper, citing government sources.  Japan’s military already has access to satellites in geostationary orbit, but adopting Starlink would give it access to a low earth orbit satellite constellation.  Ukraine has been using Starlink for military operations since Russia’s invasion in 2022.  Reuters 

Japan Fund Buys Semiconductor Materials Maker.  A Japanese government-backed fund, Japan Investment Corp (JIC), agreed to buy semiconductor materials producer JSR Corp for around 909.3 billion yen ($6.4 billion).  The move is the latest by the Japanese government to bolster Japan’s semiconductor industry.  JSR, which is a top supplier of photoresists, which are light-sensitive chemicals used for etching patterns on wafers, said the move will help the company increase operations efficiency.  Reuters 

U.S. Charges Man With Running $18 Million Darknet Drug Marketplace.  The U.S. Department of Justice charged Milomir Desnica, a citizen of Croatia and Serbia, with allegedly operating a darknet drug trafficking platform called Monopoly Market.  Desnica allegedly ran the platform since 2019 and made around $18 million through cryptocurrency transactions on it by facilitating the sale of opioids, stimulants, prescription medications and other drugs.  Desnica has reportedly been wanted by U.S. authorities since July and was recently extradited from Austria to the U.S.  Charges against him include money laundering and possession and distribution of drugs, all of which could have Desnica potentially face a maximum sentence of life in prison and financial penalties.  The Record

Capital One Impacted in Third-Party Hack.  Capital One reports that it was affected by a cyberattack on debt buyer NCB Management Services.  NCB announced in March that a hack on its network in February exposed the financial information of 494,969 people.  Capital One said 16,500 of people with credit card accounts the bank currently or formerly owned were impacted.  Capital One said it is working to support victims.  Sources say NCB long ignored cybersecurity concerns before the attack, which the company has since said impacted over 1 million people in addition to those it notified in March.  The Record 

American and Southwest Airlines Affected in Pilot Portal Hack.  American Airlines and Southwest Airlines said Friday that they suffered data breaches after a hack of Pilot Credentials, a third-party vendor that manages airliner pilot recruitment portals.  Pilot Credentials said an unauthorized individual gained access to its systems on April 30 and stole documents of prospective pilots.  American Airlines said the data breach affected 5745 of its pilots and applicants, and Southwest said 3009 of its pilots and applicants were impacted.  The airlines said the  incident did not impact their regular operations and only impacted individual pilots.  They also said they are no longer using Pilot Credentials and have migrated recruitment processes to a system within their own networks.  BleepingComputer 

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