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Thursday, March 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

US Intelligence Chiefs Pushed on Covid Origins.  The heads of US intelligence agencies spoke before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday to discuss worldwide threats.  A primary topic at the hearing was the origins of Covid-19.  Lawmakers questioned why the intelligence community has not reached a definitive conclusion on the matter despite recent assessments from the US Department of Energy and FBI saying a lab leak is most likely.  FBI Director Christopher Wray reaffirmed his bureau’s assessment supporting the veracity of the lab leak theory, though Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the natural exposure theory is an equally plausible explanation.  The hearing comes as Congress considers legislation that would compel Haines’ office to declassify information related to the connection between China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology and Covid-19.  ABC News Bloomberg South China Morning Post

FBI Director Says TikTok ‘Screams’ of Security Risks.  The intelligence chiefs’ hearing also covered concerns over the Chinese social media app TikTok.  FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized that TikTok “screams” of national security concerns.  He warned that the Chinese government could potentially use the app to access data of American users and control software on US devices.  Wray also said China could use TikTok for misinformation campaigns, adding that it would be difficult to identify such operations.  Wray’s comments were backed by his fellow intelligence agency heads and add to growing concerns in Washington over TikTok.  Reuters South China Morning Post

US Intelligence Community Highlights China Threat.  Regarding China more generally, the intelligence chiefs warned that Beijing is the main security challenge to the US.  They said China will work to diminish US influence, including by adding further pressure to Taiwan, to establish itself as the main power in Asia and a major global power.  CIA Director William Burns added that his agency’s future will be shaped by the technology race between the US and China.  The intelligence directors’ remarks followed the release of the US Intelligence Community’s Annual Threat Assessment, which highlighted various threats from China including Beijing’s cyber activities, intellectual property theft and influence operations.  Despite the discussion of threats, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines added that the US intelligence community assesses that China still prefers de-escalating tensions and having stable relations with the US to support Beijing’s efforts to address domestic concerns.  CNN  Reuters Office of the Director of National Intelligence The Hill

US Intelligence Chiefs Say China to Strengthen Ties With Russia, With Limits.  The intelligence directors added that they see China and Russia deepening cooperation to challenge the US.  However, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said she wouldn’t call Beijing and Moscow’s relationship a “love affair” as China is growing “increasingly uncomfortable” in its level of support for Russia amid the Ukraine war and will likely work to provide assistance more privately.  She added that while the two countries will increase cooperation “across every sector,” they will never become allies like the US and NATO members.  New York Times Reuters The Hill

US Army Working ‘As Quickly As Possible’ to Send Abrams Tanks to Ukraine.  The US Army’s acquisition chief Doug Bush told Defense News that the Army is “executing” a plan to deliver M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.  He clarified that the US military is not ready to announce a clearer timeline on the tank deliveries and that it will likely never announce an “exact” schedule to avoid letting Russia have that information.  The tank transfers are likely to take months, which Bush said is because the deliveries include other logistics elements like ammunition,  support vehicles, maintenance equipment and that the deliveries must be conducted without impacting US Army readiness.  Defense News

Biden Nominates 7th Fleet Commander for Information Warfare Position.  The US Department of Defense announced Wednesday that President Joe Biden has nominated Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of the US Navy 7th Fleet in Japan, to be the next deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare and director of naval intelligence.  If the Senate confirms Thomas, he will succeed Vice Admiral Jeffrey Trussler as the top US information warfare official.  Defense News

US Military Veterans Testify on ‘Catastrophic’ US Withdrawal from Afghanistan.  The Associated Press is out with a report that examines a congressional hearing on Afghanistan.  US Military veterans testified before the House Armed Services committee on Wednesday in the first of what is expected to be a series of Republican-led investigations into the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.  Witnesses described scenes from the final days of the chaotic withdrawal in Kabul with consensus among those testifying that blame for the failure touches US Presidential administrations from George W Bush to the current Biden administration.  The testimony follows a report last month from the U.S. Inspector-General for Afghanistan which found that specific actions from the Trump and Biden administration contributed to the sudden collapse of the Afghan government, but that each US administration since 2001 was also to blame for what it described as ‘constantly changing, inconsistent’ policies and a desire for quick-fix and ultimately a desire to withdraw from Afghanistan, rather than a focus on building a sustainable Afghan military.  Associated Press

US Congress Moves Towards Ending Iraq War Authorization.  The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 13-8 in favor of a bill to repeal the 1991 and 2022 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs) that permitted the past wars in Iraq.  The Senate committee’s approval of the bill comes ahead of the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq on March 19, 2003.  Supporters of the bill say the AUMFs should be repealed as the US deepens security ties with Iraq against ISIS and other terrorist groups.  Opponents to the repeal of the Iraq AUMFs say such authorizations provide flexibility for the US to move against enemies abroad.  Discussions on the measure add to debate on whether the war authorizations give presidents too much power to decide and justify US military action abroad.  Reuters Washington Post

Health Insurer Hack Exposes Personal Data of House Members, Staff.  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries notified House members and staff that a breach of the health care group DC Health Link had compromised the personal information of House members, staff and their families.  They did not identify affected individuals.  DC Health Link confirmed the hack and says it is notifying customers that have been affected.  The FBI and US Capitol Police added that they are investigating the incident.  Politico Reuters 

US Authorized to Seize Russian Oil Group’s Plane.  A US district court issued a warrant authorizing the US government to seize a $25 million Boeing aircraft owned by Russian oil company Rosneft.  The US Justice Department said the seizure is in response to violations of export controls and sanctions imposed on Russia.  Reuters

US House Speaker McCarthy Declines Invitation to Visit Ukraine. US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that he is not planning to travel to Ukraine, declining Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s invitation for him to visit.  Zelenskiy offered the invitation in a CNN interview, saying McCarthy should see the situation in Ukraine firsthand to inform decisions on US military assistance for Kyiv.  McCarthy said he did not need to visit Ukraine to get the information on the country that he needs.  CNN Reuters

US Imposes New Iran Sanctions.  The US imposed new sanctions on Iranian officials and companies on Wednesday to mark International Women’s Day.  The Treasury Department said the measures target two Iranian prison officials accused of human rights abuses against women and girls.  The sanctions also impact top Iranian military officials and three Iranian companies linked to suppression of dissent and law enforcement repression.  The sanctions freeze US assets of those targeted and prohibits Americans from dealing with them.  Reuters US Department of the Treasury 

Foiled Chile Airport Heist Kills Two.  A failed multimillion-dollar heist at the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in the Chilean capital of Santiago killed two people on Wednesday.  Authorities say a robber and an airport security official were killed in the robbery attempt.  The robbers were reportedly armed with “high capacity firepower” and targeted a plane that was transporting $32.5 million.  The incident underscores concerns of rising crime in Chile.  Al Jazeera NPR Reuters

Western Europe

Netherlands Planning Export Controls on Semiconductor Technology.  The Netherlands said Wednesday that it plans to impliment export restrictions on semiconductor technology over national security concerns.  Dutch Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher said the controls will be introduced before summer.  She added that one technology that the measure will cover is “DUV” lithography systems, an advanced machine used in chip production.  She did not mention China or the Dutch semiconductor technology company ASML, but both will be impacted by the move.  The announcement for the restrictions follow efforts by the US to get the Netherlands to join in measures targeting China’s chip industry.  Bloomberg Financial Times Politico Reuters

Officials Urge Caution Amid Nord Stream Investigation as White House Says NY Times Report Unverified.  Western officials say they are investigating if a pro-Ukrainian group was responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline explosions last year.  NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called for caution on the matter and to wait for investigations to be finalized.  Comments on the investigations come after a report by the NY Times, citing an anonymous US official, suggested that a pro-Ukrainian group was behind the attack.  Following the report, US National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Adrienne Watson said that the NCS could not verify the NY Times report and that the intelligence referenced did not come from the US and no US officials had been authorized to speak to the press on the matter. Russia has responded to the leaked intelligence by calling for a separate investigation into the attacks that includes Moscow’s participation.  Germany announced it searched a boat in January suspected of carrying the explosives used in the sabotage attacks and that investigations of objects seized from the ship are ongoing.  Al Jazeera CNN Wall Street Journal  NSC Statement

TikTok Announces New Europe Data Regime.  TikTok on Wednesday announced a new European data security program called “Project Clover.”  Under the arrangement, TikTok will begin storing European user data locally.  Migration efforts will carry into 2024 and will be supported by new data centers in Ireland and Norway’s Hamar region, which will be operated by an unspecified third party.  The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of TikTok in the US and Europe over security and privacy concerns.  Financial Times Politico Reuters South China Morning Post

Pentagon Blocking Sharing of Intelligence on Russian War Crimes in Ukraine With ICC.  The Pentagon is reportedly blocking the sharing of US intelligence about Russian atrocities in Ukraine with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague.  Sources say the US military is opposed to sharing the intelligence since the investigations may set a precedent that could lead to future probes against Americans.  The rest of the administration, including the State and Justice departments and intelligence community, reportedly favor sharing the intelligence.  The internal dispute comes despite modifications by Congress on legal restrictions to allow the US to assist investigations into Russian war crimes in Ukraine.  New York Times

UK Sanctions Violators of Women’s Rights. The UK on Wednesday announced a package of sanctions against people on a list of “global violators of women’s rights.” The sanctioned individuals are based in Iran, Syria, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. The sanctions, which were introduced on International Women’s Day, include the freezing of assets and travel bans.  Reuters

Central and Eastern Europe

Russia Launches Major Missile Strikes Across Ukraine.  Russian forces launched missile strikes  across Ukraine on Thursday.  Commander of Ukraine’s armed forces Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhny said a total of 81 missiles were launched from the air, land and sea, along with 8 Iranian made drones.  Zaluzhny says that Ukraine’s armed forces intercepted 34 of the missiles and four of the drones. Missile strikes in Zolochiv village in the Lviv region hit a residential area and killed four people.  Another person was reportedly killed in the Dnipro region as well as  three others in the Kherson region.  Strikes in Zaporizhia reportedly cut power to the nuclear plant there.  Air defenses intercepted most missiles and drones targeting Kyiv, though some missiles managed to hit energy and heat infrastructure in the capital city.  Russia’s defense ministry said the missile barrage, the largest in weeks, was revenge for recent cross-border attacks into Russia’s Bryansk region.  Ukraine added that Russia used an unprecedented six kinzhal hypersonic cruise missiles in the attacks.  Following the strikes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksiy convened a meeting with defense and security officials.  Zelenskiy said later on Telegram that the Russians are only capable of terrorizing civilians and that “they won’t avoid responsibility for everything they have done”. Wall Street Journal Associated Press Reuters

Ukraine Defending Bakhmut Despite Russian Claims of Partial Control.  Ukraine’s military maintains that it continues to repel Russian attacks on the embattled city of Bakhmut despite Russian claims of progress.  The head of Russia’s Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Wednesday that his mercenaries have captured a large portion of the eastern section of the city.  Ukraine and Russia did not comment on Prigozhin’s claim, though the Institute for the Study of War said Russia is likely in control of areas he mentioned following a partial withdrawal of Ukrainian forces across the Bakhmutka River.  NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned Wednesday that Bakhmut may fall to Russia “in the coming days” despite major Russian losses.  He also reiterated Western assessments that Russia’s capture of Bakhmut will be more symbolic and not indicate a “turning point” in the conflict in Moscow’s favor.  Associated Press CNN France 24 Reuters

UN Secretary General Visits Kyiv.  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Wednesday.  During the trip, Guterres reiterated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine violates the UN charter.  He also expressed “deep solidarity” with the victims of the war and highlighted UN efforts to provide aid amid the conflict.  Guterres and Zelenskiy also jointly called for an extension of the Black Sea grain deal with Russia, calling the arrangement “critically necessary” to Ukraine and the rest of the world.  The deal should be extended on March 18 as long as no party objects.  Reuters UN News

Ukraine Defense Minister Calls for Further Western Military Assistance.  Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Wednesday that Ukraine needs continued military aid from EU partners.  Speaking in Stockholm ahead of a meeting of EU defense ministers, Reznikov specifically highlighted Kyiv’s need for 155mm artillery shells, saying “we need a million artillery rounds.”  He also called for more heavy equipment like armored infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard tanks.  He noted that proper legal and bureaucratic procedures must be followed to facilitate the military aid, but emphasized the need to quickly deliver promised weapons.  Kyiv Post

Seoul Approves Poland’s Export of Howitzers to Ukraine.  South Korean and Polish defense sources told Reuters that Seoul approved export licenses last year for Poland to send South Korean-made Krab howitzers to Ukraine.  Poland reportedly sent 18 Krabs to Ukraine in May last year and has since signed orders with South Korea for dozens more.  The report marks the first confirmation that South Korea has at least indirectly provided weapons to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion.  Reuters Wall Street Journal

Georgia Scraps ‘Foreign Agents’ Bill After Protests.  Georgia’s ruling party withdrew its controversial “foreign agents” bill on Thursday following two nights of violent protests against the proposed legislation.  The bill would have required organizations that receive over 20 percent of funding from overseas sources to register as foreign agents.  Critics said the measure could be abused to target dissent.  Protests against the bill involved thousands of people, some of whom threw petrol bombs at the police, who in turn used tear gas and stun grenades against demonstrators.  The Georgian Dream ruling party said it scrapped the bill to stop the violence, though it criticized what it said were “lies” about the measure pushed by the “radical opposition.”  The EU praised the withdrawal of the bill, which the bloc previously said was complicating Georgia’s EU membership bid.  BBC France 24 Reuters 

Asia

Beijing Opposed to Taiwan President Meeting US House Speaker McCarthy.  China’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that it is “seriously concerned” with reports that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen will meet with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California as she “transits' ' through the US on an upcoming visit.  The ministry added that it has made “solemn representations” with the US to ask for clarification on the matter.  The Presidential Office in Taipei said relevant departments are working on the “transit arrangements” and will explain them “in a timely manner” when they are finalized.  Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that McCarthy confirmed he will meet Tsai in the US this year without promising a follow-up trip to Taiwan.  Reuters South China Morning Post

Australia Buying Up to Five Nuclear Powered Submarines From US.  Australia will reportedly buy up to five US Virginia class nuclear powered submarines in the 2030s under the AUKUS defense agreement.  Sources say the sales will provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines as a stopgap while the UK and Australia develop a next generation submarine that incorporates US technology.  In addition to the sales, the AUKUS agreement will facilitate US submarine visits to Australian ports.  Officials said President Joe Biden will announce further details on the plan with his Australian and British counterparts in San Diego on Monday.  Reuters Wall Street Journal

Pakistan Police Clash with Supporters of Former PM Khan. Several civilians and police officers were injured on Wednesday following clashes between Pakistani police and Former Prime Minister Imran Khan supporters. Police used tear gas on supporters of the former Prime Minister after the government banned an upcoming rally in the eastern city of Lahore where Khan was expected to kick off his election campaign. Reuters

UN Warns Taliban Crackdown on Women’s Rights Likely to Cause Aid Cuts. The United Nations has issued a warning to the Taliban that their crackdown on women’s rights may threaten their access to aid, saying that it may be withheld if the Taliban continues policies like banning women from attending schools or working in aid groups.  The warning came after the UN requested $4.6 billion in aid for Afghanistan, marking its largest single country aid appeal.  Reuters

Middle East and Northern Africa

US, Europe Raise Concerns Over Iran’s Enrichment of Uranium to 84 Percent Purity. Top US and European officials expressed concerns over recent reports from the IAEA that found uranium particles enriched up to 83.7% at a site in Iran. Officials are calling on Iran to explain how they came into possession of uranium so close to weapons grade. The possibility of it being accidental has not been ruled out.  A US statement to the IAEA calls on Iran to fully explain this latest incident, and says that the fact that the enriched particles were found at a facility that was originally built as a covert location ‘only deepens our concerns’.  Reuters

US Defense Secretary Austin Visits Egypt.  US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Wednesday.  Austin used the visit to express that the US is seeking deeper security ties with Egypt, calling Cairo an “essential pillar” in the region.  Austin also used the trip to raise concerns about the country’s human rights record, specifically regarding crackdowns on political dissent.  His comments follow moves by the US to withhold small amounts of military aid to Egypt over the country’s failure to meet human rights conditions.  Reuters Washington Post

US, UN Say Airstrike on Aleppo Airport Could Disrupt Aid Supply.  Officials from the US and UN have raised concerns that damage to the Aleppo airport from a suspected Israeli strike could disrupt the distribution of aid to victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes in the region.  Flights delivering aid have been diverted from Aleppo to Damascus or Latakia according to the UN. All UN Humanitarian Air Service flights to and from Aleppo have been suspended, and there are fears that if the disruption continues for a prolonged period of time it may affect the “wider vulnerable population who need humanitarian assistance,” according to Deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq. Reuters

Sub Saharan Africa

South Sudan President Fires Foreign Minister.  South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir fired Foreign Minister Mayiik Ayii according to the president’s spokesperson.  No further information was provided as to why he was fired, but his dismissal comes less than a week after the defense and interior ministers were sacked over concerns that they may destroy a peace deal with the opposition.  Reuters

Cyber & Tech

TSA Announces New regulations to Improve Cyber Security for Airline Industry.  The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced new rules on Tuesday aimed at improving the digital defenses of the aviation industry.  The new requirements build upon existing regulations and now require airlines to develop a TSA-approved plan to strengthen cyber defenses, demonstrate the ability to safely operate if their networks have been compromised, implement continuous network monitoring and ensure timely updates through patching.  TSA Administrator David Pekoske says the new guidelines follow similar performance-based requirements found in other critical infrastructure sectors.  The latest rules come just days after the US released its new Cyber Security Strategy.  Cyberscoop 

Influence Operations Pose Greatest Risk for US Election Interference.  Head of Cyber Command and the National Security Agency (NSA) General Paul Nakasone told US Senators that election interference is here to stay and will remain a risk to the US ‘for as long as I can look into the future’.  His comments came in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.  Nakasone says that influence operations and disinformation campaigns are a greater threat than attempts to hack election systems, and cited China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as continuing to enhance their cyber capabilities.  The Hill

Taiwan Computer Giant Acer Suffers Data Breach.  Taiwanese computer maker Acer says it suffered a data breach after hackers infiltrated an internal server used by the company’s repair technicians.  The threat actor allegedly behind the attack says it stole technical documents on Acer’s products and is now selling them on a hacking forum.  Acer maintains that this hack did not appear to compromise customer data.  BleepingComputer

Israeli Firm Suspected of Illegal Spy Tech Sales.  An Israeli Defense Ministry investigation uncovered that NFV Systems, a small Israeli cyber firm, may have  illegally sold spyware and other surveillance technologies to foreign countries.  The ministry launched an investigation into the company over suspicions that they had violated Israel’s Defense Export Law by improperly exporting sensitive technologies.  Several Gulf states are among the company’s alleged clients.  NFV Systems, which does not have a website and whose name had not been published prior to the Haaretz report, did not comment on the allegations.  Haaretz

DHS Inspector General Report Says CISA Lacks Communication Plan During Major Hacks.  A recent investigation into DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency by the DHS Inspector General (IG) has revealed that CISA has still not updated a blueprint on how to maintain communications in the event of a major cyberattack. The investigation also ruled that CISA needs to update its “continuity of operations plan,” and also may not always have the capability to detect and mitigate cyberattacks effectively. In a written response, CISA officials say that they will act on the recommendations of the IG report this year.  CNN

Australian Official Tells Moscow to Reign in Ransomware Operators.  Australia’s Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo says that the greatest concentration of ransomware operators are in Russia, a country he says is not a ‘rule of law’ country.  Pezzullo’s comments came at an event in Sydney where he says that the idea that conventional law enforcement principles can be applied is ‘naive’.  Pezzullo says he is calling on the Russian government to ‘bring those hackers to heel’.  Reuters says the Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.  Reuters

Malware Campaign Targeting Small Businesses.  Researchers at Lumen Technologies released a report on Monday detailing a recent malware attack that targeted small businesses and reportedly used their internet routers to steal data. The campaign, named HiatusRAT,  started in July and has affected over 100 businesses in the pharmaceutical, IT and consulting industries across North America and Europe. The campaign has specifically targeted specific DrayTek Vigor router models.  The researchers warn that 4,100 routers are still vulnerable to the malware campaign.  Axios

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