RSnake Report 20241204

Table of Contents

• Geopolitical

• Technology

• Cybersecurity

• Business

Hello, and thanks for reading! We’re back at it, trying to work off some of that extra helping of mashed potatoes, and the weather has finally decided to start turning. It must be winter in Texas! So, since I’m stuck inside, let’s do a nice little roundup, shall we?

Starting with the Russia/Ukraine conflict, in Yekaterinburg, Russia, a fire erupted at a polystyrene production facility known for manufacturing materials like EcoFol foamed polyethylene, used as, amongst other things, a material to hide from thermal imagers on the frontline. Footage shows an impressive blaze. This facility also produces components critical for drone manufacturing, making it a high-value target for sabotage efforts.

Meanwhile, Putin's decree to increase Russia's army by an additional 180,000 troops is now in effect, pushing the total force to 1.5 million. This expansion marks the third such increase since the war began and moves them from the 5th largest army in 2019 to the 2nd. Now the question is where is he planning on getting these new recruits, given that he is currently focused on meat-waves.

Who wants to sign up for that? Well it turns out he is raiding nightclubs again, and in this case LGBT clubs, to arrest them for degeneracy and almost certainly will force them to the front. The question is, will these “soldiers” that obviously are unwilling to go to the front be anything more than a distraction for Ukraine? Other than using up Ukraine’s drone supply, killing all of these new personnel, and wasting time, and possibly removing any political opposition, I don’t see much utility.

Even if you once believed in Russia’s training regimen to make sure that their soldiers had the best chance possible, that seems to be a fleeting distant memory. Reports indicate that mobilized recruits are being sent to the front lines with almost no training, with tragic results. One recruit, signed up on November 13th, was killed by November 18th. There’s no way for that to happen unless they are getting effectively zero training.

On the Ukrainian side, a HIMARS missile strike targeted the Russian 83rd Airborne Brigade’s command post during a ceremonial formation, causing 4 officer casualties and 25 other personnel. Just a friendly reminder to those on the front lines, you may not want to group all your people in one spot when you are well in range of the enemy forces. 🥴 

Ukraine is innovating with the “Protector,” a large unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) capable of transporting heavy logistics to hard-to-reach frontline locations. A closer look here. It is basically an autonomous truck allowing them to carry much larger payloads, like water, weapons, drones, supplies, etc.

Russia’s agricultural sector is collapsing under the strain of war, with only 31% of crops deemed in good condition compared to 74% last year. Food shortages are looming. You might be thinking much of this was traditionally meant for export. However, it appears only about half of the supply was exported in 2023, and far less than half is good this year. That means there will be massive shortages of food in Russia but also anyone who was purchasing from them will likely have to find new suppliers.

In Europe, B-52 bombers have arrived in Finland, signaling an apparent response to Moscow’s nuclear threats. This saber-rattling on both sides is getting increasingly dangerous. It is very easy to mistakenly fly over the wrong area with a drone/missile and cause an international incident of biblical proportions. The only good news is that bombers can be recalled in flight.

Meanwhile, protests in Georgia have escalated into violent clashes, with Molotov cocktails now being used against riot police. The demonstrations show no sign of abating. In fact, the police have upped their tactics to starting to arrest opposition party members in their homes, which likely will not go over well with the protesters. No sign of what the Georgian military will do, but I think it ultimately will come down to their action or inaction.

In Germany, a major contribution to Ukraine’s defense comes in the form of the HX-2 AI-guided drones, resistant to electronic warfare and capable of targeting armored vehicles and artillery. This is the second time in just a handful of days we have seen AI used in drones, which means we are now at the tipping point, my friends. AI target acquisition and kill decisions are now firmly in the hands of AI. Granted, it may only be for the last few seconds in some cases when jamming is most effective, but nevertheless, we are here. Computers are deciding when and where to kill human beings. Anyone still sincerely thinking about Asimov’s rules for robotics needs to seriously start upgrading their thinking.

European internet continues to face its own vulnerabilities—another undersea Internet cable has been severed, this time between Finland and Sweden, raising suspicions of sabotage. This is the third cut in just a few weeks. I’d say we’re at war, it’s just politically disadvantageous to admit it.

In the South Pacific, South Korea has plunged into chaos as martial law is invoked. The opposition leader has declared President Yoon Suk-yeol illegitimate, while soldiers storm the National Assembly in dramatic clashes. The situation is volatile. With corruption allegations fueling unrest, it’s unclear how long this state of emergency will last. Details here if you want to know more about what led up to it. Some will say that it is President Yoon attempting to stop North Korean actors, but it is largely about corruption. The President complied in just a few hours. What happens next isn’t clear to me, but we’ll soon see.

Meanwhile, China has banned exports of critical rare earth metals like gallium and germanium and antimony to the United States, escalating trade tensions. A worrying development no doubt, because it also includes “superhard materials” as well, which aren’t clearly defined from what I saw. Even lowly graphite, which is used in batteries, is under review, with Reuters saying there shall be a “stricter review of end-usage for graphite items shipped to the U.S.” Great. Great, great, great. 😑 

But what this really is is anything they consider to be “dual-use.” But lots and lots of things are dual use. Under that line of thinking any robots, any cellular communication device, any kind of radio, or drone, or vehicle, or anything that transports a thing allows you to look at a thing, detect a thing, stop a thing, make a thing go fast, etc… all of that would be in scope. Sanctions under Trump will be wild if they do come to pass. There is a gallium deposit in Montana that is untapped at the moment due to environmental concerns.

In the Middle East, U.S. forces have intensified operations in Syria, including strafing runs with A-10 aircraft. High casualties have been reported. But the back channel on this has been interesting. Clearly, manned aircraft with guns is still highly useful, and the desire to skip to drones is similar to the US’s desire to skip to missiles only and drop the gun from the modern airframe. There is a role for all of these machines of war for the time being, but we should absolutely have our eye on the future here.

In more typical UN clown show style, Russia used it’s veto power to stop the investigation of Syrian chemical attacks used by the Assad Regime. Thank goodness the UN is here to enforce the new world order for us. Great track record, guys. Way to go. 🤡 

Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has already started becoming a morality police force, so be very careful what you wish for. Remember when I said that I didn’t really know who the good guys were in this battle between Assad forces and HTS, this is a small glimpse into the reasons. Expect a lot worse coming, oh, and now they have more Mig-23s that they’ve captured and the coveted Russian Podlet radar system.

In even weirder HTS news, it turns out that Ukraine has been arming them with drone technology and training on how to fight with drones against the Assad forces. Say what you will about Assad, and I have nothing good to say about him, but HTS is a designated terrorist organization. So yes, Ukraine is training Islamic terrorists. Let that sink in. Here is a good video on the preparation and drone training program that is now in use by HTS. 🫠 

Speaking of clowns, Iran is rapidly rebuilding after Israeli airstrikes on its military complex. I am sure you remember this attack by Israel. The one that Iran said had zero effect, aside from a few deaths here and there, and also massive destruction of some of the most critical nuclear and weapons factories in Iran. Yeah, besides that stuff… Anyway, this is a problem because they apparently didn’t get the hint, so I would expect more tensions there soon enough.

Also, Hezbollah’s extremely short-lived ceasefire with Israel appears to be over as widespread strikes are announced in southern Lebanon. So much for Biden’s ceasefire plan! If anyone is surprised by this, they just haven’t been paying attention. Hezbollah and Hamas have broken every single peace deal that has been made with Israel. This is just the latest example.

Onto North America, where Hunter Biden’s controversial pardon by President Joe Biden dominates headlines, with accusations of selective justice and questions over its scope/duration. It covers from 2014 to 2024, which is far earlier and later than anything related to his firearm conviction, and doesn’t just cover his gun conviction but is blanket immunity. There’s a lot to say here, but let’s first start by saying this isn’t the first time Biden has lied to the public - he’s been doing it for well over 30 years. Also, I am not surprised at all that the media completely misread Biden’s capabilities to lie to them (watch this 9-minute supercut of journalists saying he wouldn’t pardon his son).

So why 2014 instead of 2024? Well, there are two reasons; first, it is when Hunter Biden became a board member for Burisma in Ukraine under very suspicious circumstances related to payments made to “the big man,” which is undoubtedly his father. The second is that after 7 years, you hit the statute of limitations, so going back to 2014, it gives him effectively a lifetime blanket pardon, having nothing at all to do with the gun conviction.

People like Nate Silver are saying this might be the last straw, keeping in mind Fivethirtyeight called the election wrong by a lot, and this is the second time it's happened out of three attempts by his algorithm as seen below.

A 33% batting average isn’t good, and I think even very left-wing analysts like him are starting to feel like their party has become too corrupt. With shoving Kamala onto the ballet without a Democratic convention, Biden pardoning his son, and losing so badly in the election, it’s time for some reflection. At some point I will write up why I think the Republicans won, but this sort of behavior certainly isn’t given the Democrats any way to claim a moral high ground to their own constituency, which they had leading up to the election with their “no one is above the law” slogan. For now, the Democrats need to start paying attention to what the rest of the country is saying, not just the very loud echo chamber or they will certainly lose the 2028 elections too which, unless the economy folds or war breaks out or some other scandal unfolds, will be against against Vance, and likely the 2032 election as well.

Adding to the chaos, Trump somewhat jokingly suggested annexing Canada during a meeting with Justin Trudeau. I don’t think it was well received because in context it was about tariffs which the Canadians undoubtedly are worried about given that the US is by far their largest trading partner.

Amid all this, a bipartisan report confirms that gain-of-function research funded by U.S. taxpayers likely caused the COVID-19 pandemic. The implications are profound but it turns out that gain of function research funded by US taxpayers most likely escaped from a Wuhan lab according to a bipartisan report from the Select Subcommittee on on the Coronavirus Pandemic which is just proof we cannot allow government censors. This was used to de-monetize and de-platform tons of people, and it turns out not only was it likely true, but it was also paid for by US tax dollars.

Oh, and big shocker, Fauci lied about that too. For those who may have forgotten, he lied about the efficacy of masks and the “perfect” safety of the vaccines. I’m seeing a trend with that guy. Expect some very nasty lawsuits and prosecutions coming from this under the Trump administration. Oh yeah, and yes, let us not forget that China’s CCP lied, too. Their cover-up and gaslighting were enormous. The blood is, in large part, on their hands. They will never accept that responsibility, but if you know anyone hurt or killed by COVID, you know who to blame now. Do what you will with that information. I lost a good friend - a 20-year Navy SEAL veteran named Scott Brauer (donate to the SEAL legacy foundation if you want to support them). So on his behalf, to the CCP, I say: whatever comes next is your own fault.

Lastly, in Tech news, in a related situation, US officials are now urging US citizens to start using encrypted chatting apps, given that Salt Typhoon was able to compromise much of the US communications. That’s quite a turn from them being so against it, but I think they see the problem with back-doors, given that Salt Typhoon used the backdoor system against us when they compromised it. For those not putting the pieces together here, Salt Typhoon is a code name for a team that is likely based in China. The CCP is at war with the West, and the longer it takes for us to start fighting to win, the greater their strategic advantage over us. Killing a million+ US citizens with COVID and blaming anyone but themselves, another 100k per year with Fentanyl, setting up illicit bioweapons labs on US soil, and hacking everything they can, and today withholding rare earth from us should give us some clue what the CCP thinks of us.

We should treat them the same way they treat us.

Okay, onto the articles!

Geopolitical

Pentagon announces $725 million arms package for Ukraine, including anti-personnel mines, air defense missiles, and Javelin anti-armor weapons.

• The Biden administration is pressing ahead with military aid to Ukraine despite uncertainty about President-elect Donald Trump's handling of US support for Kyiv.

• The White House has requested an additional $24 billion in security assistance for Ukraine as US weapons stocks dwindle.

[RSnake: This is Biden attempting to future-proof the war with Russia for as long as possible. It’s not clear if Trump was aware of or approved this or not, like he has been made aware of other decisions around the use of long-range missiles in Kursk.]

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/12/03/pentagon-announces-new-725-million-arms-package-ukraine.html

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced plans to lift martial law following a parliamentary vote against it amidst political turmoil characterized by military presence at the National Assembly. The decision to impose martial law was met with opposition outcry and has been deemed a significant setback for democracy in South Korea.

• President Yoon declared martial law in response to what he called anti-state forces.

• The National Assembly voted unanimously to lift the martial law, indicating strong political resistance to Yoon's actions.

[RSnake: It’s over now, but might be interesting to keep this here for future reference.]

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/12/03/south-korean-parliament-votes-defy-president-lifting-his-declaration-of-martial-law.html

The U.S. has imposed extensive sanctions on 35 entities and vessels related to transporting Iranian oil, aiming to disrupt Iran's petroleum trade and its funding for nuclear weapon development. This comes in response to recent attacks by Iran and is part of a broader strategy targeting violations of international sanctions. The sanctions involve companies from multiple countries, emphasizing the international implications of Iran's oil exports.

• The U.S. sanctioned 35 entities and vessels involved in the Iranian oil trade.

• These actions are a response to Iran's military activities and nuclear escalations.

• The sanctions aim to limit Iran's capability to fund destabilizing activities through petroleum revenues.

[RSnake: I think Israel may have a more permanent solution in mind if Iran enacts True Promise 3. I feel like these need better names. True Promise. Okay, that’s the original Coke. True Promise 2 - the promising. New Coke. True Promise 3 - promises promises. Oreo flavored Coke.]

Source: https://gcaptain.com/?p=218363

Bangladesh's economy has faced severe challenges due to an estimated $17 billion to $30 billion that was siphoned from its financial system during the previous government's tenure. The new head of the central bank has revealed that a complex scheme involving government officials and private banks contributed to this massive financial misappropriation, leaving many banks in precarious positions.

• Ahsan Mansur, the new governor of Bangladesh's central bank, has reported a significant financial crisis linked to the previous government.

• Estimates suggest that as much as $30 billion may have been illegally transferred out of the country, severely impacting the banking sector.

[RSnake: Those are rookie numbers. We lose way more than that. Though watching the Gov contractors chat, I think everyone is nervous about DOGE and what groups/departments it will cut.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/business/bangladesh-banks.html

The United States has implemented new export restrictions targeting China's semiconductor industry, which affects 140 companies, including key toolmakers. The measures aim to prevent China from advancing its domestic semiconductor capabilities, particularly in areas relevant to military applications and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence. This crackdown builds on previous efforts and is anticipated to remain in place under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

• The US has imposed export restrictions on 140 Chinese semiconductor companies to hinder China's chipmaking capabilities.

• The restrictions are part of a broader strategy to protect US national security interests related to advanced technologies.

[RSnake: It’s an okay step, but it won’t work; they will just steal whatever they need. They are actually quite capable engineers… once they have stolen the plans from others. Look at the J-35 fighter - they don’t even attempt to hide the fact it is based on stolen data from the F-35. That is to say, their innovation is not good, but their ability to advance quickly once others have enabled that innovation is good. They can mechanize and build new systems much faster, with less red tape than we can. Our own bureaucracy is one of the largest areas where we stagnate, not innovation.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/12/2/us-unleashes-another-crackdown-on-chinas-chip-industry?traffic_source=rss

Iran executed at least 135 individuals in November 2024, including 14 political prisoners sentenced to death, following participation in the 2022 protests. Human rights groups report the Iranian government is increasingly using capital punishment to suppress dissent and maintain control over the populace amidst ongoing protests and unrest.

• Iran's execution rate has significantly increased, with 135 executions reported in November 2024 alone.

• The Iranian government is targeting political prisoners as part of efforts to quell dissent stemming from the 2022 protests.

[RSnake: Yep, the latest of many political murders.]

Source: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202412020498

Russia has developed a new intermediate-range ballistic missile called Oreshnik, which is capable of delivering kinetic strikes comparable to low-to-medium yield nuclear weapons without radiation. The missile can reach critical targets across Europe and the U.S. within minutes, altering the military dynamics and escalation strategies in the region. As the global focus shifts, discussions around U.S. foreign policy under potential leadership changes are emerging, particularly regarding Ukraine and relations with China and Russia.

• The Oreshnik missile represents a significant advancement in military technology for Russia, capable of reaching major global targets quickly.

• U.S. foreign policy may shift depending on leadership, affecting NATO dynamics and the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

[RSnake: The demonstration proves the tech, at least in theory, works, but the number that they can produce might be laughably small. So this is more of a weapon of fear than a weapon of utility at the moment.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/escobar-trump-may-be-oreshniked-ukraine-even-he-gets-china

US President Joe Biden has granted a full pardon to his son Hunter Biden, covering federal gun and tax charges from 2014 to 2024.

• Hunter Biden faced convictions for firearm purchase under false claims and unpaid taxes.

• President Joe Biden defended his son's actions, claiming that such cases are typically resolved without criminal penalties, especially when drug addiction is involved.

[RSnake: His own DOJ prosecuted Hunter, not Trump’s administration. But, hey, whatever you want, big guy.]

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/what-charges-did-hunter-biden-face-before-father-and-us-president-joe-pardoned-him/articleshow/115881306.cms

President-elect Donald Trump has issued a stark ultimatum to Hamas regarding the release of hostages held in Gaza, warning of severe consequences if they are not released by his inauguration on January 20, 2025. At present, approximately 100 hostages remain in Gaza, with ongoing military operations and humanitarian crises compounding the situation. Trump's remarks indicate a potential shift in U.S. policy towards a more aggressive stance in the region, contrasting sharply with current diplomatic efforts.

• Trump has issued a warning to Hamas about hostage releases.

• The hostage situation is critical, with ongoing military operations and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

• Trump's ultimatum could signify a significant policy shift in U.S. relations with Israel and Hamas.

[RSnake: I doubt this will mean much to them. But it will likely make other actors like Iran consider their options, given that a threat to any terrorist group fighting Israel is likely going to have Iran’s fingerprints and money all over it.]

Source: https://sofrep.com/?p=210917

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier faces a no-confidence vote amid a politically unstable minority government, where no single party holds a majority. Barnier has initiated controversial reforms through presidential decree due to resistance from opposition parties, and he may become the shortest-serving prime minister in France's history if he does not survive the vote.

• Michel Barnier's government lacks a parliamentary majority, leading to instability.

• Controversial reforms are being pushed through despite opposition, with Barnier potentially facing a no-confidence vote.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30nl7d9z0vo

Technology

Amazon is releasing a series of new AI foundation models under the 'Nova' branding, including text, multimodal, and image generation models, to be made available as part of its AWS model library in early 2025. The company aims to make Nova Premier, a highly capable multimodal model, available by then. Amazon also plans to release other AI products, such as speech-to-speech and native multimodal-to-multimodal models.

• Amazon is releasing new AI foundation models called Nova, which include text, multimodal, and image generation models.

• The company plans to release Nova Premier, a highly capable multimodal model, in early 2025.

[RSnake: They really are going after Microsoft/OpenAI and Google on this one. The models are cheaper, the access to hardware is cheaper, etc. They’re partnering with Anthropic as well. This will be an interesting fight. For generative language models, cost per token is the real indicator, and that will end up having to come down a lot to make it cost-effective.]

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/3/24312260/amazon-nova-foundation-ai-models-anthropic

Amazon Web Services has introduced enhancements to its generative AI tool, Amazon Q Developer, which automates major aspects of software development, including unit testing, documentation, and code reviews. These improvements aim to increase developer productivity by reducing time spent on repetitive tasks, enabling companies to deliver higher quality software more efficiently.

• Amazon Q Developer automates unit testing to improve code reliability.

• The tool streamlines documentation creation and code review processes, enhancing overall productivity.

[RSnake: Cool - I really like the use case of LLMs creating test harnesses and tests themselves. That would save so much time and greatly reduce the need for large QA teams.]

Source: https://thereadable.co/amazon-q-developer-reimagines-how-developers-build-and-operate-software-with-generative-ai/

Apple is launching new AI technologies, including Apple Intelligence, aimed at enhancing user experience while prioritizing privacy by processing data on devices rather than in the cloud. The company has also focused on integrating AI into health applications and ensuring the efficiency of its infrastructure in light of sustainability goals, amidst challenges in the competitive tech landscape.

• Apple is set to release its AI-driven features, branded as Apple Intelligence.

• The company emphasizes privacy and local data processing in its AI applications.

• Apple's focus on health-related technology suggests a strategic future direction for the company.

[RSnake: Thus far, I have found very few use cases where it is actually helping me be more efficient, but I think the fact that it’s so sparsely integrated is the major issue. Once it becomes more integrated with all apps natively, that will open it up in terms of its utility.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-tim-cook-wants-apple-to-literally-save-your-life/

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is actively promoting the development of AI infrastructure in various countries, aiming to have them create their own national AI systems using Nvidia technology. Governments, recognizing the strategic importance of AI, are increasingly engaging with Nvidia to secure their data sovereignty and technological independence amidst rising geopolitical tensions, particularly between the US and China. Recent US restrictions on chip exports to China further complicate the global tech landscape, impacting companies like Nvidia and their market strategies.

• Jensen Huang is advocating for countries to build their own AI infrastructure using Nvidia chips.

• US-China tensions over technology are influencing global AI development strategies.

• Many countries are now focusing on data sovereignty in response to the evolving AI landscape.

[RSnake: Good luck. That is a recipe for disaster. In talking with the CMO of Meta, they take a very grim view of any countries with any censorship for the generation of new AI tech/models. Now if Jensen can get them to accept the idea of freedom of speech, sure… but… again… good luck.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-nvidia-jensen-huang-2024/

Cybersecurity

Cybercriminals are increasingly abusing Cloudflare's services, including 'pages.dev' and 'workers.dev', to carry out phishing attacks and other malicious activities. Reports indicate a significant rise in phishing incidents using these domains, with projections showing a drastic increase in both phishing attacks and attempts to carry out Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.

• Phishing attacks using Cloudflare Pages have increased by 198% from 2023 to 2024.

• Cloudflare Workers are being exploited for various malicious activities, including phishing and DDoS attacks.

[RSnake: Absolutely, it’s easy to do. I could get one up and running there in minutes, and it’s free. It will be interesting to see what they do about it, but having those domains available for anything other than testing is a little odd. They could get rid of them and say you need to use a Cloudflare VPN to reach them, so most people would never be able to access them, but I think that development effort would be a bridge too far. They’re likely stuck with human moderation, which is a bummer and cost burden for them.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cloudflares-developer-domains-increasingly-abused-by-threat-actors/

A former member of the Masters of Deception hacker group, John Lee, has spoken publicly about his involvement in the Great Hacker War, a series of high-profile cyberattacks in the 1990s. The Great Hacker War resulted in several arrests and convictions, including Lee's own sentence to a federal detention center. Lee has since become a writer, director, technologist, and entrepreneur.

• John Lee, a.k.a. John Threat, was indicted on federal wiretapping charges in 1992 for his involvement with the Masters of Deception (MOD) group.

• Lee pled guilty and was sentenced to one year at a federal detention center.

[RSnake: Funny, I have never heard it called that outside of my own friend group, but I did always colloquially call it the first great hacker war. The second was with Antisec/Anonymous, etc.]

Source: https://cybersecurityventures.com/?p=32926

China has conducted a large-scale espionage operation, compromising the telecommunications networks of major U.S. companies and stealing personal data from possibly over 1 million mobile phone users. Among those targeted were prominent government officials, with the hackers able to access sensitive communications and related data for extended periods, prompting ongoing investigations by U.S. authorities regarding the depth and continuous risks of this intrusion.

• China's espionage campaign exposed vulnerabilities in U.S. telecommunications systems.

• High-profile American officials were targeted, leading to serious national security implications.

[RSnake: Is anyone surprised the CCP didn’t just siphon up all the info, but they actually went after targets of opportunity too?]

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/chinese-espionage-campaign-scooped-data-thousands-us-mobile/story?id=116439853

Russian authorities have sentenced the leader of the Hydra Market darknet platform to life in prison, along with several accomplices who received prison sentences ranging from 8 to 23 years. The Hydra Market, which was dismantled in a coordinated international operation, was responsible for selling drugs and laundering money, with a significant turnover and millions of users worldwide.

• The Hydra Market was the world's largest darknet market, with a turnover of $1.35 billion in 2020.

• Law enforcement seized nearly a ton of narcotic drugs and significant cryptocurrency profits from the operation.

[RSnake: This is rare but interesting. Most of the time, these guys don’t live in areas where the US can reach them. In this case, the Russians went after their own. He must have pissed off the wrong guy.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/russia-sentences-hydra-dark-web-market-leader-to-life-in-prison/

The growing number of connected devices in the IoT poses a significant threat to global cybersecurity, as hackers and cyber-attackers increasingly target vulnerable objects on the internet. The increasing gap between the number of people online and IoT devices makes it challenging for analysts to predict hacker activities. This gap is expected to grow further as more devices gain internet connectivity.

• Research aims to improve cybersecurity by proposing a novel methodology for collecting and analyzing Dark Web information to identify IoT vulnerabilities.

• The study seeks to contribute to existing literature on cyber-security, guiding policy-making and intelligence research.

[RSnake: If you haven’t, it’s worthwhile to occasionally do an audit of all your IoT devices and really think about whether it makes sense to have them all. Does your TV really need to be on the network? How about your dishwasher/fridge/lights, etc…?]

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.17931

Data poisoning in machine learning models can be devastating, with prediction sets becoming unreliable or even producing false positives. Researchers have proposed a solution: reliable prediction sets (RPS), which aggregate predictions from multiple classifiers trained on distinct partitions of the training data and calibrated on subsets of the calibration data. This approach mitigates the influence of poisoned data points.

• Data poisoning in machine learning models is a significant threat to model reliability.

• Reliable prediction sets (RPS) propose an efficient method for constructing conformal prediction sets with provable reliability guarantees under poisoning.

[RSnake: Mitigates it to some degree. Sometimes you can overwhelm these systems with “near” misses, and the nature of LLMs will take from nearby nodes probabilistically or in certain circumstances.]

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.09878

Ransomware attacks targeting healthcare organizations are on the rise, exploiting vulnerabilities in complex IT environments that combine outdated technology and critical medical devices. Despite efforts to patch known vulnerabilities, traditional defenses are failing, necessitating advanced threat protection, employee training, and comprehensive incident response planning to protect sensitive patient data and ensure operational continuity.

• Ransomware attacks in healthcare are increasing and exploiting both known and unknown vulnerabilities.

• Healthcare organizations need to adopt more proactive security measures beyond just patching vulnerabilities.

[RSnake: Sure, because they have the most to lose in terms of PII and almost no security to speak of. The 20 minutes of surveys you have to write in are now owned by some hacking group in China or Russia and, therefore, Xi or Putin.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/ransomware-grip-healthcare

Cisco has warned that attackers are exploiting a decade-old cross-site scripting vulnerability in its ASA WebVPN product, with a botnet identified as Androxgh0st actively taking advantage of this flaw. Despite a security update released in 2014, many devices still remain unpatched, posing a risk to organizations that have not yet addressed this vulnerability.

• Cisco's ASA WebVPN product has a long-standing vulnerability that is being actively exploited.

• Many organizations have not yet updated their devices, leaving them at risk.

[RSnake: We used to use these back in the day… I am not surprised they’re still around, and equally not surprised that they have vulns in them. There should be a planned obsolescence cycle for any Internet-connected device. How long is too long to allow a device to survive without ever changing it? 2 years? 5 years? 10? It’s not forever!]

Source: https://www.vulnu.com/p/attacks-target-cisco-asa-flaw-from-2014

Business

A Vietnamese court has upheld the death sentence of property tycoon Truong My Lan for embezzling $12 billion, impacting the country’s economy significantly. If she repays three-quarters of the embezzled funds, her sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment. Lan's case has raised notable concerns regarding the financial market and has resulted in thousands of victims, contributing to state-led anti-corruption initiatives in Vietnam.

• Truong My Lan was sentenced to death for orchestrating the largest financial fraud case in Vietnam's history.

• Her actions affected approximately 36,000 victims and led to significant repercussions for the financial market.

[RSnake: Wow - remember, if you’re going to start embezzling, maybe decide when you should quit, and probably the number shouldn’t be more than $12 billion.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/3/vietnam-court-upholds-tycoons-death-sentence-for-12bn-bank-fraud?traffic_source=rss

SpaceX is reportedly negotiating to sell insider shares that could value the company at approximately $350 billion, significantly increasing from a $255 billion valuation just a month prior. If successful, this would position SpaceX as the most valuable venture-backed private company globally.

• SpaceX's valuation is increasing rapidly, potentially reaching $350 billion.

• The company regularly offers employees the chance to liquidate shares, impacting its market perception.

[RSnake: Good for them. They have a lot of potential. The next competitors like, Blue Origin and Firefly, etc. have a long way to go.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=2924766

The Department of Energy has approved loans aimed at supporting clean energy solutions, particularly for domestic manufacturers of electric vehicles and battery technology. These loans, totaling roughly $14.7 billion, are part of funding initiatives under the Inflation Reduction Act and are expected to create thousands of jobs across various projects.

• The DOE is approving substantial loans to companies investing in clean energy manufacturing in the U.S.

• These investments are expected to create thousands of jobs and bolster the domestic supply chain for electric vehicles.

[RSnake: I really don’t see how this would help inflation. Asking tax payers to pay more in taxes to start jobs instead of just letting them keep their money to start their own businesses? Does that make sense?]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=2924773

The digital advertising industry, worth $700 billion, is facing impending regulations globally aimed at increasing transparency and preventing fraud. Countries such as Canada, the US, and parts of Europe are preparing laws to ensure advertisers know where their ads are placed and that they can take action against inappropriate placements.

• New regulations are being developed to increase accountability in digital advertising.

• Current practices have allowed major companies, including Google, to place ads on controversial sites without brands' consent.

• Legislation is aimed at protecting both brands and consumers from fraud in the ad tech ecosystem.

[RSnake: I have no love lost for the ad world, trust me. I have been one of the biggest opponents to it from the beginning, but this is just silly. This won’t help anyone and will just end up driving up the cost and complexity of ads, making it even harder for smaller advertising networks to compete with the likes of Google, who can afford anything to gain more regulatory capture.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/big-tech-digital-advertising-regulation/

A Zipcar outage on Black Friday affected customers nationwide, leaving many stranded as they could not access their rented vehicles. The outage stemmed from increased site traffic and technical difficulties, prompting complaints from users facing extended wait times for customer service and unexpected charges.

• A nationwide Zipcar app and website failure on Black Friday stranded many customers.

• Customers faced significant issues, including being unable to return rented cars and surprise charges.

[RSnake: This is our future, and our future is stupid.]

Source: https://www.404media.co/a-total-meltdown-black-friday-zipcar-outage-strands-customers-in-random-places/

Alex Mashinsky, former CEO of Celsius Network, has pleaded guilty to commodities fraud and conspiracy to manipulate the price of the company's crypto token. This follows a series of fraud charges faced by several key figures in the cryptocurrency sector, particularly after a significant downturn in crypto prices in 2022 that led to multiple bankruptcies. Celsius, which filed for bankruptcy in July 2022, has since pivoted to Bitcoin mining after emerging from bankruptcy earlier this year.

• Mashinsky misled Celsius customers and inflated the value of the company's crypto token.

• The plea deal may lead to a maximum sentence of 30 years for Mashinsky.

• Celsius filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2022 after a crash in cryptocurrency prices.

[RSnake: Time to update web3isdoinggreat.com I guess.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/3/celsius-founder-alex-mashinsky-pleads-guilty-to-two-fraud-counts?traffic_source=rss

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is implementing new requirements for traceability records for certain foods to enhance the safety and monitoring of food products, particularly in the cold chain. Smart labels that track temperature and origin are becoming more prevalent, allowing companies to monitor the supply chain effectively and reduce the risk of spoilage and potential food-borne illnesses.

• The FDA is focusing on improving traceability for food products to enhance consumer safety.

• Smart temperature labels are being developed to provide real-time tracking and alerts for perishable items.

[RSnake: Interesting use case for tracking labels and seeing where they originated and have ended up. I saw a similar use case for wines that turn out to, in many cases, be stolen and replaced or made in entirely different places than you might expect.]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/blogs/1-think-tank/post/40763-traceability-and-temperature-monitoring-in-the-cold-chain-whats-next

Supply chains are currently experiencing increased disruptions due to geopolitical conflicts, climate change, and economic shifts, significantly impacting retail delivery operations. Retailers are responding by diversifying their carrier networks, optimizing delivery routes using real-time data, and implementing omnichannel fulfillment to enhance customer experiences and reduce reliance on external carriers.

• Supply chain disruptions are becoming more severe due to global conflicts and climate events.

• Retailers are adopting strategies like carrier diversification and AI-driven route optimization to maintain delivery efficiency.

[RSnake: Good! Let’s build some resilience in!]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/blogs/1-think-tank/post/40643-how-leading-retailers-respond-in-unstable-carrier-markets-matters

Coca-Cola has removed a previously stated commitment to achieve 25% of its drinks sold in refillable and returnable containers. The company's new focus has shifted towards increasing the use of recycled materials in their packaging, with a reduction in their prior goals for sustainability regarding plastics.

• Coca-Cola has abandoned its pledge for reusable plastic containers.

• The company has revised its goals to focus more on using recycled materials in packaging.

[RSnake: I suspect Apple might end up having to downplay their goals in the future, too. And others. With the way things are changing in the world, we’ll be lucky to see the supply chain intact in any shape or form, so trying to eke out a few carbon credits here or reducing the waste output there will seem silly in the near future, I’m thinking.]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/40764-coca-cola-quietly-removes-reusable-plastic-pledge-from-website

A Delaware judge has blocked Elon Musk from receiving a compensation package approved by 77% of Tesla's shareholders, stating the size of the package is unfair. Tesla plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that it undermines shareholder rights and implies that judges control company decisions instead of owners.

• A judge has ruled against a multibillion-dollar compensation package for Elon Musk, which was previously approved by shareholders.

• Tesla intends to challenge the ruling, claiming it disrupts the authority of shareholders.

Source: https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-appointed-judge-blocks-musk-from-receiving-compensation-package-approved-by-shareholders

Walmart has acquired Vizio for $2.3 billion, aiming to leverage the smart TV maker's SmartCast OS and its access to 19 million active accounts for advertising purposes. This acquisition allows Walmart to enhance its advertising capabilities through its Walmart Connect platform, positioning itself more competitively against other major players like Amazon in the smart TV and advertising market.

• Walmart purchased Vizio to utilize its SmartCast OS and enhance advertising opportunities.

• The acquisition gives Walmart access to 19 million accounts for targeted advertising.

[RSnake: Interesting. I wonder if they’ll still continue to manufacture it overseas or not.]

Source: https://gizmodo.com/?p=2000533631

The U.S. housing market is facing a shortfall of 3.7 million homes, significantly impacting affordability for potential buyers. Freddie Mac reports that this shortage is causing approximately 1 million households to remain unformed as high housing costs force younger generations to stay with their parents. Solutions to address this housing deficit are needed, including increasing construction and exploring alternative housing options.

• Freddie Mac estimates a shortfall of 3.7 million housing units in the U.S.

• High housing costs are preventing the formation of 1 million households.

• Possible solutions include building more homes and considering alternative housing options.

[RSnake: Good news for homeowners, not so good news for new home buyers and the economy writ large.]

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91239578/housing-market-freddie-mac-3-7-million-home-shortage-root-cause-strained-affordability

Donald Trump has nominated Paul Atkins, a crypto advocate and former SEC commissioner, to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If confirmed, Atkins is expected to influence U.S. financial regulations in favor of the cryptocurrency industry, which has been seeking a more accommodating regulatory environment from the government.

• Paul Atkins has cochaired the Token Alliance, representing crypto interests since 2017.

• His nomination could signal a shift towards favorable regulations for the crypto industry in the U.S.

[RSnake: We shall see! I think he should look at some recent security acquisitions by some publicly traded companies while he’s there…]

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91239785/donald-trump-crypto-enthusiast-paul-atkins-sec

Volkswagen is experiencing significant labor unrest as nearly 100,000 workers across Germany have commenced strikes in response to proposed wage cuts and potential factory closures. The strikers, represented by the IG Metall union, are protesting against management's plans while the automotive industry faces challenges such as weak demand and rising production costs.

• Nearly 100,000 Volkswagen workers are participating in strikes across Germany.

• Workers are protesting against management's proposals for wage cuts and factory closures.

• The strikes come amid heightened challenges faced by European carmakers, including weak demand and competition.

[RSnake: I don’t blame the workers, but this isn’t going to help the company afford to keep factories open.]

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91239646/volkswagen-strike-germany-100000-workers-union

BlackRock has made a significant acquisition of HPS Investment Partners for $12 billion, positioning itself as a key player in the rapidly growing private credit market, which is expected to exceed $4.5 trillion by 2030. This move is part of BlackRock's strategy to enhance its alternatives platform and expand its asset management capabilities in private markets.

• BlackRock acquired HPS to strengthen its position in the private credit market.

• The private credit market is forecasted to grow significantly over the next decade.

[RSnake: They own a huge chunk of the housing market, too. And a lot of the other huge investment groups own chunks of each other. It’s a very incestuous group of ultra-large investment companies that controls a lot of the United States.]

Source: https://fortune.com/2024/12/03/blackrock-private-equity-hps-private-credit-wall-street-mergers-larry-fink-gip-preqin/

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