RSnake Report 20240901

Russian advances, Moscow oil attacked, China ship belligerence

Author

Robert RSnake Hansen
September 01, 2024

Table of Contents

Hello, and thanks for reading! I hope you are having a nice labor day weekend. Let’s start with the Russia/Ukraine conflict. I am worried I have been a big more hopeful about the conflict there, but there is mounting evidence that Russia is gaining ground (and this gif here), or at least not losing it fast enough in areas where Russia is weak, like Kursk, which isn’t even visible on a map it’s so small in terms of actual land taken (it’s sorta by Sumy on the image below).

“Campaign Assessment”

There have been more attacks deep into Ukraine, such as a huge explosion with 4 casualties in Kharkiv. The world wasn’t happy about this one because it killed a girl. There was also another one in Kharkiv that hit a busy shopping mall with an Iskander - unknown casualties so far.

“A 14-year-old girl died”

The Russians are using the usual arsenal of long-range weapons, drones, and long-range missiles, both ballistic and cruise. We are seeing this play out in the city of Vuhledar. More recently, it looks like they have been innovating on glide bomb kids, giving them significantly more effective range, and the airplanes more survivability by increasing the wingspan of the bombs.

“longer wings”

For their part, Ukrainians are putting up a great fight. In one example, they showed that they were able to use a Mig-29 Fulcrum to down a Russian Geran-2 drone. They have also gotten more tricky with using remote-controlled vehicles to drop landmines.

“Fulcrum successfully engages and downs a Russian Geran-2”

There have been many more attacks on power generation as well, which should come as no surprise. The Kashirskaya Power Plant and the Moscow Oil Refinery in Moscow and the Konakovskaya Power Plant in Tver and the Konakovo Gas Distribution Station in Tver have all been reportedly hit.

“largest and most successful drone attacks on Russia’s Moscow area”

The EU has agreed to train 60k Ukrainian soldiers, but at the same time, it is clear they have domestic spies they need to deal with. Russian assets were thankfully thwarted in Kyiv, Poltava, and Chernihiv. That could have greatly improved targeting data in the most recent attacks.

“Russian attempt to establish agent cells”

I continue to watch the destruction of energy generation. In this case, the Atlas oil refinery is still ablaze. That and many other problems with manufacturing, farming, and import/exports, and bankruptcies are leading to massive decreases in the long-term outlooks of the Russian economy - the MOEX has been hit hard since May. Their commuter trains are being stifled and made inaccessible due to shortages — not of bearings but now it’s due to not having enough of them because they are only authorized to work 10 hours max.

“MOEX is at 2650”

In a seemingly coincidental an unrelated situation, a huge fire broke out in Moskova-city. It appears to be a few miles from the Kremlin but it’s unclear if it was a target or simply a random occurrence. Either way, it was a big fire.

“administrative building has been burning for several hours”

There was a discussion about the effects of power outages around Moscow, and how they affect rail and gas pumps throughout the country due to a centralization of power that Moscow insisted on in the early construction, making them especially vulnerable if Moscow power is targeted. Meanwhile some hacker just posted that he personally shut down 600+ Waviot brand IoT devices around Moscow. These things could have easily caused small power outages of individual devices or, depending on what they controlled, larger systems. He also scrambled the configs and make it hard to repair. Hybrid warfare at its finest.

“work as proof”

Kursk is still on lockdown, and the Seym is a target-rich environment for Ukraine at the moment. They have done a good job of keeping pontoon and bridging boats away, destroying bridges that do get erected, and therefore limiting what supplies can make it across the river and destroying convoys that attempt the crossing.

“A Russian convoy destroyed”

There was an enormous Azerbaijan Oil and Gas Research facility fire, rather spectacular in size. It’s unclear what caused it.

“Center of the Republic of Azerbaijan”

Onto South East Asia. Remember that crazy footage of China ramming Philippine ships? There’s more footage. And almost all of it is damning. You can also see some of the damage caused more clearly here - it’s minor all things considered.

“deliberately rammed and collided”

China, always acting the role of aggrieved victim, has now demanded that the US reduce it’s nuclear arsenal. But if you look at the actual totals, Russia has a larger total number of warheads. So I am sure they will hop right on the phone with the Kremlin and demand Putin disarm too. 🙄 In other nuclear news, India just added their 2nd nuclear missile submarine, giving them a more powerful first-strike or last-strike nuclear capability, with a third sub being built.

“Nuclear warhead estimates”

Another thing that is worth noting is the massive decline in Chinese real estate price since 2019. You could chalk some of this up to COVID, especially the authoritarian lockdowns the CCP put into place on their people. But it’s continued almost at a steady clip. This is the bust President Xi and the CCP cannot allow to happen, or it will tank their economy. And yet, it’s on a massive decline.

“homes continued to fall in July”

Onto the Middle East, a lot more footage of Sounion that shows the Houthis taking the ship over. In strangely good news, it appears the wreckage isn’t leaking oil after all. According to observers, it is not as bad as mil-bloggers believed it was, which is not to say it will stay that way, but for now, it is just on fire and anchored.

“there’s no oil spill, and the ship is still anchored and not drifting”

So, hopefully, all that satellite imagery is just smoke or debris. Insurer BRIT hired tugs to haul the wreckage off, so hopefully they can do that in time before the structure fails. So it’s unclear if the Houthis are happy (or not) with that situation.

“~4 km visible trail on the surface of the water”

We also saw a huge explosion at a gas station in Yemen, but it also isn’t clear how that occurred yet, either. It is doubtful that this was an attack on the Houthis as they do not control that part of the city apparently.

“Explosion earlier at a Gas Station”

Hamas, never to be outdone, sent out a call to "martyrdom" during protests in the USA. That’s right, they want people to die on college campuses. Iran has also begun working on a huge concrete wall, 4 meters high, to secure its border with Iraq. Guess they agree that Israel’s wall has been quite useful.

“Renews “Martyrdom” Operations”

Israel, acting on the West Bank, just killed 20 gunmen and detained 17 more. They have also been doing flights over Lebanon, striking more military targets there, including additional missile launchers - presumably part of their “True Promise 2 offensive” that is planned.

It’s worth mentioning since we are seeing an increase in cheap warfare that both Sudan and Myanmar are getting into drone warfare. So it is safe to say that we will likely see a lot more of this and maybe even on American soil at some point.

Onto domestic news. The US GDP growth is up 8.2%, but Canada is down 3%. Some of that might be due to renewed military spending, but ultimately, that surprised me a bit - it’s not clear how this is calculated and how this compares with inflation. But either way, it is clear our policies are better than Canada’s in that regard. One thing that stood out and I thought was interesting that since the US CHIPS act the semi-conductor industry has actually cut jobs. This may only be in the short term while the buildings are being created, or it may have to do with the fact that much of that work can be done cheaper with AI. Not clear.

“real GDP per capital, since just before the pandemic”

We also might see an uptick in tankers, due to normal seasonal changes as the weather changes and holidays approach, and kids are back in school. We also may see a small decline in prices of fuel in the near future. OPEC+ is considering producing more to drive costs down. All good news for inflation.

We have gotten back into build mode, not just making more 155mm rounds for export, but also replacement Javelin MANPADs. We have gone through a lot of them and they are proving quite useful on the battlefield.

“4,000 Javelins antitank weapons to replenish”

Remember that picture of the commander who was firing his rifle with the scope mounted backward off the side of the ship? His name was Commander Yaste, and apparently, he was fired due to a “loss of confidence" to “command the guided-missile destroyer.” Ya think?

“loss of confidence”

Let’s end south of the border, as two things are effecting Musk down there. Brazil banned SpaceX’s Starlink and then froze their assets, so now Musk says he will be willing to give it away for free in those areas until things get sorted out. Also, Brazil went after X, and as of Saturday, it is — or soon — will be blocked at many different ISPs around Brazil. This mostly seems to have to do with a shady judge who wants to go after political opponents. Still, Musk is pulling his people out of Brazil to protect them, and they are using it as a technicality to shut down his businesses since he has no local representative.

“Any and all censorship by a political, ideological and artistic nature is forbidden”

Lastly, Maduro decided to start extraditing Ukrainian fighters back to Russia when they returned home to Venezuela. These people committed no crimes in Venezuela, but due to the cozy relationship the Kremlin has with our southern partners, fighters are now being forced onto a plane to the Gulag. This really is a war of ideologies. Either way, Venezuela is off the list of any place I would recommend visiting for all kinds of reasons, but not the least of which, if you have spoken ill or acted against the Russians - or any ally of theirs. Gross.

Okay, onto the articles!

The situation in Jenin, a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, has escalated significantly as Israeli forces conduct a major military operation, resulting in numerous casualties among Palestinians. Families are taking shelter in their homes, enduring power and water outages, while fearing for their safety amidst ongoing gunfire and military raids.

  • Israeli military operations in Jenin have intensified, with reports of over 20 Palestinians killed and many more injured.

  • Families in the area are experiencing severe disruptions, including power outages and restricted access to medical care.

I have heard some stories about the people there doing their best to push Hezbollah out for fear of what the Israelis will do to their city. So far, it hasn’t made that much difference, but they are likely handing targeting data to the Israelis, leading to a far less effective campaign. I would guess this is likely why we saw that 1:6000 kill ratio.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has accused the Israeli government of trying to undermine its efforts by spreading misinformation and purchasing ads to prevent donations. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in significant casualties, with tens of thousands killed and injured since the outbreak of violence, while Israeli attacks have frequently targeted UN facilities.

  • The Israeli government is allegedly funding campaigns to discredit the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

  • Significant civilian casualties have resulted from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

UNWRA is an offshoot of the UN and definitely has employees who either terrorists themselves or help enable or support terrorism activities. So be wary of this kind of language from Aljazeera.

Ukraine requests US lift restrictions on ATACMS use for deeper strikes in Russia, presenting target list to US officials.

  • Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov requests the US to lift restrictions on ATACMS use.

  • Ukraine presents a list of potential targets for deeper strikes in Russian territory.

It will be up to every country to decide. Meanwhile, Russia is still re-defining its nuclear doctrine to decide if they think US missiles being sold to Ukraine and used against Moscow should count as a reason to do a first strike.

The World Bank has approved a $415 million financing package for Ukraine's education sector to improve teaching conditions and ensure safe environments for students and staff amidst ongoing challenges from the war with Russia.

  • Over 3,500 educational institutions in Ukraine have been damaged due to the ongoing war, necessitating extensive rebuilding efforts.

  • 400 institutions were completely destroyed, and the country requires an estimated $14 billion for educational infrastructure rebuilding efforts.

This is good - more Western education is useful, but also, kids in conflict areas tend to do very poorly in life as education is one of their first things to go. Look at the kids of the Mujahideen - back when the CIA was funding them. They grew up to be the Taliban, not exactly the most educated lot.

Hamas has murdered six hostages, including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, shortly before Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reached the area where they were held. The bodies were discovered in an underground tunnel in Rafah, Gaza, amidst ongoing conflict that has seen considerable violence and tragic losses on both sides. The situation has led to widespread condemnation and public outcry regarding the fate of remaining hostages and the actions of both Hamas and the Israeli government.

  • Six hostages were killed by Hamas just before IDF forces could rescue them.

  • The recovery of the hostages' bodies has intensified criticism and public protests regarding the Israeli government's handling of the hostages' situation.

It’s unclear how many hostages are left, but likely only a handful - low double digits is my guess.

Russia has lost a significant number of soldiers and equipment over the past day, with estimates suggesting 1,360 military personnel killed or wounded, 8 tanks, and 42 artillery systems.

  • Russia's total combat losses between February 2022 and August 2024 include approximately 614,950 military personnel, 8,582 tanks, and 17,614 artillery systems.

  • Over the past day alone, Russia lost 1,360 soldiers or wounded, 8 tanks, and 42 artillery systems.

Also, artillery pieces were lost. These were the highest and second-highest losses of the war in the last few days.

Mongolia has been urged by Ukraine to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his visit, as he faces a warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes. The court claims Mr Putin is responsible for the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since the conflict began. Ukraine's foreign ministry hopes Mongolia will be 'aware of the fact that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal' and calls on authorities to arrest him and hand him over to prosecutors at The Hague.

  • Ukraine has urged Mongolia to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his visit, as he faces a warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.

  • The court claims Mr Putin is responsible for the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since the conflict began.

That would be funny but extremely unlikely. Political decorum is still a gentleman’s agreement in many parts of the world because, frankly, no one wants to get nuked. ☢️ 

24 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs were shot down and 25 crashed over Ukraine, while 2 flew back towards Russia and 1 flew into Belarus. The Russian military carried out the attack using ballistic missiles and UAVs. Ukrainian air defense assets responded to the attack in multiple oblasts.

  • 24 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs were shot down over Ukraine, while 25 crashed.

  • 2 drones flew back towards Russia and 1 flew into Belarus.

  • The Russian military carried out the attack using ballistic missiles and UAVs.

Brazil's top court ordered the immediate suspension of X, a social media platform owned by Elon Musk, after its billionaire owner defied orders to name a legal representative for the platform in Latin America's largest nation.

  • Brazil's top court ordered the immediate suspension of X due to concerns over fake news and hate speech on the platform.

  • The ban was imposed because Elon Musk defied orders to name a legal representative for the platform in Latin America's largest nation.

  • Anyone accessing X using a VPN will face daily fines of 8,900 dollars.

This is pretty blatant censorship. We’ll see how this plays out.

The Israel-Hamas war continues to escalate, with the death toll in Gaza surpassing 40,000 and ongoing military operations in the West Bank.

  • Israel's military operations have resulted in over 40,000 deaths in Gaza and significant destruction of infrastructure.

  • Food and water shortages are worsening in Gaza due to restricted humanitarian access and ongoing conflict.

I actually don’t have a great sense of how this will ever end. There will always be some true believer amid the Gazans ranks. They can recruit from the disaffected easily. There are enough people being recruited daily that there will always be enemies at the gates.

A report by the US Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General found that the FBI has repeatedly botched child abuse investigations, with significant gaps in the bureau's response to serious allegations involving suspected child abuse. The audit, covering 327 incidents between October 2021 and February 2023.

  • The FBI has been non-compliant in key areas, including mandatory reporting, victim services, and timely responses to ongoing abuse.

  • 13% of reviewed cases were flagged for immediate attention due to substantial deficiencies that could have left children in harm's way.

  • FBI employees failed to comply with mandatory reporting laws in 47% of incidents involving suspected child abuse.

I don’t think this is terribly surprising, although if you have never worked on any of these cases, you may be surprised at how high the number is. It is amazing how many child predators there are out there. As a good friend reminded me recently, there are way too many immigrant children who get “lost” when they enter the country.

The China-Philippines maritime dispute in the South China Sea has escalated with collisions and accusations between Chinese and Philippine vessels near the Sabina Shoal, a disputed island claimed by both countries.

  • China and the Philippines have been clashing over various islands and zones in the South China Sea, with vessel collisions, scuffles, and allegations of armed threats.

  • The Sabina Shoal, a disputed island claimed by both countries, has seen a recent escalation in tensions, including vessel collisions and accusations of aggressive maneuvers.

  • Several countries have criticized China's actions, and the Philippines suspects China is attempting to reclaim land at Sabina Shoal.

Hopefully, they keep playing bumper-boats, and nothing comes of it except minor repairs. Because this could easily flare up, one sunken ship could change everything.

The US military has secured a $1.3 billion contract for the production of Javelin missiles, with over 4,000 units allocated for Ukraine to bolster its defense against Russian aggression. This deal is part of a larger multi-year agreement that could total $7.2 billion from 2023 to 2026, with plans to increase annual production capacity significantly in the coming years.

  • The US has placed a large order for Javelin missiles to support Ukraine.

  • This contract is among the largest for Javelin production and demonstrates ongoing military support from the US to Ukraine.

These are useful enough that it would probably be worth doubling the order, given that drones are going to be a larger threat unless we can come up with cheaper options.

China is experiencing a significant economic slowdown, leading to an increase in office vacancy rates across major cities. Major firms are downsizing or abandoning office spaces due to reduced market demand and rising unemployment, causing rental prices to drop significantly. Analysts predict continued economic contraction unless substantial government stimulus is introduced.

  • China's office vacancy rates have surged to alarming levels, with major cities like Shenzhen and Shanghai reporting over 20% vacancy.

  • The current economic environment is causing significant downsizing among companies, with many looking to cut costs by reducing office space.

I feel the bubble collapsing, don’t you?

There is an investigation into a money laundering network linked to Chinese organized crime operating in Canada, which is allegedly facilitating the laundering of drug trafficking proceeds from fentanyl sales. This network has connections to major banks in both Canada and the U.S.

  • Chinese organized crime networks are laundering billions through Canadian banks.

  • U.S. investigators are linking these operations to the Chinese Communist Party.

  • The fentanyl crisis is worsening due to the ineffectiveness of current regulatory measures.

Chinese, organized crime networks, and Fentanyl - these words go hand in hand these days, don’t they?

Japan's Defense Ministry is seeking a record budget of 8.5 trillion yen ($59 billion) for 2025 to address military threats from China and enhance defense capabilities. The country plans to significantly increase military spending over the next few years while also focusing on new technologies such as unmanned weapons and artificial intelligence due to a shrinking population affecting service member recruitment.

  • Japan aims to spend 43 trillion yen ($297 billion) through 2027 to double annual military spending.

  • The budget includes significant investments in long-range missiles, reconnaissance satellites, and combat drones.

It’s not enough, not nearly enough, unless they manage to go down in cost and make assembly lines of drones, most of the modern high-tech equipment is too expensive and slow to make for the benefits.

Nationwide power outages struck Venezuela due to alleged sabotage, affecting almost the entire national territory. The government attributed the outages to attacks on the power network by saboteurs and opponents of President Nicolas Maduro's government. Power had returned to some areas by Friday afternoon, but residents remained braced for the worst.

  • Nationwide power outages affected almost the entire national territory due to alleged sabotage.

  • The government attributed the outages to attacks on the power network by saboteurs and opponents of President Nicolas Maduro's government.

  • Power had returned to some areas, but residents remained braced for the worst.

Former President Donald Trump is seeking an extended timeline for the proceedings in his election subversion case, which could delay the trial until 2025. Special Counsel Jack Smith and Trump are at odds over how to proceed with critical issues in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling regarding presidential immunity. The timeline and strategy for the case are now in the hands of Judge Tanya Chutkan, as both parties prepare for a contentious hearing.

  • Donald Trump is requesting a delayed schedule for his election subversion trial, potentially extending proceedings well into 2025.

  • There is a disagreement between Trump's legal team and Special Counsel Jack Smith regarding the order of issues that the court should address.

It’s not clear this will have much of an effect on the election one way or another. However, it seems every time Trump gets called into court, he has a bump in approval ratings because his supporters see it as a witch hunt.

Ukraine's defense industry is developing a new kamikaze drone called SkyFall, which has a range of 40-60 kilometers and a warhead capacity of 5 kilograms for targeting armored vehicles and fortifications. The drone features vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, allowing for flexible deployment without the need for specialized equipment. SkyFall is designed to operate effectively in coordination with reconnaissance drones and can abort missions if targets have been neutralized.

  • SkyFall drone has a range of 40-60 kilometers and a 5 kg warhead.

  • The drone is designed for efficient target acquisition and can return to base if a target is no longer viable.

China's robotics industry is rapidly advancing with state-directed and subsidized investments, surpassing global rivals in the number of industrial robots installed.

  • China's robotics industry is rapidly advancing with state-directed and subsidized investments

  • China's humanoid robots are being developed for various applications, including military uses

  • Experts warn that China's exported robots could be used to harm or kill owners if hacked

Killer robots are almost here; folks like it or not. Whoever gets them first and gets enough of them wins… and the rest of us lose.

California has passed several laws aimed at regulating artificial intelligence, banning deepfakes, and protecting workers from AI exploitation. The legislation includes measures to combat election-related deepfakes, ensure transparency in AI data usage, and safeguard jobs from being replaced by AI technologies. Governor Gavin Newsom has until the end of September to sign the proposals into law.

  • Legislation has been approved to ban deepfakes, particularly in the context of elections.

  • New laws require transparency about AI data usage and aim to protect workers from being replaced by AI.

We talked about this last time, but it is just a terrible idea.

A former executive of Osom Products is accused of using company funds for personal expenses, including exotic cars and racing hobbies. A lawsuit claims that the CEO misused business resources to fund lavish purchases and attempted to pivot the company's direction after a failed sale to HP. The company's financial situation is reportedly critical with its 'resources depleted'.

  • A former executive of Osom Products is accused of using company funds for personal expenses, including exotic cars and racing hobbies.

  • The lawsuit claims that the CEO misused business resources to fund lavish purchases

  • The company's financial situation is reportedly critical with its 'resources depleted'

At least he was a racing fan! How else is a guy supposed to afford his Lambo habit?

ChatGPT has surpassed 200 million weekly active users, which is double its user base from November 2023. Despite widespread corporate prohibitions on using generative AI, 92 percent of Fortune 500 companies are reportedly utilizing OpenAI's products, indicating significant adoption in various sectors.

  • ChatGPT has become the fastest-growing app in history with a significant increase in users.

  • Organizations are concerned with generative AI use, leading to a culture where employees might not openly admit to using these tools.

The likely only reason it’s not higher is that Claude really is better for many programming tasks. If they included Claude it would be approximately 100%, aside from a few large regulated banks, and even then, I’m sure their devs are using it on their other laptops.

Researchers have developed a tool called the Data Provenance Explorer to address transparency issues in datasets used for training large language models. This tool aims to assist practitioners in selecting appropriate datasets, thereby improving model accuracy and reducing biases that may occur from using inappropriate data. The study revealed significant gaps in licensing information across several datasets, raising questions about the reliability and effectiveness of AI models.

  • The Data Provenance Explorer helps AI practitioners identify suitable datasets for their models.

  • Over 70% of analyzed datasets lacked proper licensing information, which could impact model performance.

This really is a huge problem, not so much for censorship, but if I accidentally use some licensed software that has copy-left issues in it, it means I have to open source all my code, which is a nightmare for big corporations. There is simply no way to know how the data fed into most LLMs is copy-written or not. I think LLMs are incongruent with copyright law, and the law will not survive contact with the enemy.

Python is set to release version 3.13, which includes significant changes to its Global Interpreter Lock (GIL), allowing for greater multithreading capabilities. These updates are expected to enhance performance, addressing long-standing issues associated with the GIL that have impacted Python developers and users. However, challenges and potential memory corruption issues have been identified during the testing of these new features.

  • Python 3.13 introduces an optional GIL to improve multithreading.

  • Memory corruption issues have been discovered during the implementation.

Hold onto your butts. Last time we had a significant upgrade it broke print! But no, seriously, this shouldn’t affect you unless you are doing a lot of multi-threading work.

Apple has discontinued the technology allowing iOS users to tweak volume with iPhone buttons, Spotify is working on a solution and users can use a newly added volume slider in the meantime.

  • iOS users are no longer able to adjust volume with iPhone buttons due to Apple's discontinuation of the technology.

  • Spotify is working on a solution to restore this functionality.

Basically, if you used to use the physical button on the side of your phone to control the volume of Spotify, that won’t work anymore. It’s not entirely clear why they’re doing that, other than it has likely caused conflicts when the sound of one thing was high and the sound of something else was low, and the user really wants it all to be normalized - that should be the job of the software not the hardware. Maybe?

Northern Virginia, home to a significant number of data centers, is facing an unprecedented backlog in energy hookups due to the surge in demand driven by the rapid proliferation of AI data centers. Delays for large data centers requiring over 100 megawatts of electricity could extend from one to seven years, as local power supplier Dominion Energy struggles to meet the increasing electricity demands associated with various electrification trends.

  • Northern Virginia is experiencing a bottleneck in energy hookups for data centers.

  • Demand for electricity from data centers in Virginia has surged by 500% from 2013 to 2022.

This will get worse as soon as developers really understand how useful large datasets are for training and people invest in making their own models. Nuclear power is becoming increasingly important to invest in.

Russian hackers, likely affiliated with the Kremlin, targeted Mongolian government websites using techniques similar to commercial spyware providers, exploiting Apple iOS and Google Chrome vulnerabilities. The attacks aimed to steal cookie data containing passwords and payment information. This incident highlights the use of 'watering hole' cyberattacks, where malicious code is laced onto frequently visited websites.

  • Russian hackers targeted Mongolian government websites using techniques similar to commercial spyware providers.

  • The attacks exploited Apple iOS and Google Chrome vulnerabilities, seeking to steal cookie data containing passwords and payment information.

A terrorist plot targeting Taylor Swift concerts in Austria was thwarted due to information provided by the CIA, leading to the arrest of multiple suspects. In separate incidents, hackers compromised US internet service providers and a piracy operation based in Vietnam was dismantled by authorities. A ransomware attack on French museums has also been claimed by a cybercriminal group, threatening the release of stolen data.

  • The CIA provided key intelligence that resulted in the arrests of individuals plotting an attack during Taylor Swift concerts.

  • Hackers are exploiting vulnerabilities in US ISPs, while a major piracy operation was successfully taken down in Vietnam.

  • A ransomware gang claimed responsibility for attacks on French museums, threatening to leak sensitive data.

A sophisticated malware campaign dubbed 'Voldemort' has been targeting organizations worldwide by impersonating tax authorities and using custom tools for command and control.

  • The campaign has affected dozens of organizations with over 20,000 phishing messages reported since its inception on Aug. 5

  • Organizations are being advised to monitor for suspicious network connections and implement robust security protocols to prevent such attacks


A security researcher found evidence that sensitive personal information was compromised in a ransomware attack on the city of Columbus, contradicting claims made by city officials. The data remains available to anyone with access to the dark web.

  • A ransomware attack on the city of Columbus compromised sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers for police officers and crime victims.

  • The city has issued a temporary restraining order against a security researcher who presented evidence of the data breach

Just make sure you don’t use the same passwords in more than one place and use second-factor authentication wherever you can. Changing your important passwords from time to time provides some protection as well. There’s not much more you can reasonably do.

NASA has started prioritizing cybersecurity when evaluating software projects to minimize risk to its missions.

  • The Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility expands educational outreach on cybersecurity.

  • Cybersecurity efforts aim to independently assess space systems' design, architecture, and structures.

It's about time! I think the DoD has done some work to this effect—hack a satellite. But there is a lot more than just one type of satellite headed up.

The United States has offered a $2.5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Belarusian hacker Volodymyr Kadariya, who is implicated in a large-scale malware operation infecting millions of computers. This operation utilized malicious advertising techniques and sold stolen data on the dark web, while an additional indictment addresses Chinese state-sponsored hackers targeting U.S. officials and businesses.

  • The U.S. is offering a reward for information on a Belarusian hacker involved in a malware distribution scheme.

  • Separately, the U.S. has indicted several Chinese hackers connected to cyber operations against government officials and businesses.

Some of these rewards are no joke, by the way. They can get up to hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for those bug bounty, and OSINT peeps out there. It’s a nice supplemental income if you’re good at finding people.

North Korean hackers exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Chrome to steal cryptocurrency from targeted organizations. This attack involved tricking victims into visiting malicious websites, leading to the installation of malware that compromised their systems.

  • North Korean hackers targeted cryptocurrency using a Chrome zero-day vulnerability.

  • The attack involved the installation of a trojan malware named AppleJeus after exploiting multiple vulnerabilities.

North Korea likes crypto currencies because they are supposedly “untraceable” and not sanctioned currency. They can move money around quietly and perform operations without dealing with pesky banks, for the most part.

OpenAI and Anthropic have entered agreements with the U.S. government to have their AI models tested for safety before public release, which will be overseen by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This initiative aims to address safety risks associated with generative AI, as the technology has been linked to inaccuracies and potential unethical uses. Additionally, findings from this effort will be shared with the UK AI Safety Institute.

  • OpenAI and Anthropic's AI models will undergo government testing.

  • These agreements aim to enhance AI safety and reduce risks.

Meh - more brain damage. Thankfully there will be more private models in the future that are increasingly getting better. Censorship is not the answer here and make no mistake, that is how they’ll implement these changes.

A global IT outage on July 19th caused significant disruptions, affecting 8.5 million Windows machines and halting various services worldwide. Adam Meyers from CrowdStrike is set to testify before Congress about the incident on September 24th, focusing on the implications for cybersecurity and infrastructure protection.

  • A faulty software update led to a major global IT outage.

  • Congress is investigating the event to understand its implications for cybersecurity policies.

The stock market is experiencing a significant rally ahead of anticipated Federal Reserve rate cuts, with the S&P 500 up 25% over the past year, marking a historical rise prior to interest rate reductions.

  • The S&P 500 has risen 25% leading up to potential Federal Reserve rate cuts, indicating strong market confidence.

  • Investors are making significant bets on continued economic growth despite existing uncertainties regarding inflation and labor market conditions.

This typically means more spending; the problem is we still have supply chain issues that need to be more hopeful in light of what is going on in the Red and South China seas.

Source: https://fortune.com/2024/08/31/stock-market-rally-fed-rate-cuts-once-in-a-lifetime-sp500/



A number of major companies in America are reevaluating and abandoning their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in response to consumer backlash and financial pressures. This trend has been prompted by public exposure of specific DEI practices within these corporations, leading executives to reconsider their alignment with progressive groups in light of changing consumer sentiments.

  • Several high-profile companies have reversed their DEI policies after public scrutiny.

  • There is increasing pushback from consumers against corporate activism related to DEI policies.

The problem is DEI is reverse racism - at least that is what the courts are finding. Though if the proponents of DEI stop litigating it, they’ll lose ground, but at a slower pace than if courts rule and create legal precedence.

BMW has overtaken Tesla as the leading electric vehicle manufacturer in Europe, with a wider range of models contributing to its success. Despite Tesla's recent sales push, BMW's July sales surpassed those of Tesla for the first time. The global EV market is becoming increasingly competitive, with Chinese companies also gaining ground.

  • BMW has a wider range of electric models than Tesla, including the iX1, iX2, iX3, iX, i5, and i7.

  • Tesla's sales are cyclical, with a recent surge in June 2024 followed by a decline in July.

  • The upcoming BMW Neue Klasse saloon car is expected to change the company's focus towards an all-electric future.

Intel's turnaround plan is facing significant challenges due to market conditions, with the company reportedly seeking advice from investment bankers regarding potential restructuring or sale of its foundry business.

  • Intel is reportedly seeking advice from investment bankers regarding potential restructuring or sale of its foundry business.

  • This development suggests that Intel's efforts to revive its fortunes may be more complicated than initially thought, with significant implications for the tech industry and global economy.

Price controls on groceries are being proposed, which could lead to significant issues in the food supply chain due to increasing inflation and production costs. Historical examples of price controls show a consistent trend leading to shortages and market disruptions, raising the risk of food deserts and reliance on larger grocery chains at the expense of small stores and producers.

  • Proposed grocery price controls could bankrupt small grocery stores and lead to food deserts.

  • Food producers and farmers may also face bankruptcy due to rising costs without the ability to adjust prices.

We talked about this a bit. These really are dangerous policies.

The U.S. economy is showing signs of significant distress, with rising bankruptcy filings and a notable decline in consumer confidence reflected in surveys. Many Americans are feeling the impact of high household debt and struggling businesses, particularly among lower-income consumers.

  • Bankruptcy filings in the U.S. have increased by over 40% from the previous year, indicating financial distress for businesses.

  • Consumer confidence is declining as surveys show that only a third of Americans believe in the viability of the American Dream.

  • Household debt has surged significantly, with credit card debt rising by over 48% since early 2021.

A debt bubble tends to lead to a crash, so let’s all keep our eyes on this one. Will there be another bailout? Another stimulus package? Or another massive set of bank failures when consumers can’t pay their debts back again?

Thanks so much for reading, and once again, please forward this newsletter to anyone you think should be reading it. It’s how the newsletter grows, how I know you love it and encourages me to keep going. I’d appreciate it!