RSnake Report 20241107

Table of Contents

• Geopolitical

• Technology

• Cybersecurity

• Business

Hello, and thanks for reading! Let’s speed-run through international news because the domestic news is quite interesting this week, as you might imagine.

Let’s begin with Russia/Ukraine, where Ukraine continues to surprise with the range of its drone attacks. Early this morning, they launched a bold assault on Russia’s Caspian Sea flotilla in Kaspiysk—a staggering 1,000 km from the front line. A Ukrainian drone, captured in footage low over the harbor, struck part of a lineup of docked Russian ships. 💥 Ukraine is working on a number of long-range drones, similar to the Foxbat, with north of 1000km range and just shy of a 200-pound payload capacity.

On the Southeast Asia front, on a more audacious note, China unveiled the J-35, a jet that’s practically a twin to the US’s F-35. This wasn’t by chance; it resulted from espionage targeting a British defense contractor. Yet, the Chinese Communist Party might struggle to match the F-35’s quality, given past production issues. It looks extremely similar to the F-35 and even has the “35” designator as a wink to foreign militaries as if to say intellectual property theft is something to be proud of. It does not have the VTOL capabilities for carriers yet, which is expected to come. It also made a bit of a mockery of the Russian Su-57, which has a radar signature of approximately the same size as a Su-57 - which is to say, no stealth at all.

Okay, onto domestic news. This week's major moves have been due to Trump’s election win, which I had predicted a few days back. As I also predicted, half of the country still hates the other half, maybe even more. Harris supporters were visibly shaken, and social media flooded with emotional reactions.

People are breaking off contact with family members, women are taking vows of celibacy (more on that here if you are unfamiliar with the 4b movement from Korea), and neighbors are yelling at each other, and in some cases they are packing up and leaving the country entirely. It’s a mess. If you really watch the rhetoric, while many TikTok videos may seem relatively sad and introspective, the vitriol is right at the surface if you read the words they write on their videos - and that is what they are willing to attest to. Imagine what they are saying when they think they’re anonymous.

Actually, we don’t have to guess; here is more than ten full minutes of death threats against Donald Trump. Stop here and watch at least part of that video. If you are looking to explain to anyone why the “tolerant” left has become radicalized and dangerous, look no further. I think part of the problem is that you’d have to arrest a huge chunk of the radical left, which makes up probably around 1% of America (3 million people) to get a handle on this sort of thinking. You know you are mentally unwell when you genuinely believe assassinating a fairly elected president will save democracy.

You may think it’s just random people on social media, but Kamala Harris’s post-election rhetoric didn’t help either. She used the words “fight,” “fighting,” or “fought” 20 times in her delayed concession speech. Once you remove filler conjunction words, the word “fight” is the most commonly used word in her speech. If that isn’t inflammatory, I don’t know what it is. I made a word cloud so you could visualize what I am seeing and keep in mind that this doesn’t de-duplicate the meaning of words.

Meanwhile, Trump’s acceptance speech zeroed in on his promise to end overseas conflicts, declaring: “I’m going to stop wars.” So, despite people’s view that Trump is hawkish, he actually wants to step back from US intervention in international conflicts. However, he has stated a number of times he does not plan on allowing others to attack US forces abroad, so perhaps that is why foreign leaders are coming to him and trying to reconcile old differences, knowing that he has a lot of control and very little patience.

What this means for Ukraine and Israel and China’s Taiwan ambitions is yet to be determined, but Trump is definitely on the tariff bandwagon with China, so buy your plastic garbage now because if they’re made in China, it may get a lot more expensive while manufacturing in the United States gets rebooted. That said, Xi Jinping is suddenly ready to re-start good terms again. I wonder why! 🤡 

Trump and his team also posted a number of things hinting at his new policies, like ending illegal alien automatic birthright, helping parents sue doctors for performing gender-affirming care on minors, dismantling the deep state, opening up lawsuits against Pfizer, firing the bulk of the FDA and so many more that it’s hard to catalog them all.

The election outcome has left mainstream media doing some soul-searching. CNN conceded that they may have been “ignoring the fundamentals” of voter sentiment while trying to cover up the fact that she was a weak candidate, that the delegates never voted for, with millions of dollars in ads. In fact, Kalmala didn’t over-perform in a single state.

Outlets like the Financial Times analyzed the data, noting that Trump lost ground only in Washington and Utah compared to 2020. Other polls say that more white women voted for Trump than Kamala - which would be odd if they felt the Republican party was full of misogynists.

Trump had a large turnout of Jewish voters, which seems odd if the Republicans are literal Nazis - I guess maybe the Jewish people don’t feel the same way that Kamala does. Obviously, provably incorrect information like that won’t stop MSNBC from saying the reason voters went with Trump is because they are racists and sexists - especially the black and Hispanic community, apparently.

So, if none of that is right, what did happen? It appears that the result was a rational rejection of her entire rhetoric. Democrats didn’t focus on the things actual normal Americans believe and want, like financial prosperity for their kids, low crime rates, etc. Bill Ackman did a nice write-up on this. Vlad Vexler thinks that it is an ongoing tendency for the world to move away from progressive policies that may continue into the 2030s. Also, Daniel Miessler called this election back in June because the left’s views were out of alignment with the general public.

The short of Daniel’s take is that the public isn’t buying the idea that half of the US population are Nazis. A third of the Jewish community isn’t buying it. Other people feel government overreach, like the Amish or fans of Peanut. The black community is starting to see what Democratic policies are doing to crime in their neighborhoods despite saying that crime is down, knowing full well that people have stopped bothering to report it. Some major cities have stopped reporting crime data to the FBI altogether.

The public didn’t think Kamala was sincere or that her policies had merit, and they didn’t believe her statements that she believed Joe was competent and never saw cognitive decline. You can’t gaslight the public about something they’ve seen with their own eyes. The voters didn’t think that half of the US public was garbage, or fascists, or deplorable, or anything other than hard-working, everyday Americans. To paraphrase here… the US public is more intelligent than the ruling Democrats appear to think they are.

It looks like most, if not all, of the cases against Trump will be dropped, which is good news, except in the case of Letitia James, the AG in New York, who has claimed she intends to continue to pursue him. Trump’s lawyers clapped back and said they would be going after her directly if she attempted it. I think this strikes an interesting tone with the new Trump campaign. This time, it’s personal, and they aren’t going to assume the left are good actors. There is no intention of being nice or checking in with feelings. The onus is on the Republicans to steer the ship, and you can sense they’re much more serious this time around. We shall see if they can overcome the filibusters that are surely waiting for them. The Democrats in Congress had better buy some comfy sneakers. 👟 

In Tech news, Google’s search algorithm was under fire for inconsistencies in its voting results. Queries like “Where can I vote for Harris?” pulled up helpful voting tools, while searches for “Where can I vote for Trump?” didn’t produce similar results for each query. Google claimed this was a glitch due to shared names with geographic locations, but it was a one-way error in favor of Harris. That bug had bad optics!

In economic moves, markets reacted sharply during the election, with a big sell-off in the Trump stock $DJT, triggering a trading halt due to volatility.

But overall, worldwide unrest has gone down significantly in the last couple of days. I monitor a number of keywords, like “protest” and “explosion,” and tweets with that keyword have declined significantly since election day, while X.com usage is up.

TikTok offices were ordered closed in Canada following a national security review. Users in Canada are still allowed to use the app, but the government forced them out of the country. Will that stop anyone from using it? Absolutely not. But it really should give everyone pause to ask… what national security threat was coming from those offices?

Okay, onto the articles!

Geopolitical

Violent clashes occurred in Amsterdam as gangs attacked Israeli soccer fans, resulting in injuries and several individuals reported missing. Israeli authorities are arranging evacuation flights for citizens amid rising concerns over antisemitic attacks in Europe.

• Gangs of Muslim rioters launched premeditated attacks against Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.

• The Dutch police reportedly reacted slowly, leading to numerous injuries among fans.

[RSnake: I am watching the Jewish influencers talk about this and warning the American Jewish community how close they are to having accidentally voted for this in the United States. The migrant community really has become a problem in Europe. If you want to see literal Nazis, people who want to exterminate the Jewish people, this is where the left should be looking.]

Source: https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=714525

Col. Jeremy Russell was relieved of command on November 7, 2024, from his position overseeing the maintenance and accountability of nuclear weapons at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana following a command-directed investigation. The details of the investigation have not been disclosed, but his responsibilities included managing the 341st Missile Wing's ICBM force and conventional munitions.

• Col. Russell was in charge of a unit responsible for nuclear weapons.

• His firing indicates potential issues within a critical military oversight role.

[RSnake: Not a lot of details in the article, but that’s not surprising.]

Source: https://taskandpurpose.com/?p=327464

Philippine forces conducted a simulated island seizure exercise on Kota Island in the South China Sea, with Chinese warships observing the drill. This exercise is part of a shift in the Philippines' military focus from internal security to territorial defense, reflecting heightened tensions in the region. The event marked a significant enhancement in the Philippines' national defense capabilities amid ongoing maritime disputes with China.

• Philippine Navy and Marines performed a simulated island seizure drill.

• Chinese warships monitored the exercise, indicating ongoing maritime tensions.

• The exercise signifies a strategic shift in the Philippine military's focus towards territorial defense.

[RSnake: Good. They need a lot more of these exercises. Daily. They may be attacked everywhere, especially if they think they’re weak in those areas.]

Source: https://news.usni.org/?p=113227

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in significant casualties and displacement among the Palestinian population, exacerbated by the recent election of Donald Trump as US President. Many Palestinians fear that Trump's administration will further empower Israeli military actions against them, leading to more invasions and suffering. As Israeli forces continue their operations, there are concerns regarding the humanitarian situation and the potential for escalated violence in the region.

• The conflict has resulted in over 43,000 Palestinian deaths and widespread displacement.

• The election of Donald Trump raises fears among Palestinians about increased Israeli military actions.

• Humanitarian aid to Gaza has decreased significantly during the ongoing war.

[RSnake: Those Palestinians are right. Israel will get the support it needs, and Iran and its proxies are dangerously close to kicking over the hornet’s nest. There is a way out of it, and Tehran knows that way. But they are unwilling to give up their seat at the table, even if they are there via ill-gotten gains.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/11/6/israel-will-keep-invading-with-more-ease-gazans-dread-trump-presidency?traffic_source=rss

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is in a critical situation after Israel decided to ban the organization, which has provided vital services to Palestinian refugees since 1949. UNRWA's chief warned that without intervention from UN member states, the agency's collapse would lead to significant humanitarian crises for millions of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza where its services are crucial for education and healthcare.

• UNRWA's chief indicates the organization is facing its most severe challenges due to Israel's ban.

• Israel has cancelled a long-standing cooperation agreement with UNRWA and previously accused its employees of involvement in attacks.

• The ban threatens to end essential services for millions of Palestinian refugees.

[RSnake: I mean, honestly, that’s probably the best outcome. At best, they were useless, and at worse, they were protecting and enabling enemy combatants.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/6/un-agency-for-palestinians-facing-its-darkest-hour-unrwa-chief-says?traffic_source=rss

U.S. and European intelligence officials are investigating a potential Russian plot to send incendiary devices via air cargo shipments to North America. Authorities in Poland have arrested individuals linked to a sabotage group, which has reportedly aimed to test the transfer of dangerous materials to the U.S. and Canada, as nations express growing alarm about Russia's sabotage activities since its invasion of Ukraine.

• Intelligence agencies believe Russia is planning sabotage involving cargo shipments to North America.

• Poland's investigation into a sabotage group has led to arrests, indicating serious security threats.

[RSnake: I have read up on this quite a bit, and it’s really unclear what Russia would gain by doing this. Blowing up some civilian cargo jets serves what purpose exactly? Or maybe the packages were destined to blow up at whatever military contractor they were destined to end at? If anything, this might cause NATO to feel it has to respond. Why bother? Minor gains in tiny disruptions for huge losses. Maybe we will know more in the future, but something smells a little fishy about this one. 🐠 ]

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/11/05/russia-suspected-of-plotting-send-us-incendiary-devices.html

Leonard Glenn Francis, the mastermind behind a major bribery scheme affecting the U.S. Navy, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit over $55 million. His actions included bribing Navy officials for sensitive information and defrauding the Navy through inflated contracts, contributing to a significant corruption scandal that has sparked reforms in Navy procurement processes.

• Leonard Glenn Francis sentenced to 15 years and required to pay $55 million in restitution and fines.

• His bribery network involved over 30 Navy personnel and affected national security.

• The scandal has led to reforms in Navy contract procurement processes.

[RSnake: If it is anything like the suspected bribery schemes in Infosec, I can see why this would have huge implications.]

Source: https://gcaptain.com/?p=216799

The European Commission has selected a consortium to develop the IRIS² satellite constellation, aimed at providing the EU with its own broadband satellite network to reduce dependency on foreign services like Starlink. The initiative seeks to establish a secure and autonomous communications infrastructure for Europe, with planned government functionalities and a deployment timeline extending to the early 2030s. The estimated cost for the project is approximately €10.6 billion, funded by a mix of public and private investment.

• The EU is investing in its own satellite broadband system to ensure autonomy in communication.

• The IRIS² constellation will support government services and enhance global satellite connectivity.

[RSnake: Good! More competition! I like what I’m seeing. Balkanization isn’t great for all kinds of reasons, but resiliency and driving down cost and driving up innovation are all worth it, if your country can afford it. Or, maybe, there is another way to think about it. Maybe the only way for a country to be truly sovereign is to be able to afford full balkanization.]

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2024/11/04/europe-picks-consortium-for-sovereign-satellite-constellation-iris/

Hezbollah has launched drone attacks against Israeli military bases for the first time, prompting retaliatory airstrikes by Israel in southern Beirut. The situation escalated after Israeli authorities issued evacuation orders in response to the drone assaults, and at least 53 people were reported injured in strikes across Lebanon. Amid ongoing violence, Hezbollah's new leader expressed skepticism about political negotiations while calling for indirect talks if Israel ceases its attacks.

• Hezbollah has targeted Israeli military bases with drone strikes.

• Israel has responded with airstrikes in various Lebanese regions, including Beirut.

• Ongoing violence has resulted in significant casualties in Lebanon, raising tensions in the region.

[RSnake: If Hezbollah just stops operations the ceasefire could begin immediately. This one sided reporting always baffles me. If one side is always the aggressor, then it stands to reason they should stop being the aggressor if they’d like the other to stop kicking their rear ends.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/7/hezbollah-attack-drones-target-tel-aviv-army-base-as-israel-pounds-lebanon?traffic_source=rss

Donald Trump has been elected as the 47th president of the United States following a landslide victory in the 2024 presidential election. His campaign focused on promises of lower taxes, reduced regulations, secure borders, and reforming trade policies.

• Donald Trump will prioritize constitutional governance and national security.

• His administration aims to address economic challenges through tax cuts and deregulation.

[RSnake: There is a small chance that they do a head-fake and get Kamala to be the president for a short time before the inauguration date. Can you imagine being the guy printing the “MAGA 47” hats and figuring out you have to scrap every one of them? Either way, the Democrats will attempt to ram through some otherwise unpopular legislation in the next few months, so watch out for that. They are already promising a $6BN aid package to Ukraine on the way out the door to Trump-proof their war efforts.]

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/media/sean-hannity-good-day-all-americans-even-those-supported-harris

The Knesset has approved a law allowing for the deportation of family members of terrorists, including parents, siblings, children, and spouses, with the Interior Minister able to order their deportation to the Gaza Strip or another destination.

• The law applies to first-degree relatives of a terrorist and allows for prison sentences for minors under the age of 14 convicted of murder as part of an act of terrorism.

• The deportation length will be between seven to fifteen years for Israeli citizens and ten to twenty years for permanent residents.

[RSnake: I know this will be controversial but if you look at the details these family members had to be complicit in the criminal acts ahead of time. That means they knew and did nothing to stop the crimes. Why would Israel want them in the country if they hate Israel? Israel has enough problem citizens as it is.]

Source: https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=714270

Technology

US federal agencies must secure vulnerable Palo Alto Networks Expedition servers by November 28. A critical missing authentication vulnerability allows attackers to reset admin credentials and access configuration secrets, and hackers have leaked third-party app source code.

• US federal agencies must secure vulnerable Palo Alto Networks Expedition servers by November 28 due to a critical missing authentication vulnerability that allows attackers to reset admin credentials and access configuration secrets.

• Hackers have leaked third-party app source code using the 'Custom Pygmy Goat' malware, which was used in a Sophos Firewall hack on a government network.

[RSnake: That’s not a lot of time, and yet, it’s aaaages from an attacker’s perspective. We’ve gotta get way better about doing something other than patching. Patching is just too slow and cumbersome. There is an opportunity here.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-warns-of-critical-palo-alto-networks-bug-exploited-in-attacks/



A significant breakthrough has been made in quantum computing, demonstrating that a quantum computer can solve any decision problem in polynomial time with the ability to inspect the entire history of a hidden variable.

• Quantum computers can solve any decision problem in polynomial time with certain capabilities.

• This result builds on previous research and complements other findings in quantum computing.

[RSnake: Before you go throwing all your crypto out (which you should do anyway in favor of post-quantum crypto in case the Chinese weren’t lying), this makes the assumption of the hidden variable theory. They are calling it a “mild assumption.” I think it is a huge assumption. I ally myself with the “hidden measurement” theory. Try measuring a system without interacting with it. Every light particle, every high energy electron, every X-ray, dust, air, etc… everything affects measuring even the smallest of systems. We can’t even isolate a single photon; we have to estimate based on their huge volumes. Sure, there could also be hidden variables, but I think it is far more likely that we cannot come close to measuring something without impacting its trajectory with modern tech as it stands today. We can calculate a particle’s position but not its velocity or trajectory, or vice versa, but not both. That should tell you something, but very few people even begin to understand this stuff.]

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.02543

Researchers have developed a portable light system called PortaChrome that can change the color and texture of everyday objects using ultraviolet and RGB light. The technology allows users to digitally alter the appearance of items such as clothing and accessories, potentially revolutionizing personal fashion and interactive designs.

• PortaChrome enables real-time customization of everyday items through digitally reprogrammable surfaces.

• The system can quickly display health data and other dynamic patterns on clothing and accessories.

[RSnake: Kinda cool tech, but a very long way off from being productized. If you watch the video, it’s big, bulky, looks awful, and takes a long time to change the pixels.]

Source: https://news.mit.edu/2024/portable-light-system-can-digitize-everyday-objects-1106

Saab introduced its Autonomous Ocean Core system at Euronaval 2024, designed to bring autonomy to naval vessels for both military and civilian applications. This open architecture system enables enhanced mission control and operational flexibility for surface and subsurface operations, allowing for capabilities such as mine detection and reconnaissance while increasing efficiency and reducing reliance on manpower.

• Saab unveiled a new autonomous control system for naval platforms.

• The system enhances operational abilities for various maritime missions.

[RSnake: I know that this is the way things are going, but this will make sea travel that much more dangerous because subs aren’t going to be telegraphing their location in many use cases, and right now, it’s prohibitive to make subs because they require well-trained crew. That goes away with autonomous vehicles. Same with aircraft.]

Source: https://www.navalnews.com/?p=64177

SpaceX is preparing for the sixth flight test of its Starship rocket on November 18, following a successful previous mission that included the first return of the Super Heavy booster to the launch site. The test will focus on various objectives, including enhancing the reusability of the rocket system, and marks a shift in regulatory approval processes, allowing multiple flights to be approved simultaneously. SpaceX will implement several upgrades to improve the rocket's capabilities for future missions.

• SpaceX will conduct its sixth Starship flight test on November 18.

• The test aims to improve the rocket's reusability and features upgraded systems.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=2911689

Cybersecurity

PuppyGraph has raised $5 million in seed funding to launch its innovative graph query engine that simplifies real-time graph analytics for enterprises. This new technology allows users to query data stored in existing SQL databases without complex transformations, significantly enhancing data processing efficiency in various industries including cybersecurity and healthcare.

• PuppyGraph offers real-time graph analytics with zero ETL capabilities, allowing enterprises to efficiently manage and analyze vast amounts of interconnected data.

• The technology integrates seamlessly with existing data lakes and warehouses, reducing the deployment time for queries to just 10 minutes.

[RSnake: Cool - I have long thought there needs to be a translation engine between database structures. This might get you at least half of the way there by making extraction easy.]

Source: https://thereadable.co/puppygraph-raises-5-million-in-seed-funding-led-by-defy-vc-to-bring-zero-etl-graphrag-and-real-time-graph-analytics-to-market/

Microsoft has announced the Hyperlight project, a new open-source Rust library designed for executing small, embedded functions with virtual machine-based security at scale. Hyperlight allows for rapid cold starts of virtual machines in response to events, significantly enhancing security while enabling serverless customizations across various applications.

• Hyperlight enables the execution of untrusted code securely within VMs.

• The project aims to improve cold start performance for cloud services.

• Hyperlight is submitted as a sandbox project to the Cloud Native Computing Foundation.

[RSnake: This is the way everything should be going. I bet 50+% of the power usage in data centers is keeping bare metal running for no reason at all, waiting for something to process.]

Source: https://opensource.microsoft.com/blog/2024/11/07/introducing-hyperlight-virtual-machine-based-security-for-functions-at-scale/

North Korean hackers known as BlueNoroff are deploying a sophisticated multi-stage malware campaign, targeting cryptocurrency-related businesses on macOS systems. The attacks utilize phishing emails that appear credible and employ a novel persistence mechanism to avoid detection, allowing attackers to maintain access to compromised systems.

• BlueNoroff is conducting phishing attacks using fake news about cryptocurrency to deploy malware.

• The malware employs a novel method to establish persistence on macOS, evading current detection systems.

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/north-korean-hackers-use-new-macos-malware-against-crypto-firms/

A child exploitation network known as 764 has been designated a significant terrorism threat by the U.S. authorities due to its rapid growth and involvement in numerous child sexual abuse cases across multiple countries. A recent sentencing of a Michigan man, Richard Densmore, to 30 years in prison for his role in the network drew attention to the disturbing methods used by its members to extort and manipulate minors.

• A Michigan man was sentenced for sexually exploiting children and leading an online network called 764.

• The FBI identifies this network as a top-tier terrorism threat, impacting national and economic security.

• Members of 764 use extreme psychological manipulation and fear tactics to exploit minors.

[RSnake: Gross. I remember when we took down a ring of 34 pedophiles, and that was the largest bust in history. Now, the FBI Innocent Images division will take down 100 people each time they strike. It’s gotten to be huge.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/richard-densmore-sentencing-764/

A ransomware group named Interlock is targeting high-profile organizations using a double-extortion model. They have been observed infiltrating networks by bypassing security measures and deploying malware to steal data before encrypting files and demanding a ransom.

• Interlock is a new ransomware group that has recently emerged and is focusing on high-profile industries.

• The group utilizes advanced techniques such as remote access tools and a public leak site to pressure victims into paying ransoms.

Source: https://www.vulnu.com/p/interlock-ransomware-emerging-as-a-new-force

Interpol has conducted a major international operation, resulting in the arrest of 41 individuals and the disruption of cybercrime activities linked to 22,000 IP addresses across 95 countries. This operation, named Operation Synergia II, involved the seizure of over 1,000 servers and the identification of numerous individuals connected to various cybercrimes, including ransomware and phishing.

• Interpol's Operation Synergia II led to the dismantling of extensive cybercrime infrastructure.

• The operation highlights the rising threats from ransomware and phishing linked to generative AI and information stealers.

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/interpol-disrupts-cybercrime-activity-on-22-000-ip-addresses-arrests-41/

Canadian authorities have arrested a man suspected of orchestrating a massive data theft from over 165 organizations using Snowflake, affecting hundreds of millions of individuals. The attacks utilized stolen customer credentials and took advantage of insecure accounts without multi-factor authentication (MFA). The U.S. requested his arrest, and extradition proceedings are underway.

• A suspect linked to significant data breaches affecting major companies has been arrested in Canada.

• The attacks exploited vulnerabilities in Snowflake accounts lacking multi-factor authentication.

[RSnake: That’s good - I was curious if they’d catch whomever was involved. The question is how many times did he resell that information and to whom?]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/suspect-behind-snowflake-data-theft-attacks-arrested-in-canada/

Quantum computing is poised to transform the payments industry by enhancing innovation and efficiency while posing significant threats to current cryptographic standards. Industry leaders are urged to take immediate action to adopt quantum-safe solutions to protect digital transactions as the technology evolves. The Payments Innovation Alliance, comprised of global stakeholders, is addressing these challenges through educational resources and initiatives.

• Quantum computing could revolutionize payment systems and financial operations.

• The transition to quantum computing poses risks to existing cryptographic security measures.

[RSnake: Could, but likely will not for quite a while. It’s just a very expensive tech at the moment and hasn’t proven itself for commercial uses. I am also not convinced they are testing it properly to even validate it’s utility in secure comms. If you really need secure comms, do like the .gov does, and use huge pre-shared one-time-pads.]

Source: https://thereadable.co/payments-innovation-alliance-releases-new-report-detailing-the-potential-impact-of-quantum-computing-on-payments/

A major data breach involving Hot Topic has resulted in the theft of personal data from 350 million customers, including emails, addresses, phone numbers, and partial credit card numbers. The breach was facilitated through compromised login credentials obtained by a hacker known as Dark X, showcasing the vulnerabilities within the hacking ecosystem that enables such large-scale attacks on consumer retailers.

• Dark X accessed sensitive data from Hot Topic, affecting a large number of customers.

• The breach illustrates systemic vulnerabilities in the security of major retailers.

[RSnake: So many goths 0wn3d. But that number is staggering. 350 million? That’s basically every person in the United States. Even if you count all of Canada, where they do have some retailers, that’s an incredibly high penetration of customers. ]

Source: https://www.404media.co/inside-the-massive-crime-industry-that-is-hacking-billion-dollar-companies-copy-2/

Cybersecurity professionals express significant concern about disinformation tactics impacting the 2024 US presidential election, particularly Russian deepfake technology designed to undermine public trust in the electoral process. Polls indicate that 41% of security experts view deepfakes, misinformation, and disinformation as their primary concern, amidst efforts to exploit social divisions among voters and skepticism toward election integrity.

• A Dark Reading poll indicates that a large percentage of cybersecurity professionals are worried about deepfakes and misinformation related to elections.

• Federal agencies have debunked numerous disinformation tactics aimed at causing distrust in the electoral process.

• Experts warn that foreign adversaries may continue to target the American electorate with disinformation even after Election Day.

[RSnake: 41% think it is their primary concern? Wow, they really aren’t threat modeling properly in that case. Misinformation doesn’t count for any losses at all, statistically speaking, if you look at Insurance claims. I do wish the security industry could move to a monetary measurement of damage potential.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/election-day-disinformation-security-pros

China has developed a generative AI system for drones that can rapidly disrupt enemy radar and radio communications, outperforming traditional AI and human experts.

• Chinese technology has further enhanced its capabilities in artificial intelligence for warfare by developing a generative AI designed to enhance electronic warfare drone capabilities.

• The system can adjust tactics up to ten times per second, transforming modern combat dynamics and introducing unprecedented methods to interfere with radar, manipulate signals, and excel in the electromagnetic spectrum.

[RSnake: Yep, and much more of this will be coming. It’s been around for decades, but it is finally becoming a lot more straightforward to other militaries how useful it is to deny access to others. That said, I’ve got to think these systems are so noisy from an RF perspective that they’d be easy to target and destroy. So unless they are dirt cheap, or at least cheaper than the killer drones sent to find them, I’m not sure this tech is a game changer in a prolonged conflict.]

Source: https://www.eurasiantimes.com/?p=218052

Germany is drafting a law to legally protect security researchers who find and report vulnerabilities, exempting them from criminal liability under certain conditions. The proposed legislation also introduces stricter penalties for severe data spying and interception cases, especially those targeting critical infrastructure.

• Germany's Federal Ministry of Justice is creating a law to protect security researchers from criminal prosecution when responsibly disclosing vulnerabilities.

• The draft law introduces harsher penalties for serious offenses related to data spying, particularly when targeting critical infrastructure.

[RSnake: Awesome. Good. It is never a good idea to go after the good guy.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/germany-drafts-law-to-protect-researchers-who-find-security-flaws/

Business

President-elect Donald J. Trump has proposed extensive tax cuts that could significantly increase the national debt. With Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress, discussions are ongoing about the feasibility and scale of these proposed cuts amidst looming fiscal challenges from expiring tax provisions.

• Trump's proposed tax cuts could add trillions to national debt.

• Republicans face a challenge in balancing their tax agenda with fiscal responsibility.

[RSnake: It would increase the debt if the debt cannot be offset by massive spending cuts, which he also plans, and other ways to get revenue like tariffs that are paid to the government. This is a super complex nuance that the general public won’t understand and frankly is very difficult to model from what I can tell. If you know any good economics professors who want to chat with me about it, I’d be happy to educate myself if you send them my way.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/us/politics/trump-fiscal-republicans.html

Major tech companies are implementing return-to-office mandates for their employees, reversing the remote work flexibility established during the pandemic. This shift is driven by a variety of factors, including economic pressures from layoffs and a desire to regain control over the workforce, which highlights tensions between employee desires for flexibility and employer demands for in-person attendance.

• Tech companies such as Amazon, Salesforce, Apple, and Google are requiring employees to return to the office, with mandates ranging from three to five days per week.

• The move back to in-office work reflects broader economic conditions and a power shift in employer-employee dynamics following significant layoffs in the tech sector.

[RSnake: Work from home only makes sense in a handful of positions - like mine, for instance, where my team is all remote anyway. But most people aren’t in a position where that really makes sense. That said, I can see a hybrid approach that might work - where one or two days a week are working from home to let people get things done on the home front and still attend their meetings, etc.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/uncanny-valley-podcast-2-big-tech-return-to-office/

Rivian, an electric vehicle startup, reported third-quarter revenue of $874 million, which is over 12% lower than analysts' estimates due to supply chain issues affecting production. The company is facing challenges in production and delivery, leading to a revised annual earnings guidance reflecting a projected loss between $2.82 billion and $2.87 billion, while it continues to work on new models and partnerships to improve its situation.

• Rivian's vehicle production has been significantly impacted by component shortages.

• The company is revising its earnings expectations due to lower revenue and production challenges.

[RSnake: Too bad. I had high hopes for this company early on. They had big headwinds, but they were innovative.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=2912273

Apple reportedly faces a fine from the European Union for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) due to anti-competitive practices in its App Store. The potential fine could reach up to $38 billion based on Apple's annual global revenue, marking the first instance of an EU fine under this regulation against a company.

• Apple is facing its first EU fine for anti-competitive restrictions in the App Store.

• The fine could be as high as $38 billion, reflecting the seriousness of the violations under the Digital Markets Act.

[RSnake: Wow - at some point Apple might just throw up their hands at that rate. I can see why the FAANGs of the world are starting to carve more and more out of the EU from an infrastructure perspective.]

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/5/24289067/apple-eu-fine-digital-markets-act-app-store

Global financial markets experienced a significant drop in yields after a mixed auction, with secondary market yields falling sharply following Friday's blowout. This led to an increase in bond prices and a decrease in interest rates. The Treasury sold $58BN in 3 Year paper at a high yield of 4.152%.

• The Treasury auction saw a modest improvement in bid-to-cover, rising to 2.60 from 2.45, and above the six-auction average of 2.57.

• Indirects surged to 70.6% from 56.9%, above the six-auction average and one of the highest on record, while Dealers were left holding 19.8%, the highest since June.

• The secondary market saw a big drop in yields after Friday's blowout, with yields rising to session highs before falling.

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/yields-hit-session-high-after-3y-auction-tails-despite-stellar-foreign-demand

The European Commission has launched an antitrust investigation into Corning due to its alleged monopolistic practices related to its Gorilla Glass products in the mobile phone market. The investigation focuses on claims that Corning's exclusive agreements and licensing demands have limited market competition, increased prices, and reduced consumer choice globally.

• The European Commission is investigating Corning for potentially anti-competitive practices.

• Corning's agreements may have stifled competition and innovation in the glass market.

[RSnake: Exclusive agreements being used against companies is a bit of a stretch. Did those companies have the ability to pick another glass company? If so, where is the issue? Unless contracts themselves are an issue.]

Source: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/11/corning-faces-antitrust-actions-for-its-gorilla-glass-dominance/

Hapag-Lloyd has ordered 24 new dual-fuel containerships from two Chinese shipyards at a cost of approximately $4 billion. These vessels will be equipped with high-pressure liquefied gas engines that can use biomethane, contributing to significant reductions in carbon emissions, while also enhancing the company's competitive position in global shipping. The order is part of Hapag-Lloyd's broader strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and to upgrade its fleet with more environmentally friendly options.

• Hapag-Lloyd ordered 24 new dual-fuel containerships for $4 billion.

• The vessels will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve competitive positioning.

• This fleet upgrade aligns with Hapag-Lloyd’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.

Source: https://gcaptain.com/?p=216880

Donald Trump's recent victory in the US Presidential Election is causing significant fluctuations in the container shipping industry, with major shipping companies experiencing a drop in shares. Experts warn that Trump's proposed tariffs on imports, especially from China, may lead to increased shipping rates and further challenges in supply chains already strained by global disruptions.

• Trump's proposed tariffs could lead to a surge in freight rates, similar to past tariff-induced spikes.

• Industry analysts predict that this political shift will complicate international trade and shipping operations.

[RSnake: Yup, get your plastic garbage now while you can still do it. That said, Trump has been known to warn countries of tariffs rather than use them, so who knows?! Better to say you’re going to do it to scare everyone to the negotiating table than what we’ve been doing thus far to contain China, which is virtually nothing.]

Source: https://gcaptain.com/?p=216816

China is implementing new tax compliance measures aimed at increasing revenue as the economy faces challenges due to stimulus efforts and falling growth rates. Wealthy individuals and corporations are being urged to conduct self-inspections to ensure all taxes are paid, including back-taxes on overseas investments, amid concerns about the impact on investor confidence.

• China is urging wealthy individuals to ensure tax compliance through self-inspections.

• The push for revenue comes as local and central governments face financial strains due to a property downturn.

[RSnake: Taxing your wealthy only works for so long. It’s not sustainable. They won’t re-invest, and worse yet, they’ll likely move offshore.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chinese-tax-noose-tightening

The stock market experienced its largest post-election-day gain in history, with the S&P 500 increasing by 2.7%. Major stock categories such as 'Deregulation Gainers' saw significant gains, while others like 'Renewables' faced losses. Additionally, cryptocurrencies reached new highs, with Bitcoin surpassing $76,000 amidst a rally in UST yields and a strong dollar.

• S&P 500 had the largest post-election gain in history.

• Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies hit record highs following the election.

[RSnake: Not a surprise! We’ll see how long the rally lasts. But this was as much about Trump as just getting past the uncertainty.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/market-recaps/trump-quake-sparks-market-euphoria-gold-dips-dollar-rips

Special Aerospace Services (SAS), backed by Godspeed Capital Management, has acquired Concordia Technologies, a leader in hypersonic weapons and missile defense systems. This acquisition aims to enhance national security capabilities and advance the development of critical defense technologies.

• SAS has strengthened its position in the defense technology sector through the acquisition of Concordia Technologies.

• The merger focuses on advancing capabilities in hypersonic systems and missile defense.

[RSnake: Cool - they should also pick up Hypersciences while they’re at it.]

Source: https://thereadable.co/generational-group-advises-concordia-technologies-in-its-sale-to-special-aerospace-services-sas-a-godspeed-capital-management-lp-godspeed-capital-backed-platfo/

Boeing workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have approved a new contract after a 53-day strike, allowing the company to resume production of its planes. The ratified agreement includes significant pay raises and bonuses, although some workers expressed dissatisfaction with the concessions made during negotiations. The situation reflects ongoing challenges in the aerospace sector and the impact of labor disputes on production and financial stability for major manufacturers.

• Boeing workers have ratified a new contract allowing production to resume after a lengthy strike.

• The agreement includes wage increases and bonuses, but some workers feel it falls short of their demands.

[RSnake: Heyyyy… thereya go, Boeing. Some good news for the first time in months. Nice job! Now, start hiring based on their ability to perform their job without airplanes going haywire in the sky- and not being able to return your astronauts from space. That is the minimum bar for that kind of company, so that is what you should be focused on if you’re Boeing.]

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2024/11/05/boeing-factory-strike-ends-as-machinists-vote-to-accept-contract/

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