Shannon Vavra
@shanvav
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National Security & Cybersecurity | Priors: @CNASdc Fellow, National Security Reporter @thedailybeast, @CyberScoopNews, @Axios | shanvav01 on Signal
Joined December 2012
News: I obtained audio of SecDef’s 911 Jan 1 call. It has some info on his medical condition at the time and reveals info on just how secretive his team was trying to be: His aide outright requests the ambulance try to fly under the radar. @thedailybeast
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Elon Musk suggests Ukraine should be "neutral" in Russia's war in Ukraine and in an approach to peace, and says Crimea is "formally part of Russia" (US/other allies recognize Crimea is Ukrainian). Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany weighs in: "Fuck off is my very diplomatic reply".
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Breaking: A dual US-Russian citizen, Elena Branson, has been charged w/ acting as a Russian agent & for failing to register under FARA. DOJ says she got funding & tasking from the Russian govt to make connections w/ US politicians & biz in order to advance Russian govt goals.
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BREAKING: President Biden warns of "evolving intelligence" that shows Russia "is exploring options for potential cyberattacks" in a statement. "I urge our private sector partners to harden your cyber defenses immediately," Biden says.
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NEW: The NSA, FBI & CISA are issuing an alert today to warn about Russian hackers going after defense contractors for info on weapons development, comms infrastructure, technological & scientific research, and obtaining sensitive, unclass info, as well export-controlled tech.
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"Particularly given current global events, the need to detect and hinder attempts at foreign influence is of critical importance," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams says of Branson.
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Branson corresponded with Putin himself, DOJ says, & with funding from the Russian govt, incorporated the Russian Center New York to push out govt programming (like an 'I love Russia' campaign) & messaging (like lobbying Hawaiian officials over the name of a fort in Kauai).
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EXCLUSIVE: A US intelligence memo I obtained shows Russian influence ops are trying to convince Americans aid for Ukraine is the reason the war is dragging. And another memo I got my hands on warns Russia’ll try to interfere in US midterms @thedailybeast
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Ukraine’s Minister of Defense @oleksiireznikov says in new post he wants Ukrainian citizens of villages and small towns to block Russian armored vehicles’ fuel supplies as they pass through: “Lock (it) up or burn (it) down,” per translation.
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I am thrilled to share some personal & professional news — later this month I’ll be joining @thedailybeast as a national security reporter. I’ll be covering cybersecurity still, but also tacking on national security & intelligence coverage as well. Have a tip? Let’s chat!.
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NEW: Russia declares it sees no need to maintain a diplomatic presence in the west anymore, toying with possibly severing diplomatic ties. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: “You can’t force love. there’s no work to do. ” @thedailybeast
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Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who leaked to WikiLeaks, is letting loose about Glenn Greenwald, calling him “greedy” and “unprincipled,” saying she was “embarrassed for ever considering you a friend.”
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Breaking: NATO is activating parts of its NATO Response Force (NRF), the first time NATO has activated it, as a "full fledged invasion of Ukraine" takes place with Russia eyeing Kyiv, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. Details @thedailybeast
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SCOOP: The State Dept held a classified briefing Friday to discuss concerns the Russian diplomatic compound in the Bronx in New York is actually a Russian spy hub, I’m told—& now the FBI is getting pressured to step in. Details exclusive on @thedailybeast
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NEW: Russian intelligence agencies have increased their hacking & espionage ops going after governments outside Ukraine���with the US as the #1 target, per a Microsoft analysis. Other popular targets are foreign ministries of NATO countries, think tanks, & critical infrastructure.
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Musk adds "This is highly likely to be the outcome" in Ukraine "just a question of how many die before then"
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NEW: A senior administration official says just now some of the Russian elites the Biden admin is sanctioning include:.-Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the FSB, and son Denis.-Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Admin of Russia, and son Vladimir. .
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New: The Biden administration has evidence that Russia is laying the groundwork to annex Ukrainian territory in violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. The activities planned include hosting sham referenda, promoting branches of Russian banks, & sabotaging internet, John Kirby says.
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Wow—@OPokalchuk, the head of @amnesty's Ukraine team, is resigning, after she said her office tried to stop Amnesty's report that accused Ukraine of placing civilians in harm’s way, due to its “one-sidedness.” But Amnesty gave a “firm no” and published.
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New: Russian-linked hackers are dropping like flies: Two more hackers linked with REvil ransomware, who have taken half a million euros in ransom payments, have been rounded up, Europol announces just now:
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President Biden mentioned that our grids are vulnerable to hacks! Cybersecurity gets a nod during the address!.
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New: The US has seized two domains suspected Russian hackers used to pose as USAID in a recent spearphishing campaign — Microsoft has said the hackers work for Russia's SVR spy agency. Context:
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NEW: Some Republican lawmakers introduced bills before Russia invaded that'd condition military aid to Ukraine on Biden's handling of the US southern border. But now—even w/ the carnage unfolding in Ukraine—they tell me they're digging in. @thedailybeast
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So it’s taken me a while to write this but early last month I had a breakthrough case of COVID. (I was fully vaccinated/had both shots), and I know it would’ve been much worse if I weren’t—but it was still plenty awful for me.
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Senior Biden administration official on call with reporters says SWIFT-related punishment, like kicking Russia out of the international banking system, is still an option: "We are not taking SWIFT off the table, it will remain an option that we can deploy.".
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Politico had a snarky report on VP Kamala Harris accusing her of “feeling” Bluetooth is a security risk—but being wary of Bluetooth isn’t a random whim. USG warned about turning Bluetooth off last year, per an NSA document. From me & @scottbix @arawnsley
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This is wild: Duke will be paying out a $112.5 million settlement to the U.S. government for allegedly *knowingly* falsifying research in 30 grants (30!) from 2006-2018 (12 years!)
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Putin watchers warn me Putin is likely willing to bet he can outlast the Biden administration until there’s a more favorable political climate in the US for his goals in Ukraine—and they warn Putin is willing to run info ops to secure that more sympathetic US political climate.
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The NSA, FBI & DHS' CISA assess that in stealing proprietary internal documents and emails, the adversaries are able to work to adjust their military plans, upgrade their tech development, inform policymakers of US intentions, and better work on spying targets for recruitment.
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White House: "Over the weekend, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation against a significant Al Qaeda target in Afghanistan. The operation was successful and there were no civilian casualties," via pool.
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New today: House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney has asked the FBI to investigate Parler’s role in the storming of the Capitol earlier this month, as well as its financing and ties to Russia. More details on @CyberScoopNews
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The White House suggests US companies take standard steps to take to boost defense: Use multi-factor authentication, use tools to continuously look for threats, patch, back up and encrypt data, run drills for crises, be aware of phishing tactics, and contact FBI/CISA
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A former Army Green Beret has been arrested for allegedly working w/ Russian intelligence and sharing info about his chemical and Special Forces units w/ the GRU, including team members so GRU could assess their interest in recruiting them, too, per DOJ.
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New: NSA Director Nakasone says just now NSA has seen 3-4 Russian cyberattacks in Ukraine so far, & as to some folks' surprise there haven't been more disruptive ones, he warns of possible ransomware hits, wormlike attacks that spread, and notes we're 15 days in to this conflict.
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NEW: The Biden Administration is preparing behind the scenes more aid for Ukraine, to be announced later this week, says John Kirby, a White House National Security Council Coordinator. It will include more HIMARs, he says.
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To clarify as the months change over, Melnyk was slated to remain in Germany through September and move to Kyiv in October.
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Xi Jinping is "unsettled" w/ Russia's invasion in Ukraine for 4 reasons, CIA Director Burns says:.-Xi's intel doesn’t seem to have told him what was going to happen.-Reputation damage by association w/ Russia.-Economic reasons.-The invasion enhanced American/European closeness.
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New today: An FBI employee has been indicted for stealing classified documents between 2004-2017, docs which allegedly detail sources/methods FBI uses to counter cyber threats, info on human sources & gaps in intelligence on foreign intelligence services.
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New: The US is accusing 2 suspected Chinese intelligence officers of working to obstruct a criminal probe of a "global telecommunications company" in China by cultivating a relationship/bribing a law enforcement employee to be a "double agent" since 2017, per unsealed court docs
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New: Russian shelling has raised radioactive dust clouds around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, resulting in elevated radiation levels nearby, according to a Ukrainian military intelligence alert.
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“We don't know what [the] entity is," Kirby said of the recently downed "object." "There's no indication that it's from a nation.".
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New: Russia is "exploring options for potential cyber attacks on critical infrastructure in the United States," Biden's Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber Anne Neuberger says just now. ("There is no certainty" they will attack, however, she adds.).
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NEW: At 7:30pm President Biden will deliver remarks on a "successful counterterrorism operation," from the Blue Room Balcony, according to an updated White House schedule.
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Catch the details and technical information here on the Russian government hacking targeting the defense sector:
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"No Russian financial institution is safe," the senior administration official said. While Biden announced sanctions on 2 large Russian financial entities and sanctions on Russia’s elite today, this is just the beginning of what the US could do, the official said.
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Latest: Russia is rounding up tens of thousands of Ukrainians to go to "filtration" camps, says an advisor to Mariupol's mayor, as Ukrainians fight for their lives in the besieged city—which just shared a video of bombing at Azovstal. @thedailybeast
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Neuberger warns, as the US has before, "if Russia conducts disruptive cyberattacks against critical infrastructure, we will be prepared to respond".
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Statement from Andriy Yermak from Zelensky’s office on the recent attack in Kyiv near the TV tower: “a powerful barrage is underway. A missile hit the place where Babyn Yar memorial complex is located! Once again, these barbarians are murdering the victims of Holocaust!”.
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New: Russian forces have sustained "heavy casualties" in a failed attack near Vuhledar, per new intel. Russians have fled/abandoned tanks, with some footage showing a soldier running around on fire and tanks dragging troops on the ground. @thedailybeast
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New: Ukrainian intel warns Russia is prepping "provocations" at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to force a probe, eke out a pause to regroup, Ukraine claims. "An emergency leak of radioactive substances will be announced. Ukraine will traditionally be blamed for the incident.".
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In other news: Rod Rosenstein, former DAG at DOJ, says he's been providing counsel on cyber/national security issues to NSO Group, the surveillance software firm accused of surveilling Khashoggi's associates before his murder, per a new court filing:
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Andrew Yang on China: “They’re in the process of leapfrogging us in AI.”.
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Some personal news — I am extremely excited to announce that in a few short weeks I’ll be joining @CyberScoopNews as a staff reporter to cover the NSA, CyberCommand, and cyberwarfare. Have a tip or know a storyline I should be following? Let’s chat.
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NEW: Ransomware has targeted a US hospital, forcing it to turn ambulances away, I’m told. Hackers are going after US hospitals with a fresh wave of attacks this week just as coronavirus cases surge around the country. Story on @thedailybeast
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New: Prince Harry is serving as a commissioner on the Aspen Institute's new commission on disinfo/misinformation — he notes we face an "avalanche of misinformation" which affects our ability to "truly understand the world we live in," via @brianstelter
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Russia has been conducting "some preparatory activity that we're seeing" related to cyberattacks towards the US she says—that could mean scanning websites or hunting for flaws. Note: this kind of activity can at times turn into cyberattacks & sometimes this activity does not.
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Personal news: I have decided to take the buyout from @thedailybeast, and tomorrow will be my last day. It has been exactly three years since I started here, and what a ride it has been! Without further ado, here are some of my favorite stories….
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The evolving intelligence the US intelligence community has gathered on Russian cyberthreats speaks to a "potential shift in intention" from the Russian government to run cyberattacks against American firms, Neuberger says.
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NEW: The FBI warns in a new alert issued today that the FBI assesses malicious actors will be using deepfakes to advance their foreign influence & cyber-operations in the coming weeks, & that they already use them in influence ops. Details @CyberScoopNews
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Witness said Marco Rubio was targeted in buildup to election by Russian bots to knock him out, Rubio looked taken aback, whispered to aide.
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BREAKING: Two Russian Su-27 aircraft "conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept" and struck the propeller of a U.S. Air Force ISR unmanned MQ-9 aircraft over the Black Sea today—it led to a "crash and complete loss" of the US MQ-9, according to USEUCOM.
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-Pyotr Fradkov, Promsvyazbank CEO. ^also sanctioned among Russian elites, per senior Biden administration official.
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Pete Buttigieg on China re Xinjiang/Uighurs and Hong Kong: It’s “the use of technology for the perfection of dictatorship.”.
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24 states are now pushing back against the voter data request from Trump's election integrity commission
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NEW: Biden's Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber Anne Neuberger says Russia likely targeted the Ukrainian govt with cyber activity, inclu against military & critical infrastructure—to collect intelligence & preposition to conduct cyberops during possible invasion.
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New today: The Defense Intelligence Agency has been using smartphone location data purchased from commercially available databases without a warrant, raising questions on Americans' privacy, per an intelligence memo I got my hands on for @CyberScoopNews:
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Resnikov urges Ukrainians: “If you see suspicious persons… arrest them yourself or inform the terrorist defense. Detainees can become a source of useful information,” per translation.
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This bill would outlaw shackling during child birth and mandate the provision of sanitary napkins and tampons to female inmates
I got my hands on one of the newest drafts of the House prison reform bill to be introduced later today. Dems scored several wins, and Sessions is not thrilled about some of the changes.
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NEW: A member of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Maryna Fenina, died in shelling in Kharkiv. OSCE statement: "Maryna was killed while getting supplies for her family. In Kharkiv and other cities and towns in Ukraine, missiles, shells and rockets are hitting. .
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SCOOP: The accused Russian agent Elena Branson—who's been charged for acting as a Russian agent & failed to register under FARA—donated to Tulsi Gabbard, a longtime favorite of the Russian propaganda machine. From me & @SollenbergerRC @thedailybeast
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New: The Biden administration says it's “working hard” to get the first 2 NASAMS already promised to Ukraine “in the very near future,” John Kirby, White House NSC Coordinator, says in briefing following calls from Ukraine for more air defense after Russia's attacks this weekend.
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In a classic case of spy v spy, US officials have been tracking Russian agents at the complex for years. The Russians often are diplomats to the UN, but mostly work on Moscow intel collection, I’m told. And Riverdale is teeming with Russian spies, according to @john_sipher:
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Anyways. We should encourage vaccination as much as possible, and take other precautions like wearing masks. I feel certain my case would’ve been so much worse if I weren’t vaccinated. Please do your part.
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DIA Director LTG Berrier says Russia has still not gained air dominance or air superiority in Ukraine.
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NEW: Russia is running a "very intense" influence operation meant to destabilize the current Moldova government, with the apparent aim of installing a Russia-friendly government, U.S. and Moldovan officials told me. Dive in behind the scene @thedailybeast
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I ended up in urgent care w/ chest pains. I felt terrible & I’ll spare you all my emotions, but it felt like fire. I am young, healthy & fit (& fully vaxxed) but I still have some chest pains over a month later. All this to say: be smart, take precautions even if you’re vaxxed.
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As far as my chest pains go, maybe everything will be fine and they’ll stop. I’m hoping I don’t have long COVID. But I don’t know what’s in store for me, partly because the U.S. has done a pretty bad job of tracking long COVID among the vaccinated:
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Scoop: The DOD, FBI, and DHS have plans to jointly expose North Korean hacking soon, and they have already shared details on malware with the private sector as part of an effort to better warn industry of adversarial hacking. My latest for @CyberScoopNews
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BREAKING: 5 Chinese nationals working as part of a well-resourced hacking group (APT41) and 2 Malaysian nationals have been charged/arrested related to their efforts to help in targeting a broad swathe of 100s of targets globally, the DOJ is announcing today. Stay tuned for more.
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New: A U.S. official tells me one of the reasons DOD/Cyber Command recently started publishing silly cartoonish graphics depicting foreign govt hackers is to try to embarrass or infuriate Russian & Chinese hacking shops. The inside story w @CyberScoopNews
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Although most of the Kremlin's ops aimed at the US now are focused on Ukraine topically speaking, Putin will likely look to exacerbate other divisive issues in the US—take your pick, from guns to abortion—to further distract the US from Putin's aims, notes @gavinbwilde:
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“The Armed Forces of Ukraine appeal to the citizens to unite as much as possible and resist,” Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar says, warning Russians will work to replenish depleting supplies at the expense of civilians by looting businesses, per translation.
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Details from the intel memo: Russian info ops shops are zeroing in on Western aid efforts for Ukraine, alleging they "destabilize and prolong the conflict" & have claimed there's no accountability for weapons entering Ukraine in an attempt to spread fear/doubt about US helping.
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The FBI issued a warning today that Zoom and other teleconferencing may not be as private/secure as advertised. As remote work/classes surge w/ coronavirus, this raises privacy, security, & possibly national security issues, as world leaders use Zoom too.
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New: British intelligence assesses the demotion of Surovikin and placing Gerasimov in charge is likely a sign of "the increasing seriousness of the situation Russia is facing" in Ukraine—a "clear acknowledgement that the campaign is falling short of Russia’s strategic goals".
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Amplifying/spreading doubts in the US about supporting Ukraine is a major goal for Russia: "Their major headache has been the idea that Washington is kind of facilitating Ukraine’s westward geopolitical tilt." Anything that can "break that strain of support," @gavinbwilde says.
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NEW: DHS intelligence warns in a new alert domestic violent extremists and racially motivated extremists have developed "credible, specific" plans to attack the US electric sector, per a DHS intelligence bulletin I've obtained. Details @thedailybeast
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NEW: The US has plans to sell HIMARS launchers and other gear worth ~$10B to Poland as part of efforts to modernize its military, per a DOD notice. Would include 45 ATACMS)—a key move the Biden admin has not yet green-lighted for Ukraine. @thedailybeast
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Russian information ops are targeting "American and European populations with the goal of undermining Western unity and deflecting criticism of Russian military war crimes," per MSFT, backing up the @thedailybeast story on US intelligence on the matter:
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“We believe that the Russian government is responsible for widescale cyberattacks on Ukrainian banks this week,” Neuberger says, adding that the U.S. is still working on attribution of the DDoS attacks. More @thedailybeast
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This is extremely concerning — and it is becoming a trend:. "A passport screening official held a Defense One journalist’s passport until he received an affirmative answer to this repeated question: 'You write propaganda, right?'"
My colleague had this exchange getting off the plane at Dulles yesterday. @CBP officer, holding @natsecwatson's passport: “What do you do?”.Watson: “Journalism.”.CBP officer: “So you write propaganda, right?” What is this new normal?.
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New: Two journalists who live in Ukraine and who contribute dispatches about the war to @thedailybeast have been shot, while driving near the Russian border. Read more:
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Grateful to share I've been recognized w/ my 1st-ever journalism award, for a @CyberScoopNews series investigating hacking the Pentagon tracks. My work has revealed an active Russian attack, North Korean campaigns, an evolving DOD-DHS relationship & more:
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New: Biden admin announced $600 million in new military aid for Ukraine—including cold weather gear. Ukrainian officials say they think the war will last thru to 2023, including wintertime. Also includes:.-HIMARS ammo.-36K 105mm and 1K precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds.
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"We know their next moves," and it (annexing territory in Ukraine) will only make things worse for Russia, Kirby warns.
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As Russia invades Ukraine, China is causing a stir now, Reuters reports: Taiwan warns Chinese aircraft in its air defence zone. Taiwan's air force scrambled again on Thursday to warn away 9 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defence zone, Taiwan's defence ministry said.
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NEW: Russians are bombing Mariupol's last holdout at Mariupol's Azovstal, according to a video the city shared, as Ukrainians vowed to not surrender. Latest @thedailybeast
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New: White House announces new sanctions on Russian elites, including Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Yevgeniy Prigozhin (“Putin’s chef” & muscle behind Russia’s troll army/election interference), & people working w/ firms providing support for Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.
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