Category Archives: NSA

Professor Peter Twumasi Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) remains confident the Black Stars of Ghana will excel at the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), billed to begin on Sunday, January 9, in Cameroon.

Ahead of the biennial continental competition, the Director-General wished the team well and urged them to clinch the ultimate.

He expressed his undying confidence in the Black Stars to battle it out for the ultimate glory and was hopeful that the team would be nothing short of making Ghana proud.

The NSA commended Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo, the office of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the leadership of the Ghana Football Association, the management and staff of the NSA, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Army, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Fire Service and the Supporters Union for their immense contribution to the success of the team in diverse ways.

Ghana would begin her AFCON campaign on Monday, January 10 against Morocco before taking on Comoros and Gabon.

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NSA believes Black Stars will shine in 2021 AFCON - News Ghana

A Covid positive person could infect three or four persons, but a malware-infected cyber system can infect several times more. And the global loss can be trillions of dollars, warns Indias topmost cyber-warrior, Sanjay Bahl, who is director-general of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). Seated in his simple office in the Union ministry of electronics and information technology, Bahl said that last year alone India battled more than 11 lakh cyberattacks, till October 15, 2021.

With power, telecom, defence, finance, and health sectors facing ransomware attacks, CERT-In now trains users on defensive techniques, based on a new framework created by MITRE of the US and funded by the National Security Agency (NSA). As he was global chief security officer of Tata Consultancy Services and national security officer of Microsoft, Bahl knows well the threats faced by the private sector, too.

Excerpts from an exclusive interview:

Q/ How many incidents of cyber breaches were reported this year?

A/ In 2020, around 11.5 lakh incidents were tracked and reported. Last year, more than 11 lakh incidents were tracked and reported (as of October 15, 2021).

There are various kinds of threats ranging from state actors, cybercriminals and hackers, followed by threats from someone working inside financial institutions or other elements who went rogue.

Covid had a strike rate of three to four, when an infected person came in contact with others. An infected system will have a higher strike rate, due to the interconnected society that we live in.

CERT-In handles incident response, mitigation, and containment, and carries out drills and simulations. Training chief information security officers and network system administrators has been a major focus area for us. We have also been consistently sensitising users on the need to follow best practices. Keeping in mind the fast-changing cybersecurity threat landscape, we are constantly improvising.

Q/ How is CERT-In building capability in cyberthreat intelligence?

A/ The CERT-In threat intelligence exchange platform is based on Structured Threat Information Expression (STIX) and Trusted Automated Exchange of Indicator Information (TAXII) standards, which explain the what and how of threat intelligence. This helps facilitate automated bidirectional sharing of operational, strategic, enriched tactical threat intelligence to various counterparts and stakeholders in near real-time, thus helping to build a cyber-resilient ecosystem in Indian cyberspace.

Q/ How vulnerable is the power sector?

A/ A cyberattack on the power sector has the potential to cause a cascading impact, affecting dependant sectors and systems such as financial, communications, transportation and health care, leaving the population immobile, isolated, and vulnerable.

For the first time, we invited over 400 members from more than 135 power sector organisations, distributors, representatives of the power ministry for a simulation exercise, specially designed for the sector.

The mock drills for board members included unfolding of different real-life scenariossuch as a ransomware attack followed by a temporary grid collapse, challenges with media reports, regulations and laws. This was to help them look at a cybersecurity impact holistically and respond according to a risk-based approach. The second drill was for chief information security officers and senior managers for building cyber resiliency in power sector utilities.

Q/ What kinds of threats is the financial sector facing?

A/ The financial sector is one of the most lucrative targets for malicious actors. Here the defenders need to act at the technical and operational level simultaneously for detection and prevention of attacks.

There are various kinds of threats ranging from state actors, cybercriminals and hackers, followed by threats from someone working inside financial institutions or other elements who went rogue.

Some of the threats observed are ransomware attacks, business email compromises, supply chain attacks, data breaches and leaks, advanced malware activities, botnets and crypto-mining malware, spear-phishing attacks, advanced persistent threats, and fake and malicious mobile apps.

CERT-In and other agencies have together launched a self-paced e-learning certification course, which focuses on identifying the gaps in cybersecurity and developing a robust cybersecurity framework. Other agencies involved in the course are CSIRT-FIN (Computer Security Incident Response Team-Finance Sector), the National Institute of Securities Markets (which is part of SEBI) and Information Security Education Awareness programme of the ministry of electronics and IT, being coordinated by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) [The ISEA programme is implemented by C-DAC to spread awareness in information security].

Q/ How has the health care system been impacted during the pandemic?

A/ Indias health care sector does not have inter-connected IT infrastructure like in Europe and the US. As of now, in government hospitals, it is mostly the Central Government Health Scheme facilities that are online. In private hospitals, the administration and Out Patient Department (OPD) rely heavily on online networks.

During the pandemic, CERT-In has observed unauthorised probing of public-facing assets, ransomware attacks, fake Covid-related apps, advanced persistent threats, malware and phishing emails. Few of the health care facilities, when impacted by ransomware, have either discarded their online database once the threat was detected and managed to reload from backups or started updating patients records manually. So there has not been much thought to security and privacy concerns in a wholesome manner. But it is an evolving threat and we are preparing to plug gaps.

Q/ What kind of cyberthreats are we looking at as we enter a digital world?

A/ Imagine a scenario where there is a cyber pandemic. Covid had a strike rate of three to four, when an infected person came in contact with others. An infected system will have a higher strike rate, due to the interconnected society that we live in.

The comparison gives us an idea about how entire systems can shut down one after the other and how fast it can spread. Detection, mitigation and the financial costs involved are unthinkable. The global loss can be in trillions of dollars.

Cybercrimes will increase in the future because the fraudsters will always be two steps ahead of us. The attack surface is increasing rapidly as we move into a digital world with digital currencies. The attackers are keeping abreast and joining forces. A hosting expert will join hands with another running malware. When you set out to defend yourself, there is a need for greater cohesion and teamwork.

Original post:
We regularly warn of impending threats, says Sanjay Bahl, DG, CERT-In - THE WEEK

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md.

Here are some of U.S. Cyber Commands (CYBERCOM) most impactful moments of 2021:

Over the last year, the cyber security community has encountered new challenges and worked to adapt and respond in innovative ways. Ransomware is no longer considered just criminal activity, but a threat to national defense and infrastructure; deterrence is conducted across multiple domains simultaneously; and the value of cyber defense partnerships across nations is reasserted again and again.

This year started with the dissemination of vaccines to essential workers as well as vulnerable populations.Pictured here is U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William J. Hartman, commander of the Cyber National Mission Force, receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 11, 2021. Despite a global pandemic, CYBERCOM still conducted cyber operations vital to the Nations defense. Read more about the Commands early vaccination approach here.

This year also saw a rise in cyber challenges that CYBERCOM rose to meet and overcome through various means, including full-spectrum cyber operations.

CYBERCOM Commander U.S. Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone recently highlighted the work both CYBERCOM and the National Security Agency (NSA) have performed against foreign ransomware actors, including conducting successful offensive cyber operations that disrupted their malicious activity. CYBERCOM focuses on the away game, executing operations in foreign spaces against foreign actors.

For example, when Russian intelligence actors compromised a supply chain of cybersecurity vendors to conduct espionage, CYBERCOM deployed an elite defensive cyber unit, called a hunt forward team, to hunt for additional Russian activity. They found and disclosed new malware that was being used to enable malicious cyber activity. That malware was shared with our partners to stop the actors and mitigate the ongoing compromise. These operations were conducted by the Cyber National Mission Force, the Commands national offensive and defensive cyber unit. Read more about this mission and the benefit of hunt forward operationshere.

ere.

AsGeneral Nakasone said this year, partnerships are the lifeblood that makes us so different than our adversaries. The Command has benefited from a historic partnership with the Five Eyes, but there are other partnerships with likeminded nations that we will continue to work.

Cyber is a team sport, and training and working along with our partners ensures we know how each of our cyber operations teams would respond in any situation. We accomplish this through CYBERCOMs bilateral exercise programs.

Cyber Fort III With our partners from Frances Cyber Defense Forces, cyber defenders from the two countries exercised with more than 70 participants, 400 simulated users, 450 simulated networks and subnets, and 1,000 different simulated systems.

Cyber Dome VI Brought our partners from the Israel Defense Forces Joint Cyber Defense Directorate (JCDD) for a hands-on-keyboard defensive cloud-based training exercise. The exercise brought together joint defensive cyber operators from the two countries and involved more than 75 participants.

Both bilateral exercises simulate the relevant tactics, techniques, and procedures of advanced persistent threats that we confront both today and in the future.

Read more about Cyber Fort IIIhere.

Integrated Deterrence is a key aspect of our Nations success in the era of strategic competition. Strategic competition is alive and well in cyberspace, and the Command does its part every single day via persistent engagement efforts. How does CYBERCOM stay persistently engaged in multi-domain and multi-capable operations? One example is by sending a U.S. Air Force Cyber Protection Team to defend vital networks on a B-1 Lancer during a U.S. Strategic Command and U.S. European Command strategic deterrence mission. Cyber defense is one part of integrated strategic deterrence, achieved by denying any malicious cyber actor access to critical platforms like the B-1 Lancer. Read morehere.

Pictured here are two Estonian defensive cyber operators, wearing the insignia of the Estonian Defence Forces Cyber and Information Operations Centre, testing their skills and ability to detect enemy presence, expel it, and identify solutions to harden simulated networks during CYBERCOMs CYBER FLAG 21-1 exercise. More than 200 cyber operators from 23 countries participated in the Department of Defenses largest multinational cyber exercise, designed to help us bolster our collective defense against cyber-attacks targeting critical infrastructure and key resources. Defensive cyber teams from Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and others participated in CYBER FLAG 21-1 using CYBERCOMs real-time virtual training environment. Read more about this exercisehere.

We wrapped up the year with our Commander, Gen. Nakasone, who provided ABC News and the public with an exclusive look into our Joint Integrated Cyber Center and insight into how we defend the nation in cyberspace. It was a great opportunity to showcase how CYBERCOM and NSA workwith our interagency, industry and international partners.You can view ABCs special reporthere.

Read more from the original source:
2021: A Year in Review > US Cyber Command > News - United States Cyber Command

Here's What You Need To Remember: cTheHalibutand other submarines began regular courier runs to install new tapes on the tap while bringing back the old tapes for analysis by the NSA in what was called Operation Ivy Bells.

Since 2015, there have been reports of Russian submarines and spy ships trawling the waters near the ocean-spanning underwater fiber-optic cables vital to trans-oceanic Internet access. In fact, reported activity by spy ship Yartar off the U.S. nuclear-armed submarine base in Kings Bay, Georgia is likely in search of secret military cables used exclusively by the Pentagon.

The Russians might be interested in hacking into those cables because the U.S. Navy pulled of such an exploit forty-six years earlier using a specially-modified spy submarine, a nuclear-powered wiretap, and some helium-swilling aquanauts.

TheHalibut, Missile-Sub Turned Spy Submarine

Commissioned in 1960, the USSHalibutwas a one-of-a-kind nuclear-powered submarine designed to launch Regulus II nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. The 5,000-ton submarine housed two 17.5-meter-long Regulus II missiles in a grotesquely bulged hangar on her foredeck. The missiles were launched while surfaced from a hydraulically extended ramp to strike targets up to 1,150 miles away.

However, by the time theHalibutentered service, the Navy had developed the Polaris, the U.S.s first Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile, which could be fired from underwater into space to strike a target nearly 3,000 miles away. The obsolete Regulus II was canceled a year before theHalibutwas commissioned in 1960, and the submarine spent four years lugging five older Regulus I missiles on deterrence patrols before these too were retired.

Still, the Navy saw useful potential in theHalibutsunconventional layout, and in 1968 she received a unique overhaul. The bulged missile hangar was converted into the Bat Cave (inspired by comic book characters lair) stuffed full of spy equipment, including a rare 60s-era 24bit UNIVAC computer, a retractable seafloor-scanning sonar, and a photo-developing lab. A well underneath the Bat Cave could deploy two 2-ton Fishremotely operated underwater spy vehicles.Halibutslower hull had special thrusters and anchoring winches to maintain its position on the seafloor and later received four skids allowing it to safely land there.

An apparent mini-submarine was prominently strapped onto theHalibutsrear deck, which the Navy publicly boasted was a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) simulator. This was a deception: the pod actually housed a special pressurized chamber for use by saturation divers, with an integrated diving lock.

Deep-sea divers risk decompression sickness (the bends) caused by gas bubbles forming within the body when reacclimatizing to regular air pressure. Based on technology pioneered in the SEALAB underwater habitats, the pressure chamber was designed to give divers a long-term pressure-stable habitat so they would only need to depressurize once at the end of their mission. The divers used oxygen mixed with helium rather than heavier nitrogen to aid acclimatization. You can see an amazing diagram by HI Sutton of theHalibutand its gadgetshere.

TheHalibutsfirst mission was to locate the Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129, which on March 8, 1968, sank nearly 5,000 meters to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean under mysterious circumstances. The Soviet Navy searched for K-129 for months, but it was theHalibutthat finally found her with her Fish that August, after having the search radius narrowed to only 1,200 square miles using data from the Navys SOSUS hydrophone network.

In 1972, Captain James Bradley of the Office of Naval Intelligence thought of a new use for theHalibut. The Soviet Navy maintained a major nuclear-missile armed submarine base at Petropavlovsk on the remote Kamchatka Peninsula. Bradley felt it was likely that the base maintained an undersea communication cable to transmit messages directly across the Sea of Okhotsk.

However, the cables presence was not even confirmed, so how was it to be located? Bradly was inspired one day by recollecting the signs he had seen on the side of the Mississippi River warning ships not to lay anchor in areas near underwater cables. (Anchors remain a frequent cause of damaged cables.)

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Reasoning the Soviets would use similar signs, he dispatched theHalibutoff the coast of Kamchatka to search for them. TheHalibutwas not particularly quiet by the standards of modern submarines, and she risked being attacked if she was discovered penetrating the perimeter formed by Soviet naval bases on the Kuril Islandsseized from Japanat the end of World War II. In fact, theHalibuthad was a self-destructive device to ensure she and her crew could not be captured.

After a week of snooping, theHalibutscrew finally spotted beach signs in Cyrillic warning ships not to lay anchor. Discretely, the technicians in the Bat Cave began scanning the seafloor with her Fish, and in a matter of hours spotted the cable 120-meters below the sea via a grainy video feed. The 5,000-ton submarine carefully settled close to the seafloor, deploying her special anchors. The elite saturation divers in the pod swam out to the cable and wrapped a three-foot-long magnetic induction device around the cable. Rather than risking damage and detection by piercing inside cables, the tap recorded the activity passing through the cable.

The operation was considered so secret that most of theHalibutscrew were told their mission was to recover fragments from a P-500 Sandbox missile test for analysis. The supersonic anti-ship missile was rumored to use an advanced infrared seeker. To reinforce the cover, after recording several hours of conversation, theHalibutsailed to the site of the test and her dovers did recover two million tiny P-500 missile fragment, which were reassembled jigsaw-like until it was discovered that Sandbox used only radar guidance!

The brief tape was brought back to Pearl Harbor and found to be highly promising. The Navy rapidly commissioned a new six-ton wiretap device from Bell Laboratories called the Beast (photohere) which used a nuclear power source and a massive tape recorder to records of weeks of conversation across multiple lines at the same time.

TheHalibutreturned and installed this new device, and the subs crew were soon listening in on Soviet telephone conversations, celebrating their success by feasting on a spider crab scooped up from the sea floor.

Thenceforth, theHalibutand other submarines began regular courier runs to install new tapes on the tap while bringing back the old tapes for analysis by the NSA in what was called Operation Ivy Bells. TheHalibutherself was decommissioned in 1975, and the courier runs taken over by the USS Parche, Sea Wolf and Richard B. Russell.

The tapped cables provided a treasure trove of intelligence for the NSA: mixed in between personal calls to family and sweethearts were private conversations on sensitive political topics and detailed information on Soviet submarine operations. Much of the Soviet traffic was unencrypted because cables were considered a highly secure form of communication.

This candid, unfiltered portrait of the Soviet Navys state of mind vis--vis the United States reportedly influenced U.S. military leaders to deescalate activities which were threatening to panic Moscow, and also apparently informed the Washingtons negotiating posture for the SALT II treaty which limited the size of strategic nuclear weapons forces.

Cheap Betrayal

The cable-tap operation did have its risks. In Sherry Sontags bookBlind Mans Bluff, he describes how on a later tape-recovery mission, a sea storm bucked theHalibutto and fro until her anchors snapped, causing her to begin rising uncontrollably with divers trapped outside. TheHalibutrisked exposure in Soviet territorial waters, and her tethered divers risked death from rapid decompression. Captain John McNish decided to flood theHalibutuntil it smashed onto the seafloor and brought the divers back into their pressure habitat. But now theHalibutwas dangerously mired.

After completing the planned data collection, theHalibuttried a dangerous emergency blow to free herself from seabed sediment, followed by an immediate dive to avoid breaching the surface. The submarine had only enough compressed air to try the maneuver onceand luckily, it worked.

In 1980 mishap also befell the USSSea Wolf, which was uniquely equipped with a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor. On one tape-recovery mission, a storm caused her to crash into the seafloor and become stuck, with mud and mollusks gumming up her insides. Her captain considered scuttling the vessel before he managed to wriggle it free to surface in a noisy emergency blow out. After this incident, Soviet ships were observed heading towards the site of the cable tap.

However, it was human frailty, not sea storms or Soviet sonars, which brought an end to the intelligence bonanza. When theParchewent to pick up the latest tape, the tap was missing.

In July 1985 Soviet KGB defector Vitaly Yurchenko revealed that Ronald Pelton, a heavily indebted former analyst for the NSA, had walked into the Soviet embassy on January 14, 1980, and sold the secret of Ivy Bells for $5,000with an additional $30,000 paid for later consultation. This led to the taps removal by Soviet divers, though its possible that the Soviets might have planted misleading information in the cable traffic before doing so.

Read more:
Captain James Bradley and the USS Halibut: A Story Like No Other - The National Interest

Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock.

In addition to volatility, these stocks carry above-average risk by their very nature. Also, one could end up losing from a stock whose growth story is actually over or nearing its end.

However, it's pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.

National Storage (NSA Quick QuoteNSA - Free Report) is one such stock that our proprietary system currently recommends. The company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.

Research shows that stocks carrying the best growth features consistently beat the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better.

Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this real estate investment trust a great growth pick right now.

Earnings Growth

Earnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. For growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is highly preferable, as it is often perceived as an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for National Storage is 12.2%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 29.7% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 7.3%.

Cash Flow Growth

Cash is the lifeblood of any business, but higher-than-average cash flow growth is more beneficial and important for growth-oriented companies than for mature companies. That's because, high cash accumulation enables these companies to undertake new projects without raising expensive outside funds.

Right now, year-over-year cash flow growth for National Storage is 51.7%, which is higher than many of its peers. In fact, the rate compares to the industry average of -2%.

While investors should actually consider the current cash flow growth, it's worth taking a look at the historical rate too for putting the current reading into proper perspective. The company's annualized cash flow growth rate has been 25.4% over the past 3-5 years versus the industry average of 11.1%.

Promising Earnings Estimate Revisions

Superiority of a stock in terms of the metrics outlined above can be further validated by looking at the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is of course favorable here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

The current-year earnings estimates for National Storage have been revising upward. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 1.3% over the past month.

Bottom Line

National Storage has not only earned a Growth Score of B based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above, but it also carries a Zacks Rank #2 because of the positive earnings estimate revisions.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

This combination indicates that National Storage is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors.

Continue reading here:
Is National Storage (NSA) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think " Yes " - Zacks.com

Major government security agencies around the world have issued a joint advisory on the Apache Log4j vulnerability that offers technical details, mitigations and resources on what top security officials are calling one of the most severe vulnerabilities ever discovered.

The agencies taking the lead in the United States include the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA) and the FBI. Other nations involved include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

The joint advisory is a response to the active, worldwide exploitationby numerous threat actors including two ransomware groups thus far of vulnerabilities foundinthewidely-used Java-based logging package Log4j. The security world has been on edge since Log4j was first reported publicly last week. The first attack on a government agency was sustained earlier this week by the Ministry of Defense in Belgium when its email servers went down.

Log4j vulnerabilities present a severe and ongoing threat to organizations and governments around the world, said CISA Director Jen Easterly. We implore all entities to take immediate action to implement the latest mitigation guidance to protect their networks. CISA is working shoulder-to-shoulder with our interagency, private sector, and international partners to understand the severe risks associated with Log4j vulnerabilities and provide actionable information for all organizations to promptly implement appropriate mitigations.

FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran, urged any organization impacted by the Log4j vulnerability to apply all the mitigations recommended by CISA and visit fbi.gov/log4j to report details of any suspected compromises.

CISAhas created a dedicatedLog4j webpageto offer an authoritative, up-to-date resource withmitigation guidance andresources for network defenders, as well as a community-sourcedGitHubrepositoryof affected devices and services.Organizational leaders should also review the blog post by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre: Log4j vulnerability: what should boards be asking?, for information on Log4Shells possible impact on their organization as well as response recommendations.

CISA today also notified the industry in a tweet about #HackDHS, Homeland Securitys expanded bug bounty program to find and patch Log4j-related vulnerabilities in DHS systems. CISA Director Jen Easterly said the hacker community plays a strong role in keeping the government safe, and looks forward to working more closely.

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CISA, FBI and NSA issue joint advisory on Log4j with international security agencies - SC Magazine

THE National Sheep Association (NSA) has expressed its grave disappointment at the new trade deal between the UK and Australia.

NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker says: NSA is disappointed that this deal has been pushed through and now signed without any resolution on how TRQs could be managed in a way to limit potential damage to the UKs own domestic trade.

NSA warned of the need for thorough scrutiny of its terms and also called for the use of a licensing procedure to manage seasonality disruption and the use of a whole carcase weight co-efficient to help manage high volumes of single and boned out cuts.

We have no confidence that this licensing procedure has been or is now being considered. We are told the deal still has to be scrutinised by Parliament and TAC, but from recent experiences we can be sure this will be a formality rather than an opportunity for positive amendments to be made.

The deal will see the Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) for lamb more than triple immediately from roughly 8,000 tonnes annually to 25,000, and then grow over ten years to 125,000 tonnes - at current consumption rates that is equivalent to more than 40% of the UKs total sheepmeat needs.

Mr Stocker adds: NSA warned from day one that the UK sheep sector could end up being the sacrificial lamb for the benefit of other industries in a trade deal with Australia, and indeed New Zealand.

Continued here:
NSA angered by trade deal that threatens UK sheep sector | News and Star - News & Star

The Allahabad High Court recently quashed a detention order passed against a murder accused by exercising powers under the National Security Act, 1980 as it observed that if a person is in custody and there is no imminent possibility of his being released, the power of preventive detention should not be exercised.

The Bench of Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi with the habeas corpus plea of one Abhay Raj Gupta, who is presently in custody in Central Jail, Bareilly, filed through his mother, challenging his detention order dated January 23, 2021.

Case brief

Essentially, on account of a single incident of Murder that took place on December 2, 2019, three FIRs were lodged against the petitioner under various sections of IPC [including 302 and 307 and Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986].

Allegedly, one Rakesh Yadav was killed in pursuance of the conspiracy hatched by the petitioner, and later on, when the police apprehended him to arrest him for the aforesaid incident which occurred on December 2, 2019, he fired at the Police personnel with the intention to kill.

In view of the act attributed to him, a detention order was passed against him by invoking powers under the NSA, 1980, wherein it was stated that because of the offence of gruesome murder done by the petitioner's accomplices under a conspiracy hatched by him, people got afraid and panicked and the public order was disturbed.

Court's observations

At the outset, persuing the detention order passed against the petitioner, the Court noted that in the detention order, there was a bald averment that in case the petitioner comes out on bail, he may again indulge in crime. However, the Court added thus:

The Court also opined that the act allegedly committed by the petitioner did not cause a disturbance of public order as it did not disturb the society to the extent of causing a general disturbance of public tranquility.

Further, the Court also noted that the incident occurred on December 2, 2019, i.e., about 14 months prior to the passing of the detention order, and thus, the Court observed thus:

Importantly, the Court referred to several significant rulings of the Apex Court to conclude that there was no imminent possibility of him being released from custody and thus, the passing of the NSA detention order was unwarranted.

Lastly, the Court concluded that the satisfaction which is necessary to detain the petitioner for the purpose of preventing him from acting in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order is thus, the basis of the order under section 3 (2) of the NSA, 1980 and this basis is clearly absent in the instant case.

Therefore, the Court held that the detention order dated 23-01-2021 is unsustainable in law on this ground also. Therefore, the Writ Petition was allowed and the impugned order dated 23-01-2021 passed by the District Magistrate, Shahjahanpur ordering the detention of the petitioner Abhay Raj Gupta under Section 3 (3) of the NSA, 1980 was quashed.

The Respondents were commanded to release the petitioner from detention under the aforesaid order dated 23-01-2021 forthwith.

Case title - Abhayraj Gupta v. Superintendent, Central Jail, Bareilly

Click Here To Read/Download Judgment

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Preventive Detention Powers Shouldnt Be Exercised Sans Possibility Of Person Being Released From Custody: ... - Live Law

In a year still largely defined by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NSAproved once againthat no matter the global climate, the mission continues. So as we prepare to usher in 2022, it is critical to look back on the many accomplishments of our workforce during the past year.

NSA Welcomed Two New DirectorsArguably, among the most significant news shared this year was the new leaders of both our Cybersecurity and Research directorates.

Rob Joyce, a longtime member of the NSA family,took the reins of the Cybersecurity Directorate(CSD) shortly after Anne Neuberger joined the Biden Administration as Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology. He has worked at NSA since 1989, holding various leadership positions within both focus areas of NSA: the Cybersecurity and Signals Intelligence missions, and most recently serving as NSA special U.S. liaison officer in London.

The Research Directorate was pleased towelcome Gilbert Gil Herrera as their new directorin early September, after nearly 40 years at Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia). Having previously served as Director of Laboratory for Physical Sciences 2015-2018, Mr. Herrera is a recognized leader within the Department of Defense and is well positioned to lead the Directorate in world-class scientific research.

NSA Celebrated the Power of Partnerships

GCHQCelebrating a 75-year alliance, thepartnership between NSA and GCHQpredates even the formal founding of our organizations, and has served as a remarkable example of the strong bond between our nations. The relationship defines how we share communication, translation, analysis, and code breaking information, and has helped protect our countries and allies for decades.

Showcasing a key component of the partnership, theannual Cyber Management Review, now in its fourth year, is a collaborative forum between the leadership of the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command, U.K. Strategic Command, and the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters. Supported by ongoing interactions across multiple levels of the organizations, it provides guidance for future military and intelligence efforts in the cyber domain.

NCFBuilding on their longstanding relationship, NSA announced anew partnership with the National Cryptologic Foundation(NCF), reaffirming their mutual commitment to building a pipeline of the next generation of cryptography and cybersecurity experts.

Research InitiativesFor the 8thconsecutive year, NSA hosted theHot Topics on Science of Security conference, or HotSOS. This year welcoming a record 1,200 individuals registering to discuss the nexus of research and cybersecurity, participants represented a mix of government, academia, and industry from 36 countries. The three-day virtual event featured keynote presentations, student presentations, and robust discussions of works-in-progress.

This year also hallmarked the National Security Agencys Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS)launch of the LPS Qubit Collaboratory(LQC), a Quantum Information Science research center in support of the U.S. National Quantum Initiative. The LQC offers a mechanism for collaborative research between LPS and academia, industry, FFRDCs, and Government Laboratories.

NSA Demonstrates Holistic Commitment to a Better Work EnvironmentIn July, CAREERS & the disABLED magazine selected the National Security Agency as the2021 Public-Sector Employer of the Year, a testament to the Agencys continued commitment to providing equal employment opportunities and fostering a fair and equitable work environment.

By constantly developing new ways to improve its recruitment, hiring, retention, and advancement of individuals with disabilities, the Agency established an initiative known as the Big Six to enhance the progress of building an exceptional workforce and culture. It focuses on: implementing fair personnel practices across the Agency; senior leader accountability; accessibility of facilities and usability of services; recruiting and hiring a diverse workforce; onboarding and mentoring; and developing a pipeline of diverse senior candidates.

NSA was further recognized during theDepartment of Defense (DoD) 41st Annual Disability AwardsCeremony in October. The virtual event honored the NSA as Best Intelligence Component and an Agency affiliate as a DoD 2021 Annual Disability Awards Outstanding Employee.

Proving that their commitment to fostering a better workplace is recognized as a holistic effort,NSAs Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings, reforestation efforts, improvements to storm water infrastructure, and reclaimed water initiatives are just a few of the agencys growing list of environmental efforts towards ensuring a greener workplace.

No matter what 2022 brings, the NSA will continue to rise to the occasion, meeting the needs of the Nation while showing out commitment to biggest asset, our people.

Read more at NSA

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NSA 2021 Year in Review - HS Today - HSToday

Forged in the middle of the 20th century this Anglo alliance seeks to protect its place in the world in the 21st century.

Forged in the midst of World War II and shrouded in secrecy for decades, the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance has been one of the world's most successful networks, which encompasses the Anglosphere countries of the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

United by their close ethnic, cultural, political, strategic, and material bonds, the Five Eyes turned 75 this year. While trust amongst spies is a rare commodity, this alliance has stood the test of time.

It was only during the 1990s that the existence of the spying alliance was acknowledged, and even then, politicians have been wary of speaking about the alliance in part because few, if any, are briefed on it.

Yet, for an organisation that eschewed the spotlight, it has in recent years opted for a more public profile in part positioning itself as an opponent of China.

Most recently, the Five Eyes issued a rare statement condemning China over the elections held in Hong Kong.

The statement was branded as "malicious" by the Chinese state-aligned outlet The Global Times and pointedly accused the spying network of seeking to foment instability in China.

Before that, the Five Eyes have moved in concert to banHuawei's 5G network from being installed in their respective countries, with Canada the only holdout expected to follow suit shortly.

The Five Eyes have also thrown their weight behind a statement on China's treatment of its Uighur population in Xinjiang province.

Taken together, these actions are increasingly shaping the trajectory of the alliance as it seeks to ensure the predominance of the Anglo system.

So what are the Five Eyes?

The origins of the agreement traces back to Bletchley Park, an English country house that became the principal center of Allied attempts to engage in code-breaking during the World War II.

British and American collaboration there set the stage for further collaboration as the spectre of the Soviet Union weighed heavily in the imaginations of the two countries.

In 1956, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia were invited to join the alliance.

At its core, the Five Eyes exists to collect and disseminate intelligence with the proviso that the countries don't spy on each other and that there is a degree of coordination amongst their foreign policies.

Out of the shadows?

When Edward Snowden, a former intelligence officer working for the National Security Agency (NSA) in the US, revealed a treasure trove of damaging information on the alliance, the Five Eyes were also spying on Western leaders like former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The revelations caused a massive scandal at the time and underlined what some believed - that the Five Eyes don't just monitor adversaries but also those that it considers allies. But the revelations also changed how the Five Eyes operated.

In a bid to shape the narrative, the Five Eyes now reports its annual meetings and posts joint communiques.

Who covers what?

Each member is in charge of a geographic region which it monitors, although there are significant overlaps.

Britain monitors Europe, Western Russia, Middle East, and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the United States also oversees the Middle East plus China, Russia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Australia is responsible for South and East Asia and New Zealand for the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. Canada monitors the interior of Russia and China, and parts of Latin America.

Can other countries join?

Since 2018 the US has started to share some intelligence with what it calls "like-minded partners" to build an alliance against China, including Germany and Japan.

Every-few years the idea of bringing more countries into the exclusive intelligence sharing club has been floated. Japan, Germany, and even France have been floated, however, given the cultural, ethnic, and political underpinnings of the Five Eyes, that chemistry is more likely to be diluted rather than strengthened.

Source: TRT World

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Five Eyes: The intelligence alliance looking to contain China - TRT World