Category Archives: NSA

Cyber threats to national security and prosperity are today better understood, better prioritised and far better resourced than in decades past. Cyber as a domain, as a threat and as a key opportunity is now a firmly established and essential element of military strategy and capability.

Yet today, state, non-state and individual cyber actors have greater capability, capacity and willingness to use cyber tools aggressively for malicious purposes, and their tolerance for risk has grown.

In the view of former US National Security Agency and US Cyber Command boss Mike Rogers, despite the positives, the overall picture of the cyber domain is one of increased threat and complexity.

Most countries, even if they leverage all the power and capability of their military and defence cyber sectors, cant effectively respond to this complex threat environment alone. Many nations, Western and non-Western, democratic and non-democratic alike, now understand that their national capabilities and their private sectors are engaged in a competition that is fundamentally unfair.

For decades, countries with market-based economies, such as the United States, have sought to create national frameworks that enable their research and development ecosystems and free-market private sectors to pursue global competitive advantage, largely by keeping government out of their way.

The assumption that market-based economies by their nature could continue to enable the private sector to out-compete and out-innovate their rivals has been disproven. Rogers notes that the approach of an enabled and unencumbered free market served the US well for a time after the end of the Cold War; it led to the invention and dominance by the US and other Western nations of key capability areas like stealth technology, the internet and wireless connectivity.

But between the fourth and fifth generation of these technologies, the playing field has definitively tilted in favour of actors that exploit highly controlled, centralised and coordinated strategies leveraging all the resources and capability in their private and public sectors, including intelligence and espionage capabilities.

Chinanow openly described as a peer competitor and strategic rival to most Western countrieshas assessed that cyber and a range of critical and emerging technologies are game-changers with both domestic and international implications. Cyber is considered by China (and the US and others) as being among a range of technologies that can offer decisive strategic advantages for future prosperity and security.

The Chinese state has poured, and continues to pour, billions of dollars into building its cyber capabilities. Its strategy includes blatant theft of advanced Western intellectual property and excessive requirements for technology transfer from the West as a precondition for access to the lucrative Chinese market, and to the billions of dollars of Chinese state investment.

No company, R&D outfit, or sector of companies operating under free-market principles and on the assumption of a level playing field can compete with Chinas strategy. Competing under these circumstances requires a team approach bringing together government and the private sector, and working with partners and allies across national boundaries.

In no way should a team strategy between like-minded players emulate what China has done. Competing effectively doesnt necessitate cyber-enabled IP theft, the employment of state espionage capabilities to unfairly benefit Chinese state-owned and private companies, or forced technology transfer. But it does require policy settings that protect innovation and cutting-edge technology developed and commercialised in the US and other centres of technological excellence and dynamism (including and especially in the Indo-Pacific).

It also requires export-control and inward-investment regimes that differentiate between international actors with which technological cooperation is a strategic imperative and those that present significant strategic risks.

It certainly involves a clear articulation that competitionfair competition with clear rules for acceptable and unacceptable behaviouris the strategy. And it involves action to create a policy environment that enables competition in a way that protects and extends existing rules and norms and that safeguards IP and key sources of innovation.

It also requires forums and mechanisms that bring together the perspectives, incentives and imperatives that drive the activities of governments, the technology sector and civil society. These communities dont yet talk to one another effectively, dont harness their collective power for shared benefit, and dont align on common interests in a way that produces superior outcomes for them all.

The need to get to that is urgent. The Sydney Dialogue, an ASPI initiative, brings government, private-sector and civil-society leaders together at the highest levels and provides a platform for enhanced cooperation between international actors. It offers a constructive space for the urgent conversation needed to enable stronger, fairer, more integrated competitive strategies between countries that share a commitment to the rule of law and a vision for the use of existing and future technologies in the global good.

Rogers discussed the need for better, more integrated strategies to compete with China in key technology areas. He delved into the implications of the use of cyber capabilities in the Russian invasion of and ongoing war against Ukraine, and described it as a watershed moment. The growing reality of, and increasing calls for, decoupling of cyber and other technologies from China, Russia and other actors is also explored.

Importantly, Rogers talked about the enormous potential of the technology priorities and objectives of the AUKUS partnership. Australia, the UK and the US have a real opportunity to demonstrate and enhance their ability to achieve effective integration between government, industry and civil society, and to work across national borders through a joined up, multi-sectoral technology strategy for national security.

To meet the objectives of partnerships like AUKUS, theres a need to move beyond cooperation to integration, including between parts of our systems that have operated independently for good reasons in the past. We must preserve the best and most productive characteristics of our free and open systems. But government, the private sector and civil society must also be brought into closer alignment for the benefit of all. It is past time to move beyond understanding the problem and start organising more effectively for the geostrategic technology competition that we know were now in.

The policy challenges posed by critical, emerging, cyber and space technology require a new approach. That starts with answering a key question Rogers asks: What is our vision of the key technologies, the most critical sectors that are really going to drive economic advantage and [that] if placed at risk would cause us harm, [and] what are the policies we need to create advantage for ourselves?

A new cybersecurity strategy based on what is required to become and remain competitive, secure and resilient should focus on this central question.

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Former US Cyber Command and NSA chief makes the case for a cyber competition strategy | The Strategist - The Strategist

As a key outcome of the first India-Central Asia summit that took place in January this year, the inaugural National Security Advisors meet will take place in December this year in India.

The meeting takes place even as India and Central Asia celebrate 30 years of establishment of ties and focus on increasingengagement. Central Asia consists of fivecountries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistanand Uzbekistan with whom India has cultural and civilization ties.

The India Central Asia summit had taken place earlier withthe participation of PM Modi andall leaders of the five countriesandthe key outcomes of the meet included holding summit level meet every twoyears. Leaders also agreed on regular meetings of foreign ministers, trade ministers, culture ministers andsecretaries of the Security Council or NSAs as part of close cooperation.

India will also host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) NSAmeeting in March of next year(2023). India will be taking over the chair of the group in September this year after the summit in Uzbekistan's Samarkand.

On Friday, India's deputy national security adviser Vikram Misri took part in 17th Secretaries of Security Councils meeting in the Uzbek capital Tashkent. During the meeting, the key focus of India was on Afghanistan as officials highlightedhow India has helped the Afghan people as itreiterated its call for the formation of an inclusive government, preserving the rights of women, children and minorities andcombating terrorism and drug trafficking.

While the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August last year shocked the region and the world, the focus since then has been on aid to the Afghan people by New Delhi. India has sent 40,000 MT of wheat, 30 tons of medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID-19vaccine and 500 units of winter clothing so far. In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Patika province, Indian Air force planes delivered 28 tons of emergency relief assistance.

However, worries remain over Afghan territory being used by terrorists whichwas emphasised by India's deputy NSA who highlighted the threat posed by various terror groups including those designated by UNSC such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Lashkar -e-Taiba, Jaish -e-Mohammed among others. He pointed tothe recent attack on Karte Parwan Gurudwara in Kabul whileexpressing concerns over the increase in the number of terror attacks by ISIS affiliate Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP).

This yearIndia is the Chair of the Council of Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure ( RATS) of the SCO andhas strongly taken up the issue of countering terror finance. It has chaired 24 meetings of various groups of the SCO RATS structure with five meetings held in India.

India will also be holding the SCO RATS council meeting on October 14th this year in Delhi.

During his Uzbekistan visit, Deputy NSA Misri held bilateral meetings with Uzbek NSA Viktor Makhmudov, Mongolian NSA J. Enkhbayar andcalled on the Acting Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Vladimir Norov Imanovich.

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Inaugural India-Central Asia NSA meeting to be held in December - WION

accumulo-python3

Build Python 3 applications that integrate with Apache Accumulo

Apache NIFI

Automates the flow of data between systems. NiFi implements concepts of Flow-Based Programming and solves common data flow problems faced by enterprises.

AppLocker-Guidance

Configuration guidance for implementing application whitelisting with AppLocker. #nsacyber

AtomicWatch

Intel Atom C2000 series discovery tool that parses log files and returns results if a positive match is found. #nsacyber

BAM

The Binary Analysis Metadata tool gathers information about Windows binaries to aid in their analysis. #nsacyber

beer-garden

The beer-garden application

BitLocker-Guidance

Configuration guidance for implementing BitLocker. #nsacyber

Blocking-Outdated-Web-Technologies

Guidance for blocking outdated web technologies. #nsacyber

Certificate-Authority-Situational-Awareness

Identifies unexpected and prohibited certificate authority certificates on Windows systems. #nsacyber

Chinese-State-Sponsored-Cyber-Operations-Observed-TTPs

Supporting files for the Chinese State-Sponsored Cyber Operations: Observed TTPs Cybersecurity Advisory. #nsacyber

CodeGov

Creates a code.gov code inventory JSON file based on GitHub repository information. #nsacyber

Control-Flow-Integrity

A proposed hardware-based method for stopping known memory corruption exploitation techniques. #nsacyber

Cyber-Challenge

Supporting files for cyber challenge exercises. #nsacyber

datawave

DataWave is an ingest/query framework that leverages Apache Accumulo to provide fast, secure data access.

datawave-accumulo-service

datawave-authorization-service

datawave-base-rest-responses

datawave-dictionary-service

The Dictionary service provides access to the data dictionary and edge dictionary. These services provide metadata about fields that are stored in Accumulo.

datawave-hazelcast-service

datawave-in-memory-accumulo

datawave-metrics-reporter

datawave-microservices-root

datawave-muchos

This project leverages Ansible to automate DataWave deployments on your cluster

datawave-query-metric-service

datawave-spring-boot-starter

datawave-spring-boot-starter-audit

datawave-spring-boot-starter-cache

DCP

Digest, stat, and copy files from one location to another in the same read pass

Detect-CVE-2017-15361-TPM

Detects Windows and Linux systems with enabled Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) vulnerable to CVE-2017-15361. #nsacyber

dm3k

The Decision Maximizer 3000 optimization project

Driver-Collider

Blocks drivers from loading by using a name collision technique. #nsacyber

emissary

Distributed P2P Data-driven Workflow Framework

enigma-simulator

An educational demonstration of breaking the Enigma machine

Event-Forwarding-Guidance

Configuration guidance for implementing collection of security relevant Windows Event Log events by using Windows Event Forwarding. #nsacyber

femto

Sequence Indexing and Search

fractalrabbit

Simulate realistic trajectory data seen through sporadic reporting

ghidra

Ghidra is a software reverse engineering (SRE) framework

ghidra-data

Supporting Data Archives for Ghidra

goSecure

An easy to use and portable Virtual Private Network (VPN) system built with Linux and a Raspberry Pi. #nsacyber

GRASSMARLIN

Provides situational awareness of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks in support of network security assessments. #nsacyber

Hardware-and-Firmware-Security-Guidance

Guidance for the Spectre, Meltdown, Speculative Store Bypass, Rogue System Register Read, Lazy FP State Restore, Bounds Check Bypass Store, TLBleed, and L1TF/Foreshadow vulnerabilities as well as general hardware and firmware security guidance. #nsacyber

HIRS

Trusted Computing based services supporting TPM provisioning and supply chain validation concepts. #nsacyber

HTTP-Connectivity-Tester

Aids in discovering HTTP and HTTPS connectivity issues. #nsacyber

lemongraph

Log-based transactional graph engine

lemongrenade

Data-driven automation platform

LOCKLEVEL

A prototype that demonstrates a method for scoring how well Windows systems have implemented some of the top 10 Information Assurance mitigation strategies. #nsacyber

MADCert

Create root and intermediate Certificate Authorities, issue user and server certificates, etc. for testing purposes.

Maplesyrup

Assesses CPU security of embedded devices. #nsacyber

Mitigating-Obsolete-TLS

Guidance for mitigating obsolete Transport Layer Security configurations. #nsacyber

Mitigating-Web-Shells

Guidance for mitigation web shells. #nsacyber

NB Gallery

nbgallery is a user-friendly Jupyter notebook sharing and collaboration platform.

netfil

A kernel network manager with monitoring and limiting capabilities for macOS. #nsacyber

netman

A userland network manager with monitoring and limiting capabilities for macOS. #nsacyber

Open Network Operations Platform

Radically simplifies the operation of enterprise networks with SDN applications that reside on top of an OpenFlow-capable network controller.

OpenAttestation

Software Development Kit to enable remotely retrieval and verify target platforms integrity

paccor

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Home | Open Source @ NSA

KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 8, 2022

Kennesaw State University has been recognized by its peers as the top institution in the U.S. for spreading cybersecurity best practices in its community, developing cybersecurity programs and faculty, and empowering students to pursue careers in the industry.

The colleges and universities that make up the National Security Agencys National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity recently awarded Kennesaw State the 2022 First Place Outstanding Outreach Award. All 347 colleges and universities in the NCAE program were eligible for the honor.

NCAE is a partnership between the NSAs National Cryptologic School, several federal agencies including the FBI and the Department of Defense, and hundreds of institutions across the country to enhance cybersecurity education through setting curriculum standards and encouraging the adoption of security best practices. Kennesaw State has been an NCAE-designated Center of Excellence since 2004.

The University received the Outstanding Outreach Award at the NCAEs regional annual meeting in Atlanta, where Kennesaw State earned redesignation through 2027 and had the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity program validated as an NCAE-Cyber Defense Education program of study.

As an NCAE, theres always the expectation that we will not only prepare students for careers in security, but that we will also contribute to the improvement of cybersecurity education within industry, the government, and the community at large, said Michael Whitman, professor of information security and assurance and executive director of Kennesaw States Institute for Cybersecurity Workforce Development (ICWD).

The ICWD is a multidisciplinary body overseeing Kennesaw States online Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree programs. It also organizes several outreach initiatives, including hosting an annual cybersecurity conference with students, faculty and industry partners; running faculty training workshops; publishing the Journal of Cybersecurity Education Research and Practice; and running the Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, where students from across the region network with peers and industry leaders while competing to defend computer networks from attack.

For Whitman, these outreach efforts especially those involving businesses are about educating the community on the importance of information security.

Its our information that cybersecurity professionals are protecting, he said. If we can help banks and information warehouses in the region, then its much better for everyone that they be on the leading edge of information security.

The NSA award also recognized community outreach initiatives organized by the Michael J. Coles College of Businesss Department of Information Systems and Security and its related student organization, the Offensive Security Club.

Story by Patrick HarbinPhoto by David Caselli

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.

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Kennesaw State named top institution for cybersecurity outreach - Kennesaw State University

Washington, Aug 8 (PTI) In one-of-its-kind celebrations, the 75th anniversary of India's Independence will be observed in Boston with participation from 32 countries and will feature an airplane carrying a 220-feet US-India flag over the major American city.

The celebrations this year have several firsts in the history of Indias Independence celebrations in Boston, said eminent community leader Abhishek Singh, president of Federation of Indian Associations-New England, organiser of the parade.

Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker has proclaimed 75 years of Independence Day as India Day, which will be observed at India Street in Boston, Massachusetts on August 15, and at State House in Rhode Island on August 14.

Former Indian cricketer R P Singh has been invited as Grand Marshal of the parade.

FIA New England is celebrating 75 years of Independent India under the banner of The Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The two-day celebrations will feature an airplane carrying a 220 feet US-India flag over Boston, flag hoisting at Boston Harbor, the India-USA Freedom Gallery across India Street, a light-up ceremony at the State House of Rhode Island, a parade led by a big band of veterans and floats representing the diversity of the country, a media release said.

For the first time in the history of the United States, participants from 32 countries are going to march in the India Day Parade exhibiting the vibrant cultural diversity on India Street at the historic Boston Harbor, FIA New England said.

Also for the first time, the FIA New England will also host the Freedom Gallery and exhibition across India Street to recall and remember forgotten heroes of the freedom struggle, many of whom might be renowned yet unknown to the new generation.

"It helps bring alive stories of unsung heroes whose sacrifices have made freedom a reality for us and revisits the milestones and freedom movements," the media release said.

The aim of recreating and bringing forth stories, which lay as faded memories of the past, shall serve as a medium of inspiration and encouragement for the coming generations, the organisers said.

India should once again become a Vishwa Guru and the hub of innovation and knowledge. For that to happen, it is important to increase awareness about numerous aspects of Indian heritage and culture in our younger generations and inspire the young budding minds to absorb the values embedded in them, Abhishek Singh said.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal has sent a recorded video message to be played on the occasion.

India US relationship has come a long way. Today we are natural partners. We are friends and we are very important allies. Our partnership is strategic, very deep and has important dimensions, Goyal said in his message. PTI LKJ NSA AKJ NSA

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US city of Boston to mark 75th anniversary of India's Independence with two-day extravaganza - NewsDrum

Islamabad, Aug 8 (PTI) Pakistans top investigation body has constituted a four-member team to trace and nab those involved in an anti-Army social media campaign that the security establishment orchestrated a recent helicopter crash, in which six senior military officers were killed, to gain sympathy.

A top Pakistan Army general and five senior military officials were killed when their Mi-17 helicopter crashed due to bad weather while on a flood relief operation in troubled Balochistan province on August 1.

Some social media tweets after the crash suggested that the crash was orchestrated through conspiracy by the countrys security establishment to gain sympathy.

The Pakistan Army was shocked, first due to the crash which cost it the head of the countrys key XII Corps headquartered at Quetta along with five other officers and a soldier, and second the negative campaign on social media.

The six individuals on board included the Commander XII Corps Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) sprang into action after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that belittling and ridiculing the sacrifices of martyrs was horrifying.

Hours after the premiers tweet, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed that the FIA will lead the efforts to blunt the campaign unleashed on social media.

She said that the FIAs additional director general of the cybercrime wing Mohammad Jaffar and director (cybercrime, north) Waqaruddin Saeed and two more officials would be the members of the team.

Though it is not exactly known who was mentoring the campaign, Pakistans ruling coalition blamed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its chief Imran Khan.

The government leaders also criticised Khan and Pakistan President Arif Alvi, who belongs to the PTI, for not attending the funeral of Lt-Gen Sarfaraz Ali and other military personnel.

But the PTI leadership rejected the criticism, saying President Alvi phoned the families of the military personnel to offer condolences and Khan, a former prime minister, visited the residence of Lt-Gen Ali and met his family.

Separately, the Balochistan Assembly in a joint condolence resolution paid tributes to the six army officers who were killed in the helicopter crash.

Whenever we need the help of the people, our brave army personnel and officers rush to provide help and comfort to the needy people, the resolution said and expressed deepest grief and pain over the tragic incident that deprived the nation of the senior army officers. PTI SH NSA AKJ NSA

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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Pakistan's top probe agency to trace those behind online campaign against Army over Balochistan copter crash - ThePrint

Its as true today as it was when I wrote this back in 2016 American friends, they tell you that the rest of the world hates you because they envy your freedoms.

You can keep your freedoms that include your Patriot Act, your NSA, TSA and all your other alphabet soup agencies that are forever checking up on you and your everyday activities.

They tell you we hate you because we envy your way of life. I can assure you, we dont need your system of food stamps, minimum wages, debt laden graduates, lack of health care for the uninsured, your need to own weapons for your protection and all the other goodies you seem to take in your stride but to us they sound so alien.

We dont need them and we certainly do not want them. We would much rather have our free education, free health care for all, to feel secure in the thought that when our children are playing in the street after dark they will be safe; we dont want the drive by shootings, the armed officers that give the impression of a police state, the government spying on our private communications.

After all your country has done to the world, the rest of us would be forgiven if we hated you, but that is far from the truth.

We do not hate you as a people; we hate what your successive governments, Republican or Democrat, represent.

We hate the terror and destruction they spread around the world.

They tell you they are spreading democracy which you believe and cheer, they tell you you are the leaders of the free world and you feel so proud, they tell you you are exceptional and you buy into it. If there is something we hate about Americans, it is that so many of you are so nave.

Link:
OPINION: Keep Your Freedoms And Way Of Life, We'll Keep Our Children Safe And Have Free - GreekCityTimes.com

THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has directed residents to get certification from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and approval from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) before flying drones in the FCT.

The Command issued the directive on Friday while warning against indiscriminate and illegal use of drones in Nigerias capital city.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Command Josephine Adeh said in a statement that the warning followed apprehension among residents upon sighting drones within their locality.

Information at the disposal of the Command as well as public outcry on the sighting of drones hovering over personal and government-restricted air-spaces contrary to extant laws, thereby creating fear and apprehension in the minds of residents.

Consequent upon the above, the Commissioner of Police FCT Command CP Babaji Sunday has directed the immediate Enforcement of Drone usage Regulations, arrest of violators, and the confiscation of such drones, the statement said.

According to the statement, specific certification from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and approval from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) should be obtained before flying drones in the FCT.

The CP while calling for calm, noted that investigations carried out has shown that the small and lightweight drones sighted are of zero imminent security threat as they are flown by individuals for leisure or commercial purposes.

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However, to help the Police effectively police the air-spaces, it is important to in addition to the above notify the Police of the usage of the drone in every instance, especially for commercial purposes, the statement added.

Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org

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Police direct residents to obtain clearance from NCAA, NSA before flying drones in FCT | The ICIR - ICIR

On July 31, Osama bin Laden's successor as the global head of Al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, stepped out onto the balcony of his Taliban safe house in Kabul's tony Wazir Akbar Khan area to catch a breath of fresh air and a bit of sunshine.

About 40,000 feet above an American Predator B (aka Reaper MQ-9) drone loitering to get a glimpse of him, caught him in its camera. And after its operators in Nevada, USA confirmed it with facial identification technology, ordered it to fire its single Hellfire R9X missile.

The Hellfire is a small 100 lbs and five feet long air to ground missile (AGM), and races down a reflected laser beam with unerring accuracy. It costs about $150,000. The R9X which was developed at the express request of Barack Obama, who wanted to minimise collateral damage due to an explosive charge, is a kinetic weapon which unsheathes multiple blades from its fuselage as it approaches the target at almost 900 mph like a whirling swordsman. Al-Zawahari didn't stand a chance against a Hellfire racing down at over 925 mph.

The USA, and some other countries, have a bevy of space satellites orbiting at preselected trajectories to watch over areas of interest. These satellites not only listen to targets, but also track them and identify faces and vehicles by their plates.

Osama bin Laden never looked up while on his morning walk at his Abbottabad residence but he was recognised by his height but the length of his shadow at the time of the day and by his gait. Al-Zawahari was either careless or underestimated America's appetite for his head. He still had a $25 million reward, appetising enough for any informants.

The number of active mobile phones worldwide exceeded 15 billion, which means that many people have more than a couple. Of these 7.2 billion are smartphones connecting people with huge reservoirs of information and content. India has 1.28 billion and China has 1.9 billion phones.

The USA follows with 327 million, and a dysfunctional country like Pakistan has 125 million. Even in countries with little semblance of a government or a state, like Somalia and Afghanistan or Mali or Libya, there are functioning mobile phone networks.

As of June 30, 2021 there were 4.86 billion internet users world over. Of these 44.8% were in Asia, 21.5% in Europe and 11.4% in all of North America. India was one of the last countries operating a telegraph service and as of end 2021 even that is in the past. Literally, it's all up in the air now.

But since data exchanged on cellular and Internet networks fly through the ether, and not as pulses racing through copper wires, they are easier to net by electronic interception. But these nets catch them in huge numbers. This is where the supercomputers come in. The messages that are netted every moment are run through sieves of sophisticated and complex computer programs that can simultaneously decode, detect and unravel.

By further analysing the incoming and outgoing patterns of calls and data transfers for the sending and receiving terminals or phones, they can with a fair probability of accuracy tell the agency seeking information about what is going on, and who is up to what?

The problem is that since this information also goes through the mobile phone network and Internet Service Providers (ISP), and the data actually gets decoded from electronic blips into voice and digital data, the private players too can gain access to such information.

A few years ago we had the case of the infamous Amar Singh CD's which titillated so many with its graphic content, and lowbrow conversations featuring the likes of Anil Ambani, Jayaprada, Bipasha Basu and some others. Then we had the episode of the Radia tapes where we were privy to the machinations of the Tata's corporate lobbyist in the national capital fixing policy, positioning ministers and string pulling media stars.

But more usefully than this, a mobile phone, by nature of its technology, is also a personalized GPS indicator. It tells them where that phone is at any instant it is on. The Al Qaeda terrorist and US citizen Anwar el-Awlaki was blasted by a Hellfire missile fired from a CIA Predator drone flying over Yemen with the co-ordinates provided by Awlaki's mobile phone.

Since a mobile phone is usually with you it tells the network (and other interested parties) where you are or were, and even where you are headed. If you are on a certain street, since it reveals where exactly you are and the direction of your movement, it can tell you where the next pizza place is or where and what is on sale. This is also a breach of privacy, but often useful to you. But if you are up to no-good, then a switched on mobile phone is a certain giveaway.

That's what gave away Osama bin Laden in the end. A momentary indiscretion by a trusted courier and bodyguard and a name gleaned from a long ago water-boarding session was all it took. To know what happened next see "Zero Dark Thirty" by Katherine Bigelow (now on Netflix and YouTube).

The NSA's eavesdropping mission includes radio broadcasting, both from various organisations and individuals, the Internet, telephone calls, and other intercepted forms of communication. Its secure communications mission includes military, diplomatic, and all other sensitive, confidential or secret government communications.

The National Security Agency (NSA) is all hi-tech. NSA collects intelligence from four geostationary satellites. These satellites track and monitor millions of conversations and the NSA's banks of high speed supercomputers process all these messages for certain phrases and patterns of conversations to decide if the persons at either end were worthy of further interest.

Link this information with the data from the CIA's spinning satellites watching movements of groups, individuals and vehicles, and you have a broad picture of what the people are doing.

According to the Washington Post, "every day, collection systems at the National Security Agency intercept and store 1.7 billion emails, phone calls and other types of communications."

The NSA and CIA together comprise the greatest intelligence gathering effort in the world. The overall U.S. intelligence budget is now declared to be $62.8 billion.

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Hello! Big Brother is Listening and Watching - The Citizen

Prime Ministers Office, New Delhi, 22 February 2024

...Whats the problem? the prime minister rasps.

Sir, this looks like a formidable cyberattack. Even our secure network has been breached, the NSA says. We are unable to contact anyone.

The prime minister of Indias office has turned into an island.

In a few minutes it becomes clear that the PMO is not the only one to fall off the internet highway. The ministries of defence, home, finance, as well as the service headquarters of the armed forces have all gone offline. The Government of India has been thrown backwards by more than three decades. Even the phone lines are not working.

A sense of foreboding descends on the room. The prime minister walks back to his office, followed by the NSA. The principal secretary is tasked with physically summoning the members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the chief of defence staff (CDS), and the three service chiefs for an immediate meeting.

Unlikely, replies the NSA. Beads of perspiration appear on his forehead.

China?

Thats most likely.

China had been issuing warnings to India since the previous year when the prime minister had visited Bum La in Arunachal Pradesh and addressed the troops in Tawang. China had termed this a grave provocation. Consequently, it increased military activity in its Western Theatre Command (WTC) close to the border with India. According to the intelligence reports that the NSA has been receiving over the last few months, the activity appeared to be more than the regular exercises that the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) regularly conducts.

Convoys of all kinds of trucks are frequently spotted moving stores, ammunition, and fuel on the multiple tar roads heading towards Lhasa (the headquarters of Tibet Military Command), and sometimes on the arterial roads linking up to the LAC1. Since 2020, the PLA has built robust and technologically advanced underground facilities (UGFs) to protect all aspects of its military forces, including command and control, logistics, ammunition, and missile systems.

Started around 2012, the UGF building programme in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) had been upgraded and expanded. The deeply buried UGFs were traditionally meant to protect military assets from the effects of penetrating conventional munitions and nuclear strikes.

According to intelligence reports, after the 2020 Ladakh face-off, the PLA deployed electronic and cyber warfare units in TAR. Dual-use airports were upgraded for combat jet and drone flights. Huge communication towers had been set up. Blast pens or hardened shelters for combat aircraft had been built. Numerous air defence and missile sites had been dug. But India had been ignoring these provocations.

Despite all the threats, the prime minister and the NSA were convinced that China would not enter all-out war with India and imperil its own economic growth. This view was also supported by the military establishment led by the CDS. Even in 2024, the Indian military held the view it had formulated back in 2009 that China would not want to wage a war with India because a stalemate on ground would be viewed as defeat.

And stalemate it would be, they believed, because the Indian military of 2024 was not the same as 1962. It was prepared to fight and was battle hardened by decades of fighting terrorism on the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan. The Indian Air Force, with some 250-300 combat aircraft from all bases located at much lower altitudes, had many advantages over the PLA Air Force (PLAAF). It would make sure that it sent back thousands of body bags of PLA soldiers, thereby destroying Chinas reputation as a world power.

But was the Chinese military of 2024 the same as the one in 1962? This was an uncomfortable question with an unsavoury answer. Since the prime minister was not in the habit of listening to unpleasant answers, nobody raised this question. Perhaps nobody knew that this was a question that needed to be asked.

Despite ongoing studies on China, the Indian military, even in 2024, was oblivious of the war China had been preparing for. Traditionally, the Indian military believed that China was at least a decade ahead of Indian capabilities. Sanguine in this assessment, it was clueless about the rapid transformation that had been taking place in the neighbourhood.

But if China does not intend to go to war with India, why would it mount such a formidable cyberattack on the seat of the government?

Looking through his notes based on a recent intelligence report, the NSA runs the prime minister through what he knows about the PLAs presence in TAR. The combat support forces (Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force, and Joint Logistics Support Force) in the WTC have been conducting training with combat units to deploy and manoeuvre with them. The reported PLA convoys into TAR include large numbers of unmanned vehicles combat as well as reconnaissance. One report mentions sighting thousands of humanoid robots in military buses and trains to Lhasa.

Humanoid robots?

They are likely to be used for combat support like maintenance, readying of ammunition, supplies, fuel and so on, the NSA says in a slightly dismissive tone.

Difficult to say. But its unlikely that a phishing attack would disrupt our networks. This seems to be something else.

By this time, the CCS has assembled in the conference room. Breaking protocol, the chief of air staff (CAS) blurts out, This is not an ordinary cyberattack. The malware that has attacked us is extremely sophisticated. It has breached all our firewalls. Our entire communication network has collapsed. We have been rendered blind and deaf.

A cold frisson runs through the conference room. The army and the navy chiefs have similar reports to share. The navy chief is particularly worried. The navy has lost contact with the INS Vikrant carrier battle group that includes two destroyers, four frigates, three submarines, fifteen fighters, eight helicopters, two long-range maritime patrol aircraft, and a number of smaller vessels.

Seeing the prime ministers quizzical look, the NSA explains stoically, Sir, if we have lost contact with them, it means they have also lost contact with ground control. This can lead to accidents.

The CAS interrupts. Its a very serious situation. We have deployed six aircraft for this exercise. All communications with them have snapped.

Glancing at the NSA, he adds, In Ladakh, the PLA has also deployed a large number of unmanned and autonomous systems, including combat systems. If they get up to some mischief using machines, we wont get to know. Of course, our troops are trained and prepared for all eventualities. But communication with headquarters is critical.

Despite the apparent calm in the room, the panic was palpable. The COASs remark was foreboding, but it also held a clue to the motive for the cyberattack. The principal secretary was told to summon the director of National Critical Information Infrastructures Protection Centre (NCIIPC) that works under the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), the head of the Defence Cyber Agency under the Integrated Defence Headquarters, and the National Cyber Security Coordinator who works directly under the PMO.

The reports are worse than expected.

Sir, it doesnt look like a mere cyberattack. The internet in peninsular India has stopped working. Most DRDO laboratories, ISRO, and the DPSUs have no internet. We dont know yet how much of the infrastructure has been affected, the NSA says, running his hand over his forehead.

Its a major cyberattack, the prime minister says.

After a moments silence, the NSA adds, It looks like some of our submarine cables that connect us to the global internet have been tampered with. Maybe they have been cut.

But thats an act of war, the prime minister says to the now silent room.

The conference room turns into an impromptu war room.

I need updates every half hour, the prime minister declares and storms out.

Excerpted with permission from The Last War: How AI Will Shape Indias Final Showdown with China, Pravin Sawhney, Aleph Book Company.

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