Asian countries at risk from 'Balkanisation' in cyber space: Kaspersky
Siem Reap (Cambodia), Sep 20 : India as well as other Asian countries are vulnerable to the risk of cyber threats from "Balkanisation" in cyber space, warned Russia-based global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab on Thursday.
Presenting key cybersecurity issues, Kaspersky's top researchers and executives made the possible threat announcement to an audience of journalists from 11 countries across the region at the firm's 4th Asia Pacific (APAC) cybersecurity annual summit.
The threat is "due to fragmentation of the world wide web", they said at the four-day event, with the theme of "Balkanisation".
Stressing the need to be more cautious about the threat, they said the "security should not be in isolation" and highlighted the possible perils of de-globalisation of the Internet.
Emphasising that "Balkanisation" and the advent of protectionism being displayed by nations around the world, they said it will "benefit no one but the cybercriminals".
Echoing the warning of Kaspersky's CEO and founder Eugene Kaspersky, Managing Director of the firm's APAC region Stephan Neumeier said: "We can clearly see that the utopia of a borderless digital global village is coming to an end.
"With different countries building their local web fences, the initially free Internet is turning into divided and independent patches of online states, which may benefit individual countries to some extent, but will surely be an ace card for criminals aiming to unleash worldwide cyberthreats."
Demystifying the future of the Internet based on his 13 years' experience in analyzing malware and the current laws and trends that transform the cyber security landscape around the world, Kaspersky's Director of GReAT in APAC, Vitaly Kamluk said the "volume of new malware we detect daily has been increasing year-on-year in number, in sophistication, and in reach".
"The future of the Internet is fragile and, as nations scramble to beef up their defences, we're giving birth to 'Balkanisation'.
"However, fragmentation is not the armor we need to face the menace of the Internet of tomorrow. Remember, a divided world is easier to conquer. We need cooperation, collaboration, and mutual trust to effectively thwart these cybercriminals who acknowledge neither geopolitics nor borders," warned Kamluk.
He said that the Kaspersky's CEO noted in an article how countries like Brazil and Germany are considering, or may have already kicked off their independent sectors of the Internet which involve building parallel networks, isolated from the Internet, for highly confidential communication exchanges.
Aside from this, Kaspersky's researchers said, several countries are also crafting policies requiring global tech giants like Google and Facebook to shift their data centres to local locations to curb foreign spying and overseas data intrusions.
In addition to the important debate on the future of the Internet, Kaspersky's Korea-based senior security researcher, Seongsu Park, explained the sophisticated and infamous online adversary of APAC countries: the Lazarus group.
Park zeroed in on the operations of this notorious, Korean-speaking advanced persistent threat (APT) which has launched fake supply chain attacks in delivering malware to Windows and even "MacOS devices".
Suguru Ishimaru, security researcher in Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team, shared how the methods were used to analyse Android malware and said the recent activities of the mobile malware dubbed as "Roaming Mantis", a money-motivated attacker, was able to successfully infect Android smartphones in South Korea, Bangladesh, and Japan through DNS hijacking earlier this year.
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US lawmakers seek clarity over financial burden, human cost, endgame in Iran conflict
Washington: Tensions rose at the US Capitol on Tuesday as lawmakers sought clearer answers from the Trump administration on the objectives, duration and costs of the ongoing military campaign against Iran, even as preparations advanced for votes aimed at curbing the president’s war powers.
Senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, briefed members of the House and Senate for a second consecutive day behind closed doors, as reported by the Associated Press. The sessions came ahead of votes on war powers resolutions that would limit President Donald Trump’s authority to continue joint US-Israel operations without congressional approval.
Rubio told reporters that the president acted to prevent Iran from striking first. He rejected suggestions that Washington moved only because Israel was poised to launch its own offensive, saying instead that Trump believed the weekend presented a rare opportunity to act with maximum impact. “There is no way in the world that this terroristic regime was going to get nuclear weapons, not under Donald Trump’s watch,” Rubio said.
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The conflict has widened following US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28 that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has since launched missile attacks targeting US military bases in the region. At least six American service personnel have died so far.
The administration has indicated that supplemental funding may be required to sustain operations. It added that the concerns among lawmakers about the financial burden and potential for a prolonged engagement has disrupted legislative business, sharpening political divisions at the start of a competitive midterm election cycle.
Associated Press cited Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s concerns about what he described as possible “mission creep.” Senator Angus King questioned whether the United States had been drawn into war at Israel’s urging, while Senator Elizabeth Warren asked how the campaign aligned with Trump’s “America First” pledge to avoid extended foreign conflicts.
Defence official Elbridge Colby told senators the president had directed the military to degrade Iran’s missile capabilities and prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, stressing that the objective was not nation-building. Trump, speaking separately from the Oval Office, dismissed claims that Israel had forced his decision and suggested the conflict could continue if necessary. He has not ruled out deploying US ground troops.
Senator Richard Blumenthal was quoted by Associated Press as saying that he feared the possibility of American boots on the ground while Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin defended the operation, saying the president had acted decisively.
Uncertainty over Iran’s future leadership has added to concerns, with questions mounting about who might succeed Khamenei as Trump rejected the idea of backing Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran’s former monarchy. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the future of Iran should be determined by its people and House Speaker Mike Johnson said the United States would not engage in nation-building.
Lawmakers from both parties also reported a surge in calls from constituents seeking assistance for Americans attempting to leave the region as hostilities intensify.
The US Constitution grants Congress the right to declare war, however presidents have routinely begun military activities without formal declarations. Both houses are anticipated to vote on proposals that would require explicit congressional approval to continue operations. Some members have also argued that if constraints are not imposed, Congress should consider issuing an Authorization for the Use of Military Force to put lawmakers on the record.
Associated Press quoted House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioning the rationale for the campaign and saying there would be strong support among Democrats for the resolution. Johnson, however, warned that restricting the president during active combat could pose risks.
