Daily Archives: May 14, 2017

Commencement speeches celebrate immigrants, free speech … – UC Berkeley

Posted: May 14, 2017 at 5:34 pm

Maz Jobrani, comedian, actor, Cal alum and commencement keynote speaker (UC Berkeley photos by Keegan Houser)

Iranian-American stand-up comic and actor Maz Jobrani championed free speech even for conservative provocateurs and took swings at anti-immigrant sentiment in an alternately funny and serious speech to thousands of graduating seniors and their families at UC Berkeleys May Commencement.

Today, I stand in front of you giving the commencement speech at one of the top universities in America, if not the world, said Jobrani, whose family fled Iran during that countrys 1978 revolution. I am the American dream.

Regaling an audience of more than 45,000 at California Memorial Stadium that included native speakers of Arabic, Spanish, Mandarin, Farsi and Hindi, among countless other languages, Jobrani seemed to feel right at home.

This is a beautiful mix of people, said Jobrani, who graduated from UC Berkeley in 1993 with degrees in political science and Italian.

Inside the sun-parched stadium, more than 5,500 UC Berkeley graduating seniors, decked out in black caps, gowns and colorful variations thereof, marched onto the field to Pomp and Circumstance, smartphones in their hands, to celebrate a hard-earned rite of passage.

Amid a sea of visibly relieved-looking parents clutching floral bouquets was Jorge Colonia of San Jose, whose son, David, was graduating, having majored in both legal studies and economics.

Im very proud. He is our only son, Colonia said. Not a lot of people in our family went to college. We had financial challenges, but he worked hard, and it was worth it.

Chancellor Nicholas Dirks

In his welcoming remarks, Chancellor Nicholas Dirks drew applause as he described the graduates soon-to-be alma mater as not only the best university in the world, but also the most important for the values it upholds.

He also lamented the threats the campus faces such as stagnant state funding and reduced federal funding for research.

Were under fire, he said, reminding graduates that as life takes you beyond Sather Gate, Berkeley itself still needs you.

Also addressing the crowd was top graduating senior Grant Schroeder, an integrative biology major and extreme athlete. Using a triathlon as a metaphor, his speech took his peers through the steps of questioning, vulnerability and orientation that he navigated in order to graduate.

Like other speakers, Schroeder, a native of Goleta, in Santa Barbara County, cited the challenges of balancing free speech against public safety, and how the debate may never be resolved.

There is no clear answer to this question, yet our dedication to wrestling with pressing issues is why the rest of the world watches us, he said. Free speech is not dead, and Berkeley is not a bubble.

Jobrani, a founding member of the Axis of Evil comedy tour who is currently starring in the CBS sitcom Superior Donuts, warned of the dangers of censorship, even in the case of provocateurs who skirt the edges of hate speech.

If we limit free speech from the right, then we sound hypocritical when we criticize Trump for trying to delegitimize our free press, Jobrani said. Lets not be the ones attacking free speech, but the ones defending it.

He also touched on another of his signature themes on the comedy circuit: immigration and anti-Muslim sentiment. For one thing, he recounted his shock at the travel ban in January that targeted the citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations, including his native Iran.

That woke me up, he said.

Winding down, Jobrani urged UC Berkeley graduates to travel, not to the usual tourist destinations, but to the Muslim world.

You will see that Muslims are not out to get you. They just want you to buy a rug, Jobrani quipped. Never pay full price for a rug. Always negotiate.

As for his final tip: Kiss your parents every time you see them, especially if theyre immigrants, because you never know when they might be deported, he said to the laughing crowd.

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Commencement speeches celebrate immigrants, free speech ... - UC Berkeley

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Boston Common ‘Free Speech Rally’ sparks counter-protest – Boston Herald

Posted: at 5:34 pm

At least two people have been detained after a Free Speech Rally on the Common sparked heated confrontations with counter-protesters.

Two people could be seen being taken away in handcuffs about 1:45 p.m. after one of the free speech demonstrators crossed a police barrier in an attempt to hand one of the counter-protesters a Pepsi a move that appeared to be an attempt to mock a recent commercial that depicted a protester handing a cop a soda.

The apparent attempt at a joke set off a scuffle between the man and one of the counter-protesters that eventually led to punches being thrown.

The man holding the Pepsi could be seen throwing at least one punch with the can of soda still in his hand.

The two groups have been demonstrating since late this morning and the protests have remained mostly peaceful, though both sides have been shouting insults at each other while a line of Hub cops works to maintain order.

Developing...

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Prejudiced People Invoke Free Speech to Mask Their Racism, Says Study – Big Think

Posted: at 5:34 pm

A new study says that some people who claim to be for free speech when defending racist language do not really care about all speech, just the speech which agrees with their point of view. In fact, the researchers say that in such cases it often comes down to racists defending racists.

The study was carried out by the graduate student in psychology Mark H. White and psychology Professor Christian Grandall from the University of Kansas. They found explicit racial prejudice to be a pretty good predictor whether someone would use the free speech defense to defend racist attitudes.

The study saw that those with high levels of prejudice were very concerned with freedom of expression. They were also less likely to defend free speech in principle when faced with non-racial scenarios, suggesting that freedom of speech was more of a convenient rhetorical point, utilized when it suited them.

When people make appeals to democratic principles like freedom of speech they dont always represent a genuine interest in that principle, said White. We think of principles as ideas we use to guide behavior in our everyday lives. Our data show something different that we tend to make up our mind on something based on our attitudes in this case, racial attitudes and then decide that the principle is relevant or irrelevant. People do whatever best fits their pre-existing attitudes.

One way that people soften the appearance of their prejudices is by latching on to larger political causes like free speech. This allows people, the study found, to buffer racial and hate speech from normative disapproval. Basically, doing this can make it seem like your prejudice is ok and somewhat accepted by society.

This conclusion is sure to be controversial for its implications. The balance between fighting prejudice and the necessity of free speech in a democracy has been increasingly tested in todays America. A number of high-profile rightwing speakers have met violent opposition on college campuses, which resulted in some speeches like Ann Coulters being cancelled. Appearances by the white nationalist Richard Spencer have drawn much soul-searching and changed policies. Many in the conservative media (and even President Trump) defended such provocative personalities as Milo Yiannopoulos using the free speech position, after his appearance at Berkeley met with significant protests.

The study consisted of eight experiments with hundreds of participants, who were recruited from Amazons Mechanical Turk service. They were made to respond to news of racist incidents or situations like someone getting fired for racist speech. The reactions were scored according to the standard Henry and Sears Symbolic Racism 2000 scale.

The researchers observed a positive statistical correlation between racial prejudice and standing up for racist attitudes by arguing the need for free speech. Interestingly, those who scored low on prejudiced opinions actually avoided standing up for free speech in race-related situations.

The researchers point out that it would be irresponsible to paint everyone who makes free speech arguments as somehow prejudiced.

However, our data do show that racial prejudice is one of the many attitudes that go into people deciding to make this argument. We should not ignore the free speech defense, but we shouldnt assume that the motives are purely based on an abstract democratic principle, either, said White.

You can read the study Freedom of Racist Speech: Ego and Expressive Threats in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

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Prejudiced People Invoke Free Speech to Mask Their Racism, Says Study - Big Think

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Jeremy Corbyn has ‘been on a journey’ since suggesting Nato was a ‘danger to the world’ says Emily Thornberry – The Independent

Posted: at 5:31 pm

Media gather in Downing Street, London, ahead of a statement by Prime Minister Theresa May

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Theresa May exits 10 Downing Street to announce snap election

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British Prime Minister Theresa May has called for an early general election

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Prime Minister Theresa May walks back into 10 Downing Street after making a statement to the nation

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Broadcast journalists set up on the green outside the Houses of Parliament after the prime minister announced that she will seek an early general election

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A newspaper stand shows a copy of today's Evening Standard, with the front page story relating to British Prime Minister Theresa May's call for a snap general election on June 8

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Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn talks to carers during a visit to Birmingham Carers Hub to launch Labour's proposed Carer's Allowance increase

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Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech in Walmsley Parish Hall, Bolton, as she asked voters for the mandate to lead post-Brexit Britain ahead of the looming election campaign

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Scotland's First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon walks with deputy leader and member of parliament Angus Robertson during a media facility outside the Houses of Parliament

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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech to Conservative Party members to launch their election campaign in Walmsley Parish Hall in Bolton, England

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Prime Minister Theresa May during a visit to radar manufacturer Kelvin Hughes Limited in Enfield, north Londo

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Prime Minster Theresa May gives a short speech and at GSK in Maidenhead, England

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reads with children as he visits Brentry Children Centre in Bristol, during Labour's election campaign

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A tactical voting website in support of Labour. The use of digital marketing and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are likely to play and important role in the snap general election to be held on June 8

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses the STUC conference in Aviemore.

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Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron addresses supporters at a campaign event in Vauxhall, London

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The Liberal Democrat party website is displayed on a laptop computer. The use of digital marketing and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are likely to play and important role in the snap general election to be held on June 8

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Party workers clear a hall following Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron's address to supporters at a campaign event in Vauxhall, London

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The Conservative party website is displayed on a laptop computer in Bristol, England. The use of digital marketing and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are likely to play and important role in the snap general election to be held on June 8

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Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer makes a speech outlining Labour's approach to Brexit

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Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to a worker during a visit to a steel works in Newport, Wales

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UK Independence Party leader Paul Nuttall knocks on the door of a resident during a visit to Hartlepool

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UK Independence Party leader Paul Nuttall leaves a pub after meeting with television media in Hartlepool

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A UK Independence Party supporter (L) scuffles with a pro-europe supporter ahead of a visit by UKIP leader Paul Nuttall to Hartlepool

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Theresa May speaks at an election campaign rally in Banchory, Scotland

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British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign rally on April 29, 2017 in Banchory, Scotland

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Jeremy Corbyn delivers a campaign speech on leadership in London

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Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at an election campaign rally in East London

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Jeremy Corbyn speaks to supporters as he arrives for a conference for head teachers in Telford

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Green MEP Molly Scott Cato speaks during the launch of the Green Party Brexit policy watched by Co-Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas and Green London Assembly member Sin Rebecca Berry at the Space Studio in London

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Co-Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, speaks during the launch of the Green Party Brexit policy at the Space Studio in London

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Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas, Sin Rebecca Berry, London Assembly Green Party member and the Bristol West candidate, Molly Scott Cato make an announcement of the party's new Brexit policy in London

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Scottish Conservative party leader Ruth Davidson gave a speech at the G&V Royal Mile Hotel in Edinburgh ahead of the local government election

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Ukip leader Paul Nuttall during a walkabout in Dudley town centre in the West Midlands, with Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge and Pete Durnell, West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate, while on the election campaign trail

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Ukip leader Paul Nuttall eats grapes during a walkabout in Dudley town centre in the West Midlands, with Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge and Pete Durnell, West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate

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Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, campaigns in Southampton

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Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, campaigns in Southampton

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A view of the Liberal Democrat battle bus during a general election campaign visit to Lewes in East Sussex

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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a campaign stop at a company in St Yves, Cornwall, England

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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a campaign stop at a company in St Yves, Cornwall, England. The Prime Minister is campaigning in South-West England, a former Liberal Democrat stronghold, as she urges West Country voters to stick with her party ahead of the polls on June 8

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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May enjoys some chips during a campaign stop in Mevagissey, Cornwall

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Prime Minister Theresa May having some chips while on a walkabout during a election campaign stop in Mevagissey, Cornwall

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Britain's opposition Labour party Leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts as he meets with nursing students at the University of Worcester's Sheila Scott building in Worcester

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Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon gestures during her tour of the Inveralmond Brewery as she campaigns for the upcoming general election, in Perth

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Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon gestures during her tour of the Inveralmond Brewery as she campaigns for the upcoming general election, in Perth

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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Dhamecha Lohana Centre in north west London

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Ukip leader Paul Nuttall at a policy launch event in Gt George Street, London

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Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party campaigns outside Leamington Spa Town Hall

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Britain's Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn greets a supporter campaigning in Manchester, north west England

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Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron and the party's local candidate Tessa Munt on board a hovercraft during a visit to the Burnham Area Rescue Boat (BARB), a charity that operates two life-saving rescue hovercrafts and an inshore rescue boat, at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset

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Jeremy Corbyn has 'been on a journey' since suggesting Nato was a 'danger to the world' says Emily Thornberry - The Independent

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Nato tanks battle it out in training exercise as Russia practises … – The Sun

Posted: at 5:31 pm

US joins forces with Nato allies as Putin's tanks are seen falling from the sky amid heightening tensions in Europe

NATO commanders put on a show of strength during a tank competing exercise in Germany, as Russia flexed its muscles by parachuting tanks on to a battlefield.

Six Nato allies competed in the Strong Europe Tank Challenge in the town ofGrafenwoehr yesterday, with Austria coming first to beat France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and the USA.

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The competition, held for its second time, tested soldiers on vehicle identification, battle damage assessment and precision manoeuvres.

Lt Gen, Ben Hodges, the commander of US Army Europe, has said the competition was designed to help build a team spirit between the six nations.

Nato, increasingly at odds with Russia over their perceived ambitions in Europe, held the event across five days.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops were seen practising dropping tanks on to a battlefield on the same day.

A BMD-4M tank was dropped from the back of a Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane from 800m.

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How Norway stood up to Putin and what Canada can learn – The Globe and Mail

Posted: at 5:31 pm

Michael Byers holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia

Dmitry Rogozin paid a surprise visit to this Norwegian outpost two years ago, on his way to a Russian ice-station near the North Pole. The Russian deputy prime minister tweeted a picture of himself standing outside the airport.

It was a deliberately provocative act because Mr. Rogozin is at the top of Norways sanctions list, having championed the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Yet, as a Russian national, he was legally entitled to visit Svalbard because Norways sovereignty over its Arctic islands is not absolute: Citizens of any of the 45 parties to the 1920 Svalbard Treaty have a right of free access.

Norway responded to the provocation by offering to host a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Svalbard. The meeting took place this week.

Technically, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is not part of NATO but rather a parallel organization focused on discussion and networking among parliamentarians from the 28 NATO states. As a non-military organization, it could meet on Svalbard without violating another provision of the 1920 treaty; one that prohibits the islands from being used for warlike purposes.

Russia, however, condemned the choice of location as an attempt to drag Svalbard under the wing of the military political bloc. This, it said, violated the spirit of the treaty.

Now, this might seem like a tempest in a tea cup, but it is much more than that.

For decades, Norway has followed a policy of engagement and co-operation with Russia, especially in the Arctic. This policy has provided significant gains for both countries, including a jointly managed cod fishery in the Barents Sea worth billions of dollars each year.

But Vladimir Putin is restless. The Russian President has annexed Crimea, forcefully intervened in Syria, and conducted countless near-border exercises and airspace incursions in the Baltic and Arctic regions.

Most recently, Mr. Putin has intervened in elections in the United States, France, and other NATO countries with propaganda campaigns and computer hacking.

Cyber-attacks can constitute armed attacks under international law, for example, if they cause a nuclear power plant to meltdown. And Mr. Putins attacks have struck at the core of liberal democracy. Armed attacks generate a right of self-defence, and collective self-defence against Russia is the raison dtre of NATO.

Mr. Putins greatest victory involves the apparent capture of the U.S. President. Donald Trump has questioned the value of NATO and threatened to not come to the defence of member states that fail to meet the alliances spending target of 2 per cent of gross domestic product.

This week, Mr. Trump dismissed the director of the FBI in a blatant attempt to block an investigation of Russias involvement in the U.S. election. Then, he warmly welcomed a smug-looking Russian foreign minister to the White House.

At best, Mr. Trump is ignorant, naive and disinterested with respect to NATO and the Russian threat. At worst, he is working for Russia.

Canada and some other NATO member states have deployed small numbers of troops to the Baltic States. But would this trip wire function if the United States withdrew its support?

Would Canada be willing to go toe-to-toe with Russia if it called our bluff and sent tanks into Latvia? Or would Prime Minister Justin Trudeau order the Canadian troops to stand down? What if Mr. Trump asked him to stand down?

A popular Norwegian television show revolves around a fictional Russian occupation of that country. The plot seemed farfetched when the show was broadcast during Barack Obamas presidency, because it was based on the premise that the United States would abandon Norway to its fate. The same premise is far more plausible today.

By hosting the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, little Norway pushed back against Mr. Putin in a small but symbolically important way. Having been occupied by Hitlers forces during the Second World War, it knows something about bullies and opportunists.

The threat is not so different today. It is time for NATO countries to stand firmly together. It is time to renew our commitment to collective self-defence, with or without the United States.

Follow us on Twitter: @GlobeDebate

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How Norway stood up to Putin and what Canada can learn - The Globe and Mail

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NATO’s Most Vulnerable Spot: Why the Fear of a ‘Russian Threat’ is Openly Stupid – Sputnik International

Posted: at 5:31 pm

The reason behindthe NATO hysteria is that the drills are set totake place not far fromthe so-called "Suwalki Corridor" or "Suwalki Gap", which NATO and the Pentagon consider "the most vulnerable spot" ofthe Alliance and which they think Russia will seize first inits war withthe block.

The so-called "Suwalki Corridor" or "Suwalki Gap"

The Suwalki Gap, or SK Gap inAmerican military parlance, named afternearby Polish town ofSuwaki, is a 64 mile (102 km) land corridor betweenPoland and Lithuania, which is also wedged betweenRussian ally Belarus and the Russian exclave ofKaliningrad. This particular fact has turned this stretch ofland intoa core concern ofall the NATO member states.

The NATO commanders consider that "should Vladimir Putin decide toinvade, the corridor would be perfect foradvancing Russian tanks" ina scenario where Russia approaches both fromKaliningrad and Belarus, seizing the corridor and completely cutting offthe Baltic States.

"Military officers worry that inthe event ofa conflict withMoscow, the Russian military could use its forces inKaliningrad, home tonumerous military bases and bristling withadvanced missiles, toeffectively cut offthe Suwalki Gap and sever the Baltic states fromthe rest ofthe alliance, they said," The Wall Street Journal reported onthe issue.

"Russia could take overthe Baltic states faster thanwe would be able todefend them," the commander ofUS ground forces inEurope, General Ben Hodges, admitted earlier inthe year.

AFP 2017/ ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

"It would not be necessary forRussian forces tocomprehensively occupy the Sulwalki Gap area. Rather, even a thin and discontinuous line ofRussian forces strung outalong the Gap would present a barrier tothe land reinforcement ofthe Baltics, unless NATO forces were prepared toforce a passage and escalate the crisis," other US media speculated onthe issue.

Commenting onthe joint Russia-Belarus military drills, called West 2017, which are scheduled forSeptember 14-20, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite added fuel tothe fire bystating the exercise "demonstrates the preparation ofBelarus and Russia towage war withthe West."

Even Ukraine which has no apparent relation tothe territory, has recently tried tocapitalize onthe issue. The country's Secretary ofthe National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov recently said that "the objective ofthe Russian military exercise is tocheck the readiness oftroops toconduct large-scale operations withstrict time restrictions ontheir preparation. During the exercises, Russia is also planning towork outa plan tocreate a corridor toKaliningrad, which inreality is impossible withoutengaging Lithuania and Poland militarily."

Sputnik/ Grigoriy Sisoev

In his analytical article foronline newspaper Vzglyad, Russian political analyst Yevgeny Krutikov explains why all these fears are "openly stupid."

The "West" (Zapad) military drills, he notes, are held ona regular basis, once every two years inrotation onboth territories ofthe Union State ofRussia and Belarus.

"There is nothing extraordinary aboutthem buteach time some western neighbor gets demonstratively scared," he writes, adding that last time it was Poland which "had an episode," now it's Lithuania's turn.

For the first time inhistory, he says, Belarus has invited NATO observers tomonitor the drills, which has caused a certain "voyeuristic thrill."

Mainstream media interpreted it asan attempt bythe Belorussian president Lukashenko to "make assurances" against "Russian invasion."

AFP 2017/ Armin Weigel / dpa

Commenting onthe Suwalki Gap area, the political analyst says that the vast majority ofthe terrain consists ofwild woods, lakes and swamps. It is the most deserted area ofPoland withundeveloped infrastructure and neglected Polish-Lithuanian settlements. The Wigry Polish National Park is also located inthe area and is often shown onthe English language National Geographic, which contains bison, wild boars and deer.

There are no roads, especially direct routes fromBelarus toKaliningrad.

"It does not even cross anyone's mind that tanks cant pass throughthe Suwalki woods. It is easier, faster and more reliable totake Warsaw if we think interms offronts and armies, asthey do inthe Pentagon inthe 21st century. Or we could drive our Armata fromthe Belorussian territory throughthe Lithuanian checkpoint ofMedininkai further tothe capital Vilnius, central Lithuanian city ofKaiiadorys, then Kaunas and upto Marijampol onthe border withRussias Kaliningrad oblast. This route will be a lot more preferable, withoutany need tocross the Neman river," Krutikov suggests.

The current mindset inNATO and the Pentagon is pitiful, he suggests.

Russias Defense Ministry has invited and will continue toinvite reporters tocover Russian military drills, so the country has no need foroutside advice, Russian Defense Ministrys Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov responded onSaturday.

"It is highly improbable tofind either a motivated journalist or a media outlet inRussia that the Defense Ministry has not invited tocover its military exercises overthe last five years," Konashenkov said ina comment.

"General Hodges has never dreamt ofthe level oftransparency that the media has been given tocover military operations ofthe Russian air force and navy inSyria. Otherwise, major US channels would not have broadcast by mistake the Russian Defense Ministrys video footage taken inSyria asillustrations ofthe US Air Forces war onterror inthe Middle East."

Since the Russian Aerospace Force started carrying outstrikes inSyria, the Defense Ministry has organized more thanten press tours forforeign journalists, when they were able tocommunicate withlocal civilians and servicemen.

"Instead ofurging us tobe transparent, General Hodges should recall whether Russian journalists have ever been invited tocover the US Armys exercises inEurope," he concluded.

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NATO's Most Vulnerable Spot: Why the Fear of a 'Russian Threat' is Openly Stupid - Sputnik International

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Microsoft Just Took A Swipe At NSA Over The WannaCry Ransomware Nightmare – Forbes

Posted: at 5:30 pm


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Microsoft Just Took A Swipe At NSA Over The WannaCry Ransomware Nightmare
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After software vulnerabilities exploited and leaked by the NSA were used by cybercriminals to infect as many as 200,000 Windows PCs with ransomware over the last three days, Microsoft has criticized government agencies for hoarding those flaws and ...
74 countries hit by NSA-powered WannaCrypt ransomware backdoorThe Register
NSA's Failure to Warn Microsoft of Vulnerability 'Troubling' - US Advocacy GroupSputnik International

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Microsoft Just Took A Swipe At NSA Over The WannaCry Ransomware Nightmare - Forbes

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Leaked NSA Malware Is Helping Hijack Computers Around the World – The Intercept

Posted: at 5:30 pm

In mid-April,an arsenal of powerful software tools apparently designed by the NSA to infect and control Windows computers was leaked by an entity known only as the Shadow Brokers. Not even a whole month later, the hypothetical threat that criminals would use the tools against the general public has become real, and tens of thousands of computers worldwide are now crippled by an unknown party demanding ransom.

An infected NHS computer in Britain

Gillian Hann

The malware worm taking over the computers goes by the names WannaCry orWanna Decryptor. It spreads from machine to machine silently and remains invisible to users until it unveils itself as so-called ransomware, telling users that all their files have been encrypted with a key known only to the attacker and that they will be locked out until they pay $300 to an anonymous party using the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. At this point, ones computer would be rendered useless for anything other than paying said ransom. The pricerises to $600 after a few days; after seven days, if no ransom is paid, the hacker (or hackers) willmake the data permanently inaccessible (WannaCry victims will have a handy countdown clocktosee exactly how much time they have left).

Ransomware is not new; for victims, such an attack is normally a colossal headache. But todays vicious outbreak has spread ransomware on a massive scale, hitting not just home computers but reportedly health care, communications infrastructure, logistics, and government entities.

Reuters saidthathospitals across England reported the cyberattack was causing huge problems to their services and the public in areas affected were being advised to only seek medical care for emergencies, and that the attack had affected X-ray imaging systems, pathology test results, phone systems and patient administration systems.

The worm has also reportedly reached universities, a major Spanish telecom, FedEx, and the Russian Interior Ministry. In total, researchers have detected WannaCry infections in over 57,000 computersacross over 70 countries(and counting these things move extremely quickly).

According to experts tracking and analyzing the worm and its spread, this could be one of the worst-ever recorded attacks of its kind. The security researcher who tweets and blogs asMalwareTech told The Intercept, Ive never seen anything like this with ransomware, and the last worm of this degree I can remember is Conficker. Conficker was a notorious Windows worm first spotted in 2008; it went on to infect over 9million computers in nearly 200 countries.

Most importantly, unlike previous massively replicating computer worms and ransomware infections, todays ongoing WannaCry attack appears to be based onan attack developed by the NSA, code-named ETERNALBLUE. The U.S. software weapon would have allowed the spy agencys hackers to break into potentially millions of Windows computers by exploiting a flaw in how certain versions of Windows implemented a network protocol commonly used to share files and to print. Even though Microsoft fixedthe ETERNALBLUE vulnerability in a March software update, the safety provided there relied on computer users keeping their systems current with the most recent updates. Clearly, as has always been the case, many people (including in government) are not installing updates. Before, there would have been some solace in knowing that only enemies of the NSA would have to fear having ETERNALBLUE used against them but from the moment the agency lost control of its own exploit last summer, theres been no such assurance. Today shows exactly whats at stake when government hackers cant keep their virtual weapons locked up. As security researcher Matthew Hickey, who tracked the leaked NSA tools last month, put it, I am actually surprised that a weaponized malware of this nature didnt spread sooner.

Screenshot of an infected computer via Avast.

The infection will surely reignite arguments over whats known as the Vulnerabilities Equity Process, the decision-making procedure used to decide whether the NSA should use a security weakness it discovers (or creates) for itself and keep it secret, or share it with the affected companies so that they can protect their customers. Christopher Parsons, a researcher at the University of Torontos Citizen Lab, told The Intercept plainly: Todays ransomware attack is being made possible because of past work undertaken by the NSA, and that ideally it would lead to more disclosures that would improve the security of devices globally.

But even if the NSA were more willing to divulge its exploits rather than hoarding them, wed still be facing the problem that too many people really dont seem to care about updating their software. Malicious actors exploit years old vulnerabilities on a routine basis when undertaking their operations, Parsons pointed out. Theres no reason that more aggressive disclose of vulnerabilities through the VEP would change such activities.

A Microsoft spokesperson provided the following comment:

Today our engineers added detection and protection against new malicious software known as Ransom:Win32.WannaCrypt. In March, we provided a security update which provides additional protections against this potential attack. Those who are running our free antivirus software and have Windows updates enabled, are protected. We are working with customers to provide additional assistance.

Update: May 12, 2017, 3:45 p.m. This post was updated with a comment from Microsoft.

Update: May 12, 2017, 4:10 p.m. This post was updated with a more current count of the number ofaffected countries.

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Ransomware That Hit Europe’s Computers Did Not Come From NSA Leak – NBCNews.com

Posted: at 5:30 pm

Some media reports about the ransomware -- called WannaCry -- that rocked the UK health system, Spain's telecom industry, and other targets in Europe Friday say that hackers pulled it from a leaked NSA tool kit.

That's not really accurate.

Instead, computing experts say and a review of the computing code shows, the leaked NSA tool kit demonstrated to the hackers how they could attack these systems. The hackers didn't use NSA code, but they did copy something from the tool kit.

"WannaCry ransomware uses one of the exploitsreleased recently by Shadowbrokers in the leaked NSA tools archive," said Andrew Komarov, chief intelligence officer for the cybersecurity firm InfoArmor. "This is pretty normal practice, where cybercriminals are using the latest vulnerabilities in order to increase the efficiency of their malware."

The name of the NSA tool that the hackers drew on to develop the new ransomware is called "Eternalblue".

The software fix for the vulnerability that the ransomware exploits came out in March, before the Shadowbrokers leak, so experts say there was theoretically time to patch systems in advance of an attack.

Komarov said there was no indication that WannaCry or Friday's attack had anything to do with the NSA "or any other state-sponsored cyber offensive activities."

The FBI is warning that unknown hackers have launched cyberattack with 'destructive malware' in the U.S. Kacper Pempel

The Agency announced late Tuesday that it has established a "Korea Mission Center" to "harness the full resources, capabilities, and authorities of the Agency in addressing the nuclear and ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea." The CIA also announced that Director Mike Pompeo has named a "veteran intelligence officer" to run the center but declined to name the officer for security reasons.

Both publicly and privately, the agency has said North Korea has been one of, if not the most, difficult of intelligence targets.

"Creating the Korea Mission Center allows us to more purposefully integrate and direct CIA efforts against the serious threats to the United States and its allies emanating from North Korea," said Pompeo. "It also reflects the dynamism and agility that CIA brings to evolving national security challenges."

Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden says he will block the nomination of Donald Trumps pick to be the top Treasury intelligence official until Treasurys anti-money-laundering agency produces documents requested by the Senate Intelligence Committee related to Trump.

Sen. Wyden says he will maintain a hold on the nomination of Sigal Mandelker to be under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence until the documents are produced.

This week, Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, announced that the committee had asked the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for records relating to President Trump and his associates.

"I have stated repeatedly that we have to follow the money if we are going to get to the bottom of how Russia has attacked our democracy," Wyden said. "That means thoroughly review any information that relates to financial connections between Russia and President Trump and his associates, whether direct or laundered through hidden or illicit transactions. The office which Ms. Mandelker has been nominated to head is responsible for much of this information."

Wyden-0702508-18401- 0010

Three senior defense officials report that Iran test-fired a high-speed torpedo near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.

The Hoot torpedo is still in the testing phase, the officials report, but once it is fully operational it should be able to travel about12,000 yards (approximately six nautical miles) at a speed of about 200 knots per hour (approximately 250 miles per hour). None of the officials couldsay whether the test was successful or not.

The USS George HW Bush strike group is in the Gulf right now but all three officials said the test did not pose a threat to U.S. shipsor assets in the region.

Two of the officials said that the Iranian military last tested this torpedo in February 2015.

The ACLU is suing four federal agencies for records related to the Jan. 29 raid in Yemen that killed a Navy SEAL and civilians, including children.

The civil liberties organization filed a freedom of information request for documents in March and then filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court on Monday to force the government to respond.

"After conducting an internal investigation, the government released little information about the circumstances surrounding the Raid, the legal or factual justifications for it, and its consequences," the suit said.

Among the information the ACLU wants is an accounting of the civilians killed in the raid, which erupted in a deadly firefight after, as one senior U.S. intelligence official told NBC News, "almost everything went wrong."

The head of U.S. Central Command told Congress between four and 12 civilians were killed, but Human Rights Watch and others have put the toll higher.

The Trump administration has characterized the raid as a huge success. However, NBC News has reported in March that none of the intelligence gleaned from the operation so far has proven actionable or vital.

A man stands on the rubble of a house destroyed by a Saudi-led airstrike in the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 16, 2017. At least one Saudi-led airstrike near Yemen's rebel-held capital killed at least five people on Wednesday, the country's Houthi rebels and medical officials said. Hani Mohammed / AP

Gregory Lepsky appeared in a New Jersey federal courtroom Friday to face charges that he planned to detonate a pressure cooker bomb in New York City in the name of ISIS.

Seamus Hughes of George Washington's Program on Extremism pulled this inventory of the defendant's internet search history from the case file.

Eight men accused of plotting to attack the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on behalf of ISIS were sentenced Thursday.

The men were found guilty in a Brazilian court of recruiting and promoting terrorism and face sentences that range from five to 15 years in prison. They were arrested in a series of raids in late July 2016, several weeks before the Games.

They had all pledged allegiance to an ISIS offshoot, authorities said, anddiscussed a plan to contaminate one of Rio de Janeiro's water reservoirs.

"All of the accused were dedicated to promoting the terrorist organization called the Islamic State through the social networks Facebook, Twitter and Instagram," said the judge in the case, Marcos Josegrei da Silva.

The suspects, all Brazilian citizens, discussed plans in email threads, and via messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, according to court documents reviewed by NBC News.

Some celebrated other terrorist attacks, like the shooting at the Orlando nightclub.

It doesn't appear any of them knew each other aside from conversations online and messaging apps.

The convictions are the first under Brazil's new anti-terrorism law. Previously, terrorism was not clearly defined in Brazil and was treated like any other crime; now an individual can face up to 22 years in jail if found guilty of preparing terrorist acts.

One of the men sentenced under Brazil's new terrorism law for a plot against the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Court Documents

The newest issue of the ISIS magazine Rumiyah includes instructions for would-be terrorists about how to kill pedestrians with trucks. In infographic form, the instructions list the characteristics of the ideal vehicles ("slightly raised chassis and bumper"), where to buy, steal or rent the trucks, and the ideal targets.

The latest installment of the magazine's "Just Terror Tactics" feature comes as the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has just sent a warning about truck attacks to law enforcement agencies across the U.S.

Truck Attacks Poster Propaganda

We've got a bad feeling about this.

The Russian government jumped on the "May the 4th Be With You" bandwagon by tweeting the message "Come to our side" over a photo of a key Star Wars character.

Han Solo? Nope.

Luke Skywalker? Nah.

Yoda, you ask? Nyet.

The Russian Embassy in the U.K. chose a photo of Darth Vader, a villain bent on galactic domination, to personify itself on what's come to be known as Star Wars Day.

Hopefully it's just a snarky joke from a Twitter account known for trolling. Otherwise, someone tell the Pentagon to fire up the Millennium Falcon.

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Ransomware That Hit Europe's Computers Did Not Come From NSA Leak - NBCNews.com

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