Category Archives: NSA

New Delhi: A major political controversy has been raging in the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius since June, which has dragged India right into the eye of the storm. While the Indian government has chosen to side with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, the imbroglio is deepening by the day.

It all started with the June resignation of former Mauritius Telecom (MT) CEO Sherry Singh. While stepping down, Singh, regarded as a key government insider and close confidant of Jugnauth, made a cryptic statement to his employees that said: I am unable to continue without compromising my values and that is not an option for me.

In interviews to the media, Singh subsequently made allegations about the Mauritian PM, hinting at Indias hand in a controversy surrounding the SAFE (South Africa Far East) cable, a 13,500-km submarine fibre optic cable connecting South Africa, Mauritius, La Runion in France, India and Malaysia.

In two interviews given to the Le Dfi Media Group and La Sentinelle, which were broadcast live, Singh alleged that PM Jugnauth had forced him to allow an Indian team to access a SAFE cable landing station at Baie-du-Jacotet, a prohibited area.

Singh also said that the PMs main objective was to install a sniffing device that would spy on Mauritian internet traffic.

The countrys Central Criminal Investigation Department Special Cell is investigating the matter, on Jugnauths orders.

Asked about the issue, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi Thursday sought to downplay it. I dont know if I have the full details of that, but my understanding is that the prime minister of Mauritius has already made a statement. I really dont have anything further to add to that. I think thats good enough from our perspective, he said.

Jugnauth responded to Singhs allegations Thursday, while speaking to mediapersons. Where is his irrefutable evidence, if he keeps his right to silence? he asked.

The Mauritian PM also said, When he accused me of doing something illegal, I expected him to go and give a statement to the police. He didnt when I gave him time. So it was I who made a statement to the police.

A new CEO will take over by early August, he added.

Also Read: Snoopgate, corrupt unparliamentary but not banned, says LS speaker after opposition hits out

The former Mauritius Telecom CEO, who reportedly also has an interest in joining politics and is negotiating with opposition parties there, told the Le Dfi Media Group: With or without me, there will be a political tsunami.

In an interview to the local media, Singh ruled out the role of Indias National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in the matter, but did say that leader of the Indian team of technicians came for the cable.

Asked why he allowed the cable to be accessed, Singh said, The prime minister is the supreme leader, I had to obey orders. But I could not accept that a third party has access to private data, because it would be a betrayal.

The opposition parties of Mauritius have latched onto the controversy and resorted to India bashing of sorts, raising questions on why the current NSA of their country, Kumaresan Ilango, is an Indian and not a Mauritian.

A 1982-batch IPS officer, Ilango was the frontrunner for the post of Indias Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief in 2018. He was the station commander at the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, where he was allegedly blamed for playing a role in ousting their former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In September 2021, he was appointed by Jugnauth as the NSA of Mauritius. It was he who steered Mauritius to become a member of the Colombo Security Conclave on maritime security cooperation along with India, Sri Lanka and Maldives, at a meeting held in March this year.

Earlier this week, Reza Uteem, a leader of the opposition Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), sought to link the controversy with Ilangos appointment.

To this, the PM replied that while the controversy is under investigation, the NSA was appointed following a request by the Indian government.

Responding to Uteem, the PM also said, What have you got against India?It is regretful that some people in the opposition are indulging themselves in systematic India bashing to pursue their sinister agenda.

(Edited by Gitanjali Das)

Also Read: Pegasus snooping a form of cyber-terrorism, says ex-RSS ideologue Govindacharya, moves SC

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CEO resignation, spying allegation why Indias in middle of raging controversy in Mauritius - ThePrint

Written by Mark Pomerleau Jul 22, 2022 | FEDSCOOP

The new commander of the Air Forces information warfare unit wants to increase and bolster partnerships to beat back adversaries in the information space, a lesson learned in his previous role at U.S. Cyber Command.

As weve seen about how information is used, I think information can be used to build coalitions in competition and I think sharing and exposing malign activity and sharing insights with our allies and partners, I think, is a key activity in competition to build those alliances and partnerships. Thats one thing I saw as the director of operations, Lt. Gen. Kevin Kennedy told reporters Thursday.

Kennedy, who was most recently the director of operations at U.S. Cyber Command, assumed command of 16th Air Force in a July 21 ceremony and will now be the units second ever commander. He takes over for Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, who will head to Cyber Command to serve as its deputy commander.

16th Air Force was created in 2019 to fuse various disciplines and commands within the Air Force to break down barriers for a more efficient information warfare entity. It serves as the service cyber component to Cyber Command and the National Security Agency converging disciplines such as cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, information operations and weather.

Kennedy said he saw firsthand at Cyber Command the importance of partnerships and that is something he hopes to bring to 16th Air Force.

When we were in crisis, I think thats also a way to contest misinformation then as we go into crisis types or conflict type activities sharing of information really enables joint operations to be more effective, he said. I saw that play out as director of operations and I think as the commander of 16th Air Force, working with our wings and partners and the other Air Force components, I think we can bring that to bear.

Partnerships have been a top priority for Gen. Paul Nakasone, the commander of Cyber Command and director of NSA.

Cyber Command has worked with several partner nations to build their capacity in cyberspace and share threat information that benefits the broader cybersecurity community.

One example includes so-called hunt forward missions, in which teams from Cyber Command physically deploy to nations at their request to hunt for malicious threats on their network.

These operations are mutually beneficial because they help bolster the security of partner nations and provide Cyber Command and by extension, the U.S. advanced notice of adversary tactics allowing the U.S. to harden systems at home against these observed threats.

This week Cyber Command shared technical details of malware targeting Ukrainians based on information the Ukrainian government shared with the command.

Outgoing Cmdr. Haugh also noted that at the creation of 16th Air Force, he underestimated the importance partnerships can play.

An area that we assumed that we would be able to maximize some of the effects wed have was through partnership. We definitely underestimated the opportunity space there, Haugh told reporters prior to his departure.

Kennedy is also taking other lessons from his time at Cyber Command, such as the recognition of how information can be a critical enabler.

Its clear to me as information warfare and using information, its ever-present during competition as we see crises across the globe, I think it is the dominant activity and then a key enabler or if not the essential enabler as we enter into conflict, he said. My role as the director of operations and now the commander of 16th Air Force, I see as we hunt, expose, contest, and when necessary, defeat adversaries in the information domain, I can see that my understanding of how we integrated the cyber element of national power into that as we bring those other enterprises of the ISR, EW and our weather enterprises to bear on that as well.

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New Air Force information warfare commander wants to increase partnerships - FedScoop

FORT MEADE, Md. The National Security Agency (NSA) and partner cybersecurity authorities released a Cybersecurity Information Sheet today recommending that Microsoft Windows operators and administrators properly configure and monitor PowerShell to prevent and detect abuse by malicious actors.NSA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the New Zealand and UK National Cybersecurity Centres developed Keeping PowerShell: Security Measures to Use and Embrace to help Windows operators and administrators understand how PowerShell supports system maintenance, forensics, automation, and security.PowerShell is a scripting language and command line tool included with Microsoft Windows that provides many features, including the ability to automate tasks, improve incident response and enable forensics efforts. However, the same extensibility, ease of use, and availability that aids net defenders also provides an opportunity for malicious cyber actors, who have often abused PowerShell after gaining access to victim networks.This has prompted some net defenders to disable or remove the Windows tool. NSA and its partners advise against doing so, and instead recommend following the guidance in this advisory to properly configure and monitor the tool. Recent versions of PowerShell include improved defensive capabilities, including ways to counter PowerShell abuse. The report outlines security features in PowerShell that help with protecting credentials, remote management configurations, anti-virus scanning and logging.Read the full report here. Visit our full library for more cybersecurity information and technical guidance.

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Partners Recommend Properly Configuring, Monitoring PowerShell in New Report - National Security Agency

5G core software expert Alepo and Casa Systems announced a strategic partnership that will simplify the deployment of 5G networks and reduce time-to-market and resource requirements for service providers and enterprise customers.

Casas cloud-native 5G Core, combined with the Alepos subscriber data management (SDM) and converged policy control (PCF, PCRF), will deliver an industry-leading low resource footprint that keeps initial investment low. It will give service providers and private enterprises the ability to deploy 4G, 5G, and fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband networks more rapidly and cost effectively.

5G transforms the role of the service provider, opening new opportunities to forge cross-industry partnerships to launch diverse services. The combination of Alepos policy control and containerized SDM with Casa Systems portfolio of open, cloud-native 5G Core network functions, facilitates a smooth transition to 5G. Service providers can shift to a fully virtualized service-based environment using a single solution to support both LTE and 5G.

The solution provides a secure, flexible, scalable, cloud-native architecture with 3GPP standards-compliant network functions, enabling service providers to upgrade to 5G without disrupting their existing services. Service providers of all sizes can swiftly introduce 5G capabilities and support new 5G use cases, including private enterprise networks, for diverse industry verticals.Alepos cloud-native network functions are built to maximize ROI, with compact resource needs, high-performance architecture, and an agnostic approach to deployment infrastructure.

Alepos experience in digital transformation helps modernize operational architecture without service disruption, shifting to a fully virtualized service-based environment as operators evolve to 5G.Multiple field trials and deployments with leading operators in the US, Europe, and Australia are underway, including a leading mobile operator deploying private 5G and a fixed broadband operator deploying a fixed and wireless solution to expand coverage to underserved communities.

Gibson Ang, Vice President, Technology at Casa SystemsAt Casa Systems, we rely on a simple truth: if the network is not built for you, it is not the right network. For 5G to be successful, the network must be tailored to meet each customers specific needs. Thats why Casa built an open, interoperable, cloud-native 5G Core network architecture that allows us to pull in best-of-breed technologies so that we can create cloud-native network solutions that unlock new markets, new services, and new revenues for our customers.

Derrick Gross, President of AlepoAlepo has been at the forefront of 5G, with SDM and policy components that offer among the lowest resource footprints in the industry, and Casas components are the perfect complement for what weve developed. Were thrilled to partner with Casa Systems on our shared mission of enabling global operators to launch and monetize 5G regardless of their size.

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Casa Systems, Alepo Team Up to Deliver 5G SA & 5G NSA Solutions - The Fast Mode

MANILA, Philippines Incoming National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos voiced her disapproval Friday of the practice of red-tagging, or conflating progressive critics and activists as armed insurgents, calling it "unproductive."

This comes after incumbent National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, a retired Philippine Army general, launched an offensive against progressive groups and alternative media outfitswith just two weeks left in his term. Advocates called this an attack on press freedom and civil liberties.

Speaking overThe Mangahas Interviews, Carlos questioned the practice of red-tagging popularized as of late under the Duterte administration's anti-insurgency campaign calling it lazy thinking.

"What I will bring into our national security landscape is really my training as a political scientist...when you run out of arguments, you label.It's not a productive thing and it's antithetical to the presumption of innocence, right? Why are we doing things that are not productive? Let's stop doing that," she said in mixed Filipino and English.

"If you have proof, well then you should file a case in court. Does labeling help you? No, so don't waste your time."

Outgoing Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, who has accepted his nomination as the next solicitor general, also said the statement earlier this week. The incoming solicitor general said that "labelling" is dangerous and complaints should be filed instead.

Carlos said that the national government should address the root causes of the communist insurgency by looking at problems on the ground.

"The roots are there...address the lack of justice, the lack of opportunities for our youth," she said in Filipino. "And you're killing their future; they can't aspire to be journalists, scientists, engineers, architects...If you kill them, they'll take up arms."

"So we should give them opportunities to study, to be healthy, health is a security issue, and give them opportunities to flourish as an individual, because they will contribute to building a better Philippines. Not by holding a gun, but by becoming a senator, a plumber, a carpenter. Because that's what this is about."

Categorically asked if there would be changes in the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, Carlos said: "That wasn't included when we were briefed...I'll need to study that first [because] there are so many offices involved...I don't want to comment first because I don't understand it yet."

As the government's security adviser, Carlos will be among those behind thecontroversialAnti-Terrorism Council, feared by many to be abuse its powers to limit dissent and undermine democracy under pretext of countering terrorism.

In President Rodrigo Duterte's Philippines, the communist insurgency is the boogeyman up there with the illegal drug trade as public enemy number one. The president's nightly addresses feature lengthy asides that see the chief executive railing against left-leaning activists and drug suspects alike.

This has culminated in the widespread practice of red-tagging,defined by Philippine jurisprudence as the act of labeling, branding, naming and accusing individuals and/or organizations of being left-leaning, subversives, communists or terrorists (used as) a strategy... by State agents, particularly law enforcement agencies and the military, against those perceived to be threats or enemies of the State.

But the Commission on Human Rights has warned that the practice of red-tagging, which has increased in 2020, "violates the constitutional guarantee of presumption of innocence and may have serious implications on the security and movement of individuals and groups involved."

READ:Militarization in Philippines has 'damaging effects' on civic space, democratic freedoms think tank

Many activists and members of progressive and left-leaning groups have pointed out that many who are red-tagged often end up shot and killed by unknown assailants. Rights groups, including the UN Human Rights Office, have said the dangerous practice has been institutionalized in the country.

The Constitution guarantees the presumption of innocence, while leaning towards the left of the political spectrum or even being a communist is not illegal in the Philippines.

Even the government's own National Security Plan 2017-2022 acknowledges what it calls "the root causes of internal conflicts, namely: poverty and social injustice, widespread economic inequity, poor governance, abuse and control of political power, and marginalization of cultural communities."

"Terrorism is hard to define. I teach that. There are over 100 definitions for it. Even the UN cannot ask for a consensus on its definition. Why? Because terrorism is a political-related term," Carlos said.

"Just use terms under the Penal Code because those are defined in the operational component." Franco Luna

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Incoming NSA chief on 'unproductive' practice of red-tagging: Let's stop doing that - Philstar.com

ISLAMABAD: Former national security adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusufs son has qualified for Pakistans Under-14 chess team, he announced on Thursday.

Until now, one of the proudest moments of my life was the first time I wore Pakistans official colours to represent the country internationally as a golfer. This was 25 years ago, Yusuf wrote on his official Twitter handle.

Alhamdulillah my son has made me even prouder this week..by qualifying to be part of Pakistans under-14 chess team that just competed in the West Asian junior Championship. Seeing him in the green blazer is a dream come true for me, he added.

The former NSA said he gave up golf after entering professional life. Am determined to encourage my son to stay the course. Request prayers and best wishes for his and his teammates future success and happiness.

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Ex-NSA Moeed proud on son's selection to Pakistan Under-14 chess team - Pakistan Today

New Delhi [India], June 21: India will sympathetically look at cases of members of the minority community in Afghanistan applying for visas, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has said and noted that New Delhi will stand by its commitment to Sikhs and Hindus in the neighbouring country.

While addressing the media, Ajit Doval said, "The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) clearly states that in case any of the minorities in our neighbouring countries are persecuted on the basis of their religion...we have given visas to large number of Sikhs."

Also Read: Agniveers will get opportunity to join Merchant Navy after completing 4-year training: Navy officer

"As flights are available, some of them will be coming back, others will apply, we will look at their cases very sympathetically," he added.

He was responding to a question on the CAA and if India will be giving visas to more people of minority communities in Afghanistan.

Doval termed the attack on Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul on Saturday last that resulted in the death of two persons as very unfortunate.

"It was a very unfortunate incident. Should not have happened. There are forces...terror and violence these are things with which we have to live in modern times. The Government of India is doing everything. It has assured the Sikhs and Hindus out there that India will stand by its commitment," he said. added.

Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) took responsibility for Karte Parwan Gurdwara attack in Kabul.

Following the attack on the gurdwara, India decided to grant e-visas to over 100 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan on priority.

There have been other attacks and incidents of violence against religious minorities in Afghanistan.

Also Read:No change in Agnipath recruitment process: Department of Military Affairs

In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which at least 27 Sikhs were killed. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack.

-PTC News

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India will stand by its commitment to Afghan Sikhs, Hindus: NSA Doval - PTC News

The National Security Agency (NSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) today, Peoples Republic of China State-Sponsored Cyber Actors Exploit Network Providers and Devices. The advisory highlights how Peoples Republic of China (PRC) actors have targeted and compromised major telecommunications companies and network service providers primarily by exploiting publicly known vulnerabilities. Networks affected have ranged from small office/home office (SOHO) routers to medium and large enterprise networks.The PRC has been exploiting specific techniques and common vulnerabilities since 2020 to use to their advantage in cyber campaigns. Exploiting these vulnerabilities has allowed them to establish broad infrastructure networks to exploit a wide range of public and private sector targets.General mitigations outlined in the advisory include: applying patches as soon as possible, disabling unnecessary ports and protocols, and replacing end-of-life network infrastructure. NSA, CISA, and FBI also recommend segmenting networks and enabling robust logging of internet-facing services and network infrastructure accesses.The advisory is broken down into three sections: an explanation of common vulnerabilities exploited by PRC state-sponsored cyber actors, an introduction of how telecommunications and network service provider targeting occurred through open source and custom tools, and an overview of recommended mitigations.The information in this advisory complements NSAs previous releases, Chinese State-Sponsored Cyber Operations: Observed TTPs and Chinese State-Sponsored Actors Exploit Publicly Known Vulnerabilities, and continues to highlight the cross-organizational partnerships between NSA, CISA, and FBI in protecting U.S. critical systems against PRC cyber actors.Read the full advisory for more details about this malicious cyber activity and how to take action against it to prevent further exploitation.For additional cybersecurity advisories, visit NSA.gov/Cybersecurity-guidance.

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CISA, and FBI Expose PRC State-Sponsored Exploitation of Network Providers, Devices - National Security Agency

FORT MEADE, MDPraised as a leader in centering people from groups not traditionally represented onscreen, the National Security Agency was honored Monday for its diversity in surveillance footage. In a time when people from marginalized communities long ignored in the media have to fight for space on the screen, the NSA has used its vast network of surveillance cameras to center minority stories, said Terrence Walz of the American Civil Liberties Union, presenting a plaque to NSA director Paul Nakasone and singling out the agencys PRISM and Upstream initiatives for their focus on portraying people from minority groups in the environments in which they actually live. Many organizations pay lip service to minority perspectives, but the NSA really understands the assignment. It routinely centers people from every background in its surveillance effortsBlack or white, gay or straight, people of every creed and ethnic group are prominently featured in the NSAs work. In fact, there are many examples in which the NSA films only people from marginalized backgrounds, and its many hundreds of hours of footage highlight its commitment to ensuring these groups are seen onscreen. We commend the NSA for its dedication to centering underrepresented voices, and we hope it serves as an inspiration to others for telling more diverse stories. This is what America looks like. Nakasone added that he just hoped the NSAs work would encourage young people from marginalized backgrounds to see themselves and their stories as worthy of constant government surveillance.

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NSA Honored For Diversity In Surveillance Footage - The Onion

NSA Ajit Doval with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other dignitaries during a meeting, in New Delhi

Photo : PTI

"My understanding is that what you are referring to in a readout has been pulled down," said Bagchi, who was responding to a question on the issue.

According to news agency PTI, the now-deleted readout quoted Abdollahian as saying that Doval has reaffirmed the Indian government's respect for the Prophet Mohammad, saying offenders will be dealt with in an exemplary manner.

"Ajit Doval reaffirmed the Indian government and officials' respect for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), saying offenders will be dealt with, at the government and related bodies levels, in such a way that others will learn a lesson," the Iranian foreign ministry statement read.

"Amirabdollahian said Muslims are satisfied with the stance of Indian officials in dealing with the culprits," the statement added.

The Iranian Foreign Minister also hailed the Indian people and government for their respect for the divine faiths, especially the Prophet Muhammad, and also for the religious tolerance, historical coexistence, and friendship among followers of various religions in the country, readout further said.

Therefore, such raucous clamour neither suits India nor is rooted in India, and surely the followers of all religions in the Indian territory oppose such comments, the ministry statement quoted Abdollahian as saying.

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Prophet remark row: Iran pulls down its version of meeting with NSA Ajit Doval - Times Now