Category Archives: NSA

A joint advisory issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Security Agency (NSA) has warned that the BlackMatter ransomware group has targeted multiple organizations deemed critical infrastructure, including two organizations in the U.S. food and agriculture sector.

The agencies did not name the victims, but Iowa New Cooperative, an Iowa-based farm service provider, was last month hit by a ransomware attack that saw hackers demand a $5.9 million ransom to unlock their systems. The attack was followed by a similar attack on Crystal Valley, a Minnesota-based farm supply and grain marketing cooperative.

The advisory provides an overview of the BlackMatter threat, its tactics (which includes the wiping of backup data stores and appliances, rather than encrypting them), detection signatures, and mitigation best practices. It also lends credence to the wider belief that BlackMatter might be a possible rebrand of the now-defunct DarkSide ransomware operation, which the FBI said was behind the attack on Colonial Pipeline.

BlackMatter provides ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) that allows other groups to rent its infrastructure, taking a cut of the ransom if a victim pays. The advisory notes that BlackMatter ransom demands have ranged from $80,000 to $15 million in cryptocurrency.

The advisory urges organizations, particularly those in critical infrastructure, to shore up cybersecurity defenses and to follow security best practices, including the use of strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. The three agencies also recommend keeping all operating systems up to date, using a host-based firewall and ensuring all backup data is encrypted.

The agencies also urge any organization hit by a ransomware attack to report it immediately and to refuse to pay the hackers ransom demands.

Paying a ransom may embolden adversaries to target additional organizations, encourage other criminal actors to engage in the distribution of ransomware, and/or may fund illicit activities, the three agencies warned. Paying the ransom also does not guarantee that a victims files will be recovered.

BlackMatter has also hit Japanese technology giant Olympus, which forced the shutdown of its European, Middle East and Africa network.

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CISA, NSA, FBI say BlackMatter ransomware group is targeting the US food industry - TechCrunch

The No Surprises Act (NSA), signed into law in December 2020, seeks to protect patients from surprise medical bills and prohibits balance billing for certain out-of-network care. The Transparency in Coverage Rule (TiC), published October 2020, provides consumers better insight into the cost of services before obtaining care and receiving a bill.

We know what you're thinking. The deadline for compliance is rapidly approaching.

We've got your back.

We also provide legislative expertise and guidance to help plans manage the complexity introduced by both the NSA and the TiC Rule.

And while these new requirements will add complexity to healthcare claim processing and administration, both pre- and post-service, the ruling's most significant impact lies in two key areas: transparency and member engagement and out-of-network (OON) claim processing and payment.

Zelis Machine-Readable Files will address out-of-network (OON) MRF data requirements for Zelis-priced OON claims. We will also offer in-network (INN) MRF data with median INN rates for clients whose primary networks are owned or managed by Zelis.

Zelis Member ID will enable enhanced ID card capabilities to print compliant ID cards with additional required information including member deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and information on where to find in-network providers.

Zelis Member Communications will publish compliant AEOBs (both print and digital) with the ability to handle increased volume.

Zelis will offer compliant directories for clients whose primary networks are owned or managed by Zelis.

Zelis Market-Based Pricing offers payers a fully outsourced solution that meets No Surprises Act (NSA) compliance immediately upon implementation. Moreover, we provide the Qualifying Payment Amount (QPA), provider payment amount, provider settlement and support in an Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR.)

Market-Based Pricing calculates reasonable and acceptable reimbursements benchmarked by procedure, provider and geography.

Zelis Claims Negotiation succeeds through a combination of expertise, proactive provider outreach and a demonstrable validity of market rates, driving a high rate of successfully retained savings prior to payment.

Because providers can no longer balance bill the member for NSA claims, their billing practices on these claims are likely to change. Zelis will offer expert guidance for negotiating with providers and incorporating market median data for NSA claims.

Zelis Claims Settlement manages the settlement process on your behalf to ensure compliance by defending, negotiating, and providing data needed for successful settlement, all within the timeframes required by the NSA.

As part of the IDR process, Zelis Claim Resolution will leverage our negotiations and claim settlement expertise, provide data, analytics and reporting to support and defend clients in IDR, all within the time frames specified in the NSA.

Some providers may use the threat of arbitration to persuade payers to settle for higher reimbursements. Zelis will help you understand the impact of various pricing strategies and their likelihood of acceptance. Zelis will collect, aggregate and analyze claims settlement and arbitration data to develop a predictive model that illustrates the overall effectiveness of pricing and arbitration results, and how those evolve over time.

The No Surprises Act and Transparency in Coverage Rule will impact all healthcare organizations, from large health plans and systems to small medical offices and individual providers. As such, leaders across the healthcare industry must directly understand the details of the legislation prior to implementation or have a trusted advisor with legislative expertise who can guide them to appropriate solutions.

Zelis can help.

To further explore getting started with NSA compliance, reach out to your Zelis representative or connect with us here.

For access to additional information, visit Zelis'No Surprises Act Information Hub.

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Zelis helps address new NSA and TiC regulations - Healthcare Dive

Federal agencies fighting cyber adversaries must truly integrate their efforts and build a real partnership with the private sector to counter cyber threats, six public and private sector cyber security experts said Oct. 19 in a special panel discussion hosted by Auburn Universitys McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security.

Companies and federal agencies need to go beyond information-sharing and create a joint operational approach, said experts from the White House, NSA, FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA.

The discussion was moderated by McCrary Institute Director Frank Cilluffo, who described the participants as the Mount Rushmore of cyber security experts.

The cyber experts representing the public and private sectors were:

In the past, we focused on collecting various pieces of evidence to try to connect the dots and identify a potential threat, said Chris Inglis, the White House National Cyber Director. But today, the challenge is how to collaborate to discover a threat that none of us could have discovered alone.

The private sector is now on the front lines, as it builds, maintains and defends critical parts of our infrastructure. The government needs to shift to a more supportive role, bringing its resources to help secure the private sector. We need a structure where a transgressor in cyber space would need to beat all of us to beat any of us.

While the federal government is tasked with leading the fight, more than 85 percent of the nations critical infrastructure, including cyber networks, remain in private hands, enhancing the national security threat. Federal initiatives will have little impact if they are not built into private sector security operations, the participants noted.

What were undertaking now on the cyber side is a form of terrorism that holds companies unable to function. This requires an elevated level of collaboration like weve never seen before in the private sector, said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.

Companies handle proprietary and sensitive information all the time, said NSA Director of Cyber Security Rob Joyce. What Ive seen in NSA in the last several months is weve been able to take that sensitive information, get it down to that unclassified level where its operational and work with companies in the defense industrial base. For years, weve had things go up, over, around and down. Frankly, thats too slow and often misinterpreted. Those are the kinds of things weve got to get to right.

To best protect private cyber infrastructure, panelists suggested becoming a more difficult cyber target through collaboration, trust, resilient cyber networks and building a strong, cyber-educated workforce beginning at an early age.

Cyber security is a team sport, said Department of Homeland Security CISA Director Jen Easterly. It really matters to have those trusted relationships. This is all about the future of partnerships, which is operational collaboration. The federal government is really just a co-equal partner with the private sector and state and local colleagues. It truly is about a collective defense, in particular given that we live in a highly digitized, highly connected and highly complex threatened environment, which is evolving every day.

If a company cant afford to protect itself, it probably cant afford to be in business, added Berkshire Hathaway Energy CEO William J. Fehrman. I know some companies share a significant concern about data being provided to the government. Will it be used for the purposes of national defense and critical infrastructure protection? Or will it be used for regulatory and legal reasons that could come back and hurt the companies? Moving this forward, there must be a confidence built across companies that when the collaboration is occurring, its occurring for the purposes of national defense and defensive critical infrastructure.

McCrary Institute Director Frank Cilluffo noted, Sometimes we have a plandemic of plans. Plans have no value unless we are ready to work together and act on them. I have grappled with the challenge of collaboration for decades, but I believe we finally have the team in place to get this done.

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Leading cybersecurity officials call for real collaboration between the public, private sectors to fend off threats of cyber threats - Office of...

(UPDATE 10/20/2021 1 p.m.) NSA Bethesda announced that the shelter remained in effect at the Walter Reed center however the NSABs commanding officer lifted the shelter in place at all other locations.

NSAB also authorized the opening of Gates 1 and 3 for outbound traffic only.

Those inside the Walter Reed Bethesda shelter should standby as the shelter in place orders will be lifted building by building.

BETHESDA, Md. (WDVM) The Naval Support Activity Bethesda reported a bomb threat, putting the base on lockdown including the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center campus on Wednesday morning.

The Walter Reed Bethesda Twitter page stated that all appointments had been canceled.

Around 8:45 a.m. the Naval Support Activity Bethesda said there was a bomb threat to building 10. There was also an active shooter investigation in which the Twitter page showed there was no indication of a shooter around 10 a.m.

Security personnel have responded to the scene.

All people were asked to stay clear of Walter Reed Bethesda, and the public was asked to go indoors to the nearest building and to shelter in place.

All gates were closed to non-emergency traffic.

Around 10:15 a.m. Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart enacted a shelter in place protocol announced on its Twitter page. The school assured that all students were indoors and safe. Classes were also resuming at this time.

For more local stories and news tips, follow @EliseKimTV onFacebook,InstagramorTwitter.

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UPDATE: NSA Bethesda on lockdown due to bomb threat, shelter in place orders lifting - phl17.com

The University of North Georgia (UNG) has received a two-year STARTALK grant of more than $327,000 from the National Security Agency (NSA) to provide instruction on the Chinese language and astronomy for high school students.

Through the grant, UNG will offer tutoring in Chinese and cultural workshops for more than 150 high school students in spring 2022. It will also provide a free two-week Chinese language and astronomy academy for 20 students on UNG's Dahlonega Campus in summer 2022, as well as post-camp activities designed to reinforce that learning throughout 2022-23 for the 20 academy participants.

Dr. Yunjuan He, associate professor of Chinese, is the principal investigator for the grant.

"In addition to improving students' Chinese language proficiency, we hope to help them develop their interest in federal careers such as NASA and other astronomical institutes," she said.

Ying Feng Kline, a lecturer of Chinese from Penn State University, will serve as lead instructor for the summer academy. Dr. Yanfei Zhu, UNG associate professor of visual arts, and faculty members from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, High Point University, Hamilton College and other schools will offer online talks for the pre-camp and post-camp activities.

"It's rare to have the chance to tackle both science and Chinese language learning at the same time, and yet, Professor He's dedication to this initiative will provide a truly special learning experience," Dr. Christopher Jespersen, dean of the College of Arts & Letters, said. "We look forward to hosting the STARTALK camp at UNG."

UNG has hired four professional tutors and two UNG Chinese Language Flagship students who are on the advanced track to work with students in spring 2022.

The mission of STARTALK is to support "student education and teacher development programs of less commonly taught and critical-need languages that meet the national security and defense priorities."

Dr. D. Brian Mann, department head of Modern and Classical Languages, said research shows teaching Chinese earlier helps the knowledge become more ingrained for students, and it will set them up well for advanced studies at UNG.

"This makes it possible for them to go further in their Chinese proficiency," Mann said.

Applications for the spring 2022 tutoring are open through Nov. 1. Accepted students will meet individually with their tutor online for half an hour weekly for 17 weeks during the spring semester.

There will be a separate application process for the June 5-18 residential camp, but students who receive tutoring will be encouraged to apply. Students who participate in the camp will have access to post-camp learning activities.

This press release was produced by University of North Georgia. The views expressed here are the author's own.

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UNG : NSA Grant Will Fund Chinese And Astronomy Education - Patch.com

By Michael Hasenauer, 57th Wing Public Affairs / Published October 20, 2021

According to Jeffery Blazi, Nellis Utilities and Energy manager, Nellis Solar Array 1 provided enough electricity to power more than 2,350 households in 2020.

Additionally, NSA 1 saves Nellis AFB $1 million in electricity annually and reduces its yearly greenhouse gas emissions by 24,000 tons. NSA 1 was built in 2007 and covers 140 acres, which includes a previous landfill of 33 acres and provides 14.2 megawatts of power.

NSA 2 occupies 102 acres. According to Blazi, when it was constructed in 2015, the Air Force received a new backup substation and electrical feeder valued at $10 Million in return for the lease on the land. Currently NSA 2 provides 18.8 MW of solar power, avoiding 17,700 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

If you combine NSA 1 and NSA2, then Nellis has arguably the largest solar array in the Air Force, Blazi said. Eglin, Vandenberg, Elmendorf, Osan, Ramstein, Davis-Monthan, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Luke also have large solar arrays.

Powering the base during the day is not the end for the electricity generated by the solar fields.

Around 19% of the solar that we generate goes off-grid to supply the local community, Blazi mentioned. That is enough electricity to provide power to around 900 single family homes.

At night and when the sun is not shining, the base receives electricity from the Nevada Energy grid.

According to the Air Forces Environment, Safety and Infrastructure office, Every October, the Department of the Air Force recognizes Energy Awareness Month to highlight the critical role of energy for our combat capability and readiness, and the strategic importance of mitigating and adapting to climate change through energy-informed solutions.

In recognition of Energy Awareness Month, here are some ways to help save energy and the environment:

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Nellis is doing its part in greening the desert through solar energy - Tyndall Air Force Base

Russian demonstrators hold anti-American posters outside the U.S. Embassy in 2015. From the 1960s through the 1980s, the U.S. said the Soviet Union beamed microwave signals at the U.S. Embassy in an attempt to collect intelligence. // AP, Alexander Zemlianichenko

In 1996, Michael Beck and a colleague at the National Security Agency were sent to a "hostile country" on a brief assignment. After being detained at the airport for about an hour, they were allowed to go, but they knew they were being closely watched.

A few days into the assignment, Beck woke up at his hotel feeling terrible.

"It was extreme fatigue and weakness. I was a bowl of jelly and couldn't get moving," said Beck. He was suspicious of the cause, but the symptoms went away.

A full decade later, Beck was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease at age 46. At almost exactly the same time, his colleague from that trip, Chuck Gubete, received the very same diagnosis. Gubete, who died several years later, had a family history of Parkinson's, but Beck didn't.

Beck came to believe that his illness was caused while on that trip, and he filed a workers' compensation claim with the NSA. As part of the process, the NSA sent Beck a short but striking letter in 2014.

"The National Security Agency confirms there is intelligence information from 2012 associating the hostile country to which Mr. Beck traveled in the late 1990s with a high powered microwave system weapon that may have the ability to weaken, intimidate or kill an enemy over time and without leaving evidence," the letter said.

"This weapon is designed to target the living quarters in microwaves, causing numerous physical effects, including a damaged nervous system," the letter added.

Beck, now 61 and living in Maryland, is still battling to prove his claim. The country he traveled to remains classified. But his attorney Mark Zaid notes that the NSA letter was written in 2014 two years before the first Havana Syndrome cases were reported.

"Here we have an unclassified document from a U.S. intelligence agency admitting it knows of this before Havana," Zaid said.

The U.S. government says it's still trying to figure out what's causing the mystery ailments known as Havana Syndrome, which began afflicting mostly U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers in the Cuban capital five years ago.

There are reportedly more than 200 cases in multiple countries, with many saying they've suffered debilitating migraines, dizziness and memory loss.

While that investigation continues, the U.S. government has documented one country, and its intelligence services, going to extraordinary lengths to target a U.S. Embassy and personnel.

"The Russian services are very aggressive. They would use whatever means possible to collect [intelligence] against us," said John Sipher, a retired CIA officer. Sipher served in Moscow in the 1990s and in the early 2000s led the spy agency's Russia operations at CIA headquarters.

"I've stayed in touch with a lot of folks, and it is a general view that the Russians have probably taken actions that have impacted the health of American diplomats and intelligence officers," said Sipher.

Sipher acknowledges that his information is anecdotal, not scientific. He points to numerous former colleagues who came down with cancer at relatively young ages.

What has been firmly established is Moscow's long history of surveilling the U.S. Embassy like the intricate, hand-carved wooden seal of the United States that Soviet schoolchildren presented as a gift to the American ambassador in 1945. That seal contained a listening device that eavesdropped on countless conversations of U.S. ambassadors before it was uncovered seven years later.

And in the 1970s and '80s, the Soviets intercepted IBM electric typewriters in transit from the U.S. to the embassy. The Soviets installed monitoring devices that picked up most every keystroke for years.

One of the longest-running operations, dating to the 1960s and lasting for decades, was beaming microwaves at the embassy.

Memos from the CIA, the State Department and presidential advisers routinely refer to this practice, especially in the 1970s and '80s.

"This would seem an appropriate opportunity to reiterate at a high level, our standing demand that microwave signals directed at Embassy be shut off forthwith," Jack Matlock, the embassy's No. 2 official at the time, wrote in a 1978 memo.

The Soviets were presumably seeking intelligence, and health concerns were mentioned mostly in passing in these memos.

Of course, the spying runs both ways, with the U.S. pursuing Russian secrets as well. But the Havana Syndrome cases, first reported in 2016, have generated so much attention because so many U.S. officials have reported falling ill. Cases have since been reported in multiple countries, including Russia, Germany, Austria, China and Colombia.

Dr. James Giordano, a professor of neurology at Georgetown University, was asked by the State Department to start looking into the initial cases from Havana.

"It wasn't just accidental. Clearly, these individuals were getting hit with something which would have put them in the line of fire," said Giordano.

As more cases are reported, he says he's seeing strong similarities.

"I think what's important to understand, and this is an important term, is a constellation of effects, which is a generalized pattern of effects," he said. "If you're going to categorize them within a set of objective signs and subjective symptoms, they fall very squarely, and I would say rather neatly, within that definable set of characteristics."

At the request of the State Department, the National Academies of Sciences compiled a report last December.

"The mechanism that we found most plausible was a form of microwave radiation that occurs in a pulsed or intermittent form," David Relman, the Stanford professor who led the study, recently told NPR.

But Relman noted that the report was not definitive. Others have cast doubt on the microwave theory.

"We believe, although we can't show with direct evidence, that this [microwave] phenomenon could account for at least some of the clinical features," he added.

The Biden administration is making a push on multiple fronts. The CIA has ramped up its investigation. The Senate Intelligence Committee is getting regular briefings. President Biden signed a law this month providing compensation for those injured in Havana Syndrome cases.

When the first reports emerged five years ago, John Sipher and his former CIA colleagues immediately suspected Russia.

"The Russians have never hesitated to use technology that could hurt our health," he said. "But there was always a reason. It was always part of a process to break into our computers or to turn on listening devices. When this first happened, I thought this must be some technology that has gone wrong."

Now he's questioning that assumption.

"This hurting people and it is hurting their families and their children," he said. "But it's continuing to happen. The Russians if it is the Russians would have to be pretty bold to continue to do so when they now realize that they're harming the health of Americans."

If the U.S. government decides it has enough evidence to attribute the Havana Syndrome cases to a specific cause and a specific country that immediately raises an explosive question: How will the U.S. respond?

Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent. Follow him @gregmyre1.

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Long before Havana Syndrome, the US reported microwaves beamed at an embassy | NPR - Houston Public Media

The agricultural sector is designated as one of the countrys sixteen critical infrastructure industries, but historically has not received robust cybersecurity support from the government, according to a letter to the Department of Homeland Security from Iowa Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst. The letter presses the agency to address the rise in ransomware attacks, particularly damaging to the agricultural industry.

A Russian cybercrime cell, BlackMatter, hasattacked numerous U.S.-based organizations and hasdemanded ransom payments ranging from $80,000 to $15,000,000 in Bitcoin and Monero. In June, the worlds largest meat processing company, JBS, was attacked by REvil, shutting down nine meat packing plants in the United States. And in recent weeks, two Iowa grain operations were targeted.

TheCybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigationand National Security Agency published on Oct. 18 acybersecurity advisory regarding BlackMatter ransomware cyber intrusions targeting multiple U.S. critical infrastructure entities, including two U.S. food and agriculture sector organizations.

First seen in July 2021, cyber actors leveraged BlackMatter with embedded, previously compromised credentials that enabled them to access the network and remotely encrypt hosts and shared drives. When the actors found backup data stores and appliances on the network, not stored offsite, they wiped or reformatted the data. BlackMatter is a ransomware-as-a-service (Raas) tool, which means the developers are able to profit from cybercriminal affiliates (i.e., BlackMatter actors) who deploy it.

NEW Cooperative, an Iowa grain cooperative, was recently targeted with a cyberattack. BlackMatter took control of the Iowa co-ops systems and demanded $5.9 million. The systems BlackMatter attacked controlled crop irrigation, livestock feed schedules and inventory distribution. NEW Cooperative controls 40% of the grain distribution in the country.

The companys rapid return to alternative operations averted a crash in grain prices, but the threat of continued attacks has dire consequences, according to the senators letter.

In a separate cyberattack, BlackByte, another ransomware group, claims it attacked Farmers Cooperative Elevator Co., based in Arcadia, Iowa. BlackByte was threatening to release 100 gigabytes of sensitive data including financial, sales and accounting information if a ransom wasn't paid.

The extent of the damage from the NEW Cooperative and Farmers Cooperative Elevator Co. attacks is not isolated to the grain market. Feed from the cooperatives grain supply sustains millions of livestock.These attacks will affect the supply chain that puts food on the shelves in grocery stores across the country.As Iowa farmers adopt new technologies to get their crops to market, their exposure grows to similar attacks. That exposure not only risks the livelihood of Iowa farmers, it risks food security for Americans, the senators say.

The joint advisory from FBI, CISA and NSA highlights the evolving and persistent nature of criminal cyber actors and the need for a collective public and private approach to reduce the impact and prevalence of ransomware attacks, says Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director for cybersecurity, CISA.

CISA, FBI and NSA are taking every step possible to try to make it harder for cyber criminals to operate. Americans can help us in this long-term endeavor by visiting Stopransomware.gov to learn how to reduce their risk of becoming a victim of ransomware,says Goldstein.

CISA, FBI and NSA are unified in emphasizing the value and importance for organizations to apply best practices to protect their networks, systems and data, such as (1) implement and enforce backup procedures; (2) use strong, unique passwords; (3) use multi-factor authentication; and (4) implement network segmentation and traversal monitoring. Detection signatures are also included in this advisory that may be used for detecting network activity associated with BlackMatter activity.

The threat of ransomware goes beyond specific impacts to a victim company it has risen to a national security issue, says Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at NSA. NSAs technical skills and threat intelligence will continue to support our partners across government and industry to degrade adversary footholds into networks where they launch ransomware. Employing the mitigations in the joint advisory with CISA and FBI will protect networks and mitigate the risk against BlackMatter and other ransomware attacks.

Grassley and Ernst also requested a response from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas relating to the agencys preparation for future cybersecurity attacks and how the agricultural sector will be integrated into their plans.

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Government help needed to prevent cyberattacks in ag sector - Farm Progress

Image Source : PTI

Rail roko agitation: Section 144 imposed in Lucknow; police warn of NSA over disruption of normalcy

In wake of the rail roko agitation, the Lucknow Police have warned of strict action against those who would participate in the protest call by farmer unions. In a statement, the police said those who try to disrupt normalcy will be booked under the National Security Act (NSA). As a precautionary measure, the police have also imposed section 144, which prohibits the gathering of four or more people, in Lucknow.

"Police will take action against those who will participate in the 'Rail Roko Andolan' called by farmers organization. 144 CrPC is also imposed in the district and will impose NSA if anyone tries to disrupt normalcy," Lucknow Police said.

Lucknow Police Commissioner Dhruva Kant Thakur has given directions to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, assistant deputy commissioner of police, inspectors in charge in the Police Commissionerate, Lucknow, to "not let any anti-national activity take place" and asked them to take action against 'anti-social' elections involved in such activity under relevant sections of the law.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has called for a six-hour-long nationwide 'Rail roko' agitation on Monday demanding the removal of Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni from the Union Cabinet over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, in which his son Ashish Mishra Teni is an accused.

A total of eight people including four farmers died in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3.

However, MoS Teni had refuted the allegations saying that his son was not present at the site of the incident. Ashish reiterated the same and refuted SKM's allegations.

Later, several people, including Ashish Mishra, were arrested in the case.

(With inputs from ANI)

Also Read |Pawar draws reference to Indira Gandhi's assassination; advises Centre to 'not upset Punjab farmers'

Latest India News

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Rail roko agitation: Section 144 imposed in Lucknow; police warn of NSA over disruption of normalcy - India TV News

India has to augment its commercially available indigenous satellite communication solutions, tracking capabilities across geographies and protection of space assets, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said on Monday.ISpA: PM Modi launches industry body to advance the cause of private space tech companies

PM Modi Monday launched a premier industry association of space and satellite companies. Indian Space Association will undertake policy advocacy and engage with all stakeholders in the Indian space domain. It is represented by leading homegrown and global corporations with advanced space and satellite technologies capabilities such as Larson & Toubro, Nelco (Tata Group), OneWeb, Bharti Airtel Mapmyindia and others.

"Economic growth and technology development are the most important ingredients of national power. In such an environment, the national governments can no longer be the only stakeholders in evolving policies for national security and development," he said.

"Hitherto, exclusive domains such as space that were dominated by the public sector, therefore, need to be opened up to the private sector to ensure that we remain ahead of the curve," the national security advisor (NSA) said.

Doval said, "Private investments in the space sector will generate high tech jobs, facilitate technology absorption, and ensure involvement of foreign partners through joint ventures."

These steps will make India a manufacturing hub of space assets, he said

Doval said that a strong private sector industry will also contribute to meeting growing security challenges.

"India needs to focus on augmenting capacities in several areas such as...commercially available indigenous satellite communication solutions, research and development into futuristic technologies, tracking capabilities across geographies and protection of space assets," Doval said.

Creating an appropriate regulatory environment to address safety, security and legal liability issues will be central to this effort, he said.

The NSA said rapid strides have been made by the private sector in development of niche technologies.

"Many of these technologies are dual use. They have revolutionised activities in several areas including navigation, remote sensing, weather monitoring, agriculture, satellite communication and broadband internet," he said.

According to some estimates, the global space industry is poised to grow exponentially, the NSA said.

"With appropriate policy and regulations, the Indian private sector can become a co-traveller on India's space journey," he mentioned.

The excellent work done by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop an ecosystem of high quality suppliers provides India a solid base on which to upscale the involvement of private sector in space domain, the NSA noted.

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India has to augment tracking capabilities across geographies, protection of space assets: NSA Ajit Doval - Economic Times