China experts warn of influence operations in U.S.

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A new report by China specialists, who long supported engagement, warns of Beijing’s efforts to influence American society.

While the report makes clear its belief that China has not interfered directly in national elections in the U.S., it presents a strong case that China has attempted to exert influence through American corporations, university funding, and Chinese-language media.

More specifically, it indicates that China has fielded a lesser-noticed, informal network of “collectors” who are “operating under the radar” through a maze of ventures to harvest U.S. technical know-how for China’s economic priorities, including semiconductors, robotics, information technologies, aviation, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles.

How concerned are you by China’s attempts to infiltrate the American government, society, and economy to gain influence, steal secrets, and exert leverage?

Read the full story at the Washington Post

A Russian Hacking Resurgence

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The 2018 midterms are over, but Putin and the Russian hackers haven’t taken any time off from sowing discord. According to analysts, there’s been a resurgence since Election Day in Russian spearfishing attacks against U.S. government institutions, media outlets, and think tanks.

In one instance, Russian hackers impersonated a State Department spokesperson over email, sending fake government documents with corrupted links — all with the goal of getting recipients to download malware.

These attacks on our country will only grow worse until our leaders in Washington finally take appropriate action and adopt a proactive counteroffensive.

Read the full story from The Hill.

Russian Information Tactics on Display in Latest Ukraine Conflict

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It is a classic Russian move to force a confrontation by accusing the other side of what they are in fact guilty of.

This latest crisis began when when Russia accused Ukrainian ships of illegally entering its waters. You remember the invasion of Crimea back in March 2014… So who is illegally entering whose territory here?

President Trump is supposed to meet Putin on Friday. Let’s hope he firmly calls Putin out on Russia’s latest aggressive behavior toward Ukraine. He has so far refused to do so.

Read the full story at the BBC