Information Sharing, Cybersecurity Politics, Threats, and More

Bjørn Ihler is Director of the Sweden-based Khalifa Ihler Institute, as well as founder and CEO of Revontulet, a Norwegian consultancy devoted to helping organisations protect themselves against terrorism and violent extremism. Part III of our mini-series on terrorism and violent extremism deals with freedom of speech, laws, personal and corporate obligations, and support for survivors of extremist violence. Notes and links: Due to the volume of supporting links and text, we've listed them on the CyAN blog, available here:  https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/2025/05/21/new-podcast-return-of-the-bride-of-terrorism-with-bjorn-ihler/ Bjørn Ihler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjornih John Salomon on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsalomon/ Check out the rest of CyAN's media channels on https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/media - and visit us at https://cybersecurityadvisors.network Intro/outro music courtesy of Studio Kolomna via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/studiokolomna-2073170/ Original video at https://youtu.be/OFWY6h_CnvI  

Bjørn Ihler is Director of the Sweden-based Khalifa Ihler Institute, as well as founder and CEO of Revontulet, a Norwegian consultancy devoted to helping organisations protect themselves against terrorism and violent extremism. We continue our  conversation about terrorism - including whether the term has been watered down due to overuse, how we can spot extremist content, what some of the tactics of actors are, and how extremist and violent groups relate to more legitimate-yet-extreme political parties. Notes and links: Due to the volume of supporting links and text, we've listed them on the CyAN blog, available here:  https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/2025/05/16/new-podcast-some-more-terrorism-with-bjorn-ihler/ Bjørn Ihler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjornih John Salomon on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsalomon/ Check out the rest of CyAN's media channels on https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/media - and visit us at https://cybersecurityadvisors.network Intro/outro music courtesy of Studio Kolomna via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/studiokolomna-2073170/ Original video at https://youtu.be/PK7uG0h9A70  

Bjørn Ihler is Director of the Sweden-based Khalifa Ihler Institute, as well as founder and CEO of Revontulet, a Norwegian consultancy devoted to helping organisations protect themselves against terrorism and violent extremism. An activist, expert, and frequent speaker on the topic of terrorist and violent extremist content (TVEC), Bjørn joins us today to share his thoughts on the very broad topic of "terrorism".  What is it, who are the major actors, who is affected and how, where does terrorism come from, and more - these are all topics that we touch on in this fascinating introduction to an area that's often clouded by buzzwords and sensationalism. Notes and links: Due to the volume of supporting links and text, we've listed them on the CyAN blog, available here:  https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/2025/05/15/new-podcast-terrorism-with-bjorn-ihler/ Bjørn Ihler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjornih John Salomon on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsalomon/ Check out the rest of CyAN's media channels on https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/media - and visit us at https://cybersecurityadvisors.network Intro/outro music courtesy of Studio Kolomna via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/studiokolomna-2073170/ Original video episode is at https://youtu.be/cyHFNfeYN2M

This week, CyAN welcomes Gate15 Managing Director Andy Jabbour for a meandering talk around intelligence sharing, information security investments and ROI, US and European cyber policy, defence, and more. Notes and links: Due to the volume of supporting links and text, we've listed them on the CyAN blog, available here:  https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/2025/03/21/new-podcast-information-sharing-cybersecurity-politics-threats-and-more/ Andy Jabbour on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-jabbour/ ...and on BlueSky:  @andyjabbour.bsky.social John Salomon on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsalomon/ ...and on BlueSky:  @johnsalomon.bsky.social Check out the rest of CyAN's media channels on https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/media - and visit us at https://cybersecurityadvisors.network Intro/outro music courtesy of Studio Kolomna via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/studiokolomna-2073170/ Original video at https://youtu.be/woKOnPEOr_Q

Image-Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA) is a Growing Threat Online!  IBSA can happen to anyone—regardless of age, sex, or gender. With the rise of AI and deepfakes, both real and fake intimate images are being shared without consent, causing immense harm.  Explore the recorded session of "Breaking the Cycle – Combating Online Image-Based Sexual Abuse." Delve into expert discussions on the severe impacts of IBSA (Image-Based Sexual Abuse), strategies for prevention, and the pivotal role of technology in creating safer digital spaces.  This webinar discusses the complexity and solutions to help prevent and remove non consensual intimate images. Essential viewing for anyone dedicated to advancing digital safety.  Some useful online resources: STISA (Survivors & Tech Solving Image-Based Sexual Abuse) - https://stisa.network OFFLIMITS - the Dutch center of expertise for online abuse - https://offlimits.nl/ Resolver - https://www.resolver.com/ The Cybersecurity Advisors Network - https://cybersecurityadvisors.network Original video format available at https://youtu.be/Ythg4HB2_6Y

Due to the volume of supporting links and text, we've listed them on the CyAN blog, available here:  https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/2025/01/20/state-of-cyberwar-ep-8-2-military-cryptology-part-ii/ Hugo Tarrida on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-tarrida-32915a204/ John Salomon on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsalomon/ Check out the rest of CyAN's media channels on https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/media - and visit us at https://cybersecurityadvisors.network Original video at https://youtu.be/twC6NTt9R8E Intro music courtesy of AlexiAction via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/alexiaction-26977400/ Outro music courtesy of Studio Kolomna via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/studiokolomna-2073170/ Episode artwork via Wikipedia Commons

Mei Danowski, co-founder of Natto Thoughts, and Eugenio Benincasa of ETH Zürich's Center for Strategic Studies, join us to explain China's cyber-exercise capabilities. Mei is a veteran strategic threat intelligence analyst and a founding member of the Natto Thoughts team, and Eugenio Benincasa is a senior cyberdefense researcher at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic Institute. Notes and Links can be found on the CyAN blog, at https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/2024/12/04/chinas-cyber-range-exercises/ Mei Danowski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meidanowski/ Eugenio Benincasa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenio-benincasa-07a9517a Original YouTube video at https://youtu.be/IbnWHWE22GI Intro/outro music courtesy of Studio Kolomna via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/studiokolomna-2073170/  

Welcome to the second of our two-part edition on underwater communications cables. Hugo Tarrida and John Salomon discuss the current threat environment facing global underwater data links, motivations of actors, legal frameworks protecting these cables, and more. Notes and Links: Due to the volume of supporting links and text, we've listed them on the CyAN blog, available here:  https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/2024/09/24/subsea-cables-part-ii-mind-the-sharks/ Hugo Tarrida on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-tarrida-32915a204/ John Salomon on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsalomon/ Check out the rest of CyAN's media channels on https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/media - and visit us at https://cybersecurityadvisors.network Original video at https://youtu.be/Q6v4d9E_ta0 Intro music courtesy of AlexiAction via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/alexiaction-26977400/ Outro music courtesy of Studio Kolomna via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/studiokolomna-2073170/ Episode artwork via Wikipedia Commons

Welcome to the first of our two-part episode on underwater communications cables. Hugo Tarrida and John Salomon discuss the history and current situation surrounding the world of undersea comms infrastructure, and try to get a grasp of threats to the data links under our oceans that are an integral part of both civilian and military capabilities. Notes and Links: Due to the volume of supporting links and text, we've listed them on the CyAN blog, available here:  https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/2024/09/10/subsea-cables-a-crunchy-target/ Hugo Tarrida on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-tarrida-32915a204/ John Salomon on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsalomon/ Check out the rest of CyAN's media channels on https://cybersecurityadvisors.network/media - and visit us at https://cybersecurityadvisors.network Original video at https://youtu.be/frhAL_EY-yw Intro music courtesy of AlexiAction via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/alexiaction-26977400/ Outro music courtesy of Studio Kolomna via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/studiokolomna-2073170/ Episode artwork via Wikipedia Commons

State of (CyberWar) Episode 6.1 Join Hugo Tarrida and John Salomon for the latest part of our Middle East cyberwarfare mini-series. We decided to split a more in-depth discussion about the two most capable actors in the region, Israel and Iran, into two half-episodes. Join us as we look at the organizations that make up Israeli cyberwarfare and -defense capabilities, the history of Israeli state-sponsored and state-aligned cyber campaigns, We also take a brief tour of Israeli media and social media operations, including information, propaganda, disinformation, and manipulation. If you haven't watched it yet, please consider checking out our first overview of the overall Middle East situation: https://youtu.be/X3wkTszRlck Notes and links: Because of the highly emotionally and politically charged nature of current events, we can't tell how impartial many of the websites describing Israeli capabilities are or aren't. We will thus stick to Wikipedia unless there's either an original Israeli government webpage available, or a source we feel is somewhat authoritative, even if it's biased - in any case, do your own homework and draw your own conclusions, we're not here to push a narrative. We have our own views and opinions of current events. This discussion is not intended to endorse or condemn any particular viewpoint. Neither of us speaks even a bit of Hebrew. We are thus at the mercy of translation engines and webpages in languages we understand. Your mileage may vary. 02:03 CFR overview of cyberwarfare capabilities: https://www.cfr.org/cyber-operations/ 02:50 Unit 8200: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_8200 03:05 Military Intelligence Directorate, aka Aman: https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/directorates/military-intelligence-directorate/military-intelligence-directorate/ 03:57 Unit 81: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_81 05:01 Havatzalot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havatzalot_Program - Google's horrible translation of the Hebrew wikipedia page indicates it's some kind of lily. Flowers are nice. 05:16 Talpiot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talpiot_program - the name's apparently some biblical reference from Song of Songs 4:4 according to their LinkedIn page, that we can't figure out 06:55 Technion / Israel Institute of technology: https://www.technion.ac.il/ 06:56 Hebrew University of Jerusalem: https://en.huji.ac.il/ 07:30 IDF Information Security Department: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Security_Department - it's unclear whether it's the same as these guys: https://www.mitgaisim.idf.il/%D7%AA%D7%A4%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%93%D7%99%D7%9D/cyber-protection-unit/ 07:40 Mamram: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamram - apparently an abbreviation of the Hebrew for "Center of Computing and Information Systems" 09:15 This may be the Israel Innovation Authority - https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/ - we're not 100% sure though 11:14 Stuxnet: https://www.wired.com/2014/11/countdown-to-zero-day-stuxnet/ 11:22 Specifically, Siemens PCS7, WinCC, and STEP7 control software, and various Siemens S7 programmable logic controllers (PLCs). 22:59 TAO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailored_Access_Operations 12:16 We're going to assume you're capable of looking up Snowden and his revelations on your own 12:30 Stuxnet 2.0: https://cyware.com/news/stuxnet-20-iran-hit-by-new-more-aggressive-variant-of-powerful-industrial-control-malware-9d9c9a73 15:37 Duqu: https://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/news-items/duqu-analysis 15:38 Flame: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18238326 15:39 Duqu 2.0: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/11/duqu-20-computer-virus-with-traces-of-israeli-code-was-used-to-hack-iran-talks - the Guardian is one of the outlets that linked Duqu 2.0 to Israel 16:21 Kaspersky's Equation Group overview: https://www.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases/2015_equation-group-the-crown-creator-of-cyber-espionage 17:13 Some info on those particular negotiations: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-iran-nuclear-deal 17:45 The NY Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/technology/kaspersky-lab-israel-russia-hacking.html 18:38 Correction: Iranian officials disconnected oil terminals themselves as a reactive measure. BBC reporting about initial attack - https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17811565 - and followup: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18253331 19:44 Pegasus (NSO Group): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(spyware) - interestingly, just after we finished this recording, there were reports of "fake" Pegasus variants for sale: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/fake-pegasus-spyware-dark-web/ 20:16 Kaspersky on Flame: https://www.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases/2012_kaspersky-lab-experts-provide-in-depth-analysis-of-flame-s-c-c-infrastructure 20:51 NSO Group: https://www.nsogroup.com/ 21:18 Chrysaor: https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/chrysaor-android-spyware-app-smartphone-cameras-hack-photos-pegasus-google-a7666306.html 21:34 https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3927410,00.html 21:41 Should have dug just a little more: https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-watchdog-group-say-israeli-spyware-used-hack-civil-society-2023-04-11/ 22:33 Again the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/03/over-200-spanish-mobile-numbers-possible-targets-pegasus-spyware 23:32 Start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rif_War - see you in a few months 23:56 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/05/17/spain-blocks-ship-carrying-weapons-israel-gaza-war/ 24:09 This is a very contentious, and very open legal question. 24:21 (German link) https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/us-geheimdienst-nsa-forschte-merkel-umfassender-aus-als-bislang-bekannt-1.2876007 - caveat: it's Wikileaks. They have been known to have...issues. That said, the investigation was closed in 2015 due to insufficient evidence: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/12/413866194/germany-closes-probe-into-alleged-u-s-hacking-of-merkels-phone - again, make of that what you will. 25:26 Predatory Sparrow/Gonjeshke Darande: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-62072480 (with bonus steel mill fire video and dramatic music). Wired article with timeline of attacks: https://www.wired.com/story/predatory-sparrow-cyberattack-timeline/ 25:54 https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/16/iran-israel-conflict-missile-attack-cyberattacks-warfare/ 28:50 https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-731636 - interestingly, a lot of the best investigative journalism exposing this kind of Israeli activity comes from the Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, and other Israeli news channels. Another story from Haaretz, and one from The Guardian on the topic 31:13 Very intelligently, we failed to note down the link to the specific story. Good job. But looking for idf manipulate social media site:haaretz.com yields a bonanza of articles on the topic. 31:51 Given Eurovision's colorful history of political controversies, we're not even going to start on this one...for the 2024 contest, there's numerous claims that the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs ran a campaign to influence audience voting - here's an article (in Hebrew, use the translation site of your choice) from Ynet: https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sykjyhaza 32:36 For example, via the IDF Spokesperson's Unit International Media Branch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IDF_Spokesperson's_Unit. In fairness, a lot of government agencies / armed forces actively try to shape public perception through relationships with private sector channels. The US Defense Department's relationship is a very well documented example, with the Entertainment Media Office providing personnel and equipment to film productions that follow strict rules about how the US armed forces are portrayed: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-aug-21-la-ca-military-movies-20110821-story.html (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military%E2%80%93entertainment_complex). It's a safe assumption that most major militaries do not have just media and public relations teams, but actively cultivate contacts with journalists to try and influence their reporting. Bonus links from Hugo: https://www.disinfo.eu/israel-hamas-resource-hub/ - a list of resources surrounding disinformation in the Israel-Hamas conflict Our friends at Natto Thoughts on disinformation in the Mideast conflict: https://nattothoughts.substack.com/p/mideast-crisis-and-russia-cyberspace The New York Times on fact hunting in the Israel-Hamas conflict: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/business/media/misinformation-fact-checking-israel-hamas.html Original video at https://youtu.be/KtshVacVwZ0 You can find CyAN's Secure-in-Mind YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/@cybersecadvisors - and of course, our videos about cyber conflict on the State of (Cyber)War playlist here. All of our episodes are also available in audio format on Apple iTunes, Amazon Audible, Podcast Republic, Spotify, and Libsyn - links on our Media page. Intro music courtesy of AlexiAction via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/alexiaction-26977400/ Outro music courtesy of Studio Kolomna via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/studiokolomna-2073170/