Bits and Bytes

Russia Trolls the Net — A fascinating, must read report from the NY Times: “From a nondescript office building in St. Petersburg, Russia, an army of well-paid “trolls” has tried to wreak havoc all around the Internet — and in real-life American communities.”

China Says “You Do It Too” — “Last week, SkyEye, Qihoo 360‘s threat intelligence service, released a report entitled OceanLotus. The report describes the working of an APT (Advance Persistent Threat) group engaged for at least three years in cyber espionage against Chinese targets, including ocean affairs agencies, the departments in charge of China’s territorial waters, research institutes, and aviation, aeronautics, and shipping companies.” Boo hoo.

ISIS Encrypts – According to the FBI: “The FBI on Wednesday used the May shooting at a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Texas by ISIS-inspired extremists to again try and convince Congress to pass laws limiting encrypted electronic communications services from providers like Apple and Google.

Assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division Michael Steinbach told the House Homeland Security Committee the shooting by two men in Garland is a recent example of why the FBI needs access to encrypted digital communications transmitted online and through telecommunications providers.”