the technology needed to spy and make military decisions from the sky

Artificial Intelligence (AI) carries many benefits, but also many risks. Therefore, eliminating human supervision can be a very bad idea. It is a fairly recurring topic that has been put back on the table after China announced that it is testing the use of AI to advance its satellite-based surveillance systems. Many experts have expressed concern about the possibility of these systems being used for military purposes. Other countries, such as the United States and Israel, have set a worrying precedent, so there is some fear that these technologies could be misused and end up being lethal. The steps of China. China has long stressed the importance of AI always having human supervision. However, the announcement that have collected media such as Interesting Engineering follows a different premise. The Asian country intends for its satellite AI systems to be capable of breaking down complex tasks, coordinating workflows and recovering independently from possible failures. In short, they would use algorithms capable of analyzing information, making decisions and acting without the need for humans. Satellite observation can have many uses, from analyzing animal behavior to aiding weather forecasts. However, this emphasis on AI being able to act on its own is inevitably reminiscent of what we are already seeing in the United States for military purposes. The case of the United States. The US military is suspected of having several AI-based targeting systems, although there is a lot of classified information about them. Broadly speaking, these would use data obtained through optical cameras, infrared, radar, LIDAR and other sensors to locate military targets and subsequently shoot if deemed necessary. Last February, the attack on a school classified as erroneous opened the debate on this issue. In it 175 people diedmostly girls. As it was recognized as a misguided attack, suspicions grew that AI was behind it. As this is classified information, it cannot be known for sure, but it is a more than tangible risk. USA has hired currently to SpaceX to improve the connectivity of the shooters so that they receive the information as soon as possible whether to shoot or not. It is clear that they want to continue advancing in this aspect and it is something that, logically, is of great concern to experts. The case of Israel. It is not exactly the same, but Israel has also left war decisions in the hands of AI, with worrying results. For example, they have a system that uses data from phone calls, social networks, metadata, visual information or contacts, among other sources, to determine who may be targets. According to an investigation by +972 Magazinein the first weeks of the war against Palestine detected 37,000 targets as Hamas members. The army itself recognized that the algorithm has a 90% probability of being right. This gives us clues about how catastrophic it can be. More transparency? China has assured that it will have more transparency than other countries by introducing AI in the management of its satellites. However, this does not minimize the concerns of experts. For now, it seems that the algorithms have managed to avoid obstacles independently in the testing phase. For them to be able to shoot, if they are used for that purpose, there is still a long way to go. But it is viable. Therefore, it is urgent that measures be taken to regulate the use of AI without human supervision as much as possible. There are too many human beings with few scruples, but even those may have some more qualms than machines. An AI cannot show concern, conscience or ethics. He also does not ask before shooting if he is not told to do so. Therefore, if we want it to operate satellites capable of observing and controlling what we do on the planet, it would be advisable for us to ensure that someone with scruples remains in charge. Although in some contexts that is difficult to find. Image | Kevin Stadnyk (Unsplash)/Magnific In Xataka | There are planes dropping food into Gaza from the air. It is a worse idea than it seems to fight hunger

Cold War spy satellites

Ander Izaguirre is the author of Return to the country of Elkano. It is a book that mixes travel chronicle with adventure narration. The story begins in Guetaria, where he returns after touring the Basque country by bicycle, taking as the backbone of history the figure of Juan Sebastián Elcano, considered the first person to complete a complete circumnavigation of the world. An idea is repeated several times in the book: the world has always been much more connected than we think. The starting point, in this case, is something that happened more than 500 years ago. What could the life of a person who crossed the planet five centuries ago be like when there are still people today who do not go beyond the borders of their country or their hometown? In its pages it talks about the connections between empires and geopolitical struggles to control trade routes. Sometimes, it is difficult to understand how in those days a person could travel thousands of kilometers and metropolises could trade with each other. But, personally, I find it much more complicated to imagine JUlius Caesar traveling along the Nile or Cleopatra living in Rome on the edge of the new year count with its Julian calendar. We are talking about a handful of years prior to the supposed birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Imagine if we go back further. As much as 4,000 years. That is, around the year 2,000 BC In two leaps we have begun to ask ourselves how our world could be interconnected just 500 years ago to how it would be more than 4,000 years ago. And to that question, some archaeologists believe they have found an answer. A river highway in Mesopotamia And our colleagues Motorpassion They bring us the story of one of those discoveries that will delight history fans. For many years it has been known that mesopotamian cities They have been using an intricate system of tunnels and water management for their irrigation for thousands of years. The invention was so effective that by adding all the conduits that have been active at some point, it is believed that it may have the same distance as there is between the Earth and the Moon, according to National Geographic. These tunnels were used, as we say, to move water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers but also to serve as a refuge for the inhabitants of these cities, both from the scorching heat of the desert and from possible enemy invasions. This has been, until last year, what was thought. And using spy images and the use of LiDAR, research has continued to advance until making sense of a new use of these channels. According to the researchers who have developed Identifying the preserved network of irrigation canals in the Eridu region, southern Mesopotamia, published by the University of Cambridge, These canals would also serve as a river highway to trade between towns. In the 1960s, the United States launched a spy satellite project called CROWN. These satellites took photographs of the terrain in the middle of the Cold War and the declassified file has allowed researchers to detect subtle changes in the terrain that are impossible to detect from the ground. The photographs revealed small differences in the vegetation, which shows commercial roads and passenger traffic for millennia. But using LiDAR, researchers have also managed to bring to light some cities that were hidden, as was the case of an extension near Abarkuh where those famous canals were discovered. The great discovery, however, has been to verify that these canals were not only used to transport water through complex hydraulic systems or to cool the environment. Everything indicates according to the latter research which were also used to move goods, resources and wealth between city-states such as Ur, Uruk, Lagash or Eridu. With this discovery, it is considered that we are facing one of the oldest and most extensive logistics networks in history and the key to understanding how grain, copper, wood or precious stones were traded then thanks to flat-bottomed ships that would move through these canals and not only through the visible bed of the Tigris and Euphrates. Photo | Semhur and Ali sabih kadhim In Xataka | When there was a lunar eclipse, Babylon trembled. Texts from 4,000 years ago announced all misfortunes

that the DGT is going to “spy” on us with them

On January 1st all We must carry a V16 beacon in the car and many doubts are arising around them. Mostly what model to buy to make sure that is approvedbut privacy is also questioned. In forums like Forocoches There are drivers who wonder if the DGT will be able to know where we are at all times and even if they will be able to use them to fine us if we exceed the speed. The reason for the suspicion. The V16 beacons have a GPS system and the integration of a SIM card that offers connection for up to twelve years. Technically they are capable of transmitting our position to the DGT and in fact that is exactly what they do when we connect them. However, this does not mean that it is a surveillance device for several reasons. Timely shipping. Although they share our position, the beacons are designed to do so punctually when we have an accident, not continuously as a tracking device. The DGT says that this is its only objective and no additional functionalities can be “incorporated”. It is a requirement for the beacons to receive approval. You don’t know our data. For there to be surveillance, it is necessary for the security guard to know who we are, but the V16 beacons are not associated with us or our vehicle, so even if they broadcast our position at all times, the DGT would not know who we are. On the official website they clarify it: “The beacon only transmits the exact position of our vehicle in order to avoid road accidents, but it does not collect or emit personal information about us or our vehicle.” About the apps. There are applications like SOS Alert either MyIncidence that link with the connected V16 beacon to offer more functionality. One of them is the possibility of connecting them to our insurance so that they also receive the alert when you use the beacon in an accident. This is totally optional. If you are concerned about privacy and the beacon being associated with you and your vehicle, not registering would be enough. Fines. It is clear that the DGT cannot fine you “remotely” through the beacon, so you can receive a fine of up to 200 euros It’s because you don’t have it in the vehicle. You can also receiving a fine is for turning it on without an accident having occurred. Approved beacons offer a grace period of 100 seconds until they send the position, more than enough time to check that it works correctly without giving a false warning. You doubt yes. The V16 beacons They are not a mass surveillance devicebut they are being questioned for other reasons that are well founded, such as their visibility during the day. Experts warn that dangerous situations have already occurred For this reason, especially when the vehicle stops after a curve or in a change of gradient; With the triangles we could make ourselves seen sooner, but not with this. The problem is that triangles will be banned starting January 1st. Added to this is the question of price. Although there are cheaper modelswe are talking about a product that is usually around 40-50 euros, which is not exactly cheap. Taking into account that andThe number of passenger cars in Spain exceeds 25 millionthe business is huge, it is estimated that could reach 1.7 billion eurosand all for a device that is not clear that it is better than triangles. Image | DGT In Xataka | Yes, next year I am going to carry the V-16 beacon because they force me to. It doesn’t even occur to me to throw away the triangles

A spy plane designed to intercept signals

From abroad it looks like one more executive jet. But what just took off in France is much more than that. It is the first plane of ARCHANGE PROGRAMan electronic intelligence platform capable of intercepting critical signals in full flight. Its mission is not to bring executives, but strategic information. And it is a key piece in the attempt of France for reinforcing its military autonomy in a decade marked by the electronic war and global surveillance. A program with ambition. Archange is not a random name. The program responds to a concrete ambition: to provide France with a new generation of airplanes capable of performing signal intelligence from the air, with national technology and operational autonomy. Promoted by the General Directorate of Armament (DGA), The plan contemplates the delivery of three aircraft before the end of the period covered by the Military Programming Law 2024–2030. Its main mission will be to intercept, identify and analyze electromagnetic emissions: from tactical communications to air defense radars. A capacity that, in a context marked by electronic warfare, hybrid conflicts and informative overload, has become a first -order strategic resource. France not only seeks to modernize its intelligence collection means: it wants to ensure that critical information does not depend on third parties. The Falcon 8x, transformed into an electronic warfall. The base of the Archange is a Dassault Falcon 8xa long -range executive plane known for its reliability, autonomy and comfort. But within the framework of this program, luxury gives way to intelligence. Dassault Aviation has profoundly modified the aircraft to turn it into an advanced Sigint platform, adapted to the demanding operational requirements of the French air and space army. The Falcon 8x is an ideal platform: it reaches 11,945 km of reach and can remain up to 14 hours in the air. Its triple engine offers redundancy and safety on prolonged flights. The mission system is signed by Thales. Transforming a Jet into an electronic war platform requires much more than redesigning fuselage. The real jump is in your brain. The Archangelian mission system has been developed by Thales DMS and Thales Six, two divisions of the French group specialized in defense and embarked systems. The aircraft will be equipped with technologies capable of intercepting both radar emissions and communications. This duality – Ellint and Comint – allows to build a detailed image of the tactical environment. In addition, the Thales system can cross that information with other data and operate in network with other ISR platforms. What is signal intelligence and why is so decisive today. Modern war is no longer freed with armored and combat fighters. It is also freed in the electromagnetic spectrum. And that is where signal intelligence enters, known as Sigint. This type of intelligence is based on the interception, analysis and interpretation of electronic emissions. It can be radio conversations between units, air defense radar signs, encrypted tactical communications or navigation and guidance systems emissions. Within the Sigint, two large branches are distinguished: Comint, which focuses on communications, and Elint, focused on non -verbal electronic systems, such as radars or proximity detectors. The combination of both allows us to understand how adversary forces move and communicate, anticipate display, detect active systems or even discover patterns that reveal the intention behind a movement. Having a plane capable of operating in this invisible dimension means getting ahead of the enemy. Something like being able to fly apart from direct combat and, even so, alter the balance of the battlefield What is known about investment. Although the exact cost of the program has not been revealed, it is known that it includes technological development, the modification of aircraft, the formation of operators and logistics support during their useful life. Given the level of technical sophistication and the limited number of units, we are facing a significant investment. The objective is clear: to have in the air, in less than a five years, a national electronic intelligence capacity that complements the satellites and drones, but with the advantage of being able to react, reposition and act more flexibility. The sky as strategic domain: what comes now. From now on begins an intense cycle of flight tests, systems calibration, sensor integration and operational validations. Each component, from the antennas to the signal analysis software, will have to demonstrate its reliability in real conditions before entering active service. In parallel, The training system for crews in charge of operating these platforms should be launchedas well as the logistic and technical device necessary to ensure their availability in real missions. Images | Ministère des Armées | Dassault Aviation In Xataka | Airlines have a problem: the world’s largest passenger plane does not stop finding themselves

A North Korean spy tried to infiltrate a cryptocus. I didn’t expect you to ask him for Halloween

The cinema, the video games and the stories of double agents They have been showing the image of the spies as riskylonely and, sometimes, lustful. The reality is that this field work has gone to the background in an era in which cyberspage and labor infiltration prevails. China and North Korea are protagonists from time to time when we talk about this matter and, sometimes, the cover is so rough that a single question is enough to uncover the cake: What is done on Halloween. Steven Scott Jr. Smith. That name is the most American, the equivalent of José Pérez in Spain. Steven asked for work in Kraken, a bank and exchango of American cryptocurrencies and, from the first minute of the test, something failed. As we read in FortuneSteven, who claimed to have 11 years of experience as a software engineer in companies like Cisco and two years living in Houston, Texas, connected to the video call with a different name than the one he showed in his curriculum and changed it quickly. He also answered simple questions with hesitation and, for more complex ones, it took something more to answer, as if he were talking to someone else who smeared the answers. Cornering the spy. That alerted the recruiters, and that is where they began to ask questions that had nothing to do with work, since they hid another intention: catch what they thought it was a spy trying to sneak into their system. The interview was conducted on October 31, Halloween party in the United States, and recruiters asked three key questions. Given the comment that that night it would be necessary to close before because there would be children calling the doors of the houses, Steven commented that he would not do “special” if they called his. Among the interests that reflected in the curriculum was the food. One of the recruiters told him that he would go to Houston in a few days and that if he could recommend a city restaurant. Steven looked around, smiled and said “there is nothing special here.” Rare, considering that, in a city of 2.3 million inhabitants, at least one good restaurant must be. The third request was to show him an identification. Steven commented that he did not have it at hand, but after a few minutes, he shared a photo of his driving card with an address that is more than 480 kilometers from Houston. In the following video of CBS you can see both the license and the question of the restaurants: Culture of productive paranoia. Kraken herself tells the story in her blog, detailing that they realized that something was going wrong and continued with the interview with an objective: to study their focus to try to extract details about their identity. The companies that are dedicated to the crypto have had recent robberies and Nick Perceco problems, one of Kraken’s security responsible, states that these attacks are not an exclusive problem of companies such as their own, but a global threat. It also points three keys to this recent espionage/robbery strategy: Not all attackers force the entrance, but try to enter through the main door of the companies, applying as employees. The generative AI facilitates deception, since it is used to pass the initial tests such as the curriculum or the photo, so the interviews seem key with verification questions that avoid predictable patterns. Halloween’s example or restaurant recommendation, for example. Finally, it is key to have a productive paranoia culture. They affirm that security is not only the responsibility of the recruitment and security equipment of companies, but that it should be a more global mentality. It is not isolated. When Kraken’s team investigated Steve’s operational history, he discovered interesting things. For example, I used a Mac desktop located in a shared data center. It was connected using a VPN to hide both the location and the network activity and its curriculum was linked to a github profile in which a mail address compromised in a data filtration was included. This agrees with previous research and discoverieswith spies that use that same proceed when connected using VPN to simulate that they are in a direction in the United States, but really being in North Korea and China. And they are not only trying to sneak into American companies: Europe does not get rid. Missile industry. The suspicion of researchers? Double. On the one hand, there are spies that directly steal in their companies. An example are cases of crypto companies. But another case has to do with the sending of its full salary to the North Korean government to finance the arms industry. Famous is the case by Christina Marie Champman in Arizona. A farm of remote computers operated from which the attackers simulate that they are on American soil. As noted CNNusing that network, 6.8 million dollars were achieved for, according to Bloombergfinance the North Korean nuclear weapons program. China does not get rid, but it has another approach. And not only North Korea is interested in sneaking into Western companies: he has also caught China on occasion. The objective, however, is different: while some seek funds for their arms industry, others want knowledge for the development of the chips industry. At the end of 2003, ASML (the European company that creates the most advanced machines to create avant -garde semiconductors) denounced the theft of confidential information, suspecting that one of its former employees andNt added business secrets to Huawei. Another spy was also accused of stealing SK Hynix information, DE new, for Huawei. It is a major problem for the West, but also … for China. In mid -2024, the United States sent an alert message to ASML and the rest of the Netherlands universities: “Beware of Chinese students”And this is something that obviously puts a target on all students, also about the legitimate ones. Images | Xataka with chatgpt In Xataka | North Korea’s military tactics that prevents defections. … Read more

It turns out that in Spain there was a company dedicated to spy software and has closed after declaring in bankruptcy

In Spain we can boast many things, but having known companies globally for the development of spy softwareNo. Although Barcelona is becoming An unexpected Startup Hub related to this sectorthe reality is that we do not have a great NSO GroupFor example. The closest thing was an unknown company called Mollitiam Industries. We talked in the past because it has broken. Where does Mollitiam Industries come from. According to The recordsthe company was founded in 2018 and its headquarters was in Toledo. As pray Your websiteactive at the time of writing these lines, was specialized in “offering a deep tracking capacity in highly specialized and complementary areas”, such as the “interception and surveillance of communications”, for “through invisible capabilities of capture, management and security active data in the context of cyberspace and encrypted telecommunications “, allow” those responsible for decision making identify, anticipate, degrade or neutralize possible attacks of connected objectives. “ In other words, he was specialized in cyberinteligence and espionage software. In Your LinkedIn profileThe company states to have “real experience in cyber operations, in coordination with state bodies and security forces. From planning and support to intelligence execution and production.” What happened. Which was declared in bankruptcy on January 23. This is reflected in public records and has transcended the media through the specialized magazine Online intelligence (via Techcrunch). The reasons are unknown, but the magazine argues that it has been due to economic problems. Techcrunch also feeds that it may be due to lack of international attention as it is a Spanish company since it has not been involved in too many controversial cases. From Xataka we have tried to contact the company through its networks (the web form gives error) and a phone that appears on its Google Maps card, but we have not received an answer in any of the cases. What has you participated in. Regarding Spain, Mollitian Industries has achieved three public contracts: In 2020a contract less than 14,950 to facilitate the Civil Guard a “social media monitoring tool.” In 2022worth 250,000 euros, a tender for the “acquisition of a remote monitoring system of mobile terminal communications to provide the Central Operational Unit of the Judicial Police Headquarters of the Civil Guard.” In 2023worth 330,578.51 euros, a tender for the “supply of a mobile device management platform to provide the Civil Guard units.” In the international arena, Mollitian Industries was a name sounded in Colombia. In 2020, Week magazine He reported that his journalists were being monitored by Colombian intelligence services through software called “Invisible Man” and “Night Crawler.” These spywares were able to access the archives, location, microphone and camera of the infected terminals, and even record the key pulsations. Week published images of a contract between the National Army of Colombia and Mollitian Industries. Apparently, the local army had paid 3,000 million pesos, around 860,000 euros to the current change, for accessing these software. The latest. The most recent information about this company is the report Adversarial threat report Meta, dated at the end of 2023. In said report, Meta warned of eight Spyware companies focused on iOS, Android and Windows. Those eight companies were Cy4gate/Elt Group, RCS Labs, IPS Intelligence, Veriston IT, Tuel IT, Protect Electronic Systems, Negg Group and the Spanish Mollitiam Industries. In this report, Meta said the following: “(…) We have eliminated a network of accounts on Facebook and Instagram linked to a Spanish company, Mollitiam Industries, which announces a data collection and spyware service aimed at Windows, Macos and Android. Mollitiam Industries and its customers handled accounts false they used to test malicious capabilities between their own accounts and scrape public information. IP registration links to track the IP addresses of their objectives. . Cover image | Pexels In Xataka | Google has revealed the techniques that Russia is using to violate Signal: it is the cyber warman against Ukraine

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