Technology & Innovation

German on Trial for Stealing NATO Passwords

By DPA

From DPA:  A German civilian accused of stealing passwords that would have enabled hackers to break into NATO computers went on trial for espionage Wednesday.

Why is Britain Selling Military Electronics and Cryptography Equipment to Iran?

By Jonathan Marcus BBC

From Jonathan Marcus BBC:  The UK government has approved more than 3,000 export licences for military sales to countries which it believes have questionable records on human rights, MPs say.

The Role of CIA Covert Ops in Penetrating Foreign Computers and Communication Networks

By Matthew M. Aid, Foreign Policy

From Matthew M. Aid, Foreign Policy:  During a coffee break at an intelligence conference held in The Netherlands a few years back, a senior Scandinavian counterterrorism official regaled me with a story.

Governments Fuel Business of Selling Cyber Secrets

By Nicole Perlroth and David E. Sanger, New York Times

From Nicole Perlroth and David E. Sanger, New York Times:  On the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta, two Italian hackers have been searching for bugs — not the island’s many beetle varieties, but secret flaws in computer code that governments pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to learn about and exploit.

Congress Approves Sale of Reaper Drones to France

By AFP

From AFP:  Plans to sell US Reaper drones to France advanced Monday as Congress raised no objections to the contract, Pentagon officials said.

Rising robotics and the Third Industrial Revolution

By Robert A. Manning

In the latest FutureScape brief from the Atlantic Council's Strategic Foresight Initiative in the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Senior Fellow Robert A. Manning assesses the onset of the era of robotics, one component of a technological transformation that is reshaping the world.

US Drone Base in Niger Plays Critical Role in French Operation in Mali

By Eric Schmitt, New York Times

From Eric Schmitt, New York Times:  Nearly every day, and sometimes twice daily, an unarmed American drone soars skyward from a secluded military airfield here, starting a surveillance mission of 10 hours or more to track fighters affiliated with Al Qaeda and other militants in neighboring Mali.

Cyber Defense Moves to the Center of NATO Operations

By Julian Hale, Defense News