Sponsored by Spectra Group
https://spectra-group.co.uk/
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14 Apr 22. Thales, The First Group to Join The Campus Cyber in Paris, La Défense, And Lend Its Expertise to the Service of This New Ecosystem.
- On April 14, 2022, Patrice Caine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Thales, and Marc Darmon, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Strategic Sector Committee (SSC) Security Industries, welcomed the arrival of the Group’s teams to the Cyber Campus, in the presence of Michel Van den Berghe, President of the Cyber Campus.
- Located in Paris-La Defense and showcase of the know-how in cybersecurity, the Cyber Campus was inaugurated on February 15 with the aim of bringing together talents in the field of cybersecurity and creating synergies in the cyber ecosystem between actors from the public and private structures.
- The arrival of Thales, the first group to join the Campus, illustrates the commitment of this world leader in high technology and deep tech to a wider sharing of cyber knowledge and to a more effective management of digital risk.
April 2022 saw the arrival of about sixty Thales employees, engineers, consultants, and cybersecurity project managers on the Cyber Campus. To mark the occasion, Patrice Caine underlined its role as a catalyst for international cyber excellence in a context of globalization and a sharp rise in threats.
The Thales teams will soon be joined by teams coming from public and private structures specializing in this field. Thales provides Cyber Campus members with its collaborative platform in the cloud, the first approved “Restricted Diffusion”, Cybels Hub, including Cryptobox (document management and sharing) and Citadel Team (screen sharing).
This project, which is a State initiative, is aligned with the structuring programs of a French Security Industries Committee dedicated to cybersecurity and IoT security, which works to instill confidence in the digital sector. This sector is driven by a strong dynamic of innovation and mobilizes skills in artificial intelligence and cryptography as well as talents from various sectors such as IT, telecoms, or defense.
This project is being implemented at a time when we are witnessing an upsurge in cyberattacks around the world, on account of the acceleration in digitalization of societies during the health crisis. Administrations, companies of all sizes and operators of vital importance are facing an explosion in the number of attacks, which quadrupled between 2019 and 2020. Among some of the recurring methods used are Ransomware and cyber espionage. The professionalization of cybercriminals combined with their imperative of profitability must now act as a wake-up call and mobilize security players to contribute to the improved training of future talents and the establishment of a robust ecosystem to fight these threats.
“Thales was one of the first companies to believe in and support this Campus Cyber project. We are very proud to welcome and host one of the European leaders in cyber.” Michel Van Den Berghe, President of the Campus Cyber.
“Thales reaffirms its commitment to an international cybersecurity center of excellence that can pool the know-how of its experts and more successfully counter the proliferation of threats. By becoming a part of this initiative, the Group’s teams will help contribute to projects that raise awareness and provide training on the challenges faced by cybersecurity, which our society so desperately needs today.” Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales.
With more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, Thales is a major supplier of services and systems that help consolidate the sovereignty of its clients.
The Group oversees the cybersecurity of the critical information systems of more than 130 major clients, in particular through its six cybersecurity operational centers (COC) located around the world (Canada, France, Hong Kong, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Morocco), which guarantee that attacks are detected, analyzed and responded to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Group is currently recruiting more than 1,000 talents in the field of cybersecurity to better arm itself and prepare for the hybrid conflicts of tomorrow.
13 Apr 22. Northrop Grumman Australia, IntelliDesign form SCS partnership. The local firm has been tapped to support the manufacture of the defence prime’s secure communications offering. Northrop Grumman Australia has onboarded the support of Queensland-based electronics engineering company IntelliDesign, which has been tasked with supporting hardware design services and contract manufacturing of secure communications solution (SCS) devices. The SCS-200 capability is billed as a sovereign solution designed to deliver simple, secure network access for deployed teams and individuals across key organisations, including the Department of Defence and Department of Home Affairs. The SCS-200 offering is set to be manufactured at IntelliDesign’s plant in Seventeen Mile Rocks, Queensland. Delivery of the SCS to government agencies is scheduled for 2023.
“Our agreement with IntelliDesign will help ensure Northrop Grumman Australia is able to deliver sovereign, resilient and secure communications capabilities to support Defence and Commonwealth agencies,” Christine Zeitz, general manager, Northrop Grumman Asia-Pacific, said.
“Our partnership also creates additional benefits for local small to medium businesses in IntelliDesign’s already established supply chain to become part of Australia’s defence industry and to grow our nation’s sovereign industrial capability.”
The collaboration with IntelliDesign is also expected to support compliance with new Commonwealth of Australia requirements, building on supply chain governance and assurance across cyber security.
As part of its push to strengthen resilience across its supply chain, Northrop Grumman Australia is set to offer certification accreditation resources and recommendations aimed at protecting IntelliDesign systems and infrastructure from cyber threats.
“We are immensely proud to be supporting Northrop Grumman with the manufacturing of the SCS-200, a leading-edge communication device,” Matt Bromwich, CEO of IntelliDesign, said.
“This partnership forms part of our long-term strategy to be Northrop Grumman’s electronic design and manufacturing partner of choice in the development of future communication devices.”
This Australian collaboration comes just weeks after Northrop Grumman Corporation and US-based telecommunications company AT&T entered into a collaboration agreement to research and develop a digital battle network for the US Department of Defense.
The capability is expected to leverage AT&T 5G and Northrop Grumman’s advanced mission systems.
Specifically, the companies have committed to delivering a cost-effective, scalable, open architecture solution designed to enable DoD to connect distributed sensors, shooters and data from all domains, terrains and forces.
The network is tipped to integrate high speeds, low latency and cyber security protections of private 5G networks, while also supporting Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
The agreement involves the establishment of a joint research and development framework to prototype, demonstrate and test AT&T’s commercial 5G networking capabilities integrated with Northrop Grumman systems. (Source: Defence Connect)
13 Apr 22. Global: Data exfiltration threat will persist despite RaidForums’ shutdown. On 12 April, the US Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation seized the domain of RaidForums – an online marketplace used for trading and sharing stolen data – in a global takedown operation. In a year-long investigation, US law enforcement coordinated with other agencies including Europol, the UK National Crime Agency, and police forces from Sweden, Portugal, and Romania. The platform’s founder, 21-year-old Portuguese national Diogo Santos Coelho, was arrested in the UK in January 2022 and is currently awaiting extradition to the US. The forum, hosted on the open web rather than the darknet, became major place for hackers to release sensitive databases, with some using such tactics to pressure victims to pay ransom demands. Law enforcement agencies have revealed that RaidForums offered more than “10 billion unique records for sale” and had over 500,000 users. RaidForums’ shutdown followed a similar seizure by US and German authorities of Russian darknet marketplace Hydra. Such coordinated actions demonstrate Western governments’ determination to crack down on cyber criminal groups, through direct raids as well as by taking down their key infrastructure. While these seizures will cause notable disruption to hackers’ operations, they will likely create new sites and forums for malicious activities. Government establishments and businesses will continue face threats of data exfiltration as a result. (Source: Sibylline)
13 Apr 22. Australia initiates new programme to enhance cyber-warfare capabilities. The Australian government has established the REDSPICE (resilience, effects, defence, space, intelligence, cyber, enablers) programme under the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) to enhance the country’s cyber-warfare capabilities. According to the ASD, the REDSPICE programme will receive an investment of AUD9.9bn (USD7.4bn) throughout the 2020s to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF) by growing and delivering asymmetric strike and offensive cyber capabilities, enabling next-generation data science and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, strengthening networks against cyber attacks, and enhancing intelligence capabilities. The ASD said it plans to triple national cyber-offensive capabilities by supporting integration of the ADF information warfare and cyber workforce, deepening technology co-operation with allies and partners, contributing towards integrated deterrence, and increasing resilience of classified communications capabilities. The ASD is also looking at improving foundational technologies by delivering new cloud-based cyber and intelligence systems and applications, scaling up AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities and, delivering AI-supported offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, the agency noted. (Source: Janes)
12 Apr 22. Raytheon installs first Global ASNT system for USAF. The Global ASNT system will provide advanced command and control capability to the USAF’s nuclear bomber fleet. Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) has installed the first global aircrew strategic network terminal (ASNT) system for the US Air Force (USAF). Installation of the nuclear command, control and communications terminals will support the bomber, tanker and reconnaissance fleet. The global ASNT system provides protected communication capabilities to missile, nuclear bomber and supports the aircrew in operational environments. The solution will also enhance the existing communications systems while providing additional nuclear and non-nuclear command and control. RI&S communications and airspace management systems president Denis Donohue said: “Operating on both MILSTAR and Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellites, Global ASNT systems use satellite communications to provide command and control, linking nuclear forces to national command authorities.
“These expanded capabilities will provide the critical data needed at the tactical edge to make smart decisions in near real-time, including supporting the Defence Department’s Joint All Domain Command and Control initiatives for the joint services.”
Raytheon received the contract through the USAF Nuclear Weapons Centre to support the USAF’s Global Strike Command.
The initial $134m contract for the three-year development project comes with options, which, when exercised, will take the cumulative value of the contract to $600m, according to information provided by the company.
The RI&S is currently working on the three additional base installations that includes Global Strike Command’s initial operating capability (IOC).
As per the operational requirements, the company will continue providing equipment and spares support. It will also manufacture and deploy 90 terminals in fixed and movable configurations by the end of next year.
Primary work locations in the US are Florida and Massachusetts, with major suppliers in Texas, Pennsylvania, and California. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
11 Apr 22. NORTHCOM wants millions more for AI and data handling. U.S. Northern Command has asked Congress for an additional $29.8m to buy information technology equipment and to optimize infrastructure for artificial intelligence and machine learning at its joint operations center with the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The upgrades would buttress efforts to ingest, process and aggregate data across the Department of Defense’s cloud-computing environment and share intel with forces across all domains, also known as the “information dominance enabling capability,” according to a fiscal year 2023 unfunded priority list obtained by Defense News.
Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of NORTHCOM and NORAD, told lawmakers March 24 that “advanced capabilities” like AI will help give the U.S. an advantage over complex competitors.
“Incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning into existing capabilities will allow users to pull needed information from existing data sets and share that data with leaders at all levels to expand their decision space and options necessary to achieve desirable outcomes,” VanHerck said in testimony submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Combatant commands and other leaders send wishlists to the Hill annually. The tradition highlights items that did not make it into the budget request but would be useful should money be available.
Artificial intelligence is an area of growing importance at the Defense Department. Its 2018 AI strategy described the tech as world-altering, poised “to change the character of the future battlefield and the pace of threats we must face.”
The latest NORTHCOM and NORAD wish list also included funding requests for a cruise missile defense homeland kill chain demonstration, $50.87m, and upgrades to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, $49.3m.
Another ask from the pair — $5.05m to digitize Alaska Long Range Radar sites — also involves the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning and the modernization of systems.
“As I testified last year, the technology already exists to apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to collect and rapidly distribute information gathered from sensors around the globe,” VanHerck said last month. “We will always need expert human analysts in the loop, but I need the ability to tap into that technology to dramatically speed the delivery of information to leaders at all levels who need it.”
Nearly $24bn of Defense Department unfunded priorities were identified in fiscal year 2022. Combatant commands accounted for a sliver, 10%, according to the Congressional Research Service. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
11 Apr 22. Kromek demonstrates its radiation and biological detectors to HRH The Prince of Wales as he opens new production facility and receives a personalised D3S Radiation Detector. Kromek, the County Durham-based developer of radiological and biological detectors, welcomed HRH The Prince of Wales to its Sedgefield headquarters on Tuesday 5th April 2022 where he opened the Brinkman CZT Growth Facility. Consisting of 154 new furnaces this is the only CZT production facility in the UK and one of just a few worldwide. CZT Technology is key to many of the Kromek sensing and imaging products across the defence, security and medical sectors.
The Prince of Wales was shown the complete suite of Kromek’s radiological detectors, including the handheld, wearable and networked D5 RIID and D3S models which are amongst the most accurate, quickest acting, highly sensitive and lightest most useable detectors in the world. His Royal Highness then accepted a personalised D3S as a memento of his visit. When fitted to the AARM drone system for airborne surveillance and spectroscopy they provide a proven remote reconnaissance and survey capability.
The Royal visit follows shortly after the emergency Extraordinary Summit in Brussels , where the wearable D3S-ID detector was deployed as part of the CBRN protection for the world leaders attending including US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The summit coincided with the award of a £1.7m follow-on order for CBRN detection products and services from one of Kromek’s principal UK government customers.
His Royal Highness was also shown the new advanced COVID-19 and novel pathogen detection systems, part of Kromek’s increasing work in biological agent and pathogen detection. The emphasis of this work has been speed and accuracy of detection coupled with minimal human intervention. A key output of the biological detectors as with the radiation detectors is transferable useable data
Kromek CEO Dr Arnab Basu said: “We were delighted to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to our headquarters and demonstrate the world-beating, cutting-edge radiological and biological detection products which play such a vital role in protecting the United Kingdom and our other international customers. The visit is testament to the work our talented team do here and builds on our Queen’s Award for Enterprise-International Trade.”
CBRN Manager Craig Duff said: “Kromek understands the UK customer requirements for a range of highly sensitive, reliable, easily useable and networked detectors. All our new devices are designed with the user’s needs at the forefront of the design criteria.”
08 Apr 22. India: State-sponsored Chinese cyber operations target critical infrastructure, confirming pre-existing reports. Researchers at cyber security firm Recorded Future claim a credible connection between a series of cyber attacks against India’s critical infrastructure facilities to a long-term operation supported by Chinese state-sponsored threat actors. The operation targeted the State Load Dispatch Centres (SLDC), which is responsible for power allocation near disputed border areas. The report follows a similar pattern of attacks against energy sector firms and power centres tracked by Recorded Future in late 2021, when the group RedEcho deployed the ShadowPad trojan malware, a software attributed to two supply-chain attacks by Chinese group Bronze Atlas (APT41) in 2017. It is unknown if RedEcho is also responsible for the 2022 attempts against Indian SLDC’s, with Recorded Future labelling the group ‘Threat Activity Group 38’ until more information is processed. In response to the report, India’s Ministry of Power dismissed claims of infrastructure vulnerability, citing India’s increased investment in cyber defence capabilities. However, the proximity of the attack to highly contested border region of Ladakh underscores the sustained threat towards regional infrastructure functions, acting as a possible trigger for real-world incidents between Chinese and Indian military forces. (Source: Sibylline)
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Spectra Group Plc
Spectra Group (UK) Ltd, internationally renowned award-winning information security and communications specialist with a proven record of accomplishment.
Spectra is a dynamic, agile and security-accredited organisation that offers secure Hosted and Managed Solutions and Cyber Advisory Services with a track record of delivering on time, to spec and on budget.
With over 15 years of experience in delivering solutions for governments around the globe, elite militaries and private enterprises of all sizes, Spectra’s platinum and gold-level partnerships with third-party vendors ensure the supply of best value leading-edge technology.
Spectra was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 for SlingShot.
In November 2017, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd announced its listing as a Top 100 Government SME Supplier by the UK Crown Commercial Services.
Spectra’s CEO, Simon Davies, was awarded 2017 Businessman of the Year by Battlespace magazine.
Founded in 2002, the Company is based in Hereford, UK and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.
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