05 Jul 13. France ‘runs vast electronic spying operation using NSA-style methods. France runs a vast electronic surveillance operation, intercepting and stocking data from citizens’ phone and internet activity, using similar methods to the US National Security Agency’s Prism programme exposed by Edward Snowden, Le Monde has reported. An investigation by the French daily found that the DGSE, France’s external intelligence agency, had spied on the French public’s phone calls, emails and internet activity. The agency intercepted signals from computers and phones in France as well as between France and other countries, looking not so much at content but to create a map of “who is talking to whom”, the paper said. Le Monde said data from emails, text messages, phone records, accessing of Facebook and Twitter, and internet activity going through sites such as Google, Microsoft or Yahoo! was stocked for years on vast servers on three different floors in the basement of the DGSE headquarters. (Source: Open Source Information Report/The Guardian)

08 Jul 13. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems is inviting technology providers to participate in a new initiative, GDNexus, which will match innovative solutions with existing customer needs through an online, rapid-review collaborative process. Registered members can now propose technology responses to validated customer requirements from across the defense, federal, intelligence and commercial markets. The approach will help customers reduce acquisition risk and accelerate time-to-mission while creating new sales opportunities for companies that might otherwise not supply to the government. With the first set of customer Needs Statements posted and available online today, GDNexus efforts will be initially focused on meeting customers’ growing needs in the cyber domain. Registered members of the GDNexus community receive immediate notification when new customer Need Statements are available and may respond through the online portal with relevant products or solutions. The GDNexus team then reviews the responses, performing a rigorous evaluation, and provides the customer with an assessment of how the tools can support their mission. The GDNexus team also provides detailed feedback directly to members to help enhance their product strategy and align technology roadmaps to better anticipate and meet future mission needs. Current member companies registered to help customers keep pace with technology advancements include NetApp and RSA, The Security Division of EMC. GDNexus allows technology providers to engage with General Dynamics’ subject matter experts who have honed their skills supporting hundreds of customers on thousands of missions in a wide variety of domains. This valuable insight and unique perspective, coupled with the seasoned mission experience of General Dynamics’ experts, will provide GDNexus members with a competitive edge in meeting critical government customer requirements. Companies interested in learning more about GDNexus and becoming members of this collaborative community of innovation should visit www.GDNexus.com.

05 Jul 13. The news that the UK goverment is teaming up with nine of Britain’s leading defence and security companies including Cassidian demonstrates that both government and industry are stepping up their efforts to fight cyber crime. In an unprecedented move, they have joined forces to form the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership that will increase awareness of cyber risks, share threat intelligence and define risk driven approaches. Cassidian is a leading cyber security expert that has recently won a major contract to supply encryption technology to enable MPs at the House of Commons to communicate securely without the risk of being hacked. It has also recently won a contract to provide encryption technology called Ectocrypt to the US Defence Information Systems Agency. Speaking about the partnership today (Friday) Cassidian cyber expe