NATO to expand defence spending to cover cybersecurity | UK merges cyber & electronic warfare command | Anduril Industries & Meta to collaborate on VR/AR headsets for US army
The U.S. is quietly storing migrant children’s DNA—some as young as four—in a criminal database built for violent offenders.
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NATO proposed including expenditures on cybersecurity and activities related to border and coastal security to qualify for the military alliance’s new defense-related spending target of 1.5% of GDP. NATO started negotiations with countries on what will be allowed under its new spending target that it plans to adopt at a June summit Bloomberg
The UK military will unify cyber and electronic operations under a single command as part of a sweeping reorganisation of high-tech warfare, defence secretary John Healey has announced. The move will be a central plank of the government’s strategic defence review, expected to be unveiled on Monday, that will lay out military spending plans and priorities for the coming years. Financial Times
META Platforms had a messy split with its virtual-reality chief Palmer Luckey. Now, the two have reconnected to build high-tech headsets for the U.S. Army. Luckey’s defense company Anduril Industries and Meta said Thursday they will together build a line of new rugged helmets, glasses and other wearables that provide a virtual-reality or augmented-reality experience. The Wall Street Journal
ASPI
The five-domains update
The Strategist
Linus Cohen, Astrid Young and Alice Wai
Australia deployed a joint field installation team to the Middle East in support of Operation Accordion, marking the first major forward deployment of the Joint Force Cyber Component. The team, drawn from 13 army and air force units, is tasked with installing kilometres of fibre optic and copper cabling to establish secure communications. Their work supports a broader cyber systems refresh across the Middle East, Europe and Africa, including the replacement of outdated systems and network upgrades. The mission aims to ensure secure and reliable connectivity for deployed personnel in operational environments.
World
NATO floats cybersecurity to be included in new spending target
Bloomberg
Donato Paolo Mancini, Andrea Palasciano, Daniel Basteiro, and Jasmina Kuzmanovic
NATO proposed including expenditures on cybersecurity and activities related to border and coastal security to qualify for the military alliance’s new defense-related spending target of 1.5% of GDP. NATO started negotiations with countries on what will be allowed under its new spending target that it plans to adopt at a June summit, according to a document shared with member countries and people familiar with the matter. The total spending target will be 5% of GDP, with 3.5% on hard defense expenditures and 1.5% on defense-related outlays.
Australia
Tech trial for Australia’s social media ban ‘broadly on track’ amid concerns under-16s could circumvent systems
The Guardian
Josh Taylor
The technology trial for Australia’s social media ban is “broadly on track”, the government says, despite a month-long delay of a key report on the best ways to keep under-16s off the platforms. It comes as the company behind the age assurance trial has revealed only one type of technology has been tested on children so far and some internal stakeholder concerns about how young people may circumvent the age ban systems. The federal government has also been sitting on a separate report, costing more than $275,000, that it commissioned last year on Australians’ attitudes to age assurance technology. It was delivered to the government on 2 January but has not yet been released.
Boards have a tougher choice to make from today if they get hacked
The Australian Financial Review
Paul Smith
Cybersecurity lawyers and incident responders say company boards will face fresh pressure from Friday, when new laws come into force that will compel the disclosure of ransom payments to cybercriminals. The rules mean any organisation that has an annual turnover of $3 million or more, or is responsible for critical infrastructure, must report a ransom payment via an online portal to Home Affairs and the Australian Signals Directorate, within three days.
China
Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek pushes US rivals with R1 model upgrade
Reuters
Brenda Goh and Eduardo Baptista
Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek released the first update to its hit R1 reasoning model in the early hours of Thursday, stepping up competition with U.S. rivals such as OpenAI. DeepSeek said via developer platform Hugging Face that R1-0528 was a minor version upgrade of R1 that nevertheless significantly improved its depth of reasoning and inference capabilities, including better handling of complex tasks, bringing its performance closer to OpenAI's o3 reasoning models and Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro.
USA
Meta Fired Palmer Luckey. Now, They’re Teaming Up on a Defense Contract
The Wall Street Journal
Heather Somerville
META Platforms had a messy split with its virtual-reality chief Palmer Luckey. Now, the two have reconnected to build high-tech headsets for the U.S. Army. Luckey’s defense company Anduril Industries and Meta said Thursday they will together build a line of new rugged helmets, glasses and other wearables that provide a virtual-reality or augmented-reality experience. The system, called EagleEye, will carry sensors that enhance soldiers’ hearing and vision—detecting drones flying miles away or sighting hidden targets, for instance. It will also let soldiers operate and interact with AI-powered weapon systems. Anduril’s autonomy software and Meta’s AI models will underpin the devices.
CIA chief faces stiff test in bid to revitalize human spying
The Washington Post
Warren P. Strobel and Ellen Nakashima
Signals intelligence gathered by the National Security Agency, including intercepted phone calls, texts and emails, is a bedrock of intelligence collection and contributes to at least 60 percent of articles in the president’s daily brief, U.S. officials say. But an effective spy program needs both human and electronic intelligence, as well as other technical collection, such as imagery...Sometimes, the most exquisite intelligence comes from a human asset enabling the NSA’s ability to hack computer systems, especially in sensitive places such as a military headquarters or Chinese Communist Party leadership.
The US Is storing migrant children’s DNA in a criminal database
WIRED
Dhruv Mehrotra
The United States government has collected DNA samples from upwards of 133,000 migrant children and teenagers—including at least one 4-year-old—and uploaded their genetic data into a national criminal database used by local, state, and federal law enforcement. The records, quietly released by the US Customs and Border Protection earlier this year, offer the most detailed look to date at the scale of CBP’s controversial DNA collection program. They reveal for the first time just how deeply the government’s biometric surveillance reaches into the lives of migrant children, some of whom may still be learning to read or tie their shoes—yet whose DNA is now stored in a system originally built for convicted sex offenders and violent criminals.
Stopping Beijing’s spies is… complicated
POLITICO
Amy Mackinnon, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Phelim Kine
The Trump administration’s effort to “aggressively revoke” visas of Chinese students in the U.S. is, in part, borne out of espionage concerns. But it’s unclear if the move will be a blow to Chinese intelligence operations or cost America valuable influence with Chinese nationals studying at the nation’s colleges and universities. China does use some of the hundreds of thousands of its citizens studying at American universities to spy on its behalf. Those efforts, which loyal NatSec Daily readers will remember caught the attention of lawmakers earlier this year, are primarily focused on gaining information about sensitive technologies. Beijing’s agents also surveil and intimidate Chinese nationals living, working and studying in the United States.
US curbs chip design software, chemicals, other shipments to China
Reuters
Karen Freifeld
The United States has ordered a broad swathe of companies to stop shipping goods to China without a license and revoked licenses already granted to certain suppliers, said three people familiar with the matter. The new restrictions - which are likely to escalate tensions with Beijing - appear aimed at choke points to prevent China from getting products necessary for key sectors, one of the people said. Commerce Department will review each request for a license to ship to China on a case-by-case basis, suggesting the action was not an outright ban.
Nvidia, Dell to supply next US Department of Energy supercomputer
Reuters
Stephen Nellis
The U.S. Department of Energy on Thursday said its ""Doudna"" due in 2026 will use technology from Nvidia and Dell. The computer, named for Nobel Prize-winning scientist Jennifer Doudna who made key CRISPR gene-editing discoveries, will be housed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California. At an event at the lab attended by Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, officials said that the system will use Nvidia's latest ""Vera Rubin"" chips built into liquid-cooled servers by Dell and will be used by 11,000 researchers.
AI Safety Institute to be renamed Center for AI Safety and Leadership
Axios
Ashley Gold and Maria Curi
The Trump administration is looking to change the AI Safety Institute's name to the Center for AI Safety and Leadership in the coming days, per two sources familiar with the matter. Why it matters: The U.S. standards-setting and AI testbed, housed inside the Commerce Department's National Institute for Standards and Technology, has been bracing for changes since President Trump took office. More than a name change, the resources the Trump administration invests in NIST will be a key indicator of how much of a priority AI safety and leadership is. The Trump administration has proposed slashing budgets across the federal government, including NIST.
North Asia
Taiwan rebuffs China’s hacking claims as disinformation
DigWatch
Taiwan has rejected accusations from Beijing that its ruling party orchestrated cyberattacks against Chinese infrastructure. Authorities in Taipei instead accused China of spreading false claims in an effort to manipulate public perception and escalate tensions. On Tuesday, Chinese officials alleged that a Taiwan-backed hacker group linked to the Democratic Progressive Party had targeted a technology firm in Guangzhou. They claimed more than 1,000 networks, including systems tied to the military, energy, and government sectors, had been compromised across ten provinces in recent years.
Government to formulate new cybersecurity strategy amid rising threats
The Japan Times
Francis Tang
The government will deliberate on a new cybersecurity strategy within the year to tackle rising online threats against both the public and private sectors. The new strategy will involve plans for the government to transition its internal communications from the current public-key cryptography to post-quantum cryptography, the latter of which provides better security against cyberattacks from quantum computers. The strategy will replace the current one that went into effect in September 2021.
Southeast Asia
Thailand: Coordinated efforts propel national cyber resilience
OpenGov Asia
Samaya Dharmaraj
Thailand is ramping up its efforts to tackle cybercrime and online fraud through a coordinated approach involving legislative reforms, technology-driven solutions and public awareness initiatives. On 28 May 2025, the House of Representatives passed two significant royal decrees to strengthen the country’s legal framework for digital safety. The Royal Decree on Measures for the Prevention and Suppression of Technology Crimes B.E. 2568 and the Digital Asset Business Act B.E. 2568 were both approved with overwhelming support.
Thai police crack down on international scam ring after 5-year probe
Khaosod English
Thai authorities arrested seven suspects in a sweeping operation targeting an international fraud network that defrauded victims of more than $60 million through fake medical equipment sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Special Investigation conducted coordinated raids across 11 locations in five provinces on Thursday, culminating a five-year investigation that began during the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. The operation targeted a transnational scammer ring that operated thousands of fraudulent websites selling non-existent medical supplies.
Malaysia gears up to lead regional drone innovation with DronTech Asia 2025 launch
Manila Times
PR Newswire
Malaysia took a significant step forward in positioning itself as a regional drone technology hub with the official launch of DronTech Asia 2025, held today at Ujana Ilmu, MATRADE. The event was officiated by YB Tuan Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, alongside YBhg Rear Admiral Fadhil bin Abdul Rahman, Director General, Defence Cyber & Electromagnetic Division, Malaysia Armed Forces, representing the Chief of Defence Force Malaysia, NAICO Malaysia CEO Ts. Shamsul Kamar Abu Samah, Aerosea Exhibitions Chairman YBhg Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin and Director YBhg Datuk Dr M Gandhi.
Bangkok Bank cracks down on foreigners’ accounts
Bangkok Post
Gary Boyle
Bangkok Bank has adopted stricter requirements for opening new accounts in Thailand for foreign customers, affecting tourists and potentially any expats who do not hold long-term visas. The bank said the requirements are due to Thailand’s efforts to improve cybersecurity and combat financial scams. It said new conditions apply to opening new accounts and applications for credit cards and mobile banking services. The aim is to prevent financial fraud.
Vietnam's AI Ambitions Hinge on One $6.8 Billion Tech Company
Bloomberg
John Boudreau and Nguyen Xuan Quynh
Four decades ago, Truong Gia Binh set up a technology company using a single computer in a room loaned by his then-father-in-law, General Vo Nguyen Giap, revered for leading Vietnamese troops in defeating the French and US militaries. That company, FPT Corp., is now Vietnam’s biggest listed tech firm. It's central to the government's push to build a technology sector capable of competing with its regional rivals as it seeks to move the nation beyond assembling Nike Inc. shoes and Apple Inc. devices.
South America
Uruguay's Deputy Chief of Staff and Interior Minister visited UK
Gov.uk
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
The main objective of the visit was to learn from experiences that will contribute to discussions on the creation of a Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in Uruguay. Between May 20 and 23, 2025, they met with government officials, academics, private sector companies, and non-governmental organizations, including two roundtables on cybersecurity and the space industry, in which more than 12 local counterparts participated. Additionally, they visited Parliament, the Supreme Court of Justice, the London Magistrates’ Court, and the Prosecutor’s Office.
Europe
The European Union, Finland, Japan, Sweden, and the United States partner with Egypt’s ICT Ministry to advance trusted 5G deployment
US Embassy in Egypt
US Embassy Cairo
In a unified effort to support Egypt’s digital transformation, the Embassies of Finland, Japan, Sweden, the United States, and the Delegation of the European Union in Egypt hosted the Egypt 5G Forum in Cairo, to bring together senior Egyptian government officials, global telecommunications leaders, and international policymakers to promote trusted vendors and secure infrastructure for the rollout of 5G technology in Egypt. In close collaboration with Egypt’s ICT Ministry, the Forum served as a platform for strategic dialogue and exchange. H.E. Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, delivered the keynote address, outlining Egypt’s vision for a secure and inclusive 5G ecosystem.
UK
UK’s high-tech warfare operations to be unified in defence shake-up
Financial Times
Charles Clover
The UK military will unify cyber and electronic operations under a single command as part of a sweeping reorganisation of high-tech warfare, defence secretary John Healey has announced. The move will be a central plank of the government’s strategic defence review, expected to be unveiled on Monday, that will lay out military spending plans and priorities for the coming years. The Ministry of Defence also plans to spend more than £1bn developing an artificial intelligence-driven system to analyse and filter the gargantuan amounts of data generated across the military.
UK military to establish new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command
The Record by Recorded Future
Alexander Martin
The United Kingdom announced on Thursday its intention to create a new military formation focused specifically on digital and electronic warfare, as a result of the country’s strategic defense review. Cyber and Electromagnetic Command will sit under Strategic Command — already responsible for the Ministry of Defence’s offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, alongside the country’s special forces — and is intended to “lead defensive cyber operations and coordinate offensive cyber capabilities with the National Cyber Force,” according to the MoD.
UK turns to AI and drones for new battlefield strategy
BBC
Jonathan Beale
The Ministry of Defence will spend more than £1bn to develop technology to speed up decisions on the battlefield. The funding will be one of the results of the government's long-awaited strategic defence review which is due to be published in full on Monday. The government has committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% GDP from April 2027 with an ambition to increase that to 3% in the next parliament. In February, the prime minister said cuts to the foreign aid budget would be used to fund the military boost.
UK must toughen regulation of facial recognition, say AI experts
Financial Times
Tim Bradshaw and Josh Gabert-Doyon
Data privacy campaigners are urging the UK government to clamp down on facial recognition and pass new legislation to regulate the widespread technology used by both police forces and the private sector. A new report published on Thursday by the Ada Lovelace Institute, an independent researcher into the ethics of data and artificial intelligence, warned of “significant gaps and fragmentation across biometrics governance”.
Africa
Violent extremist disinformation: Insights from Nigeria and beyond
ICCT
Méryl Demuynck
Drawing on findings from a multiyear EU-funded project, this policy brief seeks to address this gap and raise awareness on the complex dynamics and potential harms associated with disinformation propagated by extremist actors. Building on a cross-country mapping, with a particular focus on Boko Haram factions in Nigeria, it outlines the enabling conditions, defining features, and potential harmful impacts of such disinformation.
Gender & Women in Tech
Inspiring young women to embrace tech careers
InnovationAus
Trish Everingham
Young Australians are turning away from IT careers, presenting a stark challenge for the Australian tech industry, which needs urgent solutions to address its appeal amongst early-age pathways into technology careers. This issue was highlighted in the 2024 Australian Computer Society Digital Pulse report, which found only 10 per cent of school-age girls are considering studying information and communications technology subjects. Even more concerning, the report and anecdotal evidence indicate that many parents do not see tech as a viable career path for their children.
Artificial Intelligence
US wins if DeepSeek runs on American AI chips, Nvidia CEO says
Nikkei Asia
Yifan Yu
Washington was "clearly wrong" to assume China cannot make AI chips, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Wednesday, adding it is critical for U.S. chips to be exported to the Chinese market and have Nvidia chips used to run open-source models like DeepSeek and Alibaba's Qwen. "The U.S. has based its policy on the assumption that China cannot make AI chips. That assumption was always questionable, and now it's clearly wrong," Huang said during a first quarter earnings call.
Events & Podcasts
2025 ASPI Defence Conference: Preparedness and Resilience
ASPI
As one of the most highly anticipated events on the calendar for the national security community, the 2025 ASPI Defence Conference will be a timely opportunity for policy makers, political leaders, government officials and industry innovators to discuss and debate defence strategy, national resilience and regional security. The 2025 Conference will focus on the major challenges stemming from the 2024 National Defence Strategy and how the Australian government should deploy all elements of national power to protect our security, interests and way of life.
The Daily Cyber & Tech Digest is brought to you by the Cyber, Technology & Security Programs team at ASPI and supported by partners.
For more on China's pressure campaign against Taiwan—including military threats, interference and cyberwarfare, check out ASPI’s State of the Strait Weekly Digest.