US government urges high-ranking officials to lock down mobile devices | Japanese rocket carrying Taiwan satellite explodes | EU escalates pressure on Apple to open up its features to rivals

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The Daily Cyber & Tech Digest focuses on the topics we work on, including cybersecurity, critical technologies, foreign interference & disinformation.

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• The U.S. government is urging senior politicians and high-ranking officials to lock down their devices amid the ongoing Chinese breaches of at least eight major telecom providers. TechCrunch

• A Japanese space rocket carrying a Taiwanese satellite blasted off yesterday, but was later seen spiraling downward in the distance as the company said the launch attempt had failed. Taipei Times

• The EU’s European Commission has pressed Apple Inc. to further open up the iPhone operating system to rivals, prompting the company to complain about requests from Meta Platforms Inc. that it says will undermine privacy. Bloomberg

Australia

The lucrative scam business behind a non-existent Centrelink payment
ABC News
When something is "trending", it just means a bunch of people are googling similar things at that time — a good example of this is how we sometimes see "how to call in sick" trending on a Monday morning. We could see that "Centrelink payment dates" was trending and looked into it. The only thing we could see coming up was that there had been a Centrelink payment paid out earlier this year — it was called the Carer Supplement and it was for $600. We checked with Services Australia, which confirmed there were no new payments happening in December.

Deadline changed as tech firms grapple with Australia’s age check and social media ban laws
The Guardian
Josh Taylor
Tech companies will have two extra months to finalise plans to restrict children from accessing adult websites, as Australia’s rushed under-16s social media ban legislation forces the sector to grapple with potential crossover issues with the two regulations. The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, announced the extension on Thursday, citing the need for industry to have time to consider the new legislation and how it might intersect with restrictions on adult content.

Questions for Australia amid reports US could ban TP-Link router sales in 2025
ABC News
Max Walden
US media reports the Biden administration is investigating whether to ban the sale of TP-Link routers made in China over cybersecurity concerns. TP-Link devices are common in Australian homes and businesses, meaning the same vulnerabilities to cyber attacks are present.

China

Chinese cyber center points finger at U.S. over alleged cyberattacks to steal trade secrets
CyberScoop
Tim Starks
China’s national cyber incident response center accused the U.S. government of launching cyberattacks against two Chinese tech companies in a bid to steal trade secrets. In a notice Wednesday, the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China said a suspected U.S. intelligence agency was behind the attacks, and that CNCERT had “handled” them, according to a Google translation. The U.S. government has long accused China of cyber espionage to steal trade secrets from domestic companies, and China’s allegations about U.S. cyberattacks arrives in the midst of a very public campaign from U.S. government officials blaming China for a major attack on telecommunications carriers.

China’s CATL is planning a major expansion of battery swapping for electric vehicles
Associated Press
Ken Moritsugu and Ng Han Guan
The world’s largest maker of batteries for electric vehicles said Wednesday it will get into battery swapping in China in a big way starting next year. The idea behind battery swapping is to refuel quickly, similar to filling a conventional car with gas. Instead of waiting for the batteries to recharge, one swaps out the old ones with a block of fresh ones at a swap station. An EV driver pulls into a swapping station, and automated technology exchanges the low battery for a fully-charged one the station has available.

USA

US government urges high-ranking officials to lock down mobile devices following telecom breaches
TechCrunch
Carly Page
The U.S. government is urging senior politicians and high-ranking officials to lock down their devices amid the ongoing Chinese breaches of at least eight major telecom providers. In an advisory on Wednesday, U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA said that “highly-targeted officials,” including those in government, should enable advanced security features, such as Apple’s Lockdown Mode, which limits ​​the functionality of iPhones to limit the phone’s overall attack surface.

Small, agile, deadly: the US Marine Corps and future war
The Strategist
Andrew Rolander
Transforming the Marine Corps is making it much more technologically capable and lethal while divesting it of old categories of equipment. Planning guidance emphasises capability development and pushes the service to invest in unmanned systems, advanced air defence and long-range precision strike. These capabilities are intended to increase the range and lethality of deployed Marine combat units while enabling dispersal and distributed operations. The enemy isn’t presented with a large formation as a target.

Elon Musk flexes his political strength as government shutdown looms
The New York Times
Michael D. ShearAnnie Karni and Ryan Mac
In more than 150 separate posts on X, Mr. Musk demanded that Republicans back away from a bipartisan spending deal that was meant to avoid a government shutdown over Christmas. He vowed political retribution against anyone voting for the sprawling bill backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson. Mr. Musk reposted the complaints by conservative Republicans about the spending measure, celebrating each as a win. He also shared misinformation about the bill, including false claims that it contained new aid for Ukraine or $3 billion in funds for a new stadium in Washington.

Congress funds removal of Chinese telecom gear as feds probe home router risks
The Washington Post
Eva Dou, Cate Cadell and Joseph Menn
Congress approved $3 billion Wednesday for a long-languishing project to cull Chinese equipment from networks nationwide over fears they are vulnerable to cyberattacks, underscoring the risk Beijing-sponsored hackers pose to phone and internet networks.

• U.S. weighs ban on Chinese-made router in millions of American homes
  The Wall Street Journal
  Heather Somerville, Dustin Volz and Aruna Viswanatha
  U.S. authorities are investigating whether a Chinese company whose popular home-internet routers have been linked to cyberattacks poses a national-security risk and are considering banning the devices.The router-manufacturer TP-Link, established in China, has roughly 65% of the U.S. market for routers for homes and small businesses. It is also the top choice on Amazon.com, and powers internet communications for the Defense Department and other federal government agencies.

How China’s antitrust tactics undermine U.S. tech leadership
Foreign Policy
Ruby Scanlon
Less than a week after Washington ratcheted up its chip export controls, Beijing responded with a pointed escalation on Dec. 9: an antitrust probe into Nvidia, the United States’ leading chipmaker and a linchpin in artificial intelligence hardware. The investigation threatens to impose steep fines and disrupt Nvidia’s operations in China. By the end of the day that China announced the probe, Nvidia’s shares had fallen 4 percent. Far from a routine regulatory action, this move underscores China’s growing reliance on its competition authorities in the intensifying U.S.-China tech war. As the incoming Trump administration confronts this escalating rivalry, countering Beijing’s weaponization of antitrust should be a priority.

US effort to curb China’s and Russia’s access to advanced computer chips ‘inadequate,’ report finds
Associated Press
Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak
The Commerce Department’s efforts to curb China’s and Russia’s access to American-made advanced computer chips have been “inadequate” and will need more funding to stymie their ability to manufacture advanced weapons, according to a report published Wednesday by the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.The Biden administration imposed export controls to limit the ability of China and Russia to access U.S.-made chips after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.The agency’s Bureau of Industry and Security, according to the report, does not have the resources to enforce export controls and has been too reliant on U.S. chip makers voluntarily complying with the rules.

US Supreme Court to consider TikTok bid to halt ban
Reuters
Andrew Chung and David Shepardson
The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to hear a bid by TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to block a law intended to force the sale of the short-video app by Jan. 19 or face a ban on national security grounds. The justices did not immediately act on an emergency request by TikTok and ByteDance, as well as by some of its users who post content on the social media platform, for an injunction to halt the looming ban, opting instead to hear arguments on the matter on Jan. 10.

Unmasking the invisible threat: corporate America’s battle against AI deepfakes
Chicago Policy Review
Caroline Bouisse
In a stark demonstration of technological manipulation, the National Stock Exchange of India recently faced a sophisticated deepfake scheme targeting its top leadership. CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan unwittingly became the subject of AI-generated videos meant to mislead investors and potentially manipulate stock market sentiments.

North Asia

Taiwan may collaborate with Amazon on Kuiper satellite system: MODA
Focus Taiwan
Taiwan is considering working with American tech giant Amazon to gain access to its Project Kuiper satellite broadband system for emergency communications, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said Wednesday. The MODA statement followed a Reuters report Tuesday that cited Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文), head of the National Science and Technology Council, as saying that Taiwan was in talks with Amazon about collaborating with the company on its new Kuiper broadband internet constellation of satellites.

South & Central Asia

Japanese rocket carrying Taiwan satellite explodes
Taipei Times
A Japanese space rocket carrying a Taiwanese satellite blasted off yesterday, but was later seen spiraling downward in the distance as the company said the launch attempt had failed. It was the second attempt by the Japanese start-up Space One to become the country’s first private firm to put a satellite into orbit, after its first try in March ended in a mid-air explosion. This time, its solid-fuel Kairos rocket had been carrying five satellites, including one from the Taiwan Space Agency and others designed by Japanese students and corporate ventures.

Ukraine - Russia

Russian hackers using red team tools for large-scale espionage campaign
The Record by Recorded Future
Daryna Antoniuk
Russian state-controlled hackers have been using tools typically deployed by red teams to steal their victims’ data, according to researchers. In a large-scale espionage operation that began in October, the group known as APT29 used a Remote Desktop Protocol— a legitimate tool used by cybersecurity professionals who simulate real-world attacks to test an organization’s defenses — in order to gain control over victims’ systems. Among the victims of the campaign are governments, armed forces, think tanks, and academic researchers in Ukraine and Europe.

Europe

EU escalates pressure on Apple to open up its features to rivals
Bloomberg
Samuel Stolton and Mark Gurman
The EU’s European Commission has pressed Apple Inc. to further open up the iPhone operating system to rivals, prompting the company to complain about requests from Meta Platforms Inc. that it says will undermine privacy. The commission instructed Apple on Wednesday to rework the iOS operating system so that it’s more compatible with smartwatches, earbuds, headsets and other devices from competitors.

• Apple faces EU order to open up to rival devices and software
  POLITICO
  Aoife White
  Apple faces European Commission orders on how to make its products work more smoothly with rivals to meet the requirements of the bloc's digital competition law. The European Union executive is seeking feedback by Jan. 9 on two draft orders that would set out how the tech giant allows its iPhones to connect to other manufacturers' headsets or smartwatches and could also curb how far the company can deny access to rival software developers.

Estonia's top spy says NATO must deter Russia for next 10 to 20 years
Reuters
Andrius Sytas
NATO will need to contain Russia for the next 20 years, the head of Estonian foreign intelligence said. Estonia, which is bordered by Russia and is a member of the alliance, has doubled its defence spending since the war in Ukraine began to 3.4% of its gross domestic product this year, the second largest proportion in NATO, and increased taxes from next year to purchase stockpiles of ammunition for defence.

Dutch regulator fines Netflix $5 million for data privacy violations
The Record by Recorded Future
Suzanne Smalley
A Dutch privacy regulator on Wednesday fined Netflix €4.75 Million ($5 million) for not telling consumers enough about how the streaming service uses their data. The fine stems from Netflix’s failure to give customers “sufficient” information about how it handled customer personal data from 2018 to 2020, the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) said in a press release. The regulator also said the information Netflix did provide was unclear.

Big Tech

Apple in talks with Tencent, ByteDance to roll out AI features in China, sources say
Reuters
Liam Mo and Brenda Goh
Apple is in talks with Tencent and TikTok owner ByteDance about integrating their artificial intelligence models into iPhones sold in China, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The U.S. company started the rollout of OpenAI's ChatGPT into its devices this month, part of the Apple Intelligence product that allows its Siri voice assistant to tap the chatbot's expertise including on user queries about photos and documents such as presentations.

Zuckerberg: It’s ‘sad’ that EU is left behind on AI
POLITICO
Sam Clark
Mark Zuckerberg tells Meta staff not to push out new artificial intelligence services in the European Union – and he thinks that’s sad. Meta's chief executive commented late Wednesday on Threads – Meta’s X-like social media platform – saying it’s “sad that I basically have to tell our teams to launch our new AI advances everywhere except the EU at this point.” Meta initially held back its EU launch of Threads because of "regulatory uncertainty," in particular the EU's new digital competition regulation, the Digital Markets Act. Apple also paused an AI rollout in the EU citing the regulatory environment.

Research

The anatomy of disinformation on X: foreign information manipulation amid Bangladesh’s political transition
Techglobal Institute
Mohammad Arafat, Sams Wahid Shahat and Apon Das
This study investigates disinformation campaigns on X that exploit communal tensions in Bangladesh, while cross-posting on YouTube and Facebook to reach a wider audience. It uncovers the tactics, patterns, and key actors—especially suspected foreign networks—exploiting local narratives to destabilize and exacerbate longstanding societal tensions. Findings reveal coordinated efforts to weaponize social media through culturally charged narratives and historical revisionism, among other tactics, and resulting in incitement of fear and communal conflict.

Jobs

ASPI Director – Defence Strategy Program
ASPI
ASPI is recruiting for one of its key leadership positions - the Director of its Defence Strategy Program. This is an exceptional opportunity for a talented senior leader to contribute to the work of one of the Indo-Pacific’s top think-tanks with a focus on military strategy and capability, emerging security issues and our region. The closing date for applications is Friday, 10 January 2025 – an early application is advised as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if suitable applications are received.

Researcher/Analyst/Senior Analyst - Defence Strategy
ASPI
There are a small number of potential roles available in ASPI’s Defence Strategy Program, across multiple levels including researcher, analyst and senior analyst. This is an exceptional opportunity for talented individuals to contribute to the work of Australia's leading think tank on defence and strategic policy issues. The closing date for applications is 15 January 2025 – an early application is advised as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if suitable applications are received.

ASPI Deputy Director – Cyber, Technology & Security Program
ASPI
ASPI is seeking a talented leader for the Deputy Director of Cyber, Technology & Security (CTS) Operations. This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to one of the Indo-Pacific’s leading think tanks, focused on advancing policy and research at the intersection of cyber, technology, and national security. The CTS Program is ASPI’s largest program, and includes ASPI’s China Investigations and Analysis team. The closing date for applications is Friday, 17 January 2025 – an early application is advised as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if suitable applications are received.

ASPI Analyst – Hybrid Threats – Cyber, Technology & Security Program
ASPI
ASPI is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented individual to join the Cyber, Technology & Security (CTS) program as an Analyst – Hybrid Threats. This role involves contributing to the analysis of hybrid threats and information manipulation, including election integrity, resilience of critical technologies, and cybersecurity. The closing date for applications is Friday, 17 January 2025 – an early application is advised as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if suitable applications are received.

The Daily Cyber & Tech Digest is brought to you by the Cyber, Technology & Security team at ASPI.