Post on Groove ransomware data leak site calling for attacks on the United States. 2021 may be recorded as the year of the rise of ransomware. Combating the cyber-crime operation—which encrypts data, crippling computer systems, and requests cryptocurrency in exchange for decryption—has become central to international efforts to secure critical infrastructure and protect victims against … Continue reading The Rise of Ransomware
Category: Technology
Analyzing Five Alleged IRA Reddit Accounts
Word cloud showing five alleged IRA accounts’ most-discussed topics topics on Reddit. This graph was generated using a frequency analysis of selected comments and submission from Reddit. This piece was authored by an anonymous SSP student Background The Russian Federation’s alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election has been the subject of much media fanfare, … Continue reading Analyzing Five Alleged IRA Reddit Accounts
Smart Devices: A Necessary Evil for Military Operations?
Photo Credit: Military Embedded Systems At the beginning of the twenty-first century, camera phones were a new commodity – and their effects on battlefield operations were largely unknown. Two decades later, their rapid development and newfound capabilities pose a litany of security concerns for our deployed servicemembers, such as geotagging that enables kinetic targeting and … Continue reading Smart Devices: A Necessary Evil for Military Operations?
Does the Future of Artificial Intelligence Favor Authoritarianism?
Photo Credit: Seeedstudio.com In our networked world, artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies can be copied and pasted with minimal modification until they become geopolitical forces. On April 8, 2021, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released its Global Trends 2040 report, noting more centrally than ever that AI is not only an … Continue reading Does the Future of Artificial Intelligence Favor Authoritarianism?
Nuclear Disarmament: Why Reaching for Zero Makes Sense
India's Brahmos missile, which was developed jointly with Russia, on display in 2018. Photo Credit: Politico, Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images Nuclear weapons have dominated U.S. security strategy for decades. The overwhelming power of these weapons has captivated the minds of U.S. scholars, strategists, and policymakers alike. However, this fascination with complete annihilation has created an impenetrable bubble around … Continue reading Nuclear Disarmament: Why Reaching for Zero Makes Sense
What’s New in the 2020 US National Space Strategy?
Photo credit: European Space Agency (ESA) The US National Space Policy (NSP) outlines military, civil, and commercial efforts in space and is the authoritative policy document that guides the space activities of NASA, the intelligence community, and the Departments of Defense, State, Commerce, Energy, Homeland Security, Transportation, and Interior. Therefore, the publication of a new … Continue reading What’s New in the 2020 US National Space Strategy?
Arms for Oil: How North Korea and Iran Facilitate Each Other’s Security Strategies
North Korea launches a short-range missile, July 26, 2019. Photo Credit: BBC The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) have established a relationship that serves both of their security strategies. Their cooperation is a functional means to withstand their mutual economic isolation as well as a threatening move against their … Continue reading Arms for Oil: How North Korea and Iran Facilitate Each Other’s Security Strategies
Joint Artificial Intelligence Center: An Opportunity for Transparency
Stylized representation of Joint All Domain Command and Control. Photo Credit: Raytheon Intelligence and Space. In 2018, the Department of Defense (DoD) set up the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) to consolidate the DoD’s artificial intelligence R&D projects under one organization. The JAIC is currently responsible for over 30 projects with broad applications, including battlefield … Continue reading Joint Artificial Intelligence Center: An Opportunity for Transparency
The Argument for A Democratic Public Health Surveillance Program
A CDC scientist pipetting specimens in one of the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) laboratories, located in Atlanta, GA. Photo Credit: Public Health Image Library. Minimizing the spread of coronavirus has been at the forefront of leaders’ and policymakers’ efforts since the onset of the pandemic. Evidently, the benefits of mass surveillance … Continue reading The Argument for A Democratic Public Health Surveillance Program
The Europe Desk Interview: Audrey Kurth Cronin on Counterterrorism and Emerging Technologies
Audrey Kurth Cronin. Photo Credit: Audrey Kurth Cronin/Twitter. In March, Audrey Kurth Cronin, professor of international security in the School of International Service at American University, sat down for an interview with Emily Traynor Mayrand and Alistair Somerville from The Europe Desk podcast at Georgetown’s BMW Center for German and European Studies. She is an … Continue reading The Europe Desk Interview: Audrey Kurth Cronin on Counterterrorism and Emerging Technologies