Close Menu
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI
  • Apps
  • Crypto
  • Security
  • Startups
  • TechCrunch
  • Venture

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

What's Hot

Apple warns exploit developers that iPhones have been targeted by government spyware

October 21, 2025

Disrupt Stage Revealed: Where the Future of Technology First Breaks | TechCrunch

October 21, 2025

6 days left until Disrupt 2025 opens in San Francisco and ticket prices increase | Tech Crunch

October 21, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI

    OpenAI seeks to extend human lifespans with the help of longevity startups

    January 17, 2025

    Farewell to the $200 million woolly mammoth and TikTok

    January 17, 2025

    Nord Security founder launches Nexos.ai to help enterprises move AI projects from pilot to production

    January 17, 2025

    Data proves it remains difficult for startups to raise capital, even though VCs invested $75 billion in the fourth quarter

    January 16, 2025

    Apple suspends AI notification summaries for news after generating false alerts

    January 16, 2025
  • Apps

    Google brings Pixel 6 and new devices to Material3 Expressive, along with other features, to the Pixel 6 and new devices

    September 3, 2025

    Google's NoteBookLM now allows you to customize the tone of your AI podcasts

    September 3, 2025

    Roblox expands the use of age estimation techniques and introduces standardized assessments

    September 3, 2025

    Instagram finally launches the iPad app

    September 3, 2025

    Complete the 2025 Confusion Builder Stage Agenda with the Maximum Scaling Voice

    September 3, 2025
  • Crypto

    Disrupt Stage Revealed: Where the Future of Technology First Breaks | TechCrunch

    October 21, 2025

    6 days left until Disrupt 2025 opens in San Francisco and ticket prices increase | Tech Crunch

    October 21, 2025

    Last minute ticket deals for Disrupt 2025: +1 for 60% off

    October 20, 2025

    Last minute ticket deals for Disrupt 2025: +1 for 60% off

    October 20, 2025

    Solana’s Anatoly Yakovenko talks about the next chapter of cryptocurrencies at Disrupt 2025

    October 17, 2025
  • Security

    Apple warns exploit developers that iPhones have been targeted by government spyware

    October 21, 2025

    Amazon identifies problem that destroyed much of the internet, says AWS is back to normal

    October 21, 2025

    Amazon DNS outage destroys large portions of the Internet

    October 20, 2025

    Spyware maker NSO Group blocked from WhatsApp

    October 18, 2025

    Amazon's Ring to partner with Flock, an AI camera network used by ICE, federal government, and law enforcement

    October 16, 2025
  • Startups

    7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

    March 24, 2025

    AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

    March 24, 2025

    20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

    March 22, 2025

    Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

    March 21, 2025

    Startup Weekly: Wiz bets paid off at M&A Rich Week

    March 21, 2025
  • TechCrunch

    OpenSea takes a long-term view with a focus on UX despite NFT sales remaining low

    February 8, 2024

    AI will save software companies' growth dreams

    February 8, 2024

    B2B and B2C are not about who buys, but how you sell

    February 5, 2024

    It's time for venture capital to break away from fast fashion

    February 3, 2024

    a16z's Chris Dixon believes it's time to focus on blockchain use cases rather than speculation

    February 2, 2024
  • Venture

    Top researchers from OpenAI and Google Brain spark $300M VC frenzy for startup Periodic Labs

    October 20, 2025

    San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is coming to disrupt 2025

    October 20, 2025

    7 days left until TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, ticket prices will increase

    October 20, 2025

    This top VC bets nearly 20% of its money on teenagers – here's why

    October 18, 2025

    A comprehensive list of 2025 tech layoffs

    October 17, 2025
TechBrunchTechBrunch

4 things America's spy chief learned in Congressional testimony

TechBrunchBy TechBrunchMarch 11, 20246 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Telegram Email


Cyberattacks, regional conflicts, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, commercial spyware, AI, misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, TikTok. These are just a few of the perceived threats facing the United States, according to the U.S. government intelligence community's latest global risk assessment.

The unclassified report released on Monday (sanitized for public release) gives the U.S. intelligence community the threat it sees facing the U.S. mainland, based on a vast pool of information collected. It was a candid annual look at the collective thinking of the world. In an election year, America's top spies are increasingly citing emerging technology and cybersecurity as factors in evaluating national security posture.

During Monday's unclassified session of the Senate Intelligence Committee, top leaders of the U.S. government's intelligence agencies, including the FBI, NSA, CIA and others, testified to lawmakers primarily to answer their questions about the current state of world affairs.

Here's what we learned from the hearing:

At least 74 countries use commercial spyware

In recent years, the U.S. government has turned its attention to the government spyware industry, currently comprised of companies such as NSO Group and Intellexa, and previously Hacking Team and FinFisher. “From 2011 to 2023, at least 74 countries contracted with private companies to obtain commercial spyware, and governments used spyware to target dissidents and journalists,” the intelligence agency said in its annual report. are increasingly being used.”

The report does not say where the intelligence community got its numbers from, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to a request for comment for clarification.

But last year, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think tank in Washington, D.C., released a report on the global spyware industry. This report included the same number of countries and the same dates as the new intelligence report. The Carnegie report, authored by Stephen Feldstein and Brian Cott, cited data they collected that was used by digital rights groups and the spyware industry, including Citizen Lab, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Privacy. The information was obtained from sources such as security researchers who study the Not just international reporting, but reporting.

As the authors explained last year, it's important to note that the Carnegie dataset contains what is known as government or commercial spyware. This means tools for remotely hacking and monitoring targets, such as those created by NSO and Intellexa. However, it also includes digital forensic software used to extract data from mobile phones and computers that are in the physical possession of authorities. Two of the most well-known manufacturers of this type of tool are Cellebrite and Grayshift, both of which are widely used in the United States as well as other countries.

US says it is struggling to combat ransomware

The United States has warned that ransomware is a threat to U.S. public services and critical security, as ransomware-related cybercriminals are “improving attacks, extorting funds, disrupting critical services, and leaking sensitive data.” It said it was an ongoing risk to infrastructure.

Ransomware has become a global problem, with hacking groups extorting companies to pay ransoms of sometimes millions of dollars to recover stolen files. Some cybersecurity experts are calling on governments to completely ban ransom payments, if necessary, to stop cyber hackers from profiteering.

But the United States has shunned that view and taken a different approach, choosing to systematically disrupt, dismantle, and sanction some of the worst offenders based in Russia and beyond the reach of U.S. justice.

“Without cooperative law enforcement from Russia and other countries that provide a safe haven and permissive environment for cybercriminals, mitigation efforts will remain limited,” the threat assessment states. It's dark. In other words, ransomware is likely to remain a modern-day snow day until Russia and some other adversaries give up on the crime.

US warns against growing use of AI in influence operations

The use of generative AI in digital influence activities is not new, but the widespread availability of AI tools has made it easier for malicious actors to engage in online influence activities such as election interference and the generation of deepfakes. The hurdle has become lower.

The rise of detailed and convincing deepfake images and videos plays a role in information warfare by intentionally sowing confusion and dissonance, citing Russia's use of deepfake images against Ukraine on the battlefield. is fulfilled.

“Russian influencers are adapting their efforts to better conceal their hands, using new technologies such as generative AI to improve their capabilities and reach Western audiences. ”, the report warns.

This comes as NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce also said in early January that overseas hackers are using chatbot tools to generate more convincing phishing emails, but that AI can also help with digital defense. I was of the same opinion about that.

The report also notes that China is increasing its experiments with generative AI, noting that TikTok accounts run by China's military propaganda arm “targeted candidates of both political parties during the 2022 U.S. midterm elections.” It is reported that he did so.”

No law restricts U.S. spies from buying Americans' data

US spy agencies have figured out why they need to get a warrant for the data when they can buy it online. Given how much data we share from our phone apps (though many don't think much of it), US spy agencies have no idea how much data is commercially available to Americans from data brokers. They simply buy up huge amounts of location data and internet traffic.

How is that legal? After a brief exchange with the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (which confirmed that one of the agencies had purchased access to a database containing Americans' location data), Sen. He pointed out that this act is permitted because there are no restrictions on Purchase commercially available data.

In other words, U.S. spy agencies will soon be able to provide information on what Americans can buy until Congress stops this practice, even if the root of the problem is that data brokers shouldn't have U.S. data in the first place. This means you can continue to purchase data.



Source link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Apple warns exploit developers that iPhones have been targeted by government spyware

October 21, 2025

Amazon identifies problem that destroyed much of the internet, says AWS is back to normal

October 21, 2025

Amazon DNS outage destroys large portions of the Internet

October 20, 2025

Spyware maker NSO Group blocked from WhatsApp

October 18, 2025

Amazon's Ring to partner with Flock, an AI camera network used by ICE, federal government, and law enforcement

October 16, 2025

Cyber ​​giant F5 Networks says government hackers gained “prolonged” access to its systems and stole code and customer data.

October 15, 2025

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Top Reviews
Editors Picks

7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

March 24, 2025

AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

March 24, 2025

20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

March 22, 2025

Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

March 21, 2025
About Us
About Us

Welcome to Tech Brunch, your go-to destination for cutting-edge insights, news, and analysis in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cryptocurrency, Technology, and Startups. At Tech Brunch, we are passionate about exploring the latest trends, innovations, and developments shaping the future of these dynamic industries.

Our Picks

Apple warns exploit developers that iPhones have been targeted by government spyware

October 21, 2025

Disrupt Stage Revealed: Where the Future of Technology First Breaks | TechCrunch

October 21, 2025

6 days left until Disrupt 2025 opens in San Francisco and ticket prices increase | Tech Crunch

October 21, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

© 2025 TechBrunch. Designed by TechBrunch.
  • Home
  • About Tech Brunch
  • Advertise with Tech Brunch
  • Contact us
  • DMCA Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.