The Standeford Journal - News, Intel Analysis: Cyber/Tech

China Discloses Research on High-Power Microwave Weapons With Outputs up to 100 Gigawatts

Donald Standeford — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 21:09:07 GMT

BEIJING — Researchers from the National University of Defense Technology published a paper on July 9 detailing pulsed-power systems for high-power microwave weapons capable of reaching 100 gigawatts of output through combined modules.

Representative image of a vehicle-mounted high-power microwave system

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Details of the paper were noted on July 9. Russian state-affiliated media amplified the disclosure hours later with claims framing the technology as a potential counter to Starlink satellite networks, drones, and communications systems at extremely low cost per strike and described the tech as battlefield-ready.

The paper, published in the journal High Power Laser and Particle Beams, describes advancements in pulsed-power drivers that have moved from laboratory prototypes to practical applications.

It states that some gigawatt-class systems have already been delivered to users. Earlier February reporting on the 20-gigawatt compact driver described similar concepts for ground-based systems that could disrupt or damage satellite electronics without creating orbital debris.

Feasibility of Using High-Power Microwave Systems Against Satellites

The July 2026 paper notes that pulses at or above 1 gigawatt can cause severe interference or hardware damage to satellites in low Earth orbit and suggests the work could inform assessments of vulnerabilities in large satellite constellations.

However, the paper does not describe any testing, integration, or deployment of a complete high-power microwave weapon system against orbital targets.

Several technical factors limit the near-term feasibility of using systems based on this research against satellites. Ground-based high-power microwave systems require a direct line of sight to the target.

Low Earth orbit satellites move at high speed relative to the ground, creating only brief windows for engagement. Atmospheric absorption and scattering further reduce effective power delivery, particularly at certain frequencies and under varying weather conditions.

Precise beam steering and sustained energy concentration at orbital ranges also remain significant engineering challenges.

The research focuses primarily on generating and scaling pulsed power rather than on the full weapon system requirements for space applications, such as rapid re-targeting, thermal management, and platform mobility.

No public information indicates that these integration and propagation issues have been resolved for the power levels discussed in the paper.

As a result, while the research identifies satellite interference as a potential area of interest, available evidence does not support the conclusion that current or near-term high-power microwave systems developed from this work can reliably engage or disrupt satellites in orbit.

Research Paper Technical Claims

UAE Thwarts Series of Sophisticated Cyberattacks Targeting Financial Sector

Donald Standeford — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:39:39 GMT

UAE — The United Arab Emirates Cyber Security Council announced July 3 that the national cybersecurity system contained a series of cyberattacks targeting entities in the financial sector.

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The incidents involved attempts to compromise digital systems and critical technology infrastructure, conduct sophisticated phishing campaigns, exploit security vulnerabilities, and deploy software the council described as malicious.

Increased Use Of AI To Develop More Advanced, Complex Techniques

CISA Urges Hardening Fortinet Devices in Credential Exposure Response

Donald Standeford — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:06:11 GMT

CYBER — The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an alert on June 18 directing organizations to immediately terminate active sessions, reset administrative and Virtual Private Network passwords, and harden FortiGate appliances and Secure Sockets Layer gateways targeted in the FortiBleed credential exposure campaign.

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The alert addresses cyber activity by threat actors involving leaked credentials for approximately 74,000 internet-accessible Fortinet devices, including firewalls and Virtual Private Network gateways used by government and private sector organizations worldwide, per the agency alert.

Independent researchers estimate affected devices ranging from 73,932 to 75,000 across 194 countries.

Fortinet and FortiGate Overview

Fortinet is a major cybersecurity company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. It develops and sells a broad portfolio of network security products, with its flagship FortiGate line of next-generation firewalls and Secure Sockets Layer Virtual Private Network gateways forming the core of many enterprise, government, and critical-infrastructure networks worldwide.

FortiGate appliances combine firewall, intrusion prevention, application control, and VPN capabilities in a single platform. Organizations deploy them to protect internet-facing connections, segment internal networks, and enforce remote-access policies.

Because FortiGate devices often sit at the perimeter and handle both inbound traffic and encrypted tunnels, they are high-value targets for credential-based attacks.

The widespread adoption of Fortinet products means that credential exposure on these devices carries outsized consequences.

A successful compromise can give attackers initial access into environments that control sensitive data flows, remote workforce connectivity, and operational technology segments.

In the FortiBleed campaign, threat actors leveraged leaked administrative credentials to target precisely this class of widely deployed appliances, underscoring why rapid credential rotation and interface hardening remain priorities for any organization running FortiGate or related Fortinet VPN solutions.

FortiBleed Campaign Scope and Methods

Five Eyes Alliance Releases Joint Bulletin Warning of Chinese Military Intelligence Recruitment on Job Platforms

Donald Standeford — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:15:59 GMT

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the domestic security agencies of the other Four Eyes nations issued a joint public bulletin on June 3 warning that Chinese military intelligence services are using professional networking sites and online job platforms to target government, military, and other personnel with access to sensitive or privileged information.

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The bulletin, titled “Safeguarding Our Secrets,” details an aggressive five-step recruitment process in which operatives pose as recruiters for fake or cover companies and escalate requests from seemingly benign reports to more sensitive information in exchange for payment.

Multiple partner agencies, including the United Kingdom’s MI5, published pages confirming the coordinated June 3 release by ASIO, CSIS, FBI, MI5, and NZSIS.

The bulletin was rejected by China, which said that the “Five Eyes” has long engaged in massive systemic espionage all over the world.

The Five Eyes Alliance

AFRICOM Advances Curtain Call Drone Swarm Defense System in Second Field Test

Donald Standeford — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:09:10 GMT

UNITED STATES — U.S. Africa Command completed a second successful field test of its low-cost, drone-swarm defense system at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from April 27 to May 1.

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The CURTAIN CALL system demonstrated measurable progress in short-range air defense against unmanned aerial system threats during the five-day evaluation at the California site.

The test examined the system’s ability to detect threats through cameras and sensors, alert a human operator, and launch a defensive “curtain” of drones to intercept incoming UAS.

Evaluators specifically compared performance against single-drone attacks and coordinated assaults from multiple drones at once. Results showed the defense system tracked threats and responded faster than in earlier tests.

Test Execution and Threat Response Scenarios

U.S. Arrests Dual National Tech CEO for Supplying Equipment to Iran’s Nuclear and Military Programs

Donald Standeford — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:16:47 GMT

SANTA ANA, California — Jamshid Ghomi, the 63-year-old dual U.S.-Iranian national and CEO of Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh Co. Ltd., a Tehran-based computer networking company, was arrested on June 3 on a federal criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

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Ghomi faces allegations that he procured and supplied sophisticated U.S.-origin networking, security, and encryption equipment to Iranian customers, including entities tied to Iran’s nuclear program and military establishment, without required licenses from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana. The complaint and supporting affidavit describe more than a decade of alleged activity involving hundreds of purchases routed through front companies and intermediaries, large-scale smuggling, and the movement of millions of dollars in proceeds into the United States.

Procurement and Concealment Methods

Directed Energy Device Tested in Norway Sparks CIA, Pentagon Havana Syndrome Inquiry

Donald Standeford — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 17:20:22 GMT

NORWAY – On February 14 reports surfaced detailing a previously undisclosed experiment by a Norwegian government scientist who tested a microwave device on himself, resulting in neurological symptoms akin to anomalous health incidents known as Havana syndrome.

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The 2024 test involved pulsed-energy exposure, causing immediate effects like dizziness and cognitive issues. Norwegian officials informed the Central Intelligence Agency, leading to engagements with Pentagon and White House personnel.

Sources familiar with the experiment noted it did not support foreign targeting of U.S. officials but illustrated pulsed-energy devices’ capacity to influence human biology.

In a related development, the Pentagon acquired a portable device in late 2024 through a Homeland Security Investigations undercover operation, funded by the Department of Defense. The device, containing Russian components, underwent testing for over a year to assess replication of anomalous health incident symptoms.

Officials indicated its directed-energy emission potential, though no confirmed ties to foreign actors exist. This adds to nearly 1,500 reported cases across 96 countries, with declines in new incidents by 2025.

Inquiry into Norwegian Directed-Energy Device

Poland's Energy Sector Faced Coordinated Cyberattacks Targeting Renewable Facilities and Deploying Wiper Malware

Donald Standeford — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:12:02 GMT

EUROPE — The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an advisory on February 10 highlighting a destructive cyber incident in Poland’s energy sector from late December.

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The attacks targeted operational technology and industrial control systems at over 30 wind and solar farms, a combined heat and power plant serving nearly half a million customers, and a manufacturing firm producing energy components.

“The malicious cyber activity caused loss of view and control between facilities and distribution system operators, destroyed data on human machine interfaces (HMIs), and corrupted system firmware on OT devices. While the affected renewable energy systems continued production, the system operator could not control or monitor them according to their intended design.” - CISA

Attackers exploited vulnerable FortiGate firewalls with default credentials to access networks, then used remote desktop protocol and virtual network computing for lateral movement before deploying custom wiper malware called DynoWiper to encrypt files and disrupt communications.

While no interruptions to power or heat occurred, the event exposed risks in distributed renewable energy systems and prompted recommendations for enhanced edge device security.

CERT Polska’s incident report from January 30 detailed the assaults occurring in morning and afternoon hours on December 29. The malware aimed to cause irreversible data destruction, but endpoint detection tools at the combined heat and power plant blocked execution.

Polish authorities attributed the operation to the Russian-linked group Static Tundra, also known as Electrum or Berserk Bear, based on infrastructure overlaps and tactics matching prior campaigns.

Incident Details

FBI Indicts Over Fifty Tren de Aragua Members for ATM Jack-potting Conspiracy, Seizes Domains Linked to Illegal Identity Document Marketplaces, and Issues Holiday Scam Warnings

Donald Standeford — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 18:23:18 GMT

UNITED STATES — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced indictments against more than fifty individuals affiliated with the Venezuelan-origin transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua for their alleged roles in a coordinated conspiracy to deploy malware that forced automated teller machines to dispense large sums of cash without authorization or account debiting.

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This scheme, commonly referred to as ATM jack-potting, is alleged to have caused multi-million-dollar losses across multiple states, with proceeds reportedly directed to support Tren de Aragua operations.

In a separate but concurrent action, a Bangladeshi national was indicted for allegedly operating online marketplaces that sold high-resolution digital templates used to produce counterfeit U.S. identity documents, including passports, social security cards, and driver’s licenses. Law enforcement executed seizure of multiple associated domains as part of the disruption effort.

Simultaneously, the FBI renewed public warnings concerning an expected increase in holiday shopping scams. These schemes exploit seasonal consumer behavior through fabricated urgency, limited-time offers, appeals to fear, demands for secrecy, and instructions to use irreversible payment methods such as gift cards, cryptocurrency, or cash delivered by couriers.

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These coordinated law enforcement actions reflect ongoing federal priorities to disrupt both sophisticated cyber-enabled financial crime by designated transnational criminal organizations and persistent social-engineering schemes targeting the public during periods of heightened economic activity.

Operational Patterns and Methods Employed

PRC State-Sponsored Cyber Actors Deploy BRICKSTORM Malware Targeting Public Sector and Information Technology Systems

Donald Standeford — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:23:32 GMT

UNITED STATES — The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released an alert detailing intrusions by People’s Republic of China state-sponsored actors using BRICKSTORM malware.

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This backdoor targets VMware vSphere and Windows environments to establish long-term persistence. The malware enables stealthy access through multiple encryption layers and facilitates lateral movement within networks.

Affected organizations are primarily in government services and information technology sectors. BRICKSTORM’s self-monitoring function ensures automatic re-installation if disrupted.

The alert highlights ongoing compromises where actors obtain legitimate credentials by capturing system backups or Active Directory data. They exfiltrate sensitive information and target VMware platforms to steal virtual machine snapshots for credential extraction.

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In one confirmed case, intruders accessed a web server in the demilitarized zone before moving to an internal vCenter server to implant the malware. Seven additional BRICKSTORM samples show variations in capabilities, underscoring its adaptability. Communications are concealed using DNS-over-HTTPS and SOCKS proxies.

Intruders employ advanced tactics to evade detection, including nested TLS encryption and WebSockets. Persistence mechanisms allow the malware to restart automatically upon interruption.

BRICKSTORM is a custom ELF Go-based backdoor for stealthy access, persistence, and command and control. It uses self-watching for reinstallation if disrupted, multiple encryption layers like HTTPS, WebSockets, and nested TLS. DNS-over-HTTPS mimics web traffic with public resolvers such as Cloudflare, Google, and Quad9.

Interactive shells, file manipulation, and SOCKS proxy enable lateral movement. Some samples act as SOCKS proxies or use VSOCK for virtual machine communication with self-signed certificates.

Analysis of eight samples reveals variants for VMware vSphere and Windows. The joint Malware Analysis Report provides indicators of compromise and detection signatures. Network defenders are urged to scan for BRICKSTORM using provided YARA and Sigma rules.

Actors gain access via web shells, move laterally using RDP and SMB with service accounts, copy Active Directory databases, escalate via sudo, and drop BRICKSTORM in /etc/sysconfig/. Modifications to init files ensure execution on boot.

In a detailed incident, access began in April 2024 and persisted through at least September 3, 2025. Lateral movement included jump servers and Active Directory Federation Services for key exfiltration.

Blocking unauthorized DNS-over-HTTPS providers is recommended to reduce unmonitored traffic. Inventory of network edge devices should include monitoring for suspicious connectivity.

Proper segmentation restricts traffic from demilitarized zones to internal networks. If similar activity is detected, incidents should be reported to the agency’s operations center. The guidance emphasizes hunting for intrusions and applying mitigations promptly. Critical infrastructure operators face heightened risks from such state-sponsored activities.

U.S. Secret Service Dismantles Imminent Telecommunications Threat in the New York Tri-State Area

Donald Standeford — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:06:00 GMT

UNITED STATES — The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tri-state area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior government officials.

Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office Matt McCool announced that the Secret Service has uncovered and dismantled a large network of fraudulent cellular devices in the New York Tri-State area capable of enabling encrypted communications and threatening local infrastructure.

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The operation represented an imminent threat to the agency's protective operations. The protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located Subscriber Identity Module servers and 100,000 Subscriber Identity Module cards across multiple sites. The devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the United Nations General Assembly underway in New York City.

The timing, location, and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications prompted the agency to move quickly. In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks.

This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks, and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.

While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals who are known to federal law enforcement.

Investigation Details

Pentagon Terminates Digital Escorts Program Involving Chinese Nationals Amid Joint Advisory on State-Sponsored Cyber Threats

Donald Standeford — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 20:44:46 GMT

UNITED STATES — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the termination of a decade-old Microsoft program that permitted Chinese nationals, under remote supervision by U.S. contractors, to contribute to sensitive Department of Defense cloud systems.

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The decision followed an internal review initiated upon discovering the program's existence, which exposed the department to security risks despite compliance with contracting regulations. Hegseth described the move in terms of national security priorities. The program, intended to support cloud maintenance, had operated until revelations in 2025 prompted action.

The review's initial findings confirmed the program's vulnerabilities, leading to its halt. A formal letter of concern was issued to Microsoft, documenting concerns regarding trust and demanding a third-party audit of all code and submissions involving Chinese nationals.

According to Hegseth, this audit would be conducted without charge to U.S. taxpayers. Additionally, an internal investigation will assess any potential negative impacts on DOD cloud systems from the program's participants.

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Related Cybersecurity Advisory

A joint cybersecurity advisory released on August 27, 2025, by U.S. agencies including the NSA, CISA, FBI, and international partners, details Chinese state-sponsored actors compromising networks worldwide for espionage.

The advisory identifies actors using names like Salt Typhoon, OPERATOR PANDA, RedMike, UNC5807, and GhostEmperor, targeting telecommunications, transportation, lodging, and military infrastructure.

These operations involve exploiting routers and networks to maintain persistent access, linked to Chinese companies such as Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co. Ltd., Huanyu Tianqiong Information Technology Co., Ltd., and Sichuan Zhixin Ruijie Network Technology Co., Ltd.

The advisory provides mitigation guidance, including hunting for malicious activity and applying TTPs to reduce risks. It notes overlaps with industry reporting on APT actors observed since 2021.

This context highlights broader concerns about Chinese cyber activities, which align with the risks cited in the Pentagon's program termination on the same day.

No direct link between the advisory's specific actors and the Microsoft program is stated, but the timing and focus on network compromises underscore related security issues.

Program Background and Risks:

China's Great Firewall Temporarily Enforces HTTPS Traffic Block

Donald Standeford — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 01:40:16 GMT

ASIA — On August 20, 2025, China faced a network disruption that cut off secure connections to services outside its borders for about 74 minutes, starting around 12:34 a.m. Beijing Time.

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This occurred through an unconditional block on TCP port 443, the standard network channel for secure web browsing that ensures encrypted data transfer between users and websites.

China's internet censorship system, known as the Great Firewall, inserted forged TCP RST+ACK packets—signals that abruptly end network connections—to stop both incoming and outgoing traffic on this port.

Technical reviews show that the device responsible for the block had features unlike those seen in earlier documented parts of the Great Firewall, such as increasing TCP window sizes in the inserted packets.

The disruption blocked access to many foreign websites and applications that rely on HTTPS, the protocol for secure online communications that protects information like login details and financial transactions.

This affected operations for organizations connected to China, including interruptions to platforms from companies such as Apple and Tesla. Checks during the event confirmed the issue was limited to port 443, with no interference on other common network channels.

Evaluations based on available data point to an internal cause, such as a setup error or a test of network controls, rather than outside interference. The short length of the outage and its focus on one port suggest it was not a planned widespread restriction.

Acronym Index

GFW: Great Firewall

HTTPS: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure

IP: Internet Protocol

RST+ACK: Reset + Acknowledge

SYN: Synchronize

SYN+ACK: Synchronize + Acknowledge

TCP: Transmission Control Protocol

TTL: Time to Live

Details of the Block:

DARPA Sets Record in Wireless Power Beaming: Over 5 Miles Away

Donald Standeford — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:23:42 GMT

UNITED STATES — The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) achieved a milestone in wireless power transmission through its Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program.

Early test of the SCOPE-O (Safe and Continuous Power Beaming Optical)

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During tests conducted in New Mexico, the program transmitted over 800 watts of power using a laser over a distance of 5.3 miles (8.6 kilometers).

This demonstration lasted 30 seconds and delivered more than one megajoule of energy in total across the test campaign. The receiver converted the optical energy back into electrical power, marking a step forward in energy delivery without physical connections.

Early DARPA depiction of wireless power beaming

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The tests involved ground-based transmitter and receiver systems, with the laser beam passing through the densest part of the atmosphere, which absorbs and scatters light, making transmission more challenging. Despite this, the system outperformed previous records, such as 230 watts over 1.06 miles (1.7 kilometers) and an undisclosed amount over 2.3 miles (3.7 kilometers).

The attached video, shared from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, demonstrates the SCOPE-O (Safe and Continuous Power Beaming Optical) project, an earlier initiative focused on optical power beaming using a direct-energy laser to transmit electrical power wirelessly over shorter distances, such as approximately 500 watts across 1,000 meters (0.62 miles).

While SCOPE-O established foundational advancements in safe and continuous energy delivery, it shares the same core laser-based optical method as DARPA's Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program, which extended capabilities to over 800 watts at 8.6 kilometers (5.3 miles) in 2025.

The technologies differ primarily in scale and application, with SCOPE-O serving as a proof-of-concept that informed the broader POWER effort for enhanced range and power in military and civilian contexts.

The achievement highlights advancements in laser technology and photovoltaic conversion, where photovoltaic cells (devices that convert light into electricity, similar to solar panels but optimized for laser wavelengths) played a key role.

Technical Details, Analysis:

North Korea Experiences Major Internet Outage Amid Internal Challenges

Donald Standeford — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 22:08:53 GMT

PYONGYANG — On June 7, 2025, North Korea encountered a significant internet outage that disrupted access to government websites and official news services for nearly nine hours.

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The event severed the country’s limited connection to the World Wide Web, affecting key services such as the Foreign Ministry and Air Koryo. Researchers monitoring North Korea’s digital infrastructure noted that connectivity through both China and Russia was impacted, suggesting an internal issue rather than an external cyberattack.

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This incident highlights the reclusive state’s tightly controlled digital environment, where internet access is restricted to a small elite while the general population relies on a government-managed internal intranet (a private internal network as opposed to the global internet).

Impact, Scope and Analysis:

China's Deep-Sea Cable Cutter: A New Tool Threatening Global Undersea Information Infrastructure

Donald Standeford — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 13:48:12 GMT

INDO-PACIFIC/EUROPE—The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has raised concerns over a new Chinese-developed tool: a deep-sea cable cutter designed to sever fortified underwater communication and power lines.

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The concern follows recent incidents where cables in the region have been cut, highlighting vulnerabilities in the global network that carries the vast majority of international data.

Cables have been severed in both the Indo-Pacific near Taiwan and the Baltic Sea around Norway. Notably, Chinese and Russian vessels were observed near the sites of these incidents. China has stated that at least one of these events was accidental.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "China has unveiled a tool with global consequences: a cable cutter capable of severing the sturdiest undersea cables. Taiwan, constantly under threat, knows what this means. 95% of data flows undersea & the world must act to defend this vital infrastructure."

What the Cutter Is, and What It Does

Quantum Leap Forward: ORNL’s Single-Chip Breakthrough Brings the Quantum Internet Closer

Donald Standeford — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 14:41:30 GMT

ORNL - Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have demonstrated a new quantum photonic device that integrates key capabilities on a single chip for the first time. This innovation focuses on quantum computing with photons to create qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously.

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ORNL’s device encodes qubits on photons, generating entangled qubit pairs essential for quantum networks, akin to classical transistors. This development marks a step towards a quantum internet, potentially utilizing existing fiber-optic infrastructure for stable, secure communication.

The integrated chip features components like microring resonators and polarization splitter-rotators to generate and manipulate broadband polarization-entangled photons.

This advancement could help mass-produce quantum devices, reducing the cost and complexity of current systems and paving the way for widespread quantum internet use. Support for this research came from various institutions, including the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and Air Force Research Laboratory.

Poland Works To Construct Quantum Computer For Military Applications As Technology Progresses

Donald Standeford — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 14:07:27 GMT

POLAND - The Polish military has announced that the Warsaw University of Technology is developing a pioneering quantum computer infrastructure prototype, built entirely from scratch within Poland, as global advancements in quantum computer technology continue.

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This cutting-edge technology will support the Cyberspace Defense Forces, potentially enhancing military capabilities in code breaking and processing large volumes of data.

The project, hailed by the Polish military as the first quantum computer built from scratch in Poland, is being spearheaded by the Warsaw University of Technology.

It involves collaboration with the Military University of Technology, the Military Institute of Armament Technology, the Silesian University of Technology, and the Sonovero R&D company. The investment for this groundbreaking endeavor exceeds PLN 50 million (approximately $12 million USD), according to the Polish news agency RP.

Spokesman for the Cyberspace Defense Forces Component Command Col. Przemysław Lipczyński says that the prototype will be finished by the end of 2025.

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"We want quantum algorithmics to become an important area of analyzing the security of cryptographic algorithms – next to statistics and cryptanalysis," the spokesman said.

RP also cited the spokesman as saying, "Quantum sensors will enable the detection of minimal disturbances in electromagnetic fields, which may be useful for identifying unauthorized communication devices, jamming attacks or signal interception attempts.

Another quantum technology being considered for use in the military is quantum key distribution (QKD), which is a response to the potential threat from other quantum computers to the security of encrypted information."

The Polish Cyberspace Defense Forces said in a statement. "Work on the construction of a quantum computer for special and military IT applications is nearing completion at the Warsaw University of Technology.

This will be the first Polish unique quantum computer infrastructure built from scratch. Currently, work is underway to synchronize physical elements and control systems."

Polish Cyberspace Defense Forces Indicate Its Quantum Computer May Involve Artificial Intelligence, How Could AI Benefit From Quantum Computing?

China Says It Carried Out First Successful Attack By Quantum Computer On Military-Grade Encryption

Donald Standeford — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 04:10:27 GMT

BEIJING - Chinese researchers, led by Wang Chao from Shanghai University have claimed that they carried out the first successful attack using a Canadian D-Wave quantum computer on widely used military-grade encryption algorithms, which they said poses a “real and substantial threat” to current Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) (military-grade) encryption algorithms.

Photo credit: NIST

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The researchers released a Chinese-language peer reviewed research paper published on September 30th in the Chinese Journal of Computers, run by the China Computers Federation (CCF) that said the machine used a technique known as quantum annealing, which it says has a unique quantum tunneling effect and can jump out of a situation where traditional intelligence algorithms “are very easy to trap people”.

The paper states, “The principle of the D-Wave dedicated quantum computer, quantum annealing, with its unique quantum tunneling effect, can jump out of the situation where traditional intelligent algorithms are very easy to trap people. Partial extremes can be regarded as a class of artificial intelligence algorithms with global optimization capabilities.”

It later expounds upon this by saying, “Quantum -annealing is the fundamental principle behind D-Wave special quantum computing, It has a unique -quantum tunneling effect that can jump out of the local extremes that traditional intelligent algorithms are prone to fall into. It can be considered a class of artificial intelligence algorithms with -global optimization-seeking capability”.

Researchers: Canada’s D-Wave Advantage Quantum Computer Which Can Be Rented For $2,000 An Hour Capable Of Cracking RSA, AES Encryption:

Data Breach Exposes 2.7 Billion Public Records On Nearly 3 Billion People To Dark Web

Donald Standeford — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 19:42:03 GMT

CYBER - The "USDoD" hacking group claims to have stolen 2.7 billion records on around 2.9 billion people after a data breach on National Public Data (NPD) database containing personal data on virtually all American citizens and released most of it in a dark web marketplace where stolen data is sold off for $3.5 million USD.

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The alleged data stolen included: Full names, phone numbers, home addresses, physical address history (up to 3 decades), and social security numbers.

Those who used data opt-out services did not show up in the database, according to a class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale. Records offered by the hackers in an online forum included data from citizens from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The breach was detailed in a class action complaint that was filed in Florida against the NPD background-checking agency, alleging that the agency was exposed to a data breach around April of 2024.

National Public Data's website says that they obtain "information from various public record databases, court records, state and national databases, and other repositories nationwide".

The information allegedly leaked by NPD had been scraped from sources that were not public and the one who filed the complaint alleged this was done without their permission, or the permission of billions of others whose data was exposed during the breach.

Class Action Lawsuit Document Regarding The Alleged Breach

The following is the class action lawsuit document regarding the alleged data breach. No PDF document was available so I took screenshots of all 50 pages and embedded them into a PDF document, then extracted the text and spent many hours formatting the text by hand so that text versions could be available.

I have included multiple versions of the lawsuit document as PDF files and attached below, for those who wish to see it in various formats such as images or text: