The Drivers and Constraints to the Proliferation of Autonomous Military AI Systems
The development of autonomous military artificial intelligence (AI) systems will primarily be driven by global powers, especially those that are willing and able to test such systems in warzones around the world, which will initially reduce the technology's application for smaller, less-resourced countries.
Over the next decade, highly advanced Western militaries and China will drive the development of autonomous weapons systems, while other countries will be constrained by a lack of access to quality training data and AI for autonomous systems' specialisation.
Ukraine’s ambassador: we need more help from Australia
A Ukrainian ambassador delivered a plea to Australia, expressing the critical nature of Ukraine's ongoing struggle against Russian aggression. He stresses the importance of collective solidarity among democratic nations in confronting the looming threat posed by autocratic regimes like Russia and China, urging Australia to stand alongside Ukraine in this global struggle for freedom and democracy.
In light of these challenges, he calls upon Australia and other allies to significantly ramp up their military, humanitarian, and reconstruction assistance to Ukraine, emphasizing the need for swift and decisive action to ensure a just resolution to the conflict while upholding fundamental principles of sovereignty, democracy, and international security.
How to plug the Royal Australian Navy’s looming surface capability gap
10 months after the defence strategic review, the annexed review of the Royal Australian Navy’s surface combatant fleet has brought some much-needed clarity on the RAN’s ambitions to expand and add potency to its current inventory of eight frigates and three destroyers. To a more contingent extent, last week’s announcement also signalled the government’s willingness to back the new blueprint financially, committing $1.7 billion over the forward estimates and $11.1 billion in additional funding in the coming decade. Whether this represents sufficient puff to fill the tattered sails of naval recapitalisation and generate forward momentum is uncertain.
Russian hackers are increasingly adapting to cloud computing
The United States’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have released a joint advisory outlining Russian efforts to gain access to cloud environments belonging to both private and government organisations. The hackers with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service have adapted their techniques, tactics, and practices to move away from traditional access techniques – such as taking advantage of exploits in on-premises networks – to directly target cloud services.
SSN AUKUS is at the back of the queue
The SSN AUKUS ‘optimal pathway’ calls for the UK to build the first of the nuclear powered and conventionally armed attack submarines starting as early as the late 2020s, with the submarine expected to be operational as early as the late 2030s. There exists significant challenges that may push this deadline back such as underinvestment, budget shortfalls, and infrastructure deficiencies. Construction delays, competing priorities with the production of other submarines, and design process complications further hinder the project's viability.
Defensive AI safeguards against emerging cyber threats
Google’s recent announcement of an artificial intelligence (AI) Cyber Defence Initiative to enhance global cybersecurity underscores the importance of defending against increasingly sophisticated and pervasive cyber threats. AI is expected to play a pivotal role in collecting, processing, and neutralizing threats, transforming the way organisations combat cyber risks.
Anonymous Sudan launches InfraShutdown DDoS-as-a-service
The world’s most prolific distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) actor, Anonymous Sudan, has announced a DDoS-as-a-service product called InfraShutdown. The threat group promises world-leading disruptions as demonstrated by its previous attacks on major organisations and government agencies.
The move marks a significant change in the group’s operations and goals, having previously strictly advertised its attacks as being politically motivated, notably against Israel and its allies, as well as the US, whereas they are now seeking financial gain too.
Motives and pathways for joining outlaw motorcycle gangs
We analysed 39 interviews with former outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) members in Queensland to explore how and why they joined OMCGs.
OMCG members were usually recruited through existing social networks. Screening was key to the recruitment process, and typically involved current and aspiring OMCG members getting to know one another and establishing rapport and trust. Recruitment was usually a lengthy process, supported by formal mechanisms including sponsorship by existing members and the enforcement of prospect or nominee periods.
While a handful of more recent recruits were motivated by notoriety and profit, the brotherhood and camaraderie of affiliating with like-minded peers was the dominant motive for joining. Often this intersected with feelings of social isolation and disconnection from other family and peer networks.
Findings highlight the importance of intervening with men early in their recruitment process, targeting high-risk settings for recruitment and reducing the attraction and visibility of OMCGs to prevent recruitment.
3 Sydney men arrested over alleged SMS phishing operation
The NSW Police Force has revealed details of an investigation that has led to the arrest of three men in Burwood for their alleged part in a phishing operation responsible for sending over 80 million phishing texts.
Cyber crime squad detectives operating under Strike Force Kanbi were able to work with telco operators to pinpoint the scammers via their use of SIM boxes – devices used to automate the sending of large amounts of texts.
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