One of the largest cyber-espionage campaigns ever

American officials claim that a group of hackers known as APT29, or more evocatively as Cozy Bear, thought to be part of the SVR, Russia’s foreign intelligence service, penetrated several American government bodies—the list so far includes the Treasury, Commerce, State and Homeland Security Departments, along with the National Institutes of Health—where they could read emails at will. It appears to be one of the largest-ever acts of digital espionage against America.

Full story on The Economist

Cyber Lexicon: U.S., China Speak Different Languages

From BankInfoSecurity –

“Statements issued by the United States and China give a different take on cybersecurity talks scheduled to take place next week between Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jingling.

Xinhua, the Chinese government news agency, reported on Sept. 12 that China and the U.S. have reached "important consensus on combating cybercrimes" after meetings late last week between a delegation of Chinese officials, headed by special envoy Meng Jianzhu, and top U.S. government officials, including National Security Adviser Susan Rice, FBI Director James Comey and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.

But a terse White House statement issued that day acknowledges the gatherings took place, but does not characterize them, except to say that Rice's White House meeting with Meng involved "frank and open exchange about cyber issues."

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The new art of war: How trolls, hackers and spies are rewriting the rules of conflict

From Tech Republic –

“Cyberwar isn't going to be about hacking power stations. It's going to be far more subtle, and more dangerous.

Wandering the pretty, medieval streets of Tallinn's old town, it is hard to believe that the tiny country of Estonia has anything at all to do with cyberwarfare. But first as victim of an attack and now as home to some of the leading thinkers on how the digital battlefield will develop, the country has played a key role in its emergence and evolution.

Estonia is a country of around 1.3 million people, facing the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland, it borders Latvia to the south and Russia to the east. After decades as part of the Soviet Union, it regained independence in 1991.

Even today reminders of the Soviet times still abound in the capital Tallinn. There's a museum in one of the big downtown hotels showing how the KGB would bug the rooms of foreign guests.”

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Conversation: The Challenges of Combating Cyber Espionage

From Stratfor –

Stratfor Vice President of Intelligence Fred Burton and Analyst Tristan Reed discuss cyber espionage and the state actors involved.

For more analysis, visit: http://www.Stratfor.com