The Dec. 3 assessment by the U.S. intelligence community that Iran has not pursued an active nuclear weapons program since 2003 could lessen concerns about a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. According to the just released unclassified summary of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran’s nuclear intentions and capabilities, “Tehran’s decision to halt its nuclear weapons program suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005.” U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley released a statement that, “Today’s National Intelligence Estimate offers some positive news. It confirms that we were right [...]
Recent revelations that China-based hackers may have penetrated U.S. computer networks — including those operated by the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security as well as by major U.S. defense firms — has heightened concerns about Chinese spying in the United States. Computer experts believe that the extensive scale of the information operations means they probably involved, to some degree, the Chinese military or intelligence services. Although U.S. authorities remain concerned by the espionage operations conducted in the United States by Russia, Iran, and Cuba, they consider Chinese spying the most serious in terms of size. The sheer number of [...]
Earlier this year, the French General Secretariat for National Defense (SGDN) reaffirmed a warning to French policymakers that the ubiquitous BlackBerry represents a potential intelligence vulnerability when used to transmit sensitive information. The BlackBerry is a handheld computer developed by the Canadian firm Research in Motion (RIM) that allows users to forward electronic messages sent via the Internet (email) to the device. According to French sources, the main SGDN concern is that the security framework used by the BlackBerry to transmit email is vulnerable to interception by British and American intelligence. As a result, the French government restricted its use [...]
