ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

by Pierluigi Paganini Criminal gangs have stolen millions of dollars from ATMs worldwide using the Tyupkin malware which forces machines to dispense cash. Criminal gangs in Eastern Europe are increasing the number of attacks against automated teller machines (ATMs), not only tampering the machine with card skimmers which steal debit card data, but also using malware. The malicious code used by cyber criminals allow hackers to steal cash from the ATM without using cloned credit cards . The Interpol conducted a joint operation with experts at Kaspersky Lab, which allowed them to detect the Tyupkin malware on nearly 50 machines. The infected machines are ATMs from a particular manufacturer running a 32-bit version of Windows as explained by the experts involved in the investigations. As explained in a blog post on SecureList, Tyupkin submissions to Virus Total are mainly from Russia (20), but other samples (4) were reported also from the United States, India and China. Malware resea

By Larry Jagan YANGON - Peace talks between the Myanmar government and leaders of an array of ethnic rebel groups have stalled after a period of progress, raising doubts that President Thein Sein will be able to achieve the national ceasefire his quasi-civilian government has prioritized as part of an internationally lauded democratic reform program. After a protracted week of talks ended on September 26, negotiations are now at an impasse, according to sources familiar with the situation. As new fighting erupts in many ethnic areas, including deadly battles in Kachin, Karen, and Shan States, the risk is rising that the foreign-backed peace process could unravel altogether as the rainy season yields to the cool season when military offensives are traditionally launched. During a national address on October 1, Thein Sein said the conclusion of a national ceasefire was necessary for holding "successful" elections in 2015. It represented the first time Thein Sein had linked the

If reaching a permanent agreement by next month’s deadline proves impossible, the West must lock in the status-quo. By Jofi Joseph Negotiations last month in New York between the P5+1 and Iran on a permanent agreement to limit Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief did not appear to achieve much progress, despite the presence of foreign ministers and heads of states attending the United Nations General Assembly proceedings. Instead, both sides appeared more focused on assigning blame to each other. For that reason, it is not too early to begin thinking through what happens if talks fail to produce a final agreement by the November 24 deadline. Another extension of the interim agreement negotiated almost a year ago should be at the top of the agenda for all involved, given the clear benefits already delivered and the strategic vacuum that would result if it withers away. In announcing this past July the temporary extension of the interim agreement, both sides were e

In a new Islamic State video , a bearded fighter speaking fluent, British-accented English describes U.K. prime minister David Cameron as “despicable swine” and calls for terrorist attacks against the West. Calculated to inspire fear in Western audiences, messages like these seem to lend credence to weeks of grave warnings from U.S. government officials about the danger of jihadists traveling between their home countries and distant battlefields. But the domestic security threat posed by so-called foreign fighters is overblown — while the danger of a panicked overreaction, to Western morale and civil liberties, seems greatly underappreciated, except perhaps by the Islamic State itself. The extremist group’s strategy of getting Western countries to undermine themselves is paying dividends. Late last month, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution aimed at proscribing the ability of foreign fighters to travel and mobilize. The resolution won approval amid condemnation of

A firefighter after extinguishing a fire in a residential building caused by a projectile hit during an artillery shelling by the Ukrainian military in Donetsk.(RIA Novosti / Igor Maslov) The UN in its report urges the Ukrainian authorities to exercise greater control over their own army and groups of armed volunteers, as since the beginning of the so-called “anti-terrorist” operation on August 25 according to the Ukrainian Security Service, over 1,000 people have been detained on suspicion of being “militants and subversives.” The report also highlights that the civilian population is suffering, in particular, because of the bombing of densely populated neighborhoods with heavy artillery. “Some of the reported cases of disproportionate use of fire in residential areas are committed by Ukrainian armed forces,” stated the document. “After the announcement of the ceasefire on September 5, the scope and intensity of military operations decreased sharply, but not completely,” the document

Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (UTC) unveiled the first of two S-97 RAIDER™ helicopter prototypes, signaling the start of activities in the program’s test flight phase and a major step toward demonstrating the new – and first – armed reconnaissance rotorcraft featuring X2™ Technology designed for military missions. “Today, Sikorsky unveiled the next generation of military rotorcraft, with capabilities and performance never seen before in our industry,” said Sikorsky President Mick Maurer. “Just four years ago, we announced plans to build the S-97 RAIDER and teamed with some of the best companies in the industry, understanding the need to ensure aircraft development would not falter as government defense budgets shrank in response to economic pressures. Sikorsky is proud of its leadership in this area, and of the leadership the S-97 RAIDER represents among the world’s military rotorcraft,” he added. Based on Sikorsky’s rigid X2™ rotor coaxial design, the S-

Smiths Detection introduced its next-generation explosives trace detector for use in global aviation and infrastructure security. Its small, portable design, combined with ease-of-use, reduces the cost and time of screening for a range of high-threat explosives. The technology behind the IONSCAN 600 easily surpasses that of its previous version, the industry-leading IONSCAN 500DT used widely around the world -- from airport checkpoints to mail screening. Its breakthrough feature is a proprietary non-radioactive Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) source which eliminates the need for special licensing, handling or disposal requirements. The IONSCAN 600 also weighs just 23 pounds (10.4 kg) and is equipped with a built-in handle making it easy to carry. Its hot-swappable battery provides continued sampling and analysis capability, allowing it to be moved while still in use. Low cost, single-use test swabs dramatically reduce operator costs. Shan Hood, Vice President, Product and Technology, S

Professor warns of "humanitarian catastrophe" Image Credits: niaid, Flickr by Paul Joseph Watson One of the scientists who discovered Ebola fears the virus could mutate and cause many more people to become infected, an “apocalyptic scenario” that threatens to cause a “humanitarian catastrophe,” according to Professor Peter Piot. Professor Piot was part of a team of scientists that first discovered the Ebola virus in 1976 after analyzing a blood sample from a Belgian nun who fell ill in Zaire. In an interview with the Guardian , Piot agreed that the more people who become infected with Ebola, the greater chance of the virus mutating. “Yes, that really is the apocalyptic scenario,” said Piot. “Humans are actually just an accidental host for the virus, and not a good one. From the perspective of a virus, it isn’t desirable for its host, within which the pathogen hopes to multiply, to die so quickly. It would be much better for the virus to allow us to stay alive longer.” Warn