Australia, UK accuse Russia of cyber attacks aimed at undermining Western democracies

Britain and Australia have jointly accused Russian military intelligence of using cyber attacks to sow confusion in everything from sport to transport and the 2016 US presidential election in an effort to undermine Western democracies.

Australia, UK accuse Russia of cyber attacks aimed at undermining Western democracies

Cyber security is important but many seem to want to ignore Russia's efforts in this area because of the potential connections with the 2016 presidential elections. I know you want to protect Trump but it's foolish to ignore any potential weapon that could be used against us for political reasons. I don't believe Trump is a very important part of what Russia is trying to do.

I believe the goal has more to do with the coarse of society. There is a trend toward more authoritarian governments and I think that is the goal.

I believe in individuals having the freedom to pursue their own goals and passions within the frame work of society. Some believe that the rich and/or powerful are better in some way and should dictate how lesser people should live their lives. This battle has been going on for generations and will probable continue for many more.

The challenge we face now is that we have more information, more ways to control populations, less ability as individuals to be anonymous, more opportunity to be controlled be those how have access to the tools of power.

I'm ranting a little but I want to make the point that regardless of your political stance we, as a society are seeing some big and fast changes and it is our responsibility to try our best to understand those changes and put them to the best use we can, for future generations. Most of the petty bickering we engage in just distracts us and lets others make the choices for us.

a reply to: villagesmithie
This is deep state propaganda. Russia will be the continued perceived enemy of the west because it is profitable and convient to have it that way. The truth of the issue works better in reverse. It is the west that continues to undermine Russia far more than the other way around.

The biggest threat to cyber security is the draconian laws that have and are being passed to control the flow of infromation. So the bastions of infromation remain controlled by the same element of society that has always controlled them

:-)

originally posted by: purplemer
This is deep state propaganda. Russia will be the continued perceived enemy of the west because it is profitable and convient to have it that way.

Well someone is doing all the cyber intrusion and hacking and Russia are a plausible candidate. plus they are trying to commit cyber crimes against countries that have the ability to work out what is going on.

There is a contrary view here in that Russia's behaviour around cyber crime and state assassinations is actually the only thing they can do that is aggressive and belligerent, besides bullying their weaker neighbours like Ukraine and Georgia. This criminality supports Putin's effort to react to sanctions and Russia's decline. Russia have no global clout or influence, and have no economic levers, so what they are doing is all they can do.

And they are being called out.

a reply to: villagesmithie

Get ready for the upside down bobbleheads who always paint Putin as a victim. They didn't really dope all their athletes. Skripal wasn't attacked by Russians. The national wealth of Russia wasn't grabbed by Putin and friends. Litvinenko caught a cold. The jet fell out of the sky. IT WASNT MY FAULT!!!

a reply to: purplemer

I don't think I disagree with you at all.

I'm ranting a little but I want to make the point that regardless of your political stance we, as a society are seeing some big and fast changes and it is our responsibility to try our best to understand those changes and put them to the best use we can, for future generations. Most of the petty bickering we engage in just distracts us and lets others make the choices for us.

I still believe it is the petty partisan bickering that keeps us from discussing the real issues we face in a changing technological landscape.

We're constantly arguing 19th century concepts (capitalism vs communism) in a world where those ideas are losing their relevance.

Why were The UK and Australia worried about the FISA being released?


Undermining Western Democracies, pfft!

They put the egg on their own faces.

a reply to: pavil

Upside down thinking. So Russia must be innocent cos the UK is in bed with America's FISA program. Got it!

Every western nation says Russia is troll farming division which means they're doing the opposite! You are a genius sir.

a reply to: villagesmithie

Well of course they would, if you were a slave wouldn't you do as you were told and take instructions from your master?

Remember what GWB said on 911????? - "Anyone who is not with us is against us."

Since when has Australia ever gone against the US on any mayjor issue??

Good little boys and girls do as their daddy says.

We've been with them every inch on the way of anything thats important to the US. We Signed the Trans Pacific Partnership didint we?

If the Aus govt was for the people of Aus, they sure as christ would not make it cheaper for oranges grown on California to be sold in west aus than they could be grown in Carnarvon and trucked to perth would they !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a reply to: paraphi

Well someone is doing all the cyber intrusion and hacking and Russia are a plausible candidate. plus they are trying to commit cyber crimes against countries that have the ability to work out what is going on.

What hacking are you talking about. The DNC leaks..? Wikileaks has stated this was not a state hack and is willing to share the evidence with the appropriate authorities. Or Facebook being used to swing elections. ie Nigel Farage and Trump. Look no further than Cambridge Analytical for that. Or the fact that your google search is politcaly bias and your news feed on the TV..? Was that the Russians too.

I really don't care about Russian trolls. It is nothing more than a deflection from our own toxic behavior. It is like getting upset with the vultures for picking the bones clean of an antelope and praising the lion sitting nearby with the blood-stained mouth. I encourage everyone to study what it is Russian trolls actually do. They do little more than fanning the flames of the fires we are ourselves starting in our own backyard. If you want to fix the problem of Russian cyber trolls you do so by going to work on ourselves and removing the opportunity from the opportunists.

a reply to: Azureblue

But Russia is looking out for your best interest?!?

Good god! Government are out for their own self interest. Russia included.

What are you going to do for yourself and the people you care about?

Which master is controlling you!

a reply to: sooth

Exactly!

But Its not "just" Russian trolls. It is a focused effort to magnify our weakness and use it against us.

We are buying into the lies that divide us from our fellow countrymen and weaken our country.

We need to renew our connection, as a nation. The strength that made us great, not the divisions that weakened us.

We need to make the decisions that include all of us. Not try to wrap ourselves in whatever group, rich/poor, black/white left/right, male/female.

True strength comes from including all the people that do their part in running a "complete" society.

a reply to: villagesmithie

Sounds like more deflection as no one has noticed the US is looking to overthrow Venezuela in the next few weeks,I should say the NWO,this is not good because Russia and China have their backs,it may not be Venezuelians asses handed to them

Dang , 2 countries done caught the "Russian" plague from the US Democratic leadership
This disease causes "flights of fancy" in which if one stubs their toe , it is a Russian that moved the object into their foot.
There is no cure for this mental disease.
However , there is an inoculation consisting of injections of logic , reason , and information .

originally posted by: purplemer
What hacking are you talking about.

The types of cyber crime the Russian state is up to is reported in the OP.

It saddens me that so many on here distrust their own governments to such a degree that they prefer to believe the lies and propaganda shovelled out to them by a corrupt ex KGB leader of a country that has state controlled media and cracks down on internal dissent with an iron fist.

originally posted by: oldcarpy
It saddens me that so many on here distrust their own governments to such a degree that they prefer to believe the lies and propaganda shovelled out to them by a corrupt ex KGB leader of a country that has state controlled media and cracks down on internal dissent with an iron fist.

Sorry for your sadness, but it angers me when sheeple here in the Western world keep on believing the lies and propaganda that we actually live in a democracy. We live under the same iron fist, and regardless of the faults of the scapegoat countries our leaders keep on blaming, it's just decorated differently

a reply to: Zcustosmorum


"Sheeple"? I mean, come on? That is just so lame.

a reply to: purplemer

Funny that Australia and the UK are together in this one.

Didn’t thought I’d see them sharing a headline anytime soon now that Trump accused them both of meddling in the US 2016 election.

Guess it’s point-fingers time.

a reply to: oldcarpy

Couple of related things. Dutch security services ID'd GRU attempting to hack OPCW:

Tweet from presser


And how domestic entities use Russian tactics to sow division:

Wired article