Informatized Wars: How China Thinks About Cyber

And national security leaders ask Congress to review tech legislation (again).

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Hello and happy Thursday! Today we mark the 104th anniversary of the downing and death of Baron Manfred von Richthofen (aka, “The Red Baron”).  

Today I have a quick take on a petition to Congress as well as a brief(ish) explainer on how China thinks about cyber and how it might be used in a conflict with Taiwan.  

A Reasonable Request 

A group of former national security leaders has sent another letter to Congress, asking lawmakers to conduct a formal national security review of any pending legislation aimed at “Big Tech.” The signatories include a former director of national intelligence, secretary of defense, secretary of homeland security, and commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency. This is like another letter sent late last year on which I also commented. 

Here’s the crux of the latest letter: 

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Comments (20)
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  1. Avatar photo
    Bono Vox

    It is high time for We the People of the still mostly free Western world declare you are either with U.S., or against U.S. I have been not so much saying tongue and cheek on the Dispatch commentators section that the chief administrator responsible for the new evil empire Chinese Communist Corona Party pandemic is quite literally unworthy of life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness…along with his fellow crony socialist pig cyber warfarer Vlad the Impaler. What the free world needs right fing now is to declare the Don’s of the world’s two most dangerous gangster governments enemies of humanity, foreign and domestic. #HANGXI and place a billion dollar Bitcoin bounty for Putin’s head right fing now. Meanwhile, can we start divesting from China until all the Reds that run that genocidal government are finally DEAD. Thanks for taking my rant Klon. Peace through superior mental firepower

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    Ben Connelly

    Very interesting RE: China.

    I largely agree with you on the “Regulate Big Tech” legislation. I’m not a fan of big tech generally but ineffectual and half***ed legislation is sure to screw things up worse.

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  3. Avatar photo
    Brett Myers

    More substantive analysis written for us laypeople in a non-pandering way. Thanks and more, please.

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  4. Avatar photo
    JDW

    Klon, I really enjoyed you on the dispatch live last Tuesday. I didn't get to watch it until Thursday sadly but it was still good. This article is good too.

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  5. Avatar photo
    J. Eric

    Very interesting.
    Thanks

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  6. Avatar photo
    Frank Lee

    "A group of former national security leaders has sent another letter to Congress, asking lawmakers to conduct a formal national security review of any pending legislation aimed at “Big Tech.”

    Everyone of those former national security leaders are directly or indirectly paid by Big Tech. All they are doing is to try a serve up a blocking shroud for Old Schumer to try and block the vote from going to the Senate floor. Old Schumer has two children working for big tech.

    This argument that big tech platforms are tools for spooks is absurd to say the least. However, more concerning is that these retired spooks would admit it.

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  7. Avatar photo
    The Stray Goose

    Baron Manfred von Richthofen - probably shot down by ground fire.

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  8. Ken Kimball

    One question/issue that needs to be addressed is the degree to which the CCP has influence/power within and over American Big Tech, not to mention CCP's cyber assaults on our Big Tech companies. And to what degree are our Big Tech companies already compromised because of their pursuit of profits or potential profits from kowtowing to the CCP? To what degree are the Big Tech companies willing to identify as "American" Big Tech, i.e. choose a side and in choosing, choose the country in which they began?

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    MatthewRobin

    Hi Klon, what are your thoughts on China's concept of cognitive warfare?

    https://warontherocks.com/2022/04/new-tech-new-concepts-chinas-plans-for-ai-and-cognitive-warfare/

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    1. Avatar photo
      Klon Kitchen

      Good question. I think it’s largely an area of exploration that’s unlikely to produce real results. But, even if they never realize this capability, it demonstrates how creatively they’re willing to pursue advantage.

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  10. Avatar photo
    Victor Clairmont

    This article couples well with your recent one on how China harvests the data they get from apps and other things and what they do with it.

    Still though, the 20 to 40 million attacks in
    Taiwan, I am assuming are everything from more benign ddos attacks (where one overwhelms a server and crashes it) to more serious breeches that undermine or steal technology.

    We have some massive catching up to do even if we tag team with Taiwan. But we really need to start now rather than later.

    Maybe we can entice Japan into working with us on this too. They are after all, rebuilding their own naval fleet and planes as they are feeling the pressure of mainland China and are now letting the JSDF (Japan Self Defense Force) grow leaps and bounds budget wise.

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