Russian diplomats and state media <\/span><\/b>focused on two main narratives this week:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The People\u2019s Republic of China\u2019s (PRC) diplomats and state media <\/span><\/b>focused on two main narratives this week:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Iranian diplomats and state media <\/span><\/b>focused on one main narrative this week:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kremlin-linked influence campaign spoofs identities of real journalists: <\/span><\/b>The Kremlin-linked influence group Storm-1516 <\/span>impersonated<\/span><\/a> legitimate reporters\u2014using their names and photos\u2014<\/span>to publish<\/span><\/a> articles with false claims targeting France, Armenia, Germany, Moldova, and Norway on inauthentic news websites. The false claims included allegations that Moldova\u2019s president embezzled USAID funding and that a French nuclear company was financing Armenia\u2019s prime minister. <\/span>Open-Source Intelligence Analyst Larissa Doroshenko tells the Dispatch, <\/span><\/b>\u201cThis is a substantial evolution in Storm-1516\u2019s development. With the impersonation of news media, their disruptive messages hide behind the purported reputation of high-quality journalism. General audiences are usually less familiar with individual reporters than with the news outlet where they work. This makes such personification potentially more effective and dangerous. If readers want to check their sources, they might conclude that a legitimate journalist indeed authored a subversive story. This tactic aims to undermine public trust not only in political establishments, which are an obvious target, but also in news media and journalists.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n International operation disrupts infamous pro-Russian hacking group: <\/span><\/b>An international law-enforcement operation <\/span>disrupted<\/span><\/a> more than 100 servers worldwide connected to a Russian-aligned hacking group <\/span>responsible<\/span><\/a> for attacks on public infrastructure and government websites in Europe and Israel; the operation also led to two arrests, issued seven warrants, and 24 house searches across multiple jurisdictions. <\/span>Managing Director David Salvo says, <\/span><\/b>\u201cAllies and partners working in concert to disrupt malicious cyber networks is essential. This operation to disrupt NoName057 makes me reflect on what\u2019s happening in Washington. As the Trump administration pulls back from coordinated US government action against foreign malign influence operations, what happens if Russian state-aligned hackers suddenly turn up the heat against US interests, perhaps in response to <\/span>more forceful US sanctions<\/span><\/a>? NoName057 mostly targets civilian sectors\u2014everything from health care institutions to banks\u2014and we know from a long history of Russian malign influence operations\u2014and its war against Ukraine\u2014that Russian state actors target civilian infrastructure. Will the United States be in a position to work with allies and partners to respond?\u201d<\/span>\n
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News and Commentary<\/h2><\/div>