U.S. hunts Chinese malware that could disrupt American military operations

The Biden administration is hunting for malicious computer code it believes China has hidden deep inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases in the United States and around the world, according to American military, intelligence and national security officials.

The discovery of the malware has raised fears that Chinese hackers, probably working for the People’s Liberation Army, have inserted code designed to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event of a conflict, including if Beijing moves against Taiwan in coming years.

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DOD Enters $13.8 Million Agreement to Expand Domestic Manufacturing to Strengthen U.S. Supply Chains

The Department of Defense’s Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP)), through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) Directorate, announced it has entered a $13.8 million agreement with The Timken Company (Timken) to increase production of high-precision ball bearings at its facility in Keene, New Hampshire.

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Iowa’s largest school district confirms ransomware attack, data theft

Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa’s largest school district, confirmed today that a ransomware attack was behind an incident that forced it to take all networked systems offline on January 9, 2023.

While the school district also received a ransom demand following the attack from an unnamed ransomware group, the ransom has not been paid.

Almost 6,700 individuals whose data was affected in the resulting data breach will be contacted this week with details regarding what personal information was exposed.

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Defend Against Ransomware Attacks Cyber Range Training (IR209)

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is proud to present the Defend Against Ransomware Attacks Cyber Range Training event on June 22, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. The 200-level training events are open to government employees and contractors across Federal, State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government, educational partners, and critical infrastructure partners. Please use your organization email address when registering.

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China’s exports tumble in May as global demand falters

China’s exports shrank much faster than expected in May while imports extended declines with a grim outlook for global demand, especially from developed markets, raising doubts about the fragile economic recovery.

The world’s second-largest economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter thanks to robust services consumption and a backlog of orders following years of COVID disruptions, but factory output has slowed as rising interest rates and inflation squeeze demand in the United States and Europe.

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