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Espionage

All articles tagged with #espionage

Former USAF pilot accused of covertly training Chinese pilots without licensing
crime23 hours ago

Former USAF pilot accused of covertly training Chinese pilots without licensing

Former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Gerald Brown, 65, was arrested in Indiana on charges he conspired with a Chinese national to train Chinese Air Force pilots without the required State Department license. Brown, who had a 24-year Air Force career and later trained pilots for defense contractors on the A-10 and F-35, allegedly began negotiating in August 2023 with Stephen Su Bin and traveled to China in December 2023 to start the training job before returning to the U.S. recently, according to the DOJ and FBI.

via CBS News|
#china#crime#doj
Sexpionage: How Foreign Spies Tap Americans Through Romance
world1 day ago

Sexpionage: How Foreign Spies Tap Americans Through Romance

Foreign adversaries, notably China and Russia, are expanding 'sexpionage'—using attractive operatives and seduction, sometimes via honeypots—to steal U.S. secrets from colleges, think tanks, and defense contractors, and even to pressure high‑ranking officials. While cases remain relatively rare and highly classified, officials warn the tactic is increasing and can involve online dating, conference encounters, and other social-media recruitment, targeting sensitive sites like the Pentagon and Offutt Air Force Base. Western agencies note these operations exploit the openness of modern information networks and social platforms, making detection harder but not impossible.

via USA Today|
#china#espionage#honeypots
Ex-Taxi Driver Becomes Linchpin of Kremlin's Shadow War
world5 days ago

Ex-Taxi Driver Becomes Linchpin of Kremlin's Shadow War

A former taxi driver, Aleksei Kolosovsky, is portrayed as a central facilitator in Russia’s clandestine sabotage campaign in Europe, coordinating plots with Russian intelligence and criminal networks across Poland, Lithuania, Britain and Germany—including a Warsaw-area arson destroying more than 1,000 businesses and a planned incendiary attack on cargo planes—highlighting a broader “shadow war” waged by the Kremlin against European allies.

via The New York Times|
#espionage#europe#intelligence
Shadow Campaigns expands global espionage reach to 37 countries
technology19 days ago

Shadow Campaigns expands global espionage reach to 37 countries

A state-sponsored actor tracked as TGR-STA-1030/UNC6619, dubbed Shadow Campaigns, has compromised government and critical-infrastructure networks in 37 countries since early 2024, with reconnaissance activity touching 155 nations. The operation uses tailored phishing with a Diaoyu loader, exploits across multiple platforms, and a toolkit including Cobalt Strike, VShell, web shells, and a Linux kernel rootkit named ShadowGuard. It relies on legitimate VPS and proxy infrastructure and targets ministries, energy, finance, and diplomatic agencies, with activity intensifying around political events like elections. Unit 42 provides IoCs to help defenders detect and block these attacks.

via BleepingComputer|
#cybersecurity#espionage#phishing
MindsEye Co-CEO Alleges €1 Million Sabotage Campaign, Vows Legal Action
business19 days ago

MindsEye Co-CEO Alleges €1 Million Sabotage Campaign, Vows Legal Action

MindsEye co-CEO Mark Gerhard claims in an internal meeting that a €1M+ smear campaign was funded by a major American company to sabotage MindsEye, alleging payments to influencers, journalists, and MindsEye/Build a Rocket Boy staff via Ritual Network. Ritual Network denies involvement, while Build a Rocket Boy acknowledges a coordinated effort to harm MindsEye’s reputation. Insider Gaming notes MindsEye has deployed enhanced cybersecurity (Teramind); Gerhard says they will pursue legal action and reclaim the narrative as MindsEye moves toward a live-service launch.

via Insider Gaming|
#build-a-rocket-boy#business#espionage
Ex-Navy Sailor Gets 200-Month Term for Selling Ship Secrets to China
us1 month ago

Ex-Navy Sailor Gets 200-Month Term for Selling Ship Secrets to China

A former U.S. Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, was sentenced in San Diego to 200 months in prison after being convicted of espionage for providing 60 technical and operating manuals and other sensitive ship data from the USS Essex to a Chinese intelligence officer over about 18 months; he was recruited via social media by a representative of the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corp and paid more than $12,000. A second California-based sailor, Wenheng Zhao, received just over two years in 2024 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and bribery in connection with similar allegations. The case highlights ongoing concerns about Beijing's espionage activities targeting U.S. military secrets.

via CNN|
#china#espionage#jinchao-wei
Ex-Sailor Convicted of Spying for China Sentenced to 16 Years
national-security1 month ago

Ex-Sailor Convicted of Spying for China Sentenced to 16 Years

A former U.S. Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, was sentenced to 200 months (16 years) in federal prison after supplying photos and documents to a Chinese handler for $12,000; he was approached on social media in 2022, recognized it as espionage, told a friend he was no fool, and later pleaded in court, saying “I screwed up.” He had served aboard the USS Essex and was arrested in 2023 after the DOJ described the case as spying for Beijing.

via The Washington Post|
#china#espionage#national-security
Aldrich Ames, Notorious CIA Spy, Dies at 84
world1 month ago

Aldrich Ames, Notorious CIA Spy, Dies at 84

Aldrich Ames, a former CIA officer who sold secrets to the Soviets and Russia, died at 84 in prison. His betrayal compromised over 100 operations and led to the deaths of at least 10 agents, earning him around $2.5 million and a lavish lifestyle. His espionage career spanned nine years before his arrest in 1994, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment for his treachery.

via BBC|
#aldrich-ames#cia#double-agent
Russia Proposes Deal to France Over Jailed Researcher
world2 months ago

Russia Proposes Deal to France Over Jailed Researcher

Russia proposed a deal to France regarding the detention of French researcher Laurent Vinatier, who is imprisoned in Russia for violating foreign agent laws and facing espionage charges. France has called for his release, denying he worked for the French government, and the Kremlin indicated that negotiations are ongoing, with the decision now pending in Paris.

via NBC News|
#detention#espionage#france