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Breaches, hacking, ransomware, cyber threats, weaponized AI, smart toothbrushes are but a few examples of scary tech out there to make your day less than fantastic.

Weapons systems that think on its own are in production, with governments racing to catch up on how to regulate these fast-paced advancements.

Police and military already use drones and robots to eliminate threats, but (as far as we know) it’s hardware controlled by humans.

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The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) officially handed off control of the Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) to the US Air Force Space Command. After five years of successful operation the telescope will now be dismantled and sent overseas.

Australian forces are planned to handle the task of scanning the skies for asteroids that could endanger satellites or potentially strike the Earth. The Air Force will maintain “a broad and full SST partnership” with the Australian military, said 1st Lt. Sarah Burnett, a spokeswoman for Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). After the move, SST will operate as a dedicated sensor in the US Space Surveillance Network, operated by AFSPC.

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Hmmm.


Technological and human rights implications for the world

China adopted the highly controversial cyber security law on 7th November 2016. The legislation which will take effect in June 2017 was passed by its largely rubber – stamp parliament emphasizing the ‘objective need’ of China as a major internet power. The stated objective of the law is to counter the growing threats such as hacking and terrorism. Overseas critics of the law are not amused as it has already triggered concerns among foreign business and rights groups that the law threatens to shut foreign technology companies out of various sectors which China deems as ‘critical’. The legislation also incorporates contentious requirements for security reviews and for data to be stored on servers in China.

China recognizes that cyberspace profoundly impacts many aspects of national security; it is a national space; a space for military action, important economic action, criminal action and for espionage. So it controls Internet through the world’s most sophisticated online censorship mechanism infamously known outside China as the Great Firewall. The human rights advocates contend that the law will further tighten restrictions on Internet which is already stifled by highly regulated governmental control. The legislation was in drawing board stage for long. Beijing released the draft Cyber Security Law in July 2015 to make all key network infrastructure and information systems ‘secure and controllable’.

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RIP dear friend.


A giant in the worlds of both academia and policy, Drell died Wednesday, Dec. 21, at his home in Palo Alto. He was 90 years old.

“An accomplished physicist, his contributions to improve national and international security made our world a better place,” said Tom Gilligan, director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford in a statement. “We are especially grateful for Sid’s relentless dedication to eliminating the threat posed by nuclear weapons and know that his important work will continue to frame the issue.”

Dedicated to arms control.

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India is all set to test its Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of striking even the northernmost parts of China, in its final operational configuration from Odisha. Notedly, this will be fourth and the final test of nuclear-capable Agni-V. It will be tested for its full range, before Strategic Forces Command begins its user trials.

The country’s most formidable nuclear missile till now since it brings the whole of China and much more within its strike envelope, the three-stage Agni-V was earlier tested in “an open configuration” in April 2012 and September 2013.

The third test on Jan 30 2015 was done from a hermetically-sealed canister mounted on a Tatra launcher truck in “a deliverable configuration”.

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With the ongoing number of China’s space mission, how important is this missile test that is believed to be capable of destroying enemy communications? If all goes according to plan, what will happen then? Find out what authorities have to say.

( Idf/Getty Images)

China is once again being put to the spotlight after it has revealed that they are preparing to launch their anti-satellite missile that is believed to have the ability of destroying satellites in space. Authorities of the said project says that this is definitely one of Beijing’s most potent asymmetric warfare weapons. one of Beijing’s most potent asymmetric warfare weapons. It was found that the US intelligence officials have already detected preparations for a test launch of the Dong Neng-3 which is due to take place at a military facility in central China. However, despite these information, riva; countries said that little is known about the missile and the satellite.

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