In Geopolitics Today - Monday, May 10th
Ransomware takes down a pipeline, violence flares in Israel-Palestine conflict, and China assumes UN Security Council presidency
Ransomware Attack Shuts Down U.S. Gasoline Pipeline
Colonial Pipeline Co., which operates a 5,500-mile pipeline delivering 45% of the gasoline and jet fuel supplied to the entire US East Coast, said on Friday that it had been the victim of a ransomware attack.
In response to the attack, the company quickly "took certain systems offline to contain the threat," it said in a statement. Colonial said those actions "temporarily halted all pipeline operations and affected some of our IT systems, which we are actively in the process of restoring."
It is not know how long the pipeline will be shut down for. Colonial Pipeline said in its latest statement, "Restoring our network to normal operations is a process that requires the diligent remediation of our systems, and this takes time."
A former top cyber official in the Department of Homeland Security, Christopher Krebs, spoke last week before the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection & Innovation. His testimony vividly framed the ransomware emergency in the US as a "digital dumpster fire."
"Even if software and services were more secure, the allure of a quick buck and no real repercussions means the forward-looking prospects for ransomware actors are quite good," he said.
If you’d like to learn more about the growing threat that ransomware poses and the ungovernable nature of cyber-attacks, the Royal United Services Institute — a British defence and security think tank — has published a research paper exploring the issue in detail, and put forward its recommendations to counter these growing threats.
Read more about this story here.
Violence and Escalation in Palestine as Israel and Hezbollah Mobilize
A weekend of clashes saw hundreds of Palestinians hurt fighting the Israeli police at a flashpoint religious site in the contested holy city. In an apparent attempt to avoid further confrontation, Israeli authorities changed the planned route of am ultranationalist Jewish march through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. The marchers were ordered to avoid the area and sent on a different route circumventing the Muslim Quarter on their way to the Western Wall.
But a drastic escalation of violence following the march has led to both the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah undertaking large-scale mobilization of their forces.
For Israel, this is the largest and most comprehensive IDF maneuver in its history, and will include regular and reserve forces from all commands, with the participation of combat forces in the air, at sea and on land, as well as the political echelon — the Ministry of Defense, the National Emergency Authority the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other security bodies.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah warned Israel against “committing any folly” during the drill. “In light of this situation we are on high alert and we will closely monitor the enemy movements,” he said Saturday during an address for International Al-Quds Day. “Any folly or any attempt to change the rule of engagement is an adventure that we won’t tolerate at all,” he declared.
By Monday evening however, the situation has only gotten worse, with both sides exchanging rocket fire.
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China’s Assumes Presidency of the UN Security Council
China has assumed the rotational presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of May.1 As part of its presidency, China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun announced on Friday that China will convene a high-level forum on “upholding multilateralism and the UN-centered international system.”
If there’s one thing China and the United States can agree upon, it is that the current U.N. system is not functioning properly. The global body and its constituent organizations are more often than not deadlocked by political disagreements among members, limiting its effectiveness in responding to global crises like the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Yemen, as well as the more recent coup and crackdown in Myanmar. Unfortunately, Washington and Beijing have different approaches to reforming the U.N. system.
And the fundamental differences between the two largest economies were once again expressed in tense exchanges during the Friday meeting, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken taking a veiled swipe at Russia and China, warning that the actions of some big powers portrays impunity to others.
Nevertheless, China’s presidency continues throughout the month. On May 17, China will convene a meeting on the impact that emerging technologies have on international peace and security. Zhang Jun said in a statement that the meeting will provide an opportunity for the international community "to gain a deeper understanding of emerging technologies, pay more attention to their impacts on international peace and security, and prevent and mitigate potential risks and challenges."
Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain are the permanent, veto-wielding powers of the 15-member council.
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