Information Assured

As China expands its influence in technology, trade, and cybersecurity, tensions with Taiwan and global powers continue to escalate. Taiwan has seen an unprecedented surge in cyber-attacks, averaging 2.4 million daily incidents, with Chinese state-sponsored hackers targeting critical infrastructure. A severed submarine cable near Keelung Harbor further raises concerns about China’s covert tactics to disrupt Taiwan’s communications, reinforcing fears of an impending digital Cold War. Meanwhile, China continues to dominate AI and technology, with its R&D spending surpassing $495 billion in 2024. At CES 2025, Chinese tech giants like TCL and Hisense unveiled groundbreaking AI-driven innovations in smart home ecosystems. Additionally, China has expanded its global trade network with 23 new Free Trade Agreements, deepening its economic ties worldwide and solidifying its influence through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). As the U.S. government debates banning TikTo...

The past few weeks have revealed a global surge in cybersecurity threats, privacy concerns, and AI-driven vulnerabilities. Hackers are targeting critical infrastructure, nation-state cyber activities are escalating, and the ethical implications of AI are taking center stage. In the U.S., water utilities have become a prime target for cybercriminals, hacktivists, and state-sponsored actors, forcing some operators to switch to manual operations after breaches. Meanwhile, a significant Volkswagen data breach exposed the unencrypted location data of over 800,000 EVs, highlighting the risks associated with connected vehicles. Tesla also came under scrutiny for its extensive data-sharing practices, sparking fresh debates about surveillance and consumer privacy. China's cyber operations have taken a more aggressive turn, shifting from espionage to actively pre-positioning for potential attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure. The hacking groups Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon have infiltrat...

Recent developments in AI, cybersecurity, and technology highlight a rapidly evolving global landscape where innovation, competition, and ethical dilemmas converge. OpenAI capped its "12 Days of OpenAI" campaign with the release of the o3 Model, a groundbreaking successor to o1, designed to enhance reasoning capabilities in tasks like coding, mathematics, and conceptual reasoning. With features like "deliberative alignment" to improve safety and reliability, the o3 Model competes directly with Google's Gemini 2.0. OpenAI also unveiled premium tools, including a $200 per month ChatGPT Pro subscription, a Python coding interface (Canvas), and Sora, a photorealistic video generator. However, OpenAI faces challenges balancing innovation and financial sustainability, as the ChatGPT Pro model operates at a loss due to high operational costs. Meanwhile, NVIDIA introduced ChatRTX, a personalized AI chatbot powered by RTX GPUs. By integrating user-provided documents and ...