Technology on Trial: DOGE, AI Threats, and NATO’s New Fronts

Federal Court Restricts DOGE's Access to Treasury Payment Systems

Following a lawsuit filed by advocacy groups and unions, a federal court has temporarily limited the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) access to the U.S. Treasury's payment systems. The court order restricts DOGE's access to read-only privileges for two specific aides, Tom Krause and Marko Elez, who were appointed as special government employees within the Treasury Department. 

This decision comes amid concerns over DOGE's intrusion into sensitive systems, including those containing millions of Americans' personal and financial data. The lawsuit alleges that DOGE's access violated privacy protections, prompting the court to intervene to safeguard individual privacy rights.

The Register. (2025, February 6). Musk's DOGE was leashed by the court after digging up Treasury data. The Register. https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/06/federal_court_leashes_doges_tresury_access/

#DOGE #TreasuryDepartment #Privacy #FederalCourt #ElonMusk

Malicious ML Models Discovered on Hugging Face, Exploiting Pickle Vulnerability

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered two malicious machine learning (ML) models on the Hugging Face platform that use "broken" pickle files to evade security scans. These models, stored in PyTorch format, contain embedded Python code that executes a reverse shell upon loading, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to host systems.

The malicious models, named "glockr1/ballr7" and "who-r-u0000/0000000000000000000000000000000000000," were compressed using the 7z format instead of the standard ZIP format. This unconventional compression enabled them to bypass Hugging Face's Picklescan security tool, designed to detect harmful pickle files. By placing the malicious payload at the start of the pickle stream, attackers ensured the code was executed before triggering any errors, making detection more difficult.

This incident highlights the security risks associated with the pickle serialization format, which can execute arbitrary code during deserialization. Security experts recommend that organizations exercise caution when downloading ML models from third-party repositories, implement additional security scanning tools and adopt safer serialization formats. The event underscores the growing need for enhanced supply chain security in machine learning, emphasizing continuous monitoring and verification of third-party components.

The Hacker News. (2025, February 6). Malicious ML models found on Hugging Face exploit pickle vulnerability. https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/malicious-ml-models-found-on-hugging.html

#Cybersecurity #MachineLearning #HuggingFace #SupplyChainSecurity #AI

NATO Adapts to New Threats in Cyber and Space Domains

NATO faces unprecedented challenges as Russia and China exploit new domains—cyber, space, and information warfare—beyond traditional battlefields. The 2025 report highlights Russia’s hybrid tactics, like GPS jamming in the Arctic and China’s anti-satellite tests, which threaten NATO’s technological edge. With deterrence by denial now central, the alliance rushes to secure digital and orbital frontiers.

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, NATO has shifted from deterrence by punishment to denial, deploying 300,000 troops on high alert and integrating cyber into its core tasks. However, allies lag in space capabilities, with only 3% of NATO’s satellites being military-owned, exposing vulnerabilities. The report urges rapid adaptation to counter adversaries’ moves in these ungoverned domains.

China’s quantum computing and Russia’s disinformation campaigns amplify risks, potentially disrupting NATO’s command systems. Allies must boost resilience with exercises like Steadfast Defender 2024, testing responses to hybrid threats. Failure to evolve risks ceding strategic dominance in an era of constant, below-threshold conflict.

Huessy, P. (2025, January). NATO: New threats, new domains. Global Security Review. https://globalsecurityreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NATO-NEW-THREATS-NEW-DOMAINS.pdf

#NATO #Cyber #Space #Threats #Security