Elara Nova: The Space Consultancy’s Post

How do emerging technologies influence politics, security, and conflict? Explore courses that count towards the security and technology core of the Master of Science in Security, Technology, and International Relations (MS STAIR) https://lnkd.in/eukknNx9

It's time for the U.S. and its Allies worldwide to unite and confront the reality: China is a clear and present threat that we must confront collectively. China aims to become the world's preeminent superpower and reshape the global order according to its undemocratic, authoritarian principles, which stand in stark contrast to the values of freedom and democracy. Please view and share this short MITRE-produced video highlighting the risk posed by China (shared courtesy of Mike Studeman) #Freedom #Democracy #USA #Defense #BadPanda

This interesting article in Politico focuses on recent developments and explains why companies should increase their focus on threat intel and the monitoring of critical assets. https://lnkd.in/dgFvWjQj

I’ve posted about this before and it continues to be a huge problem. Hostile foreign governments are increasingly using venture capital investment to spy on Western companies and pilfer their intellectual property. This has both economic and national security implications. The US National Counterintelligence and Security Center has published a “cheat sheet” of sorts on the the scope of the threat and what to look for. #nationalsecurity #venturecapital #ip

There’s a new “smart coup” playbook emerging. My thoughts on this worrying evolution of coups and how to counter them https://lnkd.in/eZ2if9GS

In times of great uncertainty and instability, how can the US and its allies maintain the rules-based international order? Join Ian Bremmer, Kevin Rudd, Ivo H. Daalder, and Zeenat Rahman on June 10 for a discussion of how geopolitical and technological forces are reshaping our world.

All, sharing a short vid on why Taiwan matters produced by MITRE. Perhaps appropriate to send out while I'm still in Taipei and executing engagements as a typhoon passes through. Taiwan's value is not just about semiconductors, as vital as they are to the world economy. The freedom of over 23M people is at stake and they are bravely facing down increasing pressure from the CCP, which dreams of crushing this democracy like Hong Kong as part of their "rise." You may not know, but Taiwan has successfully shown the way in perfecting manufacturing, dealing effectively with pandemics (better than any others during COVID), responding to natural disasters, and developing common sense counters to disinformation through cyber security resilience, media literacy training, fact-checking entities, instant government corrections of falsehoods, and legal investigations into falsifiers. Many other nations have much to learn from Taiwan (and they can do so through a multinational forum called the Global Cooperation and Training Framework: https://www.gctf.tw/en/ ) It's also true that you can expect any aggressive CCP takeover of Taiwan to be accompanied by final resolutions over the Senkakus and SCS in China's favor. Taiwan will become a power projection base--an "unsinkable aircraft carrier"--to exert more "effective control" along and beyond the First Island Chain, deeply affecting the security and prosperity of allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific. Once free from a Taiwan focus, the PLA can live out its larger plan to extend its military reach and consolidate its influence across the vast global belt and road pathways it has built up. It's not hyperbole to say that Taiwan's future is a linchpin on which the balance of power among nation-states may swing in the 21st century.

Sharing a short MITRE-produced vid on macro dangers from the PRC: https://lnkd.in/eu35BFbG Key takeaway: as a nation, we can't continue to be cavalier about the CCP's infiltration, influence, and exploitation of the American homeland. Of course, many national security professionals have been fighting a quiet battle against the PRC's multi-decade offensive inside our borders, but this challenge cannot be met by a whole-of-government approach alone. A whole-of-society commitment is essential to better protect ourselves, including the advanced technologies that underpin our economy and security. China is arguably winning the tech war against the U.S. (they are ahead in 37 of 44 key technologies) because too many Americans don't know enough, or aren't doing enough, to deal with the hard realities of an enlarged Sino-U.S. geopolitical rivalry where the PRC is routinely stealing our lunch. Hope we can get more straight talk from American leaders about threats "inside the wire" because it's their job to connect all the threat dots for this country and then mobilize society to harden ourselves against threats from an adversarial superpower that too many Americans are inadvertently making stronger for lack of sufficient awareness and action.

A trend we need to start paying attention to: technopolitics. Where unelected tech leaders make critical national security and geopolitical decisions.

We open a new year and a new season with our friend, Ian Thornton-Trump, chief information security officer at the MSSP Inversion6 and in 30 minutes we take on some pretty meaty subjects. First we discuss how China strategically infiltrated technology systems in the US and other countries as a geopolitical message rather than attacks. He discusses the challenges of securing complex, interconnected systems and the need for proactive defense. Next we review the rise of corporate power and influence and how the increasing wealth and influence of individuals like Elon Musk is disrupting the traditional balance of power in democracies. The ethical concerns around wealthy individuals wielding disproportionate political influence could result in something the oligarchs are not expecting. Finally, we review potential trade wars and the possibility of Canada and Mexico joining the BRICS alliance. 2025 is going to be bumpy but very interesting. https://lnkd.in/gWMJCzMd