Israel expects (and prepares for) "OpIsrael," a campaign Anonymous hacktivists threaten to launch this week.
South Korea also raises its cyber defense readiness as tensions with the North increase. Hacktivists without apparent connection to either North or South released username and password combinations they claim to have extracted from North Korean news and propaganda site Uriminzokkiri ("Our Nation").
Symantec notes that last month's MBR Wiper (the name "Dark Seoul" apparently hasn't stuck) attacks against South Korean media, financial, and energy firms resembles a 2011 campaign that began with denial-of-service, then progressed to data destruction. TrendMicro draws three lessons from MBR Wiper: platforms as well as devices are targets, auto-updating is now being exploited, and security products themselves are now attacked.
US authorities warn that telephony denial-of-service attacks (apparently the work of criminals, not states or hacktivists) are now hitting emergency services. Ransomware gains credibility with victims by inspecting and using their browser history.
US-CERT offers an appreciation of DNS amplification attacks, along with some recommendations for protection. Such attacks appear to be trending upward in frequency, sophistication, and severity.
China's Ministry of Commerce expresses displeasure with the US Government's new stringent vetting requirements for Chinese IT equipment—they're "discriminatory." The strictures appeared in the continuing resolution President Obama signed last week. Huawei and ZTE are thought most affected.
Registration for US Cyber Challenge opened last Friday: the contest is open to high school and college students. The state of Illinois begins a program to prepare its citizens for cyber jobs.