A study of hacktivism resisting Israeli operations against Hamas in Gaza highlights the difficulty of attribution, particularly when non-, trans-, or sub-national actors are involved. What, in the end, does attributing an action to Anonymous really mean? (Hacktivists in this respect resemble irregular military forces. How are they organized? How are they controlled? How are they recognized?)
For a look at what it's like for a community and its associated non-governmental organizations to receive the cyber ministrations of a state security apparat, see a Max Planck Institute study of China's operations against its Uyghur minority. Observations concerning social engineering of highly targeted attacks are particularly interesting.
Russian cyber espionage against former Soviet and Warsaw Pact nations' diplomatic networks continues.
India's government and Internet service providers receive a warning to expect cyber attacks on Independence Day, August 15.
Android malware reported by ESET affords an object lesson in how crimeware evolves in the underground ecosystem.
Patch Tuesday reviews are in.
Damballa and Trend Micro both release their 2014 Q2 trend reports, with Damballa seeing ransomware reaching a tipping point, and Trend Micro calling for a more strategic approach to cyber defense.
In industry news, Lookout raises $150M in venture capital. Financial markets digest IBM's acquisition of Lighthouse Security. Cisco is rumored to be bracing for layoffs.
Wired publishes an interview with Edward Snowden amid speculation that there remains at least one undiscovered leaker within the US Intelligence Community. The Snowden affair prompts discussion of corporate and agency ethics and whistleblower policies.