At a glance.
- Georgia joins NATO's Malware Information Sharing Platform.
- Parliamentary Defence Committee to investigate security of UK's 5G infrastructure.
- US bill would amend the Espionage Act of 1917 in the interest of researchers, journalists, and whistleblowers.
Georgia becomes second non-NATO country to join NATO's MISP.
Georgia announced at the end of last week that it had joined the Atlantic Alliance's Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP). While not a NATO member, Georgia has found common cause with NATO in its confrontation of Russian cyber threats. Civil.ge, reporting the news, describes the MISP as "a threat-sharing defense initiative functioning under the aegis of NATO and co-financed by the European Union." Georgia has received considerable diplomatic support from Western nations over the Russian influence campaign it sustained last October. The US, the UK, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden have all condemned the Russian operation.
UK Parliamentary committee opens an inquiry into the security of the country's 5G infrastructure.
A Parliamentary defence committee has decided to open an inquiry into the security of Britain's 5G infrastructure, paying special attention to the role Huawei will be permitted to play in that infrastructure's build-out, Reuters reports. MP Tobias Ellwood, one of the leaders of the committee, tweeted, “It is paramount that, as we negotiate this new technology, we ask the uncomfortable questions about the possibility of abuse.” Huawei has promised its cooperation.
Amending the Espionage Act of 1917 (journalism is in, hacking and espionage are still out).
U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (Democrat, California 17th) has introduced a bill that would amend the Espionage Act of 1917 to add protections for journalists, whistleblowers and others who reveal Government secrets under certain circumstances. Senator Ron Wyden (Democrat of Oregon) will shortly introduce a version in the upper house.
As the Senator explains the legislation's intent, the "Espionage Act Reform Act of 2020" would narrow "the Espionage Act and related secrecy statutes to ensure that criminal penalties for revealing government secrets only apply to those entrusted with government secrets. This includes government employees, defense contractors and individuals working in critical infrastructure sectors. The bill also keeps in place criminal penalties for foreign spies, individuals who are working for foreign governments, or those violating another federal law, who conspire, aid, or abet a violation of these secrecy laws. Finally, the bill narrows the theft of government property statute, so that it only applies to tangible things, and not just information."