China is attempting to play a moderating role in the current conflict between the United States and North Korea over North Korea’s development of intercontinental nuclear missiles. China has argued for restraint on all sides, and signed the United Nations sanctions measure against North Korea on 5 August 2017. A review of Chinese statements in their own media on 14-16 August 2017 indicate China is standing by its sanctions pledge and sees some hope for easing of the crisis:
- On 14 August China reaffirmed that it was imposing an import ban on coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood from North Korea as a tool to bring Pyongyang back to negotiations.
- Some Chinese coverage argued that North Korean threats were just a stratagem to entice the U.S. to cancel its joint military exercises with South Korea.
- The enthusiasm for joining with the United States in pressuring North Korea may have been blunted somewhat by the White House order to start an investigation into Chinese trade practices.
- As of 16 August, China appeared to see signs that the crisis was starting to ease, based on North Korean media coverage of Kim Jong-Un’s visit to its Strategic Force Command and the “delay” in any attack decision.
In general, China has indeed taken upon itself a relatively neutral stance in this conflict. If they stand by their pledge to block key imports from North Korea, this could over time put real economic pressure on North Korea. Whether that would be enough pain to cause North Korea to curtail their weapons programs is still in doubt. China’s statement that it would not support a preemptive strike by North Korea on the U.S. may also help keep this crisis from escalating...READ MORE
Wapack Labs has cataloged and reported extensively on China, North Korea, and sanctions in the past. An archive of related reporting can be found in the Red Sky Alliance portal.
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Wapack Labs Analysts assess with high confidence a growing cyber espionage campaign, with a Chinese nexus, that has been targeting Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in order to compromise multiple organizations. This campaign is responsible for intrusions in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Typical targets include construction, engineering, aerospace, telecom, and government institutions. The actors involved leverage a wide variety of tools and custom malware, allowing flexibility when it comes to the methods used for intrusion...READ MORE
Wapack Labs has cataloged and reported extensively on espionage campaigns in the past. An archive of related reporting can be found in the Red Sky Alliance portal.
The liberation of publishing from traditional media outlets has created opportunities for individuals to practice the art of news reporting, with mixed results. For every legitimate attempt at disseminating factual information, faux reporters traffic in “fake news” in order to increase their popularity rather than report accuracy. Apple executive Tim Cook recently expressed a need for a “massive campaign” to raise awareness of this problem, as fake news has or is influencing elections in the U.S., Russia, the Ukraine, France and other countries. Combatting fake news will require not only the active participation of media outlets, but an emphasis in national education systems on critical thinking skills.
Wapack Labs has reported on fake news in the past. An archive of related reporting can be found in the Red Sky Alliance Portal.
The following organizations were cited in this report: Apple
TLP: AMBER
ACTOR TYPE: (IV)
SERIAL: TR-036-2017
COUNTRIES: US, RU, UA, FR
INDUSTRIES: ALL
REPORT DATE: 20170214
Wapack Labs has identified an actor in the Tor-based markets - we have labeled “Taxman”. Taxman is selling U.S. W-2 Forms from 2016 as well as taxpayer dates of birth. He also sells bank account information for at least one U.S. and one Australian bank, as well as Credit Reports. Taxman also sells botnets, along with installation and support for same. He is a verified vendor on several Darkweb Tor-based .onion domains and deals exclusively in Bitcoin.
TLP: AMBER
ACTOR TYPE: (III)
SERIAL: TR-030-2017
COUNTRIES: US, Australia
INDUSTRIES: Financial
REPORT DATE: 20170207
China is attempting to play a moderating role in the current conflict between the United States and North Korea over North Korea’s development of intercontinental nuclear missiles. China has argued for restraint on all sides, and signed the United Nations sanctions measure against North Korea on 5 August 2017. A review of Chinese statements in their own media on 14-16 August 2017 indicate China is standing by its sanctions pledge and sees some hope for easing of the crisis:
