Toward a cyber world war

An ever growing number of states around the world are preparing for conflict in the cyber domain, and, in this context, have been developing cyber warfare

by Emanuele Bonini

While international law is still struggling with defining norms on state actions in cyberspace, the latter is now increasingly viewed as a fifth domain of warfare, revealed a study conducted by the European Parliament. Although, for the time being, no cyber attack is known to have provoked death or physical damage to human beings, an ever growing number of states around the world are preparing for conflict in the cyber domain, and, in this context, have been developing national doctrines, cyber-defence strategies and defensive and offensive capabilities for cyber warfare. In today's highly interconnected world, cyberspace and the wide array of risks and threats associated with it have become more and more preoccupying for states. The increasing range and sophistication of threats in the cyber realm – from malware to distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to advanced persistent threats (APT) – have prompted efforts to protect against the risks posed to businesses and governments alike: economic and military espionage, theft of intellectual property, interference with critical infrastructure, and destruction of data. In this context, states are developing cyber-defence and cyber-offence capabilities to prepare for the advent of "cyber war".

United States: the country has militarised the response to cyber-attacks through its Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), launched in 2010 and bringing together the cyber components of the US Navy, the US Marine Corps, the army and air force into a unified command. USCYBERCOM is one of the largest cyber-defence organisations in the world. The Pentagon has also increased spending on cyber operations ($26 billion over the next five years) and pledged to build a 6.000 strong cyber force by 2016. Moreover, a 2013 presidential directive instructs the US to aid allies who come under foreign cyber attack;

Behind the Belgian crisis

(Reportage realized by Arte. English transcription by Emiliano Biaggio) - What about the deepest causes of the crisis Belgium is experiencing? Is it history? Is it the identity? Is it the rivalry between Walloons and Flemings? Let's have a look to the map to try to understand a little bit more about Belgium. The kingdom has a surface of 30.500 square kilometres, and 10,5 million people live there. Belgium capital city, Brussels, symbolizes the integration of Europe but at the same time is the capital city of a country which risks to split up. How is it possible? There is no doubt the first explanation is historic reasons. Belgium didn't exist as an independent country until the XIX century: the territory we know nowadays has been under the influence of other European powers (Spain, Austria, France, Germany). At the end of XVIII century (1795) Belgium as we know today was part of France, and was divided in nine districts. Then it became part of Napoleon's empire. In 1815 Prussia, Austria and the United Kingdom decided to re-design the chart of Europe, and the idea was of creating a buffer state in order to can address any French expansion. This buffer state, the kingdom of the Netherlands, put together two different peoples: Protestants in the north, Catholics in the south. This buffer state lasted only fifteen year: in fact Catholics from the two linguistic communities went together and declared the independence in 1830. But in this new country Flemish community felt ruled by Walloons for two reasons: language and economy. French became the official language of the kingdom in reaction of former allied of the Netherlands and because French was the language spoken by the economic bourgeoisie. Only in 1898 Dutch was declared official language of Belgium. Secondly, Wallonia at the time was one of the most important industrial region of Europe because the high concentration of coal mines, and iron and steel plants. Flanders were, on the contrary, nothing but an agricultural district. Only in the 60's the situation started to change: Wallonia economic tissue was on crisis while the Flanders started to experience industrialization thanks to automotive sector and chemical industry development. The city of Antwerpen, with the third most important commercial harbour in Europe, helped the Flanders to gain economic power. As a result, Flanders today account for 80% of Belgian export.

Quotes

«We are discussing about one-two billions difference, we can add them even this morning».
Matteo Renzi, prime minister of Italy, talking about adjustments required for the stability law (Brussels, 23 October 2014)

Chronicle of a (political) death foretold

Once again Matteo Renzi demonstrated to be not able to deal with Realpolitik. Weaker at home and absent abroad, this is the political novel of a missing leader

Opinion

Something is wrong with Matteo Renzi. Italian prime minister still doesn't know how to deal with European affairs, and still has not people able to suggest him what to do. If he has, his staff always suggest the most stupid thing to do. It's neither not polite nor not intelligent making public a letter strictly confidential, as Renzi did with EU Commission letter sent to Italy asking information about the stability law. Screaming and threatening to publish the expenditure plan of an Institution is something never seen before from a politician, of course not from an head of government. In only one day Renzi was able to boost the general common lack of confidence in Italy and its leaders. First of all because of the diffusion of confidential documents: now everybody knows Italy can't keep anything secret. Secondly, Renzi in threatening the EU Commission of publishing all the financial data forgot the whole budget is already available on the web (click here, if you want to check it out), so he basically promised to do nothing but something already done by others. Who are these “others”? The European Commission, obliged by law to make public all the information on expenditure.

AS Gryffindor, red and yellow magic

The Gryffindor Express

We have already written everything about Gryffindor, but we still don't know how the team move from Hogwarts to the other places when they play away. If you are thinking to portkeys, floo powder, flying carpets never mind. Of course for magicians all these are very common tools among magicians and witches, but it's not the case. In fact Gryffindor players travel onto the Gryffindor Express, a special train realized only for this quidditch team. In perfect yellow and red style (see the pictures above), as you can see in the picture, the Gryffindor Express is used for the away matches. As well as the most popular Hogwarts Express, the Gryffindor Express magical train carries athletes non-stop. In case of matches to be played in London, the Gryffindor Express stops at Platform 9¾ at King's Cross station.

Yep, the same Platform served by the Hogwarts Express, but there are not so many the magical train lines! Just to have a look inside, here we can see how comfortable is the Gryffindor Express. Here in the foreground (picture on the left) we have some Gryffindor players and, on the background, we can see a chaser reading a copy of the Daily Prophet.

FACT SHEET/ Ebola geographic distribution

(click to enlarge)

FACT SHEET: Ebola in West Africa

The useless European agenda for Ebola

EU ministers are discussing several measures to face the threats posed by the virus, but nobody thinks to develop a cure

by Emanuele Bonini (my article for EuNews)

Compare it to the classical dust hidden under the carpet, define it as the typical “every man for himself”, understand it as a “do it by yourself” message, or call it simply Western hypcrosy. In any case the answer the European Union has in mind to address the Ebola crisis can't find comparison different fromt those just proposed. Visa check, exchange of information on air passengers travelling to and from one of the African countries with Ebola virus, a better evacuation strategy, isolation policy for people considered at risk, communication campagn: these are the measures EU Health ministers are working for.

«I do believe we can win Ebola in Western Africa», stated Italian Health minister for Health, Beatrice Lorenzin, showing courage not only for a knowledge of the English language which demonstrates how poor is the Italian education system.

«After 15 years no progress in Italian economy»

CEPS chief Daniel Gros critic over Italy. Time is over, now let public debt be reduced

Daniel Gros

by Emanuele Bonini

«It's almost fifteen years that Italy calls for a temporary relaxation of European deficit and debt reduction targets, but it seems this has not produced any results. And Matteo Renzi's 80 Euros bonus produced a null impact as well». Daniel Gros didn't spend very fair words for Italy. Talking to us the director of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) warned time is over for the country, whit a a lack of credibility and confidence at international level. Europe and European partners are fed up. Promises are not acceptable any more, Gros basically said. For Renzi and company is time to invert trends and boost Italian economy. «I don't think that a country can sustain and maintain growth with deficit and public debt levels even higher than usual», said the CEPS chief. «For a country as Italy it would be dangerous, too».

A brief guide for beer

thanks to Olivia Marchetti for providing the chart

FACT SHEET/ Ebola virus

(click to enlarge)

Pharmaceutical industry behind Ebola outbreak

For decades nothing has been done in order to look for a cure. In name of no-business

Opinion

Let put lies aside. Europe is not ready to deal with Ebola, and the reason is very simple: pharmaceutical industry didn't want to invest in research because virus has always been something related only to Africa, a part of the globe where make business is impossible. This is the reality. There was no interest in searching a cure for this virus, which is a new disease at all since it was identified in 1976. In nearly forty years no one knows anything about Ebola virus, and it is not a case. If the virus a was a Western society problem, now probably we would have more results and more information at our disposal, perhaps we would have a treatment ore a therapy too. But since only African people have been affected by this sanitary emergency, pharmaceutical industry saw no opportunities for profit in a poor continent where people have no money to pay for a medicine. So nothing has been made. Unfortunately, new capitalist globalization produced connections among all the countries of the world, and now Europeans come back home with virus. The Ebola virus, until today considered as an African business, is travelling and finally reached the rich world. Finally Western societies become aware of the situation, just because these great countries are worried and have fear. High level meeting have been organized by governments in order to address the situation. It has to be clear the main purpose of these high level committees is to have protection from Ebola rather than find a medical solution. That lies in pharmaceutical industry will. Until European and Western populations will not start die no real answers will be found.

Senselessland (chapter 7)

Impressions and images from Belpaese

Mail. What is there of special in mail? Not too much. Of course, if you are not in Italy. There everything can be special, even mail. Of course we talk about paper mail, the traditional mail. Now it has been clarified that, let's explain what goes on in the so called Bel Paese. There mail is divided in ordinary mail and priority mail. The difference is in price, of course. Priority mail is more expansive because of faster delivering. If ordinary mail arrives at destination in nearly a week, document belonging to the second category can arrive only in a couple of days. Priority mail is more expensive because customer choose to have a different kind of service. Now, in Italy there's a new kind of service: the super-priority mail. It means for ONLY 9 Euros you can be sure your priority mail will be delivered. That's it. Now if want to be sure priority mail - the more expensive one - be at destination you have to pay extra-money. Something weird. Why to pay twice for the same service? Priority mail means postmen and post offices can move a document to a point of the country to an another in a period of time shorter than ordinary mail. Italians, as usual, don't complain. There's something in Italian recalling Russian people we find in Tolstoy's or Dostoevsky's novels: a sense of resignation and inactive reception of events. But there's no time for anthropology: foreigners have to understand why they have been asked to pay 9 Euros of extra-money for something should be already guarantee.

Quotes

«No one can deal with the other EU member States as they were just students».
Matteo Renzi, prime minister of Italy (London, 2 October 2014)

Stoltenberg started acting new NATO chief

Former Norwegian prime minister already at work to build new relations with Russia

Jens Stoltenberg

by Emiliano Biaggio

Jens Stoltenberg is officially the new NATO secretary general. He took service yesterday, starting acting as new Alliance chief and closing Anders Fogh Rasmussen's era. Former prime minister of Norway, the 55 years old new chief started his mandate sending a message to Russia, calling Moscow for responsibility because of the «fragile» cease-fire in Ukraine. «The cease-fire in Ukraine offers an opportunity, but Russia maintains its ability to destabilize Ukraine, and Russia remains in breach of international law». For such a reason, he added, «we need to see clear changes in Russia's action, a change which demonstrates compliance with international law and with Russia's international obligations and responsibilities». In order to de-escalate the situation Stoltenberg preferred to take the diplomatic path. «My main message has been, today and for many years, that there is no contradiction between aspiring to a constructive relationship with Russia and, at the same time, being in favour of a strong NATO». In Stoltenberg's vision building relations with Moscow is still possible, despite the Ukrainian crisis. Compared to what Rasmussen has repeated until a couple of days ago, Stoltenberg marked a clear change in NATO attitude over Russia. Rasmussen has not hesitated to openly criticize the country, while on the contrary his successor chose a more cautious approach. Will it be enough to re-build relationship with Putin's state? Stoltenberg's NATO new course has begun.