Security

Spotlight | Russia, UAE
Russian vulnerabilities reseller Operation Zero tries its luck in the Gulf

The zero-day vulnerabilities firm headed by Russian hacker Sergei Zelenyuk has been prospecting in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Russia, United Kingdom
London leak at heart of Russian prosecutor's plan to capture FESCO assets

A Russian court has used a London Court of International Arbitration decision to justify confiscating the assets of shipping giant FESCO, amid a four-year battle between its shareholders Ziyavudin Magomedov and Mikhail Rabinovich. The Russian prosecutor was not forthcoming about how he got his hands on the normally confidential ruling.

France, Russia, Vatican
Vatican keen to bring Russian and French sherpas to the negotiating table

After putting out feelers in different European capitals, Pope Francis' team is hoping to bring the French and Russian presidential diplomatic advisers at the Vatican together to discuss Ukraine. The invitation was welcomed by Moscow.

United States
Kroll continues search for missing Morgan Stanley hard drives

Corporate investigations group Kroll is helping Morgan Stanley to find a number of old servers and hard drives, which have resulted in online data leaks. These leaks resulted in a major class action case being brought against the banking group.

Lebanon
Byblos Groups new branch B-Guard ME opens in Beirut

French security firm Byblos Group is going to do business in Beirut, in owner Simon Hoayek's native country. He is counting on Sami el-Hoyek, a former Lebanese Armed Forces general, to get the new branch off the ground.

France
Bug bounty firm Yogosha's founders fight each other in court over cyber contracts in UAE

The French firm's co-founder Fabrice Epelboin and his former Moroccan business partner Abderahman Zohry are threatening to sue Yogosha before the ECHR. They blame the company, which is now run by its other co-founder, Yassir Kazar, for taking on contracts in the UAE.

France
Macron set to revamp top diplomatic and security team

The French president is likely to reshuffle his top diplomatic and security team in the coming weeks, a move that will have to juggle major strategic issues with the career ambitions of his loyal lieutenants.

Iraq, Turkey
Baghdad called upon to mediate between the MIT and the PUK

Hugely concerned about the origin of the intelligence that allowed the MIT to attack the Sulaymanyah airport on 7 April, the PUK has called on Baghdad to lead the investigation. It is also hoping to calm down the increasingly tense relations between the Talabani clan and Ankara.

France, UAE
Emirates seek direct investment in French tech

During the GISEC cybersecurity forum in Dubai, the UAE's Cyber Security Council (CSC) approached several businesses to try to push Emirati investments forward. The agency made an unsuccessful attempt with French-American firm CybelAngel.

France
French parliament to bolster nuclear security command

France's little-known specialised command for nuclear security, CoSSeN, which operates closely with domestic intelligence agency DGSI, is to be granted more powers under the new military programming law.

Russia, Vatican
Unlikely alliance in Moscow pushes for Pope Francis Nobel Peace Prize nomination

The World Union of Old Believers in Moscow, which maintains mixed relations with the Kremlin and the Orthodox Church, has joined forces with the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winning journalist Dmitry Muratov to campaign for the pontiff to be nominated for the prestigious prize.

The Intelligence Gazette
Syrian Kurds at French National Assembly, Kyrgyz diplomacy, Ukrainian BEB, US farm security

Appointments, reforms and key issues: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

France/SyriaYPG representatives at the French National Assembly

UkraineEconomic security office headless

KyrgyzstanEx-spymaster on the rise in diplomatic corps

USFood security as well as agricultural sovereignty

United Kingdom
Britain's National Cyber Force emerges from the shadows

The UK's discreet and fast-growing National Cyber Force is destined to spearhead Britain's fight against its enemies in cyberspace. In a key document published this month, it takes steps to establish its own identity.

France
French DGSE officers become eligible for veteran status

Officers of France's foreign intelligence service, the DGSE, who have [...]