“Weekend Briefing” is a weekly newsletter sent to subscribers of The Readable every Friday. Our journalists select important news items from the previous week on topics ranging from privacy to policy development in cybersecurity, all to help you stay abreast of the latest breaking issues. And not only is this provided free of cost to our subscribers, but the briefing contains new content exclusive to subscribers, such as our insightful industrial reports.
Over the last weekend, defense ministers from around the world gathered in Singapore to discuss security issues at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue. One session, titled “Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Defense, and Future Warfare,” focused specifically on cybersecurity. Held on June 1, the session featured high-level officials such as General Timothy Haugh, Commander of the United States Cyber Command, and Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the Military Committee at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
However, the true value of such events lies in the informal meetings that occur between the official conferences. The South Korean defense minister met with his counterparts from the U.S. and Japan during the gathering and agreed to cooperate on significant agendas, including military exercises that now inevitably incorporate the cyber domain. Kuksung Nam reported on this issue, along with another story about an economic security dialogue that took place in San Diego on Thursday.
In today’s newsletter, you will also find stories on deepfake technology, data theft, space security, and disinformation, all rigorously investigated by our reporting team.
This is Dain Oh reporting from South Korea, and here is your weekend briefing.
1. South Korea, Japan, and US to conduct trilateral military exercise, including cyber component
This summer, South Korea, Japan, and the United States have agreed to conduct a trilateral military exercise spanning aerial, naval, and cyber domains, marking the inception of a new multi-domain drill with the aim of showcasing their commitment to collective security and readiness in the face of evolving challenges.
At the sidelines of Asia’s largest defense summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore, South Korea’s Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin convened for a trilateral ministerial meeting. In a joint statement, the three defense ministers announced the launch of a new cross-domain trilateral exercise named “Freedom Edge,” which is set to be repeated in the years to come. READ MORE
2. South Korea, US, and Japan to cooperate in fortifying security of critical infrastructure
South Korea, the United States, and Japan agreed on Thursday to actively cooperate in implementing security policies for vital infrastructure as part of their ongoing efforts to enhance economic security.
South Korea’s presidential office announced that representatives from the three nations convened the fourth meeting of the Economic Security Dialogue in San Diego. South Korea’s third deputy director of national security, Wang Yun-jong, held trilateral discussions with Tarun Chhabra, the senior director for technology and national security on the White House National Security Council, and Yasuo Takamura, a cabinet councilor from Japan’s National Security Secretariat. READ MORE
3. Australia announces legislation to criminalize deepfake pornography
On Saturday, the Australian Attorney General announced that the government would introduce new legislation to criminalize the creation and dissemination of deepfake pornography without the consent of those being depicted.
Attorney General of Australia, Mark Dreyfus, announced via his social media account on X that the government plans to present legislation concerning the restriction of deepfake pornography to Parliament, with the anticipated introduction of these laws scheduled to take place this upcoming Wednesday. READ MORE
4. Scammers exploit breached data in $520K crypto theft
South Korean police say they have uncovered a cryptocurrency fraud scheme where stolen victim data, acquired through the messaging app Telegram, was used to target unsuspecting individuals.
The Incheon Jungbu Police have arrested seven members of a cryptocurrency scam ring, according to Senior Inspector Choi Jae-hwang of the station’s Intelligent Crime Investigation unit. The group is accused of defrauding 69 victims of around $520,000 (710 million won) between February 14 and March 4. The scam involved a fake cryptocurrency website, Choi revealed at a press briefing. READ MORE
5. South Korea launches national effort to tackle space security with new consultative body
South Korean government agencies and research institutions agreed on Tuesday to collaborate to secure the nation’s satellite systems, marking a significant step forward in protecting space assets—a critical frontier for cybersecurity.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) announced the formation of a consultative body dedicated to protecting satellites throughout their entire life cycle, from design to decommissioning. This body comprises twenty organizations, including government agencies, the military, and research institutions. Among them is the Korea AeroSpace Administration, established last month, along with other government organizations that operate and utilize satellite data through their affiliated institutions or centers. READ MORE
6. Russia-backed actors posed as US, French intelligence agencies to spread online disinformation, report reveals
Tech giant Microsoft is accusing Russian-backed bad actors of impersonating intelligence agencies in the United States and France to spread online misinformation targeting the upcoming Paris Olympics. This revelation comes in a report issued by Microsoft, highlighting a potential attempt to disrupt the international sporting event.
On June 2, Microsoft’s security team, the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC), exposed a disinformation campaign targeting the upcoming Paris Olympics. The campaign, linked to a Russia-affiliated group known as Storm-1679, involved a fabricated video masquerading as a press release from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The video’s intent, according to MTAC, was to provoke fear of danger and discourage people from attending the international sporting event. READ MORE
More stories this week…
- [The Guardian] Services disrupted as London hospitals hit by cyber-attack
- [AP] TikTok says cyberattack targeted CNN and other ‘high-profile accounts’
- [Reuters] Japan’s DMM Bitcoin says over $300 mln of cryptocurrency lost
- [Sophos] Report: Chinese state-sponsored activity targeting Southeast Asian government
