“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.
A journalist was accidentally invited to a Signal group chat involving senior Trump administration officials, where detailed discussions took place about a U.S. military operation targeting Houthi positions in Yemen. The chat included plans for the attack, weapon types, and timing—shared two hours before the strikes. This incident has dominated headlines this week, sparking controversies tied to U.S. national security concerns. In this briefing, I’ve included original reporting from The Atlantic alongside several other noteworthy articles.
Additionally, Microsoft published a blog post detailing how universities are training students and leveraging artificial intelligence to defend against cyberattacks. This offers insight into the future of the cybersecurity workforce. Below, I’ve included a summary of the publication. You’ll also find more reports, including one by Laurent Garrigues, who interviewed experts on customer data protection.
This is Dain Oh reporting from South Korea, and here is your weekend briefing.
1. US national security breach over Signal
- The Trump administration accidentally texted me its war plans – The Atlantic
- Here are the attack plans that Trump’s advisers shared on Signal – The Atlantic
- Judge orders government to preserve Signal messages about Houthi military strike – AP
- SignalGate isn’t about Signal – Wired
2. NIS warns of cyber threats ahead of APEC summit in South Korea
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), in its March 27 report titled 2024 Terrorism Trends and 2025 Outlook, warned of potential terrorist attacks and North Korean cyber operations during the APEC Summit, scheduled to take place in Gyeongju from late October to early November. The report outlines threats from international terrorist groups targeting world leaders, as well as possible North Korean disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks. It also highlights rising anti-Western sentiment in the Middle East, increased domestic support for terrorism through cryptocurrency, and the spread of extremist content online that could inspire homegrown terrorism.
3. N. Korea ramps up cyber offensive: New research center to focus on AI-powered hacking – Daily NK
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has directed the establishment of “Research Center 227” under the military’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) to enhance the country’s international cyber hacking capabilities. Officially launched on March 9 in Pyongyang’s Mangyongdae District, the center operates independently from existing RGB institutes and is expected to prioritize the development of offensive hacking technologies over traditional intelligence gathering.
According to internal sources, the center’s primary missions include neutralizing foreign cybersecurity systems, leveraging AI to steal information, hacking financial assets, and automating data collection and analysis. It will operate around the clock to support the RGB’s overseas hacking operations in real time and strengthen North Korea’s capability to disrupt Western networks.
The RGB is in the process of selecting approximately 90 top-tier computer science experts from major universities and research institutes to staff the new center. These recruits will form a specialized internal team dedicated to developing sophisticated cyberattack tools, significantly enhancing the regime’s overall cyber warfare capabilities.
4. How universities are tapping students and AI to fight the growing threat of cybercrime – Microsoft
U.S. universities are increasingly involving students in their Security Operations Centers (SOCs) to address the rising threat of cybercrime. Working alongside professional staff, these students help monitor threats, investigate suspicious activity, and respond to cyber incidents. This approach not only strengthens universities’ defenses against cyberattacks but also offers students valuable hands-on experience in cybersecurity, helping to mitigate the broader talent shortage in the field.
In addition to involving students, universities are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen their cyber defenses. AI tools help automate threat detection, analyze vast amounts of security data, and identify patterns indicative of cyberattacks. By handling repetitive and time-sensitive tasks with speed and precision, AI enables SOC teams to concentrate on higher-level analysis and incident response.
By integrating human expertise with AI-powered tools, universities are developing more robust cybersecurity infrastructures. Institutions such as Oregon State University and Auburn University are at the forefront, fostering collaborative, technology-driven environments that not only safeguard their systems but also equip students with practical skills for real-world cybersecurity careers.
5. Cybersecurity in CX and CRM: Inside the battle for trust and data protection
As artificial intelligence, automation, and real-time data collection reshape the digital landscape, companies leading customer experience (CX) and customer relationship management (CRM) face an evolving cybersecurity challenge. Businesses striving to personalize interactions and extract insights from millions of customer touchpoints are also becoming prime targets for cyber threats—ranging from phishing and ransomware to AI-driven attacks and identity theft.
At the center of this battleground are platforms like Qualtrics, Medallia, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Zoho Survey, SurveySparrow, QuestionPro, GetFeedback, and InMoment, all tasked with collecting, analyzing, and securing vast amounts of sensitive data. READ MORE
Editor’s note: Each item in this briefing was initially summarized or translated by ChatGPT-4o based on the author’s specific instructions, which included news judgment, fact-checking, and thorough editing before publication.
