Want to feel old? Ethernet just celebrated its 50th birthday - The Register

Everything goes round in cycles, including computer networking… but not always in rings. The most important networking system so far has vanquished all its loopy rivals for 50 years.

Geoff Huston, the chief scientist of the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), posted a rather splendid potted history of Ethernet yesterday to commemorate its 50th birthday.

It's an information-dense essay and we would do it a disservice if we attempted to précis it for you. It spans from Ethernet's origins as a cabled version of the University of Hawaii's pioneering ALOHAnet wireless networking system, through 10base-5 ("Thick Ethernet"), then 10base-2 ("Thin Ethernet" or Cheapernet, which is about when The Reg FOSS Desk entered this business), then 10base-T over unshielded twisted-pair cabling… which turned into 100base-T ("Fast Ethernet") and Gigabit.

The Ethernet networking system was co-invented at Xerox PARC in 1973 by Turing Award winner Bob Metcalfe and David Boggs, who passed away last year at 71.

Over about the next two decades, many of Ethernet's competitors used ring topologies. The Cambridge Ring was arguably the UK's first, which we mentioned in passing 20 years ago. The Cambridge Ring was decommissioned in 1994, replaced with ATM. At one point, ATM was clearly the future, and would replace all other systems… But back in 2015, we noted that Ethernet had successfully vanquished ATM – and as that piece notes, when it reached 10Gb, it also discarded CSMA/CD, the collision-densing system that was once one of its definining characteristics.

When Ethernet turned 40, The Reg interviewed Bob Metcalfe who pointed out that it had also beaten Token Ring and indeed the earlier, cheaper ARCnet – also a hub-based, ring-topology system. A decade ago, we said that at some point it might become Terabit, and that is closer now.

Earlier this week, we noted that computer networking was 60 years old. The thing is that when you go back that far, it gets difficult to clearly distinguish networking from the simpler serial connections between mainframes and minicomputers and their dumb terminals. The word "modem" was coined in 1958 to describe the devices that linked the IBM mainframe-based SAGE air-defense computers to remote terminals over the telephone system.

The idea of linking computers together, so that they could share data with each other rather than with puny humans, took longer to emerge. Arguably, that dates back to ARPANET, forerunner of the Internet. But the ARPANET didn't run TCP/IP at first. Although the prelimary proposal for what would become TCP/IP, "A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication" [PDF], was published in 1974, it wasn't until 1983 that ARPANET switched to Internet Protocol.

Ethernet 2 was already a published standard [PDF] by then, produced by a group known as DIX: Digital Equipment Corporation, Intel and Xerox.

So the two oldest networking standards around, used by everyone and everything today, are Ethernet and TCP/IP, but the ordering of events is not at all what you might think. First, at the end of the 1960s, came ARPANET, which would evolve directly to become the internet. Then very soon afterwards – remarkably, at the beginning of the 1970s – wireless networking, which a few years later evolved into a bus-topology cabled version: Ethernet. Lastly, TCP/IP was first proposed a year later, although the internet didn't adopt it for nearly a decade… which eventually meant that the PC industry switched to it too, nearly a decade after that. ®

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CISA working with agencies to pull exposed network tools from public internet - The Record from Recorded Future News

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said it is working with federal agencies to remove network management tools from the public-facing internet after researchers discovered hundreds were still publicly exposed.

On June 13, CISA issued a directive giving federal civilian agencies two weeks after the discovery of an internet-exposed networked management interface to either remove it from the internet or institute access control measures like zero-trust architecture.

But this week, researchers from security firm Censys said they analyzed the attack surfaces of 50 federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) organizations and sub-organizations, finding “hundreds of publicly exposed devices within the scope outlined in the directive” more than 14 days after it was released.

Hundreds of routers, access points, firewalls, VPNs, and other remote server management technologies from Cisco, Cradlepoint, Fortinet and SonicWall were discovered.

Censys told Recorded Future News that it actively maintains attack surface profiles for several federal agencies and has notified CISA of specific exposures belonging to federal agencies.

“By publishing this research, our objective is to build broader awareness about the risks associated with exposed remote management interfaces, as they are a prime target for threat actors seeking to infiltrate a network,” the researchers said.

When contacted about the findings, CISA officials told The Record that they are supporting agencies to ensure implementation of timely remediation measures under the “binding operational directive,” labeled BOD 23-02, including by leveraging commercial tools for spotting exposed tech.

CISA said it is working closely with agency leadership to ensure adherence to binding operational directives. In its guidance document released two weeks ago, CISA said it plans to scan for interfaces exposed to the internet and notify all agencies of its findings — explaining that the goal of the directive is to “further reduce the attack surface of the federal government networks.”

Dozens of federal civilian agencies expose a variety of the technological tools they use to the internet to make it easier for employees to access them. These products have become a hotbed for hacker activity in recent years due to their ease of discovery and exploitation essentially from anywhere in the world.

Expanded attack surface

Censys officials said that while some tools may be deliberately exposed for various reasons, it is likely that many of them are unintentionally exposed due to misconfigurations, a lack of understanding regarding security best practices, or being connected to forgotten legacy systems.

“Networked management interfaces and remote access protocols (ex: TELNET, SSH) within the scope of [the directive] are typically designed to be accessed securely within private networks,” they said. “When these interfaces are publicly accessible, they needlessly expand an organization’s attack surface and heighten the risk of unauthorized system access.”

Contrast Security’s Tom Kellermann, who previously served as a cybersecurity official within the Obama administration, said many times products are exposed to the internet due to “shadow computing” — wherein employees connect things without permission.

Asset inventories, he noted, need to be continuously updated in an automated fashion to mitigate this risk.

SafeBreach vice president of security research Tomer Bar added that exposed remote management interfaces are one of the most common avenues for attacks by both nation-state hackers and cybercriminals.

James Cochran, director of endpoint security at Tanium, attributed some of the exposed devices to staffing shortages, which he said can cause overworked IT teams to take shortcuts so they can make the management of the network easier.

He noted that it is encouraging that CISA is pushing this effort because it will shine a light on a problem that "most non-technical leadership personnel at the identified agencies don't fully understand."

But he criticized the agency for trying to resolve the issue in such a short timeframe.

"This is not a responsible timeline. Since the problem is so widespread, I would expect there to be significant impacts to the identified agencies," he said. "This is the same as trying to untangle a bunch of wires by sawing through them, instead of taking the time to trace them individually to limit the amount of downtime."

CISA Director Jen Easterly echoed that assessment earlier this month, writing that hackers “are able to use network devices to gain unrestricted access to organizational networks, in turn leading to full-scale compromise.”

CISA said several recent hacking campaigns have underscored the “grave risk to the federal enterprise posed by improperly configured network devices” — a tacit reference to the ongoing exploitation of the MOVEit file transfer service.

In its blog this week, Censys noted that despite weeks of headlines about vulnerabilities in products including MOVEit, GoAnywhere and some Barracuda Networks hardware, they found multiple instances of these tools exposed to the internet.

The researchers explained that while the process of removing these products from the internet should be simple, it often requires coordination between the teams that use them, causing friction.

“In other cases, there are technical barriers that pose a challenge to already overburdened teams. Regardless of the situation, even when organizations are aware of their exposures, the task of mitigating them often takes a backseat to the more headline-worthy security threats like zero-day vulnerabilities and ransomware campaigns,” they said.

However, the researchers said, “the majority of the security issues we observe are not typically caused by zero-days or advanced attack techniques, but rather misconfigurations and exposures that often stem from simple errors.”

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Jonathan Greig

Jonathan Greig is a Breaking News Reporter at Recorded Future News. Jonathan has worked across the globe as a journalist since 2014. Before moving back to New York City, he worked for news outlets in South Africa, Jordan and Cambodia. He previously covered cybersecurity at ZDNet and TechRepublic.

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Koch Network Raises Over $70 Million for Push to Sink Trump - The New York Times

Americans for Prosperity Action is wading into a Republican presidential primary for the first time, and waiting to see which candidate it will get behind for 2024.

The political network established by the conservative industrialists Charles and David Koch has raised more than $70 million for political races as it looks to help Republicans move past Donald J. Trump, according to an official with the group.

With some of this large sum to start, the network, Americans for Prosperity Action, plans to throw its weight into the G.O.P. presidential nominating contest for the first time in its nearly 20-year history. The network spent nearly $500 million supporting Republican candidates and conservative policies in the 2020 election cycle alone.

Two groups closely affiliated with Charles Koch contributed $50 million of the more than $70 million that has been raised (David Koch died of cancer in 2019). Mr. Koch is a major shareholder in Koch Industries, which contributed $25 million to Americans for Prosperity Action, according to a preliminary draft of Federal Election Commission filings. Another $25 million was donated by Stand Together, a nonprofit he founded.

The Koch network’s goal in the 2024 presidential primaries, which has been described only indirectly in written internal communications, is to stop Mr. Trump from winning the Republican nomination. In February, a top political official in the network, Emily Seidel, wrote a memo to donors and activists saying it was time to “have a president in 2025 who represents a new chapter.”

Since then, Republican voters have rallied around the former president, with his support in polls strengthening his front-runner status after his two indictments. Some of the biggest donors in Republican politics, including some in the Koch network, had been hanging their hopes on Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida as Mr. Trump’s most promising rival. But Mr. DeSantis has disconcerted many donors with his early campaign stumbles and a slip in his poll numbers.

With seven months until the primaries, the Koch coalition of conservatives is still searching for who its influential and wealthy donors believe can take down the former president, a reflection of a broader paralysis among anti-Trump Republican donors who have watched in shock as Mr. Trump’s poll numbers have held despite two indictments. A memo that circulated inside the Koch network this month made the case that Mr. Trump’s renomination was not inevitable, arguing that the issue of electability could still weaken him.

Some Republican donors see Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida as the candidate most likely to defeat Mr. Trump in the primary. But Mr. DeSantis’s early campaign stumbles and slip in his poll numbers have concerned other donors. Christopher Lee for The New York Times

Some top Republican donors, who routinely write seven- or eight-figure checks to support candidates, are keeping their checkbooks closed as they wait to see whether Mr. DeSantis can improve or whether another candidate, like Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, pops during the summer debates. Their paralysis has benefited Mr. Trump, who is begrudgingly viewed by many top party donors as the inevitable nominee.

Yet officials in the Koch network profess optimism that 2024 will not be a repeat of 2016, when Mr. Trump began winning statewide races with roughly a third of the party’s Republican base behind him in a fractured, crowded field.

The notion of Mr. Trump’s inevitability “is being pushed by left-leaning media outlets, political operatives and the Trump campaign itself,” Michael Palmer, president of the Koch-affiliated voter data group i360, wrote in a memo this month.

Mr. Palmer sought to dispel that narrative: “The country is in a much different place than it was eight years ago. Voters of all stripes (including G.O.P. primary voters) have a changed base of knowledge regarding the former president, and other candidates will most certainly treat him differently in the primary this time around.”

Yet save for a handful of rivals, most have walked fairly gingerly around Mr. Trump, or have defended him over his two criminal indictments.

Mr. Palmer argued that Mr. Trump was weaker than he appeared. He noted how much time was left in the campaign, the fact that early polling often doesn’t predict the winner, that many voters express concern about Mr. Trump’s general-election viability, and that a chunk of the former president’s voters have signaled openness to another, “more electable” candidate.

Mr. Palmer wrote that “support for DeSantis at this time likely represents a generic Republican as his policy positions are not well known outside of Florida.”

The group is expected to make a new round of digital advertising on the issue of electability in the presidential race, in addition to sending out its first piece of direct mail in the coming days.

The group has also made a series of endorsements in down-ballot races, where it plans to spend significant sums. Americans for Prosperity has 300 full-time employees within states and 800 part-timers, officials said. It is about to make its first round of congressional endorsements.

Some conservative donors want to see if Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, or another candidate, can gain momentum.Pete Marovich for The New York Times

It’s not clear how soon before the Iowa caucuses early next year the group will decide on the best candidate to back against Mr. Trump.

According to the preliminary draft of the F.E.C. filings for Americans for Prosperity Action, its major donors include Art Pope, a North Carolina businessman who attended a policy retreat hosted by former Vice President Mike Pence before he joined the presidential race; Craig Duchossois, a Chicago businessman; Jim and Rob Walton, brothers and heirs to the Walmart fortune; and Ron Cameron, an Arkansas poultry magnate.

Mr. DeSantis in particular has taken several positions that are ideologically at odds with the Koch network, including his promise to repeal the First Step Act — a criminal justice reform bill that was passed during the Trump presidency with the strong backing of the network. Yet the group’s officials may ultimately choose pragmatism over strict agreement on key issues if it looks as though a candidate could win.

As they wait for the Republican field to winnow, top network officials are trying to pull off a difficult feat: changing who votes in Republican primaries. The network has a vast army of door-knockers, backed by tens of millions of dollars, who fan out across competitive states each election cycle to support candidates.

During these early months of the Republican presidential primaries, the network is dispatching these same activists to engage voters who are open to supporting somebody other than Mr. Trump. They are beginning a conversation with those voters, collecting data on them and raising doubts about Mr. Trump’s chances of winning a general election. They intend to return to these voters’ doors closer to the primaries to try to persuade them to vote for the network’s preferred candidate.

“A key part of our strategy to elect better leaders is to empower more people’s voices in the primaries,” Ms. Seidel said in a statement. “We’re asking general election voters to show up in the primaries to support better candidates — and in speaking to tens of thousands of those voters already, they are enthusiastic to get engaged earlier to support a candidate who can win.”

This well-funded effort to defeat Mr. Trump represents something of a do-over. Ahead of the 2016 Republican primaries, Marc Short, a senior Koch official at the time, argued internally that the network should spend heavily to stop Mr. Trump and support a rival with a more conservative policy record, such as Senator Ted Cruz of Texas or Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.

Top officials and donors killed the idea, but some in the network regretted it. Mr. Short has come full circle. He went on to join the Trump-Pence campaign and served in the Trump administration as legislative affairs director and then chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence. Mr. Short is now advising Mr. Pence as he runs for president against his former boss.

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Koch network raises more than $70 million launches new anti-Trump ads in early voting states - CNN

CNN  — 

The influential network associated with conservative billionaire Charles Koch has collected more than $70 million for political races, the group announced Thursday, as it gears up to help shape the outcome of next year’s contests up and down the ballot and encourage Republican voters to bypass former President Donald Trump in the White House nomination fight.

Americans for Prosperity Action has pledged to back a single contender in the GOP presidential primary for the first time in its history. It has not yet announced whom it will support, but the group could dramatically reshape the Republican field by deploying its vast resources and standing army of conservative activists on behalf of a single candidate.

The sums raised by the group will help advance those efforts. The lion’s share of the total announced Thursday came from two organizations affiliated with Koch: $25 million from his Kansas-based industrial conglomerate Koch Industries, and another $25 million from Stand Together, a nonprofit he founded, AFP Action spokesman Bill Riggs confirmed.

The New York Times first reported the fundraising total.

FILE - In this June 29, 2019, file photo, Charles Koch, chief executive officer of Koch Industries, at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Supreme Court has ordered California to stop collecting the names and addresses of top donors to charities. The justices voted 6-3 along ideological lines to side with two nonprofit groups, including one with links to billionaire Charles Koch, that argued California's policy violates the First Amendment. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

David Zalubowski/AP

Koch network plans to back a Republican -- other than Donald Trump -- in the 2024 presidential primary

The group is also launching new digital spots, shared first with CNN, that cast Trump as a candidate Republicans can’t risk supporting in 2024.

“Instead of making (President Joe) Biden answer for his reckless progressive agenda, Trump makes the debate about indictments, personal grievances and the election he lost,” one 30-second spot, titled “The Choice,” says.

The second, called “Unelectable,” describes Trump as a serial loser who caused Republicans to lose the House, Senate and the White House. “If Donald Trump is the GOP nominee, we could lose everything,” the narrator says.

The ads will run in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, officials said.

“President Trump continues to fight against the swampy D.C. insiders who would love nothing more than to have an establishment puppet they can control in the White House,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in an email. “No amount of dirty money from shady lobbyists and mysterious donors will ever stop the America First movement, and that’s why President Trump continues to dominate poll after poll — both nationally and statewide. We welcome this fight.”

AFP Action on Thursday also announced its first US House endorsements of the cycle, saying it will back Republican Reps. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, Young Kim of California, Zach Nunn of Iowa and John James of Michigan, along with former GOP Rep. Yvette Herrell of New Mexico.

In addition to attempting to stir doubts about Trump among the GOP faithful, network officials have said part of their 2024 strategy is to bring more general election voters into the GOP primary process to alter the outcome of early contests.

Americans for Prosperity already has reached out to 1.4 million potential new Republican and swing voters in nearly a dozen states, officials said.

In a statement to CNN earlier this month, Americans for Prosperity CEO Emily Seidel said the group’s voter interactions have demonstrated to it that many Trump supporters are “receptive to arguments that he is a weak candidate, his focus on 2020 is a liability, and his lack of appeal with independent voters is a problem.”

“That tells us that many Republicans are ready to move on, they just need to see another candidate step up and show they can lead and win,” she added.

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Paramount Network announces 'Yellowstone' full series marathon - Entertainment Weekly News

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How Africa's IoT conservation network supports wildlife protection - Fast Company

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How Africa's IoT conservation network supports wildlife protection  Fast Company

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Pittsburgh pastry chef wins Food Network's Summer Baking Championship - Pittsburgh Business Times - The Business Journals

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A bolder CNN is emerging after the ouster of former network chief Chris Licht - CNN

Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here.

CNN  — 

The post-Chris Licht era at CNN is taking shape.

In the weeks that have followed the former network chief’s dismissal, the news organization has charted an apparent new path forward, one that has begun reversing a number of key decisions made under the previous leadership.

Viewers saw the most visible change on Monday when CNN updated the network’s on-screen banners that Licht had implemented in the final days before his departure. In place of the more subdued and gaunt font style, executives have once again opted for a more pronounced, weightier text.

It is the first step, I’m told, in correcting issues with the on-screen graphics. Like many of the changes Licht pushed through during his brief time at CNN, the banners — which were proclaimed as a clean and fresh look for the channel, but were at times difficult to read — were not well received by network staffers and executives.

The graphics package, of course, is small in the grand scheme of things. But the swiftness in which it is being addressed illustrates how quickly executives are moving to fix the assortment of self-inflicted problems ushered in under Licht that have mired the network.

More broadly speaking, the changes to the banners are emblematic of how CNN has been approaching the news since Licht’s departure. While the former network chief sought to tone down the volume, the emerging iteration of CNN is reporting the news in a bolder, unbridled way. It appears more muscular, confident, and unafraid to speak up.

Under Licht, many CNN journalists simply felt restrained as they delivered the news, unsure whether stating the truth on the contentious, politically charged issues that saturate the daily news cycle might land them in hot water. With Licht gone and a new leadership team in place providing the necessary editorial support, that fear is dissipating, resulting in a noticeable change in tone.

To be clear, CNN has not reverted entirely back to the style of journalism that it practiced under former network chief Jeff Zucker. The volume has not been turned back up that high. And the new programs that Licht introduced into the lineup, such as “CNN News Central,” remain in place, for now. But there have been observable differences in how CNN has most recently approached the news.

One such change is the more selective nature of stories it covers on air. Licht relentlessly preached to staffers to “widen the aperture” on stories the network covered on an hourly basis. The approach resulted in programs that were reminiscent of the old Headline News, with shows throwing everything but the kitchen sink at viewers. Viral trending stories and weather forecasts were weaved into show rundowns, put on par with the actual, consequential stories of the day.

Without Licht at the helm, CNN has gone back to its roots, choosing instead to focus on the biggest stories of the day. In the last few weeks, CNN has provided viewers with critical wall-to-wall coverage of Donald Trump’s arraignment on federal charges in Florida, the Titan submersible tragedy, and the abandoned insurrection in Russia.

The strategy of swarming the biggest stories with the unmatched resources of CNN appears to be resonating with viewers. In prime time last week, CNN topped the cable news ratings race for the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demographic on Wednesday through Friday, a major turnaround from just a month ago when the network had occasionally fallen behind Newsmax.

The recent gains mark an early victory for the network’s interim four-person executive team tasked with steering the ship into the 2024 presidential election. And, while it’s still early, the signs thus far are trending positively.

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Wagner's network in Africa faces uncertain future - BBC

AFP

By Nader Ibrahim & Beverly Ochieng

BBC World Service

The failed weekend mutiny in Russia by the Wagner mercenary group is likely to have repercussions for Africa, where it has several thousand fighters based as well as lucrative business interests.

It is unclear whether Wagner's leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has been told to relocate to Belarus, will still run his private army from there to allow it to service its security contracts in places like the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov assured CAR and Mali of the status quo in terms of their crucial security arrangements.

Why is Wagner in Africa?

Primarily to make money - though as it had tacit approval from the Kremlin, it also bolstered Russia's diplomatic and economic interests.

It was a major boon for Russia, for example, when France withdrew its forces from Mali after Wagner agreed in 2021 to help the new military junta in its battle against Islamist militants.

Wagner has just posted a timeline of its operational history on Telegram, confirming its official involvement in Africa began in 2018 when it sent "military instructors" to the CAR and Sudan - and then moving into Libya the following year.

It has been noted that these countries have natural resources of interest to Prigozhin's outfit.

The CAR, which has been unstable for decades, is rich in diamonds, gold, oil and uranium.

Wagner has allowed President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who even has the mercenaries as his bodyguards, to shrug off the influence of former colonial power France as the country tries to gain the upper hand against rebel groups - in return for a slice of the resource pie.

Getty Images

"Wagner's operational strategy over the past two to three years has been to expand both its military and economic footprint in Africa," Julia Stanyard, from the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, told the BBC.

The think tank analyst says Wagner has a network of companies associated with it - and they have pursued commercial activities in the countries in which the mercenary group operates.

In CAR these allegedly trade in conflict minerals and timber, as well as making beer and vodka.

Wagner's brief foray into Sudan allowed Russian mining firm M Invest, which the US Treasury alleges is owned or controlled by Prigozhin, to set up operations there. Its subsidiary, Meroe Gold, is one of Africa's biggest gold producers.

In Libya, Wagner is not thought to have the numbers of fighters in the country as it did when it backed renegade general Khalifa Haftar's attempt to take the capital, Tripoli, nearly four years ago.

But strategically, Libya creates a gateway for Russia into Africa, strengthens its presence in the Mediterranean and aligns with the Kremlin's backing of Gen Haftar. Wagner mercenaries still remain around key oil facilities in Haftar strongholds in the east and south of the country - and sources have told the BBC there has not been a noticeable change on the ground since Saturday.

Wagner's interest in Mali may be linked to its rich gold reserves - though there is no evidence as yet of its firms operating there - and it is likely to be more strategic, opening up Russia's sphere of influence in West African countries under pressure from so-called Islamic State and al-Qaeda groups.

Mali could also, according to the large batch of US military documents leaked earlier this year, have been used as a proxy to acquire weapons from Turkey on Wagner's behalf, with one Pentagon dispatch saying junta leader Col Assimi Goïta had confirmed it would do so.

What has Wagner's impact been on the ground?

Wagner fighters have been accused of widespread human rights abuses in several countries.

In 2021, a BBC investigation found evidence that implicated members of the group in Libya in the execution of civilians and the unlawful use of anti-personnel mines and booby traps in family homes around Tripoli.

In Mali, figures from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (Acled) show that militant violence more than doubled between 2021 and 2022, with civilians making up the highest number of casualties.

Operations by the army involving the Wagner group have led to higher civilian deaths. Among the worst incidents was the killing of some 500 civilians in a week-long operation in the central town of Moura. The UN linked "foreign forces" and the Malian army to the killings, while the US sanctioned two soldiers and the de facto commander of Wagner in Mali.

Earlier this year, the US Treasury accused the mercenaries of engaging in an ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity, including "mass executions, rape, child abductions, and physical abuse in the Central African Republic and Mali".

Though Wagner's success against a powerful rebel coalition in the CAR has entrenched public support there.

This fan base has been helped by local troll farms, run by Mr Prigozhin, with the intention of influencing debate in Africa and whipping up anti-Western sentiment.

For example, the Malian junta has just asked the UN peacekeeping force to leave the country - in line with a social media push to get the force replaced by Russian troops.

In May, Mr Prigozhin told the Cameroon-based Afrique Media TV, a station affiliated with him, that Wagner mercenaries were "more effective" than UN peacekeepers in Mali and the CAR.

What is the possible fallout for Africa?

Analysts say while Wagner has been incredibly useful for the Russian state in Africa, especially as it seeks diplomatic support amid the Ukraine conflict - the mercenary group could not be where it is without the Kremlin.

The two are so intertwined, unravelling them on the continent seems a perilous task.

It is clear in Libya, for example, that Wagner units have been relying heavily on support from the Russian defence ministry.

A UN diplomatic source and Wagner watcher has told the BBC that if the group were to be completely disbanded, its units in Africa would no longer be resupplied by the Russian authorities.

Meanwhile all their fighters in Africa are paid by a Prigozhin holding company, Lou Osborn from the All Eyes on Wagner Project, has told the BBC - an interesting point with regard to Mr Lavrov's recent assurances to the CAR and Mali.

The UN source says that if fighters are left unpaid, with no political or military support - they would essentially be out of job and up for hire in countries grappling with dangerous civil wars and insurgencies.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said Wagner fighters should join the regular army, go home or head for Belarus - but Ms Stanyard says it is unclear if this will be the case for the Russian soldiers of fortune in Africa.

The analyst suggests there may be "some sort of compromise position whereby Yevgeny Prigozhin, from his current exile in Belarus, will retain control and ultimate responsibility for the Wagner operations in Africa".

There are also big questions about what will become of the murky business operations in Africa linked to Wagner and Prigozhin.

Interestingly the African-based troll farms, which went silent during the mutiny on Saturday, have focused on the Kremlin's line since the Belarus deal was announced.

One called Mr Putin "the master of war" but did not go so far as to discredit his erstwhile ally Prigozhin - perhaps indicating the two may fudge a way forward together on Africa.

Related Topics

• Russia-Ukraine war
• Central African Republic
• Libya
• Mali

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DIRECTV announces renewal expansion of carriage agreement with NFL Media - NFL.com

DIRECTV on Tuesday announced a multi-year renewal of its affiliation agreement with NFL Media that will extend its existing carriage of NFL Network on DIRECTV (via satellite) and will add distribution of NFL Network via DIRECTV STREAM and U-verse.

Also, DIRECTV will now for the first time carry NFL RedZone across all platforms. Both NFL Network and NFL RedZone will be available on all platforms in the coming weeks.

NFL Network will be available to Choice subscribers on DIRECTV (via satellite and on an authenticated streaming basis) and DIRECTV STREAM, and to U200 subscribers on U-Verse. This agreement marks the first time that DIRECTV and DIRECTV STREAM customers will have access to NFL RedZone.

With these additions, DIRECTV customers now have access to an enhanced DIRECTV Sports Pack and DIRECTV STREAM subscribers will be offered a DIRECTV Sports Pack for the first time, in each case featuring NFL RedZone. NFL RedZone will be offered through the HD Premium Tier to U-verse customers.

"DIRECTV was an initial launch partner of NFL Network over 20 years ago and we're thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership which caters to millions of DIRECTV customers who are NFL fans," said Hans Schroeder, Executive Vice President of Media Distribution for the NFL. "This renewal will provide fans across all DIRECTV platforms the ability to watch NFL Network's award-winning coverage of America's most popular sport while also giving greater access to the wildly popular NFL RedZone."

"With this agreement, DIRECTV continues a long-standing partnership with the NFL and maintains our sports leadership position by delivering the best of sports content to our customers," said Rob Thun, chief content officer, DIRECTV. "This deal strengthens our NFL relationship as it includes expanded carriage of NFL Network and all the best action from Sunday's games with NFL RedZone, which is now available to customers across all three DIRECTV platforms."

With NFL Network, DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and U-verse subscribers have access to year-round NFL content, including exclusive live preseason and regular season games, popular studio shows such as Good Morning Football, NFL GameDay Morning, and NFL Total Access and award-winning original series such as A Football Life, NFL 360 and America's Game.

With NFL RedZone, subscribers can tune in to watch host Scott Hanson deliver every touchdown from every game to fans on Sunday afternoons during the NFL regular season.

NFL content continues to be the most valuable in all of sports and entertainment. According to Nielsen, 185 million people tuned into the 2022 NFL regular season with an average of 16.7 million viewers watching per game. NFL games accounted for 88 of the 100 most-watched TV shows among all programming in 2022.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

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Out and confident Lya Vallat sets tone at NFL Network - Outsports

For our extensive coverage of the 2023 Outsports Power 100, and to see all of the honorees, click here. And share on social media with #Outsports100.

On June 21, 2021, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib became the NFL’s first active player on a team roster to come out as a gay man.

Media everywhere scrambled to cover the story, with producers and reporters grapple with how to do best do so.

NFL Network Senior Coordinating Producer Lya Vallat was among those hard at work overseeing the flagship daily football news show Total Access.

What influenced solid coverage that day wasn’t just the knowledge of sports, but having someone driving the coverage who understood the deeper human dimension.

“Having someone as part of the community making decisions on how we cover it was the smartest thing we could have done in that situation,” said Vallat, a member of the Outsports Power 100. “Having people ask how it would affect me being a part of the community. That’s the admiration that I get from my colleagues and to get that ask was amazing. From there we went into full planning mode.”

Vallat understood the assignment because she’s lived it. Growing up in Bakersfield, Calif., she knew who she was at 17. She came out as a lesbian to a family that at first was not supportive but reversed field as the years progressed. “They basically said ‘We’ll send you to college, but we don’t approve of your lifestyle,’” she recalled. “It was a shock to them. It took time to overcome that.”

A lifelong sports fan, Vallat also knew she wanted her future to be. As a communications student at San Diego State University and as a ball girl with the San Diego Padres, she hustled every opportunity to talk to broadcasters and technicians on how to break into the business. Persistence paid off graduation where she started as an intern at Channel 4 in San Diego (now known as YurView California), the Padres’ main local rightsholder.

In six years, she moved from the intern with ball girl highlight reel to producing Padres telecasts and confirming that professionally, she was in the right place. “When you are in the chair producing the game or producing a show, anything live is such an adrenalin rush,” she said. “If you aren’t hooked when you get those opportunities you shouldn’t be in the business.”

Her career ascended from there, including stints and ESPN and Big Ten Network en route to starting at the NFL Network in 2015 to oversee the network’s Sunday morning pregame show. At all points of the climb, being out has been a key piece and at the same time, non-issue.

“One of my successes has been being happy and comfortable in your daily life,” Vallat notes. “Every single job I’ve taken, there has been zero backlash. I can do what I’m passionate about and be happy in who I am.”

Lya Vallat, right, with her wife and daughter.

In 2021, Vallat elevated to the network’s entertainment and initiatives group which centers around the special beyond-the-field content as a head of strategy and distribution. Much of that content centers around the league’s recent initiatives toward greater community involvement.

She’s also the heads of the league’s LGBTQ employee recent group in Los Angeles, and her leadership and outlook doesn’t only influence media coverage but are gaining the ears of many on key issues outside of contests, but greatly affecting the teams and the cities they play in.

“As a head of our Pride ERG, we want to make sure that the league leans on us as a resource and that have recently which is great,” she noted. “Now the NFL before making the Super Bowl decision or the big-temple events, they are leaning on us in regard to how we can affect the community in a positive way.”

Away from the bustle of broadcasting, Vallat is a happy wife, married in 2018, and mother to a baby girl. She says family is also what spurs her own to speak out outside and inside the workplace, noting the current climate of LGBTQ legislation.

Such also drives her to make her workplace a safe space like those she’s thrived in throughout a successful career.

“You should never work for a company or an organization that would make you feel than less than a half of percent of who you feel you are,” she said when asked how she was counsel an employee who had just come out. “You need to be true to yourself.”

You can follow Lya Vallat on Instagram and on Twitter.

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Cato Networks launches AI-powered tracker for malware command and control - Network World

Cato Networks’ new deep learning algorithms are designed to identify malware command and control domains and block them more quickly than traditional systems based on domain reputation, thanks to extensive training on the company’s own data sets.

Cato, a SASE provider based in Tel Aviv, announced the new algorithmic security system today. The system is predicated on the idea that domain reputation tracking is insufficient to quickly identify the command servers used to remotely control malware. That’s because most modern malware uses a domain generation algorithm (DGA) to rapidly generate pseudorandom domain names — which the deployed malware also has a copy of.

This, essentially, hides the command server from traditional intrusion prevention systems, which would be quick to identify a falsified IP or specific domain name. All a bad actor has to do is register one of the domain names that could be generated by the DGA, and it should be able to evade detection.

Hence, the idea here is to tackle the DGA itself. The company’s algorithm identifies domains that aren’t usually visited by users, but whose names are common to DGAs, including common typographical errors for well-known brands. (e.g., “Microsoftt.com” or similar.) It also applies deep learning to network traffic, which is done remotely in Cato’s cloud to minimize impact on user experience, discovering destination domains and inferring whether or not traffic is malicious.

The use of AI and machine learning in the product is interesting as far as it goes, according to Avidthink principal Roy Chua, but the really exciting news is that this could be the beginning of a trend in malware prevention.

“This is the beginning of [Cato] dynamically blocking an increasing amount of malware,” he said. “And the platform can potentially be used to stop other types of threats — it’s the framework that’s important.”

Part of the reason for the apparent efficacy of Cato’s product, noted Chua, is its use of a broad set of user data collected by the company. While he spoke highly of Cato’s reputation, Chua noted that it’s important to understand exactly what any security vendor is doing with each user’s data.

“It can see all the traffic and it can aggregate all customers,” he said. “If you’re expecting the security vendor to do the hard work for you, you have to put your trust in them, and it’s important for customers to do their due diligence.”

Cato confirmed that the new DGA tracking system would be available to all users of its IPS product immediately, and that it would not change the current pricing structure for its offerings.

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Blink Charging Integrates Former SemaConnect Chargers into Blinks Global Network Providing an Enhanced EV Charging Experience - Yahoo Finance

Blink Charging Co.

Following its acquisition in 2022, Blink’s SemaConnect hardware has transitioned to the Blink Charging Network, providing a reliable and accessible EV charging experience globally

Miami Beach, Fla., June 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK) (“Blink” or the “Company”), a leading global manufacturer, owner, operator and provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and services, today announced the successful transition of all former SemaConnect networked chargers and services to the new Blink Network. This move showcases the Blink Network’s cutting-edge technology and user-friendly design, providing enhanced visibility for site hosts and a reliable charging experience for drivers. The transition also marks the final step in integrating SemaConnect into the Blink Charging family following its acquisition in June 2022.

“The integration of our SemaConnect chargers into the Blink Network is a significant milestone, symbolizing the culmination of our efforts to fully merge the two companies after rebranding the units and operations earlier this year. By combining their strengths and value, we can assure our customers that they have access to state-of-the-art chargers paired with the innovative products and exceptional service they deserve,” said Brendan Jones, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blink Charging.

The newly “rebuilt from the ground up,” cloud-based Blink Network offers an interactive and expandable platform, with regular feature additions. Former SemaConnect customers can conveniently manage their chargers, customize charging rates based on user groups and zones, and track energy usage and fees for each charging session.

“Last year, Blink successfully developed and built an advanced EV management platform, leveraging the latest proven technologies that can effectively adapt to the evolving needs of the EV infrastructure industry as it progresses. The rapid integration of SemaConnect’s hardware and features into this platform demonstrates the iterative nature of our platform and marks the beginning of continuous process of enhancing, improving, updating, and expanding our software capabilities,” commented Harjinder Bhade, Blink’s Chief Technology Officer.

The Blink Network also empowers site hosts to onboard and connect Blink chargers globally, providing international management capabilities in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French Canadian, Greek, and Hebrew. Additional languages will be added to meet the needs of all Blink users. Multiple currency support is also included. Site hosts gain expanded functionality in creating dynamic pricing protocols tailored to application, location, and schedule. The robust new host portal provides complete visibility and control for site hosts across all networked chargers and locations.

Designed to enhance the user experience across various segments, including residential, multifamily, retail, workplace, and hospitality The Blink Network consolidates all functionalities onto a single platform, including fleet management. This makes the Blink Network the most comprehensive solution available in the market.

Blink Charging’s acquisition of SemaConnect in June 2022 solidified its leadership position, establishing a fully integrated supply-chain, engineering, and in-house manufacturing capability. With over 10,000 EV chargers currently in production, and plans to scale up to 50,000 per year, Blink Charging’s in-house manufacturing and US-based assembly align with the Biden Administration’s “Buy American” initiatives.

Earlier this year, SemaConnect smoothly transitioned and rebranded to Blink Charging, accompanied by an updated look for the existing SemaConnect branded chargers, and the conversion to the BlinkCharging.com. The website, now serves as a centralized platform, integrating all external sales and marketing assets.

###

About Blink Charging

Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK), a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment, has contracted, sold, or deployed nearly 73,000 charging ports worldwide, many of which are networked EV charging stations, enabling EV drivers to easily charge at any of Blink’s charging locations. Blink’s principal line of products and services includes the Blink EV charging network (“Blink Network”), EV charging equipment, EV charging services, and the products and services of recent acquisitions, including SemaConnect, Blue Corner, BlueLA and Envoy. The Blink Network uses proprietary, cloud-based software that operates, maintains, and tracks the EV charging stations connected to the network and the associated charging data. With global EV purchases forecasted to half of passenger cars sold in the US by 2030, Blink has established key strategic partnerships for rolling out adoption across numerous location types, including parking facilities, multifamily residences and condos, workplace locations, health care/medical facilities, schools and universities, airports, auto dealers, hotels, mixed-use municipal locations, parks and recreation areas, religious institutions, restaurants, retailers, stadiums, supermarkets, and transportation hubs.
For more information, please visit https://www.blinkcharging.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements, and terms such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “should” or other comparable terms, involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Blink Charging and members of its management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, including those described in Blink Charging’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by federal securities law, Blink Charging undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed conditions.

Blink Media Contact
Jon Myers
PR@BlinkCharging.com
305-521-0200 ext. 266

Blink Investor Relations Contact
Vitalie Stelea
IR@BlinkCharging.com
305-521-0200 ext. 446

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