🛰️ #OSINT Update for 3 July 2025 (CET) 🛰️
(OSINT's time zone updated to CET after discovering a bug in the reporting)
🇺🇸 United States — Cyberattack • Immigration • AI Regulation
→ FBI issued alert on “Desert Spider” malware variants observed targeting Gulf-area water utilities; no breaches confirmed.
→ House passed amendment delaying facial-recognition deployment at ICE facilities pending formal audit.
🇪🇺 European Union & Member States — Finance • Regulation
→ ECB scheduled digital-euro architecture paper release on July 10; no change in launch plans.
→ MiCA stablecoin licenses in progress in Malta and Luxembourg; France awaiting Eurozone risk assessment.
→ Spain to adopt EU biometric health-passport standards using encrypted tokens.
🇨🇳 China — Cyber Policy • Censorship
→ VPN access crackdown intensified ahead of Communist Party congress.
→ APT teams linked to vaccine supply-chain attacks continue low-level operations across EU.
🇯🇵 Japan — Cyber Policy • Defence
→ Cyber alert remains high due to vaccination-related phishing lures.
→ Active Cyber Defence Bill passed lower house; now under Upper House review.
🇨🇦 Canada — Surveillance • Crypto Regulation
→ Province of B.C. opens public consultation on AI-drone surveillance for border monitoring.
→ Canadian securities regulators preparing MiCA-aligned stablecoin crowdfunding guidelines.
🇦🇺 Australia — Privacy • Encryption
→ Western Australia bans facial-recognition tech for law enforcement use.
→ Federal encryption policy review entering public consultation stage.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom — Domestic Terrorism • Immigration
→ MI5 raised online-extremism threat to “substantial” due to anti-migrant network activity.
→ Home Office to test biometric screening for high-risk visa applicants starting October.
🇩🇪 Germany — Tech Policy • Surveillance
→ Legal challenge filed against open-source encryption export controls.
→ Court hearing scheduled on Palantir Gotham’s use in policing shortlists this week.
🇷🇺 Russia — Cyberattack • Defence • BRICS
→ New “Storm‑446” phishing operation observed targeting Baltic critical infrastructure.
→ Unmanned Systems Regiment tested laser/UAV defence units near Ukraine border.
→ BRICS ministers finalized capital-control protocols ahead of digital-ruble integration.
🇺🇦 Ukraine — Drones • Cyber Exercises • Capital Policy
→ Tri-rotor UAVs confirmed in active surveillance roles near Donetsk.
→ Extended NATO cyber-resilience drills underway through mid-July.
→ Ukraine’s central bank keeps capital controls paused; IMF monitoring continues.
🇴🇲 Iran — Cyberattack • Naval • Intelligence Reports
→ IRGC fast-attack boats repositioned near Abu Musa, increasing naval pressure in the Strait of Hormuz.
→ “Desert Spider” malware targeting LNG platform SCADA systems identified—likely Iran-affiliated.
→ Quds Force communications with proxies remain unusually active overnight.
🇮🇱 Israel — Drones • Electronic Warfare • Cyberattack
→ IDF deployed a new electronic warfare drone to jam UAV signals along the northern border; field tests suggest initial effectiveness.
→ Cyber defense systems blocked multiple intrusion attempts from Iran’s infrastructure ministry IP ranges.
🇵🇸 Palestine — Humanitarian Aid • Reconstruction
→ UN aid convoy delivered emergency medical supplies into Rafah, first full shipment in 72 hours.
→ Khan Yunis pumps restored; water access improved slightly while power shortages persist.
🇰🇵 North Korea — Military Posture
→ Troop and artillery staging near Kaesong confirmed; no signs of impending escalation.
🏦 ECB — Finance
→ Council meeting next week to review digital-euro readiness; current timeline confirmed unchanged.
🛰️ Intelligence Agencies — BND • Mossad • CIA • NSA • FSB • MSS
→ NSA/CISA and BND issued joint mitigation guidance on Desert Spider malware.
→ Mossad intercepted Quds Force drone-signal patterns matching Israeli diag system ranges.
→ FSB/MSS intensified monitoring of encrypted chat channels; surge in dissident-targeted surveillance.
đź“Ś Forward Triggers
→ Detection of Desert Spider activity in Gulf energy infra
→ Israel’s EW drone system engagement outcomes
→ ECB digital-euro architecture release and parliamentary review
→ Public submissions in Canada/Australia on biometric surveillance/encryption
→ Germany’s Palantir court ruling
→ NATO cyber drill reports after July 20
🛰️ End of report.