Opinions

Mandi Kogosowski

Journalist and content editor for Israel Defense / Cybertech website in both English and Hebrew. Work focuses mainly on the social, (geo)political and ethical aspects of cyber, AI, and big-tech. Graduate of The American University of Paris (BA), The University of Edinburgh (MSc), and Tel Aviv University (PGDip). For tips, story ideas or just to say hi, please contact via Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandi-kogosowski-1a673bab/

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds annual end-of-year news conference in Moscow, Russia, December 23, 2021. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

Russia vs. Big Tech: largest fines to date slapped, more to follow suit

Google and Meta were handed their first ever turnover fines, while general failure to comply with new law signals potential new woes as of January 1st

Mandi Kogosowski | 25/12/2021

AliCloud booth at an expo in Guangzhou city, September 2018. Photo credit: Oriental Image via Reuters Connect

An Alibaba security analyst discovered the Log4j flaw. Now, China is punishing the company

According to the Chinese regulator, the company broke the law by not immediately reporting the vulnerability to local authorities

Mandi Kogosowski | 23/12/2021

BIGSTOCK / Copyright: CHinnapong

Most health organizations hold remote capabilities, most patients mistrust them

Two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, reliance on telehealth is constantly increasing. But there are still many caveats

Mandi Kogosowski | 22/12/2021

BIGSTOCK/Copyright: ValeryBrozhinsky

Big tech targets cyber surveillance industry

It’s been an especially bad week for the cyber surveillance industry, especially the Israeli one

Mandi Kogosowski | 21/12/2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine from Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, to inspect the progress of the coronavirus vaccine. Photo credit: Ding Haitao / Xinhua / Latin America News Agency via REUTERS

US blacklists 34 Chinese tech companies, citing “brain control weaponry”

A total of 37 entities from China, Georgia, Malaysia and Turkey were placed on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List

Mandi Kogosowski | 20/12/2021

Illustration. Photo by Pavlo Gonchar / SOPA Images/Sipa USA

Log4j vulnerability: cyberworld still in turmoil 10 days on

From ransomware to nation-state sponsored cyberattacks, everyone seems to have jumped on the Log4Shell bandwagon, while Apache rolls out yet another patch

Mandi Kogosowski | 19/12/2021

BIGSTOCK/Copyright: Mehaniq

New cyberespionage campaign discovered, possibly linked to Iran

A Symantec report reveals that telecom operators and IT service organizations across the Middle East have been targeted for months, with the threat actor appearing to be the one behind Operation Quicksand

Mandi Kogosowski | 19/12/2021

Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

Israel, US hold joint annual cyber drill

IDF tweeted that “This event demonstrates the strategic partnership between the two militaries, which allows both to achieve cyber network superiority”

Mandi Kogosowski | 19/12/2021

Tether symbol, illustration. BIGSTOCK/Copyright: Skorrzwiak

Stablecoins: a safer form of cryptocurrency, or more of the same?

First introduced in 2018, this form of virtual currency is growing in popularity – as is the debate around associated risks and opportunities

Mandi Kogosowski | 15/12/2021

BIGSTOCK/ Copyright: Prostock-studio

Log4J vulnerability causes global panic

Due to its ubiquity, this recenlt-discovered vulnerability will likely take a very long time to fully repair - something malicious actors can use to their advantage. Countries around the world have issued warnings

Mandi Kogosowski | 14/12/2021