US-Europe World Affairs

The U.S Department of Justice Immediate release December 1, 2016 

November 30 began the start of a multi-national operation to dismantle a complex, criminal network of worldwide computer servers known as Avalanche. This network hosted more than two dozen of the world’s most pernicious types of malware and several money laundering campaigns. 

“The operation is being conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the FBI – Pittsburgh Division, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the United States Department of Justice, in close cooperation with the Public Prosecutor’s Office Verden and the Luneburg Police of Germany, Europol and Eurojust, located in The Hague, Netherlands, and investigators and prosecutors from more than 40 countries. 

“The operation involves an unprecedented and ongoing effort to seize, block and sinkhole more than 800,000 malicious domains associated with the Avalanche network. December 1, 2016   © DoJ Public Affairs                  Continue to read 

EUROPOL Press release December 1, 2016 

On 30 November 2016, after more than four years of investigation, the Public Prosecutor’s Office Verden and the Lüneburg Police (Germany) in close cooperation with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the Department of Justice and the FBI,  Europol, Eurojust and global partners, dismantled an international criminal infrastructure platform known as ‘Avalanche’.  The Avalanche network was used as a delivery platform to launch and manage mass global malware attacks and money mule recruiting campaigns. It has caused an estimated EUR 6 million in damages in concentrated cyberattacks on online banking systems in Germany alone. In addition, the monetary losses associated with malware attacks conducted over the Avalanche network are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of euros worldwide, although exact calculations are difficult due to the high number of malware families managed through the platform. December 1, 2016   © EUROPOL          Continue to read 

1. Additional: European Union Intellectual Property Agency 
2. UK Intellectual Property Department             3. U.S Intellectual Property Agency 

• See important advise on Cyber Security US Cert                  
• News from EU Cyber Security Cert                             News from EUROPOL                       

President Obama with his Executive order prohibited the Chines purchase of Aixtron for National Security reasons.  Another audible sign that the U.S presence in Europe, is not a luxury but a Necessity for European Defense and Security Pillars, as the case in Aixtron showed that Germany has to rely on U.S. advice and steps.

President Obama’s Order Regarding the Proposed Acquisition of a Controlling Interest in Aixtron SE by Grand Chip Investment GMBH   The White House Press Release Dec 2, 2016 

• Security Concerns Prompted Germany to Reopen Review of Chinese Takeover of Aixtron
• President Obama blockiert Aixtron-Übernahme
• View the detail : US tries to block Chinese purchase of Aixtron    
• US ‘warned Merkel’ against Chinese takeover of tech firm    the Local.de October 2016
• US blocks Chinese purchase of German tech firm Aixtron over security concerns  

The multinational Exercise Silver Sabre-2 was executed from November 21 -26 at Camp Film City, Camp Vrelo and Camp Pomazatin with the joint Forces of: NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR), the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), Kosovo Police (KP) and the Kosovo Security Forces (KSF). 

 

 

 

Brigadier General Bernd Thran, Deputy Head of EULEX (center) attedning the  Silver Sabre-2 Exercise.                                         November 28, 2016 © EULEX

The Exercise is in a series led by KFOR,  aimed to assess and upgrade the operational readiness and to enhance the coordinated efforts between KFOR,  EULEX, KP, KSF  in Kosovo. 

Briefed by KFOR Public Affairs, additional elements  that have been part of the exercise were:  

• KP, in the Crowd Riot Control (CRC) role as a first responder;
• EULEX, in the CRC role as a second responder;
• KSF, in the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN) role according to their mission, response operations in Kosovo and abroad in Civil Protection Operations, Natural Disaster and other emergencies.  © KFOR  November 21, 2016 

November 28, 2016 © KFOR                                                                                                                                                                       News from KFOR                        News from EULEX               Follow us on Twitter: @USEUWAffairs                    

Additional: Operation Silver Sabre shows full force of multinational capabilities,US Army Europe 2015                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Sources: KFOR Public Affairs/EULEX/US Army Europe