Middle East

U.S. cyber security company SecureWorks, a subsidiary of Dell Technologies, has issued a report claiming that a previously identified Iranian hacker group called COBALT DICKENS is likely behind numerous fake university websites that target legitimate users in order to provide the Iranian government access to university library holdings.

The recent pronouncement by President Donald Trump that called for the creation of a separate U.S. Space Force has been met with some consternation by a number of commentators around the world. This reaction seems more concerned with the controversial persona of President Trump rather than with the policy substance behind the rhetoric.

African telecommunications company Liquid Telecom has made a U.S.$8 million bid to acquire Israeli company Satcom Systems Ltd., a subsidiary of the troubled Eurocom Group, and a sister company of Spacecom, the Israeli satellite communications company that operates the AMOS fleet.

Amidst a worsening economic crisis, largely self-inflicted by the unorthodox economic policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and deteriorating relations with its longstanding ally the United States, Turkey has rolled out a 100-day action plan to initiate its space ambitions.

The UK space sector is on the cusp of entering a new and golden age. As a country, the UK already has a thriving space sector with leading companies that have pioneered the small satellite industry, for example.

The Chinese government has provided Egypt with a U.S.$45 million grant for the completion of the EgyptSat-2 Earth observation satellite.

Israeli cyber security firm ClearSky Cyber Security revealed last week that the Hamas terrorist group has been trying to hack Israelis through a fake version of the Color Red missile-attack warning app.

UAE's Yahsat, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered commercial satellite communications operator, has partnered with Tanaza to launch a new enterprise Wi-Fi solution for reliable service in remote areas, further helping to bridge the digital divide in many parts of the world.

U.S. cyber security company Accenture assesses that Iran is likely to carry out cyber-attacks against other Middle Eastern countries, as well as Europe and the United States, if it comes under extreme economic pressure.

The UAE Space Agency is wrapping its Space Investment Strategy that should provide the regulatory environment necessary to attract local and foreign investments into the Emirati commercial space sector, making the UAE a regional and hemispheric hub for New Space activity.