CYBER WARS ELECTION 2020: The money & the power. By Ben Vidgen.

New Zealand appears to be under serious cyber attack: multiple attacks as these news links below demonstrate.

by Ben Vidgen, Bens World

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm…

https://www.stuff.co.nz/…/cyber-crime-team-investigates-pot…

https://www.stuff.co.nz/…/calls-grow-for-government-action-…

https://www.stuff.co.nz/…/appliance-repairer-in-the-dark-af…

It comes weeks after Russian IT expert Alexander Vinnik was arrested in Greece on an extradition order from the United States. Prosecutors alleged Vinnik controlled a Bitcoin exchange which laundered billions of dollars for criminal networks. Vinnik denies the charges and fought the extradition for three years. The New Zealand police Asset Recovery Unit has announced it has frozen around $140 million controlled by a New Zealand company registered to Vinnik has been frozen in connection to the global investigation.

I will be following up on this but surface investigation reveals NZ addresses used by Vinnik 412 Lake Road, Takapuna, Auckland , New Zealand can immediately be identified back to the 2009 SP Trading GT Group affair in which billion were laundered through NZ. A crime which headlines world wide.

Its a story the New Zealand press of course only jumped on after it became a big story over seas. It will and truly vindicates my own finding as published in the 1999 best seller State Secrets and 2006 State Secrets II which spring out the Wine Box inquiry concerning New Zealand’s role into money laundering and organised crime involving New Zealand and the authorities.

Its an event (again not getting coverage by local media) which sits at the heart of the current Cameron Ortis spy scandal in Canada and a massive row within Five Eyes security alliance. One which exposed mass corruption at the highest levels within New Zealand’s major political parties. Described as “serious spy shit” this event is very much tied to US China battle for Pacific Asia domination. Its a conflict in which NZ finds itself the piggy in the middle and on the front-lines of a brutal economic fire fight unfolding around us. That is to say their is no good guy bad guy to this story it is simply a tale about a power play being fought by large powerful fractions, none of whom have NZ’s best interest at heart.

The same NZ address used by Vinnik conduit company has revealed hundreds of companies listed on the International Consortium of Investigative Journalist Paradise Papers.

Specifically those tied to Operation Daphne the joint media task force set up in response to the murder of Panama Papers Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.

It has revealed direct links to at less three exiting stories I have written in the past 12 months tied to money laundering, balkan oil commodity trading and those with ties to kiwi and international politicians at the highest levels.

Vinnik ties to these current kiwi events is unclear (if any) he was at best a mid level player in a complex spy drama which retrospectively dates back the 1990’s and the Wine Box Inquiry. An event which sparked my book State Secrets which examined the growing role of NZ money laundering and it ties to organised crime ( a claim again vindicated by events in hindsight) which Ortis was found to have sold to. Cartels who sit on the edge of transnational crime where state players and non state players converge and dark deeds get done dirtily but not cheaply.

The wave of hacks against economic targets come just week after form Prime Minister John Key (Chairman of the ANZ which along with Westpac was named repeatedly during the 60,000 times NZ was mentioned in the Paradise Papers) turned Cyber Czar repeated the John Podesta March 2019 prediction NZ 2020 elections would be cyber targeted.

Hmmm is all we can say on that.

Preliminary surveying indicated cyber influence targeting New Zealand is asymmetrical and is coming from but not limited the following areas.

1. Ransom spyware cyber hacks aimed to disrupt embarrass profit and collect intelligence. For purpose of engineering social and economic market instability. With an outcome aimed to impact election polls and voting outcome.

2. Malwear planting aimed to establish foot holds for future attacks and intelligence gathering.

3. Social media alogrithim control ‘the like war’ to amplify uncertainty and provide information dominance. Can also be used to suppress or reduct opponent news feeds and open then to cyber bullying via organic or automated chat bots. Works well when held in conjunction with physical real time events such as a rally or demonstration.

4. Fake news provided by human intelligence components then spread on social media (see point 3.). Fake news in this context is claims which are offered with out proof of evidence or with unsupported documentation and numerous supporting source to verify said claims.

5. Market manipulation. Engineering disruptions which can be used to give a market advantage in the form of short trading or inside information.

Published by BENS WORLD – an interesting read with your coffee.

Ben has worked as investigative journalist, researcher and writers for a number of NZ/Australian publications, radio stations, as well as working for universities, NGO and commercial clients, as well as being a best selling author (State Secrets 1 & II [Return Fire]) specialising in organised crime and national security issues. With a degree in history and political science specialising in political violence and counter terrorism Ben spent six year in New Zealand Army territorial (reserves) serving in the Royal Artillery and the infantry with posting in signals, artillery intelligence, field and counter intelligence, reconnaissance and as a rifleman & platoon grenadier. Ben also has decades of experience in all aspect of the hospitality and tourism industry (from kitchen hand to marketing and promotions) through out Australasia as well a having strong root in the arts community of New Zealand’s South Island his beloved home and were he prints his own cafe publications and books . View all posts by BENS WORLD – an interesting read with your coffee.