THE DAILY PRAETORIAN: Cybersecurity Trends – 12/15/25

Securing Tomorrow: Your Daily Dose of Cyber Safety, Tech Trends, National Security News, and Inspiration.

“Sun and shadow, friend and foe, eagle learns which way to go.”

— Unknown

New Dark Eagle Hypersonic Weapon Details Emerge
The U.S. Army’s Dark Eagle hypersonic boost‑glide weapon—also called the Long‑Range Hypersonic Weapon—has been detailed during a Pentagon visit, revealing a trailer‑launched system capable of Mach 5+ speeds, a 3,500‑km (≈2,175‑mile) range that could strike targets such as mainland China from Guam, Moscow from London or Tehran from Qatar, a sub‑30‑pound warhead that relies mainly on kinetic impact, and a production goal of up to two missiles per month; the system is slated for operational use by FY 2025, with the Navy adapting the same architecture for sea‑launch under the Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike program. Click here to read more.

Nvidia challenges China with new open-source AI models
Nvidia unveiled its third‑generation “Nemotron” family of open‑source large‑language models, starting with the compact Nemotron 3 Nano that promises lower operating costs and better performance on multi‑step tasks, while larger variants are slated for release in early 2026; the move counters a surge of Chinese open‑source AI offerings from firms like DeepSeek, Moonshot AI and Alibaba, and aims to give enterprises and governments transparent, auditable models they can safely deploy, positioning Nvidia as a leading U.S. provider of open‑source AI amid growing restrictions on Chinese technologies. Click here to read more.

Australian church leaders stand in solidarity with Jewish community after Bondi Beach terrorist attack
Australian Christian leaders condemned the Bondi Beach terrorist shooting that killed 15 people—including a child and a Holocaust survivor—while praying for the grieving Jewish community; Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel denounced antisemitism and offered prayers for safety, and Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher highlighted rising public antisemitism, recalling his own Jewish heritage and urging Christians to protect their Jewish neighbors, while praising bystander Ahmed Al Ahmed for disarming one attacker. Click here to read more.

Militant Groups Are Experimenting With AI, and the Risks Are Expected to Grow
Militant groups, including ISIS affiliates, are experimenting with generative AI to produce propaganda, deep‑fake images and videos, translate messages, and even draft malicious code, amplifying recruitment, disinformation and cyber‑attack capabilities despite limited resources; experts warn that as cheap, powerful AI becomes more accessible, these “aspirational” uses could expand to more sophisticated threats such as synthetic phishing, weapon‑development assistance, and multilingual outreach, prompting lawmakers to propose legislation requiring regular AI‑risk assessments and greater information sharing by AI developers. Click here to read more.

Should Israel issue a military response if Iran was behind the Bondi attack? – analysis
Israel’s leadership is weighing a direct military strike against Iran if Tehran is proven to have orchestrated the Bondi Beach massacre that killed 15 Jews, with a senior U.S. official indicating Washington would back an Israeli counter‑strike on Iranian territory; analysts argue that Israel’s recent success in degrading Iran’s air defenses, nuclear facilities and missile capabilities in a June operation may lower the perceived risk of retaliation, potentially allowing a kinetic response that could deter future terror plots and simultaneously pressure Iran’s ballistic‑missile program, though critics warn such escalation could reignite a broader conflict. Click here to read more.