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Securing Tomorrow: Your Daily Dose of Cyber Safety, Tech Trends, National Defense News, and Inspiration.
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
— Gen. Douglas MacArthur
I. National Defense: Key developments in national defense, particularly cyber and technological warfare.
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AH-1Z Attack Helicopter’s New Long Range Missile Seen For The First Time
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The U.S. Marine Corps has conducted its first live test of a long-range munition for the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter, likely linked to the Precision Attack Strike Missile (PASM) program, aimed at extending its strike capabilities for potential conflicts, particularly in the Pacific against China. The test, performed in November 2024 at Yuma Proving Grounds, involved a tablet-controlled launch via the Marine Air-Ground Tablet (MAGTAB), marking a new level of offboard targeting for Marine helicopters. The new missile, seen in recently released images, appears to have stealthy design elements and extended range, potentially 100-150 nautical miles, vastly outpacing the current AGM-114 Hellfire and AGM-179 JAGM missiles. The Marines are emphasizing interoperability, advanced strike capabilities, and adapting fixed-wing weapons for helicopters, ensuring the AH-1Z remains relevant in future conflicts. Click here to read more.
II. Tech Trends: Updates on emerging technology trends shaping the digital world.
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Mira Murati Is Ready to Tell the World What She’s Working On
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Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI, has launched a new public benefit corporation, Thinking Machines Lab, aimed at developing advanced AI while improving public understanding and accessibility. Murati sees a gap between AI’s rapid advancement and how well people grasp its capabilities, and her lab will address this by publishing technical notes, research papers, and code. The company plans to compete at the high end of AI models, similar to OpenAI and DeepSeek, but with a focus on human-AI collaboration rather than chatbot clones. Key hires from OpenAI, Google, and Mistral AI have joined, including John Schulman, a major ChatGPT inventor. While product details remain vague, Thinking Machines Lab is positioning itself as a serious new competitor in AI innovation. Click here to read more.
III. Inspiration: Articles centered on faith that offer guidance and reflection.
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Faith Office gains prominence under Trump
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President Donald Trump has revamped the White House Faith Office, appointing Paula White-Cain, a prominent televangelist, to lead it with a focus on eradicating anti-Christian bias. The office, originally established by George W. Bush to assist faith-based groups in social services, has evolved under different administrations, with Trump’s version prioritizing Christian protections in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. Critics worry about its exclusive focus on Christianity, while supporters see it as a necessary defense of Judeo-Christian values. White-Cain, a longtime Trump advisor linked to the prosperity gospel and Pentecostal theology, has drawn both praise and criticism, particularly over concerns about her theology and political influence. Despite controversies, her appointment signals Trump’s deepening ties with evangelical voters, a group that overwhelmingly supported him in the election. Click here to read more.
IV. Cyber Safety: A focus on the latest cybersecurity threats, tips, or breaches impacting individuals and organizations.
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DeepSeek sent user data to ByteDance, Seoul confirms
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South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) confirmed that the Chinese chatbot DeepSeek has been transmitting user data to ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. This revelation follows the suspension of new downloads of the AI-powered app in South Korea due to violations of data protection laws, which require explicit user consent for third-party data sharing. The extent of the data transfer is still under investigation. Similar concerns have surfaced in Italy, where regulators blocked DeepSeek over privacy policy issues. The controversy highlights ongoing global data security concerns related to Chinese tech companies, as critics argue that China’s National Intelligence Law mandates corporate cooperation with government investigations—though parallels exist with U.S. data-sharing laws for law enforcement. Click here to read more.
V. Shield of Israel: Coverage from The Jerusalem Post, providing an Israeli perspective on ongoing conflicts.
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Lindsey Graham to ‘Post’: Giving Israel leeway to destroy Hamas is non-negotiable
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U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham stated that the Trump administration would give Israel full support to eliminate Hamas if negotiations to free hostages fail. During his visit to Israel, Graham emphasized that Israel has no choice but to destroy Hamas, comparing it to past U.S. efforts against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. He also pushed for U.S. military aid to help Israel strike Iran’s nuclear program, expressing skepticism about diplomatic efforts. Regarding Trump’s Gaza plan, which involves relocating Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt, Graham distanced himself, saying the U.S. does not want to “own” Gaza but acknowledged that the proposal is sparking regional discussions. He believes that once Iran’s nuclear threat is neutralized and Hamas is destroyed, Saudi-Israel normalization has an 80% chance of success. Click here to read more.
