Once a concept confined solely to science fiction movies, human augmentation is rapidly transforming into a tangible reality. While Hollywood often portrays such enhanced humans through flashy, futuristic technology, the reality is that we are on the cusp of witnessing such innovations quite soon. Far from the realm of fiction, human augmentation is moving into the sphere of real-world applications, especially in the field of defence and healthcare.

In the shifting shadows of digital communication, Telegram has emerged as a modern underworld, where privacy often morphs into a sanctuary for illicit deeds once hidden on the dark web. This article explores how Telegram's encryption has drawn a host of both ordinary users and those with darker intentions. It highlights the platform’s role as a contemporary Hades, a space where the boundaries of privacy and criminality blur, and considers the broader implications for security and regulation.

This is the last article exploring our time at CPDP.ai this year. It takes a different point of view on the conference, focusing on one of the aspects that makes CPDP unique: its multidisciplinary approach and its emphasis on the arts. The article talks briefly about some of the more artistic moments of this year’s conference: Vladan Joler’s maps of technological evolution and AI systems, the fabricated exhibition by Inholland University of Applied Sciences, and the hands-on workshop Playing with Politics: Building Digital, Media, and Political Games.

Passenger Information Units (PIUs) are specialised entities within aviation security that collect and analyse passenger data, primarily to identify potential threats such as serious crime and terrorist plots. They utilise the Passenger Name Record (PNR), a vital six-digit code on each ticket, to track and scrutinise passenger information. Operating quietly and invisibly, akin to clouds hovering in the sky, PIUs gather data from various sources, detecting patterns and anomalies that could indicate security risks. This article aims to shed light on their discreet yet vital surveillance, which plays a crucial role in safeguarding air travel, providing an essential but often unnoticed layer of security.

Western navies have found themselves increasingly reliant on weapons systems doctrinally understood as “last lines of defence” in the Red Sea. This article investigates the nature of the Houthi threat and the operational intricacies faced by the “Prosperity Guardian” and “Aspides” coalition missions. This article serves to analyse some of the most relevant developments in the military technology and procurement fields.

After closing the curtains of a hectic day, feeling the soft veil of tranquillity embracing your weary body on a warm afternoon, your fingers gently touch the little smartphone in your pocket: instinctively, they seek a temporary refuge from the fast-paced reality for their owner. It all happens automatically, and, without giving it a second thought, you soon find yourself immersed in the intricate universe of video games. What if you were being told instead that behind your war-themed game lies a strategic message from the US Army, aiming to encourage you to see this simulation as the only viable option for tackling international crises?

The gentle clatter of hooves made by Pegasus sounds magical in the Greek mythical world where nature bloomed under his majestic wings. However, in our contemporary society, the name of this divine winged horse carries a darker significance, unveiling a concealed dystopian society hiding in plain sight. Dubbed as one of the most sophisticated cyber weapons, the Pegasus spyware is used to suppress dissent and opposing views, targeting the individuals who advocate for human rights and justice or simply expose state crimes.

Ever since humankind succeeded in launching its first satellite into orbit, space has been considered the last frontier. The ideological rivalries of the Cold War led to the birth of the space age, which was aggravated by the clash between the US and the USSR. Today, the rapid economic development of emerging powers such as China, the gradual reduction in the cost of rocket launches, technological sophistication, and public-private collaboration and entrepreneurship are just some of the elements that make the commercialization and exploration of Outer Space one of the most vibrant fields of international activity in the present and future. Although this discipline is vast, this article will be an introduction to the People's Republic of China's activities in Outer Space, encompassing both civilian and military aspects (which are closely related). These aspects, and the activities of the US, Russia, or India, may be touched on in future publications.

Existential risk has become a growing field of scientific inquiry, as humanity's future on this planet seems increasingly insecure. This is due to a range of potential threats, including the rapid advancement of AI technology, climate change, and nuclear war.

Over the past ten years, governments of the Middle East have employed digital information and communication technologies as a tool to reinforce control over their citizens. Drawing inspiration from models provided by China, Russia and Israel, Middle Eastern governments have implemented policies and strategies aimed at censorship, digital deception and mass surveillance, worsening human rights records in the region.

Unprecedented internet connectivity in dangerous machinery and the essential function of society requires preventative cyber risk solutions. This article reviews the new Kinetic Cyber, the UK’s upcoming Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Bill and reflects upon International Humanitarian Law (IHL) relating to weapons of mass destruction.

Research shows that terrorists use the Internet to spread their propaganda, communicate, fund their organisations and attacks, train aspiring terrorists and plan and execute attacks off- and online. With the emergence of the metaverse – or Web3 – opportunities will unfold for terrorists online, and so will challenges to tackle these opportunities. Recruitment and attack planning possibilities will likely emerge and new targets might appear. A set of new laws, regulations and capabilities will therefore certainly be needed from stakeholders to ensure users’ safety and prevent the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes.

Technology stands at the centre of human development. With it comes numerous problems, including how humanity has changed and continues to change its environment. This article explores some of the problems surrounding energy security, specifically those associated with Industry 4.0 (the fourth industrial revolution) as well as the field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML). While there are few definitive solutions to the problems created by improving old technologies and implementing new ones, change is dependent on sparking conversations about sustainability and ultimately the type of future humanity chooses to create for itself.

Intelligence agencies today have to collect and analyse intelligence on numerous individuals, state and non-state actors in an environment of many complex hybrid threats and overlapping interests. Additionally, there is a glut of data from several sources that need to be processed quickly and accurately. Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a viable way to maximise the value of the All-Source intelligence products. Despite all the promise AI holds for the Intelligence Community, the technology is far from perfect.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) have seamlessly and fundamentally transformed the way we interact with digital technology [1]. Dual-use applications, such as the case of AI/ML, can be quickly exploited by cybercriminal activities. One example is phishing, one the first types of cybercrime. While phishing in today’s world is still perceived as an outdated scam, AI/ML advancements have paved the way for more convincing phishing attacks and the wider use of hyper-targeted spear-phishing. This article will focus on the AI/ML-enabled transformation of phishing and spear-phishing and the consequences it poses for the cybersecurity environment.

AI is increasingly being used in all areas of our lives, including law enforcement. Through pattern identification, AI offers the field of law enforcement an incredible opportunity to better prevent crime. In this regard, AI is being used in predictive policing, or the ability to predict crime before it happens. The practice itself already poses many ethical and legal dilemmas, but AI reinforces these problems. This article explains how the use of AI in predictive policing poses a threat to fundamental rights and proposes a possible alternative.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the most polarising topics and eye-catching terms in our contemporary lexicon; seen as either a paragon of modern technology or as a harbinger of humankind’s technological doom, depending on who you ask. From pocket AIs such as Siri to self educating AIs in Silicon Valley, AI has permeated into virtually all facets of life.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to radically change societies. By employing it in numerous fields, ranging from healthcare to the economy can improve humans’ lives. However, this revolutionary technology may cause disruptive imbalances in the military power relations between countries, especially in the field of nuclear stability. Although the development of AI-based defensive weapon systems might improve nuclear deterrence, incorporating artificial intelligence into nuclear offensive capabilities and command and control (C2) systems could accelerate escalation in crisis scenarios.

There is the confidence that the globalised, networked systems we have built are resilient enough to overcome significant disruptions. What if this confidence is misplaced? This article seeks to answer this question in relation to what is likely the most important of humankind’s networks: the electrical grid. Two methods for conducting a cyber attack against the electrical grid will be considered; the first for disrupting the grid, and the second for destroying core elements. A warning will be offered to the West not to rely on technological supremacy in cyberspace as a deterrent to cyber attacks.

The internet forms an important component of ideological radicalisation, as it provides a platform for like-minded individuals to communicate in virtual communities like the ‘Chanosphere,’ which in turn allows for extremist groups to develop safe havens of communication and information exchange [1]. Using the case study of a cluster of alt-right terrorist attacks initiated by the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019, this analysis will demonstrate that alt-right memes played a central role in radicalisation, in that they acted as vessels of encoded racist ideology which used ‘weaponised irony’ as a means of communicating group identity