ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - December 27, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - December 27, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• UN Voices Alarm After WHO Chief Caught Up in Deadly Israeli Strike on Yemen Airport
• Surge in Violent Demonstrations in Mozambique as Opposition Plans to Challenge January 2025 Inauguration
• Another Cyberattack Targeting Aviation Sector in Japan

UN Voices Alarm After WHO Chief Caught Up in Deadly Israeli Strike on Yemen Airport

The United Nations (UN) chief has condemned the "escalation" in hostilities between Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Israel, calling Israeli airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen (including on the international airport in Sana’a) "especially alarming." This came after the airport was hit while the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) was preparing to board a flight. In a social media post, the WHO chief confirmed that he was about to board a plane at Sana’a airport when it was struck by an aerial attack. A crew member was injured, and at least two people were killed. He had been in Yemen to negotiate the release of UN staff and assess the humanitarian situation.

Surge in Violent Demonstrations in Mozambique as Opposition Plans to Challenge January 2025 Inauguration

Opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane vowed to install himself as president during the January 15, 2025 inauguration of President Daniel Chapo. Mondlane's statement comes as he called on supporters to stage another round of violent demonstrations after the Constitutional Council (CC) largely confirmed the outcome of the October 9 general elections. CC did acknowledge there was some fraud, removing a few percentage points from Chapo's victory as well as reversing the outcome of some legislative seats. However, Chapo's ruling Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo) largely maintains its dominance of local institutions following the CC announcement, which is the final decision on the election. Meanwhile, a prison riot in Mozambique on Christmas Day left 33 people dead and 15 injured, according to authorities. The incident occurred at a maximum-security prison in Maputo, where around 1,530 inmates escaped. Authorities have since recaptured 150 of the escapees.

Another Cyberattack Targeting Aviation Sector in Japan

Japan Airlines confirmed on December 26, 2024 that it was the target of a likely distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack earlier in the day. The attack delayed about two dozen flights. In June, Japan's space agency said it had suffered a series of cyberattacks since 2023. In 2023, a cyberattack paralyzed operations at a container terminal at a port in the city of Nagoya for three days. The attacks may be in response to Japan's closer military ties with the United States and South Korea, which comes after decades of pacific Japanese military policy.