As cyberattacks become ever-increasing, one thing is clear: the United States needs to strengthen its cybersecurity efforts. Federal government and private sector cyber experts sat down to discuss the future of the cyber conflict and how to prevent the next big cyberattack. […]
The Federal government is curtailing its “surge” response to the SolarWinds Orion and Microsoft Exchange hacks after seeing improvements in patching that have helped to remediate the impacts of the cyber attacks, the Biden administration said today. […]
A 2019 tweak by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to the definition of a data center – and thus how the Federal government proceeds with its Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) aimed at sharply cutting the number of data centers that Federal agencies operate – is having the effect of leaving the government more vulnerable to cyberattacks, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) official concurred today. […]
The Department of Labor (DoL) recently released new guidelines on protecting $9.3 trillion in retirement benefits for over 34 million participants in contribution plans by making sure proper cybersecurity best practices are in place. […]
Running both the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command in an era of expanding cyberattacks pushes a lot of pressing issues to the top of a leader’s to-do list, but for Gen. Paul Nakasone – who heads both organizations that are key to U.S. efforts to operate in cyberspace outside of national borders – workforce development tends to rise above the rest. […]
Three Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplements (DFARS) related to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) are set to become permanent rules shortly, Katie Arrington, the Pentagon’s CISO for acquisition and sustainment, said April 15. […]
A senior Biden administration official dropped significant hints today about the contents of the administration’s expected executive order (EO) on cybersecurity. The coming EO has been much talked about in policy circles in recent weeks, with a consensus view that it will be released soon, but without much firm detail about its expected content. […]
As promised in President Biden’s executive order today that sanctions the Russian government for the SolarWinds Orion cyberattack and other transgressions, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies published a list of five active Russian Foreign Intelligence Service cyberattack vectors that they say need network operators to defend against urgently. […]
President Biden today issued executive orders (EO) that blame, shame, and sanction the Russian government for perpetrating the SolarWinds Orion supply chain cyber attacks, and interfering with U.S. elections, among other transgressions. […]
A bipartisan group of senators reintroduced legislation this week that would create a cybersecurity personnel rotation program to help grow and retain a highly skilled Federal cyber workforce. […]
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) warned in an April 13 report that the United States and its allies face “a diverse array” of threats to national security, including increased cyber threats from adversaries. […]
Anne Neuberger, the White House’s deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technologies, released a statement today requiring all Federal agencies to apply Microsoft’s new set of Exchange patches “immediately.” […]
More security incidents were detected by the intruded organizations last year, a positive trend in the cybersecurity sector as cyber threat actors are increasingly exploiting the remote work setup, a 2021 trends report by Fire Eye and Mandiant – both cybersecurity firms – found. […]
President Biden intends to nominate John “Chris” Inglis to serve as the first-ever National Cyber Director, according to numerous published sources. […]
President Biden will nominate Jen Easterly, a cyber veteran who helped stand up U.S. Cyber Command, to be the next director of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) component, the White House announced Monday. […]
The Department of Defense (DoD) improved its cyber resource readiness between the years 2017-19, but its cyber mission capability readiness decreased over that same span, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. […]
President Biden is proposing $2.1 billion of funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with large scoops of cyber funding for other Federal agencies, according to the White House’s FY 2022 request for discretionary funding released today. […]
The Biden administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 discretionary funding request submitted to Congress on April 9 features $1.25 billion of new requests that would be aimed at undertaking further Federal IT modernization efforts. […]
According to Civilian Deputy for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Services Directorate (SE) Jeff VanBemmel, securing connections is one of the bigger challenges Defense Department Information Networks (DODIN) are facing today after years of a “castle-defense mentality.” […]
The Department of Justice (DOJ) Justice Security Operations Center (JSOC) recently passed its cybersecurity assessment provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSP) program, and through that process has become a certified CSP Center of Excellence. […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released finalized versions of two Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) 3.0 use cases that Federal agencies can use to advance their security postures. […]
The Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) for the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program is creating an Industry Advisory Council (IAC) to provide feedback on the CMMC implementation to the DoD and CMMC-AB, the CMMC-AB announced this week. […]
As telework and cyber threats are both ever-increasing, the move to zero trust security concepts is needed as a generational shift in security strategy for Federal agencies to stay one step ahead of adversaries, cybersecurity experts said April 7 during FCW’s Zero Trust Workshop. […]
Following a joint cybersecurity advisory warning of potential vulnerabilities in Fortinet’s cybersecurity operating system from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA), the company is urging customers to update their software to include the latest patches. […]
In a letter to top Federal cybersecurity experts, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, ranking member on the committee, are requesting information on how U.S. cyber defenses were unprepared for the recent SolarWinds Orion and Microsoft Exchange compromises and on the limitations of the EINSTEIN system. […]
Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Mike Bost, R-Ill., introduced legislation that would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to lead a communications and outreach program aimed to educate veterans on cyber risks. […]
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are warning about advanced persistent threat (APT) actors exploiting a Fortinet vulnerability to gain access to government and other networks, according to an April 2 joint advisory. […]
President Biden intends to nominate Ronald Moultrie, a national security veteran who helped create the Navy’s digital roadmap, to serve as under secretary for Intelligence and Security at the Department of Defense, the White House announced April 2. […]
Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Jim Langevin, D-R.I., urged Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in an April 1 letter to address the growing cybersecurity threat facing K-12 schools by issuing guidance that will give K-12 schools more confidence in making investments in increased cybersecurity measures. […]
With tax season upon us, the IRS has issued a warning regarding an impersonation email scam targeting university students and staff. […]