Distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks rose by 39 percent between the first half of 2018 and June of this year, Netscout Systems said in a new threat intelligence report. […]
An August 5 alert issued by Microsoft’s Security Response Center is blowing the whistle on hacking efforts focused on three classes of internet of things (IoT) devices that Microsoft asserts are being attacked by the hacking group it identifies as “Strontium,” better known as the Russia-based cyber espionage group Fancy Bear. […]
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wrote to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on July 22 sharing details about its forthcoming guidance on how to securely share .zip files. […]
The U.S. Army is seeking industry partners to assist with securing cyberspace operating areas to free up soldiers to “defend forward.” […]
A lack of budgeted funds for cloud initiatives is slowing down Federal government cloud adoption, according to a report from Netwrix released today. […]
Christopher Krebs, Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), today outlined a range of security concerns associated with deployment of 5G wireless networks in the U.S., and offered a list of top-level recommendations for government and industry to deal with them. […]
Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, reintroduced the Advancing Cybersecurity Continuing Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Act on July 30. […]
The state and local government sector is seeing strong growth in the adoption of DMARC email authentication, but still lags far behind the Federal government and has much room to improve, according to a recent report from Valimail. […]
Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., introduced new legislation on July 30 that would require the State Department to investigate the potential benefits of establishing a cooperative U.S.-Israel Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. The bill, dubbed the U.S. -Israel Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Act, has garnered bipartisan support in the Senate, and Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., has already introduced a companion bill in the House. […]
In its Mobile Threat Landscape Report, released today, cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike highlighted the “key types of mobile malware observed so far in 2019, along with their typical deployment mechanisms.” The report also identified both how and why some adversary groups and cybercriminals are targeting mobile devices for both intelligence and financial gains and takes a forward-looking approach to understand potential changes in the threat landscape. […]
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform approved the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act of 2019 on July 25. […]
r00tz Asylum, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching kids ages 8-16 about white-hat hacking, announced July 24 that it would be allowing students to attempt to hack into simulated campaign finance portals at this year’s DEF CON, set for August 8-11 […]
The International Society of Automation has announced the first founding members of its recently created Global Security Alliance, which is will bring together industry stakeholders explore ways to prevent and respond to catastrophic threats to mission-critical operations. […]
Advancements in encryption technology could be making us less safe, Attorney General William Barr said at the International Conference on Cybersecurity today. […]
The Senate on July 8 unanimously approved the Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act, which was sponsored by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. […]
A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report estimates that the State and Local Cybersecurity Act of 2019 (S. 1846) would cost the government $31 million to implement between 2019 and 2024. […]
Credit reporting agency Equifax said today it has agreed to pay $671 million to settle government investigations and legal actions related to a 2017 data breach that exposed information on about 147 million U.S. consumers. […]
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Dan Coats announced on July 19 that Shelby Pierson will serve as the first Election Threats Executive (ETE) to oversee U.S. election security efforts. […]
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) uncovered a list of new information system security weaknesses at the IRS in a report released July 18. […]
Balancing cybersecurity with modernization – as well as strategies that organically create that balance – are critical as Federal agencies work toward modernizing their IT infrastructures, said Jeanette Manfra, assistant director for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), today. […]
The $380 million of Federal funds currently allocated to election security is not sufficient, and additional Federal support will be needed to secure the 2020 election, according to a new report from four nonprofit organizations. […]
Energy Department (DoE) officials and energy-sector security experts briefed House members today on a range of cybersecurity initiatives and other tech advancements they could consider as Congress works to create electric grid modernization legislation. […]
With ever-changing threats, advances in technology, and persistent adversaries, the cybersecurity landscape for Federal IT can seem like a shootout against attackers coming from all angles. […]
The House on July 15 approved two bills that aim to bolster Small Business Administration (SBA) cybersecurity, and help small businesses combat cyberattacks. […]
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio officially opened a new cybersecurity facility on July 9. The Air Force said the $1.5 million facility is “essential to protecting weapon systems from cyber threats and mitigating cyber vulnerabilities across the Air Force fighters and bombers fleet.” […]
The Defense Department on July 12 released its Digital Modernization Strategy, but for followers of DoD IT policy developments, the high points of the strategy cover already-familiar territory including cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and workforce development. […]
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Inspector General has flagged cybersecurity and data management issues as top management challenges for the agency in FY2019 that need to be tackled. […]
The National Governors Association (NGA) published a report examining state cyber disruption response plans, and providing recommendations for state officials who want to create or review their own response plans. […]
A recent Associated Press analysis found that the majority of election jurisdictions in the U.S. employ aging technologies that could end up being vulnerable to cyberattacks. […]
A panel of Federal and non-profit witnesses said that expanding both partnerships with industry and information-sharing to further help secure the U.S. electric grid at a House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Cyber Threats hearing today. […]