In an audit of the Defense Department’s (DoD) cybersecurity requirements for weapon systems in the operations and support (O&S) phase of the DoD acquisition lifecycle, the DoD Inspector General (IG) highlighted five weapon systems that have been successfully updating cybersecurity requirements and meeting Risk Management Framework requirements. […]
After Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the committee’s ranking member, called for the designation of a single official to lead the U.S. response to the Russia-backed hack of thousands of government and private-sector networks via SolarWinds Orion products, the White House confirmed to the senators that Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger is leading the effort. […]
Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology on President Biden’s National Security Council (NSC), said this week that the administration is working on a new national cybersecurity strategy and that it will likely feature some of the recommendations that have already been made by the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) but not yet implemented. […]
As agencies are scrambling to recover and build up their cybersecurity from the Russia-backed hack of thousands of government and private-sector networks via SolarWinds Orion products, Federal agency leaders say it will not be easy. […]
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is proposing a rule change that would provide rate incentives for electric companies that go “above and beyond” current regulations in their cybersecurity investments. […]
The 117th Congress is finalizing its lineup of new leadership for House committees and subcommittees. Although some committee leadership remains the same, here are the names to pay attention to in the Federal IT world. […]
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a Special Publication (SP) to help organizations protect sensitive information on different electronic systems from state-sponsored hacking. […]
The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has invested in a cybersecurity platform to upgrade their “cyber threat detection and intelligence-gathering capabilities,” according to a Jan. 25 press release. […]
Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, reintroduced a bill that would support the National Guard in helping state and local governments improve their cybersecurity, citing “the SolarWinds attack and continued cyberattacks connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.” […]
Denis McDonough, President Biden’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), plans to make cybersecurity “a key priority” if confirmed, along with IT modernization efforts and expansion of broadband services. […]
Four lawmakers are criticizing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s approval of a new cybersecurity and emerging technologies bureau and calling for President-elect Joe Biden to hit pause when he is sworn in and takes office. […]
The National Security Agency (NSA) announced Rob Joyce will take over as the agency’s Director of Cybersecurity, replacing Anne Neuberger. […]
President-elect Joe Biden has officially nominated Anne Neuberger as Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology on the President’s National Security Council (NSC). […]
The National Security Agency (NSA) issued its first Cybersecurity Year In Review report, highlighting key achievements from 2020 – including encryption work for the Pentagon – and looking ahead to threats for 2021. […]
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved the establishment of the Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET) within the Department of State on Thursday to lead diplomatic efforts to deflect cyberattacks from foreign countries. […]
President-elect Joe Biden has chosen cybersecurity veteran Lisa Monaco as his nominee for Deputy Attorney General at the Justice Department (DoJ), and according to a Politico report, is getting ready to name Anne Neuberger deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity on the President’s National Security Council (NSC). […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned today that threats to government networks caused by previously reported breaches of SolarWinds Orion products pose a “grave risk” to Federal government, state, tribal and territorial governments, critical infrastructure entities, and other private-sector organizations. […]
With the Solarwinds breach and CDM budget shortfall, it’s never been more important to communicate the importance of cyber security to the Hill and appropriators. Time to change the menu to increase the appetite for cyber security investment. […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is requiring all Federal civilian agencies to disconnect or turn off any SolarWinds Orion products by noon today, as a nation-state hack of the tools pose a significant cybersecurity threat and is linked to a hack at the Treasury and Commerce Departments. […]
The security operations center (SOC) has become the critical hub of Federal agencies’ cyber readiness. SOC analysts keep agencies safely up and running – determining the size and impact of incidents, utilizing threat intelligence, implementing response procedures and collaborating with other staff to address issues. […]
The U.S. Navy and its revitalized CIO office is looking to modernize its systems and capabilities, with artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to tackle a complicated environment, said Christopher Cleary, Navy CISO, in a November 12 speech. […]
The Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) cybersecurity fell under scrutiny in two audits by the agency’s inspector general, with both identifying issues in OPM’s controls and security practices. […]
John Sherman, Principal Deputy CIO at the Department of Defense (DoD), said Oct. 28 that the Pentagon is making progress with IT modernization activities for the parts of the agency known as “the Fourth Estate” – offices that are not military services or intelligence community agencies. […]
A new survey finds that 82 percent of Federal IT decisionmakers expect the majority of the work week to consist of telework even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. The survey also finds decisionmakers still face challenges in managing systems and cybersecurity. […]
Communication, collaboration, and coordination are being touted as the keys to success for teleworking during the coronavirus pandemic, but the best frameworks for cyber defense in these modern times may end up coming from old teachings. […]
U.S. policy-makers and several close foreign allies issued a statement this weekend calling for technology providers to provide access for governments and law enforcement to encrypted data and protected systems. […]
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) needs to take further action to spur improvements in aircraft avionics systems in order to meet evolving cybersecurity threats and the trend toward increased connectivity between aircraft and systems, the Government Accountability Office said. […]
Across several agencies with the Department of Defense (DoD), building a zero-trust architecture to secure IT systems is becoming the strategy of choice for agency leaders as several confirmed efforts to transition over from a traditional perimeter approach today. […]
The Treasury Department is asking organizations not to pay off malicious actors to terminate ransomware attacks without carefully considering possible national security threats – and said it may implement penalties for organizations that choose to pay ransom to their attackers. […]
The increased shift to telework seems like it is here to stay as employers work to slow the spread of COVID-19 several months into the pandemic, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released new telework tips for leaders, IT professionals, and teleworkers to keep the remote environment secure. […]