Science & Tech

Feds Scrambling to Close Backdoor in Widely Purchased IT Gear

One former NSA employee calls it "a perfect case example of why cryptographic backdoors are so dangerous in the real world.”

Ideas

Someone Needs to Run the US Effort to Defeat ISIS Online

Lots of government agencies are doing something; the White House needs to coordinate them.

Threats

Agencies Get Marching Orders for Filling 'Major' Cyber Talent Shortage

"We still have the fundamentals wrong," says Office of Management and Budget's Trevor Rudolph.

Threats

New OPM Cyber Chief Is Bracing for an ISIS Hack

The U.S., said the agency's first-ever senior cyber and information technology adviser, has to 'assume that at some point in time they may be successful.'

Science & Tech

State Department Says Hackers May Have Stolen Sensitive Data

The revelation, buried in a new inspector general report, is the first acknowledgment that foreign spies might have grabbed national secrets during a months-long campaign last fall.

Science & Tech

DARPA Wants Networks to Find and Fix Security Holes — In Seconds

The Pentagon is seeking an "automation revolution in computer security” in which machines swiftly detect attacks and patch their vulnerabilities.

Threats

Lawmakers Demand US Military Carry Out Pretend Cyber War Against China, Russia

In an unprecedented move tucked into the defense authorization bill, Congress ordered U.S. Cyber Command to carry out simulated 'war games' against Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

Business

Congress Orders $200M Antivirus Scan for the Pentagon's Major Weapons

Buried in the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act is a section requiring evaluations of cyber vulnerabilities in U.S. military weapon systems.

Science & Tech

Can the Pentagon Ditch the Password and Finally Embrace the 'Internet of Things'?

A new report claims the U.S. Defense Department could save millions using internet-ready devices and sensors. But there's one huge problem before that can happen.

Business

Got Cyber? US Homeland Security Wants to Fast-Track Hundreds of New Workers

By June, DHS hopes to be moving on 1,000 new positions toward a more robust information security capability.

Science & Tech

How The Russian Crash Investigation Could Alter the War On Encryption

If intercepted communications prove an ISIS bomb caused the crash in Egypt, it could be just the boost surveillance state advocates need.

Science & Tech

The Secret Pentagon Push for Lethal Cyber Weapons

With nearly $500 million allotted, military contractors are competing for funds to develop the next big thing: computer code capable of killing.

Threats

US Still Doesn’t Know Who's In Charge of What If Massive Cyber Attack Strikes Nation

Cyber physical attacks on infrastructure may be an unlikely sneak attack, but if it happens, the chain of command is far from clear.

Business

Here’s Obama’s IT Security To-Do List For Preventing the Next OPM Hack

An ambitious long-term framework to strengthen federal cybersecurity brings a waterfall of near-term deadlines for agency officials carrying out the new plan.

Science & Tech

The Latest Cybersecurity Bill Will Only Confuse Internet Providers Like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast

Lawmakers could possibly save years of court battles over allegations of mass surveillance if they nail down a few key definitions in a pending bill before a House committee.

Ideas

What It Would Really Take to Knock Out the Power Grid

As our electrical system lifts itself out of the stone age, the defense built around it will require added vigilance.

Science & Tech

Senate Passes Cyber Bill, Ducking Privacy Fears for Now

After months of negotiation, a cybersecurity bill to bolster defenses after a series of high-profile hacks moves closer to the president’s desk.

Business

Got a Clearance? Getting a Job Just Got Harder

The OPM hack has slowed hiring for jobs requiring a security clearance, a recent survey shows.

Ideas

Why Do Top Government Personnel Keep Using Private Email for Official Business?

As government breaches continue, it's hard to argue that 'security' alone is a good enough reason to keep official communication on official servers.

Ideas

This Is the Only Cyber Security Plan Any 2016 Candidate Has Offered

Jeb Bush is a true hawk when it comes to U.S. cyber defense. But only a modest portion of his proposals could be called new.