Science & Tech

Pentagon, OPM Shut Down Background Check Systems

Two critical systems linking information from the DOD to OPM are being shuttered while vulnerabilities are fixed.

Science & Tech

After Historic Hack, OPM Chief's 15-Point Plan May Be Too Little, Too Late

In the wake of a major hack, agency director Katherine Archuleta outlined a series of steps to counter future breaches.

Science & Tech

Cyber War Puts Democracies on the Defensive

Free countries must band together to fight off authoritarian states that can be more institutionally flexible, opaque, unaccountable, and corrupt.

Science & Tech

China Is the Leading Suspect in OPM Hack, US Says

The intelligence community thinks they know who stole the data. That doesn’t change much.

Science & Tech

NSA Chief: Don’t Assume China Hacked OPM

Attribution, which came so quickly when North Korea hacked Sony, is proving trickier when China stands accused.

Threats

5 Chinese Cyber Attacks That Might Be Even Worse Than the OPM Hack

If the Chinese government is in fact behind the OPM hack, it would not be their boldest alleged move in cyberspace; only the most recent.

Science & Tech

What the OPM Hack Means for the Future of Warfare

It's not the first time the U.S. government's systems have been breached, and it won't be the last time either.

Science & Tech

White House Orders Agencies To Beef Up Cyber Defenses 'Immediately'

In the wake of a devastating hack on OPM, the Obama administration is directing agencies to lock down government systems.

Science & Tech

Second OPM Hack Exposed Information About Military, Intelligence Workers

Officials confirmed Friday they had detected a second intrusion that may be far more damaging than the one reported last week.

Policy

Senate Democrats Blast McConnell for Tying Cyber Measure to Defense Policy Bill

Legislation that has been long debated in the Senate is being jammed into the NDAA — and Democrats are furious.

Science & Tech

How OPM Can Find Its Missing Data on the Dark Web

The best way to recover from breaches is to assume that they’re inevitable — and start looking for your data before you know it’s gone.

Ideas

Two Years After Snowden, Are We Better Off?

The NSA's mass surveillance authority has been scaled back, but answers to other digital issues are still being contentiously debated.

Threats

A Chinese Cybersecurity Firm Suggests, Obliquely, that US Hacked Networks

Mimicking American security firms that point fingers in Beijing's direction, Qihoo 360 says that a foreign group has launched persistent attacks on China.

Science & Tech

Pentagon Will Relaunch $475 Million Cyber Effort This Fall

Shortly after cancelling its search for bids on a five-year outsourcing contract, U.S. Cyber Command said a retooled version will be out by October.

Science & Tech

The Country That Could Reshape Cyber Law

Finland is the perfect middle-power to help the world forge much-needed online norms.

Science & Tech

The Navy Is Trying To Hack-Proof Its Drones

Aerial robots weren't expected to become part of the Internet of Things, but now the Navy needs to protect them from cyber threats.

Science & Tech

The Army Is Shopping for Cyber Weapons

As part of the Pentagon's plan to beef up its capabilities, the service is reaching out to providers to see what kinds of tools are available.

Threats

Russia, China Grow Closer With New Cyber Agreement

Xi Jinping’s appearance at Vladimir Putin’s side at the Victory Parade in Moscow signifies a deepened relationship based on a common adversary: the U.S.

Science & Tech

Here’s a Chinese Take on the Pentagon's New Cyber Strategy

A military scholar doubts U.S. claims that it is getting better at attributing online attacks.

Science & Tech

VA Blocked More Than a Billion Cyber Threats in March

The VA could become quickly overwhelmed if the threat continues to escalate, the agency's top information officer said.