Hostile Spies Target U.S. With Cyber, Encryption, Big Data, Report Finds (Wall Street Journal) Intelligence threats against the U.S. are becoming more complex, diverse and harmful as adversaries turn to innovative hybrid techniques to steal secrets, according to a government report.
The U.S. Is Vulnerable to an Iranian Cyberattack. Here's How. (Wall Street Journal) U.S. tensions with Iran have escalated after the assassination of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and experts are worried about retaliatory cyberattacks. Cybersecurity expert John Hultquist and WSJ's Dustin Volz discuss what new tactics hackers have at their disposal and whether the U.S. is prepared to defend itself. Photo illustration: Alexandra Cardinale.
Teaming up with Defending Digital Campaigns on election security (Google) We’re announcing a new partnership with Defending Digital Campaigns to provide federal campaigns access to free Titan Security Keys.
The Cybersecurity 202: Iowa's app fiasco worries mobile voting advocates (Washington Post) The fiasco caused by an app that failed to properly transmit votes in the Iowa caucuses is worrying the mobile voting industry, which hoped 2020 would be a banner year.
Voting by smartphone in Seattle pushes the limits of electronic balloting (Washington Post) Election officials are letting voters in a little-known race cast ballots with their mobile phones, even as critics raise concerns over the vulnerability of digital ballots.
Presidential campaigns reach email security milestone (Valimail) For the first time, more than half of the candidates for U.S. president have domains that are protected from spoofing via DMARC at enforcement.
Why New Hampshire says it won’t be the next Iowa (POLITICO) The meltdown of last week’s Democratic caucus is upping the pressure on the nation’s first primary to go off without a hitch.
The New Hampshire Primary Might Be the Most Technophobic Election in the Country (Slate Magazine) No app problems here!
Cybereason Preps For The ‘Unthinkable’ With Election Hacking Exercise (CRN) Cybereason, a cybersecurity vendor, held its fifth election hacking exercise to help restore public trust in the election process.
Defending Local Government Agencies From Rising Threat Of Ransomware (Forbes) Local government agencies are increasingly targeted by ransomware attacks, but most have one thing in common: email. Better email security can help agencies avoid these attacks.
New federal strategy prioritizes defending US against foreign threats to elections, critical systems (TheHill) The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) on Monday unveiled the new National Counterintelligence Strategy, which emphasizes the need to defend against foreign operations aimed at democratic system
National Counterintelligence Strategy of the United States of America 2020-2022 (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) Protecting our Nation’s security and continuing to enhance the prosperity of our citizens are my top priorities. Ensuring that the United States is protected against espionage and other damaging intelligence activities conducted by our foreign adversaries is essential to meeting those goals.
Protected: Heightened vigilance amid Iranian cyber threat ‘a new normal’ for agencies (Federal News Network) Heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran last month kept agencies on high alert over the threat of an Iranian cyber-attack.
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Chinese Indictments in Equifax Breach Show Need for Secure Digital Infrastructure, not Onerous Privacy Regulations, Says ITIF (ITIF) "Today’s indictment shows that the ongoing debate about consumer data privacy has been muddled and misguided from the outset—focusing the blame on corporate victims rather than on the perpetrators of state-directed cyber espionage."
Opinion | Chinese Hacking Is Alarming. So Are Data Brokers. (New York Times) Companies like Equifax threaten our personal privacy and our national security.
Why the UK Didn't Ban Huawei (The National Interest) A breakdown of the decision.
Is there a halfway for Huawei? Western allies can’t agree on role for Chinese giant in 5G networks (The Globe and Mail) Ward Elcock, a former director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, said allowing Huawei into 5G is not worth the risk
U.S. chip firms fear Trump's screws on Huawei is bad for business (POLITICO) The administration may have to pull back on how far it will restrict such business out of fear that U.S. industry will be harmed.
Pentagon cyber budget is flat in new request (Fifth Domain) The administration requested $9.8 billion for cyber activities in next year's budget for the Department of Defense.
DOD Budget Invests in Cyber, Interoperability (SIGNAL Magazine) Department officials request $705 billion for fiscal year 2021.
Richmond, Katko, Kilmer, McCaul, Ruppersberger, Thompson, Rogers Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help State and Local Governments Secure Their Networks (House Committee on Homeland Security) The Official Website of the House Committee on Homeland Security
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DoD has enduring role in election defense (Edwards Air Force Base) The Defense Department plays an important role in that whole-of-government partnership, spearheaded by the NSA and Cybercom's Election Security Group, formed in the wake of the successes of the Russia
‘The intelligence coup of the century’ (Washington Post) For decades, the CIA read the encrypted communications of allies and adversaries.