Tech
Chinese-sponsored hackers accessed Treasury documents in ‘major incident’
The incident comes in the final days of the Biden presidency and as officials work to root out China-tied hackers from U.S. telecommunications systems.
Tech
Could states’ cyber get trickier under a Trump administration?
Some Republicans have proposed eliminating CISA altogether, which could complicate information sharing efforts. More pressing, though, is the ending of federal cyber grants.
Oversight
Senators call for watchdog to investigate TSA’s use of facial recognition
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, 12 senators warned that the deployment of facial biometrics at every U.S. airport could create “one of the largest federal surveillance databases overnight without authorization from Congress.”
Tech
Hackers nabbed emails between congressional staff and the Library of Congress
Affected staff were notified Friday afternoon, according to an internal email. Capitol Hill communications with the Congressional Research Service frequently involve confidential legislative drafts or policies still in the brainstorming stage.
Management
CISA Director Jen Easterly to depart on Inauguration Day
Easterly and Deputy Director Nitin Natarajan are set to leave as an administration change casts doubt on the agency’s future.
Tech
Veterans’ military skills can help them fill cyber vacancies, State official says
The White House’s national cybersecurity strategy said that greater veteran participation in the U.S. cyber workforce can help enhance critical digital defenses.
Exclusive
Tech
DHS issues internal comms guidance amid telecom breach investigation
The DHS Cyber Safety Review Board is already slated to investigate the hacking collective, dubbed Salt Typhoon, and its intrusion into telecommunications firms and wiretap infrastructure.
Defense
Pentagon puts a dent in cyber workforce vacancies
Nearly a quarter of the Defense Department’s cyber jobs went unfilled last year.
Tech
Will cyber suffer under Trump’s goal to slash federal budgets?
Donald Trump’s intent to cut agency budgets has sparked concerns over adequate cybersecurity funding for government networks. Some believe these fears may be overstated.
News
Russian email domains sent uncredible bomb threats to polling places, FBI says
Kremlin-backed actors have a long record of sowing fear and disinformation into the U.S. election process.
Tech
‘Every single American’ a target of election interference, former DHS official says
Adversaries have heavily accelerated efforts to sway the outcome of next week’s presidential election.
Tech
FBI arrests man accused of hacking SEC’s X account in January
The hijacked account posted illegitimate news about a widely-anticipated Bitcoin announcement, leading the cryptocurrency to spike some $1,000.
Updated
Tech
FBI raids government IT and cyber contractor Carahsoft
The FBI confirmed the raid but declined to provide further details.
Tech
Expedited STEM and cybersecurity hiring authority extended
OPM grants direct hire authority to agencies when there’s a lack of candidates or major hiring needs.
Tech
CISA issues guide to help federal agencies set cybersecurity priorities
The guidance comes as federal civilian agencies are closing in on zero trust deadlines looming at the end of the current fiscal year.
Tech
Major agencies are close to meeting September zero trust deadline, federal CIO says
The deadline is linked to a sweeping 2021 cybersecurity executive order.
Tech
CISA, FBI assert election infrastructure’s fortitude despite ransomware threat
Both organizations aim to instill confidence in U.S. voting infrastructure ahead of the 2024 elections.
Workforce
How the White House cyber czar is working to breathe new life into America’s cybersecurity workforce
The national cyber director wants to prepare the next generation of cyber warriors. It starts with touring schools.
Defense
Senate confirms first-ever Pentagon cyber policy chief
The new position would help the DOD increase its public-facing cyber outreach efforts.
Tech