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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
HHS reorg seeks to streamline tech and cyber policy
A new assistant secretary post will consolidate management of technology, data, AI and health IT.
Tech
Biden looks to preserve his tech and cyber legacy with veto threat
Experts see continuity in tech policy from the Biden administration to a possible Kamala Harris presidency, with possible divergence on some national security and antitrust issues.
Tech
Biden briefed on CrowdStrike IT outage as multiple federal systems impacted
Social Security offices closed on July 19 due to the incident. It will be “time-consuming” for all affected systems to undo the damage because the process is manual, one expert says.
Oversight
Why do federal employee background checks take so long? Panel points to delayed IT system
The Defense Department agency responsible for vetting workers at most federal agencies originally planned to have a new background check system fully functional in 2019.
Workforce
DHS cyber hiring program got off on the wrong foot, CIO says, but progress is showing
Ten years after its congressional authorization, the Cybersecurity Talent Management System is closing in on 200 hires.
Defense
Pentagon background-check systems at risk of hacking, GAO says
The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency didn’t fully implement DOD’s cybersecurity process, a new report finds.
Tech