Cybersecurity
US unveils multiple operations to shutter North Korean IT worker schemes
At least one U.S. government contractor was hoovered up by the illicit worker operations, a senior FBI official said. The fraud has cost victims millions of dollars.
Iran-backed hackers may target US defense companies tied to Israel, agencies warn
“Despite a declared ceasefire and ongoing negotiations towards a permanent solution, Iranian-affiliated cyber actors and hacktivist groups may still conduct malicious cyber activity,” a government advisory says.
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Former Biden cyber chief defends Cyber Trust Mark in the face of FCC review
Anne Neuberger told Nextgov/FCW the Cyber Trust Mark, as it stands, is the most effective path to labeling secure devices and reducing reliance on insecure tech from China.
National Cyber Director should lead quantum cyber preparations, GAO says
Marisol Cruz Cain, the watchdog’s head of cybersecurity and information, told lawmakers that the Office of the National Cyber Director remains GAO’s pick to coordinate a national post-quantum strategy.
Report: Iranian hackers are trying to create a psychological war in cyberspace
The Iran-linked CyberAv3ngers gang has evolved itself into a digital propaganda machine by combining recycled data leaks and theatrics to manufacture panic about hacks that never happened.
Cyber firms sunset free services meant to counter Russia-linked hacking threats
The 2022 initiative by Cloudflare, CrowdStrike and Ping Identity provided cybersecurity support to critical infrastructure sectors seen as potential targets of Russia-linked attacks.
DHS expects Iran’s cyber forces will target US networks after strikes on nuclear sites
Iran has often targeted U.S. digital systems. Last year, Iranian hackers pilfered and distributed sensitive documents from inside President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Secure by Design is just the start, CISA official says
A program manager for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said ongoing threat vigilance is needed post-implementation of the agency’s Secure by Design framework.
CISA’s executive director is leaving the agency
Bridget Bean had been with CISA for over three years, during which time she also briefly served as the acting director of the cyber agency.
US agencies assessed Chinese telecom hackers likely hit data center and residential internet providers
Data center giant Digital Realty and mass media titan Comcast were documented as likely victims of the Salt Typhoon cyberespionage group, people familiar say, marking a potentially major expansion of the group’s initial telecom hacking campaign discovered last year.
Trump cyber executive order aims to amend ‘problematic’ parts of Biden, Obama cyber orders
The order strips certain Biden-era cyber directives and looks to orient federal cyber policy around concrete technical measures, including secure software development, quantum-resistant encryption and labeling standards for IoT devices.
DOJ files complaint to get nearly $8 million in stolen funds back from North Korea
The DPRK has long been tracked as a cyber actor that uses worker schemes to steal funds for its missile program and other regime goals.
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Lawmakers warn that UK’s Apple backdoor demand ‘sets a dangerous precedent’
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, said "forcing companies to circumvent their own encrypted services in the name of security is the beginning of a dangerous slippery slope."
Wrong time for Trump admin to end mobile app security program, cyber lawmaker says
Amid a major Chinese intrusion into U.S. telecoms, New York Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino says CISA’s Mobile App Vetting program shouldn’t be terminated.
Senate Homeland panel likely to approve Cairncross, Plankey for key cyber positions
Sean Plankey, tapped to lead CISA, did not appear at a Thursday hearing due to reported clearance-related delays, but his name was still added to a list of nominees to be voted on next week.
‘I do not have confidence’ that US infrastructure is cyber-secure, former NSC official says
At the AI Expo for National Competitiveness, Anne Neuberger told audiences that artificial intelligence tools are an enhancement opportunity for U.S. cyber defenses and intelligence collection.
CISA projected to lose a third of its workforce under Trump’s 2026 budget
The White House’s latest spending proposal projects nearly 1,000 jobs will be slashed at the nation’s lead civilian cyber agency. Related cyber and intel programs across government also face funding rollbacks.
Senators urge DHS to reinstate disbanded cyber review board
The board — which was dismissed at the start of the Trump administration — has been viewed as a well-intentioned but imperfect tool for reviewing significant cybersecurity events.
China-linked ‘Silk Typhoon’ hackers accessed Commvault cloud environments, person familiar says
The hacking unit previously infiltrated Treasury Department networks and compromised some of the agency’s most sensitive systems.
An 18th-century war power resurfaces in cyber policy talks
An old-world legal concept is seeing renewed interest in the cybersecurity community as a tool to give the private sector more runway to combat hackers, though many agree it’s more metaphor than mandate.
