Digital Government
Diplomats Aren’t Following the State Department’s Social Media Rules, Watchdog Says
At least 20 ambassadors have used their personal Twitter accounts for diplomatic activities.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers Push for the State Department to Help Secure Foreign Elections
Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Dan Sullivan resurrected a bill that would allow the agency to share information on election threat with foreign countries.
Cybersecurity
More Than 25 Million Passport Numbers Stolen in Marriott Breach
About 5 million of those were unencrypted.
Cybersecurity
State Department Is Buying Phone Hacking Tools for Ghanaian Police
The department issued a solicitation for specific hacking tools, which it plans to give to partners in Ghana to stem international crime.
Cybersecurity
Russian Hackers Allegedly Attacked Germany and the U.S. on the Same Day
It’s unclear whether any data was stolen in either attack.
Cybersecurity
State Department Confirms Email Data Breach
The breach may have compromised employee personal information in less than 1 percent of email inboxes.
Cybersecurity
State Department Visa Analysis System Wasn’t Patched or Scanned for Viruses, Audit Finds
Department officials also weren’t tracking who used the system or if they were sharing passwords.
Emerging Tech
The Age of 3D-Printed Guns in America Is Here
The guns are untraceable, and require no background check to make or own.
Emerging Tech
Get Ready to Legally 3D-Print a Gun
A settlement between Defense Distributed and the State Department has been reached.
Digital Government
The IRS Doesn’t Know How to Get in Touch With American Expats. But It Can Revoke Their Passports
The tax agency reportedly struggles to send mail to foreign addresses.
Cybersecurity
Trump Administration Considering Regulation as a Tool to Compel Good Cyber Behavior
Regulatory actions will join other tools, such as indictments and sanctions, in the U.S. effort to promote cyber norms.
Cybersecurity
Bill to Reinstate and Elevate Top Cyber Diplomat Advances from Senate Committee
The Trump administration first removed the position, then combined it with State’s internet governance chief.
Ideas
The State Department’s New Cyber Reports Miss the Point Entirely
Amid a crisis in U.S. cyber policy, a pair of reports on deterrence and international engagement offer recycled ideas.
Policy
The U.S. Is Altering its Visa Policies to Stem China’s Advancement in STEM
The State Department is preparing to shorten the length of the visas it issues to Chinese nationals.
Cybersecurity
House Committee Forwards State Department Bug Bounty Bill
The ethical hacking competition is modeled on the Hack the Pentagon program.
Cybersecurity
State Reauthorization Elevates Cyber Office Tillerson Once Shuttered
The House bill closely tracks a standalone bill to restore and elevate the cyber coordinator’s office.
Digital Government
Social Media Screening Won’t Slow Down the Visa Process, State Department Says
The department wants to screen five years of social media and email from all visa applicants but doesn’t expect longer processing time “for most visa cases.”
Digital Government
VISA Applications May Require Five Years of Social Media Information
In the near future, Visa applications filed through the State Department may require a lot of personal info.
Cybersecurity
House Lawmakers Introduce Hack the State Department Bug Bounty Bill
The bill would offer cash rewards for vulnerabilities hackers discover in State Department websites.
Digital Government
Facebook Just Blocked This Cambridge Analytica Affiliate. Why Does It Still Have a State Department Contract?
Strategic Communications Laboratories worked with Cambridge Analytica, which reportedly used social-media data to target likely Trump voters.
Almost There!
Help us tailor content specifically for you: