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.
Cybersecurity
State Dept. Reverses Course, Plans to Launch Cyber and Digital Economy Bureau
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson earlier shuttered a cyber coordinator’s office with similar duties.
Cybersecurity
No, Rex Tillerson Does Not Have $1.85M To Give You
The secretary of state’s name is being used in an email scam, the FTC warns.
Policy
House Votes to Restore Top Cyber Diplomat’s Office
The vote is a rare rift on cyber policy with the Trump administration.
Cybersecurity
2017 Was Marked by Continuity and Confusion in Cyber Policy
The Kaspersky ban, WannaCry and big changes at State Department topped the news cycle.
Cybersecurity
Will Ukraine Be Hit by Yet Another Holiday Power-Grid Hack?
The country has been attacked the past two years in December. A new strike could have major implications for cybersecurity in the U.S.
Ideas
As AI and Cyber Race Ahead, the State Department Is Falling Behind
Technology is reshaping the global order. America’s diplomats need to start thinking ahead.
Ideas