Cybersecurity

Secure Elections Act sponsors eye lame duck session

Congress won't pass election security legislation before the midterms, but sponsors are working to get a vote on the floor before a new Congress is sworn in next year.

Digital Government

DHS says teamwork is improving election security

DHS chief Kirstjen Nielsen said her agency, the intel community and states are taking steps to make sure they're working out of the same playbook for securing the November elections.

Cybersecurity

Agencies still need help protecting high value assets

A newly released DHS report reveals feedback from agencies on some of the biggest technical and bureaucratic obstacles they face protecting their most sensitive and mission critical IT assets.

Digital Government

Lawmakers see advanced tech gap with China shrinking

At two hearings, members of Congress discussed ways to accelerate progress in quantum computing, AI, 5G and other emerging technologies.

Digital Government

Hurd expects Congress to restore TMF funding

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) said he believes Senate concerns about Technology Modernization Fund transparency "have been addressed" and expects funding to be included in final FY19 appropriations.

Cybersecurity

Security clearance backlog drops 9 percent

An interagency council credits a series of changes instituted to the security clearance process this year with the first drop unprocessed background investigations in years.

Digital Government

Watchdog dings contractors for IRS tax day outage

The tax agency plans to seek damages from one contractor as a result of contractual performance targets missed during an embarrassing 2018 system failure.

Cybersecurity

Trump's cyber strategy: what they are saying

The Trump administration's new cyber doctrine may go a long way in clarifying the role of different agencies, but cybersecurity experts and former U.S. officials still have questions.

Cybersecurity

White House rolls out new national cyber strategy

The Trump administration's long-awaited cyber strategy promises a more aggressive willingness to use offensive operations against nation-states and criminal groups in the digital domain.

Cybersecurity

Wyden wants better cyber protections for lawmakers, staff

Congressional cybersecurity personnel may be barred from using appropriated funds to protect the personal email and devices of members and staff, according to a letter by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Cybersecurity

Botnet bandits drop dimes on cybercrimes

New court filings reveal how the operators of the infamous Mirai botnet are helping the FBI combat cybercrime.

Digital Government

FEMA tackles the hurricane rumor mill with new web page

As it responds to the potential devastation of Hurricane Florence, FEMA has set up a new web page to track and warn the public about unsubstantiated whisper campaigns related to relief efforts.

Acquisition

How to win funds and modernize technology

As TMF funding hangs in the balance, the modernization board advises applicants not to bury the lede.

Digital Government

Trump order imposes consequences on election meddlers

Congressional advocates for legislation on voting security said the Trump order was welcome but didn't go far enough.

Cybersecurity

Should DHS do more with DMARC data?

A 2017 cybersecurity directive is providing DHS with a flood of data on hackers attempting to penetrate federal systems through fake emails, but thus far the agency has not articulated a plan for using the information.

Cybersecurity

Federal agencies reacted unevenly to Equifax breach

The federal government's central cyber incident response agency played a minor role in the wake of the Equifax breach, while agencies wondered who was in charge.

Cybersecurity

U.S. charges North Korean programmer for WannaCry, Sony hack

The U.S. government levied criminal and economic sanctions against a North Korean programmer and a company accused of carrying out the 2014 Sony hack, the 2017 WannaCry attacks and other cybercrimes.

Cybersecurity

House passes CDM bill

The bill now moves to the Senate, where previous DHS cyber reform efforts have stalled over jurisdictional issues.

Cybersecurity

How to spot a bot

A new report provides a deep dive into the sophisticated behavior and strategies that guide Russian botnet-directed disinformation and influence campaigns.

Cybersecurity

Chinese hacker group targets tech supply chain, report says

New evidence of a Chinese hacking group's links to Beijing could give U.S. investigators new ammunition to crack down on economic espionage and threats to the technology supply chain.