Cybersecurity

Industry presses for tech funding in COVID relief amid Senate opposition

Several industry groups sent a letter to lawmakers last week urging them to include $10 billion for cybersecurity in the next coronavirus relief bill, however congressional backers of a tech push in the relief bill say that Senate opposition makes a big push unlikely to pass.

Cybersecurity

DOD IG audit cites five programs for updating cyber requirements

The Pentagon's watchdog says the five weapons programs it audited have been updating cybersecurity requirements to defend against identified threats.

Cybersecurity

Senators: Biden picks Anne Neuberger to lead SolarWinds response

The lawmakers had sent a letter to the White House earlier this week urging President Joe Biden to select one official to oversee the federal government’s response to the breach.

Cybersecurity

Krebs: More 'destructive,' 'brazen' attacks possible from Russia

The former CISA director's warning came during one of the first congressional hearings that largely focused on the SolarWinds Orion breach.

Cybersecurity

Warner, Rubio seek single top official for SolarWinds response

The two leaders of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence say the government's response to the hack so far has been "disjointed and disorganized."

Modernization

FERC proposes incentives for electric companies to improve cybersecurity

The new rule, proposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, would subsidize electric companies that upgrade their cybersecurity infrastructure beyond the minimum requirements.

Cybersecurity

NIST offers tools to defend against nation state cyber threats

The National Institute of Standards and Technology cites a 2018 hack of a Navy contractor as inspiration for a new publication on cyber defense, but security analysts say the tools are just as relevant to SolarWinds Orion.

Cybersecurity

Foster plans push for digital ID legislation

Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) said today he will likely reintroduce a bipartisan bill to improve the country's fragmentary digital identity verification systems.

Cybersecurity

HASC adds cybersecurity subcommittee

Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) will chair a new subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee focused on cybersecurity, emerging tech and information systems.

People

Senate panel approves Granholm nomination to lead DOE

Jennifer Granholm, the former governor of Michigan, is poised to become energy secretary as the agency continues to grapple with the fallout of the SolarWinds Orion hack.

Modernization

Agencies feel IT staff shortages from Trump administration hiring freezes

Trump administration hiring freezes have been causing a strain on federal agencies trying to cope with the demands put on IT staff because of telework.

Cybersecurity

Does Einstein need a post-SolarWinds makeover?

A marquee program designed to protect the government against cybersecurity threats is facing new scrutiny in the wake of Solar Winds Orion breach, but analysts say the program was unlikely to have ever stopped the hacking campaign.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers press NSA for answers about Juniper hack from 2015

A group of Democratic lawmakers is calling on the NSA to explain its part in developing a flawed encryption algorithm that was used and subsequently exploited through Juniper Network's security products, citing the supply chain hack involving SolarWinds Orion.

People

State Dept. can't justify move to open cyber office, GAO finds

The Government Accountability Office says the State Department failed to justify the scope and organizational placement of a new office that was greenlighted in the final days of the Trump administration.

Cybersecurity

Hassan, Cornyn try again with cyber Guard bill

The bill would allow states to use the National Guard for the purpose of bolstering their cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity

Biden taps campaign veteran for federal CISO job

Chris DeRusha, who led information security on the Biden campaign, is the federal government's new chief information security officer.

Cybersecurity

Senate Dems demand answers on DOJ's hack exposure

A group of Democratic senators want detailed answers from the Justice Department and the judiciary branch by the end of the month about the impact of the SolarWinds breach.

Cybersecurity

Evanina resigns as counterintelligence chief

William Evanina, a career intelligence official, is stepping down from the post of director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center.

Modernization

Trump issues last-minute order targeting foreign cyber threats

A Jan. 19 executive order from Donald Trump in the waning hours of his presidency aims to force cloud providers to keep more complete records about their customers to support U.S. investigations of hacks and other computer crimes.

Cybersecurity

SolarWinds hack blights the Trump administration's cybersecurity record

The consequences of the SolarWinds Orion hack are far from clear, but analysts and lawmakers say that officials at CISA and NSA made notable strides to improve the government's cybersecurity posture.