Cybersecurity

Watchdog: Current pipeline security plans weak on cybersecurity, coordination

The Transportation Security Administration's plans for coordinating pipeline security incidents aren't keeping up with rising threats in cyberspace, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers promotes cyber education, accountability in defense bill

House defense panels think DOD's cyber recruiting efforts -- and cyber tools -- are too spread out to be effective.

Cybersecurity

Are federal facial recognition programs supported by existing law?

Some members of Congress say law enforcement agencies are relying on decades-old laws to justify use of facial recognition tech.

Policy

DHS Would Get At Least $2.9B for Tech, Cyber Under House Proposal

The draft spending bill would set aside funding for new technologies at the border and a couple billion for the government’s central cybersecurity agency.

Modernization

Agriculture Announces $858M to Upgrade Rural Electric Systems

The department aims to enhance electric reliability for rural communities and finance new smart grid technologies.

Cybersecurity

Census’ Cybersecurity Plan is Full of Holes, Watchdog Says

The 2020 Census will be a prime target for digital adversaries, but the plans for fighting those threats are incomplete and outdated, the Government Accountability Office found.

Cybersecurity

House committee pushes for a window into cyberwar

A subcommittee mark of the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act requires the military to notify Congress when using its expanded offensive cyber authorities.

Artificial Intelligence

How the CIA is Working to Ethically Deploy Artificial Intelligence

As the agency utilizes new technology, insiders are thinking critically about issues around privacy and bias.

Digital Government

DHS Needs to Set Guardrails for Its Expanded Insider Threat Program

As the department starts monitoring activity on unclassified networks, officials need to update policies and procedures to keep the program effective and constitutional.

Cybersecurity

Secrecy impinges on surveillance lawsuit against NSA

Government lawyers pressed the court to throw out a lawsuit challenging its "Upstream" surveillance program, saying the plaintiffs can't prove their communications were being collected.

Cybersecurity

IG: DHS needs more election tech help, IT patching

The Department of Homeland Security needs additional IT workers to help it assist state and local election officials, as well as patch its internal systems, the agency's IG said in a semi-annual report to Congress.

Cybersecurity

NSA Deflects Blame for Baltimore Ransomware Attack

The city of Baltimore had more than two years to defend itself against the attack, and it’s officials’ fault they dropped the ball, according to NSA cyber chief Rob Joyce.

Cybersecurity

Security Firm Says Huawei, ZTE Devices Still Run on Government Networks

About 4,000 devices are operating on federal, state and local public sector networks, according to security firm Forescout.

Cybersecurity

Why attribution is a means to an end

Law enforcement officials insist that accurately placing the blame on countries or groups who engage in destructive cyberattacks is a critical prelude to imposing more meaningful consequences.

Cybersecurity

Thrift Savings Plan sees uptick in 2FA

TSP users are adopting two-factor authentication, with few opt-outs, officials said.

Cybersecurity

Russia’s Would-Be Windows Replacement Gets a Security Upgrade

For sensitive communications, the Russian government aims to replace the ubiquitous Microsoft operating system with a bespoke flavor of Linux, a sign of the country's growing IT independence.

Cybersecurity

Can the IC police foreign disinformation on social media?

The latest Intelligence Authorization bill includes $30 million for a new research center where social media companies, researchers and journalists work together to study and expose online disinformation campaigns.

Cybersecurity

NATO Getting More Aggressive on Offensive Cyber

Secretary General Stoltenberg says NATO pushes limits of what the alliance can do in cyberspace.

Cybersecurity

The Pentagon is Trying to Secure Its Networks Against Quantum Codebreakers

The Defense Information Systems Agency is exploring new encryption strategies that could withstand an attack from quantum computers.