Cybersecurity
US sanctions Chinese company that helped facilitate espionage hacks
Integrity Technology Group, known to researchers as Flax Typhoon, contracted with China’s Ministry of State Security to carry out infiltrations into internet of things devices, the FBI previously said.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers request briefing from Treasury secretary on Chinese hack
The compromised third-party offering was a commercial remote services tool not listed in the marketplace for FedRAMP, the government’s cloud security compliance framework.
Cybersecurity
Chinese-sponsored hackers accessed Treasury documents in ‘major incident’
The incident comes in the final days of the Biden presidency and as officials work to root out China-tied hackers from U.S. telecommunications systems.
Cybersecurity
Major cyber news drops under the buzzer for 2024
A ninth U.S. telecommunications provider fell onto Salt Typhoon’s victim list, and the UN’s controversial cybercrime treaty was adopted.
Cybersecurity
Hundreds of organizations were notified of potential Salt Typhoon compromise
Some of the exploited vulnerabilities have had fixes available for several years. One provider’s management system was protected with a basic numeric password.
Cybersecurity
US charges Israeli-Russian national with making software for LockBit ransomware gang
LockBit has made headlines for years, allowing purveyors of its malware to haul away millions of dollars from victims.
Cybersecurity
Congress approves 2025 NDAA with important cyber provisions
Left out was language that would have helped clarify the scope and reach of a controversial surveillance power that was renewed in April.
Cybersecurity
CISA orders federal agencies to secure their cloud environments
Federal civilian agencies are compelled by the Binding Operational Directive to adopt specific cloud standards under SCuBA, a government blueprint that helps agencies assess cloud security security guidelines.
Cybersecurity
CISA issues updated draft of national cyber incident response plan
The NCIRP was first released in 2016. The updates include pathways for non-federal groups to get involved in responding to devastating cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity
Salt Typhoon attacks prompt talk of hacking back against China
In classified settings, lawmakers have often asked national security officials why American cyber forces don’t go on the attack more often, one senator said.
Cybersecurity
Agencies look to automation software to usher in next phase of post-quantum security
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is working with select agencies to implement post-quantum cryptography, and will turn to vendors to further secure federal data.
Cybersecurity
Senate bill would require FCC to issue binding cyber rules for telecom firms
The measure from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. comes in the wake of Chinese-backed hackers breaching a swath of major telecommunications providers.
Cybersecurity
FY2025 NDAA targets spyware threats to U.S. diplomats, military devices
The language comes as the State department has pressed foreign governments to collectively set standards to prevent spyware abuses.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers targeted in encrypted messaging phishing scam
Officials have been urging Americans and federal staff to pivot to encrypted messaging services amid a recent Chinese breach into telecommunications networks.
Cybersecurity
FCC proposes updates to wiretap security standards following Chinese telecom hacks
Several lawmakers have called for the agency to reform wiretap standards governed by the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA.
Cybersecurity
At least 8 US carriers hit in Chinese telecom hacks, senior official says
The hacks carried out by the Salt Typhoon group impacted a couple dozen countries and may have been ongoing for one to two years, the official said.
Cybersecurity
Senators call for investigation of DOD’s comms following Chinese telecom breach
“DOD’s failure to secure its unclassified voice, video and text communications with end-to-end encryption technology has left it needlessly vulnerable to foreign espionage,” Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote to the Pentagon’s inspector general.
Cybersecurity
NIST issues updated cyber guides focused on assessments and communication
Two new volumes were released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology that aim to broaden the publication’s applicability to organizations outside federal agencies.
Cybersecurity
Chinese telecom espionage began with ‘much broader’ aims, officials say
The U.S. has been investigating the Salt Typhoon hackers since late spring and early summer this year, a senior FBI official said.
Cybersecurity