Digital Government
Court Revives Defunct NSA Mass Surveillance Program
NSA’s phone dragnet is back—for now.
Cybersecurity
OPM May Announce Size of Second Data Breach Next Week
The embattled federal agency is planning to reveal details about a breach of security-clearance information as soon as early next week, according to Hill sources.
Cybersecurity
Federal Employee Union Sues Over OPM Hack, Citing Financial and Emotional Distress
Agency Director Katherine Archuleta and CIO Donna Seymour are named in the class action lawsuit.
Cybersecurity
Contractors Hacked Other Contractors and Agencies for Financial Gain
Government (U.S.) // Technology // United States
Cybersecurity
DHS Group Wants Homeland Security to Share Database of Cyber Incidents with Private Sector
The effort builds on a 2015 White House executive order encouraging more cyberthreat information sharing between the public and private sectors.
Digital Government
After Hack, Officials Pull Plug on Pentagon and OPM Background Check Systems
A vulnerability in an OPM tool that links to the Pentagon system was discovered during a probe.
Modernization
Feds: App Secretly Hijacked Phones to Mine Digital Money
The "Prized" app drained batteries and burned through mobile data, according to regulators.
Cybersecurity
Is it Time to Finally Get Rid of the Password?
The vast majority of users and organization still rely on passwords for protection from increasingly persistent cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity
OPM yanks background check system offline
Weeks after first disclosing massive breaches, OPM has shuttered a vital background check system.
Cybersecurity
McCormack details changes at DHS CIO office
The moves include the promotion of Deputy CIO Margie Graves, the appointment of CTO Michael Hermus and creation of a new deputy CIO post.
Cybersecurity
Hackers Expose Narcotics Dealers, Dump Canadian Officials’ Credentials and Sell Patient Records for $3
Just another week in ThreatWatch, our regularly updated index of noteworthy data breaches.
Cybersecurity
Canadian Health Authority ‘Tearing’ Offices Apart For Missing Thumb Drive and Assigning 30 Workers for Notification
Healthcare and Public Health // Canada
Cybersecurity
OPM Chief’s New Cyber Defense Operation Has Potential, Private Investigators Say
But GOP lawmakers have asked Obama to remove Archuleta.
Cybersecurity
WikiLeaks Saudi Cable Release Resembles the Work of Iranian Hackers
Government (Foreign) // Saudi Arabia
Cybersecurity
McCain Lays Into OPM Director Over Data Breaches
The head of the Office of Personnel Management faced a third consecutive day of intense questioning over her handling of a series of data breaches last year.
Cybersecurity
Hackers Leak Canadian Officials’ Creds to Protest Surveillance Legislation
Government (Foreign) // Transportation // Canada
Ideas
Post-OPM Hack, An Opportunity to Retool Encryption
Redefining encryption in a more holistic manner can be done with the proper technologies and policies in place – even for something as old as a COBOL legacy.
Cybersecurity
Why Cyber War Is Dangerous for Democracies
The most worrying form of government spying isn’t the kind Edward Snowden exposed.
Cybersecurity
IT tools can help declassification backlog, but is there funding?
Three pilot projects designed to prove out the software-based analysis concept have convinced members of the Public Interest Declassification Board that some level of automation can be introduced into the declassification process.
Cybersecurity