International

Intelligence firms watch for uptick in Iran cyber activity after US, Israel strikes

Analysts say organizations should remain vigilant, though early indications show Iran-linked hackers have overstated their success.

Hackers are exploiting exposed Cisco products, Five Eyes intelligence agencies say

A Cisco threat intelligence report calls the cyberintruders “highly sophisticated” but stops short of naming any affiliation with a foreign nation.

Treasury sanctions Russian firm said to have stolen and sold US cyber tools

The sanctions coincide with an FBI investigation into Peter Williams, a former employee of U.S. defense contractor L3Harris who pleaded guilty to selling cyber exploits to a Russian entity.

Chinese telecom hackers likely holding stolen data ‘in perpetuity’ for later attempts, FBI official says

“I think it’s important to say we do not know exactly what the [People’s Republic of China] intends to do with a lot of this information,” said FBI cyber official Michael Machtinger.

US cyber responses will be ‘linked to adversary actions’ and involve industry coordination, official says

That dynamic will be outlined in a national cyber strategy, which will be released “soon,” said ONCD’s Alexandra Seymour.

Now accepting applications — for classified intel

Foreign adversaries are using fake jobs and consulting gigs to coax secrets from former U.S. officials. It’s had results, and the efforts don’t appear to be slowing.

US withdraws from the Open Government Partnership — which it helped create

“Anyone who has followed developments over the last year will not be surprised by this decision of the U.S. government,” the CEO of the multilateral global initiative said in a statement.

US developed ‘non-kinetic’ cell ahead of Venezuela mission to push cyber operations

Officials said that cyber capabilities are expected to play a central role in future U.S. military undertakings.

Suspected Chinese spies targeted former State official for Venezuela research

The recruitment scheme involved a sham company previously reported by Nextgov/FCW that has sought out former U.S. federal employees through fake websites and job postings.

Trump policies are helping ensure the US leads in global AI revolution, White House economic advisers argue

A new report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers highlights several metrics that could forecast AI’s impact on the economy, and advocates for President Donald Trump’s AI policy stances as important to American success.

Lawmaker worries NSF program loophole enables Chinese institutions to access US-backed computing resources

Chinese entities are able to access a stockpile of high-performance computing tools funded by the U.S. government, creating potential technology transfer risks, Rep. John Moolenaar said in a letter sent this week.

Lawmakers worry over new rule that will allow sales of Nvidia’s H200 chips to China

A revised licensing review policy will allow Chinese firms to purchase Nvidia’s H200 chips, although some members of Congress say the move will embolden Beijing’s own AI ambitions.

Experts see NSA nominee’s Pacific experience as a boost to US cyber posture on China

Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd currently serves as deputy commander of Indo-Pacific Command.

Experts press for large‑scale US offensive cyber operations at House hearing

The U.S. will be “hamstrung” until it fully integrates cyber and computer network matters into its military doctrine, the head of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure said.

GSA’s procurement chief is attending negotiations for Ukraine and Gaza

Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum most recently attended a “coalition of the willing” in Paris to discuss Ukrainian security.

Chinese hackers targeted email systems of US congressional staff, people familiar say

The incident adds another chapter in a storied history of China’s cyber attempts to nab sensitive data from U.S. government systems.

Analysts watch for heightened cyber, disinformation campaigns following Venezuela raid

Disinformation operations have been spotted, but there are no signs the efforts are being coordinated through a foreign government, one observer told Nextgov/FCW.