International
Tariffs create more volatile environment for cyberattacks, industry executive warns
Tenable Co-CEO Steve Vintz told Nextgov/FCW that the potential trade wars stoked by the Trump administration’s tariffs facilitate conditions that incentivize hacking activity around the globe.
Phishing campaign seeks to siphon Ukraine war intelligence from defense contractors
Nearly 880 spoofed domains of worldwide IT, defense and aerospace firms were identified between December and March, DomainTools Investigations says.
FCC to investigate potential US operations of restricted Chinese firms
The commission’s new chairman, Brendan Carr, believes that some or all of the companies on the FCC’s Covered List are still operating in the nation.
Experts fear global media agency’s gutting will strip key tools against foreign propaganda
U.S. Agency for Global Media programs serve a critical function in the face of U.S. adversaries’ efforts to wage information warfare against American allies and regions of critical interest, an influence operations analyst said.
Republicans urge Trump admin to launch offensive cyber operations against China
The letter cites high-profile Chinese intrusions into U.S. systems that have made headlines in recent months. Trump’s national security officials have expressed a desire to engage in offensive cyber ops against adversaries.
US charges 12 Chinese nationals for hacks into government systems
Some of the people have ties to i-Soon, the Chinese tech firm whose hacking-for-hire activities were exposed in a leak last year. Others are linked to Silk Typhoon, a hacking unit that recently breached the Treasury Department.
Trade group urges Commerce secretary to support the work of subagencies
The Business Software Alliance said international alliances, export control regimes and standards harmonization efforts can all support the Department of Commerce’s advancement of U.S. tech.
Hegseth orders suspension of cyber, information operations planning against Russia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday that new U.S. foreign policy configurations “largely coincides with our vision.”
IBM contract for overseas cyber assistance canned amid USAID shutdown
The foreign aid agency — a prime target of President Donald Trump’s agenda to eliminate perceived government waste — declared cybersecurity an economic development issue in 2021.
US spy chief directs legal review of UK’s Apple backdoor demand
Tulsi Gabbard called the order, which demands Apple permit the United Kingdom backdoor access into global users’ iCloud backups, a “clear and egregious” violation of Americans’ privacy.
Salt Typhoon hackers exploited stolen credentials and a 7-year-old software flaw in Cisco systems
The Chinese hacking collective has widely leveraged vulnerabilities in communications infrastructure to breach dozens of telecom providers in the U.S. and overseas.
GOP lawmakers seek industry input on crafting US-first AI regulatory regime
Republican lawmakers used a House hearing to seek input from industry representatives for how lawmakers can craft policies that enable manufacturers to successfully leverage AI.
Featured eBooks
Vance calls for more open AI policy at Paris summit
Vice President JD Vance laid out the Trump administration’s priorities on artificial intelligence policy with an emphasis on unleashing American innovation via lighter-touch regulations.
Lawmakers move to ban DeepSeek’s AI from government devices
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., charged that China is using DeepSeek “to steal the sensitive data of U.S. citizens.”
US sanctions Chinese firm behind sweeping Salt Typhoon telecom hacks
The Treasury Department also sanctioned an individual involved in recent Chinese hacks into its own systems.
Commerce announces new export control on US AI products
The new export controls will alter licensing requirements for AI chips and closed-source models to allow allied nations to access U.S. AI innovation while preventing adversarial nations from doing so.
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.
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.
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.
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.
