State

The State Department’s New Cyber Reports Miss the Point Entirely

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Amid a crisis in U.S. cyber policy, a pair of reports on deterrence and international engagement offer recycled ideas.

  • By David Fidier, Defense One

The U.S. Is Altering its Visa Policies to Stem China’s Advancement in STEM

The State Department is preparing to shorten the length of the visas it issues to Chinese nationals.

  • By Josh Horwitz, Quartz
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif.

House Committee Forwards State Department Bug Bounty Bill

The ethical hacking competition is modeled on the Hack the Pentagon program.

  • By Joseph Marks

State Reauthorization Elevates Cyber Office Tillerson Once Shuttered

The House bill closely tracks a standalone bill to restore and elevate the cyber coordinator’s office.

  • By Joseph Marks

Social Media Screening Won’t Slow Down the Visa Process, State Department Says

The department wants to screen five years of social media and email from all visa applicants but doesn’t expect longer processing time “for most visa cases.”

  • By Jack Corrigan

VISA Applications May Require Five Years of Social Media Information

In the near future, Visa applications filed through the State Department may require a lot of personal info.

  • By Caitlin Fairchild

House Lawmakers Introduce Hack the State Department Bug Bounty Bill

The bill would offer cash rewards for vulnerabilities hackers discover in State Department websites.

  • By Joseph Marks

Facebook Just Blocked This Cambridge Analytica Affiliate. Why Does It Still Have a State Department Contract?

Strategic Communications Laboratories worked with Cambridge Analytica, which reportedly used social-media data to target likely Trump voters.

  • By Patrick Tucker, Defense One
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

State Dept. Reverses Course, Plans to Launch Cyber and Digital Economy Bureau

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson earlier shuttered a cyber coordinator’s office with similar duties.

  • By Joseph Marks
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

No, Rex Tillerson Does Not Have $1.85M To Give You

The secretary of state’s name is being used in an email scam, the FTC warns.

  • By Aaron Boyd
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif.

House Votes to Restore Top Cyber Diplomat’s Office

The vote is a rare rift on cyber policy with the Trump administration.

  • By Joseph Marks

2017 Was Marked by Continuity and Confusion in Cyber Policy

The Kaspersky ban, WannaCry and big changes at State Department topped the news cycle.

  • By Joseph Marks

Will Ukraine Be Hit by Yet Another Holiday Power-Grid Hack?

The country has been attacked the past two years in December. A new strike could have major implications for cybersecurity in the U.S.

  • By Alyza Sebenius, The Atlantic
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

As AI and Cyber Race Ahead, the State Department Is Falling Behind

Technology is reshaping the global order. America’s diplomats need to start thinking ahead.

  • By Josh Kirshner, Defense One

Hey, @Twitter, It’s Time to Talk about President Trump

The president’s amplification of the things he finds in his mentions is putting national security at risk.

  • By Mieke Eoyang, Defense One
Maj. Lisa Jaster, center, stands in formation with other Rangers during an Army Ranger school graduation ceremony, Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, in Fort Benning, Ga. Jaster, who is the first Army Reserve female to graduate the Army's Ranger School. Maj. Lisa Jaster, center, stands in formation with other Rangers during an Army Ranger school graduation ceremony, Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, in Fort Benning, Ga. Jaster, who is the first Army Reserve female to graduate the Army's Ranger School.

More Than 200 US Diplomats, Civil Servants and Servicewomen Say They’ve Been Harassed at Work

An open letter titled #metoonatsec accuses their industry of systemic discrimination and harassment.

  • By Annalisa Merelli, Quartz

The Pluses and Perils of Trump's Cyber Strategy

Continuity on most cyber policies masks a growing erosion of global cyber norms.

  • By Joseph Marks

State Department CIO to Retire

Another agency will be lead by an acting CIO.

  • By Jack Corrigan
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

Bill to Restore State Department Cyber Office Advances

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shuttered the office in September.

  • By Joseph Marks

White House Discloses Rules on Weaponizing Software Vulnerabilities

The administration will publish an annual report on how it decides whether to hoard or disclose newfound cyber vulnerabilities.

  • By Joseph Marks