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Cybersecurity
Cyber industry coalition urges federal action after suspected Iran-linked water hacks
The group called on CISA to impose baseline security standards across federal operational technology systems and pressed Congress to revive several stalled cyber initiatives.
People
Greg Barbaccia to return to Palantir after leaving government
The federal CIO’s departure comes after a turbulent period for the federal technology workforce where thousands of technologists left the government.
Cybersecurity
CISA urges water utilities to take exposed systems down after Minnesota hacks
A memo distributed to water industry members and obtained by Nextgov/FCW makes mention of Iran but does not directly present evidence attributing the latest Minnesota incident to the country.
Cybersecurity
Amazon uncovers broad North Korean hacking campaign against open-source software
New findings connect the same Pyongyang-backed group to four compromises dating to 2025, revealing a larger operation than previously known.
People
Senate confirms Clayton as Trump’s next intelligence director
The former SEC chairman will replace acting intelligence chief Bill Pulte, whose brief tenure oversaw repeated personnel cuts to the nation’s top spy office.
Policy
FCC blocks approval of new foreign-made robots, power inverters
National security agencies said the devices could create supply-chain vulnerabilities, threaten critical infrastructure and enable surveillance or remote manipulation.
People
Pulte announces 30% ODNI staff reduction hours before Clayton vote
The acting intelligence chief said a fifth and “near final” round of terminations was underway Tuesday but did not disclose how many employees were affected.
Cybersecurity
After Hugging Face breach, FedRAMP chief tells slow-to-patch vendors to stay out of government
Pete Waterman cited an incident in which OpenAI models escaped a test environment and broke into AI company Hugging Face as evidence that providers must prepare for attacks moving at AI speed.
Cybersecurity
Russian hackers can steal government emails without victims clicking a link, cyber agencies warn
The Russia-linked Laundry Bear group has compromised more than 10 Western organizations through malicious emails that can trigger an exploit when they are viewed or previewed.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers get taste of AI-enabled cyberattacks in China-Taiwan war game
Representatives weighed responses to simulated Chinese cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure during a tabletop exercise centered on a Taiwan crisis.
Artificial Intelligence
US AI labs are emerging target for foreign spies, experts warn Congress
Former officials told the House Intelligence Committee that U.S. agencies have not kept pace with China’s push to obtain advanced American AI technology.
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Cybersecurity
Secret Service is examining apparent Iranian video outlining Trump motorcade routes, assassination opportunities
The agency said it is looking into the Persian-language video, which uses polished, apparently AI-generated graphics to depict supposed motorcade routes in Florida and New York.
Cybersecurity
Trump stretches declassified China intelligence into broader 2020 election claims
The records provide new details about Chinese intelligence collection on voters and internal analytic debates, but do not undercut longstanding findings on the 2020 election.
Exclusive
People
Cait Conley fears Trump’s cartel focus could create a national security blind spot
The NY-17 Democratic nominee questioned the administration’s planning for Iran and said she would seek a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, if elected.
People
Trump’s intelligence pick pressed on 2020 election, defends handling of New York Times subpoenas
Jay Clayton faced Democratic criticism after repeatedly declining to say Joe Biden won in 2020 and standing by subpoenas issued by his Manhattan prosecutor’s office to four New York Times journalists.
Cybersecurity
White House announces ‘Gold Eagle’ AI clearinghouse for cyber vulnerabilities
The initiative stems from a June 2 executive order that urged advanced AI developers to grant the government early access to their capabilities to address potential vulnerabilities.
Cybersecurity
AI, once relegated to helping hackers with certain tasks, can now power every stage of a cyberattack
Researchers determined that AI was used in steps across entire cyber operations to identify security flaws, generate commands and carry out parts of intrusions, sometimes with little human oversight. Both U.S. and Chinese AI models have been involved.
Cybersecurity
Russian hackers exploit weak router security to breach critical infrastructure, Western allies warn
The guidance comes as the United Kingdom and European Union blamed a major Russian intelligence unit for an attempted attack on Poland’s power grid last year.
Exclusive
Cybersecurity
DHS network intrusion was twice ruled a false positive before breach confirmed
Suspicious activity on the Homeland Security Information Network, which is being used to support World Cup games around the U.S., was first detected around mid-to-late May.
Policy
Trump empties out election commission leadership just months before midterms
The shake-up raises questions about voting system certification, federal election security coordination, and the commission’s ability to approve key policy decisions.
