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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.
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People
HUD CIO tapped to lead Interior tech shop, people familiar say
Eric Sidle has a background in the EV industry, having worked with firms like NIO and ChargePoint.
Cybersecurity
House Homeland committee seeks briefing on DHS network hack
Cyber intruders accessed the unclassified network being used to help support World Cup games around the U.S., a senator said last week.
Breaking News
People
Greg Barbaccia to leave federal CIO role at end of August
“Greg has done an excellent job as Federal CIO and Chief AI Officer,” an OMB spokesperson told Nextgov/FCW. “He will certainly be missed when his time here comes to an end.”
People
Interior CIO Paul McInerny exits position
Paul “Macca” McInerny, a former SpaceX engineer that aligned himself with DOGE’s efficiency push, left the department last week after just over a year in the role, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Cybersecurity
CISA expects to finalize key cyber reporting rule by September
Last month, CISA held additional stakeholder town halls on the forthcoming CIRCIA final rule after a now-resolved DHS funding lapse this spring delayed the meetings.
Policy
Trump says Pulte can declassify ‘whatever’ he wants, sparking fears of exposing intelligence secrets
“If he doesn’t care about blowing up cyber exploits, putting foreign relationships at risk, or getting people killed, he could declassify a lot,” one former official said.
Artificial Intelligence
US to lift export controls on key Anthropic models
Anthropic’s cybersecurity-focused Mythos 5 and Fable 5 are expected to be reactivated for respective users following permission from the Commerce Department.
Artificial Intelligence
CIA will take ‘smart risks’ and ‘course correct’ as it adopts AI, director says
“We simply can’t afford to wait for a risk-free approach to emerging tech. It doesn’t exist. We have to move fast. We have to be aggressive,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said.
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Cybersecurity
Hackers breached DHS information-sharing network, people familiar say
The Homeland Security Information Network is used by government, international and private sector partners to share sensitive but unclassified information.
People
Lawmaker warns of administration’s ‘fetishization’ of Silicon Valley startups
Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., discussed his plans to scrutinize Trump-era contracting practices, revive federal IT oversight and push for AI policy.
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Cybersecurity
Secret Service phone security lapses put US officials at risk, watchdog says
The DHS inspector general found that agents routinely used personal phones for official work, including during protective operations, because government-issued devices lacked key capabilities.
Cybersecurity
The hidden market turning home internet connections into cover for hackers
Researchers traced millions of household IP addresses through residential proxy networks, calling the illicit use of those connections the “blood diamonds of the digital age.”
People
ODNI deputy director pushed out amid Pulte cuts
An estimated 15 to 20 individuals who were assigned to the Mission Integration directorate from other intelligence community components are believed to have returned to their respective agencies.
People
Pulte’s early ODNI cuts include dozens sent back to home agencies
Senate Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton said the acting director of national intelligence told him about 45 to 50 career officers are being returned to their home agencies, while a smaller number of front-office personnel are leaving federal service.
Exclusive
Policy
Top House cyber lawmaker plans to introduce DHS overhaul bill by next year
In an interview, Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., also said she plans to ask officials about how export control measures would affect government agencies’ access to advanced AI models.
Artificial Intelligence
Parts of NSA lose Mythos 5 access amid Anthropic supply chain dispute
The access issue comes as the Five Eyes alliance is warning that frontier AI could soon accelerate both cyberattacks and cyber defense.
People
Lawmakers warn acting DNI against using role for major workforce shakeups
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., cited concerns about reported ODNI staff cuts while Bill Pulte temporarily leads the intelligence community.
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Emerging Tech
White House expected to direct intelligence agencies to protect quantum research from foreign threats
The executive order is expected this week and tasks the departments of Defense and Energy to build and host a quantum computer for scientific discovery.
Cybersecurity
Planned NDAA amendment would codify CISA’s role in cyber vulnerability program
The measure, expected as a proposed add-on to the government’s 2027 defense package, targets a bedrock cybersecurity vulnerability-tracking system after a contracting fiasco last year.
